The arrival of the Caspian family was done in secret. No one knew much about their bloodline, except that they were the descendents of dragons. They arrived in an unmarked carriage. No escorts were needed, for the Dragonkin were quite capable of defending themselves.

Milena had spent the day analyzing the various probable outcomes of the meeting and had shared her findings with the king.

And now, the moment of the Caspians' arrival had come.

The four figures were cloaked in robes of ebony, only their grim smiles showing. Even the air sensed the family's power and seemed to radiate with tension.

"Greetings, Your Majesty," the tallest one said. He had a muscular build that was evident even in through the dark cloth. Milena recognized his voice. He was the duke of the family.

"Greetings," King Elliot bowed his head in respect. "It has been awhile, has it not?"

"Why did you call us here?" Duke Caspian cut to the chase.

"Can one not call in old friends for a friendly meeting?" Elliot sighed. "We shall head to the conference room to discuss this matter further."

"First, let me acquaint you with my family," the duke said. "My lovely wife, Aine, and our two children, Caoimhe and Eoin."

Milena felt the duke's eyes rest on her. "Oh," the head of the Caspian house said. "This woman is your shogun?"

"My advisor," the king corrected. Although shogun was the correct term, His Majesty refused to address Milena with that title, either due to her gender or her nonexistent birthright.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Lady Sumati," Duke Caspian bowed. "Your reputation precedes you."

Milena breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't recognize her. How could he, with the hood of the cloak concealing her eyes? She curtsied in return, not bold enough to speak in case her voice betrayed her identity.

"We shall get going before the wind freezes all of us." Duke Caspian's tone was one of a command, but the king pretended not to notice. When in the presence of the Dragonkin, one does not assert superiority.

As the group walked to the conference hall, they were shadowed by guards in full armor. It wasn't hard to distinguish which one was Rhett, as the crest on his armor detailed his status as Captain of the Guard.

Rhett walked next to Milena, and although no words were exchanged, she was able to relax a slight bit. Nothing bad would happen.

Of course, what would the Dragonkin want in exchange for their help? Milena had spent her afternoon pouring over documents about prior missions. Commonly, they wanted concubines, but occasionally some mages were thrown into the mix. The trade of healers frequented the agreements. On occasion, gold was also exchanged.

They were mercenaries, the Caspian family. King Elliot was wise to recruit their help early on with these conquests. Milena laughed silently at the thought of King Elliot's 'wisdom' in her mind while keeping her face straight. If it wasn't for Milena, he would have wasted his days and wealth amassing a harem of concubines. A king with a mind full of greed and a mind lacking common sense did not last long.

Milena was keenly aware of the younger two Caspians gazing at her. She did not turn around to meet their eyes.

The group entered the conference room. The guards were dismissed, and Milena took her place next to the king at the table.

"Let me guess," Duke Caspian got straight to business as soon as he sat down. "You have a rebellion that needs to be dealt with."

The king froze for a brief second before regaining his composure. However, his lapse was noticed by Duke Caspian.

"As I thought," Duke Caspian said. "Why would you call us to do the dirty work of spies?"

"With the Laiah negotiations coming up, we can't afford any insubordination," King Elliot spoke slowly. "All we want is for you to make a display. Catch one, and then publicly execute him."

"Father?" Caoimhe interrupted. "May I do that?"

A look of blatant horror at the child's utter lack of respect spread across Elliot's face. Before the king could speak, the Duke continued. "I apologize for my daughter. We are not used to being around nobility. However, that sounds like a wonderful idea."

"You're putting my kingdom into the hands of a child?"

"Lady Sumati cannot be a day over twenty two, it seems, and she's been serving you for nine years. Are you telling me that my daughter is less capable than a serf girl who was two years younger?"

"Very well," the King said. Milena's face remained blank and unreadable. When veiled insults were hurled her way, that was the only way to respond.

"Now, as for payment..." Duke explained further. "Caoimhe, what would you like?"

Caoimhe smiled. "Anything I want, Your Majesty?"

"Would you like some gold jewelry, milady?" The King asked her.

"I take insult that you think I'm as shallow as the ladies here," Caoimhe said. Her eyes landed on Milena. Quickly, Milena looked down, for something about Caoimhe's gaze chilled her to the bone.

