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90 Years, 2 Months, 11 Days
Emmaline deLacroix was after something; this much Furina was absolutely certain of.
She didn't dislike Emmaline, per-se. The fiery young barrister was becoming quite the darling of Fontaine's courts, and even her dullest cases drew a crowd just to hear her speak. She had the unique ability to make any case sound like the fate of Fontaine (no, all of Teyvat!) hung in the balance. An ability that worked magic on everyone, save Neuvillette who barely seemed annoyed by Emmaline's theatrics. Like a wave breaking on a rock, Neuvillette weathered her impassioned pleas and scathing accusations with unwavering patience, barely even flinching in front of such a powerful personality.
Furina envied her in that way; she didn't need to pretend to be larger than life. She was truthfully a little nervous about their first formal introduction; such a sharp witted and naturally confident person might bulldoze her in public if given the chance. But such was the catch-22 of social maneuvering; refusing an audience with such an up-and-comer would also cause Furina to lose face by making it seem as though she were jealous of a rising star. Not even brunch was apolitical in the capitol; in fact, restaurants were some of the most vicious arenas in the Court. Great fortunes were exchanged over tea, real estate deals were sealed over dinner, and the legislature decided more over drinks than they did in the court. Furina was familiar with the social atmosphere of every restaurant in the city...which made Emmaline's invitation to Le Cygne all the stranger.
Le Cygne was famous for two things. The first was for its tarte tatin , an exceptional pastry Furina had a tumultuous love affair with. The second was for its reputation as a place where marriages and courtships were arranged between the aristocracy.
It was said that dynasties were made and lost over tea cakes, and the owners of Le Cygne knew it.
The restaurant was designed for discretion as much as it was designed for ambiance. Each table was conveniently out of earshot of its neighbors, and waiters were hired for their tight lips as much as their table skills. The fact that Emmaline had suggested such an establishment was not a coincidence; this was as much a part of their conversation as anything that was said. Furina was just hoping this wasn't another doomed marriage proposal she would have to awkwardly decline. Furina was used to pink-faced young men she had never met profess their undying love for her; perhaps it was only a matter of time before Fontaine's ladies tried where the gentlemen had failed.
Whatever her intentions were, Emmaline gave her plenty of time to ponder as they spoke. Furina learned that it took about forty-five minutes of polite but meaningless small talk before her guests got to the point of their visit. Everyone wanted something from her and as the font of all blessings, Focalors was compelled to oblige her subjects' humble requests. But no one ever just asked; that would be too gauche. Not until they had discussed weather, the latest court trials, the latest operas, what authors were in vogue, the exhibition of Liyuen art, and twenty other unrelated things first.
Sure enough, by the time the jam tarts were delivered, Emmaline was getting to the thrust of her visit.
"Lady Furina, I hope I could ask for your guidance on a personal matter," Emmaline said, dunking a palmier in her tea.
Right on cue, Furina thought, glancing at the clock behind Emmaline's head. "A personal matter, Mme. deLacroix?"
"I wanted to get your insight as someone very familiar with the Iudex," Emmaline said. "I'm sure you recall that he recently ruled in favor of Madam Celia in that ugly real-estate dispute?"
"Of course; Neuville-er, Iudex Neuvillette is the most perceptive of gentlemen," Furina said, clearing her throat. "As expected of my chief subordinate, he saw the facts of your case as clearly as I did. You have no need to thank us; justice served is our greatest pleasure."
"Your Eminence is an inspiration to a young lawyer like myself," Emmaline chuckled. "All the same, Madam Celia is very grateful to be able to live out the rest of her days in the house she and her husband built. The Iudex was very kind to grant her wish…and I feel compelled to personally thank him."
Personally thank him? Furina thought. Did she really ask the Archon to lunch for gift ideas?
