Verinia was unaware of what was going through the man's mind. She inquired after the cook, but seeing that he was lost in thought, she decided not to disturb him.
Grand Matron Lora had finished closing the arm wound and was cleaning it when she returned with the poultice and the orid spit. Verinia replaced her handskins with new ones and began applying the orid spit to the man's arm, smoothing the poultice over it last before bandaging.
Finally, having spent three measures attending to various wounds and ailments of different degrees, a sense of hunger began to manifest itself.
"Have you considered pursuing the path of extended medicine?" The Grand Matron asked as they left the medical tent for lunch.
"I've even considered taking the cloak." Verinia removed her apron and folded it neatly. "But marriage is, unfortunately, a looming threat that dawns closer as I age, so I am unable to join the Order."
She was not ashamed to admit that in one or two more turns, she would be unsuitable for marriage. As it was, at eighteen, she was standing dangerously on the edge of that abyss already.
"Of course. But if you do decide to join us, know that you will be welcome under my tutelage. You have a bright mind and it would be a shame to not use it."
Verinia was of the same mindset. Marriage was her solemn duty as a princess, but once her will was tied to the whims and scruples of a man, she would simply waste away in his shadow.
The two women came to the serving table where cooks and helpers alike were giving the hungry people their afternoon meal. Verinia smiled at Halen, who stood in an apron too big for his frame beside a boy of similar age, both holding serving utensils to feed the people and making lively conversation.
He grinned back at her and place a serving of fragrant rice onto her plate.
Glimmering blue eyes looked at her fixedly from somewhere in the room and Verinia tried to ignore the strange man with all her might. His gaze demanded her attention. She would not give it.
With the conversation of the Grand Matron, the First Princess felt at ease with the missionaries. Unfortunately, she knew that they expected no less of her than anyone would expect from a sovereign member of the court. This was a burden she would be forced to carry until she died.
Upon their return to the palace, Halen took on the great task of providing his sisters with the information he had learned during the day. In a most solemn tone, he announced, "Two percent of Zanza suffers from hunger. In a city of four million inhabitants, this is deplorable."
"The old Sovereigns have overlooked the poor," Princess Dresderia said sadly. "This country should not know poverty."
"Perhaps when you take the throne, Halen, you may provide changes to aid the people," Verinia suggested.
"Certainly not." The boy frowned in deep discontent. "I hold power, as the throne's shadow, to enact edicts of my own without the Sovereign's say if voted fairly by the Council of Eight."
Verinia's smile contained an infinity of secrets. "Indeed? How novel."
"I didn't know that." Syvia's wide eyes became even wider with wonder. "Will you do it, Halen?"
"I'll speak to the First Minister at once," Halen said decidedly. "This issue cannot be allowed to go on. And how do you suppose the other states are faring if this is how our prosperous capital is?"
"Those are the questions of a true leader. A Sovereign is nothing without the love of his subjects." Verinia pat his head tenderly. "We live to serve. Show that you are for them and they will follow you even to the hells."
Their carriage drew to a halt and Sur Ka'iser opened to door to extend a hand to his mistress, who carefully took it as she descended from the vehicle.
Fahn, the greater sun, sat low in the sky, near entirely eaten by the horizon. The orb of flame cast its magnificent red glow onto the polished surface of Light Tower. On the very tip of the pinnacle, the Fallen Tear of Light Tower looked redder than blood as it absorbed the last of the day's light.
As she neared the doors of the main hall, bringing her eyes away from the Tear, a terrible foreboding filled her that the stone would shine again.
She willed the thought away and carried on into the palace.
All the air was knocked out of her lungs when she found herself in a tight embrace. Instinct had her palm flying out to strike her attacker when the scent of flowers and wild rain depicted a presence she knew very well.
"Faeris!" She returned her younger sister's embrace, only to be crushed again as Halen and Syvia included themselves. Dresderia stood to the side, watching the scene with a timid smile.
"Ease up, children, ease up." Faeris released her hold and stepped back with a broad grin.
Syvia immediately screamed until the walls of the palace trembled with the echo of her shrill voice. Halen calmly placed his hand over her mouth to quiet the sound, but the whites of her eyes grew more and more visible with every second.
Even the Sixth Princess was in complete shock.
Verinia's own face matched that of her young sisters. She was convinced that she was about to faint. She was too young to become a grandmother!
"How long?"
The Second Princess patted her protruding belly fondly. "Six months."
Syvia screamed again, and not even Halen's hand could stifle it. From the depths of the halls of Light Tower, or maybe even from thin air, the smiling face of the handsome heir to House Kolva appeared.
"Su'Adrit." He bowed his body to Verinia. "Adriit. Su'Darath. It's good to see you again."
"And you as well, Su'ira." The First Princess smiled. "Congratulations are in order."
The young man's face shone with pure joy as he placed a gentle hand on his wife's back. Faeris was trying to ignore Syvia, who was pestering her for names all the while Halen tugged at the strands of her long hair to try and make her shut up.
"Leave her be, Syv!" He dragged her along into the palace with Dresderia. "Aletha Crem made almond rum puddings. You can stuff your fat face with those instead of hounding Faeris."
"Shut up, Halen!" Syvia hit the back of his head before turning toward the kitchen. The young prince wailed in pain and ran after her with a new round of taunting, while the Sixth Princess ran after them to be the peace keeper.
Their voices faded shortly before a new wail of pain from the boy shrieked through the halls toward them.
Faeris sighed. "I missed home."
"How long will you be here?" Verinia asked, looking between the young couple. "Long enough to celebrate your cycle day, I hope, Fae?"
Su'ira Kolva's smile broadened and two deep indents appeared on his cheeks. "We will be staying until this suns-turn's trade season with our allies in Kassine ends."
"Su'na Kolva requested Marlen's presence to ready him for inheritance," Faeris explained.
"Wonderful." Verinia held her sister's hands. "There is so much to tell you. Come with me, we'll speak before supper."
The three of them went and took residence in the Hall of Irradiance, where Verinia proceeded to tell them about the palace's most important developments, which coincided with their most recent ones.
She spared certain details, of course, like the ones that would definitely earn her a severe punishment or maybe even a private execution.
For the most part, Faeris remained unmoved by her revelations. The Second Princess expressed her suspicion that Viola could be setting her sights onto their father and given their past affair, deemed it an obvious result for the Sovereign to entertain the woman.
Verinia hadn't given the issue much thought. Her mind's efforts had been placed onto the bastard son and what he would become once he was recognised before the eyes of the world. For that to happen, the Su'Datheram had to induct his mother into the harem, and maybe even marry her so that she would have the title of Benevolent Consort.
There were plenty of women with that title in the harem, but Viola was different in that she had history with the Su'Datheram before she even became part of his harem. Such a thing was unheard of if not impossible.
The Sovereign could have whomever he wished, but there were rules to follow. He had already broken them with Viola.
If she didn't enter the Hall of Wonders and instead became a Benevolent Consort, Verinia's life would be difficult to say the least.
"Viola isn't of much worry to me for now," she remarked gently, allowing her gaze to drift to the windows. The greater sun had set and the last of the day's light lingered in the sky. "She is new to court life and still learning our ways. Beyond that, she seems perfectly agreeable."
Faeris eyed her sceptically. "I've always trusted your judgement, Ina, but I do wonder."
"I must agree with my wife." Su'ira Kolva's face was grim. "She may present more troubles than what the court may take graciously. Su'ni Grandpire is, after all, an unconventional lover of the Sovereign's."
Verinia merely smiled. "Only time may tell."