The day of the party is crazy. What they had thought it would be was simple. A feast and a dance later, big dresses and some extravaganza. Prunezia’s parties, as everything else in the country, turn out to be more complicated than that. It starts in the morning with a showing of a new fountain in the gardens. They don’t attend that, it’s more to impress the envoys of the other countries with the wealth of the country. They use that time to prepare for the tea that follows it, not much, as they won’t spend much time there so they can go back to their rooms to change again for the performance, feast and ball.

It’s a nice day out. There are no clouds in the sky but it’s not too hot, there is a breeze cool enough to be pleasant and not cold, the perfect day for a picnic outside, or what the people from Prunetzia consider a picnic. Liv shouldn’t be as shocked as she is when they get to where the tea is being served. There are canopies under which tables are prepared, with tea, yes, and any other kind of drink and food you could wish for. There are chairs to sit at and even couches for if you prefer to lounge in the shadow. All attended by nearly more servers than attendants and everyone is all dressed up. Some people are playing a game, hitting balls with mallets, enough to not be idle while at the same time, not moving so much that you get your clothes disarranged or have to stay out of the conversation and gossip. The four Kyusei walk towards the party together through the grass, with shoes so uncomfortable Liv can’t understand how people who use such useless things for pleasure can exist.

“I’m hot.” Rakan whispers. Liv looks towards him; he is tugging at his shirt’s collar and pouting.

“Don’t you fucking dare” Kylem answers him. It takes Liv a lot of effort not to laugh at the threatening tone Kylem used and Rakan’s pout.

Liv goes through all the formalities with a polite smile on her face, trying to talk as little as possible. Meira makes up for it, it seems that in the days they have spent here she has learned a lot about court life, and she looks like she enjoys playing her part, an amused look behind her eyes.

When Liv was home they had parties too, it is custom to have a banquet to honour visitors but that’s it, a banquet, eating and drinking. These people… they act as if there was nothing going on beyond the grounds of the palace, as if the biggest tragedy that could happen was them getting their dresses dirty or not having an appointment for tea. It’s frivolous, the way they don’t see the world further than their noses.

Thankfully they don’t stay for long. Lífdagar sees how Rakan is eyeing the mullets, and she does everything that she can for him not to play with them. The last thing they want is Rakan injuring someone because he doesn’t know how to control his giant's strength. They are soon back in their rooms, with maids all around helping them get ready, with the dress, with the hair.

It feels like hours, and it’s probably been so until Meira is finally ready to go. She thanks the maids that have helped her preparing before they leave the room. She waits until she is sure they are gone before she comes out too. The boys must be done by now, but she heads towards Liv’s room. She is sitting in front of her vanity, her two maids working on her hair. Their eyes meet through the mirror and Liv sends her a small smile.

“You look good” Lífdagar says. Meira does a twirl to show off her dress, she is not used to dressing like this, but Liv isn’t either. None of them are. Meira comes closer to Liv, looking carefully at her hair. She was going to offer to help her finish herself so they can be left alone for a bit, but it is so overly complicated she doesn’t even know where she would start. Her own hair is done too, and she had thought that it was too much at first but now it looks simple compared to Liv’s.

“They have undone your braids” Meira says dumbly. She likes them. Not only the braids she wears on the side of her head to keep some of the hair away from her face but the small ones, the ones that she braids when she is nervous about something. The two maids pause for a second, afraid of being scolded.

“It’s okay, I can do them again any time.” Liv says with a soft smile, the girls continue with their job. Visibly relieved. “I can’t wait to see Rakan all dressed up”

“He’s been complaining for days about having to behave correctly, but he’s been doing pretty good these days, who would have said that would getting half of the court horny and the other half envious would work as a strategy for him.”

Lífdagar laughs. “I don’t think he even realises he has done that.”

“Of course he hasn’t. It has gained us some alliances though. Too bad he can’t take his shirt off at the ball.”

“Maybe he’ll surprise us and become the best gentleman of the palace.”

“We can only be sure of one thing. He will make even more nobles fall in love with him, there is people from outside the inner court today.”

