Hero

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

"What?" Igeyorhm was entirely thrown off by Wesley's comment. "Wh-whoa, wait a sec, th-that can't be right...I haven't done anything wrong! ...I think?" He concentrated, momentarily sheathing his weapon as he would cross his arms. "That's weird, if she's not around, how could that be a failure? I didn't even get the chance to do anything! I mean, if I was like Nabriales and lost to her, then THAT would be a failure, but I didn't even get the chance to fail! I think?" He grumbled to himself, wracking his brain for an answer. "Unless...unless she knew I'd go to Rozarria, so she went to Archadia to avoid me? Ha! She probably knows how strong I am--wait, no, we haven't even met! How would she know how awesome I am to avoid me?!"

"Wow," Grant couldn't help but comment, looking at Wesley. Those were some rather far-fetched thoughts, and the way he jumped from one conclusion to another without skipping a beat was uncanny. That and he definitely noticed the ego boost. "Even the thought process is the same. They could be related--think Simon had other bastard children besides Roman?"

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Grant seemed to have gotten the message loud and clear. Still, it was easier said than done, he had a sneaking suspicion if Nadeline was awake she'd probably have him wrapped around her finger. But Grant found himself wanting to know what Igeyorhm was talking about just as much as Wesley did. All he needed to do was play his words right; strong as he was, he didn't come off as the brightest bulb in the pack, so to speak. He eyed Igeyorhm carefully, his eyes returning to their usual gold as he decided to go the diplomatic route, so to speak.

Letting out a sigh that mimicked Igeyorhm's frustration, he shook his head. "They must be pretty important to warrant your full intention," He placed the bait out there.

Igeyorhm scowled at him. "I don't get out for small fry, who do you think I am?" He scoffed at Grant.

He had several ideas who he was looking for. He decided to go with the most obvious guess of his. "Of course not. So you wouldn't go out of your way for just anyone--not even royalty, right?"

"You mean the kind of people who have sticks in their asses? Nah...not even ol' hothead would get me out of my chair," Igeyorhm said.

Not Jaakuna. Onto his next guess. "But you would for a pretty lady, no?" Grant gave him a mischevious smile.

"Not supposed to prowl on my own," He admitted. "I got permission for this one, though."

Grant looked at the sleeping Nadeline for a moment, remembering Lola. "And you're not supposed to bring any harm to the Scion of Time."

"Huh? Right, but she isn't the one I'm looking for."

Not Emiri. The two more obvious guesses were out of the way, leaving Grant to wonder who exactly Igeyorhm was hunting, though he was certain it was female. He came to Rozarria for a reason, so that also ruled out Savayna. He wanted to put the entire room to sleep just to take out this one person. He wanted it to be without a hassle, and was upset he'd have to go to Archadia. He clucked his tongue, narrowing his eyes at Igeyorhm. "So, despite giving Jaakuna the Belias Sigil, he still sees Shion as a threat," Grant deduced.

Igeyorhm's eyes widened, though he then wore an expression of regret. "Ah...hm. You must be one of those nerds who like to solve mysteries," He declared.

"Not really," Grant replied, completely deadpan. "You're a lot like Jaakuna; bold and doesn't really think about what he says."

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Admittedly, blasting Igeyorhm through the wall was only the second best part of this. Grant gave Wesley a rather grateful smile, though he was happier than usual. It should have been because of taking the next level, but his immediate thoughts were that he was lucky Wesley was around. This being because he was more than certain that had it been...literally anyone else, they probably would've given him some half-assed comment on how he sounded like an actual man instead of a teenage girl.

Pushing those thoughts to the side, Grant watched Igeyorhm sit up, entirely unamused by the entire situation. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up," He gestured at the pair as he would hop to his feet. "I didn't think you'd ascend so quickly. And you got a buddy lurkin' around...wonder if it's the same one that's been tailing me," Igeyorhm sighed, placing his sword on his shoulder. "Nothing in life is ever easy. Least if the person I was lookin' for was here, it'd be more worth it, but..."

