A good resolution.

James sat at a table, read a book, and watched the shifter siblings stuff their faces. He had taken to reading his mother's novels whenever he had the time. Now he just needed to calm down. The last few hours had been so far against his expectations he'd been left reeling internally.

His door opened, and he turned around to snap at whoever was there. It was his brother Crest, and Harry, and his sister Lilia. Now that he thought about it, the girl shifter must be around the same age as Crest. The boy probably around, if not younger than Lilia.

Lilia moved forward like a moth to a flame. The boy watched her warily, trying to hide his food with his body. Harry approached the girl, his posture seemed forced, and his smile a mask. But Crest should have been the one acting that way, in James's opinion. Instead Crest seemed to be approaching James himself.

"Wow, you didn't immediately shout at us to get out. Miracles do exist."

James sighed as he turned away from him, tried to think of a reply, but his brain was not up to the task just then.

"Listen, brother, I've kind of had a long morning. I'm so exhausted I just wish to curl up and sleep. I do not wish to engage in a joust of words just now."

"What's your name? How did you meet my brother?! Can you play with me?" Lilia didn't even give the boy time to respond.

"How'd you meet them, and why'd you go to such lengths for them?"

Something about Crest's tone had James uncomfortable, but he didn't know what. Was he more sullen than usual?

"My name's Eno. My sister is Nino. James is our friend, we met near the white tree, and he gave us silver to buy food and bought us clothes too. Then he gave us his button and said to come here if we needed help. His hair was brown at the time, though."

Crest raised an eyebrow at him. As did Harry and Lilia, clearly trying to picture him with brown hair and failing miserably. James smirked, sensing an opportunity to change the subject. Before the meeting that morning, he'd opened his first dark magic grimoire to see if there was a faster way to make disguises now that he had magic. He waved his hand, muttering an incantation.

It was short. This was a first tier spell after all. The gasps he had in response were gratifying. Of course he wasn't going to tell them it was dark magic. The stuff had a bad reputation. But he didn't need to. He hadn't turned his hair black after all. He had turned it into a complete mishmash of dark. Dark green, dark blue, dark purple, dark red.

"You look like a jester," Lilia laughed as she launched herself from where she was talking with Eno to land in his lap.

Crest let out a strangled noise and reached out to take little Lilia away. But her hands were already tousling James's locks. To pull her away now would just cause him pain.

"Lilia!" Harry shouted in shock as he ran around the table to stand next to his brother.

Then they both froze at the sight they were beholding. Lilia was blithely messing with James's hair, laughing like a maniac all the while. And James was...smiling. The two boys exchanged a look.

"Can I touch your hair too?" Harry lifted his hand tentatively.

Crest looked at him in trepidation, but James merely shrugged. Harry wore a satisfied expression as he touched his brother's hair, Crest looked really conflicted. Then the door snapped open.

"What's going on?! I heard noises—" Duchess Viola froze at the scene in front of her.

The Duke was just behind her, and behind him was Gray. All three surveyed the scene for many quiet moments, then the Duke acted. He grabbed the knob from his wife, pulled her back, and swung the door closed.

"If you'll excuse us," he said as James's face heated up.

"Huh, why is your face turning all red big brother?" Lily asked innocently.

"Yeah. I don't think it was that embarrassing, big brother," Crest commented.

The emphasis he put on the last two words was not lost on James. He groaned, and the two boys burst into laughter. Nino, as he'd found out the girl was called, joined them. Eno and Lilia only shared looks of confusion.

******************

"I'm sorry you had to see all that yesterday with the guards. I wasn't in the right frame of mind, I'm afraid."

"Its quite alright. I too found it odd that they'd treat an injured person that cruelly. But that is only my perspective as a healer."

James nodded absentmindedly. He wasn't quite sure why he'd lashed out so strongly against the guards. Did he really care about the children that much? Or was it a matter of pride? They had had his button after all. Why the hell did the guards treat them that way, even after they'd showed the shit heads proof of their connection to James?

"So, if you don't mind, my lord, we can go back to the matter at hand. We wouldn't want to impose anymore than we already have."

