Tired, Len wiped the remaining water from his bath away with a towel. Today was a one of those coveted days of rest, and yet he found himself more exhausted than he would be after an intense workout. Stress, particularly of the mental variety, had been eating at his nerves these past few days.

Donovan and Diana were leaving. 

He had not forgotten the events of Diana's party, especially not the nightmare brewing in his future. The time for him to return to the Empire was drawing closer, and he was inevitably going to be tried before a court. Len was not confident in his ability to do anything of great importance without at least one of them present. They were anchors to him, bastions of clarity and wisdom he could consult in times of need as well as ask for assistance whenever they were available.

Such people were not available to him back home. 

His father might be willing to make time for him, but he was ultimately a hardheaded busybody. In addition, Arrelois was really only good for matters of combat and strategy. Those few times Len had attempted to confide in his father generally resulted in some form of 'get up and swing your sword' solution. Lawfare and subterfuge certainly weren't his wheelhouse.

That arena was his mother's, if he could bring himself to call her that. Len understood to some degree that societal convention barred her from giving him the same affection his brother and sister had received, but it still hurt. Some part of him wondered if she could offer her support. The other parts of him agreed such an eventuality was unlikely.

smack

Cringing, Len ignored what sounded like a painful impact.

"How do you manage to make it that loud?"

"Hm? I don't know. I guess its just something I picked up."

A much duller impact graced Len's ears a moment later. 

"Gah. That stung a bit. Does it hurt when you do it?"

"Not particularly, but that may be because I have scales on my back."

"Ah, yes, of course." In the mirror, Len could see Sanna return his towel to a toga-esque position around his waist. "I suppose that would explain the volume as well."

"Perhaps." Wall walked into the view of the reflection next, towel slung over his shoulder. "Mornin' Len. Ready for the party? You look a little pale."

"Um . . . yes. I'm just a bit tired."

"Hm? I don't recall you going out last night." Sanna moved up next to Len, adjusting his hair in the mirror. "Are you nervous or something?"

"A little bit, yeah."

"That would do it. It can be hard to get good sleep when you are feeling nervous." Wall patted Len on the back. "Just relax. Diana said this party is supposed to be a more casual affair."

"And yet we have to dress formally."

". . . I never thought I would hear you complain about formal wear."

"Your approach to formality is rubbing off on me, I suppose." Sanna said that, yet he looked better than anyone other guy Len knew when fully dressed up. "It's a bit of a bother when it isn't something major, even more so for casual gatherings."

"Alas, there isn't much we can do. The lady of the household has directed us to dress our best, and so we must obey!"

Len smirked as he slipped on a shirt. Wall's transformation from a tactless brute to a passably polite brute brought with it entertaining moments of mockery. This instance was well meaning, but the occasional trip to the bar revealed how hostile he could be. 'Gentlemanly mockery' was what Sanna called it, and Wall proved to be exceptional at it.

"I wonder what she's been cooking. Queens aren't expected to prepare their own food, so the fact that she can cook at all is a bit strange to me."

"As compared to her otherwise completely normal skill set?"

"A fair point." Sanna displayed his usual skill in dressing himself, already working buttoning up his overcoat. "It's going to be a bit boring once they leave."

"We should have a lot more free time though."

"And a bigger allowance." If there was anything Len was looking forward to, it was that. They had been receiving payments from Donovan and Diana as a form of thanks, a sum which was set to double as both an apology and to provide them resources to keep them busy in Donovan's absence. 

"Are you hurting for money Len?" Sanna and Wall had both displayed a rather gross level of wealth on their escapades into the Veins. Most nobles he had seen were like that actually.

"U-um, not particularly, but I spent most of what my father sent me off with on lodging and food while I was looking for someone who would accept me. Most of my current allowance is either spent on our trips out of the barracks or for things I need to keep my equipment maintained. I have some savings for if things go wrong, but not much."

"If that's the case, I'll take care of your adventure expenses."

"And I'll handle the purchase of clothing and amenities." Sanna didn't give his commitment a moment of thought, continuing to comb his hair. "The allowance felt like nothing more than courtesy, and you are in desperate need of fashionable clothes and hobbies."

