Quest updated…

  The “Nice” Part of Town

  Congratulations, you managed to infiltrate the masses of the nobility without anyone batting an eye. Now you just need to convince Trevalin that you can be trusted. Good luck.

  The older woman that I’d seen Ophelia point out earlier was standing next to a massive desk in the room at the end of the long hall.

  The room itself was a library or study of sorts, with tall bookshelves that lined each wall. A ladder attached to a rail system on the ceiling was leaned against the shelves to the right. Several tables were situated around the room, each one holding various statues made of different types of material. Some were the color of stone, while others appeared to be polished gold and brass.

  Long, flowing white hair fell from the woman’s head, silhouetting her shoulders. She sneered as she looked me up and down.

  “A friend?” She barked out a laugh. “You and I do not even begin to wander the same circle of friends,” she said, the sneer remaining on her face.

  “I assure yo—”

  “You assure me of nothing, girl. You are bothering me when I have important business to attend to. Make it quick or I’ll get the guards in here. I’m sure the dragon warrior will be quite unhappy to find that he has angered me. My husband and I are very valued within the empire's nobility. You do not want to make an enemy of me.”

  A spike of fear ripped through me at the mention of the empress, but it was quickly replaced by the stirring anger caused by the woman’s insolent attitude.

  “I have come on recommendation from Ovali. He said that you and I could work well together.”

  Trevalin let out another laugh, this one louder. As if the situation were truly amusing.

  “Ovali? That no-good, oily bastard?” She scoffed and straightened, looking me up and down again. “And who are you exactly? One of his lackeys sent to try to make good on the deal he owes me?”

  I bristled slightly at the revelation, but did not show it on my features. Perhaps I should have expected something like this. I was jumping blindly into things I had no experience with.

  “Whatever he owes you, it is of no concern to me. I simply went to him looking to make a deal, and he directed me to you. Said you could get me access to a place where deals often happen.”

  Trevalin narrowed her eyes. “He did not send you to pay his debts?”

  I shook my head. “I did not know he owed you anything. It was not mentioned during our conversations.”

  The woman put a hand to her face, stroking it as if lost in thought for a moment. “Very well. I assume you believe you could strike a better deal than Ovali then? Perhaps come to offer me some fleeting object that nobody else can get their hands on?” A look flashed across her face. Like a predator playing with its dinner as she leaned forward, her eyes on me.

  “You have three minutes to convince me.” Trevalin watched me with hawk-like eyes, waiting to see what I would do. But I was used to working under pressure. I’d spent hundreds of years under the pressure of my mother and father’s gazes. This was nothing new.

  I decided to take a risk. A big one, but she struck me as the kind of woman who would appreciate such risks, especially if they paid off.

  Plus, I needed to show her that I had connections worth being attached to.

  Reaching behind me, I lifted up the back of my dress where she couldn’t see, and then pulled one of the black steel swords from my inventory. I felt the cold of the hilt press into my palm as it appeared from thin air, and then I twirled it before me.

  Trevalin gasped as the sword flashed through the air.

  “Have you ever seen one of these?” I asked her as I pulled the sheath away, revealing the cool, dark metal of the blade. It flashed in the light of the room.

  “Yes.” She took the sword with careful hands when I held the hilt out to her and she inspected it closely. “Where did you get this?”

  “I have my ways. I can get other things, too. Things from outside the city if needed. I’m sure that is less of an issue for someone like yourself, who has such close ties to the imperial court. However, discretion is also important, is it not?”

  I took the sword back from her and slid it back into the sheath. Her lips pursed beneath her mask. Her eyes, the blue of the deep ocean, stared at me as she stood there.

  Showing her the sword was reckless, I knew, but I needed some way to move the conversation in my favor.

  “How many of these can you get? I might be able to strike a deal with someone.”

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  “Enough,” I told her. “Though, I’m not particularly looking to sell them outright. I’d like to get my hands on other things that might benefit me and those who trust me to do their business.”

  She raised an eyebrow as I finished. “And what kind of business might that be?”

  I smiled. “The kind that makes you and me a lot of coin.”

  Her mouth quirked into a smile, and she laughed. “And how much coin do you think I’d get for turning you in?”

  I met her smile with one of my own, trying not to let the fear that pricked at the back of mind show on my face. “Not nearly as much as you could earn if you worked with me. That I can assure you.”

  She looked at me long and hard, her lips still twisted up at the corners. “Consider me intrigued. I’m going to presume Ovali has told you about the marketplace and that I don’t have to explain how it all works.”

  “He said you could get me in.”

  “Hmm. Yes, I suppose he is correct. I’ll tell you what…” She waited, as if expecting something.

  “Lady Grace,” I said, keeping up the moniker I’d been using all night.

