"I'm sorry to hear about the market," Celese said as she handed Maize a steaming cup of tea. "It's an unfortunate blow to Dreduor, but I'm glad you weren't hurt."

"We were just on patrol," Maize lied. "But the people of the city who depend on their weekly visit will now need to find an alternative. And vendors who depended on the market for their livelihood won't be able to return until it rebuilds." She didn't dare mention the fate of Josue.

Celese instead nodded in agreement. "And though I hate to ask, have you discovered anything more from Ress during your patrol?"

Maize swallowed down a scalding mouthful of tea. She refrained from coughing against the heat in her lungs, which was a pleasant relief from the agony in her skull. "One of the reasons we were going to the market was to see if we could find something for his ailing aunt- a gift to bring with us when we went to see her."

Celese sat in the chair across the Maize. "And do you believe there is any credibility to this ailing aunt?"

"It does seem to fall in line with your suspicions," Maize offered the Denmother. "I was going to request leave with him if he hadn't asked already. Let me go with him to see this aunt, and should he not return, you will know you were correct to believe what you had about him."

She watched the Denmother sip her tea silently, waiting for her to replace the cup on its saucer before answering. "What you propose does have merit, and though I would hate to lose my best thieves for an extended period of time, desertion is not something I take lightly and I want to make sure we are protected from the betrayal as much as possible."

The tea sank in Maize's stomach like a stone. Not only was she setting up Ress for the potential retribution of the Denmother, but it was she who was planning on leaving, on betraying the one woman in the city who took her in when she had nothing, and trusted her enough to become something more than a homeless orphan running from the voice in her head.

"When was Ress planning on leaving?"

"Tomorrow." The bile rose in Maize's throat. "I offered to come to you to request the leave on his behalf."

"I see." The Denmother frowned before she stood and walked to her nearby writing desk. Maize watched her curiously as she retrieved a long thing box before returning to their table and handing it to Maize. "I was going to wait to give these to you for your next mission, but now seems as much of a good time as any."

Maize examined the small box in her hands before removing the cover carefully. Within was a pair of black gloves, delicate by the look of them but she knew better. Knew they were made of the toughest silk Dreduor could import. She removed one and looked it over— the tips were fitted with coarse leather, just enough to perfect one's grips...

"Try them on," Celese urged. "I hope I got the fitting correct."

Of course, she did. Celese knew everything about every one of her thieves. It was her job to know, and why she was so good at what she did because of it. Hesitating no further, Maize slipped one glove on, and then the other.

They fit. Perfectly.

"Celese-"

"Yes, you do deserve them. And I want you to wear them. I can't have the life of one of my best teetering on the edge of a rooftop."

Maize flexed her fingers beneath the cool material. She hated to admit how good they felt, how much more confidence she'd have wearing them despite her opposition to them for so long.

"Thank you," she said hoarsely, and Celese gave her a smile.

"They're black, so they should match any funeral attire you may need to wear."

She gave the Denmother at glance and matched her gaze. Maize knew Celese always had more knowledge than she let one know, but never showed it. She would be the worst to play cards with, and too many had found that out the hard way through their empty purses. Maize wasn't a gambling type but knew that the wager was already more than she could afford.

She was still flexing her fingers in the gloves by the time she returned to their quarters, where Ress was completing the final stages of their packing. The ruse of leaving for Ress' family home was enough to allow them a trunk to share between the two of them without suspicion, and within they packed not only the supplies they had bought with Forge's money, but their armor, their weapons, and the remainder of their gold.

The only thing they didn't have were any more of Maize's herbs, and they were running out of time to figure out alternative solutions.

Maize closed the door and leaned against it, letting out a sigh to announce her arrival.

Ress emerged from the bedroom, a knife in hand, though whether it was because he was packing it away or to potentially protect himself from an unexpected intruder, Maize didn't ask. He belted it when he saw who it was, and his attention immediately fell to her hands.

