Jessamine had been right when she stated he would never wish to leave this place. The library offered a familiar warmth to Kaid, despite the familiar black accent of the interior. The wood was polished dark black, mirroring that of the walls and floors. It was massive. Hundreds upon hundreds of books were shelved here, Kaid couldn't believe that many existed in such a space. It would take years, perhaps even livelihoods to read every inch of this library.

Like any library, it was dead silent. There were numerous areas to sit, whether at a long table for discussion or one of the dark auburn sofas near the back beside the empty fireplace. Yet, not a soul was seen in this area. It was perfect solitude, an area Kaid already knew to hide and get himself lost in. Every person in Vitross needed somewhere to hide, a place to take a break and be their true selves. This library would do just perfect for Kaid.

Jessamine let him walk down every aisle with patience, explaining the primary genre of each shelf. She was very familiar with the library herself. Perhaps this was her place of solitude, or it used to be. Kaid was not one to judge but it seemed she was not an avid reader as of late, after all, she spent most of her day probably reading legislature, letters, or exhausting news of her kingdom. Her solace was found elsewhere if she was able to find such a rare thing.

"So this is mostly our scientific section, inventions of the past, present, or future. It's from here that Cadize's grandfather gathered the scientific innovation and information to create those wind turbines you saw. They assisted in generating energy in order to remove the salt content of the sea, saving all of Vitross and partnering empires from the Great Drought," she explained, "we have everything from the science of plants, the ocean, the stars, anything you can think of."

"I was wondering what those things were. That's ingenious," Kaid remarked, wondering how many lives it saved. He wondered what other science those turbines could unlock in regards to their potential. "You seem very familiar with this library."

"Yes, well, the amount of times I was locked in here for my studies made me quite familiar with it," she smiled slightly at the thought. Kaid could only imagine a rambunctious, mischievous child who wanted to do anything but forceful studies. "To be fair, perhaps I should have paid more attention at the time and maybe have been a bit more polite to my instructor."

"Well I am sure the curriculum was quite extensive given you being Empress, and with how extensive this place is," Kaid spoke, pulling a book out gently to carouse through the pages. He saw illustrations with words, all about human biology, the knowledge of how it functioned. It would be an interesting read to save for later.

"Yes, Archivist Jace usually helped with that. He's very old so he doesn't normally arrive here until the afternoon. Not like many people come in here anyways. But if you ever need help finding anything about any subject you please, he will find it for you. He has the rare gift of knowing any book that has a subject you're interested in, even if it's the smallest chapter," she walked behind him, her hand gliding across his backside gently as she squeezed by. Kaid followed her, finding the shelves a bit more thin in this section.

"History?" Kaid asked, pulling out another book which laid our old geographical maps of the region, much older than the books he had in Caladin.

"Yes, perhaps the one thing we do lack in terms of studies. Most of our history at the moment is verbal, stories from our grandparents. Every Emperor had a historian to note down all the useless little facts about this place, about all the decisions made and their impact. All to carry on the legacy. A lot of the historians stem from Arilla, and they come at a hefty cost for the work they do. My family never saw the need," she scoffed slightly, "but it was the history that built these walls, built these people. To ignore such knowledge is foolish."

"History is the only reason I know vaguely of this other side of the world, of its geography, culture, and people. I think without those torn up books in Caladin, I wouldn't be here today," he thought quietly, knowing it was true. As a young boy scared of the horrors of prison, those books were the only things that gave him a bit of peace amongst the chaos. He always used it as a way to search where he came from, and a way to find his purpose. By now with his age, he knew now that no books would answer such questions, but they would help him in his thirst for knowledge about anything he dreamed about.

Jessamine listened to the sadness in his voice, knowing there was nothing she could do to comfort the destruction Caladin had done to his soul and mind. The only thing that could help at the moment was Vitross, and showing him all those things he read about in those books. She needed him to see reality, but not lose the imagination that he received when reading these books. History was often written with things left out, or things included that altered the truth. He'd need a bit of both to do well in a place like Vitross.

"Come, you can come back whenever you'd like. There's more I want to show you," she nudged him gently. For a moment she thought that she would have to physically drag him out of this library, but Kaid understood that he was free to come here any time he wished. And he was also excited to see the rest of her domain. He followed her without complaint, letting her lead the tour again.

