Chapter 35
Noble Business
The heir came on a Tuesday.
Cyan was crossing the main courtyard between the afternoon classes when
the heir's aide intercepted him â€" not the heir himself, a functionary in
House Valken livery who stepped into his path with the practiced ease of
someone who did this professionally.
'Cyan of no house,' the aide said. It wasn't a question.
'Yes,' Cyan said.
'Lord Aiden Valken requests the pleasure of a brief conversation at your
earliest convenience. He's available now, if you're free.'
The phrase at your earliest convenience had a different weight when
delivered by an aide in livery than when written on an administrative
card. It meant now, regardless of your schedule, but dressed in the
language of choice.
Cyan looked at the aide. The aide looked back with the professional
blankness of someone paid not to have opinions.
'Where?' Cyan said.
The meeting room was one of the Academy's formal guest reception spaces
â€" used for visiting alumni and noble sponsors, furnished better than
anything in the student areas. Lord Aiden Valken was standing when Cyan
entered, which was either courtesy or a choice to be seen at full
height. He was maybe twenty-two, the junior heir of one of the five
Great Houses, with the specific quality of someone who had been told he
was important since birth and had not received substantial evidence to
the contrary.
He looked at Cyan with the measuring expression people used when they
were assessing a transaction.
'Please sit,' he said.
Cyan sat. Valken sat across from him.
'I'll be direct,' Valken said. 'I appreciate directness and I assume you
do as well, given what I understand of your background.' He folded his
hands. 'House Valken is interested in sponsoring your Academy
enrollment. Full sponsorship â€" your provisional status upgraded to
formal house-sponsored student, full access, evaluation requirement
waived. In addition, a stipend covering your accommodations and personal
expenses for the duration of your enrollment.'
Cyan looked at him.
'In exchange,' Valken continued, 'you would be registered as a
Valken-affiliated student. Academic independence would be maintained â€"
we wouldn't direct your studies or activities. The affiliation is
nominal. It simply establishes our relationship formally.' A pause. 'We
would have occasional requests. Nothing onerous. Information, sometimes.
Access to your notes on certain research areas. Availability for a small
number of house functions.'
He made it sound very reasonable.
Cyan thought about what Dain had said. Questions before the duel. They'd
known something before he was notable.
'What's the actual offer,' Cyan said.
Valken's expression shifted slightly. Not offended. Reassessing.
'I've described the offer accurately,' he said.
'You've described the formal structure,' Cyan said. 'The nominal
affiliation is leverage. The information requests are ongoing access.
The house functions are visibility â€" you want to be able to present me
in specific contexts.' He held Valken's gaze. 'What I want to know is
what you think I am and why House Valken is interested in it.'
A pause.
Valken looked at him with something that was almost respect â€" the
reluctant kind, the kind produced by having your approach read clearly
and preferring to deal with competent people even when it was
inconvenient.
'No,' he said simply.
Cyan stood.
'My answer is no,' Cyan said. 'To the offer as described and to any
revision of it that maintains the nominal affiliation structure.' He
picked up his jacket. 'If House Valken has information that would be
relevant to my situation, I'm interested in hearing it on different
terms. If that's not available, I don't think we have more to discuss.'
He walked to the door.
'The offer will improve,' Valken said behind him.
'I know,' Cyan said. 'The answer won't.'
He left.
In the courtyard he stood in the autumn air and thought about what that
had told him. The specificity of the offer â€" the waived evaluation, the
stipend, the nominal affiliation. All of it designed to make him
dependent and visible on their terms. All of it implying they knew he
was something that would become significant enough to be worth the
investment.
They knew. Not everything. But enough.
He needed to know how.