**************
In a wing of the Sun Castle, two maids were at work. One was scrubbing the floors, the other was dusting the furniture.
They were wearing the regular uniform of the servants of the Sun Castle: a black long skirt tied around the waist with a belt, a blue tunic with white sleeves and a golden yellow collar, a white apron, black mules, and a white maid bonnet with golden yellow frills.
One maid was a cute average-sized young woman who looked a bit like an airhead, but of the kind sort. She had shoulder-long light brown hair, hazel brown eyes, and a healthy-looking slightly tanned skin. There were loose ringlets at the end of her hair.
The other maid was a lean dour-looking young woman with a crooked nose and sunken cheekbones. She had shoulder-long dark blond hair, green eyes, and a white skin. Her hair too had ringlets.
The cute light-brown-haired servant suddenly paused in the middle of her task, and leaned against her broom. “Hey, Isabeau! I had this weird dream yesterday...”
Her friend sighed. “Lison. Not again.”
“I was cleaning a room, and then this *dashing* rogue suddenly grabbed me from behind.”
“Lison. Get back to work.”
“She used some weird dart to knock me out. And when I woke up, she had stolen my uniform! I was in my underwear, bound to a chair, and gagged. And she was wearing my clothes! And, just before she left, she gave me a kiss on the cheek!” The maid put a hand on said cheek. Her face was blushing, and she was feeling flustered. “Oh my!”
Isabeau rolled her eyes. “Lison, you should stop listening to gossips about those spies mugging people around the castle. It’s going to your head.”
Lison returned to her work. “But it felt so real…”
They were interrupted when the intendant walked inside the room. “Lison. Princess Dominique has summoned you.” he announced. “Immediately.”
The cute woman stood to attention. “C- Coming!”
**************
“Are we seriously using the same trick again?” Yasmin commented as she was elegantly stirring her tea with a spoon.
Dominique shrugged. “Why change the recipe when it works?” She sipped her cup just as gracefully.
Yasmin still wasn’t convinced, but Zaïde and Aisha were on Dominique’s side, so she had been outvoted.
The door was opened.
Lison, slightly out of breath, entered and curtsied. “Madame! You asked for me?” Her eyes darted from the royal princess to her three distinguished foreign guests (especially the curvy Zaïde).
Dominique smiled. “Ah, Lison. Thank you for your diligence. Would you kindly finish cleaning the exhibit room? I recall you didn’t have the time to finish last time...”
Lison’s cheeks blushed slightly. “At your service, Madame. I won’t let you down this time!”
“I know you won’t.” Dominique commented with a cryptic smile.
Lison didn’t catch on the double-meaning, and entered the exhibit room.
**************
“Are we seriously using the same trick again?” Eloise commented as she was moving a few leaves to get a better look at the forest road.
Mathilde shrugged. “Why change the recipe when it works?”
Concealed behind some bushes, the two criminals were observing a patrol of soldiers through the foliage.
The women were wearing the uniforms of the High Kingdom’s musketeers: a bright blue tabard adorned with a white Seahorse, symbol of the Dechaine dynasty, shiny black high boots, white trousers, a white button up uniform shirt with puffy sleeves, brown gloves, a brown wide-brimmed hat with a black feather, and a rapier strapped onto the belt. They were also carrying muskets.
Three musketeers were brunettes, one was a redhead, and two were blondes.
The sergeant leading them was a woman called Viviane de Mirielle Sarnin (according to Mathilde’s description). She was the younger daughter of a minor noble family. She had light brown hair, hazel brown eyes, a tall slim figure with long limbs, and a light skin.
Viviane and her soldiers all had the same haircut: a low bun tightly tied with a black ribbon.
The soldiers were patrolling on a forest road near the Sun Castle. The High King was taking seriously the latest attacks on his subjects. He had particularly been infuriated by the assault on his own personal cottage.
“Look alive.” Viviane instructed her soldiers. “The High King’s informants are positive these spies are still lurking around. Princess Louise herself entrusted us with the mission of watching this road.”
When hearing her from afar, Eloise smiled harshly to herself. The sergeant of course didn’t know that Louise maneuvered to have the patrol fall into a trap... like ripe fruits ready for picking... The former pirate relished the irony.
According to Mathilde, Viviane had been recently promoted, and was eager to prove her worth. She was most likely hoping to come across the spies.
Be careful what you wish for... Eloise thought to herself.
The soldiers were nearing the site of the ambush.
She watched the patrol suddenly halt.
A couple of yards in front of the musketeers, a peculiar scene was taking place.
Two masked women, dressed in dark green to better hide in the woods, were busy restraining with ropes two unconscious young peasants.
“You’ve got to be kidding…” the sergeant commented to herself.
From her point of view, it indeed looked like a pair of bandits (or maybe some spies) had been caught at the worst moment.
Jan, Jill. Good work. Eloise thought to herself.
She resented the restrictions imposed by Louise on her, but she also admitted there was something thrilling in these games of deceit. They made the moment of victory all the more satisfying...
Viviane aimed her musket and shouted a rallying cry: “All for one!”
Then the soldiers deployed on the road to launch their attack.
However, they missed out on one crucial detail. They didn’t realize Jan and Jill didn’t look particularly alarmed by the prospect of getting aimed at by a patrol of fully-armed musketeers.
The soldiers were so focused on the apparent threat that they never contemplated it could only be a decoy.
And when Eloise and her partners jumped out of the bushes on the side of the road, it was too late.
The masked and cloaked women, dressed in dark green and brown to conceal themselves in the forest, attacked the musketeers in the back. They left the soldiers no chance. Blackjacks were used to knock out the women with a blow to the skull.
Viviane was the last to fall. The sergeant barely had the time to register her patrol had fallen into an ambush because of her poor leadership. Then, Eloise’s blackjack sent her to slumberland.
A few seconds later, the seven soldiers were all lying on the ground. Moaning and out cold.
The muggers didn’t waste time. The motionless musketeers were immediately dragged away from the open road, and into the thick woods. The two unlucky maidens who had been used as baits – peasant girls from a nearby village – were also dragged away and concealed. One minute later, a passerby would’ve been hard-pressed to figure out an entire patrol of soldiers had just been ambushed and whisked away.
