Janna was grateful for the appearance of the small hamlets that marked the outskirts of Selemas Province. She peered through the mist that still clung to the land from earlier that morning, now mixed with an intermittent drizzle that dampened everything just enough to make the air feel clammy.

She turned her head away from the coach window and sighed, wriggling in her seat in a vain attempt to get more comfortable. Her body felt tired and achy from a two day trip that was normally done in three. But time was of the essence now. Uras had said jump, and the other Lords were simply supposed to ask how high.

She had scant breakfast that morning, but she had little appetite despite it being past midday. She was more interested in getting out the damnable coach she had ridden since before dawn. At the speed at which the coach had been driven across the country, she had felt every single small bump on the road as if it were a large rut.

Like a veil being pulled away, the coach emerged from the forest and was suddenly awash in patchy afternoon sunlight.

Janna blinked at the glare and turned away from it, directing her gaze back to the east towards the shore. She was given pause as she saw mighty stone ramparts rise up from beyond a grassy field. At first she thought it was the palace, and that she had dozed the final leg of the journey, until she realized she was looking at the ruins of Selemas Keep.

Janna stared at the sight as the crumbling edifice drifted by. Through spaces in collapsed walls and turrets she caught glimpses of the indigo ocean. Selemas Keep was history. It was here the final bloody battle had been fought between the Monarchists and the Republicans two centuries before. The Monarchists had won, and had laid down the foundation for modern Oceanus.

It had been the only palatable outcome, scholars were fond of saying. The ideas of the Republicans were too radical. Doing away with a monarchy in favor of something that gave the common man a say in royal affairs was a ludicrous notion. The common man knew nothing of government, or how to exercise power wisely. Power was best left in the hands of those that knew how to use it.

So the common thinking went.

Janna watched as the ruins slipped by. As her head turned, she felt the pain in a stiff neck muscle reassert itself. Wincing, she rubbed at it and turned her eyes forward again.

The right side had won. Two hundred years of peace and prosperity bore that out. What was happening now was an aberration and nothing more. She remembered reading that the Republicans had been fond of saying that the common man would tire of having no say in affairs and would rise up against the Imperium. Nothing of the sort ever happened, or was happening now. This was purely an internal matter. The common man would not care.

Janna felt a need to visit the ruins and see them more closely. It would have to be that day, despite how tired she was. By the end of the following day, she would step through the Portal at Selemas Palace and arrive at the heart of Imperial power. She would need all of that day to prepare herself.

Janna spotted something out of the corner of her eye.

She glanced out the window again. Up ahead, a large, flat stone was standing by the side of the road. She could see there was writing carved on it. Just beyond it, a fork in the road meandered through weeds and wildflower towards the shore.

"Driver!" Janna cried.

"Yes, my Lady?"

"There is a side-road ahead. Does that lead into the Keep?"

"Yes, my Lady, it does. It heads around to ..."

"Turn down that road."

There was a brief hesitation. The driver knew that his orders had been to deliver Lady J'garon to Selemas Palace as quickly as possible. But he also knew that disobeying the orders of a Noble would not do his career much good.

So he picked a middle course. He snapped the reins and pulled on them. The horses turned at his command and smoothly left the main road at the fork. At the same time, he protested mildly. "We should consider getting you to the palace as soon as possible, my Lady," he said with utmost politeness. "It was impressed upon me that time is short."

Janna watched as they passed the stone. The weathered writing read "Selemas Keep -- North Access."

"I am aware of this," Janna said firmly. "I need only arrive in time for dinner. And I do not intend to linger here. Now, drive on."

"Yes, my Lady."

The driver subsided. He had done his duty. In the end, he took orders from whatever Noble happened to be within earshot.

The road itself into the Keep was recent, or at least relative to the Keep itself. It meandered through a rubble-strewn field that would have been one of the outer defense walls. Part of it had crumbled on its own, but much of it had been carted away. The locals had used this as a stone quarry before an Emperor with an eye for historical preservation put a stop to it. Fortunately they had confined themselves to the outer ramparts.

Yet not all Emperors were so keen. The road had fallen into disuse. The coach wobbled and bucked as it passed over old wheel ruts and splashed through large puddles left by the recent rains. The driver had to detour into the tall grasses to the side to get around a large section of a tower that had collapsed across the road.

Janna hardly noticed. Her gaze was on the walls that towered over them. She was as silent as these abandoned sentinels were. The roar of the ocean was the only sound, drowning out even the clop of the horses' hooves or the rattle of the wheels struggling over broken ground.

The coach finally shuddered to a halt. "This is as far as I can take us, my Lady," the driver announced, some relief evident in his voice.

