Phaeliisthia felt the pair of hssen leave her estate. A quick thought later, and two small birds of light flew out after them, invisible against the sky. One would go to a servant of hers near where their ship was.

Honestly, did they really think I wouldn’t notice what ship they came in on?

Likely, they had assumed she would, which meant they were hiding from others. Good, Phaeliisthia thought, that means they’ve not yet made an open accusation. And that, in turn, means they fear backlash. Now, I must find out from whom if it is not Tyaniis.

Phaeliisthia stopped for a moment. Her sigil construct in the sky faltered, then circled as the pair moved together with several guards down a slitherway beside a canal.

For a moment there, Phaeliisthia had thought of Tyaniis as more than a co-conspirator toward the interests of continued stability within Jii’Kalaga. She’d been concerned for her students and thought of those they were opposing as enemies.

Perhaps it was simply Issa’s contagious enthusiasm.

Or perhaps it was something more.

After all, Phaeliisthia had considered when they arrived how simple it would have been to dispose of them. She’d dismissed the thought as errant nonsense caused by her fury over her students’ near deaths. But… she shouldn’t even have those thoughts.

Not if she was as detached—as neutral—as she purported herself to be.

For now then, she’d done her part. Issa and the others had successfully navigated the conversation without revealing Issa’s curse. Oh, some would certainly say that Issa had carried herself in a manner most unbecoming of hssen. But Phaeliisthia had only ever promised to teach her students to survive the world of Jii’Kalagan nobility. She’d never promised to teach them to play by its rules.

From today, she would leave the majority of the work to Tyaniis. All she was here to do was observe their movements and see if she needed to move their plans up and take the trio back to Ess’Sylantziis ahead of the hssens’ ship.

Turning her attention back, she followed them a little more closely even as her servant got into position to intervene if need be. Her quarries had turned from a main thoroughfare to go through a deserted park, and their conversation picked up.

“What an uncouth, vile girl!” Deziiya spat. “I refuse to believe she is blood-related to me—even distantly!”

“Would you care to explain why she’d been magically disguised then, Sister?” Geliss asked, and his voice had changed completely from a cordial tone to a sharp-edged hiss.”

“Are you certain of that, Brother? I noticed no sigilcraft, and neither did you.”

“Phaeliisthia is not an individual to underestimate. While I doubt Ssiina could have improved her useless talent as a sigilist in such time, the resources were there. Did you not also see how Issa differed from the prior day?”

“I barely caught a glimpse of her before.”

“And that is why you let me do the talking.”

“Geliss!”

“Deziiya.” Geliss brought his diminutive upper body up higher, and Deziiya backed down under the weight of his gaze. You very nearly ruined everything!”

“Ruined?” Deziiya countered, but there was no strength to her word.

“Yesss. When you responded to that girl’s insults in kind. For all we know Tyaniis could have conspired with our weak-willed Jii’Hssen to adopt already. And even if she hasn’t yet, if Issa is truly our blood as I believe, such vitriol, such loss of composure could compromise our standing. Do you forget our goal?”

“N-no, Brother.”

“Good. Try to be a little more intelligent, Sister mine.”

Desiiya nodded glumly. “What comes next then?”

Geliss sighed. “We have to leverage the elf in the room, so to speak. And beyond that, we may have to tip a little of our hand. It’s too early, and I don’t at all trust all the players, but we may wish to start moving.”

Deziiya blinked. “But… that’s not our decision to—”

“I know that. I will apply pressure, and pieces will move.”

“But—”

“No buts, Sister. If all goes well, Tyaniis will have no chance to succeed with her plans. And the Jii’Hssen will show if she is truly suited to the Emerald Throne.” Geliss stopped, then glanced up into the afternoon sky.

Phaeliisthia pulled back quickly enough that she doubted the young man noticed anything. He’s good for one so young. He probably did see through Issa’s illusion. And they were certainly speaking like they might be overheard. Do they not trust their guard? Is it me they fear? Or is it something else?

Is it a coincidence they were here and nearby when the assassins came for Ysta? They didn’t at all mention her—but… that could also be a tactic.

Back in her study, Phaeliisthia rubbed her forehead and groaned. Scheming is much less fun when you're not the one leading it, after all. But, at least she learned that the issue was more dire than she suspected.

