At the palace, another war was being fought, not by mere weapons but sharp words that were far more dangerous than swords.Visian Vahamor, the king of Apharoth, garbed in velvet and gold clothes, was doing his best not to explode in anger because of the dispute before him. His right and left chancellors were at it again. They seem to have forgotten that they were in the presence of His Majesty.Chancellor Dasran, the king's only sure friend, was already red in restrained anger. The king wanted to take a break from this spat because they had already been debating for more than two hours and no one one was backing down.''Chancellor Dasran, do you really think, with all your experience as an aide to the royal throne for almost twenty years, that reviving an old tradition is an effective way to stop a war?'' A brown-bearded man with a calm expression asked Dasran. He was Waharis, the Left Chancellor, and his subtle tone even with all their bickering meant that he came here prepared.''It

“Zeikontour, huh.” The word was foreign to Carysse’s mouth. She knew that in the ancient language, it literally means ‘raise your ranks’. But with her being a Thalisse citizen, it was not unusual that they didn’t know a lot of things in the outside world. “Gairoshi was banned for centuries, right? But Zeikontour wasn’t. It was meant to be for those who wanted to become queen but when Gairoshi became dormant, it was now an event that opened opportunities for ladies who wanted to rise above society. Now, any girl can go from being a stable girl to a feudal lady and even higher,” the lady explained. “Just like me,” she giggled. “I am a daughter of an ordinary merchant. But now I do my own trades. My goal this time is to go a little higher than just being a merchant boss. I’m aiming to become a feudal lady–a true achievement of those who were born in the slums.” Carysse looked at her while they were walking. “Ma’am, may I know your name?” she asked. It was preposterous of her earlier

Carysse had heard of castles only from the travelers that passed by Thalisse. They were described as gigantic and towering buildings that could house hundreds and even thousands of people inside, depending on the royalty residing in the castle. The travelers did a good job of describing them vividly that Carysse immediately knew when she saw one.As she and Liblei got out of the carriage, a stunning castle with a horizontal structure, ivory beams, bronze walls, and fluttering flags with different colors was placed on top. Carysse assumed the flags represented the eight provinces of Apharoth. On its walls were random giant holes filled with glass-like objects. The castle was literally sparkling. ’’This is the Adreic Castle, home to one of the highest families in Apharothia. It is where we will be having the first meeting for the Zeikontour,’’ Liblei said. She was wearing a proper attire fit for a noble already. Dressed in an emerald-colored long gown that swept the ground and her hair

The court panicked at the news of the messenger. “The women are being held hostage by the Mahan people. They trapped themselves in the inside of the castle and declared that they would kill anyone who would attempt to attack them. We didn’t see any sign of Lord Adreic and we have yet to hear from it though the people said that he was inside when the attack happened. He didn’t have his army with him and he is the only able man there who could wield a sword.”The ministers, especially those that were on Waharis’ side, were keeping up with their gasps and murmurings like women in heat. Dasran didn’t believe that they were feeling genuinely shocked. They were just putting on a show to pressure the king. “Chancellor Dasran, you seem to be relaxed despite hearing such news. Do you not care for the noble women who have come to Apharothia? Do you not fear for our city to be tarnished with questionable security?” Waharis was at it again but Dasran dared not to bite.Dasran was not shaken ove

They trudged the dark empty hallway like the spiders and ants that kept on passing through them. They only had one torch which Qlisaira held. Carysse lost track of the time but she figured they had been cramping in the passageway for more than an hour.“Are you sure it's safe to use the torch? The enemy might see us from the outside,” Liblei whispered. Even if they were in front and Carysse was at the back to make sure no one was being left behind, she could hear their conversation because the others were awfully silent.“No, it’s fine. This hallway has no windows. We are walking through an abandoned section of the castle which only the Adreic family knows. Now I realize that father was right when he said that there will and always will be emergencies like now.” Qlisaira was calm-headed. “Is this your first time to experience such an emergency, then?” Liblei asked.“Yes, it is.”“You’re quite calm. Your father seems to have taught you.”They turned a corner and the passage was gettin