“Is everyone ready?” Liliana asked, her voice solemn. Gazes sharing her seriousness stared back at her, the dancing light and shadows of flames playing off the planes of their faces, adding a mystique to the event.

“We all upheld our oaths?” a masculine voice inquired. Two more nods accompanied the question.

“Then, let’s begin,” a third voice intoned.

In almost perfect sync, three pairs of hands reached out and grabbed the objects before them. A heavy moment hung in the air, no one in the room daring to breathe as eyes read the script laid out before each of them. The sound of ripping paper filled the air, breaking the silence. Heartbeats later, various sounds of defeat or excitement filled the air.

“I knew it!” Liliana grinned as she fit the ring onto her finger. It was the poison detecting ring she’d been told Emyr had bought from the shopkeeper.

“I thought you’d bought me a brooch!” Alistair cried out as he waved the affinity unlocking token in Liliana’s face. Emyr was still staring at the gift in his hands, a small smile on his face as he cradled it in his palms. It looked like a black rose made of metal, but Liliana suspected any gift from Alistair wouldn’t be purely ornamental. The tank was ever concerned for his friends’ safety. The gift she’d been told he’d bought her thanks to her own guard’s information gathering was proof of that.

“Me and Emyr have multiple affinities. I didn’t want you to be left out,” Liliana explained her choice to Alistair. It paused his ranting, and he looked at the token, a new expression of subdued gratitude on his face.

“Thank you,” Alistair said, a smile on his face. Warmth suffused Liliana’s chest at seeing someone made happy over the gift she’d given them, something well suited to the receiver. Seeing the smile on Alistair's face gave her more happiness than opening her own gifts.

“That is a transforming gauntlet. It’s fireproof and you can place a focus in the center. It also provides a bonus for Fire and Dark magic. I know your current armor doesn’t have Fire resistance, so I thought I’d get you started,” Alistair said as he nodded at Emyr’s gift.

Emyr nodded, flushing at the not-so-subtle reference towards how the first time he’d used a Fire spell he’d lit his cloak on fire. Liliana raised a brow at the fact that Alistair’s gift would synergize well with her own gift. Then again, Emyr using a focus was almost a given. He wasn’t really a wand or staff wielding type of person.

“That’s a poison detecting ring. It’ll detect any poisons rated at Rank 2 or lower, and neutralize anything below a Rank 4. It’ll dilute anything Rank 3 to a point where you’ll survive long enough for treatment, but it’ll damage the ring. Rank 2 or 1 it’ll help dilute but it’ll fully destroy the ring and might not save you. But Rank 2 or 1 poisons are rare. Try not to consume them,” Emyr told her. Liliana nodded as she twisted the delicate band on her finger. Green tinted metal surrounded a tanzanite stone centered on it.

“Ready to open the second gifts?” Liliana asked, and Alistair groaned but nodded. Emyr carefully set his gift down and grabbed Liliana’s gift to him, a smug smile on his face as if knowing already what it was. Once more, the sound of ripping paper filled the air as the teenagers opened their gifts.

Liliana giggled almost maniacally as she uncovered the pendant Alistair had gifted her. It was made of dark silver metal and Labradorite, and was far more tastefully designed than the previous pendant she’d worn. What made the pendant both rare and expensive was that it provided a shield against unseen damage types. Mental manipulation, charms, anything that didn’t affect her physically but instead targeted her mental or emotional state, would be blocked up to Rank 4 or lower.

Anything higher, it would lower the effectiveness of at a depreciating rate. Liliana giggled over both how she knew she’d won this game, but also how inadvertently targeted the pendant was. Alistair had no way of knowing what her previous pendant had done, yet somehow he’d picked a foil for it to take its place. Liliana hastened to put it on as she watched the boys look at their gifts.

Emyr was staring at his grimoire in disbelief, and a bit of wonder. Alistair was looking at a miniature, perfectly rendered crystal shield in curiosity and defeat. It seemed he’d missed the mark with guesses for both gifts, and Emyr was one for two.

“Huh, same wavelength,” Liliana murmured as she looked at the shield. She hadn’t told Emyr that she ‘suspected’ Alistair would get Earth for his next affinity, or that he’d develop a Crystal sub-affinity. Yet Emyr seemed to know Alistair well enough to pick out a gift that would transition well into his future choices.

“It’s an expanding crystal shield. It boosts Light abilities. You can store two skills or spells in it to use at a later time instantly.” Emyr nodded at the crystal shield in Alistair’s hands. Liliana nodded at the gift. It was a good gift for Alistair, and truly rare gear. Undoubtedly it was crafted by a master, or dungeon dropped loot.

“That’s a Fire grimoire. I’ve been told it’s a growth item, so if you can fulfill the requirements, it can even show new skills or spells as you level with it. The stone on the front is a focus for the Fire affinity. It should work with your new gauntlet,” Liliana told Emyr. The boy almost immediately removed the stone and fit it into the black metal rose. Liliana watched with interest as the rose petals seemed to bloom, separating and then closing around the focus to keep it snugly fit to the piece.

“I noticed you lost your other pendant,” Alistair spoke up, drawing Liliana’s attention to him. He wouldn’t look her in the eye as he stared down at the token and shield in his lap. “This one looks better on you anyway, and from the smug look on your face, I guess you already know what it does. Now you don’t have an excuse if someone tries to trick you with a Charm skill or something, it would be your own stupidity,” Alistair muttered.

Liliana fingered the pendant resting around her neck, this one offering a far warmer and kinder protection than its predecessor ever could. This one was gifted with the intent of keeping her safe, not to use her. Even if Alistair still struggled with expressing his concern and care without working in some sort of insult still.

