The palace halls were quiet as Elena and her friends wandered back towards her suite where the scepter of light was kept. The four of them were chatting happily to one another – as they so often did – when Naomi shot a teasing look at Elena as she asked, "So, that freak windstorm earlier. Was that, by chance, because of you?"
Blushing, Elena responded, "Yeah, I suppose that was me. Apparently, if I don't use my magic everyday, it will build up and become hard to control. I was trying to summon a gentle breeze."
"You should probably work on that," Naomi quipped.
"Haha. I did actually. You should have seen it, it was spectacular!"
Mateo cut in, "Tell her about the bucket of water you dumped on our heads."
Elena covered her face with a hand, shaking her head. "You just had to go there, didn't you, Mateo?"
Gabe burst into laughter. "You what?! This I have to hear."
Since Elena seemed reluctant to regale her friends with the story, Mateo happily told about how Elena had tried to pull another magical prank and how it backfired on her. He was equal parts amused and intrigued by Elena's self-consciousness. He found it adorable the way her cheeks turned pink and how she kept brushing imaginary locks of hair behind her ear. Though her eyes were downcast, he could clearly see that she was fighting a smile, so Mateo didn't feel too badly about teasing her.
Suddenly, Gabe threw an arm out, stopping the other three in their tracks. "Guys! Stop!" he hissed as he entered into royal guard mode.
In an instant, the lighthearted mood evaporated. All four of them were on high alert, peering around the hallway.
"What's going on, Gabe?" Elena whispered.
"I just saw someone go into your room."
"Well, servants go in and out all the time."
"That was definitely not a servant. He was dressed as a royal guard, but I didn't recognize him. Plus, royal guards are expressly forbidden from entering the royal family suites without permission from the owner of the room. Since I'm pretty sure you're not in your room and have not given any random orders allowing royal guards into your room, I am going to assume that whoever just went into your room is an imposter and up to no good."
"Why would anyone want to go into Elena's room?" Naomi whispered.
"They may be trying to finish what the assassin started," Mateo whispered, taking a subtle step in front of his princess as he pulled his tamborita from its holster.
"In broad daylight?" Elena asked.
"It actually makes sense," Gabe said. "If they've been watching the palace, they would know that the middle of the day is the easiest time to get into your rooms because there are no guards posted by the doors. And they would probably know that you don't sleep with a guard physically present in your room. It would be pretty easy to sneak in and find a place to hide undetected until you go to bed." Gabe paused and scratched his head in thought. "Now that I think about it, there are some serious holes in our security strategy."
Elena pursed her lips, anger flashing in her eyes as she balled her fists at her sides, electricity crackling from her fingers. "This is getting old. I am so sick of this! I'm going to put a stop to this once and for all!" The crown princess brushed past Gabe and made to storm down the hall to confront the intruder in her room when two hands firmly grasped her arms.
"Oh, no you don't!" Gabe and Mateo said in unison as they pulled her back.
"You are not leading the charge here! No way! It's too dangerous," Gabe said fiercely as he drew his sword. "I will go in and deal with this."
Elena, hands on her hips, looked ready for a fight as she said indignantly, "You can't seriously expect me to stand here and do nothing!"
"Yes, that's exactly–"
Mateo interrupted what he was certain was about to become a spectacular argument, "Elena! Listen to reason. If that's an assassin in there, it would be beyond foolish for you to barge in there alone."
Elena turned a glare on her best friend. It was clear that she was not happy about the direction this conversation was going. Her greatest desire was to protect her loved ones, even if they were better equipped to protect her than the other way around. Mateo did not like having that look directed at him, but it was worth it if it kept her from acting impulsively and getting herself injured or killed.
Mateo ran his hand down her arm, leaving a trail of goosebumps behind, and took one of Elena's hands –– thankfully, the crackling electricity had died down –– and said earnestly, "Elena, you are brave and fierce and wonderful but you are also the crown princess. You need to consider the risks."
