In the Workshop

"Could you hand me those pliers, Your Highness?" Renat asked politely.

Mairwen held up two different sizes of the same tool. "Which one?" She cocked her head to one side and raised one eyebrow. The boy might be brilliant, but he was not very good at instructions.

Renat reached for the one in the the Princess's left hand. "This is what I am looking for. Thank you." His fingers accidentally brushed hers as he took the instrument. The boy blanched. "I am so sorry, Your Highness! I did not mean to touch you!" Mairwen stopped him from dropping to the floor in another bow.

She rolled her eyes and chuckled softly. "You have been saying sorry for days for every little thing. Sorry for asking for the wrong tool. Sorry for the steam coming too near my dress. Sorry for tripping over the edge of the table and landing at my feet. Sorry upon sorry for not knowing I was the princess…"

"I am still sorry about all of those, especially the last one. I am such an idiot." Renat clamped his mouth shut in horror as he realized he had cut off the Princess yet again. "Sorry," he muttered.

"Please, stop apologizing. You are forgiven." Mairwen inclined her head graciously, but Renat looked even more uncomfortable.

"I cannot stop apologizing. She makes me very nervous…"

They were in Renat's make-shift workshop. His work was normally done in the open air, but when the general found out that the princess would be helping Renat, Beadu commissioned that a small building outside the fort be built for them to work. Mairwen looked around the little work space and her eyes fell on her personal guard.

"Eira? You should not be nervous because of Eira. She is just here to protect me. My guard would never hurt anyone unless they tried to harm me. I do not think you fall into that category." Mairwen smiled sweetly, hoping to calm the boy's nerves.

Instead, Renat swallowed hard as his throat went dry. "Eira is not the one who makes me nervous." He pointed upward. "She is."

Brinn dropped from the ceiling beside the guard. Eira acknowledged the spymaster with a nod. "How are things?" the elf asked, completely ignoring the scientist and the princess. The latter tapped her foot in exasperation.

Eira shook her head. "Everything is going smoothly. Her Highness and Renat are working diligently."

"We can hear you, you know. We are right here," Mairwen reminded them.

Brinn ignored the comment. "Has anything else happened?" The elf made a motion with her hands that caused Eira to hide her smile.

"No, spymaster. They have behaved completely professionally the entire time."

The spymaster rolled her eyes and grunted. "If the Emperor is going to kill me, you two may as well do something interesting," she huffed at the scientist and princess. But she immediately regretted her outburst. "Of course I am not serious. Keep being your boring selves." Without another word, Brinn disappeared out the door as abruptly as she came.

"Why would the Emperor want to kill the spymaster?" Renat looked dumbfounded.

Mairwen tried to remain casual. "Because Brinn was supposed to take me home and brought me here instead."

"I see…" Renat had more questions, but before he could ask, the spymaster appeared back in their company. The boy took a step back in surprise and nearly knocked the pair of glasses on which he was working off the table.

"Always be ready," the elf told him casually. "And I forgot to tell you why I came. General Beadu informed me that a messenger was found dead in the road just a short distance from the garrison. He seems to have been sent from the palace, but no message was on his person. Who ever attacked him took all his possessions."

"Bandits?" Mairwen gasped.

Brinn nodded. "Most likely. My gut, however, suspects something more sinister. The Empress does not know you are here, so the message was not about you, Your Highness. I think it is in our best interest to head home first thing in the morning." The sun was already getting low in the sky. It would soon be time for evening meal.

"But we are not finished with our work!" Mairwen protested. She sent pleading eyes toward Renat, who quickly came to her defense.

"We are only half-way through. We have completed six." He motioned to the table. "This is the seventh."

"Well, we will return with what you have, and you can send the rest when they are completed." The elf spoke firmly, leaving room for no argument.

"Fine. I will pack my things when I get back," the princess responded with a slightly quivering lip.

"That may work on your father, but I am immune to your gorgeous little pout. I will see you at dinner." Brinn left again and Mairwen's soft expression hardened.

"I am sorry we cannot complete the work together," Renat sympathied.

"Oh we are going to finish, even if it takes all night." Mairwen announced with determination. She placed a tool in the boy's hand. "Let's get to work!"

————————-

After sneaking out the back gate with Eira, Mairwen and Renat worked late into the night using the light from a small lamp. The work was tedious, and the urgency caused the scientist to work quickly but not precisely.

"Arg!" He fussed as the wire rim released the glass from its grip. Picking up the orange glass, he meticulously replaced it while sticking out his tongue in concentration. He twisted the wire until he heard a satisfying click. "Done!" he announced.

Mairwen wrapped the delicate object in cloth and placed it with the others in Renat's satchel. Once they were done, he could present them proudly to the spymaster. "That is nine," the princess chirped happily. "Only three more to go."

"I do not think we will make it." Renat wiped the sweat from his brow. He looked at the girl's face and sighed. She was so determined, and in his soul he could not let her down. "But we can certainly try, Your Highness." He bowed his head. Who was he to defy royalty?

The princess beamed a smile on him. "That is the spirit!" She clapped him on the arm and then waited for his instructions. He gave a wane smile.

'How does she have so much energy?' he wondered. "I think we will need more water. I left the extra bucket outside." Renat would not command the princess. His desires always came out as statements or questions.

Mairwen took the cue. "Ok I will get it," she agreed. She, followed by Eira, exited the workshop.

The scientist gave a goofy grin. "Enjoy it while you can, Renat," the boy muttered to himself. "In the morning she will be gone."

Outside, the princess searched for the bucket. The night, or rather early morning, was very dark. It took a moment for Mairwen's eyes to adjust to the blackness. She located the bucket and bent to get it when something in the corner of her eye caught her attention. It was movement. "Eira, hide the lamp inside. I think I saw something." Although the lamp was very dim because it was in the workshop, it still dulled her vision. The soldier ducked in and the light was quickly doused.

Holding his satchel, Renat exited the workshop with Eira. "What's going on?" he whispered.

"Look!" Mairwen forced both the others down to the ground and turned their heads toward the fort. All three squinted.

"There!" Mairwen breathed. Off the the west of the garrison, there was a flurry of movement along the hard, flat ground. Then it stopped. It seemed like hundreds of tiny figures were moving toward the fort in tandem.

"What is that?" Renat wondered.

Eira's face formed into a hard line. "It is a surprise attack."