Xander looked at the two ladies, the sleeping prince and the unusually calm Cafer. Something did not add up, but he was not sure which thing to address first.

"Cafer, you sneaky jackal! Already trying to find new ways to control the young man?" Baak laughed. The group lowered their weapons.

Brinn giggled, and Alvar did his best impression of a coquettish woman. He pushed out his chest and wiggled his hips. Brinn was equal parts amused and offended by his acting. She would make him apologize later for sinning against womankind, but she was glad that the men in the room did not seem to notice his awkward manner.

Baak furrowed his brow. "Your efforts will not do much good if the boy is sleeping. He has not even woken with all this commotion."

The king was right. Tired from the day and sedatives, Alaron had not stirred since everything began.

"Where did these women even come from? I did not see them enter," Xander did not sheath his sword, holding it firm in his unbroken hand.

"The servant's entrance, of course," Brinn said in a high pitched whine that would hide her voice. After Cafer seemed to recognize her, she knew that she had to be more careful. "Or you could call it the entrance for anyone trying to be discreet." She covered her mouth like she had told a delicious secret.

With the hand that was not wrapped around Cafer's arm, she ran her fingers up the advisor's side affectionately, looking for a weapon in case she should need it. It seemed the gnome must keep the knife hidden on his other side. That was unfortunate.

She whispered in Cafer's ear once more. The gnome gave a forced chuckle. "Thank you for your concern. If you will excuse us," he said calmly.

The soldiers turned to leave, but Baak and Xander both held their ground.

"Your eyes…" Baak mused while studying Brinn. "I could have sworn they lit just then."

"With excitement maybe," the elf said innocently.

"Why are you holding onto him?" Xander asked motioning with the tip of his sword toward Brinn's arm, which was wrapped around Cafer's elbow.

"Isn't is obvious?" The girl gave a shy smile.

"No…Cafer does not like being touched by anyone." Baak drew his sword once more. "Let him go." The guards, who had not yet left the room, trained their blades on the intruders as well.

In her ear, Brinn could hear Alvar's voice via the wind magic. "It is no use. We need to get out of here." He looked at her with a pleading gaze from the balcony's entrance.

"I can't," she said both to Alvar and Baak.

"You are controlling him through, aren't you?" Baak glared at Brinn.

"Is that even possible?" Xander wondered.

"It is if you are an elf," Baak sneered.

This was news to Xander. He only knew of his Merpearl that could hold others captive, even then it was not this level of control.

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"Time to catch an elf then," Xander reached for the pearl.

Brinn released the gnome to shield her eyes, and allowed her wind magic to cease. Cafer immediately snapped from his daze. "You're an elf!"

The spymaster had no time to respond as an invisible force grabbed her by the waist and hauled her toward the balcony. Knowing that Alvar had made himself invisible, Brinn did likewise.

"Two elves!" Baak exclaimed. "Do not let them leave."

Cafer closed his eyes to focus his magic. The gorgeous stone floor of the ruler's room began to soften and undulate, searching to entrap the invisible foes. But the stone found no feet to encase. "I cannot sense them through the ground. Shut the door and fan out. They cannot have gotten out of the room and they cannot stay invisible for long! Catch them when they appear."

Cafer allowed the floor to solidify and walked slowly to the balcony. He looked out at the darkness and put his hands on the polished wood of the railing. If only he could sense through wood! He ran his hand casually along the rail, trying not to give away that he was searching. As he neared, he could hear their nearly silent breathing.

'Got you!' Cafer reached out and grabbed hold of one of the invisible creatures. "They're here!" he called. He was about to gloat when a punch landed him in the gut and knocked him backwards.

"Ouch, he is hard. Time to go, my love!" a masculine voice called from the void.

The sound of the male elf confused Cafer. "How many are you?" he asked.

"A thousand," came the retreating reply. Then silence.

The guards flooded the balcony. "Where?" one of them asked.

Cafer groaned as he struggled to stand up. "I believe they jumped."

