For the second day in a row since the incident with Tarras, Q'yros avoided contact with the Emperor. He did not need any distractions from "that oaf on the throne" as he now thought of the man. Even when Z'haas sent a message demanding an audience to learn the state of security of the Imperium, Q'yros responded by parchment.

The Mage had no further patience for the Emperor. His focus was to protect the Imperium, but not necessarily protect the man himself. He felt little remaining loyalty to Z'haas, but he had been entrusted with an important task, and he intended to see that through to the end.

And then there was his obsession with catching Janna in an act of sabotage or espionage.

The shimmering image of Rithas V'honna stood regally before Q'yros in the Mage's chamber, arms folded over his massive chest, narrowed eyes looking down on the Mage from a haggard and cold face. The man towered over Q'yros' form, but the Mage hardly noticed, raising himself to his full height and casting his own hard look back.

"I must say, Q'yros, I have some doubts of the wisdom of deploying my troops in the lands surrounding the palace," said Rithas in a dismissive tone. "It was intended that these two legions form part of the southern spearhead into Colosian territory."

The Mage warned himself to remain calm. Rithas was filled with ego and self-assurance. It took patience to deal with the man. "I am well aware of this, as you have mentioned it numerous times. But the fact remains that this is how the Emperor wishes his forces to be deployed."

Yes, and let's make sure he knows exactly who is truly in charge of these troops of "his", Q'yros thought. He felt bitter that he defended a man in whom he had no faith.

Rithas raised an eyebrow. "Be that as it may, it has been rather difficult keeping the men convinced that we are to head off into battle as a second front. We ..."

Q'yros frowned. "I beg your pardon?"

A supercilious smile spread across Rithas' face, as if he relished the fact that he knew something that Q'yros did not. It still grated on him that he had to take marching orders from a Mage. "It was Emperor Z'haas' idea, to keep the Urisi contingents in line. Though their regiment commanders are still grumbling about not being part of the lead force, so I am not sure how effective the ruse is."

Q'yros considered for a moment.

"Really, Q'yros, is there a reason for us being held back? Personally, I agree with the Urisi. We should move out and join the main force. They are only five days out. We could ..."

"General, there is a reason for you being held back, a very good reason," the Mage interrupted loudly. "The palace will likely be threatened with attack shortly. Perhaps in less than a quarter moon."

A speculative look came over Rithas' face. "I find that hard to believe."

"Nevertheless, you will believe it. And you will make the Urisi believe it as well."

"Oh? I am to tell them that there is a rebellion they need to help quash for the Emperor?"

Q'yros shook his head. "No. You will tell them that we have learned that the Colosians have managed to slip a contingent of troops across our border in a desperate attempt to catch the Imperium off-guard."

Rithas frowned. "Are you serious?"

"Serious about the idea of Colos attacking us? No. Serious that I want you to tell them this, yes."

"Are you saying there is a valid threat to the Imperium?"

Q'yros took another deep breath and forced himself to remain patient, though there was a growing edge to his voice. "Yes, Rithas, that is what I have been saying all along."

Rithas gave a single bark of derisive laughter. "And what am I to tell them when they see the approaching army flying the colors of a Noble Lord?"

"I have faith you will think of something. Perhaps it is simply a ruse to sow confusion in the ranks, that sort of thing."

Rithas smirked, setting the Mage's teeth on edge. "You are the purveyor of magic here, not me," he said with another laugh. "All right. I will keep the Urisi in line as much as possible and in the dark concerning the real situation. May I at least have some intelligence as to the forces I will be facing?"

"I do not have that information yet, General. I should soon from the Imperial patrols."

"The ones you are commanding, Q'yros?"

The disdain in Rithas' voice made Q'yros gaze turn icy. "Do not concern yourself with that, General. I have it well in hand."

"Do you? I am unaware of your past military experience. Do enlighten me, please."

Q'yros could tell this was someone hand-picked for the job by Z'haas. He shared a lot of the same infuriating qualities as the Emperor. It was clear that V'honna was hoping to become Z'honna in the future.

"It is simply a matter of being more clever than the enemy," Q'yros explained with forced calm. "For example, I modified the patrol schedules yesterday. They should be using the new ones today."

Rithas raised an eyebrow. "Again?"

"Yes, again! I thought this would meet with your approval." Not that I need it, you stupid oaf, Q'yros added in his head.

