1/Terreille

Dinner with Lord Willem had been a strange experience for Ettia, she admitted to herself as they made their way to the Hayllian community of Amdarh. To begin with, she couldn't remember the last meal she'd had with a Blood male. And even that wouldn't have been anything like the one she'd just had.

Despite her determination to remain wary, he'd baited her into a lively conversation with humor and half-serious arguments. Lord Willem was comfortable with a wide range of subjects, switching from books to history to plays and music as easily as taking another breath. Ettia was befuddled why a man like him would care about any of those things. Men were supposed to be adept at just two things- violence and sex.

That was Meredith and Valinna whispering in her ear. She hated to admit that she was still being duped by them, but she'd had no choice. Especially after the heated debate she and Lord Willem had over one of her favorite books of all time. He'd been so determined to make his point that he'd called in his copy to show her the passage to prove it. The book was dog-eared and edges worn from multiple readings.

She could have said that he'd found out from Bethaeny what she liked to read. She could tell herself that he had stolen that book from some witch, and that it was a ploy to make her trust him. But her instincts told her that he'd done neither of those things. That was his book, and he honestly liked it as much as she did.

Even if he was wrong about the point of that fifth chapter, she grumbled to herself.

So what did it all mean? Ettia honestly didn't know. She wasn't ready to throw out her convictions about the Blood in Dhemlan. The Hayllian community may still be a trap. Witches may still be held hostage in Amdarh. But Ettia was willing to be persuaded otherwise.

"You've been awfully quiet since we left the dinning house," Lord Willem said, looking at her askance.

"I suppose like food, thoughts need some time to digest," she replied.

"I'm not sure whether to be comforted or perturbed by that comparison."

"Depends on the interpretation, I suppose. How much further is it to the Hayllian community? I've been walking all day and my feet are killing me."

"If I didn't know better than to comment on a lady's choice in fashion, I'd blame the shoes."

"With all your opinions on so many other things, I'm shocked to hear that you would defer in this case."

"I needed only one lesson to teach me caution," Lord Willem recalled in an amused tone.

"My mother had sent me out as her escort for the day and she nearly twisted her ankle several times. When I suggested we stop at a cobbler to get a sturdier pair made, she lectured me for a solid hour on why the pair she was wearing was the only one she could combine with the rest of her outfit."

He shrugged. "Learned more about female clothes than I ever wanted to that afternoon, and decided I didn't need any to give any witch a reason to think I needed another lesson."

Ettia resisted the smile that threatened to crack her façade. The man was certainly good at disarming her with stories of his youth. They were the kinds of stories she wished she could tell about her life. But all she remembered of her mother was a shrew of a woman who was ready to lick the boots of any visiting aristo from Meredith's court.

Of the man who sired her, Ettia had no memories at all.

"In any case, Lady Ettia, have no fear. We should be arriving in the Hayllian Quarter in a few more blocks."

"And you're sure my cousin is there?"

"Arrived late last night. She's staying with some of the ladies in the main inn."

Ettia was still angry with Bethaeny over this, but she was glad that her cousin had been somewhere safe. Or at least that was what she would tell herself until she saw this place with her own eyes. Lord Willem must have guessed the direction of her thoughts.

"If I might ask, Lady Ettia…"

"Ask what?"

"You don't have to answer," he said.

"Well I can't answer anything if you don't ask it first."

"Lady Bethaeny said that you had been part of Meredith's highest coven circle before you left Draega. I was wondering what a witch must endure to remain that close to such a tyrant."

She didn't answer him at first, concentrating only on putting one foot in front of another. In the growing evening hours, the crowds had thinned. She could hear the echo of their steps on the stones. Far better to think of that than to remember the things Meredith and her coven had done to her. Or done to others who hadn't made it as far as she had.

The worst wasn't even anything Meredith had done directly. No. Valinna had been a far more terrifying monster to face as a young protégé in Meredith's court. The Black Widow used her dark Craft to pry into her mind and scoop out everything Ettia had thought was private. Every memory or experience- the cherished and the sordid.

Valinna had taught her a valuable lesson. In Meredith's coven, nothing was ever private. Not even a witch's own thoughts. It could all be dragged out in front of everyone at a moment's notice. For entertainment. As a punishment. For no reason at all.

