Minul leaned back in her seat, rubbing her fingertips against her forehead. She was reclining in her apartments, getting ready for the day and already the bad news were starting.

“That bad, is it?” Saif asked, as he sat opposite her. She’d never seen the man eat nor, in the two years he’d been advising her, had she ever seen him fully relaxed or caught off guard.

“A student was attacked last night.”

“Oh? What do we know about it?”

“A smoke tethered. The student guessed them to be a fifth or fourth year, judging from their power.” Minul put her hands down, reaching for her tea. She sipped it while considering the report. “He’s a first-year, so he’s probably not that reliable, but the stage of power matches what other reports mention that night.”

“What’s his name? I keep track of some problem students.” Saif leaned over picking up the report, while she finished the last of her eggs. “Ranvir, the space manipulator…”

“Recognize him?”

Saif looked up from the report with a telling look before returning his eyes to the papers. “First, he got Master Grimar thrown out of the academy for poor conduct. You’ll remember, it’s what ended with getting Principal Ragnar instated in the old principal’s stead. Then, he’s gotten multiple reports from other Masters complaining about how he behaves himself.”

“Multiple Masters?”

“Master Orulf jumps out as a prominent one, leaving multiple complaints. He was also part of the group that got saved by Master Grimar, during the riots before the break.”

“The one with Esmund, Dovar of House Sworden, and Grevor of House Starstone.” Minul said, remembering the report.

“And Sansir. All of whom have achieved their first stage.” Saif gave her a significant look over the paper.

“All of them? Ranvir included?”

“All but him.” Saif said. “By all accounts he’s decently talented but gathers trouble, like teenagers gather trash and bad decisions.”

Minul ran her tongue over her teeth. “You’ve got someone watching him?”

Saif shook his head. “Didn’t have to, he’d already caught the attention of Pashar.”

“The administrator…” Minul drew the word out, looking at Saif inquiringly. “Whom you know from…?”

Saif put the papers down and leaned back in his seat, tipping the chair onto its rear legs. “Ankiria.”

Minul gave him a deadpan look.

“Where she was one of my students.”

“One of your students. As in you helped teach some of her classes, or as in, Master and Apprentice?”

“Master and Apprentice.” Saif said.

“Pashar, the administrator, was trained by you?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Why, pray tell, is she administrating for the academy then?”

“She quit.” Saif explained with a smile. “She trained for ten and served her ten, and then she was done.”

Minul sighed. “She isn’t related to this mystery woman, is she?”

“No.” Saif replied, with an indolent smile. “I’ll get the door.” He rose from the chair to his feet, reminded Minul of the great predator cats she’d seen when she’d been to Ankiria. She watches his form, covered in his usual ensemble of an ankirian noble outfit adjusted for the weather, as he walked to the door. He didn’t look his supposed age.

Between the beginning of his training, probably around seventeen, till his retirement he’d had a very successful career. Reaching the heights of power, a Triplet Master in his own right. Even if she assumed he’d started apprenticing Pashar when he reached his first third-stage, he’d still spent ten years training her while pushing the rest of the Disciplines to the third stage.

Halfway to the door a knock came, causing Saif to shoot a smug grin over his shoulder.

Ten years training his apprentice, would leave him in the mid- to late thirties at the earliest, then getting his other Disciplines up to snuff would’ve taken at least another decade. Now between all of that he’s had to have enough feats that he came highly recommended. And he knew Zubair—who looks older than him—as a child, or at least insinuated as much...

He was clearly a bastard, his unawakened heritage showed through clearly enough. No one had eyes like his. Some might mistake them for brown, but they were orange a few shades too light to be completely natural.

It left one worrisome idea as of yet unexplored. Zubair was evidence that Triplet Masters didn’t age slower than normal. Ankiria, Sankur, and Vargish agreed on this and she’d met quite a few in her time, even some who’d since died of age. But Saif should at minimum be in his fifties, if not late sixties, yet he appears no older than forty.

“It’s for me.” Saif said, sounding intrigued as he approached the table holding a folded piece of paper. “Let’s hope it’s not bad news.”

Seating himself, he opened the paper and scanned it quickly, his face souring. “Add Master Sigurd to the list of complaints.”

