Meeting the bug lady

Lilith could hear Nadia getting off the carriage. The slow thudding of her footsteps echoing from behind her as Nadia's foot landed on each step. She landed on the ground with a grace Lilith couldn't replicate. Yet she still heard the crunch from the leaves under her feet and smiled slightly.

Lilith turned her attention to the twins. She had to decipher what they were actually doing from the movements of their bodies alone. Were they ducking under a tree branch? Crawling into a hollowed out tree? Perhaps they're simply investigating something on the ground.

Lilith found herself occupied by guessing their actions and asking Nadia for answers. Lilith's feet were slower than her family. This was partially due to fatigue from the carriage ride and her terrible stamina. The main reason however was her sight. Lilith couldn't see the floor and she didn't know what obstacles were coming up.

Every time Lilith took a step she had to be incredibly careful. Twigs and rocks littered the ground. If Lilith didn't check her feet to make sure she didn't bump into one, she could fall over. Her balance was also affected by her vision and she had a hard time staying upright normally. This was difficult for her despite it's familiarity.

That's why Lilith's steps were a moment slower than those around her. She was constantly checking for reactions. As soon as her foot hit something in front of her Lilith was able to react and move it slightly upwards. This would look strange from any other perspective. The only people here were her family however and they already knew Lilith was doing this.

The twins wouldn't wait up for her. They ran ahead and Lilith could see their various explorations of the nearby area. They still kept within line of sight but otherwise freely explored. That line of sight was based on Nadia who was standing right next to Lilith. She was the one slowing down. Lilith thanked her mentally for the effort she was putting in.

"I'm still amazed you can do that. Ever thought of walking a tightrope?" Nadia asked with a smile in her voice. The twins were off investigating, this was adult time. Lilith made sure to keep an eye on the twins' expressions though. Just in case.

"I am yet to research the majority of physical activities. Tightrope walking is part of most circuses I believe. I highly doubt father would allow even me to join a circus, assuming I could find time to study the craft." Lilith replied with a smile of her own.

Lilith noticed the twins' expressions consisted of mostly smiles. They seemed off though. It was a look like staring at your favourite toy. It was good but you knew that already. Lilith thought through the idea that they might be bored. It wouldn't be a surprise to her.

"I feel like the palace is a circus nowadays. One more circus act wouldn't do much to our reputation." Nadia said bitterly. Lilith turned her attention back to the conversation.

"I do not believe it is quite that bad. I admit Wyatt is likely to do something drastic soon but I simply cannot imagine what it could be. The rest of the country is remarkably stable given the circumstances. Trust in the imperial family is not diminishing so our economy is stable. Some nobles are taking their chance but you and Wyatt are cleaning them up splendidly. You could argue the empire is stronger militarily." Lilith replied, listing off reasons the empire was stronger than ever before.

Lilith could feel a slight breeze hit her face. Something was waving right next to her head and causing wind to gently buffet her face. "I know that as a country we've come out of this better than we have any right to. I just feel like we aren't out of this yet. Wyatt's going to do something I just know it. I don't know what but it gives me the heebijeebies." Nadia explained and Lilith cocked her head in confusion.

"It means I have a bad feeling."

"Commoner slang?" Lilith asked.

"Yeah. Don't you go out into town sometimes? Without me or the twins obviously. Oh and I don't count your little experiments where you go and blow up a random piece of land. I mean out there mingling for the sake of it?" Nadia returned.

"Why would I? I'd be interested in any knowledge they could offer me. That said, it is incredibly difficult to separate skilled individuals from rabble. Another skill I should perhaps learn but it is ultimately easier to simply find those the castle have already procured. The healers for example. My time with them was enlightening."

"Don't you have some sense of duty to the citizenry? You're an imperial just like me. They might become your subjects one day." A sound came from Nadia's feet as she asked. Lilith could make out the shifting of a stone and a slight clacking as something bounced across the floor.

"That would only be possible if both you and Wyatt died. I shall grant that it is slightly more likely given your current conflict but I do not believe it shall come to that. I would not be a very good imperial. I care very little for the fate of the world at large or the faceless citizenry. I've read that the best rulers are those who put their subjects above themselves. I am not capable of that." Lilith explained.

Silence reigned for several moments after that. Lilith used the time to check up on the twins. They appeared to be peeking behind something and staring in the same direction. Something interesting perhaps. Lilith debated asking Nadia to go and see what it was with her own eyes.

Nadia eventually answered her however and brought her attention back to her. "I think you'd make a good leader of some sort. But you're right. You wouldn't make a good imperial. This place isn't ready to accept you any way. I should say though that putting the citizens above yourself isn't necessary in a ruler. It's a good idea but rulers like you do exist." Nadia made a huff of air out of her mouth before continuing.

"The majority end up as tyrants or the slaughterers of thousands." Lilith replied and Nadia actually burst out laughing at that. "You'd probably be too pre-occupied with your research to kill anyone. I could see you going the mad scientist route though." Nadia burst out laughing again. Lilith joined in. Even if she thought that was a very real possibility.

