“Is he all right?” Ash asked as he watched Sumak sit on a bench by one of the narrow windows in the corner of the hall, leaning against the wall with a blank expression.
Princess Maia glanced at her cousin. “No, but he will be.”
“You sound used to this,” Henry said before taking a sip of wine.
Princess Maia took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “This isn’t the first time he’s been so in love with someone that he’s determined to marry them.”
Ash and Henry exchanged looks and Ash leaned forward. “Isn’t he only eighteen?”
“When was six, he said he fell in love with his nanny’s daughter,” Sumak’s mother told them.
“Oh-”
“She was eighteen at the time.”
The two brothers pursed their lips.
Prince Jasaw barely held back a grimace. “When he was nine, he claimed he’d fallen in love with the daughter of a pastry shop in town. She was married and wore her baby in a wrap as she worked.”
Henry and Ash both turned their heads to the distraught man by the window. “He was still a child then. I’m sure at this age....” Ash trailed off, sounding a bit helpless.
“At twelve, one of the young trainees for my guard,” Princess Maia said, starting to count them off. “Not half a year later, the training instructor. At fourteen, he almost followed a horse trader’s caravan to be with someone else. That someone else ended up being a young man and despite being rejected, Sumak said it didn’t matter and wanted to spend his life by his side. The caravan left as soon as they could.”
Henry could almost see the sight of an entire caravan picking up and leaving in the middle of the night just to avoid an infatuated nobleman.
“To be fair to my son,” Sumak’s mother said. “Shortly after, he met an apothecary student who’d come to train and eventually take over her uncle’s shop. They were about the same age and it lasted for three years. Sumak was very happy with her and was planning on proposing when he turned eighteen. I was quite pleased with her, as well. She was polite and patient, humorous, too. And was truly knowledgeable in her field.”
“What happened?” Ash asked. The look on his face hinted that he suspected Sumak might have done something outrageous that made her leave him.
“She fell in love with one of his guards and they eloped,” Princess Maia replied. Ash and Henry both let out low hisses. “Exactly. Sumak hasn’t had the best luck with women...or men, for that matter.”
“My son is a good boy,” Sumak’s mother said in a voice almost desperate to have these two new friends of her son believe her. “It’s just that when he falls in love, he is determined until his heart is broken. He was so sad after she left him. You know, he’s much thinner now than when he was with the apothecary.”
“Hmm...yes, Sumak used to be quite muscular,” Prince Jasaw said, puffing out his chest and hitting his hand over his heart. “He takes after the Amar side! Strong, strapping! I don’t know why that woman chose a guard over him!”
“Indeed! Sumak looks just like his late father. He was the most eligible bachelor in the nearby principalities in our youth!” Sumak’s mother almost slapped the table in front of her, appearing affronted that her son would be passed over.
Henry and Ash looked at each other and then back to Sumak. Perhaps it was because they were constantly around good-looking people from a young age that their point of view was skewed. Not only were they good-looking, but Nera was also considered a world-class beauty, as were the rest of the women in the Court of Imperial Wives.
Even their late brothers were good-looking as children and would certainly have grown to be handsome men. It wasn’t that they thought Sumak was ugly. Far from it. It was just that their standards were higher than normal.
“What matters is that he has a good personality,” Ash said. Henry kicked him under the table.
“He is still young. Perhaps he hasn’t met the right person yet who will be compatible and live well with him,” Henry replied. His answer was much more mature and relaxed. “He has room to grow. To see the world and learn more about it and himself. Our family stresses the importance of experiencing life outside the walls.”
Prior to the last two Emperors of Ashtar, imperial children, both young men and women, were encouraged to do service work outside and in conjunction with the palace, as well as explore the country and abroad. Unfortunately, limitations were then placed after, limiting the scope of what they could do in order for the Emperor to have better control over his children.
It wasn’t said out loud, but many people in and outside of the court thought it was a shame and detrimental to Ashtar’s progress.
