Slave to Sapphire

The next morning a guard met Iris at her room and escorted her to Ezekiel’s study.

Iris arrived to find Ezekiel and was annoyed by how refreshed and handsome he looked after so little sleep. He was at his desk going through a ledger. He lifted his head and smiled at Iris when she entered. He must have let her hurtful comment go. Iris picked up a pile of ledgers and headed over to the couch. They passed the morning working. Ezekiel intermittently asking her to double check his math. A servant brought them a tray of food at lunch time.

“Come on, let’s take a break while we eat,” Ezekiel said and sat down on the couch next to Iris.

Iris dug into the meat and cheese board that the servants had brought. She eyed the thin long forks used to stab the cheese. It could prove useful in the picking of a lock.

In between bites Iris asked, “Tell me more about life in the Palace.”

Ezekiel obliged and told her about his siblings and their drama. His sister’s name was Imogen and his brothers were Jedidiah and Nathan. His brothers were married and his sister was promised to be married. Most marriages among the Grand Ruler’s descendants were arranged. The Grand Ruler’s genealogy was documented so that arranged marriages were not between those that were too closely related. Given the number of offspring the Grand Ruler had produced, it was not uncommon for cousins to marry one another. It was all so fascinating to Iris. The life and concerns of the wealthy were so different from those in Scarlet Town. Iris transitioned to asking Ezekiel about the Palace itself and Ezekiel was happy to answer.

“Are there dungeons within the Palace?” she finally asked.

“Yes of course there are, why do you ask?”

“I am just curious where I will be sleeping if I get caught with my dagger.”

One half of his lips curled up. “If you must know, they are actually under the Capitol Hall. The Grand Ruler likes the symbolism of prisoners being held below where he makes the law and delivers justice. The entrance to the dungeons is behind the throne.”

Iris kept her excitement at bay; she knew where the prisoners were being held. Tonight, she would start to figure out how to get into the Capitol Hall.

Samson expertly swiped a piece of cured meat from their lunch platter. Ezekiel turned, yelling at Samson. While Ezekiel was distracted by Samson, Iris swiped one of the long skinny forks from the lunch tray and slid it into her sleeve. Samson was out the study window with his piece of meat before Ezekiel could reach him.

Iris relaxed around Ezekiel as the day went on and they worked their way through the ledgers, calculating every transaction. The work was slow and repetitive, but Iris enjoyed it. They took a short break to enjoy a dinner of perfectly cooked lamb and fresh vegetables. It was hours after sunset when Ezekiel got up from his desk with a stretch.

“Well, I am done for the night. I will walk you back to your rooms. We can pick up where we left off tomorrow morning.” It would likely take them several days to go through every transaction.

Iris waited until she heard Ezekiel’s footsteps leave her door. She strapped her dagger to her hip and threw her cloak over her shoulders and slipped out of her room. She needed to figure out a way to get into the Capitol Hall. From her previous reconnaissance, she decided it would be too difficult to get in through the guarded doors within the Palace. Iris needed to find a way from outside to get in. The easiest way to exit the palace was through the main entrance which was in the wing that contained the library. Iris moved through the Palace hallways like a ghost, stopping and hiding when she knew a guard would be passing. She stepped out into the refreshing night air that was saturated with the briny smell of the ocean. It was a rare night where the sky was clear of clouds and the low fog that normally clung to the city was gone. The moon was cloaked in darkness tonight and the stars provided the only light. Once she was outside, she jogged over to the side of the Palace so as not to be in the open long enough to be seen. Iris studied the map of the interior of the Palace she had in her head. Using her mental map, she headed in the direction of the Capitol Hall. She had to stop often to let patrolling guards pass. She was not yet familiar with how the outside of the Palace was patrolled and she cataloged their movements. Iris also had to be conscious of the guard towers that were placed along the wall that surrounded the Palace. The towers had both views of the surrounding city and the Palace within.

Iris reached the outside of the Capitol building. She didn’t have much time to observe it as a guard passed by it every ten minutes. She was relieved to see that there was a row of small windows cut into the stone on the side of the building, though they were twenty feet off the ground. The windows had no panes and were too small for the average person to climb through. However, with a bit of maneuvering Iris could fit through them. Iris ran her hands over the side of the building; the stone bricks that made the building were well-fit together so there was no way to climb to the window without a rope. Iris lifted her gaze to the roof. Like the rest of the Place the roof was made of brick tile and lined by a gutter system which drained rain water into reservoirs that were intermittently placed along the side of the Palace. Rainwater was the main source of freshwater in Orinth and most buildings were fitted with some sort of water collection system. If Iris could get to the roof of the Palace she could tie a rope to the gutter and lower herself from the roof into the window and into the Capitol Hall.

Iris made her way back towards the entrance of the Palace looking for the nearest place where the drain ran down from the roof along the side of the Palace. She found a drain about one hundred paces from the closest window. The drain was made from stone, Iris grasped the edges of the drain with her hands and feet and discovered with some difficulty she was able to climb it. The slapping of boots on the brick ground that surrounded the Palace told Iris that a guard was approaching. Had it already been ten minutes? From where she clung to the drain, she could see that there was nowhere nearby for her to hide. Iris shimmied a couple of feet higher up the drain and forced her body to remain completely still as the guard neared. Iris didn’t breathe when the guard passed below her. Please don’t look up! Her heart was hammering so loudly in her chest she swore the guard would hear it and look up to see her. Iris’ arms trembled with the strain of holding herself in place as she waited. The guard passed with measured steps oblivious to Iris above him. When she could no longer hear his steps, she scooted down the drain, jumping to the ground when she neared the bottom. It was time for her to go back to her rooms and get some sleep. There was much for her to plan.