"What are you here for?" Grant demanded an answer.

Igeyorhm chuckled. "Wouldn't you like to know? Can't just go around giving secrets...unless the one asking is pretty enough," He mused out loud, his eyes gazing at the sleeping Nadeline.

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Igeyorhm was surprised to see the portals, having to react to the best of his ability to avoid them. He let out a small shout of surprise, actually having to use his blade to avoid becoming a pincushion. Grant's eyes widened, though as he took a step forward, he hesitated. For a moment, it was as if everything had slowed down for him. What was he going to do, take an opening and mess it up again? As much as he hated to admit it, Igeyorhm had been right. What was wrong with him? He had never been so unsure of himself before, the one thing he had confidence in had simply faded into a memory.

Will you simply take the defeat? Zeromus asked him, surprising Grant. We do not know his intentions. If you fall here, he could overwhelm Wesley and bring harm to your family.

No, but...

But? What excuse was he going to use? Ha, there was none. He could almost hear Savayna mocking him now. There was nothing more to be said, he needed to act. No more excuses. Will you simply take the defeat?

No.

Good. Then it's time...

Grant let out a dark laugh, brushing his hair out of his face, though his hand spread over his left eye. Igeyorhm smirked, though something in the air had changed, and no doubt Wesley would feel it as well. His expression quickly fell as the room would be filled with Grant's laughter, though the prince seemed more amused than anything else. If he wanted to see Grant get serious, then he would. The mist around him seemed to be charged, the prince holding his hand out as his eyes flashed a dark violet color.

Igeyorhm let out a nervous chuckle, still on the alert. He had no idea where those arrows had come from, and he wasn't big on surprise attacks. "How...convenient..." He murmured, running his thumb across his nose. "But I suppose...now you'll give me a real challenge, eh?" He stated as he ran forward, unsurprised as Grant would rush forward as well to meet him. Grant's gun seemed to glow, though as he skidded to a halt, his arm was charged with mist. What, he thinks he can catch up to me? He smirked as he heard the first bullet come out, dark magicks surrounding it, though his eyes widened as it split into several parts. Still no issue, as his speed helped him dodge them. As he took his next step forward, however, he caught Grant's rather confident expression, turning around to see the missed shots homing in on him. What the--?!

One, two, three, four, all five hits blasted Igeyorhm, much to his surprise, but it wasn't until Grant appeared right before him that he knew he was in trouble. He felt Grant's gun at his abdomen, and the blast sent him crashing through the wall, landing on the other side with a hard thud. He let out a groan, managing to prop himself on his elbows as Grant would approach him.

"That wasn't even close to being the best I have," Grant would finally speak in his own voice, cocking a smile at Igeyorhm. "Still think you can handle me?"

---

“Let us move onto the second topic of discussion, then,” Emiri suggested as she would move the conversation forward, especially since all parties were in agreement.

“What a great idea, Emiri!” Jaakuna approved of her suggestion. “And I know exactly what our next order of business should be.” He coughed, looking at Reia, “I do believe you remember the matter we were discussing with Maester Nicholas before...that unfortunate incident involving him.”

“Here’s hoping this time doesn’t end similarly,” Reia couldn’t help but quip, though she knew better than to anger him. “By this he means the gathering of forces against the likes of Zodiark, correct?”

“Does that mean what I think it means?” Isaiah asked, voice uncertain about the specificity of what Reia was implying.

“It means exactly what you’re thinking, Isaiah,” Jaakuna confirmed his suspicions. “With our former Archadian General, Leviathan Necfedeles obtaining the real Zodiark and Venat, the artist formerly known as Zodiark, still at large, Ivalice needs to band together. I believe the best way to ensure her survival is to, for the first time in either of the Three Great Nations’ history, we need to combine our miltiaries into one large, task force. And to ensure that it meets every requirement we might have, the armies will be commanded by the three best commanders that Ivalice has to offer.”

“It seems there’s a lot of firsts happening, huh?” Cassandra mused, not necessarily thrilled about what Jaakuna was proposing or opposing it. If anything, she was disinterested for the most part..

