“Haughtier Shia, you need to look haughtier,” Dahlia whispered to the girl as they strode toward the main gate of Bronn's fortress. The gate was a gargantuan thing, ugly and ostentatious. The stone pillars flanking the side and front of the solid gold door were marble depicting humanesque forms all along it. As they neared, Teryn noticed the many forms were busts of Bronn himself, naked unfortunately.

“I’m trying. I’ve never really had to deal with this type of person. What exactly should I do?” Shia shot back.

“Act like you belong anywhere you want to, only because you decided you belong there. Your shit don't stink but everyone else’s sure as hell does. You are the gods’ gift to this world and it was made to serve you.”

Shia’s mouth dropped a little, “That's awful, who would want to be like that?”

“Argenti.”

The girl stiffened her back a little and adopted an expression of thinly veiled, mild disgust. It looked almost as if she could smell an odor she found offensive but couldn't stoop to recognize it existed. Perfect.

The three women strutted up to the gate and the two guards who manned them. As they approached the male guard held his hand out, motioning for them to stop.

“Bronn’s Buybale Blades are not seeing anyone today or accepting any petitioners of any sort.”

“Petitioners?!” Dahlia demanded, holding a gloved hand to her chest. “How dare you call me that! What is your name, I’ll have your head before the Silver Queen!”

The man looked slightly taken aback, confusion visible on his face. The female guard, who had been watching down another street, turned toward them at the commotion. As she turned, her eyes grew wide and she rushed over.

“My apologies, Lord Argenti’,” she gushed, bowing as she neared while still walking. “He is new here and has not met any of the Silver Queen's personal hands.”

She jerked her head towards the other guard and he slunk away, pouting slightly to watch down the side streets on either side of the gate.

Turning back toward the group she asked, “What can we do for you today?”

“We expect entrance into the compound. Now. The Silver Queen has new developments and must discuss them with Bronn.”

“Of course, my Lords,” the guard stammered. “But Bronn unfortunately is not in today. Did he know you were coming?”

“Excuse me?” Dahlia’s voice was dangerously low, barely above the slight wind that rustled their robes.

“Uh, well, umm… Bronn isn’t in now so,” the guard stammered, her face turning red.

“You dare to presume you can tell me where I can go and what I can do?” Dahlia moved forward until she was inches from the guards face, her tusks nearly touching the guards face, now red as a tomato. “I am an Argenti. I go where my Queen pleases me, and no one can tell me otherwise. Open this gate. Will will wait for Bronn inside.”

Teryn had to hide a smile as the guard tripped over her own feet and stumbled backwards. Teryn pretended to look around with disinterest to hide her amusement. She glanced over and saw Shia doing the same, the corners of her mouth twitching upward.

“Open the gates Diggs! You heard her Lordship. Open them faster, dammit.” The female guard joined Diggs in opening the gate, twisting a lever on the side of the wall. The gates creaked and slowly began to open.

“What's your name?” Dahlia asked.

The female guard swallowed and croaked out, “Liza.”

“Liza. If things go smoothly from here on out I may forget this little discretion. If not, the Queen herself will hear of this.”

As the gate reached its halfway point opening another guard stepped out from within. The guard was a weathered man in his late 40’s, with grey peppering sandy brown hair. A scar ran across his chin and his face looked like he hadn't smiled in years.

“What in all the hells is the meaning of opening this? Bronn said under no circumstances-”

“Shut your damned yapper Benn, some Argenti are here,” Liza rushed over to the man as he started to walk out, waving his arms around in anger.

“Bronn didn’t say nothing about any-”

“Again,” Liza interrupted him, “I say shut your damn yapper. You know what these people can do to us,” she hissed.

“But Bronn specifically said-”

Liza grabbed the man by his throat and threw him backward. Teryn made a mental note to avoid this woman when they were inevitably caught and making their mad dash out of the compound.

“Shut. Your. Trap.” Liza hissed at the now prone man. She stood over him for a few moments, shoulders heaving, before turning back toward the three women.

“I’ll escort you personally wherever you need to go, Lord Argenti. Please, follow me.” She beckoned for the women and turned to walk through the gate.

