The quiet hum of the market fades behind me as I turn my focus to the building ahead. The white marble fa?ade of Goldman’s bank looms like some Roman temple – soaring columns support classical geometric shapes, including a triangular roof despite the whole thing being inside another building. Maintaining the theme of the rest of the palace, ostentatious gold filigree glints in the ever-present magical light. It’s all a bit much, honestly, especially with the money-bag emblem etched into the pediment. Subtlety clearly isn’t a banker’s virtue. Or, based on the rest of the palace, a king’s either.

  As I mount the final steps toward the columned terrace, a figure steps out lightly from the shadows behind one of the pillars. For a moment, I tense – after my conversation with Lady Goldmine, I’m not eager for another surprise. But this young man’s posture is open, his expression far less predatory.

  “Heir Titanbend?” he asks, voice warm but careful. “May I speak with you?”

  I study him. Dark brown hair, brown eyes, and olive skin that’s only a shade darker than the Mediterranean skin I inherited from my mother. Actually, if I just take those three features into account, he rather reminds me of my mother – the pang that goes through me at that thought is far more subdued than it used to be. His face is very different, though – a square jaw, a wide nose, and soft cheeks where my mother had far more delicate features.

  It’s the softness which makes the difference between this noble and Lady Goldmine, I decide. Both in his eyes and in his expression, there’s a softness which speaks more of thought than indulgence. I find myself relaxing in a way that I didn’t allow myself to with Goldmine.

  He’s dressed neatly, in blue and silver with curls and swirls subtly stitched into his cuffs and along the hems of his overrobe. In comparison to some of the nobles around, he’s soberly dressed. A personal choice or an indication that his House is one of the lower-ranking ones? Or perhaps the reverse – a declaration that he doesn’t need ornate robes to prove his House’ value?

  Before speaking, I send a quick glance back at Sarran in case this is someone he feels he should intervene with – I don’t want another lecture. The manservant has been following me silently for the last while, and now that I see his face I can tell that he’s troubled. But he’s paying attention to the situation and his fractional nod and lack of movement to get between us is enough to tell me that he doesn’t have any objection to me speaking for myself.

  “That’s me,” I confirm, turning back to look at the man who has been watching the interaction carefully. “And you are...?”

  “Lord Josiah, of House Softrain,” he says with a bow – one of a Lord to a higher-ranking Heir. Softrain…I remember Nicholas speaking of that House, but he said little. I know that it’s one of the lesser Houses, and that the Lord – this man, presumably – has reached out to House Titanbend for an alliance. The negotiations are apparently ongoing. “We haven’t met, though I did once have the honour of speaking with your Lord. That was... before the Heir of House Titanbend had been announced.”

  His meaning isn’t lost on me. He’s letting me know that he's been paying attention, that he knows I’m new to the game. Given the fact that his House is in the middle of negotiating an alliance, I suspect I know exactly why he’s approached me – he’s trying to figure out if the new heir to the House makes it a greater or lesser prospect for an alliance.

  I nod. “Then I suppose I’m making up for lost time.”

  “Nothing wrong with that,” Josiah says, smiling. It’s not nearly as practised as Lady Goldmine’s perfect curve of the lips, but it’s all the more genuine for that. “I assume you’re here on House business?”

  I pull the scroll Nicholas gave me out of my Inventory and turn it so the golden seal is visible then return it to my storage space for safety.

  “So I believe.”

  “Of course,” Josiah acknowledges and I see a hint of calculation in his eyes. After Lady Goldmine’s poisonous sweetness, it’s almost refreshing to see motivations more clearly displayed. “It is your first time here, I would imagine?”

  “It is,” I admit, not seeing any point in pretending otherwise.

  “Then perhaps you’re unaware that the bank manager can be accessed more quickly by a private entrance.” Josiah gestures toward a less ostentatious arch to the right of the main steps — it’s recessed slightly, framed by narrow columns and a discreet golden sigil that pulses faintly with light. “That’ll be where you should go. The side entrance is keyed to the specific Houses which bank here.” He gives a wry smile. “We nobles do not always wish to be public with our business, and it’s generally faster besides. If you’d permit it, I’d be happy to escort you to the bank manager’s office.”

  I sigh internally – do I have a sign on me which says ‘I’m lost and need a guide’? But I don’t allow it to emerge. The truth is, I know that it’s just an excuse to spend time in my company. And I don’t fool myself that it’s my attractive personality that’s pulling them in.

  “I would greatly appreciate that, Lord Softrain.”

