This is the final chapter for this particular adventure of Seraphita and Ren. As a forewarning, this is a long chapter and there is no smut.

***

As she ventured forth, back straight, well dressed in her purple corset, skirt, and boots with her hood shading her face, she found that Silvermoon City was just as brilliant as she had left it, if not more so. An absence from something loved tended to foster within the self a kind of nostalgic longing, and she felt the full force of that now as she moved.

The Sin’dorei capital was a jewel, and not even the familiarity of living there for hundreds of years or its partial destruction could take that away from it. The harbor was carefully maintained, the city streets alabaster, the tall buildings festooned with gold and ruby-like fixtures that glinted with the ever-present light of the sun. There wasn’t another city like it, but unfortunately she couldn’t enjoy it as much as she would have liked. After all, she was a wanted criminal within its walls, and the paranoia she felt over potentially being recognized set her on edge.

With this in mind, Seraphita pulled her hood further down over her face and hurried along, leaving the harbor behind and slipping into areas she assumed would be less frequented by the general populace. It was unlikely that she would be recognized, but there was no need to take unnecessary risks. Getting caught and thrown in a cell after all this time, and before even reaching her destination, was the last thing she wanted.

Expectedly though, no one paid her much attention. Gorgeous as she was, she was still just another elf, and as she ventured closer and closer to her goal, the question of securing a cheap room at an inn or hedging her bets on the hospitality of her hope-to-be savior pressed at her mind. Her and Delanna Fairweather had been friends–not the best of friends–but friends nevertheless, and the woman was, if anything, just. Unlike the rest of the members of the Council, she had not immediately condemned Seraphita, and in fact had ruled in her favor due to the simple lack of substantial evidence. Unfortunately for her, the rest of the Council had not been quite so shrewd, outvoting her 6-1.

Visiting the councilwoman could easily lead to the unceremonious end to her quest to clear her name, but it was too essential not to seek out her help. She didn’t have many other options and, somehow, Seraphita felt as if the woman would actually listen to her.

The inn could wait.

Delanna had lived in the same home for over three-hundred years, tending to it, renovating it, and adding on to it. Her address was no secret, but unfortunately getting there was another matter. She lived in an affluent area far, far from the harbor, and while Seraphita didn’t want to waste any of her money, here she would be forced to make a concession.

So, flagging down a little cab pulled by a single hawkstrider with resplendent purple and blue feathers, she hopped in and instructed the driver to take her to Delanna’s residence, trying her best not to think about where Ren was, or what the fel he was up to.

***

She was clutching the note Ren had left her that morning when the cab came to a final stop, the three-story home of Delanna Fairweather gleaming down at her through the cab’s tiny window. On the side of the house she could make out a figure, tall but womanly, weaving what seemed to be a spell that was causing a number of white flowers to grow in twisting curls around two pillars on either side of a fountain.

That’s Delanna all right.

Seraphita thanked and paid the driver, then got out and swallowed down her anxiety. Delanna’s house was big, and so was her lawn. With each step across it she became more and more nervous, but there was no going back now.

Breathe, girl, breathe.

“Go away!” a voice called when she was half-way across the lawn, and Seraphita nearly jumped out of her boots.

The woman tending the flowers glanced at her and waved a hand dismissively, her blood-red hair catching in the sunlight.

“Delanna!” Seraphita called. “It’s me.”

Delanna used a hand to shield her eyes from the sun, inspecting Seraphita for a moment before she began to blink in such rapid succession it appeared as if she was malfunctioning. “Seraphita?”

She nodded, and the councilwoman frowned, her head darting left and right to see if anyone was watching. There was no one in sight. Big surprise considering how extensive her property was.

“Come inside,” Delanna said, motioning towards a door on the side of the house. “The midday sun is hell on my complexion anyways, and you have much to explain.”

It was Seraphita’s turn to be surprised, but when Delanna opened the door and slipped inside, she followed, praying that she wouldn’t be confined to a prison cell in an hour.

The woman’s home was a colorful palette of reds, purples, golds and greens. Everything from chairs to sofas to the very walls looked plush and expensive. All, no doubt, locally made from the best Silvermoon had to offer. It was open and spacious, with plenty of sunlight that beamed down upon a number of verdant plants that were housed within what looked like vases of crystal.

