Disclaimer: I own nothing.

A/N: This chapter's mostly dialogue, unfortunately. I tried to add in some description in between, but there was just so much that needed to be said. Next chapter will have a little more romance as Matthew and co. finally show up! A note on this chapter: Amiti, you've hit rock bottom if you're taking romantic advice from EOLEO!

Also, I'm thinking of writing an Ivan/NotQuiteAnOC(Karis's Mom) fic soon. Maybe I'll get done with this one first, though.

baou21 – Glad you like it! Thanks!

Anne Iriel Devay – Yep! That entire last chapter was pretty much inspired by an album I just started listening to. *sigh* Go figure. I like the name Soulshipping. I think I might just write a story to make it a little more official, but…maybe later. And Karis isn't sure whether or not Ivan read her mind, lol. Poor Karis.

XxXxX

A Different Kind of Storm

CHAPTER 6

Decisions

XxXxX

The tip of her Sylph Rapier moved through the air quickly, cutting and slashing as she spun around. The blade moved so quickly that it was almost a blur, and Karis moved over the grass, her body shifting into position as she lunged. The blade thrust through the air before coming to a standstill, the wind around her quieting down as she panted softly. She sheathed the sword and stood up, wiping the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand.

She looked around, realizing that she had drawn an audience. Several of Ayuthay's guards were watching her from their posts, as well as a handful of palace servants. She sighed, tilting her head back.

"It can't be helped, Karis," said Ivan from the steps that led up to the palace. He was sitting at the topmost step, a smile on his face as he leaned against one of the pillars. "You're somewhat of a celebrity here."

"I know," said Karis, adjusting her ponytail. "But it was bad enough when they'd do it in Kalay."

"Hey, kid, think fast!"

Karis whipped around, her eyes narrowing as she reached up and caught the canteen that had been thrown at her. She looked up. Eoleo stood at the lake's shore, a small boat behind him and a handful of Ayuthay guards around him. He was grinning at her, his fists on his waist.

"Not bad," he said.

"Eoleo!" exclaimed Karis.

"Yo," he said, raising a hand in greeting. "Brought you a present."

He stepped aside, revealing Himi. The younger Adept stepped out of the boat carefully, smiling.

"Himi!" said Karis, running forward to give her a hug. "You're here too!"

The Venus Adept returned her hug, reaching up on her tiptoes to put her arms around Karis's shoulders. "Eoleo came and picked me up just as I was looking for transportation," she said, stepping back from Karis and smiling. "He said he was heading that way anyway."

Karis frowned, looking up at the pirate lord. There weren't many ports north of Yamata, only Tonfon and Belinsk. "You came from Morgal?" she asked.

"Had some things to talk to Sveta about," explained Eoleo with a shrug. "We got in a little early, but the weather was good and we didn't wanna risk storm season out there."

"Not without a Jupiter or Mercury Adept anyway," said Himi with a smile. She tilted her head, looking at Karis. "…Speaking of which…?"

Karis shook her head. "No, it's just me," she said. "We went ahead of the others and got caught in a storm." She winced. "It was a good thing we landed here."

"We?" asked Eoleo, looking past Karis at Ivan for the first time.

Ivan stood up, walking down the stone steps and coming to a stop beside Karis. "I'm Ivan," he said. "Karis's father. Am I right in assuming you are Eoleo of Champa and Himi of Yamata?"

"That's us," said Eoleo.

"Ivan of the Warriors of Vale?" asked Himi.

Ivan nodded. "It's a pleasure to meet you, princess," he said, "I wasn't with Felix and the others when they met your parents, but I've heard a lot about you from Karis."

"The pleasure's mine," said Himi.

"Bet you heard a lot about my old man from Felix too," said Eoleo with a grin.

"Jenna and Sheba had a lot to say on the subject," replied Ivan. He smiled at Eoleo, then turned towards Karis. "I'll head back inside," he said. "I'm sure you have a lot of catching up to do."

Eoleo frowned. "We'll have to talk later, Karis. Sorry," he said, looking up at the palace. "Let me guess. Amiti's working?"

"Mm," said Karis, frowning slightly. "He said he was going to be in the map room today. Do you need to see him."

"Sveta had some news. Shouldn't take long. Don't worry, I know the way." Eoleo stepped around her with a wave, following Ivan into the palace. "Himi has some stuff for you, I think," he called when he was halfway there.

"Mm!" said Himi, turning around and reaching into the boat. She pulled out a parcel, handing it to Karis. "I brought gifts for everyone," she said. "This is for you."

"Thank you, Himi," said Karis with a smile, accepting the package. It felt soft beneath her fingers, almost like cloth. She looked at the princess briefly before beginning to open it.

XxXxX

Amiti was standing at one end of the map room's long table, looking down at a detailed map of Angara when the doors flew open, Eoleo striding purposefully into the room. He looked up, his hand resting squarely over the patch of land that covered eastern Morgal.

