A couple days later....

              The empress peered out of the small window, standing up to stretch after sitting for too long. She saw from the position of the sun it had to be the middle of the afternoon. She looked over the latest book she'd been reading, Magical Mishaps of Famed Witches. It had been quite humorous.  She poured the last of the pixie brew into the empty mug. 

Looking around the room one more time before she left her work space and made a straight shot for the courtyard. It had been more than a few days since she'd done a meditation in nature. Now was a good of a time as any. She set her mug on the little white coffee table and took a few slow deep breaths to center herself. Slowly falling into a relaxed state, as soon as the trace began she heard foot steps behind her. They stopped directly behind her.

"Miss?" A well known voice called to her.

"Yes Amberosia, what is it?" Ralvania asked.

"There is someone here to see you." The servant replied.

"Send them here please." 

"Yes miss right away." The servant girl answered and quickly left to get the client waiting in the grand hall of the castle. 

The empress wondered who it had been,but she didn't have to wait long to find out. Amberosia brought the guest to her in less than five minutes. The empress turned around to see her servant bringing a stone gray standard sized gargoyle. Amberosia bowed to them and went back to her daily chores. 

'Hi there. What's your name?" She asked the gargoyle softly. 

"Ludwig, miss." He answered her.

"Good to meet you, sit with me, please." She asked him gently.

 He did as she'd asked , giving a shrug of his shoulders and a desperate look of hope.

"Now tell me your trouble and I'll see if I can help you." She offered.

He took a deep breath before telling her why he'd come to seek her help.

"I don't know if you can help me or not. I need someone with a gazing tool. I need to make sure someone I care about is safe." He told her.

"Why can't you check on your friend, If I may ask?" She asked him raising an eyebrow.

"I can't be seen near her." He told her.

"Why not?" She asked, a little suspicious.

"I was her guardian, my superiors felt i was getting too close to her. They banished me to another realm." He explained.

"Where does your friend live?" She asked him.

"Her name is Veronica and she lives right outside of Galderia. She's a witch in training." He told her.

After a long pause he spoke again. 

"If you don't want to help me could you recommend a gypsy witch?" 

"I have the tools to do this for you. I cans sense pure intentions coming from you.Walk with me to my work space. I'll help." The empress told him. 

"Oh thank you so much. It means the world to me." He told her.

"Sure, would you care for a drink?" She offered him.

"Oh no thank you. I just need to know my friend is okay." He explained.

"That's understandable." She commented.

The gargoyle followed her inside and down the hall to the library. He sat down and waited a moment.