“It certainly will be marked in history for years to come,” Reia commented, eyeing Cassandra wearily. “Making sure everyone is on the same page is absolutely crucial, lest one slip up cause a domino effect of epic proportions.”

“Could you at least pretend to care?” Emiri couldn’t help but get annoyed at Cassandra. “This is actually a big deal.”

Cassandra didn’t bother looking to Emiri. “Let the grown-ups speak, child.” Cassandra chided Emiri with a demeaning tone.

“And have you anything at all to contribute?” She couldn’t help but ask. “Not one part that perhaps could use a revision, or alternate wording that would be better? Oh, wait, of course not. You’d rather put your own needs first then actually care about something that concerns your own country!”

“You’d better watch how you speak to me, Emelia.” Cassandra knew all too well how the brunette hated to be called by that name, “As you said, I am representing my country’s interests. Disrespect me more and it might - oh, I don’t know - not end well for this entire treaty.” She warned her, this time giving Emiri a scathing gaze, one that made it clear to her what the princess’ intentions potentially could be.

“Cassandra, please don’t be difficult.” Jaakuna sighed, not buying her bluff for one minute.

She would let out a dignified huff, looking to Jaakuna. “Very well. I cannot say no to you, Jaakie-Poo~” She said, shooting him a wink knowing full well that it would further anger Emiri.

Emiri had actually been stunned to silence. Cassandra’s words bothered her much more than they should have. This wasn’t her usual pettiness, if she didn’t know any better, she would think that Cassandra was doing it on purpose. “Why?” Emiri couldn’t help but ask. “What is it that you have to gain from this? You’d seriously throw the relationship between countries because what--you hate me? Really?”

Now she had Cassandra’s attention. “Since you’re asking so nicely,” She let out a sigh, her eyes and attention entirely on Emiri. “We are in this predicament because of what you have done.”

“What are you talking about?” Emiri asked. “Because I’m not the one that’s been trying to destroy the treaty.”

“Aren’t you though? You ran away from Rozarria because Prince Grant -- Reia’s brother -- wanted to ‘own’ you. In turn, that threw you into the direction of Jaakuna here, who was hired by the Viera under Reia’s control. That’s not even considering how reckless your use of your powers have been.” Cassandra stated bluntly, “I am well-informed about Ivalice, Emelia. I grew up on the stories and history of Ivalice. I know that there are deeper things that most understand. I also know that you’ve been at the center of everything terrible that’s happened in the past, few months.” She continued, “Sure, I might not like you as a person, but you’re far more dangerous to this world than anyone. Honestly, why don’t you just do us a favor and kill--”

“Cassandra, that’s quite enough!” A voice from behind interrupted her. Everyone in the room would know him as Alistair Quinn, sworn babysitter Knight and Cassandra’s escort. “Go wait outside.”

“Excuse me?”

“You are no longer representing Dalmasca’s interests. From this moment, I am exercising my King’s orders to sit in your stead.”

“Wesley ordered this?” Jaakuna asked, curious.

Emiri had a sneaking suspicion to the end of Cassandra’s sentence, and as much as she didn’t want to admit it, her words had shaken her to the bottom of her core. She was resigned to staring down at her hands, trying very hard not to let it be known how upset she was. Reia wasn’t too surprised at Alistair’s interruption, though she would simply sigh. “Perhaps it’s for the best,” Reia said quietly.

Cassandra pouted, looking towards Alistair. Though she seemed that she wanted to say something, Alistair glared at her. In that moment, she knew there was nothing she could say, so the princess would exit, slamming the door behind her.

“I swear, I’m too young to deal with the troubles of a teenager.” Alistair complained, looking to the others. He centered on Emiri. “Please, I beg you not to take what she said to heart. The Princess....means well, but ever since the late King Jonathan’s murde--” Alistair stopped himself, eyes now on Isaiah--”I mean, uh...”

“It is fine. I will excuse myself as well.” Isaiah said, bowing.

