Ghazan: Part 6: The Sun
Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2024 8:41 pm
Prologue. One day after the kidnapping attempt against Dominique.
**************
Ezgi was humming as she was brushing Aisha’s hair.
The scene was familiar. How many times had the servant pampered her princess? Helping Aisha get dressed and get cleaned was one of her major duties. Yet, today, something felt… off.
Ezgi could be the mole. Ezgi could be the traitor.
Aisha had suspicions, reasoning and circumstantial evidence at best, but no certitude.
Ezgi could be guilty.
Or Ezgi could be innocent, and she was just misreading the clues.
Aisha needed to know. The feeling was eating her up inside.
But she obviously couldn’t ask directly. She had to broach the subject in a roundabout way.
“Ezgi. If I ask you a personal question, would you answer me truthfully?”
“Of course.”
“No matter what?”
The handmaid stopped brushing. “Looks like this is serious.” She went to sit in front of Aisha.
There seemed to be deep concern in her eyes. Was she sincere? Was it feigned? Was she a mistress actress? Was Aisha wrong?
The young princess took a deep breath. “When I asked you to… be with me… Why did you accept?”
The maid frowned. “Why are you asking me that all of the sudden?”
Aisha realized she needed to cloud the issue. Or else, if Ezgi truly was the mole, she may suspect she was discovered.
“Did you feel… forced? Because of my status?”
Ezgi blinked. “So that’s what’s eating you up? …” She frowned. “It’s because of what Beatrix told you after the battle, isn’t it?”
As she was pressing the subject, Aisha realized her question wasn’t merely a way to hide the real issue. Deep down inside, she wanted to know the answer.
“She said nobody would follow me if I wasn’t the princess…” Aisha confessed.
Ezgi stared at her. There was a moment of silence.
“Of course not! I agreed to be with you because I wanted to. Because I love how real you are. You don’t hide your flaws, and they make you a better person. You’re naive, clumsy and, frankly, you’re really bad at court intrigues. But it also means you’re modest, well-intentioned, and honest. And, most importantly, you were giving me the choice.”
Aisha didn’t quite understand what she meant.
“I’ve been in several noble households before I became part of the palace’s staff.” Ezgi explained. “I’ve seen how nobles act with the servants they want to fuck.”
The vulgar word and angry tone took Aisha by surprise. Ezgi was usually so nice. When she glanced at the servant’s hands, she saw Ezgi had clenched her fists.
“Were you…” Aisha didn’t dare finish her question.
“No. I was too young – thank the One True God! But my mother…” Ezgi refused to elaborate. Her lips were twisted into a hate-filled grimace. However, Ezgi’s face softened when she looked again at her lover. “Most nobles don’t leave the choice. They DEMAND.” She moved her hand forward to caress Aisha’s cheek. “You… asked. And that’s the difference.”
“But-”
“Aisha… I allow you to bind me to the bed. That requires absolute trust. I don’t think you need any more proof.” Ezgi concluded.
Aisha forced herself to smile. “You’re right. I’m acting silly. Would you mind... fetching me some tea?”
“Of course!”
The plump servant kissed her cheek, and went to the door.
“Ezgi, wait!”
“What is it?”
Aisha bit her lower lip. “You’re not wearing your red ribbons today.”
“You noticed?” Ezgi patted her hair. “I can’t find them anymore. I know it’s crazy, but it’s as if somebody stole in my wardrobe…”
“Too bad. I liked them.”
Once Ezgi was out, Aisha stopped hiding the sadness in her eyes and smile. This conversation should have eased her worries. She had observed Ezgi’s reactions. Her lover had sounded sincere.
But there was still one doubt.
Right at the beginning, right before her tirade… Ezgi had hesitated.
Was it because she was sincere, but taken aback by the brusque question?
… Or was it because she needed time to compose herself and deliver a convincing performance?
**************
Aisha needed someone she could trust.
Thankfully, it was easy to have a private conversation with Zaïde without looking suspicious. Everybody knew the two cousins were close. In Zaïde’s bedroom, nobody could eavesdrop on them.
“You were insistent to meet me.” the busty woman remarked. “What is it?”
“Zaïde. I think Ezgi may be the mole.”
Her cousin remained silent the time to process the reveal. “Explain.”
Aisha told her everything.
Zaïde listened quietly, without interrupting her once.
“I don’t know what to do anymore… I need your help... do?” the princess finally confessed once she was over.
She refrained a few tears, and was grateful when Zaïde took her in her arms to hug her.
“For now, we change nothing.” her cousin explained softly. “We have to make sure Ezgi doesn’t suspect anything. We’ll stop discussing important matters in front of her, but that’s it. If she’s not the mole, I don’t want to hurt her. If she’s truly the mole… then we may be able to use the knowledge to our advantage. Feed her false information.”
“Do we tell the others?”
“We can’t tell much people. Yasmin must know. And Dominique too. They can help us find out if Ezgi’s sending messages in secret.”
“Zaïde… I don’t think I can… pretend when we’re…” Aisha became flustered. “… you know… in the bed…”
“Tell her you’ve been affected by the latest events. Tell her you need time for yourself. We set sail tomorrow. Yasmine, Dominique, and I will find excuses to keep you busy.”
Zaïde gently took Aisha’s cheeks and looked her in the eyes.
“Our next stop will be Beaufort and the Sun Castle. Louise is waiting for us here. We can’t afford any weakness.”
