The carriage rolled through the Upper Ring unimpeded, the royal crest did much to clear the streets for Fritz and his party's passage. Crowds parted, making way for their betters with hurried steps. The ride was smooth and quiet, the talk and rain from outside were hushed to a whisper while the cabin's door was closed.

Fritz suspected runes were the cause of this oddness, though he couldn't see them. They were likely hidden within the wooded panelling, the rainsteel banding or the silver embellishments that made up the interior of the carriage. He had a desire to search for the glyphs and study them, if only to distract himself from the drawn-out drive. It could have eased his dire apprehension and the keen sense of nervousness that grew every minute they made their way to the Palace.

He tapped a foot and suppressed the intense instinct to fling open the carriage door and leap out.

Oh, how he wanted to flee to the desperate district and find a hole to hide in. Even the most muddy, drowned, dilapidated shack would do if it got him away from an audience with the King and his terrible power. Fritz didn't feel remotely prepared to deal with this situation, but those wheels kept rolling, ever closer.

"Cheer up, Fritz," Bert said. "What's the worst that could happen?"

Execution, Fritz thought, though he didn't speak it lest it come to be true.

"Is that how you properly address your lord?" Mr. Worth chastised.

"It's fine, Mr. Worth, I cultivate a more familial attitude amongst my servants," Fritz said. "Some I would even call my friends."

"I see," Mr. Worth said.

"What is the worst that could happen?" Fritz asked the man, pretending he didn't already come to a conclusion.

"That depends on the crime committed," the advocate said.

"I haven't committed any crimes," Fritz lied.

Flashes of his multiple robberies and the few murders raced through his mind. His heart pounded, his stomach turned, and he felt as though he were going to be sick.

Mr. Worth gave him the all too knowing look of a man accustomed to law and its circumvention.

"None that could be tied to me," Fritz admitted.

"Well, that's neither here nor there. So long as there's no evidence, you should be fine, Lord," Mr. Worth assuaged. "Unless they bring in one of the Truthfinders."

"Right, yes," Fritz said. "There wouldn't be a way to fool those Truthfinders, say, if the answers they asked for were embarrassing."

"There wouldn't be much use for them if it were easy to obfuscate certain secrets from their eyes and Senses," Mr. Worth said.

"Do you know if there will be one waiting? At the King's Court, I mean?" Fritz asked.

"I can't say, Lord," he replied. "But you may want to quell any telling movements."

He stared pointedly at Fritz's tapping boot.

Fritz stopped his foot, taking charge of his body, if not his roiling emotions.

He could almost see the fear rising off him in silently shrieking waves. Then he realised it wasn't that he could almost see it, but he could actually see it. And if he could see those writhing phantasmal feelings, that meant a Truthfinder could. His worry increased in pitch, slithering all around him and his heart trotted up to a gallop.

With an exertion of Control and Focus, he gripped those ripples around him as best he could. The results of which were sudden and surprising. An eerie calm squeezed him, stilling the wriggling fear with cold certainty and unfeeling force. It was stifling, like his spirit was trapped under a heavy slab of ancient stone.

Though the sensation, or lack thereof, was more than unconformable, it slowed the rapid beat of his heart and let him concentrate for a moment. He breathed in a deep, calming breath before he let go of his squirming emotions. The fear came back just as strong, but he was ready for it this time and didn't let it reign over him. He felt it, breathed it out and focused again on what he could do.

"It is unlikely that anything untoward will be dredged up," Fritz said steadily. "Though I did deal with some vulgar, violent sorts in the Mer Spire. Could I be accused of murder in the defence of my team's and mine own life?"

"Accusations of murder or theft fall under Spire disputes and are brought before the Minister of Law only if both sides can't come to a settlement. From there, it could possibly reach the King. Although the Minister would rarely trouble His Majesty with such minor matters. And as you are of the peerage, as long as your offences are not against those of noble station, you would be granted some grace," the advocate explained.

That eased Fritz further, he hadn't hurt any nobles, save the one he 'robbed' for the Nightshark. But he had gotten away clean and no one had come looking for him. That particular crime couldn't come back to haunt him, could it?

Fritz had some more questions for the advocate, mostly about procedure and who would be allowed to accompany him, though some were about worst-case scenarios. Mr. Worth answered them clearly and concisely, leaving him far less mystified and feeling as though he at least knew what to expect once he was presented to the King and his court. Unfortunately, though Bert was allowed to accompany him to the palace, he wouldn't be able to follow his 'master' into Court itself.

