Racing to the Rescue

But you know what to do (to do)

When it gets hold of you

~ Huey Lewis

Chapter 1

There is no truer saying than "Revenge is a dish best eaten cold." It is so much sweeter for the waiting, and my only regret is that I cannot broadcast my triumph to the world. ~ Minette Walters

Leon opened the crate he'd had the crew carry off the liner as they reached the destination. In the books, Leon had gone wild to get some good luck charms and perhaps he'd try his own luck at that, but they weren't something he was counting on.

"Lovely day, isn't it?" he greeted his stepbrother. They might not be bloodkin, but their parents had been married once so there was at least a little legal tie.

Rudyard glared up at him.

"Oh, sorry." Leon removed the gag. "So, let's try that again. Lovely day, isn't it?"

"I can't tell." The blond young man stretched against his bonds. "It's nothing but darkness in here!"

"Yes yes." Leon reached down and began to untie him. "Look on the bright side, at least you're not being killed as a pirate. That's an option, you know. The captain wouldn't have let me keep you aboard if you were free to run around. And if you were really unlucky, you could have fallen into Lady Hunt's hands."

Rudyard shuddered. His crate had been in a room just across from the cell where Lord and Lady Forton had been guests. While Mary wasn't an expert torturer, she'd spent a great deal of the voyage venting her displeasure upon the pair. They'd probably recover… well except for Jack Forton's ability to father children, but given who and how he'd planned to use that ability on, Leon was disinclined to sympathise.

Helping the taller boy out of the crate, Leon leant against the wall of the alley he'd chosen for this conversation. "So how did you get involved in this mess?"

"I needed the money."

Leon sighed. "I suppose honest work was hard to come by?"

Rudyard looked abashed. "Forton offered cash up front and mother said it was a good deal."

"Of course she did." Leon folded his arms. "Just out of interest, how much of that money is in your pockets and how much went to her and Merce?"

"Why are you even asking? But I'm the man of the family now, I need to look after them!"

The dark-haired young man shook his head. "Are they doing anything to bring in income, or is that another stupid question?"

"Mother has written to all her friends," Rudyard offered.

"I don't imagine that took long."

"She's got contacts all over the kingdom," Zola's only son protested. "There are lots of people who could help."

"If she had something to offer them, sure." Leon tried not to smirk. "But she's not a Bartford or a Coleman anymore. I suspect that an awful lot of those people are all 'Zola who?' So, not friends by any definition I hold up to."

"And I suppose you have a bunch of friends?" Rudyard asked. "I went to the academy too. I know what it's like when your best prospect is inheriting a barony."

"Oddly, I do. I admit that I'm as surprised as you are, but there it is. I even have a lady who I'm courting. One who's actually willing to admit that I'm courting her."

Rudyard gave him a sceptical look. "You do?"

Leon nodded. "Bizarre, isn't it?"

"What did I do wrong then?!" Rudyard exclaimed. "I did everything my mother told me I should and no one gave me the time of day! And someone like you is courting a noble lady successfully."

"A count's daughter," Leon confirmed.

"...now I know you're lying to me," the blond said flatly. "I might have bought it, but a count's daughter? You?"

Leon nodded. "Me."

"Roseblade's other daughter?"

"Nope!"

"Oh my god, you're not lying. HOW!"

Leon moved over and rested his hand on Rudyard's shoulder. "Listening to your mother was probably your first mistake. She's never been a boy at the academy, and her own time at the career only got her married to a baron she considered beneath her. Zola was a failure, so all she could teach you was how to fail."

Rudyard seemed about to cry. "You're telling me I've wasted my life. I'm twenty years old in less than a year and no woman will ever look at me."

"Rudyard," Leon shook his head. "Your life is not over. Marrying by twenty is a Holfort custom. There are other realms. But you need to make a fresh start and leave behind everything that'll hold you back."

"You mean, leave Holfort?"

A nod.

"Mother would never do that."

"Did you miss the part where I said 'leave behind everything that'll hold you back'?" Leon asked. "She's hundreds of miles away. I'm more than happy to have my report claim that you're one of the knights that didn't survive the battle. Just go."

