Fantasy The Amnesiac Prince

[Link Nightingale]

The year was 324x, eleven years before the main start of our little tale. The Kingdom of Galilee was a small but regal kingdom that was at peace underneath King William and his family, unlike other rulers who sat in their castles and ruled as untouchable figures, King William mingled with the people of his kingdom, getting to know how his people lived and what he could do make the kingdom more prosperous. However, on Prince Sky’s ninth birthday, no one truly knows what happen, other than a man the kingdom would come to know as the Tyrant King sat on the throne, the king and queen were dead, and the prince missing.

Eleven years later, the year 335x.

Soft piano music started to play as it grew in tempo, but remind a soft and gentle tune before being accompanied by the soft tones of someone playing violin as they worked in harmony as figures danced across a large space, the world was bright and colorful as the faceless figures danced to the music without a care. However, just as the music came to an end, a loud bang was heard follow by screams…and someone telling him to run…..

Brrzt!
Brrzt!

Sky, owner of the Gladiolus Wreath Bakery groaned as a slender hand snaked out from underneath his warm covers to bat blindly at his bedside table, in a fruitless attempt to find his alarm clock as he was pulled out of his dream by the annoying sound, it was the same dream he’s often had before…of a party where everything at first seemed wonderful before it turned into a nightmare.

“Ugh…” He muttered, finally finding the cursed thing, turning it off with a slam, turning it slightly towards him to look at the time, which in turn caused his eyes to widen.

“Fuck!” He yelled, thoughts of going back to sleep for a few brief moments flying out the window when he saw that the time read 5 am, he was supposed to be at the shop over an hour and 60 mins ago to start prepping for the day. Thank the gods that he had some things that he had prepped the night before.

Bolting out of bed, he rushed to get dressed and the like would soon bolt out the door as his life depended on it, wincing slightly at all the sudden movements as the scars along his back and side twinged and knowing that it was going to be a bad day, even with his late start.

Around him at that time of the morning, the only sounds were the creaking of under quarters, of dying machinery, of the flickering lights that had once shone in vivid colors, it was louder then, than earlier in the morning when no one was around, would fade into background noise once the city truly woke.

The first person that Sky passed, a regular named Vhan, his still half-asleep mind suppled, making a mental note as he did to make some more meat buns at some point in the day since the man kept odd hours.

The next person Sky passed, was what he assumed was a younger lady, it was hard to tell given that she was wrapped up in a cloak, only a single tuff of bright red hair visible underneath it, but Sky paid no mind to her, thinking like he was, she was a worker off to a job, even though it was far from it.

Playing a game of dodging people and the potholes in the dying city, Sky finally made his way towards the bakery where two people already stood at the closed door, both of who Sky recognized as Robin, one of the librarians at the public library, a place Sky went quite a bit, followed by Neil, one of the local bookstore owners, another place Sky went when he had some down time whenever the fires of the ovens didn’t want to light and needed some time to reset. In his rush to get to the bakery, Sky wasn't dressed as he was normally, for once he was wearing a low-neck shirt, exposing his neck and part of his shoulders, his long hair also was disheveled, not normally tied back into a braid to keep it somewhat out of his face. However, what stood out besides his odd dressing choice of the morning, was the scars that were along his right side, they spoke of some kind of injury, an old one with how old they looked.

“Ah! Good morning you two, I am so sorry that I am late getting things opened this morning. Seems my alarm decided to fail me today.” He said, now unlocking the bakery door, letting the both of them inside to get out of the crisp fall morning, it was abit chilly since the sun hadn’t risen yet, but would get warmer once it was fully out. On that day, Sky didn’t know, that all these people, including him, would be a part of a grand adventure, one that would change the course of the kingdom, for better….or for the worst.

 

[verdantdreams]

“…and the flowers for delivery, my lady?”

“Hmm, geraniums, please,” Dame Arlamyne Vogelweiss replied as she pulled taught on the ropes of a man lying prone, finishing his restraints by tying it into a tight but elegant bow, her mauve-painted lips pulled into an amused smirk. “Ensure there’s not one bruised petal.” He groaned in his sleep as Arlamyne turned him over with her heel, seeing his sleeping face and dirt-matted hair. With a gloved hand, she pulled out a small envelope. Neatly on the parchment, with utmost penmanship, was written,

‘To my dearly detested.’