"I will not be ruled by fear!"
"This is not about being afraid!" Mateo snapped, which brought both of them up short. This was not typical Mateo behavior. He was becoming frustrated, which felt completely wrong directed at the crown princess. "It's about being smart and not getting yourself killed!" He said this earnestly but gently.
Naomi stepped in, "Elena, there is no reason for you to go in there alone. What are you going to do against an assassin by yourself? We will all go with you. Between the four of us, we may stand a chance of catching this guy."
Elena, arms still crossed, took a deep breath through her nose. Her lips were pursed and her eyes narrowed, but she was clearly considering their words. She looked at Mateo, and her features softened ever so slightly.
I'm sorry. It's just that I am so tired of this mysterious threat. I love having you with me so much of the time but I hate that I need constant protecting. I'm sorry for taking my frustration out on you.
Mateo felt his frustration melt away as quickly as it had come, a small smile played at his lips. You must realize that I need you to be safe. I am still haunted by the sight of you passed out and covered in blood after your last confrontation with an assassin. I would never forgive myself if anything ever happened to you, especially if it was in my power to stop it!
Elena sighed and relaxed her posture. Fair enough. Thank you for looking out for me, my friend. She smiled.
A pointed cough sounded in Elena's ear, bringing them both back to the present. "You know, it's really weird when you two do that," Naomi said.
Ignoring the jibe, Elena turned to Gabe. "So what's the plan, Gabe? And it had better involve me somehow, I refuse to hide."
Gabe beckoned them all into a huddle and spoke in a near whisper. "Your suite has four main rooms and the washroom. All four rooms have doors connecting them. I suggest we split into two groups and surprise the intruder from both sides, hopefully confusing him and allowing us to capture him."
"Wait," Elena interrupted, "someone should cover the bedroom door too. My bedroom is pretty big so if you come at him from the sides, he could easily escape through the main door. Naomi and I can cover it."
Gabe looked torn between his determination to protect the princess and admitting that this was a sound strategy. "The two of you can't just stand there, defenseless. That could just get you killed."
"We won't be defenseless. I wish I could grab the scepter but it's in the bedroom. I do have a decent sword hanging on the wall in the sitting room and you know I'm great with a sword. Plus, who knows what my magic will do for me in self defense."
Mateo rolled his eyes. " That is reassuring," he said sarcastically. "Your magic might behave unpredictably in a way that might be helpful. Right."
"Fine," Gabe said. "You two can cover the main exit. Elena can grab her sword and Naomi can grab something to hit him with. Maybe a tall candle stand?"
"Sounds like a plan, let's go!" Elena whispered enthusiastically.
The four of them crept towards Elena's suite. They found the door had been left opened slightly, so it was easy to slip in silently. Gabe went to the left, Mateo went to the right, while Elena and Naomi stayed near the main door. They wouldn't get involved unless the intruder tried to escape that way. Elena, armed with her sword, was at the ready. Naomi had grabbed a tall candelabra, as Gabe had suggested, and was prepared to block the intruder's escape.
The girls listened – nerves on high alert – for the boys to make their move. Suddenly, they heard shouts coming from her bedroom, followed by pounding footsteps coming towards them. The door flew open and the intruder came bounding through the bedroom door, clutching the Scepter of Light as he ran. He had features similar to the would-be-assassin: the same shoulder length hair and long braided beard. His build was slight, not quite filling the royal guard's uniform he had acquired. A split second later, he noticed the girls blocking his escape and froze, a panicked expression on his face.
Elena smirked at the intruder and raised her sword in challenge as Naomi tightened her grip on the candelabra. "Going somewhere?" the crown princess challenged the intruder. "And with my scepter?"
Gabe and Mateo each appeared in their respective doorways, ready to close in on the thief. The man looked wild eyed about the room, turned on his heel and dashed back into the bedroom. Elena shouted, "We can't let him get away with the scepter!" Elena bolted after the thief, Gabe close on her heels. Mateo groaned as he and Naomi followed.
