The sea of people was brewing a storm. Calder tried to make his way back to Laz, but the royal captain’s announcement had stirred everyone up into a frenzy. Next to him, a knight was trying to calm his date down, who was insistent on shouting up at the platform.

Calder wasn’t sure why she was so upset. It wasn’t a war declaration. And everyone complains about how things are run, so why wouldn’t they embrace a change of pace?

As much as Calder was willing to be an optimist, there was something else giving him hesitation. One of the nobles they had shown, Velter was his name, was the man Calder had seen in the carriage earlier in the autumn. The man in the purple cloak. Since that day when he accepted the bribe, he had felt paranoid that Faramond would find out. His mind raced with ideas some nights on what the man could have wanted, why he needed it kept a secret, anything that would ease his guilt, yet none worked.

Does it have to do with this announcement? This project? Is he the new leader of Evermine?

The noble heads had kept to themselves in the past, up until a few years ago when it seemed they were the talk of everyone in the capital. Calder never paid any of the political chatter much attention, but he knew their names well enough.

Minamere was brilliant in both meanings of the word. She had something to do with the hengers that were ever-present in the capital, and her custom-made outfits inspired most of what was popular for young women to wear.

Heff was more mysterious. He kept to himself more than the other two, though he and his family owned many of the storehouses and his name was becoming synonymous with miserly. A sense of respect was still assumed with him for his mercantile talents.

There was no such respect for Velter. Despite his family having very little sway compared to the other two, he used his royal blood to get whatever he could. Clearing out taverns to drink with his lackeys and any young women wanting to use his generosity, demanding free goods from jewelers and craftsmen. Even Heff was known to pay for the things he wanted, though nobles didn’t technically have to. It was a sign of class.

Calder was surprised he hadn’t connected the two when he met him months earlier. He looked as pompous as the image he had in his mind for the spoiled noble. He was the only part of the royalty that Calder had even questioned.

He prayed that his hunch about Velter presiding over Evermine was nothing more than that.

“Calder! What’s going on?” Laz appeared by Calder’s side, gripping onto his arm. His eyes were wide and stricken with worry.

Even him…

“I’m not sure,” Calder said, pulling Laz close to him while the surrounding crowd teetered on the edge of chaos. He wanted to tell Laz to wait and hear more, but knew his patience with royalty was already thin.

Thankfully for him, the royal captain’s voice resumed through the magic sound carriers overhead.

“Quiet!” Despite appearing uneasy before, she spoke with a gruff, commanding tone. Everyone in the room piped down in nearly an instant.

That was far more inline with how Calder remembered her whenever she visited the knight’s academy. I wonder why she seemed so hesitant before.

“You are here as guests in the king’s castle!” As she spoke, the royal guards around the room straightened their positions, reminding everyone of their reality. “And those of you that are knights, remember who you take orders from. Your jobs will be crucial to maintaining order over the following years while the Unity of Kradall begins.”

The room remained tense, though the shouting did not return. Curiously, the knights appeared unaffected, while those in dress clothes were the main source of concern.

Makes enough sense. Our jobs will hardly change, though the townsfolk have no idea what to expect. Though I wish they’d give it a better chance.

Up on the platform, one of the nobles, Minamere, clad in her signature orange, stepped up to the royal captain. Calder’s height allowed him to get a clear view over most of the attendees’ heads and watch as the noble head yanked the speaking-focus from the captain’s hand with a quick, yet elegant motion.

“You should all be grateful, really,” Minamere said. Her voice was smooth and melodic. It wouldn’t have surprised anyone if she had a beautiful singing voice, though performing was beneath someone of her status. “The Unity of Kradall means we don’t have to go to war! Surely you prefer this over being drafted to Pamantia.” She took small steps across the platform as she spoke, dainty but commanding, even from far away.

Behind Calder, he heard a few mutterings of reluctant agreement. As strange as it all sounded, if it kept them home, it wasn’t the worst thing in the world.

