A man who called himself Torch walked into the queen's palace gracefully with an air of confidence about him. Enormous light brown structure, squared in shape right at the heart of the city of Eurydice, capital of Perseus.

The queen's palace was three-storeys tall with four pillars supporting an entrance paved in white tiles so bright Torch often caught his reflection on them, what Torch loved about the queen's palace was not the building but what dotted around it. Flowers. There were different kinds of them in the sea of finely trimmed green grass. Crown's Keep was the most colorful part of the city.

Today, he didn't stop to pick a rose as he often did when he was at the palace. He was summoned, it was best to reply to the summon with haste.

Gone for ten days and she has an emergency already, Torch grumbled to himself as he walked to the tea room. The messenger had said the queen will be waiting for him at the tea room. The woman had strings on him and he didn't like that. Sky Kingdoms was full of dangerous women, he was never shy to admit that.

At least Torch stayed as far as he can from the grannies; they were a dangerous bunch with all their Celestial. He would rather die than have strings from them.

Torch's mind was troubled. He worried when the time approaches Daylight, not for himself but the worry was a constant thorn and it was hard to plunk it out.

Only fourteen days remained before Daylight.

Life was really a troublesome business, the mighty sun didn't make it any more comforting by its brief coming. And there were grannies who tried to kill everyone who touch Radiation.

Life was dark as Spiral Pulser.

The tea room was deep within the palace. Although he looked out of place with his dark clothing and Light, his broad dark sword, strapped on his back, he had the deadly look about him, but nobody stopped him. He was a familiar sight to those who paid attention, others ignored him like the rest of the citizens who poured in and out of the palace.

The tea room looked over a fountain shaped as a three-headed hound with each head spitting water from its mouth. Its walls walked vines of green and light brown twisting around each other, it smelled like a waterfall and it was cool, even for Torch. There was a small table in the center having four chairs but two occupied. On left, there were tea sets with different kinds of tea. The teapot was always placed on the top of heat artifact which produced heat by trapping Celestial from the big guy Orion. It was a granny's device just like the white-lights which provide light to the city or it would have been impossible to go about during Endless Night. The grannies were creative, he would give them that.

Torch poured boiling water on his cup, dumped few leaves of mint, and sweetened it with honey. He didn't enjoy tea, however, this one he can endure. He walked to the table with a half-smile. It was time for manners.

"Your Highness," he bowed his head to Queen Genevieve. "Skylady Liezel."

He took the seat between them and sipped his tea. Genevieve Ekins was on his left. Her hair was braided dark brown, clear gray eyes and he had never seen her wearing a crown. But she didn't pass on wearing fancy ladies' dresses, today she was wearing a light blue one with shining gems on the shoulders. On the right was Liezel Semel, a Cruxian, pale skin and sky blue eyes like during Daylight. She was six foot tall, beautiful for a granny but she always has a look imaging chopping him in as many pieces as possible. Glad she sat on the right, it will be easier to slice her nicely if she tried anything. Torch was sure Light was starting to get rusty without been cleansed with grannies' blood.

"You have learned manners," Liezel said. "I thought that was impossible with you."

Six months at Europa and her hatred for me was refueled. Typical Watcher.

"It's lovely to see you too, Liezel," Torch replied, not normal as he usually did. Time was precious and he already had in mind where to spend it. "I certainly hope you didn't call me to welcome Liezel, Your Highness."

"Not at all, Torch," the queen's voice was soft like a whisper. Can the woman know how to shout? I am sure queens have to do that at some point.

"I am sufficient for that," she continued, "I wanted to tell you what Liezel came back with from Timeless Halls."

Torch nodded to let her continue.

"She found out that Gairiyah Drake will be at Draco in three months' time and she will having a Power Artifact with her, the one we need for our project."

Despite this mission will be good for their project, however, Torch never asked questions when it comes to assignments. He knew his role. He was a soldier, he only obeyed orders, as long as those orders didn't include killing people he loved.

This mission was no different. Torch will carry it out. This was their relationship, Genevieve's and him.

"You will send a sketch of this Drake and the Power Artifact," Torch sipped his tea and stood up. "Consider it done, Your Highness."

Now it's time to see him, I am done middling in queen's business for now.

He hoped everything was still in the way he left it. Endless Night was a damning business. The air was dry to bone without Radiation.

Torch turned around while he was half away across the room, he felt their stares burning him more than Radiation, weigh on his back like boulders. Well, that was women for you.

"Do you know who she is?" Liezel asked slightly amused. She was warming her hands with tea, however, her eyes were focused on Torch.

Honestly, it never meant anything who Torch killed. If the queen ordered it, he did it gladly as long as there were starlings as payment. If he kept remembering every person he killed, it will take away his peace and he was very fond of it.

Torch shrugged his shoulders but they kept starring at him like he was supposed to know her.

Curse you women!

There were probably a thousand grannies in Sky Kingdoms, he cannot know all of them. He never cared to know them. Grannies' business was not good for him, it might get him killed. He would rather let Radiation do the job than let anyone with Celestial do the deed. Thank you very much.

"Gairiyah Drake is the Kingmaker," the queen said it more softly.

Torch knew he was living under a rock when it came to grannies' names but he knew who the Kingmaker was. Some names carried enough weight to be whispered even under rocks. The Kingmaker, the second-highest rank for all grannies in Sky Kingdoms, older than four centuries; known for smoothing peace among nations, establishing ruling governments, and making kings from fourth citizens.

Yes, he knew her. The Kingmaker, not a dangerous name for a granny, but she cannot have ranks because of good looks.

Torch had been around Liezel long enough to know that Watchers have their internal politics and power was everything to them, within their ranks it was the right to rule. He knew there was nothing they cannot do to each other given a chance.

Talking about sisters who stabbed each other's back without hesitation.

"I know Liezel won't mind seeing me gutted but you Genevieve," Torch breathed deeply. "Those grannies will have my head on a spike before I get to the Kingmaker. I am rather attached to my life, very much attached."

"I know but with this artifact, we can reduce tearing. We can heal Abinadab," the queen pled.

Her last statement made Torch stopped talking and breathing at the same time. It was what made Torch knew the queen personally, the sole reason he tolerated Leizil because if it was not for them Abinadab would be long dead. But the Kingmaker was a damning business. She will be heavily guarded, she won't even sneeze without one of her sisters knowing.

"We will talk about after Daylight," he bowed and walked away.

For once Torch didn't accept the mission right away. He knew he cannot take the decision by himself. There was a high chance, if he accepted the mission, he won't come back alive nor he will be successful.