They soon reached Wykaht Hill. The name translated to Wave Breaker but a lot of locals simply called Palace hill. The Hill itself had been carved out many times and there were smaller buildings everywhere that could possibly be built on, from afar it looked as if the hill was completely man made- just buildings built on top of each other gaining height the closer it got to the ocean. The hill abruptly stopped short into a jagged cliff face where it reached the ocean. The castle rested on the very top, commanding a view of the city, the 2 great harbors, and the sea.

Lieutenant Ritwies had been texting furiously when she looked up and gasped sharply- both Granny Gingee and Duke Li sat up.

“What is it?” they both said.

“The flags of the alliance are raised!”

“What?” Li exclaimed, his heart galloping in his chest.

When the carriage had reached the castle steps, Li stepped out of his carriage and held the door open for Lieutenant Ritwies and Granny Gingee. Multiple servants ran out to the front steps and bowed to him. His head maid, a stern old woman with sagging cheeks stepped forward and whispered hurriedly, “The ruling Count of Nach Osten, the heir prince of Lacbérce, and the ruling King of Almanakarë are waiting for you.”

Li slammed the carriage door.

Everyone flinched.

He gestured to the driver with the subtlest of glares and the coach peeled off toward the garage, his undercover men - still disguised as farmhands to go with the cattle transport- were dashed away with it, clinging to the roof. Lt. Ritwies gestured to some maids and Granny Gingee was led away. Gingee would have to wait, possibly in a padded cell or a remote guest room, until Li had waded his way through the mandatory niceties. He stomped his way through the house and high archways, and he distantly heard Lt. Ritwies and the head maid arguing as they followed.

"How long have they been here?"

"An hour ago."

"You had time to change uniforms, yet no time to call us in advance?"

"Serving guests of the Kong family, is my job, Lieutenant."

"You should have texted us the moment they arrived!"

"You saw the flag didn't you?"

"We shouldn't be finding out about Visiting Royalty through such an ancient method in the 21st century!"

"If it was good enough for 12 generations of Kongs, it's good enough for the two of you."

Li cut into the discussion without looking back, "Ritwies is right, Tita. You should have texted us the moment you saw them climbing up the hill. What good is the cell phone I bought you if you don't use it?"

Both women fell silent. Three pairs of footsteps echoed. A bad taste rose to Li's mouth. They reached the archway that would lead to the manicured inner courtyard but Li did not pass through it. In the same way a widow might pull tight her veil, Li slowed. He felt the women in his employ depart him. Cautious, he stood alone in the shadow of the doorway, watching the interplay of characters in daylight.

Three tall ornate palanquins had been parked on the grass, facing inward like tents of a circus. Servants of four different masters were swarming and colliding with each other. Each palanquin held a single noble.

The palanquin to the left contained a man, who was at least 6 feet tall, with skin the color of fresh carob, broad shoulders, and a defined angular face with no hair to frame it. He sat very still… as if meditating, his cherry red coat, thin linen, wavered in the breeze.

The central palanquin carries a cherubic boy, a pink flush in his cheeks, incredibly white teeth, and a singsong rhythm to his voice. Toys of wood, steel, and cashmere wool were clustered around his feet. He seemed such a playful, good-natured child, one might have expected him to leap out his palanquin with a shovel, to play and roll in the grass… but there was no way he could. He was too weighed down to even stand, every inch of him dripping in veils of gold.

The third palanquin seemed damaged, the paint worn down by sand. In it was a lanky teenager, with lily-white skin, shock blue eyes, and a dimpled smile. He always kept adjusting his sitting position. He wore Irredescent blue and Persian green travel cloak, an assortment of feathers braided into his long blonde hair, to the effect that he looked like a large hummingbird.

When he spotted Li Kong the teenager let out a whooping cheer, “Otto Li! My pal! My brother!” And to all the servants' embarrassment, he flounced off his palanquin and ran through the damp grass, barefoot- his marvelous coat dragging and catching mud behind him. Li huffed. This… puerile… idiot. Really.

The teenager was only a few feet from Li but he was still running full speed. Li saw from the corner of his eye that a member of his security unit was debating tackling the teen down before he reached Li.

Li really didn't want to be body slammed… but he really couldn't allow his security to tackle the young heir apparent of the world’s most powerful and 2nd richest empire. They’d probably break the kid’s spine. Like a twig. So Li stepped out onto the grass opened his arms to the impending pain. The collision was definite. He tipped backward and his head smacked the solidly into the grass. Oh yes, it all hurt.

"Edwin... You're taller..." Li groaned, trying to refill his lungs.

“Otta, Otta, Otta! Li! Li! Liii!” chanted the teenager, Prince Edwin, who had landed next to Li but was enthusiastically drumming on Li’s chest. Otta was a shortened phrase that roughly translated to “Your Excellency”, but really the young man shouldn’t have bothered. Each man on this lawn technically outranked him.

Sure, Li was a duke, and that technically outranked the Count. But he ruled a territory that was almost 14 miles across. The dark-skinned "Count" had spent most of his life slowly and intently dominating an entire continent.

“You didn’t think we’d forget your birthday, did you, Mr. Kong?” Li looked up, the gold laden child had been carried closer on a servant’s shoulders with a gracious smile. Li looked up perplexedly at the child king, what was Mike doing here? Li had seen the child king only 3 times in person, though they had plenty of business meetings via carefully encrypted video chat. 1. When he was born Mike Augustus Pearce Sullivan of Almanakarë.

2. At the funeral of Mike's father, 6 years ago. 3. The Coronation, where he dropped the name Mike and became King Midas. As far as Li knew, King Midas had never left the royal city, much less his Kingdom.

“We’re here to celebrate with you!” enthused the young prince. Li stood, dusting grass himself off and pulling the hummingbird prince up after him. “You really didn’t have to.” Said Li, trying to sound grateful instead of frazzled.

“Turning 27 is an auspicious year, it is customary in my family to celebrate that birthday for at least a week.” This was the Count, who had joined them of his own volition. The distance that had taken the teenager and the young king a minute seemed to have taken the long-legged Count seconds to traverse. Li squinted up at the count, wondering if this tradition was true. It might have been a long tradition of his historically nomadic people… or it might just be a fabrication built around Count Orun’s well-known obsession with the 27 club.

“Yes, we came all this way to help you celebrate,” declared the small king, “And we won’t take no for an answer.” The child's eyes disappeared behind the rise of his round cheeks in an enchanting smile.

"No." said Li, looking him dead in the eye.

The young king's face darkened for a moment, the servant carrying him shifted in unease. But then King Midas laughed. He had forgotten for a moment that he was not Li's king. In fact, Li swore fealty to no king. His title was given by the Monarchy of Reilig, but that was a pretentious arrangement. It granted him little favor with Edwin's mother, the ruling queen of Reilig, and guaranteed her very little obedience from him. 

"Please, Otto Li. Please let us take you out for celebrations." rephrased the king. And Li was bound this time to do as asked, not by any law but courtesy. He had said please.