"Those are nice," he said, letting out a whistle. "Much nicer than anything I'd ever have been able to get you."

"Maybe I should be sleeping with Celese instead, then, if we're gauging affection by the price of gifts."

"Maybe you should, and she'd probably welcome you with open arms." Ress winked before returning to the bedroom.

She didn't follow, but instead lay on the chaise in the sitting room, staring at the blank ceiling.

It hurts. It hurts because you let it hurt. If you gave in it wouldn't hurt anymore.

She closed her eyes. She had been putting off taking any more herbs, and after all hope went up in flames the night before, she was hesitant to take the remaining pill until the last possible moment. She needed to be at her most alert when dealing with the King and, potentially, the Prince, and she wasn't going to let her own malady jeopardize that.

"Did Celese have anything else to say beyond my expected betrayal to the Den?"

"She agreed to your leave," Maize murmured. "Our clock is officially ticking."

"I'll make sure to bring my finest stationery to keep her updated on Aunt Clora's condition on the daily."

"I wish you wouldn't joke."

"And I wish you'd let me."

He was standing in the doorway to their bedroom, and she opened her eyes to look at him as he leaned against the frame.

In his hand was the small packet that contained her final dose.

"I found it on the bedside table," he said softly.

"I put it there."

"You haven't taken it."

"Not yet."

Ress frowned.

"Are we packed yet?" she asked, changing the subject.

"We're not leaving until tomorrow."

"Which is why we need to remove ourselves from the Den tonight."

"You really think she'll have us followed?"

"I know she will, which is all the more reason we need to make sure we're far enough beyond the Den by the time they pick up our scent."

"You don't think they'll have already assumed we'll have assumed we'll be followed?"

"I'm supposed to be working for Celese in this, remember? She'll expect it of me anyway, whether the hounds know it or not."

"There seem to be a lot of unknowns right now."

"This whole endeavor is an unknown. It's what makes it so exciting." But there was no excitement in her tone. No joy in her voice. She was in pain, and the panic was the only thing keeping her grounded.

The weight next to her indicated Ress finally sat down and she turned her head to face him.

"Take the herbs, Maize."

"But I won't have any left by the time we get to the castle."

"Let me worry about that..."

"You know I can't do that."

"Then what do you suggest, Restor?"

The rare usage of his formal name made him hesitate before responding. "I want to do anything I can to help make you better. Dammit, Maize, I would take it from you if I could. But since I can't- and you most likely wouldn't let me if I could- I need to do the next best thing."

"You're right, and I don't even know what that is anymore."

"There has to be something- Josue can't have been the only source. And maybe this mission to the castle is more of a blessing than what Forge is offering us."

She arched a silent brow in question.

"The end goal is always to get out of here, but in the meantime maybe I can use being at the castle, practically invisible to these foreign diplomats, to see if I can discover more than we already know."

"I assure you, you are anything but invisible," Maize purred, aggravated at herself for how quickly just his presence allowed her to shift priorities.

He acknowledged her insinuation with a slight smirk. "A footman to a gorgeous Lady is going to go unnoticed, I promise you that. And I have every intention of using it to our advantage."

"And if you can't find anything?"

Ress inched closer. "Then I trust you are going to finish this mission like so many others before it, discover the location of Lusciana's Legacy before Remembrance Day even begins, and we'll be out of there before Laris even knew he had an extremely attractive courtier who was more than willing to do anything in her power to maintain her facade to keep him distracted from her true purpose."

"Courtiers do not have to sleep with their Prince."

"No, but they could."

"You just want to watch."

"Hellas, I'd want to be a part of it."

The thought alone made her skin tingle. "I'll see what I can manage."

"And in the meantime..." Ress leaned in and slowly lowered Maize to the chaise without resistance. "Allow me to offer just a sample of what I can manage."

"I don't think it's said anywhere that footmen are supposed to seduce their Ladies either."

Ress smiled down at her, holding up the small envelope that contained the last pill of herbs. "I've always been one for the unconventional."