It wasn't often that Esteban slept anymore. He would always wait for Shuriki to fall asleep beside him before he rose from the shared bed of their sham of a marriage. Sometimes he pondered ways to kill her himself. But that would be treason and there was no way her army and followers would ever let him get away with it. He was the only one who ever got close enough to her while she slept, it would be obvious who the murderer would be. There were some nights that he thought of doing it despite being caught. He was guilty of terrible deeds and knew and agreed that he would deserve whatever punishment that he was sentenced. On those nights, he felt that it would be worth it, just to watch her suffer in retaliation for all the evil and death that she had bestowed upon not just his family, but on all of Avalor. No matter how close he got to doing it though, his desire to live and remain in power always won. So instead, he'd walk the halls of the palace in the middle of the night when there was no one there to corrupt his motives. It was just him, alone with his thoughts, his memories and his guilt.

One particular night, Esteban knew he wouldn't be sleeping at all. The day had been eventful to say the least.

He and Shuriki had been summoned to the throne room. When they arrived, two of their guards presented them with a wrapped box.

"It came on one of the trading ships this afternoon, your majesties. It was addressed to Queen Shuriki" One of the guards informed them.

"Do you know who sent it?" Esteban asked, annoyed. "You can't just bring strange gifts to your queen"

"There is a note King Esteban" The guard told him, handing over the envelope that was left with the box.

"Queen Shuriki," Esteban read "Let this be a warning to you and your people. The Fuerza people will protect their queen"

Esteban looked to Shuriki, his face filled with fear and uncertainty. The Fuerza somehow knew what Shuriki's plan was. Whatever was in that box was not going to be good for them. Shuriki didn't looked worried about it at all.

"Open the box" The queen ordered her guard.

The guards looked at each other reluctantly. It was obvious that they feared the possibilities of what they would find. One finally took a deep breath and then cautiously lifted the lid from the box. Both guards took a peak in at the same time. They instantly startled at what they saw. The guard holding the box jumped back and instinctively threw the box in the air. It hit the ground hard and when it did, a human head spilled out, rolled across the floor and stopped directly in front of Shuriki. The queen gasped, momentarily slipping from her usual poised expression.

"Is that...?" Esteban started as he cringed at what was before him.

"Nukpana." Shuriki stated, gathering her composure. "They knew we were coming. They had to have known. He was too good." She eyed Esteban, attempting to read his body language, wondering if it was him who foiled her plan. He looked truly shocked. It couldn't have been him , she decided. But now she would be on a hunt for the one who betrayed her. She glanced across the room, letting her eyes settle on each individual who surrounded her. She could conclude nothing so for the time being, she ordered extra guards to be on duty and to report any suspicious or irregular behavior from the staff, other guards or anyone who entered the castle.

Later in the evening, Esteban's visions were haunted by the bodiless assassin. His thoughts swirled around before landing on the notion that Elena was alive and she was the queen on that isolated island. Why else would the Fuerza send back the head of Nukpana? They knew Shuriki had called for Elena's. They did it to taunt her.

Esteban watched Shuriki's chest rise and fall rhythemically until he was satisfied that she would not wake. He then snuck out of his bedroom and entered the hall way. He needed to pace about and clear his mind. "Elena is alive!" He thought "What will she think about what I've done this time? She won't be so understanding! She could never forgive me again!"

As Esteban turned the corner he caught a glimpse of Armando. He appeared to be up to something, his face filled with anxiety. The King of Avalor quickly stopped and backed up, peering only slightly around the corner. Armando paused in front of Princess Elena's bedroom door. He looked both ways before entering the now unoccupied room. Esteban decided to follow him, realizing that he may have just caught the Fuerza informant.

Armando had left the door ajar, making it easy for Esteban to enter the room in silence. He looked around the large chamber for Armando. The room had been completely untouched since Shuriki had taken over. She had plans for the rooms of the former royals but at the moment, she was more focused on obtaining complete dominance over the people of Avalor. Esteban spotted Armando just inside Elena's dressing area. Displayed on a table in front of Armando, was the scepter of light. Now, Esteban was positive of what was going on. Elena's scepter was magical, made by the Maruvians. Only Elena could channel the magic within and if she were planning her return to Avalor, she would surely need to get her hands on that staff. Esteban took a few quiet steps closer as he watched Armando reach for the scepter and pick it up. He opened a satchel which he had carried with him.

"It's only ever glowed for Elena" Esteban announced in a soft and steady voice, yet Armando nearly jumped out of his skin. Esteban stood tall, his face calm and body relaxed. Despite the body language being conveyed, Armando was terrified. He didn't know what to make of Esteban's demeanor.

"Chancellor! I mean, King Esteban! I ummm" Armando babbled, searching for an excuse for his current activity. "I thought I would just..."

"Bring the scepter to the royal jewel room?" Esteban interrupted, finishing the sentence and providing Armando a somewhat plausible story to tell. "You're right Armando. That's where it belongs. I'm sure you will see that it arrives there safely"

Armando's jaw dropped. He had expected Esteban to turn him into Shuriki who would in turn, have him beheaded. Or the at the very least, he had assumed he'd be questioned. Instead, he watched his king cooly turn around and begin to leave the room.

"Oh! Armando!" Esteban said as if he'd suddenly remembered something. He turned back to face the chief of the castle. He looked upon the man that he had always known as nervous and jittery. Not nearly the pushover that Higgins had been but he was always obedient. On the outside he was still that man. On the inside, he was strong and true. Esteban couldn't help but greatly admire Armando's selfless bravery. It inspired him. "I have some things that must be taken into the city tomorrow. I'm on my way to the library now. I will leave them on my desk. A letter. And a round document container... about the length of the scepter you have there. Please make sure they get to where they must go. Make sure they end up in the right hands."

Armando nodded vigorously, not wanting to question Esteban in case he decided to change his mind or attitude. Esteban left the room and smiled to himself, already feeling better about the events of the day.

Entering the library, Esteban found the long tube meant for transporting documents. "Perfect" he thought as he looked it over. Armando would have no trouble at all concealing the scepter inside of it. He then placed it on the desk and took a seat. What he was about to do was daring but he knew it would be worth the risk. He had been a coward most of his life and it led him down a destructive path. It was time to do something good. Something right. It wouldn't make up for all the evil he had done or all the greater evil that he idley stood by watching, but it was something. Even if he was caught and punished, it would be worth it in order to help his cousin regain what was rightfully hers. He pulled out a pen and some paper and began his letter.

Miss Naomi Turner , He wrote.