James mind swung back into the present. Today he was attending to this meeting alone. The swordsman had woken up in the night, and so the shifter children had left him to go be with him. When he'd found out he was in the Duke's house, he'd apparently insisted on meeting the Duke himself. Gray had suggested James attend the matter, but James had told him he had another matter to deal with.

"What are you saying? Its no trouble at all. Besides, as it stands you may have saved someone who was important to the Duke. In truth, there is a chance you're due for a reward."

"A reward?! But I was just doing the right thing as a healer."

James chuckled. "Indeed. But what do you think of heroes of war? Aren't they merely soldiers doing their jobs? But they achieve great feats, and so are celebrated."

The woman shared looks with her family, something inscrutable in their expressions. James had no time to try and puzzle out what was going on there.

"But back on topic, if you will? I will offer a personal reward, as thanks for helping my friends. Jason will attend the Royal academy."

Three held breaths simultaneously released. James was happy enough with the resolution. But then Jason's father started to speak.

"And will he—?"

James didn't let him finish the question. He had no intention of having this kind of fight again.

"Don't worry about that Master Kon. As this is a reward, Jason has no need to be affiliated with the Halden family at all. I was planning to just hand over the money for the tuition, and have him pay it himself. That way, there's nothing tying you to the Halden, unless someone was curious enough to dig that much deeper."

"...right." Was there a note of disappointment in the man's reply.

James didn't give it much thought, instead taking another sip of tea to give the Kon's time to process the offer.

"But this kind of offer, it has no kind of benefit for the Duke and the rest of the family."

"A...sound conclusion. May I take it you have a lot of experience in bargaining with nobles mistress Kon?"

"Yes. Quite. I'm a very talented healer, you see."

James frowned, trying to get the picture the woman implied. If some noble wanted a person as gifted as her in their employ, then they'd want..her blood. But she was a commoner, so... James shuddered on her behalf. The woman chuckled lightly, but the sound was pained. And James could see a wince already taking shape on her face. Did she think he was insensitive enough to bring up that kind of thing?

"In any case," he spoke through his mild indignation. "This arrangement is a reward, as I said. I don't see why it should be beneficial to us in any way. But the truth is, it really is beneficial to us. At least it will be in the long run."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you know that even if we are the highest ranked house in the North, we do not have the loyalty of any of the other noble houses? That is why I told you yesterday you could have chosen not to come and we wouldn't have been able to do anything. In the future, it may well come to blows."

"So, you're hoping Jason will be in your army at that time? But that is not part of the offer so I don't see why—"

"No. I don't hope he joins us. I personally don't want a civil war occurring inside the kingdom." 'Because we'll soon be contending with external forces.' "But my point is, in case this does come to pass, Jason won't take the field against us."

"How is that of any benefit to you?!" Jason didn't seem happy at all with how these discussions were progressing.

"I understand it looks like some sort of trap. But consider this, Jason, I know a bit of your true talents. Do you not think it likely that in a few years, your mere presence could be the deciding factor in a battle?"

"Well yeah, but—"

"Does your father the Duke know of this arrangement? Does he approve?" Jason's mother interrupted.

James shrugged. "I'll tell him of my decision. I have no doubt he'll see sense in the end."

"So you'll use your authority as the heir?"

James paused with his cup almost at his lips. He gave the woman a bitter sort of smile. 

"I'm sure you've heard the rumours. I'm an heir to nothing. However, if even and my father does not intend to honour this arrangement, I will then just have to pay Jason's tuition myself."

"You can afford it?"

"Yes. We may not be the strongest noble family in the realm, but we are the richest. Even my sizeable allowance, though, would not be enough to pay tuition at the academy."

"Then how will you?"

"I will find a way. I will make this vow to you, your son will go to the royal academy. I do not know how much a vow by me is worth, but that is all I can give now."

He handed a her something round and shiny. She thumbed it, her eyes not leaving its shiny surface. Then, as she lifted her head to smile at him, she handed it to her son.

"Its worth more than you probably think."