“See to it you’re swift with the delivery. Don’t damage our payload,” added the woman as she tucked it away in the unconscious man’s breast pocket.

“Yes my lady.” Two agents carried the sleeping man away as Arlamyne made her way out of a decrepit building.

It sat on a range of hills in the outskirts of the city, giving Arlamyne a full view of its gloom-bathed skyline. The dhampir stood at the crest as a breeze brushes through the foliage, lifting Arlamyne’s loose locks and her long skirt wayward. A caw sounded in her ear, one of her many ravens settling itself on her shoulder.

“Fitting you’re here, Twilight,” Arlamyne cooed, lifting a hand to run a finger through the raven’s feathers. “At least in another twilight of a new day, I have company,” she said softly, almost in a melancholic manner as her deep irises were set on the city, bathing in the view of the skyline and the land known as the capital of Easons before her.

Twilight took off from her shoulder, soaring away from the hill’s crest until it was a dark speck in the periwinkle sky.

—​

Later that morning, the dame had emerged from the shadows as Robin the librarian, donning a simple black dress and shoes. Gone was her elaborate updo, her inky black hair swaying in the morning chill, brushing the sides of her hips, as she walked through the city streets. Arlamyne, in the plainest she can be, blended in with the rest. She smiled to herself as she observed the city’s ongoings through the pigeons that inhabit the city, even seeing herself from a rooftop as she walked towards her usual place of sustenance—Gladiolus Wreath Bakery. Arlamyne scried through a pigeon that sat across the bakery, and she quirked a brow seeing it was closed.

‘Looks like our dear baker must be having good dreams,’ she thought, approaching the storefront as she released her hold on the pigeon.

It was one of her few calmer days, which Arlamyne filled immediately with library work and a morning snack from the bakery. Despite a sleepless night, Arlamyne refused to sleep the day away, hoping to remedy her tiredness with some good food.

The bakery had become something akin to a candle in a growing darkness. The state of Galilee was crumbling, and yet the warmth and comfort the Nightingales provided satiated the unrest and worry that coiled around the hearts of many, Arlamyne included. So, she waited, watching what the birds around her can provide her in the meantime. Arlamyne noted a young man, a regular at the baker, was also waiting, having arrived a little after her.

‘If I remember correctly, he’s the young Lord Ravenford,’ she mused with a hum, sizing him up through one of the birds. ‘Fled his own arranged marriage, huh?’

Arlamyne’s lips pulled into an amused smirk as she sees Sky approaching the bakery from down the road through one of the birds, the young man bobbing and weaving through the growing throng of residents. What piqued her interest was his scars, raising many questions, his disheveled appearance almost fading in the background with how she zeroed in on this new aspect of him.

‘I wonder what’re the origins of those,’ she thought, the amused expression faltering as the curiosity grew.

As he greeted herself and Neil, Arlamyne exchanged her own greeting, plastering a pleasant expression to mask the mix of concern and slight suspicion as Sky unlocked the bakery. She entered the bakery with a sigh of relief, no longer in the open morning chill and now indoors. Regret of not bringing a second layer to cover herself bubbled up as she felt the goosebumps on the exposed parts of her skin. Arlamyne paced about the bakery, rubbing her forearm in an attempt to warm up even a little.

“Any recommendations for me today?” Arlamyne asked, a warm lilt in her voice as she watched Sky flit about the bakery, presuming he was behind on morning procedures. “I’m feeling a little adventurous.”

 

[racoon]

When Neil woke up, it was still pitch black outside. Not that he had to start his day at such an early hour; he did it mostly out of habit. Additionally, he preferred not to rush in the mornings, and slow walks while the sun was yet to rise were among the few things he enjoyed in his daily life. The old floorboards creaked every time he stepped on them. This small, a little bit messy attic room he lived in was nothing special, though it was definitely cozy.

A moment later, he could be seen heading to the Gladiolus Wreath Bakery. Shopping there became a part of his routine shortly after he discovered its existence. Not only was it the closest in the neighborhood, but it also had the best bread he'd ever eaten. He had an unexplainable feeling as he walked through the town's crowded streets that it was going to be one of those peaceful, somewhat boring yet pleasant days. Here and there, singular birds were flying around or observing the world from the buildings' rooftops and windowsills, already woken up from their sleep. Multiple stray cats were walking the cobblestone roads, running their last nighttime errands. Neil had not lived in the capital long enough to feel at home, and he assumed he wouldn't ever do so; nevertheless, he had grown to appreciate it over time.

