"Most honored Lady Claudia. Your father left this unmarked coin on my windowsill. I can't seem to make any sense of it, all I can tell is that it is somehow magical. It won't let me scratch or damage its surface and shows no reflections, safe for direct light, even though the surface is quite clearly polished to a shine. As his closest student, I was hoping you would have insight into this. Please also see the attached report from commander Gren. I am glad you made yourself known at the Breach and we were able to resolve your legal status. Commander Fen has informed me that he has taken the renewal of your oath of allegiance and with that, you are now once more welcome to travel as you please. Please keep me informed about any messages you may receive from crown prince Callum. Yours respectfully, Councilor Opeli"

Claudia turned the gold coin in her hand. She had seen these on Viren's desk, a while back. The second page was a copy of a report, also written in Opeli's hand.

"Debrief of commander Gren", it said. Reading, Claudia shuddered. She had helped her father do this. It would take a long time to feel comfortable with the guilt. Shame washed over her as she got to the details about the injuries that the commander had suffered as a result of being chained up for two weeks.

Gren seemed to have seen the coin in action. A coin, anyway, it didn't have to be this one. Screaming, then Viren saying "I always seem to capture the same expression…"?

The commander also noted that the moonshadow elf hadn't been around after this.

The coin was a weapon, that much was clear. The question was obvious; Why use it rather than one of the many other offensive spells at her father's disposal? It seemed an uncharacteristic flourish. By Gren's description, Viren had been gray faced, meaning the spell - whatever it was - had taken a massive toll on its wielder.

Claudia tried to damage the coin using a knife. Just like Opeli had noted, it seemed to be impossible to scratch. Gold was soft, and this was very clearly pure gold, not alloyed with anything.

Suddenly, there was a loud THWACK and frantic clatter at the door that made Claudia jump. She strode over to open it. A hawk arrow had been trying to enter the room through the keyhole and fell to the ground as she opened the door.

Nervous, she picked it up.

Soren was snoozing on his cot behind her as she opened the arrow. There was a small wad of paper in the head. The mage unfurled it with some effort, trying to smooth out the papyrus a little.

The innermost letter was addressed to her. Her heart jumped into her throat, she recognized Callum's extravagant but slightly chaotic handwriting. Artists.

"Dear Claudia, I can't thank you enough for running to the Breach for us. The messages you sent broke my heart, obviously, and I feel too raw about it still to write much about it. Safe to say I miss them already. Where you and I are concerned, I accept your apology, I know it was probably a really bad time for you. For now, I have to tell you something and I don't want you to find out any other way. I respect you too much."

These words already hurt like a sunfire blade in her gut. The foreshadowing was so clear, so raw that she could barely keep reading. He was going to reject her, and she was at fault. She should have fought her father more, followed her conscience rather than her need to support him.

"Rayla and I are engaged"

Claudia blinked, then read the sentence, again.

"What the heck!? No way!", she shouted.

Behind her, Soren shot up. "Huh?! What?! Moonshadow butterfly!"

For a moment, he looked around, then caught himself, smacking his lips. "Clauds. What are you doing up?"

"I'm working!", Claudia said, tensely.

"And yelling lame grandma-curses. That's not like you. What's wrong?"

Her brother had gotten up and planted himself next to her.

Claudia motioned at the letter.

"They're engaged!", she said, furious, "Engaged!"

"Engaged in what?", her brother asked.

She swatted at his chest, groaning, "Soren! It means they're gonna get married!"

"I know what it means, the word just has more than o- Wait, who?"

"Callum and the elf girl!"

Soren blinked, sleepily, then said, "Are you punking me? That's not funny, I was sleeping really well"

"It's in his letter!"

Before she could do anything, he tore the letter from her hands and flew over the lines. His expression turned to bovine incredulity.

"Uh", he went, "They can do that? But… they're… not the same!"

Claudia snatched back the letter.

"I'm guessing he's going to explain himself a bit more!", she said, angrily, then continued reading.

"I know this is probably not easy for you. I'm really, really sorry. Please believe me when I say it's a long story that happened in a short time. As you said, we're having a really bad month and it looks like it's going to get even more complicated."

The letter than explained, in some detail, the issues they had faced in their travels and the coming dread of Rayla's court-martial-peace-negotiations.

"So you see why we're moving a bit quicker than you and I might be used to. It makes us more official. We're obviously not looking to actually get married, just yet. It was a lot, this past month. It's going to take a long time to even digest it all. I think that goes for both of us. Again, I'm really sorry if this causes you pain, that's not what I want. I'd really hate it if we could never face each other again after this. Rayla asked to attach her own message without me reading it, so I didn't."

Claudia looked over at the wad of letters, seeing another page with her name on it, the script clumsy and impatient. Grr.

"Moonshadow elves love their secrets. The other letters are meant for the people mentioned in their addresses. I really hate the idea of you as a carrier raven, but you're the only lifeline I have, now. If you can, please let me know if you're okay with doing this and I guess, what your answer is for our future. We've always been really good friends and I'd like to get back to that. Please let me know if that's comfortable for you. If I was there, I'd offer to hug you. This really sucks. Thank you so much for everything you've already done. Don't feel like you have to forgive me or do me favours. Yours, Callum."

Claudia lowered the letter, feeling a mixture of anger, sadness, rejection and guilt. It wasn't fair. If she hadn't slipped on her moral compass this one time, he'd be with her, not the elf. It was that one stupid moment of not thinking for herself that brought her here. Now she even felt stupid for pining for him for all this time.

"An elf?!", Claudia spat, "He promised to marry an elf?! They killed his dad! What is wrong with him?! Ugh, he has to be under some kind of spell!"

