Forge's assumptions that they'd enter the castle undetected were true, and there were no incidents as they unloaded from the lowboat and trudged their way up and through the castle. In all her missions, Maize had never infiltrated anywhere more glamorous than a higher lord's residence, and though the Den wasn't anywhere near a slum, it was nothing compared to a castle.

Even the dungeons seemed upscale, Maize noticed as they walked through past the cells. Each one was clean and surprisingly dry despite being so close to the sewer canals that ran beneath the castle. They also remained empty, leaving her to wonder if they chose to move any prisoners elsewhere while the Remembrance Day celebrations carried on up above, or if there weren't any prisoners worthy of the crown's time.

Or if they just disposed of them quickly enough to not need to keep them in a cell.

Maize hoped she wouldn't find out the legal processes on a personal level as she quickly followed Forge to a spiral stairwell that led up through the servant's quarters. She and Ress both kept their heads covered and down, while no one seemed to notice as Lawson Forge led them through back hallways and corridors until they walked up another stairway.

This one opened up to a much brighter and wider hallway, with a window at one end as tall as the wall that overlooked the main upper-class merchant quarter of Dreduor. The sun was peeking over the rooftops and it appeared to be a pleasant day. Maize wondered if she'd be able to actually get out and enjoy it during the next two weeks she'd be stuck there.

"You're never going to find the Legacy if you're staring out the window all day," Forge sneered from beside her.

She only gave him a glance before turning on her heel to proceed further down the hallway. She wondered if he realized how quickly she could have pulled a knife and shoved it through his eye...

"This is the courtiers' wing," Forge explained as they walked past large wooden doors on either side of the hall. "And this is where you'll reside during your time here in the castle, and though you'll be allowed to come and go as you please, I expect a certain level of decorum during your stay."

"Why do you assume that my decorum will be anything but proper?"

"Because underneath the cosmetics and coiffed hair and the finery, you'll still be a thief from the Den, and you still have a mission to complete without getting caught."

"He does have a point," Ress mused.

Maize scowled at her partner.

"Here," Forge said as he stopped at the door on the corner where the hallway intersected with another. Pulling a key from his pocket, he unlocked the door and opened it for them to enter.

The room was unlike anything Maize had ever seen before.

Much like the hallway, one wall of the room was a large window that looked out not over the city, but the castle gardens teaming with shrubbery, rose bushes, and fountains. Courtiers and landscapers alike traipsed through the colorful arboretum while birds and wildlife called the greenery their home.

Maize was convinced the furnishings within the remainder of the room cost more than the coffers of the Den. In the center was a large four-post bed easily large enough to sleep three people. Armoire and dressers lined one wall, a small table and plush chairs on the other. A chaise stretched before the large window and in the back of the room was a door to the bathing room complete with a tub that could easily sit two.

She would never want to leave the room again.

"So which side do you want?" Ress asked cheerfully as he moved towards the bed.

"This room isn't for you," Forge snarled, stalling Ress in his movements and capturing Maize's full attention.

"What does that mean?" she hissed. "He's here with me- he stays with me."

"Incorrect. He's here with you as a footman, therefore he remains with the other footmen. In the servants' quarters."

"You're really taking this too far, Forge."

"Maize, it's fine," Ress said softly.

"You're right it's fine," Forge agreed. "The last thing I need is the two of you getting caught rolling in the sheets and put this entire endeavor at risk."

"You act like courtiers and their footmen never sleep together."

"They don't when they're the courtier to the Prince."

Something in Forge's tone, the insinuation in his words, and the actions since they've arrived began to create doubt in Maize's mind that perhaps there was something more than Lusciana's Legacy she needed to find during her time in the castle.

The slight curl of Forge's smirk as their gaze met confirmed Maize's suspicions, putting her on immediate high alert as the hairs rose on the back of her neck. Internally, she promised she and Ress they would get in and out and never look back again, but they only had to get through two weeks to make it happen.

"What about the key?" she asked.

"What key?" Forge feigned ignorance.

"The one you used to let us in here."

"It's my key."

"Then how am I supposed to lock my room when I leave."

"You're not." Forge grinned.

Maize frowned. "What about my belongings?"

"Are you questioning the safety and security of the castle guard?"

She never left her personal effects unguarded- consider it a side effect of being a thief living in the Den. That she would be expected to move about the castle knowing that anyone at any time could walk into her quarters, unasked and undetected...

"Come, Restor," Forge ordered, but Maize reached out to grab Ress' arm before he could completely turn away.

"Meet me in the gardens before the ball, yeah?" she offered.

Ress nodded. "Of course, m'Lady."

"We'll see about that," Forge interjected, but Ress gave Maize a smile that promised more than just a walk through the rose bushes.

