There is a problem. Veria was akready sleeping last night. Which mean this was the wrong time, the man I found wasn't an assasin, just a spy. The question now is why? Why wouldn't they strike at that time?

Sylm inviting us in the vault was probably unexpected. So they would...

Oh wait, I think I know. The spy yesterday was supposed to tell whoever his boss is what Sylm is planning and they would plan to kill her while she gave Lein the staff so my master would take all the blame. Now that the spy is out they shouldn't be aware of Sylm's plans but I need to stay attentive, just in case.

After a quick breakfast Lein and Veria followed Erith that taught them how to behave at the rebirth festival. Albius was bored and decided to go around with his mutt, only to end up joining the training of the guards.

Erith told us about blue drakes, the steeds of house Ervadiel which became necessary after the iceborns decided to live inside the ice palace. The drakes are their only mean of transport, going on foot takes too much time and is impossible without seasoned warriors to protect you. Thus the drakes became extremely important for the iceborns, making the Ervadiel the most important house and granting them influence and power well above the other houses.

Erith tone slighy changed whenever she was talking about her sister. As curious as I was, I used mind read to see why it bothered her and felt some sort of unease that I couldn't pinpoint. Maybe she was scared when she heard her sister was stalked by an unknown spy.

Once she was done she entered the interesting part. The festival is the only time of the year where the statue of the progenitor, the supposed ice witch who also used to be a drake tamer. She is considered to have created the blue drake breed with a mix of magic and breeding techniques. Lein was supposed to pray upon the statue and get blessed by it. Once that was done Sylm would take her and a repredentant of the Ervadiel, she can't be one since she already is the queen. House Ervadiel would be the only ones present since the vault is their.

I guess the representant is going to be Vatel, she is the middle sister. At that point Veria asked if she could be with Lein as both a guard and a servant which would make her more prestigious and make it easier for peoples to accept Lein taking the staff. Erith agreed without a second thought.

As they were getting into the part about iceborn etiquette, I left. There is still something for me to do. I'm not sure catching the spy yesterday was enough to prevent Sylm's death. I want to try and get more information today.

I first spent an hour going around the vault to find anything usefull like another spy or something else. I didn't find anything.

I then headed toward the prison to see if the spy had anything worth my time.

As I was going, I met Vatel and Albius, they were training. Vatel is extremely good with the bow. Drake riders can only use ranged weapons since even spears aren't long enough to strike from their mount. They were taking a break when Albius spoke up.

"Say Vatel, aren't you supposed to be the queen if you are the oldest one?"

Oh, interesting, I might find more clues there, I'll eavesdrop a little.

"Technically yes but I abdicated, I suck at managment and politics. My sister is far better at it and to top it off she is a witch like the progenitor."

"I though Erith was still second in line."

Wait Sylm is the youngest? But she is the most mature of the three.

"She's illegitimate, her mother was from the Oradiel. Plus she has always been childish and distant with me after her mother's death. Aside from meals she spend most of her time going around the palace and talking with random peoples about random topics. I can't understand her."

Sibling issues, I never had any, I don't really understand them.

Vatel and Albius went back to training and I got back to my first target.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

The prison here is an underground array of stone and ice grates. The cells were litteraly dug from the stone. Most of them are empty aside from one. There is only one man to overlook the whole place, security is terrible here.

The spy I caught yesterday is sitting on the ground in the corner of his cell. He covered his whole body under a worn out blanket, mumbling like an angry child in the corner of a classroom.

Wait no, he is talking quietly. I walked closer while hiding as much as I could then I head it.

"She will be alone with the target and our killer in the vault, perfect time to execute. I can't go, the poison and the blade are in the drawer in my room."

As he finished speaking, a small piece of paper in his hand folded itself into a crane and flew off. Enchanted paper is pretty useful to send messages. I followed the crane that flew out the window by climbing on a ledge next to the window from wich the guard was looking at the sky.

