Chapter 11 - A short respite to our focus

That same day, around the start of afternoon, 

To her Highness, Almenar Lairnisflaiz,

While your invitation has certainly flattered as much as it has surprised me, I cannot bring myself to accept it as of yet. Given my position in your country, and my recent arrival, I believe the banquet is outside the realm of what a sister should accept, for celebrations such as these should mainly be reserved to one's accomplishments, following the beliefs of my path. I am sure you might have heard as much, despite the fact some of your region's courts seemingly haven't. I also understand you are not the only one with interest in this meeting, and beg your pardon if my denial caused any commotion among your subordinates. If any may have been insistent on the idea, I ask that you take these words to them for my sake, as of now. However, I shall remain in this stance, as events such as this do not fit well within my vows. Not to mention, though we elves don't partake in luxury the same way humans occasionally do, it did require some effort out of me to get used to a more modest lifestyle. I believe such a celebration might make me too nostalgic of my home palace by this point to be worth it as of now. 

That said, if you would still have me, I would be interested in meeting you personally or talking more through distance, if that would serve as compensation for the troubles I might have caused you. Through this and our indirect messages, I must say our eventual meeting grew in priority inside my mind. As much as age separates us, seeing for myself what a girl as brilliant and distinguished as you is truly like is bound to be inspiring. With those wishes and my denial accounted, I hope I may remain in your grace,

 Nalfimiria Arwinphlier

Before anything, first let me establish my identity, and reasoning for displaying such a message in this text. At that point I was the woman at the receiving end of that letter, Almenar Lairnisflaiz. My official title was that of Rasdwinvhyr's Royal Scion, making me a selected candidate to the role of the Apprentice Queen, which would officially start my duties as the heir of our crown. If the title sounds peculiar to you, simply know that Rasdwinvhyr isn't headed by a single leader, just as most human nations. Instead, we operate our crown under a system with three queens, or the royal triad, as we became known. As Apprentice Queen, I basically would act as a student and, well, an overworked assistant to my Mother and Grandmother, who held the titles of Acting and Sage Queen, respectively. That would continue until I ascended into the status of Acting Queen, and Mother became the Sage Queen, retiring Grandmother in the process. If the naming scheme isn't clear enough, the queen in training is the least powerful one, even if also the one who mainly makes public appearances as a part of her learning. She mainly acts as a representative to the other two. The Acting Queen is the one who holds most of our authority and legal rights, and the Sage Queen has mostly given up her powers to her successor, nonetheless she is still able to invoke her authority, as well as fulfill roles the Acting Queen cannot. Overall, the division of power on our triad was rather clear from the naming of it. 

Like the writer of said letter, I was residing in Zainlastris, one of my country's city's. As for why a princess was outside her nation's capital, that was in response to the writer of said letter, and her presence in this city. After all, as my colleague Fasnilthar hinted at, I was the one manipulating the association's and my colleague writer's movements, as of that point. Now normally, a task such as this wouldn't be directed personally by a royal princess, much less the heir to her nation. Not to say I would have no involvement in that case, just that I wouldn't be putting my name into action directly. And yet, as with most things in life, timing is an incredibly powerful force. At nineteen, I was already old enough to start my crowning back then, and had already been officially accepted for my role. Which is to say, any potential trouble that could arise from the partially described situation probably would be attributed to my competence or rather, the lack of it, be I involved in this matter directly or not. Not to say I found that possibility likely, by any means. 

The people among our nation's richest who were so thoroughly panicked by the possibilities this elven guest presented, forgot the detail that sisters rarely die in their duty. That is because the Greater Aspects consider their own duty to protect all who would act in their favor or name, or at least do so directly. And as someone who knew personally how effective the protection of a Greater One could be, I knew it wouldn't be an exaggeration to frame sisters and brothers as unkillable. Not like the Great Sisters find resurrections particularly difficult either, supposing their protective measures failed. Which is all to say, recall how I mentioned this could weigh badly on the start of my reign? Well, by involving myself directly this also almost guaranteed my reputation would greatly improve as a result. 

Basically, this was a fixed gambling match, and winning from it would be inevitable on my end, as far as the matter of Nalfimiria is concerned, though there was another similar matter connected to this very same job of mine. All the more so when you consider this kind of work was essentially my equivalent to a paid vacation. Instead of 15 daily hours of work or study, I only needed to do 11, and spend the expected 4 hours managing the situation with the guest. Doing so would hardly be difficult either. It mostly would involve the occasional talk with Nalfimiria, who was likely easier to socialize with than most other people I was asked to speak to for work purposes. Other than that, most of those remaining hours would be spent stalking them through magic, reading reports or offering the association advice. Combined with the fact I would spend most of my working hours watching and listening to their banter in the background, I hardly find it strange to compare this arrangement to taking a break. I was even being offered a higher rate of breaks than usual, a fact that made the prospect all the more appealing. 

As for why the priority treatment, I do believe my co writer Fasnilthar made this clear already. Like most of the human world, Rasdwinvhyr and Galecirnan as a whole were economically dependent on the support of the Greater Aspects. So, facing the risk of annoying Lady Melynaris or someone who holds her political influence as directly as Nalfimiria's father, Lord Nulthlir, is simply too risky for most business owners and nobles within this region. Not to say there existed states that didn't depend on the Great Sisters, mind you. They literally controlled trade, the production of food, most of the production of magical energy, and had a great deal of influence or complete control over many industries connected to magical production. That and a monopoly on the production of Guiding Eyes to boot, tools necessary to accelerate magical training. 

It was physically impossible to take part in inter-regional or continental trade without their support, unless you're foolish enough to risk sailing through the territory of a Tide Ruler without the Greater One's protection. Not a great tactic, judging by their enjoyment in sinking ships. Just that humans would be particularly in a bad spot without their assistance, seeing as we were far more limited in our ability to train our own mages, both due to the drawbacks of being completely biological and the tardiness in growing the capacity of our magical academies. Magical practice was also still held as a privilege for the rich few and those talented enough in most of our countries, meaning a fair amount of the few mages we produced only ever practiced magic as a method of prolonging their lifespans and empowering their minds. Seeing how much the sisterhood aided us in this end, that made us all the more reliant on their support, as national stability was also among the fields in which we depended on their aid, despite the fact we prioritized the training of combatants among the useful spellcasters we had available. 

As a result, a lot of our capacity for training spell casters was also spent sustaining the association and the equivalent to knights in each region, meaning we didn't have as many mages working civilian jobs born in our lands. All of which to say, we depended on hiring foreign magic users, which would not only be physically hard without the Azure Lines, but we would be rather unlikely to draw much interest if we didn't have the support of the Great Sisters on this search. Not that all of this panic and caution is merely the result of selflessness and understanding of our situation, mind you. 

Ignoring the species wide dependence on them, there is also the known fact the Material Twins both have the means and the habit of driving people bankrupt whenever a fool attracts their irritation through business practices. Be it through targeted increase of prices or simply by asking their main partners not to deal with an individual any longer, there isn't much anyone can do once both of them have agreed someone doesn't deserve their position, other than begging for forgiveness. As a result, anyone who can attract the eyes of the sisterhood upon an industrialist or merchant of any kind tends to be either avoided or treated with as much care as possible. 

All of this context to first address the topic of the letter, and how hilarious some of its contents could be if interpreted more bluntly. Basically, since my responsibility over the situation was publicly known among the rich and noble of the nation, some of the younglings of my generation asked me to suggest such a banquet. Horrible idea, of course. I only played along with it as much as I did because I knew Nalfimiria would never accept it. Elves tend to hate this sort of costume, as do most path tracers. A waste of resources, most of them would say. It wouldn't take a brilliant mind to figure out an elven sister would reject the suggestion. 

Obviously using my status to strong arm her presence would be just as stupid a plan. The whole motivation for the priority treatment was due to a power imbalance, and we were on the bad side of it. Who in their right mind would try using pressure in such a situation, when it would at best be interpreted as a idiotic bluff? If you remove all of the elaborate language, the letter's meaning is also quite entertaining. Because of course, even if forced to act in etiquette, most sisters would still probably sneak some sarcasm when putting it to use. And in this case Nalfimiria wasn't exactly subtle. Here was my understanding of her not so hidden message, based on the gathered double meanings and my interpretation of her real character.

