Chapter Summary: Elena receives an ultimatum from the Malvaran ambassador —- surrender herself or pay the consequences. The grand council makes a decision that Elena is not satisfied with, leading her to take matters into her own hands. Elena and Esteban have a heart to heart talk.


Elena needed a moment to pull herself together while Gabe and Claire switched into full on royal guard mode. The two of them had begun pacing the perimeter of the clearing, eyes darting anxiously in all directions as they searched for any sign of further danger to the princesses in their care.

Gabe approached Elena and reached a hand out to help her to her feet. "Elena," he said gently, "we need to go. It's not safe here, and we need to get you and your sister back to the palace safely."

She looked up at him, a fierce look of resolve spread across her features as she nodded and took his hand. She looked around at her companions and said flatly, "We need to return to the palace, let the council know what has happened, and figure out what we are going to do next."

It was a silent and somber group that made its way back down from the mountain and into Avalor City. The cheerful mood within the city felt completely foreign to Elena, who –– in that moment –– couldn't imagine ever feeling happiness or joy again, struggling as she was to keep her emotions in check.

As the five of them entered the city square, Elena could see the palace carriage waiting for them where they had left it near the entrance to the docks. They were passing near the gurgling fountain in the center of the square as a peal of thunder sounded, followed by a plume of thick black smoke rising from the center of the fountain, which triggered a wave of panic that erupted from the people in the streets. People were running in all directions, fleeing the apparent threat, and Gabe leapt in front of Elena, shielding her as the ambassador once again appeared out of nowhere.

The sight of that man sparked a cold fury within the crown princess, though she also felt a twinge of smug satisfaction when she noticed that the ambassador's face was covered in large red bite marks from the swarming tree ants. Elena glared as she stepped around Gabe, pointing angrily at him and shouting, "Ambassador deCasa Montoya! As crown princess of Avalor, I demand that you return our royal wizard at once or face the consequences!"

The ambassador looked down his nose at her as he magically floated in the air above the fountain. "You are hardly in a position to be demanding anything, little princess. But I will return your royal wizard, as soon as you give me what I want. It's either your life or his. It's just that simple."

Her heart clenched at his words. She would gladly trade her life for Mateo's, even if that meant having to leave him behind –– leaving Avalor in Isabelle's care –– but she knew that outright surrender in this case would spell doom for them all.

"Lord Tiberio," she said, raising a skeptical eyebrow as she placed a hand on her hip, "You are the biggest liar I have ever met. How do I know you would actually return him unharmed if I were to cooperate?"

"Can you really afford to find out the hard way?" He waved his staff and another, smaller plume of smoke rose from below. Elena gasped, and felt her knees nearly give out at what she saw. Mateo bobbed in the air next to the ambassador –– bound and gagged, but conscious and struggling against his bonds. Tears once again welled up in Elena's eyes as she took in his precious face, though hot anger flashed through her as she noticed the bruises on his face. They had already hurt him!

Mateo's eyes widened as he took in his surroundings, seeing the city and the people watching –– he hoped his mother wasn't in the crowd. He did not want her to see him like this. His eyes snapped to Elena's, heart breaking at the look of utter despair and helplessness he found there.

I'll find a way to free you.

He shook his head. No, you have to stay safe –– for Avalor. Forget about me. I'm nobody.

That's not true! You are important to Avalor but most of all you are important to me. My heart is shredding to pieces knowing that they've hurt you because of me.

I will be fine. Just be safe, please. For me. I love you, mi amor. You are–

Mateo recoiled as a hand struck the back of his head, and ice flooded his veins at the fear he heard in Elena's voice as she screamed his name.

"That's enough of that!" The ambassador growled before turning his attention back to the crown princess. "You have one month to present yourself to the assembly of mages –– to save this boy. The magic will be stronger when you lay your life down for the one you love, and this pleases us."

"No!" she cried out, "please, let him go!" She wasn't sure what she was going to do with it but she began drawing the magic up from within her, readying to unleash it on the pointed, now pockmarked –– thanks to Isabelle's ants –– face of the ambassador.

"No, no, no!" the ambassador said in a patronizing, sing-songish kind of voice "I wouldn't do that if I were you. You wouldn't want to hurt your dear cousin, now would you?"

Elena drew back in surprise, "What?"