"You think so?", Soren asked, seriously, "If so, we need to do something about it"

His sister placed her head into her hands, supporting it with her elbows on the table.

"No, Soren. I don't actually think she hexed him. I'm not even sure moonshadow elves can really… bewitch someone else."

She grabbed Rayla's letter, which was much shorter. The letters seemed a bit shaky in places, a few splotches of ink here and there made it seem like the quill had received way too much pressure.

"Hey Claudia. We've only met under the worst circumstances so I can't say I like you much, but Callum speaks very highly of you. Please believe me when I say I don't mean to hurt you with this letter. I'm sorry for what I'm doing to you and felt the need to write a few words. I feel terrible for bursting into your guys' life the way I did. I hope things won't stay awkward between you and Callum for long. I don't know how long I'm going to be stuck here and I made him promise not to wait for me beyond five years. For his sake, I hope he keeps that promise. Please be well. Rayla."

"Oh. Wow. She's… being friendly. Considerate, even", a short, angry laugh escaped the Mage's mouth, "Even letting me know that five year thing, as though I'd wait around for that! That's...", she scoffed, "That's really annoying! I mean, if not him, can't I at least be really angry at her!? Augh! I'm such an idiot! Sooooreeeeennnn why did we dooo thiiiis?!"

She clasped her hands over her face, blushing with frustration and shame.

"It was a bad… thing. We made mistakes. There's other princes, though?", Soren offered and carefully extended a hand, caressing his sister's back in a show of support.

"Yeah, thanks", Claudia said, gruffly, "Bah. Fine, I guess! I'll play messenger! But You!", she accosted her brother, stabbing a finger at his chest, "You don't have to hang around here! Go find dad and hit him over the head with the handle of your sword! He needs to stop being a maniac!"

"Pommel, Clauds."

"Whatever doesn't kill him! This is all his f-", she stopped short and groaned. No, it really wasn't all Viren's fault. She had had the freedom to tell her father to shove his plans up his butt, but hadn't. Looking back, it seemed so strange, to hear him say to prefer the egg over Soren. It was painful, horrifying, to hear his voice say it. She was now actually disgusted with herself for not slapping him, right then and there.

She'd always have a white streak in her hair to remind her, so it wasn't a lesson she'd forget.

Soren looked at her, unsure as to what to do. She seemed more angry than hurt. When his sister looked up from her hands, he shrugged, "I guess I can go find him. I'm a crown guard, I should guard the, uh, crown."

"He needs to stop. He's gone off like five month old meat and he needs help. If we can't get to him, he's going to get into more trouble and at this point, there's already not much we'll be able to do for him. Katolis doesn't do the death penalty anymore but Del Bar sure does. What if they find him there? And then there's this!"

She gestured at the coin, "Why would he leave this in Opeli's room!? What is it?"

Soren blinked. "Looks like a coin, Clauds?"

"I know that!", she yelled, making him jolt, "It's magical, somehow! It hurts people, somehow! It has illusory qualities!"

"Yeah, I don't know what that means."

"It means it's more than it appears to be. This is… serious, crazy magic! I know it looks just like a coin, but it's… look!"

She drew out her knife and bashed at the coin, furiously. After a moment, she turned to her brother, breathing heavily, a strand of white hair falling into her face. He was sitting in his chair, his hands lifted in a worried, defensive gesture.

"See?! Not a ding! Not a scratch!"

"Sis, you are really, really worked up. Sit."

"I don't want to sit! And yes! I'm worked up! Our dad's a criminal, a murderer! He killed little Ezran and probably Amaya and Gren, too! Our mom's gone off to who knows where! My crush is running off with a brui- e-elf! Soren, I'm… I just… I can't! I'm just losing it!"

Soren looked at her, plainly, then patted her chair again. She sighed and slumped down, crossing her arms.

Her brother leaned forward. "So. Yes, dad's been… pretty bad. I'll get him, so don't worry too much about that. Mom is fine. We just need more time to pick up her trail. We only looked for her for like two weeks so there's still a loooot of ground we need to cover. The step-prince - yeah, you're right, it's a shock. I mean, women like him? Chwhat?!"

"Soren!"

"What I mean is, he's not the only guy out there. If I can run across a cute barmaid in Duren, you can run across some guy - or gal - you like, too. I'm just saying, don't strap yourself to the crown-bub."

"I'm not! This is just really sudden! I… I'm trying really hard to be happy for him, actually."

"Huh", Soren went, blankly.

"She seems… nice, and his family was always like `oh, those elves, we need to try and be friendlier with them`. This just seems like… you know, a bit like… fate. Just, I don't like it! But I want to be the kind of person who looks at them when they roll through Katolis in their stupid suit and gown or whatever and go 'yeah I liked him but whoop-dee-doo, that's life and I'm glad he's happy', grr!"

"What if she isn't coming back, though?"

Claudia sighed deeply and the noise turned into a groan. "I'm not gonna wait for him to throw away his ring for five years, Soren! Prince or no prince, I have that much self-respect left! I'm gonna let him go. Just like that. Move on, Claudia. There! Done! I'm over him!"

Her brother gave her a crooked look.

"What?!", she snapped.

"I know when you're lying, sis. That was a lie."

"I'm obviously not over him, Soren! That takes time, okay? I'm just saying, I'm trying to not hate it!"

The crown guard nodded, "Yeah. That seems more like you, anyway. You're just not made for hate."

After a moment of studying his sister's face, he got up.

"Well. I'm gonna head back to bed so I can get on dad's track tomorrow morning"

He walked over to his cot and sat, stretching.

"Soren", Claudia said, suddenly.

"Hm?"

"You're the best brother ever."