What the Emperor Doesn't Know

Tiberius | The Tunnels

I gazed at Kestral with my eyes wide, but I knew that I couldn't keep this up for much longer. I could feel my lips twitching. No, Tib, you're doing so well, my mind said to me. My lips twitched again. Kestral apologised once more, and I was shocked she hadn't notice my mouth curving upwards yet. That was when Kestral started practically begging for forgiveness. In the matter of seconds, any will power I had had been snatched from me, and out of my mouth came uncontrollable laughter. Kestral's face turned blank.

"Come on, Kes! This is me we're talking about. You don't actually think I'm annoyed with you, do you? You'll see me dead before you see me angry." I try to control my laughter. "It was a joke."

Oh, she didn't like that.

"What?" Her blank expression quickly changed to something far harder. "I've been really worried about this! I even went to Papa Lein about it, Tiberius! I hate the mere thought of arguing with you!"

She began stammering slightly then and it wasn't hard to notice that her teeth were gritted. She needed to learn a relaxation technique. On the outside, I met this one fellow who used to dance to relax himself. He'd pretend to be a tree, a boulder, the wind, a wolf... everything imaginable. You name it, and he'd have a dance for it. He taught me how to do it once, but I just ended up looking like a dying leaf with a leg spasm more than a tree. He started beating me with a twig then. I think I'd offended him. Either that, or it was part of the dance. Ah... yes, he was a charming ma--

"Tib? Are you even listening to me?"

My attention shot back to Kestral. "Uh, what? I mean, yeah, of course." She raised her eyebrows. "You were talking about... uh, leaves. Leaves are nice, aren't they? Not that there are any down here... but there should be. We should attempt to grow a tree in the tunnels. I'm not sure what Papa Lein would think of it, but maybe if we told him they were edible, he wouldn't mind... Some leaves actually are edible, I think. I suppose all leaves are when you think about it. I mean, it's not as though eating them would kill y--"

"I'll take that as a no," Kestral replied simply.

I sighed. "Okay, okay, look, I'm sorry for messing you around." I stood beside her and placed my arm over her shoulder. "How about we find someone to mess around with? It can be anyone. Lyra, Xanthus, Maura, Leo, Rein, Bartimaeus, Essy, any of the other kids... literally anyone."

Gently, I began leading Kestral out of the room. I was in the mood for some irritating, and I knew it always cheered Kestral up, so why not? Essy was always an easy target, but I'd annoyed her already today, so that one was unlikely. Xanthus wasn't the best option either because he'd never lost his temper with us. Bartimaus was a good one though, and I hadn't tried anything with Maura yet because she was rather new. It would have been interesting to see how she handled me.

As though the gods were listening to my every thought, when Kestral and I turned the corner of one of the tunnels, a figure came into site. I grinned. Bartimaeus.

"Hey! Bart!" I yelled, causing him to spin around, not that he could actually see us anyway. "Don't bend over now! You know what cloaks are like nowadays when it comes to unwanted exposure, and we don't want any of that, do we?"

The man grunted something, but I could have made more sense out of a dead rat than him. He continued towards wherever he was going. I didn't see what his problem was. To be fair, he had a rather good backside for his age.

Kaya Marsivus | The Market

I entered Leinad's shop through the trapdoor to see Lou and Draco. I smiled, but it disappeared when I noticed Draco's untimed staggering. I raised an eyebrow.

"When have I ever lied to you, Louie?" Draco asked with many slurs. I raised an eyebrow.

"Good morning Draco," I said. Draco raised an eyebrow and nodded.

"Mornin' Kaya," he answered. I smiled and walked out of the shop and into the markets. The markets were pretty busy at this time, so I immediately headed over to the Healing merchant. I smiled as I approached the shop.

"How it goes, Kaya?" the merchant asked. I'm surprised at how much people know me by my grandfather. I nodded at the merchant.

"Very good, thank you. May I please have some of those herbs for aching?" I asked. I jiggled the coins in my hand while te merchant disappears into the back. Shortly, he came back with the green herbs in a glass jar. I smile and handed him the coins and left with the jar. I walked back to grandfather's shop and nodded at Lou and Draco and set the jar on the counter. I sighed and sat down on the stool behind the counter.

Kestral ¬ (I'm going to post now becasue I'll probably be gone most of the day XD)

He wasn't annoyed.

The one thought crossed my mind as he gently led me away. He still had his arm around my shoulder. He came to a stop as he spotted Bart. I leant my head on Tib's shoulder gently, more because I felt any anger and energy leave me. I smiled.

"Don't bend over now! You know what cloaks are like nowadays when it comes to unwanted exposure, and we don't want any of that, do we?"

I snorted, trying to hold in a laugh. "God, Tib, you sure know how to cheer me up,"

He shrugged, and my head bounced off his shoulder. "I aim to please," I jabbed him in the ribs and he yelped and jumped away. I stepped back and laughed. He stepped forward.

