The Darkest Side of a Star

Chapter 1

Ilise

Noble couples twirled around each other as the summer ball was in full swing. It almost looked fun. I even took a step forward, causing my dagger hidden under the folds of my dress to press into my skin, a solid reminder—that’s not what I was here for.

Draped over the golden chandeliers were garlands of orange tulips, like raindrops frozen mid-air. My gold heels clicked against the marble floor. Guards and guests—including myself—wore red roses or tulips to adorn our outfits, paying homage to the Fire Spirit. I’d chosen to also craft a crown of red roses, pinning it to rest atop my afro.

Flowery scents warred with sweat. I wrinkled my nose the deeper I pushed into the crowd, trying my best to blend in. My eyes darted around the room, waiting, studying, watching. The chorus of voices swelled, drowning out the grating melodies of the orchestra. Tonight’s music painted a harsh picture. Dissonant melodies clashed together like nails on a rough stone. I supposed the nobles thought it to be some deep, beautiful story. To me, it sounded like an ensemble of irritated cats. I bet if the Fire Spirit were here, their face would turn sour.

I pushed towards the edge of the crowd to find a better vantage point. People gawked at me as I passed, eyes drawn to the tulle sleeves I’d added to my dress. But not having them would only draw more unwanted attention, even though the heat of the room glued the light silk to my skin.

Attention was the last thing I needed. The small part of my brain I was never able to rid of fear kept my eyes also scanning for the monarchs. What would become of me if I were to be discovered was almost too horrific to imagine. But the fear kept me alive, it kept me prepared. It kindled the fire in my belly that appeared when I thought about how the monarchs stood by as my, and so many others’ lives were forever altered. The golden pendant under the neckline of my dress warmed on my chest like a second brand—another reminder.

I found an empty spot in the far corner of the room, half hidden by the marble staircase. Although, I didn’t fully know what I was looking for. Messages from the Union were limited to avoid interception, but the last message Kass had sent could’ve won first prize for being cryptic.

Have fun at the ball tonight. There’s been gossip about some new guests, and I’m curious about who they are. In the deep crevices of the envelope, she’d added another note, uncoded.

Keep a close eye and don’t attract attention. Everyone here’s on edge.

She had added the second note as if I hadn’t been a spy since I was fourteen, in charge of keeping track of anything the royals are up to, occasionally the opinions of certain nobles to see if we could sway them to our side and help us with funds. I scanned the room, taking special note of the at least a dozen and a half guards clad in Erean black and gold. They paced the perimeter of the room between the towering tan columns, hands rested on the broadswords sheathed at their hips. It was as if they were waiting for something to jump out of the shadowed corners.

The faces I could see were familiar, regular guests of the balls and the court. Lady Ebony and her husband Lord Fion of Faveru mingled with Duchess Aimee of Lasaintbo. Every part of their bodies sparkled with jewelry specifically chosen to match the color of the crystals tied around their necks. The children of the Lords and Ladies of the court huddled together in a dance circle, laughing while they clinked flutes of champagne. I hadn’t taken the time to learn many of their names. They seldom attended any court meetings, and I wasn’t supposed to talk to them anyways. Or any noble for that matter.

And I bet if they knew I was a Primis servant they’d do their best to keep their distance from me if I was lucky, look upon me with disgust if not. That was the deal with Imperium, with the nobles especially. Their wealth, power, and control over the elements seemed to come at the price of empathy. Any compassion I could have shown towards them had died five years ago with everything else I held dear.

My best friend Aerilyn, however, with her preternatural charm, managed to wiggle her way into their group, her periwinkle dress sparkling under the dazzling candlelight. I could hear her bubbling laughter from my corner, whether she was actually entranced by one of the Water Imperium transforming his champagne into floating bubbles or just being polite, I couldn’t be certain.

I paced in my corner, craning my neck to look for unfamiliar faces. Across the room I spotted the King and Queen in deep conversation with Duke Oskar and Duchess Zakira of Pria. A bitter taste coated my tongue and I made a mental note to stay far from that side of the room.

