Esme walked deep behind the station. She figured that no one would talk about treasonous acts anywhere close to the bend in the corner. She was right. As she walked deeper behind the station through dead abandoned land, she spied a flash of a light to her left which she followed.
The closer she came to the spot where the light had flashed the more she could see a person's outline.
'Mr bucky'? she whispered.
The person hissed 'That's not my name. Hurry here girly'.
It was the bucky riders voice. Esme hurried in his direction hating how much several tall buildings around them blocked out the last remaining streaks of sunlight. She could barely see anything but her other senses were sharpened.
She heard the shallow breathing of another human before she made out the outline of a man sitting in a cushioned chair that had no place being among the dirt and debris of the dark abandoned space they were in.
'This is the lass I spoke to you about sire. Her name is Ria'.
Esme bowed as low as her humble status.
'Many Jiv upon you sire', she greeted and with the pretense of desperation rambled on.
'I can do any kind of maid work. I can clean, serve, cook and I don't even mind dealing with chamber pots. I'll ev-'.
'Hushhh', the seated man said with a trace of amusement in his voice.
'To be honest with you lass, none of those things would determine whether I can give you the job. This job comes with a cost of agency fee, clothing fee and a badge fee which is quite pricey'.
'I can pay it sire', Esme said quickly.
'When'? the man who she knew was the palace eunuch asked.
'Tommorrow sire'.
The man chuckled, 'You don't even know the price yet lass'.
'I've saved for many years sir'.
'Two hundred silver coins lass'.
Esme gasped in shock. This was a nasty extortion.
'Too much, miss Ria'? The bucky driver asked tauntingly.
'That is every sweat and blood in my life savings ' she said.
'So you have it'? the palace eunuch said.
Esme slipped further into her character.
'I do sir but that is a-'.
'Remember' the palace eunuch said cutting her off 'If you leave that fortune in your families hands they would never spend a coin of it on you. However, if you use it to secure a place in the palace then you would have a well paying job where you are fed and housed until the day you retire. Choose wisely lass. If you have the money tommorrow you may come here at even and I would give you a place within the palace but if you are not here at this time tommorrow with the complete sum then you shall never see me again'.
Esme tried to say something else but she was rudely ushered away from the eunuchs presence. She trudged back through the darkness promising herself to take back her two hundred silver coins after she had the prince.
On her way back to the tavern Esme stopped by the scarf stall and picked out six fitting scarf for her female colleagues. She also bought two leather pouches for Roukan and Amad. She worried a little about her show of purchasing power but she didn't mind because they probably would not see her again after tommorrow.
************************************************
The next morning, Esme took her last breakfast with her colleagues. She had handed them their gifts last night and Eris had insisted on singing her a farewell song. Before she retired to bed, Roukan had come up to her and confessed he had been following her. He also asked for forgiveness. Esme had accepted his apology and taken the chance to teach him how to care for Bull whom she was leaving behind.
After breakfast was over, Esme returned to her bedroom and grabbed her only luggage. It had three dresses, a dark cloak, a spare sandal, a dagger, three spinning blades, her sword and her purse of two hundred silver coins.
Esme said her goodbyes once again and smiled when Eris held on to her for longer and whispered her thanks for the tavern restructuring. The establishment was making more money than it had in years. She said her final goodbye to Bull promising to come back for him and then left.
First she needed to hide her weapons. Esme followed the part she witnessed the palace eunuch take days before and found the sealed opening into the palace. A few feet from there she buried all her weapons except for her dagger which had strapped in the valley between her breasts. As a maid possession of anything that could potentially harm royals and nobles within the palace was a capital offence so that was the closest she could have her weapons once she gained entry. She patted the dagger strapped to her chest in a reminder of comfort. She couldn't be completely unarmed.
After making sure her weapons were in place, Esme returned to the large market and lodged in a tavern to wait for the evening. She had lunch and took a much needed nap to calm her nerves.
When she awoke, the moon had reached the horizon in its descent. There was several minutes until she would see the palace eunuch again. She treated herself to a feast for dinner as a congratulations. When the sun was finally swallowed up behind the clouds, Esme took her single luggage of three dresses and her bribe money. In a separate pouch also strapped in between her breasts she had kept five gold coins. The fear of being stranded in enemy territory clawed at her with a dagger and five gold coins she may be able to get out if need me. It was minimal but it comforted her.
In the enveloping darkness behind the bucky station, Esme clapped a rhythm to alert her companions. Immediately a light flashed from somewhere to her right and she followed the part it shined upon. As expected it led her to a shed where the bucky driver stood behind the seat of the palace eunuch both of their faces shrouded in darkness.
Esme was only beginning to understand that if she hadn't been spying on the palace eunuch in the tavern his identity would have remained a mystery to her just like she was sure his identity was a mystery to the many other people he had hired into the palace.
'You have the money lass'? the bucky driver asked.
'Yes sir. It's in my bag here'
'Give it here', the driver commanded abd Esme quickly found the heavy money pouch and put it in his outstretched hands. The driver immediately began to count the pieces examining each one by testing their durability between his teeth.
Esme watched his shadowy outline test about five random pieces before he spoke up.
'They seem to be original pieces sir'.
The outline of the palace eunuch nodded once and then he darkened face turned to stare at her. A scrutinizing stare she could feel on her skin.
'So you managed to acquire your fortune from your family' , he said conversationally.
'Yes sir', Esme replied.
'Hmm. Strange I haven't heard any news of stolen money reported to the authorities yet'.
'I don't believe they have noticed it missing yet sir. I only managed to take it a few hours ago', Esme responded. She knew her response wasn't bulletproof and to stop the eunuchs further inquiry into her methods of acquiring the money she quickly stated.
'You must have connections with the local authorities also sir to be privy to their recent reports. It must be such a position to have connections within the palace and the local authorities' she finished off with a gasp of awe and admiration.
Of course the palace eunuch grew uncomfortable with guesses about his position and status so he scolded her.
'Is that anyway to speak to your benefactor lass'?
'Oh, I'm sorry sir. I was only wondering and complimenting your hardwork that allows you such posi-'
'Hush girl you talk to much. I have half a mind to not recruit you'
Esme clamped her mouth shut.
He continued, 'If you talk so much you would barely last in the palace'.
After that silence reigned for a brief moment until the driver who had since been counting the coins announced
'It's all here sir. Two hundred silver coins'.
The palace eunuch took the bag of money and felt the weight in his palms.
He turned to face her again
'Congratulations lass'.
Before Esme could respond the bucky driver stepped out into the dim moonlight and blew a handful of powder in her face.
The thick powder went everywhere. She inhaled in through her nose, her mouth and it burned her eyes.
The powder overwhelmed her senses and gradually she felt her body begin to shut down. The last thought on her mind as her eyes drooped and her body became heavy was the panic that she had failed.