Prince LeiSang-shuik, the most noble heir apparent, lord of the southern islands, sat cross-legged behind a low black lacquered table. Frowning, he shuffled through some scrolls before peering over his half-moon glasses at the men assembled before him. "Why am I seeing you three here at this hour?"

"Highness, there was an incident at the matches today. We seek your advice." The Training Master from the prince's own yard bowed repeatedly.

"Which incident? The ill-fated races that injured five competitors and killed two horses? Or are you talking about the flash-bomb at the hand-to-hand match?" The prince picked up the report his people delivered an hour earlier. "How is the investigation progressing?" He pointed to the Captain of the Guard.

The man bowed twice and delivered his report without lifting his eyes any higher than the second step of the dais. "Two suspects fled the scene. One jumped into the river so we expect he drowned. The other is still at large but the hounds picked up the scent heading into the hills and are close on his trail." The captain swallowed hard. "It's likely the detonator relied on crystals instead of clockworks so not likely a student rivalry or even the bookmakers trying to influence the odds."

"And the intended victims, what do we know about them?" The prince gave Minister Go an expectant look.

His father's most trusted advisor bowed before reporting, "Im Kwang-jo has been with the Sun Temple for five full years. This is his second appearance at the matches. His family are local but not courtiers. His father is a spice merchant and his mother comes from the south. Park Junseo hails from Illidan where his father serves as a physician. He is Knight-Master Min's grandson and shows every sign of following those illustrious footsteps. Like my son, he has a training contract at your cousin's forge. He is the youngest competitor this year." Minister Go paused to see if this answer passed the prince's test.

"The same boy the Dowager made a point of meeting on opening day?" The prince waited for confirmation.

"Park Junseo says his Grandmother Min is a childhood friend of her majesty." Minister Go's information came as a surprise to the others.

"Even so, how could a young boy be enough of a threat for someone to pay to knock him out of the matches?" The prince peered intently at each of the men the gestured to the one with whom he was most familiar.

"The Sun Temple certified his mastery so he competes as a 5th Dan," his training master grumbled and looked pointedly to his senior companion.

"So far in hand-to-hand Park Junseo is two, one, and one with one more match left in the round-robin. Not likely to be in the finals. He is already in the b-division in fencing, so at best, a fourth there. Even with the bonus he earned with the javelin it's very unlikely he will make the final six. I can't rule it out entirely because I don't know how the bonus points will be weighted." Minister Go smiledapologetically.

The training master made a sour face and blurted, "The boy can hardly sit a horse so I can't imagine why anyone would think he was a real threat. If the scoring wasn't so complicated anyone with ten fingers would know that." One glance told him this was the wrong audience for his complaint.

The guardsman shook his head. "We don't know if the device was directly aimed at the competitors, or meant to disrupt the championship for some other reason."

"What is your security plan for the rest of the games?" The prince focused his full attention on the captain.

"We are doubling up our men and reducing the number of entrances. The sniffer dogs will be out in force and we have crystal adepts at the main events." His voice started to fade in the face of the prince's scowl.

"Not nearly enough, is it?" The prince sat a bit taller and plucked at his outer robe.

"If I may?" Minister Go bowed, "Perhaps the teams can volunteer junior guards from their support contingents. Some of my family retainers are already assigned to aid Knight-Master Lei's group and I know he has most of his second team on site."

"A fine sentiment but let me remind you an attack at the games is also an attack on the game's sponsor. I will add more security teams and ask Rainbow-maker Mein to help with the investigation." The prince dismissed the men with a wave of his hand. He paced the perimeter of the reception room with his hands behind his back thinking about what the exchange added to what he already knew from the reports.

He was well aware of the cavalry bias of the man he put in charge of his training yard so did not expect much effort to go into recruiting the Park boy despite the extraordinary ranking from the Sun Temple. Minister Go's close involvement with the boy was also a revelation. No doubt the association with his son shaped his view but being able to list the boy's standings without glancing at a single note was telling. It was also interesting he did not raise yesterday's accident and the sabotage likely aimed at his son. Perhaps Minister Go was sensitive about the competition over the supposed heir to the former fourth kingdom. The trio also neglected to mention the Moon Temple affiliation, a curious oversight given the tensions in the north.

