If they were being honest, there were just too many possible suspects and too little time to figure out who had sabotaged Nera's outrigger. Nera also didn't seem to care much about who did it, but how it would affect her race.

"Once the events are over, it's no longer my problem, and I doubt they'd go so far as to try to kill me directly," she said as she sat on the side of her outrigger, fixing the vessel herself under the watch of two officials.

Henry and Ash looked at her with mild horror. How could she be so accepting of something so morbid?

"Momma...."

"Auntie...."

Nera cracked a small smile and lifted her hand to signal them to stop. "It's very clear what they want, and even if they don't sabotage me here, there are six other events where they'll have a chance." "But you can't just sit back and allow them to tamper with your equipment," Henry said. "It's your boat now, but it'll be your weapon or your chariot next!"

Nera let out a heavy, but resigned sigh and paused with her fingers still intwined with small, leather strips. She looked at them with a gentle smile.

"I'll take all the precautions I can, but the Invitational will end before we find the guilty party. In addition, those who ordered it and who actually did the dirty work are likely not the same person. As long as they don't try anything too heinous, and only target me, it's just a waste of time. I can handle myself," Nera replied.

The two brothers exchanged looks, both unwilling to accept Nera's response to being targeted.

"Momma, I still want to leave eyes here." Effie sat on the stern of the boat, her legs hanging off the side and gently swinging as she seemed lost in thought. "So, they can find out who wronged us."

"Effie's right. Even if we can't find out who is behind all of this, we may be able to capture who is getting their hands dirty to make sure it happens." Henry couldn't help but insist.

Nera tied the leather strips into secure knots and then took out a knife to cut the loose ends.

"I will leave some eyes here," Nera said, looking up at the two young men. "However, I would prefer they target me through my equipment, other than more important things." She gave them a knowing look and then turned to Effie.

Henry felt his skin curdle at the implication.

He had to agree with his aunt that he would rather his enemies target him directly than lay a hand on his siblings. His arms fell at his side, defeated.

Nera appeared satisfied that they understood her thoughts and completed the basic repairs. She checked the mast and shoved at the boom and float to check for any give. When she was satisfied, she stepped back and looked at the officials.

The officials double checked her work, which only seemed for show since they had watched her sit there and repair the broken parts themselves. "We'll keep guard over the outriggers tonight, Madam Atractas," they told her.

Nera gave them a firm nod of her head. She turned around and ushered her children towards the road. Three horses were waiting patiently, not tied to anything.

Effie had hopped off the boat and let out a whistle before rushing to her mother's side and grabbing Nera's hand. "Don't worry, Momma. The darkness has eyes now."

She meant that animals were watching in the dark and would report back to her, but to the guards and officials, they seemed to have taken it as something supernatural and visibly shuddered.

Henry sighed. "Don't say something so unnecessarily creepy."

"I'm not creepy." Effie puffed out her cheeks and looked at her brother with indignation.

"My baby isn't creepy." Nera pulled Effie up and held her in her arms. She kissed Effie's forehead. "Thank you for your precaution." Effie rubbed her face against her mother's and clung to her. Nera looked at her two boys. "While I'm in the dormitories, all of you should keep on your guard. That includes Hana and Hide."

"Yes, Momma."

"Yes, Auntie."

"And although our guards and the guards of others will be with Effie, Henry, keep an eye on her."

"Momma, I'm a good girl. I'm not going to do anything bad." Effie frowned and scrunched her face.

Nera chuckled and nudged her head with hers once more. "It's not you who I'm worried about doing something bad."

Effie's eyes widened and her mouth made the shape of an 'o'.

Henry had understood immediately that Nera meant to be on guard against those who wanted to target her through them.

"Momma, you must also stay on guard," Ash said in a soft voice as he looked at her.

Nera moved one arm from around Effie's back and brought her son closer to her. She kissed the top of his head again. "You just focus on your Exhibition."

The small family returned to Snake, Scarab, and Sons, where Hana and Hide were waiting for them. The Nobuya siblings were given warnings to be aware of their surroundings, as if someone was targeting Nera, they could try to get to her through those related to Ash. Or worse, it wasn't just Nera they were targeting, but Carthage Harbor's competitors, Hana and Ash included.

Hana assured her she would pay attention and reported that dinner had been so strained with worry for Nera after the Atractas siblings left that it fizzled out, and everyone decided to go back and reschedule after the Invitational's athletic events.

