Thailyn landed outside of town. Flying over Sen-gan, he didn’t find a place to land except inside the palace walls or on people’s property. He didn’t know if either would be a good idea. He made a note as he flew over as to the best route to get to the palace. However, with his terrible sense of direction, it was mid-afternoon by the time he reached it. He entered with a crowd of others. He kept his cloak pulled tightly around himself. He didn’t want to be feeling everybody’s ailments this day. The cloak was a special creation of dragon skin, silk, and linen. The combination helped block healing some as did the extra layers of fabric. He still felt a little as people bumped him, but it wasn’t much. He approached the steward on duty. “I’d like to see Princess Annlonna, please,” he requested. “Business or personal?” The steward asked. “Excuse me?” Thailyn asked, not understanding. “Princess Annlonna is holding audience this afternoon. Are you seeking an audience with her, or is this a personal visit?” The steward explained. “Oh, a personal visit,” Thailyn said. “Your name?” The steward asked. “Thailyn.” The steward looked up. “Like the healer?” He asked. Thailyn smiled. There were plenty of people named after him. Even when he went by Lyni people would ask that. “Like the healer,” he confirmed. “And how do you know the princess?” “We met on Tricon, when she was being healed,” he explained. He didn’t want to say he was her father. He felt he had given up that right years ago. King Emeton had raised her. He was her father. The steward nodded. “She’s just started holding audience for the day so it will be a while before she’s free.” “That’s okay. I understand.” He was used to being turned away by the palace. “If you’d like, you can sit in the audience hall and watch. She gets some rather unique petitions.” Thailyn smiled at the idea of watching his daughter work. He nodded. “Where can I find the hall?” “She’s using her brother’s hall today.” The steward summoned a page to lead him there. He took a seat in the back trying to keep his distance from the others. He noticed there were very few humans in the room. That would explain the “unique” requests. Each race lived quite differently from the others. It made for some very interesting conflicts indeed. He was impressed that Ann had the skill to be given this job. He was even more impressed to watch her work. She was quite skilled. He didn’t speak Elvish or Dwarvish so he didn’t understand all of what happened but enough. That was something else impressive, how many languages she spoke. She hadn’t needed a translator yet. She had even acted as translator a couple of times. It appeared she spoke all the local languages plus Tricon and most likely Troll. Seven languages was impressive. At one point, she appeared to glance his way. She must’ve recognized him because she did a double take. A short time later, she requested a break. She came over to greet him. “Thailyn, what are you doing here?” She asked. She wore huge smile. “I had a couple of patients in the area. I thought I’d check on them.” He smiled and hugged her. “What did you do to your wrist?” He asked. “It wasn’t broken when you were on Tricon.” “I got into a fight with my brother,” she said softly, looking around. “It’s a long story.” He understood. There were certain things royalty didn’t discuss in front of the public. “This must be getting tedious to watch,” Ann said. “I could get someone to show you around the gallery or maybe you’d like to see the garden,” she offered. He shook his head. “Unless you’d rather I’m not here, I’d like to stay and watch. I’ve missed enough of your life.” She smiled. “We might not have interacted much but reading those letters you wrote me, you didn’t seem to really miss much.” “I’d had some great contacts.” Thailyn nodded. “But, hearing about it secondhand is not the same as being there.” “Grandfather’s in Baj-tisk. You can contact him. I don’t think he’s busy today.” He grinned. “Maybe later, you can contact him. I’d like it to be a surprise.” She nodded. “I should get back to work.” He watched her for the rest of the afternoon. He wasn’t used to sitting so long. He enjoyed watching her work but was glad when it was over. “I told you it would take a while,” Ann said as she came back to him. He smiled. “You did, but it wasn’t so bad.” “Shall I contact grandfather now?” She offered. Thailyn nodded. “Just don’t tell him I’m here.” It had been five hundred years since he had seen his father. He wasn’t sure what to expect. They didn’t always see eye to eye and he had refused to take responsibility for his daughter, something that was almost taboo on Tricon. “I told him that Nim was talking about leaving again, and we needed his help to keep him here. He said he’d be here and a couple of hours.” “What if he talks to Nim?” “Nim’s blocking everyone right now. He flew off this morning. All he’d say was he wasn’t going to see Jo. He might be hunting.” “Why wouldn’t he go see Jo? Who is Jo?” “She’s his mate. She’s in her homeland right now getting ready to move here. Nim can’t go there. We don’t understand all the details.” “But he tries anyhow?” Thailyn guessed. “He has. He said he wasn’t going to since she’s moving here, but Nim doesn’t always think clearly where Jo’s involved. “Pt’this’s still in a meeting with Father and a Yarb delegation. They won’t be done until after dinner.” “There’s a Yarba delegation here? They must love all the dragons running around.” “About as much as they love us absconding with their princess and her servant,” she said as she led him towards the barracks. “You what?” Thailyn stopped. “It’s for their own good. It’s Remtani’s doing. I just broke the locks on her servant’s collar.” “Why didn’t you have Sapphire open them?” “She did. I broke them later so they couldn’t be put back on.” “Ann, what is going on?” Ann explained the story, leaving out the theory that Shay might actually be his mother, though as she told him she realized he had given her the perfect reason for Mishtali to be here to run into Shay. “So that’s when you broke your wrist?” Ann nodded. “I can’t believe they’d try to marry off a fourteen-year-old child,” Thailyn said. “Humans can be so barbaric.” “I wasn’t much older when Kith proposed. How is that different?” Thailyn growled. “Oh, stop it,” Ann said. “He proposed. We didn’t mate. You just act like humans are the only ones who disregard age.” “I’m sorry.” They entered the room Andy used for teaching karate. The lesson was still going on so they sat down to watch. Thailyn was impressed. Ann explained some of what was going on. “You’re familiar with this?” Thailyn asked. Ann nodded. “I’m in the morning class. I started taking lessons back in Andy’s homeland. The morning class is the soldiers Andy started teaching two years ago for fighting the trolls.” “So if you’re in the more experienced class, why was Remtani able to break your wrist?” “He’s the prince-general. He’s huge, and I was acting as a decoy. I had to let him get close to me to keep him from seeing Andy.” “But it didn’t work.” Ann shrugged. “Nim got him.” “But you still got hurt.” “Yes, I did. It wasn’t the first time, and it probably won’t be the last. It was just a broken wrist. I’ve had worse injuries, and Remmy would have done much worse to a whole bunch of people if we hadn’t stopped him. “I can’t live my life worrying about every bump and bruise I get. I have abilities and knowledge no one else has. It’s my responsibility use those to help people. That sometimes puts me in harm’s way. I can’t change that. I’m sorry.” Thailyn realized he’d had similar conversations with his own father in the past only now he was taking his father’s part. “I’m sorry. I worry too much about you. I don’t have that right.” “Don’t say that. You’re my father. I’d be hurt if you didn’t care.” “Thailyn! What are you doing here? Good to see you,” Andy said coming up to them. “Andy.” Thailyn grinned. “It’s good to see you too.” “I’ve been wondering what was going on. You didn’t feel like you normally do when you hold audience,” Andy told Ann. “He got here early this afternoon and has been sitting watching me.” “Do Pt’this and Mishtali know yet?” “No, Pt’this is still with my dad, and Mishtali’s on his way but he doesn’t know either. I told him Nim was talking about leaving again. Thailyn wants this to be a surprise.” “Why don’t we eat dinner and then we can find them. I’m tired of your stomach growling,” Andy said. “Sorry, I’m hungry,” Ann said. “You’re always hungry,” Andy said.