The construction-works over at the old compund of tghe former 7th House goes on. Zhe'raen and Ahriman investigates but learns little at first.
Xora does the town along with a bunch om mercenary captains, including Xarnetan, spending a lot of time at the new HouseOfTrade.
All three siblings not that the main boulevard is being cleaned up and most of the streetvendors are shooed away by patrols of priestesses from GrandTemple .
Frustrated about the matter of the rebuilt compund, Zhe'raen and Ahriman torture Velve with limited results.
After a while and with MatronNemalzhi's permission, Velve reveals that it is to be a HouseOfTrade, a common compund for all the MerchantHouses and that the large amount of mercenary companies that have arrived as of lately from other parts of the underworld are in the hire of the HouseOfTrade as guards.
Ahriman goes to visit KelOrvir of HouseXyrl and do some work on a sword as a gift to MatronNemalzhi. On his way home he encounters a crowd of mostly poor people and a few pristesses. the latter seem upset with the speaker adressing the crowd. Said speaker is Zarathustriel who seems to have gone into streetpreacher-mode and is quite angry with something or someone telling them/her/it to "grow up". Nirl is nearby his sister and spots Ahriman and gestures for him to help them get Zarathustriel back home before trouble breaks loose. Using simple, efficent magics to clear a path, Ahriman accomplishes this easily.
Zhe'raen gets a message from the HouseOfWar that he is to wear the city's official tabard because there is to be a visit from the GrayDwarf king and his entourage. This explains why the main bloulevard is being cleaned up and cleared. The surprise here being that the city actually has official tabards for it's soldiery. This has not been seen (or used) for millenia and hints at greater unity in the city's past.
And that the GrandTemple and CouncilOfEight wants to show the graydwarven king an unified front at least.
Nirl is confronted by Zhe'raen regarding the formers abscence as well as a few other matters. Nirl is unusually bellegrient and uncooperative and after some talking Zhe'raen defets his youngest sibling in a practise-duel to remind Nirl that Zhe'raen is Weaponsmaster, as well as First Son and thus merits some respect from a mere youngster like Nirl.