The unconscious maidens, who were already drugged with a sedative potion and trussed up with ropes, were cloth-gagged, and then laid in a corner of the clearing where they wouldn’t bother the infiltrators at work. These two plain-looking light-skinned amber-brown-eyed brunettes – sisters most likely – would be lucky enough to keep their outdoor peasant dresses. Jan and Jill had ambushed them while they were on their way to the market. Louise’s agents didn’t need their outfits. The girls had fulfilled their purpose as bait. Now they would stay concealed until Louise deemed fit to send a search party for the missing patrol, and reap the glory of ‘rescuing’ all these poor women.
The musketeers, the real targets, were laid in a line. Blandine, Inej, Josyne, Esperança, and Lianor pressed clothes soaked with narcotic potion onto each knocked out woman’s face, and made them breath through it the time to put them into a deep sleep.
Then, each soldier was thoroughly stripped of her war gear and of her uniform by the five silent agents.
Eloise shook her head at the sorry sight. “The elite of the United Lands…” she muttered derisively. A pirate like her obviously didn’t mind easy victories, but even she had some standards.
Mathilde shrugged. “Superior training means nothing when you’re ambushed.”
“Smart soldiers would’ve sensed an ambush.”
“You think the best musketeers are stationed in the heart of the High Kingdom?” Mathilde retorted with a snort. “You want the true elites? Go to the marches of Barak or the border with Felipe, where skirmishes are the norm. You’ll find the nastiest bitches of the realm there. Where do you think Madame Louise recruited Gabrielle?”
The undergarments of the musketeers were most likely standardized, as the women were all clad in similar-looking underwear. Each was wearing a thin grey sleeveless undershirt and plain thigh-long grey underdrawers tied with a string.
Only Viviane’s undergarments were a bit different – and fancier-looking – befitting her higher social status. Her undershirt was light red, and adorned around the collar with white lace. Her underdrawers were of a matching light red, with similar white lace around the waistband strap.
The unconscious scantily-clad soldiers were thoroughly trussed up with brown ropes. They were bound with their hands behind the back. Their upper-arms were restrained with ropes bound above and under the breasts. Their legs were tied together. They were gagged and blindfolded with thick rags soaked with sleeping potion.
Mathilde then grabbed the sergeant’s uniform, combat geart and boots, and began to slip into them. Eloise, Blandine, Inej, Josyne, Esperança, and Lianor did the same with the soldiers’ outfits.
**************
Lison was busy dusting the furniture in Dominique’s exhibit room.
Small crossbow in hand, Rasha observed a bit the oblivious servant at work. It was clear the maid was working twice as fast to make up for the fact she had been caught napping on the job last time she had worked for Dominique. Of course, she wasn’t aware said nap hadn’t been her fault...
But poor Lison was once again going to end up embarrassed. The thief almost felt bad for her.
Almost…
It wasn’t like Lison would be punished. Or that she would have a bad time. The ditzy servant wouldn’t even remember anything. She would once again sleep through the entire operation and the sedative would make sure she wouldn’t have clear memories of what happened.
Lison bent forward to clean a shelf. Rasha glanced at the maid’s backside. A pleasant sight. The thief smiled to herself. Lison’s round-shaped butt was too tempting a target to pass.
She shot the oblivious maid in the left buttock with a sleeping dart.
This time, it actually took the drug thirty seconds to make Lison feel drowsy.
Thirty other seconds to make her yawn, stagger, and rub her eyes sluggishly.
And thirty other seconds later, she fell asleep on the same soft carpet as the previous time.
Rasha glanced at the dart embedded in the woman’s butt. “Odd. Is she starting to develop immunity or did they change the mix this time?”
She removed the dart. Lison stirred slightly, moaned faintly, and muttered to herself: “Oh dashing rogue, I am but a lowly maid…”
Rasha rolled her eyes and smiled. “Not quite sure I want to know what you’re dreaming about…” She grabbed the cute airhead, rolled her onto her back, and began to slip Lison’s mules and socks off her feet.
She didn’t pause in her task when the door was opened and Aisha entered.
“I have a strange feeling of déjà vu…” the young princess commented.
Rasha chuckled to herself. “You’re already picking up their expressions.” She untied the apron and took it off, then unhooked the belt of Lison’s skirt and pulled the garment off her legs.
Lison moaned softly in her dream. “Oh… They will never approve of our love… Please kidnap me right away...”
Aisha chose to ignore that. She lifted the servant’s upper-body and arms, and pulled off the tunic. Finally, she snagged the maid bonnet.
This time, Lison’s undergarments were white bloomers adorned with pink frills and a matching white corset adorned with pink ribbons.
Rasha dragged the maid across the room, sat her onto an armchair, gagged her with a thick white scarf, and bound her to the chair with more scarves than last time. She restrained Lison’s wrists to the chair’s arms, and bound the cute girl’s ankles to the chair’s legs. She wrapped one final long scarf around the servant’s waist and the chair’s back.
Aisha raised an eyebrow.
“Trust me. Given the dream she’s having, it’s for the best.” the thief justified herself.
Aisha shrugged. With Rasha’s help, she removed her formal dress, and slipped into the servant uniform.
Since it wasn’t the first time she put on Lison’s clothes, the princess was used to the feel of this outfit. Shape-shifting her appearance to match Lison’s hair color, skin tone, and eyes color was also easy.
Aisha exited the exhibit room, leaving Rasha to watch over the slumbering Lison.
The disguised princess was greeted by Dominique’s and Zaïde’s appreciative smiles. Yasmin was looking more reserved. Aisha attempted to reassure her with a smile.
“Same place as last time?” she asked Dominique.
The latter nodded.
“Be careful.” Yasmin added.
**************
Mathilde was looking radiant, and didn’t attempt to hide a smile of satisfaction when she looked at herself, clad once again in a musketeer uniform. She adjusted the hat, the belt, and the gloves. Had she been a cat, she probably would have purred.
Eloise didn’t bother to make a comment. Personally, she hated wearing military uniforms – she found them tight and restraining. But as a former pirate and thief, she knew how useful the authority they commanded was.
Their other teammates didn’t make any comment, and their faces remained neutral. Impossible to tell if Blandine, Inej, Josyne, Esperança, and Lianor enjoyed or hated their new outfits. Or even if they had differing opinions.
