The [King] had prepared a small conference room. Two servants were setting out tea cups and plates with biscuits. The man himself sat at the end of the table, his wife to the right and Gregor to the left. The [Spymaster] had a pile of empty pages in front of him, ready to take notes. There were two more seats on each side. A bowl stood ready on the other end with a stand for me to rest on and still look above the table comfortably.

A hint of a smirk ran over Martha’s face as I sat down. She stood behind my right. Nobody said a word until the servants had filled every cup of tea. Martha pulled out a bottle of wine from the folds of her dress and found a glass somewhere, pouring for herself.

The [King] dismissed the servants with a nod and soon, we were alone in the room. I noticed Gregor holding a dagger in his hand, openly on the table.

“Well, everyone’s here”, I began, “Let’s get introductions out of the way. This is Martha, the leader of the Church’s intelligence network in Eterios.”

The woman smiled sweetly and bowed.

“You likely know the names but these are Gerard Eterios, the [King], his wife Morrigan Eterios, the [Queen], and Gregor, the [Spymaster] of Eterios.”

“A pleasure to meet you”, Martha sang.

“Likewise”, the [King] nodded.

“And everyone knows who you are”, Morrigan smiled.

I clicked my tongue.

“Yes, well. Why don’t you sit down, Martha?”

I saw a hint of amusement dance over the [King]’s face as the woman thanked me and sat primly to my right. The look Gregor gave her made me stop and reconsider how I wanted to continue. It would do no good to have them at each other’s throats when I wanted them to work together.

“Before we begin, if anyone has any issues with someone in this room, now is the time to say so.”

Gregor flinched but shook his head at my stare. I saw the [King] smile and Morrigan was chuckling behind a paper fan. A look at Martha showed me she was completely at ease.

“Nothing? Good. Then I’ll begin.”

I kept my explanation simple, talking about the Church having discovered the hungry node in the centre of the world and what its presence meant for our continued existence. During my explanation, Martha was calmly sipping wine while Gregor’s face contorted more and more towards horror. The [King] was growing quiet and taking small bites from a biscuit every now and then. By the end, Morrigan’s face was filled with fear.

When I was done, I gave everyone some time to think about things. Martha had put on a neutral mask, no longer mocking with her smiles. She glanced at me and nodded softly.

The first one to speak after I was done was the [King].

“Why do I only hear of this now?”, he asked. Barely restrained anger suffused his tone.

“I didn’t…”, Gregor began but he was silenced by a held-up palm.

“There is no need to seed panic where it does not belong”, Martha said, “You have followed the Church with all your might whenever we asked. You only know now because Eterios has an important role as neighbour of the dwarves.”

“We could have pushed for that”, he hissed, “My own nobles were trying to build a connection with them. When I stopped them they tried to go to war. Why? Because I can’t keep a secret?”

Morrigan whimpered. The [King] sat back in his chair and ran a hand down his face.

“I am sorry, my love”, he said.

She nodded weakly and grabbed his hand. With a deep breath, she sat up and looked me straight in the eyes.

“Fio. Thank you for telling us. We will do everything we can to help.”

I nodded.

“That is all I am asking for.”

“For what it’s worth”, Martha said, “I was explicitly forbidden from telling anyone. In this city, only me and the Cleric know. Before today, that is.”

“That makes much more sense…”, Gregor muttered.

“Hmm? What’s that?”, Martha smirked.

“Ah… I was just thinking… I didn’t find anything when investigating your actions. Not even the slightest hint. There should have been something.”

The woman laughed.

“Well, it’s not a topic outside the Cathedral. Anyone not living in or underneath the Corpus Saxi will never talk about it. That is, until today.”

“More like yesterday”, I said, “I told my friends.”

“But… why?”

“You do mean to get the support of the dwarves, right?”

“… yes?”

Martha tilted her head.

“The main quality of dwarves is trust. I trust my friends to deal with important information properly. You will have to do the same.”

“Wait, did you already contact the dwarves? Do you have some thaumaturgical artefacts to let you do that?”

“Not quite. And I didn’t contact all of them.”

She stared. So did Gregor. The [King] looked thoughtful.

“Can you do the same to coordinate our cooperation?”, he asked.

I froze. Did they want to use me and Catori as a cellphone?

“Not doing that”, my other self said, “Especially not when you’re travelling.”

“Yeah, that’s a little much.”

I shook my head.

“I’m afraid it’s not that simple. I need to be in one of the positions and the other side needs to have [Telepathy]. I’m supposed to travel and look for more allies and resources.”

“Too bad.”

He let out a deep sigh and shared a look with the [Queen]. Then he met my eyes with resolution.

“Of course, we will assist in any way we can. I would like to have my daughters live a long and prosperous life.”

Morrigan nodded. Her eyes were steel.

“This world will continue to exist, as long as I have power.”

She turned to Gregor.

“You should lead Martha here to be keyed into our wards so she can meet you and us whenever it is needed.”

“The palace wards or your private wards?”, he asked.

“Both.”

“I really don’t like giving a spy access to your bed chambers, your majesty.”

“You heard Fio. We need to show trust if we wish to work with the dwarves. It is time to begin with that.”

He looked confused.

“There’s no dwarf here?”

“Honorary dwarf”, I said, “Or citizen of the Dwarven Hills. Whatever you want to call it.”

“… right.”

Martha chuckled.

“Dear, I will not harm those who are supposed to help me. Believe in this owl. She is throwing her weight around and she has more than your liege.”

I stared at her.

“I do?”

“Yes. You are cleared to make use of the Cathedral’s resources as long as it furthers the protection of our world. You may not officially be a Cleric but you are definitely their equal.”

“I mean… sort of? I don’t believe I can just do whatever I want, though?”

