Carmina smiled widely at Elizabeth as she opened the door. The young Sandaran woman was certainly curvaceous, but not overweight and certainly pretty. Her skin was deeply tanned with her honey brown hair sun-streaked and emotional wide set brown eyes. The woman wore an amber jewelled drop in the middle of her forehead that matched her bright yellow top and white linen trousers. She just glowed with friendliness and happiness. With the mood she was in at the moment, Elizabeth wanted to turn round and go right out the door again. The woman was just too chirpy for her rather bleak mood that morning.

"How are you?"

"I am very well thank you and how are you?" Elizabeth replied smiling for all appearances naturally.

"That good hey?" Carmina replied laughing as she plonked down onto the cushions. "Ow! I shouldn't have done that. I'm just getting around to dropping the baby weight and I'm forgetting I don't quite have the same padding like I used to."

"You have a child?" Elizabeth enquired politely, Carmina nodded.

"Her name's Sotiria, Tiri really. She's almost 6 months," Carmina smiled and rearranged the cushions that she was sitting on. "Have a seat, get comfortable, relax and I will get us some tea." The woman bounced to her feet as Elizabeth sedately sat on the cushions that were arranged on the floor on a pale lilac thick linen, square rug. Looking round the office she noticed more than she did yesterday. The walls were the same bright cream plaster that was common in Sandara, but she could now see that the bottom of all the walls were painted in a mural of green grass and lilac flowers in a way that reminded her of a summer meadow just before day break. Large canvas paintings of single flowers were interspersed with incredibly real looking pictures of massive sail boats.

Carmina broke Elizabeth's reverie of the artwork in the room as she carried a tray that was like a mini table. "Here we go," she said as she set the table/tray down in front of them. "That was quick," Elizabeth commented. The Sandaran sat down opposite Elizabeth and smiled. "Not really, the tea was almost ready to pour when you arrived."

"Good timing," Elizabeth told her raising her own tea cup to her mouth and took a sip. It had a ginger taste and something else she could not identify.

"I knew you would arrive early," Carmina deliberately set down the cup on the tray. "I would imagine that you are familiar in knowing certain events will occur that seem unlikely or unexpected by most."

"No, I would not say that I do. I attempt to consider all possibilities and in doing so it may appear that that is the case, but I do not know."

"Are you sure?" Carmina paused slightly looking intently at Elizabeth, then shrugged. "Well if you are sure about that. Do you ever feel someone is lying to you even if there is no reason to suspect so?"

"I don't see how this is connected to me being here?" Elizabeth asked gesturing at the room and the two occupants.

"My people are very perceptive in many things. Part of it is because we see things that others do not. Most would say it is instincts, but they are never wrong in knowing another's next moves in combat," the woman grinned showing her teeth. "Very handy when there are one hundred kaltans on you winning a sparring fight. One can know if someone is lying, a person's presence even in a crowd and the good old fortune telling of someone's past, present and future. These are the most common attributes of an infrequent talent. There are also the rarer forms that can also manifest in being able to see the spirit world, being prophetic, knowing some of another's thoughts to but name a few. Do any of these seem familiar to you?"

"A few."

"You do not need to be so guarded with me."

"Do I not? I am an intelligence agent in a foreign country talking to a citizen of another country that from what I understand stopped being a civilian at the age of four. This country embodies the term nationalism and so I would prefer to be wary of talking about myself."

"It is true that we are all raised to serve the country and what we stand for. However, I am a Carta-Tivanli and we are slightly different. We take blood oaths of confidentiality. Our duty… my duty is to my charges, we keep their secrets and they get to talk about anything that they want. We help our charges on an emotional and personal level, most using their talents. I am a Carta-Tivanli, a guide," she told the black haired woman in a clipped and abrupt tone. She sighed and continued, "We all have some talents and we are to help guide those onto a path and help them make decisions."

"I don't need any help with my path, I know where my life is going." The Sandaran just smiled at her condescendingly. The image that floated through Elizabeth's mind of her hitting the Sandaran to make her stop smiling helped calm the anger bubbling through her blood. Carmina's smile never faltered but her eyes did and Elizabeth suddenly remembered that one of the talents was mind reading.

"So much for soothing tea, I thought that you could benefit with some instruction. You have some talents; I know that from meeting you yesterday. These talents can enhance the skills you already have and give you new ones that undoubtedly will come in useful. Do not consider our nationalities if you want to be taught, think of this arrangement as teacher and a student. This arrangement between our countries involves us working together, by teaching you it will help my country and yours. Let me teach you?"

Imagine the possibilities! Her mind raced, being able to tell who was lying to me and picking people out in a crowd, knowing an opponents next move! Elizabeth inclined her head, "Very well."

