Loa VI

20th night of the month of Ice, 16:04, after Midnight

The house is warm and cozy and while she stands out heavily with her fine green silks against the old furniture and warm tones of the house, it's strange, but Loa was invited for tea and pastries by Lady Ardashir herself, and while the lady of house Ardashir is not of noble blood, her family is as old as Loa's, and that has it's own value and status.She likes the Haruspex house and while not the ancestral home of house Ardashir, it is still part of their history, for three generations the Haruspex had been of house Ardashir and Lady Ardashir had grown up in this house. The house is nice and warm, and with the recent snow covering the ground outside, Loa feels the pure bliss only person warming themselves by the fire on a cold night can acquire.

She takes a quiet sip of the hot parsena tea in her hands and sighs when she swallows.

"Delicious, Lady Ardashir, do you grow the parse yourself?" Asks Loa to the woman sitting in front of her.

The both of them are sitting in the Haruspex house's sitting room, each one occupying a battered sofa, with a small wooden table in between them and the fire roaring at their side.

"Nima grows it, just enough for us" answers Lady Ardashir, taking her own cup to her lips "He also keeps forgetting to dry the leaves, so that job ends up in my hands"

Loa hums in response and takes another sip. Before she can speak again, the backdoor slams open and then closed and soon Vyshe Ardashir appears at the entryway to the sitting room, covered in dirt and carrying the young heir to the Ardashir house at his back, and his naga nested on his hair like a bizarre hat.

"Loa" he grunts as a greeting and proceeds to stump his way inside the sitting room, dropping at Lady Ardashir's side.

"Manners, Nima" chides Lady Ardashir as she grabs her heir from Vyshe Ardashir's back and sits the baby in her lap.

"How are you, Vyshe Ardashir?" Asks Loa with a gentle smile "Busy with your garden?"

"A pack of fauxes keep using my bushes as their personal shitting hole, so yes, quite busy" grunts Vyshe Ardashir making Loa splutter slightly at the tone, she should be used to the way Nima speaks, but it still surprises her.

"Dad showed you better manners, Nima" teases Lady Ardashir "that's not how you talk to a lady"

"You're a lady and I've heard you say worse" Says Nima glaring at his sister.

They all stay quiet for a minute, the only sound being created by the Ardashir heir making spit bubbles in her mother's lap.

"Ah! I forgot to ask, Vyshe Ardashir" says Loa with a faked surprised look, deciding it's her turn to tease Nima, as a little revenge "When is the wedding?"

Now Nima is the one that splutters and Lady Ardashir almost sprays Loa with tea.

"Wedding?" Asks Vyshe Ardashir with a raised eyebrow and a frown on his mouth.

"Of course, yours with the prince" chuckles Loa with a knowing smirk "I thought that after the princess arrival you two would marry!"

Loa is then gifted to something she had never witnessed before; Nima, in all his proud glory, blushing redder than the inside of an arsi. She couldn't help herself and a chuckle escapes her.

Lady Ardashir, less nice than Loa, laughs a loud and barking laugh that makes Nima glare at her fiercely.

"Shut up" he grumbles, looking down at his lap where his fists clench and unclench with nervousness.

"Nothing to be shy about, Nima!" says Lady Ardashir in between laughs "But do answer Lady Saaga her question"

"Right now the political sphere is fragile, even more now with Alala's presence" says Nima with a serious look as he stares directly into Loa's eyes " The noble houses will follow the royal house's decisions, but the people are not very happy with the princess"

They all stay quiet for a second as Loa digests the news, she had known something was brewing, but her father had been keeping information away from her.

"Way to spoil the mood, Nima" grunts Lady Ardashir with a frown

"I wish to be with Artemy, but at the moment I understand the precarious state of the city, another nomad joining the royal house will only cause problems" says Nima.

"You think…" starts Loa with widened eyes

"An uprising? Really?" Asks Lady Ardashir with a scoff.

"There have been whispers in the lowest part of the city" adds Nima " Of a movement to expel the nomads from the city"

"Preposterous!" Barks Lady Ardashir " There's no way!"

Loa ignores Lady Ardashir's expletives as she watches Nima, he looks worried and that makes Loa worry too. Could the city really be heading into a civil dispute?

"Let's keep an eye out then" says Loa, making both Ardashir siblings look at her "An uprising can be uprooted if it's discovered before it begins"

"Let's us find it then" murmurs Lady Ardashir, eyes on the roaring fire "I won't give this city to those that threaten our peace"

Loa silently agrees. Yes, a war is the last thing Neth needs and Loa will not stand aside.

To be continued