Today is my birthday, so to celebrate, it gets a lil' hawt in this chapter, ya'll. Just letting you know ;)

~

Sophie snorted awake, wiping drool from her cheek and noticing she wasn't in her bed back at the Villa. A familiar fuzzy blanket and fluffy pillows belonged to her childhood bedroom of Havenfield. Sophie never thought she would be here again.

Nothing was different from when she last left it years ago, except for one thing. Ruy was passed out next to her, his arms wrapped around her waist and his face nuzzled into the crook of her neck. His wings were splayed out over the bed, his left wind draping off the edge of her bed while the other covered the both of them like a blanket.

He joined her in bed late last night, praying to the gods that no one heard him creaking through the hallways. He is pretty sure Sandor and Grizel knew he snuck into her room, but neither of them stopped him. Sophie and Ruy were too tired to do anything but fall asleep in each other's arms.

They returned to Havenfield late last night, Elwin already waiting there to heal Maria and Fitz. Maria insisted that they all went to bed, she would be okay. But Alexios refused to go to bed, wanting to stay by his mother's side. After a lot of convincing, Sophie eventually retired to bed herself.

Ruy shuffled beside her, loosening his grip as he woke.

"Morning." Sophie mumbled.

Ruy just groaned, snuggling further against her neck to block the sun from her windows.

"Can't you close those things? The elves have a solution to every problem no one had." Ruy moped, lazily pointing to the windows.

Sophie, who wanted to defend the elves, tirelessly clapped and watched the windows shade themselves, proving her snarky boyfriend correct.

Ruy smiled, kissing her cheek thank you.

They remained wrapped up with one another for a while, Ruy placing quick pecks behind her ears and her jaw, pestering her with love. You never would've guessed Ruy was this affectionate. He definitely was the more lovey-dovey out of the two of them. But Sophie can't quite say she didn't enjoy it. But it ended far too soon.

Ruy left her room first, followed by Sophie to avoid suspicion. Everyone was happily chattering downstairs, Fitz and Maria both in better condition. Sophie sat in front of Maria, staring at her eyes for a long moment.

"Didn't I raise you children better than to stare, my dear?" Maria smiled. Sophie sighed, leaning forward to her aunt, "Auntie... brown eyes? Pater and I's brown eyes were a genetic mishap. At least, that's what we thought..."

Maria nodded, "I thought so too."

Sophie shuffled closer, holding her hand, "Are you... okay? I know torture is hard to recover from."

Maria wrapped her hand around Sophie's, "I'm taking it day by day. Now that I'm out of that place, I can finally have a straight head." She stopped for a moment, figuring out the words to say, "The brown eyes, they are weird. I don't really notice them, but when I look in the mirror, I look so different. It is going to take a long time for me to get used to them." Sophie had a feeling she wasn't just talking about her new eyes. Her arm was wrapped carefully and was in a sling, the flesh around it dark and swollen.

"What caused the brown eyes, Maria?" Sophie asked, forcing her eyes away from the missing arm.

Maria took a deep breath, "I don't really know. They showed up somewhere along the lines when I was being tortured, but no one ever said it to me until I saw my reflection in a cup of water they brought me. I thought I was finally going mad."

"Did your eyes ever hurt or did you feel them change?" Sophie asked.

Maria took a deep breath, trying to think back without breaking down into tears, "They used these... drugs, I suppose I should call them. It is a natural plant found in the elven territories that can produce auditory illusions and calmness, but also extremely violent visual illusions if enough is rubbed into the joints. Too much can create a sleep paralysis effect on the victim. They put an absurd amount on me, as you can imagine. During the halucinations, I was completely numb. But whenever I woke up, I had a splitting headache that felt like it was right behind my eyes. I think that is the only thing that could corelate."

Sophie leaned back, "So this plant caused your brown eyes to come through?"

Maria pinked, "I don't think so."

"Why?"

Maria coughed, quietly whispering, "I have, uh, used the drug before. Just not in that massive of an amount."

Sophie smiled, not fully believing that her terrifying no-nonsense aunt had tried this mystery drug before.

Maria crossed her arms, "Your father and I were some wild kids, okay?" She snapped.

Sophie raised her hands in surrender, beginning to pace. "Alright then party girl, so what could've caused this? When we were escaping, they seemed scared to let you go becuase of your brown eyes. Are they some sort of power they are afraid of?"

Maria shrugged, "I don't feel any different, no new abilites."

Sophie groaned, "So what could it be?"

Sophie shook it off, changing the subject, "What type of information did they even want from you in the first place?"

Maria crossed her ankles, her hands tightly wound in her lap, "Some of your father's actions. Apparently, he came in contact with one of those artifacts you all told me about. And he had a secret spy ring that was stationed in the Lost Cities that they believed helped him hide it away."

Ruy came up behind them, nodding good morning to Maria before starting, "I believe that Blur was one of them."

The two women spun to him, "What are you talking about?" Sophie gasped.

