VINARA: They are mages. I am absolutely sure. I have no idea what kind of magic they are summoning, but they can mimic the attire of others. And even their faces, I think. They can shape-shift.

I sucked in a sharp breath, clenching my fist to keep my nerves in check. The news was worse than I had anticipated and opened too many possibilities.

CONNOR: Thank you, Vinara. What did they morph into?

VINARA: They were guards, now they’re gardeners. Lord Tactician. I think they want to assassinate us. Maybe this is how the assassins entered the palace yesterday.

CONNOR: Copy. Inform the rest of our scouts.

I hesitated, looking at the noblemen. I couldn’t trust any of them, but Camila. I had to let her know as soon as possible. The noblemen were one hundred percent on it. Laredo, that man in red who seemed to be in charge of the palace guard, was supposed to be in charge, finally cleared his throat and stepped forward, his tone overly polite.

“Thank you very much, my fellow Lords,” he began smoothly, his voice carrying an undertone of dismissal. “We’ll be on watch and provide you with my personal guard.” He placed a hand to his chest, bowing theatrically. “Unfortunately, we have a tightly packed agenda today, and we must follow His Majesty’s planned schedule.”

I hesitated, the words sour in my mouth as I forced them out, facing the king and no one else. “Your majesty. I believe we are still at risk. We’d like to negotiate further. Perhaps, we’ll find accommodation outside of the palace.”

“Oh, nonsense,” Larendo said, his eyes slowly moving toward Virna, then toward the king. “I will personally vow to offer security for you and your party. We’re not savages. We know how to treat guests. What happened last night will never happen again!”

He sounded too sure to have just faced a major lapse in defense capabilities. Any company in the airline industry showing such a lapse would be forced to conduct a major investigation with third party observers. Here they were acting as if it were nothing.

I examined him from head to toe, feigning a polite smile while summoning the grid at the same time to see if there were enemies moving. I didn’t see any. At least not yet. The palace was still clear.

And looking over at them, I thought showing utter opposition could be dangerous. I had to consult with my group.

CONNOR: People. We’re in trouble. Vinara has seen shape-shifting mages walking through the gates. I’m guessing that’s how they snuck in. I am thinking of pretending to agree, then retreat before they can.

ZYRA: Aria’s mercy! We should’ve seen this coming

CONNOR: Yeah, they’re basically cornering us. I think it’s better if we retreat before they get in position. Meaning while they can’t see us, before they can regroup.

NIDAR: I knew it!

ZYRA: I do not want us to be prisoners in their palace, under the pretext of being kept safe.

CONNOR: So. I plan for us to accept their plans and flee immediatenly. Anytime we feel like we’re getting cornered, point us through the group chat and I conduct a plan. I want you all to communicate this to our friends. Do you all agree?

NIDAR: Yes, Lord Tactician.

ZYRA: Connor. I agree with the plan. But we need to speak to the princess. We can trust her. It’s perhaps our last option to get someone in the palace to care. they’re not aware. And let the king know. If this is true, they are conspiring against us.

CONNOR: Will Malor believe them? It will take some time to sway him.

ZYRA: We need her in our group communications.

CONNOR: Right.

ZYRA: Right now. She needs to accept you as his tactician, and she’ll join right in, we’d have her in our party. Invite her and Malor. We have a chance right now.

And how do I do it? I had only one way of doing it.

I bowed my head slightly and faced her, letting the moment hang between us. There was an urgency in my voice I hadn’t planned.

“Lady… Camille,” I said, looking directly into her eyes. “Tell me. Do you believe in Aria? Do you believe in me as your Tactician?”

She tilted her head, a flicker of surprise crossing her face, and then amusement. Her gaze lingered, studying me, the purple in her eyes brightening with a playful glint. Her lips curled slightly, as if she wasn’t sure whether I was being serious or not.

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“What?” She squinted, half-smiling. “Where did that come from, my lord?”

Before I could respond, Vinra cleared his throat, the abrupt sound making both Camille and me snap back to attention. He looked pointedly at his timepiece and gave a polite, but impatient, clap. “Alright, enough with the theatrics. It’s time for the next scheduled element.”

I stifled a sigh. I hadn’t seen anything in Camille’s expression that confirmed her loyalty—no visible signs of acceptance or commitment to my leadership. Yet I pressed on, leaning in.

“Do you believe?” I asked, my tone more intense.

Camille chuckled, the sound light but cautious, and then slowly, the laughter faded from her lips as something seemed to shift behind her eyes. There was a hint of confusion as she took in my serious expression, and I could see her mind racing.

“Young man,” she said. Young man? She looked at least five years younger than me. “Of course I believe in Aria, but I…”

Just then, a group of local guards began advancing toward us, their heavy spears gripped firmly in their hands. The lead guard stopped a few paces away, his face stern and unyielding.

“Alright,” he hissed, his voice low and full of authority. “Your time is up. Move along.”

