A Timely Knight

A Helping Hand

"That idiot."

"Excuse me?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing." Arabella quickly put down Master Nilla's letter and wrapped it, hiding it from Lady Livilla's prying eyes. "Just upsetting news from back home."

Livilla held her hand, squeezing it. "Everything's alright, I hope."

"It is, fortunately. It could have been really problematic, though."

Arabella turned her attention back to the piece of paper in her hands, which she had already read several times. Master Nilla's news were troubling, but at least everything had worked out in the end. Despite Master Eldon's blatant stupidity, Alder and Master Nilla's swift intervention prevented things from escalating further. And now, at the very least, they had the location of the scorpion's lair in Ravenport. Hopefully, that would also lead them to the bird.

This breakthrough was significant, especially considering the news she had discovered ever since her arrival to the capital. Like she had suspected, the Crown Prince was indeed a Royder, as were two of his brothers. The youngest, Buford, seemed to be the only one who had avoided infection, for reasons she still did not quite comprehend.

To make matters worse, it seemed the parasite was quickly making its way through the capital. Besides the three Princes, one of which Arabella was sure was the definitive host, Indigo had infected the court Physician, the Actuator of Justice, the Actuator of Trade and the Actuator of Power, as well as several members of the RoyalCorps, including the General himself.

Now, Indigo seemed to be putting its plan in motion. The first step was, of course, to kill the king. With Raynard in line to take the throne within the fortnight, Indigo would now have control over all of Makina, which would make the eventual attack on Ironport easier to justify. Its control over the Actuator of Power was also sign that the construction of the bird probably had the full might of the Crown's Engineers.

The King's death meant that Arabella had a ticking clock over her task in the capital. With each passing day, Indigo became stronger and she became an easier target. After much deliberation, she finally concluded the fastest way to deal a blow to Indigo's plans was to kill the three Princes. A dangerous task, indeed, one that would probably end in her own demise. But she was willing to take the risk if it meant delaying Indigo's plans and giving Master Eldon and Don Timothy more time to prepare for the battle of Ironport.

She had not forgotten Master Eldon's words: she had not been part of his vision, which meant she might indeed not be a part of the battle at all. Her role in this story might be shorter than she had imagined, but if that was the case, there was no point in crying about it. She had a job to do. She had always known where this road led.

"What do you think?" Livilla's voice made her come out of her own thoughts, and she turned to find the Lady holding two pieces of bright fabric. "For my chamber's curtains?"

"I like the red one," Shooter Viola said, pointing to the one in the left.

Livilla looked startled. "Red? Isn't' that a bit violent for one's chambers?"

"I think you should go with the gold one," Arabella replied with a smile.

"I think you may be right. Gold it is." Pleased with her choice, Livilla put down the fabrics and took out two pieces of wood, ready to talk about the furniture.

Despite her general shallowness, Lady Livilla had proven to be a faithful and understanding friend. The awful treatment she received from every member of the Royal Family, including her husband, did a lot to endear her not only to Arabella, but to the Shooter as well, who seemed to have taken a particular liking to the woman.