Royal diplomacy diplomat.., p.17
Royal Diplomacy (Diplomat’s Apprentice Book 6), page 17
She left the room with Rehan following. The hatch slid shut, and she started down the passageway.
“What are you thinking?” he asked.
She glanced at him in surprise. She was accustomed to his usual silence. “I think that on a pirate ship, there should be someone who can do a good job of faking an ID. Or three IDs.”
Rehan said nothing more but held up four fingers. Meaning four IDs, she realized. Anwyn chuckled. “Are you developing a sense of humor, Rehan?”
The look he gave her was completely deadpan. “All Hrithain have a great sense of humor,” he declared, his tone completely flat.
Anwyn grinned. “Right.”
She got in touch with Veraz and Shir-ella and explained the plan to them. “Are you sure Shan’s people can get you out of the port undetected?” Veraz asked.
“He says they can,” she replied.
“And you’re taking Rehan with you.” That wasn’t a question, Anwyn realized.
“Of course. And we’ll just speak to this woman, see whether she thinks she can help us.”
“Get in touch when you’re finished talking. We can meet up to compare notes.”
Mark looked up from the book he was pretending to read while listening to a discussion between the duchess who served the queen and the minister of finance. They spoke quietly, seated in a pair of chairs in a corner of the sitting room. The two planned to contact Campos about their release. Both felt they had been swept up erroneously along with the queen and diplomats.
“I have access to him,” Reyes told the duchess. “If he comes to get me, I can ask him to free you as well.”
“I’m loyal to the queen, but I’m not young anymore. All this stress isn’t good for my heart.”
Reyes patted her hand. “I’ll let Campos know the diplomats are planning an escape. He’ll be pleased enough to let me out.”
Mark turned a page he hadn’t read. He needed to share this with Ambassadors Owens, Wyn, and Carpenter as soon as he could. Getting up now would give him away. He hoped there would be enough time to stop this before the man contacted Campos. At least he knew the queen had been correct about Reyes.
The duchess rose and went into the room she had to herself. Reyes remained seated.
How much time do I have? Mark waited a few more minutes, then put the book down and strolled to the door of the room Carpenter had offered to share. Drew’s father was sitting on the edge of his bed, a book neglected beside him.
“I’m going to get a mug of coffee,” Mark casually announced. “Would you like to join me?”
Carpenter looked at Mark, nodded, and stood. “Thanks. That sounds like a great idea.”
The two men went to the drink dispenser and discovered Angharad and Glynnis standing and talking quietly.
“What are you two discussing?” Carpenter asked.
“Decrying the barbarity of a place that doesn’t provide access to saffah.” Glynnis waved a mug of something that might have been tea at the two men. “We’re seriously deprived.”
“Fortunately, this planet is civilized enough to provide coffee, although the quality is seriously deficient,” Carpenter teased. He smiled at both women. Glynnis grinned, and the more serious expression on Angharad’s face lightened a little.
“Care to stay and chat while we get our drinks?” Mark asked lightly.
“With two such charming gentlemen?” Glynnis flashed a mischievous grin. “Of course.”
Mark looked around to ensure they weren’t being watched, then turned on the noisy synthesizer. The other three crowded around him.
“Reyes is spying for Campos.” Mark kept his voice low.
“I was afraid of that,” Angharad murmured.
“How much do you think he knows about your escape plans?” Mark asked.
They shook their heads.
“I didn’t think he knew anything, but I could be wrong,” Glynnis replied.
The door to the suite slammed open. Too late, Mark realized as he spun to face the men entering the other end of the sitting room. He shoved the paper with its earlier written conversation into his coffee mug. It sank cooperatively under the thick, dark brew as he went to see what Campos had planned.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Anwyn trudged through the blowing snow. Her feet were beginning to lose feeling. Why had it begun snowing again? Things had been tough enough with the cold and the leftover snow from the night before. Yet here she was, following Miguel and Estelle and followed in turn by Rehan.
