Tick tock, tick tock. Ree clenched her teeth and refrained, blessedly, from groaning aloud. How the wealthy could live with such rackets was beyong the young thief. For one thing, it made her job much easier. It was moon dark tonight, or nearly so. The Lady's daughter seemed a little defiant as she squeazed out a thin sliver of light while her mother, the larger of the two moons, placidly remained hidden behind the inky darkness. No matter, that miniscule glow simply cast shadows that served only as handy niches for her to hide within. She finally decided that the residents really were at the shin dig uphill at the palace. With a quick push she was sliding over the sill of the window left carelessly open to the midsummer breeze off of the river one street over. Of course, skin tight, hardened leather from neck down wasn't her prime attire of choice in these temperatures, but the outfit was essential if she wanted to stay solid till morning. Not quite black, the deep midnight blue leather was painted with lavender lines that perfectly mimmicked the majority of the masonry used in the better portions of town. Ree had mixed the paint and brushed on the lines herself, but they tended to fade and had to be reapplied every few months. No matter, she was proud of them. Too bad she couldn't brag about it. She'd chosen this room because it was over the alley, and the window was tucked into the shadows of the eaves. The room was predictably empty, music rooms being slightly less then popular among servants baked all day inside their master's home. The servants that weren't essential to preparing the rooms for when the family returned from the party were likely already asleep, tucked safely and quietly in bed. A few servants would probably be socializing in the kitchen, or one of their private chambers. She cast about for somthing worth snatching, though she didn't expect there to be anything of any value here. Sidling up to the hallway door she slid what appeared to be the bottom of a drinking glass, chopped off about a finger's width tall. Holding one end to the door and the other to her ear, she waited patiently while trying to tune out the blasted clock's ticking. Satisfied that all was quiet, she slid the glass back into the pocket on her left thigh made especially for that purpose. Slowly turning the knob she exhaled deeply to empty her lungs and slip through as small an opening as possible. Safely outside, she left the door ajar, knowing she'd have to leave through it later. According to her informant, she'd have to make her way up one floor to the Lady's dressing room. M'lord Jaxom apparently thought himself quite the witty one, and had thought of secreting his valuables in a safe tucked amongst his lady's silks and satins. Now, servents were ingrained with certain habits that would be hard to break, even outside their master's line of sight. One of these is the use of the servant's stairwell as opposed to the decorative and larger one reserved for family and guests. Thus Ree ignored the directions she'd been given to the secondary stairwell and headed straight for the carved and inlaid monstrosity that dominated the Lobby which she could see at the end of the hall. A lamp had been left burning by the door, but only the two lowest stairs were even dimly lit due to the room's expansive size. Gilt and gleaming marble no longer distracted Ree from her goals. At seventeen she was more than used to the idea that she'd never live in such splendor, so she had whisked up the stairs and was pressed against the corner in the safe and relative darkness within heartbeats. Her goal was a mere two doors down, and she hadn't seen a sign of life since she'd entered the alley outside and spooked a rat. She extracted her glass once more at the door to assure herself that it was empty, then ckecked the mechanism. The ornamental knob was exceedingly popular among the Familes in town, particularly those of Jaxom's monetary level. It wasn't locked, as the footman had told her, and she'd slid around it and pulled it closed quick as a blink. Then she bit back a curse. Her informant had never actually been in the Lady's dressing room, as a lowly and male footman, but he claimed to be amorously related with the Lady's personal maid and therfore bursting with helpful details. Right. Several paces in front of her was a second door, this one identical to the one she'd just closed in every detail. The decorative carvings, the knob, size, everything. She quirked a brow and returned the glass once more to its pocket before going over every seam, hinge, and whorl. It wasn't even locked well, so she slid off her right glove and pulled out her picks from their specially made pockets. A few breaths later she had felt the lock give and heard two distinct clicks, causing her to pause with a pensice frown. The picked lock had clearly been dislodged, but why the second click? Perhaps it was a poorer make than she'd previously thought. Should she turn back? Sure, it had been easy, but not astoundingly so. Anhd she had spent a good deal bribing that feisty little footman. If she left now, she'd be losing money, and her rent was due soon on her room. Taking a deep breath in a vain attmpt at gaining a stiffer spine, she reached out simply and turned the knob. "Gah!" She