Nyroch Shadowwood carefully curried his horse. No one else was allowed near Nyroch’s stallion, for the cavalier wanted to make sure the bond between horse and rider was strong.

From the door to the stables, a woman watched him. From a distance, some might have thought her a stripling, for she was short, for a human. But, she was an elf. She had very long black hair, an athletic and sensual body, and an exotically beautiful face. Adrielle Shadowfire was proud of her son, for he displayed a maturity that made people respect him. He was a capable fighter, good with horses, and she was sure he loved his family. At least most of the time.

The differences between mother and son were wide and deep. He considered one of her professions completely dishonorable, and while he had to respect the fact she was a capable ruler, she was sure he didn’t particularly trust her. She had a better time relating to her other children – Drusilla, Artor, and Juliana, than this stiff-necked utterly polite but boring person who it seemed had a stick up his butt. But she did love him, and while the bridge building never really took, she never stopped trying – as best as she was able sometimes.

"Hi." She said casually as she walked toward him.

Nyroch turned around and smiled. "Mother." He said almost perfunctorily, and then returned to currying the horse.

She leaned against the stall door. "I had an idea, if you’re game. The Queen will be coming for a visit soon. Why don’t we two take her on a picnic one day to the hanging rock?"

He smiled again. "That sounds great. But mother, you don’t need an excuse if you want to spend time with me."

Adrielle’s eyes rolled back, she bit her lip, and shook her head. "Why do I even bother?" She said quietly, and began to walk away.

Nyroch grimaced. "What? What did I say?"

She gestured at him. "Never mind." She walked out of the stables and back to the castle. As she walked, she sighed. She would never understand him. Just like her and her mother. Is this some sort of family curse?

Adrielle sighed. This wasn’t going to be solved today, and she had things to do. She banished the thoughts to the back of her mind and made her way to the laboratory she, her apprentice, and the court mage shared.

* * * * *

The man looked almost like a statue staring into the pond. He had long auburn hair and a full beard, and wore only breeches, boots, and a cloak, leaving his upper body to face the elements. Keldar kept his breathing shallow, focusing his concentration on the pool. As a rule, druids had little in the way of divinatory magic, and this spell required complete concentration.

After what seemed like an eternity, he stirred. The pool had revealed little, but such was the case normally. No massive invasion was grouping outside the borders of the viscounty, so he chose to be content.

Grabbing his staff of oak shod with silver, he gave a whistle, and a hawk launched itself out of the trees, winging its way to him. He caught the bird on his bracer as it landed, rather than letting the animal find purchase by sinking its talons into his arm. Daelith was silent and looked at him. Keldar’s mind was filled with images of food. He quickly reached into a belt pouch and gave the hawk a gobbet of dried meat. Once that was done, he walked away from the pool, the hawk balanced on his wrist.

Keldar left the grove and went towards the castle. As viscount under the Queen, Keldar took his job seriously, and after the war last year, along with the trade alliances he had made and the beefing up of the viscounty’s border guards; he regularly used the scrying pool in the druid grove to scan the surrounding areas.

He saw the chatelaine of the castle just as he entered the courtyard. As usual, Mylena seemed to be in a hurry. She quickly dismissed the maids and hurried to him. "Your Excellency." She said.

"What on the board for tonight?"

She quickly unrolled a scroll. "Not much. But, the Queen’s justice is scheduled for tomorrow."

Inwardly, Keldar groaned. The idea that anyone could appeal to the local lord when a magistrate wouldn’t help might be a blessing for the common folk, but it was a drag. Nine times out of ten, anyone with a lick of sense could solve the problem. "And what about dinner tonight?"

Mylena gave a half-hearted smile. "Her ladyship begs off. She has business in town tonight."

Keldar grimaced. He liked the fact that his wife had taken such an acute interest in the well being of the populace, but it played hell with their time together. Perhaps he should ask someone how others did it. "Fine. No formal dining tonight. I’ll be having supper early." He then left the courtyard and went up to his suite.

* * * * *

The Dancing Mushroom was busy. This well-known dive in the poorer section of the town was a hotbed of intrigue. The usual sort of people – brigands, lowlifes, and petty criminals were there. At one table of the fest hall, three people sat conferring.

"Are you sure this is safe?" Asked one person, a dark ferret of a man, with close-cropped black hair and a scruffy beard. "This is TREASON we are talking about."