Delanna gestured to a chair at a little circle of a table and ordered Seraphita to sit down. She did so, folding her hands atop the table’s redwood surface. There was a smooth purple crystal hovering a few inches above the center of the table, making her skin glow a pale lavender. Her nerves were on fire, unsure of what to expect, and when Delanna didn’t move to sit down she couldn’t help but squirm in her seat. Instead, the councilwoman stood with her arms crossed, her eyes cool green pyres within the contours of her elegant face.

“Go on then, explain yourself, Sera. I don’t have time for tea and crumpets.”

Seraphita took a deep breath and nodded, then told her story as best she was able, glossing over her first voyage by boat to Gadgetzan, but going into great detail over her time spent in the deserts of Tanaris, of her capture, and the eventual death of Kaerys. She recited his confession, the conspirators she had come to be aware of–at this, Delanna’s brows furrowed–and then of her attack on her trip back to Silvermoon. She told the red haired woman everything. Everything, except for Ren and his involvement with her. Partially because she was mad at him, but mostly because she figured it may be for his own good. Perhaps hers as well.

When she was finished, Delanna looked troubled. That was good. It meant she hadn’t simply dismissed her story as a jumble of self-serving lies. Better yet, it also meant that she was still likely on her side.

“This is a lot to take in, especially from a convicted murderer.”

“You voted in my favor!”

“Yes. I did.” Delanna looked into the floating crystal atop the table as if she could see something Seraphita couldn’t. “You know me, Sera. I’m not on the best of terms with the rest of the Council, and while I have had suspicions of corruption, this is something else entirely.” Delanna sighed. “It’s hard to believe, really, and if they are corrupt they will fight me.”

“You think Vya’thaes will try to kill you?”

Delanna snorted as if it was the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard.

“I am not frightened by Vya’thaes or those he may have influence over, but if his influence is deep enough, there will be no alternative but to approach the Regent Lord. Provide me the evidence, and I will deliver it to Lor’themar.”

Uh-oh.

“I don’t exactly have any physical evidence,” she muttered, peering up through her lashes. “I was hoping you could taker a deeper look into things.”

Delanna splayed her hands atop the table, leaning forward so that her hair curtained her face like fire. “You want me to risk my career for one little priestess who has already been convicted?”

Seraphita pursed her lips in what was supposed to be a look of defiance. “You swore an oath. You are bound to pursuing truth and justice.”

“Indeed I did, and indeed I am,” she said, her eyes narrowing in such a glaring way that Seraphita wondered she would arrest her on the spot. But then her lips twisted upwards into a cat-like grin and her eyes twinkled. “It’s good to have you back in Silvermoon, Sera.”

Oh, thank the Light.

“You will help me, then?”

“I will do my duty. If that helps you, so be it.” Delanna paused, head tilted upwards imperiously, her eyes wandering over Seraphita and her bags. “For now though, I think it best if I keep you in my pocket. I have a few guest rooms, one of which is hidden. You will stay there.” There was no room for argument, but that was okay.

Seraphita beamed.

***

“Fifty gold?” Ren barked, his voice rising to such a level that people nearby began to glance at him.

The man seated in front of him, an elf by the name of Alerin, shrugged. “Look at it this way, it could be fifty-one gold, or fifty-two, or–“

“Fine!” Ren transferred the gold to an empty pouch Alerin provided and then handed it to him. “I want this set up as soon as possible, do you hear me?”

“Yes, yes,” Alerin rolled his eyes, taking his entire head with him in a circular motion. “I’ll contact Vya’thaes as soon as I’m finished eating here.” The elf stabbed a glistening piece of pork and shoved it into his mouth. “You’re paying, by the way.”

Ren stifled an insult by taking a bite of chicken and washing it down with some wine, his eyes darting around to see if anyone had noticed he was a human underneath his hood.

After getting off the boat, he had done his best to blend in and avoid detection, shifting into his human form and covering his body in such a way that he looked like the most pious of clergy members. His mission was simple: to unravel Vya’thaes’ conspiracy, which meant retrieving documents and firsthand evidence.

