With a flick of the wrist and a slip of her cloak, Sly can steal a coin right from under a noble's nose. But when her brother and their band of rogues catch the attention of a prince, she may find herself in a sea of deception that just might drown...
Birds chirped outside as the first morning light fell on my face. I yawned and rolled over, letting my eyes adjust to the light without it directly in them. I hadn't gotten more than maybe three hours sleep or so, but I felt the rush of the job that needed done and was wide awake in a few minutes. The only person awake pre-dawn other than me was River who was brushing her hair, so leaving a note with the quiet muse, I made sure they knew I would be back to fetch them lunch from the kitchens.
I wasn't too sure where exactly I would overhear the best gossip this time of morning, but I did know where to try to see faces of the nobles' council, the regents. By now with my map I could get to a door that led outside and I headed for the stables. The men preparing for the final day's hunt would be gearing up their horses to ride for the Godswood.
The sun had finished rising a quarter bell ago and I pretended to care for a nearby horse, though I knew little about them. Walking through the aisles, I found a few ponies which were far less intimidating than the towering stallions. Even so, I was still weary of them. They seemed to sense my unease, so I slowed my breathing and began whispering calming things, taking a brush and beginning to stroke the most docile of the beasts while listening intently for names.
Stable hands did much of the work readying the horses, and the sleepy lords were content to let them. A couple of knights, the ones I had found out brought Prince Braeton's message, were the only ones actually doing much to care for their own mounts. I grew an even lower opinion of the surrounding lords, if that were possible.
"Lord Girault, your horse." A footman bowed low, presenting the reigns of a spotty gray horse to a man with a silver capped cane. The man who must have been Lord Girault handed his cane to another servant and took just two steps to get to his horse. It wasn't much distance, but it was enough for me to see he could walk but he favored his right leg. That little tidbit was going in the book for sure. I recognized the name a kitchen maid had spoken in the bath the night before. This man was one of the regents.
I kept a sharp eye on anyone he was with that could also be on the council. It wasn't a secret group exactly, but most of the common people just didn't know who was on it. It had eight lords from some of the older families on it, so likely I would recognize a name if it were to come up. Lord Girault did converse openly with several nobles of varying rank, but nothing suspicious and no one mentioned the council so I wasn't sure enough to make notes about anyone.
A lot of the lords began to trot their horses towards the exit to the courtyard. I almost gave up on getting anything useful from that morning until I noticed one of the knights break away from his group. He led Lord Girault aside and hissed something at him. Lord Girault gestured wildly and spat back a reply before going to join the others. Interesting. This would require further looking into but it confirmed what her brother found yesterday. The regents, or at least Lord Girault, were not at ease with the returning army. The knight went to join his own hunting partners once more and the courtyard quickly emptied.
I jotted down notes of the exchange on the next blank page. I did so in a cypher that my brother taught me, just in case anyone else looked at the book. I patted the pony I was pretending to care for goodbye, and returned the brush to its proper place. Thoughts swirled around my head as I strolled back inside. What put them at odds in the first place? Did this mean the knights, always loyal to the crown, were on the people's side? Did they figure out how the council has been acting while the royals were missing? I passed under the main arch of the palace, and at the last minute noticed the figure in the shadows that had stopped by me.
"Good day my lady, or is it a stable maid today?" I stilled at the words, spinning around to see Prince Rorik behind me.
"Highness." I curtsied low, keeping her eyes to the ground.
"Rise. I almost didn't recognize you with your hair up." As I rose, my embarrassment flushed in my cheeks. I wasn't even sure how I should respond to a prince. "Did you hear anything interesting between Sir Aemerick and Lord Girault?"
My mouth dried. He was watching me. Any hope I could have held that he had forgotten our encounter fizzled out. Whatever look I had on my face made him laugh. It was a regal sound his voice deeper than his looks would make one think. He stood nearly a head over me and had the Dalvnae red-brown hair just long enough to pull into a horse tail but not long enough to keep the front from escaping and falling into his eyes. There was something a bit frightening in those eyes. The prince had the same sharpness behind his gaze as my brother, and I wasn't sure what to make of it.
"A maid with a strong fighting stance but too much of a lamb to speak?" he teased.
"No, Highness, sorry Highness. I am acting a maid during the festival for the muses Highness." I had looked away from his face right after I saw his eyes laughing a moment ago. I couldn't see what expression he wore now, and I knew I babbled, but I couldn't stop myself.
"She speaks." he jested. "And what did she overhear from Aemerick's conversation?"
"Nothing, Highness, I was too far away. I only saw a dispute." I hoped to leave soon, speaking to royalty was very draining. Particularly royalty I had knocked over, and who I still wasn't sure wouldn't hang me for it. Davery wasn't going to let me live this down, probably ever.
"No more than I saw myself..." he murmured, then looked intently at my face, causing my stomach to flip. "What is your name? I can't be forever calling you lady maid," he mused. "Well, I can, but I'd rather not."
"Sly, Highness."
"Sly." He blinked. "Very well,... Sly... do you have a family name?"
"None that I claim anywhere respectable, Highness." Which wasn't technically a lie.
"I see. Well, Sly, thank you for the honesty but watch where you slink about eavesdropping. You were brushing that poor horse the wrong way for at least a quarter bell." Prince Rorik turned and strolled away, powerfully but casually, and nodded to a soldier as he passed. He walked away chuckling. A rumbling sound, like heavy raindrops on canvas. I turned a deeper shade of red and rapidly went the other way.
Once I reached the safety of the muse's rooms, I stayed there quietly. I was too nervous to go out again until mid afternoon. That was as close to caught as I was willing to get for my brother's games.
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