During the dark night, shadows loomed in the cells of Velli prison. A guard lay in a pool of blood on the cold stone floor. A hooded figure took the keys from his body and immediately opened one of the jail cells. It contained a man with a haggard face. As he sat on the floor, he looked up at the mysterious figure. It approached him slowly, holding a bloody dagger. As the figure took off its hood, strands of blond hair flowed freely from it. The man smiled and stood up. The woman approached him and embraced him.

“Orion, I’m glad you’re safe,” she whispered.

“Estella,” he whispered back.

The two lovers escaped into the night, unseen and unheard. They had to head back to their master. 

***

The next morning, May heard that a prison guard had been killed and that one of the prisoners had escaped when the guards exchanged banter outside the castle. As she walked across the castle grounds to visit the prison, a man of high class crossed her path. He had greying hair and wore a thin mustache. Two Vellian soldiers led the way. He was also accompanied by his personal guards and several servants. May guessed it was the nobleman who would replace the queen until she was found. Perhaps a relative of the queen herself, she thought. The noble man did not even look at her so she kept walking. She finally reached the prison outside the castle grounds and spoke to the interrogators.

“Is the Istian assassin here?” asked May.

The interrogators looked at her sternly. May looked back at them without being intimidated.

“I am the Queen’s assassin, May Chant. I need to see him to find clues about the queen’s whereabouts,” said May.

“He escaped last night,” said one of the interrogators.

That was a terrible circumstance. It could not be a coincidence with the queen’s disappearance, May thought. 

“Do you have any information about him?” asked May.

“Aside from claiming to be from Istus, the prisoner refused to reveal his identity or part any information, despite the torture he endured,” said the other interrogator.

Finding clues would be harder than May thought. Then she remembered what Jacques said. A symbol with a reverse crown.   

“Did the man have some kind of tattoo on him, like a reverse crown?” asked May.

The interrogators looked at May in surprise.

“How do you know?” asked a perplexed interrogator.

“Another assassin who tried to kill the queen in the past bore the same mark,” she replied.

She was onto something. What was the reverse crown? Was it some kind of society, she thought. An assassin guild? She needed to find out and for that she would have to go to Istus. But she had to be accompanied by a grown up to collect information. She thought of Jacques first, but he had already left during the night. Mauve, maybe? She decided to meet her friend.

***    

Mauve was packing up. All the servants had been dismissed upon the arrival of the new representative. He had never been happier in his life. As he grabbed his suitcase and opened the door, he gasped. May was standing in front of him. He then smiled, he was going to see her anyway.

“May!” he exclaimed.

“Mauve, I need your help,” she said.

“Huh,what is it, May?” Mauve asked..

May entered the room and asked Mauve to close the door.

“I am going to Istus on a secret mission,” said May.

Mauve was perplexed.

“But the queen’s gone,” replied Mauve.

“I am doing this to find answers,” said May.

Mauve looked puzzled.

“I believe there is a secret society that’s trying to destroy Velli from the shadows,” said May.

“Please, accompany me on this mission, Mauve, ” May pleaded.

Mauve crossed his arms and frowned at her.

“You’re just a child, May,” said Mauve.

“You should not be doing all those things,” he continued in a reprimanding tone.

May frowned back at him.

“Fine, then I’m going alone,” she said.

May pulled up her hood and walked towards the door. Mauve looked worried.

.”Wait May!” he said.

The little girl turned around.

“Okay, I’ll help, but promise me you won’t do anything too dangerous,” said Mauve.

May was happy to hear that. She had faked her grumpiness. She knew how Mauve was easy to influence. 

“Besides, I have a new power that can come in handy,” said Mauve.

May looked at Mauve curiously. 

May’s eyes widened in shock as Mauve’s appearance started changing. His body shrank until he was the same height and size as her, his purple hair and blue eyes blackened, and his manly features softened simultaneously. He was now wearing a black cloak like May instead of his fine red suit. He had become her. 

“What do you think?” asked Mauve.

Mauve’s voice sounded exactly like May’s. May was still shocked and afraid. So, Mauve morphed back into himself.

“I’m sure I’ll be able to find out more about this society with my new ability,” said Mauve.

May was relieved to see Mauve in his normal appearance.

“Thank you, Mauve,” she said.  

***