Karaza stepped into the throne room and bowed to the queen.
“What did you discover from them?” asked Queen Alycia.
“They were fed a line of nonsense from an old meddling fool that I once begged you to execute,” replied the head of the Society of Magic. “Garl convinced the girls that they were of the Kieran line. I am sure that he is plotting against you. He is probably aligned with Vitalora and the other renegade elder.”
“Volox,” supplied the queen. “So these girls believe that they are of the Kieran line?”
“Not any more,” smiled Karaza. “I convinced them that Garl was a criminal using them for his own ends. They will be no more trouble to you. I will visit them again later to ensure that they remain no problem to you.”
“They will be no trouble as long as Garl is eliminated,” replied the queen. “I should have acceded to your wishes many years ago, but Garl is a Kieran. It did not seem right to me.”
“I understand,” nodded Karaza, “but now he has shown his true colors. You must understand that we cannot tolerate his existence any more.”
“I do,” sighed the queen. “Find some reason to have him arrested. Make it a major offense.”
“With all due respect,” frowned Karaza, “he might try to use a trial to convince others that the girls are Kierans. It is best to just eliminate him.”
“Murder?” balked the queen. “I could not do such a thing.”
“The stealing of the throne of Elvangar is an act of war,” declared Karaza. “Do you not send soldiers out in wartime to eliminate the enemy?”
“But that is different,” protested Queen Alycia.
“It is no different,” advised Karaza. “Elvangar can be defeated by the attacking humans, or it can be defeated from within. Make no mistake about this; Garl is an enemy of Elvangar. He seeks to destroy your rule as much as the humans do. He is an enemy soldier. Eliminate him.”
“I see your point,” Queen Alycia hesitated.
“Not as strongly as you should,” pushed Karaza. “Every time Garl speaks to another elf, he poisons the people against you. If he is not killed quickly, he will strike you down even after his death. The words that he speaks to others will remain within them when he dies. They will act upon his lies as if they were truth, and it will be too late to expose him. He must die soon, or your throne is forfeit. I would be happy to arrange it for you.”
“Very well,” sighed the queen. “Do what must be done, but I do not want to know anything about it. His name will never be discussed between us again.”
“It shall be as you wish,” smiled Karaza as he bowed deeply.
No sooner had Karaza left then Malid entered through another door. He bowed before the queen.
“I heard that the foreign girls have been arrested,” Malid stated. “Am I to prepare a trial against them?”
“I don’t think that will be necessary after all,” answered the queen. “I plan to have a talk with them today. If they are open to reason, there will be no charges brought against them. What is the state of the Council of Elders today?”
“Things died down with the arrest of Vitalora,” replied Malid. “There have been no further grumbling or accusations. I think things will get back to normal.”
“Oh,” said the queen as one eyebrow rose. “Volox is no longer demanding that I send an emissary to the humans?”
“Not a word out of him,” smiled Malid. “I think the arresting of Vitalora took the wind out of his sails. Volox has been as meek a new fawn. I think we should delay the trial of Vitalora for a while just in case. If Volox acts up, I can threaten to expedite the trial.”
“I like the way you think,” smiled Queen Alycia. “Perhaps over time we can even get a confession out of Vitalora. It would be very helpful to keep everyone in line if he was forced to give it publicly.”
“I will work on that,” promised the Head Elder. “Is there anything on the agenda for the Council of Elders today?”
“I want the elders to review our preparations for war,” replied the queen. “I have been thinking that we might benefit from some advance notice of the human's attack. I would like the views of the elders on this topic.”
“Do you mean along the line of spies sent abroad?” asked Malid. “Or ships constantly patrolling the Barrier Islands? Things like that?”
“Yes,” frowned the queen, “but there will be no spies sent abroad. There will be NO contact with humans whatsoever. Not even spies. Perhaps signal fires from the Barriers Islands? We could station some men on them, can’t we?”
“We could,” nodded Malid. “They would be quickly overrun, but they would be able to warn us of an impending attack. We will look into it.”