slapped her left hand over her mouth and stared in pained horror at the small crescent shaped cut stamped onto her palm as it slowly disappeared in a rising pool of blood. Glancing frantically about she snatched her glove back up and slid it haltingly over the wound before she began a blood trail home. Tanting from the burning sensation, she couldn't maneuver her fingers like she wanted. She fell to her knees and shoved everything out of her mind but getting that blasted glove on. She'd nearly accomplished her goal when her eyes suddenly rolled back in her head and she collapsed. The tiny needles protruding from the filigree design of the doorknob retracted one by one as their crescent shape faded away to a popular design of door knob imported from the north. "Well, we do need an insider, but like this?" She toyed with the finely crafted netting of silver wire spread over the elaborate mass of braids her maids had crafted of her hair. "I'm not so sure." Her husband shrugged, "What else are we going to do with her? we could ask the Queen, but she'll tell you the same thing, and we'd have to drug her to keep her out long enough to get her to the palace. She's already waking up again." There was a soft groan from the figure twitching on the floor. "See?" Ella, as her friends called her, bit her lip. "If you say so, but it's on your head if this goes badly." She knelt down and smiled as the girl cracked her eyes open. Meeting Ella's eyes, she instantly leapt to her feet, until she stumbled from the jerk of pressure at her ankles and wrists. Due to lack of any better course of action, she wormed her way over to the corner and pressed her back to it as she maneuvered herself up onto the balls of her feet, her wrists still bound to her ankles with a set of manacles. Dropping down to her knees she eyed Ella, then glanced at Jaxom where he was still standing in the tiny room's doorway with an amused smirk. The girl then looked steadily back to Ella as she reached up to her hair. Ella pitied her really, the girl couldn't be more than a child. She was skinny to the point of being scrawny, her hair a darker ebony than Ella had ever seen on a person, even if it did look fairly dirty and oily. Mirella smiled comfortingly and sat as well, ignoring the thief's suspicious stare, and began removing her silver hair piece and stacking the jewel-tipped hairpins neatly in front of her. The girl's eyes flashed as one of the pins rolled toward her right foot. Sliding her foot over the pin quickly, the thief turned to the couple defiantly. "What are you waiting for?" Mirella blinked, "What do you mean?" She paused briefly, hands still up at her head as she fought with a particularly persistant pin. "Why aint' I locked up yet?" The Lady chuckled sweetly, "We have a little bit of a deal for you dear. Of course, we can always just report this and lock you up if you don't want to bargain for a better place in life than you've been enjoying previously." Now Ree was really suspicous. Rather than comment,she simply remained silent. Ella's husband, on the other hand, had a different idea. "If you're planning on picking the manacles with that hairpin, you should know that they are made by a Craftmaster. Since nobody's that good at lockpicking, you must be simply greedy." The girl smiled in a very feline manner and slowly, dramatically, pulled her hands out to either side of her as the manacles fell to the ground with a dull thunk. "Please, as if that dull little scrap of metal would pick an apprentice's first try at lock crafting." She stood and rose slowly from the floor, holding the sharp little hair pin before her in pale imitation of a dagger. "Now, what's this deal?" ************************************************************************* How could this be possible? "How could this be possible?" Lady Mirella chuckled, "It's simple really. In exchange for your 'specialized' consultation, the queen will take you under her wing, so to speak. You'll have a place in court, though it will be a quiet, out of the way place. She'll see to it that you're fed, clothed, whetever you need." Ree bit the insides of her cheeks and tried very hard to keep her eyes from darting from valuable to valuable as she tucked her feet under the little couch . . . er, setee. They'd brought her into the 'parlor' when she'd agreed to this crazy deal, and she couldn't get over being in such splendor in broad daylight, the owner's wife smiling at her from across the little table. Ree folded her hands in her lap and looked back to Mirella. "What kind of specialized consultizing?" "Your *consulting*," she stressed the word Ree had mispronounced, and politely ignored the girl's blush. "will be right up your alley. Thieves and assassins are pretty similar, actually, and we need protection from both at the palace. You'll just wander about and check for weeknesses in our seccurity. In fact, you'll be working closely with the Head of the Guard." Ree's eyes went quickly to the Lady's and she pulled back. "But I, well, since I, well I was . . ." Lady Mirella smiled softly, "Since you're a theif? Were one, should I say? You'll of course receive a full pardon." Ree nodded and bit the inside of her lip, staring at her hands in deep thought. "And if I don't, I go to jail?" "Right on