The door swung open to reveal Kiruto Masuroto, a tall man with short and trimmed black hair and the traditional Controlite formal dress wrapping around his body, but without the lowcut front that usually exposed the chest hair.

Dignitaries and officials were above that.

“Hello father,” Kurinai said. Kiruto only grunted. “Personally visiting me at a time like this?”

“Was that someone else I heard?” Kiruto said.

Without missing a step, Kurinai said, “No. I was just mumbling to myself as I made notations in my philosophy study guide.”

Kiruto eyed him. “Is that so? Quite interesting. I would swear to the Virtues I heard something. Well,” he stopped, looking around the room, “I will allow it to leave my thoughts. However, if you are caught with a woman at your age, I will make an example of you. We will hold our Virtues close to our hearts.” Kiruto looked at Kurinai with stern blue eyes, all jest from his first comment gone.

“I understand,” Kurinai said, rolling his eyes ever so slightly. His father didn’t notice or didn’t show that he noticed. He nodded and left the room.

Kurinai chuckled. A woman? He thought. That is disgusting. What did he imply? Kurinai had no plan to make sneaking women into his bedroom a part of his life, ever. He let the thought slip away. He turned back to his desk to continue reading The Art of Control by Abudaedimas, the great Controlite philosopher.

“What was that all about?” Elixia said, Kurinai’s sister, as she walked into the room through the open door.

Kurinai looked up in surprise. Her thin frame seemed to bounce with each step, her twenty-year-old body very well-defined yet well-covered with her semi-loose-fitting clothing. Her long black hair bounced along with the rest of her, making her already round face seem more rounded for a moment. Her personality sharpened it out somewhat, though.

Kurinai breathed out slowly. “He was just checking on me. Making sure I wasn’t hiding a sword under my pillow for him. He really doesn’t trust me.”

“What do you expect, Kuri? You’re his heir. You take his position when he dies.”

“Why do you call me that?”

“Call you what?”

“Kuri is too…cute sounding. Not very masculine.”

Elixia smiled. “You’re always going to be cute to me, no matter how much armor and muscle you put on.”

“Why is your smile so contagious?”

“Why is your butt so big?” Elixia said.

Kurinai snapped his eyes on her. “What?”

“Just kidding, mageborn!” Then, she left.

“That’s not even an insult!” Kurinai yelled after her, but she continued to prance off down the hall.

Well, she’s not boring.

Kurinai returned to his book. After a few minutes of reading, Kurinai realized what time it was and decided to stop reading.

See you in the morning, thought Kurinai.

He walked to his wash bowl near the balcony to prepare for bed.

The wind blew slightly and turned a few pages of the book. On the open page read a single line that would prove monumental for the future of their world, unbeknownst to them.

“To be a puppet master, you must first hold all the strings.”