"Think it's funny do you?" He asked, advancing closer. I nodded and jumped out of his way. I was breathless with laughter.

"As long as you don't lick my face like you did to Essy," I leapt out of his way again. "Don't ... try ... it ...Tibs," I laughed. He jabbed my ribs and I jerked backwards. "Don't!" I stummbled backwards and hit someone solid. I heard Essy cry:

"Kestral!" and I immediatly jumped up. You rarely saw Essy without ... I turned around, scrammbling bacwards.... Xanthe. My eyes widened, and I grabbed Tibs' arm. He knew I was scared out of my wits by him, he reminded me of my father, for some reason, even if he'd never hit anyone... well ... I'd never seen him hit anyone...and he was nice to Essy... I gripped Tibs' arm harder and I caught his eye. 'Don't let him near me,' my eyes pleaded. 'I'm scared,'

Spoiler

Yes, she is scared of any adult, apart from Papa Lein. If Tib teases her about it, she will refuse to talk to him unless he apologises, and he has teased her many times about it. XD

Maura | the tunnels

The tunnel entrance Maura had dodged into was dark and cool, just off the room where the kiddies hung out and Rein taught them. Her face burned in the darkness and she pressed her hands against the scars on her jawbone. Does the pain of burn scars flare up like an old knife wound? she wondered, seeking something to place the blame of this strange feeling on.

Why had Rein felt the need to come next to her? He was always doing that, coming next to her and standing, moving his lips as if he were to say something but never saying anything. If he had something to say to her, he ought to have said it already. I'd like to know what he has to say...

Maura dashed the thought away as soon as she heard it, returning her attention to the flaring heat in her cheeks. This was definitely cause for alarm, she decided, and was about to leave the dark tunnel to seek out Leo and ask his opinion when she noticed Rein talking to Leinad where Maura had just been sitting only a few moments ago.

Rein stumbled over his words, the little tic starting up in the corner of his eye that always started up when he was nervous or anxious. Maura glanced at Leinad, reading his lips as he spoke. He was sending Rein out into the market for herbs. But hadn't he just sent Kaya? Doesn't he know how incompetent Rein was at theivery? Though, of course, Leinad wouldn't sink to such petty acts. Oh dear gods above Rein will have a panic attack if he's out in the market alone.

She watched Rein pull the hood of his cloak over his head and start shakily toward the tunnel that lead to the exit through Leinad's shop. After he'd had a good head start, Maura pulled her own cloak over her head and tailed after him.

She let him ahead of her until they were both out in the city streets. As he neared the market, she sped up enough to be within arms length of the back of him. After a quick glance around, she grabbed him by the back of his cloak and pulled him into an alleyway.

"Ah! What-I'm-Please don't- Leinad Marsivus sent me!" Rein babbled, throwing his arms in front of his face as Maura pushed him back against the brick wall of the alley.

"Oh calm down, Rein," Maura muttered. Her voice had dropped an octave or two to where it settled around the pitch of an average young man - she easily passed for a boy a few years younger than her. Rein had only heard her out in the city a few times before when she had attempted to teach him how to pickpocket - and failed miserably - so recognition slowly spread over his face as he moved his arms down.

"M-Maura?" he asked, the tic still going at the corner of his eye.

Maura groaned and clamped a hand over his mouth. "Listen, Rein, in the city you call me 'Rowe', right?" she reminded him. "I have a reputation to uphold."

Rein's eyes were wide as he stared back at her, and she could see what resembled anxiety in his eyes, though it didn't look quite the same... All of the sudden, she was extremely aware of her hand over his mouth, and of his breath warm on her hand, and that she stood so closely to him that the fronts of their shirts nearly touched.

She pulled herself away from him, taking one too many steps back so as to put them awkwardly far from each other. She was thankful that the alleyway was shadowed, because her face burned again and she was sure that if someone were to look closely enough at her then they would see her old burn scars blazing red. "Well, erm, what was it Leinad sent you out to get?" she asked. "I'll, uhm, help you find it."

Rein | The Market

“You don’t have to act so paranoid, you know...” Maura turned to peer at Rein over her shoulder as the poor guy jumped at every word he heard. His hands were shaking, and he probably would’ve been stumbling around in the dusty roads if he wasn’t wearing such decent boots. She swore they probably had their own center of gravity somewhere in the heels.

“I just,” he breathed, catching up with her, his lanky shoulders squirming under his cloak, “I just get anxious when Leinad decides to rely on me outside of my comfort zone. If he wants to use me for the resistance, then at least he could use me as a spreader of information.”

“Right. Like anyone on these streets--” she motioned her hand out, casting his eyes out over the sandstone buildings, “--would like to listen to anti-purist propaganda.” She smirked. “There are times, Rein, when you just have to--to man up and spit on the boots of the Emperor.”

