---

Now that he was the acting head of the royal physicians, it wasn't just these doctors that he could manage, but also partly the Institute's resources and influences as well. It is not well-known knowledge to anyone who hadn't lived in Varian for a time, but the Institute of Science is not just a social club of scholars and scientists, but is a functioning part of the government, and whose influence can sway even the king and queen into action. It's an interesting role to be in for sure, and he was no strangers to it.

After the meeting adjourned, John stayed behind for a bit to discuss the transition with the Surgeon Dentist, who had given him quite a bit of paperwork to go through. But as that too was concluded, he was met with someone outside the guesthouse. He looked more of a servant, and John was proven right as the man approached him, introduced himself and informed John about the situation. Apparently Mina was with Leo at the athletic arena, fainted afterwards and was convulsing, and he was needed. Him being needed was a little bit redundant, as John already felt his stomach sink when Mina was involved.

He hopped onto the first carriage with the servant and headed towards the arena. Once arrived, he let the servant took charge as he led the doctor to where the two were at. Mina seemed to be back up on her feet now, which was a good sign, but it had not wiped the subtle worries off his face just yet.

"Lord Smithwood, Lady Blackwood." He nodded to the two of them instead of bowing. "I'm informed of the situation. We should get back to the guest house." He told both of them calmly. That is where the doctors are, and the most convenient to check things up. "How are you feeling, Mina?" He whispered, inadvertently informally, as he held her upper arm, noting her particularly pale face. He then turned over to Leo sternly. "Can you tell me what happened?"

Charlotte had expected Fritz to be vexed with her, but his reaction perhaps made her feel worse. Though he was correct that she had very well felt that Lorenzo had not been in the garden, it was not out of possibility that he had simply been well hidden in the dark and now she had poor Fritz believing her to be reliable when she was simply a silly girl. She had such a long night at the ball, was it really out of sorts for her to miss his sleeping body in the dark? She wasn’t even all too sure if all their house staff had checked the garden too or if it had just been her who had done so. Nonetheless, his next words did strike deep within her as she slunk back in her chair.

He was absolutely correct that intuition was not to be ignored. It had been the saving grace in many situations, yet she still found herself doubting herself despite urging others not to. The fact was, that no matter how she tried to ignore her thoughts, she knew deep down the situation did not make any sense. Lorenzo had wept for her mercy then abandoned her at the ball alone on the same night just to curl up in their garden bed? The man had always been a little strange, but he had always been kind to her. And because of that kind heart of his, she did not believe Lorenzo would lie to her face.

He had even seemed a little confused as to how she could have not seen him.

Calbert’s face crossed her mind and she visibly grimaced. Could there be villainy at work here? Was Lorenzo kidnapped? She tapped her fingers on the teacup she held. It had been some time since she had drunk from it. Her gaze slid slightly to Delilah as she returned with cards, tea, and some finger sandwiches for lunch. After setting all on the coffee table, the blonde maid had immediately moved around the seat to squeeze Charlotte’s shoulder. The dark-haired girl had reached up to touch her hand affectionately. She knew Delilah had many questions she was waiting to unleash once the guests had left.

At the idea of a card game, Charlotte had perked up visibly, “Maybe rich man, poor man? Bridge? Oh! Delilah and I like to play a game with the other staff called Liar, Liar… Poor Nathaniel is always bested as he tends to flare his nostrils whenever he lies... ” Her voice had drawn off as she found herself distracted by Count Fritz. Oh right. That party he mentioned. Her mind flashed the first time he brought it up. It had not stuck too much in her mind then, but it was starting to sound as if a massive amount of people were drugged. She sat up straight, her eyes locked on the cards seemingly as he shuffled.

What had actually transpired, well, it could have been quite anything. Though it was a lead, Charlotte found herself with a list of more questions.

“That is troubling.” She commented quietly to herself. Her gaze rose to comment further only to find herself eye to eye with Count Fritz as he said something she had least expected.

"...I beg your pardon?"

---

---

Crystal flinched, managing to suppress another squeak from coming out while her head flicked towards Prince Wulfric who just welcomed her. She was lost for words, while her hands wrung each other in front of her chest, she didn’t reply right away.

How did he know her name? She knew she had never met him before, even in her very short time of socializing every few years every other summer when she was not sick. It certainly wasn’t because of the archery contest. Many nobles just forgot about her because she was missing for so many years.

Was it because of last night? When she ran into him? Was he mad? He didn’t look mad… or sound it.

She was pulled from her stupor when he walked over to her. Her face was a clear shade of pink on her porcelain skin as he came close.

“I-I-I am sorry, y-yes. Thank you.” she said, trying to be polite and keep eye contact. But failing as she kept looking down to the ground. But she did offer her own left arm, and slipped it through his loosely. Allowing herself to be led to a chair she could feel the heat on her cheeks radiating.

She thanked him again as she tucked her hands behind herself to scoop her dress and sat down. She sat very stiffly as her hands went to her lap and clenched each other again. “I’m sorry again, I-I am not used to being at social gatherings.” she said realizing she didn’t apologize for last night. She looked slightly worried as she looked at him. “AND…and… I am sorry about running into you last night. During the dance I-” she looked back down. “This…. This is all new for me… I got a bit overwhelmed.”

“You are very welcome, my lady,” Wulfric murmured as he sat himself down after he’d helped seat her. While Crystal’s gaze was averted, he took his time studying her. She was a nervous, stuttering wreck, true, but she was making an effort to express herself, and socially engage with others. Violet never had bothered, as she had preferred to seclude herself with her books. Which reminded him…Crystal would not know her sister was dead, and thus he had to act as if she wasn’t. Thus, he mentally compartmentalized away that knowledge, and changed how he referenced to Violet even within his thoughts.

He still briefly lingered on the comparison between the two sisters. He wondered how a man such as Calbert managed to produce not one but two daughters who were so…Weak, his mind supplied. But it wasn’t quite that, per se. Violet, it seemed to him, disdained any and all power games, and the social obligations of nobility in general. The height of irony, that.

Crystal, meanwhile…Frankly, she was socially incompetent. However, it was perhaps inevitable given her circumstances. She, too, seemed aware of her flaw, and trying to correct it.

Thus, when she admitted she was unused to this, Wulfric graced her with another smile. There was a mild curiosity on his part if there was anything to her beyond her fear, and what she might be like with more self-confidence.

“No need to apologize,” he started, when she swiftly added another apology. “As I was saying,” he continued, amusement creeping in. But he took a moment to regain soberness, and his next words to her were calmly serious, tone as kind as he could make it. “It is well-known that your health is unfortunately poor, Lady Crystal. It is through no fault of your own that you have been unable to attend many social events. So, it is understandable you would have more difficulties compared to those of us who have experienced them time and time again,” he explained.

“As for running into me,” he slowly shook his head. “That was very much caused by your graceless dance partner. Dare I ask if your second dance was better?” he prompted.

Crystal gulped as she interrupted him with her second apology. But she smiled nervously at him saying she didn’t need to apologize. As he continued, explaining rather simply she was known for her illness and it's easily explainable why she wasn’t used to social events. She nodded as she looked to her lap, calming down a little. It would make sense the prince would know and keep up with the dealings of other noble families. She felt a bit foolish for freaking out about it now. She nodded at the end, showing she was paying attention and agreeing with the prince. “T-Thank you, your highness, for understanding.”

She looked back up when he brought up running into him. He easily pinned the blame on the man… she sighed slightly. Thinking it was probably her fault too…she… overreacted as she thought about it. Upon him mentioning her second dance partner and if it fared better, a more genuine smile crept upon her face. “Yes, your highness…” She said as she looked him in the eye for a moment while her cheeks continued to hold that pink flush. “It was far better…Sir Mat-” She cut herself off, about to go on to explain how wonderful it was, but realized he wouldn’t be very interested in it. She saved herself as she cleared her throat. “Sir Matthias was a true gentleman.”

“It does sound as if Sir Matthias has impressed you,” Wulfric mused with a tiny suggestive smirk.

She held in a frown, the mention of his name only made her wish she had more time to speak with him at the archery range. But she pushed the thought from her mind. As she tried to force herself to be more comfortable inwardly.

“It ended well, at least. I thought my mother and father were going to kill me for showing up.” She smiled, “They are a bit overprotective at times, and they didn’t expect me to come on my own…Despite telling them I felt fine.”

“Parental paranoia can indeed be overbearing,” Wulfric replied with a hint of dryness, thinking of the many times he’d been kept at home as a child because his father had deemed it a security risk for him to visit such-and-such. That there could have been guards accompanying him hadn’t swayed Edin, as there’d been political dangers they couldn’t have done much about. There too had been a few cases where his younger self’s behavior had been deemed problematic, and that had been the reason he had not been permitted to go. Though his father had certainly ensured his heir had been present at the most important of the social functions…All of which was neither here nor there.

