Giggle. "Can't have that."

"It'd be a lot of paper to replace," he agrees, sagely. "How has Dunwall been treating all of you?"

"Oh, it's been amazing," he says. "I love your bridge, it's my favourite. Someone tried to call an Overseer on me because he said I have an evil-looking face but then the Overseer was nice and we chatted about tourist destinations in Serkonos and he told me to have a nice day."

Anizai, who had not heard that one before, looks down at her son and raises her eyebrows.

"The bridge is my favorite too," says the Emperor who had it built. "And I apologize on behalf of some of my subjects, but I'm glad it worked out. Do you know which Overseer it was? The ability to chat about tourist destinations is a talent I'd like to encourage in the Abbey's Overseers. I sometimes worry that they can get a bit dogmatic."

He shakes his head. "I'd recognize him if I talked to him again, though, I'm good with voices."

"If you can get me his name I can see to it that he is praised for it. Being the Emperor of a Number of Isles has some perks."

"I'll see what I can do," he says.

"Try not to get carried away," says Callisto, ruffling his son's hair.

"Who, me?"

If his wife weren't dead, he'd probably follow up on this with clarification of what precisely getting 'carried away' would involve. But his heart's been ripped out of his chest and he's shambling along without it, so he estimates that a teenager cannot get so carried away with finding one simple name to the point where he would personally need to care. So he doesn't.

Instead he's just quiet, thoughtful, and quietly and thoughtfully heartbroken.

"Why don't you find a nondestructive way to entertain yourself while we talk to the Emperor about politics," Callisto suggests.

"Climb nothing," Anizai adds.

"All right, all right. I will read books. Quietly."

"Would you show him Dunwall's library?" the Emperor asks, of the guard that was spluttering earlier.

The guard nods, "This way, sir."

Rani smiles up at the guard and follows him.

Space is something of a premium, in Dunwall Tower, even if great care is taken to make it seem like it's not so, and even if its rooms are still larger and more comfortable than most buildings in Dunwall. This means that the Tower's library is not as large and expansive as it could be. This does not mean that the library is pitiful. It's efficient, bookshelves arranged to maximize the number of books that can comfortably exist in the library, its aisles narrow and its shelves stacked high. The large windows and decor mitigates this as much as possible, expanding the space with a sense of minimalism and one gorgeous view, complete with a comfortable set of chairs and a modest end table.

This is a library that knows what it's here for. Books, comfortable seating, and a breathtaking view of Dunwall.

...Okay he meant to read books but actually what he's doing is sitting as close to the window as possible and staring raptly out at the city.

The city looks so peaceful, from up here. Calm, even orderly. Fishing boats drift in the Wrenhaven at a pace that looks lazy, the crowds of people Raniero walked among the day before all as small as ants. Kaldwin's Bridge stands out, of course, but it is not so imposing from up here. Nothing is imposing from up here, except perhaps the weight of all of them, together. The sheer size of the city, the number of people that are affected by decisions made in this Tower - it can all be very humbling.

Humbling, but still very beautiful.

Well.

Maybe it's humbling to some people.

If he would like to not be humbled, that is his prerogative.

The guard will leave him to his non-humbling view. He'll still hover nearby and keep an eye on him, but from a polite distance away.

He thinks of ten ways to get out from under the guard's supervision. Two of them wouldn't even leave the guard suspicious.

He does not do any of those things. Or climb out the window. He didn't technically promise his mother not to, but he doesn't really want to make trouble for the Emperor.

The Emperor would probably appreciate this.

The door opens, and a girl a little younger than Raniero slides into the library. She's wearing black mourning and the slightly distant expression of someone that isn't wearing it because it's fashionable.

She spots the guard before Raniero, blinking at him in confusion for a moment. Then her eyes turn towards Raniero, and she - clearly doesn't know what to say.

"... Hello," she says, after a pause, for lack of a better idea.

"...Hi."

She kind of looks like she needs a hug too, but unlike with the Emperor, Rani doesn't feel like he can just tell her that.