The Twins Weave Ch. 02

"Cassandra while we are in private dear."

I close the portal and we move seats around; Harold arrives soon after.

"I wish I could get my hands on, Oh, I'm an idiot, give me a minute," I say to everyone not believing how long this took to figure out.

I walk over and stand at the table, Breath, focus, imagine the covers, the feel, the words on the pages; please be there."

A copy of the first book of "The Weave" is on the table, I open it up and it has writing in it. Thank goodness!

"Let's try this again." Breath, focus, book two; Breath focus, book three. Now that I have the set I spend a few moments making copies for everyone.

"All of you get a copy of book one and spend some time reading it. You can take it to your rooms except for Neivia until I can get in there and ward it."

"Evanora, I'd like for you to attempt this also if you wish?"

"Sure, hands-on is better than just watching." She replies and sits next to mother.

We get started and go over the history. I describe how I found the books, how they predate the eight paths and why I believe the current system is limiting.

After I walk Neivia back to her quarters and reset their wards, portal back and get book one.

Talking to Abi, Neivia and Evanora, I head back to Velho and now that I have a connection to them it is much easier to find them, but sorting through their memories and who they talked to in reference to the situation takes a while. They are looking at my party as an opportunity. I let Abi know that they plan on using the ring along with all four kingdoms and storm the party.

"Party Week"

People begin to arrive for the event, most are locals that are going to stay with us. Those that use the ring will show up for the night of and head back after.

Of course, they know Mother and Abi and Neivia from previous gatherings, I'm the only new person that was more of a scandal than a participant, though I know most of them through Abi's eyes so I greet them by name and every person that arrives I connect with just to ensure they are here for the event and not for the crown or the Inquisitors.

The Palace security also started coming through the ring, Abi took the reins and connected with each as they arrived, and over three days of arrivals in sets of fours and being set around the ring, the path to the hall and within the hall, there were 12 that were working for the King and one in each group working for the Inquisitors. Abi pointed them out to me and father and then stated their mission was to cause havoc during the event, knock me out physically and return me the Velho.

We spent the better part of the afternoon in Father's room trying to decide what to do with them. Father wanted me to portal them several hundred meters over the ridge and let the water have them.

"The King doesn't know they are mixed into his security." Abi says, "If we let him know they are willing to attack when his daughters are sitting next to James?"

"How do we contact him though? The daughters arrive alone the afternoon of and leave that evening." Father asks as he paces.

"I could go, from what the Inquisitors in the Velho, he wants to see how he can use me and they want to do the same." I put forth, "I have a few things I would like to talk to him about also. And, if he agrees, we save his daughters from harm, and he captures the 4 imposters.

"What are the odds of this going in our favor?" Abi asks.

"Pretty much a given if I'm right and fifty-fifty if he has no use for his children, I'll know rather quickly once I connect if he does and if not I'll turn it into a conversation about pursuing Cataline and if that was okay with him."

"Amice is the elder, go with her instead." Father corrects my order of children, so I nod as it doesn't matter.

"I'll send word that you wish to speak to him about his daughter before the dance and see if he takes it." Father says and we go over the possibilities.

Neivia and I continue to meet people as they arrive at first she thinks I am mind reading all of them and I tell her about Abi and seeing previous meetups through her eyes for the last decade.

"That is both beautiful and horrible at the same time." Neivia squeezes the arm she is holding.

"Yeah, but it did help out today as nobody that has come is a surprise." I smile at her and we take the tour around the grounds.

"We haven't had time to finish from the other day Lord James." Neivia says as we finish up speaking to those wandering about the gardens.

"Ahh, we should make time then, though, I'm waiting on information from my father on business this evening, but if it falls to tomorrow, I think I have time if you do my lady."

"Jocasse has been assisting me on what to do and takes up what little time I have with practice on who everyone is and what to say at the different times, I will have to evade her for a little while."

"Let her know you have all the people down, I can tell you who everyone is, their families and such. That should buy you a few hours."

"A few hours? Someone is being a braggart." She laughs.

"Do we have time for training in the morning all?" I send to everyone in the group and get back a consensus that we can.

"Would you like to eat early?" I ask Neivia as we have an hour or two to kill before we can retire without people coming to find us.

"I have a special place to eat tonight," I say and lead her to the Kitchen, it has a table that fits 20 people for their own meals that I sat at for more than a decade.

The Kitchen:

Walking into the kitchen causes a ruckus as everyone was busy but they stopped to look at the sight before them.

"James!" from quite a few and Rosalea the main cook gives me frown, "What are you doing back in here, you should be out and enjoying the world!" but finishes with a smile.

"I had to introduce Neivia to my family as is customary before the first date in the hall." I answer back.

"AH!, of course, of course, we all know Ms. Neivia, she has always been trouble since she was little, it is good that you are taking her in." Rosalia replies looking Neivia up and down. "She doesn't eat near enough."

This is the first time I noticed Neivia didn't have a witty response. She was looking around at everyone coming up and either squeezing my shoulders or patting me on the back and going back to work.

