Once more, Ash was on his way to Red Wood City. This time, however, he was bringing a large animal hide bag full of treats for his sister, Princess Viola. It was a little funny to think of her that way, but he also knew that it was important that he adjust to it. She would have to do much the same whenever anyone else of note was around, but he would now be known as King Ash of Blue Springs City.

None of that political nonsense really mattered much to him, though. He was only really willing to put up with the pretenses in order to ensure diplomatic relations went well. In fact, Ash found it rather odd to refer to his own family in such a formal way. He had grown up alongside his sister and his brother, who would one day be king. If he couldn't talk informally to them, then who could he talk to that way?

The trip over had been slightly more bearable this time, but Ash was sure that was mostly because he knew he would only be staying for a few days before leaving. It was unlikely he would ever willingly agree to stay any longer than that ever again. At least, he wouldn't agree to it without Iris coming with him.

He quickly went through the formal procedures with the guards, which was easier for him than most since they were still familiar with him. Ash was sure that wouldn't last forever. Eventually, a younger generation would take over or it would be too long since he had last been in the city and he would seem like a complete stranger. Still, he was most certainly happy to accept the perks while he still had them.

After sending someone to announce his arrival, he continued to the city until he arrived at the palace. There he was forced to once more announce his arrival to another set of guards. However, this round didn't go as well as the previous one.

"I've not met you before. How do I know you are who you say you are?"

Ash rolled his eyes in annoyance before responding

"You must be new then. Either that or stupider than you look."

The male stepped forward, ready to defend his honor, when Viola's voice rang out from behind him.

"You certainly never seem to tire of such quips, do you, brother?"

Ash's gaze turned more gentle as he took in his sister's appearance. She looked to be heavily pregnant, as if she was ready to give birth at any moment. Normally, despite his love for his sister, he would have still been willing to show her as much attitude as anyone else. However, he was taken too much by surprise as he said

"I wasn't expecting to see you like this. Shouldn't you be resting in bed?"

Viola laughed as she rubbed her stomach. When her laughter died down, she replied happily

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"Yes, well, I'm certainly happy to be blessed with a pregnancy this year. It will be nice to have some hatchlings or cubs running around. I normally would be on bed rest, but I'm quite hungry. I also overheard a guard telling Father about your arrival. I apologize for my males, I'll have to reprimand them later."

Ash smiled dotingly down at his sister. Removing the large animal hide bag from his shoulder, he set it on the ground, and pulled something out. Extending a large stone box out towards his sister, he explained

"Good news then! I got some help from my mate making some things for you. You'll have to save some for Mother, but, otherwise, you can snack on these while you wait for one of your mates to prepare your meal."

Viola's eyes lit up as she accepted the box, opening it to find it carefully packed with a variety of sweet and savory snacks. Ash waited in anticipation as she tried a few things before asking

"Well? What do you think?"

Viola nodded as she replied

"It's pretty good. What is it, though? It tastes quite different from what I'm used to."

Ash chuckled before explaining

"Actually, Iris has been experimenting with some new menus. We took a break for the festival, but we were running a restaurant temporarily. I think I've improved my cooking skills by quite a bit."

"Yes, well, it's certainly not bad. It's a shame that I couldn't stay longer than the festival took, but my mates were getting antsy about being away from home."

Ash frowned as he reprimanded

"You should have just told us you couldn't travel. We didn't even know that you were expecting!"

Viola sighed, handing the box she was holding to one of her mates behind her. She then gestured for Ash to follow her as she made her way to the dining room.

"You're actually behind on a lot more than that. Mom made Dad get her an immortality lily and she wants to travel the world. She's forcing Dad into an early retirement."

Ash frowned, debating with himself, before deciding to speak up

"The witch doctors in our city actually found out some pretty disturbing news about that flower. Apparently, it can cause females and males alike to become incapable of having children. It's like a poison, even if it does have miraculous effects."

Viola laughed, waving her hand to dismiss his concerns as she replied

"I doubt Mom is worried about that. Besides, you know Eldest Brother will be relieved to know he doesn't have to worry about any more siblings being born. It will be good to have some stability in the city. You know how hard Father said it was when he first took the throne."

Ash nodded in acknowledgment. That was certainly true. It would be easier for him if he didn't have to worry about a new generation causing a political dispute. He most certainly didn't want to have to worry about how that might affect their own city. Still, it was quite surprising that his mother was willing to give up her political power in exchange for more freedom to travel. Somehow, he doubted his fathers were happy about her decision.

Still, Ash was primarily here just to see if anyone had chosen to return to his city with him. He had agreed to give them until now to think about it, but this would be their last chance. After this, they were on their own. He didn't exactly want to undermine his brother's authority anyway.