"I hear someone was a grumpy puss this morning," Father Garshom was sitting on the steps into the grammar school.

*Maybe a little.* I trotted up the steps, turned about, and sat down next to the old priest. *Is the Sahkeena really chasing after Blue Fox? He was just beginning to fit in with the rest of our adventuring group.*

"Storm Eagle isn't going to agree to anything until Blue Fox has finished his two years, which might become three years if you folks want to keep him," Father Garshom started scratching behind my ears in an absent-minded manner. "Regardless, if Blue Fox isn't interested in the lady, nothing will happen. The Sahkuhl decided to come and visit because he's interested in dried truum and maple syrup. I think he was also curious about the lifestyle of the Green Elves since past emissaries stayed in the longhouse; however, his mage got to see the real living arrangements of your typical Elvish extended family. He wanted to reconcile the two versions of elvish life, and of course, it gave him and his daughter a chance to chase down Blue Fox, who they both have taken a liking to."

*How is Blue Fox reacting to all of this?*

"Well, he's surprised more than anything else," Garshom dug his fingers into my neck and shoulder muscles, which felt terrific. "I get the impression that he didn't think they were serious about his marrying into their little two-person family. He may have assumed they would forget about him as soon as he left. Sahkeena Aisha had other ideas. He's close to what she's been shopping for: he's the son of a King, he's displayed bravery and prowess, he's honest and honorable, and he has skills in organizing military endeavors. Because of the way the Green Elves raise their children, he is also not at all arrogant or spoiled, which is a problem for a lot of human princes and high nobles."

*He could do worse, that's for sure. From what I saw, she doesn't look like a spoiled brat princess.*

"No, she's not. Her mother died when she was young, and the Sahkuhl tried to raise her correctly and educate her for her future role as a ruler. They may dress in flashy clothing and make a great display of their power and wealth, but that's what impresses most humans. It's wise behavior for a human ruler. I think you would find both of them both smart and personable."

*Huh. Willam said you wanted to consult with Cat Rider and me;* I changed the subject.

"I invented an amulet that lets the wyverns mind talk with non-magical sapients. If I do all the casting to make one by myself, it knocks me down for two days. I thought that if the three of us, and maybe Cloud Eye too, did a joint casting, then none of us would be taken out of commission to recover."

*Yes, I can help with that. How are things coming along for the wyverns?*

"The father wyvern got along famously with the trolls. Having the wyverns spend the warmer weather with the troll family was an excellent idea, Fuzzy. We must get the son and daughter their mind-talking amulets as soon as possible. The sooner we can get them out to the Green River area, the sooner the goblins can return all the residents of this district to their homes."

*Why don't they start now? The wyverns aren't going to attack now that they understand how to get along better. They aren't stupid.*

"I know they aren't. The problem is that many goblins in the Blazroggle district have died because of the wyverns. The first minister and queen don't think it would be wise for the wyverns or the locals to mix, given how much hard feeling there is among the goblins. The wyverns could even move to some other area within Gorgurak, but they must leave Blazroggle soon so the goblins can return to their homes."

*Did anyone think about where they can go come winter?*

"The southern border strip in Nordvek has a climate close to their original home, between the South Downs and the Border Bog. The area has very few residents and lots of wildlife south of the hills. So long as the wyverns don't raid anyone's cattle, no one will know they are there. A second possibility is the geyser valley to the northwest of the Greenwood. The valley is warmer than its surroundings, and the trolls offered to go with them if they decide to stay north.

"The important thing is that the wyverns now know the rules for not upsetting other races. Storm Eagle and Queen Margo both introduced the concept of trading labor for livestock if the wyverns ran out of game. A wyvern can pick up a heavy load and take it to a distant location quickly. Your decision to try to communicate with the wyverns may have changed the way the two-footed races interact with wyverns in the future. You have opened a new world of possibilities for the red wyverns displaced from their former homes.

"The father wyvern realizes what you have done for them. He was thinking of visiting his kin, who also lost their nests to the dragon invasion, so he could tell them about what happened with his family. Storm Eagle offered to supply mind-talking amulets for anyone our wyvern family escorts to Elvenhome. I think the world is on the verge of changing in a big way because of this, and it's all your fault, Fuzzy." He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and gave me a big huggy squeeze.

