When they arrived in front of the Senate Hall, a guard greeted them in surprise.

"His Highness! Her Highness! Lady Sialeeds! Why so many of you here at once? Is there some kind of emergency?"

"Nah, we're just being nosy," Frey quipped.

"That's right!" Lym supported with a grin.

The guard looked taken aback. "O—Oh… I see…" he stammered.

"I wouldn't call it 'nosy', Princess. We're talking about your future husband here!" Miakis said cheerily.

Lym deflated visibly. "Oh. Right. Weird… 'Engagement'… 'Future husband'… It all seems like some foreign language to me."

"Uh… Ahem…" The poor guard seemed to be at a loss for words.

"Oh, right, sorry. Well, as you probably overheard, we're on no official business whatsoever," Sialeeds clarified. "Can we come in?"

"O—Of course!" the guard immediately said. "Please, proceed!" He stepped to the side and made a salute, giving way for the royal family to go inside.

When they entered the Senate Hall, Natsu gawked at their surroundings.

"Whoa, this is huge!" he said in awe.

When they entered the door leading to the center of the second floor, there were two officials standing before them, their chatter immediately ceasing.

"P—Princess?!" the young official said in surprise.

"And Lady Sialeeds, and His Highness the Prince, too!" the elderly official exclaimed.

"Oh, there's no need for that," Lym assured "Everybody, at ease! Relax!"

"Don't mind us," Sialeeds supported with a small smile. "Please, carry on."

"Y—Yes, Lady Sialeeds!" the young official said and bowed before the two of them eventually left.

"There aren't many people today, are there?" Miakis brought up.

"I heard the Senate is in recess because of preparations for the Sacred Games," Lyon supplied helpfully.

"Guess most of the nobles are out on vacation," Kyle mused. "That just leaves a couple officials here and there."

Sialeeds sighed slightly. "Well, one of them's gotta have the list. Let's find it and go home." Her eyes suddenly opened, and there was a mischievous glint in them. "Or, hey, we could hang around here and gossip all day about who's backstabbing who…"

"Hey, Erza, is the Magic Council back home like this, too?" Gray asked, his hands inside his pockets.

Erza shook her head. "No. The members of the Magic Council are merely holograms. Their real bodies are in Era. There, the technology is advanced compared to here since we extensively use the benefits of magic."

"Hmm…" Gray absorbed the information in his mind.

After much navigation, they came to a stop before a certain room.

"Oh, my! So many members of the royal family all together in a place like this! How unusual! Welcome!" the official standing in front of the door leading to the office exclaimed.

"Could we possibly see the list, please?" Miakis said, a hint of excitement colouring her tone.

"What's that? The list of applicants for the Sacred Games?" The official looked positively dismayed. "I—I'm so sorry, Prince! The clerk in charge of the list is on break right now. I'll send someone down to bring them back right away! If you could just wait a moment, Your Highness…?"

"Of course," Frey said reassuringly. "We will come back later."

"Thank you," Lyon bowed before following her charge.

"So what do we do now?" Sialeeds spoke, folding her arms across her chest.

"It'll take a while. Maybe we could use the time to tour the entire Senate Hall?" Lyon suggested.

"It would be interesting to learn more about your country's politics," Erza said, smiling.

"Aw, that's boring…" Natsu complained.

"I'd like to learn more about the Godwin faction," Gray said. "They sound like a force to be reckoned with."

"That's because they are," Sialeeds said quietly. "The extent of their power and authority is still unknown to me, but I know that it is on a scale of a large magnitude among Falena and its other branches. The Barows faction has their own power among the others as well. However, when compared to the Godwins, they seem lacking."

While they were strolling around, they could hear pieces of conversations from nearby nobles.

"Barows' words are pleasant enough, but they're words and nothing more! That man cares only for his money. His bargains with Armes and the Island Nations bring him wealth. When he speaks of peace, he does so only for the good of his pocketbook. Between his backroom deals and his legions of mercenaries, he's a fraud, and a dangerous one at that."

"Lord Barows thinks of nothing but the Games these days. No doubt he's hoping to position himself as the Princess' guardian and regain some of his power. Would that counteract the Godwin faction's pull in the Senate? Who knows? I know this, though… The Games are only taking place now, while the Princess is still so young, because Barows pushed for it. I suppose if I had to put myself in either camp, I'd say I'm with the Barows faction. But to be honest, I'm not overly happy with some of the things Lord Barows comes out with sometimes…"

Sialeeds noticed Natsu's even more confused expression and smiled.