"Thanking Neuvillette is a very difficult task to accomplish, mademoiselle," Furina chuckled. It was one Furina had struggled with decades; how to properly thank her greatest agent, accomplice, partner (friend?) in a way that he would accept. Neuvillette did outstanding things in the course of duty and was quick to brush off his accomplishments as "part of the job."
("A god is entitled to bestow favor on those who serve her faithfully," Furina had once pointed out. "And a good subject would receive such favors gracefully.")
("I'm sorry to be such a poor subject in this regard," Neuvillette said, lips twitching as Furina failed to suppress an indignant huff.)
"All the same, I was raised to show adequate appreciation when someone has done a kindness for me," Emmaline said, Furina's brow twitching at the word adequate. "And, frankly, I was quite surprised to find the Iudex to be a remarkably kind man. My grandfather said he was harsh and unforgiving as a judge during his time before the bench."
Well he was, Furina thought, remembering how Neuvillette could barely restrain his annoyance towards the cases he oversaw when he first ascended to the Iudex's bench. "Time has granted him wisdom and perspective on the law…and of course, I did prod him to be more open-minded."
"I am sure the God of Justice would make for an excellent tutor for a chief justice," Emmaline said with a teasing smile. "Although, I confess, I find the prospect of the Iudex being prodded by anyone rather amusing."
"Only one person in the realm is capable of such a feat; another chapter in my library of duties," Furina chuckled airily.
"One, I'm sure, you perform with your usual grace," Emmaline said, taking a thoughtful sip of her tea. "Still, it is no exaggeration to say he saved my client from living the last of her years in a poorhouse and I'd like to offer a small token of appreciation in thanks."
A…token of appreciation? Furina thought. No, if she was bribing him she would have done it before the trial…what is she driving at here?
"Hmm…even trickier," Furina said, taking a small bite of her tart to give herself time to maneuver. "Neuvillette has rather…interesting tastes. Not exactly a man that can be mollified with a bottle of whiskey or gold bracelet, unfortunately. His only real vices are his morning swims; when he moved into the Palais, I commissioned for him a pool made out of marble from Liyue and filled with water from Loch Urania. Heated by special pipes and lit by glowing stone from the seabed of Inazuma; I daresay it's the only one of its kind."
Focalors would brag about her magnanimity, Furina reasoned, though it felt a little childish to throw such a grand display in Emmaline's face.
"That may be out of my price-range," Emmaline laughed, regarding Furina over the rim of her cup. "The Iudex is a strong swimmer then…I can imagine he cuts as striking a figure in water as he cuts on land."
A striking figure? Furina thought. Obviously; Neuvillette could cut a striking figure in pitch darkness. He commanded people's attention when he entered the room and even Furina found herself straightening up a little when she knew his eyes were on her. And when he was in the water-
Furina licked her lips, trying to refocus her attention on the woman in front of her. "Quite the strong figure, er, swimmer ."
"My brothers and I would dive for 'sunken treasures' as children at our family's island estate," Emmaline said fondly, a mischievous glint forming in her eye. "I wonder if he's ever explored the caves beneath the Great Fontaine Lake; I'd be happy to give him a tour should he ever find the time in his busy schedule."
Oh… oh.
Realization slapped Furina in the face, the coy crook of Emmaline's lips speaking volumes. Now all the lingering looks, teasing jabs, and pointed remarks she sent Neuvillette's way during trials made total sense. Emmaline's legal ambitions were grand, but they paled in comparison to her romantic ambitions. Emmaline wanted to get acquainted with Neuvillette…and wanted Furina's permission before she approached him.
"I'm sure the Iudex is… quite familiar with the ins and outs of Fontaine's waters," Furina said, stomach clenching from the effort it took to keep smiling like nothing was bothering her. "As for his busy schedule, I'm sure you know that Neuvillette has his hands full attending to matters of the law and the Court. In fact, I've never seen him take a vacation in all the many years we've worked together."
"No?" Emmaline said, her sympathetic pout making Furina's blood boil. "I seem to recall the Opera was in recess last month while the Iudex made a trip to the Beryl region."
