I hope you find Kindness and Temperance in your heart. With greatest Humility. Mallard, toy manufacturer of Darkhill Tower, purveyor to the Silvermark court.

The main square was drowning in a sea of people, the salty scent of their sweat mingling with the cacophonous aromas coming from the various stalls. Every step she took, the Sundalers looked up and around from whatever activity they were doing–drinking wine, gossiping, buying from the one hundred and one merchants–to gawk at the General and the Princess.

She had to lose them and quickly too. With them, finding out where Fox was living was impossible.

"George!" Lana hissed through her mask. "Papa didn't bestow the title of General on you to be my personal watchdog. People might start assuming things."

"That you need protection? I can live with that." He put his hand around her and steered her away from a group of extremely loud men in simple red masks clinking their cups so hard that wine spilt all over the cobblestones. "Your father asked me all those years ago because of my wealth of talents. I'd say me turning your teenage life into the seven hells is one of my better qualities."

"Don't flatter yourself. That's Mama's duty." She snorted, yet changed her voice as a toddler girl with a golden mask waved at her with both her tiny hands. "Oh, isn't she just adorable?"

"Yeah, very cute." Alex nodded.

Far more interesting was the General, who had no attention for the child, but instead raised his head to the temple's rooftop. On each of the houses surrounding the square stood two to three fully armoured men, but none were standing on the highest terrace of the temple.

His eyes widened with fear, followed by a few rapid blinks. From what she could see through the mask, he had the same experience as the little girl receiving a tickle on the belly from Lana, with the only exception that her expressions were from sheer happiness.

For a split second, Alex contemplated using the moment to dash off and start her investigations, but the cohort of guards behind her prevented her from doing so.

Lana pressed her head against George's shoulder pad and whispered, "Missing some men, are we? You know what that means, don't you? When orders aren't thoroughly understood one can only blame the leader."

The General hummed. "Yet when orders were clear and the Muttonheads disobey nonetheless, the leader must smack the heads of his inferiors together."

"Now that's just butchering the literature, George. You're clearly forgetting that a true leader should always treat his men as he would his beloved sons."

"Your point being?"

Alex suppressed a grunt building up in her throat. She should smack their heads together. Precious time was being wasted while they outsmarted each other through book quotes–a game often played over dinner and which usually ended by Nick uttering something that baffled both of them into silence.

If only he and his wit were here to distract her companions.

"What are you waiting for, George? I know you want to investigate what's going on." Lana hooked her arm into hers. "Alex and I are going to Jason and Belinda's now. She has to try their pancakes."

"Yeah, I have to abide by the Greenlander tradition, don't I?" She forced a smile on her face. Not that anyone could see it, so it was mostly to sound inconspicuous. She was just an ordinary girl enjoying the fair.

She wasn't fooling anyone.

Before taking off, General George gestured his men to keep following them to the pancake stall. Wherever she and the Princess walked the crowd parted like butter above a high flame, even those poor people who had been queueing for ages to get a snack from the odd-looking couple.

She couldn't make out if they were married or siblings. Both of them were so beefy that their neck and body had become one, and their shaggy grey manes looked like the fur of those long-haired rabbits that used to roam the forest of Lane.

The woman showed all of her tobacco-yellow teeth as she cooed, "Lady Alana! What a delight that you wish to grace our humble little stand with your royal presence."

"A trip to the fair wouldn't be complete without a visit to you." Lana cocked her head and batted her eyelashes rapidly. She knew how to play the crowd. "Papa sends his regards. He's unfortunately too preoccupied to accompany me, but he has requested the both of you to attend the ball. You've been placed on the guest list. It starts at seven sharp."

"We'll be there. Thanks so much, Lady Alana."

"That's quite the honour indeed." The old man juggled one of the two large frying pans. A pancake flew up and flipped in the air before landing in the pan again. "And to repay your kindness, we won't accept any gold from you. You, your lady-friend, and your escorts... it's our treat."

"I'm afraid my father and I can't accept that. There's a strict no-gift policy." Lana withdrew a handful of coins from her emerald green pouch. "The guards have to save their taste-buds for pre-tasting the new products. Miss Alexandra and I will take the usual–bacon and cottage cheese."

"You're too kind, My Lady. This whole city is." The woman bowed, leaving the gold on the large wooden board that served as a counter. "I was saying it to Jase the other day. We've travelled the entire world, but there's no welcome like the one in Sundale."

