**yeah, yeah, this is late. Whatever.**
Chapter 29
Jamie's return came as both a relief and a difficulty, when with her, she brought back answers— none of them good.
"We need to tell someone," Lyla said almost before Jamie had even finished speaking. They were all gathered in the Great Hall during supper as Jamie relayed everything she had heard from Queen Rowena. Lyla could almost imagine her aunt saying the words; the wrinkles at the corner of her mouth tightening with worry. "Eli? What do you say we speak to Princess Camille? If not the king, then she's our only option."
"I don't understand why I didn't know about this." Eli seemed troubled. "I thought the Verignes drug trafficking epidemic ended years ago. I know I'm not technically from this kingdom, but as an aide from Kaidia I should have been briefed on such things."
"Why?" Aveline shot back, changing the topic abruptly. "Because your father is the Captain of the guard?"
"How did you know about that?" A muscle bobbed in his jaw.
"Kai." Aveline's face softened to something like pleading. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Aveline, you know how I admire you, but you don't tell me shit."
The pirate glared, and Lyla cleared her throat, uncomfortable to be witnessing their exchange.
"It doesn't matter now," Ari broke in. "What matters is we're being watched, and I don't know about you, but I'm tired of sitting around and doing nothing about it."
So was Lyla. If any more narcotic use could be prevented, she was determined to make sure that it was.
"Princess Camille is the last person we should tell," Jamie was arguing. "She's ridiculous. Have you seen the way she ogles? Just the other day, I caught her looking at Ari like he was a piece of meat."
"Jealous?" Ari teased, smirking from where he leaned against the ship's hull.
"This is serious, Ari."
"My preference would be to go to the Capital and speak to the King directly, and to my father..." Eli studiously avoided eye contact. "But we could speak to Lord Guernot as the next Verignes authority."
Ari gaped. "Are we just throwing out shitty ideas now?"
Lyla sat up, an idea occurring to her. "What about Duchess Belthrop?"
Her audience fell silent.
"The old lady?" Jamie sounded doubtful.
"Lady Belthrop is not to be disturbed," Eli began, but Lyla quickly interrupted him.
"Eli, can you grant us an audience with her?"
"Well, hypothetically yes, but-"
"Then this might be the only feasible idea we have."
"Fine," he relented quickly. "But Guernot will find out about this-"
"Find out about what?" Lord Guernot seemed to have materialized out of nowhere as he suddenly slid onto the bench across from them, plate in hand. Lyla flinched.
"Nothing," Jamie said in haste.
"I told you we should have spoken on the ship," hissed Ari under his breath.
Lyla cast them a haphazard glance before taking a breath and turning to the expectant nobleman.
"Lord Guernot, sir... could we speak to you in private?"
"Lyla!"
Ignoring Ari, she continued. "Now?"
"Why, of course, Lyla." Was Guernot batting his eyelashes? Gross. Faint concern dusted his brow. "Is something the matter?"
-
"Summed up, it is our opinion that the villagers are being drugged, likely without their own knowledge. We recommend reporting this to a higher-up official." Lyla was out of breath by the time she was finished. Currently they stood in the courtyard where they would not be disturbed, and Lyla didn't have time to regret spilling the beans.
"Well," Lord Guernot said after a pause, his hands resting thoughtfully in his coat pockets. "This is troubling news, indeed."
She bit the inside of her cheek. "So the court truly didn't know it was happening?"
"Of course not," he snapped, "that's why they hired you."
There was a brief pause before Guernot continued.
"I suppose your friends aren't as stupid as I thought, then, Lady Lyla," he said after a fleeting hesitation. "You've figured it out."
Lyla raised her shoulders awkwardly, unsure of how to respond.
Nodding as if deep in thought, Guernot abruptly turned businesslike. "We will be traveling to the Capital soon, so I'll speak to the king on what actions should be taken next. I'm sure he'll order a strict enforcement on illegal substances, so you'll be hearing from us soon, Eli, but if you don't mind, and this applies to all of you as well... keep this information strictly confidential."
