After Brooks left with Miss Serefina, the castle was quiet, having finally calmed everyone down with the lie Brooks had come up with. News of King Adrien and Queen Selena's deaths had not spread, so we were able to keep any rumors contained.

Unfortunately for us, things were about to get a lot more complicated. Margarette had delivered the fake news to her trusted contact in Okladell. They seemed suspicious, and of all ways to react, were considering seceding from the Alliance.

The Alliance was a group of allied continents, first formed during Myrna, a world war that occurred 250 years ago. The Alliance consists of Aegravear, Aveatall, Okladell, Zistolyn, Deoseazan, and Aeddodore. The kingdoms had teamed up to fight against Usheotora, who was the dominant world power at the time.

Due to reasons unknown, Usheotora allied itself with the Cursed Ones, a race of Mystic that turned feral. Leading them was Clarice Aaliyah Aenens, sister to King Adrien and step-sister to Queen Selena.

A meeting of the Alliance to discuss this perilous situation was beginning, and our goal was to convince them to stay at all costs. Aegravear was already unstable enough without a proper ruler; there was no one to lead us. Princess Serefina vanished in the night with Brooks, and the King and Queen were dead. We could not allow the Alliance to fall apart as well.

"At a time like this, we need to be united more than anything. The Princess is being guarded by the best that Aegravear can offer. She is being taken to a discreet location until this situation is sorted out. Please be patient!"

I was negotiating with representatives from all our allies and the King's Council. The clamor was almost unbearable. Everyone was yelling at each other, fists shaking at one another.

I was fed up with the racket. Pounding my fist on the table, I yelled, "SILENCE!!" At once, all noise ceased. The Council members gazed at me, many with supportive gestures. Once it was completely quiet, I sighed, rubbing the newly-formed crease between my brows.

"Please, everyone, calm down. Plans have been made in case this were to ever happen. They have already been put into motion. Now, if you have any questions, please, one at a time."

As a whole, people started talking again. Glaring at the group, I swept my gaze across the room. Instantly, the commotion died down. Nodding at the representative from Zistolyn, I gestured for him to speak.

"Where is the Princess? Is she coping with this well?" His dark blue eyes were drawn with worry. Zistolyn was one of our best allies, and had been since before the start of Myrna. Our kingdoms were not only allies, but shared a rich history together.

"She is unharmed and has been transferred to a sheltered location. Measurements have been taken to secure her safety. The King personally selected her guard." I nodded to another delegate.

"What exactly happened to His Majesty, and why has the Princess been moved? We have the right to know!"

"I agree. All the people here have the right to know as you are all our allies," I said, staring hard at the ambassador from, Okladell, the continent that wanted to secede. He gulped fidgeting with his orange hair.

Keeping a stone-faced mask was a crucial part in diplomacy. Knowing when to show emotion and when to keep your feelings in check was key to a good diplomat. But it was indeed hard to keep a straight face when it was obvious that he feared me.

"And?" The Deoseazanian diplomat was impatiently waiting for my answer. Her larger than average eyes bore into mine, but I did not let it faze me.

I raised one of my eyebrows. ""And?" And, my Deoseazanian friend, His Majesty was-" I cut myself off, staring long and hard at the door to my right. It was the one that led down a passage to the King's quarters.

"Excuse me one moment please." I glanced meaningfully at the Captain of the Guard and Margarette. They both nodded slightly, receiving my message.

Margarette took over, talking in my place and trying to placate the Council and ambassadors. The Captain gestured to a couple of his men stationed in the room.

They discreetly followed my footsteps, new guards replacing them. We had gone through this drill multiple times, seamlessly replacing the guards on duty so it looked as though they never moved.

The guards Caius had signaled to moved into a loose formation behind me as I left the conference room. One could hear footfalls running in the opposite direction.

"After them," I whispered. They moved as one, without hesitation. We ran, chasing the eavesdropper through the twists and turns of the castle halls. Finally, I grabbed hold of cloth, yanking towards me.

"Hello," I said pleasantly, a smile on my face. "Who might you be, and do tell me why were you eavesdropping?"

The spy was male, about 5"2, and had a certain kind of face. It was the kind of face easily forgotten, the kind that was perfect for someone of his area of expertise. The fellow's face was blank, showing no emotion. He did not answer.

Gripping his tunic tightly, I growled, "Look. I do not have a lot of patience left these days. I suggest you answer me, or else things are going to get messy."

The man stayed impassive and silent. Taking a deep breath, I willed myself to stay calm. Usually, it was difficult for me to become so flustered and excited. But today I had to dig deep in my reservoir to pull out the last shreds of patience left.

"Alright sir. Since you are unwilling to cooperate, it seems we have no other choice." Turning to the members of the Guard, I smiled. "I believe it is time to show our guest the best hospitality we can offer. Take him to the Fun Room."

The Fun Room was the interrogation room. Originally, The Guard came up with the name as a code for torture chamber. That was before the Myrna, the war which impacted our civilization today so heavily.

While we were definitely more civilized now, desperate times call for desperate measures. And if that meant I had to force the answers from this sneak, so be it. I was more than just a butler, after all.

It was after we interrogated the man when I reported back to the meeting room. Needless to say, it had gotten very messy. Grinding my teeth, I remembered what had happened.

His screams grew louder and louder. Sweating and writhing with pain, he looked me dead in the eyes. "Long live the Queen." I heard a cracking sound, and the man's face went slack, head lolling. He had taken a poisonous pill that had apparently been put in the back of his mouth. He had willingly committed suicide for this "Queen" person. At that moment, I knew that we were dealing with something much bigger than just a simple spy.

He should not have been able to kill himself. It was my fault for not checking if he had any such manner of devices on his person. His loyalty had been unwavering to the end. Approaching the Captain and Margarette, I shook my head. Whispering, "I couldn't get anything out of him. He committed suicide."

These words held an important meaning. Life was not taken lightly in Edreatis. Each baby's birth, no matter who's, was celebrated with great revel. It was especially precious because the birth rate declined a tiny bit each year. These few facts meant that the spy was fully devoted to this "Queen". Enough to the point where he would sacrifice his life for her services.

They both frowned. We were doing that far too often these past few days. By this time, the meeting was over. "How did it go?"

Margarette spoke. "It was as we expected it to. We managed to calm the representatives down, and I believe we also managed to convince the delegate from Okladell to stay for now. Though I am not sure how long they will be willing to wait."

"I concur. We need a plan of action," the Captain agreed.

I nodded my head. "Yes we do. But for now, we must hold out. Serefina will not only be hidden by the Mystics, but trained by them as well. When she is ready, she will come back to take the crown. Until that time comes, we must do what we can to prevent disaster from befalling Aegravear."

"My friends, I will do what is necessary, in the name of the King, may he rest in peace," Caius solemnly swore. Margarette and I took the same vow. For as long as we three lived, we would protect the peace of this land, and those beyond our reach to the best of our ability.