Albreda made her way through the Palace, her footsteps echoing on the stone floor. She paused before the queen's office, the two guards nodding their heads in recognition.
Her knock was answered by a single word. "Enter."
The door opened to reveal the queen, sitting behind a desk. Tempus, on the floor in front of her, raised his head, then lowered it again upon seeing the druid.
"Your Majesty," Albreda started, "I have returned from Weldwyn with news."
"You discovered how to create the circles?" Anna said.
"I have, though I'm afraid it's not all good news."
"Oh? You must tell me more."
"There are two elements to these circles," Albreda continued, "the first is the physical construction. Which is, perhaps, the more difficult of the two."
"And the second?" asked Anna.
"The spell to enable it to work," said Albreda, "which should prove less troublesome."
"So you have the spell already?"
"Not quite, Majesty, but I'm working on it."
"Working on it? That doesn't sound promising. Do you have the spell or not?"
"It appears," said the druid, "that the spell is an enchantment, but I am confident we can adapt it to different schools. Of course, that means we shall have to decide what type of circle to create in each city."
"I hadn't thought of that," noted Anna. "I suppose it's another decision that will have to be made. What would you suggest?"
"It will depend on who casts the spell to empower it," Albreda explained. "The spell is called ‘create magic circle’, not the most original name, to be sure."
"Does that mean if you created it," asked Anna, "that it would be a circle of stones?"
"Not necessarily," the druid replied, "it's entirely up to the physical construction to determine that."
"You mentioned that's the hard part," urged Anna.
"Yes," Albreda said, "the construction will be quite expensive, as it needs gold and silver to hold its magic. It will also require the work of a master smith."
"A smith? Not a stoneworker?"
"The stonework required is not great, but the working of metal must be precise."
"I would suggest Herdwin," said Anna, "but he's away in Stonecastle, working with the Dwarves there. I don't expect him back for some time."
"We already have a smith that will fit the bill, Majesty."
"Really? Who?"
"Aldwin," said Albreda.
"And you think he'd be willing to come back here to do the work?"
"I'm quite sure he would, Majesty," said Albreda.
"How can you be so sure?"
"Beverly's here," Albreda replied.
"And the cost?"
"There's the rub," said the druid. "It will cost thousands."
"Can you be more precise?" asked Anna.
"It literally depends on the power level required."
"And how do these power levels work?" asked Anna. "You have me intrigued."
"The circle in the Dome is a level six magic circle. The creator, a man named Halcraft Invaris, postulated that there was, theoretically at least, no limit to the power of a circle. The only limitation was that of the caster that originally empowered it."
"And what do these power levels represent?"
"When a mage uses a magic circle, they gain additional power, that is to say, the circle boosts their casting. It would be like running on the deck of a ship. The ship's speed would be added to your own."
"That makes sense," said Anna, "but I assume that means you'd need a powerful caster to create a more powerful circle."
"Exactly," said the druid. "It also requires the permanent expenditure of magical energy."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning the caster would no longer have the same level of power. It could be built up again with further study, of course, but that would take months, if not years. It's similar to what happened when I imbued Nature's Fury, a part of me was diminished."
"So we'd have to limit the circles, in terms of strength. How powerful would we need?"
"Ideally, at least level three," said Albreda.
"How can you be so sure?" asked Anna.
"Halcraft's notes were quite precise on this point. We know that each circle is aligned to a particular type of magic."
"The schools," says Anna. "Yes, I'm familiar with the concept."
"He speculated that anyone from another school would operate a circle at a lower power."
"We've known that for some time, haven't we?"
"We have," agreed Albreda, "but now, thanks to his research, we know exactly how much lower."
"Two levels," interjected Anna, "that's why you'd need at least a level three."
"Yes, Your Majesty, but the bigger restriction is likely to be the funds. I know the coffers are low. Surely now is not the time to spend coins on such things?"
"It's interesting you say that," said Anna, "for I've just been considering something that might alleviate the problem, at least for the short term."
