"Kaden!" Kiara's sharp voice snapped Aria from her reverie. "She hasn't even gotten her things to my quarters yet! Can't you just wait?"
Aria suddenly realized that the warmth of Kaden's hand had slipped from hers. Alarmingly she didn't even really remember accepting it. Her eyes flickered between her empty extended palm and back to Kaden.
'Wait…Magtera?!' she thought with a horrifying revelation.
Like all of the Citadels they were governed by an assorted council of Noble Houses. The Ivory Citadel was no different. Among this council there were many notable houses of extreme import but the one that stood a head taller than all the rest was the illustrious House Magtera. Considered to be one of the oldest of the Noble Houses from all the way back during the Age of Strife, they held significant influence not just in the West but globally.
This man…Kaden Magtera was the eldest and only son of Duke Magtera. He was also a Deva. A terrifying combination of power. It made a shiver run down Aria's spine.
"Researcher Malvo," Kaden answered with a lighthearted click of his tongue and shake of his head, seemingly either unbothered or uncaring to the hundreds of stares he was receiving from behind the glistening armor of his escorts holding the crowd away from them. "You know asking a seat of the Deva to neglect their duties assigned by the council is almost direct insubordination. I could have you brought up on charges for that."
Aria felt a sudden spark of protective indignation. Was he threatening Kiara? She felt herself begin to step forward with lips parting to fire a retort Kaden's way.
"Oh shut up." Kiara answered quickly with a pouting huff of air. Her arms folded firmly over her chest as she met Kaden's gaze unwaveringly. Seemingly entirely unbothered by his words. "We both know you wouldn't ever. You can stop acting tough in front of Ari."
This was met by a laugh. Kaden shook his head side to side in apparent amusement. Aria suddenly realized they were…teasing one another? She felt stunned once again. Kiara, her eccentric little bundle of joy was teasing a Deva? Like it was nothing?
'What is happening here?!'
"Alright alright. You caught me." He answered with a close-lipped smile. His right brow raised as his assertive gaze fell back to Aria. "I apologize, Lady Leiden. I should be less playful in such official meetings. I feel I should elaborate, Researcher Malvo and I are what I would consider acquaintances–"
"He means friends." Snapped Kiara with a jerked nod and a tapping foot. "Which you might think would let me get away with sneaking you home before he steals you away but…" her aggressively playful demeanor flickered and failed down to a muted solemn expression. "I suppose you can't agree to that, can you Kaden?"
"No, Researcher Malvo. I am afraid this is a directive from my father." Kaden answered. His eyes firmly trained on Aria's. Making her feel not unlike a rabbit stuck in the stare of a wolf.
"Figures." Kiara said with a loud groan.
Before Aria knew it she was having her luggage stripped from her shoulders, what little of it there was.
"Alright. Ari I'll have food waiting when you're finished, we can catch up then ok?" Kiara's voice pitched back to its bright cheery octave as she flashed a smile that slightly wrinkled the corners of her eyes. "Kaden will walk you home, won't you Kaden?" The girl's tone lowered back down as she shot a glare sharper than daggers at the tall man.
"Of course, Researcher Malvo. I would never leave our guest to fend for herself."
Admittedly things had been a blur of chaos for the last several minutes but Aria had always been quick on her feet. One of the few things she was proud of actually. So now she was noticing small things. The tension between Kiara and Kaden's conversation. The way everything he appeared to say sounded tailored and read from a script. Like he had seen this entire interaction coming well before ever arriving.
He was dangerous for that. It made Aria uneasy. But he was still technically her boss. After all, the Deva were the whole reason her immigration process had been accepted.
Aria felt her arms cross over her chest as an urgent sensation of reluctance to go alone with this deific figure washed over her. "Alright…I guess I'll see you later?" Her eyes moved down to lock with Kiara's who only gave her a slight nod of encouragement. Her expression while not enthusiastic did make Aria feel somewhat better.
"Shall we then, Lady Leiden?" Kaden's arm politely extended outwards as if expecting Aria to take it. She was aware it was likely only a courtesy. She didn't particularly care, instead she just forced a polite smile on her face like she'd been taught and kept her hands to herself. Moving to stand beside Kaden and nodding.
"Lead the way, Lord Magtera."