"In the simplest terms, the Senate is assembled from the heads of major households," Sialeeds explained to him. "Lord Marscal Godwin and Lord Salum Barows are the two most prominent examples. The Senate itself is a forum for political discussion. Its members pass recommendations to the Queen."

"Recommendations?" Erza spoke.

"Yes, the Senate's decisions are nothing more than recommendations, you see," Sialeeds said. "Of course, it's up to my sister — the Queen — whether or not to act on those recommendations." A snort came out of Sialeeds' lips. "At least, that's how it appears on the surface. In reality, Arshtat can't ignore the decisions made by the Senate. If she ignored them, she'd only make enemies. Numerous and powerful enemies."

"Whoa, sounds complicated," Natsu remarked.

As they navigated themselves further into the halls, pieces of conversations were heard once more:

"Armes has sent its minions to apply for the Sacred Games. So they plan to usurp our nation from the inside, do they? By seizing the Princess' hand in marriage? Such audacity, even for them!"

"The Sacred Games will be held at the arena in Stormfist. So it's been since many, many years ago, when Stormfist was the Queendom's capital city. When the capital moved here instead, the Sacred Games were all that stayed behind. These days, Stormfist is Godwin territory. Some worry themselves about that. Still, best not to upset the good Lord Godwin. Mum's the word, and all."

"His Majesty Commander Ferid is one of the greatest contestants in the history of the Sacred Games. Arshtat insisted that he be allowed to enter, even though his background was a complete mystery. And he won! Purely on his own merits! Without a gladiator or anyone else fighting for him! Then, in the Armes invasion eight years ago, he led us from the front lines, wielding a sword like a common soldier! That sort of gung-ho attitude has made him a hero among the people. But some members of the nobility certainly don't look upon him with such favor."

A noble spoke to Frey. "The Sacred Games are crucial in deciding Her Highness' future husband. It's always a tough competition, and it's open to any man in the world. Technically, anyone can win… but the nobles can always afford the very best gladiators, and anyone who can't is all but doomed. Aside from your father, Highness, the winner has almost always been either a Godwin or a Barows."

There was an exit nearby. Frey, in his peripheral vision, noticed that Natsu looked extremely bored and Gray not too far from yawning. Even Erza appeared to be sweating slightly due to trying her best in understanding Falena's history. It was touching to see that she was doing her utmost; it looked like he was right after all. They weren't a danger to the country.

"I'd like to go outside for a bit," Frey proposed, eliciting a small, relieved smile from Gray.

"Fresh air," Natsu said, exhaling. "Man, those people are too loud."

"That's usually the way it goes here in the Senate," Lyon told him with a small smile.

Frey crouched down, spotting something shiny between the bushes. He then obtained the Mega Medicine.

When they got back inside the Senate Hall after the short break, Lyon noticed that they hadn't yet visited the central room.

"I got a funny feeling about this…" Natsu muttered.

When they entered, Lym was happily swinging her brother's arm, Frey smiling at her antics.

But then a voice suddenly resounded in the room.

"Oh-ho! If it isn't the Princess! A most fortuitous meeting, yes, yes?"

"Ugh…" Kyle muttered, recognizing the dreaded voice.

"Ah, and Her Royal Highness Sialeeds, and His Royal Highness the Prince! Oh, and I see Kyle is with you, too! Ha ha!" the man before them exclaimed boisterously.

He was a noble, and a very particular one at that. He was a small, overweight man, with a large nose, a beard, and a bald scalp. He wore nobles' clothes consisting of a light-purple vest and a white shirt with frills above the chest area.

"Oh, and the others, too," the man said as an afterthought, not even looking at them.

"What a stuck-up," Natsu muttered. "Who the heck is he, anyway?"

"Oh ho ho! Such a pleasure to run into so many people that I usually don't get a chance to see! Oh, yes indeed, I, Salum Barows, am a very lucky man today, if I do say so myself! Ha ha ha!" he said raucously, making excited gestures in the air. "Yes! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

"Whaaaaaaaatt?!" Gray's jaw dropped open. "He's that Barows guy? Him?"

"Eh? What's a Barows?" Natsu asked, confused.