"I'll ask Madam Stavos to tell everyone you're fine," Hana said.

"Thank you, Hana." Nera looked back at the younger generation around her. "Don't look so worried," she said with an almost amused smile. "I'll be fine."

The simple reassurance wasn't enough to completely calm her children, but if Henry thought about it logically, Nera would be able to handle herself well no matter what the competition threw at her.

She'd been carried to shore by orcas who escorted her once she left the bay, had them bring her broken outrigger back with her, and had enough wits about her to ask the mermaids who came to find her to check on the checkpoint ship and verify its location and crew, just to confirm her suspicion.

The next day, she went to the dormitories and they wouldn't meet her again until after the all-around chariot race, which was the final sporting event of the Invitational.

Ash and Hana went with Hide to continue setting up their Exhibition, so Henry took Effie to meet with her friends. He made sure to inform all parents and guards of Nera's concerns, and though they were understanding, several were upset that such a thing would happen.

Effie seemed to believe in her mother the most and easily settled into the comfort of reuniting with friends. She wrote often and would visit when they were near where a friend was located.

Ash and Henry really hadn't exaggerated when they said that Effie's circle was large.

Henry didn't even know Effie had contacts in Shae, as she led her friends to a restaurant built in and on top of one of the old fortress walls that looked over the city. Henry didn't think much of it aside from being surprised she knew about it, until a little girl met them at the door, excited to see Effie.

The girl was a direct descendant of the Liyun family, which was the oldest merchant family in Shae.

"Good news!" In a private room with a half dozen round tables seating ten people each, the Liyun daughter pulled out a slightly crumpled envelope with a familiar white and gold wax seal. "I have been accepted!"

A series of impressed gasps and then clapping from children, and a few attentive guards, filled the room as the girl held out the acceptance letter from West Wind Girls Academy.

"Was the test hard?"

"How long did it take?"

"Was the interview scary?"

Several little girls, including Mariana, who couldn't attend due to the nature of being a mermaid, asked.

The little boys around the table were impressed and some even carried looks of envy. There was no all-boys equivalent of West Wind Girls Academy. Their elite education, if they had one, consisted of private tutors, then local schools with good reputations.

If they pursued it, they could study at a college or go into a specific class school. For example, Ash's friend Reggie went to a school for bards.

Henry and Ash had private tutors and local schooling. It wasn't too vast of a difference from what they would've expected to study had they never left Ashtar.

"I never thought I'd get to come to Gardens at the Fortress," one of the guards of the children, whom Henry was seated with at a table at the edge of the room, whispered to the group.

Another guard nodded, enthusiastically. "I heard the waitlist to dine here is two years long, and you have to have a connection to even get on the waitlist."

"I heard you have to be royal or famous," a nanny added with some awe. "My young miss's mother has been trying to come, but it's been difficult."

"Young Master, how does Miss Effie know the owner's daughter?" another guard asked him.

"I honestly don't know," Henry admitted without any shame. "Effie makes a lot of friends."

"Effie, can't you ask your mother to take the test earlier?" The Liyun daughter's sounded hopeful.

Effie shook her head. "I want to spend more time with Momma and my brothers, plus I still need to do more training with my master."

Part of Henry wondered if Effie's hesitation had anything to do with wanting to join them in retaking Ashtar. As much as Henry was proud of Effie's gifts and skill with beast mastery, as her older brother, he didn't want her to get involved in something so messy.

Effie was still just a child. A worldly child, but a child none-the-nonetheless.

Retaking the throne of a country would not be bloodless, despite all the precautions they were taking to lessen the damage a coup would do to an already impoverished nation.

"Young Master," one the guards said from his seat across from him. "Why aren't you competing this year? We were all excited to watch you."

Henry chuckled and smiled. "Not this year. I should give others a chance. Besides, if I'm competing, who's going to keep that one under control." He pointed over his shoulder towards his sister.

"...and that's why I want to ride a dragon!" Effie finished what she was rambling on with the other children. Henry resisted the urge to run a hand down his face.

"I know where there are dragons! The cloud riders of the Cloud Continent came and are giving free rides during the Invitational!" one energetic child exclaimed. "We should all go!" The children seemed to automatically agree.

Around the tables with guards and nannies, and exhausted older siblings, there was a collective heavy sigh.

Well, Henry thought to himself. At least Ash isn't doing anything intense.

