Meanwhile, Cleo was waiting inside the cell, ear to the door and listening anxiously to the commotion outside. When things grew silent, she nodded to the whore and opened the door cautiously. The sight welcoming them made the lady freeze in shock, an heavy-muscled and tattooed man was lying on the ground in a pool of blood. Had Ben just killed such a scary person? And he was now followed by a dozen similarly shaped beasts? She swallowed a lump in her throat.

“Come on lass, you should have the stomach for such things by now.” Mae pushed her aside impatiently. She knelt down beside the corpse and picked up the man’s knife. “Ben left this to us, though the idiot is probably going to need it more than we do.” She grunted and stepped in the main room.

Cleo steeled herself and followed in what seemed like a poorly maintained tavern. Luckily the place appeared empty but for chairs and tables scattered on the dusty floor. The women advanced swiftly and paused at a corner before the entrance’s hallway, hearing some voices in that direction. They took a peek and saw a bleeding criminal sitting down, while his comrade cared for his wound next to him. The Lady watched in surprise as Mae walked out of hiding and towards the bulky men, seemingly confident in the knife she held behind her back. The healthy one turned his head and startled at the newcomer, before the whore stuck the weapon in his eye in one fluid motion. Cleo stared wide-eyed, as Mae pulled the blade out and went on to kill the wounded one. How could she do that without flinching?

“What?” She asked, seeing the look on Cleo’s face. “Oh come on, girl! They didn’t get those scars baking friggin’ pastries, you know. The bastards probably deserved worse than a quick death.” The young woman nodded weakly and followed her fellow murderer outside.

“I heard about the mess you made at that church. They said nobody could recognize the body.” The older woman pointed. “Didn’t think you’d startle at a simple murder.”

“I would argue not being in the soundest state of mind at the time.” Cleo averted her eyes from the old woman’s.

The night was falling and torches were lit up on the docks, as the two made their way through the dark and the crowd. Cleo considered her new companion, the whore was not what she would have expected. She had trouble reconciling Ben’s depictions with the stern-looking woman who had slaughtered two criminals in cold blood moments ago. He had talked about that woman like she was the most kind and beautiful individual. The Lady wondered how different a person could be, depending on the viewer’s eye. It reminded her of her old image of Brother, the brilliant and handsome man her former-self used to follow seemed not so perfect from her new perspective.

“Anyway, now you know what to expect if you screw things up, once we get inside Gilbet’s house.” Mae’s voice pulled her out of her considerations, and the young woman shuddered at the threat.

“I assure you that I have no intention of adding you to the long list of people who wish me harm.” She tried to appear confident saying so.

“I’m still not convinced about your story. Seeing brown coat once with Chaffaud is no proof.” The whore scowled.

“Then why help me?” She raised an eyebrow.

“Well, you could be right. Plus I’m curious about...”

The whore was interrupted by a violent coughing fit, it lasted a good minute. Cleo shot her a worried glance but the woman ignored her concern and walked ahead.

“Don’t you tell Ben about that.” Mae shot over her shoulder.

“I very much doubt he will be willing to have a civil conversation with me anytime soon.” She pointed, recalling their argument in the harbor.

“Well, he sure was furious.” Mae nodded. “Though to be honest, I’m surprised you’re still alive after what you did. I don’t know what he sees in you.” She shook her head in disbelief.

Cleo was stung by those words, but refrained herself from answering. The whore had a strong temper, and she had a knife to accompany it. The Lady wondered if their scheme could work with such lack of trust, the plans had many uncertainties already. The pair paused at a street corner, in view of a rather big and wealthy domain, Gilbet’s home she assumed.

“Perhaps we should wait for Ben, in case something goes awry.” Cleo proposed, seeing the numerous guards tending the gate.

“We don’t know when he’ll be back.”

“If he escapes…”

“Bring him around soldiers? He’s likely to cause more trouble than help.” Mae snorted. “A lot of Chaffaud’s men have already seen his face anyway. What worries me is that, if you’re right about brown coat, he could have told the councilman about me.”

Cleo bit her lip with anxiety.

“Stay here while I find a way to sneak you inside unnoticed. Try to hide somewhere, you stand out with your… Well, I’ll be back as soon as I can.” The whore said and left before Cleo could voice more doubts.

****

Cleo’s resolve was wavering as time passed, waiting in the shadows for the other woman. She wondered what her shaky alliance with Ben and Mae could do to help the city. If the Holy Empire was coming, it meant it was willing to face the whole continent to capture Gravelroy. Maybe letting her brother take it swiftly would mean fewer victims? But the Lady did not want to let the ones responsible for her four-year nightmare to win. She wanted to fight that cursed church with all her might. If she could foil the initial attack it could force the invaders into a siege, leaving time for potential allies to intervene.