Princess Maia looked at her cousin with a dull expression. “We’ve been trying to encourage him to travel more, have more dealings with our neighbors. He’s actually quite talented in arranging resources for things like wood and stone for the princedom, but he says there is no point if there is ‘no one to love’.”
“He gets that from his father’s side,” Prince Jasaw said, earning him an irritated eye roll from his sister.
Henry looked back at the Princess. “How did you find out about the Zimora Princess and Ashtar?”
An irritated look appeared on her face. “The King of Zimora is willing to sell his daughter for favor, and she is willing to be sold for power and wealth. The reason why her engagement fell through was because her father wanted more access to crops despite the original arrangement. The betrothed’s father refused, so the King of Zimora cancelled the engagement. There was a large, well-known scene witnessed when this happened. In addition, Princess Isera has been seen accompanying the Ashtari Prince, both in the day and at night. Zimora has a casino that often hosts such guests of the kingdom.”
“Interesting,” Ash said, narrowing his eyes. “I wonder what he’s promised them.”
“I wonder if it has anything to do with the fire dragon scale.” Those remaining at the table looked at Henry.
Sumak’s mother took a deep breath and released it. “At least this will stop Sumak from going back to the volcanic valley.”
“No!” A voice came from the corner of the room and everyone turned their heads towards Sumak. He stood up from the window, a clarity in his eyes that was somewhat surprising. “I’m going to get that dragon scale!”
“What?” His mother shot up from her seat. “Are you still trying to marry that girl! Didn’t you hear what your cousin said? She is interested in the Ashtari Prince!”
“We don’t know if the rumors are true! There is no Queen of Zimora, so she must be the hostess for royal guests on behalf of her father,” Sumak argued. “And we already know that the suit works! I should go!”
“Just because the suit works doesn’t mean that you need to continue using it! Sumak, Princess Isera may have agreed with her father to marry whoever gives them the fire dragon scale, but that doesn’t mean she actually wants to,” Princess Maia argued.
“Not to mention that you spent so much on the suit. Perhaps if you return it you can get a refund,” Prince Jasaw added.
Ash drew his lips back, pretending he didn’t see the hopeful glances Prince Jasaw sent his way. “All sales are final.”
“Then he can sell it!”
“Accessibility clause,” Ash replied, shaking his head. “If anyone but the intended user uses it, it will start to deteriorate.” Prince Jasaw and his sister both looked at Ash with surprise. Ash lifted his hands helplessly. “I’m afraid I’ve had a bad experience with my products being resold or copied, so custom products like this have additional measures. Sumak has already registered the item. It was in the terms and conditions.”
“Sumak, you idiot!” Princess Maia looked as if she were about to throw something at her cousin.
“That being said,” Ash said. “Who is to say that he can’t use it over and over to collect fire dragon scales and sell them?”
Sumak’s mother continued to frown. “If that was a possibility, why didn’t you keep the suit and use it yourself?”
“I don’t have time to hunt for fire dragon scales, not to mention that the only reasonably safe time to do so is during their hibernation period,” Ash replied.
Henry knew the real reason. Ash simply didn’t have an interest in it, so it likely never crossed his mind. It was easier, and more interesting, to have a set item to retrieve for someone who was already willing to pay.
“I still want to get the fire dragon scale,” Sumak said. “To show my sincerity. If Princess Isera sees it, perhaps she’ll be moved.”
He likely didn’t notice everyone else wince as if second hand embarrassed by his hopes.
“I can see you’re not going to give up on this,” Prince Jasaw said. “Considering that you only managed to get out of the volcanic valley safely because of the von Sails brothers, do you think you’ll be able to get the fire dragon scale on your own?”
“The suit can protect you from heat and fire, but not a dragon’s jaws and claws,” Princess Maia told him.
Sumak opened his mouth and froze. He seemed to realize that it was a possibility that another dragon could wake up and attack. The color drained from his face.
In a way, Henry through Sumak was amazing to have forgotten so quickly that while he was not burnt out of existence by fire dragon fire, he was almost bitten in half by a fire dragon. Usually, people remember such traumatic events....
