Tales after Dusk 05

"I believe he is my great grandfather. All of the men in my family have been fortunate enough to inherit his handsome looks," he says smugly.

Behind the Prince, Edmond winks at Thorne who is trying desperately not to burst out into laughter--if only Edmond had any inkling just how truly funny that statement was.

The Prince turns around to Edmond and puts on a fake smile, "Brother-in-law, would you care to accompany me to the armory? I am sure your sister can take the tour from here."

Edmond smiles warmly, "But of course, your highness." As he follows the Prince out of the room, he turns briefly to catch Alecta's gaze. Offering a small shrug of apology, he mouths the words Until tonight, my Lady.

As soon as they disappear from sight, Talia's eyes are once again fixated on Thorne, just as they have been since their arrival. Almost with blatant disregard to the imposter Prince, she has been eyeing him at every opportunity. However, with the absence of her fiancé, her gaze turns a bit more wanton. Thinking that no one will notice, she quickly straightens her dress, pulling it down to show more of her chest, which she puffs out a bit. Slowly, gracefully, she begins to cross the gap between her and Thorne, intent on fawning over him.

"My lady," Basil says, appearing out of now where and bowing gracefully before her, "do tell me how a lovely flower such as yourself made the arduous journey to Briartown to find true love."

Completely caught off guard, she pastes on a nervous smile, regretfully taking his arm when offered to her. Having foiled her attempt, Basil spins her back around to lead the group on the tour, dotting over her every word.

Slightly confused by his actions, Thorne hangs back a bit upon seeing Alecta examining the painting, seemingly oblivious to the fact that the group has almost disappeared around another corner.

"Shall we catch up to them?" He asks nervously, not because they have been left but because he is unsure of Basil's motives at leaving them alone.

Alecta appears to be enthralled with the painting, though she answers his question with a whisper, "No. I need to see the room that the party will be held in."

"Oh," he says softly, somewhat relieved that they aren't being left alone for other reasons, "It is this way but won't we be caught?"

When the group finally disappears, Alecta turns to him, "Let me teach you something." She walks to him, slipping her hand around his elbow. Tilting her head upward a little bit, she starts forward with Thorne in tow, "Chin up, Thorne. Do not make eye contact with anyone who crosses our path, and keep the conversation going but not loud enough that anyone else can hear what we are saying."

Thorne does as she says, guiding her down a hallway to the left, "What if someone stops us?"

"Trust me," she says softly just as a guard appears from around the corner, "As long as you do not make eye contact, keep a pretentious air about you, don't move too quickly and in general act as if a lay person talking to you is a heinous crime, no one will stop us." The guard starts towards them but thinks twice about it and bows instead, disappearing as soon as they are past him.

"See?"

Thorne is somewhat amazed; though he has never thought about it before, having been a common criminal for the past few days he has been worried about the horror of prison that Alecta has talked about, "Amazing."

"The common man has a constant fear of lowering his station. By merely acting as if I'm above him, I can entice that fear to make him leave me alone. I've been into every castle I have come across, just by pretending that I belong."

Thorne glances over at her. Taking a quick survey of their surroundings, he swiftly takes a sudden left into a small, almost unnoticeable cove guarded by two suits of armor. Alecta has a genuinely shocked look on her face.

"What are you—" she starts, only to have her mouth silenced by Thorne's fingers.

He thought he knew what he was going to say but his mind goes blank when he stares deep into her eyes. With a great sigh, he removes his fingers from her lips and softly says, "No matter what happens, I am thankful that it was you who woke me."

Alecta purses her lips, true feelings hidden behind her mask, "Thorne, I'm not so sure that now is the best time for this..."

Shaking his head, he closes the gap between them, "I don't care." His lips meet hers as he wraps his arms around her waist, pulling her close to his body. Alecta, just as desperate for him, doesn't fight back at first but a few moments later she gets her wits about her and gently pushes him away.

She stares at his chest, collecting her thoughts while breathing deeply.

...

Jasper glances at the sheet of paper in his hands, "Desert rose." He looks to Kane to respond.

"Yes, as you know we successfully captured the foal yesterday. Last night when no one was awake, Jasper and I dyed its coat black, wetted its mane and tail down and braided them so that they would be crimped. The only issue with the plan is how to deliver the gift today."

