However, she didn't find anything by the time she saw Pohlea show up. Embris wasn't sure if she'd have noticed the woman if she hadn't known about the meeting, with how preoccupied she was about getting something to eat, but the fact was that she saw the woman, meaning that she knew she had to stop looking for her breakfast and instead go to whichever room the meeting would be held in.
As Embris approached Pohlea when she reached Yaelish, she heard Pohlea say, "So, you're the one in charge of the Silverthorns?"
Yaelish nodded. "Yeah, but only until Jenn gets out of quarantine. She's the one in charge of us while we're here."
"Correction, I'm the one in charge,' Pohlea snapped, her eyes immediately turning to glare at Yaelish. "If it helps, I can run all my orders through her if she survives being in quarantine, but remember this, I'm the one in charge when it comes to protecting the queen. You'll need to run all your ideas of protecting her by me."
"And would you mention what ideas we have to anyone?" Embris asked, not entirely sure she should speak up. While she had a feeling that this could be an important point, she also recognized that Pohlea might not appreciate her voicing her thoughts so freely.
Which made her wonder if her being around Jenn had made her pick up a bad habit or two.
Pohlea shifted her glare to Embris for a moment before turning it back on Yaelish. "Who I tell anything to is my business and not yours."
"Then we already have a security problem," Yaelish replied, giving Embris a grateful look for a moment before returning her full attention to Pohlea. "If we don't know who you say anything about what we say our ideas are, then we're going to have to keep some from you since we can't say if anyone is actually passing that information along to anyone."
Pohlea rolled her eyes. "I don't have time to waste listening to you question what I do. I've been doing this longer than you have and I don't need you to tell me how to do my job when I know so much more about doing it than you do."
"Well, it's a good thing that I spoke to Ivesse when I did then," Yaelish replied. "I sent her out to ask the servants about what they knew about your typical methods of protecting the queen."
Pohlea blinked, looking a little confused. "And what would that prove? They've seen me performing my duties, so of course they'd know what I do."
Yaelish shook her head. "Not what she's checking for. She's asking them about what they know about your contingencies. Such as what to do if a fire breaks out in the palace. What to do if an armed uprising breaks through the palace gate. What to do if-"
"Enough! I get it," Pohlea snapped, glare retuning in full force.
Yaelish merely smiled in response to the glare. "That's the kind of thing we're talking about. You might not realize who can hear when you talk about it or even when those who you know talk about it talk about it with others, who might be around at that time." Yaelish paused, making Embris wonder if she was either checking to see if Pohlea had something to respond with or if she was merely letting what she'd said sink in. "Which if you can't be sure about any either of the situations that I described, then there's a security breach: You."
Pohlea didn't look happy with what Yaelish said, but she didn't respond to it, either. Embris wasn't sure if that was her agreeing with what Yaelish had said or if she just couldn't think of anything to argue with, but she didn't say anything right then. Which also made Embris wonder if Pohlea ever had anyone talk to her like that.
"You know, maybe we should take this conversation somewhere else?" Embris asked, noticing some of the other Silverthorns were taking an interest in what they were talking about, even though she was pretty sure none of the others could hear them from where they were. "Just to keep others from listening on us while we talk."
Pohlea glanced at the other Silverthrons and nodded. "Follow me. I know of a room we can meet in where we won't be disturbed."
Embris and Yaelish followed Pohlea as she turned and started waking away even before she'd stopped speaking. While Embris wasn't sure if this woman had many people she talked to when it came to things like this but couldn't imagine who her immediate subordinates would be if they had to deal with this all the time.
Which also, in turn, made Embris wonder just how many friends Pohlea had. As she certainly didn't seem like she was good at communicating with others. At least outside of her role as captain of the guard.
As they walked through the halls of what Embris thought might be the dormitory of the royal guard, she couldn't help but notice the uniforms of three distinct mercenary bands. The Silverthorns, the Jet Eagles, and another one she hadn't noticed before.
"By the way, was there any reason the mercenary groups selected to be offered this contract were chosen?" Embris asked, suddenly recalling a question that she'd been mulling over in her mind since she'd first heard about this opportunity.
"Actually, all but one were ones chosen by the queen herself," Pohlea answered without breaking stride. "They were bands that she'd seen handle sensitive contracts before when she didn't have any alternative, but your band was suggested by the queen's daughter. No one knows why she suggested your band, just that she did."
