Despite Lady Hanje's insistence, I did not move immediately to secure my space in Hearstcliff society and make contact with my Harigold relations. I understand that she is very serious and that the stakes of this battlefield really are as high as she says they are. But I'm just not sure that there even is a win condition here. It sounds like paying a lot of money to try to please people I don't even want to please, picking and choosing which people I ally myself with at the expense of others, just so I can try and fail to pick and choose which people hate me.

  Instead I got on with my life, and ignored all of that for the next few days.

  Tactical blunder, Natalie.

  I got dressed in my new walking-around clothes, a beige-and-baby-blue dress with a scalloped and pleated skirt, drapey cuffs, gathered shoulders, a low neckline and a front-laced bustier. I grabbed a parasol because my options were between that and a hat if I wanted to stay safe from bats. I'm not sure I'm cut out for hats, not everyone is. And then, I opened the void and stepped within it.

  On the other side, I stepped out onto a front stoop, a rather fancy door in front of me. Birdsong, and sunlight- Cliffside under the blue sky. I checked the address for form's sake, and then I used my parasol handle to rap at the door.

  "Yes?"

  "Lady Natalie Harigold to see Dean Skiff."

  "I'll see if he's in. Wait there."

  The door shut without me even getting a good look at the person answering it.

  I looked up, watched birds flying. It had been a long time.

  "He'll see you," said the voice from the door.

  I stepped inside, the door was shut behind me. By the time my eyes adjusted to the dark interior, there was no sign of the whoever-it-was that let me in. But I only had to wait another minute for a slightly-familiar face to show up, attached to a man who was walking down the foyer stairs.

  "Ah! Lady Harigold! Delighted to see you! Let me bring you up, Dean Corder shall be along shortly."

  "Really? I would think you were almost waiting for me."

  "In a manner. I had thought you would visit yesterday, Corder thought Fiveday at the soonest. We both lost but mine was closer." He gestured me to follow up the narrow wooden staircase and its brocade runner, to a sitting room with a fine view over the city and the cliff itself.

  "Nice view," I commented, just like everyone else that he'd ever led to this room.

  "Yes, I have a hard time taking myself away from it in the mornings," he said. "Especially during my all-too-short vacations between the autumn term and the winter orientation. The only time I really have to relax all day with nothing work-related at all to bother me. It sure is nice, on mornings like this."

  I rolled my eyes and smiled. "I understand. Thank you for taking this time to see me away from your normal hours. If I had the opportunity to do this without imposing I assure you I would have."

  "Of course of course," he said. "Tea?"

  He poured, we added sugar and cream, we discussed small matters. Weather, family, the early-morning traffic.

  "Wait, just... bypassed all of it?"

  "Yes. It only takes a few seconds," I said, smiling proudly before sipping. "I intend to save a fortune in cab fares."

  "You may very well save that much," he said wonderingly, shaking his head. "If I had known magic had those conveniences, I'd have studied it myself."

  "Regrettably, this particular application is not available to anyone else," I said. "To the best of my knowledge. There may be a way, but I could not help anyone find it."

  "A shame. That is surely one of many fascinating items about you, Lady Harigold. Wondrous that such a unique and unforeseen gift was bestowed on the twin daughter of a duke."

  I sipped again. "What are you implying, Dean Skiff."

  "Surely it's been mentioned before that it simply could not be a coincidence that someone with such vast natural knowledge, such prodigious and one-of-a-kind sorcery abilities, is also a scion of one of the wealthiest of the Central Houses and seems to have every natural advantage in the world as well?"

  I laughed. "What, did you think all of that was meant to be coincidental? This was arranged deliberately, just as it is. Most of what makes me what I am was granted to me by a divine presence on the day of my birth."

  "No such thing," Skiff said firmly. "If such a thing as gods were as present, powerful and meddlesome as they are said to be, there would be concrete evidence of them."

