Ch. 12

Notes: This chapter has many quotes too! Simply because they're very good! Also, the Black God is the god of death, and Gunapi Sunrose is the goddess of war and volcanoes, purported to ride a jaguar. :o

Notes: It was actually so long that I ended up splitting it into CH 12 and 13.

Notes: Imgehai Qeshi is actually a priestess of the Black God, but she's also a conspirator in the Luarin Conspiracy.

House Balitang, Rajmuat, Kypriang, Copper Isles

Shikamaru sat in his office, taking reports from the darkings. He had already discovered that they didn't need sleep, so they were far better spies than most people. Inkblot had puddled himself on Shikamaru's desk, and he would squeak out the other darkings' reports or, sometimes, flatten out and show a picture of what was happening, from the other darking's perspective.

Imajane seemed determined to include the Balitang ladies in court functions, despite their mourning wear. They rode to the palace almost every other day for the next week and a half. Their Majesties did their best to pretend that the fighting in the Downwind District was minor, but Shikamaru knew their real worries from the darkings Hinata and Neji slipped into the palace. The rebellion was spreading like wildfire: for each rising that was put down, two more broke out elsewhere.

"Rubinyan say maybe they need mercenaries," Inkblot told him. "Imajane say can they afford? Rubinyan say they can't not afford."

Shikamaru smiled. Mercenaries were always such a problem. If they weren't paid on time, they got unhappy and did damage. If they were without work, they often looked for trouble out of boredom, burning villages and robbing travelers for amusement. People feared them as much as they respected the need to hire them. The Luarin nobility would also see mercenaries as Rubinyan's attempt to build an army that would answer to him alone.

With Imajane busy entertaining the ladies; Shikamaru used Hinata to set up his next angle of attack.

Notes: Ninjas are not the same as mercenaries, though they often serve the same function. Ninjas are usually called for a specific mission, and once that mission is completed, they return home. Also, ninja come in smaller groups and are considerably more awesome.

Hinata had given a darking named Bean to one of Imajane's servants, a handsome Raka woman named Vereyu, who was an active member of the rebellion, and the former spy in the Royal Palace. Bean managed to sneak samples of Rubinyan's handwriting to Vereyu, and she sneaked them in turn to Hinata, who gave them to Shikamaru when they returned.

Shikamaru requisitioned Kioka, a spunky Raka girl with a gift for forgery, to imitate the new King's handwriting. He then ripped the forged pieces up, rubbed them in dirt, and crumpled them, so as to make them look older and more worn than they were. He was careful not to destroy the central messages though.

When Hinata returned to the Palace, she took the bits with her, handing them to Vereyu at a discrete moment. The woman took the battered, dirty scraps of paper, reading the bold, black handwriting on them. One read simply meet tonight, another must not know. A third mentioned your blushing lips; a fourth cannot live with this secret for much longer.

Vereyu looked over them with a frown. "That's the King's handwriting."

"Y-yes. That's what we want Queen Imajane-sama to think anyway. Over the next week, you're supposed to leave them in places he might drop them… His dressing room, or in front of Her Majesty's door, or in their private dining room…" Hinata replied.

"She may not even see them." Vereyu pointed out.

Bean had formed himself into a black hairnet of sorts, with black beads above her ears. One of the beads grew a bit, formed a mouth, and whispered, "Shika say, you've known Her Majesty-sama far longer than we have. Do you honestly think she never slips into his rooms when he's not around?"

"But who is this foolish woman, if that's what you mean Her Majesty to think? Who would be mad enough to get involved with His Majesty?"

"Um… if you can get some pieces of her handwriting… L-lady Edunata Mayano-sama." Hinata replied. She didn't like this idea, but Shikamaru had reassured her that Lady Edunata was the best choice to blame. And Neji-nii-san and Naruto-kun agreed… She watched Vereyu's face as a flinty light filled the Raka woman's eyes. Lady Edunata was infamous for having taken a Raka lover, and then claiming he'd raped her.

"It will be our pleasure," said Vereyu. "I think I can lay hands on some of the lady's handwriting right now. Wait here." She stood, stretched, and pretended to bored by gossip or some such, leaving in the direction of the Ladies' rooms, where Lady Edunata had been staying for the past few months, as part of Imajane's court.

"Ah, revenge, people never lose interest in it. Shika say." Lace murmured in Hinata's ear.

Within a few minutes Vereyu returned, slipping a few pieces of paper to Hinata with the ease of long practice. Hinata slipped them inside her sash, careful to leave no tell-tale bulges.

The next time they visited, she slipped Vereyu incriminating scraps in Edunata's handwriting. These were hidden in Rubinyan's chambers and study by Bean. He also made sure that one of King Rubinyan's rings found its way into the sweet dreams bag that Edunata, like many Luarin women, hung over her bed. Sooner or later Imajane would find something to make her uneasy, either in her husband's room or Edunata's. And when she did, the roof would come off the Palace.

Sometimes it seemed as though everyone in Rajmuat had reports for Shikamaru, information was piling up like a lake behind a dam. During the hot afternoon rest-time, he decided to meet those who had arrived personally in the general meeting room, which had been carefully spelled against listeners, both magical and mundane. He left his office and moved down the hallway to the much larger room, which had a counter along two walls.

A number of chairs of all shapes and sizes filled the open floor. Six of them were occupied by women, spies who worked for the Raka rebellion. All of them looked up at him: Hinata, the plump sisters Atisa and Guchol, pert Kioka, lovely Eyun, and little Jimarn.

