The tea kettle was bubbling but not whistling yet. Pandora pulled down a few mugs and the tea leaves. Aurora’s hands trembled at the kitchen table as she tried to focus on her needlepoint.

"How much longer do you think they'll be?" Aurora asked, flinching as she pricked her thumb again.

"I don't know," Pandora numbly spooned tea leaves into the little bags. Every movement out of the corner of her eyes made her jerk her head toward the window. But with nothing to be seen in the early morning dark, she would look back to her tea leaves. Aurora put her needlepoint down to rub her swollen eyes.

“Aurora, you can go to bed if you need to,” Pandora offered. Aurora shook her head.

“How can I sleep? How can any of us sleep?” She asked, her fingers digging into her curled hair. “This whole situation. Seren, the Queen… What would have happened if we had been home?” The tea kettle started to sing.

“Probably nothing,” Pandora said. Mechanically taking the kettle off the fire. She poured the water into the porcelain teapot. “Vanda said the assailants only attacked her when they noticed her. They didn’t even come near the house or cross the gardens.”

“We could have stopped it if one of us stayed back,” Aurora sniffed as a few stray tears dropped onto the needlepoint. Pandora brought the mugs to the table and placed a hand onto Aurora’s.

“There’s nothing we can do about the past. Just how we let it shape our actions.” Pandora offered her wisdom but it didn’t change the trembling in Aurora’s lip or the tears welling up in her eyes. The door opened and the women froze. Their eyes widened and their mouths dropped. Pandora pivoted and ran toward the kitchen archway. Aurora threw the chair back as she launched up to her feet and ran after Pandora.

Eoin entered the house and stepped aside for James. Pandora and Aurora leaned out of the kitchen, suspiciously.

“Pandora, Aurora,” Eoin said as he closed the door. “This is Prince James of Sjodyr. While Nitya works on that antidote with Kyi. I’ll show him Seren and we can start planning on how we could get to the castle gardens and the gold apples in it.” Pandora stepped back in alarm.

“I thought just the one could create an antidote,” Pandora shook her head.

“It could, but it also might not.” Eoin explained. “But if we can get to the center of the Queen’s labyrinth then there’s more there. Which we can use.” Pandora nodded.

“I’ll put out some more mugs, I just made tea.” Pandora turned back into the kitchen stiffly.

“I’ll show you up to Seren’s room,” Eoin said. Aurora gave a small wave as James passed. He gave a stiff wave back. Eoin showed James up the two flights of stairs and to the closed door.

“This is theirs,” He gestured to the door. “Lantern’s on the left,” James looked between him and the door. Eoin took a step back and shifted uncomfortably. James stepped forward and opened the door. The morning sun was just peeking up and turning the sky red and orange. The room was thick with a haunted silence. James turned on the light and his heart sunk. The strength was drained right out of him. He was weak in the knees as he entered the room.

He fell onto the end of the bed, leaning forward on impulse to press his hand to their neck. Trying to find a pulse. James let out a breath of relief when he felt the weak but steady beat. His hand drifted to theirs. Their skin was ice cold when he held their hand.

Their eyelids were bruised and made a dark mask around their eyes. It was the only color their skin had. Even their lips had become a pale ashen color. Holding their hand, James noticed The bandages under the covers. He pulled them back to show the blood soaked bandages around Seren's chest. A bloom of dark dried blood that had gone muddy orange. James kissed Seren’s hand before placing it over their chest. He pulled the covers up over their shoulders. He brushed Seren’s dirty hair out of their face and stood up. He turned out the light and shut the door behind him. Eoin had left the hall and gone downstairs already. James went down the stairs keeping an eye on the pattern of the floor. He counted the steps down and back to the living room. The three house occupants were sitting with steaming mugs. On the table was a tea tray with a fourth cup, a teapot, a small milk jug, and a sugar bowl with a little spoon.

Eoin motioned him over from the couch. Pandora looked up from her papers and Aurora looked up from her mug..

“We have a map,” Eoin gestured to the papers Pandora held as James came over and sat on the opposite side of the couch. “Seren drew one up of the escape routes,”

“For the dungeons,” Pandora said before taking a sip of her tea. “We need to get into the gardens. The gardens are more populated, more guarded. The servant’s quarters are right there. Every window in the Queen’s side of the castle overlooks the gardens.

“We get up that high we could make a map of the labyrinth,” Aurora said.

“No.” James shook his head and took the fourth mug. “The labyrinth goes on for so long and the walls are so high that even from the roof you wouldn’t be able to see the center. Not only that but the entire labyrinth opening is closed off. Barriers and all.”

