I prepared myself for nightmares, flashes of Gemma's terrified eyes, the loud crack of bone as she struck the cliffs. Yet none came. I slept peacefully, the sun rose, and servants got to their work. And at no point did anyone throw an accusation at me. When Denice came to fetch Gemma for her morning duties and found her not in our rooms, she simply sniffed and passed the responsibility to Eleanor for the day.
It was still early, though. A few more days would need to pass before the missing maid became a problem. So, I went about my day as if I had not committed murder. I washed clothes, swept floors, and did everything that I should do when I wasn't serving Surian.
The waiting was difficult. Every servant, every passing guard, every time someone stopped me, I felt like they were preparing to throw an accusation. But none came, after all, Gemma was only missing for a day.
~
On day two, the questions started.
I shrugged, partially relieved, "I don't know, Head Maid, I haven't seen her. Perhaps she's with her family?"
"She knows she's not to leave the keep until the selection ends," Denice said.
I just looked at her, two parts confusion and apathy.
Our competition was well-known, and it would be too suspicious if I were overly concerned. I needed to act as if I weren't the culprit. Which meant I would pretend to be concerned while secretly pleased that Gemma was nowhere to be found. I'll only turn it into a true concern when people start to suggest something terrible could have happened to her.
~
Three days passed, and I was sitting in the large room with only Eleanor for company.
"They contacted her family. No one has seen her. Do you think something happened?" Eleanor asked from the bed next to me. Fear caused her to choose a bed closer to me instead of one at the far end of the room.
"No, it can't be. I'm sure she'll turn up. I mean, what could have happened?"
"You never know, you hear things like this from time to time. A girl disappearing from a town or village."
I shook my head as if I was trying to convince myself of something. "Not in the castle, you can't steal a tart without half the staff knowing about it before you take a bite."
Eleanor shrugged, "What if she snuck out of the keep? It's not hard to do on an Eight-Day."
I stayed quiet. It seemed that, despite Eleanor's horrid personality, she was just a girl in the end. Not used to the cruelty of the world. The idea that someone she knew could be taken or killed seemed like a heavy burden for her.
~
I sighed in relief as Denice assigned me to Surian for the day. I grabbed the new linens as usual and headed for her room. There were more guards than usual. But none seemed particularly focused on me. The rumors were flying like locusts. Everything from her running away with a man or being kidnapped at night and sold as a slave. And of course, either Eleanor or I killed her for the position. But that theory didn't seem to have many teeth.
‘What was the baron thinking? Where is his suspicion going? Would he care that much about a missing peasant?’
Surian was the same as ever, barely sparing me a second glance after I served her morning meal. Finally, I entered her room and began my plan.
I went over to the unopened jewelry box. The outside was clean, but dust slipped through the gaps in the hinges, so as long as it was never opened, no one would notice. And as expected, it was dusty, meaning none of us cleaned it.
Taking out every piece of jewelry, 17 in total, including a diamond-studded diadem. I stuffed them into a canvas sack, a little larger than a coin purse. Then I reached under my dress and hid the sack amongst the folds, then sewed a pin to secure it in place. My dress was naturally voluminous with three layers, so from the outside, nothing looked amiss. I gently closed the lid and went about my duties as if nothing had happened.
I followed Surian for the entire day, carrying a literal fortune of gold and jewels in the folds of my dress.
~
It took another day before I had a chance to toss the evidence. This time, I made damn sure no one was following me. As soon as I reached the top of the wall. I didn't hesitate, I took out the sack, tossed it, turned around, and went back to my rooms to sleep.
When I woke up the next morning, I nearly toppled over with dread. It wasn't Denice who met me; it was guards in heavy plate armor.
"Your presence is requested." The one on the left said.
‘I'm dead. Did someone see me? Did they know? I checked dozens of times to see if I was followed. No, don't act guilty, just be concerned and confused.’
I thought I was being brought to the baron, but no. We passed his study and were brought to a room I had never dared to approach; Elis's study.
