“We’re almost there,” Serena said as the carriage trundled along the road. There were no tramlines to the outskirts of Shimashina, so they had to make do with a horse-drawn carriage. “Rember your lessons. First impressions are important, especially towards my father.” The father in question would undoubtedly et them when they arrived. Hopefully, their lateness didn't irritate him. After she and Alia had run the last fifty klicks to Shimashina, rode the plateau lifts, t with the Vengeance's officers and explained what had happened, the sky had already darkened.
“Don’t worry! I’m sure he’ll like !” Alia flashed a thumbs up, her now-crimson eyes brimming with excitent. From what Serena knew, it was normal for a Second Word transformation to leave lingering physical effects. Alia was quite lucky only her eyes had changed since transforming back. Only ti would tell whether they would stay red or eventually revert to her usual blue.
“Just… try only to speak when spoken to. I’m not sure how much he knows.” Serena said, thinking back to the previous events in the forest. The overlord had referred to Alia as a realm traveller, which ant he knew she wasn’t a native of Karligard. If he knew that, then the greatlords below him likely knew. However, had that information filtered down to the highlords, such as her father?
Even more concerning was the thought that this information would also have risen above the overlord's station to the only one who could claim to be their superior. The thought of it made Serena want to squeeze her horns. Imagining that at so point, a docunt with her and Alia’s nas would have landed on her desk was extrely uncomfortable.
How widespread would the information about Alia Speaking Asclepius travel? The fact a Second Word had been Spoken in the East was already being whispered about; she had heard the locals gossiping about it outside the carriage. Damn it! Hopefully, House Halen wouldn’t be sued for the financial cost of scrambling hundreds of ships in response to Alia’s Speaking!
Serena really needed to have a proper sit-down and explain to Alia how significant it was to get involved with the overlords. She thought she had explained it before but hadn’t accounted for Alia’s naivety. Alia hadn’t grown up in this realm, hadn’t developed alongside the culture that glorified and worshipped powerful Speakers. The problem was Alia was too strong for her own good!
She felt herself almost shudder at the thought of what might have happened. There was a mont when Alia looked like she might challenge the overlord over that human girl! Insanity! Even if - and it was a big if - the inexperienced Alia could rival an overlord in a fight, any battle they might have had would surely have angered the slumbering animal god, Rhaknam! If he took flight in anger, then who knows what kind of catastrophe would have arisen! There were rumours that even an overlord would struggle against him!
And, hell forbid, if Alia sohow posed such a threat to the overlord, then he could call reinforcents! That scenario made Serena feel sick because there was only one entity that the overlord would have a right to call in such a situation, and if she turned up then Serena was sure she would just start crying. At that point, what could anyone do but beg for rcy?
“You okay?” Alia asked, “You’ve got that im-thinking-about-things-that-make--want-to-grab-my-horns look going on?” Alia held Serena’s hand and fired off a small burst of healing which actually helped a little. “Are you that worried about eting your family? I won’t ss up, I promise! Eee!” Alia squird as Serena ruffled her girlfriend's hair. Sotis, she felt a little jealous of Alia. How nice would it be to be so powerful that everything felt like it wasn’t a problem?
“I’m alright, thank you,” Serena said, enjoying Alia wiggling as her head was ruffled and patted. There was another matter they needed to discuss. Alia’s confession. Sure, they had told each other they liked each other, but Alia said she loved her! Only that idiot would have thought to use the presence of a truth-teller to confess her love! Serena didn’t know if the mory made her roll her eyes or squirm with delight!
She turned away from Alia as the heat started to creep into her cheeks. Luckily, there was an adequate distraction out the window. They had arrived. “We’re here,” she said, quickly prompting Alia to fix her hair. They ca to a stop and Serena had barely left the carriage before a figure threw themselves at her, squeezing her tight.
“Big sister!” Lani squealed as she hugged Serena as firmly as she could. “Welco ho!”
Serena couldn’t help smiling. Like Alia, Lani was often a breath of fresh air away from the seriousness of her normal military life. As much as her little sister could be extrely annoying at tis, it was for her happiness that Serena kept fighting. “Ooof”, she exclaid, hugging Lani back. “You’ve beco so strong! Look at your horns! They’ve beco so big!”