“Huh?”

“For Ranvir, you know the student we were discussing. Add Master Sigurd to list of complaining teachers. Apparently, he stole Dovar from him. Honestly, the letter reads more like a jealous lover than a Master. Here, see?”

Minul waved the paper away. Rolling her eyes at his antics. She dismissed her worries about the age of the Triplet Master, or whatever he was. He was Sun King heritage, maybe that’s why...

Minul strode through the halls of her palace in quick strides. Princess Inaaya had thrown another fit during lunch and had caused multiple servants to cry. So now Minul had to go talk to a Goddess damned Princess about manners.

She stopped before the entrance to Inaaya al-Bacchus’ apartments glaring at the guardsmen to standing before the door, challenging them to stop her as she knocked. The ankirians, dark of skin and hair, glanced at her once, recognized the proverbial thundercloud she was dragging around and proceeded to act like she wasn’t there at all. Minul knocked three times, then pushed the door open stepping into the quarters.

Minul spied her distant cousin through the entrance and into a sitting room, which the Princess had remodeled into her dressing room. Inaaya looked up, shocked, from where she was sitting in front of her vanity. She’d dressed herself in a mix of ankirian and elusrian styled jewelry.

“Cousin!” She exclaimed, looking at Minul wide-eyed before recovering herself. “Come in, come in! I was just trying out some your jewelry, seeing how it mixes with our own styles. It’s quite fascinating really.” She smiled at Minul, as the Queen stepped further into her apartments. She wore traditional elusrian thick banded gold rings around her fingers, with the more dainty nose and ear piercings of Ankiria, also in gold of course.

“Princess.” Minul said, digging into herself and finding some patience and dragging it to the forefront of her mind. “I wanted to talk about what happened at lunch, today.”

“Oh, it was just horrible.” Inaaya exclaimed. “I’m glad you’ve mentioned it, actually. The maid just left my food on my dining table without warning me. It had nearly gone cold by the time I found out about it.”

It took effort, but Minul’s face didn’t draw together in doubt.

“Honestly, it was already quite unpalateable as it was. I really hope your cooks can make something better than that. It was all mixed together and the stew was way too thin.”

Minul smile thinly. “It’s supposed to be like that. It’s an Elusrian soup, it’s always been made like that.”

“Cousin.” Inaaya gave her an intent look. “You know we’re not in the dark ages anymore, you don’t have to eat that kind of food.” She waved it off then. “Anyway, I gave the maid the sharp side of my tongue and she understood to tell me next time food arrived and to make sure the cook made something actually good for dinner.” She patted her hips. “I’ll lose my form if I have to eat like that for too long.”

I sincerely hope you won’t stay that long. Minul thought, as she went over what Inaaya had said. Really it was Inaaya’s words against a maid’s. “Well, I hope you’ll like dinner more. On that note, I wanted to ask why you decided to join the group sent to inspect the academy.” Especially, since you’re plucking around up here while they’re down there at the academy.

“Oh, I just wanted to see the sights of the city, meet the people, learn the lay of the land.” Inaaya smiled at Minul, before jumping to her feet and doing a pirouette. “Look at this dress I’ve had made. I designed it myself, to find a mid-point between elusrian and ankirian style. Do you like it?”

She stopped with a swish of her skirts. The dress was mostly in a light and loose ankirian style, avoiding bunching up or squeezing to wearer too tight, allowing for freedom of movement. It was made largely with elusrian materials, with the exception of a few thin ribbons of sheer material that would lift in a slight breeze or movement. Above this, she’d slung the pelt of a wolf covering half her torso, leaving her right arm and breast free from the wolf pelt. The dress’ cut was conservative, especially in Ankiria, but straddled the balance well in Elusria.

“It’s very beautiful.” Minul replied. The frills of sheer cloth looked ridiculous and the wolf pelt was way too much, especially with the head resting over her shoulder. She’d obviously tried to capture the Warrior Queen of Elusria look, but the real question was why? “I just wanted to check up on you in regards to the servants, I see that you’re doing well and I have to get back to work.”

“Please, let me follow you out.” Inaaya offered.

She followed Minul out the door, closing it after her. Minul walked away worrying at her lip with her teeth.