“Isaiah…”

“No, it’s fine. I am not of royalty, so I will let you handle this matter. I will look after Cassandra.” Isaiah would then depart as well.

“I apologize. It’s still an awkward subject, I guess.” Alistair rubbed the back of his head. “Please, continue.”

“Of course. Needless to say it’s...unanimous that we agree to Jackson’s plan for the army, yes?” Roman said, attempting to uplift the mood of the room.

Reia glanced at Emiri, who remained silent. “Agreed.” She said.

Alistair took his seat next to Roman. “If I am to recall correctly, it is a unified military force, correct?”

“Yep,” Jaakuna confirmed Alistair’s guess.

“Then, I, too, approve of this notion.” Alistair stated to the group.

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Igeyorhm had seen Wesley's attack, but admittedly wasn't quite able to counter considering he had Grant. Still, the hit was enough for him to release Grant, though not without a rather swift kick to the prince in case he thought getting released meant he could attack. He reached back and took a hold of Wesley's arm, spinning him around him once before releasing up and clotheslining him, followed up by a downwards kick. He nimbly danced around Grant's shots, hopping backwards away from the pair as Grant would stand. After throwing a spit, he scowled at the pair, dissatisfied as he closed his eyes.

"This can't possibly be the best you got," Igeyorhm noted as he opened an eye. "Man, you really used up everything yesterday for the invasion, didn't you?" He asked the pair, scoffing. "Well shit, that does explain how I got the slip on this gorgeous angel, and why Mr. Dalmasca over there's sloppier than a desperate whore, but what's your excuse, Mr. Rozarria?" He sounded genuinely annoyed as he asked. "God, you're seriously pissing me off. Do I need to do the cliche villain thing to get you to come at me seriously?" Grant couldn't help but curse silently. For once, Igeyorhm had a point. He couldn't depend on Wesley defending him, and yet, Grant was clearly dependant on the prince. Igeyorhm stared at Grant in disbelief.

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Igeyorhm let out a small whistle as he would sidestep Wesley's charge, eyeing his sword warily. So the prince truly was gifted in battle as well? The mist in his sword was practically radiating! He couldn't help but scoff, realizing that Wesley was going to be a possible problem. He raised his leg, a swift kick knocking Wesley off balance, though let out a yelp as a bullet sang past him. Grant wasn;t going to give him a chance, was he? He stuck his tongue out at Grant, his own sword charging as he swung, the energy erupting in several lines fanned out to both Wesley and Grant.

It was easy enough to dodge, but once again, Grant found himself face-to-face with his opponent. It was clear that Igeyorhm was much better at reacting than the two of them were, his speed outmatching them both. Igeyorhm grabbed Grant by his throat, his strength surprising the prince as he felt his hand threatening to crush his throat. Damn it, not like this! Grant cursed mentally, feeling Igeyorhm's grip getting tighter.

"Aw, is that all you got?" Igeyorhm asked, disappointed. "Don't tell me Fandaniel's the only one who--oh." And understanding came over him, and he grinned as Grant glared at him. "Smack dab in the middle, but not quite finished, huh? If you're not going to go all the way, what's the point?" He asked, though his tone dropped his playfulness. "Wasting my time...you really think you're anything special?"

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

If it wasn't Fandaniel himself. How very amusing--Igeyorhm acknowledged him, raising an eyebrow at Wesley. The prince's reputation preceded him, though he made it clear that he wasn't too happy having Igeyorhm around. What a pain, but it didn't look like he was going to be able to simply walk away. Stifling a yawn of his own, he stretched his free arm, his hand in the shape of a gun as he pointed it at Wesley. "No need to be a stranger, Fandaniel! I honestly meant no harm," Igeyorhm admitted, shaking his head, though a playful look overcame him. "But of course, if it's a fight you want, then I'd be more than happy to oblige!"

Nadeline scoffed, though she decided not to wait for Igeyorhm to get the first strike, raising her rapier in the air. "Scourge!" She called, multiple tendrils appearing around Igeyorhm.

