Cloak and Scalpel

ABERLEEN ARC: Red as Blood

The duke was livid.

Lesley and Granger stopped dancing as a commotion arose from where the duke and his siblings were.  He was issuing harsh orders to his siblings, and they immediately scattered.  Lesley watched as Berith Paxley's dire wolf, Sable, charged out the door along with his master.  Princess Silvanna, standing next to the duke, looked both concerned and serious.  All around them, guests had stopped dancing, and the music stopped playing.

They watched as Tigreal, captain of the Lightborn squad, immediately approached Silvanna, followed by Alucard, Harith and Tigreal's sister, Fanny.  "That's my cue to go," Granger said.  He gave Lesley a small bow and quickly approached his comrades.

"What in the deuces is going on here?" Duke Vance, a pudgy old man in a powdered wig, asked as he approached his adopted daughter.  "Young Duke Paxley is in rather fine form tonight."

"I'm not sure," Lesley murmured.  "Excuse me, father."

Lesley made her way through the crowd.  The Lightborn squad, along with Princess Silvanna, were conferring with the duke, whose expression would have sent the faint of heart scrambling.

"Duke Paxley," Princess Silvanna was saying as Lesley drew near.  "Allow me and the Lightborn troops to assist you.  The more people on hand, the more ground we can cover.  The more chances of finding your fiancée."

The duke offered Silvanna a respectful bow.  "I will be in your debt, Your Highness," he said.

Silvanna nodded at her troops, all of whom immediately rushed out the double doors and towards the vast gardens beyond.  "What's going on?" Lesley asked as the duke made a move to follow the Lightborn troops.

The duke paused, regarding Lesley with a hard eye.  "Diana is gone," he said simply.  "I can't feel her."

Without another word, the duke strode out the door.  Lesley immediately followed.  She frowned as the cool night air hit her.  With her sharpshooter's eye, she scanned the grounds before her.  The gardens of Castle Aberleen were vast, and soldiers were already rushing through the flower gardens on her left.  Among them, she could make out the Lightborn troops along with Princess Silvanna.

"Lesley!"

Lesley turned.  Gusion was sprinting out the door and towards her.

"Aren't you supposed to be keeping out of sight?" Lesley asked, arching a brow at him.

"That's not important," Gusion huffed.  "I got word from Vas.  Is Diana gone?  What happened?"

"I'm not sure," Lesley said, as her gaze turned back to the gardens.  "After Diana and the duke danced, I saw her go to the gardens for fresh air.  Later on, the duke gathered your siblings.  They left, I assume, to look for her.  The duke mentioned that he couldn't feel her, whatever that means."

Gusion swore.  "Vargas," he hissed.  "It has to be Vargas.  No one else can conceal magical signatures like that bastard can."

"Look," Lesley interjected, pointing towards the entrance of the hedge maze.

Berith emerged from the maze, with Sable by his side.  In his arms was a tiny limp figure in a blue dress.  "Sitri!" Gusion exclaimed as he quickly rushed down the balcony steps and towards Berith.  Lesley immediately followed.

The duke was already beside Berith by the time Gusion and Lesley arrived.  He was frowning at Berith, listening intently to his explanation.  "She was in the labyrinth gazebo," Berith explained.  "Sable tracked her and Diana's scent there.  She's unharmed, Aamon.  Just asleep.  I felt it when I found her, though.  Vargas enthralled Sitri.  I assume he used Sitri to bring Diana to him without arousing suspicion."