Amithelia Kiatonan

Today

Nali, Etrar

The palace was alive. Even though breakfast had yet to be served, Amithelia could hear the bustling of workers throughout the halls, feet pattering on the floor. Mornings in the palace were always busy, before dying out in the hot sun of the afternoon. The warm spring sun shone in through the windows of her bedroom, lighting the room in a soft and bright glow. The sun itself barely peeked over the rim of the mountain, light starting its slow descent into the valley below.

With practiced steps, Amithelia stepped out of bed and pulled on a frock, snatching up a book on the bedside table, and slipped on house sandals. She finagled various rings onto her fingers, the gold and silver shining in the sun, gemstones glittering. Flickering her fingers, the lights clicked off as she slipped out the door, weaving her way through the expansive palace towards the family dining hall. Various calls of "good morning princess!'' were said her way, and she smiled back towards the calls.

There was the sound of a crash, snapping Amithelia's head upwards. A young worker had run into another, sending various pots crashing to the floor, several breaking. Quickly, Amithelia rushed over, kneeling down into the mess.

"Oh princess!" the younger worker exclaimed, horror written over her features. "I'm so sorry!"

Amithelia smiled, "Don't worry about it, I've got this. Are you alright?"

The worker nodded quickly, eyes wide. Amithelia turned back to the mess, scooping clay pieces together into one pile, laying her hands over it. She leaned down, muttering into the tops of her hands, causing the rings to glimmer. For several moments, it was quiet. Then, she moved her hands revealing the fixed pots, pieced back together. She turned back to the worker, laying her hand on her shoulder.

"Look, it's all fixed now. Are you going to be okay?"

The worker nodded, bowing her head before moving to scoop up her pots. Amithelia stood up, scooping up her belongings before heading towards breakfast with her family.

The dining hall was much quieter inside, with only her family settled inside. Gigori was talking her father's ear off, despite the sun having barely poked into the sky. Her mother was sipping at tea, presumably reading the morning news on her tablet, glancing up when the door opened.

"Oh Ami there you are!" she murmured, a smile on her lips, "I was just about to send someone to fetch you."

A sheepish grin overtook Ami, "I stayed up later than I planned studying Crecanian."

King Sinhat shook his head, laughing, "Who knew you would be such a polyglot. Sit, sit, Yoltan made something wonderful today."

"Yoltan always makes something wonderful Dad," Ami said, slipping into her seat.

The kitchen doors swung open, revealing rolling carts of food. "You always say such kind things about my cooking, my King," the head morning chef, Yoltan said.

Yoltan was an older gentleman, white hair tucked neatly away under his hat, mustache, and beard trimmed to perfection. For as long as Ami could remember, Yoltan had been cooking morning food for them and was a part of the family as far as she was concerned.

"What did you make?" Lelis asked, standing up on her chair, hands gripping the back as she twisted to get a glimpse of the carts.

"Lelis please, sit down on your chair," Esta scolded, eyebrows raised.

"Yes mama," Lelis pouted.

Yoltan and several workers placed large dishes in front of the family, steaming with heat. "Well youngest one," Yoltan said, smiling towards Lelis, "You have fresh buttered rolls, roasted potatoes with rosemary, garlic, and butter, eggs how you like them, and the first pickings of strawberries."

"Tremendous, thank you Yoltan," Sinhat remarked. "And please make sure everyone in the palace has had something to eat before they head to work. There is plenty of food."

"Of course your highness."

"And make sure they know any dietary restrictions are no issue!" Esta called out, "I swear some of these kids just don't want to make a fuss, but someone ought to!"

Yoltan grinned, "Of course my Queen." He bowed once towards the family, before slipping back out the way he came.

For several moments, there was silence as the family ate, before Esta picked her head up, glancing towards her children. "What do we all have planned today? Lelis, please go first."

The eight-year-old groaned, but complied, "Well I have lessons, a writing test, and then I think I'm going riding?"

Sinhat nods in encouragement, "Yes you are, after your test. Gigori?"