Guchol grinned at Shikamaru. "Oh, good! Duan's here." The nickname had stuck.

Atisa slipped to the floor, stretching her legs in a split. "Does that mean we may go home now?" Her black hair tumbled over her face.

Shikamaru sat on the counter on the left side of the room. "If you want to, go ahead, but all your spying will be wasted. Where are the men?"

"Here," a man said as seven of them entered the room. The last one closed the door as they traded greetings with the women and found places to sit.

"How troublesome… The stakes have gone up. How have you been faring, what with the mourning and all?"

"We've been checking the backgrounds of all the new people in the house, those that weren't chosen by Ulasim before our Lady's exile," Yoyox said, smoothing his moustache. He was a wonderful pickpocket, and Eyun's younger brother. "And using the gossip network set up before the family got exiled. It's good. Quedanga, the housekeeper, is one of us. She's supposed to just pass messages along, but she's experienced at collecting gossip from the common folk. She gets word from servants, slaves, artisans, priests—and they're everywhere."

"Then we'll let Quedanga-san handle the messages, and manage the people she knows best, since we'll be dealing with the Palace and the military," Shikamaru said. "She knows to pass everything on to me?"

"Yes, Duan." Yoyox said that so meekly that even Hinata laughed.

A representative of the spies in the Palace was present, this being his day off. He handed a sheaf of reports to Shikamaru, who sighed as he glanced at them. The topmost one said Imajane went into a rage over a scrap of paper.

Shikamaru nodded and yawned, lying flat along the counter. That plan seemed to be unfolding nicely. "Does anyone have something special for me?"

The man from the Palace raised a hand. "Their Majesties are seriously talking about Topabaw. They seem to have taken the rumors to heart. They believe he can no longer be trusted. Also, Topabaw himself fears replacement. And there is an armed guard at the mages' house. Stormwings roost on the roof peak. No one is allowed to leave."

Shikamaru closed his eyes. "An interesting development."

Hinata spoke up quietly. "Three people were found in the Downwind District… with their th-throats cut. Th-there was paper pinned to their clothes, with… with the word spy written on it. None of them were in the Rebellion."

"Anything else?"

She shook her head as the others agreed.

He sighed. "You already know the rumor that the storm that sank the boy's ship was not a natural one. And here's another thing—a source I can trust says the boat went to pieces suspiciously fast. Add also that the mages who serve the Crown seem to be under house arrest."

One of the women asked, "Duan, everybody knows the Crown mages have been known to meddle with weather before, though they know they can't control it. No one can."

Shikamaru nodded, as everyone agreed.

Emboldened, the woman continued. "And isn't it strange how the one child saved belonged to a family known to be great friends of the regents, sorry, their Majesties?"

Shikamaru thought that was probably more luck than attention to one particular boy's life. At the same time, he recognized that none of the boys had been heirs to a family title. It was sad, but each of their families could technically do without them, a fact of which the new rulers had most definitely been aware.

He nodded, eyes still closed. "Those are also good points to make with anybody you talk to. Ask your particular friends if the gods aren't angry. They are, after all, represented by monarchs with the blood of children on their hands." He noticed their startled glances, they obviously hadn't thought of that. "One more thing. The garrisons near the docks have lost over half of their men to either illness, or injury from that explosion. The strongest fighting force in Rajmuat right now is the Rittevon Guard." He waved at them to go. "Be careful, and take no unnecessary chances. We are going to make Their Majesties very unhappy, and for that I need all of you."

As they left, they whispered, "Gunapi Sunrose guide you, Duan. The luck turns our way."

He was uncomfortable with the looks of awe for him they had on their faces.

When only Hinata was left, she spoke. "Shikamaru-kun, it's nearing the end times, isn't it?"

He opened his eyes. "…yeah. You better get going too, the 'White-Eyed Ones' will need to be ready."

She bowed slightly and left.

Shikamaru sighed. It was only going to get more troublesome from here on out.

Supper was quiet. Kiba ate outside with Akamaru. When he finished, they went for a walk through town. As they went along, Akamaru would run up to a few people, begging to be petted. When they complied, he would drop a small piece of paper in their hands. They wouldn't even acknowledge it, experienced spies that they were. They just slipped the papers into their pockets, or in the ladies' cases, their purses.

The walk was a much longer one than usual, taking them all the way to the Temple of the Black God, on the other side of town, in a long, twisting route that went nearly everywhere in Rajmuat. When they arrived there, Kiba walked up to an attendant and asked to speak with two of the priests. He said that they were urgently needed in House Balitang. He didn't explain why.

On the way back, he took the same long, twisted route, which belied the need for urgency, as did the fact that they stopped again at every house they had on the way there. When Akamaru again begged for pats, the people would slip another piece of paper to him, which he would give to Kiba surreptitiously. It was well after dark when they arrived at House Balitang.

Neji knocked on the door of the forge, which still smoked and banged at this late hour. Lee opened the door. He wore the heavy white forge apron over his Luarin outfit, which was loose brown slacks and a green shirt. The heavy leather gloves used when forging metal covered his hands.

"Clean up." said Neji. "We're gathering."

Lee nodded and turned back to the forge. "Fandarel-san, we need to go."

The tall Luarin man nodded. Looking at Neji he said, "We'll be right up. Go on ahead."

