A letter from a good friend

When Geraldine appeared in her parlor, she saw a man in a simple but comfortable rogue gear. His face was hidden under a large black hood.

"My lady", he lowered his head, "Excuse me for interruption but this is a matter of great secrecy and urgency". He gave her a parchment. "It can't be delivered through usual diplomatic channels, I guess. The letter is from lord Tullian".

When the countess heard the name, her heart skipped a beat. The stranger rogue disappeared almost literally in a wink.

Geraldine put the letter in a jar with dry alchemic liquid to make sure there's no poison or hostile magic on it. Nothing. She unfolded the parchment and started reading.

"My Lady,

The time has come. The Key, item we've been searching for so long is finally found. It's weird that it happened to hide not in some ivory tower of the old wizard, but in godforsaken village in the north-eastern Karth. Unfortunately locals had found it before our agents and we don't have enough loyal people in this area.

So, it is up to you to retrieve it and bring it where it belongs. I'm sure you don't have any problem with that using your power and authority. Who would dare to stop the King's advisor? But remember that you need to do it as soon as possible. Every minute counts, literally. We can't let someone other lay their hands on the artifact.

Don't get back to royal court after you succeed (and I do not say 'if'), it would be a waste of time and outright dangerous. Head straight to us, to Tarminea, the Imperial City.

A.T."

Then there was an addition written in smaller script.

"My dear, this is the best chance to fulfill all our dreams and goals. All our agreements remain in **** especially after this enterprise, I was assured in that. When everything ends according to our plans, you'll have a choice - be the new Queen of Karth, ruling as an honest vassal of our beloved Emperor, or, if you prefer more quiet and civilized life, stay here as a respected and very rich Imperial senator. All the neede documents are waiting to be signed by his Majesty on your return.

Take care and come back home victorious as a proud daughter of your noble mother's family. I'm waiting for you. I love you, my lady".

Geraldine laid off the letter on the desk and smiled with the corner of her lips. Excitement almost ripped through usual cold look on her face. That was the chance to change everything.

Karth's border with the Empire was a high mountain range. There were only two wide roads for armies to move and both were blocked by strong fortresses, designed and build by the mysterious High Elves. Nobody knew exactly against whom they were erected, but both were almost impregnable, only huge numerical superiority would let possible invaders pass through and even then losses must be enormous. That was exactly what happened more than hundred years ago when the Argellian made a first try to subjugate the 'barbarian' neighbour. They lost more than half of their great army storming one of the castles and when exhausted Imperial troops finally passed through they met with frtesh and eager Karthian army which destroyed them completely. The second attempt came in just 30 years and that time Imperial failed to even breach the walls. Argellians had large superiority in qualified battle mages but they were useless in those wars, as fortresses were shielded from magic attacks by some kind of supernatural defence. Only then scholars from Tarminea found some ancient scrolls which revealed the existence of the Key, an artifact which could remove the magical shield. For decades the Imperial spies searched for the artifact but totally in vain. Until today.

Countess immediately sent for her steward and ordered him to start preparing her carriage. She wrote a letter of excuse to the King, telling that she has urgent matters in her estate so she must leave the court for three or four days. Geraldine took only her maid and four guards in her party - if she was escorted by the whole army it would raise eyebrows. She was absolutely sure that the King's advisor would easily claim almost anything in the country without using ****. However, she stuffed the large chest in the carriage with all her clothes, shoes and jewelry she kept at court - Geraldine look forward to appearing in Tarminea in all her finery, as good as any noble lady of Argellia.

In less than a couple of hours, the Countess' carriage set out of the northern gate of Karth's capital...