The music would not come. Her fingers hovered above the flute like swaying branches but never danced across the polished surface. It was one thing to know she was unwelcomed; it was quite another to know she had an enemy.

Duchess Ysel had been brutal in their encounter as she and Ybieth, who had become her handmaiden, walked the corridors from King Prathios' chambers.

Using her Sight and cane, heading to the conservatorium was a brisk walk. Not many people appeared to walk this part of the castle. Guards and an occasional servant dotted the corridor. Amongst the emptiness, it was impossible not to notice the woman that stood by the arch of a sunlight bathed window.

Her features were undiscernible at their current distance, but her posture made Lily think of white oak. Beautiful, strong, and unyielding. "Ybieth, who is that woman, dressed in the burgundy robes?" Lily indicated at the lone woman who slowly turned at their approach with an arched brow and a mass of red hair that crowned her head with lose tendrils.

"May the goddess Isul have mercy." Ybieth's long, wheat colored hair covered half her face and mouth as she replied in hushed tones. "She is the Duchess Ysel, mother of Prince Valdor and Princess Kiethia. I believe she wishes to speak to you. Bow, my lady." The last was said in warning.

Lily hastily followed Ybieth's deep bow and rose cautiously. She was struck by the strong resemblance Kiethia bore to her mother. The duchess' gaze landed on Ybieth as a silent command to wait in the distance. Alone and uncertain of court protocol, Lily remained silent.

"No doubt you know who I am." When the duchess finally spoke, her nose wrinkled as if the air was filled with a pungent odor. She did not wait for Lily to respond or introduce herself.

"I see you're the human my son brought to sully our doorstep," there was a slight pause, "and no more wanted than the fleas of a mangy stray. I expected," she unclasped her hands and looked Lily down as buyer inspected a plow horse. "Well, I expected more. A raving beauty at least not a plain faced invalid."

Unprepared for the open hostility, Lily's jaw dropped. She had no idea how to answer or even if she could. Her voice had shrunk to a squeak.

Duchess Ysel leaned in to whisper in her ear. "You are nothing more than the dirt on his boot. Enjoy the king's protection while you have it. Accidents can occur at any moment." There was no swoosh of rustled robes, only a void of where she'd stood before she walked away.

Then Ybieth rushed to her side and took her hand as the duchess departed. "Are you alright, my lady? You look pale."

Lily nodded once, still recovering from the veiled death threat she had received. "Come, my lady. Let us go to the conservatorium where you can play your music undisturbed."

That had been hours ago. With Aurora in Armindia, Valdor had become her confidant. But nothing of what she had experience with the king or the threat by his mother could she reveal. The king wanted her as his spy, the duchessed wished her dead, and Valdor wanted her to continue the lie. It was too much to bear. She felt as trapped here as in Mithoran.

It was late afternoon and she had not been able to play more than a few notes. Rain clouds scattered across the sky, darkening the last of the sun's warm glow. For the first time, she felt the chill of the autumn air and something more. She tucked the flute away and stood.

"I think it's best to return to the Healers Quarters. Rain is near. I smell it in the air."

"That is right, my lady. Workers are already closing the windows and preparing the water catchers."

"The water-catchers?"

Ybieth took her hand and pointed at different corners of the room where multiple glass funnels and tubes thin and wide of various heights were positioned and opened with small levers and cranks. "These healing plants require a lot of water and there are not always enough workers to tend to them all. They collect and store the water so that one worker can do the job of many by turning the levers."

"Oh, how very scientific." Ybieth furrowed her brow and Lily continued. "It means...nevermind. I had assumed magic would have been easier."

Ysbieth's thin pink lips pursed together and shook her head. "Prince Landros will not allow it. Any herbs that are to be used for healing must not be exposed to magic."

Lily nodded her understanding and together they made their way past the sweeping gardens as the sky continued to darken. The rat-ta-ta of rain rapped against the roof and sprinkled the ground outside just as they approached the Healers Quarters. "I'm a bit restless." The cause of her nervous energy, Lily knew well, and with no one to confide in there was no other outlet than movement.

"Do you mind if we take a turn around the Quarters? It's too early to go to bed and I could use the practice in learning my way around without using your sight." Fortunate for her, Ybieth was very agreeable.

