Yilina woke the next morning feeling more refreshed but hungry. She took human form. She used a necklace she wore to create a charm. Then she left her room. She didn’t know where to go. Most of the doors were closed and she didn’t want to go someplace she shouldn’t. She made her way down the hall to the stairs and down the main floor. There, several doors opened out to a garden. It looked very inviting so she went out. The trees and plants smelled delicious and she was reminded of how hungry she was. But, she realized a place this neat was decoration not food. She sat and watched. Some were sitting and talking, others just passing through. A few were tending to the plants. One she observed was pulling up some plans by the roots rather than harvesting the leaves or fruit. She approached. “What are you doing?” She asked. “Weeding.” Weeding? They considered those weeds? Most of her life, Yilina had been of a low enough caste she’d been relegated to eating weeks. She would have been thrilled if what the man pulling had been considered weeds back home. “You’re throwing them away?” She asked. The man nodded. “May I have them?” The man shrugged. “Help yourself.” Yilina smiled and picked up the bundle. She couldn’t resist taking a big bite of the leaves. The man looked shocked. “What are you doing?” “These are rare back home. These are a delicacy. I didn’t want them to go to waste,” she explained. “Back home? Who are you, why are you here?” The man stood. “I’m Yilina and I’m here to talk with Nim.” “Then why are you out here in the garden eating weeds?” He made a gesture and a soldier came over. Yilina grew worried. She must have committed a great offense. “What’s the problem?” The soldier asked. “This woman claims she’s here for Nim. But she’s wandering around the palace, unescorted, eating weeds.” The soldier looked at her. “She is a guest of Sir Nim and Lady Jo. She was at dinner last night. They’re busy this morning with Princess Ann. This woman eats only plants. This is probably her breakfast.” Yilina was surprised the soldier knew that much about her. There had been soldiers at dinner, but none seemed to pay that close attention. Just then, a boy approached wearing similar clothes to the other children helping. “Lady Yilina?” He asked. She nodded. “I’m to be your guide.” The guard grabbed his collar. “Why are you late? Where have you been? With Ivee?” The boy shook his head. “I was with Master Nim.” “Sir Nim,” the guard corrected. “He said to call him master. I was with him. He was teaching me a few Ertonian words to use with Lady Yilina.” “Ertonian? She speaks Menthan. You were with Ivee.” The boy shook his head. “Talk with Master Norka. She’s not here today.” “I don’t speak Menthan,” Yilina told them. “I made a charm. And when the boy spoke to me, he did use Ertonian. You heard Menthan because of the charm. The guard nodded. “Very well. The Lady’s hungry. Take her to the dining room and get her some breakfast,” he instructed. “I have food,” she told him and gestured to the weeds. The guard frowned. “If she wants that, have the chef wash and prepare it properly.” “Yes, Captain Mikna.” The boy saluted. He turned back to Yilina and took the plants from her. “You can call me Neesha. Let’s get these washed and I can show you where you can eat comfortably,” he offered and let her away. “Is it wrong for me to eat in the garden?” She asked. “No, but humans don’t usually eat those. The gardener probably thought you were some homeless peasants snuck in to steal stuff for food.” He let her back to the room where they had eaten dinner. He handed the weeds to another servant. “Captain Mikna said the chef was to prepare these for Lady Yilina’s breakfast.” The server frowned at the bundle and nodded. “Most of the servants aren’t so used to the customs of nonhumans,” the boy explained. “But you are?” “I’ve been Princess Ann’s page for several years. She’s an ambassador, so she deals with all the races. And I go to Master Nim’s school. There are dragons and elves in the class and even someone who’s part immortal. “Master Nim will come as soon as he can. Princess Ann’s being difficult. That’s his words, not mine. I like the Princess, even if she has some problems.” “They said she went power-mad.” Neesha nodded. “The other day when that man attacked her little brother. Before that…” He shrugged. “People say she’s never been right. And she ran away as a kid. When she came home, she was even worse. But Prince Andy’s good with her and Lady Jo’s been helping. She’ll get better.” Yilina frowned. Very few got better from going power-mad. A plate was set before her. The plants had been washed and chopped, but nothing else. “The chef instructed me to ask if you’d rather have this than what you had last night from now on,” the servant said. That surprised her. Back home, her status had improved since she’d been married but it wasn’t so high she could eat anything she wanted. “Don’t be afraid to say what you want,” Neesha encouraged her. “I don’t want anyone to go out of their way,” she told him. “I just didn’t want those wasted.” He nodded. “If the gardener pulls up anymore, have them given to the kitchen, but don’t go out special for it,” Neesha instructed. “Thank you.” Neesha shrugged. “It’s my job.” “I don’t think so.” “I’m supposed to help you, so it is, sort of. I said I’ve been Princess Ann’s page for years. She’s good at helping people