Rein glanced over his shoulder--both ways--and caught his breath. He wasn’t sure whether talking about these things in public was a great idea, but Maura seemed comfortable enough, so was that enough for him? It should. It needed to be, but--

“Here,” she said, stopping at a merchant’s house. “This isn’t where Leinad sends people for his materials, but it’s cheaper. And I’m sure you don’t want to play my sort of game while I play my own game.” She smacked Rein on the back, nodding. “You go and buy your herbs. We’ll meet back at the weapons shop.”

“R-right,” he murmured, but she was, of course, already gone. Rein’s left eye twitched as he fidgeted with the wooden door, entering with the sound of a clinging wind chime. The shopkeeper turned from his window garden to Rein fiddling with the wind chime, trying to make it stop ringing.

“Good day, sir.” The man was tanned, darkened like leather beneath the Sarah sun, and had graying hair that covered his face and head, interrupted by gray eyes and large, disgruntled lips. “How may I help you?”

Rein looked the man in the eye, twitching very, very slightly (as he was trying to control his anxiety, if not for himself, for Maura), as the cloaked thief slipped in through the window, plucking leaf to leaf to leaf from the window garden. “Well,” he began, focusing as much as he could on what he knew about herbs and not what he thought about Maura’s smooth hands weaving through the stems, “I’m searching for a very rare breed of Indigo Herb. A sort of muscle relaxer, as it were...” He bit down on his lip as Maura stashed the leaves in her bag, swinging out the window without a sound. “But not one so aged that it may depart the mind, I suppose.” He spread a hand through his hair, looking the man eye-to-eye.

“I know just what you’re talking about,” he replied, nodding, “though I must ask you what business you have with this particular gem--it’s quite the pest to grow, all things considered.” The man looked down to his hands where he had produced a trio of the purple leaves, and looked back into Rein’s eyes with a half-fearsome stare. “I--” His focus broke, charring in the smolder in Rein’s eyes. “I’d be glad to service his majesty. Free of charge, of course!” He wrapped the herbs up in a spool of parchment and placed them in Rein’s shaking hands. “Free of charge. Free of charge.”

Was that three times?

“Uh--err, thank you, sir.” Rein placed the herbs in his cloak and took a step towards the door, fumbling with the lock once again before leaving into the parching sunlight.

His Majesty?

When Rein returned to the weapons shop, Maura and Kaya were seated in the back, murmuring in hushed voices. Rein silently took his seat beside Kaya and gave Maura a shaking smile.

She looked at him and shook her head. “Leinad sent you on a completed task.”

“Completed task?” Rein raised an eyebrow, looking down to Kaya, who nodded.

“The herbs you retrieved for my grandfather--they’re very similar to the ones he asked of me...which means he either trusts neither of us, or he is perhaps slipping.”

“Or perhaps he just needed more of these herbs than originally expected,” Rein defended. It bothered him to think of Leinad, his role model, his idol, as anything less than sharp and on-the-ball.

Maura shook her head, looking towards the front of the shop. “Either way, it seems very out of character of Leinad. So, to poke fun at his obvious aging and to keep him in check, I swi--I mean, procured a walking stick for him.”

“He was on the floor again this morning,” Rein murmured.

“That scares me,” Kaya said, “that his age is becoming quite obvious. If only there were a way to make him young again!”

Kalle | Around the gardens.

"I wish to help you make Pash even more perfect."

Kalle clasped and unclasped her hands almost reflexively as the conversation went on. She almost wanted to knock some sense into these men. What they didn't know was that perfection would never come like this--never by suppressing the weak and the helpless, never by rendering them fearful and angry. She had seen the looks the common people gave the Emperor and herself--nay, why mention the common people? Even their own guards dislike them. She had seen the impertinent glares some of them sent their way. While she never rebuked them herself, the Emperor had dished out a few of those himself. Just thinking about it made her scowl.

As they started to make another circuit another the garden, Kalle knew that if she stayed any longer around the Emperor and his lackey, she would lose it, and she desperately needed not to lose it. She cleared her throat. "Excuse me, I have some things to look to." She inclined her head almost politely, ignoring Tharin's glare that said "What?" and walked off quietly, knowing that she would have to account for her behavior later.

"Empress," she muttered. "Just running away would have been better than this. I'll never listen to them again." She kept walking, not noticing where she was exactly going. So she walked through the halls, faster and faster, till her surroundings were just a blur to her. "I just want to be free," she whispered. "That's all I ever wanted. Why does everyone trap me like this?"

She stopped, realizing she didn't know where she was. This was obviously an older section of the castle, possibly an abandoned one. Dust poured off crumbling stones even as she looked around. Here and there, pale and faded flowers swayed through the loose cracks in the walls almost mockingly at her, as if chiding her for being such a fool. She stepped forwards warily, wondering if the floors were safe to walk on.

