Chapter 11

Day 13 of the Blue Sea Moon, 1176 (Fódlan Calendar)

Khalid sat upon a crenellation crowning one of Istakhr Citadel's tallest towers with his eyes closed, simply enjoying the warm breeze. He could hear his brothers finish up their meal on the rug behind him. They were both well into their teenage years, but he was unfortunately still stuck spending most of his time around them- especially since the incident in Meteora.

"Are you sure you don't want more, Khalid?" James asked. "Abbas is going to finish the rest unless you speak up."

"It's fine. Let him do what he wants," Khalid answered without opening his eyes.

Khalid was only afforded a moment of silence before the speaking commenced again. At least it wasn't directed towards him this time.

"How much longer is that conference supposed to go?" Abbas grumbled. "I don't want to be stuck with this lackey all day."

The "lackey" assigned to watch the royal offspring was riled by this comment. "I am Qadir al-Hakimi, heir to the Custodian of Istakhr. It's the most powerful station in Elam after the king himself. The safety of the royal family would never be entrusted to a mere lackey."

"If you are so important, why were you not invited to the assembly, too?" James asked. It was not clear if he intended to be sarcastic.

"Well, I… The five great lords of Almyra are all in attendance. If I was present, Elam would have too much representation, especially since we are not directly affected by Sreng's raids. My father will apprise me of the details later."

Though he did not leave his post, Khalid finally opened his eyes and pivoted around. "Why are the pirates coming over for a fight, anyways?"

Qadir, who was a young man still in his twenties, eyed him a little suspiciously. He answered, "They an envious sort of people, always looking for trouble and treasure. There's no reasoning with them."

"No reasoning with them? Have we even tried? Everyone has a reason for what they do. Maybe they are desperate for resources, or they have a specific grievance against us. I think we should first try to understand them before jumping to deciding how best to kill them."

Qadir's anger began to rematerialize. "You share your opinion rather liberally for a subject that a thirteen-year-old couldn't possibly hope to understand."

"I didn't say I understand the situation. I just implied that you don't understand it any better than I do."

Their supposed protector began to advance towards Khalid with clinched fists, but Abbas stopped him. "Halt, good sir. It would be a great dishonor for you to strike a crown prince."

"But-."

"- But we are still very curious when the conference will end," Abbas interrupted. "Perhaps you could go check for us? I'm old enough to watch over my brothers for a few minutes. I'm also old enough to discipline them if necessary… if you understand my meaning."

Qadir smiled in realization. "Ahh… Very well. I have full trust in you, Prince Abbas. I shall return in time."

He smiled again a little malevolently as he descended the stairs. Khalid watched this unfold very calmly. He remained still as Abbas turned to face him.

"Khalid… You couldn't land a sword strike on a one-handed, blindfolded opponent, but your ability to run that mouth of yours is unmatched. When Qadir tells everyone what you said, it's going to be a shame on us all. How many lessons must I provide for you to understand your place?"

"You weren't exactly polite to him, either," Khalid noted. "At least I had a purpose besides a compulsion to whine. But you're probably right- something tells me that it's my remarks that are going to be remembered and shared, while yours will be conveniently forgotten."

Abbas began to advance towards him in a manner similar to Qadir, but Khalid raised a hand. He stalled, "Hold up, hold up! We can fight if you insist, but can we at least not do it here? Imagine father's reaction if one of us tumbles off the side of the tower."

Abbas grimaced. He was not accustomed to acquiescing to any of his youngest brother's demands, but Khalid did have a point. He looked to James, who indicated his support.

"Fine. There's plenty of space on the grounds for this," Abbas said reluctantly. "And don't forget this mercy I've shown."

Khalid felt like a hostage as he walked down the stairs with his two brothers following directly behind him. All three boys were equipped with a training sword from earlier in the day. The swords were probably too blunt to easily kill, but they would hurt worse than a wooden toy.

They first reached a floor that connected them with the corridor containing their living quarters. These rooms were not nearly as comfortable as those at the Dunya Palace, but that was to be expected. Rather than stop here, they continued down towards the citadel's green.

"Abbas… You might have to handle this on your own…" James groaned as he put a hand on his stomach. "I'm not feeling so well."

Khalid mused, "Looks like we might have to call the fight off. Abbas isn't used to fighting alone."