"Aww, I don't really want to fight you," He frowned as he leapt over both her spell and the two men, landing right in front of Nadeline. "I kinda have a soft spot for pretty girls, I don't think I can go all out if you insist on fighting," He admitted, snapping his fingers as his own spell surrounded her. She let out a small gasp, the Sleep spell instantaneous, and he caught her with her free arm as her rapier fell to the ground. "All's fair in love and war." He told Wesley with a wink as he placed her onto the chair. "Now to really start the fun."

Grant immediately shot at him, though as his finger squeezed the trigger, Igeyorhm appeared right before him. Damn, he was fast, though that thought didn't even get a chance to fully process as he rammed the hilt of his sword into his chest, knocking him several paces, and leaping up over any strike Wesley would throw at him. He shook his head at the pair, though brought his sword down at Grant who narrowly dodged the sword. Igeyorhm's strike was rather close, and he saw even some of his hair as well as his choker fall. Oh, great, He mentally cursed.

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Roman raised his eyebrows, amused, though he supposed his cousin had a point. Reia offered no assistance, likely considering the fact that she had already burned Cassandra once, so for the sake of keeping things right, she would not speak. Emiri was also growing increasingly irritated, though subtlety clearly wasn't getting her anywhere. "Are you hard of hearing or just plain stupid?" Emiri snapped at Cassandra. Yes, it would seem Roman would have to do something, lest the entire office erupt into flames or Emiri throws Cassandra out the window, both possibilities steadily rising.

Putting his tea down rather reluctantly, he would catch Emiri's rather scathing gaze. He patted her shoulder once comfortingly, though he would signal her to move. Confused, the brunette obeyed, though she was surprised when Roman would outright push Jaakuna aside, putting himself between his brother and Cassandra. He would give the princess his full attention, a smile on his lips. "Now, now, ladies," He said cheerfully. "This is a mark on the pages of Ivalice's history, surely we can all get along for the moment. Why, if things go well, we could all be friends."

"Is that what we're calling it now?" Reia asked with a hint of mischievousness as Emiri's expression soured. "Though he does have a point. No use in delaying anything."

"The more I think on it, the more I realize this would also be our first chance to get acquainted," Roman told Cassandra. "In a personal sense, of course."

---

"Those old farts had some nerve!" Lorenzo huffed in agreement, stifling a yawn. "My precious daughter was raised with the highest of virtues! And she chose to sleep around with a prince, not some--some rapscallion!"

"That makes me feel so much better," Nadeline shook her head at her father, though she noticed her mother rubbing her eye. "You've done so much in our absence, do forgive us for leaving you here to do everything on your own."

"Hmm? Oh, forgive me, I thought I was fine until now," Karolina apologized, a peacefully sleepy look on her face. "I suppose I took on more than I thought I could."

Grant chuckled, though as he raised his cup to his lips, he noticed Lorenzo's drowsiness as well. The man seemed to agree, his eyes widened, and he outright knocked Nadeline's cup out of her hands. She let out a cry of surprise, glaring at him. "Father! What--Father?!" Her shock turned into one of concern as Lorenzo outright face planted the table. "Father, what's wrong?!"

Karolina opened her mouth to speak, but she swayed, and Grant leapt out of his seat to catch her before she hit the ground. "How...strange..." She said softly, before closing her eyes.

"Karolina! Lorenzo, what's wrong with you two?" Grant couldn't help but ask, though it took him a second to put two and two together. "The wine...?"

"Forgive the intrusion," A servant walked in with a tray, though they were shocked at the scene before them. Nadeline noticed a different looking pitcher in their hands. "That's odd, who could have brought this here?"

It clicked in Nadeline's mind, and she immediately stood up from her seat. As she was about to order the servant, a sword went right through his chest, blood splattering on the ground. As his body was unceremoniously shoved to the side, the sword seemed to float in mid-air, though it would return to its owner, an unsatisfied look on his face. "Hmm...so the gang split up, did they?" The man wondered out loud, frowning. "What a pain in the ass, I was hoping this would be pretty straightforward..."

