Amongst Thieves

19.

Maize remained in the library with Laris rehearsing lines until he was called away by an unknown servant per a summons by his father. Maize believed Forge may have had something to do with it, knowing well Laris was as distracted with her as she was with him. Their parting was sincere- he would promise to find her soon, even if it was a moonlight meeting in the gardens once again, and Maize wouldn't have minded that one bit.

She wanted to find Ress though. She wanted to make sure he was okay. She wanted to make sure Forge wasn't going to orchestrate any harm to come his way, so long as she had anything to say about it. He was there because of her, after all. She'd never forgive herself if anything happened to him, and would more than willingly take his place if the option arose.

As it was, she couldn't find him, but it seemed she wasn't the only one looking for Restor either.

While she checked his rooms, none other than Cade turned the corner towards the servants' quarters... and stopped the moment he saw her by the closed door of Ress' room.

There was no other reason for Cade to be there, no other purpose for him to be anywhere near the servants' hallways.

When he turned around and began retreating from the direction he came, Maize's suspicions were correct, and she immediately followed him.

His pace increased the closer he came to the stairs leading up to the guest rooms, and Maize practically sprinted to get ahead of him before he could escape to safety.

"Lord Caden," she addressed him as she cut off his path. "May I have a word?"

"It's... just Cade," he corrected, already sounding incredibly uneasy. "It is my wife who is the Lady."

"Ah, yes, of course. My apologies- I forgot about your marriage of convenience. Tell me again- was that immediately after you had Ress thrown out of his home? Or did you wait just long enough so that you were certain he'd never know the truth?"

The way Cade paled told Maize she was traveling down the correct road.

"As I said... may we have a word?"

Cade visibly swallowed and nodded. "Of course, Lady..."

"Maizelyn."

"Lady Maizelyn," he repeated and led her to a small sitting area next to the stairway. It wasn't entirely private, but it wasn't in the middle of foot traffic either. It was as though he was hoping such surroundings would censor their discussion. He was entirely incorrect.

"Tell me, how did you come to know Restor?" she started, asking casually as she smoothed her skirts as she sat.

Cade didn't seem to take much comfort in her inquiry, pulling at the neck of his high-collared shirt. "He... I... we grew up together. In the same village."

"So you knew each other well?"

"Well enough," he said, visibly swallowing.

"Then perhaps you would know why he seemed so uneasy when he saw you yesterday. I don't seem to know much of his past, and he doesn't speak of it much to me."

"I don't believe it's my place to discuss Restor's private matters, Lady, especially if he hasn't broached them himself."

"Ah, yes, I believed the same, and wouldn't have asked otherwise, except that there's one small detail that changed my decision in that."

"Have you considered discussing this with Restor himself?"

"I had actually. And was going to do so, but it seemed he was not within his quarters. Which you would have quickly discovered yourself had I not been there to dissuade you from coming any closer."

"I... I do not know what you mean." Cade looked like he was starting to visibly sweat. Or he was going to wretch.

Maize leaned in closer. "Why were you coming to visit Ress's quarters, Cade?"

"Well... as you said. We are childhood friends. And we hadn't seen each other in quite some time. I was merely seeking him out so that we could catch up over the lost time."

"If that is the case, then why did you seek him out last night? Or were you looking for him today to finish what you started?"

Cade's eyes widened. "Lady Maizelyn-"

"I am not a fool, Cade," Maize hissed. "I gave you the chance and you passed it up. Your wife may be blind to these games but I am not. I know you were with Ress last night, and I know what the two of you were doing."

His bottom lip seemed to quiver. "Please..."

"I also know what you did to him in Seren. I know what happened between the two of you, and I know why his family forced him away. I know it was because of you."

"But I... I apologized..."

"Your apologies have come too many years too late. He may have forgiven you, but I will not. Not for the torment you've put him through because you were too much of a coward to admit the truth."

"What would have had me do?" he pleaded. "My family would have thrown me out as well, or worse!"

"So you allowed Ress to take the brunt of it?" Maize scoffed, already disgusted with their conversation. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't search out your wife and give her a detailed description of what I saw Ress doing to you last night?"

"First, she wouldn't talk to you if you could find her, second she wouldn't believe you if you did, and third you wouldn't because the minute she discovered whatever you told her, she'd have Restor accused of assault and arrested."

"But you went to him." She felt her blood begin to boil at his audacity.

"And, as you know, I have the uncanny ability to spin a story in my favor."'

"Then what makes you think I won't tell Ress about all of this?"

"I half-expect you to, and he'll know what I say to be true, and take my words under much better advisement than you may."

"You don't know me," Maize snarled.

"I do know you're not truly a courtier."

She gripped the arms of her chair tightly.

"I don't know who you are, or what you've done to lure Restor into your ploy, but I do know that Prince Laris would not be pleased to know there's an impostor in his midst."

"You don't know what you're talking about," she sneered. This was not how she expected this conversation to turn, but it all began to make sense. How Ress was fooled all those years ago, and how Cade was able to get away with it without retribution.

"I know enough, and I know people who know more. I also know you won't tell Ress about this conversation, or I will."

Cade stood from his chair, looking far more comfortable in his clothes than he did when he sat down.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to find an old friend. Perhaps he'll invite me back to his room again. And this time I don't expect we'll be disrupted."

Maize, in a daze, watched him saunter off, heading back in the direction of Ress' room, just as he promised.