"I am personally of the opinion that the late Aristotukuna's Imperial Freedom touches on what you are talking about more accurately. With far sounder reasoning behind it." I input to the somewhat distracted senator I've found myself talking to.
"I get where you are coming from, having so freshly read it, but, I cannot help but feel it is detached. This was a man who abhorred firm-handed governance yet he made a series of page-bound lectures all but arguing for its usage?"
"The Inability to Look at Oneself without a Mirror would make a good follow-up read for you then, Senator." I tell him before I begin to take a sip from my drink, a lower-born individual approaching me as I do so.
"Lord Burspharosa, you have an urgent delivery." he explains and I raise my brow at it. Deliveries should be made to my senatorial residence or any other of my properties. Not here at the senate building itself!
I put my arm around the briefly-important man and move to guide him away, "Who has come to give it to me?"
"One of your members of staff, Lord Burspharosa." he answers as I take my grip off of him and walk ahead.
"You there, guards, I require some isolation." I order the highest-ranking member of the immediate senatorial soldiers. The ornate man quickly salutes and rushes off to gather those he can and I hand off my drink to a passing-by servant.
Gently fiddling with my storied sash, I walk the increasingly quiet halls with a hand to my chin. This has to be one of my informants, only they would be so eager as to bypass traditional means to get something for me. However, being so blatant with their mission may prove to be troublesome. Lord Burspharosa having something urgently delivered to him in such populous grounds?
My opponents in the Senate will be paying close attention so hopefully, it is something mild, something I can play off. Regardless, however, I will need to falsely scold the one handing over whatever it is. There is at least credit to such behaviour, coming directly onto Senate grounds with anything but scrolls and letters is disrespectful to the institution. These halls are for Eusorochii's grandest politicians and the discussion of its most influential laws and events.
I turn a corner just as a member of the senatorial guard gets on the nerves of one of those he protects.
"What is the meaning of this? Move aside so that I may enter my office!" the senator complains as he emphasises the documents and minor supplies in his grip.
"Oh, yes, my office." I remark quietly as I spot an out of place man who perks up at my sight.
"Lord Burspharosa! Lord Burspharosa!" the deliverer speaks out of turn as he rushes up to me, putting the guards on edge.
"All of you stop!" I call out before a weapon punctures whatever it is this man is holding in his arms. Taking it into my own grip, I bring the man aside into the shadow of a grooved marble pillar. Matching the gaze of another senator, they walk away without a word before I look down at the hefty square.
"I'm sorry for coming to you like this, Lord Burspharosa..." the man answers as he bows timidly, moving away before his short breath catches up with him.
"I more so want to know why you come to me like this." I say slowly as I feel out the edge and interior of my package through the covering, miserably protective paper. Hard edges with distinct grooves and a softer, bumpier centre, this wouldn't look out of place on a wall. A painting.
The man backs up, his memory alight with its digging claws whilst his mouth mutters, "The... The price of jewellery has gone up by a shaving."
My eyes narrow and harden, I nod slightly and leave the man to go off elsewhere. I need to get this to my office, any shows or displays can wait. Those watching me need to be avoided now and I have to find someone I can trust to assemble those who can also be trusted. Though, with my heart shaking somewhat my door may remain locked for a moment.
Grabbing the barely thought-about treasure I call a door handle, I pull it down and slip by. With a click that is only amplified by the rumbling of the beautiful thunder, I put the package down. Pacing about my office initially, I turn to my magically sealed cabinet of sensitive information. Taking the moment to look disgracefully scruffy, I take up the package once more.
Each tear is like nails on a chalkboard, each bit of colour coming through to me uncomfortably blinding. Walking through and over the mess, I head around to my chair and lean back into it. My eyes on the contents of the painting, a woman, of lusterously golden skin and hair. Nearly a statue of the Imperial Palace's wealthiest chambers.
