Kel spent the afternoon with Neal, trying to explain to him why she hadn't told him about her dream earlier.

"I didn't know for sure that it wasn't just a dream until Shinko found me before my joust against Raoul!" she told him. "I didn't see the point in terrifying anyone other than myself before then!"

Neal had still looked hurt, although she could see that he believed her. "I just wish you'd told me," he repeated. "I thought you'd learned, after Rathaussak - you don't have to deal with everything by yourself. You have friends, you know."

Kel sighed. "I know," she said quietly. "And if I'd had something concrete to fight against, I would have told you in an instant. But for all I knew this was just some weird nightmare that was making me jump at shadows."

Neal looked resigned. "All right," he said. "I forgive you. But I still think you should have told me," he added stubbornly, with a small glint in his eye that told Kel he was now teasing her.

Kel gave him a grin.

Late that evening, the group met again in the Council chamber. In the corridor, Alanna grabbed Kel before she could go in. "I feel like I should eat my words from after your Ordeal," she said, grinning at Kel. "I see the gods left you alone all through your training, and then decided you were far too special to let be as soon as you were done!"

Kel wasn't sure how to take that. "I'm not sure the Chamber has anything to do with the gods," she said. "And really, I think I'd rather be let alone, all things considered."

Alanna put a hand on her shoulder, her expression becoming more serious. "Whether it's a god, an elemental, or something else entirely, I think it's picked you as its champion," she said. "I know it's not easy, but - don't doubt yourself. You've never had an easy path, and you've done admirably."

Kel felt herself redden as she saw the respect in the Lioness' eyes - how many times had she dreamt of seeing that during her years living in the Palace! Before she could respond, however, Alanna winked at her, and disappeared through the door to the Council chamber. Kel forced away the blush, and followed.

When they had all gathered around the oak table, this time with the addition of Numair, King Jonathan addressed them. "We have confirmed Keladry's vision. The threat to Princess Shinkokami is real, as is the threat to Tortall. The vision was not -" he paused, and swallowed, "- it was not clear exactly who is doing this, nor what exactly they were doing."

Across the table, Raoul frowned. Kel knew he hated this sort of mystery - like herself, he would much rather face an enemy he could meet in a fight or battle. "What sort of threat did the vision show?"

Jonathan paled a little. "Perhaps it's easiest just to say that the vision seems to be more metaphorical than a direct representation of what we can expect," he said. "I'll spare you the exact details - I don't believe we'll be able to work out how to protect against this from the vision alone."

"I agree," Roald added, his hand tightly wrapped around Shinko's. Kel nodded as well. The last thing she wanted was to have Shinko hear what they had seen, or anyone else in the room. If Roald wanted to tell her later, alone - or if she wanted to know - that was their decision.

The King turned to Sato and Numair, who sat together between Raoul and Alanna. "Have you discovered anything that might help?" he asked.

Sato glanced at Numair, and nodded. "We have examined Princess Shinkokami, and we believe we have found a possible cause for the spell, and also where the spell has come from."

"I confirmed Sato's hypothesis," Numair added. "The spell is neither of Tortallan nor of Yamani origin. Nor does it originate from Scanra, Galla or the Copper Isles."

The King frowned. "If not them, then where is it from?"

"Tyra, we think," Numair said. "Lady Sato has never met a Tyran mage, which is why she didn't recognize it, but I have. While I don't recognize the mage behind it - it's not any of the black or red robe Tyran mages that I know of - it is almost certainly Tyran work."

"Tyra has no diplomatic relation with the Yamani Islands," Sato said. "But the type of magic is one both Numair and I recognize. It is a spell that is activated and strengthened by touch. The spell must be keyed to an object that Princess Shinkokami comes into regular contact with - and each time she does, it grows more powerful. Similarly, whatever she then touches is tainted by the spell - and the greater its strength in her, the greater its effect on the things she herself touches."

Shinko paled, and looked at Roald, who was still holding her hand tight.

"Don't worry," Numair said kindly. "The spell is very weak right now - it shouldn't affect anyone else around you for the moment. We think that Sato's spell earlier was able to get rid of most of it, and that you haven't had contact with whatever it is that is re-spelling you since then."

Sato looked at the King. "The Princess must be found new chambers, clothing, we must be careful with her food and drink, while Numair and I search for the object that is the root of the spell."

"If we find that, we stand a good chance of finding the mage," Numair said.

The Queen smiled at Shinko. "You'll come to my chambers, of course," she said. "Between Yuki and I, we will find replacements for everything until the mages are finished with their work."

Shinko stood, and bowed deeply to the King and Queen, the mages, and Kel. Somehow, the truth of what was happening to her had helped her regain her inner strength. "Thank you, all of you," she said softly but firmly. To Sato and Numair, she added: "I give you leave to search through anything in my chambers, to find what is doing this. The safety of Tortall is what is most important."

The King stood, returning her bow - something that made Roald smile in surprise, despite his worry for Shinko.

Before the Queen, Shinko, and Yuki could leave, however, Numair spoke up again. "There is one further complication," he said. "Whoever is doing this must be placing new, bespelled objects near to the Princess every day or so. From what you all saw earlier today, the spell had already grown quite strong. That means it must have been being refreshed somehow - and with this kind of curse, that wouldn't be possible from a distance."

"So somebody in the Palace must be in on this," Raoul growled.

Numair nodded. "Yes, but the problem is that it is going to be practically impossible to discover who. The object could be tiny. Without disrupting all of the Midwinter festivities, as well as the Ordeals of Knighthood, for that matter, in order to stop the traffic of people in and out of the Palace, it will be very difficult to discover who has it."

Nobody had an answer to that, and the room fell silent, until Kel had an idea. "Numair, whoever is doing this will have to get the object close to Shinko, right?"

Both Numair and Sato nodded. "They will have to place it somewhere she will touch it regularly, without realizing," Sato said.

"Then I think I have an idea," Kel said, remembering what Neal had said about friends and giving him a quick, grateful grin. "Numair, could you and Daine meet me in my room, once we've finished here? I think my sparrows might be able to help us."

Neal grinned back at her, as the King said "Sparrows?" somewhat disbelievingly.

"Those sparrows have warned us of trouble more times than I'd care to admit," Raoul said.