The hairs on the back of my neck rose, my hand immediately resting on my hidden dagger.

Excuse me, miss? Have we met before? a soft voice asked. I whipped around in the direction of her voice. Her forest green ball gown was covered in white lace vines, wrapping around her shoulder. What is with this kingdom and vines? Red roses were pinned to her glistening gold belt, matching the glittering jewels throughout her long curls. And I could swear the candlelight shone just slightly brighter on her heart-shaped face. I guessed her to be about my age. And I couldn’t shake the sickening feeling in my stomach. Who was she? She carried herself with the grace of a fox, probably someone with power. But she wasn’t the daughter of any of the Lords or Ladies. I had observed the last court gathering after days of begging Ms. Kira to assign me to work there. I would have seen her.

Who are you? I asked. She outstretched a perfectly smooth brown hand, flashing a radiant smile. My face fell as realization dawned on me, my gut clenching with alarm. The few times I had seen her were from too far away to really see her face. And usually, a golden crown adorned her head, identifying her as one of the most powerful people in the kingdom.

Princess Yorena.

My back stiffened into a rigid pole as I dipped into a low curtsy. I apologize, Your Highness. I didn’t recognize you. She waved her hand, taking my silence as an invitation to step closer. I managed to stiffen more.

I saw you from across the room and thought you looked familiar. Familiar? In the five years I’d been here, I never once ran into the Princess. I’d made sure of it. Until last year, she’d been attended to by her ladies in waiting, rarely leaving the library where she had her lessons.

As I opened my mouth to respond, the orchestra’s melodies grew louder. I could hardly hear the words coming out of my mouth, the sounds getting lost in the music and cheers of the guests. Ugh, nobles.

The Princess leaned in, her rosewater scent filling my nose. My skin bristled from her proximity but I forced myself to remain still. Don’t react. The less interesting I made myself seem, the quicker she would leave me alone. I hoped. Can we talk outside, she shouted over the music.

I nodded. I couldn’t very well say no to the Princess, I had studied basic court etiquette. If the royal family requested something of you, there wasn’t much of a choice for you. Kass and Val could survive a few minutes without me searching for the special guests.

I swerved away from her hand as she tried to place it on my shoulder. I didn’t think she noticed. The Princess led me through the long, empty halls of the palace, through the golden arches lining the corridor, and taking a right into the garden. I inhaled the fresh air, perfumed with the smell of lavender and roses. The silver water fountain glistened under the light of the full moon, and small torches lined the cobblestone walkway.

The Princess gestured to a gray stone bench in front of the fountain. What about me is familiar? I’m a servant so you may have seen me walking through the corridors, I said. Although, I knew we never once passed each other. She sat down within a few inches of me. Panic spiked through my blood as my eyes locked on the orange fire crystal around her neck. I could almost hear the sizzle of skin, smell the burning of flesh, feel the burn that felt like hugging the sun. I fought a shudder and widened the space between us.

She tilted her head as her dark brown eyes bore into mine. Golden flecks were scattered in the sea of brown, one of the defining traits of Fire Imperium. The same golden flecks that kept me in this prison of a palace.

Your Highness? I said, snapping her out of her daze. I needed her to leave. All it would take was one slip-up for her to see right through me.

Sorry. I must have been mistaking you for someone else. I should return to the ball. I could have told her that inside. I watched her walk back inside the palace, her head held high. Ugh, she even walked with an air of superiority. Finally, I let the scowl I’d been suppressing surface on my face. Anger was good. Anger kept the fear in check. It helped me stay motivated.

Relief flooded through me the farther she went. Royals made my skin itch like a persistent rash that refused to leave no matter how much salve or remedies you used. Her careful smiles were even more infuriating than her parents’. I’d like to see her try and keep the same smile outside of her glistening palace, away from her army of servants to do her bidding, away from freshly cooked meals most could only dream of, and away from a life without worry. A smile returned to my face as I imagined how she would react to her kingdom outside the lines of New Teber.