If he had been hoping that Janna would tell him to turn around and leave, his hopes were dashed when instead she reached for the latch and pushed open the door. Knowing his duty, the driver immediately dismounted and helped Janna step down from the coach.

"Do you wish me to accompany you, my Lady?" asked the driver, already anticipating what Janna wanted to do.

She turned away from him even as he spoke. "Stay with the coach. I will not be long."

Janna crossed the road around the back of the coach and found herself facing a rocky area. She looked on ahead and saw that the road simply ended here at the rocks. On the other side were the gleaming white sands of the beach, broken only by the tall shadows of the Keep's towers. Waves rolled up from the ocean in a gentle but powerful rhythm.

The road had turned back on them, so that she was walking south the way she had come. On her left was the sea, on her right the stone edifice of the Keep. This section was largely intact, offering no way in and no way to scale it. As had been intended when the Republican fleet had attacked in strength.

Janna began to pick her way through the rocky field.

The driver grew nervous. "My Lady, are you sure you don't wish me to ..."

"I said, stay with the coach," Janna called out without looking back.

Janna was sure that her driver thought she was out of her mind. To be honest, even Janna herself was not so sure the man was wrong. Though her doubts stemmed from something greater.

Her trip in the coach had left her time to think. Too much time, in fact. Time enough to come to believe that she was not the right person to be doing this. Or that it was not the right thing to do in the first place. Either way, it felt wrong. She felt like she was supposed to have answers when she did not know what the questions were.

Janna stepped onto the sands of the beach. She was very tempted to take her shoes off, regardless of how "improper" it might be. Instead, she kept to the edge of the beach near the Keep walls, where the ground was more solid. She came upon a boulder, a stone that had fallen from the top of the walls and had been since weathered smooth. Just ahead was a large crack in the side of the wall, the first imperfection she had seen on this facing.

She turned towards the sea and sat upon the boulder. She looked out over the waters and sighed. She sat there for a long time, motionless, the breeze off the waters blowing strands of hair before her eyes.

Finally she said, "I'm not ready for this."

"Yes, perhaps, but then are any of us?"

Janna leapt up from the boulder with a small gasp. She found a dapper, middle-aged man in Noble colors smiling mildly at her.

"I am certainly not ready to be startled out of my wits!" Janna snapped.

The man folded his hands before him. "My apologies. The sands and the surf tend to muffle the sounds of approach."

"Where did you come from, anyway?" demanded Janna.

The man turned and gestured towards the crack. "I saw that it was large enough for a man to slip through and could not resist. My driver would have a conniption for sure if he knew."

It was clear to Janna that this man was Nobility. Most likely a full Lord, and technically outranking her. She didn't care. It rankled her that she had come here to be alone for a few moments and had her solitude intruded upon. "And just where is your driver?"

The man turned again and gestured towards the opposite end of the beach, where a thicket of trees lay. Janna strained her eyes and now could just barely make out the coach.

"Southern access road," the man explained. "Much better maintained, but harder to see from the main road, especially in the mist."

Janna nodded at this, some of her anger ebbing. She remembered protocol and stepped forward, offering her hand. "Lady Janna J'garon, representative of Lord Duric K'garon of Keyas."

The man took her hand. His gray eyes fixed on Janna, his neatly trimmed and combed brown hair barely moving in the breeze. "Lord Tarras K'riis," he announced. "Of Carolas Province."

Tarras completed the proper protocol with a simple squeeze of her hand, but then smiled and drew it softly to his lips, planting a light kiss upon it.

Janna offered him a wry grin. "Flatterer."

"These are dark times, my Lady. A bit of softness helps at times."

"Your name sounds familiar to me, my Lord. Have I perhaps heard it before?"

"Please, you are a representative of a Noble Lord. That gives you all rights and privileges as he, thus we are peers. Call me Tarras. And yes, you likely heard my clan name if nothing else."

Janna paused for a long moment, her smile fading. In a heavy voice she said, "Bennis J'riis."

Tarras' smile remained, but his eyes grew distant and cloudy, and he looked off towards the horizon. "My son."

Janna swallowed. "I'm sorry."

Tarras turned fully towards the ocean and folded his hands behind his back. "Do not be. It was his own choice. I would have done the same in his position." A long pause. "It is ... a comforting thought to think that he would have made a fine interim Emperor."

Janna took another deep breath. She let the emotion she was feeling pass. There really wasn't time for this now, and it would only make her doubt herself more. She stepped closer to him. "Tarras, if you don't mind me saying ... "

Tarras turned his head and gave her a small smile. "Peers, remember? When did a Noble ever turn up the opportunity to bend the ear of another? No matter what needs to be said?"

