Shadow's Rose [Slow updates]

Chapter 3

Caia's POV

That self-righteous, teenage asshole of a Speaker had actually managed to make me cry! Not just anyone could manage that with someone who'd grown up in a lair of assassins. You tended to become pretty thick-skinned. I wiped furiously at my eyes as I headed back to the Sanctuary as ordered and wondered who the hell he thought he was. I was nearly 300years older than him and he was by far the most arrogant, inconsiderate male I had ever met! He knew nothing of Vicente or me or anything about our Sanctuary to be quite frank. And to verbally take on Ocheeva because of an arrangement that had been made before he was even a twinkle in his mother's eyes...! Oh it just infuriated me beyond anything. The other Speaker had been fine with Vicente's concerns, of course I myself wasn't because I wanted work but that hardly mattered. The fact that he had simply stuck his nose into something that clearly wasn't his business made me want to set him on fire! Or electrocute him! Or....worse!

'Technically it is his business,' a small part of my head reminded me and I forced myself to take a seat next to the well before I went in. True...being the new Speaker these arrangements did affect him because it involved his Sanctuary but...did he have to be so callous? He'd threatened my life if I didn't get more contracts making Vicente's concerns and arrangements null and void...technically giving me exactly what I wanted; the chance to get experience. A furious blush crept into my cheeks as I buried my head in my hands. I was still trying hard to make LaChance look like the bad guy. I had to. There was no need for him to put Ocheeva in a difficult position! I was sure if he'd really been concerned he could have spoken to her with Vicente and come up with a solution! But to threaten me and shout at her-! And I was off again, ranting about how heartless and senseless he was. He'd handle the situation totally inappropriately proving just how immature and unready he was to have such a powerful position.

"He's going to be the death of this Sanctuary," I found myself verbally ranting to both Ocheeva and Vicente when they called me in to discuss what happened, "he's juvenile in his way of dealing with things that he doesn't approve of! Or know anything about!"

Ocheeva interrupted me with a calm hand on my shoulder, "He is the only Speaker we have, Caia. Yes, he is young and has much to learn but the Black Hand put him into that position for a reason."

"Maybe they made an error in judgement!" I practically shrieked, refusing to let anyone convince me that Lucien was anything other than a total failure of a Speaker, "It's possible!"

"Caia, the arrangement must be broken," this time Vicente spoke from his place on the far side of the room, "he has given us an order. We cannot ignore it."

"I know we can't but that's not the point-!"

"It was the point of this meeting," Vicente was still acting calm but I knew him well enough to know that he was upset inside. He did not want me to be a part of this because I hadn't chosen the lifestyle. Although mentally I was annoyed he'd made such arrangements without consulting me first, the sentiment behind the idea warmed me over. It had been out of concern and eventually he would become accustomed to the idea of me taking contracts as any normal member.

"You're right," I finally relented and Ocheeva shared a surprised look with Vicente before I carried on, "but he still handled it badly! I don't approve of him and it's going to take a lot before I finally do."

"He doesn't need your approval," Ocheeva commented dryly, "he's already Speaker and probably couldn't give a skeever's ass about your opinion." This quieted me immediately because it was the truth. Here I was working myself up into a frenzy for the second time since I'd been back and he'd probably already forgotten the matter. Again I was giving him power over me by letting his actions bother me. Although this time I had reason to be annoyed with him. He'd... I stopped the thought right there deciding to put the whole matter behind me. I'd anyway gotten what I wanted; to be a part of the Sanctuary wholly and have a chance at advancing in my ranks. Field work. I nodded numbly at both Ocheeva and Vicente, sobered immensely. The Argonian always managed to calm my frenzies with slightly harsh but necessary comments.