After lunch, Kith offered to take the boys back to the nursery. Emeton and Borat had things to discuss in private. Pt’this went to check on Mirimar and promised to join them quickly. “Kith tells me you see some weaknesses in our security,” Tolin said as he approached Tylan. Tylan nodded. “The biggest problem is that the front portion of the palace is open to the public. That’s fine. The wings are guarded. But, the garden is open too and it appears the guestrooms are left unlocked. With as busy as the garden is, anyone could enter it, cut through an empty room and enter the private part of the palace, bypassing the guards. “The landing on the third floor for the dragons is also a way to enter the palace unseen. I know it’s on the third floor so it’s likely anyone using it is a dragon and it’s likely that anyone besides Sir Pt’this, Lady Miramar or Kith would be noticed. But, with would a guard be dispatched? Or, would it be assumed they were friends of Sir Pt’this and be ignored? In addition, I know a few humans who could get up there without so much as a rope. And I’m sure most elves could too. Now, that takes time. A guard walking by could keep an eye out.” Tolin nodded. “How long would it take?” “Up to the third floor, with walls like these, 5 to 10 minutes.” “That quick?” “I’d have to test it, but that would be my guess.” “You could do it?” “I used to sneak in and out of the orphanage that way.” Tolin frowned and she smiled. “You didn’t think I was confessing to breaking into someplace, did you?” “I wasn’t thinking that at all. I was thinking about kids sneaking out of the orphanage.” “I was not the most cooperative child. I was rather independent.” “Maybe you and Emeton would make a good couple.” It was her turn to frown. “That art exhibit also needs guards,” she said, not willing to follow that subject.” “Art exhibit?” “Where I met King Emeton last night. That awful room with that hideous dragon.” Tolin smiled. “The gallery. I thought you had to grow up here to feel that way.” “There are no guards there and while some things are hideous, other things are quite valuable. It would be nothing to walk off with any one of them. A guard at the door would prevent most of that.” “Your rumored to be quite the thief. Now, no admission of guilt implied, I’d like to see if you could steal the crown.” “The crown? Pick something challenging. He’d probably give it to me.” Tylan laughed. “Okay, Pt’this’s vial.” “His what?” “His diamond vial. It’s what a dragon uses to change forms. He usually keeps it in his room while he’s here. It’s about the size of your fist.” He looked at his hand. “Your fist, not mine. And, obviously it’s made out of a diamond.” “I do this, and you’ll have me arrested.” “I’m asking you to do this as a test. There’s no crime as long as you return it.” “Doing this will prove I’m a thief. Me being in prison will keep me away from your brother.” “All it proves is that you have the potential, not that you’ve committed any crimes. Sir Pt’this has the strongest mage strength of anyone in the four kingdoms which means he has great mage potential, but he’s not a mage. He never casts, not even to be able to see his mate.” “Are you going to warn him?” “Where’s the fun in that? If I did that, he’d keep it on him. That wouldn’t test the palace security.” “Who will know?” “For now, only me and you. I will tell the prison guards to bring you to me if you get arrested for any reason.” “How long will I have?” “Until you and Kith leave.” “I’d have one condition. I want Emeton to know what’s going on. You can give him a sealed note to open later if you want, but if that’s the case I want to witness you writing it and giving it to him.” “Don’t you trust me?” “I don’t know you. A girl’s gotta be careful.” “You’ll sleep with a virtual stranger, but not steal for one?” “It’s easier to break out of a bedroom than a prison.” Tylan shrugged. “I’ll let Emeton know. Do we have a deal?” “We do.” Tylan nodded. “Oh, one more thing, the vial’s magic. Wear silk gloves and don’t touch it directly. That will cause problems.” “I try to avoid touching anything magical.” Tylan assured him. “Okay. And I’ll smooth things over with Pt’this if he gets upset.” “What about Miramar’s vial? How do I tell them apart?” “Hers is much more ornate, and I think she keeps it with her. But, if you take the wrong one from the room, I’ll accept it.” “Deal.” “Now, I need to excuse myself. I need to keep an eye on Borat’s guards.” “Have fun.” She called as he hurried off. **** Tylan had a feeling she was going to be in Sen-gan longer than she had originally planned. It didn’t matter. She had no family or responsibilities in Thager. She had few friends. Vor and Darkham were more passing acquaintances. Kith was here. That left Darina and she’d been busy lately. Perhaps she should talk with Kith about scrying her although he hadn’t wanted to talk with her lately. Now, she needed to find something to do, besides rob Kith’s uncle, of course. She had an idea. She went to find the healer. She walked into the healer’s office and stopped short. “Can I help you?” Shunati asked. She