Janna realized then what her problem was. She was feeling out of her element. Back at court in Keyas, she was never at a loss for words, nor did she feel qualms about saying whatever was on her mind.

She also thought his choice of words was interesting. No matter what needs to be said. It was as if she were anticipating what she was going to ask him.

"Are you sure it is best for you to make a personal appearance at the Imperial Palace?"

"Because my son was a traitor to the Empire? Or whatever rubbish Z'haas would say, eh? Perhaps I wish to dare him into saying something to me. Perhaps I wish tacitly to throw the issue in his face. See if he can stand before the father of the one he had executed and claim civility towards me. Or sovereignty for that matter."

Janna heard the steadiness in his voice. She also saw the shimmering in his eyes at the same time. She tried to ignore the latter. She had to act as if at court. She had to push the issues that mattered. Duric would want her to do so. "Would you make so bold a statement about him if it had not been your son that had been involved?"

Tarras gave her a tired a smile. "But he was involved. That's the thing, isn't it? So hard to contemplate what would have been. I do not know, Janna. I did not take kindly to the Emperor's saber-rattling without consulting the Nobility. That alone is a breach of ethics, if nothing else."

He turned more fully towards her. "Ask yourself this, Janna. Should the Emperor be made to answer to anyone? It's an age-old question."

Janna's eyes hardened. "It clearly states in the Charter what his powers are."

Tarras shook his head. "Never mind what the Charter says. Ever since the damn thing was signed, there have been people that have argued over what an Emperor is supposed to be. Each one makes it his own job. Each one takes a certain amount of power to himself. Some take more. Some take less. Some ... take more than they ought."

"But by your own words, Tarras, who determines how much is too much?"

Tarras smiled thinly. He turned back towards the ocean. "Picture this beach two centuries ago, Janna," he said. He swept an arm out over the ocean. "A fleet of warships, covering the horizon. Magical fire raining down on the Keep until they realized it had been too heavily shielded by the defender's Mages."

He pointed to the shoreline. "And look ... now the ships send the soldiers out in their boats." He turned and pointed to either end of the beach. "And now ... the defenders respond, pouring out onto the beach. And there ..."

He pointed to a spot halfway between the shoreline and where they stood. Here he paused, and uttered a slow, sad sigh. There was a catch in his voice when he spoke again. "And there ... the clash of armies ... blood staining the sands ... " He paused and shook his head. "It was never about naval power. It never is. It is always about the people. The soldiers. The killing. Whoever is left standing wins. It is that simple. It always is."

Tarras took a long, deep breath, folding his hands behind him. Janna felt her heart thump as if expecting the armies of long ago to materialize around them.

"Oceanus was built on blood, Janna," he said softly. "Many nations are. But many nations have been refreshed by blood as well. Oceanus has been unusual in that it has been spared this. Perhaps it is time now."

Now Janna's heart pounded out of fear. Fear over what she might be called on to do, and the decisions she would be forced to make.

And enlightenment dawned. "That is why the Nobles have been dragging their feet."

Tarras raised a speculative eyebrow towards her. There was no reproach in the gesture, only curiosity.

"Yes, dragging their feet," Janna said angrily. "And letting the Overlords do their work for them. We should have jumped into this from the very start. But we've gone so long without having anything close to a crisis of this magnitude that everyone is afraid to rock the boat."

Tarra stared at Janna hard for a few moments, then slowly broke into a smile.

"I knew there was a reason Duric picked you to represent him," he said.

Janna appeared surprised at first, but then relaxed. "Thank you."

"I was surprised that Duric did not want to come himself, to be honest. Thought the youngster would be chomping at the bit to show the other Lords he was not the Emperor's lackey. Though I can tell you ... you will have a hard time of it with the other Lords. They will see Duric's absence as tacit approval for Z'haas."

"Even after I tell them what I have told you?"

"Mmm, even so."

"But at least you believe it."

"Ah, yes. Well. Where my province is but a stone's throw from yours, I hear more over the grapevine. Like the real reason he's not attending the Caucus."

Janna's lips parted slightly, her eyes widening a touch, but she said nothing in response.

Tarras turned towards the ocean, his eyes following the progression again from warships, to landings, to battle, as if replaying the event in his mind's eye. "He's building an army, isn't he? The bastard."

Janna looked aghast. "I beg your pardon?"

"A bastard, yes. For having the courage the rest of us lack."

Janna was not sure how to react to that.

Tarras turned to her. "Yes. Good. Silence is best. Do not admit to it, and I have no cause to say I know. In fact ... let us pretend we did not meet here. I am am sure neither of us was intending to have a chance encounter with another Lord before having to put up with the lot of us in the Imperial Palace."

