Chapter 12

* * *

A huge white platform, richly decorated with scarlet escapes of embossed designs on the sides, floated above the rippling sea of people like a ship. Large flags with a red griffin at their center hovered over the platform, further enhancing the resemblance to the ship by resembling snow-white sails. All around, except for the narrow strip over which the platforms flew, the crowd raged. The people filled the entire avenue and the surrounding streets, as well as the accessible balconies and rooftops, shouting, waving flags, and throwing ribbons of color toward the platforms, which fell in a bright arc to the pavement. The snowfall was slowing down as it overcame the protective field covering the platforms, making clouds float in the air.

The platform - a hundred meters long and shaped like a huge boat with low sides - could comfortably accommodate five hundred people if not a thousand. Alex stood alone in the middle of the gigantic structure, and he was uncomfortable, to say the least.

Well, OK, not alone, but with Taer, but that doesn't make it any easier!

The "specialist" stood to the right like a statue - not moving or blinking. And Alex could more than understand it - while the other platforms held several hundred nobles each, cheerfully waving back at the crowds and scattering small orbs from the platforms in the air in a shower of colorful sparks, the lone Lord Cassard and his guardsman got a disproportionate amount of attention, making him feel like a rare animal in a zoo on Open Door Day.

Before the festivities began, Taer had explained this strange isolation by the simple fact that the platforms represented domains, and the nobles on them were arranged by clan. And at the moment, Lord Allesandro Cassard is the only representative of both the family and the domain of Cassard.

Yep... Cassard is a rare, endangered species of the lord. No hand-feeding! Alex grinned grimly. At this rate, I hope we don't become extinct...

The other platforms were packed with nobles, except for one... There was a tall, lonely girl with short platinum hair and skin the color of bronze. Accompanying her were two enigmatic beasts in ceremonial robes. The two were far away, though, and Alex could not see all the details.

Waves of flashes and flying flags with house emblems constantly swept through the sea of people around them. The shouts of greeting from the crowd were a joyous roar in which no words were intelligible, Lord Cassard waving and smiling in response as the festive ceremonial events were well into their third hour and in full swing. They had already had time to take part in the laying of "wreaths of remembrance", which looked like throwing huge wreaths from the bridge into the water. The floral waterfall, illuminated by the setting sun, was mesmerizing in its beauty, but the sizzling heat spoiled the whole experience.

Then they piled onto the platforms and leisurely headed towards the complex where the rest of the official part... and the unofficial party was to take place. The air conditioning on the platforms was working, and Alex took a little breather. But the platforms were moving slowly - standing, smiling, and waving were tiring, and he also wanted to go to the bathroom. And while the other nobles could take turns resting on the small lower deck, hidden from the eyes of observers for Lord Cassard this option was out of the question.

To hell with these representative functions, this "Unification" celebration, and Anzati Ritero and Baron Kouifi and their idea of increased publicity as a means of winning a case in court

From the look in Taer's eyes, she had about the same opinion of what was going on.

It's idiotic, Alex continued to get angry. A celebration of some freak conquering everyone three thousand years ago. He gave them a lot of... brain fixes - they're still celebrating!

Almost without moving his lips, he asked aloud: "Taer, why is everyone so happy about the fact that they have been conquered by Emperor Tail?"

"He united the Sector, ending the feud between the kingdoms by making it one," she whispered back.

"What good was Fyron in this? An independent kingdom became a noble house within the Empire. What's to be happy about?"

"As part of the Empire, House Fyron increased its territory considerably and the nobility was protected by the Emperor from the arbitrary rule of kings and ruling lords," Taer was clearly quoting from some textbook.

That's even how - that is, the nobility en masse were happy to be conquered. That's nonsense! Although it may not be nonsense if they did not suffer property damage and the "oppressive top brass" were dealt with.

Judging by the speed, the rest of the journey will take about half an hour at the platform.

Yeah, another half an hour and we'll have to polite the "bride". What the hell is this: some want to kill him, some want to marry him and threaten to do so, some want to sue him, some want to rob a stunned man and then offer him friendship... well, and Baroness Rionale, who also wants something.

Alex sighed heavily and remembered his conversation with Countess Durlurl, who had informed him that he now definitely had a bride. And, as they say, nothing seemed to foretell trouble...