“This is my fault… All of this is my fault…”
Zaïde shook her head, and embraced her in a hug. “She would have found a way to harm you no matter what. From the start, you were her target – you, Yasmin, and Ahmed. At least we know who’s our enemy. I see this mission as an opportunity. It’s our chance to beat her at her own game. Crying on what could have been won’t help us. We must ready ourselves for the upcoming fight.”
Aisha nodded, and hugged her back. "You're right... No matter... no matter who the enemy is..."
Three Weeks Later.
*************
The trip to the city of Beaufort was thankfully uneventful. Though with the extra security to ensure Dominique's safety, no pirate would have been foolish enough to attack them on the way.
The delegation didn't waste time in the capital city of the United Lands. They were led straight to the Sun Castle.
This palace complex was at the same time the High King’s residence, his seat of power, and the biggest symbol of his vast wealth. It comprised three main buildings, plenty of smaller annexes, huge gardens, and a small forest covering half of the estate.
Dominique led Yasmin, Aisha, Zaïde, and their retinue in the Main Hall. The room was a masterpiece on its own right – white marble floor, pink marble stairs, exquisite glass sculptures, precious tapestries, and paintings on the wall.
However, Aisha barely paid attention to the marvels of art and architecture around her.
She only had eye for one woman.
The icy blonde walking to meet them.
Dominique made them pause.
“It’s her.” Yasmin whispered to her twin.
Aisha nodded discreetly. She was relieved to not face this ordeal alone. Yasmin, Zaïde, and Dominique were surrounding her. In her back, there was the rest of her escort – including Rasha.
The young princess took a small breath, and got ready to face her foe.
Louise of Dechaine was everything Aisha was not. Graceful. Regal-looking. Oozing with confidence, and with the absolute certitude she was above everyone else.
The eldest daughter of the High King, and heiress to the throne of the United Lands, was a blond woman in her late thirties, with icy blue eyes, a thin sharp-looking face, and a flawless white skin. Subtle make-up was highlighting the perfection of her complexion. Her hair were fashioned into an elegant neck bun with gem-encrusted gold pins. She was wearing a sparkling night blue dress, adorned with white lace and sapphires at the collar and wrists, designed to highlight her round bust, her slim figure, and her curvy waist.
Louise slowly approached their group, followed by a swarm of sycophants.
Aisha was still a student in court intrigues, but even she could see Louise was a mistress of such game. The woman’s composure was perfect. Had Aisha not been aware of the blonde’s true nature, she would have never suspected the latter wished her harm.
But Aisha was aware of Louise’s true nature. Therefore, she could discern the cold glimmer in the blonde’s eyes, and the hint of mockery in her smile. Louise was aware Aisha and Yasmin knew of her involvement with Esteban, and of her attempt to have Dominique kidnapped and frame them. But she wasn’t worried. On the contrary, she was ecstatic.
The game of deceit had begun.
Dominique stepped forward, and curtsied to her half-sibling. “Sister. I wasn’t expecting you’d be here to greet us.”
Louise returned the curtsy. “I wouldn’t have missed your return, Sister. After what nearly happened to you, I was anxious to see you again…” She glanced at the twin sisters. “… and to meet your guests.”
One step behind Louise, there was a tall woman who didn’t look like a courtesan. She was thin and athletic-looking, with big blue eyes and a white skin. Her light brown hair were cut short, save for a ponytail. She was wearing black long boots, a red-and-white soldier uniform, and a black three-cornered hat.
“Please excuse Gabrielle.” the blonde princess added. “My bodyguard has many talents, but pleasant conversation isn’t one of them.”
Aisha had a bad feeling about that one. Something in her demeanor reminded her of Beatrix. Same intense way of standing still. Same cold focused eyes. Gabrielle was a war veteran.
Louise was still talking. Aisha focused on what she was saying.
“I heard your journey was quite eventful. Hopefully, you’ll enjoy a restful stay in our castle.”
She was goading them, with her double meaning and her hypocrite smile.
Aisha took it upon herself to not lose her temper. She imagined herself punching the blonde in the face, and stripping her off her pretty dress.
“Our journey was quite eventful indeed. But nothing we couldn’t handle. One of our guards was enough to get rid of all the pirates.” Yasmin answered. “We don’t know who hired these amateurs, but clearly they can’t be much of a threat if they rely on such boorish tricks.”
Louise’s smile didn’t waver. “I can’t agree more. Still, I assure you and your group are safe here. You will only find friends inside these walls.”
“Oh, I’m quite sure this is the beginning of a fruitful friendship.” Yasmin too was pretty good at the ‘hypocrite smile’.
Their conversation was however interrupted by the sound of the huge doors upstairs being opened. A herald stepped into the room, and stopped on top of the stairs. His uniform was the most luxurious Aisha had ever seen.
All the aristocrats raised their heads.
Yasmin, Zaïde, and Dominique shared a quick glance. Whoever the man was, they considered him trouble.
Aisha opened her mouth to ask some clarifications.
Dominique interrupted her. “Follow my every lead.” she whispered.
She bowed forward, turned toward the herald, and stayed still. Everyone in the room, including Louise, did the same. Aisha did her best to imitate them.
The herald announced: “His Most Excellent Majesty, High King Léon-Alexandre XII, duke of Dechaine, king of Eklund, king of Francisque, king of Barak, Lochwayn, Lux-et-Nox, and Sand’or, grand duke of Hombourg, duke of Bret and Bourgonne, and prince of Tara.” Then he stepped aside, allowing the High King himself to climb down the stairs.
