The Frostguards opened the gates for Ian'drah, they've been informed to always do so for any associates of the Silver Lady and he is a well-known associate.
He stormed inside the Hall and surprisingly, he first saw Amanita Graygreen ready to exit the Dirge-Clam Palace with her grey eyes cemented on him in concern.
"Well isn't it Dirgefolk's Dread, what's wrong? You look as if even sunlight would fear to touch you." she approached the silent Sailor, hesitant at first but she still cupped his cheek.
"What are you doing here Nita, Aren't you supposed to seat the Graygreen throne?" Ian asked, infected by Amanita's calm.
"Provincial affairs, I had to talk to Drina's father to grant me an audience with the Ocmenian Diplomat later at dusk." she scanned The Sailor, worried why his nerves peeks visibly through his sweat-drenched tiredness, she could even whiff a hint of familiar chemicals from him.
"You mean Laguna Fucking Gazhafina?" Ian spat out the name in disgusted spite.
"How did you know his name? And what's with the grudge I sense?"
"If you're looking for the young Blackmercy, he's not here." Drina's voice echoed from the staircase above as she descends down to them. The Gray Lady's nose wrinkled in criticism of the Silver Lady's perfume, she knows that she could brew one a hundred-fold better.
"Well Ian, are you planning to trash the palace the same way you did with the plaza? Word travels fast on ice if you only knew." Drina engaged her 'lover' to answer.
"No, I was just about to escort Nita out of Dirge." Ian excused.
"Oh? I thought you wanted to know where Sion is?" Drina provoked. Amanita looked at Ian'drah with brows furrowed, now made aware as to why he looked mad.
"No we're actually just about to leave, thank you for attending to me in the court earlier Drina." Amanita rode the Sailor's tide, she bowed gracefully, taking Ian's arm to march out to the doors but was stopped by the Silver Lady.
"Ian'drah-" Drina snaked her arms around Ian's.
"See you later." The Silver Lady placed a kiss on the Sailor's cheek before glaring knowingly at Nita afterward as she retreats.
"Alright then." Ian managed a smile to bid a farewell to the matron.
"Safe travels Amanita." the Silver Lady left them.
As soon as the palace doors closed behind them Amanita sighed relief.
They descended down the stairs past the boat snouts and statues where Nita pulled Ian to the garden-side under the trees.
"So if I didn't cross paths with you then you would have wreacked havoc in the palace to find Sion? why? Did he fled away?"
"With that damned Ocmenian Diplomat... "
"You really mean to say that he who is the entity of peace is where all your scorn is currently directed to?"
"Tsk..."
"Well that clarifies everything." Amanita smiled sheepishly, patting Ian's head regardless of the volcanic anger within him.
She stood on tip-toes to near her lips over the Sailor's ear and whispered: "Too bad that he is handsomely ravishing and taller, I heard that Dessert-borns have the longest 'length' in all the four continents."
She leaned back, licking her lips in front of her soon to explode friend.
"But see the bright side Sailor, next time you'll see Sion, he won't be able to run fast the same way he did. If you know what I mean.. ." She winked, earning herself a freshly conjured ice dagger against her neck.
"You evil witch... " Ian raged in through gritted teeth, if any Graygreen guards witnessed what he just did, he would be spending his last days in a prison cell.
"Uhm ouch? Is a little rivalry giving rise to my little sailor's anger?" Amanita mocked slyly.
"Diarthe curse you Nita, From the Inferno and back."
"Oh wow, calm down love, I still put you in the same ship with Sion so don't fret like a whale." Amanita ceased her teasing.
"I'm just stating that- we shouldn't be denying how he could be cruising on someone else's ship at the moment."
Ian released the royalty, the expression on his face changing faster than the polar winds.
"But do you think they'll take him away from me?" The sailor's words rode the tide between rage and weakness, looking down the snowy ground in blank despondence.
"You've known him longer than anyone, you see right through his heart like it's made of glass and I know that the same goes for him. He won't leave you, love."
"Heart made of glass you say..." It was there when he felt defeated. He opened his palms only to see deep crimson crescents engraved over the paleness.
"Let the blue skies take away your doubt, I'm confident that he'll come back in your grasl soon." Amanita smiled, a few moments later and some salty tears landed on the sailor's palms. He had never felt so tired before in his life so when Amanita took her in for an embrace, he just stood still.
"Just let it sail love, I swear he'll be back again soon." She whispered while patting on his large back. Unbeknownst to them how from a far window above, the Silver Lady watches, looking at their distorted figure through her emptied glass.
She turned away, treading the carpets of the annex with subtle footsteps, feeling a sting in her chest. She wants to sob like a broken harp but decided not to when she heard a much more disturbing noise resounding from somewhere.
She walked to the end of the annex's hallway where she heard it clearer. Now she's well aware where it is coming from, leaning down she placed her ear by the wooden wall of the Diplomat's room to eavesdrop.
She started to hear some mumbles, then there emerged sounds of muffled grunting, noises deep in struggle, followed by a deeper voice.
"Just concentrate... and keep still."
It sounded like the Diplomat, but she wonders who he is conversing with and why he sounds aggressive.
"help!"
She was certain she just heard Sion's cry. Then there was a series of continuous hits on the floor arisen by a groan from Sion. Seconds later the sounds stopped followed by a low panting of exhaustion.
