Summer Jams 4: Tres Arcos - Part I

Ships belonging to the marches that were non-military in visit, and the imperial family, were supposed to dock around the bend from Tres Arcos city proper as a safety precaution and for convenience, as the port of Tres Arcos was busy being the closest port to Presidio.  Just up the coast was the Tres Arcos Naval Fortress, so it made the private docking area a bit safer.

As such, For Whom the Sun Rises was escorted by two naval cruisers to the private dock, which was close to the fancy, private resort her family stayed at when they visited.

As they passed some steep cliffs dotted with old noble estates, Tori pointed them out to show them where the pirates from a few months ago were trying to cause trouble.

“Were the children scared?” Constantine asked with a worried expression.

“They were, but they were calm at the same time.  They followed instructions and didn’t panic.  No screaming or crying.  At least not until their father arrived and it was safe for them to come out,” Tori said.  “They were very brave.”

“March children really are raised differently,” Albert said in a quiet, impressed voice.

“They also must’ve had confidence in who they were with,” Henrik replied.  “Their father was there, numerous knights, Tori, and Ewan.”

“Prince Piers is also one of the best swordsmen in the empire,” Ewan pointed out.  “They say he’s third, behind Master and the Marquis General.”

“Both taught him, didn’t they?” JP asked.  Ewan nodded and Sonia patted his shoulder.

“And you’re in that line, too.  Better hurry up and become the fourth,” she said with a grin.  Ewan flushed and rubbed the back of his neck.

“I still have a long way to go.”

“There is time,” Tori said as she stood near the bow and watched the private dock get closer and closer.  Ilyana stood beside her and squinted.

“Are there people waiting for us at the dock?  I thought it was private.”

“Kasey said that they couldn’t buy out the entire resort, as it’s the middle of the summer and there are many bookings, but we have a private villa area, so there is that,” Tori said.  “And only authorized personnel can wait at the dock.”

“Authorized?  Like whom?” JP asked.

“Members of the march families, escort knights, dock workers and ship maintenance crews,” Tori said.  She squinted as well and leaned forward.  “But those two short figures can only be part of the march.”

“It’s Robi and Fifi!” Ilyana clapped her hands together as her face lit up.  “They must be so excited that they came all the way to the dock to wait for you.”

“They’ve been excited about our visit and going to play since I told them the plan,” Tori said with a slight chuckle.  As they got closer, they could see Kasen, a half dozen Guevera knights, one of whom was holding a large umbrella, and Nanny Rey.

Both children were wearing large straw sun hats that were common in the southern coasts and Nanny Rey likely made them wear the hats so they wouldn’t get sunburnt.

For Whom the Sun Rises slowed as they reached the dock.  The crystal and steam powered ship coasted to a stop and was expertly maneuvered in place.  The dock workers had to shake themselves out of their stupor when they saw a ship without masts and sails.

Kasen had taken Sur Oro back earlier in order to pick up his children and bring them to Tres Arcos and looked surprisingly unharried when she saw him.  A gangway was pushed towards the ship and once it was latched on securely and the gate open, the two children zoomed up the ramp, screaming for Tori.

“Babies!” Tori laughed as she met them on the deck.  Robert hugged her waist as Fiona flung herself into her arms to be carried.  Tori carefully held Fiona on her hip and kissed her plump flushed cheeks before leaning over and kissing the top of Robert’s head.  “Welcome aboard my ship!”

“Is this the one Uncle Piers gave you?” Fiona asked.  She began to wiggle, meaning she wanted to go down.  Tori put her down, allowing Fiona to greet and hug everyone else.   Fiona gave hug after hug, greeting each of her friends.  She froze when she found herself hugging a stranger.  “Wait....”  Without the slightest hint of embarrassment, she looked up at Constantine, as if he were the odd one.  “Who are you?”

Tori’s friends seemed to be trying to hold back their laughter at the girl’s serious face.

“Fifi, Robi, this is our friend, Constantine.  You haven’t met him yet because he was already at a seminary studying the church when we met you,” Tori said with a warm smile.  “He went to school with us our first two years at Lycée and will be starting at Univeristé with some of us in the fall.”

Robert nodded his head.  “A pleasure to meet you, Uncle Constantine.”

