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"It has been going on for some time," Naveena said softly as she clinically observed the king's advisor. "Was there any reason for Zalman to want to see the queen dead?"

Lavitor stopped pacing and turned to face Naveena in horror. Instantly he thought of Zalman's rejection by the royal family, and his mouth hung open in sudden realization.

"Then the queen's death was no accident," swore the advisor. "Oh cursed Zalman! One could not imagine a plot so vile and corrupt. I must advise the king immediately."

"No," Naveena said quickly as she rose from her chair. "Eugeon's mind is confused right now. If you tell him the truth, he will not allow me to tend to the children. You must take care of this problem yourself."

The thought of not informing the king repulsed Lavitor, but his heart understood what Naveena was saying. For some reason, he knew that the wisper was to be trusted, trusted above all others.

"I must remain close to the children," smiled Naveena. "And you," she added as she blinked lovingly. "You can see that, can't you?"

Lavitor was a man raised to respect protocol, and he had never abused his position for any reason, but his next move would have shocked any member of court who might have witnessed it. In three quick strides, he crossed the room and embraced the wisper. He kissed her passionately, and his heart sang loudly as the woman responded to him.

"I love you, Naveena," Lavitor whispered.

"And I love you," Naveena whispered back. "I will protect you against any foe."

"As I shall protect you," promised the king's advisor.

"And what of Zalman and Flori?" questioned the wisper.

"I will have them hunted down and killed," Lavitor replied in a whisper. "They will learn that one does not hurt the royal family and get away with it, but I will also spare the king's fragile mind. There is no need for him to know the details of such a sordid affair."

"Well spoken," grinned Naveena. "Go get some rest. We can talk later when you are refreshed."

Lavitor obediently turned and walked out the door. As the door closed, a broad grin appeared on the wisper's face.

"I never fully understood the power of the Talent," Naveena said to herself as she turned to gaze upon the sleeping infants. "Beware Borunda for your future now lies in my hands. You shall pay a thousand fold for the pain you have brought to me."

* * *

Three days of mourning followed the death of Queen Abigal and Princess Orenda. During those days of mourning, the dignitaries from across the Land of the Nine Kingdoms met among themselves and talked quietly, but King Eugeon was not seen. It was rumored that he had attended a private funeral service for his wife and sister, but he did not make an appearance at the public ceremony. After the proclaimed mourning period had ended, the dignitaries began to take their leave of the Royal Palace in Tarent for the trip home.

"Shall we ride together?" asked King Hector of Salacia as he approached the Arin king.

"It will give us time to discuss what has happened here," nodded King Caedmon.

"What is there to discuss?" shrugged King Hector. "I would prefer to talk about brighter things than the death of royals. The affairs of the living are always preferable over the affairs of the dead."

"Preferable, yes," nodded King Caedmon, "but in this case the affairs of the dead are more important to our future."

"What are you talking about?" frowned the Salacian king.

"The Land of the Nine Kingdoms has benefited from an unusual period of peace and prosperity," answered King Caedmon. "That is all about to change."

"Change?" balked King Hector. "Because of the death of a woman?"

"Two women," corrected King Caedmon. "I am not sure exactly what transpired in Tarent this week, but I am certain that we shall not enjoy the repercussions of it."

"I think you are making too much of it," shrugged King Hector. "While it is a sad occasion for any family to have to bury loved ones, it is nothing that is going to change the relationships of our countries."

"Isn't it?" retorted King Caedmon. "While the queen's death may have been unfortunate, there are indications that the death of the princess was a deliberate act. The murder of a royal has not occurred since the time of peace began. You too quickly forget the fear and suspicions that used to guide our forefathers in their time of leadership."

"Surely, you do not think that King Eugeon suspects a foreign agent of murdering his sister?" gasped King Hector. "Why would any of us desire to do such a thing?"

"I don't think it was foreign in origin," stated the Arin king, "but who knows what King Eugeon believes. The fact that none of us saw him after his wife's death disturbs me greatly. There are certain protocols that any royal family must adhere to, and King Eugeon has abandoned them."

"You are blaming him for not interrupting his mourning to say goodbye to us?" scowled King Hector. "That is incredible. The man has suffered his worst fear, Caedmon. Let him grieve in peace and shove the niceties of office aside. I am surprised by your words."

"I mean no disrespect to the Borundan king," clarified King Caedmon. "In fact, I grieve for him. His loss has been severe by any measure, but ask yourself this question, given the same circumstances, would you have hidden yourself for three days while all the kings of the Land of the Nine Kingdoms awaited you?"

The Salacian king gave serious thought to the question as they walked down the stairs and towards the exit from the palace.

"No," King Hector finally answered. "A ruler's kingdom comes before himself. The death of the queen was not just a loss to Eugeon, but also a loss to the citizens of Borunda, indeed a loss to all of the Land of the Nine Kingdoms. As much as it pained me, I would force myself to observe the public role that was my right and duty. It is an obligation that cannot be forsaken."

