"WOW!" An excited boy gushed as he ignored her multiple warnings and scurried out of the intricately designed magic circle, it's bright blue coloring slowly fading as the surroundings snapped into focus. The room the pair found themselves in was rather simple despite the owner's multiple attempts to make it as 'creepy' or 'mysterious' as possible. Off at the far end of the room a heavy wooden desk sat overlooking the rest of the room, a grand red cushioned chair that seemed more like a throne than something a teenager would be sitting in. In the middle, there were two green long couches facing each other with a small desk to act a barrier of sorts between the them.
"…." Grayfia was not amused as she looked around at the lit candelabras around the dark area, she could vividly see a light swift just off to the side and the overhead lights. She knew her sister in-law had some...weird tendency, but just wished that whatever the girl had didn't pass it down to her son. House Gremory had enough weirdos as is.
But despite that, she was just glad to see her son, Millicas, actually act his age for once. Seeing him bounce around from book to book with an air of awe and joy was enough to almost cause her plump lips to curl into a warm smile. But judging from the multiple magical auras coming their way, it didn't seem like that would be in the cards today.
'She even brought the Sitri heir…'
That was already a headache waiting to happen, don't get her wrong. She had no negative feelings about House Sitri, they were a family of healers and did a lot of good in both the human world and the Underworld. Even the heir was a well mannered and smart girl that had wiggled out of her own engagement without using her families power, someone she could respect. But that exact same heir was the same cause of most of the trouble.
More accurately, the girl's older sister. Or better known as one of the Satans ruling their race, Serafall Leviathan.
"Millicas." Her tone was quiet and lacked the coldness that she showcased to the rest of the world, but nonetheless that simple call was enough for the small red head to straighten his spine and walk with a practiced air back towards the twin couches. The child wore a black button up that was tucked into a pair of day gray business shorts, with a bright red and yellow jacket that tied everything together.
Grayfia wanted nothing more than to tousle his crimson locks as he adorably tried to put out an air of nobility that he was simply too young for. But she wouldn't ruin his moment, it wouldn't just be family here but an outsider.
They didn't have to wait long before the twin oak doors swung open and two pairs of girls came waltzing in. On the far right, stood a pretty girl with long black hair and bright hetero-chromatic eyes. One violet and the other light brown.The professional air she gave off was only further enhanced by the pair of glasses on her face.
On the opposite side, another black hair girl held the door open with slender arm. Her deep purple eyes had that slight mischievous sparkle that couldn't be hidden even with them barely being visible behind that narrowed gaze. She looked nothing like the sobbing child that clung once to her leg so stubbornly, but a sultry woman.
On the right, walking in a slender beauty with short cropped black hair that ended just beneath her chin, with bright violet eyes behind those black rimmed glasses. She possibly looked the most professional out of all of them, not like a student but more like a CEO that had become her husband's favorite genre of television shows as of late…
Besides her walked in the star of the show. Her long crimson locks fell far below her shoulders in a controlled mess. Those bright blue eyes sparkled as they took in the standing pair, a bright smile spread across her lips and without waiting for any of her companions charged in like a bull at the child who was halfway through his bowing.
"Greeting-"
Millicas was doing such a good job too… He had placed a right fist above his heart and bowed elegantly to greet the teens, but his attempts had been foiled by an over jealous aunt that picked up with his incredibly small frame and swung him around.
"Hello Milli!" Rias squealed as she near smothered the poor boy, completely uncaring of the thoroughly ruined mood. Grayfia had expected this, the girl had never liked etiquette in the slightest..well at least when it didn't suit her. She knew the girl could act mature and courteous, but when family was involved it all went straight out the window..
"Onee-sama.." The child wheezed after leveraging his insubstantial strength to get his head out of the smothering death. When he had done so, that aristocratic air was thorough disperses and his voice even came out a bit whinny.
"I offer my greetings from House Sitri, Grayfia Gremory." Sona being the dutiful scion she was offered a deep bow to the silver haired woman that stood as still as statue. Her queen followed behind her queen, but bowed deeper as befitting her position in the room.
"Greetings Sona Sitri." The Strongest Queen offered a respectful bow at the heiress, thankful that some people saw fit to adhere to protocol. Plus besides, Rias could only get away with acting in such a because technically she was a servant under House Gremory.
Besides those two, the black haired girl bowed just as elegantly her voice coming out respectful," Greetings Grayfia Gremory, may I offer you some refreshments?"