"Come on out, chancellor!" the ambassador called out mockingly, and to Elena's horror, Esteban came trotting towards them, the Scepter of Light in his hands, a bland –– very un-Esteban-ish –– smile upon his face. She thought she could see a hint of panic deep within his eyes, as if he was internally struggling against something.

"Esteban! No!" she shouted in horror, unable to believe that he would betray her– betray Avalor like this.

"The scepter, if you please, chancellor." Esteban cringed where he stood, grasping his head as if he were in pain, but eventually straightened and presented the scepter to the ambassador.

"You see, princess, you thought you were pretty clever –– the way you and your wizard here warded your room against intruders and warded the palace against my brand of magic, but you couldn't ward all of Avalor, so your cousin and I had ourselves a little chat this morning as we rode into town. I– er– persuaded him to assist me. It took a little outside influence, but I won him over in the end and you'll find he is quite under my control." He glanced at the chancellor and barked, "Chancellor, sit!"

Elena gasped as Esteban sat, criss cross legged on the ground. He wasn't helping willingly, he was under a spell! And he was fighting it –– not well –– but at least he was trying.

This was almost too much for Elena. This man, this horrible man had ambushed them, lied to them, tried to hurt her sister, held Mateo's life in his hands and now had his slimy, magical claws buried deep within her cousin's mind. She didn't care if he was acting on behalf of his kingdom, she was going to make him personally pay for these crimes. She just wasn't sure how –– but she would find a way.

"No! Elena!" Gabe grabbed for Elena's arm as she bolted towards her cousin, but she was too quick. She ran to where Esteban was sitting on the ground and knelt in front of him, grasping him by the shoulders and giving him a little shake as she spoke urgently, tears trickling down her cheeks, "Esteban! ESTEBAN! Fight this! Fight it! I know you can do it. Please!"

Esteban cringed in pain, she could see it written across his features as he recoiled, putting his head in his hands.

By this time, several royal guards who had been patrolling the city and it's outskirts had arrived at the scene and surrounded the fountain, weapons drawn, ready to defend their city and their sovereign from harm.

She looked up at the ambassador, who still had Mateo bobbing in the air next to him, and cried out, "Why are you doing this!? What have we ever done to you?"

"That remains to be revealed. Come to Malvara and find out," he sneered at her. "Oh! And before I go, a little gift from an old friend." He raised his staff to the sky and shouted, "Obscuro!"

The people in the street screamed as lightning shot from the blood red ruby in the ambassador's staff and seemed to pierce the very sky. Ominous, purplish clouds roiled out from where the lightning pierced the heavens, covering the sky over the city from horizon to horizon, inspiring unease, fear, and despair in all who were within its shadow.

Elena had seen enough and she was not going to allow this man to keep her city –– her people –– under his spell of fear and sorrow. Mateo had taught her about magic dispelling theory before, but they had never practiced. She met his eye and he nodded, knowing exactly what she was thinking.

You can do it. Just focus, and breath.

Nodding, she stood and took a deep breath. She imagined the ambassador's magic as a blackness, a cancerous growth covering her kingdom, her people, her family, and raised her hands in the air as she pictured her magic pouring out from within, the light rooting out all darkness and breaking its hold on its victims. Willing that thought into reality, she felt warmth blossoming from her fingers and could see the glow building, even from behind her closed eyelids.

A collective murmur arose from the surrounding crowd as the light burst from her hands, and washed over the people, including the ambassador. The lightning sputtered out and the clouds dissipated. Esteban's face relaxed and his eyes cleared as the magic was wiped from his mind. Unfortunately –– for the ambassador –– Elena's magic also dispelled his floating spell, which caused both he and Mateo to crumple into the fountain. As he spluttered and tried to scramble to his feet, Elena, feeling exceptionally dizzy from expending so much magic at once, cried out, "SEIZE HIM!" and stumbled forward to try and pull Mateo to safety.

The guards surrounding the fountains, including Gabe and Claire, lunged forward to capture the stumbling sorcerer, but they weren't quick enough. He managed to grab Mateo's collar and wave his staff, muttering something under his breath just a split second before Elena could reach him. Elena threw herself at the ambassador, trying to knock him to the ground but she was too late. The sorcerer, along with the young wizard and the royal scepter, vanished –– leaving behind only that trademark pouf of smoke. Elena plunged through the smoke, right where the ambassador had been a second before and landed with an almighty splash in the middle of the fountain.