"Alright, I've heard enough of th-."

As Abbas reached for his shoulder, Khalid ducked and sprang backwards. His brothers spilled over his arms and tumbled down the last few stairs onto the next landing. Rather than wait to see how hard they landed, Khalid bounded back up to the next floor where their three rooms were all positioned in a row.

"Khalid! You really are dead this time!" Abbas boomed as he and James finally charged up the stairs.

Khalid did not have much time. He was faster than his brothers, but he would likely run into some of the citadel's guards if he started sprinting down the hallways. These guards would probably try to stop him. Hiding in his own room would be too obvious, so he instead slipped next door into James's quarters.

He initially planned to dive into a nearby wooden chest, but his eye was caught by a large tapestry covering nearly the entirety of the back wall. Peeking out from above the tapestry, a portion of the stone wall aligned with the middle of the room seemed to be stained darker than the rest. Khalid leapt towards this section of the tapestry and lifted the bottom.

Sure enough, an old fireplace was positioned behind the decoration. The citadel had been expanded upon by different parties over the centuries, and this feature had obviously been rendered unusable during later renovations. Khalid crawled into the abandoned hearth and let the tapestry fall back into place behind him. There was a decent chance that James knew of the hiding spot, but Khalid's options were limited.

"Do you think he ran on?" Abbas asked as he and James surveyed the hall. He was beginning to sound a bit sickly as well.

"Maybe, maybe not," James said.

"Then let's check each room."

"He's not stupid enough to try his own…"

Abbas ignored him as the door to the adjacent room swung open and the contents inside were flung about. Other footsteps could be heard as James staggered about the hall aimlessly. A few moments later, the middle brother started retching all over the floor.

"James, what is goi-."

Seeing James's condition must have finally triggered the eldest brother, who similarly began spilling his lunch's contents. When he was certain that both of his opponents were incapacitated, Khalid stepped out from his refugee and grabbed two jugs that were on a shelf. He found where his brothers were crumpled on the floor and set the jugs beside them while carefully watching his step on the way there. They offered no resistance as he took their weapons from them.

"You two have gotten boring. It's always step one- get angry, step two- immediately try to hurt me. If you want to be successful, you'll need to start getting more creative."

"What… what is this?" Abbas managed to moan.

"A little something I've found for such an occasion. Don't worry, you're throwing it all up right now, and you'll feel better in an hour or so. I would have felt bad had you not offered me any trouble as soon as you finished eating, but it was a bit inevitable with you."

Before Khalid left, he took a glance at each's expression. Abbas looked rather small in the moment- rather than coming off as daunting or even just angry, he seemed intimated more than anything. As for James, he looked at his younger brother in incredulity- almost awe.

For a moment, Khalid felt a pang of guilt at their pitiful state. Part of him understood their anger with his existence- especially Abbas. He genuinely wished they could be reconciled, as unlikely as it was. But there was also a part of him that was satiated to outwit those that stood against him. He wasn't sure what to make of that part.

"Remember to clean those jugs well before you use them again," he said as he coolly turned and walked down the hall.

The Vanquished Prince's Return- Day 17 of the Harpstring Moon, 1186 (Fódlan Calendar)

The flight between the Channel of Blood and the Dunya Palace did not offer much in terms of variety, but the rolling hills of grass still provided a relief from the wasteland of the Maranjab. The untroubled journey extended for so long that Khalid allowed his attention to lull. He might have missed the final descent had he not noticed Satiah's signal at the last moment.

If the Channel of Blood had not been enough to impress Dimitri, perhaps the landscape of the Dunya Palace would. The only hint of the majesty to come was a winding river that they approximately followed on the way there. With little warning, this river merged with two other creeks arriving from the east. They met at an upper lake that then poured over a crescent-shaped cliff into a lower pool like liquid overflowing the rim of a bowl. The water then drained out of the area by way of a singular river. The Dunya Palace was built adjacent to the lower lake. The cliffs provided some protection, but the location was chosen foremost for its beauty. The water did not support much vegetation beyond a few different types of grasses and mosses growing on the cliffs, but in Khalid's opinion, trees would only have served as a distraction from the main feature- the magnificent curving waterfalls.