"Haven't you been listening?" Gray sighed. "He's the head of the Barows faction, Salum Barows. One of the two divided factions in the Senate. He has power and authority over about a half of the people."

"Whaaaat? That crazy old man? You gotta be kidding me! Hahahaha!" Natsu guffawed.

"Shush, you two!" Erza snapped, internally thankful that the powerful noble hadn't heard them making fun of him. "Stop being disrespectful!"

"Uh, hello…" Frey said hesitantly.

"Oh, my, my, Your Royal Highness. You do sound a tad fatigued, yes?" Salum remarked. "Come to think of it, you and Her Royal Highness Sialeeds just got back from an inspection visit, did you not, sir? Oh-ho! No wonder you're so exhausted, then! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

"Rather, Frey is just tired of listening to him ramble," Gray whispered into Natsu's ear, causing both of them to snicker to themselves as quietly as they could so as to not incur Erza's wrath once again.

"So, Lord Barows," Sialeeds spoke up, tilting her head slightly, "why have you graced us with your presence today?" She put her hands to her hips and stepped forward. "What business would bring a man of your stature all the way here? The Senate's in recess, after all."

"Hey, hey," Natsu said, nudging Gray. "Don't you think he looks like some sort of fish?"

Gray nodded, looking thoughtful. "Now that you mention it… Yeah, he does. What is it called again? Isn't it one of Happy's favourites?"

"Huh… I forgot, too… Hmm… Is it tuna?"

"No…"

Suddenly they both slammed their fists on their palms as a huge light bulb lit up above their heads. Then they turned towards each other and grinned.

"Salmon!" And broke out in snickers.

"Hey, hey, and it sounds just like his name, too!" Natsu guffawed. "Doesn't it? Salmon... Salum... Salum... Salmon...! Ahahaha!"

They both slapped each other on the back with tears in their eyes.

"You guys…" Erza said, a tick forming on her head. "Don't be rude…!"

"Ha ha! A man of my stature? Oh, no! Oh, my, my! You're far too kind!" Salum cried, rushing towards the prince and the princess in his enthusiasm.

Lym instinctively lowered her face into her brother's arm, trying her best to get as far away as she could from the older man. Frey, on the other hand, reflexively stepped back, looking bewildered at Salum's exaggerated whims.

"Indeed, though it's true I've been made the head of my faction, I'm little more than a glorified facilitator. And now that the Senate is out of session, I have to run about on little errands, attending to trivial details," Salum explained almost gleefully.

"Uh huh," Sialeeds said flatly.

Suddenly a voice interjected, "C'mon, Dad! Hurry up! Lemme say hello to the Princess, too!"

The speaker was a young man, about more than a few years older than Lym, with long blond hair tied into a low ponytail with a red ribbon and honey-coloured eyes. His features were okay, yet there was a hint of regality to them, along with something else that Sialeeds herself always referred to him in her mind.

"Ah, Euram," Salum said proudly, stepping away to give the young boy his spotlight. "My, my, sorry about that, son."

"Greetings, everyone," Euram said with a whisk of his hand, causing his elegant clothing to flow about in accordance to his actions. "I trust you are all well? I am Euram Barows, son of the great Salum Barows." He introduced himself with an equally elegant bow. Then, he immediately kneeled before Lym, regarding her with respect and something akin to adoration. The young girl reflexively took a step back.

"Ah, fair Princess!" Euram exclaimed. "Do you… remember me, perchance?"

"Uh… yes! We met a few times at the Sun Palace banquets, I think…" Lym said hesitantly.

Euram's face instantly lit up and he quickly stood on his feet, looking as happy as he could be. "Oh, Princess! You do remember me! My, my, I am truly the happiest man alive!"

Lym laughed nervously.

"And I, too," Euram continued on, "have never once — no, not for one day…! No, not even for one moment — forgotten how you looked!"

"…He's really something else, isn't he?" Gray said.

"…" For once, Erza had nothing to say.

"He sounds like an idiot," Natsu muttered.

"Just like you?" Gray said sarcastically.

"Hey! You lookin' for a fight, Droopy Eyes?!"

