Forest started down the stairs, the key gripped tightly in her hand. She passed a few different people in the halls, all of them gasped and gave her little bows. She moved on without acknowledging them. Her eyes landed on Merhl standing next to the door of her target.
He stepped forward and sank down onto his knees grabbing her hands. "I'm so sorry, Milady. I failed."
"What are you talking about?"
"He's gone. His father came, threatened to kill a hostage. He knocked me unconscious."
Forest looked alarmingly at the door. "No." she shook her head. "No!" Charging past him, she thrust the key into the lock that wasn't locked at all and pushed the door open.
Empty.
She closed her eyes and hung her head. Damn it. Well, he'd gotten loose from her before, slippery bastard. She sighed and left the room.
"Please forgive me, Milady. I should have rather died than opened the door, but I feared for the life Vladien threatened. And now my life is forfeit anyway."
"It is not!" Forest said forcefully.
"But surely once Rahaxeris learns of my inefficiency, he'll…"
"He won't harm you, Merhl. I'll talk to him. You needn't fear for your life."
Redge came around the corner. "Forest, you're back. I see you've learned of our little mishap."
She gave Merhl a reassuring squeeze on the arm before turning to Redge. "I want this investigated quietly. Take down Vladien if you find him, and arrest any of his accomplices. But do not pursue Leith."
Redge raised one eyebrow. "Might I ask why?"
"There's no need. He's a coward. He needs to feel safe. He'll come to me. He always does."
"And if we apprehend Vladien and Leith is with him? What then?"
"Arrest him and bring him to my office."
Redge took a closer stock of her, noticing the stone around her neck, feeling its subtle effects around her. "Your office?"
Forest smiled. "In Fortress castle. As of today, everyone in Fortress will know the location of the office of Hailemarris. I'll be easy to find."
Redge returned her smile. "Hailemarris, eh? Congratulations. Does Syrus know?"
"Of course."
He gave her a little bow. "I'll keep you informed of our progress in the investigation, Milady."
"Thanks."
Forest walked through the front entrance of Fortress, as she had countless times in the past, yet now, it was different, dreamlike. She didn't have to pass through security check points and have her name and race blazed across her chest for all to see. She strode into the main lobby, her head erect, eager to prove herself. She let her anxiety and anger about Leith fade into the background of her mind, comforted in the knowledge that when he showed his face again she'd cut it clean off without hesitation.
The people milling around and waiting in line to speak to the receptionist parted like the red sea as Baal strode through the room toward Forest.
"Nice to see you again, Baal," she said easily.
"And you as well. There's a lot stewing around here. I think it best I show you to your office before I say more."
"Lead on."
Forest assumed the stewing he referred to centered around her showing up in her new professional capacity. She smiled to herself, unconcerned by the postulating and posturing she was sure the high council was doing at that very moment.
Baal led her down a hallway lined with the doors to the offices of the highest ranking. A little thrill shivered up her spine at the thought that she would be counted among them.
The highly polished door loomed before her at the very end of the hall. A carved sign hung at eyelevel. It read: The Office of Hailemarris. Supreme Judge of the New Republic of Regia. By appointment only.
Baal opened the door for her. It was a beautiful room, furnished exquisitely, but she felt a little let down, thinking it would be bigger.
Baal laughed, drawing her attention. "Disappointed?"
"Oh, no." Forest checked herself. "It's lovely."
Baal laughed again. "This is just the front room, for your secretary. Your actual office space is behind that door."
The door blended seamlessly with the wall, but his finger directed her to see the doorknob. She opened the door, and that dreamlike quality flowed over her again. Everything was in shades of green. The desk reminded her of the locker that used to be downstairs, beautifully carved; the four legs each looked like trees, the surface supported by the branches. The space eased and brought clarity to her thoughts. She sat down at her desk, overwhelmed. "So, who is my secretary?"
"That's for you to decide. Actually, you will probably want a secretary
and
a personal assistant. I might recommend that you choose the assistant with some careful consideration, someone you trust."
Forest smiled. "I know who I want…You were going to tell me about some trouble before?"
"Yes. The members of the high council are assembled and squabbling about you right now."
"Well, seeing as I'm their new boss, I guess I better get in there and break it up."
Baal cocked his brow and smirked. "May I come along?"
"Sure. You're my wingman."
"Your what?"
Forest stood up and strode past him. "Never mind."
She marched directly into the room and the middle of a garble of arguing voices. All eyes turned to her, and the fighting died comically. She looked at each of them in turn before taking a seat in the circle. "Well, sit down. I don't have all day."
Kindel, standing the back of the room, had to cover his laugh with a coughing fit.
Baal walked to stand beside Kindel, drawing nervous glances as the council took their seats.
Everyone seemed highly agitated except Nahcaan, whose chair groaned under his five hundred pounds as he leaned back nonchalantly.
Before anyone could say anything, Forest launched in. "You all know who I am, even if you never spoke to me before. And you all know what I am now. Change can be jarring and upsetting. I don't care what you think of me, or how you think the world should be run. I didn't start the war that was the catalyst to all of this. All of us must adapt, and we must now answer for our actions of the past."
Both Lush and Zefyre shifted uncomfortably and glanced at each other.
"Over the next few days, I will be meeting one on one with each of you…It is time for us all to set aside out own agendas. Fortress will support and enforce the laws of the New Republic. You will evolve, or else find your job terminated. Are we clear?"
"Yes, Madam Hailemarris," Zefyre said.
The others followed suit and parroted her.
"You are dismissed."
No one moved.
Forest cleared her throat. "As of now, the council shall not meet in here unless it is a meeting I have called. If you chose to socialize with each other outside of work, that is your business. Now go back to your offices and get to work."
"Yes, Madam," they grumbled.