"What do you think I want, Lady Sumati?" Caoimhe smiled.

It was out of the blue. Yet, Milena formulated an answer. Caoimhe's demeanor, her smile...

Milena remembered Caoimhe. Back then, Caoimhe was just a young child. But, her eyes always ran with the same evil that flourished now.

"Power," Milena murmured. "You want power, milady."

"She's a smart one, Your Majesty," Caoimhe smiled.

"Power? What kind of power?" The king asked, intrigued.

"Power over you," Caoimhe grinned.

"Darling..." Duke Caspian started to say, but Caoimhe cut him off.

"Of course, I should be asking your advisor, considering you're just a puppet."

"Caoimhe!" Duke Caspian slapped his daughter. Caoimhe barely stifled a scream as a few tears slipped past her defenses. That was not a slap for show.

Or was it? Such an outburst; even a Dragonkin would know not to anger a king like that.

"I apologize for my daughter's insolence," Duke Caspian said. "She's just a child. Perhaps her brother would like to take on the mission instead."

What were the Dragonkin planning?

The king noticed the subtle shift in Milena's face as she thought. Her mind scrounged the possibilities, evaluating each one in a matter of seconds. What did they want?

"It would be my pleasure, Father," Eoin stood up. "I apologize, King Elliot, for my twin sister's behavior. I would be happy to take on this assignment. My price is simple. I want my pick of the finest horses you have."

"So it is settled," King Elliot agreed. "However, how will you go about this?"

"I would like to talk it over with Lady Sumati," Eoin flashed a smile. "I'm sure she would be of great help."

"Fine," King Elliot said. "We have prepared our finest quarters while you stay."

"We appreciate the offer, Your Majesty," Duke Caspian said, "but we would rather keep in the shadows. We shall see you on the morrow, then."

"I'm glad we could do business," King Elliot dismissed them. As soon as the door was shut and the guests had left, Elliot turned towards Milena.

"Milady, your opinion?" Elliot asked.

"They are up to something, Your Majesty," Milena said.

"So I thought," Elliot said. "I'm going to send in my scouts to track their movements."

Milena wanted to snicker at the suggestion, but instead she shook her head in respect. "That would be unwise, sir. They have keen senses and would easily be able to identify a tracker. Instead, we should let them be."

"Are you insane?" Elliot slapped her. As usual, it was soft enough to not leave a bruise, but hard enough to scare Milena.

"My apologies," Milena murmured. She wiped the lone tear emerging from her eye before the king could notice.

"You know more than you're telling me. Is that not correct, Milena?" The king sneered. "You serve me, not some mangy half breeds."

She hesitated, just long enough for the king to deliver another slap.

"Answer me when I speak to you!"

"Forgive me, sir," Milena whispered. "But, I only have suspicions."

"You are loyal to me, are you not?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. B-but I don't want to cause trouble... It would be best if I developed this further before revealing it."

"Fine," the king said. "Hansel's spies are at your disposal."

Milena shook her head. "I prefer to use my own methods."

Elliot sighed. "If you believe it is best, Lady Sumati."

***

Rhett was waiting for her outside their manor. Like most of the upper level nobility, the Sumatis lived on the royal grounds. It was convenient for both of them, as Milena could easily attend meetings and Rhett could easily be called into military action.

"'Lena?" He asked as she approached. "How did it go?"

Milena managed a smile. If Rhett knew what the king did to her... But, he could never know the physical and verbal threats the king subjected her to.

Behind her husband, a small head poked out and came running.

"Eowyn? What are you still doing up?" Milena picked up her four year old daughter.

Eowyn's hands moved with the grace of a lion as she signed: bad dream.

"All I could recognize from her signing was that she wanted you," Rhett said. "And since it's night, Romilly isn't here. You have to teach her how to write."

Milena nodded. She wasn't in the mood to argue, and although Rhett was fairly lax, he still expected her submission.

"It's alright, I'm here," Milena smiled at Eowyn.

Eowyn leaned into her. Milena knew that no matter what the king did to her, she had to obey. If not... She couldn't even fathom the thought of having Lief and Eowyn taken away from her.

Even if it meant serving a tyrant.