Chapter 17.
1852 Words
"So! What do you make of all this?"
A blonde girl walked up to Larissa and she became startled. The girl started laughing.
She was wearing a bright yellow frilly gown that looked off on her complexion. Her hair was also in pigtails, that amused Larissa because she felt she looked childish.
She had seen the girl earlier, talking to Monica with another girl she didn't know.
"Uhm... I don't know..."
Larissa started as she looked around.
They had just got out of teatime and got their first assignment of the day. Which Larissa was already mulling over considering the fact that she knew nothing about being a noble, or growing up like one.
She would have no other choice but to ask Hydra about it, because she wasn't sure how she would go about it.
The girl c****d her head to one side and smiled.
"You don't talk much do you? Interesting."
"Anyways. It's nice to meet you! I'm Neveah."
She said with an outstretched hand and Larissa took it slowly.
Her hand was small and cold, Larissa winced a bit at the touch.
"House Iris?"
She asked as she spotted the brooch that held the symbol of her house and she nodded proudly.
"Yes! One and only. it's nice to meet you too Larissa. You certainly stole the whole show on the night of the ball."
Larissa blushed.
"Oh I didn't intend to."
Neveah chuckled.
"No don't worry. I'm not as offended as some of the other girls."
Larissa tucked away that piece of information, she was going to need it later.
"Do you like it here?"
Nevaeh asked.
She said as they started walking back to the castle. Some of the girls had clustered in groups and were farther behind than the two of them.
Astra was in a faraway group but her eyes were on Larissa with a foul look on her face.
Larissa shook her head and looked away, she could be annoying some times.
"I suppose living in a castle isn't too bad."
She said and Neveah nodded.
"Surely you must miss home, being cooped up there for quite a long time."
Larissa smiled tightly, she had the impression that Neveah was just being nosy. She was just trying to get more information about her and although Larissa shouldn't have minded because she needed a friend, it could blow her cover.
She wanted more than nothing to get the job done and get out of the palace and back home.
That was all she wanted.
Did she even have a home?
She didn't care.
All she wanted to do was get back to her friends.
Sal, Suri, Tommen and even Maven who had hurt her badly.
"I do. But the castle is a beautiful place."
"If you'll excuse me. I feel a little headache coming up. I'd like to go to my room."
She said as she started walking faster.
"Will you be alright?"
Neveah called out and Larissa nodded without looking back.
"Yes I will."
Back in the confines of her room, Larissa was furiously loosening the sashes of her dress when Hydra came in.
"How was it?"
She asked as she dropped the letter in her hand on the vanity table.
Hydra had an habit of dropping in unannounced all the time.
She was never in the room, but anytime Larissa felt she had a little privacy or room to herself she would drop in unannounced.
"It was okay."
"Find anything new?"
She asked and Larissa raised her eyebrows.
"What exactly should I be looking for?"
She asked and Hydra rolled her eyes.
"Anyways I've got a letter from Lord Earn and he has some information for you."
"What is it?"
Larissa asked as her eyes travelled to the letter. She reached out to pick it up but Hydra smacked her arm hard.
Larissa scowled at her.
"That's for me."
Hydra said sternly.
"Anyways. There's a large vault underneath the castle. It's where the King keeps all his spoils and riches. It has everything."
"Is that where the stone is?"
She asked and Hydra shrugged.
"Lord Earn believes that might be a good place to start while looking for it. It's impossible for the royal family to keep it anywhere near them without drawing too much attraction."
"And how do I get there?"
She asked and Hydra sighed.
"That level of the palace is closed off to a lot of people except a few handful of others."
"So who has the keys to the vault?"
She asked and Hydra shrugged.
"Well, according to Lord Earn, he only remembers one copy of the key being made. The prince has one, but we do not know who has the other one."
"The King?"
Larissa asked and Hydra scoffed.
"I highly doubt it, wouldn't want to risk him losing it."
"Then who is it?!"
Hydra sighed.
She was just as frustrated as Larissa.
"I have no idea. But we'll find out soon enough. All I know is that it is probably someone very close and important to the royal family."
"And you have a fortnight to get the keys to the vault."
"A fortnight!!! How the hell am I supposed to get it by then?"
"Lower your voice!!"
Hydra warned Larissa as she shook her violently.
"You should be grateful he gave you such generous time! Lord Earn has been patient for a very long time, he isn't going to waste any more time."
"Now, sit down and listen attentively!"
