Being the Manager of the Mines was an incredibly important job.

It was also extremely exhausting. Marge Dolor sighed. Before her promotion, the woman was able to squeeze in three naps a day. Now? She only could take one very short, three-hour one.

Marge sighed again. Thank Admin said nap-time was coming up. Life was certainly cruel. She clenched her fist and reminded herself of the prestige and importance of her position. With great power, came great-

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!

Marge’s fish-like eyes widened, making her look even more…fish-like. She glared at the door, trying to incinerate the rude underling behind it.

“What in Niamh do you lazy bums want?” she hollered. Her voice was the perfect combination of nasally and shrilly.

The knocking paused. A meek voice responded, “Got some guests for you, Marge.”

Marge burst to her feet and stomped to the door. She wrenched the heavy wooden door open like it was nothing. Her six-foot-five frame dominated the cowering guard on the other side.

“What did I tell you about calling me,” she spit, “Marge.”

The guard shivered, face losing all of its colors. “Uhm,” he scratched his head, “nothing? I’m kinda new here- ah!”

Marge gripped the man by his collar and pulled him close. “You don’t,” she growled.

Seeing how close the other was to wetting himself, she released the poor man with a snarl. The underling stumbled back, looking a bit teary-eyed.

The woman crossed her arms and looked at the three people behind the guard. A ragtag group greeted her. There was a finely dressed noblewoman and two miners, a young one and an old one.

Marge sighed. She eyed the odd trio. “Are these the so-called guests?”

“Yes,” nodded the guard. He pointed each of them out, explaining the situation. “The lady accidentally wandered inti the mines. Seeing an opportunity, the young one tried to rob her but during their skirmish, the old one saved her, cut past two hours of investigation… and now we’re all here.”

Marge furrowed her brows. “And this concerns me because…?”

“Well, I was going to punish the Port-Dogs and escort her back,” his eyes drifted to the girl and shrugged, “but the lady refused! She insisted on-”

“Seeing the manager,” inserted the lady curtly.

Marge turned her attention to the girl. She was young, but judging by the fancy dress she had on, Marge could guess she was another spoiled heiress that wanted to piss off her family by wandering around the mines. Stupid youngsters.

“Just take them all to the cells for questioning,” grumbled Marge. Nothing like a night alone in the dark to instill a good sense of fear within a spoilt little girl. Her parents should be thanking Marge for doing their parenting for them.

The two miners squawked in protest, while the girl crossed her arms silently, not looking the least bit nervous.

“Okay, but,” the guard stammered. He inched closer to the giant lady and whispered to Marge. “She claims to be a second cousin of Eres…”

“The queen and I share aunts on my father’s side,” added her ladyship.

There was a great moment of silence. Marge slowly let the information sink in. A relative of Eres?

“Eres? As in, the queen, Eres?” asked Marge.

The girl lifted her chin, snapping, “Do you know another person named Eres?”

Marge shot the girl and irritated look. She glanced at the guard who was nodding. The woman glanced at the girl again. She paused, thinking hard. A relative of the queen. With such a good lineage, maybe the girl could put in a good word with the higher-ups! Or even the queen herself! Marge brightened visibly and shot the girl a wide and (what she thought was a fairly) welcoming smile.

Gesturing towards her door, Marge said excitedly. “Let’s take this inside, my lady! Marge will deal with whatever inconveniences these stupid dogs have created for you.”

The guard startled, “Wait, but that’s against policy! Shouldn’t I at least take the miners to-”

“Gerald shut up and make yourself scarce,” ordered Marge. She smiled again and gestured towards her office once more. “Please.”

“Finally, a person with some class.” The lady shot the guard a point look and sniffed. “Thank you, Ms. Manager of the Mines!” She lifted her skirts and stomped inside.

Seeing the Port-Dogs hesitation, Marge rolled her eyes and grabbed the two miners who were hesitating by the door. The large woman shoved them in like it was nothing. With a final look at “Gerald”, she made a shooing motion and slammed the wood door shut.

The guard stood, gaping at the closed door. “But my name isn’t Gerald?” On his uniform was the embroidered name, “Tyler”.

—

“So,” Marge started. “You’re related to Her Highness?”

“Yes,” waved the lady, “My father is the cousin of the Great Ronann, Head of House Arman, aunt of her Majesty. Princess Fiona and I grew up riding our horses together.”