The Dunya Palace was not as imposing as the Palace of Astane on the outside, nor was it as gaudy on the inside. It could perhaps best be described as venerable. What it lacked in bright colors was made up for by its stunning complex stonework. The walls of Soraya's home were carved in more visible spaces, but the Dunya never skipped a single remote corner. Each room and hall of the palace was imbued with centuries of history that every visitor could palpably sense. Independent of urban or geographical confines, the palace was able to stretch every space more than the somewhat cramped Palace of Astane. Fountains were centered in many rooms with plenty of leeway to freely walk around, and there was plenty of space to add a hidden garden or courtyard wherever possible.

After the group landed at the wyvern stables and explained the situation to the servants tending the site, several of the workers assisted them with their arrival while others went to notify the royal family.

The five travelers were soon on their way, leaving most of their possessions behind for the time being. They crossed an outer enclosure before coming upon a nondescript door at a wall dividing them from the next layer of the palace. They waited here for a minute before a guard opened the door and ushered them into the next courtyard. This process occurred once again before they reached the hall leading to the throne room. Thankfully, there was no wait at their destination, as the doors were already open wide.

The square throne room was remarkably tall, making it easily confused for a defensive tower from the outside. The walls were predictably covered in vibrant multicolored stucco patterns from top to bottom. If this were not enough, the upper windows contained intricate lattice that sprayed the room with seemingly impossible, otherworldly shapes of light.

On the ground level, arched alcoves were built into each of the four walls. In the past centuries, these recesses could hide away members of the royal court that were not to be publicly seen, such as musicians or younger princes that were slowly being introduced to the outside world. The room would have been dimly lit with all of the silk curtains acting as dividers and covering many of the walls.

Since the recent reforms, prominent officials often sat at the front of these niches while their attendants were positioned behind them for either service or council. Plants or other decorations were often placed in the empty alcoves. It was not an ideal arrangement, but it at least kept the nooks from being entirely wasted space. The curtains had largely been removed, significantly brightening the room. The space may have seemed barren in its current arrangement, but Khalid would not have traded away his father's reforms for the sake of archaic pulchritude.

Khalid quickly noted that there were not as many officials convened as would be expected when someone of his prominence was hosted. He took that as confirmation that his arrival had been kept a secret for as long as reasonably possible. He recognized only a few of the officials in attendance, which did not come as a surprise since he had been gone for so long. One woman did stand out, partially because she was positioned separately from everyone else- it was Nader's daughter Nousha, who was primly situated in the first alcove on the left. She was undeniably beautiful, so long as she was forgiven for the lack of a smile.

There were also, of course, guards and other servants posted around the room. Khalid scanned the faces until he made eye contact with someone familiar.

Seeing Ariella again was something of a shock. Khalid understood that she had aged along with him, but somewhere in his mind he still pictured the girl he had left behind. He was instead faced by a woman, though her diminutive frame did cause her to look somewhat younger than she actually was. He had heard more than one person describe Ariella as a bit homely in appearance, but there was something about her earnestness that still drew him in.

Ariella seemed equally surprised to see Khalid. He closed his eyes for a moment in disappointment when he saw her arm twitch, confirming that her condition had not been allayed.

While only the king would have presided over the assembly thirty or forty years prior, the entire royal family was present when Khalid's party entered the room. The king and queen sat together on a luxurious divan, while Khalid's two surviving brothers sat on either side. His brothers apparently remained unmarried and living in the palace.

In the time since Khalid last saw him, Abbas had lost most of the hair on his scalp, while his beard had thickened. He remained as physically imposing as ever. He had little in common with Khalid in terms of appearance or temperament, and that did not seem to have changed.

On the other hand, any stranger could quickly guess that Khalid and James were related. James's skin was shade darker, his hair was slightly longer, and he was clean-shaven. Otherwise, though, the two looked remarkably alike. One could imagine that they might have been mirror images had they shared the same mother.

Unlike Abbas, James's attitude seemed to have matured some. His bearing was more confident, and he did not constantly glance at his brother for guidance. He did not seem annoyed or disgusted by Khalid's entrance; rather, he appeared only curious about what would transpire.

Khalid turned his attention to his parents. King Faruq ibn Bardiya Al Hafeez had recently held his fiftieth birthday, and his age was beginning to show with his graying hair. Constant training had kept his body strong, though, and there were probably plenty of people in Almyra that would have found his strong chin and stubble beard attractive. Despite his physical strength, there seemed something weary to his movements.