"But ... but if you understand our position, you could be an ally for us in ..."

Tarras smiled and placed a finger to his lips. "You know better than that, Janna."

Janna sighed. She did. Never reveal your strengths openly. The best alliances were clandestine ones until you specifically needed a show of strength. She did that at court all the time. She needed to remember that she could apply the same tactics here. She had to stop treating this as above her. She was on par with them. She was as good as them. Or she would at least have to believe that.

Tarras took her hand. "I am sorry, Janna. I suppose this was a sneaky way of trying to initiate a newcomer. Or it was just an old fool babbling away and you were kind enough to listen. You will have to decide for yourself." He kissed her hand again. "I bid you good day, my Lady."

Janna was to stunned to reply. All she could do was watch Tarras turn and head back to his coach.

After a moment, she looked back towards the water. She wondered if Tarras had seen something out there she had not. Some sort of wisdom, perhaps. If so, she did not see it. But at least now her purpose seemed more clear.

She headed back to her own coach, moving with a more confident stride.

Amanda's thighs ached, having been held spread far apart for so long. Between them, Duric's hips rocked back and forth, driving his manhood with a slow, steady rhythm into Amanda's tunnel. Amanda hung somewhere short of climax, holding herself back as ordered, making her quiver with the strain.

Normally he would have held her ankles tightly in his hands, but they were instead busying themselves around Tanyee's breasts.

Tanyee faced her master, her knees on either side of Amanda. Her pussy sat snugly against Amanda's face. Amanda's head was tilted back, her tongue licking slowly at Tanyee's slit. Tanyee moaned constantly, her body trembling from both Amanda's mouth and Duric's fingers.

Amanda understood why she was achy and sore near the end of a day with Duric. Roquan had not had any male slaves for awhile, and her endurance had suffered for it. It was one thing to have other women licking or fingering her all day, but another thing entirely to have a cock inside her for as long. Having sex with Roquan now and then did not exercise her endurance at all.

It was getting slowly better. It had not bothered her as much after the previous session. This time the ache was more from holding back her orgasm. She was getting more of a workout in that regard at that moment largely because Duric had put something on his manhood to lengthen the time it took for him to reach climax. If she still ached after this, it would likely fade by the time she went to sleep.

Unlike another ache that she had.

Amanda closed her eyes and applied her tongue a little harder, making Tanyee squirm. Each time she did something like this for Tanyee, it reminded her of Sirinna. She missed Sirinna terribly. She was going to have to risk Farviewing her soon or it was going to drive her nuts, despite her fear of being caught.

Duric thrusted into her faster, his body slapping lightly against hers. She was jostled a bit on the bed with each dive into her. Her face was so tightly pressed against Tanyee's pussy that it didn't matter. She reached up and wrapped an arm around Tanyee and sucked hard, lashing at Tanyee's nub. Tanyee shuddered and moaned deeply, holding back her own orgasm now.

After what seemed like a long time, Duric finally uttered a loud groan and dove deeply into Amanda's pussy. She felt him start to pulse inside her. Having been told that she could cum when her Master had, she let go, her body shuddering as she moaned into Tanyee's sex. Tanyee let go as well, panting hard.

Duric slowly slid his manhood back and forth inside Amanda until it was spent. He withdrew from her and took a step back, panting a bit from the excitement. "Tanyee, you may go take a bath, as I am done with you for the evening."

"Thank you, Master," Tanyee said, lifting her hips from Amanda and carefully crawling off the bed.

"Amanda, you may clean up in the sanitary, then I wish to speak with you."

Amanda hesitated just a moment before intoning, "Yes, Master." She headed off to do as he bid.

Amanda felt a twinge of anxiety. When she was behind the curtain in the sanitary, she looked under the sink and checked that the pearl was still where she had placed it. She had thought that perhaps Duric had discovered it, and now she was going to be called to task about it. Or perhaps she had displeased one of his staff earlier that day.

She quickly splashed water on her face and cleaned off Tanyee's juices from her mouth and cheeks. She checked herself in the mirror to make sure she looked presentable, took a deep breath, and proceeded back into Duric's bed chamber.

The sight that greeted her made her pause for a moment at the threshold. Duric had donned a robe and now sat on the edge of the bed. In his lap were Amanda's scrolls.

Duric looked up and gestured before him. "Position."

Amanda stepped forward silently. She dropped to her knees, spread them apart, and lay her hands palms-up against her thighs. She bowed her head and waited.

For another long moment she heard him tap one of the scrolls against his hand, as if pausing to gather his thoughts. Or to test Amanda's resolve. She was not sure which.

"These scrolls make for quite an interesting read, Amanda."

