She paced furiously, trying to sort through the anger and frustration of the past month. She was so close to finally having everything she needed, but over the last month had been stymied at nearly every turn. All the pieces were so close to being perfectly in place until the High Mage had found them, ruining her perfection. She was willing to overcome the hiccup and "comfort" the mourning men. Then he had escaped.
She was still not certain how that had happened. No one should have noticed her men and the mage, unless they were a better Artificer than the one she had recruited overseas, which was unlikely. Had they somehow warded the trains to search the mage out?
Her curiosity is what expedited her attempt on the Duke. Now Jered, one of her most valuable pieces, was lost as well as one of her primary safe houses. She had to place a new piece close to the men, but the duke would be suspicious of everyone he didn't already know.
Damn! She turned to the bearer of bad news and waved him away before she killed him to vent her frustration. Deep, calming breaths. She had other options. Plans were delayed, not destroyed. She popped a morsel from her desk into her mouth and relaxed as the sweet flavor danced across her tongue. Everything would work out.
…
The brown lumps were glossy but Kiava still raised an eyebrow skeptically at what Kleid had called chocolate. She lifted it cautiously to her nose and sniffed, her other eyebrow also rose at the delightful fragrance. A cautious nibble followed by a giddy gasp as sweet decadence filled her mouth.
"This is wonderful!" She beamed at her waiting friend before taking another small bite to savor. "Chocolate you say? Where is it from?"
"Overseas. Trade just opened recently thanks to a marriage alliance formed by her highness and one of their royal princes," Kleid explained. "The wedding will be next year. This is from the prince's family to ensure that they will be treated honestly, if anything should go awry the prince will return home and the deal will be off."
"I hope nothing goes amiss," she sighed, taking another bite, "this is a real treat!"
…
"Did you have an appointment, your highness?" asked Simon, feeling put upon and deciding that he was going to demand a vacation once they filled in their staffing gaps.
"No, I need to speak with my cousin about something important," the princess declared easily, sitting down on the duke's office couch and waving for a maid to bring her refreshments. "Where is he?"
"He is out on business, I don't know when he plans to return," Simon sighed. He did not have time for this. "Could I take a message for his grace?"
"I can wait, I'm using my body double at the palace today." She laid back in her seat, nothing about her demeanor suggesting she was the heir of the country.
"Then, your highness, I will be in my office. If you need anything, tell a maid." He bowed and left the room to tend to the piles of work he had been left to manage alone. Perhaps he should just quit - it was a good job, but the workload over the last several months had been too much for three.
"That looks like a lot of work," she said from directly behind him as he moved to his desk.
"GODS!!!" Simon shrieked as he jumped away from the princess.
"Where's Kleid and Jered?" she asked lightly, fingering the closed folders piled on the surface of his work space.
"Away, your highness. I am not cleared to share that information with anyone without his grace's direct say-so." He wished Kleid was here, he and the Princess had been acquainted for almost a decade and were friendly. She made Simon uncomfortable.
Not in a bad way of course, she was a Personality - it did not take a lot of imagination to see her as Empress. He admired her greatly, but found her overwhelming and was uncertain on what exactly she knew of the Duke's work.
"I knew he had been keeping things from me," she sighed with a frown, "I can't even be angry can I? He was very put-out that I tried to set them up with someone from my inner circle. Besides, I haven't been entirely forthcoming with him. I do hope he returns soon."
"I suspect it will not be a long appointment," he offered awkwardly as he sat at his desk finally, shifting any visible documents to be unreadable. Kleid had called him the night before to tell him that Kiava was stressed, he doubted his lordship's attitude had been well received judging by his expression when they left to visit the Artificer.
"That is good then," she sighed and returned to the other room as her refreshments finally arrived.
Simon enjoyed only a few minutes of blessed silence before Sir Silas Iaska burst into the Duke's Office with an intense expression that faded to confusion, then betrayal and then confusion again.
"Why do you smell like that!?" the knight demanded of the heir of the empire fiercely.
The princess sat with her teacup halfway up to her mouth, obviously just as startled by the knight's behavior as the aide. "My smell?" She sniffed herself delicately. "Oh, do you mean my perfume? It was included in a gift, it's from the Temple."