She showed the rest of the palace with ease, never staying in one place long, but giving enough detail or minor memories to locations. The throne room was most impressive to Kaid, big enough to house maybe over a hundred people if needed. It was minimally decorated, but Jessamine did mention this was where her birthday celebration would be held. She didn't say it with much enthusiasm of course. Kaid already could tell Jessamine was one who hated appearances unless she absolutely had to.

It took a lot of energy to pretend to be someone she wasn't.

Kaid got to see the garden that he saw earlier from the window. Jessamine was able to name every flower, plant, or insect in sight. She spoke briefly of her mother, Alexandra, whom her middle name originated from, and how she loved the garden. They didn't linger long on the conversation but enjoyed smelling the vibrant flowers or watching workers tend to weeds. Everything edible was used in the kitchen, never having to take from the hard working farmers. Although the servants would occasionally go to the markets for extra provisions. The kingdom itself seemed self-sufficient, which impressed Kaid. The system here worked, even if he didn't have much detail on that. Whether that was how it was always designed, or if Jessamine improved upon it, he'd learn over time.

They walked along a dirt path, growing distant from the palace as they slowly made it closer to the coast. The dark black mountains behind Vitross disappeared as they walked further along, reaching a tall brick wall with a small gate. The area looked practically deserted, but there was no climbing this wall with ease. However, Jessamine opened the gate easily, which gave Kaid some questions regarding security concerns.

"Anybody that uses this entrance will be seen a mile away heading here. Guards would swarm in an instant," Jessamine spoke, as if reading his mind (maybe she did), before moving her hand in the slit of her dress, exposing a part of her bare leg. Kaid almost felt like he should turn around, but blinked and she had pulled a black cloth from a strap around her thigh. He also saw the silver shimmer of a blade, knowing very well at this moment Jessamine was armed at all times. His mind flashed briefly to Caladin, how easily she wielded a blade and didn't hesitate to use one.

"Reading my mind again?" he teased, seeing her roll her eyes slightly.

"I read it on your face, the uncertainty in our security protocols. Besides, this area is well patrolled, just not at this moment during shift change," she explained, using the cloth to wrap around her head. It disguised her image well, removing any recognition of her being Empress, and rather just a well-dressed woman from the upper districts of Vitross.

Kaid knew she had done this before, many times. And given the fact that they were not using the main stairs to get into the city, this was a trip that was either meant to be unsupervised, or Jessamine felt safer. Maybe both. All Kaid knew was that either Payne or Eden, the head of the Guards, would be upset if they found out about it. The fact this gate wasn't heavily guarded did make it seem like she's never been caught doing so either.

"I take it Payne won't be pleased to find out about this," Kaid spoke softly, following her stride. Her face seemed a bit amused.

"He won't. So, let's make sure he doesn't. He already has a lot of work to do anyway. Berating me about security concerns is another briefing I don't want to be stuck in. I've heard it too many times already," she sighed. Kaid wondered if that recklessness was what put her in Caladin in the first place, but knew he couldn't fathom such an idea. As somewhat rebellious as she was, she was cunning and careful. And she could take care of herself.

"Your secret is safe with me," he explained, "is that why you won't take a Guardian? You can handle yourself?"

"Who mentioned that?"

"Christine briefly spoke of it, but the observation came from my end regarding the rejection of one," he answered, hoping it didn't upset her. She didn't seem upset with his assumption.

"It's a whirlpool of issues, Kaid. A storm isn't dangerous unless you start adding more things into it. More ships, more debris, more risk of wrecking. I may not sail through this untouched, I already haven't, but I believe to cause less collateral damage means being as cautious as I can be," she said, "a Guardian is invasive to every aspect of my life. To have someone like that, is someone I need to trust wholeheartedly. Payne doesn't even reach that level of trust. There are plenty of Guards who can meet the physical demands of such a task, but not so much the emotional. Talking to some of them is like talking to a brick wall.

"However, given what has happened recently, I do have to think about it. It feels like every day I gain new enemies, most of no fault to my own. My coronation alone created dissonance. I feel with everything I do, I must put in three times the effort for only a glimpse at recognition."

"They hate you because you are a woman?" Kaid asked, not finding that made much sense. The fact she escaped Caladin with relative ease and planning went above any of the lame attempted jail breaks Kaid had to witness. Most men were caught within minutes. In Caladin, everyone was equal. Out here, Kaid would see no different.