The woman at the table scoffed at that. "It’s not treason, Alron, we’re simply re-establishing the old rulership of the area here. Katrina the usurper will watch as her kingdom falls to pieces bit by bit."

The other man leaned forward. He had a look of supreme confidence in everything he did. "Relax. Marissa and I checked it out. The viscount and his people wouldn’t be caught dead in here. No one of importance is going to be here." He paused as the waitress came up and delivered a second round of drinks. He put a silver coin on her tray and gave her a pinch on the bum as she left. She twitched her waist and grinned at him as she left.

Just then, the bar went quiet and dark. A lantern was lit on the bar, and into the circle of light, a small black dragon flew. People began to mutter, and a couple stood up, but then the bard began playing in the corner. The dragon began to writhe in time to the music. Slowly, ever so slowly, the dragon began to change, until a woman wearing a sheer black, barely there dress was dancing to the music. She grabbed a pitcher of beer, and still dancing, began to pour, without spilling a drop.

The crowd around the bar went wild. Several rushed forward to grab the beers she had poured. One patron, more daring, tried to climb the bar to get to her. She put one finger under his chin and began lifting. Somehow, the man began to float in mid-air, supposedly supported only by the woman’s finger under his chin. There was a roar of surprise from the patrons. The woman smiled, and flicked her hand, tossing him back, where he floated gently to the ground. The music stopped, and woman spread her arms, and said, "Gentlemen, drink up."

The woman climbed down from the top of the bar and went into the back room. As she did, her form shimmered again, and Adrielle walked into a secluded room. Two of the bar’s workers followed her.

"Interesting night?" She asked as she sat down.

The woman, the same barmaid who had served drinks to the trio, spoke. "Possibly. I’ve got some live ones. They’re talking about "restoring the old empire", or something like that. She got up and pulled aside a curtain, and pointed at the three.

Adrielle studied them. She had no idea who they were. "Hmmm. I’ll tell Keldar. Good work." The barmaid let the curtain fall and they all set themselves back down. "Anything else?"

The man shook his head. "Nuthin’ special. Some petty criminals, tryin’ to muscle in on us. They won’t be doing that agin." He grinned in an unsettling way.

"Excellent. I’ve got to be going. Good work." She got up and took the two people’s hands, shaking them both. "And they said a thieves’ guild couldn’t do good." With that, she left by a back door, using her talent for stealth to remain unnoticed as she left the area.

At the castle, Keldar was lying on his bed and looking through some correspondence. Sighing, he rolled over, only to see Adrielle sitting on the edge of the bed. Startled, he drew back for a minute. "Damn you, woman! Don’t you knock?"

Adrielle grinned. "Why? I live here." She eased herself over to him and kissed him. "I’m sorry I missed dinner."

They both adjusted themselves until they were lying in bed together. "It’s all right." He said finally, stroking her cheek. "I just wanted to see you, that’s all."

She smiled. "Well, you’ve got me for tonight."

"And tomorrow. Queen’s justice."

She exhaled. "Wonderful. Anyway, shall we make the best of it?" She rolled over and eyed him in a certain way.

Keldar raised his eyebrows. "I think that could be arranged."

Adrielle blew out the lamp next to the bed.

* * * * *

The next day, preparations were made for the Queen’s justice. Once a moon, the populace of the area could go to the crown and request their intervention in any matter. Most of the time, this was a matter of simple dispute resolution or making the crown aware of the actions of their representatives. Keldar and Adrielle made it a point to make everyone who came as comfortable as possible, despite their general dislike of the procedure.

The audience chamber was cleaned and fresh rushes were strewn on the floor. Tapestries were hung and lots of chairs and benches were brought in. On his wife’s advice, Keldar had had two modest thrones commissioned to make them look a bit more impressive.

The pair sat on the thrones, with the court assembled around them. Facing them were two merchants, one of whom had complained about magical interference from the other.

"Tell me," asked Adrielle, "How can you be sure weather magic was used against your boat?"

"My captain has sailed the ocean for ten years. For a storm to blow up like that is next to impossible." He retorted, fixing the other one with a glare.

"Weather magic like what you described is extremely difficult to do. Only the most advanced and powerful of wizards can do it. Did you contact the mages’ guild?"

"Well, no. But everyone knows not all wizards are part of the mages’ guild."

"Master Lorcan, I suggest you contact them anyway. Any activity like that most likely would either be done by them, or at the very least monitored."