*I'm happy things are working out for them. It's not easy being a magical creature.*

"You don't look like you're suffering," Father Garshom gave me an incredulous look.

*Yeah? I even had to steal my own breakfast this morning!*

Garshom just shook his head and laughed.

*So, Father Garshom, what comes after amulets for the wyverns? Is their presence really the reason the King of the Green Elves, Queen Margo, and the Sahkuhl are here together?*

"No, there's more," the old priest sighed. "They originally wanted to talk with Duke Sven, Prince Willam, and Prince Andray about a combined effort to remove the Regent and rescue King Stephano. That plan has now been superseded by something more urgent." He paused.

I waited a few seconds and then decided not to play games. *Great dramatic pause, old man. You've just used up your dramatic pause allowance for the day. What has happened?*

"The Regent has changed kingdom law to lower the coming of age to sixteen for immediate members of the royal family. It appears that she wants to lure Cat Rider into Nordvek sooner than next year so she can eliminate him, and maybe Willam too."

*Oh, that's just great. Either we have a spy, Willam's pendant started working despite not being worn around Willam's neck, or they have someone who can scry too.*

"I think it's the last. Everyone in Willam's troops volunteered to take the goblin truth potion and did so this morning after breakfast. They are all clear. Cat Rider destroyed Willam's pendant this afternoon as soon as we learned about the law change. That leaves scrying."

*Dang.*

"You just said dang, Fuzzy," one of Garshom's bushy white eyebrows floated upward.

*As a divine beast, it behooves me to set a good example. Trust me, I would rather say something far fouler than that, preferably about Queen Griselda's sexual preferences involving her revolting practice of raping kittens, puppies, and ponies. Those are far worse than her petty adultery with Magus Keleher.*

"Well, if you put it that way, I guess I can overlook your use of excessively mild language despite the extreme provocation," Garshom pronounced in his most authoritative voice.

Then we looked at each other and had a good laugh. Of course, I don't make any noise when I'm amused, except an occasional "snck snck snck" noise through my nose.

*Father, do you know where I might find my boy?*

"He's inside," Garshom pointed with his thumb to the grammar school. "He's been arguing with everyone that he doesn't want to be King. The only person who is on his side is Motley Owl."

*What? Does even Wren think he should be King?*

"She's quite certain he needs to be King and has some great arguments supporting that stance."

*Oh dear, he'll be in a bad mood. Maybe I'll stay out until morning.*

"Don't," Gershom said immediately. "He'll spend the night worrying about you."

*Him? Worrying about me? He's the one without a leg and an eye, not me.*

"You should know better than that, Fuzzy," the old priest reprimanded me. "Worry is seldom rational. He worries because he loves you. You're his closest family."

*Oh.* That caught me by surprise. *Could you open the door for me, please?*

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I strolled into the classroom we had made into our bedroom to find Cat using the scrying crystal. He looked up when he heard me.

"About time you got back, grumpy puss," was all he said.

* Was Willam's pendant all solid, or was it potion-based? *

"There was a vial of Aqua Bellum inside it," Cat Rider put the piece of silk over the crystal ball.

* Excellent! * That would make things easier for me. * Does Griselda wear hers to bed? *

"Yes," Cat gave me a funny look. "The only time she takes it off is when she gets in or out of her corset."

* Have you been watching your stepmother changing clothes, young man? *

Cat had the grace to at least blush, "Well, yeah."

* What time does she change to prepare for an evening court affair or bed? *

"Right about now, since she's just finishing dinner with Aricia, the Archbishop, and Magus Keleher. She should go upstairs and either get ready for dancing or go to bed."

* I want to experiment.* I sat next to Cat to see the crystal. * Take the silk off. I'll drive the crystal this time. *

"You worry me, Fuzzy when you sound this gleeful."

* Hmph. *

I dropped into the scrying trance and found the Regent going to her quarters, followed by two ladies-in-waiting. I was happy to see that she was planning on going to bed. I waited patiently for her to take her pendant off. The second she did, I was ready with a spell Cat taught me years ago: * Εασιλι, μει ἰν λτσε βλιζζαρδ σνιε ὀπ ἁρ ὁλλε! *

At first, it looked like I had failed because nothing happened. Then I heard the faint sound of someone laughing as if to approve of my nasty little attempt. Slowly, the tiny little storm cloud gathered over her head, the snowflakes began to fall, and the wind swirled around her head, whipping the ends of her long hair into her face.

