“Did no one seriously saw anything?”
Liora questioned anxiously one of the guards accompanying her back to the palace. The woman was visibly anxious as well, as she shook her head.
“No one lady Liora, you and her majesty were last to see her highness.”
Liora clicked her tongue. How could nobody see anything just how can you kidnap a princess without anybody seeing you? Liora had to wonder whether the kidnapers were really good or was royal guard and black guards just so incompetent.
“Did they issued any demands?”
“No, there aren’t any as of yet.”
They didn’t? A cold sweat run down Liora’s face, a bad premonition going through her head. Were they assassins? But Liora quickly discarded this idea the kidnappers were going to send demands eventually, right? Liora comforted herself with the thought slightly, before realizing something.
“And her majesty? How is she doing?”
Her majesty would be obviously the most affected by princess’s disappearance. The guard looked slightly uncomfortably as she seemed to be thinking about what to say, before finally opening her mouth.
“Well… she kinda shut in.”
“She shut in?”
The guard nodded as she led Liora to the princess’s room. When they arrived Liora saw in the dim lited room queen sitting on the floor next to the empty crip holding one of princess’s toys in her hands. Her eyes looked lifeless as she continued to stare at the empty crip.
“Your majesty…”
“Liora, you will find her, right?”
When the queen heard Liora’s voice she turned around to face her. Now it was apparent that her majesty was crying. Despite that her eyes were filled with hope now that Liora returned back.
“Of course, your majesty we will bring her back.”
Liora smiled reassuringly at the queen who nodded back. Liora wasn’t really sure what she was supposed to do but regardless she went and began her investigation immediately.
“Is her majesty here? I have something to report.”
“Tell it to me I am in charge of investigation by her majesty’s wish.”
The guard that now arrived looked unsure of what to do as she looked at the sergeant standing by the door. she only nodded in response and so the guard delivered her message.
“We discovered a body of one of the black guards.”
Liora was shocked, how could somebody manage to kill one of the elite black guards without getting noticed. Liora went under led of the guard down the hall until they arrived to small room that served as a cleaning closet outside of which few guards stood as well as a shocked maid.
“She is the one that made the discovery.”
The guard motioned to a maid who despite her shook bowed to Liora. She nodded to her as an acknowledgement and urged her to speak with a light gesture of a hand.
“You see… I came here to get supplies to clean this hall as I was instructed and when I came here… she was inside.”
The maid didn’t seem to saw anything at all of what happened, only the aftermath. Liora got closer to the closet, inside among the cleaning supplies lied a body of woman dressed in black cloak with a mask hiding her face.
Just quick inspection of the black cloak reveled golden pin with a royal crest on it. She was definitely part of the elite guards. However, something else was bothering Liora when she inspected the body.
“She has no injuries then how did they…”
The woman didn’t have any injuries yet she was clearly dead. Liora didn’t know what to made of this, as she turned the woman on her back so she could continue inspecting, the mask fell from her face revealing expression that was mix of pain and shock. What could cause her to die with expression like this?
The answer presented itself in form of a small dart stuck near her chest. Liora took the dart with a piece of cloth and inspected it. It was a short dart made of metal its tip seemed to by coated with a potent poison. Base on woman’s expression this was a surprise attack but who would be able to ambush black guard like this?
The black guards were masters when it came to stealth and were greatly using it while guarding members of royal family. No one ever know where exactly they were. To be able to ambush one like this, whoever is behind the kidnapping has to be an extraordinary foe.
“So, this is where she was.”
When Liora turned around a woman dressed in a same outfit and mask as the death guard stood there. Living up to you reputation I see.
“I take it you were looking for her, then in that case who was she, ZERO.”
“She was THIRTY, I had personally assigned her as personal protector of her highness base on her ehem achievements. But she didn’t give her periodic report so I went and looked for her.”
Liora looked back at the corpse, seems she was an extraordinary even by black guard standards. Especially to be acknowledged by a famous ZERO, a commander of the black guard a woman known for her strictness. Liora gave a silent prayer for the deceased THIRTY’s soul.