Cleo had waited for the better part of an hour when some movement at the gate attracted her attention. The whore was back, carrying a basket and accompanied by a well-dressed man. The lady carefully stepped out the shadows and signaled her presence to them. She had not expected Lord Gilbet to come out in person, she recognized him despite the years and the added weight. His face was still as gentle as she recalled from the times she had met him as a young girl, during her visits to the city. She saw no signs of him remembering her though, time had been less kind with her looks. Mae handed her loud out, revealing an assortment of clothes. The Lady tried to overcome the shame of disrobing on a street corner.

“Don’t change now. Clean up first, you idiot. There’s so much filth on you the guards won’t let us in, even with their Lord beside us.” Mae scolded her.

“Listen Maeva, I have been more than helpful with your insane requests, could you please explain me…”

“Now shut your trap, Gilbet. You let friggin’ thugs take the kid from you, you cunt.” She retorted acidly.

“Dear God, but what was I supposed to do? They had a knife to Sebastian’ throat!” The councilman protested, it sounded like they had the conversation many times over.

While the two argued, Cleo cleaned up her face and arms as well as she could manage without a mirror. She winced at the rag once finished, its filthy state didn’t give her much hope about the condition of her skin. She proceeded to undress quickly to put on a dark servant robe and a shawl. She congratulated the whore for her thoughtfulness, Cleo could hide most of her face under the fabric. There was also a pair of leather shoes, and her wounded feet were grateful for those. Mae inspected the overall result and did a few corrections here and there, before nodding, satisfied.

“I guess it’s as good as it’s going to get. Let’s go, Chaffaud is out for now but there’s no telling when he’ll get back.”

“Are you sure you are not mistaken in your suspicions? I know he has been quite… paranoid lately, but I cannot believe a fellow councilman and friend to be selling out Gravelroy to the empire.” The Lord spoke.

“Wake up you damn fool, everyone has a price.” Mae rolled her eyes.

“You told him?” Cleo exclaimed.

“Don’t worry it’s only Gilbet, he ain’t part of no plot. The idiot thinks everyone is ‘nice’.” She spat the word. “The whole city knows Chaffaud is rotten to the core, but that guy here can’t believe it.” She shook her head in disbelief.

“Could you stop speaking about me as if I’m some place else?” The man protested. “And yes, I believe that given proper chances, anyone can…”

“Holy tit, will you shut up? Let’s go.” Mae sighed.

The three went through the gate and into the residence’s courtyard unchallenged, much to Cleo’s relief. The darkness and the disguise would not work against a close inspection, but guards didn’t pay attention to servants. More soldiers wearing Chaffaud’s livery welcomed the trio inside, they seemed frantic. Both women followed Gilbet upstairs, before stopping in a corridor.

“The room at the end is where my fellow councilman stores the goods he salvaged from the arson.” The Lord said, indicating a door guarded by two armsmen.

“Well, you know what to do.” Mae said, and the Lord nodded weakly, not looking very confident.

Cleo watched together with the other woman, as Gilbet advanced towards the two men. She raised an eyebrow at the whore but got no explanation, so she tried to listen to the conversation.

“Good evening gentlemen, may I ask for a moment of your time? I know your occupation to be tedious and Lord Chaffaud might not be always the most… generous man.” Both men startled at the declaration. “As a reward for your services in bringing safety to my household, I have arranged for a little token of my gratitude.” The two perked up. “Nothing fancy I’m afraid, simply an evening meal.”

“That’s… very generous of you, my Lord. But we are supposed to stay here and…” One tried to protest.

“Of course, of course. You have big responsibilities. Worry not, I will have my own men replace you while you take a well-deserved break.”

“Well…” They looked at each other, seemingly reluctant.

“You surely deserve it after all, you are doing difficult work, important even. People often forget to show appreciation for it, I believe. Permit me to demonstrate my gratitude in the name of the city.”

“…”

“Please, I insist. Think of it as doing me a favor. There’s some ale waiting for you, or so I heard.”

“Did you say ale?” The speaker’s companion coughed to interrupt.

“Can’t really refuse doing his lordship a favor now, can’t we?” He said with an innocent air.

He dragged the other guard away and bowed his thanks to Gilbet. The two women waited for the soldiers to be out of sight before joining the councilman.

“I dare hope my own retainers would not let themselves be bribed so easily.” He sighed.

“They’re only men. Tell them what they want to hear and they do anything you want. Their work is hard, their boss is treating them poorly and they deserve better.” Mae was wearing a smug grin.

“Wouldn’t some coin work easier?” Cleo pointed.

“Now THAT would be a bribe. Whereas the meal and the ale they felt like they deserved. Plus offering coin to make them go away would look right suspicious.”

Cleo marveled at the whore ingenuity, before the trio brought their attention back to the door. Mae was first through it, followed closely by the Lord. The both of them stopped as soon as they entered, and Cleo had to squeeze herself in to understand why. The room was small and dark, but in the mess of crates and boxes laid a human form. Gilbet quickly lit a candle, revealing a man, sitting and the floor and tied up with ropes. The Lady gasped. His face was unrecognizable, covered with bruises and blood, but the coat was unmistakable.