Eloise preferred to ignore them. She feared she was looking at her future. Would she become like that too, after years of service under Louise’s thumb? An evenly-tempered agent only defined by her loyalty to her mistress?
As she and her partners were busy adjusting their outfits and combat gears, Jan and Jill concealed the bound-and-gagged real musketeers in a hollow half-obscured by plant life, alongside with the peasant girls they had used to stage their ambush. The women were left piled up on one another. The ones at the bottom of the pile would most likely feel very sore after their rescue… But the point was also to humiliate these soldiers. Because their humiliation would reflect on the High King.
Léon-Alexandre XII didn’t respond well to humiliation. His desire to punish the ‘foreign spies’ would only increase.
And what would happen to Aisha and her retinue once Louise would finally succeed in pinning the blame on them?
Eloise smiled harshly at the thought. She could hardly wait…
“Follow my lead.” Mathilde instructed. “We’ll intercept the messenger and stage a robbery.”
**************
Aisha didn’t have trouble impersonating a servant of the Sun Castle. Not only was she used to borrowing Lison’s outfit by now, but she also had some experience in impersonating the maids of her own palace.
Ezgi had indeed several times generously ‘lent’ her clothes to her lover…
Thinking of Ezgi proved to be a mistake however. Aisha held back a few tears, and shook off the memory.
She hadn’t spoken much to Ezgi the past couple of days. Their interactions were restricted to the bare minimum.
The fake maid reached the door of the Golden Salon, checked the corridor, and listened through its frame.
There wasn’t anyone.
Aisha frowned. Something wasn’t right…
There, a voice exclaimed in her back: “You there. We need a maid. Come with me.”
**************
Yasmin was eating a small pastry. Her bearing was as composed as always, and yet she managed to convey her disapproval. “I don’t like the idea of you using my sister so liberally, Dominique.”
“You should trust Aisha.” Zaïde intervened. “She’s eager to make herself useful. And she’s more resourceful than you give her credit for. At least as long as it doesn’t require to interact with double-faced nobles or follow a rigid etiquette…”
“The problem is that she’ll have to put up with those all her life. She’s a royal princess, not a spy like Mother or Azeneth used to be. She can’t stay out of court intrigues just because she doesn’t like them. It doesn’t work like that. Either she learns, or they break her.”
They were interrupted by a knock on the door.
Dominique frowned. They weren’t expecting any visitor. “Yes?”
A herald clad in fancy clothes entered.
“Madame Dominique, where is Lison? Madame Louise requires her presence immediately.”
**************
The messenger was a woman from Bommare. She was tall, with an aquiline nose, an angular-shaped face, dark brown eyes, braided black hair, and an olive complexion. Her fancy outfit was the proof she was an official envoy – and a high-ranked one at that. She was clad in a black wide-brimmed hat with a red feather, a fancy emerald green jacket with golden yellow threads and buttons, a white frilled shirt, emerald-green-and-golden-yellow trousers, red gloves, and shiny brown tall riding boots. She was traveling on a black horse.
Her ambush and humiliation by spies disguised as musketeers would cause quite the diplomatic incident… Eloise thought to herself. If Aisha was caught today, and Louise hoped she would, then not even her royal status would protect her from the High King’s wrath.
The former pirate shook her head. She needed to remain focused on her current target.
The rider stopped her mount when she noticed a patrol of musketeers was blocking the path. She of course couldn't tell they were impostors.
“Is there a trouble, soldiers?”
“Yes indeed.” Mathilde retorted. “We will need you to dismount and give us your horse. And your pouch of messages. And also your outfit while you’re at it.”
“Is this a joke?” The messenger snorted with scorn. “I am a messenger of Bommare. I demand to be treated with respect.”
Mathilde smiled. “How’s that for respect?”
Blandine, Inej, Josyne, Esperança, and Lianor surrounded the rider and forcefully unsaddled her.
“How dare you?! You- garfmhhhhh!”
The woman was swiftly rendered unconscious.
Blandine, Inej, Josyne, Esperança, and Lianor carried her out of sight. Jan and Jill were waiting for them in the foliage.
Mathilde grabbed the horse’s reins, and led the beast into the woods. She was grinning from ear to ear.
“For a noblewoman, you sure like playing the part of the highway robber.” Eloise commented.
They tied the horse’s reins to a tree.
By the time they regrouped with the other agents, they were already done.
Jan, Jill, Blandine, Inej, Josyne, Esperança, and Lianor had stripped the envoy down to her a green sleeveless undertunic with golden embroideries and borders and matching green-and-golden knee-long undertrousers tied around the waist with a string. The unconscious black-haired olive-skinned woman had been thoroughly hogtied with ropes, and cleave-gagged with a thick rag. An other rag was blindfolding her.
Blandine, Inej, Josyne, Esperança, and Lianor then threw the trussed up half-naked unconscious messenger into a ditch, and covered her with branches.
Mathilde granted herself the envoy’s fancy uniform, and slipped into the outfit.
Eloise shared a glance with Jan and Jill then rolled her eyes, but didn’t comment on it.
“Can we go now? I anticipate the musketeers we mugged will be found soon.”
Mathilde nodded. “Can’t wait to hear how the High King will react to the scandal…”
**************
“You there. We need a maid. Come with me.”
The woman who had spoken was a guard of the palace. She was a tanned-skinned blue-eyed brunette, whose hair were tied up into a short ponytail with a white ribbon. She was wearing a golden yellow uniform jacket with black buttons, a white tunic, dark brown trousers, a black three-cornered hat, and black shoes. She was armed with a rapier and a dagger strapped onto a brown leather belt.
On the spur of the moment, Aisha remained in-character. She was careful to act all obedient and meek. “What do you need me for?”
“We need extra hands in the storage rooms.” the guard explained.
Aisha sensed something was off. She wasn’t as insightful as Zaïde, but she had the same feeling as during her infiltration of the temple of the Great Goddess… When she had come across those two guards, and had immediately sensed they knew about the infiltration ploy somehow… That day, only luck had allowed her to evade capture… Had she not had to knock out and mug an other priestess on her way, she’d have been spotted and caught...
By the One True God! Was it only a few months ago? It feels like an eternity ago...
She had to give this guard the slip. Aisha was convinced the woman was leading her into a trap.
Still, for now, she had to play along. She kept her head low to not betray herself.
