This was unprecedented for the palace. It was designed to be self-sufficent, with systems that never broke, or at least that could be fixed quickly. For the pumps to have broken, the access shaft doors to have rusted, and the key to the store rooms in which the oil, welding torches, spare pumps, and the locksmith's office to have all been lost on the same day was just horrific.
"When will it be fixed?"
"Depends on which doors the guard decides to blast first."
"An estimate Sally."
"Normally I'd give it a week, but with the guards in the TacSim finals, the annual Mixed arms commpetition, and Junsrew coming up; no sooner than a month."
"How are we going to eat? What about going to the bathroom?"
"Oh, those pumps are still working. It's just the showers and baths that aren't working."
"Well, do we have a fountain or something I can bathe in?"
As a matter of fact there was. It had a somewhat ominous name though. And the Captain had specifically instructed his men not to tell anyone about it; if his wife told someone it would look really bad on him.
On the other hand, Empress Tania could get really mean when she hadn't bathed properly. And under a direct order even the Captain couldn't disobey.
"Yes, but you can't tell anyone."
"Juicy guard secret?"
"Ominously named too."
"Is it clean?"
"Yes."
"Set up an enclosure, I'll be down in an hour."
"Ask the gardner for 'the fountain of the demon' don't mention me."
Sally didn't mention any of the powers of the fountain. Tania hadn't mentioned the pregnancy. Nine months later, Danielland clebrated the birth of its newest princess.
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