Yatrel er Goltbred stood before the imposing gates of the Yecine estate. It had been years since she had a good reason to visit herself. Her mint eyes narrowed with determination. The doorman, recognizing her and that look, visibly paled.
"My lady, I—"
"Save it. You already warned last ti."
Yatrel cut him off with a sharp voice before stepping past him. A layer of Earth coated her fist as she bent toward the floor. Her arm reared back and she sucked in a breath before throwing a single strike on the massive wooden doors with a force that belied her elegant appearance.
The sound echoed through the entire estate. Alard glances were shared by servants and annoyed ones by the oldest of the Yecine mbers. Such a thing did happen every now and then! The door creaked open to reveal a startled young elder - it wasn’t Anper, but one of similar standing whom she had t through her husband.
"Da Goltbred - to what do we owe this... unexpected visit?"
The black haired man managed to say as his composure reasserted itself. Yatrel’s lips curved into a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. She specifically rembered not liking this one - there was sothing about a comnt of her only challenging other won. Now that she cared to think about it... Qatrand might be the only one she ever *liked*?
"I’m here to collect my future son-in-law. We have plans."
The elder’s brow furrowed. He had been at the eting that morning and the person themselves had said nothing about this at the ti. On top of that, the most senior family mbers were still undecided on a policy going forward. Altogether, sothing about her statent and attitude didn’t seem right to him, so he ’politely’ refused her.
"I’m afraid Qatrand is currently engaged in family matters. Perhaps if you had sent word ahead-"
"El! Ah-"
A young but firm voice cut through and interrupted the start of their rigid push and pull. The swordswoman appeared behind the elder in a run, her eyes wide with surprise - and a hint of relief. The tension that had been evident in ’his’ posture lted away... but left sothing a lot less lively than that which the woman rembered.
’He’s more like the first day Ondua brought him back.’
"What are you doing here? Is everything alright? Is-"
"Elua is fine. Oh, I interrupted you so maybe... Onya is also fine. And my husband."
Yatrel assured her. The Goltbred’s expression had notably softened at the sight of Qatrand... but there was still a buried layer of ’fight’ left in her eyes. She knew that her daughter probably wouldn’t be *fine* if she was here to see this boy in this state!
"In fact, she’s the reason I’m here. Your fiancee, that is. We planned a surprise for you both."
The elder looked between them, clearly torn between maintaining the Yecine family’s protocols and avoiding an actual fight with the formidable duelist. Their gate was designed to take punishnt from multiple concerted cultivators... he however was not! Qatrand looked over and sensed an opportunity.
"Elder, if I may, perhaps we could simply discuss this inside? I’m sure we can co to an arrangent that satisfies everyone. My future mother-in-law would not have co to make trouble."
Yatrel’s eyes sparkled with approval at her soon to be son-in-law’s diplomatic approach. She also quite enjoyed being called that title by his voice. It made her feel as though her particularly troubleso eldest had made substantial progress in tricking her fiance into falling in love.
For so reason, the woman’s occasional airheadedness didn’t see at this mont that her own care for the ’young man’ was the primary reason that Qat was so willing to claim their intended connection as family. Especially while parents were... a very complex and uncertain thing to the teenager.
The ’useless woman’ had just taken a harmful blow to the very concept of parents. It might be viewed as latching onto the nearest sense of safety, even to her, but that was just the thing: Yatrel made her feel more seen and safe than almost anyone she knew.
Almost - but El wasn’t close by to hug... and the Yecine was not entirely willing to request for one from the graceful woman. Not because she felt awkward over any of her past comparisons between the relatives. The girl just did not want to be watched by the rest of her family... and called ’weak’ again.
---
Elua approached the familiar house of the forr Wing & Talon elder. She knocked without wasting much of her ti. While she was still appropriately polite, she had never used a lot of extra sweetness with the old man. Her face as he opened the door was passive and she rely nodded in his direction.
"Ah, little miss! It has been a long ti, hasn’t it? What brings you here today?
