Page 33 of I Ran Away to Evil #3
A Game
Julian
It took over an hour to round up the mercenaries and meet back at the port gate.
Julian oversaw tracking each individual that’d been trapped on this side of the Arc Warden, and without abilities to boost their base speed, his higher stats gave him plenty of advantage. Unfortunately, Wendy and Hana arrived with no news of the celestial or her whereabouts.
Grand Duchess Calisto and Their Royal Highness Rowen of Peldeep had started the Arc Warden, summoning Dark Magician King Keith of Nilheim, Witch Agatha of Winter’s End, and Master Thomas of Servalt to take turns powering it until their search came to a close.
Julian had to be the one to report through John’s shadow that they’d found everyone but the celestial.
There had been a heated debate, but since Julia was home safe, his mother had stopped the Arc Warden and released the city.
No one was happy.
Before meeting in person with his mother, Julian brought John to his office to hear the full report and poured them both a stiff drink.
“While the Arc Warden was in effect, Protector Rufus and Minstrel Bronwynn helped the Black Brigade Knights detain the merchants outside the city and have retired to an inn half an hour down the road. They will return in the morning in time for the wedding.”
Julian nodded, glad to know they were safe.
John continued. “Julia was found on the bridge to the west wing with no memory of how she got there. She informed us that she was ambushed with a [Sleep] spell shortly after she flew off from the wedding rehearsal.”
“ This side of the palace wall?” Julian’s voice was stone cold.
“Yes.”
His fists were clenched at his side as he thought. Turning to his friend, he asked John, “What would you do?”
John shrugged. “I would interrogate your prisoners, discover they are simple hired hands who know nothing of importance, maybe learn where they were headed, their schedule, and any useful passwords … but nothing much else.”
Julian cursed.
“Then,” John added, “considering the fact that the mercenary and assassin guilds have played a major part in this operation, I would send over a ruthless auditor to make me feel better”—that had Julian fighting a small smile—“and then prepare for the worst tomorrow,” he concluded.
Julian sighed. “How?” There wasn’t anyone more qualified to ask than his own rogue.
John was silent for a moment, deep in thought. Finally, he said, “A game.”
That was not at all what Julian thought he was going to say. “A game?”
“Yes.” John, his otherwise stalwart and emotionless shadow, suddenly gave Julian a vicious smile. His teeth flashed white in a rare show of amusement. “A game. You have almost every high-level elite on the continent attending this wedding?”
“Almost two hundred guests,” he confirmed. An outrageous amount. Julian couldn’t imagine more than twenty at his own ceremony. Not that he planned to get married any time soon.
“Well,” John reasoned, “thanks to Madame Potts, the entire continent knows that Blackfog spies are going to be stirring up trouble during the festival. Why not start the day off with an invitation to the entire wedding guest list that whoever catches a Blackfog spy will get a prize. Maybe the person who assists the most can have one of your esteemed mother’s inventions. ”
“John.” Julian lifted a hand and placed it firmly on his rogue’s shoulder. “You’re a genius.”
“True.”
It was Julian’s turn to smile at his friend. “Let’s finish up and go tell my mother.”
“Duke Julian has arrived,” the attendant informed everyone before he could burst into the same parlor unannounced twice in one day.
His mother was standing with Their Royal Highness. She knew instantly that John was attached to his shadow and acknowledged the rogue with a simple nod at Julian’s feet before addressing her son. “Welcome back.”
“We’ve finished our investigation,” Julian said. “The caravan leader, Greyson, admitted to knowing about Julia’s kidnapping and will be brought before the council.”
“I can’t believe they managed to get me all the way to the city gate,” his sister said, frowning. Seeing her here, safe, was a welcome relief.
“I can’t believe I almost lost you,” said the tiny blonde woman sitting on Julia’s lap, arms wrapped around her neck.
“I’m fine, love,” Julia reassured Chloe, patting the necromancer’s back. Chloe’s eyes were still puffy from her earlier upset.
“I’ve also learned that the Void mage is named Alice,” Julian continued.
“Do you know why they kidnapped Julia in the first place?” his mother asked. She looked better than could be expected from having most of her mana drained by a legendary-grade enchanted device.
