Not wanting to come out of the room, Siora stayed in. She placed her satchel on the side. They were supposed to leave in the evening and so she had a lot of time at hand. Siora started chopping vegetables… slowly. She was not expecting, but when she saw bread and honey with vegetable stew given to her by a servant, she accepted it. She needed all the food for her health, for her magic. So, Siora ate whatever was served to her, and continued chopping the vegetables. A girl would come and take away the chopped vegetables at regular intervals. 

Siora grew impatient and by the time it was evening, she was reeking of the smell of vegetables, milk and dampness. The girl who was coming to pick up, informed her that she had to go to the mansion with a group of five men to set up for the makeshift kitchen. Siora collected her bag and followed the girl to join the group eagerly. 

When she came out, she found a wagon that was already loaded. It was attached to a carriage that had two horses reined in. She saw that the men were already sitting in the carriage. She pulled her hood over and then squeezed herself in the carriage. The coachmen whipped the horses and they began trotting. With all the bawdy jokes that the men made and the way they looked at her in a lecherous way, all Siora hoped was that she didn't lash her magic out. So, she kept quiet all the way to Kaizan's mansion. As soon as they reached the mansion, a servant directed them all to the back entrance that led to the kitchen and stores. Siora hauled the first sack that she came across and then walked to where the servants pointed. She made two more trips and after that, she slipped away. Just before leaving, she took out a lotion from her bag and rubbed it liberally over her skin and clothes in order to conceal her smell. 

The mansion had two stories and the main banquet hall was on the first floor. She measured the distance from the kitchen to the main hall. The banquet hall was empty and so it was easy for her to understand the position of every door and window. She needed to clear her exit points. At first, she went to the door at the far end that opened in the backyard. But the moment she opened the door, she came across the boundary wall that was at least fifteen feet tall and had barbed wires on top of it. So much snow had settled on the wire and the wall, that it only appeared taller. It would be stupid to take this route, and she was sure that after she misfired her magic, the back alley behind was teeming with guards. She closed the door and was about to go to the next door when she heard loud noises. Girls were tittering over something in the adjacent room. She rushed to the nearest hiding spot behind long drapes and overheard their conversation.

"Do you like me so much, Paige?" Lea asked in a seductive voice. 

"Well, you know how I feel!" 

"Girls!" Kaizan shouted from his place. "Iona and Darla are here. Darla is fussing about Iona's gown. Why don't you go and help her?" 

Iona breezed in. "How do I look?" she said as she twirled. 

"Gods, that is one terrible gown!" Paige remarked. "Where did you get it from?" 

Iona! Every muscle in Siora's body went tight. She was so close to killing her. But if she killed her now, she wouldn't know where to exit from. Siora clenched her jaw in frustration. She calmed herself. She shouldn't be impatient. 

"Galahar. This belonged to the former queen's trousseau. She has a collection of over a thousand gowns! The seamstress had come to take my measurements and stitch for me. But I didn't want to waste all the money, so I asked the seamstress to redesign some of these for me," said Iona in a low, shy voice. "I don't want to spend so much money on myself when with all that money I can feed so many families." 

"Gods!" Paige explained. "You are so sweet but are-you-mad? You are the queen and the gowns you are wearing are so… old fashioned. As old as your ancient-absconding-mother-in-law! You better change them and I am going to recommend you to my seamstress." 

Siora, who was still in her hidden position, winced at Paige's word. Ancient. Absconding. Her fashion was over the top in Galahar and this bitch had ripped her gowns apart to make new ones. Her hands clenched on her sides as anger rose to her chest. She let it thrum inside her, let it collect in the pool of her magic in her blood. 

Darla giggled. "You are right. Her mother-in-law is as old as five civilizations!" When she said that everyone in the room started laughing. "Oh, this is not all. I heard that Kaizan had battered her horns in last battle and that is why she took him as a hostage." 

"What?" There was a collective gasp as Paige exclaimed. "Gods she must be one ugly demon!" She turned to look at Kaizan who was talking to the servants. "Is that true, Kaizan? Did you batter her horns?" 

"It is," replied the wolf. "I broke her horn in two and then shoved it in her mouth." Liar.

Iona started laughing. "My mother-in-law must have been very peeved. I heard from Rolfe that she had a terrible anger, and that she was least bothered about her children." 

"Of course, she is least bothered!" said Darla. "Who in their right mind would want to kill their own son? In fact, she sounds like a very deranged woman. I am so glad that she is away from you. If I find her, I will kill her or perhaps throw her again in the dungeons for a long-long time." 

Provoked as hell, she wanted to rip the throat of Darla. She would actually show how deranged she was. Her fury was rising like hot lava, and she would have ripped apart the drape she was hiding behind, when one of the men in her group came to the banquet hall and shouted her name, "Jenna!" 

Her fury was replaced with anxiety. She didn't want him to shout her name. It would raise suspicions. "Jenna!" the man shouted again. If he continued doing that, it would be very difficult for her to either stay there or come out. 

"Who are you looking for?" asked Paige when the man entered the living room. 

He bowed to all of them and apologized. "I am sorry, m'lady to disturb you, but a woman called Jenna was with us. We have finished the work here and are going back. However, she is nowhere to be found. We have looked around in the house…" he sounded helpless. 

"Perhaps she has already left?" Kaizan suggested. 

"That could be right, m'lord," the man replied and bowed again. "We are leaving for the day.. If you see her, please ask her to come on her own." 

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