Micah's steps echoed through the long palace hallway. Large chandeliers and wall lamps embedded with glowing yellow stones provided a warm radiance to the empty hallway, save for the multitude of guards standing in attention.

It was late in the evening, and he finally had a spare moment to visit Evelyn.

Julius, Evelyn's mage guard, nodded his head toward Micah upon his appearance.

"Princess Evelyn is inside," he said and opened the large door into Evelyn's study, where the princess could be found most of the time that Micah visited the palace.

It was a study unlike any other. The room was circular, and in the center, a large crystal appeared to be growing out of the ceiling. It emanated a soft white light with twinkles of rainbow hues.

Below the crystal was a circular pond in which rainbow goldfish swam between the floating lilies.

The walls were covered in bookshelves with various texts and scrolls from around the world.

"Ah! You've come!" Evelyn sat up from a long white lounge sofa that curved around the goldfish pond. "And look at the time."

She brushed aside her long red hair and scrambled to clean up and organize the various scrolls and letters spread around her.

Micah picked up one of the letters noting the blue seal.

"The United Republic of Nalas?" He asked. "Don't they have a policy against interacting with the Adovorian Kingdom?"

Evelyn chuckled.

"Oh, hush. When have official policies ever stopped people from interacting as they pleased? Doesn't the Frey Merchant Guild trade with them, despite the embargo set between the two countries?"

Micah smiled and sat beside Evelyn without bothering to confirm the obvious.

On the surface, the United Republic of Nalas denounced the Adovorian Kingdom. However, its people still secretly wished to enjoy the so-called sinful goods and pleasures that other nations could provide. The Frey Merchant Guild was happy to appease their needs while making a hefty profit.

Micah glanced through the letter.

"They're actually asking for help? Officially?"

He noted that the request was from the President of the United Republic of Nalas himself.

"Of course not officially," Evelyn rolled her eyes and continued cleaning up the remaining paperwork. "How could they ever ask for help from an evil country like ours?"

"True," Micah agreed.

From the Frey Merchant Guild's records, the most prominent buyers of the so-called sinful goods were the same people that denounced them and created policies around punishing anyone that did. It was hypocrisy at its finest.

"One of their states is experiencing severe pollution of the soil," Evelyn explained before Micah could complete reading the letter. "At the rate the infection is spreading, it will take over half of the country in just seven years. They wrote asking for help in combating the infection given how we've been able to keep the Humton Forest at bay thus far."

Micah frowned at this.

He was reminded of Luca's note to him regarding the Humton Forest. But, unfortunately, he had been so busy with the Daylan Dynasty issue, on top of everything else, that he didn't have a chance to address it.

The dead live in the forest.

"Evelyn, that detective—Gavin Graves was it?—you had him tossed into the Humton Forest alive, as I recall?" He asked.

"Yes, he was." Evelyn's eyes narrowed at the sudden topic change.

"That may have been a mistake," Micah said. "Henry, Luca's primary guard, had wandered deep into the forest and saw something unbelievable inside."

"He went inside and actually survived?" Evelyn asked.

There were no instances of anyone having survived after wandering too far into the Humton Forest. Not that anyone was stupid enough to go inside willingly.

"No." Micah shook his head. "He died. But before he passed away, he was able to bring back a message."

"What was it?"

"There's something in the forest that is infecting beyond mere trees and plants. People that enter the forest alive are overtaken by the infection."

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"What are you suggesting?" She asked.

Evelyn finished piling up the paperwork and took it to a nearby desk that was rarely used apart from holding piles of official documents. She preferred the couch near the goldfish pond to conduct her business.

With her father growing ever more ill, the duties of the state were falling more and more upon her shoulders, as was evident by the massive amounts of unfinished paperwork.

"The dead live in the forest," Micah echoed Henry's last words. "It would appear he saw Gavin Graves inside there. Just as the sacred oak trees had mutated into the trees that they are now, the same appears to be occurring to humans that have gone inside alive."

"You are saying that those far-fetched camp-fire horrors told by traveling merchants are true?" Evelyn asked from the other end of the room.

"I'm sure there's some embellishment to them, but there's more truth to them than we might have originally thought." Micah leaned against the soft cushions and gazed at Evelyn organizing the mess on her desk.

She walked back and plopped down on the white couch beside Micah.

"Wonderful, yet another troublesome matter to deal with," she sighed.

"Any luck regarding the masterminds who ordered the assassination attempts on our heads?" Micah asked. "I've hit a dead end. There are too many people that would benefit from our deaths."

The most that Micah could learn was that the Silver Eels Syndicate was involved, but that was already evident and they were merely a tool. The ones making the orders were the true culprits.

