Then Queen Lianne invited me to accompany her to the Summer Palace. When I learned about the trip, I was pretty excited and said, "I didn't know she'd wanted me to go with her. I had no previous knowledge and I don't think she mentioned it to anyone, saving your Grace's presence." He held up his hand and said, "I didn't know you were so close to my sister." I nodded and quickly said, "I serve her at dinner. You assigned me that duty, Your Grace. We also discuss certain things—unless she's told you what we talk about, I really shouldn't tell you." He nodded and ordered me to behave or I wouldn't be allowed to go on anymore outings of this kind. I nodded and said, "I will, Your Grace."
The certain things I'd mentioned was that I'd let her in on the secret that I was actually a girl—since I'd started with the woman's monthly cycle—and about my mother's death and Frex's hate for me and all that stuff I'd left behind when I left Oz. She had agreed not to tell anyone until after I was ready to reveal the truth about who I am—which wouldn't be until after I'd earned my shield.
When I'd gone to Queen Lianne, she helped me sneak into the city, and I talked to George, who introduced to his mother—Mistress Cooper. When she suggested that I might want to take off the pregnancy charm she'd given me, I muttered, "Monkeys will fly the day I decide to take this charm off."
I found a small cavern not too far from the Summer Palace and called, "Your Majesty, what is this?" "A cave that no one in my family has ever been able to enter," she replied. I turned to her and said, "I'm going in." She grabbed my arm and said, "Just be careful, Fabiethe." I nodded and I heard someone in my mind say, Only those of Ozian blood can enter. I gulped and thought, I am of Ozian blood—the eldest daughter of Frexspar Thropp—I think—the governor of Munchkinland. Then the voice said, You may continue. I hurried along and found a sword that was stuck in a stone and on the stone was written, "Only a descendant of the Wizard can remove this sword." I decided to risk it and tried to remove the sword—I succeeded.
I heard Queen Lianne call, "Fabiethe, get out of there." I heard a crash of thunder, nearly died, and then I sprinted out of the cave and collapsed on the ground—exhausted. I vaguely felt her pick me up and carry me inside the palace. When I woke up, she said, "Fabiethe, you did something no one in my family has ever been able to do." I stared at the sword and whispered, "I'm related to the Wizard." Then I stared up at Queen Lianne and asked, "But how?" She shrugged. I tried to give her the sword and she said, "No. You found it. It is yours." "Let's just say I found it on the beach," I suggested. She nodded and I decided to call my sword, Thunder. She agreed with me. Then I noticed the strange pointed hat on top and I decided I'd leave that mystery for another day.
We also agreed to only tell Sir Myles, Coram, Alanna, and Jon—I was friends with Jon since I'd been really concerned about his mother and told him that I was praying for her speedy recovery from the Sweating Sickness, two weeks before I fell ill, when I went to the Summer Palace—apparently it had been his idea to have his mother take me to the Summer Palace in the first place—about where I got my sword—since I didn't want anyone to know how I'd really gotten my sword.