Diavanae and Kiaric found themselves outside the gates of Kharis, the Crown City. They were still quite wet and muddy and extremely confused.

Diana looked at her love and joyfully exclaimed, throwing her arms around him. “We’re safe, Dairick! We can walk into town from here!”

He hugged her back, not nearly as ecstatic but indulging her. He wasn’t sure what games these Singers were playing, but that could be discovered later. For now, he could concentrate on making Diana happy.

- - -

The speed with which Diavanae was installed in Lord Kiaric’s chambers upon their return to Kharis might have caused a stir if not for the continued buzz over the king’s planned marriage. No official announcement had been made, but the betrothal was considered a matter of course. Nobles and the wealthy were ordering finery and bickering over who ought to be permitted to attend as though they had complete control over the planning.

Soon after their arrival, Kiaric apologized profusely to Diavanae and took his leave of her, saying he had important business to which he needed to attend.

“I will, of course, return to you as soon as I can,” he promised. “Until then, try not to pine too much.” Diana laughed and shooed him on his way. The sooner he left, the sooner he would return.

Before he returned, however, she received a message from the king, asking her to attend him at once. Puzzled, she did so.

She was promptly escorted in to see the king. “Your Majesty, how may I serve you?” she inquired in her best courtier-like voice, curtseying.

“By stopping that nonsense and sitting down at once,” he replied. “Really, Dia, I thought by now we’d established that you only need to do that in front of that pack of idiots,” he said, waving his hand vaguely, indicating the court as a whole. “Now, would you care to explain what happened to you? Neil said that you had disappeared.”

Diavanae was puzzled. “‘Neil said’? When?” As far as she knew, he was still in the Singers’ house.

“When he reported to me a few days ago. He said that you became separated from him during your… adventure. In fact, he made it sound as though you were in dire need of rescuing.”

She snorted, annoyed that he had thought her helpless. After all, hadn’t she been with Dairick? But she could hardly say that to Ridion. He may have been somewhat informal with her, but that didn’t mean she ought to discuss such things with him.

“He must have been mistaken,” she replied blandly. “We were separated, but perhaps he overestimated the danger I was in. I assure you, I was in little or none.”

“I am pleased to hear it,” he said, just as blandly. “I am even more pleased that you have returned in such a timely manner. I need you to go on another mission. Neil, in fact, has already begun it. No one else is to know of this, not even that you are leaving. You are to meet Neil here -” he passed over a map “– where he will brief you. Time is of the essence. Because he has already begun to assess the situation, he will be in command.” When Diavanae opened her mouth to protest, he raised a hand to stop her. “I know that that is not the normal way of things, but I believe it is for the best in this case. This mission is critical.”

She closed her mouth, unhappy but knowing better than to argue. “My report for the previous mission?” she asked quietly.

“Write it on the way, or when you come back. No time for it now. Go at once, within the hour. And remember – no one is to know.”

- - -

Ridion stared, brooding, at the door through which his best agent had just departed. Her entanglement with Kiaric had made everything much more complicated. He had had to wait until Kiaric was off doing something else before delivering the message, and sent her off in more haste than he would have liked to prevent Kiaric learning of it. Ridion had begun to mistrust his advisor, but lacked proof. All he had to go on were vague reports of Kiaric’s strange behavior during his illness. Perhaps, while Diavanae was off, he could concentrate more on his potential traitor.