She had awoken, not to the delightful reprieve that may have come with her being home once again in Oak Town in an unexpected absence from the Fiore Senate, but rather from a restless evening that saw her struggling to find any solace, knowing the full weight of the task that had been given to her in the past several days. It had not completely hit her until she was departing Crocus for Oak Town, looking back on the city as it ventured further and further into the distance. She had departed the heart of Fiore as now one of the most powerful people within its political landscape – and by extension, one of the most powerful within the realm – and there was a very real potential that the next time she returned it would not be in the same state, but instead as a political pariah at best. At worst, one of the most wanted and reviled people within all of the nation.

This was the price that she had paid, the invisible cost to what had been a lengthy and exhaustive hunt for those that could most benefit her, whether in the short or long term, whether they were as people or if they were as motivations and objectives. Everything was a device that Astrid could have manipulated, everything a stepping stone to the likely next stone that would come before her in time. Her father, his seat in the King’s Court, Iblis, his role as the Phantom Lord Guild Master, the Eye of Makima, Sia, Noir, Ny’alotha, the Oak Senate, her seat as the Reigning Senator now. Every single one of them had led into the other, all of them having benefited her and been valued pieces within the stacked deck that she had been playing with.

The Divine decided to split the deck and see every card in her possession rather than watch the game play out on the field.

Astrid never saw it coming. Not until she saw her own cards being shown in her opponent’s own hand.

She simply thought, letting pervasive thoughts cloud her mind throughout the trip, the silence a notable contrast to that of other trips taken, especially for both Sia and Noir whom found the departure from Crocus unexpected and hasty, amongst other things. However, what more remained in their focus and attention was the concerned state of Astrid who barely acknowledged them during the trip back, her attentiveness only truly coming alive again as they finally arrived back at Oak Town. There, there was at least a semblance of safety and privacy there, the shadow of The Divine having lingered over Crocus following their initial interaction.

Once settled in, and after having dismissed no shortage of questions and surprised remarks about Astrid already being back despite much of the Phantom Lord Guild Hall, both those members and those employed by Astrid’s political team, she finally set to inform both of her assistants of what happened. Of the conversation with The Divine, with the promise made, both the threat and the salvation offered, and the circumstances of where things stand presently.

It would be the first time that she finally could open up as to all of it. Perhaps even enlighten herself with some other insight on the matter that even she had not first figured.

Both of them sat there within the large room that Astrid had taken to being both her personal quarters and office. After Iblis parted from the Phantom Lord Guild Hall, Astrid had Sia reach out to the best contractors and tradesmen available and saw to a massive rehauling of much of the second level of the Phantom Lord Guild Hall. Walls were torn down, extensions built within the side of the Guild Hall, it truly was a massive undertaking that consumed far more of the coffers that Astrid had horded from the last generation of Oak Town Senators than what either would have preferred to convey publicly. She knew obviously, because she had been the one to coordinate everything, but Sia still couldn’t help but marvel every time she looked within the massive room, taking the space of nearly three massive rooms all in one, managing to both be luxurious while also a massive study in the same vein. And all it took was bankrupting a group of Senators that would not support Lady Astrid. For that reason alone, it seemed more than fitting that Lady Astrid indulge a bit on their behalf.

It was rare however that they were present in this sort of capacity however. Though at times they would meet and conduct themselves like that of a meeting, more often their presence was never summoned for such a manner; instead they would simply just indulge themselves, Noir more often than Sia. Her role as Astrid’s assistant came with a heavy burden of handling much of the logistical work, not only for what was taking place within Oak, but also the greater affairs within Crocus. Not that it was a problem. If anything, she genuinely loved it and outside of the passion that came in the company of Lady Astrid, there was nothing that Sia loved more than the political world and engrossing herself completely within it.

Noir was somewhat different, unsurprisingly of course. She had acclimated well to being an assistant of Astrid too, albeit far more like that of a pet than as an equal. Sia possessed an intellect and insight into a political theatre that Noir simply did not have, nor pretended to. But she was powerful, a Goddess, both in the literal and complimentary sense, and like Sia, certainly shared in the delight of spending those moments of passion, not only with Astrid, but also Sia too. So perhaps unsurprisingly, the massive room of Astrid’s had become not unlike the shrine she was worshipped in within Seven for all those years. Some differences, as to be expected; the interior design was different, if not far more preferrable to her own tastes than what the Sevenese people provided her. Regrettable that over the course of a century she never saw her once-subjects adjust with the times and develop a sense of taste.

Both of them seemed to respond to the revelations differently, but for both Sia and Noir, neither of them took the news well, albeit for different reasons. For Sia, it was the nature of how everything happened to play out, her line of thinking not unlike that of Astrid in the immediate first moments. The fall from grace that came of being named the first Reigning Senator out of what was once considered a weak, undesirable city into someone who now was at the utter mercy of a religious figure who up until the other day never had any reason to ever assume association with Astrid, Sia struggled to wrap her head around the whole situation, coming up with not an answer.

