"...Right, then.  Anything else you think we should go over?"

"...Realistically, there should be, but I'm not sure it's my place to disclose that information."

"...Well.  That sounds like a mess waiting to happen, but if you think you can handle it, you've done enough that I believe you."

"...You probably shouldn't, but I'm going to let you do that anyway.  Let me just..."

Am on my way over with chargers and magic tutor.

Yes ma'am. Master Deskyl is awake but probably won't be up for more than half an hour.

"Ah.  It seems that Deskyl is awake.  Honestly that's probably better than otherwise, seeing magic not hurt anybody should help with the lesson not being interrupted later."

She just nods.  The Duchess mentioned that Deskyl was a sensor, and came from somewhere that was worse than Phoenix lands.  Startling at nearby magic would be prudent.

The walk is short.

Deskyl is outside as they approach, sitting on the stoop and watching the sky, apparently unbothered by the winter weather despite still being in the longsleeved but lightweight outfit she arrived in. She doesn't look up until they're close, then nods an acknowledgement and stands to head in, holding the door for them to enter behind her.

The sight of Deskyl's outfit prompts a reaction: "...Someone had better be getting her some fitting outfits for this weather or I am going to have words with the laundry.  Ma'am.  Just because the manor's heated, and you've got magic falling out of your pockets, doesn't mean that holding that sort of thing isn't easier when you've got proper clothing!"

(She's dressed much better for the cold environment, herself.)  

"...I...cannot believe that it hadn't occurred to me to see to this, but I will certainly rectify the error.  Gods, I clearly shouldn't trust myself with a potted plant."

...Hm.  No, that won't do.

"...It's only been a day, and word has it she dropped in on you unexpectedly.  Give yourself a little slack.  You're not trained a steward."

"...Oh.  Right.  People do that.  That's a job people do.  I don't know why I keep forgetting that there is literally someone whose job it is to make sure nothing slips notice."

"What's the saying - you know a good steward by their absence?  Seems true to me.  Regardless, there's a lesson to teach."

"...Right.  And things to deliver, for that matter.  Hello."  She waves at Deskyl, picking up the pace to get inside.

Deskyl nods again but declines to do something so undignified as waving; she does hold the door without any sign of impatience though.

"Good morning, Your Highness, ma'am," DZ says when they get inside, and speaks to Maria as Alicia gets the chargers set up. "This is Xaari Deskyl - Xaari is her title - and I'm DZ-12Q or DZ for short. Has Her Highness explained Sith to you?"

"I've been told a few things by Her Grace and a few things more by Her Highness, but Her Highness said there were things she didn't think it was her right to tell me, so it's probably a good idea for me to listen closely if you'd like to tell me about the two of you."

"...Admittedly, I was thinking more about your situation, DZ, but with my focus on these," the two generators - one a magnetic coil situation, the other magical electricity - "I can't say I've had as much focus as I'd have liked available for discussing Sith as a culture, in retrospect.  Analogies only go so far, even if they're...  Eerily apt for having arisen from emergent factors."

"Yes ma'am. We can talk about that when you're done, if you'd like. The synopsis that I believe will be most useful is that to Sith, their empire is a violent anarchy; the law neither binds nor protects them and rank is determined mostly by which other Sith they can kill. Master Deskyl is remarkably calm for a Sith, but she's still used to needing to be on alert for threats, and to those threats being mortal - she is generally willing to talk through a situation, literally or figuratively, but she's likely to lead with making it clear that she could kill you, if it comes up."

"...Ah."  That explains the why of the warnings she's received quite well.

"Well.  That's fair enough."

...That that reaction makes so much sense should not be this much of a surprise to her.  She has a very good guess why it happened.  But nonetheless, she feels a bit wrong-footed.

"...Regardless.  Magic lessons?"

"If you're ready, miss DZ.  ...Will Xaari Deskyl be joining us, or simply observing for now?"

"She'll just be watching, though if we'll be doing anything risky some of her Force abilities might be useful to that."

"...Hmm.  Well.  Poking any primordial force is a bit of a risk in and of itself, but that's what having experienced guidance is for."