Besides, the difference was that Crystal was no longer a child, yet her parents were perhaps still inclined to try and wrap her up in cotton wool. “Though, watching my siblings, I have come to understand the impulse somewhat,” Wulfric admitted. Tilting his head, he suggested, “I expect it is merely a case of proving your parents wrong, and showing them that you can, in fact, handle yourself.”

Crystal simply nodded at his remark, her mind wandering to all the times she wasn’t allowed to even leave the house because they feared she would overexert herself. She did indeed have to prove herself a few times, with helping around the manor, cooking, gardening…teaching children of the servants. Each time she had to just go and do it despite what they said, and only then did they relent a little. She then, not really wanting to delve more into that part of her life, decided to ask him about his night.

“I do hope you had a wonderful night, despite the multiple fiascos.” She asked, looking back up to him. She could feel herself calming down a bit. He was quite handsome with that smile, still a bit intimidating but it did help her relax.

“Thank you, I have had,” Wulfric replied, not mentioning the disastrous after-party. She wouldn’t know of it, nor did she need to. “And yourself? How have you been faring here since your arrival? I hope it has been largely pleasant and engaging.”

She smiled softly…not much of a sharer, was he? As he turned the conversation back on her. “That’s good to hear.” She then took a moment to think about the last 24 hours and tilted her head to the side as she spoke, “Mmm…Despite the multiple times embarrassing myself, I have quite enjoyed the experience. It’s been a dream of mine to dance at a ball for a long time.” she blushed as she looked back at the prince. “A bit silly I know… But it was wonderful, at least near the end.”

“There is nothing silly about wanting to experience something which others take for granted, yet you could have only imagined so far…” Wulfric smiled at her when she looked up. It was practically an automatism; part and parcel of when he felt like being charming. “And to have had such a grand ball as your first?” The whole Lorenzo mishap notwithstanding. “It is not something just anyone would have dared to tackle,” he flattered. “I am glad to hear you’ve enjoyed yourself, and that you have had such a memorable finale.”

She bit her tongue, wanting to tell the prince about how rude her sister was to her after she went out of her way to set her up with Lord Roman. But she shook her head slightly, remembering he was at the archery contest. “I also really enjoyed the archery contest, I always wanted to see Sir Verrick shoot his bow. I’ve heard many tales of his mastery of it…from gossip and the like of servants in the kingdom…” Well, mostly from her own source… but she couldn’t quite just say that for a few reasons. “It was also wonderful to see the park once again. It’s been a few years but Sorian always has beautiful gardens and parks within its walls.”

“It is one of the best times to admire verdure,” he agreed idly. “The botanical gardens are always worth a visit. Though if you ever tire of the more cultivated variant, you might consider a meadow or a forest.”

“I’ve always wanted to visit the forest, but thanks to my sister in her earlier years that’s one place my parents never allow me to go sadly.” She said with a small smile, riding on a road through forests is far different than traveling paths where a cart can’t go.

Wulfric nodded when Crystal mentioned her sister, recalling that Violet had suffered a wound from a wild animal attack - something that was rather common knowledge among nobility. He then redirected the conversation to a topic he was far more interested in. “I, too, enjoyed the archery contest this morning. I certainly appreciated how close some matches were, especially that last one,” though he kept it mostly in check, a slight thrill coloured his tone and expression. It had been fun to watch.

“Since I have not ever heard much about Verrick O’Hare, his victory was not as expected to me as it may have been to you.” Then, he gazed at her for a longer moment, as if he were considering not saying his next words, expression becoming serious and concerned. “But the man he won against…” They’d both know he was speaking of the self-proclaimed Damien.

“That was assuredly the greatest surprise. I realize this is a sensitive topic, so I will understand if you would rather not address it,” he said gravely. In actuality, he was intensely curious, and thought that the Vael man just might provide some entertainment, depending on what he did. “But have you inquired into that man’s legitimacy? If he was merely fooling around, then I would expect your father to act on it.”

Crystal was surprised he had not heard of Verrick. She assumed with him being the princess’ bodyguard he might have met him in passing. But before she could say anything he changed the subject to her new supposed half brother. She closed her eyes with a wince. Cursing herself for even bringing up the contest.

She let out a soft sigh, and looked at the prince once again with a polite smile. “It was a shock for me for sure. I was unaware my father even had a previous marriage, let alone a son with another woman.” She took a breath.

“My father says to treat him as family… but he seems rude, careless, and dirty minded. I don’t know what my father expects? Say ‘oh, thank you, I finally have a brother I’ve always asked for growing up?’” She stopped herself, looking down. “Forgive me, I-I don’t really have a grasp of my feelings on this subject.”

Wulfric kept his expression neutral, and nodded slowly. “I can only imagine it is difficult to accept so suddenly.” Or at all. “Take what time you need…I’m sure your feelings will clarify eventually.” Privately, he thought that she might not be granted such a reprieve, because her half-brother would be a constant presence. Whether by his actions, or the actions and reactions of others, it was something she would constantly be reminded of, and forced to confront.

But he had learned what he’d wanted, so there was no reason to further pursue this topic. “Please excuse me for broaching something so inevitably upsetting,” he inclined his head to her in apology. Then, he offered her a small, wry smile. “But to try and conclude this on a more positive note, let us speak of lighter topics. Are there any events you are looking forward to? Swimming at the lake should be available now, and I expect many a lady will attend the fashion show.” He tilted his head at her, considering. “However, if contests appeal to you, then there will be the horse race, and the dueling tournament afterwards,” he spoke of the latter two with more enthusiasm, so it was apparent these were the events he was intrigued by.

Crystal shook her head. “It is fine… I’m sure the subject will be brought up quite a few times today. He was very insensitive in revealing it and I’m sure it will be the talk of the town for a bit.” She said with a huff.

She did smile at the change of subject. “As much as I would love to swim, I hardly want to embarrass myself more than needed.” She wasn’t a strong swimmer…mainly she could do a doggy paddle rather unladylike. But she left it up to the prince to draw his own conclusion.

“I would much rather watch an exciting duel or horse race. As much as I love clothes it seems quite boring to me to just watch others wear and show it off.” She said softly, not wanting the other ladies to hear for some reason.

“Oh, I agree entirely. There is a wonderful anticipation in seeing who will win…especially when competitors match very closely, and the situation changes from moment to moment; one second it seems as if one person might win, and the next, their opponent prevails,” his eyes shone with fervour as he spoke with some excitement. “The thrill of that…Well, it can only be exceeded by participation in such a competition. I do hope nothing else comes up, for I intend to join the dueling…” he tapped his fingers against the table as he considered his schedule.

This was when a servant unobtrusively came to their table, and informed the pair that five minutes had passed. Wulfric nodded in acknowledgment, and asked, “It is noon now, is it not?”

The servant bowed with a, “Yes, Your Highness.”

Wulfric curtly tilted his chin down at the servant, and dismissed him with a brief, “Thank you,” and a wave of his hand. Then he turned to Crystal. “Speaking of…I am afraid this event is coming to an end now, and I do have some other matters to attend to, unfortunately. But I am glad I was able to speak with you, Lady Crystal.”

Crystal notice him open up more when speaking of dueling, even mentioning himself participating. Before she could say anything more she saw a servant come up and mention the time has passed. She stood up and while the prince said his good byes she curtsied to him and replied “I am glad I was able to speak with you Prince wulric. I do hope you enjoy the rest of your day.” She bowed her head and took a few steps back towards Auguste unintentionally.

---

Time: Two Years Ago
Location: Iron Wolves War Camp, Cassius’ Tent

---

Cassius stood at the entrance of his tent looking out into the night sky. The moonlight reflected off his uncovered body; highlighting the curves of his muscles and many scars that he had earned over the years. The smell of a coming rain was in the air, and Cassius felt right at home despite his tent being surrounded by dozens of others filled with mercenaries and soldiers alike. He felt the warmth of arms wrap around his waist and another uncovered body caress his own.

"Why in the nine hells are you awake right now?” The man asked before planting a kiss on the back of Cas’ shoulder. "Or rather…why are you awake and not in bed with me, Lieutenant?” Cas’ lips curved into a flirtatious smirk at the man’s words. He turned back to see his companion. The man was beautiful. Truly beautiful. Not even the leather eye patch nor the scar that potruded from the top and bottom of it could hinder the man’s gorgeous face. Liam…his name was Liam. He took Liam’s face in his hands and gently pressed a kiss against his forehead.

"Tonight has been too perfect. I wasn’t ready to let it end. I considered waking you, but you looked far too adorable snoring with drool dripping onto your pillow.” Cas’ smirk turned to a childish smile and he laughed as Liam playfully began to attack him.

