It was only two rotations since the Brunch and Kine had been on tenterhooks. We were all waiting to hear the results on the Systems but it was taking longer than we thought. I occupied myself by continuing my search of the forest from the wall but so far, I’d found nothing.

Travelling the wall was faster than I expected thanks to all the extra eyes we had. Kine insisted on more guards and Mathias continued to stick close to me. At first I was hyper aware of him but he never talked, somehow fading into the background of the crowd that was now in constant attendance. I hadn’t really let myself think about the suggestion that I was related to Kine and Mathias and yet it had still managed to occupy me. They were being patient but Kin were so important to the Icanthie and I was going to have to address it soon.

My guards and I returned to Kines mansion and, after thanking them, I headed straight t0 my rooms for a bath. Seth was spending every other rotation with House Greer so I’d had him yester and would have him the morrow. We mostly stayed in the mansion, playing and doing some lessons. I made sure he retained the skills he’d picked up with the Myath the last two orbits.

Seth was due to begin his official learning soon, with those his age but Lazot, Kine and I were considering delaying it until this situation was done or at least safer for him. House Kuthar had already tried to take him twice, we wouldn’t let them have another chance. The more time I spent around Lazot, the more we found we had in common. Talking about mum was still too painful for us but we had many in depth discussions around society, philosophy and politics. As a Head of House, Lazot had to be very politically minded and he was good at it. But he had the talent of keeping his integrity thoroughout. I even got to meet his True Mate, a very kind, quiet male who had a wicked sense of humour. He was from House Greer and Lazot was very protective of him.

The large bathing pool was deep enough to swim in, though not very long or wide and I made the most of it. Heated baths were a luxury among the Myath. Oh we had good sanitation and hygiene but we had to make do with portable basic shower units. The water was hot but it was practical rather than indulgent. I made sure to keep my ears dry, I hated getting water in them, and relaxed in the steamy heat. Muscles lax, breathing slow, I luxuriated in the peace, enjoy1ng the rare occasion that my brain let me switch off. No defence measure, no moving schedules, no supply runs or training bouts. Just peace. I sighed deeply...

“Sierra!!”

Well that lasted three minutes. Must be a new record for me. I groaned quietly as my brain kicked back in, considering where the Myath would be on the schedule, planning my next rotation with Seth, thinking about House Kuthar, wondering what Kine had found, debating if I should try and talk with MACC again... thoughts whizzing and blurring together.

The call came again, “Sierra?”

“Just a moment!” I called back as I pulled myself out of the heavenly bath, shaking off the worst of the water and grabbing a heated robe. The built in dryer dealt with the water in seconds and I grabbed a brush to start tackling my poofy tail. The robe covered everything so I walked through the various rooms into the lounge and found Kaylor and Eecee waiting. I sat down and worked the brush through my fur as I waited for them to talk.

“Sorry to disturb your grooming Sierra, but Kine would like to talk to you over the evening meal. There will be guests and it’s nearly ready.”

“Of course. Let me just get dressed and I'll be right down. Thanks!!”

***

The meal was delicious but I couldn’t enjoy it as I normally would. Kine finally had the result of his investigation into the Systems. The High Warrior, who turned out to be Lady Pannar of House Fedar, had joined our normal group at Kine’s request. I’d seen her in passing a few times and she was very professional. Intimidating, but she seemed slightly more relaxed at the meal... I think. She had been deeply involved in the investigation the past few rotati0ns. Kine obviously trusted her.

Kine told us about his visit during the Brunch, the tampering he’d found and the testing of all the Systems staff. We sat in silence, thoughtful and concerned as we contemplated our situation. Lazot was the first to speak.

“You are sure the Systems are not compromised?”

