Spring quickly turned to summer, one of the hottest on record that soon had Akkarin regretting the color of robes he had to wear. During one particularly hot week, he actually used the tunnels for most of his travel around the Guild, even when secrecy was not necessary, in order to escape from the blazing sun. He knew he could have created a magical shield to keep himself cool, but he tried to avoid using magic as much as possible to conserve his power. He was still worried about the slaves, for they seemed to be coming more often now. He was also unsure how much the previous slave had managed to convey to his masters about the tunnels before Akkarin had killed him. Though Akkarin had bolstered the defenses there, they were not impenetrable, another reason that Akkairn had started traveling them more often.

By the time the heat finally broke, the novices had returned from the summer break, so Akkarin stayed in the tunnels for most of his travel, hoping to avoid the raucous crowds of teenagers. He still kept a close eye on Sonea, telling himself he wanted to make sure she did not betray his secret though the more time he spent watching her, the harder it was becoming to convince himself of that fact. She tended to avoid the other novices, even though a few had started to approach her now that she had shown her skills in the challenge with Regin. Akkarin knew he was the cause of her avoidance, for it was clear she still feared him, even more so now that she had seen him kill. He tried to console himself with the reminder that the safety of Kyralia was more important than a single novice's social life.

Still, he could not help but notice that most of the attention Sonea was getting came from male novices rather than female. Akkarin supposed that made a certain amount of sense–Sonea had developed into quite a beautiful young woman, and she had integrated so well into the Guild that it was impossible to guess her origins anymore. Akkarin guessed a lot of the Houses with weaker magical potential would be willing to overlook those origins anyway if it meant gaining such a powerful member of their household. Once Sonea was a full-fledged magician, her social status would be equal to that of some of the higher-ranked members of the Houses anyway. Akkarin frowned as he considered that. If Sonea did decide to accept one of the many offers that came her way, it could be potentially problematic. Magicians lost many of their natural barriers when they made love which meant that Sonea could inadvertently reveal his secrets in a moment of passion. That was something he could not allow. He would need to say something to her. That was a conversation he was not particularly looking forward to though.

Akkarin broke himself from his musings before he could take them further, focusing instead on the meeting in which he was sitting. It was yet another Council meeting. The King had officially announced his betrothal now, and since that point, it seemed the Council spent an inordinate amount of time picking over the contract and discussing what the alliance could mean for Lonmar and Kyralia. After they circled back to points they had already made for the third time, Akkarin began tuning out the meetings. The only saving grace was that they were cool, for they were held in a well-ventilated room in the upper part of the Palace.

Akkarin had not yet heard from his Lonmar spies, but he was expecting a response any day now. He had asked them to gather as many details as they could about Princess Malia. Her name had never come up before in any of their previous correspondence. That was not completely unexpected–after all, princesses were rarely regarded as anything more than potential future marriage alliances–but something still worried Akkarin. In fact, everything about the situation was making him uneasy though he could not say why.

The Council finally finished up discussions on the fiber trade with Lonmar–an item that consisted of a single paragraph in the contract but which had occupied the Council for nearly a fortnight–and Merin, seeing that many, like Akkarin, were no longer paying full attention, dismissed the group. He caught Akkarin's eye as the magician stood up, giving a nod that Akkarin knew meant he wanted to talk in private. Akkarin stayed behind as the rest of the Council members left, approaching Merin once the room was clear. "I have not heard back from Lonmar yet," Akkarin told him immediately.

"I assumed you had not since you had not yet told me anything. I actually wanted to talk about something else. We just began planning for the Purge this year, and I wanted to talk about the Guild's support"

"We exist to support our King," Akkarin said simply, keeping his voice devoid of emotion. He and Merin had had the same argument every year when planning for the Purge –even before Sonea had thrown the stone two years before. Akkarin did not believe the Purge served a useful purpose any longer and had encouraged Merin to stop it, but Merin was susceptible to the wills of the Houses, and they insisted upon it.

"But you do not agree with it."

"You know my opinion."

"I imagine living with someone affected by the Purge has colored that opinion quite a lot."

"Sonea has nothing to do with this as you well know. I had the same opinion long before she came to live with me."

