There Lee found herself, a bland stone room on an uncomfortable wooden chair. She luckily wasn’t by herself, Pike and Shellorn were next to her also damaging their vertebrae on the stiff chairs.

After being accused of criminal impersonation, they were led by a group of knights to a small room inside the large outer wall of the city and were told to wait. She didn’t feel that they were prisoners, but there was a field of intensity in the room, making any movements quiver in hesitation.

Lee looked over at one of her two lifelines. She was stretching out on the seat, almost toppling the poor chair over. Now that she looked, it seemed that Shellorn was purposely balancing the chair on the back two legs. Lee didn’t know how she could be so lax. She must have an immunity to the intense aura the guards were outputting. Her other lifeline was back at the mansion, being taken care of by Nayu and Chenwore.

She hunched over and smothered her face with her shaking hands. Stress swelled inside of her, feeling as if she was going to throw it all up at any instance.

Was it a mistake to leave Dacchi behind? Is he like some sort of good luck charm?

Lee felt a gentle touch on her shoulder.

“I-it’s ok,” Pike said, “We’ll be through in no time. We probably just got a random check or something.”

Even though he was trying to comfort her, his voice cracked with uneasiness.

“Thanks Pike…” was all she could muster forth to acknowledge his compassion.

He took his shaky hand off her shoulder after letting it linger there for a bit too long.

Lee’s pessimistic nature took hold. Even though she promised she wouldn’t think of that day, her mind instinctively went back to it.

Is this it? Did I get too comfortable? What was I thinking about coming to the capital? I was way too naive, thinking I could just forget that I came into this world in a jail cell…

A firm knock resonated from the door, pulling her from the mountainous trails her mind led her to. A man walked through reading the letter they had given the knights.

“Good evening everyone, I am Rolo De Amen, Chief Supervisor of division seven of the knights of Ombregg.”

He walked straight to them all while not taking his eyes off the letter.

Rolo De Amen was tall. Not quite as tall as Mr. Vassauge, but even if Lee wasn’t seated, she felt her neck would still hurt when looking at him. Unlike Mr. Vassauge though, Rolo’s flowing robes couldn’t hope to hide that fact he would topple over from a gentle breeze.

He pressed his glasses into his eye sockets before finally looking at the three detainees.

“Please state your business.”

“We’re here for, uh, business, on behalf of Tirany Vassauge.” Lee tried slowing her speech to disguise her anxiety.

“Don’t forget the autograph signing.”

“And the marketplace!”

“Uh-” she started losing her composer after her traveling companions failed to read the room, “Sure we also have more recreational things planned, but our main purpose is to represent Tirany Vassauge at the Overseer meeting.”

“I see.”

Not a single feature on Rolo’s face even twitched as he studied them. The scrutiny of his eyes made her want to just crumble into pieces.

Just before her bones started to crack under the pressure, a memory came to her.

Paul was sprawled out on the single beat down couch in their trailer. Or in other words, he was on Lee’s bed. Since there was only a single bedroom in the trailer they shared, her bed was the couch.

The sun was setting and she had just gotten back from after school detention. It wasn’t uncommon for her to miss the buses for either that or similar reasons. Sometimes, to avoid her peers, she would opt to walk home over taking the bus. Her legs were tired from walking back. Seeing her brother on her bed irritated her, but another thing he was doing annoyed her more.

“Yea! Go Bulldogs! Hahahahaha.”

On the coffee table in front of her bed was a mess of empty beer cans. Paul was watching some sports game that she couldn’t care less about.

“Y-you see that Lee? He just caught that! With one hand! WOW!”

He rolled around on the couch in amazement. Whatever he had just witnessed on their old television must’ve been quite a spectacle. All she could do was look in disgust.

How was he even able to afford all this beer?

Unlike Paul’s friend, Brad, he didn’t have a job. Meaning he had no money, like Lee.

“Where’d you even get all of that?” Her tone was as bitter as the alcohol.

“You mean this?” he said, holding up the half empty can he was currently working on.

Yea, no shit I mean that.

“I got some drinky poos at the liquor store.”

No shit.

“I mean how did you afford it? We have no money.” Lee’s tone went from sour to cruel.

The money their deadbeat mom sent them barely covered rent and other necessary expenses. They definitely didn’t have enough for this.

“It was free. Free free free, hahaha.”

“You didn’t steal it did you?”

“Of course not, I simply took what was mine.”

So you stole it.

Even intoxicated, he could tell she didn’t believe him.

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

He stood up and took some non-linear steps towards the entrance.

“Now let me give you some advice. From big bro to lil sis, alright? Life is an oyster and… do oyster’s taste good? Anyways, sometimes in life, confidence is the key… to a lock. And that lock goes to a door that uh… leads to things, good things... So what was I talking about?”

His words were about as straight to the point as his steps.

He now supported himself with Lee’s shoulder. The pungent odor of alcohol and sweat assaulted her sinuses.

“You were telling me how you got all this alcohol for free…”

“Oh yea, fun story. I walked into the good ol’ bottleshop, underaged of course, haha. And the guy behind the counter calls me out, ‘Hey, you look a bit young to be shopping here.’ And I say back to him, ‘Yea, you’re right. By the way, do you know Jim?’ The guy looks back at me, ‘Of course I know Jim, he’s the manager.’ And right there. There is where I have an in. I reply ‘Well, Jim’s my old man. He told me to come down here and deal with some overstock problems.’ To my luck, the guy told me they were having some overstocking problems, so I said I could take them back. Ha! I got like five cases in the fridge.”

Lee looked at her brother in disbelief.

“So you did steal them.”

“Well, yea. But I’m the manager’s kid so I won’t get in trouble.”

All she could do was shake her head. Apparently this idiot even believed his own lie.