"It's what I tried to tell you before the mission. Apparently, when the Collective saved Sofia from the Neverseen, Blur had this sash on him." Ruy grabbed his bag, shuffling through it for a moment before handing Maria the old red scrap. Maria ran her fingertips over the hand-sewn golden sigil, the golden thread nothing but frizz and dark mustard color. But Maria took a shaky breath, "This is my stitch work. From the early era of the guild when Allesandro and I just started rebuilding the Cyevan guild in our youth. Our records were shoddy back then, it could be possible that Blur was an Assassin spy that went off our records for some time. Allesandro could've used that to his advantage for his spies." Maria looked up from the sash, "But from I gathered during the torture, they think the spy ring was of three people, not including your father. If Blur was a secret spy, then who else?"

Sophie and Ruy looked at one another helplessly, drawing blanks. Sophie started, "Maha and I found a journal in Cariana that has an Assassin lock. Maybe it's Blur's? It could give us more details about who else was there. Maria looked to the sash, not hiding the hurt on her face when she whispered, "Why didn't Allesandro tell Leto or I about this?"

Maria looked tired of talking after a few more rounds of questions, and Sophie let her get some rest. She approached Fitz, who was awake on the opposing couch. Sophie leaned down, smiling.

Fitz groaned, forcing a pained smile through, "Thanks for helping me out of there."

"Of course. I wouldn't leave you to die back there."

In Sophie's peripheral, Ruy came into view. His lips were taught, watching the interaction before turning away to start another pot of coffee.

"Is it true they wanted you to break Maria's mind?" Sophie asked. Fitz nodded, pulling his blanket tighter around himself.

"I told them no. They spent their time trying to convince me to say yes. They then could've used that excuse to pry the Assassin guild apart from it's Black Swan allies. At least, that's how they described it to me. They say you would've killed me."

Sophie froze, realizing how angry she would've been. She would've torn Fitz apart, and the thought of that disgusts her.

"No... No, I would've understood." She lied, smiling softly.

Sophie had so many questions, so many words that needed to be spoken. But when Nour returned from his patrol of the perimeter with a sour look on his face, Sophie's attention was torn away.

"I think the council knows you are hosting us. I saw elven scouts in the forest and beach near your home." Nour sighed. Grady and Edaline paled, knowing what would happen if they were found with fugitives in their home.

Everyone turned to Sophie. They weren't done talking about the events. They never had the chance to debrief after the meeting. Sophie strides to Edaline, hugging her tight, "We need to leave before they find us."

Edaline didn't let go, "No, we can hide you all if they come searching. We hid Ruy from them, we can-"

Sophie pulled back, smiling at her mother, "You can't hide all of us, mom."

Edaline's eyes watered. She didn't know when she would see her daughter again, but she nodded solemnly.

"Everyone pack up. We leave in 10 minutes." Sophie ordered, watching her Inner Circle dissipate. Sophie hugged Grady, kissing his cheek before leaving to pack up.

The Black Swan returned to their respective homes, flashing away with their crystals.

Sophie had packed a small bag of trinkets from her bedroom, wanting to keep the memories with her. But she stopped right before she turned into the kitchen, freezing at her aunt's quiet words.

"I can't thank you two enough." Maria whispered.

Sophie peeked around the corner, spying Maria sharing a cup of tea with Grady and Edaline before they left. Maria reached over to Edaline and Grady's hands, which were intertwined on the counter.

"Amalia was so close to Allesandro. She was everything to him, his sun and stars. She smiled so big whenever she looked at him. And though he is still gone, she smiles at you two a lot like she smiled at him." Maria took a shaky breath, tears dripping past her eyes, "Thank you for taking care of our baby Amalia for so many years. It is because of you two she is here today. And though she is back with us, please remember that she will always be your daughter just as much she was Allesandro's. Just as much as she is my niece and her siblings' sister. I know Allesandro is resting easy knowing his little passerota was being so well taken care of."

Edaline's hands were clamped over her mouth, a wide smile poorly hidden behind them. Grady wiped his tears with his sleeve, trying to fight the tears back.

"Thank you." Grady breathed.

Maria nodded, squeezing their hands one more time before sipping the rest of her tea and standing up. Sophie carefully crossed past the kitchen, pretending she had just got there. She hooked elbows with her aunt, smiling gently at her, "Ready?"

Maria sighed, her head dropping to her niece's shoulder, "I need to my wife and little Lilac again. And my shop."

The Inner Circle gathered behind them, giving quick goodbyes before rushing back to Inalia.

Five minutes later, two Elven Council officials were at the Havenfield front door, stating they were to search the premises.

But they never found a trace of the Ruewen's daughter or her comrades.

Sophie had never seen the Guildhall so lively in her life. The Assassins hounded Maria and Ruy, crying tears of joy with their return. They partied well into the morning, their reserves of booze damn near empty in the morning. Sophie had a drinking contest with Gaele and Kylo, out drinking Kylo but tapping out one drink before Fiona. She had sung for the first time in years, screaming bawdy tunes and shanties while wildly dancing with her family.

