Kayeni’s first reaction was disbelief. Now, not only did Henry believe Nolian was some stupid divine being capable of doing… whatever the hell he wanted him to do with her… but now the queen of Faesia thought a similar idea?

But, naturally, if the queen of Faesia thought so - while Kayeni wasn’t willing to take Henry at face value with it, if they both said the same thing without collaborating earlier with it - and Faesia was a kingdom with magicks - they both thought the same thing. How could she debate against both of them?

The realities of the situation began to set in for her. So, Henry might have been right in his assumptions of what Nolian was.

That didn’t mean he had the right to mouth off.

“Henry,” she said, silencing him with an icy glare, “kindly, shut up.” She turned her attention back to the Faesians. “What you have just said is almost outright laughable. You believe the word of a common criminal over mine? That he is some sort of major importance to us? That anything that spouts out of his lying mouth can be trusted? Moreover, that he is… what… my Diametryan suitor?” She laughed, and shook her head. “I don’t think so. If you want, he can rot in your dungeon all you like while he fills your head with more lies.” She paused, then forged on. “Maybe you shouldn’t be trusting the words of a lowly thief from Galcolia? Has it ever occurred to you that he may be lying? Trying to manipulate his way out of getting into the Galcolian justice system?”

Really, Kayeni couldn’t entirely care less about what happened to Nolian. No way in hell she was ever marrying a Faesian. If Nolian mattered so much… well, Henry could find another one of him somewhere out in the world if he wanted a magick person so much. Maybe they’d be more cooperative than this huge disaster that Nolian was.

She just wasn't giving into any demands the Faesians made.

Myrissa shook her head idly. She wasn’t worried about the young woman at all and it wasn’t the queen she should be worried about. No, not at all. If anything, it was the glaring gaze of the man beside her that she should’ve been far more worried about. Judging by the older man’s look as she kept yapping, he knew it as well.

“Then consider this the edge of war,” the advisor beside Myrissa growled in return. He hadn’t moved at all but his dark and glowering glare was slowly becoming far more furious than before. There was a barely bridled fury hidden behind the edged scowl in his face. “You don’t know a thing about what that young man is, do you?”

Henry put one hand to his face and stifled a short groan before his hands lifted up. “That’s it! I retire and I’m retiring in Faesia. You can tell King Josef to find another accountant–”

“I’d hire an accountant,” Myrissa purred, waving him to the side.

Narishian stepped down the steps, his eyes focused on the young woman. As he came to the bottom, where she stood, he stopped. “That young man is an Enhancer–the type of which is only seen every five hundred or so years. This Enhancer means that he doesn’t have to hone magical abilities to get what he has. It’s just there. He ought to be treated as royalty considering what he can help with and what can be done around him–and you,” the man nearly spat, “have treated him as a criminal. A criminal and you try and portray that poor boy as a liar?! My boy?! I have taken him in as a ward--as a son now--"

“Narishian, Dearest,” Myrissa said softly, standing up and making her way down to stand beside him. “Let’s be true with ourselves. They can either accept suitorship…” her eyes slid over to Kayeni with a cruel smile, “or a declaration of war.”

Kayeni silently cursed. Of course she knew some of what Queen Myrissa was saying - that Nolian was some sort of magical guy, at least according to what Henry had said - but what she had found unexpected was how valuably Faesia was treating him.

Either they were bluffing, or they were deadly serious. Somehow, Kayeni didn’t think they were bluffing.

Kayeni shook her head. “I did not know the depth of what our criminal was capable of. He might be… an Enhancer, whatever that is… but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s still wanted in my country.” While that might not have been entirely true, she stuck with it. It wasn’t really something she couldn’t stick to. It was, really, her word against Nolian’s, and despite her being the Crown Princess of Galcolia, his word seemed to have more weight, somehow.

Kayeni couldn’t figure out how.

Okay, maybe she could. If Nolian was as rare as they were saying, then they had a right to get worked up over him.

That didn’t mean Kayeni cared. At all.

“If you want, keep him.” Kayeni flicked her hand idly. “He can eventually steal something from you and you’ll realize who he is.” Doubtless she’d receive hell for that from Henry and her father, but it’d avert whatever the hell this mess was. “While I don’t want a Faesian suitor, I also don’t want a declaration of war. And if it’s our criminal, who’s been spewing whatever you want to hear into your ears, being the root of this, you can have him. While I’ve been sent to bring him to justice and atone for his crimes, if you want him this much you can keep him.”

It was probably the best she could do.

