“Only that it would be exceptionally strange for you not to be.” He quirked an eyebrow at all that, lips tightening as his own smile became a touch forced. If she were not – and was telling him so – then something rather odd was going on.
Her wife’s status. Not her own. That seemed to be a confirmation. Interesting, if only because it was not a good political climate for interesting things.
The Tilanis did have a reputation for it, though. That dwarven not-quite-husband some years ago. The money that his death had brought in. Had that cash dried up? Was he sitting across from some Laetan-born heiress right now? His gaze focused on her hands, looking for signs of work.
“That’s all very tidy, Novella.” She had said he could call her that, and it was a relief to drop the Masters and Mistresses, talking like a damned slave. Her wife might think it over familiar, though. “But no. I haven’t heard a thing.” A partial lie. He knew she’d visited the Archon, apparently furious about Kaczor’s poor treatment. An arranged marriage that had happened two years ago? No. Society had moved on from that.
Tiberius was here to settle personal curiosity only. Well, and to perhaps renew his House’s standing offer. A Magisterium vote for sale, for the right price. Useful, when the great houses tended to vote in blocks. It would be more expensive, these days. He didn’t want whatever shadow that had fallen on Master Tilani to land on him.
“Do go on, now.”
Her wife’s status. Not her own. That seemed to be a confirmation. Interesting, if only because it was not a good political climate for interesting things.
The Tilanis did have a reputation for it, though. That dwarven not-quite-husband some years ago. The money that his death had brought in. Had that cash dried up? Was he sitting across from some Laetan-born heiress right now? His gaze focused on her hands, looking for signs of work.
“That’s all very tidy, Novella.” She had said he could call her that, and it was a relief to drop the Masters and Mistresses, talking like a damned slave. Her wife might think it over familiar, though. “But no. I haven’t heard a thing.” A partial lie. He knew she’d visited the Archon, apparently furious about Kaczor’s poor treatment. An arranged marriage that had happened two years ago? No. Society had moved on from that.
Tiberius was here to settle personal curiosity only. Well, and to perhaps renew his House’s standing offer. A Magisterium vote for sale, for the right price. Useful, when the great houses tended to vote in blocks. It would be more expensive, these days. He didn’t want whatever shadow that had fallen on Master Tilani to land on him.
“Do go on, now.”
04-28-2024, 03:34 PM