It was even more obvious that Queen Tiana kept active. Her once smooth face had begun to wrinkle, but her stance was alert and her bright eyes were energetic. She was smiling subtly, but the emotion behind it was difficult to pinpoint. Her brown hair was cut to her shoulders, and dressed as she was, she might have been mistaken for a native Almyran at a rapid glance were it not for her distinctive green eyes.

Khalid could only spend so much time observing the room before things would start to get awkward. He said with a bow, "Your majesty… Peace be upon you. Your son stands before you as your humble servant. With me are my escorts from Astane- Farjad Al Bazargan, Khabash, and Satiah- as well as a retainer of mine from Fódlan, Dimitri."

Murmurs echoed about the chamber. Khalid did not know what was being said, but he suspected that they were commenting on Dimitri's heritage. Up to that point, they may have assumed he was Meteoran.

"And what are you? Just Khalid? Not 'Khalid the Conqueror'?" Abbas mocked.

Khalid knew the prudent choice would be to ignore his brother, but he wasn't in the mood for prudence. He had held onto a sliver of hope that Abbas had improved since they last saw each other, but Abbas could not make it through one comment without exposing the static nature of his contemptable attitude.

The youngest brother smiled bitterly. "Maybe not, but I've seen and learned quite a lot these past few years. What about you, dear brother? I trust you haven't simply waited here seven years to make that joke. Surely you have ambitions of your own besides betting against mine. Please, do tell."

Abbas reddened with rage, while James tried covering a smile with his hand. Khalid was certain he also noticed Dimitri nodding approvingly out of the corner of his eye.

"Peace, sons," Faruq warned. "Allow me to speak first. On what occasion do you come to us, Khalid?"

Soraya's messenger had surely provided a basic explanation already, but the question still had to be asked for everyone else in the room.

Khalid answered as quickly as he could, "I was forced to withdraw from Fódlan when my position in an ongoing war was rendered unsustainable. I can share the details at a more appropriate time."

"Understood," Faruq said. "And as for our guests from Shomal… has Khalid arranged payment for your services?"

Khabash turned to the others, intelligent enough to know that his boisterous voice was not suited for the occasion. Farjad was prepared to speak, but Satiah put a hand on his shoulder, presumably so attention would not be brought to his black eye. She explained, "The sardar planned for us to negotiate our compensation upon our arrival. We are willing to discuss this with whomever you think most appropriate. We will first assist with unloading Khalid's belongings, of course."

Tiana leaned forward and raised a hand. "There is no need. You have more important matters to concern yourselves with. Ariella… would you please assist Khalid and Dimitri instead?"

Ariella bowed. "Yes, Your Majesty."

"Very good. Now, Khalid… is there anything else we must address at this time?" the queen asked.

Khalid shook his head. "No, but I will plan to further discuss matters later tonight."

"In that case, I consider this conference adjourned," Faruq said as he stood and departed the chamber. James and Abbas followed behind him after exchanging glances with Khalid. Tiana asked the escorts from Shomal to follow her in another direction. The other officials and soldiers exited next. That left only Khalid, Dimitri, and Ariella.

Khalid's welcome home had been very brief, but that was for the best. The longer it went on, the more time Abbas and some of Khalid's other enemies would have to ask damaging questions. The king had obviously recognized this, much to Khalid's relief.

"Umm… Hi, Khalid," Ariella said awkwardly with a wave, shaking him from his thoughts. It was strange to hear her so uncomfortable in his presence, but that was an expected result of abruptly restarting a relationship after seven years.

"Hello to you too, Ella. I was a little worried you might have given up on me ever coming back and gone home."

"Why would I give up living at the Dunya Palace while having to do hardly any work?" Ariella joked a bit more steadily. "Really, though… you promised you would come back. That was good enough for me."

"Yes, well…" Khalid couldn't string together a meaningful thought, so he instead pointed back over his shoulder. "Let's get moving, shall we? There's work to be done."

Ariella probably wanted to say more, but she did not pressure Khalid any further. They chatted some about the trip from Astane while walking back to the wyverns, and then Khalid and Ariella showed Dimitri several points of interest on the way to their lodgings.

As they drew near, they passed by a plaza rimmed by a colonnade on three sides. Two sets of rooms more ornate than the rest jutted out some on the open side. A bathing pool was situated in the middle of the space.