A sharp whistling wind screamed through the floors as she walked, and Kalle stopped. Wind from under the floors? She knelt down and listened to the song it made. A pretty sound, surely. But what was more important was the fact that there was something under the ground. And she planned to find out what it was.

Kalle moved from tile to tile, knocking on the surface of each as she moved. The whistling started up again, and Kalle moved towards the sound, knocking on the tile. "What is it," she muttered to herself, "what is it? An escape route?" She tapped the next tile and got her answer--the hollow sound vibrated ominously, as through it went through her very frame, and she knew there was something under it. She moved the stone. It was loose and came up easily; Kalle stared at what she had uncovered.

A tunnel.

Lyra | Tunnels

I had been walking--just walking-- aimlessly through the tunnels for a while now. I hadn't suspected that Blind Bart would be the one to find me, but it was better him than being stuck in there alone for a while. If I had been in there when the lights had went out... I didn't even want to think about it. I had actually been hoping to have run into one of the children so I would have someone to talk to. Well, more or less they would do the talking. Even though they didn't have much, they were always full of conversation.

A sudden noise in the tunnels pulled me from my thoughts with a groan. Lately I hadn't been able to sit down and think about anything without getting interrupted. In a way, that might now always be a bad thing. I pressed my back against the wall and peered around the corner, someone was climbing down the ladder into the tunnel. Now, I didn't really know everyone in the resistance but I knew that this woman was one of the people we were trying to keep from finding the tunnels. She was far to fancily dressed to be one of us. I watched her from the shadows as she looked up and down the long, dark corridor.

"Hello?" Her voice echoed across the walls and sent a chill down my spine. I took a half-step back and kicked a pebble over with my heel, even that quiet sound grew louder to anyone in the tunnels. The woman quickly spun around, "Is someone there?" She paused, staring right towards me. "I can see you over there!" I let out a sigh and took a step closer. I couldn't very well let whoever she was leave now that she had found the tunnels, at least not without making her promise not to speak of them.

"You don't belong here." I said flatly, not moving my glare from her.

Kalle | Inside the tunnels

The young Empress didn't budge. She stared back at the girl--for it seemed like the shadow was a girl--and carefully chose what she was about to say next. A trickle of water crept and crackled between them--remainders of a river, perhaps. Or perhaps it was leaking from the moat. "I don't belong here," Kalle agreed, her dark blue eyes trained on the girl's outline ever so carefully. "But maybe I want to."

"You're from the castle." The girl moved forwards, a sudden movement, which she immediately seemed to regret, noticing Kalle's stare. One of her eyes was missing. "You're one of them. You have no business here. Be off."

Kalle wanted to ask her what had happened to her left eye, but thought better of it. She gathered her thoughts together, wondering if her plea for help would gain her anything. "I...I need help," she admitted. "I don't want to go back to the palace. I need...to get away from them." Her voice had dropped down to a whisper. "They've trapped me in. They watch my every move. Up there...up there, I have no freedom."

The girl stared at her suspiciously. "Who are you?"

Kalle took a gulp, feeling herself collapse just a little. "I...my name is Kalle. Kalle. Yes."

"Kalle...the Empress?" The girl looked angry. "I don't believe you. It's all a trick, isn't it? So you can get into my confidence and stab me in the back later? You're married to the Emperor!"

"No...you don't understand." Kalle closed her eyes and kept talking, her bitterness thick and complete in her voice. "I was forced into the marriage. It was never willingly...all I wanted was to be myself. But they wouldn't...and Lorean wouldn't...and I couldn't...run away...I had no choice," she whispered. "You must understand, please. I must get away from him. I must."

The girl regarded her suspiciously for a few more moments. "I suppose I can take you to Papa Lein," she finally concluded. "But you go first. Any dirty tricks and you're dead. Understood?"

Kalle understood.

[x]

Sorry for being so late to the party!

Leo

After a quick check-up over Essy's cut, I applied some ointment, rubbing it in gently despite her protests and letting out a soft chuckle as her grip tightened on Xanthus once more. "You'll be fine, just let it heal over the next few days and if it irritates you again I'll give you some more ointment for it, ok?"

Her expression tightened, and she looked up to Xanthus as if seeking the truth. He met my glance for a half-second, barely meeting my eyes, then nodded at Essy with a small smile. The girl glanced back towards me once more, distrust marring her gaze, then set off at a run, tugging Xanthus along with her. I hesitated, watching the two of them leave. I had been meaning to ask Xanthus something for a while now, and this had seemed like the perfect opportunity whilst he was here. I faltered again, looking around the near-deserted hospital room, then shook my head once. I should stay here in case anyone needed me.

The sound of Essy's yelp pierced the air, and my gaze flickered up with a jolt. She was hurt? Dropping what I was doing, I ran down the hallway instantly, following the sound of Essy's screams. Only a moment or two passed before I arrived, a small huddle of people crowded in the narrow tunnel.