“Ahh, I see,” nodded Marge. She tilted her head, “But how did you end up in the mines, Lady Arman?” The woman twisted her fingers nervously but chided, “Surely, you know the area is forbidden. Royal family or not.”

Lady Arman’s eyes narrowed. “Of course, I know that!” She sighed dramatically. “But my horse was spooked. I’m afraid I was too worried about not dying that I must have passed the city limits.” She tossed her hair behind her. “That is why when I calmed Sashare down, I went searching for help and before I knew it, I was attacked by,” she turned around to point at the younger miner. “This fiend! He tried to rob me of my-”

“You liar! I was just trying to help you!” protested the younger miner.

“Shut up, dog!” thundered Marge. “How dare you speak back to a lady of the great Symvoliou?”

The boy shook with fury. “Why in Niamh would I care who she’s a lady of? She can’t just lie-”

SLAP!

The force behind the hit left the young miner sprawled across the ground, clutching his stinging cheek.

“Next time, I will cut out your tongue,” warned Marge. She turned back to the lady who had a concerned frown on her lips. “Is something the matter, my lady?”

The girl shrugged, “I was hoping that you would have cut out his tongue this time, considering what he did to me.”

The young miner glared at her, but quickly averted his gaze.

“It is quite a messy process. Not something a dignified lady like you should witness,” Marge soothed. “And what of the other dog?”

The girl brightened. “Oh, I was actually going to inquire whether I could buy him from you?” She shuffled through her dress. “I don’t have much coin on me at hand but I’m sure I could arrange for a proper payment once I am escorted home.”

The three other occupants of the room gaped at the girl.

Marge noted awkwardly. “I’m afraid, I’m not sure that would be possible, my-”

“But why not?” The girl pouted, “He saved my life! And I think grandmother would have use of another gardener. The mines have so many people, you shouldn’t miss one.”

Marge froze. The girl wasn’t wrong, but still…

Seeing the other’s twisted expression, the girl gestured for Marge to come closer. When the woman did so, the girl whispered, “As recompense, I’m sure I could put in a good word with my uncle.” She raised an eyebrow. “Who knows, Eres herself may even hear of your loyalty and hard work.”

Now, that was something Marge could work with. She could already imagine the grand ceremony. A true protector of the realm, Marge would kneel in front of the throne as Eres pinned a badge of honor on her uniform. The daydream was sweet and wonderful. And, with the girl in front of her, it could actually become a reality!

The woman was practically foaming at the mouth. “I will see what I can do,” she quickly promised.

“That’s what I like to hear.” The girl smiled, quite pleased with herself. “What is your name?”

“Marge.” the woman sat straight. Her full frame dominated the seated girl, but her wide smile and invisible tail wags made the woman seem like an oversized, eager puppy.

“Marge Dolor. That’s Dolor with a d-o-l-o-r.” The woman scrambled for a paper to write it down, just in case the girl forgot.

“Very well, Marge.” The girl licked her lips. “I shall keep that in mind.” She sighed, “Tell me, Marge. Is it true that there’s a secret camp of infected miners?”

Marge shrugged, busy writing down her good deeds and personal information. “It’s true, it’s in the south end, at the very edge of the border, past the Flag base. A good hike away from the east mountains so that it’s far away from the rest of the miners and the actual Citadel. You know, for fear of spreading the infection and all that. Basically, it’s being dealt with quite efficiently, so, it’s nothing to actually worry about,” her voice trailed off.

Marge looked up. Her brows furrowed. “Wait, how do you know about that?”

“I’m not the only one.” The girl shrugged, “It’s the most recent rumor that’s been spreading through the upper houses.” Her eyes took on a mischievous streak. “You know, I was there when Four burst into the Banquet. She told everyone the truth. About the mines. The ‘Sick Area’.”

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Marge felt a deep suspicion rise in her heart. Although not the fastest to catch on, the woman wasn’t stupid. Her sharp instinct for trouble was what got her the esteemed position.

She rose and started for the door. “What did you say your name was again, Lady Arman?”

The girl crossed her arms, smirking up at Marge. “Oh, I don’t believe I introduced myself properly, did I?”

Marge reached for the door.

“It’s Ria.” The girl crinkled her nose. “Although, you might better know me as Four, Queen of Oceanport and all that.”

