"Hey, guys!" Solar said when all four of them met in the corridor.

She wore a short outfit made of silvery-blue material and was visibly excited about it. Sephra had to admit it suited her despite her being a large cat.

Sephra had chosen to wear her black admiral attire again. Although next they brought her a white top and pants instead of the purple dress, she refused to put them on. She made one last attempt to walk in the high-heeled shoes, but after twisting her ankle again and falling flat on her face, even cutting her arm, she decided to forget it.

She saw that Daron and Serion were happily standing in their new outfits as well, looking splendid. All three of them were levitating a few centimeters above the ground. They had fallen for Shouta's beauty.

The soldiers began to escort them to where the Kha desired. She was hardly surprised that they were assigned guards. This was probably another of the Chancellor's schemes.

"By the way, what's the whole Kha thing?" Daron finally asked.

Sephra gave an indifferent response, surprised at how intently all three of them were looking at her.

"The very first ruler of the Tencous wrote a book, or at least scribbled things on a few pieces of paper. He noted in it how he and his subjects should behave, as some sort of protocol. Many people consider his writings holy, and everyone knows it by heart, but in reality, it's always up to the current ruler to decide whether to follow it. Angron's father never used it because he thought it was nonsense, and Angron feels the same way. But Rattern is a maniac and does everything according to it, even if he doesn't like it. Actually, you'll hear it everywhere you go. Believe me, it'll become very annoying after a while! Especially when they try to explain it to you, even though you already know."

As her companions tried to wrap their heads around the information, they arrived in one of the city's most beautiful rooms, the throne room. Sephra was shocked.

Once, this room had been elegant and tasteful, but now it looked like an overdecorated kitsch parade with its dazzling walls, pearls, millions of colorful seashells, and coral. Of course, they hadn't forgotten to cram it full of countless Mirella statues. She knew how mesmerizing her companions found it, so she pretended to be politely fascinated.

The guards escorted them to their seats, surprisingly close to where Angron was sitting with the council members and the Chancellor. They were all elegantly dressed, having replaced their simple white attire.

It was clear to her that her friend would rather be anywhere else at that moment. Sephra overheard a conversation between Angron and Rattern when the Chancellor protested about the prince trying to light up a cigarette, citing the Kha as a reason. Angron politely inquired if the Kha would protect him and the other tradition-respecting lunatics if he tore their heads off. Sephra couldn't help but laugh when the Chancellor suddenly started to focus on something very important, all the while pretending to cough.

Sephra knew what they needed to watch out for. While Angron claimed he had no interest in power, Rattern was essentially challenging him to a power duel with this situation. She wasn't the only one who noticed it. Many people glanced their way. It was only now that she remembered to check who had been invited. She recognized various nobles and high-ranking Tencous with different titles. There were many among them who had got implants and changed their original appearance, but some still used their graceful, blue fins.

However, they all believed that Angron had returned to seize power. Sephra knew that her friend had no intention of doing this. Angron didn't want to return, and even if he did, he couldn't take power. It didn't matter where the king was. As long as he was alive, no one could take his place.

This was evident in the fact that the glass throne remained empty. The Kha had declared that only the king or queen could sit on it. Rattern strictly adhered to this rule and never approached the throne.

Sephra turned her attention back to the Chancellor's group, and she almost laughed when Angron became so enraged by something that he stood up, walked to the empty throne behind them, and sat down, breaking a large part of the Kha's regulations in the process. Everyone else, including Rattern, gasped, nearly fainted, or cursed in anger.

"Get down from there immediately!" Rattern exclaimed.

Angron leaned forward and smiled as he rested his arm on the armrest. "Or what? Are you going to call my father back? I'll wait."

The Chancellor almost exploded. "The law forbids..."

At that moment, Angron's gaze darkened, and he slammed his fist on the armrest.

The impact of the blow echoed through the room, silencing everyone. Rattern stared at his hand in horror, and Angron looked down as well. The glass armrest of the centuries-old throne got broken in half.

As if he were frightened by what he had done, Angron looked around with fear.

"What happened?" Solar whispered, to which Serion quickly covered the girl's mouth.

Sephra then got up, walked over to Angron, and grabbed his arm.

"We apologize to everyone! Just a moment, and we'll be back. Come... let's take a walk."

