I didn’t say anything, but I blinked loudly at Ant for a long moment, wanting more information.
“Yup. I only heard it through Crane. It was a while ago, when he was young and she was… well younger I guess, but who knows how old.” He finally looked at me then, brow furrowed as he changed topics. “It really is fascinating. You’ll see when you meet her. She looks like you or Amber, a youthful woman, but… there’s something in her eyes that’s… heavy. She’s got the eyes of an old woman who’s seen far too much.” He digressed. “But yeah, the Boss was captivated by her and wanted to make it official. She… didn’t. So now there’s this… undertone around relationships at the House. You can have some fun, as long as no one gets upset or hurt, but… if you want more… you make sure you’re fully ready. Boss won’t allow it otherwise.”
“Oh.”
I’d just learned far more than I’d expected to, sitting on this rocky beach.
We sat in silence for a while after that.
Sparrow returned and let us know where Amber would be waiting. Then we all veered into our avatars and Sparrow carried Ant and I up, one in each small foot.
I watched the sea fall away as the craggy cliff sped by, higher and higher. I tried not to let the extreme height affect me. Though I found myself spinning out and knitting together a sort of sail with my silk. It was something I’d learned and been working on as an ability, which I couldn’t yet do in human form, and had done a couple of times successfully in spider form. If I fell, the sail should flare out and catch me, slowing my descent.
As it turned out, we landed well enough inside an empty room, flying in through an open window. Amber was inside waiting for us. “Good, now that you’re here, I’m going to go check on Silence and make sure he knows where to meet us. He may be a while.” She veered into her butterfly form, and flitted away. This mission wasn’t about time. We’d be able to fit in for a while before someone noticed we shouldn’t be here. We had the time. It was mostly about… knowing where to be listening to hear what we’d need to hear. That was far more uncertain. We might end up being here for a full day or two. The hope was that if there was war in the works, and it was well enough known, people would be talking openly about it here, in the palace, where they were safe.
But that… remained to be seen.
It did take a while before Amber returned and Silence joined us. It was mid-afternoon by then. Sparrow had flitted down to the kitchens and stolen us some bread and cheese.
Once we were all together, we went over the plan. Ant and I would search one wing of the palace, Amber and Silence another, while Sparrow kept to her bird form, flying around to hear what she could. We’d meet back in this empty room at midnight.
And we were off.
My heart raced as Ant and I passed our first random person, but we exchanged pleasantries and he went his way… that was it. The man hadn’t suspected anything.
Perhaps… this was going to work?
Chapter 25
Everything went well…until dinner.
A functionary found us in the halls and asked if we’d be attending the dinner that evening in the Royal Hall. I hesitated, but Ant accepted the invitation easily.
“Yes, of course. We are Lord and Lady Halvarion, in from Walthrick,” he said with such confidence, even I believed him.
The functionary nodded and left.
Ant turned to me and shrugged. “Dinner could be a great place to get some information.”
“Or get caught,” I whispered, making sure no one was around.
He shrugged. “One or the other, I guess we’ll see. You know where to meet up if we’re separated. That room at midnight, or the beach where Fin left us, if nothing else. If things go badly change into your avatar form and find a crack to slip into. They don’t have Lumani here, they won’t be able to follow you. But I’m sure it won’t come to that. You’ll do well at dinner.”
“As your wife?” I asked playfully?
“You could do worse.”
“I could do better.”
“How dare you talk to your husband that way!” He’d said it playfully, but given our discussion earlier on the beach, I was feeling just a little odd about playing the part of his wife.
And at dinner, things didn’t improve.
I felt it as soon as I walked into the long hall, a humming tension in the room. The people here were on edge. Ant and I got a few curious, sidelong glances, but once again, Ant used that same name, Lord and Lady Halvarion, from Walthrick, and people seemed to accept it.
I pulled him aside. “Who are these people? Do I have a name? Why is everyone so accepting?”
He grinned. “Your name is Lady Ahlana Halvarion. I did some research before we left. The Halvarions are from the north of Vauphan, and fairly reclusive. People down here at the capital are unlikely to know them. We’re also fairly insignificant, with a small holding. So, we’re a curiosity at best. Oh, and my name is Viktor.”
