Chapter 97: Silent Preperations.

Chapter 97

Sigrid turned to her maid, her voice even and icy in the silent study. "Lilith, go call a guard and have him wait near my chamber door." Lilith bowed respectfully, taking her leave without a second thought, while Sigrid stepped toward her desk. It was time to prepare a few crucial elements before dawn broke and Marquess Caspian arrived. Reaching into the velvet drawer of her desk, she retrieved the heavy, ornate iron key that granted access to the fortress treasury. Gripping the cold metal tightly within her hand, she slipped out of her quarters and navigated the winding, torch-lit corridors of the ducal fortress toward the subterranean vaults.

Upon reaching the massive reinforced doors, the heavily armored guards stationed outside snapped to attention, lowering their heads in a synchronized bow. Sigrid gave them a brief, measured acknowledgment before unlocking the heavy doors and stepping into the dimly lit, vaulted room to ensure the ducal assets were strictly in order.

Walking among the rows of iron-bound chests and velvet-lined tables, she casually collected a specified amount of gold coins, a small, subtle smile touching her lips as she slipped the heavy currency into a plain leather pouch. However, her smile faded into a thoughtful frown as her crimson eyes swept across the endless, gleaming stacks of heavy gold bars lining the back wall. While the ducal treasury was undeniably vast, gold bars were notoriously impractical for subtle operations, as few common merchants or secretive informants accepted raw, unliquidated bullion without raising immense suspicion. Satisfied with the loose coinage she had gathered, Sigrid locked the vault behind her and made her way back to her private chambers. Inside, she found Lilith standing beside a tall, stockily built guard who had been waiting outside her doors.

As Sigrid crossed the threshold, both servants offered a low bow. "You may rise," Sigrid commanded softly. As the guard straightened his posture, his eyes briefly flicked toward her with a subtle, unmistakable hint of contempt and insolence that did not escape her notice. Sigrid paused, her sharp gaze sweeping over him before she turned her attention to her maid. "Lilith, where did you locate this particular guard?"

"Down in the main hall, Your Grace," Lilith answered softly, sensing the sudden change in the atmosphere.

Sigrid’s frown deepened as she turned back to the man, her voice dropping into a frigid, uncompromising tone. "You are excused. You may return to your post."

The guard looked visibly offended, his brow furrowing as he let out a bitter, quiet scoff. "May I ask why, Your Grace?" he demanded, his tone lacking the proper deference required when addressing a duchess.

"Because you seem entirely insufficient for the task I require," Sigrid replied coolly, her expression utterly unreadable. "I apologize if I have wasted your time, but your presence is no longer needed here."

The guard scowled deeply, turning on his heel and stomping out of the bedchamber with suppressed anger. Once the heavy door slammed shut, Lilith turned to Sigrid, her face etched with confusion. "Milady, why did you reject him so abruptly?"

"He was sloppy," Sigrid explained plainly, walking over to her writing desk and placing the leather pouch of coins onto the dark wood.

"Sloppy, Your Grace?" Lilith repeated, still clearly perplexed.

"Yes. The moment I entered the room, his eyes immediately fixated on the pouch of gold in my hand," Sigrid stated, her voice calm yet stern. "While I have no desire to make reckless accusations of theft against the fortress guards, I prefer to exercise absolute caution. The task I need executed requires someone who is extraordinarily meticulous, vigilant, and discreet." Sigrid paused for a moment, her mind calculating her options before she raised her voice slightly toward the doorway. "Chester."

Almost instantaneously, the shadow near her chamber door shifted, and Chester stepped into the room. Dropping smoothly onto one knee, the loyal knight lowered his head. "Your Grace, I am at your service."

Sigrid had initially contemplated sending Chester himself to complete the delicate task, but despite his undeniable skill and loyalty, his tall, imposing knightly posture made him far too recognizable to operate in the shadows of the realm unnoticed.

"Chester, do you possess someone within our ranks who is remarkably nimble, inconspicuous, skilled at remaining in the dark, and capable of leaving absolute zero trace behind?" Sigrid inquired thoughtfully.