the money!" Ree shot her a very unamused glance. "So what do you say?" Ree sighed and looked out the window. "I guess I can only say Yes. I don't wanna go to jail." "Marvelous! Now, just a few more questions, what's your name, how old are you, and do you have any family or close associates we should notify?" "Ree, 16, and why do you think I'm a thief?" Lady Mirella blinked, "You steal to support yourself?" She nodded and shrugged a shoulder, "Well, yeah. My Da raised me from a baby, but he died 'bout five years ago. He was a thief too, see, and so I had picked up a few of the tricks. It was that, or go to an orphanage. I'd heard some bad tales 'bout orphanages see, so twasn't much or a choice afterall." She glanced back up and gave a start at the quivering lip Lady Mirella was sporting. "That's so sad! Well don't you worry, the Crown will take care of you now! Let me show you to a room where you gan get a little sleep. In the morning, we'll get you presentable and I'll introduce you to the queen, alright?" Ree nodded with a mighty yawn, "Sure . . . wait. I'm actually gonna meet the queen?" She leapt to her feet with round eyes, her eyes darting toward the door and back to Lady Mirella. "Well of course, but just for a brief interview. Don't worry child, she doesn't bite. Now follow me, I know a nice little room that's out of the way, very quiet. The servants will start getting up and about in a couple of hours, and the Lady and Daughter know we didn't hire them because they were quiet. Loyal, effecient, good at what they do, but they aren't quiet." Mirella stood and took Ree's arm, sweeping her out the door and down the hall a few doors. She pushed the door open and gestured for Ree to go in. If she went along with this, she'd be stuck. They'd probably try to ditch her when they were through with her, and she'd be done for. Of course, if she didn't do what they wanted, they'd toss her into prison and she'd rot like her former partner. Edging carefully around the room she stepped past the woman and into the hall to scan the various doors scattered through it. She'd already memorized them all when they'd brought her into the parlor, but she was now cementing the distances to each of them once more. She then dashed sideways as Lady Mirella stepped out into the hall as well. Keeping the Lady in sight, Ree waited until the parlor door was closed and followed Mirella back up the stairs and down the hall in the opposite direction of the Master bedroom. Opening the last door on the left, Ree gestured into a little room formed by one of the house's miniture turrets. It was appointed with a plush couch beneath large windows and a small bookshelf with half a dozen novels. A heavy velvet robe was tossed over the couch, and Lady Mirella picked it up and shook it out. "This is my little reading room. The bathing chamber is next door. I'll come to wake you in a few hours and you can bathe and change quickly. We must have you sharp if you're to meet the Lady Queen, mustn't we?" Ree found herself being herded onto the couch and into a reclining position as the Lady spoke, the velvet robe being tossed over her as Lady Mirella finished her little speech. "Now sleep tight, and I'll be back soon." Ree blinked at the door as it clicked closed. Though she waited patiently, the well-crafted lock did not slide home. ************************************************************************* She was having that dream again, the one that felt so real it was if she'd already lived through it before. Something soft was completely surrounding her, keeping her warm and safe as she curled herself tightly into it and made herself small. Her cheek rested on her folded hands and she smiled as the soft warmth settled tighter around her. With a sigh she snuggled herself into the comforting coccoon. A woman's voice called her name from nearby. It was a gentle voice, not cruel or even commanding as it gently tried to coax her from the wonderful softness. A cool hand rested gently on her cheek and Ree swatted it back, tumbling off of the couch and rolling free of the tangle of the robe a hair's breadth from crashing into the opposite wall. Rising to her feet she pressed her back to the wall and reached for her blades before recalling that they'd been taken from her. Wide-eyed but smiling, Lady Mirella sat in the circling pool of her soft blue skirts, their silken lenght probably already wrinkling as the Lady suddenly giggled and clapped her hands. "Light on your feet, aren't you dear? We'll have to take you to the next ball. Why, with your beautiful hair, you'll steal the heart of every young gentleman there." Ree sneered down at the woman in disbelief as Lady Mirella began to stand, reaching out for a helping hand without thought. Though Ree did supply the aid, she did so belatedly as the Lady was nearly to her feet by then. How could the woman be so foolish? If Ree had been armed, she could have killed the foolish little featherhead. "Now Ree, your bath is waiting for you, and I've laid out a gown for you as well. I hope it fits you well enough, but it will simply have to do for now. Heeled slippers only recently came back inot style, and I found all of my gowns much to short when I tried them on with the heels. You're a good hand's width shorter than me, so