"I do not snore!” Liam exclaimed through his own fit of laughter. "And if I do it is because you absolutely wear me the fuck out Cassius.” The man grabbed the back of Cas’ head and pushed it down towards his own, planting a ferocious kiss on his lover’s lips. Cassius complied with the passionate kiss, but gave his own rebellious spin in the form of biting Liam’s lip in the most seductive way possible. Cassius could feel Liam’s body press against his own with desire; ready to give into the passion and repeat the fun they had already experienced more than once that night. The suddenly…Cas felt the man pull away from him just slightly. For a moment they simply stared at each other. Cas could sense the hint of sadness behind his partner’s one green eye as he brushed the man’s wavy, red hair out of his face. Liam maintained a smile despite letting the melancholy feelings slip. "Nights like tonight are almost enough to make me forget the truth.”

"And what truth might that be?”

"The truth of your heart you beautiful…foolish bastard.” Cas couldn’t help but let his smirk curl onto his lips once again hearing the man’s words.

"You know…that is no way to talk to your Lieutenant.” Cas jested. ”I could have you on latrine duty for a month for that offense.” The sarcasm dripping from Cas’ words forced a smile to curl across Liam’s face despite his more solemn demeanor.

"Yes…of course. Make your jests and flash that charm that so often gets you out of difficult conversations. It has worked on me before. But tonight…tonight I stand my ground because I want you to know that I do know the truth Cassius. That you will never…” Liam is cut off before he can finish as Cas covers the man’s mouth playfully.

"Why would we ruin a perfect night like this with supposed truths, Liam?” He motions to the bed. ”There is more perfection to be had before the sun rises. We can save truths until the morning if you wish.” After a moment of consideration, Liam slowly removes Cas’ hand from his mouth.

"In the morning we have other truths to face, blood to spill, and gold to earn. This truth needs to be spoken tonight Cassius. For the sake of my sanity. Just in case tomorrow doesn’t go our way.” As Liam finishes his words, Cassius turns back to the night sky and takes in the stars one final time for the evening.

"As you wish. Let me hear this truth of yours.”

"The truth is…that I love you. But I know your heart Cassius Vael of the Iron Wolves. My Lieutenant. The man handpicked by Captain Mercer to lead our men once his time has come. I know you. And with that comes knowing that you will never truly love me, Cassius. You will never truly love anyone as much as you love yourself.”

---

Time: One Year Later
Location: A brothel in a war torn city

---

The woman rubbed her fingers up and down Cassius’ unshaved chest in a comforting motion. Her nails were beautifully manicured and painted green. They reminded Cassius of Liam’s green eye.

“Well…was he right? Are you truly incapable of love?” The woman asked as she lifted herself to kiss his chest then lips. Cassius looked her deep in the eyes with a somber smile.

"Perhaps.”

“And where is this brave and handsome warrior named Liam now?” The woman asked. The eye contact between the two is broken as Cassius looks towards the window…taking in the starlight one final time for the night.

"He died…two days later…in my arms.”

“Cassius…I…I am so sorry.”

"No need to be sorry, beautiful girl. I am sorry enough for the both of us.” Cassus rolls over on top of the gorgeous woman and winks at her with a sly smile. "Now cheer up. I may very well be incapable of love…but lust…lust I have in spades.” The woman, looking up at him, raises her hand and places it against his cheek lovingly.

“You are unlike most men that come in here, Cassius. I am not sure I’ve ever met anyone like you before.” She laughs. “The arrogance I’ve seen. Even the charm is not unique to you…But there is something about you Mr. Vael. Something that makes me want more no matter how much I get.” She bites her lip erotically, reaching around…she drags her nails down Cassius’ back. “Now show me more of that lust you mentioned.”

"That’s a good girl.”

---

Time: Almost Noon
Location: The Athletic Arena & Beyond

---

Cassius watched as the woman who seemed to be affected by the executed man’s strange actions was attended to. She seemed to be alright…at least superficially. He considered walking over to her, but felt now was not the best time to make introductions. If he has the chance again, he would not waste it…but for now he felt the need to leave. Before doing so, he pulled the flask from his jacket’s breast pocket and paid his respects to the death that was just witnessed by pouring some of the liquor onto the ground at his feet. The dead man seemed to be a truly vile individual, but that didn’t mean that his life leaving this world was undeserving of respect.

The next few moments unfolded like quite the blur as Cassius made his way through the crowd and outside of the arena. It wasn’t even quite noon and yet Cassius felt as though he was ready to call it a day. So much had transpired so quickly and much of it was nothing like he had expected. He felt something which he rarely suffered…the feeling of being overwhelmed. Oddly, it was almost comforting. At the very least it was a change of pace, and those are always nice from time to time.

He meandered a bit around the city as he took the very long way back to the inn where he was staying. He stopped in the bazaar for a quick bite to eat, watched some of the people that came and went, but mostly he just lived in the silence as he tried to process everything that had happened. Normally, in moments like this it had become his habit to seek comfort in the form of a stiff drink and a lust-filled tryst. But everyone needed to face these moments of uncertainty every once in a while. So he did…for a time. He pondered and reflected and looked inward. However, by the time he made it back to the tavern his daily allotment for such things was more than exceeded, and so he turned his attention back to doing what it was that he did best. He drank. He fucked. He made sure his name would never be forgotten by those who were lucky enough to cross his path this day.

As the sun slowly climbed to its zenith amidst the field of azure, so too did the heat with which it baked the Sada Kurau rise. In a vexing way, it puzzled Sjan-dehk. Here they were, so far away from and so far north of the Viserjantan islands, and yet it seemed as if the tropical sun had sneakily followed them. True, the air here was drier and it scorched rather than boiled, but the cooking of his back and the endless dripping of sweat from his brow felt all too familiar.

“That doesn’t look tight enough, captain.”

Sjan-dehk grumbled and untied the ropes he had been handling. Thin and tightly-wound, it – along with thousands like it – secured the Sada Kurau’s large, triangular sails to her willowy yards. Too loose, and a strong gust would be all it took to render her dead in the water. Still, he couldn’t help but stare daggers over his shoulder at Sahm-tehn. “You know, most people would find it strange that a master-of-sail can stand around doing fuck all while his captain works. Unethical, even.”

The weak rebuke simply washed over Sahm-tehn, and he looked unperturbed as he angled his pinned-up right sleeve to his captain. “As you say, captain. I’ll tie the sails securely with this then, shall I?” There was a bite to his words, and for a moment both men held their gazes, Sahm-tehn’s deadpan and cold against Sjan-dehk’s narrowed and piercing.

It was the latter who broke away first, sighing as he returned to his task. Much as it gnawed at him, he had to admit it; Sahm-tehn was justified in his displeasure. De-rigging, inspecting, then re-rigging an entire ship was a huge task that called for plenty of time and plenty of hands. They had neither. With Sohn-dahn and his boys, along with half of the gundeck sent across to aid Hai-shuun, part of the rigging crew had to be sent to cover their duties. All the same, the king’s men were due to arrive in practically no time at all, and they would surely be expecting a ship in prime condition.

“You’ve got a working pair of legs, haven’t you?” Much as Sjan-dehk was happy to let his crew openly air their discontent, they’d be fools if they believed he’d let them have the last word without a fight. He had to hold on to some of his captain’s honour and authority, after all. “Maybe I should’ve sent you to go shopping with master Avek instead.”

“Master Mursi is a skilled man, captain, but I wouldn’t trust him to inspect rigging.” Sahm-tehn spoke with a strange sort of mirthless levity. It sounded almost unnatural, as if he were fighting his nature to lighten their dire situation despite feeling all of the pressure on his shoulders.

Sjan-dehk replied with a similar chuckle. “No, I wouldn’t either.” He gave the rope one final tug, then stood up with a grunt and wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. Sahm-tehn leaned over and inspected the knot with scrutinising eyes. Sjan-dehk didn’t envy the man, to be honest. Every rope knotted and lashed, every tackle rigged, and every sail mended had to be personally checked and cleared by Sahm-tehn. It spoke volumes of his vast experience that he could do so with just his eyes, but even then it was tedious work. Under a sun that seemed to replace strength with lethargy in a man, no less. Sjan-dehk had long since taken off his shirt to cool himself, but Sahm-tehn insisted on remaining fully dressed. Dark hair wet and glistening with sweat, glued to his forehead, and slightly heaving shoulders, however, gave away his fatigue.

“It’ll do, captain,” the master-of-sail said at last with a shrug. “For now, at least. We may have to bring them all down again afterwards to make sure everything’s done properly.”