Hey, that actually isn’t a bad strategy.

He was able to pull off that heist because he truly believed the lie. Plus, finding some little way into someone’s life, like being related to their boss, was an easy way to gain an upper hand in a conversation. Even though her brother was an idiot, he could be useful.

Her vision refocused. She had completely zoned out while being inspected by Rolo. He was now leaving the room with Pike behind him.

“Wait, where are you taking him?”

“Individual questioning. I’ll send somebody to escort the two of you.”

To his word, two knights appeared and escorted Lee and Shellorn away as well.

***

The cramp room she was placed in only reminded her more of the cell she woke up in. her thumbs twiddled below the desk she sat at while she gave herself an inner pep talk.

Confidence is a key… to a lock. And that lock leads to good things. What they hell was that idiot even talking about?

Her thumbs spun faster.

Live the lie. Confidence is key. Get a way into their life. Take that way and go for it. Ok, I got this. Nothing to be afraid of. I’m never afraid, I don’t get scared.

The door abruptly opened, causing her to catch some air and land right back in her seat.

The professional looking man, Rolo, swiftly walked into the room and sat across from her in a single motion.

Once again, he scrutinized her with his piercing eyes.

Finally, not being able to take the assault of what felt like thousands of toothpicks shooting from his eyes, Lee broke the silence.

“So do you know uh…”

Crap, I can’t use a name like Jim. What name should I use?

“Uh… Do you know Sally?”

Why the hell did I pick Sally?!?

He finally moved, readjusting his glasses which caught some of the light in the room. His nose sticking slightly higher in the air.

“Of course I know Sally. Why bring her up?”

An in!

Although, Rolo didn’t give any information besides just knowing someone named Sally.

Live the lie!

“Oh you know, I’m just pretty good friends with her and all, best buds if you will. I think I remember her mentioning the name Rolo at some point.”

“Of course you would say that.” his voice was husk, “What if I told you I could have Sally come in and identify you right now?”

Those words might as well have been a dagger to her heart. She should have never used Paul’s stupid technique. She opened her mouth but no reply came forth.

“Aha!”

Rolo’s calm composure broke from his excitement.

“To think you would have the arrogance to come here with a fake letter and then lie on top of it after you had gotten yourself caught. Quite a pitiful attempt at fooling us. Guards!”

A knight opened the door at his request.

“Go get Sally Worshire to identify these imposters.”

“Yes sir.”

Who the hell is Sally?

Lee’s nails dug into the skin on her thighs. A shadow fell over her being as life fled from her eyes.

After the knight left to go fetch this mysterious Sally, Rolo smugly pushed his glasses up, even though they couldn’t go any further up his nose.

“As soon as I received notice that Tirany Vassauge’s children had come to Ombregg, I immediately sent out a request for her to come and identify you. In all my years I never heard of Mrs. Vassauge having children. Now a random teenager shows up claiming to be her daughter? What a pitiful attempt at infiltration. You really should’ve done more research.”

Tirany’s children? What the hell did she put in that letter?

Before Lee realized the implications of his words, a knock came from the door and the same knight from before stuck his head in.

“She’s here sir.”

“Bring her in.”

“Uh… roger.”

Just as the knight’s head ducked behind the door, another figure entered the room. A larger figure to say the least.

A woman of around the same age as Tyranny walked into the small room. The small room emphasized her own size, she was quite the hefty woman to put in plainly, taking up a large portion of the limited space.

Rolo stood from her chair, giving the woman a quick bow.

“Please, have my seat Ms. Worshire, although, I don’t suspect this will take long at all.”

“Thank you Mr. Amen.”

She used that chair to its maximum capacity as splintering sounds could be heard as she sat.

“Now Mr. Amen, what is this whole thing about? You called for me quite urgently without any reason.”

“Yes. I am sorry about that. I just need confirmation that this is not Mrs. Vassauge’s child. Of course it’s not, she doesn’t have children, but to expedite the process I needed confirmation from you before we can-”

“Oh, are you Lee?”

Her pudgy rose cheeks lifted as her warm smile filled the room along with her body.

“Uh, Yes?”

Who the hell is this woman? Well, she’s Sally of course. But why does she know me?

“Tirany has told me so much about you! I didn’t know she finalized the adoption process.”

Adopted me?

“Mr. Amen, this child is under the care of the Vassauge’s. I can assure you that. She is no imposter, her eyes tell me that.”

“B-but Mrs. Vassauge has no documentation of any adoptions. How can this be?”

“Oh Tirany was telling me how she was having some trouble with the whole process. Apparently it's turning into a bit of an ordeal.”

Rolo turned Lee, his composure breaking.

“You! You said you knew Ms. Worshire well, but I’m no fool. This is obviously the first time you two have met. See, she’s a liar… an imposter!”

“Oh um…” Lee cranked her mind, searching for the words that would lead her to freedom, “Mrs. Vassauge mentioned Sally a lot. So in that way I’m familiar with her.”

“But you said you were best buds!”

“That is quite enough!” Sally’s voice boomed as crumbs of stone fell from the wall.

“Mr. Amen, you have gone too far. She was obviously scared of your overly aggressive interrogation tactics. You need to step back.”

I wasn’t scared… Maybe a little

“But-”

“That settles it then,” she stood up, pressing down on the table (the table screamed for mercy), “She and her companions were arranged to stay at my place anyways. I will take them off your hands for you so you can stop harassing them. Is that clear Mr. Amen?”

“...”

Rolo couldn’t muster any words forward. His proud demeanor had devolved to him not being able to make eye contact with either of them.

“Let’s go Lee. I have your rooms all ready for you. You must be tired after your trip.”

She took her hand and walked past the defeated Chief Supervisor of division seven. He simply let them go without any protest.