  He smiles, the expression carrying the faintest hint of relief. He inclines his head and gestures with his hand towards the smaller door.

  “Then, shall we approach the entrance?” He waits and I realise a beat later what he’s waiting for. I move off towards the entrance and he joins me, his shoulders not quite level with mine. More etiquette – apparently even when being directed, the higher-ranking noble should lead. And, I suppose, the fact that House Softrain is in the middle of negotiating an alliance with House Titanbend might make a difference too.

  When we get to the smaller archway, I pause before it, the sigil shimmering faintly. This close, I can see that it’s only the biggest and most obvious in a network of other runes. Some of the runes are shimmering slightly; others are dark. Perhaps Hunter would be able to make sense of it; I can’t.

  Nerves go through me: I’ve never done this before. According to Nicholas, the magical adoption we did was so that I could gain access to places locked to the House’s magical signature – this should work. But it’s one thing to assume something and another to put it to the test in front of a stranger.

  Josiah steps politely to the side, giving me space.

  I reach toward the sigil. My fingertips hesitate briefly in front of the gleaming symbol, and then, when nothing happens, I touch it. I feel a shiver of coolness pulse through me from the point of contact. A thin thread of warmth responds in my Core as my magic reacts to the pulse. For a heart-stopping moment, nothing happens.

  Then the door clicks and swings inward.

  Relief floods me, though I try to keep it from being too evident. Behind me, I feel my Bound tense, ready to follow — but before they can, a shimmer pulses through the threshold. The same sigil flares faintly and then dies.

  Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

  Josiah arches a brow. “The door’s attuned to House magic. I’ve heard it permits... extensions of that magic. Companions, sometimes.”

  I glance at my Bound – they stare at the door like it just hissed at them. Lathani appears intrigued and has her paw already raised to prod it. I give her a look and she lowers it to the ground, looking innocent.

  “Let me check,” I murmur thoughtfully. Given that the runes reacted to my magic, I reach out past the barrier, which doesn’t even exist for me, and touch Bastet’s shoulder, pushing a few units of my mana into her. Try now? I ask her mentally.

  Bastet pads forward, and the barrier lets her through with only a faint flicker.

  Sarran is next. The barrier resists him until he pulls the cuffs of his robe up and reveals an armband. He touches the armband to the barrier and it allows him entry.

  Softrain looks at the manservant in slight surprise. I make a mental note to ask Sarran about it later when Softrain isn’t here to listen in.

  Within another minute, all four of my Bound are through the barrier, though Sirroco isn’t too happy about being in another small and cramped space. Cramped in the sense that the ceiling isn’t high enough for her to fly easily – it’s actually fairly roomy for a secret entrance.

  “The bank manager is along here, right?” I ask, more to announce that I’m ready to go than anything else.

  “She is,” Softrain agrees amicably, falling into step with me again as we walk along the well-lit but otherwise austere corridor. The stone is smooth beneath our feet, and the distant sounds of the market fade entirely.

  After a pause, Softtain tentatively restarts the conversation.

  “If you don’t mind me saying so... that was quite the stand you took earlier.”

  I don’t need to ask what he means, a brief flicker of shame going through me at the mess I made unnecessarily. As Sarran pointed out mercilessly. But though I regret not approaching it in a different way, I don’t regret standing up for the woman in the first place. “It was the right thing to do.”

  “Perhaps,” he says, diplomatic. “But not many nobles would agree with you. I hope I am not overstepping when I say that I fear you have made an enemy there.”

  I send him a glance.

  “Quite possibly,” I admit. “But I can’t say that I regret making an enemy out of someone who clearly is content taking advantage of people who can’t say ‘no’.”

  Softrain’s steps pause slightly, enough for him to fall a little behind me. He quickly catches up a moment later.

  “Some found your actions... surprising. The Heir of House Titanbend defending a—well, someone in that position.”

  “Do you find it surprising?” I ask him, glancing sideways.

  He hesitates, clearly weighing how honest to be. “I... found it thought-provoking,” he admits. “Not many would have done what you did. Not many would even consider it. Most deem the collared to be criminals who deserve anything they get – if they think about it at all. Forgive me if I overstep,” he adds, and I’m not sure if it’s genuine concern that I might take offence or a calculated way of covering his back while feeling me out.

  “You don’t,” I respond, keeping my voice level. I then hesitate for a moment, thoughts flashing quickly through my mind. Maybe he’s not the only one who can fish for information in this conversation. “While the…collared may be criminals in the eyes of the law, I believe the issue is far more nuanced than the blanket approach implies. And above all, to me they are people. She is a person. I won’t apologise for treating her like one.”

