No but neither is anyone else

When you approach Anastasia's estate you note the lack of light from inside. The sun was setting so there should be candles lit by now. Maybe Anastasia is with the others in the academy baths, or she was still at the royal palace. As you knock on the door Delilah is trying to peak into the window.

"See anything interesting?" You ask and get a awe stuck face back.

"That's the PRINCESSES HOUSE!" Delilah whisper shouted before relaxing so Eve could add, "I assume those are the royal colours." She pointed at the roses lining the front of the house.

"Yeah, recognise them?" A bit worried that Anastasia's ancestors were the ones who made Eve a wraith and her not enacting vengeance on decedents wasn't going to last past first meeting.

"No." Eve said leaning over to run a hand over a petal. "Using magic to colour a flower." There was a hint of disdain in her voice as she stood back up. "You can do that?" Delilah asked looking back at the flower. "Yes it's a simple matter of altering the plants identity." Eve answered looking back into the window. "Huh?" Delilah asked mirroring your own interest. "Every living thing has an identity. It's how it knows what to look like. With magic and a deep understanding of the thing you can change it's identity. Using it on a flower is the sort of thing a shallow ruler does to make sure a representation of themselves is ever present in their subjects mind." Eve answered with more disdain present as she spoke.

So Eve and her contemporaries had an understanding of DNA. It wasn't particularly developed as understandings go but it was something you hadn't encountered much in today's understanding. The focus on self and nonself-consciousness might even have been the thing that pushed identity out of the current paradigm. "It's been way too long." You said leaning to look into a window. There was no response at all from anyone inside.

"Maybe they're lost in there." Delilah said leaning against you to look into the window. "What now?"

"I guess we go find Clare. She's probably in my room or she's getting dinner." The word dinner made Delilah spin her head to look at you with hungry eyes. "Check my room first then we can get dinner." You still had a pig belly stain on your top so should get changed, probably should have gotten changed before looking for Anastasia to be honest.

"Can I wait for you at dinner?" Delilah asked. "No we want to go to his room." Eve countered. You looked over and saw Delilah's face light up when she figured out the benefit to going to your room then saw you looking and got shy. "Oh yeah we can go to your room." She tried to conceal her excitement even as she took your arm and started walking. The fact there was only one path from the estate to the academy proper took the classic moment of having to redirect her away from you.

Hiding your devastation from the two you took your place at their side and walked them to the Dorms. When you rounded the corner you hesitated. There were two armoured guards standing by a carriage. Each had a spear in one hand and a shield in the other. Their armour was very shiny with red at their shoulders fading to a deep blue at their feet. Metal armour not just chain mail and leather, that seemed more ceremonial than practical. You checked for magic and saw everything they had aside from their spear was enchanted. So much for enchantments not being common, though this might be an exception, it didn't seem like this would be common.

Their auras looked professionally bored. Dull colours that matched their armour, nonthreatening but still prepared. "Are they the royal guard or simple city watch?" Eve asked, she was checking them as thoroughly as you had been, actually she might have been more thorough as her aura seemed prepared for danger.

"I assume the former but never met the latter." You answered walking towards the Dorms front door. Anastasia hadn't traveled with any guards aside from her bodyguard before so unless there was an **** attempt in the two days you were gone safe to assume they weren't here for Anastasia.

"Have you not left the academy?" Eve asks still looking at the guards. You said no, not sure why she was asking. "If the city guard were that well armed I would assume there was a great deal of decent among the populace."

You opened the Dorms front door and saw students milling about the dinning room waiting for dinner to start. A few look at you and Delilah and they pull more people into looking at the two of you. "My rooms upstairs." You said. You started walking but Delilah didn't move. You looked at her and saw silent conversation happening.

Delilah looked mortified as her eyes darted around Eve look amused as she looked at you. "Delilah isn't comfortable walking in on so many nobles." Eve said taking your arm in hers. "She'll need some time." Eve finished and the two of you walked. As you walked you heard comments about Eve, mostly about who she was and why she was with you. "You are quite popular." Eve said as you started climbing the stairs. "They were staring at us." Delilah added blushing madly. Eve's free hand came up to stroke their cheek. "It ok Delilah, they just wish they could be with Christopher. I haven't felt that many women being jealous of me for a long time." She looked immensely satisfied with herself. Those two were getting along with each other very well.

When you reach the last step to your floor you stop moving. You'd stretched your perception out in case there was a Vatarie waiting to ambushing you but that isn't who you felt. You didn't know who you felt but they were standing in front of your door. They weren't armed but did have the same armour as the two out the front. Well that is extremely distressing and your brain immediately took you to being told someone you loved was dead.

Delilah squeezed you hand cutting off the spiral that was threatening to happen. You gave them a warm smile and kissed their cheek. "Thanks." They blushed and smiled at you as you walked onto your floor.

"Master Christopher." The woman waiting outside your door said as soon as you appeared. She bowed at you and walked over. Delilah tired to hide behind you but Eve stopped her staying at you side and staring the woman down. The woman stopped out of arms reach looking at Eve with a bit of worry. "Her Royal Highness Aurora, Queen of Natira, ruler of the Extier Plains and Overseer of the Hasstan Dunes, requires your attendance at the Royal Palace." You'd never heard the Queen's title before but felt like the inclusion of the Extier Plains was a pointed one. According to Anastasia that where you are supposed to be duke of when your dad passes.

