After breakfast, Maria had been expecting to say her goodbyes to Katarina, who'd then go home and take Miss Shelly with her while she got Sophia familiar with the arrangements that would have to be made for raising the manufactory, quality control of the Nightflowers, and the preparation for the commissions to come, one of which Sophia had managed to negotiate and get the down payment for yesterday.
That did not happen.
"Heigh-ho! Heave-ho!" Katarina called as she worked on the crops with the children. "Heigh-ho! Heave-ho!"
"Heigh-ho! Heave-ho!" the children all echoed, watering the plants, pulling out weeds and moving those that needed it so they wouldn't bruise. The dragon-kin girl's tail swayed in time to the strange chant.
"Shouldn't you be out there with her?" Sophia asked Miss Shelley, holding an umbrella to keep the sun off her scaleless skin.
"I'm not on duty," Miss Shelley said. "And we must still search for Alice."
Maria looked at her in confusion for a moment, and probably made a lot of embarrassing-in-retrospect-faces before remembering her mother did, in fact, have given name besides 'mother'. "Ah, yes," Maria said. "Unfortunately, we can do little right now. The trail has grown cold. I am left at the mercy of the Third Prince's capabilities and whatever random chance throws my way."
"So we do nothing?" Miss Shelley said, and Maria was shocked at the anger in her voice.
"We prepare to move out at a moment's notice," Maria said. "The carriage loaded with supplies and weapons, horses hitched and ready to go. And I believe you'll need to make arrangements with your employer."
Miss Shelley nodded reluctantly.
Sophia gave Maria a worried look, then sighed. "Well, I'm going to see about clients while you're here to handle things," she said. "Try and get some work done to distract you while you're waiting."
Maria nodded. Now that the initial wave of panic, desperation, rage, despair and murderous fury had passed, she'd reached the 'empty and apathetic, hoping for the best but expecting the worst' stage. This probably wasn't the best state of mind to have when rescuing her mother, but at least it let her make rational decisions. Hopefully she'd be able to keep from compounding her treason with more treason this way.
Distantly, she heard the bell that signaled the front gates were being opened. Three carriages came up her driveway, two belonging to the princes from the mark on its doors, the other likely belonging to Mary Hunt.
"Heigh-ho! Heave-ho!"
Oh good, people to keep Katarina occupied while Maria plotted horrible torture and murder.
Maria was surprised when Lady Hunt pulled her into a hug as soon as the latter got into touching range.
"I still don't trust you," she said. "But no one deserves to lose their mother."
"I… thank you?" Maria said. Wait, Lady Hunt didn't trust her? That was news she should probably consider more deeply.
Later, when her mother didn't need to be found.
Lady Hunt let her go and backed away, looking like she wanted to pretend she hadn't done that.
The Third and Fourth Princes were present as expected, as was Nicol Ascart, who actually looked grim instead of merely expressionless today. Prince Ian and Lady Berg's presence were a surprise, however.
"My brothers told me of your circumstances," Prince Ian said. "We are here to lend our support. I do not have very many spies and informants, but all of them have been informed to search for your mother."
Apparently, the Third Prince had been able to make a sketch based on the few times he'd seen Maria's mother. He'd even colored it with dry pigments. Looking at the copy the princes had brought along, Maria had to admit it was a very good likeness. It had been copied and was being passed around the three princes contacts to point them in the direction of who there were seeking.
Thankfully, Prince Alan had remembered to remind them to inform said contacts the woman had been kidnapped and was to be rescued, not accosted. Maria had to wonder how long it had taken to make that clarification instead of just telling people to 'look for this woman'.
"It's probably futile to tell you not to worry," Prince Alan said gruffly, "But know that we've got people looking for her. They'll send back word as soon as they can. So calm down and don't do anything crazy, all right?"
Maria managed an offended look. "I never do anything… crazy," she said. "All my actions are considered and reasoned."
The Third Prince burst out laughing.
All right, Maria probably deserved that.
As they had arrived, it was Maria's obligation as host to entertain. Sophia looked like she wanted to stay and play the usual game of trying to keep people from spending time with Katarina while spending time with Katarina, but eventually, after a hurried whispered conversation with her brother, she set off on her carriage to go about the visits she'd planned.
Fortunately, Ghirardeli had managed to make one of the first floor sitting rooms presentable, having prioritized it in the reorganization of the first floor and though it was a bit underdecorated, it was clean and bright and had sitting places for people aplenty. The maids brought in refreshments, simple sandwiches with jams and fruit, and Maria made a note to make sure they had an adequate reserve for visitors. Or, if they already did, commend Ghirardeli on his foresight and give him a raise. Hopefully she'd still be in a position to do so.
