Into the imposing palace without drawing undue attention, Enya navigated the dimly lit corridors with caution, dealing with guards along the way. She sighed, recalling the specific corridor she needed to reach.
Walking through the endless palace corridors to find the required spot, she scratched her head, muttering, "Geez~ What should I do? I don't get it. Which corridor? There are a ton! How would I know?"
The intricate corridors twisted and turned, prompting Enya to second-guess her chosen route. She clenched her fist, sighing in disbelief.
Navigating through twisty corridors, she inched nearer to the third floor. The hallways were quiet, dimly lit, as she observed some cavaliers around.
Deeper into the palace, she arrived at a narrow hallway, opening into a line of large arched windows set within alcoves. Moonlight cast its glow on polished tiles, creating a breathtaking sight. "Wow..." Enya gasped, captivated. She stepped softly and discreetly, her eyes fixed ahead, "Is this the spot they told me? Yeah. There are no knights here. Flynn told me it's the third one upstairs, so this is it."
Blinking her eyes, she looked around, "I should still check below to find out if they are there." She held tight towards the large window. Peering down, she scanned the shadows for the figures of Flynn and Rex.
A sigh of relief escaped her as she spotted them amidst the moonlit courtyard. "It's the right place. There they are," Enya thought, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. Flynn, nursing his injured knee, and Rex, serious, looked up as she appeared in the window's frame.
Enya waved, her silhouette outlined against the night sky. Their eyes met as they waved back. "Make this worth it, you two," Enya muttered to herself.
"Guess I'll just wait then," she whispered, standing straight, overlooking the place.
Enya's hair wafted with the breeze, and she closed her eyes to savor the sensation. "Such a pleasant atmosphere, I could almost sleep..." she yawned, but, No! Her luck wasn't about to let that happen. So, she sighed and opened her eyes again.
Instinctively, Enya's gaze shifted as she turned around, a sense of something amiss lingering in the air. Her gaze darted around, and she heard the distinct sound of footsteps echoing through the corridor on the left—a group of guards in a hurry. Enya furrowed her brow, peering cautiously from behind the corner.
"Princess Raven is missing," the lead guard announced.
"What?" Enya reacted in a hushed whisper, overhearing the conversation.
"Spread out," the guard commanded, "search every corner. She can't have gone far."
The guards dispersed in different directions, their hurried footsteps creating a tense symphony in the dimly lit palace. Enya, seized by shock and concern, lingered near the corner.
"Check the gardens, the hidden chambers," another guard suggested, urgency lacing his words as he passed by Enya, his gaze halting on her. Startled, Enya managed a nervous smile. "...Uh...I can explain. I'm also one of you," she clarified.
The guard nodded, his attention already elsewhere. "You go search outside in the backyard."
Enya stood straight, bowing, "Y-yes, sir."
She briskly descended the corridor, making her way toward the exit to find guards dispersed throughout, each engaged in the urgent search. "Lady Raven really is reckless...why run away at night?" Enya thought, her worry palpable as she strode into the courtyard and the Imperial garden, scanning every shadow.
"Lady Raven!" she called out, her voice echoing in the stillness. Turning around, she rushed toward the backside of the Palace. The courtyard still and dark, dimly lit by the soft glow of moonlight. As Enya continued her search, she bumped into a rock, instantly tripping. "Ouch!" she winced.
...
Gradually emerging from the darkness, a figure cast its shadow, revealing Arawn as he clasped a book, leaning against a weathered stone pillar. The air around grew somber, as was his usual demeanor.
A raspy yet nonchalant voice echoed from the shadows, breaking the silence. "Huh? Is that you, ...Arawn?"
"..." Arawn remained silent, his attention fixed on the book.
The mysterious voice persisted, "Hey...come on. Tell me, you know where Zayne is?" his tone took on a sharp edge.
"I was hoping you to know that," Arawn responded.
The voice clicked its tongue in frustration. "Darn it. I know the Emperor assigned us a joint mission, and here I am. But Zayne is nowhere to be found. He tricked me. Zayne's behaving strangely since the banquet incident. I suppose I'll have to settle things with a fist. Argh..."
"...He truly bears the weight of facing the consequences of his actions alone," Arawn assumed.
"A lot has happened lately, and it irks me. In short, Zayne prioritizes his motives over our mission. What those motives are, I have no clue," the voice confessed, vexed.
"Moreover, the risk is that he's got an entire crew of those dark elves trailing him. From what I heard, thanks to him, now you're involved too. Am I next?" the voice continued, almost mocking.
"...I cannot deny," Arawn stated plainly.
"Okay. Well, not that it's surprising."
"It seems... Those dark elves are linked to the search conducted by the Imperial cabinet members as well."
