"No threat to Demacia detected." ~Galio, The Colossus
I hope conversations feel natural.
It is pretty much most of what's the story has got going for it. Anyway... enjoy the chapter.
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"Oh! An unconscious councilwoman!" Jinx stared as she hunger her head upside down from the chair she was sitting sideways on. "Brought in by the big bad Noxian."
Ambessa stared at Jinx and then turned to Caitlin, "I did not take you for the kind to cozy up with your mother's killer young Kiramman."
Caitlin opened her mouth about to speak.
"I'd appreciate it if you did not try to have them fight each other Ambessa." Gregori stepped forth his eyes, scanning Ambessa and Rictus. "It did take a lot of talking to calm them down."
Ambessa shook her head, "Of course.... you do know best."
"I suppose that's your daughter?" He asked, focusing on the body in her arms. "Alive... I hope."
"Unconscious." Ambessa answered, "Under some magic from the rose."
"Lay her on the table and let me see what is wrong with her." He said as he gestured toward a nearby table.
Daisy looked over as Ambessa placed Mel on the table, "Daddy?"
"Yes?" Gregori turned.
"Is she adopted as well?" Daisy asked.
Gregori frowned, "Why would you say that? It is quite rude."
"Sorry." She shrugged, clearly not caring, "Its just that she doesn't look anything like her mother."
"Daisy...." Gregori sighed, "Sometimes children don't look like their parents. It happens. Usually a child looks like both parents but sometimes they don't."
Daisy frowned, "Then why don't they assume that we are your children?"
Vi snorted at the question.
"Its because you all are of similar ages." Gregori explained, "If a man has many children of similar ages.... then they can only assume that you are not my blood or that you all have different mothers."
"Why don't they ask that?" Daisy asked.
Gregori shrugged, "A couple do.... but most don't because it is rude." He raised a finger, stopping her from continuing, "Now I'll take care of this first and then come back to you alright?"
Without waiting for a reply, he walked to the table and spoke as he observed the woman, "I apologize for my daughter's words. She didn't mean anything by that. They all are just..... inquisitive."
"I do not care about what your daughter says Gregori." Ambessa grumbled, and then her voice softened, "Tell me about my daughter."
He looked at Mel, raising one of her arms and checking underneath and then moving to the other and checking underneath once more. He then checked her neck and her feet. "Nothing outward." He reached for her top and began to lift it.
Ambessa's hand shot forward grasping his, "What are you doing?"
"Checking her." Gregori looked in her eyes, "Like you asked."
"Here?!" Ambessa seemed put off, scandalized even.
Gregori nodded, "Where else? Other than Rictus and I, there are no males here and I have no attraction to a child only a little older than my own. Four of my children are on a walk outside and two of them are my boys. You have nothing to worry about."
"What are you looking for?" Ambessa asked, having calmed herself.
"A mark. A rune. Anything I can see placed on her that keeps her in this state." Gregori said as he lifted her top off. "Runes are usually inscribed on the arms. Some on the legs. But the stronger ones are on the torso. Easy to cover up and incredibly efficient. The only one place better would be the head.... but I do not see anything there." He then lifted and flipped her over, "Nothing in the back either."
He laid her back down and covered her up.
"Take me through what you saw." He told Ambessa. "When you found her." He clarified.
Ambessa repeated everything with clinical accuracy.
"Did you see anything vanish as she fell?" He looked at Ambessa and Rictus.
Both shook their heads.
He frowned and then opened her mouth, looking inside and then under her tongue. He then lifted up her eyelids and checked underneath them as well.
And as a final check, he grabbed her wrist and tried to feel her magic along with her pulse.
Resistance.
"And there is something tangible." He said out loud, turning to face Ambessa, frowning, "Your daughter is a mage. You should have told me this at the start."
Ambessa's eyes went wide in shock.
"I'm assuming you didn't know that?" He noted.
"How do you know this?" She asked.
Gregori raised an eyebrow at her, "I have my ways."
Ambessa placed a hand on Mel's forehead, "It seems she has inherited her father's gifts."
Gregori froze for a second as he recounted that her husband had not been a mage and then looked at Mel.
Ah.
She hadn't been faithful.
And the man hadn't cared.
For a single moment, disgust filled his eyes. But it was hidden as soon as it came.
The easiest way to check for a mage was to see if they put up resistance when faced with magic. It was an automatic reaction.
Ordinary people didn't possess the amount of magic to put up any resistance, whereas mages resisted fiercely.
"This needs a second opinion." He said as he lifted her off the table. Walking to the room where he had kept Caalyx, he called out, "Don't follow me. And you lot.... don't speak of my weapon. Noxus cannot be allowed any knowledge of them, lest they bring war to your homes."
"What are you talking about Gregori?" Ambessa began to follow him.
Gregori used his magic to open the door and walked in, "Do not follow me Ambessa. Do not ask those here of anything. And I promise your daughter will be unharmed."
The door slammed shut behind them.
He placed her on the bed and reached for Caalyx. The spear floated into his hands. And with practiced ease, he unwrapped it.
"I'm free!" Caalyx gloated as he came out.
