"It's safe to talk now," she announced calmly, sitting down on the chest. "Miranda, we have to start immediately. I won't be able to move around for a few days, so I want you to go into the city and contact Ulfan. I'm going to need him."

"Already? Wouldn't it be better to wait?"

"No. We're running on a schedule here, Miranda. Sisska, I want you to leave tomorrow. Are you ready for it?"

"I will leave with the dawn, Highness," she said confidently. "In exactly three months from tomorrow, the Vendari will be here."

"Good. I can't stress how much I'm counting on you, Sisska. You and the Vendari are the fulchrum of this plan. If you don't show up, the rest of us are going to be executed."

"By my honor, we will be here," she said seriously.

"Then I'm sure I'll see you again in three months," Keritanima smiled. "Azakar, do you think you're ready to take Sisska's place? Miranda can be a handful."

Miranda gave Keritanima a dirty look. "I'm not half as much trouble as you," she accused.

"I know," Keritanima winked to her.

"I can keep the flipskirt under control," Azakar said with a hint of a smile.

"That was business, Zak," Miranda said cooly.

"I'm sure it was."

"I don't do that unless I have to. Arduous men are cesspools of good information."

"You certainly didn't sound like you minded wading into that cesspool."

" Do you mind?" Miranda asked huffily.

"Not at all," he grinned.

" Men!" Miranda snorted, opening her shoulder bag and pulling out a bit of embroidery.

Binter and Sisska traded mysterious looks, then they nodded to one another.

"Odds are, my father's going to hold off seeing me for a couple of days," Keritanima continued. "He'll want some safeguards in place to protect himself from any kind of magical attack, because I don't doubt he's expecting one. I want to remind you, Zak, that absolutely anything you say or do is going to be on my father's desk in triplicate. I hope you remember your Knightly training about stoicism, silence, and fortitude. Not a word, Zak. Not a word."

"I won't say a word unless Miranda says it's alright," he said soberly.

"Good. Most of the time they'll be speaking Wikuni, but most Wikuni know Common, so assume that anyone around you can understand what you're saying."

"I will," he promised.

"Good. I'm depending on you, Zak."

"I'll make you proud, Kerri."

"I don't doubt it," she said with a toothy grin.

"It is unseemly they return you without a meal waiting," Binter announced. "I think I will arrange some lunch."

"I'd really appreciate that, Binter," Keritanima said with a grateful look. "Absolutely nothing involving ham, tackbread, or ale, please. Fruits and vegetables. I've been dying for an apple."

"I will arrange some fruit, cheese, pastries, and wine until the dinner hour," he offered.

"That sounds wonderful," she told him.

Binter bowed silently, then turned and left for the kitchens. Keritanima leaned back against the footboard of her chest. "There's a spare bedroom off the sitting room, Zak," she said. "It's supposed to be for a maid, but we don't use it. Miranda stays in here with me. You can stay there."

"No offense, but no thanks," he replied. "With Sisska leaving for her home, Binter would probably rather have a second set of eyes and ears in the room defending this one. I'll stay in there."

"Wise," Sisska agreed.

"Well, then I guess that's the plan," Keritanima frowned. "I hope Binter doesn't mind."

"He will demand it," Sisska told her charge in her deep, sibilant voice. "Azakar serves no purpose that far from his duty."

Azakar nodded to the female Vendari. Their training of him was showing more and more every day.

"Alright then. I guess we can unpack and get settled in, then. And get something to eat that hasn't been packed in salt," she said with a grunt.

After a light meal, they settled in. Azakar and Binter helped Sisska pack what she would need for her journey, and he settled into the room the Vendari mates shared as Miranda unpacked what few belongings they had managed to bring with them from Shoran's Fork. About all that entailed were the clothes on her back and those Miranda made for her, a few personal effects, and Miranda's shoulder bag. The precious satchel was stowed in a secret cubbyhole in the room's hearth, the same cubby that held the key to the treasury, her skulking clothes, lockpicks, some rope and a grapple and other thiefly tools, and the Royal Seal she had used so many times as a young girl. The tools of an enterprising young lady with a plan to leave the horrible conditions of her life. That little girl would be very put out with her for screwing all that planning up and coming back. There had been few good times in the room, but there were one or two. Mainly remembrances of the special friendship she shared with Miranda, when the young commoner was placed with the Princess to be her personal maid, and turned out to be her only friend.

It had been so long ago. She smiled as she patted the old writing desk, a desk that hadn't seen much use when she was very young. Before the struggle to stay alive had overwhelmed her life. The orders of alot of killings had come from that desk, orders passed on through her network to Ulfan, her criminal friend in the city. Ruler of the Black Shadows, a thieves' guild in the city, with enough underworld connections to arrange for any murder she so ordered. Ulfan's cooperation had been one of the only things keeping her alive at that time. Of course, that cooperation came from the fact that she paid him well for his work, but the fact that he could have sold her out at any time reminded her that his working for her had been as much out of friendship as it was business. He was one of only five that knew her secret at that time. The fifth was Kalina, another Fox Wikuni that looked so much like Keritanima that it was like looking into a mirror. Kalina was a harlot and a pickpocket, stealing what she could to make a living, and prostituting for the rest. The only difference between them was that Kalina was just a shade taller than Keritanima, and she was just a bit more busty. But she could imitate Keritanima's voice almost perfectly, and she knew enough about the Princess to be a convincing imposter. Keritanima had used that many times to confuse her enemies, for them to literally see two Keritanimas in two different places at the same time. Kalina was a bit coarse, but she was a loyal employee when she was paid well. Ulfan and Kalina would be vital to her plan, as would the Black Shadows.

Maybe some good memories would come from the apartment now. Gods only knew, whether she succeeded or failed, they would be memorable.

No servants or emissaries from her father showed up, even after dinner was brought to them. Damon Eram was trying to sweat her, she knew. Trying to be unpredictable, trying to throw her off guard. It worked in her favor that he was putting her off, trying to assert his dominance by making her wait. By keeping her pinned in her room, he was obviously trying to upset her, get her worked up. If he only knew that he was playing right into her hands.

She was forced to eliminate another round of spies, obviously come to find out why the first hadn't reported, then taken their places. She and the others sat in the sitting room by her large hearth and its crackling fire. She sat at the coffee table, on the floor, continuing to write her documents, as Azakar sharpened his sword, Binter and Sisska played chess, and Miranda continued with her embroidery. That was when the note was pushed under the door. They all looked at each other for a moment, and then Miranda padded over and picked it up and unfolded it. "To K.; time to walk the dog." She looked up at Keritanima with a slight smile. "I guess Ulfan already knows we're here."