"Whole lot of rules, what good do they do?" Bert complained.

"Can't rule without law," the advocate replied.

"Can't rule without those to enforce that law," Fritz corrected.

"Are you a philosopher too, Lord?" Mr Worth said mildly, though his tone did have the ring of challenge.

"No, just a man with eyes and a brain," Fritz boasted.

"Eyes, I'll give you, but a brain will require proof," Bert said.

Mr Worth's mouth dropped open at the unveiled insult.

Fritz laughed and was glad for a reason to. The advocate, seeing that he hadn't taken any offence, quickly smiled and chuckled nervously not wanting to be left out.

The carriage moved along, and soon they were through the Palace Ring gates, heading deeper into the centre of wealth and power in Rain City. Lavish estates and great pools hiding manors underneath their rippling surfaces passed by the small glass windows. Fritz gave them only glances, affecting disinterest while fighting to keep his brittle calm.

Mr. Worth was also attempting not to gawk at the surroundings. And although the motes and signs of those Fritz was less familiar with were more difficult to discern, he could tell the man was taken in by some small awe and envy by the way his eyes glinted. There was also something else there, a flicker, the observation of some injustice.

Fritz followed that gaze, but only saw stained glass windows in their silver settings and immaculately tended gardens rife with pristine flowers and sculpted hedges.

Bert openly stared at all the opulence on display, though his overt show of avarice eventually came to an end when they approached a lake and all those above-water estates were left behind.

The stone brick road had become a bridge, leading deep into the palace's waters. From those waters a great tower of smooth marble stood. It was thrust out of the lake like a white spear, easily twenty feet tall. Fritz knew it was merely the top-most part of the Royal Palace, and if its main structure below the lake were raised, it would reach even further.

As they traversed the sparsely occupied bridge, they could see a few boats, fine luxurious vessels, float languidly across the lake. Their noble owners relaxed, drank wine and talked on those rain-soaked decks while their children swam in the water under the auspices of merfolk nannies.

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Fritz didn't watch for long, the tower and the palace gate loomed close. It wasn't as impressive as he had remembered from his youth, though perhaps that was because this gate was less ornate than the one below the water. That wasn't to say that it wasn't imposing. Its arch stood at least as tall as two men, and although the portcullis was raised and mostly hidden from sight, it had to be made of rainsteel and was decorated with a coating of silver.

The end of the bridge was a circular dias with two stone piers stretching on either side. It allowed for the quick turnabout of carriages and the docking of ships, of which there would be many for an official event. Or so he remembered.

When he had last visited, there had been more ships and carriages than he could count. Though he was young then, and right now there was no such grand sight, only a few official sloops and a Scale Guard long-ship lingered in the small harbour.

Soon they had arrived, right before the gate itself. The King's man opened the carriage door for them and beckoned for them to follow.

They stepped down onto the bright stone, Fritz first, then his advocate and lastly Bert as his servant. Flanked by the two Scale Guard, their small party were led into the tower. It opened into a great hall, tiles of white and blue gleamed beneath their feet, they were guided across the ornately pattered floor and were taken to a spiralling staircase that led lower and into the Palace proper.

The stairway was large enough for groups, standing three abreast, to pass by each other without any hindrance. And they did so a few times as they descended, two Scale Guard Patrols and a pair of pretty, young merfolk noblewomen that Fritz vaguely recognised from the Archives. The Ladies didn't stop to bow or exchange words, merely inclining their heads as they ascended, then quickly whispering behind their hands once they had passed.

"Is he the one who's caused this sudden fuss?" One asked.

"Must be," the other replied.

"He looks a ruffian, and his servant has the bearing of a beast," she tittered.

Fritz glanced to Bert only to see him grinning. He signed a warning not to be distracted. It was met with a nod, though that idiot grin remained in place.

The stairs took them further down, and though Fritz knew they were underwater, they were still in open air. He didn't want to reveal his near-total ignorance of the Palace and its magics, so he didn't ask why this was. Soon they were out of the stairway, taking a landing into an exquisite corridor decorated with statues and paintings of landscapes, or rather waterscapes.

This part of the place was empty, and their footsteps echoed down the hallway until they reached their destination. It wasn't the throne room, where court was held, but rather a marvellous sitting room. One wall was taken up with a portrait of the King sternly staring down, while another had a window that looked out into the clear depths of the lake.

