What debt was Nathan repaying to Vistra?
Back several chapters ago, when we first met Lady Clarine in the flesh, Vistra rescued her from a drunkard. And Vistra specifically swore that she would call in the favor.
What happened to Travis (and the parents) exactly?
Considering how quickly the fic is going (for the future chapters, anyway) I'm not sure if I'll be able to go into what happened to Travis as much as I should. But when we get to mentioning that part later, I'll have a more detailed explanation of Travis and why he was adopted as the Lord Provost's son. And their parents are dead. No doubts.
And what about Athaniel of Conte? How did he come to power on the throne?
*evil laughter* Well, if you want to know, you'll just have to keep reading…
Do the colored sashes really mean anything? Why did they even start using the uniforms in the first place?
Well, back when they were merely thieves, they learned that it was easier to lurk through homes and stores wearing black clothing. And later, a scarf to hide their features. (Axe didn't magick the pins for communication until after Nobles' Bane existed). However, sometimes it was difficult to differentiate between who was who, considering how the dark, blackness, and shadows liked to mix together. So they added colored sashes to the uniforms. There's no particular meaning behind each color, tho.
Author's Note: For those who developed a liking to Nathan, not to worry. He'll be back (even if he doesn't want to be). It's not that easy to walk out of Vistra's life…
16. Sneaking about the Palace
Nobles' Bane: Chapter 14
She had sent Acole to the inn with orders to go to the third room on the right on the second floor. He would tell the men he found there that Jade sent him. Axe and Danel would take care of him, at least for tonight.
She dismounted from Bile's back. "Stay here," she commanded.
Bile snorted and stamped angrily. He was unhappy that he had been forced to stay in the stables while she had played at her game as a servant. And he didn't want to obey her now.
"Bile, please?" She lifted a hand and rubbed his nose. "I'll call you when we have to leave. Please, Bile."
Bile stamped his foot again and turned away from her. Not a refusal, but not a promise to obey either. And she had a feeling that that was all she was going to get from him. She sighed.
Then she turned and crept along the palace courtyard, glancing around warily.
She saw someone approach her; a woman by the looks of her form.
"Have you seen my child?"
Queen Janah peered quizzically into Vistra's face.
"Your highness?" Vistra frowned. "Where's Athan--"
"Well, have you?" the queen interrupted. "Have you seen him?"
Vistra glanced around. "Your highness, does Athaniel know you're out here?"
The queen lifted a hand to her lips and looked around anxiously. "I've lost him! I've lost him!"
"Shhh! I'm sure Athaniel will--"
"My child! My poor baby!"
Vistra stared. "Your baby? Your majesty, you do not have a baby."
The queen stamped her foot onto the grass and groaned. "I've lost him! My poor son!" She turned red, teary eyes onto Vistra. "Athaniel. He said that… he said…"
"He said what?"
The queen straightened and started to hum to herself. "Janah. Athaniel. Janah. Athaniel."
Vistra shook her head but couldn't help feeling sympathy for the mad queen. She wondered how the queen became as she was.
The queen stopped her humming and stared at Vistra. She leaned forward, putting her face right before Vistra's and being uncomfortably close.
"Is something wrong?" the queen asked pleasantly.
Vista leaned back a bit, allowing some more space between them. "No, nothing." She paused. "Your highness?"
"Yes?"
"I want to thank you for what you did a couple days ago."
"What I did?"
"You caused the diversion that kept General Aleyn from becoming angry and lashing out at me; he--"
The queen nodded. "Of course. Of course. Now, I must be off, dearie. I must go looking for my baby. My Janah Athaniel."
The queen turned and skipped away, her long hair fluttering in the night breeze.
Vistra shook her head and started off again, heading towards the servants quarters. But before she could get there, she was accosted again.
"Alisse?" Kenric stared at her with disbelief. "What are you doing here?"
She started to turn, hoping to be able to duck away, but he grabbed her. She hesitated, knowing very well that she could throw him off.
"I will not tell the others that you have escaped, Alisse," he whispered to her gently. "As a matter of fact, I'm glad you're free. I told Nathan what had happened to you; he said he knew some people who would break you out. But I didn't know that they worked so quickly."
She blinked. He had gone to Nathan to ask for him to help her? And Nathan had been willing? To help her? Not only that, but he had been willing to help even though he now knew that Kenric had not been completely honest about who he was?
"But why are you here at the palace? Of all places?"
She relaxed a bit. "I just…just wanted to come back for my things."
Kenric grabbed her hand and started to pull her towards the palace. "Your things aren't in the servants' quarters anymore. Lousan cleaned them out, and I said that I would take care of your things until you can get them."
She pulled back and stared at him. "You offered to watch my things?"
He gave an easy shrug. "Sure."
She stared at him. Stared at him until he started getting uncomfortable.
