Jade twiddled her thumbs in Sir Elliot's study, once again nursing a burgeoning headache. The irony was not lost on her. She lurched forward as her eyelids nearly closed shut but she managed to save face just in time. The lack of sleep was going to undo the farce of attentiveness she played.

The Crown Prince paced on the plush carpet in front of her. His fine, embroidered clothes were creased and undone. His ceremonial sword discarded long ago.

"Calm down, master Edward, you will tire yourself," Elliot was uncharacteristically compassionate. He sat at his wooden desk with a wide assortment of parchments strewn in front of him. The older man was busy making contingencies for potential contingencies.

Jade squashed the urge to interrogate the Crown Prince about last night's disturbance, during his dance with Emma. Their current predicament was far graver. It needed to be handled with utmost care and urgency or the Prince would be lost to them forever. The girl made plans to approach her friends as soon as she was dismissed.

"A bunch of miserable idiots- dimwits -perposterous..." The gold clad Crown Prince mumbled to himself. He stuck his fingers in his short raven locks carelessly and whatever shape or form his valet had intended was now demolished.

"I apologize for the interruption but where is Prince Luke? Is he alright?" Jade finally braved the lull in conversation to ask questions. Her attention shifted from one occupant of the room to the other, hoping either one would reply. She hadn't laid eyes on her employer since the guards escorted him away from outside the palace.

"He has an audience with the King scheduled for this hour. He is advocating his cause in hopes he will be allowed to pursue the girl," Elliot explained with a clipped accent. His furrowed greying brows showed signs that he utterly disapproved.

"Are you absolutely certain she asked for help?" Edward rounded up on Jade mid step. If his dark blue eyes were weapons they would have dug holes in the secretary's narrow face.

"I have already fine combed my entire experience to you thrice. I doubt you shall find anything new in my statement, Your Highness," Jade explained with unraveling patience, "What I don't understand how the Prince managed to escape such tight security."

"We are not as infallible as we thought. No one saw him leave the room. One minute he danced on the floor and the next he vanished into thin air. We were all enchanted," Elliot looked down at his ink splattered fingers with something that looked like remorse.

"It was only luck I wasn't in the room then," Jade pondered, "Otherwise he would have been spirited off..."

"Why weren't you?" Edward asked with an unnecessary tone of hostility, "In the room, I mean."

Jade's nimble fingers emptied her stuffed pockets and showed them the bags of her winnings. She had managed to poach all the remaining contents of Lord George's pockets.

"I wasn't just lucky to catch the Prince last night. I also won a heafty amount at the gaming tables. It seemed too crude to take my share of winnings in front of polite society so I made the exchange in the entrance hall," Jade gave the occupants of the study a wry grin. She relished the memory of her stepmother's cries of fury and angish. They balmed her ears much more than last night's orchestra had.

Sir Elliot shook his head as if gravely disappointed in all of Jade's life choices and excused her from the room. Taking the opportunity to leave at last Jade raced off to the second person whose plight was troubling through her mind.

"Emma," Jade called out out as she knocked on the gilded door. The secretary faltered at the thought of Emma having left for the capital forever and decided the polite knocking wouldn't suffice. After a near violent attempt at the doorknob the door eased open abruptly. Emma's tear streaked face peered from behind the guilded doorway.

"What are you doing here?" The younger girl cried out, her voice rough and pained.

"I thought you'd left," The secretary exhaled, breathlessly, "I apologize for my rudeness."

"No, not yet. Just packing bits and bobs I didn't want to send stuffed in the luggage carriage," Emma sighed as if it pained her, "My father is already distressed by my behaviour and I don't want to add to it by allowing you in my rooms."

"This might be the last time we meet," Jade implored. Her friend conceeded and with a furtive inspection of the hallway, opened the door just enough to pull the taller girl in. The room seemed to have undergone a windstorm. The bags, scarves and beauty items was strewn all across the sitting area. Jade carefully stepped on the carpeted floor hoping she wouldn't crush any delicate items beneath her boots.

"He is so disappointed in me for leaving the Ball in such a flurry. He just- I could not give him a explaination," Emma's chin wobbled as she sank into the sofa. Jade took a seat next to her.

"You don't have to explain anything but you could share your burden with me."

"Whatever happened isn't worth repeating," The younger girl replied firmly. She rubbed her returning tears away with stiff movements.

"You left the room clearly upset. It cannot have been unimportant. But I will ask no further although I could wreck his pretty face for you if you'd like," Jade offered. She had no need to explain who she was talking about. They both knew the Crown prince was partially the reason for the pain in her eyes.

"I am tempted by your offer. I just-" Emma looked away, flustered. Her mouth opened as if to continue but she closed it, unable to verbalise her thoughts.

They sat in silence as precious moments passed by. Jade gazed at her companion's red nose and wished she could do more. Even disguised as a man she was still strangely powerless.

