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"Riaku, you look better than the last time I saw you," Syryn told the prince.

The avian was wearing a rich navy blue robe with a silver Phoenix embroidered along the collar. The scar on his cheek had Syryn thinking about the sword that went wherever Riaku went. It was like an extension of the avian.

"Thank you, Syryn. I was worried you\'d be held up longer at the village. It\'s a relief to see that you\'ve arrived sooner than I\'d anticipated." The prince did not mention their wearing of Nua\'s beautiful robes but his appreciation could be seen in the way he looked at them both - with immense satisfaction.

Luci fidgeted in his seat and had a slight dusty colouring of rose on his cheeks when he furtively looked at Riaku and away. His imagination had run away thanks to what Red had told him. Red would give the prince a kiss on his cheek and Luci would also be involved. Ah, did it mean that his future with Magnus was going to be ruined by Red dating other people? How many people would be involved? It gave the boy a headache. There would be a minimum of four of them right? Luci, Red, Magnus, and Red\'s special person.

"So when do I get to meet the dowager queen?" Syryn asked Riaku.

"That might take some time," the prince answered. He appeared annoyed by something he was thinking about.

"Why? What\'s wrong?"

"I have tried to convince elder Toka about the need for enlisting the services of foreign healers but the man remains resistant to the idea."

"And did you try to squash his opinion with your position as the royal prince?"

While they talked, a clever waitress quietly brought tea and then left without disrupting the flow of their conversation.

"I did but he has the support of my brother, the crown prince. It is a delicate situation."

Syryn mulled over Riaku\'s words while taking a sip of the sweet tea. The crown prince and the sacrificial prince, who was more powerful?

"Riaku, have you ever wanted to rule Nua?" Syryn voiced a dangerous idea that had Akida coughing loudly so the sound would cover up what the alchemist was carelessly letting out.

"The Crown Prince, my elder brother, is the rightful heir to Nua," Riaku answered very calmly. Like he had said this many times before.

"Yea, I know, but you\'re the one fighting wars and carrying around a murderous sword. Why should he sit on his throne so cosily after you\'ve done all the work?" Syryn asked.

"Syryn," Riaku said in a low whisper. "Do you realise that you\'re inciting me to begin a civil war? There is already enough unrest as it is. An internal division would create problems that might destroy this nation."

"There won\'t be a civil war if there is no crown prince to lead an opposition," Syryn delicately replied.

They\'d gone into dangerous territory. Riaku\'s face was unreadable, a long practised skill he\'d mastered for moments like this one. "Let\'s talk about how we\'re going to get past the hurdle that\'s elder Toka."

"I can kill him if you just say the word," Syryn told Riaku. "Your brother too."

Pin drop silence reigned in their private room. Akida dramatically sipped on his tea and eyed the two people looking at each other. There was a tension in the air that grew and grew the longer they remained silent.

"I\'ll consider your offer," Riaku\'s reply punctured the balloon of tension.

The alchemist smiled. "You have a month to decide, Riaku."

"Why do you wish for me to ascend?" The prince asked.

The truth was that Syryn wanted to see a half-demon like himself become the ruler of Nua. Especially so since Riaku seemed more stable than any half-breed he had ever met. The prince was a fascinating case study and Syryn wanted to see if power would corrupt him into something terrible.

"From what I\'ve gleaned about Nua, it appears that a more radical ruler is required, someone who will make sweeping changes to the old ways." Syryn\'s smile was benign even though his words were anything but. "Plus, I\'ve always liked a bit of violence."

"He who stirs the shit pot must lick the spoon," Luci coldly informed the teen. After successfully startling everyone, his demeanour changed back to Luci\'s. "That\'s what Red would tell you right now, Syryn."

The alchemist was disturbed by the accuracy with which Luci had grasped Red\'s personality.

"Does he have a split personality or something?" Akida asked the teen.

"Yes. Be careful of the other one. It\'s rabid."

The same waitress arrived with food for the avians.

"There are two high profile medical cases that I want you to take on," Riaku told Syryn after the woman had left. "If you can cure them, the esteemed elder will have no excuses for denying my request. Even my elder brother will have to relent."

"I have a request. If you can grant it then I\'ll treat as many illnesses as you want," Syryn told the prince.

"What is your request?"

"To get an all-access pass to all parts of Nua without any exception."

Riaku was silent for a moment. "What do you wish to gain from such a pass?"

The expectant alchemist leaned forward and raised his brows. "Riaku, I\'m an alchemist. The amount of exotic ingredients all over Nua is like a buffet being coveted by a dog. I will neither touch nor take away anything I\'m not supposed to. Thats a promise!"

"After you treat the cases," Riaku informed him. "Because it will take some time to get permission for it. Nua is very selective about the people who are allowed to study its natural environment."

"Fair enough. Send your patients to me whenever you want." Syryn thought he would do the same if he owned a garden of rare plants. Nobody would be allowed inside, not even to study them. He would hoard and protect it like a dragon guarding its treasure.

"I\'ll send the first patient to you tomorrow. She\'s a middle-aged lady who has been suffering from a sickness that has confounded the healers for a week now. Her prognosis is bad but I am hoping that you can cure her."

"Why tomorrow? Send her today." Syryn\'s curiosity was whetted by the prince. He loved puzzling out strange diseases.

"I wish to monopolise your evening by taking you to a public lecture," Riaku informed the alchemist. "Every month, Elder Toka conducts a lecture that\'s free and open to everyone interested in the healing arts. The front seats are mostly reserved ahead by students who otherwise won\'t have the chance to study under his tutelage. I thought we could attend it together so you can gauge his knowledge."

"A free public lecture?" Syryn asked. "How are the seats reserved then?"

"By making an advance donation, the proceeds of which go towards charity. It is through this philanthropic activity that Elder Toka has established himself to the public as a generous man."

"Very good. Let\'s attend the lecture. I\'m eager to learn something new if that\'s even possible." His arrogance was still unbridled. Syryn was only stating the facts and it wasn\'t his problem if people were turned off by the truth.

"Will you cause trouble at the lecture?" Riaku asked as if he was hoping that Syryn would most certainly trouble the old man.

"Does the sun rise every morning?" The teen replied. "Old man Toka thinks he\'s better than everyone else so why not? I\'d like him to back up his assertion that foreign healers are inferior to Nua\'s cream of the crop."

"Big brother Syryn will teach him a lesson that he won\'t forget," Luci added excitedly. It had been a while since the alchemist had done something amazing in a public setting. Luci lived for moments like this when Syryn shined and was appreciated by everyone. His brother was amazing and people deserved to know it.

"Let\'s not get carried away, Luci. It may not happen during the lecture," Syryn pulled Lucien\'s cheek and smiled fondly at the little brat.

"Elder Toka arrives at five in the evening. We still have time so you should go back and get some rest," Riaku told the brothers.

----

Rowan,

Nua is breathtaking. You\'ve been here before, haven\'t you? I\'ve noticed that the avians love bright colours. It hurts my eyes when I see some of the birds dressed in clashing multicoloured fabric. Why isn\'t nobody telling them that the combination of orange and blue don\'t always look good on everybody?

I also found out something interesting while being shown around by, Akida (My newest purchase). A lot of the adult avians wear a necklace around their necks and it resembles a choker made out of a single long feather. Akida told me that those accessories are heart feathers, a type of feather that does not grow back if it\'s pulled out when the avian is in its bird form. They save the feather for the person they love. And when they get married, the heart feathers are turned into necklaces that are protected from damage by a clear resin-like liquid that hardens when dried.

If you had a heart feather, who would you give it to?

Regards,

Syryn