Ash released a heavy sigh. “Sumak, if you want a fire dragon scale, we can help you, but just this once.”
“We can?” Henry asked, raising a brow. He did not agree to this.
“You can?” Sumak’s face lit up. “Really?”
“When I led the adolescent fire dragon back, it had some shed skin along its nest with at least two or three dragon scales that still appeared usable,” Ash said. “That dragon nest is closest to the entrance, so you won’t have to go far. You just have to make sure you don’t wake it.”
“If we wait a few more days, like you said, to let it go into deep hibernation....” Sumak pulled out a seat and sat down. “How easy will it be to wake it up again?”
“Loud noises can disturb their sleep and, obviously, physically disrupting their sleep is a sure way to wake them. It’s important not to touch, or even get too close to the fire dragon. Just stay outside its nest and gather usable scales laying around. If it’s stuck to shed skin, leave it. Being stuck to shed skin means it will lose its heat soon and won’t sell for much.” Ash replied.
Sumak nodded with awe. “You know so much about fire dragons.”
“I have many interests.”
Henry looked at Sumak seriously. “Though the risk to your life has been greatly mitigated with the suit, there is no telling what will happen. Another dragon could suddenly wake up and attack. Are you sure you want to risk your life to get a fire dragon scale just for a chance to marry a woman who may not even like you?”
Sumak lifted his chin and took a deep breath. “I am willing.”
He really was a madman.
Ash clapped his hands together. “Your risk calculation is terrible, but I respect your determination,” he said. “Be ready in two days.”
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“I’m always in awe of how people are so quick to trust you,” Henry said as he pulled his hair back to be tied while they sat in a carriage. “Everyone is always so comfortable with you.”
“I have a very amiable personality,” Ash replied. He adjusted his glasses. “And I’m good at chatting people up.”
“You do have a big mouth.”
“That’s not what I mean.”
“I know.”
Ash shot him a glare that only made Henry chuckle. As old as his brother was, sometimes, Henry couldn’t help but remember him as a child whose every angry expression was so cute, it only made him want to anger little Ash more.
He held his tongue and wrapped a piece of cloth around his head to keep his hair out of his face.
At least one of them had to accompany Sumak into the volcanic valley to ensure his safety. Whoever accompanied Sumak would not get involved in the retrieval portion, as the Zimora retainers had already been informed that Sumak would try that day, so they would be observing from the hillsides above and waiting at the entrance of the canyon.
Ash’s method of entering the volcanic valley unharmed by heat and fumes was using a wind vortex barrier sphere to both keep the air within the sphere from heating up and keep outside fumes from coming into breathable air within the sphere. Everyone could tell that such a use of magic could not last for too long; eventually, a mage would use up too much energy and get tired, weakening the sphere.
Ash wouldn’t be affected at his level, but they didn’t want the world to know just how strong he was.
In addition, a large sphere of wind also made noise with its constant movement. The fast-moving wind collided with objects around it, causing vibrations. The wind was not completely contained in the sphere, meaning a dragon could be awoken by the sudden pressure of wind against them. The worst case would be if loose gravel was picked up and hurled towards a sleeping dragon.
Henry had Simir, whose fire spirit abilities could block him from the heat. Fumes could be blocked out with a much smaller barrier sphere that just circled Henry’s head. It made much less noise and was less violent.
Thus, Henry was to go with Simir while Ash waited at the gate. At the first sign of trouble with a dragon, Henry would throw Sumak over his shoulder and run. Ash would watch by the entrance and get involved, if necessary.
The only concern was that no one but them knew that Simir was there, let alone that Henry was a summoner. Aside from his strength, Henry also didn’t dress or carry tools that other average-strength summoners and above had. The stronger the spirit, the more difficult it is to control, so they had summoner staff to first collect the spirit’s energy and then use it as their own.
It was sort of the tell-tale sign of a good summoner. Those who didn’t have one, such as the tomb raider with a grass sprite, were considered low level and rather unskilled as it was seen that they couldn’t use a staff at all.