"Can I help you?" he asked, cordially.

"When are you getting hitched?" asked Eoleo, tossing his bag into the nearest chair and stopping in front of Ayuthay's king. Amiti sighed, stepping back.

"Not you too," he said, staring down at the map and idly pushing a single stone token back into place over Belinsk. White tokens for allies, black tokens for enemies.

"I'm serious, Amiti," said Eoleo. "I just came back from Morgal. There's talk."

"What kind of talk?" asked Amiti, looking up at him briefly.

"Kaocho's hiring out beastman assassins," said the pirate.

"Oh, is that all?" asked Amiti, looking back down at his map. He frowned, thinking it over. If he adjusted things to make sure that he was more covered…although he wasn't sure how much more covered he and Ayuthay could be at the moment…

"The hell do you mean 'is that all'?" asked Eoleo angrily. "You ever try to fight Sveta?"

Amiti winced in memory, rubbing at his jaw. "You do have a point," he conceded. "But Sveta is an Adept."

"Adept or no, if your throat gets clawed out before you can cast Psynergy, you're just as dead," said Eoleo. "And right now, Ayuthay dies with you. You even name an heir yet?"

Amiti frowned. "My family has ruled Ayuthay since the days of the Exathi," he said. "I couldn't choose an heir outside of my line."

"Well, you can't have it both ways," said Eoleo. "Pick an heir or have one, but damn it, Amiti, you're running out of time!"

Amiti paused in thought, looking away from the map to consider his older friend. When Eoleo told him he was playing risky politics, he probably needed to stop and consider. He sighed. He was fast learning that as a king he would have to put aside personal preferences for the greater good. But this was one issue he was hoping to avoid.

"Sveta's investigating?" he asked.

"She's sniffing it out, no pun intended," said Eoleo. "But she can't be everywhere at once. And she's got Bilibin at her back to worry about. She shouldn't even have to think about Ei-Jei."

"Point taken," said Amiti. He glanced at the nation on the other side of Border Town, with a single black token covering its capital. He had almost forgotten about Bilibin. His thoughts had been so focused on Kaocho and rebuilding.

"There's gotta be some girl here willing to marry you," said Eoleo.

Amiti sighed. "More than a few," he admitted. "But none of them…" He trailed off. Eoleo had been around Ayuthay when his advisor started presenting candidates to him. Most of them were beautiful, but he couldn't seriously see himself tolerating them for the rest of his natural life. It would eventually drive him insane.

"What about Himi?" asked Eoleo.

"Creepy," replied Amiti.

"Hou Ju?"

"…A little dull."

"Sveta?"

He paused. "…Scary," he finally said. "And besides, an arranged marriage wouldn't work. Sveta is the sovereign monarch of another country." He sighed, shaking his head. "Don't misunderstand me, Eoleo. I'm great friends with all of them, and I care about each of them, but…"

"They'd bore you to death or keep you scared out of your wits if you had to live with them," said Eoleo with an understanding nod. "Got it. But she doesn't have to be a princess, does she?"

"No," said Amiti with a slight frown. "She just has to be tolerable."

"What about Karis?"

His eyes hardened, his fingers tightening around the edge of the table as he looked away. "Unattainable." Eoleo stared at him for a moment.

"Wow," said the pirate. "You've got it bad."

Amiti blinked. "Excuse me?" he asked. "What have I got?"

"Lovesickness," replied Eoleo. "You're in love with Karis! If that's it, then why don't you go after her?"

"…I know when I've been rejected, Eoleo," said Amiti. "I can take no for an answer."

Eoleo's eyes widened. "You're still thinking about that?" he asked. "That wasn't 'no'. That was 'my drunk friend's coming on to me and I've got no clue what he's doing'. If that was a no, do you really think you'd be standing here and not still spitting out sparks?"

Amiti stared at him. He had never really thought about it that way before. All this time, he had been thinking back to that situation and only considering the end of it. He hadn't really thought through Karis's reaction. Looking back, he probably should have noticed the sudden absence of her temper, but he thought it was something she reserved for Tyrell.

"Are you saying that I should court Karis?"

"Maybe," said Eoleo, with a shrug. "Worst she can do is say no again, right?"

Amiti frowned. "You do have a point," he conceded. "…I'll consider it."

"Don't take too long," said Eoleo. "Wo's not gonna stand around and wait while you decide what to do."

"I'm aware of that." He looked back at the map, his eyes drifting towards Kaocho. He would be fine as long as it was only Wo he had to worry about. But with the Tuaparang [1] still running around unchecked, it would only be a matter of time before they set their sights on Angara again.

"Thank you for giving me this information."

Eoleo shrugged. "None of us wanna see your head on Kaocho's gate," he said. "Be careful."

"I will," said Amiti. "Send in my guards on your way out."

Eoleo nodded, heading towards the door. Amiti slumped back against the desk when the door closed behind the pirate, placing his hand on his head. He wondered what he had been thinking, believing that life would actually get easier after the Eclipse.