Two of the other dwellers, Kestral and Tiberius, were stood in the centre of the tunnel, and I could see some of Essy from around Xanthus' frame, her bawls permeating the air. The girl, Kestral, looked distressed, though from what I could see, it wasn't Essy's cries that she was alarmed by. I watched for only a moment more, then turned my attention to Essy, pushing Xanthus away from her gently despite the intensification of her wails as I did so. My question for him could wait until later.

I crouched down next to the girl, brushing her hair out of her face to glance up on her injuries. It seemed just a scrape or two, though her screams would suggest a broken bone or two at least. My brief inspection done, I released her to let her spring back into Xanthus' arms, then straightened, looking back at him properly. "What happened?"

Xanthus | The Tunnels

I swore the wind could have knock this girl down. Essy had only just stopped yelling and crying, and now it was starting back up again. I was beginning to wonder why the hell I liked kids so much. Tiberius and Kestral stared at Essy as she continued wailing, although Kestral almost looked as distressed as Essy. I raised my eyebrows at her before kneeling down.

"She did that on purpose!" Essy whined.

"I doubt that somehow, kiddo," I replied, checking for any cuts.

As I was doing just that, I felt someone nudge me. I turned my head. Leo. What was wrong with this idiot? Did he think I was incapable of taking care of the kids or something? Or was he just stalking me. I watched him as he basically did what I'd just done, and not only that, but Essy was crying even louder. All he was doing was upsetting her more. For an attractive man, he didn't half make me want to ram my fist into him. Then again, I wanted to ram my fist into the majority of the people under sixteen in this place.

Before I knew it, Essy had jumped back into my arms, and her head was buried into my side.

"What happened?" Leo asked, turning to me.

A mentally retarded rat has just gnawed at her toes. What do you think? Bloody hell... Kestral and Tiberius were frozen in the spot, he'd literally just seen Essy run out of the hospital room, and he came out to find that she'd fallen. It was pretty obvious there'd been a collision.

I narrowed my eyes. Did he think it was my fault? He did, didn't he? This was the second time she'd hurt herself, so he assumed I wasn't looking after her properly. I could see it running through his mind. He didn't think I could take care of this lot. I knew that was what all of the adults thought when they saw me with the kids. We better keep an eye on that arrogant fool. He's a terrible influence on them, and will cause more trouble for them than help them.

"It was pretty cool actually," Tiberius replied before I could. "Eselda was all like run, run! And then Kess was like no! And then, bam! They were one... for a few seconds... then Eselda started crying."

Leo laughed. "So Essy ran into Kestral?"

"No shit," I muttered under my breath to make sure the kids didn't hear me.

I hoped Leo had heard me though. He glanced at me briefly. I grinned. He had. My smile faded slightly as I turned back to Kestral. She was still as pale as the faded scars on my body. "Hey, are you alright?" She didn't respond. Instead, she grasped Tiberius' arm tightly, and turned her eyes away from me. Wow, I certainly had a fan there.

I could feel Leo's watchful eyes on me as I lifted Essy into my arms, and I could tell he wanted to say something. That was the other problem with adults. They were scared of ridiculous things like words. Kids were afraid of things like the darkness: things that were actually dangerous because you never did know what was lurking in the depths of these tunnels, and then you had adults. They constantly boasted about how silly things like the darkness was nothing, yet they were scared of noises that left the mouth. It was clear who were the most fearless out of the two generations.

Leinad | The Tunnels

Leinad couldn't decide if he likes the solitude, or if he loathed it. Of course, he didn't have to hide his pain when he was alone, and nobody could tell him to sit down and take a rest, or point out that maybe, just maybe, he really was overexerting himself. Maybe. A little bit. He sighed loudly, stating at the nearly empty shelves. They needed bread for sure, and new ways to store it. The mold was always worse this time of year for some reason...

And then there was the matter of the mice. Leinad never had the heart to set down traps for the poor little things, but they may be needed soon. They were chewing at the shelves and making a bigger of things. He didn't have time for big messes right now-- there was far too much to worry about. Tiberius was driving everybody half mad, apparently, Maura was getting nosier-- if that were even possible-- Asha was carrying the heir to the throne of Pash... and he was getting old. It was the last thing he wanted to happen at this point, but his bones were pounding it into him, a constant reminder that soon, he'd have to ease up and let the others take over.

What was that all about? Leinad scolded himself, pushing all thoughts of dying as an old kook from his mind. Think it and it'll happen. No man in Pash was as thankful as he that he still had his mind, even if his body was slipping.

He started out of the storeroom, pausing when he heard two more sets of footsteps. Again? On any other day, this would have made him feel joyful and upbeat, but today... He just couldn't stand it when people saw him like this. It worried them and hurt him that they worriesd. They had more important things to place their concerns in.

"Is that you, Lyra?" he called. She had a very distinct walking pattern-- it wasn't difficult by any means to distinguish it.

