Malty's hard work had paid off, in the intervening three years since she had joined her mother's guard she has now become one of its commanders and has been allowed to 'investigate' the nobility of any form of treason under the queen's watch, and now that it has been a little over a week after the first wave and the coast being flooded with an increase in stronger and overall sheer numbers in monsters she was finally putting her plans into action. The men that accompanied her dressed to impress on her coin noticed her chipper mood as they prepared to play bodyguard to a noble that has recently been given regency of some land that bordered the sea. She was in deep thought trying to pick from several children's dresses using the silver hair maid that bared more than a striking resemblance to her as counsel. The two women would debate over several choices before narrowing it down to two, the hall close to the entrance was abuzz with arguments. Most of the knights could not make heads or tails of what was happening but were happy with their teenage captain's jovial outlook as of late before the crown princess' induction ceremony. "Do you have a clue as to what's going on?" A well-dressed brunette man asked one of his female colleagues who was watching the proceedings.

"It would seem that the princess can't decide on evening wear for our little Filo, she is now weighing the options between the white one with the purple flowers and the red one with the bow." The woman in a light blue evening gown informed the man in a disinterested tone. She was not all that interested in fashion over function but she enjoyed watching the princess and captain so animated, it has been some time since Malty had what one would consider fun, or a break for that matter since this new regiment was formed. So this woman was pleased with the sight of Malty cracking a smile.

"Reverting…" The man was not at all interested, deciding it was best to keep things professional at all times. "It's your watch, I will keep an eye on the princess."

The woman stood up from a couch in the living area swiftly moving to the entrance where the man stood. "You need to loosen up, you know that Reggie." She then turned her attention to the two other women at the clothing rack on the other side of the room bowing to them. "Lady Rein, Princess Malty. I will be taking my leave, I will see you later tonight if that pleases you. Duty calls I am afraid."

The Silver headed maid was the first to offer some acknowledgment, giving the knight in the blue gown a few words. "You are leaving already? That's a shame we were hoping that you would offer something of an opinion on our choices." the maid propositioned the knight.

"Quite, you just sat and watched us. Before you leave…" Malty spoke, presenting the two dresses to the female knight. "Which do you think looks best?" She held in her right was the cream-colored one with the purple flower petals that lined the skirt and a flower at its waistline, or in her left a long-sleeved red floral printed dress with a hoop skirt and equally red bow at the waist.

The knight took a few moments looking the dresses over before deciding. "I like the red one madam." She said pointing to the dress.

"See I told you, Rein." Malty spoke in mild celebration, holding the dress close.

Rein frowned at the choice knowing Filo was pretty much the same as any other child despite her origin, her attachment to the princess, or her battle prowess. The cream dress was all around the better choice in the end. "Are you going to trust this commoner on this?"

"Hey!"

"No offense but you have proven yourself to be illiterate when it comes to this, Sophia." Rein addressed the knight, to mild protest. Turning back to Malty she continued. "As I have said before, Filo is pretty much a child. No amount of tutoring or training is going to erase that fact. Don't you think that she sees you in a way that is opposite of what you should think of her as? I have seen you with her and Melty, don't you think that you should possibly seek that side of yourself more often."

Malty looked at the red dress over again while frowning, remembering what Filo has an interest in. "But she would have looked so cute matching me." She spoke, handing the cream dress over to Rein. "Make sure she is ready to leave in the next two hours." She said moving to the entrance with the other knights. She stopped in front of the one called Reggie before speaking. "Tell the others to meet in the office on the second floor. We are going over our plan of action for tonight." She then looked over to the other brunette. "Sophie, you are with me."

The orders given were loud and clear so the two nights gave their acknowledgement to them as soon as she stopped speaking. As Reggie moved to follow her orders he was stopped by Rein. "Mind if I accompany you halfway at least?" She requested, moving to the entrance after the other two had left.

Reggie was taken aback at this, the maid of the princess never communicated with him before. The fact that she did so now had him on edge, especially with how much like Malty she looked. Deciding that it was best not to deny her and not compromise his position he let out a short breath and accepted. "It would be an honor, Lady Rein." He addressed her as she fell into step with him. Not having many topics of conversation he settled on something that has been bothering him for a while now. "If you do not mind me asking, but I have been stuck on this subject as of late, milady." He slightly tilted his head to look at her as they walked, giving her a look that told him to continue with his line of thought. "Your name, Rein. It is an interesting one. I was wondering if it was a short form for something. I have been trying to work it out for a while now, and I am at my wits end over it."