Covering his braids had been the easy part. He wore a hat under the hood of his cloak. Hiding his distinctive Hrithain features had been more of a challenge. Several of the pirates helped them with their disguises. Now they were a party that consisted of a typically Estancian-looking couple, a short and sturdy woman, and an unusually tall man. The snow gave them the excuse to bundle up enough to be nearly anonymous.
They had been walking for over an hour. Taking public transportation seemed too risky, even with their disguises. The city around them had become increasingly more rundown with each block. It wasn’t that people didn’t take care of their homes or neighborhoods. To Anwyn’s eyes, it seemed like they had less to care for and more limited funds to manage it.
“We’re almost there,” Estelle warned. “Wait around the corner out of sight. If she isn’t there or doesn’t want to help, at least you won’t be seen.”
“Be careful,” Anwyn cautioned. “All palace personnel are likely to be watched by now.”
“I’ll leave right away if anything doesn’t feel right.”
“If you don’t feel safe, don’t return to us,” Anwyn warned. “Go in the other direction and walk around the block. We’ll meet up with you.”
Estelle nodded, and Miguel took her hand. He pulled her toward him for a hug and kiss, then reluctantly let her go. He looked bereft as she disappeared around the corner.
Anwyn thought about Mark and understood his fears. She did her best not to shiver as they waited. The snow landed on the street and partially melted. It still made the surface slick, and she wondered if there were better options. Doming the city came to mind, as did adjusting the weather. Both had been used successfully on multiple planets.
Estelle appeared around the corner. “Come on.” She waved toward the house she had visited. “She wants to talk with us.”
Anwyn and Miguel followed Estelle with Rehan bringing up the rear and carefully scanning the streets and buildings around them. The building Estelle led them to was old and shabby-looking but clean. They climbed several steps to a closed door. Before Estelle had time to knock, the door opened, and a short, heavy-set older woman peered out.
“Come in, quickly!” the woman urged.
All four hurried through the door, which shut behind them. They were led down a hallway to a small kitchen where a tall, slim man sat at a table. Estelle introduced the woman as Sofia and the man as Victor. Sofia already knew Miguel, but Estelle introduced the other two group members.
“You’re not Estancian,” Sofia challenged after the introductions, staring at Rehan and Anwyn.
“They rescued me from detention,” Estelle explained. “They got me medical care.”
That statement brought a gasp from Sofia and required a long explanation from Estelle. By the time she told her story, Anwyn felt she should be blushing. Her role in the rescue and provision of medical care had grown significantly in the telling. Miguel added her relationship to the League diplomats to the tale.
“Your mother! You must be frantic with worry.”
Anwyn wasn’t sure how to respond. She wanted to help get her mother away from Campos. She was equally worried about Mark at this point. “All of them are at risk,” she responded. “Can you help us learn the schedule for the different services provided?”
Sofia narrowed her eyes in thought. “I can do better than that. The queen has already spoken to me. She wants me to help one of the foreign diplomats to escape. The very short one.”
“My aunt Glynnis!” Anwyn exclaimed. “How were you planning to do that?”
Sofia smiled. “She’s your aunt? You have two family members there? No wonder you want to help them. The plan was to dress her as one of the serving women. Come, sit down. Let’s talk.”
Sofia and Victor offered the ubiquitous coffee thick with sugar and cream. Anwyn apologized and received water. Rehan had adjusted to Estancian coffee. She had to remind herself that she thankfully had unlimited access to saffah on Shan’s ship.
She recorded notes through her implant to easily share with Veraz and Shir-ella. She learned about the food service, the laundry, the cleaning, and other less frequent services. She was careful not to say anything uncomplimentary, but she was amazed at how little work was automated at the palace.
When she inadvertently said something about manual food preparation, Sofia pointed out that they had proper synthesizers for drinks in the prisoner’s suite.
