Chapter 363: After Dark

Night descended over the outer court

The pale towers stayed lit, but the yard between them grew cold and bare. The lesser groups filtered in first. Those that remained huddled in lower voices and lingering looks. Lucian took up position near the inner wall with Sera, just as Istra had instructed.

"The waiting is disagreeable," said Sera, rubbing her palms together. "Not that I didn’t expect it."

"It is better than being taken unawares."

"Is it?"

"Depending on what you are waiting for." Istra returned, tossing over the short cloak she had slung over one shoulder. Take it. The mid-plane goes colder than the lower cities at night.’

Sera adjusted the cloth with a breathy noise. ’Any news?’

’Authority has sent notice of a hearing claim by morning.’ Istra’s fingers curled around the edge of her cloak. ’Veyrn’s broker circles the drain, and one old-seat messenger requested a private word before your hearing.’

Lucian turned completely towards her. "Asked or ordered?"’

’Asked, sweetly enough that one assumes a yes is expected.,’ Istra’s gaze went to the narrow side door set into the wall. ’I told the line officers to take him in the side room, but not in the court, not near a crowd.’

’You’re going to bring him to us?’ Seras frowned.

’Not leaving him to choose the battlefield,’ said Istra, ’that is a small thing, but it is a thing..’

Lucian gave the woman beside him a single, approving nod, then turned to face the side room. Let us hear him.

The side room was small, bare of all but a stone table, two benches, and a single lamp. This was a place for councils and quick negotiations to be had over stone and fire. Lucian stood rather than seated himself, and Sera leaned against the far wall. Istra lingered near the door until it opened to admit the older man who had emerged from the gloom of the night.

He was older than either had expected - his temples were touched with gray - and dressed plainly in dark, unadorned cloth without armor or open weapon. His eyes swept the room, taking in the details before returning to fix on Lucian with assessing interest.

’Thank you for the meeting,’ he said, inclining his head. ’I am Orlen, and I speak for a circle of loyalists to Lord Cael’s old seat.’

’Excuse me,’ murmured _.

Orlen turned his gaze back to Lucian, ’You have broken Authority seals in Keth-Arel. That would make you a prize on your own, but the lower city description of your settling patterns has made you something more valuable - something familiar.’

’Regularize,’ said Lucian, ’and say what your people wanted.’

’If you are the living thread,’ said Orlen, ’then to let Authority have you in house process, or to leave you for independent house brokers, would both be tragic errors...’’

’And you want your circle to claim him instead, no?’ Istra said, her brow furrowing. ’What difference does it make if you take him away?’

Istra’s words went unheeded, as if their meaning had not reached him.

’A circle of our own would rather keep him out of bargain hands,’ said Orlen, ’but I see you find the difference small..’

’No, not from this end,’ said Lucian, studying the visitor, ’what are you offering?"

’De extraction before morning hours, private escort to a protected holding under Cael-seat law, and denial of any house claim on him by delegation or auction, with the benefits of protection, training, and information on current Cael-seat standing in the structure of Authority...’

’Another pretty prison,’ said Sera, laughing sharply. ’Sounds like a better cage...’

’All avenues from here lead to some fashion of enclosure,’ Orlen replied evenly, ’the only question is where the key still fits on your side of the lock.’

Cael’s voice pressed insistently into the back of Lucian’s mind, a steady murmur.

He is the loyalist remnant, not the worst of them, but neither without agenda. Should you accept him as guide, you are banner-flag before true selection.

’What if I decline,’ said Lucian, placing a hand on the table.

’If you so choose,’ said Orlen, ’Authority will attempt freeze and review. Houses will bid for salvage rights.. Neutral grounds will eventually tire of the argument, and someone will always win the process - merely not you.’

Istra’s gaze went from Orlen to Lucian. "He’s not wrong on the process..."

’I know," said Lucian, "go on.."

Orlen paused for a long moment, looking first at the table, then back up at Lucian.

’You do not have to swear anything to us tonight, but you might consider the temporary protection we offer, the hearing on his disappearance, and if at the end of that you should still wish to walk away, it might be nicer to turn from us than from the Authority freeze."

’Why does everyone talk to him like he’s already someone’s nicely dressed prisoner?’ said Sera, pulling away from the wall. ’This is not the way to make friends..’

’You are wrong on the mid-plane assessment of men like him, but I will not say it twice.’

Sera’s eyes narrowed. ’What do you mean?’

’The mid-plane treats events like men.’

The lamp sputtered, and voices outside the room carried on for a moment before fading.

Lucian’s thoughts went to Evelyn, to Lucy telling him to put a life of his own before the others, and remembering all the other hands that had opened to him since Keth AREL had come with a leash on the other.

’... I will not leave with you tonight.’

A muscle in Orlen’s jaw tightened before he inclined his head. ’That is your decision..’

I know,’ said Lucian, ’and if your circle is any measure for Cael’s seat, you can wait to deal with me until I stop choosing under a knife. I will listen to what you know, and I will not be taken like cargo before morning.’

Istra exhaled noisily, almost a sigh of relief, almost not. ’Then we hold through the hearing period."

Orlen turned to her. ’If by refusing this chance, he becomes Authority-bound and your transport of him will be seen as poor judgment.’

’If I wanted to deliver him quietly, Istra said flatly, I would have given him a drug in Keth are l.’

Or len turned back to Lucian.

’Morning will be less agreeable than this room,’ he said, and then was gone.

The moment the door was shut behind him, Sera slumped onto the bench. ’I don’t know if you’re brave or just stubborn past the point of sense.’

’Both,’ said Lucian,

Istra crossed her arms. ’You turned down the best chance for us to get out of this..’

’Another group deciding I was their possession...’ Lucian folded his hands. ’If tomorrow is a fight, it is a fight. If it is a hearing, I will listen. I will not turn the turnstiles of what owns me over and over until the new voice gets sick of the song.."

Cael was silent for a moment, then said, "Good."

Sera leaned her head back against the wall. ’So, what do we do until morning?’

’Rot in shifts," said Istra,

No one wanders or meets on their own, and if they call us before morning, we go as a group.’

Lucian stood and stepped to the doorway, looking out over the yard.

It was nearly empty, but cold wind stirred the stones and distant lamps gleamed in the tower windows.

Across the neutral ground, preparations for claims, arguments, and cages with nicer names, were underway.

Sera joined him after a moment. ’You could have taken him.’

’I know that..’ said Lucian, ’... and it’s not like it would have been bad at that point...’

’Did you really think like that?

Lucian looked out over the dark. ’That’s how most bad trades start..’

She was silent for a few seconds. ’If this goes bad in the morning and I don’t want to die for some Lord I have never met..’

’I wouldn’t ask that of you..’ said Lucian. " ... That would be fair,, said Sera, glancing at him,

"You’re a strange man,’ said Sera,

"I’ve been called far worse,"

Behind them, Istra snuffed out the second room’s lamp and only the hall stayed lit.

Morning would bring Authority review, house arguments, and every hand that wanted to claim Lucian as their own was preparing to make their offers known.

For now, Lucian had held off by one refusal, and the meager promise of neutrality.

It was not much, but it was enough for now, because he was still his own.