Louise’s and Dominique’s father was a man in his sixties – old enough to have white hair, but still in great shape. He was walking slowly, majestically.
When he reached the bottom of the stairs, the High King raised a hand. “At ease. I want this meeting to be informal.”
Everybody raised.
Louise smiled widely and greeted the High King with a cursty. “Thank you for coming, Father.”
At that moment, Aisha realized Louise had already put in motion an other plan.
Perhaps even several at the same time...
**************
“No, wait, please, I’ll keep quiet-”
PUNCH!
“Ugh!”
The stable keeper fell face up onto the ground, spread eagle. Out cold.
Eloise – her face hidden behind a mask – grabbed her legs, and dragged her motionless body out of sight, behind some hay stacks.
Mathilde was already there, busy removing the outfit of a second unconscious stable girl – brown leather boots, grey thick trousers, a matching long-sleeved tunic, and a leather apron with some tools to tend to horses. Her victim was a slim young woman with a white skin, green eyes, freckles and strawberry blond hair. The removed garments revealed plain beige thin undertrousers tied around the waist with a string, and a sleevless white undertunic.
Eloise dropped the girl she had knocked out – a tanned-skinned brunette with blue eyes, a long ponytail, and a tall body, and also began to remove the clothes off her motionless body. The poor girl was left wearing white open underdrawers and a matching brassiere.
Inside the stable, there were many coils of ropes. The two girls were swiftly hog-tied hands and feet. Thick rags were used as gags and blindfolds.
Mathilde and Eloise dragged the two half-naked bound-and-gagged girls under haystacks to conceal them. Then, they slipped into their outfits.
Next, Mathilde dropped a brooch near the haystacks in which the stable girls were hidden.
“What’s this?”
“A typical jewel of Ghazan.” Mathilde explained. “A ‘clue’ we have to plant.”
“Why can’t we simply poison the princess brats and be done with it? Instead of relying on these convoluted schemes...” Eloise complained.
“Because the goal is not to kill them. In fact, it would be counter-productive. If the princesses die while they’re under the High King’s protection, their father will demand compensations. He will rally his people with righteous anger. Our position will be weakened. Felipe and the Free City-States will take advantage of the situation. Ghazan may even form an alliance against us.”
“Spare me the geopolitics! Get to the point!”
“Louise wants to stage a diplomatic incident. She wants to make the princesses look like the aggressors. Then, it is the High King who will demand compensations. Ghazan’s king who will see his position weakened. And his daughters will become bargaining chips under Louise’s clutches.”
Mathilde noticed the left shoulder of one stable keeper was still visible, and casually pushed it under the hay with her own foot.
“… and the first step of the plan requires us to cause incidents. Incidents which Louise will then impute to the princesses and their escort after they make a misstep.”
Eloise clenched her fists. “The brat cost me my crew...”
Mathilde looked the pirate in the eyes. “Trust me, I understand your feeling. I too wish I could gut the brat’s cousin like a fish. But for people of their status, there are far worst fates than death…”
The argument made sense – at least to rich folks. Besides, Eloise knew she didn’t have a choice. Her life – and those of Jan and Jill – depended on Louise’s good will.
Mathilde grabbed a discarded set of clothes.
“Messengers often use this stable.” she concluded. “It’ll look like people mugged the stable girls and took their clothes to spy on them.”
**************
The High King patted his eldest daughter’s cheek. (Given the reactions of the other aristocrats, Aisha suspected it was meant to be a huge display of paternal affection.)
Léon-Alexandre then moved towards Yasmin, Aisha, and Dominique. On his way, he was greeted by several aristocrats, and took the time to acknowledge them.
Louise took advantage of being in her father’s blind spot to smile mockingly. She was taunting Yasmin and Aisha.
Everything became clear. The witch… She had a hand in this... They weren’t supposed to meet the High King so soon, so… unexpectedly. Dominique wanted their first meeting to be planned from beginning to end. One small misstep, and they would cause a diplomatic incident here and there.
Finally, Léon-Alexandre arrived in front of his foreign guests and his youngest daughter.
Dominique stepped forward to divert his attention, and give Yasmin and Aisha the time to recover from the surprise. She curtsied as gracefully as her half-sister. “Father. I am pleased to see you.”
“I heard you were in danger. I am relieved to see you are well.”
He put both of his hands on her shoulders, and squeezed them. The gesture was very subdued, cold by Ghazan’s standards. Yet, Dominique blushed a little – she looked as happy as if he had tearfully embraced her. Aisha even heard some courtesans conceal gasps. One whispered it had been years she hadn’t seen the High King getting so emotional.
She also noticed Louise was staring at her half-sister. The blond princess was still smiling, but her eyes betrayed her cold jealousy.
Léon-Alexandre then turned his attention to Aisha and Yasmin. “And here are our esteemed guests. Young ladies, I welcome you in the United Lands.” He didn’t salute. The High King only nodded his head to his equals – which they weren’t.
Yasmin and Aisha curtsied in unison. “It is an honor to be introduced to His Most Excellent Majesty.” they said together.
Léon-Alexandre chuckled. “Twins.”
Dominique had advised the two sisters to take advantage of their twinship, as it would help them look endearing. They were therefore wearing similarly-tailored gowns and jewels with a dual motive: Yasmin’s night-blue-and-silver outfit symbolized the moon; Aisha’s bright-red-and-gold outfit symbolized the sun.
“We thank His Most Excellent Majesty for the honor he gave us when he started the conversation.” the twins added.
