"I know I said midwinter, but I am moving things up a little," Kaldill said, getting right to business. "My Prince-Heir will be named tonight, and the Alim'deru will be performed immediately after. There will be no struggle, one against the other. Do I make myself clear?" Faldill glanced at Lendill, who gave the slightest of nods to his brother. Lendill wouldn't return after tonight.

"Now," Kaldill continued, "I have watched all of you over the course of your lifetimes. I have to be sure that the one I select is prepared to lead. Truly. One who knows how to bring out the best in his people, even when it is painful to do so. One who can see the future unfolding and place his people so that the best possible outcome will be achieved." Lendill watched, his heart sinking as Naldill preened expectantly.

"Did you think I wouldn't notice," Kaldill went on, turning to Naldill, "when you removed Lendill's power at birth? You made sure you arrived at his mother's side before I could, and it was gone when I got there. But I knew. I could smell the signature of your power, Naldill. That is what the Alim'deru will do for my heir—provide that knowledge when needed." Naldill was now casting a stunned look at his father. Lendill, too, ga sdilwhasped aloud at his father's statement.

"And you, Reldill," Kaldill went on, "you were right behind Naldill, always. Supporting every twisted decision that he made. Did you think it sport to torture your youngest brother, who had no power against you?" Kaldill gave Reldill a hard stare. "Yet you think that Naldill will be generous enough to allow you to help in his rule. He will not. Naldill has room for only one in his heart, and that one is Naldill. Neither of you deserve to be King of Gaelar N'Seith. Now, to my other two sons," Kaldill turned to Faldill and Lendill.

"Father, I have not the strength to rule," Faldill hung his head.

"But you have the strength of honesty, my child. Keep it. It is very useful."

"Then who will be named Prince-Heir?" Naldill was standing and angry. "Faldill doesn't have the strength and Lendill is only half and has no power."

"Because you removed it, correct?" Kaldill gazed critically at his oldest son.

"Yes, I fucking removed it, but he would never have enough power to hold Gaelar N'Seith." Naldill was breathing hard in his anger.

"But he met Reah, child," Kaldill said, gesturing for Naldill to sit. There must have been power in the gesture; Naldill sat.

"What does a fucking High Demon have to do with anything?" Naldill snarled at his father.

"See, you do have insight, although it is truly rare," Kaldill smiled. "Fucking Reah is exactly what happened. She is High Demon. No magic or power wielder has any ability to get past that natural shield she possesses. And when, as you succinctly put it, Lendill fucked her, that power removal spell you performed began to unravel. It is completely gone, now. Lendill has everything he was born with, and more. I name him my Prince-Heir. Lendill knows how to lead. Taking charge of Gaelar N'Seith will be nothing next to what he has done for the ASD through the years."

Lendill didn't know what to do. His mouth hung open until Norian sent mindspeech for him to close it. "Stand, Lendill Schaff, and the Alim'deru will be performed." Kaldill rose from his chair. Lendill struggled to his feet, still looking confused.

"No!" Naldill shouted, leveling a blast at Lendill. It melted away against an answering blast sent by Kaldill. "I am still King here," he thundered. "I will remove your power first, and then you will watch your brother take what might have been yours if you'd allowed your heart to rule instead of your greed and cruelty." Kaldill raised his arms and a flash of power blasted Naldill against the back wall of Kaldill's study, knocking several delicate paintings down and causing several glass sculptures to tinkle to the floor around Kaldill's firstborn.

"I give you chance after chance, year after weary year, to step up and act as a king should act. You have failed to do so at every turn. You, my oldest, would torture your people just the same as you tortured Lendill. Therefore, you have no power, now. I suggest you learn to live without it. Make yourself useful to your brother and it might be restored one day. Now," Kaldill straightened his clothing, "Kneel, Lendill Schaff, and the Alim'deru will be passed to you."

"But he doesn't have any power," Reldill whined. "Father, you have fucked up one time too many." Faldill drew in a breath at Reldill's insult against his father.

"You h s">& one ave permission to teach your older brother a lesson," Kaldill said gently to Lendill. Lendill looked down at his fists—they'd clenched tightly the moment Reldill had leveled his insult. Opening his hands, Lendill held only one out. Light blasted from it, knocking Reldill against the wall next to Naldill, who was still slumped there, unconscious.

