Brinn was heavily guarded by the two short gnomes during the reception. It was frustrating because she could not escape to conduct her search for Alvar, but at least none of the nobility were engaging her either. She knew most of their names, but she had no idea how close Mairwen was to any of them. It could be a problem that would only add to the suspicions Xander was having about her identity.

The throne room was packed with people. Brinn watched from beside a pillar as people bowed before an expressionless Alaron. Whatever Cafer had done had been enough to take all the personality from the boy.

Cafer was doing his part to distract from the muted monarch. Like a magician, he would pull the attention of whoever approached the throne to himself. The advisor would then direct a pleasant question toward the boy and encourage him to nod or respond in some simple way.

For the most part, people seemed unbothered by the quiet ruler. If they were honest, it was a nice change from the impulsive prince they were used to seeing at parties. And Cafer had helped Empress Zephyra lead quite capably. The advisor would be a great mentor during this transition. At least that was their thinking.

Brinn was very tired of having to force a smile every time Xander looked her way. Just once she wanted to stick out her tongue at him or turn up her nose, but he had already warned her after Briger's outburst that she should be on her best behavior. The elf could sense the violence that lurked beneath Xander's winsome smile.

Fortunately the pirate was far from her and flirting openly with a wealthy heiress, so his glances were infrequent. The heiress, for her part, did not seem to know or care who he was. She was enjoying the attention. 'Foolish woman,' Brinn thought. She turned her attention from the flirty pair to see if there were other information she could glean.

Just then, Ravenna graced the room with her captivating presence. Her pink hair was blinding and her smile was too wide. She carried herself with the poise of the highest nobility and although her title was gone, people knew better than to snuff her.

The elf watched with great interest as Ravenna wove in and out of conversations. Straining with all of her powers, Brinn could hear that Ravenna was not singing Alaron's praises as expected.

"The banners would be lovely if only they were larger," she said with a gentle laugh.

"Advisor Cafer really should have taken an inch or two off of his sleeves for the ceremony. Look how they drag." Ravenna gave the listening lady a wink.

"They must be saving up for a war, the new Emperor really skimped on the decorations. I hope the food is better." She whispered to a young lord.

The spymaster pretended not to notice the former duchess's actions, but inwardly Brinn wondered about what she was hearing. 'Did not Ravenna help with the planning? She is trying to distance herself from Alaron and Cafer for some reason. I would think that she would want to show her closeness with the new ruler.'

Brinn pondered these things as Ravenna approached the throne and curtsied. "Long live Emperor Alaron!"

Alaron was slightly interested at the mention of his name and his eyes focused on the woman momentarily. But they quickly became glassy and went back to starting at nothing.

"The Emperor thanks you for your warm wishes. He looks forward to a long and fruitful reign," Cafer answered easily. He had changed from his stained white robes to a blue garment that closely matched the color of the Alaron's robes. He appeared to be an extension of the Emperor himself. It was an excellent illusion.

Ravenna curtsied deeply and moved away from the throne. She exchanged meaningful nods and gentle smiles with the Advisor before turning around. Her smile faded and a momentary look of disdain crossed her face. It was quick, and Brinn nearly missed it.

The elegant woman scanned the room and spotted Brinn. 'Was is my imagination or did she nod at me?' Sure enough, Ravenna slowly made her way toward the fake princess. Her movement seemed aimless to the untrained eye, as she greeted and chatted with those she passed, but the spymaster could see her determination walk.

The Councilwoman came alongside the princess. The guards looked at her, but like the other soldiers, they knew better than to question her authority.

Ravenna patted her pink hair to make sure it was in the right place on her head. A small poof of powder from the wig sprayed in all directions, making Brinn cover her mouth lightly and the two guards step slightly away. "How are you liking the celebration, Your Highness?" she asked in a jovial tone.

"As much as can be expected," Brinn answered vaguely.

She expected a reproach from Ravenna on the merits of supporting her brother, but was surprised when the woman gave a wry chuckle. "I find myself in the same situation. I thought I would enjoy this day far more than I have." Her speech was subdued. Brinn gathered that this information was for her ears only.

"Has the loss of our beloved Councilman affected you also?" the elf whispered. She was tempted to use her wind magic to make sure no one overheard, but could not take the risk that Ravenna might suspect anything. But the room was very loud, and no one including the two guards seemed to be paying them any attention.