She struggled to sit up so that her head wasn't under the water, but she made no move to get to her feet –– she sat there, in shock as the world seemed to be spinning and twirling around her. For the second time in just a few hours, she felt her heart breaking from the loss of Mateo. He had slipped from her reach so quickly –– she had truly thought she would be able to save him this time ––but she had failed him. Again.

Naomi and Isabelle –– seeing Elena swaying unsteadily where she sat –– climbed into the fountain and splashed through the water to where the crown princess was still sitting.

"Elena!" Isabelle cried out, "Elena! Are you ok?"

"I– I'm not sure," Elena said in a shaky voice. "I feel really dizzy. I'm not sure if I can stand right now without passing out."

"It can't have been easy to have Mateo so close and be taken again. How are you, other than exhausted?" Naomi asked gently, concern sparking in her eyes.

"Terrible," Elena whispered to her friend, "I really want to cry right now, but I can't lose it right now with the entire city watching me. And I need to hold it together for the emergency council meeting I'm about to call." She startled a bit, suddenly remembering Esteban was there, "Esteban! Where is he? Is he ok?" She looked around frantically.

"He's fine, see?" Naomi pointed to where Esteban was sitting on the edge of the fountain, looking a little shocked as he rubbed his head with his hands. Then she turned and called over her shoulder, "Gabe! Come here! We need your strong back!"

Gabe had been helping the other guards reestablish order in the streets, reassuring the people that all was well and directing them to continue about their business. He turned at Naomi's call, and seeing that Elena was still sitting in the middle of the fountain, hurried over.

"What's going on?" he asked, a hint of worry in his voice.

"We need to get Elena and Isabelle back to the palace, but Elena can't walk."

"Elena, what's wrong? Are you hurt? Are you sick?"

"I'm fine, Gabe. You may have noticed that I've used a lot of magic today."

He thought for a moment and said, "True, and that last bit was pretty spectacular."

"Right. So, in the interest of not passing out for who knows how long, I'm going to need some help getting to the carriage."

"Oh! Why didn't you say so?" Gabe scooped up the dripping wet princess and set her gently the carriage, followed by Naomi. Isabelle and Claire had gone to get Esteban to join them.

As they rode back to the palace, Elena peered at Esteban, who looked exceptionally troubled, and asked, "Esteban? Are you ok?"

The chancellor had been looking out a window and glanced distractedly at Elena when she spoke to him. "Hmm? Oh, yes. I am quite fine. Thank you," he said evasively.

I'll need to sit down and talk with him later. I don't think he's ready to talk about it.

When they arrived at the palace, Elena announced, "I'm calling an emergency grand council meeting that will begin in one hour. Naomi, could you please inform my grandparents and meet us in the council chamber?" Naomi nodded and went to do as she was asked.

Esteban looked at her –– he still seemed a bit out of sorts –– and nodded, saying, "I– I will be there at the appointed time," and headed into the palace.

"Gabe, you and I will take Isa and Claire back to Isa's room. And then I need a few minutes to change out of these wet clothes."

"Can you walk?"

"Yes, as long as we take it slowly, I should be fine."

The four of them dismounted the carriage and made their way slowly through the palace and over to the royal family wing. Though nothing had really changed, Elena couldn't shake the feeling that the palace was but a hollow shell of what it had been, knowing that Mateo was absent from its halls –– possibly forever. Shaking her head sharply, she refused to accept that conclusion –– there had to be a way to get him back without dooming the kingdom to destruction –– and if she happened to survive to see his return to these halls, all the better.

When they had arrived at Isabelle's door, Elena hugged her sister, promising to talk with her later that evening, and left her in Claire's care. Stepping over to her own door, she turned to Gabe, "Could you please wait here for me? I just need a minute to change out of these wet clothes, in fact, you should probably go and change out of your wet clothes too."

"I can't leave you here, I'm on princess duty, remember?"

"Yes, but considering that we know for sure that Malvara is the one sending assassins after me, and the Malvaran ambassador has said that he wasn't playing games anymore because he expects me to surrender, I think the danger within the palace has passed. Go change and meet me back here when you're done. No one is getting into my room uninvited anyways, remember? It's spelled against intruders, plus I've got napping jaquins on my balcony. I couldn't be safer."