"Good," Carmina said lifting the tray and its contents out the way and took both her hands. "Now close your eyes and concentrate on my voice."

"May you find the way," Carmina greeted, taking the woman's hands and kissing her on both cheeks.

"And may you find it with me," Elena told her.

"Meeting here does not look suspicious in the least Lena," Carmina casually remarked looking out of the window down onto the twinkling city below. She pulled her wrap up onto her shoulders to keep out the evening chill.

"As far as anyone is concerned I am talking to my councillor," Elena directed.

"I understand, but I do not like doing this."

"You are not breaking any oaths, you never discussed this with Beth and so that is not betraying anything."

"But it's what I saw about her! She has no idea why we are interested in her, none what so ever. She is beginning to trust me and I am to report to you and I don't know how many others about her! Our entire people will know the truth about her first! You are not the one she may punish for betraying her!" Carmina stated harshly.

"By your response I take it that she is the one?" Elena asked calmly, Carmina nodded reluctantly. "Then she cannot be told, it would interfere with the future. Besides, who would be able to hear that at nineteen? At any age?" Elena pondered so quietly that Carmina almost never heard. Elena straightened ever so slightly going back in to command mode and then continued when she saw that Carmina was not going to say anything. "From what you saw, is the information that we have on her correct?"

"Family wise, yes. Everything else for the most part is correct and the assumptions that were made are also correct. Except for what happened between Elizabeth and Casimir of Blue Lake, which was more complicated than we thought."

"How could that get more complicated?" Elena saw that the woman was going to reply, but cut her off. "I will read about it later. Update the records and continue the lessons. There is time after evening meal when we are meant to be in prayer. I think the Goddess would allow your absence. She is willing for you to teach her?" she asked. Carmina nodded. "Good. It'll begin tomorrow evening. You are still to attend the Wednesday Court meeting and give a briefing. I will see you then," Elena ordered, finishing on a dismissal. Carmina stood at attention and bowed her head with her hands placed palms together before walking away from the slightly older woman.

Her session with Carmina had strangely enough made her much more relaxed. A blessing when she was in her hand-to-hand classes. When she came back to her room just after seven there was no sign of Alexei in the anteroom or in his own room or the balcony.

Their conversation would just have to wait until later, she thought before heading towards the shower.

When she was finished getting ready she ventured out onto the balcony to see if Alex was there yet. He wasn't. She treaded across the marble to his balcony door, her high heels making some noise. Standing in front of the curtained door she took a deep breath before knocking. There wasn't any answer. Slowly opening the door she peered round the edge and called his name.

"Just a minute," he replied from the bathroom. She went to sit down on the bed and thought better of it. She smiled when she saw that he had found her top and blue cardigan and had neatly folded them on one of the chairs. She picked them up off the chair and glanced at the desk. The reports that he had obviously just been writing were lying out to dry on the desk.

"Beth?" she jumped and turned round feeling exceedingly guilty and childish. Alexei was standing by the door to the bathroom in a towel. Only a towel, she thought. He moved further into the room.

She started to offer apologies. "Sorry, I thought you were dressed," she said coming to her feet. "I wanted to talk to you before dinner, I'll wait for you outside." She quickly walked towards the balcony completely focused on the image of outside and left before he could formulate what he wanted to say.

He finished dressing and sat down in his room to put off going to speak to Beth outside. He liked her, he really did, but they worked together and this made things awkward, he reasoned. After a few minutes he walked outside to see her leaning on the balcony rail and stood next to her taking in the view.

"I'm reliably told by my sister that biting your nails never produces nice ones," he told her. The young woman had her chin resting on one hand biting her nails looking out across the city and to the sun setting over the sea. She jumped when he started to speak and removed her hand from her face as she turned and gracefully leant backwards onto the rail.

"They'll live."

"What did you want to talk to me about?" he asked already knowing what it was about, but he reasoned it may be work related.

"Us."

"Us?" he realised as soon as he said it that it was the wrong thing as he saw the tightly masked anger on her face.

"You know what I mean," she sneered.

"Yeah, I do, but Beth what exactly does us mean?"

"Collegues, partners and I hope friends," she said, as her anger faded to quiet regret. "That's all we can be."

"Then we'll always be friends Lizzie," the tension went from her face and she smiled slightly at him in relief and for him calling her Lizzie. Yet, there was a small part of her that realised fully what he had said. She looked away shyly and then frowned, biting her lip.

"Liz?" She snapped her head up to look at him. "Was there something else you wanted to say?" She looked at him searchingly. He shifted uncomfortably at her intense gaze.

"I'm sorry about how I was this morning."

"Lizzie you don't need to apologize to me."

"Yes, I do."

"No, you don't. We need to work well together and us getting embarrassed with each other gets in the way." She knew he was right and smiled slightly.

"We may need to work on that," she teased.