“Uncle Constantine, do you know you’re handsome?  Almost as handsome as Daddy and Uncle Piers,” Fiona said.  “Almost, but don’t feel bad.  It is hard to beat Daddy and Uncle Piers.”

Constantine laughed and reached into his pocket.  “It is also a pleasure to meet you two.  Tori and the others have told me a lot about you.  I’ve prepared a meeting gift.”

“Gift?” Fiona’s eyes sparkled.  She took a small step closer.  “Go on....”

Robert brought his sister back.  “Don’t be greedy. You can’t accept every gift someone gives you.”

Fiona stared at her brother, as if his words made no sense.  “Yes, I can.”

“Daddy....” Robert let out a frustrated sigh and looked towards Kasen, who’d followed them on board.

“Lord Kasen.” Constantine bowed his head.  “Congratulations on becoming a father.  I’ve heard just how amazing these two are.”

“Thank you, Mr. Zisos.  Congratulations on finishing the seminary.  And thank you for bringing my children gifts.”  He stood behind Robert and Fiona.

“Not at all.  It’s only a small trinket.  I had prepared blessing talismans for Zoara and Kekorei for Robi and Fifi,” Constantine said, presenting the crystal panels engraved with symbols of the respective gods and mounted onto a narrow piece of wood.  It was only about the size of a bookmark, and there was a thin cord to hold it up.  “Both have been blessed by my uncle.”

Kasen raised a brow, surprised.  “By the Pope?”

Constantine smiled and nodded. “Yes, he came to my marking ceremony and said he’d bless them himself.”

Robert gingerly held the blessing talisman.  “Thank you, Uncle Constantine...,” he said, full of awe.  He had grown up in an orphanage run by nuns; he knew who the Pope was.

“Who is the Pope?” Fiona asked as she accepted the gift.  Fiona, did not know.

“My uncle,” Constantine said with a warm smile.  “He is a high member of the church.”

“Ohh...a super blessing....” Fiona said with a satisfied nod.  She clutched it against her and gave Constantine a toothy smile.  “Thank you, Uncle!  I will put it in my purse!”

Tori cocked her head to the side and finally noticed the rather outstanding ‘purse’. There was a leather strap going across Fiona’s  little body, and on her left side was what first looked like a plush, stylized chicken.  It was mostly round with back beads for eyes and a beak.  The top of the chicken, its ‘back’,  had a drawstring, making it a pouch.

Fiona pulled open the draw string and carefully tucked her talisman into her purse before pulling the drawstring closed.

“That’s a very cute purse, Fifi,” Sonia said.  “Where did you get it?”

Fiona lifted it up to show it off.  “I got it for my birthday from Uncle Piers!  He sent it and it looks like Prince Piers!”

“It looks like all her other chickens....” Albert whispered.  “How can she tell?”

“If it’s from Prince Piers, of course it’s going to look like the chicken named after him,” Ilyana said.

Constantine squinted.  “Prince Piers has a chicken named after him?”

“He likes to be alone!” Fiona beamed.

“All right, let’s get to the resort, I’m sure your aunt and her friends want to rest. They’ve been traveling on a boat for a while.”

“Auntie Tori, is this the ship we’re going to take to Moss Hill?” Robert asked as they filed off the boat.

“Yes, there is plenty of room, so you will be comfortable.”

“How are we going to get back here if you’re going to Nord after we visit Cousin Ava?” Fiona asked, holding her father’s hand as they went down the gangway.

“Cousin Diedre’s ship is coming down this way and will bring you, Kasey, and Nanny Rey back,” Tori told her.  “Then Sur Oro will take you to Viclya later in the summer.”

Fiona looked pleased.  “I can’t wait!”

The resort was very close to the dock, but they still took a comfortable wagon pulled by horses.  It was covered, allowing them some shade as they made their way to the resort.  There were other guests, as expected, but it wasn’t swarming with people.

Kasen had already arranged for their rooms and had one of his assistants give each of them a crystal key fob, showed them their rooms at a separate  multi-storied villa that overlooked the pool deck, and then handed out a map and schedule of places to eat and things to do nearby.

Tori found that her suite already had Fiona’s things, as well as some preparations for Alexander.  Nanny Rey would stay in an adjacent room of the suite, not far from her former and current charges.

“You can sleep on his chair or on this sofa,” Fiona said as she took Alexander on a little tour of the room.  “And you can sleep on the bed, but you have to share with me and Auntie.”

