“What are you doing?”
“I need to go to the Queen’s Procurator’s Archives to find the legal basis for the siege. Even if it’s within his power, he had to create a report,”
“Daniel, it’s seven o’clock at night. You just collapsed from exhaustion,”
“I’ll take Hellen with me,”
“I’m not going to persuade you otherwise, am I?”
“No. Whilst you and Nemesio go to see the Lord Justice, we’ll search the archives. Come to Harrison’s house afterwards. We’ll regroup,”
Knowing her brother wasn’t going to back down, Alessandria passed him his leather trench coat, sword and leather trousers. It only bought her some comfort that Hellen could protect him. She couldn’t afford to lose him. Yet at least he said Nemesio’s name without tensing.
CHAPTER 12
Despite my body aching and my head a tiny bit fuzzy from fatigue, myself and Hellen entered the Archive deep under the castle. In all honesty, I'm not sure if I'm aching from the fatigue or the ridiculously long spiralling staircase we had to walk down to get here.
The sound of Hellen's big wooden stick tapping against the dark stone floor thankfully broke the silence of being so deep below ground. I could probably scream in here and no one would be able to hear me.
Looking at Hellen with her massive stick and her grey Procurator cloak. I was definitely grateful Alessandria made me bring her. With her stick nearby, I felt a lot safer but something was still off.
As I looked at the immense books of parchment containing centuries worth of documents. The fact that there was only one light and a lot of hiding places didn't exactly make me feel comfortable down here.
Focusing on the Archive in more detail, I appreciate the bookshelves bolted to the walls. To support the immense weight of the centuries old brown leather book covers.
Hellen walked past me and looked behind the back of the bookshelf on the far end of the Archive. She shook her head and I knew why. From looking at a map of the archives a few years ago, I know this place is a maze and this little 'entrance' way with three bookcases and a small wooden table around us was only a fraction of the true inventory.
Thankfully, I doubt Ares would have been bothered to file the case correctly. Meaning it should theoretically be in this 'entrance' part.
However, I hate the smell of the Archive. All these dusty book covers and smelly ancient bits of parchment, most of which I'm sure were mouldy. Not exactly my scene. I love books but not smelly parchment.
Taking a few steps closer towards the wooden table, I cocked my head at the strange map laid out. It showed an ancient coastline of Mortisical. Surely Ares had wanted to see this for his rogue crusade. It's all rather stupid if you ask me. Attacking the Mortisicals is pointless and we've won anyway.
That's one of the benefits of having a boyfriend with personal access to the Queen. He got to proofread the final proof of the peace treaty and the Queen asked for his opinion as a common subject. Then he told me all of the details of the treaty. I don't know why Ares' is complaining we make a lot more money from this peace deal than at war. But what are you going to do with ignorant people?
Turning my attention to Hellen, she started to look at the cold leather book covers and I started to notice she was shivering in her Procurator cloak. I couldn't blame her it was approaching nine o'clock at night and it might be summer. But down here that didn't matter!
Stepping forward, I went to one of the bookcases and started to look at the large leather book covers. I wasn’t looking at the covers. I needed to look at the dust on the bookshelves. Nobody ever comes down here so a book without a thick layer of dust in front of it was strange.
Hellen wandered over, tapping her big stick as she did, and she pointed to a book cover at the bottom.
Knowing I wasn’t going to pick it up, Hellen rolled her eyes and picked it up. Her face pulled a drained expression. I couldn’t blame her, the book looked to be over twenty kilograms. She dumped it on the wooden table that cracked a little under the weight.
“Thank you,” I said as I threw the book cover open and started to page through it.
“What ya looking for?”
“Even if Ares knew no one would demand to see a legal justification of the Greenscales siege. He would have made one and that’s what we’re looking for,”
“Why put the doc in a book from two centuries ago? That sounds boring,”
“I don’t think 200 year old legal cases are meant to be fun,”
“I donna know. I’ve seen some great 500-year-old cases. People did some creative murders back then,”
I simply nodded as I paged through more of the book.
“Don’t ya just shake the book?”
She had a point. I could just lift up the two-hundred-year-old of book and see what falls out but knowing my luck everything would fall out.
Grabbing the edges of the book covers, I lifted up the book, fighting against the strain in my arms, and shook the book a few times. Three pieces of crystal white parchment fell on the floor.
Hellen picked them up and shook her head.
“These doesn’t look like two-hundred-year-old parchment,” she added as she passed me two sheets. “This all seems fine. This talks about the intelligence reports showing Mortisical amassing an army,”
Turning to Hellen, I laid out the three sheets of parchment on the wooden table and I pointed to each of the pairs of signatures on them.
Her eyes widened.
“I didn’t think the Queen knew about the siege,”
“She doesn’t, Hellen. These are fake. Someone faked the Queen’s signature. Even some of these facts are wrong or bending of the truth. That report outlined in your sheet is the one I wrote three years ago,”
Hellen shook her head.
“This is all built on a bed of lies and deception. The men that Ares’ controls are believing in lies,” I explained.
Hellen was about to open her mouth when multiple footsteps came from the maze of the main archive.