Those sights weren't what caught Fritz's attention, though. No, it was the two figures that already occupied the room. One peered through the window, watching a school of glittering silver fish speed by with a smile on her face, while another paced to and fro in front of a fireplace lit with a glowing orange stone rather than burning logs.

They wore the uniforms of the Guides Guild orphanage. Fritz knew his brother and sister at a glance. His stomach lurched when he saw them, and he felt an enormous weight fall over his shoulders.

The last of the Hightides, all held in the Palace. What did the King want with them?

His chest nearly burst with emotion, but he quickly seized and strangled the wavering tendrils of fear that sprang up around him.

Again, that cold, almost detached state encompassed him, squeezed his spirit until it calmed. He took some moments to calm himself before releasing his Control and Focus, slowly. Those around him watched him warily. He had paused, standing still as a stone, so he could hardly blame them.

He gave a strained smile, the messenger nodded and the Scale Guard retreated to stand on the outside, one left and right of the sitting room's door.

"You will wait here for the time being," he said quietly, then he motioned for him to step through.

Fritz obeyed. The girl turned and the boy glanced up from his feet when he entered at the messenger's gesture.

Elliot's face darkened and he frowned.

Amathea's smile was radiant. "Francis, you're here! Look at these fish, they move in such wonderful ways. Like streams of silver."

Fritz returned her smile as she hurried to embrace him. She nearly leapt onto him and he lifted her easily, spinning her around himself before setting her down.

"You're getting stronger!" She exclaimed brightly.

"Perhaps, you're merely lighter. Are they feeding you properly?" Fritz riposted.

"Of course," she said primly.

The King's man coughed politely, attracting both their attentions. Thea quickly curtsied, blushing and apologising.

The servant accepted these apologies, sternly, then turned to Fritz.

"The King will receive you today, or tomorrow," he stated.

"Today? Tomorrow?" Fritz blurted, startled. "I thought you said I was to attend the King immediately."

"That is correct," the man said. "You will be available to the King should the need arise. And that may be soon, if the day goes as planned, or tomorrow if there are complications."

Fritz stifled a grimace. He wanted to argue that if there was so much time to spare, he could've found more splendid attire and arrived more prepared. Of course, there was nothing to be done, the King's will was the only thing that truly mattered in Rain City and he'd be a fool to fight it.

"Very well," Fritz said. "May I have the privilege of knowing why I have been summoned?"

"That privilege has not been extended by His Majesty," the man said.

Fritz did frown at that.

"Though a bright, adventurous lad like you should be able to figure it out," he said, smiling kindly.

Fritz nodded. "May I have the privilege of knowing your name then?"

"Ah, now that privilege I can extend on my own," the man chuckled. "I'm Master Quickjoy. Please take your leisure while you wait."

With that, he left, closing the door behind him. There was a silence in his wake that was broken by a voice.

"What did you do?" Elliot accused darkly.

"Hmm?" Fritz hummed, turning and facing his brother with a bland smile.

"Why are we here?"

"If you heard Master Quickjoy, then you know about as much as I do," Fritz said.

"Squid-ink, you do," Elliot said.

"Now, don't fight," Thea said, swiftly stepping to Elliot's side and taking his arm. "We should talk this out. Francis obviously didn't mean any harm to us. And we're not in the dungeons, so it can't be too great a crime or grievance."

Those calm words mollified Elliot, but Fritz could see the worry in both faces and the motes that flickered over them.

"Introductions are in order," Thea reminded Fritz, nodding towards his companions.

"Mr. Worth and Albert Dale, meet my siblings, Lady Amathea and Lord Elliot Hightide," Fritz announced.

There was a brief exchange of bows and curtsies before Thea spoke again, "And in what capacity do they serve?"

"Mr. Worth is my advocate in legal matters, and Albert is my boon companion," Fritz said.

"Is Albert the same 'Bert' that is on your Climbing team?" She asked, her eyes sparkling.

It occurred to Fritz that a terrible thing had happened. Bert had met his sister, finally. His protective premonition told him there could only be trouble if they ever came into contact.

"Correct," Bert said. "The Lady may also call me Bert, if she prefers. And I must say, though I thought it not possible for his sister to eclipse Fritz's beauty. My imagination has been proved... lacking."

