[Imladris]

Arshalous tightened, and glanced sharply at the Princess. She could not help but wonder if this was some sort of trap that would, in some way, condemn her with treason. She breathed quickly, shallowly. She wished to tell the truth, and hoped that the princess also felt the same.

But what if she didn't?

If she laughed, brushed the question off with a smile and a quick change of subject, what would be accomplished? Nothing...absolutely nothing. Things would continue to spiral wildly in decline and Pashtia would be ravished with corruption until it became an evil ruin, an twisted echo of what it had once been. Taking a deep breath she turned toward the Princess, and said, "When I first saw the Emissary, I admired him, for he seemed noble and kind -- something which none of our noble men seemed to be anymore. He seemed to be a person stepping from the stories, the myths, and legends. But, I have noticed how he has become the king's shadow, always near even though sometimes we cannot see him. Now, when I look upon him, I see evil, corruption, lust...I do not know why I did not see it before. I do not trust him, I loathe him. These...yellow fanged monsters come from the West -- it is said that the King bent them to his will with the gift of the Emissary...I cannot but wonder whether the Emissary is a lord of sorts to these vile creatures..."

She looked once more at the princess, hoping that the princess herself felt the same way. If not, there was nothing to look forward to but death...yet how could the Princess not agree with her? Yet people were strange, as stable as a wind swept sea. And if the Princess did agree with Arshalous, the nobly lady earnestly hoped that something would be done about the Emissary for he was evil dressed fairly...the most awful of all evils.

And the King, what would become of him? Arshalous desperately wished that he was merely blinded, led astray by the whisperings of the Emissary. She could not shake the nagging thought that said that there was no hope for the King. People were who they were...there was no changing them. If the King's heart was now so inclined to corruption and delights in evil deeds, then surely he had always been inclined to such things...maybe that part of him had been dormant, but now that it was awake, could they trust that it would once more sleep when the Emissary was removed? Maybe that was why he had enlisted her aide to eliminate Korak...She froze at the thought, waves of fear drowning her. What if he called upon that oath?

Was an oath obligated to be kept no matter what the cirumstances? What a fool she had been...