Tired of being cooped up in the palace, Aurora snuck into the city of Valiant to clear her head. She was very worried about Alaron, but worry rarely did anyone a bit of good. Everything was being done to find the boy, including sending Gandr out on his trail.Instead the Empress decided to focus on finding special gifts for her children for their birthday. The prince and princess had access to all the resources of the palace, so the dark-haired woman had made a tradition out of hand-selecting a thoughtful gift for them from the local merchants each year. It helped the city's economy and showed the woman's love. With the brown hood of her cloak pulled tightly around her head, Aurora made her way quietly through the streets to the marketplace.The merchants in the capital were more subdued than the rowdy callers of Obsequence. They would catch your attention with small movements or clicks of their tongue. Mixed in with the stalls were more permanent shops where owners we

Preparations for the birthday party filled the princess's days for over a week. Despite her hope, her twin had not returned. Mairwen was beginning to doubt that he would come back at all. "Where are you, Alaron?" She whispered as she looked out her bedroom window into the distance. "You promised that you would come home." In the meantime, Aurora and Devrim had been preparing for the prince's arrival. Once the Empress had shared the news about the Fate's visit with the Council, the castle began to mount its defense. Unlike Mairwen, the Empress and Emperor had no doubt that Alaron would come, but whether in peace or some other method remained to be seen. They hoped for the best, but prepared for the worst. The Emperor sat in the war room discussing plans with Captain Caleb, who was captain of the palace guard, a few generals, and Chief Zan. Aurora was present, but was only a passive participant in this particular conversation. Devrim pointed to the kitchen entr

With Cafer's training in deception, deceit and double-dealing, Alaron played the dutiful son for two days. By the morning of the party, he felt the suspicion of those around him had all but disappeared. Early that morning Aurora went to visit the boy early to give him the present she had personally selected. Alaron caught her in the hallway. "You wanted to see me?" "Happy birthday! I was going to give you your gift. Could we go somewhere private?" The Empress wanted to give her son a hug, but she knew that he disliked public displays of her affection. So she held still. Alaron dismissed Warin, but when the guard was out of sight, he changed his mind. "Actually, can we do this later? I am sure we will find time in a little bit." By the look in his eyes, Aurora could see he was uncomfortable. There was some unspoken wall between them. "Oh, uh of course. There is no rush…" The Empress watched the prince turn his back on her to leave. An anxious feeling t

The party was well underway when Aurora and Mairwen joined the festivities. In return for her assistance, the princess had helped her mother get ready. When the Emperor saw his Empress, his heart skipped a beat. She wore in a violet gown that was form fitting to the waist before falling gently to the ground. Aurora had chosen the gown instead of one of her more fantastical dresses because today was not about her. It was about her children. But for Devrim, her simple outfit only made her more attractive. The room grew quiet as the Empress took to the musicians' platform with her daughter. Aurora scanned the crowd looking for Alaron, but he was not anywhere to be found. They would have to go on without him. "Welcome to the celebration of the Prince and Princess's sixteenth birthday. If it is acceptable to my daughter, I will allow the official celebration to commence." "It is acceptable to me," Mairwen announced proudly. "Please enjoy yourselves!" After the applause di

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 forg