"Well I also have school," the boy mumbled.

Esta rolled her eyes, "Yes, you have school every weekday, like any other kid. Weren't you going to have friends over?"

"I wasn't going to have them over mom," Gigori said, "We were going to game together, virtually. Which doesn't mean in-person."

"Yes of course my bad," Esta uttered, disdain dripping from her tone.

Ami smirked at the interaction. Gigori had just hit puberty and had been trying her mom's patience every day, and she was tired of it. One of these days his games would get taken away, she just knew it.

"Ami? You listening?" a voice cut through.

"Yes, sorry mom." Ami said, "Well Dad and I have a meeting with the Power 5, though I don't know what it's about. After that, I'm not sure."

"Depends on what the meeting does," Sinhat added.

"It always does," Esta said, laughter wrinkling her eyes. "Now, we should eat this delicious meal made for us!" She snapped her fingers, sending a swirl of glitter across the table, yanking napkins into laps.

The room descended into silence, the family eating in peace. Ami shoveled bites of egg into her mouth between glancing at her language book. Lelis reached forward for more strawberries, smacking her water cup along the way. Without even looking up, Sinhat waved his fingers, righting the cup. Gigori took heaping bites at record speed, before launching himself out of his chair, yelling out a "bye, see you later!'' as he all but raced out the door. Esta and Sinhat shared a look of exasperation, before returning to their meals.

Ami took one last bite of food, cleaning her plate, before setting down her cutlery. "Can I be excused?" she asked, wiping her mouth with her napkin.

Esta smiled at her eldest child, "Yes dear. Thank you for asking."

Ami preened at the compliment, "Of course mama." She twisted to her father, "I'll go get ready and meet you in the Go Room."

***

"Suvol, what on earth do you think this meeting could be about?" Ami exclaimed, digging through her notes. "The Power 5 isn't supposed to meet for another month, and I can't think of anything in the news to cause this meeting."

Suvol shrugged, well used to Ami's pre-meeting garbles. She ran the end of the comb along her part, perfectly dividing her hair, and got to work on making two identical puffs, one on each side. "Perhaps something from the intelligence world came up?"

Ami made a noise of affirmation, "It has to be something along those realms. About what, I don't know."

"I'm sure you'll find out soon princess," Suvol responded, yanking hair into a perfect puff.

"I know I know. I wonder when I'll start to get in the know about this stuff." Ami huffed, fiddling with her rings. "I mean, I'm the heir. I think I should know this."

Suvol rolled her eyes, "You know more than I do. Perpetually."

Ami sighed, "You're right." She winced as Suvol finished her second puff, before looking up at her in the mirror. "This is why you're my favorite, you don't hold back when you do my hair."

Suvol grinned, "Well, I'm always pleased you enjoy my hairstyling so much. Now hold still, I need to lay down some gel. And get your rings on."

"Okay, okay, they're on Suvol."

Suvol took a step back, before clapping her hands together, "Perfect! Looking every bit of the princess you are."

Ami stood to admire herself in the mirror. Her hair was in two perfect puffs, golden details arranged at their bases. Her red blouse glimmered off her dark skin, tucked neatly into her pants. Ami turned back to Suvol, holding two different belts.

"The darker one gives the light pallet some contrast. Besides, the details on it scream 'Etrar' much more than the other one." Suvol squinted at it the second belt, "Where did you even get that?"

"The port."

"Ah, a foreign item. No wonder."

Ami rolled her eyes, "Suvol, not everything from the other nations is bad."

Suvol just raised her eyebrows, "One day you'll learn to appreciate the culture of your nation." She stepped forwards, digging through Ami's various jewelry, before snatching some gold and red pieces. "Here, these give you some taste."

"Some taste? Please Suvol, this is a meeting with the Power 5, not some date."

"A meeting where you represent your nation, not some random modern fantasy. Besides," she dangled the jewelry in front of Ami, "these show off Etrar's wealth."