Petite footsteps crunched the damp grass as Aerilyn strolled towards me, her intricate blonde curls blowing in the warm, soft breeze.

What are you doing out here? she asked, joining me on the bench and resting her head on the crook of my neck as I wrapped my hands around her slim shoulders.

The Princess thought she recognized me. Why’re you out here?

She shrugged. The usual. The noble sons kept asking if they could court me. They’re a persistent group. Like clockwork, at least three of the noble sons would try to court Aerilyn. Avoiding courtship was the whole reason she was working here in the first place, but I guess it was hard to escape it when you were the embodiment of a peaceful summer day.

Want me to come in there and share a few words with them? I offered. She chuckled. Many of the boys would back off when I showed up with Aerilyn. I towered over many of them, intimidating them too much to approach. Not exactly what Val had in mind when he’d told me to not attract attention, but scaring them away worked just as well. Aerilyn’s personality attracted people like magnets, while mine tended to repel them away.

If you want, she said, standing up from the bench. "But I still want you to come back inside.

I’ll come inside in a minute, I said. She shrugged and walked back inside. I strolled through the garden, not in any rush to go back inside. I ran through the list of guests I knew in my head at least three times. Unless the mystery visitors arrived late, I didn’t think I was missing much. Not one person inside had been much of a surprise to see.

My fingers brushed the newly planted hummingbird mints, my personal favorite. Sometimes when I closed my eyes, I could imagine I was a child again. Skipping through the fields beyond my family’s farm with my brother and sister, inhaling the flowers’ perfume scent without a care in the world. A twinge of longing shot through me, sharp as an arrow. Remembering my childhood would only bring more pain. And more images of charred fields and scorching buildings. The anger I’d felt around the Princess returned, settling deep in my stomach. Push it down. Sweep it under the rug to never be seen again. Val had told me that when I first joined the Union, and since then, it’s the only way I’ve been able to keep myself together out here.

I returned to the ballroom, scanning the room for Aerilyn. She stood by the buffet table, chatting with one of the daughters of the court—Lady Ebony’s daughter, I determined. Something resembling a grimace formed on her face before promptly leaving Aerilyn as I approached. A few years ago, that would have stung, but it was a regular occurrence by now.

Took you long enough, she said, not even having to turn around to tell it was me. I could only talk about the latest court fashions for so long. The daughters of the court were a bland bunch. I toyed with the thick, white tablecloth, half-listening to Aerilyn fill me in on her experience of the ball.

My mind was still captured with thoughts of who the mystery visitors could be. The seasonal balls typically drew nobles from all over the kingdom, even from the most northern reaches of the Alleses Mountains in Pria, to the most isolated parts of the Slandslina Forest in Faveru. The mystery visitors could be nobles who haven’t been to one in the last few years, but that wouldn’t cause Kass to want their names and make me watch them. Unless they were a Progression member. The Progression wasn’t anywhere near here, yet, so that eliminated anyone from Lasaintbo, Pria, Ominka, and here in Newnina. So I should be looking for someone Faveru or Nitedand-born.

The Air Imperium announcer began to speak, his white crystal glowing bright enough to take everyone’s attention. Attention honored guests. Please make your way to the eastern courtyard for the elemental demonstration. People filed out the towering oak doors. Aerilyn pulled me by the wrist to one of the nearby servant doors, closed off to the general public. We could get anywhere in the palace much quicker. And I could get anywhere with much less interference.

Who do you think is performing? Aerilyn asked. I shrugged. The King and Queen hand-picked nobles to demonstrate their elements for every seasonal ball. I placed my bets on it being whoever had done the best job of boosting their oversized egos. We walked through the empty, dark servant hallways because, of course, we weren’t allowed to have matches to light any of the torches unless we gained permission. I picked up the bottom of my dress to prevent it from dragging in the black puddles, and ducked to prevent my head from bumping on the low ceilings.

