Hey guys, I hope you're ready for this, cause I'm really excited! This story we'll begin to get POVs that are not from our main cast, i.e. Buidheann or Operacje.

I will admit that the plan I have Ziva come up with is based on one from Harry Potter.

I hope you enjoy this chapter, and that I'll see you next week!

-owl

Kensi took a deep breath before speaking. "I need your help."

"What happened?" Abby asked, worry clear in her tone.

"Apparently I'm being accused of murder."

"By who?"

"Archduke Owen Granger of Nodian in Operacje approached Tony and asked him to stop Kensi from leaving the city so he could detain her pending a 'trial,'" Ziva informed the group.

Lady Kono frowned. "You don't sound like you believe him."

"No," Ziva shook her head. "From what Tony relayed onto me, Granger is convinced Kensi killed…" She turned to Kensi. "Who does he think you killed, anyway?"

"The head of his household, Donald Blat."

"He must have been very close to Blat to accuse a duchess of murder," Ellie said, frowning.

Ziva nodded and turned to Kensi. "The bigger problem is that we need to clear your name. To do that, we will need to get you away from here without him noticing."

"Where will Duchess Kensi go? Where would even be safe?" Lady Quinn asked. "I doubt she could return to her home, that would be too obvious."

"Or anywhere in Operacje for that matter," Nell put in.

"So that leaves Meadth or somewhere else in DiNozzo," Kate said.

"I'm sure Queen Catherine would be willing to allow you in Buidheann," Lady Tani added as she drummed her fingers across the table. "Surprisingly she's had to deal with a very similar thing, involving King Steve."

Kensi smiled. "Thank you, both of you, for offering, but for me to get to either Meadth or Buidheann, I would need to travel through or sail close to Operacje, which I doubt is a good idea. Besides, what if he follows me?"

"We could have decoys, all leaving at the same time, from different city gates, to make it hard to follow, even if Granger has people ready to follow Kensi," Ziva mused.

"But where will she be going and how will she get out of the city?" Nell asked.

"I've got it!" Abby exclaimed, doing some sort of jig in her chair. "Kensi can go to McGee Manor, and she can leave the city by way of the siege tunnels!"

Ziva nodded. "That could work. Operacje leaves first, so the decoys wouldn't need to stay behind from their own delegation."

"And Granger doesn't know about the siege tunnels?" Lady Kono asked.

Ziva shook her head. "And, even if he knows they are a thing, I am the only one who has used them to get out of the city. He wouldn't even know where to have someone waiting."

"As much as I think the idea of decoys would work," Kensi sighed, dropping her head into her hands. "I couldn't ask any of you to risk yourselves for me."

"Nonsense! I will be a decoy," Lady Kono offered.

"Me too," announced Lady Quinn.

"And me," Lady Tani grinned. "Us women need to stick together!"

Ziva echoed Lady Tani's smile. "I, as well, will be a decoy."

Kate bit her lip. "As much as I would love to help in that way, it would be frankly disrespectful for me, not to mention odd, if I, as Meadth delegate, were not there to send off the Operacje delegation. Ziva might be able to get away with being absent if Abby and Ellie attend in her place."

Frowning, Ziva nodded, standing up and pacing the length of the room. "Four decoys will probably be all that is possible. There is, afterall, only four gates into the city. The main gate, secondary gate, army gate, and back gate." As she spoke she pulled a slab of stone away from the wall, revealing an intricately carved rendition of the city, around it was a simplified map of DiNozzo. As she named each gate she pointed it out.

"Whoever can look the closest to me will ride with my horse and leave with the Operacje delegation," Kensi said.

"That should be me," Lady Quinn offered. "I will ride with the Operacje delegation, then eventually return here."

"Lady Kono and myself can leave through the back and army gates respectively, both in a single person carriage. Lady Tani can take an open wagon through the secondary gate."

"Tomorrow morning I can go down to the stables and get the carriages and wagon ready," Ellie volunteered.

Lady Kono nodded. "Ok, so if we've got the first phase of the plan thought out, how are we going to make it happen? All the decoys will need to be near identical."

Then Abby spoke. "We could all meet here at dawn. Between scarves, collars, and makeup, I am sure that I can make the decoys look as close to the same as possible."

"Abby, it is the middle of summer, what scarves will any of us be wearing?"

Abby sputtered for a moment before speaking in indignation. "Some ladies choose to wear light, airy, scarves to help protect their complexions."

"Ok, so what else needs to be done in the morning?" Kate asked.

"I will make sure I'm seen entering the tunnels, so that it would make sense that it is where all the Kensi decoys are coming from. Then I can just leave through the tunnels once everyone is gone," Kensi said.

"I'll tell my delegation what they need to know, so they're not surprised by the imposter," Nell said.

"Ok, so we've got a plan for getting out of the city, but what about when to return, and more importantly, how are we going to clear Lady Kensi's name?" Lady Quinn asked.

"I think we need to each make our own decision of when is safe or a good time to turn back," Ziva said. She pointed at a city that sat a few inches from the edge of the capital city on the map. "The Operacje delegation always travels through Eareg. Lady Kono, to confuse possible spies even more, we will have your carriage meet up with the Operacje delegation in Eareg. Lady Quinn will join you in your carriage, and you will both drop the disguises. Make sure to be seen as yourselves, then return in the carriage to here. Lady Tani and myself will return when we are certain that any tails have lost us. Once everyone is back, we can all meet to discuss how everything went."

"As far as working to clear Lady Kensi's name, Adam and myself can break away from the Buidheann delegation and go to Operacje in the guise of diplomatic relations—"

Nell snorted. "Diplomatic relations and how not to let your friend get accused of murder."

Kensi lightly smacked Nell, trying to hide a smile.

Lady Kono grinned as she finished her thought. "While in Operacje, he can possibly work with Duke Deeks on clearing your name, while I do what we said we would be there for."

"That sounds like a great idea," Kensi said. "So, to recap our plan; Abby is in charge of disguises, Ellie will be prepping the extra carriages and the wagon, Nell will inform the Operacje delegation. Then that night everyone will meet here to discuss how things went. I will be on my way to McGee Manor, with a letter from Abby or Timothy for Lord and Lady McGee. At some point Earl Adam and Lady Kono will make their way to Operacje to work on clearing my name."

"That sounds right."

"If we have everything planned, we should all head to bed, we have a busy day tomorrow."