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role in our affairs!”
    Nodding sagely, Tenen, only two years older than the 18-year-old recruits, was clearly pleased as this unexpected bolt of praise.
    “We are strong!” Holding up a fist, the King slowly looked about the room. “Mightier than the Kardens! We will vanquish all of our foes, both in the field and closer to home!” And so saying, the grey-haired King turned to look at his own Throne, a ponderous gold chair weighing several hundred pounds.
    Untouched by human hand, the massive, ornate chair lifted off the raised platform, floating out into the middle of the room to hover before the center of the recruit line. There were several “oohs” and “ahhs” from the crowd at this display of kingly power, a few of the women even offering brief applause.
    For Anson, it was nearly too much. He had no idea the King possessed the same ability as himself. Breathing heavily, he couldn’t help turning to the left, staring at the Throne, panic nearly overwhelming him.
    However, right underneath the levitating monarch’s chair, directly in his line of sight, was the empowered princess. Unlike everyone else, their attention galvanized by the now-wobbling Throne, she was staring straight at him. Somehow, he immediately knew she meant no harm, that his secret would be kept. Most of Anson’s tension instantly drained away. With a nearly imperceptible nod, she then pointedly drew his attention up to the Throne and away from her. Letting out a final sigh, he let his eyes wander upwards.
    “Face front!” bellowed out Prince Garob. Thankfully, several of the other boys also couldn’t help gaping at the King’s display of mental might. Anson, along with six others, now snapped their faces down and forward once more, features frozen into emotionless masks.
    Now shaking even more, the Throne meandered back to its customary position, dropping down with a thud. The King himself climbed the few steps back to the raised platform, setting into the monarch’s symbol of power with a tired sigh.
    It had taken far greater exertion for the King to lift and move the Throne than it would have for Anson to do the same thing. At the moment, he didn’t know quite what to make of that.
     
    ***
     
    “I assure you, my Lady, I’m just fine!” Unable to hide her impatience any longer, the burned Demon stood up from the table.
    “But my dear, let me help you!” At one time the old princess had moderately effective healing powers. Now well into her dotage, she still hung around the castle infirmary laying her almost useless hands on anyone who walked in.
    “My Lady, please!” Torched outer clothing abandoned in the passageway upstairs, the faux-cleaning woman grabbed a random dress from a chair, quickly pulling it on. “I must go now!”
    “But my dear...”
    Ignoring her, the Demon raced out the door.
    There was an Unknown Talent right here in the castle! She’d even brushed up against his leg, but that young fool Prince Tenen had burst in just before she could look up at his face. So close, but she didn’t know what he looked like! The Unknown could be any of the twenty boys in that room.
    At first stunned and woozy from Tenen’s attack, the Demon had allowed herself to be helped down to the infirmary. Now, having regained her composure, she knew what must be done. She simply had to find and stop the Unknown before he escaped the castle.
    There wasn’t time to report to her superiors, and this was simply too good of an opportunity to waste. Capturing him would be a professional coup, leading to sure promotion, possibly even the King’s personal favor.
    And her own power was well-suited for such an eventuality. This particular Demon could instantly make anyone fall into a deep sleep lasting several minutes. Thus incapacitated, the Unknown Talent could be drugged and hustled down into the dungeon before he even knew what had hit him. Following a full and leisurely interrogation, the boy would then quietly disappear