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Kaitlyn's eyes slowly opened and she looked around the room which she could not remember. She sat up in her bed in a bit of a panic and gasped, before calming herself. "Ah..." The soft echo of remembrance and understanding escaped her lips.

"Do you always sleep in?" The voice was feminine, dignified, and unexpectedly friendly for one she'd find in a jail, or so she assumed, as this was her first time in such a place.

"I... uhm..." She gave it some thought and, "honestly, I hadn't slept that well in ages. Maybe it's the bedding, or the fact that... how do I put this without sounding... strange...?"

"You slept better despite being behind bars. You were exhausted, and its a bit more secluded than most places. Sometimes, jail really is the safest place for some people... for their own safety. I intend to have you help us resolve that problem. Your companion wouldn't answer anything until he could speak to you."

Kaitlyn's eyes blinked rapidly in confusion and surprise. "He... didn't even give information about his father?"

"Talking to you is the condition he gave before answering anything. Aside from that..." Spica paused, "Let's be on our way. Breakfast will grow cold if we tarry much longer."

"Huh?" Kaitlyn tilted her head in incomprehension as Spica unlocked her cell.

"Come along. I don't think I need to remind you not to do anything foolish, right?" Her voice lowered on the last word. It had a sharper edge to it, vastly different from her refined and amicable tone. It was her slightly less than subtle, yet still dignified, way of saying that she could, and would, make good on her threat if needed.

"As long as we're not eating both uncooked mela berries and prudyas..."

Spica's ears went straight, then twitched, and immediately thereafter, her laughter echoed through the dungeon. "Gods no! We fired someone who tried that. We know better. Also, there are far too many fire wielders here for such a thing. It would result in a disaster, I'm sure. Come." She beckoned for Kaitlyn.

For her part, Kaitlyn got out of bed and followed the gently-swaying red to yellow aumbre hair out of the jail. She could tell that asking for five more minutes was not an option, though it did leave her wondering, "Why were there so many guards to capture us yesterday, yet only you now?"

"We wanted to avoid damaging the town or the public, and sending an overwhelming force to get you to simply surrender was the best way to do that. Had you decided to fight, you'd have only been fighting me, or the other two guardians. The other reason for so many was to be able to easily shield you from the townspeople. People view you differently if they see you hauled off to jail, after all."

Kaitlyn pondered the thoughtfulness of the person leading her, but now her curiosity got the better of her. "What is this 'guardian' you speak of?"

"Essentially, it's a saint, but with golden eyes. They are those blessed by the arch deities."

"...huh?! Arch deities? You mean of the sun and moon?! I thought they didn't exist!"

"They did most certainly exist, or used to. Those from my era consider them to have gone missing."

Spica's statements were only raising more questions in Kaitlyn's mind, and her second one came next, "As many questions as that last statement raises, you said that we'd only be fighting 3 of you? Exactly... how strong are you people?"

"Oh, I gave the wrong impression. Yuo'd have only been fighting a single one of us, no more than two."

Kaitlyn stopped in her tracks. "Most people... either attack in droves, or run in terror... I think you're the second person to ever even consider fighting me one on one, or even at a disadvantage."

The air was still cool, and a chilly wind blew, at least that's what Kaitlyn thought she felt. Spica had turned around, a provocative smirk on her face. Her eyes went alight and a dagger appeared in her hands. She held it out in both hands for Kaitlyn to see. "This is my celestial weapon, or a part of it."

With a glimmer of golden light, another dagger formed a hand's breadth away from the left side of Kaitlyn's face. By the time she'd noticed and reflexively moved away, she'd realized there was another to the right, the same distance away, and that the left one had followed her, floating ominously in the air.

Three more daggers materialized within her line of sight, and Spica had not moved, still holding the first dagger gently. "These are called the 7 suns."

Against her better judgment, and after an audible gulp, Kaitlyn mustered her next question, "Why are they called the 7 suns if there are only 6?"

"Truth be told, if I'm in combat, I don't normally need this many. Not many have seen the 7th and lived to tell. Many of those who fought by my side back then have long since perished. Only three remain who I know have seen it. They are all considered ancient guardians, such as myself."

Kaitlyn forgot about the daggers crowding her for a moment and simply focused on Spica, the forlorn expression on her face. She listened as Spica continued.

"The three who remain all reside here in the manor. Solaris, who is essentially my adopted child. Emil met him last night. Then there's Crux, my younger brother, and Eber, my betrothed, and the marquis of this region." A wry smile crossed her features as she touched the out-of-place necklace.

Kaitlyn's eyes widened as knowledge from one of the numerous books she'd read was recalled. "Wait, aren't you... a high elf? Aren't necklaces like that a custom of dark elves?"

"They are."

"Then, you're... to marry a dark elf?!"

"I am." Her face was colored with a light blush that extended to her ears. Kaitlyn could tell this wasn't exactly a political marriage, but that Spica had somehow gained affection for one of her species's mortal enemies.

"...wait... a dark elf... leader of a human territory... Your fiancé... is the usurper?!"

The cold wind that Kaitlyn thought she felt earlier was replaced by the chill of pure terror. Someone strong enough to survive daily life as a golden-eyes, strong enough to even be considered a potential match for a ruling noble, and engaged to someone considered to be in active rebellion of the crown. The strength left her legs, and her knees buckled. The knives surrounding her dispersed as she waited for the impact of the ground, which never came.

Moments later, after what should've been her trying to pick herself up in embarassment, she realized that her feet were not touching the ground. Moreover, it wasn't just her feet. No part of her was touching the ground. She was suspended in midair, unable to move, and being rotated slowly back upright. She watched Spica casually move her finger, and noticed her movements in the same manner.

"Please catch yourself this time."

She was lowered ever so slightly until she felt the ground beneath her feet. She put as much strength as she could muster into her legs and remained that way until weight and mobility returned to her.

"Your face says everything. Rest assured, if we wished you dead, it would've long since been done. Now let us hurry. Just because I can reheat our tea doesn't change the fact that it doesn't taste as good after sitting out."