Maids moved aside, bowing their heads hastily as Leyla walked away from the Healers rooms. Berk, the fool boy, had passed out halfway to the castle, forcing her to carry him into the inner keep on her back. Despite being younger, he was a head taller and quite a bit wider, which made for some awkward lifting. She could have left the recruit to the Warriors that rushed forward to help at the sight of them entering the Keep, but that wasn't her way. Leyla had led Berk into the fray; she had to make sure he was cared for.

Sighing, she took swift steps out into the main hallway, comforting herself with the knowledge that the boy would be good as new in a matter of hours. Using the strange crystals and medicines that they brought with them from the Giant Tree Forest, the Healers could cure just about any wound if they handled it in time. Her lips pursed, stretching the tight skin of her scar and making it itch. They would have been able to cure Leyla's face too, if the orphans hadn't locked her in the basement of the Home after cutting her.

Turning right, Leyla stepped out onto the second floor mezzanine that surrounded the inner-keep quad, her eyes catching the shimmer coming from the top floor walls. While the Warrior castle was built out of dull grey stones, the outer walls and top floors of the keep were covered in thick, fire repellent glass that shimmered and had an ice-like appearance. An invention of the Land of Light, the material was gifted to the previous Warrior King some thirty-years ago.

Many Warrior officers believed the gift was a strategic error, after all, with the cover of ice-glass, the Warrior Kingdom's defensive walls became almost impossible to scale. According to them, giving such a tactical advantage to a foreign Kingdom, ally or not, was sheer stupidity on the part of the Land of Light. But Leyla had studied the movements of the most mysterious Kingdom in Gaia for a long time and she knew they would never make such a mistake; if they had the ability to make the material, it only stood to reason that they could destroy it. In her experience, many Warrior officers underestimated outsiders abilities in tactical warfare. Could that be why no one had caught onto the bigger picture behind the recent shift in Bone Eater strategy?

As Leyla walked along the mezzanine, she considered how to approach Captain Leo. She had dispatched messengers to alert the council of the imminent arrival of captives and would have to brief Captain Leo about the incident, but how could she get him to listen to her theory? He was not only incompetent, he disliked having to do anything over the absolute minimum. As it was, she was likely to get an earful for being the one there during the ambush since it meant he was now going to have to appear in front of the council...

CRASH! A sudden shattering sound pulled her out of her thoughts. What on Gaia? Then the unmistakable scream of Princess Mira had Leyla flying up the staircases. Her hand on the hilt of her sword, she burst into the Princess's chambers and just managed to side step a flying vase. Sharp pieces of crystal scattered every which way after shattering on the wall behind her.

The Princess, who had thrown the vase, hadn't bothered to see where her aim landed and was calmly resuming her seat at her gilded mirror, not a hair out of place. The carpeted floors were strewn with broken glass and red roses while a group of maids were huddled in the far corner shaking with fear. No assassin in sight.

Leyla raised a questioning brow at the royal guards who saluted her silently from the other side of the double doors. Their leader, a flat-nosed guard called Katuna, gave her a tight lipped nod to indicate the lack of danger. By Tevvuk's beard, was the Princess just throwing another tantrum?

"Didn't I say that I wanted pink roses today?" The 17-year-old royal pain-in-the-ass stared daggers at the chambermaids as she picked up her hairbrush. The maids were grabbing at their skirts with white knuckles, the youngest among them looking as though she would burst into tears at any moment. Leyla took a slow breath. The delivery of roses had obviously not made it in time because of the ambush. Clearly the maids were either too afraid to tell their mistress about the delay or they hadn't been granted time to explain. In truth, even if they explained, they would get punished. Someone had to suffer when Princess Mira was dissatisfied. It was unjust, but it wasn't Leyla's place to interfere. Her hand on her sword, she took a soft step back.

"Idiots have to be taught a lesson!" Princess Mira tossed her hairbrush aside, her long blonde tresses spilling down her back. Then with a smile that stretched her red-tinted lips into a cruel bow, she curled one elegant finger around a golden lock. "Bring me my needles!"

Leyla stiffened beside the open door as a memory flashed across her mind. Sniggering faces peeking from behind the kitchen door. A kettle boiling over the low fire. Cooks hairy fingers gripping a pouch full of shiny needles as she sneered: "Where'd you hide my supplies, half-blood?" Leyla's neck itched at the memory of sharp metal stabbing at her skin, over and over.

"No, Princess, please!" The wailing from the corner of the room snapped Leyla into the present. The youngest maid pressed her forehead to the ground as she begged for mercy between sobs. Her two companions were trembling beside her.