The General considered. "Well, varying your patrols is indeed a valid strategy. But soldiers are creatures of habit, Q'yros. They do better with things that are repetitious. It is hard to have them change so often. Expect some mistakes and gaps."

"I will leave it to their commanders to prevent such things."

Rithas shrugged. "Very well. Please inform me if you have any further news on our potential enemy. Or better, send a Mage to cast some illusions that the enemy is a horde of rabid Colosian peasants."

He laughed heartily at his own joke as Q'yros made a vicious slashing motion with his hand and terminated the Farview.

Q'yros now he needed to deal with one last thing. The remaining ten Lords at the Palace had to be cleared out. He knew Z'haas would not tolerate them remaining until dusk.

Which meant that he had one last chance to catch Janna in the act.

The first full day of the march had been productive. Not only had the patrol schedules been true and allowed them unmolested and undetected passage, the weather had been very good, and they had covered more ground than they had expected.

Now the second day dawned bright and clear, and it appeared they would gain more ground. If this continued, Yollon could shave a complete day off his original estimate and get to the Imperium in four days instead of five.

His army had just begun the day's march, the column of men like a giant snake twisting down the path into the valley, when Yollon received the Farview summons.

Yollon did not slow his pace. He continued to guide his horse as he blazed the trail before his army. He turned his head to the side before he said, "Accept summons."

An image appeared to his right, out of the horse's vision. "General Yollon! This is Scout Patrol Two! Imperial patrol sighted!"

Yollon frowned. "Where?"

"We spotted them at the hilltop outside the town of Hellas. Moving west by northwest down the Hellas trade road that crosses Kennen field."

"Were your men detected?"

"No, General. We had sufficient cover on the hilltop and waited until they were out of sight of us before pulling back. Your orders?"

Yollon paused in thought, but not for long. "Stand by, Scout Leader, remain where you are unless you're out-flanked. You are not to let them spot you under any circumstances."

"Yes, General!"

Yollon gave a curt nod as the Farview faded. He called out for his adjunct.

Donlas spurred his horse and came alongside the General. "Yes?"

"Scout Patrol Two encountered Imperials. Hellas road towards Kennen Field."

Donlas' jaw dropped. "What? But ... that doesn't make sense!"

"Is that a significant deviation from the patrol schedule?"

"That's an understatement, General."

Yollon nodded once. "Which means the schedule has been changed."

"Hellfire ... are you going to stop the march?"

"Get a report from the flanks at the end of the valley," Yollon ordered. "If they give the all-clear, we continue at least through the valley and out the other end. I don't want to waste a day's march if we don't have to."

"Yes, General. But if the schedule has changed, we can't go very far before we are eventually discovered. Not without knowing the new schedule."

"Understood. I will contact Lord Duric at once."

"We will need to vacate the palace today, Tarras," said Lord Uras as he walked with his fellow Lord down the corridor leading away from the cafe.

"Yes, it is surprising to me how many of our lot have hung around this long, especially when there was the initial mass exodus," Tarras commented lightly.

"I have to admit ..." Uras paused as they passed yet another guard. He lowered his voice when he spoke again. " ... I am getting antsy myself to get out of here. I do not care for being so scrutinized in this manner."

"And it is best we are not here anyway for other reasons."

"Hrm, yes. I hope that is well in hand."

"I certainly hope so as well. Though you must not stray too far from the palace."

Uras waved a hand in annoyance. "Yes, yes, you have no need to tell me that! I will have my entourage make camp half a day's travel from the palace, and I have arranged for a merchant to deliver us a few days' supplies. I will be ready when needed to occupy the throne temporarily."

"My apologies, Lord Uras. I simply want to make sure everything is covered."

Uras nodded. He grinned. "On a far more pleasant note ... where is the fair maiden that is your right hand these days, hmm?"

Tarras smiled. "Do not let her hear you call her a fair maiden, Uras."

Uras laughed. "Why do you think I mention it now when she is not here?"

Tarras chuckled. "She left the meal early. She said she was being Farviewed."

Uras' good humor quickly evaporated. "It had better not be bad news!"

Tarras stopped walking as he looked down the corridor ahead of him. "Unfortunately, I believe we are to find out that this is not the case."

Uras frowned as he spotted Janna running towards them. She came to a stop before them, panting. "I have to talk to you, now," she said. She glanced at the guards. "In private."

