Hollow Kingdom

"I don't understand why you're suddenly wanting to leave in such a rush." Angie stood with her arms folded, watching Lily secure a pack with cloaks and food.

"Angie, I know you're doing everything you can to keep us safe from the rebellion," Lily replied. "But now that I know about it, I want to do my part to help. It's much too risky for you to go out into the kingdom and search for information, but it's not for me."

"It could still be dangerous."

"Maybe, but I'm far less conspicuous than you are. Besides, I'll have a guide and you know I can take care of myself."

"But the whole point of me becoming queen was so that you didn't have to anymore."

Lily's face softened and she paused her packing to give Angie a hug. "We protect each other," she said. "It's what we've always done. I'm going to make sure nothing happens to you."

It was true enough. Lily wanted to find Tobias Spaulding and sort out this entire mess. She hoped to find a way to put an end to it all without any more bloodshed and death. Perhaps if they found a magic user to aid the rebellion, it would sway Angie's hand and she would finally relent and be willing to have a reasonable discussion with the rebel leaders.

But she couldn't tell Angie that. So instead she would pretend to be scouring the kingdom for news or word of rebel activity. In her pack she had dyes made from plants in her greenhouse that she would use to make Alec look different, in case any royal guards recognized him as a man under suspicion. It was pure luck on his part that Angie didn't pay close attention to those kind of details, or she would have known who he and Evan were long ago.

Angie smiled slightly. "Just be careful, Lily. And hurry back."

"I'll be back before you know it," Lily promised. "With Evan around you won't even know I'm gone."



"I don't like this."

"It's actually a rather brilliant plan. Simple, but likely to work."

Alec sat in a chair in the tailor's house, looking distinctly uncomfortable while Dominic looked on with fascination. Lily was using one of her plant dyes to lighten Alec's hair from black to a light brown. Then she made him tilt his head back and hold his eyes open while she dropped several drops of tincture into them, altering the bright blue to a sort of mossy green. The effects wouldn't last long, but it should be enough to get Alec out of the city without incident.

"You shouldn't shave until after we're out of Aveling," Lily said. "And here." She handed him a pair of round copper spectacles. Dominic snorted with laughter while Alec eyed them stonily.

"Do I really need to wear these?" he complained. Lily tapped him on the nose.

"Yes," she said. "We're trying to make you look as much not like you as possible. Put them on, Spaulding."

With a sigh, Alec slipped the glasses on while Lily rifled through some old clothes the tailor had reluctantly given to her. Lily had arrived with a determined glint in her eyes and had promptly started giving everyone orders. The poor tailor didn't seem keen on arguing with her.

"You honestly think I can get out of Aveling looking like this? Just stroll right out past the guards?" Alec asked for about the tenth time.

"One, the guards aren't likely to ask many questions or be uncooperative with me there," Lily said, holding up her fingers to count down her points, again, for why this was a great plan. "Two, you look completely different. You're essentially unrecognizable until my handiwork fades and besides, there are a lot of royal guards. It's highly doubtful that any of them will see through this disguise. Three, hiding in plain sight always works better than trying to be sneaky. If all else fails you fight your way out. That's been my experience. Now stop doubting me and go put these clothes on."

She shoved a shirt, pair of pants, and a cloak at him. They were all slightly too long and baggy for him, slightly disguising his build to make him look even less like Alec Spaulding, Potential Revolutionary. Instead he was now simply another face in the crowd and unless there was a guard who looked extremely close and had committed Alec's features to memory, none of them would even bat an eye at him.

Alec's mouth was twisted into a sour expression as he emerged from his bedroom dressed in the rumpled clothes and wearing the glasses. Dominic tried to cover his fresh bout of laughter with a fake coughing fit and Alec scowled at him.

"She did a good job," Dominic chuckled. "You look like a different person."

Belle came up the stairs then, a cloak over her arm and a satchel slung over her shoulder. She arched an eyebrow when she saw her brother. Her lips twitched but she managed to swallow back a giggle.

"Well don't you look...idiotic," she remarked. "More so than usual."

Alec's scowl deepened. "It was Lily's idea," he grumbled. "And why do you have that bag on your back?"

"Because I'm coming with you."

"No. You're not."

A hard, mulish look came over Belle's face. "He's my father too. If you think I'm just going to sit here instead of trying to find him you'd better think again."

"Belle-"

"Don't argue with me on this, Alec," Belle snapped. "I'm going and you won't be able to stop me. I need to see him again."

Alec opened his mouth as if to protest further, but then slowly closed it again. He sighed, resigned.

"Fine. You can come too. But you'll have to behave."

Belle pursed her lips but said nothing more.

"I think we're ready then," Lily said, clearing her throat to fill the heavy silence.

"Good luck to you all," Dominic said. "I hope to see you again soon." He clasped Alec's shoulder briefly and gave an awkward one-armed hug to Belle. He nodded to Lily. "And thank you again for your help."

"Ready, Erwin?" Lily called. The ferret came scampering down the stairs.

"Are we sure we've packed enough food?" he asked worriedly. Alec rolled his eyes as Lily assured Erwin for the third time that yes, there was enough food. He twitched his nose and climbed up onto Lily's shoulder.