Gregori hushed him, "Speak in my mind. Noxians outside."
"What is it?" Caalyx focused.
"Ambessa's daughter is in a coma. Magically induced from what I can say." Gregori explained as he gestured to Mel, "I needed a second opinion."
Caalyx chuckled, "You needed a better opinion." The eye on the spear landed on the comatose woman, "And you have found it."
"What is it?" Gregori asked.
"She is locked within her own mind." Caalyx answered, "Her magic is fighting the imprisonment but she has no control over it. Chances are that she doesn't know of her own magical abilities."
Gregori sighed. Of course she wouldn't know of her own magical abilities. She probably did not know of her true parentage. He froze for a second. That was what Kino had figured out. Her heritage. And just knowing this led the flower group to kill him.
"How do we break her out?" He asked.
"You don't." Caalyx replied.
Gregori stared at his weapon. "What?"
"Or rather..... you cannot." Caalyx explained, "Only she can beat out of her prison. It is a mental thing Gregori. Mental and magical. Such things can only be handled by the person in question themselves. Outside interference will only make it harder for them. And it is not like she won't break out of it herself. That is an eventuality. From what I can see of your memories.... that woman was trying to affect her way of thinking to suit her needs. Subtle mental manipulation." An edge crept into Caalyx's voice, "Very very interesting way of doing such a thing."
"It is her after all." Gregori sighed, "The Faceless."
"You did vow to kill her." Caalyx reminded him.
Gregori nodded, "One day."
The manipulations that she orchestrated..... the world was better off without them. Maybe it would even find peace.
Maybe.
"Just leave her around your children and she should wake up." Caalyx said, "Having magic around will help her. But other than that you cannot do anything."
Gregori nodded and reached for the wrapping, "I will resume the search tomorrow."
"Don't let anyone get their hands on it before Gregori." Caalyx warned, "You do not have the resilience for multiple fights wielding me."
"I know." Gregori replied as he wrapped up the spear and lifted Mel.
He clenched his teeth before letting out a heavy breath.
"Not enough resilience." He repeated as he opened the door.
The very first sight that greeted him was Ambessa standing over Jinx, smoldering in anger.
As he walked out, every eye turned to him.
Jinx used the opportunity to call out, "Hey magic man! The Noxian wanted information from this rowdy bunch."
"Did they crack?" He asked halfheartedly as he carried Mel back to the table.
"Nope." Jinx replied, almost singing.
"Ambessa." Gregori began, "I told them to not speak. And my children listen to me when it is serious.
Ambessa ignored the group and his words, "What of my daughter?"
"Safe." Gregori answered. "She is currently imprisoned within her mind."
"Break her out." She ordered.
He shook his head, "It is up to her. She will eventually wake up. For that.... she would need to embrace her own magic. Currently, she is still clueless of her magical abilities and it is fighting to break her out of her mental prison. All you need to give her is time."
"Is that what your second opinion said?" Ambessa prodded.
Gregori shrugged, "It was my only opinion to be honest with you. But it is never wrong. She might wake up right this instant or within a week. All up to her."
She let out a shaky breath before reaching for Mel.
SLAP
He slapped her hand away.
"What are you doing?" She asked, anger bubbling.
"Leave her here." Gregori answered, "Being around magic would help her and she will be safer than with you."
Ambessa reached for her daughter but hesitated, her fingers shaking before curling into a fist. "Keep her safe." She told him.
Gregori nodded. "She will be safer here." He looked between the two Noxians, "You two on the other hand....."
"What do you mean?" Rictus asked as he reached for his weapon, thinking that it was a threat.
He raised his hands in response, "It isn't a threat Rictus. I'm talking about the flower group."
"What of them?" Ambessa asked, "Anyone they send will fall to my blade."
"They might." Gregori walked back to his chair, "But you just met the woman who leads them. The Faceless."
"She is The Faceless?" Ambessa straightened, finally putting a face to the invisible threat that had always been lurking.
"One of their infinitely many faces.... but yes." Gregori replied. "Tighten your security before doing anything. And stay out of Zaun for the time being.... there is enough here that needs my attention. Do not involve yourself here as long as I am here. Once I leave you can start your games."
"How about you don't start your games at all?" Jinx voice from beside him.
Ambessa ignored her, "Rictus." She called, as she walked to the door, sparing her daughter one last glance.
Rictus held the door open for her but she didn't walk out of it immediately.
"The seat of Medarda was my birthright." She said, looking over he shoulder, "I claimed it. I find it fascinating how you didn't claim yours..... prince of Demacia."
Jinx, Vi, Caitlin and Sevika looked at Gregori in sudden shock, their eyes wide and mouths open.
Gregori chuckled.
Of course she knew.
The amount of Noxian spies that had flocked toward Demacia had shot up the roof in recent years. They were all caught almost instantly but the defecting nobles had given them too much information for it to not matter.
"Kingly duties weren't for me Ambessa." He answered, "I'm content with watching my children grow instead."
Ambessa chuckled at that, "Not enough ambition."
The door closed behind her.
"Well well well.... this humble one apologizes for offending his noble highness." Jinx drawled, sarcasm dripping from every word.