Chapter 223: Seeing a Friend

Climbing back into the carriage, Isis lazily leaned against the door. She had done nothing but sit there, smiling, making herself look pretty, but, much like every other time, she was tired. It was better than the times she was told to cry or give a long-winded sob story, but it was still exhausting to force herself to hold her smile whilst dressed in an outfit she hated. Sighing, she couldn't even be bothered to put up an appearance for Justinian and unconsciously spoke the question she had always been thinking.

"What comes after this?" Straightening up, realising her mistake, she saw Justinian staring out the window, his ring finger tapping against his temple as if in deep thought. He definitely heard her, and she couldn't help but be confused about why he suddenly had no answer. Every other time she asked things, he would shut her down or provide a strange half-answer, but for once he was silent.

"Your hair." When he finally spoke, it was something else: "Are you really from Veston?" Isis tilted her head as he continued to stare out the window. "And the name isn't Vestonian either. The butler isn't Lunarian by blood; I know that much, but you have hair like a Lunarian's, albeit different. I had thought for a while you dyed your hair white hearing about them from him, but after so long I know that isn't the case, so who are you? Because the hair colour is rare. So much like a Lunarian, but not. Your eyes are blue as well, completely mismatched to what they should be as well."

"I don't know," Isis said under her breath, her hand reaching up to her hair and lovingly touching it, remembering her mother's white hair. "And I was named after my mother's friend."

"I am unsure," Justinian said, his bouncing finger finally coming to a stop. "I have wondered what to do with you after this is all done. Part of me is willing to send you off. After all, what purpose do you have after the war is over? But then I thought about it. Lunarians are highly protective of their kin, and their features are rare in people. White hair, like a Lunarian's, would be desired." Isis felt her skin crawl as he casually spoke, "Many would desire a person with it. What do you want?" He finally turned to her.

"To leave," Isis replied with a subtle pleading. "To carry on filling my journal and forgetting everything I have done."

"Yes, but." Justinian clicked his tongue and shook his head. "It feels like a waste." Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he said, "I don't know yet; I really don't."

"Please?" Under her breath, she asked. Justinian let out a small exhale and rubbed his eyes, shaking his head.

"Don't make me repeat myself." With a sharp tone, Isis knew to stop pestering for an answer. "This question can wait for when Cras has been conquered. In the meantime." Reaching under his chair and pulling out a large ledger, Justinian flipped it open and began to read, his expression annoyed with whatever he was seeing. "Tomorrow, the day after and the day after that, I need you to meet a few more people."

Flipping the ledger over, Isis's eyes widened in amazement at the massive amount of data stored in it. It wasn't simply a calendar of meetings and events, but a compressed file of numbers, names, important events and people. Even if she tried to read half of it to understand Justinian a little better, it wasn't possible; the information she read needed more information than was written to understand.

"That one I need you sad; for her we have to dirty your looks, and finally, for them, a cuter look rather than mature." Closing the ledger, he slid it back underneath his seat and took a deep breath, muttering under his breath when he looked out the window, "So tiring."

Isis stared at him for a moment, finally turning to look out the window, finding herself agreeing with his mutterings. "So for today then?"

"You can see Seth. I am far too busy today to entertain you." Isis nodded and looked away, making sure to hide her real smile at the thought of seeing Seth. Although she knew they wouldn't be alone; Justinian people were always close by, keeping watch, it was still better than being locked up in the manor.

The rest of the ride was silent. Arriving outside a different manor from Justinian's personal one, he opened the door for Isis. "Return by midnight. I am sure you can do it yourself." With a firm nod, he gave a thin smile and closed the door after she stepped out. Marching her way forward and throwing the front door open, she ran up the steps towards a room in the far corner in the back of the manor.

A strange smell flooded the halls as she approached the door, but it was one Isis had gotten used to, knowing it was Seth crafting artefacts. Slowing down, she took a deep breat hand knocked on the door. The faint sound within the room came to a stop, followed by footsteps, and upon opening the door, she saw the old man dressed in his usual butler uniform.