"Bosphama." I go before I put the painting down and rise up. Applying my magic to the seal, I open my cabinet and move some useless display things about until I reach a hidden album. Pulling it out, I give it a gentle dusting and offer a quiet prayer to the name on this acquired piece. The Bosphama clan's heraldry is proudly displayed on it with the clear signs of a child's artistic drive afflicting it further.
When news first arrived to me of The Lady Bosphama's attempts to garner all the funds she could, I couldn't help but exploit it. Toeholds for me to further strengthen my claim even if not directly. One purchase happened to be an old family retreat of the Bosphamas, fallen to disrepair and dust-collecting but not cleaned of its treasures. The hastiness of The Lady Bosphama has given me such a good point of reference, now that I have what I have now.
"This is terrifyingly worrisome." I remark as I hold a small picture of a smiling, happy Lady-Heir next to that which I have now. Copper has made way for gold and the Orbital-Halo has tanned her skin from pale to thunder.
The rumours of gold that started after the tales of Boisenmarck's death, that letter I received from that once back-of-the-mind port. In golden letters her name, the Lady-Heir, Einervaene Bosphama and now this. I check the signature of the painting and apply my magic to it at a very specific strength. The fancily written name glows like the active sky and dims down.
"Lloudourerpan." I go as one of my best informants comes to mind, when the rumours started centring around Uenfarmao, I sent him there. He is but one of many there and scattered across the region but I was getting complacent, clearly. Reports, so much of them saying this golden light is lingering and now I have proof it is something that can so easily undo me.
I need to ensure that either The Lady Bosphama is taken elsewhere soon or that the Lady-Heir is delayed in meeting her. If they reunite... A slow breath leaves my nose and my mind struggles to comprehend what it is seeing. So vividly and clearly I recall spotting that spark of blue from the Lady-Heir when she was young.
Choosing not to lose myself in worry, I cover the painting and pick up my mess. Restoring my appearance to how it should be in public and really in private as well, I unlock the door. Handing over the paper to a nearby, clearly not busy gossiper of a servant, I glance around. Someone from my faction, someone I can trust even with such simple matters of assembly.
Senator Atriagii.
"Senator, a word!" I call out to the passing man of low political standing.
"Lord Burspharosa, how can I help you?" the man eagerly answers as my support for him dominates his mind.
"I require you to find and get me senators Beraragatou, Deohiur and Azukotsipra." I explain, handing over a series of marked tokens for him to bear when they confirm it was me calling for them. Senator Atriagii might not understand this, being so unincluded in my inner circle, but, he doesn't need to know, only do.
"Of course, Lord Burspharosa." he tells me with an eager nod before he speeds off to check their most likely places. He is most likely going to check the main hall and then their residences, however, the hall is vast and this grand building is even more so. May the God of Luck smile favourably on me in this time of urgency.
Heading into the main chamber in the event Senator Atriagii's eyes pass over them, I walk down the out-of-session room. Eyeing the clusters of senators and their discussions, a few move out of their seats as I find myself lingering near them. Sitting down on the warm cushions, wood and stone, a finger comes to the space beneath my nose. Senator Deohiur appears at the edge of one crowd and his head happens to turn my way.
I gesture him to come and his posture picks up the slacking toga, with a degree of dignity, he approaches.
"Lord Burspharosa." Senator Deohiur greets respectfully with the bow of his head. His finely flattened and combed hair holds its shape still with the help of the golden pins in it.
"Sit, please." I tell him and he does so, by my guidance, right next to me despite the normal preference to sit one spot away when it can be helped.
"I am assembling the heads of my faction, my plans have taken a sudden gash and we need to correct for it."
"In greater privacy." Senator Deohiur rightfully cautions as we share the same direction to look in. Some of our opponents have taken notice, though, they are not too capable with their ability to hide it. The distance between us and the ambience of those speaking within here, however, does mean we are safe to converse. If only a little.
"I have received information that makes it imperative that we get The Lady Bosphama out of her keep."