Henry didn’t need one. Rather than first gather the spirit’s energy to use himself, he opted to give orders. To disguise the fact that Simir was with him, Henry needed a protective suit.
Ash spent the last two days hastily making a suit with leftover pine needle fabric he had in his bag, though it hadn’t been treated to resist fire dragon fire. As long as a dragon didn’t spit fire at Henry, the pine needle fabric would be fine in the ambient heat.
Still, it was enough of a disguise.
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The carriage stopped and they didn’t wait for the footman to open the door for them. They walked out, with Henry already in his fake suit.
Ash let out a low whistle as he scanned the area. They had stopped further from the entrance to the volcanic valley, likely because there were already so many carriages and horses parked. Past them, he could see a crowd three times as large as the one that was there the first time they came.
“Word travels fast,” Henry said with a frown.
Ash scrunched his face.
The less attention they got the better, but it seemed that today’s attempt coupled with the rumors of a fire-resistant suit created by a powerful, but unknown mage was enough to draw crowds.
“Now I’m getting nervous.” Sumak stopped beside them, having come out of a carriage where he was riding with his mother. He rubbed his stomach as he held his headpiece under one arm. “What if they get too loud and wake up a dragon?”
“I’ll take care of it,” Ash replied.
Henry nodded. Ash was a mage. How difficult was it to create a soundproof barrier?
Sumak looked at him with concern. “Do you have enough energy for that?” He’d seen Ash’s lips and asked about them. As magic items that needed to be imbued with a mage’s energy, it required an immense amount of energy and concentration, which could tire a mage out quickly.
Ash nodded. “I should have enough.” He looked at Sumak. “But try not to wake a dragon. I also don’t want to risk my life or my brother's life more than necessary.”
Sumak flushed and nodded.
“Let’s check in the Zimora retainers,” Henry said. He already hat the headpiece on, but the fabric in front was lifted up so he could see better.
The trio walked towards the entrance, to the two older men who were standing beneath a large umbrella held by servants. As they approached, people in the crowd recognized them and began pointing them out.
“That’s them!” Someone shouted. All eyes turned towards them. Sumak gave them a weak wave.
“They’re getting louder....” It wasn’t that he felt their pressure, but he really didn’t want to wake another dragon.
Henry looked at his brother. Ash’s lips were pursed in a tight line. He reached into his tabard’s inner pocket and took out a small handful of paper slips. He squeezed his way to the front of the crowd, just before the gate and activated six slips.
Two were thrown to the ground, on opposite sides of the valley entrance. Two more were thrown up, embedding against the narrow walls in front of the stone gate entrance. Ash turned around and threw the remaining two into the air.
There was nothing for them to embed into, but instead of fluttering down after they reached their peak, the two slips remained in place and suddenly turned to face the sky. The crowds let out gasps of surprise as they watched the two slips float.
Those with magic sensitively could feel a change in the air.
“All right,” Ash said, nodding with satisfaction. He looked at Sumak. “Check in to get started.”
Sumak pulled his attention and awe away from the floating slips. He gave his head a small shake and walked to the two retainers from Zimora.
“Lord Sumak Amar,” one of them greeted before both gave him small bows of their heads. “You are aware of the rules.”
“Yes, and as per the rules, I will be the one personally picking up the fire dragon scales. I will be accompanied by Rutherford von Sails, who will maintain a three-pace distance from me at all times, unless there is immediate danger,” Sumak told them.
The two men frowned. “You cannot be accompanied.”
“Yes, I can,” Sumak said, smiling. He waved his hand and one of his mother’s body guards came forward, holding up a proclamation that was given to guests who attended Princess Isera’s ball when the challenge was set. “According to King Zimora’s challenge and guidelines, a suitor must retrieve the scale with their own hands. They cannot have assistance in doing so, nor can two suitors enter the volcanic valley at the same time.” The corners of his eyes crinkled up. “Nowhere does it say that emergency rescue personnel cannot be on standby in the volcanic valley with me at the same time.”
A ripple of voices came from the crowd and a few even began recounting the now infamous proclamation.
