They gathered in the council room even though it was long past midnight. Aliyah's long purple hair was let loose, falling gracefully down her shoulders. She wore no crown nor jewels, and she looked a bit less imposing and more human as if her attire was an armour she was putting on before facing the court.

"I've just received a message from Teodric," she said. Since her time as ambassador in Torringland, she became well acquainted with the heir to the throne. After the coronation, she worked actively to keep close relations with the neighbouring nation.

The rumours flew through the court that the new Queen may be pushing toward union with Torringland through marriage, but Gawyn knew better than listening to the nonsense nobles were spouting. Aliyah did consider this political option, but it was only one of many opportunities worth pondering.

"They have a victim with the same symptoms as Thalia," the Queen continued, her face glum.

"Is it a person of significance too?" Gawyn asked.

"Yes, it's Teodric's closest cousin. The girl fainted during her music lesson after eating a snack. Her state is stabilised now, but they also don't know for how long."

"That's ill news indeed. That means the Blighted Lands are playing a much larger game here." Gawyn rubbed his chin covered with short stubble. He didn't even have time to shave with all that was going on, and the stiff dark hair covering his face was itching, but it was the least of his worries right now.

"That's not all," Aliyah continued her tone grave. "I've received news of more and more cases from all over Lamyria.

"What?" Skylar looked up in surprise. "How many more are we talking about?"

"Close to a hundred now, but every day, we receive reports with new cases. I know you are dying to help Thalia, but I'm afraid this thing is starting to be so much bigger than only her. Did you get any answers from the Spirit?"

Sky and Gawyn exchanged a troubled look. He sighed. "Yes, but we didn't get the answers we hoped for."

Gawyn retold the conversation they had with the Spirit. Aliyah was listening patiently, her mouth drawn in a thin line. When he finished, she nodded slowly.

"So, the only option we have might be to kill the sorcerer who is responsible for this poison?"

"That was my assumption, yes."

"But even if we get the one that is hiding in our city, there's no guarantee they are the right one."

"Precisely. But we must get that rat as soon as possible. We need more information before-"

"We'll have to go to the Blighted Lands," Skylar said quietly. Gawyn and Aliyah looked at her. "You know we will. It would make no sense for them to send the sorcerer responsible for the poison here, where they could be so easily caught."

"But the Blighted Lands... The border is unpassable," Aliyah said. "Even if we wanted to, we can't send an army there."

"No, we can't." Gawyn slowly nodded. "But Sky is right. I don't think finding the cure would be so easy. Not after how long they took to plan all this."

"Again, I get your point, but that doesn't change the fact that we physically can't cross the border," the Queen insisted.

Gawyn and Skylar exchanged glances again, and he grunted. "It could be flown over."

Aliyah opened her mouth and then closed them again. She narrowed her eyes. "I can't believe you discussed it already without telling me!" She huffed, getting back to the role of sister scolding her brother.

"We debated all the possibilities." Gawyn shrugged. "I would not consider it if we had any other choices. Nor do I relish the thought of leaving you here without a general in such turbulent times. But with every passing day, it's getting clearer that we are out of options."

"The two of us can fly there undetected and find the one responsible," Skylar added.

Aliyah raised her brow. "Just the two of you? Against the whole population of Blighted Lands? It's madness!"

"We could gather the necessary intel, at least," Gawyn insisted.

"There's not much else we can do, Aliyah," Skylar said softly.

Aliyah sighed and brushed the hair from her face. "Fine, you have a point. But first, let's focus on catching the sorcerer hiding here, in our city. How are we doing with that?"

"I assigned all idle soldiers to sweep the whole city. They should be done by tomorrow evening. If they find nothing, that means they left, or their hiding is too good, and we are missing something."

"All right. Let's meet tomorrow evening again then, and we can discuss what to do next. Teodric is on his way here. He wants to check if we are dealing with the same sickness. I will convince him to send a unit of Winged Cavalry with you if it indeed comes to going to Blighted Lands."

***

The care house was a truly depressing place. It was significantly more busy than usual, but at the same time, the room full of bedridden people was eerily silent. The sick were all in a coma-like state, some of them stirring and moaning occasionally. Their skin was ashen, and their chests raised slowly and laboriously as if they were quietly fading away, life trickling out of them in a slow but sure leakage.

Just like Thalia.

She no longer woke up from her lucid dreams, and Skylar found it even harder to look at her in this state. She couldn't stand her helplessness and inability to help her child. She had to keep herself busy. Otherwise, the guilt and dark thoughts would crush her entirely.

