Naomi walked beside of Yolan, using him as a physical buffer between herself and Prince Jorna. The Crown Prince had been in a foul mood since they left the castle, glaring at the ground as they walked and making no attempts to engage in conversation. If spoken to, he kept to single-syllable answers, as if he didn't wish to spare the extra effort.

Was he really that mad about Yolan's presence? Or was there something else on his mind?

By the time they reached the market, Naomi decided she didn't actually care. He could ruin his own day if he so desired. She intended to enjoy herself.

Yolan was either oblivious of Prince Jorna's mood, or he didn't care either. He kept the conversation alive and engaging, excitedly telling Naomi stories and anecdotes about the many businesses they passed.

"Oh, and that there? That's Kalloru Bakery! Best rolls in Ashen."

The building he indicated was a small shop nestled between a tailor's shop and a potion brewery. The facade was colored bright blue, making it stand out amongst its more neutrally painted neighbors and the sign at the top displayed the name in big golden letters that were outlined in crisp black lines. Despite Yolan's praise, the business itself seemed to be devoid of customers.

"Don't let the look of it fool you," Yolan said, as if guessing Naomi's thoughts. "They probably just sold out already. But Kally—the name is a combination of the owner and her husband's names, by the way—she's the nicest woman you'll ever meet. She saves me a roll even though they sell out before the store even opens!"

"That doesn't even make sense," Prince Jorna grumbled, breaking his self-imposed silence just to complain.

Yolan didn't match his mood. He met Prince Jorna's complaint with an amused grin. "It does if you count the line that forms outside the bakery every morning! It takes three hours just to get through the waiting customers and half of them are sent away hungry. She's looking at expanding the bakery next year."

Prince Jorna snorted. "She'd have to with that tiny shack of a bakery."

Naomi bit back a retort, forcing herself to behave. Prince Jorna was just about the most sour and unpleasant man she had the misfortune of knowing. How sad for his people, that their future king showed such disinterest in their lives and work.

Perhaps he would mature with time…

Yolan didn't lose his grin. "Don't be so sour. It's a festival after all! Come, Princess Naomi, you must try the food!"

"I can't—" Naomi's protest was cut short as Yolan enthusiastically dragged her into the small business.

Inside, the shelves were empty, but the sweet smell of fresh bread lingered in the air. A curtain separated the front of the store from the kitchens at the back.

Yolan hissed in pain, shaking his hands out as he healed the Essence burns.

"That was thoughtless of me," he said with a self-deprecating grin. "Are you all right, Princess Naomi? Do you need assistance healing yourself?"

Naomi shook her head. "I'm fine. My bubble protected me, but I appreciate your concern."

Yolan looked intrigued. "I knew the royal family of Ellis had methods of protecting themselves from Miasma, but I didn't realize it would work for accidental contact. I was told you couldn't pick up items soaked in Essence."

He glanced at Prince Jorna, who glowered at him from just inside the door.

"I can't hold items embedded with Miasmic runes," Naomi confirmed. "But normal objects will be purged of Miasma, although the effect is incomplete. Were you to hold my hand for a longer time, it would start to burn."

"Perfect!" Yolan said. "You should meet the owner. Kally! Are you back there? Or is it only that oaf Boru?"

From the teasing note in his voice, he knew the owners well.

A woman appeared, her body seeming to drift across the floor, though she wasn't actually floating from what Naomi could see. She didn't wear clothes exactly, but thick black mist settled around her like a dress, swaying with her as she raised her hand to greet Yolan.

Her smile faltered when she saw Naomi. She stopped mid-wave, her eyes widening.

"Yolan!" she hissed, looking embarrassed. "You should have warned me that the princess was with you!"

She disappeared into the back room.

Jorna's frown deepened. "She shouldn't be running around looking like that in the first place."

It took Naomi a moment to realize what he was referring to. She felt a surge of annoyance at the comment. Why did it matter if Kally chose to get comfortable in the privacy of her own kitchen? It wasn't as if Naomi asked any of them to look like Lerians while she was there.

Kally reappeared a few minutes later in her Lerian form. Her skin was light in patches and dark in others, creating an interesting pattern across her face and arms. Her hair—dark brown with a single white stripe down the center—fell in curls over her shoulders that matched her hair from her natural form. She wore a blue sun dress with an apron tied overtop it.

"My apologies, Princess Naomi," the woman said with a slight bow. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"It was fine," Naomi assured her. "I don't mind at all. You look beautiful in either form."

