Hope

Moods got less sour by the next day. Alice seemed eager to not mention the execution and so was, in all honesty, Irwyn. Elizabeth followed suit. Waylan snuck in during the morning from who knows where and they had a small celebration over the reunion - really, it was just an early lunch. Elizabeth got a bit festive and decided to order them mana-enriched food. While Irwyn remained wary of overindulging, the experience was still cathartic. For Alice it was exciting but not something completely new, though Steelmire never had those in abundance. Apparently, it took only around 12 hours for the meat of even truly mighty monsters to lose much of its potency after death due to Finity. Irwyn did not even want to imagine the supply chain required to make that happen. Waylan’s reaction remained the most intriguing of all:

“It tastes like nothing,” he shrugged, hiding disappointment. “Not even like ash. Just nothin’.”

“That sounds… improbable,” Elizabeth frowned.

“Do normal people have the same reaction?” Irwyn asked. “Could also be merely a quirk of Waylan’s Honing.”

“I have no idea,” she admitted. Unfortunately, the staff was still missing and Elizabeth did not even know who to ask - except perhaps her mother, but she would not want to talk over something so frivolous.

Then the sneak spent the rest of the day testing his stealth against the mansion’s countless wards to Elizabeth’s growing bafflement - he did not get past them all but did sneak through 'unresonably many'. Alice was wholeheartedly obsessed with a book of some sort and barely even left her room. Irwyn was testing out some ideas Johnson had brought upon him and scarcely made time for tea.

The day after that the servants began to file in again. Few at first but by midday the mansion seemed fully staffed. Within hours every sign of filth, stain, or general wear Irwyn may have noticed - or even caused - over the previous few days vanished. It was also then that Elizabeth broached the subject of the journey as they gathered. The excuse was midday tea, much to Alice’s dismay.

“North, eh?” Waylan nodded after a brief explanation of where. “Aight.”

“Do you not have any questions?” Alice stared at him.

“Why?” Waylan shrugged. “Sounds fine enough. I gotta go say bye to the gang but what is it to me where we go? I ain’t planning nothing anyway.”

“Because this is all terribly vague,” Alice frowned. “Like the why for example.”

“It is complicated…” Elizabeth began.

“I would at least hope for honesty,” Alice immediately interrupted.

“Yes, you deserve as much,” Irwyn decided while Elizabeth hesitated – it was his secret to give in the first place. Looking over at his friend, he continued. “I am not sure if Waylan has caught up on everything either. I get a bit mixed up in what I told who.”

“Probably, but go ahead,” Waylan shrugged and Irwyn began to explain. At least a good chunk of it.

The idea of visions did not seem that strange to Alice. She certainly showed interest in hearing the stories of them but was satisfied with the knowledge that it was those visions revealing the burial site of a great treasure of Light, Flame, and Void. He did not reveal that said treasures were possibly fragments of the very Aspects. Nor did he mention the ancient Name he suspected to be his - that was something that loomed overhead ever more intensely even between him and Elizabeth.

“Honestly, fleeing up North is a great idea to begin with,” Alice said afterward. No one was eager to die to the Rot. “I have just heard that desertion during a Lich war is borderline impossible.”

“That is a hurdle to resolve,” Elizabeth nodded. “But do not forget who my parents are. I don’t know what price there will be to pay but I have set my mind.”

“Which means another meeting,” Irwyn guessed.

“Which means another meeting with my mother,” she confirmed, then paused. “In a few days. I think once in a week is quite enough.”

“I will come along. This concerns me as well,” Irwyn offered.

“If I am not needed, I would rather stay,” Alice chimed in, giving Elizabeth a slightly confused glance. “My ring keeps screaming at me now whenever I am just thinking about the Duchess.”

“It is wiser than I would have thought then,” Elizabeth nodded, earning an eyeroll from Alice.

“Don’t think I am quite up to that importance, eh?” Waylan spoke. “Can leave me out. Not like I have much polite to say.”

“We will need to also officiate Alice joining my entourage,” Elizabeth nodded. “It will make things simpler. Waylan, for you… honestly, I don’t think anyone will double-check a non-mage coming alongside us. Paperwork can be arranged just in case… maybe pretending to be a servant or interpreter? I hear there are some Northern languages divergent from the common mortal tongue.”

“I don’t speak no other language.”

“Barely the one,” Irwyn jabbed.

“Get me those papers in advance,” Waylan ignored him but grinned. “I wanna memorize stuff just in case,” for all they liked to joke, Old Crow did not raise them to go into such things unprepared.

“It will be arranged,” Elizabeth nodded, just finishing her tea. “Anyone wants another cup?”

