Yunho’s head was still spinning hours later from that – bomb-thing that had flown into the room and knocked both him and Kari unconscious.  His ears were ringing and his head hurt so bad he felt like it was about to split open.  But, more than anything else, he was afraid.  He had been lying on the floor, unable to move more than a few fingers wondering where those strange men had taken Kari.  If he could only get up!  There had to be some way to get help.  But, Yazin’s note had said that they would be left alone until morning.  No one would know that Kari had been kidnapped until it was too late.  He might never see her again.  Those thoughts had been running – well, more like crawling – through his pounding head, spurring him on to try and move something, anything.  He managed to make a fist with his right hand just as a particularly bad spike of pain shot through his head.  He saw a flash of light and then everything went dark.

Their breakfast had gone by slowly and silently, neither one wanting to talk about the previous night.  So, of course, no one spoke.  As Kari set down her glass of water and got up to leave, Yunho sighed very audibly. 

“We need to talk, Kari.”

“Okay.  What about?”  She sat back down slowly.

“Last night.”

She blushed furiously.  “I think we’ve both established that I was under the influence of some kind of alcoholic drink…or something to that effect.” 

Man, he loved seeing her blush.  He gave himself a mental shake.  He couldn’t afford to think about that stuff right now.  “I know.  But…well…”  He didn’t really know what he wanted to say.  What could he say? 

“I think we should just try to stay out of each other’s way today.  Since we’re going to be stuck here, we should make the best of it and relax.”  She nodded as if to reassure herself and walked quickly out of the room.  Her skirt was far too short for her to be gallivanting around in front of him like that.  It put far too many indecent thoughts in his head.  He shook his head to try to clear it.  Maybe he should just do as she suggested and stay out of her way today.  At least it shouldn’t be too awkward that way. 

He looked around at the remains of breakfast on the table.  There was one pitcher of drink that both of them had left untouched, and for good reason.  It was full of the same purple drink that had started this whole mess in the first place.  Yunho reached out and picked the pitcher up.  He sniffed it.  It didn’t smell like alcohol.  He set it down before his curiosity got the better of him.  There was no way he was going to repeat Kari’s mistake.  Not now that he knew it was a mistake.  But, there was still a part of him that wanted to try it.  A small part, but it grew with every passing moment.  He wanted to know what it felt like to have all his senses enhanced.  Maybe it would be…fun.

Yunho stood abruptly and nearly fled the room.  He wasn’t going back in there until he had to.  Not when that purple drink sat there calling to him.  He glanced at the door to the bathroom.  Maybe he needed a dip in the swimming pool that passed for a tub.  Yeah, that would help clear his head.  He grabbed some clothes from his dressing room and headed for the bath.  It never occurred to him that Kari had had the same idea.

Yunho blinked away the spots floating in front of his eyes.  It was still dark in the room and his head was still pounding.  Somehow, the act of trying to move had sent his mind fleeing back into more pleasant memories from that morning.  He managed to make a fist again.  He held his breath and waited for the pain to come again.  Nothing.  He exhaled in relief and tried to move the rest of his arm.  This time, he had a little more warning before blacking out again.  The pain shot up his arm, through his shoulders and into his head.  Another flash of light and everything went dark.  Again.

After the little mishap in the bathroom that had resulted in embarrassing blushes for both of them, Kari found some paper and a pencil and went out onto the balcony to sketch.  It was the first time she had done so since they got to Filarin.  Yunho hadn’t even known that she liked to draw.  He stood at the door to their bedroom and watched her for a little while.  Eventually, the sun proved too harsh for her liking and she moved to the bed to sketch.  Yunho decided to give her some privacy and practice his dancing in the sitting room.  He hadn’t had much time to practice, so he felt a little rusty.  When lunch showed up, they ate in silence and split up again to pursue their individual interests.  As the day wore on, Yunho found himself feeling more and more lonely.  Was this how Kari had felt while he was avoiding her?  He just wanted someone to talk to.  Or really, just be in her presence for a while.  But, every time he walked into the room she was in, she left.  Just like he had done to her in their first few weeks.  Now, he really regretted that.  It was no fun being ignored. 

Dinner came and went.  Kari went back to the bedroom as the sun was setting.  Yunho sat at the dinner table, staring at his untouched plate of food.  He had to do something about this.  But, he didn’t know what to do.  The pitcher of I’letya was still sitting on the table in front of him.  It had been replaced at every meal in hopes that they would partake of it.  They hadn’t, of course.  But, Yunho was terribly curious.  The letter that Mair had left Kari said that it enhanced one’s emotions and desires.  Maybe, if he drank some he would know what he really wanted to say to Kari.  Or maybe it was like alcohol and would only cause problems.  Well, there was only one way to know.  His curiosity finally got the better of him and he poured himself a glass.  After the first few sips he began to notice his apprehension at drinking the I’letya dwindling.  That was a bad sign.  He got scared of losing his ability to think clearly and stopped.  But not before he had finished the cup. 