“But not as big as yours!” Lani complained, looking up and puffing her cheeks out in a very Alia-like fashion. Serena grinned and gave her little sister so big sister advice, telling her to eat a lot. Lani rolled her eyes, before spotting Alia climbing down from the carriage.
Lani broke away from Serena. “Human!” Lani called out, “Who- oh, I’m sorry! I thought you were a human!” Alia didn’t seem offended; instead, she broke into a sowhat nervous but otherwise friendly smile before sticking her hand out.
“Hello!” Alia chirped, “I’m Alia! Nice to et you!”
Lani looked blankly at Alia’s hand, prompting Serena to sigh. She told Alia that ladies didn’t shake hands, but the idiot kept doing it! “Alia, won don’t shake hands, at least not in the East.” Serena turned her attention to her little sister. “Lani, this is Alia Thornheart. Despite her eye colour, she is human.”
“Huh!” Lani looked between her and Alia. “You’re human!? Why do your eyes look like mine!”
“Ah…” Alia withdrew her hand and scratched her nose. “So uh, spellwork backfired. My eyes are actually blue, you see…”
“Oooh, a spell! You’re a mage!? The teachers say humans make poor mages, is that true? I heard humans aren’t as intelligent as demons! Isn’t your kind super weak!?” Lani fired off question after question, not taking into consideration the atmosphere. In that way, she had another similarity with Alia. “Why would soone like you be with big sister? Are you a slave!? Did she capture you!?”
“Lani!” Serena barked, switching right past stern-captain mode and into the much more dangerous angry-big-sister mode. “Alia is a talented Speaker and a willing employee in my retinue. Rember your manners! Apologize!”
“Eeek!” Lani squeaked, “I’m sorry, Miss Alia!”
“Speaker Thornheart!”
“S-Speaker Thornheart!” Lani stuttered, “I’m sorry!”
“Hehe, it’s okay!” Alia bent forward with a smile. “I like your horns! They’re so symtrical! I wish I had horns!”
“You… you really think so!?” Lani bead at the naked flattery. “It must be so weird not to have anything up there…” Lani tapped her horns. “Doesn’t it feel weird?”
“I don’t know,” Alia said with a shrug. “I’ve never had horns to know what it feels like!”
“But-”
“Ahem!” The authoritative yet polite cough cut Lani off. Serena’s stoic father lowered his hand. “Lani, co back here. Serena, my daughter... it’s been too long. How was Kenhoro?” Serena took the cue and approached her father, surprising him with a sudden hug. It wasn’t sothing she usually did, and she felt a little mischievous doing so. The widening of her father's eyes behind a pair of neat spectacles was a worthwhile reaction.
It seed a little bit of Alia’s cheekyness had rubbed off on her.
“Hello, Father,” Serena said. “Kenhoro was busy… We found ti to attend the festival. Oh, we bumped into Uncle Yulan!” Serena was confident her father had received a report of the many chaotic events they had been involved in. Even so, there wasn’t any need to bring up how she, Alia and Lord Yulan leapt out of his penthouse suite, was there? “He’s doing good. Sends his best.”
She turned to the old butler beside Father. The tidy old demon was standing impeccably, dressed in a black and white uniform. “Johan, I hope Father isn’t working you too hard. Make sure you’re taking your holiday.” Johan inclined towards her with a perfect bow.
“On the contrary, it is I who pressures your father to take breaks,” Johan said with a smile. “Welco back to Shimashina, Lady Halen.” He turned towards Alia. “Speaker Thornheart, welco.”
“I never thought I would et a human Speaker under these circumstances,” Father said with a small bow. “Nevertheless, fate must have led us to this mont. Welco to Shimashina, Speaker Thornheart. House Halen will do everything in its power to ensure you are not left wanting during your stay.”
For a mont, Serena was worried Alia was going to stick her hand out for another handshake. Thankfully, the idiot rembered the appropriate curtsy and perford it with a surprising amount of grace. She would have guessed the human was highborn if she hadn’t known that nobility wasn’t really a thing in Alia’s original world.
“You are most kind,” Alia intoned. “I look forward to your hospitality.”
“Speaker Thornheart,” Johan began, “we have prepared you a room. May I lead you there and give you a tour of the house? Lord Halen has urgent matters to discuss with his daughter.”
