Ivendir sat on the armchair, staring sleepily at the LiqWatch on the table. He wanted to go to sleep earlier today, but the feeling of approaching danger didn't let him get a wink of sleep. Thelrim informed him about a meeting with an old friend, but he didn't give any specific hour of return. That made Ivendir uneasy. His enemies could use this time to creep into his chamber. Two conflicting thoughts loomed over him: the loneliness, because his best guard was at the meeting, and the feeling of being observed even though the dark blue curtains covered the window.

He shook his head and rested his cheek on his hand. He told himself that he exaggerated the danger. It was just a useless feeling, mere remains of his old accidents, a primal, animalistic instinct. Almost all Celestian children fear the darkness but almost none of them get devoured by some beast with ten eyes and razor-sharp teeth. Irrational or not, the fear still remained in him.

A loud beep made him narrow his eyes and clench his teeth.

"Huh?" he muttered, slowly moving his ears up and down to get rid of the dull buzzing. He tapped the acceptance icon on the LiqWatch.

"I'm back, Your Highness," said Thelrim.

Ivendir exhaled slowly and the tension left his muscles. He scolded himself for bringing up the unsettling memories again. Everything was in order, but he couldn't prevent himself from imagining scary and dangerous, but also ridiculous scenarios. Somehow, a band of assassins didn't charge into his room, his pillow didn't explode and his castle wasn't struck from the air.

"Understood," he said and turned the device off.

He headed towards his bed when a little thought appeared in his mind. What if...

Ivendir narrowed his eyebrows and sighed with annoyance. He approached the window. Slightly drawing the curtain aside, he peeked through the window. The dark silhouettes of hills and mountains shaded the red horizon. Cities in the valleys brightened the slopes with a golden glow. Only a few birds flew over the castle, seeking shelter in the roof gardens.

Everything is safe, thought Ivendir.

He walked away and crouched next to his bed. He slipped his hand under the mattress. Lifting the pillow, he added, Everything in the right place.

A feeble smile appeared on his lips. He stood up, giving the room one more glance, and lied on the bed. Soft, blue sheets wrinkled under his body and his maroon hair surrounded his head like a short veil.

I guess I'm safe too... he told himself, gazing at the ceiling and listening to his own heartbeat.

In the late morning one of the market squares was less crowded. The majority of citizens went to work and only a few Celestians stood in queues to the market stands. The smell of fresh baked bread and grilled meat mixed with soft scents of fruits and flowers scented the air. Two and three story tall tenement houses surrounded the square and a wide, thick tree in the corner cast shadow on two Celestians sitting on a bench in civilian clothes.

"It's pretty quiet, don't you think?" asked Andvari as if he was talking to himself. He spun the leaf in his fingers, watching how the sky reflects in the drops of dew. The Evergreen Trees rarely lose their leaves, so Andvari played eagerly with his finding, paying attention to all its details.

Erilaz stretched on the bench, placing his hands behind his head. He looked up at the blue sky covered with the tree branches. The chilly air filled with pleasant smells let him breathe deeply and relax his body. His grief seemed to die down and he was better able to concentration due to all of the sleep he’d gotten. The dark circles under his eyes disappeared completely, and his hair shone like golden silk.

He glanced at Andvari inquiringly. "Is that a bad thing?"

"No, it's good to be free from all those responsibilities," responded Andvari and stopped spinning the leaf, "it just feels... weird."

Erilaz sighed. "Don't get paranoid. Enjoy this peace before Ivendir comes up with something new."

Andvari only twisted the corner of his mouth. The stressful time ended but his vigilance and unrest remained. Every Vardir was taught to remain alert and being in a state of absolute relaxation was considered reckless.

He rested his cheek on his fist. "Hm," he mumbled and examined the leaf from the leafstalk to the tip, "look at this perfection. The Evergreen Tree." He raised the leaf on the line of sight. "As the name says, it never loses its leaves. And it can grow on bare rock or even on ice sheet." He turned the leaf to the other side. "The symbol we bear, the roots on the ice crystal... our ancestors had a brilliant idea with that. See, it's big, old, almost immortal..."

"Andvari," said Erilaz, trying to get his attention.

"...just like Helvetto."

"Andvari!" called Erilaz once again.

Andvari glanced behind the leaf. Bjarni Arnorsson stood a few steps away, resting his hand on his hip. He wore a graphite knee-length coat and his favourite dark blue fingerless gloves. His purple mohawk was outspread like an old brush and his eyes expressed an extreme grudge and annoyance.

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"Morning, Commander Bjarni!" called Andvari and dropped the leaf.

"I'm glad you didn't say Good Morning, Vardir," muttered Arnorsson, clambering on a thick root of the tree.

Andvari raised his eyebrow and his silver, spiky piercings flickered. "Is that a bad morning?"

"What happened," asked Erilaz with a curious but troubled expression.

Arnorsson settled back on the root and began, "I went outside the castle to buy some liquor. That good one, from Voryva." He sighed and rolled his eyes. "Because the attendants have no damn clue about good drinks." He showed two fingers. "Then I was coming back and on my way I saw two guys fighting. That's not very common in the workday mornings. Anyways, they were yelling at each other, then they started throwing things." He stuck out his chest and proudly pointed at himself. "So I, the law keeper and a good example for the citizens, approached them and said..."

Spreading his coat, he exposed a large wet stain on his shirt and snarled, "or, more like, tried to say, because one of those scums threw an empty bottle at me!" Clenching his fists, he added in a heartbroken manner, "And smashed my last bottle of Basilisk Tears!"

