Summer Jams 4: Tres Arcos - Part II

“This is just a casual match, you said,” Ilyana huffed as she stood with her legs akimbo and her hands on her waist.  “No one is taking it seriously, you said.  Well, what do you call that!?”  She waved her hands towards the massive sign that was held up across the stadium, by at least three rows of people.

In burgundy with white letters selling out ‘Escuela Ecuestre del Sur’, the sign was proudly held by what appeared to be people of all ages, making Tori wonder if they were all students and alumni, or were legitimate guests who were made to hold a sign.

“They have spirit, but spirit doesn’t make this an official match,” Tori replied as she patted Ilyana’s shoulder and led her towards a suitable seating area.  Due to the special event, the arena had open seating.

“Auntie Ilyana, I don’t think they’re all here to support the Riding School,” Robert said as he carefully climbed up the worn stone steps of the ancient arena turned equestrian performance center.  “The seating areas aren’t filled and it’s strange that there is such a large congregation of people in that one area.  It is very possible that the Riding School collected guests and led them in one area in order to make it seem as if they have many supporters.”

Ilyana smiled fondly at the boy and reached out to touch his head.  “I know you’re trying to make me feel better, but I really do hope you’re right.”

“That’s not fair that they have a sign!” Fiona said as she took laborious steps up to a shaded area to sit.  Her little face was already red.  Nanny Rey hovered behind her in case she fell, as the steps were taller than normal, even for adults.

Kasen was right beside Robert, making sure he could get up the stairs without losing his balance, as the stones were worn from wear and weather.  Robert had improved his agility with a prosthetic leg, but he’d recently gotten a new one as he was growing.  As he sat down in the row in front of Tori, she studied him carefully and felt her heart ache a bit.

When they first met him, he’d been so thin and weak.  He looked younger than his age, but now, with a steady supply of nourishing food, a comfortable place to rest and sleep, and the careful eye of their family, he looked like a proper nine-year-old.  The more she watched him, the more he either imitated or naturally picked up some of Kasen’s mannerisms.

“Fifi, sit here,” Robert said as he took out a cushion from his drawstring backpack.  His little sister shuffled over and sat down on the cushion he’d placed on the seat next to him.

“Climbing stairs is hard.”  Fiona wrinkled her nose as her brother patted her face with a damp cloth that Kasen poured some cool water on to.  “It’s still morning and it’s hot.”

“It’s a little cooler than it is in Presidio,” Kasen told her.

“Robi....”  Fiona tugged on her brother’s arm, and he reached into his drawstring bag and took out a prepared charm.  He charged it and handed it to her.  Even from behind them, Tori could feel the faint, cool breeze that circled Fiona.  “Ah....”  Fiona relaxed in her seat and looked at her brother with a toothy smile that revealed her one missing tooth.  “Robi is the best brother.”

“As long as you are happy,” Robert said as he continued to wipe the sweat from her face.

Nanny Rey chuckled from Fiona’s other side.  “Lord Kasen was like this to my lady when my lady was small, too.  Such a good brother.”

“I only have one sister.”  Both Kasen and Robert spoke up and the father and son looked at each other, surprised.

Kasen’s lips pulled into a proud smile, and he stroked Robert’s hair back.  “My son is naturally a good brother.”  Robert craned his head up, happy to accept the praise and affection.

Fiona leaned forward.  “Daddy, I am good, too.”

“Of course, of course.  Our Fifi is very good.”  Placated, Fiona nodded her head with satisfaction.

“While I know this was impromptu, I still wish we had a sign, too,” Albert said from where he sat behind Tori, Ilyana, and Henrik with Ewan and Constantine.

“If we knew yesterday, we could’ve gone to town and bought some supplies,” Constantine said.  He let out a disappointed sigh.  “Unfortunately, none of us foresaw needing a sign.”

Tori snickered.  “If we had paint, we could write letters to spell their names on your chest.”

Albert and Ewan seemed to freeze before their eyes widened and they shot to their feet, reaching for the bottoms of their tunics.

“Don’t!” Henrik stopped them before they had a chance to remove their shirts.  Tori let out a relieved sigh.  “We don’t have enough bodies to spell both their names with one letter per person.” Tori pursed her lips.  That wasn’t what she was concerned about.

“Yes, we do,” Ewan said.  If they were writing the characters for JP and Sonia’s names one per person, then they technically had enough people.  Ewan wasn’t wrong.

Henrik gave him a deadpan look.  “You want Tori and Ilyana to take off their shirts?”

Ewan froze, paled, and slowly sat back down.  “Never mind.”  His voice got quieter.  “Don’t tell His Imperial Highness.”

Ilyana shook her head at him.

Constantine rubbed his chin and furrowed his brows, seemingly in thought about how to cheer on their friends.  A flicker of enlightenment crossed his face.  “If we can’t give them a large visual encouragement, what if we drown out the voices of the other side?”

Tori perked up.  That wouldn’t be difficult with crystals.  Then, her shoulders immediately felt.  Her grounding was still crap and she was prohibited from doing so unless absolutely necessary.

“That’s do-able.”  Her brother spoke up and she jerked her head towards him.   “Robi, this is a good exercise for you.  What kind of charm can you make to amplify our voices?”

Everything was a learning experience.  Robert shuffled through his drawstring bag once more and took out a few blank charms and a thick pencil.  He removed a little wax cap from the tip and stared at the paper for a while before writing.