Both Elliot and Fritz glared at the man. Thea tilted her head curiously and replied, "Fritz's beauty?"

Bert grinned and laughed.

"If you so much as glance at my sister, peasant, I'll take the offending eye," Elliot said, placing a hand on the hilt of his rapier.

"Better take both. Because if the last thing I see is the Lady Hightide, then I couldn't complain," Bert said, winking at Thea.

She smiled politely and pretended to be flattered, a slight blush crept onto her sharp cheeks. She fluttered her eyelashes, though Fritz noticed her gaze remained shrewd. It seemed she wasn't unfamiliar with outlandish praise.

The sight had him wonder just how much of his mother's charm and cunning she had inherited.

Elliot stepped forward, drawing his blade.

"Stop this nonsense," Fritz ordered, filling his voice with Dusksong.

The command echoed across the room eerily and stilled any movement.

"Ow, Fritz," Bert said, rubbing at his chest.

"Bert, remember why we're here," Fritz said, then he leaned in and hissed. "And stop attempting to seduce my young sister. She doesn't even have her Sanctum."

Bert's grin faltered and he nodded once. He obviously hadn't really been thinking along those lines and had gotten carried away in an attempt to annoy Fritz. Successfully.

"Sorry," he said quietly.

He turned and bowed, apologising to both Fritz's siblings and asking their forgiveness for his impropriety. Thea gave it easily, while Elliot gave it begrudgingly and at Fritz's insistence.

From there, the interactions were more restrained. Elliot brooded while Fritz and Bert talked with both Thea and Mr. Worth, telling some tales about the Mer Spire. Surprisingly, these stories endeared the advocate to Bert and the two were soon throwing each other sly smiles.

Everywhere the man went, it seemed, he'd find someone to flirt with.

Fritz diverted the conversation to legal matters, thoroughly boring Bert, which caused him to stand and inspect the room further, making sure not to cross paths with Elliot.

Two hours passed in such a manner, their talk going from law to history, to the Spires and the wider world, only to be brought back to their current captivity. They paused only when Fritz heard a rumbling from his brother's stomach.

He stood, crossed to the door and found the two Scale Guard standing there. One had been replaced, but they were still being watched. They were prisoners of the King's will.

"We could use some refreshment and something to sate our appetites," he announced as arrogantly as he could muster. He was attempting to act as though it was his right and not something he was pleading for.

To his surprise, it worked. One Scale Guard looked to the other, who nodded, then he returned his gaze to Fritz and said, "I'll make a request to the kitchen, Lord."

And with that, he left, striding swiftly down the hall.

"If only Cal was so quick to obey," Fritz bemoaned quietly.

In only six minutes, they were presented with a host of teas, wines, pastries and other finger foods and many, many apologies from the servant in charge of this wing of the palace.

Apparently, he hadn't been notified of their visit and he had overlooked them. Fritz sent him away with a wave, pretending at graciousness, but really only wanting the man out so they could eat in peace.

They ate and the fare was delicious. Even though the food was likely left over from the royal luncheon and some had gone cold, it was one of the best meals Fritz had ever tasted.

It was the best meal Bert had ever had, and he said so. The advocate, though reluctant to eat with them at first, agreed with him.

Then the wait began again. Without the distraction of food, Fritz eyed the wine and spirits, but decided against it. He would need his wits about him and the drink might just break his flimsy control over his fear. Fritz already wasn't doing well in that regard. The wait and pressure were slowly grinding him down.

He began to pace as surely and as irritatingly as his brother did, though they strode on opposite sides of the room. Bert dozed on a couch and Mr. Worth sat slouched in an armchair. Amathea watched the window again.

Fritz let out a yawn, and it was interrupted by a knock. Then the door opened.

"The King is ready for you. This way," Master Quickjoy said.

The five of them filed out, Fritz in the lead, following the messenger.

They were led deeper into the palace, past glittering halls and wondrous works of art. There were more stairs, then into a wide passage way that led to the throne room. Fritz could tell as much because they stood on a carpet of blue and silver, leading to a huge, open archway of dark, hard wood, filled with mist.

They made their way to the threshold. Bert was ushered away by another servant, leaving only Fritz, his advocate and his siblings standing there.

From where he stood he couldn't see inside, the foggy barrier muffled both sight and sound. They waited, as they were instructed to, until called.

It took another fifteen minutes before a booming, regal voice summoned them. "Enter and approach, I will hear you."

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