"Okay, you're right," Ami said, snatching the pieces from Suvol. She slipped the armbands, sliding them up to her forearms. The matching necklace, adorned with rubies, settled around her neck, with large golden hoops clasped in her ears. The simple royalty band was secured around her head, the ruby settled perfectly in the center of her hairline. Her rings, clasped with magic, attached to a bracelet around her wrist, the chain between them glittering red.

Ami turned to Suvol, smiling brightly. "How do I look?"

Suvol grinned, "Like a princess."

Ami laughed, before spinning slowly and waving her hand quickly, causing a small burst of light to shine over her. Just then, her phone buzzed. She glanced downwards, "Looks like that's my ticket to go!" She scooped up her notes, snatched up a pen, and breezed out the door. "Thank you Suvol!"

The older woman smiled, shaking her head at the young princess's antics, "It was my pleasure."

***

"There you are," Sinhat greeted, turning away from the conference table. "You ready?"

"Always."

The Go Room was perhaps one of the coolest rooms in Selsmire Palace, at least, Ami thought so. Outfitted with the latest tech, the grand pentagon stood in the middle. A glimmering map shone above in the middle, projected into the air. Holograms were the best. Each side of the table had the name of a member of the Power 5 etched into nameplates. Sinhat stood on Etrar's side, thumbing through files on the table.

Ami walked slowly around the table, brushing over the names of the four other nations in the Power 5. Omhe, which bordered Etrar to the northwest in the middle of the Cudnola Thicket, glimmered under her fingers. Onzuku and Aenku, sister nations that dominated the west, followed. And finally, Ickal, who borders Etrar to the east in The Picstable, made up the last of the Power 5. The five most powerful, richest nations in the world.

Omhe's side glittered, coming alive with President Vec'zidh. "King Sinhat, Crown Princess Amithelia, good morning to you," he said nodding his head towards them, which they returned. He glanced around, the hologram flickering, "I see I am the first to arrive"

Sinhat nodded, "You are. The others should be on shortly."

Then, as if he predicted it, Ickal and Aenku's sides lit up, displaying their leaders respectfully. Empress Rin of Ickal came to light first, greeting the others. Aenku's President Bolna came second.

"At last, I'm not last," Bolna laughed, his eyes glittering. "Are we just waiting for Hageo?"

"I'm here, I'm here," Onzuku's leader, King Hageo said, shimmering on. Hageo was the eldest of the Power 5, hair stark white with crinkling eyes.

Sinhat clapped his hands, "Wonderful, we can get started." He turned to President Bolna, "Four weeks ago your nation reported a shipwreck, carrying a small shipment of powdered light magic."

Ami's eyes widened, could this be about dark magic. The underground black magic society had been trying for years to get magic back into combat and warfare. Ever since the Great Magic War, 200 years ago, every nation has signed to ban magic from warfare.

Sinhat continued on, "As you know, we have an Etrarian spy settled in Avala, Crecana, and something about what happened in Aenku happened in Crecana."

"But Crecana doesn't have magic Sinhat," Empress Rin stated. "Unless something changed."

Sinhat nodded, "Something is changing, but Bolna, could you recap what happened with that ship?"

Bolna nodded, "Yes of course. As you all know, four weeks ago a cargo ship of ours wrecked in a surprise storm. We didn't rescue any survivors, but large swaths of the cargo washed up on the shore of Eprey Island. When reports of the shipwreck came from Eprey, we investigated. Miraculously, all three boxes of powdered light magic had washed up on shore." Bolna paused, glancing down at his notes. "Originally it came out that all the magic had been saved, but upon further investigation, one of the boxes had been broken into." He glanced upwards, scanning the other leaders, "As you know, Eprey is a mountainous island, part of the Riggeno Range, and can be incredibly treacherous. We managed to recover every satchel of the light magic except one from the locals."

"Folks were speculating that some foreigner had taken it," Hageo said, "It wouldn't leave our news for weeks. Naturally, everyone blames it on some Crecanian national."