Tori craned her neck forward to see.  Robert’s handwriting had improved and his placement of characters to program the charm was smoother.  Inexperienced charm-makers were often sloppy and the placement of Old Sulfae didn’t follow the most efficient format.  Even for experienced charm-makers, sometimes they weren’t sure where to place characters to get the desired effect, and so it became trial and error.

“Robi, if you’re interested in programming crystals, you’re welcome to join CrysTech one day,” Henrik said.  Tori elbowed him.  “He has talent!”

“He worked hard, too!” both she and Ilyana said.  They didn’t want to downplay Robert’s hard work.  After all, the reason Robert’s charm was done so well was because of practice.

Still, there was undisguised pride and approval on Kasen’s face as he watched Robert finish his charm.  The boy looked at it once more with a critical gaze and then looked at his father.

“Daddy, what do you think?”

“It’s good, but the more detailed, the more time consuming to write and the more energy to charge,” he said.  Kasen motioned to the others.  “You’ll have to make several of them.”

Robert furrowed his brows and his lips tightened into a determined line.  “I still have time!”  He charged the charm and then gave it to his sister before starting on another one.

Tori wanted to help, but charging them also required some grounding, and she didn’t want to interfere in Robert’s exercise.  He handed one to each person after charging them, but even after they all received one, he kept writing.

Ilyana tilted her head to the side.  “Why are you making more?”

“For the knights!” Robert said as he stuck out his tongue in concentration.  “The more voices, the better!”

Everyone’s eyes widened.  There were a dozen Guevera knights with them and four imperial knights who were to guard Tori.  That made sixteen additional voices and every voice counted.

“That is a good strategy, Young Master,” Sir Javier said with a nod.  “We are happy to cheer for Mr. JP and Miss Sonia.”

“My lady, perhaps we should also do a chant?” Sir Dassler suggested as he looked towards Tori.

“Yes, a chant would keep us all together, so our voices have a stronger effect,” Tori said as she narrowed her eyes.  “Let’s keep it simple.  JP, stomp your feet twice, Sonia, stomp your feet twice, Lycée du Soleil, ride, fly, win.”  In the common language, it sounded a bit smoother and the beat was there, so they settled with that.

The Guevera knights, in addition to their swords, also had spears on them, and it was decided that they were already standing around the group and could slam their spears down instead of stomping their feet.  Coordination was necessary.

Before they activated and used the charms, Tori led them through the chant to practice.  Everyone had to stand and no one looked as ready to scream like Fiona.

“One, two-”

“JP!”

“Okay, calm down, Fifi.  Pull it back.  Pull it back.  We’re just practicing,” Tori said.  Fiona blushed, but nodded.

Just as they finished practicing two sets, the drums began and in the center ring, where the horses had performed the day before, there was a wooden stage and a man in a riding uniform from the performance arrived.

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to the Arena de los Arcos!  Today, we have a special competition!  Two of our top alumni equestrians will race the reigning champions of the Spring Three-Day Riding Competition in a cross-country race through our beloved Tres Arcos Vista Trail.”

“I’m getting excited,” Albert whispered to the group.

“You were too excited before,” Ilyana whispered back.

“We’ll only see them when they come in and it starts, and then when they return,” Tori said, recalling the long period of waiting during the Spring Three-Day, where they sat around and ate.

“Not necessarily, my lady,” one of the knights told her.  “The Tres Arcos Vista Trail can be seen from here.  The trail goes around the coast, down to the trail by the beach, up the mountain in the distance, around the old fortress, and back.  That is why there is only seating on one side of the arena; the open side is for the view.”

He moved his hand forward, drawing their attention to the hard packed dirt trail that was indeed visible for the most part.  Except for a few trees and occasional structures, they could follow the race from their seats.

“Well, at least we can watch.  That’ll be more interesting than waiting around and eating,” Henrik said.

“Does that mean we can’t eat the food we brought?” Ewan asked hesitantly.  He, Albert, and Constantine had been carrying heating boxes and one cold box.

“We can eat, Ewan,” Tori assured him.  “Let’s just wait until they’re further away and can’t hear cheering anymore.”

The host below making the announcement drew his speech to a close and then signaled the gates to be open.  One gate opened up to the trial and the other was across the arena, where four equestrians sat on four horses, two of which were white.

Shouting came from the other side of the arena stands as the massive banner was waved.  Tori and Fiona both sneered.  “No rhythm.”

“Stand!” Ilyana shot up to her feet.   “Activate the charms and ready the chant!”

“One!  Two!”  Tori took a deep breath and clutched her charm.

She didn’t hear any more noise from the opposing party.   The only sounds around her were her friends’ names, her school, and the loud, vibrating thuds of stomps and spears hitting the ground at once.

They repeated the chant over and over, and Tori looked to see if the other side had a reaction.  There was some confusion and surprise.  How could about two dozen people make so much noise?

The four riders paraded around the arena, as was customary, and when JP and Sonia passed their section, they waved.  Tori squinted.  Did the two always bring riding uniforms?  They looked more ready for a race than she thought.  The two were usually so laid back, unless they were in the middle of a competition.

As JP and Sonia, and the Riding School riders, finished their circle, they were introduced to the crowds.  When JP and Sonia’s names were said, Tori had the group say their names and then stomp twice.

The desired effect of cheering on their friends and surprising the opponents was achieved.

