Snake, Scarab, & Sons: Purveyors of Fine T

"It's not that your brother-in-law can't fight. He's a better fighter than you," Nera told Prince Tae as he lifted a sword to spar with Henry. "But he'll provide better support to Yayae by staying."

"I also don't trust that he won't lose control," Henry said as he parried Prince Tae's sword and made a quick step to the side to get a better angle. "He may make things worse in a volatile situation."

Prince Tae winced as he tried to realign himself to face Henry. "How volatile do you think it'll get?"

"Let's just prepare for the worst-case scenario," Henry replied. He struck down and Prince Tae did not defend in time. The blunt sword landed on the padded gambeson sleeve and Prince Tae grit his teeth and swore before shaking out his arm.

Nera paced the deck of the ship, circling them and observing. She wore a serious look on her face as she frowned. "Keep your hips on him, Tae. When was the last time you practiced?"

"Didn't you graduate at the top of your class from the military academy?" Ash asked from where he sat on the deck beside the railing. The river boat was swiftly moving downriver, but wasn't fast enough for them.

The sails were unfurled and Ash had used magic to increase the strength as well as keep up the consistency of the wind to increase their speed.

He'd developed slips for doing so recently, after their trip to the Smiya Shallows, where he had to expend more focus than he cared for consistently to keep wind in the sails. Part of him was irritated; they were a merchant family with an entire fleet of some of the fastest ships in the world, and he never thought to use slips to increase their speed and get to ports faster.

Necessity really is the mother of innovation.... Ash looked up at the sails. There was still room for improvement, and he was sure they could go faster, but the river had many ships. It was wide nearly the entire way from the capital to the sea, as it had been dug out and enlarged to be used for transport.

As such, the river had plenty of ships, both for cargo and for people going up and down the river at different speeds. In addition, certain points in the river were designated ferry crossings, so they couldn't go too fast or they could cause an accident.

At the very least, they were on an imperial barge, which had priority over all other ships.

"It's been a while since I graduated from the military academy, Ash," Prince Tae replied with a frown. He raised his free arm and wiped the sweat off his face. "I don't actively fight any more. Doing practice exercises is one thing, but actual combat is another."

"Then, let's do it again," Henry said, stepping back to give him distance. ''We don't know what we'll face and we can't have you weakening the team."

Prince Tae narrowed his eyes and gave him a glare. He gripped the sword and raised his arms. "Raise your sword."

The corner of Henry's lip curled up before they collided once more. Nera shook her head and walked towards her son.

"What's our timeline look like?"

"We'll get to the sea by morning," Ash replied with a hint of satisfaction. "As long as we can keep up this pace. I've already arranged for the captain and first and second mates to rotate shifts in order to keep it."

Nera nodded and then looked up at the sails. "Is it maintainable?"

Ash pursed his lips into a line and scrunched his nose a bit, similar to Effie when she reacted to something unpleasant. "Not as much as I'd like. This is my first time using them at this strength. The cards only contain so much magic, so I'll need to replace them every few hours."

Nera raised a brow. "Do you have enough?"

Ash shook his head. "I didn't know we'd need this many. Also, the larger the ship, the more energy it uses up, so the shorter it lasts. The panels for them are at home, so I can't press any more." Making them by hand was a pain because of the intricacies.

He had room in his space preservation bag, of course, but the presses and plates used were mounted to tables and heavy. He'd need a lot of room and raw materials.

His mother reached down and rubbed the top of his head. "It's all right. You're doing what you can."

Ash looked up. "I can at least close the gap between us and the kidnappers."

"That's more than what they had before." Nera looked out over the water. The sun was starting to set, but they'd keep sailing until they reached the sea. "Keep the deck illuminated so your brother and Tae can practice. The birds will also be able to see us better."

Ash began digging through his bag. "Is there any news?"

His mother continued to look over the water. "I'm having them investigate Quan Suh-na. I think you're right. I think he's alive. His sister's pregnant and Anhya is missing. It's too much of a coincidence. I can feel it in my bones."

Ash nodded. He also felt it. "Lunapsar instinct is rarely wrong."