I had to give my all just to follow the flying piece of paper without falling. I didn't even notice we went to the east wing of the palace.

Then the crane flew inside an old library. It rushed toward the gap between two bookcases but I caught it with telekinesis before it could get in then burned it with a quick matchstick.

The bookcase it tried to get behind looks completely normal at a glance, even with magic sight, but curse perception is picking up something. A foul amount of curses, quite similar to decay, are oozing out from the sides of this bookcase. The curses are mind altering type, they are supposed to prevent peaoples from noticing things. The effect is the opposite on peoples who can see curses though. After a quick look at the books there is one that doesn't seems to be there for reading. When I pushed it, with my shoulders since it was too heavy for telekinesis, the bookcase moved to show some sort of hidden tunnel.

I stealthily walked in. Four rooms, all labeled with words I couldn't understand, curses filling the air and reducing my perception's precision. A rawdy bunch is training behind one of them. I'll check the others. The first is a armory filled with short blades, bows and light armors. Nothing worth looking at here. The second one is a dormitory with a big table, probably the one on which they eat.

I searched the whole room for a drawer but only found lockers. Where the hell is that vial of poison.

I entered the last room. It's a large study with an oak desk in the middle. The first drawer is the place where the curses are the strongest. When I opened it I found a large dagger and a vial of pink liquid.

When I see it up close like that I am pretty sure this is a poison from an lotus spider. Their venom is comonly used as poison by assasin, it's odorless and kills realy fast thanks to the curse of paralysis it contains. A vial like this must cost as much as the gear of twenty of Reus's men.

I think it may have been a mistake to burn the paper crane now. If I left it and just swaped the poison with something else it would have been enough. Might as well try anyways, the spy ,which must probably be the leader of this group of assasin considering he is the only one who has a desk, could send another message. It's actually quite common to use lots of those paper cranes since they will only deliver their message if the right magic is applied to them. If not they will just burn without delivering the message.

I quickly went back to the dormitory and stole two of what looked like bottle of wine. Emptied the vial in one and hid it behind one of the lockers so they would only find it later, I can't just empty it on the ground, the curse's lingering effects would be problematic. I filled the vial with a bit of the content of the other bottle and even used magic to infuse it with a bit of detoxify's effect. Not as potent as a real antidote but could ease a headache I guess.

I left the blade since it's just a durable mithril dagger. Not enchanted nor had any curse on it.

As I was about to leave another paper crane came in. Yes! The spy is cautious and send multiple messengers. My fake poison will be useful!

A loud bell noise echoed. The crane rang it two other times until I heard a voice outside.

"Message from the master I'll get it."

And the bookcase is still open. I need a plan. They musn't notice the poison swap. How do I get out without them seeing me? I should just sneak.

"Who is the idiot that left the entrance open? The master will be mad when he learns that!"

And they closed the door. I'm in it deep. I guess if I can't go silently I'll make it look completely insane and ludicrous so they won't believe what they saw.

I used metamorphosis and got ready to charge from behind the door of the study. When the masked iceborn opened the door I rushed forward while using nightmare ride. The man's eyes went wide in surprise as I trampled him.

Your target was clobbered, you inflicted 41 blunt damage.

A grunt of pain left his mouth as I rushed toward the entrance and knocked down the bookcase. I could hear peoples rushing and unsheathing behind me. As The bookcase fell loudly on the floor and the pulleys and cogs that allowed it to move flew into the air I irrupted inside the library. I turned back into a cat and hid on a window's ledge. I heard them talk as I snuck away.

"What the fuck was that? Did a horse come out of master's office?"

"I don't know but we better repair the bookcase before anyone comes here. Tell the others to come and help."

"A horse... a damn horse."

I can't hold back my laugh, I need to get away. That was magnificent.

Now I should be fine, the poison is gone and I have a hunch of who might stab Sylm. The festivities tonight will be wonderful and should remain blood free.