If the guard was leading her to the storage rooms, Aisha suspected the trap had been set up there. This area of the palace was isolated and soundproof – nobody would hear her calls for help. She had to give the guard the slip before she was too close from the area.
When Aisha noticed the empty corridor to her right, she didn’t hesitate. She rushed into it.
She knew this wing of the Sun Castle belonged to Blanche and Marguerite, Louise’s and Dominique’s half-sisters born from their father’s second wife. The half-sisters who had been made into social pariahs by Louise, to the point they couldn’t even show themselves at the court... But Blanche and Marguerite still were royal princesses. Etiquette demanded they had their own wing in their father’s palace, even if in practice they could never use them. Therefore this part of the palace was for all intent and purpose abandoned – servants merely came in from time to time to clean it. Aisha had studied maps of the building complex. She was confident she knew the layout of the Sun Castle well enough to find her way back to Dominique’s room.
“Hey! Come back here you little brat!”
Aisha muttered a curse.
The guard chasing after her was actually the worst outcome for her. She was hoping the woman would call accomplices for help – as it would’ve bought her enough time to return to the palace’s wing belonging to Dominique.
The fact the woman preferred to chase after her on her own confirmed Aisha’s suspicions. This guard wasn’t merely doing her job – she was working for Louise.
Blanche’s and Marguerite’s wing was fully furnished and decorated. Aisha considered it a huge waste of money, but once again court etiquette demanded it.
However, maybe she could use that to her advantage...
As she was running, Aisha noticed the thick vase on a table nearby. Without slowing down, she grabbed it.
The young woman then rushed inside an empty bedroom. She positioned herself next to the door, and raised high her improvised weapon.
The guard ran inside the room after her.
“Looks like you’re smarter than Madame gave you credit for… But it won’t change anything… When I get my hands on you, I will-” BONK! “- urk!”
The woman fell face down on the carpet with a dull ‘thud!’. Out cold.
Aisha took a few long breaths, and put the vase on the floor.
The young woman was tempted to run away here and now.
Then she realized the guard most likely had accomplices, who would be looking for a maid. She wasn’t sure she could give them all the slip...
Aisha noticed the soldier’s uniform would fit her. She grimaced.
Yasmin’s gonna be furious...
Aisha could already picture the scandal when the High King would learn a guard of his was assaulted in his own palace.
However, if she was caught, then things would be even worst. Hopefully, Dominique, Zaïde, and Yasmin could find a way to divert suspicions.
Aisha removed the guard’s uniform, leaving the brunette clad in light pink knee-long undershorts and a matching light pink sleeveless undertunic adorned with white lace around the collar.
When the guard began to stir. Aisha realized she had to restrain and gag the woman. But first, she hit the brunette on the head a second time with the vase to knock her out again. The guard grunted, and went still once more.
Oh God above! Yasmin is gonna be beyond furious...
She took the guard’s dagger, and used it to cut the precious sheets and curtains of the bed into strips. Then she bound the brunette’s wrists and ankles with her makeshift ropes. She stuff-gagged and cleave-gagged the woman. Finally, she dragged her across the room and pushed her under the bed to conceal her.
Aisha removed her stolen servant outfit, and hid it under the bed as well. Then, she slipped into the guard uniform, and used the three-cornered hat to conceal her face.
She took a long breath.
Her facial features changed to look like the guard’s as much as her powers allowed.
Think of the consequences later. For now, your priority is to get back to Yasmin, Zaïde, and Dominique safely.
**************
“Madame Dominique, where is Lison? Madame Louise requires her presence immediately.” the herald announced
His face was neutral. Yet, there seemed to be subtle spark of mockery in his eyes.
Zaïde and Yasmin exchanged a sharp glance.
Lison is a bit tied up at the moment. In that she’s bound and gagged in the exhibit room.
Of course, Dominique couldn’t say that.
“Lison is unavailable.”
“Madame Louise requires her presence.” the herald insisted.
“Then my sister will have to wait. Or better yet, summon an other servant.”
“The First Princess is adamant. She wants Lison specifically.” The threat was subtle. But it was a threat nevertheless.
Dominique didn’t let the man impress her. “Louise is not First Princess. She’s Crowned Princess. And so am I. Lison is cleaning my exhibit room.”
“Everybody will know you-”
“Take one step inside, and everybody will know you entered a lady’s room without being invited. My father first and foremost.”
“Then you will send her immediately after she’s done-”
“I happen to like Lison a lot. In fact, once she’s done here, I intend to make her part of my personal retinue. Tell my sister she’ll have to find an other servant.”
The man’s lips tightened. “As you wish.”
He left the room, and closed the door behind him.
“It can’t be a coincidence.” Yasmin whispered. She clutched her cup of tea to prevent her hands from shaking. “Aisha’s in danger.”
She put her cup onto the table, and stood up.
“You can’t stroll in the palace without a proper escort.” Dominique objected.
“I know that. That’s why I thought of a contingency plan.” Yasmin retorted.
**************
As she was getting closer to Dominique’s wing in the Sun Castle, Aisha noticed there were a few guards too many, and they seemed to be discreetly looking for someone.
She suppressed her fear.
I was right to ditch the servant outfit.
Thanks to her uniform and her shape-shifting powers, she slipped through the fingers of her enemies.
Aisha relaxed when she arrived in the corridor of Dominique’s wing. She breathed in relief.
A hand grabbed her shoulder.
“You certainly made me run.”
Aisha froze.
A woman was standing in her back.
The young princess turned.
“Beatrix?!”
The redhead was dressed in the uniform of janissaries. It felt odd to see her dressed in such an impeccable outfit instead of her usual desert cloak. But at the same time, it was probably thanks to these clothes she’d been allowed to roam the corridors freely. Clad in this fancy-looking uniform, she looked like an important foreign guest. No low-ranked guard would dare question her.
Beatrix glared at Aisha’s outfit.
The latter bit her lower lip. She was aware she may have put everyone in danger by mugging the guard. And of all people, it was Beatrix who found her first. Aisha had purposefully avoided the redhead since their argument on the docks.
Thankfully, Beatrix spoke first. “Yasmin anticipated you’d do that. Follow me.”
“Beatrix, I-”
“What?” the redhead barked.