Decades later, she still remembered how violated she'd felt when it was over. More than anything else in her life. That Black Widow bitch had spent two days picking her apart, preserving every detail in her tangled web. And all Ettia could do was relive it all. With Meredith watching. Smiling that cold smile of hers. She owned Ettia's life now. Every bit of it.

"I'm sorry, Lady," she heard Lord Willem apologize in a gentle voice. "I shouldn't have asked."

Ettia shook herself, trying to free herself from the unpleasant fog that settled around her. After a few deep breaths, she felt steady enough to reply.

"I really don't want to talk about it, Warlord."

"Forget I asked, then. My own curiosity getting the better of good sense."

"A word of advice for you, Lord Willem. When it comes to the twisted nature of Meredith and the witches who share her vision of Hayll…it's best not to find out what they're willing to do to build it."

"I understand why you would say that, but an unknown enemy is all the more dangerous. You can't fight an unknown. At least not successfully."

Now she was alarmed. Ettia stopped short and turned to Lord Willem.

"What else has Bethaeny been telling you?"

He looked startled by the vehemence in her voice, and shook his head.

"She's told us of your escape from Draega, and that you came to Dhemlan to look for a better life. That's all, Lady, I promise."

Not sure if she believed him, Ettia studied the Warlord with narrowed eyes. If Bethaeny was blabbing to these people about their plans to overthrow Meredith, there could be a whole mess of trouble waiting for her. Maybe some of the Hayllians would want to help. But Ettia doubted any of them had the power to be of use.

"Come on with me. You'll understand what I'm talking about more once you've seen the Hayllian Quarter."

"We'll see, Lord Willem."

They turned a corner, and Ettia was greeted by familiar sights and sounds. Despite the lateness of the hour, several dozen witches and Warlords were gathered on the main street. Their voices carried over the night air and Ettia heard their Hayllian accents clearly. What's more, she noticed that the cut of their clothes was still in the Hayllian style. Better material, though.

As they drew nearer, she noticed more details that reminded her of life back in Hayll. Several shops on the street were selling goods specifically from her native Territory. A few had signs in the common tongue and in Hayllian. That was something she hadn't seen even in Draega- only in the rural areas.

It seemed even long before the Purge, the Hayllians in the capital had tried to eliminate everything but the common tongue. Hayllian was considered a 'backwards' speech of the peasants, used only by those who didn't understand the value of using the language of commerce and trade. But here in Amdarh, it seemed that stigma wasn't carried over.

She was about to comment about it to Lord Willem when she saw Bethaeny rushing over to her. Her cousin was half-running over the cobblestones, dodging groups of people talking to reach them. Just when Ettia thought they'd be bowled over, Bethaeny slid to a stop.

"You're here! I was so glad that Lord Willem was able to find you. I knew he would. Wasn't it great?"

The words all tumbled out of her like water in a fountain. Ettia held up her hands, hoping to catch a break long enough to think straight. Unexpectedly, it was Lord Willem who came to her aid.

"Inn first- then you can ply her with questions."

"Oh yes. I guess Ettia must be tired and might want to rest."

The Warlord ushered them towards a large building on the main street. Ettia guessed that it was the inn. Thank goodness, because her feet were truly sore all over from all the walking. She wouldn't admit it in front of Lord Willem, but he was right about the shoes. They really weren't meant for wandering the streets of Amdarh all day. She was more than ready to get off them again.

Bethaeny fell into step beside her, darting curious looks every now and then as they walked across the open thoroughfare. The other people still out at this hour did the same as they passed by, but no one approached the trio. Ettia didn't recognize any of them from Draega. She hadn't expected to, but it never hurt to check.

She glanced back at her cousin, who seemed just bursting with the need to say something. Ettia sighed.

"Okay, out with it- whatever you need to ask. Before it kills you."

"It can wait."

"I know you, Bethaeny. No, it can't."

Her cousin relented with a shrug.

"Yeah, okay." She twisted her hands in front of her and gave Ettia a small smile. "Are you still mad?"

"Bethaeny…"

"I know you had to be mad this morning when you woke up and realized I wasn't there," her cousin rushed to explain. "But it was the only thing I could do to get you to see this place. And you really needed to see it."

