[hider=Confession] Alasdair was sat at the desk in his room, deep in thought. The temperature in Nyhem had been surprisingly warm today and Alasdair had left the doors to his room’s balcony open. He almost wished he had asked Claus to send for this Watt smith immediately, however doing so would have raised suspicion from Claus, who’s own allegiance was questionable. While he behaved like an oaf it was clear his mind was just as sharp as his blade. Still, while he understood why Patrick had recommended him to the high council Alasdair wondered if he truly was the best man for advisor of war. His mannerisms certainly left a lot to be desired for the politics of Nyhem. A knock on his door disturbed Alasdair from his thoughts “Enter” He replied. The door opened and in came a servant holding his meal for the evening. The servant placed Alasdair’s meal and goblet on the table and started to fill his goblet with wine. As she poured Alasdair couldn’t help but notice her beauty, even as a commoner she was easily more beautiful than the majority of ladies at court. Once she finished she gave Alasdair a bow before asking “Will that be all your grace”. Alasdair gave her a nod in response to which she left the room, closing the door behind her. The meal was chicken breast served with gravy, carrots and sprouts. Chicken was not a meat that Alasdair particularly enjoyed but he shuddered at the idea of wasting such expensive meat. Unbeknownst to Alasdair, he was not alone. Perched upon the balcony railings was a small bird with a ring of crimson plumage around its throat. Lanaya knew she could go unnoticed until she resumed her natural form, and had thought long and hard about whether she should come to Alasdair this way. It was quite unprofessional for her to appear out of nowhere to the Emperor, with no appointment and no announcement. He could have her dragged out in chains. Yet… After the news of the day, she was distraught. She had not returned home after the Council meeting, simply flying above the city trying to process the magnitude of the betrayals she had suffered. Eventually, that had led her here, to the Emperor’s quarters. She had no one else to turn to. All of her friends were dead or gone. All those that might’ve comforted her were lost. That left only him. Alasdair, the Emperor of Formaroth, a relative stranger, an individual whom she had regarded as an adversary… and also the man who had saved her. Needless to say, her feelings had become complex of late. Right now though, she needed a friend, and hoped against hope that he might be that for her, as he had been for Aurelia in times past. She fluttered to the floor and retook her natural form, eery witchlight engulfing her for several seconds until she had resumed her form completely - a grimace clear on her face as her injuries reformed from phantom to real pain. Alasdair was just about to drink from his goblet but put it down immediately as a flash of mage light came from his balcony. He was about to call for the guards until he saw the figure of Lanaya emerge from the light. “Lady Lanaya” he stammered, shocked by her sudden appearance “why are you here? I must say this is very unorthodox”. “Please… Just Lana.” She begun, maintaining the even tone she usually used in court. “I am not here on business…” She looked away from Alasdair then. “I’m sorry to appear out of nowhere like this… I just.” She took a deep breath. When she next spoke her voice was far less stable than usual. “I didn’t know where else to go. Everyone else I knew well is gone.” She turned back to him, but kept her eyes low. She was already regretting her hasty decision. “I will leave if you wish your grace.” Alasdair’s surprise changed to curiosity; it seemed Lanaya was understandably in a unstable state and she had come to him to...confide in him? Surely not. However she had asked him to call her Lana, a name that he had only ever heard Aurelia call her. “No it is fine you just startled me. Was there something you wished to say”? Alasdair replied more softly than he had before. “I…” Lana began, turning her eyes back to Alasdair’s face. “I never properly thanked you for rescuing me. You saved me from that monster. When everyone else abandoned me, you came to my rescue.” Her tone took on a hint of venom when she spoke of abandonment, and suddenly she understood why she was here. She wanted to shout, to scream about Eli and his betrayal, and to have someone understand. “I feel I should be honest with you now your grace. I was not expecting you… I expected that if anyone would’ve come to my rescue, it would’ve been Eli.” Her heart beat loudly in her ears ands he felt her face flush red as she spoke. She was essentially admitting to treason right now. But what more could she lose now? “He and I were in a relationship. He had even proposed in secret. The dagger Thanatos used to… To torture me… Was a gift from Eli.” Tears began to form in here eyes. “So perhaps you now understand my reaction when I was informed he had not only left me to that monster, but stolen all of my hard work and dashed my every plan to dust.” Tears rolled down her face. There was no going back now. Alasdair’s face grew severe as Lanaya continued to talk. His eyes turned away from Lanaya as he stared straight ahead of him into space. Alasdair remained silent for near a minute before finally replying “What you have said is admission of treason. That you conspired with the Blackwells against my family. In any normal circumstance I would have you taken to the dungeon to be tortured and later executed”. At this Alasdair stared into Lanaya’s eyes, his stare was cold and piercing “However you have freely confessed this to me, even when there was seemingly no reason to, nor any way we could have discovered your guilt. I want you to tell me why. Be warned, your answer will seal your fate one way or another”. Lana balled her fists as Alasdair spoke, but otherwise ignored his threat. She was confident he would not be able to catch her if he did choose to declare her a traitor. “Because I have nothing left!” She near shouted. “Because Eli took [i]everything[/i] from me! My Collective has been perverted by a treacherous blood hag. My friends are all dead or gone. He broke my heart and left me to die or worse.” Her voice was cracking now, and tears streamed unashamedly down her face. “I have nothing left.” She said again, quieter now. The rage was subsiding to despair once more. Her form almost seemed to shrink, she let her hands go limp and slumped in upon herself. “There is no reason to conceal anything from you anymore.” Alasdair continued to stare at Lanaya, though his cold glare