The little old woman waved her arms about dramatically as she spoke. "Thousands upon thousands of hostile men and monsters lay siege to the fort. Those in the humble garrison began to lose heart when the Princess rallied them. 'We must fight,' she said, 'hold on until the sun rises!' Along with the general and a few imperial soldiers, Princess Mairwen shot arrows into the darkness at the coming foe. By her bow, pirate after pirate fell to the ground, and many who sought to overthrow the Empress ended their days unsatisfied.

"But it was not enough. The enemy overran the battlements using sturdy ladders. As they came over the wall, the pirates and monsters cackled with delight. They had succeeded and would take the fort and everyone inside!"

The entertainer paused and allowed those around to boo in disgust. Satisfied that she had made her point, the old woman went continued.

"Mairwen, however, refused to taste defeat. She would protect her citizens at all cost. The princess was so formidable that even the wind was on her side, blowing the foe's ladders from their perch and sending them clattering to the ground. With the help of her courageous crew, Princess Mairwen drove the enemy back over the ramparts and sent them running with their tails between their legs."

The woman, though old, was surprisingly spry. Her legs scurried around the circle as she reenacted the sword fighting and archery. She even gave a quite convincing death scene for one of the pirates.

At the mention of the enemy's defeat, a mighty cheer came up from those listening. But their happiness was cut short when the ragged woman's eyes filled with tears.

"Alas, dear friends, the damage had been done. Tar was smeared along the wooden wall and the pirates quickly lit their arrows to set the pitch ablaze. Princess Mairwen, with eyes like an eagle, stopped many of their archers from hitting their mark. One of them even let their flaming arrow go only to have the princess split the shaft in two before it could reach the target. Finally, the onslaught was too much, and the fort was on fire. But Mairwen could not leave before she set the horses free. Her heart is for human and animal alike!

"Amid crashing booms, which one of her comrades provided, all the imperial troops save one were able to leave the garrison alive. General Beadu gave his life to save the others, something the princess would have gladly done if he had let her." The woman threw dirt in the air and pummeled the delighted crowd, making them feel as if they were there. They oohed and ahhed at the woman's fantastic display.

"The morning had not yet dawned, but the princess ,riding on horseback, led the troops toward Valiant as fast as she could. But there was no way they could all reach the capital in time, and those on foot quickly fell behind. 'We cannot abandon them!' the princess cried as she turned her horse around. With arrows specially made for such a time, Princess Mairwen shot clouds of fog at the enemy and confused them. The imperial troops now could reach the open plain, where one last stand would be made for Empress Aurora and the Valiant Empire. 'We will not give into tyranny. Take heart!' the princess cried.

"Just as all hope was lost, the first ray of the sun peeked over the horizon. The pirates and monsters began to tremble in fear. There behind the battered band of heroes, was a group that numbered as great as the stars. Knowing that the fort was in danger, the Empress had sent her army to smite the enemy. With the dawn, salvation had come. All thanks to the Warrior Princess and her heroism.

"Of course, tis just a legend, it is true. If thou want a truer tale, ask the town crier. Yet if you enjoyed the entertainer's embellishments even the smallest bit, please spare a coin or two to keep her tongue wet and her belly full."

The woman bowed. She pulled a small cap from her belt and held it out as the applause receded. Most were very appreciative and tossed their thanks toward the woman. She collected the money dutifully. As she moved around the circle, she finally made it to the Emperor and princess.

"Oh, you do look slack-jawed," the woman teased. Her colorless eyes danced in amusement. "Was my story that awe-inspiring?"

"It was a great work of fiction," Mairwen responded with a furrowed brow.

"That's what entertainers do," the woman argued, "They take a story and tell it in such a way that it pleases the audience. Care to tell me how it really happened? I would love to improve upon my craft by adding a little spice of truth."

The princess was caught off-guard. She knew the woman was a Fate, but had no idea exactly how far-reaching their powers were. "You know who I am?"

The woman's smile broadened as she cupped the girl's chin. Eira wanted to intervene, but felt stuck in place. "My sweet girl," the Fate said as she held the Princess's face, "I know far more than anyone ever should. I find it amusing that you think I would not know someone as notable as you."

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"Hanna?" Devrim whispered as he recovered from his shock. Her appearance was completely different than the majestic being he had spent time with in the Mystic Spires, but the mirth in those colorless irises could belong to no one else.

The woman inclined her head toward the Emperor. "I have been called many names by many people. Right now, I am simply know as 'entertainer'. Perhaps you could buy an old woman a drink and a meal and meet me out on the village lawn. I may yet have more stories to tell, young man."

With that, the Fate wandered off to the common area in the middle of the town and lay down in the grass, presumably for a nap.

"What was that all about?" Junayd asked. He knew Hanna was a bit odd, but this was something entirely new.

"I am not sure, but I suppose we should buy her some food and join her." Devrim moved to make the purchase and the others followed.

"Wait," Eira tried to grasp the situation as they bought lunch. "That was a Fate? I pictured them…differently."

"Fates can look like anyone or nothing at all," Junayd informed her. He remembered the feeling of being watched when he was in the Mystic Spires. A chill ran down his spine.

