I brought the beloved little emperor back into the main body of the mansion. I trailed him slowly, making sure he took the right turns.

  When the first footman found him, Horace made the boy duel him for a while. He told him he was dead and kept on, looking for more footmen and pretty maids to kill.

  Apparently it was a game they had all played before. Word was sent up after enough people were present.

  Apparently being lost in the house was a common mischief the young quasi emperor played. The regent seemed content to guard the exits and let the servants search.

  Eventually he was trailed by nearly every child servant in the house and I eased back. I had plans to make.

  I stopped in the schoolroom back halls to check the proposed school schedule. His bedtime tomorrow was during the party, but after the formal dinner.

  I made some rounds, carrying the same mostly empty basket around to look busy. I accounted for the whereabouts of every person in the household and I did it several times. Like the other kids I just used the main halls. Except when I wanted to avoid someone.

  Occasionally I was given specific tasks by the adult servants. They all seemed frazzled. Most of them didn’t pause long enough to make sure I did as told.

  Once I tested security on the Regent’s rooms. I entered her study with a feather duster bigger than my head and began casually dusting the knick knacks and wall hangings.

  I expected to be called out on it, but I was not disturbed, even when I tucked the duster under my arm and riffled through the Regent’s correspondence. There was nothing of ruling, no farm reports or petitions. I did read a few letters from her ducal father. Turned out she was technically a bastard, born of an incestuous arranged coupling with his cousin.

  Most of what I took came out of a locked drawer that was simple to pick, well, simple after I had used the minor spell dispel talisman I had drawn up on the spot.

  Her birth papers, Horace’s birth papers, his coronation documents, letters of promise between her and her father. Smacked of familial distrust that she felt the need to keep them. There was a lot, and I mean an overwhelming lot of incriminating evidence.

  There was even a small packet called ‘in case I am deposed’ which included a summary statement of the whole family plot she’d been born into.

  I took the coins from a small purse, a ledger and a small pile of spell or skill slips.

  Everything I felt was worth taking went into my ring. Now all that was left was to kidnap the emperor.

  I switched back and forth between the uniforms several times during the day.

  Eventually I learned that the servants were allowed in the main halls because the prince seemed enamored with the idea of secret passages, and ordered them out every time he crossed paths with a servant.

  Fair. I’d always loved the back passages too.

  In addition to ‘zombies in the castle’ Horace liked to play assassin, where he ran around pasting papers on anyone who didn’t see him or who let him. He liked to play tag with the footman, but only if he got to be ‘it’ all the time and yell ‘off with your head’ when he caught someone.

  He never missed his swordplay lessons. He dodged Tutor Trina as often as he thought he could.

  The party for the Duke was the day after I made contact with Horace. The whole household was in an uproar. The whole household smelled of delicious spices being used in dishes prepared in the kitchen.

  I decided that the time to rescue the boy was while the party was still going strong, but after Horace was sent to bed.

  I gave all three of my merit tokens to one of the two boys assigned to stand behind Horace at the banquet. We were also supposed to stand at his door until relieved.

  The banquet showed how poor and how desperate to be seen as legitimate the Empress Regent really was. The food was elaborate dishes made from humble ingredients. There were three bread courses. The soup smelled of too much garlic. The meat was beast meat from the forest, provided by the host, Earl d’Summit.

  I was quite content not to sample the food presented.

  Horace asked to be excused before dessert.

  His mother nodded absently, too intently focused on her near seduction of the Duke.

  Greg and I followed the boy out of the hall.

  He was halfway to his room when he turned and said straight at me. “I want to play hide and seek. Greg, you’re it. No peeking.”

  The other footman groaned at the dressing down we would certainly get, but he covered his eyes and started counting.

  Horace grabbed my hand and started pulling me down the hall as fast as his little legs could carry him.

  “When?” He demanded, as soon as we were past the secret door.

  “Are you ready to go?” I challenged back.

  “Yes.” He said with a long suffering groan. “I can’t do this anymore.”

