I watched as yet another candle on the desk extinguished itself in its own melted wax. The chambermaid rushed to replace it, although the full moon illuminated the record-keeping room just as well on its own. About twenty bookkeepers bustled around the room, flipping through ten years worth of accounts for over eighty landed elites, and their families. Ash proofed the finished reviews every now and then, to ensure that there was no foul play. So far, things were progressing well.

Aunt Claire had dropped by earlier after dinner to praise our efforts and had wanted to stay and witness the work being done, but I insisted that she should sleep. These past few days have been so busy that I barely spoke with Adele, apart from the spare hour spent over dinner. I have to make sure to reconvene with her once this fiasco is over.

Ash flipped through a recent report with his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. I silently admired the sight from my perch on the chaise. I always thought he looked best at his busiest. I never, not even in my wildest dreams, expected this man to dedicate his sleeping hours to such a social cause.

The sound of spoons clinking against porcelain woke me from my trance. I turned and smiled at the servant as she winced at the noises made from placing the platter on the side table.

"I can take care of it from here, thank you for bringing this over." I dismissed her.

I poured the hot tea into the cup and added exactly two cubes of sugar, as I had observed him do multiple times. I swirled the white masses around until they melted into the warm liquid. Just the aroma was enough to revive one's senses. Carefully taking the cup by the saucer, I approached Ash.

"Ash," I whispered, trying my best to not disrupt the others.

He looked up at me, although the intensity never left his gaze. I placed the cup before him and he finally let his eyelids fall. He rubbed his fingers over his temples with a groan.

I walked to stand behind his chair and placed my hands on his shoulders. I moved my thumbs in gentle, circular motions, hoping to loosen the tension that had built up in them over the past few hours. He reached over and placed his hand over mine.

"Thank you." He mumbled and he used the other hand to bring the cup to his lips.

"Perhaps it's time to call it a night?"

He shook his head; "I want to get through at least half of them by tomorrow. This needs to happen fast, before they think of crafty ways to avoid penance. In this kind of a mission, timing is everything."

I nodded, "Then I shall stay up with you."

He promptly got up from his chair and looked down at me, "No, you must rest. Go sleep, Evelyn."

I pouted, "Do you think I'll be able to fall asleep knowing that you're straining your eyes over all this?"

He smiled, "You being here is only a distraction for..." he looked around to make sure that no one was in earshot, "the way some of these men have been looking at you... if I didn't need their services, they would be in the dungeons by now."

I couldn't help but giggle, "We wouldn't want that, now, do we?"

He muted my laughter with a quick peck, "Sweet dreams, Ev."

I looked around, eyes wide. Relief at that going unnoticed was still overpowered by my flushing cheeks.

"Good night." I mumbled back as I scurried out of there as quickly as I could.

I didn't have to turn back and look to know that he had a satisfied smirk planted on his face.

I woke up early the next morning, but faced disappointment once I noticed that the space next to me was empty. Had he even come to bed last night? After getting ready, I rushed to the record-keeping room without inquiring about his whereabouts. Bookkeepers were scattered around the rugs and furniture, in makeshift beds and blankets. Some were snoring, while others slept like babies. It must have been an extremely long night. To my surprise, Ash wasn't amongst them.

Where could he be?

I wandered the corridors, finding my way back to his personal chambers. Yet, he wasn't there either. I then paced towards the dining room, considering it my last resort. Midway there, a servant stopped me.

"His majesty requests your presence in the private dining hall of the east wing." He informed me.

We barely used that hall, so I headed over there with confusion. I became even more perplexed at the sight of two guards flanking the mahogany doors. They bowed to acknowledge my presence and opened the doors, which then immediately closed behind me.

I jumped back when I saw the small group of individuals surrounding the table, who promptly stood up to greet me. They were all familiar faces, some more familiar than others. Adele, Sky and Annabelle sat to one side, closest the Ash, who sat at the head. The others, I haven't seen since our days of schooling and private lessons, but I remember them being close associates of Ash. Regardless, they all welcomed me in unison and Ash ushered me to sit down at the end opposite him. The table was already set and food adorned the center. This had to be something that was already planned.

"And to what do I owe this pleasurable reunion?" I asked once everyone was seated.

"Evelyn, meet our internal audit team." Ash spoke.

I raised my eyebrows in surprise, "Internal audit team?" I repeated.

He nodded, "We need members of the circle to be our eyes and ears, and who better to reach out to than our dearest friends?"

I looked around the table. His statement held great weight; every one of the twelve faces staring back at me held noble titles and ties, and most importantly, our trust. Perhaps more important than that was the fact that they also shared the trust of their relatives and friends, who would undoubtedly reveal where their assets are going, if not towards taxes.

Who knows how all the Hansburies and Thorntons of Sedalia are planning to react to the Parity Clause under the guise of loyalty?

These people.

I raised the wine glass in front of me, "I commend all of you for joining our noble cause. It is a decision that must have taken a lot of courage to make, one that may require you to report those who might mean a lot to you... But ensuring that justice reign above all is a basic civic duty that should be held by any citizen. Let us begin this mission with the intent for success!"

With that, everyone uttered cheers and breakfast was served. Quiet chatter filled the hall, but my focus was all on Ash. His jaw was overshadowed by stubble and dark circles lined his eyes. Even his usual, bright smile looked worn. Never have I seen him so tired before. His ingenuity surprised me as well. I had never expected him to think through this initiative so thoroughly, so much that he created an entire team without consulting me.

He finally made eye contact with me and raised his eyebrows, as if to ask me if something was wrong. I shook my head and smiled.

He was right in front of my eyes, yet I still missed him, and I didn't understand why. I couldn't pinpoint which of these feelings bothered me the most.