The next several days passed with Iris working with Ezekiel in his study. Iris did not want to admit it, but she looked forward to spending time with Ezekiel each day. She spent her nights scouting the outside of the Capitol Hall and was confident in the patrol schedule of the guards and in her approach into the Capitol Hall. All she needed was a rope.

Midway through the fifth day, they finished going through the final ledger. Iris had been correct about the fraudulent transactions being infrequent and intermittent. They also varied in the degree of severity. Iris and Ezekiel had to double check every transaction over the past ten years to find them all.

Ezekiel leaned back in his chair and stretched his arms over his head. “All the missing coin has been accounted for and now I must go about the task of finding out who is responsible.” Ezekiel ran a hand through his unkempt locks.

Iris looked up from where she was perched on the couch, triple checking some of Ezekiel’s math. Samson sat beside her, soaking up the warmth of the sun that streamed through the windows. Iris had gained Ezekiel’s trust and it was time to take care of the Horatio issue. “Seeing how much money has been stolen from the mines makes me wonder if there is corruption elsewhere.”

“What do you mean?” Ezekiel asked.

“I just think it would be prudent to audit all of the merchant’s trade in the various guilds. If someone was brazened enough to steal from the Amarath Mines there is a good chance that some of the merchants may not be as honest as they are supposed to be with their transactions.”

“You are probably right.” Ezekiel straightened his posture in his chair again. “I will suggest a full audit of the merchant’s guild when I submit our findings about the mines. But first, I think we have finally earned ourselves some fresh air.”

Iris was happy to leave the study and was curious to see what Ezekiel had in mind.

“Well, I promised you a tour of the stables. Shall we?”

Iris leapt from the couch, failing to hide her excitement. “Lead the way!”

They made their way to the stables with Samson trailing them. Iris took the opportunity to study the outside of the palace during the day. Unfortunately, the stables were on the opposite side of the Palace from the Capitol Hall. Iris could smell the horses before they reached the stables. In front of the stables were five of the Grand Ruler’s official carriages, painted black with silver trim. Iris inspected the carriages noting the luggage compartment at the back of the carriage.

A man leading a gray thoroughbred horse by its halter approached them. He was as tall as Ezekiel but broader in the shoulders, his body corded with the muscles one gets from physical labor. Which Iris was able to appreciate by the way his sweaty shirt clung to him. His skin was a shade darker than Iris’ and his short black hair contrasted with his honey brown eyes. He had a broad nose and a fine scar that came down from his scalp and crossed his left temple ending at his cheek bone. The combination of his features was captivating. The gold cuff on his left arm was exposed, and Iris could see the brilliant blue of his source stone. Iris had yet to see a servant with any shade of purple source stone, meaning they never carried more than one year of life.

“Ezekiel, it’s been too long!” The man shouted in greeting, “I have been wondering why you haven’t asked me to take you into Scarlet Town recently, but now I see why.” The man’s gaze fell approvingly on Iris.

Ezekiel cleared his throat. “Iris this is Julian, the Stable Master. Julian, this is Iris; she is the new kitchen girl, and has been consulting with me on my ledgers.”

Julian smiled and winked, “a kitchen maid, from Scarlet Town, who knows arithmetic. I am very pleased to meet you, Iris.”

Iris took his outstretched hand. The grip of his calloused hand was firm but not painful. He shook Iris’ hand and his smile broadened. There was no hint of surprise as his gaze met her amarath eyes.

Iris’ suspicious nature heightened. “How did you know I am from Scarlet Town?”

Julian winked again and released her hand. “I didn’t, it was just a lucky guess.”

Ezekiel cleared his throat again and Iris noticed him awkwardly shifting besides her. “Iris asked me to take her to the stables; she has never seen a horse up close before.”

“Well In that case, I am happy to be a part of your first time,” Julian drawled. He pulled the horse that he was leading further forward towards Iris. “Iris, meet Tempest.”

Julian pulled out a slice of apple from his pocket and fed it to Tempest. He handed another slice to Iris. Iris took the apple and hesitantly stepped towards the horse. She held her hand flat as Julian had done; Tempest bent her head down and took the apple from Iris’ hand. Iris laughed at the tickle of the horse’s whiskers and the feel of the horse’s velvety lips on her hand.

Iris lifted her eyes to meet Julian’s, and he looked at her thoughtfully. “Thank you,” Iris murmured.

“Come on Iris, let me show you the rest of the stables,” Ezekiel said as he took her arm, leading her away from Julian.

The stables were clean and organized. The horses stood in their stables munching on hay. Ezekiel detailed the lineage of the horses that were used by the Grand Ruler. Iris nodded her head to show she was listening, but her attention was drawn to the end of the stables. There were several loops of rope neatly coiled and hanging on the wall.

When Ezekiel was finally finished with his tedious genealogy lesson, he and Iris returned to the front of the stables. Tempest had been hitched to one of the carriages and another groom was readying a second horse. Julian sat on a bale of hay petting Samson and feeding him scraps of dried meat.

Iris’ mouth fell open; Samson wasn’t one to tolerate being petted by strangers. Then again, Samson did have a fondness for cured meats. Julian gave her a small smile. Ezekiel sighed and turned to Iris. “Let’s go back to my study. I have a business proposition for you.”