Marn, are you off duty?” Wenda inquired. Marn cringed inwardly. Avoiding Wenda had become an art form for him—maintaining a polite distance to dodge her incessant chatter. Yet the gravity of the upcom-ing clandestine activities involving most nobility was not lost on him. The plans were shrouded in secrecy, but the immediacy of their execution was palpable. “I am,” he confirmed. “Good, we need to talk.” “Talk?” He was taken aback. That was new. Yeah, she talked, but he spent the time avoiding her hands. It was clear she didn't have talking on her mind then. “Come.” Without awaiting his consent, Wenda led Marn to the stables, a sanctuary of solitude where they could converse without prying eyes. The stablemaster, Lamin wasn’t there yet. “Are you sure you want to risk Lamin catching us?” Marn queried cautiously, mindful of the potential repercussions of their unauthorized meeting. “We’re just talking. We can trust him. I need you to do something,” she implored him. “What?” “Seduce Lanni.” Marn was taken aback. “Excuse me?” “She thinks your Menthan. You’re the only one among us she would likely confide in.” “But she’s with Jahree,” Marn pointed out, his voice tinged with surprise. “Everyone knows that, but we want to drive a wedge between them. The fewer ties your squad has, the more advantageous for our plans. Most of your squad aren’t fond of Jahree. If Lanni and he were to part ways, resentment would be directed at him.” “They’ll blame me if I’m involved,” Marn protested. “They’ll blame you both. It will split you up more. Some will side with you and some with him” “Lanni's a dragon. They don't seduce easily. I'll see what I can do,” conceded Marn, despite the enormity of the task. “Excellent,” Wenda responded with a sense of pleased expectation. “And the immortals?” Marn pressed, keenly aware of the barriers they presented. “They won't be a problem.” Marn raised an eyebrow. “Immortals are always a problem. They’re almost as bad as dragons.” Wenda offered a reassuring smile. “They are. But we'll take care of them.” “How?” “It’s rather complex. I don't understand it. I'm just a maid. I don't need to know all that.” “Do I? I'm a spy.” “Nah. Few know it all. We just need to do our jobs,” she explained. "Speaking of jobs, when do you need to get to your job?" He kissed her. “Who cares? We're alone.” Wenda returned his affections with an ardent kiss. He had no choice but to play along. He couldn't stop without her getting suspicious. Usually, if he mentioned work, she got distracted and hurried off. That wasn't going to work this time. He thought of what Chapado had told him as he got deeper into trouble with Wenda. He said he wasn't going to do this, but he was. Just then, Lamin’s voice unexpectedly cut through the tension. “You two want to take that somewhere else? Don't do that in here. It spooks the horses.” “Sorry,” Marn hastily apologized, offering a silent prayer of gratitude for the interrup-tion as he fixed his clothing. “Wenda, don’t you need to be somewhere?” Lamin’s reminder was an unwelcome in-trusion to her. “Go so you don't get in trouble,” Marn urged her, echoing Lamin’s sentiment. With a reluctant, lingering kiss, Wenda departed from the stables, hastening back to her duties, leaving Marn to ponder the complications of their whispered conspiracy Marn made his way to the barracks, weary from his night of duty. The weight of his actions lay heavy on him, and despite his exhaustion, he couldn’t find the solace of sleep. Restless, he tossed and turned. He finally gave up and rose from his bed. The morning was still as he walked through the silent barracks and into the main house. Upon entering the kitchen, Marn was greeted by the sight of Lanni and Sifa. The warmth of the room and the soft glow of the hearth offered a sharp contrast to the cold darkness outside. “Do you ladies happen to have any alcohol I could use to help me get to sleep?” he inquired with a hint of desperation. Lanni, always the more accommodating one, responded with a willing, “Let me check,” while suggesting that he might also seek Loka’s assistance. Sifa, however, was not as obliging. Her frown conveyed her disapproval. “I say let him suffer.” Marn noticed Lanni pause in her search for the alcohol, turning her attention to Sifa’s unexpected harshness. “Sifa?” she questioned, seeking an explanation for her remark. Sifa’s frown deepened as she aired her concerns. “Lamin told me what you and Wen-da were up to in the stable,” she scolded. “She’s married, and you’ve been courting Areen. If you hurt her, I’ll make sure you regret it. She’s a sweet girl, and she doesn’t de-serve to be caught up in your mess.” Marn’s expression grew solemn. “I know. I’m trying to avoid that.” Lanni interjected, hoping to clarify the situation. “Sifa, we suspect that Wenda is en-tangled in some dangerous dealings. Marn was trying to get information, but she has hands faster than Rantar's.” Sifa’s skepticism was palpable. “That's not what Lamin said. Marn seemed happy to be participating.” Marn grimaced at the memory. “It appeared so, yes, but that wasn’t the case. The sit-uation escalated quickly, and I’m fortunate that Lamin intervened when he did.” Her expression softened ever so slightly, yet her warning remained firm as she bran-dished her spoon at him like a weapon. “Don’t let it happen again.” “I won’t,” Marn assured her earnestly. “And Sifa, I appreciate that Areen has some-one like you looking out for her. She’s aware of my investigations. I’ll explain everything to her. I would rather she learned about the stable incident from me than through rumors.” Satisfied with his promise, Sifa relented and fetched a bottle of brandy from the cab-inet. “This was left over from the party. Don’t finish it off; Wenda has a fondness for it and becomes quite talkative when she’s had a bit to drink.” Marn mused with a touch of irritation, “I wish I had known that earlier. Is there any other way to get her talking?” Lanni suggested, “Stay in whatever room she's cleaning. That sometimes works.” “But if I stay still, we’ll likely end up in another situation akin to the stable,” Marn countered. “Then you better stick to using the brandy,” Sifa remarked dryly. “Agreed,” Marn replied, accepting her decision. “Lanni, you might want to be present in the barracks when I give my report to Trema this afternoon. It’s likely to be signifi-cant.” Lanni’s expression morphed into a frown but she nodded in agreement. “I’ll be there,” she confirmed. With the brandy in hand, Marn took his leave and made his way to Loka’s quarters. There he encountered Shan. “You okay?” Marn inquired, noting Shan’s presence. Shan, looking relieved, nodded. “Treatment for my rash,” he explained, rolling up his sleeve to show an arm that, while hairless, was no longer raw and inflamed. Marn could see it would take time for the hair to regrow, but it was healing. "Loka's in there.” Shan pointed to where Loka was situated, wishing Marn luck be-fore retreating to another room. With a brief “Thanks,” Marn obtained a sleeping potion from Loka. He planned to use part of it mixed with the brandy to ensure a restful night’s sleep. The remaining brandy he intended to reserve for Wenda, hoping it might help loosen her tongue and reveal the se-crets she was hiding. #fantasy #magic #dragons #hiddenlands