Those last few comments hinted at a thread, and she wanted to pull it almost reflexively. But she couldn’t be the one to do so unless others acted against her first. Which they’d barely not done.

So, she had to warn Tyaniis. Would this be breaking her neutrality? No, if these hssen were working with the decentralists who were possibly working with whatever group was involved with the idol that cursed Issa… this was Phaeliisthia’s business by extension.

In a way, at least—neutrality and stability of the Empire and all that. Tomorrow morning she’d be waking her students early. For now, though, they’d need time to rest. And Phaeliisthia would need time to plan. After all, they’ve certainly considered that I could leave and that I could take my students with me.

I suppose a stroll through the garden to clear my thoughts wouldn’t be amiss.

Phaeliisthia waited until the pair had left the park, then dismissed the illusory bird, its light spinning off into nothing. She still had eyes and ears on the ground, but she assumed the pair of hssen leave without issue. With purposeful steps, and eyes cast down in thought, she walked out of her manor, past the sundial showing the late hour before its shadow would fade, and out into the dense tangle.

Immediately, the scent of dark earth and the sound of birdsong wrapped her in their embrace, and she felt able to relax. She thought of her cavern—the place where she held the last memories of…

Not tonight. Tonight, she would look forward, rather than back. Just as she’d told me to do all those centuries ago.

Surprising herself, Phaeliisthia turned onto one of the trails her servants kept to help her manage the garden. She didn’t mind them so long as they served their purpose: animal paths, be those animals sapient or not.

And, in fact, Phaeliisthia did run into an animal on the path. Or, rather one sitting melancholically on a bench, looking out across an overgrown meadow covered in brilliant orange flowers.

“Good afternoon, Kyrae,” Phaeliisthia said softly, and the elf jumped.

“P-phaeliisthia!” she squeaked, blinking furiously. “I—”

“Am enjoying the garden, just as I myself am.” Phaeliisthia finished for her student.

“Yes.” Kyrae nodded, her stutter already gone. She’s grown so much.

As she walked by, Phaeliisthia stopped. The mood had caught her. “Do you mind if I join you?” she asked her student.

“No!” Kyrae answered vehemently. “Of course not.”

Phaeliisthia laughed, surprising herself. “You do not need to acquiesce to my every whim, oh student of mine. You know very well that your sister’s delinquency is rarely punished.”

Kyrae nodded, then stopped. “Why is that?”

Phaeliisthia froze. For once, she didn’t have a good answer prepared.

Kyrae surprised her by scooting over and patting the lichen-crusted stone with one well-manicured hand. “Want to talk about it?”

The small smile her student wore filled Phaeliisthia with pride. “No,” she answered, although she sat anyway. “But I do want to talk about why you’re here alone when you’re normally attached to Issa like a second torso atop her lower body.”

Kyrae looked up at her and furrowed her brow. “I don’t know. Dumb worries—that’s all. Like I’m an extra oar on one side of a ship. Like Sire—or Hssen—Tyaniis including me is going to make everything harder—or ruin it. And I know I shouldn’t feel this way, but it’s hard not to.”

The ancient serpent dragon nodded. “I don’t quite understand, but I can empathize. You’re feeling like an outsider who’s forced her way in. Even though you know that’s not true. And you know that including you will make Tyaniis’s plans harder, and probably make things harder for your sisters too. So you justify that you might ruin everything and would be better off leaving.”

Her elven student looked up at her tutor, eyes wet, and gulped hard.

Phaeliisthia continued, “You know that Tyaniis knew all that and made her plans anyway. You know that your sisters would gladly die for you, so their discomfort does not concern them. I am not… the best at offering kind words, and for that I do honestly apologize.”

Kyrae wiped at her eyes and shook her head. “No. You’re right. And I’d die for them too, so I guess that’s why I’m so willing to leave if it helps them. But it’ll hurt them even more so I shouldn’t.”

Phaeliisthia nodded, and a genuine smile broke across her features. Don’t cry now. Don’t think of her.

“I won’t pry,” Kyrae said softly. “But you’ve been apologizing a lot lately.”

“Indeed I have.”