Taru is genuinely taken aback. “But inheriting title or position is forbidden—”

“The Renewal did many fine things,” Lexi says impatiently. “It allowed common families to come together to form Gens. It replaced houses of overfed, underqualified nobles with those Gens. It did not, however, eradicate hypocrisy.”

The thoroughfares of the Capitol are narrow, clean, and almost completely free of foot traffic, even at the height of the afternoon in the center of the largest city in the nation. Their streets are the same smooth, waning-moon-colored stone of the Capitol buildings. The sun’s rays find not a single chip or scratch in the pavement, and it’s said the Capitol streets can never be stained, not even by blood.

A towering column rises at the center of a four-way intersection ahead of them. A caged-in staircase coils around its body, leading to the top of a broad platform encircling the summit. The bottom of the steps opens onto the street below. There’s also a freestanding cage resting on the ground, this one with artfully curved bars that have been gilded with gold. The top of the cage is attached to a cable running all the way up above the tower’s platform. An Aegin guards its golden door.

“Use the ascendancy, Te-Gen,” Taru bids her.

The Aegin spots the Gen broach pinned to the neck of Lexi’s wrap. The Gen Franchise Council symbol at the broach’s center permits the wearer free access to all city services, and special conveniences for Gen members, such as the ascendancy. The symbol formed along the rim of the broach, surrounded by several other small characters, identifies Lexi as a member of Gen Stalbraid, and notifies merchants of Stalbraid’s allotment from the state, which determines how much credit they are to be extended at any one time.

Lexi only shakes her head, striding past him as he prepares to open the gilded door of the private lift for her.

“I like walking,” Lexi insists. “I particularly like walking stairs. It forces the blood to pump, which helps me to think. If it weren’t unbefitting of my station and too much to ask of my current attire I’d prefer to run the stairs, in fact.”

“I understand you’re upset, but I’ve been entrusted with your safety.”

“Regardless, it doesn’t exactly engender the good will of the citizenry to watch Gen members squeeze our fat asses into a gilded box to be hoisted to the platform whilst they’re forced to trudge up endless flights of stairs.”

“It is not my place to give words to the character or condition of Te-Gen’s ass, but were such words solicited they would give contrary argument.”

Lexi laughs, not because Taru is joking, but because every word is meant earnestly.