"You panicked," Menelt said, coming to stand behind Princess Estina.

She didn't answer. She didn't even turn on the large rock that she was sitting on. Instead, Princess Estina maintained her poise of solitude, only Menelt bold enough to dare break it. Alone and overlooking the ravine, the forest trees standing tall at their backs, the rest of Menelt's men were a good hundred meters back setting up camp.

Gone were Princess Estina's refined, elegant clothes and signet to signify her position. Now, she was dressed in simple brown trousers and an unflattering lose, long sleeved shirt. Her healthy frame bore a thick silver chest plate; a luxury that Menelt only afforded for her - everyone else donned the simple leather armor of the clansmen. Princess Estina's long black hair was the only thing that remained of her previous life, and of course her brother Alain, who was still determined to follow her wherever she went.

"What good am I going to be, if all I'm going to do is panic?" she finally asked, kicking the rocks at her feet in anger. "If it wasn't for Srenlat and Crolet, I'd be dead right now." The Princess sighed. "They must think I'm a joke."

"If Srenlat and Crolet thought you were a joke, they wouldn't have saved you," Menelt said evenly. "The man who attacked you was twice your size."

Princess Estina managed to scoff. "Since when were you a man to add honey to your words to try to make me feel better? In the past two years, you've always spoken the truth and for that, I've always respected you."

"I've seen some of my toughest and strongest fighters freeze. Remember your shield is just as good as any weapon. Don’t forget to use it.” Menelt paused to allow her to mull over his words before he continued, “Your mood has been off ever since your lady-in-waiting, Ardena, left."

Princess Estina crossed her arms. "Can you blame me? She's pretending to be me to keep a price off your head!"

"Hah, nothing will stop a price from being on my head now. And don't worry," Menelt stated calmly. "Ardena won't be."

The Princess spun on the rock to stare at Menelt in confusion. "What?"

"I ordered one of my men who accompanied her, to poison Old Man Tehlea once they arrive," Menelt explained with a casual shrug. "She will be back in several months."

Princess Estina let out a laugh. "Only you would have the audacity to come up with that.” She rose to her feet. “But, why would you do that? He holds ties to..."

"Who cares who he has ties to?" Menelt argued. "She is needed here, isn't she?"

Princess Estina looked indignant. "She is my friend and my closest confidant," she said. "Clagen will also be most happy to hear this news."

Menelt's scoffed. "Of course, he will"

He turned and started to walk away, but stopped when he heard Princess Estina call out to him.

"Have you heard from your contact?" she asked.

Menelt paused mid-stride and looked over his shoulder. "Yes," he smiled, a rare act indeed.

Princess Estina leapt off the rock and broke into a run to reach Menelt's side. "What have you heard?" she asked.

They settled into an easy pace.

"It is good news," Menelt informed her.

>>

On the way back from his training session, Teal passed through the main palace. He caught sight of Lana some distance away and watched as she moved freely. He remembered how she had told him to close his eyes to see whether he could determine how she made her way around the palace with such ease. Teal did so and copied her movement, trailing his hands along the wall. He stopped short and opened his eyes straightaway, only now noticing that one line of tiles along the wall were of a different texture to the rest.

"What are you doing, Teal?" Ralen asked, coming up behind him.

"Lana told me to close my eyes to figure out her tricks. I found the textured tiles."

"Ha, well spotted," Ralen said, folding his arms over his chest with a smile on his face. "I'll let you know another one. He tapped his feet on the ground and Teal looked down. The hallways on each floor have different rugs so she can always remember which floor she's on."

Teal stared at the rug under his feet. Teal shook his head. "I never noticed."

"We also never rearrange the furniture in the Emperor's private quarters and all the halls that she frequently visits without letting her know first."

They walked out of the main building and towards the tree covered path back to the Purple Jade Palace.

"So," Ralen said after some quiet, "You and Jale, huh?"

Teal nodded unsure of how to respond. How would the other consorts feel about this? “Yeah, me and Jale.”

Ralen placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Jale is a man who puts one hundred percent energy into anything that he wants," Ralen told him. "If he is taken by you, he will do everything in his power to make you happy."

Their conversation halted as the very man they were speaking of ran towards them, determination set in the lines of his face.

"Everything all right?" Ralen asked as Jale ran past, his own casual disposition slipping away to a more serious one as well.

"Yes," Jale replied, his tone short and urgent. It wasn’t a convincing response.

The pair watched quietly as Jale disappeared through the archways and into the main hall of the palace. Teal's eyes rose up to the Empress' quarters. He jolted with worry, but he didn't want to share his concerns with Ralen.

"Not our place," Ralen told him as if he could read his mind. He placed a hand on Teal's back and with a gentle nudge, they started on their way again towards the Purple Jade Palace. “If it was the Empress, they would have told us.”

"You do not get involved in other matters?" Teal asked.

"Only when I'm asked to and if you are wise," Ralen continued, "you'll do the same."

"What's your story, Ralen?" Teal asked, hoping for more. "How did you come to be here?"

Ralen side-eyed him as they continued on their way. "My story is not mine to tell," he said simply. "But I'm sure you'll hear about it one day sooner or later. Here," he said as the door was opened for them. "I will take some rest and speak with you later, Teal."

Teal nodded and spied Delba and Lana under a tree, their maids in company. A contrasting pair in personality and appearance but for their mirroring clothes. They sat on a blanket, their chatter carrying along with the sounds of the small brook they were beside. Teal approached slowly not wanting to disturb them, but his curiosity over Jale's haste was too prominent.

"Do you know why Jale was in such a rush," Teal asked quietly when Ralen had moved on.