The awakening came much earlier than planned and not in the most pleasant way. An eerie rumbling and crackling sound broke into the bedroom, despite the light protective field that covered the windows. As Alex, mentally chastising himself for his excessive curiosity and reminding himself of the fate of one cat, approached the window, he was presented with a picturesque scene.

A silver flyer of an unfamiliar model was hovering beside a huge fallen tree that used to be part of the alley leading to the castle. Some men in white uniforms were standing beside the car, apparently inspecting it. The central part of the tree, which must have had three arms around it, was torn into splinters. The culprit of the collision, however, looked undamaged, as far as Alex could see.

"What's going on in there?" Alex got to the comm and summoned Taer.

While flying the new flyers at a low altitude, one of the pilots lost control. A three-hundred-year-old reswell was damaged. I don't think the tree can be repaired. The machine is intact," the specialist's voice was hoarse and tired.

Bloody flyers. Woke me up, you bastards! Alex just hated being woken up. Especially if he'd been awake for a long time. "Okay, I'll be right down," he added out loud and went to get dressed.

His head was pounding from lack of sleep, so Alex, munching on three capsules of Fenote, perked up, and went to see the hero pilots.

Shit! I wish they'd give me a scooter. Or is that instead of a morning jog for the tonus? He thought wearily outside the porch. The enormous size of the castle was beginning to get a little tense.

He was met by a perfect line of people standing at attention on the castle grounds. Four lads, one of whom stood out for his giant proportions, and a pretty girl, a little shorter than Taer and much frailer. As Alex approached, Taer, standing first in the line, shouted "'At attention!" which caused the rest of the brethren to turn their heads in sync, and mutter something like "Ready to serve Your Lordship!". Alex was surprised at the manner of the "salute" - two fingers to the temple instead of an open palm - but the "security specialist", meanwhile, marched to the "lord" and, stretching out in front of him, reported:

"My lord, the reinforcements for the inspection have been lined up!"

She seems to have misinterpreted my "I'll be down to see you," thinking I was going to give the troops an inspection, thought the "my lord," a little embarrassed by the reception. However, judging by her grey face and red eyes, Taer was now in a rare alternate state of mind, brought on by lack of sleep and nerves - so she could draw more original conclusions.

"At ease, guardsman! Let's look around while you're in line," Alex commanded, adding in a barely audible whisper. "By the way, how do I address you in public?"

"Out of the ranks one at a time!" Taer shouted and then answered in the same whisper. "Guardsman, Or "Sain lieutenant." Or Sword."

"Master Pilot of the Guards, Ittori Lieutenant Pakrat Mithut!" The blond-haired guy, a little shorter than Alex, with green eyes, who stood first, stepped forward.

"Master Pilot of the Guards, Ittori Lieutenant Rokot Vodin!" The co-pilot, a blond brown-haired man with fine features and the appearance of a poet, was even shorter than the first and somewhat more subtle in build than Alex had expected from a pilot. Although with these compensators, maybe they don't care about physical attributes at all, as long as they're able to react.

"Master Pilot of the Guards Ittori Cadet Ogerd Wispart!" If the first two pilots were about Alex's age or a little older, this one was at most twenty. Blond like the first pilot, he was short and gaunt but wiry as hell. He radiated activity and energy.

"Master Operator "Lance" Dudo Guwar!" a man of heroic proportions stepped forward. At first glance, he looked about thirty, and his physique and general appearance were worthy of an action movie hero. He remembered from Taer's lengthy explanations that the lances'' were some sort of hacker. Lance... weird, atypical guy. Alex imagined hackers in a very different way, and the "keyboard and mouse" fighters he'd met in person weren't usually known for the bulk of their muscles. And judging by the calluses on his knuckles, he didn't work out in the gym. He mentally shrugged and turned his attention to the girl.

"Master operator of the field Rima Talariv!" A graceful girl with dark brown hair, a sensuous mouth, brown eyes accentuated by thick eyelashes of mind-blowing length, and charming dimples on her cheeks that appeared while smiling, like now for example. And judging by the way her tunic is tattered - with a great figure! Alex admired the 'master field operator' for a while, but unfortunately, the pause was dragging on, and to keep his attention from escalating beyond decorum, he took a couple of steps back and glanced around the entire formation.

Yep, just like an Olympic reserve! The snow-white uniform with a red floral pattern on the right side that covered part of the sleeve was remotely similar to that of the Russian Olympic team.