They followed Liza through the open gate and into Bronn’s sprawling compound. The gate swung shut, landing with a solid thump. A large metal bar was still upright, luckily it didn’t seem they were locking the gate.

Though she had seen it from above, seeing the massive grounds in person was breathtaking. The winding pathway wove through, mimicking the river that split the city in two. On either side of the path azalea bushes were in bright bloom, with pink and purple flowers the size of her head blossoming forth. Teryn almost paused to study the plants. How had they kept them in bloom so long? It was near autumn, shouldn't the cold and dryness cause the flowers to wilt?

She managed to break off that train of thought, though reluctantly. An Argenti would not care how the flowers were blooming, only that they were and note their rarity and difficulty in maintaining such a bloom. The inner works of how it was done was for paid, and unpaid, labor, not a powerful person such as herself. Life was there to pleasure her, after all.

Dahlia walked just behind Liza with Teryn to her right and just behind her, while Shia walked to Teryn’s left. They formed an arrowhead of sorts, a pattern commonly seen among the elite to show who among them was even more elite. Teryn glanced over and saw Shia struggling to keep herself from looking around at everything in awe.

The buildings were an earthy pink stone, likely imported from the original continent of Gaei to the east, a very expensive and dangerous process. Teryn had been there before, so the effect of pink stone was diminished on her, but for someone like Shia who had been born here, seeing it for the first time must be awe inspiring.

As they wound deeper into the compound, Teryn tried to picture where they were from the bird's eye view she had seen. The gate started in the southwest and the path inside trickled to the northeast before coming to a rest at the main building, Bronn’s Headquarters. As far as she could judge they were about halfway down the path towards his building. Immaculately trimmed trees and bushes blocked her from seeing too far beyond her immediate surroundings.

“Is there any message I should send to Bronn for you, Lord Argenti?” Liza asked as she led them down the cobbled path. Teryn looked down and noticed each cobble was a tiny face, likely Bronn’s himself but she could not be sure due to the size. Why in the world would you want people walking on your face everyday? Gods, he was a strange man.

“Nothing for now, we don’t want to cut short whatever he is doing short. Rest assured, we are here for good news, but the type of news that can wait until he finishes.” Dahlia said.

“Very well,” Liza said. She turned off the path and started down a winding dirt path toward a small house. Bronn’s headquarters mansion was visible just down the path.

“You can stay here in the fully furnished and equipped guest house. Any desire or thing you need will be met by any servant available. Please, I hope this eases the earlier, ahem, difficulties in getting in.” Liza said.

Teryn glanced at Dahlia with her eyebrows slightly raised. Shia stood slightly behind her, chewing her lip in worry. Thank goodness her worry was blocked by Dahlia's larger frame. Teryn gave her a small kick at her foot. Shia stopped chewing her lip and recomposed herself.

“Will that be all right?” Liza asked uncertainty, picking up on their awkwardness.

“No, no, I don't think it will be.” Dahlia said.

Liza paled noticeably, “If there is anything else I can add to this just say the word my Lord Argenti.”

“We would prefer to wait in the headquarters for Bronn.” Dahlia stated, looking around at the grounds as if bored by these proceedings. Teryn continued to watch the guard with a feigned indifference as her stomach rolled around inside her. They were one misstep away from being at best locked in the dungeons and at worst impaled on one of the various weapons the guards around here carried.

“In- in the headquarters?” Liza stammered.

Dahlia let her cool gaze finally fall on the woman as she took a single step forward. “Is there an issue in fulfilling my request Liza?’

“No! Of course not your Illustriousness. It is just an… odd request. All previous Argenti were happy to wait in the guest room and have their various whims fulfilled.”

“How I conduct my business is no concern of yours, guard.” Dahlia spat the last word with such venom Teryn feared for a moment she knew and truly hated this woman.

“Right away, of course. Please, excuse my insolence. We will go into his headquarters immediately.” Liza spun on her heel and started to walk quickly towards the headquarters. Dahlia, Teryn, and Shia lazily followed, meandering up the path and projecting the air of someone who assumes the world will wait upon them.

