I did not wake up well-rested or feeling any better than I did when I retired the night before.

Sleep was always just a temporary escape from reality. In my case, one can hardly call it an escape sometimes given how bad my dreams are. I had gone to bed a jealous, bitter young man and woke up a jealous, bitter young man who needed some breakfast. As I swung my legs out of the bed, I yawned loudly, then looked around.

The guest rooms Alverd and I had been assigned were extravagant to the extreme. I had slept on a mattress filled with the softest material I’d ever felt in my life, beneath cotton sheets that kept me warm without making me uncomfortable. The finely manicured carpet felt soothing to my toes. A pair of heavy drapes kept the harsh morning sunlight at bay, allowing only enough to filter into the room to give me the ability to see. I gathered my robe and staff from a wardrobe carved from fine, polished wood and waited in the hall outside for Alverd to get ready.

It feels so strange to be in a place where mage robes are the norm, I thought to myself as I watched a gaggle of young mages pass me by. They had to be the children of some of the castle staff, but even they had the junior robes of mage apprentices. I recognized the same bronze filigree on their outfits that I myself had once worn when I had first started mage school. I’d eventually made it up to the gold filigree robe I wore now, but even then that only signaled that I was on the cusp of graduation into being considered a full mage.

One of the mages, a precocious little girl maybe only eight years old, did a double take when she saw me. “Hey, why are you still wearing an apprentice robe?”

I grimaced. “Long story, kid. All I can say is stay in school.” The girl blinked, then allowed an all-too familiar, leering smile creep over her face.

“Oooooh, a dropout. I guess you’re what my mommy would call a cautionary tale.”

It was entirely too early in the morning to deal with this kind of attitude, and I didn’t care that it was coming out of some snot-nosed kid. “Run along, child. It would be a shame if they gave you bucket duty for being late.” I remembered the times I’d been made to magically levitate a bucket full of water for an hour as punishment. The amount of mental endurance it took to manage such a feat was exhausting. The girl didn’t seem too deterred by my warning, though.

“My mommy would never allow it. She says I’m a prodigy.” She sounded so arrogant. It was like listening to the older kids who bullied me at Professor Farnus’ school. “But I guess anyone would be a prodigy when compared to a non-Algrustian like you. You’re practically a bunch of country rubes.” She then stuck her tongue out at me and walked away with way too much swagger in her step.

I was briefly entertaining the notion of lighting the child’s clothes on fire when Alverd put his hand on my shoulder. “I know what you’re thinking. And I say, stop thinking about it, Kuro.”

I growled audibly. “Come on. Just one spark. Nobody has to know it was me.” The hand squeezed tighter and I winced a little. “Oh, fine. Ruin all my fun.” I waited until the little she-demon turned the corner at the end of the hall, gossiping with her friends about me no doubt.

“No wonder everyone hates Ishmar AND Algrustos. One of them thinks the rest of us are weak and need to be conquered, and the other thinks we’re all ass-backwards and need to be taught what to think.” I gave an indignant huff. “Can’t go anywhere on this continent without bumping into some elitist thinking he’s better than someone else for some reason.”

Alverd snorted. “That’s kind of what’s wrong with people in general, Kuro. We’re all far more alike than we realize, and that’s probably why we can’t stand each other. You know what they say, familiarity breeds contempt.” I blinked in shock.

“Since when did you start reading books on philosophy?”

My friend gave me a cock-eyed look. “Surely it’s not that surprising that I did?”

My head swam, partly because I couldn’t comprehend that my friend had just said something wise and accurate and also because I was still hungry. “I am not ready to have any kind of intellectual discussion about the inherent flaws of mankind until I have a plate of breakfast meat in front of me. Where’s the mess hall around here?”

Alverd shook his head. “Actually, Her Majesty wished for us to dine with her in the throne room today. She made a rather insistent request that we do so in private.”

I felt my heart do a simultaneous somersault and nosedive in my chest when I thought of Sheena. “Oh. Oh. Well. Hm.” Good thing Alicia isn’t here. She’d mock you for sure if she saw you stumbling over yourself like this. “I guess we’d better not keep her waiting.” Pull yourself together. You still have time to make a good impression on the Witch-Queen.

Even in my just-rolled-out-of-bed state, I noticed that the palace had a greatly different feel to it in the daytime. The many windows let in plenty of the morning sun, allowing the corridors to bask in its radiant glory. So much of the walls and knick-knacks in the hallways had enough gold to catch the light that I had to shield my eyes. But it wasn’t extravagant, like in Ishmar. Here, the beauty that I beheld was muted, as if trying to be humble in its presentation. I suppose the architect had tried to make a statement, but damned if I knew what it was.