"Oh, Fuzzy, that's splendid," Cat grinned. "We should find Willam and show him this. How long are you planning to keep the storm going?"

* I wasn't planning on stopping it, ever. *

"Seriously?" Cat gaped.

* Cat, that evil woman wants to kill you, your brother, and your father. There's no reason at all to be kind to her. I would go to the palace right now and kill her and her mage if I could. There needs to be a reckoning that does not let her continue in this life. She's a murderer, and the only way to stop a killer like her is to kill her. *

"Dang," Cat said.

* What did you say? *

"Well, I was thinking of saying something far fouler, but I recently overheard someone lecturing Father Garshom about appropriate language and decided to take it to heart." He smiled at me with a look of perfect angelic innocence.

*Keep the scrying active,* I told Cat. *I want Father Garshom to see this.* I was feeling quite pleased with myself. I turned to fetch the old priest from the front steps only to find him entering the room.

"I overheard someone say something odd in here," Garshom remarked, already walking over to Cat's mattress and sitting down cross-legged. "I thought I'd be nosy and see what you two were up to."

*I just cast a storm spell on the Regent.* I curled up next to Garshom and pushed my nose under his hand, hoping for a scratch.

"That shouldn't be possible, Fuzzy. It's impossible to cast magic through a stone," Garshom frowned.

*Really? No one ever mentioned that to me because I cast a spell through the scrying stone just now.*

"That would overturn everything I know about scrying," Garshom held his chin and thought.

Cat laughed, "I've been tracking that spell and watching all the fun. And before you ask, I tried to cast a spell through the stone just now. It didn't work."

"Show me the Regent, Cat, please," Garshom peered into the crystal ball.

Cat dropped into his scrying trance as Garshom, and I watched. The scene inside the quartz ball showed chaos in the Regent's bedroom. Griselda was pacing with several towels draped over her head. The miniature blizzard followed her every step.

Queen Griselda screamed at her maids, "What do you mean you can't find the Magus? He can't have disappeared. Go ask the gate guards if he's left the palace, you imbecile!"

"Is that a snowstorm over her head?" Garshom smiled malevolently.

"Yes, it's the spell I invented to tease Wren," Cat admitted with a grin. "It's what Fuzzy cast through the scrying stone."

"That's evil," Garshom returned the grin. "How long will it last, Fuzzy?"

*I have no idea. It's a spell without a passive ending. We've always ended it with γενεγ.*

"When do you plan to stop the spell."

*I didn't. Griselda can stay like that until the end of her days, which will be short if I have any say in the matter.*

"The spell will run down eventually," Garshom pointed out. "I wonder how long it will take. So, in the meantime, where's this Magus Keleher that the Regent wants to find?"

Cat busted up laughing when Garshom asked after the Magus. It took more than a moment before he recovered. Blotting the tears of mirth with his sleeve, Cat explained, "Griselda and Keleher are lovers, but he isn't faithful to her. She does not know this. Right now," Cat changed the scene to a room with the curtains drawn, "he's boffing one of the chambermaids. It will be a while before he can visit Griselda. Fuzzy, do you think he can stop the spell?"

*I'm not sure. All we can do is wait and see. Can I drive the scrying crystal, please? I have another experiment I want to try.*

I dropped into my scrying trance and opened my mage sight in the Regent's bedroom. Casting magic detection on top of the trance was difficult, but I managed. The Regent's bedroom and sitting room were warded as one unit. All the windows and doors had wards too. Moving into the hall, I noted that the door into Willam's quarters was warded, and so was the door into Aricia's quarters.

I was surprised that the door into the King's quarters was not warded though two guards were on duty, standing on either side of it. My clairvoyance entered the suite of rooms. The King was sleeping in his big canopy bed. I found the bottle of medicine that the attendant used to drug the King. The label read: thrice-distilled tincture of poppy.