Then there was the whole question of the Dowager's interest. It was so outlandish she left her royal residences just to see her friend's grandson when she could easily summon the boy via Lei Wen Hou. There had to be another reason she chose such a public show of support. This line of thinking brought him back to the quagmire of court politics so he set it aside. No, he resolved, the best clue had to be the crystal detonators. They were a recent enough innovation to have limited sources. Rainbow-maker Mein should be able to help on that score. The best opportunity to explain this theory would be by breaking tradition and attend the semi-finals.

The prince was halfway to his bedchambers before he remembered the incident with the northern priestess. This made him wonder whether today's event was another perverse test. How many others had heard the rumors about his cousin's protégé? The dragon only knows what the factions supporting the former principalities might do to stop a twice-royal getting into the line of succession. He shook his head and told himself not to be so fanciful. 

The head shaman and chief physician waited in the hall outside his chamber. The prince sighed heavily, knowing their task was to prompt him to do his duty by his wife. If a son was conceived many of the competing factions might settle down. On the other hand, birthing an heir would probably embolden the greedy princess and her overbearing relatives. The prince shivered as he choked down the elixir designed to aid in the evening's pursuits. 

The shaman swore the omens were auspicious but the prince did not know what to wish for unless it was to have his older brother back among the living. If Sang-woo were still here, the succession could be secured without pandering to the Qin. 

His inner circle made allowances for his morning temper. The prince batted away the servants adjusting his cloak and strode down the hall calling for Rainbow-maker Mein. "Remind me about Lei Wen Hou's trainee, Park Junseo. Do we know his affinity stone?" The prince peered down at the thin man in multi-colored robes.

"None. At least after his stones were knocked out of balance there was nothing to read. The rumors about his origins pointed to a potential for joining palace service but it was clearly not the case." The rainbow-maker twisted each of his many rings as he spoke.

"But the boy still wears crystals, and going by his recent performance, must sense them. A court physician reported the boy helped ground energy for a procedure. That would mean anchoring a stone that isn't even his own. How strange is that?" The prince said, striding toward the palace gates at a pace that forced his companions into a jog.

"The explanation rests in his temple disciplines. It is very rare for anyone to advance on the terraces in more than one community. You must know the stories about energy workers training in different places."

"What, the old fairy stories about the true born and their guardian?" The prince snorted in derision.

"Not in the literal sense. Just with intense training creating different potentialities, especially with someone advancing through the ranks so young." The short man bowed an apology for his indirect disagreement.

"Well, today we will get a chance to see just how advanced the boy is. Maybe you can find a way to re-assess his affinity. We wouldn't want father's man stepping in unnecessarily." The color drained out of his companion's face and the Prince nodded with satisfaction.

He was well aware of the rivalries within each of the special disciplines serving the Lei family. Those who earned the right to serve the King, lorded over their fellows at court. This was as true of the shamans, dream-speakers, and rainbow-makers, as it was of the physicians, librarians, and accountants. It was doubly true of the palace guards and the prince did nothing to hide his displeasure at the number of his father's house guard now forming up around his party. The message was clear. The lack of another direct heir meant security for even the smallest excursion concerned the King. The prince consoled himself that it would not be too long before his household would retire to the summer palace where he could avoid constant scrutiny.

He had rather hoped to take in the fencing matches but was restricted to a platform under the hand-to-hand marquee. He listened to the explanation about being kept at least three sword-lengths away from anyone in full armor with ill grace and flounced into the chair reserved for him. As he glanced around the press of people edging into the tent, he spotted his grandmother's friend surrounded by Knight-Master Lei's trainees. A striking young woman was helping one of the trainee's re-braid their hair. He sent over a guardsman with the invitation for the women to join his party, displacing his own training master and Rainbow-maker Mein from the platform. His cousin's trainees all bowed their thanks to him, and left for their own assignments.

"Your Highness, we are both most grateful for your hospitality." The old woman said as she sank into a deep curtsey. The young woman dipped down to help the older one rise.

