'Just a small addi-' a third voice in the room began, then it stopped abruptly, like the person had just noticed them.

Alexandra jumped, all her senses rocking to "Offensive" in a fraction of second. Her eyes travelled to Liam's face, color had rose to his cheeks and he looked completely nettled.

'Now what is it?!' He barked, at who Alexandra recognized as the prime minister. He was frozen - with his eyes on Alexandra, and a hand to his mouth, the other hand beneath the first one's elbow.

'Er- no, no. By all means, please continue.' The minister stammered, taking a step back.

'No,' Alexandra began - this was the time to do it, 'I - I should leave. I've got to pay my aunt a visit.' She hinted.

Liam gazed at her silently, Alexandra knew there was some out-of-the-box thinking going on in his mind. Something like, maybe I should throw her into the Prisons - that way, she can't leave. Though she appreciated that idea, Alexandra wouldn't have appreciated being stopped.

Fortunately, Liam didn't do it, 'May I have an invitation too?' He queried, simply and rather calmly.

'Well - surely if my aunt is asking for it. And I'm going to be back soon.'

'Soon won't do it - very soon. And somebody never stops thinking of you,' Liam replied, as his way of "goodbye" perhaps. Alexandra gave the still-frozen prime minister, a stupid-innocent look. Only staring at him made Alexandra's hand itch for Moira - first you ask for stupid proof and ruin the meeting - I can thank you for that, but then - you come back and ruin my farewell as well. Here, have this! And this! And this, too! But controlling, was by far easier and less messier, so Alexandra did that. But when she turned to the door, to leave, the most unexpected of this happened. The Prime Minister turned to her, his face understanding that he was in presence of the future queen. And he gave her, a full bow.

'My humblest apologies, for ever doubting Your Highness' commitment,' he said, in a voice almost as humble as the one he used with Liam. Alexandra turned to Liam, disbelieving. And he smiled, as though encouraging her to get used to accepting bows, for many would come her way now. 

* * *

Fannel was right at the entrance.

'You look a bit strange,' he noted, as soon as Alexandra had stepped off the moat-bridge and it was pulled upwards, 'Wait!' He then cried out, making her jump a feet up-

'What's on your hand?!' He asked, narrowing his eyes in a suspicious stare like an interrogator - Alexandra frowned. Her hand? She shook her head slightly for a second, confused - before raising her left hand to check.

'Not that! The right hand - gracious, Mabel - you - did you go to the Triumph Meeting, or to a private garden stroll?!' He demanded, as Alexandra finally spotted what he was talking about.

An elegant, golden ring - its shank snaking into an ornate "S" dotted with minuscule diamonds, and a spherical Emerald as the gemstone.

'Pretty...' she remarked - then coming to her senses, 'wait- when did he do it? How?!'

'Who?!' Fannel asked, having his own questions, 'you wait-' he then added, his face brightening up all of a sudden, 'you are not telling me - that this...'

'Oh yes, you suspect right.' Alexandra smirked, dropping the hand down. Then she recounted to him - more or less - the whole thing-

Even before she was done, Mark whistled, 'ALL YOU AGENTS! MAKE WAY!' He hollered, turning away. They looked up, quizzical looks and expectant faces, 'BOW LOW AND PERFORM YOUR CURTSIES! HER ROYAL HIGHNESS, MABEL! THE QUEEN-TO-BE, ARRIVES!' And the buzz that broke out then, the winding group of friendly men rushing at her - made Alexandra want to cover her face and melt into the ground. But she first would rather pull out Moira and deal with Fannel.

'OKAY, OKAY!' Alexandra yelled, raising her palms, 'THANK YOU!! BUT I HAVE A TRIAL FIRST!'

'Trial?' Asked Watson, his blue eyes twinkling, 'You mean you want your team to plan?'

Alexandra nodded.

'Just my favorite job, Captain!' He winked, ducking to get past the crowds and stopping to catch a word with Fannel.

Ten minutes later - Alexandra sat with her legs folded on the floor of the grove - a small lamp lighting up their faces.

Kane, Fannel, Watson: Alexandra's team. The three people she would share anything with - because they had. And the three smartest people of the council too. Not to forget: three Exclusives from three different years. They almost knew what went through Alexandra's mind. There was a map of Ethoris spread in between them. Alexandra was twisting the Emerald ring around on her finger.

