Lanassa strode up to Brinn. The younger elf curtsied as Alvar bowed.

"Your Majesty," Brinn honored her mother with the proper title.

"Princess Brinn," the queen's cool tone made Brinn flinch.

The elven princess had expected this reception, but it was too late to turn back. "I have returned," she said with her head still bowed.

"…And you are married? To him?" Lanassa indicated the elf who previously had his arm wrapped around her daughter.

"I am, Your Majesty," Brinn answered. She straightened and took her new husband's hand. His face brightened at her touch.

"And you…are happy?" the queen asked tentatively. Her brow furrowed slightly creating a slight wrinkle on her perfectly smooth face.

Brinn was shocked by the question. Was it a trick? "Yes, I am happy," she responded once her jaw was finally able to shut after dropping.

Then, in the most uncharacteristic move, Lanassa wrapped her arms around her daughter in a warm hug. "I am glad you married the man you chose. Welcome home, my daughter."

Zoltan's face softened at his wife's words. He walked over and shook forearms with Alvar. "We are happy for you both. Very good, my son."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Alvar beamed. It was no small thing to be accepted into the royal family, and he knew it.

Brinn pulled away from her mother in panic. She searched for the usual harsh sarcasm in their eyes and found none. "Who are you? Both of you? And what have you done with my parents?"

"What do you mean?" Lanassa furrowed her brow. Before she could answer further, Brinn used her magic to make sure no one had shape shifted into the image of the king and queen.

"You are really my parents!" The princess could not get over the shock.

"Yes, dear," the queen assured her.

"When I left, you were overbearing, ruthless and distant. Now you are..."

"Nicer?" Zoltan filled in the word.

Brinn pointed eagerly to her father. "Yes, that! Now stop it. It is creepy." She turned to Aurora with wide eyes. "Is someone controlling them by magic?"

"No." The Empress bit her lip to stop herself from doubling over in laughter.

"Uncle Zoltan and Aunt Lanassa have been very kind to me." Gandr walked over to the queen, and she lavished an indulgent smile on him.

"Uncle...Aunt... You let him call you that but you insist I call you Your Majesty?! What is going on?" Now Brinn's ears were bright red with anger.

"A lot has changed since we found everything out," Ithel called from the doorway. He had been as confused as his sister at first when the changes started to occur. But he was now used to things as they had become.

"Found what out?" Brinn was confused. What was she missing?

All eyes slid to Alvar, who now looked very embarrassed.

Prince Ithel's eyebrows shot skyward. "You didn't tell her?"

Alvar shook his head, "I thought it would be best coming from all of you."

"Tell me what?" Brinn looked accusingly at Alvar.

The room grew deathly quiet. "I think you are about to have your first marital fight, Prince Alvar." Aurora pinched the bridge of her nose.

"TELL ME WHAT?" Brinn repeated as if he were deaf. Alvar cowered slightly when he saw the fire in his wife's eyes.

He reached out and gently took her hand. "We better sit down, my love. It is a lot to take in..."

————————

They all had relocated and sat around on comfortable couches in the queen's suite of room. The males sat on separate seats from the females, as was protocol. Everyone settled down to hear the tale of Zan, Lanassa, Zoltan and Bukuri. Jumping in at different points, the monarchs, Zan--who had been invited to join them-- and even Gandr spoke up to add to the story as necessary.

It was a harrowing tale even the second time around, and Aurora thought that it would have made a most excellent fiction to add to her library if it had not actually happened to her friends. The Empress could only imagine what the princess was thinking when she heard of her mother's pain and her father's misdeeds.

"So Zan is supposed to be my father?!" Brinn blurted when the tale was done.

"I would not go that far…" Zan interjected.

"Let's not put too much thought into that," Zoltan added as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I made the wrong choice back then."

Sitting next to her daughter, Lanassa placed her hand on Brinn's knee. "I know you are upset. If it helps, your father and I have made peace with one another. Zan and I have forgiven him."

"And what about Aunt Bukuri? Has she forgiven you?" Brinn looked at the king with fierce condemnation.

"She has," Lanassa answered for her husband, drawing the girl's angry gaze. "My sister does not blame Zoltan for her fate. If anything, she blames herself for foolishly trying to save Zan on her own. She wanted to be a heroine so badly that she took too big of a risk."

Brinn relaxed again and sighed. "You are being too nice, Your Majesty…I mean mother."

"Would you rather I be cold and distant?" Lanassa tilted her chin and raised one brow in question.

"Yes! At least then I would know how to respond," the princess half-joked.

