The messenger led them into the back foyer, shoes clacking against the hard tiled floor.
There, right in the entrance, stood two battered girls, holding a twisted rope attached to a stone column nearby.
"I- I must inform the king," Ahran said, rushing off, quickly followed by Feiyi. That left Gwen to deal with the situation.
"Ariadne? Nila?" Gwen looked at the two girls, then back at the rebel they had tied to a stone column. "Care to explain?"
"Well, I certainly can!" The man was kicking his feet, trying to loosen his bounds.
Ariadne placed her hands on her hips. "With all due respect, which in actuality, is none at all, shut up. Nila?" Nila raised her hands, and soon enough, the man's emotion changed from rage to tranquility. "Anyway, it's a very, very, simple story. We got kidnapped. They bound our hands so we couldn't use our powers, but they forgot about our fingers. I debated just killing them right then and there, but Nila convinced me to just escape and get the others out. We couldn't find them, so we paid them back ten-fold and kidnapped them." she gestured with her head to their prisoner. "I think it worked very well."
Gwen's gaze darted back and forth between Nila and Ariadne, mostly wondering how Ariadne could still be such a snarky girl even after being tortured in a rebel house. "Are you going to do my paperwork for all of this?" was all she could manage, still in disbelief that the girls had pulled off such a feat within their own escape.
Nila narrowed her eyes. "Now why would we do that? Just get Roza to do it. After being held hostage for who knows how long, I believe that Ariadne and I deserve to get some rest."
With that, both girls strutted off to who knows where, and Gwen was left with a man that was starting to come back to his senses now that Nila was gone. Sighing, she did exactly what Nila had suggested she do and after throwing the man into a cell, went to find Roza.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"So, you're the one who decided to torture sixteen year-old girls so you could get something from the king?" Roza crossed her arms, leaning back against the wall. Gwen had dragged her from the outside drills, so she was still wearing her black combat books and navy blue coat. Watching from the other side of the one way glass, she saw the way Roza's ringlet curls swished and bounced around, and she was instantly entranced- but at this moment, she wasn't allowed to dilly-dally. Work had to get done.
Roza strolled over and swung her foot underneath the chair's leg, sliding it out gracefully and sitting down right in front of their prisoner. "Look, we don't have to make this difficult. I don't really want to be here, but you getting captured got me out of some very unpleasant drills, so I can offer you some forgiveness," she traced her fingers along the edges of the table. "But don't expect mercy. Preferably, I'd rather not have to get my hands dirty- I mean, I just redid my nails and I would hate to ruin them... Then again, things change." Judging by the look on the man's face, Gwen could only assume that Roza had flashed those damn dragon eyes. Admittedly, they were slightly terrifying when one first looked at them, but after a little bit, it got less and less... eerie.
The general continued watching, and she could see the man's mouth moving. Good. He was talking, at least. Any information was useful information.
About an hour later, Roza emerged, slamming the door shut behind her without a care. "Had fun?" asked Gwen as they walked out of the holding room together.
"Let's just say I want a glass of wine." They reached the living quarters of the palace. "Now shut up and kiss me. It's been a long day."
Gwen obliged her for a moment, but soon realized that people would be coming up this hallway in a few minutes if not earlier. She hastily dragged herself and Roza into Roza's bed chambers, and kicked the door shut so hard she thought it might shatter.
"Nothing unusual about loud noises coming from your room. You have a reputation," she shrugged when Roza gave her a strange look.
Instead of just situating herself on the bed, Roza walked over to her cabinet, reaching into the depths of the specific section and drawing out a big bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon. "They sell this stuff everywhere in Vivace. I just had to get it imported for the winter festival and stole a bottle for myself." She did not bother to get a wine key, rather just popped it open and let the cork hit the roof and fall down somewhere- She would pick it up later. Roza brought the opening to her nose, inhaling the scent. She made a noise of approval, and then threw the bottle at Gwen.
"What the hell? Aren't you concerned it's going to spill?"
"You have perfect reflexes. I'm not worried."
Indeed she was right. Nothing had spilled. Gwen, without a word, placed the corkless bottle onto a small circular table and drew out two chairs; Roza grabbed two glasses from the top of the cabinet. She set them down roughly, the glasses clinking together before steadying.
Gwen began pouring Roza's glass. "Drinks before dinner? Are we really this bad?"
"I don't see a problem. Take it up with Corinne if you want. My house goddess made me this way." in seconds, the dark, rich ruby red liquid disappeared.
There was a loud noise near the entrance of the room. "Roza, if I may have a word with you-"
The door suddenly flew open, and there stood Nicholas Yan, dumbfounded by what he was encountering.
The Storm Witch stood up, slapping her hands on the surface of the table. "By Corinne's hand, Nicholas, learn to knock on a woman's door before entering their chambers. I thought I was the only one who barged into people's rooms."
Nicholas stood in the doorway, and simply entered, wordlessly. He spared a glance at the fancy bottle resting on the table, but made no comment. Instead, he handed her a sealed envelope, with a pretty gold wax emblem, and muttered his apologies and goodbyes. Gwen could hardly contain her laughter. Even a prince with a status like his was easily flustered by Roza's cold approach to everything.
