Slowly Arie extracted herself from the covers. Her back only ached, when she reached back to touch it she found the skin was mostly healed, but the scab was tight and achy. The woman noted her action and asked,

"How did I do? Does it hurt?"

"No, I'm fine." It wasn't a lie, she would be fine and it didn't bother her too much. However drawing a bow would be difficult for a few days.

Don't lie to this one, she sees more than most. Will you be alright with all the two-leggers by yourself? He nuzzled her shoulder and urged her forward.

It's not me that needs to worry.

You can trust this two-legger. All the animals speak well of her and a few others.

I know, this is Alanna of Trebond, Olua, and Pirate Swoop. She is the king's champion and the one would claimed the Dominion Jewel for Tortall. She is also the one who killed Josiane.

Which means she will be in the most danger.

Is there any extra protection 'The People' could give?

We will watch over her.

Arie smiled satisfied. Most animals listened to SandStorm. If he said other animals would help watch over the lady knight she would sleep much better. Then she noticed as with Numair that Alanna was also at ease with her speaking to her horse. Maybe the capital isn't as bad as mother said it was.

"I don't suppose SandStorm will be able to attend the meeting too?"

The young woman shook her head no, though amusement played in her expression.

"It might be worth seeing the Lord Chamberlain's face when he sees a horse in a meeting room, John wouldn't mind, and Myles; my father, would love it. He let my cat sit in for history lessons. He said cats have as much right to learn as anyone else. But I'm afraid there isn't enough room and he might trip on some of the steps."

SandStorm tossed his head offended that she thought he would trip. Arie was still stuck on the idea of a cat sitting in a history class learning. Now I think I've heard it all, she thought to herself. Alanna looked between Arie and SandStorm then shrugged.

"I'll show you the way." Alanna turned and stepped out the door. Arie said good bye to Numair and suggested to SandStorm that he get acquainted with the palace animals and find out if there was anything strange going on. He tossed his head and went off to do just that. Once he was gone she followed Alanna; Arie felt nervous. Very rarely were her and SandStorm separated. And now she couldn't help but feel like she was walking to her execution. Maybe she was, that thought didn't sit well with her. As she looked at Sir Alanna's back she discarded that thought. This was the knight that was renowned for her deeds and her healing. The female knight was not the type to sit back and watch as someone was killed without just cause. That she could feel.

The lady knight led her through the dizzying maze of hallways and passageways. Then they went up a large flight of steps and down a long hallway. Several times they passed interesting looking doors. One door was open and Arie caught a glimpse of rows upon rows of books, and a familiar face. But they were gone before she could identify it. Another turn and Arie bumped into the Lady Knight's back. She was about to apologize when she noticed that they stood in front of a room filled with what looked to be nobles. Her mouth set in a hard line as her expression went blank. Eyes were on her as she entered; her clothes were simple and without any embellishes. She was hardened in a way not even the knights here could claim regardless of her short life. It was that thought that gave her courage to bow to a room full of people who she considered her potential enemies.

Lady Alanna had taken a seat on the left of the king. On the king's right was his wife, and his son; Arie struggled to member his name. Roald; she suddenly remembered, was named for his grandfather. Next to him was a giant of a man who could only be Raoul of Goldenlake, leader of the King's Own. Next to him was a man who was looking over documents that were information about various allies, and one about how regions up north were doing. This man was almost as tall as Raoul. Garth the younger of Naxen, she remembered. Next was an older man with rumpled dress and a round face. His name she couldn't place, but from the look of him, he drank a little on the heavy side. Beside him as another young man who looked at Arie as if she were pond scum. He was young and dressed in a knights uniform even if he had left the actual armor behind. She would have to get past this one if she needed to make a quick escape out the window behind him. Beside the younger knight was an older man, one she recognized as Sir Wyldon of Cavall. Her mother had said he had been a very conservative man, but she had respected him and even had liked him all the same.

They king gestured to a chair and said,

"Please sit."

"No thanks," Arie slurred in her best common born accent. Some of the nobles shifted in their seats and glared at her. Not that she gave a damn what these stuck up nobles thought. The first sign of trouble and she was vaulting through that window and working in the shadows.

"We need more information about the news you have brought to us. I'll admit if I hadn't seen it in your memories it would be very hard to swallow."

Arie noticed the young knight snorted. Well at least she knew who didn't believe her. Not that she could really blame them; a disease created from magic that increased the evil that naturally existed in all hearts was frightening.

"Is there a way to detect it?"

Arie scrubbed a hand across her eyes and wished she could forget the nightmares she had seen. But even as that thought crossed her mind she knew it was a vain hope that could never be.

"You can detect it, but it is best to do so early. Too late and the damage seems to be permanent. If you know the person really well you might be able to see the gradual changes in behavior, but most people wouldn't see the differences until the behavior became very bad or far from the usual. Those with the Gift are a bit harder to spot. Their Gift will mask the problem for a time, but eventually their Gift becomes befuddled, muddy, or even tainted in appearance."