"And that's where we come in," Sinhat said earnestly. Ami perked up. Maybe it was something about Crecana. The elusive nation had been a favorite since they had been allowed to visit nine years ago.

"Yesterday night we got word from our spy within Crecana that Seafront Aleworks was blown up by the Crecanan Army," Sinhat said.

"Seafront Aleworks is one of the pinnacles of the underground LGBT+ community within Crecana," Ami added earnestly.

Sinhat nodded, pride glimmering from his eyes, "Amithelia is correct. It's disturbing that such a central part of the network was taken down, but our information states that's not why it was targeted."

That caught Ami's attention. She clasped the table, tilting her head towards her father, eyes narrowing.

Sinhat turned towards his daughter, "They were after 'contraband,' which we all know-"

"Is Crecana's word for magic." Ami finished, breath whooshing out of her.

Sinhat nodded, twisting back to the rest of the nations, "By the time the army made it into the basement and tunnels underneath the aleworks, one room was fading from light, but had no signs of fire or torches within it."

Empress Rin sat up fast at that, "You're saying the satchel made it into Crecana?"

Sinhat nodded, "That's exactly what I'm saying."

Bolna leaned forward, "What are the implications of Crecana having this satchel? Where is it now?"

Sinhat sighed, "We don't know what happened to it, but it made it out of the aleworks. Otherwise, there would have been a very bright explosion when the aleworks went up in flames."

Vec'zidh, who had been silently observing for some time, sat back in his chair. "This is remarkable. That one satchel is still somewhere in the city of Avala. This could change Crecana drastically."

Sinhat nodded, "Yes, it could. I advise we all get prepared for something drastic, the worst-case scenario to happen in Crecana."

Ami looked down at the floating map in the center of the table, the mountains of the world rising above the flat plains. The glimmering cities. The rippling waves of the Enmark Sea. Every nation is illuminated except for Crecana, dark and silent and alone. Suddenly, thought struck her, and her head snapped upwards.

"Father," she said, interrupting the conversation over preparations, "This is the second major thing to happen in Crecana, even if the people don't know it."

"Yes, Amithelia?" Sinhat asked, confusion written across his face.

"It was only two months ago that Prince Inan perished on that ship. Crecana is even more unstable than you realize."

Sinhat's eyes widened, "Amithelia is right." He twisted back to the Power 5. "Crecana could go into some serious turmoil. We should all prepare, warn the other nations."

The other leaders nodded, seriousness taken over the table. Ami let out a shuddering breath, watching the figures flicker off. Despite loving these meetings, they were always so draining, reminding her that one day, she would have to do all of this, instead of watching. For a moment, they were silent, the glimmering map on the table rotating slowly.

"What are you going to do next?" Ami whispered.

Sinhat sighed, "Well, I'm going to have to go talk to Prime Minister Moil, get the government on board."

Ami nodded, but before she could respond, a knock sounded at the door.

"Come in," Sinhat commanded. Ami watched her father stand, all the weariness shrugging off his shoulders, the exhausting thoughts of preparing his nation for the potential nation's emergence sliding off his face until the gentle, easy-going, yet intelligent face of King Sinhat of Etrar emerged. This was the King Sinhat that the nation knew.

Patrov, her father's advisor, stuck his head in. Immediately, Sinhat stiffened, eyes narrowing, "Patrov, what's wrong?" Evidently, this was not what he was expecting.

Patrov took a deep breath, "There is a young man asking for you, at the gates."

Ami rolled her eyes, "People ask for my father all the time, what makes him so special."

Patrov took a deep breath, "Well, he says he's a prince."

That caused Sinhat to laugh, "A prince you say? What, has he come to ask for my lesbian daughter's hand in marriage?"

Ami smiled at that. She thanked her lucky stars she was the crown princess of Etrar, and not somewhere else. "What prince would it even be?" Ami laughed.

Patrov did not share in their laughter, "My king, if I may."

Sinhat immediately sobered, "What is it Patrov."

"He says he's the crown prince. Of Crecana."