"Entire world? Have you been to Silvermark?" Alex blurted out. Sweat formed underneath her mask as around her people cleared their throats and shuffling around. She was such a Puddingbrain for always acting without thinking. "Or... like... even far more up North... Ice. Is it as cold as people claim it to be?"

"Of course we've been up North!" The woman didn't seem to think her question was strange. "But not for many years. Travelling to Ice is only worth it if one can make a few good stops in Silvermark, but the people over there have become too poor to enjoy our products. Last time we tried we only made it to Brayfalls. I ended up giving everything away because I couldn't stand by and watch the children starving. Some have such little meat on their tiny bones. It's devastating. I blame the magicians–those creeps with their changing hair colour give me the heebie-jeebies."

Alex's stomach rumbled, though she had little appetite for the pancake. If that was Silvermark, then she hoped they had killed Fox instead of keeping him alive long enough to let him starve to death. She had known the pains of hunger, but they had never lasted longer than a few days. There had always been something that Mother had been able to put on the table and the Laneby women looked out for each other, especially Lady Karen.

"You should open a shop here in Sundale," Lana said as she received her pancake with bits of cheese and bacon sticking out.

"Oh, My Lady, as much as that would please you and His Majesty. Travelling flows through our blood like the tides of the untameable Jade Sea. We'll never be able to settle anywhere permanently. It's how Jase and I have been living since we were little."

"And it keeps us young," Jason added. He and Bellinda were siblings–she was sure of that. "Here, Miss Alexandra. Enjoy."

"Thank you."

The rolled-up pancake was nearly too big for her hand to hold. Other than bacon and cottage cheese, there were bits of baked beetroot and a white sauce that reeked of garlic.

Not hungry, but not wanting to seem impolite, she lifted her mask to take a bite. As she chewed, a distant childhood memory flashed before her eyes–the same couple with shaggy hair, now brown, standing under Laneby's oak tree by the tavern. She had no recollection of seeing them again, which was peculiar. They came to Sundale every year.

"Aren't you just the cutest?"

She shot her eyes at Lana, who–despite the ridiculous amount of guards in their trail–had a small maskless boy with curly red hair clinging to her leg. She handed Lieutenant Peter her pancake before picking him up and planting a kiss on his rosy cheeks. The little pup jittered with excitement, his face a combination of shock and young infatuation.

Alex swallowed her food, the lump in her throat temporarily disappearing to her stomach. She still wasn't any closer to finding Fox. If only those guards could back off, then she could lose Lana and talk to the merchants by herself. The King had been clear: the Princess wasn't allowed to know either.

After Lana had reunited the little red-head with his parents, she waltzed back to Alex as if nothing had happened. She leant over, keeping the pancake tight in her hand. "I've spotted our favourite Cadet. Look to the north-west by west, near the wine stall. Small and dark-blond hair."

Ten feet from the steps of the far right temple door Nick was standing in a circle with six other men towering above him at various lengths. "Why in the Gods' names is he drinking wine?"

"It's not that odd, is it? I've always heard that children in the countryside get their first taste of wine when they turn eleven."

"Of course, we do. But it's a sip. This is encouraging young men–army men–to drink themselves into oblivion. It–"

"Alex! It's one drink for those below the age of sixteen. Before Grandpa William changed the rule, the patrols were always drinking in secret. The consequences were far more severe than today."

"I don't like it." To prevent the God of Wrath from slipping out, she jerked at her mask to eat more of the pancake.

"You're upset because he's spending it with his new friends. They're decent guys, Alex. Papa and George made the right choice to assign him to Bart's patrol. And come on, have a good look at the big guy with the brown braids. His mother is Jade-Islandic, and Gods, he has the best features of both countries." Lana's pupils dilated widely. "His muscles and then that tan."

"Hang on, how come you know about his mother?" A stinging pain settled in her lower back, but her hands were too full to rub the spot. Now the heels were torturing her too. She should just leave and interrogate the merchants.

"The amount of interesting reading material on Papa's desk," she whispered. "There's nothing he can keep a secret from me, not even if he tried."

After finishing their pancake, they continued roaming the fair. A jeweller from Hallgate approached them with an abundance of golden bracelets and necklaces with large gemstones in all colours of the rainbow. After chatting to him about his travels–none to Silvermark– a cloaked man with a black masked invited them for a glass of pumpkin juice. While Lieutenant John inspected the jugs, Alex asked where the road had taken him in the last year.

