"Well, that's because we spiked the palace water."
Maren stared at her.
Cora stared as well. "You what?"
Thirteen barely spared a glance back at them, too busy directing one of the empire knights on where to put yet another large box. "The palace water. We added a potion that causes amnesia to it."
Silence fell between the three of them, though the scene was anything but quiet, with Thirteen directly in the middle of it. When the girls arrived in the guest wing, they were in shock. There were no crimson splatters. No destroyed furniture. No claw marks on the walls or doors torn from their hinges.
It was like nothing happened at all.
Maren looked around the room, watching as their knights set large boxes down in empty corners of the room where a painter just finished the last wall.
"I don't understand–" Maren whispered, her voice incredibly low when Cora cut her off.
"You drugged the entire castle?" She asked, her tone spewing accusations.
"Temporarily," Thirteen answered, still not looking at them as she eyed a young knight fumbling around with a rather large box. "Watch out! That's an antique!"
"That does not make it better," Cora said, the furrow in her brow deepening.
Thirteen waved her hand dismissively. "The only side effect is some mild euphoria. The mixture wasn't perfect, but it did what needed to be done." Then her tone shifted and Maren swore she heard her say under her breath, "At least now nobody will be asking questions— Watch the new chandelier!"
"Is that why everyone seems so happy?" Maren asked, watching as even the empire knights seemed overly joyful to be doing such menial work that wasn't necessarily theirs to do. She thought back on the walk here, how the maids walked the halls with smiles on their faces and how she saw palace guards talking casually.
"Probably," Thirteen sighed and put her fingers to her temple. "Do you have more questions or are we done here? I need this wing done by morning so unless either of you whip up some kind of material magic, I need to focus."
Maren's eyes drifted to Cora who stared Thirteen down. She could see that familiar fire in her eyes, the cruel cold where warmth usually was. Her expression was contorted in unmistakable anger.
"What kind of lie have you thought up to cover this mess up?" Cora asked, practically spewing venom.
That caught Thirteen's attention. Her head snapped toward Cora, her eyes narrowing in on her. Maren shrank back ever so slightly. Both Cora and Thirteen were rather tall individuals, but watching them now, both had a clear fire in their eyes.
"I did this for you," Thirteen replied with obvious vitriol. "I haven't slept in two days, making sure this empire doesn't fall apart in a night, while you two were off gallivanting in the bloody mountains!"
The room fell silent, all eyes on them.
Thirteen's eyes shifted, the bags under her eyes, more evident to Maren than before. And in that moment, Maren understood what she didn't before.
"Everyone, out!" Thirteen demanded, pinching the space between her brows with her thumb and finger.
Everyone but the three of them moved out of the room. Cora and Thirteen were at a standstill, watching each other.
"Cora," Thirteen said, her voice like a shield. "Why are you treating me like the enemy?"
Cora stood frozen in place for a moment, her hackles raised. But the longer she stood there, it was like Maren could visibly see that that one question tore down her walls. Cora's shoulders softened and her expression relaxed. She took a deep breath and sighed. "I didn't mean to, but you were just acting like what you did was okay! Like last night didn't happen! Like half the damn castle weren't practically zombies! Everyone is acting like everything is okay and it's not!"
Cora's words were like a radiant flame, revealing Maren's feelings for what they were. They both felt the same way. Maren couldn't shake the feeling since they spoke to those guards outside the palace. She was uncomfortable. They both were. And Thirteen's dismissive attitude set them both on edge, as if they were supposed to be on board with drugging the entire palace water supply.
But on the other hand, Thirteen had taken care of the aftermath without setting the entire empire on edge. And that was something they knew could be a problem, even in their magic-drunken haze. Maren felt like they should thank her, but something about it still felt wrong.
Thirteen's shoulders relaxed, crossing her arms in front of her. "I think we should speak again tomorrow, after I've rested. For now, why don't you girls speak to Harriet? She's been helping me with the cover-up and–"
Harriet. The name snapped Maren back to all that had still gone unanswered.
Leah.
Lexi.
Ariel.
Twelve.
The boys.
Where were they?
***
Maren gazed down at her maid who lay sleeping in the infirmary bed. In a row of four across either side of the room slept several of the prince candidates, including Lexi and Ariel. Harriet explained that they all sustained some level of injury during the trial and that they arrived at the castle only a few hours before Maren and Cora did.
