Ell mulled over the Queen’s words as the carriage jostled towards the General’s Mansion. Not only was she aware of the General’s plans, she implied readiness to support the rebellion as long as Tyra ended up King. Ell wouldn’t call the suggestion infeasible, but the key point was Tyra was unaware of the dangerous game at play.

  Which side she would end up picking was unclear.

  With a tug at the reins, Selin pulled the carriage to a stop at Ilai’s private entrance. Having spent a few days away at the orphanage processing her thoughts, Ell resolved to treat the incident with Byrun like it never was. It had to be addressed, eventually, but for now, she needed all the allies she could make.

  Only until she was a little stronger, Ell promised herself. She hated relying on anyone. It was a human necessity, but Ell had seen the crueler side of this vulnerability.

  Guards stationed along the colonnade saluted as Ell headed to her quarters. After a long absence, Klarn appeared at the door to Ell’s bed chamber. Her fingers were intertwined at her stomach, knuckles white from the strain. An invisible weight pressed on her shoulders, leaving her hunched in place.

  “You look unwell,” Ell commented lightly as she stopped before her.

  Klarn straightened abruptly, failing to notice Ell’s presence until she was in front her. She tugged at her lips, attempting a casual smile. The resulting curl was more horrified than at ease.

  Ell passed a thumb over her finger. She smiled. “Klarn,” she called as the latter flinched, “I hear your parents have been down with the seasonal cold. Don’t force yourself to come to work; I’m not staying at the residence a lot.” She placed a hand on the double doors. “Selin, compensate her for the upcoming month in advance.”

  The guard who had been silently observing nodded as Ell disappeared behind the doors.

  The attendant was far from relieved, grasping Selin’s arm before she could head to the butler. “Her Highness never forgave me, did she?” Her blue eyes darted from the doors to Selin’s vertical pupils. “I’m getting fired, aren’t I?”

  With a rough wave of her arm, Selin shook Klarn off. The guard had not committed a lesser offense to the Princess when she was suspicious of her, but she did not feel sympathy towards the young woman. Traitors did not deserve mercy. If not for the Princess’s orders, Selin would rather snap her head off her neck.

  “I don’t know.” It was an honest answer, but Klarn saw it as confirmation. She twisted her fingers murmuring incoherently to herself, eyes unfocused. Selin beckoned to a guard. “Take her home.”

  The guard saluted and half-dragged Klarn away.

  Leaning her back on the door, Ell had been listening with interest. Although sound could not spill outside her rooms, she could hear what was happening in the corridor clearly. She pulled away from the doors as the sounds faded.

  It was too early to deduce Klarn’s role in the original plot, but the girl barely over twenty struck Ell as too much of a coward to have been a spy. For now, Ell would rather keep an eye on her Klarn at a distance. The last thing she needed was a ticking time bomb by her side.

  A twinge of pain, akin to sharp needle jabs, distracted Ell as her stomach rumbled in protest against her unruly eating habits. Whenever she was carried away by thought, Ell often forgot to eat, and those past days she’d been surviving on tea and sugary snacks. Not quite the exemplary diet.

  After a moment of deliberation and reviewing Ilai’s memories, Ell changed into casual black robes and headed to the dining hall.

  The clock had just passed three in the afternoon. Servants shuffled into the spacious dining room, leaving gentle clanks as they placed dishes on the circular table. The family had gathered around the table ready to dig in. When Ell appeared by the table, settling into a chair a servant pulled out for her, everyone paused.

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  Tahu cried out in pleasant surprise, “Ili!”

  Ell ruffled his neatly combed hair with a gentle smile. To her right, Heli elbowed Gryn who had dug into a buttery chicken leg enthusiastically. She glared at Heli but reluctantly put the almost bare bone back on her plate.

  Quinn was notably absent. A Reader was not sought for company unless absolutely necessary. Nobody liked their innermost thoughts on display. With a Blessing suppressor, he could be allowed to join in, but it was akin to leashing a dog and tightening the muzzle.

  It was more comfortable and dignified for everyone involved to dine separately.

  Byrun, sitting opposite to Ell, cleared his throat. “Is there anything specific you want? I’ll have them whip it up quickly.”