The arena quieted down and the countdown began.  Tori held her breath.  JP and Sonia had followed the outline trail only twice yesterday.  Once with an instructor from the Riding School and a second time afterwards.  Tori hoped they wouldn’t get lost along the way.

A drum sounded and the four horses shot across the arena.  Tori led her friends into another few rounds of the chant, until JP and Sonia had gone well past hearing range.

“They’re behind!” Albert gasped.

“In the past competitions, they’d always remained at the head of the pack,” Henrik said with a frown.

Ewan narrowed his eyes, watching their friends carefully.  After a while, he shook his head.  “No, they’re keeping a steady distance behind.  Neither closing nor opening their distance,” he said as he watched the riders move along.  It was easy to tell who JP and Sonia were, as Nuage and Ciel Noir were white.  The other two horses were brown with black points.

“Ewan, this isn’t a sword fight....” Ilyana sighed.

“His words don’t match, but he’s right,” Kasen said.  “That’s a good observation, Ewan.  Why is that?”

Ewan furrowed his brows as he tried to put his thoughts into words.  “JP and Sonia only went through the course twice.  It’s a very long course, and they likely don’t know the full layout after only seeing it twice.  It’s easy to get lost.”

“They’re following the other riders!” Constantine’s face lit up.  “So, they don’t take a wrong turn or go the wrong way, they’ll follow the experienced riders.”

Kasen nodded.  “They won’t try to overtake until they’re close to the arena at the end.”

“Auntie Sonia and Uncle JP are smart,” Fiona said.  She scrunched her face. “Maybe I didn’t need to do that blessing dance at breakfast?”

“I am sure that all blessings helped,” Tori said, stroking her head gently.

The group settled down and relaxed a bit.  They started to sort out food and Kasen made some calls as they waited.

“My lady, my lord,” one of the knights had been watching the race carefully with a spyglass as they ate and waited.  He lowered it and looked towards them.  “They’re coming back.”

“How close?” Henrik asked as he stood up.

“They’re cutting back through the trail by the cliff.  You can see them approaching.”  He offered the spyglass and Kasen took it.  He peered through, then passed it on.

When it got to Albert, his shoulders shrank.  “They know the way back now.  Why are they still behind?”

“Maybe they’re waiting until the last minute to exert all their energy?” Constantine offered, though he sounded a bit nervous.

Tori was almost certain that was the case.  She squinted and could make out the four horses approaching.  Kasen had requested that the trail be kept clear for this unofficial race, as both people and riders often took the trail to take in the scenic views.  They didn’t need to be held up or run into unsuspecting hikers.

The entrances to the trail were sealed off for the morning and impromptu signs were placed.  In formal events, there would be witnesses dotting the course, but there wasn’t enough time to arrange all of that.

It was probably another reason JP and Sonia fell back; they couldn’t be accused of taking a different direction and cheating by taking a shortcut if they followed the other riders.

“They’re getting close,” Ilyana said.  “When will they start to close distance?”

“Likely when there is a clear path directly to the arena and they are fully visible,” Kasen replied.  He lifted up Fiona, who was jumping on her seat, but unable to look past everyone’s head.  Kasen put her on his shoulders and grabbed onto the top of his head.

“Daddy, I see them!  Run faster, Ciel Noir!  Nuage!” She kicked her little legs and tugged at Kasen’s hair.  He winced.

“Ow, Fifi, you’re kicking me.”

“Sorry, Daddy!”

Tori chewed on her lower lip and hooked arms with Ilyana as the two squeezed together to try to calm themselves down.  The white horses grew larger as they emerged from the beneath the trail that was shrouded with trees.  From then on, it was a straight trail back to the arena and the finish line was where they’d started.

Ilyana took in a sharp breath and squeezed Tori.  “They’re closing the gap!  They’re closing the gap!”

Tori couldn’t bring herself to speak.  Her heart was racing as she watched Ciel Noir and Nuage steadily shrinking the distance between them and the other two horses.  The two horses in front stayed close together, trying to block Ciel Noir and Nuage from passing.

They couldn’t hear what was being said nor really see the expressions of the riders, but suddenly, one of the twins shot to the left and with a sudden burst of speed fell into pace with the two leading horses.

Tori could hear shouting coming from the other side of the arena as their own small group yelled their encouragement.

The two riders from the other school tried to pin one of the twins back by getting in front while the other remained at one side.  It left an opening on the trail, and the other twin zoomed past without any hindrance, taking the lead at once.

She and Ilyana screamed with excitement, grabbing each other’s arms, and jumping up and down.  The two opponents tried to race forward to catch up with, from what Tori could make out, Sonia in the lead.

As they struggled to catch up, JP and Nuage seemed to leap to the outside and race around the two horses to catch up with Sonia and play defense by blocking the other two riders from catching up with her.

It didn’t matter which one of them would win, as long as one of them did.

“We’re going to win!  We’re going to win!” Robert threw his arms in the air excitedly.

“Wait, what is that!”  Albert shouted and pointed to the path.  A small group of horses was crossing the path.  There were about a dozen of them, some with bridles and some not, and they slowed as they came to the intersection between a path and the trail turned race course. “No, no, no!”

“They’re so close!” Ilyana screamed and looked around frantically.  “Isn’t there someone who can move them?”

Kasen frowned.  “How did they get on to the trail in the first place?”