"May I help you Lady?" Drina was startled when an old woman tapped her shoulder, she turned to meet the eyes of an old bald lady looking at her conspicuously.
"Did your lords ever not teach you to mind your own business? For a Sovenian you are ill-mannered and much more ill for serving under the 'other species'." Drina crossed her arms.
"Pardon me, lady, if I attended to you even if it's not my business, but with all due respect, I think you should also be mindful of others' privacy." Hildred meekly smiled. Drina leaned dangerously close to her.
"Watch your tongue kin, disturb me more and your words will know respect." Drina whispered sweetly. "That's if you'll still have a tongue to use." She returned the old woman's meek smile.
"My apologies." Hildred bowed her head, giving Drina a view of her tattooed head which was seen in disgust.
"Go." Drina dismissed her, making sure the slave is returning to her chamber. When Hildred was out of sight, Drina took a deep breath and barged inside the Diplomat's room.
Her speculations were almost correct, except they weren't doing anything explicit in particular. Laguna stood up from the table to acknowledge Drina's presence while Sion remained seated while blowing air down his palms.
"Laguna, I wasn't aware that you'll be taking in visitors in the palace" Drina casually spoke.
"Oh am I required to deliver invitations first?" Laguna said in a relaxed manner, he is confident of his knowledge of rights and laws from any lands and he knows he isn't breaking any of it.
"Not really..." Drina replied. "But you should at least inform us initially so we won't be worried of who could just go in and out of the palace freely." She lectured.
"But you yourself said that you know him by name, and who would not recognize the son of Miriam Blackmercy-" Laguna counter-argued.
"If he is simply unforgettable?" He added, Sion hurriedly stood up to bowed at Drina, looking at Laguna with a blush on his face afterward.
"But be mindful that your 'Nightshade Heroine' is not highly commended in our country. Regardless, all I ask is your full cooperation to keep your affairs smooth and transparent in the duration of your stay. As much as possible"
"That you have from me, I'm grateful for your concern Silver Lady." Laguna held his chest, bowing down before her.
"Thank you for heeding me out, Diplomat, now if you'll excuse me." Drina left them shortly.
"So, do you think you could conjure up flames this time?" Laguna inquired in optimism, highly contrasting his dark and enormous appearance.
"I think we should practice someplace else, I kept on burning the floor with the tiny sparks..." Sion scratched his head, stepping on the black spots he made to cover them.
"Yes, that we should. We can go to Hildred's chambers and let her teach you, at least the floor there is of cold stone."
"She knows pyromancy? I thought she's just a pharmacist?"
"Oh don't always believe that Old Crone, woman's full of surprises."
"She looks the type." Sion walked besides Laguna as they head towards the lower Chambers. "So... can she really access mentalities like what you joked before?"
"That's just a little conspiracy of mine, because most of the time Grandma would speak of your mind's concerns before you could even say them to her."
"I don't buy that, but how so?"
"One time, I caught a disease after returning from a diplomatic visit on the Swamp lands, then before I could knock on her door, she opened it, asking if I had been coughing recently."
"No, that seems instinctual, what else?"
"Uhm, that time when I was almost poisoned by a Zhoutanian diplomat, she took my drink and spilled it at the window when the Zhoutanian wasn't looking."
"That's an alchemist's instinct, I'm still not convinced."
"How about one night, when we were gambling at the Crystal Bazaar in disguise, she knew everyone's bets, even the arbiter's?! You should believe me, she even wrapped a coat around me earlier because she knew I was cold, you saw that!"
"Maybe she's just a good gambler and a good grandmother?" They finally reached the lower chambers and Sion is still not convinced.
Laguna was about to knock on the door but it was opened by Hildred herself.
"My precious little Apple Plum wants to learn magic?" She smiled at Sion, both brows raised and arms wide open.
"Queen Ingrid help us, you were right." Sion softly muttered to Laguna.
"I'm sorry sweetheart but I'm about to leave and meet your mother, perhaps it is perfect that you're here so you can accompany us to your home before I can teach you?" Hildred warmly suggests.
"Oh Mum went away last night, I don't know where but she may not be at home at the moment."
"That's fine I just want to see where she's been living in all these years, could you guide us there darling?" She spoke sweetly while pouting.
"Eh yes, I could." Sion raised his brow at Laguna, the Diplomat just raised his shoulders.
"Oh aren't you the most adorable thing!" Hildred pulled Sion in a tight embrace, surprised with how strong she could hug.
"Please wed my Grandson instead. I want to have someone as precious as you in the palace until I die of old age!" She begged and whispered as she squeezes him tighter.
"Oh Mazvamia! Aldez!" Laguna stared unbelievably at her.
(Oh Grandmother! Shut up!)
"Mye'guth Im dalna? Hant ohk shalvo gnitemo bod? Ja ko tihva Haniio ibot Jad Sanko?"
(Why? Did I say something wrong? You dont desire to have him as your husband?)
"K-ko!? Mye'guth ko Mazvamia?" Laguna's cheek reddened like lava.
(N-no!? Why not grandmother?)
"Adut, Im katu saherab- ko hant dimoz Unma lih."
(Great, I thought so too- so don't worry young one.)