The sound of voices captured his attention and ZaiWin silently slipped around the tree, hiding in the shadow of its large trunk. A female voice, he noticed, and silently waited for them to walk by him.

“Please! Please do something! I beg of you, brother! Please stop!”

NimRen, he quickly recognized her voice, which unconsciously perked his attention. Any other voice and he wouldn’t have cared less about what they might be discussing.

The sound of footsteps halted, telling him that CalWan had heeded his sisters request.

“Wasn’t he one of your friends? How can you just turn your back on him like that?” she was asking, between pleading and angry, and ZaiWin sighed silently.

NimRen, though older than him, was still too naive. Friend? Was that a word any of the royals should even dare to use?

“NimRen-lar. We understand that you are worried about … this person,” another, much more annoying female voice replied. KimWon, he knew. “But you must think about your royal brother’s image. That person was accused of treason. It is only expected that someone on CalWan-lor’s position stays as far away as possible from such a common criminal.”

“You, shut your mouth!” NimRen spat in a cold, angry voice that sent shivers down ZaiWin’s back, his eyes widening in surprise. Was that really NimRen? Well, good for her!, he thought. “Who are you to address me when I haven’t even acknowledged your presence?” ZaiWIn could only smile, imagining KimWon’s outraged expression. CalWan remained silent, obviously unwilling to interfere in the two women’s squabble. “Brother, please,” NimRen pleaded again, her voice back to being sweet and fragile.

CalWan sighed heavily.

“His entire Clan has been accused of treason. His father stands accused of trying to murder the El’Dai and our youngest brother. It is only natural that they would come to take him away as soon as possible. If the matter weren’t this serious would they even dare to interrupt the Seventh Year Gathering?” he calmly explained, not a shred of emotion in his voice.

“But brother! Even if they were accused of such horrible thing! Accused hardly means guilty. And you’ve seen the Governor of Pon around the Palace as many times as I have. He has always been kind to us and loyal to the Empire. Do you really believe that such a person would be cable of such a horrible thing as trying to murder a child?”

“NimRen, you are way too trusting of other people,” CalWan patiently replied and, although he didn’t like it, ZaiWin couldn’t help but agree. “Who’s to say that all the nice smiles and humble curtsies weren’t exactly so that he’d be able to get close to us? Who’s to say that it wasn’t all a part of their plan right from the start?”

ZaiWin smiled bitterly. Yeah, that was the normal mindset of all the children raised within the Palace walls.

“But even if he really did such a horrible thing! FonRou has nothing to do with that! He has been here, with us, all along!” NimRen insisted.

“And maybe that was his mission. While his father tried to kill our brother, he would try to kill us, during the Gathering.”

“I know you don’t believe any of that! FonRou is a nice boy and he is completely dedicated to you!”

“Then he should have stopped running when I told him to,” CalWan calmly replied. “If he had done so FeiWan wouldn’t have chased after him.”

“He is going to kill him!” NimRen stated, urgency vibrating in her gentle voice. “Are you really okay with that?”

CalWan didn’t reply. He didn’t need to. It didn’t matter if he was okay with it or if he couldn’t care less. For all purposes intended that kid was already dead.

“If I may say something,” another female voice interceded, this one sounding much softer and calmer. “I believe we can all understand that CalWan-lor’s status places him in a difficult position regarding this matter. He can hardly intercede in favor of his brother’s potential murderer. But maybe someone else could go and make sure FonRou is safely apprehended?”

They all went silent and ZaiWin muttered a curse under his breath. Those damned bearers of water daitai! They were always more sensitive than other people!

Sighing in resignation he left his hiding place.

Well, he had only himself to blame for his present situation, he grumbled inside his head when, as expected, he found them all staring at the tree he’d been using as a hiding place. He should have used his own daitai to cover up his presence, but he’d been too exhausted from his control practice.

The girl that had noticed him was more or less NimRen’s age and, of course, was the only one who didn’t look surprised at seeing him there. CalWan frowned with an angry expression, as if he had committed some terrible crime. KimWon’s cheeks reddened and she huffed, making a point to avert her gaze in disgust. Only NimRen looked positively relieved to see him standing there.

“ZaiWin!” she sang, quickly crossing the space between them to hold his hand.

ZaiWin blushed and averted his gaze. He was fine with her shows of affection when they were alone, but the others kept staring at him, and CalWan’s expression only darkened.

“Why not send him?” the girl who had denounced his presence suggested and he frowned, glaring at her. Who did she think she was to order him around?

“Eh! A little kid like him? As if! FeiWan will only kill him first!” KimWon snorted and ZaiWin couldn’t help but agree with the little bitch.

And why did he have to get involved in all that mess to begin with? He had nothing to do with Palace politics and the like!

NimRen glared murderously at the other girl, silencing her with the sheer force of her gaze, and then turned to him again, her blue eyes going soft and pleading, making him wince internally.

“You know that’s not true, right?” she gently asked and even CalWan snorted at that. “FeiWan would never really hurt you. You are …” She stopped herself, chewing her lower lip. ZaiWin’s heart almost stopped in terror, afraid of what she might say next. “We’ve known each other a long time. And I’m not asking you to fight him or anything like that. Only to make sure FonRou is justly apprehended. This is also for FeiWan’s sake.”

ZaiWin averted his gaze. He couldn’t care less about FeiWan, or that other kid! They could all drop dead at his feet and he wouldn’t spare them a single glance. But NimRen …

“Please?” She squeezed his hands, her voice shaking, and he sighed, unable to deny her.

“How can I find him?”

NimRen’s smile was bright and warm. CalWan remained as uncaring as ever. KimWon smiled viciously, clearly believing he would not get out of that alive.

“Here!” NimRen quickly told him, reaching inside the silk poach she carried tied at her belt, and took out a bright orange crystal containing a beautiful fiery marking printed inside it. “We were all given one of these, so that we could find each other in case of need. This one will take you to FeiWan. This is his royal daitai,” she declared, pressing the crystal against his palm, and ZaiWin could immediately feel its warmth against his skin.

It was beautiful, he couldn’t help admire it, the delicate lines glowing as if they were alive. The daitai that FeiWan carried on his back and that clearly marked him as one of the El’Dur’s direct descendants.

Sighing he closed his eyes and took a step back. ZenTar would hit him silly if he knew he was getting involved in something like that!

Relaxing his mind he fiercely closed all his daitai so that they wouldn’t react and reject the foreign energy. And then he allowed the crystal to become active, its warm energy surrounding him, flowing inside him, bringing nostalgic tears to his eyes. Somehow it felt as if he’d been brought back to life. As if he’d been unknowingly dead, only to suddenly realize his sorrowful state. And then, the same way it had filled him completely it was gone again, like a receding wave. And he was back to being cold and empty, standing all alone in a completely different place.

Clenching his teeth he frowned angrily at himself for being unable to deny NimRen’s request. But the sound of voices that filled the air quickly reminded him that he had much more important things to deal with.