Warm air blasted our face as we opened the door to the eastern courtyard. Noble couples mingled in front of the massive stone stage, illuminated by the full moon and stars. Flaming torches lined the perimeter of the courtyard, revealing the posted guards. Several more than last season. Interesting. Through the thick trees to the right, guards lurked, visible only by the golden rose crest stitched on their uniforms flashing in the torchlight.

Aerilyn and I stood at the front of the stage as the rest of the guests trickled outside.

The order of tonight’s events are as follows, the air announcer began, quieting the growing chatter. Princess Yorena Schaefer demonstrating fire, Queen Saskia Schaefer demonstrating air, Mx. Oliver Li demonstrating water, and Mr. Nikos Vikander demonstrating earth.

And Kass’s mystery guests finally reveal themselves. Neither of them were nobles as far as I knew, and their last names weren’t ringing any bells. And why are the royals performing? In all my time here, they’d always watched the show from the balcony overlooking the courtyard. I rose to the tips of my toes to spot the mystery performers, but their faces were shrouded by the dark, too far away for me to decipher.

And it appeared Oliver was One with the Spirits as we called them. My friend Rori back at the base was One too. The four Spirits were more than just a he or she, they encompassed all aspects of life. Hence why we referred to them as they. Some were born with this sense that they also encompassed multiple aspects of life. Which is why we called them One with the Spirits.

The Princess stepped onto the stage when forceful winds blew through the courtyard. I was knocked to my knees, wincing from the impact as piercing screams rose in the crowd. Aerilyn crouched onto the ground, covering her ears. I wrapped an arm around her, tucking her close to me. Others in the crowd covered their heads from flying torches.

The wind howled, making my eyes burn with tears. There weren’t any clouds. It was impossible for a storm to come together this quickly. Unless… Air Imperium.

Guests still able to walk trampled over people to escape to their carriages, only to get knocked down by another forceful gust. Selfish bastards. Trees were ripped from the ground, soaring above our heads. Some swirled around each other in an elaborate dance before raining down on the crowd.

We need to crawl back, I shouted to Aerilyn. Her lip quivered as she nodded. I stayed behind her as we crawled back to the servant hallway door. Good thing I had made us stand in the front. Always position yourself to make for an easy escape.

The wind clawed at my face as if it were comprised of actual nails. We finally made it to the door. Slowly, I pushed myself to my feet and opened the door. I pulled Aerilyn in after me, slamming it shut behind us. Even through the thick oak of the door, I could hear the wind howl, muffling shrill screams.

What in the four Spirits was that, she panted, still shaking. I clasped her hand in mine, giving her a reassuring squeeze. I could’ve said it was an attack from Air Imperium, but she only knew me to be a servant, not a spy, and she looked shaken enough already. Lying to her constantly hurt like none other, but I’d forced those feelings away a long time ago.

It was probably just a freak storm. Go on without me, I need to catch my breath, I lied. She nodded, clearly too spooked to question me. I waited until the entrance door closed behind her before trying to open the outside door again. Those Imperium wouldn’t get away from me again; I needed to know who was doing this.

Yanking on the door, I threw myself back into the storm. Sharp slices of wind and dust tore at the sleeves of my dress. I kicked off my unnecessarily tall heels for better balance, not feeling the rocks digging into my calloused feet. Dust and darkness limited my field of vision. And at a snail’s pace, I forced myself through the wind. The best way to find Imperium in action was to follow the glow. Air Imperium used white crystals, and those always glowed the brightest.

I pushed against the winds for what felt like years before I saw it, a pinprick of white light. Air Imperium. No guests lingered in the debris-filled courtyard, already escorted away by guards.

I shielded my eyes and pushed in the direction of the light. Then, quick as it came, the wind stopped. I almost fell forward from the absence as dust and debris settled to the ground. I strained to find the glow of the crystal, my eyes meeting nothing but gray darkness. Dammit, I was too late.

Goosebumps rose on my arms as I heard footsteps behind me. Hells. My eyes landed on one of the only remaining pieces of shrubbery. Picking up the bottom of my dress, I bolted for it, keeping my footsteps soundless, and crouched low behind it. Thorns stabbed through the delicate silk, and I bit my tongue to keep myself from wincing.

