As they rode, Ean followed through on his commitment to express his gratitude. "I appreciate the words you said to that man," Ean said, his voice thick with emotion. He swallowed hard. "None of what I've accomplished would have been possible without your training and friendship."

"I serve my king and my kingdom," Samuel replied.

"An old spymaster is never truly retired, are they?"

Samuel was racked by a bout of coughing, each ragged exhalation a grim reminder of the poison that had nearly claimed his life. At last, he spat out the lingering remnants, his voice emerging stronger. "Well, I was doing a pretty good job of it until you showed up!" He poked Ean in the ribs. "Scared off my customers. Ate up all my groceries…"

Ean laughed. "Admit it, you've enjoyed this more than cake and bacon."

Samuel grunted. "You underestimate just how delightful cake and bacon are." His voice softened. "I've enjoyed training you and I'm very proud of what you've accomplished."

Ean smiled back. He had come a long way in a short amount of time. "I couldn't have done it without you."

Samuel shrugged. "You had the potential. I just helped you realize it."

Ean's voice turned serious. "Whenever I previously mentioned the Man in the Purple Hat, you avoided my questions. Don't you think I've earned the truth about how you knew each other?"

"When I was a spymaster, he was my apprentice for two years. Intelligent but prideful. Being defeated by you was more insulting than being captured."

"So he swallowed cyanide rather than admit defeat to someone he considered inferior."

"That was a matter of choice and of Fate. The two-headed medallion you've been carrying around isn't a form of identification, it's used by believers to make important decisions. The two faces are used to decide between taking an action to help or harm others."

"When he smashed the antidote vial, that wasn't an act of vengeance or spite?"

"No. The medallion landed on the left-facing head - harm."

"If the medallion landed right-face up, would he have allowed me to capture him?"

"Unlikely. Once he realized capture was inevitable, death was the only fate for him. He chose the manner."

"I would have preferred him alive as proof of everything we've uncovered and I'm sure Brindle would like him to answer for his crimes too."

"Without a spymaster, Brindle is blind to what my former apprentice was doing. You should pass information to a Brindle representative about how they've been deceived too."

Ean stared ahead as they rode, his mind turning over recent events. His grip tightened on the reins. "There may be an easy way to do that. Too easy, if my suspicions are correct." He took a deep breath. "I need your advice on a very difficult decision I have to make."

Samuel's eyes narrowed. "Go on."

"Aria might be a double agent. I found a message in invisible ink on the letter in the package delivered to the Man In The Purple Hat. She warned him it was a trap."

Samuel replied, "She's not a double agent. The message with invisible ink was my doing, not hers."

Ean's head whipped around to stare at his mentor in shock. "What? Why?"

"I wanted to lure him into a confrontation," Samuel admitted. "To settle things once and for all between us… and to protect my secrets."

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Realization dawned on Ean. "You meant to kill him all along."

Samuel nodded slowly. "I trained that man. His betrayal, his actions… I felt responsible for stopping him by any means necessary. That's why I hid what I knew about him." He shifted in the saddle. "In my stubborn pride, I underestimated him. He was hiding in the bookshop when I returned from the butcher. He must have drugged my cake, because the next thing I knew, I was stumbling around like a drunken sailor."

Ean shook his head. "Samuel, you could have been killed! What were you thinking?"

"It's not easy to admit weaknesses. I thought I was still mentally and physically capable of defeating him," Samuel said firmly. He exhaled slowly, his shoulders slumping. "I'd eaten my bacon and cake so when he beat me, I accepted that my time had finally come."

Samuel looked at Ean, his eyes shining with gratitude. "But you saved me from that fate." He placed a hand on Ean's arm. His voice trembled. "Thank you for letting this old man relive the life he loved, to use his spycraft once more and make an impact."

Ean patted the old man's hand. "Your involvement isn't over yet, spymaster. We still have a war to prevent. There's also the unfinished matter concerning the letter the Man in The Purple Hat was carrying and the package addressed to the castle."

"Now that my cover is blown, I have some secrets to divulge - when the time is right - that will make those tasks easier."

They arrived at the castle, so Ean wasn't able to press Samuel for a further explanation.

* * *

Ean rushed to the Royal Guard garrison, his heart racing at the thought of reuniting with Aria. "Guard Blackwood, you may release Aria and Ingar immediately. The threat has been neutralized."

Soon, Aria and Ingmar emerged, their faces etched with confusion. Aria's initial delight at seeing Ean soon hardened. "Did you order the guards to imprison us?" Her voice dripped with accusation.

Ean sighed heavily. "I had to ensure your safety until the threat was contained."

Ingar, in his calm and steady voice, cut to the truth. "They told us they were under orders from you to keep us locked up. Not for our safety, but because we were suspected of being traitors."

"No, I didn't mean for them to…" Ean faltered, then confessed, "We found a letter to the Man in The Purple Hat with a message written in invisible ink. I suspected one of you might be a double agent."

Aria's eyes widened in disbelief. Her body quivered with barely contained rage. "You doubted our loyalty? After everything we've both been through?"

Ean's shoulders sagged and looked away as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm sorry. I never believed it was true. Until I was certain, I couldn't rule it out though." His pleading eyes met hers. "You saw the gold in those packages. Anyone would be tempted."

With a gaze like daggers and fury in her voice, she yelled, "Anyone except the people who put their lives on the line to work for you! What makes you so certain now we didn't do it?"

His emotion got the better of him and he shot back, "Because Samuel wrote the message, for reasons we'll explain later because we don't have time to argue about it."

Her jaw tightened and her fists clenched. "You know my feelings about the empire and how much this role means to me." She thrust a finger in his face. "If you can't trust me, then perhaps you should replace me with one of the other candidates you were considering."

An awkward silence fell as Ean shifted his weight. "There… weren't any other candidates. It was a ruse to get you to agree to be my spy."

Aria stared at him, aghast. After a tense moment, she shook her head. "Unbelievable. You initiated our relationship with a deception." She threw her hands up. "This is what I get for listening to my heart instead of my head." She pointed at the door. "Let's go! If I'm no longer in danger, then I want to go home."

"You were the only person I've ever wanted for the job. You're right to be angry, but I still need your assistance," Ean pleaded. "Now more than ever."

Her eyes narrowed. "You've stated many times that we need a spy in Riverside. I think it's best for both of us that I get back to work."

Ean took a deep breath, trying to compose himself. "You're right, Aria. At least allow me a chance to make amends by escorting you back home."

She studied him for a moment, then gave a curt nod. "Very well."

Ean turned to Ingar and asked, "What are your thoughts on conveying a message to the emperor about the Man in the Purple Hat and his plans? With proof of his treachery, we may be able to prevent this war."

Ingar frowned, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "I would prefer not to reveal my identity as a spy, even with your assurances. You stopped the immediate threat, but even if we prevent this war, I still must live under the emperor's rule. He won't reward me for spying against him."

"You could relocate to Argonia," Ean offered in earnest. "We would welcome you with open arms after your service. And the other spies too. If a war begins, we must consider evacuating them to safety as well."

Ingar considered Ean's offer. "Brindle is our home," he replied gravely. "We have family and friends there. Like me, I suspect many of them grew up in the aftermath of the last war. We don't want our children to experience the same hardships. We became spies with the idealistic goal of helping to stop wars."

Ean nodded, a glimmer of respect in his eyes. "Then I'll make preparations to return you home as clandestine as possible."

"Thank you," Ingar said.

Ean led Aria and Ingar to his office, where Samuel was waiting for him.