I arrived for lunch on Tuesday, 28th, Maalisku beside myself. Rebecka sat with my family while I sat with my crew, which meant we flanked Alice.

“Arillia, How did you do this?” The Queen asked. “And why?”

“Martinia has provided a glamour spell to perfect Rebecka’s disguise,” Rebecka stated as she pointed at me. “And we have taken this extra step because the witch on trial was myself, not Polly.”

“Really?” Polly asked me.

“I have invited you to this meeting so you will know this trick.” Rebecka continued. “But first, the most obvious test, as Alice can surely distinguish between us.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Alice spoke to Rebecka. “Rebecka has never mimicked your voice so perfectly.”

I spoke up at this point. “But the glamour also disguises the voice to match.”

“What!” Alice looked back and forth between us.

“Is there anybody else with a mundane test before we switch to the magical?” Rebecka waited a moment. “Yes, Elizabeth?”

“Rebecka, you carry yourself differently than Her Highness here does.”

“Any other guesses before we move past mundane means?” Rebecka asked, then after a moment. “Mother and Sister, please cast Magescan. Polly already knows, of course.”

Carnel stood, pulled out her wand, and cast Magescan. “You cast the same spell on yourself?”

“But of course,” Rebecka answered. “Who would expect me to cover myself with an illusion of myself?”

Carnel sat down. “I agree with Elizabeth, but for the opposite reason.” She pointed at me. “Arillia, you are just barely adjusting your posture in response to local mana flows. I’d never notice if you two weren’t sitting next to each other. Polly?”

“Your Highness is correct. But I would not be so sure if they had both been wearing bound spirits.”

“Come stand before me, you two.” The Queen gestured us over and studied the two copies of my face. “I am a failure as a mother since I can’t even identify my firstborn when she is standing right in front of me. Why did you do this? And please have only the real Arillia answer this time.”

“It’s for my abduction this weekend.”

“What?”

“My agent in Spearland has informed me of all the plot details, including descriptions of the persons being sent. We will contrive some excuse for how we caught them and then roll up the rest of their organization.”

“This need for tricks and spies inside my own country.” The king studied our twined faces, then turned to the queen. “She gets this from your side of the family.”

“Yes, Dear. But I blame you for Arillia’s handsome demeanor and zest for adventure.” Then the queen turned back to me. “This weekend may be a problem. Duchess Ulyana has written to me that Duke Gustav will take his family on a trip outside the country next week.”

“I’ve spooked the bird, and he’s trying to fly to safety?”

“Apparently so, Dear.”

“Then Sir Olmec shall have his wedding this evening.”

“Sir?”

“You must to knight him, Father.”

I sent for the to-be-wed couple and sat with them with my mother and sister to review the accounting problem in Port Linton. Oliver put his training as a merchant’s son to work and helped identify specific issues for Father to put into his writ against Uncle Gustav.

Then there was a great rush to prepare for the wedding. I served as Amelia’s bridesmaid to help this “stable girl” prepare.

At the ceremony, Father first knighted Sir Olmec, and then Sir Amadev escorted his daughter in for the King to preside over their wedding.

That night, my keen hearing let me eavesdrop on what occurred in the next room and, hence why Rebecka so readily agreed to the perfection of her disguise.

“You’re Rebecka, not Arillia, right?”

“Can’t you tell, Alice?”

“No, I can’t.”

“Here, let me take off my clothes so you can get a closer look.”

“But I’ve never seen the princess naked!”

“You have now. Perhaps if I remove your clothes, it’ll help.”

“If you are Arillia, then please stop this.”

“Why don’t you stop me?”

“You know I’m no match for either of you.”

“I think we’re well matched as it is.”

There were a few minutes of physical activity, and then Alice cried out, “Arillia!” more loudly than I’d ever heard her before.

“Is Your Highness enjoying this?” Polly asked me.

“Oh, I’m flattered, not offended, but I will enjoy this more.” I dug into her.

On Wednesday, 29th, Maalisku, I left instructions for Elizabeth and Polly to remain at Carnel’s side to ensure her safety, especially as she was to continue classes for her dozen students in the castle library. Rebecka assured me that she could command the guard by herself to roll up the abduction plot and would watch for the individuals that Debbie had described to me.

I then set out with Oliver and Amelia. We made good time and arrived at Linton Castle on the morning of Friday, 31st Maalisku.

Uncle Gustav initially seemed alarmed at my arrival, but he soon smiled as he noticed how small of a force I had brought.

I dismounted and walked towards him. “Duke Gustav, I have a writ from King Peter III to investigate certain matters at the Port of Linton. Will I have your full cooperation in this matter?”

Uncle Gustav’s smile disappeared and he started the chant for the Sleep spell.

I pulled out my wand and mentally commanded Martinia to silence him.

There was a bright flash and a loud boom. It took me several seconds before my vision and hearing recovered. And when I could see again, Uncle Gustav wasn’t standing before me. It took me another second to realize that he was lying still on his back, with smoke drifting up a large burnt patch on his chest.

What did you do?

Gustav was attempting to disable you. I silenced him as you commanded, with a lightning bolt to his lungs.

Sparot protects against the Sleep spell; you could have just slept Gustav.

I am bound to follow your orders. Under these circumstances, it is the responsibility of Your Highness to ensure that these orders reflect your needs.

“Father!” Zoltan ran up to embrace Gustav, whose dead eyes looked up at the empty sky.

