The Veridian contingent was initially assigned quarters in the southwest bastion of the fortress. However, Count Leo did not like the idea of staying by himself in his separate quarter and started insisting on staying with the others. It appeared, despite his high rank in Nobility, at core, he was merely a boy;- who was perhaps unnerved by scope of being confined between the cold stone of a foreign land; and thus, was seeking the comfort of his retainers and colleagues. Yielding to the young lord's whim, the Valorian Quartermaster, Makran Sedar, rearranged the accommodations.
The new quarters in the West Wing were far more spacious, a grand suite designed to house ten people. Count Leo and his maid; Baron Torin and his butler; Jax, Zara, Kaelen, and Alsnow- all eight shared the space. Playing the part of the adult, Baron Torin expressed his sincere gratitude to Makran for the last-minute trouble, but he ensured the gratitude was felt not just emotionally, but materially. He slipped a heavy pouch of Solars into the Quartermaster's hand.
Makran's yellowed teeth flashed in a greedy grin as he felt the weight of the coin. He bowed low, promising to serve them with his own hands in any and every way possible for the duration of their stay. Torin watched with a smirk as the man scuttled away, barking orders to his underlings. Even the guards standing watch at the door had eyes that sparked with raw, undisguised envy. Torin shared a knowing smile with them before stepping back into the room and closing the door.
In the room, Leo was standing by the ornate window, his eyes fixed on the distant waves of Azure Bay. Jax and Zara were standing on both sides of him; their eyes were glued to the horizon alongside the Count.
"The Lord was right," Torin declared, dropping onto his assigned bed with a satisfied sigh, "Every man has a price, provided the price is right."
"Did you ever doubt his wisdom?" Leo asked, glancing back with a smirk.
"I'm not a fool, Count Leo. I don't ignore a man's mind just because he's young. A tiger's cub is still a tiger; the blood speaks for itself," Torin replied, "But I'll admit, I had my reservations when he told us to spend freely. I didn't imagine the 'gallant' Justicars would be so easily swayed. I expected it from the commoners, but the officials?"
Leo nodded slowly, "Never forget what he told us- beneath that heavy plate armor, they are just men with bellies to fill and pockets to line. They are just over-glorified sellswords. Unlike Sir Kaelen, they didn't pledge their lives to a higher cause; they pledged them to a paycheck. This coup is built on opportunists. When Lady Serana fell, their loyalty simply moved to whoever held the keys to the vault."
"True enough," Torin said, his gaze shifting to the maid, Ariana, who was staring out a separate window, seemingly lost in her own thought, "By the way, Count... did you give your maid money to shower in the streets as well?"
Leo leaned in toward Torin, his voice dropping to a whisper, "She isn't actually my maid. Her name is Ariana. On the day we departed, Jax introduced her to me. He said she was sent by the Lord himself and that she would operate on her own authority."
Torin sat up, his brow furrowed in deep worry. He moved to the edge of the bed, closer to Leo, "She is…one of Lady Anya's…?"
Leo leaned closer to Torin's ear, "I don't think so. I think she belongs to the other one…. You know?... the secret one!"
Torin nodded, though a shadow of worry crossed his face. If this Ariana was an assassin sent to cull the rebel leadership, and she was caught, the entire delegation might get executed for treason.
Recognizing the fear in Torin's eyes, Leo whispered again, "Don't worry, Baron. Our Lord is meticulous. And don't forget, he sent three of his most trusted people with us; he wouldn't jeopardize his best assets on a whim. Have faith."
Before Torin could answer, the door creaked open. A young girl slipped through the narrow gap, clutching a tray of wine goblets. Her eyes were wide and darted nervously around the room, scanning every face. She hurried toward Leo.
"Lord Lorian..." she breathed.
Leo raised an eyebrow, and spoke in his cold and aristocratic voice, "I am Leofric Vane-Ashbourne, Count of the Cinder Coast."
The girl fumbled, nearly dropping the tray, "Oh... forgive me! I was told Lord Lorian Throne was a young boy, the same age as our Lady Selena..."
"And who told you that?" Torin pressed in, his voice sharp as a blade.
"Lady Serana. I am... I am a friend of hers." She swallowed hard; her throat was moving up and down. "When the Lady heard that a Veridian host had arrived, she sent me to find them. She knew the Lord would come for her. She sent me to..." she trailed off, searching their faces for a sign of hope.
Everyone in the room turned to look at her; their expressions were largely unreadable, everyone except Ariana and Zara, who remained in the background, speaking in low tones as if they hadn't noticed the intrusion.
Eldred Alsnow stepped forward; his gait seemed unusually slow and heavy, "All right, child. You have our ears. Speak plainly. These old bones can't handle much more suspense." Torin noted that Eldred was suddenly looking twenty years older, as if the journey from Veridia to Valoria had taken a heavy toll on him.
The girl's face lit up, "Yes, sir. Our Lady is facing terrible humiliation at the hands of those villains. She hopes... she prays that you can rescue her and take her back to Veridia. She would be forever indebted to your Lord. Please, save her!" She collapsed to her knees, tears spilling onto the stone floor.
Alsnow gently pulled her back to her feet, "You ask for much, child. That is a perilous path. If we are caught..."
The girl wiped her eyes, her shoulders sagging, "Forgive me. It seems our princess placed her hopes poorly. I will go."
Leo caught her hand before she could turn, "Wait. We didn't say we wouldn't do it. We only said it was risky. We will need help."
"Anything!" She gripped Leo's hand with desperate strength, "Name it. I will do anything to save my Lady."
"First," Torin said, his voice dropping to a commanding whisper, "we need a map. A complete diagram of the palace, every hidden passage, and guard post."
"A map..." The girl nodded vigorously, "I will manage it. I'll get it to you by midnight, I promise." She bowed low and hurried out the door as quickly as she had arrived.
"It seems," Alsnow said, a triumphant spark returning to his eyes, "that luck is on our side today."