She smiled with an appreciative and amused glint, but there was some seriousness in the way she looked at him, as if she was hesitant to acknowledge it.

The original teasing smile on his lips faltered a bit. Henry blinked, taken aback, before softening his face and giving her a helpless look. He supposed she'd find out sooner or later. He wasn't surprised about it.

"Did you hear something?" he asked. He didn't want to frighten her by sounding accusing or upset. Unless she felt something was wrong, Elka wouldn't go out of her way to investigate.

Her smile became a bit more forced. It was a subtle change. The corners of her eyes squeezed and more of her teeth were exposed. "No, no,," she denied. "Just...a general observation."

To be fair to Elka, she'd complimented him many times. Calling him a prince wasn't new, though usually, she was referring to a heroic and charming storybook character, and not a political birthright and the expectations that went along with it.

Henry looked at her deeply. Elka was disciplined, but was clearly uncomfortable after being confronted. He tilted his head back and took a deep breath before closing his eyes and exhaling slowly. When he looked back at her he cocked his head to the side. "Take a walk with me?"

Alarm flashed through her eyes before she lowered them. She knew that he knew she'd heard something that couldn't be unheard. She nodded her head, conceding. "All right."

Henry held out his hand and she grasped it. They walked past the camp with Henry informing them that they were going for a walk down river and would be back later. It was a safety rule that everyone had to inform their family or section if they were leaving the camp area.

When the groups settled down for the night, family heads were required to ensure that everyone was accounted for. If someone was missing, then the missing person would be reported to the section head, and a search could be launched.

Henry and Elka neared the riverbank and could hear the rushing water, as well as see the reflection of moonlight on its moving surface. Upstream, the lights from the escort soldiers keeping the path to the river illuminated could be seen.

"Naali, create a wide and low bridge to walk over." When they reached the river edge, Henry held out his hand and a cool breeze swept over them as ice gathered and formed a walkway. The sound of crackling reached their ears.

"Is it safe to walk over?" Elka asked.

"It's safe," Henry said. "The surface shouldn't be slippery, but don't rush across."

He kept a firm hold on her hand and took slow, steady steps over the ice bridge. Elka was wary at first, but a few steps in, her movements became more confident. By the midpoint, she was walking at a normal pace and even stopped to admire the view of the river lit by them moonlight beneath them.

"Is this another secret you want to share, Young Master Atractas?" she asked with a raised brow.

Henry looked over his shoulder and cracked a smile. "Didn't Young Miss Arelias, the half-elf, already know?"

Elka lowered her head to try to hide her knowing smile. Elves were sensitive to magic and could feel something different about summoners. Elka's mother had sensed 'other pulses' around Henry, though she couldn't pinpoint how many spirit beasts followed him, or what elements they controlled.

"I didn't know it was ice," she replied in a quiet voice. As they reached the other side, she looked at him and squinted. "The ice and lightning when you found me...those weren't from your brother's slips, were they?"

Henry shook his head. "Ash's slips are very general. I wouldn't have that good a control with them."

"What are their names?" Elka asked.

Henry thought for a moment, wondering if he should have the two spirit beasts appear. They didn't wait for him to make up his mind.

A cool breeze swept over them once more and a blue-ish white fox appeared floating beside Henry. "Hello! I am Naali!"

Elka's eyes lit up. She pulled her hand away from Henry's to reach up and touch her. "Naali-"

"Idiot!" There was a sharp current in the air and a moment later, a wolf taller than Henry appeared and nipped at Naali's bushy tail. "Master didn't say you could come out!"

"You're out, too!" Naali immediately snapped back.

Henry sighed. He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Just introduce yourself and go back."

Naali lifted her pointing chin, her little pointed ears twitching. "I am Naali and I am the baby of Master's spirit beasts. He met me in the middle of a snow storm in the ice country. Because of me, they were able to find Miss Effie!"

Elka's eyes were full of admiration, and from the way her hands were twitching, she was desperately trying to restrain herself from touching the ice spirit. Henry understood; Naali was cool to the touch, but she was fluffy.

"I am Raiju, a lightning spirit beast. I am master's first contracted spirit beast," Raiju said in a low voice. "Master challenged my lightning and thunder storm when he was just a child."

"Ash was scared of thunder and lightning when he was a toddler," Henry told her. "He'd cry and hide."

"Aww...." Elka's face softened. "That's almost hard to believe considering how he is now."