His mother nodded in agreement. "I also sent birds to Red Flower County to look for Xian and anyone he may have contact with. They say he's still in exile, but what if he's not? Our information says that Sarae's pregnancy is hidden, but what if someone knows? And has no one noticed her lover? Everyone in that nunnery should know why she's there, and there are imperial guards stationed. Why has there been no report? And Quan's death should've been reported immediately."

Ash clenched his jaw. The more they thought about it, the more discomfort they felt. Ash could feel something in the back of his head that something was going to happen, or rather, already happening.

"Momma, what do you think about Sarae's lover being Ashtari? Why is he here? Isn't there a travel ban? Not to mention the restrictions to leave Ashtar."

"There are still some Ashtari outside the country. Many left during the famine and drought, not just to the more fertile areas, but left the country completely. At the time, Suna hadn't banned them," Nera replied. "It is possible that he comes from a group who fled and settled outside the empire." She paused and narrowed her eyes. "It's also possible that he's one of their men."

Ash sat up straight and tensed. He snapped his head towards his mother. "Are you saying they may have targeted Sarae?"

"Yayae instituted the travel ban on Ashtar, and Suna makes at least a fourth of its border and would be a strong, if not the strongest, trading partner for them. If they want access to Suna, especially Suna's ports, they need someone favorable to them in power. However, who else is eligible for the throne outside of Yayae and Tae and would be happy to steal it from them?"

Ash frowned. "The half-siblings."

"You, Henry, and the others are rare, Ash. There was no notion of 'half' amongst you."

"You and the aunties raised us that way." In all honesty, he didn't realize there was a difference between them for some time. He thought it was normal until he learned otherwise.

"We all knew what being in that prison meant, and we weren't going to let your lives be destroyed because of it," Nera told him. "And knowing that Old Bastard, he'd love to turn you against each other, especially if it meant more power for his favorite. There are plenty of families where half-siblings wish the other were dead."

Ash knew when she said it, she spoke from experience. His mother was somewhat indifferent to her half-sister, but her half-sister hated Nera to the core. Nera had always said it was set up that way from the beginning.

For reasons, the General was forced to marry his maternal cousin, Anaserana's mother. He allowed her to take the family name, financially took care of her, and acknowledged her existence, but he cared little for this second daughter. His wife cared even less. The couple would not go out of their way to hurt the child or make her living situation worse, but they didn't give Anaserana the same love and affection as they did Nera.

Though the cousin and grandmother were her backers and favored her over Nera, Anaserana resented Nera for being the one whose parents loved her. When the General went to the frontier, he took his wife and Nera with him. They were away for years at a time. It didn't help that Anaserana was raised by people who hated Nera's mother, and by extension, Nera. Who wouldn't grow to hate her?

At the very least, they weren't fighting over a throne. A struggle for succession wouldn't turn into a civil war or cause the deaths of thousands of their people.

Ash couldn't imagine one of his siblings hating him so much. When he was little, the stern Princess Varellian couldn't even bear to spank him when he was naughty.

No, that's not right. If the Little Bastard knew I was alive, he'd probably send an army after me. Not that it would do any good. Ash was the child of the woman who was a stand-in for Crown Prince Eskander's mother. Even if Nera was not a willing participant.

"Even if the gap is wide at the start, I'm sure we can close it," Nera said. "Our ships are the fastest in world. How can they outsail a Snake, Scarab, and Sons vessel?"

Ash hoped she was right. There were several days of travel between them and Anhya's captors.

Nera continued pacing the deck, occasionally correcting Prince Tae's stance, and movements, while Ash focused on the sails.

It wasn't until nightfall did a tired falcon reached them. It let out a tired trill before landing in Nera's arms and immediately melting like a baby. It was almost all back except for a few tufts of orange-brown feathers around its yellow legs. It had a pale beak and dark eyes. Perhaps it was only as large as Nera's arm.

Ash squinted to get a better look.

"Is that Cloud?" Upon hearing his name, the falcon let out a chirp and turned his head.

"Cloud's baby," Nera replied. "Specter. He is one of a pair of West Wind falcons I sent to watch Xian." If at all possible, Nera always sent more than one animal to gather information on a single person.

Specter let out a chirp and then rolled to the side, flapping his wings until he was upright and managed to stand on Nera's arm. He began chirping at once.

Though Ash had no idea what was being said, he still watched enraptured, as if the bird were telling him a story. Every so often, the bird's mannerisms would change, and Ash could read excitement from them.