When he finally reached the bakery, it surprised him that the usual warm, welcoming light from the inside and the sweet scent of freshly baked goods were nowhere to be found. He saw an inconspicuous-looking woman standing next to the bakery's door. He remembered that she was a regular buyer here. He couldn't recall ever having a conversation with her, so he deemed it perplexing to start talking to her right now, out of the blue, especially when she seemed to barely notice his presence.

As he waited, he eventually started to wonder whether Sky intended to open the bakery at all that day. It was a brisk morning, so the idea of standing still during the blue hour for who knows how long wasn't particularly appealing. The very moment Neil was about to decide whether it was better to leave, he spotted Sky approaching. Neil wasn't especially observant, but it was impossible not to catch sight of Sky's scars. He had never seen them before, so at first he got worried that something had happened to the elf recently. However, as he got a closer look at them, he noted that they were most certainly not new ones, which raised even more concerns and questions. It distorted the image of Sky that Neil had had in his mind up until now; the young elf was the last person to have some dark secrets. "After all, I've never known much about his life anyway," Neil realized.

The three of them exchanged greetings and went into the bakery. Listening to Robin's words, he couldn't help but smirk. "Feeling adventurous with pastries? That's a good one," he thought.

 

[Link Nightingale]

Sky had been surprised when Robin had said that she was feeling a little adventurous today, considering that she always ordered the same thing every time she was in here, of course, with extra treats for the birds that always seemed to follow her around. He then hummed slightly as he finished tying the apron around his waist since he had been in the process of putting it on.

“That’s certainly a surprise today, Miss. Robin, I have some new ones if you wish to try some of those.” He said with a bit of a smile, disappearing to the back for a few moments, presumably to get whatever he was thinking of. After a beat or two, a slight bang was heard as the heating system soon started to kick on, followed by Sky coming out the back with a tray full of muffins.

“Sorry about the bang, I had to kick the heater and the oven to get them to come on.” He said, placing the tray on the counter as his hands shook slightly perhaps since it was cold? After all, he had been running down the street without a proper coat or it was somehow related to scars?

He soon showed Robin the few different muffins he offered, explaining that some of them were oatmeal, bananas, sesame seeds, and a new one that had yogurt in it for a creamer taste but perfect to help build up energy to get awake and such.

While Robin pondered over the selections, he then turned his attention to Neil, whose order varied from day to day. “What about you Mr. Neil? What can I get for you this morning?”

 

[StrangelyCharm]

In the first feeble light of the day, two amber eyes from a nightmare burned in the fading dark as Jakob Skalivhandi, Spy Master to the throne of Galilee and adviser to its tyrant, watched the city suffer under its own weight. Easons was fuelled by magic: transport, wards, hospitals, communication... all of it needed magic to some degree or other. Casting simple spells had suddenly become risky, even for a trained mage. Street lamps flickered and wavered, trams ran erratically, plumbing failed... life in the kingdom was becoming unsustainable.

With no royal heir to complete the ritual of passing on control of the land's magical core, there was no way to stem the decay of the magic that flowed through the kingdom's veins. What had once been lifeblood had become poison...
The oldest charms held the longest, but even those were becoming unstable.
They were running out of time to fix this.

Vhan slowly exhaled the smoke from his cigarette, tainting the fresh morning air with his breath. The solution was simple, and yet impossible: find the prince. Not for the first time, Vhan wondered bitterly about the moral right of the royals to create a magical kill-switch, should a transfer of power not be to their liking, but there was no use crying over spilt milk: one could only take the next steps.

Sometimes, it was easier said than done though... and after 11 years, well, Vhan felt the pull of despair more strongly on mornings like these. But despair was a luxury he couldn't afford. He was responsible for this city and he'd fought too hard for it to quit on it now ...and the debt he owed it ran too deep.
Vhan loved the city, hated the city- it's hold on him was as irrevocable as his was on it. His duty to the people would keep him at his post to the very end: whatever that may be.