“That's... I, I just can't believe it. I would never have imagined that someone in her position would do something that. And to you, of all people!”

And Noir likewise struggled to comprehend her role within the whole situation, the importance that she still held. She had left the Heavens willingly so long ago, she had come to forget the reason entirely, but never once had the thought of her returning cross her mind, especially not since being in the company of Astrid. Of course, at first at times she wondered what it would have been like to return to the Heavens after living upon the mortal plane, but never pursued it. In part it had been due to her believing that it were not possible. The Divine’s words made it sound like it were a potential, but simply believing that the word of a woman who believed in a supposed God was something that was difficult for her in particular to get her head around.

“So, what is to happen now? Are we to return to Seven then?” Noir asked, her words a bit lost, her mind to some degree as much trying to still process all that was happening. Beyond just the thoughts that surrounded potentially returning to Seven, there was also the fact that it had affected Astrid in such a significant manner. Noir knew little of how to comfort her mistress in this way. It wasn’t as though she were tired or annoyed or wished to blow off from frustration as she may otherwise have sought Noir’s company, but it was something different entirely. She had seen it plenty upon the people who came to her in desperation, but never had she expected to see it upon the face of the woman whom she found herself enthralled to.

Fear.

Sia also saw the same expression on Astrid’s face and felt much the same. The ramifications for going against The Divine were massive, beyond just the threat that she mad all but spelt out to Astrid. To try to turn the situation against her would be a lost cause; The Divine was the most powerful person in Fiore behind King Reign, and there was little doubt that trying to turn the people against her would incite a greater revolt than anything against the Crown may have inspired. What made it all worse was simply just the waiting. They were at the mercy of The Divine for when the next step, the next location, all of that would come to light.

“Unfortunately until Lady Astrid is given clear instructions, I don’t think there is much of anything that we can do… Other than wait, that is.”

Until then, all they could do was prepare as well as they could. But given the nature of what The Divine was seeking, it wasn’t hard to imagine that they would be getting some information sooner than later.

She sat there within the study, her mind wandering. Contemplating, thinking, but also plotting. The reality was very clear to not just her, but also Sia and Noir, both of whom were taking to the news that Astrid received about as well as one perhaps would have expected. Sia seemed admittedly more disturbed than Noir did, though her understanding of the political realm likely may have contributed towards that. The two of them would process all of this on their own, for the time being at least. Her thoughts simply found themselves too focused on her own survival. Sia and Noir, they would follow her no matter how this situation with The Divine played out. Their loyalty was absolute.

Barring any suggestions on their part, they were as much objects of comfort as anything else. And there would be comfort, that much was certain. Regrettably, having to return to Oak so abruptly meant that some overdue companionship with Lady Tsara also had to be delayed, undoubtedly to neither of their preferences. During her brief trip to Oak Town, such delights were not seized upon knowing the amount of time that them being back in Crocus would afford them. For even that to have been spoiled, the lone comfort that Astrid could see was that she had Sia and Noir here, neither of whom she envisioned would have turned down a request by Astrid if prompted.

The time even for that would have to wait though.

It was simply too difficult to even entertain the idea of sex while there was such an unknown hanging over her. The Divine acknowledged that Astrid told her that she would be returning to Oak Town. She had proven herself resourceful enough to reach out to Astrid prior to their first encounter, knowing that she was in Crocus. It was hardly difficult to imagine that whether through her sources or official channels within the Senate that she could not also get a message delivered to her, particularly one that had all the security and protections that would be required for a mission as critical to Fiore as The Divine had made it sound out to be.

Regrettably, such precautions would almost always certainly lead to such important matters being delayed. A hasty flight would be the most damnable thing that could happen to such sensitive information. Slow, yet methodical and thoroughly prepared, was the best way to go about such a delivery. Even if it meant being the worst option possibly available for Astrid.

That was too what Astrid found so curious about all of this. The Divine had operated and conducted this thus far on the basis that Astrid would aid her. Each step thus far, from gathering her own research on Astrid, to her reaching out initially, to the threat posed, all of it was precalculated. It wasn’t difficult to imagine that she would have also envisioned that Astrid would have returned to Oak Town as opposed to trying to figure out the next step within Crocus, where the threat of their plans being exposed were at their greatest. So it stood to reason that potentially The Divine would have foreseen this too?

Could it have been that whatever was next within The Divine’s plan, that it had already been underway even before they had left Crocus for Oak Town? Even perhaps before they had very first met?

