"So, you're saying the first spy sent in doesn't know who the new one is?"
The head of security sat in his large chair. He had greying hair at his temples and several lines on his face from the years he'd had to do his important job defending the kingdom and ensuring no chaos caught them off guard.
"That is correct."
The queen sat opposite the old man.
She was a gentle looking older lady, "But why? Would it not assist them to have a companion in that strange land doing such a dangerous job?"
The Head of Security shook his head, "No, your grace. I agree with the positives you have mentioned but I am afraid there are other negatives to be aware of."
The queen looked eager to understand what the Head of Security meant.
"Well," The older man steepled his fingers before leaning forward, "It is better for them to not know who the other is so that the people around them do not grow suspicious of their friendship."
The queen nodded slowly.
"But of course, the most important reason has been gleaned very painfully from experience."
The regal lady looked surprised, "From experience, you say?"
The Head of Security nodded gravely, "Several years ago, I sent three of our best spies to infiltrate the army base of the kingdom of Hadent."
The queen's face lit up, "Oh, we went to war with them. We have their land under our control now."
The older man nodded with a small smile.
The queen wanted to know more, "Why did you say you gleaned something painfully from this experience? Did something go wrong? That war was our kingdom's easiest victory."
"It was," The man said, "But I feared we may not win the war at all. And my wonderful spies… They were all found and beheaded."
The queen gasped. She was in shock, "O-Our spies were found and k-killed?"
The man nodded slowly; his eyes misty from memories of the event that had taken place years before.
"B-But how?"
"One of our spies turned over to the dark side," There was a twitch in the older man's jaw. "He fell in love with a damsel in the Army base and surrendered. The pitiful fool revealed the identities of his comrades as well."
The queen was shaking her head dismally as though willing the incident to not have happened.
The Head of Security looked angry, his mind conjuring up memories of the past, "Of course, the kingdom of Hadent had the three spies put to death. They were, of the most probability, questioned and interrogated; but I had decided at the very last minute to send them with no knowledge of our army strategies. That is the only way we have escaped a nasty defeat from the kingdom that was our enemy for so long."
The queen was speechless.
She stared at the table between them, her eyes darkening and an expression sorrowful.
"That is why," The older man who headed the security of all of the kingdom of Amethia, "I have sent two spies to the castle of our enemy kingdom: The kingdom of Hayelot. I wish to aid the king of our land in putting a stop to Hayelot's greedy and dangerous ways. We have sent one male and one female spy to the castle but I have ensured that the two do not know each other."
The queen nodded mutely.
"In case one of the two turns a traitor, the other can escape. I have informed the first spy of a new informant spy I have posted in the kitchen. The kitchen is a place very few will think to look and the spy I have posted there has not been posted there to find any intelligence for us."
The queen looked up, "So she just… cooks there?"
The older man nodded, "She's one of the many cooks who works there and her job is to be as unsuspecting as possible and collect whatever information the two main spies are able to uncover. She will collect them and supply them to us once every two months."
The queen nodded, "Apologies. You story has left me in very little mood to be of encouragement and hope."
The older man smiled, "Don't worry, my lady. I trust these two spies more than I trust anyone else in my life; I trust them more than my children. And the moment one of them turns a traitor, if at all they do, the other has been advised to flee with the informant immediately but only after removing the head of the traitor clean off his or her neck."
--
"Briar!"
Lana stood outside the dusty room that the stable hands sat in all day, "Briar! Are you there! Some one is at the kitchen asking for you!"
There was a scuffle from the outside, in the bushes under the trees to the left before Briar came walking out of them.
Lana blinked in surprise.
What was she doing in the bushes? And why did she look like such a mess?
"L-Lana! What are you doing here? I told you I'd join you for dinner!"
Briar walked over to Lana with a strained smile. Her face was flushed, her hair was a tangled mess and her dress looked like she'd rolled several times down a steep hill.
"Are you alright?" Lana was so confused, "What were you doing in there?"
The pretty blond raised an eyebrow, "What was I doing where?"
"Th-There," Lana wondered why Briar didn't seem as honest as before, "There in the bushes… Did you fall in there? P-Perhaps lose something?"
Briar looked surprised before intertwining her fingers with Lana's and pulling Lana in the direction of the castle, "Oh, that! Well, sure," she laughed, "I- I guess I did."
Lana let her friend drag her to the castle, knowing that the pretty girl was lying, "W-Well, okay."
"What did you say again, Lana?" Briar gave her a bright smile but Lana could see a small shift in her gaze, "You said someone was asking for me?"
"Y-Yes," Lana nodded as the two were walking side by side to the royal kitchen, "There is a man there to see you. Two of his friends are too. I think they're royal knights."
Briar looked at Lana in surprise, "Knights? Am I in trouble? Wh-"
"No, no," Lana shook her dark head, "They mentioned something about you giving juice."
"Oh!" Briar laughed before tucking a blond tress behind her ear, "Oh, him. Oh, I saw him one day and gave him an extra drink, Lana. You know how hot these knights get with all that training and all those strong hands doing all that work. You also know how much I can get caring about people. It was your juice but you'd left it on the table for so long already. You don't mind, do you? I always thought-"
Briar was excited and talking away as fast as she could when Lana turned her head ever so slightly to gaze behind her.
They had come some distance away but Lana's eyes widened as she saw a man climb out of the bushes.
He had dark brown hair and a handsome face.
He was putting on his boots, looking as dishevelled as Briar and what really made Lana's breath catch was the fact that she knew.
She knew that was the prince.