Two weeks since that had gone by since the mercenary had entered the quarantined area and Pohlea thought that'd be the last disruption she caused. Yet, even though word had spread that the patient had survived, a mute main who hadn't been thought of as very useful by many, including his own supervisor, it still seemed to cause an uproar to see him emerge fully healthy and ready to pick up his duties as if he'd been allowed to rest for the entire time he'd been in there.
Then if Pohlea thought that would be disruption enough for her, she was surprised again when the mercenary, Jenn, asked for blueprints of that palace. Not the kind that showed every secret passage used to protect the queen, but the ones that weren't a security threat. Something Pohlea couldn't really deny someone who was supposed to be guarding the queen, but she certainly didn't like the implications of what Jenn might be looking for.
Besides, the leaders of the other two mercenary companies agreed that they didn't need to worry about the layout of the palace, that they just needed to keep the danger away from the queen.
Which is where Pohlea found herself at that moment, wishing this meeting would just end as she'd rather be dealing with other issues than one mercenary's demands, no matter how reasonable they were.
"So, you're saying that all we need to do is keep the danger away from the queen?" Jenn asked, making it sound like it was a loaded question.
"Of course," Ivesse replied calmly.
"So, what if we have, for the sake of argument, people who've attacked the palace and set fire to it before they launched their attack? Since fire doesn't really obey someone's commands, what would you do to protect the queen then?"
Ivesse looked like she didn't have an immediate response, but the leader of the Crimson Dragons' eyes seemed to glimmer in response. Making Pohlea wonder if he had a response.
"Simple, we charge through the flames. It'd take a long while for the palace to burn, plenty of time to kill the attackers and get the queen to safety."
Pohlea wished she didn't have to work with that captain. Not with the answer she just gave. It seemed like she knew only fighting and not how to handle delicate situations like the scenario Jenn had just given. Although even though she was still tired from this meeting, she couldn't help but think of Jenn a little more highly because of that question. As it showed that she was willing to consider possibilities that needed more of a delicate touch to work through rather than brute force like some mercenaries, like the leader of the Crimson Dragons, seemed to be.
"Okay, so you charge through the attackers and what if those were a diversion? What if one lone attacker came from behind to attack the queen while you're dealing with the other attackers?"
The woman laughed. "Easy. That's why we're working with you. We get the fun while you get the boring things like stopping sneaks like that from coming in."
Pohlea at least was grateful that this was only hypothetical. As it was clear that the leader of the Crimson Dragons, who still refuses to give anyone her name, didn't have much interest in dealing with problems that required actual thinking to solve.
"So, is that what you need the palace plans for?" Pohlea asked, thinking that for something like that, she probably could justify fulfilling Jenn's request. Though, it wouldn't be taken care of quickly, as it wasn't a vital aspect that they needed in order to complete their duties.
"Partly. Though, for the scenario I mentioned, it likely would mean that the attackers would have had inside help, such as knowing where to start the fires and get them going long enough before they started the fight. All that would require coordination that would mean there'd likely be traitors inside the palace."
Pohlea blinked. She hadn't thought of that aspect, but at the same time, she needed to figure out if Jenn was making accusations from something she'd learned since she'd been here or not. After all, it was possible that she'd overheard someone talking near the quarantined area.
"Are you saying that there are currently traitors in the palace?"
However, Jenn shook her head. "Nope. I'm only saying that because it's possible and if we don't come up with plans for possibilities like that, we might not be able to successfully guard the queen."
Pohlea sighed. She didn't need 'possibilities' when it came to things like traitors, she needed proof that they were in fact traitors. Otherwise she might not be able to deal with them, even if she suspected them. Although, if Jenn had heard someone talking, indicating that they were a traitor, then that would at least be something she could work with. Yet, hearing it as merely a 'possibility' wasn't something she was in the mood to deal with.
"Forget it. You don't need the plans after all."
"Here's another thing that could be possible," Jenn said, as if she hadn't heard Pohlea's statement. "What if the attack is coordinated by people who work in the palace? Naturally they'd do everything they could to keep anyone from learning about it beforehand, which is why we'd need to come up with some plan that would allow us to get the queen to safety, since we wouldn't know who we could trust inside the palace in the unlikely event that actually occurred."
Pohlea shook her head in exasperation. Her opinion of Jenn was lowering now. While she had thought that Jenn was rather impressive with her scenario and questions, now it seemed almost like she was willing to allow herself to be made a fool of by suggesting something so ridiculous.
