As Princess Nutheanna Kaleuthea looked out from the throne at her assembled, white-robed councillors and recently made friends seated before her, despair and hope warred in her heart.

Her mother’s burial ceremony that morning had been beautiful. Nuthea had watched in the Temple of the One as the attendants had carried the heavy white-stone coffin, cut in record time by the finest stonemasonesses of the Queendom, down the steps into the Royal Family Crypt, its lid adorned with the sculpted prone form of Queen Materea, her hands pressed together and eyes closed. They had heaved it onto its place on the stone shelf, above Grandmothers Lissa and Effi, while the sacred song had been sung. The High Priestess had said the final words of commitment to the One, and as the door to the crypt had been closed Nuthea had cried silent and bitter tears.

New tears pressed at her eyes now, but now was not the time for weeping. The faces of her countrywomen looked up at her tight-lipped and pale, expectant. They had been deprived of their Queen, their leader. Their capital had been infiltrated and Manolian blood spilled in this royal hall, something which had not happened in a hundred years. And the Emperor of Morekemia had come close to seizing the Lightning Crystal for himself.

And it had all been her fault

I must be strong. I’ll make it up to you, Mother. I’ll redeem myself.

“Countrywomen,” she spoke clearly into the echoing hall, hoping that the tremor in her voice was not discernible to them, “I have called this council because, as you know, terrible events have recently taken place within these walls.”

She nearly added, ‘And I am responsible for all of them,’ but she held that back too. Her countrywomen needed someone to look up to, to lead, not to admit weakness and fall apart in front of them. Her mother had taught her that much. She took a deep breath, and continued.

“As you know, these things happened because the Emperor of Morekemia has learned of the ancient Primeval Jewels, one of which we guard in this great Queendom, and which he almost came close to seizing for himself.” Her hand went to the Lightning Crystal that hung from the chain around her neck. It was unusually cool to the touch. “Indeed, he would have succeeded, were it not for the intervention of my companions here, whom I acquired on my journey beyond Manolia, which I made to gather information about the Emperor’s plans.” Another gloss on the truth, misleading but necessary. The One forgive her.

She nodded towards her friends who sat in the front row of the hall to indicate whom she meant. “In particular, we have Ryn of Efstan to thank. Ryn defeated the Imperial General who had taken the Crystal and lent us temporary use of another jewel, the Fire Ruby, to subdue the General’s forces.” She held out a hand towards Ryn. “Please stand.” The boy did so, hesitantly, awkwardness quirking his jaw. “Ryn of Efstan, I salute you.” She began to clap, and her countrywomen soon joined her, the trickle quickly building to a mighty, thunderous applause.

Nuthea met Ryn’s eyes for a moment as she clapped, but he looked away almost at once. The boy’s cheeks had turned as red as the fire that he was able to create. He was sweet, in his own way. And he had done something great by defeating Vorr, saving her country. Maybe there was more greatness to come from him…

She glanced along the row to Sagar, sat next to Ryn. The skycaptain’s jaw clenched tight as he stared straight ahead as he clapped. Of course, he had helped too--and Elrann, and Cid, and Vish--but Ryn had been the one to kill the Imperial General, and therefore deserved to be singled out for special honour. The skycaptain was very handsome even in his jealousy, Nuthea found herself noticing. The set of his jaw was pleasing and he had a kind of rugged, brazen self-confidence that Ryn lacked which scared Nuthea a little, if she was honest, though which she was also strangely drawn to. But how could she be thinking such thoughts now? It was thoughts such as these that had led her away from Manolia in the first place, and got her into so much trouble, and ultimately led her to where she was now.

She held up a hand for silence and the applause faded instantly. Ryn sat back down.

“Countrywomen, while a victory was won yesterday, it is with deep sadness that we must acknowledge that a war has begun which is far from being over. Now that the Emperor of Morekemia has learned of the existence of the Jewels, in his lust for power he will surely stop at nothing to obtain them all. We thank the One that Ryn was able not only to protect our Lightning Crystal from the Empire, but also to take back the Fire Ruby from them, which he now bears. The Empire’s loss of the Ruby will protect us from future invasions, overt or covert. But it is only a matter of time before the Emperor locates and seizes another Jewel, which will again endanger not only us, but the whole of Mid. It is for this reason that I have made the decision to depart as soon as possible with my companions in search of the remaining Primeval Jewels.”

A gasp went up from her councillors, who had not been in this hall yesterday when she had announced the same intentions to her friends.

One of them raised a hand. Colana, austere in her white toga with a stern face and a proud, high forehead. Nuthea nodded to her, indicating that she was granting permission to speak.

“Princess Nuthea, but how can you do this?” said Colana for everyone to hear. Hot anger flashed in Nuthea’s breast at once. How dare she question me so openly and quickly? Even if she had been one of her mother’s most senior advisers. “The Matriarchy has just lost Her Queen; we need you to remain here and govern, not charge off around the world with a ragtag crew of misfits you only just met in search of legendary items which you may not be able to find. You need to be coronated and remain here to lead, for the good of the Queendom.”