The guard knocked twice, then pulled it open.
I won't lie; I was disappointed. I expected something fantastical, magical items, floating lamps, but it seemed like a simple study. Incredibly beautifully decorated, but no different than the Baron's. However, it wasn't the Magus who was sitting at the desk; it was the Baron Elodin Redstone himself. The magus was standing to his left.
The guards followed me inside. As soon as the door closed, they unsheathed their swords.
‘I'm dead. Someone saw me. It's a quick interrogation, then execution, probably. It was a mistake. I was too hasty; all my effort ended here. Oddly, I don't feel regret. Just disappointment that I never got to learn magic.’
The guards ushered me to a seat.
"Did you think we wouldn't find out?" The Baron said his voice grave, without a trace of mercy.
My mind whirled, trying to find something I could say that could get me out of here. I couldn't find an answer.
Then the baron did the oddest thing. Pulled my quill out from nowhere.
‘Why did they have my quill? Did they search my things? It makes sense, I suppose, but what did that have to do with anything?’
"Where are you from, girl?" Elis asked. Somehow, her sweet voice was even more trying than the Baron's.
"F-Farwa......" He slammed his fist down on the table. I jumped, fear made my heart race, and I was ready to bolt, but a firm hand from one of the guards on my shoulder kept me in my seat.
"And what is a girl from Farway doing with this?” He said, gesturing to the quill. He handed it to Elis, who muttered some unintelligible nonsense. After a few seconds, to my utter shock, the tip turned orange, then a bright yellow. The heat of the tip increased until it was white hot.
" An obvious lie, your history is also a lie. To think you had the skill to even deceive a former magistrate. They will be disappointed when they hear of your treachery." The baron said.
Elis spoke next, "I almost mistook it for a mundane quill. The design was just rather old, but for some reason, I found it familiar and got lucky. Enchanted inscribers, this old, all uses the same formulae. So, where are you really from, Ferosia, Helios, or perhaps you're some kind of spy or saboteur? Farketh possibly. "
‘IT WAS A MAGIC QUILL? Emyr, did you know? Did she just do magic? She mumbled something. Do you have to say words to do magic?’
"We know you're not who you say you are. We looked into your background; it's paper-thin at best. Your execution for the murder or kidnapping of Gemma is already guaranteed. The difference is if it's painful or quick. So, I ask again, what was your intention here, and who sent you?"
The Baron nodded to Elis, who muttered again, and lightning erupted from her fingers. It crossed the room and crashed into my chest. It wasn't as painful as I thought it would be, but the shock and seizure of my muscles ripped a scream from my throat. It only lasted a second before I was left limp. I breathed heavily, my mind reeling from what I had just experienced. It was almost a minute before I could feel my limbs again.
"What were you planning to do with the inscriber? " Elis asked with a deadly edge to her voice.
‘What, by Anier's name, was the woman talking about?’
Then the truth hit me. Somehow, this was a complete misunderstanding.
I started laughing, half-mad since I was seeing true magic for the first time, and half because I finally understood what was going on. They didn't find anything, and no one saw me. The quill just happened to be magic. Then they found out my identity was false, not a difficult feat in retrospect. I wasn't a master of espionage.
‘I'm not dead, I can salvage this. The truth shall free me.’
"You murder in my home, yet you laugh. You must be a glutton for punishment." The baron said in disbelief. He turned to Elis again. Before I dug my grave further, I said.
"I didn't kill anyone, I'm not some spy or assassin or whatever you think I am. I don't know where Gemma is, but I'm not guilty of anything. And I can prove it."
Elis's eyes were amused, "Speak, then."
"My name is Edith. I was born in Farway. In three days, I will be fifteen summers old. My mother's name is Dariah. I never met my father. The quill I got from an old tinker who came to the village. He offered me a story for a bit, I said he should give me the first half, and it was good, I'll pay him for the second. My brothers interrupted me before I could hear the rest. Much later, my betrothed and I were looking for a bridal gift of love. The old man was there again. He gave me it for a single bit. He was dying, I guess he was trying to pass it to someone."
