"It will be okay, I promise. Edmund is a good fighter, he'll be alright." Char was trying to console his wife, who was crying on his shoulder.

"But he's only twelve. In addition, what about Prince Kori, and all the other boys and men who will be fighting. You and I have come to love Kori like a son. He could be killed by one of our men." Ella was angry with herself for ranting like this, which only made her tears come down harder.

"What I don't understand was that whole peace talk ceremony. If you ask me, there was something fishy going on there. Like they were afraid of something. Did you see their faces when you started yelling?"

"Now that you mention it I did. They went very pale. Moreover, the King's Advisor never said a word. He just sat their staring at me. Like he was being pulled into the arms of an ogre."

"The worst of it is that he wouldn't listen to reasoning. What was that?" The carriage they were taking home had come to an abrupt stop.

The door opened and a stout little man was standing with a two letters in his hand.

"Your majesties," he said with a tip of his cap, "letters from the Prince Edmund and Princess Lela. Good day your majesties."

"Wait. Here's a KJ for your trouble."

"Thank you sir." Then he rode of on a fat mare.

"Edmund's letter just says he has arrived at the camp." Char was upset that his son hadn't written more.

"Lela's found out about the war as well as Areida. She's upset we did not tell her. She wants to know why it's been started. I would like to know that to, sweet. Speaking of letters, let's see if there's any in my book."

The letter and picture they found there made every thing clear. They found the letter Hattie wrote, along with a picture of her crying in a chair with the King's Advisor next to her.