Castle Thief {A Momojiro Tale}

Chapter 7

The rest of the day was spent fruitlessly. Cleaning things that were already cleaned; dusting sparkling floors, polishing golden baubles, and laundering fresh sheets. I had no idea what I was doing. I tried asking other servants what I could do to be more helpful but they just bustled around me pointing me in the direction of someone else who pointed me to someone else until I was back where I started.

I groaned, if there was nothing for me to do I might as well explore the gargantuan castle. The walls were thick, I was certain secret passages hid in every wall, every now and then I saw servants popping out of spinning panels in the walls. That's where I'd start.

The ceiling was high and painted with angels and demons. The best I could do to try and look busy was dust the same painting near where I'd seen the butler appear.

The clock on the wall showed half an hour passed since my waiting begun and there was no signs of life from the walls except a friendly mouse I was surprised survived the wrath of the servants. Although I was getting weird looks from a couple of the nobles who'd seen me drifting over the same spot for too long.

But it just so happened my back was turned when an oak panel on the wall turned from a passage nowhere near where I'd thought to be looking before. The maid who'd appeared from it had her hands full with a load of linens and was distracted enough for me to slip through the gap without her noticing. I was used to slinking though shadows unnoticed, it was no than any orphanages than here. Rats are rats, even surrounded by royals.

The space in between the walls was small enough that two people couldn't walk side by side. Oil lamps hung just far enough that the light wouldn't reach certain places in between sconces.

Winding corners and twisting staircases broken only by the light or exits to different rooms. I would get lost if I stayed there for too long, but I still wandered.

     "I got the letter. They're sending him in a few weeks." conversation broke through the silence, "Yes, I'm hoping we can build an alliance with their county." the king spoke, the other voice in the conversation was too muffled to pick up much.
     "...two months...Shoto Todoroki...Prince..." that would be the prince her majesty was talking about. Shoto Todoroki. He was from the neighboring kingdom, a rich kingdom with the strongest military power in the region.

I should tell the princess.