Kine and Pannar exchanged a glance before nodding. “We’re almost certain the Systems themselves haven’t been touched, though I think it’s wise to keep in mind the possibility we’re wrong.” Kine replied. “We have taken the precaution of informing the Systems of the threat to themselves and what we found. The investigation of the staff is almost finished and, so far, around forty are undergoing deeper investigation having not been immediately cleared. I’ve als0 taken the step of putting the staff under the authority of the High Warrior. Ostensibly, nothing will change with the function of the staff but security will be tighter with regular spot checks. Warriors are trained in many areas so we'll use our best technological security warriors and give them extra training. I’m not sure yet if these measures will be permanent but for now, we need to ensure the Systems are protected. We need to find out why our procedures failed and prevent it happening again.”

Yes that was concerning. If the security around the most important foundation of Icanthie society failed, we needed to understandhow and why. It seemed that everyone around the meal agreed but I had other questions.

“Has there been any movement from House Kuthar? Do we know why they attempted this and if they have accomplices?” The possibility of House Kuthar’s aims was very concerning to me and I worried f0r Seth.

Kine looked like he didn’t want to respond. “House Kuthar are being very circumspect. There is some suspicious activity but nothing we can link to either you and Seth nor the Systems yet. They interact with many other Houses both prominent and small, friendly and distant. They hide their actions and aims through sheer business. As to why they’d target the System despite the insanity and difficulty of it... What do you know about the Systems Sierra?”

“Not much. They don’t really factor into Myath life.”

“Hmmm.” Kine acknowledged. “Ancient history has shown again and again the danger of people with power. Wars, poverty, injustices, suffering. The Systems were designed and created as a means to prevent the abuse of power and build a just, safe and peaceful society. We don’t know who designed them or even how, we only really know enough to maintain them, but it was designed to do away with the many traditional forms of governance that were susceptible to flaws or corruption. It works by testing hundreds of thousands or parameters for each individual. Empathy, intelligence, communication, morality, factors of nature and nurture, interests, talents, likes, dislikes, significant life events... more than we can comprehend.”

Kine paused to take a drink before continuing.

“Now, for the average citizen, the testing results, which are undertaken once, several rotations after maturity, are merely a guide, a suggestion of activities or careers that suit an individual. But, for some, they are vital. These tests provide candidates for positions of power. Testing ensures the candidates are as suitable as possible, unlikely to abuse their power or try to gain more. Now from the candidate pools, individuals are usually voted into position by the current sitting members of power with consultation from the populace. Now, I assume your not familiar with the various position of p0wer or the governing bodies?”

I shook my head. “I dealt mostly with Houses.”

Kine nodded and continued. “The role of the leadership is to serve. The best well known position are that of the King or Queen and the ruling council, known as the Ruling Triangle but there are other leadership roles including the High Warrior and her Firsts, the High Scholar and her Mentors and the High Healer and his Surgeons. Together, we ensure the peace and safety of the nation and the people and justice for all peoples. Unlike the general population, we are tested every orbit to ensure we remain suitable for the roles. You follow?”

I nodded and Kine went on.

“Now, the Ruling Triangle is made up of nine members. Their function is to represent the many different possibilities, the views of the populace, with critical consideration. They are the eyes, ears and mouths of the nation and provide accurate, balanced information. The Ruler, currently the King, it the decision maker. They consider all the information of the Ruling Triangle and find the best solution and the best way of implementing it. The ruler can be vetoed by any of the positions of power at which point, the Rulers solution goes to a vote. A member of the Ruling Triangle or any other position of power will never be a King or Queen candidate so they are less likely to desire power or that role. There are some more subtle means of checks and balances and smaller roles in governance but that is roughly how it works. It’s not perfect but it has worked relatively well for millennia and the Systems regulate it all and that’s why it was targeted. We rely on the systems to select the best candidates. We rely on the Systems to balance the various powers that work together as one. If House Kuthar could manipulate or corrupt the Systems, they could gain a great deal of power, unchecked.”

I frowned as I considered the sudden dump of information. Something bothered me. “I understand the process and it seems like a good system but, I’m confused. Where do the Houses fit it?”