Rudyard stared at him, eyes wide. Then he shook his head. "I can't. Look at me. I've got nothing. I've not even got pockets in this." He held his arms out, indicating the pilot suit he was wearing.

His stepbrother smiled. "Don't worry." He offered Rudyard a bag. "One change of clothes. Enough money to keep you going for a few weeks. And a ticket to the far side of Rachelle. Somewhere no one has ever even heard of the Bartfords or the Colemans. Hell, they might never have even heard of elves."

The blond stared at the bag. "What if I can't? What if I fail?"

"You've been failing up till now." Leon was unflinching. "Let's face it, once your mother realises that her so-called friends aren't interested, she's only got two things left to sell. Merce… and you. Which do you think she'll peddle off first to keep her lifestyle going? She's not your safety net, she's an anchor dragging you down… and this?" He waved the bag. "This is your chance to cut her loose."

Princess Hertrude Sera Fanoss had seen a vault like this before - most recently when her own was investigated following the break-in at Castle Fanoss. This was considerably larger though, reflecting the greater age and wealth of the Holfort Kingdom. And although she was an outsider here, she hadn't broken in. No, she was getting a guided tour.

Trophies and treasures were arranged in alcoves or on plinths. She catalogued the security as she was led through it, biting her tongue rather than comment when some of the ragged and wartorn banners displayed from the ceiling were recognisably those of Fanoss' knights. Although she surely missed as many protections as she saw, it was all information to note down and provide to her own family's archives back on Fanoss.

One day, perhaps even one day soon, she might be in a position to take what she wanted from here. It would be useful to have some idea of the likely problems.

"My apologies for the disruptions to the negotiations," Marquis Malcolm Fou Frampton offered as he led her through the chamber. "The change of ministers has put us in the position of, shall we say, needing to review our viewpoints. A fresh pair of eyes."

The marquis wasn't even the Minister of Foreign Affairs, so Hertrude was unclear why he was the one providing her with this tour. Nothing of substance in negotiations could be done without Count Ascart's involvement now that he was Minister of Foreign Affairs. And yet it was the Minister of Magic who had invited her to this informal meeting beneath the Holfort's royal palace.

"I can see how that might open new opportunities in the administration of the kingdom, and perhaps in relations with the principality," she said in a neutral voice.

Then she saw the next exhibit, a severed limb that seemed to mix flesh and metal obscenely, and was glad that she'd finished her sentence before doing so. Otherwise she would likely have stumbled over her words in disbelief. A lost item, just laid out for her to see. Was this a trap?

Oh, it wasn't as if she could just pick it up and use it, but this could only be the remains of one of the technological golems spoken of as the forebears of knight-armours, or rather, that knight-armours had first been devised to hunt down and defeat. A legacy of the ancient past, like Sir Vandel's sword - a potent weapon in the hands of those who knew how to use it.

"Officially," the marquis noted quietly, "it is the position of the kingdom that the status quo is something we are happy to maintain. The truce that your most honourable father had agreed to allows both our nations to focus upon other borders."

Hertrude nodded.

"Unofficially, and you must understand that Count Ascart cannot possibly be heard to say this, it is understood that there is some dissatisfaction with the terms within the principality." Frampton looked at her to see if she took his point.

Her mind going to certain faces, the princess nodded again. "There are always those who feel that their position could have been improved upon in any situation. Whether or not their beliefs are well founded is another matter."

"It is very wise of you to draw that line." The marquis led her past chests of jewellery, each closed but with a platter upon the lid to display one of the more notable of the contents. Wealth, but nothing that Hertrude cared for. "And naturally there are those in the kingdom who would prefer that we set aside the treaty and pursue war once more. Those who do not see that our core interests are not really in conflict with yours."

She made an interested noise, while thinking 'what a fool'. Not in conflict? Did he not realise that the very existence of Holfort was considered a threat to the principality? It was why her ancestors had broken away, why wars had been fought incessantly over the generations since. And the destruction of the kingdom wasn't in conflict with Frampton's so-called 'core interests'?