One of the guards clamped a firm hand around my shoulder, squeezing harder than necessary.

I shot a pleading look at Camille, raising my voice in defiance. “Princesse Camille, let’s meet again soon. Let’s meet and talk. There are important things I must say.”

Outrage rippled through the chamber as one of the noblemen, a tall, thin figure in elaborate robes, scoffed loudly. The fake indignation in his voice was exaggerated, dripping with disdain.

“How dare you!” he sneered. “Our princess is not some common street girl to be addressed in such a manner! What do you mean meet and talk in private?”

Another noble, this one with a bejeweled sash and a self-satisfied smirk, muttered loudly enough for everyone to hear, “I knew these elves had brought a savage Northerner!”

Camille’s cheeks flushed, but her expression was unreadable. She glanced toward me But it vanished quickly as Larendo stepped forward, his eyes cold and dismissive.

“Quick,” he barked to the guards, his voice echoing through the hall. “Escort that ingrate out of the royal chamber. Let him know his place.”

I could see noblemen screaming and recalling the interaction, some of them pointing indignantly at me. Virna was making a point of exaggerating the exact words I had used to make me sound like a sexual pervert.

Two of the guards tightened their grip on my arms, steering me toward the exit, their movements rough and unkind. As they dragged me away, I managed one last look back at Camille. She looked confused. Of course, if she agreed to meeting me there’d be bizarre rumours circling around.

CONNOR: Zyra. Please, help me.

The elven commander moved away from the guards, facing the princess.

“It’s a misunderstanding, of course, my ladies. Princes, It’d be great to discuss.”

“Now shut up,” growled a guard, giving her the same treatment as me. I bit back a curse as they escorted us back.

I hesitated, but my haunches gave the feeling that it was best to play along.

With that, the heavy doors closed behind us, cutting us off from the royal hall, and from her.

“Alright,” said the same brawny soldier who’d scolded and manhandled us. “Now you’re under my watch. Let’s get you to your rooms. And you’ll stay put until my Lord Commands it.”

We exchanged glances.

“I need to talk to the princess,” Zyra repeated. “Please let her know that an audience would be necessary.”

The guard spat on the floor, his expression hard. “We’ll make sure your request reaches her ears,” he said with a mocking smile. He gestured to the other guards. “Move along.”

We marched back in silence. But through Aria’s system, we were all communicating with our comrades, letting them know what was coming.

CONNOR: Alynna, Lariel. How are you holding up in your rooms? Anything suspicious? Did the scouts inform you?

ALYNNA: My lord future-husband! I’m at the marketplace now.

CONNOR: Marketplace?

ALYNNA: What? You didn’t order me to stay in. I decided to do some scouting on my own. And have some lamb chops!

CONNOR: *sigh* You should’ve told me! You’re far from the grid now. Anyway, you’re probably safer. Are you in disguise?

ALYNNA: Unrecognizable. I’m good at this.

CONNOR: Good to hear. How about you, Lariel?

LARIEL: Missing you.

Talk about sighing.

CONNOR: Me too.

ALYNNA: I miss you more!

LARIEL: But can’t see any action from here, and I’ve kept my eyes trained on the window. There’s been a few routine changes.

I looked ahead at the group that was escorting us to our rooms, the group signaling each other to divide them. I looked over at Aria’s map. A sudden shock burst through my chest.

The Alabenian soldiers walking next to me were already marked in red, as enemies. They were the same ones who’d been us in the courtroom, so their change in status was probably just related to the current situation.

But across the four levels of this central palace, or the area I currently had access to, I couldn’t locate or differentiate the new mages who’d walked in. I gave a few rounds. I hadn’t explored the castle with the map prior to the revelation, but it looked like not much had changed. Where were all the mages?

CONNOR: Vinara. Any visual on the mages?

VINARA: I’ve lost them. I’m sorry, Lord Tactician. It’s just the time for a guard change. Tons moved in, others changed and went home. It was hard to follow.

I gritted my teeth, now alone, walking over to my room and knocking on the door.

I delivered a single message to all my units.

CONNOR: Alright. Let’s stay wary throughout the night.

The door opened, and Lariel welcomed me with a hug and a kiss. We moved forward, the door shutting behind our backs and her embrace growing tighter. I caressed her hair and looked into her eyes, pools of light and love. She leaned in and planted a kiss on my lips.

“My perfect tactician,” she said, following through with more sweet kisses. Damn those made a man feel good. I followed through, shutting my eyes and kissing her upper lip. My hands moved around her hips, sliding down to grasp those firm muscles that were too big for my hand.

“Lariel,” I said, leaning my head back. She reached forward again, but I placed a finger on her lips. “We’ve gotta stay put. Last night we were lucky none of us got killed. I think Ina is still recovering from healing us all.”

Lariel let out a sigh.

“And I thought we’d have the night for ourselves!” she said with a sigh of displeasure. “I can’t wait to do it again! Please, Connor! A quick one!”