laneys.info Beware of Yankees, drunks, and loose women.

In the quiet room, Kailee awoke to the presence of someone else familiar; someone who shouldn't be here at all. In the darkness, she passively noted the thoughts of the two guards outside her door. "What are you doing here," she whispered.

"Came to make sure you weren't making a mistake," Tess replied quietly, laying on the bed beside her. "Seems I'm too late."

"You realize that if you're caught, they will kill you which could mean more bloodshed because you know I can't allow that to happen."

"Would only be right."

Kailee looked up, night vision showing her the lithe frame next to her. "How so?"

"You got me in this mess in the first place by coming here."

Sighing, she smiled for the first time in a few days. "I missed you too. But you need to go home, I'll be along shortly."

"I leave when you do, Warwick's in good hands. Don't worry."

"Oh, Madam Chamberlain?"

"Yep. It's nice that I allowed a former duke and his wife to live among us. They're seeing to the training and organization of the town as we speak. Being dawn, I can almost hear Lericanin's voice from here."

"Oh, you did. Huh? I guess it's a good thing that I appointed you as my second then. Now, Second, go home. I'm serious. I don't want you being caught here."

Adgertesse' eyed her for a long moment and Kailee knew that her direction would be a hard sell on the nightblade. "I got in and out of my hometown more than once and they haven't changed much since. I'll go and look in on the girls before they leave. See you later."

"Be careful."

The dark elf sat up, arms extended. "Ever the creature of caution," she stated, then vanished. Kailee chuckled, knowing she had been rash in her decisions lately and with the visit of her 'sister', she realized how close she had come to losing everything. Reaching out with her mind, she found the skulking wraith in a nearby room, eavesdropping in on Danaca and Katsandra. 'I love you.'

'Yeah, I know. I have that effect on people.'

Smiling, Kailee sat up and began readying herself for another day. She hoped that some reasonable decision had been reached by the king, but she doubted it as she dressed. He was an ego-maniac whose only understanding was violence and pain. In one aspect, it was that mentality that had allowed them to survive this long but, times were changing. The enemy was cunning and subtle, not the aggressive destroyer that his father was. A more dangerous combination.
As she moved to the door, she mentally noticed a quartet approaching her door as she pulled it open and recognized the chamberlain.

"You will come with us," he stated, then turned and began walking back down the long hallway towards the great hall. She followed, now flanked by five guards and wondered what she would be faced with as passersby eyed her quietly. She could hear concern and doubts within their surface thoughts and hoped that it meant a favorable change in the wind. Led through other chambers and then the main foyer, they turned left and entered the large lobby now full of armed and armored men and women whose verbal concerns quieted as a host of orange eyes turned her way. His robes billowing behind, the confident chamberlain walked up to an older pair of males who both turned.

"My lords, she's to see the oracle. Please, stand aside."

One unsheathed a dagger whose dark blade gleamed with an enchanted energy. "This murderer must die for her crimes," he stated and lunged as the guards stepped in his way and wrestled him to the ground. She turned to his companion who also maneuvered around the pair on her right and mentally suggested a thought in his mind, filling him with guilt. Within moments, the strong, armored soldier knelt, crying as his sword clanged on the flagstone. She was not going to die that easily; the daughter of an elder vampire had endured too much already.

"Come with me, hurry," the chamberlain motioned as he pushed the rightmost door open to the throneroom and went inside. She followed as the remaining trio pushed the assailant down the sweeping staircase and took up positions outside the pair of large doors, closing it as Kailee looked back into the large room as the noble led her towards the nearly hidden door in the far right corner. Inside, they passed more guards and groups of well dressed nobility into a large, expensively decorated bedroom. On the large bed rested the king, his harem around him as healers concocted elixirs to the far left, magically heating the bowls atop a large dresser. Suddenly, the chamberlain stepped to the left to reveal an older, stooped woman who turned to Kailee. Her solid white eyes glared from stringy white hair which cascaded across her grey face and dark robes.

"Fire I see before me," she croaked. "Not a stench that remains in these walls and rug. She is innocent." Jagged teeth ground behind cracked lips, dry from age as she straightened. "Unique and beautiful, this one," the oracle breathed in the air from the room as everyone watched and listened intently. "Much loss, I sense. Heart filled with sorrow and pain, yet strong in love," she cackled. "A leader who fronts me now, and worthy of that title."

Kailee watched and heard each word, confused as to the ramblings of this insane woman who then reached into a large, leather pouch and produced a shiny necklace. Holding it up in both gnarled hands, she stood and approached holding the gift outward. "What happened to him?"

"He's been killed by those who wish change. One introduced by your presence," the elderly woman explained as she stopped within a few feet of Kailee. "Bow your head to me, I'm not that tall." A request that she complied with and noticed the old woman's hands nearly unaffected by the fiery hair as she placed the golden pendant on Kailee and then backed.

She straightened and noticed all eyes on her. "We have to find out who killed him," she turned to the oracle. "Do you know who is responsible?"

"He has given his life to give us a new one," her head cocked to the right violently. "It's a new day in Wroclaw, Lord Chamberlain. Get used to it."

"Our king lies cold and we're just supposed to throw aside everything? You ask too much, old woman."

"If you are incapable of fulfilling your duties, then we can find someone who will." She glanced to the sobbing harem, "Perhaps you would wish to join him?"

He sighed as Kailee tried to sense the presence of someone else in the room but, found that trying to cut through the overwhelming perfumes, potions, body odors, and incense disallowed investigation. "I will perform it," he stated, turned on his heel and left the master bedroom followed by the remaining guards.

"We should see to him," Kailee suggested, prompting glances from the healers and the oracle who stepped closer, bent as blind eyes looked up.

"Your compassion is your weakness, My Lady. You should guard against it, especially when dealing with your enemies."

"I've learned that it's fighting fire with water that saves the home," she stated with a sense of irony.

She cackled. "And wise too," laughing, the oracle returned to her tools of foresight. "Great quality for a queen."

Kailee's mind went blank. "What? I'm no queen."

The blank stare returned as she knelt to gather the clutter atop the dried skin, marked with symbols and runes. "No, not yet."