A messenger delivers a small folded-up piece of paper to the King. The paper is red on one side and green on the other and has been folded to resemble a green mer-person with a red crown. There is no address.

Once unfolded, a note written in waterproof ink on waterproof parchment is revealed:

King Asterion,

I am in receipt of your open invitation to investigate the murder of your father as well as your assertion that Ebon Royals are welcome to your fair city under the Sea. As to the first, I have little enough interest in the affair, as it seems an issue between you and Grobian, into which I do not wish to interfere. However, I would be very much interested in visiting Y'Nobe. Long ago I had planned to visit once I was finished with other projects. Now that I have completed those projects I would like to come for a while, with your permission.

- Mercury

The same messenger brings back King Asterion's letter

Princess Mercury,

I will be more than pleased to welcome you in y'Nobe. The guards have been informed to let you in whenever you wish to honour Underwater City with your presence.

- Asterion

A few days after her correspondance with the new King, Mercury descended the stairway from the pillars named after her father. She wore flowing blue and green silk robes, and high heel shoes covered with shells. There was a small steel dagger at her waist in a sheath, but no other weapons. Her hair was long, brown and wavy and her eyes the green of the sea.

The Princess presented herself to the guards and requested admission to Y'Nobe.

She was greeted with respect and asked if she would like to meet King Asterion.

The Princess responded, "I would be most honored if the King would grant me an audience."

One of the guards bows and asks Princess of Ebony to follow him so he can take her to the Palace. She also noticed that another guard was dispatched and left quickly, most likely in order to inform His Majesty about her arrival.

The guard she was assigned, a young private called Christopher, besides serving as a guide, certainly had orders to ensure that Mercury did nothing suspicious while in y'Nobe, but he was so obviously no match for her that she knew she was basically trusted.

"Please, Christopher, call me Mercury. I have no titles here, nor am I on official business."

Christopher bowed his head, but continued to address her as "Princess."

The Ebon woman took an interest in everything, from architecture to food to fashion -- a topic about which she seemed especially interested. The only topic upon which she did not touch was the military.

Christopher turned out to be a nice conversation companion, not overly abashed by her and not afraid to present his own views, but always careful to distinguish between facts and own opinions.

Assuming they passed a market, Mercury persuaded Christopher to allow her to quickly shop for some local clothing and jewelry [high end] for which she bartered her knife -- apparently the reason she brought it with her. She changed into the Y'Nobian clothing and proceeded along with Christopher. It seemed that Mercury was not overly modest.

They walked for about two miles and Mercury had a chance to get a good look at the Underwater City. The Faiella-Bionin stairs were very clearly a war zone, with ubiquitous military presence and multitude of various types of fortifications. Unlike it, there weren't many signs of war in the y'Nobe itself -- people were on the streets, doing their everyday business, and soldiers were very rare. The streets were slightly less crowded than Mercury would expect, but she could not say if it was the result of some kind of martial law Asterion introduced, or if Merfolk culture just worked this way.

One thing she noticed in y'Nobe, however, was a very specific look on people's faces. There was something about them she found difficult to name, as hard as she tried. It was related to hope, hope which has not been quite lost, but hope that they have felt for so long that it has almost became inherent part of their lives. Mercury understood that the war has been much harder on y'Nobe than it had been on Ebony: up there, the general population did not care so much about it, having been detached from the actual events. Down here, people knew that all that very little separates their homes, families and lives from an enemy army, one that camps ready, as little as two miles away. For many, not only children, they lived their whole life this way.

Finally, Mercury and Christopher saw a beautiful, intricately carved and bejeweled cliff-side facade. This structure was eerily beautiful, but not very defensible. Christopher explained that it was built by King Neptune to serve as a visible sign of his authority, and that Asterion has not changed a single stone there -- in fact, when pressed by many to fortify the place, he has said that if enemy reaches this point, it will mean that not enough Merfolk are alive to defend it anyway.

At the gate the Indigo Guards saluted Princess Mercury, and a majordomo welcomed her with a bow, leading her to a small study where Asterion was sitting behind a desk.

As they entered, King of y'Nobe immediately rose and made two steps in Mercury's direction, but then he stopped, as if unsure what kind of greeting was appropriate. Majordomo left and Asterion finally bowed his head and said:

"Welcome, sister. I am very glad you could come."

The King's sister could have passed for a Y'Nobian. Her skin had a greenish-tinge and her hair was a Y'Nobian blue with eyes to match. She wore a rich belt and loincloth -- which appeared to be the dress she had worn upon arriving in Y'Nobe -- and an elaborate necklace made from carved whale bones that depicted a naval battle. She had small shells dangling from each ear.

"Thank you for the invitation and hospitality," Mercury replied, giving him a warm hug.

Asterion returned the hug with visible relief.

"My congratulations on your Coronation, rushed though it was. I'd compliment you on the excellent state of the City, but having never been here before I can't tell what has been improved and what has always been this way. All I can say is that it is quite lovely."

"Thank you very much. I have always been fond of this place, so I am happy you like it here as well. I see, actually," Asterion said looking Mercury up and down, "that you would feel quite at home here... I must admit that I remember a happier times, but it could have been worse."

Titania's eldest child smiled broadly, "I try to fit in wherever I find myself. It always amazes me when people insist on wearing fashions unsuited for the environment."

Mercury gave her younger brother a crooked smile, "I fear it will get worse before the end. I've tried to tell Dala the same for about a century but he doesn't seem to believe me. I just don't think Ebony and Y'Nobe can exist as equals. One has to conquer the other before the winner can truly expand out into Shadow. Mother's reaction after your father's death only strengthens my belief that this is the case. Eventually she will order Dala and I to finish this and I would never disobey her, nor would Dala, I think." The Princess shook her head sadly.

After a moment's pause she noted wryly, "I often wonder if I have not underestimated little Grobian."

"That very well may be. I have not seen him in long time, something I am far from happy about. I wish he would be here to help," Asterion shrugged as there was nothing he could do about his brother. "I have absolutely no wish to conquer Ebony, Mercury" King of y'Nobe said in a fully serious voice. "I am convinced that peaceful coexistence is possible, given some good will on both sides. I shall do everything I can to avoid bloodshed, but I will not betray my people. Never. I am not the same man I was a century ago, sister, do not make the same mistake our mother made. I have found something worth fighting for. And I have found something worth dying for."

Asterion touched a simple necklace made of sparkling shells he wore around his neck "I know this is a very strange thing for a Prince of Ebony to say. But my home is here, Mercury. The only one I have left."

He paused as if done, but then added one more thing, as if as an afterthought "I will not ask you to break the vow of loyalty to your Queen, sister, but you should not ask me to break my vow of loyalty to my people."

Mercury shook her head as if dispelling a dream. "Well, enough about unpleasant topics, I came here to see you and Y'Nobe, not to drone on about my dreary predictions. Is there someone who can show me around? I assume you have a great deal on your plate."

"Never so much as to be unable to show you around myself. What would you like to see?"

The princess's face broke into a wide smile and she hooked her brother's arm and replied excitedly, "oh, everything! Show me your favorite things or anything you think I'd like." She paused before continuing warningly, "but nothing military, old or new. I did not come here to reconnoiter. Armed assaults are Dala's problem and he is free to do his own dirty work should he choose to."

Free of unpleasantries, Mercury took a great deal of interest in everything, asking questions and talking to anyone with whom they came into contact. She seemed a neverending well of questions, from what did they used for light, to questions about bouyancy and pressure, to table ettiquette.