The capital was significantly less muddy that Maria's lands, mostly because there was less bare dirt to be made into mud, and they had the funds to employ street sweepers. Still, there was an annoying humidity in the air, which probably made people wish for another storm to clear it up.
She was used to the slow progress through its streets, which left her plenty of time to consider her approach. In the worst possible case, some Dark Magic wielder had managed to suborn the entire castle which… well, wasn't unlikely. One had gotten in before already, why not another one? The fact that Alan had shown up a few days ago to see Katarina and have lunch with them spoke against it, though that didn't rule out him getting his memory very subtly altered.
If Maria were being perfectly honest, she'd admit she had no plan beyond trying to gain entry into the castle to see the prince. Though thinking about it, if that failed she supposed she could go visit Lady Selena and go into the castle with her on the pretext of seeing Prince Ian… and if that failed, well, she was a Dark Magic wielder. She could get in. Somehow.
She really hoped she wouldn't have to hide with Duchess Claes after being charged with treason after this. If she was going to be charged with treason for a man she'd want that man to be Rafael, not the Third Prince. Who definitely wasn't worth treason.
Not that many carriages entered the castle so late in the morning– most people who traveled to the castle by carriage did so earlier in the day– and so she was surprised to find not one but two carriages stuck waiting in front of the gate by the gatekeeper. Maria's carriage slowed as she stuck out her head to get a better view and found she recognized. She also recognized the voice talking to the gatekeeper's assistant knights. "Lady Sophia? Lady Hunt?" she called
There was a pause, and two heads stuck out from the two carriages. "Lady Maria!" Sophia exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
"The Third Prince hasn't been over to visit even though Lady Katarina was free, so clearly he's deathly ill or somehow horrendously incapacitated," Maria said honestly. "I came to offer my assistance to bring him back from the brink of death." She still considered Dark Magic to be more likely, but on the ride back she had plenty of time to consider alternatives, and this was one of them that explained Alan's silence on the issue of his brother. If the Third Prince had been injured or somehow incapacitated in a politically sensitive way, it might explain why the youngest prince hadn't mentioned it during his visit. A part of Maria was a little hurt he hadn't thought to ask her for her assistance. She thought they were friends. "What are you two doing here? Lady Sophia, why aren't you at your rounds?"
"Why aren't you back at the office?" Sophia shot back.
"I filed for a day off," Maria said. "You didn't. You should be at work."
"Wait, we can file for a day off?" Sophia said. "Why wasn't I told about this?!"
"It was part of the bylaws when we started our venture," Maria said. "Didn't you read it?"
"Well, it was really long, I might have fallen asleep reading…" Sophia muttered, looking aside. "But big brother read it and said it was all right!"
Maria rolled her eyes. Amateur.
The knight coughed. "As I was saying, Lady Ascart, we can't allow you entrance right now. The castle is busy, and we are currently not allowing anyone not specifically named from entering the castle, and the Prime Minister did not see fit to notify us to authorize you." The knight turned to face Lady Hunt. "And Prince Alan did not authorize your entrance either, Lady Hunt."
"I'm his fiancée!" Lady Hunt said. "Surely it's a given he'd want me authorized?"
"I'm sorry your ladyship, but it's the rules," the knight said. Behind her, the huge and partially stone-covered stature of the gatekeep Zull looked upon the exchange impassively, though he returned a nod to Maria when she greeted him with a wave, one knight to another. "Could you both please move your carriage? You're blocking the way."
The carriage drivers complied, and Maria was finally able to move forward.
"What is your business, Dame Campbell?" the knight asked.
"The Third Prince has not been over to see my squire(!-!-!), Squire Katarina Claes, in the past week, even though I have informed him that she has currently on a free period," Maria said succinctly. "I am concerned by his non-appearance, and so have come to inquire as to his condition."
There was a pause as the knight, the other knights on duty who could hear, and the gatekeeper processed this. "Lady Katarina has squired herself?" the knight said in surprise. "To you?"
Maria did not glare. "Yes."
"Lady Katarina. This tall, smiles all the time, wouldn't hurt a fly? She squired herself? To become a knight?" the knight asked, as if making sure.
"Yes…" Maria said, causing murmurs of confusion among the gateguard. "Katarina Claes. She's my squire. The prince has not tried to visit her lately, so I grew concerned. I came to ascertain he was in good health and not concussed, hollowed of his memories, gone mad by all his intelligence finally rebelling against him, and still among the living."
"Hmm…" the gatekeeper said. "That is concerning…" For a moment, Maria was hopeful she would be allowed entry. Then the gatekeeper shook his massive head. "However, I still cannot allow you entry, Dame Campbell. Perhaps if you were in the company of someone authorized to enter… but alas, the rules are the rules." The gatekeeper glanced at Sophia and Lady Hunt's carriages, off to the side. "As for you Lady Hunt, Lady Ascart, if you are willing to wait, we can send a message to the Prime Minister and his highness, and they could authorize your entry?"
Maria turned to look at the two as they exchanged glances.
"No thanks," Sophia said. "This was supposed to be a surprise. If I can't, I can't."
