Baronial Palace of Czarny-Las

"Hey Lunqui, sleep ok?"

"Yeah, thanks, err, how do I call you?"

"Linni, Linus, Linnaeus is a bit mealy-mouthed though."

"But, you're a?"

"Ryder? Baron? My sister is used to that, I'm not. I'm a guy who lives with four cats and puts his pants on the same way you do in the morning."

"And you are?"

"I am Shibué Dandelion."

"I saw you on the broadcast, for your Father, my sympathies."

"Thank you, I can't believe he's gone."

"He... wait, he was buried with a Rising Sun, Grand Cordon, how?"

"He saved the then prince of the second rank of the Nisei, as well as three different Meihomeis, over his career."

"Then?"

"Hari Pawtel, Magelord of Nisei now. He's been friends with the Kagomine royal family ever since he thaught Amarat."

"What?"

"He was a prince of the fourth rank, at the time, Amarat didn't rate royalty, but he's been rising, and the friendship held, on both sides. And Mikhala's and Amalthea's parents both sponsored his ideas to build a FlyForce, both in Kagomei and Nisei, their friendships kept both nations strong. You're Nisan?"

"No, Moniqan, but I know that badge... a prior holder of it killed one of my uncles."

"Oh, I'm sorry, but, well, my father wouldn't..."

"I'm sorry, I just have bad memories of one of the many badges your father had, I'm sure he's a perfectly fine individual."

"Whew."

"What, sweet papoo?"

"Just glad he didn't say anything bad about your dad, we'd both be in the hospital before the berserker rage subsided..." He winked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Not funny!"

"Aw, Keirana, don't be so dour. We're about to eat breakfast in a famous castle."

"Famous?"

"Well says here: 'on this day, Eurani 10th Brumaire, 200 after pact, The Barony of Czarny Las was granted in fief and revenue to Jean-Sébastien Wolfgang-Motzbach in recognition of his music and contributions to the arts of opera."

"Sis told me you play the grobu quite well..."

"I am an amateur, but I find it helps me relax after spending a stressful day at work pruning bad investments and finding good ones."

"Would you play for me and Shibué, just one dance?"

"Sure, but why?"

"We're in this castle, which has an actual ballroom, and an actual ballroom-grade grobu, if I miss the opportunity to enjoy the romance, I imagine she'll be quite cross..."

"You... just earned yourself so many goodwill points, sweet papoo..."

Later, in the ballroom.

"You look worried."

"Hope your sister made it back on time..." Ring-dong.

"That'd be her, confirming she made it back on time..."

"How do you know?"

"She used to try to reassure me a lot. Now I guess she thinks you worry more about her than I do."

"You have your hands full worrying, sweet papoo, I mean, I did earn three merits foiling three assassination attempts on Meihomei."

"They had no chance, not against my Keirana."

"Flatterer. She kissed his cheek."

"Lunqui Zwei, Burrshire Fund Management, how may I direct your call?" He inflected his formal greeting with a lot of mischief.

"I'd like to talk to Lunqui Zwei, Gombu musician."

"Speaking."

"Can I listen to you play? I almost stayed, but I realized I'd get in so much trouble cancelling a prep meeting for the festival I was hosting."

"You own the place?"

"Not Czarny-Las, the castle belongs to Auntie, but she let me stay there."

"You have your own castle?

"Yeah, Kinabrach Castle, and my Silas-Saer, my own palace, in Silas, near Wrecklaw."

"Where Jean-Sébastien also performed three operas..."

"See, that's exciting, I had no idea it had so much history, it just looked a lil gaudy on photos. I take it you want to see it?"

"Hmm, seems there's a price to pay for that..."

"What do you meaannnnnn?" She whined from the other side of the voice conversation.

"Seems I gotta deal with poor planning, and lots of teasing... When all I want is spend time with you..."

"Oh, to the quick, I am wounded, someone get me iodine."

"No such luck for you, but ok, I do want to see your palace of Wrecklaw or Silas, and I want to enjoy your company. Can we not do it in such ridiculously tiny bites interrupted by your work? You've been doing great work, you and your brother both. You gotta have some actual vacation time to spend with your respective Grib and Miptun?"

"Don't look at me, I got four cats."

"And I take care of Robyn for Meihomei, some of the time, you can bring your cats on vacation you know?"

"What?"

"It's a little known fact, but Kagomei Air Transit has pet seats, for transporting your favourite animals with you."

"What, you mean Nissa, Missa, Jissa and Kissa would...?"

"I think they'd like it here, after all, the sausages here are so good..."

"I am sorry to see you all go." That was Torrock