Tarras nodded and quickly shepherded the three of them to his room. As soon as he closed the door behind them, Janna started talking furiously.

"Duric told me that his army encountered a patrol. His general thinks the patrol schedule was changed."

"Hellfire," Uras muttered and went looking for the liquor.

Tarras sighed. "Perhaps, then, our ruse was not completely successful. Is Duric's army now stuck?"

"He said they can march today but they need an updated schedule to avoid them tomorrow."

"How far out from the Palace is his army, Janna?"

"Four days. Tarras, he wants me to see if I can get the new schedule for him."

"Absolutely not!" Uras declared as he lifted a goblet to his lips. He paused to take a long drink. "It was close enough of a call the first time!"

"And what is Duric supposed to do?" Janna demanded hotly. "Just let his army founder? Or alert the Emperor too early?"

"The Emperor will learn of the impending attack eventually, Janna," said Tarras.

"I know that, but every day we delay that means that much more advantage to Duric, doesn't it? You told me there are multiple directions from which someone could approach the palace. Being able to hide what direction you're coming from means they have to spread their defenses out in a perimeter, like I saw on that map."

Tarras nodded slowly. "Indeed, true. But what it comes down to, Janna, is this: do you want to go through with it again?"

"Yes, I do. Duric is depending on me. We came this far. I can't just abandon him."

Uras frowned deeply. Tarras stepped up to Janna and put his hands on her shoulders. He gazed into her eyes and saw determination there, the kind that had attracted him in the first place. He also saw fear. Not a debilitating panic, but a healthy fear, the kind that tends to keep one alive.

"Janna, if you truly feel the need to do this," he said, his voice edged with concern, his eyes betraying his own fears. "Then you should do it."

"You are both insane!" Uras cried, throwing up his free hand and causing a few drops of brandy to splash out of his goblet. "How are you going to pull it off a second time? Simulate another attack on your person?"

Tarras shook his head. "No, we need a bigger distraction than that."

Uras made a face. "Well, I wager firing a cannon in the cafe might do the trick, but you can see the obvious flaws in that plan," he said in a mocking voice.

"Lord Uras, really, we don't need this sort of thing."

"I am simply trying to convince you of your folly! How are you going to pull the guards away from the tower this time around?"

Tarras looked thoughtful for a few long moments. He folded his hands behind him and strolled around the room. Finally he turned towards the others. "We give Z'haas a small taste of his worst nightmare."

Janna's eyes widened and exchanged a look with Uras. "I beg your pardon?" said Uras.

"Lord Uras, how many Lords are remaining?"

"Including us? Ten. Why?"

"How would you think Z'haas would react if nine Lords suddenly descended upon his throne room loudly demanding an audience?"

Uras nearly choked on his brandy. "You truly are insane! He would likely think it was a palace revolt!"

"Yes, and that would bring every guard running, wouldn't it?"

"And risk our necks in the process!"

"Then I suppose you need to ask yourself, Lord Uras: how important is it to you to get Z'haas off the throne? How important is it to the other Lords? Or have you forgotten my words at the Caucus about whose blood might spill?"

Janna kept looking between Tarras and Uras. She was not sure she wanted the other Lords involved. She did not want to risk anyone else's life, but she was out of options herself. Without someone to draw away the guards, she did not have a chance of pulling it off a second time.

Uras glowered, took a long drink of his brandy, and then gave a windy sigh. "Very well. I will summon the other Lords."

"I would suggest this," began Tarras. "Talk privately to each Lord first and appraise him of the situation. Then be obvious about your intentions in the halls. Let the guards see and hear that something is up."

"I better get into position, then," said Janna. She tried not to let her anxiety show. "I just hope no one spots me going along the side of the palace in broad daylight."

Uras managed a smile. "My dear, I can only hope that if someone did see you, they would be so astonished by your nudity, or so taken with your beauty, that they will not be able to act."

Janna blushed, giving Lord Uras a small smile.

"My Lord, he has gathered several of the Noble Lords now and is continuing to rouse the remaining ones. I think they may be planning to head for the throne room."

Q'yros had already heard of a ruckus among the Lords and was rushing as fast as his aged frame could go. He was panting lightly and his joints screamed. "Have you informed the Emperor of this yet?"

"No, my Lord, I was to do that after I have finished informing you."

"Belay that. Do not inform him under any ..."

"I am sorry, my Lord, but Emperor Z'haas gave me explicit orders himself that he is to be notified of any possible hostile movements by the Noble Lords."