Lord Willem let out a sigh of his own. Obviously, her cousin had practiced this speech several times. No doubt he'd been among some of the less fortunate ones to play the part of her stand-in during the rehearsals. Yet another unnerving piece of the Warlord she'd been trying to put together since the dining house. Why would he have put up with it when he didn't have to?

It didn't make any sense.

"Ettia? Are you still mad?"

"Honestly? Yes, still a little mad."

"Oh."

"But a lot less mad than I was this morning."

2/Terreille

Well, that was a lot better than Bethaeny was hoping to hear. She'd half expected Ettia to arrive in a raging temper. Fortunately, her plan had paid off. Bethaeny had deliberately left no clue for her cousin in their room to tell her where to find the Hayllian Quarter. That meant she'd had to spend all day looking for it. As she hoped, that time gave Ettia the opportunity to think.

Maybe now she's ready to listen to what I had to say about this place, Bethaeny hoped.

As the three of them stepped into the inn, she tried not to seem overly triumphant about her cousin's change of heart. Lord Willem nodded to the barkeep, who cleared off one of the corner tables. By the time they'd crossed the room, a plate of cheeses and fruits sat waiting, along with a few glasses of wine.

Bethaeny waited for Ettia to sit first before taking the chair next to her. Lord Willem sank into the third. Her cousin looked at the plate and sighed.

"I don't know if I could eat another thing. That dining house sure filled up the plates. It was all I could do to finish."

"You may change your mind after a while," Lord Willem said. "I suspect your cousin has plenty to discuss yet this evening."

Ettia gave her a measured look and nodded.

"You may be right."

"I promise I won't keep us too long," Bethaeny swore. "Most of it can wait for tomorrow, but I did want to talk a little tonight."

"A little…hmm."

"I guess to start with- really, how mad are you?"

"Bethaeny, there's no point dwelling on that. I was angry this morning, yes, but it's been a long day since then."

"I disagree, Ettia. I don't think we're going to be able move forward unless we get some things out of the way. And the argument we had last night- and how I left this morning- is a large part of it."

Her cousin hesitated. Lord Willem stood up and bowed to them.

"I have a feeling that this conversation might have a better chance of succeeding if I weren't here. So I'll leave you ladies until you need me again."

Bethaeny watched him walk over to another table, where he sat down with Lord Shaede and a few other Warlords. He was probably right. It was still strange to her the way males were around here. The Protocol they learned made them far more intuitive than she was used to in Hayll. She turned back to Ettia.

"So, do you want to do this now, or are we going to keep driving this wedge between us?"

"I think you're over-exaggerating, Bethaeny."

"No, I'm not. It started even before we left Draega, but has gotten worse since then. If you won't say it, then I will. We don't want the same things anymore."

"How can you say that," her cousin protested. "We both want Meredith and Valinna out of power. That hasn't changed."

"No, it hasn't. But what we want in their place has."

"You've just been confused…"

Bethaeny shook her head firmly.

"I'm not confused, Ettia. I told you what I wanted back when we started this. You just didn't believe me."

"That's because I didn't think you'd seriously want something so dangerous or impossible."

"It's neither of those things."

"Okay, I understand why you might say that," Ettia admitted. "I spent all day in Amdarh, and this balance between witches and Warlords seems to work here. That's what you want to hear, isn't it?"

"Well, not quite like that. You could sound a little happier about it."

"Bethaeny, I don't think you realize the piece that you're missing."

Irritated, Bethaeny crossed her arms and slouched at the table. Why did Ettia have to be a downer all the time?

"And what am I missing?"

"Hayll is not Dhemlan, and Draega certainly isn't Amdarh. This balance works here because they've had decades- centuries even- of time living with this Protocol you showed me. You can't expect it to just work out fine if we transplant it to Draega."

"That's not…"

"Listen to me, cousin. Have you asked anyone here what it was like when they were first learning to live this way? How many died- witches and Warlords- in the struggle to find the balance? I'll bet you that the number is in the thousands at least."

In truth, she hadn't asked. Bethaeny tried not to squirm uncomfortably as she thought through her cousin's questions. Feeling deflated, she slouched even further.

"I suppose I could ask Lord Willem."

"I think you ought to, before you even think about bringing these ideas back with you to Draega. I know you mean well, cousin, but it may not be what's best for us."

