Neddih pressed one hand to her face, her fingers splayed, as if she didn't want to look at the tower but couldn't help herself. "Gods, that's why they're here. She's here. I thought it would just be like it was in Anndale. Just a raid, that they would just take things and leave..."

"That's why they're going through town." Kira's eyes were wide. "They're doing a sweep for rebels, for any threats to her. She's here but no one knows it yet."

Natalie didn't have to ask again, she was fairly certain she knew who they were talking about. She leaned closer, peering at the gem, at the reflection of the hidden tower. It was a terrible structure, as close to evil looking as a building could get, its single tower stretching like the point of a jagged crown into the blue sky. When she looked past the gem she saw nothing, only a rolling hillside at the outskirts of the village, a field of lavender rippling peacefully in the breeze. It seemed impossible that this towering monstrosity could be here without anyone knowing.

"Why is she keeping it invisible?" Natalie finally found her voice. "Why doesn't she reveal it right away?"

"It's all part of her games." Jewels brought the necklace down, looping it back around her neck. "Not only does her palace move, it can fade in and out of this plain of reality, which means she could be anywhere at any time and you would never know."

Natalie remembered the warning the soldier had given Niddeh, not to bad talk the queen. That anyone could be listening. She shuddered.

"The soldiers aren't taking a tithe," Niddeh said thoughtfully, "Not like they did in Anndale. That's something they argued about downstairs. The one soldier with the broken nose wanted to take money from the till and the other one reminded him this wasn't a tithe city, that they weren't allowed."

"So she's not here to take over," Sam said. "Then why is she here?"

Kira's face was screwed up with concentration. "I...I think I might know."

Everyone turned to look at her, and she hesitated. "I mean, I'm not totally sure about this, but I know my father was trying to set up one last effort to make peace. He was talking about a dinner with all the diplomats, a big feast. And then he'd present her with the treaty to sign." She grimaced. "She's refused to sign it up until now but I think he imagines if he showers her with wine and gifts he can convince her." She looked around at all of them, lifting her brows. "And this is the last neutral city..."

"So they're having it here." Sam's eyes widened. "That's why she's here. She must have insisted on hosting it."

There was tense silence for a moment, and then Gwen said what they were all thinking. "Isn't it obvious to your father that this is most likely a trap? Is he really going to walk into her palace and expect her to not attempt something?"

Kira frowned. "I don't think he'll be alone or unarmed. But no, he probably hopes she'll practice good faith. He expects the best of everyone, even her."

"He's a fool," Sam snapped.

Kira narrowed her eyes at him but said nothing.

Natalie had only half paid attention to this entire exchange. She couldn't take her eyes off the spot where the necklace had revealed the tower. The queen's tower. Where her mother was. Her mother was here in the city, just a stone's throw away and she was standing here, doing nothing.

"I have to go find her."

Much as she'd expected, Sam was the first to speak. "Absolutely not."

Natalie turned to glare at him. "My mother is there. Right there." She jerked one hand at the window. "As we speak."

"It's too risky. Do you know how many guards she'll have on duty? This isn't her town so she'll be on the defensive."

She fixed her eyes on the spot where she'd last seen the castle, frowning. "What were we doing gathering information then, if we're not going to go rescue her?"

"It's one thing to gather information. We have to take this slow, learn everything we can, before we make any kind of move. This is not a good situation." He waved vaguely out the window. "As I said, it's a diplomatic meeting, she's going to have soldiers everywhere."

"Actually," Kira said slowly. "It's a feast, and that might be the perfect cover for us."

Sam turned to glower at her. "You're not helping. And don't say 'we'. You aren't part of this. You're impulsive and you do whatever you want, both great qualities if your aim is getting yourself killed."

Kira looked insulted. "If you're going to go in there you need me—"

"Well then, it's a good thing we're not," Sam said sharply.

Natalie folded her arms over her chest, narrowing her eyes at Sam. When he turned to look at her he blinked, as if taken aback by her expression. "You may be the leader of this...whatever this is," she gestured vaguely at the others. "But you're not my leader, and you don't decide what I do. I'm going."

"I'll help you," Kira said, and Jewels looked like she was about to agree. Then she glanced over at Sam and flinched.

Sam's face was a storm cloud, and he seemed to loom taller as he stepped closer to Natalie. "Leader or not, I'm the one who saved you in the mountains. I'm the one who brought you here, introduced you to my friends. And now you seem to think you can storm off to the castle and get yourself killed, and others along with you."

Natalie's cheeks were burning. "I don't intend to get myself killed. And you're not responsible for me. I'm—I got here on my own."

"Yes, you did." Sam glanced down, his expression thoughtful, and for a moment Natalie had the horrified thought that he was going to reach out and take the necklace from her. She placed her hand protectively over her pocket. He blinked at her, shook his head.

"No," he said firmly. "I'm responsible for you, and I really do think you should stay here."

For a moment Natalie swelled with anger, about to burst out that she would go anyways, she didn't have to do what he said. But she took another look at Sam as he towered over her, at his muscular arms and broad shoulders. Would he keep her here by force? She thought that if he decided he was saving her life, he might do just that.

Instead of protesting further she took a deep breath, schooling her features so she was only sullen rather than furious. "Well then what's your brilliant plan? We're just going to hide here?"

Sam looked relieved. "For now, yes. Until the soldiers have finished their search of the town. Then we'll start collecting information. We're waiting for a report from the others." He glanced out the window again. "And now that they're so close by this is the perfect opportunity. They should be coming any day now and we have to make sure we're at the pub when they show up."

Niddeh spoke up for the first time in a few moments. She had been leaning against the window sill staring down at the streets, and now she pushed back with a relieved sigh. "They're done their sweep it looks like."

The others looked out. Sure enough, there was a line of soldiers in the street, so long it curled all the way down the lane and around the corner. There were hundreds of them, but they were all slowly marching toward the spot in the open field where the palace was located.

"We should go now," Sam said hurriedly. "It will still be in shambles at the market, no one will notice us slipping through."