Chester remained silent for a brief moment, considering her precise request before looking up. "Yes, Your Grace. Allow me to introduce them to you." Chester stood up and gestured for Sigrid to follow him toward the outer courtyard. Sigrid stepped out into the biting northern air, observing the rows of fierce northern soldiers engaged in relentless, grueling combat drills across the frost-covered grounds. She noticed Soren was absent from the training grounds, briefly wondering where his duties had taken him before Chester led her far into the secluded corner of the grounds.

Chester halted near a tall, slender figure dressed in sleek dark leather armor. It was a woman—one of the tallest women Sigrid had ever laid eyes upon, standing nearly equal to Soren’s formidable height. Chester whispered a few brief words to her, and the woman immediately turned and walked over, dropping onto her knee before Sigrid with fluid, graceful precision. "My Duchess, I am here at your command," she spoke, her voice steady and refined.

Chester motioned toward her with a prideful nod. "Your Grace, this is Maude Baxter. She is, without a doubt, the most accomplished incognito operative in the entire North. No one surpasses her ability to move unseen."

Maude raised her head slightly, a subtle tinge of genuine modesty softening her sharp features as she looked at Sigrid. "Do not let his grand tales mislead you, Duchess. I am simply like any other battle maiden of the North."

Sigrid stared down at the woman, momentarily mesmerized not merely by her striking, handsome features, but by the sheer, toned strength evident beneath her structured frame. Maude was not overly bulky, yet her refined musculature and quiet composure radiated lethal efficiency. A genuine, satisfied smile touched Sigrid’s lips. She was absolute perfection for the job. "Can we speak somewhere far more quiet, Maude?" Sigrid requested softly.

Maude bowed her head deeply. "Of course, Your Grace."

Returning to the privacy of the duchess’s bedchamber, Sigrid walked over to her desk where the leather pouch of gold coins rested. She turned to face the tall operative, her tone becoming profoundly serious. "I have a highly sensitive task for you, Maude. Are you familiar with the small orphanage run by Headmaster Orion’s mother?"

Maude offered a firm, knowledgeable nod. "I am, Milady."

"There is a young child living within those walls, a boy who bears the name Leo," Sigrid instructed calmly as she sat down at her desk. Unrolling a piece of fresh parchment, she dipped her quill into dark ink and wrote a brief, carefully worded letter. Once the ink dried, she folded the parchment tightly and handed it directly to Maude alongside the heavy pouch of gold coins. "I want you to hand him this letter and ensure that he destroys it immediately upon reading its contents. You will also hand him this sum of gold and inform him precisely who it comes from."

Maude carefully accepted the letter and the heavy pouch, slipping them beneath her cloak. "It shall be done as you command, Your Grace."

"Do not be hasty in your execution, Maude," Sigrid warned, her crimson eyes locking onto the operative with intense gravity. "I require absolute perfection. You must ensure that no trail leads back to the North, nor to this estate. No one must ever discern your true identity—not even the matron of the orphanage herself."

Maude bowed low, her voice steady and devoid of hesitation. "Can I accomplish this? Yes, Duchess. I give you my word."

"Good. You may depart," Sigrid stated, though as Maude turned to leave, Sigrid added one final, vital condition. "Above all else, no living soul must ever know of your meeting with that child." Internally, Sigrid’s heart tightened with fierce protectiveness. I refuse to drag young Leo into the bloody, treacherous mess I am preparing to unleash upon the capital, she resolved silently. Looking back up at the operative, she softened her posture slightly. "I say all of this because I need this maneuver to be flawless, but my ultimate priority is ensuring that no connection whatsoever can be traced back to the North or to the boy."

"Have no fear, Duchess. Everything will be handled with absolute discretion," Maude reassured her with unshakeable confidence before bowing and taking her leave, with Chester following closely behind her to secure the perimeter.

As the quiet settled back over the room, Lilith turned toward her mistress, her dark eyes filled with polite curiosity. "Milady... what was it that you needed delivered so urgently?"

Sigrid leaned back against her chair, a serene, mysterious expression settling over her features as she stared toward the fireplace. "Do not burden your mind with that, Lilith. The results will reveal themselves in due time."

Lilith smiled gently and bowed. "Then I shall take my leave to ensure your dinner is properly prepared, Milady."

"Thank you, Lilith," Sigrid murmured quietly, letting out a slow, deep breath as the maid departed. With her hidden chess pieces finally placed upon the board, she turned her gaze toward the darkening horizon, ready for the dawn that would bring Marquess Caspian to her gates.