"Good morning, Davina."
"Good morning. You have been coming earlier these days."
"Yes, I've had more free time recently."
Davina watched as the girl dusted off her skirts. She had been visiting her more often lately, staying for longer periods of time.
With the young lord of the castle holed up in the Duke's office, and the investment matter taken care of, Neera had found herself with more time to spare during the day, which she directed to her training. Heeding to Davina's advice, she made sure to not push herself too far to the point where her body would be permanently damaged, and rested her sore muscles enough every day to be able to stand the next one.
She had also stopped roaming the castle so frequently. Neera already had a clear image of everything that was happening inside the stone walls, supported by Alea's reliable intel, so she instead decided to invade the dukedom's library.
Devouring every single book she found, her figure had become a regular shadow amongst the dusty shelves. Her greedy retinas soaked onto pages after pages of new knowledge, which was then stored into the back of her mind for her to relish in. The paper felt comfortable on her fingertips, and the smell of wood and dust were familiar to her by now. Situated at the innermost of the castle, and being open only to the members of the court, the library was much warmer than her discarded bedroom, making the breaks between her exercises more enjoyable.
Her reading was rarely interrupted, allowing her tired mind to drift away from her surroundings to dive into fairytales about princesses and dragons, tea-brewing techniques, and theories about the birth of all the stars that dotted the sky.
Still, as much as she relished in those moments, she didn't let them obstruct her training time, which she strongly prioritized. Neera focused her gaze on every movement Davina's body made, falling into sync with her as they both went from stance to stance in the small room.
Once Neera was unable to go on, Davina gently laid her down to rest despite the young girl's attempts to convince her she could keep going. Chuckling at her usual antics, Davina sat down by her side, watching the small face being framed by the chocolate tresses sprawled on the floor.
With labored breathing, Neera broke the silence first.
"Davina."
"Yes?"
"I have something to ask you."
"What is it?"
Davina frowned when the sparkle in Neera's eyes faded as the conversation drifted into a darker subject.
"Have you been contacted by any of the nobles in the court?"
Her wide-eyed stare was all the confirmation Neera needed.
"How did you know?"
"They probably suggested that you dispose of the young lord in exchange for setting you free, right?"
Pursing her lips as she looked at the child's impassive face, Davina finally relented. It would be of no use to hide it if she was aware of it already. She knew first-hand of Neera's stubbornness.
"Yes, a letter was placed under the plate on my breakfast tray one morning."
"And you must be considering the offer."
Neera's eyes strayed from the ceiling.
"Well, if I was in your situation, I would feel it is reasonable too. You go free after murdering the offspring of the man who raped and beat you."
Her face didn't move as she said those words, it was as if she were completely detached from the conversation.
"But you haven't accepted yet, have you?"
Davina felt naked facing those piercing irises. This child seemed to see through her so deeply that she wondered whether she already knew what she had been hiding ever since she met her. She nervously shook her head to ease her prodding gaze.
"I haven't replied yet."
The girl propped herself back up on shaky hands, stabbing Davina with her pupils while a frown marred her forehead.
"Take their offer."
"What?"
The crude words fell on her ears like a bucket of cold water. Neera's voice didn't waver as she repeated:
"Take their offer. It is the safest path for you."
Without waiting for Davina to regain her composure, she continued.
"Those nobles are in cohorts with some of the guards that watch you on rotation. All they need to do is place them all in the same shift for you to be able to escape this room."
"Yes, the letter also specified another set of guards would let me through the castle gates."
"There is no such thing."
"What do you mean?"
"The guards around your room have been bribed, but no contact has been made with the men who man the gates. Their intention is for you to carry out the assassination and then get caught during your escape."
The woman's face fell. She wasn't surprised, in fact, she had been indecisive to answer because she expected something like this, but she still didn't understand what Neera's purpose was.
"Then you want me to run to my death?"
"If you refuse you will be murdered anyway. It takes just one word to have all those men barge in here while you sleep. I know you are strong, but they must be aware of it as well, and I'm sure they have prepared countermeasures. If you accept, though, your safety will be guaranteed as long as you're still useful. These people are not the only ones who have become a threat to you."
"Who else are you aware of?"
"Lady Marianne and the Viscountess. They are planning to have you poisoned through your food. It will probably be done tomorrow."
Davina's face hardened.
"They know about the assassination plan."
"Yes. But if they notice you are healthy after their attempts, they will only strike again."
"So, I should pretend to be poisoned."
"I actually think it would be better if you truly consumed the toxin. I have an antidote at the ready, your body is healthy enough, and it will probably be administered through the course of a week, judging by the type of poison they bought. The harem's doctor will probably do constant checkups on your condition after you show the first symptoms of sickness, so unless you really ingest it, faking the illness will be truly difficult."
"I can't do that."
Neera was surprised at Davina's refusal.
"There should be no repercussions to your body if you do it. If you doubt the antidote-"
"No, I don't doubt the antidote. You have been trustworthy enough so far, and your words have always been true. I just can't eat the toxin."
Her tone was firm, leaving no room for Neera to continue arguing. Judging by her expression, Davina would not change her mind. Myriads of thoughts raced through her head. Was Davina not as healthy as she thought? Was she scared of the effects on her body? Did she have a preexisting condition she wasn't aware of?
Neera pondered for some time before sighing.
"Alright. If you are that unwilling, I can provide you with uncontaminated food in the meantime. You will need to take other concoctions in order to fake the symptoms, otherwise we won't be able to fool the doctor and his practitioners. To be honest, I am not confident in my skill in making those sorts of medicine, but if that is the way you prefer, it can be done."
Davina still hesitated. None of these options seemed good to her, but if the Viscountess and Lady Marianne noticed their plan hadn't worked, she was unsure whether she would escape unscathed from the aftermath with all the support they had on their backs.
"Fine. Let's do that."
----
Back inside her own room, Neera heard a faint knock on the door an hour after a maid had come to take the tray with her dinner. She quickly approached the doorway, but instead of opening it, she pressed her ear to the wood, holding her breath to listen outside.
She heard hurried steps going down the hallway, and then, nothing.
Once she deemed it safe enough, she slowly turned the rusty knob to reveal the dark corridor. On the dilapidated stone floor, a single laurel leaf laid silently, as if had randomly been carried inside by the wind. It passed unnoticed among the dust, but to her eyes it shone like a beacon.
Neera picked it up and hurried to her window, not even noticing she had left her shawl inside. The night breeze tickled her arms, and the unkept tall grass was lit up by the moon. Her eyes shone with excitement as she approached her destination, carefully inspecting her surroundings to make sure she was alone. Hiding underneath the bay tree, a stone rested on its roots. Neera pushed it aside and reached for an envelope covered in dirt. Ripping it open, she read:
'Esteemed Mr. Laurier,
I have delivered this letter following your instructions, and I must say, I am surprised by your thoroughness. Just like you said, a group of suspicious men have entered the county under the premise of being merchants, yet their cargo is too small, and their physiques are too rugged. I fear my Master's time is running short, but if they follow who you predict, I better heed your advice and stay out of matters that do not concern me.
I truly thank you for your generous offer, and would like to inform you of my gleeful acceptance. As a token of trust, I send the first ledger of the newly founded company, like you asked, since my Master is indeed intending to send you mistaken information in the future.
I will dutifully continue relaying this data going forwards. Thank you once again for this opportunity.
Sincerely,
Ron'.