Something unrecognizable crossed the young woman's face before the corners of her lips curled upwards. She could see him recoil a bit before returning to neutral, she has to work on masking herself further in the future. "That would be Malty's naming conventions at play. Yes, it is shorthand, my name is Reiner. An awfully masculine name I am afraid. It would seem that my parents had hoped for a male child." She spoke to the knight hugging the dress in her arms tight.

It took a moment for the knight to register before his thoughts trailed off offering the young maiden an apologetic smile. 'Let's see Reiner.' He thought to himself as he recalled every member of the nobility that the knight has studied up on as of late. His thoughts landed on the late prince's companion that went missing, a young lad two years the princess' senior and one of the queen's children's suitor with the same name, and the maid was in a similar age range, though he had lost his composure for a brief second the look on his face taking an equal turn before returning to what it was. "Sounds as if you had not had the best upbringing, that must weigh on you."

Rein offered the man a sad smile before responding. "Life has had its ups and downs, though I don't mind it. It is a nice name that suits me perfectly fine."

An awkward air permeated with the knight deciding it was best that he changed the subject he questioned the young woman on her relationship with the princess. From what he could recall the maid never answered or referred to the princess with any of titles or the reverence that the others of the guard, any of her servants, or those with a common background would, they even shared a kinship just below the surface that would make you think that there was something more there. "Speaking of the princess, you two seem close." He internally kicked himself for not thinking of something better.

Rein looked at him through her pale blues as she began speaking with a large grin on her face. "You can say that, I bet you have noticed how we interact. She is something of the closest person I have to family. Despite the fact that I am in her service we treat each other as kin." She then turned towards him causing the pair to stop. "Which reminds me, I have something to speak with you."

"What about?" The young man spoke curiously.

"Who are you really working for?" Rein watched as the man's eyes went wide, his body language was something of a child with obvious guilt. 'Oh come on.' She thought to herself the edges of her eyes turned her bright red, the same as Malty when she would access a person's stats screen, causing the man to recoil further.

"I do not understand what you mean my lady." The knight looked away nervously chuckling trying to avoid the maid's gaze.

"Come now, Reginald. We already know that you had planned an attack on Sophia, the perimeter check was your idea. Even though there are no records of this home being owned, let alone by the first princess. Telling the truth here will only help you." She giggled while leaning in.

The man had two options ahead of him one to submit, the other to embrace the path of treason that he had found himself on. He was careful not to give anything away before now so this caught him off guard. He had remembered the details of his mission from the Governor of the Rabier Territory, the man that Malty had been investigating even before the first wave, which he found odd. Idol Rabier in many ways was a small fish in a much larger pond. It really did not make any sense why the princess was so fixated on him, so he approached the man on his own. "I have no idea what you are talking about." Trying to keep what he could a secret.

Rein frowned at his response, combing through her hair with one hand. "Just remember I gave you an out." She smiled as his eyes were fixed on the woman's wrist. Rein had the princess' bangle that she always wore on her left wrist. She gently placed the dress in her possession neatly on the ground before cracking her neck when she stood at her full height. She watched the man unsheathe the sword at his hip in preparation for a fight. "Are you sure about that?" She asked Reginald, not getting a response.

Without a second thought, the knight went on the attack. He wanted to end this in a single blow against an unarmed combatant. That's what he wanted anyway the hallway they were in was arranged to his advantage, sparsely decorated it only had room for three people to walk around freely in either direction so he could finish this quickly and then get out before anyone saw the body. Though he had planned for one swing of his broad sword the maid easily dodged the first strike, he quickly redoubled his efforts going back on the attack, but when he pivoted his foot to change directions after the two traded spots he only got a step in before collapsing and dropping to one knee.

Rein now with Malty's Moonstone blood dripping from its blade she looked into the eyes of the knight watching the man clutch his stomach in pain. "I am giving you one final chance, Reginald." She stepped kneeling in front of him. "Tell me who has the influence to sway you to their side, one of the queen's elite." She finished bringing the sword to the man's throat, Rein was sad to find out that the man was adamant and stayed quiet. "Well, I don't really need you alive to find your benefactor. I wonder what your wife and child would think about what you have done." Before he could say anything in protest as his face was filled with fear his head was liberated from his body creating a fountain of blood. "You should have thought of that before you betrayed us, we have something to protect too." She said, cleaning Malty's sword with the fabric of her skirt, before giving the headless man one last look of disgust.