—Hello princess. I'm not accepting the invitation, though I doubt that news surprises you. Go figure, whoever suggested it probably never met a path tracer in their lives. Stupid plan, isn't it? Obviously it wasn't your idea at least. You're too smart to suggest something so boldly uninformed. Hope the idiotic brat's that gave this idea are an exception in your generation of lordlings, for your sake. And be sure to let the idiot who thought this up know just how much of an idiot they are, even if through my own words. But if the plan was to use this as an excuse to meet me personally, I'm down for doing it on our own. Our talks and deals through Stag have been nice. You also seem to be as clever as your role would require, and a total freak in addition, so I'm sure playing along will be interesting. Anyways, see you soon. — Or at least that was the meaning I arrived at after analyzing how she spoke whenever we talked unofficially. 

If you're wondering what's this about talks being official or not, this distinction mainly concerns whether I was presenting myself as just Almenar, or Crown Princess Almenar, usually a shift represented by the presence of the royal seal within a letter. Before my original greetings and invitation to her reach Nalfimiria, we were mostly speaking through Stag, the Court Watcher* assigned to me, so the content of our talks was a bit more casual if also much briefer. Mostly to confirm things like her date of arrival, if she was willing to play along with my ploy and help set it up or to previously warn her of Sowanar's assignment as her adjutant. In case you forgot, I'm the one the others have been referring to as his employer. We knew each other for a long time, due to some connections of his family to mine, and some years from then I had decided to try to aid him on a certain goal, part of what led to his titling. 

I am also one of the main reasons Sowanar was hiding his family name at that point. Sun Seekers aren't common among knights, seeing as royals aren't asked or expected to title people often. That, and most knights we do title are already Vanguard material. Even having his full name probably would have been enough to reveal my presence and involvement with the situation prematurely, thus my knight asked to hide his name. Then again, he had his own personal reasons for wishing to hide it as well, ones you will understand better soon enough. 

(*I'll explain exactly what she does and what she is in a later chapter, even if I'm sure plenty of you can figure it out simply by the title used. Let's just say, if I lived under the protection of the Great Sisters, Stag was the enforcer of that protection. The explanations have been long enough without concerning such details as it is, based on our editor's recommendations.) 

At that moment in time, between my normal duties I was also tasked with keeping track of that group's movements, as well as preparing my answer for Nalfimiria's letter. Personally I always preferred to sketch a message at least once, even if the subject on the receiving end of it bared little of my own interest. Mainly to verify whether I had fulfilled the three base goals private messages I typically wrote sought to carry out, on occasions I was speaking officially. The first was to abide by all of the wisdom, grace, confidence and expertise in most politically inclined subjects expected of the heir to a crown when introducing herself. That as well as the extra flavor we sometimes add to this public image, so that people fail to realize all royal scions in a generation have strangely similar ways of expressing themselves. 

My favorite for that moment was that of the "Sweet and Caring Dreamer", fully devoted to the growth of her nation. I found it shocking how many people adjacent to the courts of our region legitimately gave credit to this image, though I've always been quite the actress, so I can't completely blame them. This was by far the easiest part. Half of my job involved sustaining that image over any other interaction, so naturally putting up that mask came as easily as faking tears by that point. Which may not be easy to you, dear reader, yet all the same for one seeking a life long career in politics doing such should hardly ever prove to be an issue. 

The other goals mainly consisted of communicating efficiently despite the flare and formalities I have no choice but to maintain. It mostly comes down to expressing the messages in a text through two different means. The main one being the literal one, so in the case of Nalfimiria's letter, the explanation of why she shouldn't accept my invitation, alongside the suggestion to meet through different means. This is because among other things, anything considered aggressive or unfitting of the situation should never be expressed openly in this kind of message. So instead, hints are left of the writer's actual meaning, up for the reader to interpret. 

In Nalfimiria's case, this manifested as sarcasm. Explaining things both of us knew should be common sense, leaving her aware of the fact the plan wasn't my idea implied, as well as the jabs she directed at the fine folk who proposed the banquet to begin with. As politeness in this type of environment is more often a protocol than a rigid belief, this had been the method chosen to work around the inefficiencies of the protocols I among many others were taught to follow from birth. 

Then having found the means of implying a message below the surface, the third task would be to adequate it to the expectations my future reader would have of me. So again in Nalfimiria's case, the things that should be of immediate note surround how she addresses the people behind this idea for a banquet. Likely because she is aware of the fact the whole reason it was suggested was because the ones who thought it up intended to use it as an opportunity to try to establish indirect contact with her father, through Nalfimiria. That, and potentially to try to impress and gain favor in the eyes of people connected to Althnalmir's sphere of influence. As someone disconnected to either end of her father's career, the plan never would have been that good even had it "worked". Nalfimiria's words wouldn't have changed her father's or Lady Melynaris' impressions of that young group regardless of how flattering she was. The other factor of great relevance were the indications of some spite from her part to the suggested practices, including the very idea of the banquet in itself. 

This mainly came from the difference in how parts of our cultures viewed power. Oftentimes among human nations, power was used as a personal tool, something belonging to the person born or who grew into it, be it political, economical or magical in nature. In this sense, many of us not only will be happy with showing it off or flaunting it about, yet also devoting it to protect this position or develop it further. Therefore, power many times functioned as a kind of privilege among our nations. Elves, especially the scarlet, don't quite see things like this. To them, any form of power entrusted to a person should predominantly be viewed as a responsibility, one entrusted from its source. Thus, the one entrusted to that power would have a duty to those from where it was manifested. 

So any who carried the power of a state, be it politically or economically, should have a responsibility to understand and serve the interests of the people in that nation according to their norms. And any growing in strength or in their position through magic should carry some respect for the beings that enabled our study of it to develop so much in the first place, and at least devote some of their attention to carry out the ideals behind the choice to share this knowledge in the first place. Their relationship to Lady Melynaris made the scarlet more radical in these views than most other elves, hence why practices devoted to brandishing wealth publicly were seen negatively by them. Forging contacts and alliances in meetings such as these also appeared equally foolish, vain and ineffective to most elves as well. Partnerships should be born from mutual respect, common goals and through the judgment of one another's abilities concerning their trade in the eyes of elves, things that typically weren't demonstrated in this kind of meeting. 

Which is to say, in that case as someone strongly intertwined and intimately aware of the flaws of that system, following Nalfimiria's exemple and being more critical than I'm usually allowed to be likely would earn me more respect from her view. So in this way even going as far as to utilize the structure of that kind of tradition to satirize it might be a positive, when it came to offering her my reply. Of course, if the critiques contained too little of my own perspective they simply would be interpreted as an attempt at pandering to her views. Not that I thought she might doubt my view point exactly in the first place. As much as the modern aristocracy of our region might have thought of royalty as their representatives, a more accurate term might have been spy, all things considered. After all, I personally considered the Great Sisters as one of my main employers alongside the nation of Rasdwinvhyr, and that job often implied exchanges of information between both sides. A fact I was sure a sister would have known, seeing as both of us took part in the same fight, as different as our methods were. I was technically a sister as well, and though that title wasn't viewed literally by most, I preferred to take my vows somewhat seriously. 

Delivering on all of these points not only would serve to accomplish the given task of the message, yet also to offer my reader the perspective on me that was of most interest at any given time. In this case, preferably one that wasn't entirely based on deception. While I am good enough at lying to avoid any tells, the more deceptions you create while starting a relationship, the more complicated the next ones will have to be in account for all of the falsehoods you'll need to sustain over time. And while facing someone with ease for smelling bullshit that tended to be far more difficult, especially since I had the suspicion my elven friend could already read minds. 

Weak alibis, made up stories, half truths… These things don't leave solid ground below them. Build your stance over too many and you will inevitably crumble. Part of being good at lying is knowing when you shouldn't. Not to mention, the one informing me on her technically was one of their own, as Stag was effectively just an obscenely strong and old sister, as a Court Watcher. As much as I loved relying on her, in this situation it would have been childish to assume Stag hadn't been feeding both sides comparable quality in her information sharing. Looking at the letter over again, I verified if all of these points had been properly portrayed. 

