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his coldblooded murder.
    Forcing himself to his feet , Thad stumbled back toward the security of the palace. The guards at the palace gate knew him well, and rushed to his aid when he came into their view. Through the pounding of his head and the tearing of his soul, he could hear them call for help. One of them gently lifted him from his feet as if he were no more than a babe.
    He felt as someone tried to remove the sword and staff from his hands, but he refused to let the go. He held on to them stubbornly until the weariness of the day’s events took their toile, and he slipped into unconsciousness.
    He woke his head still thrumming as the even ing sun peeked through his window, assaulting his tender eyes. His body had been cleaned of the blood, and his clothes had been changed. He now wore a thick wool night gown. Trying to not think too hard about who had bathed and clothed him, he got unsteadily to his feet. With his stomach complaining from lack of food, he decided it was prudent to make his way to the kitchen and see if he could snag something to eat.
    Though it was late in the afternoon , the palace halls were still swarmed with people. He hadn’t taken the time to change out of his night clothes. As he passed a group of giggling female servants, he lowered his head, his face burning bright red.
    He found the cooks in the kitchen , doing preparations for the morning meal. They were more than happy to use the leftovers to make him a bowl of quickly thrown together stew. Wanting to avoid any more loss to his already shattered dignity, he took the less used back corridors of the palace to his room.
    As he passed by one of the smaller meeting rooms , he heard raised voices though he couldn’t quite pick up what they were saying. From the tone and pitch it sounded like the queen and princess as well as a few others were arguing. Creeping softly, he moved closer to the door. The words were still muffled and he could only pick out a few from time to time. Knowing he shouldn’t, but too intrigued to stop himself, he placed his ear to the door.
    “Mother he still doesn’t trust you.” The princess said in a much more commanding tone then he was used to.
    “I know dear, but there is little I can do about that. He has every right to hate me after everything I’ve done. Honestly, I can’t understand why he agreed to take on the mantle of the slave even in title if not practice. He’s a good boy, if a bit naïve. I’m sure if we explain the situation he will be willing to help.” The queen said, her voice retaining the quiet dignity he always associated with her.
    “Yes he do es have a cute naivety to him, but in my short time with him, I found him quick to defend those in trouble. It is an admirable trait for one so young.” A familiar female voice said, though he couldn’t place who it belonged too.
    “I don’t want to hear your advice, trollop.” The princess said so venomously Thad had a mental image of her biting the unknown woman.
    “Ah! The little princess is growing up so fast. Maybe your young mage will pay attention to you more once you look more like a woman.” The unknown woman replied mockingly.
    “Will you two stop it? Maria we do not treat our guests in such a manner, and Eloen, you are more than old enough to know better.” The queen said trying to sound serious, but Thad could detect a hint of laughter in her voice.
    The room quieted down as the two ladies apologized to each other. Neither of them sounded sincere to Thad , but the queen didn’t push the issue. The thought of the dainty little princess facing off against the tomboyish Eloen almost made Thad double over laughing. Only his desire to remain unnoticed helped him hold his tongue.
    “This is the worst possible time for an invasion. With the current social upheaval, we can’t pull many so ldiers from their normal duties, and the soldiers that are currently stationed at Southpass won’t be enough if the information on the size of