Norman sat in his office, blindly staring at the cold hearth, the dining hour drawing near as he listened to the corridor growing busier with nobles ushering down to the banquet hall for their meal.

The trial for his daughter’s kidnappers was to take place the very next day, and the energy in the air was rising steadily.

The knock on the door reached through the King’s daze slowly, until with a clearing of his throat he finally managed to call out, “Enter.”

He tried to straighten himself in his chair, but lost the energy to when he locked eyes with Brendan Devark.

The large Troivackian man slowly rounded the sofa and seated himself down across from Norman. The look of wary concern on Brendan’s face at the mere sight of the Daxarian King’s pale expression was almost touching.

“Your Majesty, you asked to see me?” Brendan asked while loosely clasping his fingers.

Norman’s eyes drifted back to the empty hearth for a moment, listening to the sound of the evening once more as he tried to sift through his thoughts for what he needed to say.

When he finally turned his attention back to Brendan, he could see the younger man watching him carefully.

“As a father, I’ve always been of the mindset that you love your children the best you can, and the rest will fall into place. At least that’s what my father told me before I was married to my Ainsley,” Norman began with a small melancholy smile. “It was… difficult for us, as I know you’ve heard, for us to successfully have both our children. Something that I am already fearful of when it comes time for Alina to have her own family.”

Brendan stiffened.

“I want you to know something, Brendan Devark, and that is… I think my daughter takes far more after her mother than she realizes, and she is sadly completely unaware of that because I have lacked as a parent the past three years. A fact I am far from proud of.”

Norman met Brendan’s hard gaze, clearly allowing his elder to finish his speech.

“The reason I tell you of this, and my shortcomings, is I think you and I may have similar stories to share one day, and so I wanted to tell you the worst of mine so that you might better understand the kind of woman Alina’s mother was.”

Frowning, Brendan wondered why there was an ominous note in the Daxarian King’s voice.

“When Alina was being born… there came a time when Mrs. Katelyn Ashowan told me she may not be able to save both the babe and Ainsley.” Norman’s eyes shifted to the carpet as the pain of that day echoed in his entire being. “Do you know what my wife said to me?”

Brendan felt his heart quicken… he had a hunch… and just as Alina’s father had predicted… it was because he somehow knew exactly what Alina would do in that situation as well.

“‘Save her. No matter what, you choose our daughter, you hear me?’”

The thought of Alina saying those words to him immediately made Brendan’s gut twist and his face pale… a reaction that only a short while ago was impossible for even the goriest of scenes to yield from him.

“I tell you this story not to frighten you, but to prepare you for the kind of woman who will bring you to your knees in ways you didn’t see imaginable. I tell you this so that you know… to treat her strength with the respect it deserves. I am not as strong as my wife was, and my children are the ones who are paying for that. It is a burden I will take with me to my grave. Which brings me to the final reason I tell you all of this.” Norman’s expression of grief and pain passed over his wizened features slowly, but eventually a look of resolution settled between his brows.

“Learn from my mistakes. Don’t let whatever joy that remains in the wake of loss to forever live in its shadow.”

Brendan found himself unable to look away from the Daxarian King who looked… defeated. Tired…

“I give you and Alina my blessing.” Norman’s voice was quiet, but when he met Brendan’s eyes once more, his sincerity shone through.

Awash in a strange tingling of emotion that touched him from mind, to heart, to toes, Brendan bowed his head to Norman. Gratitude and respect burgeoning in his chest with every breath he managed.

“If you ever bring up the possibility of a mistress again, I will ensure the rest of your days are spent in a world of pain.”

Brendan’s head snapped up as he grimaced guiltily. “It will never happen again.”

Norman didn’t react so much as nod and raise a stern eyebrow in response.

“I entrust you with my daughter’s happiness and well-being, please keep that in mind for the rest of your days.”

Brendan bobbed his head in agreement once more.

“Good. Now, shall we go to dinner and see what the Viscount has decided to serve in celebration of his daughter’s return to the conscious world?” Norman began to rise from his seat, when Brendan suddenly remembered one other detail.

“Pardon me, but there is something that I promised to Lord Fuks that I don’t quite understand.”

Norman’s lax posture straightened immediately. “Oh, good Gods, what did that man make you promise? I thought we had warned you sufficiently about him.”

Brendan raised an eyebrow. “The Earl stopped me this afternoon during my walk with the Princess, and made me promise that if you gave your blessing for Alina and I once more, and it was due to the cat named Emperor Kraken, I was to request an inner council night similar to the night of the ten fountains.”

