Reiji and Heneral Arkan walked through a paved path in the palace garden, where the plants and trees flourished in the hot season. The scent of dry earth and shades of bright greens blended in the surroundings as light trickled through the filtering of branches above.

The warmth of the day gave way to their sweat. Reiji disliked the summer most among other seasons, for it forced him to wear clothes that exposed more of his skin. His short-sleeved tunic matched the brown of his trousers, and his sandals kept his feet airy and fresh, although he preferred closed shoes.

Reiji envied the general, who looked unbothered by the weather in a sleeved barong and closed black boots. He wondered if Heneral Arkan had trained himself to endure the heat. The man didn't even show any sheen on his forehead, while Reiji felt a drip move along his hairline.

"You should think about finding a bride soon," Heneral Arkan said as they continued to walk on the paved pathway. He was already in his fifth decade of life, more than three times Reiji's age. Old enough to be his father.

The general had insisted on these morning walks for the benefit of both their health and minds, taking the same route through the palace's east garden every day. And every time, they had discussed the same thing—marriage.

Reiji breathed in the warmth of the fresh air and sighed. "I don't want to marry," he said. His answer came the same every day in different ways—not ready, uninterested, or there will be a time—all to avoid the act and the responsibility. Marriage had no appeal to him, and he had not met a woman or a girl that could persuade him.

"By the old kings, that's nonsense. Pardon my words, My Matu, but of course, you want to marry." Though Heneral Arkan was a hand shorter than Reiji, he appeared dominating—the high general of the Darackan Army. His stature was of a warrior, a Maharlika—muscles tight and fit under his sleeves—a soldier despite his current humble attire.

Not only did the general look like an authority, but he also spoke the part, sounding so sure of what Reiji wanted for himself. But it wasn't only Heneral Arkan who acted that way. The staff in the Ozaro Palace and the Keepers treated him as if they all knew what he wanted—this and not that. In their eyes, Reiji was still only a child—a boy who couldn't make his own decisions.

"When I was your age," the general continued, "I wanted to marry every girl I saw. I don't understand why your manhood hasn't risen yet. I suppose you may be a late riser. But trust me, when you become a man and feel the heat of a woman, you'll love it. You might not even get enough of it." He chuckled, and the happiness over his face wrinkled his bronze skin. Over his years of service in the Darackan army, his age had caught up with him. White streaks stained his black hair and his thick beard. Under his eyes carved two bags of irreparable dry lines.

Reiji's brows shot up at the older man's words. His mind flashed an image—him with a girl, her curves under his hands. He wasn't sure what to say about that, but he knew he didn't feel lust. He didn't feel that way about women. Perhaps he was still only a boy.

They came beneath the shadow of the main keep, and Reiji was grateful for the cool shade, relieving him of the heat that crawled up his neck. The facade of the structure towered over them. Its massive balustrades lined as thick posts held the coral rocks and large gray stones.

They continued to walk silently until a man with a cart passed them by, and Reiji noted the contents—pieces of metal in different cuts, sizes, and shapes. He guessed they were being delivered to the corner tower where Master Kazuri's machine was housed. The man with the cart stopped before them and bowed low, hand to his chest, before moving on.

"I thought the machine was completed already," Reiji said, watching the man turn and disappear behind the main keep, cartwheels rattling and metal clinking.

"They continue to fund the project." Heneral Arkan sighed, frustrated. "Every time Master Kazuri uses the machine for his experiments, they must change some parts. I don't understand the mechanics of it. What's for sure is we'll continue to see these carts come and go."

"I see," Reiji nodded, a little disappointed that he didn't know much about the machine. The Kahani and the Keepers needed to keep the information confidential, making everyone who worked on it swear an oath of silence. As the Matu, he expected to be included in their circle of secrecy. Instead, he was cast out, hidden in shadow, and only allowed glimpses of the truth.

They walked along the side of the keep until they reached a stairway leading them to the parapet that looked out to the city of Kazima. At the edge of the cliff, the Ozaro Palace stood high—the towers and roofs of houses below bowed to its splendor.

As soon as they reached the top of the stairs, Reiji saw the Kahani by the railings. She was watching the city. Her black hair gathered in a low bundle behind her neck, tucked under a silver payneta bejeweled with blue stones. White pearls hung on her ears and around her elongated neck framed by the butterfly shoulders of her red mestiza—the thin fabric wrapped around her body in layers.

Beside the Kahani was Gat Garim, the Keeper of Espionage, in a black long-sleeve barong with a high rounded collar. He stood close to her and appeared to be speaking, but as soon as he saw Reiji, he stopped and straightened himself.