"At ease, eagles! What's wrong with the tree?"

"This is my fault, Your Lordship!" The energetic voice of Ittori Cadet Ogerd came out. "I had suggested an alley race to practice ultra-low altitude flying and to get to know the machines better. But, unfortunately, the inertia of the flier was unusually high, and I lost control in a turn," the pilot stopped and looked cheerfully at Alex, like oh, come on, it's nothing.

They're not afraid of the bosses, the bastards, they break three-hundred-year-old trees and don't give a damn! I wonder if they're all like that, or if Taer has recruited the craziest of them.

"All right," Alex sighed. "Keep practicing your ultra-low flying, but if you crack any more, I'll take it out of your pay. Dismissed!"

The troops hastily retreated out of sight of their superiors, the pilots ran to their machines, and the two master operators headed for the castle, followed by Taer...

"And you, Sain Lieutenant Diltar, I'm going to ask... to stay," Alex grinned. He waited until Taer came closer and asked with an air of concern in his voice:

"What, you haven't slept at all?"

"I slept!" the 'specialist' answered defiantly but, with a sigh, admitted it. "An hour and a half."

Alex took a jar of Fenote from his pocket and poured six capsules into the palm of his hand:

"Take it. You're scary to look at.. Eyes like a mad herring."

"Would it help?" Taer hesitated. "My memory is fine."

Alex dropped the capsules onto her palm:

"Chew it! We still have the Unification party ahead."

She looked doubtfully at the blue pills in the palm of her hand and, with a sigh, sent them into her mouth.

After a few minutes, her cheeks flushed, and her gaze became more meaningful.

"There were no less adventurous ones out there, were there?" Alex nodded at the flyers that were bobbing wildly around the alleyways, picking up tattered leaves and small branches.

"The less adventurous don't go to the Stormtroopers," Taer shrugged. "And they don't teach the rest of them to fly low, and we all get screwed up," she nodded toward the fallen tree.

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Well, you know best. Have all the preparations for attending the celebrations been completed?"

"Yeah, we're all set. In the remaining four hours, we'll change the power units on the flyers, have breakfast, and then we can move out."

* * *

Baroness Rionale also joined us for breakfast. As usual, fresh, smiling, and charming. She complained that she couldn't decide on a dress for the ball, which would take place after the official events were over. She asked for help in this difficult matter, looking at Alex with a hint. He did not refuse, so he spent the remaining two hours before departure in a very entertaining way.

Yeah, it certainly wasn't going to happen without my help! He thought, slowly unbuttoning Kayrin's dress. With each clasp, the Baroness's perfect back exposed more and more, the clasps going almost to her... buttocks, causing his head to think, I wonder if she chose this style on purpose?

The help in choosing a dress looked like this: the Baroness would come out half undressed, and Alex would help her put the dress on, after which she would parade the new dress around the room, listening to the raptures. Afterward, with a charming smile, she suggested putting it off and trying something more original. Alex, of course, agreed with her, helped her undo the "most insidious" clasps, and - everything was repeated. Through this simple process, Kayrin managed to demonstrate all the advantages of her figure both visually and tactilely, making an indelible impression. Which, by all appearances, was what she was trying to achieve. But all pleasant things must come to an end, and with a cautious knock, Taer looked into the room:

"The flyers are ready. We need to leave in thirty minutes."

"Thank you, Taer, we'll be right down," the Baroness replied ahead of Alex.

After changing into the costume Barra and Taer had selected beforehand and tying a red neckerchief with the help of the "specialist", Alex went to the site, where three fliers were already waiting for them.

The vehicles were hurtling a few meters above the ground, trees, and houses flashing through the window. At first, Alex was sure they were going to crash into something - obstacles were flying dangerously close to the fliers - but the pilots seemed to know their job. At least they made it to the start of the festivities without incident.

They were met on the spot by a dozen anxious stewards who were in charge of manning the platforms. As Alex now realized, those guys in charge of his platform were freeloaders - the rest had several hundred nobles to pack with merit and titles, and in the case of Lord Cassard, the panic on their faces was unnecessary.

Although maybe they were afraid I wouldn't come and the platform would be left empty?

Baroness Rionale and the stewards went in search of her kin - they belonged to a different domain, so she had to travel on a different platform. Having already arranged to meet Kayrin at the ball, Alex realized he had made a mistake.