Norman’s furrowed brow fell into a flat look as he shifted his gaze from Brendan, to the wall. Then to the door. As though he were at a complete loss as to what to do, until after another moment of silence he dropped his chin to his chest and let out a long breath.

“That bloody cat, I swear to Gods. I don’t know which of those two will be the death of me,” Norman muttered under his breath before raising an irritable yet resigned expression to Brendan.

“Alright, Your Majesty, please meet the inner council and I in the council room immediately after dinner and… perhaps don’t plan on getting any official work done first thing in the morning.”

Then without another word, Norman swept out of his study to join the dinner crowd moving to the banquet hall, leaving Brendan wholly confused about what in the world he had promised Earl Fuks. He had assumed the elder was relatively harmless if a touch mad with a poor sense of humor… so… whatever was this all about?

***

Staring around the table at the inner council, Brendan immediately congratulated his forethought in inviting his brother along as an ally. He wasn’t sure he was fond of whatever was brewing in the air.

The council themselves however, seemed rather pleased about the whole arrangement, and even Duke Iones who hadn’t been present the first time had joined. The men all wore casual clothes that made them look like civilians, and all rather… excited.

Brendan was just about to ask what in the world was supposed to happen, when the council door opened yet again, with Finlay Ashowan carrying a crate filled with bottles that he hefted onto the table.

Behind him floated in platters of meats, cheese, and fruits that drifted over and down the entire table. The Viscount kicked the door closed behind himself casually with the heel of his boot.

“Alright gentleman, we have Troivackian moonshine,” Fin pulled out five bottles of the clear liquid, immediately making Henry and Brendan sit up a little straighter in their seats. “Four bottles of wine– Kevin, no breaking into the castle’s stache to steal more like last time. You’re too old to act like that.”

The King’s assistant openly scowled, but his eyes remained fixated on the bottles of wine.

“Two bottles of absinthe compliments of Peter and his husband Karter Dawson, and last but not least, a bottle of rum that our Zinferan merchants have brought for us.” Fin set the empty crate on the floor beneath the long wooden table, and stood with his hands on his hips before the rest of the seated group.

Brendan stared at the Viscount expectantly. Was it a tasting event…? What did this have to do with the fountains?

“Finlay, my boy, perhaps you can explain to the newcomers what this is about!” Lord Fuks raised his cup with a grin.

“Your Majesty, I thought you already told your future son-in-law about this?” Fin quirked an eyebrow in question to the King who was leaning forward on his forearms in the most casual position the Troivackians had ever seen him in.

“Oh, no. This was entirely the fault of Lord Fuks and your Godsdamn cat.”

“My Godsdamn cat?” Fin squinted at the King, his expression odd…

Norman let out a long sigh before resting his elbow on the table and leaning his face into his hand.

“I’m sorry, Fin, but… I am too old to keep up this pretense… I acknowledge your cat is responsible for saving thousands of lives, and has a special bond to you and your soul, but… he annoys the hell out of me.”

Norman shook his head in apology and mild shame before he realized Fin was staring at Mr. Howard with a growing smile.

“You didn’t tell him?” the Viscount asked Mr. Howard as both Captain Taylor and Duke Iones were fighting off the urge to snort the drinks they had hastily poured and were beginning to drink.

“Tell me what?” Norman sat up straighter as he stared back and forth between Fin’s bemused smile and Mr. Howard’s reddening cheeks.

“Your Majesty… every time you drink a little too much you’ve… you’ve written me a letter from wherever you are, and you write a very detailed list of why you hate my cat. It’s been happening at least bi-annually for… I want to say almost twenty years… I kept the letters if you don’t believe me,” Fin finished as Captain Taylor and Duke Iones succumbed to laughter.

Norman’s jaw dropped as he looked to Mr. Howard for verification, and found the man pointedly avoiding his gaze.

“Why did no one tell me?!”

“Honestly, they were the highlight of our Winter Solstices. It’s family tradition that I read it aloud when it arrives every year,” Fin recanted fondly.

“Wait… did Ainsley know?!” the King demanded while his incredulousness towards his assistant grew steadily.

When Mr. Howard still refused to answer, Norman dropped his forehead to his hands.

“If it makes you feel any better, Kraken isn’t exactly fond of you either. I’ve stopped him pooping and… other things… all over your belongings for years whenever we would visit for official meetings,” Fin chortled while grabbing a goblet and pouring himself a cup of Troivackian moonshine.

