On the supply shuttle after Ellyn's seventeenth birthday, an unexpected letter is included with the delivery. A creamy white envelope embossed with the stamp of the First, made of paper, as is the missive within.

Ellyn calls Gideon to the study to open it when she discovers it.

Looks serious. 

She perches next to Ellyn so they can read it together. 

ADDRESSING THE HOUSE OF THE NINTH, ITS REVEREND LADY PELLEAMENA HIGHT NOVENARIUS AND ITS REVEREND LORD PRIAM HIGHT NONIUSVIANUS:

Salutations to the House of the Ninth, and blessings upon its tombs, its peaceful dead, and its manifold mysteries. Her Celestial Kindliness, the First Reborn, begs this house to honour its love for the Creator, as set in the contract of tenderness made on the day of the Resurrection, and humbly asks for the first fruits of your household, THE REVEREND DAUGHTER ELLYNHARK NONAGESIMUS AND HER CAVALIER PRIMARY GIDEON NAV.

For in need now are the Emperor’s Hands, the most blessed and beloved of the King Undying, the faithful and the everlasting! The Emperor calls now for postulants to the position of Lyctor, heirs to the eight stalwarts who have served these ten thousand years: as many of them now lie waiting for the rivers to rise on the day they wake to their King, those lonely Guard remaining petition for their numbers to be renewed and their Lord above Lords to find eight new liegemen.

To this end we beg the first of your House and their cavalier to kneel in glory and attend the finest study, that of being the Emperor’s bones and joints, his fists and gestures. Eight we hope will meditate and ascend to the Emperor in glory in the temple of the First House, eight new Lyctors joined with their cavaliers; and if the Necrolord Highest blesses but does not take, they shall return home in full honor, with trump and timbrel.

There is no dutiful gift so perfect, nor so lovely in his eyes.

" - This is it. This is our chance." She's unsure if the Ninth has actually ever produced a Lyctor. 

"Mm. To the First House itself... Even if we don't pass the trials, this is big. Might have a chance to petition the Emperor directly."

"And it'll be a chance to network - to demonstrate our strength. Any favor or prestige we can get... That'll only help with attracting pilgrims later."

With a bit more humor: "Worse comes to worst, we raid their library."

"Hah. Agreed about best foot forward, though. ...Which means I want you to spend the meantime brushing up on your rapier."

She makes a very dubious face. "Can't I bring a more useful weapon? And if anyone goes 'wow that's not a cavalier weapon' I could just yeet them across the training ground with my bare hands."

"You can bring as many weapons as you want, but polite society expects a cavalier to fight with a rapier, so you'll be carrying a rapier. In case of duels or, I don't know, exhibition matches."

"I could show them a real exhibitionism match," she grumbles under her breath. 

"I'll let you use Samael's chain for your offhand."

She perks up. "Okay, now you're talking."

"As long as you promise to use it fully clothed."

"Anything for you, my sepulchral seductress."

Ellyn leans over and pecks her on the lips.

She kisses back. 

Kiss!

"Can you tell Aiglamene to find Crux and bring him here? I need to start setting things here up."

"As you command, my tenebrous overlord." She heads out with a confident spring in her step (and a teasing sway of her hips). 

Gonna make her pay for that later.

There's a lot of work involved in running the Ninth, and now Ellyn has to make preparations to hand it off. She gets to it.

And Gideon - Samael's chain in hand - gets to perfecting the art of being a pretty little show cavalier. (And helping Ellyn with her preparations, on the rare occasions her body is too tired to keep training.)

And, the final night before their departure - she spends one last night in the Tomb. She swims one last lap of that sacred pool. 

She kneels beside the frozen sarcophagus of her mother, and she places her old chain about the base. "I don't know when I'll be back," she says. "I don't know if I'll be back - this might be the last time. If Ellyn becomes a Lyctor... I'll join her."

"So..." She holds her hand against the perfectly smooth ice. 

"Farewell, mom."

Ellyn waits for her and the shuttle on the landing pad. She had a pair of constructs carry their bags up from the room.

She makes sure to get there a little early, too - doesn't let her private goodbye keep her from her duties. 

"...It's a bit surreal," she says, once they've both boarded and the door has at last closed behind them. "Just..."

"Leaving?"