After drinking Bessa's tea, Damon felt the warmth spread through his chest like a slow, golden sunrise. Anyone would've felt the euphoric, fuzzy, distinctly pleasant sensation that came with her brewing, but Damon felt it more acutely than most.
Perhaps because he'd been running on stress and spite for the past several days. Perhaps because he was actually excited about this engagement.
The alchemists had been hated for hundreds of years. No one had dared to touch the issue thanks to the tangled knot of debt, fraud, and violence that was their community.
It was a deep-rooted, corrupted culture that had been allowed to fester for too long. Untangling the mess needed special minds, courage and ambition.
After all, most people didn't even know the truth that talented children were being exploited, sold, and raised like tools. And even after they found out, who would want to face it?
For someone as warm as Bessa to grow up in that environment...