Kally smiled warmly. "That's very kind. What can I do for you?"

"Three buns, if you've got any stashed!" Yolan said. "Princess Naomi has never had the pleasure of sampling your cooking."

"I don't want one," Prince Jorna said, turning his frown on Yolan.

"Good," Yolan said. "I didn't order you any."

Kally shook her head. "I only have two left, in any case." She passed the rolls to Yolan.

He accepted them, holding one out for Naomi.

Naomi shook her head regretfully. "I can't eat anything from Ashen. My bubble only works on the surface Miasma, not what's on the inside."

Yolan deflated. "Oh. I hadn't realized."

"I'm sure they're lovely!" Naomi rushed to say. "Perhaps when I gain more control…"

Yolan stashed the rolls in his bag—all of the Corvi carried around baskets and bags because they didn't have Soul Realms to keep their stuff in. It fascinated Naomi, but it seemed very inconvenient.

Yolan's grin returned. "Maybe I can have the kitchen cleanse it for you later. Kally's buns are well worth the wait, even cold."

"If you oversell my talents she'll find nothing but disappointment!" Kally said with teasing dismay. "Please don't pay him any heed, Your Highness. My talents are humble at best. If you do try one of my rolls, it will be a great honor."

Naomi smiled warmly at the woman. "I'm sure your humility is more exaggerated than Yolan's praise. I look forward to proving him right later tonight."

They left the bakery with Yolan beaming and Prince Jorna in even more of a sour mood.

Naomi ignored him, focusing on Yolan's gushing commentary about every store they passed. He seemed to know just about everyone in the capital and everyone they spoke to had nothing but praise for the mysterious noble.

Naomi had made her mind up about the two men: if she ever needed an escort in the capital, she would go to Yolan first.

"Do you like hair pins?" Yolan asked.

Naomi nodded. "As much as anyone else, I guess. In Ellis, we tend to wear our hair covered. It reduces the chance of monster attacks."

Yolan raised his eyebrows. "Really? Why's that?"

Naomi pulled down her hood to reveal her hair. The white strands glowed just enough to be seen in the afternoon sun. Blue light spilled over her shoulders, tinting her brown cloak. Blue wasn't the only color that Essence could glow, but it was, by far, the most common.

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She pulled her hood back up. "Our Essence is concentrated in our hair. When we leak Essence, there has to be a barrier to contain it, or it will attract nearby monsters. Sometimes it can even pull monsters from a mile or two away if the Lerian is strong enough, or if they're close to evolving. It's safer, particularly for younger Lerians, to hide their hair until they've learned to control the glow."

"Fascinating," Yolan said. "So, it can be controlled? Not everyone is going around with glowing hair?"

Naomi laughed. "It can. It takes effort though. Some still cover their hair as a means of reducing distractions or mental strain."

"Lerians must have it so easy on Ember," Prince Jorna muttered. "Spoiled in every way."

Naomi probably should have let the comment slide, but his tone rubbed her the wrong way.

"I beg your pardon?" she said, turning her full attention on Prince Jorna. "Did you have something to say?"

Far from retracting his statement, Prince Jorna expanded on the complaint. "Corvi don't have the ability to hide our presence in the way you've mentioned. Monsters are riled up by our mere presence. It takes years to learn how to calm an aggravated creature and years longer to be able to do it in stressful situations. Lerians are privileged and spoiled, and the worst part is, you don't even know it."

Naomi opened her mouth and closed it again. Was that why he was so angry? He was jealous of Lerians' freedom and taking it out on Naomi? Or was he angry at Naomi and making comments about Lerians to vent his anger about her transgression.

"I don't know what I've done to offend you, Prince Jorna," Naomi said in as proper a voice as she could manage, given her rising anger. "But should you wish to insult my people, you would do best to do so after we have parted ways."

Prince Jorna bristled. "Or maybe, you should—"

"We're here!" Yolan said, the note of tension in his voice betraying his awareness of the situation.

So, he wasn't as oblivious as he pretended to be.

"Come on, I let them know we were coming, so we should have a spot in the front row." He linked his arm into Naomi's and dragged her forward.

Naomi yanked her hand out of Yolan's grasp—not out of anger, but in response to the ominous sizzling that marked his skin burning on her Essence. She followed him to the front of the crowd, letting the matter with Prince Jorna drop.

She would only be there a week more. It would be foolish to ruin that week by engaging in petty squabbles with a spoiled prince.