The two Zimora retainers frowned with one even taking the proclamation from the guard. Everyone watched as he read it over, at least a few times, before finally looking back at his partner with a frown. “It is a loophole.”
The crowd erupted with cheers and Ash lifted his hand and patted Sumak’s shoulder. In past attempts, no one joined the suitor because it was too dangerous for them to and there was not enough protective items to spare. In addition, Henry was not a suitor.
As long as the person entering the volcanic valley with a suitor did not actively try to help them get a dragon scale, such as clear the way for them, search the area, or distract a dragon while the suitor got a scale, there was nothing stopping Henry from standing to the side and waiting.
Sumak pointed this out once, making it clear that Henry was following to help carry him out if there was an emergency, not helping him attain the scale.
The two Zimora retainers frowned. They looked at each other and then looked towards the hillsides. Henry assumed they wanted to confirm with other retainers and perhaps even the King of Zimora first.
Surprisingly, the two men looked at Sumak and conceded. “We will allow this, but should you retrieve a dragon scale and need to be rescued out by your standby personnel, for whatever reason, then your efforts will not count.”
At this, the crowd began to complain about the unfairness of the situation.
“At that point, he will already have it in his hands,” Ash said with a frown. “Why would it not count?”
“He must make it out of the volcanic valley with the dragon scale by his own power,” one of the retainers told them.
“Then what is the use of having an emergency rescue personnel standing by if he can’t do any rescuing?” Ash snapped back. Several people in the crowd agreed with this and accused the retainers of not wanting the scale to be retrieved at all, suggesting that perhaps the King of Zimora just wanted to torture people.
The two retainers tensed at the provocation, but before they could respond, Henry cut in.
“It’s fine,” Henry said, giving his brother a look. “No matter what happens, we will take care of it,” he told Ash in Lunapsar. Sumak had pointed out the loophole and devised a valid reason to have Henry accompany him.
They knew they’d face some resistance from the retainers, as this was unprecedented, but to try to prevent any help or rescue at all was cruel.
Ash took a deep breath. “Fine.” He conceded and took a step back. Henry nodded. He was glad that Sumak’s mother stayed back with the carriage. If she heard this, she’d fight it, if she didn’t faint first.
Sumak took this as his sign to agree. He signed his name on a document that confirmed that he and his family would not hold Zimora or its rulers responsible if he were injured or killed; that he was doing this of his own volition.
Once signed, the two retainers nodded. “There is no time limit. Good luck to you, Lord Sumak.”
Henry kept his face motionless as they walked towards the front of the gate. Sumark had a focused expression, as if repeating all of Ash’s instructions in his mind. Ash sneered at the two retainers before turning his head away.
“Final suit check!” As with the day before, he went through Sumak’s suit, check the seams, the overlapping portions, and the fit, making sure it was secured. Sumak confirmed that he could see and breathe fine.
Ash then turned his attention to Henry and repeated the same check, though it didn’t really matter. Still, Ash put on a show. When he got to Henry’s head, he activated the two slips he’d sewn into the folds of the cloth. Air began to move around Henry’s face.
The air was enough for two hours, then Henry needed to get clean air as the fumes would overwhelm him. They had already discussed this and Sumak was aware he was on a time limitation.
As long as the fire dragon nest Ash saw the other day was intact, it wouldn’t take them more than a few minutes to actually acquire the scale.
“Walk in, pick up the scales, and walk out,” Sumak muttered to himself, as if to engrave his mission into his bones.
“Ready?” Ash asked. “My brother will follow after three paces. Remember, keep quiet. Get in. Get the scales. Get out.”
“Understood.”
“Good luck!”
Sumak nodded. “I’ll see you in a few minutes, my friend.” With that, he walked forward and through the gate.
“Make sure no one tries to interrupt us,” Henry said as he passed. Ash nodded once, keeping his eyes on Sumak. After Sumak made it in three paces, Henry followed.
As soon as he stepped beneath the natural stone arch and into the volcanic valley, the background noise of people cheering became muffled to as low as a whisper. The further he stepped away, the quieter it became. Five steps in, and all Henry heard was the wind in his ears and the sound of them walking across the dirt and gravel.
