A ballroom could be magical. The attendees could be powerful. But a ball was still a ball. And Althea had attended far too many of those to be impressed by them anymore. Oh, it was grand enough. But food was still food, dances were still terribly stiff things with painful small talk, and she was still unwelcome.

Althea sat on a sofa, sipping some overly sweet drink she did not recognize. Why did people add so much sugar to begin with? The other nobles ignored her, watching her out of the corner of their eyes, but not approaching her. There was anger there, resentment, fury at being snubbed.

After all, she had refused to bend to them one too many times. And anyone that got in the way of their interests was to be scorned. That much she had gathered from going around the room. A few people approached her from time to time, but they had their own agendas. Even she grew tired of it.

But what of it?

Althea ignored them, snipping them right back as she sat leisurely. The Duke had danced with her a few moments ago, a silent, stiff dance. Then he had gone forth to dance with someone else, and Althea had retired to her seat. There was no one that offered to dance with her. Even the opportunists thought it would be too much.

The Crown Prince of Zun was attending the ball, but he hadn’t approached her yet. Althea doubted he would. The nobles had no doubt been whispering bad things about her, and any boy would hesitate after the tales they spun.

"A fine ball, is it not?" A voice said from beside her. Althea sighed. The Wind blade girl, Lady Surich.

"Yes, it is." she replied.

Lady Surich nodded and took a seat beside her. So she wanted to talk.

"How may I help you, Lady Surich?" she asked.

The Lady smiled a bit, seeming nervous, but then took a deep breath, steeling herself as she began to talk. "The House of Surich would like to ask a favor of the House of Diery."

Althea looked at her, noting the formal language. "What does the House of Surich require of me, then, Lady Surich?"

The girl steeled herself once more, not bothering to hide her nervousness. "The House of Surich would like to request passage to the Southern Continent on one of your ships. Of course, we will provide due compensation-"

"Ok."

The girl paused. Althea took that as her cue to continue.

"Ok, you can come. I presume some of your guards will be coming with you?" she asked.

"Yes, Countess. The House of Surich will be sending three Master-"

"As long as they aren't Adepts, it's fine. If they are Adepts, then you will have to speak to Steward Ven, he will be handling my security."

"I- that will not be necessary, Countess." the girl said. "I thank you for your cooperation."

Althea shook her head. The girl remained, looking even more nervous.

"Is there something else you require, Lady Surich?" she asked.

The girl startled. "Oh, um- not at all, Countess. I was, uhm, merely being polite." the girl gave her a slight smile.

Althea looked at her. Of course, it was rude to get up and go once you had gotten what you wanted. That was an insult in polite society.

"Of course." And just as it was impolite for Lady Surich to get up, it would be impolite for Althea to not make conversation. The only question remained, what could they talk about? Not politics, that was asking for disaster.

Perhaps cultivation? Or battle tactics-no, the latter was too private. Even the former, hmm, the lady could feel pressured if she started talking.

"Do you like the drink, Countess?" Lady Surich asked.

Althea startled, looking at the drink in her hand. "Oh, it is...pleasant."

Complaining was not polite at all, after all.

Lady Surich nodded.

"The drink is traditional to the Surich lands. The Empress honors us by serving it here."

Althea's smile turned stiff. Well, it was a good thing she hadn't complained about its sweetness. That would probably offend the entire clan.

"Do you have any such traditions in Diery? I fear I have not heard of your ancestral dishes."

Althea wrecked her head for any parallel.

"No, I do not believe so. Perhaps there were at one time, but not anymore. The only thing we are famous for is our cakes." Althea said. “The abundance and variety of crops in Diery helps us in preparing a stupendous amount of varieties.”

"Cake?" lady Surich remarked. "I have heard of magical ones. Making magical cakes seems to be the craze these days."

Althea's smile was still stiff. "I would not know. The trends of noble society rarely make it to Diery. I was simply speaking of normal cakes. I would have you know that they are quite delectable."

Stolen story; please report.

Lady Surich stiffened, realizing that the Diery county did not have a lot of connection to noble society.

"I apologize if I caused any offense. I...did not realize." the lady said.

Althea sighed. "There was no offense, Lady Surich. The Diery county stands alone by its own choice."

"Of course, Countess." The lady's smile was stretched thin. "If you will excuse me..."

Althea smiled. "Please, we shall meet tomorrow either way."

Lady Surich nodded. "Yes, I shall endeavor to arrive on time."

The Lady walked away, and Althea sat alone once more.

And she remained so till the ball ended.

This was the ball of the century. The nobles of the continent danced and frolicked across the ballroom, making allies and enemies as quickly as their tongues moved. Noble society at its peak.

And she sat alone in her corner throughout it all.

sc

Nathan

The nobles of the continent might have danced in the grandest ball of the century, but that affected the outside world little. The effect would come in the morning, when the drinks wore off and the alliances and enmities made in drink showed themselves.

But while the nobles made merry, the commoners worked. The Diery palace stood lit against the darkness, glowing softly as its people worked. Nathan sat in the Countess' office, flipping pages idly.

There was work to be done, he knew, but he didn't feel like doing it. The words slipped through his mind, the piles grew taller, pressuring him with their presence alone.