Where was your head - the contacts from the "well-wishers" will come to you at the ball too! How will you get rid of the Baroness?

Mentally berating himself for his excessive preoccupation with female charms, Alex, accompanied by Taer and the stewards, made his way to his platform.

They were already waiting there. A short, or rather petite, girl in her twenties, gray-eyed with a hint of green, her coal-black hair pulled up into a long ponytail with a gold fishtail. A dark blue dress with open shoulders and a skirt that flared downward, ending just below the knee. Her shoes, with their incredible heels, made her look a little taller, but she was still barely over Alex's shoulder. Behind her were two young men of the most determined appearance, dressed in dark scarlet, almost purple, uniforms with a high, standing collar. Their right shoulders were covered by black leather capes with a griffin pattern.

That was also the attire of the dandy who had flown in for the baroness from the Representation, so these two were the guards of the House of Fyron...

When she saw them approach, the girl smiled dazzlingly and went to meet them:

"Lord Cassard! You have no idea how glad I am to see you! I was afraid you weren't coming..." she paused, eyeing Alex curiously, seeing that he didn't recognize her, and glancing expressively at the "security specialist". "Don't be silent, Taer! Introduce me!"

"Daim Esta, Countess Durlurl Ergo Ca..." began Taer, but the Countess interrupted:

"Why all these titles," the Countess looked reproachfully at the "specialist" who froze like a rabbit in front of a boa constrictor. "We're having a friendly meeting," she smiled dazzlingly again and, with a wink, took Alex under her arm.

"By the way, Taer, my dear, I suppose you want to check out the platform before Lord Cassard climbs it? We're going to take a walk. You can trust me to guard his lordship..." Esta nearly sang the last words as she led "Lord Cassard" away.

"Of course, your ladyship," a pale Taer whispered.

"The view of the city from the cliff is spectacular, and I bet you've forgotten it, too. You'd be foolish not to take advantage of it," the Countess told Alex, a little taken aback by the display of power.

Weird - it looks like my brave guard is afraid of this brat!

Alex looked at the Countess in surprise - nothing was intimidating about her. A very pretty and graceful girl, beautiful, if you like inch-long girls. In the meantime, the Countess was chatting away:

"Actually, my name is Estal," she said with a smile. "But Estal Durlurl is kind of silly. Doesn't it? So I prefer to be called Esta - although it's simpler, it sounds nicer and cozier."

Alex remained silent, not knowing what to reply, but the Countess was not satisfied with that:

"Well, why don't you say something, Lord! Well, say a word to your old friend!"

"Were we friends?" Alex asked cautiously.

"And very close..." she murmured in his ear, her hot breath on the side of his neck.

Alex took a new look at the girl, falsely lingering his gaze on her distinctive roundness.

So, that was who Lord Cassard was spending his evenings with, and that she was very much... It was only strange that she had shown up so late. Or maybe it's some old relationship that's grown into a friendship? His thoughts were interrupted by a peal of laughter:

"Ay-yi-yi, your lordship," she wagged her finger at him playfully. "I know what you're thinking!"

"Lordship" wanted to make excuses, but decided it would look silly, so he preferred to change the subject:

"Why "your lordship" if we're old friends?"

"Indeed! To hell with these formalities between old friends! I'll just get rid of my dummies, and we'll talk like humans," she turned to the guardsmen, who had followed the Countess at all times:

"Leave us the orber and go and help Taer or something..."

"Yes, Your Ladyship!" With these words, one of the guardsmen removed something from his belt that Alex first mistook for a grenade and threw it in the direction of the Countess.

A small ball the size of an orange hovered at the top of the trajectory and began circling Alex and Countess Durlurl, humming softly. The guardsmen turned around in unison and walked quickly towards the platform.

He and the Countess, accompanied by the strange balloon, moved a hundred meters away from the platforms and stopped at a low stone railing.

There was a cliff beyond the railing - it looked like the 'gathering place' was set on top of a small mountain or a large hill. There was a city below, and the view was magnificent.

"Very pretty indeed," Alex appraised the view.

"I'm glad you liked it," the Countess smiled sweetly. "Alex... or should I say Alessie?"

"Alex is better."

"You know, I have amazing news for you!" She announced happily. "I found you a bride!"