Either he was very ill-informed or he was actively betraying the Holforts. Or this was a trap, but hearing him out cost nothing. It was not as if she was under any obligation to tell King Roland if one of his ministers wanted to cut a deal. It could only be considered a violation of the terms of her presence if she accepted it.

Frampton seemed to take this as an invitation to continue. He gestured at an old map on the wall, one that showed the principality's islands - or most of them - as part of the kingdom. "Borders change over time. That's perfectly normal. There are voices within the kingdom that would be willing to accept a more… generous, shall we say? A more generous interpretation of where the principality's natural borders lie."

Hertrude smiled. "And I am sure that these voices would seek some form of generosity from myself in return for such a… correction?"

"I see that you understand. The trade routes across Fanoss' territory could be a considerable opportunity for the more mercantile of our houses. If the tariffs for such shipping were to be reduced to a less punitive level then the increase in ships across the principality could easily make good in volume any loss in individual tariffs paid."

At the cost of Holfort ships crossing our airspace in numbers, Hertrude thought. Technically the current treaty allowed merchantmen to cross the principality, something that could allow the smuggling of a sizable force over the border should King Roland wish to launch a new war with a preemptive strike. The tariffs and customs inspections weren't an attempt to profit from the trade westwards and eastwards across her patrimony, they were precisely calculated to deter that trade as much as possible.

"It's an interesting possibility," she allowed. "But mercantile interests rarely have a strong voice within the kingdom, as I understand it."

"Adventurers carved out the kingdom." Frampton's pride was a little forced, she thought. "That is the traditional view, but as Holfort has matured, it is trade and communication that has allowed it to grow - both in size and in prosperity. That is a fact that men like Duke Redgrave -"

"To pick an example at random?"

The marquis smiled tightly. "He and I have something of a history, I confess, of disagreeing on that point. I am aware that you are on good terms with his daughter, but the personal and the political are best kept separate."

"It is unfortunate," Herturde conceded, "But naturally I have had to keep in mind during my time at the academy that if relations between myself and King Roland soured that I might one day see those young men facing the knights in my service."

"I would like to resolve matters without leaving them to the next generation," the thin man proposed. "But as you correctly point out, there is sufficient distrust that we could not simply reach a new and fairer equilibrium through simple renegotiation. Too many voices would be raised against it."

Hertrude ran her fingers along the glass case surrounding a necklace that she was sure she'd seen Queen Mylene wear once. "And yet you would not raise this possibility if you had no solution."

Frampton hesitated and then nodded. "That is so."

"A possibility that cannot go through normal channels suggests that abnormal channels could be followed."

"Correct, your highness."

She lowered her head, glancing at him through her fringe. "A fresh approach then. You have secured my ear, Marquis Frampton. I will hear you out, but do not imagine I will jump into any agreement without consulting older and more experienced counsellors."

He bowed. "I would expect no less sagacity from you, your royal highness. What I propose then is that we replace the current peace treaty with a new peace treaty. And for the current peace treaty to need replacing, the peace must clearly be broken so that we have grounds to establish a new treaty."

...what? "To negotiate a new peace treaty, you wish that we should go to war? A bold strategy, Marquis."

"One cannot overturn the inertia of the status quo without some measure of boldness, your highness."

Yes. A thief had dared her own treasury and then her sister's bedchamber… that man had not lacked for boldness. Although of another nature to that which Frampton claimed to possess. She did not imagine that he would seek the frontlines of a new war. "For the war to lead to the border changes that you have hinted at, such a war would have to go poorly for Holfort."

"To a degree, yes."

Surely no one could be this foolish. The proposal had to be treason… or a trap.

"Let us be honest, your highness. Fanoss lacks the numbers to conquer the kingdom. But were you to inflict a sufficient defeat - upon a force that was led by those hostile to your legitimate claims - then there would be reason to seek a compromise rather than divert resources and soldiers from our other concerns. And by the same token, your enemies within Holfort would bear the stigma of defeat and be in no position to argue with the outcome."

Hertrude nodded thoughtfully. "This war you envisage could not be a matter of raid and counter-raid. Chevauchees, of the kind that have ravaged islands on both sides of our border, are not conducive to any negotiated end."