In the meantime, his search for the solution remained the priority, as it did for everyone in the government... those who hadn't given up or been broken under the strain of the responsibility, at least.
Vhan took another slow drag of his cigarette. He already knew he wouldn't (couldn't) give in. Whatever the cost, he would pay it to save his city.

-------------------

The journey back to the palace was a short one as Vhan hadn't gone far for his work tonight. He'd been gathering intelligence in one of the city's more popular taverns, gauging public sentiment, seeing how close the city was to a revolt. It was as he'd expected: crap, but the boil wasn't ready to burst yet. Caym, who'd once held a degree of respect, if not quite popularity among the common people, had been openly called "tyrant" these last few months as the city's magic continued to crumble.
It was nothing new, but Caym would have a fit over it anyway... It was why he'd demanded Vhan go himself: he didn't want to believe the news Vhan's agents were bringing back. Didn't want to face the reality that it had all gotten this bad.

Vhan wanted to get some sleep before he had that "conversation" with Caym, so he dodged the patrols of guards to reach the kitchens (muttering apologies to the staff there as he weaved through the workers) and slipped away to his quarters. His agents would have seen him, but they reported to him, not Caym.
Perks of being the spy master.

When he'd finally made it through the complicated route to his chambers (it wasn't wise for a spy master to have easily accessible rooms... but it wasn't particularly convenient either), Vhan managed a wan smile for the raven perched in the corner, asleep.
"At least one of us will be well rested today, Splendid", he whispered to her. "...as usual, you lazy bird", he added with fondly, before getting ready for bed himself...

------------------

It was nearing midday and Vhan was just waking up, Splendid's rustling through his paperwork having woken him.
...or had it? Vhan sat up, listening, as his now conscious mind identified the very, very soft sounds of footsteps outside his door. He frowned and, just as quietly, took the dagger from under his pillow before crossing to his door to wait just beside it. It was probably just one of his people, but it was rare they would come to his quarters without announcing themselves.

Taking a breath, Vhan prepared himself... then flung open the door, stepping up to seize the person behind it in one swift motion. He brought his dagger to their throat and-
"Oh. Good morning Alice", Vhan said mildly, recognising the face of one of his best agents. He raised a brow in question but did not drop his knife. "Why didn't you knock, my dear?"
Alice swallowed uncomfortably around the dagger. "Hello boss... there's um, it's another one. Another letter. From her." Awkwardly, Alice pulled a letter from her coat pocket and added, with an apologetic smile. "She sent flowers too."
"Oh." Vhan said darkly. He withdrew his knife and squeezed Alice's shoulder in apology. "I understand your reluctance to announce that one..." he said wryly.
Alice shrugged. "Sorry boss, is what it is." It was a known fact that Vhan handled bad news like a champ. You had to, in this job... except when Arlamyne was involved. No one got under Vhan's skin like her.
"Right, what were the flowers?" Vhan said over his shoulder as he moved away from the door to rifle through his books. Arlamyne was a noble, a proper blue blood. It wouldn't "just" be flowers. They'd mean something.
Alice, who'd relaxed by now, was leaning against the doorway, but the question caught her off guard and she stiffened. "Um..."
Vhan raised a brow at her.
She squirmed.
"Well, out with it?"
"I didn't ask... and I don't know my flowers..." she said and trailed off. Alice hated not having the answers. "They weren't roses?" She added hopefully.
Vhan rolled his eyes.

------------------

Twenty minutes later, Vhan stood with Alice in his public office next to an agent, neatly tied up in a bow (a bow!!) and a vase of...
"I think she said they were geraniums, sir", the bound man on the floor added helpfully.
"Shh", Alice nudged him with her boot and Vhan gave no indication that he'd listened but he did start looking up the page on geraniums in the book he'd brought with him, The Language of Flowers.

Running a claw down the page, he cut through all the nonsense about arrangements and found the meaning.
'Geraniums are message of good health, happiness and friendship'.
Vhan raised a brow. "Not bloody likely", he muttered. Alice, reading over his shoulder, snorted a laugh.
He read on.
'However, the flowers can also be used to convey to the recipient that the sender considers them foolish or stupid, so take care when choosing your bouquet.'
"Ah. That would be more like it", Alice said, nodding at the passage.
Vhan snapped the book shut with a sigh. "That damn woman. Nothing is ever straightforward with her."
Alice, wisely, didn't comment on how nothing was ever straight forward with him either.

