Morning rays of sunlight streamed in through the wooden slats of the closed shutters and Tunio opened his eyes. Irrawella was dressed and putting on her shoes.

“Good morning,” he said.

“Oh, you’re awake.”

“You were going to disappear into the morning without saying goodbye?”

“I have to be back at work today, and you were so cute I didn’t want to disturb you.”

Tunio smiled, threw back the sheets, and stood.

She smiled at him. “After your restless night I thought you needed the sleep.”

“Thank you for your consideration.” He gathered her into his arms. She leant into his hug and then stepped out. She opened the door and dashed off down the corridor. Tunio watched her go until she disappeared down the stairs. He pulled on his trousers and boots and, sword in hand, he walked down to Aquillia’s room and knocked on the door.

Aquillia opened the door a fraction, her hair disorganised. “Tunio?”

“I need to talk to you.”

“I have company.”

“Meet me for breakfast.”

Aquillia nodded and closed the door.

Tunio turned and walked to the end of the corridor and descended the stairs. He crossed the reception room and entered the tavern, choosing a table in the back of the tavern. Several people were arrayed around the room.

A barmaid approached, and he ordered two breakfasts. She smiled and walked away. Tunio slipped the scabbard strap over his head and adjusted the sword on his back.

Aquillia arrived in the tavern as the food was being delivered. She was dressed in a green skirt that matched her green skin. Her hair was tied back and looked like it still needed a good brushing. She sat at the table next to Tunio.

“Thanks for ordering.”

“Did you have a good festival?”

“Marvellous,” she said, cutting up her breakfast. “What was it you wanted to talk about?”

“I had another one of those dreams.”

“Like the one that gave us the clue?”

“In a way, except this one was a little different.”

“How so?” She shovelled a forkful of food into her mouth.

“Last time I was standing off against what I can only assume was a god, and then the voice came with the clue.”

Aquillia nodded.

“This time I was standing around a campfire and there were eight other people, and they chanted the words on the sword. Then they chanted the words of the clue and then they kept going.” He clenched his eyes and tried to think.

“Do you remember all of the verses?”

Tunio shook his head and thumped the table. “It was long. I think that these verses are important.”

“To the belt?”

Tunio shrugged.

“It has been found.”

Tunio leaned forward. “It was a fake.”

“Then why hasn’t the reward been reposted?”

Tunio glanced around and waved Aquillia closer. She leaned closer to him.

“The king doesn’t know it is a fake. There are people that want it found and people who don’t want it found.”

“How do you know this?”

“I was approached by one of them. They gave me money to keep looking for the belt.”

A man burst through the doors of the tavern and scanned the room. He sighed with relief when he saw Aquillia and walked over.

“Ma’am, the captain wishes to inform you that she will be casting off tomorrow morning at dawn. She is expecting you, Metilia and Gazali to return to the ship. Do you know where I can find them?”

“I will pass on the message.”

“Very good, Ma’am.” He saluted and marched out of the tavern.

“Well I have one more day before I have to return to the Fleur de Lis.”

“I also have one more piece of information that might help you.”

Aquillia raised an eyebrow.

“I met an elf yesterday.”

“There aren’t many elves this far from the Forest of Garmore. You are sure he wasn’t a dark elf?”

“I don’t know,” admitted Tunio. “He could have been, but I doubt it. His name was Paulus. He had ears like yours, but his skin was devoid of paint.”

Aquillia stopped and looked at Tunio, her food halfway to her mouth.

“Did he give a last name?”

Tunio shook his head.

“How did you meet him?”

“He was a baker who was giving away these amazing loaves of bread.”

“Do you know anything else?”

“That is all I know. He admitted he was an elf but he had removed his paint; he said he wanted to blend in better.”

“I never thought of that. How many elves have I walked past because they had removed their skin paint? I have to go.” She put the last of the food on her fork into her mouth and got up and walked out of the tavern.

Metilia and Gazali walked in after Aquillia left and joined Tunio at his table.

“I just saw Mother leave. Is everything alright with her?”

“I believe so. I told her about an elf I met yesterday.”

“Who was it?” Gazali asked.

“Paulus,” replied Tunio.

“Paulus was the name of her brother she lost,” Metilia said.

***

Ingirid awoke in her room. She got up, walked to the dressing table, and pulled on her silk robe. Sitting on the chair, she picked up her hairbrush and began running it through her tangled blonde hair.

The door opened and Anatoli walked in, wearing a pair of black trousers. Ingirid turned in her chair to face him. He frowned at her as he let the door close behind him. “You were gone for a whole day.”

“It was the Moon Festival, a day of rest.” She rose and walked over to him.

“You didn’t come to my room.”

“One of the girls told me you were with Suzan.” Ingirid wrapped her arms around his waist.

