The pixie opened the door to his master's room and a breeze blew the white curtains back from the glass door to the balcony. His master stood on the precipice, his arms resting on the stone railing as he held a small gold spyglass to examine the forest beyond. Auburn hair fell past the man's shoulders as he leaned over the balcony edge. He seemed to be unnaturally interested in something down below, but the pixie's fractal eyes only caught sight of the mess of a room that had recently been cluttered with books about fey culture.

"What did she find out?" Gezel asked of the pixie.

The pixie clasped his hands.

"Nothing," Evan the pixie responded.

Gezel didn't bother to turn. 

Beneath the silver poplar trees and the shady willows of the Woodbine Forest, three hooded figures were making their way towards the remains of a fallen oak that now resembled a lopsided archway. As Gezel had instructed, they were travelling across to the human world where they could seek shelter with those Naruze had gathered.

"You mean—"

"Not a thing. She’s asking for compensation and is threatening to expose your plans to your brother if it’s not given to her."

"Compensation for what?" Gezel asked.

"For putting her at risk."

The sentence was left to dangle. The pixie tried to imagine what was down on the forest floor and swallowed at the thought of eating rabbits.

"She thinks she’s at risk," Gezel said, pulling the pixie out of his imaginings. "She's not the one who has to negotiate behind the king's back to secure our safety."

The pixie didn't know what to say. After a pause, Gezel lowered the spyglass.

"What do I have to do," Gezel said to himself.

He was supposed to work on evacuation while Naruze promised them a safe place to stay on the other side, but he really didn't know what was going on. Yurith had been responsible for that.

"Well, you are the one who gave her illegal access to the human world," Evan reminded him.

"Yes, but she was supposed to—"

He stopped himself there, now spinning the spyglass between his hands.

"You were right Evan. She’s been stuck in that room too long."

"So what about the plan? Are you going to wait for your older brother Tremal to negotiate with your father?"

"Yes, and no," Gezel said. "I'm waiting on Naruze. He says he has a trick to play. What did Yurith want anyways?"

"She wanted you to find a human."

"Ah, yes, because that’s what I do in my spare time."

"What should I respond with then?" Evan asked. "She’s waiting for an answer."

"Tell Yurith that I’ll have no part in it."

Gezel put the spyglass back to his eye and tilted it towards the window of his father's room in the hope that he would see Tremal as he made his latest attempt to persuade the king. Instead, he saw their father standing alone by the window, his focus somewhere far away. The king seemed to sense that he was being watched for he looked down with a stoic expression before retreating into the room. Gezel lowered the spyglass and turned.

"Evan," he called to his retreating servant.

The pixie stopped at the doorway and looked back to hear the prince's final word.

"I want to see this human that’s so important."

"You would like the human brought here?"

"Yes. Send Ferrin to go look."

"Yes sir."

***