Amidal was pacing the halls of the palace when Alcazar the captain of guard found her. "Forgive the intrusion, Madame Amidal, we have captured your quarry."
"Very good, bring him to me in the west drawing room. I shall deal with him there." He acknowledged her request and exited to deliver the prisoner as ordered. Amidal rubbed her hands together with nervous tension. She had been Amri's most trusted adviser for years without revealing her secret loyalties to the rebellion. She had successfully concealed elves whose deaths were demanded by Amri, which won her the position of their leader. The rebellion was getting ever closer to rising up against the queen and Amidal knew her time at the palace would have to end soon to protect their hidden alliances. She entered the drawing room where the prisoner had been tied to a chair in the center of the room. "Master Toame. I am surprised at you. I'm afraid your mother will be most displeased to hear of your escapades," she said as she swept passed him the fire place on the far side of the room. "Leave us," she ordered the guards. "What say you, young master?" she asked when they were alone.
"Only that my life has no value of its own," he replied without looking up.
"What a thing to be said by the future king. If your life has no value; then what use are you to the throne?" she questioned. She placed her hand on his chin and raised his face to meet her gaze.
"I serve the Lily of the Rose Bed. The throne belongs to her and to her my loyalty lies. For her life I surrender mine." He kept her stare and watched her face soften with the realization that he was friend and not foe.
"The lily lives?"
"Aye, it blooms strong this day."
Amidal called the guards to return. "Take this boy to his room. I will deal with him more later." They did as she requested and left her alone in the drawing room. News of Lily excited and frightened her. She had heard rumors of Bayla's daughter all of her life, but had never thought they were true. She was about to leave the room when Malikar entered the room with yet another intruder. "Who is this that you have brought to me? I have found my quarry already," she demanded.
"I beg your pardon ma'am, this old man claims to have been sent by Queen Amri to tend to the king," he said as he bowed to her.
"Rise soldier, I am not your queen. Leave us. I shall take care of it." They released Philip into her charge and retreated to their duties. She turned her attention to the short man before her. He was an old man in her eyes. To frail to be too harmful, yet she remained wary as he had claimed alliance to the queen. "You were sent here by Queen Amri?" she questioned.
"I am Amri's father from the village. I have been sent to tend to your king in her absence," he replied bowing respectfully to her.
"How am I to know you are not one of the spies sent to destroy her?"
"I can offer no proof, my lady. I am an old man and have no wish to fight. If I must surrender my life to you, then so be it."
"What say you skunk?" she asked Jacque who had climbed up to the window in the room.
"He is a friend of the king," whispered Jacque.
"Very well. Guards!" she called. "Take this man to the king's chambers so that he may treat the king as he has been directed to do." Philip left with guards in compliance.
When they had gone she directed her words to Jacque. "Heed my words, skunk. Lies will cost you your life." She left the room to visit again with the queen's son.
The skunk sighed and left to find Lily and her father.