Too complicated

The hall looked the same as it had a few hours ago. The pattern on the floor was still lifeless, and the Mirror was still closed.

"What now?" I asked Gemma.

"I have no idea," she shrugged, "it was just what Merlin said."

I looked at Angrew, Louis and the others. But they were waiting for me to decide.

Then I pulled out the Helyswort and the sapphires in the hilt sparkled. I stepped to the center of the pattern and lowered my sword to touch the line. A rainbow glow ran across the blade. I held my breath and moved the tip of my blade along the chalk line. It began to glow, to come to life right before my eyes.

"Angrew, place the candles in the corners," I began to command, suddenly realizing what I had to do. “Gemma, you go first, you have the Key. Then you light the candles in the real world. All the others will follow after you, I'll go last and close the path.”

"Are you sure, Arthur?" she asked.

"Absolutely. By the way, don't go out of the hall in the real world. I don't want the Faceless Destroyer to find out about us."

Angrew placed and lit the candles, and I finished the contour. The moment the line was closed, the entire ornament flashed with an electric purple glow. Gemma approached the Mirror, touched it with the tip of her blade and took a step through the glass. I watched as she walked around the pattern, lit the candles, and then stood in the center. She lowered her blade to the floor, I mirrored her gesture, and the shining path connected our realities.

"Let's go," I said, and the nine people walked through the Mirror one by one, standing in a semicircle behind Gemma's back.

I didn't linger and hurried to  follow them. When I reached the other side, I looked back, took one last look at the Pentagonal hall of the Looking-Glass World. Then I raised the Helyswort and drew a sign in the air, copying Mara's movement exactly. And I saw my reflection.

"We did it! We did it!" Laima exclaimed. "It's Irrat, isn't it?"

“Shh," I put my finger to my lips, "someone might hear us."

She  opened her eyes wide and nodded. 

I tucked the Helyswort back in its sheath and turned to Gemma: "We need to get out of the palace unnoticed. You know the place and the situation better than anyone. Lead the way."

"Why don't we just go straight to the Lace?"  Stattada suggested.

"There are several reasons why that is impossible," Gemma objected. "But an invisibility spell might be helpful."

"We don't need it," I said, pulling the Veil of the Wind from my backpack. "Take it, Gemma, and lead the way."

"Is that an invisibility cloak?" she wondered.  "How?"

"Not now."

Our run through the palace was uneventful. A few times we ran into guards who weren't very careful, but Gemma warned us in time and no one noticed us. Eventually we reached a very familiar stucco archway in the middle of an empty corridor.

I held Gemma's hand and whispered, "This is a secret apartment. Are you sure you can show it to everyone?"

"Don't worry, it's all magic."

Inside it was just as Alex and I had left it. No, it wasn't. The prince and I hadn't been here yet. Or had we? What day was it today?

I tried to keep up with the calendar in the Looking Glass World, of course, but I could be wrong. I asked Gemma. Everything seemed right. Around this time we were supposed to visit Xaval in his One God World.

"What now, Archie?" Roger asked as he walked along the bookshelves. "Strangely enough, but in over two hundred years in the Looking Glass World, I have never seen this room."

"This apartment doesn't belong to Irrat, it’s in the pocket universe, just like the Looking Glass World, only not isolated," Angrew explained. 

"I'm sick of pocket universes," Roger muttered.

"Well," Gemma began, "from here, anyone can go anywhere they want. This door," she pointed to the closet door, "will take you anywhere in Irrat."

"Anywhere?" Kerena asked. 

"Sure," Gemma nodded, "but be warned, this is a one-way passage. You can't come back the same way."

Then Stattada, who looked like a bear, approached me, patted me on the shoulder and said, "I didn't have much faith in your plan, Earthling! But you got us out of that damn enchanted palace. I owe you my life. Call me if you need me. And good luck with whatever it is you're up to."

"Me too," Boldwan also patted me on the shoulder and went with his friend to the exit.

"Hey! Don't forget you're mortals again!" Luis called after them.