“You’re not mad?” He returned her embrace.

She shook her head. “Did you get your father’s sword?”

“I did, but when I drew it out of its scabbard, it blinded me. It wasn’t until my half-brother retrieved the sword that I got my sight back.”

“I guess Suzan came to you then?”

Anatoli nodded. “She says that she loves me better than you do.”

Ingirid laughed. “She is just like any of the girls here, will do anything to be with you. They are happy with your leadership.”

“Does that include you?”

“You know it does.”

“Does anyone love me for me?”

“We all do. You have lifted all of us out of the poverty Umeji had us in. He didn’t force us but with the guards ensuring the correct payment, we all have more money.”

“I think I should focus on this then, instead of trying to get my father’s sword. I am going to build an empire so that I can take my revenge on Tunio once and for all.”

***

Tunio walked down the streets of the market, pretending to look at the merchandise. The riddle of the Veritas clues was still not solved. Aquillia, Logan, Metilia and Gazali had not been able to work out the next step. He rounded a corner and saw Irrawella’s shop. A woman with long red hair in gentle wavy lines stood in front of several mirrors dressed in a light chemise with her arms outstretched. Irrawella moved around her in her slave’s grey, measuring the woman with a yellow piece of string.

The woman stepped away from the mirrors and started to look through the white dresses hanging on the shelves. She would then hold one over her body, while looking at herself in the mirrors.

Irrawella waited beside the mirrors, a small pencil tucked behind her ears.

Tunio crossed the street, pushed the door open, and stepped into the shop.

Irrawella looked at him, smiled briefly, then returned her attention to the redheaded woman.

“Would this one look good on me?” the redhead asked, standing in front of the mirrors pressing a dress over her body.

“That one would look great on you,” Irrawella said quickly. “The Duchess of Trame wore one just like it not a month ago.”

“She did?” the redhead sneered. “Then I can’t wear it.”

Irrawella suppressed another sigh.

The woman replaced the dress on the hanging rack and pulled another off and stood in front of the mirror.

Tunio moved behind the bench at the back of the store and sat on a small stool.

“Duchess, all of the dresses here are copies of dresses that have been worn in the last year.”

“So, you have nothing I can wear?”

“I am a dressmaker, my lady, I can either remake a dress you liked or create a new dress no one has ever worn.”

“You can do that?” The duchess clapped her hands. “Can you make me look spectacular?”

“I can. Why don’t you pick three dresses you like, and I will use them as inspiration for a new dress?”

The duchess’s face lit up. She returned to the dress rack, quickly pulled three out, and then gave them to Irrawella. “These three.”

“Very good,” Irrawella said as she took them out of the duchess’s hands.

The duchess picked up a blue dress, pulled it over head, and walked out.

Irrawella sighed and placed the dresses on the floor and turned to Tunio. “You are lucky the duchess is self-absorbed.”

Tunio smiled and walked over to Irrawella and gave her a peck on her cheek. “I need your help.”

“Why do you need help from me?”

“You know more about this city than any of my friends.”

“Why do you need to know about the city?”

“I need help solving a riddle that is tied up in the history and culture of the city.”

Irrawella smiled. “And what do I get out of it?”

“Dinner with me.”

“Sure, what is the clue?”

“The clue I am stuck on is this,

History and truth bring many to fight

To bring many to light

History is weakened

By how we remember.”

“That clue would take you in two directions.”

“Which are?”

“This first line: ‘History and truth bring many to fight’, could mean a courtroom. The second line is I believe a filler line to make the verse uniform. The last two lines ‘history is weakened by how we remember’ point to a school.”

“Any idea which school?” he asked.

“Depends on where you got this clue.”

“It was found on the bottom of the statue of King Cordifolia the Second.”

“Oh, then it would be the first school.”

“Seems straight forward enough. My friends and I worked that out but it’s the clues we got from the courthouse and the school which are really confusing.”

Irrawella frowned. “How so?”

“From the courthouse we got ‘truth frees a man’. From the school we got, ‘history is worth fighting for learning can elevate’. Which is where we are stuck.”

“I see. They seem to be two halves of the same clue. Put them together and they would point you to the new clue.”

“Which way does it go: history into truth or truth into history?”

“Neither. I would look in the library.”

“The library?” he frowned. “What gave you that idea?”

“It is the only place where truth and history would meet.”

“What do you mean?”

“History is written by the victors and truth is always the first victim. Check the history and truth sections and where they meet would be the next clue.”

“Thank you.” Tunio gave Irrawella another kiss on her cheek, and then started to walk out.

“Where are you going?”

“To the library.”

“Without me?” she asked aghast.

“I thought you had a job to do?”

“She hasn’t paid yet. I am coming with you, to see if I am right. Let me get changed first.”