"Pardon him, cousin," Perrin pushed the knight out of his way as he entered the room. "You say you got that perfume from the Temple? Were you the only recipient?"
"Of course not, if you had gone to my banquet you would have gotten the more masculine version of this scent, it was given as part of a gift for all those that attended. It's the Scent of Desmora, said to increase one's sex appeal. It's been very popular amongst the nobility since it was handed out." Her tone suggested that he would know all this if he would just adhere to his social obligations.
Simon agreed with her, Kleid had gone to the party only to make excuses, he hadn't been a guest and did not get a gift bag. If the Duke or one of his friends had gone they would have received the perfume as well and been able to recognize the smell immediately. He could see by his employer's expression that he also knew this was on him.
Meanwhile, Silas had sniffed the Princes more thoroughly, oblivious to her expression of pure annoyance. "It's probably not her."
"Of course I am not some criminal you moron," the princess scoffed and flicked his nose, "we're practically family. I'm hurt, Silas."
"Family is not exempt from criminality," Silas shrugged and jumped over the back of the couch to sit comfortably beside the next Empress. "What are you doing here?"
"Yes, Analisa, what are you doing here? Aunt is expecting you at Court today isn't she?" the duke asked.
Theon and Archeus came into the room more quietly. Archeus was visibly pouting and holding a book fiercely in his hands while Theon was visibly annoyed which was rare for the mellow lord. Simon quietly closed the adjoining door to give himself a quiet space to work in.
…
Theon sighed as he understood that the princess had come to visit and smelled like the perfume Silas had gotten a whiff of when hunting the caster of entropy. The princess had about as much magical sensitivity as Perrin, it was impossible for her to cast an entropy spell. Jumping to two false conclusions in such a short time to the offense of someone else was a bit much.
"Silas, you are a commander and investigator, and Perrin, you are a duke of this nation, you can't just jump to conclusions like you have been today," he drawled, his eyes going hooded. He rarely went sarcastic dandy with his friends, but honestly Miss Kiava had truly needed a check-up to ensure nothing had gone amiss. His calling as a Healer was offended that his friend's suspicious personality thwarted his job.
"Seriously, why did you go at her like that? She has done absolutely nothing to warrant how you went at the questioning, you know, other than nearly getting killed," Archeus agreed, sitting on the other side of the Princess from Silas and frowning at the duke.
"Who are you all talking about?" Analisa asked, her eyes alight with curiosity. "And I have my body double at work in the palace, cousin, so I have no time constraints today."
"Ah, I forgot your Aunt found one and finished her training. Do you like her?" the duke asked lightly, "I'll have to meet her."
"She's… competent," the princess wrinkled her nose. "Honestly, I find looking at her unpleasant, she looks so very like me but she doesn't… feel like me, it is disconcerting. Now, who are you all talking about!? How did you and Silas offend her? Is she why you did not go to the banquet?"
"We are talking about an Artificer that recently arrived in the city and got involved in some of the recent criminal activity, always as a savior of victims. However, those two, after discovering she had an unusual ability, immediately suspected that she was the source of strife despite all evidence to the contrary," Theon explained, giving the guilty parties a cold look as he sat in one of the empty seats next to the refreshment table.
"They treated her like a suspect after she was very nearly killed alone in an alley," Archeus added, fingering the binding of the book he was still holding. "And fully knowing she is an important childhood figure of Kleid."
"Oh my! One of Kleid's fellow orphans is in the city!" The princess clapped her hands, "Oh, he must be so happy! Wait, she! It must be Kiava! Oh my he must be absolutely thrilled!"
All four of the men were staring at the woman blankly. "How do you know all that?" Silas finally asked after he realized his friends weren't going to.
"Well, because I asked Kleid about what it was like growing up at the Border, of course, after Uncle Jester introduced him to me. He told me all about the Orphanage and of course he mentioned his favorite person, his heart-sister Kiava. Did you never ask him about his life before adoption?" Seeing their confirming expressions she sighed and shook her head at them. "Really, you have known him longer than me, did it just never occur to you to ask?"
Theon winced, because he had thought to ask, he had been curious, but he assumed memories of a border orphanage could not be happy. He had been to the border and it had seemed like a harsh and desperate place to him. It had never really processed that if Kleid was such a well-rounded and clever fellow then perhaps he was functioning under a false bias.
