[h1][center][color=9e0b0f]Lavinia[/color][/center][/h1] Now Zenith’s heartbeat was speeding up too. No doubt about it: there was [i]definitely[/i] something going on between him and Holly. Lavinia glanced surreptitiously back and forth between the two, her brow furrowed as she tried to puzzle out what it all meant. Perhaps those two were secretly mortal enemies? And their hearts started beating harder whenever they came close, because they were getting pumped to fight one another. Yes, that was probably it. In the meantime, Lavinia’s own pulse was undergoing some drastic changes of pace, as she fastidiously avoided looking at Ria and tried to fight the parts of herself that wanted to a) laugh out loud and start monologuing about how she’d ruined the water mage’s little tryst, or b) get down on her knees and beg for forgiveness. The best thing to do right now would be to stay calm and act like nothing was wrong. Maybe if she pretended hard enough, it would come true. [color=9e0b0f]”No need to be concerned, dear,”[/color] she purred, back into cool-and-calculating-mastermind mode. [color=9e0b0f]”I’d never let any of my fellow mages perish by another’s hand.”[/color] She shot a meaningful look at the armored S-class, though internally her anger had died down a bit thanks to Zenith’s keen assessment of what the newspapers would be saying tomorrow. [color=9e0b0f][i]I’ll be rich and famous soon, and then I can just buy everyone expensive things and make them like me.[/i][/color] Wait, that wasn’t right. [color=9e0b0f][i]I meant 'make them serve and obey,' of course. Whether they like me pr not is completely irrelevant![/i][/color] They would grovel to her like pawns beneath a queen, and bring her cool drinks and sandwiches whenever she asked. With these thoughts in mind, she swept proudly past Zenith and pointed to the Obsidian Kite peon. [color=9e0b0f]”You there, peasant! One of our own has suffered a groin injury in the preceding battle, so make sure that he is given the finest seat on board.”[/color] She raised her chin, looking down on him with a disdainful glare. [color=9e0b0f]”And before you think about disobeying me, remember what happened to the dragon just now.”[/color] Her threat was totally subtle and she wasn’t sure he’d get it, but if he did then she knew he’d end up doing exactly as she'd demanded. [color=9e0b0f][i]Go, me![/i][/color]