Avis looked a little disgusted. "I see."

"And of course in natural death, a brother will usually have specified someone to take over from them. So it is all in terms of inheritance."

"That still doesn't answer my question of how long this place has existed."

The elf-not-elf shrugged. "I know but it at least can tell us something. I know, from what Raevin has let on, that Vitruvion is the only brother of the original ten."

When Avis heard the words, her eyebrows rose. "What?"

Blaze nodded. "Exactly. There's a reason why he is chairman, why his position is nearest the surface. He helped create this place."

"Is it why his magic still works?" Avis murmured, pondering on what Reign had told her once. That those with magic could not do their skills down here. Not ever. All apart from Vitruvion and Ventrua. Not even the other brothers it seemed.

The other woman shrugged. "Perhaps." She paused. "I assume Reign told you a little about the subject. It is the only thing that seems to interest her. How she is suffering because she has been denied her royal right of magic."

The mocking tone was clear in Blaze's voice, and Avis was very convinced that the other concubine disliked the pixie princess just as much.

"Indeed she did," Avis grunted a laugh. "The one time she was here. Arrogant bitch, came here to apparently apologise, then realised I'm not the best at making friends and so left."

"You are not excellent at making friends, no," Blaze smiled slightly. "You are as much of a belligerent lady dog as she can be." Avis began to stare when Blaze continued. "But - but she is arrogant. She thinks of herself higher than the rest of us. She is insufferable, abrasive, hot-headed and far too up herself."

"That she is," Avis grunted in agreement. "A type of whore of a royal."

"I hardly see her. If I am entirely honest I am glad Hugin took a shine to her. She still lives in Vitruvion's chambers-"

"So Hugin never managed to get her to move in with him?" Avis asked.

"It seems not," Blaze shook her head, "It seems as though he will not win that one over Vitruvion. As if he ever could."

Avis nodded in agreement, now that she knew what she knew. Vitruvion being the only one of the original founders of the Hollow left granted him respect from the other brothers, if not certain rights. Her gut knotted when she realised she was being kind to the man. Her master.

On point the door opened. Avis was partly surprised as she realised the figure they had been speaking of strode right in, but then she reasoned there was a high chance they would have been anyway.

As his tall lithe form, elegant and proud, strode in, Blaze turned. Her eyes widened slightly as Avis tensed. A look flickered between the two, Avis thinking, "Fuck," Blaze mouthing, "Oh well."