Henry looked at the two spirit beasts and lifted a hand. "All right. Stay on guard. Is there anyone else nearby?"

"No, Master. Not within twenty-five paces, and everyone is across the river," Raiju replied. Henry nodded.

"If someone comes closer, tell me. Naali, set up a temporary ice wall behind us."

"Yes, Master!" The little fox seemed to jump and do a back flip, only to disappear with another cold breeze.

Raiju jumped and disappeared as soon as his feet left the ground.

"I've seen spirit beasts before, and these two are quite powerful," Elka said, impressed. "And you contracted with Raiju when you were a child?"

"He said he was impressed by my defiance," Henry shrugged. "I wasn't doing it for the sake of defiance. I just wanted it to stop because it was upsetting Ash."

Though it was both cute and hilarious to watch the chubby toddler try to bury his head under a pillow with his butt in the air, seeing his swollen eyes, tear-streaked face, and then watching him cry himself to sleep drove Henry to release his frustrations at the sky. Who knew that the sky would listen?

"You're a good brother," Elka said.

Henry pursed his lips and forced a smile. "I only have one left." He released a low breath and took a seat on some flat rocks along the river bank. The water was shallow and he took off his boots and socks, placing them to the side before rolling up his pant legs to his calves. He put his feet in the water. He motioned to the slabs of stone beside him. "Join me."

Elka crouched down and also peeled off her boots and socks. She also rolled her pant legs up before she sat down on the slab of stone and dipped her feet into the water.

She immediately let out a hiss. "It's cold!"

Henry let out a laugh and smiled. "But it does feel a bit nice after walking for so long." Who liked hot, sweaty feet, after all?

Elka continued to grimace as she slowly lowered both her feet into the cool water until it reached her ankles. She shot him a dull look. "You were riding a horse the whole time."

He laughed again. "You know what I mean."

Beside him, Elka smiled as well. Henry reached into his bag and took out a silence slip. He activated it and placed it behind him. The magic energy was released and the sound of the rushing river in front of them became much quieter.

"So," he began, staring out at the river. "Are you really just admiring my good looks and charm?"

Elka let out a small snort and rolled her eyes. "You never were shy about your appearance."

"Well, when you hear it pointed out so often, you tend to believe it."

She turned to look at him and seemed to stare at him for a bit. Henry pretended he didn't notice and gave her time to answer. Finally, Elka inhaled and exhaled slowly. "When I was getting water earlier, an old woman told me I should speak court formal Ashtari."

Henry's brows knit together as he looked back at her. "Why? No one uses it here. Granted, it's taught formally in schools...." At least it was when he left. "But it's not used amongst the common people."

Elka turned her face back to the river. "She says that one day, I'll become Empress...." She trailed off and looked back at him. "So, I'll need to use it."

If he wasn't sure she at least suspected it before, he was sure now. Henry tried to keep a neutral face under Elka's scrutinizing eyes. It was as if she were searching his face to see any sign of confirmation or denial. Henry could only swallow. "I see."

His lackluster response wasn't what she expected. Elka's shoulders dropped, and for a moment, she seemed to be at a loss. She lowered her head and frowned, only muttering his words in a soft, uncertain voice "I see...."

Henry pursed his lips for a moment. "Are you reluctant to?"

Elka's head shot up and looked at him, confused. "Reluctant to what?"

Henry took another deep breath and looked out towards the across. Across the river, he could still see the spots of fire light from the camp coming from between the trees.

"Do you remember what my aunt told you back in Soljek? About my father, my inheritance, and the expectations that I'll have placed on me?" he asked.

Beside him, Elka nodded. "She said it's dangerous. Your father and his son have a lot of wealth and power, so you, and Ash, would be seen as a threat. Of course, they'd guard against you, and that could mean preemptively striking before you even get close."

She understood it well. As expected of the daughter of a general.

Henry nodded his head. "My and Ash's father isn't just a noble." He faced Elka and gave her a helpless, exhausted smile. "He's the most powerful man in Ashtar."

He didn't need to mention the title. From her widening eyes to the way her lips tugged down, Elka knew.

He didn't speak. Instead, he sat in place, giving her time to look at him, as if she were studying him to try to validate what he just revealed to her. Her eyes seemed to settle not on his head, but just past it.