Laima, Kerena and Puddigate followed, all with the same words of thanks and assurances of eternal friendship. Then Roger and Louie wanted to leave as well.

"Archie, I know you're going to jump right into this Lace rescue affair," Louis said, "but don't forget the old friends when you go to beat up the Destroyer."

"Just give us a call and we'll be there for you," Roge added.

Then we agreed on a means of communication, and they left as well. I was rubbing my  sore shoulder after Stattada’s pat, watching the door close behind them and figuring out my route when I heard Gemma's startled cry, "Sir Cheverel!”

I turned. The old man was sitting on the sofa, breathing heavily and pressing his hand to his chest. His face was gray and contorted with pain.

"What happened, Sir Cheverel?" Angrew asked him.

"It hurts so much," he said, "right here."

I fumbled in my pockets for the Tears of the Forest, found the fial and handed it to the old man. "Here! Drink it. It's a miracle cure."

Cheverel shook his head negatively.

"No, my friend. I wanted to die... free," he sighed heavily and continued in a weak voice, "I only ask you. Take me outside. I want to see the Valley of Eternal Spring one last time."

Angrew and I took him under the arms and led him out the door Gemma had opened for us.

We walked out into paradise. There was an emerald green meadow that flowed gently down to a sleepy lake sparkling in the rays of the setting sun, and flowering trees leaning their branches to the surface of the water.

"It's so beautiful here!" Cheverel sighed.

We laid him down on the grass, facing the lake. Angrew supported the old man's head, Gemma and I just sat beside him. Cheverel smiled, his eyes gliding over the water, the grass, the trees, the blue sky. An hour later, he was gone. 

Tears ran down Gemma's cheeks. Angrew looked away and I couldn't see his expression. I had a strange feeling myself. It was not the first time a man had died before my eyes, but to die like this... barely free, with no time for anything, anything at all.

“I'll take care of everything," Angrew said and stood up, turning to face north. 

At that moment, I remembered that I was back in the world of magic. The funeral rites took some time, and soon we were standing in front of a white tombstone with the inscription: "He died free.”

We stood for a moment, paying our respects to the memory of the deceased, and then we left.

It was an almost forgotten sensation: the breeze blowing on my face, the rustling of the leaves, the singing of the birds, the smells of nature, the firmness of the grass under my feet... Good Lord! There, in the Looking Glass World, I didn't even realize how much I was missing all of this!

"What's your next move, Arthur?" Angrew asked once we were far enough away from the lake.

"You know very well," I replied. "I have to fight the Destroyer on the Great Full Moon of Kainos. Until then, we should prepare everything, find Alex, and collect the missing Keys. In short, there's a lot to do and no time at all."

"But do you still need the Key of Xaval?" he said slowly. 

"Sure! Of course I need it."

"I'll get it for you."

"But you’ve just got out of jail. You don't  have to do it."

"I guess I'm destined to spend my life fighting my relatives," the disgraced prince grinned bitterly. "I'm not sure if the man you're fighting is really my son, but I feel a certain responsibility. I don't know if you understand that."

I did.

We were silent for several minutes and then Angrew asked again, "So what about the Eye of the Great Master?"

"Xaval won't give it back."

"He will, I promise. Where can I find him?"

"He is on Dalytan. They call him Fire-Eyed Widdle."

"He's a selfish madman," the prince chuckled. "Okay, I'm going. See you later."

"Watch out!" I said, but he didn't hear me. At that moment, he was walking into the Lace, leaving a trail of colorful sparkles.

"Do you trust him that much?" Gemma asked as the light effects faded and the air smelled of ozone. "What if he decides to reunite with his son?"

"I don't think he will. I believe him."

Gemma came closer and pressed herself against me. I put my arms around her and stroked her back.

"I lost my pendant in the Looking Glass World," she whispered.

"Don't be upset, it's just a pendant."

“It's the wedding pendant, the sign of marriage," she explained. "It's also a means of communication."

"Your husband is fine," I said, irritated. I didn't want to hear about Alex right now. "It's time to go, I think."

