Devrim and Aurora rushed down the hall with their growing entourage, taking turns giving orders.

"Call out the guard. We have reason to believe that Cafer has infiltrated the palace. Bring me a map and I can tell you some places to look." Devrim said.

"Find Anna, she has my necklace. I need it." Aurora ordered.

"Junayd, check my room and secure it." The Emperor called.

"Someone get Nurlan. He is packing to leave, but I need him now." The Empress was in a full out run. "Has anyone seen Alaron?"

"No, Your Majesty," a servant answered. They came to the boy's chamber, and Aurora burst into the room. It was empty.

"Alaron! Alaron!" Aurora frantically searched. Having been summoned, Lady Anna pushed through the knot of people to get to her mistress.

"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened!" Anna fell to her knees and held out a copper chain.

"What is this?" Aurora was too worried about her son to comprehend what she was seeing.

"Mother! What is happening?" Mairwen called over the din.

"Have you seen Alaron?" The Empress made her way towards her daughter.

"Not since I last saw you. Is he ok?" Mairwen was now worried.

"I hope so." Aurora's eyes betrayed her fear. She turned to her lady in waiting with her hand outstretched. "Anna, where is my necklace?"

"That is what I have been trying to tell you, Your Majesty. I have had the pouch with me since you gave me the necklace, but somehow it was replaced with this copper chain. I have failed you!" Anna was beyond distressed. She had been vigilant in her protection of the pouch. Yet something had gone very wrong.

"Did you let pouch out of your sight at any time, even for a moment?" Devrim asked.

"No Sire…except for when...I mean I dropped it under the Empress's bed, but Prince Alaron retrieved it right away." Anna tried to think of more information. "But the Prince had a copper chain. Perhaps they got mixed up by mistake."

Devrim sighed, "All roads lead back to Alaron. He must know what your necklace is, Aurora."

"Which means he can only be heading one place…" The Empress finished his thought. "Everyone to my room!"

The mad stampede ended at Aurora's door. The Empress stopped her entourage at the door. "Everyone but Devrim, Spymaster Brinn, Junayd and Nurlan must remain outside. If Chief Zan arrives, he may enter also." Aurora's orders were clear, and most of those present simply nodded.

Mairwen looked hurt. "What about me?" she pouted.

The Empress's heart clenched. "I need you somewhere safe, my daughter. Junayd, is the Emperor's room secure?" Aurora asked as the soldier appeared.

"Yes, Your Majesty. Your room is clear also." Junayd bowed. He and Nurlan, who had come post haste, had checked the rooms thoroughly.

"You four guards, escort the princess to Emperor Devrim's suite and keep her safe. Notify me immediately should anyone find Alaron." With all her orders given, the smaller group entered Aurora's bedchamber.

"You think that Alaron is in the tunnels?" Devrim asked.

"I believe he has gone to the Vault—I mean the Storehouse," Aurora and Devrim had named the place 'the vault' before finding out what it was called.

"What if he exits my room?" Devrim was concerned for Mairwen. There were only two access points in the palace.

"Then the princess will have to delay him until we get there, but I think he will come out here. Either way, I am going in after him." The woman's blue-flecked eyes shone with determination.

"No! Cafer could be with him. I will go," Devrim said firmly. Just as they were about to argue, they heard a click behind the wall.

——————————-

Alaron left Cafer and started toward the exit. His mind was full of all the things he could learn with the magic book. Rather than keep it under his arm, he placed under his linen shirt behind his back and tucked it in his trousers. He would need the book hidden if he hoped to get it back to his room safely.

The prince's pace was slow as he peeked into every window that he passed. There were servants carrying out all sorts of tasks. Soldiers were performing their duties, and court scribes were feverishly copying documents to be sent.

As he ascended, he caught a glimpse of Anna, Ezer and their children having a quiet evening. "Do it again!" The little boy begged.

Ezer produced a coin. "Are you ready?" he asked. They children cheered. The councilman held out the coin in his hand. He snapped over the top of the coin twice, but nothing happened. Then he said a few strange words, snapped again, and the coin was gone from his palm. The two children clapped at the display, and Anna beamed. She took great joy in seeing her husband play with their children. There was a knock at the door and Anna disappeared to answer.

"I have to go!" the lady called back toward Ezer before rushing into the hallway. Used to their mother and father being called away on short notice, the children did not even seem to notice. Their eyes were still searching for the coin.

"Where did it go?" the boy asked. His four-year-old mind was trying to solve the puzzle.

"It disappeared!" Ezer told him as he tapped the boy's nose gently.

"But how?" the girl, who was barely a year younger than her brother, wanted to know.

"Magic!" Ezer announced dramatically. The kids oohed appropriately.

'Magic?' Alaron thought to himself. 'Does Councilman Ezer know magic?' This would be big news. Perhaps he could teach the boy a thing or two about how to practice magic safely as a human. 'Wait, is Councilman Ezer human?' He had never claimed to be anything else. But Alaron would need to make sure.

There was another knock at the door. This one seemed more urgent than the last. A voice, frantic, asked something quickly. Alaron was pretty sure that his name was mentioned. "Uh oh. Time to go." He set himself towards the exit. Every window he passed had people calling his name and searching.

He needed to show himself and quickly before he got in big trouble. An idea struck him. He would slip into his mother's bed and pretend to be asleep. When they found him, he would say he discovered that he accidentally took his mother's necklace, and when he came to return it, he felt faint and passed out. In his experience, sickness always brought on sympathy, and all offenses were quickly forgotten. The boy smiled at his own cleverness.

Coming up to his exit, Alaron slowed slightly to find and push the release for the door. He needed to get in his mother's bed quickly before the chamber was checked. He had barely pushed the door, when a hand shot into the gap and grabbed him. Startled, the prince tried to free himself, but lost his balance and came tumbling into the room.

Five pairs of eyes stared down at him in various states of shock and anger. His mother and father were among them. Only one thought came to his mind and escaped his lips, "Help!"