"Dessert." Arrelois clapped his hands before pushing his plate into the middle of the table.

"Ah, no, sorry. I think I'll pass. I need to get going." Hlapven made to get up from his seat, only to be stopped by Brethold, their butler. "Oh, sorry."

"Please sit down young lord Hlapven. My master's words were not a question."

"Hm? Really? But I need to get going." Hlapven wasn't really registering what was going on yet.

"I'm afraid that you won't be able to leave just yet." There was a slight smile on Arrelois' face as he spoke.

"Honey, wording it like that will make him think you've kidnapped him." The lady of the house was still working on her main dish, her pace of eating quite a bit slower than even her daughter's. "Hlapven, leaving Slaphitori is impossible during the night. You will need to wait until morning."

"Why not?"

"We call them the Wistful Winds." Berthold answered Hlapven's question as he served what appeared to be a tart with jelly on top. "We know not what causes them, but ships find themselves unable to leave during the night time hours. They can still fly, they just can't ever reach the stars."

"Oh. What should I do then?"

"I'm sure Berthold sent word to your ship's crew once it became clear that you would miss your window to leave, so you are free to sleep here until morning." The lady of the house was proving much more 'noble' an individual than her husband and children. "All we ask in return is that you entertain us with conversation. It isn't often that we get guests after all."

Her smile was very pretty, but the direction of her head's tilt made the 'hidden' implication behind her words incredibly clear. Nobody wanted to deal with Arrelois if they could help it.

"Hm. What do you want to talk about then? It looks like I've got plenty of time."

"Hahaha. That's nice dear, however I think it's your turn to ask a few questions. Are you curious about anything?" Hlapven definitely thought her to be the most personable. He did wonder why everyone else yielded to her without a fight though.

Actually, no he didn't. She was General Arrelois' wife, someone who had to put up with his antics endlessly. Only someone capable of scaring Arrelois somehow could keep him in line.

"I'm . . . I'm a little curious about the general. He is a bit rough around the edges, and he plays a lot of pranks, but he hasn't exactly lived up to the reputation I've been told he has."

The other side of the table went silent as Arrewis and Arreviro looked nervously at their father. Much the opposite, their mother only gently smiled at her husband.

"Well uh, the answer to that really depends on your answer to this question. Where do you stand on the succession?" Hlapven almost fell out of his chair, his eyes open wide in shock. This was something you would be incredibly careful when speaking about even behind closed doors, even more so at a dinner table. "I think I already know, but until you confirm it for me I cannot give you an answer. Don't worry, your opinions won't leave this room."

Hlapven bit his lip, trying to gauge what the correct response was. He wasn't nearly as adept at it as Diana and Merndil, but he didn't think himself incompetent. Everyone's faces seemed to suggest that they would not spread his position, but could he really be sure?

"I, um, I support the Crown Prince."

"And what of the third prince?"

"I find him unsuitable to rule."

"Why?"

"He does not possess the proper qualities. He does not make any attempts to disguise his favoritism and is openly antagonistic towards those he deems unworthy of his time."

"Heh." Arreviro chuckled a little while her brother smirked.

"I see. Your position is clear." Arrelois put down his utensils. "Historically, House Arre has maintained a neutral stance during similar such events in following with our contract, the existence of which being precipitated by our family's proclivity to produce strong combatants. The heads of our house are stronger than the Emperor more often than you might think, something which naturally incurs some level of risk with regards to coups."

Hlapven nodded his head. His family had a similar arrangement, that being to steward the Seahrdrin deposits and provide enough of it to the empire. Individual planets and families could pose a threat to the Empire's authority if organized against it, so contracts and deals were often made to ensure the loyalty of those families.

"However, our relationship with the royal family goes much deeper than a mere contract. You know that the sons of the Emperor spend an extended period of time under our care, correct?"

"I have heard that, yes." Hlapven nodded. "I was told that it was done to train them to become proper fighters in a safe environment. Is that wrong?"

"I don't want to give you the wrong idea, that is definitely a duty I perform, it just doesn't cover everything that we do with them. It is a time during which we, House Arre, are allowed to judge how suitable each prince is for the throne and correct the errors that we find. It gives us a chance to build a positive relationship between our successors, as well as demonstrate to them the threat we pose. Obviously, we have always gone to great lengths to demonstrate that we mean no harm, but they need to understand why it is that we are given that level of deference. I will tell you now, a very big reason that Prince Rashtvice was disinherited was because I made my concerns about his character known. He is not an evil person, he is just not suitable to the throne."

