"Still, wow, what a way to put in perspective how long the two of you were gone for." 

He nods. "The Great War was more surprising, honestly, as is the entire concept of nationalism. It is hard to express, but - people related to the concept of king and country somewhat differently, in our time."

"The Great War was bad business all around." 

"It is something to work to avoid a repeat of, especially as people's opportunities to hurt one another grow."

"--Well. We have more ability to do that than we did five months ago." 

She nods. "And - given our abilities, our power at least in the shadows behind the curtain will grow."

Nod. "And if someone assassinates another Archduke maybe we can fix it before everything blows up." 

She smiles. "Though we'll need a better information network, to be sure of that."

"That shouldn't be too hard, should it? Even if it's not safe to reveal ourselves to the public, surely there are plenty of weeping husbands and wives and parents and children who'll be happy to keep mum about us and let us know where we're needed." 

"I can assist in that, too. I suspect we're already making subtle names for ourselves, given the direction of our researches, and it might be easier for me to receive consistent news, being in one place."

"The direction of--should I be concerned?"

"We have been mostly acquiring texts on necromancy and alchemy; nothing evil, but as we have kept an eye out for those who might have any knowledge, I suspect others are doing the same. People talk, even when we would wish they had not."

"I meant concerned about the attention, not concerned about the researches," she assures her mother-in-law-to-be.

She nods. "I'm not sure. I don't think occultists are often in the habit of moving against one another, out of caution if nothing else."

Hiram nods. "That was my experience, at least. Even those who disliked me did not try to reveal me."

"No, that happened when someone got mad at you over your wife. So our most likely enemy is...my mother. Grand." 

"Mobs are at least a bit less common, now. But you have me. It might be an interesting challenge, positioning myself to neutralize any of her whispers."

"Yeah. But if she was willing to stoop to poisoning her own daughter..." Sigh. "Maybe now that I'm legally dead she'll be less interested in how I would have left her." 

She nods. "For what it's worth, I suspect I'm willing to escalate faster than she is."

"And my father might hold her back. I don't know." 

"I'll look into recruiting allies, there. But that's my worry, not yours."

"Yes. They're not my problem anymore." 

"And they won't be again, if I have any say in it."

"Yeah." She snuggles a little closer to her fiance. "So--new identity, new hair, new face insofar as it can be managed--any thoughts on a new name? I should probably learn to start answering to something else as far in advance of having to as possible." 

"While your name is lovely, something very different would - at least allay rumors." She can list a few moderately distinct names.