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the east and the pirate attacks along the southern shoreline, he was busy enough as it was. Now he had to deal with a problem from his past?
    It was apparent he had scared the messenger, because the man stuttered as he answered. “Only b-because it is the law to inform you, sire.”
    The law. Of course. In the minds of the citizens, obeying the law was paramount to all else. It gave them a standard by which to live, a sense of confidence in knowing that there was harmony throughout the kingdom. And they looked to their king to ensure that the laws were kept.
    “You are excused to the waiting room. My steward will be along shortly to get a more detailed debriefing and to collect your list of names.”
    Once the great doors were closed behind the villager, Steffan turned toward his counselor, his movement slightly awkward so as not to jostle his churning gut.
    His chief counselor had become a good friend over the last several decades. Lucien had been adopted by King Gaston’s counselor when he was just a lad of nine years old and had lived in the palace since. He had been groomed for his current position, and Steffan readily selected him to replace his mentor after the old king died. As youth, the two had played often together, sneaking out of the palace to go fishing or searching for gnomes in the woods. And while there were eight other positions of council within the palace—one for each aspect of kingdom business, including trade, land rights, farming, treasury, and more—it was only natural that Lucien be selected as chief counselor. 
    It was Lucien’s duty to oversee the projects of the other eight counselors and to bring a daily report to the king. He also advised the king in any other matters, upon request. A chief counselor had to be studious, knowledgeable of the kingdom’s laws and history, and completely trustworthy. He was every bit a scholar and a diplomat, as well as an advisor. Steffan and Lucien worked well together, and Steffan was particularly glad to have his friend here now, to assist in the difficult matter of witches.
    “Well, it looks like on top of everything else, I’ve got to try a witch,” Steffan said. “I find the whole business of executing innocent people distasteful. I thought all this mess with witches was a thing of the past, but it looks like I was wrong. Lucien, what’s your opinion on the matter? You are the historian around here, and I know you remember The Purging .”
    Lucien seemed to be wrapped deep in thought. “She used magic to heal someone? That’s very interesting, indeed. I wonder how she got it, since the fairies agreed many years ago to stop giving magic to humans…” He seemed to snap out of his reverie. “Humans with magic are a serious threat—not just to you, but to your entire kingdom. Your father understood this, which is why he made the law requiring witches to be executed by fire. If this messenger from Farr is telling the truth, and there are a number of witnesses that saw this woman using her magic, then word of the witch’s existence will eventually spread throughout the kingdom. The people will be afraid and will look to you to uphold the law. In short, if you do nothing you not only let your people live in fear, but you will lose their trust.”
    Steffan took a moment to respond.
    “I agree with most of what you say. At the very least, there must be a trial. Thank you, Lucien. You had better go. We will finish that other business later.”
    “But Steffan, what will you—”
    “Not now, Lucien,” interrupted Steffan, all formality aside. “I need time to think.”
    Lucien, knowing when to give in, turned and left. 
    For a long moment Steffan sat alone in his great hall, the space around him seeming to echo his thoughts. He knew that Lucien’s words were nothing less than the truth. To ignore the witch was to forsake the law. At the very least, she would have to be brought to the palace for judgment. And if there was no loophole in the law,