Isabelle is still at the palace

You know this because the door opened and Isabelle is standing in it, wearing a red dress that looks a lot like Delilah's standard fare. "Hello Mummy." Isabelle says brightly skipping into the room and sitting next to Aurora. Aurora's hand raised to pat her daughters head and Lady Demise places a cup of tea and a lot of sugar for it before Isabelle.

"Interesting dress." Aurora said looking at you.

"Delilah looks good in it." Isabelle answered, proceeding to put more sugar into the cup than there was tea turning it more into a soup than a drink.

"You are getting along with her. That is good to see." Aurora said, taking her hand off her daughters head to sip her own tea.

You looked between mother and daughter than at Mary who is smiling warmly at her youngest sister and all you can think is, Are you crazy? Isabelle is scary as fuck isn't she? She tried manipulating you, threatening you, putting wedges between you and Ana who she seemed kinda obsessed with. Yet her she is being cute and childish. Is this who she really is and she was just putting on a show all those other times or is it the opposite?

"Something wrong Christopher? Or should I call you big brother?" Isabelle asked innocently as she spooned some tea flavoured tea into her mouth.

"Just admiring the dress. I'm surprised you were able to remember it so well." Considering she hasn't spent much time with Delilah apart from the tour they gave to the dwarven ambassador.

"Didn't have too." Isabelle said around the spoon.

"Oh Delilah accepted my invitation." Aurora said with a broad smile patting Isabelle's head once more. "Would you mind going to get her?" Aurora asked Isabelle.

"Can she be my guest at the party?" Isabelle asked slyly as she put her cup down.

"Well," Aurora looked deep in through for a moment then nodded. "She may. If," She tugged Isabelle's dress to stop her from dashing off, "you promise to leave Anastasia alone with her fiancé."

"Of course mother." Isabelle said, her voice and her aura suggested the thought had never crossed her mind. Aurora let her go and she rushed out the door. "She seems quite taken with Delilah." Aurora said, idlely looking at her cup.

"Nice to see her giving someone other than Ana attention." Mary grumbled.

"Now, now Mary don't be jealous of your sister. Anastasia spends time with her and it's not her fault you're always away from the capital." Aurora gently chided.

"I didn't think you'd want to spend more time with Isabelle." You said it aloud out of surprise. Mary had never suggested she'd want to spend more time with Isabelle and didn't seem to be putting all the much effort into doing so.

"We used to train together a lot but since I got back she's been avoiding me." Mary sounded a little hurt.

"She isn't avoiding you Mary." Aurora looked over at you. "She just doesn't want to get attached before you leave again."

You were being prompted for something which you figured was about offering a solution. "Could you bring her with you? It would give you some time together, away from others." Including you, though you didn't say that last bit.

"An excellent idea. Mary you should bring Isabelle with you on your next tour. You are going along the coast are you not, searching for the pirates that had raided trade ships." Aurora looked a little proud of you and you wondered if that is a good thing or a bad thing. Guess you'll just have to wait until springs the, "I'm sure Christopher would be happy to spend some time in the army to get used to it's management." wow that was even faster than you thought it would be.

"Would you?" Mary asked, her aura was excited at the prospect and from what you know about her, it was more likely about you learning army logistics and getting to know the soldiers than you spending time alone with Mary away from the capital.

"I still have classes at the Academy." You deflect not wanting to rule it out and hurt Mary's feelings but not exactly thrilled at the idea of being somewhere with less witnesses and a younger sister who might still be thinking of you out of the way so she can have Ana all to herself.

"I'm sure they'll excuse you for a few weeks and I will be sending a tutor with Isabelle, sending one for you wouldn't be any trouble." Aurora's eyes were smiling even though her aura was perfectly controlled, she was enjoying this.

"However we have had one surprise ambassador arrive, would you be happy for me to be away if another came?" It was a risky move since it implied Aurora needed your presence as an implicit threat or warning.

"You don't have to come if you don't want to." Mary sounded like you'd kicked her.

Aurora took a sip of her tea to **** you to answer rather than let you deflect onto her. "It's not that, it's just that can you imagine the trouble Ana will get into with, you, Isabelle and me gone for weeks." The joke was the safer option and from the thoughtful look on both Mary and Aurora's face it had clearly been effective. "Also if there are pirates raid ships shouldn't you leave to deal with that now?" It seemed kinda weird to leave that hanging.

"They aren't raiding our ships but ships from Ithia, mostly the kista imports." Mary said with a shrug.