Erza bonked their heads together. "Get a grip, you two!" she threatened. "If I hear one more peep out of you…"

"And now," Euram rambled on, "with the elegant object of my affection standing before me — oh! — my heart is about to flutter away!" He then once more kneeled before Lym. "Oh, Princess! You are like a precious gem in the heavens that someone such as I could never, ever, hope to reach!" He started to slowly reach out for her hand. "But, please! If you would just permit me to kiss that ever-so-lovely hand of yours, I… Ahhh!"

Before he could do well on his words, though, Miakis promptly seized his wrist and twisted it slightly.

"That's more than enough of that," she said.

"Huh…?" Euram looked like he was in a daze.

"Miakis!" Lyon exclaimed. "Where did you come from?"

"Just in time!" Kyle grinned, giving her a not-so subtle thumbs-up.

"The only gentlemen allowed to touch the Princess are His Majesty Ferid and His Royal Highness the Prince. If you still insist on doing so, you'd better be prepared for the consequences," Miakis told him sweetly.

Euram gulped. "C—Consequences?"

Miakis swiftly took out a dagger and pointed it at him while still smiling her innocent smile. "The waters of the Feitas River are really cold, you know."

Euram swallowed once more. "I'm s—s—so sorry! Her beauty must have dazzled me so that I lost my wits! Please, forgive me!" he pleaded. Then, with conviction in his expression, he turned towards the Princess. "But allow me this Your Loveliness! Allow me to predict our future, with all those present as our witnesses! I, Euram Barows, will someday be the third man to touch you!"

There was a brief silence.

"Um… what are you talking about?" Lym spoke up.

"Ha ha ha ha ha! He speaks of the Sacred Games, Princess!" Salum explained with a smile. "He's one of the applicants, you see!"

Gray snorted. Natsu, on the other hand, put a hand to his mouth, trying to suppress his laughter but failing miserably.

"W—What…? Th—That wimpy guy…?" he choked out. "He looks like he can't even wield a sword! I bet Erza can flatten him in one second!"

"I agree with you there," Gray snickered.

"Shush," Erza said, but she looked amused as well.

"I… I see…" Lym said, looking a bit unconvinced herself.

"Fierce competitors will gather from all over the country — from beyond its borders even — but I do not fear them!" Euram declared passionately. "In your name, Princess, victory shall be mine!"

"Wow. You, uh, must be stronger than you look," Lym said hesitantly. "Can you really, you know, swing a sword?"

"Ha ha ha!" Euram exclaimed. "Her Highness jests! A sword? Me? I'm no barbarian. We have found a mighty champion! He shall carve my way to your heart!"

Lym looked angry. "My heart's got no place for a wimp like you!" she snapped.

Gray, Natsu, and Kyle's muffled, mocking laughter could be heard as a faint echo, and fortunately, both Salum and Euram were too shocked to register it into their minds.

"W—Wimp?!" Euram choked out. "Wha—You—Your Royal Highness—"

"You want to be my husband? Why don't you earn the right yourself, like my father did?!" Lym added, annoyed.

"Now I'm starting to like her," Natsu remarked.

"Hey, Lym, I understand how you feel, but…" Sialeeds began.

"It's a long-standing tradition that one may have a representative compete in the tournament for him," Salum explained.

Lym crossed her arms. "Hmph!"

"Otherwise," Salum continued on, "noble Falena's royal family would be filled with barbarians who were good at only one thing — fighting!" Then he coughed at the vehement look on Lym's face. "…Not to call His Majesty Ferid a barbarian, by any means… Please don't misunderstand me…"

Lym growled.

Natsu did the same. "And I'm starting to dislike that guy by the second."

Gray nodded. "Me, too."

Erza, on the other hand, looked thoughtful. He does look a little fishy, but that is not reason enough to be suspicious of him… she thought, referring to Salum. But there's just something about him that nags at me… and I don't know what.

"Princess, there's no need for such animosity," Salum said calmly, causing the young girl to become more irritated at his unaffected countenance. "When Euram wins your hand, we'll be the ones supporting you, backing you… You and I shall be allies." Then he gave a knowing look at the royal family. "I'm sure you know of Her Majesty's difficulties with the Godwin faction… I'm a Senator, too, you know. And let us not mince words: Lord Godwin is a bloodthirsty maniac! He thinks only of wringing more taxes from the people, expanding our army, suppressing rebellion! And he would subjugate our neighbours with the Sun Rune itself, use it to rule the world! If we cannot hold back his lunacy, our enemies will multiply, here and abroad! Falena will fall apart! But together, you and I can stem the tide of his madness!"