"Which is?"
"I'm going to sell off the Royal Estates," proclaimed the queen. "Well, some of them anyway."
"How many are there?"
"Seven in total," said Anna. "Far too many, if you ask me. Selling them off will save us a lot in expenses, not to mention their sale value."
"And how many do you intend to sell?"
"All but two," Anna replied. "I'll keep Uxley, that's my home, and I thought to give the estate at Hawksburg over to the Mages Council. They can use it to start their magic school."
"A wonderful idea, Majesty," said Albreda. "I'm sure Aubrey will be pleased."
A knock at the door interrupted their conversation.
"Who is it?" called out Anna.
"Lady Aubrey Brandon," the guard answered back.
"Well, that's a welcome coincidence," said Anna. "Let her in."
The door opened to reveal Aubrey, who bowed her head as she entered, then broke into a smile when she saw Albreda.
"You're back," she said. "I hope things went well?"
"They did," said Albreda. "I was just informing the queen of my discoveries."
"How are things with the prisoners?" asked Anna.
"Prisoners?" said Albreda.
"We captured some men attempting to assassinate me," said Anna. "They infiltrated the Palace, and we placed the three survivors in the dungeons. Aubrey's been listening to them while in spirit form."
"Very clever," said Albreda. "I assume you’ve discovered something?"
"I did," said Aubrey. "It appears they were hired by a man with a scar over his left eye. He found them at a place called the Black Dagger. Do you know of it?"
"No," admitted the queen, "but I'm sure Nikki would. Do we have anything else?"
"No," admitted Aubrey, "the men didn't know his name, but speculated on who he might be. Looks like one of the dead men conducted all the negotiations."
"At least it's a place to start," said Anna. "I'll get Nikki on it right away."
"Is there anything else we can do?" asked Aubrey.
"Yes," added Anna, "you work with Albreda and the other mages. We're going to construct a magic circle, here in the Palace. You'll have to figure out the best place to do that and then hire the appropriate people."
"When will construction start?" asked Aubrey.
"Soon," the queen promised. "All I have to do is sell off some estates first."
Nikki sat in the Three Rings, nursing a drink while Arnim sat beside her.
"Where is he?" complained Arnim. "He was supposed to meet us at noon."
"Be patient," said Nikki. "Harry will be here soon, he probably just got busy."
As if on cue, the man in question entered, moving to the bar. He ordered an ale, and once served, grabbed the tankard, carrying it to their table.
"Good to see you, Nik," he said, "and you, too, I suppose."
Arnim grunted a greeting.
"How are things, Harry?" asked Nikki. "Still keeping out of trouble?"
"Oh, you know how it is," replied the man. "So what is it you wanted to see me about?"
"We have a little job to do," Nikki continued, "and you're just the man to help."
"Really? You have me intrigued. What's the pay?"
"Is it always about payment with you?" asked Arnim.
"Of course," said Harry, "a man has to make a living, after all."
"Don't worry, Harry," said Nikki, "you'll be well paid."
"So what's the job?" he asked.
"We're trying to find a man that hired some Shadowblades," said Nikki.
Harry pursed his lips, "That's not something I'd care to get involved with."
"Relax, you don't have to," said Nikki, "we just need some help getting me inside."
"Inside the Shadowblades?"
"No, inside the Black Dagger. I need to get a job there. I thought you might be able to pull a few strings."
"That shouldn't be too difficult," said Harry, "but why the Black Dagger, of all places?"
"It's where the Shadowblades were hired. We're looking to find the man that hired them, and we think someone might remember seeing him."
"It's worth a try," said Harry, "but I doubt the patrons will talk to you."
"That's why I thought I'd get a job there. Servers don't miss much, I'm hoping one of the staff can help."
"Oh, I see now," said Harry, "you want to make friends with the servers."
"Precisely," Nikki confirmed.
"What about it, Harry?" asked Arnim. "Can you do it?"
"Give me a couple of days, and I'll make some enquiries," he responded.