“Oh!” Lani suddenly piped up. “! Let do it! My friends are not going to believe that I’m friends with a human Speaker! Sia is going to be so jealous!” Lani giggled. “Please, Father! Let do it! I’m so bored here!” Serena’s crafty little sister put on her best act of pleading.
Father cast Serena a glance, and she returned with a quick nod. “Alia, if you could…” Serena began. She didn’t need to give any further encouragent as Alia flashed a knowing grin and let Johan lead her away. Lani bounced around Alia as if she were an over-excited peeka. As they disappeared into the house, Serena could hear her little sister ask if Alia knew any horn-growing spells.
Those two idiots would get on just fine.
“Your office?” Serena asked, and her father nodded, guiding her. The two of them began heading into the house. The small estate wasn’t as glamorous as the proper family ho in Asamaywa. Chosen due to its closeness to the industrial sector, where House Halen had so of their Shimashina operations. It also boasted extensive gardens, providing a sense of privacy and quiet away from the bustling trade city.
“Mother and Nina?” Serena asked Father as they reached his office.
“Your mother refused to co, said she preferred to weather storm-season at ho. Although I suspect she simply dislikes Shimashina. You know how she feels about kami worship.” He chuckled, closing the door and inviting Serena to sit down. “As for Nina, she’s so busy she barely sends a letter a month. She’s trying to recreate the runecraft the humans inscribed onto the torpedo that hit the Vengeance.”
“Ah…” Serena began. It seed so long ago, but it was only six weeks since the battle of Port Highwind. That torpedo - sohow enhanced by the human Writers - had begun a chain of events that led her to Kenhoro and everything that happened since. “Any luck?” Serena asked, feeling a little guilty. The docunts they had recovered from the citadel detailing the device had been destroyed when she lost control of Narean and battled Korvus.
“So, but it’s slow progress. They can’t figure out how they managed to Write it so small.” Father sighed, removing his spectacles and cleaning them in a manner that reminded Serena of her quartermaster. “Whatever it is, they’re making more of them. Admiral Zhao went down over Republican territory.”
“The Viper was hit!?” Serena exclaid. The flagship of the Kenhoro fleet was a proper battleship, dwarfing the Vengeance and was equipped with as much armour as its quad-expansion lift engine could handle. She had heard nothing about this in the Kenhoro broadsheets. “What happened?” she asked.
“Details are a little sparse, but it appears she got sward. They hit the propulsion engine and the admiral had no choice but to conduct a controlled crash. It blunted the offensive as the priority changed to securing the admiral and the Viper. Gave the enemy ti to stabilize the line.” Father shook his head. “A massive ship like that, falling to a few flies. It shouldn’t happen.” He reached into his desk and produced a two-inch shell. “Look at this,” he said, passing the shell to Serena.
“Flak?” she asked, recognising the military markings stamped upon it.
“A new kind of fuse. A proximity fuse. This one is inert, but in practice it activates only when fired from a gun. It reacts to the tal of the enemy ship or missile and detonates itself. No more manually timing fuses.” He slid a docunt over. “Look at this table. Eighty per cent interception rate in testing. That’s compared to nine per cent with manual fuses.”
“Eighty percent…” Serena murmured. “Are we making these?” She asked, passing the shell back to her Father.
“In small quantities, but I’m refurbishing our production lines. Soon, all of our flak production will be using this fuse.” He rolled the shell in his fingers, a thoughtful expression appearing on his aged face. “It’s ingenious. The first version used a chemical battery, but the shells would detonate or fail if they got too close to the lumina, so they installed an aether switch.”
“I’ve been thinking,” Serena began, “we’re seeing a shift in air strategy. The Republic can’t produce large ships to counter our battleships, so they’ve been forced to innovate with lightcraft, and it’s working. One lightcraft with a spell-infused torpedo taking out a cruiser or battleship? That’s an exchange ratio we can’t afford to leave be…” Serena adjusted in the chair, tapping one of her horns in thought. “How many flak batteries does a typical battleship have? Eight? It’s not going to be enough. If the primary threat to battleships becos swarms of lightcraft, then they need to install far more. Maybe two dozen? Or more?”
