Tired of being cooped up in the palace, Aurora snuck into the city of Valiant to clear her head. She was very worried about Alaron, but worry rarely did anyone a bit of good. Everything was being done to find the boy, including sending Gandr out on his trail.

Instead the Empress decided to focus on finding special gifts for her children for their birthday. The prince and princess had access to all the resources of the palace, so the dark-haired woman had made a tradition out of hand-selecting a thoughtful gift for them from the local merchants each year. It helped the city's economy and showed the woman's love. With the brown hood of her cloak pulled tightly around her head, Aurora made her way quietly through the streets to the marketplace.

The merchants in the capital were more subdued than the rowdy callers of Obsequence. They would catch your attention with small movements or clicks of their tongue. Mixed in with the stalls were more permanent shops where owners welcomed you inside. As a result the marketplace could be navigated without a sense of urgency. Aurora made her way over to a jewelry shop and passed inside after looking over her shoulder.

As was customary, the Empress dropped her hood as she entered the shop. The shopkeeper greeted her warmly. "Most welcomed guest, how can I assist you?" The old shopkeeper took one look at the woman's blue-flecked eyes and knew he was not dealing with a normal customer.

"I am looking for gifts for my son and daughter," Aurora said simply. Her eyes scanned the room as she spoke. There were cheap baubles hanging from hooks along the walls.

"Madame is far too young to have children," the merchant crooned as he watched her expression.

The Empress blushed. "Flattery will get you everywhere," she chuckled.

The man called to his daughter, "Bring out our finest wares! We have a very special customer." Dutifully the daughter came in with a locked box.

"Greetings, madam," she said as she dipped her head respectfully. Handing the box to her father, the woman disappeared into the back again. In the distraction, Aurora missed the man pulling out a key and unlocking the box.

From the box, the shopkeeper pulled a ring and placed it on the table. While the Empress did not wear much jewelry herself (with the exception of her soft spot for beautiful crowns), she could appreciate good craftsmanship. Unfortunately, this ring was not up to her standard.

"I am afraid this is not what I am looking for," she said politely.

The old merchant nodded his approval. Aurora had passed his test. "You are very discerning madam." He put the ring away. He showed her increasingly expensive objects, which were each rejected. Finally he pulled out something that took Aurora's breath away.

"Oh!" She said as a smile bloomed on her face. "Tell me about this item."

On a thin silver chain hung a little pixie in mid-flight. It looked so realistic that Aurora nearly reached out to stop it from flitting away. "This exceptional piece was forged by the Fates themselves," the merchant began.

The Empress raised her eyebrows and gave an impish grin. "Did you see them do it?"

The old shopkeeper had never been challenged in such a way. He was used to talking up his wares without question. "Well, I, uh," he stammered. "The man I got it from swore that the Fates had made it." Giving a satisfied smile at his own answer, he went on. "It is made of only the finest metal. Sometimes when I am almost asleep, I can hear the fairy wings flapping as she makes her nightly rounds." This of course was another fabrication, but Aurora let it pass. The necklace was an exceptionally fine piece.

"I will take it." The woman's eyes shone with excitement. This was the perfect gift.

"We have yet to discuss price," the old man reminded her. The Empress placed a generous amount of money on the table. The merchant quickly counted the coins. "You are too kind, madam." The money quickly disappeared into some hidden place. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Now I know your specialty is jewelry, but I came to your shop because I believe you may have something perfect for a young man." Aurora inclined her head and raised her eyebrows.

The shopkeeper laid his finger on the side of his nose. He reached for a different box. "I have just the thing."

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Aurora left the shop with her gifts tucked away beneath her cloak. Her hood was pulled tightly around her head, which limited her field of vision. Almost immediately she ran into a mountain of a man blocking her path. She tried to walk around him and he held out his arm to stop her. "Give me your valuables," he said.

The woman sighed. "Do not do this. You will regret it." Carefully, she pulled a knife from her belt.

"You do not scare me," the man gave a guttural laugh. He lunged at her and like a rabbit, Aurora hopped out of the way. She brushed his arm with the knife and trickle of blood dripped down his arm.

"You should be scared. I did not have to be so gentle." The Empress lifted the knife to his throat. A few citizens took note of the scene. "One of you find a soldier, please!" Aurora said.

"I will not be taken down by a woman!" The criminal waited until the Empress was bumped by someone in the crowd. He grabbed her wrist and tried to wrench the knife from her hand. In return he received a swift kick between his legs. "Ow!…ugh…" The thief's eyes glazed over and he fell to the ground. Behind him stood a beautiful lady with red hair and a half smile. In her hand was the pommel of a sword with which she had hit the man across the skull.

"I could have handled it myself," Aurora said to Brinn.

"Oh I know. But I was not about to let you have all the fun. Plus that brute was about to bruise your wrist, and I do not want to explain that to His Majesty." The elf gave a lopsided smile. Both Brinn and Devrim had seen the warning signs that the Empress might flee, and they agreed that the elf should follow her covertly.

"You are losing your touch," Aurora told her. "I knew you were following me as soon as I left the palace." The Empress had secretly tried to lose her, but had obviously been unsuccessful.

"I beg to disagree. I wanted you to know I was there in case you needed back up, which clearly you did." Brinn held her nose high in the air. She knew that she was virtually invisible when she wanted to be. The elf jerked her thumb at the ground. "I guess we should take care of him."

Each lady grabbed an arm of the unconscious man and dragged him toward the closest city fountain. It was a difficult job and the man retained a few scrapes as a result. On their way, soldiers came to meet them. They handed over the criminal, and Brinn explained what happened. Unwilling to reveal her identity, Aurora remained silent. Thankfully no one asked her anything. Brinn brushed off her hands as the thief was carted away.

"Shall we head home or did you have more errands to run?" Brinn asked. "I know His Majesty will be happy to have you home."

They were interrupted by a beggar woman. "Money for the poor?" She asked.

Without much thought, Aurora held out some coins for the woman, then turned to look in her eyes. The irises were colorless.