"Mostly the southern Greenlands. It's my first time up north, My Lady. I've heard that I can live an entire winter with the profits of today alone." The man spared her no glance as he kept an eye on the guard. "All due respect, but I'm not going to poison the Princess. My business would be ruined. Why are you all acting like I'm up to no good?"

"Gotta take our precautions, Mister Philippe," Lieutenant Peter explained.

It was true though that the Sundalers kept their distance while the guards were doing their duty. They flocked behind them in troops of four or five, sometimes entire families. It wasn't until Lana drank from the cup she had paid for and smiled that people began to queue.

Through the crowd appeared a familiar Cadet, his pace determined, the smell he brought with him gag-worthy. He ignored her completely and headed straight to Lana. "My Lady, I apologise dearly for the state of my uniform. I'm afraid someone dropped their wine cup on me."

"What is it you want, Cadet?" Lana threw a wink at Alex.

"Well... the lads of my patrol talked me into a fool's bet. They're asking if you can give me a kiss on the cheek... like you gave that toddler boy."

"Cadet, you're not two years old." She held up her hand, which kept the guards from moving closer. "Now scram, unless you wish to spend an eternity in father's dungeon."

"It's me," he hissed through his mask. "Please, one quick kiss and I'll leave you alone. I wanna impress my patrol and get Victor to shut up about you."

Lana flicked her hair, then rearranged her tiara. "No, Cadet, and I will have you arrested if you keep bothering me like this."

"You won't." Nick crossed his arms.

"I won't." Lana grinned. "But seems like George will."

From behind us, the General reappeared. He yanked Nick by the collar of his uniform and dragged him away. "Every year, there's always one! Say your prayers, Cadet. You'll rue making this move!"

"But... but.." Nick stammered.

"Silence!" the General growled. "You think you're above the rules. I'll show you."

A small uproar took place with people muttering and shaking their heads as Lieutenant John and Max handcuffed a squealing Nick. For a split second, she considered helping him, then realised that this was the moment she had been waiting for all afternoon. All eyes were on Nick and none on her.

He was the perfect distraction.

She dove into the crowd and rushed past a wine merchant with long-legged strides. The man with dark skin and peculiar grey crow eyes would not be able to help her. Not only did the Silvermarkers have no money for luxuries, neither would any child ever buy wine. Talking to him would be a waste of time.

She did halt at a stall selling silverware–Silvermark's namesake. They had one dagger on display. She tapped her fingers against her aching back. It would be a good gift for Seb.

"Anything I can help you with?" The merchant was a stout man with a velvet overcoat. A penetrant smell of tobacco leaves lingered around him. "I've got rings, bracelets, necklaces, plates, weapons–all forged from the finest of Silvermark silver."

"So you travel a lot up north, don't you?" She raised the pitch of her own voice, biting her bottom lip. "I'm looking for my brother. He's ten, bright red hair, freckles, and green eyes. He's about half a head smaller than I am. Is there any chance you might have seen him up there?"

"Doesn't ring a bell." The man shrugged. "I ride back and forth between here and Sprucedale for the silver. I can't feed my children if I waste too much time on Silvermark soil. Are you interested in the dagger?"

She rocked on those heels that had numbed her legs with a constant pain. Seb would never part from Lord Brandon's dagger, and Lana still had the pouch with money that His Majesty had given her. There was nothing she could do. "No, thank you. I was just browsing."

"Suit yourself. Have a nice Feast."

"You too."

Alex dove back into the obscurity of the crowd. There were so many stands with so many different products. A spice merchant wouldn't travel to Silvermark, nor would a fishmonger's wares remain fresh enough to cross the Horseshoe Mountains, though he might have sailed northern waters.

The God of Charity sent her the next step. In between the conflicting stenches of the fishmonger of a cheese merchant stood the tiniest stand of the entire fair. Above the owner's head–a balding man with a curly brown beard–hung a child-drawn sign in bright colours that read 'Mallard's One and Only Glass Marbles.'

With a name like that, he was bound to be a Silvermarker.

