Harald took a handkerchief out of his pocket and dabbed at his cheeks to dry them. "Wonderful to meet you, Kaleeth. Please, all of you come in. Remus and Aeramina will want to meet you." He turned around and took a step.

"Harald, wait a moment." Janius raised a hand.

Harald stopped and turned his head, eyebrows raised curiously.

"We wish to see Aurana first. In private, if you would. We need to speak to her before mother and father know I'm here."

"So you have learned of your new sister." Harald raised a thin smile. "I should expect you want to see her. Right this way."

Harald lead them inside without any further question. He neither knew why they wanted to see Aurana privately, nor why he wanted his parents to remain unaware. Janius knew that he was never one to ask too many questions. Harald had related to Janius in his childhood that such things were overstepping his duty as a butler.

The group was lead up the stairs and quietly through a portrait-lined hallway. There were pictures of more of the Aetius clan here in all different ages and dress. Some even wore armour. They all had their family similarities. There were pictures of Janius as well, though hard to recognise. One was him as a young boy and another depicted him in his Fighters Guild armour as a young man. Both cases had his face clean shaven.

They eventually came to a door that Harald gently knocked upon. "My lady Aurana, you have important visitors."

There was silence at first. Then there were fast footfalls. The door opened to Aurana, this time in a plain grey casual dress. She saw Janius, gasped, and charged him with a hug. Janius grinned and returned it. Everyone else got the same treatment. "I knew you'd arrive, I knew it!" She whispered. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Aurana pulled back and beckoned them into her room. "Quickly, be quiet, though. Mother and father could be back at any moment. They're out visiting a friend."

Janius looked to the others with slightly less of a smile before following Aurana in. Harald entered last, stepping first over to pull a cord that rang a bell faintly on the other side of the house, and then standing vigil by the door.

[hr]
"Ah, a restorer. A noble field if there ever was one," Pircalmo continued. "But the [i]hows[/i] are documented very well. What fascinated me was searching for the [i]whys.[/i] While I could not contact the Hist myself, I found the design of your people so intricate that studying the purposes had taken me longer than the lifetime of some of my live subjects! For instance, did you know that the reason why you have three chambers in your heart is to do with your inheritance of-"

"Father," Lunise interrupted. "Please. You're being overbearing."

Pircalmo paused and shrank with realisation, breathing out. "Correct. Correct again, Lunise, I do apologise." He returned to Meesei. "And to you, I apologise. It is just rare that I meet anyone who appreciates my work on lesser races." He turned to walk towards a trough on the other side of the room. "I was nearly expelled for releasing an article on how Bretons can be conditioned to equal elven magical prowess. Under the right conditions, of course. Hmf."

Lunise crossed her arms. "Yes, hardly anyone forgets that, father."

"Meesei may not know. She might be interested." Pircalmo picked up a kettle from next to the trough and turned to look at Lunise. "At any rate, I suppose I should ask if there was anything you came by for?"

Lunise's smile faded. Her eyes blinked down. "Nothing, really. I...just wanted to see you again."

Pircalmo's lips thinned. He looked on with a pause. "...I see." He breathed a single laugh from his nose. "You don't normally just come to visit. It's nice to see you all the same. I'll make us some tea." He placed the kettle under a pump over the trough and drew some water. The college was luxurious to have water straight to one's office. "Please, have a seat."

Lunise quietly walked over to the table and sat down with her hands in her lap. She looked at Meesei and nodded for her to sit as well.