"Indeed not!" exclaimed Frampton. "No, such losses would cost us both dearly. I propose nothing of the kind. Let the battle or battles be fought by those who have chosen to serve at arms. And then let those of us accustomed to the cut and thrust of diplomacy to discuss the ultimate resolution."

"What sort of place do you see Count Ascart taking in those negotiations?" she enquired.

"I believe," the old man said modestly, "That if negotiations between our nations led not to improved relations but to war, then our current Minister of Foreign Affairs might be asked to return to his previous duties at the Ministry of Magic."

And with Count Atlee recently ousted from foreign affairs and unlikely to return given current disfavour, Hertrude realised, Marquis Frampton is likely to be asked to handle negotiations. Not definitely, but a strong contender. "On the face of it, and I concede that I am inexperienced in such matters, this… scenario… does not seem implausible."

"I am pleased that you think so." The marquis bowed.

Hertrude tilted her head around and began to walk around the hall again, drawing the marquis with her. "When I consult my council, who have not had an opportunity to see the inside affairs of the kingdom first hand, they may wonder if you are sufficiently well placed that we can take you to be speaking with authority."

"Ah, alas, my reputation has not spread so far. Do years of faithful service to my own king count for nothing?" That was not entirely good humour that Hertrude detected.

"It is natural to distrust those one does not know." The princess let her eyes flick around. "And the suspicion might be that King Roland, who has not generally favoured granting senior offices to feudal lords save his personal circle of friends and allies, might see you as… expendable should matters not go as predicted."

Frampton grunted. "I see," he admitted. "Is there something I can do that might prove my credibility? Some favour I may arrange?"

Hertrude pursed her lips. "These are the treasures of the Holfort household," she pointed out. "Bringing me here, unsupervised, speaks well to me of your status." As it was doubtless intended to. "But you can hardly bring my counsellors down here."

"Indeed not, even were they all here. But I believe I see where you are going, your highness. If I am in a position to persuade King Roland to grant you some gift from his family's treasures, then my influence is not in doubt."

"Exactly." She gestured towards the arm she had observed. "That thing, for example. It has no inherent value, it's merely a part of some larger item. But as a trophy it has value to your king and as a token to me…"

Marquis Frampton bowed deeply. "I see, your highness. Well, Let us see if I can prove myself to you."

One more thing I know, Hertrude thought. Our flutes are not here. I would recognise their mere presence, so closely they are bound to my family. And if you knew that we lacked them, Marquis, you would have far more in the way of doubts that I could live up to this pact.

But if you are not behind the thief, who is? And what are they after?

Marie Fou Lafan was waiting impatiently for the liner to dock. She'd come back from her own field trip, so why was this one taking so long?

"Looks like they had some trouble," Greg Fou Seberg noted as he stood next to her at the port. "Something must have hit the side of the ship - it's been patched."

The girl hadn't spotted that level of detail and it took her a while to spot where the damage was. "Oh, I see it. What could have happened?"

Greg exchanged a look with Brad. "Monster attack, do you think?"

The purple-haired boy shaded his eyes with one hand. "I don't think so. Might be some kind of collision. On the way out, they probably patched it in port before setting out back."

"Let's go and ask some of the students who went," she suggested, heading around the docks and looking for familiar faces. A very particular familiar face, one that had the audacity not to be a blank outline as he surely had been in the game.

The boys kept pace with each other, jostling aside other passersby to ensure Marie wasn't knocked over by the press of crowds. The capital's port was always busy, and since she was unfairly short, when she'd first come through here she'd been in constant fear that someone would just walk right over her without noticing.

They weren't the only ones making their way to the docks to wait for the disembarking students. Marie spotted Keith Rafa Claes approaching, although he stayed clear of them.

It was so frustrating! She'd picked up all five capture targets, but it was clear that the academy was actually full of hotties. She couldn't help but think that maybe if she'd known the right flags to raise then there wouldn't have been all these problems.

Lord Keith was an obvious example: if she'd got the shy, pretty mage onto her side, then he wouldn't have been fighting against Brad. Sure, Brad had won, but just the fact that they were fighting had meant that the Duke of Claes was against her now.