“We can only do what we can, master Sahm-tehn,” Sjan-dehk replied with a grimace as he squatted by the next length of rope to be tied. It wasn’t a question of ‘if’; he was certain that they would have to bring the yards down again once the king’s men were done with their business. He didn’t like it one bit – they risked damaging the yards every time they raised or lowered it – but it couldn’t be helped. Even a well-trained and experienced crew like his wouldn’t be able to do all that was needed to do with what little time they currently had.

He worked in silence for a while. Only the rustle of ropes, creaking of wood, and chatter of men broke the monotony. Sea birds gliding about aimlessly overhead cawed, their wings flapping languidly in the brisk seaward breeze. Eventually, however, Sahm-tehn cleared his throat and spoke. “Apologies, captain.” He paused for a moment and dipped his head in a bow. “I was rude earlier. It will not happen again.”

Sjan-dehk waved off the apology. “I deserve it, master Sahm-tehn. It’s mainly my own damn fault we’re in such a fucking rush.” He tightened the knot and beckoned for his master-of-sail over to inspect it. Once his work was given Sahm-tehn’s approval, he side-stepped over to the next segment of yard. “I think I told all of you this before, but I’d rather you be open with whatever’s pissing you off than keep it inside and, I don’t know, fucking explode some day. Just don’t go starting fights.” With one hand, he smoothed out the ruffles and wrinkles in the crimson sailcloth before starting to bind it to the yard. “So this had better happen again at some point, alright?”

“Yes, captain.”

Once again, Sjan-dehk worked in relative silence, only sharing the occasional word with Sahm-tehn when the latter checked his work. His fingers grew more dexterous and deft with each successive segment and before he knew it, he was almost at the end of the yard. Only a handful of ropes remained untied, but he took care to avoid the temptation to rush. He focused his mind entirely on the task at hand, muttering the steps beneath his breath and counting them out in his head until he achieved a steady rhythm.

And once again, it was Sahm-tehn who first spoke up. “So,” he began, and left the ending noticeable by its absence.

“So,” Sjan-dehk echoed.

“You met the king then, captain?”

“I did, yes.”

A pause. “What’s he like, captain?”

Sjan-dehk stopped what he was doing and looked up at Sahm-tehn with a quizzical look on his face. “Why do you ask, master Sahm-tehn?”

The master-of-sail didn’t meet his captain’s gaze. Instead, his eyes were turned towards the Sorian coast running eastwards, just beyond the starboard gunwale. “Just making conversation, captain,” he said and coughed into his fist.

Nodding slowly, Sjan-dehk returned to his work. “I see.” As he wove the rope into the sail, he considered his response. It was a tricky question, to say the least; even he wasn’t quite sure what he thought of King Edin. On the one hand, the king had shown him considerable courtesy. Yet on the other, his outbursts spoke of a rash and foul-tempered man. Truly a complex character, and one not so easily described after a single, rushed encounter. And so, Sjan-dehk decided to answer with what was typically best in situations like these. “Well,” he began with a vague shrug. “I showed up in his hall fully armed, interrupted his sons’ matchmaking session, but he was calm and polite enough. Then a girl tripped, dropped an onion, one of his sons ate the onion raw, and he fucking exploded. Called the guards to throw out the girl, and after that I wasn’t too keen on staying so I left as soon as I could. Tried to help the girl, failed, and got shown the door by the guards as well. That’s about it.”

Sahm-tehn’s face was blank, and he blinked once. There were so many questions swimming in his mind after his captain’s strange little tale that he couldn’t even choose one to ask first. “So this girl, she brought an onion to court the princes?” He asked hesitantly. Sjan-dehk nodded. “And this prince she spoke to, he picked it off the ground and ate it just like that?”

“Just like that,” the captain confirmed. “Peeled and ate the damn thing like its fruit.”

“Bloody madman,” Sahm-tehn replied with a shake of his head. “And just for that, this king sent his men to throw the girl out? Sounds like an overreaction to me, captain.”

“You don’t have to tell me that,” Sjan-dehk said with a frown. Just thinking about it irked him. King or not, there were just some things that weren’t right. If sending armed guards after an unarmed woman who had done nothing wrong didn’t fit that category, then he didn’t know what would.

“And he didn’t worry when you, an armed man, showed up in his court, but he rages at an onion?”

With a final tug, Sjan-dehk secured the sail to its yard. One done, and two more to go. Picking up the shirt that was more filthy rag than clothing beside him, he stood up and faced Sahm-tehn. “You could put it that way, yes,” he said as he wiped the sweat and grime from his body with it. To say that it was of little help would be an understatement. If anything, it seemed to do the exact opposite of what he wanted. “The king has strange priorities.”

“Doesn’t sound like that makes for a good king, captain, if I may say so.”

Sjan-dehk shrugged and draped the ruined shirt over his shoulder. “I agree, master Sahm-tehn, but it’s not our place to judge. As much as he reminds me of some of the bastards we fought, this king here is a real, actual king. Not some self-proclaimed turd with too much time on their hands. Besides, this isn’t anything for you to worry about. I’m the one who’ll likely have to be in his presence.” He folded his arms across his bare chest and tilted his chin towards his master-of-sail. “So, are you going to tell me the reason you’re asking all these questions?”

Just as before, Sahm-tehn averted his gaze. “Like I said, captain. Just making conversation.”

An impish smirk crept across Sjan-dehk’s face. “Come now, master Sahm-tehn. How long have we known each other?” He leaned his weight back and looked at Sahm-tehn with cheeky smugness. “Everyone here knows you’re never one for small talk. We’ve to pry every sentence from you most of the time, so forgive me, master Sahm-tehn, if I don’t believe that you’re simply making conversation.”

The two men stared at each other in silence for a moment, but eventually Sahm-tehn sighed. “Apologies, captain, I believed I was being subtle.”

Sjan-dehk’s smile widened. “We know each other far too well for it to work, master Sahm-tehn. You should have known that.” He stepped forward, the mischief in his face gradually fading until it was replaced by friendly concern as he patted Sahm-tehn’s shoulder. “What is it?”

It took a few moments before Sahm-tehn said anything. That alone was worrying; he was usually the one who had no problems telling things to Sjan-dehk straight with little tact. “The other officers and I have been discussing certain things, captain,” he began at last, and Sjan-dehk felt a pit of unease begin to open in his gut. Granted, it couldn’t be anything too serious; were that the case, they would have confronted him much sooner. Discontent amongst senior crewmembers, however, was never a good thing. Many a ship had fallen to mutiny and many a captain had met their end for that very reason.

Sahm-tehn continued. “As far as we know, we will be in harbour for a long time, and you will be assuming Lady Adiyan’s duties until she recovers, captain.” He paused, and Sjan-dehk nodded in agreement and gestured for him to continue. “You would have to spend more time on shore, correct?” Another nod. “So we were wondering if we could suggest a change in how we manage Sada Kurau, captain.”

The pit closed as quickly as it opened. It was just an administrative matter, and those were typically easy to resolve. Still, Sjan-dehk didn’t feel entirely comfortable. The crux of the matter eluded him. “You might have to elaborate, master Sahm-tehn. I don’t see a need for us to change anything. Azwan will take over my duties when I’m away, and the rest of you will simply carry on as per normal. What’s the problem?”

“It’s not a problem for now, captain, but what happens when you’re away for more than an hour or two, or even entire days?” Sahm-tehn kept his voice even and level, but the slight hesitation in his voice and how he averted his eyes every now and then gave away his trepidation. “You know as well as we do how these courtly affairs can drag on and on. With all respect, captain, you can’t foresee how long you’ll be away if you have to attend such things.”

That made sense. Sjan-dehk had yet to meet a punctual noble, or one who couldn’t find some silly excuse to make a party or meeting go on for far longer than they had any right to. “First of all,” Sjan-dehk began and patted Sahm-tehn on the shoulder again. “Relax. I’ve said it before, I’ve never gotten angry at any of you for speaking your mind before, and I don’t plan on starting now. Secondly, while you speak sense, the scenarios you speak of aren’t anything new to us. We’ve dealt with them before, we can do it again."

“True as that may be, captain, but we were in Viserjanta back then.” Sjan-dehk’s words must have worked on Sahm-tehn, as he now spoke in a far smoother and steadier manner. “We knew how things worked and more importantly, we knew the language. If we had an emergency, we could simply go to whatever hall you were in and ask for you. You should know how many times we’ve done that, captain. Here? We barely know how to communicate with these people.”

Sjan-dehk pinched the bridge of his nose and drew in a deep breath. Now he was finally beginning to see what Sahm-tehn was hinting at. In Viserjanta, he was always more-or-less available to his crew wherever he may be, which was exactly how he wanted it to be. True, excusing himself from a court full of nobles in favour of his crew and ship never earned him any favours, but it was at least openly acknowledged as an acceptable thing to do in Viserjanta. Perhaps that was also the case here in Caesonia, but they had no way of knowing. And even if was, his crew was unlikely to know enough of the language to negotiate their way through the castle gates.

