Befriending the enemy

The wind had been harsh on the lands on Slyve for a few days, the monsoon was here after all. Mircea had asked Athos to look into ships that would be slaying to Gyyza for trade for Urban.

He promised her that he would personally go and inform him. She had made up her mind. It was for the best that he was returning and it would be better if he departed before they ran into each other again.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Athos' head pops from the little gap of the slightly pushed doors of Mircea's study.

Mircea looks up to him startled, "Athos," she states the obvious.

"You are clearly busy." He says as he steps in, closing the door behind him.

"Yes, I'm trying to figure out our enemy." She stares down at the scattered letters that are leisurely lying on her desk. Athos had found them in Prince Pyron's room.

There were the letters exchanged between the Kingdom of Cetus and her court. Mircea didn't know there was an old alliance between the two kingdoms.

The alliance was written nowhere in the books of Slyve. It was not a normal alliance, Mircea had presumed. Something about this alliance was different. Her father had kept it a secret from everyone and as far as she knew, there was no trade between them.

When she ascertained this brand new information, she didn't know what to make of it.

For the last two days, she had busied herself trying to find something that would lead all this somewhere. With her kingdom's new alliance with Gyyza, she did not know where their old alliance with Cetus stood.

However, one thing everyone knew in these obscured lands is that Cetus and Gyyza would never form an alliance. Just like Sylve and Adze.

"So… did you find anything?" Athos plops in the chair across the desk.

"No." Mircea looks up to him, defeated and then points at the stack of paper "All… all of this one big mess."

"Yes, you think so? You should have seen his chambers." Athos snorts.

Athos made clear he didn't believe Pyron and Faustina were innocent. He was quite determined to check Faustina's chambers the moment he finished Pyron's, but Mircea halted the searching for some time. And now, after going through these letters, she wasn't sure if she should thwart it anymore.

Mircea glances briefly at Athos, "Did you… did you find anything on the ships that will be sailing to Gyyza?" She curses herself for being a coward and changing the subject.

It was one thing finding clues in Pyron's room. It would mean another thing finding something… something important in Faustina's room. Furthermore, Mircea wasn't ready for that betrayal.

"Yes, there aren't any ships sailing to Gyyza for the next two weeks; the old man said. The storms are unforgiving this time of the year. He said the storms eat up the whole ship if we try to sail." Athos explains dramatically.

Mircea huffs, "I feel fate is playing a cruel game with me." Athos gives her a weird look for a reply.

"Don't look at me like that. It's just… I don't know what it is Athos! The man asked me to not be this hopeless last time I ran into him."

"So… that is why you are avoiding him and want to send him back as soon as possible." He stated it rather than asking her it as a question and it irked her more.

Athos didn't ask why Urban said so. Mircea was relieved about that. She knew Athos knew her better than he liked to show.

"You can say that. However, it was not me who wanted to send him back. He asked me to look for a ship." She shrugs at him.

"He does know that you are the queen and not some servant that works in the palace, right? If I were him, I'd act a little respectful." Athos says airily, making Mircea snort.

"Or, if I were you, I'd ask him to get his act together." He continues with a little smirk grazing his face.

"I should ask that question to you first, don't you think so?" Mircea arches an eyebrow at him pointedly as she fights her shallow grin.

"You know that Urban and Leigh are taking their secrecy oath today?" Athos stares irritatedly at something on her desk when he asks her the question.

"Yes, I know." Mircea follows his stare. A small piece of burnt paper is lying on top of some letters. Athos found the paper near the cold hearth that had been put off long ago.

It was the newest letter that had been exchanged between the King of Cetus and Pyron. And it was the only one that had been burned down.

They both knew the letter was holding a crucial piece of information that could show Slyve some clearance; nevertheless, it was gone like the Pyron.

Even the personal attendant who used to sort out Pyron's letters for him had been missing for quite a while now. Faustina said she didn't know anything about Slyve's hidden relation with Cetus.

"And do you know the queen or the king has to be there on such events?" He peers away from the burnt piece.

"Do you know the same queen can get out of it easily?" Mircea gives him a sly smile.

"Okay, ignore him as long as you want." He stands straight, dusting the invisible dust off his dark velvet coat.

"So, you are going to tell him today, right?"

"What?" Athos looks at her in confusion before he shakes his head in understanding.

"Yes, your majesty. I can't afford to ignore your orders now, can I?" He chuckles deeply.

"Shut it, Athos. I have work to do. Leave me alone now, go attend that event and if anyone asks about me, just tell them I'm not feeling well."

"Okay." He bows down mockingly before stepping out of her study.

Mircea glances at the letters and groans loudly. Instead of doing it all herself or telling Athos, she should find someone she can trust else, it is going to be a long ride, she thinks to herself.

She is stacking up the letters when she finds the novel that Urban told her to read within a week. Mircea hadn't started on with the book. She did not know what to think of him after what he said to her.