Marie had to wonder if her brother (the one in her past life) had hidden something from her when he had sent her the save games. Was getting people like Keith out of the way part of the battle side of the game that she'd not been able to complete? But on reflection, it didn't make sense - she'd seen footage from other people playing the game and no one ever mentioned there being a cast of characters that might stand up for Angelica if you didn't neutralise them.

Once they got to the disembarkation part of the quay, there was no avoiding Keith entirely. He must be here for his sister - and that was probably for the best. Katarina Rafa Claes was so scatter-brained she could get lost in a room with only one door. Marie would have suspected her of being the heroine of her own Otome game, given how many conquests she'd clearly managed, but there was no way that any Otome game would give their main character such a villainous expression when she was angry. Protagonists had to be cute and adorable, with light and fluffy hair. It was a rule!

"Waiting for your sister?" Greg asked bluntly.

Keith looked up. "Yes. ...and Mary, I suppose."

"Hopefully they're alright," said Brad slyly. "What with the damage to the ship."

"Damage?" the flaxen-haired boy exclaimed, stepping back and looking at the ship more carefully. "What damage?"

Greg nudged Brad reprovingly. "It's on the other side," he told Keith. "Looks like something collided with the ship - knocked a hole in it that they had to patch down at the southern island. Not bad enough they had to turn back or couldn't get back - your sister's probably fine."

"I knew I shouldn't have let her go alone."

Marie would have rather gone with all her group, but the random draw had split them across two trips. Julius, Jilk and Chris weren't back yet. If they hadn't been disinherited, it would be easy to ensure they stayed together… but that wasn't the case, and Keith's sister with her big stupid height, big stupid breasts and big stupid head had been part of the problem.

But she didn't dare fume about that. No, instead she plastered a positive mask over her face. "I'm sure Lady Claes is fine. The ship would have signalled for help if there was a big problem."

"Keith!" Someone called from up on the ship's deck.

Marie looked up and saw the big stupid head plainly visible, waving her hand enthusiastically.

"Katarina!" Keith called back, in relief. "Are you alright? Did you have a good time?"

"It was amazing!" the girl yelled back, before someone pulled her away.

Several minutes later, the first students began to leave the ship - some of them trailed by servants but mostly not. The former reminded Marie of Nanaka and how he'd been stolen away by Claes. The latter girls would have been a relief if they weren't all the girls of the lowest status - the ones who mostly lurked in their rooms, emerging only for classes or to go to Bartford's boring tea parties and…

Heeeeey. There were an awful lot of those girls on this trip. And of the various grass-chewing low-grade barely-noble boys that had latched onto them. Marie's brow furrowed. Had Bartford stacked the deck to take most of his friends with him? Atlee hadn't gone along so that seemed unlikely. And that was another ridiculous notion. A younger son getting a countess daughter, why was the redhead settling for him?

There were too many anomalies around that ought-to-be-just-a-mob. He wasn't pretty enough to be a real character but things kept circling back to him. What if he was some kind of hidden boss? He'd brush back his hair (no, he already tied it back), remove his glasses (except he didn't have any) and suddenly he'd be the slick villain with a torturous backstory.

Marie shook her head. She'd rather avoid him entirely, but if she was going to salvage this mess then she needed the Saintess' relics and one of them was already not where she'd expected it to be. If Bartford had one of them - or worse, if he'd eliminated the pirates who should have it before they'd found the necklace so she'd have no idea where it was...

She might very well strangle him.

Well, have one of her boys strangle him. Marie wasn't tall enough to do so herself. The five of them had to be good for something! The thought of having beautiful men like them catering to her every whim had got her through the hard times in two different lives.

"Keith!" "Katarina!"

Marie ignored the idiot siblings repeating their earlier conversation as she saw Bartford descending the gangway, trailed by that blonde third-year… What was her name… Roseblade? Something-with-a-D Fou Roseblade. Double-D? She shook her head. No, although it might be appropriate.

"What happened to the ship?" Keith asked his sister. "Someone said it had been patched on the other side?"