As per the agreement, Henry remained several steps away from Sumak. He didn’t speak, either.
Sumak walked as far back as was visible from the gate before the valley began to curve. Following the valley, he disappeared around the corner. Henry followed behind him.
If Ash hadn’t prepared him, he would’ve been surprised.
This portion wasn’t far from the entrance, but there were already several dragons. They nested separately, but not far apart from each other. From their similar size to the fire dragon that had chased Sumak days earlier, they were adolescent dragons. Most were on ledges and in crevices along the valley walls, but one had a little nest wedged in a corner, on the ground.
Different dragons nested differently and fire dragons curled their legs up beneath them, and laid in crescent, almost round balls in their nests. Their wings were folded neatly against their bodies with their necks and heads curled on the floor against them.
During hibernation, they were vulnerable, though dragonhide was notoriously difficult to pierce.
Henry didn’t follow Sumak, who slowed his walk as he approached the sleeping dragon. Around the nest of rocks and mud were pieces of shed skin. A few glistening objects the size of his palm were scattered close to the dragon, almost peeking out of the nest. Henry squinted.
Those were dragon scales.
It seemed Sumak needed to get closer than they thought. Henry held his breath as Sumak approached, crouching down, and extending one gloved hand while the other lifted the gel-filled bag strapped across his chest.
Sumak slowly lifted a scale and then put it in the bag. It was only then that Henry released his breath. Though still wary of the dragons, Henry relaxed. He waited for Sumak to turn around and come back.
But he didn’t.
Henry’s eyes widened as he watched Sumak pick up another dragon scale, pausing to make sure the fire dragon was still sleeping, before putting the shimmering scale into his bag.
What is he doing? Henry almost screamed in his mind. The King of Zimora only asked for one scale. Did Sumak think that giving more would increase his chances at marriage? His jaw clenched, afraid that if he opened his mouth he would yell for Sumak to return and wake the dragons.
Sumak circled the dragon’s nest as best as he could, crouching down, even kneeling, and getting on to his side to gather dragon scales. Henry thought of Ash’s previous assessment.
Sumak really was a madman.
More minutes than what was planned had passed. Henry still had more than an hour of clean air left, but the longer they stayed, the greater the chance of stumbling upon a fire dragon.
Just as he was contemplating throwing a rock at Sumak to remind him to leave, Sumak turned around. He didn’t run, but walked as quickly as he could. He patted the bag on his chest and then pointed forward.
Henry walked across to the far wall of the valley in order to maintain distance between him and Sumak. Once Sumak was ahead of him, Henry did a final sweep with the nesting area and the dragons before following.
As they approached the exit, they could see Ash standing at the forefront of the crowd, his face still firm with focus, with everyone behind him jumping up and down and opening their mouths. They were cheering, though on their side, Henry and Sumak couldn’t hear them.
Sumak stepped out first and stopped in his tracks. He jerked his head back and almost jumped as he walked through the noise barrier. He turned to Ash, who had a satisfied expression. When Henry walked out, Sumak was hugging Ash.
“Lord Sumak!” The Zimora retainers squeezed through the gaps in the overzealous crowd to get to Sumak. “Did you retrieve the dragon scale?”
Sumak still had one arm around Ash’s shoulders as he stepped back. His breathing was unsteady, as he lifted the latch of his bag and dug inside. He pulled out a slimy scale and raised it into the air.
“I retrieved it!”
The boisterous noise of the cheers exploded. The crowd pushed forward and people were jumping to get a better look.
Henry didn’t miss the surprise and brief awe that crossed the two retainers’ faces. He wondered if they ever believed someone would actually succeed.
“Put it back in the gel so it doesn’t burn anyone,” Ash said before Sumak nodded and did as he was told.
“Very good, Lord Sumak. We will send word to King Valacras at once!” one retainer said.
“Prepare to go to Zimora, Lord Sumak. We will expect you there in three days!” the other added.