Amanda thought she heard amusement in his voice, but it was hard to tell.

"Very interesting indeed. Tell me ... is there a purpose for you reading them?"

"Because I requested them, Master."

"Really? You requested them yourself? Roquan did not request them for you?"

"No, Master."

She heard him tap the scroll again for what seemed an eternity.

"I do know that some slaves are educated in worldly matters. For the benefit of their Masters. If they request such at thing. Naturally, I did not."

Amanda's heart thumped. Was he going to withhold them from her after all, even after saying that he would not? She did not think that was particularly fair. But then again, she supposed he was not required to be fair to a slave.

"So it's an interesting puzzle. You are obviously given to a client that did not ask for you to be trained in such a way, yet here you are, wishing to do so anyway."

Amanda swallowed hard. "You said you were interested in hearing my thoughts on them, Master."

"Hmm. That I did. And that is still true. But it doesn't explain why you want to read them. Can you explain that to me?"

Duric's words were not harsh. He appeared genuinely curious about the matter. Yet Amanda could not help but feel like he was subtly trying to test her to see if she knew her place.

But Amanda was stuck for an answer, or at least one she could get Duric to understand. "I wish to educate myself, Master," Amanda finally answered.

"Yes, but why?"

How was she to answer? To better herself? That would not make any sense to him. She was a slave. That was her lifelong career. Amanda had learned from Roquan once what happened to a slave when she became old enough that she was no longer desired by clients. She was often put to work as a servant, usually for the Nobility or a wealthy commoner family. There was no advancement. Her life would be comfortable, but any means of pursuing another career were closed to her.

So she went with an answer that was not the complete truth, but was more understandable. "It makes me happy to learn of such things, Master."

"Really? Does it make you as happy as it does to serve me?"

Amanda hesitated only a brief moment. "Yes, Master."

"Now that is an interesting revelation indeed. Most interesting. I don't think I've heard a slave say she liked something as much as subservience and sex."

There was definite amusement to his voice, though it was not derisive or mocking in nature. She was unsure as to how to interpret it.

"Stand up."

With some relief, Amanda swiftly came to her feet. Duric did as well, though he left the scrolls atop the bed.

"I know of slaves that have read scholarly works, Amanda," said Duric, cupping her chin. "I have heard one repeat back what she read. She had been very, very good at memorization. What was clearly lacking from the way she recited the words was understanding. I trust you will be different?"

"Yes, Master."

If Duric had been at all surprised by the boldness of her answer, he did not show it. Instead he smiled at her and dropped his hand from her chin. "You may take the scrolls into your room and join Tanyee in the bath."

Amanda could not help but smile. "Thank you, Master!" she gushed, rushing forward to grab eagerly -- almost greedily -- at them before the words were finished coming from her mouth.

She rushed back towards her bed chamber.

"Amanda!"

Amanda abruptly stopped just short of the door, paused, and turned around. "Um, yes, Master?"

"While I was speaking with you before, you talked out of turn once. You had stated something that, while true, had not been in response to a question. I had warned you once about that."

"I'm sorry, Master. I won't do it again."

"Tomorrow, Amanda, you will not allow yourself to cum all day, not until I tell you in the evening. Each time you slip and cum, that will be ten hits with the paddle on your backside."

Amanda was actually relieved at hearing this. So long as no punishment of his threatened her possession of the scrolls, she felt she could handle it. "Yes, Master."

"Now, go."

Amanda quickly raced into the chamber before Duric could change his mind. Elated, she slipped the scrolls under the bed and then proceeded back through Duric's quarters and to the bath.

She felt like she had one of her two problems solved. Now she had to deal with the other one, and this she resolved to do that night. Putting it off any longer was not going to do her any good or make it any less risky.

Yet at least now she had more a measure of confidence that she might pull it off.

Lanno admitted to himself that he was not normally a patient man. He did tend to like things to happen quickly. He thought Vanlo had known that as well, and when the older Healer had asked him to visit him that evening for the results of the experiment, he had assumed that Vanlo would have finished his analysis and would be ready to discuss it with him.

Instead, Lanno had spent nearly a full candlemark standing in the doorway as Vanlo continued poking and prodding the apparatus, occasionally picking up a flask, examining it, and putting it back down. All the while he mumbled things like, "Hmm, yes," "Quite," or "Interesting."

Lanno glanced out one of the windows. It had been twilight when he had first arrived. Now it was nearly full night.

Finally, Vanlo lifted his head and placed his hands on the table. "Yes, well, that was more fruitful than expected."

When the older Healer said nothing more, Lanno came to the end of his patience. "And?"

Vanlo turned around in his chair. "Ah, Lanno. I did not know you were standing there. My apologies."

