Crown To Condescend

Swords Bared

"Why did you run mute back then?" Sophie narrowed her eyes at Biana, recalling how she had faded into the background a few minutes ago, and then graciously tuned back into the conversation when Sophie had been consumed by her conspiracies.

"Oh, that! It was just so adorable to watch that I didn't want to meddle!" Biana twinkled at Sophie with a weird smile.

"Do I even want to know what that means?" Sophie sighed at Biana's antics.

Biana's smile widened as Sophie's confusion grew. After a staring contest, Biana arched her eyebrows to say, "Wait, you actually don't know what I am talking about?"

"For the last time, WHAT are you talking about?"

"Oh gosh! I didn't know you were just that obliv- you know what? I feel sorry for him. Poor guy," Biana shook her head with a horrified expression.

Okay, Sophie had had enough of this!

"Sorry for whom, exactly?" Sophie asked, making sure that her face was just as murdery-looking as she felt at the moment.

"Why, Keefe of course!" Biana exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air, as if that was obvious.

"How did he get into this? And why are you calling him 'Keefe'? You barely know him, and besides that, he's Cressidan royalty," Sophie argued.

"I thought he asked us to call him that, and don't think I didn't notice how you changed the subject," Biana scowled.

"I am pretty sure, he – like all those nobles – did it for a good public image, nothing else," Sophie clarified, though she did not quite get why she felt that there was more to it.

Biana sighed and shook her head for the hundredth time that day.

"Ahh, would you look at that!" Biana pointed her chin at the sun that was now melting into the spurry tufts of the periwinkle clouds, "Time really does fly when you are enlightening oblivious souls! And I have to be in time for the dessert! So, bye!"

Biana bolted towards the corridors, only to shuffle her way back to mutter, "Also, figure it at your own pace if that suits you well!"

And with a wink, she was gone, leaving Sophie in a daze.

"This girl..." came a hopeless huff.

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Sophie leaned back against the chair, hoping that perhaps, through looking from a different angle, the sheer piles of papers would reduce in numbers. But that was only wishful thinking, for she knew that information on those traitors wouldn't come to her on a silver platter. Her fingers rummaged through the papers, wishing that something would just appear!

The dimly-lit lamps in her study did little to morph the atmosphere into a calm one, as Sophie examined the papers for anything that could provide her a lead.

And unfortunately, she couldn't even rely on any external help, given how the lines between allies and foes had blurred to nothingness at this point. The last thing she knew, one of the palace servants could be those traitors!

Ugh, why did everything have to be such a complicated mess!

Sophie wondered why she couldn't go back to being the princess she once was – unwary of this political drama and possible threats lurking in the dark. Though, that was also being foolish and simple-minded, that was a much easier life.

And a happier one, at that.

When mother and father would see to her every need.

When the idea of trusting someone didn't feel as foreign as it did now.

Back when, she thought was her happily ever after...

A mild tap on the doors made her discard those futile fantasies just as she crumpled a useless parchment into the bin.

"Yes?"

"Your Highness, may I come in?" Sir Leto's impassive tone rang from the little crevice of the doors.

"Yes, of course," Sophie mumbled while trying to shuffle the stacks of papers into a more organized state.

Sir Leto trudged his way into the study, and took in the chaos swirling through, with his ever-vacant expression. Sophie was pretty sure he could fight a dragon with a deadpan face etched on him.

"Your Highness, are you sure that you would not like us helping with this?" Sir Leto asked her for the thousandth time that day.

"It is alright, Sir Leto. Despite how useless and time-consuming this process might seem, it worked pretty fine the last time I had found Mr. Redek's involvement with the rebels as 'Trix'. Either way, have you found what I asked for?" Sophie's voice dropped to a bare minimum, hoping that the anxiety that she felt wasn't as evident as she thought it was.

Sir Leto straightened.

That was nervous fidget - for him.

"Your Highness, your suspicions were right. Tinker confirmed it further," Sir Leto handed Sophie a neatly folded parchment, not knowing how a cold breath encased itself in her lungs as she took it.

Tinker's information never let her down. Due to her working in the shadows, she could gather sensitive intelligence that was always reliable. Which meant that there was no way she could question her competence in this case as well...

Sophie unfolded the rusty parchment and read through all the neatly pointed sentences.

How simple they were and yet how much weight they held.

"I know it is pointless asking, but have you double-checked it? There's a lot at stake due to such a simple notion," Sophie asked through brittle teeth.

"It is completely accurate, Your Highness, I looked through it, myself," Sir Leto explained.

Alvar Soren Vacker was the traitor after all.

The parchment held all those times he had sneaked to Cressida under a pretense of gaining expertise on microbiology from the duchy of Ravagog.

A date of 29th of March, from three years ago was highlighted on the parchment, which only made Sophie want to laugh.

That was the day before her coronation.

That explained why Queen Gisela had sent her a letter expressing her best wishes right after she had been crowned.

Sophie had had suspicions of him acting dubious at times, but if she had known that this went this far down, she would've beheaded him on spot, not caring whether he was related to Biana and Fitz or not.

Oh well, never say never!

"Please ask all the members of the court to be present at the throne room, tomorrow," Sophie's voice was now a deadly hush.

When Sir Leto nodded to leave, Sophie added with a humorless laugh, "We have a trial to prepare for..."