Jadis realized their choice in dining establishment may have been a mistake as soon as she saw the building.
Trummelton’s was, as Aurea had advertised, a high-class restaurant. Maybe a little too high class. Jadis had expected the kind of place that had waiters in suits and silk tablecloths. She had not expected a place with literal gold plates.
The restaurant was located in an area where every store looked like it would cost a fortune just to walk through the door and somehow it managed to look even fancier by comparison. The building towered above the others, six stories tall and decorated with elaborate stonework and stained-glass windows. The double front doors had been gilded with a beautiful filigree and as soon as Jadis walked through them, she found the interior of the building was the perfect temperature, like magic was being used to ensure maximum comfort for the guests. The décor was luxurious to the extreme, with marble floors and purple carpets. Silk tapestries and museum-worthy paintings adorned the walls while a pleasing melody floated through the air.
To the credit of the host who greeted them upon their entry, the elf didn’t bat an eye at Jadis’ appearance or that of Alex. He simply escorted their group to the second floor where their table awaited them.
No, it wasn’t the décor or the staff that posed a problem. The first issue came in the form of the other guests. Trummelton’s wasn’t the kind of place the average imperial citizen went for dinner, not even on special occasions. The clientele found within were of a far richer and nobler sort. The sort who had been sending letters to Jadis, inviting her to gatherings from day one in the city. The sort who were dead set on gossiping about her and her companions, and who had the means to affect their lives on a whim.
Dozens of nobles filled the lavish dining room as Jadis passed through, all of them staring at her without staring. It was actually impressive how they managed to maintain an air of polite disinterest in anything but their private conversations while also keeping tabs on Jadis’ every move. If it weren’t for her having multiple perspectives, she might not have noticed. But the fact remained that a lot of very wealthy, very connected people were all in the same restaurant as her for the first time and she did not think it likely that many would miss an opportunity to meet with her.
The second issue with their choice of restaurant revealed itself as soon as Jadis and her companions made it to the second floor. The way the restaurant had been designed, the second and third floors were tiered balconies that overlooked the first floor, with the second floor on the north side while the third floor was on the west. There were three more floors with private dining rooms above, but those rooms were booked for months out and a last-minute reservation like theirs couldn’t manage a spot, not even with Aurea’s recommendation. Instead, the whole of the second floor had been reserved for their party, which meant their table was in an open space that was visible to anyone on the third floor, as well as good number of people on the first floor depending on where they were sat.
Then there was the third issue. That little problem reared its ugly head the moment Jadis laid eyes on Vikwas and Senta.
Aila’s parents had arrived at Trummelton’s a few minutes before Jadis and had already been seated by the efficient waitstaff, which meant the couple had arrived at the restaurant, been escorted through it and past all the nobles, and seated at one of the most extravagant dining tables Jadis had ever seen, all by themselves. For the decidedly humble, working-class pair, the experience could not have been easy, not if the nervous expressions on their faces were anything to go by.
It probably would have been wiser to have had dinner at The Silver Lute or another, less opulent establishment, at least for their first meeting. Jadis and Aila had wanted to make a good impression, show Aila’s parents that she was doing well and there was no need to worry. Displaying their wealth had seemed like a good idea at the time, but now Jadis worried they had probably overdone it. By the way Aila was moving so stiffly, Jadis guessed she was feeling the same.
“Mother, father,” Aila greeted her parents with an awkward formality. “I want you to meet my… companions.”
Jadis wasn’t entirely sure what word Aila was going to use to describe everyone else, but “companions” was probably the most diplomatic option.
Senta and Vikwas rose to greet Aila, both giving her small hugs as they focused more on the gathering of women before them. Jadis couldn’t even imagine what was going through their heads, especially with the moment of hesitant silence hanging in the air. Fortunately, there was at least one among their number who had practice in smoothing out difficult social engagements.
“It’s such a delight to meet you,” Eir practically cooed as she warmly hugged both of Aila’s parents, an act of overt familiarity that seemed to catch them off guard. “Aila has told me so much about you both! My name is Eir Aedraheill, but please just call me Eir.”