Yeah, right, you didn't know, Lanno thought acidly. "So what did your experiment tell you, Vanlo?"

"More than I thought it would, though admittedly I am unsure I can trust some of the more radical conclusions. I am not a genealogist as I have stated ..."

"Yes, yes, but could you get to the point?"

"Certainly. The hair did not belong to Yanna. I have definitely confirmed that. It is from a Narlassi, I have confirmed that as well, but not one that shares her heritage."

Lanno's eyes shifted to the apparatus. To him, the fluids and mixtures looked little different to him now than they had a few days ago. "You can tell that from all this?"

"Yes. Forgive me if I do not explain how."

"I know, I know, I probably would not understand it." There was a trace of bitterness in his voice.

"You misunderstand me. It is not that I fear you would not understand, it is more that I am weary and not up to the task. Suffice it to say that there are certain indicators in the color, texture, and viscosity of the various fluids that indicate the results of certain chemical reactions. These in turn tell me something about his genetics."

Lanno raised an eyebrow. "His?"

"Yes. The hair is undoubtedly from a male."

"But not from the same area in Oceanus as Yanna."

"Be careful of your words, Lanno." Vanlo rose from his chair and approached the younger man, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "I can say little about where the person lives. That is different from where the person's genetic roots lie."

"Well, that's what I meant, really," Lanno said, though that was a slight fib.

"Of course. Anyway ... It is likely this man is not of Yanna's bloodline. Which brings me to my more radical conclusion."

"And that is?"

Vanlo paused. "Before I do, I must have your word that you will keep this between us. I am not sure what I am to do with this information yet. I do not like to go to his Lordship without clear evidence."

"Vanlo, I keep everything we say on this to myself. I let you speak to Roquan on our behalf."

It rankled Vanlo a bit that Lanno did not use Roquan's title. He didn't feel it was their place to be that familiar with him. He let it go and continued. "Very well. It is possible that the bloodline of the young man that owned this hair lies outside Oceanus' borders."

Lanno stared at Vanlo. "Are you sure of that?"

Vanlo sighed. "You have not been listening. No, I am not. That is the point. It is simply possible from what I have seen. I have done similar experiments of this nature with genetic material from people from countries outside of Oceanus, but not all. Not even most. All I can tell you is that some parameters fall rather outside the range that I have seen so far for native-born Oceanus citizens."

Lanno was both concerned and excited by this. "Vanlo, that means it could have been some foreign power that did this to you!"

Vanlo raised an admonishing finger. "Lanno, that is a huge leap. This is why I was hesitant to tell you. Without any clear motive, that is a rather extraordinary claim. And extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence."

Lanno was frustrated. He had hoped that Vanlo would give them something they could act upon. All it did was eliminate about all of the possible suspects. Just about all ... except ...

"Jollis is foreign-born," Lanno stated.

Vanlo straightened and calmly folded his hands behind his back. "I believe he is. What of it?"

"Surely he is a possible suspect."

Vanlo waved a hand in dismissal and turned back towards the apparatus. "Circumstantial at best."

"But we have to consider it, don't we? Look, was he around when ..."

"The merchant Jollis is the Overlord's trusted Tradesman," Vanlo continued evenly as he picked up a flask again and turned it around in the light. "It is unlikely that someone duplicitous enough to perform this act against me would have been placed into such a position by his Lordship."

"Unless Roquan simply doesn't know what Jollis did! All right, then, isn't it worth at least eliminating him as a suspect just to be thorough?"

Vanlo put down the flask and turned to face Lanno again, his expression stern. "It would be a fool's errand. It takes several days to produce a result from an experiment such as this, and the ingredients are expensive. I do not wish to waste them when I know the outcome already."

Lanno didn't like leaving it be. It felt like a loose end to him. But if Vanlo would not conduct the experiment, there was little he could do.

"If it makes you feel better, Lanno, I will mention my findings about the possibility of the culprit being foreign-born to the Overlord and allow him to make any further decisions on the matter. But it will have to be in the morning, I fear. I am quite tired and intend to head off to bed, unless you have any more questions."

His tone suggested that he would rather Lanno did not. Lanno simply shook his head, his lips slightly pursed as if in thought.

"Very well. We can pick up this discussion in the morning if you wish. Good night."

"Good night to you," Lanno replied as the older Healer headed out the door.

After closing the door behind him, Vanlo paused and took a deep breath of the cool night air to steady himself. He was trembling, his endurance giving out. He had reached his limit in how long he could keep his emotions in check.

Vanlo headed towards his quarters. The truth was that he considered Jollis to be a prime suspect. He did not have a clear motive yet, but he was confident that would come with time.