“Nyaow!”

“Yes, I’m staying here, too!  It’s also my room!”  Fiona puffed her cheeks.

After settling her things, Tori took them downstairs.  Ewan and Albert had already gone to the beach.  Henrik, JP,  and Sonia went with them to watch from the shade of a beach pavilion. Constantine and Ilyana were waiting for them to explore the resort.

Fiona, assuring them that she knew where everything was as she’d been there since the night before, led them around.  When they got back to the beach, Robert was being helped to the water by Kasen, his prosthetic leg left with Sonia and Henrik, while JP carried a water hammock.

Fiona’s eyes lit up. “Water hammocks!”

“Yes, I brought several-”

“I wanna go!”

Tori sighed and helped Fiona take off her sundress and hat.  Her swim clothes were underneath. The child carefully folded her dress, put her beloved chicken purse on top, and then covered it with her hat before leaving it with Sonia.

“Auntie Sonia, don’t let anyone take my stuff,” Fiona said, as if there weren’t a bunch of knights around them.  “My lucky talisman is in there.”

Sonia tried not to laugh and nodded.  “Of course, Fifi.  You can trust me.”

Tori took Fiona’s hand and heaved a water hammock on her shoulder before walking out towards the water.  The children were in the midst of a race by the time Constantine joined them.

“They’re very lively,” he said as he waded out into the water.

“You should see them with Ava and the others.”  It was chaos and in a few days, they’d be back in Presidio, where they’d be joined by Marco and Mateo after the two finished visiting their paternal grandmother with their parents.

“Are they all going with us to Nord and Osten?” Constantine asked.

“No, but they’ll come to Viclya when we return,” Tori said.  “Don’t worry, all the screaming is temporary.”

He’d been in a quiet seminary the last two years and grew up surrounded by adults at a holy site.  If anyone in their group wasn’t used to children, it was Constantine.  Ewan had several young members of his family and was the  most at ease, but even as a knight in training, he was ready to return to shore before the kids were.

Kasen carried both his children back, leaving the water hammocks to the others. He made sure they ate dinner, no matter who exhausted they were, before taking them to their rooms.  With Fiona knocked out on the bed, drooling next to Alexander who had smelled of sea water when they got back and needed to be bathed, Tori sat on the balcony talking with Ilyana and Sonia while drinking.

“But what if it doesn’t work out?  Since Claire’s working in Viclya. She’s moved there as an employee of the county, and I’m going to school in Horizon, the time we see each other is limited,” Sonia admitted with a heavy sigh.  “I know it’s not that far away, but I want to make sure we have proper time with each other.”

“But you still like Claire, don’t you?” Tori asked.  “It isn’t as if you can’t see her on weekends.”

“I do like Claire. She’s wonderful!  It’s just that...she’s so driven and I just want to find a job I enjoy.  Do our wants in life match up enough?  Being in love with someone is not enough to make a relationship work when what we want doesn’t match up.”

Ilyana let out an understanding hum.

“Sonia, to be fair, you two are both still quite young.  There is time to study, settle your careers, and then work on a relationship, as well as find out what you really want in life,” Tori said.  “No one says that the person you like now is who you should spend the rest of your life with.”

Sonia raised a brow and Ilyana squinted.  “That’s what everyone says about you and Prince Piers.”

Tori rubbed the bridge of her nose.  “If that’s the case, Piers and I are outliers against our will.  We can’t be used as examples of what is normal.”

“That’s true,” Ilyana said with an understanding nod.  “Neither of you are normal.”

Tori crinkled her eyes.

Sonia took a sip of her drink and looked out at the water.  “I am kind of worried that she’ll fall in love with someone else, though.  There is no shortage of women who have her interests and come from the same background.  I’m from a common family....”

“I thought her family liked you?” Ilyana asked with a knit brow.

“They do, but....”

“But you’re worried that your backgrounds are too different, that they’ll become an obstruction later?” Tori offered.  Sonia raised her wine glass towards her.

“That’s it.  What got her attention in the first place was my riding abilities.  What if she grows tired of that? What if I have nothing else to offer her?”

“Then she grows tired of that.  You can’t force someone to like you. But she likes other things about you. You don’t only like one thing about her.”

“Of course not!  She’s attentive and thoughtful.  I feel relaxed when I go riding with her. We have long conversations.”