Jadis wasn’t sure who was more stunned by Eir’s hug. Vikwas looked like he didn’t know where to put his hands while being hugged by such a gorgeous stranger, Senta looked like she somehow recognized Eir’s noble station and didn’t know what she was supposed to say in response, and Aila looked like a drowning woman who’d just been tossed a life preserver.
“Nice to meet you,” Vikwas was the first to respond.
“Yes, a pleasure,” Senta quickly agreed, her manners showing as much stiff formality as her daughter. “I—I didn’t think our daughter would have spoken much about us to… to any of you.”
“Of course she has,” Eir dazzled the older human woman with her brilliant smile. “Aila was just telling me about the wonderful braided breads you bake for the winter harvest festival, the ones with the apples woven into them. It’s a shame we won’t be having any for this evening, but perhaps when we visit Red Tree? Ah, but I don’t mean to monopolize you. Everyone else is waiting to greet you.”
With practiced ease, Eir turned and pulled Kerr forward with one hand, guiding the tall therion into her own introduction.
Kerr’s introduction to Aila’s parents went surprisingly smoothly, as did Thea’s after her. In fact, there were no issues at all until Eir got to Sorcha. While the quality of Sorcha’s dress showed that she was an equal member of the party, there was no hiding the tracking manacle on the goblin’s arm. Jadis doubted the device was something that was often seen in a small country village like Red Tree, but Senta clearly recognized what it was. Vikwas probably did as well, though his deadpan expression was much harder to read.
Whether they recognized what the device was or not, neither parent asked about it, though Senta was significantly more reserved with Sorcha. It didn’t help that Sorcha was feeling awkward about the whole situation and while she was trying hard to relax, she wasn’t particularly successful.
And then there was Alex.
“Mother, father,” Aila said as she took over the responsibility of introductions from Eir. “This is Alex. She is also our… companion.”
“A delight… to… meet you…” Alex spoke in an imitation of Eir’s manners as she slid forward, her large tentacles silently carrying her along the marble floor.
While Alex did not try to hug either parent, she did draw near them both and extended one of her human hands towards Vikwas to shake.
Vikwas stared up at Alex, her head hovering a little over his due to the height her tentacles gave her. His stoic expression had finally broken, revealing a mix of worry and horror that was tempered by a surprisingly fierce determination. Nostrils flared, he hesitated for a brief moment before deliberately taking Alex’s hand in a firm handshake.
“G—good to meet you, Alex,” Vikwas only stumbled a little over his words as he maintained eye contact with the Demon.
That was all Vikwas said. His lack of commentary was something Jadis found hard to interpret, but the fact that he wasn’t running away screaming was a good sign. Aila had warned her parents about Alex during their private conversation that Jadis hadn’t been around for. She wasn’t entirely sure of what had been said, but she knew Aila had done her best to prepare her parents for the unusual meeting.
Senta was less circumspect than her husband.
“So you’re the demon that supposedly saved my daughter’s life?” she asked when Alex turned towards her.
“Yes…” Alex replied simply in her usual way.
“And you can talk?” Senta asked, the answer to the question obvious yet pressing forward anyway. “You aren’t some mindless, slavering spawn of Samleos?”
“Yes…” Alex replied again, agreeing with the negative in Senta’s question.
“A demon,” the older woman continued, having not yet taken Alex’s proffered hand. “Here in the capital. Among the temples. And no one has smote you yet in the name of Valtar or another god?”
Senta’s questions were already past the boundary of politeness, but the last one was just plain hostile. Jadis moved to interpose herself and deescalate the situation before it grew heated, but before she could act, Alex spoke first.
“Smite… is for bad… people…” Alex intoned with solemnity as she held up a single finger between herself and Senta. “Alex… good… Ask… Jadis…”
“She is good,” Jay said as she stepped up next to Alex while looking down at Senta. “Alex has saved many lives, not just your daughter’s. Ask anyone here and they’ll tell you the same. In fact, if you really want a second opinion from someone who represents the temples, there are three paladins right over there you can ask.”
“Well, don’t ask the bear,” Syd amended as she glanced over at the temple escort. “He’s a prick. But the goblin and the Seraphim are alright.”