Myrissa regarded the princess with a guarded emotion. This princess--the audacity of her?! Her nonchalant reaction, the flippant words she spoke and the manner she addressed her, the young man and even Narishian was disrespectful at best. She could handle some but now, after the constant stream of spewing disrespect from the woman... Myrissa's amusement was drying up into the deserts of distaste.

The Queen's hand slid back, removing the dagger from her skirts. "Kayeni, we know who he is. He's a lost boy who deserves far more than what you would ever give to him. The most he did was borrow a horse from the royal kingdom to escape imprisonment in your castle," she stepped forward, raising the dagger up to her chin, "to a princess who couldn't bother to show basic respect," she spat in return.

The woman tipped the young woman's chin upward to look into her silvery eyes. Behind the shifty silvery eyes was a dry distaste--a tired expression, of an adult tired of a screaming toddler. "You either get him via the suitorship or you leave. I am done with your nonsense, your lies and your disrespect!"

The woman's voice rose to a sharp shout, launching the dagger to a stone pillar nearby. "You do not get to march into my castle, my kingdom--" Myrissa shoved the princess back with every shouting snap, "demanding I do exactly what you want. You do not get to act like you are in charge, you are NOTHING. I can make Galcolia heir-less and I will turn it to rubble. My kingdom is ruthless, brat! It is little wonder that he left! He is not a thief, he is not a criminal and further more, you are not welcome anymore. If I see anyone from Galcolia ever again, it'd better be you, your father and a damned good apology!"

She threw the princess out into the hallway. "Get out of Faesia and don't come back unless you stand by my terms."

Myrissa shook her head vehemently, tossing dark hair back and forth as she slammed the doors behind her. "The nerve of that brat! To march into my kingdom acting like she's in charge, like we're going to just give her an Enhancer--your boy--over to her like a prisoner?!"

Narishian shook his head lightly.

"This is why I don't mess with Galcolia. It's all they have ever been is noble, prissy pricks who think that somehow, they own everything and everyone..." she marched right back to the throne, gathering skirts and sat down in a flurry. "I wasn't too harsh, was I?"

"No," the other voice was far more defeated and wavering. "No, you weren't," he whispered, swallowing back his emotions. Nolian stepped out from behind the throne, rubbing his arms. There were tears in his eyes as he looked up to the royal pair. "... they still--she still thinks I'm nothing but a ... a criminal."

Narishian rushed to the young man's side, his hands holding tightly to his shoulders. "No, no, no," he whispered, holding him close. "You aren't. Absolutely not, you aren't. My boy, you are anything but a criminal--goodness gracious, a criminal doesn't go and chat up a bar simply because he wants to."

His hands lifted up, cupping his cheeks. There was a deep pain in his eyes, a twisting in his chest. "My boy, my boy," he whispered, "you are everything to me. I promise you that."

It was a stretch. Sure it was. But Josef had a feeling that Kayeni wouldn’t accept the magic no matter how early on they had brought it up to her. It wasn’t something that Galcolia had. It wasn’t something they endorsed. But to have an Enhancer–suddenly show up–it was too easy. Too good. He should’ve known that it would have it’s problems. Every time he thought about that pendant, something happened.

Now, it was just worse. The discussions with the councils had been dry at best. Some of them were still salty about the comments made by the boy and some were more worried about what it would appear like to the other kingdoms. They all ignored the fact that he was the key to unlocking a blessing bestowed on their royal family nearly two generations before.

As he sat on the throne, a small pit formed in his stomach. The type of pit that didn’t bode well.

The doors swung open and Kayeni walked in.

Without him.

Without Henry.

His brow furrowed just slightly, deciding to give her the benefit of the doubt at first. “Where’s Henry?”

This was not happening. Absolutely not--this was not happening. Not today, not this week--not this year.

King Josef's steadying breath through his nose was not enough to calm the swell of pure fury that rose up in his chest. His hands gripped the sides of the throne in a white-knuckled grip as he struggled to remain calm enough to look at his daughter. His right eye was inwardly twitching and he was sure there was a vein popping out in his forehead as he struggled to deal with his fresh wave of anger.

Of course it was her. Of course she had to be the one to finally receive the chance to accept the blessing and here she was squandering it.

Perhaps it was the fury of several generations of predecessors who had the pendant, searched for answers and had nothing, but he was growing furious.

She didn't know?

He had lost the council member assigned to deal with this?

And she had chased off not only the suitor but now Henry?!

"WHAT--" he bellowed at first, took in another deep breath and gave her a deep furious look, "what happened?" He finally growled lowly, leaning forward in the throne.

"What happened over there?"