The princess broke into a wide smile at the sight of the small figure and took it gingerly from her brother. She gave out a little squeal of joy as she made it prance about and rear. "It is beautiful, more so than anything I've ever seen crafted," she said admiringly. With a shrug she said, "as for perfection, there is no such thing. Perfection is something to strive for not to attain. For if it is attained there is nothing left to work toward. Life becomes pretty boring after that. I guess it is fortunate for me that I am a long way from being so good at anything," Mercury finished with a smile.

"Well, I thank you for this gift, certainly worthy of a King or Queen more than a mere Princess. Perhaps you would be interested in joining me for a ride through Brinham Woods? I packed some lunch as well."

The prince sighed, glanced semi-meaningfully back at his work table, and then nodded with a faint smile.

"Perhaps a short one," he agreed. "Though I am a passable horseman at best..."

"All work and no play makes Donovan a boring brother," Mercury quoted, a smile lingering on her lips.

As the two rode along,Mercury asked, "so what do you think about the y'Nobe situation? Any thoughts on who should take over the now-vacant throne?"

"Politics before provender," the massive smith murmured with a vague frown. "And we were doing so well." He sighed thoughtfully.

Then he shrugged his shoulders. "I have thoughts; no strong opinions yet...other than whether anyone should take the 'throne' of Neptune. Retaining a monarchy in the realm of our closest and most similar rival is one of the reasons we've had continuing problems...though I admit that most of that was before my time. I'd prefer a 'governor' or 'administrator' to another king."

He paused, stopping the horse for a moment, and dismounting. Favoring one leg slightly, he crossed the side of the road and recovered a small rock, about the size of a tangerine. The prince studied it for a moment, turning it over in his hands, then slipped it in his pocket. Remounting, Donovan returned to the prior discussion.

"Asterion contacted me about this same matter," he said thoughtfully, giving his eldest sister a sideways glance.

His sister chuckled, "yes, Asterion contacted all of his siblings -- except perhaps Grobian -- requesting their support. I thought it ill timed with his father not yet in the ground, or sea perhaps. He also promised to support me in taking the throne of Ebony. Another rather premature, if not treasonous, pronouncement. I assume he made similar promises to everyone else." Mercury shook her head sadly.

"I would tend to agree that a new King in y'Nobe seems inappropriate and counter productive. And the choices for a new leader, assuming your own disinterest, are pretty limited at this point. I sent a note to Grobian seeking his input but he has not deigned to respond. Of course, based on his past record he would always be only a last resort for me. Dalatriene has shown no interest, nor has Vestige, and I am wholly uninterested." The petite princess shrugged her shoulders despondently.

The horses arrived at a glade within the outskirts of Birnham. A small stream meandered through the edge of the clearing. Mercury dismounted and pulled a large blanket and several large sacks full of food from Shadowfane's saddlebags. She spread out the blanket and food and then returned to her horse for a couple of bottles of Roland Stump's finest white wine.

"Count me as disinterested as well." Donovan nodded his approval of the fare, making a thick sandwich of cold chicken and white cheese. "Asterion's words did verge on treason, but I let them pass as the thoughts of a fool. If he desires a water-logged throne now, more power to him...provided he is not the true cause of this war."

He took a bite, chewed contemplatively, and then added: "How did you manage to smuggle a message to Grobian in y'Nobe? I don't imagine the y'Nobeians allowed free exchange of letters between the siblings of sworn enemies. They're not generally known for their friendly treatment of suspected regicide prisoners of war in their control..." He regarded his diminutive sister with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, perhaps he is thinking too far ahead for his own good," the princess mused. "I would like to think that he has the best interests of Ebony at heart, but I can't say I have ever particularly trusted either of Neptune's brood, and recent events don't encourage me to."

"As to writing to Grobian, it is always good to know people who can help you with things," the young woman replied with a shrug.

The Prince gave her a single, hard look...then nodded, and smiled crookedly. "It is indeed sister. and to all appearances, you have many."

He took another bite, chewed, swallowed. "So you'll support Asterion in his desire to take his father's throne?"

Mercury maintained a neutral expression as her brother questioned her supporters. With another shrug she replied, "I have lived long enough that many people of a like mind have seen fit to support my agenda. Unlike some others' mine looks to the greater good of Ebony over my own. Perhaps that is why I have been able to accumulate so much support." She gave a winning smile to the smith.

"As for Asterion," she continued, "I told him that I would not oppose him as long as his goals were as he stated them. It is possible that Grobian, even in jail, will be able to garner enough support to take the throne. But then, that will be Asterion's problem. I think Ebony will be able to hold its own and if y'Nobe does not come into line, we will just have to force the issue."

The young smith finished his sandwich with two more large bites, chewing and swallowing...washing his mouth clean with a large sip of wine.

"That should happen," he finally agreed. "y'Nobe cannot win the war -- they lack the resources to do so. But there is no doubt that it can devolve into a war of attrition...if it has not already done so..."

He sighed. "I was no lover of Neptune, and I hardly know his sons. But I would see the war end and soon." Donovan gave his sister a long look. "I am working to that end as well."

Cymneo's daughter was so engrossed in the conversation that is was not until her youngest brother finished his sandwich that she realized that she had not even started her own lunch. She took a chicken leg and started to gnaw on it as she listened. As Donovan started to speak of Neptune, Mercury gave a snort of laughter at some private joke. It was only with a great deal of effort that she maintained her composure.

"Yes, the war serves little purpose. The end is a given and the longer it continues the harder the peace and the longer before the united Ebony can exert its influence out over Shadow. I think that many of us are working to end the hostilities. For my part, I am looking more toward our next steps." The petite princess finished working on the chicken leg and grabbed some bread and cheese from a plate.

The youngest Royal nodded slowly. "Then I look forward to seeing what those steps might be, sister."

He raised his glass in a semi-toast. "Until then...to peace and the health of our mother, the Queen?"

"To Titania!" Mercury replied, drinking deeply of the amber liquid. The diminutive woman did not continue to drink for fear that she would quickly overindulge, given her low body mass and lower tolerance to alcohol.

Instead, she lay back and listened to the sounds of the Forest. It seemed that the time was right to explore this great Wood and prepare Ebony's landward defenses for the coming expansion into Shadow. She was pleased to have finally found a brother worthy of the title "Prince."