"And who is that?" Alex asked cautiously.

"Valerie Bellar!" The Countess solemnly declared.

OK, I've heard that name before. What a terrific arrangement for political gain on the one hand and financial gain on the other... but where my interest lies are unclear.

"The Ruling Lady of House Bentar?" he cautiously clarified.

"Well, who else? She is! Clever, beautiful, and a very positive girl! We've already arranged everything - all the political niceties have been taken care of, just the formal details: publicity of your hopeless love affair, the engagement, and the wedding! So let me congratulate you in advance..."

Alex interrupted the rowdy countess - marriage was not part of his immediate plans:

"Don't you think, Esta, that's a bit too fast?"

"Why is it fast?" The countess was surprised. "You've forgotten all about it - we've been discussing the matter for over a hundred days, and we've finally come to an agreement with Bentar!"

"No, I mean the wedding. Isn't it a little early for me? And then - my reputation - what did Valerie think of that?" Alex went about his favorite business, one at which he was practically a pro - bullshitting.

"Why is it early? You're twenty-four, soon to be twenty-five - it's time to get married! And as for your reputation... well, that's ridiculous! Who hasn't made a mistake when they were young? That's what youth is all about. And, of course, Valerie, being a clever girl, understands that very well!"

It was worth admitting that Countess Durlurll dismissed the first batch of excuses with aristocratic carelessness.

"Honestly, Esta," Alex continued to fight back. "I don't see the point of marrying Valerie Bellar. I think it would only bring complications"

"Well, that's no way to treat your friends," the Countess pouted. "We've tried, we've made arrangements, we've found you a bride. And what a bride! A Ruling Lady! And you refuse!" She turned to Alex, gazing intently into his eyes. "Look, isn't it possible that the rumors of mild insanity are true? Who in their right mind would refuse such a bride?"

"Let's be serious - I see no reason to marry anyone. Especially Valerie Bellar."

"Ew, so boring!" She wrinkled her nose, and then her tone turned cold, and her gaze became prickly:

"Well, seriously so, Lord Cassard. You seem to have forgotten our deal - that's forgivable, but I'll remind you of the generalities," she poked a sharp fingernail into his chest. "You - marry Valerie Bellar. I'm keeping you out of trouble."

These must be the 'persuasive people who will persuade you until they persuade you' Taer was talking about, Alex knew he was being threatened, but he wasn't scared. He had doubts at all that Countess Durlurll was capable of frightening anyone.

"What kind of trouble are you protecting me from?" With the utmost courtesy in his voice, he asked.

"First, from yourself!" Esta smiled predatorily. "Secondly, from the wrath of the Ruling Lord..."

"And what kind of trouble could the wrath of the Ruling Lord and you cause me?" Alex asked innocently, slowly beginning to get annoyed.

From what he had read in Taer's notes, it was quite clear that the Ruling Lord had no direct influence over him at all. And if he did, he could appeal to the Emperor, who, for some reason, was not very fond of House Fyron's Ruling Lord.

"Don't try to make me angry!" hissed the Countess. "First of all, you will be in trouble for the fact that I know your TRUE nature..."

Alex's eyes widened involuntarily and an unpleasant chill ran down his spine: Does she really know who I am?

Daim Esta, pleased with the effect she had produced, continued:

"You must have forgotten it, but I know who you are. And I think you understand, Lord Cassard, that neither the Ruling Lord nor the House Intelligence would allow an Adept to appear in the Council of Privy," she smiled again. The smile, however, came out ominously. "And then, I can always take a hint about your nature of the Imperial Inquisition. Yes, you've successfully fooled them all these years, but mostly because you've never been tested hard enough. But if that's not enough either," she squinted her eyes angrily. "Believe me. I will devote all my intelligence resources to protecting House Fyron from you."

What is the adept? Or is that what they call transferees? The Countess was convinced that she knew some secret about him and that this secret was fraught with consequences, but Alex was certain that he was no "adept."

What if, adept, the gentlemen inquisitors take you by the gills and throw you on the bonfire? Or what do they have instead?

Looking at Alex, who was frantically trying to figure out exactly what exactly his terrible truth was, Daim Esta decided that the enemy was defeated and swapped the stick for the carrot:

"So let's not talk in threatening language," she took his hand, her voice warming. "I don't want the only line of psions in our House interrupted, but I can't have an Adept on the Privy Council, either. I had great respect for your father. He was a truly great man and did so much for the House. I wouldn't want his only son to die. So let's do as we agreed: you marry Valerie Bellar, and I cover your back. And believe me, in a situation like this, I'll be your most loyal and trustworthy friend."