Marge’s eyes widened. She whipped around in shock. “You…!”

WHACK!

Marge’s large form slumped to the ground. Finn stood beside her, a large, metal fire poker in hand. He shook his head. “Niamh, I was half-worried that wouldn’t be able to take her down.”

Ria stretched, reaching for the buttons of her gown. “Honestly, same.”

In a fast motion, she slipped off the blood-red dress from the banquet. Good thing she had kept it. The miner's clothes she wore underneath made her sigh. She balled up the dress and shoved it back in her sack. The one good thing she got from this place.

Ria turned her attention to the older miner. “Thanks for the help, Derek.” She shot him a thumbs up. “Good acting.”

Derek said nothing.

Ria sighed. She turned to Finn. “I know where the ‘Sick Area’ is.”

Back in the days, when she had been doing all the paperwork for the supervisors, one of the records had included a map. The parchment drew out all the different bases and mines. There was a flat valley underneath an area labeled “Flag Base”. Ria had always wondered why it was empty while all the other areas were densely populated. In hindsight, she should have known that that’s where the “Sick Area” was. It all made sense now. Still, at least the charade had been fruitful.

“Look for her medallion,” Ria told Finn.

He nodded. The by began to rummage through the different drawers.

Each supervisor and manager were assigned a metal medallion that identified the person. Their rank guaranteed their level of clearance into different areas. With a manager’s badge, they would have little trouble getting past the guards… hence the entire fake nobility charade.

Go big or go home, Ria thought.

Derek dragged an unconscious Marge to the corner. He held a line of cord in his mouth. The older man dropped the large lady on the floor and began working on tying her up.

Ria sighed. Her heart squeezed with pity when Derek spit at the unconscious woman’s face. Not for Marge, but for Derek.

This was the man that had been the father to the first Child Snatcher victim. The one that hid his sick son for days and was only found out when the child had passed from the illness. He had originally been taken to the “Sick Area”, but after his miraculous recovery, the man dragged himself out with the hopes of taking revenge on the Citadel. Unfortunately, he was caught and forced back into working at the Dust mines. The only reason he wasn’t dead was because Marge and the other supervisors needed to make sure there were enough bodies when the census taker came to confirm the reported head counts.

After Ria’s failed speech, Derek followed Finn and Ria all the way out of the cave. When Finn caught him hiding behind a rock, Derek begrudgingly revealed his story to the two, begging them to take him along with them.

Derek had been a gambling man in Oceanport. Originally it had been a way make money for his dear family, making use of his great affinity for counting cards and the like. But a lucrative past-time soon became an unbreakable habit. After wasting away all of his family’s fortune, his wife kicked him out and he went to prison. While there, the man had pledged to change himself and win back his family’s love and trust. However, a fire decimated that dream, taking his will and family away cruelly. After that, it wasn’t long before the Recruiters got their hands on him.

It had been so many years that Derek thought he had long forgotten the faces of his family. But when Zach, his youngest son and the last survivor of their family, had shown up in the mines, the man had immediately recognized the boy at first sight.

Apparently, the disease was quite rampant in the slums of Oceanport. Having lived on the streets after the death of his family, Zach was the last survivor but the little boy was sick and weak by the time he reached his father’s side. Derek had thought it was a gift from Admin. A chance to amend for his mistakes, but despite his best efforts, his little boy had still died. In his arms. The man had been dragged away and forcefully separated from the body.

Derek vowed to return to collect the boy’s ashes and pay his respects, but had no idea how to return to the "Sick Area". Short to say, despite the foolishness of their mission, Ria and Finn were his last hope.

So, the three of them had concocted the plan that led them to be “caught” by a guard when Ria screamed bloody murder in her ball-gown dress, claiming to be the second cousin of Eres, and the improvised tale went on from there.

Finn cheered, “Found it.” He held up the glinting, circular medal, smirking smugly. The boy studied the fancy engraving, trying to make out the words he knew. He paused, “Wait, this says female on here.”

Ria shrugged, “Well, I’m too short to pass for Marge, and Derek’s too old. So…” The two stared at Finn expectantly. It was their turn to smirk smugly.

Finn blinked, “I don’t think you heard what I said.” He jabbed a finger at the medallion. “It says female on here! Do you guys understand what that means?”