Kane had been the one person who hadn't run at Alexandra to yell a "congratulations". He simply waited behind - knowing pretty well that she would come to him, on her own. Ever since Master George, Kane had become the person she looked up to - for advice, suggestions and plans. The grin he had given her was priceless - better than all the other wishes - and Alexandra had replied with an "I'll have to find some one for you, very soon,".

Now, his face was taut with concentration - the dim, orange light of the lamp bouncing off it. Fannel was sitting cross legged, with one arm under his chin, and the other passing through his hair again and again: Marilyn would have given him a good, cute scolding for that. Watson looked - not at the map, but at Fannel - a stare of grudging respect with just a trace of resent.

'Oi,' Alexandra elbowed him, 'why are you staring at my brother?'

'Thinking how to change his impression of me - now that he's in the Council - he is always with Diana. I think there's no hope for me without his consent.'

'Hmm... right,' Alexandra agreed, 'get yourself some courage and face him, Elf. People who love don't fear anything.'

'Easy for you to say that!' Watson hissed, 'what would a king have to fear? I, meanwhile, am rather scared of this man. He might be Diana's younger brother, but he acts like the older one. And she's perfectly alright with it!' 

Alexandra agreed. Anybody who saw the siblings together, would intuitively think that Fannel was the elder one. And being elder, meant being protective - as well as, having the right to decide things for the younger one.

'That doesn't explain why you are scared of him, though.' Alexandra countered.

'It does!' Watson insisted, 'I've always been a bit afraid of him - because he feels like that no-nonsense person who can smack you down - both mentally, and physically. You didn't have him as your tester in the third year - and he's all pleasant and mannerly and gallant with you, so you  don't know how shrewd and manipulative he gets. Such people are my nemesis! And he's always reading my mind, somehow. Hearing stuff I don't want him to. Your brother - is a walking embodiment of everything I'm scared of!'

'Which is why - you should never cross him.' Fannel interjected, his hand midway through his scalp, 'look, Watson - I really enjoyed listening to all that praise - but why does it sound like you two are plotting something?'

'Give them some lease, Mark,' Kane appealed, lazily, 'you are scaring the living daylight out of him!'

Everybody in the council - senior or junior - listened to Kane. Fannel reclined back, still staring at Watson, 'If you say so - Alden,' he relented, 'but I smell disloyalty.'

Alexandra had to agree that Fannel was a bit scary at times. And she felt sorry for Watson - who was anyhow on his bad side. Maybe they would have to let Kane sort him out - who somehow had the talent for knocking sense into people... Alexandra exhaled and stared at the Map. The wounding streets of Ethoris, the countless shortcuts - much like Doveland - and thick forests fanning out on both ends of the city.

The new capital: Montrosky - was more or less carved out of a forest. The woods had been slashed down indiscriminately and a whole city erected. In the western end of the new city was the Palace - Alexandra squinted at in the dark - there was something written on it, in spiky, minuscule handwriting.

'What's this? Written on it?' She asked, bending low over the parchment.

'Ann's Doom.' Fannel read out, 'That queen is mad - who names a Palace with words like "doom" - she needs a whack on the head with a muddy boot.'

Alexandra snorted and fell on the map - the idea of whacking Sabel on the head with a muddy boot...

'Whatever that maybe,' Kane continued, as Alexandra got up again, 'this city looks like any other. It is not very populous - just five years old. But I have a bad feeling about this Ann's Doom palace. Seems deceptive...'

'That Dovish King says-' then Alexandra stopped, letting the sentence hang... she couldn't tell them that the Palace was a maze. They would NEVER let her go then... especially Fannel - maybe he would knock her out so that she couldn't leave.

'Says that?' Watson prompted, 'he's another fool - now, don't get me started. You know one day I told you that Liam was like all other kings? Hah - I think I should take that back. Yes - he's smug and-'

'And?' Alexandra asked, her lip curling up on its own,

'And... you know - wise and likeable - things along those line.' Watson offered, in a flattering tone. Alexandra didn't care what he said - the good part was that with the small divergence, her slip of tongue got covered.

Ann's Doom... why did it sound like something she ought to know? And why would Sabel name her palace "Ann's Doom" instead of something powerful and stately like... for example, Metanoia.

Because she is mad... Mind suggested - which was a good suggestion, except for the fact that Alexandra's aunt wasn't the normal "mad"- who would not make any sense to anyone. She was "mad" in some other, much, much more dangerous way. And naturally: Alexandra did NOT want to find out.

And only because she did not want to find out, Alexandra WOULD have to; with her one-in-a-million destiny that somehow found ways to show her how things could ALWAYS get worse than they already were.