Having earned Musa's permission to use the breadshop's back room for a "heart-to-heart moment", Kahina bid her young visitors and son to sit on the floor forming a circle--amidst such ingredients as flour and unprocessed wheat—and the talk began, initially revolving on Mira's prior maltreatment to Zal specifically.

"I see... So Urdin's victory had embittered her for that long," Kahina remarked. "'Tis a good thing, anyhow, that ya still got yer dad's first wife, to whom ya might've been seekin' counsel."

"Much as I wish it were so, Kahina, that hadn't been the case," Zal responded, her countenance gloomy with remembered pain. "It only happened very recently, and boy, does that frickin' help. Back then, though, I didn't even realize that was an option, so... yeah, my true bro Dastra's the one who's pretty much always been there for me, such as he was. Akhi Mustafa was nice 'nough, but he's got his own siblings to take care of, let's be fair... Not to mention that damnable night attempt on his life."

"No way," Thorvin joined, the bridge of his nose having been suitably nursed, as he regarded the Lion Prince. "Someone's tried to... off you?"

"My true brother Rashid as well," the prince corrected somberly, "also, there had been more than one footpad. We got off with but flesh wounds, thanks to my mom's trained slave-maids; may they rest in peace. The rest is history. But let's now hear more of you, Kahina. How did you end up here?"

Thus prompted, Kahina began to regale them with the recount of her past days: from the lone flight north being egged on both by her own father Yasnar's "various indecencies" towards her as well as the rampant advances of Urdin's forces (the latter having demolished the "tyrant" Tharion's forces), to events surrounding Thorvin's birth, and down to their encounter with Aska and the resulting journey back south.

All through the narration, Thor observed, the royal siblings listened keenly, only rarely interrupting to inquire on small details.

"Thorvin here, thus," Kahina said at some point, gesturing to her son with her entire hand, "is a bastard of Tharion--if y'all will pardon the term. I'm quite certain ya have some inkling as to what that means..."

"We do, yeah," Mu replied shortly, his expression grim, "though if you don't mind me saying... that's not the nicest way to describe anyone, much less your own son."

"Got'n used to it myself, no worries." Thorvin gave a light shrug. "Bastard or not, Mom said that shouldn't weigh me down... which is why I was so mad at Azalea callin' my mom the way she did."

"I'm so sorry, Thor," Zal put in, going so far as gently touching the freckled boy's shoulder. "I didn't know ya'd been through such a mess. At least my dad's made it out alive, for all his conquering..."

"Now ya know for next time," Thor replied without flinching--which brought a small smile to his mother's countenance. "Yo, Zal, now that we've known each other a li'l better... d'ya mind if we be friends? Got Zena and Aska in the bag already, what's one more? I always wanna befriend nobles, ya see, but ne'er did I dream I'd come across true frickin'-royals! What say ya?"

"Uhh.... I mean, by havin' the same granddad, we're technically kin already-" the Little Viper tried.

"But I'm way too young to be called 'uncle' or anythin'! Sounds freaky too."

"Must've been a risky call at best, deciding to bring your only son here of all places," Mu rejoined more solemnly, referring to Kahina. "It's not like you've forgiven my dad for what he did to Tharion or anything."

"I've practically no bad blood with Amir Urdin... or, whatever else he's callin' himself these days, Prince," came her reply. "On the contrary, I might've thanked 'im more properly given 'alf the chance, for removin' such a blighter o' the land as Tharion for good."

"Does my mom know ya're here? In this city?" Zal blurted.

"She does, lass. Sent us a welcome letter some days ago, in fact."

"Now our dad's back home, 'tis only a matter of time before he would learn of it too," the Lion Prince sounded concerned as he turned to regard Thorvin. "He had so unreservedly put those eastern pagans out for all to see mere hours ago, mind you. And now we have the last remaining bastard son of his long-dead enemy... Gotta admit, even I shudder to think what he might do then." To this Zal nodded earnestly, painfully aware that she was now among those who really knew their stuff. "On the other hand, if we don't get to tell him... heck, you might at least have a shot at decent obscurity, Kahina and Thorvin."

"If ya don't tell him," Kahina offered, "that only shows ya don't trust him enough. Not nearly as Thorvin did me."

"That's not what I'm trying to..!""