From her position on the couch in Basil's quarters, Alecta taps her chin, staring at the carpet, "Let me think on that one for a bit. Next?"

"Frocks?"

"Yea, I got them," Aiken says from the window bench. Through the glass he looks out at the street, watching the people scurry to and fro. When there is no response, he turns around to look at the troupe watching him, "I said I got them. The tailor was very disappointed that Lady Remington didn't come to fetch them herself, so that he could make a final fitting."

"But no mention of me?" Basil says as he rounds the couches, topping off everyone's brandy glasses, "And I thought we made a connection on a personal level."

Alecta snorts, "Next."

"Carriage?" Jasper continues.

"Got that too," Aiken says, holding out his glass to Basil, "put it in the stable with the horses."

"Scouting. I will handle that; tomorrow night I will post just outside of the great hall's doors. I will be able to easily spot Carabosse from there—then I will follow her. Once I am certain of her residence, I will return to get everyone."

"All right," Alecta nods slowly, "What are we missing?"

There is silence in the room as everyone ponders her question. To their surprise, it is Thorne that speaks up; he has remained silent throughout most of the afternoon, since his encounter with Alecta. "There is still the mystery as to how Carabosse got the memories and moved me."

"I don't know that it is much of a mystery," Basil retorts, "or that it matters much at all. What is important is how we get those memories back."

"No, I think Thorne's on to something," Kane says. He rises from his position next to Alecta and slowly begins pacing, "Mayweather's protection spell prevented Carabosse from entering the town once the curse was in effect. That can truly only mean one thing."

"She had help," Alecta states.

"But more than that," Kane continues, "If a whole town was willing to withstand the possibility of a curse, whom ever helped her must have gotten quite a payment in return. Whoever it is could be a threat to our success."

Silence stretches across the room again. Aiken drains his drink, thinking out loud, "It would have to be more than just money. Frankly, if it were me, I would want the option to not be frozen in time."

"Now that's an interesting thought," Basil says, "but that person would also have to have extensive knowledge of the castle."

"Why?" Thorne queries, "That person would have all the time in the world to collect the memories."

"This is true," Alecta picks up Basil's assumption, "but in order to ensure that all of the memories were collected, that person would have to know every crevice of the castle, along with all of the protocols. Undoubtedly, while you were to be placed in a conspicuous place so that you would be found, I am guessing that your parents would be sequestered somewhere secret to ensure that they would not?"

Thorne nods, "Yes, they were to lock themselves into the secret room behind their bedroom. Not many know about that, only my family, the advisors and the upper ranks of the guards."

"And every servant," Jasper adds.

"No, that room is known to only a few," Thorne says.

Aiken shakes his head, leaving his seat to join them on the couch, "Still thinking like an aristocrat. You are a fool if you think that every single servant in that castle doesn't know where that room is and how to get into it. And perhaps what is worse, is that servants have more of a reason to be dishonorable than the guards. I would bet it was one of them."

Alecta holds up her hand, "That has yet to be seen, so let us not jump to conclusions and start accusing people. We need to keep this in the back of our minds that very possibly our plan teeters on the verge of discovery should this person interrupt our progress."

"Like I said," Basil continues, "I don't know that it matters. Carabosse wouldn't risk a person knowing anything about her true abilities. Even if she allotted that person time awake, it is very likely that they would be missed once everyone woke up. She would have had to put that person back in town and freeze them as well, after undoubtedly removed their memories in regards to the Prince. While they would probably remember that they did something to undermine him, they won't remember who the true Prince actually is."

Thorne looks across the seating area to Alecta. She avoids his gaze, instead opting to stare at the carpet as if deep in thought. A hundred years ago, he might have thought of only one or two who would dare to betray him to Carabosse but after working with the servants in the laundry and watching the faux Prince mimic his old personality, Thorne finds himself only able to think of one or two who would not betray him. When he hears the knock at the door, by the time he looks up Aiken and Kane have vanished, leaving only Jasper walking towards the door to answer it.

"Good afternoon, Sir, how may I assist you?" He says quietly after a quick bow.