hesitated. He smiled. “Not used to elves?” He guessed. There were very few this far south. “I know your cousin, Voramini. I just wasn’t expecting you here.” “Me? Have we met?” Shunati frowned. “It was a long time ago. I don’t imagine you’d remember. You see more sick kids than I do healers.” “Not as many as you think, especially not ones from the palace. What did I treat you for?” “Sleepless fever.” “And they had me cure it?” “It was pretty bad. I’d been sick for years. The healer my parents took me to must not have been very effective. When they died, the keepers at the orphanage called you.” Shunati frowned. “I remember that. You were about five. Your parents died in a fire and your brother died shortly after from smoke damage. You two were my first to patients as an apprentice. “I felt terrible. First, losing your brother and then not being able to repair all the damage that illness did to you. I came so close to giving up being a healer.” “But you didn’t.” Tylan pointed out. Shunati shook his head. “Vor went and got himself stabbed in the stomach.” “I saw that scar once. He wouldn’t tell me what happened.” “He went out and picked a fight with this drunk who was twice his size. We’ve always been close and he knew I wouldn’t let him die. And I wouldn’t. I healed him. He then threatened to do it again. He said I’d talked about being a healer for as long as he could remember. He was not about to let me give it up because I lost one patient.” “He cares a lot about you.” “He does.” Shunati agreed. “But, somehow I don’t think that’s what you came here for.” “No, I wanted to ask you about Bacna. I feel so bad for him. The nurse all but ignores him. What can he do? I read to him this morning but what else can I do? What can Remtani do? He wants to play with him so bad.” “How long are you staying?” Shunati raised an eyebrow. “A few days or so. But, maybe I can help teach the nurse and I can definitely help Remmy.” “Well, first, under no circumstances lift him up by his arms, or even pull on them to help him sit.” “I heard, a bad shoulder.” “Right.” He grabbed a training doll from a cabinet. “Let me show you how to pick him up when he has the splints on.” He spent the next few hours teaching her how to care for the boy, what he could do, and what to avoid. When he was satisfied and she was comfortable, he sent her off to visit the boy. **** “I just finished tucking the kids into bed in the nursery. The nurse said you spent a good portion of the afternoon in there. She also said you were bullying her,” Emeton said. He was waiting for her outside the room she was using. “You’re wasting money employing her. She doesn’t do much for the kids.” “Shunati told me you spent a few hours with him learning to care for Bacna.” “How else was I going to teach the nurse? The girl has little training. Caring for a child like Bacna requires much more than she’s had. I think the girl is afraid she’ll hurt him.” “Do you want the job?” “I have a job.” Tylan insisted. “That’s not what I heard.” Emeton grinned. “You heard wrong.” Tylan frowned. “Then, be their mother. Marry me.” He leaned in and kissed her. She kissed him back, remembering the previous night. Part of her wanted that again. But, she knew she would only encourage him. He enjoyed the previous night. That’s what he was thinking about. He couldn’t possibly love her. It wouldn’t last. Still, she enjoyed the kiss for a while before pulling away. “Not tonight,” she said. “Tomorrow?” “Never. We can’t. You need to find someone who can be queen. That’s not me.” “I disagree.” “Good night.” She slipped and to her room. She was not going to be fooled again. She locked the door, not that it would stop someone like her. There were also keys around. But, he would hear it and hopefully see it as a signal not to pester her tonight. She waited a short time. Kith had said he was going to visit with his aunt and uncle in their receiving room. He didn’t realize he was helping her out. She slipped from her room and down the hall to Pt’this’s room. The door was unlocked. She slipped inside. She stayed at the door so she could pretend she had miscounted the rooms if someone came in. She looked around the room. There wasn’t much there. There were only a few places it could be. Either Tolin had never been in this room or this was a setup. Shades, a child could do this. She slipped the ring out of her pocket and put on her finger. This allowed her to see where magic was. She could tell where the vial most likely was by the amount of magic protecting it. She debated the best way to access it without alerting Pt’this, or more likely Miramar since she probably was the one to cast the spell. She opened the drawer and pulled out two items from her pocket, another ring and a glove made out of silk with copper threads woven into it. Both had cost her a great deal of money to acquire. Both were worth every coin. The ring opened a hole into the magic barrier, allowing her to reach inside without it registering the barrier had been breached. The glove would protect her from any magic the ring missed. She grabbed a vial and pulled it