No wonder the man did nothing but waste away while sleeping. I wondered if I could sabotage the morning medicine. I was in a trance and already was running third-eye magic. Did I have enough magic left over to transmute the contents of the medicine bottle? I decided to try it because I knew I was physically remote, and two of the best mages I knew would be watching.

First, I would pay a visit to the sleeping King's mind. With mage sight from the third eye, I could see the befuddlement and fear spells on him. Those were magic spells more appropriate to a war mage than a court mage. Regardless, these were easy spells to undo.

*Γενεγ!*

It was gratifying to watch those two spells dissipate. Next, I needed to leave him a message for when we woke up, because he would be lucid when he did: *Μεμ γοαδιννε, jου μν τινζεν δε jυκκεν ὀμ τε εἁρρεν τροχ διζζε κενινγ ν σν σλιεπ ὀμ σε τε ûνθâλδεν β ἰτ εκκερjεν! Hear me, King, and remember when you wake. Your enemies have attacked you with treachery in the form of poppy juice and spells of befuddlement and fear. If you wake and make a fuss or engage the servant with commands, the servant will tell the mage to renew the spells. I broke those spells this evening. Do not give the servant reason to ask for more spells. Play dumb and witless. I have changed the medicine to apple juice, so it is safe to take now. Don't let them know you have your wits back. Your brother and your sons are coming to rescue you between now and the end of the year. Whatever you do, do not trust Griselda because she and her brother are plotting to steal Nordvek and make it part of Osterius.*

I turned my attention back to the medicine bottle and cast a spell to make it apple juice: *Εαζελ, ἰκ σμεεκ δ, τρανσφορμεαρjε διτ μεδισν ν ἀππελσοπ!*

I next found the best route to the front of the palace. The carriage entrance was one of two holes through a ward that surrounded the entire building. The other hole was the servants' and delivery entrance in the back of the palace.

The one thing I needed help finding was the Magus Keleher. I wanted to know if he had one of those pendants, but he was now gone from the maid's bedroom. I also wanted to know where he was from because I couldn't place his accent. Last, I wanted to know where he slept so I could gift his bed sheets with the spell of one thousand unseen bites or curse his shoes with perpetual athlete's foot.

Since I could cast spells through Queen Margo's gift, I could plague the Regent and her Magus with non-stop petty harassment. I wanted them to feel insecure in their own home. I wanted them to lose sleep. I wanted them to question every person around them in a growing atmosphere of paranoia until even their allies were sick of them. It also gave me something to do to combat the boredom of traveling.

Last, I visited the dungeons to see who might be locked up. I found Edmund the Fair, King Stephano's court mage, as well as several former ministers, two former bishops, and a cell full of beggar children whose crime was to make chalk drawings on the pavement across from the gate onto the palace grounds. The biggest surprise was Lord and Lady Herman, who the Regent arrested but never brought to trial.

I could do nothing for these unfortunate souls, at least not yet. Knowing that there were prisoners was valuable intelligence in itself.

I dropped the trance. *We can dive back in tomorrow and get a map of all the wards,* I said to Cat. *I need a map of the palace in Tammerhof. Can you draw one up, Cat?*

"Why, Fuzzy?"

*So we can mark down where all the wards are inside the palace, silly nit.*

"I hope we can do that while traveling," Cat said.

*What? Why's that?*

"Tomorrow, we'll make the two amulets for the wyvern siblings, and the day after, we head back to Kizdangengar."

*Scrying should be easy to do from inside the carriage.*

"We're not going by carriage, Fuzz. We're riding on the Suhkuhl's flying carpets. When we arrive, Queen Margo will hold a tribunal on the fate of the Bishop of Tammerhof and the four soldiers who worked for him. Queen Margo will use this as a pretense to post a substantial portion of the Gorgurak army along the border with Nordvek."

I found this alarming. *Whatever for?*

"A diversion mostly. It will give the elves time to infiltrate at the base of the escarpment and into the northern forest. It will also give the Zimlakuliku cavalry time to come up the Green River to north Nordvek, cutting off the routes between Nordvek and Osterius. While all these troops are moving and upsetting the Regent's government, Uncle Sven, Willam, and I will visit potential supporters before Willam's sixteenth birthday."