Viviana leaned back and relaxed. But her pink eyes sparkled with interest. She had given Corin enough answers, now it was her turn.
"So, Corin,"
She began as she took a loose strand of hair between two gloved fingers.
"I know where I'm coming from. But you...?"
Corin hesitated. "I'm from the slums."
"Yes, I can see that." She smiled smugly. "But what I want to know is not just where you've been, but who you are."
He looked at her. Her voice was playful, but her look was not.
"I don't know," he said honestly.
Viviana blinked. "How mysterious. No family? No last name?"
He shook his head.
She eyed him for a while before sighing. "I thought something like that. And yet..."
She pointed at the ravens still perched nearby.
"Somehow, you're not meaningless."
Corin said nothing.
Viviana giggled. "I like you. You're interesting. And I'm technically in your debt."
"About yesterday?"
"Mmm." She picked up her cup and took a small sip, then set it back on the plate with a soft clack.
"And because you haven't realized what you've actually gotten yourself into."
Corin raised an eyebrow. "Then enlighten me."
Viviana leaned forward, her elbows on the table, her chin on her gloved hands.
"Veyna is changing. Big changes are coming and I will play a part in them."
Corin sensed that every word she said was carefully considered. She didn't tell him everything, which wasn't surprising. Sure, he'd technically saved her life, though he was sure she could have done it on her own. But they'd only known each other for a day. It could just be a whim on her part.
"And you want me to play a part, too?"
She grinned. "Of course! But don't worry, I won't just use you as a toy. I need people I can rely on. And you..." She tapped her cheek. "You have potential. I can feel it."
Corin let the words sink in.
"So?" he finally asked.
Viviana leaned back and crossed her legs, the high heel of her shoe reflecting the light.
"So you're going to train. You're going to learn to fight, really fight. The etiquette, the customs, the system. And the best part?"
She smirked, raising a finger.
"You'll be placed under my supervision at my behest. If you go to the great academy of Veyna, it will be under my recommendation."
Corin frowned. "The great academy? What am I supposed to do there?"
"Understand." She let the word hang in the air.
"Understand what you are, what you can do, what the paths mean. This is a world where knowledge can be as deadly as a dagger in the night. So you will learn."
He thought about it. His fingers unconsciously stroked the wood of the table.
"And if I refuse?"
Viviana laughed softly. "Then you won't survive, Corin. There is no place for ignorance in this city. You can either learn, or you can die. It's as simple as that."
Her words were harsh, but not cruel. They sounded... honest.
"And if I agree?" he asked quietly.
Viviana stood up slowly, turned with a smooth movement and looked at him over her shoulder.
"Then the fun really begins, Interested in joining me?" It sounded more like a request.
Corin stood up. Exercise would do him good.
Viviana naturally joined Corin as she strolled through the magnificent garden of the Virelli estate.
The paved paths led past artfully trimmed hedges, fountains decorated with marble and countless rose bushes whose scent hung in the warm air.
"It's a happy coincidence, you know," she began, her voice light, almost melodic. "The academy semester really starts soon. Perfect timing for someone so desperately in need of an education."
Corin snorted softly. "I don't know if that's a coincidence."
Viviana grinned. "You're a fast learner." She let go of him, turning elegantly as she walked and walking backwards in front of him.
Her sparkling pink eyes fixed him challengingly.
"But before you plunge into the academy, we have a few things to do."
Corin raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"
"Mhm." She turned back to normal, walked on and ran a finger over the petals of a deep red rose.
"The Virellis stand for three things: elegance, loyalty and progress."
Corin followed her gaze as she paused at a golden pavilion.
"We are not just a family, but an ideology. A clan that keeps its distance from the nobles, but is no less powerful." She looked at him over her shoulder.
"And you? If you want to be one of us, or even just survive, then you have to internalize that."
"Elegance, loyalty, progress," Corin repeated slowly.
"Exactly. My people are not just mercenaries or lackeys." She stepped closer to him. "They are beautiful, they are skilled, and they are refined."
Her fingertip tapped lightly against his chest.
"And you... well, you have some catching up to do."
Corin crossed his arms. "I'm glad you're giving me a chance."
Viviana laughed softly. "Oh, I'm not just giving you a chance."
She pulled something out of the small, ornate bag on her hip. A delicate necklace shone in the sunlight.
A rose, made of pink sapphires, sparkled in her hand.
"This is for you."
Corin blinked. "What?"
"A token."
She approached him, close enough for him to catch her scent, a mixture of roses and something darker, seductive.
"It shows that you belong to me."
He felt her place the necklace around his neck, the cool metal touch against his skin.
"This will make life easier for you in the family," she continued as she straightened the chain. "At least a little."
Corin eyed the piece of jewelry. "How many have one of these?"
Viviana's lips curled into an amused smile. "You're the only one."
His fingers closed around the rose.
"Isn't that... striking?"
She giggled and tapped him lightly on the chest. "Oh, definitely. And you know what? I like things to be a little flashy."
Corin sighed, but dropped the subject.
"The walk ends here for today." She turned around slowly, her high heels clacking on the stone floor.
"I have business to attend to."
"And me?" he asked.
Viviana glanced over her shoulder at him, her lips forming a crooked grin.
"There's a tailor waiting for you. I have no intention of letting you wander around the academy and the estate like some run-of-the-mill street urchin."
"And after that?"
"Afterward?" She winked. "Then I'll be expecting you tonight... for a little training session."
"Training, huh?"
She stepped closer, her gaze playing with him. "Oh yes. I want to see what you can do. And if you want to impress me..."
Her finger stroked his collar playfully, pulling him closer to straighten his tie.
"Then you will have to try a little harder."
Corin could only swallow as she finally turned and strolled off in the direction of the estate, her steps graceful as a dance.
He looked down at the rose necklace.
'What have I gotten myself into?'