“I don’t have much more time,” Sofia cautioned. “You can stay here and learn more from Victor. I need to leave for the palace shortly. I’m on the schedule to deliver lunch and dinner to the prisoners.”
“Is there any way you can sneak me in?” Anwyn almost bit her lip. She saw the look Rehan gave her. She was a mercenary now, and she was supposed to be working on being less impulsive. How much good would it do to see Mark, her mother, and the others, then have to leave again?
Sofia walked completely around Anwyn. “I think you might fit into my uniform if I shorten a hem. The only thing I can think of for the hair is a scarf.”
“But it’s possible?”
“I’m trusted. I never speak of politics or question the abdication. But Estelle here knows my real feelings. I’m guessing that’s why she brought you here. I hate every moment of seeing our queen locked in a room, frightened for her son and angry at Campos.” Sofia paused to get her anger under control. “Yes, I can get you in.”
“You will not go to the palace!” Rehan must have messaged Veraz since the team leader’s voice came through clearly on her implant.
“May I excuse myself?” She stepped into the hallway that led to the front door. Once she was alone, she replied. “Rehan ratted me out, didn’t he?”
“Yes, thankfully.”
“I can learn a lot from actually being there,” she countered, although she was aware the argument didn’t hold much weight.
“We’re already short Mark and Drew. We can’t afford to lose another member of this team. Not if we hope to free all the hostages.” Veraz’s stern tone came through the implant clearly.
“But…”
“I know you’re worried about Mark, your mother, and your aunt. If anything went wrong, our chances of rescuing all of them diminish.”
“Veraz, unless something has changed since I left you at that café, our entire operation is broader now than a simple rescue. Someone needs to let the diplomats know, let Angharad know, that there are royalists who are also in favor of modernization. Who might be more in favor of joining the League than the queen has been led to believe.”
“It’s too risky. Anyway, I’m in communication with Mark. He can tell them.”
“It was my idea. I can explain and adapt the plan once I talk to them. I’ll be careful. The woman here knows the risks and thinks it’s possible.”
Veraz linked Shir-ella and Rehan into the conversation and explained Anwyn’s reasoning. “What do both of you think?”
There was a pause, then Shir-ella replied, “It might make our allies here more comfortable knowing that someone they’ve spoken to has contacted the queen and the diplomats. They trust Anwyn.”
“Despite our differences of opinion on my life choices, I think Angharad needs to hear this from me,” Anwyn insisted.
“Rehan? Your thoughts?” Veraz asked.
“I won’t be able to protect her.”
“Wait just a minute.” Anwyn dashed back into the kitchen where everyone else was still sitting.
“It’s kind of hard to explain,” she began, talking to Sofia but keeping the implant link open. “Rehan is sort of a bodyguard. He’s supposed to remain close to me when I take risks.”
“There’s no way we could sneak him into the palace!” Sofia exclaimed. “I wasn’t even sure about allowing him in my house, but Estelle said he’s on our side.”
“How close could he get to where I’m going to be?” Anwyn asked.
This time, Miguel replied. “What about food delivery? Victor, could you get him that far with you?”
Victor was one of those men who took his time with everything. He looked at his wife, then at Miguel. Then he nodded slowly. “I think I could. I’ll need to change shifts with the Garcia brothers. They’re always looking for time off, so that shouldn’t be too difficult.”
Rehan had studied the palace layout as ardently as the rest of the team. “That’s not close.” He still looked worried.
“Closer than you think,” Sofia responded. “The kitchens and food storage are almost directly under the suite where they have the queen staying.”
“Veraz? Is it a go?”
Anwyn could almost visualize him shaking his head.
“Get out at the first sign of trouble,” Shir-ella replied. “We can’t afford to take chances.”
Anwyn smiled at Sofia. “Do you think we can do this without putting yourself at risk too?” She didn’t want the woman to take unnecessary chances.
“I think we can. Although we’re going to have to do something about that hair.”
