“Why is it, when it comes to you northerners that having a woman on the same bed without matrimony is taboo. You sure are backwards. Last I heard, Hailaga still has their fight to the death competition for which man gets to marry the woman.”

The last remark shook Arleous from his work desk. By the bed, the fae whom calls herself Magdai, lay bawdily, her sleeping gown a strewn and a goblet of cream-colored juice sat lusciously at one of her many arms. His eyebrows knitted her, dark beetle skin consuming the dimness of light surrounding her. “What?” she said, exasperated, her two long horns shadowing her scuffled hair. Arleous sighed and turned to the next page of his guards’ reports.

“That!” the beetle barbed. Accompanying her strangled Thravbon was the buzz in her voice. “That attitude even! The Tsar did warn me of your ridiculous aloofness. Doesn’t even drool when a crotch had openly presented itself.” Magdai stood, her heavy folded wings a burden for her had she fully laid back. When she reached his table, Arleous did not bother as another hand of hers took a parchment from his piles of declarations to look into. The King’s chagrin was attached to one of his sergeant’s works.

“Says here, Outern wants to increase taxes for income-goods from Solven. You exploit too much ah… Lord Buffin.” The hand had plucked it away to the floor and was making a move for a new one. “House Edomia wants confirmation of reopening the river Edomsisa for vessels.” The account bothered her. “I thought this was opened after the war. Why did you close this?”

Although they did not go through the dalliance, Arleous was exhausted. He has been for years, and the appeal of the lady did not strengthen his scarred bones. In fact, her appeal was not what he needed. “The Chrav Alliance took the liberties," he explained, "As suggested by my vain brother. It was to hold off any Fae Folk refugees entering the region.”

“Both from Hailaga and Krugan?”

Arleous nodded, he did accept the proposal. With a sad tone he defended, “I had to since the High Adjunct’s Regional Refugees Law was not stopping the growing number of Satehk.”

Magdai scowled. “Because you could not stop slavery, of course.” Her hand then reached for another pile, not even waiting for Arleous’ response. “Goddess knows that the High Adjunct even cared for my people.”

“Alcvin was not yet High Adjunct at that time.”

“And I was loved by my parents. Believe me, with the history of your High Adjuncts counting everyone as low born and the god incarnate themselves, gives my Tsar the reason that I to be here.”

Like a water droplet clouting hard stone, Arleous felt the crashing weight of the air around him. There was crackling and then all the dimmed glass windows of his room fractured to sharp bits, steadily holding on to their panes. The King finally drove his eyes to his new companion. Her hand tightly clenched on the ruined paper, her hidden spurs now deadly bared.

“Did you know of this?” she turned to him hotly. Her eyes bobble black, searing from the only candle light of the room. She slammed the paper to his desk causing to topple his ink bottle, blanketing the current paper he had. It did not fortunately fully stain everything.

For what concerned Magdai was an outer-regional report of the Jasakov Ski Empire. Of that it had separated itself to twelve factions, independent from each other. The Scholar who had wrote it had pointed out the change of trade of the entire region, Thrindiyo to the rest of Entherah. It was passed three moons ago.

“Do you know what this means?” Magdai was barely holding on to her ire, many of her beetle body parts now present.

Arleous had fairly loosened his knowledge of foreign politics, one he had abandoned early on after his troubles with the Chrav Alliance. But he knew of the twelve sons of Temeres, many of which had respected him and he to them and their father. There was a strangled silent moment, coupled by misery, before Arleous could disclose.

“The Tsar, Jaskovie Temeres Nil has passed.”

Urda stared at the new class schedule of her princess. The girl had arrived jolly which brought the chambermaid’s attention. She did not expect the little mouse to have enjoyed her first day, and now she was contemplating over the pressed paper on the writing-desk. She had also batted an eye over the glass globe beside it, its reptilian claws holding it high.

“Urda, what’s the matter?” her tiny squeaky voice gave away many of the maid’s thoughts. All the maid could do was miffed her face and immediately the princess was drawing to her. “You don’t like my schooling?” Alve held her hand, a tiny skinny thing on the servant's roughened and calloused fingers.

Admonishing it by gazing up to the ceiling, Urda bit her growing tears before the brat could irk her. She almost burst when the little girl hugged, her head barely passing her hips. They stood there for a long time. The princess, knowing her maid did not like talking nor even tears for that matter, it disturbed her however when the girl was not even crying this time. She has grown tough. Good. Urda was pleased.

Urda had finally tucked in the princess on the bed and was about to leave the now somber girl to her dreams when it drowsily asked, “Urda, can you tell me a story before you go?”

“Story? I thought you’ve passed that,” the maid was appropriately by the door, hoping to have leaved the troubled for the night.

“It’s just that… they make me sleep.” Was it to be a compliment? the maid scoffed.

“Alright, but don’t tell your cousins. You have sharp ones who can be a bit prickly at times.”

“You mean Savana?” the princess noticed her jab. She had returned to her bedside when she replied, “Your cousins are natural spies, little mouse. There’s nothing we can do about that.” They both laughed. A rare coincidence the two of them greatly shared. “What it will be this time?” Urda offered, coming the girl’s curly hair. Like a kitten, the princess responded to nestling towards her servant.

“You would let me decide?” as expected, the princess was surprised.

“You’ve heard everything I’ve heard, now you have the pick.”

The princess’ green eyes flashed before she wished, “Alright. Can you tell me a story about dragons again?”