Much like their room in Astane, the plaza was positioned high enough to see over the defensive wall on the open side, which was easier in this instance since the wall was rather punitive to begin with. The view faced towards the waterfalls, which were partially obscured by rising mist from the lower lake. Dimitri was naturally awed by the view.

Khalid enlightened, "My brothers Abbas and James live in those two structures at the end. Their attendants sleep in the rooms along these corridors. We will all live in my own separate courtyard."

"So you've been given preferential treatment as legitimate heir?" Dimitri asked.

"No, they've been living there since I was an infant. I technically have less living space compared to them, and I don't get any view. But in my opinion, that's more than compensated by privacy. If I want to see the scenery, I can walk out there whenever I want."

They approached Khalid's courtyard through a nearby archway within the colonnade. His living quarters were above their heads, accessible via staircases on either side the tunnel. The other three sides of the courtyard led to rooms on the lower floor. A small central fountain was bookmarked on each corner by juniper trees.

They first entered Khalid's rooms. They contained several sitting areas, each attended by an incense burner. His shatranj board was set up in one corner. Books and maps neatly lined many of the walls. While the contents were familiar, the neatness was not.

Ariella explained, "I arranged your tomes by subject, and then by title. For the loose documents without titles, I placed them on that shelf in order of size. I promise I didn't read them."

Khalid raised an eyebrow. "You know it'll only take me a few days to wreck the room again."

"Yes, well, at least I got a few clean years out of my efforts. And maybe I won't have to as much dusting now."

Khalid anticlimactically threw his bow and clothes on his divan. "There's some stuff I was forced to leave back in Fódlan that I wish I had, but coming back empty-handed makes unpacking rather trivial," he observed.

They then stopped at a smaller room on the opposite side of the courtyard. There was a place to sleep, but it was otherwise empty.

As Dimitri unloaded his belongings, Khalid apologized, "I know it's a bit barren in here, but I'll make sure some furnishings are brought in. No one has used this room in years. And I guess I still need to find a third retainer to fill the last room."

"I wouldn't waste your time with that," a new voice said from the doorway. "Everyone in Almyra knows serving you is a risk now, and it doesn't look like you dragged anyone else from Fódlan gullible enough to sign on."

Khalid recognized the hard tone before seeing who it was. "Why, if it's not my oldest friend Nousha! I'm surprised to see you visit me in such a, uhh… casual manner."

Nousha, who had been leaning against the doorframe, frowned and then straightened her posture. "I did not come for pleasantries. I came to see if my father left you with any messages for me."

"Nothing as official as you are probably expecting. He wanted me to tell you that he thinks of you every day, or something like that, but nothing more."

"Thinks of me every day?" Nousha pondered. "Not the most uplifting choice of words, if that was his intention. Who says that those thoughts were positive ones? Maybe he was pondering what a disappointment I am."

Not sure what else to say, Khalid shrugged and changed the subject. "So, how are things? I thought you would be running this place in your father's absence."

"So did I. But we had something of a… falling out before he left for Fódlan. I've been left as Junior Agha, while Demetrius Vatatzes has been promoted to acting Grand Agha. As for other changes, Suad bint Satam has retired her post, so Anthony al-Amin is now serving as commander of the Mobile Guard, as expected."

Dimitri was brought to attention upon hearing a name so similar to his, but he stayed silent.

"Demetrius as acting Grand Agha? Has he cleaned himself up these past few years?" Khalid asked.

Nousha scoffed, "No, but he was given the title all the same. Maybe we should go give him a visit. In case you didn't notice, he did not bother to show up for your arrival."

"Well, I can afford a few minutes, and I admit I'm at least a little curious to see the man in charge of our highest military post. Dimitri, Ella… Do you want to come along?"

Dimitri looked at Ariella for validation. When she shrugged apathetically, Dimitri indicated that the plan was acceptable.

As the four winded through the halls on the way to Demetrius's room, Nousha observed, "To think that our two most important military commands would be held by Votaries! I guess Meteora realized there was no need to invade us if they could instead infiltrate our government with sympathizers."

Truth be told, Khalid was not thrilled to have Votaries holding so much influence in Elam, either. However, it would be unbecoming to judge them for their religion alone. "Only temporarily. The balance will be reset when your father returns. Regardless, Anthony is still from Elam, and I'm not sure Demetrius qualifies as a Meteoran sympathizer."

