Rhea's Office - Early Evening - Cool
Cyril Eisner
It seemed Amalthea was out of the woods, but it was also true that no one was being allowed to see her yet, either. The guards outside her door remained, and thus far, the Archbishop had been silent about all related matters. Now, however, Cyril was once again headed to her office, ostensibly to get his orders for next month, as his students seemed to be a strike force for the Monastery now. He couldn't claim to feel spectacular about that, but at the very least he could try to use the opportunity to get information on the friend they were all missing.
Pausing outside the door, he released a soft sigh and schooled his expression. Emotions seemed to be appearing more easily on his face these days—perhas because he was feeling more of them in general. But he could not afford to get careless and give too much away in front of Rhea. Especially not after the meeting the other day with Mercer, Vridel, and Reynard. He'd known some of his students were highly suspicious of the Church, but the amount of information they'd been able to pull together thus far was astounding. It was easy to see how that cunning and resourcefulness would make the Duke's heir and the Prince excellent rulers one day, and there was no mistaking that Reynard would be a top-class information man, if he wasn't already.
Knocking, he waited until he was granted permission to enter, then stepped inside. Both the Archbishop and Lyanna were present, the latter wearing a slightly pinched expression. Cyril bowed in the customary fashion, then rose without a word. They were seldom required, he'd learned.
“Professor—Cyril." Lyanna spoke first, bowing deeply. “I cannot—I cannot possibly thank you enough for what you've done. Thanks to you, my—my sister is safe. Thank you. So very much." She rose, a smile breaking through her troubled countenance.
Immediately, he shook his head. “I could not have done it without the students. Their investigation was tireless, and their strength formidable." He thought perhaps he could mention that Vridel in particular had not once seemed to think of anything else for the entire two weeks and some, but somehow he had a feeling Lyanna knew that already.
“Of course," she replied softly. “I'll make sure to thank all of them, as well."
“You mentioned her blood, earlier," he said, tilting his head faintly to the side. “What did you mean by that?"
“Her blood is... rare," Lyanna replied, immediately uncomfortable again. “And special. We once went into hiding because of this, but..."
“Her blood is rare and dangerous," Rhea spoke, the smile on her face wavering to something akin to a frown. Her eyes were narrowed towards Lyanna before she continued. “It seems that it was unwise to bring her out of hiding. Perhaps it is best that she go back." It didn't sound like a suggestion, though. It sounded as if Rhea was giving Lyanna an order, and that she was expecting it to be followed by the way her expression seemed to harden.
“She will be kept under watch, you have my word, Lyanna, however; we cannot afford another mishap like this."
Lyanna seemed to deflate at that, very visibly hesitating and biting her tongue, but then she shot a quick look at Cyril, some inchoate request in the green of her eyes, and straightened, rolling her shoulders back. “With all due respect, Archbishop, that's simply infeasible. Amalthea was kidnapped right from the heart of the Monastery grounds, places she had been frequenting long before she was ever permitted to join Professor Cyril's class. What was more, she was taken by a trusted member of the faculty. Keeping her confined to those areas and to contact with those people would have done nothing to prevent her capture."
She paused, there, almost faltering, but pressed on. “What is more... her time in the Professor's class has improved both her confidence and her ability to defend herself. Given that there was at least one traitor in the Monastery, I must ask that she be allowed to complete the class term, that she might better be able to do so in the future. I am certain her teacher and classmates are willing to shoulder any possible additional risk that comes of her proximity. Is that not so?"
Now he understood. He was being asked to provide support. Cyril found he didn't mind this in the least. “The students accept much risk already," he said simply. “One more will not make much difference, in the end."
“Absolutely not," Rhea retorted, sounding almost livid. “Amalthea was taken because she'd exposed herself as much. She even spoke to professor Hanneman of her Crest. You, as well as I do, know that is dangerous in of itself. Who knows whom else she shared that secret with." Rhea's eyes narrowed, dangerously so, at Lyanna.
“Her confidence means very little, as does the means to protect herself. If she was capable of defending herself, she wouldn't have been taken in the first place. If she'd never been exposed, she wouldn't need to learn these things. I would have thought you of all people would understand that, considering she is your..." she paused, almost surprised at what she might have said. “She is your sister. Does her safety mean very little to you, Lyanna?"
That put a fire in Lyanna, no doubt about it. “The danger is precisely why she needs to learn more," she said sharply. “And with all due respect, Archbishop, your knights, who knew she was important, neither protected nor found her. Her friends, who have been left in the dark, have managed both to a much greater degree, and they include the Professor, in whose skill and judgement you have demonstrated such confidence." She gestured to Cyril.
He sensed she had more to say, though, and he wasn't wrong. “What's more, I am her guardian, and it is my responsibility to decide what measures are best for her safety. I cannot, will not treat her as a prisoner a day longer. If she cannot be free here, then we will go elsewhere that she may." She tilted her chin up, defiant but still of moderate pitch and volume.
