Evangeline

Evangeline had found out who worked for the king directly through eavesdropping and asking a few questions. She had learned that when they were of close perimeter to the king, they felt uneasy and as if there was an uncomfortable pressure on their chest. She asked if they had seen the king behave oddly or possess something that seemed off. No one dared to speak a word about it, but Evangeline could see their fear. She managed to learn one thing from one of the servants. At midnight, the king goes to a hall in a part of the castle that he had called off limits to anyone. There was always a guard standing there and the only person allowed to pass was the king. She knew they had to get to that hall.

Sunset was approaching, Evangeline made her way to the rendezvous point. She stayed a distance away waiting for Kaden not wanting anyone to seem suspicious of her. She saw him walking up to the point when she began making her way there as well.

"I found something," Evangeline said. "There's an off limits hall guarded at all times, the only person allowed through is the king. He goes there everyday at midnight. That has to have a lot of answers.

"That means we have one chance and one chance only when we decide to go to that hall," he said. They had to have all the details and a backup plan to the backup plan ready for when they decide to go.

Kaden took out a bottle contained a thick yellow liquid. "I obtained this. It is a truth serum. All it takes is one drop and in a few minutes the victim should be open to truthfulness. Just as long as the serum goes inside them then it should work."

Usually, she would be skeptic but she knew Kaden was no fool.

"Do you think we could use it on the king?" Evangeline asked.

Kaden shook his head immediately. "It's too soon. He's seen our faces, he'll order an attack on Adaresa immediately. We can't risk that."

"You're right." Evangeline agreed. It was too risky. "How about the King's Ten?"

Kaden furrowed his brows thinking about it. "Maybe. We'll need to isolate one, get him alone. There is always the risk he'll remember us. We don't know who had gotten a good look at our faces when we ran away."

"We'll have to do it somewhere dark and pick the right target," she said and Kaden nodded in agreement.

"How about one of the men that guard that mysterious hall?" He offered.

"That's actually a good idea Kaden, they are bound to have heard or seen something," she said.

"Of course it's a good idea, it's my idea," he teased, earning an eye roll from Evangeline.

"Let's go do some spying."

***
Evangeline

They had watched the hall every day for three days. They found that only two guards guarded the hall; one in the morning and one at night. They followed each man after their shifts to see what they did and where they were on their free time. The men only went to their room where a meal would be waiting for them and slept. It was a very dull job. The only person that entered or left the hall was the king himself. When he did he spent hours inside.

They figured their best target would be the guard that got off at nightfall. Offering to bring the meal to his room, Evangeline set up a cup of wine with a drop of the serum and waited for the guard. She sat on his bed with one leg crossed over the other while Kaden hid behind a curtain. They made sure not to turn on any candles and letting the darkness be their ally.

The guard walked into the room looking exhausted before suddenly going on alert, his hand pulling out his sword. Evangeline stood with her hands up in surrender.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" He asked. Evangeline noticed he had a very distinct lisp when he spoke. He pronounced the r sound with a w sound.

"A gift from the king for all your hard work," she said as she cautiously took a step towards him.

"R-really?"

Seeing him ease she continued to walk towards him. She reached him trailing a finger down his chest. "If I don't appeal to you I can always ask my employer for a new gift."

The man gulped before sucking in a shaky breath. "No, that is fine."

Evangeline smiled before walking past him to the table where she had poured the wine. She held up the cup to him. "To set up the mood."

He eyed the cup cautiously. Evangeline let out a chuckle to throw him off suspicion, she took a sip from the goblet so he could trust her. She hoped she wouldn't reveal any secrets, she needed to move fast before the serum took an effect on her. The guard took the cup and took a sip before setting it down. He moved closer to Evangeline pulling her body flush against his.

"I have to apologize," she said. The guard furrowed his brows in confusion. "I hope you like a party."

In that moment Kaden had grabbed his arms pulling him back. The guard didn't go down without a fight. He hit Kaden with an elbow to the face making Kaden's grip falter. Evangeline jumped into action helping out her partner. The guard was skilled and they were making way too much noise. Kaden finally hit the guard enough to make him dizzy so Evangeline could bound him. They tied him to a chair and tested out the serum.

"What is your biggest and darkest secret? Your greatest desire?" Kaden asked.

Evangeline gave him a questioning look earning a shoulder shrug.

"I-" She could see the guard struggling to keep quiet as she was also, the serum was taking effect on her too. "I- I am in love with Pablo."

"The other guard?" Evangeline gasped.

The man nodded. "I don't know how it happened but I just do!"

She couldn't be so surprised, the other guard and the king were the only humans this man ever saw daily.