That's why she joined Aliyah today while she was out and about in the city. This mess was triggered by the sorcerers of Blighted Lands and their own nobility. There was no way the outsiders could get undetected into the capital without help. Tightening security around the Queen seemed like a good idea.

But now, inhaling the strong smell of herbs and the foul stench of sickness, always so overwhelming in care houses, made her question her choices. It was worse than she expected. New sick people were coming every other hour, and healers were already stretched thin, trying to stabilise every victim. Being here did nothing to steer her thoughts away from her daughter suffering the same fate, stranded in her little bed...

"It seems it's the same affliction that our people are suffering from," a man beside Aliyah said.

Teodric was a tall man with broad shoulders, clearly used to handling the sword hanging at his belt. His long fair hair was clasped elegantly at his neck, and his piercing green eyes studied his surrounding with the utmost attention. He was a good couple of years younger than both Skylar and Aliyah, but something in the way he posed himself made an impression that he was older and wiser than he should be based on his age itself.

"That's what I feared," Aliyah said with a frown. "The Blighted Lands' sorcerers are finally making their move, and they went all out this time, not only against Lamyria."

"In this case, they will have to face both of our kingdoms. Let's make sure they'll regret it."

Aliyah nodded and proceeded to check out how the Head Healer was handling the sudden influx of new patients. A young woman, Queen's administrative assistant, made notes of what else they needed to ensure they could help everyone. She looked unusually pale, and she clearly didn't enjoy the suffocating atmosphere of the care house, but Aliyah took her time, making sure they listened to all the requests.

When they were done, it was late afternoon already. The sky was covered in dark clouds, promising heavy rain soon. The streets were swiftly emptied, as everyone was returning hastily to their homes or finding another shelter nearby.

"Are you sure you don't want to wait for the rain to pass, Your Highness?" asked the Guard Commander, eyeing the sky nervously.

"I don't have time to wait idly for the weather," Aliyah said dismissively and jumped gracefully on her horse. She, just like Skylar, opposed using the carriage to get everywhere, making a point that as a Queen, she wanted to be seen on the streets of her capital. Her dress was designed based on Torringland's fashion, with a light skirt easily moved up and tightly fitting breeches underneath, so she had no problem riding a horse like a man. "A little rain never killed anyone."

"Let's move swiftly then." The Commander nodded and signalled the head of the column to move forward.

Skylar rode at the rear, lost in her thoughts, staring mindlessly at the abandoned streets. The rain has already started, covering the world with a hazy curtain of water pouring down and flooding the cobblestones in seconds. It was a pure coincidence that Sky caught a movement on one of the roofs on the right - a gleam of steal where there should be none.

Her mind immediately jumped up to focus as she drew her sword and bellowed, "Hostiles up on the right! Protect the Queen!"

The bolts woodshed through the air before she finished her sentence, but the guards were already around Aliyah. Two of them grunted and fell to the ground. Battle cries pierced the air, and more masked figures ran from nearby alleys.

Skylar was not wasting any time, blocking the rear of the street using the mass of her horse and hacking down any bandits who dared to get near. But the real challenge was those crossbowmen on the roof. She raised her shield, deflecting another two bolts aimed at her. It was not the first assassination attempt, and Skylar knew she should trust others to do their part.

Teodric whistled, and after a few seconds, shadows covered the alleyway. Four winged horses with armoured riders swooped down to the rooftops, welcomed with surprised screams, and soon the lifeless bodies fell to the cobblestones with dull thuds, splashing the water around and painting it red.

Though it seemed vicious, the whole skirmish was over in just a few moments. Skylar steered her horse to get closer to Aliyah.

"Are you all right, Your Highness?" she asked.

Aliyah was still on her mount and looked unharmed. She raised a buckler on her left arm in salute. Skylar was giving her fighting lessons for some time now. She was surprised that Gawyn didn't object and even encouraged it. The man has seriously gotten far since they got married.

"Never better," the Queen said with a grin. She turned to her Guard Commander. "Did we got any of them alive?"

"Yes, Your Highness. We got one who is wounded, but nothing mortal."

"Good. Chain the prisoner and get him into the dungeons. I would gladly learn who do I have to thank for that assassination attempt."

"Your kingdom is lovely," Teodric said, sheathing his sword with a small smile. "First day in and an assassination attempt already. You sure keep things lively here."

Aliyah shrugged. "I told you our people are very fond of the traditions. Like regicide. Now let's move on and get out of this rain!"