Keep Trying

In a couple of days time all of the preparations were made for both parties to leave. While one would go out of the front gate, the other would be taking the tunnels.

So even if someone saw a few of the family members leaving, there would be no one who knew the extent of the royal exodus from Valiant.

Mairwen, Renat, Alaron, and Hanna waited in the palace tunnels by the entrance to the Storehouse. They had all been glad to see that the tunnels, which were constructed by a combination or Fate and gnomish hands, were still intact.

The glow to the stone, however, was noticeably absent. A lantern served to light the small group.

Beside the four, Aurora and Brinn both had their Fates chains around their necks. After a nod, the Empress pressed her hand against the cool stone.

Her hand tingled and she felt the stone give way under her fingers. For a moment, her blue-flecked eyes lit with anticipation.

But the stone almost immediately stopped.

"Oh!" Aurora tried to pull away, but her fingers were encased in the wall.

Seeing his mother begin to panic, Alaron stepped forward and pried Aurora's digits gently from the holes. Her fingers were very thin and malleable, but it took both of them great effort to free the Empress's hand.

"Well, it was worth a try," Aurora sighed, shaking her fingers. "That would have taken weeks off of your journey."

She stared at the five holes where her fingers had been. What if it had been her whole hand? Or worse!

Seeming to read her thoughts, Hanna nodded.

"Better that it failed out here than you get stuck in the Storehouse itself. I told you that I could not operate it from the Mystic Spires!"

The Fate had known this was a waste of time, but she couldn't deny that the shortcut would have been convenient.

While she used to frown on the use of the Storehouse as a gateway, Hanna could see its value as such for circumstances like these. Unfortunately for this particular occasion, the passage was closed.

"I guess the Fates' chains are as drained as the rest of the magical items," Aurora sighed. "But I am glad we at least tried."

She looked down at her dress. She was still in her royal finery due to a scheduled breakfast with some noblemen. Aurora had squeezed in countless engagements over the past couple of days in hopes that her absence for the next many months would be kept secret.

"I'll change and meet you out front after I stop by the nursery," she told Brinn. The elf nodded. She had expected as much. Aurora turned a sad smile toward her daughter. "And you..." 

"And we will head out of the tunnels into the open air," Mairwen seemed to be anxious to leave.

The plan had been for them to leave immediately after the four had said their formal goodbyes, but Aurora couldn't let them leave without at least trying the Storehouse. Now Aurora could delay them no longer.

"You have the orders for the fort in Obsequence so that a detail will escort you northward?" The Empress tried to recall if she had missed anything.

"Yes, it is with the royal seal in case we have to prove our identities." Mairwen smiled, glad her mother still doted on her.

"You should have plenty of supplies with the horses, and you can buy whatever you need with the money I gave you." Aurora felt Mairwen's warm embrace.

"I know. I love you." The blue-eyed princess squeezed a little tighter.

"I love you too," Aurora blinked back tears.

This goodbye was even harder than the more public goodbye earlier. Here, the Empress could shed her tears without judgment.

So she did. "Be safe," Aurora whispered into the young princess's ear.

"You too," Mairwen felt her own eyes begin to mist.

"Don't let my brother give you any trouble, and tell my mother and father that I am well. I will come home as soon as this is resolved." Brinn made sure to call the land of the elves her home. It would make Lanassa happy.

Mairwen nodded. She would deliver the message. The rest said their goodbyes, each promising to care for the others and that they would return safe and sound.

At last Hanna cleared her throat lightly. "Time to be off, dearies. We are burning daylight." Her own face became solemn, her colorless eyes stopped the endless motion to look at the Empress. "I know that the creatures of the South do not trust the Fates, which is why I should not go with you. But…"

"Keep my children safe. We will be fine. I know you aren't trying to abandon us. If those beings are as strongly opposed to Fates as you suggest, then you would not help us by joining our quest." The Empress meant what she said.

Both Reyan and Hanna had expressed the Southland's detestation of anything related to the Fates, so bringing one of them would almost insure their failure.

"Of course you are right, dearie. But it doesn't help my conscience. Be safe yourself," Hanna pushed the hair away from the Empress's face and patted her cheek. "I won't forgive myself if anything were to happen to you. We've been through so much together."

"We have much yet to do, Hanna. We will meet again soon underneath the Mystic Spires." Aurora wished for that time sooner rather than later.

With nothing else to say, the four slipped away into the darkness, the lantern becoming smaller and smaller until it was snuffed out by the lengthening shadows.

"We need to go," Brinn startled her friend.

The Empress gave a strained smile and nodded. After one more glance into the darkness, she reluctantly left.

Before long, Aurora had changed into a plain frock with a tan headdress and headed toward the nursery. When she arrived, Nurlan, Anna and Nanny were standing along one wall watching a display of strength. On the ground, Devrim was wrestling with a tiny child in a feverish battle of wills.

Despite the difference in size, the child seemed to be winning. Either the boy was exceptionally strong or the man was exceptionally weak.

Or they were playing a game. The boy pinned his father to the ground. "Got you!" He squealed.

Devrim grunted as the child bounced up and down on his chest. "I am vanquished," he announced dramatically.

Colvyr clapped and cheered. He had won! Nanny pulled the tiny prince off of his father. "You cannot just sit on one of the rulers of the world!" She chuckled as she scolded the young prince. "You must let His Majesty breathe!"

Devrim stood and gave a fierce grin. "Let the boy win while he can. Soon enough I'll come back from the Southlands stronger than ever!"

The grey-eyed man growled like a bear, infecting Colvyr with peals of laughter. Aurora smiled at the antics. She loved them both immeasurably.

Anna came over to the woman in the lightly colored tunic. She curtsied before the Empress.

"It is I who should be bowing before you, Anna," Aurora allowed a pale smile. "Lately you have been holding the throne far more than I have."

The lady-in-waiting dipped her head. "It has been an honor as always."

"I do hope this is the last time I ask you to take on such a task. I would not ask at all after all the sacrifices you have made, but things are dire." Aurora was saying the words as much for herself as Anna.

"I serve the Empire just like you, Your Majesty. Though your job is much, much harder." Anna adjusted her fiery wig.

Except for the last month when the Empress had been home, the lovely impostor had gotten used to wearing it. Even though she was older, Anna looked like a copy of the Empress except for the blue eyes and her hair.

This time, she would go without the veil that had covered her face. With the return of the Empress, Aurora's face had been seen all over the courts as being fully healed.

So if someone asked about her brown eyes, she would just make the excuse that they sometimes looked different based on what she was wearing. The reason might not work forever, but it would at least put people off from asking a second time.

"I don't want to talk about this, but after my last adventure I feel it is necessary that we have this understanding, Anna." Aurora grew quite serious.

"Yes, Your Majesty?" Anna folded her hands in front of her.

"If Devrim and I should not return, I want you to continue to be the Empress until Colvyr is of age to take over. I talked this over with Mairwen and she feels the same way. Please let my son know your real identity, but let 'Aurora' rule until I can retire. The turmoil of being a child ruler is too much for anyone to bear. I should know."

It was a large request, but Anna could understand her reasoning. "I will do as you ask, Your Majesty, down to the letter. But please make sure you return…for both our sakes."

"I will try Anna," Aurora looked at the young prince, "I will certainly try!"