Anwyn nodded. Her short copper-colored curls were hardly Estancian-looking. Sofia left the kitchen for a few minutes and returned with a black scarf. “I think this will do.”
They spent the next half-hour getting both women ready. This took longer for Anwyn, even when Estelle assisted with hemming Sofia’s long uniform dress. Hairpins held Anwyn’s copper curls away from her face so the tightly wound scarf covered them. There was no way to change Anwyn’s distinctly Mythri amber-colored eyes. Instead, Sofia sat her down and used makeup to darken her eyelids and lashes.
“Do they scan palace workers when they arrive?” she asked. When the answer was no, she decided this trip required a weapon. She couldn’t carry most of the equipment that had become standard since joining the mercenary team. She pocketed her tiny stunner, which had once belonged to her uncle’s wife, Daffyd’s mother.
When they finished, her eyes appeared light brown rather than amber. She sent a holo to Veraz and Shir-ella. Both of them chuckled at the disguise. Anwyn wondered if she should be offended but decided it was a compliment to Sofia’s creativity.
While the women prepared Anwyn, Victor had contacted the people he thought would change shifts with him. He was tall but not as tall or broad as Rehan. Food delivery didn’t require a uniform, so a few adaptations to Rehan’s current Estancian winter clothes worked.
Sofia did her trick with the eye makeup to downplay Rehan’s bright blue Hrithain eyes, much to the man’s annoyance. Victor handed him what Sofia called a stocking cap, and everyone got involved in stuffing the combat braids inside.
“I’ve ordered a car,” Victor announced as Sofia put the finishing touches on Rehan’s disguise.
“A car?” Anwyn asked in surprise.
“We usually use public transportation to get to work,” Sofia explained. “With those holos still circulating, it cuts the risk to have a private vehicle pick us up.”
Moments later, all four walked through the snow and entered the rear of an automated ground car that arrived outside the house. It was warm in the car, and the small amount of snow on Anwyn’s head and shoulders melted and dripped down the back of her neck. She decided she hated snow. She watched the streets in amazement. They were alive with people despite the weather. It took them about half an hour to approach the palace.
The car stopped at a gate that wasn’t far from the detention center they had raided. Had that only been the previous evening? It seemed like much longer. The four left the car and walked through the snow to a guarded gate. Anwyn caught her breath. Rehan grabbed her arm as if ready to take off at a run. Anwyn shook. Of course, the palace was guarded. Were she and Rehan about to be arrested?
Sofia spoke to the guards and showed them a device on her wrist. One of the two men nodded, and the other used a control pad to open the gate. Anwyn followed Sofia and strode through the gate, acting like she’d done this for years. Inside the palace, Sofia led them to a small room where she left her cloak and motioned Anwyn to do the same. The men kept their cloaks on.
“We’re going to be moving food into or out of a cold room,” Victor explained. “I like keeping my cloak on to stay warm.”
“This is where we separate. Since you can talk to your friend here, he should be able to get to you quickly if anything goes wrong,” Sofia whispered.
Anwyn watched as both men left through one doorway. Then Sofia led her through another. She glanced around and realized she was in a large kitchen. She was familiar with cooking despite spending most of her life eating food from a synthesizer. Veraz cooked as a hobby, so she recognized some of the implements being used, although this was on a much larger scale.
The odor was amazing, and Anwyn’s mouth watered. She was wise enough not to ask what was being cooked, but Sofia saw her expression and whispered, “We get to eat when we’re done taking the food upstairs.”
Sofia did all the talking as the two women received a float cart filled with large food containers. Anwyn was shown where a second float cart held dishes, mugs, and utensils for the prisoners. Sofia led her to a grav lift with an attached platform when everything was ready. They shoved the two carts into the lift and stepped onto the platform, which provided some stability in the grav lift. Slowly, they began their ride to the third floor.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Six men entered the suite, forming almost an honor guard for the two men who followed them into the main room. Angharad strode forward, meeting Juan Campos and Rafael Ortega before the door had shut behind them.