It was indeed a mark of great honor. Usually, the courtesans spoke first, and the High King chose if he deigned answering them.
“I appreciate you took the time to study our etiquette. But you are esteemed guests and friends of my daughter. You may address me directly.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.” the twins said together with an other proper curtsy.
Léon-Alexandre nodded. “Meeting you is a pleasure. I must thank my eldest daughter. She insisted I came to greet you at your arrival. I’m quite sure my court will be delighted to accommodate you during your stay. However, your travel must have exhausted you. Therefore, I won’t take any more of your time. My herald will lead you to your rooms. I wish you a pleasant stay.”
This time, it was Aisha’s turn to smile condescendingly at Louise in the High King’s blind spot.
The blond princess fanned herself slowly. Her face didn’t betray any emotion. Aisha suspected she was a bit frustrated her trick hadn’t worked, but not much.
Clearly, she was up to something...
**************
Jan and Jill dragged the gardeners under some bushes and concealed them.
The two girls were unconscious – one had a black eye, the other a bump on the back of her head. The first was a green-eyed white-skinned redhead with braided hair. She was wearing faded pink knee-long underpants and a matching brassiere. The second one had black hair, a dark skin, two ponytails, and dark brown eyes. She was clad in green knickers. Plain white bandages were wrapped around her breasts.
Both were tightly restrained with ropes wrapped around their limbs and shoulders. Thick white rags were cleave-gagging and blindfolding them.
The two pirate sisters were wearing the gardeners’ outfits: wood clogs, dark green trousers, thick beige long-sleeved tunics, straw hats, and a brown leather apron tied around the waist and covering the lower half of the body to hold some tools.
“Make sure to leave footsteps on the ground.” Jill instructed her sister. “The windows above lead to the High King’s closed cabinet. Mathilde said it’ll make it look like somebody tried to spy on his council.”
**************
As a daughter of the High King, Dominique owned an entire wing of the Sun Castle. The guest rooms of Yasmin, Aisha, Zaïde and their retinue were here. It proved to be quite useful to plot in peace against Louise, as this was maybe the only part of the building complex which was out of the blonde’s reach.
“Your half-sister didn’t waste time.” Yasmin remarked.
Dominique nodded. “Thankfully, you masterfully evaded her maneuver."
“It’s crystal clear she won’t give us any respite.” Zaïde remarked. “We can't stay on the defensive forever. Do you have suggestions?”
“We’re fighting Louise on her own terms. It’ll be hard to take her by surprise, no matter what we try." Dominique warned. "But I think out best chance would be to outstrip her. You’ve just arrived, she may expect you to bide your time, until you're better acquainted with the balance of powers. That may take her off guard.”
“How do we outstrip her then?” Aisha asked.
“I have a plan.”
**************
The day after the sisters’ arrival, during a quiet uneventful afternoon, Dominique, Zaïde, Aisha, and Yasmin chose to put a first plan against Louise into motion.
Dominique summoned a specific servant as she, Yasmin, Zaïde, and Aisha were drinking tea in the wing of the Sun Palace which belonged to the young princess.
“You called of me, madame?”
The maid was a cute average-sized young woman with 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. She looked a bit like an airhead, but of the kind sort. She was wearing 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.
Dominique took a sip of her tea. “Yes, Lison. Could you be a dear and clean my exhibit room please? I’d wish to show them to my guest.”
“Yes, madame.”
Lison didn’t see the pointed looks Dominique shared with her guests.
**************
Dominique’s exhibit room was holding many works of art and various curiosities the young princess had bought over the years.
Lison got down to work. Whistling a merry little tune to herself, she started to dust a collection of precious potteries.
The young maid didn’t notice Rasha, who was hiding behind a cupboard. The thief aimed a small crossbow, designed to shoot little darts, at the servant.
Lison was hit in the left butt cheek. However, the maid barely noticed.
Twenty seconds later, she began to yawn.
Twenty more seconds later, her eyelids started to flicker.
Twenty more seconds later, she fell softly onto a carpet, and began to snore.
“Dominique didn’t lie… Her alchemists are real pros...”
The dart was coated with a powerful sleeping drug which would leave the unconscious maid with no memory of the last hour. She wouldn’t even remember she fell asleep.
It was Dominique’s idea to set up a trap for this specific servant. Among the staff, Lison was known for being a bit of a scatterbrain, and she had several times been found sleeping on the job.
Rasha knocked on the door to signal the others she was done. Then, she returned next to the slumbering Lison, and took off the girl’s shoes.
Aisha entered the room, and went to help her teammate strip the unconscious servant. The socks, apron, skirt, bonnet, tunic, and belt were all quickly removed.
Lison was left clad in frilly-looking light blue bloomers and a matching brassiere.
“Usually, the servant’s mistress doesn’t help me to mug her… Usually, she’s the next girl I truss up!” Rasha joked.
Aisha didn’t react.
Rasha glanced sideways at her. “You’ve not been yourself lately… Is it because of Ezgi?”
“How do you-”
“I have psychic powers.”
Aisha glared at her.
“Just kidding. It’s just you’re so easy to read sometimes…”
Rasha lifted the lightly snoring maid, and dragged her across the room to sit her on an armchair.
“So… Ezgi may be the mole?” the thief deduced.
Aisha bit her lower lip. “I’m not supposed to tell you. Zaïde and Yasmin think the less people are in the knowing, the better.”
Rasha winked. “You didn’t tell me. I made a deduction. So you kept your promise.”
“I’m not sure they’ll see it that way...”
