We were ushered away, this time with only four guards flanking us, rather than six. Justice seemed almost giddy with excitement, a lifetime’s worth of anticipation built up, after hundreds of hours of gaming. 

“You probably want to consider appearances, as much as I don’t care for blood-royalty, Scaleen.”

I was so tired, I didn’t even think about it. Katarachin was right. I was glad someone was thinking between us. 

I spoke up, “Would it be possible for us to wash up before we meet the crown princess?”

I was still covered in blood. Justice was as well, but not quite as much. I could use a new wrapping on my tail stump. 

A detour was made, and we were allowed to clean up first, then we were shown to an antechamber significantly more comfortable and relatively cozy than the vast office we’d been in before. One of the guards glared down at Justice. “Don’t get any smart ideas to sneak around,” she said before leaving the room with the others and closing it behind her. 

Justice explained, embarrassed, “I was caught just in the hallway out there.” 

“Ah.”

We didn’t wait long before the double doors opposite opened, with two Humans who looked like half-assassin, half-personal assistants stepped into the room. They both looked at us like they weren’t sure if we shouldn’t be escorted away or murdered. One of them spoke, feminine in tone, but not obviously femme in appearance, “You pull out a weapon, or start a spell, and we kill you.” 

I said nothing as they both moved to stand behind us a few paces, one for me, and one for Justice. Justice seemed to take these two very seriously, holding his hands at his side, open wide. I remained standing as I was, knowing that as a Kobold I existed as innocuous and mostly harmless.

Through the doorway, two more of the bodyguards stepped through, followed by Princess Talina. 

Talina was a broad Human woman of average height, and appeared in her mid-twenties. She was not beautiful in the way bards describe the maidens of yore, but statuesque, almost handsome while still retaining those seemingly essential features of womanhood that Humans preferred. She had makeup on, likely from the coronation, as she almost literally glowed. I’ve heard it said that during courtesan season, men and women both tried to find a way to her side, but that, I presumed was more glorifying propaganda than anything else. 

She had straight, dark brown hair to her shoulders, twisted with silver filigree baubles. Her outfit was a fine jacket, presumably worth more than I’d made in a single lifetime. She wore black and silver riding pants, made to match the black and grey motif of the palace. 

More surprising than anything, she looked pleased and excited to see us. 

“Welcome! Thank you for coming! I heard you two were the ones who helped save hundreds of Sumarans by alerting the authorities days ago?”

I glanced at Justice, who knew this person, albeit from second hand exposure. She started, “Uh, we just were doing our part for the city. We couldn’t stop your coronation from being interrupted though. I am sorry.” Her voice was a bit wavering and star-struck. 

The princess brushed off an invisible blemish, “It’s fine, it’s fine. Two people can’t push back a tidal wave. Something this big in motion, it had dozens of moving parts you couldn’t interrupt.”

“Speaking of moving parts, are your assassi- assistants loyal? We have more gears to warn you about.” 

I didn’t have any reason to respect this literal heir imperant. Justice had spent eight years trying to get here, she seemed a little overwhelmed now that the fighting was over. I wanted to be overwhelmed, but I wasn’t going to be cowed by mere status and class. 

The princess, who’s eyes had dutifully lingered over me as she entered, shifted from Justice to me. Intense gazes from mammalian sentients I was used to, but this one had an edge I’d never encountered before: excitement. She looked amused at my word choice, but she seemed engaged than most pretended with me.  

“Yes, of course.”

“Let me rephrase… your highness.” I looked at the two bodyguards that were in front of us. The two behind I couldn’t sense anymore. “Are they loyal to you? This isn’t a joke or a test. We don’t have an endless hourglass to explain.”

The princess, rather than being affronted, squared up, like she was shifting subtly closer to an at-attention pose. “Speak, these four are loyal, this room should be private. And please, call me Talina in private.” 

“The attack staged was not committed by the Drakengard delegation. It was replaced by a warmongering Drakne house en route and was sent here to try to kill you. Success was unnecessary, as their aim was to turn the Drakengard Empire and Sumar Empire against one another.” I glanced at Justice, who simply nodded.

She probably knew I was less likely to get tongue tied than her. We’d spoken a little about how much we should tell the Princess, if we united with her. I’d not taken the conversation seriously, but I took notes regardless. 

Before the Princess could cut in, “If you don’t already suspect, these dissident Draken could not have acted without help from within Sumar. We recognize we are putting our lives at risk by making this claim, but Duke Roginor is among the people organizing this in order to take the throne from you. We don’t know what he is going to do if the Drakengard cannot be blamed for this coronation, but I doubt he doesn’t have contingencies for such a complicated plot to seize the throne.” 

The princess didn’t look particularly phased, her glance traveling to the two bodyguards behind us. 

This is where Justice’s future sight would fail us, as she commanded us dead for interrupting her schemes. 

She instead bent down on one knee to meet me eye to eye. I hid my surprise, not knowing many Humans willing to bend to my level. “Do you have any proof? What evidence can you bring forth?”

“Your Highness-” 

“Talina, please.” 

I chuffed, this was not the time for informalities. “The empress is being poisoned. Roginor has people intercepting the meals and lacing it with ghastlight dust.” 

Her tan did go paler at that news. The bodyguard on the left shifted back a step. “What else? Would you testify to a Circle of Truth.” 

I mimed a shrug. “Not much… Talina. I would testify, but our words will probably be dismissed out of turn. Two agents, I suspect Inquisitors, tried to kill me in my own home yesterday evening. We almost certainly have arrest bounties against our name. It’s just been too recently filed for people to have checked.”

“What happened?”

“My apartment burned down with them still inside, unfortunately.” I was not going to admit to killing them outright. No need to give a plea of guilt in front of witnesses who could order us dead for looking at the princess wrong. 

“I see.” 

She looked behind her at a fifth person who’d stepped out of the room the princess had entered from, who actually did look more like a personal assistant than a killer, dressed in a sharp suit and with a guidance screen up. “Look into this, Raspin?”

He nodded and walked around the three of us and out the door Justice and I came through.

The princess remained on one knee before us. “Is there anything else?”

Justice swallowed and added, “Nothing else directly relevant to you, but I have so much information about the world at large.” 

“We’ll save less immediate issues for another time,” she said, almost placating. “Right now, are the two of you okay? Did they offer a healer to you at all?” 

I shuddered, tip to the remainder of my tail. Justice shook her head, “No, I didn’t take much damage, but Scaleen, he-” 

I raised one hand, slowly, to not startle a bodyguard, “Please, no more healing. I will live.” 

The princess managed more concern than I’d expect from anyone swaddled in the wealth of the crown, “What is wrong? I don’t want you to have any risk of falling ill at this point.”

I sighed, shifted my footing a bit, and bent my tail forward, “Just lost the tip, like a kit too slow to avoid the predator’s maw.” 

“Oh no. I am so sorry. Did you find the rest of it? Perhaps we can-” She reached out almost hesitant, like she was worried I’d startle. I did not need this kind of nurturing right now. The pain was keeping me focused and awake, even as could feel the tug of my terror state dying off.

I turned away, shaking my head, “No. It’s fine. Let’s focus on-”

Another interruption, this time from someone pounding on the door to the hallway. The bodyguards all stiffened and we all turned to stare. After a moment, it became apparent the pounding as in a pattern. 

The princess ordered, “Open it, that’s Raspin.”

One guard opened the door. Raspin literally fell into the room, caught at the last second by the second guard. 

He gasped, “Empress’s dead, they’re blaming Tali.” The blood dripped freely off the guard who’d caught him. Three bolts were sticking out of his lower back.