Hlapven looked up to the ceiling and let that information sink in. This method would certainly make sense, the heads of House Arre not blinded by love for the children and possessing a vested interest in maintaining the status quo.

"So then what are your thoughts on Merndil and the third prince?"

"Much the same as you, I find him to be completely unsuitable for the throne. I would argue that he would be worse that Rashtvice. I'm sure Arrewiz can attest to this?'

"Yeah, he's a total dick."

"Crude but accurate. Unfortunately, there are matters beyond our ability to control that mean that the third prince will not be disinherited at our suggestion."

"So you are in support of the Crown Prince?"

"No."

"We aren't officially supporters." Arrewiz amended his father's answer. "We have to remain neutral owing to the contract, but we also have a duty to maintain order. If ever the situation escalates into armed conflict. . ." His meaning was clear.

"But what if the matter is solved by way of assassination?" The table went silent. They could not be at Merndil's side at all times, so that was probably something that concerned them greatly. "I see."

"Merndil is a smart kid. He's always been alert and quick on his feet." Arrelois took a bite out of the tart. Much to the dismay of his wife, he was holding it in his hands. "Just because we can't support him directly doesn't mean we can't give him support in other ways. Donovan and Diana, was it? It looks like they're shaping out to be allies of his. Same with you. What is it that you would need to help him?"

"What?"

"I'm asking you what you need to support Merndil. I won't say I can give you everything, but I can definitely supply some essentials without your father's knowledge. I seem to recall he falls under the third prince's sphere." Arrelois tried his hardest to set the tart down without making it look like it was under his wife's influence. "Wiz, I want you to go to the Sanctum. Make it look like you are just visiting your sweetheart and checking up on the progress of your old comrades. Of course you should focus on a rendezvous with Merndil and making contact with Len and his brother."

"Should I leave tomorrow?"

"Go whenever you feel like it. Just try to avoid making it look like we coordinated it."

"That's no fair! I want to say hi to Len too!" Arreviro sounded as if she had been insulted.

"Fine, fine, you can go too. Just don't screw it up."

"Thank you daddy!" Hlapven got the feeling that everyone in the room had just been spared a major headache.

"Anyways Hlapven, is there anything you need?"

Hlapven shook his head. His allowance was anything but restrictive, he actually struggled to find things to spend it on.

"It doesn't have to be money. If you need me to get something exotic for a party I can handle it."

". . . I heard from the Crown Prince that you were working on a new battle tactic." Hlapven recalled his 'reward' from a few weeks ago. "Could I volunteer my father and his troops as practice partners?"

"Fine by me, I don't know what you get out of it though."

"Trust. If I can convince him to hand control to me before this whole deal turns into a mess the wealth of the Seahrdrin mines will fall to the Crown Prince and not the third prince."

"Hmph, smart. That's not going to be easy, you know?"

"I know. I just need to be patient. One way or another it will happen at some point." The table once more fell into silence, one broken only by the occasional chewing. "You know that didn't answer the question I asked."

"Hm?"

"You never told me why you aren't nearly as difficult to work with as people say you are. Why is that?"

"Oh! It's an act. I don't want to be approached by people with plans of a coup, so I intentionally pick fights and refuse random requests when I can make it seem petty. I used to think it was fun, but now I find it's gotten tiresome. It's a big part of the reason I don't leave Slaphitori too often."

"Wait." Hlapven paused, setting his fork down and rubbing his eyes as he tried to register this information, "It's an act? It's all an act? When you spit on my father's boots you were acting?"

"Probably."

"How many others know about it?"

"The king, prime minister, the first two princes, a few of the upper nobility and some of my old academy friends. The general consensus among them seems to be that I'm a headache, but I don't think they're too bothered by it. They know why I'm doing it."

"So . . . why did you decide to tell me?" Hlapven did not see the merit of revealing the secret to him, even if he asked, even if he was friendly. "Surely you could have just kept it a secret from me, right?"

"I could have, sure, but you are a part of the game now. Whether you like it or not we are allies in this fight, and I don't smile upon those who hide critical information from their allies." Arrelois finished off his tart, patting some crumbs off of the front of his shirt before standing up. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go work off the weight."

