[h2]Tyaethe Radistirin[/h2] So, her distant cousin had been contacted by their mutual relative but not actually paid a visit yet. That was… fine, Tyaethe could track [i]him[/i] down on her own. It wasn’t even that hard if you knew the sort of place to look and were willing to put in the effort. Relatively easy for [i]her[/i], at least; the current crop of knights might find it a bit harder to pull it off without some difficulty. Renar would probably have the best time of it. Maybe Serenity? Although, avoiding drinking would probably make her an ill fit as well. The witch… well, Tyaethe doubted she would be out of place for long, it was just the matter of getting in the door for her. That was why she had spent an unusual amount of time this evening, as the past few, dressing and making her hair look something [i]other[/i] than a wild mane. More effort than she had put into the ball, if she was to be honest; here Tyaethe was operating on her own merits and wanted a better impression than just ‘acceptable’. There was also the different crowd to consider; this one would rather more appreciate the cleavage than a formal ball for an underaged princess. Sadly, this meant no bringing her sword along, even with Saint Rannigan’s feast and the tournament approaching. It would set rather the wrong tone for a private engagement. All of this was to say: Tyaethe was out attending parties ever-so-slightly the wrong side of propriety but still well within the auspices of high society. Not for the fun of it, but because she knew the sort of crowds her great-uncle [i]always[/i] associated with. They were also only [i]too[/i] happy to let a famous knight and relative of such high nobility attend. Well, so long as this didn’t turn out like [i]those[/i] balls. Her welcome would quickly run out if she were to start something violent or be nakedly hostile to the attendees… as dull as their gossiping was. But, she would admit, at least the refreshments were good; Aimlenn was after all a trade hub, and the hosts had no choice but to show off. She seemed to be in luck for once. At first she almost waved the maid off – she still had a full glass, after all, and she didn’t want to encourage too many attempts to curry favour. As if she would let anyone here buy their way, or a relative’s, into the order… But the smell. Oh, that was unmistakeable. [i]Blood[/i]. Rendered into something a normal person might almost drink by accident, stable and fluid even cooled, an alchemical trick that wasn’t terribly rare… among esoteric mages. It took time, especially when trying to preserve and distil essential qualities of the source. Alcohol, for instance. If a party had that around… well, it only stood to reason that the host expected a vampire to be here enough to make the effort, no? So either they [i]really[/i] anticipated her presence, or… “Lord Damon Cazt requests your presence,” the girl said, sinking into a curtsey as soon as Tyaethe had taken the goblet. Fine metal and, unsurprisingly, faintly enchanted, “If Dame Tyaethe would be kind enough to follow me…?” The vampire followed along to a nearby drawing room, still close to the raucous noise of the party outside but far enough removed that nobody should accidentally stumble in. There, sprawled along a couch with a rakish grin was the exact man she had been looking for. Nestled up to his side like a cat was a [i]much[/i] less familiar figure – a cute girl who… She [i]looked[/i] human, and with glasses on for once that was more than an approximation. But Tyaethe’s other senses were screaming that there was something slightly off. The demon? “Imagine my surprise when I heard that my [i]favourite[/i] great-niece was finally taking my advice,” he raised his own cup in mock-salute. “Advice?” the probable-demon parroted. “Why, to go to the [i]fun[/i] parties, of course. The ones with handsome boys, pretty girls,” he flicked a lock of her dark hair, “And, of course, drinks a vampire can feel.” “Har har har,” Tyaethe didn’t even try to make the laugh sound convincing, dropping into the nearby plush seat and taking a sip. As Damon had implied, and she suspected, this [i]would[/i] affect her, “You know why I’m here, uncle.” “You wanted to find me, yes? The only reason you ever come to anything interesting,” he sighed, “[sub]I still think getting out like this more often would do you a [i]world[/i] of good.[/sub]” She ignored the muttered aside, glaring at the older vampire. “Yes. You haven’t met Veilena yet, and I’ve had enough waiting. Tell me why I shouldn’t just kill you now.” The other girl’s nails started grow ever-so-slightly, fingertips morphing into claws. Damon, however, seemed entirely unconcerned. Or maybe he was just drunk. “For the attempted assassination? I played an integral part in [i]preventing[/i] that, as I recall. I simply played with the Arcedeen girl a little.” Oh, she could – and had – forgiven that. As frustrating as he was, having a traitor was all but necessary to address the conspiracy in time and without casualty. Despite her better judgement, she trusted he had no idea what the ulterior motive was, or that it was a big distraction… Well, mostly. But she could address that after. No, it was her duty as a paladin that demanded action. “You let a [i]necromancer[/i] into a tomb. A tomb with– with the [i]Demonbreaker[/i] interred.” His gaze sharpened at the hitch, an uncharacteristic seriousness stealing over the boyish features. “She was buried there as well, I almost forgot… that was something I overlooked, you have my apologies.” “[i]Apologies[/i] don’t cover it,” Tyaethe looked away, into the deep red of her drink. “Not for violating one of Reon’s most sacred tenets.” She ignored the quiet conversation as the demon girl demanded an explanation, and the explanation in turn. She refused to let this become any more personal than it already was. “There is, perhaps, one more thing I can share,” he sounded resigned, “Even had I washed my hands of the entire conspiracy and allowed events to take their course, I am all but certain the tomb would still have been used.” Tyaethe’s eyes flicked up from her suddenly half-empty goblet. [i]That[/i]… [i]Breaking in[/i] simply wasn’t an option. “[i]If[/i] that was true, you wouldn’t be necessary.” “Quite the mystery. I hardly see the point in including myself,” his tone was back to lackadaisical, “Unless this entire affair was merely a side dish.” That was what [i]they[/i] knew, too, now that it was too late to do anything. Keep the Iron Roses busy, keep the crown knights on guard, and pull everyone that might be interested in the college’s secret well away from it for the night. If Damon’s involvement could be removed and the overall plan still held… He made it easier, then? The sabotage pulled their attention further afield, and if he stood in to make the tomb accessible then the real culprit was free to move… But that meant the backup plan was to pull the assassination off correctly, let Erich’s body be perverted even further, and hope the chaos was enough cover. It was something the Iron Roses and the rest [i]might[/i] have stopped, but… The immediate cost would have been much higher. And part of being a paladin was to [i]not[/i] make decisions on the basis of considering people necessary sacrifices, even if it was easier. You saved everyone you could, then the next, and the next, until you stopped the problem. The only acceptable loss was [i]yourself[/i]. Against Tyaethe and everyone else’s better judgment, she [i]liked[/i] Damon, too. Back when she’d been new to being a vampire… If he hadn’t gotten involved, then that necromancer would have had unrestricted access to the tomb for even longer. “You can’t just tell me who asked for your help?” “No more than I already have,” he was entirely unapologetic about it, too. Sure, it narrowed down the possible candidates but… not as much as she hoped. Not to mention that it was very nearly a perfect overlap with ‘people who might ask Damon Cazt for help in the first place’; it was just additional confirmation. Fuck. It was a good thing that she actually [i]had[/i] a drink here. She could pass the information on to the captain in the morning. “Getting into the spirit of it after all?” The other vampire was all smiles now, “The party is surely starting to miss us.” “Just don’t start throwing girls at me [i]again[/i].” “Yaya, dear, that was never me. It was your [i]chest[/i].” “[i]Don’t say that![/i]”