“Guards?”

“Not that I remember but they might not be posted at the entrance. Watching from somewhere else instead,” James explained.

“We’ll need to attract the attention of the guards so if there is a watch, it’ll be lessened.” Eoin dictated.

“With Seren,” Aurora paused. Struggling to find the words. “Down and out. Would the Queen even be worried about someone trying to enter the labyrinth?”

“Can we afford to make that assumption?” Pandora asked. Eoin nodded in agreement.

“I think I’m starting to get an idea.” Eoin said. A tiny glimmer of mischief appeared in his eyes again.

-----

“What is that?” The captain of the royal guard squinted from the top of the castle tower. In the woods there were large swirls of smoke coming up from the trees.

"Forest fire?" One of the other men asked. The captain hummed to himself and shook his head.

"Grab a group and get down there." He said. "If it's a fire we need to control it immediately."

"Yes sir," the guard said. He turned and ran down into the tower. He grabbed a handful of others from the barracks and ventured into the forest.

“Keep your masks close,” The guard called. Fidgeting with his own smoke mask around his neck. A chorus of yessirs responded. The group followed the smell of smoke into an isolated area of the woods. Where a giant bonfire was burning away. Sending the black smoke into the air.

“Nomads?” One of the guards asked.

“If it’s a camp then where are the items? Tents or any kind of possessions?” Another asked.

“Spread out,” the leader said. "Keep close, look for any signs of life." The leading guard went to the bonfire and inspected it. There were fresh logs in the pit. In the middle was a black bag in the midst of being burned to ash which was causing the smoke. The leader stood up to yell but a sweet smell suddenly covered his mouth. A handful of dried herbs flew into the fire making the fire spark and the smoke go white...

Kyi rolled their shoulders and stood up. The guards were stripped of their armor and tied together.

"How long will they be out?" Kyi called to Pandora. She looked up from the bonfire she’d smothered.

“Probably a few hours,” Pandora wiped her hands off on her pants. “You got the armor?”

“Yup,” Kyi jumped up onto the back of the cart. They looked through each crate in the back of the cart. “Everything but the unmentionables… You think we should take those too?”

“No,” Pandora chastised as she jumped up on the back of the cart with them. “We can leave them with their dignity.”

“Should we though?” Kyi asked with a smug smile. Pandora rolled her eyes.

“We’ve already wasted too much time here,” Pandora said. She climbed up into the driver’s seat. “Sit down, we have to meet up with the others. Quickly.” Kyi fell onto one of the crates as Pandora coaxed the horse into moving. The horse and cart found the road and was spurred into full speed. Careening down the road and turning down a side road so fast it tilted onto two wheels. Kyi jumped to the side and the cart landed with a few bounces.

"Hope you don't plan on driving like this the entire time!" Kyi yelled.

"Shove it!" Pandora yelled back. Her nerves were on fire. Adrenaline was coursing through her so fast it had her shaking. The jumping of the cart wasn’t registering in her mind or sight. Even Kyi, when they spoke, sounded far away. Pandora drove the cart to an abrupt stop at the edge of the road. The cart’s speed almost snapped the harness and ran over the horse. Kyi stood up from between the crates. Having found the shelter between the crates to be the safest place for the journey.

“How on earth did you not draw attention driving like that?” Eoin remarked as he stepped out of the treeline.

“Let’s hurry. We have less than an hour.” Pandora jumped from the drivers seat.

“You think it’ll take us that long to change?” Aurora asked. Jumping into the back of the cart with Kyi and inspecting the crates.

“More importantly, what do we do with Seren?” James readjusted his grip on Seren’s unconscious body.

“I have an idea-”

“No.” Pandora shut down Eoin before he could elaborate on his idea. He crossed his arms at her.

“You don’t even know what I was going to say.”

“We’re not going to dress them up and have them drive the cart.” Pandora insisted. A broad smile broke over Eoin’s face.

“You know me so well,” He said. “I hate it.”

“Guys! Focus.” Kyi snapped their fingers from the cart. “We gotta get dressed up and ready to party.”

-----

The Queen glared with a frown deep enough to curdle milk. The apple tree had turned a dark black charred color. With only a few pitifully small blossoms. She tightened her crossed arms. Looking down to the gnarled roots that opened into the little hovel. Her normal gardening tricks had done nothing. Bark peeled off the tree in flakes and rotted the grass and soil.

A branch creaked and snapped. Falling to the ground and breaking to pieces on the ground. The blackened rot seeped into the ground from the pieces.

The Queen shook her head and ducked into the hole and started to her books. Running a finger over the spines until reaching a vibrant emerald green cover with gold trim. The Queen flipped through the book of fae magic until a picture of a rotten tree caught her attention.

