Arletta paced the floor in her chambers. She realized that she had not reacted as she would normally have. Would she not have run to greet her father and her brother? And where was Joan? Stepping across to the door, she opened it. The sound of boots pounding rose up the stone steps. Two captains hurried to the landing and marched past her, into her chambers. Turning back to see who followed, she faced her father, King Zelrod.

“Arletta!” he exclaimed, then asked, “What is it I have heard? You’ve been keeping a young man in your bedchamber? Do you have any understanding of what you have done?” His face was red with rage. He strode past Arletta, through her large sitting room and into her bedchamber. Two guards followed him with Joan at their heels.

The room was ransacked as the four men searched every nook and cranny. King Zelrod turned to his daughter and demanded, “Where is Frederick and that other young man?”

“What young man, Father?”

With a face like thunder, King Zelrod shouted, “Don’t “what young man” me, Arletta. You know exactly what I’m asking!” He called to one of the guards, “Davin! Come here and tell us just what young man we are speaking of!”

Davin, a guard whom Arletta recognized, bowed to the king and said, “I saw him myself, Sire, and so did Joan here. He wore rings on his fingers. Joan did not know him, but he was King Argon’s son, Broderick.”

The king strode to the wall and pressed a star shape that had been chiseled into a stone circlet. A narrow section of the wall opened and he pointed at it. As Davin stepped into it, he said, “Take care, Davin, the steps spiral down steeply. Search right to the bottom wall, then return.” He turned back to Arletta and said, “You have us all, your family, and your kingdom, in deep trouble! When we do find that young man, he shall be hanged. The council are saying that you should be hanged too. For treason.” His eyes scoured her face and he said gravely, “You understand. Follow me, the council are waiting to question you. Prepare yourself to answer them.”