"Ah, yes, I was actually wondering if, perhaps, you knew of the location of the Lady Remington?" Edmond's voice comes drifting in from the hallway.

Thorne immediately gets agitated. He watches Alecta turn towards the door and nod to Jasper to let Edmond in.

"Mr. Carden," Basil greets him, pouring a fresh glass of brandy for their guest.

"I hope I am not interrupting anything?" Edmond says, surprised to find all three of them there.

They would have normally congregated in Alecta's room, since it is the biggest but she speculated that Edmond would try to find her there first, so they opted for Basil's room instead. While it belayed him a few hours, it didn't deter him as hoped.

"Not at all," Basil continues, handing him the glass.

"You are just in time, in fact," Alecta says sweetly, watching him as he sits down next to her. She rests her hand on his arm, flashing a brilliant smile to make sure she has his full attention, "There is a most alarming situation at hand."

"Oh, no, how can I help?" Edmond asks, concerned.

"My valet has just returned with our wedding gift, to your sister and the Prince. The only problem is that, well, it isn't exactly a traditional present that can be wrapped. I wish to present it to the before the party but I do not know when will be a good time to do so."

"Well, there is to be a small, private dinner this evening, just family. I was, in fact, coming to see if you would accompany me as my...my date," he says quietly, caught up in her eyes. When he remembers that there are two other people in the room, he clears his throat, "Though I am sure since the gift is from all of you, you wish to present it together. I am sure it will be fine if—"

"No, no, no," Basil cuts him off, "please, the Countess is more than capable of representing us. The Baron and I have no wish to intrude. Besides," Basil sits down next to Edmond and whispers softly, "without her prying eyes about we will finally be able to visit the fine ladies of the tavern down the street."

Edmond lets out a laugh before he is able to stifle it, "Oh, wonderful, it is settled then." He drains his brandy, before rising to his feet. As if he feels out of place, he provides a short bow, "I shall return to collect you, say around seven o'clock?"

Alecta smiles warmly, "Until then, Mr. Carden."

He lingers a moment. Remembering they are there, he nods to Basil and Thorne before showing himself out. The instant the door is shut, Aiken and Kane reappear.

"Well, that solves the problem of the Desert Rose," Jasper says, rejoining them.

"I guess that means I'm with Alecta," Kane says, flopping down on the couch.

"And what do the rest of us do?" Thorne asks quietly. He is very displeased that he will be forced to spend the evening away from Alecta, while she is subject to another man's advances.

"I will Robin Hood," Aiken says with a large smile pasted across his mouth, "are you coming with, Jasper?"

"Oh, why not," he says, laughing a little.

"That leaves you and I," Basil says to Thorne, "to do a little research."

...

Alecta waits in the garden for Edmond to collect her. Though she appears to be sitting rather patiently, she is extremely agitated. She has learned from past situations that though she is an immaculate actress, things inevitably take a turn for the worse when she is without a consort. While Kane will more or less accompany her, he will be preoccupied with the Desert Rose; in addition to that, as he is acting as her servant, her contact with him will be minimal. Lies are always more convincing when bounced between two actors and as this will be her first dinner alone with so many legitimately highly ranked people, her nerves are causing her stomach to churn.

"There you are, Countess," Edmond's sweet voice cuts into her thoughts like a knife, "I knocked on your door but your valet didn't answer. The house girl told me you were waiting in the garden." He holds out his hand to her, smiling a little wider once her fingertips touch his palm.

Alecta rises to her feet, swallowing her anxiety and doing her best to play the convincing part, "Yes, my valet is actually on his way to the castle with the wedding present."

"Curious," he says. After wrapping her fingers around his arm, he leaves his hand on top of hers, taking a little more liberty now that her escorts are gone, "And I suppose you won't tell me what it is?"

She looks at his hand before glancing up at him, eyebrow raised with a flirtatious grin on her face, "Most definitely not. You will just have to find out with the rest of your family, Mr. Carden."

He laughs, leading her out the front door and across the street to the castle, "Please, that sounds way too formal. Call me Edmond."

Alecta smirks as they walk up the stairs into the castle, "Unfortunately, Mr. Carden, I don't believe we know each other enough to be on a first name basis."