The Countess looked intently into Alex's eyes and asked: "Are we agreed?"

Alex remained outwardly calm and even smiled, but inside, anger was already rising and boiling - he hated being pushed around and bossed around.

I've spent half my fucking life making sure no bitch decides anything for me! And now some little brat's gonna decide who I marry and who I don't!?

So at first, he was going to say something like, What do you think, Countess, what would happen to me if I just tripped and fell on you and carelessly broke your arm?

But fortunately, a timely wakened prudence reminded him that someone was already trying to kill him and there was no need to increase the number of people wishing him dead. He exhaled, gradually calming down: They won't marry me right now anyway, and then I'll see if I'm Adept or not, what that means for me, and how to deal with those who are displeased by that fact.

"It's a deal!" Alex replied as firmly as possible.

"That's great!" Daim Esta blossomed. "Then, after the formal part, we'll arrange a couple of recordings for the Holo-V. Well, you can dance together..."

"I can't dance."

"It's strange. You used to be so good at it. Well, then, just hold hands and sigh languidly," the Countess didn't seem at all embarrassed by the refusals. She took him by the elbow and led him toward the platforms:

"I don't understand your refusal at all, I swear to Ryan. With your abilities, you'd be, actually, the Ruling Lord of House Bentar. Wouldn't that be a splendid prospect?"

Truly splendid. For you. Not only do you get political dividends from House Bentar, but you also get rid of the "adept", whatever that means, by slipping him to others. With the prospect of that Adept running the place, you can easily control him by blackmailing him with the fact that you know who he really is. Win-win diplomacy - getting everything without giving anything away.

Approaching the platforms, Daim Esta deftly caught the balloon that was flying around them and must have turned it off because the metal orange stopped humming and flashing lights and went silent in her hands.

"Well, have a nice holiday Alex!" She practically jumped up and kissed him on the cheek. "Don't forget - I'll be expecting you after the formal part."

As Countess Durlurlle and the guardsmen who accompanied her departed, Alex climbed up onto the platform to Taer and, trying to look as natural as possible, inquired:

"What does Countess Durlurl do?"

"She is the Ergo-Captain of House Fyron's Intelligence," she replied with a shrug.

"Is the Ergo-Captain the highest rank?"

"Yes," Taer nodded.

"So Countess Durlurl is in charge of intelligence..." Alex bit his fingernail thoughtfully but remembered that he was a lord after all and could be seen. He hastily withdrew his hand:

"Yes, that's what I expected. Why are you afraid of her?" he asked Taer.

"I'm not..." she began but stopped and sighed heavily. "I don't know why," she seemed very uncomfortable with that fact. "She was my boss, and..."

Wow! So Taer is the Countess's man. Yes... I might be cut off by my security if I go against party policy.

"But isn't your boss different now?" Alex threw in a test bite.

"Yes, of course, Your Lordship, I am in your Arm, and technically we have almost equal status with the Countess, but... I don't know," the "security specialist" was clearly weary of this conversation and hurried to change the subject:

"What did she talk to you about?"

"She made me an offer I couldn't refuse," Alex replied with regret in his voice. "And let's not have any titles. I thought we had a deal, and there's no one around."

Meanwhile, the stewards once again ran up to them, asking if everything was all right, and warning them that the platforms would soon be heading out for the Memorial Wreath Laying.

Then there was a flower waterfall and scorching sun, and after that, it was off to the complex where the rest of the ceremonies were to take place. As Alex found out, they were not going anywhere but to the very real palace of Emperor Tail, built during his reign.

The huge dome of the palace and the giant wings were getting closer... The building was huge, but probably no bigger than his castle and - definitely lower.

Although maybe my castle is abnormally large?

The platforms slowed down and, after circling the vast square in front of the palace, came to a standstill at the front door.

Well, one last dose of formalities, then a chat with the bride, then with the "well-wishers", and then with Baroness Rionale. Yeah, I've got a busy schedule! Alex grinned grimly at his thoughts and stepped off the platform, taking the first step up the wide stairs leading to the palace.

* * *