"I can do that simply on my own, Sire," Sofka said. "With your permission of course. Should you just think my name intending to call me, I will hear you."

The nobles gave a bit of a bewildered laugh, confused by the situation, and Amelia's cheeks grew red in embarrassment. She didn't know how to handle this situation. Wasn't this supposed to be her birthday? Why was it going so spectacularly awful? "Neither do you," she said quietly.

Ryker followed, intrigued. So they're still trying to fight this war then, little by little. And save Amelia. He was trying to wrap his head around the factoid, but it made sense. He supposed she did look strikingly similar to Kira Lokada, who would be her...sister then. He wondered, too, if Kira had noticed similarities at all.