It was now the end of Yarren, time for the Kings’ party. The Bloodwaves had asked the girls if they wanted to stay in their actual home over break. They did for a week, before they placed a door and left to spend time in the crater. Jensen had convinced them to visit in the summer after the party. Chloe had gone home to her rural house. The girls would be stopping by on their way through Lapis on their way to Pearl to place a door for her. The girls were now in the Bloodwave villa in the capital. This evening was the party. The sun stayed in the sky longer during these months so there would be more than enough light in the gardens.

“Did you arrange something with the king?” Auna was getting dressing in an open back light-yellow almost white dress. It had baby blue spots on it. She wore no shoes only a pretty ribbon in a bow on her ankle. She had become stubborn wanting to feel connected to the ground whenever possible. It was her fairy blood that compelled her.

“Why do you ask?” Marybeth was looking at the hair accessory Auna had pulled out to wear. It was the three bell one given to her when she snuck out with Jensen.

“You seem very calm. Will you put that bell ribbon in my hair please?”

“Sure, it feels like a skill stick though. But one that requires you to have a specific job.” Marybeth brushed Aunas’ hair. Her strains of magic coloured hair were becoming more plentiful. Making her black hair shimmer.

Once the ribbon was in Auna felt dizzy and warm. “I got skills.”

Auna showed her skills to Marybeth. She got Dream Weave that allowed her to enter other peoples’ dreams and could help her influence them. She got the Dream Dance skill as well it was a dance style that would lull people to sleep. The style was almost beamed into her head.

“I got a message that the skill moonwalk was already learned.”

“Three bells, three skills. Why did the bells not break?” Marybeth looked closely at the hair piece.

“The description says it is the three bells of the moon, it has been passed down from worshiper to worshiper since ancient times.” Auna thought she might need to ask the Gods about it.

“Some holy items can grant skills without breaking. I would keep it a secret, I will tell Edward at a later time privately. Girls you too keep it a secret. Only tell people you trust.”

The other two girls in the room nodded. Soon they were off to the party.

When they arrived Jensen and the Duke of Pearl were waiting by the entrance to the garden. Jensen was also not wearing any shoes. “Hey, my moon, the triplets are inside already.”

“Hi, I see you also are not wearing shoes.”

“What can I say we are similar.”

“Duke Pearl I feel your pain.” Marybeth said motioning to Aunas’ shoeless feet.

“Don’t struggle to much Duke Bloodwave fairy born really prefer to feel the ground beneath their feet. My wife is forever throwing her shoes away.” A loving smile appeared on his face at the mention of his wife.

“How is she doing? We see so little of her now a days.” Marybeth guided them further into the garden.

“She is well, she takes care of administrative tasks when I am out of the territory. Besides she doesn’t appreciate the stuffy customs of these parties.”

“And your boys do?” Edward asked pointing at all the fairy boys sitting in the tree near the centre of the garden.

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“No, but they are too much of a handful for my wife to care for while caring for our territory alone. I have enough trouble with then in relatively small environments such as these. Dear you should feel free to join them if you desire.” He motioned for Auna to join the boys.

“I’m not an animal, you can’t just tell me to go climb a tree with all do respect Duke Pearl.” Auna rolled her eyes. Even she knew better than to act a fool in the kings’ garden. Especially since she was a female, under the kings’ custody even if it was a technicality.

“Ah please don’t take offense. I fear raising boys has made me a bit bias in young behaviour of the fairy born.” He bowed slightly in apology.

“I understand. They are hard to deal with.” Auna was sympathetic after having dealt with them for five months.

“Welcome you must be the young fairy from the Jade family. Or should I say you use to be a part of the Jade family.” The king was dressed very expensively.

“I greet the king.” Auna curtsied appropriately, it also showed she had no shoes though.

“Everyone gather around.” The king declared leading Auna alone to the outdoor platform with a throne on it. He sat down while Auna stood to the side head bowed lowly.

“I wish to explain the situation. A, Jade was removed from her family a few years ago. The Bloodwaves decided to sponsor her for school. Which is fine they don’t need custody for that. This child got the highest grade in her year for the entrance test. Without the proper education our nobles get.”

“Now while in the academy here at the capital she gained a skill. A praying prophet skill. As much of you have probably heard already the church would like custody of her, and to analyse her jobs and skills. The issue is this child would rather not have them do that. She for whatever reason is very against being in their custody. She also would like her job to remain a secret for privacy reasons. She has let us see she does indeed have the praying prophet skill.”

“I currently have custody of this child. I have custody of all orphaned children in this kingdom. Usually, I do not have much interaction with them especially the smart ones like her. They don’t need my support; they just need a roof and food.”

“I am at a loss what to do, if the church wishes to take over responsibility, I should give them it right? What kind of example would that send to all the other orphans though? It would tell them I could and would give them to people they didn’t want to be with. That would make me look bad.”

The king paused his speech for a few minutes to drink water. The guests of the party were whispering about how the church was trying to make the king look bad. The church mother and her son looked a bit annoyed. Soon the king began to speak again.

“I have a solution though. She is only eight, her accomplishments are not that grand yet. So why should we give her such control?”

Auna moved her head slightly, she was feeling angry. Was this what the Bloodwaves had set up? Why were they so calm?

“My solution is to allow her the chance to grow. By the time she is sixteen she must be able to stand on her own two feet. She must have enough income to live as any adult would, and she must still be in school. If she can prove this, then I will allow her to be her own family line.”

“Her own line? Surely this must be a jest my king.” Regan Jade had a very red face.

“Calm yourself Lord Jade. I merely mean she may live as a solitary adult. I am not prepared to give her a noble title of her own. If she wishes for that she would have to earn it. I believe the task set before her is already very hard let’s not set a harder task for her so soon.”

“My king why the task at all? No sixteen-year-old is going to be able to live on their own without any help while also attending school full time.” The church mother was pleading, it was obvious she did not want to wait to find out Aunas’ details.

“If you believe that to be true you, a Godly woman, would have more than enough patience to wait until she has completed this trial. No?” The king reached out to Auna pulling her towards him to face him.

“Look me in the eye child.”

“Yes, my king.”

“Do you think you can earn at least seven platinum coins a year by the time you are sixteen? That is my stipulation. I think if you can be earning that amount by that time and prove it you are welcome to hold your own custody. If not, the church will gain custody of you, for ten years. It will be too late for you to marry or find a spouse by the time they no longer have custody. I will give them ten years because if they had you now, they would have custody for ten years. I don’t want anyone to feel slighted by this solution after all.”

“I can do it my king.”

“Everyone here come let us celebrate the end of spring. Now that we have come to a peaceful solution about this child, we should have no worries.” The king winked at Auna out of view of everyone because she was still in front of him. Then he gently got up patted her head and walked off the platform.

The rest of the garden party had some tension but was uneventful. The king had given her time. That was all she needed; she would use it to her advantage.