“Oh yeah, that’s for sure.” The two girls laugh, just as the maids finish with Liv’s hair. She thanks them quietly and stands up from her place in front of the vanity.

“What do you think?” Liv asks, turning on her place. The dress is black, long and powerful, it contrasts completely with Liv’s personality but somehow, it fits her perfectly.

“I like it. I don’t think Rakan is going to be the only one stealing hearts tonight.” She gets the satisfaction of seeing Liv blush before they hear Kylem’s voice in their heads.

“Mei, Liv, if you are finished come out already” he sounds serious, the girls look at each other before they head to the door.

Rakan whistles when he sees them, and Meira turns before she strikes a pose.

“What do you think, fancy right? But YOU, oh gods,” Meira gets closer to Rakan and touches the fabric of his clothes.

“Straight from my land, the seamstresses made her research,” Rakan boasts. He is right, the style and fabric are the ones from the southern island, where he is from.

“Come on, we have more important things to think about than our outfits” Kylem says.

“Have you not paid attention at all these days? The outfit is EVERYTHING” Meira imitates the tone of the nobles that she has interacted with these days while she starts walking “you are only salty because your outfit is the most boring” It’s not exactly true, but he is just dressed in some formal clothes of the region, his dark hair tied in a small bun at the back of his head, his undercut visible. The others are fast to catch up to her, Rakan grinning and rubbing his hands.

“So what’s the plan?” he asks, he seems a bit too excited.

“Make everyone like us, not cause trouble, meet the High Council” Kylem enumerates, even when he has repeated it far too many times already.

“Eeeasy”

It’s a long walk, the Royal Theatre is located in another side of the palace. The noise grows as they get closer, people talking and gossiping before the play starts. They are led to the first floor, to a box just to the right of the royal one, in the middle. People turn when they arrive, look up from the floor or lean out of the boxes above to look at them. Meira smiles and sits down like she doesn’t see them and Liv and Kylem move to do the same. Rakan does too, but he smiles and waves before he settles down. The members of the High Council are sitting in the box at the other side of the royal one, or who Liv assumes are the members of the High Council, she can’t think of who else would have that place of honour in this occasion.

She can only see four of them but they should be five, just like them. The descendants of the Kyusei that stablished the Council, the Apatya. Maybe something happened to the fifth, Liv wouldn’t know, they are secretive, too closed off even with the ones that are on their side. They lead, and they don’t need people to know them to do so, only some trusted people normally interact with them, know where they are and live, and carry out their orders. Their presence here shows how that is changing, at least now that they need to negotiate an offensive, that the war on Hexia is going to fully start.

One of the council members looks to the side, her brow furrowing and lips pressing together, the man next to her looks completely enraged by what is next to them.

“Is that-?” Meira starts to ask.

Liv looks to the side. There, in the box next to the members of the High Council, Masahiko is helping Hiroshi get comfortable on his chair. He can’t be mistaken, his hair in the ponytail, the cloth covering his eyes. Masahiko turns to look directly at them, a mischievous smile dancing on his lips. He doesn’t acknowledge the members of the council sitting next to them, their death stares, and before they can say anything to him the lights go out and the play starts. The Queen must have arrived while they were too preoccupied looking somewhere else.

Meira finds the play interesting. It’s about her previous life, the Queen Anne, and how her love for the then prince of Prunezia was so strong they fought against council and nobles alike so they could be together even when it would give Prunezia a position of advantage, making the other lands jealous and hostile. How she was compassionate and kind and always helped those that needed her. There’s music and the actors are more dancers than not, performing complicated but delicate choreographies.

It’s a pity when it ends, the last notes of the music make them feel like they have come out of a different world. Almost in a daze, people clap standing up and then everything is chaos. Everyone wants to come out at the same time to head to the ball. When Liv looks to the other side of the theatre Hiroshi and Masahiko are nowhere to be seen and the corridors are almost impossible to navigate.

They decide to stick together on the way to the ball. The corridors are full of life and people. Candles and rune lights giving the rooms a gold glow, adding to the already full of gold rooms. It is a bit overwhelming but that’s the whole point. Showing everyone the power and money that they have. The main room is already being served with food, in a buffet prunetzia style.

