Lord White sat in his study with his hands crossed before him atop an exquisite desk made of willcast wilderpines. A centuries old gift from an ambassador of the Ta’, likely the only one left of its kind. White hated the damn thing. It was crafted expertly, of course, to the point that the wood even felt as if it caved to one's pressure causing it to feel soft and welcoming. Despite how it felt, the desk also offered incredible support to one's back, which one needed if they were going to be pouring over decrees, ledgers, correspondence with other nations, and things of that sort daily. At one point he had poured over those such things and much, much more at his desk, happy for its presence and support but now… now it was merely a decorative lump in a room used for nothing more than an empty show of power.

White had only accepted the gift because it had come directly from Ta' Uma, someone he happened to see as a dear friend for many, many years. He kept it only because it was the last connection that he now held to that dear friend. A friend he murdered with his own two hands. Whose son White’s men were currently hunting for. He shook his and rested his horned helmet on the desk for a moment.

No room for regrets now, old man.

The door to his office creaked open but he didn’t raise his head.

Can I even feel such things anymore? Do I still have the capacity? Am I still-

“Mr. White?”

Only one person called him “Mr.” anymore. The kindest, most genuine person left in all of Blancana.

“Lili-Bon!” White’s head shot up from his desk, reinvigorated by his sudden joy. “Legends my dear, am I ever so happy to see you. Nothing has been as easy as it should be as of late, you know plans and all, yet… it is as it needs to be… so very conflicting.” He shook his head side to side, “Disregard me Lili, what can I help you with?”

Lili-Bon stared at White’s blank mask for a moment, gathering her thoughts before she spoke, as she always did. He loved to watch her eyes skitter from side to side for a moment, collecting her words. Lili-Bon’s fingers twitched exactly three times and then, she spoke.

“Mr. White. I am very sorry that your grand plans are causing you such trouble. If I may help in any way, please do let me know.” She paused and found her words once more. White smiled on silently, despite his mask between them. “I have come to you today,” her uneven cheeks puffed up simultaneously as she smiled, “ because next week is my twenty-third birthday, Mr. White!” Lili-Bon squealed with excitement and White returned with his own joyous laugh.

“Ah! Lilli-Bon, that is fantastic! I didn’t realize it had moved upon us so quickly.. Oh, oh, dear I must begin getting your gift together!” White shot up from his desk as if ready to bolt out of the room, startling Lili just enough to get her focused on him. “Oh. But wait, what is it that I have right here?”

As if conjuring it from thin air Lord White pulled out a short-sword from beneath his cape with his right hand encased in a jewelled scabbard. In his left he held a rounded black shield with White’s signature “W '' on its face, generally reserved for his elite squad; the Serpints. But Lili was special to Lord White.

“Ah! Ah! Wha- thank you!” She ran fearlessly into the darkness he cast about the inside of his cape and wrapped herself around his armor. White couldn’t feel it, of course; nonetheless, he set down her presents and hugged the young woman back. Her warmth broke through his stark white gloves, mimicking the sensation of their skin actually touching. How he suddenly longed to feel... anyone. Anything.

“ I expected you quite a bit sooner, you know. I was holding those things for nearly a week waiting for you to come in here and announce your birthday to me... again! Ha! Oh, how I adore you Lili. I do hope they help you when you take the Crucible. Oh! One more thing..” White waved his hand behind her ear and conjured up a small notebook. “All my own personal notes on casting essence. I’ll need it back the night before your testing though, understand?”

Lili-Bon stared in wonder as she slowly nodded her head and stepped away from White. Then her brow furrowed.

“Is that… because it’s cheating, Mr. White?”

Blessed Lili-Bon.. “No, Lili, I would never place you in a compromising position.” Half truth is better than a lie. “ I just need it back for my own use, I’m quite old, remember? My memory gets hazy sometimes unlike you, youthful little sponge.” White tussled her hair, relieved at the sight of Lili-Bon’s smile.

“Right, of course, Mr. White. I’m sorry.” Her smile remained but she shot her eyes to the ground, looking from one side to the other and kneading her hands.

Sweet Lili… “You’ve never done me any wrong Mrs. Bon; in fact I find it hard to believe you could have ever wronged anyone, as honest as you are. As kind… you truly are a treat.” He meant it.

The young woman beamed directly at him, curtsied, and shook with genuinely pure excitement. She was such a breath of fresh air for White who felt smothered by the opacity and corruptness of the courts, his own not excluded.

“Oh, go on, you scoundrel! Take up your arms and train until your limbs fall numb! I, Mr. White, officially demand it.” He used his best fake, pompous noble voice, index finger held high in the air.

Lili-Bon burst into laughter that warmed his heart, ever so slightly. When she finally caught her breath she grabbed her gifts, bowed low, and left with a wonderful smile emblazoned upon her face. She really was one of his favorite people to interact with. Before he could even bask in the small joy she’d brought with her visit there was another knock on his office door.

“Do come in.” He spoke softly but the mask amplified it enough for the person knocking to hear. White took his seat once more.

