Pandora headed down to where Nike had been the night before to see that two guards were posted at the entrance. "Nike?" she asked. The guards didn't give her any trouble for walking into the room.

"Oh, Pandora!" she cried. "Have you seen him? How is he?"

"So you do know Howard's here."

"Yes. They told me the minute they landed. I wanted to see him right away, but they said it wasn't possible. When I put up a fight, they blocked me in." Nike was obviously very upset, but Pandora doubted the guards would let her pass.

"I'll try to get Vikus to dismiss them," Pandora said. "Howard's out of surgery. He's awake now."

"He is?"

"Yeah. He was in a lot of pain but they just gave him some medicine."

"Oh," Nike seemed to have trouble expressing her emotions. "I'm so... so glad he still has time!"

"He still has a long way to go before it's safe to say he'll be fine."

"I must see him!"

"I'll go get Vikus right now."

"Thank you, Pandora!"

Walking up to the royal level of the Palace, a few servants pointed her to Vikus.

"Howard's awake and Nike should see him. Do you think you can call off the guards to her room?"

"Certainly," Vikus said, leaning heavily on his cane to help him stand. "Nike needs to see her bond now that he is in a stable state."

"Why're guards keeping her there?"

"Well," Vikus began. "The Regalians believe she has broken her bond. She awaits trial. However, I also believe they detained her for the same reason they detained you. It was better for Howard. And in Nike's case, better for her as well. Can you imagine how incredibly guilty she would have felt if she saw Howard in the state he was in before surgery?"

"I... yeah," Pandora answered him. "But wait... trial?"

"Remember, you, what Luxa said? Nike could be banished for breaking her bond. Although, I imagine it will be a difficult case... she is the princess of the fliers, after all."

"I'm sure Luxa wouldn't let that happen," Pandora said.

"Oh, yes. The queen can veto whatever decision the judges come to," Vikus answered. "However, that wouldn't affect everyone's impression of Nike afterwards."

"I guess you're right, Vikus," Pandora answered. "It all sounds awful. I hope everyone can see what she did was right."

Vikus nodded and promised to call off the guards.

Pandora led Nike to Howard's room in the hospital. When they arrived, Howard was fast asleep. Pandora smiled, grateful that he looked much more peaceful in his slumber than he had previously looked.

"He was awake a few minutes ago. I'm sorry you didn't have a chance to speak with him."

"Don't be. I am glad to see him safe inside the hospital. He is in good hands here."

"I'm going to get back to Vikus," Pandora said. "Do you want to come?"

Nike shook her head. "I wish to stay here with my bond."

"Alright, Nike. I'll see you later then." Pandora was planning to rejoin Vikus, but as she walked up the stairs, a strong feeling pulled at her gut. She rerouted her course and headed for the Royal Suite, one of the top floors of the Palace.

Luxa had moved from the hospital back to the suite, which was where she and Hazard lived. When Pandora made it to the doors, which were actual wooden doors, the guards blocked her path.

"Overlander, why must you bother Her Highness?" One guard asked. Luxa must have asked them to not let anyone through.

"It's urgent," Pandora said quickly. "Someone's going to kill Luxa! It could be happening right now!"

"Impossible," the other guard scoffed.

"She did have an appointment with the black smith," the first guard said, unsure.

"And what would he try, Hildebrand?" the other guard said. "He is most loyal to the queen."

"Can I just see what's going on in there?" Pandora asked. "Please, to be sure she's safe. It would calm my mind." The guards must have heard of what had happened to her when she was in hysterics down in the hospital for they stepped aside and let her pass.

Luxa was seated at a table, accepting a tray of food presented to her by a female servant. She picked up a cup in the hand that was not in a sling.

"Luxa! Stop," Pandora cried.

Confused, the young queen paused with the cup held to her lips. Pandora ran up and swatted it out of her hand before she could try to take a sip. Dark red liquid splattered all over an ornate rug. "Overlander!" Luxa spat. "What gives you the right to...?"

"The wine," Pandora cut her off. "It was poisoned." She gestured to the woman servant. "She tried to kill you."

The servant nervously took a step back and looked towards the black smith, who stood up from his seat at the opposite side of the table. He produced a dagger from under his shirt and charged towards them.

Pandora looked on in horror. She wasn't expecting such an attack!