Yes, because the caves we were investigating started flooding, Furina thought. "No, not a pleasure trip, I'm afraid; he was about my business the entire time conducting a census of the region. Neuvillette barely had an opportunity to get his feet wet."
Another lie, but Furina didn't think telling Emmaline about their secret expeditions would be helpful; their "vacations" involved secretive research and careful measurements of water levels and Seawater concentrations under cover of darkness. Not the flirty romantic getaway Emmaline was imagining (unfortunately).
"Shame; there are some excellent diving locations in that region," Emmaline sighed. "Plenty of pleasant diversions for those with the time to take advantage of them."
And I'm sure you'd like to be one of them, Furina thought, concealing her teeth behind a tight-lipped smile. "Neuvillette always finds ways to keep himself occupied when not serving Fontaine and its Archon. There are plenty of pleasant diversions in the Court if one knows where to look for them."
"And yet I'm told the Iudex barely leaves the Palais once court has adjourned for the day," Emmaline countered, playfully enough that Furina couldn't lose her temper without also losing face. "Unless he has some private diversion to keep himself occupied in the Palais?"
Furina was dimly aware of the lull in conversation at the surrounding tables, the chamber music playing from the downstairs lounge seeming louder than ever in the silence. Everyone around her pretended to not listen, even as Furina could feel their eyes on her. Of course they had been eavesdropping; the Archon was out to lunch with one of Fontaine's new influencers and the conversation had apparently turned to the topic of the enigmatic Iudex's love life.
A topic that was often whispered about in the same breath as Furina's love life.
Furina wasn't oblivious to the rumors that swirled around the court. She and Neuvillette had occupied a private wing of the Palais Mermonia for close to a century. She was widely known to be Neuvillette's only intimate acquaintance. They would often leave court together at seemingly random times, telling no one where they were going and returning in the middle of the night.
She was well aware of how things appeared between her and Neuvillette…but she wasn't in a hurry to dispel a rumor that concealed their true relationship. Gossip and scandal were worth more than gold when it came to holding the public's interest and as long as their attention was trained on something silly and inconsequential, Furina's real aims could go unnoticed.
So she's heard the rumors that Neuvillette and I are lovers, Furina concluded, sifting through Emmaline's words for her real meaning. And she wants to find out if they're true before she makes her move on him. The last thing an ambitious woman wants is to make an enemy of her Archon.
This left Furina with the conundrum of how to answer with the whole damn restaurant eavesdropping on her. Thankfully, her clotted-cream and jam tart was sticky enough to require a lot of chewing which gave her plenty of time to think. A small, rational part of Furina insisted that she had no business interfering in Neuvillette's affections; a part that was quickly gagged and thrown in a trunk by a much more selfish part. She could just let Emmaline swing at Neuvillette and fall on her face...but Furina did not want to encourage this behavior. This had to be the last time a winsome young lady asked permission to pay court to Furina's familiar.
"My Lord enjoys plenty of private diversions in the Palais in his rather limited free time," Furina said with a tight lipped smile. "As you say, mademoiselle, one must properly show gratitude for services rendered and a god must bestow favor on her most cherished subjects. If my Lord has ever not enjoyed my hospitality…he has never said so."
The art of gaining the upper hand in a conversation was like a game of shuffleboard with the winner getting closest to the line without going over. Outrage was to be hinted at but never spoken outright; that would be boorish. With one reply, Furina dragged Emmaline all the way to the edge of decency and left her no room to wiggle without falling over the other side. The narrow gap between Furina's insinuations was too tight to navigate; Furina all but said that she was the only person capable of satisfying Neuvillette and dared Emmaline to press the issue further.
Come on, just ask me outright, Furina thought, watching Emmaline slowly chew on her apple tart. They told me you were bold; how bold are you?
Bold as she was, Emmaline was not about to poke a god over any shared affection. The underlying message was clear as day and judging by the soft shrug of Emmaline's shoulders, it seemed she knew at least one ambition would forever go unfulfilled.