His brow only raised the smallest amount and she could swear she noticed his close-lipped smile widen, if only by a little. Then he lifted his attention to one of the Knights that had protectively enclosed them to give a curt nod as a silent order. Soon after the familiar whirring of Spelltech servos thrummed in the air and the armored escorts moved in unison to guide them along the paved streets of the Citadel.
Aria had seen Spelltech Armor before. It was only natural considering the state of the world. It would be more uncommon if someone hadn't. However, this armor was clearly special in a way she had been too distracted to notice prior.
Inspecting the Knight ahead of them both as they walked she noticed first that they moved with an impressive grace. It failed to belie the immense weight that came with Spelltech Armors. Its every curve was etched with gilded flourishes that looked more suited to be found on the walls of a noble's chambers than the battlefield. The metal was a muted silver. Resembling the same hue of the silver that faded its way into the lower lengths of Kaden's robes. Veins of glimmering brasslike metal laced its way through the plating. Winding its way into elegant patterns and markings.
Adding to the imposing frame were monumental pauldrons. Arcing outward in sculpted layerings that allowed for freedom of movement while simultaneously resembling the wings of a bird. Beneath the outer layers of plating hung ivory mantles–battle tabards most likely–marked by the vertical crest of House Magtera.
The helms themselves were smooth and expressionless. Like they were intended to unnerve you with their design. Where eyes should have been were only the faintly glowing slits betraying the mana-relays and circuitry that powered the internal machinations of the armor.
"Do you like it?" Kaden's voice interrupted her musings. "The armor I mean."
"It's certainly impressive, I can't say I've seen anything quite like it before." She was forced to admit. Politely glancing up to the recipient of conversation she caught sight of his ever-knowing smile playing on his lips.
"I'll have to be sure to share your thoughts with the designer. He is prone to succumbing to flattery, and I've found it's the easiest way to get his best work out of him."
She felt an amused burst of air flare out her nostrils. "Lay it on extra thick, maybe I'll get my own armor." She was speaking with a hefty layer of sarcasm. She seriously doubted he was being genuine, why should she be in return?
"You will anyway. He is already hard at work on it."
Aria's steps caught on a loose flagstone beneath their feet as they rounded the corner. Tripping up her steady tempo of movement at the same time his words dawned on her. "I'm sorry what?" she stammered out in shock. Staring holes into the side of Kaden's head. He seemed to either be unbothered by her lack of grace or entirely unconcerned whether she fell or not.
"Considering the nature of your position, and the work you will be doing and with whom well…I decided it would only be prudent to properly equip you." He answered nonchalantly. Only throwing her a sparing glance. "You didn't think we expected you to provide your own equipment did you?"
Yes. Yes she had. In fact she was planning on figuring out how to get all her essentials with Kiara when they got settled in for the night. She had spent a significant amount of time anxiously mulling it over in her head.
"Ah…right. Obviously you would." She managed to force out the most convincing and agreeable sentence she could think of. Kaden did not seem convinced. Though he did not pressure her. Instead letting out only the smallest of breathy chuckles from parted lips as the slopes beneath their feet began to rise.
"What about the city Lady Leiden? How does it compare to Leidonia I wonder?" He redirected their conversation.
Aria felt a strong hesitation for a moment. Something about the way he spoke made her feel like anything she said would be held onto and used as a weapon later. Perhaps it was only because she knew of his prolific bureaucratic reputation.
"You've been to Leidonia Lord Magtera, wouldn't you know how I would respond?" She answered with careful words.
"This is true, and it is a stunning city." He answered with almost no hesitation. As she looked up to him hoping to glean any hint to one feeling or another from his perfectly composed face she noticed just the slightest softenings in the lines of his expression. "Admittedly I would care very little about which city you preferred over the other. There are questions one can ask of someone and learn more about who they really are. If I am being totally candid Lady Leiden, I know painfully little about the dangerous woman walking the streets of my city."
Aria felt a chill as the subtle undertones of his warm voice began to run cold. Feeling an immense sense of pressure radiating off the lithe man as his eyes wandered down to pin her under their brutally harsh and unfeeling gaze.
"So forgive me if I push you to answer, Aria Leiden. But I find myself with an intense curiosity as to how you would answer such a divining question."
So it was a test. Aria felt a strong rebellious urge to tell him to choke on his politeness and the question and see what exactly he would do. She forced it aside and let her gaze rip itself from his intense stare to take in her surroundings as they moved.