"That's true. The Emperor thoroughly investigates when bothered. Good luck to Zayne's hide-and-seek. Avoiding interrogations is typical of him," the voice mused. "Seriously, who gave him the idea to create chaos in the Cathartic borders and then get entangled in it himself? Ugh. Our job is to handle missions, not wreck them. It's irritating. Hey, Arawn, you should handle that. You're accustomed to dealing with the Emperor. I'm stepping out."
"...I suggest you not to resort to aggression. Zayne's motives can only be dealt with calmly," Arawn advised instead.
"...Heh... You caught on that I'm going after him? I can't tell you I ain't."
"I figured as much."
"Alright then. You deal with the Emperor while I'll handle him. No aggression whatsoever. Let's see where he goes," the voice concluded, dissipating into thin air.
...
Enya quickened her steps amid the vast yard, only to spot Rex and Flynn approaching from different directions. "Hey!" Flynn's cheerful wave contrasted with Rex's moody eye roll as they walked towards her.
Enya waved back, questioning, "You both are here?"
"Tch. Why are you here?" Rex bluntly inquired. "Oh, don't you know? Lady Raven is missing," Enya replied.
"Of course we do know. We are also searching." Flynn answered with a beam. "She'll be found," Rex added with a straight face.
Enya twitched her brow, slightly irked.
"Now that you're here, scour every corner. Lady Raven might choose inconspicuous spots – from bushes to whatever hides behind the fence and shrubs, got it?" Rex ordered. Enya blinked, perplexed.
"Um. We mean that you can do us a little favour. We were about to search here too but now that you are already present, we see no point. So we'll go elsewhere while don't forget to check over the entire terrace area and the pond too, alright?" Flynn clarified with puppy eyes.
"Alright. Alright," Enya sighed, rubbing her temples. Rex turned to leave, and she added, "Inform me if you find her."
Flynn nodded, "Okay."
Rex walked away, pausing to add, "Also, make sure to return to the corridor before midnight. The assigned cavalier will be arriving shortly. We wouldn't want any unnecessary mess."
With that, he continued to leave.
Enya folded her arms, her forehead creased, "He is so full of himself." she commented. Flynn chuckled, "Don't mind him. Alright then, later~" he waved, following Rex while limping a little.
"Tsk, how easily fooled," Rex scoffed. Flynn beamed, "Haha. You're right. She's too innocent. Well good for us," he giggled, staring at Rex. Rex shot him a glance, irked, "What?" Flynn chuckled, "You're pretty clever, you know that? Not in a good way of course," he mocked. "Shut it." Rex rolled his eyes as the two of them left.
Meanwhile, Enya sighed and continued searching for Raven. Near the bushes and shrubs, she looked right and left. Walking carelessly, she collided straight into a tree with a resounding "BANG!"
"Ouch!" Enya exclaimed, rubbing her head. Standing straight, she kicked the tree annoyed.
Turning around, she casually unsheathed her sword, only to have it slip from her grasp. Startled, Enya flinched as she noticed Arawn's presence near the stone pillar ahead. Oblivious to her, his focus remained elsewhere.
Swiftly recovering her weapon, Enya sheathed it, and questioned, "...Your highness, what are you doing here?" Arawn simply walked past her.
Enya squinted her eyes, her stature noticeably shorter than his. Unbeknownst to her, a tree branch overhead, cracked and weathered, suddenly straightened. As it fell upon her, Arawn, with a flick of his wrist, deftly diverted it aside.
"Naive." he commented, his gaze averted.
The unexpected coldness of his remark left Enya irked. "Huh... Wha-?" she hesitated. Unnoticed by her, the branch gracefully tumbled onto the grass, a muted rustle accompanying its descent.
"Hey, what do you mean by that?" she questioned.
Arawn however, had departed, leaving only a few spars of sterling petals drifting overhead.
Enya gasped with a slight shiver and turned around, standing in silence.
Furrowing her gaze, she clutched her fist. "What's gotten into him? Like a completely different person, suddenly calling me naive. Tsk. How cocky." she thought, annoyed.
In a sudden blink, Enya realised, "Ah, yes. I'm quite occupied. No time to deal with that," She continued searching through the bushes.
-
Suddenly blinking, Enya heard voices from afar. "Princess Raven, there you are! Thank goodness. The Emperor wouldn't be pleased."
Instantly, she rushed back to the front. Looking here and there to spot the guards on the Palace entrance gate as they escorted Raven back.
Exhaling in relief, Enya allowed a smile to grace her lips. "Are there always such commotions at the Palace? Well, it's not bad... every once in a while," she mused to herself.
"Excuse me. What are you doing here?" a stern voice inquired. Enya turned to face an Imperial knight patrolling the area as he approached. Meeting his gaze, she explained, "I was tasked with searching for Lady Raven. I'm Enya Verne, a recent substitute."
She showed the guard her scroll, offering a friendly smile. "I am heading back to my post," she informed.
"Oh, I see," the guard responded. "Would you need any help? Guidance?"
"Thanks, but I am aware of everything already."
Enya reassured him, walking back to her position.