He may not have been a traitor, but it did not take long to reestablish Demetrius's poor reputation. A bottle was sent rolling across the floor when they pushed the door to his quarters forward, and they were immediately accosted by the stench of excessive alcohol. Demetrius sat at the window with one hand around a bottle and another hand clutching his forehead. He looked as if he had just woken up, and he was only half-conscious at that. Ariella decided to stay outside rather than see more, while Nousha leaned against the wall gazing at the elder man in revulsion.

Demetrius began, "If you're just here to give me grief for not showing up, do yourself a favor and pi-." He stopped when he realized Khalid himself was included among the guests. He muttered, "Prince Khalid… You look different. Is the facial hair new?"

"New enough," Khalid answered.

"It suits you well," Demetrius decided.

"That's quite the turnaround in tone for someone who couldn't bother showing up for his arrival," Nousha commented.

"Because I knew that reception would be a self-indulgent farce. Here I am speaking from one man to another."

Demetrius slid down to the floor and kneeled. It was near blasphemous for a Meteoran, but he did not seem to care. "It's good to see you alive. I'm at your command, should it be noble. Don't think I can offer much more than that anymore," he said.

That much certainly looked true. Demetrius had seemingly put on more weight since Khalid last saw him, and he continued to age hard. His disheveled hair seemed to be deteriorating and his beard was patchy. His muscles somehow looked surprisingly strong and resilient for someone of his health, but his scarred hands still trembled just as gravely as before.

Even so, Khalid replied, "If my father made you Grand Agha, then you're capable of more than you are letting on."

Demetrius laughed as he stood again. "The king has too much faith in me. Or since there's no war to be had, he's fine with this title meaning nothing. I'm here to command armies in a non-existent conflict, not actually be visible in daily operations. All of that goes on at the citadel. I can't begrudge him for wanting to hide me here."

He then sat on the table as he poured out a milky liquid into a cup. "New spirit they've come up with recently. They did a good job with it," he explained. His shaking hand caused some of it to spill onto the table. As Demetrius raised his cup to his mouth, he noticed that Dimitri was fixated on his hands. Rather than hide them, he walked forward to the new retainer and showed his guest the extent of his injuries.

"Trial by water. Don't pity me too much. It was my own decision. I figured I'd have a better chance at justice with that than in front of a Sentinel judge."

"Trial for what?" Dimitri asked.

Demetrius sat back onto his table and took another sip before answering. "Have you heard of the Dékhomai? Yes? Well, I was sent along with the Meteoran army to quell the uprising. After we smoked out one of their strongholds, I was accused of killing two Sentinels of the Empyrean accompanying us in cold blood. I guess the assumption was that I was either drunk or owed them money or something. To prove my innocence, I appealed to Nabataea directly by undergoing an ordeal. I had to place my hands in boiling water and then be held in a cell for three days afterwards to make sure no one provided care for my wounds. Since I survived and was recovering, I was cleared of all charges. Perhaps I should be thankful I was accused of killing Sentinels, since no other court would recognize a trial by ordeal."

Dimitri inquired tactlessly, "And were you guilty?"

The older man snorted and then grinned. "I undertook the ordeal, and I'm still here, aren't I? I lived, but I was still rather unhappy at the treatment from my fellow Meteorans, so I pledged my service to the king after that. He was good enough to take me on despite my physical limitations."

Dimitri nodded in acceptance of the answer. It seemed like as good of a place to end the conversation as any; since Khalid had seen enough to make an evaluation, he stepped away and said, "We need to be going, but I'm glad to see you doing, umm… well. I look forward to working with you again."

Demetrius remained smiling thinly. "And me as well. If you could do me a favor, though… could you use your princely authority to make the woman behind you stop constantly watching me like a vulture circling a wounded deer? It's rather tiresome."

Nousha shook her head and quietly left the room. Khalid and Dimitri followed soon after the prince laughed the question off and said goodbye to Demetrius again. Along with Ariella, the group walked a short distance down the hall before Nousha abruptly spun around.

"Listening to that man mock me is unbearable!" Nousha protested. "What would he know about me? He threw away his vows, his family, his health, and somehow he still stumbled into success. All I have to do is forget to smile at the right person, and I'm set back twenty years."