"Criminals..." hissed Andvari, while Erilaz only looked at his companion with an unimpressed expression.

"And it gets worse," continued Arnorsson, raising his hand. "Do you know why they fought?"

Erilaz pursed his lips in deep thought and Andvari muttered, "They..."

"The first one accused the second one of a swindle, and the second one said it's not his fault," chattered Arnorsson, "because he had no idea that taxes increased this night."

"How much?" asked Andvari.

Arnorsson leant towards him, speaking quietly, "Enough to make a mess in the banking system."

After long moments of silence, Erilaz spoke up, "We all had enough money for everything, and the world prospered. Schools, hospitals..." He shook his head. "I don't get it."

For the last few minutes, he was carefully rethinking Arnorsson's words. The king's move seemed illogical to him but he explained to himself that Ivendir may plan a big, secret investment that will help Helvetto and its citizens. Sometimes even Vardir weren't allowed to know about the most secret plans.

Arnorsson lowered his gaze. His voice became suspicious. "I get the feeling that it's just the beginning of... something."

Andvari leant towards him, tensing his hands and gripping the edge of the seat. "A big revolution? A civil war? Or even..."

"Nah, I guess he's just greedy," mumbled Arnorsson, waving his hand carelessly. "...like a golden fork or a sapphire cup weren't enough."

Andvari lowered his eyebrows, glancing at Erilaz. "He was always so nice and big-hearted in front of King Brymir."

"And he always said how he's going to bring justice and well-being..." added Erilaz half-heartedly.

"Hm..." Arnorsson glanced down with a poorly hidden smile. "I wish we had someone else to guide us," he recited in a whisper.

Erilaz and Andvari looked at him with unwillingness as if they just heard a cheesy, unfunny joke.

Arnorsson reached his hand. "No, no, it's not what you think. I meant some kind of leader in a more..." He narrowed his eyebrows and lowered his voice again, "... spiritual or philosophical way."

He wiped his forehead and closed his eyes. "Sorry, I'm tired. I had a... hard night," he explained, recalling his last discussion with Captain Ermdahr.

Erilaz looked at him, a bit worried by his weariness. "Commander Bjarni, if something is going on, tell us."

"No." Arnorsson leered at Vardir as if he heard a biting remark. "Or at least, not here."

"Where?" Andvari demanded an explanation. "We need to know if we should be cautious."

Arnorsson sighed and looked away. "That sounded worse than it should..." He leant towards the two Celestians and said in a low voice, "I recently deepened my knowledge about this famous conqueror."

Andvari winced. "What?"

"Which one?" asked Erilaz and a twinkle of unstoppable curiosity flickered in his eyes.

"The Chromed Emperor," responded Arnorsson, trying to hide excitation with all his might.

Closing his eyes with fatigue, Andvari moaned, "But he's on the other side of inhabited space..." At that moment a cold shudder of concern ran down his spine. He opened his eyes. "Is he dangerous to us?"

His words provoked new thoughts in Erilaz's mind. Inhabited space measured over one thousand lightyears and travelling across it took over three months. Not many individuals ventured further. The only things awaiting them were cold, empty space and dangerous radiation. Erilaz wondered why Arnorsson mentioned The Chromed Emperor since Helvetto and his tiny Empire had nothing to do with each other. Erilaz knew the Empire existed but he, just like other Helvettians, didn't care about it. He kept listening anyways.

"I don't think so,"responded Arnorsson. "But look at his leadership. He managed to unite a dozen different worlds, and we've known him for only seven years."

Andvari helplessly spread his arms. "That's interesting, but what should we do about it?"

"Study and learn." Arnorsson narrowed his blue eyes. "Others may sense our slip up." He lowered his voice. "I'm not trying to panic, I just want to be careful."

Erilaz reached his hand and spoke up again, "If we have, or are going to have a problem, we should be prepared."

"Oh, come on..." Arnorsson drew his coat aside and patted the gun on his belt. "Don't take that too seriously. Protecting everyone is my job, and I may get overprotective." He giggled quietly, covering himself with his coat again.

"We're Vardir," said Erilaz in a soft voice, scratching his chin, "if something goes wrong we should know it first."

"His greed." Arnorsson clapped his knee. "That's what’s going wrong right now." He flipped his leg through the root and stood up. "Take care," he added with a slight, comforting smile and walked away.

Erilaz sat in silence, pressing his fist to his lips. Andvari leant on the backrest and rested his hands on his stomach. Late mornings were his favourite time of the day. The streets weren't crowded anymore, but the market booths still sold some delicious and aromatic products. He slowly inhaled through his nose, relishing the smell of cookies with fruits of the forest. Andvari planned to buy them later, but he was in no hurry since only two Celestians waited in the queue.

He agreed with Erilaz. He should enjoy the peace. Erilaz's hunched, focused posture suddenly caught his attention.

"What?" asked Andvari, glancing at his friend.

"The Chromed Emperor," muttered Erilaz, glancing at the ground in concentration. "I heard about him." He raised the corner of his mouth a bit. "But I need to know more."

The tiny smile quickly disappeared from his mouth. His instincts spoke up again. The thought of Moryans, the mysterious Emperor or hordes of savages gave him a cold shiver. He fought his first serious battle just a dozen days ago and he was already sick of war and violence.

Erilaz narrowed his eyebrows and exhaled carefully, focusing on every muscle in his chest. He didn't want to recall these memories.

"Since that may save our world one day..." He stretched on the backrest, laying his head on his hands and observing the sky. "...from Moryans or anyone else."