Seren rolled over in their bed. They heard the sounds of the house moving around them. From boots stomping up and down the stairs, outside the hall, and down below in the kitchen and living room. Seren sat up and rubbed at their eyes, hearing the quiet voices of the household talking. They slid out of bed and walked toward the door. Cautious of their still wrapped ankle but not feeling any pain in it. Opening the door, they peeked into the hall. It was empty, the last set of boot steps were going down to the first floor.

Seren shut the door and dressed; foregoing their boots. Barefoot, they left their room and moved down to the second floor. All the doors were shut, a few random items stacked against the walls. Seren moved to the first floor where Vanda was sitting on the couch with a steaming mug. She looked up at Seren with tear swollen eyes.

“What’s happening?” They asked.

“The guards came to my house last night,” Vanda said with her throat obstructed by grief. “They took dad.”

“Wh-” Seren didn’t even finish their question. Every question they wanted to ask had the same answer; it was because of them. Pandora came through the door. She was fitted in dark thick leather with her blades at her hips.

“Oh, Seren. I was coming to wake you.” She said as she noticed them. “We’re heading out. All of us. Due to your injury it’s best for you to stay here with Vanda.”

“Are you going toward the castle?” Seren asked. Pandora adjusted her bracer with a blank look.

“Should you be standing?” She asked.

“Let me draw you a map,” Seren said. “I know every inch of the castle grounds better than anyone. Even those who live there. I know the best way in and how to get to where he’d be without detection.” Pandora met Seren’s eyes and nodded. The steel seriousness in her face made Seren’s soul cold.

They jumped up the steps two at a time. Feeling a dull pain in their ankle when they did. Seren ran into the crafting room and grabbed paper. Sketching out the floor plan of the castle to the best of their memory. Scribbling out instructions on how and where to enter the dungeons. As well as where the guards would be posted. It felt strange. Seren felt like they were watching themselves commit treason. Their throat tightened, already able to feel the rope as they hung for crimes against the crown. The crown they would inherit someday… Seren rolled up the map and let out a shaky breath. Choosing not to think about it any longer. They ran back down the stairs, now the rest of the household was waiting. Eoin and Pandora weren’t standing near each other and they both avoided each other's eyes.

“Here, this is the floor plan for the first floor of the castle.” Seren held out the rolled up map. Eoin took it with a nod.

“We’ll burn it as soon as we’re done with it,” He said.

“Probably for the best,” Seren nodded with an awkward smile. “I’m sorry,”

“It’s not your fault,” Pandora said looking with a sharp glare at Eoin.

“C’mon you two, don’t fight.” Aurora said, nudging Kyi towards Eoin.

“It’s not!” Pandora snapped. Turning towards Eoin. “What were you even thinking? Taking them into town like that?”

“You can’t trap them in the house, Pandora!” Eoin yelled back.

“You can when someone -A Fucking Queen!- is trying to kill them!” Pandora yelled. Seren shook their head.

“How much better are you if you’re doing the same thing she did?” Eoin pointed out.

“Okay enough!” Seren barked. They turned their attention first to Eoin. “We should have been a lot more careful then we were. Admittedly we should have been. But I had a lot of real fun for the first time in.. who even knows how long?” Eoin’s guilt turned to a smug smile. Kyi promptly knocked it off his face by leaning over and whispering something to him. Seren turned to Pandora.

“You’re right. The smartest thing to do right now would be for me to stay inside and out of sight.” Seren agreed. “But what kind of life is that? There’s no way of knowing how long I’d be under house arrest. I don’t want to live my life going from isolated bubble to isolated bubble. If I could, I would go and help fix the problem I caused. But I don’t think you’d let me.”

“Absolutely not,” Pandora confirmed. Seren nodded and shrugged.

“You’re both right, and you’re both wrong. Okay?” Seren said. “So stop arguing about who wins the argument.” Eoin and Pandora looked in the other’s direction but didn’t meet each other’s eyes.

“We better hurry before we miss our chance,” Eoin said.

“Right,” Pandora agreed. “Stay off your feet,” Pandora pointed at Seren threateningly. She ushered the group out the door. Seren waved at the group as they vanished in the dark. They sighed, nearly jumping out of their skin when they heard a mug placed on the table. Seren turned to Vanda on the couch.

“Sorry, I forgot you were here.” Seren said as they sat in a nearby chair. “Is there anything I can get you?”

“No,” She choked with a sob. Seren nodded, inspecting their fingernails.

“I think I’m going to make some breakfast,” Seren stood up. “You’re welcome to join me in the kitchen?” Vanda nodded and wiped at her face again.

