Arshalous did not know why she decided to visit the royal court...she missed the quiet bustle of her own home now that it was as still as a forlorn tomb...maybe she wished to see if the court was poisoned with fear as the townsman and villagers were. She wandered about the outskirts of the royal palace, Semra by her side, noticing that it too was tensely quiet.
Once she caught a glimpse of the Emissary as he glided about his business. It seemed that he too had changed, just like her king. The power that seemed to course through him did not glow with nobility as she had first thought, but with dark menace. Why had she not noticed it before? She remembered that day so long ago when she had dined with the Emissary and she had told him of his god Melkor...she snorted in disgust. That should have been the first warning...
It was then that she had noticed that Semra was trembing, her eyes closed tightly. "What is the matter?" Arshalous asked.
"That man...he seemed to be an echo of that thing that touched me when you found me that night in the pool," she whispered.
Dread formed in Arshalous, a cold knot in the pit of her stomach. Wrapping her arm around the girl's shoulders, she led her away from the royal palace. "I want to visit Lady Hababa," Arshalous told Semra as they mounted -- Arshalous on her white mare and Semra on a little brown pony. "I have not seen her for many days and I fear that she grows lonely, which is no surprise as Korak certainly isn't the best of company," she said bitterly.
In almost no time at all, they arrived at Korak's place. It too was lacking in servants, and Arshalous wondered if they had been let go as well. She had only let her own go because they had wished to go to their distant homes to protect them from the darkness that festered in the city.
Semra and Arshalous found that Korak, the Princess, and the few servants that remained were gathered in the same room. Arshalous curled her lip in annoyance. She did not want to banter words with Korak today.
"Good day, Lady Cousin," Korak said stiffly, glancing at his ailing mother.
Arshalous smiled softly to herself, pleased to see that he was restrained by his aunt's presense. "Semra and I heard you in the passageway," she said. "I thought that you sounded rather unreasonable which really isn't becoming you know. So why don't you go away and leave us women be?"
With a smirk, she turned her back on Korak, took up Lady Hababa's hand and said, "Forgive me, dear Aunt, for being so late in coming. I have had many problems, but so, I believe have you. With no servants to till the land, it fairs rather badly does it not? And," she added with a small, joyless smile, "if the orcs are not inclined to go around a field that is in their way they do not hesitate to trample over it, do they?"
Lady Hababa nodded weakly and Arshalous pressed her hand sympathetically. She, indeed, suffered worse than Arshalous, for what could be worse than being imprisoned in one's own bed?
Turning to the Gjeelea, she said, "How do you fair, Princess?"
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