‘Great, more things that make people want to kill me,’ was the first thought Yuriko had upon Mum’s revelation. It wasn’t as if that was anything new, so she just shrugged.

Both Sadeen and Kiyo seemed a bit taken aback at her nonchalance, so she explained, “I’ve also got Fri’Avgi with me.”

“Ah, yes. But, baby, a bound artefact is quite different from a vial of Ambrosia. One cannot be taken unless unbound, while the other only needs a light enough hand.” Sadeen shrugged. “I’d offer to cover that in runescript but the problem with Ambrosia, my dear, is that any exposure to applied Animus will affect it. You see, Ambrosia can be many things. It can be anything.”

“Alright,” Yuriko nodded, then cocked her head to listen for the rest of the explanation. But the server arrived at their table with the dinner course.

He placed a bowl of cream soup in front of each woman and a basket and freshly baked bread. A small plate with a pat of fresh butter came next, then a fluted glass with some bubbly wine. Well, Yuriko’s was bubbly. And sweet. Sadeen and Kiyo’s glasses were burgundy red.

“Ambrosia can be anything?” She prompted her Mum.

“Yes.”

“And?”

“What do you mean?”

“Anything at all?”

“As long as you can imagine it and it is internally logical,” Kiyo interjected. “Or you can use it to multiply something you already have. A GiJin of imperial jadeite, for example. You can add a droplet of Ambrosia on it, cover it with Animus and keep it clear of Intent, except for the need to multiply the base object, and in a few moments, you’d have a drop more jadeite than before.”

“That’s…uh, amazing?” Yuriko muttered.

And an utter waste. Damien snorted. Duplicating minerals, is that the best your hot mom and aunt could imagine? Heh, you can duplicate Essence! Or create it entirely!

‘Shush.’

While having the soup, Yuriko continued with her tale. When she got to the events that led to the outbreak of war, both Kiyo and Mum frowned. As Yuriko continued, they listened in silence, though their frowns got deeper and deeper.

“Those snakekin…” Mum started. “It sounds like he managed to resist your Mien and even used you to bolster his forces.”

“My what?”

“A conversation for another time,” Mum waved offhandedly. “The voyage back to Realmheart will take a couple of weeks even with the Silver Tiger’s speed. More than enough time to speak of duty and the future.”

As if that wasn’t at all ominous, Sadeen waved for her to continue. For a moment, Yuriko wanted to press the issue. The future she wanted was back in Rumiga, with the rest of her family. Even though she dearly missed her Mum the past few years, she knew she’d miss her brothers just as much.

Suddenly, she was aware of an odd pressure at the back of her mind. It nudged her to obey, to follow Sadeen’s lead. She knew what was best for her. She was Mum. Just like Da, she would always have Yuriko’s best interest in mind. But…

The feeling was the same. She felt it during the battle, the compulsion to obey. Why? She would have gladly obeyed. If she hadn’t felt it. A violation of her Will.

Yuriko could feel her Anima gathering itself to protect her. Golden flames burned from her core, now filled with Animus after her rest. It rallied, both Anima and Animus, and shot up to her mind. There, it thickened, condensed, until it impeded whatever it was that tried to influence her.

Sadeen’s eyes widened at the same time that Yuriko pushed the mental influence away.

“Curious, and well done,” she murmured.

“What. Was. That.” Yuriko managed to keep her voice even. Barely.

“The Mishala Mien,” both of them said at the same time.

“Don’t be cross. It’s not something coz can stop. Just control.” Kiyo shrugged. “You have it, too. Why else do you think all those boys won’t leave you alone.”

“Eh?” Aunt Layla mentioned something about an aura back when they first met. Was this it?

“It wasn’t as strong then, of course,” Sadeen said, “but you’ve had it since you were a child. Which is why…”

“You sent me that letter to go to Sharom,” Yuriko said in a tight voice. The warmth and comfort that she felt a while ago had all but vanished. “Are you…still using it?”

