For Love and Mercy.

“For love and mercy, I give you this coin.” I told the young girl standing in front of me. Her eyes widened as she took it, and no wonder, it was no ordinary coin that I gave her. “You know what this is?” I wanted to be sure.

“I, I do.” She said. Her eyes never left the coin.

I was satisfied. “Then take it. Take it and use it well.”

The girl, who was also one of the only trustworthy spies I had left, bowed, and made her exit.

The man who stood behind me shifted his weight. I knew he wasn’t certain of my wisdom in doing what I had done, but he said nothing, so I let it pass as well. I was certain.

                                                       

I left the Queens rooms, still trembling. My heart was beating so fast I could barely breathe. Not to mention I wanted to cry. I have no idea how I made it back to my rooms. Only that I got there.

Once I was out of view I let myself cry a bit, then I collected myself.  The Queen had entrusted me with something beyond precious, and if I was going to guard it as she wished, then preparations had to be made.

First things first, I wrote a letter to my sister. I didn’t say anything out right. I asked about how things were going at home, hinted that perhaps spying wasn’t the work for me after all and that maybe I’d find some other work. Then I said that I had a friend who was looking to travel in the direction of home, and would my sister like to house them for a couple of nights.

Anyone who didn’t know me would think nothing of it. My sister however, did know me, and knew that I loved being a spy. I would never give it up. And cows crap on the “friends coming to stay” nonsense. A spy made enemies. I would never tell anyone, not even those I most trusted, where my loved ones lived.

The next couple of my days were spent at the markets, buying food and plain but worm cloths for travel. I also took out what money I could carry from the bank and secured a place on caravan that was going the way I wanted.

I noticed some people trying to trail me, but not for nothing was I one of the crowns youngest spies. I’m certain that I didn’t let them see me at anything of importance.

It was on the third day that anything of interest happened. It was early morning, and I was putting last minute touches on my packing when there was a knock on the door. It was Lester. I didn’t wait for him to say anything, just slammed the door in his face.

“Now, that’s not very nice love.” He called through the door.

“I haven’t been your love in a long time.” I called back as I fastened the straps on the pack I was taking, and did a last check to make sure I hadn’t forgotten anything. It didn’t bother me that he was at the door of my room. I had other ways out.

Then a knock came from the wall behind my bed, and another from my sealing.

I stowed my bag out of sight. Gods curse him if he made me late for my caravan. I yanked the door open, “What?”

“Touchy.” He was leaning on the frame of my door, an easy smile on his lips.

I glared at him. His smile widened, “Can’t old friends come see each other once in a while? To see how you’re doing and all?”

“If you were coming for a friendly visit Lester, you wouldn’t have had me blocked in.” I said.

He shrugged. “So tell me what you’ve been up to these past couple of days.” He said.

Something clicked in my brain, “It was you who set the watches on me.”

He shrugged again.

“You’re falling in standards Lester. Time was you’d never have been scared to do work yourself. Especially if you know you can do better, and those that trailed me were defiantly not up to our standards.”

“You’re right. But I also respect your abilities Bella, and you would have seen my face from a mile off. No?”

We stared at each other for a minute. Then I let out a breath, “I’m not up to anything, I threw those trackers because I wanted to do my shopping in peace. I think I have a right to that.” I said.

Lester’s eyes narrowed “Don’t play with me Bella. You’re one of the only people here left who is still working for the Queen without being a double agent. I know that she talked to you two days ago, and that you haven’t sat still since. Talk.”

I nearly laughed. “Lester, you know better than anyone where my loyalties lie. As I recall, it was a dispute on that matter which ended our relationship.” But I opened the door wider, “Why don’t you come in at least, tell your other friends to come in as well. We can have another healthy argument about it, since it seems I can’t get you to leave.”

He called to his friends out of hiding as I took my special cups down and filled then with drink. I noticed that one of the men was one that had been set trail me these past two days. He was looking less than happy at having to had to listen to two people insult his work.

We all sat around the table, I raised my cup “To honesty, and the future.” I said. Then took a big gulp of the drink to show it wasn’t poisoned.

They echoed me and drank. I smiled at Lester. He frowned at my happy smile, then jumped as his friends slumped in their seats. He tried to stand and curse me but the potion took effect and he keeled over onto the floor instead.

The drink hadn’t in fact been poisoned, but in case of something like this ever happening, I had recently taken to painting a powerful sleeping draft onto the insides of half of my cups. They wouldn’t wake for at least 5 hours.

I stared at Lester for a moment, “You didn’t learn all of my secrets while we went out old friend.” I shook my head. Lester was a friend no more, and I had a job to get on with.

I shouldered my pack and walked out my door. It didn’t matter that Lester and his friends would wake there. I had long since gotten rid of anything that could be used against me or my Queen.

                                                       

I watched Bella approach the two guards in my scrying bowl. They stiffened as she approached, but she held out the coin I had given her. They eyed it, and were confused, understandably, but since the coin was also spelled to burn the hand that held it unless I had given it to the holder willingly, they did not question her.

Into my baby’s rooms she went. The crown princess was awake, giggling at the magical bubbles her nurse maid had left floating above her to keep her happy.

Bella approached her, and immediately started crooning a Lullaby. She mixed in with it a soothing magic that had Ariel asleep within minutes.

I watched her open her pack and take out clothes and a cloth that common Mothers might use to dress their little ones.

She took Ariel’s fine silks off her, and replaced them with the ones she had brought. The blanket was magic. As soon as my babe was swaddled in it, she disappeared.

I could only tell where she was from the curve Bella’s arms made as she lifted her.

I let tears fall as she neatly put away the clothes my baby had been wearing, and cried out right when she made an illusion to go where my babe had been. It looked just like my Ariel as she was when she was sleeping. It would be hours before someone noticed her missing.

I wanted to run screaming from my rooms “Child thief!!” It was not fair, seeing as I had asked Bella to do this for me, but I didn’t want my baby to grow up not knowing me. Only the knowledge that I could not protect her stopped me.

I watched Bella leave the rooms with the invisible Ariel in her arms. I knew that I could not have chosen a better guardian and Mother for my child.