"But that's… only if Euram's champion can win the games," Lym spoke.

Salum looked pleased. "We understand each other, then." Then he let out a short breath. "Oh, my. I must be getting old — all this rambling… You must all be so weary of me."

"Well, that's an understatement," Gray muttered. Kyle, who was beside him, heard it and suppressed his snickers.

"I should take my leave, then," Salum finished, then turned towards Kyle, who immediately stopped his laughter. "Sir Kyle, young man, we expect great things from you."

"Yeah, thanks" was Kyle's clipped reply.

"Princess, we shall meet again, for such is our destiny," Euram said in farewell, bowing before Lym before making his and Salum's 'graceful' exit.

Sialeeds let out a sigh.

"I'm so tired all of a sudden…" Lyon said.

"Me, too," Natsu said, yawning. "That guy was so boring, and his voice was freakin' annoying!"

"'Sir Kyle, young man…' What are we, best buds?" Kyle grumbled.

"That old man's too glib for his own good…" Sialeeds said. "Frey, Lym, what did you think?"

"I can't quite trust him," Frey said quietly.

"Me neither," Lym said wearily. "He's too slick. He must have rehearsed that whole thing. He didn't mean a word of it. He just wants to use me. That's all."

Sialeeds smiled in slight satisfaction. "Well, if you're that sharp, we shouldn't have to worry about him."

"Really?" Miakis spoke up. "But what if that boy's fighter wins the competition…?"

"Don't jinx it, Miakis!" Lym said.

"But she's right, isn't she?" Lyon interjected. "If Euram wins, he'll be the next Commander of the Queen's Knights, after Ferid!"

"If that happens, I'm out," Kyle said with a tone of finality to his voice. "No way I'm serving under that guy."

Gray sympathetically patted his back.

"Let's just hope someone else out there steps up and wins the Games…" Sialeeds murmured.

"But did you notice the way he spoke earlier?" Erza said seriously. "He said, 'When Euram wins your hand'. He said 'when', not 'if'."

Sialeeds gave a huff. "As if he's confident about his son winning the Games."

They started to tour the room and talked to the nobles and officials discussing about politics.

"Those Godwin buffoons! What are they playing at? 'Let's increase taxes!' 'Let's bring in the draft!' What's next? Do they plan to better the nation by choking its people to death?" The noble jolted when he saw Frey and the others listening to his rambles. "Oh! Y—Your Highness! I, er, didn't see you there! I was just… uh… mumbling to myself."

Next was an elderly official. "Queen Arshtat has my sympathy. Half the nobility supports the Godwin faction, so she can't afford to ignore them, no matter what they propose. But she has to keep them in check, too. Meanwhile, the Barows faction's falling over itself to please her. Managing the Senate is an endless, thankless task for her, especially these days. People say Her Majesty has changed recently, but quite frankly, I'm not surprised!"

Another noble was next. "Your Highness, what's the state of Lordlake? Terrible, I suppose. What happened was obviously regrettable, but unavoidable, in my opinion. After all, Her Majesty gave Lord Rovere such trust, such compassion. To let his betrayal go unpunished would have been to invite disaster upon us all. What could have possessed a man like Rovere to support an uprising? He'd shown Her Majesty such devotion! To this day, I don't understand."

And the last official. "The New Armes Kingdom is to the east of Falena. Much of Lord Barows' territory is in the east of Falena, so they suffered a lot in the invasion eight years ago. The Godwins' land is in the west, so they were relatively unscathed, you see. Now the Barows faction is trying to improve relations with Armes, while the Godwins are getting them riled up!"

After the rather long tour ended, all of them went back to the office, seeing as it was now about the end of the recess.

"Oh, Your Highness!" the official exclaimed. "The clerk in charge of the list is finally back!" She stepped away. "Please go on inside."

"Finally," Natsu remarked, earning him a giggle from Lyon.

"Good heavens! The Princess! And Lady Sialeeds, and His Highness the Prince, too…!" the official standing before the desk exclaimed in surprise. "I'm so very sorry to have kept you waiting, Your Highness!"

"Sorry, we should have warned you…" Frey apologized.

Then all of them turned to a certain purple-haired bodyguard.

"Hear that, Miakis?" Kyle said.