"When did he tell you this?"

"Yesterday, my Lord."

Q'yros grumbled a curse. Already the Emperor was starting to go over his head. "Very well. But give me a few moments to get to my spell room. And send a contingent of guards to that location as well!"

"My Lord, I'd prefer to have every available man to ..."

"Blast that! I need some men! That's an order!"

"Yes, my Lord, at once!"

Q'yros cut the Farview as he began panting in earnest. He walked with a slight limp, his gout having acted up again that morning. He was almost drained of magical power. He would be bedridden if he kept this up for much longer. But if his suspicions were correct, he would have plenty of time to rest after that morning.

The Mage entered the room and closed the door with a thunderous slam. He waved his staff over the broken table. "Show me! Where is Lady Janna?"

The image shimmered to life, but it was even dimmer, and some of the edges were fuzzy and indistinct. The dot appeared in the gardens and wavered.

Q'yros gritted his teeth and held out a shaking hand, trying to channel more power to it. The image became a little more solid, the dot steady. And as before, it was not moving. It remained rock-still.

The Mage thumped his staff once and the image dissipated. He headed out of the chamber just as two guards marched down the corridor towards him. "So, two whole guards? Could he spare it, I wonder?" Q'yros said sourly. He sighed and shook his head. "No matter. Follow me."

Janna did not bother with stealth. As bright as the day was, she simply moved as fast as she could along the south side of the palace. She reached the portico in what seemed a rather short time to her. Everything looked different during the day. It almost seemed pleasant.

She was about to pull herself up when she heard footsteps. She waited. Despite the chill of the morning, the sun felt warm on her naked body. She had to squint in the bright daylight.

She heard the footsteps retreat and fade. She pulled herself up, vaulted the railing, and dashed behind the central column. When she heard no sound for some time, she crept out from behind it and stepped up to the right side of the entrance. She leaned forward and peeked out enough just far enough to confirm that a guard was still posted at the entrance to the tower.

Janna quickly returned to the column and waited.

Q'yros calmly stood at the end of the path with his hands folded over the end of the staff as the two guards waded into the foliage. Finally, one of them looked down. He bent over briefly and came up with a woman's dress. The other guard stepped over to him and reached down as well. When he straightened up, he held a petticoat.

Both guards, appearing a bit bewildered, turned to Q'yros.

The Mage nodded. "As I thought. Bring them here."

Oh, so clever of you, my dear Janna, Q'yros thought. So very clever.

As the two guards picked their way through the bushes, Q'yros heard the jingle of armor. He turned his head in time to see one of Z'haas' personal guards approach.

"What is it now?" the Mage demanded.

The Imperial guard came to a stop. "My Lord, you would not answer a Farview ..."

"I was busy."

"The Emperor wishes you in his presence at once."

"It will wait. I do not have time for ..."

"I am sorry, my Lord, he insists on it. He is being besieged in his inner sanctum and demands protection." He gestured to the other two guards as they stepped onto the path. "I am to take these two to join the others. He is summoning all the palace guards to his side."

The Mage snorted as he took the pieces of clothing from the guards. "A group of aging Noble Lords with soft bellies and no weapons is hardly going to be besieging anyone! And I need these guards!"

"I am sorry, my Lord, but the Emperor commands and we must obey."

Q'yros narrowed his eyes. "Wait a moment. He is summoning all the guards? Even the ones guarding the towers?!"

"Yes, my Lord."

"Argh!!" Q'yros growled. He thrust out his hand and gave the Imperial guard a magical push that sent him sprawling. The Mage stormed away.

"Wait, my Lord! The Emperor! He summons you as well to ...!"

But Q'yros ignored him, and was soon gone.

Lord Uras came to a stop and held out an arm to signal the other Lords to halt as well. Before him, the passage to the throne room was barred by a line of guards.

Commander Gruth stepped forward. "You are to go no further, my Lord."

Uras stepped forward as well. Guards on either side of Gruth placed their hands on the hilt of their swords. The Noble Lord ignored them. "You will stand aside, Commander," Uras said calmly. "We have business with the Emperor."

"I am sorry, my Lord. No one is to see the Emperor. This is by his command."

"The voice of the Nobility will be heard!" Uras declared, which was met with a round of supporting calls from the Lords gathered behind him. "The Emperor cannot ignore us!"

