Magi: Jaeyria Lightwood

Task #4

Jaeyria stared blankly at the stream that gurgled in the forest behind the encampment. How had everything become such a mess? She'd done what Vassti wanted. She hadn't originally gone with the rebels, and yet here she was. However, this time she wasn't here for any friendly reason.

She was a spy.

She didn't know how it could've come to this. She hadn't felt any loyalty toward most of the Magi. Those she'd felt an affiliation towards were dead, and Eiridan was all she had. She set down the laundry she'd brought out to wash and stared at the Mark on her hand.

Being Bound to Eiridan was the best thing that had happened to her in her whole life. Everything else always seemed to go wrong, but this hadn't, and it made her happy.

Dizziness washed over her, and she recognized it this time for what it was: a vision induced by Vassti's power. It was Vassti's way of communicating with her, and Jaeyria found it to be effective despite the disorientation it caused.

She stepped through the massive door that led to Vassti's audience chamber. "Your Highness," she said cordially, curtsying as was expected.

Over the span of time between her last vision and Vassti's note to go back to the rebels, Jaeyria had come to believe that the woman wasn't nearly as bad as people said. Yes, she was manipulative and cruel. True, she didn't speak the truth unless it served her somehow. But Jaeyria understood her. She could predict Vassti in a way that she couldn't always predict others. She suspected it was because of their slew of similarities.

"How is your work faring?" Vassti asked, raising a brow in condescension.

"Not well," Jaeyria admitted, shaking her head. "Half of them won't talk to me or hate me, and the other half is barely polite. Permission to speak freely, your Highness?"

"Of course."

"This won't work. Our best bet is to get the female Light Mage to help. The others have accepted her into their ranks freely. If she's helping, she'll get more information than I do. The best I can do is glean little bits and pieces by listening in; as I said, the others won't speak to me."

"I see... And what do you recommend using as leverage against the female Light Mage?"

"What you used against me," Jaeyria said, feeling just a little upset with Vassti.

Vassti should've known that she didn't have any ties to the other Magi. She didn't truly care if their rebellion failed or succeeded because she had every intention of convincing Eiridan to flee Castre entirely to go to one of the surrounding kingdoms where they wouldn't be under the Family Royale's thumb. If Vassti had bothered to pay attention to Jaeyria's movements, she would've realized that she didn't need to use Eiridan. She could've simply promised the two of them safe passage to their self-imposed exile.

"A friend or family member's life in exchange for her aid?" Vassti mused. "Well, perhaps..."

"I do have a petition to make," Jaeyria spoke quietly, knowing that this was a risky endeavor.

"Do you?" Vassti examined her nails in disinterest. "Does it somehow enable you to do a better job?"

While Jaeyria did sometimes identify with Vassti, she often felt annoyed by the woman's callous attitude. "It would provide incentive for me to do something a little more... risky." She lifted her chin and met Vassti's gaze with determination.

"Really? And what is this risky idea of yours?" Vassti suddenly seemed interested as she settled back in her gold-gilded, ebony throne. She tapped her nails against the polished arm-rest. "Spit it out."