The Affiliate (Ascension Book 1)

by K. A. Linde

  “No.” Maelia looked away from her in frustration. “We aren’t supposed to just know. We are supposed to follow through with the plan as we set forth.”

  “Life isn’t always like the Royal Guard, Maelia. Sometimes, you have to take risks to see outcomes! I’m taking my risk on Ahlvie. You took your risk on me.”

  Maelia sighed. “This is your plan. You make it or break it.”

  Cyrene nodded as her friend started forward after Ahlvie. They caught up with him as he stopped before a dirty narrow alleyway. He motioned for them to halt as well. He dismounted and tied up his horse to a post at the mouth of the alley.

  “You should probably come with me,” he said to Cyrene. “Two of you might put them on edge, but one might give me some leverage.”

  Cyrene hoisted herself off the horse and began to tie it up.

  “You’re actually going to follow him?” Maelia asked.

  “Please watch the horses,” she pleaded with her friend.

  Maelia hopped down and tied up her horse as well. “If you’re not back soon, I’m going to come find you. If I don’t find you, I’m going to the King,” she pointedly told her and Ahlvie.

  Cyrene flushed at the mention of Edric, and a knot formed at the pit of her stomach. She didn’t want a reminder that she was leaving him behind for this.

  “Deal.” Cyrene lightly grasped her hand before following Ahlvie down the alley.

  “Quite a trusting one, isn’t she?” Ahlvie glanced not so discreetly over his shoulder.

  “Give her a reason to trust you.”

  He shrugged noncommittally, and she sighed. “Just follow my lead, and don’t let on that I’m a High Order. Whatever I tell them, don’t act surprised. They’ll be looking for that.”

  “Who exactly are they?” She crinkled her forehead.

  “Doesn’t matter. An acquaintance but not one who freely gives information out. You’ll follow my lead?”

  She nodded, wondering what she had gotten herself into.

  “Don’t fight me.”

  Cyrene swiftly turned around. “Did you hear that?” she asked.

  “Hear what?”

  “I don’t know. I thought I heard something.”

  “Let me in.”

  Cyrene jumped again. “I think maybe someone is here.”

  “I don’t see anyone,” Ahlvie said, glancing around.

  She shuddered at the creepy whispers she had heard. Where did I hear it before? She couldn’t remember, but with a killer on the loose and all the deaths leading back to her, she suddenly didn’t feel safe walking the streets.

  “Let’s just hurry,” she told him.

  They reached the end of the alley in a rush, and Ahlvie knocked on the door.

  It swung open part of the way, and a fierce-looking woman with sharp eyes, straight long black hair, and a busty dark dress peered back at them. “What’s your business?”

  “Haille Mardas at your service, Mistress Bellevue.” He bowed lower than any bow Cyrene had seen him give to the King or Queen.

  “Did you say Haille Mardas?” She opened the door a little bit wider.

  “In the flesh.”

  “The last time I heard that name, you owed me five gold pences,” she said casually.

  “Ah, such a misunderstanding.” He swept his hand into his pocket and retrieved a few things from the small bag. “But as it turns out, I have three Aurumian gold trinkets. If you consider, they are the same thing.” He removed the three square trinkets and showed them to her.

  “Five Byern gold pences, Haille.”

  “Four trinkets,” he countered, making another piece appear from thin air.

  The woman snatched them out of his hand and stuffed them into her bodice. Cyrene tried not to appear scandalized.

  “Come right in then. I do remember now. It was four Aurumian trinkets.”

  “I thought you might.” He followed her through the door with Cyrene at his heels.

  The room they entered was pitch-black, save for a few candles. They walked through that room and entered one only slightly brighter.

  Two women with dark makeup passed them in low-cut corseted tops and revealing sheer skirts. Their hips swayed in an enticing dance.

  One of the girls ran her hand along Cyrene’s shoulder. “Mistress, is she new?” the girl asked. Her dark eyes were hooded, and her lips were as red as blood.

  “She is not,” Ahlvie said. He quickly removed the girl’s hand.