Has she become so hopeless over time?

Mircea wanted to face her problems.

How long could she run from all of it?

The world had to end somewhere and where would she run then?

She sighed loudly, taking the book in her hands.

Six Of Crows was the title of the book. It was about a heist, but mainly, it was about the journey of six people who liked to call themselves crows.

Mircea hoped she'd find herself in this book, else reading it would be hopeless. Hopeless. How does one stop being hopeless? Does reading books bring hope? Or facing her problems would make her less hopeless?

She settled the book in her empty drawer and cleaned the desk, locking the important letters.

It is time she stops being a coward and faces her problems. However, jumping is not an option. She has to be fair and forgiving to herself.

"Perhaps, after all, I'm going to the little event." She sighs again for the nth time.

"And now I'm talking to myself. Great." She whispers.

Mircea pads to her chambers and calls in her personal attendant to make her hair and reset the powder on her face.

She would have laughed at her present self a few months ago, but now appearance mattered. Even if she was hopeless, she couldn't afford to look like one in front of the world.

Mircea notes that the unnecessarily long gown her attendant has chosen contradicts the colour that Urban wears every time.

Her eyes are coloured light with a hint of gold that shines softly under the dull light escaping through the windows. And her dark, long curls are tightly braided into a low bun to support the crown that reflects the same faint rays of the sun.

Etna is looking at her from afar. "You look breathtaking as always, your majesty." She says.

Mircea simply nods at her. She hasn't talked much with Etna since their last encounter. Mircea gazes at her; she is staring at one of her drawers intently.

"Your majesty." Her personal attendant bows at her.

Mircea glances away from Etna and checks out herself in the mirror, satisfied with her look she nods at her, "You may go."

Etna starts to walk.

"Etna, you stay."

"Yes, your majesty?"

"You want to tell me something?"

"No."

"I feel that you do."

"Oh, I think you found the poison that I kept in your drawer."

"What!? What are you talking about?"

"Okay, so you did not go through your drawers for three weeks." She sighs like it is not a big deal. Mircea gives her a chary look.

"What are you talking about Etna, are you the one who killed my father?" Mircea shrieks.

"Saints, no!"

"Then why would you keep some poison in my drawers?"

"If you would have opened it, you would have known." She strides towards the wooden cupboard of drawers.

"Would I be alive now if I would have done that?" Mircea asks, still sceptical of her.

"Trust me, Mircea. I don't want someone who is not from the royal family to sit on the throne."

"That is hardly possible, so I don't think you should worry about that."

"Oh, anything is possible, believe me." Etna removes a small bottle of glass which is sealed with a wooden knob.

Whatever liquid that is in there is scarce even so, Mircea does not underestimate its abilities. She thinks about ways to take Etna down. Etna must be in her late fifties, so it will be easy to knock her out by hand. No use of any weapons which might hurt her badly.

"This is the same poison that was used to kill your father," Etna tells her, closing the distance between them. Mircea gasps softly, peering at the visible faint blue liquid in her hand.

"And you kept it here because?"

"Because I don't want you to die the same way your father did. I want you to be tolerant of poisons like these. So if anyone tries to pull something like this, you would survive. Slyve would survive."

"And what is the guarantee that I won't die by taking small doses of this?"

Etna hands over the bottle to Mircea. She inspects it closely, still suspicious of the little stunt that Etna pulled.

"You must take a drop of it every night before sleeping at first, so the side effects will kick in when you are sleeping."

Mircea keeps the bottle on her dressing table and looks in her eyes, "Why are you doing this?"

"I made a promise to your mother that I will look out for you, your majesty and I intend to keep it till I die."

"So, you are not here to kill me with this?" Mircea questions and cringes at how stupid it sounds out loud. To ask your killer if she is here to kill you.

"Stop kidding yourself. Killing you is not worth breaking my loyalty to your mother."

"Dead mother." Mircea looks away. It is hard to believe what she is trying to say. Nevertheless, she has got a point. This can help Mircea develop resistance to poisons.

"I will think about it."

"Yes, while you are at it, start taking small doses and call me if you feel uneasy, I will bring you some tea to help you calm down."

Mircea doesn't reply to her, she stares at her. Etna isn't lying or playing games with her, she realizes.

She had been so caught up in being aware of her surroundings she had forgotten she was the one who had helped her raise.

Etna had always been there for her mother, and even after a decade, she is loyal to her. Mircea takes the bottle and pads to the cupboard of drawers where Etna had hidden the bottle. She keeps the bottle neatly below the stack of fur coats.

"I have to attend the oath event." She tells her

"Yes. Of course, your majesty."

Mircea trudges out with Etna on her heels.

"You are coming with me?" She queries her feeling weird that she is following her to the event.

"No, your majesty, we simply have the same path."

"Okay."

"And yes, your majesty, I have heard many rumours these past weeks. I hope they will stop soon." Etna bows before walking away.