A guard offers a stiff bow, leading them down the main hall and to the right towards the dining room just behind the ballroom. As they walk through the doors, Edmond whispers, "With any luck, Countess, we will be on a first name basis by dawn."

She gasps a little at his forwardness, quickly recovering with a smile as she curtseys before the King.

"Your Majesty, it is a pleasure to see you again so soon," she says gracefully.

"Ah, Countess Remington," he says. Turning to Edmond, he acknowledges his bow, "And Mr. Carden. I see you two have had the pleasure of making each other's acquaintance?"

The tone in the King's voice suggests surprise; when Alecta rises and makes eye contact with him, she speculates that he is curious that she would associate with a titleless man.

"Indeed, sir, the Cardens were kind enough to join us for dinner last night. Though I must confess, my reason for accepting Mr. Carden's invitation tonight is rather ulterior."

The King's eyes narrow slightly, unsure of what to make of Alecta's comment, "And what might that be, Countess?"

She smiles softly, putting his worry at ease, "I wanted the distinct pleasure of presenting the first wedding gift, your highness."

The King laughs a little, "You are a devious one, my Lady. Well, out with it, let us all see what you have brought. Thorin, Talia!" The King calls them over.

Alecta flashes a smile at Edmond before walking over to the window, "I am sure all of you know of the Amber Desert?" She looks around waiting for acknowledgement, though she knows she will get none as very few people have ever heard of the place.

After glancing around briefly and seeing that everyone is just as clueless as he, Edmond takes the hit of ignorance in order to save the King and Queen from embarrassment, "I apologize Countess, but I am quite a bit less travelled than everyone else. What is this place you speak of?"

She lets her gaze linger for a moment on Edmond, impressed with his humility, "Well, Mr. Carden, the Amber Desert is a distant place were few have dared to venture. On the northern side of Northill lies a vast wasteland and on the other side of that, the Amber Desert. It is a barren, harsh place with very little water, no vegetation and as you can imagine, a lot of sand. Few dare to visit it and even less try to live there. Aside from a small tribe of people, most of the creatures are as harsh and unforgiving as the environment that they thrive in. There is, however, one magnificent breed of horse that runs wild and free amongst the dunes." Alecta motions towards the window. Outside in the small garden below, stands Kane with a lead rope in his hand. The magnificent, midnight black foal at the other end of the rope fights him fiercely.

Everyone ooos and ahhhs upon looking out the window, "Like a rose amongst the weeds, these horses stand out against all others. They are born as black as death, making them easy targets for the predators to pick them off like chaff from the wheat. For those that do live, their coats eventually fade to a gleaming white as bright as a star against the night sky. They are nearly impossible to train but it is said that simply having one will bring good fortune and luck to its owner."

"Countess," the Prince says, taking her hand into his and bringing the back of it to his lips, "You truly honor us with your gift. Thank you."

As his eyes linger on her, Alecta is reminded of the Thorne she first met within these same castle walls, "Only the best will do, my liege," she replies.

She is forced to contain her grin into a small, quaint smile. Every time, they always fall for the Desert Rose. While it is true, the troupe has ventured to the Amber Desert, the rest of it is a lie. The place couldn't sustain even the toughest of men, let alone a herd of herbivores. Even after the foal's mane and tail grow, leaving a distinct line of black dye, most still believe. With the fight that his foal is putting up it truly appears to be a wild, fearsome creature—no one would ever suspect that Kane has an upset venomous snake in his pocket to cause the foal's reactions.

A faint clink of wine glasses is enough to slowly pull everyone's attention away from the window, as servants file in and start filling them up with bright red liquid. Edmond procures one for Alecta, as if to say to everyone else present that she is his date.

"Thank you," she replies, accepting the glass. Though everyone has broken off into small groups to chat, she feels several pairs of eyes lingering on her.

"I must say, Countess, that I wasn't sure I would be able to persuade you to join me tonight," Edmond admits after a large swig from his glass.

Alecta daintily sips from hers, taking care to keep her drinking in check, lest she slip out of character, "Now why would that be, Mr. Carden?"

"Well," he pauses somewhat nervously, "some might think that you only joined me tonight to gain favor with the royal family. Yet, I speculate that that behavior doesn't hold much merit with you."