Natalya sat next to him. He sat next to her, with her leg on his lap, and side leaned on the couch facing the table. They had been staying in the hotel for four nights now. Most of the time they spent the time trying to catch up and speak of matters. In the past days, she had been rather sticky as a moth sticking on the glass of a lamp. Mavin wondered how awfully close she was.

“Too close.”

She didn’t answer him. She leaned her head on his collarbone, eyes staring at the paper that Mavin had been holding. Natalya had insisted on making him learn the affairs of the state while also keeping close most of the time. At the same time, he was allowing her to indulge in this. Not that he hated being close to her. She smelled good. Despite the tone of her muscles, she was soft, and she had the right amounts of supple flesh that made her comfortable to lean on.

“With that said, there is a certain amount of problems, please just sit normally?”

“No.”

Mavin stared at her for a second before turning his attention back to the paper he was holding. “It’s great that they are understanding, but don’t you have work to do?”

“Think of this as our extremely belated honeymoon.”

“Can’t disagree with that, but this is serious.”

“What’s there to be serious, husband? This lady is strong, but I’m not capable of stopping a volcanic eruption.”

Mavin examined a document with a title page “Destruction of Demikin-Domiciles” which has over three-hundred-fifty-seven pages of protocols and contingencies. One of the domicile contingencies was the immediate shielding of the biosphere area of Lazon through the use of the shield layer.

“A shame that you crippled the Kismet’s Tale.”

“It had to be done. Kismet himself would be a terrible opponent, and I doubt there would be a third chance.”

Natalya stared at the ceiling. Mavin kept his eyes focused on the paper bound documents. Natalya sat upright, and leaned her shoulder on his while taking a piece of a paper that contained the records of their agreements.

“All of this is astonishing. To think that you’ve done this through the years.”

“It’s called having the right people that can do well in the right position . I learned that only having your own set of hands isn’t efficient when you are handling the affairs of . Trust is a currency that we cherish. There is little to do when the world keeps on moving forward. Lazon couldn’t be weak. It’s master must be strong and soft as well. Strong enough to protect, and soft enough to cushion any fall that might happen. Hard breaks. Strong only weakens and I prefer it that way.”

Natalya showed a piece of paper. Written on the paper was the budget and resources of the state. Most of what Mavin was seeing was the summary. Going through all of this information would take him months. Not that he wanted control of Lazon. Natalya herself had said that she wasn’t willing to hand over her authority completely.

She had explained it to him, even though she had been fine with his return. The rest of Lazon would not easily accept the sudden change of management. Not to mention that the little Elea herself was doing fine in regards to being the State Head of Lazon. Though there are movements that have been wanting to claim the assets of the Tomas Family as part of Lazon.

“I can imagine the awful state of bureaucracy.”

“Isn’t it? Little Elea has grown wonderfully throughout the years. Still, it’s not that you can do much more about this.”

Mavin eyed her. She replied as if it was the most obvious thing.

“There are many factions that are eager to rip us apart. The world is big and there are people who are fond of being the one in the high tower. Our organization, my society and pact does not mean that we are truly invincible in the eyes of others. Despite our powers, we are vulnerable to the weapons that have been created. You can move fast enough to defend yourself from bullets and my shielding allows me to create layers of shielding.”

“I’m sure that I haven’t seen myself as a superior being yet, don’t worry, Mav.”

Mavin nodded. He felt desperate when he had nothing to add. He had been so far away from Lazon and its people that he might as well be another stranger. He was glad that Natalya was around, but her presence alone doesn’t soothe everything. She was his ally, Mavin was sure of that, but there was something in Natalya that made Mavin still hesitate on fully trusting her. Perhaps, she sensed it as well, and was taking her time in making herself look to him as a person that could possibly break him if he lowered his guard down. He was truly hoping that she could call him out, and she did. How she had given so many compromises and concessions made him unable to refuse her rather lonely plea.

They were crows who would only have one mate for life.  Mavin found it funny that no matter what he does, he wouldn't be able to escape the fate of being a crow. Mavin placed the paper bound documents and leaned in. He watched time flow by and stay seated. They have time in their hands, that is certain. But it doesn’t mean that they could just be here and do nothing. Mavin hated inaction. He despised the thought of doing nothing. And yet Mavin found himself not having this rather slow and lazy life as well. It also did well in making him accept that even though time had passed since then. He still had people he knew back then and wanted to treasure it. And that he truly couldn’t refuse any request from Natalya. She had insisted on it and although he felt awkward about it. He thought that he might as well obey.

It was a strange thing. How they somewhat ended up like this.

“You okay?”

“I am. Just thinking that we ended up in a strange way.”

“True, they would call us masochists and eccentrics for continuing such an awful relationship.”

