Ryee’s sorrow rumbled on us. Our birth rates are very low. We have 22 children of 2500 Yeff. They are all precious to me.

If you only have 22 children, how many soldiers do you plan to send to D’gharr? You could not have many. Vonn sighed.

I have 58, but I can ne withhold them.

You must! They will all die and Kajarians will capture you! I sagged in my chair.

Ryee held me up. A king must stand and fall, and his kingdom, watch.

But, you remember Se~Spea's words to your father?

Se~Spea fell on his neck and wept. “O, my liege, forgive me, for I pressed you to chastise him! Fear ne that I shall criticize your Reign, for he is very well for us. Ryonne~ speaks oft and listens to every concern we have. I disagree that a king must stand and fall, and his kingdom watch. All watched the Reign of poor Se~Van and our hearts lay broken on the sands in his death! Ne ever would we wish such a fate on your bae!”

Se~Van, 5th King Of Ye~, who reigned after his brother W~Via came home fatally injured. He had so many unwells, he was not king long. Everyone loved him. Never married, but all the children loved him. Ryee and his brother nearly died when their great-uncle did!

All nine of the Council gave long speeches of support to Fa and to me! Theaspaura, King of Fhiah spoke and pledged his support if our Reign had needs, including help from his Science Council. Shy Oesha came to him to thank him for help they already gave on their visit with us.

But, Theaspaura pressed him for needs and got a long list. Contacted many traders. Found that some of the minerals we needed were in such ample supply on Fhiah that shipping it here was preferable to the cost of storage. The Unified and Alliance both require that trade be balanced. At times this means we acquire surpluses of materials. The First Galaxy has wealth that the other galaxies lack. By the time he left us for home, we had more trade, and were able to trade with an Esteerrian for a ship filled with slaves. Some were Yeff.

I saw other surpluses in the First Galaxy that would help future fuel research. He touched the mind of his Master Trader, M’Naga, his very best friend. Who had great injury in the Fortress of D’gharr, also. Yeff trade suffered. No other trader can do what M’Naga does for his kingdom. After his injuries, he could not trade for several years, and never recovered his former skills.

I showed him the deaths of all 58, including his dear friend, Ao~. Then I showed him the scientific accomplishments, artistic triumphs, trade consequences, and treaties signed from these men, their children, and their grandchildren. Ao~’s accomplishment in the Science Council was to solve the heart defects that made Ye~’s birth rates so very low.

My friend sat heavily in the chair next to me.

As you convinced Se~spea to let his son Ao~ be a scientist, you must convince Hupa to let his son Huih be a scientist. He will save the B~ea in the Tunnels with flowers of Areon and make Ye~ bloom. His wife is on Earth.

“Ryee, are you all right? What happened?” Vonn held onto his shoulders, and Derees had his arm.

He looked up at them, golden eyes past wide. I must speak with my traders.

Ryee’s worry for me rumbled on me and my stomach turned.

Ryee, your maiden suffers. She saw you after torture by Eriganh.

He paled drastically! I must face Eriganh?

Cevit Ion said, Nae! Under nae circumstances are any of the Yeff to set foot on D’gharr. I will nae lose you, any of you.

Ry’nao said, I agree with all of my heart! I saw what she saw. What your men will become if they are not sacrificed. There is no gain in this.

Fa will ne agree! All of Elshar will use this against us—

Let them. I will speak to them and find a compromise. They cannot know what we know. Do you ignore the many times they shirked responsibility with terrible outcomes? I do not forget any. Some of their leaders are wise, and some are foolish. If some of them think you are a foolish king, I shall remind them of colonies like Elshar 18 and Kishan Lana.

I fear what Marel’vanrah will say of our reign.

Why fear my opinion, Ryee? I heard all, and I will take Ry’nao’s opinion. If he declares you should ne sacrifice your 58, then I shall send you 5800.

Ryee gave a bow in the Old Forms, but the King of All Zheiea put him on his lap. Seeing you in this condition breaks my heart! We all fear to lose you because your skills are too great for a young one. Ry’nao has many missions only you can achieve.

Let Madame Rayaline guide you. However, it seems that these futures she sees can be changed. She sees you married. I think it is wise for her to meet many young men so her heart is sure.

He sighed. Ea, Marel. His sorrow rumbled on me.

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Fear ne. If you know her three months, then court for three, your hearts will be sure, ea?

I sobbed. Three months? Three Standard months of 100 days each?

O, ne this sorrow, maiden! I speak of Zheien months. A Zhee year is 9 months of 9 weeks, each of nine days. A day is 9 hours. Our days are similar to Areon’s days.

Three months of 81 days. He wants me to meet many men? I sighed. This might please Papa, so I nodded. It is wise. That memory and the sorrow, the hopelessness in it, floored me.

But then I saw his son, Ishmarel, First Prince of Zheiea. He collapsed because he diverted to Samar Thaae instead of piloting home to his healers. Poisoning, from bad foods. Diplomats do not carry good food?

Marel’vanrah wept. O, Maiden, you nae understand. Leaders with whom we negotiate think to test us, so they serve us poison. By Elshar treaties, we must eat.