She grabbed her stick.
I whipped out my sword. Its cold hilt in my hand.
Five females in dark cloaks walked out.
One immediately fired a crossbow at me.
It grazed my left shoulder.
Pain flooded my body.
The females advanced.
One woman charged at Hellen.
She thumped her with her stick. Then again and again.
Bones cracked and muscles ripped.
Another woman jumped at me. I slashed across her chest with my sword.
The crossbow fired again. Hitting my left arm.
The bolt radiated agony into my body. My arm felt as if it was on fire.
Hellen charged the women. Whacking her stick at them.
They punched her.
We looked at each other and nodded.
Hellen whacked the candle above the small wooden table.
It fell.
The two-hundred-year-old book caught ablaze.
Massive flames engulfed the table.
The women stumbled back.
We ran to the staircase.
As we reached it, a purple magical shield activated. Cutting the small ‘entrance’ off from the rest of the castle and archive.
I peeked at the women trapped inside.
The fire died out, but women looked as if they were screaming. Yet no sound came out as the magic in the archive sucked all the air out of the room. Choking the women to death.
My arm was wet with my blood and my arm pulsed with pain. I held my arm tight and bit my lip. Hopefully Alessandria and Nemesio were having better luck.
CHAPTER 13
Walking into the Lord Justice's office, Alessandria gasped immediately as she saw the entire chamber was like a small cathedral. With its large stained glass windows depicting former war heroes and gold leaf covering the walls of the domed room.
Equally, you could see the marks of walls where they had been damaged a
s the gold leaf was chipped or flaked off the walls. Yet Alessandria didn't care, this was beautiful. Even the floor was covered in a thick velvety red rug.
She took a few steps into the chamber just to feel the soft rug under her leather boots. It was like walking on air. Alessandria didn't want to leave.
This desire was further added to when she smelt the sweet citrus incense of sweet fruity oranges that burned on golden pillars in each of the four corners of the chamber.
Maybe she was tired but Alessandria could feel the excitement build within her. If the Lord Justice had an office this grand, what was the Queen's like?
Which was odd to Alessandria considering she had never been to the Queen's office or throne room. Maybe she needed to create an excuse to see it, and sit on the throne whilst she was there.
At the sound of someone moving in the office, Alessandria looked at the far end to see the Lord Justice getting up from his silver desk covered in piles of parchments and a golden sphere.
He smiled at her and he started to walk towards her in his long sterile white robes of office that draped across the floor behind him.
Despite Alessandria enjoying herself, maybe even too much, she almost sneered at how regal the Lord Justice was walking. He was no Queen. He was in charge of her so how dare he act superior in front of her.
Then she thought about it for a moment and as Lord Justice, all the Dominicus Procurators answered to him even the Queen's Dominicus Procurator. So maybe he was entitled to act superior. Alessandria gave a quick laugh at the silly thought.
Whilst Alessandria didn't mind the temperature of the office, she thought it was odd the office was so warm, warm enough she felt a drop of sweat down her back. Especially, since the wind of the ocean made summer nights pretty cold. Alessandria dismissed the train of thought as the Lord Justice came to meet her.
His old well-aged features smiled as he looked at Alessandria's youthful face. She returned the smile if not unsure about the reason for his smile. Nemesio thankfully came over to stand next to her.
The Lord Justice asked in a posh, elegantly almost lyrical voice “What do I own this unexpected pleasure, Lady Fireheart? It is a rare privilege to be graced by someone as legendary as you,”
“I did not know I was so legendary in the annuals of the procurators,”
“Lady Fireheart, you underestimate yourself. Few Procurators in our thousand-year history has taken down a Noble House,”
“You humble me, Lord Justice but I am not here for a social call,”
“That is a grand shame, my Lady. I would have appreciated the chance to pick such a fine and mighty brain,”
Alessandria wanted to take a step away from him, but she needed his help, unfortunately.
“Lord Justice, there is a prisoner awaiting to be tried for murder, drug possession and thievery in the Queen’s Cells,”
“There are many such prisoners, my Lady. I politely request a name,”
“Danic Serpentine,”
The Lord Justice paused for a moment, his face allowing a puzzled expression to break his elegant, aged face. Before a gentle warming smile formed.
“My Lady, why do you want him?”
“I am requesting you to drop the charges,”
Alessandria looked at him. Her eyes narrowing as the Lord Justice fought to contain his laughter.
“My Lady Fireheart, even if I could release him, I would not. He is a criminal and a member of the Serpent Gang. Merely because he does not operate on Fireheart land does not mean he should go free,”
Nemesio stepped forward. His eyes narrowing on the Lord Justice.
“You said if you could release him. You are the Lord Justice. You can release everyone unless the Queen overrules you. If that is your concern, we promise you the Queen will not overrule you,”
“Noble friend, I appreciate that, but the Queen is not my concern in this regard, but the Serpentine is dead. Murdered by a man in a black cloak two hours ago. We killed the man on site,”
Nemesio grabbed Alessandria’s arm and pulled her aside.
“They must have known we needed him,” he whispered.