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"Call the medics!" Ash shouted as he knelt down beside one of the laborers who had been holding up a metal frame for the exhibition across from Ash's, when the frame that was supposed to connect to it slipped out and swung, shearing off the cloth of the man's shoulder and leaving a gaping, bloody open wound.

People were yelling as several laborers struggled to restrain the swinging frame while the presenters who were setting up rushed to the medic office at the far back of the Exhibition Hall. Other presenters looked over from their spots, a few even running in from other aisles, to find out why there was so much screaming all of a sudden.

Ash tore off the sleeve of his shirt and wrapped it around his fist before pressing it against the wound to try to slow the bleeding.

"The medics are coming!" someone shouted.

"Take a deep breath. You're going to be fine," Ash told the laborer from Kregrad, one of the Dareisol cities invited to the Invitational. The man was on his back, his teeth gritted as he hissed out breaths to try to keep calm as blood soaked his shirt.

"How bad is it?" he wheezed out in Dareisolian. Ash knew enough of the language to reply in a broken and heavily accented voice.

"Only flesh. You will need time to heal." Hearing that it was just a flesh wound and not that bone had been broken, the man looked relieved. He rested his head back against the cold, hard stone floor of the Exhibition Hall and closed his eyes.

"Make way!" Someone yelled from behind him. "The medics are coming!"

Ash looked over his shoulder and as soon as they were near, he prepared to stand, but kept his pressure on the wound.

A medic thanked him as he fell to his knees beside the injured man. Ash released his hold and stood up. He stood to the side, helping reassure people who came that everyone was fine and the wound was not fatal. It was just an accident, though judging from the wound, the injured man would need to take time off heavy labor.

"It's deep," the older of the two medics said with discernment. "We'll need to take you back to sew the wound close."

A ripple of concern went through the crowd. It really was just a flesh wound, but it was a deep flesh wound. From the sound of it, blood loss would be a concern.

"Can't you use a suture pen?" Ash asked. "If the wound is held closed, a suture pen can be used to reconnect the flesh and torn skin. It's slower than sewing to close the wound, but it will heal faster."

"Suture pens are expensive," one of the medics said with a disappointed expression. "And they only last a few hours."

For a moment, Ash's mind went blank. He wasn't so surprised that the pens were known as expensive. Word that the Magic Tower was mage duel agreement-bound to lower their prices likely hadn't spread yet. The pressing concern was the second sentence.

His face darkened. "What do you mean it only lasts a few hours?"

Ash had a suture pen. Aside from the ones he'd made a better replica of in order to avoid purchasing from the Magic Tower, the one made by Cyrus' own hands was loaded with magic to the touch. Ash almost figured that under normal use; it would last indefinitely.

The medic was shouting orders for someone to get the stretcher in order to carry the injured man back. He looked at Ash, who appeared stricken by the knowledge.

The medic cocked his head, a bit confused. "Suture pens only last a few hours, so unless the situation is dire and sewing a wound close is too risky, we'll use the suture pen."

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Ash felt cold all over. "How many times can you use it?"

The medic looked down, as if searching his head for an answer. "Three to four surgeries, but in terms of hours...perhaps twelve?"

"Then...you only use them in the direst situations?" Ash asked, his voice tight.

"This is common practice, yes."

For a moment, Ash wanted to hit something. Artificially limiting the use of a medical device was a low he didn't think the Magic Tower would do, especially considering the price of the suture pen.

"Didn't the Federation buy more medical supplies in preparation for the Invitational?" Hana appeared beside Ash, frowning. "There should be more than enough."

"The Magic Tower recalled the order," another presenter said. "Xiu had to send the spares from the last Invitational to cover the orders that had been cancelled."

"Why did they cancel the order?" Ash barely held his voice back from yelling.

"Apparently, they're readjusting their supply chain," the presenter on Ash's other side replied. "I suppose, they wanted to make sure there was a stock while they readjusted."

"Has a price change been announced?" Ash asked in a low voice.

"Price change?" Several people looked at each other as the stretcher arrived. "I haven't heard of one."

"I did hear that the Magic Tower is going to purchase from their own suppliers to try to lower the cost."

"Their own suppliers?" Ash felt his skin crawl. "You mean from themselves?"

"Doesn't that just mean they can charge for the parts to make the product however way they please?" another presenter said what he was thinking.

In the Federation, there were laws and policies about supply chains to prevent predatory reselling to justify final costs.