“It’s a path crossing the trail to get to the path to the beach, though.  Why did those horses just stop right there?” Tori narrowed her eyes.  Something was suspicious.

“Can’t they go around?” Robert asked nervously as he grabbed his father’s arm. “Would that be cheating?”

“If the horses don’t keep moving, then all four of them will be forced to stop and they could lose momentum,” Kasen replied.

“This has to be a plot!” Henrik scowled.  “How could a herd of horses suddenly appear on the trail and stop in the middle of it.  They’re not sheep!”

“You think someone let them out on purpose?” Ewan asked with wide eyes.

“Maybe we can inform someone!”  Constantine and Ewan rushed to the aisles.  Tori looked towards the other side of the arena and at the group of riders waiting within the inner ring of the arena.  Her eyes narrowed; none of them seemed to move or show any sign of distress that random horses had suddenly spawned to block the trail.  She didn’t think informing someone would work.

She turned back to the trail and grit her teeth.  If no one cleared the trail, then all the riders would have to stop, and the entire race would’ve been for nothing.  Where’s a hero when you need one?

“Layla!” Fiona shouted from her father’s shoulders and pointed.

A gorgeous black horse seemed to fly from the front of the arena, where the guest corral where they’d put her was, and where the path to the beach started.  She was snorting and stomping her front hooves as she stormed forward.  Her reins were flying around as she circled around the edge of the herd, standing on her hind legs and making kicks.

Tori’s eyes widened.  When she first laid eyes on Layla, she’d been herding other horses away and asserting her dominance.  Not a wild horse in that corral had been willing to go against her Layla.

“That’s right, baby!  Move them out of the way!” Tori shouted.  “You’re a Guevera, Layla!”

“We do not yield!” Robert, Fiona, and Kasen’s voices all joined hers as they yelled their family motto simultaneously.

She didn’t know if Layla could hear them, but her horse did not yield.  Her snorting, stomping, even shoving against the horses who were blocking the way was having the desired result.  Layla bullied the trail clear and let out a loud neigh as she blocked the path to keep the horses from getting back on the trail. She held her ground, moving back and forth as if to make sure that none of the horses dared return to the trial.

Neighs were heard as the two white horses swept past her followed by two more riders.  Sonia entered the arena first with JP at her tail, followed by the two other riders.

The arena exploded with noise to cheer on them on the final stretch.  Tori couldn’t even tell if they were chanting or just screaming into the void.

The twins were ahead, bodies low to their horses, leaning forward.  Sonia let go of the reins with her right hand, but kept her arm against her body as she made a little ‘come on’ wave with her hand towards her brother.  JP seemed to press lower and Nuage sped up, coming up beside Ciel Noir.

They couldn’t tell which of the twins came first, only that they won by an entire horse’s length.

They jumped up and down on the stands, yelling and screaming, as the twins slowed their horses to come to a rest.  Tori caught her brother giving the knights a small nod, and two of them headed down to the arena floor.

“Can we go down, too?” Ewan asked excited.

“We have the carrots for Nuage and Ciel Noir.  We should reward them!” Robert said earnestly.

“Pack up first.  Don’t leave anything behind,” Kasen told the group.  In their excitement, a few things had fallen on the ground.  As Tori bent down to pick up some trash, she heard some yelling from below.

“Whose horse is this!?”

She knew the answer before she looked up.  Layla seemed to strut in from the gate that led to the trail course, as if she owned the arena.  Anyone who came near her was faced with a snort and threatening lowered head.

“Tori.”  Kasen looked towards her.

“I’m going, I’m going!” Tori scrambled to get to the arena grounds before Layla hurt someone.  As she neared the ramp that led down to the ring, she called out to her horse.  “Layla, my baby!”

Layla’s ears perked up and trotted over, head held high.

“My lady, she is your horse?” someone asked in a choked voice as Tori grasped Layla’s rein and stroked her neck.

“Her name is Layla, it means ‘darkness’,” Tori said in a firm voice.  She looked over and narrowed her eyes.  “And it’s good she was able to clear the trail before the riders returned.  Who owns the horses that wandered off onto the trail?   Who has been keeping them?”
 Her angry questioning went unanswered; she didn’t expect anyone to admit it.  Even if it had been an accident, who’d want to take the blame?

She made her way over to where JP and Sonia were getting off their horses.  The two knights had arrived to aid with the care of Ciel Noir and Nuage, as well.

“Good job!” Tori shouted.  “Nice display of teamwork.”

“If we can’t work well together, why bother being twins?” JP said with a grin.

“Layla, thank you for your help!” Sonia patted Layla’s neck affectionately.  “So smart!”  Layla chuffed, as if agreeing.  She then turned her neck and reached out to rub her head against her buddies, Ciel Noir and Nuage.

“I don’t know how she escaped the corral at the front of the arena,” Tori said with a furrowed brow.

“I don’t know how she knew to clear the trail, but she did!” Sonia continued to pat Layla’s neck.  “All your animals are smart.  Maybe Layla is some sort of Declyan Temple horse?”

“That’s not a thing.” JP rolled his eyes.

Tori looked around and found that Mr. Martinez, who’d challenged the twins to a race in the first place, was speaking to the two riders.

“Those two came in just behind us at the last Spring Three-Day,” Sonia said as she followed Tori’s gaze.

JP took a deep breath.  “They’re our age and it was their last empire-wide competition.”

“Everyone wants to end at their peak,” Tori told them.  She narrowed her eyes.  “Is it not customary for them to come and congratulate you?”