For what she suggested to be in place, someone would need to either had threatened a great number of people or have gotten them installed inside the palace without anyone being aware of it. Which Pohlea was confident that someone would have noticed before now. It wasn't just unlikely, it was impossible. Someone would have noticed something and said something.
Although, Pohlea mused that Jenn could comment that whoever was supposed to report it could have been silenced, or bought off, or threatened as well. Which would just make the whole argument rather circular.
Besides, she couldn't believe that that many people would want to harm the queen. She was certain that at least someone would then be able to pick up on it and report it, regardless of what they were threatened with or offered.
"You're not going to get the plans for the palace," Pohlea answered bluntly. "Your suggestion isn't just unlikely, it's practically impossible. To manage that, you'd have to either silence or get any number of officials on your side. Even if you could do that without raising alarm, you'd still have to contend with the possible discovery by someone who couldn't be threatened or silenced in any way."
"Have any accidents been reported?" Jenn asked, as if she had expected Pohlea's response. "The kind that just seem strange? Like someone falling from somewhere they weren't supposed to be? Or even how did the royal guard fall ill, or whatever it is that happened to the to require you to hire mercenaries to guard the queen?"
Pohlea sighed. She had hoped that Jenn would let this go, but it was clear that she wasn't going to. "Yes, there's been reports of accidents, but no more than usual. The only thing that's been strange has been some maids having gone missing, but that's nothing new, since many don't like the pace of the work or they get married or they have to stay at home to raise a child their lover brought in on them without any warning. Ther's any number of reasons the maids would not come to work."
Jenn nodded, as if her argument was being made by Pohlea herself. Which wasn't something that Pohlea was willing to accept. As she didn't need to explain these things to a mere mercenary.
"And in regards to what happened to the royal guard, it's being investigated, but its looking like they were given some bad food or something that'll have them out for no more than a couple more months. Nothing that we can't handle in the meantime," Pohlea continued, not giving Jenn a moment to continue her argument. Something that Pohlea was determined to keep from happening. After all, she needed rest herself and this meeting was just dragging on and on from this one mercenary who just wouldn't let this 'possibility', that was more of an 'impossibility', go. "So, if anyone doesn't have anything else to mention, we'll leave it at that."
Jenn looked unhappy to be dismissed like that, but Pohlea didn't really care. She was just a mercenary and clearly not used to working with others like this with those ideas that seemed to come out of nowhere with her, as Pohlea really couldn't think of where she'd have gotten the idea of what she'd suggested in the first place.
_
Jenn wasn't happy. Not only was her idea dismissed out of hand, but she was pretty sure that if she did reveal how she knew that someone in the palace was in fact a traitor, that not only would she be in danger, but also Aeriphea and her patient, the mute maid. While it was possible that the other two wouldn't be in danger, Jenn didn't want to take that risk. As while she could defend herself, she wasn't as confident about the other two.
Besides, they already had enough trouble as it was, given how one was an actual survivor of the plague and could continue working without any problems and the other was the witness that was being accused of being biased about Jenn's treatment of the spotted plague, despite the fact that the evidence of it being able to work was clear for them to see.
Part of Jenn wondered if the fact that she'd succeeded in treating the plague might end up with them getting hurt for the sake of their proximity to Jenn's demonstration of her treatment.
As while she was certain that according to others, like the chief healer, she was supposed to have failed in her demonstration, which they were determined to prove, if only by eliminating those who could say otherwise.
Or at least, that's her preferred idea of what was going on with the talk she'd overheard when she'd gotten released from the quarantine earlier that day. As the alternatives of such talk made her wonder if it was possible to weaponize the plague to infect someone directly. Something she'd rather not have be possible, regardless of if she wished someone would be able to experience that plague because of how they were going on about it.
Another thing that was bothering Jenn was that if the royal guard had been fed something that had gotten them in whatever condition they were in, or however it had happened, then why wasn't the captain of that same guard the same way? Was she in on whatever conspiracy Jenn could smell brewing in this castle or was she somehow able to have dodged whatever had happened?
While Jenn had thought about looking into the woman's mind, she hadn't been able to bring herself to do that. She wanted to believe that she wasn't involved in the conspiracy, but how could she verify that without peeking into her mind to make sure? How could she be certain of what was going on when she didn't even know where to start.