She woke up with a splitting headache, draped not in her bed the couch in the parlor. Alexios was also passed out on the floor beside her, Nour groaning from his spot in the bay window.

"How much did we drink last night?" Nour groaned, rubbing his temples. Alexios answered with a muffled groggy voice, his face still squished against the carpet.

"I just remember Gaele out drinking me and loosing 25 gold." Sophie hissed as she swung up from the couch. Hauling her brother to his feet, she and Nour hauled him to the bathroom before he spewed his guts on Maria's imported rug.

Making some of Maria's hangover cure, a jumble of tea and dry toast, Sophie dragged her feet to her office, nearly tripping over her armor laying haphazardly on the floor. Sophie stared at the pile of paperwork on her desk, losing any sort of motivation when she saw another stack right behind it. So, she instead dug for a clean piece of parchment, uncapping her pen and scribbling down a to-do list.

Figure out who the journal belongs to.

Find a way to unlock the other gates in the Observatory

Get a report from the Spartans protecting the Ancient Vatarians

Figure out Pater's secret circle of spies. Not even Leto or Maria knew about them? Blur had to be one.

Find the rest of the artifacts. We already have the glasses, crown, and the key. But only the crown is awake.

Get dress for Mansi's wedding.

Locate Eira and Halvar

Get eggs and milk.

Give Ricin a bath.

Sophie stared at the list, waiting for it to give her the motivation to do any of that. A gentle knock rapped at her door, Ruy peeking in. He whistled at her paperwork towers, hugging her from behind as he looked at her list.

"You are clearly a busy girl. So you wouldn't have the time for whatever I have to say-"

"No! No please, I would rather do anything but this." Sophie whined. Ruy rolled his eyes, holding out a letter.

"I sent to my father, telling them I was alive and why I was being held. They just sent back. I can practically feel the relief through the letter." Sophie took the letter, skimming over it. Ruy pointed to the scribbling at the bottom in Sarai's lettering.

"Tell that girl of yours that I would love to host a dinner to get to know her better. Even Dorian is on board. Don't worry, I haven't told him yet. But this would be a great chance to create an official alliance between the Guild and Dunmer royalty, while also getting to know Miss Amalia better. Just a suggestion. Also, remember to drink more water. You always forget too. Love, Sarai."

Sophie gaped, looking up to Ruy, "Your parents want to meet me?"

Ruy shrugged, "Well, my mom wants to meet you. I haven't really told me dad yet."

Sophie smiled up at him, Ruy blinking and coughing, "What?"

Sophie smirked, turning back to the letter, "You called Sarai mom."

Ruy reddened, "No I did not."

"Yes you did!" Sophie sung. Ruy rolled his eyes, snatching the letter back. "Whatever. Well, what do you say? It might be a good chance to have my dad warm up to you as well."

Sophie smiled up at him, wrapping her arms around him, "I could be persuaded."

Ruy smirked, pretending to think about it for a moment before leaning down to connect their lips. Sophie held him tight, smiling against his lips. Ruy gently leaned down, picking her up as if she were weightless. He dropped onto the couch, Sophie still in his lap as they reunited their lips. Sophie's hands beginning to drift up from his waist to the buttons of his shirt, carefully undoing them as Ruy separated their lips. His eyes were wide, words failing him as Sophie reunited them with even more ferocity-

"Amalia, dear? Are you busy?" Maria asked from outside her door. Sophie and Ruy flew apart, Sophie tripping over her own feet to scramble back to her desk, swinging into her swivel chair. Ruy patted his cheeks, trying to get rid of the dark red color against his dark skin, buttoning up his shirt.

"Come in." Sophie called out.

Maria Morretti walked in to Sophie sitting in her cushioned chair. Ruy pointed at a document studiously, the perfect image of the two of them discussing business matters.

"Oh, hello Ruy. I did not know you were in here." She said, adjusting her big stack of books with one arm. Ruy noticed she was struggling and took the books from her, pulling up a chair for her beside his girlfriend's desk.

"He was just helping me decide where to station our new recruits for their patrols. What do you need?"

Maria sat, motioning for Ruy to hand her back the stack. She held up C.E's journal, stating, "It was one of my locks. I got it open."

Sophie took it, running her thumb over the nail crevices in the leather cover.

"Well?"

But Maria shook her head, "Good news and bad news. Bad news is that isn't Blur's journal. However, It is one of our Assassin issued journals from your father's reign over the guild, so I was able to open the lock." Maria's face was dark, "It does hold the name of your another of your father's spies."

Sophie opened the cover, skimming through the pages for a name. It was full of notes and scribbles, but then her eyes snagged on the name of the owner. Long paragraphs of the Morretti family and their secrets, and Sophie could practically see their handwriting the secrets inked into the pages.

Sophie nearly dropped to her knees then and there.

"I have to go." She breathed, turning on her heel and sprinting out the Guildhall.