Crimson and Gold

Lysandra and Saria both agreed that it would be best to continue their conversation the next day. Too many things had already happened, and there was still a lot of new information to process.

Saria’s first night in the Palace was rather unremarkable, but not entirely peaceful either.

Her new room was much quieter and calmer than the arrangements she had at the Arena. And offered privacy that she could only dream about while living in the Arena.

Exhausted with the fight, the auction, and everything that happened with Lysandra, Saria passed out the moment her head met the soft pillow.

That being said, her mind felt restless during the night.

It kept jumping between fragmented images, conversations she didn’t have, and seeing people she had never met.

From being chased after by a hooded man with a snake face, to killing a great gray wolf, to hearing a woman crying. The visions kept changing, melting into each other, until all that was left was a convoluted mess.

The dreams didn’t yield until morning, when she finally woke up feeling somehow more tired than before.

Only after she had a hearty portion of the porridge Dolores made, Saria started feeling better and ready to face Lysandra.

“One of my men has gone missing,” Lysandra spared no time and got right to business the moment Saria returned to her. “Drusus, my spy. He disappeared little over two weeks ago and hadn’t been in contact ever since.”

Before she met Saria, Lysandra had been in the middle of an important operation.

Stumbling upon the trail of her brother’s plans, she looked under every rock and reached out to every source that could help her uncover what exactly Loukios is trying to achieve.

She was acting in secret, keeping it even from the people closest to her, uncertain who could be hiding their ulterior motives behind the facade of friendship or family bonds.

There was only one person she trusted with her life.

Drusus was an old friend of her late mother. Ever since she passed away, Drusus would always visit whenever he had a chance to keep the Princess company.

It was only when she got older, he told her that he was a spy for her mother and offered the same services to Lysandra.

She naturally agreed, and for a long time Drusus was her only accomplice. But he was more than that. He was also a friend and a mentor. He was her family.

Getting him back was her priority.

She owed it to him.

“The only thing I know for now is that he’s still alive, but probably not for long,” Lysandra finished her explanation.

“Do you think your brother has him?” Saria asked.

“I know that it was he who ordered his disappearance. I received information from a reliable source that Loukios is behind it.”

“Do you know where he is keeping him?”

Lysandra’s lips curved in a meaningful smile. “This will be your first task,” she said, and took out a small map of the city.

“My brother has an official working for him, here in Aervelis. He’s running mostly insignificant operations, but around the time Drusus went missing, he suddenly started moving around a large sum of money.

“I want you to break into his villa and look for anything that could have any lead as to where Drusus is being held,” Lysandra pointed to a building marked with a circle on the map. “It’s east from here, close to the market. You shouldn’t have trouble finding it.”

“Got it.”

“Don’t kill anyone until absolutely necessary. We want to avoid attracting attention as much as possible.”

“I’ll go at night. Fewer people around, harder to see, easier to stay unnoticed,” Saria answered almost instinctively. Like she had done it many times before. Like it was natural to her.

And, perhaps, it was.

Lysandra noticed that the woman’s mind started drifting. “Is everything alright? Did you remember something?”

“I’m not sure. It’s one of those moments when my body seems to remember things I don’t anymore,” Saria answered, still trying to chase the vague, lingering sensation in the back of her head.

Lysandra’s expression softened. “Once this is done, we’ll travel to Nivelis,” she said, sounding almost comforting. “There’s a Temple of Astesis. The Oracle there is a friend, and she’s one of the best. If there’s anyone able to bring back your memories, it’s her.”

Saria nodded, and with slight uncertainty parted her lips. “How do you know that your brother is trying to kill you?”

The expression on Lysandra’s face changed, if only for a split second, but it was enough for Saria to notice. The kindness in her golden eyes vanished, replaced by something cold and dangerous, only to disappear under a heavy cloud of sadness.

“I had someone helping me,” she said. Her voice was weaker than before, quieter. “He provided me with proof that Loukios is planning to get rid of me and gathered crucial information for me.”

Lysandra took a long pause and gazed out the window in contemplation. “He went missing, too. I hadn’t heard from him in weeks.”

Saria watched her in silence, taking in every change in her expression and her eyes.

“You care about him,” she said.

The smile on Lysandra’s face didn’t reach her solemn eyes.

“I owe him my life. There was a point when I was… overwhelmed by the things that happened. He reached out to me, pulled me out from the darkness that surrounded me. So, to answer your question, yes. I do care about him.”

“Do you want me to look for leads about him?” Saria asked, against a weird, dark sensation in her chest that told her to let him stay gone.

“It would be an option, but I don’t even know what you should be looking for.”

Saria looked at her in confusion, feeling like there was something she was not understanding.

“I never saw him,” Lysandra explained.

The riddled expression on Saria’s face made the Princess’ heart feel somewhat lighter. She looked like a confused puppy. Completely unfitting. Unexpectedly charming.

“I don’t know what he looks like, or who exactly he is,” she continued.

Her voice sounded less dejected than a moment ago. “We communicated through letters that he signed as ‘Icarus’, and the one time he showed up in person, he was wearing a mask. This was also the last time I saw him.”

“If I find anything that may be pointing towards him, I’ll let you know.”

“Thank you.” Lysandra’s expression lightened. She knew that Saria had no reason to do more than expected from her, and yet, she offered her help, asking nothing in return.

When she decided to partner up with her, she wasn’t really expecting much. The Princess knew that Saria was a capable fighter, and she would definitely be a good fit where the blood needed to be spilled.

However, Lysandra wasn’t hoping to find a proper partner or a confidant.

This little gesture told her that, perhaps, she was wrong.

“Saria?” she called out to the girl.

“Yes?”

“Be careful.”

Saria got all the necessary information and left to prepare for the nightfall in her quarters.

Closing the door, she noticed the guards by Lysandra’s room exchanged glances.

“Is there a problem?” she asked, folding her arms on her chest.

“No, not at all,” answered the taller one, then flashed her an innocent grin. “But I wouldn’t be making myself at home here if I were you.”

Saria raised an eyebrow. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means that judging by how fast you left that room, Her Highness is not very happy about her purchase,” answered the other guard. His green eyes shimmered with amusement.

“Do other slaves always spend so much time in there?”

“The ones that stayed in the Palace the longest did. And the sounds that were coming from that room…” The tall guard paused and shook his head in disbelief.

He exchanged looks with his friend and laughed loudly.

“I guess daethri isn’t to Her Highness’ tastes after all,” the other teased.

“What’s the use for all the endurance, when all the fun ends too fast!” his friend joined the slander campaign.

“Thaels are finally better at something!” The two of them burst out laughing again, then proceeded to come up with more and more unrefined comments, which prompted another wave of laughter.

Seeing how there was no point in trying to discuss anything, Saria groaned and cursed at the men in every language she remembered, before leaving as fast as she could.