"It was an accident," Katarina protested, waving her hands. "No one was hurt, almost no one was even mad."

The boy groaned. "Sis, what did you do?"

"It's not my fault Mary's brother-in-law tried to abduct her!"

"...what?"

Marie's ears pricked up. Abduction! There hadn't been anything like that on the school trip she remembered from the game… but the summer island event was later in the game so probably she'd be going for the second year. Whatever happened this year wouldn't affect her much, right?

Bartford arrived at the bottom of the ramp, bag in hand. "Hi, Keith. Good school trip?"

"It was fine, thank you." The Claes boy pushed his coat tails back irritably. "Are you alright Mary?" he asked his sister's companion.

"Much better. Lady Katarina was so gallant protecting me!" The other girl grabbed Katarina's arm possessively.

"And how did that involve making a hole in the side of the ship?"

Katarina Rafa Claes seemed to find the paving of the quay very interesting, but Greg perked up. "I'm kind of curious too!" he declared.

"I knocked a knight-armour through the side," the girl admitted. "There were two of them!"

"You had to fight two knight-armours?" her brother gasped. "Bartford, didn't you have your knight-armour with you? Why was my sister fighting two knights at once?"

"Because he was fighting four at once," Roseblade declared proudly, as if she was the one who had done it.

Greg looked impressed. "Four on one? Not bad!"

"They were probably just pirates or scum like that," Brad suggested dismissively.

"Oh, that's right!" Marie exclaimed, seizing the opportunity to bring up the topic she wanted to discuss. "You fought pirates before, didn't you Lord Bartford?"

He blinked. "Uh… yes?"

Wait, wasn't he going to boast about it?

"Isn't that how you got your family out of debt?" she asked. "I remember hearing about it and wishing my family could win some pirate treasure to pay off ours."

"Hey, if you want pirates we could go hunting for them over the next term break?" suggested Greg. "What do you say, Brad?"

"It's only natural that you'd think of some violent and uncultured plan for the winter," the other boy griped. "But if pirate treasure is what Lady Marie wants then of course we should get it for her."

The words made Marie's heart tremble. Pretty boys winning lots of money for her! It was right out of the game.

Except, she reminded herself, that the sky-pirates she wanted the treasure from had already been destroyed, by someone else.

It was not fair!

"That sounds great, guys," she explained. "Lady Claes showed me her bracelet that she found in a dungeon. Did you find any jewellery when you beat the pirates, Lord Bartford?"

The boy smiled. As if he knew something. But no, he was just being smug and showing off. "Why yes. I found a necklace that was in just the same style!"

"You did?" asked Katarina. "That's amazing! Could I see it sometime?"

Oh great, someone had asked it so that she didn't have to. Marie grabbed Brad and Greg's arms to reassure them that she wasn't losing interest in them.

But Bartford shook his head. "It was a religious treasure, something related to the saintess. I donated it to the temple."

...well at least it wasn't missing, lost someplace that she'd never figure out.

"Wait…" Brad sounded suspicious. "A necklace that was a religious relic? Lady Claes, do you happen to have that bracelet you found handy?"

"Sure!" The brunette extended her wrist. "I wear it all the time. Well, most of the time. Almost of the time?"

Brad examined it. "A necklace in a similar style to this… it couldn't be the Saintess' Necklace could it?"

"But if that was found, it would be a huge event," pointed out Keith. "The temple would want to show off that the Saint's Regalia had returned to them."

"They're really secretive about the regalia," Mary told him. "There are reproductions, that's probably where Katarina's bracelet came from originally. But the Temple only allows the most senior priestesses to see the real ones." Then she smirked. "And if Leon found the real necklace somewhere, that would explain it. They must have been hiding the fact that they'd lost it. I wonder if they have the others."

They'd better have the sceptre, Marie thought. If they've managed to lose that then I might fail this entire thing. Now how am I going to prove that I'm the Saintess' heir? Claes has the bracelet and treasures it, and getting my hands on either of the other two if they're locked away in the temple…

I'll think of something. She clenched her fists. There has to be a way. I won't lose now!

"Let's get back to the academy," Keith proposed. "Katarina, do you have your luggage?"