Lilith decided that after they finished laughing was the best time to reveal the twins had found something interesting. They had been staring at it for a while. They were hiding behind a tree and their eyes were fixed onto a single point so Lilith was certain now. Something had caught their attention.

Upon informing Nadia as such they walked over to the twins. Nadia could already see them. The 'line of sight' rule was rather helpful especially in such situations. Nadia wasn't paying attention before though. They both walked towards the twins' location with Nadia looking in the same direction as them.

"There's someone else here." Warned Cally as she heard them approach. Lilith couldn't see this person but she recognised an incredibly colourful outline in the middle of the clearing. 'Is that who I think it is?' She asked herself.

"It's this weird girl. She's just staring at a log and not moving. It's really creepy. We were gonna prank her but… She just" Cally shivered a little and turned her head away. Nadia found her fear adorable because she recognised who this was. Lilith too had a guess. They both put on re-assuring smiles turning to the twins and patting their heads.

in the middle of a small clearing sat a very strange girl. Her features were blurry to Lilith but the colours weren't. Her outfit was a mix of purple, green and yellow with the colours intermingling in a manner similar to poisonous animals.

According to the twins she was squatting and staring at a log. If Lilith's guess was correct then that wasn't just a log. It would have some tiny residents. "I do believe that is more than just a log." Lilith said in a low voice to her sister. She didn't know how far away this person was but she was fairly certain they couldn't hear her. Or didn't care enough to.

"It's completely infested." Lilith heard Nadia agree from beside her. Hearing the term infested confirmed Lilith's assumption. This person wasn't dangerous. In fact Lilith started approaching the girl in the clearing. She still had to watch her footing but she arrived beside the strange girl soon enough.

Lilith heard the footsteps of the three following behind her. "Do not worry. She would not notice even if we had a discussion at full volume next to her." Lilith assured as she saw the worried expressions on the twins' faces.

True to Lilith's word, the girl did not even twitch at the conversation going on right next to her. This only seemed to make the twins more nervous. To ease their fears Lilith decided to introduce them.

"This is Candace Cerocass Pluto. A number of my research projects include her participation and I would consider her a friend. I assure you she is not a threatening individual. She is laser focussed but otherwise pleasant I assure you. You may actually find her topic of study fascinating if you find yourself bored with merely exploring the forest."

The twins relaxed slightly when Lilith called her a friend. Lilith's friends were always weird but they were never dangerous. The twins had met Zilla once and took a real liking to her. This girl couldn't be too different.

"What is she doing here though?" Nadia asked. She wasn't sure if she should go back to talking formally. Candace was truly oblivious like this. Nadia also thought that perhaps Lilith could convince the girl not to spread it if she had to. In the end, she stuck with her normal speech pattern.

"I imagine she is studying the local insects in some manner. An experiment of some sort with the log perhaps." Lilith mused. She tapped Candace on the shoulder and decided to just ask.

"What are you studying this time Candy?" Candace didn't look away from the log as she answered.

"The different effects of habitat on common insects. For example how does your average woodlouse live in a tree log in comparison to those who scavenge the ground and hide under rocks to avoid drying out?"

"What have you discovered? Woodlouse are vital to most ecosystems I believe. Finding a means to attract more could be an interesting research project." Lilith replied.

"Oh here we go." Nadia sighed exasperatedly.

"Lilith you're here with us this time. You can learn more about the creepy crawlies another time. We need to help the twins explore the forest right now." Nadia didn't want Lilith to get absorbed in research and completely ignore the two of them. It was entirely possible.

"I believe this will help the twins explore the forest. Learning about various insect habitats could give them another means to entertain themselves. Plants and insects go hand in hand. The twins enjoy their many experiments with plants and this can give them a far better idea of how those plants interact with their environments." Lilith defended herself.

"She's Right. Plants and insects. Work together." Felis said. He was now approaching the log with all the insects crawling inside and around it. He squatted on the other side of Candace when he arrived. Cally saw her brother come forward but was still hesitant to do so herself.

"I-i dunno. I think plants just need a little helping hand from people. Aren't we supposed to keep the insects off them." Cally said sheepishly. She was hesitating beside Nadia.

"No." Candace, Lilith and Felis all said sternly in unison. The two less talkative members turned to Lilith.

"Take strawberry plants for example. Without pollination from bees and the like they become decorative rather than food. Many plants work this way and keeping insects away from them will almost always be detrimental. There are, of course, insects that are not good for the plants. Caterpillars for example."

Nadia leaned into Cally's ear and whispered "If you're scared of the insects you don't have to go." so that the others couldn't hear. This didn't have the intended effect however.

"I-i'm not scared!" Cally shouted and ran towards the log. Hesitantly stopping before the others, she squatted down and looked at all the activity on the log.

