of copper and blades

CHAPTER NINE,

JUSTINE HAD GUESSED correctly, of course, and when they arrived at the Weeping Flames once more at six, the two sisters and their husbands were already inside enjoying some light dinner in the dining room. Since they'd walked through the front doors this time, with the guards letting them in with a single glance, Justine nodded the already crowded rooms they walked through. There were billiard and card tables, alcohol bars and singers and dancers performing all kinds of songs and tunes.

It looked pretty standard, but a closer look would reveal the details. At one table was a man clearly of good breeding and fortune, oozing the aura of the east Girans, and sitting next to him was a man with an eye-patch and an empty knife sheath strapped to his belt.

One wondered where the missing knife was.

Justine's weapons had not been taken from her, and neither were Gabriel's. At least, she was assuming he carried some as well.

"And where have you two been?" Ciri asked with a soft laugh. A waiter came up and offered her some alcohol, but she refused and waved him off.

"Traipsing around the island, buying perfume," Justine replied with a sigh. "I got some tea and lavender one. I think it smells quite good. Gabriel got some for his sister."

"Oh, does your sister enjoy scents, Gabriel?" Ciri asked, tilting her head.

"No, she just really likes that specific scent."

Cass smiled. "A girl after my own heart. Too many perfumes and scents, in my opinion, doesn't work very well. Especially since the smell often dissipates out. Leaves your things smelling quite odd."

Marcus coughed. "You used to buy a lot of perfume for Ciri as gifts."

"It saved my life once," Ciri said with a grin. "Did it not?"

"That was years ago," Cass deadpanned, "and it was because I didn't know what else to buy. When's the last time I've brought perfume for you, Ciri?"

"Two years ago."

"The fact that you remember so clearly terrifies me," Laurence murmured. "Come on, you two, take a seat and start eating. Not too much, though. The evening's activities are about to begin, as according to Adrian. He says we won't want to be too full for it. Justine, darling, are you sure you don't want to change?"

"I'm good," Justine replied with a brief nod. "I didn't bring anything to change into anyways, and I just look odd in gowns."

"You don't," Ciri said.

"You do," Cass replied. "Like, no offence, but you do. It's not because you don't fit them, it's because you don't feel comfortable in it. And we can see that, so you just look really weird."

Justine was not a beauty who people would stare at in the streets. She was rather plain in the sense, though she knew she was still pleasant to the eye. If she tried to dress up more, wear some makeup, she could probably rival some of the ladies in court. But it was not her style. And she had no real interest in it anyways. In formal situations, she wore the robes of a fighter. Comfortable things, not the frivolous dresses most people wore. They were painfully uncomfortable to fight with, and she knew this because many of her friends, Cass and Ciri included, regularly had to do so. No one batted an eye when Justine Lan showed up in a formal robe rather than a silken dress for a ball or a dinner, and it was better that way.

"What an excellent analysis of my clothing style, Cass," Justine laughed as she settled down next to the woman. A servant came in holding two trays of food. One for her, one for Gabriel. "Such an impressive eye for detail."