Itzal thought ruefully that perhaps he had made his claim of being more lawful to Neon a tad early. Despite walking in through the front door and being as polite as he could muster, the clerk outside Justica's office was being incredibly dense. "Sir, I must insist you lay down your arms and present your documentation if you wish to meet with Lady Justica." The fool insisted for the umpteenth time. It was incredibly that Itzal had ever been on the run from these idiots for such a long time.

"And I'm telling you my knives cannot leave my side." He explained. "How does a seraphim not understand the meaning of the word enchanted? Perhaps you should go down to the competition today and see for yourself?" The wit and condescension was likely winning him no favours with the clerk, but his patience was wearing thin. The woman in charge of the safety and security of the seraphim race was unable to receive intelligence or make diplomatic exchanges because her assistant was unable to think on his feet. It was a miracle Itzal had not assassinated her by now, and he remembered for a moment that only the desire to avoid a nationwide manhunt had prevent him from doing so.

It was amazing that the woman could work through this din, though he supposed she did not get where she was by being distracted by such background noise. Just as the idiot behind the desk to repeat another rehearsed line, Itzal lost his patience and decided to take a shortcut. Placing his hands under the edge of the table, he threw it up and upended all of the stupid bastard's paperwork over his body. There was a yelp of surprise and a flutter of movement behind him as the guards came to remove him. Itzal raised glared at the pair of armed idiots coming at him and produced a firecracker from inside his cloak. Good thing he had planned for distractions if the front door didn't. If Justica refused to budge from behind those wooden doors from this, then Itzal would be forced to destroy them. He lit the fireworks and threw it on the floor before the guards, who jumped back in surprise for a moment, forgetting it was a simply matter of dousing it with water magic to silence the damned thing.

If it was one thing Itzal relied on, it was how poorly those used to routines and peaceful jobs reacted to strange situations. No doubt the idiots thought nobody would dare light a firecracker right outside Justica's office. It was then that the woman appeared from behind the doors, a stern expression on her face as usual and glaring right at Itzal. [i]So long as she's not trying to kill me on sight.[/i] The former assassin thought. "What is the meaning of this?"

"As I was explaining to your assistant before I had to resort to making a ruckus, I came bearing intelligence regarding the assassin known as Shade."

The woman's eyes narrowed and she studied him carefully. Despite the regal look of his leather armor and garb, he looked very much like a rogue who spent too much time at places he shouldn't have been. "What of him?"

"He's dead." Itzal replied simply, defying her with a look that told her she would have to let him into her office if she wanted to learn more. She would consider it a trick, a ploy to get close to her and assassinate her, or some ruse to throw her off her old nemesis' scent, but she was too determined to catch Shade that she would willingly take the bait if it meant letting a killer in her office. "Bring your guards and a whole battalion of soldiers in if you wish, I simply wish to talk."

---

Fiora was well aware that the driver was not circling the mansion at all. She could feel it in the carriage's movements. The man was droning on about his position and how he did not wish past mistakes to mar the changed man he was, but she saw it for what he really meant - he was afraid her presence would threaten his reputation and standing in seraphim society and wished to make sure she kept silent, or perhaps rid himself of the only evidence of his indiscretion.

"How is your mother?" He asked suddenly, trying to change the subject once he realised Fiora had no interest in what he could offer in terms of power or wealth.

"Dead." She replied coldly. "An unwed woman with a bastard daughter doesn't have much coin for healing. I've had to survive on my own with what skills I learned in my youth."

"I... see." The man answered awkwardly, now that his question was shut down so abruptly. "Did she... suffer?"

"She did not show it around me, but when the sickness took its toll it was quick to do so. The pain did not last long." Fiora replied. She wasn't going to be cruel, not about this. She would not deny him answers if he wished them. Better if he felt guilt and shame for letting his old lover die than feel as if he had a right to order Fiora around.

"It must have been hard-"

"Spare my your platitudes. You know nothing of what I had to do to survive, or the injustices I've suffered to do so." Fiora cut the man off suddenly. If he was offended that she would speak to someone of his position so rudely, he did not show it. "A bag of coin was all you gave my mother as proof of your love, and not once did you attempt to show any more responsibility to the pair of us. Frankly, you have no right to call me your daughter for all you did was to seed me in mother's womb and nothing else. That deserves no credit."

Her hands balled into fists and she was struggling not to smash the carriage from the inside. "I am here in Adalrich simply because my company has business here. I neither wish to be around you or discredit you with my existence. If you will turn this carriage around, I shall be out of your hair - and mind, I expect - once our affairs are concluded here."

"I'm afraid I can't do that." Sir Garen answered, his expression stiffening into that of an unwilling perpetrator. "If anyone else knew... not to mention the fact that you are my daughter, despite your feelings on the matter, and I have an obligation to care for you. You are coming home with me."

Fiora felt her hands go numb as they were locked to her side and her legs glued together, unable to move. She had been placed under a binding spell. She panicked, but knew that there was no way he had planned this out well. She had an entire party of friends who were all easily angered at any sign of hostility and would no doubt come looking for her, not to mention the fact that they were all rather skilled at barging into places and getting their way. He had made a big commotion right outside Itzal's door as well, so there was no way this abduction would end well for him.

"So I am to be your hostage then." Fiora spat, glaring at the man. He must have known she could handle herself in a fight from a single look, but he had certainly neglected to find out if she had any magical abilities from her seraphim heritage. The only useful thing this man had given her. She would not overplay her hand, however. They were in mid-air and she had no means of flight, which meant she was completely at this man's mercy until they landed and he lifted the spell around her, or until her comrades came to rescue her.

"You are my daughter, even if I have been absent, I do wish for you to come under my protection. Blood is thicker than water, after all." Garen protested.

"The full quote is: [i]blood of the covenant is thicker than water of the womb[/i]." Fiora hissed in quiet rage. "You shall find out how true that is once my friends come looking for me. The entire seraphim army couldn't save you then. You best pray it's the nice ones that show up."