—From a pragmatic standpoint, the job seems to be done. Still, doesn't the letter still feel boring? She went as far as to tease me during the rejection, so going by without sneaking in even a little flirting would feel awfully dull. Stag, say, won't you judge some of these lines? They're the points where I thought portraying erotic intent might be simpler. — I said, as the Watcher just shortly had questioned when I thought the letter would be ready for moving. She usually was the one moving my mail around. Why bother with normal transportation when someone just beside you can use teleportation spells on a continental range, at any rate? 

—Any of them should work fine, princess. If you have any doubt, you could always choose all as well. — She said, or at least I thought she did. 

With her, it was difficult to determine whether the method of communication was speech or not. I had never seen her face, after all, only knowing her by the mask she wore, her frame, the sound of her words and the uniform she always had on. Court Watchers have the habit of keeping even their names or species a secret from those being guarded by them. Thus why I called her merely as Stag. The mask she used resembled the face of one, and from what little I could see of her head beneath it, the easiest thing of note were the small antlers she had, despite wearing an elven form. And by wearing I meant, from what little I knew about Stag, I knew this wasn't her actual body. She had already perfected shapeshifting, so guessing at her real species might have been impossible. 

—Working fine is not enough. It has to be perfect, right? "Strive for excellence always, so that your ability may never be suppressed by your own lacking will." Since you love that quote so much, I didn't think I would need to remind you. Come on, you basically read today's events like they were a script to a play, just as with the tour. Reading a single elf's preferences is bound to be simple enough to a Watcher like you. Help a girl out a little more, please? Not like she doesn't have this sort of information. We haven't even met and she is already implying I'm a freak. — I tried pushing the buttons I knew were more effective against her, while retaining a playful tone. The part of the sentence in quotes was said in my attempt to imitate her voice. Pretty easy, all things considered. Stag rarely betrayed any emotion behind her words, so all it really took was to sound as serious and stoic as possible. 

—Fine shouldn't be that distant from perfect for this guest, however. She is too desensitized by this point to offer the reaction you might be hoping for, princess. 

—Right, right… She is used to the orgy life by now. Unlike a certain princess, whose guardian does not allow her to put the disguise artifacts to use for frugal matters very often. To think this princess is only allowed the same experiences with her workers*, others of her standing, or once every five months. — I took the shot to complain a little, to see if that would make her talk more. Though to be fair, Stag was very generous with granting me out of palace outings as it was. Getting to spend breaks away from my office was rare, especially so if the choice of break material normally might be considered off risk. Both of us were aware of all of this, so naturally complaining about my circumstances was bound not to have that much of an effect. 

(*Yes, of course this is consensual. There are no benefits or pressure for anyone working under me to take part in this as well, other than getting their hands and oftentimes more in this royal highness. We have the Greater Aspect's eyes on us all of the time, of course we couldn't get away with forcing or coercing our workers into sex. My staff also claims to enjoy fucking me more than the average for people in their profession would normally claim, so rest assured I am kind to them both in normal matters and in the nude. I preferred sex with people who weren't conditioned to follow my orders, though, thus why I often told them to just treat me as Almenar in the room. Getting on a person's head isn't as much fun if there is no resistance.)

—Is that it then? Oh well, I wanted to spare you of the news, yet since you've asked so insistently. She is into older women. By her standards. 

—Ah, I see. Faking that sort of presence might be difficult for me. How old are we talking, exactly? — After asking, she gave the matter some seconds of silence. Whatever the answer was, it looked like she hesitated to offer me. And considering her mind worked over thousands of times faster than that of a normal being, these seconds counted for far more than they might seem. 

—Over a thousand preferably, from what I heard. She likes hitting on other Watchers. 

—Really now? Interesting. She is definitely a masochist then, what a good pairing. Now if only I knew someone over that margin of age, perhaps to serve as an additional lure for the guest… 

—Shut up. This is why I didn't want to say that. I'm not interested, or at least not yet. 

—Oh, cut it. You should enjoy yourself with other people at times, Stag. A more energetic partner might refill any lost flames briefly for you. I thought the Ladies themselves advised the Watchers not to rely solely on them for sexual matters? And hold on, did you just say "yet"?

Immortals tend to inevitably lose any attachment they once had to pleasure, as do most creatures who live for enough time. This doesn't apply to the Greater Ones, though. Not only that, but due to some properties of their bodies, they can even awaken desires that have laid low for thousands of years, from what I had heard. Basically it is impossible not to be overpowered by the arousal the Great Sisters awaken in people when they themselves demonstrate interest in sex. As a result, many immortals in this world had exactly Six Great partners with whom they still enjoyed fucking. And while that might sound like a problem for the Greater Ones for the numerical factor, a reminder that they enjoy orgies a lot. Simply being around them is enough for this magic to take effect as well. The Greater Aspects themselves still advised those following them to occasionally try normal sex however, since according to them only doing it in the presence of one of them might make the immortal addicted to their abilities. 

—Of course. I hear this enough from Kalfisnar as it is. Just don't expect me to take interest in this case simply because I know it could help you. I have no obligation to help you in this way, and besides, wouldn't that be awkward for you? Sharing a partner, I mean. — By which she meant simultaneously, of course. 

As versatile as my mentality could be, there still was something awkward about taking part in group sex with people I considered family, even if we would never touch each other. Like if their presence is almost enough to turn me off. In a way, this included Stag. Seeing as Mother could only see me once a month for most of my life, Stag was the closest thing to a mother that I had growing up. She didn't simply teach me most of what I knew, it could be said raising me was also part of her job. Which was a bit weird of course. The ageless tend to make for peculiar teachers, especially those who have been doing it for a long time. 

I mean, my great grandmother was also raised by Stag, so simply having that shared experience with someone over four times my age already felt strange. The fact I had never seen her face, or known what her true form looked like also felt weird, but that was a part for the course when dealing with Watchers. Mother likes saying that Onix, the Watcher responsible for her, only ever takes her mask off every two decades or so, and apparently I simply hadn't lived for enough time to see Stag's face. I didn't particularly blame her for wanting to keep some distance either. By that point, she likely had raised over twenty princesses with my last name, from their birthplace to their cremation grounds. After helping so many of us be born, learn, grow, age and finally die so many times over, I was surprised Court Watchers could be as friendly as they often were. 

—No need to worry. We could just add some distance by calling friends between us. Though I wonder, do you take the mask off for sex, Stag? I'm curious what you would sound like when not speaking in a monotone also. The Great Ladies surely can get a reaction out of you, at least? 

—Of course, for both questions. There is no reason to hide my face, form or state before the Great Sisters, and you know my kind and abilities. That should be enough for now. — She said, before returning to her resting position, close to my desk. Like most other Watchers, Stag had a talent for being as still as a statue. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that she could sleep while standing up. 

With the brief conversation over, I considered Stag's advice before doing as she suggested, and simply putting as many suggestive lines in the letter as I could find space for. Based on her posture, I imagined that wouldn't last much longer either. Stag knew everything that happened inside that palace. She doesn't always warn me when I'm about to receive visitors, yet a pattern I had noticed was that she generally stopped talking as a whole whenever she detected someone's approach. Likely to sustain in our worker's imagination the vision of the Court Watcher as this strange and powerful presence behind their leader. That effort fit us well enough. 

This way, both the workers she oriented and the occasional visitor for whom she chose to remain visible*, the rumors of this mysterious presence would follow. Most people who weren't connected directly to any crown didn't know of the existence, or exactly what is a Court Watcher. Thus, occasionally showing one's presence is always an effective means of raising cautions on potentially disloyal courtesans. After all, though those outside of the high nobility know not what their aid might look like, it was a known fact all of the human royal lines were supported by the Greater Aspects. The sudden appearance of overpowering shades dressed in garbs similar to mantles from the sisterhood likely has reminded many of this fact. 

(*Becoming translucent is much simpler a feat for a lesser aspect than sustaining a fully shifted shape, a deed they maintained constantly. Therefore, it shouldn't be that strange to say a Watcher can only be viewed if they wish to be, and they can even select people to see through their spell. It becomes especially easy for them when the body they occupy is already conjured as well.)