Bile rose at the back of her throat as she gawked at the variety of soft glass balls. Back in Laneby, Seb and Fox had spent hours rolling the perfect pieces of clay, which they later painted with whatever lipstick or powder they found raiding their mother and sisters' closets. The quarrels that followed were some of the hardest problems Lord Brandon had to deal with, yet no matter how many times he made the boys chop wood, they did it time and time again.

"It's completely new, Miss," the toymaker exclaimed with a broad smile. "Invented by accident by my brother who's a glass-blower."

Alex pointed at the sign. "You're from Silvermark."

"Yes, but don't worry, I don't bite." He chuckled nervously. "It is my aim to revolutionise children's toys in the five kingdoms. I've seen you walking with the Princess and her... pack of wolves. Is there any chance I could give you a bag for the young Prince? It would help my business if another royal played with them. Back home, little Prince Felix loves them so much, he even takes them to bed–I've been told."

"I can't accept gifts." She waved her hands in denial but stopped doing so. This was another opportunity that the Gods had blessed her with. "Unless... you can help me with something."

The merchant shifted his blue eyes from side to side. "I'm listening."

"I think my brother is living in Silvermark somewhere. He ran away from home, and we have no clue where he is. He's a very cheery boy, ten years old, hair as red as flames and–"

"Miss, there's one category of people desperate enough to flee to Silvermark. Asking around about your brother on a Greenlander market, I doubt your royal friend would be too happy to know you had a..." He frantically looked around again, leant forward and whispered, "a magician in the family."

"But have you seen him? I'm just a worried sister who wants her little brother to be happy. No matter where he is, or what he is."

He rubbed his beard, then clasped his hands together in thought. "I see many children."

"You would notice him. He's rather lanky, but with chubby cheeks. His real name is Henry, but we always called him Fox. Please, a redheaded boy with a Greenlander accent–that's not something you see every day."

"You'd be surprised. But I did see a boy that fits your description. He must be a you-know-what because his hair was both red and black." He now rested his chin in the palm of his hand. "I remember thinking it was strange. A foreign boy with a Silvermark name, but I don't remember if it was Fox. I'm sorry."

Alex's heart skipped a beat. This was already better than anything she had hoped for. "Where was that?"

"Moondale. And come to think of it, when he bought a bag, he was accompanied by a Jade Islander. Given your skin tone, Miss, is there any chance he's related to you?"

"Yeah, good ol' Uncle Katla. I can't believe he didn't write." Her stomach clenched so badly she feared she would retch the pancake back up. Fox was living with him, with that child-stealing murdering piece of cow dung. How could he be so naïve?

"Finally. Here you are, Alex!" Lana banged her hands on her shoulders. "You missed the best part of the fair, that Cadet really threw a fit. George was furious. Why did you sneak off?"

"I... we... I found a gift for Seb." Too baffled to explain herself further, she gestured at the stall.

"Marbles? Don't you think he's a little old for that?" She picked up a blue one with green speckles. "But I must say... they've been beautifully crafted. I've never seen marbles like these."

"Crown Prince Felix is nine, and he hardly wants to play with anything else anymore. Please, My Lady, there's already so much conflict between our two kingdoms." The man picked up the largest pouch from his cart, 'good for a hundred marbles' read the sign. "Here, it's a gift to bring The Greenlands and Silvermark closer again."

"I like your persistence." Lana accepted the bag. "But unlike my Silvermarker counterparts, I will give you gold in return. Before you say no, unparalleled stubbornness runs in my family like the twin rivers through Moonstone Castle. Is that understood?"

"Of course. As you wish, My Lady." He bowed numerous times in a short span of time. "Only a simpleton would say no to gold or defy a royal."

Lana passed the bag to Lieutenant John, who held the marbles against the light of the sun peeking from behind a cloud. Her buying from his stand had captured the necessary attention from the Sundalers.

As the coins disappeared in the marble merchant's pockets, Lana left and took the guards with her. "Come, Alex. I don't wanna lose you again."

Yet before she could leave, the man grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her closer. He whispered, "Miss, your brother... he looked happy, well-fed, well-groomed, and well-loved. My country has many issues, but we're more than the valley of sorrow and tears you southerners think we've become."

Curse those heels on her feet. Hadn't it been for them, she would have run to the stable to steal a horse and ride north to save him. He couldn't be happy, not with that monster. She jerked her hand away and took off, too stumped to thank the marble merchant.

She had to talk to the King. Now.