"Right."

When they arrived in the meeting room, they saw that everyone had gathered except for Lady Dove.

"Let's begin." Shikamaru said. "I think Lady Dove-sama wished to speak with Lady Nuretin-sama."

"No doubt you are right," Ulasim agreed. Quedanga closed the door as the Rebellion's mage, a mute three-quarters-Raka named Ysul, activated the security spells.

Shikamaru had just finished passing out summarized reports when a knock sounded on the door.

"She came after all," Quedanga murmured, surprised, as she opened it.

In walked Lady Dove, followed by Lady Nuretin. The rebels started to their feet, all except the six ninja, who merely looked at them. For this, at least, they stood on equal ground. Besides, they already knew that Lady Nuretin knew about them. After all, they'd been introduced a few days before.

"I thought it was time." said Lady Dove, looking Shikamaru square in the eyes. "Past time."

He said nothing, merely nodded.

"The rebellion, if that's what you are about, I want to be part of it," said Nuretin, her voice firm. "I've known—my lord and I knew—there was something going on, but we let it go. We did not much care for our laws, and hoped that a good fright would lead to better government. You were all so careful that we could not see how anyone could discover you. But now… I want to help. There are also others, as appalled by this child murder as I am. Others who can bring arms and finances and fighters to this cause."

Ulasim looked up at his Lady. "You have put us in a delicate position."

"You're going to have to trust my judgment sometime," Dove reminded him. "I think that now would be a good time. I won't be a puppet, Ulasim Dodeka. If I rule, I rule."

Chenaol poked Nawat with a finger. "Give the Lady Nuretin your chair." She ordered. To Nuretin she said, "Who are these others?"

Shikamaru spoke up instead. "I know who she means. Two of them have recently become guests here. Kiba, go fetch our guests."

"I'll be right back. Akamaru's with them." He bowed to the Ladies as he left the room.

"We just let them in?" demanded Quedanga. "And when members of their families die, what is to keep them from running to the Monarchs with all they know?"

"If we were going to go to the Crown. We would have long before now," said Nuretin, her voice practical. "While we could still walk away from you with our own skins intact. No one will believe we were ignorant of your activities this whole time."

"We'd like to avoid a bloodbath." Neji told Quedanga. "It's unsightly, and it will give the wrong impression to any foreigners who watch. That means you have to come to terms with some Luarin. Just as you came to terms with us."

"Besides, in case you haven't noticed, I'm Luarin too." chuckled Fandarel, not at all perturbed by Quedanga's vehemence.

"You think the great Luarin lords will give up their lands and titles to the Raka?" asked Nuretin, sitting in Nawat's former seat. He now stood by the far wall, leaning against it indolently.

"They'll have to give some of them up." said Naruto. "It'd be a pretty pathetic rebellion if nothing changed but the ruler."

"However," added Lee. "Many of the Raka families who originally owned the lands are long dead. As sad as it is, it is true. The most legitimate claims to some places are held not by Raka, but by Luarin."

Quedanga snorted.

"We thought that unless… unless a Luarin has been cruel to his or her people, or has supported the Rittevon's and all that they did… you must be prepared to negotiate. You don't want a m-massacre, do you, Quedanga-san?" added Hinata hesitantly.

"How can we trust your allies?" demanded Quedanga, changing tack. "These Luarin you plot with? Any of them could be an agent of the Crown simply waiting for you to pose a real threat before he reports you—or she reports you."

Shikamaru cleared his throat. "With regard to the main members of their group, I can vouch for their loyalty. I've had them watched." With normal spies, he'd have waited for at least a few months of observation before he would say anything with certainty. However, with the darkings able to follow them everywhere, he'd been certain much faster. Not only had they followed them, but as they slept, they'd inspected their desks, their wardrobes, and even their diaries.

"They could have hidden something from you," argued Quedanga.

Shikamaru shook his head. "You must trust me."

"What good might you do us?" Ulasim asked Lady Nuretin. "You are formidable allies in your own right, but we need fighters, and weapons, and horses. We need ships and crews. We need money."

"All of which we have." She replied.

"What if your warriors choose not to obey your wishes?" Chenaol asked, curious rather than hostile. "What if they report you to our new rulers?"

"Duh. Remind them of the commanders of the Garrisons and the Prison, who were killed." said Naruto. "Rubinyan and Imajane are less than loyal to those who serve 'em."

"You—you might also want to mention those dead people who have appeared with the word spy on their clothes." Hinata murmured.

"And those who will be found tomorrow, and the day after. I think we'll have the Downwind District mostly cleared by then." added Neji.

"That was you?" exclaimed Guchol, who sat on a counter.

"That's right. Naruto and Kiba have been helping me as well. Shikamaru ordered it though." Everyone turned to look at the pineapple-haired boy, who sat with his chair tilted back dangerously, hands behind his head, eyes closed.

"After this, we'll start on the rest of Rajmuat. District by district, that's the best way to handle these things." he said, not opening his eyes.

"And only think, he is on our side." Nawat said at last, then turned and began flirting casually with Eyun, before Yoyox put a stop to it by lightly thumping is head.

Nuretin smiled frostily. "We need simply remind such would-be traitors that the Crown will hardly believe that they were innocent while their fellows plotted."

Shikamaru smiled, eyes still closed. "That will work too."

Kiba knocked, and then entered with the two priests of the Black God.