"The Emperor has instructed me that you are engaged in an illegal assembly. You must all return to your quarters at once and prepare to leave the palace by day's end."

"Nor can he silence us! We will not be cowed by his empty threats!"

Commander Gruth gestured, keeping his gaze locked on Uras. The guards nearest him drew their swords and stepped forward. Guards flanking the group of Lords did the same thing, but took no further action.

Lord Uras kept his sharp gaze on the Commander. He did not flinch or even flick his eyes towards the guards. He took a step back, then raised his hands to his sides and turned them towards the Commander. It was a well-recognized Narlassi gesture that said that not only was he unarmed, he would not retaliate if force were used against him. He would resist, but he would not fight back.

Tarras did the same. The other Lords swiftly followed suit.

"It is up to you now, Commander," said Uras. "Will you strike down men that will not fight back?"

Gruth started to look a little exasperated. "My Lord, please do not make this difficult. The Emperor has declared that you cannot assemble here."

"We are entitled to do so by the Charter."

"The Charter says nothing about freedom of assembly, my Lord."

"But it does say that the Lords are entitled to a redress of grievances! We have not had this from the Emperor! He had refused to speak to us for the past few days! He must honor this provision in the Charter!"

"My Lord, you ..."

"And we will not leave until he has done so." Lord Uras stepped back and joined the others.

Commander Gruth sighed. He was not sure how to handle this situation. Being a guard at the Imperial Palace had been a relatively easy job simply because no one could get close enough to the Emperor to be a serious threat.

He knew he could have the guards push the Lords away. But if they resisted, the guards would have to apply force, and he was sure some of the Lords would get bruised or even bloodied from it.

He needed guidance from the Emperor, but Z'haas refused to respond to Farview, and the only one he would now allow in his inner sanctum was Q'yros. Gruth was disconcerted by the Mage's absence.

Gruth had the guards maintain their intimidating stance and gestured for more guards to unsheathe their swords and brandish them near the Lords. He hoped that keeping up the pressure would help discourage them. So far, however, it was having little effect.

The Commander now considered his next move, though there was scant little he could do without further orders at this point.

Janna did not worry about neatness this time. She figured she would never do this again, and by the time Q'yros discovered the deception, Duric's army would be on its way. She was told that the army needed only another day or two of clear travel. At that point, Duric's general could likely avoid the patrols on his final approach with good scouting.

She found the new schedule and answered Duric's summons. Both Duric and Annas appeared.

"You really must tell me when this is over why you keep spying in the nude, Janna," Duric said with a smirk.

Janna rolled her eyes. "At this point, I'm just glad this is almost over."

"Just another moment," said Annas. From the fleeting glances of Janna, it was clear he did not mind how many times Janna did this. "And ... done."

Janna rolled up the scroll and hastily tied the string around it. "All right, that's it for me, Duric. I have to leave the palace today. I won't be able to do this again."

"Janna, I don't want you to do this again," said Duric. "It's enough I had to ask you the first time. I wasn't even sure you could do it again."

"I wasn't sure either, and I'm not happy with what the others had to do to help."

Duric frowned. "The other Lords are not getting in trouble for this, are they?"

"Look, I'll talk to you later, Duric. I have to go."

She turned away before the Farview terminated.

Janna dashed down the stairs, her feet hardly making any sound at all against the carved stone. By the time she reached the last step, she was breathing a little hard. She stopped at the entrance, ducked to the side, and listened.

In the time it took her to catch her breath, she heard nothing. She cautiously peeked outside and saw no guard standing by the door. Whatever Tarras and Uras had managed to do, it had pulled all the guards to them. She felt a twinge of anxiety, wishing she knew if they were okay or not.

She stepped out of the tower and started away. Just short of the portico, she suddenly stopped and uttered a small gasp.

"Good day to you, Lady Janna," said Q'yros with a placid smile.

Janna's eyes widened and she swallowed, unable to say a word.

The Mage lifted the dress and petticoat into her view. "Can I take this to mean that clothing is optional around the Keyas court?"

Janna's eyes flicked around the corridor. There were no guards, only the Mage. An idea flashed through her head. She just needed to head away from the palace, before they could summon any guards to follow her. She could cross the river and head into the forest. Then she would wait for Duric to Farview her next and she could tell him of her predicament. Duric's army would arrive and pick her up.

She met Q'yros' inquisitive, smug look, then broke and ran.