"Hear me out, Prince Mustafa." He obliged. "Urdin's been with my ol' chum Mira for years now, yeah? That one's blunt as frick, stake my life on it, and still she's been spared. Ya think a revelation about Tharion's long-estranged young bastard today might still alarm him?"

"She's got a point, Akhi," the Little Viper prodded. "If Dad can get by with so little reserve in flaunting 'em pagans, I'll bet he'd take the word 'bout a 'mere' bastard anytime. At least Mom woulda gotten in his way, should he care to try anything funny."

"This is no laughing matter, Zal! Kahina and Thorvin here are blameless, that much is clear. We can't risk giving them more undue attention!"

"What, would ya rather 'ave me breakin' the news, then? 'Cause I sure as heck will, graces be damned. Dad needs to know they're here already!"

"And have you given any thought as to what he might do next? Huh?!" Mu abruptly stood up. "If Thorvin or his mom should lose their life, say, 'cause of what we're gonna tell Dad, when silence could have served them way better... would you be able ever to forgive yourself? I've lost two long-serving maids in my defense, I'd rather not lose friends too that I've only just gotten to know!"

The Little Viper fearlessly met her eldest sibling's glare. "And what of yer honor as a prince, eh? Keepin' such an important bit of information from yer own leader... Where's the loyalty in that?"

"What, would you rather stake Dad's own conscience against their lives?!"

"If that's what it'll frickin'-take, yes! Dad's reaction to Kahina and Thor's presence is gonna be for him to ponder and reflect on as thoroughly as he might wish, mind ya; not ours to waste time fretting about. Our silence, conversely, would help absolutely none--especially at this juncture!"

The Lion Prince, sensing the truth in that statement, reluctantly sat back down. "What do you think, Thorvin? Do you feel... you know, prepared for all this?"

"Yep, I think I'm good." The young bastard smiled. "In comin' here with my mom, I left behind all o' my known friends in the previous town, what do ya know. I'd also rather ya keep trustin' yer dad, and that means not lyin' to 'im for our sake. Ain't honesty a virtue in itself, Prince?"

"I second my son's view in this given case," Kahina put in, "in its entirety."

Mu exhaled with some relief. "So be it; I'll let him know... and let's all pray things shall turn well."

"Amen," all in the room chorused.

***

Kahina and Thor's working hours for that particular day ended shortly after that. To that end, they requested that the royals stay around for a bit, since "we might as well show ya where we now live too, however temporarily."

Their abode turned out to be a room set aside in a masjid with blue-green tiles, a modest fountain, and white dome called "Al-Shifa'", meaning 'healing'; but that was not the only thing that ended up impressing the young royals. They were also surprised to meet and get to know Vaelon, a native northerner, for the very first time.

"Ya came along with Kahina and Thor too, huh... and not as prisoners..." Zal observed with a tinge of wonder at how not-so-belligerent Vaelon himself appeared to be. "Whatever did ya do before that?"

"Me was one of north king's guards," came the reply. "We fled from rebellion against him, got separated with my friends along the way. At some point found caravan, Kahina and Thor; decided to move along together. Here I found work as builder, days ago. Decent pay, suit me well."

Aha. So these so-called 'savages' are not as disorganized as Dad liked to think, Mu noted mentally. They have a leader too; one with whom we just might get to negotiate. "These... friends of yours. Any chance they might find their way here?"

"One hopes, young mister... I miss them, honest. I'd welcome them, even if all townspeople refuse."

"What makes you think we'd refuse them?"

"One of my friends, very big." Vaelon spread out his arms in a half-circle for emphasis. "Strong. Bit taller than average men here. The other, short temper girl. About same height as your sister, too."

"By what name will we recognize them?"

"Why you want to know?"

"If we know them, it'll be easier to keep them safe."

"Keep us safe?" Vaelon repeated, surprised. "How? Thought south people like war. Without caravan aid, I doubt we'd pass this city's gates."

"What 'bout the jobs ya manage to get here?" Zal cut in. "If we're indeed as warlike as ya claim, that wouldn't 'ave been the case; ya'd have been strung out to rot out there."

"I been fortunate; just a lone rider. Aska, nice guy. Kahina and Thor? Normal woman and child. People can think us as normal family; no harm, jobs given. But an angry girl, with big man? People might get angry too, and seek to harm."

