They were joined by Feyl, Kloy, Malson, and Jaevve that evening for Ascension.

  “I mean, if he doesn’t want to use magic, a gun is a good backup!” Malson decred after Braelin told him of Petty Prince Saerma’s interest in his pistols and offer to get a gun for Kylse.

  “He’d need one that matches yours to be that effective,” Feyl snorted, though his lower hands moved in a way that suggested he was picturing crafting one himself.

  “Or something better,” Jaevve chuckled.

  She was sharing the couch with Feyl and Kloy - the valet in his gieuls’s p - while Malson sat across from her and beside Braelin on the couch he shared with Jurao. It seemed Goyl had offered to look after the girls so they could both join them for the game.

  “It is interesting,” Kloy chuckled, “How many petty kings chose new heirs they felt Jurao would approve of more.”

  “Is that what they did,” Jurao asked, frowning as he added, “But they do not need my approval.”

  “No, but the idea is that whoever you nominate is someone with a simir point of view,” Jaevve supplied, “So some petty kings chose heirs they think will have an easier time with your successor.”

  “If they agree with your politics, in any case,” Kloy agreed.

  “Ah,” Jurao nodded, “I can see that, I suppose.”

  “The idea is also that they will be able to meet your intended successor,” Jaevve added, “Whenever you decide on fos.”

  “How long do Demon Kings rule?” Braelin asked.

  “Usually about a millennium,” Feyl replied, “So Jurao has plenty of time in that regard.”

  “It’s hard to think about that much time!” Malson said, “Henes was always going to have a much longer lifespan, but we’ve had to try and expin things to Amancia!”

  “She’s so young,” Jaevve sighed, “They both are, really. We’re waiting until the Hundred Years Ball to come to any concrete decisions, though. Who knows how the deities will choose to grant the Wish?”

  Jurao nodded in understanding.

  “What do you mean?” Braelin asked.

  “When a ruler makes a Wish, the deities choose how to implement that Wish,” Jurao said, “It is why when Lavven Wished for power to unite the realm, the Thousand Caves of Torment were created, rather than the gods simply giving him power.”

  “The ruler has the option to rescind,” Kloy added, “But they rarely do, even if the implementation is far from what they imagined it would be. Though, in this case, I do think Nosu would have mentioned whether the Wish was likely to be something far from a simple extension.”

  “If fos thought it would be,” Jaevve shrugged, “But it isn’t up to fos alone.”

  “True enough,” Kloy chuckled, “From previous Balls, it is quite evident the deities have their own politics and personal histories with each other.”

  “We’ve considered sending the girls back with Abbay so they can get a little older before making the decision where they want to live!” Malson said, “We don’t want to force them, but Abbay has no pns to leave Asalban, while Jae and I will still be here!”

  “Of course, we don’t want to miss out on them growing up, either,” Jaevve sighed, “But if they end up growing at the rate of demon children… well, Abbay and their other parents might miss the chance to watch them grow up at all. And the girls might regret not having more time with them.”

  “I had not considered that when deciding on a Wish,” Jurao frowned.

  “It’s a unique situation,” Jaevve chuckled, “You cannot account for everyone’s circumstances, but I still think the Wish is a good one,” she leaned over to caress her husband’s cheek with her knuckles, “Many things in life can lead to difficult decisions to account for changes in circumstances. Wanting to make the best decision for our daughters doesn’t mean I don’t also want more time with my husband.”

  Malson leaned into the touch before adding, “If Amancia grew at a human rate, she’d still be able to go back to spend time with her family in the Human Realm when she gets older! Now we just have to account for whether or not that’s still the case!”

  “Even Henes growing somewhere between human and demon would likely give her some time to do the same,” Jaevve agreed.

  “And it’s not like we won’t be in touch!” Malson added, holding up the arm with his communication bracer. He continued, “And we can get the girls their own!”

  “It was always going to be difficult, with so much distance,” Jaevve said, “So this is more of an adjustment than a complete change.”

  “It’s certainly less feasible to switch between parents with a realm of separation,” Kloy agreed, “That was what Vael and I did, since we were not courting.”

  “Maybe if there was a more direct gate between the Demon Realm and Asalban,” Jaevve chuckled, “and we lived there, rather than Casvven.”

  “You don’t think anyone would Wish for a third gate between the Human and Demon Realm, do you?” Kloy mused.

  “I do not think it would be granted,” Jurao said, “since the Vede Gate is not under threat.”

  “A second gate between the Human and Elven Realms might, though,” Jaevve said, “Plenty of elves and fae are not pleased by the Empire’s increasing restrictions on access to and from the gate. Especially with the Agiahluhi.”

  “The who?” Feyl asked.

  “The descendants of False King Kilesti and their kingdom,” Jaevve replied, “Though I’m not surprised you haven’t heard of them. You meet the elven ones passing through Asalban every now and again - most of them consider themselves demons, even if they’re ogres or kindred or elves.”

  “They act like it, too!” Malson said with a nod, “Culturally, I mean!”

  “Yashile is Agiahluhi - almost all ogres are. She only made it out of the Elven Realm because she slipped through a rift and ended up in the Southwestern Bend. Otherwise, the Empire doesn’t let them leave the staging area around the gate if they don’t look like elves. Used to be, you could get a magic disguise, but the Empire’s dispelling magic is too strong now. The Agiahluhi have a major trade city right in the middle of the Elven Realm, and since a good amount of them want to come here, have started imposing tariffs on elven countries that deal more heavily with the Empire than others.”

