“Juju! I’m back!” Morvvan decred, “And I brought Aevam with me!”

  “Welcome back, Morvvan,” Jurao said and bowed his head, “And welcome, Petty Princess Aevam.”

  Aevam chuckled, bowing, “Pleasure to meet you, your highness - I hope we didn’t cause you too much trouble with the seating, brother.”

  “Not at all,” Hujur replied, “Rearranging the seating was a simple matter. Once we pulled out the rge round table.”

  Aevam was a beastly demon like her brother - though she had blue skin and yellow wavy markings to his green skin and gray wavy markings. Like him, she also had fox ears and a fox tail - but her legs were reptilian to his mammalian paws, and her ram horns ended shorter than his.

  “Of course, Vise won’t be sending his zaes until Rainbow Day,” Aevam added with a chuckle, finding her seat at the rge round table. She was positioned on Jurao’s left - a few seats over, for Prince Erigirri and Vallen to take Hujur’s usual pce.

  “Gavas?” Hujur guessed.

  “Indeed,” Aevam said, patting her slightly rounded stomach.

  Hujur noticed the motion, ears perking up, “Are you…?”

  “We’re having a baby!” Morvvan decred, hugging the Steward - likely having been bursting to decre it.

  Aevam chuckled, “Indeed we are.”

  “Congratutions,” Hujur chuckled, hugging his friend back.

  “Thank you!” Morvvan grinned, releasing him to kiss her partner’s cheek.

  “What’s this?” Ergirri asked, entering the Hall with a grin, “I’m going to be a grandfather?”

  “Dad!” Morvvan said, jogging across the room to hug him. She grinned as she pulled away, saying, “Yes, you are! And Zaza a cenis!”

  “Congratutions,” Vallen chuckled, hugging eir daughter as well. E kissed her cheek before coming to sit next to Aevam, asking, “May I?”

  “Fos has been still for today,” Aevam said, leaning back a bit, “But you’re welcome to feel.”

  Vallen smiled as e did, gently pcing eir hand on Aevam’s stomach.

  Ergirri jogged over as well, grinning as he took his seat next to Jurao and said, “What wonderful news!”

  Morvvan sat on Aevam’s other side, kissing her cheek again as she said, “We’re very excited!”

  “I gave Morvvan my share of the physical excitement,” Aevam chuckled, smiling and leaning into the princess, “So I can rest instead.”

  “Might be better for the baby that way,” Forvi chuckled, sitting beside his sister.

  Petty Prince Voyvok entered after them - the welts almost completely healed. He looked over at the Carmaegas - Ergirri’s family - celebrating Morvvan and Aevam’s future baby, then silently took his seat to the left of Imena, leaving Klone between her brother and sibling.

  As Hujur had said, they had brought out the rge round table with a hollow center and small opening for staff meant for when all the city representatives were present. The Steward had thought, with the high number of anticipated petty royals and previous royals in residence, it was best to bring it out earlier than ter. A second, smaller round table was set up behind Jurao’s spot for his Department Heads - to allow easier communication if needed.

  As before, Petty Prince Kylse and his uncles were sat to Braelin’s right - with Petty Princess Nevoni and her wife beyond them. With the happy news and rger friendly company, the evening meal was a boisterous affair. Jurao had trouble keeping track of all the conversations occurring, but he enjoyed the general atmosphere of it all.

  When they were preparing to retire for the evening, Kloy joined them again - as did Minaz. To keep the couch from being too crowded, Feyl decided - as he often did with partners - to sit in Kloy’s p. The doctor seemed amused by this turn of events, as did Minaz.

  “Do you think you could use someone able to test how much poison is a deadly amount, Kloy?” Braelin asked.

  “Is this about your friend Soth?” Kloy chuckled - then his brows rose as he said, “Actually, that would be very convenient.”

  “They said it’s a common poison-eater profession in the Kinfolk Realm,” Braelin smiled, “Testing medicinal poisons for deadliness.”

  “I can see that,” Kloy mused, “Though it might be inconvenient if they continue to poison Vajur.”

  “I think that depends more on him than them,” Minaz snorted, taking her turn in Ascension, “Though they seemed pretty eager to resolve that particur issue.”