work out problems. That’s all I did. I’m almost to the age where I’m too old to be a page. I’m hoping I’ll get promoted to steward. I like working here and meeting new people. I work hard and do everything I’m told and help when I see a need. I speak Baj-tisk and Erulian well enough to communicate and I’m learning to read and write.” “Well, you might want to stay away from Ivee while on duty.” “I do. We were both off duty when Captain Mikna saw us. He just thought we were still working. He spoke to our boss who told him we were fine. I really want to do well.” “Keep up like this, and I think you will,” she encouraged him. She ate, and he kept her company until Nim sent for them. *** Andy and Ruzi escorted Ann to the barracks. Andy held her vial to help assure she’d behave and only do what she was told. Thailyn was also there to keep an eye on her. Ann knew he was also another form of control. How much would she be willing to risk him getting hurt to escape? She was willing to cooperate for now. This was to protect her family. And she didn’t want them to take away her visits with Cari and Andy. She didn’t care about her vial. She knew how to make a new one if she needed to. They met with Jo, Nim, and a woman almost as pale as Ann who Nim introduced as Yilina. Remtani joined them shortly. Nim scried those Yilina called the lead stallions, those who ruled their herd. All three took human form when they saw who was scrying them. “Yilina, you’ve arrived safe and found the horn?” One asked. Yilina bowed her head in submission. “Yes, my lord.” “Look at someone when they address you,” he instructed. She looked up. “Has the horn been destroyed?” He asked. “Not yet, my lord.” “Why not?” Another stallion asked. Yilina’s head bowed. Janta had done some research on unicorns for Ann. He said it was a caste-based society. Lower castes were always subject to the higher. And men were also over women. Greater strength and size were seen as superior. Yilina was a small woman of a lower caste. She was at a great disadvantage. Ann gestured to Remtani to help. His size and rank would help. “Sirs, I am Prince-general Remtani, crown prince of Menthanla. I asked Yilina to delay destroying the horn until we could talk with you. She tells us that even the ash can cause problems. My sister is a mage stronger than the immortals. I have asked her to incinerate the horn for you. She can do it at such a temperature that there won’t even be any ash. Yilina believed you would want to witness this to assure you there was no trickery. If you desire, my sister can transport you here. She’s able to cross the desert in a single transport. Or you can observe in the scrying mirror.” The two stallions who had spoken looked to the third. The one who had done most of the talking looked a little hopeful. “We’ll watch from here,” the third said. Ann was pretty sure she was the only one that saw the disappointment in the first’s eyes. Remtani nodded. He produced the horn using the gloves healers used. He set it on the ground and Ann indicated for everyone to move back. She drew in as much power as she could. She put that behind the hottest fireball she ever made. Not only did the horn burn, but so did the ground around it. Once Ann could see the horn was gone, she let it burn a moment longer to ensure there was no ash and then cast a spell shield to smother the flames. The ground glowed for quite a while. “How long can you hold that?” Remtani asked. “Until you take me upstairs. But it’ll cool faster if it’s not shielded. The heat is trapped.” “I’ll post guards.” “The ground is charred,” one of the unicorns said. “Yilina should encase it and bring it back. While it’s doubtful, there might be some ash in the remains. It would be irresponsible to leave it.” Remtani nodded. “If you think that’s best.” “My Lords.” Yilina stepped forward. “Would it be permissible for me to stay and help heal the injured? Several have been seriously hurt by the horn.” The three stallions looked at each other. “You may stay to heal them,” the third said. “Your boys miss you, though. Try not to take too long,” the first added. “Yes, my lord. Thank you.” She indicated for Nim to end the spell. Ann’s ability to read body language had helped her learn so much over the years. She was surprised by what she learned with the stallion’s last statement. “May Yilina walk with me back upstairs?” Ann requested. She knew this wasn’t a good time to escape. Remtani nodded. “If she’s willing.” “The one stallion really cares for you,” she told Yilina as they went. “He’s my husband, Jamis.” “He included himself as one of your boys.” Yilina looked up in surprise. “When we were young, my father risked disgracing our family to save him. He never forgot about it. He promised my dad he’d watch out for me when my dad died. He decided the best way to do that was to marry me. “He can’t say he loves me in front of the others because they would see him as weak, but he tells me he loves me when we’re alone.” “You don’t believe him?” Ann could see the doubt. She shrugged. “I heard him tell his other wives that too when he thought they were alone.” “I don’t know how he feels about them but he does love you.” “How can you tell?” “I’m a monster that used to question people for an immortal. If I believe their lies, I’d be punished. I’ve gotten very good at reading people.” “Thank you for letting me know about him.”