"Now, you see what your youngest brother can do, only one-handed?" Kaldill said with satisfaction. "Kneel, Lendill, and I will pass power to you." Lendill knelt, and with words in an ancient language Norian didn't understand and light glowing around Kaldill and Lendill, Lendill was made Prince-Heir of the Elves.

"I will keep watch over Gaelar N'Seith until the time comes when you weary of serving the Alliance," Kaldill slapped Lendill gently on the back later, after a thousand-year wine was served. Naldill had been carried out earlier by waiting elves and Reldill was revived and escorted away, leaving only Kaldill, Lendill, Norian and Faldill, who seemed too stunned to speak. Lendill, numb and feeling crowded with power he'd never held before, worked up the courage to embrace his father before folding away with Norian.

"So, Prince-Heir of the Elves, eh?" Norian slapped Lendill on the back much harder than Kaldill had when they landed inside Norian's study. "Still feel like a drink, old friend?"

"Yes. Definitely a drink," Lendill said. "Yes."

"Are the shields going to hold?" Corolan was worried and it was coming out in his voice. He'd put everything he had into the shields around the palace. Six warlocks and three witches had spoken out against Rylend Morphis' selection as heir, and when Wylend handed the throne to him and left, they'd started their campaign immediately, saying Ry's birth wasn't natural, he wasn't a true Karathian and therefore was ineligible to hold the throne.

Ry knew that if the palace fell, all nine dissidents and their followers would fight amongst themselves over who would sit upon the throne afterward, likely splitting Karathia into factions and sending it straight into civil war.

Gavril had already offered to send Regular Campiaan Army, but Ry had asked Gavril what he thought regular troops might accomplish against power wielders. Gavril had seen the sense in his brother's argument and offered to come himself, whispering a few well-placed words into Ry's mind. Ry had grinned at the suggestion and he and Gavril had started a mental planning session. Now, all they had to do was keep the shields up for just a bit longer.

"I'm doing interviews for an overseer for the groves," Garde threw out a hand when Jayd asked if anything had been done. "Only one or two have come forward who worked for Reah; the rest are demanding that we get Reah back. I have several from off-world, claiming experience and clamoring for the job. That doesn't include the complaints I'm getting from the disabled." Garde sat heavily on a chair beside Jayd's desk.

"The Council is demanding we do something soon—they're all worried the income will evaporate," Jayd remarked dryly.

"We have three months, maybe, before the next harvest," Garde sighed. "But in that time we apparently have to prune, weed, fertilize, plant and mulch. Whatever that means."

"If we had someone reliable, then Torevik's land could be planted," Jay sed, before td pointed out. "Since we no longer have to worry that his former wife might take any of it."

"We could. It will take five years for the trees to yield, and they have to be tended. We'll have to hire more people for that, obviously," Garde grumbled. He wasn't looking forward to more interviews, since he didn't really know the proper questions to ask.

"Find someone and soon, brother. We can't let this go much longer." Garde nodded at Jayd's words, staring at his hands instead of his brother.

"You are not progressing as well as we'd like; we think the pregnancy is holding you back," Teeki had returned with Neeki. "Therefore, we will do some healing. You must be strong when the move comes."

I stared at both of Kifirin's helpers. "Do you know where they'll move us?" I asked, including all the other girls who would be put up for sale in my question.

"We cannot say," Neeki replied, placing hands on my body. "You would send mindspeech to your mate who helps run the ASD, and he will have troops waiting. That is too much interference. We cannot involve ourselves in that."

"Goodness, no," I muttered as Teeki began to help. I had four hands running over my body, paying special attention to my abdomen—they seemed fascinated with the baby for some reason.

"We cannot reproduce," Teeki said when I asked him about it. "So of course we find children fascinating."

"He is a bit obsessed," Neeki grinned.

"You wouldn't be if you'd gone through labor," I grumped.

"Why do females always grumble about that?" Teeki sighed as he made me feel better.

"Come see me when this one is born," I snapped back.

"Perhaps we will come; it will be a new experience," Neeki agreed. "In the meantime, this will help. You must be strong when the time comes."

"Sure. Be strong, he says. Have you ever been ill?" I stared at Neeki while his brother worked.

"No. It is not permitted."

"You have to have permission to be ill?" I found that disturbing.

"Just for the experience. We would have to beg."

"Trust me, once you're involved, you'd be begging to not be ill, I assure you."