He took another bite and looked at the elf. Alerin was a brown-haired, boyish looking man after one thing and one thing only: money. He had been hired by Kaerys, who in turn had been instructed by Vya’thaes Sunfury to hire an assassin. That assassin, of course, was Ren. He and Alerin had worked together before, never as friends, but as partners that understood the other’s worth. With any luck this would be the last time Ren ever had to work with him.

His goal was to meet with this Vya’thaes Sunfury, confront him, retrieve any evidence from his home and, for there would likely be no other recourse, probably kill him. All he needed was some kind of physical evidence. He knew the motive, the means, and those involved. Uncovering tangible proof would be the only thing required to clear Seraphita’s name.

Alerin stood and stretched his back. “All right. I’ll meet you back here in three hours. I can’t guarantee he’ll agree to meeting with you, but I will try to convince him.” He tossed a few silver coins onto the table and pushed his seat in.

Ren looked at the coins and frowned. “You’re tipping… after making me pay for the meal?”

The elf grinned. “I’m a nice guy, and you won’t tip, so I have to.” He gave a little wave and with that, he was gone.

Ren took another bite of chicken, waiting a moment before getting up from his chair. A meeting wasn’t the only thing he was interested in; Alerin could lead him directly to Vya’thaes and, more importantly, potential physical evidence. So, silent and unnoticed, Ren followed, more thankful than ever for his rogue training.

***

“You say you were in Fairbreeze Village at the time?”

“Mhm.”

Delanna drummed her cherry red nails against the table they were brainstorming at. Her hair was long and had been formed into a loose plait that hung across her right shoulder and down her chest, a fiery bundle of locks that gleamed in the light. Her face was haughty, with a cool indifference normal of a powerful government official, yet at the same time it seemed as if the slightest spark could set her off. Rather than a robe, she wore a purple pencil dress with a split up the side, conservative, yet sexy in a classy kind of way. Like she was so hot she needed to be contained, or perhaps so hot she couldn’t be contained.

“Were you with anyone?”

Seraphita blinked. “A friend.”

“Okay. Anyone else see you? A stranger, perhaps? The Council won’t care about the testimony of your friend.”

“Um… I guess the innkeeper? Her name is Marniel Amberlight. She’s worked there for ages so she should remember me being there.”

“Perfect. I’ll have to photograph you later today and have an associate interview her. If she remembers seeing you, and has records of you being there, your case will look a whole lot better than it does now.”

Seraphita had never been photographed before, but if it would help her…

“Anything you say,” she chirped. Back straight, her hands were in her lap, fiddling with the hem of her skirt. Delanna raised an eyebrow at her. “What?”

“You’ve certainly got the innocent little girl act down.”

“It’s not an act.”

“I know, that’s why you’re so convincing.” Delanna smiled, but her mirth was brief and she was soon back to gazing into nothingness, an idle finger rubbing over her bottom lip as the gears in her head turned. After a time, she spoke again. “Do Vya’thaes and the others know Kaerys is dead?”

Could they? She and Ren had killed the man all the way out in the desert alongside his men. Surely news of his death wouldn’t have reached Silvermoon yet.

“No, I don’t think so. I don’t see how they could know,” Seraphita replied.

“Good, but if they don’t know that he’s dead they will soon assume as much. I’ll secure a warrant to search his residence and with any luck we’ll find something relevant.”

“Great. What should I do?”

Delanna studied her face as if the wondered of Seraphita doing anything had never even occurred to her. “Can you clean?” she finally asked.

Seriously?

“…Clean?”

“Normally I hire a cleaning service, but with you here I don’t think that would be very wise.”

Seraphita had expected something a bit more dangerous and less mundane than cleaning the councilwoman’s mansion, but who was she to argue?

“Sure, best maid-priestess you’ll ever meet.”

***

Alerin was a typical guy with a typical job with a typical wife and kids. He worked at a bakery. He went to church. He had two cats. He smelled like bread and his wife’s strawberry lotion.

He also dealt in all things shady and underhanded.

Because of his insignificant appearance and seemingly good-natured lifestyle, no one paid him much attention as he made his way towards what Ren hoped and assumed to be Vya’thaes’ home. Alerin was far from discreet, but perhaps that was the point; no one would suspect this man with his clueless and nonchalant attitude to be involved in anything criminal. Regardless of his act, Ren knew better, and it made tailing him easy enough; and outside of occasionally stopping to converse with a cheery passerby, it was fairly quick and fairly easy to keep up with him, even stealthed as he was.