The Mage appeared to make no move to stop her. His head turned as she ran. She entered the portico as headed straight for the railing.

Finally, just as Janna was about to reach it, he lifted his staff and pointed it at Janna's feet, then abruptly pulled it away.

Janna uttered a startled cry as her feet were yanked out from under her. She fell hard to the floor, knocking the wind from her. Before she could recover enough to stand up, Q'yros had stepped up to her. He pulled the waist cord from Janna's dress and dropped it over her feet. She tried to kick it away from her, but the bit of magic that the Mage had already imbued upon the cord made it wrap itself painfully tight around her ankles, immobilizing them.

She turned herself over so that she was on her back, looking up at him with terrified, yet defiant eyes, breathing hard.

Q'yros had to pause a moment. Those last bits of magic were a strain on him, even as simple as they were. "You are a fool, Janna."

"Not as big a one as you are," she retorted with a quavering voice.

The Mage raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Janna tried to work her feet loose. She winced as the cord dug into her skin even worse than before. "Someone of your obvious talent, and you waste it working for the likes of Z'haas."

"What I am doing now, child, is for the good of Oceanus, not for the person that sits upon the throne!"

Janna looked confused. She thought this an odd statement. She shifted her legs and immediately regretted it. "Oww!"

"And do not fight your bonds. They only grow tighter the more you fight them. I assume you want to keep your feet." He reached into his robes and took out a pearl. "Commander Gruth."

There was a short wait before the image of the commander formed before him. "My Lord, the Emperor desires your presence at once!" he exclaimed.

"I will be there shortly. I need you to send two guards to the southeast tower."

"But my Lord, the Emperor ..."

" ... does not know of the spy I have just captured. Do it. Now."

Q'yros immediately terminated the Farview. He looked down at Janna and smiled. "Do you wish to save us all a lot of time now and simply tell me what Duric is up to?"

Janna frowned and drew her lips to a tight, thin line.

"Oh, but I already know, you see. Duric has an army on the way, doesn't he? And you were giving Duric the patrol schedules. Foolish girl. Do you think I cannot simply change them again?"

Janna had a response to that. Tarras had told her at one point that it would take a full day for another change to take effect. And Q'yros was changing it so often that the field commander may be loathe to implement it so soon. A Mage being put in charge of the armed forces was already so unusual (and hearkened back to darker days in Narlassi history) that Tarras would have been surprised if they were not chafing under this command structure.

But this would just give away the fact that Duric's army was indeed on the way. For all she knew, he was simply fishing.

"I have no idea what you are talking about," Janna retorted.

Q'yros sighed and shook his head. "So be it. I will let the Emperor decide what to do with you."

As the Mage turned away to await the arrival of the guards, and as she struggled to keep her legs absolutely still, a new plan came into her head: survive, until Duric's army had managed to destroy Z'haas' rule.

She hoped she was given the opportunity to live that long.

"This is what I have warned you about all along, Q'yros!" Z'haas shouted as he paced like a nervous animal in a cage. "We should have sent them all home the first day! Or arrested the lot of them! Now they are rising up in revolt!"

The Mage stood placidly by the side, waiting out the Emperor's rant. He could hear the hint of outright terror in the Emperor's voice. Z'haas truly believed that this incident was the beginning of the end of his reign.

But then again, it could be, if the Emperor remained blind even now to the real danger.

Z'haas finally rounded on Q'yros and shook a finger at him, his eyes blazing with a mix of fury and fear. "I told you this from day one, and you refused to believe me! You refused! Give me one reason why I should not demand your head for this?!"

The Mage waited until the echo from the Emperor's bellow had faded. With utter calm, he said, "If you were to claim my head, my Emperor, you would not learn of the spy I have just captured."

Z'haas' eyes widened. "Spy? Spy?! Who is it? One of the Lords?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. Lady Janna. You remember her, do you not? She is the representative for Lord Duric."

"This only proves what I have said, Q'yros! I was right all along! It is about time you ..."

"I humbly beg your pardon, my Emperor," Q'yros said loudly. "But I am not finished. You need to know what the spy did. She went into the tower where we do out war planning and sent to Lord Duric all the information on our patrols that watch all approaches to the Imperial Palace."

Z'haas did not reply. His face betrayed rage and confusion both.