“Right, I’ll help.” She sniffed and followed Seren into the kitchen. “You shouldn’t be standing long. It must hurt pretty bad.”

“It doesn’t hurt at all actually,” Seren shrugged.

“What, really?” Vanda asked, surprised.

“Yeah, stayed off of it all day yesterday. Hurt a little when I ran up the stairs.” Seren pulled a few eggs out of the ice chest.

“It should hurt to walk or stand on,” Vanda’s voice became a little clearer. “Let me see it.”

“You don’t have to-” Seren started, Vanda started waving her hand dismissively, cutting their sentence off.

“It would give me something to focus on,” Vanda insisted. Seren shrugged and put the eggs down on the counter. They sat down at the table across from Vanda, she picked up their ankle and unwrapped it.

“Tell me if it hurts,” Vanda said. Seren nodded, Vanda moved their ankle around. Keeping a suspicious eye on Seren’s reaction.

“Ooh, that hurts a bit.” Seren jumped as Vanda put pressure against their ankle. Vanda looked up at them, alarmed. “Is that bad?”

“You can feel me touching you right?” She asked.

“Yeah. I can feel you,” Seren said, starting to match Vanda’s fear. Vanda threw up her hands in defeat.

“It’s like you’ve been off your ankle for a week.” She shook her head. “I don’t understand how, but my dad-” Vanda stopped to breathe in a sob before it could escape. “Excuse me, he would say you could start doing light activity. No standing for long periods or running. No jumping.” Seren nodded and took Vanda’s hands.

“It’s going to be okay,” They said gently. Vanda smiled and nodded. Breaking down into sobs again.

-----

The castle was still dark, morning hours away. Four dark figures slipped between the buildings toward the outer wall of the castle. Guards were stationed in purple sashes at the front entrance and along every tower. Every window in the castle was dark. Little dots of torches traveled like phantoms around the outer halls. Between the patrols of the city guard, the four figures slid along the wall and hid in the shadows.

“What does the map say?” Pandora breathed over Eoin’s shoulder. Her hand finding his in the dark. Eoin pulled the paper out. Reading it silently and giving her hand a squeeze.

“There’s a back way into the castle. Through the dungeons.” Eoin whispered. “An emergency evacuation point. This way.” Eoin led the four through the shadows, pressed against the walls.

“Is there a doorway we have to open?” Aurora slipped up to the front to ask.

“Yeah, Seren labelled how to open it.” Eoin whispered. Aurora nodded and fell back into line. They slunk together to the very back of the castle walls. Eoin stopped them to check the map.

“Okay, here.” He said. In the dark he started feeling about the wall. Staring at the map. “There should be a- ha!” Eoin found the false brick that he pulled out. Handing it to Pandora to hold as he reached into the hole and turned the mechanism within. The wall creaked and the bricks separated. A door in the wall opened to a stairway that led straight down into the dark. Eoin took the brick back and placed it back into the wall. He gave a nod to Pandora and she motioned to Kyi and Aurora. Leading them down the staircase into the dark. Eoin slipped in after them, finding the mechanism on the inside of the secret entrance. Closing the opening behind them. The four slipped down the stairs into a grand underground hall. Pandora slipped up against the left wall. Kyi and Aurora slid against the right. Eoin crept up behind Pandora and lit a match to see the map by.

"This hall is filled with doors that lead everywhere in the castle." Eoin explained. "We need to go three down on the left and we'll be on the first floor of the dungeon."

"How many floors are there?" Kyi asked as she and Aurora moved to either side.

"Three, right above us is the lowest floor of the dungeon." Eoin moved the match and map into the middle of the group. "Seren's notes say that Doc should be in the last cell of the first floor. If the interrogation hasn't started. If it has or has ended we should head for the second floor thirteenth cell."

"Which dungeon was Seren's?" Pandora whispered before she could help herself.

"It doesn't say," Eoin said. Giving Pandora an odd look. She shook her head and waved her hands.

"Let's just go," she said. Shoving Eoin forward. He rolled the paper up and stuck it in his pocket again. He waved his hand and led them forward. The doors were well hidden. Only suggested by large archways with dark sconces. Eoin counted them and stopped ahead of the third one. He prodded along the walls until he felt the wall give.

“Pandora,” He whispered. She went ahead and placed her hand on his. Eoin stepped back and Pandora pushed on the wall. Vanishing as the wall revolved around.

“Kyi,” Eoin said. Stepping up and finding the spot on the wall again. Kyi put their hand next to his and pressed. Vanishing.