He never got a reply, but the woman who entered ahead of -- why yes, it was Lyra -- sent a layer of shock to cover his features. Was that...? But it wasn't! "Sweet Eidonias, what sort of challenge have you sent me this time?" he muttered, staring in masked disbelief at the new empress.

"I found her in the tunnels," Lyra said, regarding the poor woman with a cold look. "She says that she wa-"

Leinad cut her off with a warning glance before turning to the empress, dipping his head politely. "I would bow, but I'm afraid that my back won't allow for it this morning." He forced a smile, trying to ward off the panic that was attacking his nerves. The empress... oh... oh, Eidonias. She was smart enough to have made sure that the tunnel entry wasn't exposed in any way, wasn't she? Of course she was. Or, that's what he'd tell himself to avoid a heart attack and certain death.

"You... you don't have to bow."

Well, at least her tone suggested some sort of reluctance. "Of course." He frowned. "Now, as Lyra's more than likely demonstrated, your presence is... a rather disturbing one..." His frown deepened, an unusual expression for him to be sure. "And I'm not so sure I trust what the others will do if they find you down here. Some of then are.., excitable." He would have to take her back to his shop... to his room, and they could get this whole mess sorted out in a calm, reasonable matter. There was something that Leinad was used to.

He glanced at Lyra again before the poor empress could speak. "I need you to run and fetch me a blanket or a towel of some sort, dear. I'll have to take her up with me, and the last thing we need is for someone to recognize her as the empress."

Lyra hesitated, glancing between sore old man and frightened looking empress as if one of them were about to sprout a third arm. She left, though, in the end, and Leinad turned back to Empress Kalle. "I'm quite sorry, your maje-"

"Kalle."

"--Kalle then, about all of this." He wasn't quite sure what he had meant by 'all of this,' but finding royalty in his underground safe haven had cost him his ability to conjure the right words. "I can't keep you in the tunnels until I figure out just what all of this is about, I'm sure that you understand that."

She nodded just as Lyra returned with a sheet from heaven-knew-where. Leinad took it, draping it over the empress in a way that he hoped wouldn't seem disrespectful. His entire skeletal system seemed to protest the movement, but he refused to show it by wincing. Once again-- more important things to worry about. "Don't let a single person see your face, and don't say a word until we're in my the confines of my room." Again, he glanced at Lyra, hating to ask another favor, but feeling that he quite honestly had no choice. "I need you to scout the tunnels. If there are any guards or people from the palace down here that shouldn't be, I want them unconscious and tied up in a storeroom. Do not kill a single one of them unless you have absolutely no other option, is that clear? Andbring somebody trustworthy with you.., Bartimeus or somebody with a weapon."

Lyra nodded, and Leinad turned without bothering to see that she had actually gone about her task. "And make sure that door is closed!" He motioned for Kalle to start walking, falling in next to her. His gait was a slow one, a hobble and a limp that was far worse than it normally was-- nothing compares to the young woman's graceful step. She wasn't trying to run, though, and that was a blessed thing indeed. She matched him, stride for painful stride, and if he wasn't mistaken, the woman looked genuinely concerned. He just hoped she wouldn't say anything.

She didn't. Leinad stared up at the underside of the trapdoor, resting one hand on a back that was pulsating with rhythmatic beats of pain. He used the other to rap on the wood, loudly enough to be heard and quietly enough that it wouldn't raise too much suspicion if the shop had customers. "Make sure your face is well covered. Your clothes, too," he whispered, tone as gentle as he could make it for all the pain he was in.

The door opened, and Lou stated down at them with a puzzled expression. He opened his mouth to inquire, but Leinad gave his head a sharp shake. "No questions." He stepped aside, allowing Emptess Kalle to go first before following her up. It was almost impossible to remain upright as he ascended the small staircase, but he managed. There was a much larger one to worry about in a moment.

Leinad stretched his back when his feet met wood, and a figure further back caught his attention. Draco- a Draco with a rather stupid look on his face, and an even more idiotic glint in his eye. Leinad snapped his head around to Lou. "Get him out of my shop right this very instant, and keep him out until he's good and sober or I'll sober him up myself!" His tone was riding the line between demanding and a yell. It may have been uncharacteristic of him, but enough was enough. He didn't wait for anyone's reaction before motioning for Kalle to go up the staircase, features once again soft

She toon to the first step, and Leinad just barely managed to climb up after her.

"I apologize for my little outburst downstairs." He opened the door to his room, allowing Kalle to slip through before filing in after her. "It's been a long morning.

"Now, I'm also sorry for rushing you and being so... distracted, for lack of a better word. Unfortunately, I can't allow you to leave until I understand just what you were doing in my tunnels." He sighed, offering a gentle hand. Did Pashan royalty give handshakes, or was that just back in Agathia? "Leinad Marsuvis, armor and keeper of one too many secrets, at your service."