We moved to the Lace, but I had no idea where to go. We couldn't visit Doro. Alex and I were right there now, or would be soon. Actually, I could just go to one of the free worlds, but I wanted to... Damn it! I didn't know what I wanted! But my thoughts were far away from the Keys of the Master and the problems of the universe.

Gemma looked into my eyes. "Are you angry, Archie?"

I shook my head negatively and tried to explain the situation. 

"Let's go visit my friends," she said after a minute. "I helped Thieron get rid of the harpies once, so I'm always welcome there."

"Well," I agreed. "Let's go."

I lay with my hands behind my head, among the uncut grasses of the flowering meadow, exposing my face to the gentle rays of the dawning sun and the touch of the warm breeze, rejoicing in the distant singing of birds, enjoying the smells and sounds, resting my body and soul. Peace and tranquility.

The world that Gemma's friends lived in was wonderful. It was like paradise, as it seemed to me. A bee buzzed somewhere nearby, and a large, crane-like bird flew over me. I wished I could stay here forever. 

I didn't know how long I had been lying there. Then I heard a light rustling in the grass and the sound of careful footsteps. I rolled onto my belly and lifted my head.

Gemma walked towards me. She'd changed out of her elaborate court dress into jeans and an egg-yellow t-shirt with colorful butterflies on it, which made her even more beautiful, if that was possible.

"So this is where you've been hiding," she said. 

She sat down beside me and ruffled my hair. I rubbed my cheek against her hand. Gemma didn't rush to remove it, but continued to stroke my hair, my neck. How easy it would be to hug her now, to kiss her.

Damn Alex! I pulled back, sat up. She looked at me almost pleadingly. Then I stood up and walked away. Gemma caught up with me after a few steps.

"Arthur!"

I walked on, cursing myself and my idiotic principles.

"My marriage to the Prince of Irrat is dynastic. There is no fidelity clause in it," she said quietly.

It didn't sound convincing. I didn't care about their contracts. That was not the point.

"Alex loves you," I said. 

She sighed. And silence. We kept walking. The meadow sloped down to a wide, quiet river, its banks overgrown with scattered shrubs and old willows.

"What about you?" Gemma asked.

"What about me?"

Her fingers squeezed my elbow. I stopped and looked into her eyes. That was a mistake - I felt myself losing my head again.

"Don't push me away, Archie," she said. "I don't want to lose you again."

I wanted to say that she was wrong, that we had lost each other many years ago, that we couldn't undo the past. I said nothing. 

"It's all useless, isn't it?" she asked quietly.

I shrugged my shoulders and turned my head away. I didn't understand my reasons myself, so I couldn't explain them to her. It wasn't really about principles, and I wasn't afraid of the prince's wrath at all.  And I still loved this woman - maybe even more than ever before - but I wanted her to be mine, mine alone and no one else’s. Being a third wheel, waiting my turn, sneaking around and hiding was not for me. I'd rather not have her at all.

Gemma let go of my hand and looked away, at the ridge of distant mountains looming on the horizon.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I thought you were…” she shook her curls angrily. "Just don't care. Let's forget this conversation."

"You're right," I agreed with pain and relief at the same time.

Gemma sighed and changed the subject. "You know, I've been thinking a lot about what you told me. And I think there's something wrong with this whole thing about finding the Keys."

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, you and Alex are collecting the Keys of the Great Master. The Keys that the Destroyer so desperately needs."

"So what?"

"How can you be sure that the Faceless One won't try to get them after you have them all ? Send an assassin, for example."

I scratched the back of my head - there was definitely a certain logic to her words.

"Of course he'll try," I said after a while. “This is about the number of the Keys. But let me tell you how I understand it.”

Then we sat on the riverbank and I told Gemma the whole story, everything I had learned from Alex, everything I had found in the Library of the Looking Glass World. And with every word, I became more convinced: "Yes, it is all true! It can't be otherwise."