A number of other councillors nodded and murmured their assent--lots of the older ones, Nuthea noted. So they looked down on her. They looked down on her because she was young. They looked down on her because she had run away from her arranged marriage. They saw her as a silly, reckless child.

Well, silly and reckless I may be, but I’m not a child any more.

How did Colana think that challenging her could change her mind? If Nuthea backed down now, she would lose all authority with her Mother’s Council--her Council. She gritted her teeth. No, this challenge only strengthened her in her resolve.

She held up a hand again to silence the murmuring. Anger roiled in her so hot that she worried that sparks might leap from her fingers, or a full discharge of lightning, but thankfully none came.

Her countrywomen ceased murmuring. She still had authority. At least they still knew when to obey the commands of royalty, even if they were questioning them so openly.

“I thank you for your counsel, Colana,” Nuthea said graciously from her throne, “which is received with gratitude. However, my mind is made up. I will not be swayed in this matter. I have thought it all through. The safest place for the Lightning Crystal to remain is with me. And if I take the Crystal with me on my quest, there will be no reason for the Emperor to seek to attack Manolia again, as it will not be here for him to covet. Further, it makes most sense for me to be the one to lead the party to seek out the rest of the Jewels and keep them from the Emperor. As you know, the Jewels amplify the elemental power of those who bear them, and as the last surviving member of the Royal Family I am the most trained and proficient in the use of lightning. What is more, I have been educated in the Lore of the Jewels since I was a child.” Was a child. “It makes the most sense for me to lead the search party. And my new companions will come with me.” She nodded towards Ryn, then at all of her friends one by one. “Ryn is Ruby-touched, and has already proved himself by defeating an Imperial General. Captain Sagar is Shell-touched, and commands the swift airship on which we will travel. Lady Elrann has shown her loyalty to our cause and skill with pistol and whip on more than one occasion. Grandfather Cid is Diamond-touched and skilled in the ways of healing magic, and what’s more a fellow Oneist with great knowledge of Jewel Lore. And Shadowfinger Vish, who has turned from the Emperor to commit himself to our service, is a highly skilled fighter with knowledge of the Empire’s inner workings. All of them have shown themselves true by helping us to repel General Vorr’s invasion. I will travel with them to find the remaining Primeval Jewels.”

She had tried to say it as a definitive statement brooking no further argument, but her Councillors broke out into murmurs again. Nuthea ground her teeth.

A different Councillor put up her hand. Mariana. White-haired and even older than Colana, but more kindly. Nuthea nodded to her.

“Forgive me, Princess, but who will govern Manolia in your stead, while you are away?”

“A sensible question. I have thought about this also, and made my decision. Step forward, Kathuna.”

From her place standing as one of the two guards at the foot of the dais, Kathuna took a step forward in her bright golden armour.

More gasps, and now not just murmurs but open protest from the councillors. Dissent.

Colana’s voice rose above the others. “But Kathuna Kassisi is not even a Councillor! She is a soldier!”

Her voice expressed everyone’s else’s objections, so they quietened, to see how Nuthea would respond.

Colana had spoken out of turn, but Nuthea chose to ignore this. “Exactly. As a soldier and not a Councillor, Kathuna has the advantage of not being embroiled in any of the politics of the Council. She will govern without bias.. I have known Kathuna my whole life, she is my oldest friend, and I trust her implicitly. I know of no-one better to lead Manolia while I am gone She is best positioned to guess my will in matters of state, and if she cannot, I trust the judgment of her own will. The royal family of Manolia are warriors, are we not? Kathuna is now Crystal-touched too, and she will serve as an excellent regent in my stead while I am away.”

The white-toga wearing women began grumbling again. This time Devara’s voice rose highest, the councillor in charge of military affairs. “This ‘quest’, Princess--would it not be more prudent to send our army to seek out the other Jewels?”

“No. Nothing would telegraph the location of the Jewels to the Empire more than sending our army after them. As far as we know, the Empire currently only know of the whereabouts of one of the other jewels, one that is guarded by another people, in Farr. Others are hidden, or lost, and we must do everything we can to prevent the Empire from finding out where they are. This will be a mission of diplomacy and stealth, not open warfare.”

Now the High Priestess, who also sat on the Council in her white robes, spoke up. “Princess. Let us say, hypothetically, that you succeed in gathering all of the Primeval Jewels together, which would take a very long time. What will you do when you have gathered all of them together? The Jewels were meant to be shared among the peoples of Mid, not collected together. Are you not setting out to do precisely what you are seeking to thwart the Morekemians from doing?”

