[b]Chamber of Harmonious Arrangements![/b] The erhu player chokes and lets the strings run silent. Emli breaks off mid-simpering, suddenly serious, watching the Red Wolf like a mouse like watch, well, a wolf. Legionnaires stand looming with more intentionality. She holds out one hand. Piripiri’s eyes dart around the room for a moment before she removes her glove, peeling it from her skin, and places her hand in her mistress’s waiting palm for inspection. Dead silence. Agata is unreadable as her eyes drink in that cut, so slow to heal. She looks up, considers Piripiri for a while, then back down at the cut. She’s barely breathing. “Sacrilege indeed,” she says. “To give the blood of the ancient guardians to the enemy they kept at bay. Even [i]I[/i] know how serious that is.” Piripiri’s hand is released, and the Red Wolf turns her attention to Giriel, at her side, so close, so favored. “My hands are tied,” she says, quietly. Angrily? Passionately. “Lady Giriel, I find you in violation of the Sanguine Edict of the Mother of the Host.” Two legionnaires step forward at a flick of Agata’s hand. Giriel is pulled to her feet; a glove is crushed over her lips as her hands are wrenched behind her. And Agata rises and suddenly is on her, their faces close, speaking in a whisper… *** [b]Giriel![/b] “I have to keep up appearances,” she breathes, the promising fire licking at your cheek. “Trust me.” Do you? Or do you lash out, betrayed? There’s a shiny XP if you let yourself fall into the clutches of the pretty girl, incidentally. And trouble, too. Plenty of it. *** [b]Fengye![/b] Nice job. You’re out of the frying pan— but are you out of the fire? You are beneath suspicion, but Agata does not seem particularly happy that you forced her into making a decisive move. She might very well spin around and make an example of [i]you[/i] next. She very definitely doesn’t believe that you did [i]that[/i] or that the demon maid is [i]them[/i], but that makes you vulnerable, particularly [i]after[/i] dinner, when she can isolate and deal with her guests again. Here’s a lifeline, though: despite Maid Confined being under the control of the Hymairean dragon-blooded, she’s still connected to you mystically after a wonder-working like that. If you can get your fingers on the metaphorical strings, you can give her a (literal) nudge. And she’s got a vessel full of wine. *** [b]Han![/b] Emli’s got her hand on you, trying to soothe, to comfort, but fuck that, right? Right? Except. Uh. Okay. See. You did just see that wound on the other dragon-blooded’s hand. And it did look nasty. And, well, Giriel [i]is[/i] a witch. Sub in the Red Wolf for a brave knight, and you’ve got the end of a bunch of lowlander stories. And sure, you might be a highlander, more accepting of witches, but witches are still outside the community, and your own palm prickles in sympathy. But on the other hand, this is [i]Giriel[/i] we’re talking about. You know her. There’s got to be a reason why she did that, and you should definitely speak up. (On the third hand, the injured dragon-blood is standing right next to a frightened-looking Lotus, who’s sitting like a deer frozen in the middle of the road, across the room, in harm’s way.) *** [b]Piripiri![/b] So here’s the thing. Agata is obviously [i]into[/i] this witch. She’ll be like this for a while. At least a week. And she’ll pull her punches as much as she can. But she’s also devious. There is a very high chance that she’s angling to make the witch one of her slaves, atoning for her crime through loyal service. And she’ll say it’s only for show, until it turns out that it isn’t, but by then it will be too late for the poor, foolish witch. And then you’ll be stuck with her as a colleague, or as a servant, or as sulky entertainment. Not the first of Agata’s flings to end like that, either. Does the thought cheer you up, or make you tense up? *** [b]Kalaya![/b] Cathak Agata is descended from the last great dragon in the world, and that fact is searing. She is a dragon in her heart: confident in her power, rapacious in her greed, and careless with the things she considers lesser. What is the Flower Kingdoms to someone like the Red Wolf? A stage. A toybox. It’s full of pretty girls and pretty flowers and a chance to play the hero. She means to make it a jewel in her hoard; to take what she likes from it and add it to the glory of the Dominion. She is hungry, Kalaya. And the Flower Kingdoms are so delicious. As for getting her to leave the kingdoms alone— you are aware she’s here under orders, right? You would need to put her in such fear for her life that she would run back to Lamentation with her tail (metaphorical) between her legs, or else present a unified front with no weak points for her to exploit, the kingdoms yielding under one crown. And out of everyone you know, there’s only one person who’s got a real chance of doing either of those things. She just beat you senseless, and the last you saw of her was getting shot in the side. “Oh, don’t be like that,” she says, eyes still covered. “I can [i]hear[/i] the pout. All you have to do is work [i]with[/i] me. Wear our colors, work alongside some of our hard-working girls from the Legion, and prove decisively that you are [i]not[/i] some destined champion against the Dominion. We can even pick out a target that works for both of us. How about those catgirls? They’ve been a problem for a long time, haven’t they? Well, I think that we could [i]definitely[/i] teach them a lesson.” (Sending the Legions against the N’yari would horrify them. It would be an act of Mars, bloody and domineering. They would withdraw, suddenly and in grief, and then either seal the doors of Mount Fang shut… Or they would retaliate in fury, and then it would not just be simple raiding. The Flower Kingdoms would burn. Bullying, teasing N’yari would [i]die.[/i] So would innocents who, normally, would just be in for some kidnapping and theft.) [Kalaya, please answer: [i]How could the Red Wolf get you to serve her?[/i]]