"You have our sincere condolences for what has befallen, Lady Campbell," Lord Ascart said, despite his face looking blank enough for a particularly emotive statue. It was generally safe to believe her was being sincere though. "If there is anything we can do to assist you–"
"Anything further than setting every informant and agent we have to look for her," the Third Prince said smoothly.
Lord Ascart nodded, acknowledging the connection. "–anything further, please let us know," he said.
"I thank you, everyone," Maria said, bowing slightly in her seat. "However, there is little to be done, save to be ready to act if some sort of word is received."
"There was truly no ransom? No demands of any sort?" Prince Ian asked.
Maria shook her head in the negative. "None. The perpetrator, whom I suspect was the intruder from the castle, seems to intend to cause me pain as vengeance. However, I have hope my mother yet lives. There would be little reason to take her corpse were she already dead, and no reason to bring her somewhere else to do the deed. If they could abduct my mother from our home with no one noticing, then they could have killed her as easily. I suspect they intend to kill her slowly, and that various body parts removed from her body are even now making their way towards me."
There was a silence at her words.
"I'd wonder if you were feeling disturbed by events, but this is pretty much how you usually are," Lady Hunt said.
"I am unbalanced, Lady Hunt," Maria admitted. "Since this morning I have been unable to concentrate on work–"
"That's perfectly natural," Lord Ascart assured her, casting a look at Lady Hunt. Since his face didn't change at all to convey any sort of message, it was a completely unhelpful gesture.
"– as my mind has been trying to devise terrible and agonizing tortures for those responsible for this," Maria continued.
There was another lull in the conversation.
"Pretty sure that's perfectly natural too," Prince Alan said. "But that's all, right? You haven't been taking it out on your servants or anything?"
Maria gave him a shocked look. "Of course not. That would be improper, and greatly unjust. My servants have done nothing wrong to earn such barbarity from me."
For some reason, Prince Alan's eyebrow twitched as the Third Prince had a sudden pressing thirst and took a long drink from his tea cup.
"There's been no word so far," the Third Prince said as he put down his cup. "Three people traveling is hardly unusual, and if they somehow managed to commandeer a carriage or a peddler or merchant's caravan, that would be harder to find. Dark Magic is terribly convenient for giving oneself all sorts of resources, provided you find the right person." There was no special emphasis on any of his words, but Maria felt them like barbs.
"Maybe if we could requisition a wyvern or a drake from the Aviator corps and get Lady Campbell up high, she might see the Dark Magic this woman is leaving around?" Prince Alan said.
"No," Prince Ian said sharply, shaking his head. "Show one of those a road and their first instinct is swoop down and set the whole length of it on fire. It's exactly why they're only used for high altitude patrols."
Huh. That explained why the very few wyverns Maria had ever seen had been so high up.
"Maybe the Ministry has some sort of flying thing?" Prince Alan suggested.
"Would you really trust a flying thing the Ministry made?" the Third Prince said.
"Good point," Prince Alan agreed.
"I have to ask," Lady Hunt said. "Why is Anne here?"
Miss Shelley, who'd been sitting quietly, said, "It's my day off, Lady Hunt," she said, not bothering to rise. After all, she was a guest too. "I am here to help Lady Campbell rescue her mother. Alice is a friend of mine."
"You are?!" Lady Hunt said, looking shocked.
"Servants do have a life of their own, your ladyship," Miss Shelley said.
As Lady Hunt frowned, seemingly trying to digest that in her mind, there was a knock on the door.
"Come in," Maria eventually remembered, admitting her steward.
"Your pardon, my lady," the steward said, "but Master Helmet has just arrived. He says he is here to assist you."
It took Maria moment to remember who that was. "Ah, please let him in, Ghirardeli," Maria said.
"He has a guest with him, my lady. A young woman who is… well, quite frankly, she looks like she's been reading archives without dipping her head in wax," the steward said, sounding dubious.
"Probably a fellow ministry official," Maria said, even as she felt a new twinge of panic. A woman, with Rafael? Had he tired of Maria already? "Please, let them in."
Oh. It was just Larna Smith. Maria's relationship was safe, Rafael was very unlikely to grow lustful of her.
After dismissing ALL the servants to make them private– which for some reason had Prince Alan glaring at his twin– Rafael finally took off his helmet, revealing his face.
"Rafael," Maria said tenderly. Despite the situation, a smile crept over her face.
"Maria," Rafael said. He had a very silly smile on his face.
"Larna," Larna Smith said, smiling confidently.
"Shut up you," Lady Berg said, giving the probably-a-lady a flat look.
Why was Prince Ian looking aroused at that?
"Now, Lady Berg, there's no need for that," Larna Smith said. "I was just doing my job."
"No you weren't rookie, that's exactly why you got demoted," Rafael said. He turned to Maria. "I heard about what happened. Are you all right?"
Why do people keep asking that?
