The Senator had food ready. It was the most luxurious thing he had ever eaten, but it didn't make up for him having to wait.

  The wait, after the walk, the abrupt intrusion into his life and the dragging across town, was the worst part of his morning.

  They had started the day with the threat of violence in the wings and he wasn't really happy about it. He knew about how things had to be. He didn't want to rush them, but sitting around waiting for the Senator to arrive felt so wrong.

  Senator Celisar walked into the receiving room in his estate.

  They stood. The Oracle had taken pains to dress up like she was no one special, but her blindfold was quite noticeable.

  "Ah. Regnicus. Pardon, yesterday was a full session at the Senate in view of the attack on the arena."

  "Regnicus?"

  "You're a hero. The senate will confirm it soon, assuming that they work. They at the very least have the idea brewing. There is some talk about what you are expecting out of this."

  A servant he hadn't seen brought out water and mugs.

  "What I am expecting out of this?"

  "Yes. Unfortunately, it seems like for all the good you've done, that the military is keen to bury this issue as fast as they can. There's a lot going on, but I have secured you a spot at the academy. My understanding is that you are the correct age for it, and we want to make sure that you can get the most out of your time. Upon your graduation you can choose to come work for the government or military, though I doubt you will want to work for them."

  They shared a long, tense silence. The Oracle gripped his hand. She had been a steadfast companion for about two days, and he really needed to return her back to her Temple at some point in time.

  "The academy?"

  "Yes. With your skills, you will do well there. Perhaps even first class." The Senator grabbed a mug of water.

  It hadn't even entered into his mind as an opportunity that he could even partake in. The academy was where all the wealthiest of the current Prefereti sent their scions. There were so many rumors about what actually happened there, and how people got chosen for roles and governance or religion or even the military, after that. He wouldn't have to enlist in the Legion.

  This was exactly the kind of thing that he couldn't get on his own. The kind of door that a Senator could open for him.

  And yet?

  There hadn't really been a discussion. There'd just been the Senator saying that he would do something, and his nodding along to it as if fate had already been decided.

  Next to him, the Oracle sat trying to give him some sound advice just by squeezing his hand. Did she think this was a good idea? He wasn't entirely sure.

  "When would I start?"

  The Senator smiled.

  "You would have three weeks to train and join the current class. I assume that you wouldn't mind me hiring the best tutors that money and influence could get for you. Of course, we would spare no expense for a Regnicus."

  "That is all well and good."

  The only leverage he had was his presence. He wasn't afraid of the Senator. He could just up and leave, and yet… and yet something about this setup made him want to stay. If he went back to the beginning of the loop, would he have the same opportunity?

  If he was going to be able to navigate this world he'd need to figure out how to work through it. There were no rules about going back. The cat had said that he could go back. That didn't mean that he should.

  He didn't want to live through that trauma again.

  But if he had to, he would. He just might need to talk to Erebus and Gia first. They were his companions for so many of these loops—he thought that it would be a bad idea to not include them in his decisions. Now all he needed to do was figure out how to find them during a festival.

  "Of course, you'll accept this offer?" Senator Celisar gave him an imperious gaze. "With my sponsorship, many doors will open for you."

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  As well, Ludere knew that being tied to the Senator was going to be a lifelong thing. If he accepted this. Every Prefereti had strings they wanted to pull to keep their people in line. This man was no less of a politician than any other man that he had ever encountered. It was just that he was so concentrated in his Skills, and he had been one of the few people at the arena who had Will Magic when he needed it, and he became the default choice.

  "I'll be sending someone to give you lessons for the next several weeks. Your position at the arena is officially done. Our family will take care of you. You will learn politics, military campaigning, and all of the other things that the Prefereti need to know. Our grammarian will be there bright and early to see you tomorrow."

  Ludere stood when the Senator did. They gripped each others' hands.

  The Senator had not addressed the Oracle. In a way, she had felt invisible this entire time. Perhaps it was that he looked like he was bringing a servant with him. Or perhaps it was the fact that he didn't know the Oracle by sight. Either way, for as much power as she had, hers was dwarfed by the skills of the guards. It was only her technique that gave her her Oracle abilities.

