TGA: The World Below The Garden

|prologue|

"Lady Dira, your ship is waiting." Tadsworth whispered to the woman.
She perked her ear up to him and gave a nod, returning to her conversation with the other noble ladies. The blue ribbon in her hair dancing about with her curls as she talked.
"Thank you for inviting me to your little soiree Lady Chrysanna!" she gave a courtesy to the woman before her. Tadsworth waiting a few paces behind her, he'd been her personal guard for only a few weeks but the two of them had gotten quite close.

"It's always a pleasure having the House of DeContess here in Ciel, I wish you save travels back to Argent." The two of them exchanged their goodbyes, Lady Dira now ready to leave the festivities. Tadsworth handed his lady ship her cloak.

"I hope you had a lovely evening my lady." Tadsworth said as the two of them walked side by side to the coach waiting outside.
"I did Tads, although i can't say i like walking up and down these stairs every time i come visit here." she gestured to the floor. The mountain city of Ciel was forged to keep all of its citizens safe, a city carved into and inside the mountain itself. The lord there built a staircase of over 10,000 steps, he figured anyone trying to take the city would give up before reaching the 100th step—and if they did manage to make it to the top; would be too exhausted to engage in combat. Tadsworth thought it was smart but did have to agree with his Lady, walking them was like the hells themself.
"Gods, i can't say i like em' that much either m'lady." his hand rested on the hilt of his sword as they continued to walk.
"Do you think that my attendance will help convince the Ceilians to join our efforts?"
"It's not my standing to say my lady."
"I was asking my friend, not my guard" she said sweetly.
"I think it will require more than a ball to convince them, but it definitely helps our cities relations."

"I do hope so, father has been so stressed recently with the news of nobility disappearing across the continent; it would be good to have allies."

"Your father knows how to handle things my lady, he's got his best knights looking into it." Tadsworth said, counting how many steps they had left as they continued down the mountain.

"Doesn't mean i won't worry," she sighed, "I just want to get on the boat and hurry back."

Tadsworth could see the exhaustion on her face, as the bottom grew nearer "We will get you back to Argent soon enough, the Cordelia is just down the way."

They walked in silence for awhile, both tired from the festivities of the day. the pale moonlight glimmering in the river as they approached the fine ship.
Tadsworth heard something walking along the tree line, his hand twitched to the hilt of his sword; he softly nudged her into the direction of the dock, "Lady Dira, please get on the ship." he gazed around their surroundings. It was too dark to fully make out who or what was walking along.
He decided to investigate, walking nearer to the crunching of branches and leaves.
He did not see anything, I should probably head back to Dira now, he thought, when he turned around he was met with the chest of a large person and dagger like smile glinting in the moonlight.
"Should've stayed with the girl" they hissed, knocking him unconscious.

***
Tadsworth awoke hours later, and immediately sprung up to find his Ladyship. He winced in pain, his head throbbing from where that thing hit him. Searching the entire ship and surrounding forest, he saw no sign of his attackers and only found v bc the ribbon in Dira's hair stuck on a tree. He immediately rushed back to Ciel to alert them of the incident and to get a search party for Marchioness.