Matthew used his cultivation base to check Sahara and waited. After a few minutes of nothing, and maids coming with food and drink, Matthew decided to sit down and wait, hoping that Sahara wouldn’t do what normally happened when you exhausted all of your spiritual essence. Sleep could easily last over a day, yet this pill…Would it wake her up faster?

There was simply no way that he’d let her sleep through their wedding! She had a time limit! She had to wake up soon and that was that!

Steven sat beside him, and said, “Sahara might have seen something, her facial expressions were strange.”

“Tell me.”

“First, she looked a bit stunned, then fine once again. Then she looked interested, then shocked, then worried. I think something is going on in Purple Haven...I noticed that when I had been there last.”

Matthew stared at Steven bemused…Was this something to worry about!?

“When were you personally there?” Matthew asked Steven, hoping to get more information.

Steven, having run from Blue Haven to Purple Haven, Matthew was sure that he might not even answer him, but he wanted a few answers to Sahara's facial expressions.

Steven looked at him and then away, “That…A person chased me there two years ago, I was able to hide in several places, but then left and came here a few months ago. When I was there, at Purple Haven, I could see that they were so busy fighting each other, that they were neglecting the food…But…I saw them killing all the workers that tended to the food, so…”

“They didn’t replace the workers…” Matthew guessed.

There were two lots of workers, with nearly every type of occupation, and losing the cultivation workers tending to the food would still be ok, yet, if they got rid of normal workers and didn’t replace those, that would be a different story…

The cultivation workers simply amplified what they were doing, such as using the element of nature or earth, to stimulate the food, so that it was either better tasting or even held spiritual essence inside of it. Then, if they were builders, they would make the product purer, so that it would be tougher and harder to destroy, which is similar to cultivators who work with weapons.

…But Purple Haven had lost both types of workers, and with something as important as food…

Steven sighed, “I would assume so. I left, seeing the way the food was running out already back then. But I was on the run to save my life and can’t tell you why the people acted like that or how it could be fixed. Purple Haven was running itself into the ground.”

Steven didn't want to go into any more information about his run...Trying to stick to just talking about Purple Haven. All those times were in the past...He was fine now, he had a home...He finally felt like he perhaps had a family too…If this was what it was like to have a family that is…

But he still couldn't help keeping his eye on particular things around him.

Always watching his surroundings had become a natural habit...Something like that wouldn't be so easy to change, yet he didn't really want to change it…This time, though, it wasn't to know when it was a good time to run, it was for protection...

***

During a guest from afar suddenly appearing into Green Haven, there were other discrete objectives taking place.

Earlier, before Matthew had arrived back at his estate, he had done exactly what Nate had asked him to do. Why not?

Not much thought had gone into just bringing out a sword and putting it away not long after…Yet that was all that was needed for one to break out another.

The elder brother didn’t kill any of the guards, but instead used a defence strategy on them that made them all go to sleep at the same time. He was able to use the Air Element and had powder, so he didn't even have to be in the same room to apply this method. It was a very good strategy for a lot of things…Stealing, running, taking life's without having any witnesses...What made it hard to do, was the powder that was used. It wasn't like the powder had never been heard of, but it was either hard to make or very expensive, so one who used it, would use it well!

Nate could only shake his head, his brother will most likely never change! But it did sink into his mind, that this powder could be a very good asset in their plans.

Within moments of the guards falling asleep, Nate was released and then taken away. The first step was to feed Nate and try and fix his cultivation base…The second step, would be to start a plan that would have a hundred percent success rate of the death of the True Golden Heir…

So...Nate sent his elder brother to get more of that powder!

For the next day’s plans, all Nate wanted to do was eat and rest…Then eat some more, and rest some more…

Being free once again, was like another chance! It felt so great to be able to eat at a table, to have clean clothes and not be surrounded by stench! To lay down!

Ah! Life!

It was like a refreshing start, a way to start all over again and put the past into the past!

“At least you don’t stink anymore, I gagged so many times…”

Nate menacingly glared at his elder brother and his brother’s words died into mumbles, “Didn’t even thank me, so impol…”

With normal human strength, Nate punched his elder brother and winced at the sudden pain in his hand.

How pathetic! Dam that woman! How backwards I’ve gone now! I can’t do anything until I get my cultivation back!

He was happy to be freed from his imprisonment but already he was annoyed with the constant loitering of his elder brother…It was going to be long days from here on out! He just knew it!