"I am perturbed by many things, the Councilman being one of them. Your brother is another..." Some of the other guests walked a little too near and Ravenna reached out and took Brinn's hand sympathetically. "I am sorry to hear you have been so ill. It must have taken great effort to come support your brother. Please come and take a seat, dear," she cooed.

The two women found seats on a couch along a wall that was unoccupied. Normally, there were no seats in the throne room, but some had been brought in for the new Emperor's guests. Brinn noticed that they were now out of Cafer's view and the two guards could not easily overhear them. Ravenna was more clever than the spymaster had given her credit for.

"You were saying," Brinn prodded as she leaned into hear the woman's words.

"Can I trust you?" Ravenna seemed to be trying to decide.

'Funny, I was wondering the same thing,' Brinn thought. Aloud she whispered, "You said it was about my brother. Did something happen? They have kept me in my room and will not let me speak to him. Xander has been holding me captive with his Merpearl. And now Alaron is not a thing like himself and I am so worried!" Brinn played the dutiful sister, causing Ravenna to let down her guard a little.

"Your brother is in trouble. Cafer is playing the puppet master even more than usual. The Emperor does whatever his advisor says."

"I think he is being drugged," Brinn said to see the other woman's reaction.

Ravenna inclined her head slightly as she smiled and waved politely at someone across the room. "I believe you may be right. When the Emperor is more talkative, the boy spills any secret he knows if asked the right question. He only refuses to answer when it comes to you. It has made those three quite suspicious..." the pink-haired woman indicated only Xander, but Brinn did not need to guess who the other two were.

"And what do you think?" Brinn tried to sound disinterested. She looked down at her nails and examined them.

Ravenna took her hand and pulled the elf in close, giving a musical laugh like she was about to tell some juicy gossip. "I think you need to get out of the palace. Whether or not you are the princess, the Three have decided that they no longer need you now that Alaron is so compliant. Baak wants to take you as his bride, and Xander wants to take you away on one of his ships. Cafer is scheming ways to fake your death and hide you in the dungeon. None of those is a pleasing solution, and you need to get out before they decide."

"But Alaron..."

Hushing her, Ravenna spoke quickly, "Has made his own bed and now he must lie in it. You can do nothing for him right now. Listen, I can smuggle out you and your ladies-in-waiting, but it has to be tonight. Tomorrow, it will be too late for me to help."

"I have to find someone before I can leave," Brinn refused the offer.

"The Council will be fine for now. Cafer still needs them..."

"I am not worried about the Council."

"Oh you mean that boy of yours, the eunuch? I cannot help you much there. Xander stashed him somewhere that only he knows." Ravenna sighed.

Brinn closed her eyes for a moment. "This is crazy. Why should I trust you?"

Ravenna nodded. It was a fair question. She pulled out a fan from some hidden recess and used it to shield her mouth. "If I wanted to kill you, I could have done that long ago and made it look like an accident, my dear," she said sharply. "New information has come to light that I must act on, and I do not want you to get caught up in it. But more than that, I do not want to see you used as some pawn that men can do with as they please. No woman deserves that." There was a deep conviction in the woman's voice that spoke of experience.

Brinn decided to believe her. She weighed her options. If she could free Alvar, then together they might be able to extract Alaron as well. The boy had seen the gnome's treachery. There was no need to leave him with the enemy. But Ravenna did it need to know all her plans. "You get the ladies out. I will find my eunuch." She smiled broadly for those around to see how much she was enjoying the pretend gossip.

The pink-haired lady was slightly surprised by the response, but she snapped her fan shut in resignation. "Very well, but be careful. I will finish my rounds and get things in motion before dinner. Your ladies will be out of the city by nightfall. I wish you would go with them." Ravenna's happy mask fell slightly. Her concern seemed genuine.

"Do not worry. I will be fine." The elf assured her. It felt strange to comfort the old lady, and part of her still wondered if it were trick.

Ravenna read her thoughts. "You still don't trust me. Smart girl. I would not trust me either. Do what you need to do, but get out." The woman gently patted the girl's knee before standing. "Good luck, Your Highness."

The elf tried to decipher the former duchess's motive as she watched the pink hair wander into the crowd. She came up empty. Something had obviously happened, but in the end it didn't matter. The end result was the same.

Brinn needed to escape.