"Your Eminence's hospitality is… very enjoyable," Emmaline said, covering her mouth as she coughed into a napkin. "As I can now say for myself. Thank you for your… perspective , Lady Furina. I believe I've taken up enough of your time."
Furina's smile was sickeningly sweet as she rose to see Emmaline off.
"There, that should do it…anything else?"
"That should be everything that requires your attention today, Lady Furina," a clerk said, collecting the stack of bills and bowing slightly as he left. "I'll let you know if there are any follow up questions."
"Of course," Furina said, keeping her mask of serene cheer up as she waved the clerk out of the room. Alone for the first time all day, Furina deflated a little, laying her head on the cool wood of her desk and letting out a grumbling sigh. She allowed herself her usual thirty seconds of exhausted whining before peeling herself off her desk and making her way out of her office.
"Miss Sana, I'll be retiring for the rest of the evening," Furina called to one of the duelists that made up her personal guard. It had been one of Furina's better ideas in the wake of the unfortunate assassination attempt the year before; enlist the country's best duelists as personal bodyguards while not conducting official duels. Furina got fearsome, well trained bodyguards that enjoyed cushy positions and generous salaries in exchange for shepherding the Archon around. So far, the presence of heavily armed Vision wielders was enough to keep further assassination attempts at bay.
"As you wish, my Lady," Sana said, falling into step behind her as they made their way through the halls of the Palais. "The Iudex asked you to review the contents of a parcel he left in your private chambers...if it's convenient."
"Is he back already?" Furina asked. It was unusual for Furina to be the last to return home as Neuvillette often worked late into the night in his private office.
"Lots of plea deals today; court was by all accounts a dreary affair," Sana said.
How unfortunate…no trials worth paying attention to on the horizon, Furina thought as they approached the large double doors that sealed off the residential wing. "Well, not every show can be a hit I suppose. Good evening, Miss Sana."
Sana saluted, taking up her post outside the door as Furina closed it behind her. Tucked away on the far side of the third floor were the Archon's apartments, a private oasis occupied only by two. It was the one wing of the house Furina felt remotely safe plotting with Neuvillette, cut off from the rest of Fontaine and hidden from prying eyes. A few salacious rumors were worth having Neuvillette close to her in case she needed him suddenly.
A pure bubbling spring rose out of the center of the atrium, one teeming with Hydro crystalflies that lazily beat their wings on the water's surface. The spring was Egeria's creation; a font of pure, sweet water densely concentrated with Hydro energy that fed the wing's plumbing. On one side of the spring were Furina's quarters; a bedroom, bathroom, lounge, and study. Neuvillette had a similar setup on the other side. Both suites opened into a domed terrace on the side of the palace, and as she passed she heard the sound of splashing coming from the lap pool on the other side. Furina rarely got a chance to see Neuvillette in the water; he was done with his morning swims before sunrise most days. Court must've been exceptionally boring if he still had energy to burn off before bed.
She saw him in the pool as she stepped through the door, a slender shape slicing through the water at furious speed. The patch of pearlescent scales that ran down his spine glittered in soft blue light that came from the underwater lamps. His pale form subtly twisted and snaked through the water, swimming with smooth, serpentine movements that seemed impossible at times. Back and forth, he swam, never once surfacing for air until he reached the far side of the pool. When he finally crested the water, his long silvery hair clung like seaweed to his neck and shoulders. The soft gasp that left his lips as his lungs readjusted to breathing air made Furina's throat tighten sympathetically, chest clenching as she watched his swell with air.
Striking didn't even begin to describe Neuvillette's figure in the water. It was one thing to watch him command the courthouse; to see the Hydro Dragon swimming in his own element was hypnotizing.
"At least one of us had a slow day," Furina called, her voice echoing off the smooth tile and drawing Neuvillette's eyes to her.