Rosalea gives both of us a hug, "Abigail came by earlier and had us set you two places and we have your favorites set. Go sit."

"Honestly, I would rather eat here than in the hall." Neivia says as we sit down.

"If James thought enough of you to bring you to us, you are always welcome Neivia." Rosalea says as she goes back to her duties, and we have our food brought over.

"It's all I can do not to burst into tears." Neivia send to me.

"Other than Abi, they have known me longer than anyone else." I reply while eating.

"Thank you, Abi." I send to her.

"You can't bring her in there cold James, you're welcome." She sends back.

"King Guiscard will see you, get dressed and be here in just over hour and we will portal you back when the porter comes to get you." Father sends me.

"I have to cancel tonight; I have to go meet the King this evening." I send to Neivia.

"The same King working with the Inquisitors?" Neivia sends back worried.

"He's involved but they are doing things behind his back, I mean to show him some things." I pick up the pace on eating as my plate was packed. Neivia set her utensils down.

"Neivia, I will be fine, or I wouldn't go, and, this is a room full of cooks watching us eat the food they made."

"Oh, yeah, I was just worried is all." She gets back to eating, looking around and smiling as everyone is glancing over at us.

"I can see I'm going to have to get used to you running around trying to get yourself killed all the time. I'm going to finish book two while you are gone and you are going to get me to do this thing you do as I worry you will succeed if I don't. Will they detect if you try and link to him?"

"Shouldn't we don't use..., Oh shit, Abi." I add Abi to the group, "I don't see you casting when you make a connection, so."

"I see what you are thinking." Abi sends back.

"Do you feel that you use any power with all the links you maintain, scores of them right now?" I ask.

"Hmmm, not really, those are just there." Abi replies "You really think I will them into being like you do?"

"They bypass incantation wards, but not the willed wards. You turn them on or off with just a thought, they travel further than any spell cast. I was feeding you spells for everything else, but this was before you knew spells. Finish up the books and let's review tomorrow."

"Finish up the books he says, we don't read a page every few seconds like you, I'm at the beginning of book two." She sends back.

"Okay! We have got to get going, I missed you all." I smile, shake hands and hug with what is still my only friends, as Neivia gets more hugs now than she did all day greeting people.

I walk her to her home get an extra-long hug and kiss, get dressed and meet Father before the trip.

The King:

The porter shows up with two guards, he goes over what to do when I meet the king and to always use your majesty, don't talk about anything other than the request and answer any questions given to me.

We arrive and walk through several hallways; I try and spy out a few locations I could portal back in without being noticed. When we get to the doors, they are opened, and it is more of a very large study than it is a greeting hall.

"James, your father said you wished to talk to me about one of my daughters this evening. Is this about your multipath party or is it more than that?" I connect to the King and can see he believes it is not about his daughters at all, but, he does care about them more than anything else so I'm good there. He also doesn't have any thoughts about the four guards, and he is aware of everything the Inquisitors have told him. They left out the portal information.

"Your Majesty, thank you for seeing me on such short notice." I bow and stand where I am until he calls me forward.

"Would you like something to drink?" he asks and I agree.

I send: "Your Majesty, there are four guards from the Inquisition mixed in with your guards, they plan to attack during the dance physically and haul me back to Velho, I came to you tonight because your daughters will be sitting next to me when it happens and I wanted your input on how we should handle this. You can just think your statements back as they also have a backdoor through the wards in this room."

He sputters into his drink and collects himself. "Do you know which four?"

"Your Majesty, I know I am new to all of this and I doubt Amice would take to someone like me, but if she does, I wanted to talk to you about more than just the event." I say out loud.

"I open the link between us and focus on the four guards that Abi pointed out and then show the plan they have to include the timing. I also show the King me back in Velho, watching the thoughts of the eight inquisitors and showing they left the ability to make portals out of the report and the other Kings know this behind his back."

"I wouldn't sell yourself short James, it's not every day they will meet someone that has command of multiple paths and takes the initiative as you have here." The King is doing much better than I did on maintaining casual conversation while watching what is being shown to him.

"Give me a moment if you will." The King walks over to a desk and roots around in the drawers."

"I also saw that you want to put one of your portals behind my girls so they can make an exit to this room before the issue occurs. I agree to the portal, but I want my security to take them the moment the party begins and bring them here, can you portal them here so it isn't registered with the ring?"

"Yes."

"You knew I was being kept up to date with them, yet you came here anyway because of Amice and Cateline. Was that a true thought or planted?" He asks.

"Thoughts are uncontrollable your majesty. Abi is better at explaining as she's been doing this her entire life as I've only had a week." I send back. "I can fix your wards if you want but they will notice."

"Yes, I saw that also, go ahead, I'd rather them know the wards are up than to know everything I discuss. After we fix this, I'd like you to come back and ward several rooms that nobody should be viewing." His anger is mounting at what he thinks they are doing. I drop the wards and he can see them drop and then I add the wards back with the extras. "Warded and Shielded."

"Leave us!" He says to the guards and the porter who stayed and a person that was already here.

"We can speak?" He asks and I nod.

