One Year Ago

The halls of the Ameas estate had grown quiet. There was tension in the air, like a taut thread about to snap. Kei could hear it in the hushed voices of the servants, and in the way her footsteps seemed louder as she made her way to the east wing.

She paused outside her father's chamber. The heavy oak door was shut, as it was always now, but she could hear coughing inside, wet and rattling. The sound made her uneasy. She felt little sympathy for him after all the years he'd tormented her… but still, the thought of him being so weak felt wrong, like the sky turning green.

She lingered, just for a moment, then turned away before the servants posted at the door could ask her what she was doing there. They wouldn't stop her—she was still the master's daughter, a fact that had been drilled into them over the past few years—but their eyes still lingered in a way that reminded her she was also something else.

In her father's old office she found Oliver sitting at the desk. His coat hung over the back of the worn velvet chair, and his sleeves were rolled to the elbows, revealing ink stains on his wrists. The table before him was strewn with papers—ledgers, contracts, and folded letters with broken wax seals.

He didn't look up when she entered.

"You called for me?" Kei asked.

"Come in," he said, voice low and clipped. "I want you to hear this."

She stepped in silently and took the seat he nodded to, across from him. He ran a hand through his thick golden hair, frustration radiating off him in waves. He looked more like his mother than his father, but when he grew angry, she could tell they were related. But Kei had never feared Oliver's anger. She'd always known it was never meant for her.

"Father told me something," he said, at last. "Last night. Maybe the old bastard is finally accepting that he might actually be in trouble."

"What did he say?"

Oliver rested his chin on the back of his hands. "Apparently there is someone who owes us a favor, and a big one."

"A single favor?" Kei raised an eyebrow. "From a single man?"

"Not just any man. An Aegis."

Kei's eyes widened, then narrowed a moment later. "He's lying."

It was an impossibility. The Aegis were the ten most powerful spirit knights in Edria. It wasn't a title of nobility, but it may as well have been. In terms of status, they were seen as no less than a duke, only a step below the king himself.

But Oliver shook his head. "No, I could tell. At the very least, he believed he was telling the truth."

"What the hell could that—what could he have possibly done to get a favor from an Aegis? And why only try to call it in now?"

"He wouldn't say, and your guess is as good as mine. As for why, if I had to guess, it's his damned stubborn pride. He wouldn't relent until he had no choice. I'm shocked even death got him to do so."

The door creaked open behind them, and a slow, smooth voice crept in.

"Well, a favor from an Aegis eh?"

Kei whirled around as Oliver shot to his feet, face tight with alarm.

Effortlessly pushing past the guards was a tall, pale man in a black coat, with the familiar symbol of a playing card on its shoulder. Without meaning to, she looked into his blood-red eyes, and froze. His own gaze swept past her in a moment, focusing on her brother as the room itself seemed to dim.

Kei recognized him.

Her father had met with several spirit knights over dinner, and had meetings with even more. Each of them looked at her with disdain. Each of them spoke of disgusting things with grins on their faces. When they came for dinner, she remained silent.

But when the nightmares came, only one of them ever appeared. His slicked back hair was longer, and he wasn't as old as she'd thought—perhaps only in his thirties. But there was no mistaking it. It was the same man from the night with her father, so many years ago.

Oliver's voice was clipped and tense. "How did you get in here?"

The man raised an eyebrow. "I arrived at the front gate, and your servants… let me in."

There was a hint of humor in his voice, and Kei glanced towards the guards at the door. They had taken a step into the room and stopped, shaking too much to proceed. She wasn't much better, needing to force herself to take each breath.

"I don't like to be surprised," Oliver said through clenched teeth. "I would prefer it if you sent a message ahead of time."

"Now now boy. Do not mistakenly assume the Dealers care for your preferences. I don't schedule appointments with debtors."

Oliver's eyes hardened. "Close the door."

Kei thought for a moment he was talking to the servants outside, but without one of them moving an inch, the door suddenly slammed shut. Only then did she notice the man's shadow was larger than it should've been, stretching out across the floor and walls.