Aisha backed down. “Nothing.” She noticed the redhead wasn’t leading her to Dominique’s bedroom. “Where are we going?”
The bounty huntress didn’t slow down. “Your sister has left instructions. Including for this sort of scenario.”
“Shouldn’t I go back to her immediately?”
“You covered your tracks.” Beatrix conceded. “But Yasmin thinks we should take advantage of the situation.”
The bounty huntress paused in front of a specific window. She checked outside, and used a small pocket mirror to reflect the sun’s light and send a discreet signal.
“Isn’t it risky?” Aisha cautiously asked.
“Nobody’s in this part of the garden at this time of the day. There hasn’t been the patrol shift already. Now hurry up. If we want to avoid guards or servants, we have to follow a specific path. And we have to do it on schedule.”
Aisha realized she hadn’t seen much of Beatrix lately because the redhead had spent all this time learning the palace’s layout and the paths of all the guards and servants.
“Let’s go.”
**************
Beatrix led Aisha to the gardens. More specifically, into one of the several hedge mazes.
At the center, a woman was waiting for them. She was plain-looking and of average size. She had the typical brown hair, green eyes, and dark skin of Ghazan. Her haircut was a waist-long ponytail.
She was currently only wearing a thin light blue underdress. The undergarment was thigh-long and sleeveless, with white edges and shoulder straps, and was adorned with white arabesques made of threads. (To Aisha, it felt almost weird to see someone clad in Ghazanite undergarments. She wasn’t used to it anymore.) Her outfit was lying in a bundle next to her: a white tunic, a white cloth sash meant to be wrapped around the waist, a white ankle-long skirt, and brown sandals.
Aisha recognized the woman as a servant of Yasmin’s retinue. “Layah What happened to you?”
“Two can play the game of deceit and staged attacks.” the handmaid answered with a small smile.
“Yasmin wants to make it look like we were a target of the spies.” Aisha deduced.
Beatrix nodded. “What better way to deflect suspicions?”
It was quite brilliant indeed. Simple, but brilliant. They wouldn’t be suspected of having assaulted the guard if one of their own was also found trussed up and mugged.
Aisha didn’t waste time with needless questions. She trusted her twin’s judgment. She took off the guard uniform, and slipped into the servant’s outfit.
It felt both odd and familiar to put on Ghazanite clothes. Especially a servant uniform. How many times had she put on such outfit during her escapades in El Idriss? How many times had she stripped Ezgi for disguise, kissing and caressing her all the way?
Aisha shook her head. Do not think of Ezgi right now!
At the same time, Beatrix used ropes to bind Layah’s wrists and forearms behind her back. An other coil was used to bind the legs. When the redhead soaked a rag with a sleeping potion, Aisha grimaced.
“Better make it look realistic.” Layah commented with a shrug.
Beatrix gently pressed the rag against her face and made her breath the fumes. Once the handmaid was asleep, she gagged her with an other clean rag.
The readhead then folded the discarded guard uniform, and threw the clothes and the other gears into a clothes bag. She gave it to Aisha.
“Nobody will question a servant carrying laundry.”
Aisha was feeling a bit uncomfortable at the idea of leaving Layah on her own, but she suspected her sister had planned everything – which included making sure the handmaid would be found by a friendly face.
She left the hedge maze with Beatrix.
**************
The redhead escorted the “handmaid carrying Yasmin’s laundry” to Dominique’s bedroom. They only came across a few guards, and none of them suspected anything.
However, right next to the door of Dominique’s room, they almost bumped into an unexpected face.
It was Ezgi.
The plump handmaid frowned. “Aisha? What’s going on?”
The young princess opened her mouth, trying to give an explanation.
“Nothing of consequences.” Beatrix retorted before she could speak.
Ezgi’s face became cold. “I see. Sorry for interrupting the princesses’ clever ploys. I will remember my place as a lowly commoner. It’s not like I helped you many times before…”
She turned away and left, with all the dignity she could muster up.
Aisha wanted to stop her, but Beatrix grabbed her arm and urged her to enter Dominique’s bedroom.
Aisha refrained her tears. Ezgi could be putting on an act.
She let herself be led inside the lounge room.
Yasmin immediately dropped her cup and stood up, suddenly a lot less graceful than usual. “Aisha! You’re safe!” She went as far as to grab her twin’s hand and press it in relief.
Aisha felt as if she had been tearfully hugged. Momentarily, she forgot about Ezgi. She wanted to say so many things to ease her sister’s mind, but only a choked “Yes!” came out.
Zaïde put a hand on her shoulder. “If you’re dressed as Layah, then it means Yasmin was right. You did improvise!” She sounded proud.
“I mugged a guard. I’m so sorry, I-”
“It’s my fault.” Dominique interrupted her. “Do not apologize. I should have anticipated Louise’s move. You and Yasmin did what I could not. You outmaneuvered her. Quite masterfully, if I do say so myself.”
Of course, the compliment made Aisha feel better. However, she was still worried. “You think there will be a problem?”
Dominique pondered for a moment. “I don’t think so.” she finally said. “The guards will look for a woman who looks like Lison. Nobody in your retinue matches the description. Louise probably suspects something about your powers, but without proof she can’t make an accusation.”
“In fact, we should be able to spin the story in a way that favors us after Layah is found.” Yasmin added.
“And what about Lison? I left her uniform with the guard.”
Dominique pondered for a moment. “I think I can come up with something…”
**************
Oh, sweet Lison, you have captured my heart...
Oh, dashing rogue, just take me away with you on your adventures…
Of course, my love.
Lison… Lison, wake up…
Not yet please… I’m about to see her face...
Lison! Wake up!
The ditzy (and currently dizzy) maid opened her eyes. Her head felt a bit heavy. How long had she been out?
She sluggishly looked around her and realized she was lying on a sofa in Princess Dominique’s personal exhibit room.
The royal princess herself was at her side.
“Madame…? What happened…? Did I…” Lison’s eyes widened in shame. “Oh Great Goddess, I fell asleep! I’m so sorry! I let you down again!”
The princess chuckled lightly. She didn’t look angry.
Lison was put at ease. Surely it meant she had done no blunder...
“Dear Lison. You did your job excellently.”
Not that she mentioned it, the exhibit room was indeed pristine-looking.