"Tell me, what--" Kaden was interrupted with a knock on the door. Kaden immediately threw his hand over the guards mouth who let out a muffled scream that ended up sounding like a loud groan. "You make a sound then I will show you real pain by brutally murdering Pablo, you understand?"

Colour drained out the guards face before he nodded his head. Kaden removed his hand and replaced it with a piece of cloth. They both dragged the guard behind a curtain when the knock came again.

"Kieran! What is all that noise? Are you alright?" someone asked on the other end. Evangeline looked at Kaden with wide eyes. Kaden pointed to the bed where the guard was supposed to be sleeping at this time. She was about to go hide so that Kaden may hide beneath his blanket but he shook his head and dragged her with him to the bed.

"What are you doing?" she whisper-yelled.

"Trust me," he said. Kaden lay on the bed and pulled one of Evangeline's over his waist so that she was seated on his laps. Her back was to the door and also hid Kaden. The door was beginning to open and Evangeline forgot boundaries. As if any doubts and restraints she had flew out the window and all she could think about was her desire. The question Kaden asked earlier rang in her head. What is your biggest and darkest secret? Your greatest desire?

"You," she said in a husky tone. Kaden looked at her in confusion. "You are my greatest desire."

***

Kaden

(This part might be slightly mature I guess, but not too much? I don't know! If you are a child then abort mission!)

Kaden's eyes widened in shock and realisation. The serum had taken effect on Evangeline too. He knew he hated the plan the moment she brought up seduction. Seeing the man touch her brought him over the edge. This was the last time she were to use such tactic.

"Eva--"

Her lips slowly found their way to his capturing his words.

"Kieran?" The guard on the door asked again but sounding very awkward at this point.

Evangeline was now trailing kisses along his jaw and down his neck. Her lips found their way to his ear, whispering, "I love the way you make me feel."

A groan escaped his lips. He wanted this for so long but he knew it was the serum speaking. He also knew he did not want this in front of an audience who would kill them if they knew who they were.

"Later," Kaden said gruffly to the man at the door in the lisp Kieran owned, sounding like he said latew.

"Y-yeah, sorry about this man," he said before the sound of a door shutting echoed in the room.

Evangeline's lips found their way back to his lips making him squeeze her thighs tighter. He gathered all his will power pulling his lips away from her. "Eva, my love, this isn't you."

She kept her lips close to his, her warm breath hitting him with lust. "But it is, I want you Kaden. All of you. My father isn't here, there is no such thing as Caderis or Mirari, no title, nothing. Just me and you. I want that Kaden, I want that happiness."

She kissed him again slowly stripping his self-control. He barely managed to keep hold of it, replying, "I will give it to you, I promise, but not now."

Kaden watched a struggle happen behind Evangeline's eyes.

"I promise you Eva," he assured her.

She sighed in defeat before removing herself off of him. Kaden took in a deep breath before going to interrogate the guard.

"What is in that hallway you are guarding," he asked.

The guard tried to fight of the serum but he blurted out the truth. "A secret passage in the wall. I was curious, I took a look, I know I shouldn't have."

"What does it lead to?" Evangeline asked.

"I don't know but there are rumors of ancient catacombs," he answered.

"And what exactly does he do in these ancient catacombs?" Kaden asked.

"I don't know, I really don't. No one does, but..." Kieran looked frightened. "He has changed."

"Changed? How?" Evangeline asked curiously.

"His eyes... They were once the lightest of blues, and now--"

"They're pitch black," Kaden whispered remembering how he looked the first time he saw him. There was a darkness in his eyes he couldn't shake. "What else can you tell us about him? What else has changed in your kingdom? What do you know of magic?"

The guard closed his eyes wincing as he kept trying to fight off the serum. Kaden didn't know how much longer they had before it started to wear off. "He started wearing an amulet when things around here started getting weird, it has a black stone, he sometimes talks to it, as if it whispers to him. He is so dark now it's frightening. There are people disappearing, I think he is doing something bad with their bodies. Anyone that has brought anything up about this is immediately executed by him. He just grabs them by the neck and it is as if he sucks the life out of them. He has been growing. His body has been getting larger and stronger. All his previous injuries just banished. He--"

Blood started pooling down Kieran's nose as he yelled in pain. He was fighting the serum with every part of him. Evangeline looked at Kaden as if asking him to stop before the man killed himself. Kaden picked up the cloth and stuffed it back in the guard's mouth.

"We need to get to the king and take away that amulet but not before we know what we are up against in the catacombs," Evangeline said.

"You're right," Kaden nodded. "Time to take a field trip."

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