"We are already trying to offer deals and concessions to those amongst the investigation."
"Trying is a thing of the past, we must do. If the Lady-Heir reaches her home, all shall come undone."
"For you." Senator Deohiur threatens to joke and I turn to him with an unyielding eye as my power overbears him for a moment. The sky opens up with a roar and suspicions from others move away from me.
"Our net is complex and our efforts obvious, one heavy weight and it all falls apart, sticking to it before it clatters." I warn him so that he is fully aware if he thinks his name being something lesser than Burspharosa means anything.
"It is a rare thing to see the stone that is you weep in terror." Deohiur remarks as his brow furrows alongside the clench of his cloth-bearing hand.
"An artist I frequently go to has created such a beautiful painting. You'd think it's gold." I tell him as some less-than-friendly senators walk by us.
"Gold is a little too much for me sometimes, it's so, everywhere." Deohiur says as he flicks a small bolt of lightning from his finger towards one of the metal lamps.
"Senator Deohiur, no magic in the Grand Chamber, you will not be warned again!" a senatorial guard calls out as the obvious show is caught. Deohiur looks my way with a little smirk, happy he's proved his point.
"Like that warning, this painting is quite dangerous. Prophetically so." I say as I keep and ear open for those who have moved in behind us.
"Perhaps some air?" Deohiur suggests as he rises. I contemplate it briefly and emulate him, taking the lead with my first step onto the stairs out of here.
"Nothing is planned to occur?" I ask, just in case we happen to be moving at a bad time. For a building filled with elderly men, it can be quite refinedly childish every other moment.
"No, if something does happen, they'll find us." Deohiur answers as he holds the door for no physically practical use.
Quickly looking around, "Senator Beraragatou and Senator Azukotsipra are being searched for. Once enough time passes, we shall see the confines of my office til dusk."
"A long time to discuss something that needs to be acted upon with great immediacy."
"With the gravity of the situation, I need people to know what it is like to fall with an island into the wet abyss below." I say to him as I take a pair of drinks from a servant we happen to come across.
"Not my favourite from the cellars, but, it will do." Deohiur states as he takes a moment to catch the nuances of its scent.
"The rumours from Uenfarmao are true and more worrisome than even I can grasp." I explain as I near-enough down my drink in one mouthful. Steadily feeding it down my alcohol-burning throat in little, sip-like swallows.
"That should be impossible, the Lady-Heir is not that powerful. No one can be so after so little time." Deohiur rightly points out as the colour copper likely comes to his mind like it is mine. His son, one of them, I recall wrote a poem about the Bosphama Lady-Heir's hair. Before all that came to be did, she was a very desirable option to link up the power of clans.
"Whatever she has done, it has changed her into something beyond what we should be considering possible."
"A sea-dragon king comes up into harbours bit by bit for gruesome profit and an island is saved of all things." Deohiur recalls as we find a large open space to look out of. The wind gently blows against us and I look up towards the noisy sky as it lights up in such a way as to coil down the building. Its masterful art comes to life and the automotive statues change position, though, not to my favourite.
"It is imperative we get this investigation knocked up in pace. The Lady Bosphama -must- not be able to reunite with her daughter." I tell him after checking our surroundings. For the moment, all is clear.
Deohiur looks towards me with a slight turn, "The first round of evidence is due soon."
"Let us all hope there is enough that can be called incriminating." I comment as I lean onto the stone. Reaching out into the sky with my power, I vent some of my frustrations against the storm clouds. At the very least, toying with such forces will ease my mind a little.
A great bolt snaps back at me, shoving away my meagre touch and I am left in awe. Though it is not alive and cannot act like we can, the skies above this land are more powerful than any one of us. For all of our efforts, the Lightning Mountain remains indomitable and fickle. But, maybe one day, a day when the name of Burspharosa can earn its crown from the hard work of Ancient Thunder.