“Don’t worry. My lips are sealed.”
Then Rasha suddenly grabbed two scarves, and bound each of Lison’s wrists onto one of the chair’s arms. She used a third scarf to tie up the girl’s ankles, and wrapped a fourth one around her mouth as a cloth gag she knotted behind the neck.
“It’s not necessary.” Aisha remarked. “I must return before she wakes up.”
Rasha winked again. “It feels more logical to leave her like that, doesn’t it?”
Aisha didn’t have the heart to laugh, but she forced herself to make a thin smile.
Then she took a breath to use her shape-shifting powers. Her skin, hair, and eyes changed to match Lison’s colors. She stripped of her formal dress with Rasha’s help, and slipped into Lison’s more comfortable and practical servant outfit.
**************
Once she was done, Aisha exited the room.
Dominique eyed her from head to toe. She looked admirative. “Stunning… Your shape-shifting powers are even more impressive than I imagined…”
Aisha felt a bit embarrassed. “You should see my mother. She can go even further.”
“Maybe we shouldn’t dwell on the topic.” Yasmin intervened. “We don’t have much time.”
She got up and checked on her sister’s shape shifting.
“I agreed to the plan because Dominique insisted.” she whispered to her twin. “But I’m still not convinced this is a good idea.” Her voice briefly wavered, and her fingers brushed against Aisha’s. “Just be careful.”
“I will.” Aisha resisted the urge to hug her – she knew it would have made Yasmin feel uncomfortable. Instead, she discreetly – and very briefly – squeezed her hand.
“Shall we recall the plan one last time?” Dominique proposed.
Aisha nodded. “Your spies have heard a useful bit of information yesterday. Louise is planning a discreet meeting with someone. Given the timing, you suspect this may be the mole in my delegation. You’ve studied her schedule today, and noticed she’s meeting her personal counselors in the Gold Salon this afternoon. You suspect they will discuss the details of the meeting at that moment. I’ll go there, pretending to be cleaning this wing of the palace, and try to listen to what they say. Hopefully, this will give us the day and hour of Louise’s secret meeting. We could then discover who she’s meeting.”
And I hope it won’t be Ezgi... she added to herself.
Dominique nodded, and Zaïde gave her a huge proud grin.
Yasmin checked a water clock. “It’s best you’re already in position before they arrive. You have fifteen minutes. Good luck.”
**************
The six women were chatting idly in the backyard of the small cottage house, unaware of the threat looming over their heads.
Blandine, Inej, Josyne, Esperança, and Lianor observed their preys under the cover of some bushes.
“This is the High King’s favorite cottage.” Josyne commented.
“It’d be logical for spies to assume there are useful information.” Lianor added.
“The six girls won’t be a problem. They’re not fighters.” Esperança remarked.
“First, we deal with them. Then, we make it look like a group searched the cottage and plant the fake clues.” Inej summed up.
“Madame Louise wants things to be done efficiently.” Blandine concluded.
For all intent and purpose, the six women of the cottage were tenants. They weren’t exactly maids, but they weren’t exactly peasants either. Their task was to maintain the building, its garden, and its orchard. Whenever the High King would retire to his cottage, they were also tasked with act like his and his small retinue’s maids.
They were wearing similar-looking outfits, but those weren’t the usual servant uniform: They were clad in blue long skirts tied around the waist, white chemises with long sleeves, breast pockets, and a golden yellow crest, a blue apron covering the lower-half of the body, a golden yellow maid cloth bonnet, and black shoes. The outfits were at the same time luxurious and comfortable.
Louise’s agents took action when their targets split up. They put on hoods and masks to conceal their identities. The five agents were quick and efficient - perfect little soldiers.
Two tenants went to retrieve the laundry out to dry – they were green-eyed light-skinned ponytailed redheads, most likely sisters. They were the first to be dealt with.
They barely let out a peep as they were grabbed from behind, and soon two unconscious bodies were dragged out of sight and concealed in the cottage’s shed. Lianor stayed with the girls. She made sure they wouldn’t wake up too soon with a rag soaked with a sleeping potion, and began to divest the two maidens of their clothes.
As the four other agents of Louise were exiting the shed, they came across a strawberry-blond-haired tenant with blue dove-like eyes, a light skin, and a long braid. She most likely intended to fetch some wood in the shed.
The startled girl was immediately grabbed, threatened into silence with a knife, and led inside the shed. She was forced to breath the narcotic potion, and joined her two friends on the ground.
With her out of the way, Blandine, Inej, Josyne and Esperança split up into two groups.
Blandine and Inej went to the cottage’s garden. They found an auburn-haired hazel-eyed tenant whose hair was tied into a low bun. She was busy tending to the plants. One hit to the back of the head knocked her out, and Inej threw her limp body across her shoulder to carry her to the shed.
In the orchard, Blandine found a tenant with neck-long dark brown hair, ringlets, blue-green eyes, and a tanned skin. She too was dispatched with one hit to the back of the neck, and carried to the shed.
The last two tenants were in the cottage’s kitchen. One was a dark-skinned brunette with a ponytail and black eyes, the other was a blue-eyed light-skinned blonde with a neck bun.
Josyne and Esperança dealt with them.
The girls were completely startled when two intruders wearing masks and hoods burst into the room, threatening them with knives. The tenants surrendered immediately, and were escorted inside the shed. Then, they were swiftly put to sleep.
Inside the shed, six women were stripped down to their undergarments.
**************
Fifteen minutes later, Aisha was cleaning the corridor next to the Golden Salon.