"Still, Stag is on watch but not in any protective means. There is no sign she is hiding her essence, or analyzing the guest either. She knows them already, and the contrary likely is also the case. And judging by the approaching footsteps, it looks as if my guest didn't need a prior introduction, nor an announcement before their arrival here. I do believe I felt the effects of the teleporting network here some minutes ago as well, haven't I? Someone familiar with me, then." I initially considered the circumstances surrounding my guardian and the palace before beginning to try to devise guesses for my visitor's identity. Continuing the investigation required more direct steps of mine, yet, thus I strengthened the magic I was using to extend my perception. 

"Either one of the high nobles or knight commanders I am close to, or family, most likely. Most of my cousins should be free, though little Alnistaris shouldn't be available. She should still be in Visecygerd. And no foreign friend of mine could simply show up without any prior warning, even if just through Watcher messaging*. Plenty of options still, even if the guest is obviously a mage. Their footsteps aren't echoing enough to determine their weight as well, and it looks as if the workers here have been greeting them in silence." I was collecting all of this information based on the usage of Eyes or Reason hidden within the decoration of the palace, all of which could be easily accessed by me. I could use them simply to catch a glimpse of my guest, but that would have ruined the fun of this guessing game. 

In case my control of Eyes of Reason¹, or the term itself does not serve as enough of a declaration, I am a mage. Which shouldn't surprise many, as all royal heirs in this world are trained in magic. The specialties pursued in each royal line vary a little, though, even if every heir always went through a very similar training. Personally, I thought ours was the most pragmatic of all. I practiced Thalgignir, Iscathnerin and Favighea, and had already made preparations to also have access to Yealmyrn by the end of that year. Thalgignir being of course the means through which I was controlling so many extensions indirectly. 

I won't bore you with precise information about my practice, however. After all, that knowledge is mostly irrelevant to you. I wasn't taught combative magic with the expectations of ever having need for it, and my focus was also quite easy to explain. I am the mage equivalent to an escape artist, you could say. Extremely good at running and protecting myself, yet with weak offensive capacity, given my level. Put into perspective, without using my cheat items my offensive capacity was closer to Fasnilthar's than Nalfimiria**, despite the fact my training had been accelerated to the point I could match the elf in raw level. Which is why I consider my family's training so pragmatic. A royal princess should never be expected to need to fight, and in any occasion I might need it my primary effort should simply be surviving. Thus I trained with the intent of being untouchable, so that even an adversary with massive advantages might consider me too obnoxious and harmless a target to reasonably be the center of their attention, despite the royal status. 

(*Sometimes when royals of the same generation wanted to talk as quickly as possible, we had the habit of simply asking the Court Watcher with us to contact the one responsible for the person on the other end. Mostly so that they could arrange a meeting time as quickly as possible, without going through any of the usual ceremonies such meetings might imply. It doesn't count as a state visit if it happens on conjured space, after all.)

(**For the why of that comparison, though some of my offensive rankings were comparable to Nalfimiria's false ones, the fact she had the ability to combine spells from Iscathnerin and Nairsylvir broke that analisis. That, and she had all sorts of creative measures of boosting the power of her constructs, a factor that thoroughly put me behind her in this sense. As I am primarily trained to fight at long range, my practice of Favighea is mainly defensive as well.) 

Continuing to observe the guest's approach from a distance, I finished arranging the letter as well. By that point, I also managed to confirm this guest was heading towards my office. "None of the assistants are guiding them, so they're clearly familiar with the layout of this palace, despite it being somewhat different from the one at the capital. It looks like they don't even see the need to consult me before letting this guest in the room. My hand on standby likely will greet them soon. It appears the guest is armed as well, likely suggesting they are among the staff devoted to guarding me. Sowanar is having lunch with that group right now, so it can't be him either. Ha. Mystery solved. He likely has come barking for a different assignment now. Fool of a brother, if you have the luxury of taking breaks you shouldn't look for work during them. Not like there will be much for him to do regardless. But oh well. If he wants to help, far be it from me to order him to take a break." 

Having arrived at my conclusion I stood from my desk, before putting on my marks as the scion. I didn't have any obligation to wear them in front of family, yet I knew my brother well enough to understand he likely would be bothered if I didn't have them on. He tends to be very careful, if not somewhat obsessive about all matters concerning my behavior and interactions as I was to be the future queen. It felt like he was confused with that at times. Like if he wasn't sure when he needed to be a retainer and when to be a sibling. Not that I entirely blamed him for the behavior. Both were true, and though neither is necessarily unimportant I knew the official role and the preparation towards it had been a massive part of his life. With that much ready, I timely moved towards the door to that room, making sure to follow his steps on the last part of the path. Stag followed close by, hanging behind me like a shadow. Standing before the door, we heard the type of knocking* my hands would use to warn me of a guest waiting, before hearing her voice through a part of the door. 

—Your Highness, one of your direct assistants has arrived. It appears he wishes to know if there is anything for him to aid you with. Do you wish to see him? — The voice spoke dispassionately. To no surprise on my part, my brother didn't ask to be introduced as a prince, but just any other helper. At first my workers were surprised by that sort of stunt, however by then they were more than used to his occasional bouts of similar humility. 

—But of course, dear Lisdzien. Though may I first inquire as for the identity of this helper? 

—If you command so, Your Highness. I am Iskzarfris Lairnisflaiz, your guardian in training. May I ask for the pleasure of aiding you? — He answered, which told me enough already about what stance he likely was taking behind that door. Realistically, I could have recognized him by his voice, yet since he chose to greet me through the normal procedure, I played along a little. 

—Certainly, dear brother. You may enter the room, if you like. — I said, though not before taking the proper position to greet him in this situation. 

As the hand on standby opened the door, brother stayed waiting behind it while on the expect courtesy for the given situation. Bowing partially forward, with a hand behind his back and the other over his chest. Having seen him doing the same posture enough times by then to know exactly the angle of the ground his eyes would be facing, I squatted down low enough to where instead of the floor to the room, the first thing he would see upon the door's opening would be my eyes. After then noticing my posture, he quickly got to a normal position before I also adjusted myself accordingly, using a gravity spell as a method of floating back on my feet instead of just standing normally. "Ah, his reaction to this sort of trick never ceases to disappoint. Entertaining like always." Pretending to follow along with this sort of play only to find different ways of breaking the ceremony with him would never stop being funny on my end. Though it did require some variation to how to challenge the courtesies in his case, otherwise I would be spared of his occasional surprise from doing that. 

(*To facilitate communication that doesn't always use Stag, generally royal assistants have different tools to call the heir they work for based on different situations. So as an example, they would use different types of knocking to remind me of various points of my routine - like meals - than they would to tell me of a guest's presence.)

To offer additional context, Iskzarfris exact function was that of the Royal Defender in training. Basically, that would make him the main guardian tasked with protecting me, or at least would make him so as far as the public was concerned. For obvious reasons, a Royal Defender still couldn't hope to match up against a Court Watcher, but since their existence wasn't publicly discussed the Defender was seen as something akin to a warrior to our direct command, as well as the elite within the knights of a nation. The one bearing the role directed at me would also be granted equivalent authority among the knights as my own as the royal heir, and access to some of the sets of Royal Artifacts entrusted to people in my country. Usually the candidates for Royal Defender were selected among the siblings, close family or the consorts of a scion, typically the strongest mage between them. As I had yet to officially take any consort and my only other sibling was too young to even candidate herself for the role, Iskzarfris more or less was the only option in training by that point, however. 

Not to say brother didn't have the abilities for the role, in either case. He most definitely had the necessary affinities, and the talent as both a fighter and a leader. I didn't think it was likely that any future candidate as my consorts could match him in this regard. And though little Alnistaris was very smart and skilled with magic, I didn't like the idea of sending her into battle. Combined with the fact he had been trained for the role since I could barely talk, Iskzarfris likely would be able to beat any given candidate. In spite of that, the fact he didn't have any competitor to compare himself against for the role almost seemed to make him compare himself with his predecessors more frequently. Especially so dad, seeing as he is Mother's Royal Defender. More about him later, though for now let's just say the comparison would be rough for almost anyone. Dad is a titled Hero, after all. 

—Excuse me then. Lady Stag, I hope you've been well. And Your Highness, is it- 

—Hold on, did you say something? — I interrupted him before he could continue. By that point he had already entered the room. 