The thief threw open the doors to Elena's balcony and took off out the door. He had to leap over the napping jacquins, but Elena thought that, surely, the thief would be stopped by the balcony railing. To her surprise, he leapt over the railing and onto the balcony outside the ballroom and dashed along the railing, under the dome and to the far end where he vaulted over the railing onto another roof about 5 feet below. Elena was thankful that she had started wearing flats as she leapt over the railing without hesitation, sticking the landing. Gabe was right behind her, both of them had their swords drawn.
Naomi and Mateo stopped by the balcony rail, as neither felt confident in their ability to stick that landing without tumbling off the roof. Mateo was frantic, knowing that his princess was chasing a thief and he wasn't there to protect her. He looked around and saw Skylar starting to rouse from his nap. "Skylar! We need your help!" Mateo shouted.
"What's up amigo?" Skylar said with a sleepy yawn.
"A thief stole the royal scepter from Elena's room and she is chasing him down on the roof. There is no way we can catch up on foot but we have to stop that thief!"
Luna leapt to her feet. "First an assassin and now a thief? What is going on here? Migs! Wake up! We've got work to do!" Migs jumped to his feet in shock, "What's going on?! Wha– Huh?" As Migs tried to shake the sleepiness from his head, Luna quickly explained what was going on. He was quick to agree to help with the pursuit. Luna and Skylar lowered to the ground so that Mateo and Naomi could get on their backs. The three jacquins took off in the direction that Mateo pointed to.
Elena and Gabe were still in hot pursuit of the thief. They hit what looked like a dead end when the stretch of roof met the next tower. It must have been window washing day because there was a scaffolding hanging from the side of the tower below them. The thief grabbed the rope and swung down to the scaffolding, taking another leap onto the roof below. Elena and Gabe each swung down the rope without a second's hesitation and continued their pursuit of the thief. Gabe, that familiar feeling of exasperation at Elena's complete disregard for her own safety, was trying his hardest to get in front of the princess, but she was just too fast.
The thief appeared to be tiring, as the princess and the royal guard started closing in on him. He apparently noticed because he looked around frantically around and found a loose roof tile. Snatching it up, he flung it towards the approaching princess, who managed to dodge the roof tile. Gabe didn't see the tile until Elena had ducked. He managed to dodge the flying roof tile but lost his footing. Elena glanced over her shoulder to see Gabe tumbling off the side of the roof. "Gabe!" she screamed, pausing to go help her friend when she saw Migs pop up with Gabe sprawled on his back. She nearly cried with relief and continued the chase, thankful that the jacquins had joined the pursuit in time to help.
They were sprinting across the roof above one of the open air walkways the lead to the main doors of the palace. The thief leapt from the side of the roof, grabbing the edge and swinging himself through the arch and onto the walkway. Elena followed suit without hesitation, landing lightly behind the fleeing thief. The thief burst into the palace entrance hall and, concealing the scepter behind his back, called out, "Open the doors!" Because he was dressed like a royal guard, the guards didn't question him, and complied with his request. As the thief ran through the door, Elena burst into the hall, shouting, "Stop that thief! He's got the royal scepter!"
The door guards startled and turned to run after the thief, who had bolted down the palace steps. Several horses were saddled and tied to the hitching post at the bottom of the steps, including Canella, as Elena had planned to go into the market that afternoon. The thief frantically untied Canella and climbed into the saddle, urging her to go. Elena laughed as she watched Canella look over her shoulder, a disdainful glint in her eye, and didn't move a step. She knew he was not her mistress and refused to move for anyone else. The thief slapped the reins once more and gave up as the guards were moving in on him. He jumped over to one of the other horses that was saddled up. This horse had no trouble taking off at his urging. Elena was thankful that the thief had so kindly untied Canella for her and took a flying leap from the top of the palace steps, landing neatly in the saddle. Grabbing the reins, she leaned over Canella's neck and whispered in her ear, "Let's catch that thief, girl!" Canella swiftly turned and sprinted after the thief, who had directed his mount across the long bridge leading from the palace into the city.
