Divide and Conquer

Anna ran up to the Aurora. "Your Majesty!" She had obviously seen the display. Her face was deathly pale. Nurlan also appeared at her side. The soldier looked so angry that he might burn the entire stage to the ground to repair the damage done to Aurora.

"Please get the Empress out of here," Devrim advised the other two. "Can I get you anything?" He asked his wife.

"I just need a moment. I will go back to my room to freshen up and compose myself. I will be fine, I promise," Aurora gave an unconvincing smile. Her heart was breaking, but she was too well trained to show her sorrow. "Please carry on as normal if you can. Everyone should be alert. I do not think this is Cafer's only move tonight." The Empress left with her escorts. The audience parted to let her through.

Alone, Devrim bravely faced the crowd. Some were wisely avoiding eye contact and acting natural. Others were staring while they gossiped with their neighbor. And a few blessed souls had already forgotten the incident and moved on with their evening. He stood from his seat and entered the main ballroom. News had traveled fast. Some gave him looks of sympathy and others contempt. The tide against the rulers was growing rapidly. The Emperor felt sure that if he made one wrong move, the wave of public opinion would swallow him while.

It was at that moment that Chief Zan came across the floor toward him. Hundreds of eyes tracked his progress. As the Guardian approached Devrim, he laughed loudly. "Your Majesty, isn't it amazing!" His jovial attitude was jarring.

Devrim thought that perhaps the Councilman was drunk, but then he remembered that Zan rarely drank at all. Something else was happening. "Pardon?" He asked.

The Guardian carried on loudly, "Is it not amazing how a work of fiction can cause so much gossip! Perhaps they should have added a flying cow or a swimming chicken to make the play more believable!" Those around Zan pretended not to listen, but Devrim could clearly see the amused smiles on their faces at his words.

The Emperor realized what the other man was doing. They would fight fire with fire. "Well, I rather liked the puppet king, but he would have been better with horns or a tail. And if you want to make an ugly queen, they should have invested more in her make-up." The two men laughed again, and the Emperor could see the attitude of those around him softening.

"I am so glad Your Majesty is amused," Zan said with a smile.

"Yes, please pass on my compliments to the actors," Devrim said meaningfully. An understanding passed between them.

"And where has the Empress hurried off to?" Zan asked lightheartedly.

"She was so entertained by the show that she hated to leave. All the delicious food and drink has made her need to find the ladies' room. I am on a similar mission to relive myself, I am afraid," Devrim added the last part in a lower tone, but still loud enough for the gossips around him to hear.

"Very well, Your Majesty. We can talk again soon." Zan bowed. "Glory to the Empress."

The men parted ways and Devrim left the ballroom. Junayd was close on his heels. "Go and find Mairwen. I need to know that she is safe."

"Yes Sire, but where will you go?" It was clear the Emperor was on a mission.

"To relieve myself as I indicated. I do not want someone to say that I lied about where I am going. That would undo the work that Zan started." Devrim was thankful for the Guardian and the Fate that sent him.

"Of course, Your Majesty." Junayd bowed and departed.

Devrim rushed to complete his own task. Returning from his trip, the grey-eyed man noticed that one of the short hallways was missing guards. Before he had time to react, Warin came barreling around the corner.

"Excuse me, Your Majesty!" Warin said politely. He had been going so quickly that he the soldier only barely managed to stop before hitting the Emperor. The guard bowed low.

"Where are you going?" Devrim asked curtly.

"I thought I saw the Prince come this way. He asked me for something and then disappeared some time ago." Warin looked embarrassed.

Devrim lost his temper. With everything going on, his son's personal guard had lost him again. "How is it that whenever you are needed, you are not with Alaron?! You have shown such incompetence! First, you allowed the prince to be injured on his trip this past week…"

"Sire?" Warin tried to interrupt, but the Emperor cut him short. The ruler's face was red with fury.

"I will say my peace! You did not even try to protect Alaron from the bandits. Everyone could see that you were completely unscathed! You should be willing to lay down your life for your master, yet you let him take a beating with no resistance." The words came tumbling out.

"But…"

The Emperor continued, "And now you have lost His Highness. You are never supposed to leave his side! You are his shadow, the last line of protection for him. What do you have to say for yourself?"

"I did not go with His Highness on his trip…" Warin said quietly.

Devrim, who had taken a deep breath to berate the shoulder further, stopped dead in his tracks. "I am sorry. What?"

"My mother became deathly ill just over two weeks ago, and the Prince released me to go see her. Two days ago he made a personal visit with a healer and it was a miracle: she was saved! I came back with him at that very moment. I thought you knew." Warin trailed off, unsure of what else to say.

"But you—or someone who was pretending to be you—went with Alaron on his trip. We all saw you leave with him. If it was not you, then Gandr was right! It was Cafer."

"I do not understand." Warin's brow was furrowed.

"I do not have the time to explain. We need to find the Empress, spymaster, Cheif Zan and Captain Caleb. Now!" Devrim began to run, and Warin dutifully followed his lead. They did not make it to the end of the hall before they were confronted by a large soldier.

Devrim began to order the man into action, "General, we have a problem!"

"Indeed we do," the general agreed.

"I need you to…"

"No! I need you both to" —the general held out fine white powder in his hand— "sleep."

The last thing Devrim remembered before the darkness took him was fiendish grin of his captor. Cafer watched as the two men crumpled to the ground. "Excellent."