Yunho stood, his desire to see Kari suddenly unbearable.  He went out into the sitting room and, when he didn’t find her there, burst into the bedroom.  She turned around in shock at his abrupt entrance.  He closed the door behind him and stared at her.  She was so beautiful with her curly hair flowing down around her shoulders and her bright blue eyes staring at him with a mixture of shock, embarrassment and desire.  He could see all of that, now.  The light from the setting sun was fading fast, and so was Yunho’s self-control.  He crossed the room until he stood in front of her, staring down into her eyes. 

“Kari.  I love you.”  Her eyes widened as he captured her lips with his, every cell in his body feeling the kiss.  So this is what she had felt the night before when she kissed him.  It all made sense, now.  He felt her relax into his arms and joy spread through him.  He didn’t notice when a round metal ball flew silently into the room or when an unnatural shadow crossed the balcony.  All he saw and felt was Kari.  A moment later, all he felt was pain and darkness.

When Yunho awoke for the second time, the sun was just beginning to rise.  His head, though still spinning, no longer throbbed with the beating of his heart and he could actually move without feeling like he was going to pass out again.  He climbed to his knees and used the bed to get to his feet.  As the room spun about in circles in front of his eyes, he remembered the shadow that had disappeared with Kari in the night.  They had vanished into thin air!  If he hadn’t seen all that he had since being brought to Filarin, he wouldn’t have believed it was possible. 

As soon as the room slowed to a slow spin, he lurched forward and made it into the sitting room before have to sit down again.  One of the servants had just walked into the room and saw him collapse onto one of the chairs.

“Majesty!  Are you alright?”  The girl rushed over to him.

“Find someone who can help.  Kari’s been taken.  I don’t know where or who.”

The maid’s eyes widened and she ran back to the door.  Sticking her head out, she yelled to whoever was in the hall.  “Go get Reina and the High Wizard.  Quickly!”

Yazin closed the door to his office and raised his shields.  He had received a message that the Elanari wanted to speak with him urgently while he slept this morning.  So, as soon as the sun rose, he hurried to his office and the strange stone that allowed him to communicate with them. 

“You are late, Yazin.”  The hologram was a male again this time, but Yazin had never seen him before.  That wasn’t unusual, though.  He didn’t think he had ever seen one of the Elanari more than once.

“I’m truly sorry, Honored One.  I couldn’t come to my office any earlier without raising suspicion.”  The figure raised an eyebrow but said nothing about his excuse.

“We think there is a ship coming your way.  One of the Tu.  You must be wary.  They sensed your queen losing control of her powers a month ago, and we think they may be coming after her.  Do not let them take her.  You will be held responsible if they do.”  The hologram disappeared without waiting for Yazin’s response.  How was he supposed to stop the Tu from taking Kari if he had no information other than that they were coming?  And he was going to be held responsible? 

“High Wizard!”  Someone was banging on his office door.  He opened it and sneered at the young boy in the hallway.

“What is it?”

“It’s the queen, sir.  She’s been kidnapped.  And the king’s hurt.”  Yazin simply stared at the boy in silence for a moment.  It had already happened?  No.  This couldn’t be.  He was going to be held responsible for this.  He hadn’t even had the chance to prevent it!

“Child, you said that the king has been hurt?”  The boy nodded.  “Did you send for Reina?”  Another nod.  This wasn’t what he had planned.  He needed to get to Yunho before Reina did.  Maybe he could…could what?  What was he going to do, now?  No matter, he still needed to see Yunho.  If he could somehow manage to recover Kari before the Elanari find out she’s missing, maybe he could escape punishment.  Maybe.

“Puita.”  The prophet came into Puita’s sleeping chambers as the sun rose and woke him.  He was glad his wives had already gone to sleep.  It might have been embarrassing otherwise.  Floating in his pool that was specially designed for when dignitaries from Equatha visited Filarin, Puita would have sighed had he had lungs.  He slithered to the edge of the pool and shifted into his humanoid form.  The prophet would just have to deal with his lack of clothes.

“What’s wrong?”  The prophet would never have bothered him if there were nothing wrong.

“I sense a change in the prophecies.  Something’s happened.  We need to leave for Equatha, immediately.  I have to confer with the other prophets.”  What?  A change.  It must be something drastic for the prophet to demand to leave without giving the Filarini the proper warning. 

“Alright.  We’ll leave in two hours.”

“One.  And do not tell anyone we are leaving.”  The prophet left the room without another word.  So, they were leaving Filarin in an hour?  Well, he had better start waking his wives, then.