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

Sleep was no escape from the grim reality that was the real world. I saw that the moment Alverd and I stepped into the well-lit throne room with Alicia, summoned by Sheena for some manner of urgent business. The nature of said business was not yet known to us, but the messenger was quite adamant that we show ourselves before the Witch-Queen with all haste, so we did as we were told.

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. Her eyes weren’t shadowed like one who didn’t have enough sleep, but they were narrowed. I’d seen that look before. She was anticipating a throw-down with Sheena about Alverd’s rightful “ownership”. 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 didn’t deserve that.

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, and Lord Albrecht stepped forward.

In a commanding voice, Lord Albrecht 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 bun held by a pair of needles, and she had a very intense pair of blueish eyes. She was wearing a purple robe with white and blue trim, with odd shapes emblazoned on it seemingly at random. Her staff had an amethyst embedded in it. “I would like to say something, Prime Minister.”

Albrecht 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 so quickly.”

There was a general murmur of agreement among the remaining Magister Lords. Lord 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.”

Sheena pointed her staff 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.”

There was 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 Kertouli, like I suspected, had as much pull as he did, having his support would go far in rallying the other Magisters behind Sheena’s proposal.

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

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

Lord Kertouli 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. He is not of the royal family, nor is he related to you. 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 Uncle 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 sating my countrymen’s desire for war, it would seem.”

Alicia quickly expressed her displeasure at this. She stomped her foot on the marble 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! What proof do you have to back up this ridiculous slander?!” She was hunched over, breathing hard, her teeth gnashing in fury. She looked ready to bite someone’s head off.

Emberal leveled his eyes at Alicia. “We have ample evidence to the contrary, little girl. 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 father would not sink so low as to use such means to accomplish his ends, child.”

Emberal looked calm as ice when he spoke, but even I could detect a downward change of tone at the mention of the Ishmarian assassins. His normally passive eyes had flashed with malice for a moment before smoothing out to their neutral hue, and I caught every moment of it. Alicia was really playing with fire here. If the Magister Lords decided to reject Alicia’s proposal through a majority vote, then not even Sheena could 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. He had to cross the throne room to get back to where Alicia and I were, and in that movement all chatter hushed. Alverd, as calm as could be, all dignity and honor made form, strode across the length of the throne room and 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, my friend just had the charisma to make it work.

Alverd interjected before Alicia could do any more damage to our position. It was obvious he wanted to make sure she couldn’t start turning this meeting into a pointless ethical debate. “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.

Sheena nodded. 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.”

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Sheena 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 Sheena was definitely one of those rare few who possessed the gift to inspire those with words alone.

The Magister Lords conferred amongst themselves. Even Necce 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. And speak they did.

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 Milady Queen would be willing to awaken the Slumbering Calamities? As a precautionary measure, of course.”

Sheena was taken aback by that comment. I could see it in her face, her body language. 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.

Sheena retorted. “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!” Sheena stamped her foot on the ground. “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. Now she was so caught up in such righteous anger that 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. It is degrading to one of your station. 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. 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 supposed.

Sheena shied away from Alverd, albeit reluctantly, her face still red. “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 a long time 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.”

Sheena 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. Our scrolls and records on them are not as detailed as we would like, and much of our lore and literature is damaged. I would not commit such a powerful tool to war without the ability to create more for defensive purposes. This decision was met with great disapproval. In truth, I do not 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 still, even if I did, would it affect your judgment? A sword can be used for offense or defense. A weapon does not discriminate. This is something you must learn yourself, Sheena. I cannot help you in 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 knight here 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.

Sheena 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.” Sheena 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?”

At this point, Alicia snorted. I turned around to look at her. She had been mostly quiet through this entire conversation, but now she had apparently hit her limit. Her fist was still clenched, and I could see the veins popping out on her forehead. I guess the whole being able to see the future thing had been the last straw for her. She marched up to Sheena and started yelling at her.

“You have to use some crystal ball to tell you all the answers?! What the hell are you mages on about?! You think staring into the abyss or whatever is gonna tell you the future?! If that was all it took, then Algrustos would rule the entire bloody world! We’d all be ruled by bloody mages! I think your divination is a pile of dragon crap! Unless you think you can prove me wrong!”

Sheena looked very put off by Alicia’s tirade. “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 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. “Oh yeah? Then why don’t you put your gold where your mouth is? Let’s see what you can find out with this stupid little divination of yours. If you really are some high and mighty witch, then prove it!” Alicia put her hands on her hips, radiating pure defiance.

There was deathly silence in the room for a moment.

And then, the sound of a single person clapping.

Every head turned towards the throne. Beside 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 in the ceremonial chamber. 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. But that made me the pot and her the kettle in this scenario. So rather than put my foot in my mouth, I decided to just play it cool for now. Besides, 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, and silence reigned in the throne room. 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.

I made a note to get Alicia back for this later.