The objection had been wise. Nuthea spoke her answer carefully, weighing each word. “The prophecy states that if a person gathers all of the Jewels together they will be granted unfathomable power. Now, for the first time in living memory, a malicious power has not only learned of this fact, but begun to gain knowledge of the location of some of the hidden Jewels.” And all because of me, Nuthea added in her head. That is why I must do this, to redeem myself. “My quest is not for one person to gather all of the Jewels together to wield their power for themselves. I seek to warn, to safeguard, to protect. When we find the Jewels, we will be sharing them out among ourselves. Two are borne already, by myself and Ryn of Efstan. We will keep them from the Emperor for as long as he seeks them, and perhaps, one day, when this threat has passed, we will be able to return them to their respective peoples, or to hide them anew.”

The grumbling from the councillors was like water bursting from a dam.

Colana took her turn to represent them again. “Princess, this is arrogance. Hubris. Delusion. For the Jewels that are guarded by other peoples, however do you think you will persuade them to hand them over to you? And for those that remain hidden, how do you think you will find them? They have been lost for years.”

Fury flashed through Nuthea’s chest. She wanted to fry Colana with a bolt of lightning there on the spot, but she held herself back.

“Thank you for your insights, Councillor Colana.” She was aware that her tone made it sound like she was actually saying ‘Go and stick your head in a bucket of dung, Councillor Colana’, but oh well. “However, if anyone has a chance of finding the Jewels, it is us. I have said, we already have two. What is more Grandfather Cid [Previa], a fellow Oneist, has sought the Jewels before, for benevolent ends, and succeeded in finding some of them, before abandoning his own quest and returning them to their hiding places. He may be the most qualified person in the whole of Mid to help us look for them. In any case, this is not a democracy, but a matriarchy. My mind is made up. I depart at once. Kathuna will reign in my stead, until my return. This Council is dismissed.”

She stood up, daring the councillors to defy her.

Colana, Mariana, Devara, and all the rest of them looked up at her, various degrees of reluctance written in their faces.

Go on, the One take you. This is a Matriarchy, not a democracy. You are my councillors, not my fellow ministers.

At last the councillors stood, bowed their heads to her, and began to file out of the throne room.

Thank the One, Nuthea thought.

When she had watched the last of them exit the throne room, leaving only her traveling companions, Kathuna, and her guards, Nuthea descended the steps of the dais to join her friends.

“Well, I think that went well,” said Elrann.

Nuthea could not suppress a smirk.

“You handled them admirably, Granddaughter,” said Cid.

“Thank you, both of you,” Nuthea replied. “All of you. They may not like the situation, but they have no choice in the matter. Kathuna, I meant what I said. You will do an excellent job reigning in my stead until I return. I have every faith in you.”

Her golden-haired friend bowed deeply. “Thank you, princess.”

“The rest of you: it is time for us to go.”

“Alright!” said Elrann.

“About time,” said Sagar.

“Which Jewel will we be going after first?” said Ryn. “Which is the one in Farr?”

Nuthea glanced at her guards. “It is better that as few people as possible are aware of this, but as it turns out, we’ll be going after the Earth Emerald first.”

“Why that one?” said Sagar.

“Hey, she knows what she’s doing,” said Ryn.

“I know she knows what she’s doing, pup, but I want to know how she knows what she’s doing.”

“It is the obvious course of action. It is the only other Jewel that we know that the Empire are aware of already. We know that much from Vorr, from when he… She blinked at the memory. That had been the moment that...no, it was too painful to think about. ...from when he revealed that to us. It is unlikely that the Empire are aware of any of the locations of any of the other Jewels yet. I have consulted on this with Cid.”

“Where exactly is this ‘Earth Emerald’ anyhow, princess-girl?” asked Elrann.

“It is held in Shun-Pei, the capital city of Farr, known as the Crossroads of the East.”

“Oh, goodie! I’ve not been there in a long time!”

“How do you know that?” asked Ryn. “How do you know that’s where the Earth Emerald is?”

“Well… In the case of the Lightning Crystal and the Earth Emerald, the secrets of their whereabouts have not been very well kept. These two jewels have been kept by the ruling powers of the respective peoples they have been associated with--the Manolians and the Farrians. Although in theory they were supposed to be being guarded in secret, they have been used. It’s no coincidence that Manolia has been defended by lightning, and that Shun-Pei is built on a series of humongous concentric levels rising out of the earth like a man-made mountain. When you to that that travelers travel, and diplomats exchange knowledge, and people talk, then it’s not so hard to put two and two together, if someone knows about the Jewels.”

Sagar said, “What makes you think that the ‘Governor’ of Farr, or whatever they’re called, is going to be happy just to hand over the Earth Emerald to you?”

“I am confident that when I explain to him the current situation with the Empire, that they have learned of the Jewels and are seeking them, he will see reason and commit the Earth Emerald into our care.”

Sagar just looked at her, and raised one eyebrow above his very handsome face.

“Alright,” said Nuthea, “this may in fact prove to be quite difficult.”