Despite her strong exterior, inside Aurora was breaking. She had known that Alaron would not be very pleased at being forcibly brought home, but Nanny's words still stung. "Alaron does not want to see you." The sentence crashed around inside her mind, chipping at her nerves.

As she walked down the hall and through the palace, the Empress tried to think of what she would say to the boy. Aurora had a million and one things that she wanted to tell him. They ranged from anger at his actions to fear for his life to joy that he was back safely. But none of them seemed appropriate just now.

The dungeon was cold and drafty even in the summer. A thoughtful servant brought Aurora a shawl as she entered the stone prison. Taking a deep breath, the Empress walked quickly through the hall. Although her prison was cleaner than most, it still smell of unwashed bodies and others unmentionable odors. "See to it that these people get a chance to clean themselves," Aurora told the prison guard as she tried not to hold her nose.

They passed by a few offshoots before filing through another set of double doors. Nurlan and Junayd cleared the way in front of the royals and stopped outside the largest cell. It had a thick wooden door with only a small set of bars to peek through.

"Shall I clear the room, Your Majesty?" Nurlan offered.

"There is no need," a female voice called from inside the cell. "You can come in."

The jailer unlocked the door and allowed the Emperor and Empress to enter. Brinn was leaning against a wall staring at a dejected prince. The boy was sitting on a stool next to a cot with his head in his hands.

"I thought I told them I did not want to see you."

Alaron snapped his head toward Aurora. Whatever the Empress had expected, she was unprepared for what she saw.

The boy's face was grey and gaunt, with deep circles under each eye. His lips were pale. His cheeks were sunken. And worst of all, his hands were shaking so much that she thought he was shivering.

"Alaron?" Aurora leaned toward the boy and held out her shawl. The pity she felt manifested itself in two pinprick tears at the corners of her eyes.

The woman looked helplessly at the elf, who also appeared disturbed. "Do not look at me," Brinn said, shaking her head. "He was like this when I arrived."

Alaron stared at the dangling shawl and the reaction of the two ladies. They saw him as something weak to be pitied, and his pride was injured. "Go away, all of you!" he cried.

"Prince Alaron," Devrim began, angered by the boy's petulance. Aurora retracted her shawl.

"Stand up," the Empress ordered the boy. Her composure was back in place. She smoothed her gown calmly as she waited for the prince to comply. "Do no make me repeat myself."

"Why?" Alaron was suspicious. He liked her indifference even less than her pity.

Aurora shrugged. She turned casually to the door, hooking her arm on Devrim's elbow. "I was going to get you out of here, but if you want to stay, that is your business."

This got the boy's attention. He stood and followed the Empress and Emperor from the cell.

"But Your Majesty," the jailer interrupted with a bow. He wrung his hands as he spoke. "The Council made it clear that under no circumstances was Prince Alaron to be removed from that cell."

The Empress pressed her lips together. "Then it is good that I outrank them. Thank you for relaying their wishes."

The jailer moved aside, not knowing what else to do.

"Where are you taking me?" Alaron asked as he struggled to keep up. As the boy was only bound by the magical cuff and no actual restraints, Junayd and Nurlan created a physical barrier between the prince and the Empress. She may not have been concerned for her personal safety, but they definitely were. Brinn, for her part, followed behind them all, curious what crazy thing the humans would do next.

"We are going to your room. Or did you forget that this is your home where you live with your family?" Aurora scoffed.

The words stung Alaron. "I forget nothing," he retorted. Though whether that was a good or bad thing, he could not be sure.

The Empress caught sight of a servant. She beckoned him, "Please have some food sent to the Prince's quarters, and I need a least a dozen servants to meet me at Prince Alaron's room." The man bowed deeply and scurried off to complete the task.

As the group of six finally entered the prince's suite, servants were already gathering to follow Her Majesty's orders.

"Clear all the furniture and items out of these rooms. And check for any hidden compartments in the floors and wall. You!" Aurora selected a servant with sandy colored hair. "Bring six simple chairs and a table. We need somewhere to sit once everything is gone.

"Where shall we move the prince's things, Your Majesty?" someone asked.

"Into the hall or a nearby room. Most of it will need to be stored for the time being." The Empress responded. Her determination motivated the servants to quickly comply. Furniture practically flew from the room.

"What are you doing to my things?" Alaron reached out to rescue is favorite armchair. Nurlan stepped in to block his path, causing the boy to scowl.