Alicia was looking unusually wary this morning. She had her own room in the guest wing. Alverd had insisted that we not be far from her, in case we needed to protect her. Sheena had nearly fallen off a chair ranting about the nature of chivalry and approved Alverd’s suggestion. It had happened right after we had gotten back to the palace after our little nighttime stroll. I had been too tired to take note of how it made me feel, but now that I was awake I was keenly aware of how it just added to my bitterness.

Alicia’s eyes weren’t shadowed like one who didn’t have enough sleep, but they were narrowed. I’d seen that look before. She’s anticipating a throw-down with Sheena about Alverd’s rightful “ownership”, I bet. Normally, I’d tell her that it was a waste of effort and to do so might jeopardize her chances of getting her country back, but I already knew she wasn’t a morning person. And I didn’t want to give her any more reason to take out her frustration on me. I don’t deserve that, especially not before breakfast.

When we entered the throne room, Sheena nearly tackled Alverd, enveloping him in her arms. She giggled madly, pulling him towards the center of the room. Alicia and I skulked after them. I noticed that the twelve men and women who had been present during our first encounter in this room were here again, and I recognized Emberal and Zajj amongst them. I also spied Sheena’s uncle, Lord Albrecht, next to the throne itself. Sheena let go of Alverd’s hand and ran up to the throne, seating herself upon it. When she did so, all of the Magister Lords seated themselves.

I nearly jumped out of my skin when a thirty foot long table materialized out of thin air in the center of the crimson carpet that ran the length of the room to the throne’s dais. The Magister Lords’ chairs levitated off the floor in eerie unison, ferrying them to seemingly random places at the table. As I watched the intricate dance of magically moving furniture, a high-backed chair made of carved wood zoomed across the room and halted right in front of me.

Two chairs had likewise made their way over to Alverd and Alicia. I hesitantly placed my rear in the seat, and no sooner had I put my full weight into it did the seat catapult me over to the head of the table, near where Sheena’s throne was now gracefully gliding to the place of honor. Alicia screamed out as her own chair careened over to place her at Sheena’s left, while Alverd ended up at Sheena’s right. My place was right next to Alverd, and he, to my chagrin, was between me and the Witch-Queen.

Lord Albrecht clapped his hands in an exaggerated manner and the twin doors of the throne room opened, and a flood of white-clad servants spilled into the room carrying plates, silverware, and trays of food. The servants did not bother to lean over the attendees to place anything upon the table. They merely used wand-like cooking implements to place the food they’d ferried in onto the table with magic. I cased a plate stacked high with sausage and bacon as it passed through the air to land not far from my seat.

Sheena waved her hand and took a pair of loaf cakes from a plate, along with a small assortment of berries and fruits. Alicia brusquely reached her hand into the meat plate and grabbed a handful that she slapped on her plate disgracefully. When Alverd awkwardly tried to poke at said plate with his silverware, Sheena brought the plate lower with a twirl of her finger, and he was able to get himself some eggs, bread, sausage and bacon.

The Magister Lords had all piled their plates full of food, but none of them made any move to eat. They instead stared at us from their side of the table like one of us had belched out loud. Given how Alicia was already shoveling her food into her mouth I, at first, thought she was to blame, but then Lord Albrecht loudly cleared his throat.

In a commanding voice, he spoke. “I have convened the Council of Magic at Her Majesty’s request, pertaining to the incident that took place last night in the marketplace. This marks the second time in this month that my niece has had her life endangered, and still we are no closer to finding those responsible. I would have the Council’s opinion on how to proceed.”

One of the members who had not been introduced, a woman in her thirties, spoke up. Her dark brown hair was done up in a tight bun held by a pair of thin ivory needles, and she had a very intense pair of blueish eyes. She was wearing a purple robe with white and blue trim and odd shapes emblazoned on it seemingly at random. Her staff had an amethyst embedded in it.

“I would like to say something, Prime Minister.”

He nodded in the woman’s direction. “The Council recognizes the Fourth Attendant, Keeper of Necromancy, Lady Sino Laspa. What say you?”

Lady Laspa stood up, and then gestured at me, Alverd, and Alicia. “Who are these people? I understand that they are mercenaries and the girl is the princess of Ishmar that we were expecting, but who are they really? Are we to trust them merely because our Lady Queen saw their arrival in her divinations? I am afraid that I need further proof of their good intentions before I am willing to trust them so quickly.”