Nera's expression remained neutral, though her eyes were covered. Her lips were in a tight line and the muscles of her jaw clenched. Henry and Prince Tae must've noticed, as their movements slowed until they came to a stop. They looked towards Nera and Specter. The chirping of the bird could be heard just over the sound of the river.

After some time, Nera nodded. She turned her head. "Midnight! Go to Effie and tell her to tell Yayae to send people to surround the island prison in Red Flower Valley. Wait until I give you a message to carry over."

From one of the railings by the cabin, Midnight the raven let out a trill of understanding. Ash heard 'message' and dug out some paper and a charcoal pencil for his mother from his bag. Specter was placed on the railing next to the ravens before Nera took the items from Ash.

"Do you want me to write the names?" Prince Tae asked.

"That's probably better. My written Sunan is poor," Nera said, handing the writing utensil to him. "Specter, repeat the names again."

Nothing else was written on the paper except for sixteen names. Sixteen names of which half caught Prince Tae's attention. Ash caught him gripping the pencil so tightly, his fingers had turned white at the force. As soon as they were done, Nera rolled up the slip of paper and put it into a message canister.

As Midnight flew off, Henry looked over at Prince Tae.

"You recognize some of the names?"

"They are people Xian knew or have the surnames of people who supported his sister's claim to the throne. At least one of those names is Sarae's person," Prince Tae said. He narrowed his eyes. "They weren't even supposed to be in contact with each other."

"They were once believed to become rulers of the country. Their supporters didn't disappear overnight when Yayae took over," Nera said. "Perhaps they were just waiting for a chance."

"My sister is a popular monarch with excellent control in civics and military areas," Prince Tae told them. "Trying to fight for the throne is suicide. I don't believe they have the numbers and strength to launch a successful revolt."

"So, they kidnapped Anhya," Henry concluded. "To bargain for the throne."

"Anhya was made Crown Princess rather early. She's been training for it and has a deep understanding of the position for her age," Prince Tae said as he released a low breath. "Since she was born, my sister and brother-in-law raised her close so she could see what duties an empress would have. My sister also wanted to avoid succession disputes."

Ash nodded, understanding Empress Yayae's concerns. While her fight for the Suna throne was not violent, at least not traditionally so to the point of a succession war, it was something that caused a lot of problems, confusion, and tension in the imperial family and the court. In times of uncertainty, some people could take advantage and weaken imperial power, or exploit the commonfolk as their governing body could not protect them.

The powerful took sides and could've easily torn the court and country apart, had the Empress not firmly established herself and wiped-out dissidents quickly. It was something Ash hoped Henry could do.

It also made sense that while their Old Bastard father didn't explicitly crown Henry as crown prince when he was a child, everyone else treated him as so because the Court of Imperial Wives reasserted his position.

Even if Eskander never appeared, it would've been difficult to put the siblings against each other for the throne as it had been engrained into all of them their positions in the future. Henry was going to be Emperor; Varellian into diplomacy, Arunsha a general, and Laheran into infrastructure. Ash would've been willing to be the family mage, as long as he could travel.

When Henry ascended, they would've ascended as a team.

Ash gritted his teeth and lowered his eyes. His god sister and her siblings were raised similarly, which would ensure a peaceful transition of power.

"Anhya is important. As long as she's alive and captive, Yayae won't be too rash," Nera said. "Which is why we have to act quickly. Our information network should be faster than theirs, but Yayae needs to arrest those accomplices quickly, before word can spread and potentially risk Anhya."

Prince Tae took a deep breath to try to calm himself. "My poor niece...I don't know what she's going through right now."

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It was such a low-level trick, she hated herself for falling for it. Anhya had dropped her guard, something she'd been taught not to do by several people when she was outside the home. Yet, she had been so excited at the successful completion of her first sponsored project that she'd forgotten.

Now where was she? In the galley of a ship, surrounded by dampness and a rancid smell would've made her vomit if she had more in her stomach other than rice porridge and an orange. The last time she'd had one meal a day was when she was on a training activity with her father in the mountains bordering their neighboring principalities.

Even then, her meal at least had some jerky.