The Queen steps up to talk and they are rushed to step up next to her as she introduces them as the special guests. People clap and then she turns to the other side, where the members of the council are stepping next to her. Liv doesn’t hear what she says next because there, next to the other members of the council, is Hiroshi. He is still dressed in eastern fashion, but with clothes that look more formal than the ones Liv is used to see in him. His jacket has crests in it, and she knows them. There is only one person who is allowed to bear the Light Kyusei’s Mark except for Meira and that is the Light Apatya, the member of the High Council descendant of the Light Kyusei.

The Queen must have finished talking because people are moving again. Music starts filling room.

“I thought Hiroshi didn’t like the Council?” Rakan voices everyone’s thoughts “But he is one of them?”

Before any of them can say anything Kylem turns around, the members of the High Council are heading towards them. They bow slightly to each other when they are close enough. One of them, a big man with a big smile is the first to speak.

“Good to see you kids!” he exclaims “last time I saw you I could lift all of you with one arm” he must see the awkward smiles in their faces because he laughs “I’m Steingrímur, the Dragon Apatya. I share spirit with you boy” he adds, hitting Rakan on the shoulder.

“I didn’t know the founder was a dragon from the north” Rakan says.

“Ha! All kinds of dragons have been Kyusei, but you must know that, right? It’s a shame you are just a fire dragon, but that’s how it is”

Rakan, Kylem, Liv and Meira all look at him, stunned, the man’s smile doesn’t disappear, seemingly unaware of his rudeness, or just uncaring.

“I’m Eulalia,” one of the woman introduces herself before anyone can answer to what the man has said “the Life Apatya” she has tanned skin and a kind smile “the others are Helmfried, the Night Apatya” a tall, severe looking man, “and Yana, the Elements Apatya” a blond woman who doesn’t look very happy.

“We are glad to be able to meet you at last” Kylem says carefully.

“It was long overdue right?” Eulalia answers him.

“Yeah, until now we’d only met Hiroshi and it was this year” Rakan says, he doesn’t notice the members of the High Council stiffening “where has he gone to by the way? I swear I just saw him”

“Ta-da!” a voice comes from behind Steingrímur and Masahiko peeks from behind him. Steingrímur pulls up a disgusted face and moves aside, the other apatya doing the same, letting Hiroshi be seen next to Masahiko “Were you having a reunion without us?” he asks with a smile, seemingly not noticing the other apatya’s nasty stares.

“Now you want to be part of the reunions?” the Apatya Helmfried asks, his voice cold.

“What are you doing here?” the Apatya Yana asks before anyone can answer the earlier question.

“I was invited” Hiroshi answers, his voice as calm as always “I’m still an Apatya, even if I don’t agree with you and prefer not to get involved in your affairs, you can’t take away my title.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t come if you hate us so much.”

Hiroshi smiles while Masahiko laughs his heart out.

“Anyone knows what’s going on?” Meira asks the others. They look at each other, similar clueless looks on their eyes.

“Sounds like Hiroshi got casted out of the Council?” Rakan offers.

“More like he left” Liv says.

“I think I can be of help now, even if I won’t be able to change your narrow minds” Hiroshi stays calm with Masahiko looking like he’s having the time of his life next to him and the other Apatya positively fuming.

“Be careful with what you say” the Apatya Helmfried says.

“Are you afraid the Kyusei will learn something you don’t want them to?”

“I heard your sister is pregnant.” The Apatya Helmfried tries to take the attention away from the question. “If the gods are willing, the child will be Marked and will be able to be raised without...” he makes a pause to look at Masahiko “bad influences and make a good Light Apatya.”

“You are already thinking about how to brainwash an unborn child?” Masahiko says, it’s not clear if it’s a question or an affirmation. He looks like he is having too much fun for the situation they are in.

No one has time to answer to that, for the Queen approaches them before anyone can think about his words.

“Is there something wrong?” she asks, her chin up as always, daring them to say that there actually is something not going perfectly well in her party.

“Nothing at all Your Majesty. We were just talking” the Apatya Eulalia says with a smile.

