Reidier

21: Araldia

Lumis was waiting for her when she arrived to work this morning. 

The furnace master saw him and grunted. "Go, lass, we'll manage today without you." 

Ghilb looked at them, questioning, but she couldn't explain. Past his weird looks, Ghilb was a decent chap. He had a pure heart, and he was a simple guy- which was a break from Lumis and all his secrets. 

She still didn't know anything besides his name, even though he'd escorted her out to see Ukarie so many times. She'd told him so much about her family- about her father's abandonment- but he hadn't told her a thing. It was unfair. 

But she couldn't bear to force him to spit it out. The pained look on his face when she asked stopped her every single time. 

She finally thought to take note of where they were going, and they- they were heading into the main building. No, not just that. They were heading where the Quis family actually lived and worked. 

She shivered to see all the opulence. The floor was plush, cream carpet, and it was soft- she didn't need to be barefoot to tell. So soft. Her shoe sunk down __insert unit__ every time she put her foot down. 

It looked so comfortable. She wanted nothing more than to sleep on it. 

And they had light- actual hollows on the stone walls where a fire was kept burning by gas. Gaslights, and not candle flame. 

Then there was a wall that wasn't stone- a section of wall that was glass. Coloured glass. The shapes and figures cast rainbows on the ground where the sunlight filtered in. It was breathtaking. She'd never seen anything like it. 

It was absolutely amazing. 

Lumis paused, realising that she stopped. 

"Araldia," he said, nervous. 

"Just a moment, please?" she pleaded. She wanted to see what these pictures were. There were a few of the same figures, so she guessed that it was a story- and from all the red, it must have been a great story. 

"We... we shouldn't keep the Archheir waiting, Raldy." 

That was true. But the window... 

Lumis was frowning. Araldia sighed. "Fine." 

They continued on to... wherever. Then their path was blocked. By a pair of guardsmen. They wore the grey uniform of the Residence security, not the black-and-gold of the Quis Guard, but they were still frightening to Araldia. 

"Look what the wind blew in, eh?" the taller of the two said, nudging his companion. They stared at Lumis and laughed. 

"A black, black piece of crap." 

What? Araldia felt her gut tightening. It was... what were they doing? 

The taller of the two came up closer to him and stroked his face. Lumis flinched. The guardsmen laughed. 

"Why, look. The dog is scared of us." 

The smaller grinned, showing all his teeth. 

"What's it like to be Quis' favourite mutt, huh? Come, Blackie! Blackie, fetch!" 

His taller companion laughed at the joke. Araldia saw Lumis' hands, clenched tightly behind him. They were shaking. 

Araldia couldn't stand it. She couldn't just stand here. 

"Stop it," she snapped. "You... you've got other battles to pick." 

The tall one tilted his head. "Oh? There's a bitch by his side, it looks like the master wants the mutts to breed."