The room was a storage room, but had one window that was too high for her to reach. It was partially open to let in air, but also too small for her to crawl out of.

Every now and then, she'd use it to get her name out.

Thinking about it, it was about time. Anhya got up from the floor and climbed the stacked crates secured against the wall to get as high up as she could, which was almost eye level with the window if she stretched. When she was as close as she could get, she took a deep breath.

"Anhya Suh-na!" She repeated her name ten times, even pronouncing it a few times with an Iverian Common accent.

The kidnappers could make her wear a sack, hack off her hair, and smear her face with coal dust, but they couldn't shut her up. Anhya purposely was quiet except for every few hours, when she'd scream her name. It didn't give them a big reason to cover her mouth like they did when they were on land.

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Sometimes, they'd threaten her to shut up, but she remained unmoved.

Imperial bearing, her mother told her. She could not show weakness. She didn't need to be proud, but she could at least remain indifferent.

She climbed back down, worried that the swaying of the ship on the ocean would cause her to lose her grip and fall off. She then staggered across the cramped space and sat down, curling her knees to her chest as she closed her eyes and tried to clear her head.

The night of her kidnapping replayed over and over in her mind. She constantly wondered what she could've done differently, where she had gone wrong, and what exactly she ate, drank, or was exposed to that made her too sleepy when she'd been so excited the entire day. She didn't even remember being picked up and carried.

When she woke up, she was on a river boat. The sounds outside were different. The river boat wasn't large, so it was easy for her to break out and go out on the deck. Some averaged-sized men, who looked like hired hands at a farm more than any ruffians she'd heard about, rushed to stop her while blaming the other for not locking her up properly.

Anhya took the opportunity to scream her name.

They thought she was crazy. As she struggled, she played crazy, kicking and flailing her arms as she screamed her name, and only her name. Not her title, not for help, not even threats, just her name.

Though they had been on the water at the time, she saw plenty of birds on the shores and flying overhead.

"Where there are animals, I can find you," her godmother told her when she was little.

When she was a child, Anhya had been playing hide and seek in the imperial summer palace's sprawling gardens. Her godbrothers were playing with her, and had passed by twice, but they didn't find her. As a child, she had muffled her laughter, excited and feeling clever that they hadn't found her.

Then it got dark, and Anhya couldn't see where she was going.

She began shouting for help and running down a random path. She didn't see where she was going, tripped, and rolled down a hill. She started crying, but then heard a howl in the distance. The imperial summer palace was near the mountains, with some of the grounds going up. In the mountains were wild animals, including wolves.

Terrified, Anhya had clamped her hands over her mouth and curled in a ball, afraid that if she made a noise or moved, the wolves would find her. She could only cry in silence.

She was found by her godmother not a moment later. Several imperial guards caught up with lanterns by the time she'd thrown herself into her godmother's arms, sobbing that she didn't want to be eaten by wolves.

"The wolves won't eat you," Nera had told her gently as she patted her back. "Godmother is a beast master and told them not to. I said you can't eat Anhya Suh-na."

"You promise?"

"Yes." Her godmother kissed the top of her dirty little head with leaves in her hair. "If you ever get lost again, say your name where there are animals. Where there are animals, I can find you."

The next day, four-year-old Anhya brazenly decided to put it to the test despite having returned home a mess and in tears the night before. Her mother had been so angry that she dared to get lost on purpose just so Nera could find her, but no matter where she ran off to, she'd tell any passing creature, whether on the ground or in the air, her name.

And her godmother Nera found her every time.

Now, Anhya was so calm because she had the utmost confidence.

Her mother, the Empress, would undoubtedly reach out to Nera once she found out Anhya was missing. Once her godmother was involved, it was only a matter of time.

Anhya just needed to keep herself alive and continue to lay a trail to follow.

Just as she managed to drown out the creaking of the boat and the sound of the waves outside, she heard a thud come from across the room, along with various voices shouting outside her window.

She raised her head and pushed herself up, then walked to the stack of crates and climbed up once more.

There was a lot of yelling and they sounded angry. Anhya squinted and tried to crane her neck to hear better, but it was difficult with the sound of waves.

From what she could hear, they couldn't go to shore. There was something about soldiers and a lot of them had shown up suddenly.

