Life has many ways of testing a person's will. Either by making nothing happen at all, or by making everything happen at once.
- Paulo Coelho
The next day, Alexandra was up at three. Last night, Liam had showed her a department which no one knew anything about. Everybody knew it was there; that it existed. But other than the fact that was so obvious, nobody knew what went into it and what came out. Nobody knew how they worked, functioned. All they claimed was that the people went to join it when they had nothing left to lose in life.
And the fact that the people who went in, simply never returned. It was a new life, entirely. It was not a department - it was a way of life. The exact thing Alexandra would have preferred. This department ... organization, existed in almost every country:
The Espionage Council.
It collected and handled all data that spies brought. Hundreds of Vedessan spies were posted in different empires even at that moment. They were highly skilled men. Able to survive under any circumstances. Well-versed in fighting. Ready, as much as soldiers, to lay down their lives for Vedessa. The Council also worked on finding out spies from other kingdoms, who might be in Vedessa, in hiding. They made sure none of them got sensitive information. They predicted incoming wars, attacks and even civil unrests.
They were, in short, the intelligence of the Empire. The Intelligence Bureau.
Almost every city in Vedessa had a branch of the council, where new recruits were trained, and the passed out ones worked. But the headquarters were here, in Idgard.
It was a square piece of land, large beyond anything Alexandra had expected. Surrounded by a moat on all sides, almost like an island. Only if one showed specific coins and the badges which the Council issued to its members, would the bridge be lowered for you, apart from your face of course, which had to be recognisable. Otherwise, Happy Swimming in a dirty, fifteen feet moat.
When Liam had arrived, the Head of Espionage council, an old man with a long, flowing beard had greeted him. But, Alexandra had noticed funnily, that he was bald at the head. Liam had then told him everything - or, not everything - just the part about Alexandra coming from Doveland. He did not disclose that she was Alexandra, or a Princess, or Exiled, or a Murderer. Alexandra had let him do the talking. She knew she couldn't trust her big mouth in such a scenario. The old man had then regarded Alexandra with some suspicion, 'But, My Lord, this girl could be a spy from that Doveland!' He had said, making Liam laugh. Alexandra had been slightly offended though.
'No, no, my dear sir!' Liam had said, still laughing. 'She is not a spy. I know her well. She is seventeen. The age most of them join in. I have seen her possess skills for the job. I know, she is a girl. But you might start recruiting them now, they make up a lot of our population, adding them is wise. It places us in advantage. Perhaps, you can just watch her for a few days. Women, as you must know, Sir, have a natural talent for digging up information.' He had added. Alexandra knew that comment true - for example, when she had wanted to know where the army-men practiced, and nobody would tell her, she had undertaken a series of unsuccessful expeditions across Doveland before stumbling upon the whole Military Wing as an eleven year old. She had been dumbstruck, needless to say. Nevertheless, she was not the perfect epitome of motherhood and nurturing spirit and submissive attitude that people thought "women" were.
'That might be true - but I am not particularly womanly.' She had clarified, before the old, bald man could reply. 'And neither do I spy for anyone. Unless I find them formidable, which Doveland sadly, is not.' She had added. Alexandra had wanted to add more, but Liam had closed his hand upon her wrist, in a gesture that had clearly pronounced, that's enough.
'Hmm.' The old man had nodded, eyeing her with a new-found interest. 'She speaks for herself. Interesting. And definitely unwomanly. I would take her in, Sir, at your suggestion, and see if she will prove worthy of the job.'
Liam had seemed content, so Alexandra had surmised it was a positive outcome.
'He, the man we talked to just now, was Master George. He was the best Secret Agent we had, many years ago. Now that he is retired, the noble man, instead of having a peaceful old age, is busy teaching the new recruits. But, he is very disciplined. Very hard to please. If you want to learn anything valuable from him, beyond the normal course, Alexandra, you will have to prove yourself worthy.' Liam later told her, while in a rare gesture of concern and friendliness, he had walked with Alexandra to drop her back at the Shelter.
'How?' Alexandra had demanded, 'To me, he seems like an old cracked nut. No less harder, albeit cracked.' And she had made a face.