“Look at how Kradall is deteriorating,” Minamere continued. “Many of our outer cities lack proper food and medicine. The land is fading, weak and fruitless. Our kingdom has not seen a true golden age in almost a century. King Garen has… done all he can. But the time for change has arrived!” The noble gestured to the other two heads. “With the three of us using our skills and resources, we will begin a new era for us to thrive in!”

Cheers from the second gallery filled the ballroom, with the first level joining in, and even two or three people on the dancefloor.

“Well, at least the nobles are happy with themselves,” Laz whispered. “But I don’t see why they couldn’t help the kingdom without going through all this trouble. What’s the actual purpose for all this?”

Calder couldn’t think of a response.

I know he’s smart, but he doesn’t get that the nobles understand how to run a country better than anyone. Nobody is more qualified for these decisions than them, it’s why they have that power in the first place. Maybe one day he’ll learn to trust them.

“I don’t blame you all for your doubts.” Minamere spoke once more. “But you’ll see the results soon enough. Cities under my supervision will see large improvements to education, trade, and growth. I’ll see to it that every farmer is equipped with the ability to reach their peak harvest, that every child gets the chance to learn a trade. Heff and Velter have their own plans that I’m sure will function similarly. Don’t you see, this is remarkable news! We’re here to repair Kradall, and with the help of you knights, we will return to prosperity!”

More cheering followed her speech, this time with a good portion of the ground floor joining in. Minamere was best known for being influential, so it didn’t surprise Calder one bit that she could help everyone see the benefits.

“Could be a good thing,” Calder said. Laz was still leaning into him.

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The wizard scoffed. “Maybe if I see some improvement I’ll give them their praise. I’m not getting my hopes up, though.”

By the thrones, Minamere handed over the speaking-focus to Heff before reclaiming her seat. The broad-statured man stood up and grumbled, broadcasting the low growl through the ballroom.

“Correct. We’ll be going through a lot of changes, so you’d all best prepare yourselves to keep the peace.” Heff’s voice was thick and slow, taking a long time to get through the sentence. At the same time, it held everyone’s attention, and nobody looked bored.

The green-robed noble trudged over to Velter and rolled the focus into his lap, not bothering to make sure he would catch it. It seemed all he cared about was sitting back down on his throne.

When Velter held the speaking-focus, he cleared his throat, leaving the entire ballroom to hear his phlegmy cough.

He really is tactless.

“Yes, right,” Velter said. His voice had the same posh inflection that Calder remembered the night he was bribed. “Well, Minamere was right when she said you should all be grateful. We’re putting our wealth into where you live, when we could just as easily leave the kingdom and take our resources somewhere else. It’s a privilege that you should–”

Minamere was suddenly at his side, swiping the focus from him. Calder assumed if he was close enough to see their faces, she would have a daggering glare aimed at him.

“Yeah,” a woman nearby said quietly. “Sure, they’d leave. Where would they go? Pamantia would take most their money to fund the war, and they’d never risk getting the plague in Sil-Chir.”

Whoever she was speaking to laughed in agreement.

Velter… I hope Evermine gets anyone but him.

“Now,” the royal captain was once again in possession of the speaking-focus. “Please, enjoy the rest of the night! This is a celebration of our hard work in keeping Kradall safe! And we’ll see to it that we keep at it, and guide the kingdom back into shape!”

The tension in the air was still present, but soon enough the noble heads left their thrones and platform, the musicians began to play again, and one by one, everyone went back to their jolly selves. Still, a shadow was looming over everyone. Nobody seemed quite as happy as they were before the announcement.

I understand faith in royalty has been weakening, but I figured they’d be much happier that we’re remaining at peace. Though Velter’s words at the end did sour the mood.

Calder looked down at his date, only to find Laz staring at the galleries with his piercing green eyes. “Let’s dance again,” he offered. “It’ll take your mind off things.”

Part of him hoped that it might lead to another kiss. He wished he had said more after their first one, but Laz had seemed almost shaken. He didn’t want him to pull away after getting so close. Not to mention that the ill-timed announcement had interrupted them.