Elena and Canella flew at breakneck speed across the bridge, slowly catching up to the thief and the scepter. Once the thief had reached the edge of the city, the streets were crowded with people, so he was forced to abandon his horse and continue on foot. Elena left Canella by the fountain in the city square and continued the pursuit on foot. She could see the thief across the square as he entered the Via Mercado at a run, dodging between merchants and the goods spread out for shoppers to see. She knew the Mercado better than he did so she was able to pick out a more efficient path through the carts and stands. She had just neatly jumped over a row of baskets laden with colorful handmade jewelry when she heard a familiar laugh just behind her.
"He-hey! Hola princessa! Need some help?"
She maintained her pace but glanced over her shoulder to see Mateo and Skylar flying just behind her. Gasping for breath as she ran, she said, "Help would be appreciated!"
Mateo shouted, "Come on Skylar! I have an idea!" The jacquin flew past the crown princess and easily caught up to the thief. Mateo pointed his tamborita at the scepter and shouted, " Cannona! "
Elena breathed a sigh of relief as the scepter flew out of the thief's grasp and into Mateo's outstretched hand.
She continued her pursuit of the thief as she rushed by the many shops in the Mercado. She could hear shouting behind her and knew that Gabe had mustered a squad of royal guards to pursue the thief. The princess thought she could catch the thief in just a few more blocks if she could just run a little faster. Determination and anger flashed in the princess's eyes as she willed her legs to move faster. Her magic responded enthusiastically and carried her on a phantom wind. As she got within arms reach of him, the thief grabbed hold of a fruit cart, overturned it in the street and continued running. Apples, mangoes, strawberries – dozens of different fruits – were scattered everywhere. Elena was furious but stopped, breathing heavily, to help the poor fruit seller clean up the mess. She'd rather let the thief get away than ignore one of her subject's as their livelihood was trampled, especially since the scepter was safe with Mateo.
The squad of royal guards, led by Gabe, carefully avoided the flood of spilled fruit and continued in pursuit of the thief.
Skylar and Mateo landed beside Elena, who was still trying to catch her breath and control her rising temper at the thief's escape. Elena looked over her shoulder at Mateo as he rested a hand on her shoulder and said with a smirk, "Can we not do that again? I thought I was going to have a heart attack when you jumped off the balcony!"
The princess laughed, her irritation melting away, and said, "I can't make any promises about what I will do the next time a thief tries to steal a precious royal heirloom from my bedroom, but I will certainly make an effort to prevent you from having heart failure."
The young lady whose cart had been overturned looked close to tears as she tried to overturn her cart by herself to no avail. Elena was overcome with compassion for this young woman and wanted to help. She said to Mateo, "Do you think I can turn this cart over with my magic? If I can do that, then you can do that handy spell I've seen you do to clean up and organize messes."
"Absolutely, the cart is heavy though so it will probably take more concentration and a stronger will to lift it than usual. Just be careful to imagine the upright cart in your mind's eye and the motion it will take to set it right. And be gentle, you don't want to smash the cart to splinters. That will be a lot harder to fix." Mateo said this with a laugh. Elena rolled her eyes at this and approached the young woman. "I'm so sorry about your cart! Are you ok?" The young woman nodded, and –– noticing that it was the crown princess speaking to her –– she dropped into a hasty bow. Elena said kindly, "Please, that's not necessary. Here, let us help you." She motioned for the girl to step back.
Once the area was clear of people, Elena took a moment to concentrate as the fruit vendor looked on curiously, clearly wondering what the princess was going to do if not gather a group to lift the heavy cart. Once she felt mentally prepared, Elena stretched her hands towards the fruit cart and willed her magic to carefully turn it upright. The young woman gasped with shock –– along with the onlooking crowd –– as she watched her cart rise in the air and was gently lowered to its proper place by magic.
