Saturninos (wlw)

Chapter 23 - Walls and Other Holes

Seras did tire of staring out the window, after she had tired of being crumpled up in a chair.

She returned to it now, to read a very informative tome about raising ducks for profit. The little drawings of ducklings in the margins - clearly not there at publishing - were the most interesting part.

She soon finished the book, only skimming to see Harlequin's doodles and annotations. Seras stood to replace it and select another.

Stood in front of the shelves, she took a long while choosing another as time ticked by.

Ticking? There were no clocks anywhere in these rooms.

She listened more intently now, filtering out the howl of the wind and the thump of her own heartbeat.

There it was, the unmistakable sound of tiny gears clicking into place. Something was happening, and she readied for it, whatever it was.

Seras traced the sounds to a particular shelf. She placed her ear against the grain just as the whole thing swung outward. She pitched along with it and fell into someone's arms.

"Seras," breathed Harlequin.

"Quin?" She was confused and elated and it made her head spin. Her wife nodded and embraced her, already crying.

"It is happening, Seras."

"Alice?"

"Yes!" said Alice, exasperated. She carried a torch, which illuminated the dark, narrow hallway. "It is happening now, Seras. We will strike soon."

"Come with us," said Quin, when she found her words again.

"There are secret passages in the palace?"

"Of course there are secret passages in the palace!" exclaimed Harlequin, hysterical.

Seras pulled back and cupped her face in her hands. "My love, I cannot."

"Why?"

"Be rational. Your brother put me here. If he finds me missing in the morning, he will know."

"I am the only person alive who knows these tunnels exist, since Father died." Suddenly she gripped Seras by the shoulders. "What has he done to you?"

"Nothing. He has me held here instead of the imperial prison." This attempt at reassurance did not calm Quin down. "And regardless. He has soldiers watching the exits. He will assume it, if I go missing."

"Then what? I leave you here?"

"Yes," said Seras, an inkling of a plan in her head. "Do you have any sulfur?"

It was easy to get the plan across. Harlequin even filled in her blanks. Before they could leave, Seras asked if they had anything to open a crate.

"Will this suffice?" said Chekhov, the third person in their little group. Seras had not made his acquaintance before. He held out a woodsman's axe.

Seras took it and walked off into the bedroom. Quin and the rest followed.

She had positioned herself by the crate that held the thing that led her to return to the island in the first place. Chekhov winced when she struck the axe against the wood.

After an anxious second, Seras continued the destruction.

It was loud, but she proceeded with the swiftest method; cut away where the nails held so the top may be lifted.

"They took away my pry bar," she said, handing back the axe.

They directed their attention to the object in the crate – a cuirass of plate metal, gilded in enchanted gold. It lay in a bed of straw, perfect and untouched and ready to be presented to its master.

Seras did not know why they even let her keep the crate. Perhaps Adonis was safeguarding against the possibility that it was yet another bomb.

"Take it," she said.

"The armor," pressed Seras, when Quin looked at her.

"That belongs to Adonis."

"Well, I would have given it to him, but he put me here. Go on, we know it fits you."

"Seras, I cannot –-"

"Come now. This is enchanted and proven by me. Nothing can harm you in this." An exaggeration, but it was more impervious than regular plate metal, and exponentially better than whatever mail shirt Quin would end up wearing anyway.

"I am concerned that it may be too shiny?"

"So wear it under an ugly shirt," said Seras, gesturing to Quin's tunic.

"I made that shirt, Seras," chimed in Alice.

"Be quiet, please," hissed Chekhov, eyes on the door.

They fell silent, not at his request, but because the door to the bathroom was opening. Four pairs of eyes watched with comical, bated breath as the hinges swung.

Miriam stood in the doorway, mouth open. Harlequin was upon her in an instant.

"Miriam, Miriam, be quiet," she whispered.

Miriam was fighting the hand that clamped over the bottom half of her face, clutching so tightly that she could barely mumble a scream.

"Harlequin, you are crushing her skull," said Seras. When Quin did not relent, she addressed Miriam.

"I know how this looks," she began. She really did; Alice had her hand at dagger's hilt, Chekhov had both crossbow — one of hers — and axe at the ready, and Harlequin was currently throttling the handmaiden. "But listen to your Lady. Listen to Harlequin."

"She will not scream. She would not. Quin, let her go."

Harlequin removed her hand from the other woman's face and instead held her by the shoulders.

"My Lady? Truly?" said Miriam, voice wondrous and terrified.

"Truly, yes," said Harlequin, revealing a braid of dirt-flecked blonde hair. Seras had never seen it before, but she knew it was Quin's.

"Is this why you insisted on digging it up, Quin?" ventured Alice.

"No! Yes, well – it does not matter." Quin turned her attention to Miriam. "Listen to me. Seras is my wife. Adonis has insulted me by taking her—-"

"He has also insulted me," interrupted Seras, bemused.

"I know, but Miriam will not-–" hissed her wife, then took a breath. "Adonis is abusing his power. It must end."

"I do not understand," said Miriam.

"You do not need to. Understand only that Seras must be kept safe, from Adonis or otherwise. We will keep you safe."

"Yes, my Lady," said Miriam.

"You must not reveal this visit."

"Yes. And you must go. I only came here because I could hear you from the maids' chambers. The soldiers might come as well."

Harlequin let her go and turned to Seras. "Will you really not join us?"

"I cannot. He will be on alert. And the plan. Listen, he intends to kill me after his coronation." Harlequin's face fell and Seras continued. "Return for me before that."

Quin nodded. Seras turned to Miriam. "Bring me the Lady's clothes. The lace, and the veil. Tomorrow when you dress me again."

"Now go. The less you know, the safer you are." Miriam hurried to leave.

"So do the rest if you," said Seras, walking into the study.

"Seras. The shelf can only open from the tunnel's side. When we leave, you will be locked in here."

"Then return for me."

'I will. Before the coronation, I will."

"I know. Now go."

Harlequin and compatriots stepped into the tunnel, and then Quin reappeared to press a kiss to Seras's lips.

When the shelf shut back into place, she sighed and began the long, arduous process of grinding sapphires.