“You kiss on Deer Hill....”

“A lot of people kiss on Deer Hill!  It has a romantic view of the town!”  Sonia flushed.  “And it was only once!”

Tori and Ilyana both gave her dull looks.  “Once?” they chorused.

Sonia’s lip trembled.  “All right, a few times, but it was before we left for the trip.”  She eyed Tori with suspicion.  “How do you even know that?”

Tori snorted.  “It’s my territory.” Also, JP told them.  “Sonia, you like Claire and Claire likes you.  You are both young and there is nothing stopping you from being together right now except distance and your hesitation.  There is no harm in continuing to date.”

“And even distance can be mitigated since you call her every night,” Ilyana added.  “You won’t know it won’t work out until you actually try.”

Sonia looked out towards the pool deck.  “I really do like her.”

“Yeah, we can tell. You only bought her a bunch of souvenirs and we’re only at our second stop.”

“I just think she looks great in maroon and navy blue.”

“Who looks at the color of one’s riding boots?” Ilyana scrunched her face.

“I do!”

Tori sighed.  “It looks like you’ve made up your mind about Claire.  It’s normal to have doubts and fears, Sonia.  I’d be more alarmed if you didn’t have them.”

Ilyana nodded and paused.  “By the way, how did you know a lot of people kiss on Deer Hill?”

★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★

“I have to say the ancients really knew what they were doing when they built this stadium overlooking the water.  There is plenty of light, there is a breeze coming from the sea,” Sonia said as she looked around the ancient stone arena surrounded on three sides by rows of rising marble seating.  “It’s already hot, but it doesn’t feel as hot as it does at the resort.”

“There are a lot of trees nearby.  They cool the temperature,” Constantine replied.

Their two carriages from the resort dropped them off in front of the ancient arena at a top of a small hill between the resort and Tres Arcos city.

“The performance starts soon, but afterwards, people can stay to meet the riders and horses.  Some riders will allow children to ride their horses,” Kasen said.

“Daddy, I want to ride a horse!” Fiona asked as her little hands turned into fists.

“You can’t ride by yourself,” Kasen told her firmly.  “If they’ll let me ride with you, then you can ride.”

“That’s fine!”

Kasen led the group in, holding Fiona’s hand.  The attendants selling tickets were young locals and Kasen presented the tickets he had purchased earlier.

“Ohh...good seats, Kasey,” Tori said as they were led to the very first row, just left of center.

Tres Arcos was a tourist destination in the summer and most would head to the beach or town, but the performance was surprisingly popular and there were a good number of other visitors.  Since Tori and her group were also escorted by knights, they took up a few rows to stay together and stood out.

None of this seemed to affect the excitement of Fiona, Ilyana, and Ewan.  JP and Sonia had ridden their horses to the venue so they could get out after being on the ship.  Kasen assigned two knights to watch the horses in the guest corral outside the arena while they were watching.

The show started on time and it reminded Tori a bit of the rodeos in California.  The riders paraded in through one of the gates to cheers and circled the dirt-covered arena ring.  Fiona sat on her father’s lap, waving as the riders waved at the audience.

The performance was a combination of what she’d seen in dressage, then hurdles, and group choreography.  Tori had seen those white stallions that traveled around doing performances once in her original world, and the group performances were similar.

After each event, they clapped, and finally, the riders were all introduced and the two three did a performance of their own, each different.

“I want to jump over hurdles....” Fiona said in a soft, awestruck voice.  Her eyes widened.  “Daddy, do you think my chickens can jump over hurdles?”

“Chickens can fly short distances, so yes.”

“I’m going to teach them....”

Tori squinted at her niece.  How smart were Fiona’s chickens?  She was still imagining the poultry hoping over sticks when the performances finished.  She began clapping and the announcer invited guests to line up and enter the ring to meet the riders and the horses.

“Daddy!”

“I know, I know,” Kasen said.  He stood up, holding Fiona in one arm as Robert shot up from his seat, also excited.  “Does anyone else want to come?”

“I will!” Ewan said.

“I’ll also join you.” Constantine got up and they shuffled towards the aisle.  Several knights stayed with Tori and the others as they waited under the shade.

She looked towards the twins and tilted her head to the side.  “You two don’t want to go down?”