“I can’t stop it,” Sadeen sighed, “neither can you. Or do you think people are always so accommodating with you? From your tale, I’ve noticed several times when you got away with something that other people wouldn’t have. Beginning with the first time you met the Chaos twisted Lucentians.”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you think warriors such as those would have led you meekly into their encampment? Especially when you are much more powerful than they? And in the company of one of their enemies. If they were thinking right, you were a threat, and leaving you to wander alone in the caverns and tunnels was their safest option. They didn’t think you were a child. They thought you were an adult.”

“So why?”

“Because you wanted them to. You didn’t say it in so many words, but your body language, your tone, your expressions. All of that combined told them that you wouldn’t harm them and it was in their best interest to help you. You did all of that without conscious effort, or even knowledge.” Sadeen took a sip of her wine, even as Kiyo nodded along.

Yuriko’s throat felt dry, and there was a feeling of strain as her Anima fought off Mum’s…Mien.

“The Mishala Mien is something you were born with and it develops as you strengthen yourself. You can no more stop it than you can stop breathing, and it will colour every interaction you have with others, taint them if you do it wrong. Animus control, Sorcery, and other subjects taught only in Sharom, is one of the ways you can control your birthright.”

“But why didn’t you say that in the letter? Why didn’t you tell me before?”

“There was little reason to, before your Atavism Ritual. If you inherited the Davar Heritage, your Mien would have been suppressed and contained by your Facet. Once I found out you inherited the Mishala Heritage, well, I had to take steps.” Sadeen smiled. “You don’t have to keep resisting. You’ll only wear yourself out.”

“Do you feel it?”

“No, of course not. But there’s tightness around your eyes that’s quite telling. Anyway, knowledge of the Mien is often enough to protect you from unintended effects Unless, I focus it on you, of course.”

Yuriko relaxed but she didn’t restrain her Anima. It didn’t take much effort on her part anyway. “What is the Mishala Mien anyway?”

“A gift from our Progenitor. Or rather, a trait she passed down to her children. Anyway, enough about this. You’ll have time to learn it later and experience it with the rest of our clan. Do you still have questions why I forced you into Sharom?”

Yuriko gritted her teeth. She had many, but now that she ran them through her mind, they were nothing more than the words of a tantruming child. Still, “I wanted to follow in Da’s footsteps.”

Mum sniffed. “Do you want to follow exactly in his path or do you want to do what he does? If your goal is to protect Rumiga, the Empire, then the path I laid out for you will get you there. You don’t have your father’s Heritage, so even if you follow in his exact footsteps, you won’t get there.”

Yuriko sighed. Why does Mum’s words sound so logical? Whatever influence from the Mien she had over her, her Anima blocked. So it should not be that, right? Well, she wasn’t really prepared to debate over that now. Her term in the Academy seemed so long ago now.

“Is there…is there word on where Da is? Has he returned home?”

“None. I will ask the Progenitor to find him when we return to Realmheart.”

“Aren’t you so cold to your husband?” Kiyo asked idly. “I actually wonder why you married him at all, considering he’s not what the Prima wanted for you.”

Kiyo sipped some of her wine and leaned back as the server removed the soup bowls and replaced them with a plate.

A medallion of seared meat, beef from the scent, covered in gravy. There were a handful of buttered vegetables on the side, and mashed potatoes. Yuriko cut into her meat and almost shovelled it into her mouth, but held back to a demure pace. Still, she chewed and swallowed quickly. It was delicious but she was starving.

“Virgil is…a stubborn, hard-headed man. But quite loyal.” Sadeen smirked. “And I know the Prima doesn’t like the Davar Clan, but I won’t submit to her blandishments.”

“Heh, you aim to replace her yourself, don’t you?” Kiyo smirked. “But there are other boys from clans that the Prima finds distasteful and they don’t live so far away. How do you control yourself so well?” The last bit was muttered just under her breath, but Yuriko heard it anyway. She heard too, Mum’s whispered reply, and it almost set her cheeks aflame.