"Suppress that filthy aura of yours," Oliver growled. "Then we'll have your damn talk."

The man's eyes narrowed. "On whose account? Surely not the half-devil's."

Kei felt her throat constrict, and her knees gave out beneath her. Thankfully, there was carpet to break her fall.

Her vision dimmed—no, she wasn't there yet. The floor was just dark, covered in the man's impossible shadow.

I can't breathe. I can't breathe!

Kei clutched at her throat, but it didn't help, no breath came.

A light bloomed in the corner of her eye, like the gleam of a gold coin, and the shadows retreated ever so slightly.

The Dealer chuckled darkly. "Not bad Ameas, not bad at all. I see the rumors about you are true."

The shadows vanished in an instant, and Kei sucked in air, gasping as the man looked down at her with a look of disgust. She scrambled to her brother's side, heart pounding, which twisted the man's disgust into a sickening grin.

Oliver grabbed Kei's hand. "I swear by the kings… if you want to see a single copper coin from me you'll—"

"Oh hush," the man rolled his eyes. "You'll do as you're told. I must say, you're much more interesting than your father, though you look almost nothing like him."

As Kei slowly stood up, Oliver nudged her back, until she was standing behind him. He was tense, his hand clenched tightly, his knuckles white.

When he spoke though, his voice remained smooth. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"Of course." The Dealer smiled dryly.

He drifted further into the room, like a stain bleeding into fabric. "You know… I came here today intending to collect. Your father's breath runs thin, his estate, a ship with holes in its bottom, and of course, my associates and I aren't the only sharks in the water. It seemed as good a time as any."

How does he know about our father? Kei clenched the hem of her dress. That's supposed to be a secret.

Oliver didn't say anything, letting the silence after his words stretch further and further.

The man didn't seem to mind, he was savoring it.

"But lucky you," he finally went on. "You happened to be discussing something quite interesting when I arrived. Thank goodness my ears are so keen." He grinned wolfishly.

Oliver's tone was level. "You were eavesdropping."

"Oh, don't be so cold," the Dealer said. "This is an opportunity, don't you see? You should be thanking me."

"An opportunity? What exactly do you want?"

The Dealer turned, pacing along the desk's edge, glancing idly at the scattered contracts. "A simple arrangement. You're buried in debt, and not just to us. But I'll give you space. Breathing room. A deferment."

Kei stiffened. "Why?"

He glared at her, but continued anyway. "A favor like that, if it pans out, is an interesting thing. So a deal then. If your little gamble succeeds, then I'll collect double what you owe now. If it doesn't…"

"Then we're back to where we started," Oliver finished.

"Plus interest," the Dealer grinned. "But yes."

"You said it yourself, it's a gamble. Why bother?"

The man tapped the insignia on his shoulder. A playing card—the jester. "Do you think this is for nothing? There's no fun in it at all without some risk. And besides, I wouldn't want to jeopardize our… amicable relationship."

"I see. Thank you for your consideration." Oliver said flatly.

The Spirit Knight held up a finger. "Lucky for you, I happen to know where Pelior went. He left the capital a few weeks ago, heading northwest towards Falmouth. He went quietly, no escort, no fanfare."

Oliver's gaze sharpened. "You're giving us that for free?"

"Let's call it a token of goodwill," the Dealer said, already turning to leave. "Decide quickly though Ameas. The pot won't stay this sweet for long."

He paused at the door, fingers resting lightly on the frame.

"Oh, and one last thing. Don't mention us to Pelior, or you may find him becoming a bit less agreeable. Politics and all that, I'm sure you understand. You won't find many people in your position with options," he said. "But you were overheard. Be grateful."

Then he was gone, the door creaking shut behind him.

Kei exhaled slowly, but Oliver kept his gaze fixed on the door. For a moment, a few wisps of golden light streamed off of his skin, and the scent of incense filled the air. Then, it vanished, and Oliver collapsed into the chair, catching his breath.

"Are you alright Kei?" he asked.

