Song recommendation for this chapter: https://open.spotify.com/track/1xaoC6L7jJQOR2ommqOlMt?si=e912df56e4a74dae
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Amelia was still unsure what to think of the three men but decided to try the conversation. She was, of course, not going to join them but was thinking of convincing them to follow her as her guards.
Now that everyone had cooled down and was sitting on tree trunks around the fire, the leader tried to find out more about Amelia. "Let's start with your name, dearest?" Lucius looked at Amelia with a charming smile.
"I'm Am- Aurora." she scolded herself in her mind for almost ruining her plan.
"You have a bit of an accent, so I assume you are not from around here? You also have some serious armor, which would suggest that you are or were a knight?"
"Aren't you clever-" Amelia answered, smiling. "I will be straightforward with you, I am not looking to join some group of thieves, and I will also not share anything regarding my identity with you. At least for now, so don't waste your breath."
Torres started to chuckle but stopped immediately when Lucius gave him a warning look. Her sincere answer took Lucius aback. He had never encountered a lady with such a strong aura around her.
He didn't know that since she had been fighting for her position in life from an early age, she was very sure of herself. Hence talking to men and being candid or commanding was not as difficult for her as it was for the usual noble ladies her age.
When the bunch was having drinks in the last village and saw her ride off on her horse alone, they thought she would be an easy target. The horse and her armor would have made them a lot of money.
He realized they had made a grave mistake, but he wasn't a person to dwell on his failures and preferred to find opportunities in every situation. That's what made him so successful in being a thief and the leader of this group. This lady seemed very capable, so why not try her out, Lucius thought.
"Alright, I understand that our start hasn't been in our favor, so why don't you give us a chance to prove you wrong? You join us for our next mission. If you still want to proceed with your journey, you get your cut and can leave. That sounds like a fair offer, don't you agree?"
Amelia kept looking at Lucius as she thought through his proposal 'I can use his quest to find out how they work as a team and to bond with them to the point of convincing them to follow me to Lavia' She still needed to find some men to pose as her guards and these three would do well.
After a minute, she finally answered, "It depends on how soon this mission is happening. You see, I will leave Zeles tomorrow. If you want a trial run, it must happen today…"
Lucius smiled in triumph. 'Perfect…'. He had already planned their next assignment before meeting Amelia, and it would be practical to have one more person working with them.
Her timing couldn't have been better, so he agreed to get going and do it today. Although Torres and Julius were worried about the circumstances, they had no choice but to trust Lucius' judgment.
After their short conversation, they got on their horses, which the men had hidden away before attacking Amelia, and left. While riding beside each other in silence, Amelia stole some glances to appreciate Lucius' good looks. He exuded charisma with his beautifully shaped, amber-colored eyes and strong jawline.
His full hair was shorter on the sides and longer on top, while some strands kept falling over his forehead. Amelia believed him to be one of the most handsome people she had ever met.
Lucius became aware of his effect on her and smiled inwardly. He was used to women's attention, so he wasn't surprised but suspected that this lady was different and that getting involved with her would only mean trouble.
"Like what you see?" he said.
Amelia looked away, embarrassed to be called out, and her face turned red. "N- No, well yes… of course, I love the scenery here. It is very different from where I come from."
"Aha, the scenery… sure… And where do you come from?"
Amelia narrowed her eyes at Lucius and apprehended that she had to be cautious around this sly fox. "I think I already mentioned that I wouldn't share personal information…"
Lucius started to chuckle. "Alright, alright, it was worth a try," he said, winking at her, making her heart beat faster.
"Then let's talk about the mission and our plan," he said, revealing the mission's aim. The second Duke of Zeles was a wealthy man who loved his wife dearly. His wife's birthday was in two days; therefore, the duke had bought a beautiful and expensive necklace as a birthday gift.
Lucius knew where the duke kept his precious belongings through his inside contacts, and he planned to steal the necklace. He even had a buyer who waited for them in the next village.
"The duke's mansion is big, and his chambers are in the right wing on the third floor. Torres will wait by the horses, ready to help us to escape at the pear tree field behind the mansion. There are enough trees there to give him, and the horses cover. You and Julius will enter the mansion through the back door while I will enter through the main entrance."
He took a deep breath and continued, "I am skilled at making a scene and being the distraction so you two can sneak into the duke's room and steal the necklace."
"How will we know where to go exactly?"
"Julius knows the mansion like the back of his hand. You see, we grew up there."
Was Amelia surprised by his last remark, "You are robbing your previous master? Don't you feel bad about that?"
"Well, if you knew what kind of man he is, you would probably understand why we don't mind…"
"Hmm… How will I communicate with Julius since he cannot speak?"
He rolled his eyes at her ignorance. "He is not deaf, just communicate as you usually do, and he will find a way to get your attention if needed."
Amelia had mixed feelings about her decision to follow along with their heist. She was trained to protect others and stay true to her honor. This went against her beliefs. Nevertheless, she felt thrilled to be part of something new and feel less alone.
It took them two hours to get to the pear and apple tree fields behind the duke's mansion. As planned, they stopped and hid the horses there. Before the three made their way to the building, Lucius gave Amelia one of his black shirts so she could take off her armor which was too much of an eyecatcher.
Some staff members were roaming outside, but the atmosphere was depressing, they didn't talk, and no one looked up. They only focused on getting their chores done. Amelia was further shocked to see that most of them looked starved.
'I guess Lucius had a point when he said that this duke might deserve to get robbed.' Amelia kept observing her surroundings while following Julius, who led the way.
The grand exterior, with stately columns and ornate balconies, looked a little run down. The interior was colorful. Many flower arrangements were placed on tables and in each corner. Many of the walls were adorned with artwork.
The designs were different from the ones used in Rodea. The palace in Rodea had a lot of gold, and every room was filled with large carpets, heavy silk curtains, and sofas or other furniture. The rooms here had a lot more space as they were not filled with as many things, and the windows had light-colored curtains out of linen, giving a lighter ambiance.
As the two made their way up the marble staircase to the third floor, she heard the commotion on the first floor. It seemed like Lucius wasn't exaggerating when he said he was good at creating a distraction. Because the hallways were now empty, and the two thieves had easy access to the bedchambers.
They effortlessly found the necklace and headed back to the meeting point. Julius and Amelia had just stepped out of the mansion when they could hear soldiers screaming, but not at them. The soldiers were running after Lucius, who was trying to escape through the trees.