The Mage pleaded silently with the gods for continued patience. "The patrols watch all approaches as a precaution, on the oft chance that Overlord Gronnus was correct and that Lord Duric is sending an army to the Imperial Palace. And I caught Lady Janna attempting to send the very information that Duric would need to get past those patrols. Do you understand the implication now, my Emperor?"

Q'yros had tried unsuccessfully to keep the sarcastic bite from his voice, but the Emperor was in no condition to notice it.

Z'haas' mouth dropped open, his eyes wide. "Lord Duric ... " he muttered.

He curled his fingers into a fist and raised it. "Lord Duric," he repeated through clenched teeth.

He turned away from Q'yros and pounded his fist onto the hand rest on his throne. "TRAITOR!!"

Q'yros stepped up to him. "My Emperor, the Lords outside are nothing more than a ruse, a distraction, a way to get you to call all your guards to your presence and leave the southeast tower open for Janna. I have stopped this. Janna is no longer a threat, and neither are any of the remaining Lords."

The Mage chose not to mention that Janna had indeed successfully transmitted the information she wanted, and thus did give Duric's army another day of advantage.

Z'haas spun around. "I should have them all executed! Every last one of them! Starting with Janna!"

Q'yros took a deep breath. He was determined not to let himself grow upset or impatient. "Janna should be kept alive as a possible source of information and a potential bargaining chip with Duric. The other Lords are inconsequential. Send them away."

"Q'yros, how long until Duric's army is here? How long?!"

"I cannot tell you exactly without interrogating Janna. But she would not have attempted this if the army had not already been launched. I would say three, maybe four days."

Z'haas gave Q'yros a haunted look. He turned slowly away from the Mage and collapsed into his throne, dropping his face into his hands.

Q'yros sensed that the Emperor was vulnerable now from having been dealt such a large blow by reality. Z'haas was finally awake to the danger, and it terrified him to the core. Thus the Mage had to strike now to get what he wanted.

"My Emperor, it is imperative we leave nothing to chance. I would suggest contacting the general in charge of your incursion force and recall a legion to bolster our defenses."

"The incursion force is five days out, Q'yros!" cried Z'haas. "It will not get here in time!"

Q'yros stepped upon the dais. "It need not. Even if Duric's army were to be a match for your legions now present, they cannot be overrun. The palace need hold out for only a day or two before reinforcements arrive. Then Duric's army will be crushed from two sides. Even if they somehow managed to break into the palace, you can be made safe until your legion arrives. Either way, Duric's army will be destroyed so long as the throne remains yours."

Z'haas' eyes shimmered as he stared at Q'yros. After a long pause, he nodded. "Yes, I will do that at once. I will summon a legion back to the palace. Duric's army will not be allowed to take the Imperium from me! Thank you, Q'yros. I do not know what I would do without you."

Q'yros realized that this was the first time the Emperor had shown any true appreciation for his work. "I will take care of the Lords outside the audience chamber, my Emperor."

"Yes, please, send them away. I want their presence removed at once!"

The Mage nodded, and turned away.

Z'haas looked at Q'yros' retreating back and frowned suddenly. "Q'yros!"

The Mage stopped, sighed, and turned. "Yes, my Emperor?"

"Why are you carrying a lady's dress? And a petticoat?"

"Ah, yes, these." He held them up. "Lady Janna's. She had guessed that I had been tracking the Lords by their possessions. She shed these before attempting to sneak into the tower."

The Emperor gave him an odd look. "You do not mean to tell me she skulked the corridors of the palace nude, do you?"

"I mean exactly that. She sits even now in a prison cell naked."

"Surely you intend to give her her clothing back."

The Mage considered, then grinned. "No, I do not. Perhaps if her modesty were sufficiently compromised, she will be more willing to talk."

The Emperor frowned. "I do not condone such a thing, Q'yros, it smacks of indecency to me, but I will leave it in your hands."

Q'yros had to suppress a chuckle at the unintended humor. "I will do my best, my Emperor."

"I checked with the other Lords, Tarras," said Lord Uras in a low voice, leaning closer to Tarras. "No one else could hear exactly what the commander was saying to Q'yros."

Tarras nodded solemnly without saying a word. He maintained an outward veneer of calm, but there was worry in his eyes. He did not like the fact that after the commander was done with his Farview, he had ordered away two guards.

He looked past Commander Gruth. "Something is happening."

Lord Uras turned. At the end of the hall, the great double doors of the audience chamber were opening.

