Princess Vivianne & Juniper the Guard

Chapter 13: Forever Hold Your Peace (2)

When Peony stepped outside to the courtyard, it was bustling with activity as workers completed their tasks.

Some servants carried baskets of fresh laundry and rugs, while others tended to the horses in the stables or swept the walkways. The gardeners were trimming the hedges and picking out the flower for the bouquets while carpenters were hammering away at wooden planks, repairing the fountain of a nearby building.

The courtyard exploded in the early spring morning with a riot of colours and fragrances from the blooming flowers and trees. The air was filled with the sweet aroma of jasmine, daffodils, and hyacinths while the breeze carried the scent of freshly cut grass and earthy soil.

The flower beds were a tapestry of vibrant hues, with blooming flowers of all shapes and sizes. Tulips of all colours - red, yellow, pink, and purple - swayed gently in the breeze while a row of cherry blossom trees in full bloom provided a stunning backdrop. The branches of the trees were heavy with delicate pink and white blossoms, forming a canopy of petals overhead.

"Wow!" Peony couldn't help but exclaim.

Birds chirped and flitted from tree to tree, adding their melodious songs to the symphony of nature. Bees buzzed around, flitting from flower to flower, gathering nectar for their hives. The sight of the courtyard was a feast for the senses, a celebration of the beauty and bounty of nature.

This was where the banquet would be held after the meeting.

Nancy saw the young maid emerge from the main building and waived her over with her arms.

"Oh, thank god you came! Can you go to the supply closet on the west wing, first floor? Just walk past the marble statues and see it tucked behind a corner!" Nancy pleaded, patting Peony on the head. The senior maid was too stressed out to run that far away for some cleaning rags.

"Okay, I'll be right back!" Peony had said lightly, spinning on her heel immediately. 

Finding the supply closet turned out to be more challenging than Peony had initially thought; the west wing of the main building was under construction after a leakage, which made her take a detour and enter the wing from the garden.

Nancy must've forgotten; Peony signed to herself and kept walking.

After walking for what felt like an eternity, she finally found the narrow hall with the supply closet at its end.

As the Peony entered the supply closet, she heard a familiar voice coming closer. She left the closet door slightly ajar, enough to peek out, hiding from the head maid and her swinging cane.

She saw the head maid standing there, with a cloaked figure in front of her. They appeared to be exchanging something, a pouch, with something in exchange for what seemed to be an expensive bracelet.

The head maid dropped the pouch, and Peony gasped; she slapped a hand over her mouth and prayed that nobody had heard her. A powder case filled out, leaving a trail of stark white on the red carpets.

She suddenly remembered that powder had been banned from the red light district a very long time ago. This was because they were poisonous and killed tons of escorts using the powders, which was usually were given to them by the clients. 

It was the same one Vivianne, and her mother had on their vanity.

"Careful, you wouldn't want to waste that," The cloaked person spoke, it was a man, and his voice was gruff and grating.

Ignoring him, the head maid turned towards a nearby marble statue and twisted one of its fingers. Then, to the young maid's surprise, a hidden pathway opened up, revealing a set of stairs leading downwards.

The head maid and the cloaked figure disappear into the secret passage, leaving the young maid in shock and confusion.

Peony waited for a while before she decided to follow them. She approached the statue and mimicked the head maid's actions, twisting the same finger on the marble statue. To her delight, the hidden pathway opened again, and she took a deep breath before descending the dark, mysterious stairs.

As she made her way down the passageway, she noticed the walls lined with torches, casting flickering shadows across the stone floor. The air was musty and damp, and she could hear the sound of dripping water echoing through the tunnel.

The cloaked figure and the head maid approached the locked yett, and the head maid took out a key from her pocket. It was a big old key with a rope dangling from it. She unlocked the yett, and they both went through it, disappearing into the darkness beyond.

Peony tried to peek through the yett to see what lies beyond, but as she stood there, she heard footsteps approaching and quickly hid behind a nearby pillar. It was the head maid again, this time alone. She left the pathway by yanking on the torch closest to the exit.

The young maid waited momentarily, making sure they were gone before she slowly yanked at the yett; it was locked.

The pathway beyond the yett was dimly lit, but the young maid could see that it led to a large underground room.

There were crates and boxes stacked along the walls, and in the centre of the room was a large table with maps and documents spread out on it. She squinted her eyes, it might just be a trick of the light, but she was almost certain that there was yet another yett at the end of the room.

She stared at the table and realized they were maps of the surrounding countries and detailed plans for military campaigns.

"Oh lord,"

Peony quickly ran out of the pathway by yanking the same torch but stopped in her track. If she wanted to see what was beyond the second yett, she'd have to get the key from the head maid.

The malleable material could transform into anything from candleholders and bowls to pendants and napkin rings. But most importantly, it can be used to make moulds to duplicate keys.

She quickly put the mould into her dress pocket and grabbed the supplies Nancy had asked for from the closet.