"The knowledge is Power bit," Hida shrugged and got back on her feet, ever the restless spirit. "Only someone who can't depend on strength learns that Power isn't about might. Even after two generations of Queens, Taroton still has some... outdated habits." 
A century ago, and Taroton was heavily unjust to women and a lot has been done to rectify it but there were always holdovers from a less civilized age. "Forgetting who the author may be, let's think about the candidates. Two Ducal daughters, Hatsune and Sikali. One Marquis daughter, Ruma. And three Viscount daughters, Ram." Farran was seeing it all laid out in her head like a map, "Hatsune is the most obvious for several reasons." 
"The whole recently adopted bit did stick out," Hida's agreement was slowly as she moved her body in the rain again.
Farran could dance, but she also enjoyed simply watching how breathtakingly graceful baby sister could be. "Go back further, the current Duke of Hatsune is Queen Akiyama's cousin. The late Prince Consort was first cousin to Duke Hatsune, making the Queen his first cousin once removed. Dowager Queen Ebani was already close to, and familiar with the Hatsune; it's easy to assume that her mysterious second daughter's father could also be from the Hatsune." 
"That'd make the Queen and the Princess sister-cousins," Hida's disgust was evident and Farran laughed. 
"You clearly haven't noticed how much questionable incest is allowed throughout hi온라인카지노게임. I swear if we look far enough back, every Noble is a distant cousin." Farran wondered if that was why she could never be interested in the romances everyone else flustered over.
"Do you think it's Banika Hatsune?" Hida was only a little taller than Blair but as she worked through the combat forms, Farran could believe she'd one day be a powerful Knight. 
"I know its not Colena Sikali," Farran hedged, thanks to Gavin's friendship turned romance with Eniola Sikali the Sikali Family was well known to the Briggs. Deshay Sikali was one year Farran's elder and she'd thought about arranging an engagement just to spare the effort later, only she'd heard rumours that he had a bad habit at the gambling houses. 
"And it can't be one of the Ram triplets, they're supposedly identical," the rain was coming down harder and nearly drowned out Hida's response. 
Farran folder her paper up to try and save it from the moisture in the air, "so that narrows it down to just Banika Hatsune or Ban Ruma."
"It'd be fitting if it is Lady Ruma," Hida was serious, "Derbie would make a fair and stable Prince Consort." 
"Is this more of your dreams about being a Royal Guard?" it was easy to tease Hida sometimes. In revenge Hida came over next to Farran and shook off water like a dog, splashing Farran deliberately. "You brat!" Farran cried out, jumping off the swing to run inside before she could get soaked, but Hida actually tackled her to the ground. 
Her baby sister might be a full head shorter, but she had no problem picking Farran up like a sack of potatoes. And then Hida dropped Farran into a mud puddle and war broke out. Thunder rumbled in the distance, the preceding flash of lightning missed as Farran ducked a mudpie and neither of them heard the back doors open and an audience forming as they gleefully tried to drown the other in a mud puddle. 
A sharp whistle pierced even the curtain of rain wrapped around them, and Farran felt Hida still next to her as they both sought the source of the sound. Looking monumentally displeased, Alaric glared at them both as if they were up to worse than playing in the rain. "Children, could you please come inside and clean up before you catch pneumonia and die," he demanded with concern. 
"I'm an adult in two short years Alaric," Farran reminded, acting haughty despite the muck plastered to her. 
"Act like it Farran," Alaric interrupted her, "please come inside and get cleaned up, I have invited Earl Wignell over for supper, so he doesn't have to eat alone."