"If you work in the castle, you must know just about everything that goes on there, right?" I continued. She nodded.
"Good. See we need someone who knows stuff like when the guard changes, where the heir is being held, things like that. Can you tell us that?" I asked.
"I can. I know everything." She said proudly.
"Ah, here's Lydi with the food." Lydi handed Millicent a bowl of stew. While Millicent ate, I considered her. She was about 23 years old, with thin, stringy blonde hair and light blue eyes. She was a little overweight and not at all tall. When she finished eating, I began asking more questions, and got Jelena to write done all the information.
"Where are they holding Kenton?" was my first question.
"Master Kenton? In his bedroom o'course." She said, as if it were the obvious answer.
"Right, but where's that?" I prodded, exchanging glances with Jelena.
"The castle! Jeez!" Millicent rolled her eyes.
"Where in the castle?!" Jelena yelled.
"No need to get angry, hon. If you had just said that in the first place you wouldn't have gotten all mad now…." Millicent lectured.
"Where in the castle?!" Jelena yelled again.
"Humph. If your going to be so polite about it I'd be happy to tell you. It's in the castles' east tower. But the only way to get in is an iron door with three locks on it. Each of the keys is held by the Duke," Millicent finally gave us the answer we seeked.
"Is anyone allowed in?" Kalasin asked.
"Sure. I go in all the time."
"Why?"
"To take him his food of course. And to keep him company. He's been in the same room for the last few months."
"Do you know how we could get in?" I asked.
"Nope. Isn't that you're job?"
"I suppose. Tell us the daily routine of the castle."
"Well, every other day the farmers from the village bring in their wares. They have a trading day with the people inside the castle and other farmers."
"Do the farmers go inside the actual castle?"
"No. Just inside the courtyard. They open the drawbridge to let them in. But they don't open the castle doors that open to the entry hall. Townspeople are only allowed in if they have a meeting with Duke Hagen or the sheriff. "
"Are you thinking, what I'm thinking?" I asked Shauni.
"I guess so. But how are we going to get the dancing bear into a dress with nothing to bribe it with?" she asked.
I snorted. "Minor details. What I was referring to was how we were going to get into the palace."
"Oh, I thought you meant…."
"Listen guys, I got a plan." The girls gathered around me. "One the next trading day, which is….."
"The day after tomorrow," Millicent supplied.
"Yeah, we disguise ourselves as townspeople and request a meeting with Duke Hagen. Then, we somehow manage to get the keys from Duke Hagen and free Kenton." I finished.
"How exactly do we do that?" Kalasin asked.
"I have no idea."
"Sounds good to me," Meliora agreed. "All in favor of Lark's plan?" all the girls raised their hands. "Good. We should start preparing. I suggest all of you get your weapons ready." The girls scattered to their tents.
"I have to get back to the castle before anyone knows I'm gone." Millicent scurried away.
"I see this ending badly." Kalasin predicted.
"Aww, come on Kally! Have some faith! Since when do you have the Sight?" I chided.
"This is such a bad idea." Kally grumbled on the day of our plan. We were changing into our disguises, mussing our hair and grubbing our faces. We had requested a meeting with the Duke through Millicent and it had been granted.
"Kal, may I remind you that this was your idea in the first place?" I asked, purposely being as cheerful as possible.
"This plan wasn't. And stop being so cheerful!" she complained.
"Now, now, now, Kally. We must look on the bright side of things! You can't honestly say you would rather be back at Corus sitting in your castle doing embroidery. You'd be bored out of your mind."
"I would not!"
"Fine. You're right. We should just turn around and go home and let that heir rot in his tower while his uncle spends his inheritance and abuses his position." The guilt angle always worked on Kally.
"You're right, as usual Lark. But spare me the gloating, okay?" she admitted.
"Oh, would I rub my being correct for the millionth time in a row in your face Kally? What kind of friend would that make me? Not a very good one. I hate bragging, you know that. I'll just leave it at this, I was right and you were wrong but don't worry, one of these days it will be reversed." I grinned as Kally glowered.
"We'd better get going soon. The drawbridge is going down in a little while." Meliora reminded us.
A/N- well. I don't know why I'm writing an authors note because I have nothing to say. Please review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Tootles.