"Priests of the Black God here?" demanded Quedanga. "Are you mad?"

"Calm down, Quedanga-san." Shikamaru opened one eye briefly to look at her.

She took a breath to argue, but then simply let it out. "All right, Duan. You're the spymaster."

When the priests reached the center of the room, the shorter one pushed back her hood to reveal Imgehai Qeshi's pale luarin face, lit by amber eyes. With a nod to Dove and Nuretin she leaned against the wall as Kiba locked the door again. The other priest looked around the room from the shadow of his hood, and then pushed it back. Everyone recognized the eagle nose and short-cropped gay hair of Duke Nomru. Some of the Raka murmured in surprise.

"Did you think of this?" Ulasim asked Shikamaru, who shook his head.

"It was Naruto's idea to disguise them, and Hinata thought of the masquerade as priests."

Naruto grinned, and Hinata blushed with embarrassment. Dove and Nuretin stood to kiss the renegade duke on the cheek. Nomru's eyes swept the room, lingering on the ninja's faces before settling on Ulasim. The Raka Rebellion's general met his gaze with one of equal strength. Ulasim would make sure that these people, normally Luarin masters, would learn right away who was in charge here.

After a moment the duke asked Ulasim, "May I join you?"

Ulasim nodded.

Inkblot extended a tentacle from under Shikamaru's collar to his ear, whispering to him. Shikamaru's eyes opened and his chair's legs thunked back to the floor, bringing everyone's attention to him. "Excuse me." He said, and held out his hand.

Inkblot crawled out from under his collar, reshaping itself into a puddle on his palm. "Say that again, Inkblot." Shikamaru requested.

"Quartz say. Servants took food to house of mages inside Palace, took food to guards on watch. A man of Rittevon Lancers comes to say fresh guards come soon, but guards eat now because mess hall closed. Guards eat. Dark come. Guards start to fall. They try to breathe, but breath not come. Their faces swell. They lay down, no breath coming. They stop trying to breathe." Quartz was the darking Shikamaru had had Neji set on the mage's house, after the murder of Dunevon.

"All the guards are dead?" Shikamaru asked.

"Yes Shika. All guards dead. Darking learn, Quartz check all guards. Quartz go into mage house. Five mages there and families. All dead."

Shikamaru felt his stomach tighten. Are the new rulers mad? "What else?"

"Wagons come to mage house now. Men packing up dead guards and mages. Rubinyan send them. He say, give dead to meat eating fish. He want no one but trusted guards to know what happen to them." Shikamaru shuddered. It was a fate he would not wish on anyone.

"What are the king and queen doing now?" Imgehai wanted to know. "Are they, I don't know, slumbering the sleep of those without cares?"

Inkblot shook his head, a trick he'd learned a while ago. "Imajane screaming and throwing things at Rubinyan. Bottles, brushes, mirror…" He cocked his head as though listening. "She says he is tumbling a lady?"

"She means he is having an affair with a lady." explained Duke Nomru. "If Imajane is throwing things, she thinks he's in love with someone else besides her. Humans frown on such things, and Imajane has always been particularly jealous."

"Is she still throwing things?" Kiba asked interestedly, crouching by the little darking.

"She has nothing left to throw unless she pick up chair." Inkblot replied. "Uh-oh."

"Let me guess," chuckled Nawat. "She picked up the chair."

"She pick up chair." confirmed Inkblot.

Shaking his head, Shikamaru leaned back again, closing his eyes once more. Inkblot slithered back up his chair to his collar.

"I suspect Imajane was the one who ordered the poisoning, and Rubinyan was unaware until after the fact. He's just playing cleanup." Shikamaru stated his thoughts.

"My dear boy, even Imajane wouldn't be so mad." objected the normally unflappable Fandarel, eyes wide in disbelief.

"Imajane would certainly be that mad if she were getting rid of evidence," said Nuretin. "Everyone knows the storm that sank the Rittevon was no accident. The Rittevons have been wary of mages since that cabal that worked for Carthak was uncovered fifty years ago, and since Oron's mage killed his father. And the Crown does have a reputation for doing away with their tools, once used."

"Rubinyan is no Rittevon." Imgehai Qeshi remarked.

"Rubinyan was unaware." Shikamaru reminded her. "He was quite upset when he found out."

"As he should be! Letting that madwoman decide matters of state… or any woman for that matter!" He stopped, blinking, and then laughed. "And here I am, trying to help set a Raka Queen on the throne." He fell silent for a while, and then nodded. "I am an old dog, but I believe I can still learn a few tricks. Dovasaraiyu might do quite well for us all."

The net day, at the Palace, Neji and Hinata had again accompanied Lady Dove to yet another gathering. Neji, as usual, sat with the other guards in the room set aside for them, eating snacks and drinking refreshing beverages. He remembered the conversation he'd witnessed that morning between Shikamaru and Ulasim Dodeka.

Flashback

"This is taking too long." Ulasim said, standing over Shikamaru, who lay flat on a bench outside, watching the clouds pass by overhead.

"They're clouds. You can't expect them to move all that fast." Shikamaru replied. "Would you mind moving? You're blocking my view."

"I didn't mean the clouds! We can't distract the monarchs forever while we wait for that weak-spined Luarin complaint group to start moving!" Ulasim snapped.

