The conversation with Rani hadn't gone exactly well, but Aloe knew it could have been worse. Collapse notwithstanding. Lulu had gotten quite the scare from her lapse, but alas, it had been just that. A lapse of health, nothing too serious. The scribe knew she had been pressuring her body, she hadn't yet recovered, but the work had to be done.

First chance I can get out of the palace, I'll plant a Blossomflame at home. Speeding her recovery through mystic means was her only real opportunity, even if she was already doing that with the regeneration stance.

The impromptu meeting had shown her how much weaker she was than she thought. She hadn't been able to shift into glamour during that time! Nine minutes was far too much, regardless of whether she intended to use the stance or not. A couple of minutes for recovery was alright, but some time-sensitive internal infusions like toughness where even a blink was too much.

She performed her duties like normal the next day. If she had depended a lot on Lulu before, now that was magnified tenfold with her limited mobility. The maid woke her up, cleaned her, brought her breakfast, dressed her, and then pushed her wheelchair to the audience hall every day. Aloe was capable of doing so herself, but every day the same discussion would arise, and every day she would lose it as Lulu would have none of it. The collapse had been the last drop that overflowed the glass.

Audiences weren't hostile to her, at least not as much as let alone breathing had been on Asina. The many participants of these daily events regarded her with amiability laced with touches of pity. Tamara, the scribe of commerce, was the only one who was actively supporting her, though that didn't mean that the rest actively acted against her. Ruhena, the newly appointed noble scribe, was respectful toward her, which was sufficient for Aloe. Considering she was a noble, not being antagonistic was more than a victory enough for her. Nuha, the scribe of scholars, didn't mind her. But that woman didn't mind anyone, not even Rani, so that wasn't a surprise.

Lastly, Naila.

Aloe didn't have anything positive to say about the imperial scribe. If someone was antagonizing her in the palace, it was Naila Asina. Not even Rani, who was the one with more power over her, had acted with such hostility. Sure, she didn't voice out any hurtful words, but everyone was aware of her lack of… kinship toward Aloe. If the sultanzade hadn't done anything by now, Aloe was sure because Rani had held her off.

The problem wasn't that Naila was looking at her badly, but that she was looking at her at all. The young princess donned her sense stance during audiences, meaning Aloe could never relax and let her vitality falter. She always hid black seeds and dates under her clothes that she could either evolve or infuse when the situation arose. Mainly infuse, as Flourishing Spring evolutions needed too much vitality. If she suddenly lost enough vitality to fuel an adult man, then even Rani would feel it.

Neither party had acknowledged it, but it was a game of sun and moon. Naila always looked at her trying to find some oddity, but much like the sun, she could never catch up to the moon. Aloe would have preferred that the princess stopped doing so, but the ever-present sense of urgency and danger made her focus on the audience.

Not only she was able to perform her duties perfectly but had enough presence of mind left to practice her stances. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to practice her much-lacking charm as it would have been instantly detected even by non-cultivators, but there were others that needed practice. Namely strength and recovery.

Unlike haste, glamour, or even acuity to a point, these internal infusions couldn't be detected with a glance, so they were her best option. It took Aloe around two minutes to change either of them, so each day she could only get so much as a modicum of practice. Not much though, as she couldn't pressure herself enough to become sick. Each shift was followed by a five-minute rest, if not more because she had an audience to participate in.

This day's audience had finally ended, granting Aloe a moment to breathe. As always, Nuha was the first one to leave the hall. She always found the scholar's attitude endearing, even if a lot of servants criticized her for her lack of work ethic. The thing was, Nuha did her job as the scribe of scholars, and she did it well. She just fled before anyone else could dump more work into her, and as a fellow coworker, Aloe could only congratulate her boldness.

Aloe knew the basics of every of her scribe companions and she was aware that they all had their own private lives and other professions. Nuha, for starters, was also the figurehead of the university of Sadina. Perhaps not a headmistress, but her influence was peerless in the scholarly circles of the city. Tamara had multiple enterprises, whether they were banks or mercantile companies. Ruhena was the heiress of her house, whose name Aloe hadn't yet bothered to remember even if she had introduced herself many days ago now. And Naila… she existed.

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It was a disservice to the young woman because Aloe neither had anything else going for her life. Her public life at least. In that sense, Naila was more occupied than her as she was constantly training or having classes. As it would seem, her education hadn't been finished when she came to Sadina, meaning she had to be tutored. Of course, as an imperial princess, she didn't go to a school, teachers came to her.

The scribe of commoners remained in the empty audience hall for a while. Even if she wanted to sprint out of it, her wheelchair didn't help.

