About a half hour later, in Leah's room...

Dear Indigo, 

I've spoken to our mutual acquaintance. They seem attracted to me, but also appear to be under the sway of one Countess Roscente, who I presume to be of the liberal faction. I've extended an offer of tutoring as a prelude. 

Yours, 

Dame Brachia.

She seals the letter firmly with wax and her signet ring, and hands it to her personal maid, who is one of Ms. Carpenter's little birds.

"See that this makes it to Indigo securely."

"Of course, dame."

The maid curtseys, slips the letter into a holding-pouch against her body, and leaves.

Meanwhile, Cocoa pays a visit to the chambers of a certain visiting Kitsune dignitary.

He holds a box of chocolates in one hand, and a rakish smile lingers on his face.

Bitter Silvertail answers the door to her chambers. 

"Black Cocoa! What a treat. It's so good to see my sweet thing once more in the flesh." 

She smiles. "Business or pleasure?~"

"Why, pleasure, of course." Cocoa makes a low sweeping bow with several genuflections. "As is only proper for such an esteemed dignitary as yourself."

Bitter laughs. "Of course, of course. Come in." She steps back from the door, exposing her room which is draped in deep carpet and hanging silks.

Cocoa steps in and closes the door behind him. "It's lovely to see you again," he says. "Chocolates?" He proffers the box.

"Why, you shouldn't have." Bitter purrs, low in her throat, and wraps a tail around Cocoa's waist. "But that's not what you came here for, now is it?"

Cocoa leans in, and whispers softly in Bitter's ear, too low to be heard by anyone but her.

Bitter gets a sharp, wicked smile. "Oh really," she says. "Come to bed, then, my precious cat. Play with me the way you want to.~"

Bitter grins. "Gladly." 

He leans in against Bitter's side, and lets her lead him deeper into the bedroom.

Bitter looks over at the maid who has been pouring her tea. "I'd like the room, please," she says to her attendant. "We're about to be... busy."

"As you say, milady." 

The maid makes her way out of Bitter's rooms.

Bitter goes on to the bed, pulling at Cocoa's shirt and making it ride up the side of his body. She purrs low in her throat again, and leans in to kiss him.

He kisses her, embracing her closely - and in the small space against her body he makes the sign of the divination charm. 

"Mmmmm," he purrs back. "Aren't you delectable."

The divination charm comes back clear. 

He pulls back and kisses her again on the nose. "Beautiful as always."

"What can I say? I'm the best at what I do." 

Kumi slips her hand into the pocket of her robe and pulls out a small tetrahedron inscribed with a mark on each side. 

"Now," she says, "We still have to actually have sex, that was part of the deal. But I know what you're really here for."

"It's a shame we haven't figured out how to emulate the old magic," Cocoa says, taking the tetrahedron from Kumi. "But at least this pair survives."

He taps one side of the tetrahedron and it lights up with a cyan glow. There, they're paired now. 

He rocks the tetrahedron slowly back and forth three times.

Meanwhile, in the dining hall... 

Ishaza is in the middle of reassuring one of her lackeys that she loves the smallfolk and would never hurt them when she feels a soft rocking motion in the hidden pocket beneath her uniform. 

She lets her mouth go on autopilot repeating the standard platitudes while she listens to the message. 

... Contact is the first code.

Then... Complication. 

The rest of the message she can't get from the feel against her skin, it's too complex. She'll have to make an excuse to retire to her chambers and transcribe the rest of the recording there. 

She smiles, and continues to chat pleasantly.

Back in Bitter Silvertail's rooms...

Cocoa completes the message, and unpairs the tetrahedrons. He passes the priceless artifact back to Bitter. 

"Thank you," he says. "And now, I believe, it's time I sucked your cock."

Bitter laughs. "A fair price, I think." She trails a hand through Cocoa's hair and smiles. "I have to say, I appreciate our little relationship."

Cocoa slips a hand down to her crotch, and starts feeling her up through her dress. 

"It's a pleasure." He smiles widely.