Since Sumak had embraced Ash without issue, then it was clear his suit was safe to touch. The retainers praised him, patted his back, and then shook his hands once Sumak freed one from a glove.
“I’ll see you all in three days,” Sumak said with dazed grin.
“Good job,” Henry said. He didn’t want to ask about why Sumak got more than one while a crowd surrounded them.
Sumak couldn’t seem to fight off his idiotic smile. He nodded and laughed, but then let out a heavy breath. His shoulders sank as his eyes looked blank. “Wait...it’s over? That’s it?” he asked. It seemed that he was now just realizing what had happened. “That was all it took?”
Henry squinted at him, his eye almost twitching. “Why do you sound disappointed that everything went as planned?”
Sumak looked down, as if questioning himself. “...because up until now, nothing has?”
Ash sighed and patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry, my friend,” he said in a reassuring voice. “You still have to give the scale to the King of Zimora.”
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The Prince of Ashtar lowered the spyglass as he watched two men climb into one of the carriages bearing the official seal of the Prince of Uqi’ichu.
Though they had come out of the crowd below with the suitor, those two men got his attention. From their postures of support around the suitor, especially the way they checked his suit before he entered, one of them must’ve been the mage who created it.
His initial guess was that it was the silver-haired Lunapsar, as he’d used magic to create some sort of barrier in front of and above the crowd. His own magic sensitively was low, but what else could those glowing cards be doing?
“What was his name?” A woman’s low, irritated voice spoke up behind him.
“The suitor this time is Lord Sumak Amar-”
A loud, frustrated groan came from the well-dressed woman seated under the umbrella. “Not him! How could it be him?”
“Are you not satisfied with him, Your Highness?” Holding up the umbrella was a thick, middle-aged woman. She was one of Princess Isera’s nannies who escorted them out of Zimora to watch that day’s attempt at a scale.
“How can I possibly be satisfied with him?” Princess Isera sat up on a plush wooden chair in the shade of the umbrella. She waved one hand heavy with rings towards the valley floor, where a crowd was dispersing. “Not only does he look weak, but he hasn’t done anything of significance! He’s just the good-for-nothing nephew of the Prince of Uqi’ichu. He has no real power or authority. He doesn’t even have a position in the principality’s government! How can Father allow me to marry such a man?”
Those were all good points.
Prince Eskander had three sisters and he would never allow them to marry useless men. How would that benefit the empire? If they dared to try to marry without his approval, he’d sooner have them locked up or killed. The eldest of the Ashtari Princesses had at least married a useful man from a prominent family; the nephew of the Prime Minister.
He and his father had yet to arrange the marriage of the twins, but they would likely be married out of the country for political and economic benefit.
“His Majesty will not give your hand to such a person, Your Highness,” the nanny assured her. “He will find you someone with power and influence.”
Prince Eskander pretended he didn’t see her hinting glances. He restrained his sneer. In the time he’d been in Zimora, Princess Isera had been following up around like a lovesick puppy, catering to his every whim and not so subtly hinting about marrying him.
But how could he, who already had eight wives back in Ashtar, all of whom were the most beautiful and talented from across the empire, agree?
Princess Isera was unruly, demanding, and would certainly wreak havoc in his Court of Imperial Wives, and he didn’t need that. He needed the support of his wives, after all. He’d picked the best daughters of the best families. The only way he’d bring Princess Isera back was if she were pregnant.
The court back home would love that.
It was too soon to know if she was pregnant, anyway, and if her father went forward with what was agreed, she’d end up marrying that boy from Uqi’ichu.
However, from the looks of it, that boy had a good relationship with those two other men. One of which entered with him. It seemed that there was more than one fireproof suit. His eyes narrowed; he needed to find out more about the mage.
“We must find out more about that mage.” He looked to the side and saw the useless mage from the Magic Tower, who insisted to see with his own eyes whether or not such a suit really existed, leaning so far forward, he could’ve fallen at any moment. He turned to Prince Eskander with undisguised envy and urgency in his eyes. “Your Highness, he seems to be Lunapsar. Do you know him?”