"So we're really going to entrust this mission to a ferret," Alec muttered. "Are you even sure you'll be able to figure out where our father is hiding?"

"Always the negative nelly," Erwin snorted. "We should start in your hometown. I'm sure Tobias left some sort of clue there."

Dominic and the other rebel leader, Marie, were the only ones besides the tailor who knew they were leaving and what they were doing, so Lily didn't expect anyone else to be outside to send them off. She was surprised to see a frazzled looking Evan come hurrying up the road as she, Alec and Belle left the tailor shop.

"So you're really leaving," he said, taking in their packs and cloaks. He did a double then triple take at Alec. "What the hell happened to you?"

"Piss off, Evan," Alec said stiffly.

"I just wanted to...to wish you luck."

"How did you even know we were leaving?" Alec narrowed his eyes and Evan's gaze darkened slightly.

"Belle told me," he said coldly. "I thought I'd tell her goodbye."

"Stop being idiots," Belle said irritably. Alec and Evan just continued to regard each other stonily. Belle huffed and gave Evan a hug.

"I'll see you soon, Evan. Take care of yourself."

"You, too." He stepped back and looked at Lily. "Be careful."

She nodded and Evan hesitated, looking like he wanted to say more. But a quick glance at Alec's flinty eyes seemed to change his mind. He straightened his shoulders and walked away.

"He's your best friend," Belle hissed at Alec. "How long are you going to carry on like this?"

"Let's go," Alec said, ignoring her and shouldering his pack. "We don't know how long this disguise will last."

"We'll get there faster with the horses," Lily said. She gestured toward the stand of trees near the tailor's house. "I brought three. Because I was fairly certain Belle was going to insist on coming along."

She untethered the horses from the trees, handing the reins of a barrel-chested Bay to Alec, and the chestnut gelding to Belle before swinging up into the saddle of her own horse.

"We'll draw less attention with horses than with a royal carriage," Lily said. She was already urging her horse forward into a steady trot. When they were out of earshot of the house and Belle was slightly ahead of them, Lily pulled her horse alongside Alec's.

"You and Evan still haven't patched things up," she said, eyeing him curiously.

"And we won't until he comes to his senses and remembers why this all began in the first place."

"You're upset with him because he has feelings for Angie," Lily guessed quietly.

"He's completely lost sight of our cause. Spending all his time mooning around after the queen instead of staying focused. I don't know what's gotten into him."

"You must not think very highly of me, either. Since I am her best friend, after all," Lily said coolly. Alec flinched, turning in his saddle to look at her.

"I didn't mean that," he said. "You didn't even know what she was doing to the kingdom until a few weeks ago. But Evan...he just succumbed to her charms in spite of all he knew."

Lily was quiet a moment. "I know how you all see her," she said finally. "But there's more to her than you know. Maybe Evan realizes that now. And she may be a queen, and she may be going about ending this rebellion the wrong way. But she's also a twenty-one-year old girl, Alec. And she's beautiful and she can be sweet and wonderful. Maybe you should cut Evan a little slack."

"What are you two whispering about back there?" Belle snapped. "Hurry up, we're almost to the eastern border of the city."

Lily moved up and after a moment Alec joined the two of them as they approached the eastern gate of Aveling. Several royal guards were milling around beside the gate, snapping to attention as Lily rode up to them, Erwin hidden in the hood of her cloak.

"Lady Belmont," one said, giving her a quick bow. "We weren't expecting you." He glanced toward Belle and Alec. "Are you sure it's safe for you to leave the capital without a few guards, milady?"

"I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself," Lily told him curtly. "I'm on special orders from Queen Angelique. I need to leave the city immediately. These are my guides."

"With all due respect, milady, I'm not sure it's wise to-"

"I don't recall asking for your opinion," Lily interrupted. "Do you really want to waste my time sending word all the way back to the castle to question the queen's orders? I can't imagine she'll be pleased with the delay."

The man's face paled slightly. "Of course not. My apologies, Lady Belmont."

Behind him, she could see a guard rustling through a small stack of papers, glancing at them and then up at Alec.

"Are those names of people suspected of dissenting?" Lily demanded, voice outraged. The guard jumped, nearly dropping all the papers.

"Y-yes, milady. Just a standard check, I assure you."

"Perhaps you'd like a standard kick to the head," Lily replied. "Do you dare think to accuse me of acting against the crown?"

"No! Absolutely not." The man's face was redder than a ripe cherry and he kept fumbling with his papers. The older man who had addressed Lily first hastily stepped forward.

"He's new to the watch, My Lady Belmont. He made a simple mistake. Terribly sorry; it won't happen again."

"I should think not. Now if you'll excuse me, I have information to gather that could very well end this rebellion once and for all."

"Certainly, milady."

The guards practically tripped over themselves bowing and opening the gates. Lily rode through with her head held high.

"Which way, Erwin?" she whispered. She felt the ferret peek his nose out of her hood.

"Northwest from here," he said. Beside her, emotions flickered wildly across Belle and Alec's faces. It would be difficult for them, no doubt, returning to their childhood home. Lily urged her horse into a smooth canter and for a while the only sound was hooves pounding over the earth.