Forge said nothing in the sheets... he didn't say anything about the grass.

As soon as Ress and Forge left, Maize set to making herself comfortable. Unpacking the ridiculously luxurious dresses and hung them in the armoire as she left her leathers, knives, and the remainder of their gold at the bottom of the trunk before locking and stowing it away in the far corner of the room. With no key to call her own, she covered it with an extra duvet for good measure.

Forcing herself to take a quick bath rather than the hour-long submersion she would have preferred, she dressed in one of the more casual dressed she already owned. Applying a delicate layer of cosmetics and braiding her wet hair in a single plait down her back, she strapped a blade to her upper thigh before setting off to explore the castle.

No one noticed her as she worked her way through the maze of hallways. Every now and again she would pause to admire a work of art or a priceless artifact on display, considering their worth and if they'd be missed. The lingering stress of discovering the identity of the Legacy hung over her, but once a thief always a thief.

Slowly she worked her way to the castle's main level where servants were bustling with parcels and platters as they prepared for the ball in the Prince's honor as guests and courtiers loitered about watching as they mingled. The grand ballroom overlooked the same gardens Maize saw from her room, and though she was more than eager for some fresh air, curiosity tugged her down an adjacent hallway instead.

Arching windows looking over the gardens lined one side of the wall while the other was interrupted by just as many large wooden doors. These weren't like the doors to the rooms to the courtiers' private quarters. These doors begged to be opened and entered...

Maize lost her breath as she found herself stepping into a library as long as half the castle and as tall as its tallest level. Her shoes clicked as she walked across a mosaic tiled floor depicting the different stages of the yearly seasons, from the snow-covered peaks to the summer beaches. It was surrounded by study tables and wooden chairs before rows of bookcases spread out from it like the rays of the sun.

Amidst the shelves were alcoves furnished with more comfortable chairs before a double-staircase led to a second, and then a third, floor of just as many shelves.

The library was bright due to the numerous large windows throughout and a domed skylight above. Candle chandeliers and wall sconces waiting for the evening hours for their time to shine.

Maize made the note to come back after the sun had set if only so observe the change of ambiance.

She'd also come back when there were fewer people about- at the moment there were a few individuals at different tables, flipping through various tomes as if the castle wasn't teeming with visitors and party preparations. But she was certain there had to be something buried somewhere in the library's wealth of knowledge that could possibly lead her closer to identifying Lusciana's Legacy.

She had just reached the second floor of the library when a low murmur among the stacks had her pausing. Reflexively, a hand went to her outer thigh, and she could feel her knife through the material of her dress. Good.

"Stop that," the male voice hissed, and Maize pressed her back against the closest bookcase to keep herself from being seen. What was she going to do, stab someone in the library? Only if they threatened her first.

She very well could have just walked right past, after a glance to see the source of the commotion, of course. Or she could have remained where she was and wait it out- perhaps they would leave on their own and she could continue her searching without further interruption. The few questions she needed to answer about herself, where she was from, and what she was doing there, the better.

Maize knew she should have moved, should have backed away, but something in her urged her forward, kept her moving on. She turned her head slightly, just enough to get a glance down the stack of books.

A glance was more than enough.

Dark brown hair hung over his face as his attention centered on the book between his hands. His thin lips dropped to a frown, and she noticed the glint of a silver hoop in his ear. His clothing was casual- a white linen shirt tucked into black leather pants with a black belt and boots to complete the ensemble. He looked as ordinary as she did, which made him all the more suspicious.

Mainly because he was alone.

"Shit," the same voice growled, almost feral as he slammed the book he was looking through back into its place along the shelf.

The unexpected outburst had her moving, and she held her breath as she returned to her hiding place among the books.

She knew she should come back later. Now was not the time for an altercation before she could even get started on her research. But she also had the horrible habit of hearing everyone out, and giving everyone a chance before deciding if they were worth her time. Perhaps having an ally who knew his way about the library could help her cause...

The silence quieted her own thoughts. No murmuring, no outbursts.

A quick glance back down the row...

He wasn't there.

She moved for a closer look, and it was like he never existed.

She took her herbs before she left the Den. She knew she had plenty of time before their effects wore off. She knew she wasn't imagining him...

She was overthinking things too much and needed to pull herself together before the ball. Maybe she would take another bath before meeting with Ress in the gardens, taking that roll in the grass...

As she turned back towards the stairs, Maize collided with something hard. Initially she thought she misjudged the placement of the bookcase, but bookshelves don't give you a devious grin when they've caught you spying on them.

A devious grin from the same thin lips, on a face hidden by the same dark hair.

And the same feral voice purred by way of greeting, "Why, hello there."