  “Then let’s go.” I pulled out replacement clothes for both of us. “Do you trust me?” I asked snarkily.

  He pursed his lips. “More than I trust anyone I have met since my Heloise was sent back to the wet nurse pool.”

  This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

  “Griselda.” I said wistfully. “I still miss her.”

  He smiled.

  I took his old clothes, ran into the main lower levels and hid them in a random room.

  He was ready to go when I got back, all except his hair. I braided it like a girl’s, two shoulder length braids.

  “There is a way into the city. This way.” I knew the way well. I could traverse it in full darkness.

  We emerged into the same street where I had arrived. I held Horace’s hand like an older sibling.

  Nobody stopped us or even looked at us twice.

  I let us into the wood working yard.

  “This is where you need to trust. It’s not too late to go back.”

  He shook his head. “Let’s go. How are we going? I can’t see a way off the mountain without getting caught.”

  “There are two ways. This is one of them.” I held his hand tightly and ignited the teleport.

  “That… how did you do that?”

  I shrugged. “Runes. Fairly simple runes once you know the relative positions, which are helpfully described in the runes already.”

  “I didn’t see runes.”

  “You’ll see these ones.” I led the way to the xxx gate. This would either work or it would be embarrassing.

  It worked. We held hands again as we arrived in xxx. The famous map room was empty. I turned around and spotted the nearest servant door, barely concealed in a wall panel.

  Perfect. We entered the back halls. Now we just had to get the documents to the First Prince before the Duke found out Horace was missing.

  “Where are we?” Horace asked quietly.

  “The Winter Palace. We teleported again, just like the first time. Shh. Let’s find the kitchen. Maybe I will see someone I know.”

  He frowned. “Don’t you have a contact? A spymaster? A plan?”

  “Nope.” I said cheerfully. “You wanted to go, so here we are. I’ll get you to your oldest brother as soon as I’m sure we can do it safely.”

  He nodded stiffly.

  “Maybe we can find my mother. I’m sure she’ll help, so will Aunt Glory, one of your sisters.”

  “Are we cousins?”

  I chuckled. “It’s honorary, but if it wasn’t I’d be your niece. Luckily I was not born into either side of your messed up family.”

  He smiled weakly.

  Finding the kitchens wasn’t difficult, even though I had never been to this palace or even seen a map. Kitchens are down. Down usually funnels you into a few well marked junctions and every such room had a sign pointing to the kitchen, regardless of what else was done in the room.

  It was slightly earlier in the evening here than in Melanor. We got a few odd looks until we passed a uniform closet and snagged two suitable outfits. Go Sir Amelia’s thievery lessons.

  We reached the kitchen and I immediately relaxed. I pulled Horace to the side and stood against the wall, functionally invisible.

  “Lara.” I said loud enough to be heard over the usual bustle of a large kitchen.

  She almost dropped the basket of greens she was carrying.

  “I… Miranda?” She squeaked. “What are you doing here? Don’t you know they don’t need rescuing?”

  I nodded, barely trusting my voice. “Can we talk away from the noise?” And the prying ears.

  She nodded. “Be right back.” She took the greens off and had a slightly heated conversation with the man she left them with. She peeled off her apron as she joined me.

  She led the way. She turned several times and ended in a small single bedroom.

  She sat on the bed and looked at me. She bit her lip.

  I cuddled in for a hug and a brief sob.

  I knew? Distantly, that Lara was right. The war of succession was not fought on bloody battlefields, both currently active courts lived here, battling each other and ruling together on alternate days. There were bloody battles, but they were small, local skirmishes over support for one side or the other.

  “Right. Enough of that, milady. What’s the plot?”

  I sighed and inhaled deeply. “I think I need Aunt Glory.” I sniffed. “I know I need to speak with the First Prince and I know I need to avoid Duke xxx.”

  Lara nodded. “It’s a start. I will take you to your aunt and mother. Your aunt will be able to send for her brother.”

  “For now this is my brother. It won’t last past an examination, but it will do as a cover.” Like with me, a strong adult would be able to sense his name with a glance of magic sight.