"Nature's Mockery?" The Queen read aloud. "Both a curse and disease. Nature's Mockery is known for its rotten appearance. Widely believed to be caused when a plant or living thing is tethered to fae magic and the magic rots. Thus giving such an appearance. There is no known cure for Nature's Mockery. Only untethering and burning the afflicted." The Queen slammed the book shut and threw it across the room.

"Rotten magic!" The Queen shrieked, "I'll-" she grabbed another book to throw but paused. She flipped open the leather book and stopped on a page.

"I'll just make a slight adjustment," The Queen said. "A small change. That should work. Untether and swap. Should be simple enough…" The Queen read the passage again, then a few more times after that. Cataloguing everything she'd need. She tucked the book by her side and left the hole. Not bothering to hide it, who would find it? Now that she was the only one who knew the labyrinth. The only living one, that was. Remembering that put a smile on the Queen's face.

"A slight setback, but nothing to be concerned over." She smiled as she went through the labyrinth.

"You're majesty!" Sawyer yelled as the Queen exited the green vine walls.

"Ah! Sawyer, just the young woman I wanted to see." The Queen smiled and held out her hand for the maiden to take. Sawyer flushed and ran to the Queen's hand. She curtsied before the alarm returned to her face.

"The captain of the royal guard was looking for you!" She said urgently. "He says seven of his men returned without their uniforms! They were ambushed in the forest!" The Queen's smile vanished. She shoved Sawyer aside and stormed toward the castle.

"You think it's the house mates?" Sawyer ran alongside the Queen.

"Who else would it be, you stupid girl!" The Queen snapped over her shoulder. Sawyer slowed and kept a healthy distance between her and the Queen. The older woman burst into the ballroom and charged through the halls to the captain’s study. Where maps and lists were covering every surface. The captain of the guard was standing over the table with three other royal guards standing in the room.

“Ma’am,”

“What happened!” The Queen roared at him. He was taken slightly aback by her yells but recovered enough to pull a few papers from the desk behind him.

“There was black smoke coming from the forest,” He placed the sheets of paper in a pile on the opposite side of the table. “I sent a party in, prepared for a wildfire. They have returned recently stripped of all clothing, save their undergarments. These are the statements. They agree it was two, a woman and another with pink hair.” The Queen took the sheets and read through them quickly.

“I’m gathering all guards already within the castle. Confirming their identities, and removing their purple sashes.” The captain stood up straight. “Those who live outside the castle are being sent home at the gates.”

“You will not remove the sashes,” The Queen tossed the papers onto the table.

“But if we take the sashes off when we confirm the identities-” The captain started but was cut off.

“You. Will. Not. Remove the sashes,” The Queen said. Enunciating every syllable.

“Yes ma’am,” the captain nodded. “After confirming the identities of our people, we need to visually differentiate them. Keep them separate from those who haven’t been confirmed.”

“Very well, we’ll add something innocuous. A second sash,” The Queen approached one of the guards. Beads of sweat appeared on the guard’s forehead when the Queen began fussing with their attire.. “We’ll put it over top of the first so you can hardly see it. Then we won’t have to separate them.”

“We should start with the night-shift. I’ve sent home the ones who live off site. The day shift who live off site are being sent home until we’ve got a system to identify them.” The captain pulled more sheets from the piles. “Most of what we’re working with right now are the ones who’ve been awake and patrolling all night.” The Queen turned. She looked at the small pile of papers that signified the guards who were still in the castle. In contrast to the massive pile of the guards who lived in the town and weren’t present.

“Any day-shift that are here?” She asked.

“A handful. Most are already at their assigned posts. There are quite a few large gaps and no reliefs for breaks or meals.” The captain said.

“I’ll get the staff to bring meals, until we recover those suits we’ll work with what we have.” The Queen said. “Any night shift that are capable can cover the gaps in the mornings and evenings. Those that are out will be out until recovery. If they want to keep their jobs they’ll find those suits.” The Captain shook his head.

“We can’t do that!” The captain objected, picking up the stack of papers. “We’re barely operating! We can barely defend a single person let alone an entire castle! We certainly can’t operate like this for more than a day!”

“Until those uniforms are found any and every guard not identified is a threat and will be treated as such!” The Queen slammed her hand onto the table to punctuate her point. “If the only thing defended here is me then so be it!” The Queen turned and stormed out of the study. The three guards in the room let out a collective sigh of relief.

“Don’t relax yet,” the captain said with a glare at the empty doorway. “It’s about to get an awful lot harder.”