She is so happy to have actual ground under her feet again.

"To our benefit, then. And I'll be cautious."

"Into the tunnel, then."

Into the tunnel!

The tunnel is rather large and well made. It lacks the ornamentation of the other parts of the castle, but the builders had the same attention to detail. There's traps - most of them cleverly hidden - clustered around the entrance, but currently not ones Elana can't spot the tell-tale gleam of.

And not ones that have changed since the last time she checked this way. A good sign.

The ones deeper in haven't changed much, either, even as the sewer gives way to the rest of the undercroft - though the paths close to the trail from Valerica's courtyard to the larger hidden entrance for shipments are likely better trafficked with more innovation. Still, Elana's path skirts around those; the castle undercroft is a labyrinthine space, much of it likely originally planned for something but ultimately unused.

Nothing successfully stops them from reaching the door into the castle courtyard.

"The castles proper is through this door," she says softly to Lace. "If in doubt, strike first. There are not many questions I wish to ask."

She nods, expression serious, hand resting on her dagger's hilt. "I'll keep my eyes open," she says, equally softly.

Then- Through the door.

There appears to be...

A pitched battle on the other side, ranging across the courtyard - Valerica's court members on one side, clearly trying to defend the path to the most cloistered part of her castle, Harkon's on the other. Magic's flying explosively, and the handful of thralls brought along as living batteries are mostly already dead. There's powder and bone fragments from skeletons scattered over the paving stones, and a demolished gargoyle near the large moon dial in the center. Harkon's side seems to be winning, slowly but expensively.

Neither of Elana's parents are evident.

No one seems to have spotted the door cracking open yet.

Elana leaves it at a crack.

"It seems my dear father has finally run out of patience with my lovely mother."

"Complicates things. Do we want to interrupt?"

"...Not at this point. I'd rather not reveal myself to still be in the game before I have to. Let them kill each other, and we can finish off the survivors. Harkon's not here, so he will sit and wait for a report. He hates getting his hands dirty without great need."

Nod. "Less effort and risk for us, too."

She leans against a wall.

"Less risk is my favorite kind."

Quick grin. "I like my life with some thrill. But it'd be horrid if your pretty face got a scratch."

"Restoration magic is markedly less effective on the undead."

"I'll keep all the scratches for myself, then."

"I think you might look pretty with one or two." She reaches out to brush Lace's cheekbone with her thumb.

"Carefully placed to highlight my features."

"Accentuate the best ones."

She leans closer to Elana some, pushing her cheek into her hand. "Along my cheeks seems best. Frame my face."

She takes Lace's face with her other hand as well, pulling her closer. "Direct the eyes..."

"Right down to my lips, maybe..."

"My thoughts exactly." Kiss.