"So," I summarized, "of the seven Keys, we have two: the Helyswort and the Heart of the Night. Our enemy has two other keys. The Eye of the Great Master, or the Eye of Chaos, belongs to Xaval. Hopefully Angrew can convince him to join us. And there are two more Keys. You know something about one of them, as far as I understand, and the other was lost centuries ago. However, I have some ideas about where to look for it. We have little time, but we have to get them both."

Gemma was absentmindedly throwing pebbles into the water, watching the circles diverge from them.

"Tell me again about the combined power of the Keys," she asked.

"I first heard about it from Alex. But he didn't go into details. Later, in the Library of the Looking Glass World, I found a detailed description of all these processes. It's not that easy, of course, but it's possible."

"How exactly?" Gemma asked.

"Each of the Keys is capable of concentrating an enormous amount of magical energy. When several Keys are used at the same time under the control of one owner, their powers are not just combined but multiplied. This means that if we combine the powers of even three Keys, we will be able to stand up to the Faceless One and his gang. And if there are four or even five Keys... I think our chances of success will increase many times over.”

"Sounds a little too optimistic."

"Only in words. But in reality, in order to concentrate the power of the Keys, certain adjustments have to be made. It's a complicated ritual and it requires an experienced magician to perform it," I gave Gemma a meaningful look. "I'm sure you can do it."

She shook her head negatively. "No, I can’t. But you can."

I laughed at the absurdity of this assumption. "What kind of magician am I? The only thing I'm good at is making fire without matches. Apart from that, I'm just an ordinary man."

She smiled enigmatically. "Who knows.  We've already talked about your magical abilities, you're just afraid to try. And as for you being ordinary, I doubt that any ordinary  man could defeat the stone monsters that stole Leah of the Woods or the Hallydar dragons. You, Archie, are anything but ordinary!"

I lowered my eyes and muttered something unintelligible. Damn it! I might look like Superman on the outside, but I knew what was inside.

"So, Arthur, you are the one who can make those adjustments," Gemma concluded. "You know more about it than anyone else, and you're definitely connected to the Keys. There's some kind of affinity, a mutual attraction or something."

I wanted to object, but I bit my tongue - that was true. "But I'm still not a wizard,” I objected.

Gemma patted my hand. "I'll help you."

I lowered my head obediently. For some reason, the prospect frightened me to the point where my knees trembled. It was one thing to befriend wizards of all types and calibers, but it was another to try to do it myself. Well, but as Gemma said…. 

Wait a minute. Suddenly I realized what she had really said. I never told her about Hallydar or Leah, and no one in Looking Glass World knew that part of my biography. There was no way she could have known about it! Unless….

I stood up abruptly, looked down at Gemma and said, "You lied to me!"

A look of genuine confusion appeared in her eyes. "Me? Are you serious, Arthur?"

“If you thought I was dead, how do you know about Lea and everything?”

She sighed, stood up and tried to look into my eyes. "It's hard to explain."

"Just try," I replied sharply. Anger and resentment were choking me, preventing me from thinking rationally, and it was costing me an incredible amount of effort to keep my emotions in check.

"I was really told you were dead," she whispered, "and everything was as I said. But Leah is Alex's mother. She was the one who told me about Archie the Fearless, his exploits, and their miraculous rescue. I suspected it might have been you. I did some research. Unfortunately, I was already married at the time, so there was nothing I could do. That's all."

"You could have let me know you were alive!" I replied.

"Why?" she took my hands and looked into my eyes. "Why, Arthur? It would have hurt too much. I didn't want you to suffer again."

I pulled my hands out of hers, crossed my arms over my chest and turned my head away. "I’ve never stopped suffering," I said in a hoarse voice. "All those years, all those damn years, I blamed myself for your death."

Gemma touched my hand again and it was like I got an electric shock.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know," she said.

"Now you do."

"Arthur!"

I turned and walked away. I was full of pain and anger and didn't know what to do.

That sleepless night, as I tossed and turned in my bed, I decided to call her Victoria. Princess Sa-Maste was not my Gemma. And the sooner we both realized that, the better for everyone.

I made a decision. But it didn't get any easier.