---
Sonia, the Queen Mother's personal maid, draped a thick cloak over Georgina's shoulders and pulled another around herself. With practiced stealth, they slipped through a hidden passage in the palace, arriving at a shadowy corner where two men waited with horses.
They mount swiftly, hooves echoing into the night as they ride beyond palace grounds to a secluded temple near the city's edge. A servant stood by the way to welcome them and offered a lantern to Georgina, who took it and started to walk further inside the hidden house, leaving her horse and maid to stay behind.
The house became more visible as Georgina approached it, and she stopped at the huge door which opened to her of its own accord. She stepped in, her boots whispering across the old stone floor as she headed towards the west wing.
At the end of the corridor, she opens a wooden door and slips into the chamber. She lowered herself onto the floor, her heavy cloak pooling around her, and waited for several minutes before a hidden door opened, and two figures stepped inside the room. One is a tall swordsman with eyes like daggers while the other is the man she came to see.
He wore a refined priest's robe, barefooted and moved towards the cushion seat in front of Georgina. A thick black curtain hung between them, preventing her from looking at his face directly and
The priest sat before her, pouring tea from a small clay pot. The swordsman, Elias, set a second cup before her with silent precision.
"Why are you here?" his voice came out low and calm but filled with suppressed anger.the priest's voice was low, but tight.
"You disobeyed the instructions of the dragon," he said, and Georgina raised her brow arrogantly and lifted the teacup, hands steady despite the scolding.
"She was getting closer to us, I had to eliminate her," Georgina said, and the priest sighed in annoyance.
"Did the King find out?" he asked.
"Even if he found out, there was nothing he could do."
"I already had the situation covered up with another one, but it wasn't... very successful," she answered, twisting her face bitterly about her failure to stop Emilia from entering the palace as Queen.
"You mean you failed?" the priest said, and Georgina exhaled.
"I will make sure to get rid of her too," she assured, but he didn't believe her words.
"The King is already aware of your involvement in the death of Queen Henrietta,"
"It wouldn't take long before he dug up the truth and that meant losing all we had worked for in four years," the priest told her, and Georgina had no words to say.
"We have to pause everything at this moment and focus on training our men with the little resources we have now," he said, and Georgina opened her mouth to protest, but he cut her off.
"This new Queen is different from others. You must not act recklessly, or you will face huge consequences and the wrath of Jurua," he warned her.
"The planning has been going on for so long already."
"How much more time do we have to wait?" Georgina questioned in a fix.
"I don't think I can bear another year bowing to him as King," she said, her eyes flaring.
"The dragon has promised to resurrect your son, you mustn't act rashly," the priest warned again, his voice raised higher and Georgina calmed down a little.
The priest murmured a hasty prayer to the dragon for forgiveness before he continued to speak with her.
"Since the King let you off by grounding you to your quarter, then you should stay quietly and await my orders," he told her and Georgina widened her eyes, surprised he also found that out and reluctantly nodded.
"Yes, my lord," she muttered.
"Since we can't act against the new Queen immediately, why don't I let Eleanor lose with her?" Georgina suggested. Eager to find trouble.
"She is nothing without her father. There is no need to be too careful with her."
"No." the priest's tone came firm.
"Don't tamper with her, we still need to get our resources from her."
"We gained nothing from Markham's death," he explained.
"Make sure to keep Eleanor in check and keep her from acting rashly," he instructed, then began to chant in a low voice, the sound unsettling.
Georgina lowered her gaze, uneasy.
"If we do anything to jeopardize the plans of the dragon," the priest said, finishing the chant,
"Then we risk having its wrath on our heads, everything we have worked for will be ruined as well," he warned yet again.
Georgina drank the last of her tea and rose without another word, gathering her cloak and exited the house, then met with Sonia again and, together, they disappeared again into the misty night.
---
Back at the Gold Palace
Emilia stood before her mirror, peeling off the gold-laced white gown she'd worn for a week now.
She'd heard nothing from the King's quarters since she last visited, nor had anyone come to summon her, so she decided to stop wearing the ceremonial clothes for a new Queen. She would love to wear something to mourn her father, but that will only bring her more trouble.
Also, she hasn't avenged him yet.
Emilia selected a lavender silk gown instead, its fabric soft against her skin and her loose waves fell elegantly down her back. She sighed as her maids gently massaged her hands and feet, while she closed her eyes, feeling unease still.
Although she has not been summoned for stabbing Lucas, the fact that he hasn't been out of his quarters ever since they got married sprang out rumors on the lips of others in the palace and Emilia can't help but wonder what he is up to.
Madam Allison, the head of the servants in the Queen's quarters, strides in, flanked by a dozen maids carrying boxes piled high with dresses and jewelry and bars of gold.
Emilia turned from the mirror, her brow arching in surprise, then stood and moved closer.