When she heard a group of people get closer, she kept her head low, careful to not make eye contact.
Louise and her counselors barely paid any attention to the lone maid cleaning the corridor. They didn’t even glance at her – to them, she was part of the furniture.
Aisha discreetly observed them from under her bonnet.
When they closed the door, she waited a few seconds, then swiftly went to listen through the frame. She was able to discern some highlights.
"... important... no word..."
"... secret..."
“… meeting… want nothing to disturb it...”
“… tomorrow… the Poincaré Pavilion… for the mid-afternoon light meal…”
"... good... not telling..."
Aisha beamed.
The plan had worked!
**************
Blandine looped the long coil of rope several times around the waists of the six women seated around the wooden pillar in the middle of the cottage’s shed. She then tightened the rope to secure the prisoners to the pillar, and to prevent them from moving away. Each half-naked girl was also gagged and blindfolded with rags from the cottage’s kitchen. Each woman’s wrists was cross-tied behind her back, and her ankles were bound together.
The two red-haired sisters were wearing similar undergarments – white bloomers and corsets, both adorned with pink ribbons. The tenant with strawberry blond hair was clad in blue bloomers with white frills and a matching corset. The auburn-haired tenant was wearing a green brassiere with lace and white frilly bloomers. The one with dark brown hair was clad in a red sleeveless top and matching knickers. The blonde was wearing sunflower yellow bloomers with white lace and a matching corset with red ribbons and white lace. The dark-skinned brunette was clad in red bloomers with white ribbons and lace, and a purple corset with black ribbons.
Blandine, Inej, Josyne, Esperança, and Lianor were wearing the unfortunate maidens' clothes – and intended to get rid of the spare sixth one.
They locked the door of the shed to conceal the mugged lasses, entered the cottage, and started to search the building.
Louise wanted them to plant fake clues. The difficulty was to make it look like they were spies who wanted to make it look like they were bandits. They had to be subtle, and not leave evidences which were too obvious – hence the High King would suspect his guests were being framed.
However, as always, the team was quiet and efficient. The perfect little soldiers. Once they were satisfied with their work, they left the cottage.
They didn’t pay attention to the muffled moans for help coming from the shed.
**************
Aisha quickly returned to Dominique, Zaïde, and Yasmin.
The three women looked relieved to see her – especially her twin.
“So?” Dominique asked eagerly.
Aisha grinned. “Everything went as planned! I-”
“We’ll debrief everything later. Lison is about to wake up.” Yasmin interrupted.
Aisha rushed inside the exhibitions room. Rasha was still waiting inside.
“I trust it went well?”
“Even better.”
Rasha smiled craftily. “Perfect..."
"Release her, I’ll take off my clothes. Then you’ll help me re-dress her up…”
**************
Lison yawned, and opened her eyes.
The first thing she saw was Dominique’s face.
The young servant literally jumped out of the armchair. “M- Madame! What’s going on?”
“You fell asleep while cleaning the room.” Dominique commented.
Lison looked mortified. “I- I- My deepest apologies, Madame. I- I don’t know-”
“It’s okay, I won’t hold it against you. I understand you have long shifts. I’ll tell the steward you were with me the whole time. He won’t punish you.”
Relieved, Lison bowed deeply. “Thank you madame! Thank you! I promise it won’t happen again!”
“You are dismissed.”
The young maid hurried out of the room.
Dominique commented to herself: “Though it may happen again if we need to spy of Louise some more…”
She returned to Aisha, Zaïde, and Yasmin. Seeing them sitting quietly with their tea cups and biscuits, one would be hard pressed to guess they were plotting the downfall of the first heiress of the United Lands. Yet, they were doing just that.
“We have a day, an hour, and a place. I couldn’t have hoped for a better outcome.” Dominique summed up. “We’ll just have to send someone to spy on Louise.”
“Aisha and I will do it.” Zaïde decided.
Yasmin frowned. “I’m not quite sure I agree with that recklessness.”
“I don’t trust anyone else. Ezgi – or whoever the mole is – could learn the information if we tell anyone.” Zaïde explained.
“I can’t easily send some of my own people.” Dominique added. “In this castle, everybody is spying everybody. Merely changing the schedule of some of my people could tip Louise off. Only foreigners are relatively free to move undetected, provided they aren't seen...”
“What about Beatrix?” Yasmin proposed.
Zaïde and Aisha exchanged a glance. “Beatrix has been… difficult to work with ever since the incident at the docks.”
“… the massacre...” Aisha muttered to herself.
“So we’ll do it ourselves.”
Ultimately, Yasmin was forced to accept their decision.
**************
The Poincaré Pavilion was a circular open pavilion made of gold-plated marble pillars, and a night blue dome, located at the edge of the woods west of the Sun Castle.
Aisha and Zaïde weren’t wearing formal gowns – they were clad in practical trousers and tunics, colored in brownish green to help them conceal themselves in the forest. Hidden behind some bushes, they saw a small group of lackeys bring some chairs and a table for the mid-afternoon light meal.
“There she is…” Zaïde whispered.
Louise sat on a chair, and began to freshen herself with her fan. Two guards were watching her. One maid was tending to her needs. The other lackeys left after they finished setting up the chairs and table.
The blond princess was waiting for someone.
Aisha was feeling apprehensive. Dominique thought Louise was planning a meeting with Esteban’s mole. Would it be Ezgi? A part of her wanted to know the answer. An other part dreaded she might hate what she’d discover.
Minutes passed.