"Right, I have a report to make to Caym. Not sure how long I'll be." Vhan said to Alice, all business again. "Please take Splendid an apple core- she likes to pick at them. And have a look through this flower book for something... appropriate to send back to Dame Vogelweiss."
"On it, boss", Alice said and flicked him a friendly salute.
The bound man on the floor coughed and Vhan rolled his eyes. As if he'd forgotten about him.
"You failed", he said curtly to the man on the floor, who wilted. "I expect your full report on the nature of this failure on my desk tonight." Vhan drew his knife from his boot and cut the man free, refusing to untie the bow on principle.
"Thanks sir, sorry sir", the man mumbled from the floor, pointedly rubbing the feeling back into his now free hands.
Vhan was not sympathetic. "Be grateful it was Arlamyne who caught you. If it was anyone else, we'd be fishing your corpse out of the river. Think on that as you're writing your report."
Bloody rookies.

With a final nod to Alice, Vhan swept out of the room to find Caym and tell him what he already knew but didn't want to hear.

 

[verdantdreams]

In the early hours of the morning that day, the little tavern that sat on the edge of the poorer district, the Old Ox, was still a hub of activity. Light poured out of the windows and the entrance, stretching across the dark cobblestone streets. Music and voices mingled in the air as a young man strummed his lute, prancing amongst the tables full of patrons.

“There will come a poet, whose weapon is his word, he will slay you with his tongue, oh lei, oh lai, oh, Lord,” he sang, eyes full of mirth behind his spectacles as the patrons responded in kind, echoing the lyrics with a surprising unity despite their intoxication. This elicited a grin from the bard.

Amongst the sea of rowdy drunks, a young lady scurried about, wild golden hair flying behind her, tray full of tankards in hand. With every frothing tankard she placed down in front of a patron, an empty one takes its place on the tray. Every patron greeted her in familiarity, giving her a slap on her back in thanks.

“Thanks, lass!”

“I hope that’s your last one, Gunnar!” The young woman replied with a smile and wave as she turned to the bar, meeting the eyes of her boss—a tall mountain of a man with a seemingly permanent scowl under his full beard. Yet, with the serious facade, his eyes softened at the young woman that approached, sliding behind the bar to join him.

“Last round for them, I hope?” He gruffly commented, polishing a glass as his eyes leave her smaller form, eying the crowd which didn’t seem to get any smaller. It was one of those nights where many wanted to forget with a drink and warm company. Deep in their intoxication and faux joy, they paid no mind to the few instances of the lights flickering. It had become so frequent that the Old Ox had began switching to candles and torches, even their plumbing had become faulty, the employees having to draw water from the closest well to be able to clean.

“For this lot? Highly doubt it,” Ines quipped back, placing the empty tankards into a bucket, noting herself to clean them up later. “By the way, Aldrich, have the cattle been shepherded into the paddock?”

To this, Aldrich nodded. “I’ll cover for you, lass.” Ines shot him a quick thanks and hurriedly began untying her apron, tray abandoned on the counter as well as her rag. The apron joined as Ines left the bar, doing her best to remain inconspicuous. She snuck towards the back of the building, going down the stairs to the cellar door. Ines knocked gently but sharply in a peculiar rhythm, the door opening ajar in return.

“Lightning falls,” came a whisper from the other side of the door.

“But will ascend once more,” Ines murmured back. The door opened fully, revealing a large table with numerous individuals gathered from all walks of life. Many of them were her age with a few older folks. Despite their physical differences, all had a common goal, one that the fiery Ines boldly started.

“Ines! They’re all ready,” a stout woman gleefully chirped, gesturing to a stack of pennants, flags, and ribbons all with the appearance and colour scheme of the Odinson sigil. Beside that pile is another, all with vandalised versions of Cyam’s emblem with passionately written insults. Ines nodded, giving the woman’s shoulder a gentle and affectionate squeeze.

“You and your family’s dedication will be remembered,” she said solemnly to which the woman nodded. Ines turned to face those gathered at the table. They were small in number in the grand scheme of things, but this didn’t deter Ines. If anything, her eyes burned, reflecting only a fraction of what she had harbouring in her heart.