Asking for the blueprints for the palace hadn't been part of her trying to verify if Pohlea was on the up and up or if she was part of the conspiracy, mostly because Jenn wanted the blueprints to formulate her own plan of escape with the queen if one of her scenarios, that she mentioned, did come to pass. As if even Pohlea didn't know about what Jenn had in mind, then there's no way that anyone else could unless Jenn specifically told them.
Which she planned on doing with at least Yaelish and Embris. Though, she had a feeling she'd need a few of the other Silverthorns as well to make what she was planning work. As since she couldn't get the plans for the palace, she would need to draw up her own. Something she had a feeling Pohlea might not approve of, but Jenn couldn't see an alternative if she wanted to have a plan in case everything else goes to crap.
Though, she had a feeling she'd need to wait a few days to at least let any suspicion die down of why she'd have some of her Silverthorns measuring hallways and such. Although, Jenn knew that any plans she was able to draw up like that wouldn't be perfect, since she knew she wouldn't be able to get her people into any private rooms or other rooms that were otherwise off limits to them.
Yet, she knew that it would have to do, given she didn't have any alternative on the matter.
As Jenn was walking along the hallways, heading back to the part of the barracks, or dormitory as the people in this palace preferred it to be called, of those guarding the queen, she saw Yaelish, walking towards her.
"So, what do you plan on doing?" Yaelish asked, her question making Jenn wonder how much of what Jenn had said in the meeting had been anticipated and how much she still needed to be filled in on. As while it had been only for those in charge of their respective mercenary bands, Jenn knew that she would need to let Yaelish know of some of what she'd brought up herself, like the blueprints for the palace, but while she had planned on waiting to get to work on that, Yaelish's question made her feel like it might be better to at least get some things about it done sooner than she had initially planned on.
"I plan on doing my own thing," Jenn answered. "While we can work with the other bands to guarding the queen when things are normal, we need to had a plan in case things go downhill faster than we can keep up with it."
"What do you need from me?" Yaelish asked, not asking any questions, which made Jenn hope that she'd recognize the sensitive nature of what Jenn had in mind and wouldn't talk about it with just anyone. Although, she still was trying to figure out just how much to tell her to minimize the risk of her not being able to control her mouth.
"First, I'll need you to figure out who's good with math and measurements. I don't care if whoever it is only worked on measurements as a tailor or seamstress. I need people who can take measurements and be discreet about it while doing so. Then I'll need them to remember those same measurements and relay them to someone who has skills with cartography. If we don't, then whoever is the best at drawing," Jenn answered, feeling like part of her was making this up as she went along, given the details involved with the kinds of people she needed to be working on this.
Such as if she had anyone who had skills with cartography, that would be news to her, but she couldn't disregard skills a person might have that they didn't advertise for one reason or another. As it didn't matter to Jenn why they didn't want to use those skills, it was more a matter of figuring out who could do what so she'd be able to get this place mapped out as well as possible so she'd be able to have something to work with when it came to making backup plans that she didn't share with anyone, outside of those who were already involved. Although, she had a feeling she'd only let others know as little as possible, just so she'd be able to keep as much of what she was planning from leaking as was possible.
"Okay, I have a few people in mind for that," Yaelish replied as they passed some people from the other bands coming off their shift of guarding the queen. "Though, how quickly do you need them?"
"As soon as possible, but I want them to work on this when they're not on their shift guarding the queen. At least not until I've gotten them mapping out the dormitory here first. Once they have that down, even if it's not all the rooms involved, I'll be fine with them working their way towards the areas they're mostly guarding, such as the throne room and the queen's bedroom."
"What does any of that have to do with…" Yaelish started to say, making Jenn wonder how closely she'd listened to what Jenn was saying. "Wait, mapping? Couldn't you just ask for the plans they have for the palace? Why map it out for ourselves?"
"Because I already asked and was told 'no'. I wasn't able to convince Pohlea to let me see them, which means I'll just have to make my own as quietly as possible. Maybe things will change later on and it'll become a pointless effort, but I'd rather work this out sooner rather than later. It might not actually happen that they'll change their minds about letting me see the actual plans for the palace. In which case creating my own will be the next best thing."
Yaelish nodded slowly, making it clear that she didn't completely understand, if she understood any of it at all. Though, Jenn wasn't too worried about that fact, given having Yaelish understand wasn't necessary. In fact, Jenn hoped that by not having Yaelish fully understand that it might make it so that she wouldn't be able to spread this out as easily as she might otherwise do without meaning to.