"The old woman on the riverbank believes that anyone in Ashtar with red hair and lapis blue eyes-"

"Must be part of the imperial family, yes." His eyes crinkled up, but the hopelessness in his eyes didn't wane. "Blood traits. They're physical features that are inherited. Typically, these are from ancient bloodlines."

Elka furrowed her brows and tilted her head to the side. "But Ash doesn't...is it because he's Lunapsar?"

"Lunapsar blood traits are the strongest in the world," Henry replied. "It will take a few generations to lose all their Lunapsar traits. Ash is only a quarter Lunapsar, but you wouldn't be able to tell just by looking at him. However, if he grows his hair out enough, it will start to become orange red at the bottom."

Elka took a sharp breath. "Then, when you go to Ashtar, it's not really to set up a Snake, Scarab, and Sons tea house, is it?"

The corner of his lip curled up as he shook his head. "No, we plan to set one up. Snake, Scarab, and Sons is not only where our family gets its wealth, but it's also a cover."

"A cover?"

Henry leaned forward. "How many merchant companies have a shipping fleet as large as Snake, Scarab, and Sons?"

Elka thought for a moment and shook her head. "Very few...definitely no individual company or family. Most large fleets are brought together by guilds or alliances."

"Right," Henry nodded. "And you must know about the caravan escorts and private guards."

She blinked and seemed to dismiss it. "With how large your caravans are, it's expected that there would be an escort branch large enough to protect it...." Her voice trailed off as she became uncertain. "It's...it's not just for escorts, is it?"

"The purpose of Snake, Scarab, and Sons was to earn money for my family and to build up a military force for the sole purpose of supporting me in regaining my birthright," Henry told her. "Our family's private guard is exceptionally trained and each ship can hold its own in a naval skirmish. At any point and time, we can arrange for them to enter Ashtar as the army to my faction."

Elka's eyes were fixed on the space between them, her mind lost in thought. "Your aunt...did she train them?" she asked. "She's an exceptional fighter."

"She and her people trained them," Henry explained. "I owe a lot to my aunt. It is not an exaggeration to say that without her, I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't be alive."

Elka frowned and drew her head back. "Because she built you an army? Oh!" Her brows shot up. "She was the one who helped you flee during the famine!" As soon as she said it, some confusion went across her face. "If you were a prince, why did you flee during the famine? Did it affect the capital?"

Henry shook his head. "We fled during the famine, but not directly because of it," he told her. "Auntie Nera was known as Ananeraka Heikaravian, the Winter Consort, and one of the Emperor's wives in the Court of Imperial Wives. Ash was born to her as the fourth prince."

"Heikaravian, like the general?"

"You've heard of him?"

"Military families recognize military families."

"The general is her father."

Elka's eyes were wide. "That explains her swordsmanship...." she whispered. She shook her head and reached over, putting her hand over Henry's forearm. "Wait, how are you and Ash alive? Even the nobles in Dareisol know that the Emperor of Ashtar lost all his sons except for his favorite."

He tried not to tense up, but it was difficult. His eyes began to redden as he thought of the reason, so he lowered his head to avoid her eyes.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"Of the four of us princes born to legitimate wives, two of us died. Or rather, were killed," Henry said before swallowing the lump in his throat. "My second brother, my real second brother, had his horse switched out during practice for a ceremonial event. He was thrown off the horse, broke his neck and leg...by the time we got to him, he was already dead in his mother, my late Auntie Kalysta's, arms."

Henry took a deep breath and slowly exhaled to steady himself. "I was eleven at the time. Arunsha was two years younger...his mother couldn't take his death, and followed. She knew it wasn't an accident. Arunsha was the grandson of a military family and was raised riding. He was the best equestrian of us.

"Then, not a few months after Shasha was entombed, our third brother, Laheran, was tricked into a building that collapsed on him. It was made to appear very realistic and accidental, but we all knew. Aides told him that he'd left books out in the old library, which had a leaky roof. Laheran was the scholar of us four brothers. He was so young, but so brilliant, Elka. His understanding of mathematics, of engineering, of theory...."

He went quiet and Elka's grip on his arm tightened. "Take your time."

Henry evened his breathing and continued. "The library collapsed with him in it. Auntie Nera managed to get him out, but he'd been stuck under the rubble for some time. Of us children, he was the scholar and wasn't as active, spending most of his time indoors. He wasn't as fit or had the same endurance as I, Arunsha, or even Varellian, our sister. He got sick, and our father, that Old Bastard, let him die."