Kei thought about the man's crimson eyes, peering at her like she was no more than a worm. She shuddered slightly, but nodded her head. "I'm fine. I don't get it though, why would he back off like that? If we go under before we can find Pelior—"

"That won't happen," Oliver said, his breathing slowing as he focused himself. "I won't let it. And I'd bet that's what he's counting on. If we can clear the rest of the debt in time, even without Pelior's help… then we can strike a deal with them when the deferment ends. That bastard's proposal is too good, we don't have a choice. Then the question is just who to send…"

A stupid thought crossed Kei's mind, but she shoved it down as her brother strode over towards the door. He threw it open, revealing servants who suddenly seemed incredibly busy.

"Come with me Kei, we have a lot to do."

And Kei followed her brother, just as she always did.

***

The council room of the Ameas estate had been quiet for the past month, but with a few letters from Oliver, that had all changed. The room now buzzed with the voices of their father's advisors as well as the highest-ranking members of the Ameas Trading Company, and not one of them looked pleased to be there.

Kei stood in the alcove near the window, nearest Oliver, but still distant enough as not to disturb the proceedings. He'd offered her a chair, but she'd refused. There were more important things to focus on right now. Around the table, the sharks tore at each other.

"They've doubled tariffs in the north and we've done nothing! If we continue to delay shipments from Dalreth, we'll lose the outer ports entirely," Orlaine, the head of the shipping fleet, snapped.

Errol, who ran operations to the north, replied calmly. "We're not giving them a copper more than we agreed. If the ports close, that's their loss."

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"We need to renegotiate, not escalate," muttered another. Brenet, the head of logistics, drummed a nervous beat on the table's edge. "Orlaine is right, we're bleeding routes."

"We're bleeding because someone's been making decisions without consulting the rest of us," Valra snapped, eyes cutting toward Oliver at the head of the table. "There's a reason we're supposed to meet and discuss such things, or did we change our charter and forget to mention it?"

Kei studied the woman's face. Varla was a member of a small noble family in Taravast that had invested early into the Ameas company. Her elderly father had long worked with Kei's, but in recent years Varla had stepped into the role, and Kei got the impression she wanted more control over the company than she had.

"Don't pretend this is about a process," Brenet muttered. "You just don't like that the boy's been doing his job."

"A job he shouldn't be doing," Orlaine cut in. "Or is this company not run by Thomas Ameas?"

"He is the heir," Mistress Dench spoke dryly from the edge of the room. The old woman was a servant of the family, and thus didn't sit at the table, but she'd handled their accounts for decades. No one balked at her interjection, but some didn't seem to like it.

"That doesn't make him capable," Valra complained.

Kei looked concernedly towards Oliver, who stood, rather than sat, at the head of the table. His eyes were drifting around, letting them talk, though she couldn't believe they would be so critical of him with him standing right there.

"Capable or not," Orlaine said, "He is not his father, that fact remains. It is us who keeps this company afloat. If Thomas Ameas is not here, then I fail to see why I should listen to this child."

Kei shifted her weight. The conversation had circled this point three times already. Orlaine and Valra wanted to wrest control from Oliver, slipping a hand into the reins while her father's absence stretched on. And still, he stood silent.

"You all would have us pretend this is business as usual," Valra said coldly. "Meanwhile I haven't heard directly from Ameas in a month. Have any of you?"

An awkward silence passed around the table as the rest of them pondered that question, and Kei caught a glint in Valra's eye.

Orlaine shoved his chair back. "I believe we should demand to see Thomas in person. I won't stand for being ignored anymore."

That was when Oliver spoke.

"He's sick."

The words dropped, into the middle of the table like a ledger stone, and they stilled.

He stepped forward, at last taking a seat at the table. "None of you will speak of what is said here today. Not to your wives. Not to your children. Not even to the walls."

The higher-ups shifted uncomfortably.

"My father is dying. I've spoken with the healers myself. It's a slow thing, but there is no mistake."

Valra leaned forward, and Kei could see the wheels turning behind her eyes. "And you're only telling us this now?"

"I've been busy," Oliver said sharply. He tossed a stack of documents onto the table, waiting silently as they were handed out and read. With each moment, the atmosphere got darker. Kei had seen the documents herself—accounts of all the debts they owed, a staggering amount.