  I stared at him. He was not joking. An atheist in a fantasy setting, accepts magic but disbelieves gods. "All right," I said, taking another sip. "Enjoy reconciling the coincidence."

  Dean Corder came puffing up the stairs, looking as though he'd run all the way here.

  "Blood and blast!" he exclaimed, shaking his head. "What a morning for it! The traffic on the high street is- oh, hello ma'a- Lady Harigold?"

  I stood, and curtseyed. "Dean Corder. Thank you for agreeing to see me."

  Corder got a calculating, self-interested look on his face. The same look Skiff had been not-hiding this entire time. "Of course, my lady! Let's sit and take a tea and discuss what we and you can do for each other."

  It sounded really seedy when he said that. If he pushed me I was gonna blow him up. I've gone three years without exploding anyone and I'm feeling like I've earned one or two.

  I sat, and smiled. "Now, I was hoping that your words of recommendation could pass my application to the scholarship board, and clear the way to me taking the entrance exam to enter this upcoming semester."

  "I'm sure, quite sure," Corder said. "But, to be frank, if not curt, I'll cut straight to the obvious question rather than dancing in the park: what is in it for us?"

  I stared. "I - House Pailser and I have an excellent working relationship. I'd been told that should I need anything from the Academy, to look up the two of you."

  "And you have, and we are here," Skiff said, smirking. "And the excellent working relationship between yourself and our House has gotten you into my sanctum solarium. Now what are you offering for our assistance?"

  I scowled. "I sold your House dozens of revolutionary patents!"

  "And you were paid for them, and doing so was also an attack on your old mentor who you have a rocky relationship with," Corder supplied. "I believe if anyone owes the other party, it is you."

  Don't explode them Natalie.

  I took my calming breath, and channeled water's spirit into my own. "What is it you want, then?" I asked. "You've obviously already got a scenario in mind."

  Skiff glanced at the other man, and then stood up to walk across the room and pick up an envelope from there. "The House and its leadership have some requests," he said. "A list of questions that they wish answered, and it is believed that your unique gift of information will provide. Of all the things we know, we know the future least. If you answer these, you receive your recommendation letters."

  "And I am to promise, sight unseen?" I said, staring incredulously. "You've just got a packet of questions ready to go?"

  "The reason you were asked to speak to the two of us, is so that we can present you that packet whenever you needed a favor," Corder said. "Simpler that way."

  Skiff sat down, looking smug. "It is known that entering this semester of the Academy is very important to you, Lady Harigold. And the price is set commensurately. In fact, considering how eager you have been, you certainly seem to be getting the better end of this deal."

  "And is there a plan in place just in case these unspecified questions are not something I can answer?"

  "There is," Corder said with a wide grin.

  "And what is that?"

  "We are to encourage you to try harder," Corder said, leaning back with finality. "We understand that there are only a few weeks left before the start of the new term. Not much time, really, with all the bureaucracy to navigate."

  I had convinced myself that Pailser House, known for being too clever by half, was going to hold either some small degree of loyalty to me, or just a sense of basic decency, or would want to cultivate my favor lest I have other developments to sell. But instead they had immediately jumped at the chance to hold leverage over me and extort special considerations."

  I held out my hand, and accepted the envelope. Opened it, read over it. "This is ludicrous. And impossible. How negotiable are these terms?"

  "I would not know," Skiff said. "This was handed down from our chapter father. We are not inclined to negotiate against him on your behalf."

  I rolled my eyes. "Then how do I contact him to negotiate on my own behalf?"

  "That sounds like something else you need from us," Corder said, looking very satisfied with himself.

  Stock prices, shipment dates, road closures, election results. Dozens of them, all requiring meticulously specific answers. "This is not within my abilities," I said, waving the pages.

  "Can you see the future or can't you?" Skiff said, peevish now.

  "Find a way, and we'll find our way to help you," Corder smirked.

