Icestorme, Thale

In each capital city, each of the members of the Dracosenati and the Conclave of Scales has an official residence. They are usually used during official visits, or personal ones. Given the ongoing Siege, the residences in Thale haven't been used much except for those belonging to the Aquamarine and Topaz representatives of the Conclave.

The Silvermoon residence will be the first one opened in over a hundred years. The little steward entrusted by the Countess led the group consisting of the young lady and lord of Silvermoon to an upscale district not far from Icestorme Hall, but it was a distance away from the transit plaza. The buildings all had similar structures that were unique to Icestorme with the white-gray stones being the primary building material.

The residences in this particular neighborhood had stately buildings behind stone walls and wooden gates. Behind the gates, the originally sandy ground had been artificially terraformed to be able to grow unique gardens with seasonal flowers and shade trees. When they arrived at the gate, Darius used his identity token to unlock it. It swung wide. The horses and the carriage went through, following the path to the main building.

The guards dismounted and the two girls disembarked from the carriage. The Noxies returned to their humanoid forms. They put away their transportation. Isa took a position behind Britiana while Darius took the lead in opening the front door. Once it opened, Amadeus stepped forward to stop him from entering, instead sending Lazarus to lead the team inside first to check things out. They might seem lackadaisical and close to their boss, but they took their identities seriously. Darius was the young lord of Silvermoon and they were his guards. 

The steward pursed his lips sourly but didn't argue with this operation. 

It wasn't long before Lazarus returned and nodded to Amadeus. "My lord, my lady, magus," he said, stepping back and gesturing to allow them inside. Darius led the way, followed by Britiana and ZsaZsa.

The residence hadn't been used in awhile and the furniture was covered with cloth, and there was a sense of emptiness inside. Lazarus explained to them the layout of the building, leading them to the bedrooms, and explaining there were also quarters for the guards. 

Darius dismissed the guards to rest, assigned a small room next to Britiana's for Isa with a bland look that gave away nothing about what he was thinking. He then retired to his own room to rest. Although he didn't do anything but watch, being in a heightened state of tension for several hours like he and guards had been in was tiring in its own way.

ZsaZsa was assigned a room near Britiana's and excused herself to rest as well. She worked hard all morning.

Only Britiana and Isa remained in the hall. "We can talk later, my lady. You should rest," he said to her with a slight professional bow.

Britiana smiled slightly and entered the room she'd chosen.

The good thing about the residence was that it had all its furniture and amenities, including bedding. It was just that it was a bit stale from the long disuse. A simple cleaning spell helped diffuse some of the staleness and opening a window helped bring in some fresh air. 

A distant sound of thunder made her look up at the sky. Though the sun shone through the dome, the sky was always a pale blue. Now it was beginning to turn gray and the sunlight wasn't as prominent. "Looks like we might get to see a blessing from Oshango while we're visiting. He must approve of the Bridging Array," she declared with a smile on her face. Humming to herself, she changed into something more comfortable to take a nap in.

As she was bustling around she contacted her brother. <Behave,> she scolded him lightly.

There was a brief silence. <Tell me,> he said.

Britiana pursed her lips. <There's not much to say. I danced with him at the banquet. I had no idea Mom decided to play matchmaker. How did she even know?> She herself was flabbergasted by that.

Darius mentally chuckled. <There's probably not much that happens in Silvermoon that she doesn't know,> he conceded. <I won't ask anymore. We don't need to know that much about each other,> he said.

She giggled. <All right. You'll want to be invited to my wedding, though, right?> she asked innocently.

Her answer was an exasperated order; <Rest,> before he cut contact.

Still amused, Britiana climbed into the bed for a nap. 

They rested for about an hour before beginning to stir again. They knew that their mother, Zane, and Morganna probably had a lot to discuss, so they wouldn't see her for a while. They gathered downstairs in the main sitting room. It was only mid afternoon, too early for dinner.

They intended to discuss their next steps when ZsaZsa spoke up. "I won't be staying in Thale any longer," she said.

Britiana glanced at her in surprise. "No?" she asked, a little disappointed that her friend wouldn't be playing with her anymore.

ZsaZsa shook her head. "I'll go meet Aunt Raven in New Bienskurr and spend some time with my Mama and Papa," she explained. 

Britiana understood and smiled. "Then, go ahead. We'll be there in a few days. You and Deputy Darovan can draw the array on this side. Are there enough people in New Bienskurr to activate it?" she asked.

The dark haired girl nodded. "Some of our mages are still in New Bienskurr," she said. "I'll be off now. Peace be with you," she salutated.

"Go in peace," Britiana said. Darius echoed the sentiment.

ZsaZsa changed into her Drake form and flew around until she disappeared with a crack.

Britiana sighed. "Let's take a walk around the area before it rains?" she suggested. Even now they could hear thunder getting closer. "We can find a restaurant that's still in business," she suggested. There should be places that specialize in local ingredients.

Darius didn't see any reason to refuse, so the group, minus one, left the official residence.