'Old. Cracked. Nut.' Liam had repeated, laughing slightly. 'A colorful vocabulary, you have there, of the type I don't think they expect out of princesses. As for how you will win his confidence... I can only say, it depends. Maybe keep acting like an upstart: he certainly appreciates it to some extent. Watchfulness ... and discipline, definitely. To top it all of, perhaps a bit of praise?' He had added, mouthing old cracked nut again and shaking his head with a wide grin.
'Don't let Master George hear the part about praise... but that is a great start: an old, bald, bearded man likes praise too!' Alexandra had exclaimed. She had found it strange, how easily they were talking, she hadn't found it as easy to talk with her father or brother. Mainly because Austin was always in his own sweet world. And he certainly didn't have such a ready laugh, such understanding and such unpretentious maturity. Alexandra already liked Liam in a way she hadn't liked anybody before.
'But,' she had finally announced. Whatever else the situation, there had always been a but in her life. 'What if I don't make it? What if Master George finds me unworthy of being a... spy?'
'The espionage council works secretly. No common citizen of Idgard, no one, other than the most important ministers ... know about it.'
'And ... so?' Alexandra had prompted.
'So, nothing.' Liam had shrugged. 'You can then live in the Idgardian Palace. Nobody will doubt a thing. But you will have to keep quiet about the council.' He had then stopped for just a second. Liam had pronounced it like a suggestion, but Alexandra very well knew that was an order. 'I can believe you will, can't I?'
'You can trust me.' Alexandra had assured. That assurance, she was going to keep up - for the rest of her entire life.
* * *
But she knew that would not be the case. As she got up, Alexandra knew she was going to make it into the Council, for the training. She didn't wake Betty, simply tiptoeing out. Once in the streets, she took the path to the Council. It was the normal path to the Markets, a slight turn to the left, walking a kilometer further and they came upon the moat, which was wide and considered a dead end.
Unless one tossed the coin over and had the bridge lowered. It had its faults, for the coin could be stolen, but the bridge was large enough only for seven people. And the hundreds of spies inside could definitely deal with seven intruders.
'I hope I remember the way!' Alexandra complained to herself, gathering the cloak around her tighter. It was colder than she had anticipated it to be. A thick, misty fog hung about, and inhaling it filled her with an uncomfortable, moist sensation. The rows of stone buildings, the endless pathways glazing on to all ends and the even, gravelly road underneath her foot, were all rather close to Doveland in proximity. Yet, so different.
Doveland was a circle. Idgard was a square. And so were the natures of the people living in the two countries. But Alexandra knew from firsthand experience, that when it came to people: squares were most preferable.
She then had the strangest of feelings all of a sudden. Alexandra felt the back of her neck tightening up and shuddering uncomfortably.
She felt she was being watched: maybe not from behind, from anywhere, but she was definitely being watched. The heavy sensation of dread settled down on her and Alexandra's first instinct was to turn back. After a second of mulling over the idea, she couldn't contain herself any longer. She whirled back. But there was no one.
'Just my imagination.' She muttered. But she still felt it wasn't so. There WAS certainly someone following her. Her intuition wasn't as weak. So, just to make sure, Alexandra slowed down her pace. She couldn't hear footsteps, she just felt it. And it was frustrating to have to depend on intuition that much: for all Alexandra knew, the mind could play the dirtiest tricks on people.
She was just about to give up the idea and relax. Look around again and compare her surroundings to Doveland. But just then, as she turned her head to push a stray of tress of hair behind her ear, Alexandra saw it.
From the corner of her eye. If she had been a second late in her turning her head, she would have missed it. But now she was quite sure there was someone else here - at three in the morning. She had seen a dark, uncloaked figure right behind her, caught its action in jumping behind a huge tree just as she had turned her head. Uncloaked, in the freezing morning. And it was an agile jump. Like the person was used to making long leaps.
Who can this be, now? She wondered.
It wasn't someone on a normal morning walk. Why would they hide then? And if someone was following her, Alexandra couldn't possibly go to the Council. It was supposed to be a secret, nobody was supposed to enter it uninvited. And especially, the baldheaded Head already suspected her to be a spy! Wouldn't it make her position compromised?
Alexandra thought for sometime, then she changed her path.
