His Own Path

"What do you mean the tunnel is gone?" Cafer asked when he had calmed slightly.

The gnomic guard followed the advisor into a room where Xander and Baak were playing a game of chess. The two males, having only met that morning, seemed to have gotten along better than expected. Baak, who wanted to appear cultured, had allowed the pirate to teach him the 'gentleman's game' on the checkered board. They were so engrossed in the game that they barely acknowledged when Cafer entered.

"How did the meeting with the Council go?" Baak queried, not taking his eyes off his opponent's bishop.

Xander gave the advisor only a passing glance. "By the looks of it, not well...'

Baak placed his rook as he shook his head. "I told you we should just kill the Council and everyone who opposes us..."

"But then who would be left to serve?" Xander countered. He moved one of his pawns to punctuate his point.

Baak captured it easily and nodded thoughtfully. "Fair point. We should kill the annoying ones though."

"Agreed," the pirate smirked. "Checkmate!"

Baak pulled his lips to one side in dissatisfaction. "You are quickly becoming one of the annoying ones, you know."

Finally the banter stopped as both men realized that there was a serious problem. They looked at Cafer, who was using every bit of control not to glare a hole in each of their heads. It was then that the two males realized that the creature with Cafer was not Alaron.

"What is it?" The gnome king asked as he pushed his chair away from the pedestal table. His eyes flicked between the advisor and the guard.

"Tell them," Cafer ordered the subordinate.

The guard turned to face the king and captain with beads of sweat forming on his brow. "The tunnel is gone."

"What tunnel?" Xander knew there were many secret tunnels and not so secret ones.

"The tunnel we were guarding which led to the Storehouse is gone." the soldier clarified.

"Did it collapse?" Baak tried to understand.

"No, it disappeared. When we found it, we were unable to enter it, but we could at least see its existence. Once we even think we saw a light in it, but we could not reach it. But just before I came to find Cafer, it vanished like it was never there." The guard gave the report quickly because he knew the temperament of the king.

As expected, Baak balled his fists and pounded once on the table. The black king tipped over while the white queen fell from the chess board, tumbled from the pedestal, and rolled away. "Are you sure that she did not sneak past you?" Baak demanded to know. He hoped that somehow the Empress had made it back inside the palace and was trapped.

"We have been diligent, Your Majesty. No one has come out of the Storehouse." The guard stood straight, confident that what he said was true.

"What does this mean?" Xander was confused. Other than the pearl, magic was a foreign concept.

Cafer inhaled deeply. "If Aurora did not find a way past the guards, it means that she found a different exit."

"But who would let her out? Who would have known she was there in the first place? The Fates? Would they meddle in such a way?" Baak's questions spewed like water from a broken dam.

"I am not sure. We have relied on the fact that the Fates have grown apathetic to the plights of humans. But why meddle in such a small way? The Fates could do much more if they chose." Cafer began to pace.

"Ha, the Fates," Xander laughed, but quickly fell silent. "Oh, you are serious. I thought they were just boogiemen used to scare people into behaving."

"The Fates are very real, but I am not sure they are responsible for this problem. I will have to send one of our little friends to investigate. Summon some money from the treasury," Cafer ordered the gnomic guard. "Those small red creatures now demand payment up front."

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Brinn and Alaron exited the Council's holding room with Ezer. When they found a private space, the prince ordered the guards to remain outside. Once safe inside the room, Alaron created a magical barrier to keep the sound in before allowing any of them to speak.

"That wasn't necessary," Brinn complained. "And you aren't supposed to be using magic."

"I cannot help but use magic, and at least this serves a purpose," Alaron argued. "With the gnomes in the tunnels, I am never sure if I am being overheard."

"Hmph, humans! I can hear the pesky ground dwellers rustling around in the walls even if you cannot. My hearing is very good, but you have blocked it now." Brinn crossed her arms and threw herself into the nearest chair.

"It is a small price to pay for security." Alaron held his ground. If the gnomes found out Brinn's identity, the prince would never be able to prove that he could keep his sister safe. "And you must watch yourself in front of Cafer. One wrong move and your identity will be exposed."

"I gather that Prince Alaron knows you not the princess," Ezer commented as he watched the exchange. Of all the things he expected, this strange…partnership?… was not on his list.

"I am a princess," the elf countered with a mischievous smile.

"But not the princess you appear to be." Ezer motioned to the elf's feet, which were now propped up on a cushioned stool. "Your carefree attitude in the presence of the future Emperor is only held by one person. You are Spymaster Brinn."

"At your service," Brinn inclined her head. "Well, not really…I mostly serve myself and occasionally the Empress. She is the reason I am here with this guy." The elf jerked her thumb toward the prince. "Otherwise I could definitely find better ways to spend my time."

"And you are the one who whispered those strange words in my ear," the councilman tried to understand. "Does the prince know…"

"That you have no magic?" The elf nodded.

Alaron shrugged. "Brinn informed me when I asked her earlier. But I needed a way have at least one member of the Council free, and I could not find a reasonable way to get Nanny..."

"Why do you need such a thing?" Ezer's head was beginning to feel muddled. The secrecy, the spymaster and the magical dome around them, none of this was making sense.

The prince straightened his back and pushed out his chin. "A ruler must have many independent channels of information so that he can make the best decisions. I need someone who will communicate with the Council on my behalf."

"He also needs someone who is not under Cafer's control..." Brinn mumbled.

"What?!" Alaron was indignant.

"You would not feel the need to go behind his back to contact Ezer or keep me around if you did not doubt Cafer at least a little bit," the elf pointed out.

Alaron clamped his mouth shut. Nothing he could say would refute the evidence. Instead he made his request, "I need you ask the Council to cooperate for now. I do not want any more death on my hands. In return, Brinn will make sure Anna and your children have safe passage out of the city. This morning, Cafer tried to send out soldiers to bring them to the palace as extra leverage, but I stopped the effort. Instead they have surrounded her family's manor."

Ezer's heart clenched. Even if he did not feel like helping, the safety of his family was his top priority. "If you can get my family safely away, I will relay your messages." The councilman and prince shook forearms.

Alaron was satisfied. "I will tell the soldiers that you are able to move around the palace grounds, but only with an escort. If you see anything, report it to me. And if you somehow hear from the Empress..."

"There is no amount of torture that will get me to tell you," Ezer answered with scowl.

The prince hooked a smile. "It was worth a try." The boy let the spell around them fall away. His business complete, Alaron headed for the door.

"I will get to work tonight and bring you word when they are safe," Brinn told Ezer.

"Thank you," the councilman acknowledged. They both stared at the back of the prince as he stood in the doorway talking to a guard. "About His Highness…What side is he on?" It felt weird asking the question as the boy was soon to be crowned, but it was clear that Alaron was conflicted.

Brinn shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. Aurora called him the key to fixing this mess, so I am trying not to figure out what that means. I want to show the prince who the 'good guys' truly are. It has not even been a whole day, and I can already see just how much Cafer has messed with the boy's mind. Cafer has clearly set up Alaron to be a puppet king. That gnome is evil."

"You have your work cut out for you. Do you believe the prince can be made to see the truth?" Ezer raised his eyebrows. Was the elf merely on a fool's errand?

"Aurora believed it. And that is enough for me." Brinn could say nothing else with certainty.

"I wish you luck and I will help you any way I can," Ezer promised.

"Thank you." The elf was happy to have another ally close at hand.

"Mairwen, we need to go," Alaron called from the door.

"Yes, brother!" Brinn called in her closet Mairwen impersonation. "But where do we go from here?"