After he gathered up lunch for his queen, Armando headed into the dining room. Shuriki was already present as was Esteban. They seemed to be in a disagreement of sorts.

"It can not be her!" Esteban insisted. "No one has actually ever seen their new queen. It's all just rumors"

"It was confirmed that there is an Avaloran man among them now that visits the marketplace. He fits the description of her guard! If the guard is alive and well, I am certain Elena is too" Shuriki argued calmly.

"That description was too vague for you to be certain of anything" Esteban replied.

"I will not take any risks. If the Fuerza people's new queen is Elena then my sending someone to take care of her was the right thing to do. If I send someone to kill her and it turns out she was not Elena? Well... it doesn't really matter to me. The Fuerza people don't ever leave their little island. What do I have to fear?"

Esteban had nothing more to argue without being overly reluctant. There was nothing he could do to stop the murder of the Fuerza queen. No matter who she was or wasn't.

"Armando!" Shuriki said, finally addressing her chief of the castle.

Armando continued to set the table and serve lunch to his majesties as he made eye contact with Shuriki. She rarely ever spoke to him unless she needed his services. "Yes my queen?" He replied nervously, as he always had when being asked to do a favor from her. His morals were often put to the test, always wanting to do what was right but knowing that he had to prove his loyalty.

"Armando, I would like you to go into the city and find an old friend of mine. His name is Nukpana. I knew him when I lived up north. He led the charge into Avalor City for me on the day I took back the throne. He usually does business around the Via Mercado. You can ask around for him" Shuriki explained.

"Yes your majesty." Armando replied without hesitation. "And what business is it that you wish me to have with him"

"Let him know that I have a job for him. He will be luxuriously rewarded when it is finished" Shuriki began. "Tell him I want the head of the new queen of the Fuerza. Literally. I want him to bring her head back to Avalor and set it in front of me so that I can see for myself if it is Elena or not."

"Yes your majesty. Is there anything else?" Armando responded obediently, yet his stomach dropped at the thought of poor Elena's head being rolled on the floor of the throne room in front of Shuriki.

"That is all Armando. Thank you. You may go now" Shuriki said passively, as if calling for the murder of another human being was no big deal. The poise she displayed as she carried out her evil acts was what frightened Armando the most. Nothing she did shocked him anymore.

It didn't take long before Armando found Nukpana. It seemed that most everyone around the Via Mercado knew who he was. His "business" as Shuriki had referred to it as, was mostly fear mongering. Knowing that he was one of Shuriki's top men, they all obeyed him and when he asked for "taxes" for some reason or other, they handed it over without question.

Armando stood by the center fountain and explained Nukpana's new job to him. He handed over a small amount of gold and promised much more when the job was done. Nukpana eagerly accepted the job and the smile that formed on his face at the thought of killing an innocent woman gave Armando a chill. Nukpana and Shuriki were one in the same. Purely wicked. Armando watched the man walk away, headed for the harbor, set to sail out to Fuerza that evening. There was one other man who was watching though, and Armando took notice. Sitting outside of Nunez and Son Bakery was a very large man. Tall, burly, and intimidating. He certainly stood out in a crowd. As Nukpana turned the corner, the man's attention turned towards Armando. He then rose from his seat and walked towards the now anxiety rich palace servant.

"Excuse me sir, do you happen to work at the palace?" The man asked in a polite voice which surprised Armando.

"Why... yes. Yes I do...is there something... can I help you with something?" Armando stuttered nervously.

"I happen to have a couple of new friends who are Avaloran. They've told me what your new queen has done. Murdered innocent men and women... even children. Persecutes the citizens of this kingdom. Just to take the crown? I've heard she is nothing but evil" The man stated, not really answering.

Armando wasn't sure what to say next. He certainly couldn't agree with the man, at least not aloud. He couldn't help but catch a hint in the man's voice however, that it just might be ok if Armando trusted him. A couple of new Avaloran friends? Armando thought to himself. Gabe and Elena? He contemplated.

