Holly’s ears perked up as Freya directed her attention toward the dapper rabbit visible on the second floor.

“Where are the stairs?” Holly said, moving forward.

Sighing, Freya followed after her friend.

The pair reached a marble staircase and Holly took off, while Freya played catch up.

“Holly what are you doing?” Freya asked, trying to keep her skirts in order as they climbed to the next floor.

“I’m introducing myself, of course,” Holly said, reaching the top looking left then right.

Seeing nothing, Freya continued on right behind her old friend, behind marbled grey pillars, the long hallway paralleled the second floor walkway surrounding the dance floor.

Holly steamed ahead until Freya caught up to grab her hand.

“Holly,” she whispered, “he’s talking to the Baron, we can’t just butt in and…”

“My Lord Baron,” a strong male voice said.

Holly and Freya edged against a wall as Holly put a finger over her mouth.

“News from the front, Captain Bell? ” a more measured male voice said, as if talking to an old friend.

“I haven’t been at the front since the harvest, my Lord Baron, but I believe talks with the cats were going well when I left,” the voice said, “ and please call me Andrew. I haven’t been away that long.”

“That must be Captain Bell speaking,” Holly whispered. “The Knight of Grain!”

Freya dared a look around the pillar they had sidled up on. Baron Moon Cornflower was leaning over the ballroom reading a book. Some treatise on working with other creatures probably written by a church elder, Freya mused. Freya knew that as the representative of the state, the Baron would have many dealings with those elders, the ravens who became priests and priestesses.

“Well,” Moon said, “you must have come here for a reason, then?”

There was a pause, probably some look had been exchanged between the two. Freya frowned.

‘Well it’s a matter of changeover my Lord,” Captain Bell began. “I’ve been told that I am to take up your daily briefings as directed by the head office. I would not be able to give them to you here but I can meet you in your estates each morning as my predecessor has done.”

“Alas poor Crenshaw, finally retiring,” Baron Cornflower said.

Freya whispered in Holly’s ear, “This was a terrible idea.”

“You’re right… we should go… but we should also probably hear this out…” Holly whispered back, tapping her foot nervously.

Captain Bell spoke again, “He’s not dead, he is just going to be spending his days with his family, and out on the river. I’m sure that your grace could come to visit him.”

Another unseen look or gesture passed between the two, at least that was what Freya surmised from the silence. They hadn’t been detected yet.

“I did not receive your resume. I assume that before you started to work for my spymaster, that you were in the scouts? Is that accurate? I remember that was all you wanted to do at the academy,” the Baron said.

“I spent four years in the scouts before I was recently promoted to Captain. I just studied extensively with the spymaster… himself,” Captain Bell said.

Freya turned to see a familiar mousey shape on a railing across the way. They nodded to someone else that Freya couldn’t see. Could it be Captain Bell? Or the Baron?

Hiding in plain sight, using all of the principles of spycraft like a professional. Tulip even looks the part!

Tulip was wearing servants' clothing as if she was there attending to her Lady—which she was doing, in some capacity. She blended in so well that Freya was getting a bit jealous.

“I understand what you need, my Lord, and if you have any questions about how this works please ask me as I want you to have the best understanding whenever you address parliament,” Bell said.

“Very well. I have a special room set up for this, and I shall see you there at the manor tomorrow then?” Baron Cornflower said.

“Yes, you will. Now if there is nothing further, I must speak with my contact,” Captain Bell said.

“We leave now!” Freya hissed.

Not waiting for anything more they withdrew.Her heart raced as they found a downward staircase. She pulled Holly along and without resistance the rabbit followed.

It wasn’t until they got to the lowest step that Freya stopped to turn to her friend.

“What possessed you to go up there? We’re supposed to make them come to us!” Freya said, standing on the dance floor.

Holly shrugged, still on the last step.

“I thought that we’d introduce ourselves… and…”

“This isn’t school. Remember? There are rules!”

Freya almost shook her friend.

“Merciful Miru, Holly, remember your training!”

The pair moved back to rejoin Lady Raina.