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"Please don't misunderstand me," Princess Despina says, lifting a hand. "I don't want him hurt. You'll be there, and there are other mages in Elith. Their newest mayor for one, or so I've heard. There will be people to handle the proper battle, and to make sure Evander doesn't come to harm. I just need him to falter. Publicly. Too many people are convinced we need a powerful mage on the throne. If I can't convince them they're wrong, I'll convince them there isn't one on offer."

Alvis looks thoughtful, Min horrified. "Princess—" Min begins.

Princess Despina holds up a hand to cut them off. "I know it's unkind, and it may not be possible in the chaos of battle. I'm not asking you to swear you'll make this happen, but I am asking you to consider what's really best for Ithos."

Abruptly, Princess Despina shoves a few more papers to the side of her desk and stands. "I'm afraid I have another meeting. Elith's too far to walk, so I've arranged a carriage for you. Evander is already in the courtyard."

Before you can offer any further comment on the princess's plot, you find yourselves dismissed.

Next

"Even forgetting about that viciousness for a moment," Min says as the three of you descend the stairwell, "you need to tell the prince the truth. If he's going to be battling demons with you, he needs to know what you are and aren't capable of."

"No, he doesn't," Alvis offers from behind you. "No more than anyone else does. His cousin never needed to know either, come to that."

By then you're back at the door that leads back to the palace proper, so Min and Alvis fall silent, though you're fairly certain they're shooting looks at each other behind your back.

Evander is indeed waiting in the courtyard when you get back outside, out by the road speaking cheerfully to the driver of the tastefully-trimmed royal carriage. "Jun!" he says as you approach. "What a pleasure to travel with you again! It was kind of Despina to make the travel arrangements. I admit, I didn't expect her to agree yesterday."

This was all set well before Princess Despina saw fit to inform you of it, then. You put your thoughts aside and greet Evander. It occurs to you that this is a decent opportunity to catch up on any news you might have missed while you were off in Pasema.

"I've heard tales of you, yes." Something in Evander's tone is suspiciously polite.

With a sulky look in your direction, Min introduces themself as your chronicler. They make no allusions to any questions of truth or lies, apparently leaving that much up to you, at least. Alvis thanks Evander effusively for his help and remarks on what a pleasure it is to see him again. He seems to be taking matters in stride, as much as you're certain he's not pleased to have Evander along.

"We really must be going—there's very little time to waste before the next omen is scheduled," Alvis says after the round of introductions. He cuts off Evander in the middle of asking Min if they've been in Archa long, so perhaps he's not taking this quite as much in stride as it appears.

As the four of you climb abroad the spacious carriage, you can't quite avoid giving further thought to the matter of what Evander should and shouldn't know. Princess Despina's request can come later—you hardly know what things will be like in Elith, just now—but if Evander is going to know the truth, he ought to know it soon.

You resolved to keep the true story hidden as well as you could. But Min isn't wrong that Evander will be more useful if he knows the full story, and it wouldn't hurt to have a powerful mage on your side.