Sonia snorted and crossed her arms.  “I bet they’re trying to think of a reason to deny us the win.”

The trio stared at the back of Mr. Martinez’s head as he spoke rapidly with the two riders.  They were pointing towards the gate where they’d come in from the trail.  Mr. Martinez’s tanned face reddened, and he whirled around.

“This time didn’t count!”

“I knew it,” JP and Sonia both said at the same time.

JP rolled his eyes and raised a brow.  “What’s your excuse for losing this time?”

“There is no excuse!  We didn’t lose!” Mr. Martinez said with the two riders following behind him.

“You came in behind us; is that not losing?” JP asked, unable to hold back the mocking tone.

“There was a problem with the course!  Did you not see the horses that suddenly appeared-”

“About that,” Tori said with a frown.  “How did those horses get loose?  There aren’t any wild horses in this area and some of them still had bridles on.”

“And why didn’t anyone rush to move them out of the way?” Constantine’s voice reached them.  The group approached, with Fiona dragging Kasen to the horses to feed them carrots for a job well done.  The others were watching the argument unfold.

“It’s a bit strange that as soon as JP and Sonia were able to take the lead, a herd of horses came to block the trail.  They should’ve been cleared out immediately, but no one came,” Henrik said with a frown as he slid his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

“If Layla didn’t come to force them out of the way, all four riders would’ve been forced to stop, but they were pushed out of the trail well before the riders reached them,” Tori said.

“My lady, such an occurrence was an accident, and it worried the riders, causing them to slow down-”

“They weren’t slowing down when the horses first got in the way,” Ilyana said with narrowed eyes.

“And even if they did, Sonia and JP did not and took the risk of maintaining their speed to win,” Tori said.

“I don’t care if you think we didn’t win.  We don’t have time to do another race.”  JP’s lips pulled into a small frown.  “We’ve already wasted our morning humoring you when we’re here to enjoy our time with our friends.”

“We had to push back our aquarium visit so we could review the trail!” Sonia added with a frown.

“We humored you once and we’re not going to keep doing it until you’re satisfied.  We don’t owe you anything and the fact that none of you did anything with the horses blocked when they blocked the trial, when Sonia and I were leading, tells me that no matter how many times we race, you’ll find some way to complain or make an excuse,” JP said.  “Deal with the fact that my sister and I won and if you can’t accept it....”  He trailed off, seemingly unable to think of what else to say.

“Then die mad about it.”  Tori covered for him, and JP nodded.

“Yes!  Die mad about it!”  Fiona’s little voice echoed her from where Kasen was holding her up to feed Nuage a carrot.

“Fifi, don’t copy your aunt....” Henrik sighed.

“You have excellent riders, but JP and I happen to be a little better,” Sonia said as she took Ciel Noir’s reins from one of the knights.  “Let’s go.  I want to try that place that has the fish sauce Ewan said was good.”

The group turned to leave and a man’s voice rang out.

“The Riding School’s students have decreased in quality since you left,” the smooth, calm voice said.  “You should speak to your cousin about disciplining them about their conduct.”

“Great Uncle!” Robert was the first to call out to a tall man with long, curly black hair in a high ponytail.  A few shorter tendrils of black framed an angular face with a shadow of stubble.  Blue eyes swept over the group and looked fondly at the two children as he uncrossed his arms from his broad chest and reached out.

“Robi, Fifi!  Tori, welcome back!”

“Uncle Renzo, Uncle Rom.” Tori rushed forward to greet them.  She went to hug them as Fifi squirmed to be let down from her father’s arms to hug her great uncles.

Uncle Rom swept down to pick up Fiona and turned to Mr. Martinez.  “To challenge for the sake of ego is a shame to La Escuela,” he said in a chiding voice.  “Simply because you are not satisfied with the results does not mean you can demand a rematch!  They were under no obligation to do so, yet they acquiesced, and you still find fault?”

“Lord Bettencourt-”

“He’s my husband and a Guevera.  You will address him Lt. Commander Guevera,” Uncle Renzo said in a firm voice as he patted Robert’s head.

“We will be speaking to Headmaster Arredondo and Director Gomez about what happened here,” Uncle Rom told them with narrowed eyes.  “You are the best riders in Sur.  You will act like it.”

★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★

Lorenzo de Guevera was the youngest of Gramp’s children, and actually Auntie Lucia’s younger twin brother.  Tori’s father was several years older than them.  Uncle Renzo, as Tori knew to call him, was the playful type under normal circumstances, but serious and stoic when working.

He looked like a slightly younger, slimmer, and hipper version of her father and certainly acted like it around them.  Tori didn’t recall seeing him not joking and laughing.  He and Uncle Rom were stationed at a nearby fortress and had made plans to visit while Tori and the children were there, and Kasen had told them about the race, so they came to see that.

Uncle Rom was decidedly displeased about the way the school he graduated from was acting.

“I won that tournament two years in a row my last two years at the school, and won the cross-country all four years,” Uncle Rom told them in a heated voice over lunch.  “If they trained well enough, they would be prepared well for the courses in Horizon!”

“You said the courses there are smoother and better kept than courses here,” Uncle Renzo said.

Tori’s brows shot up.  If that were the case, then JP and Sonia did even more of a phenomenal job than they initially thought.

