No-one disturbs them.

She goes out again after two days, again not looking for anything in particular but trying to get a sense of the place. She'll try again to talk to one of the hearts, if she sees one when no humans are nearby, in the local language this time.

Before she finds one of the hearts, she stumbles into Pink!

"Oh hello there!" she says. "Sorry for not stopping in with you, I've been extremely busy. I hope you're settling in alright?"

"Yes ma'am, thank you. Master Deskyl has been much more comfortable here."

"That's good to hear. I heard from one of the hearts that you had a close run-in with Scarlet. I apologize for her behaviour; she's my elder sister and while I do try to keep her from being... horrible... I don't always succeed. I'm always quick to countermand any ridiculous punishments she assigns, so it's been... manageable."

"It was fine, ma'am, I'm not sure she even noticed me. And Master Deskyl has ordered me to consider any orders from other people invalid if they would be harmful."

"Seems an appropriate precaution," Pink observes neutrally. "Is there anything I can help you find?"

"Not especially, ma'am; Master Deskyl doesn't need me for very much right now and might have questions about the facility later, so I've been exploring. If you have other things that need to be done I'm available."

"If you'd like to volunteer to work then you may but don't think you need to at all. There's kitchen and maid jobs available."

DZ pauses, oddly, while Pink speaks and for a moment afterward - her body language is always subtle but here it seems entirely gone. "Yes ma'am."

"... are you alright? See to Deskyl first, obviously."

"Yes ma'am. I'm fine, ma'am."

"Alright, I won't press. Enjoy your stay."

"Thank you, ma'am."

"Um, goodbye?"

"- yes ma'am."

She waits for another brief moment and then heads back the way she came.

That evening, she finds Pink again, to deliver a note from Deskyl:

Sorry about DZ's awkwardness. Let one of us know if you'd like her to stay in the suite. I can explain the situation in more detail in person if want.

-Xari Deskyl

"I wouldn't want to interrupt Deskyl's recovery for this. You can continue to have free reign of the palace. Just stay out of Scarlet's way and everything should be fine."

"Yes ma'am." She waits another beat before leaving.

Things are quiet for the next few weeks. Deskyl eventually starts making appearances, too, avoiding people in the hallways but occasionally turning up in the gardens practicing kata, openhanded at first and then with her 'saber.

She acquires a small audience of those few hearts brave enough to risk disturbing her against Scarlet's orders.

Deskyl doesn't seem to mind, and will occasionally pat one of the braver ones on her way back to her room.

Eventually, she sends DZ to let Pink know that she's ready to start thinking about moving out - not that she's ready to consider doing it yet, but she'll need to know how to support herself and handle things relating to their masquerade.

"Alright. We can give you a stipend to start with and put you in contact with the local mortal magicians to get you work in the longer term. Do you mind if I ask what precisely Deskyl can do?"

"Sith can do a variety of things with the Force, ma'am, but Master Deskyl in particular specializes in sensory and sustained effects and effect development; she's also an engineer and artist."

"I'm sure she can find some profitable line of work, then; wether engineering or magecraft, it doesn't matter extensively. It's up to her wether to live on Prosaic or Mythic Earth, either would accept her though she'd have to conceal her magic on the Prosaic. And I'll look into contacts for engineering and artwork - artwork will be easy for me, given my domain."

"Thank you, ma'am. Master Deskyl does expect that she'll find it unpleasant to hide her abilities."

"More likely then she'd prefer a post in a Chancel doing the Powers' work. I'll see about a reference letter to the Power of Art."