they might still be a bit long for you, but they'll have to do. Let me see your feet." Leaning over and studying Ree's leather-clad feet, the Lady sighed and shook her head, "You're feet are much smaller than mine as well I fear. I'm afraid you'll just have to wear your boots under the gown and hope nobody gets a peek at your feet." Ree schooled the incredulous shock from her features as the Lady's gaze returned to her face. "When did you last wash yourself dear?" Ree blinked. She always washed just before a big job. Carrying the heavy buckets up to her room were a small price to pay when she'd heard one too many times of a smelly theif getting caught because he'd been to laze to bathe before a job. "Last night, Lady. Just before I left home to . . ." "To rob me? That's fine. I’ll just have to have my Abigail dry your hair for you then. Just wash the rest of you and then get dressed. Give a shout if you need anything. I'll be in here reading." The Lady tugged Ree into the hall and gestured to the next door, giving a slight push to the smaller girl's back before returning to the little turret, seemingly to pick up one of the books on the shelf. With a shrug Ree opened the other door and poked her head in and squinting to see past the wave of steam washing over her. Stepping in and closing the door behind her to keep in the warmth, she noticed a mirror and vanity with a plush velvet stool, a stack of clothing on top of the vanity. Matching copper scones on either side of the door provided ample lighting; and there was a whicker basket large enough for Ree to hide in the corner, a small pile of dirtied linens and clothing in the bottom. The walls and floor were entirely covered in deep blue tiles with snowy white grout in between, but the room was featureless aside from a door on the opposite wall of the one she'd just come through. The new door was open slightly, steam seeping out into this little room. Ree looked behind her and noted the lock on the hallway door. Sliding the bolt home she took her leather 'uniform' off and folded it neatly on the stool by the vanity. Poking her head through the open doorway her jaw dropped. The same ceramic tiles continued into this second room, but a lighter blue had been painted near the ceiling in the stylized pattern of ocean waves that wrapped around the high ceilinged room. The lights in this room were copper lanterns hanging from the ceiling in each corner, glass domes protecting the flames that had been turned down fairly low. Centered in the room was a sunken trough that Ree could only decide was the tub. Shaking her head at the stupidity of the Rich, she walked over and slid down into the water, hissing at the temperature before settling onto what was apparently a built in bench that ran around the entire perimeter of the 'tub', which was easily as wide as Ree was tall and nearly twice as long. She settled down and sighed as muscles tensed from her interesting evening and sleeping position during her nap slowly slid free thanks to the steaming water. She sighed and nestled down till the water was barely lapping slightly over her chin. When she felt suitably relaxed, she took up the conveniently placed soaps and brush to begin scrubbing herself. If she was going to see the Queen today, she wanted to be as clean scrubbed as possible. When she felt herself suitably clean, she took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and dunked herself under. Running her hands roughly along her own scalp, she made sure her entire head was well dowsed before rising right back up and taking up some more of the sweet smelling soaps. Using a liberal amount of a rose scented one, she took her long hair into her hands and lathered it into a bubbling mass. Closing her eyes once more, she went under again and scrubbed diligently at her head. She had to come up for air twice, but soon the water dripping from her damp and curling hair ran clear. Standing and taking up a towel, she dried herself briskly, her skin turning pink from the rough ministrations. Wrapping her hair in a second towel, she padded barefoot across the slippery floor and through the door to the little changing room. It was odd how smoothly she was going through this. Here she was, bathing in a pool big enough for half a dozen people as she prepared to meet the Queen. She took up the clothing stacked on the vanity, marveling at the silvery sheen of the satin and noting absently that the green embroidery matched her eyes. Beneath the actual gown were the usual undergarments for a woman: chemise, pantaloons, petticoats, and a simpler version of a corset. Ree looked up at her reflection and held the dress up to herself. She’d see how the dress fit without the corset, thank you. Of course, when she wasn’t working her ‘night job’, she did go about as any girl of her age and station would. She had several skirts and blouses with chemises and petticoats and such. She didn’t want anyone associating her with anything that wasn’t the height of feminine modesty, after all. A known tomboy could easily be associated with a known thief if she slipped sometime. She dressed quickly in the undergarments, glancing at the door as she slid the corset behind the vanity so she could claim she hadn’t seen it. Corsets were for the wealthy and