—Yes Your- 

—No, I think you mean Almenar. Must I spell it? Al-me-nar. It's a pretty simple name. Or at least "my sister" will do. My rules, remember? — Since I got old enough to officially begin preparation to become queen, my brother had found himself less and less comfortable with simply referring to me by my name. He can be as dull as careful sometimes, but it's not like he could debate the issue with me while following his own rules, either way, since he didn't like disobeying me as well. Not like he could win, even if he would try talking. He may have been well trained on discussion and other social tasks, yet that didn't put him exactly on my level. 

—Yes, Your… I mean, sister. So long as you don't insist we speak like this in public. 

—Not during most of the time, we shouldn't. But the occasional glimpse of a normal family life behind the curtains helps making us seem just slightly more human. Keep this in mind. There is a reason why heirs tend to add more to their public character than the expected perfection. Some level of similarity between us and the people has to be shown at times, else we will simply appear to them like heartless freaks. Pretending we operate like a family normally does privately is one of the easiest ways of building on that image. So, your complaint? — Iskzarfris was still getting used to making public appearances alongside me, as well as to speaking for my sake. The occasional question like that sort of became a usual part of speaking to him. To the point I also had grown accustomed to spotting the way he would talk whenever he had a point to make about my behavior. I had a guess at what it was, however waiting for him to speak it himself generally made things more interesting. 

—I wouldn't complain per se, sister. It's just that, should you really be jesting at courtesies in front of our workers this often? If you don't want to follow them, why not make that intent clear from the start? — His suggestion entirely missed the point that toying with him was an engaging pass time from my point of view. I put on an intentional smile to answer this question as well. Though to be rather blunt, there aren't many times my expression changes for reasons other than it being intended. 

—Oh brother, you realize I fuck most of the people working as my hands at least twice a month, right? It would be a little too late to start pretending I follow the rules expected of me out of enjoyment or respect for them. You don't think I follow the usual protocol during sex, do you? Oh miss, the way your fingers caress my body and genitalia must have been expertly practiced. You truly are the most delightful of lovers I could wish for. I'm not this formal even when fucking someone due to work. Or do you enjoy proffering poetry in the ears of partners while screwing them from the backside? — I explained while keeping up that smirk. 

If you're curious as to what work related fucking might imply in my case, it mostly comes down to maintaining contacts or friendships at times. Ones that I'm not necessarily fond of, however, are still rather useful. Being invited to a royal heir's bed serves to imply they are pleased with your company, after all. Faking affinity is part of my job at times, and that implication is a useful tool. And as peculiar as this all may sound, I'm not incapable of enjoying this kind of sex exactly. The less some of these kinds talk, the easier it is to spend time with them, and be it out of worry of displeasing me or simply my perfect acting mid sex, it seemed I could keep most too distracted for me to listen to their words more than I would like. 

—I don't, and I understand how that could be perceived negatively by others as well. — I was glad that I wouldn't need to explain that much. Brother wasn't trained like I was in social understanding, nonetheless I doubt there are many people who wouldn't be creeped out if I loyally followed through with the princess act in the middle of sex. Hence why I expected most to conclude that was a horrible idea based merely on common sense. 

—Good. Now, since you're here to assist me, I suppose that means the report for the previous assignment is ready as well? 

—Indeed, my sister. Shall I hand you merely the summary? — Upon my confirmation to his inquiry, he handed both me and Stag a few sheets of paper. Mine mostly covered the basic introductions necessary for this kind of document and the shortened version of his mission's report. Stag however received the full detailed version of the text, though judging by how quickly she eyed through it you wouldn't think it was that dense with information. After we were both done, she also told me she would transmit the information through magic later on. Learning all of the information of such a thick stack of paper in barely an instant was one of the many benefits of having a lesser aspect of magic following you around constantly. 

As for the contents of that mission, it mostly concerned a small bit of insurrection happening between Galecirnan and the region of Ortabilhak. The short of it was, some underground organizations from both sides were trying to set up easier methods of transporting assassin or mercenary rogue mages between the regions. Once a whiff of what was happening was caught by the association, some of our allies down south brought up the idea of trying to use the yet to be discovered leak as a means of setting up a mass hunt for the rebeling soldiers trying to create such a path. It happened closer to Ortabilhak than to Galecirnan's borders, however as the problem concerned both of our regions, a joint force was created between the countries involved. Besides, capturing a force of rogue mages on that scale was something that would have been extremely helpful for both regions. 

Iskzarfris was one of the representatives and leaders for the force of knights deployed from Galecirnan. Other than acting as one of the generals on our side, his job was also to help manage the coordination and relationship between the foreign forces present. From a brief glance at the papers, it looked like the mission was an astounding success. Not that I expected it to be too complicated. The rogue activity found didn't seem to have developed enough to be a major threat, and part of the reason brother had been sent was in fact to offer him a chance to gain more notoriety, locally and internationally. Still, the report portrayed the battles resulting from the incident as relatively one sided. I had been expecting some casualties and healing disabled soldiers, based on the size of the enemy force, yet it looked like we went through the issue without requiring a single state funeral from any nation involved. 

—No permanent casualties and only 19 soldiers needed resurrections, is it? The number of wounded is surprisingly low as well. Even if the allied forces were half as big as they were, these numbers would already be incredible. It seems the sisterhood force played a big role in this. Who exactly did they lend to the operation? — I asked, while reading the summary to the report with haste. 

The allied force totaled 386 mages, out of which most were adept level, about 80 were masters and 26 arch mages. Not all of them were human, and within the non-human troops were included magical beasts connected to some of the involved countries, like the flying cavalry trained in Rasdwinvhyr. This number included command units as well, though scouting and mapping of the area had been handled by some pact warden units that didn't directly take part in the battles. Supply lines weren't accounted for in those numbers either. The opposing force was also mostly consistent with mages, and despite higher numbers not as many of them had reached high levels of magic. It had a massive scale, as far as rogue operations were concerned, and the early scouting from the association even suggested the presence of demons at some point. 

—Twelve path tracers took part in the battle. Ten of them being archmages, who mostly supported us through healing, protection and teleportation management. Their leader was a Watcher, yet he didn't take part in the fight. Claimed to be there just to assure none of the resident magic kin considered interfering. All of the emblem bearers seemed to know the art of invocation, and through some parts of the battle I believe they've managed to summon Lady Quelnaesar's Divine Aura. It was the main reason why so few of our own even needed resurrections. As for the final sister, it seemed she carried a lonely raid into the opposing headquarters. All of the demons were slain by that sister, from the looks of things, and the captured rogues claimed it was the Crimson Mad Dog. 

—So the Great Sisters sent their current bloodhound as support. No wonder the battle lasted so shortly. And I believe you've claimed it is a sister? Has there been more confirmation about the Mad Dog's identity? 

Crimson Mad Dog or the Sacred Hound refers to a particular path tracer that had been showing up randomly in this sort of incident for the past twenty years or so. Known as such in parts due to her habit of getting extremely bloody over the course of a large scale fight, but also because she wears a mask similar to a Watcher's. Except hers portrayed a dog sticking his tongue out instead of the usual choices for animals or concepts for those masks, kind of like the sort of expression we associate to a smile for most similar animals. Crimson being the color associated with this one both because of blood as well as the fact she wouldn't wear uniforms that clearly declared her path. From the looks of it, this mad dog likely was a Watcher in training, one who had the habit of invading bases for underground organizations single handedly. It wasn't exactly uncommon for an existence like the Mad Dog mentioned to appear, as even that title itself had the tendency to get recycled every 400 years or so. The Greater One's didn't care to hire lunatics, so long as they weren't so deranged as to be incapable of respecting any belief or code. 

Honestly, every elven generation feels like a new maniac trained under them appears, and the Sacred Hound or Mad Dog are common nicknames given to them. Most of them happened through the same pattern as well. The Great Sisters find a particularly talented and devoted nutjob among the sisterhoods, before taking some interest in them and watching their growth more directly. The maniac then asks for the "privilege" of being sent on dangerous tasks, and the Greater Aspect responsible for that particular case might usually act as in to assist in that pursuit. Usually a search inspired by a great desire to become much stronger from the maniac's part. 

