The event ended as an incredible success. Ruena was able to make some connections, and Soral was easily introduced as her business partner. The business part of things was successful as well. Almost too successful. Soral complained that he wished he could bend time once more so he could have a version of himself focused entirely on Vista and this business.

  For once, Ruena agreed with Densooth. Playing with time any more than he already had was dangerous, so she forbade it. That meant she spent most of her time with Soral as one of her Warriors. Once again, she really wasn't sure how to categorize someone who lived through the same day several times with distinctly different roles. Sometimes when she met the other roles Soral played, they didn't even feel like Soral at all.

  Soral aside, it didn't take long for Ruena to realize she had no time to let her guard down and think about other things. One event might have ended in success, but the whole reason they had rushed into it was the impending arrival of Valen royalty. King Xandus would be staying in the Alodan Mansion as long as he was in Altea, and she was having a surprisingly hard time convincing her servants of this fact.

  Leopold was one thing, but it was clear the majority of the other servants were devoted to the Alodan name or to Velcorna, not to her. Several maids threatened to quit before being forced to serve a Valen. Said Valen's royalty did not seem to matter. Ruena had never been one to be seated by such foolish tantrums.

  "Then quit," she told them, "The door is over there. Just don't expect me to go out of my way to take care of cowards who can't handle one guest. Alodan is a house for warriors."

  Whatever response they had expected, it wasn't that. When they started threatening that she wouldn't be able to find maids to replace them in time, Ruena decided she was done with their nonsense. "Leopold, since when have the employment standards of Alodan dropped?" she asked.

  "I will have them taken care of immediately," Leopold promised, then made an announcement then and there, "Anyone who speaks out against our lady and her choice of guest will be asked to leave the estate. Whether it is a suspension or sacking is all up to your individual behavior."

  The issue with the servants was handled, but now Ruena had an inkling of how troublesome it was to invite a Valen to Altea. If this was how her servants reacted, would the city guards even let him in? What about her own guards? King Xandus could likely handle himself on the roads heading to Altea, but it was her responsibility to take care of the city itself.

  It took Ruena a surprising amount of time to ensure that everything was set for him to enter, far from the preparations that she expected to be doing. For that, she had to trust that Leopold and Soral had things handled back in the Alodan estate. Once Xandus was settled she would invite Crystal, and after that she would host a party of some kind to introduce him officially to the resident nobility. It was an annoying series of events, but one she hoped Xandus would be willing to agree to.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  Xandus arrived right on schedule, if not a little early. "That was a pleasant surprise," he told her instead of a greeting, "It's never been so easy to enter Altea before. We should stay friends for a long time."

  This might have been relieving if he weren't using his crazy voice followed by a maddened giggle. During all of her preparations Ruena had forgotten that the Valen King often pretended to be insane. Since the original reason had been dealt with, did he have some other purpose behind putting on this show?

  “I put my best effort into ensuring you would be welcomed properly,” Ruena assured him, biting back all of the remarks she really wanted to say. She was sure he would dig them out of her during a game of chess later anyway, “This is my first time hosting a royal. I can’t afford any mistakes.”

  “It is impossible to be completely perfect,” Xandus chortled, as if his words were a joke, “Though if you impress me I can tell everyone you were.”

  “How kind of you,” Ruena managed. She really wasn’t good at dealing with his crazy act, so she tried to usher him inside, ignoring Leopold’s clear expression of distaste. It looked like all of that convincing she had gone through to get him to agree to this had backfired in this moment. Not that she had expected the butler to truly trust her judgement.

  Unfortunately, things only got worse once Xandus entered the estate. He picked up a cat and began meowing and purring at it, all while zipping around like a tourist and ignoring any of the servant’s instructions. At this point, even Taiga was beginning to doubt, and she had met Xandus in Valen.

  “This must all just be a means to an end,” she heard Leopold muttering to himself in the corner, “There is no way she really means to make an alliance with the crazy Valen king.”

  “Of course not,” that same crazy king spoke up, having heard every word, “Who needs allies when we are friends. Very close friends.”

  “Not too close, though,” Soral interrupted, appearing out of nowhere as he often did and wrapping his arm around Ruena’s shoulders, “I will always be the closest to Ruena.

  There was a slight change in the atmosphere, and Ruena noticed many of the servants breathing sighs of relief as if Soral had just saved them. It seemed even those who had disapproved of Soral before would still choose him over the Valen King. Luckily, Xandus didn’t seem to mind this at all.

  After that, they managed to show him his quarters, complete with a private sitting room where he could set up as many games of chess as he pleased. Then it was time for dinner. It wasn’t quite a feast, but it was still fancier than the usual fare Ruena allowed on the table. The chef had gone crazy with the chance to finally prepare proper noble cuisine.

  “My food is better,” Soral whispered.

  “You don’t have time to be my chef too,” Ruena whispered back, then shoved him into his seat before taking her own at the head of the table. Finally the servants had left, and Xandus dropped his madman act.

  “I know you said you needed my help,” Xandus began, “but this is worse than I thought. Are you certain you are up to it?”