"I would offer you food to eat but I can't risk allowing my maid in. She is loyal but dislikes you severely. She'll tell my father immediately," The younger girl, blew her nose in a plain handkerchief.

"Me? What have I done to her!" Jade was astonished.

"Ignored her batting her eyelashes at you, that's what. It was quite comical," The pale haired girl finally broke out into a grin which subsided as her melancholic thoughts resumed, "I am going to miss everyone. And I'm going to miss you. Father thinks I've been too influenced by the rich folk and is determined to keep me away."

"Is there no other way to convince him to let you stay?" The secretary implored while her hands moved violently along with her passionate words.

"No, there is not. He is firm," Emma said as her light blue eyes lost all their brightness, "We shall not meet again. I will only be allowed to meet potential suitors. I have disgraced myself most thoroughly last night and deserve the punishment."

Jade felt a lump in her throat. Familiar pinpricks of angry tears welled up in her brown eyes and her vision blurred. She had thought such turmoil within her breast had long since dried up after her father's passing but clearly she had underestimated her own emotional depth. Jade cleared her throat to suppress her growing weakness and made a decision. It was foolhardy, reckless and perhaps the biggest mistake of her life but she needed to do say something now or she would never get the opportunity again.

She pulled out the necklace from within her shirt's depths and laid it out on the space between them.

"What is this? You can't possibly have decided to turn to a life of crime!" The blue eyed friend declared. Her smaller fingers reached out to touch the glistening necklace but hesitated at the last moment as if fearing it would burn.

"No silly goose! This is my mother's. I'm giving it to you," Jade uttered with false gaiety. Her limbs trembled at the thought of what she was about to do next.

"Are you proposing!" Emma screeched with a horrified look on her face which gave Jade much merriment.

"While that would solve all our problems I cannot. I just wished to give you good tidings. We might meet again: as peers and no one will recognise me or stop us," Jade whispered solemnly and allowed her natural voice to reveal itself mid speech, "I no longer wish to decieve you. I am not a boy, never have been."

Emma just stared. She wet her lips and uttered softly, "Who are you?"

"I'm Jade, that's my true name. If my father had another child he would have named them amethyst but I digress. My surname is Durnn, not Ward. That is the only difference."

Emma wheezed as the realisation hit her belatedly. Her fingers unconsciously dug into her flushed face dotting red marks all over it.

"When I told you I understood the plight of women, believe me, I wasn't lying. The life story I've given you is true. I am a gentleman's daughter and my stepmother did indeed conspire to steal my inheritance from me. I had to leave my childhood home for the fear that she would sell me off to the highest bidder for my dowry."

Jade cleared her throat and continued, "If you want to corroborate then you can ask Dimitri. He's my former horse trainer's son and now the Prince's bodyguard. You could also ask around ton from many a lady of quality about a girl called Jade Durnn who went mad at her father's funeral. It was possible gossip once upon a time."

"I remember the look on Dimitri's face when you were reintroduced. He must have been shocked out of his skin," Emma giggled abruptly and the taughtness in Jade's spine released its hold.

"I hope you can forgive me for the deception," The secretary pleaded with hooded eyes. She could scarcely believe that there were no recriminations being thrown her way.

"It's still you." Emma's voice soothed over any possible fears.

"Yes, it's still me. I can still come visit you if you like. Mr. Gepetto could find me a nice dress and a lovely wig. I could pretend to be your classmate from 'Finishing school for the Virtuous, Principled Ladies.'"

"Oh, oh it would be infamous. I always knew you would look dashing in a dress," Emma peered at her friend, seeing her countenance in new light.

"But I don't know when I could come. I'm sure you've heard by now that Luke wants to leave the Palace immediately. He wants to follow the mysterious girl even if it means falling off the ends of the earth," Jade explained. She cleared her throat and continued, "This necklace was meant to be mine but the life I've chosen may mean I never get the opportunity to wear it. Please, keep it safe until I return. And if I don't then consider it a present."

Emma seemed to reach for the red jewel but took her friend's hands in hers instead and examined the rougher skin, "How could I not see it. You have such dainty hands."

"I wonder the same thing but I did manage to fool you too," The brown headed girl smirked.

"But you are so tall. I did not suspect a thing," The younger admitted, "Now tell me about more pressing matters. How is it being in close proximity to so many men. Do they all curse and belch when ladies are not present."

"Poor things are not so uncivilized although I have added many new words to my vocabulary. I'll admit I was the one behaving poorly for I was busy leering at them from afar," Jade giggled, verbalising her intrusive thoughts which lead to Emma's collapse in her seat. She coughed trying to subdue the fit of laughter.

"Ah, if I had to stay close to so many attactive men especially Prince Luke, I would have fallen in love," The blonde sighed, wistfully.

"Have you?" Jade asked in a serious tone, her eyes probing.

"What could you possibly mean?" Emma's light eyes lost their mirth.