“Seems pretty obvious,” Derek said quietly and shrugged.

Finn shot the older miner a glare.

Ria stared at Finn. “Don’t hold up the rest of us and get dressed,” she smirked evilly, “Marge.”

‘Marge’ happily flipped the “v” at both of them.

—

Eres rubbed her forehead. The dozens of scrolls formed high piles around her, reaching even taller than her. The queen sighed. She hated paperwork.

The doors to the queen’s study slowly creaked open. A figure slipped in.

Eres glanced up, and then back at the scroll in front of her. “How was your trip?”

The figure shrugged and swept back the hood of their cloak. Fiona let out an irritated huff. “In case you’re wondering, the old hag is still as annoying as ever.”

Eres chuckled. “Still cryptic and…”

“Batshit crazy,” Fiona flicked the snow off her shoulders. “But I got the prophecy.”

That got the queen’s attention. Setting aside her scroll, Eres gestured for her bishop to continue.

“Our deal held up,” said Fiona.

Eres snorted, “I’d be worried if it didn’t.” After all, Fiona’s bishop power was all about making unbreakable deals. Quite a useful skill, especially for a queen’s sister to have. Still, Eres did have to admit that Rex was lucky to have a bishop that had prophetic vision.

“So, what did they say?” Eres crossed her arms. “Should we trust Queen Mother?”

Fiona’s lips pursed, “Unclear. I would recommend we proceed in working with Her Majesty… but proceed with caution.” The younger woman crossed her arms. “It’s a gamble that we should take. The prophecy didn’t mention anything about her betrayal if that is what you were wondering.”

Eres was silent for a moment, her fists clenched. What use was a prophecy if it couldn’t specify what they should watch out for? Shaking her head, she demanded, “Read it to me.”

Her sister hesitated, “Are you sure you wish to know?”

Eres nodded. Everyone knew the double-edged sword of having a prophecy. Who wouldn’t want to know about the future? But, if the prophecy was set in stone and set for disaster, then knowing the future usually tended to speed a person towards said disastrous future. Still, Eres needed to know.

Fiona slid a small piece of parchment over. On it was written:

“The seed has been planted, change is certain,

To prevent the disease, you must root out the weed,

The kingdoms shall be challenged, roles will reverse,

She who refuses, shall lift the curse.”

Eres sighed, she turned to her bishop who was watching her carefully. “Your thoughts?”

Fiona stepped forward and pointed at the first line. “I’m guessing your meeting with Queen Mother was the planting of the seed. So, change is coming. Good or bad hasn’t been decided yet.” She pointed at the third line. “The tournament despite Rex’s best attempt will still happen. If we prepare and win…”

Eres smirked. “Roles will reverse. The Citadel could finally be on top.” Although, she wondered how long that would take. Four was in her hands but had no Carmae. It would be interesting to see how long Rex would be able to hide the Sacred Piece from the Temple.

Fiona nodded, matching her sister’s smirk. Suddenly, her expression fell. “I admit, I don’t understand the second or last line.”

Eres stood and approached the window that oversaw a beautiful view of her land. A disease. Rooting out the weed. The queen thought of the brazen girl and her claims of the Child Snatcher cases in the mines. The reports the supervisors sent showed that everything was fine and without a flaw. The census taker also returned with good results. Still, Eres couldn’t shake the desperation in the girl’s eyes. So, she had sent spies into the mines and found out the truth.

“It’s about the Child Snatcher in the mines,” Eres decided.

Fiona’s brows furrowed. “The Child Snatcher?” She looked baffled. “So, the fake queen was telling the truth?”

“Yes.” Eres didn’t bother correcting Fiona on the fake queen who was actually a very stupid but authentic Four. “The Port-Dogs brought it in. It’s prevalent in one of the newer Dust mines.”

“You know what we have to do, then.” Fiona hummed, “It says to root out the weed.”

Eres sighed. Her mind started to calculate the costs and manpower it would require to replace the old miners with new, healthy ones.

Fiona pressed, “We can’t let the disease reach the Citadel.”

“No,” agreed Eres. “You’re right.” She flicked her sleeves out and stepped away from the window. “Plus, the costs will quickly be replenished, I heard they’re close to the center core.”

Fiona nodded. She walked towards the door and called back, “Do you want me to assign the Elite Guards?”