"What's wrong?"
She sighed, exasperated. "Why are you so nice to me?"
"I am not my father," he said gravely. He said it in such a way that told her that he was always saying those same words to other people, at other times.
She made a face. "Well, obviously not. I can see that; I'm not that dense."
He laughed, and it was a pleasant laugh.
"Why are you doing all this? You took care of me after what your father did, offered your company on my free day, and now are looking after my things. Why? Why don't you act like the--" she came to an abrupt stop.
"Like the other nobles?" he finished for her.
She lifted her gaze to meet his and nodded.
He tilted his head and paused, considering her question. "Well, do I have to act like the other nobles?"
"Yes," she said.
"Why?"
"Because…"
Because then I wouldn't be so confused as to what to do… Because then everything would once again be black and white, right and wrong, good and bad.
How could one person's actions bring her so many doubts and fears?
Because she was fearful, she realized. She didn't want this young lord to be nice to her, she didn't want to like him.
"Because?" he prompted when she didn't say anything.
She shook her head. "Never mind."
And amazingly, he didn't press for more. He just nodded, running an absent hand over his curly hair.
"Come on. I have your things in my room."
They silently walked through the back door of the kitchen and crept up to his room. She waited outside as he ducked through his doorway. He came out a couple moments later, holding a small bag in his hand. He offered it to her.
"You don't have too much," he said quietly, looking at her compact bag.
She stared up at him steadily. "No, I suppose from a lord's point of view, I don't have too much at all."
That silenced him.
They slowly started walking again, both taking small, careful steps as if trying to prolong the process.
"Where will you go now?" he asked her suddenly.
She blinked at the abruptness of his query. "I… don't know," she finally said.
He looked at her, captured her gaze. "You can stay with me if you want."
"What?" she whispered incredulously as they ducked through the kitchen and into the cool outdoor night. Goosebumps appeared on her arms.
He didn't bat an eye. "I'm serious. My suite has a total of three rooms. You can take my bedroom, and I'll sleep in my study. There's a couch there. Nobody comes to my rooms, only the servants and slaves would know--"
She lifted a finger and pressed it to Kenric's lips, silencing him.
"Alisse--"
She quickly placed her whole hand over his mouth and frowned at him.
"Quiet…"
The crunch on grass was her only warning.
Dropping her bag of things, she quickly shoved Kenric backwards, bent down, pulled both her knives out of their sheathes in either boot, and turned.
She raised both of her knives just in time to deflect a swing from a sword. She quickly pulled back, ducked, and rolled just in time to escape the eavesdropper's next swing. She swung her own arm, slicing deftly into her opponent's calf. He cried out and stumbled.
She struck, snaking her knives around the man's blade and wrenching the sword out of the man's grip. As he fumbled for his weapon as it spiraled into the air, she loosed the knife in her right hand and sent it into his left shoulder. Then, with her now free right hand, she snatched his sword out from the air.
She steadied the sword, pointing the tip of it at the man's nose.
"Game over," she said as she steadied her breathing.
The man fell onto his knees, both of his hands around the knife hilt whose blade was still buried in his shoulder. He groaned and with a great heave, pulled her knife out, gasping as he did so.
"Not over yet!" he growled, throwing her own bloody knife at her.
His throw was off; she easily knocked it out of the way with her remaining knife while stepping forward, driving the sword sharply into the man's gut.
The man gave one gasp before slowly tottering over, dead.
In the next silence, the only sound that filled the air was someone's breathing.
Breathing that was not her own.
"Alisse?"
Vistra glanced up at the shocked, wide mouthed Kenric. She had forgotten that he had been standing there. She must have been quite a sight: her black hair stringy, her shirt and skirt ragged and blood speckled.
"Yo-you--" Kenric couldn't seem to get past the word 'you'.
Vistra tossed the soldier's sword away from herself and onto the bloody grass. She picked up the knife that she had knocked to the ground and with a couple deft moves, wiped most of the blood off on the dead man's clothing. She then replaced her weapons, knowing that she would have to clean them properly later.
She brushed her hair away from her face with her left hand, realizing too late that she was probably leaving smudges of blood on her cheek. Then with her clean hand, she pressed two fingers against her lips and released a shrill whistle.
Bile came thundering up to her as she knelt to pick up the bag she had tossed down; she grabbed his reins and mounted with a swiftness that told of long hours of practice.
She looked down at Kenric, who had by now managed to close his mouth. The look on his face was one of shock. Disbelief. Horror.
And hurt.
"I'm sorry, Kenric--I…"
He just stared up at her.
She shook herself, pulled herself together. Then, spoke coolly, "You should be careful. There may be more men watching. Be more cautious of the words you speak to others; you never know who's listening. I have to go."
She pressed her heels into Bile's sides; she and Bile took off.