Earth Annual Convention events of significance.

  Compared to last year there are very few items worth noting.

  A handful of new Heirs, an upcoming union between minor Holdings that should allow them to become more memorable and the passing of the wall by Sovereign Lys.

  The last is worth noting only due to the connection to the prior year. Research has indicated that Holder Syl is the former Princess Lys. Her announcement last year showed she had passed her mother in advancement as well as established herself in complete independence.

  Sovereign Lys has now started to catch up to her daughter, despite having been stuck for multiple decades. Our records show this is not the first ruler of Lys to have done so, however the previous one did so more than 500 years ago. Is this a sign that the Holding will start to gain more prominence? Only time will tell.

  ~ * ~

  Seb glanced at Anya, silently letting her take the lead on this decision. They'd discussed it, they'd agreed to consider the plans Fay and Alex were proposing, but they hadn't realized it would be brought up today.

  "So you're saying we'll need to add two retainers?" Anya said.

  "Yes," Alex answered. "One dedicated to managing the organizational side and another responsible for security."

  Do we really need a guard? Anya sent.

  There were guards at the facility we used. Skall's?

  I remember, and I know we're going to need to, but-

  I know, he sent.

  He understood. Her memories of guards in a Holding were not the best. His memories of guards were not the best either. Their last real interaction with any had been with Rios.

  "The rest of the employees can be Affiliated," Fay said. "You just can't run Holding businesses without retainers."

  "And you've vetted the choices?" Seb asked.

  He saw Fay sigh and start to roll her eyes at him. He knew the answer, they all knew the answer. He'd hated when executives used to do this, and yet here he was doing it himself.

  "I know you were both wanting to celebrate reaching level 12 when we tried to discuss this a month ago, but I don't believe you actually forgot," she answered.

  "Fine," Anya said. "We'll set up our own Depths Administration and provide access to everything above the wall. Standard rates, appropriate deductions for Affiliated Divers."

  "Thank you my Lady," Alex said. "They can be sworn in tomorrow and I'll send out appropriate notices for further staff. I don't have a lead on a dedicated Healer, however we can arrange-"

  "George," Anya said, cutting him off.

  "My Lady?"

  "Fay can give you her information. See if Healer George is available and willing to work for us or join the Holding."

  "As you wish."

  You cut him off.

  So?

  How would you feel if he had? he sent.

  He wouldn't though.

  Anya…

  "Thank you for your work Alex," Anya said.

  "It is my pleasure. You took me in when I needed a chance."

  "We're lucky to have you," Seb said.

  "Thank you my Lord," Alex said before rising. "If I may be excused? The sooner we move forward the sooner we can have Combat Pathers come calling."

  "Of course," Seb said.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  Once he had left Fay turned to the two of them with a frown.

  "You didn't forget, I know you didn't."

  "You're right, we didn't," Anya admitted.

  "Fay, you saw the records of how we met. You know about Anya's youth, how she was seen."

  "Yes, she was a prodigy, she was a better fighter than any of the guards at her level. You met when- Oh!"

  "We were trying not to think about it, to think about more retainers, especially guards."

  "I don't want a Court, not like Lys," Anya added.

  "Two retainers is hardly a court," Fay said. "And you did agree to growing the Holding."

  "I know," Anya said. "I also know that your new quarters were scheduled to be completed three days ago. Have you and Briana…"

  Seb couldn't help but chuckle as Fay's jaw dropped and her face flushed crimson.

  "I- we- Anya!"

  "Yes?"

  Be nice, he sent.

  I am.

  "You can't just- I mean- Yes. We've both moved in."

  "She going to join us for dinner?" Anya asked.

  "…yes."

  ~ * ~

  The next morning, Anya had just finished pouring coffee when Sandra poked her head in from the Holding.

  "Anyone up?" she asked.

  "We're about to have breakfast," Anya answered. "What are you doing here so early?"

  "Yshe convinced mother I should work shifts every other week. So I have to be either at her shop or at your Holding in Deep Earth before dawn."

  "Coffee?"

  Sandra's here, Anya sent as she pulled down an extra mug.

  Be a moment.

  "Please," her sister answered. "Early day for you too?"