It was going to be a long afternoon, too, wasn't it?

Eselda | The tunnels

I buried my face into Xanthus's shoulder, even If it did sting a little. You know, he really smelled good, especially for a man who spent all of his time in some dark tunnels. Or maybe he just smelled nice to me, because love was blindling. But... you didn't see with your nose, so I suppose that he just smelled nice, or at least better than a lot of things down here.

I was waiting for Leo to talk, and then I would ask Xanthus if we could go somewhere else. I didn't want to be around Kestral and Tiberius right now-- especially not Tiberius. He was a stupid, ugly little toad-boy with bad manners and the skill to drive me crazy. Weren't boys his age suppose to be nice to little girls? Or at least sort of nice? Because he site wasn't.

I pulled my head up just a little, resting my ear against Xanthus's shoulder, and frowned at Leo. We had probably only web standin there for a few seconds, but I was already tires of waiting. "If you're gonna say something, say it already so that we van leave." Ibwasnt usually mean to him, but I was still a little mad because he had made my face smell like that gross tea that Papa Lein had to drink sometimes. It wasn't exactly the same, I guess, but it was close.

Maura Rowe | Leinad's Shop

“That scares me,” Kaya said, “that his age is becoming quite obvious. If only there were a way to make him young again!”

Maura leaned back in her chair, twirling the symbol of Feros she wore around her neck in her hand. "If only," she murmured. The wheels of her mind turned as she imagined what ways she could find to 'bottle youth', so to say. Of course any legitimate method was impossible, but that meant nothing in the world of outlaws.

"I'm sure Leinad wants to be sure he has enough of the herbs to last him, in case there is a shortage in the market," Rein was saying, babbling on about his hero and what he imagined were his intentions. "He's always thinking ahead."

Kaya still frowned. "He's never insisted on spending so much on something that is so easy to come by, though," she said. "It's so strange for him to act this way..."

Maura pushed herself out of the chair and grabbed the walking stick she had procured for Leinad. "Well, I hear he's come back to his room," she said. "So instead of sitting around and guessing the old man's thoughts, it would be much simpler to ask him ourselves."

Without waiting for the thoughts of Kaya or Rein, she went straight for the stairs that led up to Leinad's room. She threw open the door, ready to call Leinad out for his fraility and bestow the finely crafted walking stick upon him, only to stop in her tracks. In the center of the room stood Leinad, his hand clasped with that of a young girl that she would have recognized anywhere.

"Why, isn't it a pleasure to see you here, Empress Kalle?" Maura said to the girl, though her eyes were on Leinad. What business did the old man, the leader of the resistance have with the Empress in his room?

Kaya Marsivus | Leinad's shop

I followed Maura, with Rein right behind me. We all headed to grandfather's room, but stopped at the door when we heard Maura.

"Why, isn't it a pleasure to see you here, Empress Kalle?" Maura asked, with her eyes fixated on grandfather. My eyes widened as I saw the Empress, right beside grandfather. I walk through the door and curtseyed in front of the Empress.

"How can we help you, my Lady?" I asked. I haven't really had an encounter with any of the royals themselves, let alone Empress Kalle. I believe it's good to give good first impressions.

"No, no. Please, just Kalle," she said. I stood up straight and nodded.

"Very well... Kalle," I answered. I smiled, and she smiled back.

(Hope this is okay! I'm sick and I have writers block. -_-)

Spoiler

FINALLY!! It's done!

Dante|Palace, then at Leinad's

I walked through the palace halls, hearing the heels of my shoes click and echo through the empty hallway and the movements of my sword making small silent metallic clicking sounds. I had been summoned by the prince to guard him while he and his friend Darren have tea. I arrived to the room where they were and stood outside, as instrcuted to do everytime I am summoned to do this.

I stood there and watched guard, rather a boring job really, seeing as everyone in Pash was not brave or stupid enough to try and attack the prince or the emperor, but I stood at my post regardless. I heard footsteps and cups clicking on a tray, I knew Asha was passing by with a tray in her hands. I didn't dare look at her, if I was caught it would spell danger for both of us, and I didn't want to make her even more nervous than that shaking tray already told me she was. I heard a 'psst' sound, she was trying to get my attention, I looked at her, but I didn't smile, no matter how much I wanted to. She signalled for me to get closer so I took half a step towards her.

“Tell Papa Lein and the rest that I won’t be making it to the tunnels tonight, and probably not tomorrow, either,” she said in a low voice, looking around to make sure no one was looking or lisening. “I’ve been going missing a few too many times... I can’t... there’s a very important reason for me to not take another beating.”

Even if there wasn't Asha, I don't want you taking one. I thought to myself, I gave her a small nod, but she didn't see it, she turned around and walked away only half a second later and I was again left alone to guard the empty hallway.