"Yeah, we really should have been more considerate," said Miakis nonchalantly. "Lyon, what were you thinking?"

"What?! Me!?" Lyon exclaimed in shock.

"Miakis, be nice…" Lym scolded.

"Listen to your Princess, Miakis," added Sialeeds. Then she turned towards the clerk. "Right. I hope we're not interrupting anything. Can we just see it, please?"

"Y—Yes, Lady Sialeeds! Yes, Your Highness! Right away!"

In no time, the list was presented to them on the desk, and everyone huddled together to get a closer look.

"Whoa, quite a few of 'em," Miakis remarked.

"W—Wow…" Erza muttered in amazement. "So many names…"

"Hmm… Let's have a look," said Sialeeds.

"How many entrants are there in all?" Lyon asked.

"Well, let's see," said the clerk. "We have about ninety applications here."

Frey's eyes went wide. "Ninety? That many?!"

"Awesome!" Natsu cheered.

"Whoa!" Miakis laughed. "You're really popular, aren't you, Princess!"

"Hmm… But is that really a good thing? I mean, what if they're all like Euram Barows?" Lym wondered aloud.

"Don't worry, Princess," Kyle assured. "He's one of a kind, if you ask me."

Gray snorted in amusement.

"After the final screening process, and the royal family's approval…" The clerk looked thoughtful for a moment. "…the final number of competitors ought to be about forty."

"So, what kind of suckers—" Kyle coughed after receiving a look from Sialeeds. "—er, brave warriors — do we have?"

"An ex-dragon Cavalry soldier, a Lindwurm Mercenary… and even a disciple of Master Haia from Kanakan!" read Lyon, her tone that of wonder. "Wow! What an amazing lineup!"

"Oh…" Sialeeds suddenly spoke. "So he applied, too, huh?"

"Anything wrong, Lady Sialeeds?" Kyle asked.

"Nah…" Sialeeds said almost dismissively. "I just found a name that brings back a few memories, that's all." She pointed towards the printed calligraphy. "See? Gizel Godwin. Lord Godwin's son."

"Oh!" Miakis exclaimed.

"Lady Sialeeds…" Kyle murmured.

Sialeeds gave the briefest of chuckles. "My ex-fiancé wants to marry my niece. This'll be awkward."

"F—Fiancé?!" Lym said in shock.

"…" Erza could not say a word due to the heat growing in her cheeks and the embarrassment flowing into her.

Sialeeds glanced at her niece. "Oh, right. You were little back then. What, you didn't know either, Lyon?"

"It's the first I've heard of it!" Lyon exclaimed. "But I thought the last Sacred Games were sixteen years ago…?"

"They were," Sialeeds answered. "But those were for Arshtat, not me. She was the one in line for the throne. I didn't get any Games."

"Oh…" Lyon murmured.

"Anyway, it's ancient history," Sialeeds said. "Let's not get all flustered over some petty political match-up from years ago. Besides, we were the ones who called it off. It wouldn't have worked out."

"I've seen Gizel Godwin," Lym spoke up. "Once or twice, at banquets. He looked… well, much better than Euram Barows, at least." She looked thoughtful for a moment. "Hmm… Him and Aunt Sialeeds, huh?"

Sialeeds blinked. "I don't know what you're thinking about, but I'm telling you it really doesn't matter anymore. Don't worry about it, okay?" Then she smiled and turned to the clerk. "So! Who's the man to beat this time?"

The clerk looked flustered. "P—Pardon, Lady Sialeeds?! I—I really couldn't say, Your Highness…"

"Probably either Gizel or Euram," Lyon said. "They can both afford really strong champions…"

"You never know. Some commoner might come out of nowhere and save the day…" Kyle said hopefully.

"We'll find out when it happens," said Sialeeds. "Remember what happened at the last Sacred Games? Everyone thought the finalists would be Godwin and Barows. And then, boom! Along came Ferid."

"Exciting, eh, Princess?" Miakis said.

"I don't know. It still feels like it doesn't have anything to do with me," Lym said slowly. "Like something out of a storybook…"

"Thanks. I hope we didn't bother you too much," Sialeeds said.

"No, Lady Sialeeds!" the clerk assured. "It was our pleasure! No bother at all! When the list is officially completed, we'll bring it to the Sun Palace right away!"

"Good. Please do that," Lym said.

"Yes, Your Highness!"