"If you were anyone else, I would have you locked away for such brashness, but then again, you were always good with words," Yukio joked. "I have come to talk to you about the importance of maintaining the inner wall defenses as well as to give you some vital information that will be needed to defend the queen against hidden attacks."
"I could use all of the intelligence I can get my hands on. I fear there are some who would want to do the queen harm. I do not think these attempts will come from without; they will come from within."
"You are very perceptive, my friend. That is my worry as well. So, let me give you some information that no one else has. There are two secret entrances to the queen's bedchambers. The entrance to one is a magically hidden door within the inner wall. The door is opened by tapping on the wall five times at the east end of the wall where it meets the mountainside. Make the sign of the star with the five taps, and you will be given admittance. This secret passage will lead to the portrait on the right side of the queen's bed. Kira does not know about the secret doors, so be careful." Ifyou surprise her, it will probably be the last thing you ever do.
"I understand what you mean. I would not want to surprise her; I would not survive the attack."
"No one would survive her attack. I do not worry about her ability to defend herself. However, she is a very trusting person who can be led astray by cunning words or devices. That is why I am entrusting her into your care, Marek."
"Your trust is not misplaced, Yukio. I will make sure she is not harmed in any way."
"Good. Now, there is a second secret entrance that is much more elaborate and goes through the entire mountain to the north face. At the base of the other side of the mountain, there is a secret door behind Gorgen Falls. Behind the waterfall is solid rock with no crevices or cracks in it. There is a jet-black mark on one part of the wall that when it is pressed opens a small entrance. The opening is only big enough for one person to walk through. The passage is very small for most of the way except for a massive cavern at the very heart of the mountain. This space is big enough to fit the royal castle within it."
"That is very impressive. How did you find such a path?"
"Well, the cavern was already there. I just had to create the path to and from it. I also made sure to place supplies in there in case you need to take the queen there to hide. To magically seal the entrance to this path from the queen's bedchamber, carefully shut the door and say, `Twilight Cavern.' The trap door will disappear and can only be opened from inside the tunnel. This door is located under the bed and is covered by a throw rug."
"Why would I say, `Twilight Cavern,' to magically seal the door?"
"The phrase `Twilight Cavern' is actually the name of the cavern at the heart of the mountain. By saying its name, the magic that protects the trap door will seal the entrance from the bedchamber so no one could follow you. I discovered the secret of the magical cavern from Mistress Kana. She knew that it might be necessary to use it at some point in the future."
"I see great wisdom in what you have shared with me, my friend. I will do what you have asked of me. In return, I ask that you keep our city and its people safe from whatever the shortsighted people of Tuwa throw at us. I vow to keep your wife safe from any kind of harm. Promise me to protect the high elves at all costs."
"I will. Know that if I break my oath that I must forfeit my life at your hand. If you should break this covenant, then your life belongs to me."
"I agree. I have a feeling that desperate times ahead of us, my good friend. Let us be diligent."
"Agreed. Now, I must be off. I need to inspect the perimeter defenses before the day is done. I will return in three days to follow up with you and to report to Kira. Keep her safe," General Yukio asked. He took Marek's hand and shook it firmly. He did an aboutface and marched back toward the front gate.
General Marek watched him for some time as he walked confidently toward the outer wall. He had a feeling of dread come over him that left him quite disconcerted. He did not know the source of this apprehension, but he knew that something was going to transpire that would alter the high elves' future for ill. He could not explain how he knew it, but he did. He decided that he had to share this information with the queen. She would need to know about the secret passages along with everything else Yukio had discussed with him. This would make her be on guard for anything, and she would have an idea of what options were available to her if she needed to flee. He looked again at the general marching off in the distance and saw his friend turn around and wave at him.
Yukio could see his friend still standing where he had left him. He finished waving to him and hoped that the good general would not let him down. He felt assured that Marek would defend her as well as he could. He saw the high elf turn around and march resolutely toward the castle. Good, now he will go and tell the queen everything we discussed. This way she will be prepared and will not have to rely on anyone to save her. He smiled at his own cunning and continued his march to the defenses of the outer wall.
Kira walked resolutely toward the council chambers knowing that she would need to talk with her loyal friend Bronwen Merindiel. She had waited for a long time after her husband departed to make her way back to the meeting hall. She was consumed with the uneasy feeling that something horrible was about to happen. She did not like the feeling of not being in control and not knowing what to do in order to protect herself. She felt that by speaking with her mentor she would gain some insight and knowledge that would help her deal with what she was experiencing. He had always seemed to have excellent council to give and was vital to her success in leaving the woodland elves behind to start a new country.
As she continued her walk, she came across General Marek, who appeared to be heading right for her. She could tell right away that he had come to find her for a very specific reason. She may not have her husband's ability to read minds, but she was a rather good judge of a person's intentions by their non-verbal communications. It was clear that the leader of her army was distressed about something and that she would soon find out what was making him so agitated.
"My queen!" hailed General Marek as he got down on one knee with his head bowed to the ground.
"General Marek, please rise. You do need not bow every time you see me. Especially when no one else is present," she said as she brought him up out of his prostration with one of her delicate hands.
"May I have permission to speak with you in private, Milady?"
"Of course, General; follow me to my private office. We will be safe from unwanted listeners. I get the feeling that what you are about to share with me should be kept secret. Am I correct in my assumption?"
"As always, Your Majesty… if you please," he said with a bow while his left hand gestured for her to lead them to her office. He did not have any idea where it was located, and it was proper eti quette to follow royalty instead of leading them. He was grateful for the discretion Queen Kira was using in this matter. She could probably sense the importance of his impromptu visit. He never spoke to her aside from their daily meetings during which he reported to the queen any notable events regarding security.
They walked briskly in the shade of the walkway as they neared the office of the queen. She came to an abrupt halt at a wall that had a tapestry of Alanderas. She looked at her general in such a way that made it clear he was not to see how to open this secret door. Marek did an about-face and looked out over the courtyard of the queen's castle. She muttered some unintelligible words, and an opening immediately appeared out of nowhere. She motioned for him to follow her as she walked through the magic door. He immediately followed her through the dark entry.