Satorii entered the private chamber and bowed her head respectfully. "You sent for me, Your Majesty"
Abigail studied her for a long moment, eyes sharp. "Tell me, Lady Kaine… are you bedding that boy?"
Satorii stiffened but held her composure. "No, Your Majesty."
"Do you plan to?"
"No."
Abigail leaned back, satisfied. "Good. Then hear this."
She paused a moment.
"Two travelers left their villages behind. On the road to a new town they met.
One had saved a life once, and for it his people called him Hero. From that day, he knew no rest. Every soul came to him for help, and he dared not refuse, lest he break the fragile, heavy glass of his reputation.
The other had stolen bread once, and for it his people called him Thief. No deed he performed after could unmake the name.
Both grew weary of the masks pressed upon them. So they wagered: In the new town, they would trade reputations. The thief would tell all he met that the hero was a thief. The hero would tell all he met that the thief had saved him.
Who breaks first?"
Satorii frowned. "This is not a riddle, is it?"
"No," Abigail replied. "It's a warning. One act fixes the story people tell of you. Already, they whisper: that you are an indulgent girl, taken in by a reckless boy. Some in the council will seize it — proof, they'll say, that you mistake sentiment for judgment. And worst of all — Leonhart is gone. The Black Batch will move again. To them, a guard who bends his vows is not a soldier… but an opening. And through him, they could reach your Sect."
Later that evening, in Frederich's private quarters within Kaine Keep, the air was thick with the scent of aged wine and burning incense. Brimmah had already delivered the Broker's message.
Frederich watched the flames in the hearth, arms folded behind his back. "The Broker usually hands a sealed message. Instead he told you the secret directly… Interesting. He is being more cautious."
He turns around to Brimmah. "Anything more to report?"
Brimmah shifted uneasily. "I was attacked on the way back. A cloaked figure. The blade missed me by inches."
Frederich showed no alarm, nodded as though hearing about the weather. "Expected."
Brimmah's frown deepened, suspicion flaring in his eyes. "You knew?"
"Of course." Frederich answered. "The Broker is too valuable to kill, yet always watched. Secrets are deadly things, and those who buy them often die before they can act on them. That is why I sent you, not one of my own men. If you had died, it would simply mean you were not worthy of becoming part of the Kaine Order. However now you are also privy to this secret. That changes things. What to do with you, I wonder?"
Brimmah stiffened, masking his offense behind a rigid jaw. "I wish to see Lady Kaine."
Frederich laughed, the sound light but dismissive. "You cannot wander freely with such a dangerous secret just yet. Until you earn my trust, you will remain detained under guard within Kaine Keep for now. Perhaps you may see her eventually."
He signaled a guard, who stepped forward and escorted Brimmah out without ceremony.
Moments after the door closed, a silver-haired man stepped out from nowhere. The Kaine Sealbearer. A faded scar ran from the corner of his left eye down his cheekbone.
Frederich glanced at him, knowingly. "You must have already heard everything."
The Sealbearer met his gaze. "If this information is true… that could mean—"
"It is. The information broker is never wrong." Frederich began to pace across the room. "The council is full of doubts. My dealings with the pirates yielded little fruit. They will soon decide the next king while Queen Abigail still considers my proposal, and once they do, my chance will be gone. This secret could stall them… but revealing it shall also bring mortal danger upon myself."
The Sealbearer's steady gaze did not waver. "What will you do now?"
The next day, in a small second-floor room in the barracks of Kaine Keep, Brimmah sat across from his guard at a low table. They were passing the time with a simple board game of carved wooden pieces. The window beside them let in afternoon breeze.
Brimmah's eyes flicked toward the courtyard below. His pulse spiked the moment he recognised Satorii's carriage returning through the main gate. He forced himself to stay calm, keeping his breathing even and his face neutral as he moved another piece on the board — so the guard wouldn't suspect.
The guard yawned, stretching his arms. "Nature calls. Be back in a moment." He stood, stepped outside, and locked the door firmly from outside with a heavy click of the key.
The second the lock turned, Brimmah was on his feet. Heart hammering, yet without hesitation, he climbed onto the windowsill and leapt.
He targeted the narrow ledge of a first-floor window below.
His fingers scraped stone as he caught it, muscles strained. For a split second he hung there, then released and dropped the remaining distance to the courtyard.
He hit the ground hard, rolling to absorb the impact. Pain flared in his ankle and knees, but he pushed himself up immediately, limping fast while trying to blend into the flow of servants and soldiers crossing the courtyard.
His eyes stayed locked on Satorii's carriage ahead — headed for the main tower of Kaine Keep.
Frederich sat waiting quietly under the arch of the courtyard garden, his Sealbearer standing beside.
"Bold," Frederich remarked, voice carrying just far enough. "And reckless."
Brimmah halted, startled, freezing in place.
The Sealbearer scolded. "You move at Lord Fredder's command, not your own. Escaping detention carries punishment."
Frederich's tone remained measured. "You forget yourself, Brimmah. I suspected your inherent recklessness would soon enough put you in trouble with the Kaine Sect as well. Didn't take that long, did it?"
Brimmah's frustration boiled. He glanced desperately toward Satorii in the distance, then back at Frederich. "What do you want of me? Let me see her… thank her — just once please!"
Frederich regarded him with calm authority. "There is another chance for you to prove yourself worthy of serving Kaine Sect. The task will be clear in time."
At a distance, Satorii stepped out the carriage, glanced toward the courtyard. She only caught sight of the Sealbearer leading Brimmah away once more.