"Where are you from sir?" Armando finally asked after gaining some courage.

"Fuerza" The man said confidently and with a slight grin that told Armando he already knew about the swirling rumors of Elena being their queen.

Armando cleared his throat in an apprehensive sort of way. "And uh... what brings you to Avalor?" He asked.

"Trade mostly. My king enjoys the wine here and now and then likes to sample some of your Avaloran chocolate. I thought I'd bring some back as a sort of treat for our new queen too" He answered and gave Armando a wink. Armando's eyes widened. He didn't know what to make of the conversation. The man seemed laid back and friendly enough yet he had a tone that carried a bit of intimidation. Almost challenging Armando to ask about Elena or admit that the man he was just speaking with was on his way to murder her. He said nothing in response. The man continued. But his tone changed. He sounded repulsed and his question was straight forward and harsh. "But back to your first question sir. Can you 'help' me with something. Yes. You can. I'd really like to know what sort of man could serve a royal family who was nothing but kind and respectful to him and then turn around and vow loyalty to a woman who killed those very people who would have considered him not just chief of the castle... but a friend."

"How do you know..?" Armando asked, shocked by this mystery man's knowledge. His heart beat began to quicken as he wondered what this man was planning.

"I know exactly who you are Armando. Like I said, I have a couple of new friends that once lived in Avalor. My name is Gervaso. I made a promise to help these friends. I don't actually know many people in Avalor , however. I have only a few names that these friends gave me. They thought I may be able to trust them." He explained.

Armando was now almost sure that he was speaking of Elena and Gabe and he was testing Armando. But Armando needed further proof that he could trust Gervaso too. He thought for a moment.

"You were at Nunez bakery?" Armando finally asked, now realizing that this probably wasn't a coincidence. "You didn't speak with Roberto or Blanca yet did you?"

"No. I haven't" Gervaso answered honestly, a bit thrown off by the subject change.

"Good." Armando replied. "Don't. Gabe's mother is imprisoned and they've been watching his father like a hawk. Shuriki has threatened death to Blanca if she suspects that they have had any contact at all with Gabe. If you approach them you will only cause dire troubles for them and could possibly put Gabe and Elena in danger as well"

Gervaso nodded as he took in the new information and with the mention of Gabe and Elena by name, he knew that his negotiations with Armando were headed in the right direction.

Armando watched Gervaso think over what he had said and tried to read his face. It only further confirmed that his friends were indeed The crown princess and her guard. He then noticed Gervaso crumble a small note that he had been carrying. He tore it into multiple pieces and tossed it into the fountain. Armando caught Gabe's name on a torn piece before the water washed away the message. He could only conclude that it had been some sort of communication from Gabe to his parents. It was then that Armando decided to trust Gervaso.

"The staff has had no other choice but to serve Queen Shuriki. We serve her loyally or we are killed. So yes, I serve her despite all that she has done." Armando explained. Gervaso was taken back a moment as he had assumed Armando was about to help him. "However," Armando continued. "If Crown Princess Elena was alive... I would do whatever it took to help her." Armando then looked around to make sure none of Shuriki's minions were near "Starting with letting you know that Shuriki suspects your new queen is Elena. The man I was just speaking with is boarding a boat to your islands this evening. He is an experienced killer. He will find her and he will have her head and bring it back as a trophy for Shuriki to put on display. If I were you, I would go back to your island and make sure this doesn't happen. If you prove that you can keep Elena safe then you have my loyalty. I will do whatever it is she needs"

The two men's eyes met with conviction and understanding. They had an agreement.

"I return in three weeks. This same time" Gervaso told him.

"I will meet you at the docks. It's the safest place as it's not unusual for me to speak with foreigners coming in and out of the city." Armando told him and he kept his eyes on Gervaso, watching as he turned and walked away. He then sighed with relief when the man was gone as he realized just how tense he had been during the entire conversation. Then a broad smile slowly spread across his face at the thought of Elena being alive and well. She was Avalor's only hope and she hadn't abandoned them. She was coming back to save them all.