Everything had gone as planned. Or at least it seemed that way. He had used the money Rhisi had provided to plant the seeds of distraction. To give his cousin a smoke screen. A protection of a different kind as she studied self-defense with C’lest.

It had taken more time then he had wanted. The extra caution had been necessary. If any of this came back on him it could not be something that would look bad on Haillenarte. He had told that much to Rhisi when he had agreed to this idea. He would not drag down the Haillenarte name any further with the chaos his family was causing among the shadows of Ishgard.

To think his family had gone as far to send death threats to Destiney. This game was getting beyond control now. He was almost afraid to stray far from her side. Part of this was his fault. He was to blame for telling them about Destiney’s past out near Wineport. They had used that against her. He was to blame… He hadn’t known back then but ignorance was not an excuse for what he had done. He would see this corrected.

Even if it ended with a Trial by Combat…

He had meant what he had said at the Order house. If it came to that in the Ishgardian justice system… He would stand in for her. Life entrusted to the will of Halone to see him through it. He had faith that Halone would see justice done. That the weapon he had become would be used to correct the problem.

“I cannot fail. I will not fail. Even if I must place my life on the line.” Lance muttered to himself as he stared up at the cold sky above Ishgard that promised more snow.

From the shadows a figure of a man watched in silence as Lance walked through the streets of Ishgard towards home.

“What a clever boy. However you still have so much room to improve.” the older man mummered to himself as he watched. Sharp dark blue eyes remaining on Lance. “You are definitely an Aurifore yet you leave much to be desired. If we can not find her then we shall just have to have you followed instead. You are bound to be with her sooner or later. One way or another. This ends.”

A wicked grin on that tanned face of Vairemont as he stepped out of the shadows. Still dressed in his armor for House Dzemael. A cloaked person silently walked up an leaned against the wall near the older Aurifore. The stranger’s stance casual yet still tense for movement. Vairemont never once glanced in the stranger’s direction.

“Follow Lancefer. Find a way to lure them together if you must. If we can not find her alone then we will simply use the boy as the weapon he was meant to be. You better be as good as you bunch are being paid. If you fail… You know the price of failure.”

The cloaked stranger nodded in response to Vairemont’s words before vanishing off as silently as they had arrived.