Kine sighed, a sentiment echoed by the others there. “The Houses are outside the System. They emerged organically and, as far as we can tell, were never considered by the original creators. They came from the coming together of like minded groups and seemed to grow into powerful influences. Although they have no governmental power, they have great influence over large numbers and by influencing public opinion, they influence the information that reaches the Ruing Triangle. In the last century, it has become a significant problem. Keeping our society fair and equal is becoming more and more difficult.”

The High Warrior spoke for the first time. She had a surprisingly gentle voice. “There has also been a noticeable stagnation in almost all areas of society. The same families in power, the same ideas in circulation, the same methods of operation. Some believe the Systems are broken or outdated.”

There was a troubled quiet at this statement.

“But what do you think?” I asked her.

She smiled at me and, after a considered pause, responded. “I believe the influence of the Houses is creating a bias that the Systems are trying to correct or at least halt in its descent to dictatorship. The stagnation is because the pool of candidates that uph0ld the original ideas of the System builders is very small.”

Kine looked shocked at the idea and stared wide eyes at the High Warrior. Pannar had been staring me in the eyes as she spoke but, noticing Kine’s regard, switched to consider him. She raised a questioning eyebrow and quirked a smile at him. “Were you beginning to doubt My King?”

I thought Kine would sputter at this but, after a moment, he sighed and smiled back. “Yes, perhaps I was.” Kine shook off his thoughts and returned to the point of the conversation. “The point is, Sierra, that the Systems are supposed to prevent such situations. Feenya should never have been bullied and killed, the Systems should never be in danger of being compromised. Something is very wrong and I’m not sure the Systems alone can fix it.”

“So what do we do?” Lazot spoke up. Mention of Feenya had clearly upset him.

The High Warrior answered. “We need more evidence. So far, we only have the memories of Lady Sierra that implicate House Kuthar in crimes or torture and murder. Ideally, we need to clarify what exactly lady Feenya knew of the treason to really be able to delve into the full scope of what they are up to. We also have the tampering with the Systems but we’ve yet to link in to anyone specific. We need a full investigation into House Kuthar and it’s allies, their associates, anyone who could be involved. The problem is, without the right evidence, any indication we are on to them will force them to either act, probably violently, or run and we w1ll never catch them.”

Another tense silence fell, it felt like the whole evening was one stretched rubber band, ready to snap. I really wanted to enjoy my crème brûlée. Mind ticking, I took a bite. And had an idea.

“What if we work at it from the other end?” Everyone turned to look at me, expectant. “What if we started with those we can trust. Build alliances with Houses we know cherish the Systems or even already oppose House Kuthar. They can gather information we are too visible to look for. And... I may have some contacts who could help though I cannot promise they will be relevant.”

Pannar nodded. “It's a decent idea.”

Positive sounds bounced around the room but I saw Kine frown. “I’m not so sure Sierra. I don’t want to put my people in harms way. We’ve already lost Feenya... it’s-”

“Kine.” I interrupt. “You must give them the option. They have to have a choice or they are not truly free. That’s why many work for a living despite the fact that everything they need is provided for them for free. They work because they choose to. They earn money, not because they need to, but so they can choose what they want their lives to be. Your people are already in harms way. If House Kuthar succeeds, they will no longer be free. They have a right to choose whether or not they will fight for the society they want...”

“You speak of fighting but this is not a war Sierra.”

“Maybe not. At least not yet. But I’ve seen what the Houses can do Kine. I’ve seen the worst in them. You may not wish to fight, but they are perfectly willing to kill for their own ends. You are King because you are able to make those hard decisions and bear them the rest of your life Kine. This is one of those decisions. I don’t want a war either, but I'd rather bear with the decision to fight to save people than bear with the consequences of not acting and lose everything.”

In the silence that followed (Oh look more tension) I realised my voice had become hard as I spoke emphatically. I gentled my expression and voice and continued trying to convey what was in my head. “I believe in you Kine. In the short time I’ve known you, I have seen a male who is just and kind, who does the right thing in the face of disapproval. The Systems worked, you are the right Icanthie to be King and I believe you will make the best decisions whatever you face.”

