"Again!" the Second Prince exclaims.
"Yes, Your Grace. I just received the message."
"How many now?"
"It is the sixth house, Your Grace."
"Did they kill anyone?"
"No. The same thing, hit them at vital points and make them lose consciousness, then penetrate the household."
"And what do they do?"
"Steal goods from the warehouse which they distribute across every commoner's house in town. Nobles are beginning to double guards at all their warehouses." Harlane scoffs. "Who takes such risk to steal things, only to give them all to others."
Prince Vaughn turns and stares at the painting on his wall. "Or maybe it isn't all that the eye sees."
"What do you mean, Your Grace?"
Turning to face Harlane. "Maybe they are not showing us the entire picture just like this painting I have here. Maybe they are just showing us what they want us to see."
"You think there is more?"
Smiling mischievously. "There is always more, Harlane."
*
"Have you found anything?" Miya asks handing her a cup of tea.
Taking the tea, she takes a slow sip. "Not yet, but I am not done," Kidaya says
"You will have to end there, for now, you have a caller."
Glancing at the table clock. "It is past noon," Kidaya says.
"I know. It is the Princess, not a man."
"Princess Venetia?"
Shrugging. "I was just as surprised."
"For how long?"
"A while ago. Eddna and Joan are keeping her company but she asked for you."
Smiling. "I think she likes Ralph." Kidaya says.
Rolling her eyes. "They all like Ralph. Eddna too." Miya says.
Laughing. "I will go and see her then." Kidaya says.
*
Her mother's bloody hands caressed her face as they stood in the forest. "You are Kidaya Simon Ishaya, Heir of House Ishaya, future Duchess of Hous-" her mother could not complete the sentence as a sword slashed through her back and she falls at Kidaya's feet, dead, with her eyes open.
Screaming and looking behind her, she saw the leader of the Faceless Men standing a few feet away, his sword dripping blood, her mother's blood. Kidaya screams glaring at the man in a mask even as he slowly raises his sword to kill her. Just as the sword was about to cut through her neck, Kidaya jerks awake, gasping for air and holding onto her neck.
It was a dream, another one of those dreams that always stole sleep from her eyes.
Still gasping for air, Kidaya gets out of bed and dresses for a ride. It's been a while since she took a ride with Cyrano in the morning, and maybe just the right amount will help her forget the dream. Pulling a cape over her head, she climbs on Cyrano and jumps out through the back of the fence.
~
Prince Vaughn sighs, squeezing the paper on the board and throwing it away. It was the sixth one now. His nightmare had woke him up more than two hours ago, and he had tried getting rid of it by spending time in his drawing room, but even this wasn't helping. He couldn't concentrate try as he may. Sighing one more time in a frustrated tone, he discards his brush and stands up.
"I'll go for a ride." He says to Harlane who stands behind him.
"It is not bright outside yet," Harlane informs him.
"That's okay, I will use the back of the fence."
Riding out on his horse wasn't helping much either, but he continued to ride and let the wind fall on his face out in the open. The sun has not risen yet, so everywhere was still dark and quiet. Slowing down, he just sat on his horse and let his horse take slow strides of its own, while he sat with his arms open, eyes closed and face looking up at the sky. He was still in this state when his horse began to make sounds and turn in a certain direction. Vaughn's eyes quickly snap open, his hands immediately reaching for his sword. But when he looks ahead, he saw a horse with a rider headed in his direction in speed.
The rider from weeks ago!
Vaughn stated in his mind and a small smile graced the corner of his lips. After weeks of coming here and trying to meet this person again, without success, the person had finally presented himself. And since it was still dark, the rider must not have seen him. Just like the last time, the rider rode in speed, heading for that half wall. And with grace and ease, he and his horse jump over the wall to the other side where he was. The rider halts his horse and bends to caress his horse, which was when Prince Vaughn began to move towards them on his horse. The rider pulls down the cape covering his face, before bending to caress his horse again.
Long hair, just like the last time. Was the rider really a woman? And as if sensing his presence, the rider turns around on her horse, and Prince Vaughn Freezes.
The Diamond!
Kidaya had felt a presence behind her. And from the corner of her eye, she could see the person approaching her on his horse. Hands on the head of her sword, Kidaya slowly turns around and looks at the person, and the last person she expected to see was the one who sat on a horse in front of her. The Second Prince!
"Diamond!" the Prince exclaims out loudly.
"Your infuriating Grace?" Kidaya questions.
Slowly, his eyes begin to run over her and Kidaya quickly removes her hand from the head of her sword, and pulls her coat to cover herself and the sword.
"Why …" his eyes still raked over her. "What are you doing out here by this time?" he looks behind her. "And without a chaperone?" slowly, the thoughts of that annoyed him. "Not only is it still dark and dangerous, but you are alone, without a chaperone, and riding your horse astride!" the last one angered him more even as he watched her.