𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐆𝐎𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐍 𝐎𝐑𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐃𝐒. empires smp (in progress)

𝐗𝐗𝐕. MEETING THE FAMILY

FORGOTTEN ORCHIDS   |   CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

WHEN QUEEN LIZZIE CONTACTED HIM, Atticus knew it wasn't going to be entirely business. It never was with her, even before Atticus and the Codfather began to grow closer; Lizzie was just a friendly person and preferred to make friends rather than talk about trade deals, even when she was the one to request a meeting in the first place.

Atticus would normally find himself annoyed, but at the moment he felt relaxed; sitting in the Prisma Palace on a quiet day in the fall, a warm cup of tea in his hands, did wonders for his stress levels. Lizzie sat across from him on a matching couch so soft that Atticus wondered what magic she'd used for them. She smiled at Atticus and he instinctively smiled back, having always been calmed by Lizzie's presence; now that he knew she had practically been a mother for 26 years, he was beginning to understand why.

"I hear that my brother had a good time touring Vulpesterra," she told him. Atticus smiled in confusion; the tour had been a few weeks ago now, and he had met up with the Codfather since then. He wondered why she was bringing it up now. "I wanted to thank you for being so kind to him lately. I was surprised, but it's been nice to see him making friends. Especially with you, Foxling," she said, tone on the verge of teasing.

Atticus sipped his tea to hide his grimace. Ah, so there was the reason for this visit—a shovel talk.

"I'm glad we're friends, too, Queen Lizzie," he said pleasantly. "But am I not here for us to discuss quartz?"

Lizzie waved her hand, dismissing his concerns. "Where's the fun in that?" She smiled. "Can't I talk to my brother's new alliance? He's had such a difficult time making them, it would be lovely to get to know you now that you've joined the small circle."

Atticus got the strangest feeling that he was talking to the Codfather's mother rather than his sister. Given she had raised the Codfather for most of their lives, he supposed he wasn't too far off.

Atticus dipped his head in a nod. "I'm glad to be friends with him," he repeated, unsure what else he could say. "I assume the 'circle' is of you, King Joel, and Scott?" he guessed. Lizzie nodded eagerly, beaming at him.

"Yes! Gosh, we've all been friends for so long that's hard to remember we're in alliances, too." She shook her head; Atticus smiled thinly, as he couldn't possibly relate to that feeling. Friends and alliances were new for him, after all. "He speaks of you very often, you know. My brother," she clarified, as if Atticus would think of anyone else.

Atticus' ears burned. "All good things, I hope," he joked, tone deadpan despite himself.

Lizzie gave him a secret smile that he was sure he could decipher the meaning of. "Very good things," she assured.

Atticus took another sip of his tea to avoid having to keep speaking.

"Do you like him romantically?" Lizzie blurted.