The truth was also that Vanlo was rather frightened.

He was fearful of what might happen if his hypothesis were correct, and Jollis discovered that Vanlo knew. This is why he was reluctant to mention it to Roquan. While Roquan would not outright dismiss it, he would have a hard time believing it, and it would invariably lead to Jollis finding out about the conversation.

It distressed Vanlo to discover that he was something of a coward at heart. But hopefully, not for too much longer.

Vanlo entered his quarters. He stepped through the curtain that led to what would have been an adjoining slave bed chamber, were he to have one for himself. He always felt a pang of loss when he looked at it. Yes, Yanna had been working for the Emperor, but he had very much enjoyed her company just the same.

Perhaps it was fitting the purpose that it would serve now.

He looked off into the far corner of the room. There a small table stood, positioned so it would not be visible to any of the windows or the main door of his quarters. Upon it sat a duplicate of the apparatus in the Healer office. All the pieces were shiny and spotless. Each piece lay pristine and unused.

Vanlo very much intended to prove or disprove if Jollis were the culprit. But he had to do it in absolute secret. He had managed to assemble the apparatus clandestinely, and now he would begin smuggling ingredients from the Healer office that night. Then there would be the final matter, that of obtaining something from Jollis himself. A single hair would do.

He was not sure what he was looking forward to the least, the act of procuring a hair, or of seeing the results of his experiment were he successful.

In the stillness of the night, Amanda's thumping heart sounded loud to her, as if it alone should be enough to awaken Duric in the next room.

Staying awake long enough had not been a problem. She was so nervous that it was impossible to drift off. It was a time like this when she wished she had the equivalent of a watch so she could tell exactly how much time had passed.

Tanyee slept peacefully next to her. She had not moved in some time, and her breathing was slow and deep. Amanda hoped that meant she was in her deepest sleep cycle and least likely to be roused. Amanda had heard nothing from Duric's chamber for awhile.

She finally sat up in bed, glancing down at Tanyee again and keeping her eyes on the lanky girl as she eased herself out of bed. She was grateful for the furs that covered the floor. They easily padded her footsteps as she crossed the room and slipped into the sanitary.

She reached under the sink and pried the pearl loose from between the stones, closing her fist around it tightly. She peeked out into the bed chamber before stepping out of the sanitary. She paused, looked towards the curtains that hung before the window, and hoped that she had guessed right.

She stepped over to the curtains, her mind racing to find an alternate solution if this did not pan out, but she came up empty. Her only other choice would have been the sanitary, and she was sure someone would hear her in there.

Amanda drew back the curtain far enough to confirm one part of her guess, that it was not a window but a set of glass doors. She snapped her head back towards the bed and the entrance to Duric's chamber as she reached behind the curtain. She felt around until she touched a curved and ornately molded handle. She grasped it and pulled it down.

There was a loud "click" that made her flinch, and the door swung on its hinges when she tugged at the handle.

She let go with a soft, relieved sigh before quickly ducking behind the curtain and slipping out the door and into the night.

The chilly air hit her at once, as did the cold from the stones under her bare feet. She had stepped out onto a small, semi-circular balcony. Her skin prickled under the cold, silvery moonlight, and she shivered as she carefully closed the door behind her, making sure the latch still worked from her side.

Amanda looked out over the side of the balcony. Only one other part of the palace was visible on this side, one of the towers far off to the right. From the left she could hear the roar of the ocean, the shoreline snaking out ahead of her into the distance. Alongside it stretched shadowy hills and the outer ramparts of the palace.

She hoped no one could see her here.

Amanda glanced back towards the door one last time and placed the pearl down on the stones. She waved her hand over it and softly murmured, "I summon Sirinna."

The pearl began to glow, appearing bright in the dark of night. Amanda stood back and waited.

Jollis had instructed her that the key in Farviewing anyone was patience. People often received a Farview when they were not in a position to receive it. She had no idea how late it was. If Roquan had decided to take Sirinna to his bed that night, she might not be able to respond at all.

Instead, after what seemed a rather short time, a very familiar sight shimmered into view above the pearl.

Amanda had to resist the urge to rush forward and hug her lover. She even took a half step forward before she caught herself. The realization that she could not even share a simple embrace with Sirinna stole some of her elation.

It did little to dampen Sirinna's, however. "Amanda, I'm so glad you finally Farviewed me! Gods, I've missed you so much! I ..."

"Shhh!" Amanda hissed, feeling a pang of regret. She could see the intense emotion on Sirinna's face. Even in Farview, it was obvious.

Sirinna's eyes widened. "What's wrong, Amanda? Are you in trouble?" she asked anxiously, but in a softer voice.