Elena gasped for breath as soon as she completed the spell. It had clearly required more magic than she had expected and had drained her of energy. Mateo thought that she looked as if she was about to fall over and hastily put an arm around her to steady her.
"Are you going to be ok?" He asked quietly so only she could hear him.
"Yes, I'll be fine. I just need to catch my breath. Could you please magic the fruit back into the cart now?"
"As you wish." Mateo looked at the fruit scattered in the street and imagined how it would look when placed in the cart. He imagined the different varieties of fruit grouped and arranged in an appealing display. He then pointed his tamborita at the fruit, the image of his desired end state clear in his mind, and said confidently, " Venido Volador Fruita! "
To the delight of the fruit vendor, the fruit rose in the air and glided back to the cart, arranging themselves into groups and leaving the cart looking good as new.
"Thank you, your majesty! It would have taken me hours to set this right!"
Elena and Mateo both smiled at the young woman. The princess said, "It was the least we could do after that thief knocked your cart over. I couldn't leave you to deal with that alone."
The woman thanked them profusely and offered them a large basket of fresh fruit to take with them, which they graciously accepted. Elena gave Skylar the coconuts, knowing how much he loved them and told him to share with Luna and Migs. He looked over the moon and took off to find his friends. Elena laughed and took Mateo's arm as they walked arm-in-arm back through the Via Mercado to the fountain where Canella was patiently waiting for them.
"What happened to Naomi? Is she ok?"
"Yeah, she took off after Gabe when he fell from the roof."
"I saw that! I'm so thankful that Migs was there to catch him and that Naomi was able to help."
As they walked along the path through the mercado, they shared their stories of what happened during the chase. Mateo told about how he had enlisted the help of the jacquins and how Migs had caught Gabe just in time. He told about how they had made sure that Gabe was ok and then hurried to catch up with the thief. Elena told about the rooftop obstacles and how Canella refused to move when the thief tried to steal her. Mateo thought that was hilarious. Elena told about how she had raced after him into the city and continued on foot through the Mercado. She also told him how she had willed the magic to help her run faster and how it had responded easily to her plea. He was impressed with her ability to adapt and try new things with her magic. They arrived at the fountain and found Canella, who was enjoying a drink of the cold fountain water. The beautiful palomino looked up at the sound of her mistress's voice and whinnied a friendly greeting, walking over to meet the princess. Elena secured the basket of fruit to her saddle, took the reins in one hand and took Mateo's arm in the other. The three of them turned and began the trek up to the palace.
Mateo looked sidelong at the princess, assessing her health after she had nearly passed out from overexerting herself with her magic. He thought that she looked a little pale. Concern coated his voice as he asked, "How are you feeling? It looked like you were about to pass out back there. Do you want to ride back to the palace?"
Taking a breath, Elena smiled softly as she gave Mateo's arm a little squeeze. "I'm fine. I feel a little tired, but I'm fine. It was so weird though. Like wielding the scepter of light for the first time all over again."
Pursing his lips thoughtfully, Mateo considered this for a moment. "I think it's time to start working on more complex spells. You have exercised your magic enough that you can cast simple spells quickly and with little effort but if you ever hope to be able to cast healing or protective enchantments, or even use your scepter, we definitely need to work on your endurance."
Elena's posture deflated a little at that as she sighed, her eyes downcast. Mateo thought she looked a bit crestfallen and raised a questioning eyebrow. "I just didn't realize how much farther I have to go. I was feeling pretty proud of my progress."
Mateo playfully bumped his shoulder into hers. "You have a lot to be proud of! You have no idea how far you've come in such a short time. But, yes, you do have a lot more to learn. Truthfully, I have a lot more to learn and I've been doing this for eight years. Mostly it's just building up your endurance and practicing concentration. We'll keep practicing. Just remember, we're in this together."
