The revelry celebrating Prince Relastin's victory was a ruckus affair. The wine, beer, and whiskey flowed freely while food chased the chosen liquid of each particular guest down their throats. The celebration reached new heights after Princess Lyla made her planned announcement.

Once thoroughly congratulated by the prince, an adulation which Kaden was sure might never end, he'd spent time receiving equal attention from each of the other guests in turn. And as the prince had predicted, the young Karo Shar had been required to answer the question regarding the official account of Prince Kolad many times over. And each time Kaden delivered the same rehearsed reply, presented with as much bravado as he could muster.

While Kaden was exchanging pleasantries with one of Ison's generals in particular, a firm slap to his back informed Kaden the prince had found him once more. "There he is!" A tankard of overflowing beer sloshed in Prince Relastin's hand. "Has my future brother-in-law been avoiding me?"

"Not at all," Kaden said apologetically, but firmly. "General Durk and I were—"

"Yes, yes, I am well aware of General Durk's propensity to speak and speak and speak some more once his tongue has been pried loose with wine."

The middle aged general in his red urk and his own scared steel breastplate bowed to the prince. All while keeping a goblet still half full of wine from spilling. "I will leave you to speak with your Karo Shar, my prince."

"Yes, please do," the prince said with a dismissive wave. "But first allow me to request that you please begin assembling a company of Ison's finest warriors for the pre-wedding hunt. And do make sure to do yourself the honor and include yourself among the soldiers."

The request caused General Durk to beam. "I am honored that you are demanding my presence, my prince."

Prince Relastin saluted the soldier with his mug and escorted Kaden away.

"A pre-wedding hunt?" Kaden asked.

"Yes." The prince drank deeply after the answer he'd given, taking long swigs of his drink.

"Where to?"

"Why, the Abyss of course." The prince made the statement as though it was self-evident to a boy who had not grown up while emersed in the traditions of Imeron High Society. "It is tradition that the prince and his Karo Shar should lead an army to clear the demon's from the Abyss before the princess is wed. And we will have to do better than when my father and his Karo Shar did the same for any of his sisters under his care who married."

"And how did they do?"

"Truthfully? Or according to the witnesses?" The prince's skepticism was not in any way masked.

"Wouldn't both be the same?" Kaden replied judiciously. "To question the honor of the witnesses, would be considered rude."

"To put it mildly, considering such would also be an insult to the king, himself," the prince confirmed. "Seven hundred and twenty-seven demons was their best hunt of the three. Including twelve succubi, ninety-three Bone Koronai, and ten Night Terrors. They did not quite make the Gates, but made a glorious run at it. I would like to also make an attempt. And I would like to kill the Guardians and be done with this whole farce. But, since we are supposed to refrain from hunting Koronai for two weeks before, the Abyss will fill up quick and make such an accomplishment highly unlikely with only one hundred men."

"I do not doubt your skill," Kaden stroked the prince's ego.

"It's a matter of skill, Karo Shar. It's a numbers game. We could take every soldier I have at my disposal and make it. But I would be seen as weak for needing so much help."

"I do not know if I am ready for this level of action," Kaden admitted sheepishly.

"It's not as though you won't have Rage or Courage available to you. Speaking of which, how is your slave doing in your father's old shop?"

Kaden pivoted with the new direction the conversation took. "The first drops of Rage came off the stills yesterday."

"Is the quality any good?"

"Better than anything you'll get from Hundu."

"Do you dare insult my Chief Apothecary?" Prince Relastin asked.

"I'm your Chief Apothecary now, and I merely state a fact, my prince. And facts cannot be considered insults."

"Ok, then what about compared to your father's quality?" The challenge from the prince as it had been laid forth was bold and clear.

"With my guidance, he'll get there soon enough. If you allow me to help him, we could have enough high purity Rage and Courage for the entire hunt by the time it begins."

"In which case, however, you would not be by my side and shirking your responsibilities as Karo Shar. As I require you to be. My enemies are preparing even as we speak."

Kaden gave a shrug. "Then trust the supply to Hundu. But allow me to do this, and I believe we could increase our kills by at least ten percent with the quality of the essences I would help my slave produce."

Another swig ran down the prince's throat. "That is a fool's choice you give me. I do not understand why your slave cannot do his work here in the palace."