"A-am I?" Len didn't really consider himself a noble, so fashion wasn't high on his priority list. "Wait, you guys are-"

"Going to pay for you?"

"Why shouldn't we?"

"B-because it's your money?"

"And money is meant to be spent, especially in the Sanctum." Wall was almost finished, his formal attire having remarkably few pieces. "My father sent me with enough money to go drinking and partying every night for five years, enrollment and equipment expenses not counted, and I have yet to spend even a tenth of it. He swore to me that if I came back with more than a hundred Sanc in my pockets he would sock me in the jaw, and he's really good a socking me in the jaw."

"Is he better at it than Donovan?" Sanna snickered.

"Nowhere close, which is why I'm afraid he might end up killing me." Wall laughed along. "What about you?"

"I receive regular installments from my father, and have been receiving them for quite some time. I spent a year at the academy of Split Sorcery already, so I've built up quite a bit of savings, and I could offer my services for a pretty penny in many places around here should I need the money." Sanna turned his head left and right, razor in hand. He didn't have much facial hair to begin with, but he was religious about handling the fuzz. "If I'm being honest, I needed a reason to spend more of it."

"But-"

"Don't worry about it, Len. Consider it payment for dealing with our antics."

"Your antics. I consider it an investment in Len's future." Sanna finished with his dress up routine and began to assist Len. "A man who looks good and knows it will be confident. A confident man will perform better than a timid one. A better performance on your end will allow me to better utilize my skills. Chin up, please."

"It helps that I'm starting to see you like a little brother."

"I feel he's more like my nephew, not that I have one of either to compare against." Sanna fiddled with Len's collar a little before turning him to face Wall. "Thoughts?"

"The hair's a bit too smooth."

"Hm . . . I suppose a more ruffled style fits him better after all." Sanna removed his hands from Len's shoulders, Wall shaking his hand about Len's hair in turn. 

". . . he's more like a nephew after all."

"Why's that?"

"Well, he's Don's little brother now, and he's made me cry uncle more times than I can count so . . ."

"Wouldn't that make him your cousin?"

"Is that how it works?"

"Yes. If he was your nephew, then he would be the son of your brother or sister, while a cousin is the son or daughter of your parent's brother or sister, who in turn would be your uncle or aunt."

"Oh, so who would my brother's brother be?"

"Also your brother, I think. Or it could also be you if he only has one brother."

"Really?"

"Diana said there's a riddle or something about this sort of thing. I don't remember."

Len turned to the mirror while his seniors contemplated the English terms for lineage relationships. Normally he didn't pay much attention to his appearance, there wasn't much need to, but the man in the mirror looked completely different to the one that stared back at him a few months ago. Even through the suit there was a clear increase in muscle definition, and Len felt as though he had grown a few inches. Puberty had undoubtedly played a part, but he was starting to look more and more like an adult, like a warrior.

All he had to do was ignore the bags under his eyes.

"Oi, Len, time to go." Wall gently slapped Len on the back, just as much to get him going as it was to wake him up. 

"Oh, yeah, let's get it over with." Len started walking towards the entrance. 

"Tut-tut. We need a bit more enthusiasm from you. Our glorious commander and his beautiful wife are being sent off today!" Sanna pulled up on his arms to stand straighten his back and tugged on his hair a little to get his head up an level. "I can make you look good. The burden is on you to feel good."

They exited the room as a group, Len being flanked on either end as Wall and Sanna descended into debate on some other topic. This little formation of theirs didn't last long though, as Len gradually slowed behind them. He didn't like being talked over, literally, and it felt awkward not having the option to move left or right. Much preferable was the inability to move or see in front of him, he didn't feel reliable enough to take point in anything.

tock tock

Such a position had the equally undersirable task of dealing with things that came from behind though, and Len found himself off balance and spinning before he could register that someone was there.

"LEEEEEN!!!!!" There existed only a single individual who would tackle him from behind and spin him around like this, the hot pink hair in his periphery lending further credence to his theory. "Oh-Oooh!"