“No, I’d feel like we’d be crowding them,” JP replied.  “And we usually get to talk to other riders after the end of events.  Let the other visitors take their time.”

Sonia nodded.  “I don’t know what to ask them, anyway.  Unique performance though.  I enjoyed it.  I’m glad we came.”

JP looked towards the arena.  There was a small group of people nearby feeding the horses who’d performed last.  “Hey!” JP shouted and waved an arm to get their attention.  “Great job!”

Several people turned around.  Tori expected them to thank JP and continue feeding the horses, but the looks on their faces made it seem as if they’d seen a ghost.

A few of them got together and whispered, looking back at JP and then at Sonia.

Ilyana furrowed her brows.  “Did he say something wrong?”

Tori shook her head.  JP didn’t say anything insulting.  Did they think he was mocking them?

“Wait...wait, I know you,” the young man said as he squinted his eyes and walked towards the group.

Ilyana crossed her arms over her chest and sighed, tired.  “Yes, everyone knows Tori.  Victoria de Guevera, Countess of Cosora.”

“No, no, although...greetings to my lady.”  The young man looked towards Tori and gave an awkward, quick bow, but turned to Sonia and JP with a burning gaze.  “You are the brother and sister who won the Spring Three-Day Competition.”

It almost sounded like an accusation.  Tori looked towards the twins, who had mirroring looks of surprise.  Tori always thought they should’ve been quite famous in the empire’s young equestrian circles, but she didn’t recall seeing them accosted like this before.  Maybe it happened because there were more equestrians around?

“Yes, my sister and I won the last Spring Three-Day Competitions,” JP said.  He neither sounded too modest or proud, just confirming the young man’s suspicions.

As soon as he did, the young man stood up straight and whirled around.  “It’s them!  I told you!”

From the arena grounds, the people who weren’t dealing with horses or guests began to come over.  Ilyana uncrossed her arms and frowned.  “What is happening?”
 “You two think you’re so amazing right?  But it’s only because you have an advantage in Horizon’s course!” another man who looked slightly older than them rushed forward, red-faced, and angry.  “If it were any other track, you two would not have done so well!”

Henrik was frowning.  “Wait a moment, the cross-country event was only one of three.  These two also dominated dressage pairs and the archery run.”

Tori wanted to nod.  She’d never forget how her heart pounded when Sonia got her first perfect score on the archery run by hanging off her saddle to hit the last bullseye.  She got chills just thinking about it.

“Anyone can hit that many targets-”

“Then why didn’t you?” Albert said with a curled lip.

The young man shot him a glare.  “I have!  I am Miguel Omar Martinez!”

Sonia and JP’s eyes narrowed a bit.  They seemed to have recognized the name.  “The last winner of the Three-Day before we started at Lycée.”

“That’s right!  And if the course were different, my underclassmen would’ve beat you!”  Several people behind him nodded, as if absolutely assured by this.

“The course changes every year,” JP replied.  “There are similar parts, such as the start and finish, but much of the course changes.”

“Excuses!” Someone scoffed.

“Unlike the other schools, Lycée can afford to familiarize themselves with the area.  The slight change will not matter!  An advantage is an advantage!”

Several people nodded and Tori raised a brow.  Home field advantage was indeed a thing, but the course was altered every year, and nothing prohibited students from other schools from coming to inspect areas where courses were set up prior to the competition.

“Mr. Martinez, you said that you were the last champion before Lycée swept for four years, yes?” Tori asked.

The man seemed surprised and then uncomfortable that she’d spoken to him.  He drew his head back, but nodded.  “Yes, my lady.”  His voice was much more respectful to her.

Tori narrowed her eyes.  “If that is the case, why did the location of the course suddenly become the cause of outcry after your school lost.”

“We did not lose, my lady!  We were still ranked-”

“But not number one.” Ilyana cut him off quickly with proud eyes.  “I think you are making an excuse for your underclassmen who failed to live up to your expectations.”

“Non-sense!”

“No matter how unfair you think the competition is because of some imaginary advantage you felt we had, the competitions are over now, and my brother and I will no longer be competing,” Sonia said with a slight sneer.

“And if you are so concerned about Lycée riders having an unfair advantage, then you can arrive earlier to study the course,” JP said. “That is not prohibited.”

That was a solid suggestion and Tori nodded her head slightly in agreement.

