I have my suspicions

"What is it?" She came closer to have a look.

"Who holds a torch while eating some leafy green?" He pointed out the green hand print on the torch.

Mae brought her nose close to the said place, pulling her nose away immediately in disgust.

"What were you doing?" Elvis couldn't be more surprised than he already was.

"I was just trying to confirm my disdain for vegetables, especially that kind." She tried to gag herself so the remnants including the ones imprinted in her memory could be regurgitated in one go.

Shaking his head at how lightly she took it, he couldn't help but feel anxious at how much he had said without confirming if they were being listened to.

He would definitely not forgive himself if she or Skun got in danger because of him.

"I have my suspicions." She suggested, pegging her nose with her fingers.

"I'm afraid to say this is where my powers are as good as useless." He sighed, a feeling of anguish consuming him.

"There's no need to beat yourself over this." Mae oozed confidence, causing Elvis to have no choice but to question her.

"Do you have any leads?" He asked.

"That disgusting green is annoyingly what's served to royals once a week which happened to fall today also, and I happened to always have a way to avoid this dish." She snickered, forgetting the main reason why she had thought of it in the first place.

This behaviour was so awkward, it left Elvis frozen in place, not knowing how to react.

"Sorry." She covered up with a cough. "Anyways, I hated this vegetable not only for the smell but also for its unique capabilities of being sticky and colours the hand." She laughed at how fond the memory of her manipulating her way when it was time for an inspection by Lady Hazel.

"But you didn't eat them, so how were you able to escape the inspection?" Elvis asked curiously.

"Simple." She beckoned Elvis closer so she could whisper the answer into his ear.

Curiosity getting the best of him, he obliged. Whispering the answer into his ears, his eyes widened at her response.

"So that was what you meant it for when you asked for those pills!" He shook his head at how intuitive she had been.

"Bravo." He clapped his hand, commending how smart she had gotten, using whatever resources at her disposal.

"Why thank you!" She gave a dramatic bow, blowing kisses to her imaginary audience.

"So how does this help?" He turned serious.

"I know the vegetable so well, first it has narrowed our possible search to a degree being that of someone royal, hmmm I wonder who that might be." She left her thoughts hanging, allowing for input of ideas by Elvis.

"It definitely couldn't be your father or mother." Elvis immediately scratched them from his list.

"Obviously." She rolled her eyes, "Father couldn't possibly run like a coward, that man doesn't know the first thing about a retreat or surrender–"

Elvis had wanted to comment on that but decided not to, although she was right about the said personality of the King, but he also knew all those were nothing but a front put so he could look fierce to his enemies but deep down he was softer than cotton.

"Mother couldn't possibly be the one, she could definitely not run in those pounds of layered dress." She laughed at the thought of it actually being her mother and pictured the scenario playing out.

"Mae!" Elvis shook his head at how silly her thoughts must be.

"Okay, okay." She choked on her laughter, lightly hitting her chest to calm herself. "It definitely couldn't be me, except if I had an extremely crazy beautiful twin." She feigned surprise.

Facepalming, these were some of the moments in which Elvis wished he could bury his ears and resurrect them after Mae was done with her rambling.

"Please be serious." His lips drew into a thin line, finding no joy in her jokes and crazy scenarios.

"Right!" She straightened her posture, clearing her throat before she continued. "So we are down to two that I have my eyes on, the scumbag of Valense and the douchebag of Niveen."

"I think you meant Prince William and Daven respectively." Although he understood what she meant, he still had to respect the royal name even in their absence.

"Well maybe to you, they are. But once I get who spied on us, I don't think you would still refer to them with such lame titles." She sneered.

"Easy Mae, we still don't know who might have done this to be pointing fingers."

"That's easy for you to say, this is the first time I am glad to meet this vegetable and it so happens to lead me to the culprit." She rubbed her palms in delight.

"This is bad, this is bad!" Elvis pulled on his black hair, traumatized. "The very people I didn't want to know of this now have a clue."

Pulling Elvis by the collar, she stared him in the eye, suddenly turning serious, "If we are filled with fear can anything be accomplished?" She shook him slightly.

Slowly shaking his head in a 'no', he couldn't possibly grasp her new strength, he could feel her energy seething off her and it scared him at how stronger and out of control she was getting.

"I am calm. I am calm." He repeated, gulping down spit.

Even though he wasn't, she released him anyway, she had a feeling what had triggered his new response–her but she was determined to be in control of whatever power was trying to consume her.

"In that prophecy, was there any mention of the powers consuming it's user?" She clenched her fingers, releasing them.

"No."

"Good." She said with a smirk, "Then whoever dared to spy on us should beware of most especially my presence."

"What do you have in mind?" Elvis inquired.

"One of the most stupid things I have done yet." She smiled.