"I am happy for your company Madame Min. I don't often get a chance to hear stories about my grandmother from someone who knows her so well." The prince smiled warmly.

"Oh, don't expect to hear any secrets from me," The old woman chuckled before introducing her graceful grand-daughter then guiding the attention back to the ring where two contestants waited for the prince to acknowledge their salutes.

The Prince smiled at the young man wearing his colors and nodded to his elegant looking opponent. Both looked a bit star struck but soon settled into the fourth dan set. The competitor in the black dobok with red piping used more combat than classical moves. The taller one, in cream with a complicated flower design on the back, was more precise but a bit stiff. It looked like the match might be heading to a points-based decision until they both slipped out of form in the last round. The referee then called the match in favor of the prince's side.

"Go San Jin is going to be disappointed with himself," Numni said in sympathy as she watched the team gather around. She watched as her brother reviewed the moves with his friend.

"Ah, I see that young fellow knows how a monkey can counter a tiger," the Prince said. They both watched as the circle of interested contestants expanded and the sequence of moves practiced under Junseo's direction. "Not many competitors would be willing to share an advantage like that," he said looking at the two women.

"Knowledge isn't something a master should horde," Madame Min tone came out a bit tart.

"My brother said making wider connections is the whole point of these matches. In a few years these young men are likely to serve together so I am happy to see them getting along," Numni realized she had spoken out of turn and blushed furiously.

"You are both right. It is all too easy to get caught up with wagering and team standings." The Prince nodded toward the crowd in front of the scoreboard. "Are you willing to put a coin or two down on your brother's next match?"

"I really shouldn't. Not when we both told him to withdraw. He shouldn't be risking more injury to his burned hand. Father would be furious." Numni inched forward for a better view of the match.

The Prince nodded to his senior trainee, Park Sen Dou, and accepted the salutes from both competitors. He glanced down at the match list and noted this was the last round-robin bout for the senior division. The two young men seemed very at ease with one another, informally bumping fists before taking up their positions. The match flowed quickly with each direction bringing new combinations and styles. At one juncture the referee intervened, cautioning both boys the northern forms would not be awarded points. The match resumed with a flurry of aerial moves and each scored on the other.

Numni bit her lip as she watched the way Junseo kept his injured hand tucked close to his body. She relaxed a little when she noticed how Sen Dou seemed to avoid attacking that side. The time expired and the two boys just grinned at each other.

The Prince signaled to the officials and his rainbow-maker. There was a short conference with the boys and their coaches before the extra test was announced. Rainbow-maker Mein poured two small piles of sand on different sides of the mat. He then handed each of the boys a small jar and gave the instruction for them to return the sand to the jar without touching either, directly.

Junseo worriedly looked over to his family members. Both women gave him encouraging nods so he set the jar near the center of the mat, backed up three steps, and squinted toward the doorway. He started a salutation suitable for the season before quietly chanting an hourly office then executed complicated spin to make a spindle of air. He walked the little wind-dog over to suck up the pile of sand, coaxing it back to the jar. It took him a moment to have the full load settled and to release the winds with another mantra. He then picked up the jar and gave it a quick shake before handing it over.

Park Sen Dou had seen the dervish trick before so started his own spin. The twister he created careened around the ring, knocked over the jar, then blew the sand out in different directions. Junseo came over to help settled the winds.

"Interesting set of skills your brother has," the Prince said as he watched the results being posted.

"I don't know much about it. I haven't watched him compete for years," Numni confessed. "I mean you couldn't miss how much he studied and trained. Even when he was kite racing, Junseo claimed it was just a fitness program combined with applied physics."

The prince puzzled over this for a moment before saying, "Ah. I nearly forgot your hometown's famous pastime. I suppose any boy his age would enjoy flying kites." His remark prompted laughter from both women but he could not get them to explain his faux-pas before the pair left to celebrate their candidate's victory.

He signaled to Rainbow-maker Mein to report. "Highness, I can't not say for certain. It looked like the colors had been sorted but the boy shook up the jar when he handed it over. Maybe it was just a slip."

"Or maybe he has something to hide," the prince looked around to see where his cousin might be but only caught a glimpse of the man's back as he left with the team.