  Cyrene stared at Ahlvie in disbelief. Where in the Creator’s name did Ahlvie take me? Are we in some kind of harem house?

  The girl giggled and turned back to her friend. Mistress Bellevue arched an eyebrow, and they scurried away. She flicked a key into a locked door, and Cyrene kept her attention on that and nothing else. Ahlvie touched her arm, and Cyrene hastened after Mistress Bellevue. She escorted them up a small flight of stairs and into what appeared to be her private study.

  The room had blood-red walls and furniture to match. Soft white pillows sat atop the two settees, and a delicate white desk looked striking against the contrast of the walls. A dozen or more wax candles were lit around the room, and black and maroon curtains had been pulled back just enough to cast some natural light in from the harbor beyond the window. It was stunning, if not so overdone.

  “Feel free to have a seat.” Mistress Bellevue brushed aside her long skirt and sat on the divan facing the window. When she crossed her legs, her skirt fell over her knee, revealing a thigh-high slit and more leg than Cyrene deemed appropriate.

  “I believe I’ll stand.” Ahlvie gestured for Cyrene to sit down across from her, which she did.

  “Who is your charming friend, Haille?” Mistress Bellevue asked.

  “An Affiliate seeking counsel. She wishes to remain anonymous, which I’m sure you can understand. She came to me seeking answers, and I have half the knowledge that you and your master possess.”

  “Hmm.” She cocked her head to the side and stared at Cyrene. “An Affiliate, you say? Yes, I see the pin right there on her breast, displayed like a prized jewel.” She smiled coyly. “What sort of answers can I give you?”

  “We’re simply looking for a tidbit of information from your master.”

  “He’s not in,” she responded.

  “We’re on a tight schedule. Do you think you could check the dock schedules yourself?” Ahlvie asked.

  “The dock schedules?” Mistress Bellevue considered it. She raised her hand, palm up, and waited.

  Ahlvie grumbled something under his breath that Cyrene didn’t catch and then pulled out another Aurumian trinket from his purse. “Far too much,” he said. “We’re looking for any ship bound for Eleysia, preferably direct.”

  “I will see what I can do.” She slid the other trinket into her corset and then rose.

  She left through a side door Cyrene hadn’t noticed earlier. As Cyrene opened her mouth to speak with Ahlvie, he silenced her with a shake of his head.

  A moment later, Mistress Bellevue returned with a small piece of paper in her hand. “You’re in luck.”

  Ahlvie approached her and said something swiftly in a low voice that Cyrene couldn’t pick up from the distance. He snatched the piece of paper out of her hand when she responded with a cackle.

  “I do hope to see you soon, Haille. You’re always so much fun.”

  “Let’s go.”

  He grabbed Cyrene’s arm and dragged her through the strange house. Soon, they were back out under the afternoon summer sun in the deserted alleyway. Maelia was pacing a path into the dirt next to the horses and jumped when she saw them exiting the house.

  “You’re back,” she chirped when they reached her. “What happened?”

  “Can we get away from here first?” he asked, untying all their horses as swiftly as possible.

  “What? Why?” Maelia asked, glaring at him.

  “Maelia!” The tone of Cyrene’s voice made Maelia immediately get on her horse.

  They followed Ahlvi
e away from the strange alleyway. They made it to a small tavern, The White City Pub, before Ahlvie stopped his horse.

  “We’re going in there?” Cyrene glanced around. “Isn’t there somewhere else we could go?”

  “We can talk in here without risk of being overheard.”

  Cyrene and Maelia apprehensively glanced at each other before sliding off their horses and following Ahlvie. The pub looked the same as any reputable place Cyrene had set foot in in Byern with its low-beamed ceilings, a half-dozen wooden tables, and wine and beer kegs resting behind a bar. A full-bodied woman in a brown-and-white apron poured drinks, placed them on trays, and carried them out to the few patrons seated in the establishment. The men spoke jovially to the woman, and they all seemed to be friends.

  The trio took over a table near the empty pitted fireplace.

  The woman almost immediately came to their side. “Afternoon,” she said, leaning against their table with the tray propped up on her hip. “What’ll ya have?”