Xander pushed through and looked over the railing. He spotted two shadows on the ground. "There! Get them!" he yelled as he pointed. The soldiers rushed from the room to carry out the order.

"You won't catch them. They will just change how they look. That is what makes elves so dangerous. We will have to add precautions." Cafer warned him.

With a loud grunt, Xander helped Cafer up and they walked back into the room toward the waiting gnome king.

"How long do you think they have been here?" Baak asked as they approached.

"Since we arrived, I believe. One of them has been pretending to be the princess this whole time," Cafer said as he recalled the voice of the "servant girl."

"But if that is true, have the elves joined the enemy? I thought you said no magical creatures would get involved in the affairs of men." Xander tensed. He had not gone up against magical foes, and a disappearing one was not an attractive option.

Baak pulled his lips tight. "It seems the all-knowing Cafer was wrong. But this would explain why my 'treasures' disappeared..." he said about Bukuri and Faris.

The advisor rubbed his temples. "And if the rumblings are true, an army is forming in the desert, but the leprechauns cannot seem to find it. I think they are trying to drain me dry of my money..." Cafer complained. His problems were piling up.

"War is coming, then." Xander mused. "I thought your....reinforcements...were a little extreme, but now I understand, Cafer. I only hope they will be ready in time."

"They will be ready, do not worry." The advisor was deep in thought.

Xander looked down at the boy. "I do not get it. If the elves have been here this whole time, why did they not try to kill the boy earlier?"

Cafer snapped his head toward the pirate. "They did not want to kill him. They were coming to take him away."

"Why?" the Captain asked a second time.

The corners of the advisor's lips curled upward. "Because I suspect the enemy knows what I have known for a long time. Weak as he is, Alaron is the key to victory. As long as we have him, they will not win."

Alaron shifted on the bed for the first time since everything began. He cried out in anguish from the dreams sifting through his head. Somehow he knew that his chance at rescue was well and truly gone.

----------

"We have to go back," Brinn said as she stared longingly at the city Valiant. The two elves had not stopped running until they were clear of the capital.

"We cannot, my love. They will guard the new Emperor day and night. And now that they know elves are around, they will be searching for us all the time. We cannot risk it." Alvar told her gently. Her brought her into his embrace and held her.

Brinn was unwilling to give up. "I do not care about the risk. I would give my life to..." the she elf's speech was cut short as Alvar kissed her lightly on the forehead.

The strong elf tightened his hug. "I am not willing to risk your life again. You may be willing to give your life for your goal, but are you willing to give mine?"

The question made Brinn's blood freeze. She had risked both their lives before, but she was relatively sure they would be safe because their identities were hidden. Now that they were discovered, everything changed. This would very likely be a suicide mission.

The red-headed elf rested her head against the Alvar's chest and heaved a sigh. "Of course not. Your life is a price far too high." She wrapped her arms around the he-elf's waist.

"I feel the same way about you." Alvar kissed the top of the lady's head. She relaxed slightly from his touch.

"I just don't like failing," Brinn uttered her fear.

"It is a tactical retreat, my love. That is all. We will get reinforcements and try again when we have a better chance," he comforted her. "Now which way shall we go to find our allies? North or south?"

"North, I think," Brinn answered after contemplating. "We have a good idea of where the Empress is. and," she added sheepishly, "It is probably time for me to go home. But only if there is time, of course."

Alvar smiled. "Of course, Princess."

"Do not call me that!" Brinn protested, pulling away from his embrace slightly.

The handsome elf kiss her hard on the mouth and then laughed. "Try and stop me!" Before Brinn could deliver one of her characteristic punches to his arm, Alvar was running northward away from his lovely fiancée.

As the sun rose, an old farmer looked up from his chores and surveyed the skyline with a squint. "Honey," he called, "Come look! There's a woman chasing a man at the speed of the wind!"

The woman did not even leave the barn. "Your eyes are playing tricks on you again. I will see if the healer can fit you in this afternoon after our work is done."

The farmer harrumphed, sure of what he saw. "I wonder what will happen when she finally catches him?" He shrugged and returned to his work.