"Are you all deaf? Get. My. Needles. NOW!"

Leyla's fingers clenched. Damn it! "Your Highness, you are not hurt are you?" She walked forward as if she had just arrived, ignoring the surprised shuffles from the royal guards beside her.

"Oh, it's you." The Princess turned around, both her tone and her arched expression making it clear that she didn't care for the interruption. Her eyes landed on Leyla's scar then she looked away in disgust. Picking up one of the thin brushes on her table, she dipped it into precious quartz powder and smeared it over her already bright pink cheeks. The beautiful Princess had a knack for making herself gaudy. "What brings you here?"

Your shrill screams. "Did your maids drop your vase?" Leyla asked as if the Princess had not spoken. Then she sent an angry look in the direction of the crying girls. "You fools! Don't you know how precious this colour rose is?"

"Precious colour?" The Princess snorted, resuming the brushing of her gleaming hair. Unlike Warrior officers who all wore their hair in braids and soldiers who wore their hair tied back, civilians and members of the royal court wore their hair out or in ribbons.

"Is it not?" Leyla asked, trying to look embarrassed. "I don't know anything about flowers, but after overhearing the colonels admiration of the red roses in the Great Hall, I made a foolish assumption that it must be a precious colour."

"The colonels admiration?" The Princess's hand stilled, a sudden interest in her eyes. "Which colonels? You mean Colonel Alec? Did he say he liked red roses?"

Leyla kept her expression blank and nodded. At 25 years old, Alec of the House of Steel was the youngest Colonel in the history of the Warrior Kingdom, every maidens dream catch and the apple of the King's eye. He was also the man Princess Mira had been obsessed with for years. "I believe he was among the group, your Highness." Noting that the chambermaids were regaining their colour, Leyla pressed her advantage. "The colonels mentioned that red roses were delicate and fragrant, like beautiful women."

One of the Royal guards beside her coughed to cover a laugh.

The Princess clutched her brush with a dreamy expression. "Naturally I like red roses best as well." Her eyes darted to the floor where flowers lay pointing every which way. "That's why I was so angry just now, look at what they've done!"

Shifting blame? The Princess was as predictable as ever. "What are you waiting for?!" Leyla addressed the chambermaids, "Clean away this glass before it harms the Princess! You there, bring more red roses and make sure they are untarnished. And you, can't you see her Highness's hair needs to be decorated? It is almost time for her morning stroll, fix it now!" The girls rushed forward, rubbing away their tears and sending grateful glances in her direction. Leyla turned to the Princess with another deep bow, "Your Highness, with your permission, I take my leave."

Now fully absorbed with thoughts of Colonel Alec, the Princess waved her away without a second thought. Leyla turned to the three members of the royal guard who wore practiced blank expressions and signalled for their leader to follow her out the door. The bright morning light filled the corridor and cast dappled shadows over the stone floors.

"Thank you Lieutenant," Katuna said the moment they were out of ear shot. "If you hadn't mentioned the Colonel..."

Yes, Colonel Alec had saved the maids unwittingly. Leyla would have spared a thankful thought to to the man, but couldn't quite manage it. For reasons she could never understand, the Warrior had gone from being the person she admired most, to her personal plague.

"Never mind that, I need to see the Princesses schedule."

"Of course!" Katuna pulled a folded piece of paper from her breast pocket. "Is there a problem, Lieutenant?"

"No." Scanning the list quickly, Leyla handed the paper back. "Prisoners are being brought in for interrogation, so avoid the South Gate route when taking her Highness to visit the King."

"Yes, Lieutenant," Katuna nodded.

Feeling the sudden chill, Leyla tipped her head up. The scent of Deadman Mountain was distinct on the breeze that penetrated the castle walls. Even though the Great Frost was past and harvests had begun in the Green Lands, the grey soil of the Warrior Kingdom had yet to warm. "And Katuna, make sure the steps that lead up to the Princess's secret hiding place are cleaned of frost."

"I will see to it, Lieutenant." Katuna gave a small smile, a warm light in her eyes. It was such an unexpected expression that Leyla stared for a moment, before blinking away her surprise.

"Right. You may return to your post."

The guard saluted, turned on her heal, then went back into the lion's den.

Unsure what that had been about, Leyla headed in the direction of the Mess Hall. Considering Captain Leo's usual morning schedule, he was more than likely drinking his third mug of hot bean juice and harassing the pretty cooks. Having gained admittance into Officer Training by virtue of being a royal, he was a man who liked sleeping late, taking long meals and enjoying women. Annoyed anew by the thought of the lazy excuse for an officer, Leyla descended from the upper floors of the castle keep.