  “Oh?” Kloy asked.

  “Vajur was still pretty weak after that antidote,” Minaz snorted, “Soth showed up to ‘apologize’. I looked in before heading over here, and they seemed pretty comfortable for having attacked each other with some real intent earlier.”

  Feyl snorted, “I suppose it makes sense. What makes assassins more competent to each other than murder attempts?”

  “I never thought of it that way, but yeah,” Minaz shrugged.

  “Did they say why they retired?” Feyl asked.

  “Not today, but I can make a guess,” Braelin replied, “Soth left their guild about twenty years ago to be independent. Apparently, their love of poisons actually disturbed other assassins in their guild - I doubt that kind of suspicion ended when they left. In a profession like assassin, I imagine even your own peers finding you ‘creepy’ would be very isoting. And it’s already an isoting profession.”

  “True,” Minaz agreed.

  “I wouldn’t be surprised if they made the decision after hearing about me and my family being here,” Braelin chuckled, “They always said they appreciated how non-judgemental our little group was.”

  “Friends are important,” Jurao agreed.

  “Do you think this is what Prince Ergirri pictured, Kloy?” Minaz asked, “When he nominated Jurao?”

  Kloy chuckled, “I think this is exactly what he pictured. When he told me he intended to nominate Jurao, Ergirri said ‘that boy will make the old Casvven unrecognizable - the court won’t know what hit them’. He might not have anticipated the exact events, but he did expect significant change. Perhaps not this rapid, but then, perhaps he did.”

  Jurao’s tail swayed at hearing such - gd he was living up to his predecessor’s expectations.

  “They’re a very warm family,” Braelin observed.

  “Indeed,” Kloy smiled, “Ergirri has always had a passion for life, and he passed it on to all his children - in one way or another.”

  “There are humans with the same,” Braelin considered how to say what he was thinking, “Height condition - with the shorter limbs. One of the castle librarians in Jost, Saera, had that kind of stature.”

  “We call it tree-bodied,” Kloy replied, “For the torso being broader than the limbs, like a tree trunk to its branches.”

  “In the Reaches, we call it kinken,” Braelin said, “Since the height is simir to kinfolk’s natural height, though those with it usually don’t have kinfolk ancestry. Other human regions have different names - we likely have the association from being so close to the gate.”

  “That makes sense,” Kloy nodded, then chuckled, “If artetica and tree-bodiedness can cross species lines, I imagine many conditions can be found across species as well.”

  Braelin nodded in agreement, “Eweylona said there are kinken elves as well - I forget their specific word for it.”

  “Ah,” Jurao remembered, “Petty Prince Exmarre has an interest in having sex with both of you if you are interested, Feyl and Kloy.”

  Kloy turned his head, holding back a ugh.

  “And how did you learn that?” Feyl asked, giving his gieuls an amused look.

  “He asked if I would find his flirting unwelcome,” Jurao replied, “I said it would not, but you would be more receptive. Festi suggested Kloy would be as well.”

  “I certainly wouldn’t mind climbing that particur mountain,” Kloy said, mastering himself. He turned his head to Feyl, asking, “Have you seen him?”

  “Not yet,” Feyl replied, “I heard he’s taller than Jurao and very attractive.”

  Minaz snorted, “He certainly is - not my type, but definitely yours, Fae.”

  “So he’s both interesting and nice?” Feyl teased, “I’m certainly intrigued.”

  “And bulky,” Minaz chuckled, “I like my thinner boys. Though I could make an exception for Soth, depending on how things go.”

  Braelin chuckled, attention turning back to his medicinal pnts book, “They would be open to exploring, at least - kinfolk are culturally very open to multiple partners. And I know Soth holds those views themself - when they spoke of potential future partners, it was always in plural.”

  “So long as Vajur is the only one they poison, since he’s apparently into that,” Minaz rolled her eyes, “Exploring is my intent. Probably Hujur’s as well.”

  “I hope it goes well,” Braelin said - and added, “They might not be boring, but they can manage mean well enough.”

  Minaz ughed in surprise, “I can work with that!”

  They finished the game before bidding each other good night, Minaz amused by what she might find when she returned to her suite.

  Soth joined the Department Head breakfast the next day.

