MtG Month of the Ship Day 16 - Pretend Relationship
(This one's pre-Ravnica Allegiances, sometime before the fall of the Obzedat)
The ballroom was a shrine to decadence, as was the Orzhov style. Everything not gilded in gold or alabaster was black marble polished to a mirror shine. Masked thrulls crouched in the wings on every side, waiting to swoop down with trays of refreshments, cigars, or whatever other pleasure a party-goer might think to want. The sheer amount of open space in the room alone spoke volumes about the affluence of its owners, in a city where space to build was almost nonexistent.
On the whole, Tajic would have rather been back in prison. At least there they had let him keep his armor on. The formal dress tunic he wore now was all but useless in a fight, unless his enemies decided to target the Boros sigil pinned to his breast.
Aurelia had assured him the assignment wasn't a punishment, but it certainly felt like one.
Functions like this were a waste of time and resources. Members of the Boros, Azorius, and Selesnya all come together ostensibly to share expertise and build goodwill among the law-enforcing guilds of Ravnica. In reality it was all a farce built to stoke Orzhov egos while the other guilds in attendance had to grovel and look pretty.
He ought to be out on the streets, helping people.
“Tajic.”
Tajic blinked and looked down. He’d been so lost in thought he hadn’t noticed one of the Orzhov approach him…
“I need your help.”
…Teysa…
“Of course.” Tajic offered his arm automatically. Teysa took it and pulled close to his side. “What is the matter?”
“I need you to be my date. For the next hour or so.” Teysa nodded up at one of the balconies, where a trio of cloaked and masked spirits stood, looking down over the party-goers. “My disgusting ancestors have been filling people’s head with the notion that I am ‘on the market,’ and I need someone on my arm if I’m going to get anything done at this party. Preferably someone not trying to get into my pants or my bank accounts.”
"It…it would be my pleasure."
"I have a date, full disclosure,” she added, as they started around the edge of the dancing area.
“I wouldn’t dream of assuming either way.”
“Not that I think you would.” She lay her hand atop his. “But It’s important to me that I always give you the truth. I owe you that much."
Tajic softened at her words. They had not parted under the best circumstances, but he'd spent most of the intervening tie worrying what the ghost council had done with her. It had been reassuring to learn that she'd been reinstated as an envoy in some capacity, but a much greater relief to see her here, and confirm her wellness in the flesh.
"You look very striking tonight, by the way." Teysa prodded his stomach with a gloved finger, and ran it across his side. "Sure you aren't wearing armor under there, legionnaire?"
Tajic raised an eyebrow. "Quite sure." The corner of his mouth twisted up into a smirk. "I would prove it, but it's a rather formal occasion."
Teysa tsked, but gave his arm a squeeze all the same. "Good call. I'm already a bit worried about my other date's attire. Don't you go giving me a reason to be concerned for impropriety as well."
“And where is this date? I’m happy to escort you, but I would think the ghost council would not approve…”
“They’ll approve of her even less.” Teysa’s hand tightened on Tajic’s. “But she’ll arrive soon. There’s a meeting with the council later tonight that…well, it can’t be put off." She looked around the ballroom. "Still…I have some time to see to a few errands before then, if the jackals my uncles have set on me will stay out of my way."
Tajic glared up at the Obzedat members, then nodded. “I'm yours. However long you need, though I wasn’t aware there were useful things to do at a function like this.”
Teysa raised an eyebrow up at Tajic, offering a smile far nicer than any of the gold in the room. “You are doing your part for your guild just by standing around; the matriarchs love seeing a handsome Boros hero in their homes. Some of the Patriarchs too, to be honest. There’s almost nothing better for getting them to donate gold to the legion. Hadn’t you noticed all the eyes on you?”
“I assumed it was suspicion. We were trying to undermine your entire guild last time we were seen together.”
“Don’t worry, those old lechers only think they’ve grown wiser with age. They think we were lovers, looking to run the Orzhov as king and queen or some nonsense My uncle at least had the sense to know I’d rule alone.” She winked at Tajic. “Better that they think we're trying to rekindle something like that than know the truth."
"The truth?"
Teysa paused, then spun and led Tajic to the dance floor. They fell into a slow waltz a bit further from the throng of ears lining the room.
"You might not see me after tonight. The Obzedat will forgive one attempt to usurp them, but not a second. Not one like this."
Tajic kept his face set, his eyes scanning the room. A few rude eyes were on them, but more because of the slow, stuttered gait of their waltz. They were dancing closer than the other pairs so that Tajic could keep an arm around her to help support her bad leg.
"What do you mean?"
"It's better that you don't know. I trust you, but the pieces of this plan are already in motion, and if it fails I'll feel better knowing there are people like you still fighting to do something that resembles the right thing."