“Jason, if you would please tell us who has won?” Liliana said, turning to the guard who was watching the revelry from a chair.

They had decided to do this the night before the holiday, in Liliana’s room. Lelantos was laid out behind them, Flint and Clover curled up with the tiger as if weeks ago the three hadn’t been at odds. Now it seemed as if the tiger had adopted the children, and they in turn him. Liliana thought it was good for all three. Lelantos was young for his level, as was Nemesis. Very much children themselves in many ways. Being around other beings at a similar maturity had done much to liven up Liliana’s Bonds, to provide a type of socialization she couldn’t entirely provide herself. It was partially for this reason, and her own soft spot for the children she’d saved, that she never remarked on the fact that Flint and Clover were more apt to spend their nights sleeping curled up with the tiger than in the servants’ quarters.

“You know I had better things to do tonight than to play referee for this,” Jason grumbled as he pulled out the three slips of paper.

“No, you didn’t,” Emyr spoke up, his voice dry as he looked at the guard.

“Stop spying on your elders,” Jason hissed at Emyr, and Liliana snorted. Asking Emyr to not spy was a pointless endeavor.

“Liliana won,” Jason announced, with no ceremony. Alistair groaned, and Emyr frowned, but didn’t show any other reaction to the news.

“How?” Alistair asked, and Liliana grinned at the boys as she pulled her knees to her chest.

“Guess I’m better at information gathering and subterfuge,” Liliana taunted.

“But you were shopping the longest! How would you possibly have found out?” Alistair demanded, and Liliana winked, tapping a finger against her lips.

“A good spy never reveals her secrets,” Liliana told him. “Now accept the fact that I have a wish you’ll have to grant one day. Fear my power, mortals!” Liliana crowed.

Alistair buried his face in his hands, groaning as he imagined what terrible wish she’d force him to fulfill. Liliana herself had an entire list of ideas of what she could ask her brother to do, but she wanted to save her wish. As soon as he let his guard down, that’s when she’d make her wish.

“Thank you for the gifts,” Emyr spoke up, putting an end to Liliana’s well earned dramatics. She settled down at the change in atmosphere and she leaned over, bumping Emyr’s shoulder with her own.

“Thank you, both,” Liliana said as she leaned to throw a quick arm around her brother and give him a half hug. As Astrid brought out snacks and drinks for the teens to enjoy, Liliana let the warm, comfortable feeling surrounding her fill her and reinforce her for the coming days.

“Is it really a circus, Lady Liliana?” Flint asked her as the four of them watched from a distance while the circus settled their animals and wagons on the Rosengarde estate. Liliana had nearly run full tilt out of her room when she’d been informed of the circus’ arrival, only Astrid’s chiding voice holding her back. Now she, Flint, Clover and Lelantos stood far back enough to not even be really noticeable to the circus workers, all of them bundled up against the cold. Lelantos had come less out of curiosity and more of a result of scenting so many new beasts intruding upon his territory, and as a guard for the two children who had trailed after Liliana.

“Yes it is,” Liliana answered as her eyes jumped from worker to worker, looking for one in particular. She was practically vibrating with excitement. Her chance to talk to Natalia was finally here.

“They look like us!” Clover said excitedly, tugging on Flint’s sleeve as she pointed at a beastman with a tall rack of horns above his head. Liliana jolted, looking down at the children. She hadn’t even thought of how the children would react to seeing other beastmen, and so many of them. Rosengarde territory had perhaps the most beastmen in it of any territory in the queendom, a result of living on the border of Athana Kingdom, where the beast clans originated from. That wasn’t to say they had a lot of them, it was just that they were more likely to have them. Perhaps you would see a few in a city, but it was uncommon to see this many in one place in the Cista Queendom.

“Would you two wish to… go with the circus?” Liliana asked hesitantly. She hadn’t considered the possibility that the children might prefer to be around others who could more easily empathize with them.

“No!” Flint said almost immediately, running to hide under Lelantos’ legs. Clover was close on his heels. The two children gripped the tiger’s legs tightly, as if afraid they’d be ripped away at any moment.

“Don’t throw us away!” Clover cried out softly and Liliana’s heart broke.

“No, no, that wasn’t what I was saying. I don’t want you two to go. I was just wondering if you wanted to leave, or be around other beastmen,” Liliana quickly tried to explain to the children, who looked on the verge of tears. Liliana mentally groaned. She really wasn’t that great with small children. She had no idea how she’d ended up pseudo-adopting two of them.

“We don’t want to go!” Flint said, and Clover nodded so hard behind him, Liliana was afraid the girl would break her neck.

“Okay, then you won’t,” Liliana promised. She held out her hands, pinkies extended to the children. After a long moment where the two children seemed to discuss with their eyes, they hesitantly stepped forward, each locking a pinky with hers. “I swear.” Liliana told them as they shook their pinkies together. It seemed to quell the fear in the children’s eyes, and Liliana breathed a sigh of relief.

“Come on, let’s go inside and have some hot cocoa,” Liliana said, feeling exhausted already. She threw one last look over her shoulder at the circus, mentally promising she’d be visiting again that night, under the cover of darkness and [Invisibility] where her stepmother couldn’t see her or get a whiff of her plans. Liliana froze mid-step when her gaze locked onto a set of very familiar eyes. Bertran bowed to her, his hat held in his trunk, and despite the distance, Liliana would swear she saw the man wink at her before she turned to usher the children back into the manor.