A group of people approached.
Aisha frowned.
A grey-haired woman was leading the small group. She was wearing expensive clothes, but not the fancy gowns of aristocrats. Behind her, there was a musketeer. And in-between…
It wasn’t Ezgi. In fact, it wasn’t anyone from Aisha’s delegation.
In-between, there were three children – two girls and one small boy. The eldest seemed to be around 10, the young boy no older than 4. All were wearing miniature versions of aristocratic outfits. All were blond. For some reason, they looked familiar.
When the three children stopped a few steps in front of Louise, something clicked in Aisha’s mind.
The children looked like Louise!
The young boy attempted to run in his mother’s arms. His sisters grabbed him. “Wait… The protocol…” one whispered, though too loud – she wasn’t used to court intrigues yet.
The three children did a perfect curtsy together. “We are honored to meet you, Mother.”
Louise nodded appreciatively. “I am blessed to meet you, Children.”
Her children were given the permission to get closer. The boy immediately climbed on her lap.
The blond princess looked at her daughters, who sat on chairs. “Now, tell me how your lessons went these past three days.”
It was a private meeting indeed, but absolutely not a secret one.
Aisha couldn’t believe her eyes. Louise had children!
Though in hindsight, she should have expected it. The woman was in her thirties and was first heiress to the throne. Of course she’d have children to ensure the continuity of the dynasty.
“There’s something odd…” Zaïde whispered.
She was looking at the guards watching over Louise.
Two men they didn’t know.
Aisha nodded. “Gabrielle. Louise’s bodyguard. She’s not with her.”
Zaïde’s eyes suddenly widened. She cursed under her breath. “That witch. She’s been playing us.” She grabbed her cousin’s arm. “Quick, Aisha. We must leave.”
“Why?”
The busty woman walked away under the cover of the trees, dragging her cousin behind her. “Louise willingly leaked information about her private meeting today. She was hoping we’d try to spy on her. It’s a trap!”
They ran in-between the trees.
They began to hear voices and rustles in the woods. Pursuers.
Many pursuers.
The two cousins knew the general layout of the woods thanks to Dominique, but chose to avoid the main paths. They knew Louise’s soldiers would search those first.
When a group of voices got closer, Zaïde led Aisha in the middle of thick bushes.
“Hide here.”
They crouched down in-between the leaves, concealing themselves just in time.
From their hideout, they saw Gabrielle walk the path with a group of soldiers.
“Nobody was hiding near Princess Louise.” one guard commented.
Gabrielle pondered for a quick moment. “They must have figured out it was a trap sooner than anticipated…” she deduced.
“What do we do?”
“They can’t be far! Follow me!” Gabrielle instructed.
The two cousins watched them run along the trail.
“We can’t stay here forever. This hideout is good, but they’ll find it eventually. We’ll steal soldier uniforms.” Zaïde decided.
Aisha grabbed a thick branch, and nodded.
The two cousins began to wait. The preys intended to become predators.
Internally, Aisha hoped they wouldn’t come across Gabrielle. She knew deep down she didn’t stand a chance in a fight against Louise’s personal bodyguard – not even if it was two on one.
Luckily, today the One True Godchose to answer her prayers. When a bunch of voices got closer, she didn’t hear Gabrielle among them.
A duo of soldiers approached their position. They were carefully searching the area.
One had short black hair, save for a small ponytail. Her skin was tanned and her eyes were dark brown. The second guard had neck-long auburn hair, honey brown eyes, and a white skin. Her haircut was a square cut. Both were slim and athletic-looking.
The soldiers’ uniform consisted of black boots with a metal buckle, red uniform trousers, a brown leather belt, a white uniform button-up shirt, a red soldier jacket with golden yellow buttons, and a black three-cornered hat. A rapier was strapped onto the belt.
For now, the pair had their backs turned on Zaïde’s and Aisha’s hideout, but it was only a matter of time before they discovered them.
“Hurry up! This place hasn’t been combed yet.” the black-haired soldier instructed her partner.
“Maybe we shouldn’t stray afar so much from the others?”
“You kidding? Princess Louise promised a hefty reward! Splitting the money in two will give us a lot more than if we have to split it in twenty!”
Good old greed. Sometimes, it was all the luck a duo of heroines needed...
The two cousins shared a glance, and discreetly approached the two guards from behind.
The black-haired soldier was inspecting a hole. “They are close… I can almost smell them… The money is as good as ours...”
Aisha whacked her on the back of the head with her branch. The woman grunted and fell face first onto the ground.
Zaïde grabbed the other soldier from behind, and wrapped her arms around her throat and neck. She squeezed and, at the same time, pulled behind to unbalance her. The guard gurgled and flailed her arms, but her struggles were short-lived. Soon, she passed out due to the lack of air.
The two unconscious women were dragged out of sight, the black-haired one by the undershoulders and the auburn-haired one by the ankles, in the hideout Zaïde and Aisha had been using. They also picked up the soldiers’ discarded rapiers.
Aisha and Zaïde rolled each woman onto her back, and wasted no time stripping the pair off their boots, belts, and uniforms.
The black-haired soldier was left wearing white socks, white undershorts and a grey sleeveless top. Her auburn-haired partner was left clad in grey socks, a faded red brassiere and matching knickers.
When the black-haired woman started to wake up, Zaïde put her back to sleep with an other sleeper-hold.