Gabe pursed his lips in thought, and then nodded. "Fine, but please, for the love of my sanity, don't leave this room until I get back, ok?"

Elena gave him a half smile, "I make no promises," she said quietly, and turned to go into her room, leaving Gabe in the hall groaning in exasperation.

Once she had shut the door behind her, she stepped into her bedroom and pulled out her favorite dress, changing out of her soaking wet pants and tunic. Feeling slightly better for being dry, she looked dully around her room, unable to help the crushing weight she felt in her heart at Mateo's unknown fate. She felt utterly helpless, and wished there was something she could be doing to get him back safely.

Just a few minutes, she told herself. She would give herself a few minutes to lose it and then she had to pull it together for the council meeting. A sudden thought occurred to her, and Elena found herself running for the door and into the hall. She ran as fast as her feet could carry her, pausing at the entrance to the royal family wing where she asked the guards to tell Gabe where she had gone, and continued running until she reached the familiar door just one hallway down from hers. It was the door to Mateo's room.

She paused with her hand on the doorknob, wondering if it would let her in. Only one way to find out, she thought as she turned the knob and pushed the door open. Her breath caught in her throat as she took a tentative step into the room where his scent lingered. As she stood in the entryway, her arms wrapped around her middle as if to comfort herself, she could almost imagine that Mateo was about to come strolling through one of those doors with that adorable crooked grin of his to greet her. She walked across the tiny foyer and through the door that she knew led to his bedroom.

From the doorway, she gazed wistfully around the room, noticing the evidence of her precious boy everywhere she looked. His desk looked as if he had just been working minutes ago –– a large open book, a pen and his journal lay across the surface where he'd clearly been taking notes on something. His wardrobe was cracked open and she could see his shirts and vests hanging neatly within. She opened the door a bit more and saw his maroon royal wizard's robe hanging from a hook.

As if in a daze, she pulled it out of the closet and hugged it to her as she buried her face in the soft fleece –– a few tears escaping their confines at the corners of her eyes. She could smell his citrus, cedar and raindrop scent within the fabric –– with her eyes closed, she could almost imagine that he was right there with her. Almost.

Elena's thoughts raced within her mind as she crawled onto his neatly made bed and laid her head on one of his pillows.

This wasn't supposed to happen! I am such an idiot! I never imagined that Malvara would use someone I love to get to me. How is that even fair? If I'd have known, I'd have– What? What would I have done differently? Pushed all of my friends and family away? Ugh! I don't know! I just can't win. The only answer is to beat Malvara. I just wish I knew how!

She lay there for quite some time, silent tears soaking into the fabric of the robe she held onto as if it were a lifeline. She lay there thinking about the time of their friendship and their romance –– the sweetest of memories. She remembered the time they had spied on Naomi and Gabe and she cuddled up to him –– for warmth, she had convinced herself at the time. She remembered dancing for hours with him at the royal ball. She remembered their first kiss and every single precious kiss and moment since then. Each sweet memory was marked by a fresh tear and each tear that fell onto the fabric in her hands fueled her determination to do whatever it took to get him back.

Elena didn't realize that she had fallen asleep there, upon Mateo's bed, until a hand gently shook her in an attempt to wake her.

"Elena! Hey! You're going to miss the emergency council meeting if you don't get up!"

It was Gabe. The guards had told him where she'd gone, and then –– exasperated though he was at her tendency to not be where she was supposed to, he knew that she needed a little bit of grace at the moment –– he promptly went to find her. He was half afraid of the emotional state he would find her in as he entered the royal wizard's suite. He peeked through the open bedroom door and thought his heart was going to break at what he saw –– the crown princess was curled up, asleep, in the middle of the bed with Mateo's wizard's robes still clutched to her. Tears sparkled on her cheeks as she rested. If it wasn't for the fact that the palace was in a state of emergency and the council was waiting for their crown princess, he would have just let her sleep there.

She opened her eyes, squinting at the light in the room and sat up, looking groggily at Gabe.

"I'm sorry, I just– I needed–"

"It's ok, no harm done. And I understand. Come on, let's get you to that council meeting so we can figure out how we're going to get our royal wizard back."