"Slow, dull, mostly plea deals," Neuvillette said, pushing his hair out of his face. "You would have gone mad."
"In the future, I will gladly take madness over tea with another shark," Furina said with a shudder.
"Ah…you had that lunch with Mademoiselle deLacroix," Neuvillette sighed, hauling himself up out of the water and onto the ledge of the pool. "You seem to have survived in one piece."
"Not that she didn't try taking a bite out of me," Furina huffed. "Though to be honest, I found her to be a little… less impressive than what I expected."
"I'm sure you're the first to be underwhelmed by her," Neuvillette said, squeezing his hair out and letting the water run back into the pool. "What did she want from you?"
Furina watched drops of water trail down Neuvillette's bare back until they vanished beneath the hem of his swim trunks. "Something I'm not willing to part with, unfortunately."
"No?" Neuvillette pulled himself out of the pool, his bare thighs flexing as he clambered to his feet. "Well…hopefully you let her down without making an enemy of her. I fear she's going to be a fixture in the courts for the next half century at least."
"Pretty intelligent women usually are," Furina said, watching him towel himself dry. "Though I'm perfectly confident in your abilities to contend with her."
"Naturally," Neuvillette scoffed. "That is my duty, after all; deflating ambitious legal stars with the firm, emotionless applications of the law."
"I don't think anyone who sides with a poor old woman over some wealthy real estate investors can be considered emotionless," Furina said, removing one of her boots and dipping a toe in the cool water. "...she wanted to thank you for ruling in her favor."
"It was her client's favor, not hers," Neuvillette sighed, carding his fingers through his wet hair. "Miss Emmaline happened to have the facts of the case on her side…this time. I don't require her thanks for doing my job."
"I'm sure she'll be disappointed to hear that," Furina said, a small knot of worry in her stomach loosening as she watched Neuvillette head towards the door leading to his private chambers. "Going to bed?"
"I'll be reading for a while if you need me," Neuvillette said, pausing in the door to his chambers to look back at her. "Do you…need anything from me?"
"...no," Furina lied, glancing back at the pool. "I'm just going to unwind and watch the waves for a little bit…I'll take a look at that package before I go to bed."
Neuvillette hummed in acknowledgement, sparing her one final glance over his shoulder as he left Furina alone with flushed skin and uneasy thoughts. Part of her was a little embarrassed about how downright territorial she had been in fending off Emmaline's affections...but she was doing the young lady a favor, Furina told herself. Neuvillette was not the icon he appeared to be in court; up close, Emmaline might have just been disappointed by the reality of the man she coveted.
He doesn't want some needy little thing throwing herself at him, Furina told herself. No, I'm just sparing her the embarrassment of being turned down; she's more than capable of wooing anyone else in the Court. Anyone she pleases…she'll get over it soon enough.
Through the crack in Neuvillette's door, Furina heard the bath spigot open, steam rising through the narrow gap where brighter light spilled into the terrace. Furina closed her eyes and listened to the sloshing water against the pool's edges, trying not to think of Neuvillette undoing the strings holding his swimming shorts up before sliding into the tub. She tried not to imagine what it might be like to wash that long, shimmering white hair, to dig her fingers into his scalp as he laid back against her chest-
Sighing, Furina reached down to splash a little cold water on her face. Furina had no real reason to dislike Emmaline; the young lawyer was simply someone acting on a perfectly natural desire. And despite being close to one hundred, Furina was not the ethereal immortal being she pretended to be. She was a creature of flesh and blood that was subject to the same aches and cravings as any other human; cravings that had gone unsated for years. As much as she tried to drown her desires beneath the waters of cold practicality, they resurfaced again and again. It hurt to think of the things she would never get so long as she played at being divine. She would never have a loving hand slide into hers in public, never feel another's mouth on hers, never feel strong fingers tease her curly white hair, never feel hot breath against her neck as strong hands parted her thighs-
Furina smacked her lips, surprised that her mouth could feel so dry surrounded by so much water.