The last few words were forced out behind gritted teeth, and Henry didn't realize the look of fury on his face.

Elka squeezed his arm and moved closer to him. "What do you mean he let him die?"

Henry closed his eyes. "Laheran wasn't getting any better. He thought he was sick, so he wouldn't allow us to visit, fearing it was contagious. Auntie Nera began to grow suspicious as to why the medicine wasn't working. It turns out, the medicine he was given only weakened him further. One night, he had a fever." Henry drew his lips inward, recalling the memory. "And he never woke up."

"Ash...Ash was the closest to Laheran. I've never seen him so broken. He wouldn't eat until Auntie Jasmin, Laheran's mother, convinced him to because it would make Laheran sad. If you've ever wondered why Ash is so focused on making magic products for the benefit of the people, and even prioritizing it over sales despite being from a merchant family, or focusing on theoretical work, it's because of Laheran. Ash is doing what Laheran wanted to do."

Elka's eyes had rimmed with tears. The tips of her ears began to droop as she blinked to try to keep from crying.

She forced a smile. "I have always wondered...he's always experimenting, and complaining about the Magic Tower. I thought he just didn't want to be like them."

"That's part of it," Henry admitted with a slight chuckle. He let out a heavy sigh. "When Laheran got sick, we realized the Old Bastard wanted all his other sons dead so the title of Crown Prince could go to his favorite son."

Elka looked at him with suspicion. "The original Crown Prince....?"

"You're looking at him," Henry said with a wry smile. "He wanted me dead. My mother sent Auntie Jasmine to the Widow's Tower along with the other aunts who had children to keep them out of sight. Daughters had long been overlooked for the throne in Ashtar, but that wasn't always the case. However, this time, that oversight saved Varellian and the twins."

"But what about you and Ash?" Elka asked.

Whether he realized it or not, Henry turned his left arm upside down to reveal the base of his wrist. He moved the fingers of his right hand over a specific spot, but there were no marks.

"Auntie Nera is a beast master," Henry said with eyes that had glazed over. "The best in the world. She helped fake my death by snake bite. After I was entombed, I lived in that tomb for a few weeks before Auntie came for me."

"Why did it take so long?"

He shrugged. "Because she had to fake her and Ash's deaths, too. Ash was four. He thought I had died and was devastated. Auntie Nera used it as an excuse to leave Ridua for a change of scenery, and took him to an imperial hunting lodge. They had many guards with them, so she had to be careful. She arranged a beast tide. Ash fell off the ramparts and was swept away. Auntie jumped in after him. They were lost and presumed dead."

Elka nodded, looking at him, but seemingly imagining the scene in her head. "Then she came back for you." He nodded. "And then you fled with the famine refugees?"

Henry nodded again. "The resettlement site where we're going was founded by my aunt. She directed famine refugees with nowhere else to go to cross the border and go there. They were arranged by charities of the West Wind Abbey and the Lunapsar settlement in West Wind Valley."

"Is that why you have so much say in bringing all these people there?" Elka motioned across the river. There were a thousand or so people who needed to be resettled. For a single place to take them without question was unheard of.

"The Atractas name goes a long way in many places."

Elka nodded her head. She sat up straight and held his gaze. "Then, you must take me with you to Ashtar."

Henry gave her another helpless smile. "Elka, haven't we been over this? It's too dangerous. And I don't want to get you involved in a battle for the throne." They only have a vague idea of what was happening inside Ashtar. It would take time for them to get a better idea, then plan and execute said plan. Aside from danger, that was time he'd take away from her.

"I'm not getting involved in the battle for the throne," Elka said dismissively before leaning against him. "I'm supporting my future husband."

She dared to raise her eyes to meet him. Henry found himself relieved that his feet were in cold water and keeping him cool as his face heated up.

Elka was the one who pursued him first and, considering his situation, he had restrained himself. But it still led to this moment, and he did not hate it.

He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers. Elka closed her eyes and leaned upwards, prolonging the kiss until he pulled back. Henry put his forehead against hers, knowing she didn't want to part yet.

"You never answered my question," he said, slightly out of breath. "Would you be reluctant to be an empress?"

Elka let out a low hum of thought. He could feel her exhaling against his skin.