“Good,” the queen replied dismissively. “Notify me when you have something for me to review.”
Malid bowed and backed out of the throne room. Queen Alycia walked to the railing and gazed down upon the citizens as they made their way to their places of work. She wondered if any of them truly appreciated what she was doing for them. They had no cares except doing their daily chores, while the queen was burdened with great responsibilities. Her thoughts drifted to the need to remarry. Even by elven standards, the king had been dead a long time, and the country had no heir.
She frowned as she thought about Tamar. She had been close to suggesting such a union with the young officer, but he had turned into such a disappointment lately. She was glad that she had not broached the topic. Her mind was reviewing all of the potential suitors when she heard someone enter the chamber. She turned to find Rattal bowing to her back. With her mind still on suitors, Queen Alycia chuckled to herself at the sight of the officer. Rattal was definitely not on the list.
“Tamar has assigned this meeting to you again today?” asked the queen.
“Actually,” frowned Rattal, “I do not know where Tamar is. He did not arrive at his office this morning.”
“What do you mean?” the queen asked sharply. “Where did he spend the night?”
“I do not know,” Rattal said softly.
“You don’t know?” shouted the queen. “Wasn’t it your job to keep track him? What do you mean you don’t know?”
“I was attacked while following him last night,” admitted Rattal. “It was made to look like a robber attacked me, but I believe that it was Tamar. I will find him soon.”
“You had better find him soon,” threatened the queen, “or you will be on the wall defending the city during the first wave of attacks.”
“I will find him,” Rattal promised.
“Leave the reports,” snapped the queen. “I will look at them later.”
“As you wish,” bowed the officer.
“Just a minute,” interrupted the queen. “The two foreign girls are in the prison. Have someone bring them up to see me. I want to have a friendly chat with them. You can find the prison, can’t you?”
“I will see to it right away,” bowed the officer.
* * *
Garl held up his hand when he heard the noise of someone approaching. The boys immediately dashed out of sight while the old man slid behind a tree. A few moments later, the elder walked into view. Garl grinned and stepped onto the trail.
“Tayo, Volox,” smiled Garl. “A bit of a long walk for a city lad, isn’t it?”
“Tayo, Garl,” frowned the elder. “Actually I was on my way to Etta. Perhaps we can walk together.”
“I am not heading that way,” shrugged Garl. “Why are you going to Etta?”
“I wish to see Mistake and MistyTrail,” answered Volox. “I miss them.”
“So you just decided to walk for several hours to visit?” probed Garl as he signaled for the boys to come out of hiding. “Do not think poorly of me for failing to believe you, Elder. What is your true goal?”
Volox looked at Eltor and Caldal moving out of their hiding spots. A deep frown etched into his forehead.
“I should be asking you the questions,” retorted Volox. “As en elder I am aware that all three of you have been forbidden to enter Morada, yet you all appear to be heading directly towards it. Why?”
“The girls were arrested in the middle of the night,” offered Eltor, earning him a glare from the old man.
“The girls trusted Volox,” Caldal jumped to his friend’s defense. “Besides, we may be able to use his help in freeing them.”
“Arrested?” gasped Volox. “Then I am too late. You are right about my motives, Garl. I was coming to Etta to take Mistake and MistyTrail to someplace where they could hide. I feared that the queen might strike out at them.”
“Then you know who they are?” asked Garl.
Volox stared into Garl’s eyes trying to find the answer to the question the old man had just asked. Finally, he sighed and shook his head.
“I think I understand who you say they are,” Volox answered. “I do not know if that is the truth, or just something that your crazy mind has dreamed up for excitement, but either way it puts their lives in jeopardy. I wanted to spare them from that.”
“How will the elders act if they girls are indeed the princesses?” asked Garl.
Even though Volox expected that Garl’s premise was that the girls were the lost princesses, it still startled him to hear it verbalized. He stared at the old man and wondered if he really was crazy.
“The elders do not speak as one,” Volox finally answered. “The queen is not at her best these days. She has had Vitalora arrested for treason. Whoever the girls are, it is best if they disappear for a while. The last place we want them is before the queen.”