“So I suppose that choice is yours to make, Rhea, as you can certainly determine what she may do here. You would do well to remember, however, that even your reach only extends so far."
Rhea's eyes narrowed further into an outright glare. “You will do well to remember whom you speak to, Lyanna von Kreuz," she stated, her voice eeriely calm and void. “I will allow Amalthea to continue her training and education with these so called friends of hers. If there is even the slightest hint of a complication, she will go back to her confinement. As for you..." she paused, blinking slightly as her eyes landed on Cyril. Something seemed to snap back for her, though, and she sighed.
“Amalthea will continue to be in your care, Professor. Do see to it that she is taken care of," she spoke, though the anger in her voice did not dissipate. Before anything could be spoken further, though, Hanneman appeared, knocking on the door before letting himself in. “Professor Hanneman," Rhea greeted. Hanneman bowed before glancing towards Cyril, a look of brief confusion crossing his face.
“I've come with an update about Manuela and Monica." He seemed perplexed about something, but didn't say anything about it.
This is really... The girl didn't quite seem to have words for what was going on, and neither did Cyril, honestly. He couldn't imagine trying to exert that much control over Amalthea. Certainly, Lyanna was her sister rather than a parent, but she had a point that those decisions should have been hers to make, as a guardian.
He let the thoughts fade, though, turning to Hanneman when he entered. “How are they?" he asked. A beat, and then: “Monica is... the redheaded girl?"
“Both are recovering well, and yes. Monica is a student from last year's class," Hanneman began, turning his attention towards Cyril. “She went missing just before she would have graduated. It never occured to us that something might have happened to her at the monastery. We assumed she had run away. I never dreamed we'd find her, not like this," he sighed softly. Rhea didn't seem to be affected in any particular way, but she wore a concerned look, regardless if it was genuine or not.
“She has asked to rejoin the Black Eagle House once she has fully recovered. She was awake long enough to convey her wishes. She wants to graduate this year with the others," Hanneman continued, glancing towards Rhea as if asking for permission. She nodded.
“Our enemies are still out there, so we must remain cautious, and continue our investigation."
“After all, the Battle of the Eagle and Lion will be held in Gronder Field next month." Hanneman interjected, seemingly unafraid to do so. That, at least, got a small smile out of Rhea.
“Yes. The students will remember it for the rest of their lives. Please guide them so that they may show us their best at the coming battle."
Cyril recalled mention of this before. It was somewhat like the mock battle, only quite further along in the students' educations and thus considerably more contentious, as he understood it.
Realizing that dismissal was imminent, he inclined his head. “I shall endeavor," he said simply.
Rhea's smile inched slightly wider.
Pausing outside the door, he released a soft sigh and schooled his expression. Emotions seemed to be appearing more easily on his face these days—perhas because he was feeling more of them in general. But he could not afford to get careless and give too much away in front of Rhea. Especially not after the meeting the other day with Mercer, Vridel, and Reynard. He'd known some of his students were highly suspicious of the Church, but the amount of information they'd been able to pull together thus far was astounding. It was easy to see how that cunning and resourcefulness would make the Duke's heir and the Prince excellent rulers one day, and there was no mistaking that Reynard would be a top-class information man, if he wasn't already.
Knocking, he waited until he was granted permission to enter, then stepped inside. Both the Archbishop and Lyanna were present, the latter wearing a slightly pinched expression. Cyril bowed in the customary fashion, then rose without a word. They were seldom required, he'd learned.
“Professor—Cyril." Lyanna spoke first, bowing deeply. “I cannot—I cannot possibly thank you enough for what you've done. Thanks to you, my—my sister is safe. Thank you. So very much." She rose, a smile breaking through her troubled countenance.
Immediately, he shook his head. “I could not have done it without the students. Their investigation was tireless, and their strength formidable." He thought perhaps he could mention that Vridel in particular had not once seemed to think of anything else for the entire two weeks and some, but somehow he had a feeling Lyanna knew that already.
“Of course," she replied softly. “I'll make sure to thank all of them, as well."
“You mentioned her blood, earlier," he said, tilting his head faintly to the side. “What did you mean by that?"
“Her blood is... rare," Lyanna replied, immediately uncomfortable again. “And special. We once went into hiding because of this, but..."
“Her blood is rare and dangerous," Rhea spoke, the smile on her face wavering to something akin to a frown. Her eyes were narrowed towards Lyanna before she continued. “It seems that it was unwise to bring her out of hiding. Perhaps it is best that she go back." It didn't sound like a suggestion, though. It sounded as if Rhea was giving Lyanna an order, and that she was expecting it to be followed by the way her expression seemed to harden.
“She will be kept under watch, you have my word, Lyanna, however; we cannot afford another mishap like this."
