Bertha gave us a cold, hard look.

"Very well," she said. "I understand you wanted to talk to me."

"That's right," Roman replied, trying not to lose precious time. "We are about to visit the King, his counselors and the members of the Court, to tell them that we completed our quest and closed off the first seal. Since you seemed to believe we didn't have what it took, and you wished us to die in the process, we thought we should tell you that we're here and we made it."

"Oh, but that's not all there is to it, is it?" Bertha seemed curious all of a sudden. "I imagine you also want to make sure I do not try to ruin your report while you're speaking to the counselors. Why don't this one," she cocked her head at me. "Write it down in his newspaper so that I am not there to botch it?"

My cheeks couldn't help but take on a slight scarlet color. "I left the Brotherhood."

Thankfully, Roman didn't take the bait Bertha was offering us. "I believe the King, or his people for him, should hear it from our lips."

"And he will, do not worry about that," Bertha said, pursing her lips. "Only, he will hear from me first."

That said, she darted down a corridor and we had no choice but to follow her. The aisle leading to the King's reception hall was long, the halls lined with paintings showing members of the royalty. Most of them had dark hair and dark eyes, so Roman was right, I probably didn't look like a perfect candidate for Cypress. I hesitated a minute to look at the brushstrokes of the paintings, and the skillfull way they'd been made, the dark and rich colors blending on the canvas, when Roman pulled my sleeve and we quickened our steps.

When Bertha arrived at the reception hall, a big room with a mahogany floor and little, circular tables --- one for the counselors, one for the guests and another for the Court --- she started her speech. We arrived right behind her and had no choice but to try and disappear as we sat down in the guests' table, the one where our friends were going to sit at in a matter of minutes.

"I would like to start off by saying that the Court has taken care of the issue with the Creatures," she said, a quick and devious smile at us. "Or at least, we started eradicating part of it. I, myself, have researched long enough to find that there are five seals that close off the ward between this world and the Chaos Realm. Their names are The Ark, Menorah, Fires, Holy Spirit and Cherubim. These seals can be anywhere in this world."

"And not only in this world," I couldn't help but say as soon as she breathed to get some air. A few of the counselors, a dark-haired and tall woman and a blond man, looked sideways at me. I also felt eyes on me at the Court's table but I did not turn around.

"You see, the first seal, The Ark, was closed by Roman and I. This is what we came here to say, today. We journeyed to the Other Side, which is the only world partly connected to the Chaos Realm and our world. So yes, I imagine Bertha is correct, and that the other seals should be in our dimensions."

The King was barely looking at us. He made no motion to make me understand if he heard my words.

"The Dybbuk..." Tori whispered. "It finally makes sense."

Bertha huffed. "I was about to get to that part of the story. Your Highness, I did not intend to steal credit from those two young men who journeyed to the Other Side on their own and saved us all. I'm sure they have a longer, and more complicated, story to tell right after I'm done. I just wanted to warn everyone of the seals and their importance."

King Abraham seemed to shift his attention on Bertha for a few minutes. "If you knew that, you should have told me before."

Bertha was caught off guard. Of course, we knew the truth. She never had any intention of closing the ward, until we'd done it, and now she was trying to use the situation to her benefit and look good in front of the King.

"The rest of the Court did not know about this," Naftali commented. "And we ask humbly to desist from punishing Bertha. She's getting old and she must have thought of this like an adventure --- she reads too much legends. I say, read non-fiction once in a while. Eye-opening stuff. Do you know what essays can teach you? Team work and modesty."

Tori and User couldn't help but laugh under their breath. I'd witnessed in many occasions the members of the Court being cruel to one another, but this was something else. Not that I'd ever been to palace to check how they acted in front of the King, still, even Bertha looked humiliated, especially at the jab that she was getting old.

I decided not to take it to heart. After all, she was the one who threatened us on multiple occasions before, and, if Jason was right, had tried to poison me.

"Perhaps," Bertha huffed. "I should be like Chae-Won. She's so mysterious, I always wondered if one day she would betray us all."

 "Quite a mysterious character, that one. Hard to pin down," Naftali replied. "And Tori? I don't know if that woman has ever stopped once in her life, looked at a sunset, read a book... those things are what form our attitude and our personality, in the end. As for me, I could very well be blamed to often lose my head in those books of mine, and User... We all know his vices and virtues very well."

"I object," the tall, dark-haired woman said. "We are not here to paint a picture of the Court, and the decision on whether to punish Bertha rests on King Abraham after all."

"No," King Abraham stopped her, and his dark eyes seemed focused for the second time during the meeting. "I give the decision to drop Bertha from their ranks to the Court themselves. For years they've been a valuable ally in ruling this country and they helped me with the Watchers' related issues. Whether Bertha should stay, or be punished, is something that concerns them."