That strong desire makes them very efficient in fulfilling the sisterhood's mission, as a result. And many people like this mad dog then would grow into Watchers, and usually mature out of their love for battle after the first century of this madness. This creates followers that are very independent, extremely dangerous combatants and have an absurd amount of experience, even by the standards of the ageless. Also, it isn't uncommon for a prior Sacred Hound to train upcoming Hounds. One maniac passed the mask onto the other, as some might say. Of course, some care is needed to make sure the lunatic doesn't completely lose their mind, yet this part of the task likely isn't considered hard by the Greater Ones. The Ladies responsible for raising the most maniacs usually were Kalfisnar, Melynaris, Telphilicallys and Saeynomalia. The other two tended to rein the crazy sort more tightly, oftentimes taming the insane before trying to send them to battle.

—Most of those targeted by her survived this time, with the exception of the demons among them. They say she was very chatty the day she raided their hideout, and very clearly sounded like a woman. There is still no telling if the shape being worn by this sister is real, yet they did say the voice itself sounded natural. Plenty of those she fought would have been strong enough to perceive any obvious attempt to alter her voice as well. — He answered, concerning what I asked about information on this mad dog. 

As of that point, there had been some hints to the fact this one was a woman, but other than that next to nothing was known about her even on our ends. The sisterhood likely knew her identity, yet it had been kept silent up to that point. Stag would never address the subject either, making me believe this sister's wish to act in secret likely was being supported by one of the Greater Aspects directly. Discovering the maniac's identity came at no benefit for me, yet I found the act of gathering clues of this sort to be entertaining. 

—I see. Not like this matters, most likely. I'm guessing the aides from the sisterhood rejected any honoring for their feats? — Usually there was some ceremony to care for after battles like this. Receiving returning soldiers home, state funerals, and celebrating the victory. It wasn't often I had seen any sister or brother take part in these rituals, however, regardless of how major the role they played in a battle was. 

—Indeed. Most vanished almost as soon as the battle got done. A part of me is surprised we even got their names, considering how short their stay on the camp was once their job was done. If there hadn't been those resurrected by their efforts, I believe they would have left before even introducing themselves properly. 

—I'm sure the resurrected and their families will be happy about having those names to thank, at least. As far as the sisterhood is concerned, maybe that should already be enough of a cause to celebrate. — To a path tracer, a battle was finished as soon as the last of the wounded had been healed, and the last dead had been burned. Anything that might follow would simply be a waste of time as the goal of their mobilization had already been accomplished. Likely a habit that grew with them due to the fact they didn't need to deal with casualties from their own order. 

—Aside from that issue, did the rogues leave any evidence as to who was sponsoring them? None of it was mentioned in this report, at least. 

—In this case, there was none to be found, sister. They only communicated through conjured papers, and the last message from their command had long since been erased. Their leaders' memories did offer us information about their means of contact, however it seems like they became suspicious of the possibility of an operation ahead of its execution. As a result, the attempts at catching more of the bureaucracy involved through their meeting spots have failed. 

—So someone leaked information from one of the organizations involved. Too bad there were so many aiding in this case, as this doesn't narrow down the culprits by much. I'm also guessing there was no clear evidence of any crime that would provoke the Greater Ones? — Supposing there were, it likely wouldn't take a day until Lady Kalfisnar or Lady Saeynomalia snuffed out the organization behind the attempt as a whole. However, without any indication they were violating terms connected to the Greater Ones, they wouldn't hunt anyone for trying to create alternative routes to the Azure Line by their own rules, even if the likelihood of those routes being used for international misdeeds was high. 

—I'm afraid there were none as well. If they had any intent on using them as a means of slave trafficking later on, they intentionally kept themselves from openly stating that possibility during their planning. That, and they made sure never to disrespect any of the vows of union, or even to harm civilians who stepped close to their bases location. It's part of the reason why we got the lead on their position to begin with. Whoever organized this operation from theirs is likely already an expert in what makes the Great Sisters act. 

—But of course, brother. Experienced criminals know well by now that it's impossible to escape the Judgment Star or the Divine Enforcer once they've set their eyes on you. No sane person would provoke them intentionally. And the public? The report mentions few civilian witnesses to the battle, but what exactly was the story that reached them? 

—They know of a battle. Not the scale of it, the number of high level mages involved or the presence of demons on it. They also know it involved the countries of multiple regions, and that a regiment of warriors was formed from many places. Though as far as the public is concerned, my visit and that of other guests of our region didn't happen entirely for this purpose. 

—Good. It would be quite a panic if the scale of things leaked as well. We should be careful so that the escaping organizers of this trouble don't get a chance to leak anything else. — Large scale fighting typically was largely downscaled whenever the media would portray it, an agreement all involved parties had reached multiple centuries ago. Best to keep our citizens questioning why we have so many knights than to have them suffer through the anxiety of knowing why exactly we were so well guarded at times, despite living through multiple millennia of peace by that point. The surface world is peaceful, as nations no longer challenged each other, yet that didn't mean the sword no longer had any purpose. And an appearance of stability made it easier to keep things as peaceful as they could be, you could say. 

—Worry not on that end. The region's intelligence has been notified and stands guard, the same also applying over in Ortabilhak. The sisterhood of liberty is also aiding in this operation. If the rats as much as squeak they will be eaten alive. 

—I can back that information up. We may not finish the chase for you all, but we will keep any additional issues from arising out of the situation. — Stag said, after I glanced over at her upon hearing that proclamation. Few people should be seen as a better source of information on the sisterhood's actions than a Watcher, especially one that was so old. 

—With all of that said, is there anything of your daily duties I may assist with? — Brother asked after a short pause, while glancing over at my desk. 

—Not much. I've been keeping up to date with any received message, information or documents since our main guest arrived. Nothing out of the ordinary, and I've been managing to avoid most obligations that would require public speaking. Just filling my days with studying as usual. Also, would you share your opinion on this letter? It's for the guest. — While saying so, I passed on the sketch I had prepared so far to Iskzarfris. He quickly read it in silence. 

—Charming as always, Almenar, if not more suggestive and blunt than usual. I am confident most guests would be left more eager to meet you when spoken to as such. However doubtful the teasing will have the normal effect against this elf, it probably still will be pleasing to hear your intentions plainly from her end. 

—Naturally so. I wouldn't choose to be this blunt if not with a partner who I know might be even more so. Surprised you haven't complained about the rebellious tints to the text, nonetheless. 

—Even I understand most sisters would likely approve of your criticisms, dear sister. Though if you're so free on time, may I make a suggestion? 

—Free is always an exaggeration when it comes to my time, brother. Besides, I'm up to date with as much as I can precisely so that I can keep track of our guests' movements during much of my freetime. Still, speak away. Finding an available time slot for my schedule will be your job, if you so desire to change it, however. 

—I'll look over it with lady Stag later on, if it is needed. This is about your current choices for a main consort. Have you been researching more options or creating contacts with some of the old ones as of late? — Based only on the start to the topic, I already felt this talk wouldn't exactly be the most engaging sort. 

—That's the issue, then? The occasional contact with the local options still happens, as well as the ones around the region. I've also been looking for options out of the region occasionally, even out of the continent. I haven't found anyone I want for the job yet. — I decided it might be best to go over the topic as quickly as I could, despite suspecting that answer might not be enough for him. 

—Sister, there should be plenty of options for this generation of high nobility, both here and elsewhere. Maybe we should once again check the options, or start expanding the- — Before he could continue, I signaled Stag to pass me something. She understood me immediately, producing a copy of my schedule for the coming month, before I extended it in front of him. 

—Oh, would you look at that? The usual load of work plus the responsibilities as the one taking care of guests for the region will have me occupied for almost the entirety of the following weeks. There is no real way of predicting the time I'll need to devote to that group either, is there? So, why don't we delay this talk when doing something about the topic even becomes a realistic option, brother? Since you want to find me partners so much, you can even handle that part of the time table, if you like. — I said while throwing the copy against him. Even if he was there to ease my shifts a little, I knew this still likely would have bought me a week or two. There is always something magical about weaponizing your own overwork. 

—Is that so…? I'll try my hardest, then. — He said while staring at the sheet of paper in front of him. — You've already made time for a direct meeting with Nalfimiria, then? 

—Correct. Of both the distant and in person variety, though that second one will depend greatly on whether the association will give them the first task that I suggested. These will be taking place somewhat often, and there are certain restrictions in what kind of job I may do in her presence. 

