I look over at Len, my eyes wide. The soldier all but falls into the hall, and we rush to keep him from falling on his head. I look at Len, and nod. Get the troops.
It's time to fight.
Len runs back down the hall, Yelling at the top of his lungs. "Ready for battle! This is not a drill!" He disappears at the end, and I help the soldier stand, walking him down to find someone who can help the man.
People flood the halls at once, and the few medics that stayed behind before take the man away from me. I wander blindly, looking for Len, someone who can help me figure out what to do next. In the end, he finds me; running up fro the barracks and outfitted with a set of light armor.
"What do we do?" He asks, and I look to him in surprise.
"Why are you asking me?" I was about to suggest he go find Baldur, but then I remembered our recent conversation. Right.
"You and me are the only ones with the authority to command the troop without Baldur, Kendi, or Fira." Says Len quietly. " I don't have a clue, and you seemed to know what to do earlier."
Before I can say anything though, there's yelling behind us and people are pushed to the side as a flood of wounded soldiers are rushed through the halls, I watch each one with horror, these were people I was talking with only a few hours ago; then there's a familiar flash of bright red, and I run after the soldiers carrying her to the infirmary.
Inside, there are beds lined up on each wall, each one filling up faster than they can bandage the men and women already in the room. I follow the flash of red to a bed in the corner and Len runs after me, seeing her too. The soldiers carrying her set her in the bed, and back away, already running out of the room to help the others.
I look at Fira, her eyes are clenched shut in pain, and there's a gash on her forehead, while her ankle is twisted at an awkward angle and her skin is peppered with tiny cuts and slashes. I touch one gently, and she opens her eyes; widening at the sight of me.
"Asra! Th-they fell! I'm sorry, we couldn't get her... They knew we were coming; there's a snitch, we didn't have enough time." She closes her eyes in shame, a tear leaking out one, and I feel my stomach drop.
"You couldn't get her? There's a snitch?"
Fira shakes her head, her eyes full of shame. "No; she-" She stopped, then seemed to steel herself, "She'll be at the wedding."
My eyes widen, "What?!"
"She's going to be at the wedding." Says Fira, "I don't know what her role is, but I know she'll be there. Please- " Fira sat up, getting her face as close to mine as she could "It's the last chance we'll get! Save her!"
I nod, dread sitting in my gut and weighing me down. "I'll do my best, go to sleep Fira." She falls back on the bed, biting her lip when the movement jostled her foot, but still listens to me; Passing out almost immediately. I start towards the door, and Len follows behind me.
"I guess we know what we're doing next." He says; and I gulp.
"Do you think they would force her to be the bride?" I say quietly, hating myself for even thinking it.
Len stays quiet for a second, thinking. The only sounds are our feet on the ground and the yells and grunts of the soldiers around us. Finally, he speaks. "I don't know."
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A snitch.
"Someone is spilling secrets to the enemy." I whisper, my staff heavy in my hand. Len and I are crouched in the bushes outside the castle walls, trying to plan our attack. "They could already know we're coming."
"Then we'll have to do something unexpected." Says Len, his triple bladed sword laying across the knees in the single form. A quiet music begins playing in the garden on the other side of the wall, and I grit my teeth.
"Like what?"
"It's only you and me, they'll expect us to stick together." He says, and I frown.
"What're you saying?"
"If I go in there, and distract them, it'll give you the chance to go save Leila. And;" He gulps. "Do what needs to be done, if you get the chance."
My eyes widen. "You won't make it out alive if you do that. You can't."
"I can." He says, staring straight ahead, refusing to meet my eyes. "I'll-"
"No." I say, "You won't. We won't even entertain the idea. We go in there together, and we get out together." I grit my teeth, squeezing my eyes shut. "I can't do this alone." I turn, looking up at him and touch his chin, forcing him to turn towards me and look me in the eyes. "I need your help."
Len purses his lips, but nods, closing his eyes in defeat. I nod, satisfied I've won the argument, and stand; placing my hand on the wall. "When we're in, you find the Queen; she'll probably be-" I gulp. "Prepping the new bride. I'm going to find something, I'll meet you in the gardens on the other side of this wall, judging by the music, the wedding won't be too far from here."
Len nods, glaring at his feet; and stands stiffly. "If that's what you want to do."
I let out a sigh, taking his face in my hands, and making him look at me again. "It's going to be fine. You'll see." I turn; reaching out towards the wall, and he lets out a sigh behind me.
"I've made up my mind Len." I say, pursing my lips. My hand touches the stone, and using the technique that the voice in my head taught me, it begins to sink through. I watch it carefully, I don't want to end up like the werewolf in that wall in the castle, nothing but a finger left.
"I know." There's a hand on my shoulder, and I turn slightly. His face is sad, and Len leans forwards, pressing his forehead to mine. "Promise me you'll make it out of this alive?"
"Only if you do too."
Len's lips twitch into a half smile, "That's what I'm hoping for."