"What's this, now?" Roza grabbed a letter opener, slicing the wax seal cleanly off the envelope. She tossed the seal into the bin, uncaring. She ripped the contents of the envelope out, and smoothened the creased paper over her leg, dropping the letter opener to the floor in the process.
Gwen peered over the opposite side of the table. It was difficult to see the contents of the letter from her angle, but thankfully, after a few moments Roza passed the letter to her.
They both had largely the same reaction. "Damnit Sylas, you really just had to keep this under wraps for so long?" Gwen groaned.
"At least we get to see Bernadette again. She is quite lovely."
"You just want another person to drink with you. Bernadette is the saddest drunk I have ever seen. Give her three drinks and she becomes a depressed cat, four and she becomes a wild card. I know what you're trying to do."
"Me? Start a party outside the main banquet? Never!" She batted her eyelashes, feigning innocence. "In addition, James is coming, which means we may get to see what five-drink Bernadette is like."
Gwen rolled her eyes, but it was more fondness than annoyance. "I'll leave you to it. But we should inform everyone in our breakfast council about what's happening. Luck favours the prepared, and we're going to need a lot of it in a few days."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There were a lot more guards around the palace than usual, courtesy of Gwen herself. She had conversed with Chaoxing Kwong, the general of the greater youth army, and they agreed that the palace would benefit from extra protection, and stationed a few extra guards at each entrance. With the new revelation that Ardish royalty were coming soon, everyone in the palace was on high alert for the signs of horse-drawn chariots and foreign banners waving in the air.
"This isn't going to be a long meeting, just a few updates so everyone is on the same page." she explained, looking over the people around her. All the normal attendee's were here; Sylas, Solarie, Yue, Nicholas, and Roza. "I know we all want to go to dinner, but this is very important."
Someone's stomach rumbled, but she continued. "So, thanks to Sylas, you may have noticed the abundance of guards in the corridors. In summary, he withheld a very important letter, and we're lucky that it hasn't been the death of us yet. The Ardish royal family, the Benson's, are coming soon. With the hole we've dug ourselves, we aren't going to be able to successfully host them without preparation, especially since we can't seem to put down the shovel."
"What about the hostages? Did they find Jin and the others?" Solarie raised her hand, demanding attention. She would not rest until she knew her friend was safe, it seemed.
Roza stepped in for her. "It's looking brighter. Two of the hostages, Nila and Ariadne, escaped and brought back someone to interrogate. Ahran narrowed the search down to three safe houses, and since we now know all the hostages are at different locations, they're sending a team tonight."
Solarie nodded slowly. "I'm going with them. I already talked to Feiyi. He authorized it."
"You can't," Sylas interjected. "It's too risky. You aren't familiar with any of the catalyst's within that team."
"I have to," she snapped. "My best friend is in danger, maybe even dead, so I'm not going to sit around here waiting if it means I could be any sort of help to him."
Yue slammed her hands onto the table, startling everyone. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but Sylas is right. If they do find Jin, what good is it if you're dead?" Her eyes turned to Solarie. "I want Jin back just as much as you do, but going on a suicide mission during the night? It's not worth it."
"And you," she continued on her tirade, turning her attention to Gwen. "Don't even try to talk to Ahran or Feiyi. If Solarie goes, it would be stupid to try and stop her. She's her own person, and you've been training her to fight monsters anyway, so it's unlikely she'll die. I had a vision, showing her in danger, but she lives. If that's not enough, then I don't know what is." She sat down, breathing out heavily.
Everyone else sat in silence, before Nicholas cleared his throat. "As a prince, with the powers of a head of state, I declare that Solarie Lin is officially barred from participating in the hostage recovery mission tonight."
"You can't do that!" she cried. "Can he?" she whispered to Sylas.
"I can, and I just did," he answered, his facial expression unwavering. "If the prophecy is to come true, that means you need to stay alive. I can't have my third cousin dying now when she could be doing that on an actual battlefield and be of use. You can't make yourself a martyr without proper setting."
Gwen stayed silent, unwilling to put herself between the two feuding Elites. She was perfectly content just observing their argument.
It didn't last long- Solarie got up, and walked out of the room, slamming the door on the way out. An uncomfortable silence descended onto the room, but was quickly remedied by a silent agreement to just go to dinner. The rest of them all got up at the same time, exiting in a neat, single-file line.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dinner at the palace was always loud and bright. It was absolutely absurd how long the dinner table was, and even then, not every Elite could fit in the room. There were two separate dining halls, three if you counted the servant's. One for elite youth, the ones that Gwen was in charge of in the army, and the orthodox, formal table, meant for the adults, with the exception of the royals who always sat at the formal table. While most Elite families chose to stay in their own estate to have dinner away from the bustling crowd in the palace, some chose to embrace the chaos and use it as a chance to socialize with people they normally wouldn't. Aside from the Yan's, since they always sat at the head of the table, every seat was first come, first serve. It was a chance to gain opportunities, and exploit ones already present.
