A year ago, after explaining the situation to Claire about her recent sickness she didn't seem nearly as concerned as I. In fact she was all smiles. She seemed to bite the smile slightly in attempt to hide it but it was impossible. She clearly was excited by the thought of having a child. Perhaps it was only me that was terrified, but how could I not be? if it's a boy I will die. There was no debate it's simply fact.

"Is it wrong that I'm excited?"

"Well that's not what's wrong."

"Hmm?"

"Did you know your mother is my father's sister?"

"Yeah?"

"You did?"

"Of course. My mom told me that long ago, even before I lived with you guys I knew you were my cousin."

"And you don't think thats…"

"Why? Your grandfather married his sister, same with his father before him, and his father before him. I consider that a little more risque than a cousin."

"That's true but…"

"Do you not like me?" She asked quivering her lip purposefully.

"Of course I do, that's the problem."

"Is it really a problem though?"

"Ahh, i don't know, maybe not. Maybe it's just the other mind making excuses."

I apologized for my insensitivity and hugged Claire who seemed a bit upset by my line of questioning. It was apparently something she had thought about a lot. She said her feelings for me were the reason she chose to leave in the first place. She pondered the feelings for years before finally deciding before the ceremony she didn't care about our relation.

I felt bad she had to deal with those thoughts alone, I had probably made things more difficult for her.

We two began our journey to the castle to the east. Claire's room was a small edge of a large 'C' shaped building. From there we turned right towards the main road that would lead to the Royal castle.

Claire pointed me towards the Bakery that she had chosen to help. We grabbed a bag of cinnamon buns they carried and continued walking towards the main road.

The buns were different, they seemed to have a slight citrus hint to them. I wondered if maybe citrus fruits were grown around here, there were palm trees and tropical plants so it wasn't unlikely.

Reaching the Noble Courtyard didn't take long, Claire seemed to have chosen a room very close to both the river road and the castle area.

The Noble Courtyard was beautiful, each manor on the street was filled with elaborate shrubs bordered by well trimmed green grass.

It was the first lawn I had seen in this world.

The noble court was dwarfed by the two large gardens that sat a mile or so in the distance. The two arcing gardens seemed to have shaped trees and bushes in all sorts of angles, The area was overflowing with color despite the season.

Between us and the magnificent garden was a stereotypical medieval castle. It even had a moat and drawbridge, it felt almost silly. Was a moat really needed in the center of a city with a wall? Perhaps the King is afraid of his citizen revolting? But everyone here seemed fairly happy. There was starving but it wasn't blamed on the royalty, they apparently were very kind to the people. Even importing food out of their own pocket.

I still found it odd to look at the large drawn bridge. I expected as we neared it would fall but it didn't, instead I noticed a small plank had been placed across the thick water.

I supposed they only drop the bridge for troops or carriages. Anyone else would just use the wood plank leading towards a small door.

I steadied Claire carefully and eased across the bridge. The water below was murky, a iridescent bubble would appear from time to time. It wasn't something i wanted my pregnant girlfriend falling into.

We began to knock when we reached the landing but the door opened before I had the chance.

"Come this way." A young man in a suit said.

"Righto." I replied gripping Claire's hand as we were whisked away.

It was only when we were both given changes of clothes did we realize the lack of nobility of our own dress. I wore the pants I had made from fabric I got in winter village. They were winter pants so style didn't matter, only warmth.

I had given Claire some nice silk like what the dress she held was made from, but as we had just teleported to the capital of course she hadn't had a chance to make anything from it. Instead she wore a dress made from a thicker cotton. It was cute, don't get me wrong. But the dress she was given by the maid sat against her skin much better, complimenting her appearance and giving her a more mature look.

It was captivating, I could barely concentrate on changing my own clothes, we really should have chosen to dress in separate rooms.

After scolding my own thoughts I placed the multi piece suit i was given on as well. With each button I felt more constrained.

It felt, wrong.

Really wrong.

I refused.

This wasn't me, I had already said I would be honest from now on. At least when possible, this includes now. I'm the son of a tribe leader, not a noble. I carefully unbuttoned the shirt and refolded it. I replaced it and grabbed the strapped leather shirt I had worn into the castle. Perhaps it would be an insult to reject the clothes, but I don't care.