Where are we? Anhya had been transferred from the river boat and on to a larger sea-going vessel two nights ago. It had been a struggle to stay awake, as she'd got little sleep when she woke up on the river boat. She was hungry and didn't struggle much, just kept repeating her name like a lunatic.

She tried to look out the window, but at most, she could see the green-blue water and the sky. She could sort of make out land in the distance, but she didn't know where they were. It took less than a week to get to Shae Merchant City from the port nearest to the capital, so they shouldn't have been near it yet.

If they landed at Shae, she was certain her aunt would find her. It was a merchant city and the Atractas family had significant connections.

Anhya wracked her brain for clues on where they could be. The voices were speaking in Sunan; they must've gone west. If they'd sailed east, by now the water would've been much worse and the weather would've turned into a storm. She imagined a map and tried to remember all the port cities along Suna's coast.

"...know about the second prince...people...detained...know about the girl...."

Anhya could make out bits and pieces of the conversation, but she struggled to put it all together. What second prince? Her brother? Prince Geran? She tensed for a moment and her heart dropped. Did they somehow kidnap Geran, too? He should've been safe at the military academy!

"...go straight to Dragon...cities alerted...risky..."

"Dragon...?" she whispered to herself as her eyes narrowed. "Dragon Continent?" She froze. "Are they taking me to the Dragon Continent?"

The voices continued and it seemed that her captors had come to an agreement with the people who arrived on a boat. Anhya heard them loading something on the ship, likely supplies if they were going to go to the Dragon Continent. She frowned. It was a relatively long voyage, at least a month if they stopped once or twice for supplies at ports.

Large port cities like the Federation Merchant Cities were also strict and required paperwork to dock.

Anhya took in a sharp breath. 'Cities alerted...risky...." Her godmother was once on Merhi, the Federation of Merchant Cities Merchant Council. She had connections in all the merchant cities.

For a moment, excitement bubbled in her. Her godmother definitely knew she was missing. She was sure of it now. And as for how quickly word had spread, her godmother had likely sent messenger falcons. It would only take a few days for word to reach all the cities. No wonder the kidnappers considered them a risk to enter.

The Federation was an ally of Suna; it would certainly assist in looking for her. If the ship she was one got too close to Federation waters, they'd be checked and detained. At that point, her captors would be extradited to prison in Suna.

Another thought struck her. There was a prison island on the northern coast of Suna. It was where her mother's half-brother was for embezzlement. She began to tremble as a wide smile pulled at her lips. Their words began to make sense if they were near Red Flower Valley, where the island prison was just off the coast of.

Her mother had sent out the army, meaning her kidnapping may have involved her half-uncle.

At once, her eyes narrowed and her fists clenched at her sides in anger. That entire branch of her family really had been too quiet for too long. Anhya had forgotten about them and didn't see them as a threat.

All there were exiled from the capital and in some form of imprisonment. They were lucky her mother hadn't killed them. Of course, being lenient on her enemies was now causing problems for her. The only consolation was after this was over, they wouldn't make it.

Somewhat reassured by the information she put together, Anhya remained listening for anything more before the boat that had brought them supplies rowed away. As she struggled to look out the window, she was able to catch the sight of a smaller row boat rowing away from them.

She took a deep breath. "Anhya Suh-na!"

By the fifth time she screamed her out the window, someone shouted for her to shut up. Thumping came from the deck above her, but she made sure to yell her name clearly several times before retreating.

That night, she didn't get any food. She still had some water in the waterskin she was given, but her stomach was twisting with hunger. She convinced herself they would bring her food eventually. If they were bringing her to the Dragon Continent, then she needed to be alive. Some wanted her there and a corpse would be useless, otherwise, they would've killed her sooner, she figured.

Over the sound of the creaking wood and the water, just as Anhya was drifting to sleep, she heard it. A quiet trill of a bird, but it was close. She sat up and squinted. Moonlight came through the window, but it was obstructed by a shape that nearly took up the entire height of the window.

Anhya gasped as her eyes widened. "Raven!" She rushed towards the crates to get close to the window. If the large, black bird was wild, it would've flown away, but it remained where it perched, as if waiting for her. Anhya's eyes shone. "Are you Godmother's raven?" She paused and shook her head. Ash Brother had taught her how to get yes or no answers from them. "If you're Nera Atractas' raven, come inside."