"It plays a small role. The truth of the matter is, they know I am not an Empress. I wasn't groomed for this role, I was groomed for something else. I had no choice. Vitross had no choice. Maybe Lungor and the rest feel they have no choice but to be against me. I could have conceded, let some random citizen take the throne and ruin the entire lineage, or some distant distant cousin I've never met somehow take over. I knew what I was up against, and I chose this."

Or maybe she felt she had no choice. The greatest illusion of choices was ever believing there was one to make, and not one forced into fate.

"Jess," Kaid stopped in front of her, turning to look at her, seeing those blue eyes behind the black veil, "how serious is this? Are we talking about war?"

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"A very very political one, economical as well. Lungor do not want a physical one because they will lose, and I do not want one either. We're still recovering from the last and I do not want to throw young men into a fight they will never understand. It's a game right now in the shadows. Payne thinks I need to stay in the light with several guards, be escorted everywhere I go. I prefer to hide in the shadows with them. Lungor's most efficient way is to take me out, quietly. Caladin was their best chance at doing so."

"And they failed," Kaid pointed out.

"All thanks to you," she pointed out in return, waiting for his rebuttal. He had always had the feeling Jessamine would've escaped, regardless if he helped or not. She was the type of woman who could put her mind into anything, or anyone for that matter. Still, they escaped together with relative ease. And reality was that he did help and could not deny her thanks.

"How many assassination attempts have there been?"

At that she was silent for a moment, "Twelve direct threats in this season alone. Fifty maybe indirect, all verbiage in letters or amongst inner circles Payne has unraveled. I've lost count since the coronation. Payne would know the numbers though."

Kaid almost felt the breath knocked out of him. He couldn't believe it. Twelve direct attempts in one season? That was a quarter of the year, meaning they could average near fifty in a year. What did they want so bad? What was Jessamine doing that seemed so threatening? Was any of this even her doing? Kaid knew from the books that Vitross that they had never been the most powerful of early empires, having most of their dominance over water. Something must have changed.

"We won't be able to pinpoint the Caladin incident directly to Lungor for some time, if Payne is careful enough. But once they find out, no doubt it will escalate even more. It's nothing we aren't prepared for. I don't need to be escorted everywhere, besides, I have you now. It levels the playing field a bit."

"I'm not a fighter," he pointed out, knowing that himself. He knew how to fight, but he was never one to be aggressive, to be on the offensive. That's what soldiers were, they jumped into the fight head first. Kaid never gained the offensive until he turned it against someone.

"You're a protector, that's good enough for me," she retorted and Kaid could see the slight smile under the veil.

That was something they could agree on.

Things were much more drastic and serious than Kaid thought. He had no idea the woman forced into his cell was an Empress that the entire continent wished to remove to some extent. She did have some allies, but whether they held their own agenda was unknown. There wasn't much Kaid could do but what Cadize mentioned: observe. While some may think he had no ties here, no lineage, no bonds...he found kinship in Jessamine. The way he could talk with her was easier than breathing. He felt now he'd have to talk with her every day in order to breathe properly. Jessamine pulled him out of Caladin, maybe he could pull her out of this political mess if he tried.

The city was busy, people walking all sorts of directions at their own speeds, some rushing to get somewhere, others walking as slow as possible to not arrive at their destination on time. The streets were mostly clean, a few sand and dust picked up from the ocean breeze, but no unsanitary garbage around or unnecessary items. The busier it got, Jessamine had taken his hand to guide him through the slight crowds. Nobody seemed to pay them any mind, which was a relief to Kaid that hopefully he could visit town whenever he pleased and not receive unwanted attention.

When the area cleared, Jessamine let her hand slip slightly and Kaid was immediately hit with the salty sea breeze, followed by an unknown waft of aromas. Sweet, savory, strong, or subtle, the marketplace they entered had stalls upon stalls full of various things. Fabrics of all colors known to exist were strewn as canopies, buckets filled to the brim with various colored spices. Jessamine moved to a stall with various jars filled with all sorts of herbs and spices, one she seemed familiar with as she approached with ease.

"Two large jars of the Shay Al-Bahr, please," Jessamine spoke, seeing the shopkeeper, an older woman with skin akin to Kaid's.

"It's been awhile. I was worried the Empress no longer wanted her tea from my shop," the woman spoke with a smile, gathering two large glass jars for her.

"She was preoccupied in the outer regions. It was my fault for not restocking when I could. She was furious when she ran out this morning," Jessamine spoke, humor laced in her voice.