Kine stood and I thought he would leave but he surprised me by striding down the table and dropping to sit next to me, resting his head of my shoulder and rubbing his ears against my face. “Thank you.” He whispered.

Slightly non-plussed I whispered back. “You’re welcome.”

After a short while, Kine sat up but still stayed close. He looked around, “So, we have a plan.”

Lazot spoke. “It’s a start. We should inform the Ruling Triangle. They need to be aware of the dangers and the potential bias they may encounter.”

The High Warrior argued, “I would agree but it should wait until we’ve cleared them of any suspicion. House Kuthar may have found a way to subvert or place a sympathetic member on the Triangle. Let me check them before we give out anymore information.”

“I don’t like it but I’ll agree, even though the retesting should have alerted us to any danger in the Ruling Triangle.” Kine replied. As an aside, he spoke quietly to me, “Even though all members of governance positions are retested every orbit to ensure they are still suitable for office, the High Warrior and the King can call for retesting at any time with reasonable cause.”

With the main issue settled as much as possible, conversation continued on more casual note and we actually got to enjoy our meal. The rest of the evening was enjoyable, though quiet. We all had a lot to think about. The evening came to an end but, just as our guests were leaving, Kine spoke up.

“I wasn’t going to mention this because I’d hoped we could resolve the issue of House Kuthar quickly but, thinking it over this evening, it seems that this goes much deeper. I’m concerned they will use any opportunity to meet their aims which is a problem. We must act with some urgency because a delegation from the Drakes Kingdom is due to arrive in two Moons.”

Pannar seemed to be aware of this but the rest of us were surprised, especially Lazot. It was rare for the many races to interact. “Are we forming an alliance with them?”

“We are trying but there are many opinions on it. We finally agreed to try which will benefit the Nation but I’m concerned that this will present an opportunity for our enemies. If the delegation is attacked, they could declare war on us or simply cut us off from the trade. There’s no way to tell how they’ll react. If we can form an alliance, it should make any kind of coup harder to pull off. We must protect the delegates.”

On that, we all agreed. It had gotten late during the intense discussions, so by the time we finished, I was tired and ready to get to bed.

***

Laying in bed, I sighed, flipped over and punched a pillow, flopping down into the dent I’d made. I had been tossing and turning but sleep eluded me. My mind blurred with so many thoughts but I wasn’t awake enough to make sense of any of it so it just kept whirring around becoming more and more tangled... so tired.

I curled onto my side and tried to settle again. Please just let me sleep. It wasn’t as if I was concerned about anything in particular. Seth was safe, Uncle Quix was locked up, we had a plan. But something ticked away at the back of my mind, bugging me to pay attention. What was it? I still hadn’t found the meteors that supposedly fell into the forest though we had been looking every rotation. The more we’d gone out, the more we were watched, probably because of the many guards and the retired king about me.

Then there was the Myath. My work load was significantly reduced now that I wasn’t with them. I still did some things for them but I didn’t know what to do with myself really. Someone would have taken over my role, but did they have everything they needed? Did they have the experience, the contacts? I had minor contact with them but it didn’t tell me much. It was the worst time to be away what with the flooding and the unpredictable encounter we’d had lately.

... nope. It wasn’t going to happen. No sleep for me this night. Decision made, I suddenly sat up, just as a blade appeared in one of my pillows. Right where my head had been. That wasn’t mine...

Adrenaline surged in me and I swung around just as a huge, blank panther emerged from the shadows and pounced at me, claws out, teeth aimed at my neck. I rolled sideways to get away, landing in a crouch, looking for him. He was right there, swiping at me. I leaned into a back flip but I felt pain rake down my leg. Right about then, my tired brain kicked in and I sent out a mental scream, connecting to everyone in range.

“Kine! Mathias! Guards! Help. Heeeeeelllllp!”

It didn’t transmit. What is going on! Damn he was close again and I had to move. Keep moving. Don’t let him get close again. Move and think, you can do both at the same time. He swiped again and this time I lunged under his arm, my tiny baby claws out and dragging along his side. They barley dug in but I made him bleed. Why didn’t my call go through.

