Elena avoided many questions about who Lamore was and where he came from. She knew that showing up and announcing Jake would be risky and would raise many questions. But she didn't fully know how much turmoil it was bringing up in the noble courts.
She sighed as she got out of another haze of questions from multiple people, "Everything okay, my lady?" Lily asked.
Elena sighed, he was tired of questions, tired of people's questions. "I, uh, didn't expect so much ruckus. Why can't people just mind their own business?" Lily looked at her friend with sympathetic eyes.
"My lady, not to be prudent… but what did you expect to happen? Lily asked, and Elena considered her words in silence.
"You're right, Lily, I should've expected this… It was just… I wanted to get out of that planned marriage, and I did, but I should have done it how we did before… Have Jake dig something up and let it slip, or something about the house." Elena's hand glided across the railing; it was cold and sleek, yet hard. It reminded her of her current situation, trapped, trapped on a balcony with almost no escape. She wished he were here, she really did, his soft golden eyes, those soft ears.
"Lily… what should I do?" She asked, not really expecting anything.
Lily thought for a moment. "Maybe, have Jake do something big? Or leak something big? There should be something that a noble has done that will cause a lot of chaos and divert their eyes?"
Elena thought over her words and remembered Forrest Young, that vile man, being in the slave trade. That will cause chaos, but should she? It would be the right thing to do, but she knew that he would probably get a slap on the wrist. The young family was a powerful family, not as powerful as hers or the 7, but still.
"Maybe Forrest… Maybe Mike? Mike Scent he does night jobs." Elena muttered, but Lily looked at her in curiosity.
"Forrest Young has dirt?"
Elena looked at her, confused, then she remembered she never explained what Forrest Young had done, "Oh yeah, he has a lot of dirt on him, he… the slave trade is still somewhat active, although I don't know to what extent. But Forrest is a part of it."
Lily's eyebrows raised as she looked at her, "Well, that's good that the marriage fell through. In fact, I hope all your marriages fall through except you two. That's the only marriage I would love to see.
Elena, as she looked at her friend, was wide-eyed and had a blush on her face. "Li-Lily!" She exclaimed.
Lily chuckled at her friend's reaction.
"If anyone else knew about your two relationships, it would be so obvious to them as well." She said with a hint of tease in her eyes.
Elena blushed as she looked at the night sky on the balcony. She saw the stars twinkle and shine. The 2 moons, Manis and Fenir, stayed in the skies like eyes watching the earth. Manis is crimson red, and Fenir is a light blue. Reminding her of how opposite her and Jake's worlds were.
"Jake… is just a friend…" Elena said, yet it felt like a lie; she knew she started to think of him more… But was that due to the current situation she was in, or did she truly have feelings for him? She didn't know.
A knock on the door brought both their attention, Lily looking at Elena, asking if they should be let in, Elena nodded. Lily let the guard in. He was out of breath, his face red, with something she couldn't quite see, yet she had a terrible feeling.
"Guard, what is it?" Elena asked, her voice demanded answers.
"Y-your cousin Henry…" The guard said between gasps, her stomach growing uneasy.
"H-he's been killed!"
Lily covered her mouth in shock, and Elena froze as she processed the words that she just heard. Her cousin dead?
A member of the house of Falmil, one of the 7 major houses, has been killed? Why? Who? Her mind raced with questions until she felt something land on her shoulder, bringing her back.
Lily had her hand on her shoulder, "Elena, you okay?" Elena shook her head, "No, Lily, Henry?" She stammered.
The guard looked down at his feet and muttered, "Yes, my lady, he was just found dead."
Her mind raced through situations, "Where?" It was the only thing she could ask as she tried to think of something. "In his own room, in the Galas mansion," the guard gave her the answer.
The Galas' mansion was close to where she was, as she looked to the window, wondering if the killer or assassin was still here. Lily rushed to all the windows and doors, making sure they were all locked. But she froze on one only for the briefest moments before locking it.
Her eyes looked back at the guard. "Anything else? Any captures of my cousin's death?"
"No, my lady, there was no one at the scene; he was only recently found, so it will take time to get an idea of the perpetrator." The guard said, still looking down at his feet.
She could tell he was holding back shudders, knowing he failed his job of protecting a member of the Falmil house. Elena looked down, thinking before saying. "I want 6 guards with me, Lily. Please go, guard, you will stay with me, I am sure there will be more to this."
Lily nodded as she rushed out the door, Elena heard her footsteps hastening down the hallway. "Guard your name," Elena asked as she moved to a closet, and the guard followed, "Leo Hamil, my lady."
She opened a secret door that Jake somehow knew and revealed to her long ago. The guard's eyes opened wide. "Leo, this leads to the basement. Lily already knows that I will be there," Elena spoke quickly as she also got a chest from a hidden cabinet that she had put in.
She opened the chest and gently grabbed the gift that Jake had gotten her for her 17th birthday, a long silver rapier. It was one of the highest quality that even a noble could get. It was shown and glittered by the lamps' lights. As she gripped the scabbard tightly, the guard holding the pommel of his sword as he followed her down the secret passage.
Jake arrived at the Galas' mansion separately. He slipped into the dim room and froze—Henry Falmil lay still on the floor. Jake cursed under his breath and melted back into the shadows. Someone had reached Henry before he could.
Elena rushed down the ancient stairs of the secret passage, she thought of every scenario that would make someone think they could get away with killing a Falmil. Also, why anger them? So many, but if one person knew who would do it. It would be Jake.
By the gods, she wished he were here right now.
Leo closely followed her, watching her face change into multiple emotions in the dim light there was. Sadness, anger, longing, remorse, and it cycled again and again.
Leo felt terrible, he couldn't do his job, was he gonna get punished? No, right now he had to protect Lady Falmil. As Leo followed, he searched the shadows until they finally came to a wall. Elena looked around, feeling the wall. "Damnit where is the cursed thing?" She muttered.
Elena tried to find the button, but because of the dim lights, she couldn't see very well. Then she heard a step. It was not Leo's he was standing there, only moving slightly as she heard another step.
She turned to Leo, looking behind him, as she gripped the hilt of her rapier, Leo, noticing her gaze and her stance, spun around. He, too had his hand on the hilt of his sword.
Another step, then another, each one echoing off the ancient walls of the secret passage.
Both Leo and Elena knew that this was possibly the worst place to hold a fight with swords. Elena could do better than Leo with her rapier that needed little movement to just adjust her stabs and slashes.
But Leo had a broad-sword which needed long strikes and open space.
They watched the stairs as the footsteps grew closer, both of them slowly drawing their swords. Elena was not gonna go out without a fight, and Leo would die to protect Lady Falmil.
As the footsteps finally stopped around a corner, a voice called out that Elena found to familiar but also sank her heart. "Elena? You okay?" Jake's voice called out.