“We agree on something,” nodded Garl. “For your information, they are Alahara and Alastasia. I have no doubts about it.”
“How can you be sure?” asked Volox. “There is no sure way that you can know.”
“Isn’t there?” retorted Garl. “You are not a mage, but even a learned elder has probably come across some references to the Kieran spell of compulsion. Have you heard of it?”
“It is tickling my memory,” admitted Volox, “but I cannot bring it forth.”
“It is a spell created by Kieran himself,” explained Garl. “It is a peculiar compulsion spell because it has strange side effects. It can only be cast by one of the Kieran line, and it cannot be used against one of the Kieran line. Both girls have mastered the spell.”
“So they are indeed of the Kieran line?” Volox inhaled deeply. “You are sure of this?”
“You may think me crazy,” smiled Garl, “but you will not find a man alive who does not acknowledge my skill in magic. I am positive that both girls are of royal blood. Now, can you point to any twins in the recent Kieran line that are unaccounted for? Any other than the princesses, that is?”
“No,” Volox shook his head. “Tamar declared last night that they must be the lost princesses, but I could not imagine them surviving the catastrophe that the queen went through. I guess it is just asking a lot to believe such a miracle is possible.”
“I will not fault you for those feelings,” smiled Garl. “I felt that way myself two days ago. That is why I snuck into the royal vaults yesterday to review the Prophecies of Kieran. I had to be sure.”
“You snuck into the royal vaults,” gasped Volox. “That could cost you your life.”
“It could,” nodded Garl, “but what is the worth of my life compared to the fulfillment of the Prophecies of Kieran?”
“I could have told you what was in the scrolls without you risking your life,” declared Volox. “The Council of Elders recently researched them when we discussed the fate of the boys. Some of us believe that Kaltara is requiring the elves to join with the humans because of the rebirth of Angragar.”
“Those are the earliest of the prophecies that you are talking about,” countered Garl. “There were later prophecies that are more pertinent to the situation within Elvangar. Interestingly enough, someone has removed the copies of those scrolls. I had to access the innermost vaults to gain access to the originals.”
“You are truly crazy,” remarked Volox. “I do not want to know how you accomplished what you did. What is so important in those scrolls that someone would steal the copies?”
“They prophesize the return of the lost princesses in the Time of Calling,” declared the old man.
“Merciful Kaltara,” gasped the elder. “Can you prove this?”
Garl reached inside his cloak and pulled out the copy of the scroll he had made. He only unrolled it slightly as he held it before the elder. Volox read the scroll with interest and reached out to expose some more of it. Garl drew the scroll back and placed it inside his cloak.
“It is a copy that I penned myself,” admitted Garl, “but I will guarantee its accuracy. The Council of Elders can access the original and compare it.”
“Your evidence is overwhelming, if not proof positive,” declared Volox, “but it hardly matters now. If the girls have been arrested, it will be out of our hands.”
“Is it?” asked Garl. “You are a member of the Council of Elders. What if you present this evidence to the Council? Will it be enough to convince them?”
“Most of them,” nodded Volox, “but not all of them. Malid and Amber agree with the queen’s stringent policies on avoiding the humans. I doubt they would recognize the sun at the height of the day if it interfered with their agenda. Besides, the Council of Elders is merely an advisory board. We cannot overrule the queen.”
“The Council of Elders can isolate the queen,” suggested Garl. “If you can possibly unite them on this, they can appeal to the citizens directly. If that happens, I doubt the army would move against the people or the girls.”
“That is a long shot,” frowned Volox. “My own son is a high ranking officer, and he is being followed daily by agents of the queen. He has been restricted to the city. That is why I am making the trek to Etta.”
“Things are even worse than I imagined,” sighed Garl. “Let’s walk while we talk. We must find a solution to this problem before it is too late.”
“Do the girls know who they are?” asked Volox as the four elves began walking towards Morada.
“No,” answered Garl. “They do know that they are of the Kieran line, and they do know that they have a relative here.”