“They are!” Uncle Rom said, slapping the table.  He looked towards JP and Sonia.  “I apologize for school, JP, Sonia.  This was unexpected and I am ashamed of their conduct.”

“No, no!”  The two quickly brushed off the apology.  “It wasn’t your fault, sir.”

“Regardless, this is not the decorum of the school....”  Uncle Rom shook his head, disappointed.

“You can’t always control the will others, Mr. Strategist,” Uncle Renzo said as he pushed his dessert to Fiona.

“Uncle, that’s too many sweets for her,” Kasen protested. “She already had one.”

“I will share it with Auntie Tori!” Fiona took a fork and carefully cut the small round flan in half.  “See?”

“Thank you, Fifi.” Tori took her spoon and dug into it, smiling with Fiona as they savored their meal.

“What are your plans after this?” Uncle Renzo asked as he leaned back against his chair with one arm around Uncle Rom’s.  “I doubt taking a relaxing ride down the vista trail is an option.”

“We’re going to the aquarium, then have dinner plans.  Tomorrow, we relax a bit more at the resort.  We’ll leave for Presidio the next day,” Tori said.

Uncle Renzo let out a frustrated sigh.  “If I had known you were going to relax at the resort tomorrow, we would’ve come tomorrow.  Kasen, let us know next time.”

“My apologies, Uncle.”

“Can you not take additional time away?” Tori asked.

Her uncle gave her a gentle look.  “Unfortunately, no.  It was a challenge just to get a day off today to come.  We have a lot of work to do, you know.”

Tori smiled and nodded.  “Thank you for coming to see us.”

“Of course, of course.”  He touched her head and his eyes lit up.  “By the way...I heard you got a new ship?”

Tori’s eyes squinted.  She let out a heavy sigh.  “Do you want to see, Uncle?”

Uncle Renzo’s determination to see her ship was stronger than she thought, and they came with the group to the aquarium before having dinner and then going back to the resort with them to see Tori’s ship.  While everyone else remained at the resort to relax, Tori walked them through For Whom the Sun Rises.

Uncle Renzo was privy to the crystals and ship building project, as he was one of the top people that the Sur navy reported to and discussed crystal steam powered ships with Eili and Siobhan.  He let out a long whistle as ran his hand along the interior corridor of the ship.

“This is as big as Sur Oro...a little larger, I think,” he said as he looked around.  Tori showed them her quarters.  “The cabin isn’t as large as the Marquis cabin on Sur Oro, but you said it has more passenger room.”

Tori nodded.  “Yes, I don’t need a lot of room, but I do want to be able to travel with people,” she said.  “What do you think, Uncle?  At cruising speed, it can take us from Karap to here almost overnight.”

His eyes were wide as he nodded.  “This is amazing...Tori....”  He looked at her and laughed, putting his hands on the sides of her head.  “What is going on in your head that led to this?  Probably from Antonia.”

Tori snorted.  “I only put forth the ideas.  The engineers, builders, and Master Ramos did most of the work.”

“Without considering the possibility, what is existence?” Uncle Rom said as nodded, satisfied with the ship.  “I am excited to see how the advancements in ship building will go from here.”

Uncle Renzo snorted. “No one is as excited as Eili.”

She saw her uncles off with Kasen, as they had to return to the fortress.  Before he mounted his horse, he took Tori’s hands and gave her a serious look.

“I know you want to do your blood born duty as a marquis daughter, Tori, but take more precaution next time you try to destroy a ten-thousand-man army.  You are a marquis' daughter, but you are also our Tori.”

She smiled and nodded.  “I will try, Uncle.”

He touched her head.  “You have done well.”

“Know your efforts did more than just save the second prince,” Uncle Rom said with a slight smirk.  “The information we gathered...very useful.”

Tori lifted her chest and nodded with pride.  “For the premier strategist in the empire to say that, I’m afraid it makes me feel like I did more than I actually did.”

They all chuckled and she embraced them one last time before mounted and rode off.  Kasen stood with her as they watched the two men ride away into the darkness.

“Piers reached out to Uncle Rom himself to ask him to assist in reviewing the information we’ve gathered to begin looking for prospective locations of where additional infiltrators may be,” he told her in a low voice that was almost unheard.  “The eastern border also has some plans.”

Tori kept her eyes ahead of her.  She knew of something else.  “The Hong Empire is angry.” Kasen turned his head to look at her and raised a brow.  She turned her head towards him and smiled.  “I had lunch with Ambassador Wu at Isle du Rois before I left.  A few months ago, I told him we found some spice smugglers at the border and that they should also be wary as it could cause problems for their merchants.  He told me at our lunch that they found secret paths with smugglers on their northwestern borders and have informed Varsha, their closest trading partner, to check their borders with the federation, as well.  The Emperor of Hong was furious.”

Kasen’s eyes widened.  “Did they find an army?”

“Who knows,” Tori said.  She turned around and clasped her hands behind her back.  She smiled to herself.  “But if they do, Soleil isn’t the only country the Duraga Federation has to worry about.”

Kasen sped up to catch up with her.  “Does Piers know?”

“I told him before we left.  He should be in contact now.”

Her brother gave her a curious look.  “Did you know they’d find evidence of infiltration and smuggling?”

Tori shook her head.  “No, but it wouldn’t hurt to check.  If they did, then that would be a blow to the Duraga Federation.”  She narrowed her eyes.  “They’ve been causing a lot of problems for me, Kasey.  And I am, if nothing else, a very petty woman.”