"I'm quite happy to see you without any clothes to work on that," he said soberly.

She swatted his arm, "Ass." He grinned at her

"Then everything is good between us?" he asked.

"Yeah, it is," she said friendly.

"Good, you ready to go to dinner?" she nodded and stood. He followed her as they made their way through his room talking about what they did that day.

Sandarans were a very religious people Sophia observed. She had never noticed that with her childhood tutor nor with any of the Sandarans that she knew from home, yet they all went to prayer at 9.30. Bells rang throughout the entire city, the streets cleared except for the odd few who were late. Religious icons were everywhere, the public water fountains were representations of their goddess in all her forms, every doorway and window had symbols above them that were as she was told a blessing.

The Sandarans of their party had excused themselves from their group to go to prayer. As for the rest of them, they were going back to collect money for a trip into the city's taverns and to wait in their rooms for about an hour until prayer time was over.

Alexei and Elizabeth/Sophia happened to have the two rooms that were furthest away from the dining room and also from the rest of their party. As the two of them passed Tangel and Lena's room they cut the corner in the corridor by stepping down into the small courtyard garden by the steps.

"I personally think you're a Mithros man," she told him as she began to walk backwards.

"Mithros?" he asked in surprise.

"Yep, I think he's the one you pray to when it has all gone to hell," she said smoothly stepping up onto the corridor once again and walking in the forward direction once again. It didn't escape Alexei's notice that she never looked once behind her as they walked along the path.

"I don't pray to any god."

"You must!" she stated incredulously.

"Nope, not religious in the least," he told her as they came to their front door to their apartment.

"How can you not be?" she asked amazed that he didn't pray. "You must at least believe that the gods exist." She stopped in her doorway to hear his reply.

"I do, I just don't think praying would do any good. If the Gods are going to involve themselves in my life, they will regardless of my prayer routine," he told her frankly.

"I can see your logic, I think, but…they are gods," she stated, obviously not understanding how he does not pray. He smiled slightly and shrugged.

"You are most definitely a Mother Goddess woman." She smiled broadly.

"Is it that easy to tell?" she asked leaning against the wall as he unlocked their door.

"Well," he said, holding the door open for her and following her into their shared living room. "You are a woman so that brings the possibility of the Goddess being your number one right to the top of the list. Do you want to sit outside?"

"Yeah," she said in response to his question as they went into her room and out onto the balcony. "You are basing that guess on my being female? It could be any of the other goddesses."

"Yeah, but it's not, is it?"

"Fine, I'll admit it. You were right, I pray to the Mother Goddess," she said reluctantly sitting down on the cushioned bamboo settee as Alexei lit the lamp on the table in front of them.

"That's so ordinary."

"Are you saying I'm not?" she demanded slightly hurt that he felt that way. However her face never betrayed her thoughts as he looked at her from the other side of the settee.

"In a good way, a very good way," he told her smiling kindly. Elizabeth blushed slightly and looked at her feet.

"Alex! Beth! You about?" Tangel called loudly before the noise of Alexei's bedroom door opening.

"Outside," he shouted to his countryman and friend. Some moments later Tangel appeared through the balcony door of Alexei's room.

"Cards anyone?" The tall beefy man asked.

"Sure," Elizabeth agreed. "I always have fun kicking your ass and emptying your pockets." Tangel sat down on one of the chairs and started dealing.

"I'm lullin' ya intae a false sense of security," he told her in his thick Dakken accent. From what she could gather from being around the Gallan agents most appeared to be Dakkens, a few sounded like they were from the cities. She was almost positive that Alex was one of the mountain people, he turned his accent on and off it seemed at will between Dakken and the one from the capital or any other accent that took his fancy.

The accent was not what made a Dakken obvious, in fact they were trained to be inconspicuous and unassuming, totally unremarkable. However, they were very observant, on average very intelligent and the most notable and remarkable thing about them, other than their incredible loyalty, was how lethal they were. They were a mountain people steeped in warrior tradition, trained to fight for their people from the time they could walk, resulting in that large region in eastern Galla being unconquerable for near a thousand years. Galla and the regions neighbours had all certainly made a fair effort in trying, the only reason Dakken became part of the country was that they chose to. It was a very popular love story in Galla about the Dakken chief's sister marrying the Crown Prince. When the couple became King and Queen the region chose to become a part of the country and the warriors were acquired by the army, officially becoming the Royal family's bodyguard almost 200 years ago.

"If that's what you call lulling someone into a false sense of security what are you like when you lose?" Alex asked.

"Shut up!" Tangel told him dealing as Alex cracked a grin.

A/N well that was a long chapter. I thought I had lost all of it, but I managed to recover it and had to write the beginning again and I added about 3 lines at the bottom.

Thank you to all the reviewers, i love getting them.