I don’t even remember cleaning half of the exhibits... Lison thought to herself. I must have been more efficient than I thought…
Dominique explained. “You didn’t fall asleep. You fainted.”
“F- Fainted?”
“Yes. Haven’t you noticed something with your clothes?”
Lison frowned. She realized she indeed wasn’t wearing her usual maid uniform. Her black long skirt was now adorned with many gold threads, and tied around the waist with a golden yellow cloth sash. Her long-sleeved tunic was also black with golden threads. There was a white seahorse woven onto the heart of the outfit. She wasn’t wearing an apron anymore, just a translucent golden yellow and white shawl around the shoulders. Her maid bonnet was golden yellow.
Lison’s eyes widened. “It’s- It’s the-”
“The outfit of a royal handmaid. I just accepted you in my personal entourage. You fainted right after you put on your new clothes.” Dominique shook her head lightly. “I suppose the shock was too much…”
“But I don’t remember anything… I don’t even remember putting these clothes on… It’s like… It’s like somebody dressed me up while I was unconscious!”
Dominique shrugged to brush away to topic. “A side effect of your fainting. Don’t worry about that.”
“You’re sure, Madame?”
“I’m the royal princess. I know better.”
That makes sense.
The realization then dawned upon Lison. She stammered. “So it means I am… Me- I- Royal handmaid-”
The emotion was too much for the poor girl.
She fainted.
**************
Dominique shrugged. “Well, that settles it. We’ll let her recover.”
“Good luck with having such a ditz in your personal entourage.” Zaïde commented.
“I suppose I owe her as much, after using her as a pawn in my games.”
They left Lison lying on the sofa. Re-dressing her up in a spare royal handmaid uniform and staging everything had been easy. In-between the effects of the sedative, the joy of her new position, and her general air-headedness, Lison shouldn’t question anything.
“The only remaining question is how was Louise able to set up such trap?” Zaïde added.
“She knew.” Yasmin intervened.
“Uh?”
“Louise knew we use Lison to acquire a disguise and allow Aisha to spy on her. She’s probably learned about it after the first time we pulled off this ploy. And she set up a trap for us.”
“But how did she learn about-?” Aisha interrupted herself. “The mole. Of course. Has anyone-” She barely dared to ask the question. “Has anyone noticed Ezgi acting suspicious?”
“She’s been a lot more withdrawn lately.”
That doesn’t mean much.
“We’ve been monitoring her, but we obviously can’t be on her back all day long. If she’s the mole, she has enough occasions to discreetly send messages.”
“You didn’t tell her anything about today’s plan?” Dominique asked.
“Of course not. But there’s no telling if she didn’t manage to learn about it anyway... That, or Louise simply noticed Lison's weird pattern lately.”
“Well, for now, we should focus on dealing with the aftermath of today’s events.” Dominique concluded. “Trust me. When your handmaid and the guard will be found, the Castle’s walls will shake...”
**************
The news a spy had managed to sneak into the Sun Castle itself indeed came as an earthquake.
The High King was beyond livid. And to add insult to injury, word was spreading a bunch of his musketeers had also been mugged for their uniforms – so that their attackers could ambush and steal the outfit and letters of an official envoy of Bommare.
The only silver lining was that Yasmin’s ploy had managed to deflect suspicion. Indeed, it looked like their delegation had been a target.
Léon-Alexandre XII had the entire building complex searched, tripled the number of guards in the Sun Castle, and doubled the number of patrols.
However, neither Yasmin nor Zaïde nor even Aisha believed it would have any effect. The High King didn’t know his own two daughters – first and foremost Louise – were behind all these latest attacks. The muggers had inside help, from the upper echelons of the court. Most of them were, in fact, probably part of the regular entourage of Louise. Evading a high number of soldiers would be a little tricky, but far from impossible.
**************
Still, the life of the court had to go on. A few days later, Aisha learned she had to prepare for the great ball of the month.
**************
Dominique was busy adjusting Aisha’s outfit. It was her most elegant dress – the one she had worn in front of the High-King the first day.
“It’s important you’re on your best behavior today. Rumors are beginning to spread…” Dominique instructed her friend.
“Because of the attacks?”
Dominique nodded. “They’re subtle. I recognize Louise’s hand. My agents are trying to minimize the damage, but they can’t prevent people from gossiping.”
“What about the attack on Layah? How can she work around that?”
“As ironic as it is, by telling the truth. That it was staged.”
Dominique wrapped her left arm around Aisha’s right arm to show her how they were supposed to walk and behave.
“Therefore, it’s crucial I show my support to you during today’s party. By being your chaperon.”
Aisha felt embarrassed. “The gesture looks a bit too… intimate… Isn’t it reserved for couples?” Don’t think of Ezgi now. “Wouldn’t people make assumptions?”
“Not at all. It’ll indicate we’re not interested in having a cavalier. Officially, there’s nothing romantic.” Dominique smiled. “Now, of course some young women take advantage of this custom to spend the evening with their love; but since it’s notorious we’re allies, everybody will know I’m simply helping you navigate the social event.”
“Thank you for that… I have the feeling Louise is plotting an other dirty trick…”
“She probably is. It’s a war of attrition. The side with the most resilience will win.”
**************
Henriette’s dress wasn’t exactly practical for a walk in the woods. It was a gorgeous royal blue tailor-made ball gown, adorned with gold and silver threads, and fitted around the waist. The collar and cuffs were adorned with precious white lace. A silver grey sash was tied around her waist, and she was wearing a light blue shawl around the shoulders. Her necklace, bracelets, and earrings were all made of silver.
However, the young aristocrat didn’t mind. That letter she had received from Philippe de Valmont… That letter in which he confessed his love and was asking her to meet him in the woods near the castle, while everyone else was at the feast... It was like a fairy tail come true!
Henriette adjusted her strawberry blond hair, tied into an elegant chignon with silver hairpins. She had a white skin and green-blue eyes. Her body was plain-looking, but the gorgeous clothes made her look more beautiful.
“Faster, Estelle!” she instructed her companion. “We’re almost there!”
Estelle nervously looked around her. “I’m not quite sure it’s a good idea…” She was Henriette’s personal maid. She was white-skinned and mousy-looking, with medium blue eyes. Her light brown hair were tied up into a neck bun. The only remarkable detail about her was her beauty spot right next to the right eye. She was wearing an elegant but discreet dark blue skirt, with a matching tunic, a white cloth sash, a white shawl, and a white maid bonnet made of cloth.
