After quite some time, the first to arrive are the guards.

I narrow my eyes, trying to sharpen my sight, and I recognise the uniforms: the royal guards!

«You contacted the Palace!» I whisper to Alexander. There's no need to talk in a low tone since we're far from the crossroad where the slavers will be caught by chance.

However, it feels conspiratorial to whisper all the time. And it reminds me that my husband and I have plotted this together. It's our first joint venture!

«Yes,» he replies, using the same tone. He breathes on my ear, maybe using the chance to stay closer.

«Have you prepared an alibi for when the Viscount suspects you?»

«Yes, wife, of course. During the trial, the guards will say they were sent by his majesty in person. One of the people whose family is lost went to court and asked for help...»

«Which isn't a lie,» I realise, «if you sent one of the bandits as messenger!»

«Yes, my dear. Am I smart, now?»

«Definitely,» I chuckle, hugging him back and pecking his cheek. «Very smart.»

My flattering is welcomed by the smile of a man that has conquered the world. He's so satisfied, right now, that he forgets to check what's happening. I have to be the one pointing at the crossroad with my chin.

The guards have finished positioning. We arrived here first because we aren't afraid to pass through the woods. It's not the same for the other travellers, as they wouldn't like to be caught by the bandits.

After half an hour, the caravan is spotted in the distance. There are thirty or more big carriages, probably full of people. There's more than just a few hundred people in there, and they're not only the bandits' families.

I guess their wives and children have been abducted first since they weren't nearby to fight. The other people might have been collected from the farms yesterday or the day before. Such a massive operation couldn't pass without raising suspicions, what were they all thinking?

«Asteria aims at destabilising the central region even losing their men,» I comment. «It's not the first time they do something like this...»

Suddenly, I stop talking. Indeed, it's not the first time they sacrifice their own for a greater purpose. It happened countless times in history.

But what I was referring to is something that hasn't happened yet.

«Not even nobility is immune,» I sigh.

«They won't succeed this time, Thea,» Alexander reassures me, caressing my hair with his tender fingers. «We know what to expect.»

«No, Alexander, think about it: they wanted to get caught! It's impossible to move such an amount of people without being discovered.»

«Does it mean we have to let them go?»

«No, it means we have to silence the question. We can't let it reach the public opinion!»

«Let the Viscount go unpunished?»

«No, let him meet the end he was supposed to have.»

«Thea, you're merciless.»

«I have a family to protect,» I mutter while pinching his arm. As expected, he doesn't even notice it. «I don't have time to ensure justice and fairness.»

«Are you saying that I am more important than fairness?» he whispers.

«You hear half of what I say!»

«Maybe.»

The guards pretend to be stumbling upon the delegation by chance and start a perquisition. Meanwhile, Alexander and I get off the carriage and reach the captain. We're wearing our mantles with the hoods up, so only the man we're talking to can see our faces.

«What happened, your grace?» he asks when Alexander instructs him to pass this under silence.

«Bringing this thing up will cause trouble for his majesty,» my smart husband explains. «His subjects were sold by the one he entrusted them to. It's better to avoid causing an uproar and making a spectacle out of it. Just arrest the culprit and sentence it the quickest you can.»

«His majesty told us to bring the Viscount to the court.»

«Whatever, just don't make a scene and be silent. Imprison the foreign delegation far from any contact, and forget about this matter until you're asked to testify. His majesty will understand our concerns, and I'll talk to his majesty in person. If his decision is to proceed, I won't stop you. It's out of caution...»

«What about anything suspicious we find with the delegation?»

«Same things. Keep it private until further notice. And do not spread the news about the location where you met them. Or me, for that matter.»

«Yes, your grace. I will do so.»

Leaving Viscount Prothus to his destiny, we get on a carriage and meet with the bandits.

«You can go home: your families are brought back as we speak,» I inform them. «The Viscount will try to run away as soon as notice of it reaches his ears... You know the place better than me; I'm positive you'll be able to intercept him.»

That said, I turn to Prim. I deliver to her a gold coin and a few silvers.

«This is for serving me well,» I explain. «And a token to remind you of our meeting. Thank you for the help, Prim. If we ever meet again, I hope we'll have time for a chat.»

She smiles, happy and excited.

«Yes, your grace!»

As everyone returns to their place, some of them home and some still in the dark forest, I turn to my husband and voice the last concern for this day.

«Who is going to become the lord of this fief?» I ask him. «These people have had bad luck twice in a row. It won't be easy to make them trust the next one.»

«I have an idea,» Alexander says. «And you'll like it, my dear.»

«Something as creative as always?»

«More than usual. I'll ask his majesty to appoint one of the knights that haven't served here. We'll let him know that the previous lord disappeared after breaking a bunch of laws. Every village will appoint someone to watch over the lord's work. If anything suspicious happens, they can directly contact the capital. I'll convince his majesty to open an office for the control of this kind of situations.»

«It will be seen as a challenge to the power of noblemen in favour of his majesty,» I point out. «The oligarchist won't be happy.»

«The system can't work because of several reasons. It can just stop small fishes from doing big deeds,» he says. He shrugs as if admitting that his idea has drawbacks is normal. «Anyone with money or power is capable of bribing an officer.»

«That's why you'll appoint a knight.»

«Correct.»

«What about the rest of our plan?» I inquire, just to be sure.

«Proceeds like agreed, except that the location and manners will be kept secret.»

«All right,» I chuckle. «I thought you were looking for a way to prevent me from doing my part.»

«I wouldn't dare to, my dear.»

You better not.

«Now, let's go. I want to reach the court as fast as possible. With some luck, we solved this area's instability for good.»

«For once, I think luck will be on our side,» I reassure him. Two lords were a total failure; it would be too cruel if the third turned out worse.

«Our delegation is waiting for us. I'd send one of my knights to meet them, but I prefer them both here...»

«I agree with you,» I sigh. One can never be too careful around here. «Are there other dangerous areas we need to be aware of?»

«No, Thea. But there weren't before either. Pirates haven't sailed the Ethirian seas for years, and I wasn't expecting this amount of bandits and problems here. I can't ensure anything at this point.»

«But we solved it pretty well, didn't we?»

Now that I have time to think, both the problems were solved without too much work from our side. We just had to acknowledge that one of us was in the position to do something useful, while the other had just to stand by the side and admire.

«We're a competent team,» I declare, raising my chin with pride. «Am I right?»

Alexander considers all of this for a moment, scratching his chin and looking up to the roof of the carriage.

«Indeed,» he says, in the end. «We're a team.»

«And we will continue like this, in the Palace,» I whisper, remembering that the real challenges are yet to come. Our every move will be a bet, and every mistake potentially lethal.

Alexander's parents were sentenced to death in that rotten place without any proof. Contrarily to them, we do have something to hide and evil deeds to commit. We can't prove our innocence in case the Emperor decides he's had enough of us.

In the tigers' den, one doesn't have any choice but fight if they want to survive. Hence, I won't let anyone hurt me the way they did the first time.

I'm not that sad little girl anymore.