“No one knew. Daniel and Hellen wouldn’t have told anyone,”
“In all fairness, it’s a good guess we were being monitored. The mastermind would know we went to see the Serpent Gang. It’s probable her grandson is what she would bargain for,”
“Nemesio, what now?”
Nemesio stopped and shook his head.
Alessandria completely agreed. This was the one shot they had at finding the person who hired the assassins. Maybe the fact that these assassins killed her Grandson might shake her tongue loose, but Alessandria doubted it. Criminals didn’t normally work like that. Sure she might find the mastermind’s body in a few days, but she wanted to do this right.
“We need to go to Harrison’s and regroup. Hopefully, Daniel and Hellen found something,” Alessandria explained.
“Agreed,”
A body fell to the floor.
Alessandria turned around.
The Lord Justice laid on the floor unconscious.
Five black cloaked assassins stood around him. Each armed with a crossbow.
This was no fight they could win.
Nemesio didn’t seem to care.
He darted forward.
The enemy fired.
Two crossbow bolts hit his armour. Piercing it.
He roared in pain.
The enemy reloaded.
Alessandria grabbed Nemesio.
The Assassins fired.
Alessandria pulled Nemesio away.
A bolt shot into her leg.
Her and Nemesio jumped up.
Nemesio supported Alessandria.
She bit back the pain as she felt the blood dripping from the wound.
An assassin screamed.
Alessandria and Nemesio rapidly hopped along together.
She looked back briefly to see the Lord Justice thrusting a small dagger into the leg of an Assassin.
They kept going.
CHAPTER 14
Closing my eyes briefly to get a moment of calm I felt the cold metal of my dulled blade as I turned it in my left hand. While I leaned into the soft white square cushions of Harrison's sofa that was thankfully warm as I had been sitting here for a few minutes.
Opening my eyes, I looked at the piece of cloth that Harrison had used to put pressure on my wound. Thankfully it was just a flesh wound, a very painful flesh wound I add. Harrison had said and I concurred with him after remembering my Military days. There were a lot of flesh wounds back then!
Turning my attention to Harrison, he laid on the sofa, topless, with his head resting on my leg and I played with his beautifully soft hair. I know it's weird but I always found this calming, and he didn't mind.
Sadly taking my attention away from him, I looked to the other sofa adjacent to our one to see Alessandria and Hellen in their black and grey Procurator cloaks and Nemesio in his forsaken blue and red fiery armour sitting comfortably together. But I couldn't believe that the Inquisitor had his feet on Harrison's brown oak coffee table. Even worse he was gently humming!
I hate humming or anything that creates extra noise. How dare he? I don't want to keep listening to a barely audible humming. It's so annoying. But I kept playing with Harrison's beautiful hair.
Although I did see Nemesio admiring Harrison's small cottage, you might as well call it, and I too had an appreciative look. Admiring the old drawings on the walls, the stove and the lovely fireplace. As well as the new items that I had bought us when Harrison made me buy some stuff so we could call the place ours. I didn't mind so I bought some small paintings of Military battles and some books on Military history from my room at the castle.
I know normally I would have hated the idea of moving these paintings and books. Yet now I didn't even hesitate. I knew I loved him and I was more than ready to start this new chapter of my... Our life together. Just for the hell of it, I looked down and
gave Harrison a quick kiss.
Returning my attention, to our house guest I had to admit considering Nemesio was in his awful armour and he was here. I was a lot calmer than I thought I'll be. Maybe it's because I'm playing with my dulled blade and Harrison's hair. But I like to think it's because I'm getting better.
What concerned me though was Alessandria's story about cloaked men attacking her and Nemesio. Thankfully, Harrison patched her up too and against his better judgement he patched up Nemesio too. He had some old healing potion of a witch he knew once so he gave it to Alessandria. Saying she'll be fine tomorrow. I really hope so. I don't want her to be in pain.
Immediately, I flinched as I saw Nemesio open his mouth and speak: “Thank you, Harrison for patching us up. You have a lovely house,”
Harrison simply nodded and ignored the compliment. We both agreed they were pointless words. Did it matter if he liked our house?
“Alessandria, what happened exactly again?” I asked.
Alessandria tapped Nemesio’s legs to get him to remove them from the table as she replied: “We were talking to the Lord Justice about the Serpentine boy and these assassins just turned up. They must have been hiding in the office,”
“Strange,” I added.
“At least me and Daniel found something. We were artful. Even with those women shooting at us,”
“Thank you, Hellen,” Alessandria smiled.
“But this makes no sense,” I said. “Let’s recap, what do we know?”
“We know earlier today a group of assassins got let into the Queen’s official talking thing and tried to kill her. These people were hired by an unknown figure who is only known to the Leader of the Serpent Gang. She bargained the name for the release of her Grandson, who these assassins killed for an unknown purpose,” Alessandria explained.
“Meanwhile, Ares, who is most certainly this figure, has been sieging the Greenscales land and trying to raise an army for an unknown crusade. He has even gone as far as to cover his tracks by faking all the necessary legal documents. Even the Queen’s signature is fake,”
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