Chapter 13.
1021 Words
"Care to tell me what you're doing here?"
Maven asked as he cleared his throat.
Sal straightened himself and shrugged.
"Same as you. Looking for Summer."
Maven had caught him tailing he and his guards and caught him off guard. He wasn't expecting to see Sal. But he could understand why Sal was loitering around the slaver's market.
Sal was just as close to Summer as he was and Maven was confident that he would do anything to protect Summer .
"Now that you're here. Care to elaborate on what happened?"
Sal shrugged.
"It all happened so fast. One minute we were chasing the bandits off the next minute they were carting Summer away."
Maven sighed.
"That's horrible. When we got the letter... I was devastated. How is Astra?"
Sal nodded.
"She's in the palace. Pretending like nothing ever happened. Which isn't far from how she'd act to be honest."
Sal said as he shrugged.
He would never forget how nonchalant Astra had acted after wards. Like she and Summer didn't grow up together.
And as if Summer didn't go missing trying to protect her.
"Did you find anything?"
Maven asked and Sal shrugged.
"I was just about to ask you that question. For me, it would be suspicious going around and asking where Astra is. But that's going to be quite easy for you."
Maven nodded.
He looked around the market again.
Despite giving them Summer's description, none of them had been able to help with her location or any valuable information that might help them.
"I haven't found anything. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. If she wasn't sold then where the hell could she be?"
He whispered in annoyance.
"Perhaps if you can help us with the description of the bandits who kidn*pped her, maybe they'll be willing to help."
Maven asked Sal and Sal nodded his head.
Together they walked towards a slaver who seemed to the most popular and influential one.
He was also the only one who was monitoring their every move.
Sal was confident that he knew something which could help them.
"New faces."
The fat man commented as he watched Maven and Sal walk up to him.
He was flanked by two guards who looked just as fierce as he did. They carried scythes and their faces bore more marks than Sal had ever seen.
He was popular, Sal could see that.
It was easy to be popular in the slave market if you had the highest number of slaves to sell.
And the man in front of them looked like he ran the whole market.
"We were hoping you would help us with some information."
Maven said as he smiled, displaying just the right amount of charm to gain the man's trust.
The man gazes at Maven.
"Nothing here comes free pretty boy."
He rubbed his fingers together.
Maven understands what he means and drops a small bag of coin in front of his table.
One of his guards pick it up and examine the contents.
He nods to their boss.
"I wonder. What's a noble like you doing in the slave market? Are you looking for a slave? Or perhaps a criminal that escaped your hands?"
He asked and Maven shook his head.
"I'm looking for a girl. She was stolen a few days ago in the Forest of Abbot. The men wore black with green sashes. They took her."
There was a long deep silence from the man's side. Sal was positive that he knew something.
"This girl... This girl you're looking for, is she a noble?"
He asked and Maven and Sal looked at each other.
If they said no, this would increase the man's curiosity as to why they were looking for an ordinary girl.
And they didn't want him to meddle in their affairs, not without knowing if he was on their side.
"She's my father's ward."
Maven finally said and the man nodded.
It took a long time before he finally responded.
"The men you talk about. They are Rhaegal's men. Not just any ordinary bandits too."
"Hired bandits."
The man said and Sal and Maven looked at each other.
Why would anyone hire bandits to steal Summer?
Unless Astra was their real targets.
The man stood up.
"Unfortunately, that is all I can tell you. You can leave now before you encounter any problems."
He said as he glanced around quickly.
Sal followed his eyes and found out that a few men were watching them closely.
He tapped Maven.
"I think it's time we leave."
Lord Earn introduced Larissa to anyone and everyone that cared for an introduction. Larissa was already getting tired of answering the same round of questions every time they met someone new but she dared not complain. She was going to endure it for as long as she could.
They all asked her the same questions, if she was well, why they had not seen her in a long time, why she wasn't in the public scene and many other obnoxious questions.
Luckily, Hydra had drafted and prepared the likely questions they would ask her and had her memorise the answers.
Larissa had pored over them several times before they attended the ball and she didn't stop until the finally stuck.
Finally, Lord Earn gave her a breathing space and Hydra walked close to her.
"You're doing great."
Hydra whispered in excitement as she looked around, handmaidens weren't really allowed at the ball but Hydra had found a way to walk in and blend in.
"It's not too soon to say you're the diamond of the season."
She said with a proud look of accomplishment on her face.
Oh no! It was definitely too soon, she thought as she looked around.
There were so many other beautiful girls vying for the same position that she was.
What made her different was that no one had expected her arrival and no one had certainly known House Whitby was going to have someone standing in for their house.
She had the element of surprise, that was all.
- Writer