"It's being brought down," she told him, pointing to another gangway where bags and cases were being unloaded.

Her brother nodded. "Let's get them then."

"Oh thank you, Keith," Mary exclaimed. "I do appreciate you getting my bags for me!"

"I will also take advantage of your kind offer," Roseblade chipped in with a smirk.

The young man glared. "I… fine."

Bartford laughed. "It's a cruel world, Keith. I've got to sort out the knight-armours - I'll go with you and then we can send those back to the academy with the ladies' baggage."

"Thanks," he said grudgingly.

Greg nodded. "Let's go get tea after that, Bartford. You can tell us about your battles!"

"I'm sure Lady Marie isn't really interested in his battles," Brad objected. "We can go back to the academy now that your curiosity is sated. There's a sky ferry leaving shortly that we can catch."

A maid appeared (almost but not quite out of nowhere) at Katarina's side. Marie realised with a start that it was Nanaka, dressed in a maid's uniform. He looked so cute! It was adorable… and horrifying. What had happened to him? Katarina's other maid hadn't made him into a girl, had she? Snipped off his…? The little blonde shivered at the very idea.

"Lady Claes, Anne suggests that you go directly back to the academy. She believes that your mother would prefer that you not wander around the port."

"That's a good point," Keith agreed. "Mary, Lady Roseblade, could I entrust my sister to you? Make sure she doesn't get sidetracked into any sudden shopping trips or wander down a dark alley and have an adventure."

"But I just came back from an adventure," the girl protested.

"Exactly!"

"If we're going pirate hunting in the winter, for treasure for Marie," Greg pointed out to Brad, "We should learn what we can. Bartford's actually succeeded at that. We don't have to like him, to learn from him."

"I suppose so. If Lady Marie would be interested?"

She hated to do this, particularly if they were going to have to spend their limited funds, but if it led to pirate treasures then it was more of an investment. Marie nodded hesitantly and let Greg have his way.

Katarina knew something was missing when she got to the dining hall the first day back from the school trip and Keith wasn't there. She'd expected him to visit her last night after he handled the baggage, but not only had he not done that, he also hadn't been waiting to take her to breakfast.

Was this the rebellious phase she'd heard about? Did he no longer dote on his older sister? Had he found someone that made his heart go doki-doki and forget all about her? (That last part was like a rain cloud above her head.)

But not even at the dining hall at all? No, something was wrong.

Stopping for nothing… well, except a couple of slices of french toast that she grabbed off the counter… Katarina trotted towards Keith's dormitory building. She munched on the toast and conscientiously wiped her lips with her handkerchief before going in. See, Keith!? She could indeed make herself presentable!

"Lord Claes?" The concierge frowned when she enquired. "I don't think I've seen him today."

It was worse than she thought! Maybe Keith was sick! "I'll go up and see him."

"We're not supposed to give the keys out to student's rooms," the man protested.

Katarina turned a pleading look upon him. "But I'm his sister! What if he's fallen over and can't get up?"

"...well I suppose that's true." The concierge dug around and handed her a key. "But please bring it back as soon as you can."

"Okay!" Quest item get! She waved at the man, heading up the stairs, taking them two at a time. Having the key would make this much easier. Mother had lectured her for hours that time she knocked Keith's door down with an axe. She'd had a really good reason too!

Unlocking Keith's door, she pushed it open. "KEITH!"

No reply. Katarina walked into the room, and didn't see her brother. Nothing seemed obviously out of place. She poked around, checking under the bed, in the wardrobe, anywhere he could be hiding. "Keith! This isn't funny!"

Her brother was still not in evidence.

"What the heck? Did Claes sneak a girl in?" A familiar head of purple hair looked around the open door. "Oh, it's you. What are you doing here?"

"I'm looking for Keith!" Katarina exclaimed to Brad Fou Field. "Have you seen him?"

"Not since yesterday," the young man shrugged. "What's the panic? You went days without seeing him on the school trip."

"But he never misses breakfast with me when we're in the same place. It's the most important meal of the day!"