  All right. It's going to be like that. I stood up. "Good day, gentlemen." I opened the portal behind me and stepped backwards into it, letting the glare blind them before I shut the door again.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  "This is good," Dean Troket said, flipping the pages. "Even at a glance, this gives a lot of insight into Pailser's interests and plans. Even if this entirely overlaps with what we know of their operations, it would be useful to have another point of confirmation."

  She was short, and old in a way that only apples ever get old. Her wrinkles made it impossible to guess what she had looked like before, and her eyes were receded way back into the sockets. Her hair was only medium-gray, she moved spryly, and her voice was strong, but her face looked about two hundred difficult years old.

  "Is it enough to get a letter of recommendation?"

  "This? Yes," she said. "This is even easier than the terms I was going to set. My leadership had asked that I set terms for you, clearing ramps and roads along the Fissuring where it passes through our lands. I was told to trade for useful information first, but this is better than I needed."

  "Um? Why clearing around the Fissuring?"

  She looked up at me, I assume. Her head turned upwards away from the pages. "Oh, our duchy of Anquarry is very industrialized and invested in mining, but that leaves us very dependent on roads that can cross the cliffs safely. Our experts examined the damage you did in Byeview and determined that you'd be just crackerjack at knocking holes in the cliff that we could build into roads."

  "Huh," I said. "That... that sounds pretty feasible. Is that a time-sensitive offer?"

  "Not really," she said. "We wouldn't be able to grade, pave or support those roads for years, but having the ramps and rifts in place ahead of time would save us plenty of time and money. If you'd like to cash that in later, it's no secret that we would like to improve our roads."

  I frowned. "Well, now I wish that I'd taken that deal and shopped the Pailser information elsewhere."

  She laughed at that, and I stared in fascination. And then she sat back, stroking the pages. "Ah, I don't think you could have gotten a better offer for this information. None but Skyback pay as well for information about other Houses. Please keep that in mind, should you encounter other helpful dossiers. Either something really good and juicy, or lots of data points we can use to triangulate with, like this," he slapped at the paper. "Besides, writing you a letter is easy. I'm getting great value for this, and so are you. No other house would be this interested. But, who knows, you may be able to offer construction services for another letter!"

  There are only so many Deans at the Academy. They only represent so many houses. And some of them actually worked to my favor... but some not so much. And there was someone I needed to consult first.

  Sisa shrugged. "Not really our business. As far as the House goes, you operate as a free agent and can make your own alliances. That said- I don't think that some moves are as advisable as others. Bolstering Freckentop directly would alienate your father, I'm afraid. He's still having so much trouble from the Dominionist faction and their criminals they are sponsoring and the resources they are channeling into the trade wars. But trying to play Freckentop and Eyellon against each other will not help matters, they are both Dominionist families, so helping either of them helps the faction that is striving against Meadowtam's good fortunes."

  "So I'm cut off from all help that he or the family could possibly give me, but I'm expected to honor the family's list of enemies and rivals?"

  "The abrogation from Harigold is pro forma, the actions of a duke toward an element of scandal that the House cannot be associated with. The other part.. that's me telling you that it would hurt your father's feelings."

  So I take the worst of both worlds and the benefit of neither. Sounds like now there's someone else I need to consult first.

  "Good day, Baroness, I am sorry to call on you at this hour."

  Six in the evening, but Baroness Grancine does not keep the same hours as the rest of us.

  "Oh, hello dear!" she seemed so lively right now, with fresh energy and without the harsh manic buzz I usually associated with her. "Do come in! I'm just getting ready to put on my face, but I can talk while we do this!"

  And so I stood awkwardly in the corner of her dressing room while her attendants applied astringents, pumice, moisturizer, condensers, sponges, undercoat, foundation, concealer, lowlights, rouge, contouring, highlights, shadow, liner, liner, powder, setting spray, and beauty mark.

  "And what seems to be the business of the day?" she asked.