"Fine," Chae-Won spoke firmly. "She stays, then. There is no real harm in what she did --- claiming the Court helped solve the problems with the ward. We did help solve it, after all."

"And the problem isn't over yet," the dark-haired counselor said. I finally remembered her name, because Paul from the Brotherhood was a sincere negationist of her politics. She was called Raluca.

In the flesh, both Raluca and King Abraham seemed competent people and not at all the ignorant monsters my friends described. Still, the monarchy was too distraught and too fractured after many members of the Court and part of the royal family was killed. Until King Abraham was in power, there was no telling what would happen to Meglenia. And until the Court didn't change their ways, the market in Ichor wouldn't be dismantled.

I was thinking of that as Minx, Mira, Aurora and Atticus hurried into the room. I felt relief because Mira had with her the papers she and her fiance had written down of our journey. We could give them to King Abraham and his helpers and cut the conversation to the most important bits.

Things were going well, so far. The Guards knew of my identity, and so none of them could declare that they didn't know John the Penniless was a hero. I could start breathing evenly again.

Until I heard a voice greeting my friends.

"Mister Morris, and Miss Abas! Or should I say Mrs Morris?" Athanasios asked with his best, most flattering tone. I turned around to see him smiling like a shark.

Athanasios, sometimes, used his connections to the Court to join their table at the meetings. Strictly speaking, King Abraham couldn't say anything about that because it fell on the Court to decide whether to bring along a plus one. However, those occasions were very rare, and they happened around once a year. Thus, I would have never imagined my already bad luck could be so rotten as to have Athanasios sitting right behind me.

And he'd took notice of me. Of course he had. I paid him no mind once Roman and I entered, and I didn't know he was there when he spoke. Besides, I realised that the gaze I felt on me before had to be his --- he always had a way of taking up space, figuratively and literally.

"Please, Mira can be referred to as Miss Abas for a little while still," Minx said in a very gentlemanly tone. He'd polished up, his red hair was combed back and he was wearing a black two piece suit. I'd never thought Prince Ze'ev's slightly big clothes were ridiculous on me before, mainly because I hadn't gone to the palace to impress, but at the moment I couldn't help but wonder what Athanasios would think of them.

"Besides," he added warmly. "The research we're about to bring to the King has been written down by her mostly, so tonight it's her night."

King Abraham looked at Mira for some time. "Do you already have any news..." he asked, trying not to let the secret slip.

"No, Your Highness, I haven't," Mira's cheeks purpled. "The research Dominic is speaking of is the essay I wrote about Jonathan and Roman's adventures on the Other Side. It's a rather short one because I didn't have a lot of time to spend on it, but I included my previous research on Creatures and everything we know so far of the issues we're having with them."

"Very well," Raluca said. She handed out a hand. Mira gave her the research. There was a great contrast in Mira's dark and elegant hand and the sleeve of her light blue dress and the olive undertone of Raluca's pale hand, her sleeve from her military blue jacket. Still, at the moment, I saw two great and competent women sizing each other up. I thought of Edith, and felt a thrill of rush at the thought that King Abraham was about to read her story. I'd been thinking for some time at the words to use to explain that I would have liked to give more importance to her statue, and I had every intention to do so even with Athanasios in the room.

King Abraham waved a hand. "You know I'm getting old and I need my reading glasses," his tone was, surprisingly, amused. As if he was making fun of himself. 

"Even if somebody brought me my pair of glasses," he chuckled then. "It might still take me all evening to read the research. Raluca, why don't you read it to me?"

Raluca cleared her throat.

"Your Highness," Athanasios interceded, puffing his chest out and making his black frock coat appear even bigger in the shoulder area then it was. "I should think it pertinent if a member of Mira Abas' party reads the essay aloud. This way, even if they want to add comments, they can intercede at the right time and they don't have to make anyone else pause."

"Why don't one of the heroes read their own adventures?" he asked, taking a look at Roman and I. I knew what was coming.

"My brother was taught how to read, sir," Atticus finally blurted out. "If that's what you're wondering."

Aurora tried to shush him, but it was too late. I wondered what Athanasios would say. A lot of answers came to mind.

Instead, he simply commented, "Is that so? That's very fortunate. It showed committment on your part that the lessons went through. However, committment isn't always everything... Jonathan!"

He didn't yell my name, but he put quite an emphasis on it. I was aware that everyone in the room knew that Athanasios was some sort of adoptive father for me, and so I had to control my reactions. For example, if they hadn't known, I would have said, 'Kind sir, I wasn't aware you knew my name.'