There was a general murmur of agreement among the remaining Magister Lords. Albrecht waved his hand again, and the murmuring ceased. Sheena leaned forward. “I know it is difficult for you to have faith in this troubled time. But what I have seen in my divinations is not deceit or falsehood. It is hope. These three are the key to bringing about something wonderful. They will help me change this kingdom for the better. I understand you all have reservations, but I ask that you have faith in me, your Queen. There is a peaceful solution to this.”

She pointed at Alicia. “This princess crossed no-man’s land to carry the gift of hope to us. I intend to show the Ishmarians that we can coexist together as allies. There is no need for hostilities between us. The past shall be forgiven, as it should be.” Alicia froze in the middle of putting no fewer than eight strips of bacon into her mouth to awkwardly wave at the Magister Lords with her free hand.

There was a loud silence before a round of slow, reluctant-sounding clapping from the Magister Lords. I took note of the ones who were the slowest or the least enthused. Zajj looked ready to throw up, his hands flopping together like two dead fish. Laspa had much the same reaction. Kertouli, however, was dignified and prudent with his applause. I wasn’t familiar with all this hierarchy stuff yet, but if he had as much pull as I suspected he did, having his support would go far in rallying the other Magisters behind Sheena’s proposal.

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At this point, he spoke up. “Prime Minister, if I may?”

Albrecht waved his hand toward him. “The Council recognizes Lord Emberal Kertouli, Third Attendant and Keeper of Puppetry.”

He stood up. “Milady Queen, I do not think we should be so quick to disregard the past. Was it not Ishmar who assassinated your parents twenty years ago? You were merely a babe then. Had Lord Albrecht not saved you from the assassins, we would have lost the entire royal family line. Should you die, we will lose everything. Are you really so quick to forgive a nation that has taken so much from you?”

Sheena cast her gaze down. “I cannot say. My parents died before I could form my own memories of them. But Uncle… even if he is only related by the bond of memories and love, and not blood, he is still my uncle. He was my parents’ close friend and advisor, and has helped me fill their shoes admirably. All except for fulfilling my countrymen’s desire for war, it would seem.”

Alicia quickly expressed her displeasure at this. She stomped her foot on the floor to command everyone’s attention. “My people would never stoop so low! You’re all lying! My father would never send assassins to deal with you! If we wanted to kill you we’d do it straight to your faces!” She was hunched over, breathing hard, her teeth gnashing in fury. Then she shrank back into her chair.

Emberal leveled his eyes at Alicia. “We have ample evidence to the contrary. The ones responsible were slain by Lord Albrecht himself, who found papers on their bodies ordering the deaths of the royal family. Plus, they were armed with weapons made of dragons’ teeth. We have considered every possible explanation, and the likeliest scenario is that Ishmar sanctioned an assassination. Do not presume to think that your late father would not sink so low as to use such means to accomplish his ends, child.”

He looked calm when he spoke, but I could detect a subtle change of tone at the mention of the Ishmarian assassins. His normally passive eyes had flashed with malice for a moment, and then it was gone like it had never been there at all. Alicia is really playing with fire here. If the Magister Lords decide to reject her proposal through a majority vote, then not even Sheena can stop them. At that point, we’d just be two mercenaries and an enemy of the crown on foreign soil. As calmly as I could, I motioned to Alverd to try and get a handle on the situation before it could get any worse.

Thankfully, my old friend got my nod and moved to stand. Alverd, as calm as could be, all dignity and honor made form, commanded the attention of all. It was hard to tell what attracted each individual to give his or her undivided attention. At the end of the day, he just had the charisma to make it work.

“So the people would prefer war then? They would rather go to war with Ishmar now rather than take the chance that Ishmar would destroy itself?” He took up a position flanking Alicia, putting his hand on her shoulder in an attempt to calm her. She stiffened, but eventually she did calm down. “Forgive me for saying so, but I call into question how many of the esteemed lords and ladies before me have seen war with their own eyes. I have. And I have no desire to see more of it.” There was an air of unmistakable surety in his voice that gave weight to his words.

“If I may be so bold, it is not the nobility that ends up fighting wars, but regular folks like me. I am merely a humble knight, and I swore an oath like many of my brothers and sisters to be a shield for the weak and innocent. I did not learn the grim reality of being a knight until it came to Irinholm and took away what I was supposed to be responsible for protecting.” I sensed the pain in his voice, that he was trying to convey to the Magisters with utmost sincerity. “In war, everyone suffers, from the peasants to the nobles. I can say that if you demand war recklessly, you will get it.” He leaned on the table, shooting an almost menacing glare at the Magisters. “And everything that comes with it.”