“So,” he said and chewed on his lip. “If I’m correct, your concerns are that there might be times when I will be not only away, but completely cut off from Sada Kurau for long periods.”

“In so few words, yes, captain.”

For a man known to be taciturn and straightforward, the master-of-sail certainly chose an overly verbose and roundabout way to present his case. Sjan-dehk sighed. “You should’ve just said that. Alright, I can see your point. What do you suggest?”

“At least until the rest of us have learned enough of the language, and until we know enough of the local customs, we would like it if you could allow us more freedom to act at our own discretion.” Sahm-tehn said and pointed downwards. “You allow Avek to purchase provisions without your final approval, and so we would like to have that same freedom, especially for master Hai-shuun and master Mursi. We would also suggest that you give first officer Azwan the power to mete out punishments in your absence, captain.”

Sjan-dehk nodded slowly as he rubbed his chin. If he had to be honest, he wasn’t entirely comfortable with the notion of removing his hands entirely from the purchase of material and supplies. Provisions were one thing; Avek was the cook, and so it was only natural that he be allowed the freedom to choose his own ingredients. Wood, metal, and whatnot? Those were vital to keeping his Sada Kurau afloat; of course he’d want to have the final say as to what they were going to use to fix her. Neither did he relish the idea of handing over responsibility for his crew’s discipline. He was captain; if a man had to be punished, the least he could do was to do the sentencing himself.

Ultimately, however, Sahm-tehn had a point. Besides, if he couldn’t trust his officers, then why did he even give them their ranks and positions in the first place? Perhaps there was even some good in this; this could prove to be an excellent chance to let them prove their mettle.

“Alright, you have my agreement. While we’re docked and when I’m away, I’ll allow you all to act according to your own judgments. However, if it has to do with killing, setting sail, adding anything to Sada Kurau, or accepting visitors, it will still need my approval and supervision.” Sjan-dehk extended a hand and looked at Sahm-tehn with a raised brow. “Would that be acceptable?”

Sahm-tehn took his hand and gave it a firm shake. “We won’t let you down, captain.”

“You’d better not, otherwise we’re all bloody fucked,” Sjan-dehk said with a quiet laugh. “I’ll let the others know about this after we’re done dealing with the king’s people. Thank you, master Sahm-tehn.”

Sahm-tehn snapped to a salute. “Thank you, captain.”

“One question, though.” Sjan-dehk turned to look down the deck of his ship. Handing over so much control of his ship wasn’t something he particularly relished. It was like giving away his child, but a good captain always listened to their crew and judged their words fairly and without personal misgivings. “If, as you say, none of you are good at the language, how are you going to bloody buy anything without getting cheated to fuck and back?”

“The tutor has taught us well, captain,” Sahm-tehn replied. “We know enough about the currency here and how to do a bit of haggling. Enough to get by, but nothing more than that, captain.”

Sjan-dehk placed his hands on his hips and pursed his lips. “Wish the old bastard would’ve taught me that instead of courtly bullshit. I imagine it’d be a whole lot more useful.” He let out a long sigh. Well, maybe that was the case, but not anymore. He imagined his future was going to involve a lot more courts and royals and all the theatrics that came with it.

But for now, he could put all of that aside. “Well, master Sahm-tehn,” he said and tilted his chin towards the bow. “There’s still two more sails to sort out. Shall we?”

---

Just a short walk away from the docks where the Sada Kurau was moored – and along the very road Sjan-dehk had walked on his way to the castle, in fact – laid a tightly-packed cluster of rickety shacks and huts hugging the coast. Thin roofs fluttered dangerously in the wind, but by either luck or some stroke of engineering genius, none took flight. Old boats, their hulls mottled and tinged green by ocean growth, laid upon the sandy shores where they had been pulled up. Their larger, sail-rigged cousins sat comfortable in the shallows beside makeshift jetties of mismatched wood, whose pillars shivered against the surf.

A quaint fishing village within a city, Sjan-dehk would’ve called it.

Or at least, that was what he hoped it was. It would be quite the wasted trip if it proved to be otherwise.

Rigging his Sada Kurau had been arduous work, and had left his body aching. Sjan-dehk would have liked nothing more than to have a quick rest before the king’s people were due to arrive, but there was still something he needed to do. Something he knew he would forget if he were to put it off any longer. And so, after he had wiped himself clean of sweat and grime, he had thrown on clean tunics from his dwindling supply and made tracks for this little shanty town.

As it had been in the slums earlier, the people here looked at him with curious gazes as he passed. As it hadn’t been in the slums, few – if any – had worry or fear in their eyes. Sjan-dehk had learned his lessons well, and had come unarmed and unarmoured. Largely so, and by his standards, at least. Twin scabbards swished against leather tassets hanging by his legs as he walked. His pistols, snug and secure in their holsters, barely made a sound. They were hardly noticeable, so dulled and worn by age were they that even the metalwork of their locks failed to catch the bright, afternoon sun.

The familiar scent of fresh fish and spilled entrails was heavy in the air, and it only grew more pungent the further he ventured along the labyrinthine streets. Seawater and blood turned dirt paths into mires that squelched against his boots with each step. None of it bothered Sjan-dehk much; it wasn’t anything he wasn’t already used to. Most of Jafi had the same scent, and when it came to the harbour where he had spent much of his time ashore, it was almost identical in every way.

And besides, the smell told him that he had the right idea, if not on the right track.

Eventually, the winding path he followed deposited him on the beach. Dry sand replaced moist dirt, and the briny whiff of the sea overpowered all other scents. Gulls circled above and stood on boats, beady eyes leering at men and women hauling frayed nets laden with fish. The air was buzzing with murmurs of trade and commerce. This had to be the place. Sjan-dehk looked around for anyone who might be in charge. Not too far away stood a young woman surrounded by a small, clamouring crowd. That was as good a place as any to start.

“...just as fecked as ta’ rest o’ youse. I wan’ tae help, but I can no give what I ‘aven’t, ‘tis so ‘tis so.” As he approached, he caught the tail end of her impassioned speech. Fretful and dispirited faces looked away from her. Gradually, the crowd dispersed and she caught sight of Sjan-dehk. The drab shirt and trousers she wore had more discoloured patches than material, and she had her straw-like hair pulled into a messy tail and tucked beneath a cap. “‘Aven’t seen you before–” she began, but the friendliness in her voice and on her face quickly disappeared once she saw the weapons by Sjan-dehk’s sides. “We want no trouble here, ‘tis so. Who you be, and what ‘tis brings you ‘ere?”

Sjan-dehk blinked. Regular Caesonian was already hard enough for him to parse, but this woman’s accent made it practically undecipherable. For a few awkward moments, he stared blankly at her, and the look on her face slowly turned to one of annoyance. Before she could say anything, Sjan-dehk decided to simply introduce himself normally. “Wasun Sjan-dehk.” He placed a hand on his chest and bowed. “Captain of Sada Kurau. You are ah…The leader here?”

The woman arched her brows. “A cap’n, so you are?” She looked almost impressed, but said nothing else on the matter. Instead, she turned her head, cupped her hands around her mouth, and shouted, “Pa!” A man shouted back from somewhere further up the beach. “I ‘ave someone ‘ere lookin’ fer you!” She then looked back at Sjan-dehk and jerked her head towards the sea. “So, that large boat out o’er yonder, ‘tis yours, is it?”

He didn’t need to look to know what she was referring to. “No. That is Sudah.” Specialised shipyards had to be built for her construction, and so erring on the side of caution, her captain had decided to anchor her off-shore rather than bringing her into dock.

Sjan-dehk shifted his stance slightly and pointed to his ship, her stern just visible around the bend at the end of the beach and her mast tops peeking over the lower buildings. “That is mine. Sada Kurau.”

The woman folded her arms and let out a low whistle. “Think I may ‘ave seen it comin’ in. She be lookin’ a fine ship, ‘tis so ‘tis so. Very fancy like. All yours, is she?”

Once again, Sjan-dehk looked at her in confusion. It seemed like a silly question to him, or a tricky one; he wasn’t quite sure which it was. Who else did a ship belong to if not her captain? “Yes, she is,” he replied slowly and carefully. Could this be a local nautical convention which he wasn’t aware of? He would have to find out. “I am her captain, yes? Who else can she ah…Belong to?”

The woman shrugged. “Some folks ‘round ‘ere sail fer ‘ighborn folk. Not all o’ us ‘ave ta’ coin tae ‘ave our own boats, cap’n, so they work fer folks wi’ ta’ coin but no ta’ gall fer sailin’.”