Canella whinnied softly in Elena's ear and nudged her shoulder in encouragement. Elena laughed a little and reached over to rub Canella's nose. Turning her attention back to her royal wizard, she rested her head on his shoulder and said, "And for that, I am glad. You're right. We'll keep practicing and I'll get stronger. I keep forgetting how complex magic is and how long it took you to get to where you are. I suppose I just need a bit of patience. Though having a devoted best friend by my side definitely helps."
They continued on like this, the princess and the royal wizard walking arm in arm, talking, joking and laughing together. To the casual observer they looked the part of two young people who were quite close – the very best of friends. Who could know the tumultuous thoughts each of them struggled with?
Mateo, for his part, was a perfect gentleman. He was true to his commitment to initiating nothing more than friendship with the princess. He was determined to be whatever it was that she needed him to be, whether it be a best friend, a confidant, or a shoulder to cry on –– he would be there for her. However, if by some miracle, she needed him to be something more than her closest friend, he was certain that he would be the happiest –– and the luckiest –– man alive. That was not to say that he wasn't tempted to confess what was in his heart or to take her in his arms and discover just how those beautiful lips –– that he found so distracting –– felt against his own.
Mateo's behavior must have been very convincing because Elena was certain that he felt nothing more than friendship towards her and used that as her foundation for insisting that she felt the same –– even if she knew that she wasn't being entirely truthful with herself. She cared about her royal wizard more than she could explain and knew that being separated from him would cause her physical pain. Not too long ago, she had been determined to protect her own heart from sorrow but now– now she felt a driving need to protect him from the heartbreak that anything more than friendship with her would inevitably end with. This driving need was her motivation to maintain the status quo, to be content with the amazing friendship that the two of them shared.
Her decision did not diminish her physical reactions to him, however. No amount of determination to simply be friends could stop her heart from racing at his touch or that fluttery feeling that she got whenever he looked at her. Since –– in her mind –– distancing herself from him was not an option, she tried her hardest to ignore those feelings and hoped that, somehow, he did not notice.
As they entered the palace gates and approached the front doors, Elena could see Naomi, her grandparents and Esteban waiting anxiously on the palace steps. She had planned to call another impromptu council meeting to deliver the news, but apparently, the news of the thief in Elena's room had reached Francisco, Luisa, and Esteban in her absence. She steeled herself for the lecture that she was sure she was about to receive.
Elena had just handed Canella's reins off to a nearby servant, asking him to ensure that she was returned to the stable and cared for, when Luisa ran forward and grasped Elena by the shoulders. Peering into her granddaughter's face, clearly looking for any sign of injury, she exclaimed, "Oh mija! You are ok!"
Mateo chose to remain where he was beside the princess, sensing that she would need his support as Francisco and Esteban both stepped forward to address the her. Esteban couldn't help himself and started lecturing without asking for any details about what had happened. "Once again you have taken matters into your own hands, completely disregarding palace protocol, and, rather than reporting the theft to the guards, you decided to chase the thief through the palace and into the Via Mercado! Not to mention the fact that you disregarded the council decision that you need to have a guard with you at all times! You–"
"Elena," Francisco interrupted, "What happened?"
Elena and Mateo launched into the tale of how they, along with Gabe and Naomi, had found the thief in her room and how they had come up with a plan to block him in her room. They explained that he had jumped off the balcony to the ballroom balcony and how Elena and Gabe had followed after. Mateo told about enlisting the jacquin's help and how Skylar had helped him get close enough to the thief that he could retrieve the scepter by magic. Elena described the chase over the rooftop and down to the courtyard where they continued to the city by horseback.
"And the chase only ended when the thief purposely overturned a fruit vendors cart. I just couldn't bear to leave her to clean it up alone," Elena finished.
Esteban responded with his characteristic eye roll. "After all of that, you let the thief escape because he knocked a few pieces of fruit on the ground?"