Lorcan sighed. "Very well. And if it is found that he is ultimately responsible?"

Keldar spoke. "Then we will levy judgement. Until then, good day."

Both the merchants left. Keldar turned to the page. "Who’s next?"

Three people, two men and a woman, stood up. Together, they came up to the audience area. The woman reached inside her tunic and pulled out an amulet, a large circular ruby set in gold, which seemed to catch the eye.

"My lord viscount, we come to you with an exciting offer." Said the woman.

"Go on."

"I am Marissa, this is Uriden and Alron, my companions. We represent a growing group of people who would like to see a return to older times in this area."

"How do you mean?" Said Keldar.

Suddenly, Adrielle remembered where she had seen them. These were the three people at the Dancing Mushroom. More alert now, she studied them.

The woman seemed to draw the eye to her. Everyone was captivated by her prattling on about the so-called glories lost. Keldar, the herald, the court bard, her children, everyone was hanging on her every word. She kept coming to the forefront of Adrielle’s thoughts. She could almost feel herself wanting to agree with this woman.

Then she realized that magic was in play. The woman didn’t have time to cast a spell, so she guessed that the woman’s amulet was responsible. Slyly, she mouthed words and wove gestures, and cast a spell, to dispel the magic in the woman’s amulet.

There was a ripple in the air. Everyone sat back, blinking, and muttering. The woman trailed off as she noticed her audience was no longer holding on her every word.

Adrielle stood up. "I’m afraid, my dear, that your delightful little fascination spell won’t be terribly effective for a while." She smiled.

Keldar’s face hardened, his green eyes blazing with rage. "No one dares this and gets away with it! Guards! Seize them!"

The three crowded next to each other as the guards advanced, spears out. The taller of the men said, "Well, I guess we’ll do this another time." He reached into his pouch and raised his fist. "Death to the usurper!" He cried out, and threw what was in his fist to the floor. Smoke exploded around them, and when it cleared, the trio was gone.

The court mage, Moredlin the Mad, immediately cast a spell. His vision altered, and he scanned the room for anything invisible. There was nothing. "They’re gone." He said finally. He traded looks with Adrielle, and she said to Keldar, "Moredlin and I will try and scry them out. She hurried from the room, followed by him.

Keldar stood up. "This session of the Queen’s justice is over. Thank you for coming." He immediately left the room himself, heading for the guard barracks.

* * * * *

Keldar slowly approached the wizard’s workroom. He felt strange, quite vulnerable, a feeling somewhat similar to those times during his career as an adventurer when he was not in control of a situation. He didn’t like it, but there was no getting away from this. This was his area, his responsibility, and he would have to deal with it.

Adrielle, Moredlin, and Adrielle’s apprentice Etheah were all finishing up something. Adrielle leaned backwards, her hands on her back to ease the ache that had developed from long hours bent over. Etheah saw Keldar first, and immediately blurted out, "My Lord!" as she bent into a curtsey.

Keldar waved away the gesture. He never understood this girl, but didn’t want to bother with it right now. He looked his wife and the court mage in the eye, and asked. "Anything?"

Moredlin grimaced, and Adrielle shook her. "Nothing. If they’re around, they’re well-hidden."

Keldar sighed. "Well, I’ve reviewed our defenses. The castle is sealed up tight. I suggest we send out patrols tomorrow. In the mean time, let’s go to bed."

Adrielle nodded, and walked over, putting her arm around his waist. "You two go to bed." She said to them, "We’ll try something else tomorrow." She and Keldar left then.

Some time later, Adrielle woke up. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but something was bothering her. She carefully eased herself out of bed, and went to the crib where the infant lay. It was sleeping soundly. She looked over at Keldar, who was sleeping as well. She pulled on a tunic and went into Keldar’s hothouse.

She had to admire this model of ingenuity. The warmth of the hothouse was both magical and the result of careful planning. She tread the soft earth and fingered the plants, rare or unknown here in a northern climate, that the druid carefully tended.

She heard the curse and was immediately alert. She backed up to the door of the hothouse. As she fumbled with the handle of the door, she heard more movement. After several tries, she cursed and turned around to open it.

The bushes of a plant rustled, and someone jumped her.

But, Adrielle Shadowfire was not some rank tyro. At the last second, she pivoted as one of the men hit the door hard and went through it. The other two, the same people who had tried to ensorcel the court earlier tonight, materialized. She faced them. "Well, well, well," she said, "And I thought you didn’t care."