“Yes, in fact I’ve heard that for many regional competitions, many riders come early to study the course in preparation for the cross-country race,” Sonia told them.

“It takes days to get to Horizon.  When would we have time to come early and review the course?” someone demanded.

“You think doing it once or twice will be enough?” another person said.

“Wait.” Mr. Martinez held up his hand to silence his people.  He narrowed his eyes as he looked at JP and Sonia.  “Do you believe that a single day is enough to become familiar with a course and can even out another rider’s advantage?”

Tori watched her friends carefully.  The two glanced at each other and almost seemed to have a silent conversation before simultaneously turning back to Mr. Martinez.

“It doesn’t hurt,” JP said.

“Hah!”  Mr. Martinez threw his hands in the air as the riders behind him exploded with frustration.  He pointed his finger at JP and then at Sonia.  “If that is the case, then I challenge you!”

“What?” Sonia asked.

“They came with their horses!  They can’t say that they’ll be at a disadvantage with different horses!” the young man who accosted them first shouted with equal fervor.

Tori narrowed her eyes.  She made a mental note to have Nuage and Ciel Noir sent to the fortress to be safe for the night.

“You want to race us on a cross-country course?  Now?” JP asked, looking at them as if they were crazy.

“We’re onvacation,” Sonia added with disbelief.

“It doesn’t matter!  I know for a fact that if you did not have the advantage of being from Horizon, you never would’ve won the Spring Three-Day Competition four years in a row!” Mr. Martinez said.

The other young man came forward.  “We challenge you to a race through the Tres Arcos Vista Trail.  To make it fair, one of our instructors will go with you through the trail today!”

Sonia shook her head.  She lifted an arm and gave him a dismissive wave.  “This is ridiculous.  I am not wasting the rest of my day-”

“Tomorrow!  The race will be tomorrow, mid-morning!  Do you accept or not?” Mr. Martinez demanded.

“No,” the twins spoke at the same time.

“We did not come all this way to race.  I’m here to have fun, eat, and buy gifts for the girl I’m dating,” Sonia told them.  “Not drag Ciel Noir through the heat for my ego.”

“My sister and I don’t have anything to prove to anyone.  If you feel that we won the Spring Three-Day Competition unfairly, then bring it up with the organizers.”  JP shook his head and turned around.

Sonia snorted and also turned around.

“Are you afraid?” One of the riders asked in a mocking voice.  “Because you are unfamiliar with the trail?”

“If it’ll stop you from bothering us, yes,” Sonia said with a shrug.  “I’m so scared.”

This only irritated the riders from the Riding School further.  “Then the honor of Lycée du Soleil is nothing!

“What does Lycée du Soleil have to do with this?” Henrik frowned.  “I thought your problem was with JP and Sonia!”

“It is with Lycée du Soleil!  Surely, there is a reason the Spring Three-Day is always held in Horizon!”

Tori heard a few accusations of corruption and whispers of favoritism.  She frowned, but kept her lips tight.  She could defend her friends, but she could not fight this battle.

Sonia licked her lips and shook her head once.  She turned around and faced them.  “Is this honor of your school?  Confront two alumni on a holiday with their friends because you’re bitter about losing?”

“Who is bitter!”

“The ones who can’t seem to leave us alone!” Sonia growled.

“It is an easy matter to run the course.  It is only a test of endurance after all.  If you do not wish to use your horses, then we will provide them,” Mr. Martinez said.

“You are so confident that you won honestly,” someone said . “Prove it.”

The twins were quiet, having another silent conversation.  Their eyes were firm and then at once, they both nodded.

“This is ridiculous.”  Sonia sounded completely convinced of that.  Tori nodded.  “But don’t start crying and accusing us of cheating when we beat you.”

Tori pursed her lips.  Dammit....

★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★

“And then, Robi and I raced on the water hammocks, and I won!”  Fiona giggled as she sat next to Tori on bed with the comcry between them.

“Did you make a wager?” Piers’ calm voice asked from the comcry.

Fiona wrinkled her nose and looked at Tori with furrowed brows.  “Why would I make a wager?”