“How do they know that?” asked the elder.
“Mistake was given a magical carozit from the Sage of the Mountain,” explained the old mage. “It indicates the relative distance from the user’s current location of the nearest relative. When Mistake and MistyTrail both held it, it indicated a relative a few hours walk away. That would be Morada.”
“Well at least they will not try telling anyone that they are the princesses,” Volox sighed with relief. “That would be the worst thing they could do right now. Where will you go when we reach the city?”
“We have no destination,” answered Garl. “We will need a place to hide while we determine how we can free the girls.”
“Come to my house,” offered Volox. “You can have my spare room. The boys can sleep on the floor with Tamar. Together we can plan our next moves.”
* * *
A key was inserted into the door lock again. Mistake and MistyTrail jumped to their feet. One went to the left of the door while the other went to the right. They tried to position themselves to see as much of the corridor outside the cell as possible. The door opened and an officer marched in.
“You have a meeting with the queen,” declared the officer. “If you have any weapons hidden on your bodies, leave them in this cell. I cannot be held responsible for your safety if you ignore this edict. You will be searched before you meet the queen.”
Mistake and MistyTrail glanced at each other. MistyTrail sighed and released the two knives from her arm sheaths. She placed them on the floor. She reached around to her back and removed a hidden knife under her belt and added it to the growing pile that Mistake was creating. MistyTrail then removed two knives from her boots, and unstrapped a pouch at her waist that held Sakovan throwing stars. The officer’s eyebrows rose comically as he watched the girls disarming. Mistake completed the disarmament by placing the blowgun given to her by the Qubari on top of the pile.
“Is that all?” asked the officer as he tried to hide a smile.
The girls sighed and nodded. The officer ushered them out of the cell and into the corridor where a dozen soldiers were waiting. The soldiers immediately surrounded the girls and waited for the officer to leave the cell and lead the procession out of the prison.
Mistake’s eyes took in every detail as they were escorted out of the prison. MistyTrail counted the steps and memorized the path taken to the exit. She was surprised to see that the paths outside the prison were blocked off with ropes. She had been in this area of the city before when they stayed with Volox and Anija, and she had never seen any paths blocked off. She wondered about it as she saw curious citizens craning their necks to see whom the soldiers were escorting.
The walk to the palace was not long. The girls saw it as they approached. A huge magnificent tree grew out of a wide park-like square. The branches of the tree were high off the ground and spread out in a great circle encompassing the whole square below. The group marched onto a large platform and the officer pulled once on a small rope. A distant bell could be heard ringing far above them. Instantly the large platform began ascending.
MistyTrail admired the view of the city as they rose high into the ancient tree. They rose up into the branches and passed several platforms before coming to a stop in the upper reaches of the tree. As soon as the platform stopped, the soldiers herded Mistake and MistyTrail along a corridor and into a large room. Several guards stood sentry in the room. The officer immediately approached the guards.
“The foreign girls, Mistake and MistyTrail, as the queen requested,” announced the officer.
Two guards separated from the others and approached the girls. They searched for hidden weapons. One of the guards found Mistake’s lock picking tool hidden in her belt and frowned at it.
“What is this?” he asked.
Mistake forced her face to turn red by holding her breath and forcing her facial muscles. She smiled weakly at the guard.
“I use it to clean my toenails,” she answered softly. “I get infections a lot from running in the jungle.”
The guard grimaced as he handed the tool back to Mistake. MistyTrail almost burst out laughing when the guard subconsciously ran his hand over his own clothes as if to wipe it clean.
“Follow me,” said the other officer as he led the girls away.
He walked them along a short corridor and into the throne room.
“Touch nothing,” advised the guard. “The queen will be with you shortly.”
Mistake and MistyTrail gazed around the empty room. It was simple and clear of unnecessary furniture, yet held an air of importance. They walked to the railing and gazed downward. A whole section of the city spread out before them, and they marveled at the view.