Prince Henry watched the entire exchange with obvious confusion before glancing at his brother, who was waiting patiently.

“So, what does this have to do with the fountains?” Brendan asked, bringing everyone’s attention back to the matter at hand.

“Ah, well… the fountain incident was sort of what bonded us all in a more informal way. On a deeper level. It was the cause of the ten fountain mystery, as well as the long running one sided love story between Mr. Howard and myself,” Fin began after taking a hearty gulp of his drink.

“I swear to the Gods, Ashowan, if you bring that up again…” Mr. Howard grumbled over the brim of his goblet.

Fin smiled handsomely while swirling the contents of his own glass and plunking himself down on the other side of Captain Taylor.

“So more or less, powerful figures of the continent drink like young foot soldiers and cause a ruckus?” Brendan asked, his stern expression making everyone present stiffen.

“That is precisely what it is, only because it’s us, the ruckus becomes the stuff of legends,” Lord Harris grinned at the Troivackian King boldly. “After all, I met my beloved wife the first night I drank with the inner council. We also usually dispose of formalities and insult one another in good fun.”

“I had just been hired as the Royal Court Mage,” Keith Lee interjected with a grin. “I wound up naked on the roof of the glass tower… Mr. Kasim Jelani has never quite forgiven me for that one. I’m also unclear whether it was my own doing or Lord Ashowan’s…”

“It was a team effort.” Fin gave a small bow and a fond grin to Keith.

Henry turned to look at his brother, worried that Brendan would excuse himself as he would deem it too compromising a position to be placed in.

However the Troivackian King turned his head towards the Viscount, his dark eyes unreadable as ever. “There is a grave problem with this.”

“Yes, Your Majesty?” Fin asked, his smile dimming slightly. “The trial for tomorrow has to be postponed to the afternoon already, so don't about this being a ploy to have you sleep all morning. Mr. Howard needed more time to revise your engagement contract in order for you to be present at the Princess’ side during the trial-”

“There isn’t nearly enough moonshine for me to become as inebriated as you expect me to be.”

After a single beat where everyone absorbed with what had been said, the entire table of men broke out in whoops and whistles as Fin had a bottle of Troivackian moonshine float over to Brendan and Henry’s goblets and fill themselves.

“Don’t worry, Your Majesty, I have more supplies in the kitchen. Congratulations on your engagement by the way!” Fin raised his goblet in a toast earning another round of good hearted cheers from the men.

Brendan proceeded to drain the goblet in one mouthful, and met the Viscount’s eyes levelly as though challenging him.

Fin grinned and shrugged before once again having the bottle float over and refill the King’s cup.

“Say lads, you know what we haven’t played in a dogs age? Honesty or Guts,” Lord Harris interjected, his smile a little too mischievous.

After glancing at one another, Henry and Brendan turned to face the Duke seriously.

“So,” Prince Henry began. “How do we win?”

***

“Alina… why… do I have to be up at the crack of dawn?” Kat yawned as she continued to wipe her eyes and be wheeled out of her chamber by the Princess who was a little too chipper that morning.

“Remember how you told me of our fathers having their ‘inner council meetings’, that really were just drinking escapades?” Alina asked as she continued wheeling her friend down the corridor.

“Yeah?” Kat’s unenthused response only made the Princess all the more gleeful.

“Well, it just so happens, my very own beloved fiance and his brother joined such a meeting last night, and to be quite honest, I’m a little upset us ladies don’t get to have such a rousing good time. So, I figured we’d do the next best thing.”

Kat slowly turned her head to look over her shoulder and noticed her friend’s devious smile.

“Alina… does this have something to do with the lute you have strapped onto your back?”

“It does. It’s the lute your brother got me for my birthday and, you know… I haven’t had the time to tune it. Tell me, do you know how to play the lute, Kat?”

Her beautiful wolfish smile began lighting Kat’s face. “I can’t say I do.”

“Good. You play, and I’ll sing. I’m feeling a little pitchy this morning so don’t be shy about playing loudly.”

Alina dropped the lute into her friend’s lap, Kat already cackling merrily as Alina wheeled her around the corner.

“You know, my dear Princess, I’m beginning to like how bold that fiance of yours is making you. Or can I take some of the credit?” Kat asked as she prepared to give the worst performance imaginable for the hungover inner council members who most likely had only gone to bed an hour or two earlier.

Alina smiled. “It’s thanks to you both. Now, should I count us in?”

Kat shot her friend one final delighted glance over her shoulder.

“Where’s the fun in that?"