"It is strange," Kelton said. He had separated the Barrenkee papers into piles. It was the fourth sorting, this time by shipment destination. It mirrored what was happening in his mind and necessary, for picture mind or not, he could only organize a few at a time in his memory.

"What?" Zello asked. Vasco set down his tea and stood near the table.

"If you ignore the short shipments, the ones to Mila stand out." Kelton's mouth distorted as he thought. "You see, every haul of distance was mirrored by a return shipment."

"It makes sense," father Tarvakian interjected. "Profits, no matter how small, are better than an empty wagon back."

"Aye," Kelton said, nodding. "Then why do Mila wagons return empty." He pushed the documents about, trying to find an exception to his thoughts. "Do we not have all information?"

"It is not all," Zello admitted. "Ours, and other houses that allowed me to look. And what registrations I could find in the library. I may have made errors transcribing, though missing shipments would be a large error."

"A good sample then, Master?" Kelton asked.

"Aye," Zello responded.

"Barrenkee is cruel, but not dull of head," Kelton continued. Zello nodded his agreement. "He would not forgo profits on a return trip." Kelton looked at the father. "Does Mila have sufficient houses to offer shipments to here, Master?"

"Aye, Kelton," Master replied. He set down his tea and rose next to Vasco. "There could be a lull now and again, but in normal there would be loads that would seek timing like we did."

"And other Mila wagons, they also fail to reach here?"

"Aye, as far as we can tell," Vasco answered.

"Mayhap, our ruse at House Barrenkee was not so great a feat," Kelton said. "Mayhap, it is our load that is the return haul."

"But there is no..." Zello started.

"It is the lack of record that interests Kelton," the father said. He moved closer. "Who would want to forego a tally? It is ripe for deceit."

"Mayhap, it is the cargo that he desires to remain hidden," Vasco added.

"Ahh," Zello exclaimed when it became clear. "I was looking for what was there, not what was missing. Mayhap, Felicity will have insight."

"It would best to wait a few days," the father said. "Better to ask when she is confident in her situation. What do say you, Kelton?"

"Aye, a few days. She was well frightened with the buying and selling, Master." Kelton looked at the father with renewed respect. He was crafty and knew people well. Tarvakian was a master manipulator and merged it with an equal amount of compassion. Disliking him was hard.

"Master?" It was Evelyn at the door, as expressionless as ever.

"Aye," Master replied. He did not acknowledge her presence beyond the word. A contradiction to his concern of others.

"A royal messenger has arrived and wishes an audience." Evelyn's face never altered its shape, no indication of feeling anything. It was no different than those Kelton had seen in House Barrenkee.

"A royal messenger?" the father said as he looked toward Evelyn. She stiffened and responded in the affirmative.

"Forgive me, Master," Vasco interrupted. "In all that has happened, I have forgotten the library. Kelton caught the eye of Princess Victalica."

"Alliette? You spoke with Princess Aliette?" Zello asked Kelton.

"Aye, though I did not know it to be her," Kelton said. The father's eyebrows rose. "She wished it so, Master. I fear I insulted her lineage, not knowing the truth of her."

"She was not offended," Vasco said. "And she wishes to speak with him again."

"Royal wishes are commands," the father said. He looked toward Evelyn. "Bring the messenger forward." Evelyn, without acknowledgment, turned to her duty. Kelton had trouble sorting her into his renewed impression of House Tarvakian. Strict with one, yet good father to all others.

"Were you near to her?" Zello asked.

"Aye, as close as you are now," Kelton replied.

"Was she...beautiful? I mean, I've seen her at a distance, and she was stately. Is it so when she's close?"

"She has a pleasing look."

"And you will speak with her again." Zello looked at his father. "One of our house should be present at such a meeting. To...to make sure all goes well."

"Mayhap, I should go," the father said. Zello's eyes grew wide, and the father laughed. "Or mayhap, we let the princess choose her desire." The messenger entered. She was a silver and wore the kingdoms seal embroidered above her breast.

"Master of House Tarvakian," the messenger said, bowing at the waist. "I bear a royal library sanction from the King. It is for one of your house named Kelton. To be used at your discretion, as you see fit." She held forth the black disc.

"It is gladly accepted," Master Tarvakian said, taking the disc. "I wish my deepest thanks to be relayed to his majesty. As always, his majesty has our house's loyalty."

"I will relay your words," the silver said. "I am also to present a message from my mistress, Princess Alliette Victalica." She held forth a sealed envelope to Tarvakian. He took it. "May I speak to the one called Kelton?"

"As you wish," Tarvakian said. There was a curiosity in his eyes as his open palm pointed toward Kelton.

"Our high mistress told me of your compliment of my weave of her hair." The silver smiled, her eyes gentle. "It pleases me that it was noticed, for I do care for her deeply."

"It was well done," Kelton said with a dip of his head, "and deserved notice."

"As does the one who cares for your hair," the silver said. She too dipped her head, then looked toward Tarvakian. "Thank you, Master Tarvakian. I will return your words to the King as you desire." She bowed again and left behind Evelyn's stoic guidance.

"She sent her own lady," Zello said, surprise in his voice.

"More important, the King knows of House Tarvakian," the father said. He broke the seal on the letter. "I believe this is written with her hand." He read it, then looked up at Kelton. "She wishes me to not fetter you with commands when you next speak to her."

