In the deepest reaches of the palace backyard stood a semi-dilapidated room. This was where Lucy was being held.
This area was largely abandoned, a maze of crumbling structures inhabited only by low-level servants or concubines who had long since fallen out of favor. It had been a blind spot in Jones's search; she never imagined that Lucy, a royal princess, would be stashed in what was essentially a slum for servants.
It was now midnight. Lucy had no desire to sleep. She stood by the window, staring up at the moon, her delicate face etched with a mix of exhaustion and hatred.
"Dammit... he's really in that much of a hurry to marry me off?" Lucy gritted her teeth.
During dinner earlier, Lucia had paid her a visit. He informed her that she would be attending a grand banquet he was hosting tomorrow night. Many high nobles would be there—including the son of the Minister of Internal Affairs, the man she was destined to marry. It wasn't an invitation; it was an ultimatum. She would be escorted there by force if necessary.
She wanted to run, but there was no way out. Lucia had anticipated her escape—or perhaps he was anticipating Jones. Nearly a hundred knights stood guard outside the building, and sentries were even stationed on the roof.
"Sigh..." Lucy let out a long breath, gazing at the night sky. Her freedom was gone. She refused to be a mere tool for a political alliance. She had already formulated a desperate plan: she would assassinate the Minister's son during the banquet, and then take her own life. It was a path of no return, but given the choice, who would choose to die if there were even a sliver of hope?
"Huh?" Lucy's eyes fixed on the moon. Was that... a human figure?
She closed her eyes, rubbed them, and looked again. The shadow was gone.
"I must be seeing things," She muttered, shaking her head. She hadn't had a decent night's sleep in forty-eight hours.
*
High above, Rhea soared through the sky, carrying Jones in her arms. As beastkin—and specifically as a birdkin—their night vision was far superior to that of humans.
"Have you searched this area before?" Rhea asked coldly.
"Every inch," Jones replied, fighting back a wave of nausea. "Everywhere except the deepest parts of the backyard."
"Then we go deeper." Rhea tilted her wings, carving a sharp arc through the air. Jones shivered, her hands white-knuckled as she gripped Rhea's arms.
Whoosh...
Rhea's eyes scanned the terrain below. Soon, she spotted an anomaly.
"Look over there. To the east. That rooftop with the three sentries," Rhea whispered into Jones's ear.
"I see it. You think she's in there?" Jones asked, her brow furrowing.
"Look at the surroundings. Do you see how many knights are stationed there?" Rhea hovered in place, her wings beating steadily as she observed.
"So many..." Jones quickly realized the truth.
"The buildings here are ancient and decrepit. The First Prince would never live in a place like this," Rhea noted dispassionately.
"Which means princess Lucy is inside," Jones finished, a flash of joy crossing her eyes.
"Let's go. We've found her. We return tomorrow night for the extraction," Rhea nodded, turning back toward the outskirts.
Attempting a rescue now was impossible. The guards were too dense—over a dozen knights on the nearby roofs alone. Diving in now would be a one-way trip. Jones nodded and immediately looked back up at the sky; looking down even for a moment made her head spin.
She couldn't believe how easily they had found her. Searching from the sky was a revelation compared to the two days she had spent sneaking through shadows on the ground. It was almost frustratingly efficient.
Jones felt a massive weight lift from her chest. What had seemed like an impossible task was suddenly within reach. It felt surreal.
"What is your relationship with Lucas?" Jones asked suddenly. She was curious—Birdkin were rare, yet here they were, working for Sedona City. She hadn't seen them during her last visit.
"..." Rhea remained silent. What relationship? She wasn't entirely sure herself. He fed her people, and she followed his orders in return. It was a debt of gratitude.
"Don't tell me... you like him too?" Jones's eyes narrowed. She wasn't usually one for gossip, but she was trying to distract herself from the terrifying height. Her body was trembling, and she hoped the question would hide her fear.
"Ahem!" Rhea choked on the air, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks. "If you keep talking nonsense, I'll drop you."
Jones shut her mouth and closed her eyes tight.
"Are you... afraid of heights?" Rhea asked. She could feel the leopard-eared girl's tremors.
"No," Jones lied, her face pale. There was no way an elite warrior would admit to such a weakness.
"Oh?" Rhea's lips curled into a smirk. She suddenly accelerated, feeling the leopard-eared girl jump in her arms.
A few minutes later, they touched down at the camp outside the city.
"Phew..." Rhea let go. Jones stumbled as her feet hit the grass. Rhea reached out to steady her. "You okay?"
"I'm fine," Jones said, brushing Rhea's hand away and trying to regain her dignity, though her legs felt like jelly.
"Did you find her?" Chris asked, looking up from the map where he was refining tomorrow's plan.
"We found her," Rhea nodded.
"Good. I'll need your help again tomorrow morning, Miss Rhea," Chris said seriously.
"Understood," Rhea replied curtly, heading off to rest.
It took Jones a long time to recover. She hurried off to clean herself up—her clothes were slightly damp. She had literally been scared to the point of a minor accident.
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