“Darling!” My aunt Ulyana started to run up, then stumbled and fell to her knees. The very pregnant Miss Justine carefully knelt next to her, and the two women hugged each other as they cried.

“Duke Zoltan!”

My cousin glared up at me, with tears still streaming.

“Duke Zoltan, you must be strong for your two siblings and their mothers.”

“Yes, I know that my father is also the father of Miss Justine’s child!”

“He was?” Ulyana looked at Miss Justine.

“My lady, I had no idea.” Justine looked down at her own swollen belly in shock.

My cousin closed his father’s eyelids and then rose to his feet to face me. “I, Duke Zoltan Jalo, accept Miss Justine and the child she will bear to my late father as part of my family. Now, Princess, what else will you take from me today?”

“My cousin, I have come here today to clear your name of the crimes of your father. There shall be no corruption of blood. Follow me and leave the arrangement of your father’s funeral to his wife and his mistress.”

“As Your Highness demands.”

I sent Amelia to stable our horses and led Oliver and Zoltan to Gustav’s study. I unlocked his desk, pulled out the documents he had kept for himself, and compared those to the papers he had sent to the royal family that I had returned with.

“You made my father die for numbers on a page?”

“My father will also die.”

“What?” Zoltan turned to Oliver.

“Look!” Oliver pointed to one page. “Here, here, and here. There is one company Gustav relied on for his schemes, Olmec Company.”

“I did not come here to kill anybody. Have your parents identify the others in this plot and hand over to the crown all they have stolen.”

“Your Highness does not know my parents. They would rather be dead than ruined.”

“If you must make an example of them, then hire them as servants to tend to their grandchildren!”

That evening I had a private session first with Miss Justine to redo her programming so that she would now re-remember her “rape” at Gustav’s hands and attribute her silence to fear of his retribution. Then, I brought in Aunt Ulyana to make her understand and forgive Justine. To tidy up any loose ends, I left suggestions that after the birth of Justine’s child (whom Zoltan would later name Dodona), the two women would find their deep friendship turning first romantic and then physical with the attempted embrace of any man reminding them only of their disgust at Gustav’s betrayal. I had gained such mastery of that strange power in my last days.

The next day, Saturday 1st Auptrin, 23rd year of Peter III, I stood before the hostile crowd of the most influential people of Awato Duchy at noon. “I came here to help Duke Gustav clear his name after Princess Carnel, using wondrous calculation devices she has invented, noticed discrepancies in the tariffs Gustav reported. When Gustav responded to my request by attempting to cast a spell on my person, I overreacted and used a far more powerful spell than was strictly necessary. I share equally with Gustav the fault of not allowing him the chance to make his case. As wizards, we must constantly be on our watch; hence, we should always treat each other respectfully. I wanted Gustav’s answers to the questions Princess Carnel raised. Was she mistaken? Was it some inadvertent mistake Gustav had made in the figures while dealing with all of the other issues a duke must attend to? On behalf of the crown, I ask that all here honor the late Duke Gustav and the new Duke Zoltan by fully cooperating in the investigation that Sir Olmec here will lead. If you think you may have made some mistakes, recheck your figures and send the revisions to Princess Carnel. If it had been up to me, then the assassin who lunged towards my sister would have died on the spot, but Princess Carnel forgave this misguided soul. Surely, whatever your sins of omission or commission may have been, they do not rise to that level! Let us bury whatever sins Duke Gustav may or may not have committed with him and commit today to wash all hands clean of advertent or unintentional corruption. Let all gathered here today show this commitment by shouting: Long live Duke Zoltan in honor, honesty, fair dealing, and loyalty to the crown!”

Zoltan appeared a little startled when even Ulyana and Justine joined in the chant. He walked up to the podium, said a few words (that few heard), then led the procession to the Jalo Mausoleum.

It was only when Delphine attempted to reach out to her father’s corpse that Ulyana broke down in tears and had to hand her infant daughter to Justine. Delphine said nothing that day and has remained a quiet woman in the decades since, but I’m glad she found a husband who matched her philosophical nature while attending our academy.

On Sunday, 2nd Auptrin, I set out alone on Goldeneye, and when I stopped for lunch, I decided to check on how Rebecka was doing. I activated the earring and had only a vague sense of connection for several seconds, then a different voice responded.

The real Princess Arillia, I presume?

Prince Peter! What have you done with Rebecka?

Oh, she’s still here. Can’t you feel her? I certainly can

What do you intend to do with her?

Now that you’ve provided a substitute Princess Arillia, I’ll just marry this one. After a suitable treatment, of course.

Why are you telling me this?

Well, I’d rather have the real thing, naturally. Just come alone to a spot near Spearland I’m sure you’ll be able to find and exchange your own body for hers. If you don’t arrive shortly or aren’t alone, then I fear that you’ll never see this Rebecka again.

I dropped the earring link and switched to Telepathy. Debbie?

I didn’t tell them anything, Darling. Oh, they cut and stabbed and burned at my body, but my love for you burned brighter!

The link dropped as I felt that Debbie had used the very last of her strength to respond to my call.

I cast again, effortlessly dipping into the vast pool of mana that Martinia provided. Carnel!

There was a moment’s pause as she fumbled for her wand, and then she responded. Arillia, Rebecka has gone missing!

Prince Peter is taking her to Spearland.

Kill him this time, please. I’ll send Elizabeth and Polly, I’ll even come myself.

You must not. Keep those two with you. Please stay in the castle and stay safe, whatever happens to me.

What can you do by yourself?

I am not alone. I have Sparot and Martinia beside me.