"No." Aurora said with a clenched jaw. "I have relayed the Fate's message to you. Hanna said that Alaron is the key. How can you even bring this up?"

The Council sat around the table early that morning. The Empress thought she was bringing news of hope. But before she had even gotten to the part about going to the Mystic Spires, she was blindsided.

"A key? Made whole? It sounds like a bunch of gibberish to me." Councilman Meder scoffed. Although he was normally very quiet during meetings, he could not help but speak up. His bald head and piercing eyes made him seem unapproachable, and no one ever knew what went on in his head. The few comments he made were usually combative in nature. This was no exception.

"I have an idea of what to do," Aurora countered. "If you had not been so quick to change the subject, you would have heard it."

"We can appreciate Your Majesty's concern, but we feel this is more urgent," Ezer said. In truth, the Council was worried about the leader's emotional state. This dream seemed like a convenient excuse to justify Aurora's actions. It was their job to help her see reason.

"We must still deal with the present difficulties. The rebellion will not go away if you do nothing," Chief Zan said gently. The others around the Council's table nodded at his words. While Zan believed that Aurora had received a vision, he could not just stand by and let the world crumble. He would help decipher the vision later.

"You cannot appear weak, Your Majesty," Birger added. "We have to act or the Prince's supporters will grow bolder."

"What you want is to sentence the prince to death!" The Empress scoffed. "For that is the only way a trial for treason can go. I did not even do such a thing to Ravenna, and her intent to harm me was much clearer."

"Prince Alaron, although royal, is still a subject of Valiant. He must submit himself to the justice system," Zan reminded her.

"No he does not. I will not allow this," Aurora refused.

"You should listen to Aurora. Who else among you has a definitive word from the Fates?" Devrim cast his gaze around the room.

"It is hardly definitive," Meder argued.

"It is all we have," the Emperor asserted. His eyes softened as he turned to his wife. "And although I do not like the Council's timing, you should not dismiss them outright, my love. I know this is hard…"

Devrim was also conflicted. There was no good answer to the problem. Alaron had committed an unforgivable sin against the Empire, yet all Devrim could think about was the child he had helped raise. The Fate's message only complicated things.

"Hard?!" Aurora's voice was a razor's edge. "It is impossible!" She inhaled deeply through her nose and tried to let reason take over. An idea struck her. "Alaron is still not well. You have not even given him a full day to heal. We need to delay proceedings." The Empress felt like a traitor herself for even considering holding a trial for her child.

"We cannot delay," Councilman Ezer argued. "Unless they have changed their plans, the gnomes are headed our way and looking for a fight. We must be decisive."

The Empress held the bridge of her nose. "Four days! I will allow a trial to be held in four days. It will give Alaron a chance to form a defense and allow him more time to heal." Aurora's heart clenched at her own words.

"Very good, Your Majesty." Zan could see the Empress was at her limit and would push no more.

To his surprise, Aurora continued. "But I will recuse myself from the proceedings."

"I do not understand," Meder said. His piercing eyes bore into the Empress, which annoyed instead of intimidated her.

"I will not preside over the trial," Aurora restated her thought to the group. "The Council will be judge and jury. I cannot be a part of the trial as I will not be impartial."

There was an underlying meaning in her words. If Aurora did not give the judgement in the trial, then she could override the verdict without contradicting herself. It was a brilliant maneuver. Zan could appreciate her political prowess.

Meder however, was not amused. "You are mad!" he cried. "Why even bother, Your Majesty? If you just plan to strip us of our power by ignoring us, then all of it is pointless!"

The room went deadly silent. The two councilmen on either side of Meder scooted their chairs away from their colleague. He had gone too far. Aurora looked at Meder with a humorless stare. She folded her hands on the table, slowly tapping one finger.

"The only power you have," the Empress spoke barely above a whisper, "is what I allow. Or have you forgotten who I am?" Her gaze narrowed. Although her tone was calm, her eyes brimmed with a contained fury.

"I know who you are," Meder claimed, though his voice was unsteady.

