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Quinnahunti ends, Quinnatorz elapses, the twins have their ninth birthday on the thirteenth of Quinnasweela, and Kiri has eventually seen bits of everything she will need to take or delegate charge of - the palace, key portions of Chialto, the Ardelay estate, and the various family business concerns (the national network of libraries being the primary thing, but the Ardelay family has been a major investor in museums as well, and Kiri has inherited partial concerns in things ranging from bakeries to stationery stores; eventually she will have to take a more active role in managing the finances, but they should be self-managing for the time being unless too many key people die.)
In Quinncoru, Kiri - with Aleko in tow this time in addition to Renny - makes a visit to the palace, and, since the king seems willing to ignore her and she doesn't really want his attention, and since there is not a full complement of primes around, has nothing much to do with herself but make a beeline for the prince. (Aleko goes exploring by himself.)
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calescent
calescent
"I don't think Lalindars and Serlasts have hated each other generally. It's just them in particular."
"Any reason you haven't asked?" he wonders. "I would."
calescent
"I haven't gotten either of them alone yet and don't want them to start fighting instead of answering me. I'd go visit one or the other but I'm concerned whichever I visited second would think I liked them less."
He laughs. "Yeah. Tricky."
It occurs to him to wonder how his little brother is doing. This is a source of some worry for him, because he's not currently in a position to do anything about it if Isten is getting in trouble without him.
It occurs to him to wonder how his little brother is doing. This is a source of some worry for him, because he's not currently in a position to do anything about it if Isten is getting in trouble without him.
calescent
"I can try to check on him sometimes but I can't just follow him around, I don't think. And I have no idea what would happen if I tried to say I did something he did."
"Nothing good, probably," says the prince. Especially not if Kiri isn't a good enough liar to pull it off. He is an excellent liar, so he feels safe enough covering for Isten's mistakes. But someone outside the family—the king might decide to blame his child anyway. He's done that often enough when someone else made a mess and the prince just happened to be around.
calescent
"I suppose delaying doesn't do anything? If I was there and had some excuse not to want him carted off."
"Delaying isn't always better."
It can be, if the king gets sufficiently distracted to calm down or even forget the offense entirely, but it can also just mean that he has plenty of time to get into an even worse mood.
It can be, if the king gets sufficiently distracted to calm down or even forget the offense entirely, but it can also just mean that he has plenty of time to get into an even worse mood.
calescent
"Okay. Then - I don't know. Does he - his mother never pays attention and your father's busy all the time, does he have a decent nursemaid at least? I can have you all over to the Ardelay country house, you and him and whoever that is. And that'd be something for however long."
...The prince grins.
"Yeah, the nursemaid's okay. That would be great. That would be amazing. C'mere, I wanna hug you."
"Yeah, the nursemaid's okay. That would be great. That would be amazing. C'mere, I wanna hug you."
Hugs! Highly enthusiastic hugs. This is a good idea that she has had.
calescent
"I mean the Chialto house too, only it's right there and it would be easier to call you back if he decided to," she says. "So, the country one."
"Yeah. It'll be perfect, if he lets us."
"I dunno if he will. He might not." There have not been any comparable opportunities to set precedents.
calescent
"Well, I can do a whole formal inviting thing if that will help, I can ask Alser how."
"Yeah, probably a good idea." He hugs her again. She is so great.
Hug hug hug hug yes hug good hug.
calescent
Kiri eventually departs, locates the Frothen prime who is currently in the palace too, and gets instructions on how to issue the invitation. She writes up the letter with all its flimsy rationales and formal flourishes, puts the Ardelay seal on it, and presents it to the king's right-hand man.
(She's not even sure if the king has bothered to learn what the Ardelay prime looks like, or, alternatively, why there is a nine-year-old girl in his palace sometimes, and she doesn't particularly want to draw unnecessary attention; and Alser said it didn't have to go directly to the king.)
The letter invites - in suitably curlicued language - both princes to the Ardelay estate for an indefinite visit, whether Kiri happens to be in residence there or not at any given time; they may come and go as they please and be welcome. There's a similar letter on its way to the house to notify relevant cousins who have been living there, and the head of the household staff, about this standing invitation, so they'll know to have rooms ready for the princes and the nursemaid and to let them in even if Kiri isn't there to give instructions.
She's not sure whether to expect a verbal reply from the king over dinner, or a letter brought to her room and given to her or Aleko or Renny, or for the king to ignore what Alser describes as protocol and to neglect to respond to her or her people at all, but she won't particularly mind if she hears an answer one way or the other from the prince.
(She's not even sure if the king has bothered to learn what the Ardelay prime looks like, or, alternatively, why there is a nine-year-old girl in his palace sometimes, and she doesn't particularly want to draw unnecessary attention; and Alser said it didn't have to go directly to the king.)
The letter invites - in suitably curlicued language - both princes to the Ardelay estate for an indefinite visit, whether Kiri happens to be in residence there or not at any given time; they may come and go as they please and be welcome. There's a similar letter on its way to the house to notify relevant cousins who have been living there, and the head of the household staff, about this standing invitation, so they'll know to have rooms ready for the princes and the nursemaid and to let them in even if Kiri isn't there to give instructions.
She's not sure whether to expect a verbal reply from the king over dinner, or a letter brought to her room and given to her or Aleko or Renny, or for the king to ignore what Alser describes as protocol and to neglect to respond to her or her people at all, but she won't particularly mind if she hears an answer one way or the other from the prince.
The return letter is delivered to her rooms two days later, but it's not from the king. It is from, of all people, Queen Risella.
It expresses the princes' grateful acceptance of her invitation, and informs her that they will be visiting as soon as Prince Hector has recovered from his unfortunate illness.
It expresses the princes' grateful acceptance of her invitation, and informs her that they will be visiting as soon as Prince Hector has recovered from his unfortunate illness.
calescent
Illness. Right.
Okay, a queen's permission should work as well as anyone else's. Kiri brings the letter to the elder prince's room.
Okay, a queen's permission should work as well as anyone else's. Kiri brings the letter to the elder prince's room.
"Hi, Kiri!" he says. He's still in his room, but he has progressed from lying in bed to sitting in a comfy chair and reading.
calescent
"Hi!" She considers sitting on the arm of his chair, decides that this is hazardous, and instead hands him the letter and leans on the chair instead.