I thought of a plan while in the bath. It didn't make sense to remain here perpetually. I was an Hakorhi, no matter what. And I had a sect to manage.
The bath house was as big as Iria's camp back at the Rashar Plains. The bathtub was like a mini pool, deep enough for me to stand in it, the water reaching my neck. It was very nice, but I was distracted.
***
That evening, my cousins returned, namely Ellie, Karn, Mo' Sen and Neida. I asked where the twins Dria and Sena were. They had stayed away. I was sure they didn't want to spend time around Nildan Laoren, who hovered above us like an hawk, making sure the children did not do or say anything disrespectful.
"Elder cousin," Ellie slunk up to me and whispered in my ear, "order Nildan Laoren to leave!"
Could I?
"Everyone, leave us," I tried my best to use a commanding tone. I don't think I'd ever issued a command in my life.
To my surprise, they all bowed and left. Nildan waited a second longer to inform:
"We will be just outside if Her Highness needs anything,"
Then he left.
The children sighed in relief. Mo' Sen hopped onto my lap.
"Elder cousin, tell us about your brother!" He chortled, "will he come? Will he come and play with Mo' Sen?" It was cute when he called himself by his name.
I laughed.
"Rudolph is not a kid. He's older than you,"
Neida had other things on her mind, though.
"Elder cousin, you're leading our troops to the Rebellion Army's aid, right?"
I almost applauded her. That was it! The easy and quiet method to leave!
'Smart girl!' I clapped in my mind. "Of course I am," I replied with a natural face.
"Can you take me along?? Don't worry, elder cousin, I know how to fight!"
I almost laughed.
"You've probably only dueled palace guards who were going easy on you, right?"
She frowned.
"No! I followed my father to the battlefront when I was twelve! Last year! I fought beside him!"
Her father, my youngest aunt's husband, was Elvin Kushad, the Commander of the Imperial Army. Nildan Laoren had told me.
"Father will be following you, so let me come as well," she said tearfully.
"Only if your father says it's fine," I replied. She jumped to her feet.
"Thanks, elder cousin!" And ran outside.
Ellie shook her head.
"She's gets crazy whenever there's a battle,"
"I don't like elder younger cousin sister Neida!" Mo' Sen put in with a pout.
Elder younger cousin sister??? What the heck was that?
"Why do you call her elder younger cousin sister?" I asked him.
Karn answered for him.
"According to the genealogy, Mo' Sen is older, cousin sister Neida is only elder in age. Therefore--"
"--elder younger cousin sister!" Mo' Sen yelled as Neida sprinted back into the room, Nildan Laoren in tow.
"Your Highness," he said, "is it true you summoned your subordinate Elvin Kushad?"
It took me half a second to understand the scheming of the girl.
"Yes," I answered at once, "I did,"
Neida looked at me with a 'elder cousin is so smart!' kind of look.
Nildan Laoren bowed and left.
"Ask my father if it's all right," Neida said. I told her I'd understood her meaning. Then she turned to Karn.
"Don't you want to go to the battlefield too?"
He looked at his sister; Aunt Royan's tiny reincarnation.
She in turn looked at me.
I did not think it would make sense to cart the entire seed royal to the warfront, so I shook my head.
Mo' Sen, if the others just accepted it, spoke up, contrary.
"Why can't elder brother go if elder younger cousin sister can go??" He pouted.
"Mo' Sen, shut up!" Karn warned, "or I'll report to mother!"
Mo' Sen harrumphed.
"If elder younger cousin is going, brother Karn is going too! If brother Karn is not going, elder younger cousin is not going too!"
He had a precise way of expressing himself.
"Mo' Sen," I tried to explain, "it's not as if we're going there to eat sweets--"
"I know! You're going to fight! And brother Karn is a better fighter than Neida!" He threw away the elder younger cousin sister title at this point.
"I know what!" Ellie jumped up, "Elder cousin Nei, let my brother and younger cousin sister Neida spar. Whoever wins follows you to the Rashar Plains!"
Why were these children bent on getting me caught between them?
But before I could even open my mouth, Neida jumped up as well.
"I agree! Let's spar!"
Only Karn seemed to be the sensible one, as he shook his head.
"I'm not sparring with my younger cousin sister. Sit down, both of you,"
"Heh heh!" Neida laughed, "elder cousin brother is scared!"
Karn shot her a 'stop spouting nonsense and sit down' look.
Nildan Laoren came in at this point.
"Your subordinate Elvin Kushad has arrived,"
"Let him in,"
For some weird reason, the children all arranged themselves properly. Mo' Sen hopped off my lap. Ellie ran to sit by her brother. Karn sat up straight as if a cork behind his neck had been pulled. Neida stood at attention by the side.
I watched them with surprise. Don't tell me Elvin Kushad was so intimidating even Mo' Sen had to check himself?
I needn't have asked. I knew the moment the man entered.
He had none of Nildan Laoren's forced subservience. He didn't have Aunt Royan's stern but gentle outlook. Dan Kushad's silent approval was not present on his face. Savitria's sweet smiling eyes which knew all your secrets were absent as well.
If 'discipline' was a person, the person was Elvin Kushad!
He bowed.
"This subordinate greets Imperial Princess,"
I gasped. That voice!
I may not have recognized him at once because he was twenty years younger in the mind image, but I am a person who perfectly remembers sounds!
He looked up at me, eyebrows raised.
"You--" then I remembered that my cousins were around me, "nothing," I said quickly, "I'll be leading the Canolitan troops to aid the Rebellion Army at the Rashar Plains--"
"Your Highness is not," he replied at once. I frowned. Could he at least let me finish speaking??
"Yes I am," if he thought he could intimidate me, then that was stupid, "what I called you here was to inform you that Neida is coming with me,"
He looked at his daughter with those stern eyes.
She made herself scarce.
"She cannot accompany you,"
Nildan Laoren, who was in the room, snapped.
"I thought I heard wrongly the first time, but you actually dare to defy the Imperial Princess the second time!"
He lowered his head.
"This surbodinate spoke without thinking. Her Highness please grant me mercy,"
It was said so dourly I was sure he meant otherwise.
Punish me if you can.
"If that is all, this surbodinate shall take his leave,"
"Wait!" I called. He looked at me.
"Yes, Your Highness?"
When could I meet him alone?
"There is still something I want to discuss. Return later,"
His eyes locked on mine.
Then he looked away.
"As Your Highness as commanded, so will this surbodinate do,"
With an upturned nose, Nildan Laoren escorted him out.
"We're still having our spar," Neida waved a finger at Karn, who rolled his eyes. Mo' Sen hopped back onto my lap, sniffing.
"Uuuu, I don't like Uncle Elvin!"
"You don't like everyone," Ellie teased.
"No! I like father, mother, elder brother and elder sister! And elder cousin too!" He sabotaged me and planted another kiss on my neck, "Mo' Sen luuurves elder cousin best!"
I almost cried. Mo' Sen, you're a darling, but aren't you a bit too trusty? You haven't known me for a full day!