"I still think it would be, despite the potential for bloodshed."

"Do enlighten me."

Bethaeny was silent for a moment, trying to think of something to counter Ettia's point. Her cousin sure had poked a giant hole in her argument. If she was going to win, she needed to think of something good.

"Mostly because I don't see your plan being any less bloody, Ettia," she said at last. "I've already seen what you and the others want to do with Hayll. You say you don't want to live under Meredith's oppression anymore, but you talk of setting up a regime no less oppressive."

"That's not true."

"It is so true, even if you don't see it that way. But Maeren and I see it. You don't want to make Hayll an easier place for everyone to live. Just easier for you and witches like you."

Ettia looked ready to strangle her from across the table. If her anger had abated from earlier, Bethaeny had brought it all back now. But that was the idea. She wanted to have this out now- before they got back to Draega. Because she wasn't going to keep silent about it anymore.

"Don't tell me that you don't treat the coven members differently from the housekeeping staff witches."

"Oh here we go with that again."

"I'm serious, Ettia. You claim that you're protecting them from Meredith, and are in effect, protecting all of us. But really you're just keeping them as second-class members of the group. No power or responsibility that might make them think they are as important as the rest of us."

"They are important."

"Yeah, as the messengers and pawns for you and Danella to use when you feel like it. Is that any different than how Meredith treats us? I don't think it is."

"It's a lot different, Bethaeny. When Meredith and Valinna are gone, they won't live in constant fear of being hurt or abused. That has to count for something."

"Is that all you have to say? At least we're not torturing them to death? Would you want to accept that?"

"Why not?"

"Because it's wrong."

"What do you think a witch like Kareal or Fawne can contribute towards ruling Hayll?"

"A lot more than you think, apparently. But even if they didn't know anything about politics, that's not the point. It's the principle that they at least have a voice in it."

"They'll have plenty of opportunities to bring concerns to us."

"Fawne brought one to you just before we left," Bethaeny pointed out stonily. "You dismissed her without even considering what she had to say. If it had been Danella, you would have listened."

Her cousin was silent, unable to deny Bethaeny's accusation. She didn't like arguing with Ettia, but the past few days had shown her that she couldn't go back to Hayll while they were so far apart. The rift between them would only grow wider, and it would hurt their chances for defeating Meredith.

"What do you want, Bethaeny," Ettia asked finally.

"I want to change Hayll. Not just a little and not just for the benefit of a select few. I want to change it for everyone."

"At what cost?"

"Whatever cost necessary." Bethaeny paused. "Even if it means standing against you, cousin."

Ettia was visibly shocked. No doubt, she'd expected Bethaeny to come around to her point of view eventually. She wasn't going to. Not anymore.

"How dare you turn on me! I was the one who saved you back in Draega. Meredith would have torn you apart if not for me taking an interest in you. And this is how you repay me for it?"

"One thing has nothing to do with the other, Ettia. I do appreciate all you did for me. But that doesn't mean I have to do what you say for the rest of my life."

A hush fell over the tables around them, and she realized how loud they'd been arguing. Lord Willem was eyeing them from across the room, seemingly ready to jump in should the confrontation turn to a physical fight. And she supposed that he had good reason to worry. Ettia was livid, and Bethaeny wasn't feeling much calmer.

The Warlord casually approached their table. The man was brave, or stupid. He sat right next to Ettia, and leaned on the smooth wooden planks of the table.

"So, I'm sensing that the discussion here is going less than peacefully."

"Your powers of deduction are astounding, Warlord."

"I didn't need anything more than a working set of ears, Lady Ettia."

Her cousin grumbled something under her breath, but Lord Willem ignored it. He gave Bethaeny a serious look instead. She did her best not to pay attention to the fluttery nervous feeling in her stomach.

"I think it's time you told me the real reason that the two of you have come to Amdarh, Lady Bethaeny."

Uh oh. He'd heard enough of the conversation to unravel their cover story. And he didn't look pleased about it one bit. Bethaeny cleared her throat.

"Okay, so we didn't come to the city looking to start a new life in Dhemlan," she began. "We were supposed to stay here for a few weeks and poke around."

"Bethaeny!"

"Well what do you expect me to do, Ettia? He's already heard enough to guess we're not refugees like the others. Lying is not going to help us here."

