A Piltover Academy Student in Demacia (Lux/Jinx)

Chapter 6: Moments of Truth

Powder took a deep breath as she approached the sitting room, the heavy footfalls of the royal guards stomping in unison in front of her putting her on edge. Though she'd walked within the esteemed halls of the Citadel of Dawn easily a couple dozen times since their arrival in the Great City, she still felt uneasy walking through the large, oft-empty passageways. She made mental notes as they progressed through the palace, partly to keep herself grounded and feel less lost in the labyrinthine castle, and partly in case she needed to make a run for the exit, should things go poorly. She noted as they passed by the dining hall, the kitchens, and the grand ballroom that could've easily held the entirety of the Last Drop within it, with plenty of room to spare no less. The guards stopped just short of the sitting room, standing at attention; Powder gave an awkward nod (not know exactly how to thank someone for their assistance when they'd just as soon chop her in half as return the farewell) and stepped into the room.

Much like the last time she'd been summoned to such a formal meeting, Lux was already seated, her brother standing behind her. Unlike that first, rather contentious meeting, however, the spear-wielding... what would you even call him? Attendant? Confidante? Ally? Regardless of his role, Xin Zhao was nowhere to be seen. Lux stood as Powder entered the room, giving a small smile and nod. Garen merely glared, his arms crossed (though at least he didn't have his sword unsheathed this time, to Powder's relief; she didn't need any further sources of stress).

"So, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Powder said, keeping her tone casual, uncertain of how much to let spill in front of Garen.

"We caught advance word through agents of our house: the blackmailer has tipped their hand. They plan to turn me in today for ignoring their recent demands," Lux said. Powder just managed to keep her laughter contained at the sight of Garen's jaw dropping open.

"Lux! This girl is an outsider, you cannot possibly trust her with—"

"Powder already knows, I told her months ago," Lux replied. "It's thanks to her that I'm not going to be dragged away in chains today. Hopefully." Garen's brow furrowed, his face twisted in a mix of confusion, frustration, and worry.

"You been testing it periodically to make sure it's still siphoning properly?" Powder asked.

"At least twice a day," Lux said. "Everything seems to be working just fine with it, but... I suppose I'm just nervous."

"Excuse me for interrupting your chat, Luxanna, but do you intend to explain what you're talking about? I thought this was about... getting you out of the city," Garen said, his voice hushed, his eyes darting around the room. "Isn't that why you wanted the Piltovan present?"

"Sorry, but might've been a bit of a lie. I'm not running," Lux said defiantly. "Whatever their motive, this blackmailer wished to ruin me, to ruin our family. Unfortunately for them, I intend to return the favor. Because of Powder's help, the Mageseekers will find no reason to suspect that I'm magicborn."

Garen's face turned white as he took a large, staggering step forward; Powder took a large, hurried step back, lest the giant of a man fall forward and crush her under the few dozen tons of armor he always seemed to wear; she wondered idly if he even took it off to sleep or bathe.

"Listen, all I wanna do is help," Powder said, raising her hands. "I'm not gonna spill the beans or demand anything in return, so just take a deep breath and relax, big guy."

"You... I... this is..." Garen said, leaning against one of the high-backed chairs in the room. He took a deep breath and shook his head. "Very well. What's done is done, after all. Just know, outsider, that if you betray her—"

"Just knock it off, Garen," Lux said, sighing. She stepped closer to Powder, lowering her voice. "How are you feeling? Sona and Kahina didn't tell me much, but..."