“I’m sorry for the meek display I showed you all,” I said, wiping away my tears. “I’m to be your king one day and yet I make a fool of myself.”

“Be glad!” said Zhunil. “What are you moping for? We got business to attend!”

The darkness of the space was pushed away as flames were sent along the crevices of the many pillars. Each of the children handled a single pillar. Yet when it was lit, they could leave their position, for the pillar would hold and kindle their flames. The light of fire imbued the entire space in a warm glow.

I saw to the sides that, while the space was vast, I had overestimated its extents. There were large domes that covered the outer rim.

The boys and girls that stood on their podiums directing everyone came to us. The girl who had before denounced my actions said, “My name is Prati, she is Ruvai, and they are Asyan and Tushna. Come, we have much to discuss.”

I was brought to a dome with Zhunil and we seated ourselves on the floor. The interior was plain, and the walls rough. But the floor was smooth to sit. They gave me a cushion to seat myself while the rest stayed on the rock. I refused it not seeing a need, given I had seated myself on rather hard and uncomfortable ground before when training with Yurvaonri.

“So, what do you propose on doing, prince?” said Prati.

I explained to her what I had told Zhunil and spoke at length of my associations. When I finished I said, “I can ask Druzhat to put this in action, but it might be sometime before proper aid arrives. I won’t be able to oversee this until I return, for I have to attend a tournament in Yudhruman.”

“Oh! The centennial tourney!” she said. “I hear the tournament will put much to test, and give even the most hardened a taste toward death.” Something of which I didn’t need to be reminded. “I wish you luck. I suppose there is little way in us being able to deal with the ministers or officials ourselves.”

“My gratitude to you,” I said, “and yes, I don’t think they will take to having you approach yourselves, given that it seems most of you don’t fit in the four-fold hierarchy.”

They avoided my gaze for a moment after I spoke. It seemed they attributed some shame to their position. Where it was the case in my world that such people were made as outcasts because of having performed a series of detestable actions or being related to one who did so, these children seemed to exist outside that situation.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

I would hear little of the crimes folk committed in the city, only knowing that in the most egregious situation, they would either be cast in the wild or executed. The latter of which many were fearful. Not so much for the act itself, but what it would signal to the recipient; in most cases, whereto they might be spirited.

But though these children were treated alike to the outcast, they were given at least space to live and thrive in the few ways they had. The others would make their lives hard, that there was no doubt, yet they would never go so far as to cover these children in their malice. And I suppose, for the time, it was as much a blessing as they could receive.

I sighed, and they broke from their thoughts. “You’ll need to wait until I return for my plan to come to fruition. I hope that’s not a problem.”

They recovered themselves, and Asyan cleared his throat.

“Sorry for our hesitance,” he said. “It’s no problem to us. We’re confident the rations should be enough to hold us for at least a few months. Better than having to make a thief’s guild!”

I gave a sheepish laugh at that last remark. Things progressed smoothly between us as we laid the groundwork for distributing coin and food.

But Ruvai seemed hesitant to all of this. She was rather shy and soft-spoken, opposite to the meaning of her name: to roar. She said, “Do you think this will work? Won’t the ministers and officials give you trouble?”

Given how I wasn’t told much of the outside, it was a fair assumption—not that they knew—that I would have greater problems. But I said, “They could, but I trust Druzhat will handle this. He, at the very least, will listen to me. Besides, he’d probably think this a good exercise for me!”

She mulled over my words, and said, “Supposing you can’t count on your aids, what then?”

“Well, if for one reason or another that venture fails, I can always deliver it myself. Of course, you’ll need to wait until I return. I don’t mind if you need to steal to survive. Just be more discreet”

Their eyes widened in surprise.

“Won’t you have other duties to attend, my prince?” asked Tushna. “Surely those in the palace wouldn’t allow you to act as such.”

“As far as they know, I’m only going to the city to be with my friends,” I said. “Perhaps I’m tailed, perhaps I’m not, but I’m sure I’ll be able to get you the items you need one way or another. Or I could have my servants stockpile provisions toward the border from where you could collect them. There are many ways this can be handled. While my station wouldn’t necessarily allow me to do this, I trust things will fall to place.”

Ruvai smiled. “Then I have no more doubts.”

“Are there are any other concerns?” I asked.

They looked to each other and shook their heads.

“We’re satisfied,” said Tushna. “Pleasure doing business with you, Prince Yurva!”