"Guards!" Luxa shrieked, but it was too late for them to help now. Pandora stepped in front of Luxa, blocking his path. He hesitated for a moment. Perhaps he wasn't expecting her to do anything. It was just the precious few moments Luxa needed.

Luxa hurled the cup at the black smith, and it struck him in the temple. Pandora grabbed his hand that held the knife and wrenched it from his grasp. Luxa then swiftly kicked the man between the legs and he crumpled to the ground.

Placing a foot on his neck, Luxa pinned the man to the stained rug.

"What is the meaning of this?" Luxa cried. They both looked around for the servant who had poisoned Luxa's drink, but she had vanished. They could hear the guards fighting just outside the door.

"One of the guards was in on it, too," Pandora informed her breathlessly. Her blood zipped through her veins. She realized she was still holding the black smith's knife. Throwing it away, it clattered onto the table.

"My queen!" called a guard, rushing in. Pandora couldn't tell if the blood on his tunic was his own or the other guard's. Luxa hesitantly took a few steps back as the guard took the black smith into custody.

"It's alright, Luxa. He's on our side," Pandora said.

"Forgive me," he kneeled on the floor and bowed his head. "I had no knowledge that Philip would turn against you."

"It is alright, Hildebrand," Luxa said, gesturing for him to stand up. "I do not blame you for this attempt to take my light."

"Only three people were involved in this attempt," Pandora said. "But I think they may have ties to a group of others."

"How do you know of this?" Luxa asked her, completely flabbergasted.

"A vision came to me a couple of days ago," Pandora said. The guard, Hildebrand, was dragging the black smith across the threshold. He was bleeding from the side of his head and was obviously still in a lot of pain from Luxa's low blow.

"And you didn't inform me earlier?" She asked in an upset tone.

Pandora shrugged. "It wouldn't have been much help." Luxa raised her eyebrows, obviously unconvinced. "Look, you're still alive. What difference does it make?"

Luxa seemed to buy her comment and started for the door. "Vikus must know about this."

"You're welcome!" Pandora called out, her voice echoing off the walls of the empty room. Shaking her head, she followed Luxa into the hall, but she was no longer there. She must have rushed to find Vikus with Hildebrand as an escort.

Pandora wasn't sure where she should go. She descended one level and wandered around. It was the level the War Room was on, but she couldn't find anyone she knew.

Suddenly, Pandora was swarmed with guards. They grabbed her gruffly by the shoulders and started leading her to the closest stairwell. "Ouch!" Pandora tried to keep up with the guards, but they were much taller than her and held her just a bit too high for her to get a good foothold. "What's going on?" Pandora asked. No one answered her.

The guards climbed to the top of the Palace, partially dragging Pandora through the High Hall and into a large room she had not been in before. It was quite large and looked like a miniature indoors version of the arena, with seating surrounding an oval-shaped stage. Luxa sat in an elevated chair, with Aurora and Ripred sitting on either side of her. Three official-looking people sat in front of Luxa directly on the stage. She could see Hildebrand and the blacksmith off to one side. Pandora had a sick feeling that she was just about to take part in a court proceeding.

She was pushed over to where Hildebrand and the blacksmith were. It was several minutes before anyone talked to her at all. Humans and fliers started to file in to fill the seats along the walls. Luxa stood to call the court to order and Pandora found out that it was a court proceeding to figure out who was to stand trial for treason. Hildebrand was asked to speak first.

It was obvious what the judges, who were the official-looking Underlanders Pandora noticed when she first walked in, thought about Hildebrand. There was no doubt in Pandora's mind that they wouldn't make him stand trial. He sounded like a hero when he talked about killing the traitorous guard to help save Regalia's queen.

Pandora thought she was going to be called next, but the blacksmith was. He was led to the middle of the room with his hands tied behind his back. They asked him a series of simple questions before waving him away. He was to be tried for treason.

The servant woman who had poisoned Luxa's drink was nowhere to be found. Apparently, they had scoured the entire Palace but none of the guards could find her. The black smith's testimony proved the drink was in fact poisoned and he only drew his knife as a last resort.

It was Pandora's turn. As they pulled her forward, she scanned the crowd for faces she knew but found none. She looked to Luxa, Aurora, and Ripred, but it was as if they were wearing masks. The judges asked her a series of questions, and Pandora explained how she had a vision of the assassination attempt.