Nathan wondered if he should give up, leave the work for the next day. An extremely idiotic idea really, there would be even more work tomorrow. But he...just wasn't in the mood.

A sigh escaped his lips as someone knocked on the door. That would be more work.

"Come in." he said. An aid was already making his way inside. The Countess might have commanded respect around these parts, but that respect clearly did not extend to him. The staff was toeing the line between disrespectful and dutiful, and doing it purposefully. A number of them had thought him a layabout leaching on the Countess. More still thought him a gold digger that was reaching above his station.

Nathan wouldn't say this to the Countess' face, but he believed she had erred by making him regent. The Countess was one thing, her family had ruled this land for longer than most Empires, a rule that had done them well. For good or ill, she was theirs.

On the other hand, who was he, to them? A random half-Fae? What right had he to rule them? The people did not know about his heritage, the right of blood or even his cultivation. To them, he was someone that had barely been in the county for a year that was suddenly their ruler.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"There is an Aer that wants to meet with you." the aide said.

Nathan paused. "An Aer?"

The Countess had told him about the deal she had struck with them, but that was so long ago.

"Yes, he claims that he is here to complete a trade he made with the Countess." the aide said, nervous. Nathan looked at him, feeling the aide's emotions roll off him. As usual, he had barely any control over his power. A power that was only growing stronger, day by day, minute by minute.

"Have the Steward open the Diery seed vault." he said.

The aide jumped, his thoughts spilling out of his brain and into Nathan's. Fear, and doubt in plenty. Nathan sighed. The poor fellow was scared, scared about what this 'deal' meant. The Aer had a reputation. There was little they could not provide. Manuals of lost Grandmaster clans, relics of lost eras, artifacts of great power.

But as legendary as their ability was their price. There were kingdoms that had been lost, conquered and destroyed to the last man to pay the Aer's price. At least three Grandmaster Clans' fall was tied to this mysterious race.

The Aer dealt fairly, they were a truly neutral race that was perhaps older than even the Diery family. But that did not mean they were good. The Slaver archipelago of Irhentas was a testament to that. After all, what good force would give slavers an artifact that protected them from even Grandmasters?

So, they had a reputation. The rulers might benefit from whatever deal they made, but that benefit might not extend to their subjects.

"This was just a small deal, a single seed for a small secret." Nathan said. "To make the Countess aware of what they could offer."

The aide looked at him in surprise. Oh right, the aide hadn't spoken his concerns out loud. Nathan had quite literally read his mind and answered him.

"Do spread that around, will you? I don't want to any panic due to the Aer's presence." he said as he began walking towards the seed vault. Or rather, to the elevator that would lead him to the seventeenth floor, where the seed vault was.

Why did the Diery family put as many important things on higher floors anyway? Accessing them now was troublesome, to say the least.

"O-of course, my lord." The aide bowed as he left, suddenly much more respectful. Perhaps Nathan should go around commenting on people's thoughts some more.

A commotion welcomed him as he stepped towards the elevator. A polite commotion.

"Please, corals are not some peaceful schools of fish. The Elves seemed to have forgotten the events of Baluster." the silky, light voice of an Aer spoke, surrounded by a crowd of palace staff, Ministers and just random bystanders.

"The Elves remember the remarkable end of the War of Continents five thousand years ago well enough, Lord Aer." the stern voice of a particular half-Elven Princess replied.

Nathan suppressed a groan. The Princess was supposed to arrive tomorrow, not today! And certainly not in time to collide with the Aer. For some reason, the mysterious species did not like the Elven royal families. Not enough to break their neutrality, but enough to quarrel over stupid things whenever they met.

"But even then, the fleets fell because those fools decided to fight on top of a coral. Even conservative estimates put three hundred Grandmasters in the clash. Adepts can destroy cities by mistake, let alone Grandmasters."

What? Three hundred Drandmasters? What the heck were they talking about? Pulsie! Nathan sent a thread of mana to the plant, asking him for more information.

"I am searching! There are records of this War of Continents they are talking about, but I can't find- oh here it is." The sound of rustling leaves entered his ears as Pulsie directly transferred information to his brain.

There was something distinctly strange about how the plant was able to use every element he detected. Oh, Pulsie was best at the elements his bonded, Althea, shared, but that did not stop him from using Mind when it pleased him.

The information he received was...something. On one hand, just history. Not even important history. On the other hand, it told him that once upon a time, five thousand years ago, navies of Humans, Elves and Fae met somewhere off the coast of the Balastur Empire. An Empire Nathan hadn't heard of before. And apparently, these navies, tens of thousands of ships, had fallen to the coral that occupied the sea floor.

A coral that could kill Grandmasters. Of course, why wouldn't there be something like that.

Nathan shook his head and walked towards the two arguing Adepts. The argument was going increasingly in directions that he did not understand. What was this about oceanic mana reserves? That sounded like something he should know about.

"Lord Aer. Princess-" Nathan paused, realizing that he did not know the Princess' name.

"If I could please trouble you to complete this deal?"

The two Adepts turned to him at once, their eyes burning with anger. And for once, Nathan wondered how wise it was to stop them from arguing.

The Diery county had made him forget how cruel people with a higher cultivation could be.