𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐍𝐢𝐧𝐞

Ⅸ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒑𝒂𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆

THREE DAYS LATER

BREY WANDERD THROUGH THE STREETS NEAR THE LITTLE PALACE. The amounts of people wandering around reminding her of festivals from her home. Brey pushed the thought to the side and replayed Kaz's words. "I need you in the palace, as a guest. I need you to stay as close to Alina as possible." Brey followed a young woman, a ditzy one. Her invitation to the palace sticking out of her basket. Brey needed to take it before someone else did.

Brey stood by Kaz on the upper levels of the crew club. Her hands rested on the wooden banisters and Kaz held his cane in his gloved hands. "How'd you steal my necklace?" Brey questioned, looking over her shoulder at the younger boy.

"What's the easiest way to steal a man's wallet?" Kaz countered and Brey furrowed her eyebrows. Brey was about to answer but Kaz cut in, "Not your way."

"Distract him," Brey suggested. "Make him look away as you steal from him."

A small, prideful smile took over his features. "Quite possibly," Kaz nodded. "But for more control, make him think you're going to steal his watch."

Brey hummed and turned her head back to the club, watching the pigeons. "Take his attention and put it where you want it to go. He won't notice until you're long gone."

Brey walked closer to a stall and nicked a piece of paper folding it the same way the woman did. Once Brey was close enough, she tugged at the woman's large gold bracelet. "Hey!" The woman squeaked.

"My apologies, ma'am," Brey apologized, her right hand switching the paper. Brey spun around and made her way from the market, meeting Kaz by the carriage. Brey walked to him, presenting the invitation. "I would have gotten two but..." Brey trailed off, the other people walking around with invitations clutching them close to their chests. "Ravka has eagles not pigeons."

"I have my way in," Kaz shot down. The two looked around at the other women. They were adorned with jewels and long dresses. Brey sighed through her nose, knowing what words were about to leave Kaz. "You need a dress."

"I know," Brey sighed and slipped the invitation into her corset.

"Give me your weapons," Kaz ordered. Brey sighed and handed Kaz her gun and daggers. "I'll see you inside, do not get caught."

𓅨

BREY HELD THE TOP OF THE HEAVY SILK BLUE DRESS. The matching corset constricting her far more than her regular one did. Brey covered her accent, stepping up to a guard the others would have had to pass. Brey held the invitation up and smiled, "Hello, I have an invitation-"

The man snatched the invitation from her hand and Brey paused her sentence. He took a moment to read over the paper before looking back up at Brey. "Do you have any weapons?" The man questioned.

"No sir," Brey confirmed, shaking her head.

He went to speak again but a man tried to run through the crowds, the guards running to stop him. "Again? Really?" The man grumbled. "You," The man pointed to Kaz, although in a guard's uniform and passed him Brey's invitation.

Kaz walked over and Brey smiled, the fur hat almost falling over Kaz's eyes. The first man walked off and Brey turned to face Kaz. "You are allowed on the grounds and main ballroom only." Brey nodded and Kaz handed her the invitation. "Allow me to escort you."

Brey waited until they were far enough from other guards before laughing slightly. "You make a great palace guard," Brey mumbled with a smile and Kaz rolled his eyes. "What's the plan?"

"I'll walk the route our target will take from the ballroom to the dinner event and look for an ambush point," Kaz started, his eyes staring ahead. "Jesper is planning an escape route. There is a gap in the schedule between events, so they may place her in a room away from the crowd, somewhere safe. This would be where they feel she's most protected and therefore, the best place to grab her. We just need to find a way in. And have someone ready with a distraction to give us cover on our way out. That's where we grab her."

"You just have to make sure she stays on track, no surprises. Do not blow your cover," Kaz finished before splitting off from Brey and down a hall.

.

Jesper stood in the doorway, looking around at the people walking through the halls. His head perked up when someone in a black suit, thinking it was Brey, walked in but it was just another patron. He hadn't seen Brey yet and it started to worry him. "Does this look right?" Inej called to him, her body hanging on the silk. "I haven't done this routine since I was 14." Jesper moved to look at her but the woman in a bright blue dress stopped him.

Jesper's heart started to race and the world felt like it was slowing around him. It was her, but this time she wasn't controlling anything. Except for the tall Zemeni. "Is that- Brey?" Jesper questioned, pushing himself up slightly.

