After a night in the barn of a generous farmer—for they thought a night in the open would be too risky—and another early morning, the group made it to the city of Obsequence. It was so named by one of Aurora's ancestors who conquered it. The town at the time not only didn't fight the invading force, but actually welcomed them, throwing out their own terrible leader to be captured. Now it was a bustling city full of traders and merchants. Junayd went ahead of them and bought new clothing for them to wear. The style here was in general less flashy than the capital, and the soldier returned with simple garments to help them fit in."What's this?" Aurora held up a long piece of light brown cloth."It's for your head. Some men and women wrap them around their hair and face to block the sun. I figured it would hide your appearance, Your Majesty." Junayd said. Aurora had seen nobility from the desert region southwest of Valiant visit occasionally, so she had an id

Cafer headed into a daybreak Council meeting. It had been two days since receiving the mirror message from Gandr about the death of Aurora. Since receiving the news, Cafer had been practicing his most aggrieved expression so that no one would suspect his involvement. Although he seldom felt happiness, this was as close as he had come in a long time. "It's going to be a good day," he muttered to himself. With Aurora gone, he could mold young Alaron into a true Emperor and use him to bring the gnomes into power. Cafer's long years of service would finally bear fruit. Cafer was sure the news of Aurora's death must have come in the night. Why else would such an early meeting be called?As everyone gathered around the table, they could see Zan's face was grim. "Councilmen, we have received word from the Empress's traveling party. Something has happened." Cafer braced himself for the wonderful news. Zan went on, "There has been an attempt on the Empress's life."There was an

"Who would like a drink?" Gandr, disguised as Nurlan, passed out the water. His hand almost wouldn't let go of the water-skin as he gave it to Aurora. She had to wrench it out of his grip. She eyed him quizzically but said nothing. Gandr reclined on the ground and waited for the Empress to take a drink. At present she was too busy munching on dried meat. "How much longer to the ice barrier?" She asked between bites. "At least three weeks," Gandr answered without thinking. Junayd was surprised. "I didn't realize you spent time up north, Nurlan." Gandr laughed awkwardly, which only increased the confusion of the others. "I haven't. I just studied maps before we left." "Really?" Junayd was unconvinced. "I thought you said that this whole trip was a waste of time. Sorry, Empress." Aurora was not offended. The whole mission did sound crazy. And she, too, was growi

Another week of traveling passed with just Devrim and Aurora. They had expected their companions to catch up with them, but it had yet to occur. The Empress and Emperor Consort took turns leaving marks on trees so that the soldiers would be able to find their path more easily. Overall, they were slow moving, and the Empress began to question her own ability as a leader. Fortunately in this sparsely inhabited forest, game was plentiful. The Empress had stored a bow and quiver in the Guardian's cloak, and Nurlan had taught her the rudimentary skills of field dressing whatever they shot. She could cut away the meat and cook it. Aurora and Devrim lived mostly off of meat and a few known plants. They were careful not to consume anything that looked unfamiliar, and that list grew by the day. The further north they traveled, the more beautiful and strange the foliage and animals became. "Do you think any of these things are edible?" Devrim whispere

The forest thinned and the air became cooler. They were growing nearer to the ice barrier. Aurora found once again that she was very glad for the Guardian's cloak. At times in the evening, she could see her breath, but the strange black cloth kept her warm. As Devrim had no such luck, he wore a thick fur-lined coat that he bundled around himself to sleep. The days were still warm, but not hot like they had been.Since leaving Junayd and Nurlan, Devrim had given up his overtures of love for the time being. They were alone, and despite his desires, he was afraid of making things awkward. If she accepted him, then they might do something they would regret. He longed to hold her tightly, but he wanted it to be her genuine desire and not a decision based on fear of the unknown. Devrim wanted to do things right. Her honor was his highest priority. On the other hand, if Aurora rejected him, they would still have to finish their journey and return home together. He pictured her stayi