“Aurora,” Eoin placed his hand on the wall and Aurora came last. Vanishing around the wall. Eoin stepped up and found the right spot. Pushing it and turning with the wall. As soon as the ground stopped moving he jumped to the side. Into the dark of the wall. He saw nothing in the hall, only the faintest varied darkness where the stairs leading up were. Eoin slipped along the wall with short steps. Feeling out the ground before gliding his weight forward. Moving around Aurora hidden in the dark against the wall. Eoin found the stairs and began ascending. Aurora fell into step behind him, Pandora behind her, and Kyi bringing up the back.

They climbed up another floor and ended up on the third floor of the dungeon. Most of the cell doors were heavy and thick. On the third floor they were swung wide open. As the group passed, Pandora stopped abruptly making Kyi bump into them.

“What is it?” Kyi whispered. Pandora pointed into one of the open doors. There was a made bed with a cracked wooden frame. Dusty curtains hung around the room to hide the lack of windows. A small wardrobe, and a little chest that was holding one side of the bed up.

Pandora shook her head and started onwards. Running to catch up. Kyi looked at the room and slunk into it. Eoin led the now three of them up the stairs to the second floor of the dungeon. At the thirteenth cell they peeked in and found Doc Bones.

"Hey Doc," Eoin knocked on the cell. The bruised face of Doc Bones snapped up.

"What are you doing here?" He whispered. "The Queen has been foaming at the mouth after you."

"Yeah? Cause of Seren?" Eoin asked. Doc rolled off the straw cot and crawled toward the heavy door. Looking under the crack in the door at Eoin.

"She was adamant that you kidnapped the crowned heir of Aderyntan." Doc Bones said.

"We didn't kidnap them, the Queen wanted Seren dead or locked in the madhouse." Eoin whispered back. "So we kept them. They're free to leave at any time.” Doc Bones nodded under the door crack. Eoin sat back and did a quick head count.

“Where’s Kyi?”

“They must have stayed in the room on the third floor,” Pandora looked back at the stairs. Eoin shook his head.

“We’ll grab them on the way out then. Aurora?” Eoin moved to the side and let Aurora slide up to the iron lock of the door. She pulled from the folds of her black outfit a box. Inside were lockpicking tools, neatly organized. She picked up the small hooks and picks and got to work on the door. Her tools made little clicking noises inside the lock. Her face was cemented in concentration. Barely moving or twitching. With a pop, the door’s lock opened and the door swung on it’s hinges. Doc Bones stood up and brushed the dust from his hands.

“All right, keep together. Aurora?” Eoin directed and again took point. Doc and Aurora slid into the middle. Aurora looping her arm through the doc’s.

“Ma’am, can I escort you out of this dismal dungeon?” Doc Bones tipped his pretend hat. Aurora smothered her laugh and nodded. Pandora smiled and took up the rear as the group started to move.

Kyi came up the stairs, adjusting their straps.

“What have you been doing?” Eoin asked.

“Grabbing some stuff,” Kyi reached in and let a small doll peek out from their shirt. “They didn’t have anything so I tried to find stuff that looked sentimental.”

“A doll? Are they twelve?” Eoin scoffed. Kyi rolled their eyes and shoved the doll back down.

“Maybe it’s important to them. I grabbed other important looking things. Just trying to make our home a bit more like theirs,” Kyi whispered.

“I think it’s for the best that our home isn’t like this.” Pandora hissed from the back. “We didn’t put them in the basement!”

“You have a basement?” Doc turned to Pandora.

“We do?” Aurora turned to Pandora.

“No, we don’t.” Eoin sighed. “I mean we have a sub- Why are we standing here having this discussion? Let’s go!” Kyi fell into step behind Eoin, giving the Doc a nod as they did. Eoin led the party down the stairs to the third floor of the dungeon, retracing their steps back the way they came. More of the doors were open and the dungeon took on a damp smell. He slowed enough to look in all the rooms for the first time. He led them through the hidden staircase back to the trick wall.

“Pandora,” He ushered her forward and one by one the five of them passed through the trick wall. They started moving down the dark hall when Eoin stopped abruptly. He listened, the sound of scuffling on stone.

“To the wall,” Eoin waved his hand back to the wall and the party vanished into the shadows. The soft glow of a smoldering torch illuminated two people in dark cloaks. A taller woman walked with a leather bag. A younger woman walked next to her with a wicker basket covered in cloth. Both of their faces obscured. The pair walked briskly down the hall. Aurora slid out from the shadow and watched the tiny blip of light vanish. The rest of the party surrounded her. Narrowing their eyes in the dark.

“What d’you make of it?” Aurora asked.

“Nothing good,” Eoin shook his head.