Footsteps stopped a few feet into front of the bush and I froze, forcing my breathing to slow to quieter than a whisper. Become invisible.

Couldn’t we have struck tonight instead of this pitiful attack, a hoarse voice said. Pitiful? If this was pitiful, I would hate to see their true definition of an attack. Just one of those flying trees could have easily killed a dozen people. But I wouldn’t have felt much remorse for the nobles anyways.

Have patience, we must follow his orders and give them time to prepare, a masculine voice said. Prepare? Prepare for what? Who is him?

Let’s go before the other guards get suspicious, the first voice said. I waited until their footsteps receded before standing. Taking one last glance for more of them, I scurried towards the door. I opened the door and shut it behind me, the slam echoing off the stone. I exhaled deeply, trying to calm my frazzled nerves.

I left the servant hallway and walked down the steps to the ground floor. Soft snores echoed from other servant’s rooms, the only sounds in the vacant hall. I opened the door to my boxy room and flopped onto my small bed. It creaked noisily under my weight. Moonlight streamed in from the one small window, brightening the dingy stone walls.

There was no way those two men were real guards. They were fearful of the other guards suspecting them of something, So they could’ve been the ones who attacked the palace. They seemed to be stupid enough to try. But that strong of a storm couldn’t have been done with only the two of them. There had to be at least a dozen Air Imperium to generate a storm that powerful, possibly more.

No. I shook the thought away. I wasn’t here to play detective, I was here to spy for the Union, and gather any information I could about the royals’ plans. No suspicious guards, and no windstorms unless I had clear evidence that The Progression was behind this. That’s all I had to do. Then I could leave this prison, go back to my friends, and get my revenge. I looked down at the golden pendant around my neck. I would avenge them, no matter how long I had to be stuck like this.

But I had a sinking feeling that would be the last thing on the Union’s mind. They were much too busy dealing with The Progression.

Chapter 2

Ilise

My head pounded like a second heartbeat in my skull as six bell tones rang from the clocktower. Sunlight poured in through my beige patchwork curtains, blinding me as I sat up. As I rubbed the drowsiness from my eyes, the events of last night flooded my brain.

Wind storms, mystery performers, possible Progression members, and I was only supposed to be there to find names. Why did my life have a habit of turning upside down in a matter of hours? But at least no one died this time.

I rose from the bed and peeled off the ruined gown. There goes three months worth of coin. I pressed a hand over the bandage on my right arm. It stung like fire after not changing it before bed. Slowly, I unwrapped it, sighing as the air cooled the wound, and threw the soiled bandage in the wastebasket. I had to keep the upper part of my arm wrapped, or else it would get an infection.

We hadn’t been able to heal the burns until it was too late to save the skin. And the rest of the skin on my arm was covered in dark brown patches, shades darker than my own skin.

I grabbed a rough towel from the old dresser and wrapped it around myself. Servants had to use communal baths, and the water was always either dirty or frigid. I rummaged through the tiny drawer and grabbed extra bandages and healing salve, and slipped into a pair of slippers. Before I left, I slipped a small silver dagger under the towel to take with me. Never go unarmed.

I left the room and hurried down the hall. It was still early enough that no other servants traversed through the hall. I pushed open the swinging doors to the communal baths. Metal basins of water were scattered throughout the room, separated by a system of curtains. The few torches lining the walls were dim, close to burning out.

I chose a bath in the back corner of the room, giving me a perfect view of the entire room. I stepped behind the yellowing curtain, leaving a small crack so I could still see outside the bath.

I dropped the towel outside the bath and stepped into the chilling water. At least it’s clean this time. There was a discarded bar of soap on the edge of the bath and I lathered it onto my dirt-caked skin. I carefully rinsed the dirt off my arms and dried them with the towel.

I then scooped out some of the minty salve and spread it over the scars. Footsteps echoed from outside the doors. I quickly wrapped the bandages around my arm and jumped out of the bath. Not sparing another second, I wrapped myself in the towel and rushed from the room. I hated being in here with other people. It felt too vulnerable, too exposed.

