It was a week after Kaylan had arrived at the fish market and there was no sign of Kuzco. Kaylan was alarmed but she kept her head down and worked, as she was being paid ten apples a day, free food and free board now. In fact, Kaylan kind of enjoyed workingn there. Rumours passed around, about the death of the prince, but Kaylan did not hear these. Since the market was outside the palace, nothing had been confirmed yet. Just as she was finishing sweeping all the dust into a pile, she heard the light but quick footfalls of someone running as fast as thier legs could carry them. Kaylan looked up as Rula skidded to a halt in front of her, scattering the dust in a speading cloud.
"Kay... Please." Rula panted urgently, "You've got to hide me."
Kaylan was dumbfounded, "How did you find me?" She asked.
"No time for that!" Squealed Rula, grabbing Kaylan's bangle laden wrist and dragging her into a back alley. "The dust will hinder them but we need somewhere enclosed."
"My room." Kaylan snapped her fingers. "I'll show you the way."
They snuck around the corner, hiding behind some ornamental pots to see a pair of palace guards looking around frantically.
"Where is that bitch?" Said the first guard.
The second guard replied, "She's gotta be around here somewhere."
"Okay, You check that alley, I'll talk to the old fishmonger, see if he saw anything." The first ordered.
Grumbling about being pushed around too much, the second guard walked right past the girls, and into the alley. Kaylan signalled to Naril to keep the first busy. As Naril chatted to the first guard about the price of fish, Kaylan and Rula slipped in the door and climbed the stairs. Rula huddled in a corner under the window, out of sight of the guards, while Kaylan shut the door and slid her bed against it.
"Care to tell me what's going on?" Kaylan asked, as she sat down beside Rula.
"Oh, Kay. It's horrid!" Rula started, "Kuzco's dead or missing, and Yzma's taken his place."
"Kuzco's... gone?" Kaylan said. "Gone?"
"Yeah, and Yzma ordered all us girls executed, in case we had some claim to the throne.The others... they got away as soon as they heard, went away to the peasant villages I heard. But I... I was so scared, I didn't know what to do. I barely made it out of the palace, with those guards hot on my heels. Oh goodness Kay, I wish I'd gotten out early like you did."
"I didn't get out Rula." Kaylan replied carefully. "I got caught."
"But the guards said their search was inconclusive." Stammered Rula.
"Well, Theirs was. I wasn't caught by the guards. I was caught by Kuzco."
"What? You're still alive? And what are you doing here?"
"I saw something I probably shouldn't have... and Kuzco gave me a job." Said Kaylan. "We were going to meet here today to organize everything, I'm supposed to be his new advisor, which is why I need you, Arula Perencho, to tell me everything you know about the circumstances in the palace now."
Rula was startled, but quickly got to the point. "The day after you left, Yzma announced that the emperor was ill, and not to be disturbed. On the second day it was announced that Kuzco had died and we had his funeral. Yzma wanted this to be kept quiet until her official crowning two days from now. It was late last night when I escaped. The guards were hunting me through the palace all night, but I escaped into the town this morning. Nothing's been heard from Kuzco since the first day."
"Okay." Kaylan instantly came to a conclusion. "Yzma! No-one else but me and Kuzco were there when he fired her. She must have done something to him."
"Well what can we do?"
"We can hide you for a start. If Yzma's keeping quiet about his death at the moment... I'd say he isn't dead. We need at least one person that knows Yzma was fired, one person to stay safe in case anything goes wrong. Thats YOU."
"But what are you going to do?"
"I don't know yet... There's nothing really we can do, except storm the palace."
"But Kaylan, That would be suicide."
"If it were public enough, She, meaning Yzma, couldn't do much to me."
"I can't condone this."
"You don't have to, but I have to do this. Kuzco expected something like this, It's my duty to the crown."
"So what will I do when you're gone?"
"You stay here. You can work for Naril."
"Work? Why do I have to work? It's DEMEANING!"
"You want a place to hide out? Stay alive as well perhaps? Well Naril expects an honest day's work."
A long silence followed. Kaylan was thinking.
"I'll go tonight." Kaylan said. "Hide out in the announcement room until sun-up. When Yzma comes to address the palace workers so they work harder... then I'll work my magic. Besides, If anyone deserves to be Empress, It's me. I am the real Emperors advisor after all."
"You are so loyal Kaylan. So loyal to the crown." Rula wrinkled her forehead. "Why weren't you happy serving Kuzco before?"
"Well, My job has a point now. You can only be loyal if you are useful, I find." Kaylan said, as she moved her bed away from the door and opened it. "I have to prepare things... talk with Naril, those guards will be gone by now. Naril talks people to insanity."
Kaylan flicked the door shut and descended the stairs.
"Naril!" She yelled. "I need a word!"
Naril bustled up behind her, suprising her. "Yes Kaylan, we need a word. Just what connections did you have at the palace, anyway?"
"Not at the moment, Naril." Kaylan stammered. "I have to go away for a while."
"We were just increasing our production though." Naril protested. "I can't find someone who will work as hard as you on such short notice."
"You just did." Kaylan said. "The guards were looking for someone, weren't they? That's your worker."
"A harem girl?"
Kaylan sighed. "Do I have to go through my life story here Naril? I've got to go, and that 'harem girl' will work as hard as I did, If not harder. Do you know why? Because a harem girl lives in fear, If she doesn't do her very best... she doesn't have much longer to do a very best in."