A sinister smile came over the queen's face. "Very well, but remember you asked for it. Young lady, that sham of a wedding does not count. It was performed by a human, for Fate's sake! Excuse me, Your Majesty," she added as an aside to Aurora, who was getting more offended the more often her kind was being insulted.

Brinn shot a glance across the room to Alvar with a look of 'I told you so!'

Lanassa ignored the distraction and continued, "We will do this the correct way if it kills you. I will not allow my daughter to shame this kingdom. Now, leave everything in my hands. I will work out all the proper contracts while you are gone to war, and when you return, you two will have a proper elven ceremony. Do I make myself clear?"

The queen's icy reprimand would have caused a weaker elf to shrink away, but Brinn was quite content. "Thank you, mother." The princess laid her hand on top her mother's for the first time without fear. If the queen was willing to be her old self to please Brinn, then the new kindness was not just a show for Zan or Gandr.

In addition, Brinn had known that an elven ceremony was necessary, but had not wanted to plan it. Somehow her mother knew this and took the burden. Where had this lady been all her life? Brinn wondered, however she decided to take the blessing for however long it would last. It was a breath of fresh air, and she would breathe as much as she could.

"Now onto other matters," the princess smiled at Aurora. "You have been very patient, Empress, but I am sure you want news of your son."

Aurora perked up at the mention of Alaron. She had been afraid to ask, and then they had gotten sidetracked with other matters. It was finally time to learn what had become of the young prince.

"I have some good and bad news," the spymaster warned. "Would you prefer to do this in private?"

Aurora wrung her hands in her lap for a moment before replying. "No, these are my allies and they have the right to know what we are up against." She could see the elven monarchs nodding their approval out of the corner of her eyes. "Perhaps we should invite Bolemir to join us as well?"

"You know Reyan will come also then..." Zan reminded her.

Weighing her options, the Empress stuck with her decision. "It is worth it not to have to explain things twice."

"Who is Reyan?" Alvar asked.

"He is a fairy famous for being mean and reclusive," Brinn told her husband. She had heard of the old fairy from Bolemir, but never met him. "What is Reyan doing here?"

"We will get to that later," Aurora held up her hand to stop the questions. "First things first..."

A servant was sent and sure enough, both fairies came when only one is summoned. "Try and keep me out," Reyan called from the door. "I am a close personal friend of Empress Aurora."

Rubbing her forehead with a pained smile, Aurora motioned for the servant to allow him to approach. "Your servants have no manners," the old fairy complained to the king. "They tried to put their hands on me just now."

The king graced the fairy with a tolerant grin. "I mean you were forcibly trying to enter the queen's rooms without permission. You should be glad the guards did not try to cut off your head." Zoltan responded. The two glared at one another before the fairy found a seat far away from the ruler.

"I can see where he gets his manners..." Reyan mumbled.

"Excuse my fellow fairy," Bolemir apologized. "He is senile and does not think before he speaks."

The older fairy grumbled some choice words at his comrade as he folded his arms angrily. The room finally settled.

The Empress stared intently at Brinn with pleading eyes. "If you please, I would like the bad news first. Maybe the good news after it will soften things a little." At least this what what she hoped.

Brinn inhaled deeply. "Suit yourself. Alaron is alive. He has used a considerable amount of magic since you left, like an insane amount. When I left, he was being drugged by Cafer to be more compliant. Oh, and he was crowned Emperor about two weeks ago."

Aurora had received bits of news on some of these things, but hearing them confirmed by someone who was there still stung. And Cafer drugging her son made her more angry than words. The Empress closed her eyes to calm herself. "And the good news?"

"Cafer had to drug Alaron because the boy realized that he was wrong. Alaron does not want to be Emperor." Brinn relayed all the events in detail to the group (only leaving out the parts of her romance for the sake of her parents) and finally concluded her tale.

"Then we must get the healing water to Alaron as soon as possible! I know it will work. The Maker told me as much." Aurora told Brinn and Alvar of her own own journey. "So you see, the water will work."

Brinn furrowed her brow. "That will cleanse him of the drugs and magic, but not free him from Cafer. After our attempt, I am sure he will have the new Emperor under the heaviest of guard. He will be unreachable."

Aurora sighed. They only had one water skin, so multiple attempts to get it to him would not be possible. Then there was still the matter of breaking him free. If he was too heavily guarded, then sending a rescue team was a suicide mission.

"That 'key' of yours is well locked away," Reyan commented.

The Empress's face hardened. "Then we will have to continue with our plan to draw the gnomes out and defeat them."

Brinn cocked her head to one side. "And that plan is…?"

"War."