THE DIARY OF MALADIN

A medal from the king. How obligatory. As cheap as the service I rendered for it. As hollow as his sunken face and tortured heart. With his queen gone, Amber's victory seems like so much window dressing.

I must endeavor to return her. No matter what state I find her in. He will not be able to rest nor continue on with life until this matter is laid to rest. Unfortunate wording there, I suppose, but the odds are it must end in just that way. A burial. A period of mourning.

As I look about, all in Amber seem to be resting and relaxing after the recent troubles. No one seems eager to do much else. Even our merry band of do-gooders and trouble-makers. Ah well, they deserve the rest. Especially Dalen. And poor Aaron. He seems lost. Not only to us but to himself. I must admit, such a precarious position would more than likely drive any sane person mad. Well then, there it is again, maybe Aaron will make it through. He never did seem to be all there in the first place.

Even I have been hiding away, spending time... recuperating with Llewella. Hiding really. Hiding from some nasty business that I should be about. These Bright Pattern folk creep me out. I have avoided dealing with them as long as I can. I suppose I have avoided them as long as I can. If it was not for Random and his missing love, I would avoid them altogether and let the Amberites deal with it. Well, at least it sounds good to my ears to say so.

First things first. I need to make sure that my friends do not get themselves into deep water before I have a chance to scout out the enemy. We will need to have an assessment of what we are up against. Frill, we don't even know if she is alive, dead, zombified; we don't know if she is at their castle, among their shadows, or hidden away as a bargaining chip. We should really have some of those answers before we go running off. So, I will put a detail on that gate and bar entrance to it, detain any who exit from it. Heck, I will just take that frillin' arm with me. That will put a crimp in any extra-curricular activity for awhile. Unless they lop off some piece of our prisoners. Oh well, I just need to buy time anyway. And if I don't act soon, then the court will surely soon discover what has happened to Random's queen.

Now, I will write out some dispatches for my friends, set the detail, prepare a spell or three and be off...

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