  “Lady Grace,” she repeated the words slowly, as if tasting them. “I will give you one chance to impress me. But only one. And I do hope you have more to offer than just coin. I have more than enough of that already.”

  *** *** ***

  I passed by the guard on my way out. He was still standing alone as I pushed back into the ballroom, sticking to the sides so I could avoid the dancers. I needed to get out of here before whoever Trevalin was actually supposed to meet arrived at that door and alerted the guard to my infiltration.

  I had a lot to think about, and even more that I needed to be doing.

  Ophelia and Yen were off talking with some of the other nobility. We all decided to stick around until people started to leave, as we’d be able to sneak out more easily in the larger groups. Though I still planned to leave alone, in case anything went wrong and I attracted the wrong attention.

  I continued to stick close to the edge of the room as I circled around it. It didn’t take long for me to spot a group of nobles as they made their way toward the front entrance. I caught Ophelia’s eye. She was close to me, interacting with another group of noblewomen. I nodded to her and held up a single finger as nonchalantly as I could—the signal that I was leaving—and then I made a beeline for the group before they could pass through the large doorway and out into the hallway.

  It was easy to mix into the group, and all of them were somewhat intoxicated as they stumbled into the hall and toward the front entrance. My shoulders went rigid as I felt an icy gaze on me, and I glanced up to see Kael standing on one of the upstairs balconies that looked into the expansive hallway, his eyes peering down at us.

  His gaze settled on me for a moment, and my heart began to thunder in my chest, like a stampede of fledglings rushing toward their first flight. It was as if I were once more kneeling in the street outside the palace gate that first night. I’d been so shocked by what was happening that I hadn’t thought to demand he use his abilities on me.

  How much would have changed if I had? Would I have been able to convince him and the others?

  I hadn’t known the false empress was even around back then. How na?ve would I have looked. I met his eyes briefly as his cold of his stare passed away from me. I left out a soft, long breath.

  The rest of my exit came without incident, the guards moving out of the way as the drunken group stumbled out and into the street. I remained with the group as it headed deeper into the Western Quarter, two of the guards flanking our sides as we walked.

  They turned back when we reached the end of the block, and I slipped into the darkness of an alleyway before anyone could notice me among the group. They all continued, their laughter and voices carrying through the night.

  I took this moment to look through the new messages the System had given me during the ball.

  

  Quest completed…

  The “Nice” Part of Town.

  You infiltrated the ball at Harrendale Hall and managed to make a deal with Lady Trevalin. Hopefully she can be trusted.

  Quest reward: [Ring of Minor Charisma]

  I also received a large batch of experience, which had increased my level from 11 to 12.

  

  Congratulations. You have reached Level 12.

  +3 Attribute Points.

  The Ring had gone directly into my inventory, which was going to take some getting used to. I pulled up the window for it and looked through everything I’d stashed in there earlier. It was like having access to my own personal hoard wherever I was. The sword that I’d used to convince Trevalin was there, as well as several lock picks and the tonics that I had previously carried in my satchel. I found the ring and pulled it from the air.

  

  [Ring of Minor Charisma]

  Once believed to be a Lord’s ring, this piece of jewelry provides a small bonus to the [People Person] skill, making you more adept at talking your way out of bad situations.

  I slipped the ring on my finger and another message appeared before me.

  

  People Person +1

  That brought my level in that skill to a total of 3. I wasn’t sure how effective that would be, but it was good to know I had received an upgrade.

  I returned to the other messages as I stood in the alley, hidden in the darkness. One was a new quest, which I’d first noticed after the talk with Meredith. I pulled up the details to look at them more closely.

  

  New quest available…

  The Empress’s Lost Puppy

  Meredith was once one of your most trusted allies. However, since the false empress took over your body, she has been questioning many of the decisions laid forth by the ruler acting in your body. Can you use that to your advantage? Or will trying to win her over cost you more in the end? The decision is yours. Will you go looking for your lost puppy, or will you let it wander around aimlessly in the dark?

  Accept?

  I read over the words carefully. It seemed my needling of the woman had indeed caused a stir, at least within the System. It was a strange quest—and even stranger to think of Meredith as a lost puppy, but my heart thrilled at the possibility of having her at my side again, just as it had earlier in the night. I accepted the quest and dismissed the message.

  I slipped further down the alley, using the back streets to make my way back over to one of the alleys that looked out at the front of the manor.

  I waited there, hidden in the darkness, until I spotted Ophelia and Yen leaving the ball. Then I followed them from the shadows as the guards escorted them to the end of the block, only falling into step with them once the guards turned back to their posts.

  “Did you do it?” Yen asked as I moved between them.

  I offered her a smile. “We have a lot of work to do. We’ll start first thing in the morning.”