Cafer nearly dropped the tray of tea he was preparing to bring to the table."You what?" He asked through gritted teeth. Had he heard correctly?"I moved the coronation. My sister has fallen deathly ill, and I will not complete the ceremony without her." Alaron pretended not to notice the gnome's anger."Of course we want Princess Mairwen there, but you should really reconsider." Cafer brought the tray over and set it down. He hid his annoyance behind a placating smile."It is already done. There is nothing to reconsider." Alaron shrugged. "I am surprised," he said as he eyed the tea. "I thought the servant who came to me said you wanted to make amends, Cafer, and yet you did not even inquire after the health of my sister. Your thoughts went straight to how you were affected. It is as if you did not care at all." Alaron tapped the tips of his fingers together as he waited for the response.Cafer was taken aback. Somehow this boy had placed him on the defensive. Alaron was usually hang

Gandr hastily took the glowing mirror from the Empress. His heart raced as held it firmly in both hands. He was very confused when Renat's face appeared in the glass. Based on he lighting, he had sent the message in the evening or the early morning before the sun had risen.Renat's voice was strained. "I have good and bad news. We made it out safely. Lady Bukuri is with us. However an assassin also escaped and he is heading straight for Emperor Devrim and Princess Mairwen. We are going after him. That means that it may be difficult to come and get Lady Bukuri just now. She is coming with us."The mirror's image shifted as Bukuri came into view. "My son, I am free. Do not worry. I will see you soon." The mirror faded as the message ended."Well, that was…unexpected," Zan commented, unsure what else to say after hearing the message. He wondered what had gone wrong for that to be the result of their escape. He hadn't mentioned anything happening to Nurlan or the centaur, so he could only

"That's impossible!" Aurora walked to where the waterfall should have landed.She leaned into the icy dew. Maybe the flow was just hidden. The Empress's disappeared into the fog."Your Majesty!" Zan exclaimed. He and Gandr rushed after her, afraid of losing her to the white void. They groped their way through as the cold crystals of ice and snow tickled their exposed skin. It felt like walking through frozen spiders' webs.At last Zan and Gandr burst forth from the gossamer dew and into the open space underneath the Mystic Spires. The area was even greener than either of them remembered. It was still strange to think that the 'mountain' was actually hollow.In front of them, Aurora stared upward at the waterfall. Even from inside, she could see that it ended halfway to the ground in the mist. "How did I not see this before?" she asked in despair."I guess we just assumed that the falls were hidden from view by the mist. I mean, what kind of waterfall has no end?" Zan asked with a squi

"Dragons...why did it have to be dragons?..." Zan rubbed his forehead."I mean that actually makes sense. They are stronger, bigger and infinitely more clever than any of the other flying beasts around." Gandr nodded. "Too bad they hate us.""This one doesn't." Aurora listened to the contented growl of the baby dragon in her arms. It reminded her of the palace cats who occasionally curled up next to her in between mice hunts."That one cannot fly you up where you need to go," Zan pointed out the obvious. The little dragon could fit into the woman's arms. There is no way she could ride it. "Even if he were strong enough to carry you, I doubt his wings are developed enough to get all the way to the waterfall."The little dragon cocked its head to one side and yelped like a puppy."I know that," Aurora said as she crinkled her nose at the Guardian. "But if this little one does not see us as enemies, maybe these dragons are different than the ones who attacked us. Either way, perhaps he k

Mairwen stared at the Cheiftain's son. "I accept your challenge," she stated again, "on the condition that the trial by combat be against targets and not each other."Timur nodded. "I think that is a wise compromise. I do not want you to get hurt.""Nor do I wish to hurt you. You are far more valuable to your father and men if I leave you in one piece." The blue-eyed girl gave a bright smile and an encouraging nod. Her confidence made Timur pause. It did not help that those on her side of the tent were hiding their grins at her words.'It is just a mind game,' Timur reasoned. "I am the challenger, therefore you can pick the type of challenge," he offered graciously."That's very kind. If it is all the same to you, an archery competition will suit me just fine." Mairwen held her poise even when Timur smiled broadly."You have chosen poorly. You think the stories of the Warrior Princess will scared me into submission, but it will not work. No one is that good of a shot." The young man c