They walked through the more inhabited areas and Lily glided one hand against the wall and her other gripped the cane testing the ground. On occasion, Ybieth would call out to warn her if she came close to steps or a window. After countless trials and errors Lily had not succeeded in focusing let alone learning the new paths.

It was pointless. Her mind was too busy. "I'm not accomplishing anything with this. It's best to go back for supper." She needed a distraction and she had come to know that Ybieth enjoyed gossip. Especially the kind that only servants knew. Servants whose presence went unacknowledged yet were privy to the most vital of conversations.

"Some of the elves that passed by were whispering about Prince Landros. What is that about?"

Ybieth sighed as she took Lily's hand to start their walk back to the communal dining hall. "He is in his study and is not to be bothered. Again." That was no surprise to her as well. In the past month of her stay, twice before he had secluded himself.

It wasn't much to report to King Prathios, but perhaps she could try to fulfill one of her roles and maintain her safety. Ybieth truly enjoyed feasting of the fruits of gossip. She had a coyness about her, but it was clear she wished to impart her secret knowledge. Lily just needed the right temptation to draw it out. "What do you think of him?"

"He will be a sensible ruler when his time comes." It was a diplomatic answer and not what she expected.

She attempted a casual curiosity as she pried for more. "But?" Lily urged with a squeeze of the hand.

"You are very preceptive, my lady, but it is not my place to say."

She knew Ybieth did want to say, she just needed a push. "You don't have an opinion of him? Hmm, that's odd." Hopefully, this would entice her to reveal more.

"Oh, do not think ill. He will be a very wise ruler. He will lead with his head, but"' Ybieth whispered near her ear like a conspirator, "he has no heart."

Lily exhaled a breath she had not known she'd been holding. "You mean he doesn't care about his people?" The king would be interested in learning that. It felt wrong, somehow, in reporting that to the king.

"The prince," Ybieth had continued on while she'd been lost in her thoughts. "He will look after the welfare of all of his people, as he does now. For that reason, he is held in high esteem." There was a pause. "But he is no Prince Valdor." The girl practically swooned at his name. Lily tried very hard not to roll her eyes but couldn't help smiling.

"I think I understand now. Valdor holds the kingdom's heart, but Landros commands its respect."

"Yes! That is what I wished to say, my lady. Do you think that is bad?" Her head bowed in distress.

It was Lily's turn to sigh and gave the matter some thought. "I suppose one does not need to be popular to be a good ruler. The two are not mutually exclusive."

Their walk had loosened Ybieth's tongue. "Prince Valdor is everything Prince Landros is not. He's handsome, charming, and open." Birds could nest in her wide grin. "The elder prince is more...reserved. He only has passion for things that sprout from the ground or reside in a tome. It is why he resembles a reed." She nodded once in solid conviction.

That puzzled Lily. "What do you mean?" They had almost reached the crossroads between the dining hall and the corridors that lead to the sleeping chambers. These were the paths she knew.

"He goes without food for days. Everyone knows this. When he locks himself in his study," Ybieth indicated to the corridor that ended with the prince's private study, "it is days before he comes out. Mean tempered and ravenous." As Ybieth made to turn to the dining hall, Lily held her back.

"You mean he forgets to eat? Doesn't anyone open the door to give him food?"

Ybieth was horrified by the suggestion. "Gods have mercy, no my lady. No one is to enter. The last servant who did was dismissed and sent to a distant village. A tray of food is placed at each meal time on his doorstep. It is always untouched. Come, I will show you." She was eager to show Lily, just how right she was.

Lily followed obediently. When they were near the end of the hall, but far away to speak without being heard beyond the door, they stopped. "You see. It is as I said, my lady." Her face smug. "Whatever he does within, it consumes him."

Indeed, a tray of food was in front of his door. Covered with a silver lid to keep unwanted pests from foraging the food. "How long do you think he's been in there?"

"If rumors are true, then he just went in today. It will be a couple of days before he remembers there is a world outside." She pulled Lily away, but she would not move. Something nudged at the back of her mind and held her in place.

"When will the food be removed?"

"Not til morning when it will be replaced should he wish to break his fast."

What if there was another reason why he wouldn't eat? She would have to test her theory. If she was right...it was Landros who deserved more than the respect of his people.