Evelyn dropped her head on Micah's shoulder. Her long red hair brushed softly against his neck. She let out a deep sigh.

"No," she replied. "The only thing I've been able to do is up my security."

She laughed bitterly.

"Do you know how many protective mana stones and runes I'm wearing?" She lifted her left hand and turned it over, showcasing the various bracelets and embedded mana stones within her dress sleeve. A protective runic tattoo peeked from under her sleeve. "Or how many of them does this room contain? I've had Julius working overtime to keep me safe."

Micah wrapped an arm around Evelyn.

Should I talk to Luca? He may have an answer.

He sighed.

No. If he had the answer, he would have said or done something by now, as he had with the ball.

"Ah!" Evelyn sat up and looked at Micah. "Have you eaten yet? It's late, and I just realized I haven't bothered having dinner yet. Care to join me?"

"Of course, I'll join you," Micah replied. "I've been so busy regarding the Daylan Dynasty issue I haven't had a chance to eat either."

Evelyn spoke into the red rune ring on her right hand, placing a request for food to be served.

Micah gazed into the pond and watched the rainbow goldfish floating in groups. The crystal above made the water shimmer as the fish rippled through the pond.

There's more than when I originally gifted them to her two years back.

"How is the Daylan issue?" She asked. "Queen Yadana Daylan has pulled all her people out of the capital today. It's just like what she did with the last couple of places she attacked. If she acts as previously, it will be fourteen days before her forces sweep the kingdom. Perhaps only four days since it's her golden child, Chase Daylan."

Micah nodded his head. "I've set a few things in motion that should commence ahead of that. If all goes to plan, there won't be a war."

Evelyn smiled at him. "If you manage to prevent a full-blown war, I would be most impressed. It would be the greatest trick you've ever pulled."

"You're marrying a miracle worker; this much is nothing," he half-lied.

Only a miracle could prevent this war.

Micah had pulled every string and connection he could to maneuver people such that the elimination of Queen Yadana Daylan would be swift.

And everything still had to be executed perfectly for his plan to go through.

If the Daylan castle blueprint layout provided isn't up-to-date, if the planted palace servants are found out, if the fourth prince backs out…. It all falls apart.

He gazed at Evelyn. He knew her well enough that even if the kingdom were to be attacked, she wouldn't budge and save herself. Instead, she would go down with her people. It was both admirable and infuriating.

And I've had to use up valuable resources and pull up old promises owed to not just myself but also those owed to the Frey Merchant Guild to make this work. I just hope it's enough and in time.

"If there's one thing this incident teaches us, it is that the Adovorian Kingdom is sorely unprepared for an invasion," he said.

"Indeed," Evelyn agreed. "If we get through the Daylan threat, we will need to bring our forces up in case another war-loving nation attacks."

"Princess, your dinner is here." Julius propped open the door, and a servant rolled in a giant golden trolley.

The smell of roasted duck and spices filled the air.

Micah didn't realize how hungry he was until he smelled the food.

The royal kitchens are quite incredible.

***

"Your highness," a maid ran into the study. "An urgent message just came in."

Micah and Evelyn were resting on the couch, with half-empty plates of food on a nearby table.

Evelyn was lying with her head on Micah's lap and reached her hand towards the small black envelope in the maid's hands. She undid the seal and opened the letter.

"Oh?" Her blue eyes blinked in surprise as her eyes moved through the text.

"What is it?" Micah asked after the maid had left.

She tilted her head up and smiled widely at him.

"Micah, I knew you said you were handling the Daylan Dynasty issue, but I didn't expect you to be so quick about it."

He frowned.

"What do you mean?" He asked, reaching for the paper in her hands.

"The Daylan Queen has just passed away," Evelyn replied. She handed over the letter to him. "There won't be war now; the Daylan royal children will be too busy fighting amongst themselves for the throne to bother with other nations."

"Mmmmm, you are right," Micah agreed, reading through the letter. "One of them already took out one of the princesses in the running. They certainly moved fast after learning of their mother's death."

Evelyn sat up, grabbed Micah by his cheeks, and smooched him.

"I don't know how you've done it, but you prevented a disaster!" She smiled brightly at him. "There's no way the Adovorian Kingdom could have survived an attack from a united Daylan Dynasty."

He poured himself a cup of tea. It was dark, cold, and bitter, having sat in the teapot for too long. He drank it slowly while looking out towards the pond.

"Evelyn, I appreciate the sentiment, and this is indeed great news. But I didn't do anything. Not yet, anyhow; I was still setting up people within the Daylan Dynasty."

"Then this wasn't your handiwork?"

He gazed down into the lukewarm cup of dark tea. A few black leaves floated in the otherwise crisp white cup.

"I'm afraid not. Something else got to her first."