softened a bit as she broke down in front of him. His many decades in the courts of Nyhem had taught him to read and analyse people like a scholar would read a book. Right now it was clear Lanaya was truly talking from her heart, something that Alasdair never expected to see from a rival. Had he been his brother, her head would have already been removed. Such an approach would certainly be the safer option. However he was not his brother. In truth he had never trusted Lanaya and he was hardly surprised by this revelation. Yet despite everything she had freely confessed her betrayal to him, put herself at his mercy. Ironically enough her confession of betrayal had been the greatest proof of her loyalty to him. Even from a practical standpoint it made more sense to keep her in the concord. She likely knew invaluable secrets about the Blackwells that he could use to his advantage, along with knowledge about Alice’s research. Furthermore she was the only magister of significant renown he still had on his side and he needed her to bring the circle into the empire. “I have one question” Alasdair asked, his voice softer than it was before “If you truly are being honest with me I want to know. What have you told Eli about my family and the concord. What can he use against us”? “I told him much” She said, dejected, expecting the worst. “In my last letter, I informed him of your plan to declare yourself Emperor of Formaroth before it was widely known. Prior to that, I kept him apprised of the political disposition of many nobles in the Concord during the war. I cannot think of anything that remains of any real use now. I know of no military secrets to pass along.” She hung her head. She felt pathetic. Wretched. Once again Alasdair fell silent as he considered what was being said to him “At least it wasn’t information that he could have used it his advantage. Very well Lady Lanaya, I have decided not to have you executed. I shall even allow you to keep your place on the council, but you will tell me everything you know of the Blackwells plans and you will remain here in the keep under the watchful eyes of claus’s troops until your loyalty can be guaranteed again”. Alasdair said, though ironically he trusted her more than he did before, not that he would “If asked you will say you don’t feel safe outside of the keep after your incident with Thanatos, I cannot let anyone know that I allowed a professed traitor to remain on my council”. Lana looked up to the Emperor then. “Very well.” She said, her tone still somewhat defeated. “I will accept this gilded cage, to prove you can trust me now. I will tell you everything I know of Eli and his plans.” She made to move towards the door, but then stopped and looked directly at Alasdair, a new hardness upon her features, and cold iron in her tone. “But I will not be bound. I will not be chained. And I will not be restricted from spellcasting. [i]Never again[/i].” Alasdair reached for his untouched wine goblet “I never said I would do that nor was that my intention” He said as picked up the goblet “Afterall it wouldn’t be becoming of-” He was suddenly halted at the sound of a bugle sounding throughout the castle. Alasdair looked at Lanaya with confusion before one of the steel fist guards came in “Report” Alasdair said bluntly. The guard threw Lanaya a befuddled look as he had not seen her enter, before turning back to the task at hand “I am unsure your grace, but it’s seem a intruder has been found, I ask that you remain in your chamber until we’ve caught the bas-” He stopped himself as he realized who he was talking to “-the felon. Me and my boys will stay out here and make sure you remain safe” “Ensure my sister is well guarded as well” Alasdair replied swiftly. With that the guard gave a quick bow before mumbling “Your grace” and left the room. Alasdair looked over to Lanaya. “It would seem your confession is not the only thing to make this day a memorable one”. Alasdair said with a slight smile, trying to lighten the tense atmosphere between them. If she was to remain in the concord, it would make sense to ease any hostilities between them. “So it would seem.” She replied, her tone even. She had put on a facade of composure the moment the guard entered, but it was a thin one at best. “I will stay and defend you with my magics if you wish. Or proceed to my new… quarters… at once. Will you allow me to take up residence in the tower? Or am I to remain somewhere with… less windows?” She said, with the barest hint of a tired smile. It was all the humor and lightness she could manage with the emotional exhaustion setting in. “Your work is already in the tower, so you shall remain there. You may leave your window open if you wish, so long as you do not leave” Alasdair replied, knowing full well that a fragile sheet of glass would not keep a mage as talented as Lanaya from escaping. Besides this was supposed to test her loyalty. If he kept her locked away in a basement he would never know if she would abaddon the concord if given the chance. “Thank you your grace.” She said sincerely. “I appreciate your understanding. I will not take flight.” She bowed, then moved towards the door. Alasdair held his arm out “Remain here for now. If there is a intruder in the castle then it would be safer for both of us if you remained here” Alasdair said Lanaya nodded in agreement and waited alongside Alasdair. A few more minutes passed with the bugle still sounding throughout the keep. Alasdair was getting nervous, how many people had infiltrated the castle for it to take this long to handle them? Alasdair once again turned to his goblet hoping that the wine would calm his nerves. But before he could drink it the door swung wide open and a half deranged looking claus stormed in. Before Alasdair could ask what was going on Claus grabbed the goblet from his hand with such a force that it bruised his fingers. "I NEED THE MEDICUS! OR AN ALCHEMIST, OR BOTH!!! NOW!!!!" He shouted in a tone so deafening Alasdair could practically feel the vibrations. He didn't even look at Alasdair as he walked out the room, gave the goblet to the guards standing outside and stormed his way down the hall. Alasdair nursing his hand simply turned to Lanaya with a look of shock on his face. Lana’s expression was one of surprise and shock. She stepped back and raised her hands. “I know nothing of this.” she said shaking her head. Was she about to lose another person who she had taken into her confidence? She half expected Alasdair to fall to his desk, dead on the spot. She prepared a quick shape shifting spell in her mind just in case. [/hider] By [@Sundered Echo] [@TheDuncanMorgan]