"That was... surprising." Itzal mused at the sudden change in the judge's ruling. "The first year Ruby competed, they checked her inventions for hours because there was no way a young girl could have beaten experienced men. To think they're willing to give it to a human now..." Underneath his backhanded compliment, however, he was smiling. Cadogan had managed to win and it seemed symbolic after all they had been through. The night had been a blur of drinking and celebration, but Itzal held fast to his rule of not getting drunk. Unlike Neon, he believed in having a clear head when dealing with the Council, even if a hangover was preferable to the headache those old farts would cause. He peeled away from the party eventually, making his way back to his mansion and finding himself nursing one last cup of honeyed wine in front of Zilla's grave. "I promised you I'd return after I got justice for you, and that I'd take care of Ruby... I'm sorry I only managed half of that promise." He murmured to himself. "The other end of the bargain will have to wait until this whole mess gets cleaned up... I hope you understand." --- Itzal awoke in the morning in the same place, having fallen asleep in front of his wife's grave. A blanket had been placed over him in the night, no doubt Ruby's doing. She had grown into an upstanding young woman, all without his help. Perhaps because he wasn't there to blind him. "You're awake, I see." His daughter's voice rang out as he detected the scent of mushroom soup and freshly baked bread. She always did like it when they had that for breakfast, and no doubt had prepared specially for today. "Breakfast?" "Only if you'll eat with me." Itzal replied, chuckling, patting the floor beside him. It seemed surreal, that he was here mainly to convince the Seraphim not to go to war, yet had the time to share a meal like this with his daughter. Time passed mostly in silence as they ate, until Ruby broke the uncomfortable silence. "Will you be leaving again?" "Yes." Itzal replied, sighing sadly. "There's something dangerous looming in the dark and I can't ignore it. My companions have grown on me in that regard, it seems." She rested her head on his shoulder. "I haven't seen you in six years. I do not wish to wait another six to eat with you again." Itzal laughed, more to reassure himself and his daughter, ruffling her hair as he finished the last of the bread. "You won't have to. I'll find my way back sooner this time. I promise." --- Unfortunately, it seemed things were taking a turn for the worse. Itzal was trying his best not to let his worry show when he saw the telltale signs of a very drunk and annoyed Neon walking up to the Council chambers. She was queen of the daeva, but he had travelled with her long enough to know she had little love for things like manners and diplomacy. Not to mention the fact that the only other two of their group with him weren't much use either. He had nothing but respect for Kayla and Hagumi, but he wasn't sure they'd be able to fend off the hyenas if things turned nasty. Then someone announced Lord Vates was assassinated. Apparently by a daeva. "Of course he was." He drawled, loudly for the chamber to hear. "Exactly the day when the Queen of the Daeva is supposed to meet with the Council." He wasn't about to accuse the Council of being incompetent, but if someone could just assassinate a council member in their own capital... "Honestly, this assassin gives a bad name to hired swords." Itzal continued. He wasn't in his armour and Ruby had insisted he not bear any weapons into the Council chambers, but it seemed like whoever was out to get them was at least smart enough not to engage them directly. Well, if the assassin was going to make a move, Itzal didn't need his daggers to fend them off. He turned to the man who had announced the news. "How do you know it was caused by a daeva? Claws and fangs are no different whether they come from a daeva or a simple beast." Itzal challenged, and the messenger seemed lost for words. "Are your men really that incompetent that they just assume a daeva did this?" Hagumi and Kayla would no doubt wish he was staying silent and not insulting the Council right now, but he was buying them time. Neon was right there and had just vomited, thanks to the corset and alcohol. It wasn't difficult to see how one might simply call for their arrest. "Well, I suppose this is going to put a halt to any negotiations or discussion that was going to happen, why don't we all just go find out what happened to our dear Lord Vates?" Itzal suggested. --- Kayla had spent the night thinking of how to get the Council to side with them. She had been discussing strategy and debating the next best course of action, but of course someone had gone and assassinated a Council member with the intention of blaming the daeva for it. Even if the assassin was really a daeva, they could have been hired by anyone. If the assassin was smart, he'd make sure the evidence pointed to Neon and their whole party as the conspirators. He might even get himself caught and admit he was hired by Neon himself. She was thankful then that Itzal was here. For all of his blunt insults and disregard for propriety, the man was familiar with these things. No doubt he would be able to help them get out of this with some trick up his sleeve. Though she knew just as well how much he was wanted by Justica. He had recounted the story of his escapade and how be earned Justica's favour, but getting involved like this might expose his deception. If that came to light, everything else they said and did here in Adalrich would come into question as well. It also didn't help that Fiora and Garran had trashed her biological father's home. That had been smoothed over but no doubt it would still cast their party in a bad light for now. Getting to the bottom of the murder would be their best course of action, but Kayla didn't like the feeling that they were simply waiting for the noose to tighten around their necks. Whoever did this must be enjoying the show right now, watching them squirm. "What my colleague says has merit, blunt as he was." Kayla spoke up. "Lord Vates getting assassinated by a daeva the moment we arrived in the capital seems rather... fortuitous." --- Fiora was rather enjoying how protective Garran was of her, even if he was almost crushing her to death doing it. Cadogan was fine, the judges were biased and then reconsidered... All in all things turned out great. It was all a haze afterward, getting to the party and drinks going around, which at this point Fiora decided she was going to end up permanently smelling like a brewery if she spent too much time around Garran. She was mistaken as a serving girl a few times, and being approached a lot more, but thankfully the guests at this party were a little more well-mannered and a polite word of rejection (and a few threatening glares from Garran) dissuaded the men. Not so much for the women, whom seemed to think Garran was more of a bodyguard than lover, or alternatively hinted they were more than happy to entertain both of them at once. Eventually, though, Fiora made her way over to Garran and giggled, repeating the propositions to him. "Well, all that flirting was fun, but tiring. I'll be returning to the mansion early." Fiora announced, before leaning to Garran. "You know where my room is, if you're not too drunk later... maybe you'll want to bring one of those ladies along?" She put her agility to good use and disappeared before the pirate could react, but not before offering him a delicious view of her retreating rear swaying with her movements.