Another discrete objective was that of a particular ‘servant’ entering into Matthew’s estate. Having the preparations for the marriage, making others rush around and even the new visitor from another Haven having come, the new ‘servant’ seemed to have quite an easy time in entering the estate and start plans of their own…

While Sahara was completely exhausted, through the attempt of wondering if she could teleport two people, these discrete objectives were a lot more serious. Not only was one willing to degrade himself to work with someone so decidedly below himself, but another was willing to put everything into this visit to the Second Prince’s estate.

At least two objectives, and the people involved, were very determined…Yet, they had no relation to each other whatsoever…Except that of their target!

***

Feeling a change in Sahara, Matthew smiled gently at her face. “The pill seems to be working, that was a good idea!”

Steven looked at Sahara too, “She’s so determined. It scares me a bit, because I…I only know how to survive.”

Matthew looked at Steven, to see him looking at his hands, a sudden tender feeling went through Matthew, making him feel soft at heart. “We will protect you now and be your family.”

Steven was still looking down at his hands. "I don't need...Protection...I'm a man. I..."

He really liked it here, meeting these two people and Naruto, it was the best part of his life. He just felt...Embarrassed to say that out loud...

…So, he ended up saying nothing at all...

Matthew, on the other hand, felt hurt, he hated that his half-brother had been running for so long and that he hadn’t seemed to have much of a life before that. This was the most that he has ever seen Steven talk and it made him feel better, that perhaps Steven was starting to open himself up…

Smiling, Matthew had to admit to himself, that he preferred Steven being the man that he is and not wanting to rely on protection. And through thinking this, he was glad that Steven was somewhat strong enough, because if he had been weaker, Matthew could only leave him here when they were to leave Green Haven in the future…

This was the time that Matthew could be his real brother, even though he was younger, birthed by another mother and probably from an entirely different Haven, he was still going to care for Steven and make sure that he knew that they all cared for him. Especially since Sahara had already taken the role of his sister…

Sighing, Matthew knew that he was far from being important though to Steven. As it was, Sahara was first, and then a little mutt was after her...

He couldn't deny the fact that he was jealous...Steven was his real brother after all! They really were related by blood! They had the same...Father! Why should a little mutt be more important than him!

Giving a glare at Naruto, who was now with Steven, Naruto flinched away and cuddled closer into Steven.

Defeated, Matthew could only shake his head.

That little mutt gets the best of everything!

After another half an hour, the newcomers had finally finished eating and drinking, feeling a lot better and Sahara mumbled through her sleep.

“Sahara?” Matthew asked, putting a sly bit of hair off her face.

“I don’t want too…”

Letting out a chuckle, Matthew asked, “What don’t you want?”

Sahara mumbled something else and finally felt like she was actually not in her dream. She briefly opened her eyes, then shut them again, “Bright…”

It wasn't the middle of the day, far from it, but the sun was still strong, as it started to descend into the land. And, it had gone right into her face upon opening her eyes!

Matthew changed her position, so that she was sitting on his lap with her head on his chest, and he put a hand over her eyes, “...Better?”

“Mmm...I feel so tired!” Sahara said, yawning.

“You can sleep in a bit, but first tell us what happened? Why are these people here?”

Sahara blinked and after a few seconds, she moved her head, so that she could see the newcomers, “Uh! It worked!”

“What worked!?” Matthew asked, holding onto her waist now. She looked so irresistible! Her waking up and still being tired, made him only want to lay down with her and watch her sleep, but when she had talked, it was the total opposite that he hardly knew what she meant with her words!

“I didn’t even know if they would get here!” Sahara said, nodding and smiling.

Silence overwhelmed everyone…The Princess…Guessed? What would have happened if they couldn’t make it all the way here?

“I left a note with your men, telling them that I took you here.” Sahara said to the man.

“…A…A note?” The man looked hopeful.

Sahara got off of Matthew and nearly lost her balance, she was still really tired hey…

“Yeah, I was sure that they’d be really worried if you suddenly disappeared. Since you’re a ‘His Highness’ and looked like you’d probably die, I brought you here…Well, I hoped I’d brought you here! Haha!”

No one laughed with her though, and she finally noticed...Perhaps she shouldn’t have said that…

Sahara rubbed her tired eyes and felt herself lose the enthusiasm that she just had.

I could sleep right about now...

“So, what are they doing now?” The man said, standing up from where he ate and coming closer to Sahara. She lazily looked at him and tried to be serious...

She shrugged, “I’ll check when I get more spiritual essence.”

That’s when she realized that it was all coming to her…Like that off a pill…Ahh!

Sahara suddenly sat on the ground, right where she was, and went into meditation.