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In the guise of a servant, I was able to easily make my way through the Palace unnoticed. However, as the Palace began to wake up, it began to drone with a sound akin to a waking hive of bees. I heard booted footfalls racing up behind me and the ragged breath of the soldier. He met up with a short, dark Tyberan at a corridor junction ahead and saluted.
"My lord! The prisoner has escaped!"
"What?!" the dark one replied.
"There are many casualties, my lord--"
"Nevermind that. Who else knows of this?"
"No one, my lord. I came straight to you. Should word of this get back to the Commander..."
"Don't worry," the dark one stated, "It won't get back to her. We will deal with this ourselves."
The soldier saluted, "Yes sir!"
The dark one looked at the soldier, his one mahogany eye glaring, "Go. Take word of this to only Priestmaster Zhagon. He will know what to do."
The soldier saluted again, "As you command, General Brion."
As the soldier left him, Brion looked down the halls. I pressed myself to the wall, hoping not to be seen. Content he was alone, Brion went to the bay window at the end of the hall. He stared out across the city, his hand scratching his chin in thought. That one eye narrowed, "No. She will not find out. We dare not let her know of our failure."
He turned, walking down the hall towards me. I closed my eyes, holding my breath, but to no avail. He looked right at me, "What are you doing there?"
He reached out and grabbed me by the arm, "Just what were you doing there, missy?"
"I was...I mean, the soldier..." I stammered.
That red-brown eye glared at me, "I see."
He released me, tossing me to the floor in front of him, "Get back to work. If I ever catch you flirting with my soldiers again, I'll have you cast out."
I groveled on the floor, "I'm deeply sorry, milord."
"Get out of my sight," he sneered in disgust.
As I crawled away, I couldn't help but cast a venemous glance at him. If that was the way servants were treated here, in the Palace, what did the rest of Tyberan society get treated like? I tip-toed down a flight of stairs, my eyes looking for where the soldier had disappeared to. However, I could not find anything. I cast another glance over my shoulder to make sure Brion hadn't followed me.
He said something about the Priestmaster. That could only speak of the Temple of the Twinstars.
I picked up the hems of my skirts as I ran down the hall. I exited through a small door that opened up on one end of the Palace. I hit the paved walkway and raced down it as it stretched along the length of the Palace. I dodged nimbly through some of the foot- traffic that was there, missing pages, soldiers, and clergymen alike. However, I was unable to skitter out of the way of a man standing directly in my path. I looked up, my glamoried brown eyes locking with his.
"I beg pardon, milord..."
The Tyberan lord standing with him gave me a glare and gestured with his hand for me to leave, "Idiot! Go on...!"
I nodded and turned, leaving the two to their business. As I ran off, I could hear the Tyberan lord, "My apologies, Lord Krolaun...."
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© 1999 E. Angeli Mansfield