But the situation couldn't be improved. Everyone was watching silently what our next exchange would be. The blond man next to Raluca had his mouth hanging open.

"Why don't you read the research?" Athanasios finally asked. "You were there when it happened, you can fill us in with the details. And unlike the Prophet, I can vouch for you and your sincerity since I've watched you grow up and raised you myself."

There simply wasn't a way to refuse. I recalled Athanasios' words from years before. When I command you to do something, I'm not asking.

Raluca handed me the papers and I grabbed them quickly, as if they were on fire. Roman looked at me with a strange expression. I knew he didn't know what the matter was, but at the same time he was aquainted with my moods enough to understand there was something bothering me.

"Reading out loud and telling a story are two very different forms of communication," I gave the King a bright smile, as I put down the papers on our table. "As a journalist, I can confirm. Writing the articles and then declaring the words in the public square are two very different forms of art."

"I can confirm," the blond haired man said with a bored tone. "Many of your guards, Your Highness, had this man arrested for treason before. But at the end of the day, nothing came of it, so I assume it's safe to let him speak now."

I sent him a death glare, and then proceeded. "This is why I will not be reading Mira's words as not to dirty them. I could never, in fact, pay them the right amount of respect. Mira Abas writes in scientific terms and practical concepts that I don't know, while I was there for the adventure. I can tell you of the Other Side, of everything we encountered in it, but as for the research goes, it shouldn't be parlour talk. The King and his closer counsellors should take their time, read it and analyze it. I can tell you where the Ark was, and of the kinds of demons we've seen and battle. I could tell you about ghosts, and the women who gave us dinner and then wanted us to stay forever, but I cannot..."

"Stop," Athanasios put his fist down on the table. Seeing as if a long crack appeared under his knuckles, I imagined he must have used his Skill under pressure. Bertha gasped indignantly.

"Please, someone stop this fool," Athanasios finally said.

"You were the one who wanted him to read in the first place," Roman defended me hotly. "And now you want him to stop? Read, stop, talk, stop. I've got news for you, Athanasios, Jonathan is not a wind up toy. And he's more than capable of telling us what went down on the Other Side, so sit and listen."

"This conversation is becoming a disaster," Raluca murmured. "I didn't think it would be this messy."

"It's just like a night out at the theatre," Minx' eyes were shining. "But better. Real lives are on the line. Today, Mira and I will know whether we're taken seriously after all our hard work... And do not look at me like that, dear. Of course we will. This will be a night to remember."

"It's not dark outside yet," Aurora pointed out.

"It isn't, but I prepared a huge surprise for later," Minx whispered, and I imagined a party at the warehouse.

The thought of warm food and the prospect of dancing and talking and acting as if nothing was wrong soothed me. I just had to face Athanasios and then everything would be okay.

"Loreta, proceed reading from the essay," the King said slowly. "Even if you make a mistake or two with the scientific terms, no harm will be done to your team's work."

"I cannot," I replied. "This is what I was about to say before Athanasios interrupted me. I wanted to say, I could tell you where the Ark was and about the demons we met, but I cannot read."

"You mean you cannot read the papers?" Roman asked.

"I mean that I cannot read at all," I replied. "And I cannot write either, as it turns out you cannot do one if you can't do the other." I didn't want to blush, so I tried to make my face as impassive as possible. I did not bother to look around the room to see the different reactions.

"You cannot read?" Roman was puzzled. I knew he didn't mean to push it --- he just wondered how come he hadn't noticed. "But you're a journalist."

"Roman," I lifted a hand to my face in acute embarrassment. "This is an explanation for another time."

"Athanasios Ducas," Raluca said. "I do not know which games you're used to playing with your... your adoptive son. But you must have known he wasn't able to read when you asked him to do it, so you made us all lose valuable time. You made the King lose precious time."

Athanasios' face became very pale. Being accused of something like that wouldn't do wonders for his carreer.

"The boy left home a few years ago," he said. "I honestly thought he'd found someone else to teach him how to read or write. Atticus Sibian could do it, since he taught his own brother. However, I see I was wrong. See, I too had heard Jonathan was a journalist."

The explanation seemed plausible enough, and no one pushed him to say more. However, I knew why he'd done it, and, judging from the angry look in his eyes, Roman did too.

"Enough of the nonsense," Mira suddenly declared. "I will read my research. And I have an announcement to make that I think cannot wait any longer. But since I don't want to rob King Abraham of his time, I will wait until I'm done with the explanation to say it."

She cleared her throat.

"What we came to say starts this way:

The Ark was the soul of a woman named Edith, whose soul used to reside in the statue of the crying woman in Old Solima."