"If Alan's too busy to think of me, then fine," Lady Hunt sniffed. "I was going to see him to brighten his day, but whatever. "
The gatekeeper nodded. "I see. Well, good day to you ladies. Please give my regards to your squire, Dame Campbell. I hope to see you soon."
Maria nodded. "Good day, sir knight."
She had her carriage turn around, moving back down the road and into the city. Behind her, she heard the clopping of other hooves as Sophia and Lady Hunt also left.
Well, if she could ring this bell of awakening, she'd have to go to another one. Maria was a hunter, after all. Backtracking and trying to find a different way in because the gates were locked was tiringly common for the hunters who stalked the beasts of Yharnam. Hopefully no ladders would have to be involved.
She headed to see Lady Berg.
"I understand why I'm here," Maria said as she stood in Lady Berg's driveway. "But why are you here?"
"I still need to see Alan," Lady Hunt said, crossing her arms beneath her huge… vials of blood.
"I have to get into the castle," Sophia said.
Maria frowned. "You're not going to try to find the Third Prince and finish killing him, are you?" she said mildly. "Because that's murder. And treason." She frowned. "Did you have anything to do with the fact he hasn't been over to visit?"
"Maria!" Sophia said, aghast. "How could you say such a thing?"
"It's an obvious conclusion," Maria said.
"Yes, but you're not supposed to just say it! That's just rude!"
Maria considered. "You're right Sophia. I apologize."
Lady Hunt pointed at her face. "Do I look like I had anything done to him?"
Maria examined her. "No," she had to admit. "You don't look smug and self-satisfied enough."
Lady Hunt nodded. "Exactly."
The front door of Lady Selena's small town house opened, and the royal fiancée in question stepped out. "Lady Maria! Lady Sophia! Lady Mary!" she exclaimed in surprise. "I wasn't expecting you. Is Lady Katarina with you?"
Maria shook her head. "My squire is enjoying herself farming, Lady Selena. She's is at my manor."
"Ah, that's a shame," Selena said. She was elegantly dressed, but with a bare minimum of makeup, and obviously planning to go somewhere. Those were not day wear clothes. Still, Selena did not show her impatience. "What can I do for you?"
"Would it be correct for me to assume you are on your way to the castle to see his highness?" Maria asked. "How is he, if I may ask?"
Selena brightened about being asked about her favorite subject. "Oh, my prince is working very hard right now. He's in charge of organizing security in the upcoming International Assembly. We don't get a lot of time together anymore– barely eight hours a day!—so I need to be there as soon as possible to make every minute count!"
"Don't you have work you're supposed to be doing?" Sophia asked. "You know, as a partner in our business?"
"I do it with my prince," Selena said, putting a hand on her blushing cheek. "We do all our work together in the same room… on the same desk… why, we even use the same inkwell…!"
Maria had never been envious of another woman before– the children in her old village who had both parents didn't count, they weren't women!– but she supposed it was never too late to start! Doing it with her prince? Maria hadn't been able to do it with Rafael since the Academy! And they'd never even shared an inkwell, she'd never been able to make herself bold enough to suggest it!
"Then we will not keep you any longer, Lady Selena," Maria said, "but I must beg a favor from you."
"Anything," Lady Selena said, speaking much too easily.
"I need to ask to accompany you to the castle in your carriage and in your company," Maria said. "The castle is locked down, and entry is being strictly regulated."
"It is?" Selena said, blinking in confusion. "I don't notice anything, and I've been going in every day."
"It is," Maria confirmed, and Sophia and Lady Hunt nodded. "We have just been denied entry, though the gatekeeper implied we would be more successful in your company."
"Oh. Well, in that case, hop in," Lady Selena said. "I'll have the boys take care of everyone's carriages."
"Thanks Selena!" Sophia said. "You're the best!"
"You could have just informed your father or your brother, Sophia," Maria said. "I'm sure they'd still have appreciated your presence."
Sophia rolled her eyes. "Maria, I saw them this morning, I was trying to sneak in to see Prince Boulder-Sized-Ego. You're not the only one worried about the insufferable genius."
Maria blinked. "What? Why?"
"Because we're his friends too… sometimes… occasionally…" Lady Hunt said with a sniff, even as she turned away. "I mean, it's not like we like him or anything. This is merely making sure he's not dying or something and there's no danger of whatever post-death retaliation plans he has set up getting released by accident."
"Big brother has been really worried about him all week," Sophia said. "Last night, at dinner, he almost frowned! With his eyebrows and everything!"
"Wow," Lady Hunt said. "That bad?"
Lady Selena looked between the two in bemusement. "Well, let's get in the carriage then. If you're still denied, I'll have the carriage bring you back as soon as I'm dropped off at the castle. Though if there's something to be concerned about, perhaps we should also tell my prince. I know he cares for his brothers as well, despite his distance from them. If something might be wrong with the Third Prince, he'd surely want to know."
"Onward, then!" Sophia declared, pointing dramatically. "Let's save his annoying princely culet and rub it in his face for all time to come!"
"The castle is that way," Maria said, pointing behind Sophia.
"I know, it was just a dramatic gesture!"