Preparations

Opening his eyes and waking from a deep and refreshing evening nap, Derman gazed at the extensively decorated ceiling, intricately woven from impossibly tiny calligraphic lines, the ceiling was in the shape of a giant ten-pointed star.

Just thinking that some poor soul spent years making such art for it to just stay decorating a person's apartments was in Derman's mind a huge waste. 'How could someone have this much precision? and who was he?'

It belonged in a museum, where people can show it the appreciation it deserves, or at least it should be in the kings own chambers. Let his father have more headaches from looking at it while in bed than he already has from his sickness.

But alas, it was stuck with him now, and neither could he avoid looking up at it, nor could she avoid looking down at him, though he would not mind if they changed places.

At least then, he could have ignored the woman standing incredibly still in front of his apartment's door like a freaking pole, looking at him with eyes that seemed to be saying, 'if you don't get out of that bed, young man, I will clean your back with a strap until it becomes more tender than your stomach!' Aah, the good old days.

That was the threat that she always used since he was a little boy running around the palace making a mess of everything that he could put his hands on. And not escaping even after the servants find him, just to see if anyone of them would actually try to punish him or give him a talking-to, none of them did, except this one.

And THAT he learned the hard way, and he damn well treasures her for it.

Everyone deserves a spanking now and then, especially Derman.

"Good morning Sura, how goes your day?"

Pursing her lips, she answered, "It would be better for me and for your highness as well if you stopped insisting on these lazy evenings, you do remember that you are supposed to be dining with the king and the second prince in less than an hour don't you?"

"It is called an evening nap, and I told you, Sura, if you would try it sometime I am sure you would find it beneficial, especially for a woman your age" He smiled innocently, ignoring her question, preparing himself for the tongue lashing that would usually come.

But it never came, "Your highness, please, you must present yourself well, this dinner is more than just a simple dinner, and you know how the king became ever since his sickness started"

Grimacing, he stood and took his coat from besides the bed, "I know, I know. But there nothing any of us can do now, whomever he chooses for the throne, we will respect his wish, you understand that don't you?"

She frowned, "Surely you understand what would happen if he does not choose you!"

"My dear brother will help me decorate my neck by a very fashionable rope?" He smiled, "I understand"

With a serious tone, he added, "However, I need you to promise me. Whatever happens he is still my brother, and even though he is a bastard, I will not be the one to shed blood over the throne while the king still lives, whatever condition he is in.

"I need your word on it, Sura, you are still a lady with a powerful family behind you, but if you involve yourself in this you will get hurt, and I don't want you hurt"

With no prior warning, she suddenly jumped on him and enveloped him in a deep and crushing hug that almost squeezed the breath from his lungs, she was surprisingly powerful.

This woman was by his side ever since his mother died when he was a toddler, cared for him his whole life as if he was her own, and protected him from so many plots, mostly concocted by his own brother, while not telling him about any of them.

Another in her position would have tried to manipulate him for her and her family's advantage, but if not for his own sources, he would have never even known about those plots, and heavens know just how much he still does not know.

So he was not surprised to find himself hugging her back, abandoning all pretense.

Putting his hands on her shoulders, he gently pushed her back, surprised from feeling as if he held a small dove in his hands, that she would break if he pushed too hard, he looked at her deeply in the eyes and saw how much she genuinely cared about him and his wellbeing.

With a sigh, he moved away towards the washstand to wash his face.

"I want you to leave the palace immediately, you will find a carriage with men to guard you" he splashed a handful of water on his face, "and whatever you hear happened here, stay away until I send for you" he turned towards her, " this is an order from your prince"

Wiping her eyes, shestaightened and visibly pulled herself together, then curtsied elegantly, "I hear and obey my prince" and she turned and left.

Sighing, he tied the front of the coat into a knot with a piece of lace, with black trousers. That was as unofficial as he could be without breaking protocol, "is everything ready Angar?" he said to the painting hanging on the wall near the bed, the painting was of a man sitting on a desk, writing down something on the table.

A voice answered from beyond it "everything is as you ordered, your highness"

Angar poked his head from the side of the painting, which was actually the doorway to a hidden room. Looking at him, he was a relatively handsome man, 24 years old, a year older that Derman, though you never would have guessed, as he was just a little bit shorter than he was, he was his private secretary.

And private as in no one knows he even existed, not even Sura. He was the only friend that Derman ever had.

Ever since he was a little boy, Derman always loved secrets, he loved to hide things from people and watch if they would find out or not, as time passed, this went from a habit to a challenge, and then to a profession.

As much as it shamed him to admit it but the day he had Angar and his sister saved was not really a total coincidence, indeed it was luck that he found them before they were carried away to the mines, but that was only because he had them watched already.

Angar at the time showed a borderline supernatural ability to hide himself when he did not want to be found, but as a little kid he was too clumsy to stay unnoticed for long, fortunately, Derman noticed his clumsiness one time while.

Unfortunately, a guardsman noticed him as well while he was picking pockets in the market. He was then followed to his hideout in the abandoned buildings in the old district. Then captured along with his little sister and other freeloaders.

They were immediately to be sent to the mines south of the city, but Derman received the news and had him and his sister rescued. Now he is responsible for Derman's entire information network, as well as everything that must remain secret.

"Do not kill my brother, Angar, he is to be taken, that is all"

"I understand, your highness" he answered.

"Then I shall be going now, it is almost time"

He walked out of the chamber,