Water dripped from my hair as I scurried to my room. I shut the door behind me and rubbed the remaining water from my skin. I grabbed my yellow servant uniform from the hook on the door and put it on. The honey-colored dress just brushed the top of my feet, with a white apron tied around my waist. Although it was summer, I still wore long-sleeves. Bandages were even more conspicuous than the scars themselves. I left my afro out. I didn’t have the energy to do anything more with it.

Then, I tucked a small, silver parrying knife into the sheath I strapped to my thigh, perfectly hidden by the folds of the dress. I left my room to find something to eat.

I still had to find a way to get a message to Kass and Val. Based on the conversation I had heard, I could only assume whoever those people were receiving their orders from were planning to attack again. And only one group of people would be bold enough to attack the palace—The Progression. But they’d never dared to step foot in Newnina, let alone the royal palace.

I pushed open the kitchen doors and was greeted by Seth’s smiling face. He was one of the assistant chefs in the palace, and was always willing to cook me food since I typically woke up early. His food was better than what most servants got from other chefs.

Good morning, Ilise, he sang. He rolled up his white sleeves and bent over the titanium countertop. The kettle whistled on the stove, steam shooting out of the spout. What can I get you?

Just a coffee. Black. He retrieved a mug and poured boiling water over a filled coffee filter.

Bad morning? he asked.

I shrugged. Good morning, bad morning, it all blurred together after a while. I have a feeling it might be. He set the steaming mug in front of me with a small plate of strawberries. I downed the contents of the cup, not caring as it burned my tongue. I pushed the empty mug back towards him. Thanks, Seth, I said, the sound muffled as I stuffed the strawberries into my mouth. They burst on my tongue with the type of sourness they only had when they weren’t in season.

Don’t come crying to me when you get blisters on the inside of your throat, he mused. I shook my head. He never failed to make people smile.

The seven o’clock bell hadn’t rung yet, so I paced the halls.

I cracked each of my knuckles, needing something to do with my hands. I almost wished the leader of The Progression would come here and stop playing their games. All I needed was an opportunity to drive my knife into their chest, end this once and for all. But no, I had to be a spy in one of the worst places for me to be. The one place where I would get executed if the royals found out who I was. And I was the one who had to stay isolated from everyone.

Sometimes I wanted to sprint out of the nearest exit and never look back. But it was much too late to run. I’d run away from my family, then I had to run from their corpses. Running wouldn’t solve anything this time. I gripped the gold pendant around my neck, the same pendant my mother and sister should’ve been wearing.

Other servants gave me side-eye glances as I walked past them, mumbling as many threats to The Progression leader that I could come up with. Most of them involved my dagger piercing their heart, and it brought me the smallest amount of joy.

Lost in violent daydreams, I almost didn’t notice the seven bell tolls booming through the halls, which meant I needed to go, now. The last thing I needed on my plate was another lecture about my lack of punctuality.

I raced up the twisting staircase to the second floor. I would never get used to how different opposing parts of the palace were. One second, I was in a dark, stone stairwell, dripping wet from random leaks. Then the second I left the stairwell, towering tan columns wrapped in carved oak vines lined the walls, gold chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. As if they needed this much light in one place.

I slowed my pace as I watched the other servants file out of the servant’s office. Spirits help me. Ms. Kira tapped her foot as she waited for me outside the door, arms crossed over her chest.

I thought you’d forgotten you had a job, Ms. Kira scolded. She was the one who coordinated where every servant in the palace was needed. I always thought the job created more silver streaks through her brown hair, along with more wrinkles.

Sorry, I lost track of time, I said with a slight curtsy. She narrowed her eyes as she circled me, scrutinizing my attire.

Sure you did, she said, stopping in front of me. For a woman at least a head shorter than me and frail enough to look like she could blow away with the slightest wind, she had a talent for being intimidating. Her brown eyes shot poison in my direction. And her white crystal swung on her neck with each dramatic turn of her head.