  Ahlvie ordered a mug of beer, but the two Affiliates declined service. When Ahlvie had his beer in hand, he extracted the piece of paper from his pocket and placed it on the table.

  “What does it say?” Cyrene asked impatiently.

  “It seems there have been problems in the harbor,” Ahlvie told them. “They’re not allowing passage into Eleysia unless on an Eleysian vessel.”

  “What?” they both asked at once.

  How ridiculous.

  Sea travel had never been tightly guarded, and anyone was allowed passage, if they could pay the fare.

  “We’re in luck though. It appears there is one Eleysian ship in dock with plans to leave tonight.”

  “In the dark?” Maelia asked.

  “Eleysian voyages traditionally begin at night. Seriously, do neither of you read?” he asked condescendingly. “If we want to be on that boat, we need to find the captain and make arrangements now. There’s no other one for at least a fortnight unless you count the Eleysian royal ship coming into port.” Cyrene opened her mouth to say something, but Ahlvie shook his head. “No. We’re not considering the royal vessel. That would be impossible to get on, and we could go there and be back by the time they allow another ship to leave port.”

  “So, tonight then?” she asked. She hadn’t thought it would all come together so soon.

  “Tonight,” Ahlvie confirmed.

  “But I don’t have any of my things,” Cyrene told him.

  “We can get things once we get there,” he told her impatiently.

  “I’m sorry. There are things I need from the castle that I can’t leave behind,” Cyrene said softly.

  She had thought that many more ships would be leaving for Eleysia and that they would have enough time to get their belongings from their rooms. They hadn’t had access to their bags since someone else had unloaded the ship. The book, the letter…she couldn’t leave without them.

  “Well, hurry now then. If you rush, I think you can make it. Meet me at the docks by sundown with your things, and I’ll have made the arrangements.”

  Cyrene nodded, rising from the table alongside Maelia.

  “Cyrene,” he called before she could disappear, “don’t be late.”

  There wasn’t another option.

  If only one Eleysian ship would be leaving Albion, then Cyrene had to be on it.

  As much as she wanted to see Rhea, she no longer had the time to wait. Her heart ached at the thought of coming all this way and not seeing her best friend.

  Maybe she could get a letter out to her friend in time. But what would it say? That she was here? That she was leaving? That she wanted Rhea to come with her, but she couldn’t explain why?

  Rhea would never go for that. She would need a good explanation. Cyrene didn’t feel comfortable explaining the situation in a letter either. Rhea would just have to trust her.

  The hardest part about getting back to the castle was trying not to rush. She and Maelia couldn’t raise suspicion. Keeping easy smiles on their faces as they walked down the long lane to the castle was even worse. With worry creasing her smooth forehead, Maelia glanced anxiously at Cyrene while fiddling with her reins, making her horse jumpy. Cyrene had to remind her to stop it. One misstep, and they’d miss that ship.

  When they reached the entrance to Krisana, a Royal Guard member waved them through after catching sight of their Affiliate pins. As soon as they reached the stable yard, Maelia hopped off the brown steed and dashed away from Cyrene to get everything she would need. Cyrene directed the stable hand to have the horses saddled and ready to go before sundown.

  Once out of the boy’s sight, she took off into a full sprint, hoisting her skirts in her hands, and darted for the main entrance. She burst through the pearl doors, entering the foyer of the castle. Thankfully, a maid walked through the room, carrying a white porcelain water jug.

  “Excuse me,” Cyrene called, trying not to give away how out of breath she was from her mad dash.

  The woman stopped and turned around. “Yes…yes, Affiliate?”

  “I’ve forgotten the way to my quarters, and I was hoping that you could be of assistance in directing me.” Cyrene clasped her hands in front of her to keep from shaking.

  “I’m sorry, Affiliate.” The woman dropped a small curtsy as she held the jug between her hands. “I must take this to Queen Kaliana herself. She requested it of me, and I would be out of line to decline her request. I would be happy to show you the way afterward, if that suits you.”

  A smile broke out on Cyrene’s face. “The Queen you say?”

  “Yes, Affiliate.”