"There must be a reason for the disguise," Mairwen added. She took the fresh fruit from a vendor and eagerly headed back toward the town square.

Hanna seemed to be asleep, so the group of four sat down close to her but not too near. "Do we wake her?" Eira asked.

"I think we should wait," Devrim responded.

"How can she sleep at a time like this?" Junayd wondered.

Mairwen cocked her head as she stared at the entertainer. "I did not think Fates slept."

"They don't," the old woman answered with closed eyes. "Did you bring anything delicious to eat?"

With a chuckle, Mairwen passed over a piece of ripened fruit.

"Thank you, my dear," Hanna said as she sat up. The Fate took a bite. "My favorite!"

"I am glad," the princess responded happily. She also took a bite of another of the sweet peaches.

Devrim could not hold back the obvious question. "What —"

"—am I doing here?" Hanna cut him off. "I have come to bring you news, of course."

"Then why—" Junayd began.

"Why am I dressed like this? To get your attention and avoid the other Fates! I am just happy you picked up on the hint and came to find me." The Fate look quite pleased with the humans. They did not want to tell her that they had mostly stumbled upon her by accident.

"You wanted us to find you." Devrim was beginning to understand. "Is that why you—"

"—started the rumors about lovely Mairwen here?" Hanna interrupted the question yet again. It was a habit of hers, stemming from the fact that she could often predict what would happen. "My purpose of the Warrior Princess story is two-fold. I wanted to get your attention, but I also wanted to gather support for the royal family. Alaron can spread lies and half-truths about Aurora all day long, but I do not think he has the stomach to do the same thing to Mairwen. If the princess is held up as a beacon to follow the Empress, there is nothing the young prince can do about it without hurting his own conscience."

Devrim could not argue. His mind shifted to something else the Fate had mentioned. "You said you had news?" The man asked, happy to have finally completed a query.

"I do indeed. News of all shapes and sorts." Hanna gave a childlike smile, which stood in stark contrast to her old, wrinkled facade.

"Well," Junayd prodded, "Tell us!"

"As if I would come all this way and not tell you! As I mentioned the other Fates do not know I am here. I swore to stay away from Aurora, and I have. Though everyone else is fair game…"

"Do you have news of my wife?" Devrim's eyes pleaded for a good report.

Hanna could torture him no longer. "I have it on good authority that Aurora, Zan and Gandr are safe and sound with the elves. Your beautiful bride has made some powerful allies with the elven king and queen."

The Emperor was surprised and pleased. Mairwen reached over and gave her father's hand an encouraging squeeze. Aurora was alive and well.

Hanna continued, "As you may have expected, Alaron has taken over the castle with the help of that no-good Cafer, Baak and Xander…Speaking of which, did you know you have four pirates following you? Don't look, but they are watching you even now."

The change in topic was so abrupt that the four listening just stared blankly at her for a moment. It was Eira who finally answered. "We knew that we were being followed, just not by how many."

"You should deal with them soon. They have been after you for too long. I may see if I can flush them out." Hanna contemplated if she should help. "No, I think you will have to sort that out on your own."

"You were telling us about things at the palace…" the princess reminded the Fate gently. The group had already finished their food and huddled close to hear every word.

Hanna took another bite of the fruit before sighing, "Ah yes, how clumsy I am these days. I think that playing the part of an entertainer has played with my mind. Anyway, Alaron is set to be crowned within the week, two at the most."

"But how? Aurora is neither dead nor has she abdicated," Devrim pointed out. Of course that change of power was only under normal circumstances. A coup certainly had different rules.

"Cafer has another underhanded scheme. I gave him a piece of my mind, you can be sure." The Fate nearly crushed the last of the fruit in her balled fist. Fortunately she remembered it at the last moment, and popped it into her mouth instead.

"You went to the palace?" the princess's eyes went wide. "Did you see Brinn?"

Hanna laughed, and the sound of it was soothing to the listeners. "Spymaster Brinn is fully in her element. She is pretending to be you, princess. No one knows you are even gone. Of course Brinn has a little bit of help and more on the way. I daresay that Cafer may be defeated from the inside out." Hanna winked at Mairwen with the mention of 'help,' but the princess dismissed it as another of the Fate's quirks.

The Emperor's chest tightened. "But surely Alaron knows that Brinn is not Mairwen. Can he be trusted not to betray her..." like he did the rest of us was the unspoken end of the question.

"I cannot pretend to know the mind of that boy. In the end, only Alaron knows which side he is on." Hanna would speak no more on the matter. She stood suddenly and resumed the stance of an old woman. "I wish you well. You have quite a long way to go, and I have an afternoon performance before I move on to the next town. What do you think? Should I add blazing dragons or viscous trained bears to the enemy this time? I think it needs a little more drama."

Mairwen rolled her eyes. "I have had enough dragons for a lifetime. If I must choose, the bears are the tamer option."

Hanna nodded. "I will play it by ear and see what feels right. Goodbye, my loves. Be well."

The Fate left them, and the rest packed up to go.

"Well, that was unexpected. What will we do now, Your Majesty?" Junayd asked as he saw the fire reignite in the Emperor's eyes.

"We head to the Southern Fort and rally a human army. Then we find a way to contact my wife. But first, and most importantly, we deal with the pirates on our tail."