wellborn, not lowly thieves daughters who made a living selling flowers and meat pies, depending on the season. She took the mint green dress up once more and held it out to study its cut. As a thief, she kept herself up to date on the latest fashions, and even made a game of predicting them so she could pilfer something that was only so so now, but would soon greatly increase in value in a matter of weeks when it became all the rage. This gown wasn’t quite ‘in’ at the moment, but cut simply enough that it would easily pass. The waist was a tad lower than the current style, falling a finger’s width below her hip bones before falling to the ground with only the vaguest hint of a flair. She studied the sweep train with an apprehensive frown, she’d have to remember that or risk ruining everything by tripping at the wrong moment on it. The princess seems had a darker green piping that perfectly matched the delicate flowers embroidered across the hem and the little cuffs of the small puffed sleeves. It wasn’t quite out of style, but definitely not the height of it either. It was easily last year’s dress, more likely from the year before, but it was worth enough to keep her fed for several months . . . in her old life. She sighed and gathered up the skirts to slip it over her head and tug it down over her meager figure. It wasn’t her fault she hadn’t eaten well or regularly most of her life, so it wasn’t a terribly big surprise that she was built like a stick, or more like a twig. With a final shrug the dress fell into place and she turned to study her back’s reflection. There was no way she’d be able to lace it up herself, but the dark green ribbons would make a nice picture she imagined. She cracked the hallway door open and glanced both ways until she was satisfied that nobody was about, then darted over to the next room, where Lady Mirella was supposedly waiting. Ree could just imagine being seen in an unfastened gown with a fluffy white towel on wrapped around her head. She slipped in and closed the door quickly behind her before glancing over to the couch. She gasped and pushed herself back up against the closed door. “Oh, I wasn’t expecting anyone else . . .” “Garret, you go on down and wait for me in the parlor, there’s a lad.” Mirella’s tone was polite but left no room for disagreement, so the well dressed young man smiled politely and stepped around so Ree could make room for him to open the door. Ree gave a relieved sigh when he closed it shut behind him and Mirella chuckled, “Sorry dear, he’s the eldest son of one of my best friends. He dropped by unexpectedly, and I wasn’t expecting you quite so soon or I would have already sent him there to wait for me. Now, what’s wrong dear?” “Nothing Lady Mirella, I just need my dress laced up in the back.” She blushed slightly, “I mean, your dress.” Mirella chuckled and stood, placing a hand on Ree’s shoulder and spinning her about. As her deft hands moved down her back the Lady seemed to babble about manners and actions. “And don’t forget that anyone introduced to you with a title other than that of a Knight will be your better, so avoid eye contact. Look down and answer briefly but politely. And if-“ “Lady Mirella, I’m used to all of these rules. Everyone’s always been higher ranked than me. Remember, I make my money selling flowers as far as everyone but you and your Lord Husband know.” “Oh, I suppose you’re right dear.” Ree felt the Lady’s hands leave her back so she spun about and smiled uncomfortably. “There, that’s done. Now, let’s get you to my room, that’s where my Abigail would be and she’s the one that should do your hair.” Lady Mirella chuckled and took Ree’s arm, “Fastening dresses I can handle, but I’m hopeless with hair.” The two of them went out the door and down the hall, quickly passing the stairs and returning to the very door Ree’d attempted to infiltrate just last night. She pressed down the chill run ning up and down her spine and stiffened her resolve as she followed Mirella through the first door and watched with a wrinkled nose as Mirella pulled out an odd little crooked hairpin and turned to wink at Ree. She had a surge of disbelief as Mirella very briefly poked the pin into one of the openings in the decorative doorknob, the door swinging right open into Mirella’s waiting hand. Mirella swept into the little room and Ree rushed to catch up before the door swung shut. No wonder they’d kept the lock secret. Mirella could just hide the doorknob with her body and unlock the door, or even secret the pin in her hand and unlock the door without anybody being any wiser. It was a miracle of locks. Surely it didn’t come from the same place as the regular knobs that dotted the homes and businesses of the wealthy. Perhaps somebody had taken a normal one and altered it somehow, though how was beyond Ree. “Ree, dear?” She snapped her head up to see Mirella speaking to a young mousy girl with large brown eyes in the simple black homespun and white apron of a serving girl. “Morning, miss. Lady Mirella was telling me all about you coming to visit from the country Miss, and I’d be most pleased to fix up your hair for you Miss.” Ree came to the sudden decision that if she was ‘Miss’ed one more time she’d simply have to strangle the girl. Maybe slip a dagger under her ribs.