Sjan-dehk furrowed his brow. Owning a ship but letting someone else sail her was a strange concept to him. Would those same people similarly marry their partners but have another be their spouse? Whether bought, given, or captured, a captain had to own their ship in her entirety. Otherwise, what reason would they have for caring about her as much as they should?

Whatever words he had in mind would have to wait, as a man ran up to them. Very much on the thinner side, the clothes hanging off his frame looked to be almost as old as him. What little hair he had clung to his chin and scalp in foggy grey wisps. “Ah, we ‘ave a visitor, ‘ave we?” He managed to gasp out between heaving pants. Sjan-dehk almost reached out to support him when he doubled over and rested his hands on his knees to catch his breath.

His daughter, however, didn’t look concerned in the least. “‘Tis so. Pa, this is..A cap’n. Cap’n, me pa.”

The old man drew in a few deep breaths and stood up. His movements were stiff and deliberate, as if his joints had only just awoken from a long rest. “Welcome, welcome! What can we ‘umble fisherfolk do fer you, cap’n?”

Sjan-dehk offered a quick bow to the man before speaking. “My ship, we need ah…Provisions.”

“Ah, if ‘tis buyin’ you be after, cap’n,’tis better you find yer way tae ta’ market.” The man said and wringed his hands together. “‘At’s where most o’ today’s catch’s goin’. We ‘aven’t been ‘avin’ much luck lately, I’m afraid we ‘ave no tae sell tae you, cap’n. Not ‘ere.”

“No, not here to buy,” Sjan-dehk replied with a shake of his head. “Just want to ask. Next time you set sail to go fish, can we follow? We fish too.”

The man said nothing and wringed his hands even harder, were that possible. Nervousness was written all across his face. He looked at the ground, then at his daughter who glowered at Sjan-dehk. The two were certainly related by blood; this man was confusing Sjan-dehk with his actions as much as his daughter had with her words. “W-well, tis’ like so, w-we can’t–” the man’s hesitant and stuttering words were swiftly cut off by his daughter.

“What pa is tryin’ tae say is no,” she said and crossed her arms. “‘Tis trouble enough tae bring in ta’ catch we need fer sellin’ and feedin’ our own. Another boat’s just given’ us more shite tae deal wi’. An’ yer boat’s large like, ‘ow much you be plannin’ on fishin’?”

“Aislin!” Her father’s protests fell on deaf ears.

Sjan-dehk held up his hands in front of him in an attempt to calm her. “Only what we need. No more.”

“Aye, ‘tis may be so, but ‘ow much is that?” Her piercing gaze was withering, and had Sjan-dehk been of a weaker constitution, he would have surely squirmed beneath it. “Boat that large, surely you be plannin’ on trawlin’, and we folk ‘ere already know ‘ow that ends fer us. You’ll be goin’ ‘ome fat an’ ‘appy while we ‘ave tae starve and ‘ope nobody feckin’ kicks it.”

“We have no nets on Sada Kurau. Only lines. Not ah…Trawling.”

“Well–” Aislin began, but this time it was her father’s turn to interrupt. He stepped in front of her, a clearly forced smile on his face and sweat beading on his forehead. HIs cheeks were largely devoid of colour and he looked as if he was one good shock away from passing out entirely.

“A-apologies fer me daughter, cap’n.” He bowed deeply, and Sjan-dehk found himself having to gently lift him by the shoulders to convince him to straighten himself. “S-she’s rough ‘round the edges but she do be meanin’ well, she does. We ‘ave been ‘avin’ p-problems wi’ our catches lately. Too many boats be comin’ intae our waters, you see. Most o’ what we catch, we ‘ave tae sell to keep things runnin’ what wi’ rent and repairs and such, ‘tis so ‘tis so.”

Sjan-dehk nodded slowly. “There are ah…No other places? For you to fish?”

“We…We can go farther out, but ‘tis dangerous, cap’n.”

“Pirates?”

The man scratched his chin and thought about it for a moment, then shook his head. “Can no call ‘em that, tae be honest. They don’t really attack us, they just–”

“Those feckers fleece us fer our coin an’ catch, ‘at’s what they do.” Aislin cut in with barely hidden anger in her words and on her face. “Our boats are no armed, an’ even if we were, we can no do much against a robbin’ boat wi’ their cannons and such. We be more like ‘an not tae lose more ‘an we can gain by sailin’ out that far.”

That was something Sjan-dehk was familiar with. Even in Viserjantan waters, there was no shortage of bandits fitting small cannons onto small skiffs and cutters to extort money from the largely unarmed and unescorted fishing fleets. Pirates in the loosest sense of the word as far as he was concerned, and easily dealt with. “We can protect you,” he said, and that immediately got the attention of Aislin and her father. “If you want to go out to fish. Sada Kurau can protect your boats.”

Aislin narrowed her eyes. “An’ what do you get out o’ this?”

“Fish to eat.” Hadn’t she been listening this whole time? That was all Sjan-dehk wanted.

“You're no gonna be wantin’ payment?”

“We have enough.” Sjan-dehk glanced over at their run-down boats, then at their homes, then back at her with a sympathetic look in his eyes. “And you need the ah…Money more than we do, yes?”

“Save your pity!” Aislin snapped, then drew in a deep breath. “I'm no convinced, ‘tis so. Ne’er ‘ave I met a cap’n who’d ‘elp us folk wi’ out askin’ fer coin or somethin’ shiny like in return. What’s tae stop you from stabbin’ us in ta’ back if you change yer mind out there? You could sink us all wi’ out even battin’ a feckin’ eye if you change yer mind fer whatever reason while we be out there.”

Sjan-dehk was beginning to feel rather annoyed. Just who did she think he was? Did he really seem like the sort who would do something like that? There was caution, then there was paranoia. To him, Aislin jumped between the two like a hare. “We just left one war. We do not want to ah…Start another.”

“But you ‘ave no issue fightin’ pirates an’ such?”

“That is different. That is duty.”

Aislin’s father finally spoke up after his prolonged absence. “If we can go out ‘at far…” He began in a quiet murmur, but it was enough to silence Aislin. “One good catch an’ we’d be good fer eatin’ and payin’ what needs payin’ fer a week at least.” He fell silent for a few moments more, then swallowed hard and looked at Sjan-dehk with as determined a look as he could muster. “We’re puttin’ a lot o’ trust in you, cap’n, but if ‘tis as you say and you’re good on yer word, then ‘tis a risk worth takin’.”

Sjan-dehk placed a hand on his chest, and bowed. “On my honour. We will do as ah...As said.”

A snort from Aislin showed how much faith she had in him. “Honour and talk’s cheap, cap’n.” She sighed and wiped both hands on her trousers. “I still think that ‘tis a bad idea, ‘tis so ‘tis so, but if pa’s willin’ to put ‘is faith in you, well, ‘e’s me pa and ‘e’s ne’er been wrong yet, so ‘e ‘aven’t. I’m no arguin’.”

Her father beamed at her, and looked markedly more relaxed when he turned back to Sjan-dehk. “‘Tis all agreed, then! ‘Tis too late tae go out ‘at far, but we can set off bright an’ early tomorrow if that suits you?”

“Yes, that will be fine.”

“I’ll be knockin’ on yer door ‘fore the sun’s up,” Aislin piped up. “I’m goin’ tae be feckin’ pissed if yer feckin’ oversleep, aye?”

Sjan-dehk did his best to suppress his grin as he looked at her. He didn’t want to make a competition out of something so silly, but if she thought she could catch him asleep, then he’d be more than happy to show her the error of her ways. “We will be ready,” he replied simply with a curt nod. That was another objective complete, and one less thing he had to worry about. Tomorrow was shaping out to be quite the interesting day, to say the least.

---

It didn't take too long until Mayet heard the sound of Munir's horse approaching the clearing. While he didn't come back empty handed, he didn't seem to have much luck regarding his prey as well, having caught a rabbit on a similar size as hers.

"Too small even for a snack..." Mayet replied Munir with a sigh, as she continued petting the poor, confused rabbit, which didn't know exactly if it should fear for his life or just accept the caress it was receiving.

Nala, who was still grumpy for not being able to eat the rabbit... And possibly jealous of the attention that small, pathetic fur-ball was receiving from Mayet, continued to send death stares towards it, letting out a low growl every few seconds, just to be sure it wouldn't get too comfortable.

Despite how annoyed she was with the situation though, Nala still accepted Munir's boop, looking away from the rabbit for a second to greet Munir, before going back to terrorizing the poor creature.

The very second Munir mentioned that the rabbit wasn't exactly the only 'prey' she seemed to be after, Mayet raised her eyebrows with a smirk on her face.