As she spoke, Jadis motioned towards the far side of the floor where Roy, Severina, and Runar stood near the open stairway. She had hoped that Runar would be done following her since this outing didn’t take them anywhere near the walls, but that had turned out to be a pipe dream. Whatever was prompting his continued presence, Jadis was beginning to suspect that Runar was the reason for Severina tagging along as well. Roy and a few knights should have been enough, but both the Valbjorn and the Seraphim were still following her. Considering both were representatives of their respective princes, Jadis guessed Severina was more keeping tabs on Runar than her. Or it could have been vice versa, Jadis supposed. Runar might have been there because of Severina. It was hard to know for sure without confronting them, which didn’t seem like a wise idea in the moment.
Well, if Jadis was forced to tolerate their presence, she might as well make use of them.
“If she were a danger, do you think those three would be letting Alex walk around like this?” Dys asked Senta.
Aila’s mother eyed the paladins, her expression showing a fairly obvious lack of trust. Still, after a few long seconds, she begrudgingly conceded Jadis’ point.
“I suppose there are responsible parties around who can take action should something unfortunate take place,” she said with a dour frown. “Valtar forbid it.”
That seemed to be about as good a response as she was likely to give. Jadis was faintly annoyed by Senta’s attitude towards Alex, but in all honesty, she was doing fairly well. Demons were the literal boogeymen of Oros, a perpetual blight that regularly attacked the mortal races of the world every few centuries. Even if a person never met a Demon their whole lives, they still would have been told stories about the horrors they regularly inflicted. Jadis couldn’t even fault people for that attitude considering her own experiences with every Demon other than Alex. Taking all of that into account, the fact that Senta was even willing to sit down at the same table with a Greater Demon was a miracle.
With introductions handled, everyone took their seats. Within moments the waitstaff appeared as if by magic, filling glasses with water and wine while also serving small plates of what Jadis would call hors d'oeuvres. Thanks to the noble etiquette book Jadis had been given during her visit to the Metethys High Temple, she knew that this serving was only the start of a traditional nine course meal. A fancy dinner like this would take a few hours to get through, with many smaller plates of rich food brought out in a particular order. Other than asking about wine preferences and a check for any food ingredients that would be disagreeable for the individual, the waitstaff didn’t ask any further questions. With a meal like this, the chefs were making what they were going to make; no menus involved.
Without much else to distract them for the moment, the gathering sat in an awkward silence as they tried the admittedly tasty finger foods. Not wanting to let the uneasy energy fester, Jadis took the reins of the non-existent conversation and did what usually worked. She asked questions.
“So how was the trip from Red Tree?” Jay asked Vikwas and Senta. “It looked like you rode in with a caravan. Were you with them the whole way?”
“The trip went well enough,” Senta replied shortly. Glancing at Aila’s frowning face, she seemed to think better of her spartan answer and continued. “We joined the caravan after one day on the road alone. It’s fortunate they were willing to let us join them. There’s good safety in caravans of that size.”
“Is safety that much of a concern?” Aila asked. “With Red Tree and the capital being so far from the borders, I would have thought the ride here would be fairly secure.”
“The villages are safe enough,” Vikwas answered his daughter. “The roads are a question.”
“Demons have come so far into the heartlands?” Eir asked with a worried expression on her pretty face.
“No,” Vikwas shook his head. “Bandits.”
“Bandits are hardly new,” Kerr said dismissively as she popped one of the small ball-shaped savory hors d'oeuvres into her mouth. “But they aren’t exactly a threat around here the way they are in the remote parts of the empire.”
“There are many more than usual,” Senta corrected Kerr. “All the deviants that normally stick to the borderlands or wildernesses have fled the demonic invasion and come to the central territories. So far, all the villages around Red Tree have been fine, but the talk of highway robbery has gotten worse and worse over the past few months.”
While the table was no longer quiet, the conversation wasn’t exactly uplifting. Hoping to steer the conversation in a lighter direction, Jadis tried to subtly change the subject.
“Then I agree, it’s good you found a caravan to join,” Jay nodded. “We haven’t been a part of any caravans, but we do have our own wagon that we used while travelling across Weigrun. Did Aila tell you about the Behemoth?”
The mention of the huge wagon sparked interest in Vikwas’ eyes. He nodded once, scooting forward slightly in his chair.
“Aila said it has eight wheels?”
“Sixteen, actually,” Jay grinned at the man. “Four axles with four wheels on each. It’s really an amazing ride.”
