Theanore read Elmar’s letter and couldn’t help but pale. Her friend was now a Litch and Litches were evil, her mommy had told her. And what was he going to eat now?

She felt it would be better not to send a living being to him, so he could eat its soul, but she didn’t want him to starve either. So, she picked up a parchment and began writing to Emperor Casimir.

Your Imperial Majesty,

One of my friends, Elmar, is now a Litch. I humbly request for you to send him prisoners on death roll to eat. I will pay for the trip and a compensation to the families of the deceased.

Cassy is well and wants to know how the baby and Empress Orlena are. Furthermore, I humbly beg for permission to make dealings with the mermaids of the underwater grotto, as it is per the law of the Dawn Empire.

With respect,

Theanore the nymph.

With that done, she sent the envelope and went back inside Crassus’ house to do some knitting. She was making Mary a sweater, but the hole for the neck was almost non-existent.

She was sure old Dany would fix it for her, if she asked. Theanore was going to complete the sweater and send it to the nanny for corrections along with a bag of chocolate chip cookies.

The cookies were already cooling on a plate. She had gotten extra early just to make them. Old Dany loved homemade cookies, even though most of her teeth were gone.

Theanore spend the rest of the afternoon knitting, and then she sends the sweater and the cookies to old Dany. Moments later, she got a letter. It read.

Dungeon core Theanore,

No subject of mine, even if they are on a death roll, will be used as a food source for a Litch! If said Litch eats humans in my territory, I will have this Elmar drawn, hung and burned alive!

As for your second request, sure. But Cassius is going to get 10% of the profits for his personal bank account. The Empire will tax you another 10%. Just a reminder, no mermaids are allowed on imperial lands. Don’t think to sneak in any changelings unnoticed. The punishment for that will be twenty lashes on both the mermaid’s and your backs.

Best regards,

Emperor Casimir von Eomis, The Father of the Empire, The Falcon, the one who dances with fire. Eleventh of my name.

Well, thought a very pale and shuttering Theanore, she had tried to keep Elmar fed. And with the punishment with the mermaids, she really wondered if it was worth it to send Marinus over.

She touched her back and gulped. Twenty lashes for someone as small as her might kill her. Even if the mermaids had something super special to trade, she wanted to avoid risking it.

No, Marinus won’t be going to the underwater grotto. Not only that, but Theanore was going to collapse the tunnel just in case a mermaid decided to explore it.

She went outside and, with a wavering voice, spoke.

“Ants, line up.” She said, and an ant appeared.

“Go and collapse the tunnel to the underwater grotto and be quick about it.” Said Theanore and the ant scurried off to do as it was told.

With that done, Theanore tried to calm herself, but she found she could not. She knew that Cassius’ father had not been happy about the divorce, more so when her mother had made sure he didn’t get any of her money.

But to threaten her with the whip? And not just her, but another person too. Someone whose only fault was being in the grotto? That was going too far. But what could she do?

She didn’t want a war with the empire, and she wanted to follow the law, like a good girl. Her father had told her once that laws were there to separate people from beasts. If she crossed them, was she more than a mob?

She needed to be with someone now. Theanore went to the lake and found Harry Karheim there with his feet in the water. The boy smiled at her and then trained his brown eyes back at the lake.

“Hi, Harry.” Said Theanore as she sat with him. “Hi, Tod.”

Theanore finally noticed the Tedsby, and she waved at it. The Tedsby waved back and snuggled in Harry’s side.

“Hi, Thea. Wonderful day today, is it not?” Asked Harry as he wiggled his toes in the water.

“Is the water warm, Harry?” Asked Theanore. She somehow doubted it. It was April, after all.

“Lukewarm, but I never got to do this before. I would get the worst coughing fit every time I tried. But I am healthy now, so that is not a problem.” Said Harry, and he scooped up the Tedsby and placed it on his lap.

“Do you and Tod need anything, Harry?” Asked Theanore. She needed something to take her mind off the horrible punishment promised to her.

“Not really, no. But you seem worried. What troubles you?” Asked Harry, and he placed a hand on Theanore’s shoulder. She looked even smaller than she was when she was afraid, and Harry didn’t like that look on her.

“Emperor Casimir said that if he catches a mermaid here at the grotto, he will have me whipped with twenty lashes. And the mermaid, too.” Said Theanore as tears welled in her eyes.

Harry hugged her and patted her back to comfort her. The Tedsby nuzzled into her chest.

“I am sure the prince and the empress won’t let him, but you better not provoke him. One less trading partner is not the end of the world, Thea.” Said Harry.

Inside, he was seething. The emperor was threatening someone who was much loved. If he even sends someone here for a punishment, Harry was sure that Marferik and Esmer would be the first to go up in arms.

“Nothing bad will happen, Thea. It is not like the emperor hates you. You did return his lands; you pay your taxes on time, and you improve the lives of his people.”

And if the emperor didn’t see all that, then he was a fool, and no one that lived in the grotto would stand by and let him treat their nymph unfairly.