Every now and then someone would glance in Ren’s general direction, perceiving something they couldn’t see, but he had enough experience as a rogue not to stay in the same place for very long, so that by the time Alerin had reached his destination, Ren had been identified by a grand total of zero people and, perhaps, one shopkeeper’s dog.

As soon as Ren glimpsed the unnecessarily large home he knew at once who it belonged to, and he watched from across the street as Alerin strode right up its marbled steps to the door, knocked, and was greeted by a uniformed servant. Part of Ren wanted to sneak in himself, but that would have to wait. For now, he had gotten what he needed: the location of the man trying to have Seraphita killed.

In other words, his employer.

With or without the meeting that Alerin was attempting to set up, Ren would have enough evidence to get his way. He was gonna make sure of that, because if there was any evidence at all it would be within Vya’thaes’ home. If need be, all he had to do was sneak in sometime within the next few days and look for it.

So, just to ensure that this was, in fact, the correct location, he took a quick peek inside of the man’s mailbox, confirmed his identity, and then left. Alerin would be expecting to meet him back at the restaurant in a little over two hours, and he did not intend on being late.

When Alerin returned some time later, wonderfully oblivious to the fact that Ren had been trailing him, Ren was sipping on moonberry juice and eating a slice of chocolate cake. He looked up, and Alerin nodded.

“Three days from now at Ruby Hill Park, just before sundown,” Alerin said. “Old Vya’thaes seemed surprised at the mention of your name. Something interesting happen?”

“If he didn’t tell you I’m certainly not going to,” Ren grumbled.

Alerin held up his hands. “Fine, fine.” He paused and looked down, his tongue wetting his lips. “Spare some cake?”

Alerin may or may not have been a good person, and he wasn’t one to judge really, but Ren couldn’t help but have a soft spot for the man.

“Sit down.”

***

It took Seraphita a day and a half to finish cleaning Delanna’s home. In that time, Delanna had secured a warrant to search through Kaerys’ things and sent a messenger to Fairbreeze Village in the hope of finding the innkeeper that had served her. Though Seraphita had not been allowed to accompany Delanna, both the councilwoman and those who worked under her were quick and possible, and by the third day not only had they found a number of promising documents amongst Kaerys’ things, but the messenger had also returned with confirmation that, according to both the innkeeper and the innkeeper’s logs, Seraphita had indeed been staying there when her fiancé was murdered. It was, sadly, not enough to prove that Vya’thaes and the others were involved, but certainly this at least proved she was innocent?

“It goes without saying that I would vote in your favor again, but I wouldn’t be so sure the others would, even with this new evidence,” Delanna told her. “Honestly, there isn’t much here. Witnesses may place you in Fairbreeze at the time, but they could argue that as being part of your plan, that you even utilized illusionary magic to trick them.”

“I didn’t!”

“I know, but it is possible.” Seraphita glared at her, and so she added, “Technically.”

“Technically it could have been anyone!”

“Yes,” Delanna said, “but if what you said is true then at least three of them want it to be you. Do you understand that?”

“I do.”

“And you still want to put your life in their hands?”

Seraphita nodded. “I want my old life back. I want to be able to enter Quel’thalas a free woman, and I don’t want to be a shame to my family any longer.”

Delanna studied her for a moment, and then she smiled that diabolical grin of hers. “All right. Shall we pay a visit to the Council then?”

“When?”

“How about now?”

Now?!

***

The Council was the highest tribunal in Quel’thalas, seated with seven members and charged primarily with overseeing high account cases involving nobility, as well as handling final appeals. Barring the Regent Lord, there was no greater judicial power in the entire kingdom. And it just so happened that three of those serving on the Council had it out for her.

Seraphita had not expected to be granted an audience with the Council so quickly, but there she was, being led into a vast chamber sparsely furnished outside of a few chairs and some tables. Guards were posted outside and inside, and around her wrists were shackles of iron enchanted with anti-magic. The walls were white marble lined with silver and gold, while the enormous dome ceiling above was a startling ruby with a bronze relief of a phoenix set into it. As she walked, the click-clacking of her heels echoed within the gigantic chamber, and despite the fact that there were no windows or obvious light sources, the chamber was, somehow, brightly illuminated.