  "We're heading back down to the Depths this afternoon and wanted to make sure we had time to meet our new retainers first," Seb answered as he came down the stairs.

  "Retainers?"

  Anya handed over the mug as she explained the necessity. Sandra already knew about the construction, she'd been part of the crew that had finished the extension. The Dive Administration was part of the Holding but could not access the rest. It was fully public facing, open to the public without risk of strangers entering. Sandra was happy to go into details regarding the work she'd done on this project, as well as the upcoming work she was going to be allowed to do unsupervised on the new Portal station.

  "If you're supposed to be working why are you here?" Anya asked.

  "Yshe wanted you to know she'd doubled the projected size of the new training space, she wanted to make sure it would handle any antics you got up to and be useful if you ever had groups wanting to use it."

  "She could have told us that later?" Seb said.

  "I also have a message from mother," Sandra mumbled.

  Anya stiffened, her mug rattling momentarily before she steadied it. She hadn't spoken to her mother in six months, their last words the hurried goodbye. Fay had received requests from Holding Lys inquiring as to who granted them access to tenth level Depths. If anything more had been said in the messages it hadn't been shared, Anya had made it clear more than once she wasn't interested.

  Anya?

  No, I don't want-

  -to talk to her. I know. But maybe let Sandra talk? You don't have to send an answer.

  "What is it," Anya snapped then frowned. "Sorry sis. I'm not mad at you."

  "I know. I don't know what happened when you visited, I don't know what she said, what she did."

  "She was who she's always been."

  "She's changed. She's apologized more than once. She's made time to have dinner with me. She's asked what I've been learning as an Engineer."

  Anya turned away, she didn't want to hear her mother had changed, she didn't want to know things were going well. She didn't-

  It's ok love, Seb sent.

  "What was the message," Seb asked.

  "She's sorry for running off. That she finally understood and had to deal with it right then. That she'll finish the story when you're willing."

  Anya didn't answer, she couldn't. It wasn't Sandra's fault, it wasn't anyone's fault. She knew what it felt like to figure out your Affinity. She could only imagine how it felt to do so while sitting at the cusp for so long. But it didn't matter.

  "I'll send her a message when I'm ready. I don't know when that will be."

  She could hear Seb whisper something to Sandra but she didn't turn. She tensed as she felt Sandra wrap her arms around her. She forced herself to relax, to lean back slightly into the hug.

  "Love you Anya," Sandra said before stepping away. "Thank you for the coffee."

  "Love you too Sandra," she answered.

  The moment the door shut she turned to Seb, his arms closing around her as she stepped close.

  Do you need to lash out?

  No, she answered. Just this.

  ~ * ~

  Seb could feel Anya's ongoing tension as she greeted their new retainers and accepted them into service. Sandra's message this morning had shook her more than she'd wanted to admit, wanted to express in the moment. She hadn't kept her feelings about the situation hidden these last months, but she'd been trying to keep them from affecting her as much as possible.

  He nodded to the retainers, acknowledging them before they all explored the new building. It wasn't all that different from the first one he had been in, if you ignored the fact that it was an Awakened construct and not a warehouse in the Shallows. A desk to sign in and out at, storage for payments and available supplies, an area set aside as a clinic, and most importantly the Dive Staging Point.

  He doubted they'd ever be in this part of the Holding again. They wouldn't have a reason to, not unless they needed the Healer, or George came to work for them and Anya wanted to speak with her. It didn't hurt to see it though, to know what was going to be going on.

  Finally the tour was over and they were free to head back into the Depths themselves. It almost felt as though it took as long to reach their Staging Point as it did to rush down the tunnels to the fourteenth level. He knew it didn't, it took almost an hour after they entered the Depths and it was only minutes to navigate the Constructs, but still long enough to make him appreciate the size of what they were building.

  He could feel Anya thinking things over, her emotions flickering back and forth through anger and sadness with hints of curiosity. The band flickered with opinions of the new retainers, thoughts on how long it would take for Combat Pathers to start coming to them, on what Yshe had in mind with the larger training space.

  They were settling in for the night when he felt her make up her mind. She curled up against him, half pinning him in the process and rolled over just far enough that she could look him in the eyes.

  Do you ever miss your family?

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