"That is a lot of titles for someone who should be known by one." Eve said bemused by this. Delilah suddenly looked about as mortified as she could physically be. You squeezed her hand in a return of the support she had given you. That seemed to help a bit.

"Master Christopher. The carriage outside is waiting." The woman said doing her best to not look at Delilah.

"I need to change." You said looking at your very plain pants and stained top.

"Her Highness," the woman stopped as Eve raised an eyebrow at the threat of repeating the full title, "has been expecting you for sometime."

"Ahhh." You held out your shirt to see just how noticeable the stain is. The woman looked at it and you saw her chew her lip. "I'll be quick." Unless Edin was there then you might be a bit having a chat with him.

"I will wait out here." The woman said as her eyes drifted to the stairs.

"We'll wait with you." Eve said pushing you down the hallway and stepping in front of the stairs. You didn't know why but she must have a reason. You hurried into your room but there is no Edin. It's irrational but you can't stop the thought that the Queen wants you at the palace to tell you Edin is missing or hurt. It does make sense thinking about it, you've heard her call you a threat, delivering bad news is the sort of thing you'd want control over.

You blow out a quick breath and open your wardrobe, putting the four Koilio flowers inside, taking four airborne aphrodisiac spreaders with you to meet the Queen seemed like a bad idea. You make sure they are still and not going to spread pollen on your clothes and then look at said clothes. You should have grabbed your blue outfit before you left. Aside from the two toga, neither of which are exactly appropriate for meeting the Queen. You grabbed a purple one with only a little poofiness to it's arms and legs and pull it on.

You leave your room and see Delilah glaring at the woman still standing by the stairs. The woman was looking very worried and seemed to be sweating through her metal armour. Delilah looked at you and the glare vanished as barely contain laughter took over. "Christopher, you look," Delilah started before a giggle escaped, "nice." Eve finished for her handling the laughter better with just a broad smirk.

"Thank you." You said walking to them and nodding at the woman. "Let's go." The three of you walk downstairs, there is a lot stares from the people and Delilah wavers a bit before Eve takes back over. When you reach the carriage the two guards waiting for you sharpen up and open the carriage door for you.

At the behest of the woman you climb inside, when Delilah approaches to do the same she is stopped. "Only Master Christopher is expected."

"Ok." Delilah said stopping short. "Always been a fan of surprises personally." Eve added reaching for the carriage past the guards. The two guards shifted and Eve's hand stopped as she slowly turned to look at them. Their shifting turned the spears into their hands into a more proactive position. Eve didn't look amused by the implicit threat.

"If she's not coming I'm not going." You said stepping out of the carriage. Eve told you she wouldn't be holding back and you didn't want to test the resolve on two innocent guards doing their job.

The woman looked very distressed and pulled at her chest plate. "V-very well." She nodded. Eve looked away from the guards immediately and took your hand as she climbed into the carriage. The total lack of threat she felt from the situation seemed clear to everyone present as both guard's armour rattled in relief. The woman looked like she was having a very bad day.

"Sorry about this, she just arrived in the capital and I don't want to leave her alone without knowing for how long." You said to the woman before you ducked back into the carriage. The woman looked a bit better having a reason beyond your whim to hold to.

Sitting next to Delilah you watched them looking around. "It's so big." Delilah said with some awe stroking the seats. "And soft." Her other hand rested in your lap and Eve looked over at you. "I can see the benefit." She gave you a wink and you wondered how fast the carriage was going to be traveling. Having to tell everyone at the palace you'll need a few more minutes seems rude.

The carriage starts to move and her hand moves to rest very determinedly to your lap. "Eve." You said making them look at you. Delilah looked down to see where her hand was and blush but didn't take it away. You shook your head and took the hand in yours. Her other hand then came to replace it. "Have two remember." Eve said with a smirk as you took that hand in your others. They smiled at you and rested their head on your shoulder. "Better than flying." Delilah said after a while making you and Eve laugh.

As the carriage rolled down the hill you directed Delilah to look out the window to see the city from the ground. Eve commented that there was a better view to be had, giving you bedroom eyes, but Delilah was starting to realise she was in the capital traveling in a royal carriage. She took a hand back to better lean into the window and was too caught up the moment waving at the people in the street who looked over at her to give Eve's flirting much encouragement.

As you near the Royal Palace's hill people start to wave back at Delilah and she takes great pleasure in pointing them out to you and waving ecstatically back. "You're adorable." Eve said rubbing your hand with her thumb.

"Yeah she is." You say lifting their hand and kiss it. They look over to you and Delilah blushes. You kiss their cheek and they dart back to kiss your lips with Delilah looking around like she had done something wrong. You hugged her and as the stayed hugging as the carriage rolled down the Royal Palace's entryway. Eve looked out to see the flowers baring the Royal families colours. She shook her head in derision.

When the carriage came to a stop the door opened and you and Delilah pulled apart. The door opened and you stepped out. "Master Christopher of the Extier Plains first in inheritance." The woman who had brought you hear shouted.