After some time, Sessa made up his mind that he had spent enough time at Craynon Palace. He had informed his mother of his departure the previous day and she had asked him and Nimo for breakfast.
At Moon Hall, Concubine Keiwan waited impatiently for her guests to arrive. A very interesting show was about to begin.
The princess of Neo arrived first with a good will basket full of food. Keiwan was pleased by her gesture.
Soon enough, her son came in with Nimo in his company. Keiwan watched Lord Camin's daughter carefully for any reaction to the unexpected guest yet the young woman's face was perfectly blank. Keiwan sighed inwardly, she is as unreadable as Sessa, she thought in annoyance. She turned to Milla and noticed that she stared at the table as if it was the most interesting thing she had ever seen.
The princess seems to not be good at hiding her expression.
"Have you met before?" The concubine threw her question, prying for an answer.
"Yes mother, we have." Sessa replied deadpan.
"What a coincidence! I called you here to introduce you properly before you leave to your residence."
All through breakfast, Sessa noticed that Nimo was awfully quiet unless she was spoken to, and even when she spoke she was monotonic.
Their carriage left for Solitude Tower later that morning, the duo sat inside in deafening silence. Nimo had no idea what was wrong with her but she had been down in her spirit since she left Moonfall Hall.
"Are you okay?" Sessa asked, observing that she sat a little bit too stiffly, she could be mistaken for a stick.
"Yes."
A few moments of awkward silence passed.
"Are you ill?" He made to feel her forehead. She thwarted his hand away and glared at him.
Yes, she was mad at him, he confirmed.
•°•
"Your Highness, the doctor is here to see you."
"Send him in." Tif allowed.
Belio departed and Daeog Vanpaq entered into the room occupied by the first prince.
"Greetings, Your Highness." The tall man bowed.
Daeog Vanpaq was from a fourteenth generation of doctors from Western Vill. The Vanpaq family also known as Drug Wizards were highly known for been masters at medicine, each generation at least produced a male offspring to carry on their specialty. When Western Vill was defeated, the Vanpaq family were wiped out except for Daeog. The empress had secretly rescued Daeog and Daeog began to work Tif.
"You are here with good news I presume?" Tif asked casting his eyes on the man.
Daeog nodded. "Yes, everything is ready."
"Good. You may take your leave."
Daeog turned to leave.
"And remember let this be between you, me and these four walls."
"Yes Your Highness."
An evil smile formed on Tif's lips. His father thought he wasn't worthy to rule Panirut, but he would show him that he was much more worthy to rule even the world.
Sessa went through the stack of files on his table, his door burst open and Kiv revealed himself with his usual smirk on his face.
"Bro!"
Sessa groaned, very much like Kiv, always appearing unannounced.
"How may I help you?" Sessa questioned picking up another file.
Kiv sprawled on the sitting mat opposite Sessa's. "I came to keep you company so that you won't bore yourself."
Sessa gave him a pointed look.
"I'm very much alright without your company."
Kiv nodded. "I understand. I won't be bored too if I had a beauty as my bodyguard."
Sessa threw his brother the book he was holding, Kiv dodged it with a guffaw.
"What? Having a guilty mind, eh?"
"If you have nothing better to do, you can come and help me review these documents." He pushed a few files towards Kiv.
Kiv rose up and stretched.
"I appreciate the offer but I have better things to do, where can I find your beauty?"
Sessa sighed.
"Nevermind. I'll look for her myself, have a nice time with your..." He looked at the stack of papers on Sessa's desk.
...your buddies." He completed and sped out of the room.
A few days earlier, Ummi came to Solitude Tower to spend some time with Nimo. She was going to celebrate her birthday in two days time and she wanted to celebrate it with her big sister. Five years was a long time.
Servants flauted the courtyard, they indeed had too many balls in the air. Their young mistress was a handful and she had sworn that her sixteenth birthday shall be a day to remember. The best dishes must be served, the courtyard decorated, every room should be clean and the list went on.
Nimo resigned herself to her room, whenever her sister was like this, she was unstoppable.
Ummi tried to climb an orchid tree near the fenced wall. She had been trying to hang a lantern on the branches and somehow it got stuck on the tree. Her useless maids all stood below watching their young mistress strive to retrieve the lantern.
"My lady, why don't you let that one go and hang up another one." The head maid, Xunai, suggested.
"Dummy, don't you know that I tied my birthday wishes to that lantern?" Ummi voiced from above.
Xunai took not her mistress's insult to heart because she was used to it. Whenever Ummi was annoyed or frustrated, she took it out on anyone around her.
"But you can write it again and tie it to another one."
"But it won't be the same! The first is always the best!"
At that moment, Ummi wished she was Nimo. She could have easily climbed the tree without stress.
"Hey! What have we here?"
At the words of the sudden deep voice, Ummi jerked in shock, her left foot slipped from the branch supporting her and she landed on her butt.
"Ow!" Ummi cried out in pain.
Her maid crowded around her searching for any sign of injury.
"Are you okay?" Xunai asked in concern.
The young mistress ignored her handmaid and glared at the young man who had startled her.
In the love stories she had most oftenly read, she had encountered romantic scene where the heroine would slip on something and the handsome hero would catch her.
Yet, her supposed hero was laughing his head off.
She pushed her maids aside and they scrambled out of her way like misled flies, she stood across him standing akimbo. "What? What are you laughing at?"
Kiv was amused by the girl, she looked at him with large angry eyes like he was the one who told her to climb the tree when she obviously couldn't climb.
Nimo opened her door when she overheard the commotion, Habana was right behind her.
"What is going on here?"
Ummi ran over to her side.
"Who is this laughing jackass? Do you know him?"
Kiv smiled, just the person he was looking for.
"Beauty!"
Ummi looked at both of them.
"Are both of you...?"
"Ummi, he is a kid." Nimo disagreed to her uncompleted question.
"Hey! Who is a kid? I'm nineteen."
A smug smile fleeted across Nimo's face. "I'm twenty."
"But...but its just one year."
"Oh and from today start calling me Sister Nimo."
"Oh my god...what?"
The two ladies collasped into fits of laughter.