The Magic Tower did not abide by Federation laws, though.

It didn't take a magic genius to know that the Magic Tower would purposely source the raw material for products for cheap and then "resell" them to itself at a ludicrous price in order to keep the 'at cost' amount nearly the same as the current price of the product. Somehow, they'd find a way to keep the money, either by adjusting resources to suit them or conflating the labor costs.

A small, sharp bitter laugh came from Ash. "I should've known."

"Ash." Hana tugged his arm to try to get his attention.

He continued to stare ahead. "There isn't a good one amongst them." He could feel the magic energy around him rise as his temper increased. His thoughts were filled with resentment and frustration that he didn't seem to register what was happening around him.

"Now is not the time, Ash!" Hana shouted, cutting through his thoughts. She waved her hand in front of his stunned face. "You can deal with them after."

He blinked, shaking his head to collect himself. Hana was right. They had something to do first.

"I knew they were greedy, corrupt, pathetic excuses for mages, but really?" Ash let out a heavy breath of disbelief as he shook his head. "We made an agreement...."

"And they found a loophole," Hana said with a frown. She lowered her eyes and shook her head, her arms helpless at her sides. "I know you didn't want to believe they would, but are you really surprised?"

Ash closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His hands clenched at his sides. He turned around and marched away from the injured man and medics as they were leaving. He marched towards the other side of the aisle, where they took a large section of the hall for their exhibition presentation. "If they reneged on the agreement, those mages would die. That contract had a blood oath. What if this ridiculous money laundering plan didn't work?"

"But it did. They outsmarted you this time." Hide crossed his arms over his chest as they reached him. "You can't beat them all. There are hundreds of Magic Tower mages."

Ash clenched his jaw so tight, a vein could be seen. He swallowed hard. "It's like it would kill them to be human for once."

Hana stroked his back. "You tried, Ash."

Ash's chest rose and fell with heavy breaths. He slowly calmed himself and relaxed his jaw. "If they won't sell the suture pens at cost, then we'll make better ones."

Hide furrowed his brows. "You know they'll try to litigate-"

"We can make better ones." Ash turned around to face him. "Cyrus created them in his youth, when he was still an inexperienced mage. He's come so far that amongst all the mages I've met; he's one of the few I consider a peer." He motioned to Hana. "And now he has you," he said. "And me."

Hana met his intense gaze for a moment, as if studying his face and the cold determination in his eyes fueled with spite. She lifted her chin, agreeing with his act of defiance. "We'll make their stolen pens obsolete."

Ash lowered his eyes and nodded with cold resignation. He walked through the narrow 'door' of the privacy screen to get to the wide space where they'd use chalk to mark where the tracks would go. Several laborers from Carthage Harbor who'd worked with them before were laying the tracks in accordance with their instructions.

He stood in front of the equipment they had laying around, preparing to be set up.

"Hana, I want to do this again in two years," he said. "With a focus on magic enhanced medical supplies."

Hana stood beside him. She leaned against his arm and rested her head on his shoulder to half encourage him and half comfort him. "Carthage Harbor won't have a problem with being represented by Moonflower. If we tell them we want the next ten years' worth of Exhibition, they won't complain."

Ash swallowed hard and nodded. It seemed that he'd have to deal with Henry's return to the throne more efficiently than ever.

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The contagious buzz of energy seemed to fill the air on the opening day of the Invitational. Visitors were wearing bands with symbols and colors representing their respective cities and in the stands, fans had carved out sections to cheer on their competitors.

Carthage Harbor was awash with people wearing striped blue and white scarves with the star compass symbol of the city on them. Hana, Effie, Terry, and Cio wore hats emblazoned with embroidered star compass symbols. The children gripped little flags with the symbol in their hands.

They were seated just a row behind the prominent Carthage Harbor city council members who'd come to show their support.

"It's a shame the others can't sit with us," Terry said. "But I suppose they should go and support their own cities, too."

"It would be a bit embarrassing for them to cheer for their own people from a different fan section," Hana replied.

The stands for the opening ceremony were right by the water. A portion of the harbor front had been turned into a stadium with massive ships in a line with stands and a floating stage.

There were performances all morning, a revolving parade of introductions of the cities competing, their strengths and what they hoped to accomplish.

In truth, Henry and the others only paid attention when it came to Carthage Harbor. City leaders had come up to introduce some of their key, experienced, and promising competitors. They acknowledged their excitement for Nera, who was at the east harbor, preparing for the solo outrigger event that would kick off the Invitational.