"That's very true, Lady," he agreed sternly. "Now, if you'd continue, I'd like to hear more about why you were here to 'poke around' as you say."

"It's complicated, Warlord."

"By all means, explain away. I have all night at your disposal to hear it."

A shiver of fear slid through Bethaeny as she heard the threat in those words. It had been too easy to forget her fear of Lord Willem when he was pleasant and helpful. But she'd forgotten that he was a guard for Lady Claudia, and was capable of doing anything if he felt the court was under threat.

"I suppose there's no real good place to start, but I'll do my best. You see," she sighed, gesturing with her hands. "Meredith and Valinna wanted us out of the way for a while. If not for good. So they sent us off here with some false errand, hoping we'd get ourselves killed."

"I know it's not unusual for Meredith to want a witch dead, but this seems an unusual way to go about it."

"Things are a little…chaotic in her court right now, and she thought this was the best way."

Lord Willem narrowed his eyes and looked first to Ettia, and then back to Bethaeny. No doubt weighing her words. She hoped that when this was over, he'd still be willing to help them. Or at the very least, let them leave Amdarh in one piece.

"I hadn't heard anything unusual about Meredith's court in Draega," he said at last.

"Well, that all started a few months ago. A witch stole all the Rings of Obedience, setting all of the Blood males free."

"Interesting- all of them, you say?"

Bethaeny nodded. "All of them. Including Prince DeSade. No one knew for sure about that for a few months, but Meredith admitted it a few weeks ago. It's caused all kinds of upset in Draega."

Ettia was silent, her mouth set in a straight line. She could tell by how tight her cousin's jaw was clamped shut that she was very nervous. Bethaeny's mother had always said Ettia would one day grind her teeth to the nubs. The warning never seemed to do any good. And it seemed she wasn't the only one who'd noticed Ettia's anxiety.

"You seem to be very uneasy about the subject, Lady Ettia," Lord Willem commented. "What have you to say about all this?"

"Why bother interrogating me? Bethaeny is doing just fine on her own."

"I just thought you might have some additional insight as to the kind of chaos your cousin was describing."

Ettia regarded him in silence for a few minutes. Then she gave an inelegant snort and shrugged her shoulders.

"Sure, why not? After all, we're too far gone for it to matter, anyway. You want to know the real reason we were sent here? I'll tell you."

"Please do."

"Meredith has it in her head that the witch who stole the rings came from Dhemlan. Or at least she's decided blaming this territory is the best way to get her what she wants. She sent us here with a command to spy on the people of Dhemlan and come back with evidence of your spies.

"Didn't matter if it was true or not- or if we lived long enough to get back. All she wanted was something to stuff down the throats of the rest of the coven and every other Hayllian who was having second thoughts about her ability to rule."

After Ettia's terse speech, no one said a word. Not Lord Willem, and certainly not Bethaeny. She was just waiting for him to have them seized and taken to Lady Claudia. But the longer time went on, the more she began to worry whether they'd even get that far.

"My Queen should hear of this," he said finally. "It has been several months since we've had any news of the state of things in Hayll, and from the sounds of things, a lot has changed in that time."

Bethaeny exchanged a puzzled look with Ettia, not sure what to make of that answer.

"There aren't really…Dhemlan spies in Draega, are there?"

He glanced around the nearly empty common room of the inn and frowned.

"This really isn't the place for that discussion."

*That means yes* Ettia sent to her, privately.

*I know that*

*You don't suppose they were behind that witch who freed the Prince? I can't imagine what Meredith would do if she found out that theory was the truth*

*It would be the death knell for peace with Dhemlan*

*To say the least*

*So what do we do about it?*

Ettia paused, indecision plain across the connection. She might not completely trust Lord Willem or the Dhemlans, but she didn't want to ruin her chances with Meredith by revealing anything that would make her position stronger. If it were up to Bethaeny, she'd try to make the Dhemlans their allies. Unlikely to get Ettia to see eye to eye with her on that idea.

*Nothing for now* her cousin answered slowly. *I want to know more, first*

Bethaeny severed the connection and ventured a reply to Lord Willem.

"Is there somewhere else you had in mind to have it?"