Nikki grabbed his hand, holding it to the table, "This is important, Harry."
"How important?" he asked.
"Let's just say that if this pays off, you could find yourself permanently on the payroll."
Harry smiled, "I like the sound of that. I suppose that means we'll be in business together."
"Yes," agreed Arnim, "but no one must ever know."
"Of course," he agreed, "my lips are sealed."
"Good," said Nikki, "we'll meet back here at the end of the week."
Harry downed his ale, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. "Until then," he said, then left.
Three days later, Nikki was working the tables, dropping off drinks and collecting tankards. It was an easy enough job, all she had to do was occasionally flirt with the customers, but she was careful to remain safe.
Soon, she learned the regulars, who were mostly harmless, and began to recognize troublemakers when she saw them. It wasn't until she'd been there a week that she made any progress that would help their investigation.
She was standing behind the bar while the barkeep went outside to relieve himself. One of the other servers, a girl named Marlee, dumped a table full of empty tankards on the counter.
"Well, that was interesting," the girl said.
"Customers giving you trouble again?" asked Nikki.
"Just one," said Marlee, looking back at the table. "The one with the red tunic can't keep his hands to himself."
"I don't think I've seen him before."
"I have," the girl added, "but not for some weeks. It's a shame, really, he's quite good looking, aside from the scar. Too bad he doesn't have manners to match."
"He's scarred?" said Nikki.
"Yes," Marlee added, "but you can't see it from here. Somewhere along the line, he got a cut over his eye."
"His left?"
"Yes, why, do you know him?"
"I know of him," said Nikki. "Do you know his name?"
"No," said Marlee, "and I don't think I want to. I wouldn't trust him not to hurt me, he seems the type."
"What type is that?"
"I think he gets women for someone else," she continued.
"What makes you say that?" Nikki asked.
"He was in here a few weeks ago, along with a rich gentleman. They were talking business over in the corner with a third man, but he didn't arrive with them."
"How do you know?"
"He left early, then just the two of them sat and talked all night. They didn't say anything while I was around, mind you, but they were generous tippers."
"This well-dressed man, can you describe him? I might have seen him before."
"Not much to say, he was rather average looking as far as I could tell."
"As far as you could tell?"
"Yes," said Marlee, "he wore a brimmed hat that hid his face most of the time. Very fancy clothes though, that much was obvious, but he tried to hide them under a cloak."
"So he obviously had wealth," mused Nikki.
"He did," admitted the girl, "and he spent it freely. He gave a bag of coins to that other fellow, the one that left, and then spent all night drinking."
"And was he free with his hands, like the other patrons?"
"No," said Marlee, "in fact, he was quite the opposite. Maybe he preferred the company of men?"
"What makes you say that?" asked Nikki.
"He had embroidery on his sleeves,” she replied.
"I'm told that's common amongst the nobility," said Nikki.
"Yes, but it looked like ivy. That's not something I've seen before. What kind of a man uses ivy on his sleeve?"
"I don't know," offered Nikki, "but perhaps it had some sort of special meaning to him."
"I suppose," Marlee continued, "but he seemed to resist my charms when I tried to flirt with him."
"Why would you flirt with him if you thought he was procuring women?"
"Hey now, a little flirting helps with the tips. You can't expect me to make a living based on my wages, now can you?"
"No," said Nikki, "I suppose not."
"Anyway, it doesn't matter," said Marlee, "he hasn't come back since."
The barkeep re-entered the building, freeing up Nikki. She moved back around the front of the bar, into the common area, then turned to the barkeep. "I think I'm going to leave now, Lucan, I don't feel very well, and the place isn't busy."
"Very well," the barkeep said, "but you'll lose the day's pay."
"Agreed," she said, making her way towards the door. She soon exited, heading down the street, farther into the slums.
She had gone two blocks when she cut down an alley, pausing halfway to make sure she wasn't being followed. She exited onto the back street, then turned west until she saw the familiar sight of the run-down boarding house she temporarily called home.
