Making A Plan

“So how are we gonna approach this… We don’t really have any concrete evidence on the Grand Dame’s involvement other than your story… So, it’s word against word, and I hate to admit, but the old hag has quite the influence in the upper ranks of society…” Valeria pondered.

“Maybe if we confront her directly, we can get something out of her… or find something in her castle? You said you know where it is, right Kieran?” Sophia asked

“Yeah… but I would prefer not to confront her inside her own four walls… who knows what she might be hiding there…” Kieran mentioned.

“That is our main problem, how we’re gonna arrest the greatest mage and hero of our time anyway…” Bastian added.

“Don’t forget that all of her heroic tales are bullshit, and Kieran did most of the work, she is credited to have done.” Sophia mentioned quickly.

“True but it’s not deniable that she is a pretty powerful mage nonetheless. Kieran, you know her best, how strong would you guess her?”

“She kept me pretty much in the dark about anything she was doing since I became a prisoner… I only ever saw her when I came back from her assassination missions, and then it was only for…” Kieran explained but hesitated.

“Your reward?” Sophia asked, furrowing her brows.

“Yes… So, I can’t say how powerful she truly is, but I know that she is one of the most powerful mage alive right now and that you all would probably be pressed to take her down combined… so I’ll deal with her if it comes down to it.”

“You can take her?” Bastian asked.

“I should be able to, yes…”

“That’s not very reassuring… but the best we have right now…”

“Then we get to a immediate problem,” Valeria said and stood up on the cart, she could see the walls of the city from the small hill they had stopped their cart on. “We need to get information what is currently going in in the city and foremost enter it, without being seen by any of her spies. We could use the Crows, but that’s risky considering the possibility of them being compromised… Anyone got an idea?”

Everyone went silent thinking.

“Maybe your uncle could help Sophia?” Kieran spoke up suddenly.

“My Uncle? Why would a tailor be off help to us?” she asked confused.

“He never told you?”

“Told me what?”

“Who is her Uncle?” Valeria asked

“You’ll see… I think he will be able to get us in… do you have any way of contacting him discreetly, Sophia?” Kieran asked, smiling mysteriously.

“I do… He showed me this magic trick once, if I ever need his help…” Sophia said.

She hopped from the cart and sat down, beginning to chant a spell. A small field mouse came running up to her and climbed in her hands. Sophia picked the animal up and whispered something in its ear. She then placed it back on the ground and it scampered away.

“Cute… and now what?” Valeria asked.

“We wait.” Said Sophia.

It didn’t take very long, and Kieran felt a peculiar presence, he turned around and looked at a tree.

“Good to see you again Aduin.” He exclaimed, surprising all others in the cart.

“Good to see you too, Kieran.” Aduin said and stepped out from behind the tree.

“Uncle!” Sophia exclaimed happily and went to hug her uncle.

“Sophi, my dear it’s so good to see well!”

Aduin then looked at the others.

“You have quite the peculiar traveling group. Lady Valeria… it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance… and Sir Bastian… It’s good to see an old comrade in good health.”

“You two know each other?” Valeria asked, surprised.

“I expected everyone, but you Master Aduin! It’s an honor to see you again.” Bastian said.

“Who is he?” Valeria asked again.

“That my little girl is Master Aduin a legendary member of the crow’s elite, the finest of the finest... Sadly he is retired now.”

“I didn’t regret that decision yet,” Aduin said with a smile.

“You never told me!” Sophia exclaimed accusatorily.

“That was part of my retirement deal, sorry my dear. But let’s skip the introduction part. You said that you needed help with something urgent. What is it?”

They explained everything, but they skipped the marriage part for now.

“That’s… quite the mess you’re in right now… but I will help you in any way possible. I can bring you inside the city unseen and if you need anything else you only have to ask.” Aduin offered.

“You wouldn’t happen to know of a good opportunity to get to the Grand Dame Inquisitor outside of her Inquisition office or her castle, so that she isn’t surrounded so much by her peers?” Valeria asked.

Aduin thought for a while.

“There is a masquerade ball in a few days in the Eschen estate a bit to the west. I heard that the Grand Dame will be attending…” he said.

“That could work… A masquerade ball from a third party would mean she can’t have that many lackeys around her and since it’s a ball there would be no weapons allowed.” Valeria pondered

“That works more in her favor then… she’s a mage and does not need a weapon…” Bastian remarked

“Well, that would be no problem, there are countless ways to bring a weapon to a ball… in fact it would be a weird ball if nobody brought any…” Aduin joked.

“Then we’ll grab her at the masquerade ball and make her spill the beans,” Valeria suggested, “There probably won’t be any better opportunity for a while besides this.”

“Shouldn’t we plan this a bit more?” Sophia asked.

“Nah, we’ve been doing fine with our flexible approach up to now… no reason to change it.”

“Then we better use the remaining time and gather as many allies as possible that we can trust… Aduin you wouldn’t still have some of your contacts from the old days?” Bastian asked.

“I can ask a few friends… I’m sure they’re happy to help.”

“Okay… that only leaves one question…” Sophia interjected. “How do we all get an invite to the ball?”

“Did you forget that I’m a Bonafide princess?” Valeria asked shocked.” I’m invited to every ball and can bring whoever I want!”