Brad shook his head. "Maybe he followed Bartford's example and found another girl. Or something else he doesn't want you to know about. But if you haven't found him here, you should leave. Girls aren't supposed to be in our rooms."

"Oh no!" Katarina ran out of the room and headed for the stairs. Then she stopped herself, went back and locked up Keith's room before she rushed back downstairs. For the first time in its existence, the boys dorm saw a girl descend the stairs by sitting on the bannister and sliding down it. Fortunately for Katarina's ears, the oral legend of that moment would never reach her mother.

Tossing the key back to the concierge, Katarina ran outside. She had to find Olivia! If she'd got onto the Keith route during the school trip then anything could have happened! And Katarina had been a wicked older sister yesterday! She'd let Deirdre and Mary distract her and leave Keith doing all the luggage work!

She felt terribly repentant. Even if it wouldn't drive Keith into Olivia's arms and open up a bad end for her, it still wasn't the way she should treat him.

"Lady Katarina," Nicol greeted her as she rushed past. "Is something wrong?"

"Keith! Olivia! Route! Missing!" she exclaimed. "I have to find him and apologise or something terrible will happen?"

He blinked and Katarina felt like swooning at those dark, mysterious eyes with their luxurious eyebrows. NO! She had to be strong. "I don't quite follow."

"Keith is missing!"

The student council president drew himself up. "I see. Please come with me to the student council offices and we will begin a search."

Gosh, Nicol was incredible! He understood her immediately.

Sweeping into the student council wing, Nicol led her up into his office. "Sirius, please join us," he invited the ever-present redhead. "I believe Lady Katarina would benefit from some tea."

Sitting her down in front of his desk, Nicol took his own seat behind it and steepled his fingers. "When did you last see Keith?"

"Yesterday, at the port."

"And when did you realise he was missing?"

"This morning! He wasn't there for breakfast."

Nicol paused. "You didn't miss him at the dorm?"

Katarina shook her head frantically, her hair almost hitting Sirius in the face. "Oh, sorry."

"It's quite alright, Lady Claes." He served her a cup of tea. "Please take a sip."

It was delicious tea, she realised, slumping back slightly in the chair.

"This is most concerning," Nicol concluded. "Where have you searched so far?"

"I went to his dorm room!"

The older boy nodded solemnly. "We have had one abduction already this term."

"Almost two!"

"Two?" he asked.

"Mary was almost kidnapped off the liner!"

"The report is in your inbox," Sirius murmured.

"Ah." Nicol picked up his pen. "Sirius, I would like you to assemble all available members of the student council so we can organise a search party." He scribbled several lines on a sheet of paper. "Authorisation to draft students as needed." Rising to his full and impressive height, he looked down on Katarina. "I will consult with the staff. Perhaps someone has seen him since yesterday. Lady Katarina, please remain here at the student council in case your brother comes here. I am counting on you."

Katarina nodded obediently, and drank some more of the tea. It really was very calming.

The window, open to let the morning air in, was suddenly framing her cousin Scarlet. How she'd got up there, Katarina didn't know - she was more concerned that she'd just spilled hot tea on herself! That wasn't calming at all!

"Ahhh!"

The silver-blonde girl bounded casually down into the room. "Katarina, you have an urgent letter. Anne said you should read it right away."

"Ahhh!"

Nicol and Scarlet exchanged looks and then Katarina was surrounded by a whirlwind that swept all the tea away from her, depositing it neatly back in the cup. Her dress wasn't even stained.

Sirius smoothly took the cup and saucer away. "I'll get you a fresh cup," he offered kindly.

Katarina couldn't reply, for right before her was the letter that Scarlet offered. The seal was already open, suggesting that Anne had read it already, as usual. (It meant that Katarina didn't leave anything important on the bottom of her drawer without reading it. Which had only happened twice!)

Cautiously, the girl unfolded it.

"Aahhhh!"

"Again?" asked Sirius, looking back into the room.

"No, it's an aahhhh, not an ahhh," Scarlet told him.

"Oh."

"Katarina?" Nicol asked politely. "What's wrong? Is it a ransom note?"

"Worse!" she cried. "Keith has… he says he's run away!"