“What is the Parkhat’s right-hand doing in my house, and in such a sad state?” Gilbet exclaimed.

“He seems to be unconscious…” Cleo knelt beside the wounded man.

“Holy twat, you guys are useless. Gilbet, go get your own guards and close the door. You, start looking for your friggin’ book.” Mae ordered.

The two realized their bodies obeyed before their brains could object, and Cleo envied the whore’s authority. She began searching, sorting all the books she found in different piles for further inspection. She was looking for signs of frequent use, or works commonly found in the Empire. Perhaps inconspicuous tomes deserved a closer look, she started a pile for them too. The councilman came back minutes later, having dealt with his task.

“How is he faring? God, what are we to do if…” She heard him panic behind her.

“Gilbet, it would be of great help if you could go through Chaffaud’s room and bring back all the books you’d find there.” Mae spoke.

“Right, of course. But how…”

“Just go. Figure out something.” The prostitute shot back. The sound of the door closing informed the Lady of his leave.

“You believe the scoundrel to be keeping the tome in his chambers?” She raised an eyebrow at the older woman.

“I don’t know, I just want to keep him busy. I can’t stand him fussing.” She shrugged, before bringing her attention to the unconscious man. “Damn, he’s been beaten hard. Makes you question whose side this one is on, doesn’t it?”

She slapped him a few times, and quite rudely so, but he did not wake up. Cleo went back to her investigation for a while, until the sound of footsteps made her jump in fright. The tome she was holding fell from her hands, startling the whore. Both stared at the door in fright, before sighing in relief when Gilbet’s face showed through the entrance.

“Here.” He handed a couple more volumes to Cleo. “I believe I proved myself rather ingenious to get these.” He smiled at Mae smugly.

“Good man. Now can you look after our guest, he seems in bad shape.”

“What if you find nothing?” He said now looking at Cleo, who had no idea how to answer.

“And what if we do, then we’re in a friggin’ ton of shit. Better start thinking about that.” The whore pointed dryly.

“Well of course, if Chaffaud is plotting we have to stop him.”

Cleo let out a small cry of victory, having found a suspicious book. It was one she knew well, ‘History of the Empire’, and its pages were numbered. She took out ink and quill from her pouch and knelt, before setting herself to work on the floor. Hidden in the letter amidst the phrases were numbers. One number for a page, the next for a line, and the last was a word.

‘Secure…objective…before…twenty-ninth’ Cleo finished writing shakily, while Gilbet and the whore gasped from behind her.

“That’s in one day! We can’t evacuate the city in one friggin’ day! And the message doesn’t tell us much about the plan.” Mae grunted.

“Nothing surprising here, writing down the scheme would be a stupid risk, we will have to guess it then.” Cleo spoke, and the two shot her an incredulous look. She began pacing the room and putting her thoughts together. “I very much doubt the whole invasion would rest on the shoulders of mere household guards. I believe a small advance party of experienced soldiers should be incoming. Chaffaud’s part would only be to allow them inside the walls unnoticed.”

“So he’ll smuggle an armed force in the city. Or do you think they’re already inside?” Mae asked, looking worried.

“We can’t know for certain, but I would assume them to arrive as late as possible. Hiding soldiers here involves the risk of them being discovered too early, thus foiling the plan.” The young woman answered.

“Chaffaud has quite a few ships, oversea trade is his main source of income.” Gilbet said and Cleo nodded, she had read the ledgers about those.

“And there’s not much traffic through the city gates, most folks come here by boat. If the bastard wants to bring soldiers, the harbor is less suspicious.” Mae pointed.

“Then we can safely assume that one or more of his boats will arrive soon, together with a deadly cargo.” Cleo said, and bit her lip at the prospect.

“This night or tomorrow’s then, I don’t see him trying this during the day.” The prostitute spoke.

“This all makes for a lot of guessing.” Gilbet frowned.

“It’s all we got. If we’re wrong we can all laugh at our foolishness in a couple days. I’d like that actually.” His former lover said wistfully.

“Before we begin planning our course of action, there’s a more pressing concern.” Cleo interrupted. The other two frowned at her. “We don’t know where Chaffaud is at the moment, and the house is full of his retainers.”

“What are we to do if he comes back, he has more men than I, he has been hiring a lot recently. We have to hurry…” The Lord began to panic again.

“Are they more loyal to him or to the city?” The Lady asked.

“Loyal? Ah! There’s not enough loyal people in Gravelroy to fill a carriage. But he pays them allright.” Mae snorted.

“I would like to point out that we are in the presence of my former friend’s coffers.” Gilbet interrupted. Both women startled at his words, and he pointed at the larger crates in the back.

“These could hinder Chaffaud’s efforts and help us fund a resistance, but how are we to bring them outside unnoticed?” Cleo wondered, considering the heavy-looking boxes.

“And there is the matter of the Parkhat’s man.” The Lord pointed out, staring at the sleeping figure.

“I have an idea, but you’re not going to like it, Gilbet.” Mae said with a smug grin.