Waylan declined and Alice had barely touched her own. Irwyn stayed though, leaving them alone not too long after with fresh beverage.

“You know…,” he started, then paused. “I…”

“The thing about your visions you always omit,” she smiled while placing down the new cups.

“Yes,” Irwyn nodded. “Was it so obvious?”

“Not until you mentioned it to Johnson,” she shook her head. “Then I looked back and realized you were always vague about whose perspective they are from. Almost increasingly with each vision. Early on you said they might have been from the same being at different times but never brought it up afterwards, even to dismiss.”

“I do trust you. It’s just that…” Irwyn gathered his thoughts. “I am not sure I believe that which also cannot be denied either, if that makes sense.”

“A bit.”

“It would probably make me sound raving mad if I said it out loud,” Irwyn reiterated.

“That only makes me more curious,” she smiled. “But not today, I think. I have enough to ponder about. And I don’t believe there will be time to be so distracted in the near future.”

“When then?” Irwyn nodded.

“When we are far enough away that my mother cannot catch a whisper of it,” she said after a moment. “When I finally feel like no one is staring into my back. Where I won’t be afraid she might ply the knowledge out of me with velvet and rancid words. Yes… I think I would like that: A secret beyond theft, just between us, at least for a while.”

The next two days were duels and spellcraft practice mostly as Elizabeth was still advised to not be seen too much in public. With the facility, it was quite possible to even have spectators while they fought at least. And neither of them minded showing off a bit. In the wake of that, Alice was looking at both a bit wide-eyed for a while and even Waylan failed to hide being impressed, much to Irwyn’s smugness.

But that was really only delaying what had to be done. After those two days, the tension became a bit too much and Elizabeth finally arranged a meeting with her mother regarding their intention to effectively desert. They had expected the Duchess would make time in the afternoon at the soonest… instead, they were expected in her office just 20 minutes later.

“It will be fine,” Irwyn reassured as they walked through the Voidways. The surrounding Void always pushed slightly against him but by then he barely noticed, ever shielded by his Starfire.

“Perhaps,” Elizabeth said lightly, clearly not so sure. But then, she always seemed overly nervous when it came to her mother, twice so when meeting face to face.

Soon enough they entered her office, the distant Temzda notably more distinct than last time. That had been so even before Irwyn’s return to Ebon Respite, thus he attributed it to his significant growth since. Either way, it was not the thing to pay the most attention to. Besides the Duchess - wearing her ever-perfect smile - there was another person. Irwyn knew that Avys liked to send messages by the clothing of her maids but he really did not understand that one:

It was not even a maid in the first place. The woman wore forgettable clothes, forgettable visage, and stood there in a forgettable way… No, Irwyn realized. Rather than just ‘forgettable’, he was actively forgetting the details as he perceived them. That only made him try twice as hard. After a few moments, he decided there was definitely a blindfold present. His memory also retained the hint of white...

“Please, feel free to sit,” Avys’ voice woke him up from his concentration. He belatedly realized that Elizabeth was already standing by her chair a few steps ahead, awkwardly waiting for him.

“Thank you, your Ladyship” Irwyn tried to hide his embarrassment, quickly sitting down.

“No need to be so overtly polite in private,” Avys smiled. “So, North.”

“Or so you presume,” Elizabeth did not quite frown.

“Am I wrong?”

“No…” Elizabeth admitted after a moment.

“So, North,” Avys nodded. “Honestly, just thinking about it again makes me ever so slightly nostalgic.”

“I understand you have come from there,” Irwyn carefully offered.

“42 years ago almost exactly since I left my old home,” Avys nodded. “Now I wonder how my siblings might be doing.”

“You never found out?” Elizabeth asked.

“I was quite busy helping Ezax win his throne for years,” Avys shook her head. “By the time the dust settled… well such things seemed pointless. A waste of resources just to sate my diminished curiosity.”

“And you don’t want anyone to know about your past,” Elizabeth said with some confidence.

“No one untrustworthy,” Avys nodded, her smile growing even wider for a moment with approval. “You see, I was forced to flee after a scheme of mine had gone disastrously wrong. Few people knew, yes, but even the most thickheaded traditionalist might raise an eyebrow if actual evidence of my nature was brought to them. Being underestimated used to matter even more in those early days.”

“Is that so?” Elizabeth said with a tone that clearly assumed the answer was ‘no’.

“You could visit if you want,” Avys chuckled. “I am not sure whether it will be on your way, however.”

“And what should we look for?” Elizabeth jumped at the offer.

“House Azaleas of the kingdom of Venen,” Avys did not break her perfect smile. “Though I would not recommend mentioning any relationship. The assassins would be quite bothersome – they tend to wake you up most impolitely. Especially since any prospective heir of your generation would send their own pack your way if they believed you had any tangential claim to the Chalice they so desire.”