Finally, Orlaine took a deep breath. "That bastard."

Oliver nodded. "I assumed none of you knew, seems I was right. The old man liked to put on a front, but make no mistake, we've been drowning for some time now."

"Then the house is rudderless," Orlaine followed up. "There must be a vote."

"We are not rudderless," Oliver snapped. "I am the heir, and I speak in my father's place. Do not forget that."

He stepped forward, hands planted firmly on the table.

"This is not for public ears. If word spreads now—if even a whisper of this weakness reaches the other houses—our contracts will be pulled, our routes seized, and our carcass picked apart by vultures. I trust you all understand this."

Kei watched Oliver from the edge. He was in control. He'd told her even before the meeting, more than half of the higher-ups would side with him even if there was a vote. He was unconcerned with anything other than the task at hand.

Finally, he continued.

"My father told me something important, a favor owed from someone above us."

"Who?" Brenet asked.

"An Aegis. Pelior."

"Aegis don't owe merchants favors," Valra scoffed. "Your father must have been lying."

"He wasn't," Oliver insisted firmly. "I don't know the details, but I'm certain my father was telling the truth. Furthermore, I know Pelior left the capital two weeks ago, heading northwest."

Frowns around the table. Several of them questioned him, how would he know?

"My source is a secret, but it's reliable."

Kei caught the slight bite in his tone at calling the man 'reliable', but it was subtle enough that none of the other's would have.

"Well then, what do you plan to do with that information?" Orlaine asked. "Summon him like a servant? He's not a piece we can move."

"We find him," Oliver said simply. "Find him and convince him to help us."

"And who do you expect to send?" Valra asked, smile thin. "We cannot just send anyone. I wouldn't trust it to a common servant, and beyond that, it would be disrespectful."

A silence passed as each person calculated the new information, no doubt planning ways to twist it to their benefit if they could.

"I could go," Brenet broke the silence. "I'm familiar with Falmouth, and the central basin if he diverts course."

"No," Oliver said. "We have to be discreet about this. You manage our southern caravans. This will likely be a several month-long journey. If you vanish, other houses will seize the opportunity."

"None of us then," Orlaine muttered. "I can spare some men, quiet ones."

"I wouldn't trust this task to men I've never met, even if you vouch for them," Oliver said. "And sending men in our employ would be a sign of bad faith. This is an Aegis we're talking about. Would you send those men to meet a Duke?"

The room simmered as each person volunteered a solution, but each one was rejected in turn. The trip was too vital to send someone less important, and yet too long for any one of them to disappear.

Kei watched it all unfold like a tapestry unraveling. And as the arguments wore on, the same thought kept repeating in her head.

None of them will do it.

She looked at Orlaine—needed on the docks. Brenet—too vital to the southern routes. Dench was too old. Valra too cunning and self-serving.

And her brother… out of the question.

She felt a tug, a pull in her chest that ached as she tried to push it away.

She knew why Oliver hadn't looked at her. He had always sheltered her, even when he hadn't meant to. She was grateful for that, she really was. As much as she longed to leave Taravast, to see what else there was… it scared her.

There's no one else.

Kei took a breath, and then stepped forward.

"I'll go."

There was a long silence.

"Don't be ridiculous," Valra finally said, a sneer on her face. "This isn't an errand for a child, much less a half-blood like you. If we were to send you to meet an Aegis, it would be nothing but an insult."

Several around the table muttered agreement.

But Mistress Dench spoke up on her behalf. "Kei is the master's daughter. Blood aside, there is meaning in that."

Others mumbled in assent as each eye in the room stared at her, calculating.

Shockingly, it was Oliver who spoke next. "Kei, no."

She turned to him, heart hammering.

"I know you don't want me to," she said, "but I'm the only one we can spare. They all have roles you can't replace. I don't. Tell me I'm wrong Oli."

"That's not—" he grimaced.

"I have no title," she reminded him. "Officially, I'm a simple servant. If I leave without an escort, no one will watch where I go. No one outside this house even knows who I am."