out. Keeping her fist closed around it, she pulled off the glove turn it inside out around the vile. Then, she slipped it into her pocket and closed the hole in the barrier. She quickly slipped into the hall and back to her own room. She heard voices in the hall as she shut the door but they didn’t come down that way. She left the vial wrapped in the glove and slipped it under the pillow. She then changed quickly and went to bed. **** After Tylan slipped into her room, Emeton went down the hall to Pt’this is receiving room. “I don’t like tea.” Kith was insisting. “I’m fine with water.” “You’re sure?” Pt’this asked. “I drank the last of the apple juice at supper. There won’t be any more available until tomorrow. Unless I have coffee, anything else will get me drunk. I’m trying to stay sober.” “You can’t have coffee.” Miramar reminded him. “Which is why I’m drinking water.” “If Kith is happy with water, let him drink it,” Emeton said. “Is Tylan joining us?” Kith asked. “No. She’s hiding in her room.” “What did you do?” Pt’this asked. “I proposed again.” “Why?” “Because I want to marry her. She spent the afternoon learning to care for Bacna and then teaching the nurse to do the same.” “Emeton, this is not a good idea,” Pt’this said. “I think she’d make a great mother,” Miramar said. “Is that why you dragged her to the nursery?” Pt’this asked. “I wanted to see her with them. I would’ve liked more time, but what I saw was sufficient.” “So you think they should marry?” “I didn’t say that. She’d make a great wife and mother for the kids. But I don’t know enough about human politics to say if she’d be a good queen, though what I saw at lunch I’d say she would.” “What do you have against her?” Kith asked his uncle. “Honestly, she seems like a nice girl. My big concern is that she slept with him so quickly.” Pt’this explained. “If you haven’t noticed, I barely knew her either.” Emeton pointed out. “But she seduced you.” Pt’this insisted. He ignored Kith’s growl of protest. “She didn’t seduce me. She gave no hint of wanting that. I truly expect to get slapped.” “She won’t slap anyone. Not that she’d sleep with just anyone either,” Kith said. He didn’t add that it seemed like she’d come close. “She loves you too.” “Then why won’t she marry me?” “Talk to her.” “I’m trying. But every time I approach her, something comes up.” “You can still talk in that condition.” Kith grinned. “Kith! Watch your manners.” Miramar scolded. “If only that’s all it was.” Emeton sighed. Miramar may play offended that she was just as bad as Kith and Pt’this were. All three loved to tease and any topic was open, including sex. “How about this, we’ll have Elos join us tomorrow for lunch. We can see what he thinks of her as queen. If he approves, then talk to her.” Miramar suggested. “She may have a problem with the fact that your wife just died.” “You three do not repeat this, but I should of never married Nadal.” “We know.” Pt’this agreed. “I think we told you that then.” Of all the people in the palace, he and Tolin were the only ones who would dare talk to him like that. “Maybe you should listen to us this time.” He suggested. “Hush, dear.” Miramar scolded. She turned to the king. “Emeton, it’s possible you’re rushing things. Your wife just died. You just met Tylan last night and you’re already proposing. She may need to be courted.” “I know, but she’s going back to Thager soon. Kith can’t miss that much work.” “No, but I can go get some things and bring them here. If I work in the catacombs, I’ll only disturb the prisoners.” “It would still only before short time.” Emeton argued. “What law prevents you from going to Thager?” Miramar asked. “I could go for a few days.” Emeton agreed. “It’s still not a lot of time.” “What’s wrong dear?” Miramar asked, turning to Pt’this. He was frowning. “I thought I’d just sensed my vial. I shouldn’t do that when it’s put away.” “The barrier is fine. Nothing’s breached it.” Miramar assured him. “I don’t feel it anymore.” Pt’this waved it off. “Go check, just to be safe.” Kith suggested. Pt’this went to the door. “There’s no one out here. All the unused rooms are locked.” “Did my lord need something?” The page asked when he checked the stairs. “Did anyone come past here?” “Lord Kith’s friend, Lady Tylan I believe her name was, and his highness King Emeton came up earlier. Neither have left.” “No one more recently?” “No, Sir.” “Thank you.” He went back in to the receiving room. “No one’s been through. If someone removed it, I’d feel it.” He shrugged. “Well, I don’t know about you men, but it’s been a long day for me,” Miramar said, getting to her feet. “I’m going to bed.” Pt’this stood too. “Do you need help getting changed?” She smiled. “If you’re so inclined,” she turned to the others. “Goodnight, gentlemen.” She said and then left. “Goodnight,” Pt’this said, following her. The expression he wore said they wouldn’t be sleeping soon. “And he criticizes me,” Emeton said, shaking his head. “Oh, he’s hopeless,” Kith said. “I think I’m going to bed too.” “So, I suppose, shall I, alone.” He gave out and exaggerated sigh. “I know.” Kith agreed.