Alternatively

No Reason But To Deceive

As an unassigned servant, Katie Gardner knew a lot. Information was always floating around and she was quick to grab it, using insider secrets to buy favors. She had morals, though, never spreading anything to slander the core members of the crown and court. The members she liked, anyway. She had gotten many lovely dresses through juicy secrets about the queen. Diplomats paid a lot to gain an upper hand on the home team and who could blame her if she helped them a little along the way? She did have college to pay for, after all.

It wasn't the politics she was interested in, though. The information that was really worth her while was concerning the king's bastard.

Oven mitts were thrown at her, Michael slumping against the counter. "Your turn."

"No, no," she shoved them back. "I'm not scheduled for kitchen duty, I'm just-"

"I know, I know, waiting for the shipment," he mocked, wiping sweat from his eyes. "There are easier places to meet people, you know."

She shrugged, straightening her blouse. "I work my best through here."

They were in the far corner, beside the door that led to the loading ports. Once a week, her favorite delivery boy came with the castle's order of fresh imports and a new batch of information. It wasn't always reliable, but it made for good speculation. In exchange, she gave him a cold beer and some palace babble to entertain him on the ride home.

"Your guy is back from his mission."

She nodded, tracing the over head light's reflection in the stainless steel counter top. "He's been sitting in on council meetings all afternoon, sure made Triton angry."

"When isn't His Royal Pain In The Ass angry?" Michael snorted.

Prince Triton, heir to the throne and resident douche, was not a fan of his baby brother. He often made it clear that Percy was only his half brother, an illegitimate child with no claim to the crown and someone who should be looked down upon. It was easy to do so at first glance, the 20 year old carved from the same stone as his father had a crooked smirk and daunting eyes. However, he was soft, albeit snarky. Percy traveled around the provinces, finding problems in the country and fighting to correct them. Sometimes he went through his father, following proper procedure to revise laws and establish new guidelines. Most times, he went around the court to do what was right. He worked to better the lives of his people, whether they accepted him or not.

He also made his fair share of enemies that way, creating a reputation for himself outside of "bastard". His father was furious, of course, irritated beyond belief when his son's face began popping up on international news as a vigilante. However, he couldn't stop him, so he he hired a body guard to try and keep him under control.

That's the tale Katie was interested in.

"Shipment's here!"

A rush of uniformed servants scurried by, pushing out to the humid afternoon.

"Well," Michael huffed, pushing up to stand. "Get to work, Katherine."

"Call me that again and I flay you with your own knife," she airily told the assistant chef, delving her way through those returning with crates and bags.

The sun was golden and unforgiving, bouncing off the shiny trucks without remorse. People swarmed around the shipment, dollies for the bigger items wheeling up and down the ramps leading into open trailers. A few of the drivers nodded to her and she warmly grinned. Not everyone was able to smuggle secrets, but it was always good to have extra eyes.

She squinted, circling to where the shade stretched across the pavement. Travis was leaned against the side of a truck, tucked away from the eyes of his supervisor and watching something on his phone with a smile. Ear buds dangled around his neck and she was pleased to see the only thing that had changed about him was a slightly darker skin tone. She skirted up to him, peering over his shoulder curiously. Two figures argued on the screen and he nudged her in the ribs.