His jaw tightened.

"You'll take Cidus with you, as a guard."

Valra shot to her feet. "You can't be serious Oliver! You want to stake the future of this company on a Nla—"

"I will trust my sister with this task," Oliver said coldly. "We need to be decisive about this matter, so unless one of you has a better idea, my decision is final."

He looked around the table, but no one said anything more, even Valra, who was simmering with anger, her hands pressed against the table. The matter was settled.

But Kei could see it in their faces, none of them actually thought she would succeed. There was no one else, so they'd send her, but they were already moving on to new plans. At the very least, when she failed, they'd have lost nothing. With nods of reluctance, they switched gears.

"If we sell our holdings in Aleria we can pay off the merchants guild in Khadat…" Orlaine mumbled as the conversation continued.

It all grew distant as Kei suddenly felt very, very ill.

"I need… I need to step outside," she whispered. Kei stumbled to the door, pushed it open, and rushed out into the estate.

What the hell was I thinking?

She'd never even been to another city besides Taravast. The closest she'd gotten was going out on a boat with her brother, just to see what it was like.

And you got seasick, she reminded herself. But that was the wrong thing to think about.

Kei lurched through the doorway of the washroom and hunched over the sink, leaning against the cool marble as she turned the valve and water began to flow.

Then, she threw up.

***

Kei pulled the cloak tighter around herself, shivering in the cold as she prepared to board the carriage. There was a touch of frost on the grass in the courtyard, and the sky was still dark.

"Are you sure Kei?" Her brother asked for the thousandth time, standing between her and the manor. "You don't have to do this."

How badly she wanted to agree. Standing there in the cold, her trunk already packed in the carriage, too small for the journey ahead, she wanted nothing more than to shake her head and go back inside. To rest in her warm bed, and say it was all a silly idea. But maybe she was stronger than she thought, because instead, she found herself laughing dryly.

"A bit late to renege now, isn't it?"

He didn't laugh back, but the corner of his lip quirked up just a hair. She'd take it.

"You've got your money pouch right?"

"Of course."

"And our seal?"

"What about—"

"Oli."

He paused. "I'm sorry. I'm worried about you."

"Don't be," Kei tried smiling. "I'll have Cidus with me, won't I? Besides, I've heard Nladians are actually treated well in Falmouth. So long as I don't commit any crimes, I'll be just fine."

Oliver looked at her for another moment, then pulled her into a hug. For a moment, the cold seemed to pull back, and she felt warm again. Her fingers curled tightly into the back of his shirt.

"Stay safe Kei," he whispered. "I know you'll succeed."

She felt her eyes start to water, but she fought them back, and when the hug broke, she turned before he could see her face.

"Bye Oli," she said, forcing as much cheer into her voice as she could. "I'll make sure to write to you about all the fun I'm having out west."

She stepped into the carriage, and the door shut behind her, leaving her and Cidus in silence.

After a few moments, the carriage jerked into motion, and they were off. Kei clutched her hands, trying to stop them from trembling. It was just so cold.

***

Present Day

Kei waited for Corrin or Wyn to say something. They seemed to be mulling over her story in her head. The candles lighting the room had gotten low, she'd been talking for a while, and they'd taken a break in the middle to sneak downstairs and commandeer some candied nuts from the kitchen. Still, once she'd started, the words had come easier than she'd thought, like they'd wanted to come out all on their own.

She hadn't told them every little detail, but her upbringing, the way Nladians were treated in the east, the way she'd been raised, and of course, the situation that sparked their meeting in the first place, all of it had come out like a river.

They'd asked a clarifying question here and there, but Corrin and Wyn were actually good listeners, especially once Corrin had the snacks to occupy his hands.

So she waited for their final verdict. But she found that she wasn't nervous anymore. She'd known them for months now, she'd lived on the tiny back of the veldstrider with them. And if she was honest with herself, she knew it wouldn't change much.

But defying all her expectations, it wasn't either of the boys who spoke first.