Since you insist on being late, I’m sending you to inspect the marked visitor apartments to make sure they are in acceptable condition. Then go help out in the gardens, maybe a little dirt under your fingernails will teach you a lesson.

I forced a smile on my face. Yes, ma’am, I said. She sighed and waved me away, her clear annoyance bleeding from her face. I crossed the hallway into the stairwell and climbed to the third floor.

This floor was even more ornate than the rest of the palace. Any visitors were sent to these rooms, and they were decorated to impress. In addition to the over-the-top oak-wrapped columns, a giant mural depicting the four elemental Spirits covered the ceiling.

Of course, nobody knew what the Spirits truly looked like. This mural depicted them as colossal figures made of sparkling crystal. They loomed over my head, as if they were looking down on me from above, or from wherever it was they disappeared to. Many legends said they ran after the fifth Spirit, the Soul Spirit. Although, many refused to acknowledge them as a true Spirit. Mainly because they were the whole reason sorcerers existed. A chill shot down my spine just thinking about it.

The symbols of the four Spirits also adorned the painting. For Fire, two vertical overlapping waves with three slashes. For Water, two overlapping horizontal waves. For Air, a circle filled with criss-crossed lines. And for Earth, four triangles crossing in the middle with four lines shooting out from the corners. I always thought it looked like a rigid flower.

I reached the first apartment with a marker. A simple black ribbon hung from the door handle and I pushed open the gilded door. Yellow light shone through the tall windows, making the tan tiles of the room sparkle. It appeared other servants had already come through; not a speck of dust was to be found. All apartments had the same layout: a small kitchen right across from the living room, and a long hall with five bedrooms for the guest and their team of servants. I did a quick once-over of the five bedrooms, deeming them acceptable. As I left the last room, my thoughts wandered to the identity of the mystery guests.

Two of the apartments could be for the mystery performers from last night, but who was the third one for? Two unfamiliar people lingered in front of the door across from this one. The mystery performers. Keeping my head down, I walked to the marked room they weren’t blocking next door. Become invisible.

Why are you going into my room?

I whipped around, startled by the venom in the man’s voice. The loud green and gold vest he wore demanded attention. I would’ve recognized him if he were a regular of the court. I dug my fingernails into the palm of my hand.

I’m checking to make sure your room is in order, sir, I said in the most polite voice I could muster. He crossed his arms and took a step forward, towering over me. I forced myself to not step back. I wouldn’t be bullied by this cocky, entitled man. I was not a very short person. Most would say I was quite tall, so having to look up at this man was not something I particularly enjoyed. It only added another thing on my growing list of reasons to dislike this man.

His pale skin and sharp jawline make the green of his eyes stand out like emerald daggers. The other visitor put a hand on his shoulder.

Come on Nikos, leave the poor servant alone, they said. If the blond was Nikos, then they must be Oliver. Nikos knocked their hand away.

Whatever. Let’s go, he sneered. Oliver ran a hand through their spiky black hair, looking after Nikos.

I apologize for his behavior, they said before running after him. The moment their footsteps receded, I dashed into the room. Running into Nikos again was not on my agenda for today. Punching a royal guest wouldn’t help me stay invisible. I looked into the five bedrooms in his apartment and was about to deem them acceptable when something I hadn’t noticed before caught my eye.

My heart dropped into my stomach. I knew precisely what the fabric hanging from the wall meant. It was what would live in the nightmares of every Primis citizen if the Union failed. Much like the Erean flag, it had four colored rings covered in winding vines to represent the Imperium, but instead of a yellow diamond in the center to represent Primis, it was painted black. Almost every rendition of the flag was drawn by people who had been dispatched in rescue missions. But, even then, they were rarely flown during attacks. If they did, those ignorant royals would have to admit they existed.

The Progression.

I fled from the room. Anyone who proudly hung a Progression flag was not someone I wanted to be around. Unless, of course, they were on the business end of my sword. Part of me yearned to confront Nikos, but he wouldn’t complete my mission.

Flustered as I was, I didn’t see the