"Aloe," A voice could out for her, and she instantly noticed Ruhena coming to her. "Have you heard of the embargo on Loyata?"

"I cannot say I have, no." Aloe swayed her head. "Though this topic does not sound like something you should talk with me. Tamara would be more interested, Ruhena."

They already went by name basis, without the need for titles, after they warmed up to each other on the last week. Unlike some sultanzade she knew, the woman wasn't antagonistic and she herself was also desperate for allies. Aloe's theory for the moment was that Ruhena was part of a failing noble house that would do anything to stay afloat and that was the exact reason why Rani had recruited her. Gaining the unconditional loyalty of a noble house by saving it seemed like a move Rani would make.

"I believe she is already aware of it." The noble scribe revealed. "But no, this is not a work affair. I guess you could classify it as gossip."

"I see…" If it was menial talk, she could indulge in it. "What is this embargo that you are talking about then?"

"Apparently, Loyata has put some stops in commerce with Ydaz as of late. Mainly some customs restrictions. Their maritime routes with Pincerare and Seviren still hold strong though."

"Not to act like a know-all, but that does not sound like an embargo. Just some local mercantile politics. If there were a nationwide embargo in place, we would have heard about it a long time ago."

Ruhena shrugged. "Snake-tongues, you know how they are. I just repeated word by word what I heard. I also thought they were exaggerating."

"But stops in trade, huh…" Aloe knew better than to listen to the hissings of snake-tongues, but it would be equally foolish to ignore them. "Do you know – by any chance – what goods are being interrupted?"

"That was where I was getting at. The merchants are not stopping Ydazi caravans from entering Loyata, but rather the opposite. Any caravans transporting food toward Ydaz are stopped before they leave the country."

"Curious…" Aloe put a crooked finger on her lips, "and smart."

"Smart? What do you mean?" The well-dressed scribe inquired.

"I mean, if they were stopping Ydazi merchants, it would escalate into an international conflict. But if they do only restrict their own merchants, then there is no diplomatic foundation for Ydazi interjection."

"I think I know where you are getting at."

"Now, food is one of Ydaz's most important imports. Though there is a surplus of basically any other products, the sultanate is always at a shortage of food, even with the many blessed fields." Fields boosted by Aaliyah's own vitality. "And unlike many other trade goods, food is essential."

"They are trying to weaken us." It wasn't a question, but a statement that came out of the noblewoman's mouth.

"Most likely, yes." Aloe shrugged.

"Why are you not worried then?" Ruhena's orange eyes were directed at her. They lacked the glint common in sultanzade. "This feels like a conflict in the making."

"Probably just a local skirmish. There are many of those each month." Ydaz's frontiers were big, and its enemies were many. Even with a long-standing manufactured peace, that didn't mean the country was foreign to battles.

"And what if it is not?" Worry blossomed in the noble's face. She looked feeble to Aloe's eyes. Weak. "I do not like the winds are blowing, Aloe. What if it is something bigger? What if it is a…" Ruhena encroached on the wheelchair and whispered to Aloe's ears, "…war?"

I hope so. They all should burn in separate hells so their eternal torment is a solitary one! Aloe coughed, hiding her lack of decorum. "The country is more than prepared for that if the occasion arises. And if it were, our duties would not change. The one who would need to change their routine would be the imperial scribe."

"That is what worries me." Ruhena talked, her face free of imperfection close to Aloe's. "Sadina's emirate borders Loyata, and I do not believe she is ready."

"Oh." I get it now. "I understand where your lack of confidence comes from, but Scribe Naila is more than suited for warfare." Perhaps too much. She left the last part unsaid. "Nevertheless, I recommend you to relax. I cannot see the conflict reaching Sadina any time soon."

"But what if it does?" Ruhena was older than her, yet her nervousness made her look like a child to Aloe.

Then we run. "Then we have the sultanzade to defend us." The scribe of commoners added with a smile.

"You trust them that much?" The heading meaning behind her struggling visage. It screamed: After all that happened to you? The noble wouldn't have had that reaction if she knew what subterfuge was hiding in plain sight.

"I trust in their strength." The commoner responded diplomatically. It was no lie; Aloe couldn't see the sultanzade lose. For better or worse.

Mostly worse.

"I see…" Ruhena clasped her hands together before her crotch as she fidgeted. Aloe saw herself in her, a self that had died a few months ago. She didn't doubt the same would happen to the noblewoman, and Aloe hated herself for it. "It seems I have distracted you for too long. I will get going then."

Once she was left alone, Aloe exhaled. She took a date busting with vitality and cracked it with her teeth. She could also see the winds of change, and she wouldn't allow herself to be swayed by them. Not anymore.