***

Walter made his way into town. He would have loved to avoid the noise of town by taking another route, but this was the only way to the academy where he worked. Though it was still morning and his shift was for quarter-day, Walter wanted to make his way to work early. He hoped to finish on time so that he could await instructions. Though he understood that he had delved far into this world and he would never be able to get out of it, he was still calm. Better yet, he felt alive and fulfilled.

He rode through the lower town when he heard someone stop him.

“Halt!” he felt himself stiffen at the sound of that stern voice. He looked back to find a well-dressed man riding toward him. Though this man dressed well, he was still far from a person of nobility or gentry.

Walter raised a brow unconsciously. Now he knew, there was no way this was a man to be cautious of, he felt his calm return.

“My lady requests an audience,” the man said. Walter felt his brow rise higher. Who? As far as he knew, Her Ladyship was still in the academy. He nodded to the man and rode over. Dismounting his horse, he walked to the coach window. Before he could offer a greeting, the door opened.

“Come in,” the soft voice inside said. Now, he was suspicious. He remembered the small knife in his trousers and tensed as he entered the coach. The sunlight streaming from the window illuminated a lady dressed in an eye-scratching colour. Her face was caked with make-up and her raven hair was overly crafted and set with elaborately designed hairpins. Still, he could see her round face complemented by her almond-shaped eyes. He was sure she had somewhat of a lineage with people described with slits for eyes when he saw her white skin and slender form. Though she was overdressed, her beauty was undeniable. Walter had seen this lady before; she was Lady Steinhouse. He sat silently, waiting for her to break the ice.

“You refused to acknowledge me the last times we met and even now that I sit beside you?” she asked.

“You did the inviting, should you not acknowledge me?” Walter asked and she giggled.

“Are you going to tell me why I'm here?” Walter asked.

“The Mclears have lost their entire fortune,” she said. Only then did Walter directly look at her. He raised a brow.

“Why are you telling me this?” he asked.

“I just wanted to confirm something. You hide well,” she giggled. “It matters not. Seeing as you and the two lords were acquainted, I assume, you all work for Lady Wickshire,” she said and Walter frowned.

“Oh, worry not. I'm not one of those aloof yet foolish women strolling through society. I have known for some time that the Lord of Merve and Lord Morge worked for the lady,”

“If you know, then why this conversation?” Walter's frown did not disperse. She pouted at his expression.

“Am I not interesting to talk to?” she asked, yet Walter just stared at her.

“I just assumed that is what you all did last night when you were away, given that today, the Mclears have lost it all. After all, it was no secret that the Mclears were openly against Lady Wickshire,”

“So, what do you want?” Walter went straight to the point.

“Boys should be less serious. I don't want anything, I just have information to share,” she said.

“What do you get out of it?” Walter asked.

“My reward is what you do with it. The Mclears are looking for a man named Barney. They heard, he had given a mysterious man information about the Townsdale land,” she noticed the glint in Walter's eyes when she said so, and smiled.

“Worry less, boy. I had ordered the ministry of justice to take him before the Mclears do. They have him.

The magistrate there is loyal to me; he will not release this man. You can meet him if you want. I can take you now if you want,” she offered.

“Too bright,” Walter countered.

“Night then?” she asked. Walter stared her down, till her cheeks turned red.

“Why are you blushing?” Walter asked blank-faced.

“Don't you know you should not stare at people like that?” she tried to suppress the redness on her face.

“Don't call me a boy. It’s irritating,” he said and she giggled.

“Boys want to be men before beautiful women,” she teased the blank-faced Walter. Walter stared her down a few seconds before he closed in on her face. She saw how close he was and she stiffened and reddened further.

“Too much makeup, loud dress, strong perfume..... Not interested,” he said and withdrew.

“I'll be at the ministry's back door at midnight,” he said before leaving the coach.

Lady Steinhouse remained in her stiff position long after he left. The coachman called to her from outside; worried something may have happened to her.

“Let's keep going,” she finally said, adjusting her cloth as though she had just had a rendezvous with a man in the dark of night. She scolded her actions as the coach began to move.

Like a ritual, she entered the palace and approached the king's study.

“Lady Steinhouse arrives!” Announced a manservant as Lady Steinhouse arrived at the king's study.

“Enter,” she heard a familiar voice say from inside. The door opened and she walked in swiftly. Pausing, she did a formal cutesy towards the man writing on a scroll. She remained in that posture, waiting to be told to get up. She neither looked up to know if he had seen her nor stopped.

The king continued writing. The silence in the room was unusual for the person who had been invited in, so he looked up from his work to find her still in the position, and sighed. Knowing her background, this was a normal practice. But, she had given up on that past. Why does she continue to use their traditions?

“Please Helen, come in and sit. If I was a wicked man, I’d ignore you, just to teach you a lesson. How many times did I say not to be that stiff?” the king said a half-smile on his tired face.

Lady Steinhouse looked at the pale-faced man and smiled.

“Your Majesty, you are with company. If I did not, someone would spread rumours of my lack of training. An audacious woman; they would call me,” Lady Steinhouse let slip a small frown.

To the official stylus in the room, whose job was to record all the king's work, the lady's frown on her beautiful face was her taking an adorable stance before the king. To him, she looked not too away from a spoilt child. But, Lady Steinhouse could not help but frown at the extent to which her uncle's sickness had progressed.

“If anything, they will talk of the uncle who has overly pampered his niece. Come here. Sit,” the king weakly laughed. He waved away the stylus lazily. The elderly scholar bowed before withdrawing. Lady Steinhouse did not sit. She instead shut the door behind the scholar.

“Your Majesty, you look worse than ever,” she commented as she moved to sit by his side.

“Worry not, I'm not truly sick,” the king said softly. Though his voice was softer than before, she could suddenly hear the strength in them. She raised her brow in question.

“My darling wife had in fact been slipping a slow killing drought into my morning tea; it was never an illness,” the king explained.

“That woman has gone too far! Since you have found out that it was her, why not dispose of her?!” Lady Steinhouse asked in fury.

“Calm down. She has taken the entire of my palace under control; I can find no proof. If I disposed of her without proof, the people and those old men at court would think me a bloody king. She has already established before the people that she is but a kept woman that has never experienced her husband's love. If I do so, the palace drums will beat for her,” the king explained, as his face darkened.

It is funny how he, the great and powerful king, has but few he could trust.

“She thinks herself invincible? We'll see about that,” Lady Steinhouse said indignantly.

“Worry not, her days are numbered. She has poked her nose around for a while. This time, she sniffed the forbidden. It's a matter of time before Lady Wickshire crushes her. This king will not save her when the time comes,” the king chuckled darkly.

“We may need not wait for Lady Wickshire to handle her,” Lady Steinhouse smiled for the first time since she arrived the palace.

“And here I thought you were here to see your favourite uncle,” the king smiled.

“This is a hot one, and you will have her right where you want her. But before I tell you, you must promise that only I can decide on my marriage. If I bring you a man, you must agree regardless of anything,” Lady Steinhouse said. She looked positively coy as she laid out her terms. She would not waste this chance to have total control over her life.

“Fine, I promise. Tell me,” the king sighed.

“Your royal treasury is missing a chunk of gold, if not empty,” Lady Steinhouse said and the king sat up.