The guard stared at her for a long time. Kieran, according to his nametag, was looking for some reason why she shouldn't be admitted to the castle.
Heather didn't blame him, really. She wasn't some foreign dignitary or person of any import. She was a citizen wearing sweatpants and a sweatshirt.
"You're…cleared for entry." Heather walked on through before the zealous guard had an aneurism. His eyes bored holes in her back. It was refreshing in a way, having a man stare at her for her, not her tits or ass.
Sure, he probably wanted to throw her out onto the street, but a girl had to take a win where it came from.
Walking across the wide green space between the walls and the castle proper, Heather could see it wasn't just Keiran who was watching her. Every guard had at least an eye trained on her. She was an unknown. An oddity.
Something they needed to observe meticulously. Lucia Delbray inviting a mysterious woman into the castle during the current political climate?
Heather couldn't find a reason to cite it as crazy.
A cacophonous boom reminded her of her urgency in walking to the castle. Thunder. Her pace quickened from lackadaisical to resolute in an instant.
Every guard she had her eyes on flinched at the change. Hands to guns, to their earpieces. Quick movements told her she was on dangerous ground.
She considered the slums dangerous to an outsider. But she was an outsider on these grounds now.
When she finally arrived at the main doors to the castle, she was greeted by a single guard. Oh, other guards were around, but they cut a wide berth as the circled her. Heather's time running with gangs had taught her to know when she was cornered.
This one, tall and eye-patched, looked like he'd just woken up from a nap. His hair was ruffled in an odd way and his appearance disheveled, but Heather's eyes caught the way his hand hovered at the holster.
"Madam, you must be Heath…" He paused, yawning. "Heather," he finished. "Lady Lucia said to expect you. I'll be your…" Another yawn. "Your escort, Haar."
"Perfect," Heather said. "Sure you're awake for it?"
Haar tilted his head down and really looked at her. In a moment of clarity amidst the sleep and haze of a lazy man, Heather glimpsed the person beneath. A guard who would do anything for his charge. A man of action.
Heather shivered.
"Well, try any funny business and you can test how awake I am," Haar grumbled. He gestured with a nod of his head. "Follow me."
Haar took Heather through the castle. Like its exterior, the interior followed the motif of white. Walls, furniture, white with tones of green. The guards' attire, black as night, didn't seem as suited for the castle now that she was inside.
But far more interesting than the décor was the tension.
Men and women walked up and down the halls in hushed conversation. They would fall to a hush when passing guards, only to pick up again once enough distance had passed.
Heather didn't miss how Haar's eye focused on each face that didn't meet his as they passed. His was memorizing. Filing information away for later.
"We're here," he said, breaking her out of her reverie. Heather blinked, staring at a white door. "Lady Lucia has requested privacy, but I'll be right out this door." The threat was left implied.
Heather nodded. She opened the door, ignoring Haar's trained eye.
The room was less grand than she expected. Oh, it was opulent and full of grandeur, fitted with a massive bed and a balcony that looked over the courtyard. Filled with fresh flowers in vases, the room was spotless.
But that was it. No massive sculptures, no gaudy works of art. It was finery refined. Not like the movies Heather had seen of rich people, always flaunting their money.
Heather liked that about Lucia.
"Heather!" Lucia cried, turning around on the balcony. She crossed the room by the time Heather closed the door. Her arms wrapped around her torso and Heather stumbled back, her breath catching and a chuckle blooming. She returned the hug.
"Good to see you too." Heather pulled back and kissed Lucia. The two stepped back from each other and shared a moment of silence.
"I like the room." Heather broke it first.
Lucia looked around and shook her head. "It lacks personality. You should see my room back at the Delbray estate. In my younger years I fancied myself a bit of a decorator."
"As an artist I feel inclined to express my interest at seeing this room at some point," Heather said through her smirk.
Lucia laughed. "You will. What this room has that I do love is the balcony. Come."
"Most people wait to have me in bed before saying that." Her words tumbled out, not that she stopped them.
The noblewoman paused and turned to look at Heather. She fixed her with a long look. Then, "Play your cards right and we'll see."
At Heather's look of shock at the reply, Lucia grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the balcony, her laughter leading the way.
Heather didn't know how many minutes or hours went by when the knock at the door came. Lucia cut off mid-sentence as she said, "Come in."
The door opened and in stepped the Queen of Crimea.
The Queen looked at Lucia, then to Heather. She smiled.
"Is this her?" the Queen asked.
Lucia floundered for words. "Uh, yeah. Heather, this is Elincia. Elincia, this is Heather." Lucia's face was bright red.
Heather would tease her about it later.
For now, she'd try to not concentrate on the photo she'd seen of Elincia naked.
"A pleasure, your majesty," Heather bowed her head, but didn't stand up. Oddly, Elincia seemed pleased.
"Elincia is fine," she waved off. "When I heard Lucia had invited a stranger to the castle, I had to come and see if it was the one and only Heather I had heard so much about."
Heather glanced at Lucia. "Oh, been talking about me behind my back? Better be saying nice things, dear," she joked. The Queen laughed as Lucia protested futilely.
Her phone vibrated in her pocket. Stealing a quick glance, she didn't recognize the number. As she opened the message, she gasped.
"Is everything alright?" Elincia asked.
"Just taken with Lucia's beauty, you know?" Heather lied on the spot. She leaned into the woman sitting next to her. Lucia wrapped and arm around her, blushing.
Elincia giggled and clapped theatrically. It didn't do much to distract Heather from what she'd seen.
It had been a picture of Sothe, tied to a chair. Gagged and bloody.
The words, 'We need to talk. Now.' followed.