"Jesper, you're not even paying attention, are you?" Inej questioned, sliding down the silk.

Brey made her way over to them, her hands clasped together behind her back. "Wow, Brey-"

"I swear to Saints Jes, if you say something I will slap you," Brey cut in, pressing her hand against the corset as she took a deep breath, the heavy skirt pulling her down slightly. "I hate the color blue."

"Really? I like it," Jesper spoke with a smile.

"Do not mess with me right now Jes," Brey huffed, leaning against the wall.

"I mean it, you look really nice," Jesper paused, his eyes running over the dress and back up to Brey's face and her soft blue makeup. "You look beautiful... in-in blue," Jesper stuttered. Brey smiled softly and stood up straighter.

"Do you, uh, do you have a way out yet?" Brey questioned.

"He's been distracted," Inej shot, giving him a knowing look.

"I just," Jesper paused not wanting to admit he was worried. "You hadn't shown yet, thought I'd have to handle everything myself." Jesper teased.

"Well, this is going to be a lot less amusing when the carriage you find isn't fast enough," Inej snapped, her arms crossed.

"Oh. So now you're an acrobat and a carriage expert?" Jesper questioned. "Tell me, what makes one carriage faster than another? Wheels? Weight? The year it was built?"

"It's a trick question," Brey answered and Jesper nodded.

"The right answer is there is no right answer. The carriage doesn't matter. It's the horse that makes the difference. The horse determines how far, how fast. And that determines whether you get caught or not," Jesper explained in a rush, a proud smile on his face.

"No human being should ever be as proud as you are right now," Inej mumbled, looking to Brey for support but she simply smiled.

"Me? What about your Sun Summoner? I'm not the one who invited half the world to see me do a party trick," Jesper snapped, looking back over the crowd.

"You think that's what it is? Just a trick?" Inej questioned.

"Kaz thinks it's a trick," Brey shrugged. "He's usually not wrong."

"Do think what you do is a trick then," Inej snapped, staring at Brey. Brey sighed softly, looking away from Inej. "Do you know why I believe in the Sun Summoner so much, it's because I met you. You have the power of a saint, you are one of my saints. What you do should be impossible."

Brey shook her head and straightened, a small scoff leaving her lips. "I am I runaway Grisha, I am no one's saint," Brey said lowly. "I'll wander around, let you know if find anything interesting."

𓅨

BREY WALKED AROUND THE MAIN FLOOR. Her eyes scanned the expensive walls adorned with gold and silver. Jesper walked to her, pausing by her side. His regular green jacket and vest replaced with a Zemeni red stable hand coat. "You got a minute?" Jesper asked, holding his hand out.

"If you take me to dance we're going to have a problem," Brey sighed with a small laugh, taking Jesper's hand. Jesper walked her around to a quieter part of the main floor, tucked away in a corner.

"I saw her, she's part Shu," Jesper informed, and Brey sighed softly. "By your reaction, she hasn't shown yet."

"If she has, I haven't seen her," Brey mumbled, bringing her hand up to rub her neck. "But I'm guessing you haven't shown up just to tell me something I'll figure it out in an hour."

"Arken is going to grab her, Kaz's orders," Jesper relayed. "She's going to a fitting room on the east before dinner. Fabrikator designed door lock, so Arken is unlocking it with some special rock. We're pulling a lynx flush. Arken garbs while Kaz and Inej clear, we are finding our escape route."

"So, I stay until she or the General has been seen and then make my way to the stable's?" Brey questioned, her eyes darting over the red velvet and Jesper nodded. Brey straightened as a man in expensive gold walked past them.

He eyed Brey up and down, smiling softly. Jesper's jaw clenched slightly, and Brey followed the man's eyes and gave him a small smile. Jesper couldn't decide if he should either thank or curse Kaz for taking his guns. "Well, I'll head back out," Brey nodded, turning away but Jesper caught her arm. His body was slightly tense and his jaw was still tight.

"I'll take your suit to the stable's," Jesper spoke, letting her arm go. "So you don't have to kidnap someone in a gown." Brey hummed slightly with a small smile. "What?"

"You're jealous," Brey guessed with a teasing smile. "No need, I basically took your last name, remember?" Brey teased before spinning and making her way back to the crowd.

𓅨

❝ 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 is a funny thing ❞