"No, of course you're not all right," Rafael said before she could respond. He looked gave her a pained look. "We'll get her back. We can still get her back." He gave her a wide smile. "And if we don't, we'll make someone's life an endless swamp in the abyss."
Maria felt a lump in her throat, and she was surprised as her eyes started to sting. "Really?"
Rafael nodded. "But we won't have to, because we'll get her back," Rafael said. He paused. "But let's do it anyway. They'll deserve it."
Maria never wanted to throw Rafael to the floor and ravish him more.
"Get a room, you two," Lady Hunt muttered.
"As much as your presence is improving Lady Campbell's morale, Rafael," the Third Prince said, "and we're glad to see you again– general 'we', not royal 'we'– why is Larna Smith here?"
Rafael opened his mouth to answer–
"NO!" Larna Smith cried. She… threw herself at his leg, clutching it tightly in desperation? "You're not taking this away from me! PLEASE let me be the one to explain it!"
Rafael sighed. "Fine, you explain," he said.
Larna MSith grinned and held up the thing she'd been carrying when she'd entered the sitting room. It was a soft, plush representation of a dangerous land predator. The thing had brown fur, round ears and beady eyes. "Behold! This is a magic tool! One we can use to locate your mother!"
"""…"""
"Get out," Maria said flatly. "Your joke is in poor taste, Larna Smith."
"No, really, it is!" she cried. "It's a magic tool used for finding people!"
Maria kept on giving her a flat look, aided by Lady Berg. Then she gave Rafael an inquisitive look.
Rafael nodded. "I know it sounds like a stupid joke, but I reviewed the paperwork about it– which she's actually doing now since we don't let her build anything otherwise–"
"But they only slow me down!" Larna Smith wailed.
"Good," Rafael said flatly. "But I can confirm there's verified documentation this thing does what she says it does."
"He has a name and it's Alexander!"
"According to the test documents, the success rate is still variable," Rafael said. "But any indicator of her location should help you narrow down which of the leads you have–"
"There are no leads," Miss Shelley said.
"Yet," the Third Prince said. He looked exasperated for some reason.
"Oh," Rafael said. He coughed. "Well, as vice-director of the department, I was able to requisition the use this magic tool. Officially, we're taking it out for field tests and functionality testing. So once we have it calibrated, we can use it to lead us to your mothe–"
Anything else Rafael was going to say was cut off as Maria crashed into him as speed, her mouth seeking his, and anything else he was going to say was interrupted.
"Thank you!" Maria panted in the between times she wasn't using her mouth for anything else. "Thank you, thank you, thank you…!"
Eventually, Maria got off of him. Well, she straddled him as he lay panting on the floor, trying to catch his breath and looking absolutely crimson as everyone else in the room looked on in amusement, embarrassment and exasperation.
"Thank you Rafael," she managed to enunciate more clearly despite some breathlessness of her own. "Thank you. I… I can't express into words how grateful I am for this…"
"Please get a room," Lady Hunt said, absolutely crimson as the Third and Fourth Princes exchanged annoyed looks.
Eventually Rafael swallowed. "Y-you're… welcome," he managed to pant. He raised one hand and pointed weakly. "To be fair, Larna made it, and she volunteered it when she heard what happened. I wouldn't even have known if she hadn't said anything."
Maria turned to look at Larna Smith, still holding the stuffed predator representation. Maria tilted her head, considering, then nodded in agreement. Smoothly, she stood up, causing Rafael to make an 'eep' sound and immediately star rearranging the robe-like folds of his Ministry uniform around his waist. She bowed to Larna Smith. "Thank you, Larna Smith," she said. "You have given me hope that my mother can be found. You have my gratitude."
Larna Smith grinned. "Not as much as him, it seems," she said, glancing down at Rafael, who was trying to rise to a cross-legged position to delay his standing up and preserve a little dignity. Very little. "Don't I get kisses too?"
For a moment, Maria just stared at Larna Smith. Then she tilted her head and nodded.
The stuffed presentation of the large land predator went flying as a surprised Larna Smith found herself getting what she asked for.
"Thank you…" Maria said breathily in the between times she wasn't using her mouth for anything else. "Thank you… thank you… thank you…"
Eventually, Maria stood up, primly dabbing at her mouth where some drool had smeared. Ignoring everyone's stares, she turned and picked up the stuffed land predator, turning it over in her hands and examining it.
"So," she said as Larna Smith made insensate sounds on the ground behind her. "How does this tool work?"
The door opened, and a smiling Katarina walked in, dabbing at her sweaty face with a towel. "Hi everyone! Sorry it took so long but I had to finish taking care of the crops. It looks like we'll be getting a great harvest from this one! What did I miss?" She looked around and blinked. "Why is Larna Smith lying on the floor and twitching like that?"