“Sabina helped build it, too,” Syd motioned towards her half-elf lover. “She designed the spring-suspension system, as well as the spring-loaded hinges for the wall-door.”
“Spring suspension?” Vikwas asked, unfamiliar with the term but clearly curious.
“Oh yes!” Sabina pipped up. “The springs were Jadis’ idea, actually, but once she showed me what she had in mind I was able to make some small models and then bigger versions and then we were building the wagon! The way it works is—”
Sabina’s exuberance helped break the ice as conversation began flowing more easily around the table. It didn’t take long before Vikwas, Sabina, Sorcha, and Syd were all locked into a conversation about wagons and travel conveyances in general. Senta, on the other hand, mostly asked questions about where people were from and how they had ended up traveling together. Considering how Sorcha came to join Fortune’s Favored, she avoided answering those questions. However, Eir and Kerr had a lot to say and were able to keep Senta’s attention focused mostly on them.
As the dinner progressed, Jadis felt much of the tension surrounding Aila’s parents drain away. There were definitely still some nerves in the air and more than a few awkward moments, but the longer everyone talked, the better things got. By the time the fifth course had come, Jadis had even managed to get a few laughs out of Vikwas, and a tentative smile from Senta.
Once the sixth course, a delicate fish dish that was honestly the best fish Jadis had ever tasted, had been taken away, Jadis excused herself from the table. They’d been at the restaurant for a couple of hours by then and all three of her bodies needed to use the restroom. She had to take the stairs down to the first floor to reach the bathroom as there weren’t any on the second floor, so when she did so she was immediately followed by both Runar and Severina.
There were quite a few noble—or noble looking—people who had found one reason or another to gather at the base of the stairs or in the pillar partitioned hallway leading to the back of the building. There were a few bows and curtseys, light attempts at passing greetings, though the small groups made no concerted effort to stop Jadis and her escort. Much to her relief, she managed to make it to the restroom without interference.
It was as she was making her way back to the stairs to rejoin her company when Jadis was stopped by a noble’s approach. Rather than approaching her directly, however, the noble in question called out to one of her guards.
“Runar? Is that you? Goodness, it’s been so long!”
Slowing her pace, the three of Jadis turned her heads to see a pretty young woman with long, black hair and a purple dress advance on them from the side from between two pillars. The noble was definitely human and didn’t look like she was older than twenty. She had a Greek nose, a little long for her face, but in a way that gave her character rather than taking away from her refined beauty. As she approached, she smiled showing all of her bright white teeth. Just behind her by a few steps paced an older man wearing a formal military uniform. He looked more like a guard or chaperone, rather than a family member or friend. While she spoke, the man remained silent and simply watched.
“Lady Brunholt,” Runar rumbled gruffly as he stopped to let the young woman catch up to them. “What do you want?”
“Oh, please Runar,” she tittered in a way that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Call me Elodie like you used to when I was child. You and my father have always been friends, haven’t you?”
“Hmph,” Runar huffed in a way that made Jadis doubt the veracity of the woman’s assertion.
“And Lady Severina!” The woman smoothly shifted her attention from the Valbjorn to the Seraphim. “It’s been more than a year since you last accepted one of my invitations to tea! We’ve all missed your enlightened presence, truly!”
“Lady Brunholt,” Severina acknowledged the other woman with stiff formality. “I hope you are doing well. As I’ve apologized in the past, there is a demonic invasion currently threatening our borders. I have been occupied.”
“Of course,” the noblewoman agreed with a broad sweep of her hand that seemed to encompass the many nobles who were standing within earshot but were not part of the conversation. “We all thank you for your service. It’s thanks to the efforts of those like you and my father that those like me who have little combat ability can enjoy such safety and comfort as this. I only hope that you can spare me a visit in the future when you are less preoccupied with affairs of war and state. Even a paladin as mighty as you needs to take some rest from time to time.”
As Severina reluctantly nodded her head to the darkhaired woman’s words, Lady Brunholt turned her attention onto Jadis.
“Oh, where are my manners,” she purred, acting as though she somehow overlooked three giant women standing a few feet away from her. “I do apologize for not introducing myself! My name is Lady Elodie Brunholt.”
