“Seraphel will do, Miss Cara. If I may address you as Cara? I think we are all too familiar to stand on titles. Yes, Calanfer does. Dancing, writing, etiquette, formal ceremony, a bit of magic if we have an aptitude, but only one of my sisters has studied abroad for it.”

Sasi gasped in delight.

“She went to Wistram? The Academy of Mages?”

Culin sat upright and Cara listened, as Seraphel shook her head.

“No; other academies. Wistram was too far and too…distracting, or so my parents thought. However, she has attended other academies in Terandria and studies with [Mages]. That would be Vernoue. The 5th Princess of Calanfer, my younger sister by four years. Vernoue the Enchanting. That would be her title.”

“I know her! She’s a powerful [Mage], isn’t she?”

“Mm. Passable, I suppose.”

It seemed that the children knew of Calanfer, much like someone would know of a fairly close nation’s leaders. Before Cara knew it, this was about Seraphel. The [Princess] sat, amused and slightly taken aback, as the two children scooted over to her and began asking the questions one should not trouble a

[Princess] with. But this was a siege.

Culin tugged at the hem of Seraphel’s dress until Sasi, aghast, slapped his hand down. But he had to ask the question burning on the tip of his tongue.

“Is it true they pave the streets in Calanfer with gold?”

Seraphel smiled in that resigned way of an adult. She cast Cara a glance which the [Singer] returned slightly apologetically. Your turn to be entertainment. Seraphel shook her head slightly, with that air of patience.

“It’s not actual gold. It just looks like it. There is Truegold on some of the buildings, but it isn’t actual gold, you understand.”

Cara choked on a mouthful of water. She gave Seraphel the side-eye, and the [Princess] modestly shook her head.

“Calanfer is rich, but the Eternal Throne is…well, the city is made of precious materials, the likes of which cannot be made in this day and age. Our capital is the foundation of our kingdom—and we are young.

Only six thousand years old, founded after the Creler wars. So, yes, it is rather…”

She searched for a word. Sasi raised her hand.

“Shiny?”

“Resplendent, yes. When the [Bards] sing that Calanfer’s capital, Fezreit, ‘glows aglitter with every passing hour’, they do not exaggerate. The light does catch on the material of the streets and inner city—but the outer city is more mundane. It is very pretty, and I have never seen a city more beautiful.

Others far larger, or with greater commerce and so on, but never more beautiful. Calanfer has laws, you know. One cannot spit on the streets, or litter. We even forbid horses and other animals within the inner city.”

“And the Eternal Throne?”

Seraphel paused.