“If you’re racing and you make a friendly wager, if you win, you will get something of your liking that had been previously agreed upon,” Piers told her.  He seemed to pause and then brought up an example.  “Your cousins, Marco and Mateo, once made a wager with my father.  If they won, they would receive money to spend at Horizon’s best candy or pastry store-”

“La Flora Bella!” Tori could’ve sworn Fiona began to drool at the name of the best sweets house in Horizon.  When Robert was in the hospital, she and Kasen took Fiona there to get something for him and Fiona was in love.  It was almost as good as chicken.

“I don’t know, but they won enough to buy a half weeks’ worth of sweets.”

It was as if Fiona took a physical blow.  She swayed where she sat, and her little flushed face seemed to drain of color.  “Auntie...Auntie, I could’ve had a half weeks’ worth of sweets....”  she said in a breathy, trembling voice as she reached out and put her hand on Tori’s arm to steady herself.

Tori raised a brow.  “I doubt your daddy would’ve let you make such a bet with Robi.  And what if you lost?  Can you afford to pay for a half weeks’ worth of sweets?”

“Yes.”  Fiona puffed out her little chest and nodded.  “I have birthday money!”  Tori pursed her lips.  She should’ve known.  She’d also given Fiona birthday money.

“Shouldn’t you save your birthday money for something more important than a bet?”  She didn’t want Fiona to throw away her money on a whim.  The child had chickens to care for.

Fiona lowered her eyes and thought for a moment.  “Uncle Piers, how much is a half weeks’ worth of sweets?”
 “Four, almost five silvers.”

Fiona counted on her little hands.  “That’s less than one gold coin?”

Tori frowned.  “You are not spending one gold coin on sweets-”

“Yes,” Piers confirmed, regardless.

Fiona beamed.  “I can afford it!  Uncle Piers sent me a gold coin for my birthday!”

“I thought he sent you that chicken purse?” Tori said as she drew back her head.

“The gold coin was inside,” Piers replied.  Tori stared at the comcry for a bit.  She wanted to teach her niece fiscal responsibility and to appreciate the value of money.  Just because the Gueveras were wealthy didn’t mean they could just throw money at sweets all the time.  God knew that she would if she could.

“Don’t worry, Auntie!” Fiona squeezed her arm and gave her a determined look.  “I will also buy you something good.”

“That’s not...never mind.”  Tori sighed.  “All right, it’s getting late.  We have a race to get to tomorrow.”

Fiona obediently nodded her head.  “Yes, I have to scream loud so Uncle JP and Auntie Sonia will hear me.”

“I will finish the call with your Uncle Piers outside.  Do you need me to tuck you in and tell you a story first?” Tori asked as she picked up her comcry.

Fiona pouted and shook her head.  She began to crawl and burrow herself between the blankets.  “I am a big girl.  I can go to sleep by myself.”

“Then why are you in your aunt’s room?”

“Piers.”  Tori shot the comcry a glare, willing Piers to feel her disapproval.

Fiona lifted her chin in a way that reminded Tori of Sebastian.  “Uncle Piers is jealous because I get to stay with Auntie Tori.”  That was something Sebastian would say, only with more of a disgusted sneer.

“Perhaps, but at the end of the summer, Auntie Tori will be in Horizon with me.”

Tori inwardly groaned and rolled her eyes.  Fiona looked affronted and then sad.  “Auntie Tori....”

“It’s not the end of the summer yet.  It’s only the beginning and you’ll get to stay with me all the way to Moss Hill and then again in Viclya,” Tori said as she stroked Fiona’s hair back.  “Now, get into bed.  Do you have Ewan the chicken?”

“Present!” Fiona seemed to pull the plush toy from beneath her pillow and then set it next to her.  She snuggled beneath the blankets, hugging her toy.  “I am going to sleep, Auntie.”

“Okay, baby.  Goodnight.”  Tori smoothed her blankets around and leaned down to kiss the top of her head.  She dimmed the light crystal and quietly slipped out of the room and into the outer chamber.

“I don’t sleep with stuffed toys,” an unimpressed voice came from the comcry.  Tori glared at it once more.

“What you shouldn’t do is argue with a five-year-old.”

“I am not arguing.  I am stating a fact.”

“Also, don’t send Fifi too much money.  I don’t want her to grow up spoiled,” Tori told him as she walked out to the balcony.  She put up a silence charm before leaning over the edge.

The resort had other guests and even in the evenings and early nights, the pool and patio area below that led to the beach still had plenty of guests.  JP and Sonia were likely already in their rooms, preparing for their race.  Ilyana wouldn’t keep Sonia up, so she also must’ve retired for the knight.