Sometimes they doubt that this test may kill us. Other times, it is intentional. We carry good foods, and healing with us. But, our work is very dangerous. Ryee almost died many times, and I grieve.

Many times? Then, I saw more about the First Prince of Zheiea.

Ishmarel had to stay on Samar Thaae because to leave would kill him. But, he met a healer and their minds linked. They had to marry, that day!

Marel’vanrah gasped. You tell me that my bae will dishonor a maiden?

He died that night, but Taredias Gupa cloned him. His cloned ba took her to Zhea~ and she became Queen of Zheiea beside him.

Her name was Alice, Healer of Earth. He was very unwell, my liege. I bowed very low.

Ahstam sang healing for him, and his son, Ishmarel, rushed to him. I showed him that memory. Siasch, a trader of Elshar Mashai, was like a father to him in that place, Tarsch. He saw Alice, long, black curls and blue eyes, and she rushed to heal him. He was not expecting to fall in love with her once their minds touched.

King Marel’vanrah angered with his entire Council! All of you demand more tests of my bae’s worthiness, endless tests, and see how your guilt burns in these events! What he showed them was far more detailed than the small summary I was able to give!

Both of them ported to Council despite Ahstam’s protests, and all on the Council agreed that Ishmarel could reign now. He will not send him away from Zhea~ on any mission. I noticed the Leader of Council, Marel’vanrah’s best friend, was first to suggest that Ishmarel had been tested enough.

Showed them all how Alice saved his life. All gasped! Who is this, Marel, who sees futures? Ahstam went to him and sang healing. Because I showed him Alice’s healing, he healed something that would take years to become a problem.

I felt happy, yet how will he meet Alice Lerner?

I saw her on Ryee’s ship, and he taught her Zheien customs, to meet the leaders of all Zheien, 750,000 worlds of them! All the Council watched and were very impressed. Again, they heard more than I could see.

Ryee watched this memory with awe. He was healthy, not like in my other memories of him on Earth, and we were preparing to leave. We?

Ryee’s ship was very large, and redviolet, and we saw many people. Among them were Laura Martin, and her family.

Anne Wright, her husband and children. And an Earthan lady named Sara Ionic, Secretary of Atlanta Zheien Embassy, stood with Cevit Ion, who looked very happy. Memories opened of her fighting men. She saved Cevit Ion! He watched, in pure awe.

Greg Wehn Cet, his brother Briahh and Greg’s wife Deb. Deb’s parents also came. The two brothers were half Ty’nirrhan, though they appeared Earthan! They helped Pirad, Elder of Bisillipia, to save former slaves.

Many more Earthans filled the ship, and former slaves of many species.

Among all the people on that ship were Pas and his entire ennead. And, Ryee’s ba J~oie.

Ryee felt shock, that so many people from a planet that did not know tech would choose to emigrate. And, that Pas would travel so far into danger in his old age!

I heard Pas’ amusement in the Link. Ah, did you forget that I love to pilot? Mehrna and I burst five containments once. We escaped the slaver and healed one another. After our nesfa, we healed 162 slaves.

Why did you ne tell me? Five! How did you live?

Ryee, we took more risks than even you, and I dared my ba to tell you! We feared you might try some of our techniques. Ahstam taught us, to help others rescue slaves. He is very well with piloting.

Ahstam is? Master Healer of All Zheiea and a skilled pilot?

He negotiated the treaty that allows healers to take dying slaves in all the Thirteen. At nine. The slaver thought it laughable, and signed the document to ridicule it. But Marel’vanrah showed slavers of large networks how it profited them to follow it.

In his youth, Bern of Elshar taught him piloting and he loved it. He led enneads all over Zhea~ to learn piloting and rescue slaves. I and my first ennead did this. We lived in He Bae where do Ahstam and our lieges. Ye~ Prov includes it, where we came.

And I thought I knew our history. Did you even tell Fa?

Pas laughed, then got very serious. Ne, for he took more risks than you. How much damage he holds in his points! I wished ne to risk him.

Ryee’s sorrow shook me. This is why I worked to take the Reign so young. I fear for my fa.

Your children will suffer more than you, if you ne take more care in your missions.

Pas, this is impossible. I must go where Ry’nao sends me.

And I protested when W~Via went to Kajar. Se~Van also had grave injury there. So many of our brave ones, gone from us. He should yet be living.

I gasped. W~Via, Ryee’s redhaired grandfather, stood in Ye~ of Rainbow, on Alb Seer, with Ryee’s grandfathers and their wives back to Ha~Veh’heien who founded Ye~. And, King Ea~ who died on exploring the Tunnels with his five sons.

Ryee stared into that memory in greatest awe. How is this possible? Surely Burial Chambers were emptied, for this many of our people— He recognized each face because his father led Remembrance in Burial Chambers every year.

Burial Chambers far underground on Ye~ were moved to Alb Seer. But for 20, all stood empty. We saw row after row of empty stasis boxes. Because they are clear, even in that dim light, boxes went on until curvature of Alb Seer hid them.

Is this when Zheiea rises to the next level, Adia?

I sang in the Seven Voices of Sa’i. Sing joy, sing joy, for the day is come, sing joy!

Ryee’s fear came to me. Your body can ne withstand this!

I bent, and he caught me.