Unfortunately, or perhaps it was only to be expected, Len found both himself and his ambusher to be gradually teetering over. Perhaps it was her unfamiliarity with high heels, or maybe it was Len's failure to brace for her hug properly, but he soon found himself slamming into the lumber flooring face first. Experience with falling over and over again during Donovan's training taught him how to avoid smashing his nose, but the combined mass of two bodies didn't feel particularly great.

"Oops!"

"Who's this?" "Did you have a girlfriend all this time?" 

Sanna and Wall were surprisingly nonchalant about the sudden arrival, not even bending down to help the two of them up. Evidently hesitant to get involved in something they didn't know anything about, they opted to stand aside and watch.

"Arreviro?"

"Viro! It's Viro!" An elbow found its way towards Len's ribs, digging around in a bid to force a surrender. "Why won't you just call me Viro!"

"Because I'm not your brother."

"But you aaaaare!"

"Put it to rest, Vi. This isn't the time or place." The weight on Len's chest reduced somewhat, allowing him to get up. "It's been a while, Len."

"S-so it has, Arrewiz." Len looked away from his adopted brother. He always looked down on Len, disappointed in some way or another. "Has father been well?"

"He's been better since Hlapven visited and told us all about your little incident." Arrewiz crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. "You coulda sent a missive or something. He was getting a little sad not hearing from you for so long."

"T-that's . . . I'm sorry."

"I bet you are." Arrewiz approached Len, who had tensed up. In the past, this pattern usually resulted in Arrewiz knocking him on the head with his fist or some other object. "I'm glad to see you doing well."

The impact didn't come. Instead, a hand ruffled his hair as Arrewiz walked past. 

"Greetings, gentlemen. Arrewiz, heir to House Arre and Len's older brother. Thank you for taking care of this knucklehead in my absence." Arrewiz extended a hand to Wall first. 

"Wall of Gilded Earth. It has been a pleasure to suffer with him."

"My sentiments are identical. Elevial Stri Sanna Di Rei, but please, just call me Sanna."

"Elevial Stri? You hail from-"

"The Cryllastre Domain, yes. I see my family's reputation has preceded me." Sanna bowed with his hands out, as if he had been caught.

"I am told my great grandfather fought alongside one of your kin during the War of Chilled Corpses. Apparently she gave the Vrie quite a headache."

"Chilled Corpses . . . Chilled Corpses . . . I believe that would have been Madame Osvi Nole Tarn. She died before my time, but if I remember correctly she should have been my great great grandaunt, the sister of my great great grandmother. She should have tutored my father in her twilight years, and specialized in the use of ice and other types of cold sorceries."

"The ability to turn a summer battlefield into a wintry wasteland, if only for an hour or so, is rather useful ability."

"Remarkable, yes, but I'm afraid she could do little aside from such tricks." Sanna then turned to Arreviro. "And who is the young lady?"

"That would be-"

"I am Arreviro, Lord Sanna. It is a pleasure to meet you." If Len had been drinking something for whatever reason, he almost certainly would have spit it out. "And a pleasure to meet you as well, Lord Wall."

"I am undeserving of being called 'Lord' young lady. If you must attach an honorific, let it be Sir or Mister." Wall himself was laughing at Arreviro's shift in tone, though he managed to mask it as boisterous friendliness. 

"Much the same for me, Sanna alone will suffice. I am undeserving of such nicety at the moment."

"Then I ask the two of your to show me the same courtesy. Viro is fine"

Arrewiz half laughed, half scoffed. "With introductions out of the way, why don't we go join the party out back? We made a detour to greet Len, so we have yet to meet Donovan and Diana. Do tell, are they as scary as my cousin has made them out to be?"

"Scary?" Sanna pondered for a moment. "Only if you get on their bad side."

"Yeah. Diana might manipulate you into doing something strange at some point, but she won't actively do anything to hurt you if you stay on her good side. As for Donovan . . ."

"Don't piss him off. That means don't hit Diana, don't hit on Diana, and don't act like a moron." Sanna held up three fingers. "If you can find it in yourself to do those three things, your chances of survival increase drastically."

Wall bellowed in laughter, Sanna himself smirking, as Arrewiz and Arreviro tilted their heads. Was it really that simple?