“It is indeed awful,” said Mavin, sympathizing with her statement. “Considering how we were bonded because of a desire to get more hydroelectric crystals from Wilde. In fact, you could have just taken the time to get a new husband.”

“Oh, I won’t deny that there are times that I did try. But I know what my worth is and if a man couldn’t even defeat me or contend with me. Then I will not have him at all. I don’t want someone who can't stand to be my equal. If I am to walk this long life, then I’d better walk it with a person who would not hesitate to pull my hand, and tell me that I am wrong. I am not looking for someone who is meek or obedient. I want someone who couldn’t handle me at my worst as well. Mavin, I allow you to own me, and I allow myself to own you. It’s because you can stand with me,  dare to beat me when we fight, and would dare to take me down that I am willing to make so many promises, lower myself, and do so with little regret. Oh, then again, it could be that my heart has been long twisted that I would even allow this.”

She opened her eyes as if she had realized something. Then she looked down on her lap and leaned on Mavin’s shoulder. “But even with all my compromises, I wouldn’t allow you to have another one other than me.”

Mavin slowly nodded. She snorted at his slow response, and said nothing. For a moment, Natalya saw her eyes twist into something monstrous. As if she had suddenly recalled a dangerous thing.

“You said that there are enemies...people who can contend with us and our faction. Who are they?” Mavin asked.

Natalya crossed her arms and took her time to respond. Mavin waited patiently, watching her eyes. She remained muted for a moment before she said, “Have you not asked what happened? I’d assume that you have learned everything from Aunger’s journal.”

“Not everything.”

“What do you mean?”

“The reason for why the civil war started years ago. Why did they want the Hounds that you, Aunger, Ike, and Martina had created? Oh, so you know nothing about it then?”

“Natalya, just tell me.”

Nataly stood up and spread her arms. “As you have known, the sparks enhance the body through supernatural means. Yours are more natural and strange, but my enhancements are superior to my pact sisters because of the mark that I wore on the back of my hand. Without the mark, then I would have not remained perpetual, youthful, and strong. The spark itself is energy that can be manifested. So think about what would happen to a woman, who has lost the ability to manipulate the sparks, after knowing that she has the means to survive through the use of your hounds. It could potentially save her life, and what better way to acquire them other than through the voice of a newly crowned Emperor?”

Mavin looked at Natalya. Natalya’s face that was loose and relaxed vanished without a trace as if she hated the thought of this woman’s existence. Mavin wore his stony mask and tried to calm his heart.

“Because Lady Cecilia Athesia, the Eldest Daughter of Xander Athesia, wanted to live. And to do that she needed twenty of your hounds to strengthen her until she is able to relearn the sparks like Minerva and I had done.”

His heart felt like it got punched. Mavin balled his fist,  composed his expressions, and breathed out heavily. “So she’s alive?”

“Yes, I had expected that she was behind the civil war in the first place. Crown Prince Arno, despite his temperament, was still a wise man who knows what happens if he demands something from us in a time where a war had recently ended. You could say that the Prince was trapped on what he had to do. Rene and Kristine had tried an alternative which gave birth to the magiborne, but what they needed was the Hound's enhancements.”

“Do you have proof?”

“You can collect the oldest newspapers, and even the reports made by your hounds years ago. Lady Cecilia wanted to live, she wanted to survive, and thus had made war happen in hopes to divert the attention of the people away from her true goal of extracting the life essence of your hounds and enhance her vitality until the sparks returned. Of course, that is only one of the reasons why the Empire fell, but what lit the fire in the Former Emperor, Arno Athesia to start the war is because of his familiar love for his eldest sister. He wanted her Sister to live and also stabilize the Empire further by clutching everyone by the threat. So he made war happen, but he had underestimated the desires of the people and had not expected such awful resistance from Lazon.”

“”I met her in Sahus, years ago,” Mavin said. “She told me that she didn’t have time. So why does she…”

“From the start she was a Magi of the Imperial Family. She was alive because she had the sparks on her. Cutting the sparks off had endangered her, and perhaps you have an idea…who this whor-, woman is.”

Mavin thought of the ‘memories’ inside his head. Although Rene and Kristine had in those ‘memories’ were clueless. They were able to go through their problems because they had someone acting as their guide. Someone who led them into becoming the heroes of the Empire who would bring down Imperator Viola Whitefall. The fairy godmother, the wise woman who had allowed the 'heroes' to fulfill their mission.

“Madame Cassowary?”

Fury appeared in Natalya’s face for a moment. 

“So you know what her name is.. She goes by that title now," she behaved as if she wanted to spit out something dirty. "Dame Cassowary, the so-called Grandmaster, and current Head of the Old Magi’s of Withamia. One of the many factions that could go against us if they wished to.”

karsev

Thank you for reading!