Brinn was correct, and the doctor was indeed seeking the royals out. As he met them in the hall, his face was very grim. "My news is not good," the physician began.

"They know the prince is dying," Brinn interrupted.

"What?!?" a voice from a hidden alcove screamed.

"Mairwen, honey, come here," Aurora called gently. "I really should teach you my hiding skills." The Empress hugged the girl tightly. Tears were already streaming down Mairwen's pale cheeks.

The princess had attempted to enter her twin's room earlier, but was denied. In her heart, she knew something was wrong beyond just her brother's actions. But the blue-eyed girl never suspected death to be an option for one so young.

"I am afraid the spymaster is right. I cannot explain all the damage he has suffered, but it is excessive. I am amazed that he can function as well as he is." The doctor gave his diagnosis.

"The damage was done by his practicing magic. I saw it more than once with my own eyes. Prince Alaron could not help himself." The Emperor's shoulders slumped.

The doctor nodded. "How long has it been since he last completed a magical spell?"

Devrim pulled at his chin. The last magical thing Alaron had done was rid them of the large mole. "A few days."

The doctor clasped his hands and held them across his stomach. "That explains his shaking. He is going through a withdrawal."

"Will it pass?" Aurora clung to her daughter's hand. Suddenly the narrow hall felt claustrophobic.

"I do not know. It may kill him. This is not something that has been heavily studied… for obvious reasons," the doctor reminded them. "I will meet with the head librarian and see if there are any more books on the matter."

"Thank you, Doctor." Aurora inclined her head. "Do you have the magical water?"

The physician pulled a water-skin from his supplies and passed it to the Empress. She leaned forward and grasped the container of precious liquid in both hands. A small beam of hope entered her being.

The Emperor stared at his wife's hands. "Now we just have to figure out how to get him to take it. It does not taste like the castle water, so he will know that something is amiss if we just hand it to him. And if we try to trick him, we may lose the last bit of trust he has in us."

"That decision is beyond my scope, Your Majesty. He did not want me to treat him, so I do not think I will be much help." The Doctor sighed. He did not like being doubted. The physician had treated the prince since a young age, but the distrust was evident by Alaron questioning his every move even to the point of refusing some of the exam. The doctor had done his best, but he could do no more.

"Thank you again for your help, Doctor." Aurora gave an encouraging smile. "We will notify you once the prince as taken the water."

"Glory for the Empress!" The Doctor bowed deeply and left heading down the hall.

Mairwen clung tight to her mother. "I want to see Alaron, please!"

"I do not know if it is a good idea." The Empress wavered. "Do you think you can convince him to drink this?" Aurora indicated the water in her hand.

The princess raised her eyebrows. "What is it?"

"It is water from the land of magic," the Empress explained. "We think it may save the prince's life and cleanse him of the magic."

"That is wonderful! I hope you are right. There is…no way that it could hurt him, right?" The princess was hesitant. The thought of causing her brother pain, even unintentionally, was unbearable.

Brinn scratched at her red hair. "I see no reason why it should. Both humans and magical creatures have used it and been healed. Why should he should be any different?"

Mairwen accepted her words. "Alright, I will talk to him."

"We are coming with you." Devrim motioned to the entire crew including Junayd and Nurlan, the latter having returned after completing his tasks. Mairwen thought about objecting, but really she was grateful. They would give her the strength that she needed.

Led by the three royals, the group entered the prince's chambers. The rooms were still fairly empty, with only a few more pieces of furniture replaced in them. They found Alaron on his bed, looking even more sullen than before if that was possible. Gandr bowed and excused himself as they entered.

Mairwen covered her mouth when she saw the prince's ghastly state. Although she heard that her brother was dying, she was not prepared for his altered appearance. "Alaron?"

The boy looked at her, and for the first time since arriving at the palace, he gave a weak smile. "Why does everyone react that way? I am beginning to doubt my handsome looks. It is good to see you, Mairwen."

The princess looked at him with dewy eyes. She stared at the metal cuffs on his wrists. They looked like thin bangles that he could easily remove, yet he seemed to wear them with contempt.

Alaron noticed where her gaze was fixed and raised his hands. "They did not tell you about these?" he asked. "These beautiful bracelets are Their Majesties welcome home gift. They keep me from doing any magic. Do you like them? I think they match my ensemble."

The prince gave a dry laugh. He was putting on a brave face for his sister. Alaron did not care what anyone else thought, but he did not want to make his sister cry. He was about to be disappointed.

"Oh Alaron!" Mairwen sobbed as she began to run toward him.

Blocking her path, Nurlan shielded the princess from her twin. "I do not think that Her Highness should get too close to Prince Alaron. At least not after he tried to have her killed." Unlike the royal family, Nurlan would put nothing past the prince. Alaron had broken Her Majesty's trust and that, to Nurlan, was unforgivable. He would protect the royal family even if it meant offending one of them.

And Alaron certainly took offense. "Killed?!" he yelled so that even the guards outside the room could hear. "I did not try to murder my sister! How could you say such a thing?"

"You have two biological sisters in this room, Alaron," Devrim reminded the prince, "And you did nearly kill one of them. Forgive us if we are a little skeptical."

