Veiled Chaos

It took hours. The Red Sisters sat alone in the infirmary with a tense few inches of space separating them. Neither of them dared to touch the other, lest their slowly rebuilding relationship would shatter. The silence stretched as if for miles with no end in sight, only interrupted by a quiet cough or a dry question. The queen and her right hand, willingly or not, bared their hearts to one another. It was a feat so much more difficult than simply stripping their clothes. In time, Sera spoke of her childhood. In the time of the late king's reign, she was always told that Haedria would succeed the throne, Haedria will rule the kingdom, Haedria will lead the people. It left the princess with nothing to do and with no purpose at all in her life. When the king hired a lanky young butcher named Kerza to dig graves, the princess's life became a bit brighter. When Kerza moved into the castle, he brought a wily little beige puppy with him. She spent half the day everyday at Kerza's just playing with his puppy.

Beside her, Haedria covered her mouth in a polite giggle. Sera looked sideways at the queen and smiled, seeing the ease behind the years of court manner lessons and instructions on poise. Haedria recounted spending most of the seasons in the library, reading and writing and listening to the tutor the king hired for her. Her nights were spent creeping back to the library and standing on tiptoes to reach the musty old books at the top of the shelves the tutor never let her touch. Only when she was older and crowned the queen did she realize they were spellbooks that few could read. Sera nodded, remembering. Haedria did always stay shut in the library while she galloped through the fields all the way to Mount Volknar and back.

It took a long while, but the Red Sisters had begun to laugh easily and lay on the small infirmary cot together reminiscing about their childhood with lighter hearts than they had in years. The dawn's early light began to stream into the room, lighting up the stone floor.

A black jewel lay inert underneath Princess Sera's covers, humming silently. The gleaming sunlight washed through the windows and the jewel vibrated at the touch of the rays. Black mist began to pour from it and formed into Elysia lying in a sleeping yet entirely seductive pose the covers draped lightly over her curves her mouth slightly open and her breasts peaked in the light chill of the morning castle air. Though she lay still her mind was awake and functioning. 'Check: Sisters, Militia, Rumours. Interfere: Fracture the Sisters, Plant ideas in the Militia, direct the rumours. Talk to council privately, acquire power. Signet ring. Hamiclar. A million and one sparks of thought sipped through her head while her deceivingly idle body rested.

Sera covered her yawn with a hand. The queen pulled her younger sister closer and lightly kissed the top of her head. "You've been awake almost all night, sister. You rest today, let me handle everything." she said.
The princess nodded, getting up from the infirmary bed and stretching, shaking out muscles strained from sudden acts of anger. With a lazy wave and muffled 'good night', Sera wandered out of the infirmary towards her room.
Haedria, closing her eyes, breathed deeply. She wasn't sure what caused it, but she didnt feel tired at all. Drawing her robe tightly around her, she left the infirmary as well to survey the damage done to her chambers.

The princess-turned-knight pushed open door to her chambers and saw the slave girl sleeping peacefully yet very seductively. A smile quirked at the corner of her lips as she stood, watching Elysia's chest rise and fall with steady breathing. The light streaming in from the windows served only to light her hair and all the bronze curves of her body. Sera, careful as she could, slipped in beside her and was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

Come dawn, Duro and Sevax found themselves rowing a different little boat back to Sagna. Tieras huddled behind them as they rowed, staring curiously out at the water.
"Trying to see fish under there?" Sevax called, grinning.
The boy shook his head. "I've heard tales of sirens. Are they real?"
"Old sailors seem to think so. I don't believe a word of it." Duro replied.
Tieras nodded thoughtfully and went back to watching the waves gently lap at the side of their boat. Soon he would be in Sagna, far away from Theoleas.

Cold eyes drifted awake in a faux show, turning her head ever so slightly she saw the dead tired princess lying next to her. Creeping out of the bed, placing her hand against the edge for balance she propped herself up and quickly and quietly fleeted from the room. Eyes quickly darted from left to right, then she stop suddenly. 'I am rushing, I am rushing too eagerly to taste the chaos of this realm, I must calm myself lest it overwhelm me and I become hasty in my decisions.' The realization was so simple but sundering. Chaos was close, close enough to taste. The waters were churning. Elysia pulled herself into a prim and proper respectable and ladylike posture. It tasted sweet, but he had to play coy to it's enchanting lure.