"Well, let's not keep her majesty waiting any longer," she handed over the jars. Jessamine moved to pick one up but found it a lot heavier than usual. Kaid moved forward to grab both jars, wrapping each one firmly in his arms.

"Is this a new servant?" the tea owner asked, Kaid looking over.

"No, this is Kaid. He is one of the new delegates working with the Empress she met on her journey. I've been showing him around today to try and get his sea legs," Jess replied.

"Oh that is wonderful. Where are you from Kaid?" she asked, out of curiosity. It could be because he looked similar to her, which was rare in this sea of fair light skin and blonde hair. But there were the occasional tan, olive, or dark tones amongst the rabble. Kaid was pleased to see it and didn't feel comfortable if he stood out a bit.

"Uh..." Kaid paused, sensing Jessamine's failure to improvise as well, "Uhkhtar. Apologies, I am still a bit weary of my travels and am overwhelmed by the amount of things to see here."

"Uhkhtar? I thought that area was abandoned long ago?"

Kaid had listed a city from the back of his mind from a map of Vitross he had seen. Of course that map could have been hundreds of years old. He would pick a city that was probably not on the map anymore.

"The population is steadily growing due to the discovery of a vast underground water well. With proper irrigation, they will become farmers once again. He is working with the Empress for recognition and assistance," Jessamine soon jumped in, improvising with him.

"Oh that sounds wonderful. I wish you well on your endeavors, Kaid. Please, try a sample of my new tea. It's inspired by old recipes of the Northern regions, maybe it will taste familiar for you," she spoke excitedly, grabbing a small pot that stemmed hot steam from the pipe before pouring it into a small white teacup. Kaid had never had tea before and thought it would be rude to reject such a nice gesture.

Taking the cup and blowing softly on it, he took a sip and was met with a very gritty and bitter taste, followed by a blast of a sour herb. The taste made him cough slightly, before realizing he hoped he didn't make a horrible facial expression. He downed the rest out of politeness, handing the tea cup back over.

"It's a tad strong," he coughed again, his voice hoarse. He could practically feel Jessamine's smile at his embarrassment, her knuckles gently brushing against his teasingly as they rested at his side.

"It's not for everyone," the shopkeeper smiled, not upset in the slightest, "thank you for enlightening me though. I will have to keep working on the recipe."

Jessamine noticed a slight line behind them and bowed her head, "Thank you. We hope to see you soon." Kaid picked up the jars again, moving with Jessamine before she had to pull him aside. Immediately she laughed, her hand resting on his arm.

"Divines, Kaid. You should have seen your face," she laughed more and Kaid couldn't help but smile.

"Was it like yours, eating that goop for the first time in Caladin?" he asked, much more quietly at the mention of the horrid prison.

"I did not make a face," she rebutted.

"Yes you did, you did your very best not to but you did scrunch your face a bit," his smile grew. It was nice to see her like this. It seemed more her environment than the confines of that palace looming in the back.

"Very well, I am in no mood to argue with you," she felt warmth in her cheeks, grateful they wouldn't be very visible, "those jars are heavier than usual. Leave them here. I will try and find a familiar servant to see if they can wheel it back. They're usually around here at this time. Go find something for yourself."

"I don't have any money," Kaid responded, before realizing Jessamine hadn't exactly paid for the large glass jars he was placing down gently on the ground.

"Just put it on the palace tab. They might question it but if you speak it with some confidence, you'll fit right in. In all seriousness, go, find something you like. I'll be with you in a few moments," she nudged him away gently, her mind now focused on getting these heavy tea jars off their hands.

Kaid rolled his eyes and smiled, figuring it wouldn't hurt to look around a bit. There were all various foods, fruits, vegetables, poultry, or even sweets. A lady offered a sample of a tart, some shortbread with what appeared to be filled with jam. The sweetness was a bit too much for him, quite a contrast from that tea. But it was delicious nonetheless.

He scoured the market, just trying to find something interesting for the time being. Being in Caladin, he never had any possessions. The idea of just taking whatever he wanted from this vast shopping center was a bit frightening to him. He didn't exactly feel deserving of it.

You do deserve it. You deserve this. He had to tell himself that for his own rationale. It was okay to have something after having three decades of nothing.

He stopped at a stall with what appeared to be mens attire, much different than the buttoned up shirts and vests the gentlemen wore here. They were intriguing due to their simple patterns and various colors. They were similar to kaftans, although these seemed to hang just below the waist instead of going longer.