With a smile, Elodie offered her hand to Jadis, though not in the manner of a handshake but instead as though she expected Jadis to kiss the back of her hand. It was an odd gesture, one that Jadis wasn’t sure was normal among high society or if it had any hidden implications since it hadn’t been covered in what she’d read in the etiquette book so far. Further, Jadis noticed that Elodie didn’t shift her attention between the three of Jadis’ selves. She kept her gaze solely on the body in the middle, the Jay self.
“Jadis,” Jay said as she took the young woman’s hand. Deciding to just go with it, she bent at the waist to bow low enough that she could kiss the back of Elodie’s hand.
“Of course you are,” the noblewoman smiled brightly. “There could hardly be anyone in the whole city who could mistake you for another. The last Nephilim. One whose beauty and power excel over all others. Truly, it is a pleasure to finally meet you.”
“Yes, I suppose I am hard to mistake for anyone else,” Jay politely agreed.
Jadis kept up a polite smile though she really didn’t have much interest in continuing the conversation, especially not with the way Elodie was phrasing things. Something about the way she spoke warned Jadis that the woman was saying more under the surface than her words appeared to mean.
“I must say, I’m terribly miffed that I haven’t gotten to meet you sooner,” Elodie continued in her airy tones. “Everything I’ve heard about you thus far has utterly fascinated me. I dare say, I couldn’t believe half the things that have been said are true, yet now that I’ve seen you here tonight, I’ll have to give those impetuous rumors more credence! Aside from your mesmerizing beauty, the rumor I am most surprised to see is true is that you truly do have a pet demon that follows you around! Why, it even wears clothes and eats at the table like one of those trained beasts I’ve seen in theatre performances. Absolutely astounding.”
It took an incredible amount of willpower for Jadis to keep her temper under control and not let her anger show on her face. She was close to picking the woman up and shoving her head down the toilet where it belonged, but her better sense won out and she managed to restrain her instinctual response.
“Alex is my companion, not a pet,” Jay, Dys, and Syd all corrected with a deadly calmness that dropped the temperature in the air a good ten degrees. “She and my other companions are waiting for me, so you’ll have to excuse me, Lady Brunholt.”
“Oh, I didn’t mean to impose,” Elodie smiled demurely, not showing any surprise or fear to Jadis’ unified speech. “I really should return to my own table. I simply wished to say hello to some old friends.”
Jadis noticed that every noble around them had ceased their conversation, listening to Jadis and Brunholt. Jadis had no doubt that everything that had just transpired would be relayed across every noble household in the city by the time tomorrow’s breakfast was over. How much embellishment was added, however, Jadis couldn’t begin to predict.
Elodie turned to leave, but before she could fully do so, she spun back around, the expression on her face one of sudden remembrance.
“I almost forgot,” she said with another bright smile. “Lady Eir Aedraheill is with you, yes? Would you please pass along my sincere gratitude to her and her lovely mother and father for inviting me to the ball? I do so look forward to seeing them and you there.”
“Sure,” Jay replied, wondering why her sweet priestess would invite a bitch like this to the planned ball. “I’ll tell her.”
With that, Elodie departed and Jadis was able to continue back to her table uninterrupted.
Once she had rejoined the party and taken her seats, Dys leaned close towards Eir’s side and whispered into her ear.
“I ran into a noblewoman who wanted to thank you and your parents for inviting her to the party,” she said as she watched Kerr and Bridget tell Aila’s parents about the battle fought against the ice dragon. “She was a real shit-stain. No idea why you’d invite her. Do you know a human named Elodie? Long, black hair. Pointy nose.”
“I don’t believe so,” Eir’s lips turned down in a contemplative frown. “I haven’t been involved in the invitations, anyway. My parents have been sending them out. What was her last name?”
“She said her name was Lady Elodie Brunholt.”
Eir’s frown deepened as she turned to look Dys in the eyes.
“Brunholt? Lady Brunholt?”
“Yeah, why? Is she someone important?”
“Jadis,” Eir said, her voice tinged with concern, “that’s General Egilhard’s name. Egilhard Brunholt.”
“Oh,” Dys murmured, feeling a sudden urge to scrub Jay’s lips with bleach. “Well. Fuck.”
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