Bihanzin took a deep breath. "Wilberforce," he said. "You are the one wanting something from me, not the other way round. You will make this a lot easier if you tell me what brought you to my kingdom."

Armad looked away at the ground. He was there for his mother. Anything else was inconsequential. "I came here to treat my mother who is suffering from pol fever."

Bihanzin narrowed his eyes slightly. It wasn't a surprise and looked entirely normal. "I was told this is what brought you out from home four years ago. If this is the problem then there is no problem. I will cure your mother. It's nothing more than paying a debt. We still haven't returned the favor for what you did for us that year. My children couldn't decipher the message on the essence board but you did."

Armad rolled his eyes and stood up in shock, unable to believe his ears. "Really? You can cure her? I mean, if you can make my mother healthy again then... I don't know how to repay you. Thank you very much." Armad spieled.

Bihanzin raised his hand to stop him. He wasn't done talking. "But, there are some disturbing rumors throughout the kingdoms about my daughter falling in love with a slave. You are not a slave, Wilberforce. And I'm not going to tell you to stop, but there's one thing I want you to know."

Bihanzin paused and looked at him intently to make sure he was with him and then continued, "An honorable person is the one who takes responsibility for anything he does. Nostalgia took responsibility for what she did in the auction and refused to shift the blame on you. If she is to be cleansed in the eyes of the world then she must marry Deniz Bizaya, whom she doesn't love. But if she doesn't marry him, she would be judged by the jinzidal Kings. Even I can't protect her from them. If you say you want her, can you be honorable and take full responsibility for everything on your shoulders and protect her, and go to war for her? As long as you can do that then you deserve her. But if you can't, just forget about her." There was some pause as he let Armad breathe. "Now, follow me."

Bihanzin straightened up and headed for one of the exits surrounding the hall. Armad followed him behind. He didn't know how to respond to that. Babara, Niyashi, Spoon, Ilias, and even the King seemed to think something was going on between him and the princess. Was he too young to understand it himself? He quickly pushed the thoughts out of his mind and focused on his mother.

As Bihanzin approached, the door opened by itself. Armad found himself in a large sandy field. The wind blowing inside differed from the one he left behind in the hall as if he was suddenly thrown into a different world. Armad remembered he had sweaters stuffed in his ring. But before he could take them out, he felt the atmosphere suddenly changed, the sand heated up as if it was being lit. Sweat started dripping from his face. They continued walking like that in silence. Bihanzin didn't explain the situation and he didn't ask. After a few minutes, the weather turned rainy and storm clouds covered the sky. And just like that, it started raining.

Armad stared in amazement. There was certainly something peculiar about the place. And the irony was he didn't know where Bihanzin was taking him.

"The weather here changes every few minutes. Instead of spring, summer, rainy, autumn, and winter to come once a year, here each comes hundreds of times a day. I keep a portion of my longevity reserve here. I don't know how much your mother needs but I will give her ten to twenty thousand years. Put her there." Bihanzin showed him a place on the sand where rainfall had gathered.

"But how did you..." Armad paused as he remembered what he told him about how far he could feel pol. There was no point in asking him how he knew about the spatial ring or how he knew his mother was inside.

Armad brought her out. She was dressed in white and looked peaceful as if she were just sleeping. He refused to put her on the bare sand and waited until Bihanzin clapped his hands to provide a bed.

Bihanzin summoned his djinn. A giant creature even by djinn standard. It had seven horns on its head and a black hat made from pure demon skin. Two death ravens rested on its shoulder like it was the most normal thing to do. "My King, what can I do to please you?"

"The mother of this child is suffering from pol fever," Bihanzin said, motioning toward Armad. "I want you to give her longevity from my reserve. Anything from one to twenty thousand years."

The djinn bowed. "It will be done, my King."

A bright red light gathered in its hands and he diverted it towards the unconscious woman. She convulsed as soon as the light touched her. Armad tried to hold her down but Bihanzin reassured him. "It's the longevity entering her body."

Armad patiently watched his mother as the red light entered her body. Several minutes later, the light disappeared and the djinn looked at Bihanzin and nodded. "It is done, my King. I have given her fourteen thousand two hundred and thirteen years. She will be healed in seven to eight months and should wake up by nine months."

Armad knelt beside her and wiped the sweat on her forehead. For the first time in three years, his mother twitched her fingers. She opened her eyes and looked at him. Tears welled up in his eyes. She opened her mouth to speak but she fainted again. Yet, Armad's joy didn't diminish. He shouted and jumped out of joy. He was finally successful. His mother was cured. He would speak to her in just a few months.

"If you stay in this world for too long, it will be difficult for you to return," Bihanzin warned him as he turned around and headed to the exit.

Armad returned his mother to the ring, and in ecstasy, followed Bihanzin behind.

They returned to the hall and found Nostalgia there waiting for them. Seeing the joy on Armad's face, the young woman burst into smiles. Things must have been successful.

Bihanzin looked at Armad meaningfully. "I will leave you here. Remember what I told you about honor."