Merin hummed low in his throat. "You know what the Houses expect, of course."

Akkarin bit back a scathing remark. "Of course," he said simply. With that, he bowed and left before waiting for a formal dismissal from the king. He knew it was technically a breach of etiquette to do so, but he was unsure exactly what he might say or do if the current conversation continued, so he decided it was the safer option.

Akkarin took the tunnels back to his Residence, striding immediately to his study. Takan had placed all of his correspondence on his desk, and he stood as he sorted through it. One envelope caught his eye immediately, for it had the seal of one of his Lonmar spies. Setting aside the rest of the letters, he slit open the envelope and pulled out the folded piece of paper. It was coded, of course, though the code was simpler than some others Akkarin had used over the years, for Lonmar was an ally which meant that the news conveyed was typically no more harmful than the average court gossip. Of course, Akkarin mused, that could change fairly soon if Merin's spy spoke the truth. Perhaps it was time to begin using a different code system.

Deciding he could worry about such things at a later time, Akkarin began to read the letter, slowly at first as he reminded himself of the code and then faster as translating became more natural. When he finished it, he went back to the beginning and read it again, but the contents did not change. The letter described what his spies had been able to learn about the King's bride which was, essentially, nothing. It seemed she had been basically cloistered for much of her life, so few people knew anything about her. Rumors had spread, of course, as they always did in such a situation. The letter detailed a couple of the more persistent ones. Some said she was prone to illness, always sickly and barely able to leave her bed or perhaps having some disability from birth. Some said her problems were not physical but mental, speculating that she did not have her full wits about her. Neither option boded well for the King's marriage. Of course, there was still a possibility that everyone was wrong, for they were just rumors, but the fact that the Lonmar King kept her hidden was concerning.

Akkarin tapped the letter against the desk, pondering what to do next. He would have to tell Merin, that much was certain. He could not keep the information to himself. Of course, Merin's own spies might have already informed him about the girl which would certainly make the conversation easier, but Akkarin suspected he did not know or he would have already said something. It was all his fault, he thought wryly, for building up a better network of spies than even the King himself.

Akkarin sighed, grabbing a pen and paper from his desk. He penned a quick message to the King, asking to meet as soon as he was able, before standing to find Takan to deliver it. He had participated in his share of difficult conversations over the years, so this would simply be one more to add to the list.

Merin's reply came quicker than Akkarin had expected. It was waiting for him at his spot at the dinner table that night. Since it was not his night to dine with Sonea, he opened it immediately, suppressing a groan as he read the message within. Merin agreed that they needed to talk and suggested the best time to do so would be in two days at the end of summer ball. Akkarin did not particularly want to attend the ball, but he could read between the lines of Merin's letter well enough to know that he did not have much choice.

Two days later, Akkarin entered the palace ballroom, his eyes sweeping the room for the King. He wondered if he could simply pass on his news to the King quickly and leave without having to endure the tediousness that always came with balls. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be. Merin was surrounded by various members of court, and it did not look as if he would be free for quite some time. With an inward sigh, Akkarin took a glass of wine from a nearby server and retreated to a wall to watch the proceedings. He had only been standing there for about five minutes when a familiar voice remarked, "There you are. I was wondering when the great High Lord Akkarin would finally deign to grace us with his presence."

Akkarin whirled around to face Edgar. "Edgar," he greeted coolly.

"I need to talk to you," Edgar announced without preamble. Akkarin raised a single eyebrow and made a gesture telling his brother to go ahead and speak then. "Not here," Edgar said, his tone exasperated. He grabbed his brother's arm, pulling him from the ballroom onto a side balcony. There were a couple other people on the balcony, but Edgar led the way to a corner far from them. Akkarin wondered at the secrecy, for in his experience, there was little that his brother knew which would truly require such subterfuge, but he said nothing. Edgar dropped Akkarin's arm once they reached the edge of the balcony, glancing around to make sure they were alone before continuing. "I need your help."

"Help?" Akkarin questioned. Edgar nodded but gave no other explanation. Akkarin knew better than to agree to help his brother without hearing the specific request. "Magical help?" he asked. Akkarin's family had come to him for magical help before though, thankfully, their requests were infrequent. Akkarin knew that they did so because they still considered him somewhat of a black sheep despite his position and did not want to feel indebted to him, but he did not much care what their reasons were. He was just happy he did not have to get too involved with them.