The queen laid her hand over the king's clearly she was thinking of him and their children who inherited the Gift. The prince looked at his mother then back to Arie.

"Is there any way to prevent it? Can people be cured once they have it?"

Arie mulled over his questions. The second was easy to answer, she knew because she had managed it. Thinking over the victims and various stages she had seen she nodded carefully.

"Your strength determines how quickly the symptoms manifest if they do at all."

The young knight who didn't like or trust her snorted,

"Then we have nothing to fear, most of our knights have strength."

Arie smiled icily at the young knight. She noted he seemed to aim his comment at the Lioness, who was currently clenching her teeth while her nails bit into the wood of the table. Arie chuckled darkly to draw his attention back to her.

"Unfortunately however, I do not mean the strength in your arms." She managed not to add moron. "I mean strength of character. A person who seeks to harm others for pleasure, a man who forces himself on a woman for his own pleasure. Someone who seeks to humiliate a rival merely for the sport of seeing him fall. Gossiping, lying, pride, gluttony, wrath, greed, lust, murder, and rape. How many of your knights can claim perfection? Then once it is done eating away at you it leaves nothing but an empty shell of a puppet."

The round man rubbed his thinning beard thoughtfully.

"Very dangerous, and quite ingénues."

"Myles?" The king addressed the older man.

"If I understand the young lady correctly, this magic works subtly at first, using the faults a person has naturally and works at rotting away the good from there. If I miss my guess that once the victim has had enough good eroded away their will is no longer their own. Just imagine what a hand full of palace servants and knights placed in the right spots could do? They could infect everyone on your council and even you."

Arie was impressed. She had written the man off as a drunk. Now looking into his eyes she saw a keenness that made her wary. Her secret would not be safe around this one.

"Correct sir."

Myles smiled at her. She was a little taken aback by the honesty of the smile.

"I've studied a variety of subjects over the years, my lady."

Regardless of how wary she was of him, she couldn't help but like this man. He was good. Someone banged a fist on the table. The younger knight. If she missed her guess it was meant to scare her and make her cower before him. Something Arie would never do even had he actually pointed a weapon at her.

"How do we even know what this commoner says is true? She could just be trying to gain favor with the crown."

Arie bristled at the mere thought. She fought the urge to bare her teeth at the man and growl. However she couldn't control her tongue.

"What on earth could I possibly want from a group of rich boys who wouldn't know a hard day's work if it bit you in on the ass?"

Everyone stared at her completely shocked by her rudeness. Some even had open mouths. And if she hadn't had known better, she'd have said the wall behind the king just giggled. But she plowed on.

"I came here because if the Jewel is corrupted the first thing that will happen is that innocent people who had nothing to do with you or any of this craziness will be hurt. However, I can't fix stupid and if all their leaders are stupid then I can't help them. Hope you like poverty, famine, and death; because that is all that awaits if this loon gets his way." In her anger her common born accent slipped. She prayed none of them noticed. The young knight stood and his hand snaked out to strike her. Arie's hand dropped to a knife that wasn't there. Damn it, she swore to herself as she prepared for the blow.

"Sir Jorrey, you forget our codes." It was Wyldon who stood gripping the younger man's arm. "We do not strike women, even if they are being disrespectful."

Arie glanced at the other faces in the room and was surprised to see everyone was angry, but not just with her. With Jorrey as well. The Lioness sat back down along with Raoul. Arie hadn't even seen them rise.

"Please sit," the king said to everyone. The other two knights returned to their seats and Arie also sat in a chair. When the king turned to look at her there was a fierce expression on his face that reminded her that this man was king and an extremely powerful mage. She took a deep breath and swallowed hard.

"I'm sorry, that was rude. Mother always said I need to learn to hold my tongue. If you don't believe me, I will leave. No point trying to force you to believe. Either you will or you won't."

"Couldn't you show everyone, like you did for me?"

Arie looked up at the king. He was serious? She thought about it and figured she probably could do it. It would be difficult and taxing, but at this point her people needed help these people could provide. A little exhaustion was a small price to pay if it got these nobles to help.

"It could be a trap." the younger knight said and added, "Chit," under his breath.

She saw Sir Wyldon glare at him and the younger knight shifted uncomfortably.

"If it was a trap, wouldn't I have sprung it when I first came here. It was the king, queen and one other mage. But once his majesty put his hand in mine and connected our magic I could have blown us both to bits without too much trouble." She looked to the king and added. "No offense your majesty, but that wasn't very smart on your part. Don't mistake me, I'm grateful for what you did, but still. You and the queen are too important to risk willy nilly."

The king smiled at that and so did the queen. That clenched the decision for her,

"I will do it."