The man, who still reminded Adrielle of a ferret, said, "Join us, and this ends. No one has to die."

Adrielle chuckled. "Except the usurper, and that would be Queen Katrina."

The woman drew her blade. "We will win. Apparently, you’ve made your choice." With that, she lunged at Adrielle.

The woman was good. Adrielle was hard-pressed to dodge her swings. Finally, she backflipped out of range of the woman, and cast a spell as she charged forward.

The woman froze in place. Adrielle grinned. "That’s that."

The man drew a knife. With a shout, he took aim and threw.

With frightening ease, Adrielle caught the blade as it flew to her. "Nice try." The man turned and ran, but Adrielle aimed and threw the knife back. The knife buried itself in the man’s back. Howling, he collapsed.

Adrielle walked over and examined him. His struggles were growing weaker by the minute. Suddenly, she remembered the third person, the man who had gone through the door.

The man held his blade high over Keldar’s sleeping form. "My lord, I salute you." With that, He plunged the blade down.

Keldar’s eyes snapped open. He rolled to one side, as the blade plunged into the bedding. He scrambled out of bed as the man fought to pull his sword from the bedding. He finally pulled it free and turned to face Keldar, who had grabbed his staff.

"Better." Said the man. "I like a fight." He lunged at Keldar.

Keldar blocked the swing with his staff, and pivoted it, sweeping out the man’s legs. He fell, cursing. "Who says I’m going to fight you?’ Said Keldar.

As the man got to his feet, Keldar invoked his druid powers. Flame blossomed in one of his hands, and he threw the flame like a child would a ball.

The man went up like a torch. Screaming, he ran about, ultimately collapsing in heap.

Adrielle and the guards got into the room at the same time. She embraced her husband. After a little bit, she said. "We have a prisoner. The woman in the hothouse. Get her and take her to the dungeon." She turned to him. "Are you all right?"

He put his arms around her waist. "I’m fine. You?"

* * * * *

Marissa turned out to be very uncooperative. Torture was forbidden, and everything the pair could think of produced nothing from the woman. Finally, they gave up, and put her in a cell.

Adrielle looked at the woman. Tied as she was, she was still defiant. "Go ahead. Kill me." She said, "You’ll just make me a martyr. The past will rise again."

Adrielle pursed her lips. "No, I don’t think so. You don’t know about the past. The knights who ruled here before Katrina were incompetent. There was a curse on the land as well. You don’t know about the past, and we won’t let people like you repeat what happened before."

"No, you’re going to live. People will forget, and your precious dream, that piece of flawed thinking, will be forgotten. As will you." She turned her head. "Guard!"

A guard came running.

"Gag her. It is only to come off when she’s fed."

The guard smiled as Adrielle left.

As she walked, she thought about what she had said to Marissa. Finally, she turned and went to the room of her son.

Nyroch answered the door. "Mother?" He asked, somewhat sleepily.

She entered his room. "Are you all right?"

Nyroch nodded.

"Good. I learned something tonight. If you don’t learn from the past, you’ll repeat it. Now, I didn’t have a good relationship with my mother, either. We have to work at this more to make it work."

Nyroch smiled.

She gestured, and took his arm. "C’mon. Let’s go talk in the solar." The two left his room and began walking.

In the morning, Keldar awoke. He looked around, and did not see his wife. Curious, he got up, got dressed, and grabbed his staff. Walking out the bedroom, he turned and went down the hall.

When he got to the solar, he looked in. Both Adrielle and Nyroch were asleep, Nyroch’s head in Adrielle’s lap. He looked at the scene, thought a bit, and smiled. He quietly left the room.

He turned around, almost running into Etheah. She gasped, and immediately curtsied. "My lord." She said hurriedly. "Is my lady in there?"

Keldar gestured. "Yeah, but she and my son are talking. Let’s leave them be." Etheah shrugged, curtsied, and began to leave. Before she could get far, he walked over and asked her, "Etheah, why do that?"

"What?"

"Curtsy and said ‘my lord’ every time you see me." He shook his head. "It’s not necessary."

"But it’s a sign of respect."

Keldar grinned. "It’s not necessary. You’re not a foreign dignitary; you’re my wife’s apprentice. We can be a lot more informal." He took her arm. "C’mon, let’s go to breakfast."

Etheah studied him for a minute. "Very well my lor….Keldar."

Together, they left.