"Because, my prince, we had a deal." Saying so allowed Kaden an internal smile he would never let show outwardly. "But, more importantly, because we made a deal."

"I question if I too easily agreed simply out of a greed to control that luck coursing through you."

"You also secured my witness to your killing of the Night Terror. Alone. Although I am sure that any number of men would have lied on your behalf and said they were there."

"You know they would." The prince consumed the last bit of his drink and then stared into the bottom of the tankard, longing for me. "But to do so would risk angering the luck that I have had."

Kaden's eyes creased. He knew the prince had lied many times. Even recently with regards to his brother and the events that unfolded upon the Barrens. The prince was selective at how and when he pushed the limits of what luck would allow him to get away with. "Me assisting Sahl," Kaiden explained, "was only a suggestion."

"It's a good one though." The prince handed his empty mug off to a servant, who exchanged it for another that was overflowing with suds. "You think you can fulfill the quantity and purity of Rage and Courage required?"

"In two week's time? Yes. I have no doubt."

"Then you have my permission to proceed. But I will test your product to guarantee it first." But that was not all the prince wished to say. "If you fail me, I won't remove your head. At least not at first. I'll just start by removing the fingers of your slave. One at a time for each batch that does not meet royal standards."

"You don't trust me?"

The prince consumed more alcohol first. Then replied. "I believe that, if you could, you'd kill me for what I did to your father. If you say you wouldn't, it would be a lie."

Kaden was not ready to be called out so bluntly on the sensitive topic that was a deeper wound than what the Night Terror's claw had left in his chest. "I am bound to your service, my prince."

"And yet, how you reply to my accusation tells me that it is true. No man avoids directly answering when the allegation is not the truth. Do you think I'm stupid?"

"I have never said such, my prince."

"Then why lie to me when you know I know the truth?" The prince drank more, enjoying the light brew. "Do you think I wanted to kill your father? Because I didn't. I honestly thought that it was all just a misunderstanding. My generals had been complaining for the year prior that something was wrong with the essences your father was producing. I couldn't bring myself to believe it. But they were noticing it in the performance of their troops."

"Wait. Are you telling me that you didn't believe my father was guilty of treason?"

"Not until I saw it with my own eyes," the prince admitted. "I thought we'd find one or maybe three tubes that were a little light. Not two whole batches worth. I could have easily justified sparing his life had that not been the case."

"You still could have given him another chance," Kaden blurted out. "You are the Prince of Ison and can do whatever you want."

"You are still new to the concept of the politics that go on in this palace and beyond these walls. It is true. I can do whatever I want." The prince looked off into the crowd, most of whom were not nearly as oblivious as Kaden. Although some surely were. "And I can interpret the Decrees in any way I so choose. But just because I can do whatever I want, doesn't mean I can do whatever I want. Do you understand that?"

"Not really." Kaden's confusion spilled out of him.

"I can do whatever I want. But if what I do makes me look weak or draws scorn from the wrong person, I have to grow even more eyes to watch my back harder." There was no fear in the prince's words, only a resigned calm. "You may believe that I am not a pawn, like you, but rest assured, I am as much a pawn in this game being played as you are."

"I find that hard to believe."

"Believe it, Karo Shar." The prince gazed into his drink before passing the unfinished brew to a wandering servant. She seemed stunned at receiving the still three quarters full drink, but did not stop her rounds. "I know that there will be those who will come to you and seek your allegiance against me. I warn you, Karo Shar, they are not your friends."

"And you are my friend?" The words sounded odd, but justified as Kaden uttering them.

"No," the prince said. "But I am your ally. And I believe that if we stick together, you with your mind and your luck, and me with my might, we can go very far and accomplish great things. What say you, Karo Shar? Are you with me, or against me?"

"I cannot be against you, my prince." The words tumbled out of Kaden, like they'd been formed out of rehearsed habit. He pondered his growing physique while speaking them. "I owe you so much. You saved my life." Kaden didn't really mean it. He'd rather of died in the Abyss that day. But, as it was, he didn't. And now he had an opportunity for revenge. Revenge he now questioned if he really wanted from what the prince had told him. He only hoped that the uncertain resolution behind his words was well disguised.

"Never forget that," the prince said as he nodded. "Go. Assist your slave and prepare the essences for the hunt. We will enter the Abyss in two weeks. And I expect everything to be in order."