Her reaction may have been to wait and see what happened, but her two guests had other ideas. Callen actually stepped in front of her, now sporting some very dangerous looking daggers. He had brought those into her home? He could have killed her and she wouldn't have seen it coming. It may be a good thing he had those on his person in this situation, though; Larian was relieved that someone was equipped with a weapon. He didn't need to be brandishing them at the kneeling woman, however. Ranar too, made a move for a weapon, only to find that there was no sword at his waist. While the men took up their defensive stances Larian stood assessing this Tony Darius. The voice that echoed in her head was strange, otherworldly; it was nearly too much for Larian to take. She wanted to claw at her head. Tony Darius had heard her thoughts and answered the questions in a very matter-of-fact manner. Larian's face flushed, embarrassed that those private thoughts had been not so private to the kneeling elf. She was bound by contract to seek revenge. She needed to destroy "evil's offspring". Who were those offspring? After the woman had finished explaining the extent of her duty she imbedded into their minds gruesome images of dead people. Larian's face was one of shock and disgust. She had never seen something like that. She hadn't even seen her father's dead body. Her stomach turned, threatening to spill its contents. The scorched body, undistinguishable beyond the simple fact that it had once been a person, was not something the duchess would forget.
Again the voice banged within her mind; Tony Darius spoke of necromancers, and the persecution they faced so long ago. That was why the person had been burned like that; they had been a necromancer. Larian had some knowledge of that time, it was a well-known part of history. The Serleun family extended that far back in time but they had not played an active role in hunting the necromancers. There were records, of course, but Larian doubted they were as specific as this woman wanted them to be. Besides, Larian would not have the blood of people on her hands simply because this woman was "bound by contract" to seek revenge on the offspring of the persecutors. Larian formulated her answer but before she could reply to the woman, Ranar was doing so. She nodded in agreement. They were long gone, but Larian had interpreted Tony Darius' words differently; she didn't think the woman was looking for the people themselves, but their family; it wouldn't matter if the one she took revenge on was the persecutors grandchild or great niece, she simply was out for eyes in return for the ones their ancestors had taken.
"I have no records that would be of use to you," she said, hesitation in her voice. The duchess quickly added, "my family did not participate in such discrimination and I do not know of any families who admit they did. I have nothing to offer you to aid you in your revenge." Larian looked to her two male guests, Callen still with his daggers ready and Ranar seeming more relaxed. He kept eyeing the doorway beyond the woman, the gaggle of servants that had accumulated there was large. "Our king may be gone, but the records held in the capital city, Arca are not. You may find what you seek there." Larian offered. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, nervous about the situation. Her eyes made contact with the doorman who, despite his usually emotionless demeanor, looked extremely perturbed. She nodded to him, hoping that he would understand that now was the time to go find someone to remove this woman from her home. It took him a while to will his body to move, his eyes going quickly between Larian and Tony Darius more than a few times before he tore himself from the scene and made his way down the hall. Other staff members filled the hole where he had been quickly. They seemed entranced by the woman, unaware that she was obviously dangerous.
Larian was extremely worried that her first night in her new villa might very well be her last night ever. She was far too young to be killed! Looking to the half full glass of wine in her hand, she frowned. Hoping that no one had arrived and had been left unattended while this mess was going on, Larian searched the faces in the door for any that might not be part of her staff. She scoffed at herself. That was nothing to worry about when her life, and the lives of others, was in grave danger. Then again, she didn't want to be remembered as someone who knew nothing of the proper court etiquette.
She just had to keep positive. This woman would be removed soon and they could go about the night as if nothing odd had happened. Well, no, they couldn't, but they could certainly laugh about it in hindsight. In her head the scene played out, her laughing lightly while saying, "remember when that half-naked, revenge crazed elf burst into my villa? That certainly was an exciting night." No. That wouldn't happen either. They'd best just not talk about it afterwards...assuming there was going to be an afterwards.