★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★

“What are you doing?”

Piers didn’t look up at the sound of Axton’s voice  from the entrance to his office in the imperial palace.  He continued to separate the folios on his desk in a system that prioritized what he would get started on first in the morning while those that required more information were filed on a metal folder rack to one corner.

“I am putting my papers in order for tomorrow,” he replied.  Once his papers were just the way he liked it, he moved on to methodologically putting away his inks and pens. He’d written a lot of formal documents to the Hong Empire and Varsha recently regarding ‘spice smuggling’.

Axton stood by the door; his eyes slowly narrowed.  “I can see that...but....” His gray eyes glanced towards the large windows on either side of Piers’ desk.  “It’s still daylight.”

“The days are longer in the summer.”

Axton’s lips tightened into a line.  “You never leave your office this early.”

“Tori says I need to maintain a reasonable work-life balance so as not to become fatigued.  Fatigue will negatively affect my work.”  While there was a lot of work to do, he didn’t want to risk a mistake with far reaching consequences.

He’d already been lax regarding monitoring Gideon, which played a part in their kidnapping.  The aftereffects of that were still being dealt with and he couldn’t afford another problem, no matter how small.  He needed to be at his best.

So, he decided to test routines of earlier finish times and sleep schedules, once a week each, to find out what worked well for him.

Tori had told him that as one aged, their needs did change, so he’d have to adjust later, but for now, having a reasonable schedule would allow him proper rest so he could focus.  Her words were very reasonable, though he knew that she didn’t often follow it herself.

Except for sleep.  Tori loved to sleep in.

Across the room, Axton’s face dropped.  “Who are you?”

Piers paused as he put his favorite pen into its wooden case and then gently closed the lid.  He glanced at Axton and frowned.  “What are you talking about?”

“A work-life balance?  Do you even know what that is?”

“Tori has explained it to me.”

“So, you’re going to do it?” Axton balked.  “I have been trying to get you to end earlier and rest, and you called me lazy.”

Piers didn’t stop putting away his things.  “You are lazy.  No other aide comes as late as you do, and no other aide begs to go home as early.”

Axton choked.  “I’d get in earlier if you let me go home earlier!”

“You live across the street at the Lunar Pavilion.”  Piers could see Axton’s apartment from the palace grounds.  Axton didn’t have to take a carriage, though he rode in Blue River so Blue River could eat and rest in the imperial palace’s stables.

“I have things to do other than run your errands,” Axton told him proudly.

“Such as?”

“Duchy things.”  Axton looked at him with a serious expression.  “Business...stuff.”

Piers locked his drawers and slipped the key, which was connected to a thin chain, back into his pocket.  He rounded the table.  “If you come early, you may leave at a regular time.”

“Like now you mean?” Axton gave him a suspicious look.

Piers thought for a moment.  “If I end my day at this time, then so can you.”  He was already at the palace, so there was no need for a personal knight to escort him around his own home.

As Crown Prince, he had plenty of security.  He also wanted to start weaning Axton from his personal knighthood so Axton could concentrate on running the Alvere Duchy.  Piers had yet to discuss it with Axton, but he hoped to relieve Axton of his duties in four years, when Albert conveniently graduated Université, and Piers could coerce him into becoming his aide.

Contrary to what the others thought, Albert was an exceptional aide.  He had a firm understanding of social etiquette, general policies, and imperial aide decorum.  He did his job thoroughly, in a surprisingly organized and efficient manner.  Other imperial aides rated him well in the intern exit surveys.

In addition, Albert only complained outside of work hours, unlike Axton, and when had reasonable concerns in regard to his workload, he addressed them formally at appropriate times.  His intuition on what to do, what was needed, and when was also a pleasant surprise, and Great Aunt Vivian had said that the entire Martin family was proficient with government work.  Albert had been raised around it and likely subconsciously picked it up.

Albert didn’t want to intern again and would like to try to avoid it, but Piers was confident that he could make him.

Piers walked past Axton.  “You are dismissed for the day.”

“Are you sure?” Axton said, his voice still laced with disbelief.  “If I leave now, I’m not coming back until morning.”

“I am tired of your face.”

He didn’t miss Axton’s irritated expression.  “Are you going to eat dinner?”

“Yes, Tori says nutritious, scheduled meals are necessary for a healthy routine.”

“Tori says a lot of things.”

“She is wiser than you.”

“Why are you even comparing her to me?” Axton threw his arms up.  He let out a heavy breath and tried to calm himself.  “Where are you going to eat?”

“The dining hall.  I have notified them of my dinner.”  Everyone in his family was busy and unless there was a scheduled family meal or event, they ate separately.

His Great Uncle and Great Aunt obviously ate at their own home.

His father would seek out his mother to eat dinner with her later, after he was done with work.

Gideon was in King’s Harbor and set to do three months’ worth of Naval Academy camp in preparation for officially starting in the fall.

And his Aunt Celine, Aunt Georgia, and Uncle Petir had gone to Viclya after his coronation and had yet to return, except for having dinner for Gideon’s birthday, and that had been months ago.

“I’ll join you for dinner.”

Piers frowned a bit, but was secretly pleased.  He was used to eating alone all his life because of his aversion to people.  If there was anyone he was eating at a table with, it was likely Axton.