  "I'm trying to get recommendation letters from Academy Deans," I said. "And Pailser's help had too many grasping hands with impossible demands. I've cut one deal with Skyback and another would not help, they've only the one dean. After that my options become quite limited. Of all the Houses, yours is the one I've the most consistent relationship with and I'd like to preserve that. But I have the option of approaching either Freckentop or Eyellon, and finding out what conditions they will impose. I know very well how you feel about both of those, I believe. But, as Tarratan does not control any of those deans, and neither does House Pinking that you're associated with, I cannot take any help from you. So I am asking if it would offend if I were to help House Eyellon in a matter that pits them against Freckentop."

  She considered before she spoke, which was rare. And her voice was unusually mild. I suspected that I may have offended her a great deal more than I had expected. "That depends," she said at first, and paused again.

  "Help them in what way?" She sounded a little suspicious but not as acidic as usual.

  "If all goes well? Transportation and civic improvements," I said. "Road building, if I can convince them to go for it."

  She thought carefully. "I think I can sell this. Come back in two days, I'll let you know. If the House leadership does not like my pitch, they may discontinue our collaborations. It is far easier to get in the bad books of House Tarratan than our good graces, I'm sorry to say."

  "I'll have to hope for a good answer then," I said. "I'm backed into a corner and I've got few options. Making an offer to Freckentop would drive another wedge between my family and I, Skyback has already done me all the good they can, and Pailser has got it into their heads that I'm an infinitely-exploitable resource and they'd rather alienate me than accept anything less."

  "Not surprised," Grancine said, holding her eyes very still so that her maids could apply the false lashes. "They are subordinate to Eyellon, after all. You should expect betrayal and bullying from them."

  This left me waiting for an answer and trying not to waste too much time. I was pretty sure I did not need to wait until Sixthday evening to catch her before her makeup routine, I would try to catch her on Fiveday morning as she was coming back from her revelries. Then I could spend Fiveday hopefully getting something productive done before all government offices shut down for the weekend. All of Thirdday lost to this territorial nonsense.

  And what was frustrating to me was that the Pailsers had not even gotten anything for their trouble! They handed me information, and got nothing in return! If they had decided to be even a little reasonable they'd have gotten something out of this, instead of nothing!

  On Fourday I got up with little to do. Nothing useful and productive on the Academy business, not until Fiveday morning. I did not have enough friends to hang out with: Geland and Taeril were back in Meadowtam right now visiting family in between semesters. I had it up to here with Yheta's company, he's hard to take in large doses especially. So I ported over to Lady Hanje's shop, picked up some new dresses that had been finished for me, checked in with the general herself, and got my marching orders. The last of which was "but do get changed first! That dress has been seen around town!"

  It had, and even more importantly that was my basic walking-around gown, just for running errands and handling pragmatic affairs. I would need a different armor entirely for the battle I was about to enter.

  "I'm gonna borrow this changing room, yeah?" I called out, and let myself in without waiting.

  Curve silk. I untied my bodice and shed the skirt and chemise in short order, setting aside the blue-and-beige walking-around. I brought the sharp blue satin gown down over my head, floating in the air by the will of magic itself. The gown slid and slithered down over me, settled itself into place like an overly-familiar lover, and the the bodice came overtop and its silk ribbons worked themselves with uncanny precision and efficiency.

  Sorcery is so fucking cool.

  A knock at the door, sharp rapid raps. How could someone need this room so soon! I'd only been in here for like fifteen seconds!

  "My lady, Lady Harigold! I'm going to come so I can help with your -" she said as she pushed open the door. One of the shop assistants, a flustered but helpful young woman in her twenties. She froze, staring at me as I stepped into the matching shoes. "How in the name of-"

  "Sorcery," I said. "I have developed an affinity for the essences of different fabrics, so in a pinch I can dress myself."

  She stared, broke a smile out, and put it away again. "If you ever let Lady Hanje know you can do that, she'll chain you to the radiator here and never let you leave."

  "Thanks for the warning," I chuckled, and then stepped away into a portal, winking.

  Time for my next confrontation: Cousins.