Haedria's temper was slowly rising. She stood in the ruins of her room among the soot and dirty water that was used to put out the fire. Her bed was a charred husk, as were her desk, wardrobe, and bookcase. The gowns were easy to replace, and there was nothing of monumental importance. The hardwood chest that was hidden behind a loose stone panel was warm to the touch but unharmed. It kept objects of little monetary worth, but reminded Haedria of happier times. Everything in the room could be fixed or replaced, except the books. Gods above, the books. The queen picked through the ashes and found only charred covers, the contents burned to crumbling ashes. Centuries of knowledge and magic, all gone. Haedria's eyes flashed open in panic as she remembered something. She crossed the burned room to what was once her nightstand and dropped to her hands and knees.
"Where is my dagger?!" she all but screamed as she searched.

A loud echoing cry thundered past Elysia who merely rolled her eyes at the shout, 'In the skull of a man I am glad to be rid of' she thought sarcastically. Though perhaps it would be better to stay completely out of the Queen's way for a time, Elysia quietly made her way down the halls. Again pausing, she had never eaten .......... 'WHAT ABSOLUTE FOOLISHNESS' Nearly slapping herself in the head for her incompetence she quietly and politely asked the nearest servant the directions to the kitchen and made haste.

"It's not here. It's not here." Haedria muttered to herself. Covered in soot and with no magic black dagger, the queen stormed off towards the baths to clean up. Disrobing herself and flinging the dirty robe to a waiting attendant's face, Haedria slipped into the hot water, letting the heat sear her skin. She knew she placed the dagger on her nightstand. It was always there or under her pillow when it wasnt with her. Did whoever set fire to her room make off with her dagger? If so, there would be hells to pay. The queen submerged herself in the water, and the heat lead her thoughts to Mount Volknar.

Kerza was sitting at a wooden table in the kitchens, taking his meager breakfast of sausages and bread. The man reeked of blood and dogs, but the kitchen staff were well used to it, thought the grumpy old chef wished he would bathe more often and leave his stench outside. He looked up surprised when Elysia walked in, sashaying into the room like she owned the place.
"Oh, good morning." he greeted her a bit slowly, not sure what to call her. He had forgotten her name.

Elysia's eyes swept the room quickly and settled on Kerza, her lips broke into a smile at his greeting. "And a fine morning to you as well Ser Kerza," Striding over towards him her smile never faltering, "I'm afraid I am not familiar with the castle's kitchen procedures, could you assist me Ser?" She asked him her orbs gazing at his.

Kerza looked down at his hands, still dirty and bloody. He was suddenly very conscious of his hygiene and lack of it. He pointed to the rest of the table where plates and bowls of food were set out for the castle servants.
"You can fix yourself breakfast here." he said with a shrug. "Its not much and less fancy a fare then what gets sent out for the Red Sisters, but its good."
"Just good?" the older, stunted chef said from the stove at the far end of the kitchen. "You ungrateful cur!"
Kerza laughed him off.

Elysia giggled at Kirza's joke a melodious tune drifted throughout the hall, haunting it. Flashing her smile she curtsied, "Thank you Ser Kerza" raising she grabbed a plate and began to quietly gather food, trying to gauge the other servants for a representation of the average portion size she tried to place under that amount. After acquiring the adequate amount of food she smiled in direction of the chef, "Thank you for the food Ser Chef it looks and smells wonderful." Turning she walked back to Kerza's table, simply out of familiarity, as well as his seeming closeness to Sera. "Doest thou mind if I choose to sit here Ser Kerza?"

"Please, be my guest." Kerza quickly got up and pulled out a chair for Elysia to sit in, before returning to his seat. "How has your time in Sagna been? And my sincerest apologies, but what is your name again? The excitement of the past few days swept the memory from me."

The scouts exchanged a look with each other as they pulled the boat onto shore. Tieras hopped out easily and looked around. They were on the Fire Plains.
"What do we do?" Sevax whispered. "Do we kill him?"
"No, no we're not murderers." Duro answered, keeping an eye on the boy. "We lead him into the town and leave him there. King Hamilcar is expecting us."
Sevax nodded in agreement and approached Tieras. "So, this is Sagna. What do you want to do from here? We have to be set up another camp so you cannot join us."
Tieras bowed in thanks and grinned. "I need only to get to the town. Perhaps I will hire myself out at the inn for money. Thank you again, kind sirs!"
Duro's brows furrowed as he thought and looked down at himself. "We cannot set foot in the town, come to think of it. The Sagnian guards will no doubt skin our hides."
"It is fine sir, only point me in the direction and I will go." Tieras said.
Duro pointed across the Fire Plains and instructed him to go up the hill and through the field. "When you see a castle with severed heads atop pikes, steer well clear of it."
The boy nodded in thanks and embraced the two scouts before scurrying off the sand to his new life.
"That was easier than I thought." Sevax said, watching the boy disappear into the distance.
"Aye, strangely so." Duro replied, pulling Theoleas's armor off over his head. "Back to the king then."