She had noticed this about the Ivory Citadel from the start, but now with the crowds and people around them it was more evident than ever. The city felt like it breathed. Like it was alive in a manner that Leidonia had never managed. Leidonia was clinical in its perfection. Tailored and crafted over centuries of rule by the same family that had always ruled it. It was gleaming and flawless, still and structured. While those things were still true of the Ivory Citadel it was filled with motion, laughter, unexpected color in the literal sense and metaphorical one.
Vendors were scattered along the tiered marble avenues singing of their wares, brimming with fruits from the Free-Holds and the Emerald Citadel supply caravans to be distributed by free merchants among the people. Children would chase after one another waving toys and flashing mundane spells while being chastised by their parents. Even amongst this chaos you would still see Arcanists sipping coffee at a cafe on the corner and sharing hushed eccentric looking conversations.
Even mannequins–those artificially designed constructs of metal and mana imbibed with spirits–moved with their own flavor of personality. Some assisting in deliveries or performing mundane chores like sweeping the steps in fluid lifelike gestures.
All of this played out beneath the shadow of the White Tower. The sky painted by the gargantuan and living glyphs and wards that allowed such a structure to exist. She couldn't explain why this made it feel all the more alive, but it just did.
Eventually she was able to answer Kaden, after what was truly only a few lingering moments of nothing but felt as though it was an eternity.
"If I am honest…" Aria admitted aloud in a quiet voice "It isn't exactly what I expected. Leidonia is a place of perfection, which you know." She let her sentence pause with an accusatory sounding tone which seemed to draw some amusement from Kaden in his silence. "But it's cold there. Here…"
She hesitated. Trying to find the right words.
"Here I feel like I can breathe." She couldn't find any better than that. As hard as she tried.
Kaden didn't answer her right away. The sound of the city, the Knights, and their footsteps were the only thing to be heard. Until eventually they found themselves halted at the forefront of tall gateway. Manned by Security Mannequins and run of the mill City Guards it seemed.
They had come to a halt now, patiently waiting for their turn to pass through while the Knights prepared to provide the proper credentials. It was in this brief moment of stillness Kaden seemed to decide to answer her.
"Thank you." He said with his usual quiet close-lipped smile.
"For what? You practically forced me to tell you." Aria couldn't help but snap back a grumbling reply.
"I did, and I won't apologize for that." He said quite bluntly. His brow rose once again, seemingly something he did often to express. "I did mean what I said, you are very dangerous. By nature of your abilities, you know this."
Aria felt a bitter acrid taste fill her mouth at the harsh reminder of the nature of her position. Her jaw muscles reflexively tensing as she gritted her teeth to bite down an angry rebuttal that would likely be entirely nonsensical.
"But now you've put to rest some of my anxiety." He continued calmly. His steps shuffled forward as they approached their turn at the gate. "Your answer tells me something very important about you."
"What exactly is that?" Aria said tersely. Feeling a sharp indignation boil in her bosom at the idea that after speaking with her for such a short time he could claim to understand her.
"You are a deeply caring person." He answered with no hesitation.
"How–" She began to protest only to be cut short.
"When you were trying to answer before your gaze wandered first to the people." His expression in its ever composed state widened its smile into a painfully, annoyingly, stunning smile. So beautiful that Aria just knew he could get any single thing he wanted from anyone with a heartbeat if he wanted. She was included.
"That is absolute nonsense." She retorted with a furrowed brow. "You're just trying to sound smart aren't you?" Suddenly the way Kiara had spoken to Kaden earlier was beginning to make far more sense by the second.
She only received a calculated laugh that rang out like music. Kaden's head only slightly threw back from the motion.
"Yes Lady Leiden, that is a common accusation I fear." He eventually answered her. Seeming to hesitate before finishing with his summery voice "You will be safe here. That I can promise you. Now, you've passed my test." He did not seem to want to give her space to rebuttal, she suspected it was the pointed glare aimed at his stupid face. "Shall I introduce you to your charge?"
That was right, Aria had almost forgotten the whole point of this. The reason Kiara had been able to gain the support of the Noble Houses to bring her to the Ivory Citadel in the first place.
She was going to be a Handler.
In other words…she was a glorified babysitter.