The other strength Carthage Harbor had was the Exhibition, so Ash and Hana had been on the floating stage, introducing themselves and hinting at their Exhibition. When they left, many people tried to get their attention to find out more, but the two were polite and said they needed to return to their seats.

Of course, when they got to their seats, enthusiastic council and city leaders checked to make sure their set up was going well and asked if they needed any additional assistance. The two assured them the setup was done and they would start tests.

Hana invited them to see their Exhibition presentation before opening, and Ash took the opportunity to share his hopes that he and Hana could continue to represent the city in the future.

The excitement in the eyes of the city leaders at Ash's suggestion was almost worrying in that Henry was worried they'd faint from excitement.

Though the opening ceremony lasted hours, people were coming and going. There was eating in the stands and vendors both on land and on boats were serving food to hungry fans. The children had marinated grilled meat wrapped in thin flat bread while drinking coconut juice.

Hana had a rice bowl and shared a lamb shank with Ash while Henry ate three different kinds of skewers. This was in addition to the various snacks and sweets they brought.

Henry eyed his little sister. She would be excited for the rest of the day and then wouldn't be able to sleep.

About an hour before sunset, booms sounded around the area as clouds of colored smoke burst into the air alongside the sound of trumpets announcing the start of the first event.

"They're coming!" Effie shoved the remainder of her food into her mouth, hastily wiped her hands on her shirt, which Henry made a mental note to soak before washing, and grabbed her little Carthage Harbor flag.

Drums pounded, making their bones vibrate as a parade of colored sails with massive symbols appeared from the east harbor launching point. The starting line was alongside the stage area and red buoys marked it.

Along with the outriggers were smaller boats to help them get into place.

"Esteemed guests of the Federation of Merchant Cities Invitational Games! As per tradition, our first event begins with the start of the two-week-long, seven event competition. The all-around tournament!"

Boisterous yelling filled the air as fans cheered all around them. Their own yelling was drowned out by the crowd.

"Every other day, these athletes will race, fight, and survive grueling challenges, starting with the solo outrigger sailing competition. What is trade without the sea? The water is in our blood!"

This elicited more cheers from the Merchant Cities.

"In just a few moments, our competitors will set sail for an overnight race out into open ocean, here they will need to round the last of twenty checkpoint ships before returning and arriving back at the finish line, here at Shae Harbor, by morning! Our competitors are...."

They always started off with the non-merchant cities, which were invited guests to participate as a show of goodwill and hospitality. The individual sailor would be introduced along with what city they were representing. If they placed near the top the previous year, their achievements would be mentioned.

Then they went through the Merchant Cities by order of joining the Federation. However, the last city introduced with the winner of the precious Invitational's all-around winner.

While the family clapped for each of the cities named, with Effie cheering a bit louder for the cities her friends were from, they were really holding their breaths for the last city.

"And finally, our winner from last year's Federation of Merchant Cities Invitational-"

"I'm so excited!" Effie screamed, shaking.

"Nera Atractas representing Carthage Harbor!"

Henry couldn't hear his own voice over the sound of all the screaming and ringing bells around him. The children were jumping up and down in the row in front of him, throwing their arms in the air and screaming for 'Momma' or 'Auntie'.

Across the water, though in the distance, they could see a woman in dark blue pants cut off at the knees with blue borders and a matching top with loose sleeves standing beside the mast of her outrigger. Her hair was braided and in a ring around her head while her eyes were covered by a veil. Her veil had the symbol of the city, as did the back of her shirt.

She was smiling as she raised an arm with a hand in fingerless white leather gloves and waved towards the stands where Carthage Harbor was located.

As the crowds died down, the competitors were instructed to get into position. To start, all their vessels were aligned at the starting point with masts at the ready, but all the sails had been furled. They bobbed up and down, watched carefully by officials on boats.

The stands were silent as the sound of a drum counted down.

One beat cleared the harbor and made their bones shake in their seats.

Henry could see his aunt posing in position with a rope in her hands.

Another drum beat. His hands twitched at his side, as if he were ready for an event, too.

As the last drum beat, a loud horn blew and white smoke was shot into the air. Almost at once, the sails of the outriggers were unfurled and adjusted to catch the wind.

Nera's wasn't the first boat out, but that was normal.