"Life isn't always fair…" Khalid admitted cautiously. "But being petulant about it to us isn't going to fix anything."

"You're the crown prince! You could have at least told him off instead of just waving goodbye like an ignoramus."

"A crown prince that's already made enough enemies," Ariella amended. "It's not his duty to make more on your behalf."

Nousha smiled. "Truly remarkable, Ariella. Even after this man abandoned you for seven years, you still feel compelled to justify his every action. If he drove a lance through his father's head, you'd probably claim the king had a headache in need of trepanning."

Ariella did not receive the remark well, but she stayed silent.

Nousha turned to leave and added, "I won't take any more of your time. You were wise to make your return a secret, Khalid. But I would recommend you not drop your guard."

Khalid needed no reminder, but he allowed Nousha to depart in peace. Once she was out of earshot, he turned to Ariella and asked, "I don't suppose you know anything about the 'falling out' Nousha referenced?"

Ariella nodded. "I wasn't there, but from what I heard, Nousha was in fact going to be named acting Grand Agha. However, she apparently didn't think that was enough. She must have asked her father and the king to hand her the title outright. Permanently. That… must have not been taken well."

"I can imagine," Khalid mused as they began to walk. "Only death itself could make Nader lay down his sword. She might want to wait until then before asking such things. I'm not sure what the rush is. Nader was still a Junior Agha when he struck down Sardar Meysam."

Dimitri asked, "Unless I've misread things, I assume referring to Nousha as your 'oldest friend' was sardonic?"

Khalid sighed deeply. "Yes, but it's not strictly untrue. In my earliest memories, Nousha and I were actually rather close. She grew colder as the years went on. She lost an older sister to sickness and her brother to a riding accident, and I never really saw her real smile after that. Members of Nader's family have held the position of Grand Agha for over a century, and the realization that she would be her father's heir resulted in her obsessing over her future. No longer was she interested in spending time with me- all that she cared about was that stupid title. It's sad, really."

He stopped when they came to a juncture that would lead them either towards his quarters or those of the king and queen. "My parents are probably expecting me to show up soon. I'm sorry to leave you both like this on our first night here, but there's no avoiding this conversation."

Ariella shook her head. "Don't worry about us. I'll help familiarize Dimitri with the palace grounds while you're away."

When Dimitri nodded in agreement, Khalid smiled in relief. "Thank you both. I doubt I'll be done before you're ready to retire for the night, so don't try waiting for me. And tell our friends from Shomal goodbye on my behalf, as I probably won't see them again."

His two attendants agreed and headed down the other corridor. Khalid then took a deep breath and proceeded onward to his destination.

Khalid found his parents in a reception room located just before their bedchambers, which was the farthest even the most esteemed guests would make it into the palace. They sat on a raised platform in front of a cooling fountain. They were studying one of Tiana's maps of Fódlan, presumably to refamiliarize themselves with any locale their son might reference. They had changed into more casual clothes since he saw them in the throne room.

"I hope I haven't left you staring at that for too long. My retainer spent a week complaining about how looking at maps was drying out his eye. I'd hate having to repeat listening to that," Khalid said as he sat down next to them.

"So, I see you'd still rather make a second-rate joke than learn how to make a proper greeting," his mother teased. "Who exactly is your new attendant, anyways?"

"Whoa, whoa…" Khalid slowed. "At least I was trying to keep things light for a bit before diving into business. I'll explain all about Dimitri in time."

"Have you had a chance to speak with your brothers yet?" the king inquired.

"Not since I saw them at the throne room. Haven't even said a word to James. Dealing with them might take a bit more energy than I've got for one day."

"'Deal with them? They are your family, Khalid," the king reproved.

"Please, Faruq. You know as well as I do that they've hardly ever treated Khalid as family," Tiana defended sternly on her son's behalf.

The king frowned but was unable to argue. "I'm sure it has been a long day for you, son. Let's get to the main issue, then. Please describe everything that happened from your arrival in Derdriu onward."

"Just how much do you know about what's happened?" Khalid asked.

Faruq answered, "The messenger sent by Soraya provided us with some details, and we were given an update when you summoned Nader to join you. We know that there is an ongoing war, and that you were forced to leave after defeat in battle while leading the Alliance army."