It took a second to recall that country. They were the ones shipping sugar, kista, to Natira. The reason you remember that is becasue Ana had mention it at her maiden party. "They aren't trading seeds until there is large enough desire for kista that, when they do sells us seeds, the nobles will stop growing food crops and instead grow kista for the profit. That would lower the amount of food we have so they can they sell their food to us at inflated prices that cannot be refused like a higher price for a luxury could. Letting the pirates raid the ship slows the growth of the kista market, only nobles can afford it so the price won't explode while if it was common enough for every the market would dominate every other." You were basing all of this assumption of a conversation you'd over heard from Ana and a logical conclusion from what you'd just been said.

Mary looked from you to her mother. "Did you tell him already?"

Aurora smiled and finished her tea. "Christopher you are going to make Mary a wondrous husband."

"I'm haven't-" You start only for the door to open with Isabelle tugging Delilah's hand into the room. True to her word Delilah was wearing the same dress as Isabelle, though the leg slit was a little higher which from the wink she shot at you seemed to have been a recent change.

"Hello your Highness." Eve said with a bow. "Princess Mary, Christopher." Isabelle took her to sit on her other side while claiming her former place at her mothers side. "Thank you for inviting us." She looked at you shrugged slightly. Delilah must be having a panic attack about being around the Queen and two Princesses and out of action as a result.

"My little Isabelle is quite taken with you." Aurora said reaching up to pat Isabelle's head.

"We enjoy spending time with her, she is a rather interesting girl." Eve said as Lady Demise place a cup before her and replaced Isabelle's sugar soup with a fresh cup.

"Well I'd be more than happy if you'd like to visit more often. Isabelle has been a little lonely now that Anastasia is at the academy. Though I suppose she'll be back living here after her estate was, damaged."

Eve tried to hide it but Delilah, even under a current panic attack, flushed with embarrassment. Eve took a sip of tea to prevent any outbursts.

Aurora watched from the corner of her eye at the reaction, seeming to be satisfied by what she saw she didn't push any harder. "None-the-less Isabelle would enjoy your company."

"I'm not a child mummy." Isabelle grumbled at being talked over. "But I'd like to spend more time with you." She said to Delilah. "Since Ana will be here and not at the academy we can also spend time with her." Isabelle glanced at you, unable to hide the hint of victory in her voice. Ah good to see you were correct she is fucking crazy, and next year you figure crazy fucking Ana.

"Where is Anastasia?" Mary asked. "She and Lashay should have changed by now."

"Maybe they are getting acquainted more intimately." Aurora said watching you closely. "Apparently someone decided to mess up my bed."

"I doubt any of your daughters would have done that." Green said from behind you. "Need some more?" She asked Mary, who had decided to quickly drink as much tea as she could to try and hide how red her face just turned.

"Daughter, don't tease your charge." Lady Demise said. "Just because it's the first time that bed has seen more than one body in it for years does not mean you need to insinuate it would be her daughters that would finally put it to use."

Three of the seven people in the room were suddenly incredibly uncomfortable, two who'd you'd expect one who you wouldn't. "Lady Demise please go and find Anastasia." Aurora said as a little colour touched her cheers.

Lady Demise walked out of the room with a smirk in her aura. Green refilled everyone's cups and they you all just sat there, trying to not look at Aurora who apparently hadn't had sex in a while, at least in her own bed.

"Thank you for the tea." Mary said to Green as her cup was refilled. Green leaned down to block Aurora from seeing her daughters face and a 'I'll kill you' expression by Mary was responded with by a 'who me?' innocence.

It didn't take long for Lady Demise to return with Ana in tow. She was wearing a purple toga with most of her left breast exposed, the fabric only just covering her nipple. Ana walked over and sat next to you as Lashay shyly peaked his head in he was wearing a toga as well but it was a little different from the one you'd seen him in before. It was shorter for on, stop above his mid-thigh. He had his illusion of a more feminine face in place, purple eye shadow and red lips added to the look.

"Daughter, I'm sure your fiancé would be more comfortable there." Aurora said. Ana stood up and moved to an isloated seat, it was remarkably uncontested. That deal Ana had made to focus on Lashay must have been a good for no push back at all. "Lord Lashay please sit." Aurora waved next to you and he sat tugging at his toga to stop it from riding up. Not an easy task from how short it was.

"Thank you Queen Aurora." He said timidly as a cup was place before him.

The lot of you sat there in silence for a few moments. Not awkward more just feeling everyone out for a moment. "What are we doing for the party mother?" Ana asked as she sipped her tea.