Traitorous Troubles

Part 3: The Meeting

It was the end of the week and my hands were shaking like I had caught hypothermia, in the midday sun. It turns out that Duchesse D'Angouleme was not the old crone I thought she would be, nor was she desperate enough to divulge her husband's secrets for a friend. Damian did not look too happy, if you could go off the dark malicious glint in his eyes and the severe downturn of his mouth. Already I knew this would not go well for me. "New mission, I need you to go into D'Angouleme's office and steal all his files and put them into this bag." he said it so seriously that I knew he wasn't joking, his eyes had a steely look in them and I knew he wouldn't relent until he got what he wanted. The bag looked like it had seen better years the seams were unraveling, and the once red color looked like puce from all the grime.
   
      I grabbed the bag with my pointer and thumb trying to touch it as little as possible, "Okay but this is the last thing I'm doing for you, and I expect something in return." I gritted out and then turned on the balls of my feet and walked away as quick as possible.
    That night, I was talking to the Duchess, whose name I found out was Ruby. Tapping my foot repeatedly, I took a deep breath trying to calm my pulse so I didn't look as guilty as I felt.
 
      "My lady, if I may ask, where is your husband?" I questioned her, pretending to not know of his return this week, "It seems as though he is never around."
   
     She looked up and mumbled, "Ah, yes I thought you would ask, it seems everyone is curious as to where he runs off to,"  wistfully sighing she continued, "he is always out on foreign adventures, securing alliances, or starting war, he's rarely home."
    
       Feeling a pang in my heart for this woman who was so helplessly in love with a man, who seems to never have time for her. I stood up, flashing her a sad, pitying smile, I left the room.
        
       It was three a.m. but I couldn't work up enough nerve to get out of bed, thoughts kept flashing around my mind, 'What if I get caught? Would I be sent to the gallows, if I was would Damian save me?' Thoughts like these had been whispering doubts into my mind for the last half an hour. Finally, I pushed the paper thin blankets off me, they no longer were comforting. I knew I had to do this tonight, I had no more time. I had overheard one of the maids talking about the Duke returning soon. With footsteps as quiet as a mouse's, I crept to the secret passage Prince Damian had told me about when he gave me the bag. The bag! I almost forgot about that nasty thing, thrown in the corner of my room. Grabbing it, once again, I crept to the passageway. Walking through the darkness shrouded hallways, I listened for voices, hearing nothing I entered the Duke's study. Pulling all the papers from the burgundy desk into the bag, I searched for a key, just when I was about to give up, I saw something flash gold in the corner of my eye. Hurrying over, I grabbed it and shoved it into the first drawer I saw, opening it I dumped all its contents into my bag. Quickly I did the same to the rest, and just when I was finished... Thump, thump, thump, someone's heavy footsteps sent my heart into a frenzy. Forgetting the rational side of me, I bolted for the window. Realising a little too late that it was three stories up, my head banged so hard on the ground I think it dented my head in, black spots clouded my vision like fleas and suddenly there was darkness.