  Josiah exhales slowly. “That’s rather close to what I’ve heard floated around in certain circles, ones which nobles do not usually frequent.” I stay silent, uncertain whether he’s accusing me of something, or admitting to it himself – after, if he does not frequent these ‘certain circles’ then how would he know what the rumours are?

  There’s another beat of quiet between us.

  “I only ask because... well, those of us considering alliances have to understand those we’re tying ourselves to. You’ve seen the game being played – and some of the players.”

  I nod, thinking of Goldmine’s too-smooth smile.

  “I’m still learning,” I admit. “But I’d rather fail with my conscience intact than win by becoming someone I can’t stand to look at.” If I’ve learned nothing over the year I spent in the other world, I’ve learned that. Though I’ve also learned how far my boundaries can be pushed when it’s those close to me who are in danger.

  A flicker of something – maybe respect – crosses Josiah’s face. “That’s...rare. Especially among our kind.”

  “That doesn’t surprise me,” I comment wryly, only realising when the words are out of my mouth how catty they sound. Fortunately, Softrain doesn’t take offence; instead, he laughs, a hint of surprise in the sound, perhaps at my audacity for voicing such clear agreement.

  “So, Heir Titanbend, in my experience, some Houses favour ambition; others favour ruthlessness. Beyond wanting to become someone you can still face in a mirror, what other values do you favour?” he asks boldly, more direct that he’s been yet – perhaps being so openly disapproving of other nobles has had its benefits.

  “Neither,” I say immediately. “I favour survival of me and mine.” I smile wryly. “And mercy, where I can afford it.”

  His expression turns thoughtful. “Survival will be key in the Competition.” He sends me a quick glance. “Perhaps I am presuming too much, but I imagine that Lord Titanbend intends to send you there rather than going himself.” There’s a faint questioning lilt at the end of his words, inviting me to confirm what is perhaps a rumour going around. I hesitate for a moment but don’t see the harm in doing so – we’re due to have me entered for the competition after visiting the bank. If people don’t know from Lord Softrain, they’ll hear it from somewhere else.

  “To my knowledge, that is indeed what the lord of Titanbend has in mind,” I agree neutrally. I then raise my eyebrows at him. “You’ve clearly been thinking about it – are you intending on going yourself?” From his introduction, he’s the lord of his House, not the heir, so I might be wrong.

  “With the right ally, yes,” Softrain agrees.

  “It will be dangerous by all accounts," I remark almost idly. “Particularly the journey there.”

  Softrain raises his eyebrows in surprise.

  “You are not concerned about the task itself? Establishing a colony from nothing is no mean matter, and that’s not even taking the beasts into account.”

  I shrug slightly.

  “I’ve lived with beasts for a year with far fewer resources – I can manage a new land. But sailing there? Considering everything I’ve heard about the storms, monsters, and worse that lie between us and our destination? That concerns me more than a tad.” I’ve never been someone who yearns to sail the oceans, though I’ve handled being on a ship a couple of times fine. But in a world where a ship might be a target for massive underwater beasts? Nope. Not my idea of a good time.

  Josiah smiles faintly. “Then it’s fortunate you’re speaking with a weather mage.”

  I blink.

  “You’re serious?” I ask, surprised out of my careful neutrality.

  “My family’s Class is all about managing the weather, particularly those which link to water and wind. We can ease storms. Divert currents. Calm tempests.”

  I stop walking for a moment.

  “That could save lives,” I comment thoughtfully and with more than a little hope. I wasn’t pretending to fear worry that I don’t – the journey to the Lost Continent is indeed what most concerns me and the weather is definitely something that could be our downfall. That and politics.

  Josiah gives a quiet nod, looking faintly pleased with himself.

  “That’s the idea.”

  We resume our walk. We’re approaching a carved wooden door with ‘Bank Manager’ written on a golden plate. Our destination, and the natural end of our conversation. Before we separate, I decide to push him a little more. I want to see how he reacts.

  “You’re wondering if I’m the kind of person your House should tie itself to,” I remark, calling him out.

  He misses a step, perhaps shocked by my upfrontness, but then recovers.

  “Not in so many words,” he replies, then I see him smirk out of the corner of my eye. “But yes. I was.”

  “And?”

  He pauses at the inner door, one hand resting lightly against the polished wood.

  “I think I’m beginning to like the answer.”

  here!

  here!

  here!

  here