"Thank you Ser Kerza," She said politely seating herself across from him she began to eat hungry for a few moments before turning her gaze upwards to him, "The past few days have been wonderful Ser Kerza, save for that terrible fire." taking a bite from some bread her voice stopped before resuming, "Elysia," She said, "My name is Elysia. It's quite alright that you forgot."

Kerza nodded, muttering her name. He would remember this time, as to him the name sounded as beautiful as the woman herself. He watched her as she ate, taking notice of every movement made. In time, he dropped her gaze back to his food that stayed uneaten for a few minutes.
"Are you enjoying your time in the company if their Majesties?" he asked.

Elysia looked up at the man, "Well, yes I am enjoying the company of their Majesties very much when they will have me. It feels wonderful to be useful again." Nibbling casually on a piece of bread that in many dimensions would be called toast. "Would you expect me to say otherwise?"

The thin man balked, frantically waving his hands. "No! No, no, I don't expect anything of you. That is to say, uh, the Sisters can be wonderful and accommodating so I merely hope that you're enjoying your time here with them." he babbled. Kerza dropped back to his plate and finished what was on it.
"I hope you don't mind Elysia, but I'm to return to my work." his smile was all sharp and crooked teeth but it was kind. He dropped his plate in the sink and left just as the fat old chef turned to yell obscenities at him.

Finished with her bath, the queen swept through the castle halls like a ghost clad in black and red. Her face was as if set in stone, her mouth set in a grim line and her eyes cold. Guards silently bowed to her as she walked past and servants scrambled out of her way. The double doors to the Dining Hall we opened for her and Haedria took her place at the table's head, her posture still and hands folded in her lap. Dark thoughts and intent swirled in her mind in start contrast to the stillness of her body. The servants, seeing the arrival of their queen, scrambled back to the kitchens to prepare Her Majesty's breakfast.

"Ah! Welcome back, ye sorry sacks of flesh!" the barbarian king said in his booming voice, picking up the two scouts in his large arms. "I thought ye two sorry bastards were dead!"
Duro and Sevax grinned weakly, happy to be back in familiar surroundings and surrounded by friends and family, but Hamilcar's hug was crushing their spines. Hamilcar put the two down and ushered them into his tent. Sitting heavily on his fur throne, he asked his scouts to retell everything. His eyes widened when Duro gave the count of Theoleas's forces. They narrowed in concern at the mention of Theoleas himself. Then his eyebrows shot up when they mentioned the boy.
"Ye brought a boy back t' Sagna?" Hamilcar asked. The scouts nodded.
"We merely let him come on our boat, and pointed him towards the town." Sevax said.
"I hope it was just a slave boy and no more." the king muttered.

Tieras found his way to the Sagnian town and made a beeline for the nearest inn. The accent of the Sagnians was strange to him, and he knew he would sound strange to them. Trying to keep his voice steady, he approached the innkeeper.
"What do you want?" the bald man asked gruffly.
"Please sir, I've come a long way." Tieras answered.
"And? Unless you have coin, its none of my concern."
Anger flashed over Tieras's eyes, but only briefly. "If you permit me, I would like to work for you in exchange for a place to stay and some meals."
"Hiring yourself out? You should have just said so instead of all the fancy words." the innkeeper snorted and shoved a long handled broom into Tieras's arms. "Get to work then. You can sleep in the stables."

Elysia's head turned as the kitchen began to burst with panicked and frantic activity, orders were being shouted left and right. It was like watching a warzone erupt in the kitchen. It was fascinating, almost memorizing how the kitchen servants glided and cooked all over. The head chef with his eyes set stone cold, a grizzled Veteran of the kitchen tasted the first ditch presented to him, and in a lightning sweep slapped the dish away, "No this is not presentable, Again!" he shouted. The process began again. all this this occurred quickly, and several time.

Pulling herself away from the scene Elysia slipped away from the hall, quietly and carefully she put on Egales and left for the village, calling upon the steed he had befriended and galloping away.

Kerza picked through the Sister's broken toys. He unshackled the prisoners that had died in their cells and put down the ones that clung to sorry life with flesh rotting off their bones. After years of service under the Red Sister's rule, he knew their preference. They liked when the men screamed, and loved only the smell of blood; never rot. They also never tortured women, instead captured women were made servants. As Kerza walked into one of the cells, something dark and shiny caught his eye. He crouched by the body of a prisoner, probably the one caught last night, and saw a dagger sticking out of his head. He wrenched it free and promptly dropped it. The queen's dagger shone with an eerie glow in the dungeon's dim light. Kerza swallowed thickly; Haedria would want it back as soon as possible. He instructed one of the servants to move the dead prisoner to kennels, the body was still fresh enough for the hounds to eat. Kerza himself made his way upstairs.