Silence permeated the room. Alverd continued. “The ones who push for war are always the ones who are least prepared for what happens when they lose or win it. Because at the end of the day, they care only about the war itself.” He again placed his hand on Alicia’s shoulder. “The mistake of the Ishmarians of old is that they found more glory in the act of war than in the prosperity of their people. I implore you to impress upon your citizens the danger of making the same mistake.” Alicia reached her hand up to squeeze Alverd’s wrist. It was a small gesture, but I could tell how much it conveyed her faith in him. These were words she should’ve been speaking, but she trusted him to speak them on her behalf.

Sheena spoke up next. She pushed her left hand against her chest, as if she were trying to soothe some invisible ache. “It is as you say. It is the nearly unanimous wish of my people to declare war on Ishmar and conquer them while they are divided due to the power struggle taking place in their country. But while my strategists all agree that now is the perfect time to attack, it simply seems… cowardly. Underhanded. Those were the tactics we used in the past. But not anymore.”

She then swept her hand wide over her subjects. “Diplomacy must be our first attempt. If we can find a way to resolve our differences peacefully, then we can find a way to erase our bloody histories and forge a better future. That is why I wish to put aside the past. That is why I welcome Princess Alicia into this court. That is why I wish to take the first step forward. For all of us.”

I had to admit, Sheena’s speech was quite stirring. She had a gift for oration that Alicia did not, which, in the hands of an authority figure like her, could make all the difference. The lives of men and women could hinge on the words of a king or queen, and she was definitely one of those rare few who possessed the gift to inspire.

The Magister Lords conferred amongst themselves. Even Zajj leaned over to his left to address the woman sitting next to him, speaking in low tones that I could not pick up. But all eyes were on Sheena now. Even despite Alicia’s outburst, the entire room’s reaction hinged on who would speak next.

Another of the Magister Lords put his hand up. Lord Albrecht motioned to him. “The Council recognizes Lord Casper Mattigen, Second Attendant and Keeper of Summoning.”

Lord Mattigen looked about as old as Lord Kertouli, but far more wrinkled and withered. He was also quite human, as he lacked the elf ears of Kertouli. His robe was pitch-black, and an onyx was affixed to his staff. I suppose it fit a demon summoner. After a short cough, he spoke.

“Perhaps the Council would be more willing to accept such a proposal if our Queen would be willing to awaken the Slumbering Calamities? As a precautionary measure, of course.”

The Witch-Queen was taken aback by that comment. I could see it in her widening eyes and the way her body tensed like a cat about to pounce. But the Magister Lords were all serious, showing no reaction. Some may have agreed, some may have disagreed, but they were also completely passive, betraying no emotion to the suggestion.

Her face turned livid. “You wish for me to awaken the Slumbering Calamities?! Are you insane? That would be the clearest declaration of war this world has ever seen! Those abominations have only one purpose, and have been that way since the day they were created!” She stamped her foot on the ground, but this time it was not the act of a child throwing a tantrum. It was the act of a woman filled with righteous fury. “Never! I will never allow it! As far as I’m concerned, those things can rot beneath the Palace forever!”

I had never seen Sheena so angry. Gone was the klutzy, sincere, yet pushy girl. I barely recognized her. Alverd moved to her side. He put his hand on her shoulder, and she looked at him. Her face turned red when she saw how close his face was to hers.

“Milady, you shouldn’t behave in such a manner. Perhaps if you explain calmly, it would paint a better picture of the problem?” Sheena stuttered for a moment as she fumbled for a reply, the anger and color draining out of her in an instant. Just out of curiosity, I looked over at Alicia. Sure enough, she was grinding her teeth again, her hand curled into a fist. I sighed, then turned back to Sheena and Alverd. Girls will be girls, I suppose.

Sheena shied away from Alverd, albeit reluctantly. “Of course… the um… the Slumbering Calamities. They’re, um… uh…” She finally shook her head, violently. “Right. Slumbering Calamities. They’re a series of golems. Eight of them. Fifty feet tall, made of pure dormicite. They were created almost six hundred years ago by powerful wizards and witches for some of the earliest kings and queens of Algrustos, to fight off Ishmar. Every time Ishmar has invaded us in the past, we used the Calamities to fend them off. They are our ultimate weapon.”

She folded her arms. “But we have never used the Calamities for offense. They are… shrouded in mystery. Each time they were activated in the past, many people died, including the kings and queens who ordered their activation. When the Ishmarian assassins killed my parents, they set a fire in their private study, and the documents and literature pertaining to the Calamities were destroyed. In truth, I don't even know how to activate the Calamities.”