This leather strap should never leave my side. To replace it with a tie would be sacrilegious to the tool that saved Claire's life. No, I would wear a shirt bound by this strap for the rest of my life. And I will make it tradition for the Hawk to do so for all time. Or I suppose I can pass down traditions to the next Blood Duke now.

After nodding to Claire who cocked her head at my outfit we stepped back into the hallway where the servants awaited. I handed them the clothes, a few looked shocked but one quieted them and began leading us towards the center of the massive castle.

It felt like we walked almost as long as we had outside, but we finally reached a doorway.

"Hold on a moment." The male servant said before knocking on a nearby door.

It wasn't the door we stood before but one adjacent it, it was slightly smaller but still a fancier door than what stood in my mom's inn.

"Oh they're here?" A small voice piped behind it. A small tan girl stepped out from the swinging door and pressed it shut behind her. "It's rare for someone to get invited into the 'actual' royal chamber. But I suppose since it's you it makes sense."

There was something I wouldn't have noticed a few months ago.

Her skin color, it was similar to my own, I'd begun to assume that the olive skin tone me and Claire shared was related to our tribal bloodline, I had never seen it on anyone but a tribe member.

The young servant man bowed his head to the girl and then to us and then turned away towards the direction we came from.

"Let's go then shall we." She said pulling out the two large doors to reveal a blank rock wall.

"Wha…" Claire begins but then became transfixed by what she saw instead.

The small girl frantically gripped at the stone wall and then a black tear appeared. It expanded, nearing the width of a human, and then rapidly filled the doorway. With that she turned, nodded to the two of us and grasped for our hands. We both knew the routine so we held her hands carefully and stepped into the girl's Void.

It wasn't teleportation, i could tell immediately, we were in fact passing through the material of the wall, nothing more. The door is the Void, And she is the key. But how? How was she able to pass through a void?

"It's a pleasure to meet you Hawk," A man said, bowing deeply before me.

I had expected the king to be wearing fancy embroidered robes but instead he stood with a torn leather coat similar to my own.

At first I had thought, 'No, this man bowing before me can't be the king.' but no one else was in the room, so he must be. I noticed he too shared the girl's olive complexion.

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"I apologize for that earlier." He said, likely referring to the clothes the servants offered. "I felt a bit uncomfortable addressing the Hawk in my regular dress though. I see you felt the most comfortable in yours as well, I suppose our personalities don't suit our positions."

He laughed at the words and then righted himself and sat down in the simple throne in the back of the room. I couldn't help but chuckle at them as well, he was right. I now understand completely the situation.

"When?" I ask

"My grandfather, your great grandfather, conquered this kingdom years ago. He placed my father, your grandfather's brother, in charge of the place."

"I suppose that makes sense, why would we live in an unsecure place, this way we would always have protection against the empire and the church."

"Mhm exactly."  

"But a void walker?" I ask pointing to the girl who was playing with Claire. Claire seemed to be showing off the expanded version of the professor mages juggling technique. She opened a couple dozen voids and threw the ball with all her might, it bounced between the voids endlessly. Increasing speed until it reached terminal velocity.

"She possesses the void specialization but she isn't a walker, technically a voidwalker is one who can create and walk in Void planes. Teleportation alone doesn't qualify one."

"So you knew i would teleport here? Then why the two months?"

"Well I figured you had stuff you needed to do before coming." The king said with a blank expression.

Well that was kind of him, but why call me here at all then? This doesn't exactly make sense. And why give me a Duchy? I have so many questions.

"Can I build a canal?" I instead ask.

"A canal? Can you? Well I see no issue with it if you say you can do it. I assume you speak of the Scar?"

"Right."

"Hm, I see the benefits, it would surely help this city, who sits on both the ocean, and mouth of the scar. I imagine it would help us and you in the Bay of Mountains most of all."

"I'm not so sure, I think everyone on a river adjacent district would benefit, even when the canal is built, the travel time up it will still be long. Ports at all cities will be frequented for refuel or rest."

"Of course, and with your new engine shipping will surely become faster." He said with a sly grin.

"So you do have spies then?"

"'Spy' is a harsh word, just 'concerned citizens'."

"Right, concerned for their wallet?"

"Wallet?"