Henriette chuckled. “You’ve listened too much to Lison’s daydreams. Musketeers are patrolling this area. We’re safe!” The young arisrocrat pulled out the envelope containing the love letter. “Plus, isn’t love worth taking a small risk?”
“Madame! With all due respect-”
The complaint Estelle was about to voice was blocked in her throat.
Literally.
Estelle was grabbed from behind. A viselike chokehold was wrapped around her throat and neck.
The maid’s call for help were completely muffled. She could only gasp for air, while no sound came out.
Humming to herself, Henriette remained oblivious to the scene taking place behind her. Her eyes were focused on the letter, her head was filled with love-struck dreams.
Estelle desperately flailed her arms in an imploring way, trying to warn her mistress, but her efforts were for naught. Her vision became blurry. Her body stopped fighting, and she passed out.
“Estelle? You said something?”
Henriette finally turned…
… to be greeted by the sight of her limp unconscious handmaid being held hostage by a woman wearing a mask and a hooded cloak.
The young aristocrat opened her mouth in shock.
Before she could scream, a sleeper-hold was wrapped around her throat and neck from behind.
“Love games are for fools.” a female voice whispered in the horrified woman’s ear.
That was the last thing she heard, before everything became black, and she lost consciousness.
**************
Blandine was careful to hold Henriette in a way that wouldn’t damage her formal dress. The aristocrat wasn’t much of a fighter, so the task was easy. Her struggles were shorter-lived than Estelle’s. Soon, her limp unconscious body slumped into Blandine’s arms.
Lianor, who was already dragging Estelle out of sight, nodded appreciatively. Blandine returned the nod, and also carried the motionless Henriette further into the woods. She stepped disdainfully on the fake love letter Louise had forged.
The two unfortunate women were laid onto the ground.
Blandine and Lianor began by removing Estelle’s outfit – her servant uniform was plain and easy to take off. They removed everything, including the shawl and the mules. Estelle was left wearing a strapless grey knee-long one-piece slip fitted around the waist, and faded white socks.
The two agents of Louise were more careful with Henriette’s formal ball gown – the garment was a lot more fragile than Estelle’s sturdy handmaid outfit. They also stole the jewels. Henriette was left clad in white bloomers made of precious silk and gold threads, and adorned with white ribbons and pink lace at the bottom and around the waist, as well as a matching white corset adorned with pink lace and ribbons.
Thick brown rags were used to gag and blindfold Henriette and Estelle. Each young woman was then thoroughly trussed up with ropes. The wrists were cross-tied behind the back, a rope harness immobilized the upper-arms, and the ankles were bound together Finally, ropes were wrapped around their legs, waists and torsos to bind them back-to-back.
The young aristocrat and her maid were left concealed under the bushes.
Lianor helped Blandine dress up in Heriette’s formal gown and do her hair. Then, she slipped into Estelle’s handmaid uniform.
The two teammates shared a nod, and swiftly left the area.
However, Blandine and Lianor stopped in their tracks when a woman dressed as a soldier blocked their path.
Then, they recognized her face.
“Gabrielle.”
“You were inattentive.” the brown-haired bodyguard commented. “Victory is always the moment you’re the most vulnerable.”
The two agents of Louise bowed their heads. “Apologies.”
“Are Henriette and her maid secured?”
“Yes.”
“Then go to the party. I’ll wait for your signal to ‘rescue’ them.”
**************
The party was pleasant. Tasty dishes. Gorgeous music. Lavish clothes. Friendly smiles. Polite conversations.
Yet, Aisha could feel the tension of Dominique by the way she was holding her arm. Her friend’s grip was tight. A subtle way to remind her this party was a battlefield.
Yasmin and Zaïde were attending together, being each other’s chaperon. However, Aisha wasn’t worried for them. On the contrary. An aristocrat thinking they’d be easy targets would be in for a nasty surprise.
In-between two conversations, Aisha frowned when an odd couple approached them. One was a blond noblewoman wearing a fancy royal blue ball gown adorned with gold and silver threads, and white lace. However, her chaperon wasn’t a fellow aristocrat. It was a brown-haired handmaid. The practice wasn’t unheard of, at least according to what Aisha knew of the United Lands’ etiquette, but it was uncommon.
“I don’t think I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting you.” Dominique remarked.
The noblewoman smiled. “Greta. I come from the marches of Barak. I’m making my debut in the court.”
“I hope the Sun Castle is meeting your expectations.”
“Indeed it is.”
Greta and Dominique began to chit-chat. The conversation was pleasant, and yet Aisha could feel Dominique’s hand clutching her arm even tighter.
When the couple bid their goodbyes and left, Dominique whispered in Aisha’s ear: “Be careful… It’s a trap…”
“How?”
Her friend couldn’t explain, as an other couple just approached her to have a chat.
Then, once the conversation was over, a third couple went to chat. Then an other one. And so forth.
As they were navigating from conversation to conversation, Aisha began to realize they were forced to walk following a definite pattern. They were being led somewhere, trapped by the court’s rigid etiquette, as Dominique couldn’t afford to be rude and refuse a talk.
Aisha understood the trap when she saw the pair who was waiting for them at the end of the line. One man and one woman.
The woman was Louise.
“Sister dear. What a fortuitous meeting…” the blonde exclaimed with a convincing fake smile.
“Fortuitous, but pleasant.” Dominique answered with an equally fake smile.
“I see you declined all your suitors once again.” Louise remarked with a hint of ‘older sibling disapproval’. “Aren’t you a bit too old to go to a ball with a friend?”
Aisha briefly glanced at the man. Given how Louise was holding his arm, he was most likely her husband. He was tall and handsome, but something about his eyes and hunched shoulders reminded Aisha of a whipped dog fearful of his master’s leash.
Louise offered her free arm to Dominique. “Walk with me, sister dear.”
“With pleasure.” Dominique complied. She also gripped Aisha’s arm firmly to make the young woman understand she should not let go of her under any circumstance.
