Maria's Perspective:

"This is as far as I can take you," Lucius told us, wishing us luck. With his help, we had successfully passed through the walls and reached the inner city. The city was divided into two parts: the outer city, where anyone could come and go freely, and the inner circle. The inner circle was protected behind walls that also safeguarded the palace, and access was restricted. Not everyone could obtain permission to buy a house there.

It was similar to the outer city, but everything was much richer and far more beautiful. Marble replaced stone, and gems took the place of simple cloth.

In the center of the city stood another statue, but unlike the one outside, this one was made of marble and held an actual sword—a golden sword adorned with a large ruby.

"This way," Art said, leading me to a small inn where he paid for a room. He told me we needed to rest. He also mentioned that adventurers were uncommon in the inner circle, but if I dressed as a maid, no one would find me suspicious.

It made sense, as maids often went out to purchase supplies for their households.

~~

While Art fell asleep, I changed into my maid uniform and decided to go outside to look for traces that might lead us to Artemis, as well as satisfy my longing to see the land where I should be living.

Even though I was somewhat welcome inside the elvish royal palace, I knew I didn’t truly belong there. I was human, and I should be living in the land of humans.

I left the inn and headed toward the plaza. I looked around and found a road that led to the market. I followed a marble path and discovered that shops were everywhere. I had some money with me—elvish currency—which I exchanged at a shop with a sign that read, "Captured some elves? Exchange their treasures here." I stepped inside and fabricated a story about how my master had captured elves at the beginning of Zoel and had sent me to exchange their treasures. After spending fifteen minutes persuading the shop owner to give me the money, I finally left. I had successfully obtained currency we could use for food and, more importantly, gathered some information about the royal family.

As I stepped out of the shop, the sun hung low in the sky, casting an amber glow across the polished marble streets. The warmth of the light brought a fleeting sense of comfort, but it did little to settle the anxious churn in my stomach. Every corner, every sound, could spell danger. The inner city, with its opulence and air of exclusivity, was a cage lined with gold. I walked briskly, scanning the faces around me, each one a potential informant—or threat.

The market thrived with the steady hum of voices. Merchants called out their wares, from exotic spices to embroidered fabrics, and customers haggled without pause. Amid this bustle, a glint caught my eye—a polished shield hanging outside a weapons shop, engraved with the royal crest: a dragon coiled protectively around a towering fortress. It was an emblem I'd seen many times in history books, but seeing it here, so close to the palace, made the weight of our mission more real than ever.

I moved on, ears straining to catch any stray bits of conversation that might help us. My eyes fell on a group of servants gossiping near the entrance of a bakery. I approached, keeping my posture casual and my head slightly bowed, adopting the demeanor of a lowly maid.

“—I heard she hasn’t been seen for days,” one of them whispered, her eyes wide with the thrill of secrecy. “They say King Diederik’s temper has reached its peak.”

“That’s why no one’s allowed near the northern wing of the palace,” another added, glancing around nervously. “They say he’s keeping something—or someone—hidden there.”

I fought the urge to react and kept my face neutral. Could they be talking about Artemis? The thought clawed at me, and I stepped closer, pretending to adjust my apron.

“Did you hear why he’s so angry?” I asked, injecting just the right amount of curiosity into my tone. The women turned to me, their eyes narrowing at the interruption, but the youngest of them, a girl barely older than me, answered.

“Rumor has it there was an incident during a negotiation with the elves. Something about missing guards and—”

“Hush!” the older servant snapped, pulling the girl back. “We don’t speak of that outside closed doors. It’s dangerous.”

The group disbanded quickly, leaving me with more questions than answers. But one thing was clear: Artemis was likely somewhere in that northern wing, and whatever was happening involved more than just her capture. The stakes were higher than I’d imagined.

I turned back toward the inn, my steps quickening with a mix of urgency and dread. The streets seemed to close in around me, and the late afternoon light began to fade. As I neared the narrow alley that would take me back to Art, a sudden voice called out behind me.

“Looking for something, miss?” It was a man, his voice low and edged with suspicion. I glanced over my shoulder and saw a guard, his uniform crisp and dark, with the royal crest emblazoned across his chest. His eyes bore into mine, sharp and unyielding.

“N-no, sir. Just finishing errands for my master,” I stammered, bowing slightly to emphasize my deference. My pulse pounded in my ears, each beat a reminder of how thin the line was between success and disaster.

He eyed me for a moment that stretched painfully long, then nodded curtly. “Be on your way. Curfew approaches.”

“Yes, sir,” I whispered and hurried into the alley. The moment I was out of sight, I exhaled shakily, my knees threatening to buckle. It was a small miracle he hadn’t questioned me further.

Back at the inn, I found Art still asleep, his face shadowed by exhaustion and worry even in slumber. I gently shook his shoulder. His eyes opened, sharp and alert in an instant.

“I have news,” I whispered.

He sat up, brushing sleep from his mind. “What did you find?”

“Servants are whispering about the northern wing of the palace. It’s heavily guarded, and they’re saying the king has something hidden there.” My voice dropped lower. “I think it’s Artemis.”

Art’s eyes darkened, a fire sparking behind them. “Then we’re closer than I thought. We need a plan to get inside.”

I nodded, determination hardening in my chest. The road ahead was uncertain, but one thing was clear: we were running out of time, and every second brought us closer to either victory or ruin.

As the moon began to rise, casting silver light over the rooftops, we prepared to make our move.