Gwen spotted Aiko conversing with Sylas, not an unordinary sight but definitely not who she thought was sitting in that chair. Beside Aiko, was obviously her sister, and their grandmother, Yelan Kito, the head of their respective house. It was strange seeing the elderly woman inside the palace; she often complained it was too loud and more than once retreated to the confines of her estate during festivals and celebratory events.
Near the middle of the table, she spotted two open seats, with no food on the plates. She guided Roza there quickly, seating her companion down before someone else could swipe the seats.
Conveniently, the people next to them were not known as excessively chatty or rude. Nebula Yen, of House Zoria was right next to Roza, busy manipulating the ginseng tea in her cup with the powers of gravity. Beside Gwen, were Sylas and Ashlee's parents, Boris and Astoria Lai. The couple must've felt a bit awkward sitting next to Nebula, considering she was their children's second cousin, so while they should be part of the same house, one marriage gone wrong resulted in a child from two different Elite families, something that hadn't happened in decades. The two open seats, the result of nobody wanting to get in the way of the intergenerational drama, was very fortunate for Gwen and Roza. Children born of two descendants of the gods and goddesses were often deemed improper and worthy of disdain, since in the eyes of the law, one magical parent was enough to satisfy the needs of the nation. Unless one was disinherited, of course. The disinherited were always looked down upon unless they married full-fledged Elite.
"Is it just me," Gwen nudged Roza's shoulder cautiously. "Or is the palace even more uptight than usual?"
"It's the Benson's arrival," Roza responded quietly. "The king just got a tip. The Benson's are at the border. They'll be here by morning."
Gwen took a bite of peking duck, chewing thoughtfully. "That's why the team is going tonight. They want all the hostages back before they arrive."
"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but don't you find it a bit strange how perfect the timing is? Don't shoot the messenger, but there's a rumour that there's a spy in the palace, for the rebels."
She paused, slowly grasping the other woman's words. "If there was a spy, the king would've already dealt with them, no? He has his own spies everywhere in the palace. I would not be surprised if the people sitting next to us are."
Roza twirled her fork, setting it down gently on the now empty plate. "Everyone is a spy for someone else. I know you make an excellent spy for me, and vice versa. It's no big deal. Just a rumour I heard from Ashlee. Just pretend I didn't say anything."
"It's a bit hard to do that, but sure." She looked to the side of the dining hall. Dessert was coming around, which meant it was time to go. The sheer chaos of trying to exit the room after dessert was served wasn't worth it. Both girls took the cue at the same time, leaving the room and heading to their offices.
Gwen casually shut the door to her office, observing the piles and piles of paperwork on her desk. Unfortunately, she hadn't been able to bribe Roza into doing it, which meant it was going to be a long night.
"What's this?" she murmured, picking up a lone paper that had caught her eye. Aside from the regular documentation she received from her comrades and superiors, there was a note attached to the bottom.
A63142-CLC-3E
OPERATION ATTENDING TONIGHT. TRANSFER HOSTAGES TO SAFE LOCATION. DISPATCH LOCAL OPERATIVES TO PREVIOUS LOCATION.
PERIL
It was just the barest bit of ink that had bled through whatever was pressed on top, coupled by the indentations in the paper that made it clear some type of message had been written on top. With her normal sight, she couldn't quite make out what the words said, but as soon as she let her power grow, she saw what was really written on the blank space. Whoever had delivered this document wrote a note above but forgot to account for ink bleedage and paper indentations. Gwen quickly grabbed a blank piece of parchment, scribbling down what the note said before packing up both papers. She rapidly scanned the document, looking for anything indicative of the name of the person who delivered the document. Peril was obviously some kind of code name, since nobody in the palace was named such and no rebel spy would be stupid enough to use their real name while writing a note, but there was also no way to tell who the code name belonged to. The handwriting was legible and looked like an average person's lettering; this would not be an easy task.
"Roza," she knocked loudly on the door. "You were right. There's a spy."
The door lock clicked, and the door swung open. "What? Who?"
"If I knew, I would have gone straight to the king, wouldn't I?"
"Fine fine, come in. Let's see what we can find out."
Gwen was relieved to find that Roza was still in her office at this time. Working together to find the spy would always be more efficient then only one of them. "Look," she said, taking the original document out of the folder and pointing to a spot on the page. "Ink remnants and paper indentations. Someone wrote a note on top of this page."
Roza took the paper into her own hands. "This is a military document. Messengers aren't allowed to handle military papers. This was delivered personally. Who gave this to you?"
"I don't know. I saw it on my desk." Gwen sighed.
"This document is an... operation authorization? For the hostage rescue?" Roza read off of the text.
Gwen looked over, skimming the writing. "Both Ahran and I received copies of this same document. Only one of us needed to approve it, and since Ahran did, her document should be in the archives. Let's see if we actually got the same thing. If our spy wrote the note right after writing both documents, a plausible theory given is that someone in the military drafted the documents together before writing the note, slight indentations should appear on Ahran's copy as well. If not..."
"Someone in the covert unit is the spy." Roza finished for her.