"It is about time," Uras declared loudly, mostly for the others' benefit. "Perhaps now we will be heard!"

Tarras' face drew into a slight frown as he saw the Mage's robes. "Somehow, I doubt that," he said darkly.

Uras stared at the approaching figure and made an indignant noise. "What is this?!"

Commander Gruth and one other guard moved aside to allow Q'yros through. He stood before the others and smiled pleasantly.

Tarras' frown deepened. He did not like that expression on the Mage's face at all. And he wondered with increasing dread what was in his hand.

"What is this, Q'yros?" Uras demanded a second time. "We wish to speak with the Emperor, not his high-priced lackey!"

Normally, Q'yros would have bristled at being addressed in such a disrespectful manner. Instead, he maintained his calm demeanor and smug air. "My Lords, I represent the Emperor in everything. Speaking with me is as good as speaking with him."

"Oh, is that so, Q'yros? Then perhaps you can address ..."

Q'yros held up a hand for silence. "You did not let me finish, Lord Uras," he said smoothly. "I was about to say that I do not wish to speak with you. Ergo, the Emperor does not wish to speak with you, either. Or hear from you. Or see you. You are all to vacate the Palace at once. Oh, and Lord Tarras?"

Tarras narrowed his eyes. "Yes?"

The Mage tossed Janna's dress and petticoat at him. Tarras caught them. His lips parted, and his eyes betrayed a momentary look of horror as he turned them over in his hands.

Uras was flabbergasted. "Tarras ... that's not ... i-it can't ..." he sputtered.

Tarras looked up. Where horror had been, now anger burned.

He threw the pieces of clothing down and stepped towards the Mage. "If you have done anything to harm her ..."

Two guards drew their swords and crossed them in front of him a mere hand-width from his face.

"You will what, Lord Tarras? Fake another attack on your person and rescue her like some tawdry fantasy tale?" said Q'yros with a sneer.

Some of the other Lords looked bewildered, having no idea what was going on.

Lord Tarras seethed for a moment, his gaze like ice. He finally turned around and said loudly, "My fellow Lords, you should know now that the Emperor has arrested and is holding a Noble Lord against her will!"

"Lady Janna?!" blurted one of the Lords in astonishment.

"The Charter states that any transgressions by a Noble Lord against the throne shall be brought to the attention of the Nobility and a court convened of peers such that ..."

"There will be no court held, Lord Tarras!" Q'yros called out. "She is guilty of treason against the Oceanus Nation."

"That has yet to be proven!" Uras shouted. "And it will be done through proper court proceedings, and not the way you handled the revolt! You will not hold any summary judgments or ..."

"Enough! There will be no debate. It ends here. Your Caucus is over. The Emperor has a war to carry out. You are to leave for your own safety."

Tarras reached down and picked up the dress and petticoat again. He squeezed them tightly in his hand and turned back to face Q'yros. "From your mighty words, Mage, and the fact that we have not seen Z'haas for some time would suggest perhaps we are actually speaking to the Emperor now."

A collective gasp went up among some of the Lords. The idea of a Mage usurping the throne was from a very old, dark period of early Narlassi history.

Q'yros offered a thin smile. "Very good, Tarras. You play the crowd well. But you are mistaken. Fenric Z'haas is still the Emperor. His attentions are simply consumed by the war. And your continued presence and rabble-rousing is not helping." He turned away from the others. "Commander, see them to their quarters and out of the palace as soon as they are ready. Provide carriages where needed."

"Yes, my Lord," said Gruth, grateful to have clear orders again. After the Mage left, he and the other guards closed around the Lords. "My Lords, you heard his orders. We can make this easy and painless, or someone can get hurt. It will not be us."

Uras stared at him for a few moments, then turned to Tarras in desperation. "Well??"

Tarras gripped the dress even more tightly and closed his eyes briefly. He took a slow, deep breath. "We will go."

"He is keeping Lady Janna here!"

"I know that!" Tarras shouted. He paused and took a moment to calm himself. "I know that, Lord Uras, but we will do her no good if we are bloodied or beaten. And we need to contact Lord Duric at earliest opportunity."

Uras sighed in defeat but nodded. He turned to the other Lords. "This is over. For now. Do not antagonize them any further. I will be contacting all of the Lords soon."

Tarras looked down at the dress and petticoat. He heaved a heavy sigh, his eyes glistening.

Please be well, Janna, he thought as he followed the others.

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