Edgar shook his head vigorously. "No, I need your influence."

"My influence? With the Guild?"

"Actually, with the King."

Alarm bells went off in Akkarin's head. Whatever Edgar needed could not possibly be good. His brother was known for making poor decisions, and if he made one bad enough to require the King's help to clean it up, Akkarin wanted no part in whatever it was. "I think you presume too much about my influence with the King."

"Good try, Akkarin, but everyone knows Merin listens to you more than anyone else. Lords only know why, but he does."

Akkarin raised an eyebrow at his brother. "Did you honestly just insult me in the same breath as you asked me to help?"

"I'm your brother, Akkarin." Akkarin simply stared at him in stony silence. "Look, there is a situation that needs a bit of intervention. Nothing much; it should only take you a few moments. You simply need to make sure the King does not focus overly much on the origins of Hanna's pregnancy. He should think of it as a happy event, finally getting the niece or nephew he deserves." Edgar spoke quickly, and it took a few moments for Akkarin to fully comprehend what he was asking.

"Princess Hanna is pregnant?" A sinking feeling began to form in Akkarin's stomach. "Good Lords, Edgar, what have you done?"

"Nothing more than any sensible man would do when presented with such an opportunity. I am sure you would have done exactly the same. Or perhaps you would not; I have heard that your. . . preferences do not extend in that direction." Akkarin ignored the insult, having heard it before and dismissed it as ridiculous. The truth was, he had had his share of dalliances with the opposite sex in his younger days, but he had kept them all discreet, a rarity in Court. And after his travels, he simply could not risk letting anyone close. Noting that Akkarin was not going to rise to the bait, Edgar continued, "It's not as if you have ever actually used your influence for the good of the family, so I do not see why you could not do one small favor."

"Small?" Akkarn looked at his brother skeptically.

"Just a couple simple remarks to the King."

"A couple remarks will not cover up such an indiscretion."

"Of course they would. I am sure a few moments' thought would provide plenty of examples."

Akkarin suppressed a sigh. He did not have the time or energy to deal with his brother's indiscretions on top of all the other problems that seemed to be appearing. "You made your bed, Edgar," he quoted. "Now you must lie in it." With that, Akkarin strode away, ignoring his brother's sputtering protests behind him. His eyes scanned the room, quickly alighting on the King. As always, a small crowd of people surrounded him, attempting to curry favor. Though Merin's face was impassive, Akkarin had known him long enough to recognize the boredom in his expression. He waited in the periphery of his vision for a few seconds until Merin's eyes roamed his way. Akkarin inclined his head slightly when their eyes met, and Merin gave a small nod of acceptance, immediately turning to the people surrounding him. Having been in politics most of his life, it did not take the King long to extract himself from the conversation. He shrugged off a few others on his way to meet Akkarin in a relatively private alcove. When he reached the High Lord's side, Akkarin slipped him a small piece of paper as he bowed. "Everything I learned about the princess," Akkarin told his friend. Merin frowned at the single sheet.

"It does not look like much."

"Because it's not. Which truthfully is more concerning than learning something terrible. At least if I had, we could prepare for it."

"What did you learn?"

"She has been cloistered most of her life, so few have seen her. There is speculation, of course–disease of some sort being the favored explanation. However, no one seems to know for sure. My advice, Sire, is to make sure you meet this woman before you sign any sort of contract."

"You think the rumors are true? That she does have some sort of disease?"

"Truthfully, Sire, as far as I can see, the best case scenario is that she has some sort of minor disfigurement which could cause some social awkwardness. Worst case. . . well, I do not like to speculate on the worst case but I am sure you can think of some particularly nasty diseases which could cause a whole host of problems."

"What if her father is simply over protective?"

"She has two older sisters who have had none of the same protections. It certainly makes one wonder why."

Merin frowned. "It does. Thank you for the information. I will have to consider my next move." Akkarin nodded as Merin left. Duty done, Akkarin turned and left the ballroom, not wanting to risk having his brother or anyone else corner him again.