"The crown Prince is also a good looking fellow even if he's a bird brain," The nonchalantly asked question was hardly idle.

"You've confided a very big secret and I feel I must reciprocate," Emma stated. She stood up with an agitated air, her fists clenching and unclenching.

"You don't have to," Jade insisted.

"I have to or otherwise I'll go mad," Emma cried out. She picked at the hair at the nape of her neck, escaping her bun as if to sooth her frantic heart.

"I'm all ears."

"My conversation with the Crown Prince started out appropriate enough. We talked about the number of couples, the suitable weather, the orchestra's performance but suddenly he started talking about my social status," Emma ended the sentence flatly.

"What? Why?" Jade was baffled. This was not the declaration of love she was expecting.

"I honestly don't know what was going through his head. He told me he understood that as an impoverished female of little means I must be looking for wealthy husband but I should cease my efforts immediately."

"What a loon," The secretary groaned in her hands absolutely disappointed in the way the conversation had occured. All her efforts were for naught.

"He also kindly informed that me he did not mind I was from inferior stock and it was then I replied that I didn't care what he thought of me and my substandard breeding and left him standing in the middle of the ball room. His arrogance could not be borne," Emma's nostrils flared as her temper simmered beneath the surface.

"What a wretched pisspot," Jade exhaled. Emma had not rejected a declaration of love as she had imagined. The foolish Prince had bungled up before he could begin any such declarations. Perhaps it was for the best if her friend did not know of the truth. It would save her from unwanted heartbreak.

...

Before Jade could finally drown in her goose feather pillows and close her iron heavy eyelids she had two more people to torment. The Secretary entered the Royal's study without ceremony and found Prince Luke seated at his desk. The stillness of the room paused her advancing feet.

"Father has given me his approval. We ride at dawn," Luke's handsome face was concealed by his long, dark hair, allowing Jade no insight into what muddling thoughts were speeding through his mind.

"Has he? I would have thought he would not allow you to pursue her," The secretary tried to school the look of shock off her face.

"He tried but I could not be dissuaded," The Prince played with a crystal globe on his desk with careful, precise movements.

"Is it wise? You give an impression of being a sensible man. Are you absolutely certain you wish to put your life in jeopardy for a girl you barely met," Jade implored. Her heart frantically thumped at the thought of her employer being pulled into the depths of darkness by foul hands.

"She is everything I have ever dreamed off," The man's powerful shoulders shuddered trying to contain his emotions, "I love her."

"You scarcely know her, Sire," Jade whispered in disbelief. Her heart felt strangled under the weight of his adoration for her.

"You were there! You witnessed her plea for help," Luke lost all sense as he sprang up from his seated position and stalked towards his secretary, "Even if I had not given her my heart I would have wanted to save her life. My sense of honour and chivalry demands it."

"What if it's a trap? What if they're using her to get to you?" The tall girl took a step back due to the ferocity of his movements. He had rarely shown her his impassioned side before and it startled her.

"I have to know! I cannot rest until I find her. My limbs burn at the thought of her being tortured and starved. I cannot bear it. I cannot, I cannot," The man clutched his swaying head as if in severe pain.

Jade reached over the desk and threw a pitcher of water on the Prince's head. The moment of regret came upon her much too late.

"I am not enchanted, you dim wit, not right now!" Luke spluttered as the cool water seeped down his neck. The man's grey eyes flashed dangerously while his lips curled with hot fury.

"You looked like you were," Jade lied.

The moment she had thrown the water she had noticed the madness in his gaze. He had never held any emotions in his eyes when he was enchanted. The emotions he was exhibiting seemed to be his alone and not induced by magic at all. This knowledge chilled her to the bone.

Jade took a calming breath and decided it was time to lay groundwork to her own contingency plans. She pulled off the kingdom's framed map from the wall behind her and laid it out on the desk. The Prince's glare soon changed into bemusement.

"Sire, where are the marble balls?" Jade questioned. Her lips were a firm line of disapproval. She did not wish to go ahead with her plans but she had no choice.

"How do you know of their existence?" Luke queried after a solemn pause. The man closed his safe shut and handed Jade the red, velvet pouch.

"I'm your secretary now. It's well within my written contract to know about the minute details of your life. I have been working closely with our new researcher, Harry, to improve their operation."

"That means you will you help me," Luke's eyes shined relief. He truly had expected a rebellion on his hands.

"I will follow wherever you wish. After all my livelihood depends on you," Jade remarked lightly, "Harry's nearly done with this part of the research. We were meant to follow the arrow physically until we reached our destination. It would have been tedious task if we were confronted with ravines or deep pools of water. Now we only need to open the map and lay out the marbles. We can take whatever shortcuts required to get to our destination."

Luke tugged the gold string open. The glass balls were let loose and began rearranging themselves on the map. They halted in seconds and the arrow firmly pointed towards a village barely visible on the map.

"To Edenshire we go," Jade muttered and watched the Prince's face glow radiantly.