"Preferably at the Queen's Residence. But that will have to wait for tomorrow or the day after," he said, rising from the table. "Meanwhile, it's late and I'm sure the two of you ought to get some rest. It could be a very long couple of days."

"Are we staying here in the inn?"

"Where else did you think you were going?"

Bethaeny shrugged. "Just figured that you wouldn't want a couple of spies wandering free around the city."

"Or in the city at all," Ettia remarked.

"If you want the truth, no, it's not entirely safe to have you on your own in Amdarh. I'll be posting a guard detail here at the inn for tonight. They'll be your escorts until I can get an audience with Lady Claudia."

"Oh."

"It's as much for your protection as for ours."

"What's going to happen to us," Bethaeny dared ask.

Lord Willem looked directly at her, and then to her cousin. He shook his head.

"I don't know, Lady Bethaeny. But when we do meet with Lady Claudia, I recommend being as honest as possible."

She felt cold again, and pulled at her sleeves. Ettia said nothing, but the look in her eye as she stared at her was telling enough. Bethaeny knew the 'I told you so' look quite well. When they were alone again, her cousin would give her a blistering lecture about how she'd ruined everything and probably had gotten them killed.

Lord Willem ushered them to the stairs leading to the upstairs rooms, and passed them over to a couple of Warlords. She guessed these were their escorts. One of them happened to be Lord Shaede, so at least it wasn't too bad. A friendly face was nice. She bade him good night and stepped into the room she now shared with Ettia.

Time for the long wait until morning.

3/Terreille

Valinna was in no hurry to answer Meredith's summons. In truth, she waited an extra half hour on purpose just to irritate her. Not entirely wise, but the Gray was only one rank darker than her Red, so she stood a good chance of surviving a burst of temper.

That's all Meredith would dare do, in any case. She might threaten to do more, but she still needed Valinna by her side. Just like Valinna needed Meredith. For now. But she'd already begun devising a way to be rid of the troublesome Queen. All she needed was a little patience.

Fortunately for her, patience was something she excelled at. Unlike her failed protégé. And Valinna was ready to admit at this point that Meredith was just that. A failure. Well, not exactly a failure. She'd been useful to bring Hayll to this point. But Draega and the coven needed a different kind of Queen to move them forward.

Until Valinna found her, she'd have to make do with what she had. She raised her head a notch and entered the suite where Meredith was waiting.

"How dare you show up late!"

"Think of it as some extra time to think," Valinna replied calmly.

"Oh I've been thinking all right."

"Have you?"

Meredith stood and advanced across the room. No matter what, Valinna knew she couldn't retreat or show any fear. Once she did that, everything would be over. She'd be no different from anyone else in the coven. And if that happened, she'd have no choice but to leave the court and start over again somewhere else.

"I will not tolerate your arrogance and insolence any longer, Valinna. I'm the Queen of Hayll and I give the orders. Not you or anyone else."

"Don't forget, Meredith. You're Queen because I was there to help you. If not for me, you'd be a broken slattern whore warming the bed of any Warlord who wanted to take you."

"And who would you be if I weren't Queen of Hayll," Meredith sneered back. "A dried up old crone with no one to nag. Muttering your dour warnings and cryptic messages to yourself?"

"If you think you don't need my Craft any longer, then by all means say so. Dismiss me- I dare you."

Her words lingered in the room, weighted by the tension between them. Valinna didn't want it to come to this. Not just yet. But she couldn't back down, either.

Apparently, Meredith wasn't that eager to dissolve their partnership. But she didn't want to back down, either. The silence stretched on as they glared at one another. Valinna refused to be the first to break it.

"Damn you."

"Well?"

"You know as well as I do that isn't what I want- what either of us want."

"Then I suggest we decide right now what it is we do want, or there's no point in talking about anything else."

"Fine," Meredith said with sweet venom. "I'll tell you what I want. I want you to accept that Hayll will be ruled how I see fit, and that your contribution is expected only when I request it."

"And if I disagree with your decisions?"

"I suggest you keep it to yourself."

"I see," Valinna answered archly. "I suppose I'll have to be content watching the resulting failures when things do go wrong."

"There won't be any failures."

"If you say so."

Meredith snarled and pointed an accusing finger at her. "It's almost as if you want me to fail."

"I don't. But you seem determined to see it happen."

"You're referring to my plan concerning Lady Ettia and her idiot cousin."