Shikamaru raised his eyebrows. "We've done quite nicely for rebels who have been back in town for less than a month. This week will be quite eventful." He sat up and looked at the Raka general, and then sighed. "And we need the Luarin, Ulasim-san. Unless enough of them come to our side, we'll fail. We need strength to battle the Royal Family and their troops." He lay back down on the bench. "The country's coming to a boil. Once we convince those who are unconvinced that the monarchs aren't just poor rulers, but evil; once we convince them that this isn't just the Raka bringing up old grievances, it will be war, and we'll have our victories."

End Flashback

Shikamaru had given Neji specific orders to use his byakugan, and to attempt to read the lips of anyone important. Nawat had taught him how to read lips, though as yet he was relatively poor at it. Nawat's original intention was to have Neji spy on the ladies nearby and find out which ones were available. Needless to say, Neji had been less than eager to learn for that reason, but had eventually recognized the general merit of the skill.

"Such a power can be vast, when used correctly" Nawat had said, and Neji agreed.

Neji now sat in a corner of the guardsmens' room, using his byakugan to visually eavesdrop on the conversations in the main hall. Most of them were about social matters. Officers of the Royal Navy complained to Lord Matfrid of strangely choppy seas and difficult voyages. Lord Ferdigan explained to Lady Hettanim that true nobles did not raise horses themselves. She shoved him lightly in the chest with one hand, saying he was stuffy.

Each time Neji tired of reading one conversation, his eyes would shift to Topabaw. He was always easy to find. The numerous amulets he kept on his person glowed with magic to his byakugan. Although magic was normally invisible, when he or Hinata used their byakugan, they could see its presence in objects, though not in people or by itself, oddly enough.

Topabaw was restless. He fiddled with his charms, changed his position, and rubbed the nape of his neck. For a while he paced around the edge of the hall, until Rubinyan shot the spymaster a glare that made him halt.

The next time Neji could read Topabaw's lips, he was assuring a couple of nervous men that the weather had simply made the Raka crazy, and it would wear off. Another time he refused to discuss Duke Nomru's arrest and escape with the Count and Countess Tomang. More than anyone else, he kept glancing at the Monarchs, his jaw muscles clenched. Topabaw was nervous, and he was nervous about his masters.

Neji smiled, and whispered to Feather to report it to Inkblot and Lace.

In the maids' area of the Hall, Hinata sat on a window-seat and sipped fruit juice. Lace stretched a tentacle from her place in Hinata's dress bodice to briefly report Neji's discovery, before returning to hiding. Hinata leaned against the wall, half-hidden by curtains, and activated her byakugan. She stiffened a bit when she saw someone coming towards her, but relaxed when she saw that it was Taybur. She deactivated her byakugan before he arrived.

Taybur walked directly towards the window-seat. He pushed aside the trailing curtains and entered the enclosure. She looked up at him and smiled timidly as he sat down beside her.

"Fear not, gentle maiden. I have no intentions on your virtue." He leaned back, stretching his long legs out, crossing his ankles as he folded his arms over his chest. "Earlier this year you'd have had to fight over this spot, you know." He spoke blithely. "It's a popular meeting place for lovers. But with the news from Imahyn, the servants and slaves not on duty are hiding, and the nobles want the Monarchs to see their loyal, smiling faces." He sighed. "People don't know how to appreciate a party anymore."

Hinata turned and pushed the curtain aside slightly, looking out. She didn't know how to reply to that, so she merely murmured, "Baron Engan-sama is talking to Lady Dove-sama. He's showing her a small telescope…" She hesitated. "Topabaw… Topabaw doesn't look well, Taybur-san."

"If you are worried about Topabaw, don't be." Taybur said lazily. "Topabaw is so used to people being afraid of him that he's gotten lazy. The man actually believes that torture will produce an honest answer." He sat up. "Oops, I think I scared you."

Hinata was indeed looking startled.

"I'd best be going, to show their Majesties my face." Taybur stood and walked off, saying over his shoulder, "Topabaw has seemed edgy lately, though. Wouldn't you love to know why?"

Two days later Lady Dove was eating breakfast with Lady Nuretin. Hinata stood by, having eaten already. Kiba came in suddenly, without knocking, startling the three into looking up at him and Akamaru, who wriggled earnestly by his side, whining. Hinata was the first to speak. "Kiba-kun? What's wrong?"

The normally confidant boy looked confused and almost upset. He held out a large card embossed with the Crown Seal. Lady Dove took it, and read the bold letters. She sucked in her breath. "The monarchs have noticed how much attention I receive in the streets, how the Raka seem to approve of me. They believe it is because I am half-Raka, yet part of the Luarin nobility. They proposed to have me marry their son, if they ever have one."

"Are they mad?" asked Nuretin. "They haven't even had a son yet, and they want you, a woman grown, to engage yourself to a—a hypothetical child?"

"Apparently."

"But… that's just… well, stupid." said Hinata, blushing at her own temerity.

"Yeah, that's what I thought." Kiba finally spoke up. "I was kinda hoping you'd say it first, though."

"Is that all? You looked too upset for that to be it." Lady Dove said.

"Oh, yeah! This is good news, sort of. It's Topabaw. The monarchs… they made an Example of him by the harbor mouth."

Nuretin jerked, spilling a bowl of porridge on the table, as Hinata rushed to clean it up, the Lady just stared at Kiba. "Young man, this is a very poor joke." she whispered.