Doubt came across their faces, so I leaned into it and forced as much desperation as I could into my voice.
"You don't believe me, send a rider to the village. You will learn about Edith. Speak to the whore Helan, who shall tell you of how Edith was beaten and abused, and how the villagers looked on uncaring. Speak to Bren, my mother's husband, about how he sold me for twelve silvers to an ox of a man whose last wife died from miscarriages. How he beat a 9-year-old girl bloody. Find a boy in your army named Sim from Farway. He gave me a dagger to protect myself, the same dagger that sits in my armoire in Darion's Dish. Speak to Porter, Captain Ruben, who took payment from a boy named Emyr with brown hair from Farway to Lakeshore. Speak to Devon; his family worked in textiles; they couldn't afford the entrance fee, and I helped them. Bring one of them or all of them here, have them look me in the eye, and they will tell you who I am. I ran into the forest when the caravan came to town, leaving a bloody dress behind, hoping no one would come looking for me. If they bothered to look, that is what they would say."
I started shouting, my rage, the pain from childhood, and the desperation to not be found guilty, all combined. I calmed down and continued, "I'm not a killer or whatever you think I am, I just don't want to be sent back. That's why I lied about who I was. I-I-was scared. Just send someone to the village. They will prove I am who I say I am. My former betrothed will confirm I did get the quill from an old tinker. Helan will corroborate my story of why he gave me the quill. "
I looked between the Baron and Elis.
"There; all your questions are answered. I'm just a runaway bride. Darion and Beth, with infinite kindness, decided to accept me when no one would."
Tears were flowing down my face. I was putting on the greatest performance of my life.
Silence stretched on for over a minute. I didn't know what they were looking for, but it was clear neither of them expected that response.
"Why did you want to become a handmaiden to my daughter?" The baron asked.
I sighed deeply as if I was unburdening myself from the truth, "I figured if my parents figured out I wasn't dead or where I was. The Baroness would protect me and not send me back."
More silence, my words were taking root. I could understand why they thought I was some kind of saboteur. A magical item, the disappearance of a maid, and a false identity. Most would come to that assumption, as long as I destroyed the reasons for their suspicion, the only thing left was speculation.
"What do you think, Elis?" The baron asked.
"It's not impossible, coincidences like this can happen. And it would be easy to verify all her words. But I believe she's telling the truth about her origins. It doesn't mean she is innocent, but assuming she is speaking truth, we are back to square one." She replied.
"We'll keep her confined to a room and investigate her claims. Also, investigate a tinker named Emyr. Send someone subtle. Elis, see if you can track down the origin of that quill." The baron ordered.
The baron looked to the right, and out from behind a bookshelf walked Surian.
"What do you think, Surian? Is she guilty?" The baron asked.
Her green eyes locked onto me. For the first time, she looked genuinely interested, "Not any more guilty than anyone else, especially if her words are true. In the end, we don't even know if Gemma is actually dead."
The baron glowered at me, "For now, Edith, you will tell me Everything. One a contradiction, One lie, and it's the gallows for you."
I nodded, casting my eyes to the ground.
‘I suppose this is what they call consequences. At the very least, I hope it wasn't all for nothing.’
Three weeks later.
Four walls and a bed were my constant companions for over three weeks. My nameday passed with no celebration once again. Killing Gemma was pointless in the end. But at the very least, I won't be executed. I had spilled my entire story in copious, unending detail to The Baron, Elis, and Surian. Many times, they tried to trick me, circling back to the topic I had discussed at random. But since I wasn't trying to keep track of lies anymore, they found no contradictions. They put me in this room, and that was my life for almost a month.
The room I was in, at least, wasn't a cell. It was small, no bigger than my room at Darion's Dish. I got two meals a day carried in by a maid I didn't recognize. Once a day, someone took away my chamber pot. I had no one to talk to, no books to read. My only company was my thoughts.