He’s acting so normal about it all. It’s as if what happened outside barely affected him. I didn’t imagine it, did I? If I brought it up again, would he come up with an excuse? We were finally connecting, I don’t want to lose momentum.

“It’s too hot in here to dance.” Laz looked at Calder and gave a soft smile, bolstering the knight’s confidence. “Perhaps we could go outside again? Or find Mohs and Strawberry to see what they think about all of this. Really, what are they thinking? And announcing it here, when will the public know?”

“Ah, right. I didn’t see them at the table when I walked by,” Calder said. His fake arm wrestling with Notch brought him back to where they had eaten. “Maybe they’re in the courtyard. Or, we could look around for them.”

Laz sighed. “No, it doesn’t matter. We’ll see them on the ride back, anyway.” He looked around the ballroom with disappointed eyes.

“Is something wrong?” Calder tiptoed around asking about their kiss. “Do you regret… er, coming here?”

“What?” Laz looked surprised. “No, I don’t. Does it seem that way?”

“No, no.” Calder smiled. “It’s just hard to read your true thoughts sometimes.”

Laz’s cheeks glew red. “Well, sorry. I’ll work on it. Though I’m not sure I want you to know what I’m thinking more than you already do.”

“And why is that?”

“Because you… you…” Laz huffed. “You’re already annoying enough as it is. I can’t imagine how much of a pain you’d become if-” He groaned. “Sorry, I’m doing it again.”

Calder chuckled and picked up Laz’s hand, turning his bracelet back around to face the gem outward. “I know, I know. Don’t worry. For some sick reason, I don’t really mind your sharp tongue. Though it’s nice of you to remind me that you don’t actually despise me.”

“What are we gonna do, Calder?” Laz asked. His voice was hushed and tender.

“Excuse me?”

“How are we going to get out of any of this?” Laz stepped to the side, pulling Calder along and into an open spot on the floor where nobody would hear them through the cover of music and chatter. “With Irida, with each other, with this new Unity thing? There’s too much to keep track of, there’s too many problems to–”

Calder pulled Laz into him, hugging him against his chest.

“We have time,” Calder said. “We can figure something out. Maybe these changes to the kingdom will mean less pain and hunger in Evermine. Then you can take more time to hone your spells, or take care of Irida. I know you don’t have high expectations, but I’d love it if you could try to be optimistic about this. You don’t deserve to be this stressed all the time.”

Laz stayed still, breathing peacefully against Calder. “I could try. Maybe. Only if you keep helping.”

“Of course.”

“It’s cooling down a bit in here,” Laz leaned back, still in Calder’s arms. “Maybe we could dance, for a song or two.”

Calder grinned, ear to ear. “You sure?”

“Yes, but,” Laz pulled Calder’s arm off of him and stepped out of the hug. “I have to use the privy again. I’ll meet you at that table we were at before, okay?”

“Of course!” Calder watched as Laz weaved through the masses, his black gown swaying back and forth with beautiful rhythm.

Things are really changing, improving even!

Calder swaggered his way back to their table, finding it with a new platter of pastries and re-filled tankards and glasses.

What an incredible day! Why was anyone worried in the first place?

As he bit into a custard tart, he noticed a knight wearing a bright orange covering on his armor. A radiant piece of cloth, stretching from a golden epaulet, covering his entire right shoulder and the top of his left.

Is that one of the higher ranked royal guards? It matches Minamere’s gown, and all of her relatives and associates up in the gallery. Is he from her personal guard?

Elsewhere in the crowd, he saw another golden epaulet, this time with a green cowl instead. He began to scan the room, noticing that there were multiple knights wearing orange, green, and purple shoulder coverings. Some of them he recognized as captains of their cities.

A new part of the captain’s uniform, then? Is this the start of the Unity project? So orange for Minamere, green for Heff, and purple for Velter…

He started to panic.

That means the cities are already decided. Where is Faramond?

He scrambled through the table area, hoping to find his captain sporting orange or green.

Anyone but Velter, please, my only request.

Then, off in a corner with a few other captains, Calder spotted Faramond chatting and laughing. His stomach sank.