She bit her lip and waited. The raven didn't make a noise, but it did jump inside.

Anhya sucked in a breath, excited. "If Nera Atractas is looking for me, jump here." She patted on one of the crates. The raven jumped on to the directed crate. "Okay, okay, good!" Anhya looked towards the closed door and lowered her voice. She leaned closer. "Tell her: Anhya is fine. Hungry. Not injured. They are taking me to the Dragon Continent. I don't know why exactly. Rescue is not urgent."

She then pointed out the window, directing the raven to return. The raven jumped closer to her, nudged her arm, and then turned to leave.

Anhya watched the creature wiggle down to get through the opening and then disappear into the night. Anhya let out a low breath, but found she was filled with confidence. Rather than being kidnapped, now she felt as if she were on a mission. Her eye squinted with some glee. "Heh...a side quest."

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The metal door creaked out and several imperial guards came into the cramped cell with a narrow, barred window. It was much smaller than his original one, but at least he got it to himself. However, rather than going out to do labor, he'd been confined the last few days and wasn't told why.

The man inside looked up from where he was chained and raised a defiant brow at Prince Tae as he swept into the cell.

"Little brother! How nice to see you again-ugh!"

Before he could finish his sentence, Prince Tae punched the side of his face. A crack was heard and blood spurted out of Xian's mouth as his head snapped to the side.

"Your father's last wish was for my sister to spare your lives, and you couldn't accept it could you?" Prince Tae spat out as he loomed above the man.

Outside the doors of the prison cell, Nera leaned against the wall and listened with Ash. Henry had entered and got between Prince Tae and Xian. He pulled Prince Tae back and motioned for him to calm down.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Xian frowned, but remained calm.

"Hye Jung, Mansung Chun, and Wan Ri have already confessed that they have been in contact with your brother and sister, and passed messages on to you," Prince Tae said as he recomposed himself.

Henry glanced at Xian and noticed the corner of his eye twitch just briefly before he snorted and wiped some blood off the corner of his mouth. "You already separated us. Is it too much to ask about their well-being every now and then?" He shot a glare at Prince Tae. "Who knows what your sister has done to them."

Prince Tae clenched his jaw and appeared as if he wanted to reply, but Henry stepped in. "Your communications network has been isolated and any accomplices detained for questioning."

"What accomplices-"

"Several figures who were supposed to administer this prison, the labor team where your brother, Quan, is, and the nunnery where Sarae is located have been arrested for delaying reports on your movements."

"Is trying to contact my siblings too much to ask for? Do you deny me even human communication?" Xian seethed.

"Yes," Prince Tae replied in a dull voice. "You're imprisoned, not on a holiday."

"When did you start communicating with your brother and sister?" Henry asked in a low voice. Xian turned his head away. "Whether you tell us yourself or we get it from your accomplices, it doesn't matter. They have more to lose if they don't tell us the truth. If they're loyal to you despite knowing the punishment if they lie, I'd be the first one surprised."

Xian glared. "Who are you? What is a foreigner like you doing here?"

"Assisting in an investigation, I've been approved to do so by Her Majesty Empress Yayae," Henry replied dismissively. "Xian Suh-na, did you know that your brother is dead?"

Xian's eyes widened for a moment. His face seemed to drain with color as he stiffened. He shook his head. "No. No, he's not. You're lying!" He turned to Prince Tae with a vicious look. "What did you do to my brother!" He lunged forward, but the chains around his wrists and ankles held him back, keeping him from coming close to Prince Tae. "He was already punished with labor for life! He can't return to the capital - none of us can!"

"Because all of you caused deaths!" Prince Tae shouted back. "Don't think that because so many years have passed, we've forgotten! How many people died because you stole the money that was supposed to buy and bring them food during an emergency? How many lives were destroyed because your brother couldn't control his perversion? And don't think we don't know your sister had a hand in trying to assassinate mine!"

"That's enough. This isn't getting us anywhere." Nera's voice came from the entrance. She stepped into the dim room and Xian's eyes shrank.

"It's you...." His voice was laced with vitriol upon the sight of her, but Nera didn't seem to care.

