Chapter 7

Fen could tell from far down the street that the door to his house was dangling from its last unbroken hinge. The windows were broken in. Fen put his hand on the dagger at his belt as he crept slowly forward to peek through the opening into the dim house.

The apartment was torn to shreds, Fen’s belongings were strewn to every corner of the floor, and every piece of furniture was bashed to splinters. Fen quickly searched the bathroom and the bedroom. Nobody was lurking amongst the mess, but every room was devastated as though a storm had blown through.

Fen’s tension started to ease once he had confirmed that he was alone. It made sense that someone had been sent after him, he just hadn’t guessed that it would happen so soon.

Fen went carefully through each room, picking through the rubble to try and glean from the ruins of his home who might have been behind the mess. The search had clearly been conducted by a professional, every single thing in his apartment was torn apart and rummaged through, not even his clothes had been left intact, having been shredded in the search for hidden pockets. His first instinct told him that it was the Queen who had sent someone after him. She would have discovered her stolen ledger missing and would have looked into the King’s affairs, becoming concerned that Fen had been hired.

Fortunately for him, the thieves hadn’t found the loose floorboard under his bed. Fen pried it up to reveal an empty pack and a large pile of supplies, as well as his sword. Fen filled the pack and slung it over his shoulder before buckling his sword to his belt, careful to cover it with his cloak.

He felt a pang of regret as he left his house for the last time. His anxiety started to turn into anger now that the shock of finding his house plundered was wearing off. The next steps of his plan started to cement in his mind as he headed to Regis’s house.

On his way there Fen dropped a note in the dead drop he had arranged with Halla, the King’s assistant who had hired him.

He navigated the trapped alley with ease and raised his hand to knock on Regis’s door, but he paused, taking a moment to listen to the strange sound he heard coming from within. It took him a minute, but he eventually placed it, it sounded like Regis was pacing frantically back and forth just inside the door, muted by the thick wood.

Fen knocked softly, hoping to not startle the diminutive informant. The footsteps immediately stilled, and Fen heard the man grunt inside as he hoisted his massive crossbow to answer the door.

When the door flung open Fen saw that Regis looked distraught, but his face bloomed in a cheery smile upon seeing the mercenary standing at his door.

“Fen! I thought you were dead!” Regis exclaimed.

“Well, the rumor was wrong.” Fen said. “Though it was pretty clear that someone has been looking for me.”

“What happened?”

Fen pushed past Regis, and the informant got the hint, closing the door behind the two of them. “I was out chasing a lead when someone broke into my house and searched it.”

Regis smiled. “You’ve got a lead then?”

“Kind of.” Fen sighed. He still wasn’t certain if he wanted to trust Regis or not, but he decided to just go for it. “I’ve basically just confirmed what we already thought. The Queen is up to something.” He sat down heavily on the couch. “I don’t really know what to do to stop her yet, but I’ve got a couple ideas.”

“Well, I’m glad you came here. Are you going to be needing a place to stay?”

“Probably.” Fen said. “I’m going to be needing the ledger for this next bit.”

Regis handed over the book and Fen pulled off his pack, leaving it on the floor beside the couch before he left Regis’s house.

Fen went to The Vulgar Lake, and sat down in his usual seat, once again being very careful to ensure his sword was covered by his cloak. Harl brought him over a drink but carefully avoided looking him in the eye. He was still hurt by Fen pressuring him into helping with the case, apparently.

The day began to grow late, and the bar began to fill with patrons. Through the soot-stained windows Fen watched as the city went dark and he began to grow impatient.

He was relieved when Halla finally came bustling into the tavern, looking just as nervous and out of place as she had looked when she hired Fen a few days prior.

“I got your note. What do you need?” She asked.

“Don’t react when you do this, but check under the table on your side.”

Despite his warning, Halla still flinched when she found the ledger stuck to the underside of the table. “You already found it?”

“I did.” Fen said. He noted that she wasn’t yet aware that the ledger had been found. That confirmed that the King wasn’t in on the robbery of Fen’s house.

“Where?” She asked. “And what did you find out about who took it?”

“That’s where the matter gets complicated somewhat.” Fen said. “I uncovered some secrets that directly affect the King.”

Halla nodded. “That was a risk we were aware of, but I assure you that you can tell me about anything you’ve discovered.”

“Well then, what I found was that there’s a secret room under the Royal bedroom where the ledger was located.” Fen said.

Halla frowned. “Under the bedroom?”

“Yes. My guess is that the Queen is conspiring against the King, potentially planning to use whatever’s in that book to blackmail him.”

Halla nodded. “I’ll relay your message to the King. Thank you for your services, they will be very useful to the city.”

Fen nodded and accepted the pouch of money that she slipped to him under the table. “Pleasure doing business with you.”

Halla stood and walked briskly out, the ledger tucked carefully under her arm to conceal the King’s seal. Regis had done an expert job of resealing the book so that it looked like it had never even been opened.

Fen took a heavy drink after the door closed behind the woman. He had technically just finished the quest he had been hired for, but he still felt it worming its way into his brain. He wasn’t sure he could just let it drop like that, now that he knew what was at stake.