The Fae Citadel loomed so large over Daniel's head as the terrible reality crashed into him. The very curvature of the world seemed to bring the tall buildings and palaces over his head, and Daniel hid further into the bushes as he struggled to keep his breathing calm.

It was not his fault.

It was not his problem.

The Sky Court was no friend of his, and these low sodden enforcers had spared him no pain earlier.

Besides, he had too much to do.

And he was so achingly tired.

And so hungry.

It was impossible.

He couldn't save everyone.

He had to save Witness.

And those rural villages.

It was impossible.

Where was the Law of Fae when he needed it! Where was the word play? Lord Fredar's instruction to his troop had been extremely firm: Go inside and handle the golem before King's Enforcers arrived. That squad had no other option, the very Law of Fae would compel them forward into their own doom.

Daniel couldn't forget himself. He owed those brutes nothing. They had spared him nothing that morning.

But...

Marrin, the tall and big brute, looked small as he came back to his feet after being smashed against the wall. He felt on his head, and upon realizing that he had lost his hat, dropped down and scurried on all fours searching the ground until he found his green hat, and carefully checked it for damages. The midling looked with worry at his hat, then toward the rest of the squad.

They all looked as lost and worried as Marrin. Most of them were much weaker than the midling fae.

"If...I don't make it," Marrin said, standing up and putting on his hat. "Please make sure my sister gets that money I set aside for her." He said. "I...will go in...first."

The squad protested the midling's words, and Daniel pulled away deeper into the foilage, trying to gather his thoughts.

And he nearly ruined his hiding spot from surprise, as Shelby was nearby watching him without making a noise. Jasper was also there, but much more reluctantly.

"So." she said. "What are you going to do?"

And the Law of Fae leaned in close, awaiting his response. The Game, which was still happily observing the golem and the Shadow Warbler inside, shifted its focus.

The Servant Branch had done nothing wrong. He was ahead. He was winning.

He had no advantage to go back inside. Even warning the 'squadron' of ill trained enforcers may compromise his victory.

He had two more assassination attempts to go as well.

Why had all these bad things happened to him? Why was he punished when all he had tried to do was help?

"There is little I can do."

"Can I go and tell them not to go in?" She asked. "I work here, surely I must have some kind of position."

"No. Estates and Houses like this are under the King's protection," Jasper finally spoke, though he looked at Shelby and avoided looking at Daniel. "And when there is a threat the Enforcers must enter. Their Lord also engaged them to this action, who is also their ranking and commanding officer. They cannot back down. They must enter and deal with the golem."

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"But the golem won't be a problem, it's the shadow warbler that will kill them unless we tell them to buzz off and wait for the real enforcers," said the girl, extremely troubled.

There was nothing Daniel could do.

And nothing he had to do.

This was not his problem.

Innocent fae perished often. Without thought, or ceremony, all that knew them knew them no longer, like giving ash to the wind.

What were a few more? Why were these lives worth more than any other life Daniel could not protect?

What did it matter to him. He...wasn't...

Daniel did not want them to die.

They were lowlings forced by circumstances to serve an unfit master. They were living, breathing fae, who had had hopes of a future.

But there were too many variables for Daniel to consider. It was easy for the strong to protect the weak. How could someone as weak as he was now protect others?

"Try." said a distant voice of memory. "Even when you are afraid. All you have to do is try your best."

His best.

He couldn't defeat the Shadow Warbler. He had barely survived it as a child. Yes, he had much better training now, but he was hardly even a lowly at this point. Authority which had once abounded in him was no more than a mirage.

"That's it." Daniel said, looking up.

A way to follow the rules, and avoid the Shadow Warbler.

The Sky Court's enforcers need only deal with the golem. As long as the golem lived, the warbler would be primarily focused on finishing that target. The competent enforcers would arrive shortly. Daniel ran several scenarios in his mind. He could do it. Almost. If only...

"What happened to the Great Mage Esra?" Daniel asked Jasper.

Jasper went pale, like Daniel had caught him in a lie. "Why would I know..."

"You clearly work for the Surmount Butler. Esra was late in meeting me, and believe you me, he does what he wants. I have what he wants, but he wasn't at the Stable, and he hasn't found me. Therefore something happened to him. I don't have much time. Can you release him in the next five minutes..."

Jasper sputtered (quietly) and looked like he was afraid. "I heard that the Great Mage was held for an internal banquet of one. I could...probably find the keys. But..."

"Either release him or join me inside with the Shadow Warbler. Or leave the lowlings to die when they did nothing wrong except take employment from a bad Lord." Daniel said. "And know who was truly heartless, the fallen Heirling or the mighty and principled glasbin fae who wishes to risk nothing."

Daniel's body double clinched a fist. "I'll go." He glared at Daniel. "Then we are even."

"No debt between us." Said Daniel. "Do it or don't." He was really tired of dealing with Jasper at this point.

Jasper glared again, and scuttled off.

"Jasper won't betray us." Said Shelby. "He is actually a nice person, underneath all that fear. Fear makes people make mistakes."

"Us?"

"I just assumed I was part of the team now. That's usually how these things work."

"Why are you still here, helping me?"

"Do we have time?" she gestured toward the unfortunate squadron of enforcers.

"They are still writing their wills over there. Convince me, swear to the Law of Fae, who you are and why you are still helping me?"

The girl sat down in the mulch, kicking out her ankles, and looked up to the stars. Daniel realized she may be older than him, but there was something inherently youthful about her. She seemed youthful in every way but her eyes, which were somehow burdened, like she knew secrets she couldn't share, "I don't swear. My yes means yes, and my no means no." And the Law of Fae agreed with her. "I can't explain everything, and in fact I normally try not to talk to the MCs. But like you can't let those innocent people be hurt, I can't let you go by yourself. I was lost for such a long time, with no idea of my purpose or how to find my way home. And finally, I see hope. I won't be able to help you directly for long, and I can't do very much. I have no special powers. I have no secret skills."

That appeared true, almost. Perhaps her perception was not magic but just an outward expression of her own personality. She had certainly used no magic at all. Just the lowest of a lowling fae. Practically human.

She wrinkled her plain nose, almost like she sensed his thoughts. "But I see how the story goes, and I can tell who is the good guy and who is the bad guy. And for the first time in a very long time, I see someone like me. Someone trying to find their place in the world, doing the right thing even though it takes them somewhere they don't want to be. Because it's the right thing. So, please forgive me when I say I can't explain much. But also: I will help you, even when you won't see me. I will help."

Daniel feared the Game would roar over someone's stated interference. But it did nothing.

"Are you wyldfae?" he asked.

"Something similar in function, I suppose."

Not aligned to the Seelie Court, nor to the Unseelie. Wyldfae, unpredictable. Except, she wasn't quite that.

She was someone with secrets.

Like himself.

"If you are committed to this action, it's time."

"Sounds like fun. How are you going to make those guys listen to you? Aren't you the lowest ranking servant or something?"

"Well...I am going to have to usurp command."

She grinned, showing white teeth gleaming in the light of the twirling stars above. "That sounds interesting."