Keith was having a very bad morning.

A very bad morning indeed.

It had started at an hour too unbearable to even consider calling it morning.

They'd found another spy. This one was a half-elf guard repositioned from the Servalt border closer to the castle.

He'd also been found in Ria's closet.

"Why is everyone sent after the princess so enamored with her socks?" Keith demanded to know. He didn't expect an answer.

"Maybe they want to leave a poison needle in one?" Chloe offered.

"Or perhaps they think she's stolen a kingdom treasure and hid it in her unmentionables?" Rufus said.

The Necromancer and Demon General had joined him for breakfast. Keith could never be sure if Chloe would come down for breakfast at the same time he was there. He didn't know Chloe's sleeping schedule and neither did she; it was a free-flowing nebulous thing that switched between worshipful "beauty sleep" and staying up all night sewing minions back together after a wagon accident.

Chloe had to have all the pieces attached properly for most of her spells. Nobody wanted to end up with two left hands or Uncle Jimothy's bunion toes.

His Demon General more often than not had eaten and gone about his day long before Keith came downstairs. Rufus was the "early to bed, early to rise, 5 small meals and exercise" kind of man. No wonder he was still single.

"I wasn't being serious." Keith groaned. He took a sip of his tea and let the hot honey and smooth creamy liquid warm him from the inside out. Lady Green tea was a key ingredient in the Awakening potion, and he savoured its natural effect. "Though I wouldn't put it past Drendil to attempt a poison sock needle."

"Did you learn anything from the first spy?" Chloe said around a mouthful of cheesy flake pastry.

"I learned that her favourite snack food is dehydrated apples, she works for Ven Larsen as a tailor, and that her mother's name is Lola Higgins." Keith sighed. "She isn't under any enchantments, so I'm no use. Rufus will have to take a go at her spy Perks. I'm pretty sure she has [Liars Palace]."

"I love a good challenge." Rufus grinned and carefully cut a piece from his avocado toast. "It's rare that we get a spy who's mastered the talent to create a fake identity so well they can take on the fake personality as truth."

"Give her to me and I'll sort it out." Chloe said. "I could get an answer –"

"That's against the Valarian Counselate –" Keith put it at the same time an angry Rufus warned, "No mind control."

"If you own their soul." Chloe waved him off. "They tell you freely."

"Enough, Chloe," Rufus stood up quickly and slammed a fist down on the table. The room went quiet at his outburst, but Keith wasn't surprised. Everyone knew how Rufus felt about freedom and ethics. He was Nilheim's standing representative at the Valarian Consulate. Whereas Chloe just treated almost everybody as if they were a body. It sort of felt like she forgot people were real people sometimes.

Chloe had the grace to blush. "Alright alright, sorry. I was just joking."

"It was in poor taste." Rufus settled back down in to his seat. After a moment he said, "I'm sorry I lost my temper."

Keith watched his two closest friends. They fought a lot, but they also fought side by side when it mattered. He wouldn't be surprised if Rufus was asked to be her best man.

Speaking of, if he finished up early today maybe he could take his own vacation.

…

Keith had worked himself stupid, in the vain hope that he might - just might - have a chance to slip away for a few days.

He liked to think that if Drendil had King Simon running everything all year, then Keith could probably leave for a few days and everything wouldn't burn down.

That was if he stopped having spies and family drop in…

Julia was set to arrive any minute. Who could really tell how long it would take. She could have a magical horse, or stamina potions, or any manner of magical aids.

"Your Visciousnesss," Lilith had come to deliver an afternoon snack and found him staring at the wall. "Is sssomething bothering you?"

"I'm not cursed." Keith let her know. Not that she had asked, but he'd tested. And he wasn't under the influence of a spell either.

"..." Lilith set down the tray and curtsied. "So nothing is bothering you?"

"Actually!" Keith stood up, leaving the office and his snack behind. "I'll be in my inner sanctum. I should be busy for an hour."

He hadn't visited Ria yet and it was midmorning. Time flew when you had spies and paperwork and anxiety. And a whole bleeding kindom to run, thank the gods for competent minions.

Not that he was getting anxious about things. Keith had prepared for war with Drendil for about a decade… a war he'd intended to stop at the border but who was counting.

Henrietta was counting. On him. To make her a part of the team.

Keith ignored his chaotic inner thoughts and connected with Hubert. The raven had stolen something shiny and was creating a nest in a nook among the rafters of one shop. The automaton had let its nature distract it, but all of his higher sentient creatures did so. He couldn't blame the raven for behaving like a raven.

He could and did panic when Henrietta was nowhere to be seen. He had Hubert fly around the town, high overhead. There was no trace of her, so without waiting around Keith sent Hubert up the trail.

… Missing the fact that a dwarf who'd just sat down to lunch and a beer at Polman's Tavern, might've had a message for him if he'd bothered to say anything to anyone before he flew off.

As it was, Keith didn't check in. He simply flew off towards the Great Road. He proceeded directly to Gren's Keep, pushing to catch up with his missing Princess.