She smiled the tiniest of smiles and slid off the bed, walking over to the wardrobe to return the robe to where she found it. As she was hanging the robe, she noticed a glimmer of red out of the corner of her eye and spied a low shelf where a collection of sashes was folded neatly. Mateo had several of the red sashes which had become part of his signature look when he wasn't wearing wizard's robes. Elena gingerly lifted one from the shelf and felt the smooth fabric between her fingers. She wrapped the sash several times around her slim waist and knotted it at her hip, deciding that she would wear this memento of Mateo to remind her of what she was fighting for until he came home. She didn't care that it didn't really match her dress, she liked having a physical reminder of this beautiful soul that she loved every hour of the day.

Elena led the way to the council chamber, Gabe on her heels. When they arrived, Elena wasted no time getting to business. The entire council was already seated and waiting for her.

Elena didn't even bother sitting, she paced the room as she explained, "Lord Tiberio has betrayed us. He had an ambush of six men waiting for us in the mountains today. Mateo has been captured with the promise that his life is forfeit if I don't surrender myself to the assembly of mages in Malvara within one month's time."

Her grandparents were shocked –– even Francisco was speechless.

"Oh mijita!" Luisa cried out, "Are you ok? What about Isabelle?"

"We are both fine, abuela. Perfectly safe, thanks to Mateo, Gabe, Claire, and Naomi." Elena gave them a questioning look, "Does anyone know the status of the Malvaran ship?"

"It left the port early this morning," Naomi supplied helpfully.

"And Lord Tiberio's suite was completely empty when I checked a little while ago, he must have moved his things out early this morning," Esteban added.

"Hmmm...that's odd. I wonder where the ambassador is planning to rendezvous with his ship?"

"He probably used magic to transport himself onto the boat at sea, the way he did in the town square," Naomi answered.

Francisco was looking confused, and said, "I feel that there are many details missing from this story. Please, mija, tell us the whole story. We must know everything."

So Elena launched into the tale, Naomi supplying missing information when needed. They told about the ambush, the fight, how Mateo was captured, how Isabelle had used a slingshot to drop an ant nest on the ambassador's head, and about all of the trouble the ambassador caused down in the city –– including the part where Esteban had been under the ambassador's thrall and had stolen the scepter for him. Elena explained how she had managed to use her magic to dispel all of Lord Tiberio's enchantments in the city square. She also told them about how, now that they have the scepter, she was the only missing piece in their mysterious plot.

Francisco and Luisa stared at Elena in silence when she finished her story –– stunned would be the most accurate word to describe their expressions.

"Are you telling me," Luisa started, anger slowly seeping into her voice as she continued, "that Lord Tiberio is responsible for not only trying to harm you and Isa, but he has used his magic to hurt Esteban?" Her eyes flashed as her fists clenched on the table. "And poor Mateo! That poor sweet boy! Nobody attacks my familia and gets away with it!"

"These are serious accusations, mija," Francisco said slowly, "truly an act of war between Malvara and Avalor. They have threatened the crown princess, attempted her harm, kidnapped the Royal Wizard of Avalor and stolen a priceless royal heirloom. This is unacceptable and action must be taken immediately!"

"I'm glad you feel that way, because I completely agree. We need to send in a team to rescue Mateo and find the scepter as soon as possible, and I need to lead it."

Francisco and Luisa stared at Elena as if she had just sprouted a second head. "Mija–" Luisa began uncertainly, "I–"

"We understand that you want to be there to rescue your friend, but you must consider the whole of Avalor. We can't just rush into Malvara without any preparation. We should send in scouts to collect information and then, once we know enough about the situation in Malvara that we are not going in blind, we can send in the royal navy. But, under no circumstance, would it be appropriate for you –– the unmarried, heirless crown princess –– to personally march into Malvara. You must be reasonable, Elena."

"But that will take too much time! We only have a month before they–" her voice cracked as she broke off, eyes glistening with tears as she finished, "We can't abandon Mateo!"

"Mija," Luisa said placatingly, "I understand how you feel, truly, but you can't rush into a war. Let the guard do it's job and stay safe."

"Do you think Mateo would want you to rush into danger on his behalf?" Francisco asked.

"Of course not, but that's not the point!"

"Then what is the point?"

"We need someone in there, now, to take back what is ours and find a way to defeat the assembly from within! And I have to be there to break through and shield from the magic!"