Kaylan started to leave but Naril stopped her. "I worked in the palace before, You know. Kaylan, Good luck."
Naril turned, to go and greet his new employee, while Kaylan made her way to the palace.
"Kay... Please." Rula panted urgently, "You've got to hide me."
Kaylan was dumbfounded, "How did you find me?" She asked.
"No time for that!" Squealed Rula, grabbing Kaylan's bangle laden wrist and dragging her into a back alley. "The dust will hinder them but we need somewhere enclosed."
"My room." Kaylan snapped her fingers. "I'll show you the way."
They snuck around the corner, hiding behind some ornamental pots to see a pair of palace guards looking around frantically.
"Where is that bitch?" Said the first guard.
The second guard replied, "She's gotta be around here somewhere."
"Okay, You check that alley, I'll talk to the old fishmonger, see if he saw anything." The first ordered.
Grumbling about being pushed around too much, the second guard walked right past the girls, and into the alley. Kaylan signalled to Naril to keep the first busy. As Naril chatted to the first guard about the price of fish, Kaylan and Rula slipped in the door and climbed the stairs. Rula huddled in a corner under the window, out of sight of the guards, while Kaylan shut the door and slid her bed against it.
"Care to tell me what's going on?" Kaylan asked, as she sat down beside Rula.
"Oh, Kay. It's horrid!" Rula started, "Kuzco's dead or missing, and Yzma's taken his place."
"Kuzco's... gone?" Kaylan said. "Gone?"
"Yeah, and Yzma ordered all us girls executed, in case we had some claim to the throne.The others... they got away as soon as they heard, went away to the peasant villages I heard. But I... I was so scared, I didn't know what to do. I barely made it out of the palace, with those guards hot on my heels. Oh goodness Kay, I wish I'd gotten out early like you did."
"I didn't get out Rula." Kaylan replied carefully. "I got caught."
"But the guards said their search was inconclusive." Stammered Rula.
"Well, Theirs was. I wasn't caught by the guards. I was caught by Kuzco."
"What? You're still alive? And what are you doing here?"
"I saw something I probably shouldn't have... and Kuzco gave me a job." Said Kaylan. "We were going to meet here today to organize everything, I'm supposed to be his new advisor, which is why I need you, Arula Perencho, to tell me everything you know about the circumstances in the palace now."
Rula was startled, but quickly got to the point. "The day after you left, Yzma announced that the emperor was ill, and not to be disturbed. On the second day it was announced that Kuzco had died and we had his funeral. Yzma wanted this to be kept quiet until her official crowning two days from now. It was late last night when I escaped. The guards were hunting me through the palace all night, but I escaped into the town this morning. Nothing's been heard from Kuzco since the first day."
"Okay." Kaylan instantly came to a conclusion. "Yzma! No-one else but me and Kuzco were there when he fired her. She must have done something to him."
"Well what can we do?"
"We can hide you for a start. If Yzma's keeping quiet about his death at the moment... I'd say he isn't dead. We need at least one person that knows Yzma was fired, one person to stay safe in case anything goes wrong. Thats YOU."
"But what are you going to do?"
"I don't know yet... There's nothing really we can do, except storm the palace."
"But Kaylan, That would be suicide."
"If it were public enough, She, meaning Yzma, couldn't do much to me."
"I can't condone this."
"You don't have to, but I have to do this. Kuzco expected something like this, It's my duty to the crown."
"So what will I do when you're gone?"
"You stay here. You can work for Naril."
"Work? Why do I have to work? It's DEMEANING!"
"You want a place to hide out? Stay alive as well perhaps? Well Naril expects an honest day's work."
A long silence followed. Kaylan was thinking.
"I'll go tonight." Kaylan said. "Hide out in the announcement room until sun-up. When Yzma comes to address the palace workers so they work harder... then I'll work my magic. Besides, If anyone deserves to be Empress, It's me. I am the real Emperors advisor after all."
"You are so loyal Kaylan. So loyal to the crown." Rula wrinkled her forehead. "Why weren't you happy serving Kuzco before?"
"Well, My job has a point now. You can only be loyal if you are useful, I find." Kaylan said, as she moved her bed away from the door and opened it. "I have to prepare things... talk with Naril, those guards will be gone by now. Naril talks people to insanity."
Kaylan flicked the door shut and descended the stairs.
"Naril!" She yelled. "I need a word!"
Naril bustled up behind her, suprising her. "Yes Kaylan, we need a word. Just what connections did you have at the palace, anyway?"
"Not at the moment, Naril." Kaylan stammered. "I have to go away for a while."
"We were just increasing our production though." Naril protested. "I can't find someone who will work as hard as you on such short notice."
"You just did." Kaylan said. "The guards were looking for someone, weren't they? That's your worker."
"A harem girl?"
Kaylan sighed. "Do I have to go through my life story here Naril? I've got to go, and that 'harem girl' will work as hard as I did, If not harder. Do you know why? Because a harem girl lives in fear, If she doesn't do her very best... she doesn't have much longer to do a very best in."
Kaylan started to leave but Naril stopped her. "I worked in the palace before, You know. Kaylan, Good luck."
Naril turned, to go and greet his new employee, while Kaylan made her way to the palace.