  “I understand you would be interested in helping with the development of medicines, Soth?” Kloy asked mildly.

  “That I would,” Soth agreed, seated in Vajur’s p and in different attire from the previous day. The skull of an animal Jurao didn’t recognize adorned their head, with cwed bone hands - fingers and all - strapped over their own hands like gloves. A ribcage connected by delicate chains rested over their chest, and bone bracelets rested on both wrists. Their clothing - previously unremarkable and pin - was now bck leather and straps, though their soft stomach was left uncovered. They had darkened their eyes with kohl and painted their lips bck to match.

  “I might need a lil practice t’be completely accurate on what’s a deadly amount fer demons,” Soth said, completely at ease with the arrangement, “but I’ve got a fair amount of experience in poison mixin’, which has a lot of overp.”

  “Indeed it does,” Kloy chuckled, “Consider yourself hired, then. We can discuss the details after the meal.”

  Vajur was ignoring everyone’s amused staring, also acting as though the kinfolk assassin seated in his p was a regur occurrence unworthy of remark. Ember the ash cobra - unable to hide in her master’s current clothing - was instead half-hidden under Vajur’s colr. She occasionally peeked her head out - but only when Soth offered her something to eat.

  “Where did you even have that outfit stowed?” Minaz asked, unable to stop grinning at the pair, “You didn’t have any bags.”

  Soth held up a hand with a fae metal ring on their index finger, tapping it with their thumb, “Storage space - more convenient than a bag. Easier to keep with me, should I find myself needin’ ta run on short notice.”

  “I’ve said it before, but,” Festi remarked, “You have weird friends, Braelin.”

  “Thank you,” Soth grinned. Jurao noticed then that one of their rge canines was a gold repcement - with the slightest sheen of fae metal.

  Braelin chuckled, “I’m sure Yheor and Huo’a will be happy to see you again, Soth.”

  “And I them,” Soth replied. They added, “All we need is Everyn makin’ puppy eyes at ya, and we’ll have the whole troupe.”

  “Puppy eyes?” Jouvi asked.

  Soth leaned forward conspiratorially, holding up a hand and dropping their voice to say, “She ’ad the biggest crush on ’im, but he nevah believes it when anyone says so.”

  Braelin rolled his eyes.

  “See,” Soth said, jerking their head at him with a smile and a wink as they sat back.

  “That’s familiar,” Festi snorted, then amended, “Well, sort of.”

  “Oh?” Soth asked.

  “It took his highness some time to realize he had a romantic interest in Braelin,” Hujur chuckled.

  After a recounting of their early courtship, breakfast turned to other mundane castle matters. Jurao and Braelin spent the morning working on paperwork as they usually did, eating the midday meal with family before dancing lessons and afternoon work.

  They spent the next few days in kind - Soth settling into the Healing Department’s Research Branch with little trouble. It seemed watching them eat deadly poisons was a bit of a fascination for their new coworkers - but then, watching someone less than half your size consume something that would kill you multiple times over was difficult to consider uninteresting.

  What came as a surprise was the next arrival of petty royals - as several arrived on the same day.

  “They all happened to arrive in Coujieul at the same time, your highness,” the first greeted with a bow, “So we saw no reason to travel separately. I am Petty Princelin Doys, of Coujieul.”

  “And I am Petty Prince Saerma!” a young man said, pounding a hand to his chest, “Of Mesescima!”

  “P-Petty Princelin Voysh, of Naengaquena,” a third bowed - after Saerma gave fos a push forward.

  “Petty Princess Hane,” a young woman chuckled, “Of Mavasnier.”

  “Petty Prince Scues,” a young man bowed after her, “Of Engapoyo.”

  “Welcome to Ae°calikasvven,” Jurao said, bowing slightly to the group. While only the petty royals introduced themselves, each had a small retinue with them - one to three valets, and a guard or two for some of them.

  An older person cleared fos throat, stepping out from behind Petty Prince Saerma. Fos cleared fos throat a second time before saying, “Your highness, I am - ah. That is…”

  “This is Mesaes Maesculiken,” Saerma introduced for him, giving the older man a strong sp on the back.

  “Ah,” Jurao said, “My uncle.”