“We may be small in number, but in all of us true Galilee folk is a love for our kingdom,” Ines started, running a hand over the map on the table, landing on the kingdom’s region on the map. “We are the sparks to ignite the flame within all those who are dormant, oppressed by Caym’s tyrannical rule. We will help them remember their love for the kingdom again. Are you all with me?”

Knowing they can’t make a ruckus lest they compromise their position, all nodded instead, mirroring the fire Ines had in their own eyes. To this, Ines grinned and hunched over the map, and said,

“Alright, for now, let’s continue to focus on grow our numbers. Let’s show this tyrant who the real rulers are.”

 

[ComplexDragon]

Wind whipped across the balcony as lights in the city below began to come alive. People began to trickle into the streets, far enough away to look like ants. In some ways they were. Powerless to stop anything that befell them, and at the whim of a King they called a tyrant.

Seraphina Damaris pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders, strands of copper hair flying about. If Lilianne saw this, she would be absolutely livid. But Seri didn’t care. If she couldn’t control her situation, she could at least control what she looked like.

Shoving the locks out of her face, she turned her attention to the rising sun, burning bright as it climbed higher into the sky.

Most people detested being up this early in the morning, but it was Seri’s favorite time. The world was just barely waking up, so she had the upper hand. She was already alert and ready for the day ahead. And it was the one time when life seemed a little bit slower and more manageable. A short time when she could forget the worries and doubts swirling through her mind.

A few more moments passed before she stood and walked back through the window doors, shutting them with a click of the latch. Her slippered feet padded across the thin carpet on the marble floor as she moved over to her white vanity with gold embellishments. Gently picking up the silver-handled hairbrush from the table, she ran the brush through her locks, taming the stray hairs.

Not for the first time she recalled her mother doing the same thing. Back when life was a little bit simpler.

Tying the front part back with a bow, leaving the front pieces down, she quickly picked up some of the makeup and applied it. Finally looking somewhat presentable, she pushed back, the chair scraping loudly against the floor.

She pulled on the boots her father gave her before grabbing her satchel off of the little hook next to her bed and quietly slipped out the door. Scurrying down the hallway, her eyes dart around, scanning the silent pictures and tapestries. The solemn faces of people no one knew were placed on the wall instead of the pictures of the previous King’s family.

They were there to keep the illusion that Seri’s family was actually important. But in truth, the only reason she was anyone was because her father took over. All for the good of the kingdom… That’s what he said anyway.

Seri nearly jumped out of her skin as a door unlatched a few paces ahead. Quickly darting around a corner, she pressed her back up against the wall.

Slowing her breathing, she waited a few seconds as the door shut. There wasn’t really anything to be worried about, except maybe a nosy servant, who would want her to participate in some sort of mind-numbing activity. She loved most of them, but all she wanted now was to get outside. And she'd rather not have to beg, cajole, or manipulate.

Silence floated down the hall, hanging in the air like a cloud. Gripping tightly to her satchel, she edged along the wall and peered around the corner.

A tall tiefling was striding down the hall. The familiar snow-white hair and curved horns sent all the tension from her body.

It was just Vhan.

Not that he wasn’t intimidating. But for some reason, Seri wasn’t really that frightened of him. Sure, he acted all tough, but he also had known her for the entire time she lived in the palace and was the only one who didn’t treat her like a child. And he had no reason to harm her (of course she didn't doubt that he would if he felt the need).

And he was the perfect ticket out.

Adrenaline subsiding, she stepped out from around the corner, quietly pursuing him.

 

[Link Nightingale]

Meanwhile, while the rest of the Capital's residents were starting their day, in the Santon District or the Slums more known these days, one man had already been awake for hours. Alex, owner of Light Beacon Clinic had been hard at work since the wee hours of the morning due to an accident at one of the local factories due to one of the machines stopping all of a sudden without warning.

Thankfully, only a handful of people were hurt and no one was killed, but...it was concerning considering how frequently all this was happening, letting out a sigh, he would soon slump in his office chair as he ran his fingers through his silver hair, the long locks were once tied back into a neat braid, but over the day, it had fallen out, leaving it a bit of a mess.

Tired grey-blue eyes looked at the stacks of paperwork and would mentally groan some as he soon reached to pull them towards him so he could at least get started on the never-ending task that was paperwork when all of a sudden the building had started to shake slightly, tremours like that wasn't too uncommon now, given the state of the kingdom however...

