Oh! Mary! It's your turn to choose a book for the book club. ;-)

@Mary: yeah, I hear you about futile planning.  Though I actually like having my plans squashed... keeps me on my toes as a writer.  You know?

@ZNZ: I guessed? 

@Olive: I didn't realize I hadn't actually written anything!  Whoops!  Sorry... here it is!

//Temperance//

I could hear the Queen screaming at the poor messenger all the way down the hall the next morning.  It seemed as though Aalton had gone missing.  The guards hadn't seen him leave by any of the main doors and the Queen assured me she'd had two magicians stationed around the bath entrance to the Rift.  I listened to the Queen's yells for a moment then turned and walked down the stone hallway.  Aalton's disappearance was no matter to me.  I doubted very highly that he had been kidnapped as there had been no ransom demand and was quite confident he'd find his way back by time the banquet started this evening.  At least he was out of my way.  I didn't need him fretting over me while I worked. 

A night out of the Rift and in a ludicrously comfortable bed had done wonders for my magic-ravaged body.  I was in peak condition.  And looking rather good too.  The Queen had assigned me two servants and they had done a marvelous job of styling my hair.  The wavy brown locks were pinned up and back in one of the most intricate knots I'd ever seen and adorned with a hair net studded with tear-drop pearls.  I was wearing a light blue silk gown and a fur cape, also a gift from the Queen.  My father would have rolled over in his unmarked grave if he had seen me like this. 

My heels clacked importantly as I strode down the hall and I smiled at the way servants cowered and slunk back against the walls to give me room to pass.  Find the Rhombus traitor the Queen had said.  Well that was all well and good, but I had something else I wanted to find first.  I didn't know why... that little part of my brain that must have been me would think of nothing else, so simply for peace of mind I decided to seek it out.  I paused by a sentry in the main hall and asked for directions.  He stiffened at the sight of me, but told me what I wanted to know. 

Three minutes later I was in the Queen's Garden.  Looking at the charcoal husk of the tree on which my mother had burned.  The small part of my mind seemed to cave in upon itself.  Which was fine.  I didn't need anything like a "conscience" bothering me now either.  I examined the tree.  Gave it a poke.  Two of the branches disintigrated into dust before my eyes and I backed away before I could breathe any of it in. 

"A stroll down memory lane?" a voice inquired.  I turned to look.  The face was familiar, though only vaguely so.  Probably because the last time I'd seen it the girl had been younger.  It was the white-blond hair that triggered the recollection. 

"You were here for it."  It wasn't a question.  And it was probably a good thing that the girl didn't smile at it.  I might have done something we'd both regret later. 

"I remember you and your father.  I was sorry to hear about his death, as well as the... misunderstanding... that occured in."  When I said nothing she inclined her head.  "My apologies for my rudeness, Lady Wickler.  My name is Evadne Pryor.  Distant cousin to the Heir-Apparent," she said, seeing my eyebrows shoot up at the last name.  "I'm somewhere between the Queen's youngest infant niece and the cockroaches in the cellar when it comes to inheriting the throne." 

I let out a laugh.  It was common knowledge that the Queen's three younger sisters kept churning out daughters.  Aalton was one of only two boys (the other being only two years old) out of the fourteen royal children.  Evadne looked around my age... perhaps fourteen or fifteen... which made me wonder how old some of her sisters were.  "So you're one of the many nieces?" I said, turning my back on the burnt tree. 

Evadne shrugged.  "If you like.  The Queen tends to think of me in different terms than she does my sisters, however." 

"Different terms?" I echoed.  Evadne flicked her wrist and flourished a hand and suddenly there was an apple in it. 

"I have a talent for Concealing things," she said, tossing me the apple with a sideways smirk.  "Making things disappear to a place that only I can pull them out from.  Useful with things like daggers or vials of poison." 

"Ahh," I said, feeling a grin spread across my face.  "Those kind of terms.  You're one of her magical minions." 

Evadne tossed me the apple with a wink.  "Just like you.  Care to join me checking out the banquet hall?" she offered.  "We can look at the preparations.  And the guest list."  She gave me a sinister, knowing grin.  "I've heard Pauline Tipton is scheduled to attend." 

The annoying part of my mind perked up at this and I sensed a rush of excitement.  "Oh, is she?" I said casually, joining Evadne with a smirk.  "I would love to come." 

I decided I liked the mischevious glint in Evadne's gray eyes.  She seemed to be a kindred spirit.  She might be this traitor, and if she was I would find out and have no qualms about dragging her to the Queen by her hair, but in the meantime I would enjoy her company.  She looked like she might have a few ideas for me on how to deal with Pauline. 

Looks like I'll have to finish from my post.

//Trompeur//

When I woke up, I stretched out my arms and yawned as I would always do, except my arms were tied up behind me and my mouth was gagged.

 "What?" I cried, "Where am I?" but what actually came out was, "Wha-, Whe a I?"

 "Hello Trompeur," purred a voice. I looked around but no one was there. "Welcome to the Prisoners' Chamber."

 "Hoo ah ooh?" I asked. (Who are you?)

 "My mind tells me you are asking who I am," stated the voice, "so I shall answer you're question. My name is my name. I am a magician. One of many that live in the castle. You are my prisoner."

 "I?" (why) I asked.