The stage was a temporary setup unfolded from the sides of a large wagon. Curtains fluttered in the wind on poles suspended midair. The crowd's excited whispering was muted, despite their proximity to Naomi. There was some sort of sound dampening magic cast on the area, but it didn't affect conversation with the people closest to her.

"How many spells go into a performance like this?" Naomi asked Yolan, admiring the long line of swirling runes painted into the grass.

"Noise dampening, lighting, levitation; there's a lot, for sure," Yolan said, a hint of pride in his voice. "The troupe comes to Korsa every year, so they have it down to a science. This year they even let me help set up the runes."

"You did all this?" Naomi asked, unable to keep the note of surprise out of her voice.

Yolan let out a startled laugh. "Oh, heavens no! I didn't do all of it. I just helped them set up. I'm barely out of my apprenticeship myself. It would be silly to leave everything to a journeyman."

"Oh, you apprenticed in runecrafting?" Naomi asked.

Yolan shook his head. "That's a pretty broad subject. You might as well say I apprenticed in magic. My specialty lies in noise management and sound charms. It's still a pretty broad category, though. I'm supposed to narrow it down but I'm still experimenting."

Naomi had never heard of specializing in a specific type of magic before. Though, perhaps the Class system was not so different. Still, Classes with that level of specificity were rare and usually looked down upon.

In Ellis, runesmiths generally dealt with external magic—or magic that is applied to objects—as opposed to internal magic, which came from within. Some combined Classes, like Runic Spellcaster, involved drawing runes in the air to cast magic like a Mage Class, but it had the added benefit of flexibility, since the System helped to stabilize the spells and create a more consistent output.

It was one major difference between Ashen and Ember. Without the System, the people of Ashen were forced to learn about magic more thoroughly, while Lerians could rely on the System to streamline the process.

Naomi would never admit it aloud, but perhaps Prince Jorna's comment about them being privileged wasn't as groundless as she had first assumed…

"Princess Naomi!" One of the actors greeted them as he approached, his smile wide and welcoming. "We're so glad you could come. We're honored to have you at our little performance."

"I'm happy to be here," Naomi said. She avoided looking in Prince Jorna's direction to keep her good mood intact. "Though, I haven't been told what it's about."

"It is a tale of secret lovers, hiding within a dungeon to keep their love alive," the player said, his voice growing mischievous. "But I shan't reveal more than that. The pleasure in life is watching to see how it unfolds, not in knowing how it ends."

Naomi mirrored his enthusiasm. "I look forward to both the pleasure of the unfolding and the closure of its conclusion."

The actor disappeared behind the curtains to get ready, and Naomi was once again left with her companions.

Naomi continued her conversation with Yolan about the different facets of Ashen magic until the light suddenly dimmed around her. She looked up to find a dome wrapped around the stage and audience.

"Nothing to worry about," Yolan whispered. "It adds a little atmosphere. It's starting."

The play began slowly with two Lerians meeting each other in a dungeon for the first time and falling in love. Naomi was entranced, not only by the quality of the special effects, but also by the skill of the actors.

The two lovers met daily; a secret that they kept from both their families and the world. As time passed, the woman, Amila, grew tired of the secrecy and begged the man, Rakel, to come with her to meet her family, but he staunchly refused.

The actor who had come out to greet them before the show was the narrator of the play, he stood on the side, accompanying the story as it progressed.

"As the years passed, their love grew ever stronger, but Amila's frustration with Rakel grew as well," he said, his voice filled with sadness. "She kept so many secrets on his behalf that she barely spoke to her family at all. Then one day, her sister, Emile, followed her to the dungeon, intent on learning what Amila would not say."

A younger actress hid behind some boxes on stage, peeking around the edge to see what 'Amila' was doing.

"Why won't you meet my family?" Amila demanded, gesturing off stage where the dungeon entrance would be. "Are you ashamed of us? Are you… ashamed of me?"

"No!" Rakel rushed over to Amila, taking her hands in his. "I could never be ashamed of us. Our love is true, our bond eternal."

"Then why?" Amila yanked her hands out of his grasp, taking a step back. "What could possibly delay you so long? I wish to step into the light with you as my rightful husband! I wish to be free of these secrets! Of this life!"

Rakel lowered his hands slowly, his expression conflicted. "I-I have a secret that I cannot tell."

He turned away, looking upwards. The magic above the stage made it look like the night sky, glittering stars adding a wistful quality to the scene.