Delba's eyes narrowed. "Asks the person who is sharing his bed. Nice to know that Jale can keep his lips quiet while still in the sheets."

A surprised and uneasy silence followed her remark. Teal didn’t know how to respond to her harsh tone.

"That was not very delicate," Lana chided Delba. "And Teal, it's nothing for us to worry about," Lana answered cryptically. "They are just tending to some issues."

Teal shifted uncomfortably while Delba only glared.

"You are not happy with the arrangement?" Teal finally asked.

"I'm allowed to express my concerns," Delba told Lana. To Teal, Delba turned her head and warned, "There are things at stake and anyone new to the harem should step cautiously.”

Lana tutted in Delba's direction, clearly finding offense.

Lana leaned towards Teal, stretching her hand out. "We do not exclude you to be rude," she said. "Our intentions are only and always in line with the Emperor's wishes and this matter involves the security of the palace. It does not hurt to inform you a guard has been arrested in the palace for treason. We can not tell you more than that."

The news was incomprehensible to Teal. Who would want to betray the Emperor? He pondered on it for the rest of the afternoon until Jale approached him in the Purple Jade Palace several hours later. He looked tired and drawn but informed Teal he wished to see him later in the evening.

>>

Teal gasped as Jale's tongue slid over him, Jale poised in between his thighs. He moaned at the sensation; his eyes closed in complete pleasure. He startled though when he opened his eyes and found one of Jale's servants standing over the bed. Jale lifted his head, rested it in his hand and glared at his servant, clearly not amused at the interruption.

"What is it?" Jale asked while Teal quickly attempted to cover himself. Jale only swatted his hand away.

"Forgive me for intruding but a message has arrived for you," the servant responded.

"Can't it wait?" Jale asked with annoyance.

The servant shifted uncomfortably but simply answered. "No, it can't."

Jale sighed, sat up and held his hand out. The servant handed a small scroll over, and Jale sat back on his haunches but otherwise did not leave. It only made Teal more uncomfortable.

As if sensing his unease, Jale's free hand came to gently rest on the top of Teal's thigh, his attention otherwise focused on what was written on the parchment. Teal caught the imprinted picture that had been stamped into the wax holding the scroll closed. He did not recognise the symbol.

Jale rose from the bed and approached the nearest burning torch on his balcony. He held the parchment against the flame and let it burn, allowing it to drop to the ground where he waited for it to blacken.

Teal sat up, one of Jale's sheets neatly placed over his lap.

"It appears that I have a small matter to attend to," Jale informed him. The servant who had approached, turned and handed Jale his clothes.

"That's fine," Teal said leaning over and reaching for his own clothing. "I can leave."

"No," Jale said quickly. "The matter won't take long. Stay."

His words came out as an order and not a request. Teal paused.

"Please," Jale added, seeming to note his mistake. "I would greatly appreciate it if you would stay.

"Then so be it," Teal whispered, gazing up at Jale longingly. "If it makes you happy."

An expression came over Jale's face, a mixture indicating he was perplexed or even surprised. Teal smiled encouragingly, and Jale reached out gently to take Teal's chin within his forefingers. He leaned down and kissed Teal on the lips. "Are you sure your Presence is still all right by my attention?"

Jale had not mentioned the Presence since that first night together.

"Yes, I'm sure it is fine," Teal answered truthfully. "It has not come forward since."

"Good," Jale smiled. "Don't go anywhere, I won't be long."

"I'll be waiting," Teal said breathlessly, hard again under the sheets.

Jale stood taking the sheet with him, leaving Teal naked once more. "I won't be long," Jale repeated before he pried his eyes off of Teal and walked off the balcony towards his door.

>>

The cell was dark, cold and damp, one of the coldest places in the whole palace being several floors underground. Shackled and bound, arms tied behind his back, the guard from the east tower stared glumly at the floor, the only light – a single torch positioned just out of reach from his cell. It was a depressing place. There was a single thin mat in the corner, a hole in the ground for him to relieve himself, and that was all. Not that any of those mattered since he could reach neither of them with the way his cuffs were fixed to the hooks in the wall.

He should have been more careful. He shouldn't have been so greedy.

Footsteps came down the corridor and the guard tensed. The Emperor, his consort Jale, and Galton had already questioned him for hours leaving him mentally drained and rung out. Why would they return? How could they possibly have something else to ask? He should have stopped at the first or second time. He shouldn't have sold palace secrets.

He paused however when the person approaching stopped in front of his cell and peered inside.

Resignation set in. "You have a key?" the guard asked.

"Of course, I do."

The door to his cell clanked open and the person calmly walked inside. They lowered the cloak over their head and regarded the prisoner with a calm, cool diligence.

The guard tried to peer over the person's shoulder, hoping for a sign of someone else who would help him. His stomach sank when he spied no one.

"If they've arrested you, they would have done their research and probably know everything about you already. The Emperor won't trust you anymore so you'll never return to your original post."

Real fear coursed through the guard's body. Originally, he had convinced himself that everything would be fine. It was rumored the Emperor preferred to send people to his labor camps instead of execution, although the labor camps were known to be their own death sentence due to their climate, population and remoteness.

But now, his real future presented itself, and the guard could not see a way out, not when this person was standing in front of him. Suddenly, the labor camp sounded like a tropical getaway compared to this person. At least he had a possibility of survival out there.

"So, that's it then?" the guard asked, defeated. "Two years of working together and you're going to do away with me just like that?"

The person nodded. "Yes. You have no worth anymore." They stepped up, revealing the knife from under their cloak.

The guard stared at the blade, the soft light from the torch reflecting off its surface and bouncing across his eyes. He didn't blink from it. He knew it would be the last thing he would ever see.