Regardless, everyone cheered, shouting for their representatives on the water. Nera was controlling the sails using her body as a weight to get to the pack at the head.

They flew across the water, heading for the opening of the harbor.

"My heart is beating so fast," Hana said as she raised a hand to her chest. "I can only imagine what it's like for Auntie."

"Momma's done this many times. She says she finds it relaxing once she gets started because she likes being on the water," Ash told her.

"All Lunapsar like being on the water," Master Chanda, who had been sitting and enjoying a drink beside the children, chuckled. "The Celestial Kingdom was an island and one of the first things children learned was to swim, paddle, and sail."

"I do like sailing," Effie said with an affirmative nod. "But...I like paddling even more."

"Why? Isn't that more work?" Cio asked, wrinkling his face.

"I like the way my heart goes boom every time I surge forward with a stroke," Effie said, making paddling motions with her arms. "Especially when we're in a race. It is human against nature, and it's exciting."

Hana looked at Ash. "Do you like the water?"

Henry let out a snort beside Ash. "When he was a child, he used to play in the reflection pools. He especially liked to float on them since they were shallow." To be fair, Ridua was also hot most days, so chubby baby Ash loved to cool down in water.

How many times had Henry had to wade into the reflection pool of Nera's pavilion to haul his brother, who refused to get out, back on to shore? Then there was just a few months earlier in the Smiya Shallows where Ash had no problem spending hours underwater.

"It was hot!" Ash retorted.

Henry rolled his eyes.

The vessels disappeared into the horizon as the sun grazed the ocean. The ceremonies were completed, but the stage was being repurposed, as a large sign would be used to track the scores of the all-around. This time, cities were listed in alphabetical order for ease.

The family went to their next appointment. For non-competitors, the Invitational was a time to network and reconnect with friends and trading partners. In the week leading up to the opening ceremony, their social calendars had been filled.

Ash and Hana were meeting some associates from the last Exhibition. Effie was meeting with friends everywhere, and Henry was tagging along.

Tonight, they were meeting with a prince from the Suna Empire, the younger brother of the current Empress. Suna was Shae's southern neighbor and had strong trade with them.

They entered a modest seaside restaurant with a private rooftop terrace.

Henry hadn't made it through the door when he heard Effie shriek. He quickened his step and found that his sister was hugging a chubby little boy with his hair in a top knot.

"Sister Effie!" The little boy had a lisp and clung to the larger Effie as he rubbed his flushed cheeks against her. He spoke in Iverian Common, but had a Sunan accent. "Missed you!"

"My baby!" Effie's affectionate cooing was reminiscent of Nera as she tried to gather the two-and-a-half-year-old prince. She kissed his fat cheeks, making him flush even more and become shy.

Ash and Henry gave an apologetic look to the tall, handsome thirty-something year old man who looked exasperated at his nephew.

"Your Highness," the three adults greeted him with respectful bows.

Effie gasped, as if reminded. She turned around with the toddler still in her arms and bowed. "Your Highness Prince Tae!"

The man smiled at them with gentle, amused eyes. "Good evening, Young Masters and Misses," he said. "Young Master Stavos, good to see you again."

Cio bowed his head. "Your Highness."

"And who is this little girl?" Prince Tae asked.

"She is Terry and she's my friend! Baby, say hi to my friend." Effie positioned the toddler prince in front of her.

The child's big, grape-like eyes blinked and he lifted a chubby hand. "Hello."

Terry seemed to flush and tremble with glee. "So cute...."

Cio rolled his eyes. "This is Prince Muran, the youngest child of Empress Yayei of Suna." Terry sucked in a sharp breath.

"Ah...your...Your Highness!"

Prince Tae chuckled. "All right, all right, don't be so formal," he said. He motioned to a shorter table next to the bigger one for adults. The shorter table had things to color and play with. "Have a seat," he told the children. "You can order whatever you want to eat." He gave Effie a knowing look. "But limit it to one dessert."

Effie dared to look shocked. "Uncle Prince Tae, I restrained myself!"

He leaned down and patted her head. "Don't think I don't remember how you ate half a plate of almond crisps at my birthday, which gave you a stomach ache."

Cio gave Effie a disapproving look. "What did I tell you about overeating sugar?"

"I-"

"Effie, we're going to have to make sure you limit yourself," Terry said sternly. Effie deflated.

The children took their seats and Prince Tae led the three adults to take their seats at the larger table.