"Yes, it's me," Nera replied with an unbothered glance. She turned to Henry and then motioned to Prince Tae with her head. Henry nodded and pulled Prince Tae back to give Nera some room. As if knowing exactly how far Xian could reach, Nera stood just far enough that he couldn't reach her. "You're as good a liar as ever."

The muscles of his neck clenched as his face turned red. Henry was sure it wasn't simply due to Nera's comment.

"Don't you have your own country to stay in? Why are you always here?" Xian asked with disgust. Nera was quiet and Henry knew she was peering into that man's soul as she stood there. Though her eyes were still covered, Xian appeared unsettled and his shoulders moved back. "What?" he asked suddenly, jerking his head forward in a threatening manner. "Nothing to say?"

"Did you know Sarae is pregnant?"

Henry watched Xian's face and body language as Nera spoke. Xian seemed to freeze in place before quietly whispering. "What?"

"Do you know Quan died?"

Xian shook his head and dropped it, as if despondent and unwilling to face the truth. "No, my brother can't be dead-"

"You're right." Nera cut him off. "He's not dead." The pupils of Xian's seemed to shrink before he snapped his head up. Nera lifted her chin just a bit and Henry knew she figured something out. "He's already been found, hiding in an old dry dock house whose owner recently died of old age." The color drained from Xian's face. "But you already knew that, didn't you?"

Nera wasn't lying. Quan really was alive, and they found him thanks to the animals. Nera's falcon pair that was assigned to watch him saw the fire consume the brothel, but before they could tell Nera, they spoke to a network of animals to check. What if it was a trick?

They stole some cloth from Quan's bunk at the labor site, then had a dog check. They tracked him to the old boat house. It was almost too easy, but that meant that Quan was confident that no one could find him. The officer who was supposed to be watching him was paid off with gold, and the labor site leader was given gold and a promise of career advancement once Sarae retook the throne. They still didn't know how Quan got gold.

Xian didn't seem to know what to say for a moment, before he stammered. "I knew you were lying! My brother couldn't be dead-"

"Upon arrival at the capital, he will be executed in front of the Empress. I believe he'll arrive in two days," Nera continued on calmly.

Xian lunged at Nera, as if she were the executioner. "My brother hasn't done anything!"

"He faked his death and escaped the labor prison," Ash said in a droll voice. "And also, you already probably know this, but he's also involved in the kidnapping of the Crown Princess."

Xian yelled profanities and denied that his brother had any involvement in Anhya's kidnapping, but while he cried out and screamed, no one was moved.

"I don't know why you're still acting; we already know," Nera said. "I didn't come here to ask whether or not you are involved. We already know you are. What I want to know is why was the Crown Princess being taken to the Dragon Continent? Why there? Who wants her?"

"I don't know what you're talking about-"

"Yes, you do. You had people bring supplies to a ship two days ago to prevent that ship from coming to dock at the port here," Nera said. "And, impressively, you seemed to have told them that it's a risk to dock at any of the Merchant Cities." Nera leaned forward just a bit and smiled. "It seems you didn't forget who Anhya's godmother is. But a little too late."

Xian kept his mouth clothes, but his chest heavedwith anger.

"Why did you kidnap my niece?" Prince Tae asked. "And why are they taking her to the Dragon Continent?"

Xian turned his head away, refusing to answer.

Nera nodded her head slowly. "I understand." She turned around and looked at Prince Tae. "Tell the Empress that it is confirmed that Sarae Suh-na has conspired to kidnap the Crown Princess in an attempt for the throne. She will also be executed upon arrival at the capital."

"Are you a monster!?" Xian shouted behind her, his eyes wide with horror. "She's pregnant!"

"Oh, so you believe us?" Nera asked, turning around.

Xian was trembling. His bloodshot eyes bore into Nera as if wanting to eat her alive. "If you touch my sister-"

"You touched my goddaughter first." Nera's expression hardened at once. "Tell me why is she being taken to the Dragon Continent."

Xian hesitated. "She was only supposed to be taken. We didn't care where they took her-"

"Your people seemed quite knowledgeable on where to take her," Nera said. "You dare to lie even now? When your sister and her child's lives are on the line?"

Xian stared at Nera, and for a moment, Henry could see the horror on his face. "You'd...you'd kill a pregnant woman?" He choked his words, as if he couldn't believe her threat.