Cally was quiet after that and they all stared at the log in silence for a little while. Apart from Nadia. She stared at them in silence for that whole time and didn't have any complaints. It was a rather relaxing time all things considered.

Even if Lilith couldn't actually see anything happening on the log and the insects were too small to hear. She still enjoyed the idea of this. She couldn't study this herself so hopefully Candace and the twins could tell her afterwards. If she couldn't do it, she merely had to ask another for their findings.

Eventually Candace was the first to speak. "Experiment complete." She announced calmly then stood up and faced the others with her. Lilith noticed a gasp of recognition a moment later.

"All of the imperials bar the violent one came to see me? I'm flattered." She said clearly teasing.

"We're not here for you. We're here to explore!" Cally protested likely not realising how rude that was. Candace didn't even grace her with an answer.

"Hey!" Protested Cally again but Lilith heard a small fwap followed by a depression in the fabric on Cally's shoulder. She didn't speak again after that.

"That's les mejeste you know." Scolded Nadia lightly. She had gotten some of the frustration out of her system. The training she went through protested in her mind. She ignored it because she was Nadia the big sister now. Nadia the empress could wait.

"Are you not ok with disparaging your brother. Weird. Your nobles do it all the time. Do you have double standards or is it one of those 'he's my prey' things?" Candace asked sounding genuinely curious.

Nadia scowled. She was right but defamation of character was against her training. Unless it was a political scheme. Then it was fine. Huh that is weird? Nadia's face returned to normal again slightly confused by the hypocrisy.

"It is not difficult to find instances of imperial hypocrisy throughout history. I imagine there is an argument to be made that it is a necessity of an autocratic nation." Lilith also added.

"The empire isn't the only guilty party." Candace replied.

"Lisaran, the reborn americas even trited is hypocritical to some extent I suppose. It is more prevalent in the empire though is it not?" Lilith asked and Candace had to reluctantly concede. Nadia wasn't happy with this conversation however.

"You cannot disparage the empire so in my presence. Do you two have no national pride? No civil duty?" She asked incredulously and with a hint of anger.

"My stance has always been clear I believe. My life matters above all. My family comes next and then comes skills and inventions. I am capable of learning those later but I cannot replace my family. The nation and it's citizens are merely a tool I happen to enjoy benefits from. Thus I protect them when I can. I would not spread such sentiments of course and I reveal this only because we are in confidence. But you are aware I operate like this and you have been for some time." Lilith replied with utmost sincerity.

Nadia inflated like a balloon ready to pop. Her face contorted in rage. Her hands balled into fists and her perfect posture crumbled. Replaced by a truly menacing stance. She looked ready to tear Lilith into shreds. She opened her mouth to correct her sister's awful morals. She felt it was her duty.

Then she deflated. All the hot air left her. She became hollowed out as the air escaped her. Her shoulders slumped and all her bravado fell away. All of it expelled with a sigh. "I have known for some time. I know I can't convince you otherwise. This time won't be any different from before. This country hasn't been particularly kind to you and I understand you'd resent it." Lilith's face became slightly confused as she said that but Nadia didn't notice.

Nadia turned to Candace. "What of you? Do all of the three witches have no national pride?" Her question sounded scathing and she intended it to be. Lilith might get away with this. She was her sister. Her life was rough. But Candace and Zilla were nobles of the empire and they needed to act like it.

"None of us care much for the country beyond it's benefits to our research. Zilla deserves a medal for enduring the way she was treated in my opinion. Not to say we won't perform our duty as nobles, though Zilla's rights as a noble have been stripped from her." Candace replied.

"I will perform as a member of the Pluto family should but I would not hand you my research for no pay or my head on a pike. I am simply not the type for that kind of loyalty I'm afraid. Zilla is, but her loyalty is taken." Candace glanced at Lilith during the end of her sentence. Something Lilith couldn't see.

"I see." Nadia said flatly. As she did so she noticed something waving in front of her. Looking down she found a small pouting child.

"Are you all going to ignore me! I want to see the forest. Don't fight!" Cally shouted sounding genuinely annoyed. They had completely forgotten about her.

Nadia's chuckle was only slightly strained as she replied to Cally. "Sorry you're right. Now is the time for play!" She shouted theatrically.

"Sorry child. Nadia's conversation was important and I may have neglected to realise you're still here. I'll make up for it though. I can show you a whole new side to the forest." Candace said sounding genuinely apologetic.

"You are often absorbed in your tasks Candy. You are the very oxymoron of your father." Lilith commented.

"By design." Candace muttered.

"Come let me show you the wonders of the insect world." Seeing Candace's enthusiasm Felis follows behind her. He was rather interested in how the insects affect the plants here. Cally seeing this decides to go along with her as well.

Lilith hears them leaving and follows while Nadia stays behind with a conflicted look on her face. "Are you coming?" Lilith asks behind her, not hearing Nadia's footsteps.

"Yeah." She replied and walked faster to catch up with them.