In through the threshold stepped a short, stout man dressed in extravagant white, gold, and purple garbs that seemed at least one size two small. Torrents of sweat were beading down his sepia skin, red tinted near and around his eyes. The purple indicated that he was from old noble families who had helped White secure his rule outside of Blancana in the earlier, more subtle days of his conquest, though Lord White could not place the man's name. It was likely he never showed his face until after peace ensued once more and just blended in with the rest of the noble scum White surrounded himself with. But… they still had the coin.

His mask assisted him with the man’s name.

Sir Danfin Von Blancana, Lord General of-

“Sir Danfin, how may I assist you?” White wondered if Danfin would see it as a slight that he hadn’t used his full title. The man only smiled sheepishly and shook his head far too quickly.

“Yes, yes hello Grand Lord Councilor White, SIr,” just like the other nobles, Danfin wasn’t quite sure how to address him, “ I am.. Uh… sorry Sir, this place has... a lot of steps.” He patted a cloth on his sweaty, bald head.

It was true, it did. White had specifically requested there be more stairs than necessary. The longer trip left unfit nobles, and other nuisances like Danfin, in a weak position from the outset. White started every meeting with the upper hand. It served as a weak, cruel pleasure, which White so enjoyed to the fullest extent. He didn’t even respond to Denfin’s remark or state of being, giving the man no time to catch his breath.

“ Sir Danfin, I would like to remind you that I am very busy making preparations for this year’s Crucible. I refuse to allow subpar casters or fighters into the guards that protect you and myself, so if you please?” White bowed his head slightly indicating the chair across from his magnificent, awful, desk.

He neglected to offer the man a glass of water from a pitcher nearby.

“Of course, Sir, of course, please excuse me!” Danfin slammed into the chair without any eloquence or charm to spare.

Typical nobles of today I suppose. Disgusting little swine aren’t they?

“ Sir... Lord White, I represent the Citizens of New Tralla, or- the soon to be Citizens of New Tralla.” Danfin paused for a moment. He eyed the water, swallowed, and continued. “ The ‘soon to be’ part is the reason I am here, Sir. We- all of us in the coalition- “ White didn’t remember allowing them to form anything resembling a coalition and wondered if the man weren’t just misusing the term - “.... and we truly understand the pressures… the uh.. Uh… trials you face as Grand Councilor-”

Lord White raised his hand and Danfin stopped immediately. Good dog. Ha!

“It has been ten years since you and yours agreed to fund my endeavors to unite all of Noctra in peace in exchange for the lands of Trallengard- Ah.. New Tralla- as you would have it. I understand. There is no need to be nervous.” White watched Danfin basically deflate before him like an undersea puffer poked through with a needle.

Always the same dance, never any fun.

“Oh.. Oh thank you Lord, of course, my Grand Councilor, you are so gracious… as such.. Is there… or would there happen to be a timeline yet?” Danfin was piling a kindness, a submissiveness to his voice that was just a bit too heavy.

Biting back something Danfin, some frustration perhaps? White smiled beneath his mask, both cheeks risen and teeth fully displayed.

“ You know… our agents in Trallengard, among the Bloodletters, Wulverns, Smithers, and all the other noble clans and families would probably like a timeline on when they can come home too… huh… to think, I, Lord Grand Councilor White, had not thought of it!” He slammed his gloved fist on the table, dispelling the shadows beneath his cape, and letting his massive, engraved armor show. “You know, we could just swap your places, since you want to be there so badly, and they’d love to come home! Yes! I’ll set that up immediately, what say you Danfin? Would you like a hand in taking the land from the tamers of hounds, wyverns, and smithing? Or shall I continue doing my job correctly?” It was torture keeping the sound of his delight from his own voice, watching Danfin shrink, shrivel inside himself, waiting for it to end.

Three envoys in a month- three! As if I just love battling at the swampy fringes of their border with Matria’s ruins so much I have been dragging my ass! Ah!

Instead, he calmed his voice once more, keeping Danfin fumbling for any real ground. The nobles may be a pompous, agitating, idiotic lot to White, but he knew they could be dangerous. He needed them afraid enough to stay his course… but some part of him also required their love, their adoration.

Oh, bother.

White couldn’t let Danfin leave. He’d tell the other nobles of his outburst. Even if he apologized, they’d start to see White’s true feelings for them from past remarks or slights they’d never noticed. They’d spread rumors, discontent… malice. He could claim he was simply stressed from such great pressures, or old and cranky, or a million other things… but they’d remember. The noble families would see all those reasons as weaknesses to be exploited. No. White had to wipe the slate clean.

Sorry Danfin.

Thirty minutes later as Danfin’s body finally dissipated into nothing but ash mixed with residual essence, his protege emerged from the shadows behind his massive bookshelf… also a gift from Ta’ Uma.

“Any questions? You will have to make decisions like these every day. You will have to balance people. Every. Day. In my stead you will not be able to err. You must have no mercy.”

“Just one… father.” The man in the teardrop mask, Mezir’s mask, removed his helmet and revealed sweat laden, fiery red hair, and eyes full to the brim with tears. “Why are you letting Lili-Bon kill herself?”

Why…