And right then I remembered I could use my voice to shout too. “GUARDS!! HELP! GUARDS!”

A second shadow flowed down from somewhere and barrelled into me, taking my breath away. Keep moving. I rolled with the force making sure not to get trapped under it. It was heavy, keep rolling. Damn no! I’m not strong enough to battle an Icanthie, especially one in Feline form. She snarled and a warm breath washed over my face as her claws dug into my side. She was going to crush my skull.

My bedroom doors slammed open and Mathias entered with my guards in Feline and Warrior form. Mathias roared so loud, full of rage and challenge, we all froze. I punched the figure above me in the throat and rolled again, springing away so the guards could do their job. Mathias was beating the first assassin, slamming him again and again into the ground, punishing him each time he tried to move. My guards were biting and tearing at the female, trying to pin her enough to put on restraints.

I wanted to watch, keep my eye on the threat but forced myself to assess my surroundings looking for any other intruders. I don’t know how they got in, the balcony doors were still shut. One of the guards, Merrick, had stayed with me and I nudged him and nodded towards the doors. He nodded back and we edged around to check them. They were still locked. I turned back to survey the room and, with the scant moonlight still behind me, my vision was a little better, but not much.

The struggles were winding down, both assailants subdued and barely putting up token resistance now. When I was sure they were contained, I move back to my bedroom door and called out a command to the computer.

“Lights.”

Nothing happened.

“Lights.” Nothing. “Can anyone get a signal out?”

Mathias came to stand with me, relaxed but buzzing with energy. He was pissed. Guards were containing the one he had beaten, not that he was much of a problem now. No one else could get a signal out either.

“They must have a jamming field up. There’s a knife they used in my pillows. Retrieve it and then we’ll take our prisoners out to the hall, see if we can get a signal there. I want to check that Seth and Kine are safe.”

The guards nodded and carried out my orders, retrieving the blade from my bed and surrounding me and the prisoners separately. We were cautious as we made our way out of my rooms and into the hall. All the time, I kept checking my outgoing telepathic comms. Finally we reached the hall and I got through.

“Kine! Are you safe? Where are you?”

“Sierra? I’m fine, what’s happ-? Hold on, I have a report...”

It went quiet as, I assume, Kine read the report that my guards must have submitted the moment we were free of the jamming field. My group had continued to walk down the corridor very slowly, checking all the time for further danger so when we heard another group approach, we froze in place and readied ourselves.

Kine, with a large group of his elite guards, appeared around the corner and I let out a small sigh or relief. He was okay. Now I needed to get to Seth. The new guards, headed by Thane, scooped up our prisoners and they disappeared somewhere. My view was blocked by Kine engulfing me in his arms, squeezing me tight before suddenly letting me go and patting me all over.

“I smell blood. Where are you hurt?”

He kept searching me gently while I tried to get his attention. “Kine... Kine!” I hissed in pain as he caught the wound in my side. “Kine! I need to check on Seth. This can wait till later.”

“Seth’s fine.” Kine replied distractedly as he stared at my bloodied torso and leg. He seemed torn between whisking me up and carrying me to his private Healers Bay or stripping me right there to check the wound. Seeing as I was wearing nothing but a night shirt and we were surrounded by both my and his guards, I really didn’t want it to go that way. Besides, I needed to check that Seth was safe.

“Kine. I will go to the Healer immediately if we can just go to Seth’s rooms and reassure myself he’s okay. I need to see him. Please.”

I watched his eyes and Kine battled with himself and saw the moment he made his decision. He lifted me into his arms and the guards, at some unspoken cue, formed an impenetrable wall around us. We moved swiftly toward Seth’s rooms. When we arrived, Kine held me back though I wanted to go straight in.

I looked to him surprised then worried. “You said Seth was fine.”

“He is. But I’m still going to be cautious. I can’t let anything else happen to you.”

Half the guards went into Seth's rooms and we waited, tense, for them to clear the rooms.