Lyanna seemed to deflate at that, very visibly hesitating and biting her tongue, but then she shot a quick look at Cyril, some inchoate request in the green of her eyes, and straightened, rolling her shoulders back. “With all due respect, Archbishop, that's simply infeasible. Amalthea was kidnapped right from the heart of the Monastery grounds, places she had been frequenting long before she was ever permitted to join Professor Cyril's class. What was more, she was taken by a trusted member of the faculty. Keeping her confined to those areas and to contact with those people would have done nothing to prevent her capture."
She paused, there, almost faltering, but pressed on. “What is more... her time in the Professor's class has improved both her confidence and her ability to defend herself. Given that there was at least one traitor in the Monastery, I must ask that she be allowed to complete the class term, that she might better be able to do so in the future. I am certain her teacher and classmates are willing to shoulder any possible additional risk that comes of her proximity. Is that not so?"
Now he understood. He was being asked to provide support. Cyril found he didn't mind this in the least. “The students accept much risk already," he said simply. “One more will not make much difference, in the end."
“Absolutely not," Rhea retorted, sounding almost livid. “Amalthea was taken because she'd exposed herself as much. She even spoke to professor Hanneman of her Crest. You, as well as I do, know that is dangerous in of itself. Who knows whom else she shared that secret with." Rhea's eyes narrowed, dangerously so, at Lyanna.
“Her confidence means very little, as does the means to protect herself. If she was capable of defending herself, she wouldn't have been taken in the first place. If she'd never been exposed, she wouldn't need to learn these things. I would have thought you of all people would understand that, considering she is your..." she paused, almost surprised at what she might have said. “She is your sister. Does her safety mean very little to you, Lyanna?"
That put a fire in Lyanna, no doubt about it. “The danger is precisely why she needs to learn more," she said sharply. “And with all due respect, Archbishop, your knights, who knew she was important, neither protected nor found her. Her friends, who have been left in the dark, have managed both to a much greater degree, and they include the Professor, in whose skill and judgement you have demonstrated such confidence." She gestured to Cyril.
He sensed she had more to say, though, and he wasn't wrong. “What's more, I am her guardian, and it is my responsibility to decide what measures are best for her safety. I cannot, will not treat her as a prisoner a day longer. If she cannot be free here, then we will go elsewhere that she may." She tilted her chin up, defiant but still of moderate pitch and volume.
“So I suppose that choice is yours to make, Rhea, as you can certainly determine what she may do here. You would do well to remember, however, that even your reach only extends so far."
Rhea's eyes narrowed further into an outright glare. “You will do well to remember whom you speak to, Lyanna von Kreuz," she stated, her voice eeriely calm and void. “I will allow Amalthea to continue her training and education with these so called friends of hers. If there is even the slightest hint of a complication, she will go back to her confinement. As for you..." she paused, blinking slightly as her eyes landed on Cyril. Something seemed to snap back for her, though, and she sighed.
“Amalthea will continue to be in your care, Professor. Do see to it that she is taken care of," she spoke, though the anger in her voice did not dissipate. Before anything could be spoken further, though, Hanneman appeared, knocking on the door before letting himself in. “Professor Hanneman," Rhea greeted. Hanneman bowed before glancing towards Cyril, a look of brief confusion crossing his face.
“I've come with an update about Manuela and Monica." He seemed perplexed about something, but didn't say anything about it.
This is really... The girl didn't quite seem to have words for what was going on, and neither did Cyril, honestly. He couldn't imagine trying to exert that much control over Amalthea. Certainly, Lyanna was her sister rather than a parent, but she had a point that those decisions should have been hers to make, as a guardian.
He let the thoughts fade, though, turning to Hanneman when he entered. “How are they?" he asked. A beat, and then: “Monica is... the redheaded girl?"
“Both are recovering well, and yes. Monica is a student from last year's class," Hanneman began, turning his attention towards Cyril. “She went missing just before she would have graduated. It never occured to us that something might have happened to her at the monastery. We assumed she had run away. I never dreamed we'd find her, not like this," he sighed softly. Rhea didn't seem to be affected in any particular way, but she wore a concerned look, regardless if it was genuine or not.
“She has asked to rejoin the Black Eagle House once she has fully recovered. She was awake long enough to convey her wishes. She wants to graduate this year with the others," Hanneman continued, glancing towards Rhea as if asking for permission. She nodded.
“Our enemies are still out there, so we must remain cautious, and continue our investigation."
“After all, the Battle of the Eagle and Lion will be held in Gronder Field next month." Hanneman interjected, seemingly unafraid to do so. That, at least, got a small smile out of Rhea.
“Yes. The students will remember it for the rest of their lives. Please guide them so that they may show us their best at the coming battle."
Cyril recalled mention of this before. It was somewhat like the mock battle, only quite further along in the students' educations and thus considerably more contentious, as he understood it.
Realizing that dismissal was imminent, he inclined his head. “I shall endeavor," he said simply.
Rhea's smile inched slightly wider.