The silver haired woman only nodded before Akeno scurried off to a side room, before coming out a few seconds later with a cart filled with neatly stacked cups, saucers, a single white tea pot and a stack of square shaped cookies that looked to have come fresh out of the oven. If the steam coming off them was any indicator.
By then, the heiress of the Sitri Household was sitting besides to two struggling red heads that couldn't seem to read the room. Her own queen stood behind the couch with a slight bow of her head, those yellow eyes flickering back and forth to the door and the surrounding drawn curtains.
Grayfia inwardly nodded at the girl's actions, she would certainly leave some kind words for House Sitri after all this was done.
"Rias."
She figured her son had enough petting and decided to save him the further aunt induced embarrassment, he wasn't yet at that age to be vying for the opposite sex's attention but she didn't want this being a source of trauma for him. Pouting like a petulant child as her servant was setting the table, the girl did release Millicas who in turn scrambled away from the hugging monster and into the side of his stoic mother.
Grayfia decided to give her son a few moments to straighten out his clothing and pat his own hair into some reasonable approximation of being presentable before he too gave up on it and instead snatched up a cookie.
"…." Rias could only look with stars in her eyes as she watched the child try his best to eat delicately, only being brought of it by her own servant. "Yes...How was your trip Grayfia?"
"It has been well so far," She nodded after taking a small sip," While I would rather take the train, we deemed it would be safer this way."
"Where are you going?" The red head asked without a care, only to elbowed by the slender Sitri," I mean...if it's not a secret or something.."
'Sirzechs certainly spoiled her too much…' She wasn't here on official business, Millicas's presence was proof of that so the girl had probably lazed a lot of the teachings her family drilled into her. 'Bet she would be way more respectful if I was here about her engagement…'
"No it's not too much to ask, your brother asked me to check in on you since it was on our way," None of this was sensitive information, no one would be stupid enough to attack the Strongest Queen. Especially not with her son present. And especially not with the hidden monster awake from it's slump. That would be a death sentence of the highest order," We thought it was prudent to allow Millicas to see some of the world and get a closer look at our newest allies."
"The Yokai?"
"Indeed."
"Is it...safe?" Rias couldn't help but send a side eye towards the happily eating child. "I've heard some things.."
"It should be safe." Sona answered. "The treaty is still new and all sides benefit greatly by keeping it active, from what I could tell."
"Lady Sitri is correct. No danger will come to us while we're there. Even more so because I know Yasaka personally."
Grayfia immediately saying that as she saw the red head's eyes positively sparkle with an expression she knew all too well. Rias had yet another hair brain scheme brewing.
"You do? Then does that mean, we could come also? I promise we would just be flies on the walls and won't say or do anything! I promise!"
"…." It looked like Sitri heiress was struggling with her words but still spoke nonetheless "My family has asked me to look into the medical value these new breed of spirit fruit might have, so if it wouldn't be too much could I also come along? It would be considered a favor that house Sitri would be glad to pay back."
'They're still too green.' No one would ever consider Grayfia to be stupid, and this thinly veiled ambush was a clear as a still pond to her. It was likely that her idiotic husband had already told his sister where they were going and the girl saw this a chance to possibly recruit powerful peerage members to help in her upcoming 'secret' plan to wriggle out of that engagement. And she had gotten the Sitri heiress involved to make it hard to refuse not one heiress but two. One from her own household and another from an allied household.
But if they thought this paltry attempt at maneuvering would work on her, they had another thing coming.
'Try again in a couple hundred year-'
"..Can't we take them?" Her traitorous son looked up at her with those big red eyes that mirrored her own, little crumbs clinging to corners of his mouth. Millicas never really asked for a lot in life, he completed his lessons, socialized with his pompous peers despite how much it unnerved him and did everything that was asked of him. He didn't even complain when most dinners were just him and her, even if it was the holidays.
So actually seeing her son ask her for something benign like this which shouldn't have been enough to convince her, but it did. His request wriggled into the cracks in her cold dead heart and made her slightly unreasonable.
'This had to be planned…'
"...When we're there, don't cause trouble." She held up her hand to forestall the red head jumping up to her, this warning was meant for the desperate girl," I mean it. If they provide a guide to you, then stick with them. Don't go snooping. If you want to buy fruit, then buy fruit. And I can't emphasize this enough, do not try to recruit anyone into your Peerage. You may each bring your Queen and one other servant."
"Thank you Grayfia!"