  “I do believe that my quarters are of a more delicate matter than that water jug. The King himself has ordered my rooms. Queen Kaliana will hardly care to wait a few extra minutes at her husband’s request,” she said boldly. Any other night, she wouldn’t have been so forthright, but she didn’t have any other options.

  The woman looked like she was going to drop the jug at Cyrene’s words as she dipped into a royal curtsy. “My-my apologies, Affiliate. If the King has requested your rooms, then I will certainly show you to them,” she stammered. “Follow me.”

  Cyrene sighed. She didn’t like pulling rank on this innocent. This woman didn’t need to be pulled into the web of lies that permeated court life.

  “Were you informed as to what chamber you would be living in while staying in the White City?” the servant asked meekly, walking toward Cyrene.

  “I believe I was told that I would be staying in the Pearl Bay Chambers.”

  The servant immediately stopped sloshing some of the water out of her jug.

  “The Pearl Bay Chambers? Are you certain?” She dabbed at her wet gown.

  “Yes, that was what Consort Daufina informed me.”

  The girl stuttered forward, then stopped, and then directed her down a corridor. “I-I wasn’t aware.”

  “What’s wrong with the Pearl Bay Chambers?”

  “Nothing!” she squeaked. “Nothing at all. They are gorgeous.”

  “Then, why are you shaking?”

  “Well…” She anxiously glanced at Cyrene. “I assumed you would be in the Affiliate quarters, and you are staying”—she swallowed—“next to the King.”

  “What?” Cyrene cried despite herself.

  “My apologies, Affiliate,” she whispered, ducking her chin toward her chest as she picked up the pace.

  It was one thing to be on Edric’s ship but quite another to have her quarters next to him in the castle.

  When they finally reached her new quarters, she had a headache that felt a bit like someone had been probing her brain all day. She wished that she could just take a nap, but there was no time.

  The maid pushed open the door to the Pearl Bay Chambers, allowing her inside. The room was massive, and Cyrene’s eyes enlarged to saucers when she walked inside. She jotted off a quick letter to Rhea for the maid to deliver in a hurry for her.

  The woman dipped a curtsy and rushed out of the r
oom, leaving behind Queen Kaliana’s water jug. Cyrene laughed and then jumped to her feet. She darted into the bedchamber, and her feet stumbled forward as the beauty of the bedroom hit her with the force of a lightning strike.

  A four-poster white bed with white curtains hooked to each post took up the majority of the room. White furniture with sterling silver candelabras atop them was placed artfully around the room. The walls were the same seashell white with gorgeously designed filigree pearl molding from which Krisana received its namesake. It was so exquisite that she faltered in her resolve for a moment…just one moment.

  Then, she shook her head and steeled herself for what she was doing. Beautiful things weren’t what mattered in her world.

  She wrenched open the white wardrobe. At the bottom sat her bag, still untouched as far as she could tell. She was glad that she had left detailed instructions with the servants who had followed them into the castle. Her other two bags had been unpacked, and many of her gowns hung in color order. A few pairs of her slippers were neatly arranged on a stand. It would be so easy to stay. So easy.

  Breathing out heavily, she removed her leather bag from the wardrobe. When she found the book and her Presenting letter still tucked inside, she hoisted the bag onto her shoulder. Beyond the large bay window, the sun was falling on the horizon. She was nearly out of time. Hopefully, Maelia was ready.

  Cyrene’s hand was resting on the door handle when someone knocked from the other side. She jumped quickly and stashed her bag behind the nearby chaise. The knock sounded again, and she groaned softly.

  Go away. Go away. Go away!

  “Just a minute,” she called. She walked back to the door and pulled it open. Her heart sank when she saw who was standing in front of her. “Your Highness.”

  “Affiliate,” Kael said, his tone soft. He leaned his hip against the doorframe, his eyes eager, and his demeanor showcasing the typical prince she had grown to love to hate.

  “Kael, I don’t have time.”

  “Time for what?”

  “For this.” She gestured between them.

  “I don’t know what you mean.”

  “For us. I don’t have time for us to argue.”