I leaned back on my chair and let out a long sigh, purposefully ignoring the servant kneeling across from my desk. Meant I couldn't grumble about my back though. The spine had a way of complaining about posture regardless of how much essence you had sitting in the damned thing.

  Perhaps I could take a sabbatical and get back to dungeon runs, entrust my position to one of my sons.

  I shivered at the thought.

  Splendor and lavish indulgence could never supersede the responsibilities a House had to its people, a lesson that my heir didn't bother learning. Fen I could trust, but he was too young. The other sharks would tear him apart as soon as he dipped into the waters. It was too soon to start...introducing him to the potential of leadership.

  My father didn't have to deal with this, I was practically blue with envy.

  But everything needed to work in this blasted city, and that made a hedonist at the head unacceptable. Especially with how we were structured. Each of the major Houses was a piece that completed the puzzle that was Ortium.

  Perhaps the eyes of a fool would've been filled with envy at the sight of my position, nary a thought of nuance to plague their mind.

  Why wouldn't they? I was the de facto ruler considering it was my lineage that managed the dungeons. We had other duties, but that was the one we were known for. A monopoly on monster cores and their distribution, as much as the guilds would like to claim otherwise. Oh, how they would love to rid themselves of oversight. They were worse than the damned merchants.

  If they didn't play so loose with regulations then I would at least have more time to deal with important matters. Or rest. Gods knew I needed rest.

  Enough.

  Time to get back to work.

  "Rise, Adon," I said to the kneeling servant. "I hope you've come to share good news. The week has been trying, and I do not need another headache."

  The man bowed his head. "My apologies magister Olnik, but I'm afraid I've come to deliver tidings regarding young lord Enday."

  "What did the ingrate do this time?" I said, rubbing my eyes to try and rid myself of the fatigue.

  "He fought with the heir apparent of House Koma, and beat him enough that the boy has yet to awaken an hour after. I came as soon as I was informed."

  "I assume he's being tended to by a healer?" I said.

  Adon nodded. "They have, though Papia will likely need to involve herself."

  I clenched my hand into a fist and pressed in against my forehead. How would my father react to this? Whatever he did meant severe brain damage if the boy was still unconscious. Enough to leave noticeable damage if not fatal, since apparently they needed a fourth circle healer.

  "I'll need to speak with Ethan then, won't I?" I sighed.

  "It seems so, my lord."

  "Do your duties for the day allow a bit of a trip over to the pretentious codger?"

  "Always."

  I nodded. "And where is Enday currently?"

  "Lord Fen had the boy confined to his chambers. He is taking the brunt of the backlash until you're available to attend to the matter."

  "At least I can be proud of one of my progeny," I grumbled. "Go, I'll call on you for when we are to leave to meet with Ethan."

  Adon nodded and stood with a smooth grace, leaving my office like flair was just a matter of course. I stewed in silence, wondering how I was supposed to deal with this.

  The boy needed punishment, but there were too many politics involved for it to be that clear cut. Meaning I had to advocate for the idiot to the victim's father. Arguing why he didn't deserve a dose of Resdeth's Dream with a straight face was going to be a challenge.

  Could always renounce him from the family but...he was young, there was still hope.

  I pushed my chair back and got to my feet, pushing a bit of mana to let a refreshing breeze caress my face. The slight invigoration was enough to get me out the door and into the hall with something of a dignified countenance.

  Servants loved to gossip after all.

  Plenty gave short bows as I passed, returning to whatever it was they were doing once I was far enough away. Always a small breath of relief after I was gone. It felt a bit isolating.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  The halls were long and I was weary.

  Anger was something to feel after the first couple dozen of incidents. At this point it would've been strange to waste my precious energy on futile indignation. Though this was the worst thing he'd done up to this point.

  Politically of course.

  I hadn't forgotten the peasant. Probably never would.

  Doubted he would either.

  I didn't bother with politeness, pushing the door open with a gust of wind once I reached his room. My eyes found him on his worktable tinkering with strange trinkets with all the jolly of someone who hadn't caused a political quagmire.

  I stepped forward, stopping just behind the boy. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

  "Hello to you too, father," he said while examining a metal pendant with a prism shape, I could feel the slight hint of an enchantment, but didn't bother deciphering what it was. "You know doors have locks right? And that they tend to break when you do your fancy magic? Pretty rude to the servants considering they're the ones that end up fixing it."

  My eyes darkened, and I let my Authority drown the room to convey how I felt about that.

  Enday struggled, but he'd had plenty of practice over the years and could put on a brave face. I reigned in my power once I was satisfied. "Do you find pleasure in uttering such disrespect? I fail to see how any of the foolishness that escapes your tongue is meant to serve you."

  Enday chuckled before finally turning towards me.

  "That's your problem, you know that? Always seeing things as transactional, even simple words."

  "Because everything is transactional in our world."

  Enday shrugged. "Doesn't have to be, we've got plenty enough power where we can avoid being snobs."