Hydra said and Larissa sat down with a frown on her face.
"You have to get close to the Prince. He is your only chance."
Larissa scoffed.
"You must think I'm the only girl vying for his attention."
"No, You're not. Meaning you have to work twice as hard as any girl here to get it. You have to make him fall for you enough to get some of these things out of him. Any means possible."
"This wasn't in the plan..."
Larissa called out but Hydra ignored her going on.
"You have to get close enough to get the keys from him. Before that, you get him close enough for him to take you there."
"And what happens if I'm there?"
Larissa questioned and Hydra shrugged.
"The stone, it has a strong magical presence. You should be able to feel it."
"And what if I don't?"
"This entire plan is based on speculations and what ifs!"
Larissa snapped annoyingly as she rubbed at her face.
"You will! Someone like you should feel it."
"Someone like me?"
She questioned and Hydra sighed again.
"I don't have time for this... Let's just go over what you have to do..."
"Hydra what do you mean by someone like me?"
"That's not in my place to tell you!'
Hydra said ignoring Larissa who was now hovering close to her shoulder.
"I deserve to know. If I'm going to retrieve this stone or gem or whatever it is, I deserve to know the full story."
Hydra sighed.
Slowly she turned.
"Surely, you must have had some inkling of what you are girl."
There was a short uncomfortable silence. Larissa didn't understand.
"I don't understand..."
She whispered and Hydra gently led her to the vanity mirror to look at herself.
She pointed at her eyes.
"Do you really think Lord Earn would have just picked any random girl for this job? When there are so many actresses in the King City?"
Hydra was right. Why her?
She never really cared enough to think about it.
She just cared about leaving.
And now the realisation had hit her in the face.
She wasn't just any ordinary girl.
But what?
What was she?
It had been long fruitless days for Maven and Sal. The two of them were at their wits end. Teeming with frustration and anger. After their time at the slavers market, nobody had been wiling to tell them about Rhaegal's men, not even after generous offers of money.
They both decided to spend a few days in Wyeth looking for Rhaegal which also proved difficult.
Maven was already tired and had lost all hope of Summer being alive. Or even around them.
Whoever had taken her had made sure she was never going to be found. And even if they had taken her by accident, the fact that she had not been returned was also disheartening.
It could only mean one thing. One conclusion he wouldn't want to arrive at.
Maven ran a hand through his greasy hair.
"We've looked everywhere. We should head home."
Maven said and Sal glared at him.
"Head home?!"
He exclaimed and Maven shrugged.
"What else do you want us to do? She's not here. I can only imagine the worse. We've searched for days."
"Well, you can go back. It's not like you cared either way. I'll stay and keep looking for her."
Maven scoffed. He was tired, he hadn't eaten or taken a proper bath in three days, the last tavern they had spent the night in didn't have any clean water and they didn't want to spend all their money on paying for rooms at taverns and inns so they could have some left to buy back Summer from her captor if they eventually found her.
"Sal, that's stupid. You know you won't be able to make it so far without me."
Sal scrunched up his face in anger.
"Well you leave me no choice. Just give me the money and I'll be well on my way."
"Also, don't forget you're the one that got her in this mess in the first place."
"Me?!! What do I have to do with it!!"
"What do you have to do with it?!!"
"Everything Maven! Every f*****g thing!"
"It's your fault your mother made her Astra's handmaiden because she wanted to separate the two of you. You got caught sneaking around with Summer and you didn't even have the balls to defend her."
"All of this is your fault!"
The pit in Maven's stomach grew larger and larger. Sal was right, it was his fault.
He sneaking around with her had made his mother separate them.
And now Summer was gone and he didn't even have the chance to tell her goodbye.
He felt truly horrible.
The grunt from Sal's direction brought him out of his thoughts.
As he looked up he found an arrow in Sal's shoulder and two men running towards him.
Sal fell slowly, with an hand to his chest as two others struggled with him.
Maven stood quickly and tried to pull out his sword but it was too late.
"Best you don't do that mate."
A deep husky voice said from the shadows of the dimly lit alleyway.
Two men appeared from nowhere and held Maven down, just like how they were holding Sal.
Maven struggled to loosen their grip but they didn't budge, pushing his face further down into the muddy floor.
"Heard you've been looking for me?"
The man said as he finally walked out of the shadows.
Maven swallowed long and hard.
Rhaegal had finally come to them.
- Writer