"My sister wanted to come, but you know the tradition. She sends her regards and once more...." Prince Tae took a deep breath, as if steeling himself for what he was about to say next. "Wishes for Madam Nera to 'please visit her'."

Henry had met the Empress before she was crowned. Reigning monarchs didn't leave their countries for events like the Invitational, so their heirs or close family did on their behalf. Empress Yayei was a junior of Nera at the West Wind Girls Academy and was as clingy to Nera as Soraya's sister was to her.

Yayei's heir was in her early teens and was in the midst of training as a Crown Princess, so Prince Tae, the younger brother she often ordered around, came along with her youngest son, Prince Muran.

"For certain reasons, we plan to visit Suna soon," Henry told him. He met Prince Tae's eyes and then glanced over at Hana, who seemed interested in the toys the kids were playing with.

"Your Highness, those are locking bricks and gears," she said. "Were they by any chance created by the Mei Company?"

"Yes, they were."

Hana nodded. She gave him a bow as she stood up. "I'd like to show the children what they can do." Without another word she got up and walked to the smaller table, telling the server nearby to get her another chair.

Ash chuckled and slid his hand forward, towards the center of the large table. He tapped his finger, activating a small slip.

He looked at Prince Tae and gave him a subtle nod. "We're good."

Prince Tae relaxed his shoulders and leaned forward. He adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose. "Ashtar sent a delegation to the Invitational." The two brothers immediately frowned and he quickly elaborated. "They're not here to compete, just to be seen. They tried to come through Suna, but we rejected their request to come through the country after recent...disagreements."

"We heard about that," Henry said in a low voice. "But to my knowledge, the Federation didn't reach out to Ashtar at all."

"You don't need to have the Federation invite you to come and watch the Invitational," Ash said, leaning back against his chair and crossing his arms over his chest. "Like the Lunapsar, they are also likely trying to gain attention and legitimacy on an international stage."

Prince Tae raised a brow and almost sneered. "They certainly don't have the allies to." He paused and looked at Henry with a bit of apology. "This is in regard to the current ruler."

Henry waved off his apology. "Don't worry, I know."

"You know who was going to come?" Prince Tae asked. "The Crown Prince." The cold air that came off the brothers made Prince Tae shudder. "But you needn't worry about him coming."

"Why not?" Ash asked with surprise. Henry rolled his eyes.

"He broke his leg." Both he and Prince Tae answered at once. Prince Tae looked surprised that they knew while Henry gave Ash a dull look. "Did you forget?"

Ash's brows shot up. "Oh, yeah...."

"How did you two know?" Prince Tae asked. "We had to get our people to find out after the excuse they gave while applying to pass that he was looking into marriage and couldn't leave the country." He paused and shook his head. Sighing, he leaned back against his seat. "Wait, you have Madam Nera and her animals."

"It wasn't through Auntie and her animals," Henry said, smirking a bit as drinks were brought to their table and he reached for one. He looked at Ash, who didn't appear at all bothered. "Ash was the one who did it."

Ash lifted his glass in a toast, prompting the other two men to clink glasses with him. "And I'd do it again."

Prince Tae grinned back and took a long sip from his glass. "Are you willing to keep that energy up for others?"

"Others?" Ask raised a brow.

"The Crown Prince's representative, Minister Heikohbi, is here."

"Heikohbi...." Ash frowned. "I don't recognize that name."

Henry narrowed his eyes. "I don't either, but I know the Kohbi family," he said as he lowered his glass. "The Old Bastard's half-brother's mother was a Kohbi."

"The sickly one who can barely walk on his own?" Ash asked. Their father originally had many siblings, including several brothers, but in the end, only the weakest brother was allowed to survive, likely because he posed no threat. "How did his maternal family get the Hei-title? I didn't think he liked the Old Bastard, let alone any of the Old Bastard's children."

Henry sneered. "He certainly didn't like me."

"I don't know the details, but he has been the primary force in gathering allies for your half...for the Crown Prince in the last two years," Prince Tae replied. "Perhaps they have benefits."

Ash looked at Henry. "Do you think Momma knows?"

Henry nodded. "She mentioned that the Kohbi family supported the Crown Prince, likely at the instigation of our sickly uncle."

"Why?" Ash appeared doubtful. "What does he have to gain?"

Henry took another sip of his drink. "Survival. If they don't side with the little bastard, he may get rid of the uncle and the family supporting him. Like many of the noble families, they need to pick a side."

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