"So I've heard that some people," Dai looked pointedly at his father, "are unsatisfied with the peace-treaties."
Prince Dai was a short man with a round face and piercing beady eyes. He had inherited his father's chestnut brown hair and hooked nose, although his nose was not as broken as his fathers', nor was his hair leaving him. He believed the invitation to somehow be his father's work.
"Who said that?" Suffle said making a scandalous face.
Sophie tried her best not to laugh. She was seeing Dai after many months, she was in the mountains after many months, and she was not supposed to be in the meeting. It was a meeting of the starlite royal committee. Nobody had any objections to her being there yet and she did not want to compromise her situation.
Dai gave his father a stern look and continued, "I think people are getting bored with peace."
"Bored!" one of the ministers exclaimed mimicking the king's jest. "I think we all have plenty of work to do."
Dai clenched his fists. Sophie wondered if he was planning to fire the minister as soon as he the crown touched his head.
"Our swords are getting rusty though," a female minister said.
"You need to get better swords then," Dai said with gritted teeth.
"Why?" she shrugged, "What's the use?"
Sophie was astonished that smoke hadn't started to come out of Dai's ears.
"That's a good question," Suffle said, "and I'm happy to announce that I have the answer in my hands."
He opened the scroll and read it out aloud. A murmur ran through the crowd.
"Inter-country tournament?!" some questioned, some exclaimed.
"Yes," Dai said, "that's the idea. A competition between Peshtim and Mid—"
"Princess Sia has the most brilliant ideas," somebody said and the crowd cheered. The invitation may have come from the Peshtim king, but Sia was behind it. Everybody knew it.
Dai's jaw tightened. He secretly touched his sapphire ring imagining the day he would exchange it for a crown.
"I have a preposition," Mishty said. With her starberry blue eyes and lips red enough to match Dai's complexion at the moment, Princess Mishtania was a beauty. Her perfect figure and sun-coloured hair were enough to make someone mistake her for a nymph.
"Let me guess." Dai rolled his eyes. "You want to include your family too."
"Well yes," she said defiantly and looked at her father in law for an answer.
"Sometimes I wonder," he muttered, "if I'm surrounded by war maniacs." It was said for the benefit of Sophie and Mishty, who were the only ones close enough to hear.
"It's a sport," Sophie argued. This earned her an approving smile from the Esite princess.
"I suppose that it would be better," Suffle answered the plea, oblivious to the chatter. "I'll arrange a tri-council today." He looked at Mishty, "You should prepare for travel to Esite."
Mishty nodded and the meeting was adjourned.
"Why do you need to go? Send a messenger," Dai whispered to her.
"Are you going to miss me that much?" Mishty cooed. Dai didn't answer her. She hadn't said anything to him, but he knew that she hated her maiden home. It didn't take a genius to figure out it had something to do with her mother's death.
While Dai was reflecting on the fact that he wouldn't have taken up on the Esite king's offer to stay there after the wedding if he had known Mishty's true feelings, Sophie was busy wondering if Sia was contacted by Neal or if it was just a coincidence.
At the tri council meeting, Suffle was surprised to know that he wasn't the only one to get an invite.
"We figured you'll get one too," Queen Rowan said.
"So it's for everyone?" Suffle said.
"Obviously."
"We were thinking we should invite the Esites too. Mishty is keen on the idea."
Rowan said, "We cannot invite guests where we are guests ourselves."
Natasha supplied, "Midoc is better equipped to host such an event. Then we can gladly invite both our neighbours."
Suffle looked at Natasha. "If the empress could write a letter or two regarding the change of plans," he said, "one for Peshtim and one for Esite."
"Of course."
"We should start with the preparations. We will need to pluck out our best people and get them ready," Rowan said.
"I'll tell Neal to start making arrangements for the arenas," the empress said.
"You girls are running away with your plans," Suffle said. "Don't you think we should wait for the others to agree to our plans."
"Don't you see?" Natasha smiled. "This was their plan all along," she said. "To have the events here."
"Sia could not have written- 'Father, we are coming there for an extravagant event.' Could she?" Rowan asked.
Suffle laughed. "Then she won't be surprised by my visit, or my message."
"I bet she is buying travelling cloaks right now."
"I'm glad Sia had this idea," Suffle said flashing an ear to ear grin, "It's going to be delightful."
"You are a king," the queen said. "Maybe someday try behaving like one."
"Dai performs that duty very well. He already behaves like a king."
"And he gets mocked for it because you have never for a single moment behaved in the right manner."
Suffle ignored her. "I'll go ask the smiths to make some trophies. How much reward money do you reckon would be right?"
"Give my compliments to the king and the queen," Rowan said indicating that the meeting was over.
"I'll tell Mishty to do the same," Suffle replied without losing his childish grin.
"Wait a minute," Natasha said, "There is one more thing I want to discuss."
Both pair of eyes went to her face. She said, "I think Neal is up to something."
Suffle chuckled. "When is he not?"
"He is always doing something crazy or other. I can't even put a trail on him," Natasha said, pinching her forehead.
"That will only compromise him," Rowan agreed.
"This time it is more than midnight strolls and going underground for a few days. He is planning something big."
"How do you know?" Rowan asked. Concern clouded both their faces.
"I'm his mother. I can read his face like a book," Natasha replied. "He has got that smile."
"The smile that says 'I have got a secret'?" Rowan asked.
"You should be happy." Suffle said, "He is keeping busy."
"Suffle is right. When has Neal done anything that resulted in a disaster?" Rowan asked.
"With Sia gone, I'm afraid he'll do something reckless. I have seen him today after three whole days."
Rowan gripped Natasha's hand. "You are worrying needlessly. But then all mothers do."
The empress looked in the queen's big wise eyes for assurance. "I hope you are right."
Suffle realised it finally. "Neal could've gone to meet Sia. This whole thing is his idea."
Natasha sighed in exasperation. "He could've just told me to arrange it."
"Not if he wants to do something reckless," Rowan pointed out.
"Maybe it's nothing else but Sia missing Midoc," Suffle said. "Anyways, I'll leave now."
"I'll keep an eye on your son," Rowan assured Natasha as she followed Suffle.
There was much discussion among the three royalties of the three countries. After much back and forth, a date two months away was decided to mark the start of the tournament. Everybody got busy with their preparations. The participants had to practice, the traders had to buy large quantities of stock, the Peshtims and Esites had to travel and the Midos had to arrange everything for their guests.
The only two people who had not submerged themselves in the excitement were Natasha and Rowan. The arrangements were being done by their children, and unlike the king they were not participating.
So they had decided to busy themselves by keeping an eye on Neal. Neother of them had any doubt that the tournament was Neal's planning. The empress would not ask her spies to keep an eye on her son but the queen had no problem in doing that. She had her own spies roaming the grounds. But all they could report back to her was that the crown prince was busy with the arrangements for the tournament. But Queen Rowan was determined to find something suspicious.To her, Neal seemed a bit too enthusiastic for the event. And it was such a big event with so many spectators that it was not possible for her or her spies to keep an eye on everyone.
The schedule of the tournament was drawn in such a way that many times the water events and the ground events would coincide and all her spies would be underwater at such a time. The queen had shared her doubts with the empress who, though anxious to know about Neal's plans, was not worried about them. Her son could lie, deceive and manipulate but he could do no wrong in her eyes. The nymph, however, had always had a hard time trusting Neal. The mere act of making Sia an accomplish proved that he was hiding something.