—There are also potential time slots dedicated to our other guest, lady Chiaisei. Are you expecting her to discover your influence in the situation this soon? 

—As should you. As much of an effort as I placed to mask Sowanar's scent, he is my Sun Seeker. There aren't many places in this country that wouldn't respond to his full name. Chiaisei is definitely smart enough to pick traces left by it, and I sincerely doubt the explanation Nalfimiria offered will keep her off our track. If anything, it likely provoked her further. Not that this is a negative. Befriending her during this job comes almost as high in the to-do list as my interactions with Nalfimiria herself, and with a girl that cautious it is best to start all the sooner. Her inquisitive nature is positive for us, in this way. — I told him, as both of us understood well, that Chiaisei may be as valuable a piece in this situation as Nalfimiria herself, even if the odds for that particular gamble weren't rigged. If Nalfimiria was offered higher priority at the start, it was merely because the majority of the people talking me into heading this effort were yet ignorant as to the girl's purpose, as it hadn't been declared publicly as of that point. 

While Fasnilthar's relevance comes mostly due to her contacts and her use in directing them, Chiaisei's merited wanting to watch out for her in particular from my end. In fact, a good deal of the reason Fasnilthar's contacts where so significant is the aid they would offer the other parties in this game, once the board had been fully set. For the reason why Chiaisei was so significant, simply put, she is a very special girl, born around the end of the lifespan of the Eternal Emperor of my time. Seeing as the Empress, mother of the next Emperor, is usually chosen not through bloodlines or social power but through magical talent and personal achievements, this made Chiaisei the most obvious candidate for the role. 

The reasoning for this belief won't be explained now, and her choice for the role hadn't been confirmed by that point. Yet supposing it did, befriending her at this point could be helpful later on. As though the Empress is not the head of state in Xarzin Lawqizarch she is both the speaker for the Emperor during their childhood, while their memories are still being recovered, as well as the main representative of their power and assistant later on. Technically this puts me as a step above her in the internal hierarchies of our nations, but being the second in command of a greater power often means more than heading the lesser one. This was why I felt it needed to grow acquainted with her as she remained unaware of this truth. Especially as chances of meeting an Empress prior to her crowning doesn't come often, all the more so one who was unaware of her role. They are basically the wild card on a generation of human royalty, while also being the ones who serve for the longest. 

—I suppose. Though that does make the job you offered me harder to fulfill. Lady Stag, could you perhaps consider lending your aid during studying sessions in the coming days? — Brother again spoke in regards to the task concerning my schedule. 

—Oh brother, you fool. The schedule already takes into account a few uses of knowledge transference. Try a little harder, please. — I said while laughing silently at him. We then spent some additional minutes getting the letter ready before delivering it to Stag, who would then bring it directly to Nalfimiria. 

Though more might have been discussed, much of it returned to topics concerning other work matters. Things like how to organize the division of tasks between us, mostly concerning the order of documents which should be delivered and read directly by me and others that could be understood to me through his synthesis. It still looked like he wanted to do more, yet as he still was officially on a break due to the battle, there was a limit as to where he could be deployed. Regardless, I can assure you that most else we lived through that day might not be the most exciting of contents for a story, nor is much of it connected to the main narrative being told by us. Which is to say, I shall leave you with this, marking in a way the end of the first day to our shared stories. And as a final note, I will show part of the request I had made of the association, one that had shaped the meetings of that day, and those prior to it. Until these days next bring my words to you, I hope you'll remain well, reader. 

The request. 

To The Administration of the Rasdwinvhyr Branch of the International Mages Association, my dearest greetings.

As the branch surely knows by now, someone seen as a guest of interest of the crown, Nalfimiria Arwinphlier is confirmed to be intent on living in our nation. At this moment, she's currently traveling through other regions, but is estimated to arrive here nearing the start of the second month of the year 4273. Her arrival at our lands will also be happening near the expected date of entry of a different honored guest of ours, Chiaisei Liengchi-Suhen, currently suspected by the region's leadership and intelligence of being the main candidate for the next Empress of Xarzin Lawqizarch. Those on the know about the process within the association likely understand our cause for this suspicion, though all information we've been offered so far suggests the girl in question is unaware of her situation as of now. Considering the significance of such guests to my queendom and the region of Galecirnan as a whole, I, Almenar Lairnisflaiz, Royal Scion of Rasdwinvhyr, come to you with a request as a representative for the council of this region's royal circles. Namely, since our guests have the intention to work alongside the union, I wish to request your cooperation in making their stay pleasant and safe, as I am sure the guild is also uninterested in any potential incident involving either of these esteemed young women as well. 

In order to best facilitate this procedure, other than having some influence over the handling of their affairs alongside the association, we would ask to try to place both of them under the same unit, as well as some influence of who else might join this unit. Preferably by creating one that will also be used to gather other guests of regional priority as well, ones we would prefer to specify. A situation of particular note for this task is the partial separation of a guild unit that happened recently, as two members of said unit belong to this region's high nobility, the one by the registration number 183.26157;1-9B4-9P3. As both are acquainted with the royalty of their land of origin, we are particularly interested in this meeting, as it would facilitate the contacting of the other parties involved. 

We understand that one of said unit members, Fasnilthar Lanphzeis, recently got separated from the group due to violent behavior resulting from stress. We also understand that the plan is for this associate to use a period of city work as a means of recovering from the stress she is in. Still, we would ask to involve her in this procedure as a means of pulling the previously mentioned group together with the one whose forming we're planning. But also due to suspicion on our end she would have good compatibility with Miss Chiaisei, according to information provided by the Court Watchers. As this might also aid in the assimilation into work of an associate with difficulties in aspects of socializing, we believe this might be for the benefit of both sides. Especially so given the accuracy of the information usually provided by the Watchers. To do so, we ask that you allow miss Fasnilthar to handle the regional adaptation and job introductory work for Miss Chiaisei, as we understand this might result in them developing the intended connection for things to proceed as our plans require. Or at least these were the instructions the Watchers responsible for the situation have arrived at. Though I cannot comprehend how it might happen exactly, I can say with some confidence the scenario described by them is rather likely to occur, if the situation is set up as instructed. We will be offering extra funds for the job's payment, to be certain Miss Fasnilthar will accept it. 

Alongside the efforts needed to bring the two young women to Miss Nalfimiria's presence, the other part of the request involves the remaining parts of this initial unit. Counting the adoptive magical beast living with Miss Chiaisei, they would total four members. Firstly I will also say that I plan on assigning my Sun Seeker, Sowanarcistvir Glarzinsain, as Miss Nalfimiria's official adjutant. Secondly and lastly, if you still consider it wise to put more suggestions up to them, be it simply to keep appearances or for the sake of additional numbers, I will have a request for this sixth member, if you decide to suggest any. Namely, that it might be of interest to both of our sides if this associate suffers from Factorial Disbalance Disorder (FDD), like Miss Fasnilthar, or of similar disorders of the soul. As Miss Nalfimiria is a therapist specialized on the subject, we believe this might both raise her interest and aid in the stabilization of the associate in question, as there likely aren't many as well studied on the subject than Miss Nalfimiria, and her constant supervision might provide benefits usual methods could lack. Regardless, the government will provide the association and these Pact Wardens later on the needed compensation for interfering with their lives. There are other plans in play to facilitate the installation for this group, however most of what I wished your aid with has been stated for now. I will await for your reply, be it positive or otherwise. With this said, I thank you for your time and consideration. 

From, 

(Royal Seal) Almenar Lairnisflaiz

Zainlastris, that same day

As the night grew ever darker, most of what remained shining over the course of the city were the lights made through social hands. For as connected to tourism and leisure as much of this city was, there weren't many hours of the day where large portions of it wouldn't remain shining. Viewed from several hundreds of fyetrij from the ground, the shapes of the Earth Towers surrounding it would be much clearer than while viewed from the streets. After a given height in which the people would become harder to recognize, and the separation between the buildings wouldn't be as clear as on the ground, viewing all Earth Towers present would be much easier. As would the soft lighting around their corners, and even the occasional appearance of masked figures atop one of the towers, a sign most common inhabitants of our world likely would never see. And though much manner of poetry can be written about how such a view might change one's perspective over a city, at the center of the frame portrayed in this scene is not Zainlastris, but a woman. 