"Now you understand," King Caedmon nodded in satisfaction. "King Eugeon has lost the will to lead his country. That will create a power vacuum in Borunda, and the type of people that step into such a void are not the type of people that will want to support peace among the kingdoms. There are harsh times ahead for all of us."

"Surely, the king's advisor can support Eugeon until he is strong enough to resume his duties," suggested King Hector.

"That is another thing that is bothering me," admitted King Caedmon. "I have known Lavitor for a long time. He has always been the epitome of protocol, yet he also appears to be in a fog. He reacted well the night of the terrible events, but since that time he has failed miserably to uphold the dignity of the Royal Palace."

"I did hear that he loved Princess Orenda," shrugged King Hector. "Perhaps he suffers from a similar fate as that of King Eugeon. We should not be so quick to judge others."

"I am not judging them," countered King Caedmon. "At least not in the sense that you are talking about. My heart goes out to both men. I would never want to be in their shoes."

"Then what are you saying?" King Hector asked with an air of frustration.

King Caedmon turned and glanced back along the corridor before answering. "There is foul play afoot here, Hector," the Arin king declared. "I can not put my finger on the source of the troubles, but I am willing to wager that it is magical in nature."

"Magical?" balked the Salacian king. "I pray that you are wrong. Only a fool would use the Talent for nefarious ends. It will consume its wielder completely. Are you suggesting that the wisper, Flori, really killed the queen?"

"I am suggesting nothing of the sort," King Caedmon shook his head. "I am a fairly good judge of character, and that young woman was mortified that the queen had died. I think she would have preferred her own death to that of her patient. No, Hector, I am not accusing the wisper, but wispers are far from the only wielders of the Talent. Wispers are the public face of magic. They are the ones who openly declare their Talents and offer them to those in need. For every declared wisper, there are probably a dozen others who are capable with the Talent. Some hide it out of shame, others out of fear. A few others declare their capabilities but refuse to use the Talent. I presume that a city the size of Tarent might have thirty or more people capable of using the Talent to one degree or another."

"If what you say is true," frowned King Hector, "Eugeon should have them all rounded up until he finds out who is trying to usurp his power."

"King Eugeon is unaware of what is happening," replied the Arin king. "In any event, the one using the Talent would be the last one caught as he would be expecting such a move. I do not know the answer to the problem, Hector, but we can discuss it on our ride home."

Lavitor woke up and smiled at the springtime sun shining through the window. Outside the birds were already chirping noisily, and the king's advisor wondered what the hour was. Being careful not to wake Naveena, he slowly got out of bed and tiptoed to the window. He eased the window open and deeply inhaled the brisk, fresh air. The chill invigorated him.

"Are you trying to freeze me?" groused the wisper. "Shut the window."

"Sorry," apologized Lavitor. "I didn't mean to wake you, but it appears that we have slept in quite late this morning. We should hurry up and get downstairs."

"And who is going to complain if we are late?" retorted the wisper. "You don't think after ten years of sleeping in that someone is suddenly going to complain to Eugeon, do you?"

"Actually," frowned the advisor, "many have already complained to the king. He has spoken about it to me many times over the past few years."

"And you never told me?" questioned Naveena. "Why?"

"I knew that it would upset you," shrugged Lavitor. "Besides, you know he has trouble concentrating on any thing for longer than five minutes. I merely change the subject, and he forgets that he has spoken to me about it."

Naveena looked thoughtfully at her lover as she got up and got dressed. Suddenly a smile spread across her lips.

"Prince Garrick will need a regent soon," she stated casually. "How is that handled?"

"The Crown Prince will not need a regent as long as the king lives," frowned Lavitor. "Eugeon may be senile, but he is in very good health. He has many years left in him. He has just never recovered from Abigal's death."

"Perhaps you are right," pushed the wisper, "but I am still curious about how a regent is selected, and you avoided answering my question."

"Normally the king would specify the regent in his will," shrugged Lavitor.

"Normally?" echoed Naveena. "Your choice of words leads me to believe that Eugeon has not done so."

"Actually," admitted the advisor, "King Eugeon has no will. I have been pestering him for years to complete one, but each time I bring the subject up, he waves me away. I frankly don't think he cares what happens to Borunda after he dies."

"He doesn't care much what happens to Borunda while he is still alive," laughed Naveena. "Why should that change after he dies?"

"Don't make fun of the man," frowned Lavitor. "In the early days there was not a finer king than Eugeon anywhere in the world. Abigal's death destroyed the man. He will never recover from that fateful day."

"I meant no disrespect," apologized Naveena, "but I am still curious about the selection of a regent. That has not happened in Borunda in hundreds of years. What will it be like?"