“Well then, I can’t have all of my special guests together not talking with anyone else. We agreed to keep the important talk for later and that is what we are going to do, now if you’ll excuse me” she doesn’t give them a chance to say respond to her words, so they all give a small bow and watch her leave.

Liv turns around to head towards Hiroshi, she has a lot to ask him, but he is no longer there, the other Apatya are walking away in different directions, probably not wanting to upset the Queen, but Hiroshi or Masahiko are nowhere to be seen.

“Come on, we should do as she says and talk to people.” Meira says next to her, she grabs Liv’s hand and puts it in her elbow before turning them both around, Liv has just enough time to see the boys walking in a different direction.

They only take a few steps before a young man appears before them, he is well dressed and looks nervous.

“Excuse my insolence but would you grant me the pleasure of dancing with me?” he asks, looking directly at Liv.

“Of course!” Meira exclaims, startling the boy, and taking Liv by her shoulders “she will be pleased to share her first dance with a handsome man like you” she pushes Liv slightly towards the man. She is completely still, shocked. “Come on, charm everyone” Meira whispers in her ear before giving her a final push. Liv finally takes the hand that is offered to her and lets herself be led towards her position. Meira shamelessly asks another boy to accompany her and leads him to their positions before he even has time to answer.

Meira sends Liv a cheeky smile across the different pairs before the musicians start playing the song. At least Liv knows the dance to it acceptably well, enough to not embarrass herself.

Liv is still trying to process the new information about Hiroshi. She looks around the room for him, doing her best to not bump into anyone. Her dance partner is talking to her and she tries to be polite, smiling to him between glances to the crowd. Thankfully the dance is not too long and soon she is bowing to her partner and walking away from the dance floor, politely making it seem like she doesn’t hear his proposition of a second dance.

Meira seems to have found a new partner and a glance around the room lets Liv see Rakan with a group of people, talking lively while the others giggle and fan themselves. She moves to another room, a difficult feat between all the people. There is more people there, food and drinks, but not what Liv is looking for. Another room, this one is quieter, there’s men playing cards on different tables. Liv sees Kylem talking to two men to the side of one of them, they seem to be observing the game. Kylem turns his eyes to her, without moving his head so the other men don’t notice.

They look at each other for a few seconds before Kylem signals with his head to the left before he turns to look back at the men, continuing the conversation with ease. Lífdagar looks towards the left, there is an open door there that leads to a dimly lit corridor. The moment she crosses the threshold it feels like she is in a whole new dimension, the sounds of the party are dulled and there is no one in sight. Lífdagar continues walking until she reaches an open door, she stays in the threshold, the room is not empty. It is a small, by pruntzia’s standards, sitting room, with a lit fireplace and couches to lounge in.

Hiroshi is sitting near the fireplace, as if he knew that she was coming, there is a small smile on his lips from whatever Masahiko was saying to him before Lífdagar arrived, she didn’t understand it.

“This place is full of useless stuff, don’t you think so too?” Masahiko asks while turning towards Liv. He is standing near a wall and has a box in his hands that disappears the moment Liv looks at him. Masahiko puts one of his hands inside the sleeve of the other then and Liv would be more shocked at his stealing if she didn’t have something else in her mind.

“Why did you lie to me?” she asks, looking at Hiroshi.

“Oh no, dear” Masahiko says walking towards her, shaking his head “We are in a formal event, you have to do it properly. First you say ‘oh my wonderful mentors, I’ve missed your guidance so much! I hope you are enjoying yourselves and that you are in great condition’ or something like that, I’ve never been good with these”

“Don’t tease her, she is upset” Hiroshi says to him, he stands up and Masahiko rushes to his side. Together they walk until they are in front of Liv. “Believe me when I say that we didn’t want to lie to you” Liv believes him “I knew you would find out eventually, but I didn’t want you to associate me with them”

“But you are part of that ‘them’, you know I don’t love the Council but are they really that bad that you would leave it even when you are an Apatya?”