Prince Eskander held back his incredulous look. “I am a prince. How would I know every single commoner who is of Lunapsar heritage?”
The mage cocked his head to the side. “I thought that Lunapsar with gifts tended to come from noble families.”
“The gifts are different from magical energy that makes one a mage,” he replied. Lunapsar gifts from the goddess were very niche, from what he had read. Magic was much more mutable.
However, if he found that mage and asked him to join him as a way of serving the Lunapsar royal family, perhaps the mage would be tempted? Prince Eskander frowned. Then again, he could’ve been a snob from the refugee diaspora who did not recognize him as a member of the royal family despite his claims.
Who else was there to claim it? Up until now, a council was leading the refugee diaspora. He narrowed his eyes. Perhaps the council didn’t want to give up their power over the descendants of the island. He had sent word that he found the remnants of a temple, but they didn’t care.
At the moment, he didn’t have the resources to wrestle power from the council. Though his father loved him, he was paranoid and wary of him gaining too much military power. For some time, he’d been building up his own, but lacked the money to do so to the scale he wanted. The court refused to increase his personal royal allowance as Ashtar was not nearly as wealthy as it pretended to be.
A series of mismanagement had drained the treasury. Food production was the lowest it had been outside of famine years. Trade was so severely limited that the only ones making money were nobles. Even then, they were careful about paying as little in taxes as possible. He still needed their support, and as long as they paid tribute to him, he didn’t care much.
So far, all he’d managed to do was steadily rebuild a navy, which his father had been more than happy to fund as it was seen as showing the glory of the empire. In contrast, the portion of the army he controlled was a portion of what the largest division had.
He’d initially thought that an army of three thousand was enough to seize control of the Lunapsar diaspora in West Wind Valley and get his hands on the purported secret gold of the Lunapsar royal family that was kept safe by the Elder Council, but he was surprised that the entire region was well fortified and they had a well-trained military.
One that not only rivaled his, but was stronger.
His mother had told him that her grandmother was a general and had been on the mainland with her army when Samelu sank. If that was the case, at least part of that military should’ve been his, but the council had only asked him to leave, telling him that he was not a member of the Lunapsar royal family nor did he have any claim to the royal army.
It angered him to be denied, but if he wanted Lunapsar resources, territory, and people for his cause, he needed them to agree.
But if he could force them with a particularly strong mage...
“My dear,” his voice softened as he turned to the woman next to him. He extended his hand to the chair beside his and gave Princess Isera a gentle look. “As much as I’d hate to see you trapped with such a man because of your father, you must think of the benefits.”
A reluctant look filled her face. She put her slender hand in his, but still pouted. “What benefits can he give me?”
“In such a short time, he was able to contact a powerful mage to make him that suit. If you can contact that mage, think of the advancements Zimora can have. More than that of the Federation of Merchant Cities or Dareisol!” He watched with smugness as her face lit up at the thought. “And think about what products he can create that will bring in wealth.”
“That’s true....” Her shoulders shrank. “But what if he refuses. Mages are stubborn.” She cast an annoyed look at the mage with them. “That old man refuses to even make me a space bag!”
The mage crossed his arms over his chest and turned his head away with a scoff.
Prince Eskander rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand. “Find a way to approach him.” He leaned forward and hooked her chin with a finger. “Have your father invite the mage. Tell him he will get a reward for assisting with the dragon scale.”
Princess Isera immediately drew her head back and refused. “Why does he need a reward? We didn’t ask him-”
“My dear, my dear...the reward is just an investment in making a connection with him,” he told her. “Just find a way to make him come to the celebration. I will take care of the rest.”
Okay, so every morning when I park in the parking structure, I swear I hear what sounds like a band or a couple of instruments in a school band practicing in some far corner or level of the structure. At first, I thought maybe I was hearing things, as we're right next to a major freeway, but I swear it sounds like wind and brass instruments trying to be learned. Maybe it's pipes. Maybe it's tires. Maybe it's haunted. IDK.