"I can't promise that I'd be a good one, but I can learn," she said. It was a sincere answer promising more than just a confirmation. "I have good leadership abilities. I come from a noble family, so I'm not lacking in traditional court manners, though I'm sure I'd have to adjust to Ashtar. I'm also learning Ashtari pretty fast, and I've been reading up on Ashtar history and culture. Nothing beats practical experience, so I'll travel around the country to get a better idea. I can also fight, so you don't have to worry about me being helpless without you around."

With each word she said, Henry's lips pulled into a bigger smile. He closed his eyes and rubbed his head against hers. "I feel as if I don't deserve you." He was asking for a lot, and he knew it. If he had to, he would've done his best so she wouldn't have to work so hard as his wife, but Elka was more than willing to shoulder expectations and responsibilities as a partner.

"Henry, even if you weren't a prince, you're still the scion of Snake, Scarab, and Sons," Elka said, pulling her head back and giving him a look as if saying she knew he was fishing for compliments. It only made him smile more. "You're also the best swordsman in Carthage Harbor. Not to mention you're gorgeous."

His smile couldn't be subdued now. "I'm also troublesome."

Elka lifted her chin, meeting his eyes with pride and a hint of defiance. "Well, it's good for you that I've never been afraid of trouble."

He cupped the side of her face. "That's good, because if you come with me, you will definitely find it."

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"Oh, I haven't had enough time with this face." Princess Anhya's painful expression filled her face as her hands molded the soft, tender, and comfortably cool cheeks of a snow elf Lunapsar.

Effie scrunched her face as her head was tilted up. "Sistah, I haab to oo."

"Nooo...." Anhya squeezed Effie's face once more before gathering her in her arms. "I'm going to miss you." She rubbed the top of Effie's head with her face, ignoring the soft puffs of hair.

"Sister, stop!" Effie tried to pull away. "You're going to squish my puffs!"

Several paces from where they stood by the carriage, Nera watched them and sighed. She looked at the messenger hawk on her arm. "Go!"

Donut flapped his wings and set off to deliver another message. "Are you sure you don't want an additional escort after Suna?" Empress Yayae stood across from Nera. She wasn't wearing her formal golden robes, but her clothes were still several layers of intricately embroidered silk.

Nera shook her head. "No, the escort to the border is more than enough. After that, we want to look as unassuming as possible."

Empress Yayae nodded her head. "How long do you think you'll be in Ashtar?"

Nera narrowed her eyes a bit and thought. "Give us a year. If you don't hear from me in a year, you can begin to put pressure on the shared borders to further weaken Ashtar. I've already communicated with Dareisol about securing the mining areas and preventing any Ashtari convoys representing the Emperor or his son from gaining a foothold in those regions."

The Empress opened her mouth to reply when her husband rushed towards them. "An urgent message from the border." He wiped the sweat off his brow as he handed the Empress a tightly wound message. It looked as if a messenger bird had sent it.

Empress Yayae had no problem opening it in front of Nera. Her eyes scanned the document, narrowing as she went through.

"It looks like Ashtar is worried." She lifted up the paper and gave Nera a knowing look. "They wish to meet with an envoy to discuss preventing possible aggression."

Nera raised a brow. "That only means they're going to try to consolidate their forces to prevent Dareisol and Suna from advancing into their territory. They're trying to stall."

"Time is what you need right now," Empress Yayae told her. "We'll try to delay to keep them occupied while you prepare."

"We appreciate it."

"Will their consolidation of forces affect the territory that is scheduled to return to the Lunapsar?"

Nera shook her head. "They couldn't break through the blockade. They were of no help to the princes and kings who've refused to return the territory," she replied. "But if they order their soldiers who are hindering the trade routes to return, this will free up our escort guard to realign themselves."

The Empress nodded with understanding. "You have been planning this for some time. I know you likely won't need our help, but it is there if things suddenly spiral out of control. Your time line is rather tight. You still have your own kingdom to deal with . Will Henry be all right with you leaving to focus on it?"

Nera smiled and touched the top of the Empress' head affectionately. "If he can't handle the responsibility of the throne after all his work and all our preparation, then perhaps he was not meant to be Emperor."

The Empress' eyes moistened. "You told me the same thing when I graduated from the academy."

"I did," Nera replied. "And look how well you've done as Empress of Suna."

The Empress nodded and lowered her head as she blinked to keep back the unimperial-like tears. "I won't be too lax this time. Just because things are going well doesn't mean that there isn't a danger. It just hides itself better."