Meira is alone. She has danced and talked about dresses. It doesn’t matter what Kylem said. These people are easy, it hasn’t taken her long to have them wrapped around her finger. Maybe she lied a bit and took advantage of having a previous incarnation in the royal family, who cares, she got the support of the court. She looks around the room. She hasn’t seen any of the others for a while now. She is about to call them through Kylem when she senses someone getting close to her. When she turns, she sees two of the Apatya, the kind woman accompanied by the smaller man.

“Our dear Meira” she starts the moment she is close enough. She reaches out to grab Meira’s arms with a smile on her face. “We are so glad that you are back home safe” They must see the doubt in her eyes but she continues talking. “When you disappeared after that first attack we were devastated. We’ve looked for you everywhere for years, it’s like a miracle having you here with us. Did they treat you well?”

“Well, I was with Marissa” Meira answers, still a bit reticent.

“Horrible woman” the man practically spits. The woman nods in agreement.

“But did she hurt you?” she asks.

“Not really, apart from taking my memories for years she didn’t do much else. She also didn’t really raise me, more like she just checked sometimes if I was still alive, there, and unsuspecting.”

“That must have been awful, being alone like that, thank the gods above that you are now with the other Kyusei, and with us.”

“You ask if they are that bad, but I ask you, what is bad?” Lífdagar hadn’t missed Hiroshi’s enigmatic way of talking that much “who is bad and who is good? I could tell you that they are bad and put you against them but that wouldn’t be fair. They are not bad, they do a lot of good things, but does that make them good? I could tell you all the reasons why I’m not with them, all the things they do that repulse me and why I prefer to stay away, make you see who they are.”

“And why don’t you? It would be so much simpler if you told me everything”

“Because I want you to discover it on your own. Maybe if you had a blind faith in them I would tell you, but that’s not the case. I think it’s better if you discover everything on your own, I trust that you will know what to do.

“But if you trusted me you could just tell me, I would believe you.”

“Yes, I know that you would, but would the others?”

“Meira we can trust you, right?” the woman Apatya asks.

“Of course you can. I know who attacked me and who took care of me. My loyalty is clear” The woman smiles.

“Aha! You don’t know!” Masahiko exclaims.

“The others don’t trust you as much as I do, they would need proof…”

Hiroshi smiles, sympathetically “And that’s why I don’t tell you. But don’t worry, I’m sure you will discover it on your own, and I trust that you will make a good decision, that you won’t let anyone be led by blind loyalties.”

Kylem sees Lífdagar return to the party followed by Hiroshi and Masahiko. The two men don’t stay with her and instead head into another direction. Kylem can’t say he isn’t intrigued by them too, by what their role in all this is, of what they said to Lífdagar. He wanted to listen to what they were talking about but the three of them are too trained to get into their minds without permission. They would also have sensed if there was someone eavesdropping. He will have to talk with Lífdagar.

Kylem heads back to the main room and looks around. Lífdagar has found Gabriel and Victoria and is talking with them, Rakan is charming everyone around him unknowingly like he always is, and Meira… Kylem frowns. Meira is talking with two Apatya. Why is she talking with them alone? Just when he is about to head towards them Meira turns around and heads away from them. Kylem sighs, he will need to talk to her too. The opportunity comes fast, when the Queen calls for everyone to go to the gardens to see the fireworks, the four Kyusei come together.

“What were you talking about with the Apatya?” Kylem asks Meira in her mind, so Rakan and Lífdagar can’t hear him.

“Nothing important, they just wanted to know how I was adapting to everything” she answers while looking up at the sky, full of colours from the fireworks, the noise that comes from them almost deafening. “Hey! Want to see something cool?” Meira asks while moving forward, once the fireworks have died down.

She moves her hands in circles, a sphere made of light coming to life between them. Kylem sees Meira smirking, golden flakes dancing inside the sphere reflecting on her eyes. Everyone is looking at her in wonder and expectation. Just when she is sure everyone is looking at her she pushes the sphere up in the air, waiting until it is far enough to separate her hands to the sides, the sphere breaking into millions of different lights that fall leaving a thin glinting trail until they disappear. Everyone claps, delighted, and Meira smiles, bowing to her audience.