Crown Prince Lei Sang-Shuik stared at the men bowing before him and frowned. He felt off all morning and now a crashing headache set in. It was odd to see one of his regular cabinet members standing in the line of petitioners, and he was impatient for the explanation. First, he had to sit through the protests from the minor lords from the Gonlong Prefecture, ranging from the state of the roads, new fees for using the canals, and a levy of both men and materials for general defense.

"Our new lord does not seem to appreciate our hereditary customs and titles," a plump man in fine silk robes summed up the group's presentation.

Prince Lei scanned the scrolls on his desk and extracted the report he had received from his cousin. "I would have thought you understood maintaining the transportation corridor is the responsibility of everyone with hereditary titles. The roads are important to the defense of this realm so, in time, your later complaint will answer the first." He tapped his finger on the scroll, saying, "As for the fees for boat traffic, I am frankly surprised they are not higher. Commercial activities are still discounted for the third shipment so will balance in time." The Prince gestured to the guards to escort the delegation out of the room. He silenced their protests with a sharp look then waited for Lord Choi to approach with two men with similar facial traits, one older, and one younger.

"Am I right to assume you are here on some family matter?" the prince asked.

"Indeed, I am here with my father and brother to plead for mercy for the youngest member of our clan," Lord Choi went down on his knees. His companions followed his lead and bowed deep enough to nearly skim their foreheads on the floor. "I am afraid my nephew fell in with the wrong crowd when he was younger but despite his foolishness, I do not believe he should die."

"You know I can not overrule the courts findings in a criminal matter," the prince spoke in slow, measured tones.

"No. We are not here to dispute the verdict, only plead for mercy," Lord Choi continued on his knees.

"I need to see all the facts of the case," the prince looked to his secretary who promptly handed over a sealed scroll. He frowned while scanning through the documents. "Why bring this to me? Surely, you should first address the Lord of Gonlong Prefecture, the matters of trespass and attempted theft are well within his orbit." The prince kept reading while he waited for a response. He spotted the Choi's true dilemma near the end of the text but wanted to see what explanation the family might offer.

"Highness. I have to admit my boy took my interest in tracking down certain rumors too much to heart. When he stumbled into a group of northerners, he tagged along to see whether they had leads we may have missed." The man spoke quickly, his whole body shaking.

"Rumors concerning?" The prince probed.

"There have been signs in the heavens of a new heir, a twice-royal," the oldest of the petitioners spoke up.

"Not that old saw, again?" The prince shook his head, "I'm shocked anyone would consider such nonsense worth pursuing."

Lord Choi put his hand on his father's sleeve to calm the old man, before saying, "Yet, the northern court saw fit to send more than one team, although it seems they may have been at cross purposes."

"And which purpose did your nephew have? Just espionage, or perhaps assignation?" The prince's question reflected broader concerns expressed in his cousin's confidential reports. The Choi family members looked bewildered. The prince ran out of patience, "Come on now. What were you hoping to gain?"

Lord Choi cleared his throat, "Protection. I mean if there is proof, it would be in this kingdom's interest to keep the potential heir safe in the south. There is no telling what might happen in the north."

The prince shook his head "You can try your explanation with my cousin when he returns from Gonlong Prefecture. I will issue a stay of execution until he can hear your plea."

The eldest of the little group expressed his profound gratitude. The prince did not feel it necessary to warn the family that they would need to make a better case before the astute former field commander. The whole interaction had left him with a bad feeling. Especially since it reminded him, the need for an heir outweighed the distain he felt for his Qin bride. He resolved to take the necessary steps all the while avoiding the special elixirs the physicians tried to press on him.

So far, he had done nothing to signal his oldest scribe had broken protocol by giving him the notes from Rainbow-Maker Mein's interrogation of Kal Chul. He trusted there were no other witnesses but had no idea where the pair had gone. The King's man told him Rainbow-maker Mein had been placed on a disciplinary leave for failing to properly control his student. He did not like the man foisted on him as a replacement, avoiding any contact outside of the proscribed ceremonial interactions. The new man clearly expected to stay and listen in on council meetings but was not accorded the privilege. The Prince missed the wry observations Rainbow-maker Mein offered about the cut-throat gamesmanship of palace politics but had no intention of letting another into his inner circle. He wondered what his sharp-tongued friend would have said about the petition from Lord Choi and his family. Probably something about keeping his enemies close.

He rolled his shoulders and tipped his head from side-to-side. A servant appeared beside him with a pungent cup of medicinal tea. The prince swallowed it down quickly but could not help shuddering with the bitter aftertaste lingering after the honey-water chaser. The secretary offered to send the rest of the petitioners away but the prince decided to soldier on, knowing there could well be foreign spies watching for any signs of weakness. It was bad enough he had taken over this much of the King's duties - they could not afford to let anyone think he was also faltering. Most of the other petitions were simple enough matters so he let his mind wander while the Ministers made recommendations. He sincerely wished there was another obvious heir, one to share some of these duties, and forestall the principalities squabbling.

He had dispatched his most trustworthy allies to guard the kingdom's interests while he waded through the mire at court. His cousin understood the strategic importance of the Gonlong transportation nexus and was making necessary improvements. The pace of change was bound to pinch, so the prince exercised patience with the disgruntled junior lords. He less concerned by the sporadic northern attacks than the rumors about incursions in the southwest.

General Tan's most recent dispatch pointed to a woeful lack of naval preparedness forcing the re-deployment of his main troop. Shifting headquarters meant field-testing the night flyers had been put on hold. The prince had been startled by the depth of his disappointment with the delay until he recognized the hint of freedom a better message system offered. Thinking back on the team's demonstration he remembered the clever clockwork flowers as a suitable token to help ease his way back into his wife's good graces.