"No, I'm fine, I just don't want anyone to hear," Amanda said softly but urgently. "I'm not supposed to be doing this, remember?"

"I'm sorry, love, I forgot," Sirinna said a bit sheepishly. "I-I've just missed you terribly."

Amanda heard the catch in Sirinna's voice. She swallowed and fought back tears. "I've really missed you, Sirinna. I wish I was back in the Manor with you and ..."

Amanda caught herself. She had almost said Jollis' name.

"It's okay, I understand. But this is what has to be. You know that."

Amanda just nodded. She could tell Sirinna was putting on a brave face, probably more for her own good than Amanda's.

"Are you doing well, love? Is Master Duric pleased with you? And how is Tanyee doing?"

"I'm all right. I think I'm doing okay with Master Duric. At least he gave me my scrolls."

"Oh, good. I know how important that is to you."

Amanda smiled. She was happy that Sirinna could at least recognize that. It was the first time she had come out and said it in so many words. "Tanyee is doing fine. She's very happy here. And she's rather happy to see me."

Sirinna smiled. "I knew she would be. But is everything really going okay for you, Amanda? Are you happy?"

This gave Amanda pause. She wasn't sure how to answer at first. She hoped that Sirinna was not looking for the "right" answer from her, because she did not have it. "I can't be happy away from you, Sirinna," she answered in a low voice.

Sirinna drew in her breath, letting it go as a soft sob. "Amanda ... please ... don't let this affect what you need to do. What you have to do."

"I'm trying, Sirinna. I'm trying really hard. I think I'm pleasing Master Duric now. He seems satisfied with me."

"I just don't want this to be hard for you."

Too late for that, Amanda thought ruefully. "Having my scrolls back helps. It gives me something else to think about."

Sirinna nodded. Amanda could tell that Sirinna still did not understand completely. She had that nagging feeling again, that Sirinna was simply not capable of understanding, that there was something distinctly lacking in her comprehension.

Or intelligence.

She shook off this thought. "Anyway, please don't worry about me, Sirinna, I'll be all right."

Sirinna nodded again. "I think there's someone else here that misses you, Amanda."

"Huh? Oh, you mean Master Roquan?"

"No. Master Jollis."

Amanda blinked in surprise and felt a twinge of apprehension, like a lover being caught cheating. "Master Jollis?"

"I think you made quite an impression on him. He has asked about you, wondering if you had contacted me yet."

Only then did Amanda remember that Jollis had tied a Farviewing pearl to herself. It sounded like he was waiting for her to make contact with Sirinna to know when it was safe to contact her.

Amanda had no idea if Jollis had revealed to Sirinna what he had done. Most likely not, but she did want him to know that it was okay to contact her. She missed him as well. "Please tell him that I'm okay. Um ... I'll probably be available about this time of the night to Farview. So I'll use this time to talk to you when I can. Maybe let him know that."

Amanda wondered if that was too obvious. If it was, Sirinna made no note of it. "Yes, of course, I'll talk to him tomorrow."

Amanda glanced back towards the balcony door and sighed. "I probably shouldn't stay out here for long."

"Where are you, Amanda? I mean, where are you making the Farview from? It looks almost as if you're outside."

"I am, sort of. Our chamber has a balcony."

Sirinna's eyes widened and she smiled. "A balcony? Tanyee had said that her quarters were luxurious, but I thought she had been exaggerating! Master Duric is indeed very generous!"

Amanda thought it amusing that this was considered luxurious. She knew of cheap hotel rooms back home that were more "luxurious" than this. "I better get back inside before someone wakes up and wonders where I am."

"I wish you didn't have to go, Amanda."

The emotion in Sirinna's voice was too much. Amanda sniffled and a tear ran down her cheek. She swiped at it in annoyance. "I-I know. I don't want to, either."

"Please Farview me again soon. I need to hear your voice."

Amanda nodded, tears blurring her eyes. "I will."

Sirinna's voice cracked a bit as she spoke. "Good bye, Amanda."

"G-good bye."

Sirinna turned away, her fading image betraying reluctance and hurt before it vanished from sight, the glow in the pearl disappearing with it.

Amanda had to pause to console herself before she could step forward and retrieve the pearl. She had hoped it would not be this hard.

Her fist tightened around the pearl. She looked out over the side of the balcony. She imagined this was a beautiful view in the daylight. She wondered if she could enjoy it now if she could see it.

Amanda slipped back into the chamber, shivering from the chill and her own emotions. Tanyee had moved a bit but was still asleep. Nothing stirred from Duric's chamber.

She carefully latched the door and dashed over to the sanitary. She put the pearl back in its hiding place and returned to bed. Sleep was slow to overtake her that night.

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