"The Council of Advisors will convene," explained Lavitor. "They will draw up a list of eligible regents and then call for an assembly of the full court of Borunda. The assembly will vote on the matter and a new regent will be selected."

"Doesn't Prince Garrick have a say in the matter?" inquired the wisper.

"At ten years old?" frowned the advisor. "I suppose he could state a preference, but he is rather young yet to make such a decision. I think it would be best if his wishes were ignored."

"Well, I don't," declared Naveena. "Garrick is the Crown Prince and running this country will fall to him soon enough. If we do not have enough faith in his decisions to even consider them, then what hope is there for our future?"

"But he is only ten," objected the advisor. "Sometimes I think you are trying to mature these young boys too quickly. Let them be boys a while longer. Let them enjoy their carefree youth before being saddled with the weight of office."

"The boys are of the royal family," countered Naveena, "and I think I am eminently better qualified to measure their capabilities than you are. While you may have expertise in protocol, I alone understand the capabilities of the princes. Do not presume to tell me how to raise them."

"I'm sorry," the advisor said as he retreated from the window and started getting dressed. "I didn't mean to upset you. I was just stating my mind."

"I understand," Naveena smiled warmly. "I guess I am rather overprotective of the boys, but I do think they are capable of far more than anyone suspects. How are the lessons with Zinan going? Is he learning your skills at an appropriate pace?"

"Zinan is an extremely intelligent lad," Lavitor answered. "He is capable of many things, but his heart is not in the task before him. I know you expect him to become advisor to his cousin, Garrick, but it is not what Zinan wants to do with his life."

"And what do you think he wants to do with his life?" questioned the wisper.

"Many things," laughed Lavitor, "but being Garrick's advisor is not one of them. At times he wants to be a great warrior, or a spy, or a traveling minstrel. His desires are typical of a young boy. He seeks travel and excitement."

"I will have a talk with him about his attitude this morning," Naveena declared.

Lavitor cringed at the thought of being the source of the lad's discomfort. He never wished to bring Naveena's wrath down on anyone. He knew how hard her words could sting.

"Don't be too hard on him," Lavitor offered meekly as he opened the door and slipped out of the suite.

Naveena turned to lash out verbally at Lavitor, but it was too late; the door had already closed. She laughed heartily at his fearful exit. As she finished dressing, her mind dwelt on the thought of the regency. For ten years she had been successful in pulling herself into a position of power within the palace, and it had been so terribly easy. She had managed to keep Eugeon in a state of senility by constantly bringing up his failure to protect his wife and sister, and seducing the king's advisor had been no challenge at all. Lavitor was so incredibly susceptible to mind persuasion magic that the task was hardly work at all. So why not go for the ultimate power?

Humming merrily, the wisper left the suite she shared with the advisor and headed directly to the king's suite. Tarent being as open and peaceful as it was, there was not even a guard outside the king's suite. The wisper opened the door and entered without knocking. King Eugeon was still in bed. He looked towards the door to see who had entered, but his eyes returned to staring up at the ceiling when he recognized the wisper.

"Good morning to you, too, Your Highness," mocked the wisper. "You would think that the king would welcome company. Not many people bother to come and visit you any more."

"I don't relish company," retorted the king. "Go away and leave me alone."

Naveena walked across the room and stood next to the bed. She concentrated as she stared at the king's eyes. The king shut his eyes, but it did not matter to the spell. Focusing on the victim's eyes was just a form of concentration, and Eugeon did not represent much of a challenge. Within minutes the king's demeanor changed dramatically. His eyes popped open, and he smiled as he gazed up at the wisper. He struggled to sit up in bed, and Naveena smiled as she helped him.

"Good morning, Naveena," the king said cheerily. "How nice of you to visit."

"It is always a pleasure to visit my king," smiled Naveena. "I bring good news today. It is about the princes."

"The princes?" echoed the king. "It has been so long since I have seen them. Are they well?"

"Exceptionally well," nodded the wisper. "They are growing so fast. You would be proud of how much they have matured in the last year alone. I should bring them up to visit."

"I would enjoy that," the king nodded eagerly. "What is the good news that you bring?"

"Both boys are doing exceptionally well in their studies," answered Naveena, "and I think they are ready to start taking over some of the duties of running the kingdom. It should only be small things at first, you understand, but the responsibility will do wonders for them."

"Responsibilities?" frowned the king. "They are a bit young for that yet, aren't they?"

"You have not seen them in years," sighed Naveena. "They are almost men now."

"I suppose that I lose track of the years up here," frowned the king. "Grown men already? Will Garrick make a good king?"

"An excellent king, Your Highness," smiled Naveena, "and Zinan will make an excellent king's advisor to his cousin. Lavitor and I have been training them daily for years now. You really must meet them soon."