"Good." I smile, turning back to the wall and take his hand. "Lets go."
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My footsteps sound empty in the halls, they're all but abandoned, strangely enough. I haven't seen any servants at all, when before I thought I would have to pretend to be one to get anywhere at all. Maybe they're all outside, from the sounds of the music I'm guessing that the wedding itself is out there.
Len is off to find the Queen, and hopefully Leila; before it's too late. I don't know what the cloaked man's objectives are, whether he's the King or not, but forcing a marriage between Tran and Leila-I shiver, forcing my steps to slow down, I'm making too much noise.
The sounds don't stop, my blood runs cold, and I dart behind a tapestry just as they round the corner. There is the sound of clanking armor on the tiles, guards maybe? But which kind? It sounds like more than one man, maybe even the entire guard.
They continue down the hall, and I peek around the tapestry just as the last one rounds the corner to see the gleaming red and black colors. The special guard then, they're expecting us to try something. I go back behind the tapestry again, pushing open one of the doors to the servant's halls open.
Just get done what needs to be done...
I practically run down the completely abandoned halls, the ball of unease growing in my stomach. There isn't anyone here at all. Even the Mistress is gone, I run past her empty room on my way to my own with a gulp. Normally she doesn't leave the halls, preferring to sit and polish various objects while yelling at anyone who is unfortunate enough to walk into her sight.
My speed picks up, and I round corners so fast my staff knocks into them, sending the vibrations through my hands; I wince and slow down just enough that I can keep it from hitting anything. When I finally get to me and Amita's room, I push the door open cautiously; expecting some sort of ambush.
But this room, just like everywhere else; is empty. I creep in cautiously, reaching under the mattress and feeling around for the pouch; I pull it out, triumphant. It feels like I left it there years ago, even though it was only a few months.
The trip back down the halls is just as uneventful as the first, and on my way to finding the gardens, I sense Len nearby; and after a moment of hesitation, change my course.
I find him outside a room with the door cracked open slightly, a relieved look on his face. But when he see's me; it changes to panic, and he gets up waving for me to stop. Confused, I do as he says, but now there's something other than the relief of finding him pulling me forwards.
I take a few steps forwards, despite his obvious peril that I won't stop. Just enough so I can see what's on the other side of the door. I peek around him, struggling to look through the crack from my distance. Is Leila in there?
There're two people, one with blond hair, in a white dress; she must be the bride, and another with light brown hair standing with her. My hopes sink; then soar. It's not Leila! I let a breath escape me, and continue to watch, ignoring Len's aggravated hand gestures. I'm not doing anything wrong.
I can't tell who they are, but the woman with the brown hair helping the bride get ready is obviously the Queen, I can tell by the amount of frills on her dress and the over-sized crown on top of her head. Enough is apparently never enough with this woman it seems.
The bride is probably someone I don't know, from some far off kingdom that attended the ball and the Queen liked her enough to make her Tran's wife. But I still strain to see her face, which is covered with a veil. The Queen keeps on speaking, pulling something from the vanity. By this time, Len's given up on trying to get me to leave, and has gone back to watching the exchange in the room with interest; although he does look back every so often.
The thing in her hands sparkles as she lifts it, and I can fee my blood run cold. There's a golden chain in her hand, and at the bottom swings a small lamp. They've cleaned it up nicely for the occasion, but I can still imagine the dents that had been on it before; the grime.
How did she even get that? A gift from the King and the cloaked man?
The blonde woman hesitates, her hand hanging in the air at the sight of the tiny lamp. She obviously expected jewels when she agreed to marry Tran; too bad then. The Queen insists, shaking her head and thrusting the necklace closer. Finally, the woman nods hesitantly, deciding it's no use arguing with the Queen, and turns; lifting her hair to let the Queen clasp the delicate chain around her slim neck; then lifts the veil slightly so it no longer sits on top, disappearing from my view.
I frown, and Len turns, coming towards me; probably to take me back to the gardens and away from here, when movement behind him catches my eye. The look on my face was enough for him to turn around, and look back at the bride as well as the Queen; who are both laying on the ground shaking.
My feet take me forwards, and we're both in the room in an instant, kneeling beside the fallen women.
"What happened?"
"I don't know! Did you poison them? Did someone else?" I reach for the Bride's wrist, feeling for a pulse.
"If they did I didn't see it!" Said Len, leaning down and putting his ear next to the Queen's mouth, his face falling. "She's breathing."
I lean away from the mystery bride, letting out a breath of relief, "This one has a pulse." We sit for a few minutes, Len poking at the Queen's face in curiosity.
"What do you think happened?" I frown, shaking my head.
Len pokes her lip, exposing her teeth, "I dunno. What we should be asking is what do we do with them now?"
"Right." I look at the bride, suddenly remembering our mission. Save Leila, and while we're at it, take down the monarchy and let the servants go. I reach under the veil, lifting it to see the face beneath. The face takes my breath away, but not because of the beauty.
Because of who she is.
Cynthia.