XxXxX

By the time he had sent the guards out and told them to subtly increase security around the palace, it was well past noon. He glanced at the clock and sighed, realizing that he would have to go without lunch today. He still had that one trading contract to go over, and if he didn't hand it in by the end of the day, there was a good possibility that the shipping company would just offer their services to someone else. He forced himself to his feet and made his way to his desk, sitting down and grabbing the first sheet of paper.

He had gone through half a page when a knock came at the door. Amiti frowned, pinching the bridge of his nose to relieve some of the tension as he looked up.

"Come in," he said.

The door slid open and Karis stepped in, a tray of food in her hands. He stared at her. She was dressed in a deep green Yamatan kimono with a violet sash the same shade as her eyes. The kimono itself seemed to be made of fine silk, and was accented by a floral design that looked like petals blowing in the wind. He wondered if Karis knew that she was wearing something worth a small fortune. Judging from the way she was trying very hard not to catch the silk in anything, she did.

"…A gift from Himi?" he asked.

She nodded. "She came in with Eoleo," she said, setting the tray on the desk. "She wanted to see me wear it."

He nodded. He would have to go see her later. "What's this?" he asked, looking down at the covered tray.

"Food," said Karis. "You didn't come down to lunch, so I brought some food up to you. Eat."

He considered refusing it, but that would be rude after she had gone through the trouble of bringing it up to him. "Thank you," he said, setting the cover aside and picking up the bowl of noodles underneath it. He pushed the paperwork out of the way and picked up the bowl, picking up the chopsticks that came with it. Since Karis seemed intent on staying to make sure he ate, he offered her the seat in front of him. She took it.

"You really need to take better care of yourself," she said, looking up at him. "You'll burn out at this rate."

He shook his head. "After the Eclipse, I've been more or less building up the country from scratch. This is nothing compared to how it was when I first became king."

Her cheeks colored and she looked down at her lap. "I'm sorry," she said. "I should have come sooner." Out of all their friends, Karis was the only one that hadn't stopped by at least once in the past two years. He always thought it had been because he chased her away. He frowned. Maybe Eoleo was right. Maybe there was hope in this after all.

"You've been busy too," said Amiti. "…And in fairness, Matthew and Tyrell didn't so much visit as happen to be in the same place at the same time, and Rief only came because Kraden was very interested in the Alchemy Well."

"Even so…" said Karis.

"Karis." She looked up at the sound of her name. Amiti met her eyes for a moment. "It's fine," he said. "Stop worrying about it."

She hesitated for a while before nodding, her eyes drifting to the papers on his desk. "What are you working on?" she asked.

"A trading agreement," he said. She glanced down at the contract and then back up at him, a questioning look in her eye. At his nod, she picked it up, flipping through it. Amiti watched as her eyes narrowed, and she made several 'tsk'ing sounds before reaching for his quill. Surprised, he held his ink well out to her, watching as she made several revisions.

"These terms are too loose," she said, not looking up. "Any skilled merchant or con artist will be able to find the loopholes easily. You could end up selling at a loss thanks to this." She looked over her revisions as he drained the soup from the bowl, reading over her work twice before she was satisfied.

"Those are just suggestions," she said, handing the contract back to him when he held his hand out for it. He looked over the sheaf of paper.

"Very good suggestions," he said, placing the contract back on his desk. He picked up his quill, tweaking a few of her revisions to better suit Ayuthay. He had to make very few corrections, though. Karis had picked out many things that he would never have even thought to think about. He smiled at her. "Would you be interested in a permanent position?"

Karis frowned. "Amiti…" she began.

"I know," he said, standing up. "I'm just teasing, Karis." He picked up the stack of paper.

"Where are you going?" asked Karis.

"To find my scribe," replied Amiti. "He needs to rewrite this contract for me." He paused and looked at her. "…Thank you for lunch."

"You're welcome," said Karis. "Anytime."

He hesitated. What could he really lose by trying? He smiled at her. "You look very nice in that kimono, Karis. I need to remember to thank Himi."

She blushed. "I wore it to be polite," she admitted. "It's too fine for me."

"I disagree," he said. "It suits you."

"Thank you…" she said, staring down at her lap. Her cheeks were still a bright pink. He fell silent for a moment, collecting his thoughts.

"…After I finish with my work," he said, "…would you like to join me for dinner?"

He looked at her, his eyes meeting hers. Karis hesitated for a moment. He could see the conflict in her eyes. It reminded him of the same conflict he had seen in her eyes on coronation day, and for a moment, he thought he knew what the answer would be. Then, she nodded slowly.

"That…would be nice," she said.

Amiti smiled. "I look forward to it," he said, leaving the room. When the door closed behind him, he let out the breath he was holding, sighing in relief.

XxXxX

[1] Tuaparang – Country that Blados and Chalis are from. Main antagonists of Dark Dawn. Alex is allied with them, under the alias Arcanus.