'What in the world…'

The surface of the area we were teleported in had no match with any other room of the Palace. It was a floor inside the floor. I guessed it was still the thirteenth floor, from the wall and ceiling style. Another pool was present, but this time, it was covering almost all of the room. And instead of the bathroom-like surroundings of the previous part, grass had been planted all around, and the air was warmer. How could grass grow without a decade of maintenance, in such a dark and wide space? I then noticed, hung high on the walls, actual lanterns that hosted fire magicites. I could tell that myst was flowing in this absurd room, but I wasn't sure. Crystal-clear water was shining in this atmosphere, protected by mysterious curved stairs or chairs, and we could hear something close to waterfall and birds singing.

'Now you know of a place the Emperor himself has no idea about', Zargabaath smiled.

'Where were you yesterday? You were nowhere to be found.'

Vitu Palnissen was eating next to me in the Akademy with his division companions, like in the good old days.

'Apologies. I was sent in the Thir…'

I stopped all of a sudden. Something told me that the privileged visit was, in addition to its mysterious purpose, a proper threat gently expressed by one of the most influential Judge Magisters of this country.

'Well', I corrected, 'I met Judge Drace. It was the first time we have a real talk. She's less scary than she seems.'

'Really?' Vitu shouted, before spreading the news to his colleagues.

After the meal, he and I took a moment to walk the empty runways before our afternoon tasks.

'I am so jealous you could talk to her!' he exclaimed.

Zargabaath was right after all. This man's envy was easily sparked.

'Well, you were close to your Magister since the beginning of your judgehood.'

'That is true!' Vitu laughed. 'But Judge Drace is much more mysterious than Lord Zargabaath.'

I refrained from revealing it was the other way around.

'Tell me, Vitu… did you ever think of becoming a Judge Magister yourself?'

I expected him to stop, think of the matter and tell me of his ambitions. However, he kept walking and smiled, as if he'd had a firm idea of the answer for a long time.

'Such is not my wish. My career will stop at this step.'

'Why is that?'

He turned to me with a bigger smile:

'As you proficient lawyer know, any form of romantic relationship or parenthood engaged by a Judge Magister is punishable by death. I find this rule very harsh.'

Although I had read that law before, its reminder took a toll in my heart.

'My first wish', he continued, 'was to work with Lord Zargabaath. My second wish is to find love. I dream of finding the right wife and starting a family. If both my wishes are fulfilled… I will die a happy man.'

I looked for something to answer but no words came to mind.

'Don't you think the same, Gabranth?'

'It would be a pleasant situation, but it is not my obsession at the moment.'

'Oh, lucky you! I dream everyday of meeting a heart-warming woman, who would give me all her attention and spend wonderful time with me. I am particularly fond of shy girls, the kind that stutters and acts clumsily. Most people find them silly, but for me it is the cutest thing on Ivalice. Do you know such a girl, Gabranth? I know you walk around town sometimes.'

'I… do not really go to town to meet people.'

'What a shame! It means I have to look for her myself… as if I was not busy enough! But I cannot give up on this wish, it is way too precious.'

Large clouds were hiding the sun, as we returned to our respective work.

During the following weeks, Drace gave me the responsibility of more and more audiences in several courthouses of Offaly, and even in other provinces – mainly Argyllshire. The rulings' easiness vastly depended on the other judges' logic, which varied a lot according to their civil or military experience.

Nevertheless, my adventures in the Palace, and the Thirteenth in particular, were only beginning. For some reason, Lord Vayne was always absent; he had apparently been following intense military exercises lately. And for another unknown reason, Judge Drace was delighted with this absence. During several afternoons of the week she was sending me to patrol the floor, and one day she announced that I had to visit Lord Larsa – alone.

'May I enter?'

Apparently, the young lord didn't hear my light knocks on his door. Was he in an inner room instead of the space next to his bed and the entrance? It would make sense, given all the toys usually thrown on there. But Drace's orders were Drace's orders. I knocked harder, and after a while, a tiny being opened the door.

'Who are you?'

I lowered my chin to observe him. His scruffy black hair covered his round face from forehead to shoulders. His turquoise eyes were blinking and his little hand didn't seem to quit the handle – which he could only reach on tiptoes. His colors, his cheeks, even his distinguished clothes… All in all, he was reminding me of Lord Phonmat – one of his deceased elder brothers. But there was a big difference: Phonmat's smile was dauntingly sarcastic, and Larsa's was utterly innocent.

'I am Judge Gabranth, my Lord. I come here on behalf of Judge Drace.'

'Oh… Drace? Come in!'

That name harbored a very joyful connotation in his little ears.

'I just finished my snack!' he proudly said.

A small square-shaped table was on the right of the room, covered with empty plates and glasses that were about to fall.

'Is Drace alright?' he asked while jumping all around, dangerously evolving between the toys.

'She is, my Lord.'

'Then why doesn't she come?'

I smiled.

'She told me that I should come instead, sometimes. She said it's important.'

'Why?'

It had been a while I wasn't used to children's "why"s.

'Because I read a lot of books. She says you should read books as well.'

'But I do read! I just finished The Rabbit Foebreaker and the Chocobo! She promised it was a funny story but it was not! I want to complain!'

I put a knee on the floor, trying to calm him down.

'Listen, my Lord. Sometimes, you need to read funny stories, and other times, you need to read serious stories. You will even need to read newspapers and things that are not stories at all, in order to find the best ideas for Archadia.'

'But that is boring!' he complained again. 'Let's play the airship instead!'

It took me a while to understand what he meant with his arms raised to the ceiling. I lifted him up and turned around, the little boy stretching above my head.

'Yay! That is great! Let us do it again!'

I didn't know at which point I had the right to thwart the Emperor's son, so I went on until Larsa himself got tired.

'You are tall! It is very entertaining!'

'Thank you, my Lord.'

I took the excited child aside, inviting him to lie on his bed, when I saw an orange stain sullying the linen.

'Oh…' he whispered, 'I wanted to eat my pancakes in bed, because I was watching the Memstone of Moogles can swim broadcast at the front.'

Memstones, according to what I knew, were a particular type of magicite that could be used to record and display real or fictional scenes – image and sound.

'I am sorry… Gabranth. I can't even give you a pancake to forgive me because I ate them all.'

'No worries, my Lord. I shall bring new sheets and arrange them for you.'

'Really? You are incredible, Gabranth!'

I smiled and was about to leave his room when I stepped back:

'Do you know where your laundry is stored?'

'For sure I do! Nastia puts it in the laundry closet of the Fifteenth. It's next to here but I cannot tell you how exactly… I still don't master counting.'

Nastia?

I set my way up, using the "imperial lift" instead of the stairs, as it was closer to Larsa's chambers. As soon as it landed, I made a couple of paces forward and heard a muffled sound nearby. I advanced a little more and found the small laundry room just to my right. I silently leaned forward, having located a pile of sheets across the half-open door… before noticing that two bodies intertwined were inside. The lower one clearly had Nastia's face, and, although I was facing his shirtless back, I immediately recognized the other one as Vitu.

My mind was completely void as I quietly left that part of the hallway. Fortunately, there was another laundry room – and even a third one at the bottom.

'Thank you, Gabranth!'

I kept quiet as I was finishing setting Larsa's bed.

'My brother always tells me that I should make my bed myself, but I am not big enough to succeed…'

I stood still after I was done. I needed to leave and breathe. But before I reached the door, Larsa exclaimed:

'You didn't meet Vayne, did you?'

I sighed.

'I did. Four months ago in the library.'

I was with Nastia. And Vitu.