"Roman is definitely, quite an interesting one, but he's not the only one that drew my interest... That prince... Wulfric, also has quite the dangerous aura around him... Anyways, it's still too soon for me to decide..." Mayet said to Munir with a mischievous expression.

Mayet's smirk soon disappeared though, with a bright red taking place on her face for a brief second as Munir asked if she would 'submit' to him in bed, followed by other... less than proper comments.

"Brother Munir!!" Mayet said, looking at him in a mix of shock and embarrassment as she tried to regain her composure, just as Munir abruptly changed subjects, only to make her own reaction even more noticeable.

Nala, who overheard Munir mentioning her name, oblivious to the conversation Mayet was having a moment before, took a little break from terrorizing the small rabbit to look at Munir expectantly, looking at the prey he was carrying and licking her lips.

Mayet had barely enough time to calm down before Roman arrived, completely soaked as he carried a dead beaver in his hand. Apparently, he had more luck with his catch than Mayet herself or Munir had. Due to what Munir had said earlier and the fact that Roman himself was completely soaked, she couldn't help but take a brief moment to discreetly glance at his body, although she quickly stopped, hoping her brother hadn't noticed.

"Even though we're not empty handed, these feel more like consolation prizes than a proper hunt... I guess there is a reason why they let those incompetent nobles... MUNIR!!" Mayet began saying, replying to Roman before Munir teased her again, making her interrupt herself to scold him before he said anything more that might make Roman catch on what they were talking about a moment ago.

Nala, who was already annoyed by not being given any meat, was starting to take glances towards the animals that the group had hunted in a rather suspicious manner, almost as if she was getting ready to pounce and steal one of them from their hands.

Fortunately, the moment Nala began to seriously think about doing so, she was surprised by Roman, who came near near her and offered Nala the heart of the beaver he had just hunted. As she approached the heart, a single sniff was enough to tell that it was very fresh and in fact, still warm. Without hesitating, Nala quickly got the heart from Roman's hand, chewing it down in a few seconds.

While it was a rather small meal for an animal of her size, Nala still seemed to be satisfied with Roman's offer and for the chance of tasting some fresh meat.

"I don't know about the gods, but Nala certainly seems satisfied with your offering." Mayet said to Roman with a chuckle.

---

---

Verrick’s eyes narrowed slightly at her answer. He simply nodded, implying he was accepting the answer. However, from what he remembered. Baltyria was so far away, it had no connection with any of these kingdoms. No one came out of there, as if it was its own world. No travelers, no traders, no diplomats.

So…

How did she hear Caesonia was Beautiful this time of year?

If she had answered she just wanted to travel and explore the world, and then heard of Casonia while doing so. He might have believed her. However, the way she worded it gave it away. She knew of Casonia before leaving Baltyria, and it was her destination. As it was “far enough” Where she said earlier she was merely passing through. This, along with introducing herself as a ‘major general’ it was clear she was giving him a rehearsed cover story.

”Not quite far enough it appears…’Major General’. I assume it's a few more years of travel before that gets left behind?” He asked with an eyebrow slightly raised.

He glanced over the Princess as she ate the funnel cake hungrily. He blinked a few times before saying ”Forgive me for interrupting.” Bowing his head slightly.

Location: Forest
Time: 12:00 pm

---

The soft melody of birds echoed through the forest, while the chatter of the hunters competed with them. Hanna stood with arms folded and with a neutral expression, though now and then she’d scowl. The ideology of them bragging about their hunt was something she chose to laugh at silently. They had found squirrels, birds and chipmunks. One of them had nearly bagged a deer but had sneezed and scared it off. Unfortunately, the hunt had been tame and quiet thus far, much to her surprise. Though, she was relieved it hadn’t been messy. Once she saw the foreign nobles return with their hunt, she let out a relieved sigh. Hanna’s lips curled upwards into a half smile as she approached them carefully, as not to startle them nor the tigress. ”I see you had better success,” she complimented Mayet, Munir, and Roman with a grin. ”The forest may not have blessed us with big finds, but it will be enough.” She gestured to Roman’s beaver, then Mayet’s and Munir’s bunnies.

Her eyes sparkled with interest watching Nala terrorize the poor bunny, and then looked at Mayet. ”I’m sure you’re aware, but watching you both was a gift I’ll treasure.”

Then her eyes flashed to Munir and amusement flashed across her face. ”Your horse and you are a great team. I hope to see you work more together.”

Then her gaze darted to Roman and she smiled the widest for him. ”Excellent find, Sir Ravenwood! Beavers aren’t easy to catch here.”

She paused and turned to face the three hunters and then continued. ”Both kingdoms will be proud of all of you.” The last statement was directed at the three of them whom she added, ”I’ll make sure to pass on the blessings of your hunt to your kingdoms.” Hanna then turned to wave them over to follow her to the entrance of the clearing. ”A feast is a feast, and there are many mouths to feed. Let’s go.”

Before Hanna could move, a large growl emitted from the forest behind her. She turned and stared with wide-eyes as a 7 foot grizzly bear charged at her. She inhaled and tried to dodge it, but wasn’t quick enough; it swiped her with its front paw and knocked her aside like a bowling pin. Hanna let out a cry of pain and dropped to her side, badly wounded. It huffed and turned to face the other hunters. The bear had foam dripping from its mouth as it growled and snarled at them, then charged at the group relentlessly.

Time: 12 AM
Location: Execution at the Athletic Arena
Attire: Outfit
Interaction: @Helo Leo @Conscripts John
Mentions:



Mina could feel her heart still racing and whispers still plagued her, but she wasn’t sure if it was from the crowd or in her head. A small part of her wanted to scream, to tell them all to shut up, but now wasn’t the time. No, she couldn’t risk looking any crazier than she already did. Last thing she needed was people creating rumors about her mental health.

Her eyes met Leo’s once more as he spoke and it took her a moment to register exactly what he’d said, but not long enough to be concerning. ”Yes, that sounds like it’s much needed. Thank you.” She said as she took his arm and allowed him to lead her out. She could do with being away from the crowd and she hoped that it could help with the splitting headache she was starting to feel. He also mentioned how he’d sent for John, something she wasn’t surprised about. If she’d witnessed someone do what she just had she likely would have done the same. She would allow John to look her over, even go to the infirmary if needed if only to not raise any more suspicion.

It was Leo’s last words that had her pausing a bit. Yes, perhaps someone had slipped her something. Or, at least, she could use that to her advantage. With all that had already occurred here in Caesonia it wouldn’t be hard to convince others that was the case. So she let her eyes widen in surprise, pressing her free hand against her chest to add to the appearance. ”No, would someone be so nefarious? I suppose it could be possible, given what else you’ve informed me of.” She whispered back to Leo just before her eyes spotted John heading their way.

John had bowed and Mina attempted a curtsy, but not dipping too low as she realized she still felt a bit unsteady. ”I’m still a little dizzy and my head feels like it wants to split open, but other than that I feel better than I did earlier.” Mina responded to his question as she gave a small smile to her friend. She’d known John for quite some time now and she always enjoyed his company. Besides, he was a wonderful doctor and she’d only ever truly trust her health with him. ”Heading back to the guest house sounds ideal, if only to make sure I don’t have any other episodes.” She said before turning to Leo after giving him adequate time to answer John’s question.

”Thank you for taking care of me, Lord Smithwood. Please don’t let me hold you up any longer. Go on and enjoy the rest of your day and rest assured that I’m in the very capable hands of Dr. Williamson.” She said, truly appreciative of her friend and rather happy he was the one this episode happened near.

Interaction: Mayet @13org Roman @ReusableSword Hanna @potter

Munir chuckled at his sister's dismay and expense. In truth, he wondered about his sister. She tends to prefer the company of Nala than to other members of the court. Sure the royal siblings of Alidasht appeared at gatherings together but they all lead fairly separate lives. Munir sighed contently as he stepped away from Mayet and Roman to begin removing the fur from his prize.

It should make for a fine lining for a pair of gloves he intends on making for Mina.

When Roman spoke to him regarding his mistake with his name, Munir merely chuckled. "Oh no, Lord Ravenwood. Of course not. We surely are on friendly terms. I do not have any underlying ailment that I am not disclosing nor did your jest from earlier touch any nerves. It was merely done in a jest, you see. A jest to relieve whatever tension that existed in these hunts. Also, if you do not mind, allow me to purchase that beaver pelt from you. I would like to fashion it into a hat for...a friend of mine." He said coyly. As he was reaching for his coin purse to offer Roman whatever payment Roman had deemed necessary for the pelt, the huntress leading the event praised him and his work. Munir simply offered a smile and a nod as he waited for Roman to give him a price for the pelt.

