Miroslav was clearly weighing his options.

"Prince? What garbage is this? I don't know anything, and this while time you've been royalty? I did NOT sign up for this." Quinn ranted.

Miro edged towards the door.

"When exactly are you going to tell me what the frik is going on?!" Quinn shouted.

Miro nodded thoughtfully.

"Right after you're properly dressed." He smirked.

Then he grabbed Nol's arm and bolted, pulling the door closed after him.

Not a favorite topic of discussion.

Quinn yanked on a set of pants and strapped on her dagger and belt.

She pulled a soft long sleeve over her still damp hair. It was pink.

Quinn snarled, but moved on.

She pulled on socks and then put on probably the nicest set of leather boots she'd ever seen.

Grabbing another one of those yummy tart-thingies, Quinn stormed down the stairs.

"Miro, you grumpy Giant Freak! Explain yourself!" Quinn screeched, rounding a corner.

A very confused middle aged woman in elegant Victorian era fashion smoothed down her sage colored dress, looking at Quinn in suprise.

"Oh. Sorry. Have you seen a big son of a douche with white hair and a frown somewhere around here?"

The woman smiled.

"We missed you at breakfast. I'm so glad you've found attire that you like."

Oh.

This must be Maude.

"Er, Maude?"

The woman winked.

"The very same." Maude wobbled over to a a soft armchair and patted the chair's companion in invitation.

Maude was older than Quinn had first believed. Her wheat blonde hair definitely had gray in it, and although she was tall and her posture was strong, she was thin and wrinkled lined her eyes.

Quinn sighed and sat down.

"He's not very talkative is he?" Maude sympathized.

Quinn got good vibes from Maude. She could feel the calm collected presence.

"That's an understatement." Quinn spat.

Maude inhaled deep.

"What do you know?"

"Let's see. What has he told me? Welcome to the new world, you have magic crap that allows you to read people, I have ice, and I need your help." Quinn listed. "Oh! And I learned from Nol, who we've known for two days, that he's frickin royalty!"

Maude chuckled.

"Most men are groggy after they first wake up. Doesn't change."

"He's had DAYS to tell me stuff." Quinn said.

Maude clucked.

"No. No. He was in a dream sleep. You woke him up. I'm certain that he wanted to get moving right away, but the truth is that he's just coming to grips with being awake again and remembering." Maude informed her.

"You have magik. A Gift. This is actually the first confirmation that I've had that the prophecy is true. After twelve years, you really tend to doubt."

"Twelve years. Of what?" Quinn was confused.

"Ah. I suppose you don't know anything at all."

Maude got up and hobbled over to a bookshelf. She pulled out a scroll and a book and set them down on a nearby table. Then she studied the shelf before grabbing a few more papers and another scroll.

"Come. Come." Maude beckoned as she unrolled the first scroll.

"This is a map of our land. The three kingdoms are split. The top is all desert, very warm. The middle kingdom has that vast ocean in the middle. It has a huge island province where a majority of the people live. Beautiful place that. The largest and south kingdom is Elurra. Covered in ice and snow most of the year, except for in select places where all agriculture is cultivated. This mountain is the stronghold, and the castle. Its height makes it almost impossible to attack."

Maude pointed to each place in turn.

"Now we get to the story. A very long time ago, this kingdom was ruled by Harrowvan Teague. He was actually very good friends with the rulers of the other kingdoms.

When it came time for him to choose a bride, a queen, he was at the time courting a very skilled woman who was a part of the court.

Indarra was the daughter of a North kingdom merchant and a southern aristocrat, but she'd grown up with her mother in Elurra. She was very intelligent, but she wasn't pure Elurran. Harrowvan had been courting her for months. He went to her for advice and council as his right hand.

But when the Solstice rolled around, Harrowvan met a beautiful peasant from one of the agricultural villages with fairly strong magik. He sang her praises in front of the courts, and declared that he was to marry her."

Quinn had a sick feeling that she knew exactly where this was going.

"King Harrowvan married Queen Isullis. She was beautiful, and quiet. Everything that Indarra was not. Indarra showed up distraught at the palace in a rage and demanded answers for why it was not her. King Harrowvan made a huge fumble by essentially announcing that he couldn't marry a weak half-breed.

This was both an insult to her and to the other kingdoms. The other kingdoms, especially the north kingdom, were incensed at the insult and refused to make trade.

Meanwhile, Indarra made her goal to became as strong as she could to win him back. She practiced magik and defiled it. She got it through whatever means necessary.

She went to the castle and met with King Harrowvan. They slept together, and then she was promptly kicked out. At this time the Queen was expecting a child. Indarra went crazy, promising retribution. No one heard from her for a few years. But then small attacks came. Sabotages.

The northern kingdom was hurting with no support from its neighbors, and with plots constantly upon the royal family.

King Harrowvan's wife Isullis made a plea out of fear for her two sons to the rulers of the Middle Kingdom. The Middle Kingdom offered to help find a solution.

Their Queen had a gift for Seeing. She spent months working her Gift until she found a Prophecy that repeated over and over in dreams."

"My prophecy?" Quinn clarified.

"The same. The prophecy foretold of the coming together of the three kingdoms to fight evil. Each would have a match to balance them, with an enormous Gift. The first was that One of the Sons of Isullis would wake up with rage and return to Elurra through the help of the People-Reader from another realm to protect the people.

Isullis and her sons were fine for years, but when the boys were only seventeen, Indarra broke in and killed her. Indarra had already been driven to insanity by darkness and anger, but Harraowvan became just as crazed.

He blamed the Middle Kingdom for not foreseeing his wife's death.

And twelve years ago, when the boys were twenty, one of the boys was injured in a riding accident. I'm not sure what exactly happened during that time, but when the boy died a few days later from the wound, Indarra showed up and offered to help Harrowvan, who raged. Indarra killed Harrowvan, but the other son went missing. We all thought he was "disappeared". Indarra took the throne, but she's jealous, crazy and power hungry. Her influence has been destroying everything in its path for twelve years."

Maude shuffled some of the pictures around and put them into a neat stack.

Quinn blinked.

"The good news is that if Miroslav is alive, it's possible that some of the girls who disappeared are also alive, although I doubt it."

"Hey, if Indarra has been getting rid of powerful girls that she's as a threat, then how come you still have a seat on the Council?" Quinn asked.

Maude snickered.

"Everyone outside this house believes that I'm more batty than even that witch. They call me Mad Maude, and Indarra leaves me alone because she thinks I'm useless, which allows me to see and hear what others don't and to do whatever the hell I want." Maude said, triumphantly.

Quinn thought for a moment.

"That's actually really smart."

"Thank you dear. I am so glad to see that boy alive. He reminds me of his mother in a way that his twin never did." The woman's eyes dropped down and Quinn sensed the deep lonely space that filled her.

Quinn grabbed her hand.

"Can you help us, Maude?"

Maude studied her.

"You'll need a dress."

"Ughhh." Quinn groaned.