The old man greeted her much more rrily.
"I’ve got a new product idea. A wearable this ti. Specifically, it is a leather guard that goes from the wrist to further up the forearm. I’ll need so paper to sketch it if you’d like."
The man looked at her more than a little skeptically.
"Leather gear is pretty common. You must have sothing else in mind... maybe making it a cultivator tool?"
"It’s another item for your fellow hunters - protection against toxins in the field."
The exiled elder’s eyes lit up with interest.
"When you say protection, you an..."
"My sigilist says that the pattern works as filtration... so it won’t stop anything instantly deadly, but it will make carrying any curatives for less potent venoms less necessary. As long as you can focus essence into the pattern."
"Brilliant, as always. I’ll need at least three samples to send out."
She noted that he only needed two last ti. Either he had another contact now... or he wanted an extra one for himself. The elder leaned into his doorway with a look of quiet smugness.
"I’m curious. You trained with the Coiled Serpent Guild, right? I hear they’re thorough in their instruction, but do you expect that is enough to keep up the lie?"
Elua kept her face neutral, but inwardly, she cursed her slip. It wasn’t the biggest problem, as she already suspected that he would assu that there ’never was another sigilist’. She had just forgotten to make a plan to deal with the ’reveal’ to this man - though one was forming rapidly.
"It was a lot of study and work. I learned a lot. What lie do you an?"
"I’m sure it was - and I’m sure you did. You know, little miss, there’s no need to keep up the charade. About ’your sigilist’. We both know who’s *really* behind these new ingenious designs."
For a mont, Elua’s composure ’wavered’.
"I... appreciate your discretion. Old habits, I suppose. My ntor didn’t want anyone to know that I was learning her ways."
The reptile and avian loving elder nodded while appearing satisfied.
"Indeed. Old habits are hard to... ntor?"
Elua allowed herself a small ’smile’, acknowledging the win. She’d have to be more careful in the future and more consistent in her story. It was a reminder that even with all her experience, she was still navigating this new identity as an apprentice to the ’old crone’.
"Well then, I’ll be off to get the specifics in order. The leatherworker I already contracted won’t wait around forever."
As the heiress curtsied and turned to leave, she made a ntal note to refine her cover story for *that*, next. It was a small misstep to have brought it up before he asked, but for a scheming cultivator... small missteps could lead to big problems. She wouldn’t make the sa mistake twice.
At least that was the kind of thing she was thinking about when she saw a duplicate of her carriage with the Goltbred emblem... parked on the main street beside where she left hers. After spreading her spiritual sense thinly to reconnoiter the situation, she found two things of interest. Technically *three*, but the one was better called a ’set’.
For a long mont she considered hiding her presence and sneaking past, but ultimately shrugged and knocked on the door of his ride. She supposed he deserved a little father-daughter ti.
"Dad, co on out. We’re going shopping and I forgot my wallet."
"Where are we going and how much do you need?"
Ondua asked as he opened the door with zeal. Every ti he had asked if she wanted to go to the markets with him in the past, she’d always asked if Qat could co along. When he told her probably not on short notice... she would rescind her interest. Wasn’t her father good enough to just go visit so stores with?!
The phantom emotional pain took the sidelines when he saw his daughter reach into her dress pockets and display the small brown clutch.
"Oh, I found it. Nevermind."
She turned to the side and took so steps away. He stopped breathing for a mont before exhaling sharply. There was one silver lining he could cling to after what just happened.
’At least... it was the handbag I bought for her?’
"Are you not coming?"
She made sure to sound ’exasperated’ again. It occurred to her that she gave her personal servant a similar look and tone... it was a very good emotion to display when you were teasing soone!
"What? You didn’t an... of course! But you didn’t tell where we are going."
"To et so people and then look at so tools."
He didn’t have a clue what her intention was despite hearing that, but the brunette man still proudly approached and walked beside his daughter. They kept walking past shops and stalls, until eventually at a quiet corner of the market the young miss stopped while looking at the pair of inseparables.
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