“I see we’re of similar mind,” Father said with a nod. “I’ve been doing my best to raise this with the Eastern high command and have been sowhat successful. If we can get positive results in the air, then the North will follow quickly. It’s only… Centralis. They’re slow to adapt and change.” He leaned forward, clenching his hands together and resting his chin upon them. “I was there a few months ago, at the grand shipyards of Noheim… they’re building an entirely new class of ship. They’re enormous, far larger than any flagship so far. They’re calling them capital ships. When I saw it…”
Her father paused, his eyes unfocused as he recalled the mory. “At first, it provoked a feeling of confidence. To think demon hands could build sothing so mighty. I saw the power of Centralis.” He clenched his fist, squeezing it tight. “Yet I have this feeling of foreboding I cannot dispel. I struggle to fathom the cost of building a ship of that size, and if it were to fall in battle? Against so human creation like these new torpedos?”
The crimson eyes sharpened again. “The Republic might be losing this war, but the other human nations are not idle. They are building up their fleets. Sothing bigger is brewing on the horizon… yes, there’s profit to be made… but it’s more than that… this is a test of the empire, a real test.” Suddenly, he looked very tired and Serena realised Johan was not jesting when he ntioned her father’s heavy workload.
“Father,” Serena said. “You’re exhausted. Take so ti off. If you were a mber of my crew, I would order it.” She reached out with a tentative hand, hesitating montarily before placing it on his shoulder. It was a slightly uncomfortable mont. Physical contact and familial affection weren’t as common between her and Father compared to her sisters and mother.
“Ha… a re Lord-Prospect? Ordering a Highlord? Seems like sothing you would do…”
Serena blinked as she processed what her father had said. “Father, you haven’t heard?”
“Heard what?”
“I’m no longer Lady Halen,” she began, her words prompting her father to look at her in confusion. “I am now Lord Halen, by decree of the overlord. He-”
“Serena!” her father yelled, standing up frantically and knocking his chair to the ground. For a mont, she thought he was angry but he was only surprised. “You made Cascadian Lord? When!?”
Serena recounted so of last night's events. Her father was aware the Sakamoto went down but didn’t appear to know Polina was the cause. The overlord made her Cascadian Lord for her capture of Polina, but she simply described it as due to her military achievents and let her father assu it was her actions in the battle of Port Highwind.
“Trendous stuff, Serena, my daughter!” Father's face looked a decade younger as he congratulated her. “I’ll have to write a letter to your mother and another to Nina! Or, perhaps you should do it? They’ll both be thrilled! Two lords in the family! Another Lord Halen, hmm… things might get confusing around here.” He picked his chair up and sat back down.
“We’ll manage,” Serena said with a smile. Father insisted on a toast and dug out a bottle of red loqua. For a while, they sat in a happy silence, talking around the inevitable topic while sipping the delicious Western drink. “Well,” Serena said after the third lull in the conversation. “Shall we address the arcwhale in the room?”
“The human,” her father said cooly, placing down his glass.
“Alia, yes.”
“When I heard you’d beco involved with a human Speaker, especially a healer… I admit I panicked a little. I pulled all kinds of favours to get the orders dispatched for you to co here.” He took a slow breath before continuing, “I thought… well, I’m not sure what I thought. Was it a trick? Were you being deceived, or were you deceiving the human? She appeared, and the next mont, you're fighting Korvus Maranai. Your actions seed mad. I was… concerned.”
“Then, as I waited... reports ca in that the human saved your life, defended you against those Speakers in Kenhoro - I started to think maybe you weren’t mad.” He cast a long look at her and Serena held his gaze. “I was about to petition the greatlord to intervene directly when he contacted first. He explained the human was already under surveillance and you were protected. Still, I was worried.”
He took a slow sip of the loqua. “It’s strange. The reports described her as having blue eyes, yet shortly after a Second Word was Spoken, right around where the Sakamoto went down, her eyes seed to have beco a new colour.” His face turned grim. “Do I need to ask?”
“She’s powerful,” Serena explained bluntly. “Beyond you or . Beyond both of us together. Don’t think you can intimidate her into doing anything; she’s too strong for that and too naive to have the tact to navigate Cascadian politics. Rember, she is employed as part of my retinue; she is not yours to command.”
“Is she a threat to the house?” Father asked.
“No more than I am.”
