Court of Snakes: This Desert Cage

Liar - The Palace | March of the Third Year

Parisa ducked behind a wall as Rune glanced back in her direction, and she held her breath as he stood there, hoping that he would not come her way as she stalked him. She needed to keep an eye on him. She knew something was not right. What did he do behind closed doors?

The King would not have been able to get into the palace by himself, Parisa thought to herself earlier that week. The only way he could have gained entrance to the ball was by invitation. The guards were on watch, and even I know I can't sneak past the guards through a set of glass doors. They're too well trained, and the entrance too obvious. The only way he could have gotten an invitation would be if he had an inside man. It's the same with Wolff. It was as if The King had vanished into thin air. The only way to kill an Embassy Councilmember is if you are an Embassy Councilmember. Rune and Esmond both saw Councilman Wolff die. Esmond I trust, Rune I don't.

Rune kept walking. He had not noticed her and Parisa heaved a sigh of relief. It was after dark and it seemed that Rune was heading to his chambers to sleep. Parisa planned on following him and waiting to see if he did anything suspicious. If he did not, then she would need to wait until he fell asleep. Then she would—

"Parisa? What are you doing?"

Parisa jumped as she turned, only to find Perseus standing there. She hushed him and pulled him behind the corner of the wall. "Spying on Guildenhart! Now he knows I'm here," she huffed. "Now I'll have to wait weeks before I can spy on him again."

"Jeeze... I'm sorry. Why... are you spying on him again?"

"I think he killed Councilman Wolff, and I think he's working for The King."

Perseus laughed boisterously. "Parisa, is this just because you don't want to—"

"No," Parisa spat. "Now, are you going to help me out or not?"

"Well, sure," Perseus conceded. "But you're going to have to do a lot better than following him to his room."