***The king looked at his niece explain what she knew. This was the time when he would fume in anger at the queen"s audacity. But he laughed instead. This was an opportunity. He was going to use it well.
"Uncle, if you catch her, you will have right to dispose of her. All you need is to storm in there one day and have a witness ready." Lady Steinhouse said with a smile.
"If it was that simple, I would have framed her by now. She is the Northern Lan princess, she is queen as a marriage between the two countries, her brother is the present king of Northern Lan. Besides, she would have covered up her tracks. Rushing in there one day is no guarantee that we will have her." the king smiled.
"Then we let this opportunity go?" Lady Steinhouse frowned.
"Of course not. We will have to act with care. You have to make sure the Mclears never find that man they are looking for. We must first find the treasurer and his a.s.sistant. He and the minister of finance." the king said almost as though in thought.
"Why?" Lady Steinhouse frowned in confusion. The king immediately grabbed her hand.
"Helen, you are the only one I have on the outside. It"s hard to say who has been corrupted and who hasn"t. I married her, a stupid young king. Before I found my way around my own palace, she had taken control. You must find out all there is to know about those I have mentioned. We must have something to hold over them. That way, they will have no choice but to leave her side. As long as the money remains missing and we have witnesses, having her as the culprit will not be hard."
"Didn"t you just say that will not work?" Lady Steinhouse asked.
"It will work. It will just not be enough to take her down. We must first do this, and have her in our grasp. I must first weigh my options so that I can decide the best way to handle her. Do this first." he instructed her and she nodded.
"Worry not, uncle. She will never know it"s missing. The Mclears will never tell her it"s missing because, she can blame it all on them and you will have to behead them. They will also never find the money. I am handling it."
***
The court lady sat in her chambers waiting in silence. The maids could not breathe a sound as they saw their lady seated like a stone, waiting patiently. Soon a person rushed in through the door. Seeing the girl that had arrived, they sighed a relief. The girl did not wear the maid uniform, but she was one. She was the Lady"s personal maid. A position they envied a lot. If she worked well, the lady could arrange a good marriage match for her. The girl that had rushed in did not think the same as they did. She was on the lady"s side not for a better future.
This was her mistress. She had planned and worked hard all these years so that she would be placed by her side. Only she knows the true origins of the lady. She is the only one who saw what the king of Northern Lan did to get her lady to sit quietly in the kingdom of Juhntt. She came all the way, plotted and killed to get to her lady"s side, so that she could help her lady get to her goals.
Waving away the maids by the corner, she closed the door. She went over to the lady"s side and knelt close.
"I did not hear much. I just know that Lady Steinhouse said something about the royal treasury missing money." the maid whispered and the lady smiled.
"He has been told of her most implicating activity. The king finally has a plan." the court lady said.
"The king? Would he be able to do anything? He is but a p.a.w.n in everybody"s game." the maid sneered.
"You underestimate him, Ria. If that man knows to do anything, is to see the entire picture and bide his time. I fear when he strikes it will be fatal. The queen may have it hard soon." the court lady smiled.
"My Lady, what of the royal crown set. Did you find it?" Ria asked.
"No, she has the key. No one can get in." the lady said
"If we could just have it, we would be able to save Madam." the maid sighed in regret. Only then did the lady look at her.
"Don"t blame yourself, Ria. You found me when no could and found out where she kept the antidote. You have worked hard." the lady said calmly.
"We can just steal the key then we steal the...."
"The wind is blowing well. The change of seasons is near. Steal her crown? Nothing could please me more." the lady smiled.