Louise led them away from the feast, near the grove of trees in the park, until the talks and music were but a distant hubbub. Aisha began to worry she may lead them into an ambush, but Dominique kept holding her arm tightly. The young princess remembered her lessons. If she let go of Dominique’s arm brutally, it would be interpreted as a breach of trust and a grave public insult.
Louise stopped once they were out of earsight, but not out of eyesight. They could talk freely without fear of someone hearing them or reading their lips. However, everyone could still see their gestures.
“Husband dear, why don’t you leave us alone to fetch you some drinks?” Louise proposed.
“I’m not quite sure-”
Louise opened her fan. Startled, the man was interrupted mid-sentence.
“Don’t you see I have to discuss womanly things with my sister?” The blonde began to fan herself. “Husband dear, please stop embarrassing yourself in public.”
Her voice was even. Yet, somehow, it carried such utter scorn that the man didn’t even attempt to argue. He left quietly.
Louise waited until he was out of earsight. Then, she let out one long pleased sigh. Her posture changed slightly, and looked more relaxed.
“Don’t you just love these moments?” she asked the two young women.
Dominique and Aisha shared a wary glance.
“These precious few moments when we can finally drop the masks… and be ourselves…”
Louise’s facial features subtly changed. Her polite neutral smile turned into an amused grin. However, nobody but Dominique and Aisha were close enough to witness the transformation.
The blonde looked Aisha in the eyes. “In a way, this is the first time we meet. Greetings, Princess Aisha. I am Louise of Dechaine, true heiress of the United Lands. For years, I’ve been trying to undermine your father’s power. A few months ago, I began to target you. And since you’ve arrived, I’ve been behind all the attacks copying your tactic. But I assure you there’s nothing personal. It’s just politics.”
There was no word to describe how frustrated Aisha was feeling right now. That confession was everything she needed to have a proof against her foe! However, they were out of earsight. Nobody could hear Louise. And Aisha knew nobody would believe her or Dominique on their words alone. Aisha was a foreigner, Dominique was Louise’s rival. If the blond princess was so upfront, it was because she knew they couldn’t do anything about it.
But what was Louise hoping to accomplish? What was her end game?
The blond princess smiled. It was as if she could see the cogs turning in Aisha’s head.
“It must be tiring.” Louise suddenly commented.
“What?”
“I said it must be tiring. To stay vigilant all the time. To always be on edge. To never know when the next strike will happen.”
“What do you want, Sister?” Dominique intervened.
“I like to play the game. But I like to win more. And I don’t care how I win. So I thought I’d propose you a fair chance to give up.”
“You have some nerve!” Aisha reflexively retorted.
“There’s no shame in surrendering. I need your father out of my way, but it doesn’t have to end up in violence. Not if I had the…” Louise trailed off. “… support of Ghazan’s heiresses. And thus, you and your retinue would be placed under my protection. Safe from any more harm.”
Aisha frowned. “I may not be a mistress of intrigues, but I’m not an idiot either. Even if your offer is true, you’d turn my kingdom into your vassal state – and suck dry its resources. I love my people. I won’t give up on them.”
“Not even to have the answer to the question that eats you up at night? Don’t you want to know which of your loved ones has betrayed you?” Louise’s smile widened. She relished in her cruelty. “I could tell you... ease your mind. In fact, you wouldn’t even need to break ties, since you’d be on the same side.”
“For the last time, the answer is no.”
Louise feigned sadness. “It’s a shame. You could stand to learn from my entourage. Being a royal princess requires perfection. And not…” The blonde gestured to designate Aisha’s entire body. “… that.”
The young woman saw red.
Dominique held her arm. “Stay calm. If you raise a hand against her – if you so much as raise your voice – all the court will turn against you.”
Aisha took a breath to calm herself. She knew all eyes were on them. Nobody could hear what they were saying, nobody could read their faces. But everyone was watching to see if one of them would break. They were probably expecting it. Hoping for it. She wouldn’t give them the pleasure.
Yasmin and Zaïde were among the crowd, worried sick about her. She wouldn’t disappoint them.
Aisha looked Louise in the eyes and spoke evenly. “You know. I’m glad I met you, Princess Louise of Dechaine. Thanks to you, I know the exact kind of person I don’t want to become.”
“Do you think you have the right to judge me as an equal? You’re a pathetic ingenue who doesn’t know anything about power.” Louise retorted. “I understood what it meant to be High Queen the day I learned I wouldn’t be allowed to feed my children myself.”
“And I understood you didn’t deserve to be High Queen the day I learned you destroyed the lives of two young girls, just because you couldn’t stand sharing your father with anyone.” Aisha shook her head. “A leech, that’s what you are. A leech who sucks out the happiness of everyone around her. Your children are unhappy. You’ve driven away girls who could have become the sisters you had lost. And you’re making your father miserable, forcing him to play favorites with his daughters. I know which one of us is more pathetic.”
Louise’s smile faded away. At that moment, Aisha knew the blonde was going to make her regret her words, but for now she was just happy she had been able to wipe out her foe’s smirk.
“Well, if that’s how you feel, then we will never become friends.”
Louise waved her fan to signal she was done.
A servant approached them. He was carrying a small envelope.
“I’m hosting a feast in my personal domain. A commemoration in honor of my dear late mother, the true High Queen. You and your retinue are invited.” Louise announced.
Aisha cautiously grabbed the envelope.
Louise looked the young princess in the eyes. Her smile returned.
“Refusing would be seen as a grave offense.”
At that moment, Aisha realized Louise had set up her next trap. And she’d been ensnared by it.
She suddenly heard some noises on the outskirts of the party. Two women dressed in their undergarments were escorted by Gabrielle, Louise’s bodyguard. One was most likely a commoner – her strapless grey knee-long one-piece slip fitted around the waist and faded white socks were plain and functional. But the other was clearly an aristocrat. Her corset and bloomers were fancy and expensive.
“Get some help! These ladies were assaulted for their clothes!” Gabrielle loudly claimed.
Louise’s smile widened.
“Those foreign spies are getting bolder… But I’m quite sure they’ll be dealt with soon enough…” she taunted Aisha.
**************
Author’s Note: The (painful
) “All for One” joke is dedicated to a special board member. The return of Lison is dedicated to an other special member of the board. They will recognize themselves I think.
I wanted a transition chapter before the beginning of the big climax, so bringing Lison back for a second row was a cool concept.
)