Eli bowed his head. "It won't be a problem."
"Good." Guernot ran a thumb over one of the shiny buttons on his coat. "Then, I expect you'll be reporting back to Apreuna, and we will give you more details when the matter is dealt with further?"
"Actually, we hoped to stay and ensure that things are taken care of." Lyla tried to be tactful as she spoke. "We are anxious to see the villagers in good health."
"Very well." After a moment, he stiffly bowed. "If you'll excuse me, with these new developments, there is much to do."
"Of course. Good day."
The remainder of her friends, who had been silent during the exchange, had little further to say as they trudged back down the corridor towards their respective rooms.
After a few moments, Ari's cautioning voice carried up to her from where he walked behind. "We're going to regret this."
"It was my call, and I made it." Lyla turned on her heel to face him. "Regardless of my personal feelings towards the man, reporting our findings was the responsible choice. It's what any royal would do." She spoke more strongly than she felt, but Lyla hoped they had done the right thing.
After a moment, Eli fell into step with her. "If it counts for anything, I agree with your decision," he murmured. Lyla glanced at him.
"Eli, why didn't you tell us about your father?"
Eli let out a breath that stirred one of the golden locks on his forehead. "He and I have a... strained relationship."
Lyla fell silent. This was something she understood all too well.
"I'm tired," announced Aveline, her violet skirts faintly brushing Lyla's as she left. Eli hurried after her, and, though it was barely past seven, Lyla decided she may as well take a bath in her own room. The general mood among her friends seemed tense tonight, uneasy, and she hoped their spirits would improve tomorrow.
She took the long route back to her room so she could admire the paintings on the walls and think. She liked the row of animal sculptures in the parlor of the west wing; they were quite realistic. Since no one was around, Lyla briefly let her fingers skim one of the feathers on a swan statuette, marvelling at the detail. She had no idea such culture and art even existed in other parts of the Detache, and wondered what else she'd missed from staying in Apreuna for so long.
"There you are!" Lyla yanked her hand backwards, hastily putting it behind her back. The Princess Camille stood in the doorway, a placid smile on her cheeks. Lyla wondered if her gown was custom made; it resembled a daffodil, sort of; the golden threads woven throughout the skirts gleamed when the light caught. "What are you doing in here?"
Lyla sank into a deep curtsy. "Just admiring the... art, Your Highness."
"You have good taste, then. Our sculptors are famed all over the ocean." Camille hummed, strolling towards her with purposeful, delicate steps. "Our palace used to be so drab and gray. I asked designers from Ladreinesse to furnish this particular parlor myself."
"Well, it's lovely, Highness," Lyla said lamely.
"You needn't call me Your Highness, Lyla." Camille's sapphire eyes rested on Lyla for a moment. "We're friends, aren't we?"
Lyla paused. Friends? Well, she would like to think so, wouldn't she? Ari would roll his eyes and Aveline purse her lips in that way she did, but there was nothing wrong with maintaining a friendship with the princess.
Luckily, Camille didn't wait for a response. She had turned to admire the sculpture of an angel whose wings spread out further than Lyla's arms could reach.
"How is the investigation coming?"
Lyla was briefly surprised by the question. "Not well," she confessed. "It's a bit more dangerous than I expected. Although.. beg pardon, but I had thought you didn't care about such things."
"You judge me as simply a heartless, spoiled monarch, then, don't you?"
Lyla felt her cheeks flush. "No, of course not, High... uh, Camille."
"Despite popular opinion, I am not involved in such matters because I am not allowed to be." For a moment, a shadow passed over Camille's face. "My father does not think I am responsible enough to manage palace affairs."
"Perhaps he's wrong."
Lyla immediately regretted her answer. It was improper to imply the king had made an error, after all— but her response seemed to please the princess, who beamed.
"Perhaps you're right."
After a moment, Camille continued.
"I like you, Lyla. You must visit Verignes more often. Oh!" Her eyes glittered. "Guernot informs me that we will be taking a trip to the Capital soon, and you must join us! Its magnificent, cultured... you would love it there. You can even bring your peasant friends!" Camille clasped her hands together in excitement, and Lyla felt her heart soften, knowing the princess didn't mean to sound condescending. After all, she couldn't help how she'd been raised.
