Shimmer and shine

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You want to what?" Silco asked, his lips curling back in annoyance at the paper in his hand. A marriage certificate signed by Councillor Kiramman.

Jayce took a deep breath, "Organise a political marriage to strengthen Piltover's ties with Zaun."

Silco sighed, dropped the paper to his desk and rubbed at his scar. "This is because your enforcers got off their leash isn't it?"

The silence was telling enough, "What makes you think we want one of you down here underfoot?" He asked, levelling a questioning look to the man trying to negotiate with him. "and who would you have me give her to? The chem-barons aren't fond of your lot. And since this is a councillor Kiramman's signature, I doubt she's offering herself. My information on her says she's already married." Jayce shook his head and Silco's lip curled, "Which means it's a child under her care then."

"Jinx is nineteen." Jayce offered bitterly.

Silco frowned, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration, "so not a child, but not an adult." He sighed, "has she even been told she's being sold off?"

The longer this conversation lasted the more he wanted to start a war out of frustration with the idiots running the show in Piltover. Had they learned nothing from Zaun's emancipation? Their entire rebellion was because they were being neglected and used by Piltover and they wanted their freedom. Yet to secure an alliance they were falling back on bad habits.

He grimaced. "So you plan to drop her on us, and leave us to deal with the fallout?"

He clenched his fist and beat it to the desk, "Damn it Tallis, even now Piltover's still pinning its problems on us."

"Jinx is a good girl." Jayce offered weakly then sighed, "I just hope that you guys will treat her well."

"And what if I refuse this arrangement." Silco said lowly, "She's too young for most of the barons, and most of their children would not play well with a pampered Piltover girl."

Jayce slumped in the seat across from him and shook his head, "then we're going to have to come up with something else while I'm here to show Piltover and Zaun's alliance.

Silco closed his eyes in frustration, "You could just keep your dogs on a tighter leash."

Jayce winced, "trust me, I wish the others would accept that."

He looked over at the councillor in interest, "you're fond of this girl."

Jayce sighed, "she's like a sister. But the council agreed to this route before nominating the person. And since Councillor Kiramman is her legal guardian, I have no power to oppose the nomination."

Silco considered this for a moment. This girl had connections to not one but two councillors. Though Kiramman's fondness of the girl was questionable given the woman's intentions to give her to Zaun, he couldn't deny the emotion this man seemed to hold for the girl.

"You said her name was Jinx?" Silco asked curiously. He didn't know which of the Chem-barons or their children would take a liking to the girl. But there was no rush for them to sign the certificate. For now they could take the girl in and let her get used to life in Zaun. The change would likely make or break the girl.

--

He was surprised by how much of a rush the entire thing was. Jayce had only been in his office that afternoon and they were all standing on the bridge that night.

Councillors staring down Chem-barons as they waited.

"Is there a reason for your haste?" Silco asked, "surely something like this would usually take far longer to implement."