  Lara nodded like a bobble head, over and over, quickly and then slowing down. “Right. No time like the present. Let’s go.”

  She led us through the halls again. The servant halls of the summer palace are unrelenting brick or plaster. These halls had a bit of decoration here and there.

  I even spotted a few rune formations, but none of them had visible connections to their power sources.

  Mother was singing to her bobbins when we entered. She rested them. “Yes?”

  “Mum, surprise visitors. Your lady will want to see them.”

  “Lara? I-“ she gasped. “Miranda? Oh, you foolish, ridiculous child. I’m safe here. We’re safe unless we try to leave. If anyone hears you’re here…”

  “I’ll be stuck too? I’m good with that. I have adopted a new baby brother to look after.”

  Mother looked at Horace, who was clinging to my back and peeking forward.

  She gasped suddenly. “Oh my goodness. Stay here.” She ran out of the room immediately. I sat on one of the settees and motioned for Horace to join me.

  “I don’t have the level to check him.” Lara sounded slightly regretful. “I won’t ask…”

  I just nodded. Not answering the unspoken question. My gossipy former nurse hissed her disapproval. I chuckled.

  Aunt Glory entered. She picked me up and twirled me around. “Oh my darling.” She cooed. “Ever since Sir Amelia arrived I have been so worried.”

  I nodded. She looked at the boy next to me.

  “I- oh. Oh my. I think- yes. Let me send for xxx.”

  “I hoped you would, tell him to come alone, he’s got enemies within his closest circle. I have news for him and espionage results.”

  Mother shot me a disapproving glance. “Espionage?”

  I nodded. “How else would I end up here with him?”

  “Right.” My mother pursed her lips. “Fine. While we wait, catch us all up on your story.”

  I let it all flow, from riding in the basket until finding the teleport formation and making it work. Then infiltrating the house to kidnap Horace.

  The First Prince arrived partway through, alone like I asked.

  I spilled the whole story about the plot, supplementing it with the documents I had stolen.

  “Gloriana? Is she yours?”

  Aunt Glory laughed. “No, silly. She’s entirely d’Isle and d’Yarin.”

  “Right. Prince Horace. Do you submit yourself to my rule willingly?”

  “I do. But you have to take care of my mother’s family and the whole plot. They will not stop, and we’re all in danger of losing our lives to the plotters, same as the former emperor, our father.”

  I would like to say that I witnessed what happened next, but sadly I did not. I know the basics, of course.

  The First Prince immediately had a parlay with the (fourth?) Prince, his last true adversary. They called a joint judicial court session on the palace lawn, convicted and immediately beheaded Duke xxx, his wife, sister, cousins and heirs for treason. All of them were already at the palace due to the war.

  Horace was declared (arch)Duke xxx, as the only legitimate heir to the line. (Ignoring that his mother was technically an incestuous, illegitimate child born entirely for the plot.)

  The Fourth Prince took the moment, standing over the bloody corpses of the plotters who had killed his father, to abandon his quest for succession in favor of the First Prince.

  There was much rejoicing and a coronation ceremony, which I did attend, along with the entire crèche of underage children of the imperial household.

  I was not even publicly acknowledged for my role. Privately I was given a very generous gift of gold, school uniforms, books and supplies to go with my full tuition to the Imperial Academy System. Privately, my mother was raised to an Earldom for her loyalty to her patroness. This made me a Viscountess, the honorary title given to the children of higher nobles to separate them in a uniform block from the normal, read lower, lords and ladies.

  Mother was essentially banished with Aunt Glory, who was now an ArchDuchess rather than a Princess. Aunt Glory and her siblings who were reduced in rank were all given the ArchDuchies their father had outlined for their inheritance. The former rulers of the regions were lower nobles and in some cases the generals who had temporary control over recently conquered lands.

  I was sent back to school. Not back to the convent, no. Since I was too old for the crèche (over six) I was sent to the next level of schooling given to imperial children.