In the past few years, he’d gotten used to eating in larger crowds with more people around him.  Still, getting used to it didn’t make him completely comfortable with the situation, nor did he enjoy it.  Even if he enjoyed the event, the social aspect still held discomfort and he had to put in effort.

He much preferred a meal with a small group in a private setting.  It was much more quiet, comfortable, and he could be at ease.

They went to a smaller dining hall used for informal meals and found that, though he had notified the kitchen of his dinner, there were two place settings.  It was obvious that they assumed Axton would be joining him, as he usually did.

“What’s being served today?” Axton said.  He took his usual seat across from Piers, looking quite at home to the point that Piers thought he was too comfortable.

“His Imperial Highness has requested a southern style roasted lamb shank with vegetables,” one of the servants said.

Axton’s brows rose.  “Perfect, I’m starving!”

“Did you not leave for lunch a few hours ago?”

“You know I eat a lot because I do a lot of physical movement,” Axton told him with a snort.

Piers narrowed his eyes.  Axton joined the knights in practice, but that was before lunch.  He didn’t say anything and waited for the food to be prepared.

“Be sure to arrive on time tomorrow.”

Axton waved his hand dismissively.  “What are you going to do after dinner?  The sun will just be setting, then.  Are you sure you won’t return to your office?”

“I am waiting for a call from Tori.”

Axton’s eyes narrowed.  “I knew it.”

“She has called me almost every night since her first year.  It is a habit,” Piers said.  His heart raced in anticipation.  In truth, he called her more often than not now-a-days, but as Tori’s schedule was inconsistent during her summer journey, he opted to wait for her call.  Some days it would be later than expected.  Some days, it would be earlier.

He wanted to be available when she called so he could focus on the conversation.  Sometimes, he’d hear Alexander in the background and speak to him.  The last few days, Fifi had chatted away.

He didn’t have any strong feelings about children.  As long as they were calm and didn’t scream or try to grab him, he didn’t usually pay them any mind.  Fifi and her brother were different.  Aside from being Senior Kasen’s children, he’d been around them more often than other children, with the exception of Marco and Mateo, who were older and more restrained to a degree.

What he particularly liked was that Fifi and Robi called him “Uncle Piers”.

It made him feel like he was already part of Tori’s family.  If he told Axton, he was sure Axton would remind him that Fifi and Robi called all of them Auntie or Uncle, but that didn’t matter.  Piers liked hearing that title from those two.

After dinner, Axton headed off and Piers went to his room.  Following Tori’s suggestion, he called for a bath to be prepared, then soaked for a few minutes.  The entire time, his comcry was nearby incase Tori called.

He waited and waited.

The sky grew dark.

Finally, as he laid in bed staring at the ceiling and willing himself not to sleep until she called, his comcry vibrated against his hand.  He flipped it open before looking at the name.

“Tori?”

“She hasn’t called you yet?” It was Master.

Disappointment swept over Piers, but he didn’t show it at all.  “Good evening, Master.  Good-bye.”

“Wait!” Master shouted to stop him, and Piers could almost see Tori’s eldest brother scowling at the comcry.  “I want to know if you got the investigation papers regarding Rosiek’s associates; the inn builder and that banker.”

It was a business call.  Piers frowned in disapproval.  He was supposed to be resting now, not doing work.

“I will discuss this with you in the morning.”
 “Not possible. I just got home and tomorrow morning is Papa-Baby time,” Master replied.  “Just tell me if you received it.”

“Received.  It will be reviewed in full tomorrow.”

“That’s all I needed to-”

Piers ended the call impatiently and held the comcry in his hand.  He hoped Tori didn’t call while Master was bothering him.  He sat on his bed, watching the dim crystal.

His eyes began to get dry.

The crystal lit up and ‘Victoria’ appeared on the crystal.  He slid his finger across.

“Are you resting now?” Tori’s voice was a mixture of concern and threatening, yet Piers felt his heart quicken.

“I am on my bed.”

“Good.  Go to sleep.”

Piers stared at his comcry.  That was all?  She wanted him to sleep?  But they had yet to talk.  He struggled to think of something to prolong the conversation.  “How was your day?”  Yes, that was perfect.

“We just arrived at the last inn before we get to Presidio.  We’ll arrive there tomorrow.”

“That’s good....”  He was quiet as Tori continued to speak, telling him about her day and what everyone was doing.  Fifi was already asleep, and she and Alexander were hogging the bed.

Piers didn’t interrupt her.  He just wanted to hear her talk more to get his mind off all the work he’d been given by his father recently.  It wasn’t difficult, it was just a lot and he’d found that his days were more monotonous than before.

Tori had been gone for over two weeks now and without her, something was missing.  Piers lowered his eyes.  His voice was quiet and almost unheard over Tori’s description of someone trying to buy Layla at a rest stop, not knowing who she was.

“I miss you.”

He thought she didn’t hear him, but she stopped talking at once.  “What did you say, Piers?”

“Nothing, keep going.”  His voice was firm.  Tori was quiet for a bit, but then asked about his day, to which he replied with the parts he thought she’d be interested in: crystal imports.

“We can always use different samplings to see what is more effective in our research,” she said.  “Ah...I should go to bed.  We leave for Presidio early in the morning.”

“All right,” Piers said.  “Rest well.”

“Uh-huh, you, too,” she replied.  “Oh, and Piers.”

He stopped before he slid his finger across the crystal to end the call.  “Yes?”

“I also miss you.”

★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★

Next Stop: Presidio