“I suppose I should begin,” Gaston said, dabbing his lips with a napkin. “It all started in childhood, you see…”

The inn chimed. Another return visitor from Baha-char.

“Hold that thought.” I got up and stepped away.

I walked outside the dining room, folded space to save time, and reached for the door leading to the galactic bazaar. It swung open revealing a terminally cute creature. He was just under four feet tall, with sandy fur, a fluffy tail, and the jeweled apron of a Merchant. He stood on his hind legs, holding his paw hands in front of him. He twitched his lynx ears, making the two golden hoops in his left ear clink, opened his blue eyes wide, and held out his arms.

“Dina!”

“Nuan Couki!” I bent down and hugged him. It was like squishing the world’s fluffiest fox.

“So formal,” he said.

“Well, I can’t call you Cookie now. You have two hoops in your ear.”

Cookie’s rise through the ranks of the Nuan Clan was nothing short of meteoric.

“You can always call me Cookie,” he said. “I like it.”

“What can I do for you?”

Cookie narrowed his eyes into sly slits. “I have not seen you for so long. I miss my dear friends. I have come to spend time with you.”

“So Clan Nuan wants to expand its business to the Seven Star Dominion.”

Cookie’s eyes widened in shock. He clasped his hands to his furry chest. “How could we possibly, even if we wanted to? That’s Clan Sai territory. I am simply here on vacation. I work too hard. So hard.”

I leaned toward him and kept my voice low. “You’re turning into your uncle.”

He tapped his nose with one clawed finger. “You flatter me so. It’s no wonder I want to come and stay with you.”

I almost died of cuteness. That’s why other species underestimated the lees. They knew they were adorable, and they made the most of it. But no matter how cuddly Cookie looked, inside his furry chest beat a ruthless heart. Their species were assassins and poisoners, and when it suited their interests, they killed with unparalleled viciousness.

“No harm can come to the Sovereign. If any unfortunate incident occurs, not even the bonds of friendship would save the guilty party. I mean it. If the Sovereign comes to any harm, I will lose my inn.”

Cookie’s face turned solemn. “I swear to you on my Grandmother’s heart that Clan Nuan will not harm the Sovereign.”

It was the strongest oath a Merchant could make. They revered their elderly and prayed to their ancestors.