"Excuse me, these are very beautiful. Are they handmade?" Kaid asked the shopkeeper, who seemed surprised to have a customer.

"They are. My wife makes them," he spoke.

"Give her my compliments, these are stunning," Kaid spoke, inspecting a few. There was a nice navy green one with white trim around the v-neck area, almost a bit floral. The shopkeeper noticed his interest and pulled a similar one out for him.

"Remove your vest. Try it on," he insisted and Kaid did so, taking the garment from him before slipping it over his head. It fit rather perfectly, lingering and hugging his broad shoulders but resting comfortably around his waist and hip area. It felt light, which was perfect for some of the weather here.

"It looks good on you. Those Vitross boys only wished they had such a taste for cultural fashion," the man laughed softly, "take it my friend, for you, it is free."

"Are you sure? I am with the palace. Please, put it on the tab. You and your wife should be compensated," Kaid insisted.

"The palace? My things are changing," he looked a bit shocked, "Tell you what, you like it, you come back and buy three more. And put it on the tab."

"Agreed," Kaid smiled, reaching his hand out to shake on it. The man returned it firmly, as if they signed the business contract of a lifetime. It felt nice that Kaid could get along well with people here. Everyone was very polite and friendly. Already, things were drastically different than Caladin, and it was beginning to feel like a fresh air.

"Oi, I overhead you putting things on the palace tab. I don't know about you, Petr, but that sounds a lot like stealing to me," two gentlemen immediately brushed into him. They were tall, young, and full of underqualified confidence. From the looks of their gray and navy blue vests, along with a saber attached to their hips...these men were definitely Guards.

"Yeah...you don't look like you're from the palace. Haven't seen you before," Petr snickered, slowly guiding Kaid into being cornered away from the marketplace. Surely this was just a minor misunderstanding.

"I arrived only this morning with the entourage. I was told to put anything I wanted on the tab. Please, I was not stealing, just ask the shopkeeper," Kaid explained, relaxing his shoulders. The best thing he could do was merely deescalate the situation, until hopefully Jessamine or someone else familiar could find him.

"What's your name?"

"Kaid," he answered, before immediately feeling a fist go straight into his diaphragm, forcing all the air out of his lungs. Kaid was stunned, having not seen that coming because he didn't expect such treatment. He kneeled down, wheezing and hacking to catch his breath while the two laughed.

"Last name," the other man demanded, "or the next fist will ensure to break a few ribs."

Maybe it wasn't so different from Caladin after all.

"No last name," Kaid spoke, realizing that might do more harm than good.

"Aw...looks like we got a little orphan all grown up! That explains the stealing. Where'd you get these clothes from? Steal them from the upper districts?" Petr snickered. Kaid felt anger rush through his veins. He had never liked orphan being used in a derogatory manner, as if not having parents or lineage was something had control of. That his past defined his future.

But he resisted to fight back.

Another guard seemed to be strolling over at a quick pace. His clothes were much more refined, no wrinkles at all, his chest covered in a small pin. His sword was trimmed in gold, the same color as his slicked back hair. From the way he walked and dressed, he was a man in charge, either an officer or someone of high importance. Given his age, he gave off a sense of nepotism, but he wasn't to be underestimated because of that.

"Listen to this, Kiev. Man was found using the palace tab to get some of that god awful attire those northerners wear. An orphan, no last name. Claims he is with the palace!" They laughed.

Kiev moved closer, not an inch of a smile on his face as he observed Kaid, who was still grunting to catch his breath and due to the radiating pain from the punch. "What name did he give?"

"Some idiotic name: Kaid."

At that, Kiev's eyes widened in absolute fear as he froze, slowly turning his head from Kaid to the guards under his command. He was about to bark at them to stop, that they misunderstood the situation but the damage was done. The fist balled together near Kaid's stomach began to tremble, Petr noticing it before it was too late. Kaid watched his wrist contort against his will, hearing the cracks and breaks of the bones and joints splintering. The other guard immediately felt sick at the sight, pulling away to vomit. Kaid almost smirked at the sight, before noticing the vomit was not his breakfast, but rather a pool of blood. He too, was forced into something against his will.

Kiev turned to see Jessamine standing there, a blank expression on her face but fury in her eyes.

"Fuck," Kiev cursed under his breath.