Ruby Red

Chapter Seven

The blanket of the night provided a cool cover of darkness. Alana waited until she was sure everyone was asleep, then silently threw her legs over the side of her bed. She reached into the drawer of her nightstand and retrieved her bag, which now contained a change of clothes, a little bit of food and water, her notes, and a dagger. She wasn't planning on leaving town, but she wanted to be prepared.

Heading out into the guard's common room, Alana breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that the window she had left open was exactly as she had left it. She reached up and grabbed someone's cloak off of a hook by the door. Pinning it over her shoulders, she made sure this was what she wanted to do. She needed to make sure they knew who she was, or else they wouldn't trust her.

Now, Alana didn't hesitate. She slipped out of the window, her feet padding on the grass underfoot. Hopefully her boots were going to be quiet enough. The shadows painted her features in a dark glow as Alana kept close to the wall of the palace slinking around to the front gates.

Just as she expected, mostly because she had worked the post before, a guard passed her on her way to the front. She flashed a badge at them, gold and decorated with a rose insignia, and they nodded. They must have assumed she was just out on her rounds or out on a late-night stroll and thought nothing of her. Frankly, Alana didn't care what they thought as long as they didn't interfere.

Another guard waited in the pulley booth outside of the portcullis. The iron gate wouldn't lift unless someone manned the mechanism, and somehow, Alana needed to get in there, lift it just enough to slip under, and then lock it in place so she could get out. Luckily, she had planned for all of this.

Reaching into her bag, Alana pulled out her dagger. The iron of the blade gleamed as she raised it into the moonlight. She had received this dagger as a birthday present from Karis a few years ago, but she had been saving it for a special occasion. The hilt was engraved with the pattern of the ocean, waves rippling in gilded splendor. It was beautiful. She couldn't bring herself to let it waste away without use, especially for such a noble mission.

The door of the pulley booth creaked open without a sound. Alana entered and came up behind the guard. With a smooth, powerful arc, she brought the pommel down onto the crown of the guard's head. He slumped over in his chair with a sharp inhale, knocked out cold. She smiled as she turned the knob on the pulley to raise the gate and locked it in place.

Once she was out of the palace grounds, she was ready to move. The second-hardest part was over. Now, the real mission could begin.

Alana didn't think she had been to this side of town at night before. She kept on her guard in case anyone were to confront her, but the streets were relatively silent. The lanterns flickered silently above her, bathing the cobblestones in a liquid sunrise. A fit of laughter occasionally roared from a tavern or home filled with mingling citizens.

Down one of the side streets of town was a place she hadn't been until recently when she scouted her mission. A place she never thought she would have to visit. The lights lining this street were dimmer and the buildings were much farther apart.

In front of her destination stood a pair of people from the queen's guard. Alana had heard what being a prison guard entailed. You were required to pass a rigorous background check, extensive training, and you had to prove your loyalty to the queen in a way only Her Majesty knew. They were some of the most trusted people in the kingdom, which only made Alana's job harder.

Before she could be seen, Alana ducked into an alley between the prison and the building next to it. She took a deep breath and held her dagger against her chest, preparing herself for what she knew she had to do next. She had spent days during her studies going through what she had to do to meet her goal, and this was the only way.