He looked at her seriously. "I didn't believe it either when the townspeople told me. So I went myself, with Akamaru, to see. I saw it. Topabaw's dead. There's no sign with his crime posted, but the royal seal and the word traitor were on his chest." He wrinkled his nose as if to rid it of an unpleasant stench. "Actually, they were burned into his chest. It smelled horrible."

Nuretin half-collapsed in her chair as Hinata finished cleaning up the spill. The pretty Hyuuga girl looked horrified. "Did-did you tell Shikamaru-kun about this?" she asked.

"Yeah. I told him first thing. He already knew though, 'cause Leaf told Inkblot." The tiny blob stuck an oily pseudopod out from under Kiba's shirt collar and squeaked a greeting.

Nuretin murmured, "I know there was a time before Topabaw, for I lived and bore children in it. It is simply hard to believe that he is gone."

"It must have been the prison escape. That and the rumors that he was losing his grip." said Lady Dove quietly. "I wonder who the new spymaster is."

"As far as I can tell, it's a man named Sevmire." They all turned to see Shikamaru standing in the doorway. "Quartz has taken to following Rubinyan, now that the mages are dead. He told Inkblot, who told me. I told Quartz to play tricks on him, without getting caught. If this Sevmire can't do his work right, it's all the better for us. Plus, he won't know any of Topabaw's old files."

"That's right; I'd forgotten that he never replaced his old assistant. He kept all the information gathered himself; no one knows where most of it is." Nuretin said thoughtfully.

Lady Dovasaraiyu Balitang stood. Looking Shikamaru in the eye she said, "Tell our people, mind your tongues. Say or do nothing that might look wrong to the monarchs. We don't know who will be taking notes for them now."

Shikamaru sat in his office, making a summary of everything that had happened so far, and what was left to accomplish. They'd managed to forge the already-impressive Raka rebellion into a real threat to the Luarin rulers, ally said rebellion with the Luarin conspiracy, take down the majority of the Crown's spy network, and foment uprisings across the Isles. All that was left was the actual overthrow of the government. That was actually the worst problem.

For the rebellion to be successful, and for its effects to last once they were gone, they had to make it look like a justified revolution against terrifying monarchs. Although they would have support from their allies, many of the Luarin nobles, and even some of the Raka, were set in their ways, and supported the status quo simply because it was the status quo. That meant that the Crown had to make the first move. Or at least seem to make the first move.

If only he could find a way to provoke them into attacking Lady Dove with a force large enough to be called an assault, but small enough that they could be handled easily… The young ninja sighed. Like that'll happen. This is so troublesome… I'm just glad it'll be over soon. Now to see Duke Nomru-sama…

Since the Duke had taken refuge in House Balitang, Shikamaru had taken to visiting his rooms every day. The older man was teaching him the rules of chess, a game not unlike shogi, though the rules and game pieces were a bit different. So far, the Duke had won more games, but as Shikamaru learned the rules, he gained steadily. If he won this one, they'd be tied.

The water hissed and steamed as the cherry-red piece of iron was thrust into it. The metal cooled quickly, its glow subsiding. It was oddly shaped, like a twisted bit of root. It had been forcibly stretched, twisted and pulled into this shape by a pair of strong, leather-clad hands and a set of heavy pliers. It went back into the coals, shoved into the center where the fire was hottest.

The hands that had held the metal belonged to Fandarel, the Mastersmith. The tall Luarin man wiped his forehead as his breath rushed out of his lungs in a sigh. He flexed his fingers for a moment, and then plunged them back into the forge, quickly pulling out another piece, which he laid on the anvil. "Whew, that's hot. Let's finish this quickly, shall we?"

"Yes sir, Fandarel-san." Lee, wearing his own set of gloves, picked up the tools set aside for this job and began working on the piece. It was half of a block of iron which they had carefully cut in half earlier. They were carefully scooping its insides out in a set pattern, so as to make one half of a mold. Lee worked on one half, Fandarel on the other. This one piece had taken them many weeks already, and wasn't yet finished.

While Fandarel's half had gone quickly, Lee had moved slowly and carefully. As Fandarel had said, he was not yet experienced enough to be trusted with making this piece by himself, especially not in a short amount of time. If the two sides of the mold didn't fit exactly right, the object cast in it would come out horribly wrong.

The endless patience and dedication to detail required for this work, as well as the steady hands and good eye for measuring the heat of the metal, were not something an amateur would normally have. Luckily patience, steady hands, and dedication were things Lee already had in spades, thanks to his background as a taijutsu specialist ninja. And Fandarel was there to ensure that the metal's heat was even.

Lee just hoped that he didn't mess up. This was the most important thing Fandarel had ever entrusted him with.

At yet another party with the monarchs, this one in the Royal Garden, Lady Dove and Lady Nuretin were hard-pressed to keep their cool. That evening they were summoned once again to attend, and the monarchs, while not exactly pressuring for an answer to their earlier request, were definitely watching them carefully.

And watching the monarchs even more carefully, but far less obviously, was Hinata. The girl chatted with the other maids and ladies-in-waiting while she kept one eye on Rubinyan and Imajane. After a few hours, when the sun was setting, Taybur Sibigat came over to see her.

"Pretty girl, will you walk with me?" he asked, offering his arm with a bow.

"Oh! Y-yes." Hinata said shyly, standing.

