The Exiled Gem

Spies Catch a Spy

Would you go around showing everybody, everything? Wearing your heart on your sleeves? People show themselves - bare themselves to only certain people. Become such a person. Win it. And you'll know him.

The offer appealed, but even her letters from Losiane took an abominably long time to reach Idgard. 

'The rains have stopped,' Mark noted, grimly.

'I know.' She replied, absentmindedly. 

'Well, I need to practice.' He then said, getting up. Mark Fannel had a passion for practicing the blade.

'Go ahead, Liam.' She replied.

And it took her some time to realize what she had said wrong. Thankfully, Fannel did not hear - he was gone - and Alexandra turned back to the window with a sigh. She had no idea why she was acting strange all of a sudden. Like her brother had it for practice, she was developing a singular obsession with the Idgardian monarch. She smoothed out her robes in resignation, she had known it was bound to happen. She had known it all along, and yet been unable to prevent it. The helplessness, instead of making her miserable, increased her admiration for Liam.

'Shut up! I do not like Mr. Perfect.' She hissed, to herself. And if that was a threat, it didn't have much effect.

I am not Olivia. Not Betty. Not anybody, or anything like the-!

Abruptly, Alexandra was shaken up from her thoughts by some scuffling around the house. Right outside, and in the bushes. And she knew that noise only too well. She had made the noise just two days ago with Kane - Spying in the Royal Gardens, thankfully the others there had been too busy to notice.

She got up quietly, tiptoeing, she picked up Moira from the table, strapped it to her belt and took the mightiest stick she could find (they kept a few, just in case). Slowly, she opened the back door, travelled to the side of her house, right beneath the window in the kitchen, she saw him.

It was a man, crouching low and muttering under his breath about the window being too high. His back was turned to her.

'A spy,' She said, 'should know better than to spy right outside our house.' And brought the stick right down his head, even before he could turn.

The man crumpled in a heap.

She stooped low next to him, put two fingers under his nose. Good, he was breathing. Then she wondered what to do with him.

'I'll call Fannel - let's see, what to do.'

An hour later, when the spy came around, he was tied and on the ground. Surrounding him were two deadly faces, and he knew he was in trouble.

It was just Alexandra thinking from the Spy's point of view, because it was so interesting to do so. They anyhow didn't intend to do anything bad with him, if he just co-operated.

'So.' She declared, because it was the scariest beginning possible, 'What were doing outside the house?'

'Mmm!' He said, 'Mm mm mmmm!'

'Mabel, you haven't even untied his mouth, how will he speak?!' Said Fannel, exasperated.

'Oh, my apologies! I think I'm still a bit asleep.' She amended, pulling out the wad of cloth from the man's mouth. He exhaled.

'You are always a bit asleep.' Fannel corrected, then they turned their attention to the prisoner.

'What were you doing there?' Asked Fannel.

'I was just ... trying to do my business in those bushes!' The man said.

'What business?!' Asked Alexandra, the man looked at Fannel.