"Yes, yes," nodded King Eugeon. "I must indeed. Can you send them up today? I want to see how they have grown up."

"Of course," nodded the wisper.

"Excellent," replied King Eugeon. "I will have to get a bath and be properly dressed. It would not do for the boys to see me in bed. Give me a few hours before you send them up."

"Certainly," agreed Naveena, "but there is another matter that is also pressing."

"Oh," frowned the king. "What is it that Lavitor cannot handle?"

"There is the matter of your will," declared Naveena. "Lavitor has told me that you have refused to issue one. Now, while Prince Garrick is quite capable of working with you to record your will, I would not want to embarrass you by telling your son that you have not safeguarded his inheritance. I thought that I should talk to you about working with Lavitor this morning to complete your will before I sent the boys up. The last thing I want to do is embarrass my king in front of his son."

"Safeguarding his inheritance?" murmured the king. "I guess I have never looked at it quite that way. Whenever Lavitor brought up the issue, I figured that he was trying to hurry along my death. I never thought about it from Garrick's perspective."

"I thought that might be the case," smiled the wisper as she prepared to leave. "I am glad that I stopped by this morning. I will send Lavitor up as soon as I see him."

"Thank you," nodded the king. "Would you also order me a bath as you leave?"

"It would be my pleasure," bowed the wisper. "Oh, there is one more thing. I almost forgot. This is not something that Garrick has requested, but it is something that I think should be done. There is the issue of naming a regent should something happen to the king before Garrick reaches the age of majority. I strongly feel that Garrick is now old enough to have a say in the selection of the regent. I know that he would never state so himself, but I know the prince well and it would mean a great deal to him."

"Regency?" the king's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "It is my right to name a regent in my will. I will choose the person to guide my child, not Garrick."

"Oh, of course," smiled Naveena. "I never meant to suggest otherwise. I was merely speaking of the rare case where the person chosen in your will no longer lives. In that case, the assembly will be called upon to choose a regent. I think in such a case, Garrick's desires should be strongly considered. Don't you?"

"Oh," smiled Eugeon. "I misunderstood. You are extremely well versed in the dealings of the court. Not many citizens would ever have thought so far ahead. How have you become so adept at such things?"

"It is my task to ensure that the princes have the best education in Borunda," grinned Naveena. "How could I possibly ensure that without learning everything myself? I take my job of raising the princes very seriously, Your Highness. Garrick will stand out as the finest king in the world when his reign begins. Of course, he will be following in his father's footsteps."

"You have a gift for words," chuckled the monarch, "but I am more impressed with your attitude towards my son. I shall make the requested stipulation in my will. Now order me a bath."

"At once, Your Highness," grinned the wisper as she backed out of the suite and closed the door.

Naveena knew that the spell would only last for about an hour before the king reverted to the haze he normally existed in. She ignored his request for a bath and proceeded straight to Lavitor's office.

"The king is quite lucid this morning," Naveena stated as she stood in the doorway. "I told him that you would be up promptly to write his will."

"You did?" gasped the advisor. "How do you do it, Naveena? Everyone seems to want to make you happy."

"Making me happy makes others happy," laughed the wisper. "Arrange for a bath for him when you are done. He needs it."

She was gone before he could reply. Once again humming to herself, Naveena went looking for the boys. After an extensive search, she finally spied Zinan out by the stables. He saw her coming and tried to sneak away, but one harsh bark brought the lad screeching to a halt. She waved him away from the stables and led him into the garden to a quiet spot. Zinan knew that he was in for an unpleasant conversation, but he would rather be at the stables dreaming of faraway places than sitting in the king's advisor's office learning about protocol.

"I heard discouraging reports about you this morning," Naveena began. "Do you wish to explain yourself?"

"I just don't want to learn any more about the palace," the lad replied assertively. "I don't understand why I should have to. Garrick is going to be the king, not me. Why do I have to learn all that junk?"

"You are smarter than Garrick," noted the wisper. "While he may someday be the king, it will be your advice that he listens to. In reality, you will be the true power of Borunda. You must learn all that you can to fulfill your destiny."

"My destiny?" balked Zinan. "Why are you so interested in my destiny. You are not even my real mother."

"Who told you that?" scowled the wisper.

"Lots of people say it," replied the boy. "They say that I am the son of Princess Orenda. Why have you let me think that you are my mother?"

"Because I am the only mother you ever had," snapped Naveena. "You truly were the son of Princess Orenda, but only for an hour. She threw you into my arms and ran away. If you would rather consider her your mother, I am sure that I can find another boy to be the mother of. I thought you loved me?"

Naveena rose to leave, but Zinan quickly wrapped his arms around her to stop her.

"No," he shouted. "Don't leave. I'm sorry. I do love you."

Naveena purposely hesitated as if weighing a difficult decision before sitting back down on the bench.