Nera didn't flinch and lowered her voice. "I will kill anyone who touches my children."

Xian shook. He looked at Prince Tae. "My sister's child is also your niece!"

Prince Tae's icy expression didn't waver. "I only have one sister, and she's not yours."

Xian couldn't seem to believe it. "You...you're cold. You're cold just like the rest of them!" He screamed as he leaned forward, the hatred on his face twisting it. "You won't even spare an unborn baby!"

"Yes, well, neither could your mother, but unfortunately for her, I'm still alive," Prince Tae replied. "Tell us why Anhya is being taken to the Dragon Continent, or in two days, both your sister and whatever is in her belly will die alongside your brother."

"It's a very small price to pay for a life," Nera replied. "I'll count to three." She didn't need to begin.

"Sarae's lover arranged for a Sunan princess to marry a warlord on the Dragon Continent in exchange for soldiers and weapons."

The room was silent for just a moment as the words were whispered out. Suddenly, Prince Tae lunged forward, slamming his body against Xian and tackling him to the hard stone floor. He sat on top of Xian's chest and raised a fist before slamming it down. Chains rattled and Xian tried to protect his head.

"You bastard! Your disgusting bastard! She's just a child! She's thirteen! How dare you! I'll kill you!" Prince Tae seemed to forget they weren't in the room alone, but no one stopped him. The guards remained unmoving without order.

Henry looked at Nera. "Auntie, should I separate them?"

"Give him a moment," Nera told him. "Don't kill him, Tae."

The sound of bones being hit and flesh against flesh filled the room. The rattling of the chains grew quiet as Xian's arms fell to the side. Nera gave Henry a nod.

"All right. You're done." Henry stepped forward and took Prince Tae's arm, pulling up with a quick movement and then dragging him back. "He's unconscious."

"Ash, get some plasters for his fists," Nera said. Ash nodded and reached into his bag. "It looks like we got our answer. He really values his sister and her baby."

Prince Tae shook his hands out, wincing as the pain from punching the other man began to be felt.

"Auntie, are you really going to have Sarae killed now?" Henry asked in Lunapsar.

"Of course, not. I'm not a monster...and pregnant prisoners to be executed will be imprisoned until the baby is born, then they will be executed. The child will be exiled with a nanny. That is the practice here," Nera replied, her head looking down at the unconscious man. "I just needed leverage. We got the information we wanted. His aura...was very telling."

"Arrest him and bring him to the capital for execution," Prince Tae said.

"Go with them," Nera told him. He snapped his head towards her and frowned. "No, I should go with you to find Anhya."

"I already know where Anhya is."

"What? When?"

"One of the ravens got to her after following some leads," Nera replied. "She's on a small trade ship approximately one day north of here. We can reach her in two days at full speed on Sea Serpent Twenty-Three."

"Even without my wind slips," Ash added.

Prince Tae let out a low breath and gave them both an annoyed look. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"You needed to focus on Xian...also, Anhya wants to keep going."

"What?" Prince Tae's jaw dropped. "What does she mean keep going? Is she crazy?"

"The ship she's on is monitored by some whales, and I've sent a message to the nearest merclan. Birds are bringing her food and water," Nera told him. "Anhya wants to find out who is after her on the Dragon Continent."

Prince Tae stared at them, his mouth still agape. Finally, he slammed his foot down. "No! She is to come home immediately! It's too dangerous!"

"It won't be once we commandeer the ship," Ash replied.

"No! No commandeering of a ship!" Prince Tae's voice became strained. "It's too dangerous! How can you even agree? What is she thinking?"

"Let's wait until her mother replies," Nera said.

Prince Tae almost cried out. "You notified my sister?"

"Of course. Anhya is her daughter," Nera replied. "We'll follow and close distance with the kidnapper's ship. If your sister agrees, we'll commandeer the ship and go to the Dragon Continent to deal with the other party. In a way, it's a good experience for Anhya. She'll be fine with us there."

"Nera...." Prince Tae ran his hand down his face. "How can you be so sure? That's the Dragon Continent!"

"I know," Nera said. "That's why I'm going with her." She patted his shoulder as she passed him. "She asked to do this, Tae."

"Why?" Prince Tae's shoulders shrunk.

"Apparently, she wants to do a side quest."