Forest sat still as they all began to file out.
"Hold on, Kindel."
Kindel sat down next to her and waited quietly until the room was empty except for Baal. He let his laughter come out, and he slapped her on the shoulder. "Where did that come from?"
Forest laughed too. "I don't know. It just fell out of my mouth. I guess I've wanted to tell them all off for a long time."
"You did awesome."
"Thanks. How would you like to come work for me? As my personal assistant?"
Kindel leaned back in his chair smiling. "I'd expect a raise from my current pay grade and four weeks paid vacation every year."
"Three."
"Done."
They chuckled and shook hands on it. "Thanks, Kindel. I appreciate it."
"I'm honored, Forest."
"I bet you never thought I'd be your boss."
He looked at her seriously. "I wouldn't wager too much on that bet."
Forest squeezed his hand. "Get your stuff and move it to my office. I expect you know where it is."
"Ha! That I do. We've all been suffering with the racket of construction for weeks."
Forest pinched herself on the way back to her office. She sank back down behind her beautiful desk and sighed. The adrenaline rush from speaking to the high council members burned off, leaving her light headed. Baal continued to hang around like a bodyguard.
After a little while, Kindel came in carrying boxes.
"I've got something I need you to do, Kindel."
He set the boxes in a corner. "All right."
"Well, it seems I need a secretary for the front office. And I'm not paying your rate for you to do that work."
"Have someone in mind?"
"Yeah. Ena. She's a servant in the Onyx Castle. Would go and present her with my job offer?"
"No problem. I'll go there now."
****
Kindel found himself feeling more optimistic than he had in longer than he could remember as he walked through the halls of the Onyx Castle. Nothing really looked different, but the inhabitants moved about more cautiously. And where his visits to the Vampire's castle had been infrequent before and those who lived there treated him as inferior, now despite that he was obviously not a member of the
Rune-dy
, the fact that he was an elf, afforded him a new measure of respect.
He was about to grab the next female he saw and ask her where he could find Ena when he spotted Redge walking toward him, his nose stuck in file. Kindel didn't know Redge very well, but what he did know earned his respect.
"Redge."
Redge looked up at Kindel, the frown on his face easing into a smile. "Kindel." He nodded. "What brings you here? The council send you?"
"No, not the council, Forest. Or Madam Hailemarris I should say."
"Ah yes. She told me about that. How is she managing so far?"
Kindel told Redge the short version of what had happened that morning in Fortress.
"Well, here," Redge said handing the files he'd been looking at to Kindel. "These are actually for Forest. They contain my initial findings of the investigation she asked me to conduct. I didn't even know where to find her, but since you work for her now…Tell her I'll come around and see her in a few days to report."
Kindel tucked the files under his arm. "Okay…So, now what does the future hold for you?"
Redge sighed. "I wish I knew. I have no idea what I'll be doing or in what capacity. Syrus doesn't need me anymore. I'm not sure the military is a right fit for me anymore either."
"You might consider joining us over at Fortress."
Redge shrugged. "Maybe."
Kindel extended his hand. "I'll see you in a few days then, when you call on Forest. Oh, and could you tell me where I can find a young woman named Ena?"
Redge sent him in the right direction to Ena, who enthusiastically accepted the job offer as soon as he mentioned Forest's name. She followed him so closely, he almost tripped three different times. Anxious to get back to Fortress, Kindle was stopped dead in his tracks by a young ogre.
"Please, sir, you work for the Lady Forest do you not?"
"How do you know that?"
The ogre looked flustered. "Ogre's know everything that is said in the Onyx Castle."
Kindle smirked. "And you are?"
"Merhl, sir. I owe the Lady Forest a great debt. Please see that she gets this."
Merhl thrust a small sealed envelope into Kindel's free hand.
Kindel came back to Forest's office with an excited Ena practically bouncing in his wake. Forest didn't really know how to train her, seeing as she'd never done that type of work herself, so she let Kindel get her settled.
He stuck his head back in her office a little while later. "I almost forgot, while I was at the Onyx Castle, Merhl the ogre, gave me this to give to you. And here is a preliminary report on the investigation you had Redge do."
He placed a sealed envelope and the files on the desk and left the room. Forest opened the envelope first. Inside was a short letter and a shimmery End of the Bridge. His handwriting was barely legible.
The note read:
To the Lady Forest, I'm so sorry for failing you. I know I can never atone for it. I hope you accept this gift along with my continued apology. It is not a normal End of the Bridge. I made it special for you. You can use it over and over and it will take you to wherever you desire to go at the time. All you have to do is think of where you want to go as you hold it. I hope you find it useful. And again, I'm sorry. –Merhl
Forest picked up the little thing and looked at it for a second before pocketing it. "That's handy," she said to herself.
She turned her attention to the file sent from Redge and was astounded at his speed and efficiency. Of course, he hadn't unearthed everything in the few short hours since she'd seen him, but what he had discovered made her head spin. She'd need time to consider what to do about the knowledge there.
"Kindel," she called through the wall.
He stuck his head around the door. "Yes."
"I need to issue arrest warrants. Can you do that? I don't know how. "
"Sure. Who are we going after?"
"Vladien and…Dracula."
Kindel flashed a broad, amused smile. "Dracula, huh?"
Forest groaned and put her head in her hands. "It's only my first day."
"I knew you'd waste no time stickin' it to 'em."
Kindel left the office, and Forest went back to contemplating how to structure the new judiciary system. She made notes, borrowing from her knowledge of past Regian practices and what she knew of American policies. The
Rune-dy's
library came to her mind, and she wondered what she might learn of the justice systems of other worlds. Determined nothing she created would be corrupt, broken, or inefficient, Forest didn't realize how long she'd been working when Kindel popped his head in again.