Ewan was used to going to bed at a certain time, as he still woke up early to train in the mornings.  Now that they were on dry land, he could do some running to keep up his stamina.  No one tried to talk him out of it knowing what awaited him in the fall.  They only told him not to push himself too much, as if he overexerted himself, he could get injured.

Kasen and Robert were also likely in their rooms at this point.  Kasen would not gallivant around the town when his children were present.  Besides, he also wanted to rest after the last two months.

That left three young men with unknown whereabouts, and while one of them was Albert, the other two were level-headed and wouldn’t let Albert get into trouble.  If it were only Henrik, she’d be worried, as he could only take so much before he’d just let the other do what they want. Constantine would add some well needed pressure.

“Why are JP and Miss Sonia racing?”

“They ran into some alumni from the Southern Riding School...words were said and now they’re in a cross-country style race,” Tori said with a frown.  “This was supposed to be a relaxing vacation.”

“They do not need to race alumni from the Southern Riding School.  JP and Sonia both won the cross-country event at the Spring Three-Day.”

“That was one of the issues the Southern Riding School students had.  JP and Sonia had home field advantage.  They knew the layout of the course and the landscape being from Horizon.”

“The course layout for the cross-country event changes slightly every year.”

“That’s what JP said, but those Riding School students insisted that they try a different course.”
 “Did JP and Miss Sonia agreed?”
 Tori let out a small snort.  “Not at first.  They said they’re on vacation and have nothing to prove.  They’re done with such things.  However, they kept being goaded and they agreed if only to test their ability.” She let out a tired sigh.  “They spent all of today going through the course with Kasey and an instructor to try to familiarize themselves a little with it.”

“The Southern Riding School is arrogant to make such a challenge.  It is surprising.”

“They were the reigning champions before Sonia and JP started at Lycée and led us to victory four years in a row.  I’m sure that hurt their egos.  Ciel Noir and Nuage are with Layla and the imperial horses at the nearby stables, guarded well to ensure no foul play.  They’ll be well rested.  I don’t know how well they’ll do, but I doubt their results will be bad.”

“You should also have made a wager.”

“I don’t want to put additional stress on them to win,” Tori said with a frown.  “What is it with you and wagers?”
 “I like to win.”

She took a deep breath and rubbed her head.  “I’m going to bed.  Tomorrow is a long day.  You should get some rest, too.  I know you’ve been working hard.”

“Governance doesn’t take a break for the summer.”  The Chamber only took a long break during the winter and only had short breaks the rest of the year.  As the Crown Prince, Piers had been given even more responsibilities than before, so even if there was a break, he had work to do.

“Pace yourself.  Don’t overwork yourself or you’ll get fatigued, which will make you susceptible to illness,” Tori replied with a frown.  “Don’t forget to eat well and keep up your strength. Don't stay in the office all day and forget to eat.”  She’d have to remind Axton to make sure Piers wasn’t straining himself.

She heard him let out a hum of agreement.  “I am eating.”

“And getting proper sleep.”  She was met with silence.  “Piers.”

“I am sleeping.”

“Properly?”
 “...I am sleeping.”

Tori let out a heavy breath.  “From now on, when I go to bed and call you, it should be your cue to also prepare to go to sleep.  You wake up early to practice sword, so at least go to sleep earlier.”  He was still young, it was good to get into such a habit, especially with such a workload waiting for him.

“All right.”  There was a bit of joy in his voice.  “We’ll sleep together.”

“You mean at the same time.”

“Yes.” He was doing it on purpose, and she was sure of it, but she didn’t know where he was learning it.  Part of her suspected the Emperor.

“Goodnight, Piers.”

“Sleep well and wish the twins good luck for me.”

Tori assured him she would and would call him the next night with the results of the race.  Tori stretched her arms in the air and heard a yell from the pool area below.  She looked down and cringed as she saw Albert trying to show off the dance he learned at Karap with mixed results.  She crinkled her eyes as she was filled with second-hand embarrassment, and slowly walked backwards into her room.

★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★

A.N.-

Why it is very freeing to update twice a week instead of three times, I also noticed that each of these chapters so far are like 7K+ words.  Parts 1 and 2 is a little over 15K words, which is almost the same as my other chapters....why am I like this.