Asoke watched as sand was about to consume them. He looked at Lestan and jumped immediately on his feet. The prince didn't do that, even when he knew what was happening. The thief widened his eyes while he observed the boy. On Lestan's face he could notice anger, the same when he had the day before looking at him. Asoke was terrified of that look and watched the prince with caution. Lestan stood up slowly and didn't bother to pick up his sword. Lestan turned to the sand and looked at a specific place like he saw a face there.

Lestan looked at the sand that way for some time and anger was shown on his face. Asoke thought it was a stare contest and was waiting who would blink first. The thief had those on the street, but never won. This prince would be the master of staring for sure, he thought. Nevertheless Asoke was constantly on his guard and wondered why the sand wasn't attacking them. It was strange for him, but the sand seemed to be hesitating. Was it really afraid of the black haired boy that was staring at it?

Suddenly the sand made an awkward sound and escaped through the window like before. It was so awkward; Asoke could feel the sand was behaving more like a wild animal rather than...magical sand? Well, he didn't even know how magical sand would behave, but that was the furthest he could imagine. Now Lestan was looking blankly at the point where sand has vanished. He wasn't angry anymore, he looked more like melancholic. Asoke had never seen him like this, nor could he even imagine that Lestan would be like this.

Asoke was brought back from his thoughts by steps of others that he heard. He turned around to see kings and Jarred with other soldiers behind him.

"What was that?" King Araman asked.

"Yes, why didn't it attack?" Jarred asked too.

Asoke looked again on Lestan, who looked back at him and then at them.

"I guess the sands still remember my previous spell, besides they can't attack anyone who has bonded with a time artifact, so you Asoke are safe too." Lestan explained.

"You didn't look safe when it hit you." Asoke protested.

"That was a sand monster; the sands themselves can't attack us now." He answered emotionless.

"If you say so, but can someone explain to me why this sword is glowing?" Asoke asked looking at Araman's sword.

"Because it's magic," the prince answered.

"Of course it is, I was thinking about something else." Asoke replied sarcastically.

Lestan sighed. "It's called 'Light of Truth' and originally it supposes to glow and burn everything that is evil. Rohan has suppressed its powers, because my father didn't like to have it glow the whole time." Lestan explained annoyed.

Asoke thought for a moment and replied, "Burn?"

"Yes, let me demonstrate." Lestan said and approached one of the Azurian soldiers behind the king Serry. He grabbed his shoulder and dragged to the center. Soldier seemed to be surprised and terrified at the same time. "Put your sword at him."

Araman raised his eyebrow and scratched his temple, but he did what he was told. Blade was burning soldier on touch.

"This one is a traitor, still on the coup side." Lestan exclaimed. Two Azurian soldiers came to grab him.

"How did you know that?" Araman asked.

"He was too nervous." Lestan simply explained.

"I'm still not convinced, magic sword can burn, but what does that to do anything with being a traitor?" Asoke asked.

Lestan didn't answer, but walked to the thief. He gave him a push on his back that Asoke would come closer to the kings. Asoke was suspicious though, why is he coming there.

"Could you?" Lestan asked looking at Araman.

Asoke knew now what that meant; he was about to be burned. Even if Lestan was talking the truth that only traitors would be hurt by it, he wasn't safe. So he was terrified of it and wanted to step back, but Lestan stood on his way. He wanted to go around him or do anything else to avoid being burned by the glowing sword. He didn't make it though and the blade touched him. Asoke tightened his eyes expecting a great pain, but he didn't feel anything. He slowly opened his eyes to see the sword on his chest, but it didn't burn him.

"What the-" Asoke started shocked.

"It won't hurt you if you're honorable." Lestan explained.

"But am I?" Asoke asked surprised. He was far from being an honorable person. He was a thief who stole the amulet for the enemy and opened the hourglass and put all of them in that mess. So why didn't it burn him like it was supposed to?

"Yes you are." Lestan stated with confident expression.

Asoke was surprised to see Lestan having so much faith in him, far more than he had in himself. The prince grabbed the blade and put it on his chest. He didn't burn and that wasn't surprising at all. The only surprising thing here was that he did it in the first place. Probably he did it because his father would never do this himself and he wanted to show everyone that he was trustworthy.

"All right, I think we should all go for it." Jarred said and approached Araman to be checked by the blade.

After that everyone got checked, even king Serry insisted to be touched by it and then he checked king Araman as well. A bit too dramatic that part was in Asoke's opinion, but they were kings after all.

"So, we have a truth detector here. Will that be any helpful at this moment?" Asoke asked.

"Do you have my belongings?" Lestan asked Jarred.

"I think so, what do you need." Jarred asked.

"The chalk," he exclaimed.

Jarred put his hand in the bag and took out a chalk.

Asoke asked, "A chalk?"

"Not any ordinal chalk." Jarred giggled and walked to Lestan's sword and picked it up.

Lestan went to the exact centre of the room and said, "Give me space."

"Yeah, let's go farther there." Jarred pointed the corner to the rest.

Everyone went and the prince started to draw something on the floor.

"What is he drawing?" Asoke asked.

"You'll see." Jarred answered him and then turned to two Azurian soldiers." Go find some food in the meantime and be careful."

"Yes, good idea." Serry said and two soldiers left.

Asoke sat on the small stairs leading to the throne. King Araman sat on the throne, while king Serry talked with his soldiers near the side entry. The same one Asoke came to open the damn hourglass. Jarred talked with his king for a moment and then went to the rest to talk with them.

Lestan was still drawing something on the floor. His gaze was concerned and focused. He was drawing some kind of circle, probably magic, as Asoke could guess. Araman looked at him concerned. He looked like he wanted to talk with his son very badly. At that moment he couldn't though, because Lestan needed to be focused on his magic circle.