“Then, how long ago did she disappeared.”
“Hmm, like an hour ago?”
An hour ago, then the kidnappers may still be in the city. Liora realized that it was unlikely but she still chouse to be hopeful.
“Thank you for the information, I shall now use it to looked her highness.”
Liora gave a polite bow to ZERO, as befitting a noble lady in service of the queen.
“I will as well, we talking about an heir to the throne after all. So, if there is any assistance I may give then ask.”
ZERO gave her offer to Liora, despite the mask on ZERO’s face Liora was sure that she could see anxiety on her face, understandably so. Liora intended to decline the offer but quickly thought of something.
“In that case lady ZERO can you provide me a dog?”
“A dog?”
ZERO was visibly taken aback by Liora’s request, after all she expected to be asked to provide some of her subordinates for the investigation. Why would Liora even request such… oh. ZERO realized what Liora wanted and nodded her head.
“Sure, I will lend her to you.”
…
I was hoping that ZERO would bring her sooner than after an hour, I hope they didn’t get to far yet. Liora sighed as she got ready to re-enter the princess’s room with the “dog” she borrowed from ZERO. Upon opening the door, she was welcomed by the sight of the queen Loriam still sitting on the floor hugging a teddy bear that seemed to be princess’s second favorite toy.
“Your majesty.”
“Liora did you find her?”
The queen looked at Liora hopefully, but Liora only shook her head.
“Unfortunately, not your majesty, not yet at least.”
The queen lowered her head down again in disappointment, her hair covering her face. Liora took deep breath and addressed the queen again.
“Actually, your majesty. I would like to request some of her highness’s things.”
“Her things?”
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“Yes, your majesty, we need to borrow some of her highness things so this dog can search for her.”
Liora placed her hand on the “dog’s” head for emphasis before something landed on her face. When she inspected what had covered her face, it turned out to be a blanked that belonged to the princess. Liora was slightly confused as she stared at the blanked in her hands, then she realized that she has requested it.
“You will find her, right? You will find my daughter and bring her home, right?”
The queen was now presenting several articles of clothing as well as plushies to the dog-eared girl that Liora borrowed from ZERO. The girl was shocked that the queen was talking with her, no more accurately she was begging her.
“I will give you anything you want. Just please find my daughter.”
Queen’s eyes were teary and her voice was shaky she was visibly desperate as she begged girl in front of her.
“We will find her your majesty.”
Liora reassured the queen while handing the blanked over to the girl. The queen wiped her tears away and looked at Liora.
“…You will, right?”
“Yes, she has best nose in Losemia. With her we will be able to find her highness for sure.”
Liora wasn’t just saying it for the sake of reassuring her majesty. This girl that she borrowed from ZERO was exceptionally good at picking up scent, with her Liora was guaranteed to rescue the princess and bring the kidnapers to face wrath of the queen as well as the rest of the blood clan.
“…I think I have her smell.”
The queen looked at the girl, her face was filed with hope while the girl only got nervous.
“Then don’t just stand there and lead the way!”
“I will grand whatever wish you may have, so please find her.”
Liora urged the girl to get moving while the queen was promising her reward. The girl was intrigued by the promise and followed the scent as she was instructed with Liora closely behind her.
…
“Are you sure this is the right way?”
Liora was led by the dog-eared girl further through the hallway past the closet where they have discovered body of the black guard woman. But after some time, the girl just stopped in the middle of the hallway and was sniffing the air around her. As far as Liora was concerned there was nothing except an old bookshelf and seemingly older statue of a knight. She kept sniffing around for some time before she seemed to find the right scent again and started sniffing around the old bookshelf.
“Is your nose working properly? There is nothing but old books. You supposed to sniff out her highness not books.”
Liora was starting to get angry at the girl, there was clearly nothing wrong with the bookshelf and behind it was just solid wall. Despite that the girl continued to sniff around it.
“…the smell… leads behind this.”
The girl said as she looked at Liora’s annoyed face. Liora approached the bookshelf and moved it from the wall slightly, then she showed the normal stone wall behind the bookshelf to the girl.
