"I suppose I have Rejected Hell and Consorted only with Archons of Heaven since the Fall of the Late Regime. I do not mean to say I shall only ever have Dealings with that Plane as the Legal Minds of Axis, who are Neutral, are Greatly Valuable, and perhaps I might Deal with the other Good Planes if it were to prove Expedient. It would not be wrong to say I am a Lawyer who Deals with Archons and Heaven in like manner to how the Lawyers of the Realm have in the past chiefly Dealt with Devils and Hell."

It would be too suspicious to tug at her cloak; please don't have a clockwork archon arm waving from underneath.

"That's, uh, kind of a lot of words."

"...an 'Archon Binder' is a Terse Phrase. Though I do not particularly Press any into Service by Force. It is a Wizardly Term for a Class of Spell."

“Most won’t know what archon binder means… I can say ‘lawyer who deals with heaven’ and if people  ask then mention that you also would deal with other paradises and the Axis city. Would that be okay?”

Hm, maybe she’s like the archduke of skeletons? Someone who can summon angels, but still working on learning from the angels how to be good.

"That is a Fair Phrasing."

Wow, this is embarrassing.

It's not exactly enjoying her obvious discomfort here; it's enjoying that this is a useful step in the deprogramming-a-devil-cultist process. See how your friends actually like it when you do Good things! Though it's usually not a giant dramatic trial that is the cause.

nod

”Is the archon you’re working with a kid, like the one in virtuous churches? Or is it made of swords, like the ones in stories about Iomedae? Can I meet it sometime?”

Uncomfortable shifting. "It is a Library Archon, modeled after Celestial Bodies. You are Most Welcome to Visit my Offices should you wish to Speak."

Pause. "It is Observing the Convention but from Concealment and it would perhaps be Unwise to meet it Here."

A kid? Does that mean a lantern archon? Lantern archons are adorable.

"I'm hidden under her cloak," a muffled celestial voice adds. "It's very nice to meet you, Delegate, I just don't want to become involved in politics. I'd be happy to speak later."

This is the most embarrassing possible thing.

Whoa. There’s always angels secretly watching over people, but they’re not always right in the room. Hiding inside someone’s coat. That’s kind of funny. 

Whispered, “Hello, nice to meet you, glory to good. I would be hiding from the politics too, if they didn’t pick me for this.”

She looks at Lluïsa's cloak. "Uh, I know you just said you don't want to do politics, but can you explain to the Judiciary Committee that it's really important that they put it into the laws that nobles should face justice just like anyone else if they do really serious crimes, and not get away with it just because of being nobles? And tell the paladins that that's what's going to happen if they don't do a really good job of making it not? I think even the Evil nobles can't accuse an archon of being Evil or anarchic."

Victoria! 

She’s right, the archon would help. If he proposed Lluisa as chair and she summoned an angel to explain that she was good, even the nobles couldn’t argue. Enric is a big annoying at that. But if it’s hiding, that’s for good reason. 

Muffledly, but celestially. "To make an analogy of it... I am from farther away than Pezzack. I understand far less of politics here, in a country so recently sold to Hell, than Select Wain did, and merely that level of unpreparedness proved a citywide disaster, despite noble intentions. I will assist my lawyer per our agreement, and this will undoubtedly add force to your common cause, but I will not take independent actions directly towards local politics. Especially not if my voice would have greater weight because of my species."

"I really don't think it would start a riot for you to tell the Judiciary Committee that nobles shouldn't be able to get away with hurting people as much as they want, in ways that are already against the law, just because they're more powerful! ...I guess I didn't think Valia's speech would cause a riot either. But still."

"For my own part I do not even know enough to say if it might. Not that riots are the only sort of unintended consequence that may arise from an action. Reviewing draft laws and otherwise consulting under the supervision of my lawyer, that I may certainly do. I may multiply force but do not want to add it, if that makes sense."

"So, uh — if Lluïsa tells them that nobles shouldn't be allowed to get away with that sort of thing, and wrote up a draft for how to do that, you'd be able to give advice on it? Did I understand that right?"

"I would be pleased to review it!"

"The Scope of this Engagement is Ever-Expanding but I cannot say I would not be Glad of such Help."

"Well, uh, I think you should tell the committee to do that, Delegate Cansellarion is Good but when I talked to Feliu he said that a lot of the nobles he knew would be really surprised to hear about nobles doing all kinds of things that are just normal here. —Sorry, I know I'm probably asking you for a lot of extra work, just, well, they kicked me off the committee, so. If you want me to... try to help when I come by your office this evening... I can?"

"You are both of course Welcome to visit my Offices over Convention Matters at any time. Though presumably not during the Session of the Convention as I am Not Present there and you will Languish Just Outside."

It’s a bit unfair that everyone good, even archons of heaven and the chosen of Iomedae, have to watch their words. Meanwhile, the other side gets to just get  throw out accusations of treason and diabolism without worrying at all. Eh. Good is hard, that’s no reason to do evil instead. 

“We’ll also be inside the convention during convention hours. So I don’t think that’s a worry.”

“You okay with being even more busy? I was thinking to invite you to rights.”

"Ah, you had made Mention of it... it is the Archduchess's Committee, and has my own Associates on it. It seems a Sensible Idea to accept your Introduction to it. I had earlier Written the Archduchess with a Topic I thought might be Usefully Raised there, but perhaps I may Personally Introduce it instead."

“Sounds good. If you’re worried she would be surprised if your letter said you wouldn’t be there and now you are, Victoria and I are already planning to meet the archduchess before the committee. So we can tell her.”

"I have met her, in Connection with the Trial, and she seemed to me Reasonable. Perhaps I shall consider a Visit to Kintargo after all the Current Affairs."