"What do you mean?" Chetal said, trying to sound confused and angry. Inside, she was a curling mass of panic.

Tenali folded his arms across his chest. "Let's not insult each other's intelligence. You're not Princess Ara. For me to decide what I should do with that information, I need to know everything. No playing around, please."

Crap. Crap crap crap crap crap.

Did Jin know this would happen? How could he have expected her to maintain this fraud with zero knowledge of the Princess, or palace politics, or the people around her? Crap. Best get this over with. If Tenali turned on her, she'd run outside, yell at the guards that he had attacked her, and let them sort it out. Okay. That was a plan.

She gave him a summary of her night. Including the information that the Emperor and Empress had been attacked as well, and were dead.

All blood left Tenali's face.

"The Emperor...is dead? As is Princess Ara?" he whispered, stumbling over his words.

Chetal nodded. "I'm sorry if you were close."

"Do you mind if I have a bit of a mental breakdown right about now?"

"Uh, okay?"

Tenali sank to his knees against the wall, with his head in his hands. He stayed like that for what felt like an eternity.

Chetal tried not to stare.

"It feels like my world is ending around me," Tenali muttered.

"What...are you going to do to me?" Chetal asked quietly.

Tenali rose back up. There was no confusion in his eyes anymore, though his face still carried the devastated look.

"You appear to be telling the truth. I don't know what the intentions of this shaper who's brought you here are, but I agree with him that the the death of the royal family could be catastrophic for the empire. So consider me an ally."

Oh thank god.

"There's a lot I can do for you," Tenali continued, "but you'll have to trust me. Do you?"

No other choice at this moment. If Tenali had found her out, so would others. She needed allies on the inside.

"I do," Chetal replied. "What do we do now?"

"The guards must know by now that the Emperor is dead. It's likely that Inharat is debating whether to inform you right now. I doubt you could summon up an appropriate reaction to that information at the moment. So when I leave the room, I'll pretend to be shocked at the news, and then convey to Inharat that you are presently in a very delicate frame of mind, and must not be disturbed with such distressing tidings. You will have until the morning to hone your reaction. I hope you're passable at acting, because we have a LOT of acting to do."

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"I'm okay," Chetal replied. On tough days, Chetal had often paired with another kid or two from the safehouse to help loosen the pockets of the dear citizens of Hampi. The others would be the fingers- dexterously slipping coins out of purses, and she'd play the shine- the distraction who'd keep the eyes of the marks on her while the theft happened.

"I certainly hope so. Or we're all doomed. I will inform the Guard Captain that I'll be the deliverer of the bad news to you first thing in the morning. Together, we'll practice your reaction. I need some time to think. Until then, get some rest. And try not to die a second time."

"Will do my best. Thanks."

Tenali gave her a rare smile. Then he bowed to her and left the room.

That felt strange. Everyone around her had been weird and respectful for the short while she'd been in this body. But that was expected. Their behavior was towards Princess Ara. They were used to giving that respect, and she to receiving it.

But Tenali had bowed to her. To a street thief who'd crawled in gutters for coin, and who'd have slept on her stomach tonight if everything had gone the way it was supposed to.

Chetal's hands went to her back. No whip-scars.

Suddenly she felt like she was suffocating in this room. There were no windows. She needed to feel fresh air on her face. Inharat would probably not let her leave. And she had no more energy to pretend to be a Princess.

Chetal walked to the only other door in the room. She pulled the handle.

It was a washroom, but nothing like anything she'd seen. It could fit like ten beds from the safehouse inside, for twenty kids to sleep.

There was a fancy bathtub, and all kinds of colorful powders at the shelf beside it. Chetal opened one of the bottles. A strong scent of rose wafted in the air.

Wow. No wonder the Princess smelled like a flower-garden.

There was one window, small and high, with a grilled shutter that latched on the inside. Likely to ensure that no one could get in through it.

Chetal pulled up a stool to it, and turned the latch. She swung the window open and climbed out.

The window opened high above the palace gardens. Chetal deftly swung herself above the top ledge and onto the gable roof.

The sky was a rush of stars, and the night a keen, magical blue. She breathed it in deeply.

"You're not supposed to be here, you know?"

Chetal almost fell off the roof.

A girl sat at the ridge of the roof, watching the stars. She looked young. Perhaps seven or eight years old.

"Um, hi. Do we know each other?" Chetal asked tentatively.

"I know who you are," the girl replied, turning to Chetal.

"What's your name?" Chetal asked as she sat beside the girl.

"Kiara. My mom is a cook in the royal kitchen. Her name's Jeeva. Have you met her?"

Chetal smiled at her. "Sorry, I haven't. But I'll say hi to her next time I'm in the kitchen."

Kiara was quiet for a while.

"I saw them enter your room. I was sitting there, on that roof. I had to hide behind the chimney," she eventually whispered.

A chill ran up Chetal's back. "Saw who enter my room?" she asked, trying to keep her tone neutral.

"The men with knives."