Grant placed Karolina down, though he brought his gun out. The man was rather young, reminding him greatly of Cassandra. "What exactly is your purpose here?" Grant asked him.

The man's eyes widened, though he burst out laughing. "Well, shit! Word got you good, didn't it, Rozarrian Prince?" He said after he finished, wiping a tear from his eye. "Let's see...you, the Dalmascan Prince, the Rozarrian Princess...I'm gonna go out on a limb and say the others are probably in Archades. Tch, making me look all over..." He grumbled to himself, though he caught Nadeline's glare.

"If you think you can get away with any of this, you are mistaken," Nadeline warned him, withdrawing her rapier. As she focused on him, however, she could feel its effects starting to make her drowsy. Just from one sip? Whatever it was, it was potent, this she had to admit. "Who are you?!"

"The man of your dreams, you can call me Igeyorhm or Daddy, gorgeous," He winked, his sword on his shoulder. "In a literal sense, I can tell you had a drink, hm? Though, I'm not supposed to kill you yet. Your folks aren't dead, it's just a little help to send them off to dreamland, so you can relax."

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

"Quite so. I wonder what my brother did to catch her attention so," Roman murmured back, a curious expression on his face.

Reia crossed one leg over the other, watching Emiri with some amusement. She would certainly need some lessons on hiding her displeasure, as the brunette's rather expressive face showed her disdain at Cassandra. Still, her reaction was much faster than anyone had anticipated. Emiri had immediately placed her own hand on Jaakuna's lap, tilting her head as she would smile at Cassandra. "After we arrived, Reia and Cassandra have come as well," She explained to Jaakuna, subtly shifting herself closer to him. "I'm sure Savayna and Shion will also catch up, though we arrived rather quickly compared to them."

"Surrounded by beautiful women once more...ah, this is the life, I tell you. The only thing better than a charming woman is a nice, warm cup of tea." Roman stated cheerfully.

Reia couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "With all due respect, we are here for the treaty, not for pleasure," She couldn't help but remind him.

"Better to share such trying and irritable work with those who are quite easy on the eyes rather than stuffy, elderly men," Roman didn't skip a beat.

Emiri couldn't help but giggle. "Good to see you're handling things well here," She couldn't help but comment.

---

As Wesley spoke, a pair of maids would enter soundlessly, laying two pitchers before them and enough cups for all. They bowed and left the room without a word, and as Lorenzo listened, he'd pour a cup of what looked like wine. He poured out a second cup of water, offering it to Nadeline, who would take it. As Wesley finished, Karolina would speak. "I like your hair, it makes you look very mature," She told him as she would take the drink Lorenzo offered her. "You know, both my parents were dark haired, but you can see I did not, and neither did Justine--may her soul rest in peace--who came out closer to red hair."

"Dad was blonde. Grant was the only one that got Mom's hair," He nudged Grant, pausing only to take a swig, but he would continue. "Still, all of us came out with Mom's features. Dad was super gruff and had sharper facial features. We all came out a lot softer--though Grant looks more like Mom than the rest of us."

Grant scowled at Lorenzo, causing Nadeline to laugh. "He means you look like Margaret, not that you look like a woman," She said, though she would let out a happy sigh. "I'd love our child to look like Wesley. It'd be like having a little mini-Wesley!"

"It's going to be the ultimate symbol of your love," Lorenzo added, grinning at Karolina.

It was nice to see Nadeline look so pleased about it. It gave Grant some satisfaction. As he was about to drink, he sneezed, spilling his wine. "I've got it," He would take a napkin from Karolina, discouraging her from cleaning it up. "It's probably a sign, though I should probably take some for the road, I doubt Savayna's going to be happy about...what I lied about."

Nadeline frowned, though she remembered a similar situation with Jaakuna and Emiri. "I'm sure she'll understand," She assured him.