A figure appeared in the air, a shimmering purple spirit in the form of a young woman, only six inches tall. She was blubbering as purple tears ran down her face.

"Oh that's so terrible!" The spirit cried, though it was a bit hard to understand her through the tears. "I had no idea things were like that! Your own father did such horrible things… and you'd never even left the city before! It's just—terrible!"

Kei, of course, reeled back in shock as the strange purple girl flew over and hugged her shoulder as best she could.

Wyn's eyes widened. "Eia? What are you doing?"

The girl turned around. "I was just so moved Wyn, she's just like me! I'd never left Straetum either! But at least I had you, and she had no one other than that Cidus guy! It's just so sad!" She bawled louder. The crying was almost comical. Loud and over exaggerated.

"Eia?" Kei asked, looking at the spirit. "Your name is… Eia?"

Corrin's eyes slowly narrowed, then opened wide with shock and betrayal. "Wait, you can see her? Oh come on! That's not fair! Wyn, tell her to let me see her too! Eia can I see you? Please?"

Eia ignored him, sobbing as she hovered in front of Kei. "I'm so sorry I ever doubted you! My name is Eia, I'm a spirit, and Wyn is my bonded human. We're partners."

Kei blinked twice. Slowly.

Why do I feel like my secret just got trumped?

"It's… nice to meet you?"

***

Kei drifted into her room some time long after that. Not only had Corrin and Wyn had a thousand questions to ask her, but she'd had a hundred of her own before that.

She fell face forward onto her bed with a groan. The day had been so lazy, but for some reason, she now felt exhausted. Even through the exhaustion though, she felt lighter. And it was nice.

She pulled a blanket up over herself, sighing in satisfaction as she pleasantly drifted off to sleep. And as she dreamed, the words she'd been looking for found her all on their own.

Dear Oli,

Things didn't work out quite as well as we'd hoped. I followed Pelior all the way to the Northern Plateau, if you can believe it. I really tried Oli, but… we lost the trail. At the last village we knew he'd been, we heard he walked off into The Windfall's one day, and never came back, and that had been weeks prior. I am sorry, truly.

Unfortunately, that is not the only bad news I must relay. Whilst I was returning, the caravan I was traveling with was set upon by bandits, and Cidus fell protecting me. He was a far better servant than we deserved, and I'll do my best to make sure it wasn't for nothing.

In regards to guildmaster Udyr, I believe we would do well to ally ourselves with him if this is something you are considering. As you'd planned, I had the chance to meet with him in person, and he was helpful to me during my time in Precipice. Though I am unsure of the financial benefits of such a partnership, if you believe it is worth pursuing, then of course I defer to your judgement.

I can only hope the situation has improved in my absence, though as you know I won't be returning entirely empty-handed. The magic stone certainly has worth, enough to pay off some of our debts in full, or at the very least buy us more time. I will continue to do what little I can from here.

But I imagine you'd rather hear of my travels. In your previous letter, you said you hoped I would come back with stories, and I'm happy to say you'll get your wish. Since I sent my last letter, I've seen and done more than I ever expected to. I met two boys around my age, Corrin and Wyn. They're traveling to Taravast as well, so we've banded together. You might be shocked to hear this, but I'm proud to call them my first friends, though writing it out is actually a bit embarrassing.

I look forward to introducing you all, I think you'll find them as interesting as I have. They're going to become spirit knights, so they'll surely be great allies of ours someday.

We're currently wintering in Titan's Pass with a lovely woman and her granddaughter who took us in. They've been great hosts, and the city has been wonderful thus far. It's so unlike Taravast I can hardly believe it. I hope someday, once this is all behind us, I can bring you here. I think you'd like it.

Though I could write for an eternity, I'll save the rest for when I return, so I can tell you in person. I'm sure by then I'll have even more stories to tell. There are so many things I want to say. So much I never thought I'd feel. But I'll admit, you were right, about the journey, and about other people. I cannot wait to see you again.

With love,

Your sister,

Kei

PS. If I find out you've given in and gotten married when I return, I'm going to be upset. No one gets to marry you without my approval. Consider this a formal threat.

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