One seemingly sitting on air above the city, glancing at it from above. No illumination from it reached her and even if it did no person could hope to spot this woman if she didn't wish to be seen, as aggressively beautiful as she and the clothes she sported were. Yet if she wished to be known, any person around those streets likely would instinctively glance upwards, towards the imaginary table at which she sipped a kind of tea she enjoyed. For even the weakest of creatures magically still have enough capacity to detect it to react while in the presence of those on the extreme ends of power. Like her and the chair she used, her cup simply floated far above the ground, showing no interest in respecting any laws concerning physics. She didn't even bother utilizing a kettle, instead occasionally filling her cup through a portal. If one were to be in her presence, it would be easy to see her every feature despite the darkness, still, as none could gaze upon her, she remained clouded in shadows, the likes of which offered her no impediment. Thus from her lofty seat she remained observant. Incapable of being seen, however, viewing all of the city below her all the same, down to the gravel rolling beneath the shoes of those roaming its street's. 

If one was to be in her presence, it would look like this woman was talking to herself as well. That's because, though her voice was heard by another, she spoke neither through a link spell nor any sort of communicator at that point. Through manipulation of sound and space, she had the ability to extend her voice to whoever she wished to speak to, and saw little to no difference between speaking through thought or this method. Thus she would simply opt for whatever means to speak as her listener decided, and in this case it was to speak literally. As much as one like her could make her thoughts sound exactly like speech through a spell link, the one she spoke to enjoyed listening to that voice directly. Firm and powerful, yet strangely sweet and melodic. A voice that could soothe one of their pains, inspire them to grow from it or to endure even the hardest of tasks. A voice that somehow sounded detached while also caring, this strange yet difficult to describe contradiction that so perfectly fit the being behind it. After briefly greeting the one at the other side of her connection, she continued speaking in response to the other's questions. 

—You say so, though in this case I hardly needed to participate directly. As the princess' kin have taken to calling her, "Stag" is one of our oldest soldiers. Old enough to have seen the end of the Expulsion War, even if still as a child. Combined with all of her experience watching humans closely, with someone like her assisting I barely needed to put my mind to work. — Having said as much, she then spent some moments in silence. Her voice carried the melodious effect previously described, yet it betrayed no emotion, as the one speaking it had the habit of remaining perfectly composed constantly. Likely that was the time it took for her partner in conversation to respond to her humble inquiry. 

—You three simply lacked the data to try to estimate how exactly our young empress would respond to the situation. Without any prior record of experiencing sexual affection of any sort, the only method of understanding how to trigger the needed response available was personality simulation. Any of the others could have done this as well. — Yet as always our floating sage denied any compliments, after being showered in praise by her listener. To remain humble despite her excellence was a great show of the wisdom this woman often would carry. That powerful visage remained still once more as she listened to the other speaker. As odd as a choice of only showing one side of the conversation might be, for the purpose of demonstrating the illustrious nature of this flying tea lover this might be enough. 

—That may be so, but there was no purpose in simulating the day through my part in the first place. You should have been used to seeing me do this by now as well. Not much of this day's conversations was worth instructing about in the first place, and both the princess and "Stag" likely could have told you the same things. You never asked for your own "script" either, so ultimately constructing the plan accurately didn't serve much of a purpose. Which is to say, I'm not doing this again. — The woman then again took a brief pause, one that this time was much shorter. 

—My girl. If your plan is to spend the whole night applauding me, know that I have better things to do. Just talk to the spare as if I'm there, and when I reconnect to it I'll recall everything you said. As little concentration as this requires of me, my main body shouldn't be wasted for such a pointless goal. If you have an end point, just go for it. — At the blunt interruption, her hearer got silent for a moment, before recovering their energy. Having heard them again, the woman continued talking like usual. 

—That is to be expected, however. Once you're over a thousand, if you can't dispense a bit of wisdom from time to time, you should start questioning your own intelligence urgently. Giving direction in a way that preserves their autonomy shouldn't be seen as a feat either. Especially not to one with my advantages. — There then occurs a different pause before she next opens her mouth. This one, slightly shorter than the others. 

—Firstly, I've said plenty of times that I don't like that metaphor in the first place. And I can't see why you would be shocked with this task in the first place. It isn't particularly complicated, and it fits you well. So, what do you want? — She asked, to which again the reply didn't last long.

—Suddenly trying to sound as sweet as possible. Not only that, but prolonging that particular attempt at showing appreciation. Most of the time you act this way around me to ask for something later on. You can use the spare for whatever you like, and it'll even pretend to be me, if this is about me. — The accusation done, that the following silence didn't last, as the one speaking to the woman bit back hastley against the allegation. 

—...My dear fool, if you put no effort towards it, your position as a leader will never be respected. Presently, your presence doesn't appear to inspire respect, and if that's the tone you wish to adopt constantly, that little respect won't have space to grow. Especially so if you plan on leaving most of the important talks in my hands. As soon as my presence becomes known, whatever is left of your good reputation will likely be instantly dissolved at this pace. Leading isn't simply a matter of skill, yet of proving to the ones following behind you that you are reliable. Such a trust isn't something earned instantly. — Spending a second in silence after listening to her query, the woman then replied. Mostly to emphasize her perception of the matter discussed, not hesitation to deliver the news. 

—But she is one of us, and thus has the skill to compensate for that attitude. And even then, she has a very delicate balance over how much clowning around she is willing to do. Striking such a fine balance would be far harder for you, so I would recommend against viewing her as an example. — After another pause to listen, she continued. 

—Not at all. The third wave has multiple people older than you, not to mention the jungle fairy. That thing also seems to know this balancing act better than you, in fact. Also, need I remind you- — She was interrupted, as she didn't need to remind her conversation partner of what she sought to say. 

—Still, introducing Nikzal to the others eventually was your plan. She beats you in all metrics and is still far stronger to boot. What then, head of the class? — The silence that followed wasn't caused simply by the duration of her partner's answer. 

—Well enough, I would say. I believe in a month they should already be in Galecirnan, based on the route we've been forging for them. It's possible the assassins will catch up to them in Wikninsatir, though. The best case for the merging is rather unlikely without direct intervention, yet even if things go badly we won't need to fake any deaths for too long. — There then was again a short pause for a reply.

—Indeed. The call for judgment will always reset her mind wheel. Even if it didn't, we are all standing watch over the situation. If violence might be involved, we never act without each other's agreement, as you should have heard plenty by now. — There was then another moment of silence for the answer. 

—It should be fine to leave it there. Having a single vessel faking sleep would require less effort than setting up an alarm for me everytime one of the others gets up. — A different, but shorter pause took place.

—If all you want in an occupation, there should be some need for help in the Learning Halls. It's always morning somewhere, and where there are conscious people there should always be something to do through those halls. If you wish to train as well, you should know who to look for. — After she spoke, another moment of hearing passed before she finally closed the spell connecting her to this other person. 

—And so, it finally begins. — She declared, this time not for the previous listener, but to two other women, who had similarly been floating around that imaginary table for some time. These two had appeared over the course of that conversation, and like the first would have been impossible to notice in the dark. Without making a sound, none could have spotted them in that place other than the previous woman.

—Indeed. How long has it been, I wonder? — One of the other two asked. Her voice was somewhat similar to the first woman, yet in a way it felt lighter to the ears. Calming, in many ways, as if her words made the world feel more relaxing. 

—Ah, who cares about the precise date? Not like any of us can forget this kind of thing, in either case. All that matters is that it has been too long. We don't take many chances to indulge as a group, nowadays. — The third spoke. Her voice sounded more active than the others, livelier in many ways. Yet it still carried the same ability to inspire, if the wielder of it sought to do so, still carrying much of that same power. 

—That it has. What matters is what follows, though, and the memories forged from this effort. Hopefully they will be enough to briefly lighten these aging souls of ours, as much as it can help the youths' growing wills. For now, all that falls to us is to continue observing. Yet it won't be long before our goals can be taken to action directly. Until then, let's limit interaction mostly to the confines of watching from these skies. I'll advance other duties for the rest of the night here. As they concern the eyes, your aid would be appreciated. Are you two fine with joining me? — At the confirmation of the others, all three women vanished. Even were one to shine a light in their position then, no sign of their presence would remain. And so ends the first day of this story.