“Loren?” A voice sounded from the other side of the door. “Please, my lady. I know you’re in there. Don’t think I didn’t see you come in.” It was Spymaster Isran’s voice.
Loren gulped, but crossed the room and opened the door just enough for him to see her face, and not the rest of the room. Her smile couldn’t hide her nerves. “Spymaster! Hello! Can I help you with anything?”
The hood of Isran’s cloak was up, and it cast heavy shadows across his face. Even with the darkness, Loren knew he was not amused. “Your visitor, my lady. I know she’s in there.” He said simply.
Loren started to sweat. “A visitor? Spymaster, I have no idea what you’re talking about. It’s just me and dust motes in here.”
Isran didn’t have to say anything. He crossed his arms, clearly not believing Loren. The princess sighed and opened the door wider for the Spymaster to enter. His trained eyes swept the room, looking for traps, spies, suspicious objects. Of course he saw Kae immediately, but glanced at every pile of books and cracks in the bookshelves just in case. Finally he stepped inside and approached Kae. “Who are you?”
Kae stayed seated, leaning back as if it was her study the Spymaster so rudely walked into. “My name is Kae, I’m a hunter. I live in the Kilrough Forest, near Markin’s Pass. And you?”
Isran quickly looked Kae up and down. Patchy and shabby old furs, old and mud-caked hunting boots, a dagger at her belt, and a quiver of arrows at her hip. Her bow had been casually tossed to the floor so she could sit. She did look like a hunter, and a very poor commoner. “Do you trade in Markholme?” Isran asked.
“Sometimes. Only when I have something good to sell or barter.” Kae replied.
“And why is there a poor hunter in your study, my lady?” Isran looked to Loren, ignoring Kae’s protests that she was not ‘poor,’ she was ‘financially disadvantaged.’
“She’s, ah…” Loren gulped. She was never very good at lying. “I wanted to…”
“The princess invited me.” Kae spoke up. “I bumped into her at the market, had a quick fight, she decided to bring me up here to show me how stupid I am.”
Isran looked at Kae with a confused expression. Behind him, Loren looked just as lost. She had never called the huntress stupid. What was she getting at?
Kae lazily reached over and picked up a dusty book, and leafed through it. “I can’t read. I don’t know the history of the castle, or Markholme, or the Royal Family, or pretty much anything. I just know how to track animals and shoot them.” She chuckled and gestured with the book to Loren. “So the princess decided she could try to teach me some manners.”
“Right.” Isran said slowly, glancing back at Loren and obviously not believing Kae’s excuse. But the Spymaster didn’t ask any more questions. He did another cursory glance around Loren’s study, nodded to the princess, and edged out of the door. He glanced back at Loren before leaving. “I won’t pry into your affairs, my lady, but promise me one thing.”
“What is it, Spymaster?” Loren replied, still confused.
“Don’t do anything stupid. I know you’re thinking of looking for Kaiten. Don’t try to hide it from me, you forgot to put away your maps and notes.” Isran said, holding up a hand for silence. “Let me and the Warmaster handle the search. We have enough soldiers, along with Beastman forces from Rhodia, out on the road looking for him. If you leave, Loren, you might only get hurt. Promise me you won’t look for him.”
Defeated, Loren nodded. “Alright, Spymaster. I promise.”
Spymaster Isran smiled slightly, eased somewhat, and closed the study door behind him. Loren sighed and collapsed into an armchair, sending clouds of dust flying up. Kae put her boots up on a pile of books. “’Well, he seems nice.” She chuckled, looking over at Loren with a teasing smirk. “You’re going to give up looking for you lion friend just like that?”
“No, of course not.” Loren said. “It’s just going to be a lot harder.”
Chapter Five
Loren finished her preparations, and led Kae back through the castle. Guards glanced at the huntress, looking her patched together attire up and down, but didn’t move to stop the two of them. Loren suspected the Spymaster had told them all about Kae already.
“So, what’s next, princess?” Kae asked, adjusting her bow on her back.
Loren sighed. As she walked, it felt like the eyes of her ancestors were on her, staring down from their portraits. “Spymaster Isran already knows what I’m up to. I cannot just leave now, he might have guards posted at the gates to make sure I don’t leave Markholme.” She said.
“I can just leave now?”
“I’ll walk with you till the Gold District at least.”
“That’s just at your front door.”
“I know.”
Kae stopped, and looked disappointed at Loren. “The Spymaster catches wind of your plan and you’re giving up already?”
“I’m not giving up…”
“You won’t even go as far as the market! Come on, princess. I’ll take you to Markin’s, let you meet Ma’trii.”
Loren was taken aback. “Markin’s Pass? That’s halfway down the highway.”
“Is that going to be a problem?” Kae said with a teasing smile.
“Yes! The Spymaster!”
Kae scoffed. “He doesn’t have to know. Have you even been to Markin’s?”
“Of course I have, I have to know all the parts of