"Don't come to bed without washing yourself." His wife smiled as he walked away, knowing that her orders would be followed to the letter. "Now, would you like to follow me to your lodgings for the night? I believe Brethold will have already prepared a set of clothing for you to sleep in."

"Yes ma'am. That sounds lovely."

- - - - -

More walking, more strange sights, though Hlapven had noticed that the layout had become more simple. The designers of the castle had probably come to the conclusion that whatever battle that took place here would be lost by the time the intruder reached these depths, the stronghold where the castle's lord resided.

"Do you like what I've done with the place?" She had noticed how his attention wandered around the halls. "It took some effort to convince Lois to let me, but I think I did a good job for what I had to deal with."

"Mhm, yes, it's certainly more appealing than stone."

"Isn't it?" The two of them fell silent for a moment. Getting used to new people was really awkward. "I know he's a bit of an idiot, but I love him."

"General Arrelois? He didn't strike me to be idiotic. In fact I view him to be quite clever."

"Ohohoho, you misunderstand. I was referring to Len. He is not my child, but he is most certainly my son. I only regret that I could not do more for him."

"What do you mean?" Hlapven could see a twinge of remorse on her face, even if he couldn't actually see her face.

"I hate myself for it, and I believe he may too, but I did not give him the love a mother should. I couldn't."

"Why is that?"

"A noblewoman cannot dote on a child of the peasantry."

"Oh. . ." If he had thought about it for a second, he would have found the answer himself. To some degree it was acceptable for a man to show a peasant child favor, especially General Arrelois. The children of peasants could, potentially, grow into competent knights should they be born lucky, should they have a sufficient proclivity for split. If such children were found to be strong enough early in their lives, it was not uncommon for noblemen to take them in and seed them as cadet families subservient to their own. High quality soldiers were rare, and proper introduction of new blood was always welcomed in the realm of the lower nobility. 

A different set of expectations were placed upon the women, particularly those older than the peasant child that had been taken in. The love of a mother was considered to be among the most valuable things they possessed, something pure. To sully that purity by bestowing her love to one of the peasantry would put her and Len in an incredibly difficult position.

"Had I known that lying like this was an option, I would have asked Lois to go about it differently, to announce Len as the child of one of his acquaintances from his time in the academy. Perhaps then I would not have had to neglect him as I have. Perhaps he wouldn't be as afraid of people." She sighed, rounding a corner while maintaining her pace. "Now is the time to apologize, I suppose."

Hlapven could only stay quiet.

"I will ask you what my husband couldn't in a way you will better understand. Hlapven, what support do you require to ease Prince Merndil's progress at the Sanctum?" She had stopped in the hallway, blocking the door that was almost certainly his room for the night. "I do not refer to materiel, there is little doubt in my mind that you will be able to secure that yourself. I ask if there is anything political or diplomatic that you need. Should you wish it, I can arrange a meeting between you and almost anyone else. I can help you hide a less than savory act or two from the public. If you need someone problematic taken care of, I can also handle that. Just make sure they aren't anyone too important, okay?"

Shocked, Hlapven looked into the bright pink eyes of the General's wife. Those last words did not fit the face of the lady who spoke them. She appeared innocent, untainted. The shape of her body, the bright colors that colored it, her expression, none of them suggested that she would ever offer murder as a service. 

"Assassination?" And yet he didn't question it.

"I wouldn't call it that. It sounds dirty, unladylike. I'm just helping out my son's friend."

"Uh. . ." How was he supposed to respond to that? Assassination was assassination, a form of murder, how did you make it sound clean? "Are you sure that's okay?"

"Mhm. Child, do you know who I am? Do you know who my family is?"

"Um, no. Sorry?"

"My name is Linarin Eft Eraora. Does that ring any bells?" The smile on her face did not fade, even as Hlapven visibly shivered.

"Eraora?" Linarin nodded. "They actually exist?"

"Oh? Did you think my family's story was just something parents told their children to scare them?" Hlapven hesitated, but he eventually nodded. "I'll have to talk to my father about that, we can't be having the next generation grow unruly now can we? Ah, don't be afraid of me though. I am not trained in the arts of espionage and skullduggery, at least not to the degree that the rest of my family is. Besides, I would never harm a friend to my son and nephews!"

"Nephews?" Despite being told he was safe, Hlapven could not stop the heavy beating of his heart. If house Eraora was even a tenth as dangerous as the tales he had been told . . .

"I find it a shame that you never met her. I think you would have gotten along swimmingly."