To the University

The next morning Mairwen awoke from less than an hour of meaningful sleep. However, her heart felt lighter, and it seemed whatever danger she had sensed had passed.

With the anticipation of the new day and setting out on an adventure, the princess shook off the cobwebs and nightmares that had plagued her. She stretched.

"Feeling better?" Alaron asked. He sat leaning back in a chair with his chin to his chest. If he hadn't spoken, the woman would have assumed he was sleeping. He always did play a good possum, even their parents were often fooled.

"I am," she answered. "Where is Renat?"

Alaron peeked one eye open at her and shrugged. "He took the second shift. Unless he got eaten by wolves, your husband is just outside the door." The Guardian breathed deeply. "And by the smell of it, he has made some breakfast." He flipped up the hood of his cloak and headed to investigate.

Mairwen washed her face in the basin and hurried outside. It turned out to be Eira who was making food over the outdoor cookfire. She had found a pan hanging nearby and had made enough for all of them to enjoy. The Guardian went to fetch some plates for them to have the camp bread, freshly caught quail, and crisp vegetables she had collected from the small garden. While not exactly a royal meal, it was certainly a pauper's feast.

"Thank you. How was the forest, Eira?" Alaron tried to make a little conversation as he accepted his food from her hand.

Eira looked at him with an indescribable expression. "It was fine...Guardian?" she answered hesitantly as she stared into the void where his face should be.

The young man's eyes flashed silver as he looked at the couple. Mairwen sat gracefully on a stump-turned-chair with Renat lounging casually on the grass beside her. "Does she not know?" the white-haired man asked.

Mairwen swallowed the food in her mouth. "You mean does she know who you are? Yes, she knows just like Junayd and Nurlan. I think your lack of face may be what is confusing her." The princess tilted her head meaningfully.

"Force of habit," Alaron muttered by way of apology as he tossed back his hood, "though where we are going, my face will need to be hidden at all times."

Even though it was well over a year and a half since the prince had officially died, many would still be able to recognize his image.

He could not afford to expose his identity in such a manner. It would be problematic both to his mission as a Guardian and to the Empire as a whole. While some forgave him because of his final act of self-sacrifice, others still hated him for nearly handing humanity its demise.

"Eira brings up a good point, though." Renat used his last bit of bread to sop up the spot of juice left behind on his plate from the meat. "What exactly do we call you—around others I mean?"

There was a slight silence. "I think just addressing me as Guardian will suffice. See that? Eira provided the problem and solution." The young man grinned, but Eira's face remained emotionless. Somehow her lack of response made him shiver and look away. He popped a bite of vegetables in his mouth and swallowed as he collected his thoughts. "So, Mair, do you plan on telling Mother of our trek to the University?"

"Mother!" Mairwen blanched. "I forgot to tell her that we arrived last night. She will likely be worried." The princess hurried into the cabin and retrieved her satchel. Digging through the small bag, she pulled out a glowing mirror. The delicate flower on the front pulsated softly with a magical energy. "Looks like I already have a message. I just hope she is not too upset."

Mairwen held up her mirror and discovered her father's face in the glass. Her face contorted as she saw that Devrim was in his night clothes and looked rather disheveled. The confusion on the princess's face drew the interest of both the princes, and they hurried to view the image.

"We have not heard from you, dear daughter, even though you should have arrived last night. Please contact me as soon as you get this so we know you are well. You see, the palace has been attacked. Or, more accurately, your mother and Colvyr have been attacked. Your baby brother is unharmed, but your mother...well, her injuries are being monitored. We have reason to believe that they might also be after you. So if you see anything unusual...well, please be very careful. I can try to give you more information when I hear from you. If you have made it to see Al—" Devrim hesitated and shifted his gaze. There must have been someone else in the room. "If you have made it to your destination, please show this message to your host as well. He may also be in danger. There is much we do not know."

The mirror dimmed. "An attack on the palace?!" Mairwen gasped. "How can this be? Did Hanna not warn them?"

Renat and Alaron looked as concerned as the princess. Even Eria's mask of indifference faltered. They believed that with the Fates now back among them, they would be much safer, yet a direct attack on the Empress in the middle of the night was unheard of in recent memory. At night, the palace was shut up tighter than any fortress, even more so since the war with the gnomes.

Only magical creatures who could portal or creatures too powerful such as dragons would be able to mount such an attack, but Hanna should have been able to sense them long before they arrived. So what, exactly had happened? And why had the Emperor said it was unusual?

Mairwen lifted the mirror to reply. "We are well, father. Renat and I made it to the Guardian, and we have had no problems yet. What happened? How is mother?"

The group waited quietly, finishing their meal and even cleaning the dishes to pass the time. Finally they received a response. Devrim looked more put together this time, much to the princess's relief. Only the circles under his eyes attested to his lack of sleep.

"Your mother is still unconscious, but the doctor has every hope that she should be fine. Aurora and Colvyr are very well protected at the moment, so you can put your mind at ease. Those who attacked them are both dead now. I am meeting with the Council to discuss and collect our findings. For now, my dear, the palace is not a safe place. I do not recommend you come back to it even though you may want to check on us. Stay safe and out of harms way."

Devrim furrowed his brow with his last words. They were not the advice of a father, they were a command of a ruler. The glass faded to its normal reflective surface and was lowered into the princess's lap.

It was as if the Emperor had read Mairwen's thoughts. She had every intention of forgetting her mission and flying home at once to care for her mother. However, she could see the sense in his words. The dark-haired woman was torn. At last the princess sent her response.

"We will not come to the palace, Father, if that is what you wish. I will stay with the Guardian—we have our own mystery to solve. Please keep me posted on all the developments and give mother and Colvyr my love." Mairwen lowered the looking glass and sighed.

"Is that it then? Are we staying here?" Renat raised one eyebrow. It was very unlike his wife to stay in one place when she had a goal in mind. Indeed, were it not for her drive to see things through, they would have been at the palace last night when it was attacked. The scientist shivered at the thought.

As expected, Mairwen shook her head. "We will go to the University as planned. We will just have to be quiet about it."

Renat gave her an incredulous look.

Mairwen blushed and smiled demurely. "Don't look at me like that! I said I would stay with Alaron. And I shall, just not here."

"It's that kind of reasoning that got me into trouble not so long ago." The silver-eyed man warned her.

"So you would rather that I tell of our plans and risk being attacked by whoever besieged the palace?" Mairwen queried.

The Guardian narrowed his gaze. "You know that isn't what I meant."

Mairwen smiled. "Good! I am glad we are all on the same page." In a more serious tone she added. "I will share everything with Mother and Father when we have more information about what is going on at the castle. Until then, I truly think silence on our whereabouts is the safest option."

The other three could see the logic in her words. The fewer people who knew where they actually were, the easier it would be to avoid detection. And as for the next few days, they would be on the move. That made them an even more difficult target to hit.

"Well, I guess that is settled, then," the Guardian announced. "We'll leave within the hour."