  Ignoring the General’s attempt at goodwill, Ell scooped a mouthful of creamy mushroom soup, savoring the rich taste. The mushroom was the right amount of chewy and soft.

  The atmosphere eased despite Ell’s pointed dismissal of all attempts at conversation. Truth be told, although she was not fond of family gatherings, she disliked eating alone even more. It was not solitude that she hated, but deliberate isolation.

  Ilai was loved, complicated and distasteful as that love was.

  As lunch drew to a close, Versan urged Tahu away to clean up before turning to Ell. She spoke solemnly, “I’m sorry about what happened to Renek.” Ell lowered her eyes, she hadn’t expected her first official kill to be brought up. “The Minister of Revenue is opening the mansion for condolences, do you want to come along?”

  Although Ilai had never declared herself close to a particular person, she often hung out with the Renek, Nira, and Avaren. Now that Renek had passed away, she should at least keep up appearances and attend the funeral.

  Since the General’s Mansion was officially visiting to offer condolences, it was not out of character for her to tag along. As his presence was not welcome, Quinn refrained from visiting and opted instead to send over a gold wreath.

  The Minister of Revenue’s mansion was open for visitors.

  Dressed in black robes hemmed with white, the mourners conveyed their condolences to the distraught couple. The Minister wept bitterly, supported by her husband who amiably greeted the visitors with a pale face.

  Ell had been planning to stay for a few minutes before leaving but ended up pulled into the periphery of the gardens by Nira and Avaren.

  “Can you believe she lost her life to a slave scum?” Avaren shuddered, face contorting in disgust.

  Ell cast her a sideway glance, sitting opposite the girls on cushioned stone benches. “I thought she was close to that particular maid, what happened?”

  Puppeteer happened, of course, but Ell was curious about what rumors have been circulating.

  Nira flipped wavy brown hair over her shoulder. “A slave is a slave. How can a noble guess their thoughts,” she stated calmly, drinking fresh plumag juice.

  “Right. So stupid she ended up dead with her,” Avaren agreed with a sneer.

  The death bind often used by the nobles meant only death awaited servants and slaves who dared betray their masters.

  Uninterested in continuing the conversation any further and more occupied in plotting the two girls death to fill up her DVP, Ell excused herself after a few more minutes of idle chatter.

  She hadn’t made it out of the Minister’s residence when she was stopped by a familiar yet unfamiliar face.

  “Your Highness,” the Priest, who had taken a sample of her blood, greeted with a hand to his heart. The polite attitude had Ell raising an eyebrow. Priests were rarely polite because they never had to be polite.

  Ell nodded. “Esteemed.”

  He stretched a hand towards the funeral hall where the body was being held. “Would you like to join me in granting the Dragon’s blessings to the child one last time?”

  Ell frowned at the dark-skinned man. She had gone over the etiquette of funerals as not embarrass herself, and while she recalled that a dear one could accompany the presiding Priest in casting the Dragon’s ‘spiritual’ blessings on the deceased, Ell doubted Ilai was considered a ‘dear’ one by Renek.

  “I don’t think that would be appropriate.”

  The Priest’s friendly smile dissolved into a harsh line at Ell’s words. It was for a short moment before his lips stretched into an upward curl, but it was far from a smile. “It’s the Dragon’s wishes,” he insisted.

  As Ell hesitated, a sound was transmitted through the bloodsmithed earrings. “I see Your Highness,” Selin’s voice reassured her.

  The discomfort eased into scrutiny. “Lead the way,” she acquiesced.

  The Priest’s white hair, loosely tied at the waist, swayed with his step. The servants guarding Renek’s body allowed them in with little inspection. The hall holding Renek's body was long and wide, intended to host banquets, repurposed into an empty grim storage space for the coffin in the middle.

  Once the doors were closed, the Priest pulled out a familiar cube. Ell could not help a sigh. Everyone and their mothers were using sound blockers at a drop of a hat these days.

  “Your Highness,” the Priest began as the glowing net surrounded them, “if you don’t want to die, you will listen to me carefully.”

  [Sharp change in Deviation detected.]

  [Plot Deviation | 21.4%]

  [Deviation Points | 0768]