The invitation had come during our third day at the Ebony Tower, delivered by a messenger whose pristine uniform and formal bearing immediately marked him as staff from one of the Western Continent's great houses. Kali wanted us to visit the Maelkith estate for dinner, and given that I was a guest in the Western Continent, it was a formal invitation.
"The Maelkith family has considerable influence in this region," Jin explained as our car wound through the countryside outside the capital. His parents were currently away on diplomatic business, leaving him free to accept social invitations without the complexity of formal royal protocols. "Their estate is one of the most impressive in the Western Continent, though Kali tends to downplay her family's wealth."
That proved to be a significant understatement.
