They weren’t wrong. Even as she enjoyed all of her sister’s missions of distraction her mind wasn’t geared to not fret and worry. That’s what she did. It’s just she waited into everyone was asleep to do so. She crept down the stairs and to the breakfast table where she had a little spark of light glittering next to her.

  She nearly jumped when the tea was placed in front of her. Kalana sat down with her own cup.

  “I am not going to ask. I am simply here for you.” Kalana whispered with such soft affection that Mesa felt a tingle of warmth in her chest. Mesa turned to the missives. She opened first the one she had a face for even if she’d never been given a name.

  It was the first thing her eyes searched for.

  Cerano Asterope. She threaded the name and the face into her memory before reading through. It was actually very official, respectful and well written. She did furrow her brows at how positively romantic the second attachment was.

  She thought of Cerano, determination had set his brow, but had faltered into almost despair as she and her mother had broken down the ridiculousness of everything. Somethings stuck out to her about both the request and the note.

  It didn’t ask for a union exactly but admission into her harem. Like she even had one of those. Mesa had not yet decided on her path of romantic futures so she’d not taken on any of the romantic customs offered to her by any culture she could lean on.

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  Not that anyone would know that she had to give. Mesa was the least interesting of her mother’s three children, and the least loud about her preferences.

  Mesa sighed and placed those pages aside and opened the other letter which was thicker. She found it was because they’d written the same request in seven translations. Her mother’s tongue, her father’s, two languages she didn’t recognize and three she did from various lessons in her mother’s ‘harem’. All requesting an official meeting to discuss the forming of a unification contract.

  Which was not at all the same as a Union. The misunderstanding annoyed her. In a Union two people were tied together for period of time agreed by the contract. Some contracts were for life like her father and step-mother’s. It was an outline of the agreed upon relationship between two parties. Whereas a Unification contract was basically equivalent of making deal with someone and as payment handing over an individual that might be useful to the one taking on the favor.

  For a moment she was sure that they were requesting her from her mother for some sort of deal. It would be futile but at least made sense to her. But no they were requesting an unstated favor from her in exchange for one of four option they were willing to send her to chose from. Mesa stared at the words in baffled horror.

  She swore.

  Kalan didn’t ask but she did look up from her tea. It was too baffling not to hand them over. Kalana read them over brows climbing as she read. Kalana was gaping by the end.

  “Well.” She breathed. “Are you going to meet with them?” She asked dropping the letter to the table on top of the other. Mesa shook her head not in a dismissal but because she really didn’t know. It might be easier to make a decision with an actual union request but neither of these were that. “Love.” Her stepmother breathed standing and wrapping her arms around her.

  “What ever your choice you know I wish you nothing but all the happiness in the world.” Kalana breathed kissing her hair.