Tiana added, "I have many questions, but as for the first… if you were acting as Duke Riegan, then my father…"

The queen trailed off, but her intention was obvious.

"Yes, he's gone," Khalid confirmed. "He sometimes expressed disappointment in the way you left Fódlan, but there at the end… He told me he was proud of how brave you were, and he was sorry that he did not get to see you again." He had to pause as his throat constricted a bit. "He was at peace to join your mother and brother at the goddess's side, and he hoped that one day the two of you might be reunited there as well. Hopefully many years from now, of course."

Khalid did not hold firm beliefs on religion- being raised in a household of mixed background certainly played a role in that- but he understood the value of the purpose and hope it provided many others. Despite moving to a foreign land, Khalid knew his mother had never completely given up the faith of her birth. Not to mention, the Almyran Old Ways had a heavier emphasis on an afterlife than the Church of Seiros ever did, so any beliefs she adopted from there would be even more comforting.

Though emotionally affected, Tiana looked down and nodded rather than cry. "Hopefully so. I wish he could have lived long enough to see Fódlan and Almyra reconciled, but that was never much of a possibility. Now then… please go on."

Khalid's parents were the only people he would trust with every detail. He shared everything he could think of. Since there were seven years of content to cover, the conversation stretched into the early hours of the morning.

Once Khalid had finished, Faruq stood and began to pace the room. "You understand that your brothers and many of the other major figures in Almyra will have to know a basic overview of this, correct?"

"I do."

"And you also know how they will react?"

"Well… not in a way that puts me in a positive light, I assume."

"Indeed. I hoped to formally name you heir upon your success. But how can I do that now? Even if Soraya were to approve, which is not a certainty, Justinian will surely not. Dizhwar may not personally dislike you, but his concern will always be the stability of his territory. You will now be viewed as an embarrassment to every man, woman, and child across the realm. Why would Dizhwar risk disfavor by supporting you? That leaves your nomination untenable."

"I know, father," Khalid sighed. It was already abundantly clear, and to hear it vocalized only served as an unproductive nuisance. "So, what will you do now?"

The king pinched the bridge of his nose. "Nothing, I imagine. I am not sure James has the heart to lead, and Abbas has the stronger claim. But while Abbas is my son, and I will always love him… I fear he would only reverse the progress that so much blood and tears have been spilled to achieve. That leaves my brother, or your cousin Darius should I outlive Ghalib. I have fought alongside my brother on many occasions, and he has supported my decisions as king. But he is a man of the sword, and his clear ambition for the throne is of concern to me."

Faruq sat back down and sighed. "I have spent years shaping Almyra into an image that I can be proud of. Perhaps there is more I could have done, but I've lost that ambition, Khalid. As I enter old age, my first concern is to ensure that what I've built outlives me. As for what choices I must make to walk that path… my vision remains clouded. You have only just returned to us. I hope the answers will become clearer with time."

"If Khalid is correct that the war in Fódlan will soon end, that will present new opportunities for him to refine his image again," Tiana interjected. "I see no reason to push for anything until then."

"Thanks for reminding me of that. I could use an excuse for delaying action besides my dithering nature," Faruq laughed as he relaxed some. It was a pleasant sight for Khalid. His father was allegedly bright, charismatic, and decisive in his youth, but the years had dulled the luster of his persona. There was a brightness in the king's expression in that moment, though, that harkened back to older days.

His father continued, "So, Khalid… You may not be master of the battlefield, but I wonder if your skills at shatranj remain as strong as I remember. You should know that your mother has been training me well. Should you be able to defeat me, I think you will have earned the right to face her. What do you say, you two?"

"I say 'no' unless you plan on taking this somewhere else. I need to sleep," Tiana declined as she stood.

"Yes, I guess I've gotten ahead of myself," Faruq said as he chuckled again. "Take that as evidence of my joy at your being with us again. I apologize if I have sounded too grim thus far."

Khalid shook his head. "No, I don't blame you. My mistakes have put you in a bad spot, and I'm sorry about that. Honestly, I'm lucky that you've shown this much restraint."

Tiana took her son's hand. "You're our son, Khalid. Be smart, and be careful. Continue to grow. But I know we'll figure something out. Now go get some rest."

"Thank you both. Have a good night," Khalid said as he stood, bowed, and backed away towards the door.