Zaïde cut six strips out of her and Aisha’s greenish-brown tunics. She tightly hog-tied each soldier with the sturdy makeshift ropes: one was wrapped around the ankles, one around the wrists, and one to bind the ankles and the wrists together. The women were cleave-gagged with a final strip of cloth each. The bondage was improvised, but would keep the pair out of commission long enough for the cousins to escape the area.
Zaïde and Aisha slipped into the warm uniforms and boots of the soldiers.
Just as they finished getting dressed in their new outfits, the auburn-haired soldier began to stir this time. With a sigh of exasperation, Zaïde sent her back to slumber land with an other sleeper-hold.
They left the two half-naked trussed soldiers concealed in the middle of the bushes.
**************
The voices of their pursuers resonated in the woods. Gabrielle was exhorting them with promises of rewards and threats of Louise’s wrath.
However, the few soldiers who saw Aisha and Zaïde from afar didn’t pay them much attention. The hats were wide enough to conceal their faces.
As they were reaching the edge of the woods, the two cousins heard Gabrielle’s scream of rage.
She had just found the two soldiers divested of their uniforms…
Zaïde and Aisha gave up all pretense, and began to run.
They only stopped when they reached the wing of the palace that belonged to Dominique.
Their first strike was a failure, but at least they forced Louise to concede a draw.
It wasn’t much of a solace...
**************
That evening, the High King insisted to share one meal with Yasmin, Aisha, Zaïde, and his two daughters. The dinner was informal – there were only thirty other guests.
“I heard bandits were spotted in the woods near the Poincaré Pavilion.” Louise suddenly commented. “The ruffians even had the audacity to mug two of my guards. Thankfully, they didn’t dare to attempt something against me – or my poor children.” (Aisha noticed her subtle insistence on ‘poor children’.)
“Actually, my captain thinks they were spies.” the High King rectified. “There were several attacks the past few days. It can’t be a coincidence. These criminals even raided my personal cottage! They tried to pass themselves as brigands, but my guards found clues they weren’t.”
Louise perfectly faked surprise and disapproval. “The nerve! They must be found and punished at once!”
“I wonder who’d be foolish enough to challenge the High King in his own domain.” Yasmin intervened.
Aisha pretended to focus on her plate. Her sister hadn’t been pleased by the outcome of Dominique’s plan – especially the danger Aisha had been in.
Louise glanced at Yasmin and Aisha. “A shame these attacks began just after you arrived. Hopefully, it won’t give you a bad image of our land...”
Aisha’s mind was racing. She and her team were only responsible of the muggings of the two soldiers – and of Lison, but nobody knew about that one. These other attacks weren’t theirs. She suspected the blond princess was responsible.
But why would she orchestrate muggings at random while copying their modus operandi? Was she hoping to frame them?
Things became clear. That was the reason behind Louise’s trap today… She had wanted to catch them on the act, and then pin all the incidents on them!
Which meant from the start she had been expecting they’d try to strike her quickly. She was even hoping it...
The High King was talking. Aisha forced herself to focus on his words. “These spies are bold, I’ll give them that. But I’m sure my guards will deal with their threat soon enough. In the meantime, I’ll tighten security.” He looked at both his daughters. “But let’s speak of other topics. I don’t want to spoil your mood. We don’t have many occasions to share a quiet meal together.”
“Oh Father. With my family at my side, nothing could spoil my mood!” Louise answered.
Aisha kept looking at her food. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to restrain herself if she saw Louise’s hypocrite smile any longer.
Apparently, Dominique shared her feeling. She gracefully took a bite of meat, then commented: “A shame Blanche and Marguerite aren’t here with us.”
There was one second of complete silence. Most guests discreetly shared uneasy glances. One even dropped his fork. Louise’s smile faltered slightly.
Everybody knew how the blond princess had destroyed the lives of her first two half-sisters. The story was still whispered as a cautionary tale among aristocrats.
The High King didn’t betray any emotion, but he immediately changed the subject and didn’t talk of family for the remainder of the dinner.
**************
Keeping a straight face during the entire evening had been hard, but Aisha was content she had succeeded. She hadn’t betrayed herself, or Zaïde.
When she finally returned to her bedroom, the princess felt relieved. She let herself fall onto her bed.
Then Aisha realized she wasn’t alone.
Ezgi was here. She was waiting for her.
Her face was grim.
Aisha’s heart missed a beat.
“Ez- Ezgi? You startled me!”
The young princess was painfully aware she was alone and vulnerable.
Ezgi looked her in the eyes.
“Why are you avoiding me?”
The question took Aisha by surprise. “Wh- What?”
“I’m not stupid. I see you’re always finding excuses to be away from me. It’s been weeks now.”
Reflexively, Aisha used once again the story she had come up with Zaïde. “It’s just- Things are becoming so hard… I need time. Time to-”
“You already told me that many times.” Ezgi interrupted. “Ever since we left the Gabrielle Islands. I don’t understand. Danger didn’t bother you when we were spying on Esteban.”
“It’s complicated.”
There was a moment of silence.
Finally, Ezgi shook her head. “Yeah. Things always end up complicated at some point… with aristocrats.”
She grimaced. Aisha couldn’t tell if it was because she felt hurt… or because she was a good comedian.
Ezgi got up, and went to the door. “If it’s because you’re afraid of what the High King’s court will think, I understand. But I’d have preferred you told me directly.” She grabbed the knob. “You’re right. We need some time away.”
She left and closed the door behind her without waiting for an answer.
Aisha remained alone.
I wasn't quite sure already if Lison would return or not, but now... Let's just say she's bound to make a return at some point. 