Walter and the two lords were garbed in black. They looked like thieves as they made sure to cover half their faces with black scarves.
They stood in the upper town by an alley, waiting for night to thicken; the regular windy quarter night's strong cold winds, sweeping by them.
"We don't know how many guards are inside; this could end badly," Walter frowned. The two lords sighed at his words. They were prepared for the worst.
"Let's go," Lord Morge said and they climbed through the window, into the building. The room was lit brightly by a lantern. Walter put it off and they left the door open. Their plan was simple; they needed a guide. With these guards, they could not walk around blind. Soon, a figure approached the door, only to be dragged in.
The guard had his hands and legs tied, as well as his mouth, clasped shut by a hand.
"Where is the lady kept?" Lord of Merve asked but the guard smirked.
"You will die. Whether in the hands of your king or in ours, you will die. How you die, you can get to choose. Whether you tell us or not, this will not end well for you. Telling us, we will allow you decide how you die," Walter said and the man's eyes shrunk. His reaction gave Walter hope. It seems he had guessed right. Walter's words were effective. At such a time, one would want to be heroic. Walter seemed to pour a bucket of cold water on his bravery. He knew his country's laws. He would be killed in the most gruesome way. This was the king's way of making his men much more alert and devoted. Who would have thought it could be turned around to make them betray him at a time such as this.
"Where is she?" Walter asked.
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"Upstairs. The red door," the guard answered as the hand left his mouth.
"What kind of danger awaits us there?" Walter asked.
"The king is upstairs. The entire staircase is flooded with guards. Even if you go, they are martial artists. It will not end well," the guard said.
"They must not be advanced at all, or else they would have already known that we are here. Why would the king leave himself wide open?" Lord of Merve asked.
"The woman in that room must be kept hidden. Having a lot of high-ranked martial artists in one building, other powers would find it suspicious and would want to probe. It would be a big signboard to those trying to find the lady," Lord Morge said.
"Who is allowed upstairs?" Walter asked.
"Only two maids. Whose jobs are to clean and dress the lady. I will tell you how to get in if you let me escape. Don't kill me and let me leave on my own," the guard pleaded.
"Sure. Talk," Walter answered.
"There is a maid. She seems on the lady's side. I know because I found her helping her only sister leave the country. She said she was going to do something stupid," the guard said.
Walter was sceptical. This plan was supposed to be difficult. Could it be that easy? Was this a set-up?" Walter wondered.
He was not the only one that thought so. How could there suddenly be such a person?
"Let me go get her," he said but they were not stupid. Why would they let him go just like that? What if he went off to tell others?
"I promise to tell her to get here if you let me escape from here," the man said but Walter had other plans.
"The red door, what location is the window to that room?" Walter asked.
"On this side of the building. Just above this room, is the lady's room," the guard said. Lord Morge knocked unconscious the man and tied him to a chair before the two Lords and Walter climbed out. Taking their time, they quietly opened the window above the room and slid in one by one, while helping each other out.
They moved quietly to the bed to find a woman unconscious in it. Their information was that she would be unconscious.
None of them had seen her before, so they were not sure if this was truly her. Noise from the door told them people were coming. They quickly hid before the door opened, letting in two women.