Mikhail stood in his research carriage's expanded interior, watching the steady rhythm of his father's breathing in the healing pod. Aurora, currently in her human guise, materialised beside him.
"She noticed me earlier, Mika," Aurora said, a hint of mischief in her voice. Somehow without even noticing Mikhail had taken to this new nickname without even giving it a moment's thought. "Just a glimpse - a strange woman walking in and out of your research carriage before vanishing. Poor Lydia looked quite puzzled."
"You did that deliberately." Mikhail shook his head, though he couldn't quite hide his smile.
"Of course. She deserves to know the truth, Mika. She's proven herself a hundred times over."
Mikhail considered this for a moment, then nodded. "I'll send for her."
Minutes later, Lydia arrived, her usual efficient manner slightly hesitant as she entered the research carriage. The interior was larger than it appeared from the outside, just like Mikhail's magically expanded personal carriage. Lydia paused just inside the doorway, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings.
"Please, come in and close the door behind you," Mikhail said, his tone gentle but serious.
Lydia obeyed, her gaze sweeping the carriage's interior. It was far more expansive than she had expected, filled with workstations, scientific equipment, and shelves of books and scrolls. Lydia's curiosity was piqued, but there was an underlying tension in the air that made her instinctively cautious.
"You asked to see me, Your Highness?" she ventured, her eyes settling on Mikhail.
He met her gaze steadily. "What I'm about to show you may... be quite shocking," he said, weighing his words carefully. "But I felt it was time you knew the full truth."
Lydia's brow furrowed slightly, her composure still intact but a thread of unease beginning to wind through her. Mikhail turned and gestured for her to follow, leading her through a doorway and into a separate, more secluded chamber.
It was here that Lydia first caught sight of the healing pod, its occupant immediately recognisable despite the peaceful, restful expression on his face. Lydia's eyes widened, her breath catching in her throat as the realisation dawned.
"Is that..." she whispered, her voice barely audible. For once, her perfect composure cracked completely.
Mikhail nodded solemnly. "The Emperor," he confirmed. "He is under my protection. It was time you knew," Mikhail said. "You've served faithfully, kept my secrets, managed my household with discretion and loyalty. You deserve the full truth."
"The Emperor's disappearance," Lydia whispered. "It was you."
"Yes. He was being poisoned, Lydia. The 'healers' were ensuring he would never recover. I had to act."
"And now?"
"Now we heal him. Properly." Mikhail gestured to the pod. "He grows stronger each day."
Lydia finally tore her gaze from the Emperor to look at Mikhail. "Why tell me this?"
"Because I trust you," Mikhail replied simply. "Because you've earned this truth. And because I'll need someone I can rely on absolutely in the days ahead."
"Like your mysterious beautiful friend?" Lydia asked, a hint of her usual practicality returning. "The one I saw earlier?"
Aurora's human form shimmered slightly as she reappeared next to Mikhail, smiling. "I wondered if you'd mention that."
"I've learned to notice things," Lydia said. "Working in noble households teaches you to observe without being observed. Though I admit, you are... striking."
Aurora let her disguise fade briefly, revealing her true radiant form before returning to her human appearance. Lydia gasped.
"What... what are you?"
"A friend," Aurora replied. "A protector. Sometimes," she glanced at Mikhail, "a conscience."
Lydia took a moment to absorb this, then straightened her shoulders. "Your Highness, you saved me when my family fell," she said to Mikhail. "Gave me purpose when I had nothing. My loyalty has always been yours, my Prince. That will never change."
~~~ ~~~ ~~~
Meanwhile, in Mikhail's living quarters carriage, an entirely different scene was unfolding.
Aria and Valerie sat in the cozy library nook, sharing their third bottle of elvish wine as they waited for Mikhail's perpetually delayed appearance.
"The wyvern training nearly broke me," Valerie was saying, her usual scholarly reserve softened by wine. "Sixteen hours a day in the saddle, learning their moods, their hunting patterns. The burns from their heat vents took months to heal."
"Try earth magic cultivation," Aria countered, swirling her glass. "House Terra believes in learning through immersion. They buried me in consecrated soil for a week. A week! Said it would help me 'understand the elements.'"
"Did it?"
"Mostly helped me understand how much I hate dirt. But, yes, it did actually work."
They shared a brief laugh, more wine than humour, before remembering they weren't supposed to be friendly.
Bella sat nearby, completely enthralled. "That sounds so fantastic! Well, not the dirt part. Or the burns. But training with noble house magics! Was there at least nice clothing involved?"
"Practical riding leathers," Valerie said drily.
"Mud-caked robes," Aria added.
"Oh." Bella's face fell slightly. "But surely there were balls and ceremonies after?"
"When we could stand upright," Valerie admitted.
"If we washed all the dirt off," Aria agreed.
They glanced at each other, a moment of mutual understanding passing between them.
"This is ridiculous," Valerie finally said. "Fighting over him like we're characters in some court romance."
"Agreed. It's beneath us both." Aria set down her glass. "I propose a truce. Not friendship - let's not get carried away. But..."
"Civility," Valerie finished. "For his sake, if nothing else. Our bickering only adds to his burdens."
"And distracts from more important matters."
They shared another look, this one sharp with intelligence despite the wine. Both had noticed things about the research carriage, about Mikhail's behaviour. Both had questions. But those could wait.
"To civility," Aria raised her glass.
"To civility," Valerie echoed. "And to never being buried in dirt again."
"Or burned by wyverns."
Bella sighed happily. "This isn't at all like what I read in 'The Lady's Guide to Noble Romance'! There's too much dirt in your stories… and burns... and... waiting." She looked around hopefully. "His Highness is very late."
"Very," both women agreed, reaching for the wine again.
~~~ ~~~ ~~~
In the research carriage, Mikhail finished explaining everything to Lydia - well, almost everything.
Some secrets would keep for another day. But as he watched her process the truth, saw her practical mind already working on ways to help, he knew he'd made the right choice.
"Thank you," he said quietly. "For everything."
Lydia smiled. "Thank you for trusting me, Your Highness. Now, shall we discuss how to better organise this deception? Your schedule needs serious revision if we're to maintain proper security."
Aurora laughed. "Told you she was the right choice, Mika. I knew I was right!"
"You usually are," Mikhail admitted. And for just a moment, in this carriage with his unconscious father and two of his most trusted allies, he felt something close to peace.
Lydia raised an eyebrow slightly when she heard Aurora say "Mika" but quickly regained her mask of professionalism. Then she mentioned the time, and he remembered he was very, very late for a meeting with Aria and Valerie.
"They're going to kill me," he muttered.
"Oh, they've found ways to pass the time," Aurora said mysteriously, her eyes twinkling with familiar mischief.