"If you did have the vision," asked one judge, "why did you not voice it to Luxa so she would have been more prepared?"

"It would have made no difference," Pandora said. "It wouldn't have mattered if Luxa knew. In fact, telling her beforehand would have just made her worry about things that were out of her control."

"We could have taken more precautions if you would have told us," another judge said, giving her a calculated look.

"It would have done no good," Pandora maintained, shaking her head. Her voice sounded shaky. "They still would have tried, and they still would have almost succeeded, no matter how many guards you placed around Luxa."

"So you just kept the vision to yourself?" Ripred asked loudly, his question stabbing Pandora like a knife. It seemed as if they were going around in circles for some intended purpose.

"Look," Pandora snapped. "I don't make the rules about this future-telling stuff. My gut told me to keep it to myself, so I kept it to myself, alright?"

"You came in at the exact moment," a judge said, pointing a finger at her. Pandora locked her eyes onto the floor. "This plot could have been just the beginning, to build trust in you. And then when the next group attempted an assassination, you would be the one who stabs her in the back."

"I would never!" Pandora cried. "Aurora, Ripred," Pandora looked toward them pleadingly. "You've been with me since the very first day I got here. What makes you think I would want to kill Luxa?"

"You've never taken a shine to her," Ripred said. "You even said that you would try to lead an uprising to overthrow her. What better way to overthrow someone than to kill them?"

"I only said that as a smart remark! I was upset, and that's what I do when I'm angry!" Pandora could feel tears stinging her eyes. "I'm sorry for whatever I said before. I would never kill Luxa."

"I believe her," Luxa said gently but loud enough for everyone to hear her. Relief swelled in Pandora's chest. "And as queen, I refuse to let her stand trial."

The head judge leaned back in his chair. "We wouldn't have forced her to stand trial, for she is far too gone."

Too gone, Pandora thought, did they think she was crazy? "Look, I might have seizures, and I might have visions of the future. That doesn't mean I'm insane! I think rationally."

"Sandwich claimed the same thing," Ripred said. "That doesn't change the public's opinion."

"I'm not crazy, Ripred," she pleaded, the tears pouring from her eyes and running down her face. The feeling of relief was gone. She thought that saving Luxa would change the minds of the Underlanders. Obviously, it did exactly the opposite. "I have clear judgment."

"Such as choosing not to share your vision of Luxa's assassination?" Ripred asked.

"The court has adjourned," someone said. "Escort the Overlander out!"

Two guards stood next to Pandora, and instead of letting them lead her by the shoulders, she walked between them. "Ripred?" she asked, turning her head around to face him. "Since when did you believe in my sight?"

"I don't, but they do."

"You just keep telling yourself that, Peacemaker."

Pandora was too worked up to sleep. She just paced the floor in her small room. Although she was allowed to come and go just as before, she felt more like a prisoner than a guest. A guard stood by her door.

Pandora's feet started to hurt, but her thoughts were still running. A hand swept aside the curtain and Luxa entered her bedroom. Her lips were a thin line and she clasped her hands in front of her. Pandora's thoughts exploded out of her mind.

"My whole plan took a nose dive off a cliff," Pandora said, stopping in front of Luxa. "It was supposed to change the Underlander's thoughts about me, not confirm them!"

"But that has saved you from trial," Luxa said. "Don't you see? They could have convicted you of treason and had you killed!" She lowered her voice. "It's just one thing you'll have to live with. Who cares what others think about you?"

"I wanted to prove that I wasn't crazy. That Sandwich wasn't crazy," Pandora said, hugging herself and looking at the floor. "But I just made it worse."

"Many Underlanders are angered the judges did not make you stand trial. Gregor faced this same threat when he refused to kill the Bane after his quest on the Waterway. We should talk to Vikus about having you return home to the Overland."

To Pandora, "the Overland" couldn't have felt any farther away than that moment. Home? After all this time? She almost told Luxa there was no point in going back. Rose could have moved away by now or gotten a new tenant to rent the extra bedroom. She felt caught between two worlds, but she just nodded her head.

"This is not the place for you," Luxa said, placing a hand on her shoulder before turning to leave.

"For now," Pandoraconcluded. Luxa didn't contradict her.