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Stay civil, stay civil, be the bigger person, this is probably going to be your future home, so you have to stay civil, you don't want Roman to get the wrong idea, stay civil, be--the--bigger--person--! Her mental mantra hadn't quite worked as well as she hoped, throwing Cassandra a glare, though at the very least she resisted the urge to yank that mess of red hair. However, she noticed Cassandra's very warm welcome to Ixion, and she scratched her head. Did she not know...? She caught Reia's wary smile, bowing her head in embarrassment. Reia responded by patting Emiri's shoulder, though she would then take a seat, hands folded neatly on her lap.

"Jackson should be present for the very treaty he drafted," Reia would remind Cassandra, quite apt at keeping her elegance.

Roman nodded, a glint in his eye that Emiri caught. "Ah, yes...the treaty and its terms..." He said, though he would retake his own seat, sipping his tea. "Ah, passion flower. Good for the nerves," He said as he poured out a cup for both Reia and Cassandra.

That would explain why she felt so relaxed. Emiri nodded. "You said passion flower, right? I feel like there's also...a lemon flavor?" She couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"I did add some lemon balm, the two flavors are quite interesting, even though they contrast. Passion flower, on the sweeter side, and lemon, whose zest stands out even with the slightest addition," He stated, putting his cup down. "A nice metaphor for you and Jackson, don't you agree?"

Was that what Roman thought of her? She couldn't quite hide her embarrassed smile. "I feel Jackson is more akin to the Assam flavor," Reia chuckled. "Strong, malty, and difficult to mix."

"He will need to learn to adapt himself better, I'm afraid," Roman pointed out.

---

Grant felt like he had aged a thousand years.

The meeting continued, mostly the usual 'yes or no' to several upcoming bills, discussion of taxes and the like. By the end, the council would depart, with Arcturus in particular giving Wesley a rather polite farewell. It was unheard of--Arcturus held himself to his own standards, though it seemed Wesley had earned his respect. Grant should've been pleased, but now a crippling dread had taken hold of him, constantly whispering reminders of his actions. What had he done? No, he had signed his own death sentence, it would seem.

As they were alone in the meeting room, Karolina let out a sigh of relief, though she would stand, walking around the table to Wesley and Nadeline. Placing one hand on each of their shoulders, she smiled. "Congratulations!" She told them, clearly elated at the thought of Nadeline's pregnancy.

"You're awful happy about this!" Lorenzo whined.

Karolina brought her hands to her cheeks, slightly blushing. "Wesley showed his determination for keeping Nadeline all to himself! He proposed, knowing he had no ring, and then decided to settle for the next best thing!" She said, a little too happy about all this. "I've always seen him as a gentleman, but it is good to see he is willing to do whatever it takes to keep Nadeline in his life! Bravo, Wesley!"

Nadeline's face turned a deep shade of red. "M-M-Mother! Please!" She was completely embarrassed at Karolina's insinuation. "Th-that's not what happened!"

Karolina knelt down to Nadeline a serious look on her face. "He was determined to show you his love, knowing that words simply weren't enough anymore," She told her, causing Grant to laugh. "But passion is a subset of love, physically showing your love is taking it to the next level, where words don't suffice! Well, some words can be said--"

"So, in other words, she didn't think Wesley had it in him, and is relieved. Isn't that right?" Grant clarified, trying to stifle his laughter.

"Of course!" Karolina clapped her hands as she would stand. "Oh, I hope it's a girl! WHat do you think, darling?"

"I want it to be a boy! Since I made half of Nadeline, he'll be great, just like me!" Lorenzo declared.

"Nadeline was such an adorable baby. Oh, I was just looking at an album the other day, I wonder if I can find it?"

Whoa, whoa, whoa! "Mother, you need to know that--that I'm not completely certain about this!" She stopped Karolina in her tracks, flustered. "Someone put the idea in my head, and..."

"Hm? Oh, so you'll probably know soon, right?" Karolina asked. When Nadeline nodded, Karolina let out a giggle. "But wouldn't it be wonderful if you were? Wesley is such a handsome man, your child will come out so beautiful..."