A few minutes later the prince and his friend Darren decided to go to the gardens for a walk, I walked outside via an alternate door, I was not to disturb the prince or make my presence known, I was a simple piece of moving furniture to the royal family, a simple piece of furniture that might end up saving one of their lives, but a piece of furniture none the less. I stood guard as the prince and the slave master chatted about potential slave buyers who were killed for not wanting to pay the prices darren set for slaves. I stood there and thought to myself, what sort of animal enjoys killing people over money? What good does it do?

"Dante." My thoughts were interrupted by the prince's voice. I felt his hand slide onto my shoulder. "Where have you been?" he asked. I shifted, uncomfortable by the prince's sudden physical contact. The meer thought of him touching me made my skin crawl. "I missed seeing you earlier," he said.

"My apologies your highness" I said, "My father needed to speak with me before I started going about my duties."

Rian shook his head, an amused smile curling up the corners of his lips. "I don't mind. Now, where were we?" he said and gave me a sly look. "Ah, yes." He slid the hand down the my arm and moved closer. "You keep disappearing on me when I request you to stay after your shifts. I don't like people disappearing on me."

Is this guy for real? I thought to myself. When my shift ends, I'm free to go, those are the rules. When I leave this place I go to the tunnels, I can't stay here!

My thoughts were interrupted yet again by the Emperor, who had come out of the palace and into the gardens for a walk.

The emperor cleared his throat and, with his hands behind his back, began speaking to the prince. “Riaghán, my dear son.” You could tell by his tone of voice that he was not happy. “Clearly by now, you know that infatuation is--”

“--the bane of power,” said the prince. Clearly, he wasn't happy about his father being here.

Emperor Tharin stepped closer to him and placed a hand on his cheek. “Then why, I may ask, do you wallow in your illness?”

I didn't have time to register what they were saying, Prince Riaghan shot me a glare. I didn't have to look all that well at him to know he wanted me to leave, so I did, and I had to be careful not to show the skip in my step.

As I walked, I started thinking about what I had overheard. Infatuation? I thought to myself. What does he mean by that?

I made my way through the palace halls, there I met Zachary, a fellow guard.

"Hey Zach!" I said.

"Hey Dante, everything okay over here?" He asked.

"Yeah, same old, same old," I said.

"Well, your shift's over, so you should head home, say hi to your dad for me," he said.

"Yeah sure, no problem." I said, making my way out the door.

I walked to the guard stables, where my horse rested, ate and drank while I worked. I arrived and opened his stable, stepped in and stroked his long black mane. I grabbed his saddle and put it on him, making sure everything was strapped in tight, I mounted him and rode off.

I rode at a steady pace through the city streets as I made my way to Leinad's shop. While I rode I thought of all that I had heard at the Palace. I don't know what the emperor meant by 'infatuation', I decided not to dwell on it, it wasn't my business, I was just glad it was over.

I arrived at Leinads shop, got off my horse and tied his reigns to a post. As I walked to the door I heard struggles. It sounded like Lou was trying to get someone out of the shop. Before I could open the door, it flew open and I saw Lou struggling to get Draco, a fellow member of the resistance, out of the shop. He was putting up quite a fight, his hands pushing back on both sides of the doorway while Lou tried to push him out, he smelled awful, you could taste the alcohol in your mouth by just being two feet away from him. His words were slurred and he was stumbling constantly. Lou sounded exasperated, if this went on for a little longer he would be yelling his head off.

I stood there watching them go at it for a few seconds, then Lou was able to push Draco out of the shop, dropping him on the ground.

"Uh, hey Lou," I said hesitantly, "Is Leinad here?"

"Yeah," he said, panting. "He's in his room, he's busy, apparently."

"Oh, uh, do you mind if I go and see him?" I asked.

"Sure, go ahead," he said and with that I walked in, leaving him and Draco to finish off their little argument.

I went up to Leinads room, knocked on the door and waited for him to answer. When I knocked, the door swung open slowly, so I walked in. I stopped, shocked by what I was seeing.

"Uh...Empress?" I asked, still shocked and not trying to give myself away. Apart from Empress Kalle, there was also Leinad, Kayla, Maura and Rein. They were all fellow resistance members.

"What in the name of all the Gods and Goddesses are you doing here?!" she said, obviously shocked. I was surprised by her reaction, then I realized, I was still in my guards uniform, she must have thought I was sent by the Emperor to get her.

"I came here to..uh..bring Leinad my dagger, it needs fixing," I said, not wanting to give the whole resistance away.

"Relax Dante, the Empress is here to join the resistance," Leinad said, completely calm.

"Oh." I said, surprised.

"Are you part of the resistance as well?" asked the Empress. I had to be careful, if word got out, I could be risking my life, and it wouldn't have to be a big guess to suspect Asha as well, what with all those dissappearences.

"Yes, Empress, I am." It was no use lying now that word got out, I just hoped we could trust her.