As Duncan and Lyra left Elara's chambers, they couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. The conversation with Elara had left them with more questions than answers.
"I don't trust her," Lyra said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I know what you mean," Duncan replied, his eyes scanning the corridor. "She seemed nervous, but I'm not sure if she's hiding something."
Lyra nodded, her eyes locked on Duncan's. "We need to be careful," she said. "If Elara is working with Rectale, we don't know what she's capable of."
Duncan's eyes narrowed. He knew Lyra was right. They had to be careful, not just for their own sake, but for the sake of the kingdom.
As they walked, Duncan couldn't help but steal glances at Lyra. He was falling for her, hard, and he wasn't sure if he could stop himself.
Lyra, sensing his gaze, turned to him and smiled. Duncan's heart skipped a beat as their eyes met.
"What's on your mind, Duncan?" Lyra asked, her voice soft.
Duncan hesitated, unsure of how to respond. He didn't want to ruin the moment, but he couldn't shake off the feeling that they were running out of time.
"I was just thinking about our next move," Duncan said, trying to sound casual.
Lyra's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?" she asked.
Duncan took a deep breath. "I mean, we need to figure out what's going on with Elara," he said. "And we need to do it fast."
Lyra nodded, her eyes locked on Duncan's. "I agree," she said. "But we need to be careful. We don't know what we're up against."
Duncan's eyes narrowed. He knew Lyra was right. They had to be careful, but they also had to be bold.
As they approached the tavern, Duncan could see Emel waiting for them outside.
"What did you find out?" Emel asked, his eyes locked on Duncan's.
Duncan hesitated, unsure of how to respond. He didn't want to reveal too much, but he also didn't want to keep Emel in the dark.
"We're not sure yet," Duncan said, trying to sound casual. "But we're working on it."
Emel's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?" he asked.
Duncan took a deep breath. "We talked to Elara," he said. "But we're not sure if she's telling the truth."
Emel's eyes widened. "What did she say?" he asked.
Duncan hesitated, unsure of how to respond. He didn't want to reveal too much, but he also didn't want to keep Emel in the dark.
"She denied working with Rectale," Duncan said, trying to sound casual.
Emel's eyes narrowed. "I don't believe her," he said.
Duncan's eyes locked on Emel's. "I'm not sure what to believe," he said.
As they stood there, Duncan couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. They were getting closer to the truth, but they were also getting closer to danger.
And then, just as they were about to enter the tavern, a figure emerged from the shadows.
It was a woman, tall and imposing, with piercing green eyes.
"Ah, Duncan," she said, her voice dripping with malice. "I've been waiting for you."
Duncan's eyes narrowed. "Who are you?" he asked.
The woman smiled, her eyes glinting with amusement.
"My name is Arachne," she said. "And I have a message for you from Rectale."
Duncan's eyes widened. "What message?" he asked.
Arachne's smile grew wider. "Rectale wants to meet with you," she said. "He has a proposal for you."
Duncan's eyes narrowed. "What kind of proposal?" he asked.
Arachne's smile grew wider. "That's for Rectale to tell you," she said.
As Duncan stood there, he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. What did Rectale want from him? And what kind of proposal could he possibly have?
But before he could ask any more questions, Arachne turned and disappeared into the night, leaving Duncan with more questions than answers.