Sorooth nodded and winced.“They are looking to offer poor families funds to surrender their daughters to a new educational facility.The girls will get standardized education, and if they activate, they will get training.Sethir is learning that for the last fifty years, they have lost a lot of powerful women due to financial needs when the girls are small.”
Alody nodded.“That’s good.There are alotof Sethir-born young women, both omega and not, who are actives and are out here where they rise and fall without their traditions or family.”
Sorooth focused and then winced and put a hand to his temple.
Keska went to his side in concern, and Alody smiled blandly.“He should have asked.”
Keska looked at him.“You touched her mind?”
He winced.“Yes.I apologize.I was curious as to your family and when you left.”
Alody got up, walked over, and smacked her hand to his forehead.“There.Fixed.But I was in the time of the current king’s grandfather.”
Sorooth stared.Alody grinned.“I moisturize.”
Keska snorted, paused, and asked, “Do you know Nelith?”
“No.But Aluhara was a new warrior when I was taken.”
Sorooth blinked.“I see.Are you related to her?”
“Funny you should ask.I am a cousin.Well, our mothers were cousins.We were on the poor end of the family tree.”
“Would she know you?”
“Oh, absolutely not.She was way too fancy to meet my grubby little self, and then I was sold.”
Diena said, “Keska, if you still have the Hyreno-born working for you, make sure they don’t get near Ithal.He does not care for Hyreno.”
Keska frowned.“But he has a fin.”
Alody sighed.“When he was an infant, I was with him in the palace of the Lorn emperor.Another sale from the capitol to that asshole on behalf of mineral transfer.Anyway, I got to Ithal after his mother passed, and they had already tagged the baby and were getting ready to transport him, and that baby had a need.So we worked our way through the Hyreno henchmen, and Ithal had tracked each and every one of them.It gave him a prejudice and a lot of rage.”
Sorooth blinked.“I see.”
Keska nodded.“I will notify Ekbert.He’s a teen and is our groundskeeper until he heads off for his assignment.Does he have gills?”
“He does.And a head fin.”
Diena said softly, “How will he deal with the fact that the Lorn emperor is dead?”
The others all looked at her.“What?”
Diena smiled weakly.“When I was off after implantation, I thought about my brother, and he had a need.The Lorn palace is empty.The henchmen are...missing.The breeder quarters are empty, and the torture pens are gone.”
Alody looked at her and said, “Diena.”
“I was hormonal.Sue me.”
Alody looked at her and started to laugh.
Keska asked, “Is that what happened when you said you needed a week off planning?”
“Yup.All I could think of was keeping the world safe from that bastard, so...I did.”
Sorooth cleared his throat.“May I see it?”
She grinned and said, “Yes, thank you for asking.”