They walked along the edge of the garden, on a path which followed the Palace's edge. Taybur led her down the Flowered Road to the Pavilion of Delightful Pleasures. "This is where the Old Palace was." He murmured softly, so only she could hear. "They tore down the New Palace to build that grey stone monster. But the Old Palace is still used for celebration and guests. And the old escape tunnel is still here, kept up by generations of Raka." He stopped at what looked like a trailing vine and yanked hard. The grass and its bed, several inches of earth, lifted as if on oiled hinges. He raised it only a foot, to show Hinata a wooden door below. At its center was a ring of steel to use as a grip.

"Now you know." Taybur said. "That makes you only the second Luarin to see this, me being the first. I originally found this by accident, when I pulled the vine in a fit of temper. I don't know where the other end is, as I've only opened it this much, but I guarantee that some of your Raka cohorts will know."

"But… why haven't the Raka used this as a way to attack before?" Hinata wanted to know, as he replaces the cover and continued their walk.

"Because they were waiting for the Queen with two crowns, and those who would attend her. Because there were too many Luarin, and they were beaten. And because the kings before Oron kept mages around, who could find this place if they suspected its existence."

"I-I see, those are good reasons."

"Yes. And they are also the reasons I haven't told anyone else of this. So long as I didn't believe they would use it, there was no reason to, and now I have no desire to help the monarchs by telling them." He looked at her seriously. "I have to swear my allegiance in blood the day they are officially crowned, you know. If that happens before you rise, I won't be able to do anything to help without my blood boiling in my veins and killing me." He returned her to her place with the women, and left to attend to the guests. Reaching the guardsmens' area of the garden, he stopped for a moment before continuing on. He tossed a paper wad at Neji, who caught it handily.

Neji read the paper quickly and surreptitiously. Your Lady's popularity is noticed. Be alert, they may try something on the streets. Neji crumpled the paper back into a ball, and had a quiet discussion with Feather.

In the maids' area Hinata did the same thing with Lace, alerting those back home of the new developments.

Two days later, the Ladies Balitang decided to go out riding in the city. "We're sick of the Palace and its stuffiness." explained Lady Dove. "I, for one, would like to ride among those who do not live frivolously on the fruits of other people's labors."

"I agree." said Nuretin. "I have never liked the practice of throwing parties while the country is in chaos, simply to keep up appearances. We will ride."

"Yes, Lady Nuretin-sama, Lady Dove-sama. However, it has become extremely dangerous. I would like to request that either Lee or a double-force of guards come with us." Neji replied, bowing. "It's not that Hinata and I cannot defend you ourselves, but we cannot do so without revealing ourselves."

"Neji-nii-san is right, Lady Nuretin-sama." Hinata added when she saw the Lady hesitate.

"Very well." The iron old woman said. "But let it be the guards, or do you think three is more believable than two?"

"As you wish, Lady Nuretin-sama." Neji bowed slightly, and then left to get Ulasim and the other guards.

Once they were all assembled, they left. There were a dozen regular guards walking in a loose ring around the Ladies, Hinata, and Neji, who rode horses. Ulasim also walked, directly on Lady Nuretin's left, as Neji rode on Lady Dove's right. Hinata rode between the two, and slightly behind, as befitted a lady-in-waiting. They had also brought Ulasim's daughter, Junai, who walked behind the Ladies. Ulasim wore cestuses, leather gloves with metal plated on the backs and knuckles. He was adept with them, and could even deflect sword blows. Junai used a staff which, when she twisted the center grip, had blades come out of both ends.

Notes:Kakashi-sensei wears demi-cestuses, with his fingers free and only the backs of his hands covered, and them only sparingly.

Although the Ladies had noticed the wartime preparations, they said nothing. Instead they rode side-by-side, to provide a less accessible target. As they rode through the city in the general direction of the market, Hinata noticed that there were more civilians out, as well as more soldiers, lined up along both sides of the street, watching. Hinata flinched as she saw something red flutter down from the sky, and then relaxed as she realized it was a flower, thrown from a window. Another flower dropped on them, then another, until they were moving through a rain of blossoms.

Neji tried not to grind his teeth in frustration. If the monarchs wanted proof that someone in the Balitang family drew the crowds, they had it. They could, if they chose, lock up the entire household on suspicion of rebellion with nothing more than this as evidence.

They reached the intersection and military checkpoint at Rittevon Square. The large bronze statue of the first Rittevon king stood there, the center of a large fountain where people would rest. As they entered the square, the Balitang Ladies moved out of range of the flower-throwers. It was then that Hinata, her head swiveling, saw a crossbow poke out of a third-story window into the open, crowded square.

"Look out!" she yelled, shoving Dove toward Neji, out of range. The bolt struck a man-at-arms in the shoulder. His knees buckled; another man kept him on his feet.

Nuretin stood up in her stirrups. Dove was already off her horse, standing on the ground, shielded by both her mount and Neji's. "Soldiers of the Crown!" the elder Balitang lady cried in a voice that any field general might have envied. "Soldiers of the Crown, protects us, as is your duty!"

The men of the King's Watch did not move from their positions. Ulasim dragged Nuretin from the saddle and beckoned for Neji and Hinata to dismount. On foot they were less visible targets. The line of soldiers parted as a group of men with knives or short swords rushed through, aiming at the weak point in the Guards' circle, where the man who had been shot stood. "There!" cried Neji. "Look there!"