“Which is exactly why you have that privilege, deary. You would not use our resources for your personal gain. At least not until our problem is dealt with.”

“Huh. I can see where you’re coming from.”

“Great”, Gregor sighed, “What’s next? Gonna make us reveal our real faces?”

“Oh?”, Martha smirked, “Are you projecting your desires, Gregor?”

“I am doing no such thing. She knows my name and she probably knows yours as well. If she wants it, who am I to say no?”

“Gregor”, the [King] scolded.

“Is it not true? She is equal to a Cleric. If she said you’re no longer [King], would that not become true?”

“It wouldn’t”, Martha said, “Denouncing a ruler takes more than just word from a single person. Otherwise, there would have been far more changes in rule over the last centuries.”

“Makes sense”, I said.

“Fine”, Gregor acquiesced, “But you get what I mean?”

“I do”, the [Queen] said, “And yet I can not help but find you… pitiful. Your role is not moot simply because you have an equal. Your work will continue to be needed. You simply have more resources and more responsibilities. As well as a close ally with a similar Skill-set.”

“I… I’m just worried. About all this.”

“I understand. Be patient. We will find a solution. And we can not do so alone.”

The [Spymaster] looked up. He stared at me before moving on to Martha. Eventually, he nodded.

“Right. We’ll be fine.”

“Now, if that is all for now?”, the [King] said, “Or did you need something immediately?”

Martha looked at me.

“No, not yet”, I said, “The details will be hashed out more when Alex makes it here. And after that, Martha will relay any messages.”

The woman nodded.

“Good. Then I will spend some time with my family. I have a sudden urge… Will you join me, my love?”

The [Queen] nodded and they rose together.

“Once again, thank you for informing us, Fio”, she said, “A guest room is ready for your use, simply ask one of the servants.”

I nodded and wished them a good evening. Soon after, it was only me and the two spies left in the meeting room. Martha stood up and walked to the wall. There was a small cupboard with a few pieces of art on top. She carefully observed a bust of some woman while nursing her wine.

“You know, Gregor, I admire you.”

The man perked up from his writing.

“You do?”

Martha sighed.

“Yes. You have a mission that is so incredibly clear. Protect your liege. Why can’t it always be so simple?”

The man scoffed.

“Simple. Yeah, maybe it’s a simple task. Doesn’t make it any easier.”

The woman turned around.

“See, that’s what I mean”, she said.

Her wineglass swung wide, the liquid nearly leaving its trappings.

“You have such a clear goal, you can find all the risks and deal with them. What do you think I’m doing all day long? Huh?”

She drained her glass in one quick gulp.

“I’m fucking around, sometimes literally, until some messenger comes by and says: Martha do this, Martha do that. It’s fucking pissing me off!”

“Hey!”, I said, “Calm down a little?”

The glass slammed on the table.

“I. Am. Calm.”

Her heavy breathing told a different story. She took the bottle and threw back her head, emptying it rapidly into her gullet. Moments later it landed on the carpet. A single drop of liquid ran down from the corner of her mouth.

“I’m so fucking done…”, she whispered, “Blegh!”

“Uhm…”, Gregor made.

I agreed with his observation. The veins on her naked arms started to bulge. Within moments they had turned blood-red and started to glisten. Martha raised her eyes to look at me.

“I’m a monster, alright. A fucking disgrace for mankind.”

More liquid flowed from her eyes and mouth. Within moments, she was soaked from head to toe. The contours distorted and her human silhouette turned into an amorphous blob. Then, she started to shrink. Just half a head with her arms and legs turning more muscular. Her dress receded and pants formed underneath the red. A broad nose poked from the face and her mouth opened. Bit by bit, the liquid started to flow back into her body. Suntanned skin showed up from below, a face framed by red hair. Freckles ran over her nose and cheeks. Her body was lacking in curves but still feminine. The pants and shirt were sturdy leather and cotton in simple colours but a sturdy design. A broad and happy grin greeted us.

“What the fuck…”, Gregor stammered.

“Hey Greg, long time no see!”

“Helena?”, he whispered.

“Never thought about the ‘Church’s [Spymaster]’ to use a different name, huh?”

“No, I did think about that but… You?”

“I feel a little out of the loop”, I said.

“Fio, sweety, I’m his girlfriend.”

“What?”

“And I didn’t fucking know”, she snarled.

“You didn’t?”, Gregor shrieked.

“We’re fucking horrible spies, aren’t we?”

“But…”

I hooted.

“Yes, you played yourselves. Can we drop the pity party?”

“Fine”, Martha said, “Just… Give us some time. We have stuff to talk about.”

“Sure. Just one question. How did you not know he was the [Spymaster]? I mean, you knew him like this, right?”

“Yes. He’s a ‘chef’s assistant’. For the [Royal Chef]. I screened him a ton but never found anything amiss.”

“Well, when I got to know you I was still working on general Skills.”

“That’s… too much.”

“So, rather than you both being horrible spies, I’d say you’re pretty amazing.”

“What?”

I blinked at their perfect unison.

“I mean, you both perfectly hid your real job. I didn’t even notice any reaction from you, earlier, Martha.”

“I am rather proud of my acting skills”, she smiled.

“Ah, fuck…”, Gregor said, “Did I feed you with information about the castle?”

“Just enough for me to get my own people inside. Not into the private quarters, though. You did pretty well in vetting for that.”

“Huh.”

“Well”, I smirked, “I’ll leave you two to it, then. Enjoy yourselves.”

Gregor frowned while Martha waved with a big grin on her lips.

“Thanks for all the help”, she said as I left.

Now to get some rest. Tomorrow I would spend some time with Medea before moving on to Greypeak.