Chapter 12: "Ziabackian Spy"
A knock came at Eries' chamber door, rudely awaking her from sleep. She rolled over, wondering what time it was. The knock came again, harder and more urgent this time.
Eries blinked the sleep from her eyes and said, "I'm coming, I'm coming." She found her robe, threw it on and opened the door.
Michael, captain of the Guard, stood before her. He gave a hasty bow from the waist. "My apologies for waking you, Princess -"
"What time is it?"
"Shortly after the third hour, Princess Eries," He answered. "I am sorry to disturb you, but something has arisen that needs your immediate attention."
Eries raised an eyebrow, but she nodded. "Allow me a moment to get ready." Michael saluted. Eries closed the door. She went back to her bed chamber and put a pair of shoes on. She threw on a warmer, more appropriate robe, making sure it was tied. She opened the door and stepped out.
As they neared the dungeons several minutes later, Eries was wide awake enough to ask what she had been awakened about.
Michael gave her a glance, took a deep breath, the explained. "Joshua's unit found a spy on our northeast border."
"Do we know what nationality? What road was he found on, where was he coming from?" Eries asked.
Michael swallowed, clearly not wanting to tell her. "Ziabackian spy. On the road to the Schezar estate."
"By Pisces!" Eries didn't even try to hide her unlady-like malediction. Michael didn't say anything.
He nodded once, gravely, then continued. "He was brought here. The guards took everything away from him, except his bare minimum of clothing, in case he had some trick or other up his sleeve. He is behind bars now."
"Where's Millerna? Has she been informed?"
"Princess Millerna has been informed. She sent me to get you. She is located in cell block d, with the prisoner. She did not want the interrogation to start without you."
Eries was in shock. Had Ziaback survived the Great War? What could it possibly be up to now, at the Schezar estate?
Eries didn't even want to think on the possibilities.
---
Millerna stared at her diary's date. Could it truly be a whole year since the Great War had ended? But then she scowled. It had been nearly eight and a half months since they'd captured the Ziabackian spy, and he hadn't cracked under the interrogations.
After two months of oral interrogation, the princesses had given the guards leave to use harsher measures, as the spy had not cracked at all.
She and her sister hadn't been informed of what these "harsher methods" included. Neither wanted to know.
And yet, they had gotten nothing out of him that they hadn't already known. No information, other than he was Ziabackian, which they already knew. And he was just now started to become insane under the torture devices.
House Aston and its advisors were becoming very anxious and nervous.
What secrets was Ziaback and its spy hiding?
As he'd been at the Schezar estate, Allen and his household servants had been called to the palace to identify the spy, if he'd been to the Schezar estate at all. Unfortunately, he had. Allen's second in command, Gaddess, recognized him. That agitated Eries and Millerna even more.
It seemed whenever Ziaback stuck its hands into something, or its mind started working, no one else would figure it out until it was too late.
That made Millerna worried.
Very worried.