"That's what we'll try to prevent," Mu assured him. "If we learn your friends' identities from early on, we can arguably take measures to see that they will not be harmed."

Zal shot his sibling a 'you serious?' stare, to which the Lion Prince calmly nodded.

"Big man, Vilkar," Vaelon replied after about a minute's hesitation. "Angry girl, Brista. King's only daughter."

"Damn," Zal couldn't help keeping it down. "Big fish, indeed..."

"Big fish," the northerner agreed. "Why I worry. They might not even get here."

"Vilkar and Brista," Mu repeated. "Very well, we'll keep those names in mind. For now, best of luck with your respective works, Vaelon."

"You keep safe too, young mister and girl."

***

"What do ya s'pose we do now, Akhi?" the Little Viper questioned on their way back to the palace. "Comin' across three northerners on what started as a detour to get bread... Got so many twists, this outing!"

"You said it, Zal: we're better off being honest, and I agree," came the reply. "Let our respective parents know the truth; they'll know what next steps to take."

"Mom already knew that Kahina and Thor's here."

"But not that they've actually met us. I'll let Dad know of Vaelon in the meantime, as well as those possible arrivals. Might even interest him to know that those northerners aren't so backwards not to have someone in the lead."

"Hmm... ya sure now's gonna be the right time to tell 'im, though?"

The Lion Prince tilted his head. "One way to find out."

"And, um... ya gonna scold me still for Thorvin's sake? Y'know, after what I did to 'im..."

Mu thought on this as he walked on. "You can bring the horse to the water, they say," he replied at length, "but not make him drink. You'd apologized to Thor, sweet sister... and in return he's started to consider you a friend, your second one after Zena. What more should I chastise you for?"

"Even so... I feel I should still be chastised."

"Do think on this, then: is there anything in common that you feel your friends uniformly like about you?"

Zal paused in her turn, reflecting. Zena, Halima at school, and now Thorvin... Why did they end up wanting to befriend her, really?

Not just because she's a royal scion, to be sure.

"Sincerity?" she offered.

Mu nodded. "That's what I like about you too, Azalea. You may be rough at times, to the point of recklessness... but you were pretty much sincere when you said you wanted to make amends with Mirani; you were earnest when you apologized to Thor just now; and you were--and still are--earnest about loving Dastra. Your temper may remain a problem, Zal, for God knows how long... but I sincerely hope your earnestness will serve to balance it."

"...Ya think I could still get more friends if I work on that sincerity?"

"That's what I've been trying to tell you since before we dropped by Thorvin's stall."

***

By a passing servant, Zal was told that her mother was, after quite a while, taking it easy at Vestra's gardens, with Razin in tow.

"Ya're ne'er too far away from my mom these days, ain't ya, lapdog?" the princess remarked of him when they saw each other. The courtier just smiled and bowed slightly.

"You honor me, Princess. Dogs are plenty loyal, if nothing else-"

"How's yer arm, Mom?"

"Gettin' better with each passing day. Why're ya here, lass? Ne'er known ya to be a fan o' flowers..."

"I've met yer old chum." The princess wagged a finger. "Kahina, wasn't it?"

Mama Viper looked up sharply. "How did ya-"

"Poses as a bread-seller, that one, alongside her son Thorvin. Took a stroll with Akhi, bought some of 'em from the latter. Ended up havin' a chat with 'em too, in some breadshop's backroom."

"Wait, just hold on... Mustafa went with ya too?!"

"...That so wrong to ya?"

"Just the opposite--that'll help clear at least some things up!" Mirani rose. "Tell me: did he and the bastard get along?"

"Bonded right off the bat, damn them. Akhi's even offered not to tell Dad 'bout Thor's lineage, just to be on the safe side... but I implored otherwise: that we be frank, as we damn-well should, and he ended up agreeing."

Mira nodded eagerly. "As expected of Mustafa. Heck, bein' frank may also be one of the only ways whereby yer dad might yet regain my respect, lass. Thanks for lettin' me know of this."

The Little Viper regarded her parent with a wary smile. Finally she and her mom could find something else to agree upon, other than keeping Dastra well taken care of, but still... "Earlier today ya spoke of a possible trial, Mom. What do ya fancy ya'd be tried against?"

"Why, for killing those maids by proxy, p'raps; or, for abusin' a royal scion for years. Either way, I'll be away from ya for a very long time... again."