She looked around, acted as though she was a stupid, confused and lost girl. Then she turned, and walked straight back the way she had come. From the corner of her eye, Alexandra saw someone crouching low. Looking at the figure, she felt as though her heart had dropped three inches down her rib cage. It was scary enough to be alone in a street, at three in the morning. Now she was also being stalked.
Maybe I should tire him. If he means harm, he will come out. If he doesn't, and wants to hide, he will make a mistake. Walk in circles, Alexandra.
It was a good idea. Alexandra walked back, almost a mile. Then looked at the houses around her, entered a thin walkway. Master George might be angry at her for coming late (he expected her to be there by three thirty), but her own safety was Alexandra's first priority. She knew she would have to change that if she was accepted at the Council, but that was far away now. For now, she was just a seventeen year old, who had to look after herself.
From the walkway, she took the path to the council again. All the while knowing she was being followed: the frown never lifting off her face. In fact, her face ached with the effort of holding a frown. Her waist ached slightly and she hated the idea of more confrontation. Alexandra wanted to just lie down and catch up on her sleep.
Then, the follower made his mistake. He perhaps thought Alexandra had lost her way, so he grew sluggish.
Whatever the reason, when Alexandra abruptly turned back, he was so slow that she caught a full view of him. Black hair, left ear pierced, bushy eyebrow and a deadly dagger strapped to the belt. Just for a second, they both froze, then the stalker turned and ran promptly into the road to his left. Alexandra followed, she didn't knew what she was doing, but she followed. She saw him running - at this rate - he would easily outrun her. Waiting for a moment, Alexandra pounced upon the boy and landed right on him, flattening him to the ground.
Now that was funny, but it was desperate too. Had she not done that... what was the point of running away and telling ten, useless people that a dark-haired, bushy-eyebrowed and one-ear-pierced guy was following her with a dagger? Master George, since she was already running late, would consider this an excuse. And for making her even later, Alexandra was going to teach this stalker a lesson, her way.
'LEAVE ME!' He spat, meanwhile. Alexandra was half scared she could kill this one too, but she wasn't leaving him, in any case.
'Who are you?!' She asked, her eyes fell on the boy's hand, he was trying to reach the dagger strapped to his belt. Alexandra slapped the hand aside and pulled the dagger out for herself, she pulled his hair, forcing his neck up and put the dagger right to his neck. 'I said, WHO ARE YOU?!' She repeated. A lonely crow cawed in the distance, in the same tone as her, as though it was demanding from her, who are YOU?
'A Secret Agent in training!' He divulged. Writhing to get free, 'Master George sent me to follow you! Move the knife away, it is touching my neck!' He added, frantically. Alexandra was so shocked that she got off him.
It made sense, yes it did. Uninformed tests were the first thing she could expect.
'If you really are,' Alexandra nevertheless frowned, 'come with me, let's see. I have to go to the Council anyway. And,' she added, 'I will keep this dagger anyhow.'
'Do you even know how to use it?' The boy demanded. Getting up, he thrust his hand at the dagger, but missed by an inch, catching Alexandra's wrist instead. But he didn't leave it, he twisted her carpus, trying to prize off the dagger with his other hand. Alexandra, in a moment of panic, thrust up her knee, hitting him in the gut. His grip slackened and she broke free.
'Look, I know how to use it. Stay away!' Alexandra warned, brandishing the knife like a broom, because she did not know how to use it.
'Give it back, girl!'
'Did your Master George tell you why you should follow me?' Alexandra cross-questioned, still dancing out of his reach.
'Of course, to test you!' He replied in a scorn. Alexandra was scared he would grab her arm and wrench it out of the socket, because he seemed to love the dagger too much. It was best she made things clearer.
'Don't you think I have passed the test?!' She asked finally, implying that they weren't supposed to fight anymore. The boy was so surprised, he stopped going for his dagger.
'I ... I think ...yes. I think you did.' He stammered, bending his head slightly, in acknowledgement.
'Nice.' Alexandra smiled, 'So now, I think I can meet Master George. And we aren't supposed to be enemies, you know.'
'Your accent isn't Idgardian.' The boy noted, ignoring the "enemies" part. 'Where are you from?' He asked, eyes narrowed. Not going for the dagger, but still eyeing it.
'I can't tell you that.' Alexandra declared, reservedly. 'Master George already knows.' She added.
They completed the rest of the journey in silence.