"It wasn't just a few pieces. We had the scepter and I decided that in that moment it was more important to help one of our people by not allowing that girl's livelihood to be trampled in the street rather than chasing the thief I may not have been able to catch anyways. Plus a royal guard squad was just behind me. They continued the pursuit. That cart was too heavy for the girl to upright alone. Mateo and I were able to set it right in a matter of seconds by magic."
Francisco looked thoughtful for a moment as he processed her explanation. "The most serious issue here is that under no circumstance should you have put yourself in such danger. You should never have pursued the thief in the first place and especially not alone. If he had turned on you– I don't want to think about what could have happened. You must learn to control these impulses, Elena. A ruler must make rational, well thought out decisions."
Elena's posture wilted a little, her hands clasped behind her back and her eyes downcast. She knew that her grandfather always spoke with wisdom and out of love so she took the criticism with grace and without argument.
"I'm sorry, abuelo," she said quietly, "I just couldn't let the thief escape with the scepter. Chasing him seemed like the right thing to do. Perhaps I should have let Gabe go after him alone, but my first instinct is always to stand between those I care about and danger. I want to protect everyone under my care."
Luisa, her face full of compassion, took Elena's hands in her own and said kindly, "Oh, mijita. I know you want to protect everyone. But how do you think Lieutenant Nuñez and Mateo feel when you won't allow them to do their job of protecting you?"
Elena sighed. "You're right, abuela. I will try to do better."
Just then, Gabe and the squad of guards that had joined in the pursuit of the thief returned. Gabe approached the royal family, stood at attention and said, "It is my duty to report that, unfortunately, we were unable to apprehend the thief. We chased him through the city and into the hills. He managed to disappear somewhere along the wooded path. After a thorough search of the area, we found footprints of a horse leading away from the city. We believe that the thief had a horse ready to make his escape on."
Francisco said, "Considering the circumstances, that is not surprising. Thank you, Lieutenant Nuñez , for your quick thinking and perseverance in this matter. We should appoint a task force to continue investigating this. We need to know why the thief was after the royal scepter, of all things." He finished as he stroked his chin thoughtfully.
Gabe saluted and said, "It will be taken care of immediately!" After a moment, he spoke up again, "If I may, I would like to suggest that we station a couple of guards outside the crown princess' suite during the day. I am concerned about how easily he was able to get into her room. Had he been an assassin, it would have been too easy for him to get in and hide until the princess returned for the evening."
"Excellent idea, Lieutenant Nuñez . Please see to that immediately as well." Gabe saluted and, beckoning to his men, headed towards the guard barracks.
Mateo watched as Elena moved an imaginary strand of hair behind her ear, and thought that she must be nervous that the lecture wasn't over. She then arranged her features into a calm, serene smile and said, "If we are done here, I have final preparations to make before the Malvaran ambassador's arrival tomorrow. I must approve the final menu for the feast and see to some last minute details for the royal ball. Are you ready, Mateo?" Mateo gave her a little nod. Elena gave a respectful nod of her head to her grandparents and cousin and beckoned to Naomi to join them.
Once they had moved out of earshot of Elena's family, Naomi rolled her eyes and said, "Ugh, sometimes Esteban drives me crazy! The way he speaks to you makes me so angry! What were we supposed to do? Let the thief run away while we ran through the palace searching for a guard to chase after him? Taking matters into your own hands….that is ridiculous!"
Elena smiled at her friend's tirade, thankful that she had such great friends on her side. "I completely agree with you. I don't know what he expects from me. I know he wants what's best for our kingdom, but we disagree on what that is a lot of the time and when we agree, we disagree about the best way to go about it." She turned to Mateo. "And, Mateo, I am sorry that I worried you. I know I acted without thought for anyone else's concerns and I'm sorry."
"Worried? Me? Noooo...you only jumped off of a balcony to chase a thief who may or may not have been violent. Why should I worry?"