"No, you seem confused. Let me remind you. I am Aurora, eldest daughter of Zephyra: the woman who brought the entire world under her control. She was merciless, but her methods were effective. You, Councilman Meder, would have lost your tongue had you spoken to her as such. I inherited her throne and all its authority. I am the Empress. You only breathe by my grace. I am not my mother, but I can still exercise the same measures. Do you understand?"

Meder nodded. He barely saw her move a muscle, yet he believed every last word she spoke. "Good. Now leave," the Empress ordered. "When I see you again, Councilman Meder, I hope to see a marked improvement in your attitude, or you may no longer have a seat at this table."

The relief on Meder's face was evident. His position was in danger, but he may save it yet. "Glory to the Empress!" The bald man bowed and ran from the room before Aurora could change her mind.

"Anyone else want to call me insane?" The Empress looked around the room and saw that no one else would challenge her. "Then let us move along."

"We are here at your leisure, Your Majesty," Zan assured her. The glimpse of the previous Empress on the current one's face was petrifying. The Chief thought he had seen it all, but the specter of what once was sent a chill down his spine.

The beautiful woman nodded in recognition of Zan's words. Her more pleasant demeanor returned. "Unlike what Councilman Meder believes, I hope to honor the decision of the Council, not undermine it. You wanted a trial and you shall have one. I would only ask that if young Alaron admits his wrongdoing and repents, you will not seek out his death."

"That seems fair," Nanny interjected. She was just as keen to see the prince saved as anyone. Zan agreed with her words. The other men were still too stunned to speak.

"Good," Aurora stood. The rest of the room stood with her. The Empress left without another word.

Devrim caught her in the hall. "Why four days?" He had been stuck on the question since the moment she spoke.

The Empress's was proud of her husband. He caught the most important fact. "I plan to leave in three days for the land of magic. Without my presence, they can hold the trial but will not have my final seal for approval. Without it, any sentence cannot be carried out." Aurora explained.

Devrim knew his wife was clever. Her threat, though justified, had been a type of diversion. "But you have to come back eventually." The grey-eyed man slipped his hand around the woman's waist. Aurora might leave, but she could not be gone forever.

The Empress acknowledged the flaw in her plan. "One problem at a time. I have to see Alaron healed then he can weather whatever consequences will come. He cannot be a key if he is dead. And I meant it when I said I would try to honor the Council's decision. I just did not say when I would honor it."

The Emperor tried to process the information. "But...but how will you even get to the land of magic? I do not see any Fates appearing ready to whisk you away. And you cannot go over land, it is too risky with the many possible sightings of gnomes." Devrim had already received communications of strange happenings from the northern regions. There were too many messages for it to be a coincidence.

"I have been talking with Brinn. She has an idea of a shortcut." Aurora gave a lopsided smile.

"You have already discussed this with Brinn? Then you were thinking of going to the land of magic long before Hanna visited!" Devrim held up a finger. The more his wife spoke, the more he realized just how deep her convictions ran.

The Empress shook her head. "I was not planning the trip for myself originally. I had been thinking that we may need some magical allies. I think the fairies would help us and maybe even the nymphs. I was going to send Zan, but with this added burden of collecting the water, it is necessary that I go myself." The Empress could see the man's mouth open to insist once again that he go also. She placed a finger gently to his lips. "As I have said before, you are needed here to protect Valiant. Will it not ease your mind to know I am safely tucked away in the land of magic where the gnomes can never find me?"

The Emperor removed her hand from his mouth and enveloped it in his own. "You know I hate this. All of this."

"I hate it too, actually. But if Hanna is right, we must save Alaron. He caused this mess, and he may be the only one who can fix it." Aurora made the sign in the air to the Fates. She hoped by honoring them, that they might aid her on her upcoming journey. She chuckled softly. "I will apologize to Councilman Meder. It seems I am a little mad after all."

"What will you do now?" Devrim asked as they began to walk again.

"The craziest thing yet: try to convince the prince to admit he is a fool so the Council will not seek his death." The Empress made it sound like she was talking about the weather.

It was Devrim's turn to make the Fate's sign. "Is that all?" he asked. "Perhaps we shall also manage to turn stones into bread!"

"That would probably be easier, but we shall try anyway. Come!"