"My lady." With a wide grin, he placed a hand on his chest and lowered his head before taking her hand and kissing it back. "You are as gorgeous as ever."

"Thank you, Seth." It was impossible for her to tell if he lied or not. Personally, she knew her looks had gotten worse, from the deep bags to the small amount of fat she had gained, but before Seth, she wondered if there was a single woman he disliked; the old man seemed never able to act his age with his teasing.

"Truly." His snake-like pupil and foggy eye sharpened, turning serious. "I do not lie."

"Can I come in?" Seth smiled and stepped to the side. Looking around, the workshop was a mess of materials and books haphazardly thrown about, with only a single table clean. On it, held up in a stand, she saw a small crossbow halfway through completion, fitted with numerous gems along its side and carved with magnificent runes that looked like ornamental decoration.

It always amazed her to see his skill. She knew Seth was a brilliant artificer, even if she didn't understand much about it herself. "How have you been these days?" Taking a seat back at his desk, he grabbed a monocle and placed it over his foggy eye, a faint blue glow coming from it after he rubbed his finger around the rim. Stepping closer, Isis saw the source of the glow: the tiny runes carved along its rim. They were minuscule, making Isis wonder how someone could write something so small.

Next, he grabbed the blue pen with the white tip by the side and twirled it in his fingers before activating the rune on it and making it glow. Focusing intently on the crossbow, he got to work carefully carving runes into it, making sure they were both perfect and aesthetically pleasing.

"I am trying, Seth." A tired voice escaped Isis's lips as she leaned over Seth, watching the master at work. "The wine is helping me sleep these days, but I need more every night."

"You need to be careful. I've seen what drinking does to people when they live on the bottle their whole life. I'm not talking about them as a person, but their insides. It damages a person in ways you can't see."

"I can't do it any other way."

"I'm not going to stop you. I'm just warning you." Pulling the pen away, he let out a deep breath and fiddled with the monocle, making it glow a little brighter. From the white tip of his pen, a single thin strand of metal popped out when he moved a finger, and he began carving soemhting new, much smaller, unnoticeable if she didn't see him do it.

"I know. It's just tiring." Seth nodded and finished the rune he was working on. Putting the pen down, he took the monocle off and groaned.

"How did teacher never get tired whilst working? I will never know." Saying to himself, he turned around and looked at her. "When was the last time you went outside on your own?"

"Who knows." With a playful grin, he jumped up, moving with vigour a man his age shouldn't have. Clicking his neck, he took her hand and led her out of the workshop.

"Then let us explore for a while."

"You know I can't move around easily. People always stop me on the road when they see me." With a shake of the head, he reached into his bag and pulled out the cold Lunarian mask and lovingly stroked it before handing it to her.

"Just wear this then."

"Are you sure?" Isis asked, knowing what the mask meant. Looking at its black-and-white mask, she took a deep breath. "It's..."

"Isis, just accept. I will take it back, but for a while it is fine." Running his fingers over the silver crystals embedded around the edge, he felt the cold of the mask suddenly vanish. "It's fine now."

"What did you...?"

"Do you know why no one can steal a Lunarian mask and pretend to have been given it? There is strange power in the mask, one that understands inheritance. To hold it is fine, but should someone wear it when they have not been officially given it, the chill in the mask will freeze a person until they become one with the mask, more so with a mask of the martyrs. Go on." Seeing she couldn't reject it any more, Isis carefully slipped the mask on and felt a strange feeling wash over her. It was gentle, like the moonlight given form, and almost had a loving feel to it.

Walking over to the mirror in the corner, she stared at herself. Her piercing blue eyes broke through from behind the slits in the mask, adding an ethereal look to the already otherworldly mask. It sat comfortably, not requiring any straps to hold it in place, sticking to her face. Even when she threw her head forward to try to make it fall, it never did.

"Let us, my lady." Taking her hand and giving an exaggerated bow, Seth laughed, making her chuckle.