Chapter 401: Chapter 401: Age Difference
Two days into Ayla and Samuel’s visit, Liam had stopped pretending he could predict what either of them would find interesting.
Samuel had spent nearly an hour examining the palace heating system after learning that sections of it predated the Gate, while Ayla had dismissed three centuries of imperial architecture within ten minutes and then become fascinated by the western training courtyard because two guards had been sparring beneath the colonnade.
Now both occupied Liam and Arik’s usual sitting room while Rubis finalized arrangements for the gathering planned in their honor that evening.
It was not technically a state reception.
Liam had made that distinction several times.
Unfortunately, once the guest list included senior members of parliament, representatives of the old noble houses, provincial officials, Cassian, Kamal, military leadership, and enough politically important people for Rubis to insist on formal invitations, the distinction had become increasingly theoretical.
Ayla sat sideways in an armchair wearing fitted black trousers and a burgundy sweater, her brown hair pulled into a loose tail. Samuel had taken possession of the rug near the low table with a plate of pastries and a tablet containing the evening’s guest list.
"Cassian is almost two hundred years old?" Samuel asked.
"Yes."
Samuel looked toward Liam.
"He does not look almost two hundred."
"The Core slows physical aging for people strongly connected to it."
Ayla glanced over.
"So Severin too?"
"Yes. He is only three years younger than Cassian."
Samuel stared.
"The security commander?"
"The same one."
"He looks about forty."
Liam smiled faintly.
"He would probably enjoy hearing that."
The door opened before Samuel could continue.
Severin entered carrying a narrow ether-signature device, dressed in his usual black uniform with the collar loosened by one fastening after a morning of meetings. Nothing about his appearance suggested that he had been serving Nuria since long before either Ayla or Samuel’s grandparents had been born.
Samuel’s eyes moved from him to Liam, then back at Severin.
"That is nearly two hundred?"
Severin stopped.
Ayla covered her mouth.
Liam sighed.
"Samuel."
"What? I am verifying."
Severin’s brows rose.
"I suppose there are worse introductions."
Arik, seated beside Liam with election documents spread across one knee, looked amused.
"What do you need?"
"Your ether signature. Legal finished the final authentication protocol for the candidate-registration network."
Severin handed him the device.
Arik pressed his thumb against the translucent surface, and sovereign gold ether spread through it in branching lines before the reclaimed red beneath it flashed briefly and locked the authorization into place.
Ayla leaned forward.
"That is all?"
Arik returned the device.
"What were you expecting?"
"More emperor."
Severin laughed quietly.
"You will have enough emperor tonight."
Liam frowned at him.
"Do not encourage Rubis."
"I value my life."
Another figure appeared at the doorway before Severin could leave.
Mezos stepped inside carrying two slim security folders beneath one arm.
Ayla stopped moving.
Liam noticed immediately.
That reaction, at least, was understandable.
Mezos was an exceptionally handsome man, with deep red hair tied low at his nape, clear blue eyes, and the lean athletic build of someone who had spent most of his adult life in active security work. Like many arcanists, he aged far more slowly than an ordinary person, and nothing in his face suggested a man approaching forty. At first glance, Liam would not have blamed anyone for placing him closer to thirty.
Samuel noticed his sister’s silence. His grin appeared almost instantly.
Mezos crossed toward Arik without noticing either of them staring.
"The revised security routes for tonight."
He handed over one folder.
Then he looked toward the visitors.
"You must be Ayla and Samuel."
Ayla sat straighter.
"Yes."
Samuel made a suspicious choking sound into his pastry.
She kicked his shoulder without looking away from Mezos.
Mezos glanced down at him.
"Everything all right?"
"Perfect."
Ayla gave her brother a warning look.
Liam pressed his lips together.
Arik had stopped reading completely.
Mezos, still oblivious, opened the second folder.
"The outer garden route will remain open until eleven, but after that we are restricting access to the western wing because of the election delegation arriving tomorrow."
Ayla watched him speak.
Liam leaned slightly toward her.
"No."
She whispered back, "I haven’t done anything."
"You are thinking very loudly."
"That seems genetic."
Arik coughed into his hand.
Mezos finally noticed the atmosphere.
His blue eyes moved between them.
"What?"
Samuel lost the fight first and started laughing.
Ayla grabbed a cushion and threw it at him.
He caught it against his chest.
Mezos looked at Liam.
"I assume there is context I do not want."
"Probably."
Ayla stood.
"How long have you worked for Arik?"
Mezos blinked at the sudden question.
"Since before Nuria. We trained together in Agaron."
Her interest sharpened.
"So you are around his age?"
Arik lowered his eyes.
Liam immediately knew his husband was trying not to laugh.
Mezos understood a second later. His mouth curved.
"No."
Ayla hesitated.
"I am almost forty."
Her expression changed with impressive speed.
"Oh."
Samuel folded over laughing.
Ayla stared at Mezos as if he had somehow misrepresented himself by looking too young.
"You do not look forty."
"I am an arcanist."
"That is inconvenient."
Mezos raised an eyebrow.
"For whom?"
Samuel was laughing too hard to answer.
Liam finally gave in and laughed too.
Ayla looked betrayed.
"You could have warned me."
"I tried."
"You said no before I even spoke to him."
"Because I know you."
Mezos rubbed one hand over the back of his neck.
"For what it is worth, I am also unavailable."
Ayla sat back down.
"I already lost interest at forty."
Mezos stared at her.
Severin turned away, shoulders moving.
Arik abandoned all attempts at dignity and laughed openly.
Mezos looked toward Liam.
"Your family is cruel."
"You have met Arik’s family."
"That is fair."
Samuel wiped at his eyes.
"You liked him for less than a minute."
"Be quiet."
"You asked his age like you were conducting due diligence."
Ayla picked up another cushion.
Samuel immediately moved out of range.
Severin checked the time and tucked the ether device inside his coat.
"We should leave before this becomes worse."
"It already has," Mezos muttered.
They reached the doorway before Ayla called after him.
"Forty still looks good on you."
Mezos stopped.
Samuel made an astonished sound.
Ayla smiled innocently.
Mezos looked over one shoulder.
"I am reconsidering tonight’s security assignment."
Then he left with Severin.
The door closed.
Samuel stared at his sister.
"I thought you lost interest."
"I did."
"That did not sound like losing interest."
"I can recognize objective facts."
Liam reached for his coffee.
Before Samuel could continue tormenting her, he said, "Speaking of tonight, neither of you is escaping the reception."
Both siblings looked toward him.
Ayla frowned.
"How many people?"
"Not too many."
Arik smiled.
Liam pointed at him.
"Do not."
Samuel’s suspicion sharpened.
"How many is ’not too many’ in an imperial palace?"
"Approximately eighty."
Ayla stared.
"That is a party."
"Yes."
"You said we were meeting some important people."
"I underestimated Rubis."
Samuel looked toward the door.
"Will Mezos be there?"
Ayla threw the cushion.
This time Samuel did not manage to dodge.