“Yes,” Eres nodded, sitting back in her seat and picking up the parchment. “Keep it discrete and quick. Deal with all the miners in the originating mine, do not leave a single one. We can’t chance it.”

Fiona bowed, “It shall be done, my queen.”

Eres smiled fondly. “You did good sister.” Her compliments were rare but genuine.

“Your time is coming, my queen,” said Fiona earnestly. “And it shall be glorious.”

The girl skipped out of the room, a little too happy than was considered appropriate, but Eres let it slide just this once. After all, the girl was right. As soon as they got rid of the weeds, the rise of the Citadel would blossom triumphantly.

—

Ria glanced back at Finn. “Hurry.”

The boy grunted, “You try running with all this armor on!” But he sped up his pace. Marge’s armor was extremely loose on his frame and the cape billowed in the wind snagging on branches. Derek silently followed behind the two, watching as they squabbled.

The three figures, cloaked with night's darkness, jogged down the sides of the snowy mountain. The wind howled and blew their hair every which way, but none cared. They weaved in between the trees. In some ways, the boy reminded him of Zach and the girl’s no-nonsense attitude made Derek think of Zaira, his wife.

Above them was the “Flag Base”. Four flags, bearing the sigils of the major Symvoliou houses billowed in the frosty wind. House Arman was the largest and most visible. Ria was pretty sure it was the same sigil Kira used for the logo of her modeling brand. Funny how that works.

“How do you know,” panted Finn. “Where all this stuff is?”

“Great question,” Ria gulped in a greedy gasp of air. “But if I told you, you wouldn’t believe me.” She was starting to think that with all this running her endurance was surely improving massively.

She ducked under a branch and slid down the slope. “Let’s just say, it included a lot of reading and extra late nights,” she glanced over at Finn who had a disgusted expression on his face. “Not something you would enjoy.”

“Nope,” Finn confirmed, too busy running to elaborate further.

A smoky smell permeated the air. At the bottom of the hill was a camp. They had finally reached the “Sick Area”.

Ria let out a shaky breath. A hand settled on her shoulders. The girl startled. She looked behind her, only to see Finn’s hard stare. His gaze was on the camp below.

“That’s where Daisy should be,” breathed Ria. They were so close!

The boy nodded at her. He gave her shoulder a squeeze and let go. Ria exhaled shakily. Here goes.

Smoke billowed from the freshly extinguished campfire and tents were visible up ahead. Wooden poles fenced off the entire perimeter except for the entrance. A grand total of two guards milled about.

Their small group shuffled forward, hiding behind the trees.

The two guards patrolled back and forth. Ria held her breath, hoping that the darkness kept them hidden.

The first guard murmured, “Did you hear the message from the higher-ups?’

“Brutal,” the other guard shook their head. “I heard it’s the Elite Guard they’re calling in to, you know,” he whispered, “do the deed.”

The first guard sighed, “We’re all supposed to clear out by the end of the week so they can just go in and…” His voice trailed off. He shuffled awkwardly. “I mean, even if they’re Port-Dogs…it’s pretty horrible what they’re doing. They’re still people.”

His partner crossed his arms. “At least we get the night off. Think of it this way, we’re just doing our jobs. Plus,” he shrugged, “even if we don’t like it, what can we do? Go up against the Elite Guard?”

The first guard snorted and shook his head. With that, they crossed over to the other side and disappeared behind the corner.

Ria glanced at Finn and Derek. “What was that about?” she whispered.

The other two shrugged. Who knew? Sounded pretty ominous.

Steeling herself, Ria focused back on the task at hand. She gestured forward. Their tiny group moved in. Their footsteps were heavy in the snow, leaving behind their guilty tracks.

“Who in Niamh’s name are you?” snapped a voice.

The group stiffened and slowly turned around. They found themselves on the pointy end of two swords. Ria felt a distinct sense of deja vu. Why did this always happen to her?

The two guards had heard movement and decided to turn back and check it out. Lucky for them, their caution hadn’t been in vain. They smiled gleefully. Today was going to be a great payday! Every intruder was worth a bonus of at least two silver coins! They eyed their prey greedily.

Ria sighed. Guess this was it. She closed her eyes.

“How dare you raise a sword to us?” called a high, shrilly voice.

Ria’s eyes snapped open. Wait, what?