"We all assumed, I think, that he would prefer not to talk about it," he explained weakly.
"Ah, well, I suppose I was bolstered by my ignorance," the princess dismissed easily. "He was very forthcoming about his life at the orphanage and I became acquainted with some of his childhood figures shortly after you all came back from the conflict."
"And he mentioned Miss Kiava?" Archeus asked, very curious.
"Yes, his little sister, the only girl in the orphanage other than the Matron. A clever and talented Artificer apprentice. He explained that mixlings are still thought of as a taboo and because of her gray hair and abandonment she was thought of as one." The future ruler's expression had become thoughtful. "You say she has saved people?"
The four men froze as one, recognizing her tone. "She just arrived in the city, your highness, it would be best to give her time to establish herself as a talent before she gets too much influential interest," Theon interjected. "Perhaps once she opens having one of your persons-in-waiting buying some of her wares to determine if it is suitable for your needs?" he suggested.
"It's becoming troublesome how unpopular Artificery has become since the conflict. If only it was more obvious when they are working," the princess sighed.
"Maybe we should put on an Artificery exhibition? Like when we assess new Artificers?" Archeus suggested. "After we settle some of the issues that need to be handled."
"Yes, what is going on? I heard about the warehouse of course, but I would like you all to give me a more comprehensive report. Mother has been unhelpful recently."
Perrin cleared his throat and began to explain the investigation as it stood. They had a lot of criminals in custody but were still struggling to discover the ring leader. All they really knew was that they were or had a close connection to a mage able to use entropy that was wearing the same perfume as the princess. He also shared that Jered was in fact a spy for whoever it was and had made an attempt on the duke. The spell circle photographs were still being investigated by research mages in the floating city.
"When will you receive their results?"
"We got a lead today, so it will probably be shortened… maybe a few days?" Silas answered with some hesitancy.
"I'll give you a week and then I expect at least two of you at the Palace with a report. Send word the day before you come so I can make sure I am available."
"As your highness commands," the four answered in unison, even while they all plotted on how to get out of being one of the two to go.
"Wonderful! Now! Let us talk of things that aren't threatening our fair city," she said cheerfully. "Is Miss Kiava very pretty?"
"Yes, very," Silas affirmed with a nod. "Cute and shy too."
"Oh? Poor girl going from being from the borderlands to facing you four in person," by her expression the men got the impression she was sincerely sympathizing with the young woman from out of town.
"We are all perfect gentlemen," Perrin defended.
"When you aren't all but accusing her of using magic to brainwash people," Archeus snorted from his seat, ignoring the duke's fiery glare. Theon nodded agreement with Archeus and gave a soft frown to Silas who at least had the grace to look away.
"I don't really understand all the nuances, but I agree! Archeus gets blamed for spells all the time simply because people know he knows them and you all have to rally around him to curb the accusations. Miss Kiava has Kleid, not a poor defense considering his position, but if you are the attacker there isn't a lot he can do," the princess commented, watching them all with interest. "Kleid mentioned she was skilled back in the day, is that true?"
"Yes. She's brilliant. I still haven't gotten a chance to sit down and talk with her about her purse and luggage but they have some of the most complex imbuements I have ever seen," Archeus added, his eyes sparkling. "She even had an access word for if she couldn't collect her own things! She was assessed as a high journeyman by Trak."
"Truly? Impressive," the royal woman pursed her lips a moment then her face upwards with a warm smile. "I wish her luck in the establishment of her workshop. Now, Perrin we need to discuss what you want to do for your birthday this year. It is only a few months away and you haven't had a presence at Court since you took charge of coordinating the city's law enforcement. You will need the support of nobles if you want government funding."
"I do not have the time or the staffing to throw a ball, cousin," Perrin sighed. "I was barely getting by with Jered, Simon, and Kleid. Kleid will be back in a few days but that won't make enough of a dent on the work."
"It sounds like you need to hire more than three aides if they are so overwhelmed. I will loan you Oran, he will be thrilled to help you out. You can use him for a month, figure out your staffing issues in that time." She stretched in her seat. "Ah, I feel like we covered a lot. Let's have proper tea!"