The prince quickly nodded and got up, allowing Sephra to lead him out of the room.

They didn't go far. They stopped in front of a glass wall, and Sephra, arms crossed, looked at her friend.

"I just wanted to joke... Rattern can't stand it when someone isn't traditional..."

"I know. He almost threw a plate at you."

"He wouldn't dare."

Sephra raised an eyebrow, giving him a cold stare, and Angron cast his eyes down.

"I'm sorry... I just got angry."

"You can't afford to get angry like that. You just destroyed father's throne."

"I know... I'm sorry."

The woman sighed and shook her head.

"I know you hate everything and everyone, but we don't have time for this now. We didn't come here to settle your personal issues. Pull yourself together. That's an order."

"Understood."

Sephra then smiled and looked at the man.

"By the way, you look great. You should dress like this more often."

Angron felt a bit embarrassed by the praise. He was wearing a long, silver-white robe made of sparkling material. There were no decorations on it. It was fastened by a few buttons on his chest. His sleeves were slightly too long and hung over his wrists, as if the outfit didn't quite fit him. Underneath, he wore pants and a waistcoat in the same color.

"It was father's," he replied.

"I know. I remember. It suits you."

Then Sephra turned toward the glass and spoke again.

"Do you have any idea where the shard might be?"

"I'm almost certain Hyraus didn't hide it within the city. Otherwise, they would have found it already."

"So, you'll have to leave the city."

"As if Rattern would allow that."

"We'll persuade him."

"What if he's already found it?"

"Then we'll take it from him."

Angron shook his head and looked up.

"Are you sure this is a good idea? Maybe the sword pieces are where they are for a reason... What if we're just chasing a legend?"

"Quilen thinks it's important, and that's reason enough for us to care. If he believes it's worth finding, then we need to find it before him."

"I hope you're right."

"I'm always right."

Then Sephra grabbed his arm and led him back to the throne room.

Angron grumbled, "The others seem to have forgotten everything."

Their companions were having a great time. They were currently toasting with a dark green, sparkling drink. They seemed completely unaware of what was happening around them.

Sephra rolled her eyes. "I think they've even forgotten why we came here. We should hurry. They might end up wanting to stay here."

"That's the last thing we need. I don't blame them. It's easy to fall for all of this."

This time, Angron sat down beside Sephra and picked up a yellow fruit from his plate. Tencous didn't eat much meat anymore, but they loved vegetables and fruits brought in from other worlds. They could afford it, as Shouta was a wealthy planet.

"Rattern is watching you."

"Let him watch! He probably hasn't seen such a handsome man since he was young and that was in a different millennium. And I'm not even mentioning beautiful women."

Sephra responded to the compliment with a half-smile.

"You know, I'm thinking that Hyraus couldn't have come here unnoticed. If he was looking for a safe place within the ocean... Rattern must have given him permission. He must know something."

Angron stopped peeling his fruit and took a bite. "I wish father was here! He could get him to talk in no time."

Sephra nodded silently. Her friend was right.

The king had always been incredibly dignified and imposing with his stern face. While he didn't apply death penalty, he banished those who committed crimes. The Tencous were social creatures, and solitary individuals often committed suicide. Rattern had always been afraid of him, and while he tried to disguise it with the sweet tone of voice, his intimidated posture betrayed him.

Sephra never found out how the king felt about the Chancellor, but probably trusted him. In any case, she wasn't surprised when Quilen chose the king as his deputy, the second-highest-ranking person in the Rebel Empire.

Then the Chancellor stood up and raised his hand. His bright, sparkling attire drew everyone's attention, and they fell silent, turning toward him.

"Ladies and gentlemen, as you can see, today is a day of great joy for us because our long-lost prince has returned! I think I don't need to explain what a great honor this is for all of us. It's even more gratifying that a few outsiders have appeared tonight to brighten our day. I believe it's time for us to raise our glasses to them! Kha!"

Rattern raised his glass high, and the guests imitated him with enthusiastic nods and shouts.

"Kha!"

Angron and Sephra carefully glanced at each other while raising their glasses. Rattern had peculiarly emphasized the word "outsiders." Both of them sensed the threat in his tone. They knew they were thinking the same thing.

The woman leaned closer to her friend and whispered in his ear. "I'll talk to him. If he knows something, I'll get it out of him."