Disclaimer: I own nothing, and only borrowed these characters for a little while.

Author's Note: This is my August submission for the Tamora Pierce Experiment: Writing Challenges forum. It's set approximately eighteen months to two years after the epilogue of Trickster's Queen.


Dovasary Balitang, Queen of the Copper Isles, slipped into the workroom of her Spymistress with a letter in hand. As Alianne Crow, known as Aly to her friends, scrambled up from the seat behind her desk in order to acknowledge the arrival of the regent, Dove waved off her attempts. "How many times have I told you?" the seventeen year old snapped irritably.

Aly settled back into her chair obediently, but didn't speak, sensing the teen's mood. She was right, as Dove twitched the paper in her hand moments later. "Sarai's given birth to another child," she sighed. "A girl this time. Suri."

"Congratulations to her," replied Aly neutrally. This was not news, having received the facts via her spy network earlier that morning. Aly turned her head to her desk, but her eyes angled to read the young Queen's face. Dove sighed again. Not loudly mind you, as that would not be fitting of royalty, but to Aly's trained ears and eyes, it was a sigh indeed.

"I'm jealous of you Aly."

Aly startled, actually looking up from her papers this time in her hastily disguised shock at this declaration. "Me? Why?"

"You've got a husband and three gorgeous kids," replied Dove with a fine trace of bitterness.

Aly smiled softly. "Yeah I do."

Dove wasn't finished. "All I've got is a city-wide debate on my choice of husband." The young woman threw up her arms. "Gods forbid if I didn't choose a luarin noble or raka man." She winced as she looked upwards. "I didn't mean that," she added quickly, apologetically.

Dove's eyes turned to Aly's next. "Sorry, I'm just feeling out of sorts." The wan smile that accompanied the statement wasn't reassuring.

Aly propped her chin up on her hand as she eyed the strong, capable young woman before her. "Perhaps one has found that one needs to embark on a journey of sorts in order to shed one's burdens," she said vaguely.

"What on earth are you talking about this time?" asked Dove tiredly as she took a seat.

Aly resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Her Majesty wasn't usually this obtuse. "You are newly an aunt again for the fourth time yes?" she said a little more bluntly.

"Goodness me, four," muttered Dove as she fiddled with the corner of the letter. "And to think I haven't met the..." Recognition dawned. "You're a crafty one Aly."

"Knew you kept me around for a reason," said Aly nonchalantly as she inspected her fingernails.

The conversation stopped there as the workroom door opened and in tumbled three little bodies followed closely by two men.

Nawat made straight for his wife, whilst Ulasu and Junim made for the Queen. Dove scooped up the girl and boy into her arms. She loved that her godschildren felt so free around her: she didn't have to feel so queenly. Ochobai – not yet walking – expressed her displeasure at being ignored. Taybur Sibigat – ever present by the Queen's side, and in this case just outside the door – obediently swung his godsdaughter up into his arms.

With Nawat gone out the window to deal with the crows, it was a comfortable silence in the small room. When Junim slipped from Dove's lap and toddled over to his mother, Taybur looked away from the little girl in his arms. "Shall I make arrangements?" he asked benignly.

Dove startled, her hands going still, where before they had twisted and turned for the amusement of Ulasu. "Whatever for?" she queried of her guard.

"The upcoming trip of course Your Majesty," came the smooth reply. The respectfulness was spoilt by the baby he held in his arms, Ochobai pulling at Taybur's cheek.

"Aly!" retorted Dove crossly.

"Oh please," snorted Aly as she rifled through her desk. "He's glued to your side most of the time. He's seen you moping of late."

"That is no way to speak to the ruler of this fine nation," scolded the head of the Queen's Guard loftily as he shifted his godsdaughter to his hip. Aly snatched up a scrap of parchment and crumpled it. Without turning her attention from the search of her desk, she threw the ball out to the right. Dove caught it easily and summarily threw it at Taybur in retaliation.

He didn't flinch.

Twisting a newly discovered wooden toy, Aly's gaze was lowered as she gave the trick to the eager son gripping her legs to figure out, but her eyes were intently watching the interaction between the two as Taybur moved closer and reached down to deposit her youngest daughter in Dove's lap.

Mmm.

Winnamine Balitang knocked the appropriate code on the spyroom door and entered just moments later, shattering the comfortableness. All three knew that there was an edgy clerk behind her: Selby was very, very good at his job, but rather annoying. "Dovasary, there are matters that you need to attend to."

The Spymistress and Queen exchanged the littlest of rueful glances before Dove quickly morphed into Queen mode. Taybur, having risen and backed away from Dove the instant visitors knocked, stood at attention.

"Thank you Winna," said Dove as she gently placed her godsdaughters on the floor and rose from her chair. She squeezed her stepmother's arm as Taybur exchanged a glance with Aly, the spymistress nodding in return. Dove stepped out the door, already being briefed by the efficient clerk on important matters.

Taybur was right behind her.


Next chapter:

Leaving.