"So you see now," Harriet whispered, "they're fine. Let them sleep."
Maren's gaze drifted back over to Lexi's sleeping face. She had a bandage wrapped around her head, but otherwise, she looked okay. Beside her, Ariel lay, his mouth wide open and snoring softly, only a few cuts and bruises across his face. Her eyes softened as she stared down at her friends, her mind lashing her with guilt. If only she'd learned of her powers sooner. If only she'd taken action sooner.
She let out a deep sigh and allowed Harriet to pull her out of the room, where Cora stood, her arms crossed in front of her, seemingly unfazed by the casualties of their battle. But Maren knew better. Cora was mulling it over in her head — same as her. What she could have done better. What she will do better next time. A consolation for their flat victory. When the door closed behind her, Maren spoke. "And what of Twelve?"
Harriet had told her that Twelve was with the prince candidates when they arrived just hours before, but she was not in that room with them. There were so many questions circulating in her mind. Why was Twelve at the mountain peak? How did she get there? Why was she unconscious? What was wrong with her? Twelve was like a grandmother and a friend at the same time — a firecracker but nurturing when she needed to be.
Harriet let out a soft noise, her eyes drifting to the side. Her expression told Maren that she wasn't sure how she was but that the situation wasn't good. Twelve was a Starblessed but she was old. Very old.
"She is asleep in a private room with the head nurse and a doctor tending to her night and day," Harriet finally answered. She shot Maren a serious look. "Twelve is going to be okay. It might just take some time."
Maren's mouth turned in a heart-aching grimace. It wasn't the answer she wanted, but it would have to do for now. There was a long moment of silence between them. Harriet spared a glance toward Cora, who had remained abnormally silent for some time, allowing Maren to gather information on her loved ones. But Maren knew what was coming. After her spat with Thirteen, the moral implications of what she'd done hung in the air. Thirteen was tired and wanted to hear nothing more. But Cora was far from over.
"I'm glad your friends are alright Mare, but are we going to simply let go of the fact that Thirteen's FIRST judgement was to drug the palace?"
There it was.
And like clockwork, Harriet laced her hands in front of her, hardened her expression and stared Cora down.
"Coralynn," she said in a voice that made both Cora and Maren shudder. "While I understand your perspective, I'd warn you off that moral high horse you're sitting on. What you both did last night surely saved the palace, but nothing could undo the series of irreversible events that had already taken place. Thirteen was left to deal with the consequences on her own."
Harriet's lips closed tightly and the air around them grew heavy.
Maren's brow furrowed. "I don't understand. I know there were casualties and as much as I hate to sound callous but how many deaths of the serving staff were there for it to pose a political issue?"
Harriet breathed an irritated sigh. "There were eight deaths total, seven of them waitstaff." She hesitated, averting Maren's gaze.
"One of them was a royal official," Cora said.
"Not just any royal official," Harriet whispered, shaking her head like it was difficult to say. "It was the Queen of Forsyth."
Maren blinked.
Cora blinked.
"Oh no," Maren said, her voice a breathy whisper. She brought her fingers to her lips. "Oh dear. Oh…Selma must be heartbroken." Then, Maren's eyes widened. If the entire castle was drugged, then Selma would never know the cause of her own mother's death. Instantly, her head snapped back up toward Harriet. "Selma, is she-"
"We haven't been able to locate her since the palace took the draught," Harriet interjected, her eyes dark and heavy with pity, though she smiled through it, thinking of her. "That girl— that girl is bloody brilliant, I'll tell you. Thirteen took down her defenses – told her that her mother died. Then, she tried to tell the girl that if she took the potion, everything would be okay again. Selma— she let them think she took the potion and when nobody was looking, she bolted."
"And nobody has seen her since?" Cora asked.
Harriet shook her head. "Not a soul. Though, I do know where she might be — a place only few know of." She looked between Maren and Cora, and for the first time in Maren's life, she saw a look of distrust in Harriet's eyes. Like she wasn't sure if she should say more. Harriet was a rock to everyone around her, but to openly show admiration and even loyalty, Maren was surprised.
Then, she opened her mouth and said the words.
"Would you like me to take you there?"