"I have to agree with Elena on this," Naomi interjected, "I've seen what they can do and it will take magic to beat magic."

"Esteban?" Francisco looked over at his grandson, "What have you to say about this?"

"I–" Esteban looked uncharacteristically uncomfortable, "I believe that Malvara must be stopped, they are a danger and a very powerful threat to Avalor." He paused. "And though I find myself wanting to do whatever it takes to ensure the safe return of our royal wizard, it cannot be done at the expense of our crown princess. I am sorry, Elena, but I must agree with our grandparents."

Elena stared at the grand council in shock. "Fine, it's been decided then. I will leave the details to you, abuelo. I–" she looked around, starting to feel the emotions within welling up and threatening to overwhelm her. Eyes glittering with unshed tears, Elena said, "I have to go."

Without another word, she turned and left the council chamber, Gabe and Naomi hurrying to follow close behind.

Elena needed some fresh air, and her feet seemed to be on autopilot heading towards the garden. Once there, she wandered aimlessly under the late afternoon sun, trying to soak in the inherent peace and serenity of the garden into her troubled soul. Her friends trailed behind her, talking quietly to one another while giving Elena the space she needed to sort through her tumultuous thoughts.

She couldn't believe that they were voting to abandon Mateo. Part of her knew that she was being unreasonable, a very deep down part of her. They were trying to look at all angles and see the big picture, what they thought was best for Avalor. But she couldn't just sit there and do nothing. It would kill a part of her to willingly sit back and leave Mateo to that fate –– especially in the name of her personal safety. Plus she didn't think that Malvara would just go away if she failed to present herself in a month, they would be back, and did she really want to wait and practically invite them to invade Avalor in an attempt at capturing her? She couldn't allow that either.

Elena had been wandering the garden for at least an hour, lost within her own thoughts when she noticed a figure sitting on a bench just off the path ahead. The slumped body posture suggested they were feeling nearly as troubled as she was.

As she drew closer, she realized that it was Esteban sitting alone in the far reaches of the garden. Glancing behind her, she caught Gabe's eye and mouthed the words, "Stay here," gesturing for them to stay where they were. She was certain that whatever was troubling her cousin wasn't something he would reveal to just anybody –– she'd be lucky if he even considered opening up to her.

Approaching the chancellor, Elena nervously tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she said softly, "Hello, cousin."

Esteban had been sitting with his back to the path, leaning over with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. At Elena's greeting, he startled, clearly not having heard her approach.

"Oh, Elena! I am sorry, but I did not realize you were out in the garden as well. Though, I suppose I should not be surprised, it's no secret that you tend to wander the garden at all hours." His voice sounded somewhat shaken and significantly less imperious than what was typical for Esteban. Elena thought that her cousin looked distinctly unnerved.

"May I sit?"

He gestured to the space on the bench next to him and she sat. The pair sat in comfortable silence for several minutes, each gazing out at the peaceful garden as they quietly processed the events of the day.

Esteban broke the silence and said, still staring out at the garden, "Elena, I– Thank you. You freed me from that spell. Truthfully, I thought I was done for. I could not see a way out, fighting it hurt too much."

Elena looked carefully at her cousin, sympathy filling her eyes. "Esteban, of course I freed you. There was no way I was going to just sit there and let him hold your mind like that, especially since I could see that it was hurting you. I'm just glad that I was able to use my magic to actually help."

He glanced at her, and then bowed his head in apology. "I should also tell you that I am sorry for being so hard on you about your magic. When the magic revealed itself, I'll admit that I panicked. I saw Shuriki do so many terrible things with magic during the dark times in the name of keeping the peace, and– I– I suppose I panicked at the thought of another ruler of Avalor wielding that sort of power. I felt that if we just ignored it, the magic would lie dormant and no one would have to be reminded of those times."

Elena's throat tightened at this unexpected vulnerability that her cousin was allowing her to see. "Esteban," she said softly, placing a hand gently on his arm, "I swear to you that I will never misuse my power. In fact, I intend to use it as little as I possibly can. But, I can't hide it. One, if I don't use it, the magic will literally drive me crazy. And two, we both know that we can't lie to our people. It would not end well."

