The Changeling

19

After breakfast, the day was a bit of a whirlwind. Cetlali started at the bottom of the Complex and worked her way up through the levels. She was not looking forward to the battle of wills ahead. She didn't know why Ezren hired them at all if he needed them constantly micromanaged. However, he wanted to be sure everyone was fulfilling his needs and demands to the letter. Cetlali felt like making sure the workers had what they needed to make their efforts possible and easy was more important.

She saw to the attendants and Vae

Encarnita. Ensuring their rooms were all to their liking, Cetlali noted anything they needed to help make this grand new place their home.

Some attendants that came along, Cetlali knew from their previous home. The relationship was amicable, as much as allowed by Ezren's snobbishness. The others remembered Cetlali because she stepped in front of them when

bandits came and when Ovar had descended upon their group like an untamed beast.

One was new, and Cetlali was told Athua had recommended her as a personal attendant.

They conversed for a short time and Cetlali apologized for not having time to speak more with her, but Seun Kaxiras had shrugged her off with an amiable smile. She said they'd have plenty of time to do it later.

The time with the cook was quick and efficient. The bright brown eyed woman was in the middle of her years with coarse black hair tied up on her head beneath a cap. She was pristine in every way. Everything from her posture to her fingernails to her comfortable cooking frock and stainless apron was impeccable. Aineias was a thorough woman who had an ironclad grasp of her kitchen and how she wanted it to run. She had lists of everything she needed, down to every last specific item, including an itemized inventory of the pantry and how she wanted to stock it.

Aineias asked for the visit because of the pantry, as the shelves needed some adjustments.

A pang of terror shot through Cetlali in the nightmarish space while she focused on taking notes. It was far larger than Cazar Shcomou's, with plenty of things to hide behind and too many poorly lit corners. Cetlali promised herself she'd never go back in there if she could manage. She still despised pantries. The bigger they were, the worse she feared them. Luckily, they didn't need to spend too much time in there as Aineias already had some pragmatic ideas for the space. Cetlali, under force of her own polite desperation, was quick to agree. Aineias didn't seem to notice her unease.

Lovou kept herding them out of the place while the cook started a line of polite questions. She liked the cook with little effort, despite the lingering deathly feeling since leaving the pantry.

Those appointments took Cetlali most of the morning. She was close to working her way through her midday meal if Lovou hadn't insisted she take the food Aineias offered. She'd been wise enough to send a note to Vao Enharouq's first thing. One of his retainers had

found Cetlali just after her nibbled afternoon snack with an invitation to dinner with their clan. She agreed and sent one of her attendants with a message to Ezren to inform him of her plans for the evening.

She spent a hefty time with the Rangers after that. Some were preparing to depart.

Others were going to remain with Lovou and Xocthl, appointed as Ezren's personal retainers for his Clan Guard. Thrilled, she discovered Merlo and Loraeta made their plans to stay.

Those four removed themselves from the Ranger's services, with the honor of the Emperor, the Vassour Elect, and the new Vassal of Wisteryala, Zeger Armistead. The rest were heading back to their homelands to find some new recruits and bolster their ranks once again.