Amila took another step back as if she'd just been slapped. "Not even to me?"

Silence reigned as the audience held their breath, waiting for Rakel's response. The actor dragged the moment on, as if at war with himself.

"I can be better!" Amila shouted suddenly. She ran to Rakel and hugged him from the back. "I promise I won't ever question you again, just please… don't leave me." She sniffed, tears rolling down her face. "I know you come from a noble family. I guess I have always known. But if the problem is my low birth, then I can—"

"You are wrong!" Rakel turned, breaking out of Amila's grasp but not stepping away.

They stared into each other's eyes, the charged moment stretching for eons.

"I will tell you," Rakel whispered finally, raising a hand to wipe the tears from Amila's cheek. "But promise me one thing."

"Anything, my love."

"However hideous you find my true form—however frightening—please do not run from me. I could not bear it."

A tear rolled down Naomi's cheek.

Amila raised her chin. "I would never run from you, nor could I ever think you hideous. Show me your secret and I will show you your folly."

Rakel took a step back, and the crowd let out a gasp as they apparently realized what was about to happen.

Naomi frowned, looking around. Had she missed some hint? She had no idea what the secret could be.

She turned back to Rakel and her breath caught in her throat. Black mist swirled around him, enveloping him in an opaque fog.

Amila held her ground, her determination never wavering as Rakel's pained shouts echoed from behind the magical curtain.

Prince Jorna drew in a sharp breath, but Naomi didn't spare him a glance. She didn't want to miss even a second of this.

Rakel was transforming. As Naomi watched, the black mist dissipated, revealing a figure several feet taller than the Lerian he had portrayed. His straight black hair was cropped close to his shoulders and the mist settled itself into a long black cloak that covered most of the Corvi's pale white skin. His eyes were solid black glass, with a white Iris in the center that caught the light from above, making him look like he was on the verge of tears.

Naomi had never seen anything like it. Even that morning, Kally had looked almost like a Lerian, only with a bit more grace and poise. This was…

"Enough of this!" Prince Jorna snapped, startling the three actors.

Emile came out of her hiding place when she saw who had spoken.

Amila's actress dipped into a bow. "Have we done something to anger you, Your Highness?" Her voice was calm but uncertain.

Prince Jorna hopped onto the stage, advancing on the monstrous Rakel with a furious expression.

As soon as the shock wore off, Naomi followed him up onto the stage, just in case he was about to do something stupid on her account.

Yolan didn't follow, electing to watch from his place in the crowd.

"My mother, the queen, posted weeks ago that you were not to reveal your true forms in front of the princess!" Prince Jorna snapped. "You would defy her so openly?"

"We didn't—" Amila began, her calm disintegrating in the face of that accusation.

"It's fine," Naomi said, standing between the actors and the raging prince. "I don't mind. It wasn't a necessary precaution in the first place. Sure, it was a bit startling but—"

"This doesn't concern you!" Prince Jorna snapped. "This is about respect for the royal family."

Naomi's jaw dropped. "It doesn't concern me?"

She had tiptoed around the prince's terrible mood all day. She listened to him grumble and tried not to exacerbate whatever misunderstanding had led him to dislike her and now, when he was clearly taking offense to the breaking of a law that was specifically created to make Naomi more comfortable, it didn't concern her?

"You don't care about Korsa," Prince Jorna accused. "And you don't care about Ashen or the Corvi. Stop pretending and admit the truth. You're only here because your mother made you come. You sabotaged the alliance." He balled his hands into fists. "This was all doomed from the start!"

Yolan jumped on stage. "You're out of line, brother!"

Brother?! Naomi looked back and forth between the two men.

"Ah, yes, the playboy comes to defend his latest conquest, how typical," Prince Jorna said.

Naomi stepped forward, slapping Prince Jorna across the cheek.

The crowd gasped so loudly that it could be heard through the dampening charms.

Prince Jorna held a hand to his cheek, watching Naomi with a mixture of shock and indignant anger.

"I want this alliance to succeed," she said, her voice low and cold. "And I will not tolerate your insinuation of treachery. On what grounds do you accuse me of sabotaging this alliance?"

"This is a conversation better had behind closed doors," Prince Yolan said, stepping between Naomi and Prince Jorna. Lowering his voice, he said. "You embarrass yourself, Jorna. It isn't Princess Naomi who is sabotaging the alliance."

Prince Jorna glared at his brother. "Then why did she call off the engagement?"

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