“No more than you are…” he murmured. “Serena, the walls you’ve kept up since your brother's death seem to have weakened. You're more... emotional. Don't think I haven't noticed that you call her Alia, not using the proper title of Speaker Thornheart.” The ntion of Gin caused Serena's heart to twist. Perhaps if her brother never died she wouldn’t be in the military, perhaps her father wouldn’t be working so hard.
Perhaps she would have never t Alia.
“We have a good relationship. After all, we’ve been through… situations together.”
“I’ve noticed she’s… attractive for a human,” he said, causing Serena to resist a gulp as she identified what direction he was going in. “I am concerned… that your disposition may have caused you to make… poor decisions.”
“My disposition is not a matter for your concern,” Serena said sternly, sensing her annoyance rising. “As a highlord, you should be well aware of how improper of a subject this is to discuss with another lord.”
“I’m not asking as a highlord!” Father suddenly called out, a note of desperation in his voice. “I’m asking as your father. I’m asking my daughter, not the lord she has beco!” He took his spectacles off and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I apologize, Serena. It’s just… even before you beca a Speaker, you had plenty of worthy suitors. When you beca a Speaker, you would have had your pick. And now? The sky's the limit! Any family would twist their horns backwards for you to marry into them. Tell , is this… human... really what you want?”
Serena was quiet for a full minute while she figured out how best to answer. Settling on her wording, she opened her mouth, ensuring she sounded calm. “Father, as your daughter, I beg for your understanding. I am under no delusion, no spell or deception. I would not have chosen this if I thought it would harm our House. You have a Cascadian Lord as a daughter who will always protect you. And you have a Second Word Speaker who will protect . And… most of all…” Serena gave a weak smile. “She makes happy.”
Her father was quiet for a mont. “How strange. I said the sa thing to Greatlord Oshiro decades ago." Seeing Serena's confused expression, he smiled softly. "We fought once, you know? Back when he was a highlord and I a re lord. We fought for your mother, who we both fancied terribly. Ha…” He snorted before pouring himself so more loqua. “He thrashed , obviously. Still, I refused to end the duel, to give up. By law, he could have continued and taken my life, but instead he asked … why? Just that question: why? I said the sa thing; she makes happy. Sohow, that was enough, and he just…backed off.”
“... I didn’t know.”
“It’s just a silly old story anyway,” he sniffed, fiddling with the glass. “Still... what about children? Don’t you want so? No matter how powerful she is, I doubt she could put a baby in you.”
“Dad!” Serena blurted out, feeling heat rush to her cheeks. “Why did you say that!”
“What?” he replied as if he did nothing wrong. “I’m an old man, and I want my grandchildren. Nina is married to her work, and Lani is too young.”
“Tsk! I don’t know about Nina, but you shouldn’t worry about Lani. All she thinks about is which boy she’s going to marry and what she’s going to na her children. She’ll be popping little horns out one after another when she reaches adulthood. Ha!” Serena laughed, and her father joined her. The atmosphere beca noticeably lighter.
“The human-”
“Alia,” Serena corrected.
“Right. Alia and Lani seem like they’ll get on. She’s always complaining about being bored despite being provided with anything she wants. I think I spoil her too much…” he took a sip of the loqua, smiling. “But what’s the point of being a father if I can’t at least spoil my youngest daughter.”
“Don’t be too soft with her; it’ll co back and bite you.”
“Hmm…” he murmured. He opened his mouth to say sothing but was interrupted by a bell sounding in the office. The small bell was connected to the kitchens by a string. “Dinner is ready. It’ll be nice to have a friendly conversation with the… I an your… uh... Alia.”
“She only wants to impress you. She’s been going on about eting the family for weeks.”
“Is that so…” he suddenly paused. “One last thing. Her origins. I’ve been told she’s from Karligard, but her accent is perfect Centralis Imperial. Is there…” he raised a questioning eyebrow, “...sothing I need to know?”
“Nothing soone like you wouldn’t be able to deduce by yourself over ti,” Serena said frankly. It was only a matter of ti before her father twigged Alia ca from a different realm. “It would be best to avoid that topic of conversation. Stick with… simple things, oh, and try not to be too surprised when she says or does sothing weird or incredible like it’s nothing at all. She’s just like that.”
“I see. I hope Lani behaves…” her father stood up and neatened his clothes. “Shall we?”
Serena stood up and together they headed to the dining hall.
Her first family dinner with Alia.
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