Seed Crystal

Exhausted

Part 2

"You called for me?"

Rei looks up from the stack of papers in her hands when she hears Daniel speak. He's still standing by the door, hand on the knob as if ready to turn away at the flick of her fingers.

"Yes, I did." Rei stands up from her desk.

"Hey, hey," Daniel immediately walks forward and gives her a shaky smile, "No need to stand up on my account. What's with the fanfare?"

She stops and takes stock of Daniel's appearance. He seems to be dressed casually. Rei did stress that this was a social call more than anything. Daniel is still on vacation after all.

Rei gestures to the tea table in front of her desk. "Please take a seat. Help yourself."

"So official business?" Daniel takes a seat and one cookie.

Rei sighs picking up the pot of tea and the teacup at her desk. "I wouldn't want to impose on you since you still have more than a week of leave left but this is important, or rather worrisome." she takes a seat on the sofa in front of Daniel, sipping from her cup as she gets herself settled.

"It was something Emil has pointed out to me." Rei continues.

It was technically Galad who brought it up, but she doesn't want to touch on a sore topic. Even though the failed proposal was almost two years ago.

"Well, you are getting close with the Venetian General."

Rei almost chokes on her tea. She sees a sly smirk on Daniel.

She smiles to herself. She has, hasn't she?

"I dare not answer that."

Daniel laughs, not too loud and neither does it sound forced. One of Daniel's charms, he always sounds authentic no matter the topic and he has a natural way of lightening up the mood. Rei had thought his charisma was an expression of elemental talent but knowing what she knows now, she supposes it's just a trait that's inherently Daniel.

She has missed these kinds of conversations with Danie. But she had to keep her distance, lest she dig up old wounds from her connection with Galad.

Not that the threat of the now Northern Empire isn't keeping her busy.

"Rei, while I admire your dedication to Aeonia, I do hope you are not forgetting your own happiness in the process ... Unlike a certain someone we know."

Rei laughs as Daniel lets out a huff, so that is how he copes.

"I'm pretty sure I'm not that dense." Rei puts her teacup on the table. "But back to the matter at hand, after the arrival of the Porphyrian delegation, Emil has pointed out that the Solan delegation is taking too long."

"Huh, now that you mention it. I did know that they were already preparing for the visit when I left Solan."

"Yes, and we received a letter a week back about their departure from the capital."

"You think something might be keeping them up?"

"There are reports of increased banditry in the Avar region. But I don't think a large delegation such as theirs, with fighters, will be a target for a simple bandit attack. I would like to ask you to join a group to meet with them."

"You want me to check up on them?"

"Precisely, I have talked to Ferrine about the soldiers we could bring but I don't want the welcoming party to look like an ambush."