“... if that man wasn’t so skilled in…”

Kiyo squealed in laughter, while Mum snorted.

Yuriko gulped down her drink, feeling the heat of it draw a line down her throat. Damien laughed uproariously in her head.

While the wine made her a bit heady, her body quickly neutralised the effect and she caught Mum looking at her oddly.

While they continued the meal, Yuriko finished her retelling of the past few Seasons of her life. By the time she finished the dessert, a honey cake, she asked, “You didn’t really tell me why I have to control my, er, Mishala Mien.”

“Hmph,” Sadeen snorted. “A well controlled Mien is almost undetectable. A poorly controlled one can lead to disaster. Hmm, let me make an example. That boy you were with, do you know how strongly you affected him?”

“Eh?”

“As I thought. I recognised his outfit and his sigil. He’s royalty from the Coalition. The Empire is not on peaceful terms with the Coalition, yet he easily boarded our ship.”

“He said he had been the victim of a coup,” Yuriko protested.

“Enough that he would risk being held for ransom? That we could return him to his enemies in exchange for strategic value?”

“I rescued him from death.”

Sadeen blinked and exchanged glances with Kiyo. “I see. Well, then, do you have feelings for him?”

“No.”

“But you feel some kind of connection, don’t you?”

“Connection?”

“Yes. You know he exists, you may not feel strongly for him but you would feel something if he got hurt?”

“I suppose.” Yuriko said. “Ah, he did ask if he could court me.”

“And you said yes?”

“I see no harm. At least he asked.”

“Alright.” Sadeen nodded. “Now, imagine if you did have feelings for him, but he did not reciprocate. Your Mien would might have forced him to develop something for you. That goes the same for other people, too. Anyone you come in contact with will be affected by you in one way or another. It reacts to your mind and emotions, and will attempt to influence those around you to match those feelings.”

“That…sounds terrible,” Yuriko said, aghast. “I mean, doesn’t that mean I’m forcing my own feelings on others?”

“Yes, to a certain level,” Kiyo answered. “The Mien will only amplify what’s already there. But with how most Mishalas look, anyone who sees us usually develops a slight interest. That little bit, that chink, is forced open by the Mien and progressed to greater extent.”

“What does that even mean?” Yuriko asked crossly.

“It means,” Mum answered, “it will not create something in others that would not have happened naturally over the course of time and constant exposure.” Then she added in an undertone, “For the crudest application of the Mien anyway.”

“So, can I stop it?” Yuriko asked. She was truly uncomfortable with the very idea. It was as if she was robbing someone of their Will!

And killing someone isn’t robbing them of something just as important? Damien interjected. This Mishala Mien, is just something you were born with. Like how well your body and Anima take to Radiant energy, or how you’re naturally ambidextrous.

‘You seem intent on convincing me.’

Nothing good will come from doubting or hating yourself. If you’re uncomfortable with it, then learn how to control it so you don’t do it by accident.

That…was actually a good idea.

Mum was looking at her strangely, and Yuriko abruptly realised that she had been staring at nothing and hadn’t listened to her explanation. She tried to recall what she just said, and had a vague recollection, “I can’t really stop it?”

“No, not completely. But there are techniques that we Mishalas use to control and refine the usage of our Mien. But the Progenitor must approve first. Ah, she could seal your Mien away, but, well, it would be like cutting away your hand because you don’t like what it could do. You would be crippled.”

“And the Progenitor is in Realmheart?”

“Of course, baby.” Sadeen grinned and ruffled Yuriko’s hair. “Ah, your Tell really is beautiful.”

“My what now?” Yuriko muttered. “Nevermind, this is all too much and too sudden for me. Please tell me later.” Dinner was done and now she had other matters to consider. “I’d like to see my companions and my cousins from the Davar side now, please.”

“Of course.” Mum said, “I’ll bring you to them.”