"What?" Zello asked.

"She wishes to know a picture mind unhindered by the demands of position." Tarvakian's eyes scrunched up, and he bit his lip as he considered the message. "It is written with much respect for my rights, yet it is a royal who asks."

"Kelton brings us royal notice, Master," Vasco said. "It would be a waste to lose it to propriety."

"What was said when last you met?" Tarvakian asked Kelton.

"We talked of King Assima Victalica, the great father as she called him," Kelton replied. "I did not know her when she asked my thoughts on him." Kelton looked toward the ground. "I told her I both loathed and admired him."

"All-Father," Tarvakian exclaimed. "The King's legitimacy lies in the great father. Her position is due to him. What she must think of my house."

"I did not know," Kelton said.

"She was pleased with the answer," Vasco said. "She also sensed Kelton's disdain for ownership and warned me to be wary of it. It is odd, but I believe she found humor in it."

"It is a fine line between a happy daughter and an angry father," Tarvakian said, shaking his head. "We are a small house and know little of the royal circles. Dare we play that game?"

"Aye," Zello said with enthusiasm.

"So quick," the father said. "Is it logic or desire that directs your answer? It is our house's future you risk."

Zello paused before he spoke again. "It is more desire, father. She is in my head, a dream beyond my position."

"Youth," Tarvakian said to Vasco with a smile. "It is pleasing to remember it."

"It is, Master." Vasco chuckled.

"Desire, logic, it is all a gamble is it not?" Tarvakian asked no one. "To deny the princess would be of risk as well. She has influence with the King." He held up the sanction disc as proof.

The room went silent as the father considered the options. Kelton felt like a tool, something to be used. It was the thought of Felicity and her rescue and the idea of rescuing more that kept him silent. Better to bolster the best of the bad then to allow the worst to prosper.

"Vasco, what say you?" Tarvakian asked after the long quiet.

"Trust Kelton," Vasco said. The response surprised Kelton.

"Zello?"

"I wish to meet the princess," Zello said. He smiled. "It warps my thoughts, but there it is."

"Kelton," Master Tarvakian said as he tossed the sanction disc to Kelton. "You hold my house in your hands. I have seen moments in you where crushing it would be your desire. I trust you will think of all those who need to eat before you tear us asunder."

"It is not House Tarvakian I wish torn asunder, Master," Kelton said. It was mostly true. It was the last house that he desired to fall after all the other owners had been toppled. Not a viable goal, only a dream.

"As the Princess requests, I will not demand that you to alter your responses to her," Tarvakian said, then raised his finger and pointed it at Kelton as an owner would. "But your words will be delivered with respect due her position." Kelton nodded, and the finger dropped. "So be it. We play the royal game."

"This complement," Zello said all at once to Kelton. "It carried weight with the Princess. How was it worded? Did she smile when it was spoken?"

Zello's father and Vasco didn't even try to hide their laughter.

~~~~~

"Are you set for the night?" Kelton asked. Yanda was at the door with him, his hand in hers. It was a strange feeling, as if he had lost his newcomer status now that he looked after another. It made him feel older.

"Aye," Felicity replied. "It is odd here. Speaking is allowed and," she pointed at the bowl on the shelf in the room, "I have been given fruit, and towels, and such. The work must be hard."

"Nay," Kelton said, he added a smile to the shaking of his head. "You will work, but not beyond what is normal. The fruit is because of the way you have arrived. It softens the first night. You will have to fetch your own from now on."

"Beldin came and thanked me for doing what I was tasked," Felicity said. It sounded more like a query than a statement.

"He likes to know he is needed. He is worried that Master will find him useless and you helped show that he is not." Kelton smiled. "Master wishes he would do less, and still Beldin wishes more."

"Less?"

"It is his time," Kelton replied with a shrug. "Beldin has given all for so long, and Master thinks he should slow down. Work is for the young, Master says."

"House Barrenkee did not want less, ever," Felicity said. "I worked days in the kitchen, then nights if the guards deemed it so. Do the guards take privileges often here?"

"No one take here," Yanda said.

"You rule your bed," Glenda said, as she nudged by Kelton to pass inside. She handed Felicity a small bundle. "Here are the things men forget you will need." She flashed a look at Kelton like it was his fault that things were forgotten.

"It is a good house," Felicity said, again sounding more like a question.

"Tomorrow you will see that work is done and the house profits from it. That is all we have in common with House Barrenkee. What is done there, is not done here," Glenda said. She looked at Kelton and waved him away. "Be gone. A woman needs no man to help her to bed."

Yanda hauled Kelton away, not that he had meant to stay. Never letting go of his hand, she led him down the hall to their room. It was later than usual, and sleep was calling. A long day of decisions made and remade.

"We stay," Yanda said, once the door was closed.

"Aye, we stay," Kelton agreed. He watched as Yanda disrobed. Her slim figure and its curves were pleasing. The marks on her back had receded to permanent discoloration. He had a desire to trace them with his finger. A reminder of the horror they shared.

"Woman no need man," Yanda said, as she dipped a cloth into the water bowl. She smiled and handed the wet cloth to Kelton. "And woman need man." Kelton chuckled as he washed her back, letting the cloth trace the remnants of the whip.