Haedria sipped idly from her cup of tea, her thoughts elsewhere. The fire, Sera's outburst, her missing dagger. The queen closed her eyes and breathed deeply through her nose. At the stench of wet dog and old blood, her eyes flashed open. Kerza stood at a respectful distance to her left. He bowed to her in greeting.
"My queen, good morning." he said, not meeting her eyes.
"Kerza." Haedria nodded.
"I've found something dear to you." he produced the dagger, wrapped in a clean white cloth.
Haedria's eyes widened. The dark blade seemed to trap all the light around it. "Where...?"
"It was in the dungeons, stuck in an unfortunate soul's head."
"It did its intended purpose, but who wielded it?" Haedria asked, slowly taking the dagger. Last she saw it, it was on her nightstand.
"I know not, I'm sorry."
"Very well. Thank you, Kerza."

Tieras found himself sweeping the outside of the inn. Traveler's horses tried to nip at his clothes when he wandered too close, and the general attitude of his new employer didnt do anything for his spirits. Movement caught his eye and when he looked, there was a palace guard riding bareback on a horse. They way the townspeople shied away from him or began to act very hard as if nothing was happening, told Tieras that the guards were feared in this town. The boy kept his head down but eyes open.

Egales galloped though the town eyes eerie and alert scanning the townsfolk. They stilled feared him, as to be expected. He still represented the interests of the Red Sisters in their eyes. He would need to change that. As he rode he noted quietly that the peasants all looked similar to one another, most likely a result of the local traditions of tailoring. Something different caught his eye among the sea of generality, a differently clothed peasant sweeping the stables. He was new, and wearing different clothes, he smelt of the sea. A thousand things stood out about the boy, he looked to the other peasants, taking their cues, following the herd rather than actually being apart of it. With a soft whisper Yanay began to slow and turn around, trotting towards the boy and the stables. There was very little reason for the boy to smell of salt water, the villagers seemed to fish in rivers, and the town didn't extent quite so far as to reach the Sea. It was worth investigating, if he was local, he'd have the local accent. If not, he could be a spy for the enemy, and thenceforth useful.

"Excuse me Young man" Egales called in a strong authoritative, yet not a malicious voice.

Tieras jumped slightly. He cursed the gods for the guard's keen eye. He raised uncertain eyes to the guard and stared into his blind eye before switching to his good eye.
"Y-yes, sir?" he asked, immediately wincing. He sounded different from the locals. Well to the hells with it. "How may I help you?"

Egales stared down the boy, he was not a local, he was quite possibly a spy of the enemy. Egales had yet to actually learn the name of the country that Theoleas represented. it was a bit disorienting to constantly refer to them as, 'the enemy' or as Theoleas' forces, but no matter. "Young Man I am confidently say that I do not recognize you, nor your accent. Is it safe to assume that you've come from a ship then?" He held his gaze firm, analysing.

The boy shrank back under the guard's intimidating gaze. He swallowed thickly, gathering up his courage.
"Yes sir, I have. Come off a ship just this morning." his voice wavered slightly but after clearing it, he went on. "Was a slave ship, sir. I begged a pair of traveling merchants to speed me from the place. Couldn't bear another night on it." Tieras clutched his broom tightly.

Egales nodded, placing his gauntleted hand to his chin in contemplation, "So you've escaped a slave ship, travelling these waters during wartime?" His eyes looked over the boy's form, particularly his wrists, checking for signs of abuse familiar with slavery. "So you're most assuredly not a spy for Theoleas then?" A small smiled plyed on Egales' face.

"Good sir, please!" Tieras answered. He noticed the guard's eyes flicker to his hands as he held his broom. Very observant for a man with one eye. "I've come a long way, I want nothing to do with war!"
The boy shifted in place, knowing full well if he left now the guard would have a reason to detain him. Tieras was of a fair build, not muscular at all but lean and athletic. Sera had more muscles than him. But his outward appearance was well kept, his skin still with a healthy glow. There were no signs of abuse or mishandling on him. Not on the outside at least.
"Sir, I want nothing more than to clean the stables to earn my keep and get a hot meal." he said tiredly.

Egales nodded, "A fine ambition, tell you what, you give me everything you know about Theoleas, answer my questions sincerely, and truthfully to the best of your abilities and your first hot meal I will pay for." Egales gave a heart warming smile, holding himself tall and proud.

"Information about Theoleas, sir?" Tieras asked, hesitating a beat. "I am unsure how I can be of service. But if it means I will not go hungry this night, then I will answer your questions to the best of my capability."
He set his broom down and picked up a brush with stiff bristles. He moved on to brush down the nearest horse, waiting for Egales to ask him.