The first winds of Autumn brought news with them for the court from all corners of the seas. Every country sent along a report to their ambassadors, the different fleets that had been prepared to trade that summer made landfall, and many great deals were struck. A new series of children were accepted into the palace before the dark of the winter would set in. Those coming from the north would journey more than a week to the royal palace, arriving tired and sore, the emperial workers sent to fetch them not wanting to be away from the palace for too long. Those days I made sure to be in the temple gardens, to welcome them with a sweet and knowledge of where the new soft toys were, anything I could do to make their entry to the court easier.
With the children came tribute as well. Good qual