"We will be checking all of your things to make sure you have no more magical objects and no way to contact the outside world." Aurora said briefly. She motioned to a woman who came and bowed, "Check the prince's bed for anything suspicious first and then bring it back in. He needs somewhere to sleep tonight."

"Yes Your Majesty," the woman ducked out of the room to fulfill the order.

"You will be living very sparsely, Your Highness." The Empress narrowed her gaze. "But at least you will live." Watching the prince still shaking, Aurora tilter her head. "Are you cold?" she asked suddenly.

"No, Your Majesty." Alaron pressed his hands together to momentarily be still. "May I take off these infernal bracelets?" he begged.

Aurora looked to Brinn who frowned. The elf had sat her chair away from the other, observing. It was unlike her to be so quiet when she obviously had an opinion. Finally the spymaster spoke, "Those cuffs are the only thing keeping him from using magic."

"Then we will leave them on until the day you die if we have to," the Empress said with a hint of sadness.

"Then kill me now, because I will not let you control me!" Alaron yelled. His whole body shook now, but with anger.

The Empress straightened her back as she remained calm. "Do not tempt me. Anyway, I do not want to control you, just prevent you from any more foolishness."

"This is torture!" the prince was screaming. The servants closest to him in the room flinched.

Nurlan leaned forward and spoke into quietly into the prince's ear. "You know nothing of torture, Your Highness. What you mistake for harsh treatment is actually unyielding love."

Alaron was startled by his words. He fell silent. While the prince was not sure he believed the words, he could find no reasonable reply. While he mulled over the situation, a tray of piping hot food was brought in for the prince to eat. The boy gently pushed the tray away from him on the table.

"Eat," Aurora said gently. "You look half starved."

"I am not hungry," the prince would not even look at the food.

"Did my enemies not feed you?" the Empress pressed.

"They did."

Aurora tilted her head and tried to understand the boy. She sighed in exasperation. "Then what are you afraid of? You are obviously in need of a bite to eat. Do you think I poisoned it? I would never do such a thing."

"Not you," Alaron mumbled. The pained look on Devrim and Junayd's faces quickly told the Empress that she was missing something.

"Oh, I see." The Empress took a bite of each thing on the boy's plate before offering it to him again. "I will be appointing a taste tester for you from now on."

The prince nodded and took the plate. He took a tentative bite, and then greedily finished the food before their eyes. Aurora ordered him a second plate and again tried the food before him. He finished the second plate in record time.

"You must remain here until we decide what to do with you. You may not leave and no one may visit you without my express permission." There was no room for argument in Aurora's command. She was speaking as a parent and as a ruler. She would be obeyed.

"Am I a prisoner?" Alaron looked at the ground. His expression was a mix of shame and anger.

"Did you come back willingly to apologize for your wrongdoing or were you brought back kicking and screaming?" she paused, waiting for a reply that would not come. "Then until I say so, yes, you are a prisoner."

The large bed belonging to the prince re-entered the room after being thoroughly examined. Chief Zan followed it in with a bow. "I took the liberty of checking the bed personally. It is perfectly safe."

"Thank you, Zan," Aurora rose from her seat and the others except Alaron followed suit. "We will talk again soon," the Empress told the prince. "Until then, you need to rest."

"Can I see Mairwen?" Alaron was afraid to ask, but he needed to know.

"After I get my report from Brinn and you have a complete exam by the head physician, I will consider it." The Empress left the room without looking back. The last of her resolve was gone, and she was drained. "Please continue to check the boy's things, Chief Zan."

"Yes Your Majesty." The Guardian bowed. "I am happy to serve."

Aurora hurried away from the prince's room. "Ask Gandr to keep an eye on the prince for now. I gather he does not trust the servants or guards. And inform the doctor that he may examine the prince now."

Nurlan bowed and was dismissed.

"I will rejoin you in a moment for your report," the Empress told Brinn. The dark-haired woman continued down the hall and ducked into a small, empty room as she leaned on Devrim's arm. Junayd stayed outside and graciously closed the door.

The elf was glad that she could not feel the deep sadness of humans. But she admired the Empress's strength. It took an enormous amount of control to handle herself so calmly in front of someone who betrayed her. "She is amazing," Brinn whispered to herself. "I want to be like her when I grow up." Then the elf chuckled realizing just how much older, but not wiser, she actually was.