"The end is nigh! The end is nigh!"

He could do without Mrs. Johnson's ranting....she had been a prickly lady all her life and during her stay, since she was ill and had no one to look after her until she got well... it wasn't common for the tremours to set her off like this, with a deep sigh and thankfulness that there were no kids in the clinic today. He got up, walked over to his door, and stuck his head out.

"Will you shut up you old hag? We all know that the kingdom is doomed."

 

[StrangelyCharm]

[Early morning in the palace]

Alice was nestled into one of the discreet passages that allowed servants (...and spies) to traverse the palace unobtrusively, toying with her dagger idly as she watched the halls. It was good to know who might be slinking back from a visit they wished to keep... discreet...

This was when Vhan and the other co-conspirators had planned their own coup, after all.

Beyond the usual eye out for blackmail opportunities and signs of treachery, Vhan had added 'protection' to this job. This particular hallway led to Seraphina Damaris' rooms (or Seri, as those close to her knew her). As the situation grew more unstable and tensions heightened, Vhan felt the palace guard were insufficient to safeguard the king's only heir...
The threat was not so much physical, but more so attempts of dissatisfied ministers to manipulate the princess for their own political gain, maybe even attempt to make her a puppet ruler if they tried a coup of their own.

Thus it was that Alice found her work becoming focused around the palace as the threats from within began to exceed the threats from outside. It wasn't work that could be trusted to just anyone, only Vhan's small inner circle. Enemies could come from anywhere and in Alice's experience, the most dangerous ones were those literally close enough to put a knife through your ribs.

It'd been a pleasantly boring shift though, with only the regular servants spotted doing the work they were supposed to do... and Vhan himself, coming in late from work in the city. Alice rolled her eyes- Caym's refusal to believe the reports of Vhan's agents had pushed him to order the spy master himself out into city to collect intelligence, a risk Alice was firmly against. Vhan was not easy to disguise, being a tall, teal tiefling. With spellcraft becoming too dangerous, magical disguise was no longer an option; so the only thing protecting Vhan was the fact that no one outside of the core government knew what Vhan's real job was. To the broader government, he was known as an adviser to the king, and to the common people, he was known even less: just assumed to be some minister's aide or a policy drafter, which is how he presented himself in the city. But if he kept going to places that this persona wouldn't belong in or be seen doing things they wouldn't, it wouldn't take long for an observant enemy to wonder what Vhan's interests really were...

Alice knew it, Vhan knew it: Caym's paranoia was going to get one of them killed, if he didn't stop meddling in the spy master's work. As far as Alice was concerned, if the tyrant didn't want their expertise, well, quite frankly he could jam his orders up his-

Alice heard the ever so soft sound of footsteps that didn't belong and flattened herself against the wall of the passage, listening as the person passed. They were headed towards where Vhan was walking and Alice adjusted her grip on her dagger, silently moving out of the shadows to see who had passed her-
-it was Seri.

Well, well, well.
Alice grinned and put her dagger away. She watched the princess wait until Vhan had passed, then quietly step out to follow him at a distance and her grin widened.
Looks like someone had been practicing.
Good.

Widening her own step, Alice caught up to Seri in three quiet strides and clamped a hand over her mouth to silence her.
"Gettin' pretty sneaky, ain't ya?" she whispered by her ear, before turning Seri so she could see Alice. "The boss'll be pleased you've been doing your homework."
Making the sign for quiet, Alice let the young woman go and grinned at her, before dropping into a bow.
"Pardon me, your highness", she said, still keeping her voice low (Seri might be on good terms with the boss and Alice might be helping her learn some things on his orders, but she was still a princess and Alice was, well, no one in particular... neither was Seri before all this, but that was beside the point, or so Alice had been told. A certain etiquette was required, especially in public. She wondered what Seri thought about it all.) , "I just didn't want the boss man hearing us... he's had a long night an' he still needs to talk with your- with the king." Yeah, that was gonna suck. Better Vhan than her.

"Boss man's got some work for ya, though, if you want it. He said you might be out looking for trouble", she grinned again.
More soberly, she added "I reckon he'll want you there when he's giving his report to the king though... Caym's probably not gonna be happy, but Vhan wants you to be kept in the loop."