Reiji squinted at Gat Garim. He hated the idea that people—the Keepers—though it was their job, were whispering in the Kahani's ears, advising her and telling her what to do. The worst of them were Gat Garim and Master Hatari. The opinions of the members of the Keepers clouded all of the Kahani's decisions. That included the decision for Reiji to wait until he turned eight years over his first decade before he could take the throne as the Kaharaza of Daracka.

The Kahani turned to look at what distracted Gat Garim and met Reiji's eyes with her dark blue-gray ones.

Reiji and Heneral Arkan walked up to them by the railing, and they bowed with their hands over their hearts. Gat Garim did the same, while the Kahani only nodded.

"Blessed blue skies, Queen Ara," the general greeted.

"My Kahani," Reiji said respectfully, but at the tip of his tongue, there came the urge to call her mama. He swallowed it like a hard lump that formed in his throat. He was no longer a child and should no longer cling to her in that way.

Gat Garim looked at Reiji and the general, his brown eyes studying.

Beside Reiji, Heneral Arkan's shoulder rose as if he was tensed, and the two held each other's heavy gazes for a moment.

Gat Garim turned away first. "We will continue our discussion later?" he asked the Kahani.

Reiji knew that the Keeper of the Army and the Keeper of Espionage didn't take to each other. They have kept their dislike unapparent, but Reiji often saw the look they exchanged whenever they were near one another.

"Of course," the Kahani said without looking at Gat Garim, and he gave them a nod before turning on his heels and walking down the stairs, leaving the three of them on the parapet walk.

"I will also take my leave now," the general said, and he didn't wait for the Kahani to dismiss him. He simply bowed and followed Gat Garim's footsteps.

Soon there was just the Kahani, Reiji, and a single guard nearby.

The Kahani turned her gaze to the city of Kazima. The mountains of Daracka fuzzed far in the distant horizon beside the Shadow Desert, a blackness seeming to consume the south—a familiar but always intriguing view.

"Have your walks benefited you?" the Kahani asked.

"Yes, they have, My Kahani," Reiji answered, standing beside her. From this high, the city appeared quiet though it looked busy. Carriages and horses passed through roads, and people walked on streets and alleyways like crawling insects.

"That's very good," she said. "Has Heneral Arkan spoken to you of marriage?"

Reiji almost laughed. "Every day."

A small satisfied smile materialized on the Kahani's lips. "Good. Then I don't have to." She took a moment to pause before asking another question. "Do you know what makes Daracka a kingdom?"

The query was out of the skies, and Reiji had never considered it. Several possible answers passed through his mind; the mountains, the lands, the Shadow Desert, the metal resources, and the agriculture. He thought for a while and then settled on an answer. "The people," he said.

The Kahani's smile grew. "You're learning." She nodded. "Good. And do you know what makes us royal?"

Bloodline, he wanted to answer. But when he looked at the Kahani, he knew that could not be true. It was more the power, but not quite it either.

He stared out into the city, looking at the people. He couldn't see their faces, but he observed the way they moved, the way they interacted with each other, the way they stopped when they were tired, and the way they lived.

The people below and Reiji were alike in many ways. When he realized this, his heart swelled with wanting. "We are in this position because we have the power to serve the people, to protect them. We can only become royal when we do those acts."

The Kahani's face didn't give away any reaction. She didn't say if his answer was correct or wrong, but Reiji knew the silence from her meant that it was acceptable.

For a while, the Kahani said nothing, soaking in the warm breeze. She closed her eyes and breathed in deep, butterfly shoulders of her mestiza rising then falling at the release. "We have to protect them, Reiji," she said after a few breaths. Her voice filled with emotion. "Being royal is a responsibility."

"I know," Reiji said with confidence. He understood she was carrying that responsibility for him, and now he desired to have it—to become Kaharaza.

The Kahani looked sideways at him. "You speak wisely." The words came out cold. "But wisdom is a traitor. You should be afraid when you believe you are full of it."

That was true. People in the palace often thought of themselves as all-knowing, but Reiji differed from them. He didn't believe he knew everything because he felt the opposite and was urged to learn more about his kingdom, his throne, and his power. He clenched his teeth, keeping the thoughts to himself.

"My Kahani. My Matu," someone spoke nearby, and they both turned to see the Keeper of the Guards, Kapitan Huckana, standing at the end of the walkway flanked by two guards. The three of them dipped their heads in a low bow.

"I must prepare for our journey, and you should as well," the Kahani told Reiji. Already she turned to leave, moving to be led away by the captain.

"Of course, My Kahani," Reiji said as he bowed to the Kahani's back, his right hand pressed over his beating heart.

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