"Your Highness?" the maid tapped lightly on the Queen's shoulder. There was no response. "Queen Aithene?" Still nothing. With a sigh, the maid abandoned all propriety and tickled the young woman in the bed. This, at last, elicited a response.

Aithene shot bolt upright. "Celeste! That was utterly uncalled for! I do not remember seeing that as one of your official duties!" she scolded briskly.

Celeste curtsied. "No, your Highness, it is not. However, one of my unofficial duties is making sure that you are awake and presentable enough to eat breakfast with the courtiers every morning, and if tickling you is the only way to wake you, than tickling it must be."

Aithene sighed. "Don't I get holidays?" she asked plaintively, reaching for her light blue silk dressing gown.

Celeste smiled. "No, my Queen, I'm afraid you do not."

"Blast it all," Aithene murmered. "And I suppose Lord Humphrey is coming to this breakfast?"

Celeste smiled demurely. "I'm sure that all the courtiers of consequence will be there, my Queen."

"Which is a polite way of telling me that all the most odious lords of my acquaintance and their simpering wives will be breathing false compliments down my neck all morning, all the while waiting for me to slip up," Aithene responded.

Celeste curtsied. "As you wish, my Queen. And now, would it please you to select the gown you will wear today?"

"Oh, anything," Aithene said, "I don't particularly care today."

Celeste inclined her head respectfully. "Yes, my Queen. Then perhaps...the pink and white one? It would set off your hair to perfection, if I may say so."

"You may, although I really do not see why," Aithene replied. "The pink and white gown will do fine, Celeste. Do please fetch it."

Celeste nodded. "Any jewels today, your Highness?"

"Mother's pink pearls, please," said Aithene. "I do believe they will match my gown suitably enough for the day."

Celeste curtsied again. "Yes, my Queen. As you wish."

"And then I said to him, I said, 'Teddy, old boy, you look like you've put on some weight! Why don't you stay off the battlefield and leave the fighting to those who can handle it!' And then HE said…"



Aithene sighed. If she had to listen to one more of Lord Humphrey's dull stories about the knights he'd made fun of, or the damsels he'd rescued, she just might scream.

Luckily for her, she was saved from hearing the rest of the tale by the arrival of a herald.

"My Queen," he said, bowing low before her. "I come bearing a message from Sir Rodney."

Aithene sat up straight. "Do bring him in," she said quickly. Sir Rodney was her battle commander, and this morning he'd been investigating rumors of an Adrallan force gathered near the western wall of the castle. She was anxious to hear if these rumors were indeed true.

The herald bowed again. "Yes, my Queen." He left the room, and moments later Sir Rodney entered, the spurs on his armored boots clinking against each other as he moved.

Taking off his plumed helmet, he, too, bowed low. "Your Highness," he began, "the rumors of Adrallan forces by the western wall are at present untrue, although we did find evidence that there had been armed me there before we arrived. How many we cannot be sure. At least twenty-five, we have gathered from the footprints. But that is not the most serious part. When we came back into the castle, we came by the western tower, and on top of the wall we found Old Farlan's body, slumped over against the stones, with an arrow in his back and a note in his hand. I bring you the note, my Queen."

Leaning forward, Aithene grabbed the note from Sir Rodney's hand. Hurriedly she unfolded it and read:

Queen Aithene,

Last night there were forty Adrallan soldiers in your castle. They came to deliver this note, in which we wish to inform you of a battle to be held tomorrow, on the plains of Darra, at high noon.

Yours respectfully,

Baron Hawkor, Battle Commander of King Avar of Adrall

Aithene stared at the note, shocked. Adrallan soldiers? In her castle?

Sir Rodney cleared his throat. "We were wondering, my Queen, if you planned to honor this challenge…?" His voice trailed off as Aithene looked up, fury in her lovely green eyes.

"Yes, Sir Rodney, we will honor it," she said. "We will go, and we will fight, and this time, we will win. Is that understood?"

Sir Rodney bowed. "Yes, my Queen. It is."

"Good," Aithene said. "Now leave us, and be ready for battle in one hour."

Sir Rodney bowed again and was gone.