"This is true. Honestly, after today –– seeing what you are capable of –– I am confident that you will use your powers to protect Avalor. You are so like your mother. Besides, if you didn't have your magic– I don't know what would have happened down in the city square…"

"I don't know either. I think the ambassador would have left Avalor under his curse and you would probably be on that ship with Mateo heading towards Malvara." She looped her arm through his and leaned her head on his shoulder, saying quietly, "For what it's worth, cousin, I'm glad I was able to save at least one of you from Malvara."

Clearing his throat, Esteban said, "And about Malvara. I am sorry that I didn't believe you. I see now that all of the evidence was staring me in the face but I wanted so much to believe that Lord Tiberio was truly seeking peaceful ties between our two kingdoms. I was so dazzled by his status and the possibilities that I was blind to the evidence that was right in front of me."

"It's ok, Esteban. I understand. Truthfully, I don't know what we could have done differently without clear evidence that Malvara's government was involved, but I'm glad to know that you are on my side now." Elena sighed as she remembered the council meeting. "Do you really think we should go to war with Malvara, Esteban?"

Shaking his head, with a wry look in his eye, he said, "No, I don't. And do you want to know why? Because I know that you are going to use that formidable power of yours to destroy them from within."

Elena straightened, shocked, and said, "Wait. What?! You think I should go to Malvara? What about 'proper princess behavior' and 'duty to my kingdom'?"

"Desperate times call for desperate measures, Elena, and if Malvara does whatever horrible thing it has planned for us, there will be no one left to present a good front to. Besides, I know you well enough, Elena, to know that you are going to Malvara in spite of the council's vote against it. Am I correct?"

"Well… yes, I hadn't officially decided, but it was my most promising option at the moment."

"You are so much like your mother. I remember her being as bold, fearless and as loyal as you are. In fact, I don't think she would be capable of going about her life knowing that a friend was in grave danger whold she had the power to help."

Elena's eyes glazed with tears as she listened to Esteban comparing her to her mother. Courage and warmth blossomed within her as she nodded and stood.

"Well, cousin, it seems that I have some preparations to make. Thank you for talking with me." She leaned down to kiss him on the cheek and then hurried off down the path back to the palace, gesturing to her friends to follow her to her suite.

Once they had arrived at Elena's room, Naomi and Gabe settled themselves on one of the sofas across from the chair Elena had claimed.

"Elena?" Naomi asked tentatively, "Are you ok?"

Sighing, Elena replied, "Not really. I can't fault my grandparents for trying to look at the big picture, but I can't –– CAN'T –– just sit back and leave Mateo in Malvara's hands!"

"Neither can we. That's why we are coming with you," Naomi said with a wry grin.

"Wait. What?"

"Oh, come on!" Naomi chided her friend, "We all know where this train of thought is going to end. You are going to Malvara to save Mateo, get back the scepter and find a way to end their threat over Avalor once and for all. We–" she pointed between herself and Gabe, "are coming with you. Mateo is our friend too. Besides, someone has to keep you out of trouble."

"Believe it or not, Esteban just said something eerily similar," Elena teased Naomi, who looked shocked.

"Seriously, I'm your royal guard. I'm always with you," Gabe interjected, then added, "even when you're about to do something crazy that has the potential to go wrong in about a million different ways."

Elena looked between her friends, eyes shining with the joy and gratitude she felt at their loyalty and dedication to this dangerous mission she knew she had to undertake –– she was the only one who could.

Nodding slightly, she released a breath and said quietly, "Thank you." Staring out an arching window, eyes unfocused, she thought about the task ahead of them, the risks and any advantages they may have. After a few minutes of quiet thought, her eyes brightened –– looking at Gabe and Naomi as traces of mischief sparked in her eyes, she said, "I have a plan."


Hey guys! Thanks for reading, you have no idea how much it means to me that you are on this journey with me!

Quick note, I've recently received a few notes about mistakes I made in previous chapters and I want to thank you for taking the time to help me improve these stories! However, if you truly wish to be helpful, please be specific so I can fix the mistakes. Otherwise, it just makes me feel like a big dummy for making a mistake that I can't even fix because I don't know where to look in almost 200,000 words :) If you don't have a FFnet account and wish to share corrections or further discuss feedback, feel free to shoot me an email: at gmail dot com (you have to substitute the and the . because ffnet gets upset when you put any kinds of non ffnet links in the docs)

Thanks again, you guys totally rock!