“We’ll have to ask Alice when we catch her,” Julian said.
Chloe huffed. “You had a chance to catch her, and you let her escape!”
“I was a frog , what’s your excuse?” Julian shot back.
It sounded defensive even to his own ears, and he took a deep breath to calm himself.
Chloe was a pricklebush sometimes, but she loved his sister, and that was what mattered.
He continued, “Still, we did capture everyone else, and there’s more. ”
“More?” his mother prompted.
“Barry, the swordsman spy, found a warehouse down by the docks and released six more people who’d been captured.”
“ Six? ” Grand Duchess Calisto said sharply.
“Who?” Their Highness Rowen inquired. The fox was still in their guise from the wedding rehearsal, and stroked their beard, curious.
“Lily Montgomery,” Julian replied, “Duke—”
“Lily?” Julia interrupted. “I passed her when I left the church!”
“Did she get kidnapped because she saw the kidnapping?” His mother frowned. “Have you asked?
Julian shook his head. “She was taken two days ago .”
His mother frowned at that before looking up and to the left at her character sheet.
There was a knock on the door, and Knight Commander Lex Toring of the Grey Hawk Knights walked into the room. The ogre filled the door, equipped with silver plate armor engraved with a hawk. He was the leader of Calisto’s personal knight squadron.
“You summoned, Your Grace?” Sir Lex bowed perfectly, the serious and loyal knight. Julian remembered climbing onto the ogre as a young boy and riding on his shoulders. Back when his father was still alive.
“Find the financial deputy, Lily Montgomery,” she ordered.
“She is a suspected spy who can change her shape. Send one of your knights to each of the servants’ wings to accompany the heads of house while they review everyone’s quality of work.
Say it’s in preparation for the wedding, but if anyone isn’t competent in a field they were previously, approach with caution. ”
“The Grey Hawk Knights, Your Grace?” Sir Lex asked, hesitant. His soldiers were supposed to be guarding her . It was the Coral Mare Knights who should’ve been responsible for securing the palace.
“Yes, I want the best on the search,” his mother replied, which didn’t seem to satisfy the knight, but he bowed and did as he was told.
“Is that all?” Chloe demanded. “You find out that the person who kidnapped Julia could be walking around the palace as we speak, and you quietly check in on the staff? You should drag out everyone in the palace and inspect them!”
“Dear”—his sister poked Chloe’s cheek—“we can’t just—”
“Why not?!” The necromancer wasn’t deterred.
“The staff have rights,” Julian stated. “They are people, and they deserve security and protection, not harassment and suspicion. And our guests are our guests .”
“Is it suspicion,” Their Royal Highness asked, cocking their head, “if we know at least one of them is a spy?”
“Things are different here; you know that, Rowen. We will inspect the staff in our own way,” Duchess Calisto chided the fox.
“I’m just saying.” The fox shrugged but let it go, leaning back in their chair.
“If I may continue?” Julian asked. Chloe looked unhappy, but she didn’t interrupt. “We also found Duke Wyldon of Servalt, Sir Phineas of Drendil, Lady Cassandra Cress of North Sumbria, Trevor Malory of Drendil, and Prince Malakai.”
That got Rowen’s attention, a dark aura filling the room even as their face remained impassive. “ My son, Prince Malakai?”
Julian nodded. “Yes. The prince is currently en route to greet you, though he requested a stop by the kitchens first.”
“I see.” Rowen’s power settled slightly, and they turned to Grand Duchess Calisto with a too bright smile. “It’s a good thing everyone was rescued, then.”
The implied threat was understandable.
“We will have to ask for a report from each captive for the council.” His mother looked Rowen in the eye. There was a split second before the fox ruler agreed. It wasn’t going to be torture; it was just going to be questioning and paperwork. “As you say.”
Julian coughed. “Everyone found was verified before they were brought to the palace. Anyone who wished to go home has been told to wait for their respective countries’ embassies to process travel documents to leave the city.”
That would also give them time for the members of the council to question the freed captives.
Julian brought out a piece of paper and handed it to his mother. “Now, about tomorrow …”