A/N: Well here it is, chapter one. Sorry it took awhile…I had a few exams and assignments to think about. I'm on holidays now so I should be able to get the next chapter up sooner. I'd like to thank Madame-S-Butterfly, enchantednight84 and lele121 for being the first three people to review my story!

Disclaimer: The world and the characters you recognise all belong to Tamora Pierce…they make us do these just to rub it in don't they?

Chapter 1: The Palace

'So much for Kyprioth and the Isles giving me all the interesting things I can stand,' Aly thought contentedly gloomy. The Copper Isles' Spy Master sat at her desk half buried in reports. She longed for Dove's visit to the nearby Isles to begin, and then she could finally do something other than read reports.

"Did someone say my name?" The god winked into view, sitting on a stack of reports.

"Kyprioth you sack of Stormwing dung, you finally decided to show yourself. You left me to long for months and all I could do was sit here and wait."

"Hello dear, you're in a great mood. And you did far more than sit around doing nothing. For example the bunch of pirates that enslaved you in the first place, I believe they've disappeared off my waters without a trace."

Aly winced. "Not so loud, they don't know I did that-What! It's not like you left me anything to do after I set up my spy network!" She exclaimed in response to the god's reproachful look.

"But you were having so much fun reading all these reports," he commented playfully. "Oh well. I thought I should let you know, things are about to heat up again. You'll have all the excitement you want and then some." He disappeared.

"Why thankyou Kyprioth for the timely warning, next time tell me sooner," she growled.

"No problem my dear," his disembodied voice echoed in the room. "I don't expect you to understand just yet, after all I am-"

"Vast, you've mentioned it innumerable times now," interrupted Aly.

"That too, but I was going to say a god," his laughter faded along with Aly's sense of his presence.

"Gods'," Aly muttered rebelliously. "They always have to have the last word."

Trick, one of the darkings that remained behind in the mortal realms after the rebellion squeaked indignantly as she nearly flattened it under a stack of reports.

"Sorry."

"No matter," Trick muttered. "Other darking and me stay here because it fun." It rolled under the desk. The small dark blob seemed to have acquired the human habit of sulking.

Aly smiled in spite of herself, "You're not the only one who's bored…"

Aly looked up from the report she was reading asking whoever had knocked on her door to enter. It opened slightly. Vitorcine Townsend, former maid to the Obemaek family and double agent for the raka, now one of Aly's deputies stuck her head through the doorway. Her eyes showed her worry despite her calm face.

"I know you're busy reading all of those reports, but I just got this. I think you should see it."

Aly nodded and took the message, frowning as Vitorcine closed the door. What was so important about this message that it couldn't come in like all the others on her desk? A distant corner of her mind noted the parchment's weathered appearance. Perched on the edge of her desk, she began to read. Her frown deepened. Even after several months parts of Malubesang, and Ikang continued to refuse to recognise Dove as Queen. The exhausted armies were biding their time, regrouping and resting while they waited for the weather to improve. There had been limited communication between many of the outer Isles and Kypriang. The weather had prevented any type of communication except that of the chain -the group of mages, several on each of the Isles, who had served as the magical forces of the raka rebellion-. It was the first piece of news they'd had from Malubesang for months.

One of Aly's spies, a part-blood raka woman had left for Rjamuat from Fajurat on Malubesang nearly a month ago. She had sent ahead that she carried vital information that she couldn't trust to anyone or in a letter. She should have arrived by now.

Wondering if she should send one of her people out to see if they could find her Aly looked out the window and flinched. Racing to it she peered through the glass. She could have sworn she'd just seen magic in an unimaginable magnitude flare…no it was gone. She must have spent too much time in her office; she needed a walk and fresh air.

The city bustled with life. People were everywhere, cleaning up debris from the latest winter storm a few days ago and street vendors hawked their goods at the top of their lungs to anyone who was would listen. The noise and the colours were stark in contrast to the office where Aly had been for a few days running, so much so that it was nearly oppressive. Something warned her. She didn't know if it was some sort of "sixth sense" or it was light reflecting on the knife. Either way something made her spin and catch sight of the man behind her. Dressed completely in black as soon as she spun the knives from the sheaths on her wrists in her palms he tried to melt back into the crowd. She lost him for a moment then caught of him running into a side street out of the main stream of people. Aly dashed forward and threw one of her knives catching the man in the shoulder. He stumbled, as a dark flower bloomed on his shirt. And then the luarin gift swirled around him, momentarily blinding her with its magnitude as she furiously tried to adjust her sight. By the time her vision cleared he was gone. The only proof he'd ever been there were the traces of magic on the wall of a nearby house and her bloodied knife lying on the ground. Mentally she kicked herself. She had seen magic from the palace, powerful magic. Possibly one of the most powerful gifts she'd ever seen with the exception of Uncle Numair's gift. But that wasn't saying much, he was a black robe. There were only seven of them in the world. Still, she'd have to tell Ysul about this. If Dove was going to travel to the other Isles with powerful mages like this around she'd need a stronger magical protection. Another flash of magic caught her eye…it came from the palace. A small black blob streaked towards her and jumped finding its way to her shoulder. The darking Trick formed a head and said,

"Secret say Dove in trouble..."

Before Trick could finish Aly had turned and ran full pelt towards the palace

A/N: So how was it? I'm open to constructive criticism if anyone has any… only if it's constructive. If anyone has any ideas for things that could happen in this story –as long as it doesn't interfere with the main plot- I'll consider them. Also I'm looking for a name for Aly's spy network. Any ideas would be appreciated. So please LEAVE A REVIEW!...if people keep on using the dratted back button I'll have to rig it so that it makes you leave a review when you click it...