Embris shared a look with Yaelish. That one statement at least answered the question of how they'd been able to get the contract in the first place, but it also added another, such as what was it that the queen's daughter either knew about them or how she'd come to trust them so much. As Embris couldn't imagine having to pick someone to protect her siblings if she felt it was needed. Especially someone she really didn't know anything about. Which is almost how it sounded to her that the queen's daughter had done with those who would be potentially guarding her mother.
"So, we're the ones who're under the most suspicion, is that it?" Yaelish asked, looking as if she was unaware of the looks that were being sent their way by the members of the other mercenary companies.
"No, you're not under any suspicion, as it's well known that some who would seek to do harm to important individuals will sometimes pretend to be reliable just to get closer to them. Not to mention that sometimes people will change. For whatever reason, the leader of one of the other mercenary bands might have decided that they don't like how the queen is handling things or whatever and have made plans to make an attempt to change things."
Embris wasn't sure she liked the sound of that but couldn't find any holes in that logic. Although, she at least felt a little relieved that they weren't being viewed unfavorably for the simple fact that their band didn't have as much of a track record.
"Although, many do find it curious that your band was willing to handle the Forest of the Lost when so many do their best to avoid it," Pohlea remarked, surprising Embris. "That contract had been out for so long, yet no one else had taken it, which might be how the queen's daughter even heard of your band, since you hadn't been around long enough for us to have learned about you through word of mouth."
"We don't have any reason to fear the Lost," Yaelish replied, surprising Embris. Most people who believe the Lost are real tend to be more afraid of them.
"Oh? Sounds like there's a story there," Pohlea said, her interest clearly piqued. "You'll have to tell me about it sometime."
Yaelish shook her head. "Nothing really to tell. I was a slave and the Blue Rose got help from the Lost to save us."
Embris blinked. She'd been around the Silverthorns for a while and hadn't heard anyone mention that fact. It made her wonder if Jenn was aware of it herself and if so, why she hadn't mentioned it. Was it personal or was it just something she didn't care to talk about. Although, she wasn't sure, but she thought that Jenn at some point had mentioned that she'd been a slave, though she didn't quite explain how she'd managed to get out of that situation.
Pohlea stopped abruptly, almost making Embris walk right into her. "Don't mention that story again," she said, her voice lower than it had been up to this point. "Like you said, you never know who's listening and if word of you having been a slave got out, you could be treated like an escaped slave and sold again."
"Isn't the person who owned me the only one who could do that?" Yaelish asked, sounding more curious than Embris thought that she'd be herself.
"You'd be surprised," Pohlea answered. "Many are of the opinion that once a person's a slave, they're always a slave, no matter what and that runaway slaves are fair game to whoever can keep them under control."
"If that's the case, then anyone could be treated like that. Especially if they were made into a slave through illegal means," Embris found herself commenting, recalling what had happed to the village where she'd grown up. "In fact, it could technically then happen to anyone, even the nobility here."
Pohlea shook her head, though Embris wasn't quite sure if she was doing that to deny what Embris had just said or because she felt helpless in regards to the whole situation. "I'm not going to say that I agree or disagree with you, I'm just saying that you better keep that story quiet or we might have other problems here than just what happened to the royal guard to figure out. We could very easily have everyone trying to catch each and every Silverthorn, under the assumption that all of you are escaped slaves, regardless of if that's true or not."
Yaelish sighed, looking rather annoyed. "They can try, but I'd rather die than go back to living like that."
Pohlea sighed in response. "That could very well happen, as many fell that slaves who touch weapons should be killed on the spot, even if they were instructed to by their owners."
"So, in other words, some would just want to kill us on the spot? Just because of what they perceived up to be?" Embris asked, feeling like this whole situation was ridiculous.
"That about sums it up," Pohlea confirmed. "The queen is trying to change the system, but she'd meeting resistance on all sides. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if a plan to try and remove her is being formulated. Especially with the royal guard being taken down like they were, I fear that the queen might only have little time to actually get her changes done. As even her daughter seems to favor the way things are right now. Even though I agree with the queen, it won't matter if the queen's daughter, and heir, take over."
Embris suddenly felt very glad that her siblings were on the other side of the gate. With the exception of Cinder, she knew that her siblings were on the other side of the gate where they weren't going to be a part of whatever might happen here. In fact, if all the Silverthorns were determined to be escaped slaves, at least they'd be safe where no one knew they'd be and could grow up without having that kind of worry hanging over them. Or at least until they were old enough to join the Silverthorns, if that's what they chose for themselves.
