"Assassins usually are."
They continued in silence, Bahran leading her to, she assumed, the area for her and the other ambassadors.She took the time to really look around at the corridors.
All the doors matched each other, this particular set was the first ones she'd seen in a while as they walked, and she wondered if they were getting closer.It wasn't until she saw the guards posted that she was almost certain this was the place.
Bianca had said it was nice.Sterile, but nice.
And she saw what Bianca had meant--everything was clean and polished on the inside.At least, until one looked closer.The ash and sulfur from outside was there, in tiny bits on the window frames, or maybe in the corners of the rooms, but in very small amounts.It was very clean.
Bright and white.
A difference from the underground bunker they'd been in.Eleanor had told her that they all were the same, with very large beds.Caoimhe was looking forward to that--sleeping on something soft.
"Imperial Princess," came one of the medical healers.She recognized the distinctly deep voice the Rhimodian had.
She paused and turned.
"You forgot this."He handed her the necklace.
She stared at the metal necklace, and part of her wanted to laugh, for she'd been so adamant that no one lost theirs, and she left hers in a medical facility.The irony was hard to miss.She held it to her chest, and shook her head.Her mother would have found that hilarious.
They continued walking toward the rooms, and when they came around a corner, she saw two Rhimodians on guard outside a set of doors.Otherwise, most of the doors looked the same, but seeing guards, that told her it was where her friends were.
She rubbed the metal necklace in her hand, holding it probably tighter than she needed to, but it was important.More than for the sentimental reasons.
They were almost to the door."You are very fond of your necklace."
She nodded."It was made of my mother's Crown Jewels."
"Why would you remake your mother's crown?Wouldn't you want it for yourself?"He asked as he opened the door for her.
"Thank you," she said as she walked through, and continued her explanation."It is a common tradition in some royal families--to remake the jewels and add something to them as a way of making them your own."The entrance opened to a common area, like a sitting room, with a food prep area in one corner, seating all around, and a dinner table.All the same silvery white sterile look to them.The rest of her ambassadorial party seemed almost dingy in the brightness of it.
It amused her, the contrast between the locations she'd been at today.
"What did you add to this necklace?"Bahran asked.
She glanced at the golden metal in her hand."Trackers and a code key."
Just as the words left her mouth, the common area of the apartment went silent.
Veta, Bianca, Eleanor and Freya all stared at her.The Rhimodians in the room also glanced her way, but none spoke.
Not even moved.
Well, until Veta did.She walked into her room, the door left open, and put the long knife on the bed and covered it with a bed pillow, before coming back out.She put her hands on her hips."Excuse me, did you say there was a tracker and a code key in our jewelry?"
"Why did you cover your knife with a pillow?"Eleanor asked, pointing to Veta's room.
She waved her hand."The Emperor put a recording device in it."
"How do you know?"Freya asked.
"It was a gift before I left.Wrathin and I discovered it."She gestured to him as she spoke."Been using it to carefully only record what we want shared.With the eclipse, it's not sending back what it records, but as soon as it can connect, it will upload everything to the Emperor, and he'll be able to know what we're talking about.And frankly, I'd like to be sure I am in control of what that narrative is."
Eleanor gasped and turned to Bianca.
"What?"Caoimhe asked her sister."What's wrong?"