Lyla, sensing her chance, was just about to ask Camille how much she knew about the village illness, but then Camille caught sight of the grandfather clock on the wall.
"Well, I was on my way to a dress fitting that actually started a half hour ago, so unfortunately, I cannot stay." Carefully picking up her skirts, she dashed out of the room the way she'd came, casting a hurried goodbye over her shoulder. "I'll be seeing you, Lyla Quincy!"
Lyla stayed a moment after the princess had left, smiling to herself. Perhaps this day hadn't been entirely bad after all; if she could secure an ally with the princess, then perhaps they'd be able to garner information on the drug conflict in Verignes.
She dismissed her maid as soon as she as she returned to her room, humming as she bathed and selected her clothing for the next morning. It was still early, so Lyla practiced her penmanship at her desk, willingly- for the first time in a year. Her mother would be proud.
-
Lyla couldn't remember falling asleep. All she could recall was practicing a perfectly curled C on her parchment paper, and then the next thing she knew, there was a loud rapping at her door.
Lyla tiredly smoothed down the staticky strands of her hair. "Who is it?"
"Lyla Quincy?" It was a male voice; unfamiliar, and Lyla stilled.
"This is she."
A moment later, there was a shuffling noise as a cream-colored envelope slid through the crack underneath her door.
Puzzled, Lyla stood up from her desk and crossed the room. The envelope had been sashed with a crimson ribbon, which fell to the floor as she opened it up.
She was surprised to see that it contained no letter or words; only a simple red rose, with the thorns carefully peeled from the stem.
"Oh," she breathed, wondering who had sent the letter. She brought the blossom up to her nose and inhaled, deeply, but it had a sweet, chemical whiff to it. Suddenly Lyla's muscles felt too heavy for her limbs, and as she felt herself begin to sway on her feet she could barely manage a thought before her vision descended into black.
-
When Lyla awoke the second time, the room was dark and cold.
She pressed a hand to her temple, which had begun to throb. "Hello?"
Chilled silence answered her, and she began to panic as she realized she wasn't in her room, after all; and that she couldn't move her hands— they'd been chained to the floor.
Her breath quickened in her chest, fear paralyzing her further as she heard a slight scratching from beside her.
"Lyla?" Was that Ari's voice? "Lyla, don't scream."
"Ari?" She tensed, pulling her legs underneath her. "That is you, right?"
"It's me." If she squinted, she could see the outline of his head in the darkness.
"Where are we?"
"I don't know. I saw a man in black carrying you outside, so I followed you, and then someone knocked me out with a hammer." He sounded almost sheepish about it, much less frightened than Lyla felt, which calmed her, somewhat.
Her mind raced. "Are you handcuffed too?"
"For now. Give me ten more minutes; I'm working on it."
"Ari, who kidnapped us?"
"Working on that, too."
"Are we stuck here?" Panic rose in her throat as she realized that they were likely put in a place where they couldn't be found.
"The first rule of confinement, Lyla, is maintaining your calm."
"Well, I didn't bring the handbook, Ari!" She gasped, wondering if sarcasm was her natural response to fear, or if she'd been hanging around pirates too much. "No one knows we're in here. We could die!"
"Nonsense. It will take Aveline less than five minutes to notice we're missing, and she's broken me out of many a prison. See that light up there?" His chains rattled as he gestured up to a tiny skylight in the stone ceiling, and Lyla nodded, still trying to keep her composure. "It's nearly morning. And I don't think we're far from the palace. In the meantime, we may as well make ourselves comfortable." Ari stretched his legs out, shifting to a more relaxed position, and exhaled, the noise bouncing off the walls of their room.
Lyla let this sink in, the cold stone under her seeming to harden as she realized that she had been abducted with no food, no water, and no prospects of survival. She swallowed, fear gripping her, and as the seconds ticked on Lyla tried very hard not to panic.