Theanore was pleased with the deal she made with the emperor. Her ants to fix the roads in exchange for her hiring workers from the surrounding villages and opening workshops all around the country.

She didn’t know what she could produce, but she guessed she could do a bit of research on what was needed. Luca had promised her he won’t supply what she was producing, so she went to grandpa Thinker for advice.

“Grandpa, what could be a good thing to be produced by the people of the Dawn Empire?” Theanore was not going to beat around the bush. Grandpa Thinker gave it a thought and then answered.

“Glass, I think. Yes. The sand in Alerion isn’t good enough for glassmaking, and No Man’s Land doesn’t have workshops for it. The Sapphire Empire has enough for personal use and a little for exports. But that is about it. Theanore, glassmaking is a hard craft. Don’t expect to make a lot of profit on it,” grandpa Thinker felt the need to warn her, so she wouldn’t get her hopes up.

“And, what else?” Theanore was not happy with the little return that glassmaking promised. She would need to search for teachers, build the workshops and provide paychecks for the workers while everything was getting set up. Clearly not her idea of fun.

“Paper making is easy. Make wrapping paper and I will buy it off you in bulk. I never have enough wrapping paper,” grandpa Thinker gave a belly laugh. Mostly his last-minute supply before Yule came from the forest of plenty. It would be good if he could ship everything from somewhere closer.

“That sounds better, grandpa. I’ll do that, but, hm, I guess I can make some glass shops too. Just to supply the people with something they need,” Theanore was not going to leave people without a recourse just because it would be too expensive for her to set up its production. She was better than that.

She went and hugged the jolly old spirit of Yule, hugged his granny too, and then went searching for her father. He would be able to set up the workshops just fine, she was certain of it.

It was empty in the Eomis shopping district now that the former children of the Apple Grotto were in the forest of plenty district helping their new families. They still came by, and they still shopped, but now they had stories to trade about their new parents.

Theanore was happy for them, and she was grateful to the few children who staid. There was Harry, George, little Archibald, Fiona, Selene, and Harold. Even that aspiring healer had jumped to the opportunity to have a family and learn healing from the best.

Those six that stayed, and maybe three more, if Diana and Dereck chose to return to the grotto from the forest of plenty, she already knew that Elmar was coming back with his family, were precious to her.

They have picked her. Announced with their actions that she was their family and that her family was theirs as well. And that warmed her little heart. She just hoped she did not disappoint these children.

She wondered what she could do to keep them happy. Perhaps she could get them private tutors? Harry had stayed because he wanted to study. And what was she going to do with all the empty houses in the grotto now?

Should she house homeless people in them? Potentially poor families? They could get an education and get back on their feet. She was certain that if she placed a message on a board in Mirstone, the grotto will be full to bursting again.

Which was good, since she did not know what she would do with all the food she received from No Man’s Land otherwise. Her feet carried her to a small shop in the Eomis corner. It was her cocoa milk shop.

It was a favorite of children visiting the fair, but most adults didn’t buy. She wondered why. She liked cocoa milk very much. The pixies of No Man’s Land had the best powder.

The barista was drinking something warm that didn’t smell like cocoa milk. It didn’t smell like tea, either. Now that Theanore thought about it. She went to the front of the shop and the barista handed her a premade cup of cocoa milk, in an enchanted cup, so it kept warm all day.

“Hello, what are you drinking?” Theanore liked the smell. It made her energetic.

“Coffee, but you are too small for it. It is an adult drink,” Theanore sipped from her cup and smiled as the chocolaty taste made itself known to her senses. This was the good stuff. She wouldn’t exchange it for anything.

“If we sell this coffee, could we get more customers?” Theanore was sure she could find the ingredient for this coffee if she searched well enough.

“More adults will come by here. Just for variety, I suggest offering tea and milk shakes and smoothies too. I can make all that. I just need the ingredients,” said the barista.

Theanore handed her a sheet of paper and continued to drink from her cup. By the time she finished her treat and paid a ten copper coins for it, the list was complete.

With that in hand, she continued to search for Crassus. She was stopped by a very nice scent. It was the cotton candy stand! Theanore went in line with all the children waiting for their candy and counted her money. She had precisely one silver left. That was two sticks of delicious goodness. One for her and Marinus and one for Archibald and Mary.

When it was finally her turn, the maker of the candy smiled down at her.

“Well, little nymph, back again? How many sticks this time?” The old man was used to Theanore being here every day since the fair opened. Theanore showed him two fingers in the shape of bunny ears and placed her silver coin on the counter.

A minute later and Theanore was now searching for Marinus, Archibald, and Mary. After all, cotton candy tended to melt under the sun. She would take small bites out of hers, a white cotton candy, every so often.

She found the three with the other children of the grotto, walking in a group and selling homemade cookies. As the rule stated that the more sales, the better the chances of winning, they had come up with the clever idea of selling cookies. People tended to buy more than one, and so that meant more sales.

At this rate, they will win for sure. Now, she only needed to hand over the candy sticks to her family and go find her father. And wash her hands. She always got her hands sticky after buying cotton candy. But it was so good.