“So how exactly does her highness scent leads behind this fucking wall!?”
Liora didn’t bothered to hide her annoyance as she yelled at the girl who ignored Liora’s outburst and only glanced at the wall before tilting her head in confusion.
“A secret passage?”
“Oh, yea why didn’t I think of that…Of course I thought of that there is exactly 0 secret doors on this palace.”
Liora began to remove every single book from the bookshelf to make sure that this girl gets it. The queen lamented all the time that there were no secret rooms in the palace to discover, this girl was useless after…
Click
“Huh?!”
Liora’s aggressive removing of books was interrupted by an clicking sound bit it didn’t come from the bookshelf but from the old statue. Before Liora could ask the wall opened without a sound and reveled an empty room behind it.
“Hey…. What did you do?”
Liora asked the girl that was crouching at next to the statue. She only pointed at the pedestal of the statue and answered.
“The sword of the knight…tilted to the side…when straightened… a small button revealed.”
And you pressed it. Liora looked at the girl before returning her attention to the room that not even the queen knows about. the room was dark so Liora took candle of the wall and lighted it. The light wasn’t nearly strong enough but it was better than nothing.
Everything inside the room was covered in thick layer of dust and spider webs. but thanks to that it was apparent that somebody was here recently thanks to the footprints on the ground. Shelf that was in the corner of the room only had few empty glass bottles that seemed like they could be used for alchemy. The table that was nearby was just like rest of the room covered in dust and mold, as well as old alchemy equipment and writing utensils.
Only other things in the room were ancient looking moldy flag with the royal crest hanging on one of the walls. Though unlike the one Liora was used to seeing this one had a crown about the sword. The other one was ancient moldy painting of a silver haired lady who seemed to be somebody from the royal family and a tall man with slightly darker skin color, with horns on his head.
However, what was strange on the painting was repeated stab holes at hearts and faces of the couple as well as a knife stabbed in to the painting. Upon closer inspection there were little letters on the painting that spelled ‘mother I hate you’ in ancient language of the blood clan over and over. What does this mean?
“This way.”
The girl unceremoniously removed the flag from the wall and revealed staircase behind it. Liora went behind her as the passed seemingly endless dark corridor. After what seemed like eternity they arrived at the end of the tunnel where they only needed to open a trap door.
“Here goes nothing.”
Liora opened the door and was relieved that they finally got out of the tunnel. But was surprised that they were so far from the city, by Liora’s guess they were at least 300 meters outside of the city. The girl didn’t seem interested and began to sniff the air again, before running ahead. Liora didn’t wasted any time and run after her.
“…and mighty are the silenens and their likes.
In their hearts are nowhere our soil nor grain.”
Liora was surprised by an singing woman she heard from ahead but the voice sounded extremely weak as if its owner was trying to sing from the last bits of energy left in her body.
“…Ah, the elite prosper but the nation dies
The masses dancing blindly in their worlds
In this nightmare of politics and shame
The throne merely price in children’s game…”
The singing ended as Liora under the guidance of the girl got closer. As Liora wondered who was singing the song and what was it’s meaning she got her answer. Close to the make shift camp fire, in poodle of her own blood laid young looking woman dressed in maid outfit.
Liora got closer to inspect the woman, she seemed to die just as the strange singing stopped. Shame, she could have known something. Liora clicked her tongue as she tried to figure out who this woman was. She was clearly part of the blood clan based on her ears and fangs, but even though she was wearing maid uniform and had a medallion with royal crest proving that she was royal maid Liora didn’t recognize her at all.
Liora prided herself on her good memory, especially for faces. If this woman was actually royal maid than she would be at least remember seeing her before. Which means… she is one of the kidnappers.
Liora was unhappy that the only kidnapper she could find is already death and her highness is nowhere near. As Liora thought that there were no clues and wanted to ask the girl where is the princess, a piece of burned paper catched her attention. she carefully pickets it up and read its content: …to Itten. Ave imperatrix.
Maybe I should inform her majesty about this.