Whispered Vows (Mistborn x Reader)

Chapter 13

I sat with my legs crossed beneath me on one of Lord Renoux's fine easy chairs. It felt good to be rid of the bulky dress, instead getting back to a more familiar shirt and trousers, though part of me wished I kept it on for a bit longer.

However, Sazed's calm displeasure made me want to squirm. He stood on the other side of the room, and I got the distinct impression that I was in trouble. Sazed had questioned me in depth, seeking out every detail of my conversation with Lord Elend. Sazed's inquiries had been respectful, of course, but they had also been forceful. The Terrisman seemed, in my opinion, unduly worried about my exchange with the young nobleman.

I couldn't see why. We hadn't really talked about anything important, and Elend himself was decidedly unspectacular for a Great House lord.

A servant entered and whispered quietly to Sazed. A quick burn of tin let me hear the conversation—Kelsier had finally returned.

"Please send word to Lord Renoux," Sazed said. The white-clothed servant nodded, leaving the room with a quick step.

"The rest of you may leave," Sazed said calmly, and the room's attendants scampered away. Sazed's quiet vigil had forced them to stand, waiting in the tense room, not speaking or moving.

Kelsier and Lord Renoux arrived together, chatting quietly. As always, Renoux wore a rich suit cut in the unfamiliar Western style. The aging man kept his gray mustache trimmed thin and neat, and he walked with a confident air. Even after spending an entire evening among the nobility, I was again struck by his aristocratic bearing. Kelsier still wore his mistcloak.

"Saze?" he said as he entered. "You have news?"

"I am afraid so, Master Kelsier," Sazed said. "It appears that Mistress Y/n caught the attention of Lord Elend Venture at the ball tonight."

"Elend?" Kelsier asked, folding his arms. "Isn't he the heir?"

"He is indeed," Renoux said. "I met the lad perhaps four years ago, when his father visited the West. He struck me as a bit undignified for one of his station."

"How attentive was the boy?" Kelsier asked.

"He asked her to dance," Sazed said. "But Mistress Y/n was wise enough to decline. Apparently, their meeting was a matter of idle happenstance—but I fear she may have caught his eye."

Kelsier was quiet before he chuckled. "You taught her too well, Saze. In the future, Y/n, perhaps you should try to be a little less charming."

"I wasn't trying to be anything," I mumbled, frowning. I had just simply talked with him, and I had been curious about what he had been reading. "But I thought we wanted me to be well liked, anyways."

"Not by a man as important as Elend Venture, child," Lord Renoux said. "We sent you to court so you could make alliances—not scandals."

Kelsier nodded. "Venture is young, eligible, and heir to a powerful house. Your having a relationship with him could make serious problems for us. The women of the court would be jealous of you, and the older men would disapprove of the rank difference. You'd alienate yourself from large sections of the court. To get the information we need, we need the aristocracy to see you as uncertain, unimportant, and—most importantly—unthreatening."

I frowned. I opened my mouth to say something—

"Besides, child," Lord Renoux said, cutting me off before I had a chance to begin. "It is unlikely that Elend Venture has any real interest in you. He is known to be a court eccentric—he is probably just trying to heighten his reputation by doing the unexpected."

"Yes," Kelsier said, "it's probably best that you avoid Venture completely. Try to offend him or something."

"Did you see anyone else of importance?" Lord Renoux asked.