They finally reached the mansion-esque headquarters. While the rest of the buildings were low lying and pink stone, his headquarters and house were a sprawling multi storied building made of a light blue marble, peppered with wood jutting out as support beams from within. For the second time that day, Teryn found herself needing to tear away from her inquisitive nature. What kind of architectural style was this? In all her years she had never seen anything like it. Perhaps he had hired someone to create an entirely new style in the hopes it would catch on and cement his name in more than just mercenary work?

Liza nodded to the two extraordinarily armed guards at the front door. They were armored in extravengent gleaming steel with fins and flares jutting out to give them the impression of being on fire. They held halberds taller than they were by another half a person, tipped with massive blades and a red tassel. Their faces were hidden behind duck-billed helmets. The two guards saluted Liza as she approached and one reached over to open the door for her.

The red oak door swung inward without a sound and Liza stepped in. Dahlia followed, ignoring the guards entirely. Shia walked in after her, head held aloft, though Teryn noted her hands were clenched tightly at her side. Teryn followed last, noting the guards did not even glance at her and kept their view forward. They closed the door behind her as soon as she passed the entrance.

They stood in a grand hall with a small desk to their right side. Benches flanked the wall on their left. In front of them the hall went back, rising up a few feet with some marble stairs etched with gold, before ending in a giant mural of Bronn slaying a multi-headed dragon.

Liza turned to the women sitting at the desk. “These are Arengti from the Silver Queen herself. They will be waiting here to discuss something with Bronn once he returns. You will give them whatever they need, do you understand?”

The woman nodded her head, eyes wide. She kept glancing between the three women posing as Argenti and Liza.

“Good. I have to go back to the front gate and deal with a few things.” Liza glanced toward Dahlia apologetically with that. She turned back toward the woman behind the desk, “Again, whatever they need.”

Liza spun toward Dahlia and gave her a low bow. “Please, make yourselves comfortable until Bronn arrives back. I apologize I cannot give you a time frame on his return.”

Teryn almost felt bad for the woman. They were quite clearly stressing her out beyond anything she’d faced before. She opened her mouth to give a small word of reassurance but Dahlia spoke first.

“That will be all.” She gave Liza a flippant wave and did not even look at her with the dismissal. Liza gulped slightly and marched toward the entrance. The door opened without a sound and she left them in Bronn’s Headquarters, unsupervised minus the woman behind the desk who was nearly shaking at the sight of them.

“Where is the dungeon?” Dahlia asked, looking toward the mural.

“Ex- excuse me?” the woman asked.

Dahlia let out a long sigh and turned toward the now pale women. “Where does Bronn keep his prisoners? The ones he does not take to our dungeon?”

“I don't. I’m really not supposed to say…” The women sputtered quietly.

“Do you know what I am, what I can do?” Dahlia used the same low, dangerous voice from before. Teryn wondered where she had learned to speak like that. She held this pompous authority with such ease, was there more than she was telling them going on here?

The woman shook her head, her earrings nearly clacking against each other in her hurry to answer Dahlia.

“I am Argenti. I am the Queen’s fury, her fist, and if I deem it appropriate, her mercy. Now, answer my question and I will decide if mercy is appropriate.”

The women lifted a shaking hand toward the mural. “Go down there, take the first hall on the left. Follow it to the end, there's a staircase on the right that goes down. They’ll be at the bottom.”

“The Queen save you if you are lying to me. Is there anything else you need to tell me about finding the dungeons?” Dahlia was now leaning on the desk, her face near the woman’s.

“No, I swear,” she whispered.

“Excellent,” Dahlia’s voice was back to normal as she stood up. “I have a little something for your trouble.” Dahlia reached into her robe, and with a flick of her wrist, flung a small knife into the woman’s throat.

The woman’s eyes went even wider as she tried to cry out in shock. All that escaped was a small gurgling sound as she clutched at the blood now blossoming from her throat. Her eyes started to roll back into her head and she slid down the chair, landing in a crumpled heap just under the desk.

Dahlia walked over to the body and removed the knife, wiping it on the girl's clothes. She tucked it back into her robe with a sniff, glancing back toward Teryn and Shia, both of whom stood with their mouths hanging open in shock. “Onward to Devin, yes?”