Invited

Chapter 3: Persuasion

"Wait, Basilisk." Layla pulled back her taller companion. She clutched her invite close to her chest, staring down to the carpet under her.

Basilisk looked back to Layla, concerned for her sudden change of mood.

She ran her fingers over the golden lettering of the invite, hand shaking as she did so. Thoughts raced through her mind, realizing she didn't ask Judah enough before leaving him.

Layla raised her invite towards Basilisk, "What benefit does she have for my family? I only got excited for my interest in meeting her."

He knew she was going to turn back, if he didn't say anything about her concern. Layla started to place her hands to Basilisk's hands, ready to give him the paper in her shaking hands. Unable to bear her worry, he stopped her hand from letting go of the invite.

"You can't give up before you ask her. We can go back to Judah and ask for help from Saber and Summer too." Basilisk took her shaking hand into his own, smiling gently towards Layla.

Layla quickly pulled back her hand, knowing that he had boundaries to respect.

The pair turned towards the way they came with Layla taking a few steps forward to lead their way.

Back in Layla's office, Judah and Saber spent their time pulling together a list of nobles that was on record. The two men placed each noble to their respective Region, making sure to highlight the Region number.

Saber placed the first invite in his hands with Judah's folded piece of paper into an envelope. Counting out invites scattered on the desk, he set aside 7 empty invites into their noble pile. He then passes the newly sealed envelope to Judah, nodding towards the door.

Judah quickly whips his head towards the door, seeing the duo returning. He glares at Saber, wondering what alerted this man that the two had returned with barely a sound made. Saber points to one of his ears, rolling his eyes at his noble, and shrugs to a fact Judah should know by now.

Layla taps on Judah's shoulders to remind him they are back.

Judah looks to the two, seeing the blank invite still in Layla's hand.

"Did you ask my mother already?" Judah asked Layla.

Layla shook her head, disappointment running through her face. Basilisk walked over to Judah, pointing to the receiver. "Are you able to call Summer here? Layla and I want to brainstorm more before we confront Lady Rebecca."

Judah nodded, proceeding to pick up the receiver, "Summer. Report to Lady Layla's office."

Layla noticed the pile difference on her desk, running her hand through the different pictures now scattered. "What's this?"

Saber pointed to the nearest picture, "Vesta nobles. It will help you pick the other seven."

Layla smiled at the three men, grateful for their help with her decisions.

While she placed those that interest her to the side, Basilisk noted the ones that could be selected. Happy with the breakdown of nobles, Layla turned to Judah for his knowledge of the people set aside.

As if on cue, Summer knocked on the wooden door behind the four, alerting them of her arrival.

"Summer!" Layla happily ran to her newest companion. "Please help us choose the right people to invite."

"Has Judah done his little speech about the Council Selection yet?" Summer jokingly asked, the three silver-haired individuals looking away to laugh at her abruptly blunt question.

Judah pulled his cape to his shoulders, making sure to look as menacing as possible. "I'll throw you into the dungeon for your disobedience", while laughing at himself.

Layla, also laughing, added to their fun. "If only we had a dungeon, but unfortunately for you, Summer is safe with us."

The group continued on with their fun and taunting, until Basilisk motioned for all of them to stop for a moment.

Rebecca walked past the door, glaring into the office with the five of them each standing away from the desk. Immediately, her face turned bright red on the sight to be seen. Saber, Summer, and Basilisk turned behind the two nobles in the room, kneeling down to the floor in the presence of the older noble.

"LAYLA, WHY ARE YOU NOT CHOOSING YOUR COUNCIL PARTICIPANTS?!" Rebecca emphasized every word that she threw in Layla's direction. Judah proceeded to place himself between Layla and Rebecca, glaring at the latter.

"We are. We will finish soon, Mother." Judah motioned towards the pictures on the desk, indicating that progress was being made.

Rebecca angrily shifted herself from staring at Layla to staring at Judah. She pointed to the three kneeling besides them. "You three Silvers, get out of the office. You don't belong in the personal presence of a Lucan or an Azure. Know your place."

Layla clutched her dress furiously, anger also flickering in her eyes. A sudden wave of adrenaline rushing her body.

"Lady Rebecca, I would appreciate it if you didn't talk to Judah's and my personal Silvers that way. They don't belong to you, so they don't have to listen to you in our presence. I asked them to attend to us during this process."

"WHO EXACTLY DO YOU THINK YOU ARE TO TALK THAT WAY WITH ME?!" Rebecca quickly retorted back.

"The future head of the Azure Family. Someone with equal standing to you in rank."

Taken back with the cheeky reply, Rebecca raised her hand in preparation to strike Layla into place. Judah quickly reached out and stopped Rebecca's hand from going further towards Layla's face.

Judah lowered her hand to the side. "Let her speak, Mother." Rebecca harshly pulled back that hand, completely turning her attention to Layla.

Layla realizing her chance to speak, taking in deep breaths in preparation for this moment she's been eagerly waiting for.

"I want to invite seven nobles and one outsider to my Council Selection." Layla quickly revealing her thoughts to Rebecca, shutting her eyes after the last word.

"Excuse me? You want to invite an outsider to this Region?!" Rebecca took steps forward, matching Layla's distance to her, looming over the other.

"One outsider will give me the perspective to make decisions benefiting more than Vesta. Region 1 has enough rules to selfishly be in power, they should extend to the people they are meant to protect. I want, no... I NEED to be the first noble to open our doors to others. I already chose the one I will invite from Region 15. We are currently choosing the other seven nobles to fill the seats in my Council."

"No, you will not be doing such a thing of disgrace." Rebecca narrowed her eyes towards the four others in the room, particularly aiming towards Basilisk.

Layla walked towards her desk, slamming her hand down in frustration towards the denial of her request. "I will not be treated as a child anymore. Whether you want me to invite strictly nobles, or not, it is MY Council Selection and I have a right to invite my participants as I see fit."

Rebecca gasped at the younger noble, turning her back at the group.

"You invite that outsider, and see what trouble they cause. You should hope they don't come to Vesta to kill you in spite, for their misfortune of being born beneath your noble birth."

Layla eyes widened at the moment she was left with begrudging approval of her request. Judah and Layla smiled at each other, while they looked back towards the three to indicate they were able to rise from the ground.

As Rebecca prepares to leave the room, she turns to the hallway, muttering one quick statement to them. "Silver of Layla. A word."

Basilisk looks between the four others, shrugging his shoulders before leaving with Rebecca.

The remaining four proceed to finish their selection, with Layla happily accepting suggestions from Judah on which noble she will invite.

After finishing with the invites, Judah and Saber escort Layla back to her room to wait out for Basilisk's return from his sudden meeting with Rebecca.