SSS Talent: From Trash to Tyrant

Lysandra was the first to speak.

”So what happened?”

Trafalgar took a moment before answering. There were parts of what Darian had told him that he had no intention of spreading around House Morgain, even to someone he trusted, but Lysandra needed to know enough to protect herself.

”I need you to trust me on this and not start asking where every piece of information came from.” His voice turned more serious. ”Maeron has been doing things he shouldn’t be doing. Things that could put the family in a very bad position, especially with everything already happening around us.”

Lysandra’s expression tightened. ”That doesn’t exactly narrow it down when we’re talking about Maeron.”

Caelum stood a short distance away, his golden eyes settling on Trafalgar for a moment. He seemed to understand immediately that whatever Trafalgar knew had come from somewhere he couldn’t openly discuss.

”You should trust the Young Master’s warning,” Caelum said. ”If he’s telling you Maeron is moving, then I would take it seriously.”

Lysandra turned toward him.

Caelum wasn’t someone who handed out trust casually. More importantly, he had spent years at Valttair’s side and knew House Morgain better than almost anyone still living under its name.

If even he was willing to accept Trafalgar’s word without demanding proof, that carried weight.

”All right.” Lysandra looked back at Trafalgar. ”Is there something specific I should be worried about, or are you simply telling me to keep an eye on him?”

”For now, keep an eye on him.” Trafalgar adjusted Aaron slightly in his arms before continuing. ”You already know the situation inside the family isn’t good. Eventually, people are going to stop pretending they’re neutral and start choosing who they actually stand with.”

Lysandra’s face lost what little humour it had left.

”And you think Maeron will have his own side.”

”I’d be surprised if he didn’t.” Trafalgar looked down briefly at Aaron before returning his attention to her. ”Maeron is powerful enough to become a faction by himself. If soldiers, branches of the family, or other important people start following him, then he becomes something considerably more troublesome.”

Lysandra was quiet for a moment.

Then she asked the obvious question.

”And you? Whose side are you on?”

Trafalgar had already thought about that more than once.

There were plenty of people inside House Morgain he didn’t trust, including the man he was about to name. But right now there was only one side that made sense for him strategically, both for the present and for what he needed in the future.

”Valttair’s.”

Lysandra watched him for several seconds before nodding.

”Then coming here was probably a better idea than I thought.” She shifted in her seat. ”I was already careful around Maeron, so that part won’t change much. And I’ve been keeping an eye on my mother too.”

Trafalgar gave her a knowing look. ”That’s probably wise.”

”You know what she’s like.” Lysandra’s mouth tightened. ”If killing her own husband ever became the easiest way to get what she wanted, I honestly don’t know if being married to him would stop her.”

”Yeah...” Trafalgar couldn’t find much room to defend her there. ”I wouldn’t bet on it.”

That was the real problem with House Morgain.

There were too many people worth watching and never enough eyes.

Trafalgar looked toward Caelum. ”Speaking of things I should probably be paying attention to, what did you need? It’s unusual for you to come find me personally without warning, so I’m assuming this isn’t something minor.”

Caelum’s eyes moved toward Lysandra.

The gesture was small, but Trafalgar understood it immediately.

Whatever he had come to say was meant for Trafalgar alone.

Trafalgar didn’t need long to decide.

”She can stay.”

Lysandra looked toward him, though she said nothing.

The choice meant more to her than Trafalgar probably realised. He’d just warned her that House Morgain could eventually split apart, and now, rather than keeping her outside another private matter, he was allowing her to stay.

It made his position toward her clear enough.

Caelum accepted the decision without question.

”Very well. In that case, I received a message intended for you.”

Trafalgar frowned slightly. ”From who? Because you showing up in person to deliver it isn’t giving me particularly good feelings.”

”It comes from another Great Family.”

That immediately got everyone’s attention.

Caelum continued. ”From someone you could probably consider a friend, or at least someone you’ve been on good terms with in the past. Lyren di Myrrhvale.”

The room went quiet.

Trafalgar didn’t respond immediately.

Lyren.

That was a name he hadn’t expected to hear today.

