Queen Merle Erembour ran her impeccably polished fingernails across an ink and parchment map pinned onto a wooden table. The sound tore through the dark, smoky room, sending ripples of energy down its inhabitants' stiff muscles. 

She appeared ambiguous in age, with a strong-featured face and a shifting gaze. Her loose emerald silk sleeves covered the back of her hands, leaving only her fingers exposed, and a low boxy neckline allowed more skin for jewelry dripping with amethyst and carmeline. She had tightly wound braids in an intricate pattern down her back. Everything about her appearance said cool, controlled power, but her expression barely contained her rage. 

“The pieces don’t add up.” She spoke every word individually, enunciating each syllable. “The number of reported runaway gift holders and the number of prisoners we have in our dungeons must match. Would someone like to tell me why?” 

“We’ve followed every lead we ha-”

“I know.” She snapped. “What I need to know is how dozens of gift holders can simply disappear without a trace, and the best soldiers in the country cannot find them.” 

No one in the room had an answer, or at least an answer they cared to share. 

“Do I need to remind anyone what happens when the power of the gifts goes unchecked?” She asked coldly. “Unrefined power in the hands of people who believe they have been slighted never ends peacefully.” 

“Your Majesty, if their gifts are keeping them hidden this well, we may never make any progress without a change of strategy,” a young man piped up. The air in the room seemed almost solid as the queen considered his statement. 

“Do you have a proposal?” 

The speaker bit his tongue nervously. He was a sweet looking man, with shaggy auburn hair and freckles covering his skin. 

“I was imagining something… less direct. If we want intel, I thought we might be able to gather it better out of uniform. Since the ones who have information we want probably don’t trust us very much.”

“Go on.” 

“Um.” He cleared his throat. “Well, actually there’s two parts. Those of us who would prefer to stay in uniform should keep track of who enters and exits the city, and increase patrols in the forest so it’ll be harder to sneak around. It will make people uneasy, but it’ll also make them complain, y’know what I mean? And, while they’re unhappy, we can send people into the city out of uniform as travelers or whatever story will make the most sense to get gossip. We can get more leads, and no one will really be able to make moves in secret while we’re at it.”  

 The queen contemplated the boy’s words. 

“It needs refinement, but it’s more than the rest of your useless peers have given me. Tell me, what is your name?” She asked. 

“It’s Peter,” He said. 

“Peter. I take it you feel that you are suited for a role in this?” 

“Yes ma’am.” He smiled crookedly. “But not at the head. I’ve been told I’m quite the actor.” 

“I see. I will trust you and whichever peers you like to have a detailed plan to carry out by the time we next meet.” 

“I can have it by morning.” 

“Daring. I am intrigued.

“There’s one more thing.” 

The Queen’s upper lip rose into a controlled scowl. 

“What do you need?” She asked. 

“Someone high-profile,” he said, pointing at the woman to the Queen’s right. 

Adria’s amber eyes widened with shock. 

“I said whichever peers you like,” the Queen asserted. “Adria holds no higher status than any of you.” 

“I just needed to make sure,” Peter said, intently monitoring Adria’s expression. He seemed pleased.  

Adria felt a strange sense of foreboding. She quickly brushed it off. 

The room where Raven found himself was modest, to say the least. Instead of the black silk he was used to, he was forced to settle into a room adorned with patchwork cotton, off-white curtains and a gray bedspread. 

He set to exploring, but it didn’t take him long to cover everything. He found a small candle and matches in the nightstand, an extra set of sheets, these in a sickly pink color, and a pen. With a sigh, he resigned himself to gazing out of the window, where the flickering lights of the town could still be seen beyond the trees until his door opened and brought him back to reality. 

“You’re not Chrissy,” Raven blurted, startled by the intruder. 

“Not by a long shot,” Eden confirmed with a chuckle. “I got clothes for you, and Apollo wouldn’t leave me alone until we came to say goodnight.” They handed Raven a small pile of cloth. 

“Apollo?” Raven asked, glancing around. 

“He got shy.” 

“Oh.” 

“We don’t get guests from in town very often,” Eden explained. “I’m sure he’ll come around by the morning.” 

“Oh,” Raven said again. 

“And,” Eden paused to bite their lip before continuing, “I’m sorry about the dance. I.. want you to trust us, but I’m not so good at explaining myself.” 

“You’re actually apologizing?”  

Eden scowled. 

“You don’t know me at all,” they snapped. 

“Clearly.” 

Eden made a guttural sound almost like a growl, then closed their eyes tightly.

“Can I ask you a question?” They asked, eyes still closed.

“Um . Sure? No, wait. Only if I can ask you one too.”

“You don’t need a question, you got an apology.”

“You should have apologized anyway.”

Eden’s eyes snapped open.

“Fine.” 

“Fine.”

“When you said you didn’t want anything to change, I believed you,” Eden said with a forced evenness. “But you almost immediately showed up here again. I know you didn’t follow me. So… why?” 

Raven measured his possible responses carefully. 

“I don’t know,” He finally replied. “I just couldn’t let it go, I guess.” 

“I see.” Eden responded. 

“My turn, then. What aren’t you telling me?” 

“A lot.” 

“Pick something.” 

“No.” 

“How did you learn to dance?” 

“Wanted to spy on someone.” 

“But how?” 

“Just couldn’t let it go, I guess.” 

Eden’s catlike eyes glittered in the candlelight. 

“You’re a real asshole, you know that?” 

“I do my best,” they teased. 

“You are both being assholes,” Chrissy intervened, appearing in the doorway. “And watch your language in front of Apollo.” 

“But you just..” Raven stammered. 

“Fuck you,” Eden shot back at the same time. 

Chrissy sighed. 

“Apollo, hon, let’s go to bed and let the big kids talk it out, shall we?” 

“I don’t wanna go to bed,” a small voice protested from just out of Raven’s view. 

Chrissy sighed again. 

“Well, it’s bedtime. And, Eden?” 

“What?”

“If you don’t tell him, I will.” 

Eden scowled. 

“You have no right.” 

“I disagree. He’ll find out eventually.” 

“Who’s the asshole again?” they asked acidicly. 

“Language. Apollo, say g’night. Let’s go.” 

A shy head of curly hair peeked around the doorframe. 

“G’night,” said Apollo. “I like your hair. It looks cool. Cooler than Mom’s and Eden’s.” 

Eden feigned offense, gripping their chest dramatically. 

Raven smiled and knelt down to the kid’s level. 

“Not as cool as yours, though?” He asked. 

Apollo looked stricken. 

“Uh…” He stuttered. Raven chuckled. 

“Guess I’ll have to work harder to get there, hmm?” 

Apollo quickly ducked back to the safety of the doorframe. 

Chrissy and Eden exchanged a strange look before the former took Apollo by the hand and disappeared once again into the depths of the house.