"I'd like to see the portal if you are going to be placing them for my daughters to ensure they are safe."

"I'm in my room James." Abi sends, "Give me a moment to get dressed for this."

"Abigail needs a moment to dress your Majesty. I figured out the backdoors as I was removing them and adding stronger wards. The same holes in every room, and it was confirmed when I went back to Velho and saw how they were getting their information."

"I suspected they were doing it when conducting investigations, it didn't occur to me that it was standard practice at all times and everywhere. That will be brought up with them shortly." He replied.

"It seems in only a week you are able to do quite a bit more than anyone thought." He makes this a statement.

"My sister is pretty sure she can still take me out." I reply and he smiles.

"Ready."

I look over at the corner of the room out of the way and as the portal appears, Abi walks through almost immediately.

"Lady Abigail. The king gives a nod. "Thank you for taking the time for us."

"Of course, your Majesty." Abi curtsies and walks over next to me.

"You came through rather quickly?" He asks noticing.

"Once James sets one, it appears in the same place each time your Majesty. So the one behind the table in the hall would lead," She looks over at the portal "right there into this warded and secure room if needed."

"I saw you were the one that rooted out the imposters. You read everyone's thoughts?"

"Everyone that enters the keep your Majesty." Abi replies.

"That is a damn fine thing to have for your father." The King muses. "Incredible what the two of you can do together."

"We are not going to allow their plan to happen, I'll see to that, and you know how they are going to do it, so if my guards fail, I expect you to neutralize them if they so much as step foot in the room."

"In addition to the two guards you will have escort them out if anything happens, mother and father will be on either side of them to help them through just in case."

"You are in my head also then?" The King asks.

"I've always been linked to James and he is, so I can see what he sees." Abi replies.

The more I think about this, the less I believe you need my help at all. This was just to inform me of what is going on, help my children. I was going to say to get me on your side, but I doubt that now." He says while pacing around the room. "I heard about you two being co-barons."

"Harold will be the Baron, your majesty, we plan on traveling the world and only returning when Harold needs our help or family functions," Abi replies to the King.

"I bet your father was none too happy to hear that!" The King laughs and we both shake our heads.

"I was going to talk to your father about having you act as champion once you were ready, though it sounds like I should be asking you directly." He watches the face I make. "It won't happen but once or twice and then nobody will bother, and you don't have to do anything permanent to them. Between that and what you are doing now, I will ensure the Inquisitors stop their current plans and leave you alone for as long as I rule."

"You were going to do that anyway your majesty," Abi nudges me with her elbow, "I'll think about it as I am still new at this."

"Is there a range to this communication?" He points to his head.

"From here to home should work fine, I don't know it's maximum distance."

"They believe you know more than the four paths between you." He shakes his head at his own statement.

"We are still working that out your Majesty." Abi answers.

"I'll take that as a yes." He answers back looking at us. "How many have you worked out so far?"

"What do we say?" Abi send me.

"He is the King and might keep him in check." I send back.

"You two going to chit chat back and forth or answer me?" He smiles at us.

I turn and face him, "I found out that there are five areas that cross all eight paths and there is no difference between them other than the elements in use. Technically speaking all eight and since returning Abi is not far behind."

"Maybe I should send you to take care of the Inquisitors then, save me the hassle." The King says. "All of them?" He laughs again, "Seriously James, take on the champion role just a few times and save your Kingdom many years of ever having to participate."

"When I went back to Velho Father said the same thing about just ending the threat, but at that time it was just me they wanted, so I chose not to do it. The people that will be in the hall though is different, which is why I came to see you. If it comes down to it, we will remove them all if they threaten my family or friends again."

The King just nods. "Would you two follow me to our family rooms, do what you did here if you would, it bothers me that they can see in."

"Of course, we will." Abi replies right away.

I am introduced to his wife and children, and he tells them he will explain it later. Amice and Cataline were both shocked to see me and Abi together with the King this late and before the party. Resetting their wards caused even more confusion and Cataline said she would talk to me about this later if she didn't get an adequate explanation from her father.

As we walked back to the study, "I take it you create your own backdoor to communicate?"

"Only in the study your majesty." I reply. "Outside of the other three rooms you should be free to reach out whenever you wish."

"You went all the way back and forth to Velho, can you go anywhere you wish?" he sends with wonder.

"Probably, but I prefer to find a location and create the portal back to a known location as it only takes one mistake."

"I am rather upset with the situation, but the most important solutions are covered, and the rest should be fixed tomorrow morning. I owe you both a debt and hope we continue to solve some of these abusive problems together going forward." The King says and looks over his shoulder as if he is talking.

He stops and looks at Abi, "There is more going on than you see Abigail, keep digging and you'll find the missing pieces. I cannot say more than that in case their scrying is as good as yours."

"Heading back, everything went great." I send to Neivia, Mother and Father.

"You can take that portal if you wish, I don't think the ring will matter from this point on." The King proclaims as we walk into the study.

"Let your mother know I will show up during the evening through that portal but will quietly take a seat and just enjoy watching, don't bother with anything additional."