More importantly, the timing was strange as hell.

House Myrrhvale was already dealing with its own problems. They still hadn’t settled who would properly take control of the family, and with the position of patriarch or matriarch unresolved, an heir from one of the Eight Great Families suddenly contacting another heir wasn’t exactly a casual invitation.

’What the hell does he want from me?’

Lysandra seemed equally surprised.

Trafalgar looked toward Caelum. ”What did he say?”

”He wants to meet you somewhere private. According to the message, what he needs to discuss can’t be explained properly through an intermediary, and he doesn’t want the details recorded in any form.”

”That serious?”

”Apparently.”

Trafalgar thought about it for a moment.

If Lyren simply wanted to catch up, he wouldn’t have gone through Caelum or insisted on privacy. Whatever this was, he clearly didn’t want the rest of House Myrrhvale knowing before he’d spoken with Trafalgar.

That alone made the meeting worth accepting.

”Fine. Tell him I’ll meet him in Velkaris.” Trafalgar shifted Aaron carefully against his chest. ”Use my place there. It’s private enough, and neither of us has to explain why we’re entering the other’s territory.”

Caelum nodded. ”I’ll arrange it.”

”Let me know when he answers.”

”Of course.”

Caelum straightened slightly. ”Then that’s everything I needed. I’ll leave you to it.”

Trafalgar gave him a small nod.

Caelum turned and left without another word, moving with the same quiet efficiency he always did. Within moments, the door closed behind him and the room settled again.

Lysandra waited until he was gone.

”Do you have any idea what Lyren could want?”

”Sincerely? None.”

”I’ve heard House Myrrhvale is having trouble deciding who takes the position next.”

”So have I.” Trafalgar leaned back carefully. ”Which makes this even stranger. An heir from a Great Family in the middle of a succession problem privately asking to meet another heir from one of the Eight isn’t exactly something people do for fun.”

”Especially right now.”

She considered that before standing.

”Well, I suppose you’ll find out when you meet him. I’ve taken enough of your time already, and I mostly came to see Aaron anyway.”

Trafalgar looked toward her. ”You can come whenever you want.”

”I’ll remember that.”

She gave Aaron one last look before heading toward the door.

”See you later, Trafalgar.”

”See you.”

Lysandra stepped into the corridor and had barely made it several metres before walking straight into someone coming around the corner.

The impact wasn’t hard, but it caught both of them by surprise.

The young man was taller than her, and his glasses flew from his face before landing somewhere along the floor.

”Sorry.” He immediately crouched down, patting around the stone. ”I wasn’t looking where I was going. I swear those were just on my face.”

Lysandra spotted the glasses first and bent to pick them up.

”Here.”

The young man took them from her and quickly put them back on, blinking once as the corridor came into focus again.

”Thanks. And sorry again. I was looking for Trafalgar and apparently forgot corridors can contain other people.”

Lysandra pointed toward the room she’d just left.

”He’s in there with Aaron.”

”Ah. Perfect.” He gave her an awkward nod. ”Thanks.”

With that, Barth continued toward the door.

Lysandra watched him for a second before turning the other way and leaving.

A moment later, Barth entered the room and found Trafalgar still holding Aaron.

He glanced back toward the corridor. ”Who was that? I don’t think I’ve seen her before.”

Trafalgar looked at him.

”Lysandra. My older sister, well technically a cousin. She came to see Aaron.”

”Oh.”

Trafalgar’s eyes narrowed slightly with amusement. ”Why? Interested?”

Barth looked genuinely confused by the question. ”What? No. I spoke to her for about ten seconds. I don’t even know her.”

”So that’s a maybe.”

”That’s absolutely not what I said.”

Trafalgar allowed himself a small smile before looking back down at Aaron.

Barth had come for something too, apparently, but Trafalgar’s thoughts were already drifting toward the message Caelum had delivered.

Lyren di Myrrhvale.

A private meeting, during a succession crisis, with something important enough that he refused to put it into a message.

Whatever Lyren wanted, Trafalgar doubted it was going to be simple.

’Looks like I’m going to Velkaris.’