Mistake turned around to view the room and then reached into her pack and extracted the carozit. She held it upside down and watched the balls clang together. MistyTrail immediately reached out her hand and placed it on top of Mistake’s. The balls moved almost imperceptivity apart. There was hardly room for a hair between the balls, but they could both see that they were not touching.
Suddenly the balls clanged together, and the girls looked up and saw a woman enter the room. Mistake and MistyTrail looked at each other knowingly. The woman approached without greeting. Mistake and MistyTrail remained frozen, unsure of what to say or do.
“What is this you have?” asked the woman as she reached for the carozit.
As the woman touched the carozit, the balls flew upward. All three of them reacted to the unexpected movement of the balls by letting go of the carozit. It tumbled to the floor. The woman stepped back a pace and stared at the girls.
“It is customary in Elvangar to bow when you meet the queen,” the woman said sternly.
“We will,” promised Mistake as she bent down and picked up the carozit. “Is she nice?”
“I am the queen,” replied the woman, frustration seeping into her voice. “Queen Alycia. Which of you is which?”
Mistake and MistyTrail immediately bowed. Neither of them had to force an embarrassed look to their faces when they rose.
“I am Mistake,” answered the Fakaran, “and this is my sister MistyTrail. I apologize for not knowing that you were the queen.”
“That is excusable,” smiled the queen as she seemed to warm to the girls. “I guess living in the human world you are used to more extravagant clothing. The elves believe in simplicity. Someone should have already given you some elven clothes,” she added as her nose crinkled at the animal skins that the girls wore. “I am sure that we can rectify that when you leave.”
“Why have we been imprisoned?” asked MistyTrail. “If we have broken any of your laws, it has only been through ignorance. We certainly have not meant to.”
“You have made certain statements,” frowned the queen. “Statements that in Elvangar have special meaning. I have come to understand that a crazy man poisoned your minds. He will be dealt with, and you will be released. It is nothing to concern yourselves with.”
“If you mean Garl,” replied Mistake, “I don’t believe that he is crazy. I wouldn’t want to see him harmed either. He is about the only one here in Elvangar who has really befriended us.”
“What you believe is irrelevant,” snapped the queen. “It is what I believe that matters. He tried to tell you that you are from the Kieran line. False representation of your ancestry in Elvangar is a serious offense. As I can tell after seeing you that you were not aware of this offense, I can hardly punish you for it, but Garl knows better. He was banished from Morada and stripped of his membership in the Society of Mages for previous offenses. He has obviously not learned yet how to behave.”
“But we are Kierans,” protested Mistake. “Garl proved it with a magic spell.”
“I was told that you recanted such foolish statements,” scowled the queen. “If you persist with such nonsense, I will have no choice but to punish you.”
“We will stop,” promised MistyTrail before Mistake could say anything to further anger the queen. “I guess we are still ignorant of the elven ways. We do hope to learn more about the elves. Do you have children?”
The queen’s forehead creased as she stared at MistyTrail. She tried to determine if the question was asked innocently or not, but she could not.
“I did have children at one time,” said the queen, “but we no longer discuss such things. It is considered rude in Elvangar to pry into the background of royalty.”
“We do not mean to be rude,” interjected Mistake, “but this magical carozit indicates that we are relatives of yours. Neither of us knows our parents so we were wondering if you know who they are. Did you ever have daughters around our age?”
“You insolent whelp,” snapped the queen as she stepped forward and slapped Mistake hard across the face.
Mistake reeled from the blow, her carozit falling to the floor. Tears came to Mistake’s face and her fists closed in anger. She bent down to get her carozit, and the queen swung her leg to kick Mistake while she was bent over.
“Don’t hurt my sister!” shouted MistyTrail as she cast the spell of compulsion on the queen.
The queen fell to the floor and screamed as her hands flew to her head and clasped it tightly. MistyTrail stood in a trance staring at the queen as Mistake leaped to her feet.
“Stop it,” shouted Mistake. “Release the spell. You are hurting our mother.”
MistyTrail snapped out of her trance and shook her head just as the guards raced into the room. She immediately dropped the compulsion spell.