 "You were caught sneaking around," answered the voice, "and the strange yet faint glow that emitted from your body gave away your identity of a witch."

 "I-" I started, then I remembered a trick that Master had taught me.

 "Oh-oh ee-ee." (solvo mihi) I chanted. Nothing happened. I sighed.

 Then suddenly, the bonds started to loosen and my gag fell out of my mouth. I noticed that the cloth that had been used to gag me was very wet.

 I must have been drooling as I slept. I thought, That's so humiliating! 

 "Very good," the voice praised. 

 I heard the sound of heels clacking on the stone floor and the swish of cloth. Suddenly, an old man with stubble adorning his face materialized in front of me.

 "You have proved yourself well," he said. "Now about why we captured you." My head snapped into attention, even more than before, which I wasn't sure was possible.

 "We need you to assist in an assassination," the man said sweetly. "It's either you help or get tortured for a couple of months and then die."

 I suddenly wished that I was still asleep and drooling. 

(Hey, whatever happened to Megan joining us?) 

//Temperance//

A little delicate and subtle probing and I soon figured out Evadne wasn't the Queen's traitor.  We trolled the banquet hall for an hour or two, discussing Pauline Tipton and how best to exploit the girl's extreme fear of snakes.  That little part of my mind that had been fighting me all day was now completely docile, enthralled by thoughts of revenge.  Evadne and I watched the jongleurs practicing, the acrobats flipping and throwing each other into the air, and even a dancing bear and its trainer, brought in from the heavily wooded western regions of the kingdom.  Evadne seemed to be particularly interested in the custom-wraught daggers brought by the knife-throwers.

"You think they'll miss one?" she asked me out of the side of her mouth, her gray eyes covetous.  A second later the knife-throwers were missing a prop.  "That'll be a good one for my collection," she told me happily.  We decided to leave shortly after in case the knife-throwers discovered the theft and started a fuss. 

The two of us sweeping down the stone hallways seemed to cause weak-knees and instant paralysis in the servants.  Evadne snickered a little as an older woman dropped her basket of radishes in her haste to bow to us and purposely stepped on one, crushing it into a white and red pulp with her heel. 

"So," I said, humoring the blond girl with a smile to let her think I was amused by her cruelty, "are you the only one of your sisters with... our special gift?" 

Evadne nodded.  "And my cousins," she told me easily.  "Aalton despises me because of it.  I wonder where he's gone off to." 

"What about the Queen's staff?" I said, not caring about the missing Heir.  "Does she have any magicians living openly, or are they all secret?" 

"Some are like us," Evadne told me, not even considering she should really be holding her tongue, "living as nobles or even a few servants." 

"Servants?" 

Evadne smirked.  "Well, two of the three are dead now.  They died pretty terribly too.  I saw the last one in the Baroness de Humphrey's chamber a fortnight ago.  Blood everywhere and a drawing of this wonky diamond on the bedsheets.  The Baroness refused to sleep in that room until yesterday."  She laughed and halted as she glanced down an adjoining hallway.  "Ah, Sigman!  Here, Lady Wickler, meet one of our... special friends!" 

I followed her down the hall and offered my hand to a tall, muscular man in his thirties sporting a neatly trimmed black beard.  He took it and raised it to his lips with a little bow.  His black eyes never left my face and he seemed to be scrutinizing me with an intense interest.  I guessed he was one of the few who knew of Auric's enchantment.  I smiled back at him coolly. 

"An honor, Lady Wickler," he said at last, his voice low and raspy. 

"Sigman is the Queen's Chief of Guards," Evadne announced.  I tried to probe the man's mind but found myself blocked.  Interesting.  Evadne was now babbling on about what a wonderful soldier the man was and I decided I'd had enough of her. 

"Thank you, Evadne," I said crisply.  "I feel fortunate to have made your acquaintance.  I shall be sure to tell the Queen of your kindness today.  You must need to start preparing for the banquet tonight, so I'll let you go."  I convinced her to agree and she turned with a fond farewell and left to start dressing for the feast.  Seven hours before it would start.  I turned back to Sigman, who was still holding my hand, and saw a nod of approval. 

"You're still Temperance Wickler, aren't you?" he said shrewdly.  "Auric didn't really brainwash you, did he?" 

I smiled at him enigmatically.  "Brainwash?  No.  But he's done a marvelous job of ridding me of any tiring sentiments or worries.  What about you, Chief Sigman?  You must be fairly important to the Queen if you know about Auric's meddling.  What praytell, is your speciality?" 

His smile didn't reach his eyes and he tapped his temple.  "Can't get inside, can you?" he asked.  "Evadne Pryor is a weak and vapid girl so I'm not surprised you played her like a puppetmaster.  She's only still around because her ability is so wonderfully useful.  I don't think I'm going to let you inside, Lady Wickler," he said, shaking his head.  He turned and offered me his arm.  "Though you are welcome to accompany me for as long as you like until you are satisfied of my... loyalties." 

It sounded like a dare and the little piece of my mind that was debating whether the best time to transform a girl's scarf into a viper would be during the main course or dessert, perked up.  No one likes arrogance, it told me.  We can bring this man to his knees in an hour, begging to tell us his deepest secrets.  I decided that sounded quite pleasant and took Sigman's arm with a broad smile. 

"I think I shall take you up on that offer."

Uh oh.... dying....

Aaaaaand we're dead.