  "Is that why you beat a magister's son into a coma?" I raised a brow. "Because you believe yourself to be above basic decency?"

  "Sure!" the boy chirped.

  I took a deep breath, followed by a slow sigh. "Are you not going to tell me why you decided to toss me into a swamp of politics at this specific time?"

  "Would it matter?"

  I rubbed at my eyes, trying to banish the migraine onsetting from this conversation.

  "No. I will discuss with Lord Koma what punishment would befit what you've done. Until then you are not to leave this room, is that understood?"

  Enday scoffed. "Sure thing! Looking forward to it."

  Give a polite smile, careful not to show any teeth as I covered my my mouth with a hand to let out a dainty giggle. Now would've been the part where I'd give a flirtatious bat of the lashes, but thankfully the dullard was too busy talking up his little slice of nowhere to notice the lack of humour in my eyes.

  Politics was a lot like a game, at least that was how father framed it to try and make it seem appealing.

  A game that Rothkar, son of Veilo, Knight's apprentice of the Red Wardens, was exceptionally bad at.

  "You flatter me, princess." Rothkar smiled. "I am but a humble squire, to even dream of such an achievement is a privilege reserved for the Weeping Order."

  Too verbose without any substance where it mattered, who coached this idiot?

  I giggled something slight, contrary to my internal monologue, and waved him off with a playful gesture. "Flattery is just another form of endearment, wouldn't you say? If my father finds you noteworthy, then surely the title of Grand Knight is only a matter of patience."

  A light red flushed his cheeks and he nodded, breaking eye contact to look at the table. If he was pretending I would've been impressed, but the boy was too sheltered to deceive my eyes.

  A true shy boy. I knew a few noble daughters that would eat him whole.

  An entertaining thought, but not worth the hassle.

  "So...will you speak to his grace about the farms?" he said.

  Too stiff.

  I almost broke and let out a sigh.

  "Of course, my friend. But my father is quite busy with all the responsibilities that come with his position, so I cannot guarantee he'll be able to allocate the necessary hands to compensate for the rampage of a runaway drake."

  I expected his shoulders to droop. That was a clear refusal on my part, but instead he beamed at me. "My gratitude, princess! All I ask is for our plight to reach his ears."

  The rest of it all was just inane chatter that I didn't care to recall, waiting until it was polite to excuse myself from this silly meeting and go along with my day. It took longer than I expected, but I was patient, and eventually I walked through the palace halls with just my servant to accompany me.

  This time I did let out a sigh. "The idiocy of rural nobility never ceases to amaze."

  "At least he was cute," Laira chuckled. "I'm sure those dreamy eyes made it at least a bit bearable, and his muscles! You're lucky he's to be assigned to your retinue once he bonds with a soul stone."

  "Looks mean nothing if they're a dullard."

  "Oh, don't be like that! He could make for quite the dashing fairy tale hero."

  "The fae would sooner eat his heart than make a saga under his name," I scoffed.

  She shrugged. "Still, you have to admit that it's admirable he'd want to lighten the burden on his people. Most just try to woe you."

  I turned to scowl at Laira. "You know as well as I that drakes are fiercely loyal, and would require a special kind of scum to go feral."

  "The shortcomings of his father don't necessarily reflect his character."

  I rolled my eyes and continued my walk through the palace halls. The meeting chamber was inconveniently far from both my office and chambers, which certainly didn't help with any sort of impression I might've had for visitors looking to waste my time.

  I carried myself with dignity, as a good royal should, and headed towards my office.

  There wouldn't be much for me to do. I was a child after all, but magic lessons had been postponed as Archmage Domin went off to complete whatever quest my father had put him on. I had long since outgrown the need for regular visits from tutors of the mundane variety, so I often had little to do.

  I thought I would've been able to do some self study in the interim where I actually had free time, but ever the thoughtful king, father took the opportunity to start having me deal with domestic issues. Mostly a lot of paperwork. Too much paperwork.

  It'd all be reviewed by someone assigned to the pertinent position, so my input was pointless, but I was expected to provide something of value to Yesnia, and apparently awakening to magic wasn't impressive enough.

  "Fetch me a few biscuits won't you? As well as a pot of tea."

  Laira bowed with altogether too many theatrics. "Of course, my lady."

  I scowled at how she intoned the words and opened the door to my office, walking over to take a seat at my desk and started going over the petty list I was assigned.

  Civil disputes mostly, not to decide fault, but to allocate proper compensation to the aggrieved.

  Sometimes the complaints would elicit a chuckle, but mostly it was just boring.

  Laira returned with the requested biscuits and tea, setting them down beside me and standing at a respectful distance as I went about my business.

  Hours of work produced a bit of a headache, one that I was tempted to dispel with mana. But no, that was a guarantee to shackle myself to a lesser concept. I had to exercise restraint until I could wield the magic the royal line was vaunted for.

  Patience was key, and I had plenty.