The night casted on the palace with its glory, shining brightly to stand out among the city. Gazing at the faraway sight the woman in cloak wondered that darkness lied in the light and beauty, just like that castle laid faraway. She would have enjoyed the phantom more if she didn't hear the approaching footsteps. Placing herself in hiding she waited for the person to come into light, which was the only bulb hanging on the ceiling of the abandoned church, reckoning like a small light in the dark unlike the former.
Ella entered inside the church step by step flashing her torch which she wisely procured during her hunch this late at night. This was the one contact which was passed over to every heir of Kings'. The story goes this way that the Kings' had an important ally along with them, but the stories fabricated into more rumors leading the truth to be buried underneath the false pretenses. Only when all forces stop, do these shadowed allies rise to protect the one legacy which helped them exist.
She stood near the bulb which was far from reach but lighted enough to make out the old dilapidated walls, broken benches scattered around as if a war had taken place. It was pity that no one bothered to clean this up even if it was old. Or maybe it was paid to not linger around here or famously there could be stories relating to this place as well, Ella went through all those thoughts while passing a glance in the area. She was stupid to have come here without informing anyone, but she remembered her father's warning. The only respect for this ally of ours was trust. Trusting them with our lives. She once wondered whether her father asked for these mythical people living in stories for help when he was hunted down by his murderers.
After fifteen minutes, Ella checked her watch again, noting in her mind that these people didn't bother being punctual, that would prove to be fatal while asking them to guard your life. "Where is that man? This was the usual place! Or was it changed?" She muttered while pacing on one place beneath the bulb looking out for any moving object or person around. But all she got was a broken wall, beyond which led unlimited darkness and the interior of the church with no cross was like a haunted place.
"It wasn't, Heiress." "What?!" Ella took out the knife she had taken from the kitchen fitting it closely with the flashlight on the other hand when she heard the sound coming from the ceiling, which was broken in the corner showing the sky through.
"Turn that off if you want me to listen to you."
"I don't know where the switch for the bulb is."
"The flashlight, Heiress." Ella did so after thinking all the risky things she was attempting until now. Frankly any other dangerous thing would not surprise her. She moved back as the shadow of a person glided down inside the place, for a moment she was afraid that the place will fall down due to impact from that person's landing.
"I was saying the place wasn't changed. If it was then you would have known."
"How? With my father murdered how could he have told me where to find the place."
"There are always other ways. What do you wish me to do?"
"You are not the same person I spoke earlier?"
"I am not." Ella waited for the person who seemed to be a woman even if the tone of her voice was neutral and the long robe looked so heavy and uncomfortable making her feel like she came inside a world past centuries.
Ella started, "I am E-" "I know who you are. You know why you are here. Get down to business. I have other places to be." The woman, assuming the person to be a woman, said bored but sharp.
Ella removed a paper from her pocket handing it over to the black lady, who didn't bother coming forward in the light as Ella expected. But the black lady was stubborn to stay in the dark knowing what she was up to and Ella had to walk over to her and give the paper. Moving back to the light she spoke, "There were terms given to me for the alliance between England and Middle-east." "I know." "Y-You do?"
"Why else will you be marrying soon after returning back from your solitude in the States? We do our work consistently." The slip made her question, "How many are you all?" "That question has nothing to do with this particular line." She read it in the dark? Was she wearing some device to detect in dark, not that Ella was able to look at her face or any other body part?
"The line there says that the oil will be supplied here as per my request-" "through the canal of Suez. I read it." "I know that too. But that isn't why I called you here. I want to find out the routes that were taken by the oil company to supply here since the contract was established."
"That much history is woven inside the grave, you do know that. I can search the routes for the past five decades. Any change before that would not help you in any way now. What is gone is gone." Ella felt silent listening that, maybe her theory was wrong or she was thinking too much. The woman climbed the roof again and was off before Ella could blink, she called behind her, "Wait! When will I see you next?" "Quiet woman. This is an abandoned area for a reason. Do establish that for a long time, will you?" The woman scolded in heavy whispers. And she was gone at last before Ella could utter anything else.
It was strange that she didn't find the woman while searching outside the church. She rounded the area closely, searching for her flashlight from her bag she had attached on her waist. She dejectedly returned back, keeping in mind to ask all necessary questions the next time they met. The watch showed it to be ten minutes left to midnight while she was climbing the stairs to the palace. Closing shut the door she controlled herself to jump out in surprise, which was easier to manage, given the usual circumstances of Roy to grace himself. Just looking at the man made her blood boil, not only because she knew his cunning nature but also because of a feminist ego in her. If there is a male ego then surely there has to be one belonging to females, just that no man ever tried searching it.
She gave him one glance sitting on the arm chair which was never there before and headed sideways to her room which was thankfully not too far to escape into. "How do you like the chair?" He asked when she turned away from him, stopping in the middle she turned back and tilted her face thinking why he was questioning her. Nonetheless she answered "It's... sturdy," after glancing the wooden leather made for comfortably sitting for a long time. Knowing him, she waited for him to talk what was in his mind, which happened to be ten seconds later, "Where were you?"
"Walking." She replied expecting this. "Where?"
"Somewhere." He turned sideways looking straight at her light brown eyes which looked dark afar, "You might be the Mistress and Queen now, but know it that I have my men employed right behind your footsteps." He spoke beautifully as if he wasn't angry that she was gone late this night. "You knew where I was?" The man just shrugged giving an attractive smile and turned away from her to look at the door she entered from just now. With him not giving any answers, Ella was confirmed of two things- He was driving her crazy by riddling with her. And he was in a very good mood.
Mind it but the philosophical conscience was against the fact that any human is depressed and sad sometimes leading them to kill themselves or others, when they are deprived from the one thing, they want so profusely to hold on to forever. Even Ella would have been sad if someone she loved was taken away by someone else, the specimen was seen last night. But staring at the man's peaceful posture, she knew something big was going to happen or maybe had already happened.