The nature of their conversation, the deliberation of loose plans predicated on an unknown variable that none of them could have fathomed at the moment, it seemed to drag on for hours into the evening. On the bright side, it did serve as a distraction of sorts; an opportunity to take their mind off of the worry that lingered within the air. Solutions, even if flawed, still seemed like the better option against that of an impossible choice. Yet, solutions trying to account for things that they could not wrap their head around were hardly fulfilling either, leaving a point of frustration and disappointment, so much so that it was not long until Astrid had grown exhausted, not only with the attempts at predicting The Divine, but also physically drained.

At some point, quite when she was unsure of, she finally retired, the fatigue being enough to reverse her lack of fortunes from the night before. What had been a restless and insufferable sleep the night before had been replaced by a much more welcome slumber, made all the better by the duo of Sia and Noir, both of whom sleep beside her on either side, the weight of everything that they had come to find out and what had befallen Astrid weighing heavily upon them as well. But, if even just for a brief moment, even a single night, they were able to sufficiently enjoy one another without the stress of what was to come.

That was simply the reality of their plight for now. Until word came from The Divine, there was nothing else they could do.

Moments like these, as fleeting as they may have been under such a stressful time, were all the more lovely.

~

The next morning, it seemed that things were calm. There was an unease in the air still, a lingering that would not fade anytime soon likely, but at least things felt a bit more comfortable than before. Astrid certainly felt of more sound mind, still exhausted somewhat from the stress and certainly no more anxious than before, but she seemed almost relieved. Certainly, the Astrid whom had returned unexpectedly to the Phantom Lord Guild Hall only a few day before was nothing like that of the Astrid who stood there now, far closer to the one that they had come to know than anything.

Despite some inquiries as to what had been plaguing Astrid, the sentiment had almost been unanimously established as it being a matter that concerned Astrid only and none other; the obvious exception being Sia and Noir, who within the hierarchy were firmly established as just below Astrid, along with Ny’alotha, the Joyan woman whom seldom frequently at the Phantom Lord Guild Hall, often busy elsewhere within Earthland on Astrid’s behalf. While this was not particularly surprising to those within the Phantom Lord Guild Hall, there was nonetheless a sense of concern given both Astrid’s return and her demeanor at the time.

With no option, things went forward as normal. Astrid sought to enjoy what time she could prior to any sort of communication from The Divine was received, much of her time in her quarters with Sia and Noir, more often the latter than the former, Sia taking care of some matters on behalf of the Oak Senate in an effort to keep her mind stimulated and her focus diverted elsewhere. A fortunate decision as it would turn out to be, with Sia tending to some logistical matters when a courier arrived at the Phantom Lord Guild Hall, unannounced.

Her eyes looked up, noticing the figure, imposing in size and surprisingly in a light suit of armor, very much unlike that of standard couriers. However, under certain circumstances, providing them with a degree of honor was expected, albeit seldom as much as what Sia saw, there being thousands of jewels worth of protection adorning his body. Almost concealed underneath an armored gauntlet, there was an envelope, a stamp seal looking like one that belonged to the Church of Illumin pressed upon it. Her eyes widened as she noticed the seal, confident that it had been the message that Astrid had been waiting for.

A brief exchange of ‘thank yous’ concluded whatever business was there between the pair as she immediately went for Astrid, making a very bold gamble of entering her quarters without invitation or knocking, stopping in her place as her eyes marveled at the sight before her; Astrid, nearly nude save for expensive lingerie, staring out the window overlooking the main area of Oak Town. On the bed, Noir rested, her chest moving up and down with each breath taken, the faintest of a hum indicating her deep in sleep. Astrid’s eyes never parted from what she had been so focused on, if anything in particular, but she registered Sia all the same.

“What do you have for me?” Her tone was cold, indifferent, presumably having already figured that it would be the reason for such a hasty entrance by Sia, whom seldom ever approached her entry within this room with such disrespect. When no immediate response came, Astrid turned her head finally to face her assistant, a lame smile appearing on her face as she watched the young woman gawk at her body. It was endearing. Cute even. Once the envelope came into sight however, Astrid pulled away entirely from the window, moving towards her, swiping it forward hastily as a finger ran through the seal, falling to the ground as she focused on the parchment in hand.

The silence lingered on for a moment as Astrid continued to read, Sia watching her, and Noir slowly awakening by the suddenness of Sia’s entrance. Finally, the Senator’s eyes pulled from the letter, looking to Sia, neither of them making any expression before Astrid broke out a faint smile, to which Sia responded in kind with a large one of her own, enveloping Astrid in a tight hug not unlike when they had met following her confirmation as Reigning Senator only a few days prior. No words were spoken though until Noir was sufficiently awake, now realizing what was going on. Once she approached, Astrid spoke calmly, her tone much more inviting than it had been the past several days, “The Divine has requested our presence in Myras. As esteemed guests of the Merchant Council.”

“Make the necessary preparations. I want us on the road within two days’ time.”