  “They’re finally strong enough to do it, economically speaking!” Malson added, “Or so the ones we’ve met expined!”

  “They wish to return here,” Jurao asked.

  “Most only want to be able to see their ancestral home realm, as far as I’ve gathered, rather than fully moving,” Jaevve said, “but Yashile would know better than I would about that.”

  “I will ask her, then,” Jurao nodded.

  The game passed quickly after that, with some more conversation about the future. Jurao went to visit the Medical Wards the next day, finding Doctor Yashile in the Pharmacy Office - as that was her area of expertise.

  “Good mornin’, yer highness,” Soth called out as he entered, the kinfolk sitting on the edge of a table as the other members of the branch were busy mixing medicines and writing reports.

  “Good morning,” Jurao replied, approaching and adding, “I had some questions for Doctor Yashile, if you do not mind. You may continue your work.”

  Conveniently, she was mixing components at the table Soth was sitting on - gncing up with a brief look of surprise before replying, “I do not, your highness. What did you wish to speak of?”

  “The Agiahluhi,” Jurao replied, watching with curiosity as she went about her work, “Jeavve mentioned your people st night, and I am not familiar.”

  “Ah,” Yashile nodded, eyes on her work as she spoke, “We are the descendants of King Kilesti, the Last True Unascended King - or so we prefer to ‘false’. Though we cannot take much issue with those that call our king false, since they did run from every serious challenge to their rule.”

  She shrugged, handing a vial to Soth before continuing, “When Kilesti saw that the humans would soon depose them as they had feared Lavven would, they fled to the Elven Realm - and found it much harder to establish a kingdom than they expected. Cornered by elven forces that were sympathetic to the human refugees that arrived after the First Great Invasion, Kilesti swallowed their pride to ask for mercy - and the elves bid them and their people to settle the mountainous Crossroads Region if they were determined to remain in the Realm.”

  “An adult would be fione, but this would still be too much fer a kid,” Soth said, wiping at the corner of their mouth after drinking the contents of the vial.

  Yahsile nodded, and started mixing components again, “It may seem odd to other demons, but we respect King Kilesti for their actions - as those actions were taken to save their people.”

  Jurao nodded, and said, “Jaevve mentioned that many Agiahluhi wish to return here in some capacity.”

  “Yes,” Yashile agreed, “Though most of us consider the Crossroads our home now, there are still some that want to return to the Demon Realm - and most would like, at the least, to visit,” she paused to offer Jurao a smile before adding, “I’ve been very gd for the opportunity to come here myself. It is not quite how I imagined, since all the stories about the realm were from before Lavven’s Unification, but the nd is exactly how the stories described.

  “Oceans of grass in reds, purples, and greens,” she sighed, eyes distant even as they returned to her work, “Maenscul lighting the day and Nosu and Vouscu dancing through the night across wide, clear skies. Domed buildings of quenaol making cities seem like hills from afar, and,” she chuckled, “the best damn fish of any realm.”

  “It is pretty damn good fish,” Soth agreed with a grin.

  Jurao hummed as he considered, and asked, “Are you able to eat demon food regurly.”

  “No, I am not,” Yahsile replied with a sigh, handing Soth a second vial.

  “Even I can’t,” Soth snorted, swirling the vial gently before adding, “since metal ain’t really a toxin, ya ken?”

  “I understand,” Jurao nodded, assuming that was what the turn of phrase meant.

  Soth nodded before downing the second vial, wrinkling their nose as they said, “Perfect. Won’ harm even a babe.”

  Yashile chuckled, “That you always make such a disgusted face for the most safe mixtures will never fail to be amusing, I think.”

  “What is that medicine for,” Jurao asked.

  “Severe headaches that can disrupt one’s vision, your highness,” Yashile replied, “though this is the third mixture so far. Soth’s assistance regarding toxicity speeds up part of the process, but it is only one part. Now that I know the correct proportions, I will need to produce the medicine and have those that experience such headaches take the medicine over a period of a year to see if it reduces the number of headaches they have.”

  “It cannot treat the headaches directly,” Jurao asked.

  “Aogae is workin’ on that one,” Soth replied, nodding their head toward another member of the Pharmacy Branch.

  “Yashile specializes in long-term care,” Aogae replied, then chuckled as fos added, “which Lord Kloy was very happy for, your highness.”

  “My wife has such headaches,” Yashile stated, setting about mixing more vials of components, “so she is always the first patient I have in mind. She’s thrilled she’ll have the opportunity to study surgery for many centuries to come, but I do not want her to have so many more headaches if I can stop them.”

  Jurao hummed and nodded, “My Wish has many complicated circumstances for others.”

  “Yes, your highness,” Yashile agreed, but offered him another smile before adding, “I also have more time to find better treatments for Zede, so for us, I do think the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.”

  Jurao nodded, and said, “I am gd. Thank you for speaking with me of your people - I will see if I can make arrangements for them when I attempt diplomacy with the Empire at the Hundred Years Ball.”

  “I appreciate that, your highness,” Yashile nodded, “Though I admit I do not think you will be successful, I wish you luck.”