Elena and Naomi both laughed at the sarcasm.
Naomi's features then became sober as she said, "So, tomorrow's the big day? We open our doors to a man who is most likely our enemy?"
Elena's mouth tightened and her eyes narrowed. "Yes, I am not happy about that but I know that the only thing we can do right now is be vigilant. We need to be smart about our safety and we need to keep our eyes open for clues."
"Do you think Malvara is after the Scepter of Light too?"
"Who else can it be? How could an assassination attempt, bandits on our northern borders, an attempted theft of an important royal heirloom and the arrival of a mysterious, reclusive potential political ally with a reputation of practicing dark magic be a coincidence?"
They continued discussing the implications of the ambassador's arrival until they reached the kitchens, where the royal chef was waiting to present the menu for the ambassador's welcome feast and for the royal ball. Mateo trailed the princess to each of her afternoon commitments, Naomi accompanied them and gave her two cents when appropriate. The pleasant afternoon continued into the evening, and was quite uneventful compared to the excitement of chasing a thief through the city.
After the evening meal, Naomi excused herself saying that she a riding lesson with Gabe, leaving Elena and Mateo to enjoy their evening walk together.
The pair strolled arm in arm through the palace garden that evening, enjoying the stillness and tranquility as the moon bathed every plant, tree and grass in it's ethereal light. Both princess and wizard walked in companionable silence as they considered the events of the day. Elena was relieved that none of her friends were hurt. She was beyond thankful that Mateo's quick thinking had allowed them to retrieve the scepter, admiring his bravery, cleverness, and skill. She had noticed the confident little smirk and furrowed eyebrows that he got each time he worked a spell. She found that expression nearly as endearing as that crooked grin of his that she loved so much. Her smile grew as her thoughts progressed down this course, and she subconsciously tightened her grip on his arm –– pressing herself a little closer to his side as they walked along the garden path.
Mateo remembered the panic he felt as Elena vaulted over the balcony rail. He had felt helpless as he watched her chasing a criminal over the rooftops. In that moment he realized that he wasn't physically able to protect her. Once he and Skylar had caught up to her, he had been overcome with relief to see that she was safe. He admitted, however, that his fear for her safety and irritation that she had put herself in such danger was mired with a hint of admiration of her bravery. In spite of the fear for her safety, he couldn't help thinking about how beautiful she was as she was as she ran so swiftly and gracefully, her shimmering hair streaming behind her like an ebony flame.
Elena glanced sidelong at her friend and said, "I just wanted you to know that I really am sorry for running off without you earlier. It was thoughtless of me to leave you when you were supposed to be protecting me. Especially since we make such a good team when we work together."
Mateo reached his free hand over to pat her hand as he said, "You were forgiven hours ago, it's done. I know you well enough to know that you didn't mean any harm, and that you were just trying to do what was right. As much panic and fear as it caused me, I can't fault you, especially since your driving determination to always do the right thing is one of the things I admire most about you."
Elena was filled with a warm, tingly feeling from head to toe at his words. She hadn't thought that she could possibly feel any deeper affection for her best friend, but those words– hearing that he admired something that was such an integral part of her being but so often caused contention among her council – her heart swelled at his words and she thought she might cry. Blinking rapidly, Elena said in a soft voice, "Thank you mi mejor amigo. You have no idea how much that means to me."
He smiled and said gently, "It's the truth. Always remember that you are amazing and I am always on your side."
The pair wandered down the winding paths a little longer, chatting quietly about the events of that day and the events that were to come. Mateo told Elena that he would like to accompany her and Gabe for the arrival of the Malvern delegation in the morning and she agreed. The time was getting away from them when they noticed that the moon was high in the sky and the hour was getting late. Mateo accompanied Elena back to her room and bid her goodnight. As he walked towards his suite, he thought about the coming days and the approaching danger. He hoped that they would –– somehow –– overcome the darkness with light.