  Or, according to her, her technique combined with her bloodline. Skills were wonderful, magical things given by skill gems but it wasn't always clear which skill gems you might get, unless you purchased one for a vendor, and even then, many vendors were known to sell wrongly marked gems.

  They said their goodbyes, and Ludere was once again outside. It felt so empty to just not have something to do. He didn't know what to do with his hands, and one of them was held tightly by the Oracle, and at least that was there. She had been a rock in all this.

  "So, I'm guessing you saw this as a potential future or something. I don't know how that works."

  "Fate lines are a little bit different than that, but you have the general idea. And yes, you have a lot of fate attached to you. Anybody else with my ability would easily spot you in a crowd."

  "I don't want to be picked out in a crowd. We've had a whole day before. We have some sense of responsibility. Should I take you back to the temple?"

  She peeled back the hood, letting the sunlight dance across her face. If he didn't notice the blindfold across her eyes, it would have been… She was still beautiful. It was just that it was there.

  "Absolutely not. On a day like this? I want you to take me around town. I don't get a chance like this everyday."

  "Oh, I suppose it's every week that you have some sort of destined Hero come by, and you seduce him and sleep with him. Is that what you do?"

  "Well it's not every week that I find a man like you who's so well developed in all of his potential domains. But these things happen, and you have to roll with it when you can. I will, of course, be helping you go to the academy."

  They paused to select a vendor. There were many vendors of meats, but they chose one claiming to add the true experience of cheese to it.

  "Oh, does the Fiddler want to hear about academy politics and all the little things we're doing? Because I didn't know that—I didn't know how closely you guys kept to the scriptures."

  "His will is often hard to understand. Suffice to say, I take my notes from the common people of the republic. The men and women that visit me don't always need to speak to a God. They just want to be heard. Talk is free."

  "If talk is free, how much did that one thing we did last night cost you?"

  She tapped him on the arm. "Perhaps you might not let on that you've been seeing someone out here? People might stare."

  "Why would I care if they're staring?" He locked his arm around hers as they arrived at the cheese and meat stand. "I want them to see us."

  "There are not that many women that have a blindfold on them. And fewer still have my hair."

  The Oracle had lovely, curly dark locks that went down to her shoulders. It had felt so soft and so heavy in his fingers when he had touched it. He hadn't expected that, but it had been pleasant nonetheless. And now, with her basically living in his bedroom, or him living in her bedroom, they were going to know each other rapidly. She had talked to him about Willpower and how he could advance with it.

  In two days, he'd learned enough that he felt confident using Willpower and a little bit of Soul Magic. But, according to her, a lot of this just took a lot of time to develop, too. And he was in a short time crunch.

  Now that he was out of the loop? He had to think like he was out of the loop now, and not be forever scarred by that experience

  The meat and cheese together was a delicious combination that he had not expected. Each one had done their work, and he knew that he would be returning there as soon as he could. The fact that the vendor was not that far away from so many Senators' estates meant that he was making a public statement about where he was. He had fully accepted it as whatever the Senate was going to confirm him as due to his actions, but he had the sickening feeling that it would come with some sort of duties or responsibilities that he was not going to think too hard about.

  "These are delicious. I expect that if we come here again we will have these again. And if not, I shall be distraught. Even though I know I shouldn't be."

  "So you're saying there's a chance that we'll be seeing each other more often? Is that what you're telling me?"

  "If you thought you could escape me simply by moving across town to be with your family, then you were wrong. I know where you live. I can see you like the neighborhood."

  She smirked. "Your mother is funny. But I would listen to her on this. She'd let me stay, and you're going to let me stay, too. I am going to have to go back to the temple every so often, because that is where I'm supposed to be, but they don't own me. No one can own me."

  He knew that she had more of a statement without that, but he didn't feel like he wanted to own her. He wanted to honor her. He wanted to treasure her, and most of all, whatever they had, he wanted to continue it. Because, so far they'd been really great, and he was kind of feeling it out. So whatever she wanted to do, he would gladly come along with.

  They spent the rest of the afternoon slowly walking their way back to her Temple, where they gave the bad news to the priest and the congregation members that were there. Even though it was still the festival, they found themselves stopping and eating and drinking, and before long, they were back in her room.