"Nothing. So why am I a 'Duke' anyways, and 'of Blood' for that matter, don't people usually get to choose that themselves? What if I had wanted to be inconspicuous? If you consider me Hawk aren't you supposed to follow me?"

"Ah but I'm you're familial elder, that trumps even the position of Degin. I follow you, but I also lead you towards the right path."

"I see, so what do you intend by making me a Duke? Or won't you tell me? Degin seems to keep quiet when he has some ulterior motive."

"No I will tell you, I intend the world to envy your Duchy. I want the Bay of Mountains to become the most desired place to live."

"Why? Increase the canal profits? But you didn't know I was planning to build it, unless spies told you."

"No, no, that will just be a convenient addition. My reasoning is different, I think Envy is the best way to advance the world."

"Envy."

"Mhm, if the world envies the advances that the Mountain Bay is making then they will have the desire to improve themselves. Don't you agree?"

"It could work, it's better than any of my plans." I say honestly thinking about it. "You want me to keep my innovations in the Bay then?"

"No, not necessarily, I just want you to show that it's you who are furthering the world. If others see that they will grow curious, 'what could I do to advance the world?'"

"I see. It's simple and fits into my own plans of giving technology. So there is no problem with me, and it will give me the advantage in negotiations."

"Mhm, from what I had seen it didn't seem to be something that would negatively affect you. As the Count of Food was about to make you a noble anyways I saw no issue with it. I just wish I could have seen his face when he read the Commendation, I heard it was quite a scene."

"That's one way to put it, it's not often a Lord has lands removed from him during a naming ceremony. Much less a Duke named." Claire finally piped in. Her concentration on the seventy five mile per hour rubber ball finally breaking, allowing it to smash into a nearby bookshelf. She seemed to brush off the damage and continued talking. "It was very funny, I enjoyed the joke sire."

"Finally someone around who understand my sense of humor. But you really don't need to call me sire, If anything you have the higher position here." He laughed then pointed at the tan skinned girl who was gasping along with me at the damaged books. "That one never gets my jokes so it's nice to have someone with a sense of humor in the family."

"She did seem a little dry." Claire says rubbing her cheeks lightly. I wonder if she knew she was referring to his daughter or if she just didn't care.

"That's what I always say. Hear that Aeri? A king's daughter should understand jokes!"

With those words Claire's eyes got big and she turned slightly red thinking of some of the tales she had regaled the curious young girl with.

From there our positions changed. I entertained young Aeri, who peered at me with rosy cheeks, while Claire exchanged comedy tips with the King or something like that. I wasn't paying much attention to their talk, holding onto a rubber ball with aura took more concentration than I expected.

Time passed and we all prepared to leave the chamber and enter the adjacent 'fake chamber' for the induction ceremony. It was called 'fake' but it was apparently fancier and kinglier than this one. I suppose that's why it was called fake. It entirely didn't fit this unkingly king.

Or so I thought until he arrived wearing bright purple robes. It was a king's color here as well then.

I had heard the only reason it was considered a noble color on Earth was because the material needed for purple dye was rare. I wonder if that was the case here.

But it suited him. Earlier I thought he wasn't much of a king, now I don't know how I could have thought that.

He carried himself with great dignity, barely resting a moment to let the drape from his back fall to the ground. With a nod Aeri opened a Void on a blank spot on the left wall and we entered the the 'fake chamber' where the nobles and a few Lords were waiting.

I was worried we would just stumble into the room but the castle design had the power in mind and a small room was between the fake and real King's Chambers.

The Gala after the ceremony was uneventful. I settled a few debates the Lords had about the canal, it seemed they had heard about the construction.

Just how many spies are there?

Or perhaps it's just a few business conscious spies. If that's the case I would be interested in hiring them. Nobody can spin a story like a spy. At Least that was the case in America.

The Landlords didn't trust that money would come from such an expensive undertaking. I explained that it would likely take each of their district's farmers only a few months to complete the work, but they claimed that would be a 'huge expenditure' based on the daily salary of a farmer.

The most difficult part would be completed on our side of the project, we would have to install the massive lock, so I don't know what they were complaining about. Are they aware that a project like this on Earth would take a decade, and here we could likely have it done before the next summer. These people don't realize how lucky they are. I will happily hold the numbers in front of their face next year when the Lords Summit comes around.

I truly looked forward to the day. I even put my money where my mouth is.