“That is rather… cutthroat,” Irwyn commented.

“Snakes like me do not grow in henhouses,” Avys said. “And House Azaleas is worse than most. I too vaguely remember a time when nothing else mattered beyond emerging the victor. In a way, I just brought that with me to apply against a different title.”

“If we have a moment to spare, I am sure we will be able to bring back some news,” Elizabeth nodded. “Which brings me to why we are really here.”

“So hurried,” Avys sighed softly. “Fine, fine. Ask the question.”

“You have not dismissed her,” Elizabeth glanced at the person still waiting to the side. Irwyn was startled to realize he had scarcely remembered their presence.

“Neither of you have any idea, do you?” Avys inclined her head.

“About what?” Elizabeth frowned.

“The source of your missing or strange memories,” Avys smiled.

“Ah,” Irwyn let a noise escape in surprise. That it had not been on the forefront of his mind over the previous days was in itself strange. Unnatural even.

“Explain,” Elizabeth demanded, frowning even further.

“Impression here has had a bit of a… I do not know the proper term actually, but let’s call it accident,” Avys spoke. “A Shadow of House Blackburg with a recently formed domain. She did not take very well to my dear Ezax having too close of a look in Ebon Respite.”

“We were there with a Shadow!” Elizabeth made the connection at about the same time as Irwyn, though she spoke first. “That is why we were so brazen against conception mages. A Soil domain mage? That is why the Cords mattered. Wait the Cords?”

“Quite troublesome and still unresolved,” Avys nodded. “Though you are correct. Impression here has leaned fully into her domain then. As a result, everyone affected seems to have Forgotten her very existence. Including you… and the woman herself.”

“Forgotten,” Irwyn repeated. There was slight weight to the word when spoken by Avys. The domain then.

“It caused quite a stir,” Avys nodded. “She did try to reach even me after all, inside these walls. Quite fortunate none of the wards outright killed her during the attempt, I am told. The distance meant most of them did not even try to trigger.”

“Quite,” Elizabeth repeated, staring at the standing woman. The Shadow seemed barely aware of her surroundings.

“Impression, be so dear and leave us. Then forget the last two hours,” Avys finally dismissed her then.

“Yes,” Impression immediately replied. Irwyn did not quite catch any tone or gesture to accompany it. Then the woman walked towards the Voidways and indeed left.

“Will she be fine alone?” Elizabeth asked with a frown when the door closed again. She had mentioned navigation there was known to be perilous without a guide.

“The Ways supposedly like her - something about being similarly empty,” the Duchess shrugged.

“How could that even happen?” Elizabeth questioned.

“New domain bearers are surprisingly fragile, I am told,” Avys shrugged. “Perhaps your father could explain more. The exact details of high magics are not my concern.”

“As if he would have the time to meet me during a Lich war,” Elizabeth grimaced.

“You could send a letter,” Avys suggested. “Ezax would spare you a moment to answer it. Likely even today, things are not too busy.”

“If I want to make a request there is something else more on my mind.”

“Yes,” Avys nodded. “Ask the question then.”

“You know what I want.”

“It is not about what you want, Lizzy,” Avys chuckled. “It is about how you are willing to ask. Many things can be gleaned from a question. Will you lie? Will you try to downplay its importance to you? Or perhaps exaggerate your seriousness? Much to learn indeed. Here is an example of a question: Is it so hard to humor me? I do not think you need the answer to understand the implication.”

Elizabeth paused then, staring at Avys. For a moment she was angry but then calmed down. Her gaze gained intensity, moment by moment. When she finally spoke, it held something akin to weight behind it. “What will it cost me?”

“Now that is a question, I like,” Avys kept smiling. “What indeed. You are asking to openly break one of the Federation's oldest laws. You are asking for something that will make your father appear soft when he needs to project strength. You are asking something that everyone knows better than to even suggest for their own heirs.”

“And still, I am asking,” Elizabeth nodded firmly. “No. Rather, I think I am demanding. Whatever the cost is, I am ready to pay it. Be it to you or Fate itself if need be.”

“Whatever is a strong word to use,” Avys shook her head. “There are so many things you would not give up, aren’t there? But I digress. What indeed? What indeed!”

“You are also playing up how difficult this is for you,” Elizabeth spoke unhappily. “The Duke always has the power to make it happen. There are loopholes or even official acts that would let me travel North unimpeded.”

“Which will all be blatantly an excuse,” Avys pointed out. “A show of favoritism from a man who has labored to appear impartial in all things.”

“Don’t pretend you will not be able to minimize the impact or even turn it into a positive,” Elizabeth almost spat.