Not long after, Munir heard his horse whinny and become very agitated. That is abnormal. Munir at first paid it no mind, before hearing a guttural growl. Munir looked up only to see the huntress be swatted aside like a wet cloth and the sight of the menacing, possibly rabid, bear charging at them. Munir left the half-skinned rabbit on the ground and dashed his coin purse aside as he tumbled back with the grace of a trapeze artist and grabbed his bow and quiver in the same motion. Deciding to keep enough distance between them, he first called out the command "Kill" in Alidashtian, hoping that his sister had trained Nala to do so in a dire pinch. It would not matter to Munir if Nala obeyed his command or not, Munir was drawing back three arrows at once from his bow and letting loose. As soon as the first three arrows were fired, he nocked two more, ready to fire...

Wulfric nodded at the departing Lady Crystal, who managed to get entangled with Auguste as soon as she left his table. He quirked up a curious eyebrow, and wondered if it really was all so unintended on her part as it seemed. Maybe she did possess some deviousness, despite her apparent naïveté.

Be as it may, he had been at this event for the required hour, and felt as if he had had enough. Nor were there any others he was much inclined to speak to. Besides, as he’d said to Crystal, he did in fact have some other minor business to attend to.

Standing up smoothly, he gave the crowd another bow. Turning on his heel, he smirked to himself, and departed.

Before leaving the hall, however, he first stopped by Callum’s side. “Come meet me in my office once you are done here,” he leaned down to murmur, and briefly laid a palm upon his brother’s shoulder.

Then, he made his way towards Edin. “I will be taking my leave now, father,” he informed the king briefly but politely. “It has been an hour, and there is hardly any in that throng remaining who would be worthy of my attention.” He curled his lips into a haughty smile, and met the older man’s eyes with a look that invited understanding.

Wulfric waited to be dismissed officially, then left. Though he wanted to drop his expression as soon as he’d turned around, he let it fade in a more natural manner. At the back of his mind was a thought he was habituated to ignoring. One which reminded him that his father was the one unworthy. Unworthy of ruling, and unworthy of existence, that was.

But, as was his wont, he pushed that nagging feeling back into the unconscious.

For now, there were a few things he wished to cross off his to-do list.

Once in his study, he flipped through one of his smallest notebooks – titled 'Dailies' – to the most recent entries.

The last note, on the beginning of a new page (which was marked with today’s date), was a simple one:

C. F. Hendrix

That was obviously in relation to this morning. Wulfric took a pen, and made another addition below:

Layla – absent; phys., psych.?

The former referred to the two counts of her physical absence – the afterparty, the morning meeting – and the latter, to her brief distraction during their conversation.

He tapped his pen next to the two names as he considered them. His idle action stained the page with ink blots, but he cared not.

They were but two…of several guests.

…Guests.

Guests, who as so happened, had a whole guest residence they’d been put in. It would be no hardship to have someone mark their comings and goings. Not only of the two he’d been most recently thinking about, but everyone’s.

Anything that was unusual had to be known. To recognize the unusual, of course, one had to know what was usual.

Perhaps it was time to expand upon that good old nobles’ staple – servant spies.

Satisfied with that decision, he browsed a drawer for another notebook. This one was designated as 'Measures'. He thumbed through to the first empty page, and divided it into two columns with a line which, for being handwritten, was surprisingly neat. He wrote 'Imprv. – Intel' atop the first column. Atop the second one, he made a similar notation of 'Imprv. – Security'.

For a moment or two, he simply stared at the blank columns. His temple throbbed, and Wulfric frowned as he rubbed it. With a sigh, he once again reached into the drawer, and took out his bottle of painkillers. He swallowed two pills dry, and his gaze happened to stray to the still opened 'Dailies'. The last entry for the previous day read:

L. C. Vikena – tea; inv.

Ah. Wulfric blinked. He did recall saying something of that nature to her, but he had not yet issued a proper invitation.

Well, then. Since he expected Callum to arrive shortly, Wulfric decided to accomplish the simpler task first. He called for refreshments to his office. Then, while sipping at a cup of tea to set the proper ambiance, he wrote the following:


Once written, the letter was carefully put into an envelope, sealed, then sent off.

Time:12pm
Location: Park of Sorian
Attire:Dress
Interaction:@Lava Alckon Farim @Rodiak Nahir @Potter Layla

---

Anastasia had led the group over to the game, her eyes lighting up as she looked upon the prize shelf. A little old lady in a periwinkle dress was shuffling three cups faster than anyone's eyes could follow. The sound of coins jingling underneath the cups could be heard but not seen. "Welcome to Coins under the Cup. All you have to do is pick the cup with the most coins underneath to win. One cup may have nothing, one may have a little something, but if you luck out and pick the one with the largest amount of coin, you win a big prize!" There were small and large prizes on the shelf nearby her. Some were stuffed animals again while others seemed to be other types of trinkets.

With a grin, the woman looked to Farim first, "Traditionally ladies go first, but I don't like traditions. So you can go first. " She gestured ceremoniously to three cups. About twelve gold coins were situated on the table. With a nefarious grin she suddenly became moving the cups around speedily, engulfing the coins into them and tossing them about the table chaotically. Finally, she came to a stop. The coins were nowhere to be seen. "Left, middle or right?"

"You can do this, Farim. Use your Alidasht intuition!"

Well, that had been fruitless. Everything was as normal, and the Admiral had escaped her company. Well, she'd probably gotten bored of investigating some small rumors in a bunch of warehouses, of all places. Not exactly great scenery, not even a good food stall around.

Which meant she'd have to go somewhere else for lunch. She could do with a good meal. As she stepped from the warehouse district, it was impossible to miss the festivities in the park, just across the way. Festival food was usually pretty good, too.

Once she'd found herself something to fill her belly, she found herself thinking. She supposed her investigation wasn't a total loss. She'd solidified facts about the warehouses down in her mind, after all. The locations were fairly secure, as one might expect. She'd have to double-check with the guard to see that there hadn't been any reports of a break-in, but it didn't seem that way while she was snooping around. If there were any truth to the rumors she'd heard, and there usually was some truth, depending, then someone must have let them in. Could have been a bribe. Alas, she didn't have enough information to speculate much. If she were to investigate further, she needed more confirmation that anything had actually happened. She could not continue on what may be some baseless rumor.

She could go the direct route and ask the princess directly, but nobles are so fussy that she was sure she'd have to ask in private, and that would be a rare opportunity for her position. For the time being, she'd relax a little and enjoy the festival. Though she'd done plenty of relaxing already... Eh.

She disposed of the refuse from her eaten meal properly, before participating in some of the games found around the festival. Aah, the capital has such nice things.

Yosri Dali Kadir

Time:12:00
Location: :Festival at the park
mentions: @Lava Alckon @Tae

---

Dali was relieved to hear her life so far had been better. She deserved as much for the hardships she had endured on her earlier life. Her faith had been tested many times,yet it had never wavered once. In his humble opinion,the gods owed her as much happiness as they could possibly bless her with. The early traces of beauty she had bore on her face,had now fully blossomed. The desert rose had bloomed and her smile was ever so graceful.

He chuckled softly as she teased him back. And he was so very tempted to continue this tango, but perhaps this was not the place for it. Nor was she someone he should or would casually play with. He let go of her hand and laid his index and middle finger on her forhead. A blessing to be given for her, through him, by the gods.

"Inshallas, I ever wander where to gods send me. Up until last month,I had no idea I would be wandering into these strange lands. Like desert sand moved by the Djin,I am ever on the move. Sand can never sta still for long after all" he said and offered her his arm. The festival was still buzzing around them,with laughter filling the air. And it did him well to see such joy. He had seen to much sorrow during his journeys, it was refreshing to know people could still laugh.

" my servitude is ever going. Whenever I feel the wind blow I move again. Letting the gods push me to wherever I am needed. My Hoca Fakir has taught me much, and I have been in his wind for a long time. But he was of opinion I had to find my own direction in life. So here I am, carried by strange winds to find my brother,my kin and apparently you" Dali smiled and took a step,taking Saiya along with him. The scent of spices twirling around them.

"my life has been good Habibi. I have learned much during my wanderings. And I have been able to help so many unfortunate souls. Ease their pain and erase their worries. My Hoca scolded me for focusing to much on others and neglecting my own happiness. So I have not yet found love" He said and looked at Saiya.

"and what about you Habibi. Have you found someone to give your heart to. I am sure you have suitors lining up at your feet" He went on and his eye caught sight of a stand selling some chunks of meat on a stick. Much like the kebab from home,but it would certainly lack the heat of those his mother used to make.

"Are you hungry?" he asked and reached into his sleeve. He pulled out a small decorative pouch, with a red powder lining the edge.
"Mothers special spice mix. With extra chili flakes. I was warned beforehand the food here would be a bit bland" he joked and motioned to the food stand.