She entered, then climbed the stairs, making her way to her room, where she paused and knocked three times. Someone replied with two, and then the door opened, revealing Arnim Caster.
"Did anyone follow you?" he asked.
"No one," she declared.
"You're back early."
"I think I may have discovered something, but I don't know how valuable it is."
Arnim sat on the bed. "Go ahead," he prompted.
She sat in the flimsy chair, pulling off her shoes and letting out an audible sigh.
Arnim reached over and lifted her feet towards him, then started massaging them. "What did you find?"
"A barmaid remembers seeing our man. He was in the company of someone of means."
"That doesn't help us much," said Arnim. "There are far too many wealthy people in Wincaster."
"Yes," said Nikki, "but she mentioned embroidery on his sleeves."
"Once again, not enough. We're not familiar with everybody's wardrobe, Nikki. Was there anything distinctive about it?"
"She said it looked like ivy."
Arnim stopped rubbing her feet, "Are you sure?"
"Yes, why? Is that significant?"
"It is," said Arnim, rising to his feet and dropping Nikki's to the floor.
"Can't it wait?" she begged. "I've been on my feet all day."
"I promise you a full foot rub later, Nikki, but we have to get to the queen."
"Why, what is it?"
"There's only one man I can think of that would have ivy on his clothes, it's part of his coat of arms."
"Who is it, Arnim?"
"The Earl of Shrewesdale!"
Arnim finished his report.
"Is that everything, Arnim?" asked Anna.
"It is, Your Majesty. There's no doubt in my mind that Lord Montrose is responsible."
"Yes," agreed Gerald, "but there's a far cry between knowing and proving. We have only the flimsiest of evidence. We know he was in Wincaster on the day in question, but we can't prove it was him in the Black Dagger. None of this would stand up in court."
"Then let us not use the courts," said Arnim. "A knife can kill, regardless of the victim's social status."
"No," said Anna, "we will not stoop to their level. I want Shrewesdale punished publicly. If we can't get him on this, we need something else."
"But what?" asked Arnim. "We've looked into it. The man covers his tracks."
"I've given this some thought," said the queen, "and I think I know how we can proceed. Arnim, you used to be on the town watch, correct?"
"I was, Your Majesty," Arnim responded.
"Good, I'm sending you north to get a written statement from Heward."
"Sir Heward? Why?"
"He was party to the death of a knight," said Anna.
"It was war," said Arnim, "lots of knights were killed."
"No, not in the war," said Anna, "before the war. I'd like you to get his statement about a knight named Olivia, back when he was in service to the Earl of Shrewesdale."
"You think the case has merit, Majesty?" said Arnim.
"I don't know yet," said Anna, "we'll know more once I see his statement."
"Very well, Majesty," said Arnim, "I shall leave directly."
"And when you return," Anna continued, "I'll likely be sending you to Shrewesdale to find some witnesses. If my plan works, we'll have Lord Montrose where we want him, and a trial can commence."
"Are you sure that's a good idea, Anna?" asked Gerald.
"We have to stop the man," the queen replied. "He's too dangerous to remain on the loose."
Arnim bowed, then left the room, leaving Anna and Gerald remaining.
"What are you thinking, Anna?" asked Gerald.
"If we can't get him for hiring those Shadowblades, perhaps we can accuse him of treason."
"But you gave amnesty to those nobles that swore an oath," objected Gerald.
"Yes," said Anna, "but before the war, he ordered the death of a Knight of the Sword, and I might remind you that the amnesty only relates to their military opposition, nothing more."
"I'll go and find Beverly," said Gerald, "she'll need to be apprised. I don't think she's going to like it becoming public, though."
"I can't say I blame her, but it may be the only way to stop him. Bring Beverly here, Gerald, it's probably better if I talk to her."
"Very well," said Gerald, "but remember, it was a traumatic experience for her. You'll need to have patience."
"I will, Gerald. I promise."