Chapter 73 - Anisen Family Meeting at Royale Palace Inn

Vaughn kept the necklace and decided to give it to Zenia some other time. They still had some business to discuss. He returned to their bedchamber, and he saw Zenia by the balcony. She turned around when she felt his presence.

"How is your grandfather?"

"He should be fine. Do you have anything for tomorrow?"

"I want to visit my family at Royale Palace Inn before they return to Ishelon. We still have something to discuss."

"I will prepare a carriage for you and have someone escort you tomorrow."

"You don't need to. I will just join the servants that are going to buy stuff tomorrow and return here together with them."

Vaughn wanted to protest but changed his mind. Zenia must have everything planned.

They discussed what happened in the Main Hall earlier, and she told Vaughn that none of his siblings looked suspicious, except the grandchildren of the Left Minister.

"I've heard that the Left Minister's condition is already stable, and he just needs to rest in the hospital. In a few days, I'm sure he's going to persuade the King to let Verone into the harem."

"Hmm, I thought that too. He was so adamant about it. I have a hunch that they are becoming desperate already and failed to notice that their intentions are becoming obvious."

"It seems something happened that they want to rush their plan. They were taking it slow before and now they are suddenly moving fast."

"When I was in Lunaria, Gustof was serving a masked master. If my guess is correct, that masked master and the Ninth Prince are accomplices for quite some time. The masked man must be the one who wants to speed things up."

"Damien and the Left Minister only collaborated with a group from Ishelon. The masked man could be from Ishelon?"

Zenia shook her head. "I doubt it. I think he's from Venetia. Gustof came from Venetia and the masked man recognized my dagger, which came from Venetia."

They looked at each other and hurriedly went to the desk and took out some papers and a pen. Vaughn drew a rough map of the entire Maecaea.

"Venetia was quite far from Tissuria and Ishelon. If the masked man was from Venetia, why did he come to Tissuria?"

"My father helped Venetia before, and I am pretty sure that he has a good relationship with the people there. If the masked man is from Venetia, why come to Tissuria for help and not Ishelon?"

They both answered at the same time, "Unless he's someone who must exact revenge on Venetia!" 

"This is more complicated than I thought. I guess everyone is using somebody to get what he wants." Vaughn never thought that they would uncover something deeper.

"He won't go to Ishelon for help because he is blaming my father and hates my family."

"What's the plan now?"

"I think it's best to uproot his support in Tissuria before we try to find out who he really is. If my calculations are correct, he has already covered his tracks and no one would be able to trace them."

"What about the contacts of the Left Minister in Ishelon?"

"I will discuss everything with my Big Brother tomorrow. Gustof may have told him something already."

* * * * *

Zenia wore a simple dress that was in her backpack, which the old man had brought her. She made her skin a bit dark and her eyebrows a bit bushy. She removed the bracelet that the Queen gave her and kept it in the dresser's drawer.

Vaughn stood by the desk and watched her put on her disguise. She braided her hair in two and wore a bonnet. She looked like a complete country bumpkin, but Vaughn couldn't help thinking that she looked cute. She definitely looked much younger than her age.

"How do I look? Do I still look like my real self?"

"You look better this way than your real self." Vaughn joked with her.

"Really?" Zenia looked at herself in the mirror and did not notice that Vaughn just cracked a joke.

'Which part is better than my real self? This guy's aesthetic value must be off! The woman he falls in love with must be really ugly.'

Vaughn did not bother telling her that he was just joking. He noticed the time and knew that the servants who would go shopping for supplies must have gathered already.

"You better get moving if you don't want to miss your ride."

"I'm going, bye-bye."

Zenia ran like the wind. In seconds, she disappeared within Vaughn's scope of vision.

The servants patiently waited for the arrival of another passenger. They did not dare ask who she was. They were given specific instructions to wait for her before they set off and when they were about to return.

"I'm so sorry I'm late." Zenia greeted everyone and apologized.

Everyone warmed up to her immediately. Even though the girl looked average, she was lively and polite. She was easy to get along with.

"Let us go." It was the head servant who spoke and off they went.

It was the first time that Zenia took a proper look at the scenery. Tissuria had a certain charm to it that was different from Ishelon. She would be staying in this new place for at least a year.

It was a nice, smooth ride. They reached town faster than expected. She bid the servants farewell and went to Royale Palace Inn. Mathilda did not recognize her when she asked for the room of the Anisens. Mathilda politely told her to wait in the dining area.

After a few minutes, Zander and Zekiah greeted her. Zander was about to hug Zenia, but she stopped him.

"Big Brother, you must behave as a grown man should. I will not talk to you anymore if you don't behave."

Zander retracted his arms that were already wide open and ready to receive Zenia.

"Let us go upstairs. Mother and Father were already waiting." Zekiah blurted out in a gentlemanly manner.

"Zeze, I have not seen you in a while and you've grown so handsome!"

"You look so beautiful too, sister."

Zander looked at his two siblings who shared the same face and shamelessly praising each other.

* * * * *

After greeting her mother and father, Zenia and the rest of the family began to discuss their plan. Zenia told them what she and Vaughn had discussed, including the possibility of having women in the Palace of the Crown Prince. They all knew that it was bound to happen.

Renaria told them what she uncovered and Zenia could not believe it. Zander and Zekiah told Zenia about infiltrating the enemy's camp and how they would do it. Zander's men already knew what to do, and they were just waiting for his signal.

"Are you really going to keep those two assassins alive?" Zenia asked without blinking her eyes.

"To safeguard a secret, we must not let anyone take hold of it."

"I agree. A dead man tells no tale."

"What do you plan to do next?"

"Tissuria has so many traditions and customs that must be followed by the newlyweds. After I'm through with all of them, I need Zeze to pose as me in the palace."

"Just send me a message. For the meantime, I will stay here."

"Big Brother, did Gustof tell you something about his master?"

"He did not and I did not ask. I will ask him when we return to Ishelon."

"Mother, when do you plan to return to Ishelon?" Zenia turned to Renaria and looked at her like she did not want her mother to leave.

"It's best if no one knows. We will send you a secret missive when we reached Ishelon." Renaria held her daughter's hands and touched her face.

"Take care of your self, Zenzen." Ovid gave his daughter a bear hug.

Zenia hated it, but it may take some time before she could see her family again. Everyone else joined in, and they stayed that way for a while.