Valinna said nothing and settled herself in one of the over-stuffed chairs. A tray of brewed tea sat on the table next to it, so she poured some into one of the cups and let it cool. Meredith watched her sullenly, and then sat in the chair opposite her. She drummed her fingertips on the arm until finally she couldn't keep silent any longer.

"Well?"

"I was under the impression that my opinions weren't welcome unless requested," Valinna replied as she sipped on her tea.

"Oh hell's fire."

"Your rules, if I remember correctly I'm surprised you've forgotten them so quickly."

"Spare me the diatribe and just get to your point. Go ahead and tell me what you think is so wrong about my plan."

"I already told you what I thought was wrong with it earlier today. The point of this meeting was to give you time to reflect on it and think of why it might be better to delay it for a while."

"And even if I had, you'd still find some way to find fault."

Valinna sighed.

"Did you at least think about what I'd said? Or did you spend the whole day working up your temper?"

More silence. That was answer enough, and just added fuel to her dissatisfaction with Meredith. But she supposed she shouldn't be surprised.

"Let's say we dispose of Ettia and Bethaeny on the way back from this trip. I agree, it would allow you to eliminate some of the most troublesome Warlords in Draega. And it would spur more support for the campaign against Dhemlan."

"Two things we really need right now- so what is the issue?"

"Both of those things can be accomplished using other- less drastic- means. In fact, by letting Ettia and her cousin return alive, we could achieve the same thing. Without losing our established link into Dhemlan."

"Do elaborate."

Valinna took another drink, and then set the cup back on its saucer. She leveled her gaze at Meredith, trying to be as patient as possible.

"Regardless of what info they have, we put together a cover story sure to incense our sisters. One implicating that several Warlords are plotting with the Dhemlans."

A small flicker there in Meredith's expression, but not enough to tell Valinna that her strategy was fully understood. Mother Night, when had the witch become this dim? Had she always been this way, and Valinna had only tricked herself into thinking she'd seen intelligence there? She hoped not. Meredith was just distracted by their earlier argument.

"The more we send Ettia and Bethaeny into Draega, the more opportunities we have to build a solid case against Dhemlan. We manufacture evidence against Dhemlan, and they provide a sense of credulity to the stories.

"In a few months, all of Hayll will be primed for a war. That's when you spring your trap on our unwitting puppets. They become the catalyst for your campaign- the martyrs to rally an army."

"A few months. If we can accomplish that in a few months, why not expedite things a little? Kill Ettia and Bethaeny now to stir up an outcry. Send the next two witches into Dhemlan to 'investigate' their murders. Then deliver them up as your so-called catalysts in a few weeks?"

"It won't work," Valinna argued. "By rushing, you'll just divide the opinions of the Hayllians instead of unifying them. They'll see through the ruse and you may even lose the support of witches we just recently won back to our side."

The Queen stood up and paced the rug between their chairs. Her annoyance was plain as she crossed and uncrossed her arms. At last, she let out a frustrated sigh.

"I'm so sick of waiting for what I want. We've been at this for centuries. By now, I should have had all of Terreille under my rule."

"We're close now. I guarantee that if you're patient in this matter, it won't be long before you have Dhemlan."

"I want you to use your Craft to find out for certain," Meredith ordered sharply. "Before I agree with your plan, I want to know that it's the right one."

"I understand. I'll weave tonight and we'll discuss this again tomorrow."

"Early. An hour after dawn I expect to see you back here again with answers."

As much as it galled her to do it, Valinna nodded without argument. Oh how she would love to heckle Meredith with some excuse why she couldn't be available that early. But she'd already caused enough discord for one day.

Satisfied by Valinna's response, Meredith turned her steps towards the door and left in a flurry of skirts. Just as well. Now that the Queen was gone, she had some time to think. As she replayed their conversation from the beginning, her anger with Meredith grew stronger. She would not soon forget the words the witch had flung at her. Or the arrogant demands she'd made.

Oh yes, she would weave a tangled web tonight. But it wouldn't be the web the Queen had commanded. Why waste her time with that if she already knew which path was the right one? No, that didn't interest her at all. Valinna had something far more useful in mind.

After all, creating illusions and false evidence isn't useful against just Dhemlan, she thought with a malicious smile.