If I were let go, where would I go? Where would I run? I didn't have a plan.
My goals seemed farther than ever.
The lock on the door opened, I hopped out of the bed, brushed out my simple shirt and pants, and tried to make myself presentable. It wasn't feeding time, so it had to be someone else.
I didn't expect Surian to walk through the door. She looked calm, confident, and self-assured all at the same time. Remembering my manners, I curtsied.
She smiled at me in her voluminous blue dress and silver jewelry, looking every bit the wealthy noble.
"I'm sure you're wondering what has happened since you've been locked in here," she said.
I nodded frantically, "Yes, Baroness."
"It has been rather dramatic. My Father was rather cross with the entire affair. But he did use it to his advantage. Nanette has made it quite difficult to simply sweep Gemma under a rug," I nodded numbly, listening.
‘Why was she the one telling me this?’
"But in chaos lies opportunity. We investigated every single person in the keep; to our surprise, we found two spies. Can you guess where they were from?"
"Farketh?" I answered.
"Indeed, well after that revelation, my father decided to use it to galvanize his people. Officially, one of the spies was named the killer. Officially, he dumped the body. But lo and behold, at the New Year's celebration, when my father commanded me to wear his nameday gifts, the box was empty."
My heart raced, but my face remained confused.
"It's entirely possible that Gemma swiped them since Eleanor said that she never cleaned them. I assume you never did as well."
I nodded as if in shame, "Yes, Baroness, the box was always closed, so we just decided, why spend all that time for nothing?"
"Same as Eleanor. But that fact has remained hidden; no point in adding confusion to the story. Another interesting fact. My father petitioned Duke Mendel for the right to declare war upon Farketh for the crime. He has approved, and my father eagerly awaits the battles to come."
She looked at me with an expression so sweet and innocent, I wanted to run for the hills. "That brings us back to you. It was almost too easy to confirm your words. An interview with the headman was enough. The caravan owner, inn keeper, and Davos. Everyone confirmed who you are. Though if you're wondering your village thinks you're dead. We didn't bother to change the narrative you so conveniently created."
Her smile widened a bit too much for her pretty face, "That brings us to you. You have been cleared of guilt; we could find no contradictions in your story. Father was simply planning on having you banished from the city, giving you a bit of coin, and sending you on your way. I, however, interceded on your behalf. “
"Why?" I asked.
"I needed a personal handmaiden, obviously."
‘She wants me after all this? Why?’
"I see your confusion." Her eyes became cold. "I can still have you banished, or better yet, have you sent back to your village to answer for your abandonment."
I didn't even have to hide my fear. I would just run away again, but the shame of being dragged back there after all I had gone through to get to this point was too much to think about.
"But I'll not be doing that. Aren't I a generous mistress?"
‘Ahh, I see now.’
This competition was never about who she thought was the best fit for her. It was who she could control. I could practically feel the collar being locked around my neck.
"Thank you, Baroness," I said, bowing low.
"Are you truly grateful? Demonstrate." She pulled up her dress, revealing her delicate, white boots, and placed her right foot forward.
It took me a full ten seconds to realize what she wanted.
‘I've sacrificed my life, a family, a happy home, and my very soul. I suppose next is my pride and self-respect. ‘
‘She can have me. Let her take all of me. I'll treat her like my goddess and follow her around like a willing slave. She can be my true love. I'll kill for her and die for her if she needs it. I'm right where I want to be. And I will wait for an opportunity. ‘
In my cell, it wasn't thoughts of Gemma, my mother, Darion, or Beth that plagued my mind. Not even the threat of possible execution fazed me. It was Elis's lightning. What kind of power could she wield?
I went to my knees and kissed her boot. Then I looked up to see her satisfied expression. I smiled as if she were the most beautiful and precious thing in the world.
"Thank you, Mistress," I said.
Step five is complete.
Now I wait for an opportunity, and when it comes, if necessary, 'Mistress,' I will slit your throat without the slightest hesitation and not a hint of regret.