"I'm glad you've learned," Nera replied. She pulled her hand away and took a step back. "When it's time, send Anhya to her godbrother's coronation."

Empress Yayae nodded and stood up straight. Beside her, the Emperor Consort lowered his head and bowed to Nera.

"Save travels and successful mission, Your Majesty."

Nera gave him a solemn nod. She turned around and stepped into the carriage, where Ash was already seated with Effie, who was fixing her hair after being cuddled. In the wide-open area in between the seats, Commodore the family pet was curled up, already sleeping.

The door closed and Nera looked out the window. She knew that beneath the Empress' sleeves, her hands were curled into fists to force herself to keep standing straight. As the Empress and in public, she could not bow to another, even if Nera was her senior.

The carriage jerked forward and Nera leaned back against her seat.

"Momma, I've prepared the standard items we need to export into Ashtar for the teahouse," Ash told her. "I will have them placed on standby at the western border."

"Good. Wait until we cross Ashtar and observe their trade routes. If they're kept up well enough and are safe to travel through, we won't need too much of an escort. However, any escorts should be rank one or two, at the least. General Rai will be undercover and go with them."

Ash nodded and began to review the most recent maps they could get of Ashtar. With the aid of some Elders, Nera had been able to piece together information on the major roads going through Ashtar.

As expected, many smaller and rural roads had gone into disrepair. A few had been washed out in sections by floods. In general, except for the main road cutting through the empire, most others had not been maintained well, resulting in their deterioration and decreased traffic.

"It's as if they hate infrastructure," Ash muttered with a shake of his head. "What's the point of having a ruler if they can't rule their land properly? Bridges have collapsed, swaths of land have been abandoned...and all those people in the countryside have flocked to cities, which don't even have well-maintained roads to connect them."

"There are roads leading out of Ridua that have been maintained likely because it's the capital," Nera sighed. "The Emperor hasn't left the capital in years. He doesn't know the state of the empire."

"I'd hardly call it an empire at this point."

A high squawk came from outside. The windows were open to allow in the air as they rode through the city to get to the main road. Effie, who had sprawled out on the carriage bench and put her feet on her brother's lap, perked her head up.

"That sounds like Waffles!" She kicked her feet up to help her roll into a sitting position, hitting Ash in the gut. He let out a grunt before giving her a glare.

"Watch it."

"I took off my shoes," Effie brushed off his concerns and scooted to the window. She looked up. "Waffles!"

"I didn't expect Waffles to return so soon," Nera said as she peered out the window. She saw the figure of a bird circling overhead as they descended. Nera stuck out her arm and waited until Waffles landed on her covered sleep.

"Welcome back, Waffles!" Effie cheerfully greeted the bird before digging out some meat from her bag to feed him. A low growl came from the fluffy lump in the center of the carriage. Effie rolled her eyes. "Commodore, we've been over this. There is meat for you and meat for the messenger hawks." Commodore snorted and Effie frowned. "This is meat for the hawks! Look at how small and thin it is!" She waved a flat, palm-sized paper package.

Commodore seemed to eye the package and then snorted once more before lowering his head and going back to sleep.

"You act as if she'll run out of meat to give you," Ash said, gently poking at the side of Commodore's shoulder with his foot. "And even if she did, you know how to hunt." Commodore pretended he didn't hear him. "Lazy."

Nera placed Waffles on the window sill before removing the message canister on his leg. The distance between them and Henry had shortened, so it only took Waffles a week to get to them. The shorter the distance, the faster the message could be passed on.

Nera unraveled the paper, her expression unchanging.

Ash looked across from the other side of the carriage. "What does Brother say?"

"He told Elka everything."

Ash nodded. "It's about time."

"And now Elka wants to come to Ashtar with us."

"Ah, I knew there was a catch...."

"It's not a catch," Nera said as she leaned back against her seat and re-read the message. "On one hand, it would be good for Elka to see and experience what your brother will go through in person. On the other hand, it can be dangerous, and it's likely that Talam only prepared enough paperwork for us and our guards."

"So, there's a chance she won't be able to come with us at all due to paperwork," Ash replied. Nera nodded.

"But we should be prepared for the possibility that she can. In that case, she'll enter as a citizen of the Federation of Merchant Cities. Dareisol is in a cold war of sorts right now with Ashtar, so she can't use her Dareisol citizenship."