Lord Albrecht interceded at that point. “Do not trouble yourself, my dear. I am working tirelessly to discover the answer. But even if I did, would it affect your judgment? A sword can be used for offense or defense. A weapon does not discriminate, only its wielder. This is something you must learn yourself, Sheena. I cannot help you with that.”

I noted the fatherly tone in his voice, firm but fair. By now, he’d know how to rein his niece in when she got carried away.

“Although,” he suggested slyly, “I wonder if this young knight you’re so fond of might get you to listen. Gods know you’ve wanted his counsel for quite some time now…” He made little effort to conceal his mocking tone or knowing snicker. Oh yeah. That’s definitely the tone of a godparent teasing their ward.

She went red again. “Uncle!” She started flailing her fists against his broad chest. “You! You embarrass me!” Alverd watched the spectacle unfold with a kind of wistfulness in his eye. I knew he was thinking about his own parents. What would they say if they had known their son would find himself in the company of queens and princesses? They’d ooh and ahh, and wonder what they did to deserve such an honor.

Would mine have felt the same way?

Before I could think any further, Sheena turned to us again. “So now you know my dilemma. I have consulted my scrying crystal many, many times but found no answers. It’s as if Fate does not wish me to find my way.” She sighed. “So many things are going wrong all at once… I don’t understand… divination is not an exact magic, but still, it has never led me astray before…”

Alverd cocked his head. “Scrying crystal?”

I filled him in. “It’s a glass ball that mages use. It has minor prophetic capabilities. Sometimes they can see the future, or the past, or anything in between. Not the most reliable tool, but being informed of things in advance…” I gave Sheena a sly, cockeyed grin, “…obviously makes it far easier to prepare certain things, like gifts from heads of state. Am I right, Milady Queen?”

Alicia snorted. “Too bad she has all this magical power and wastes it all on frivolous nonsense.” I got the feeling that she intended to say it more quietly, but a lull in the conversation on the far end of the table made it so that her comment was heard by all. Now the center of attention, she dug in her heels. “What? You just admitted you have the ability to predict the future and we’re having a debate about whether war is a good idea or not? You have to be pulling my leg here.”

Sheena looked very put off. “Divination is not all about seeing the future! What one sees through divinations are truths veiled in mystery. They reveal more about people than they do about abstract concepts such as time. How do you think I learned so much about you all without even meeting any of you? It was not a coincidence that you came here. It was meant to be.” She snuck a glance back at Alverd for that last part, and that only served to make things worse.

Alicia was not amused, and she was going to jeopardize her chances of an alliance if this kept up. “I spent the last month being dragged across your border alongside a mage who destroyed an entire castle with a tornado and here you are telling me that magic has limits. Which is it? Are you mages all-powerful or not?” She folded her arms defiantly.

Look what you did now, Alicia.

And then, the sound of a single person clapping.

It was the Prime Minister, still clapping in a slow, steady rhythm. “Well then! There’s some fire. I daresay we find our honor challenged. Well, little princess, I’m afraid we aren’t going to just lie down and take such an egregious tongue-lashing. We have our pride, and our honor. When we say that divination can or cannot do a thing, only to have someone mock one of our sacred traditions, what are we to do but prove our aggressors wrong?” He snuck a wink at his niece, who took his meaning.

“Very well. I will hold a divination ceremony later today. I will require all three of you to attend. Hopefully we can put your… issues to rest after we have had a proper reading. I want you to trust me, Princess. If this is the only way, then so be it.” She gave the irate Alicia a knowing smile, which was probably intentional, and I heard Alicia’s teeth being ground together from several feet away.

Inwardly, I fumed at Alicia’s immaturity. She was only behaving in such a manner because she was jealous of Sheena’s closeness to Alverd. That makes you the pot and her the kettle in this scenario, I had to remind myself. Still, I had never seen a professional divination up close, and I was quite curious to see what it all entailed.

Lord Albrecht clapped his hands once more. “Then it is decided. This meeting is adjourned for now. We will reconvene on the morrow for further deliberation as to the matter at hand. You are all dismissed.” Slowly the other Magister Lords left. Alverd looked at Sheena.

“Milady, what exactly will this divination ritual reveal? Though my curiosity is piqued, I am afraid that I am a bit nervous about the concept. Will everything turn out alright?”

Sheena laughed, then allowed her face to become deadly serious. “Just wait and see, my dear knight. Just wait and see.” As she broke into another round of mock laughter, I couldn’t help but feel just a bit nervous myself.

What could possibly go wrong?.