The Balitang men-at-arms faced the mercenaries, weapons up. Neji glanced at the Kings watch at the checkpoint. They lazed against the barricades, no expression on their faces. They already knew about this, and they were not going to interfere. Neji, not having activated his byakugan, didn't see the first rock fly. He did see it strike a soldier's helmet, just as he glimpsed the dent it left before the soldier went down.

"They're killing her!" someone screamed. "They're killing our hope!"

Suddenly the men of the King's Watch were the targets of a rain of flowerpots, pans, stones, and chamber pots empty and full. People held back by their former oppressors shrieked and surged forward, clawing at them. The soldier fought for their lives. They killed and killed, but they couldn't kill everybody. Thrusting his sword into one civilian, a soldier would be swarmed by five others armed with belt knives, stones, or fingernails. The crowd boiled through the gaps in the line as soldiers began to fall.

The assassins pushed past the men-at-arms, where they collided with Hinata, Ulasim, and Junai. Ulasim slew two with sword thrusts as Junai took care of another two. Hinata faced down five, and quickly activating her byakugan, killed them with her kunai and with jyuuken. The Balitang Ladies held their horses' bridles steadily, as the steeds sweated and rolled their eyes. If they were loosed, they would go berserk, and do more harm than good.

Neji also activated his byakugan. Leaping onto the back of the steadiest horse, he flung shuriken into the throats of the few archers in the area. He jumped back down when his nose was grazed by a rotting melon. Feather poked his 'head' out from under Neji's headband and shrieked with disgust as blood splattered him. Neji had drawn a kunai and was aggressively attacking the mercenaries, trusting the Ladies' defense to Hinata.

"Sorry." Neji told him, panting just a bit. He jumped up onto the horse again for a quick look around. Everywhere he looked he saw chaos. People streamed in to fill the square, many carrying weapons. Others fought to escape it. Many failed, and were trampled underfoot. The square filled with a roar of sound: screams, furious yells, battle-voiced commands. Above that animal sound was a high, screeching warble. The Stormwings had come to feast upon the pain and fear.

A little girl, shrieking, tried to climb the Rittevon statue to escape the mob. A boy who looked to be her older brother pushed her from behind, trying to get her to the top, the only safe place he could see. A handful of other children splashed through the fountain. One of them was pushed there; towards the little bit of safety the water offered, just before her mother was felled by a club.

Light blazed from steel. Down came the Stormwings, snatching the children from the fountain and statue, deflecting stones with their deadly wings. They carried the children to the balconies which surrounded the square. As soon as he saw this, Neji dropped back to the ground in a hurry, not wanting to become a target for stones himself.

"Soldiers come!" Lace shrieked in Hinata's ear. She looked around, seeing nothing but the crowd and the Stormwings. Then, at the far end of the square a stallion neighed. From Middle Way came a company of the Kings Watch, half wielding clubs, half wielding short swords. From Shield Way came a company of Rittevon's Lancers, armed with swords and spears. They cut a route through the mob.

Suddenly the Lancers' line of disciplined riders bent in the middle, and then split. Organized columns of Raka and part-Raka in steel-plated leather tunics ploughed into the horsemen. Ulasim's secret troops carried small round shields and longswords, and they hammered at the cavalry. Once the lancers were forced to fight in small groups of three or four, the Raka warriors, men and women alike, surrounded them, striving to cut away their saddles and force them to the ground.

The men of the King's Watch on Middle Way slammed into the mob, which turned on them. Those civilians who had been attacking each other now had a better target, one with a uniform. They swamped the new arrivals, grabbing weapons from the fallen guards, wielding them with enthusiasm if not with expertise.

Slowly the group that guarded Dove and Nuretin moved into the open square, trying to make it to a side street. Feather and Lace leapt from their hiding places to cover the faces of two soldiers who were headed for Dove. As the men fought to breathe, a Raka woman with muscles like rock bashed one's head in with a piece of stone. The other was run through by a Luarin woman with a short sword. The darkings leapt back to their carriers as the unknown women continued to fight the soldiers, shoulder to shoulder, filling the gap in the line protecting Dove.

Hinata stayed behind them, not sure if this was a ruse to get to her mistress. The two women saw nothing but the enemies who smashed against them. Hinata looked around in despair. The riot was growing, and it would help no one if Lady Dove got crushed.

Miniature Kudarung rained down, biting, kicking, and gouging, driving everyone away from the space in front of the fountain. In their wake came a much larger shadow, one so big that even those who battled around Hinata and her companions looked up.

Everywhere else the insanity raged. Here there was a moment of quiet as a huge ebony-and-gold Kudarung stallion spiraled down to land in the open space. As regal as any king, he walked over to the Balitang defenders, who moved aside for him. At last he stood before Dove. Slowly, gracefully, the great creature named Sequiro furled his massive wings and knelt on his forelegs, a plain salute to the woman.

Nuretin was the first to recover. "Don't just stand there, climb on!" she said. "Ulasim, your sash!"

The Raka general handed it over to Hinata quickly as Lady Dove mounted just behind the wings. "Excuse me." Hinata told the great Clydesdale-sized Kudarung with a bow. "I know it's demeaning, but it's necessary." She tied the sash around that powerful neck, passing its ends to Dove. "If you don't mind?"

Sequiro nodded as he straightened his forelegs.

"House Balitang?" Lady Dove asked.

Again he nodded. His hindquarters bunched, and he jumped, massive wings opening with a snap. Up he soared, scooping the air until he was well above the rooftops. Then he flew into the distance, toward House Balitang.