//------------------------------//
// Chapter 12 
// Story: The Price of Amber 
// by De Writer 
//------------------------------//

EPILOGUE:

Princess Luna greeted Dawn Fire with a wide smile!  “Did you have any trouble getting this appointment, My Agent?”  She snickered as she leaned on the last two words.

“Very oddly, no, My Princess.  Something about having your pass AND my place in the procession at Corbiestep Castle during the Peace Accord signing.”

Luna nodded vigorously, “And dining between Celestia and I.  And very visibly helping to negotiate the Trade Treaty.”

He shared another chuckle as he laid out the small wooden case for her.  “I found it amusing that they all called me a mere commoner to such an extent that those few who did know my name had forgotten it.  That was brilliant, just having me introduced and announced as Your Agent!”

She was smiling at the memory as she opened the case.  Nestled there in crushed velvet was the dragon fly stone.  Lifting it out by her magic, it caught the light in a glowing pool, surrounding and displaying the entombed insect to perfection.

Her breath caught in her throat at the sight.  Tilting it this way and that, she shook her head in wonder.  “I have never seen such perfectly preserved and displayed insect in amber before.  Did the money that you had cover it, or do I owe you more?”

Laughing, he returned the pouch of coin.  “Here.  Two hundred and forty golden Farthings.  The villagers at Sudanweird would not take any of my money for anything.  The artisan who cut the stone did take your Ka'cheks.  I helped them to straighten out a minor financial problem and that was the result.”

Luna tilted her head skeptically as she stated, “That, I did hear about.  Duke Deepinit was jailed and stripped of his title and lands as a result of your minor help.  King Leiuee was really upset that he would try such a thing so soon after it was directly outlawed.”

“Um, yes.  Countess Arianne told me about it.  She does remember my name.  I would wager that she is the only noble in the kingdom who does.  To all the rest, I am Princess Luna's Agent.  They aren't alone.  The news papers in Prance only identified me that way in all the photos that they published.”

Princess Luna gave a near nightmare chuckle as she carefully packed away the stone.  She asked thoughtfully, “Would you mind it too much if we kept up the charade?  Referring to you only as my Agent, I mean?  Ever since the Earl Wrathmore incident, I have had so much more freedom here in Our Court, whenever you are anywhere about!”

Dawn Fire snickered, “I do wonder why?”

“No clue, my Agent!  It is nearly to the noon.  Would you do me the honor of dining with me?”

Getting up he replied, “It would be my honor, my Princess.  May I ask, as I do know that you use your magic to literally see into and through things, are we dodging some noble pests?”

“You catch on very fast indeed, my Agent.  There are five of them out in the hallway attempting to ambush me for a lunch where they are trying to get me to reverse rulings already made in lower Courts but which Celestia has let stand.”

Opening the door to the small audience chamber, Dawn Fire was cheerfully saying, “So you see, Highness, we can do it with . . .”  Appearing surprised, he went on, “Your pardon my Lords.  Your Highness we must take this up where such as they cannot overhear.”

“Most agreeable.  We can continue this conversation in the East Room dining hall.  I will have it cleared so that we can speak privately.”

Settling at a nice window table in the now empty dining room, Luna offered, “As you observed, I did see deeply.  You have another stone.  I am presuming it to be yours, as you did not mention it to me.  May I see it?”

Dawn Fire pulled out the smaller box and proffered it to her.  Her magic opened it and she let out a chortle!  “Oh my!  A gadfly on the attack!  Is there a tale about it?”

He nodded, “In the grove where the amber is found, it was attacking me.  It nearly got us both trapped in the stuff.  I was lucky.  I only got some on my flank and part of my tail.  The amber worker, Mister Hishine, freed me from it.  He polished up the stone, bug and all, as a gift for me.”

As Luna luxuriated in the absence of courtiers swarming about, she stated directly, “I have already placed our order for lunch!  You are NOT getting buttered oatmeal!”

~THE END~