Tajic nodded. Trust. It made sense. You trusted the soldier to your left and to your right in battle, or the formation would perish. This was just another battlefield, with different arms and armor.
And he did trust Teysa Karlov.
"Don't look so glum, legionnaire." Teysa gave him one of her courtroom smiles. "It's only death. Let's get some food."
"Of course. And your errands?"
"No time like the present."
They made a slow circuit of the ballroom, stopping to speak with Senate judges, Conclave guardians, Syndicate patriarchs, and even a few of the Legion wojeks in attendance. It all seemed like talk on the surface, but Teysa had an amazing talent for slipping business into the conversations without the other party even noticing. By the time they had completed the circuit she had secured funding for Tin street infrastructure maintenance, negotiated the re-examination of several unjustly prosecuted narcotics cases, and gotten one particularly odious patriarch to transfer an unimaginable amount of gold to third party.
“Pocket change,” Teysa muttered as they walked away. “He won’t even know it’s gone.”
All the while, they kept up a constant play of small touches. Tajic's hand gently cupping her shoulder. Teysa's thumb running along his jaw. The intertwining of their fingers between conversations. The raised eyebrows and whispers behind cupped hands must have meant it was working.
It was all much easier than Tajic had expected it would be. Worry had, somehow, given way to relaxation. The kind of tense ease one felt facing down a hydra with a trusted companion. He helped her in her dozen small battles as best he could. He laughed at the Azorius jokes, nodded along to an old loxodon hierarch's stories, and stared down the suitors whose glances at Teysa were too filled with greed or lust for her comfort.
"These idiots are easy enough to deal with, but you can't get anything done when they're swarming you."
"Baroness Karlov?"
Tajic spun about, ready to shake another hand (or crush it, as the situation called for), and instead found himself staring down a sharp-dressed imp, hovering in front of them.
"Pivlic." Teysa offered her hand, and the imp planted a crisp kiss on her knuckles. "Thank you for catering tonight. A hit as always."
The imp bowed. "Only the finest from Pivlichino's, and only the best for our revered patriarchs." The imp side-eyed the balcony with a decided lack of reverence. "Your guest has arrived, in any case. I let her know you'd find her shortly."
"Ah! Splendid!" Teysa laughed lightly, as thought the imp had told a joke. "If you would, Pivlic; have the champagne served in about, oh…" Her eyes also flicked up toward the balcony. "About an hour. Thank you."
Teysa took off with Tajic in tow, not toward the main entrance but toward a side hallway. There were fewer thrulls here, and more of the imp's staff, bringing out platters of food and drink. There among the bustling ogres, goblins and humans was a hooded figure that…somehow just didn't belong.
"That's her, thank you." Teysa let go of Tajic's arm, but kept his hand. "I will see you shortly or not at all. Wish me luck."
"Of course." Tajic flicked his eyes up at the figure. He had a momentary impression of two purple eyes looking straight into his soul, and then nothing but a shrouded face. "Do…you trust her?"
Teysa shrugged. "I make a point not to trust most of my romantic partners. But I've made an exception recently. I've found I like the difference."
"Good enough for me." Tajic pressed a small kiss to her hand. "Best of luck with your date."
Teysa smiled up at Tajic. "She is a date, but we've agreed to keep the relationship open." She lifted up her cane and tapped it against his chest. "I'd like to see more of you, if all goes well...you're quite certain there's no armor under there?"
"Certain. I'd never lie to another servant of the law."
"Hmmm, well…thank you. For this, and for...everything up to now." Teysa leaned up and kissed his cheek, just above the jaw "Go now. Make sure there are plenty of people who can account for your whereabouts in the next hour."
Tajic watched her stride off with a a strained tinge foreboding. And yet, beneath the foreboding, a feeling of hope.
. . .
"Who was the looker?"
"Tajic." Teysa took Kaya's hand and they started down the hallway to Karlov's meeting-chambers. "A friend. He helped me infiltrate Orzhova before. During the last attempt."
"Ah, I didn't realize you made a habit of taking all your lovers on dangerous field trips."
Teysa rolled her eyes at Kaya's smirk. "I didn't have time for lovers. I had many more pressing responsibilities then."
"Well I promise to give you an easy office after all this is over. Give you enough time for all the courting you need." Kaya hip-checked Teysa, and the baroness bumped up against the wall by the chamber door, laughing.
"Fine, but don't think I'll be happy with a desk job."
Kaya planted her palm against the wall by Teysa's shoulder and leaned in, showing teeth with her grin. "Now is that any way to speak to your future boss?"
"You should see how I talk to my bosses now. You will in a second, actually." Teysa eyed the door. "Are you ready?"
Kaya took Teysa's chin between her thumb and forefinger, and lay a long, soft kiss on her lips.