"Well, if that's the case, then we better do our best to keep anything from happening to the queen," Yaelish said, with a grin, making Embris wonder what Jenn would say if she learned about this development.
Though, she doubted that she'd have to worry too much, given all they needed to do was find the time to let her know while she was in quarantine. As Embris knew exactly some loopholes in what it meant to be quarantined that she figured would be easily made here as well.
"When we're done, could you show me where our captain is being quarantined?" Embris asked. "It might be good for her to learn about some of this before she gets out, just so we won't need to worry about what she might say when she does get released. After all, she can be a bit… unpredictable."
"True. She does have moments where she seems almost like she doesn't know what's proper or not. Even when it comes to her own authority," Yaelish remarked.
"What good would knowing where the quarantined area is do? You can't meet with her, so it's not like you can give her any message about what I just told you. Besides, there's a wall and if you called out what I said over it, who knows who would overhear, much like you mentioned before, which in turn would ensure that someone would find out about you being escaped slaves, defeating the purpose of what you're proposing to do."
Embris understood Pohlea's sentiment, but that wasn't what she had in mind. "Talking to her over the wall is precisely what I plan on doing. Though, letting her know about sensitive subjects will be as easy to manage with just tossing her a note with anything she might as us to deliver. After all, there's no rules against talking to someone in quarantine, as long as you're not close to them, right? Nor is there any rule prohibiting sending them supplies so they'll be able to survive as long as possible while with the plauge."
Pohlea chuckled. "You know, I never thought much about it, and I'm sure no one else has, considering how most treat those who catch the plague as if they're already dead. Even going so far as to hold a funeral for them while they are left alone in the quarantined area with only a healer to look after them and ensure that they'll have a chance to be one of the rare survivors."
"At least now you won't need to worry about that anymore," Yaelish said as Pohlea started to lead them towards a particular door. "Not with Jenn showing whoever is with her that the disease can be treated now."
Pohlea shook her head, looking undecided. "You might believe that she can do that, but even if that's true, I'm not sure many will accept it in this palace. Too many subscribe to the belief that it's a divine punishment and only those who catch it were deserving of divine wrath. Meaning that they might take Jenn being able to treat it as an affront to what goddess wants and everything they hold sacred."
Embris sighed. It almost seemed like they wanted to die and take this entire country with them. Which certainly wasn't something she could understand, even in part.
"Anyway, let's get this meeting started so we can visit Jenn afterwards," Yaelish said, almost sounding cheerful, which was far from how Embris was feeling at that moment.
"Keep in mind, both of you should probably stay quiet during the meeting. As for one, neither of you are in charge of those in your band with you, nor has your band had contracts like this one before. So, unless you want everyone in the meeting to hate you more than they probably already do, stay silent,' Pohlea advised as she opened the door.
As they entered, Embris wasn't sure what it was, but she suddenly recalled what had been said about how the queen's daughter had selected their band to be a part of the mercenary bands here and how Pohlea had also just mentioned about how the queen's daughter might have reason to want her own mother killed. Which Embris wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. As it could be interpreted in that she thought the SIlverthorns would botch this job, regardless of whatever they did. Which meant that they might need to be careful about how they handled things or they might be considered in league with those who might want to take the queen out.
Though, Embris also knew that she wouldn't be able to do anything about perceptions at the moment. Not with what she was able to do right at that moment. All she could do was see if there's some way that she could actually contribute, even if she had to ignore Pohlea's advice on remaining silent during the meeting.
Inside the room, Embris felt a little relieved to see Ivesse. They hadn't really talked that much the night before, but it had at least been enough for her to get an idea of what the woman was like. Although, the person wearing the same uniform as Ivesse merely glared at Embris and Yaelish. Embris could only assume that that person was Ivesse's second in command here, though Embris thought it would be best to not say anything. Just in case she was actually wrong about the hierarchy in their mercenary band.
The other two people looked even more intimidating than anything Embris had seen before. Almost like she was a small child facing a charging swordswoman, knowing that she didn't stand a chance against them.
However, she did her best to pretend that she didn't even notice the glares they cast their way. Something that Embris wasn't sure if she was succeeding at or not. Though, she did feel as if her movements were a little stiff under their scrutiny.
"So, now that all of us are together, should we get started on this meeting?" Pohlea asked, sounding as if she hadn't even noticed the tension in the air between all three groups, though Embris was pretty sure that all the tension was directed at her and Yaelish.