“At the cost of great effort and much of my time,” Avys nodded. “Do you think I have plenty of both to spare nowadays?”

“Yet you spend it jabbing at me, prolonging our conversations.”

“A way of relaxing,” Avys shrugged. “Even I need breaks.”

“I am glad my suffering brings you such joy.”

“What do you think, Irwyn?” the Duchess suddenly redirected the conversation, catching him off guard as he was hesitating whether to step in.

“A great many questions were asked,” Irwyn said diplomatically, regaining his composure.

“Are you willing to pay the price?”

“I agree that we intend to head North,” Irwyn nodded. “Yet I am not the kind of person to accept a bargain before hearing a number.”

“A sensible approach,” Avys nodded, then withdrew two pages of paper from within her desk. “This is my price, then.”

It was a contract, if not an exceedingly complicated one. For her help in getting both of them official dispensation to leave past the Northern mountains with up to 4 other companions, the Duchess merely demanded a single favor. Unspecified. The rest of the page was spent specifying under what conditions they could deny granting it and under which they could not.

For example, it could not ask them to do something they perceived as life-threatening or to hurt someone they cared about. Importantly, denial had to be invoked directly to the Duchess within one hour and would not null the favor owned, merely delay it for another opportunity. Irwyn glanced at Elizabeth’s page and it seemed identical. A favor from each.

“Unlimited Time,” Elizabeth noted with a frown. "Contracts that do not expire are dangerous."

“Oh, don’t be like that,” Avys chuckled. “Both of you will easily outlive me and this only applies to me, while alive,” a surprisingly important distinction, given Necromancy.

“And ‘favor’ is incredibly vague.” Elizabeth continued.

“Do I seem a prophet to you?” Avys raised an eyebrow. “I have absolutely no intention of wasting this until you have at the very least each taken domains - likely not even then. My schemes, albeit precise, do not go into exact details of what needs to be done in a decade.”

“It is not a low price,” Elizabeth grimaced. Irwyn did not think it was that high either but did would not contradict her yet. Sure, there were many things a ‘favor’ could be, but the many clauses letting them deny them made it seem like it would be annoying unpaid labor at worst. Possibly even an easy task depending on the circumstances.

“It is the cheapest by a chasm’s depth and the least risky way by far,” Avys inclined her head. “If someone else came to me asking for the same I would demand half of their life in return if I even considered doing all it would take. I would ask that you at least do not spit on my generosity.”

“Or you are afraid that if you push too much it will turn sour,”

“Ask yourself then, would you have accepted two such favours? Three? Four?” Avys stared. “The way I see it, if I separated you I could talk you into two and Irwyn into at least five.”

“So suddenly you are a prophet,” Elizabeth bit her lip, gritting her teeth. Irwyn saw the Duchess’ point though. He knew himself enough to understand that there was more than just a grain of truth to that.

“Will a distorted fingerprint suffice?” Irwyn asked. Technically he could perhaps sign despite his oathbound curse… but invoking a Name did not seem a sound idea. Twice so in front of Avys.

“We could…” Elizabeth started to protest.

“Can you bargain down to half a favor?” Irwyn interrupted as gently as he could. Elizabeth was being stubborn just to spite the Duchess, he saw. Hopefully, she would not be too wrathful at him for getting them what they needed before things could actually turn sour. “I think this is not too high a price. If you truly disagree, tell me now and we can look for a different solution.”

“Fine,” she relented after hesitating. “We will take your oath, mother.”

“Wonderful. The most important thing is the willingness, Irwyn,” Avys answered his earlier question. “The signing is really more symbolic than anything.”

So, they sealed the bargain. Elizabeth carefully etched her name into the paper using an exceedingly thin needle of Void magic – pointedly refusing the offered pen. Irwyn on the other hand very carefully burned his thumb into the topmost layer of the sheet - not that the resulting shape was even remotely similar.

“Nothing for Alice?” Elizabeth carefully asked afterward.

“I do not need to carefully wrangle a raised mercenary for every little promise, if you forget her origins,” Avys shrugged. “If the two of you part ways in the future, I am sure she will be quite amicable to being simply hired.”

“Then we are done here,” Elizabeth nodded, immediately standing up. Irwyn followed a beat after her.

“Stay out of sight for a while longer. I will get Calm to tell you the details when everything is in motion but don’t expect to leave for at least a week,” Avys said, stopping them. “You might want to ask him for some details about local customs as well. He also used to live North after all.”

“Goodbye,” Elizabeth nodded but then immediately headed for the door.

“Good day, your Ladyship,” Irwyn managed something polite before quickly following.

“See you both in a few years,” Avys waved before they quite made it out. “Try to not let it stretch into decades.”