"That was an accident!" Alaron insisted, his face turning a shade of purple. He stood and began to pace. "Someone tried to kill Mairwen?" There was a twinge of guilt in his voice.

"Yes," Mairwen confirmed the claim. "They did it in your name, brother. I heard one of them say it myself."

"They are mistaken fools. I am sorry, Mairwen. I called for your express protection at all costs." Alaron gazed deeply into the princess's eyes. "I told Cafer that no one was allowed to come near you. He promised that you would not be harmed. Please believe me," he begged.

"Very interesting," Brinn mused, speaking for the first time since entering the room. "I think he is telling the truth."

"So do I," Aurora said. She motioned for Nurlan to let the princess pass. Mairwen hugged her brother tightly then escorted him back to the bed, conducting her own medical evaluation as she went. They sat gently on the bed, with the girl rubbing her twin's back to comfort him.

"Anyone else find it upsetting that the prince only protected Mairwen and not the rest of us?" Junayd whispered under his breath.

"A little, but His High Highness attempted to protect Princess Mairwen, and that ended up poorly. Maybe it was better that the prince did not mention us at all," Brinn countered in the same muted tone.

"I can hear you," Alaron glared at them. The two turned their heads toward him, but did not apologize. Perhaps they had actually said it for his benefit. This irked him. "Everyone but Mairwen, get out!" he bellowed. The prince shook so violently when he spoke that Aurora was afraid he might split in two.

"I do not think that is a good idea," the Emperor replied. Devrim did not think Alaron would hurt the girl intentionally, but per his own admission, the magic he used was unpredictable.

"I will be fine, father," Mairwen assured him with a winsome smile.

"She will be safer with me than with people who pretend to be her parents," Alaron muttered.

The barb was too much. Devrim spoke so low it almost came a growl. "You mean the people protecting her? Loving her? Making sure she doesn't get murdered by assassins. Those people seem pretty dependable. The first chance things do not go your way, Alaron, you turn tail and run. That does not sound very safe to me." If the boy had not been in such a weakened condition, Devrim might have said more; he was very angry. But Aurora's calming touch on his arm sent a coolness through his body. He relaxed, and his scorn turned back to pity.

Alaron could see that his words were ill timed. In a rare moment of maturity, he backed down. "I did not want to start a fight. I merely want to speak to my sister. Please."

His last word was enough to convince Aurora. She moved forward and handed Mairwen the water skin, kissing the girl on the cheek. "Be careful," she whispered in the girl's ear, "and good luck."

"We will be just outside. Leave the door open where the guards can see you." Devrim relayed the boundaries. "If you try anything..."

"My life if over, I know," Alaron finished his words. Satisfied, the room was emptied of all but the two siblings. "Are you ok?" the prince asked as he examined his sister. "How are they treating you?"

"As a beloved princess, as always, dear brother," Mairwen said meaningfully. She continued to rub the prince's back with one hand, which seemed to steady his shaking. "I missed you."

Alaron's shoulders drooped. "I missed you too. I had no intention of leaving. I should be Emperor now and we could be living the life we were supposed to."

"We already were. I hope you have given up on your foolish mission," the princess gently prodded him.

"I have not. I will be Emperor, Mairwen, and you can rule alongside me if you like." Alaron offered an olive branch. He wanted peace between them.

"I will never do such a thing. I would rather die than betray our parents like that." The girl was serious, and her words were like a knife in the boy's gut.

"Do not say that! You will see in time that I can be a great ruler." The prince could not give up on his dream.

Mairwen stared at her brother. He was almost a stranger to her. How had so much changed in such a short time? "Time is something you do not have, Prince Alaron. You are dying."

"Is that what they told you? You cannot believe..." Alaron stopped short as a sudden cough overcame him.

"I believe my own eyes!" the princess cried. "How can you not see it? The doctor said that the magical withdrawal may kill you."

"Then take off these cuffs and let me do just a little magic. It will stop this infernal shaking, and I will be back to my old self." Alaron held up his wrists with pleading eyes. His hands were itching to do a spell.

Mairwen pulled away from her companion. The hungry look in his eyes was startling. "Magic will kill you just as quickly, I am afraid. It is what got you in this mess to begin with."

"Then I am doomed," the prince dropped backward onto the bed with his legs still hanging off.

Mairwen held out the container in her hand. "Not necessarily. This magical water may yet heal you."

"Is it from the Empress? Then no thank you." Alaron did not even sit up. His face stared blankly at the ceiling as he resigned himself to his fate.

His petulance was the last straw. The Princess could take no more. "Alaron, Prince of Valiant! You will drink this, every last drop. Do it for my sake if not for yours. Or do you want your death hanging over my head?"

Jolting at her harsh words, Alaron sat up again and looked hard at his sister. Her anger was justified, and he knew it. The boy had no rebuttal. "Fine." He agreed at last. "Better get this over with." He took the water-skin from his twin and gulped the water as fast as he could.

"Maybe you should slow down!" the princess urged him with a furrowed brow. He was a man of haste, and it often got him in trouble.

Alaron swallowed the last bit and held the empty container upsidedown. "Too late," he answered with a lopsided grin. "Anyway, I do not think it did any good. I..." The prince released a loud scream and collapsed on the bed.

Mairwen panicked. "Mother! Father! Get the doctor!"