Seduction of a Princess

Chapter Thirty

Hmm, more than a week since my last update. Now I know that most people don't even update their stories once a week, but I still feel a bit tardy and... guilty for letting you wait this long. So sorry.

I was busy writing a chapter of another story--The Scent of Hate is much harder to write, so it took a while. Couldn't leave you hanging though, so here is (finally!) that new chapter you all crave... You do crave it, right?

Enjoy

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          As they crossed the hall, the hollow sound of their footsteps on the cold stone rang in June’s ears. Nervously, she glanced from Terrance to their destination at the other side of the empty room. The door, marked with a big golden ‘X’, was guarded by a grim-looking man. He sat on a stool next to the door, reading in a little black book. The sheathe of his sword lay on his lap.

          They were in the House of Practitioners, the Dew-laboratory of the largest alchemist’s guild of the kingdom. Terrance was somewhat excited—he seemed to have deliberately forgotten about their fight in the Court, though he still did not talk as much as he used to. But he did smile, and grinned as he noticed her glances.

          “Just don’t say anything,” he told her.

          She gave a slight nod. He had told her that over and over: ‘don’t say anything’, ‘keep your mouth shut’, and ‘you cannot possibly pass as a real alchemist if you show your face or even so much as talk—don’t even think about saying a word.’ She was actually getting kind of sick of the warnings. They did nothing but made her more worried about what they were about to do.

          Terrance, though, seemed entirely without care. After all, he really was an alchemist. So he did not have to act like one. He did not have to hide himself underneath a cloak, but with the silver ring on his finger, he smiled at the guard.

          “Can we enter?”

          As she'd been told, June held out her hand, showing the ring she'd gotten from him, engraved with an 'X' similar to the one on the door.

          The man barely glanced at her before giving a slight nod. He was startled though, when he saw Terrance's own ring.

          “The House of Wolves?”

          “Yes.”

          “We don't allow visitors. Don't want you snooping around here.”

          Terrance grinned. “I'm sure you'll make an exception, just for me. Tell your Grandmaster I'm here, please—he'd like to know, trust me.” And without as much as waiting for his reaction, he turned to the door and entered the laboratory, accompanied by June.

          The first thing that struck her as she walked into the dimly lit room was how crowded it was. The whole place was packed with tables holding various ingredients, cauldrons both big and small and shelves with books. Amongst this all ran an army of alchemists, going one way or another, reading books and scrolls or stirring in cauldrons. No one seemed to pay any attention to them.

          The second thing that hit her was the smell.

          “Ew.”

          “Sst,” Terrance quickly hissed. “Don't say anything.”

          “But it stinks.”

          “That's the smell of alchemy, dear.”