"How so?"

"I might get exiled, Azalea... or worse still, executed."

"What?! But ya've gone so far as to bring Kahina and her son back here!"

"Her Grace has assigned a certain Aska as their immediate protector in the event of... possible recriminations, Princess," Razin put in. "We can at least let the queen depart in peace, with her head held high."

"Shut up, you," Zal growled at him. "If Dad thinks my mom deserves death for tryin' to kill Mustafa and Rashid that night, and then some for abusing me... heck, would he not be just as liable for that very same punishment himself for actually killin' off Mom's siblings back then, thereby embittering her enough to neglect my care all those years?! That 'trial' is gonna be nothin' but a sham, I tell ya!"

Mama Viper looked at her daughter, then at her primary henchman, in each case with a thoughtful frown.

"Azalea, dear."

"Yeah?"

"Come along with me after dinner tonight, then. For better or worse, ya've got to be there to see if yer dad's got 'nough sense left in him after all those bloodletting."

The Little Viper, very much a risk-taker, pulled off a fearless smirk. "Aye. That's more like it."

For her part, Mirani lost little time in sending word to her counterpart that "the storm may break sooner than foreseen. Courage, for God's sake!"

***

The Lion Prince, meanwhile, found the Amir in his study.

"Ah, Mustafa. Come on in," the Pathfinder beckoned while remaining seated. Before him was a letter, already affixed with the royal seal.

"Peace be to you, Dad. Am I interrupting anything? That letter..."

"This? I've just written an invitation for your cousin Idris to please come over for dinner this evening. 'Tis good to have quality time together with ones you can trust, and he's proven himself worthy of mine during that last campaign. What do you want?"

"I've been on a stroll around town with Azalea just now. Bought some bread, we did, and we ended up being shown around the breadshop as well."

"Nothing so unusual."

"Yes. Except that breadshop has workers from the North. Mother and child, at that."

Urdin's brows furrowed in thought, his interest sparked. As yet we officially have no trade deals with them, and somehow northerners are finding employment in my city? "Go on."

"The mother, calling herself Kahina, professed to be Lady Mirani's long-lost girlhood friend. And her child, Thorvin... is her son with your long-dead nemesis, sire."

"I've made so many enemies. Which?"

"King Tharion."

That was that. The Pathfinder slammed a fist on the table as he rose and loomed before Mustafa in two wide steps. "Tharion has had another son whom I somehow forgot to get rid of, and that boy's selling bread with his mother as we speak, you say?!"

"I think the better question would be: what do you intend to do with them now that you know, Dad?"

Urdin narrowed his eyes while literally looking down at his firstborn. "You would take it against me if I just remove them, I gather?"

"As would Mira, and you would do well not to provoke her again. In fact, given the chance, Kahina and Thorvin might come to thank you."

"Thank me?"

"For getting rid of Tharion, whom Yasnar had forced Kahina upon for his own ends by the by... whatever those ends might have been."

The implication was vividly clear, and that took Urdin aback. "Better watch your words there, Mustafa. Yasnar is my Prime Vazir! My most senior representative in this realm! He wouldn't have..!"

Mustafa met his older version's stare.

"And I'm your son," he replied tersely, "to whom you've taught to be just, whatever the circumstances. This same 'most senior representative' has committed a crime most unbefitting his station, Dad, with hard, living evidence. It's nothing short of a miracle that he hasn't attempted to try to remove them just yet... leaving us with this golden opportunity to unmask this rotten felony, come what may."

"...Can anyone else verify this encounter?"

"Azalea was with me the whole time. She watched it all unfold, and may have come to similar conclusions as mine. Heck, Zal may even be alerting her lady mother this very moment, and she will likewise demand answers."

Urdin went back to his desk and sat down, momentarily closing his eyes.

I already have plans to discharge that aged weasel anyway, he reflected, but this sort of accusation is just... heinous! Dear God, how my overzealous martial pursuits had blinded me so from whatever's been happening behind my back!

Then there's Sheikh Nouman's earlier counsel, about the throne...

"Mustafa," the Pathfinder said at length, "after dinner today, don't leave just yet. 'Tis high time we get to the proverbial raw meat of this damnable matter, and I want you to be a part of it... regardless of how it would end."

The Lion Prince nodded earnestly. "I'll be there, Father."