"It'll be a good cover because then she will be part of our party of merchants!" Effie said. Waffles had hopped off the window sill and nestled in Effie's lap, enjoying being stroked after a long journey. "It makes sense. She can be one of our regional managers."

"That's true." Ash looked at Nera. "Having additional 'staff' feels more legitimate, doesn't it?"

"Elka's Federation citizenship has her surname as her mother's, so they won't be able to connect her surname to a Dareisol noble family," Nera agreed. "Well, that's a good cover. Effie, you'll need to fill her in on the basic tasks of a regional manager in order to play the part."

Effie gave her mother a small salute. "Affirmative, Momma!"

"Also, we'll need to keep their engagement secret for the time being. In case Henry is targeted, there will be less eyes on Elka."

"Technically, Brother hasn't given her a proper proposal," Ash pointed out, sounding somewhat unimpressed. "It's good they agree to be married, but in the eyes of most people, they're just in a very serious relationship that they'd been hiding and suppressing for a while."

"Tch," Effie let out a small click of her tongue. She rolled her eyes and looked out the window. "Well, that sounds familiar."

Ash narrowed his eyes at his sister. "What are you talking about, Effie?"

Effie waved a small, chubby hand in front of her lazily. "You haven't exactly been forthcoming with your relationship with Hana."

"Where did you learn that word?"

"Relationship?"

"Forthcoming."

"I read." Effie returned her brother's incredulous glare with one of her own.

"First of all, Hana and I are still teenagers and we have jobs we're focused on," Ash told her, lifting a finger. He raised another one. "Second, there isn't a need to rush things. We're already partners on many things. Moonflower, our Exhibition exhibit, and things like that."

"Hana is very cute, friendly, and creative," Effie retorted. "She won't have a shortage of admirers!"

Ash lifted a hand to his chest. "Neither do I!"

Both Effie and Nera squinted their eyes at him, judging in silence. "My son...no."

Ash sighed. "Hana and I have more important things to deal with than romance. Moonflower has signed contracts with several cities and Dareisol to update their shipping ports to make them more efficient to load and unload, and on to a train system. While that's going on, we have all the other products to work on." He shook his head and leaned back. "It's almost overwhelming."

"You're thinking about all of that and we haven't even gone to Ashtar yet," Effie told him. "I'd think you'd be more worried about your bad dad and the evil prince."

"Effie, who taught you to call them that?" Nera asked with a tilt of her head and a slight frown.

"I got the basic idea," Effie replied, lowering her head. She let out a tired sigh. "Okay, Momma, I won't call them that anymore."

"No, it has nothing to do with that. You're quite right to call them bad and evil," Nera said. "Just make sure not to call them that when we're in Ashtar. They have a lot of control over Ridua, so the walls will have ears."

Effie scrunched her face. "Then what am I supposed to call them? Glorious leader? There's nothing glorious about them!"

Ash snickered. "Just call them the Emperor and Crown Prince."

"But Brother is the Crown Prince! The real one!" Effie pouted and crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't want to call a fake by my brother's title."

"Then, the Emperor and his heir," Ash said. Effie continued to make a face, but nodded.

"Effie, Ash, when we're traveling in Ashtar, we need to get as much information from Talam as possible to get a better idea of the situation and what we'll face," Nera told them. "When we enter, be sure to watch your words. Until your brother rebels, we are just merchants."

Effie nodded, determined. "Yes, just merchants...doing merchant things."

"Momma, how long do we wait until Brother starts?" Ash asked.

"Let's take time to assess the situation in Ridua and build our base, first. It will also give us time to build connections with some of the noble families that are unfavored under the guise of promoting Snake, Scarab, and Sons," Nera told them. She looked out the window. "By the end of the year, during the new year celebration, the High Temple will be opened. We should use that time to try to find a way to check if the Old Bastard's favorite son is really his son. The previous ceremony only established that he's closely related."

Ash leaned forward and narrowed his eyes. "Momma, do you suspect that Eskander isn't the Old Bastard's son?"

"There is a strong possibility," Nera replied. "It was strange that the Emperor refused a direct lineage ceremony for so long, until it was no longer a viable option. In addition, his son lied about being the last Lunapsar royal. Who is to say that he isn't lying about being the son of the Ashtari Emperor?"

Ash's brows shot up. "If it wasn't...the Old Bastard...heh...." Ash shook his head and gave a cold smile. "I would love to see his face when he finds out."

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