Cade.

The reason Ress was disowned by his family.

The reason Ress was run out of his town and towards the life of a thief in Dreduor.

Cade.

The same man who broke Ress' heart just as everything else was ripped away.

She had never met him and never wanted to meet him.

Maize wanted to kill him all the same.

No longer did she see the young lordling locked in conversations with Laris. Instead, she saw the bastard of a farm boy who was too selfish and too much of a coward to do what he knew was right.

And now that bastard had realized he was being watched. And by who.

"Shit," Ress whispered as they watched Cade excuse himself from his conversation to work his way through the crowd.

"Want me to distract him?"

"How?"

"I don't know, throw a knife at him?"

"You weren't supposed to bring a knife."

"Okay fine- I'll throw my shoe."

"As if that isn't inconspicuous."

"And throwing a knife is?"

The sight of movement towards them paused Maize's retort. "Speaking of not being inconspicuous," she muttered, taking a small step away from Ress as Cade worked through the crowd to approach him.

"What do I do?" Ress hissed.

"I don't know but you're running out of time to figure it out-"

"Restor? Is that truly you?" Cade exclaimed once he stopped before them.

Maize couldn't control the glare towards the casual use of Ress's formal name.

"Caden," Ress answered, an uneasy hand running through his hair. "You look well."

"I can't believe this!" The amazed tone sounded more like someone who hadn't seen a close friend in years rather than something who betrayed his lover. "What are you doing here?"

"I-"

Maize knew Ress was struggling. Normally he'd have an answer- truthful or otherwise- without a moment's hesitation. She could only imagine what seeing Cade again was doing to him. She already knew what it was doing to her.

"Maizelyn," she said as she stepped between them, presenting her hand to Cade like she knew ladies did. "Courtier to Prince Laris. Restor is my footman."

"Is that so?" Cade asked, eyes wide as he took her hand, a small kiss place on its back while his attention remained on Ress. "I knew you had left Seren- I didn't know it was to work on Dreduor."

If only he knew...

"And you are?" she asked quickly, attempting to return the attention to her and away from Ress, if only for a moment's respite.

"Of course. How rude of me. Caden, husband to Lady Findara of Alynthi."

"So you did get married," Ress murmured so low that only they could hear.

Cade seemed to pick up on his insinuation as his ears reddened. "Ah... yes. I suppose it's what one would have called a marriage of convenience."

"So convenient you had three kids?" Maize snapped.

Cafe blinked. "I... yes. How did you know that? Have we met before?"

Shit.

Maize waved a dismissive hand. "You know how word gets around the court, especially so close to Remembrance Day. By the time it's over, everyone will know who everyone else has slept with."

Ress cut her a glare as Cade's cheeks reddened just as she noticed the black-haired beauty known to be Cade's wife approaching them. Maize wanted to kick herself for looking beyond them, searching out Laris, and feeling disappointed that she lost him in the crowd. Dare she follow him? No- she couldn't leave Ress. Not now. Not like this.

But she couldn't leave him in his current situation either. He'd break and be no good to her later.

Lady Findara of Alynthi approached wearing an elaborate dress of blues and greens. Her black hair fell down her back in waves like the ocean at midnight. "Caden, my darling, was there something you needed?" Her voice purred with an accent Maize was unfamiliar with. "We could have asked Laris and I'm sure he would have found something to help you rather than you going out of your way asking yourself. It is her castle, after all..."

"Findara," Cade said as he turned to greet his wife. "No, it's nothing like that. I've merely believed I saw someone I thought I knew from my younger days and my suspicions were correct."

Findara eyed both Maize and Ress curiously.

"This is Restor," Cade continued. "We grew up together in the same village."

Maize wanted to correct him that growing up together wasn't the only thing they did, but she had a part to play and bit her tongue.

"Oh," Findara said, turning her nose up somewhat at the thought of her presence being contaminated by the common folk. Maize, though common herself, for the next two weeks at least she was going to take advantage of her assumed position and do what she could to make sure the pompous diplomats understood that they'd never be where they were if not for the common people.

Maybe even borrow some of their pompous diplomatic inspiration for her own benefit.

"Res... tor has been with me at the castle since I began my term as a courtier," Maize interjected.

"Yes," Cade said, clearing his throat. "This is Lady Maizelyn, courtier to Prince Laris, and Restor is her footman here at the castle."

"So you haven't been here long then," Findara sneered.

"Excuse me?" Maize knew she wasn't wrong but didn't like her tone any less.

"Well, the Prince was just explaining to us that he only just arrived back to Dreduor, and his father insister he have a court ready and waiting for him upon his arrival. So you must have only been here a day or so, correct?"

Findara smirked as she watched Maize expectantly, waiting for her to answer. Was she like this with everyone she only just met? Or only with the people she believed were associated with her husband before she forced herself into his life? A marriage of convenience, indeed...

"I am here to do as my Prince asked of me," was all she said in response, plastering on the sweetest smile she could.

Whether or not Findara believed her, she didn't care.

"It seems Maizelyn and Restor will be here for as long as the Prince remains for Remembrance Day," Cade said, almost hopeful. "Perhaps we can spend some of the time catching up on lost years."

Or you could kill him.

Maize felt her blood turn cold.

You could kill him and Ress could have him.

Conversations continued around her even as she felt like time stopped.

You could kill him and Ress could have him forever.

If she was holding a glass, she would have dropped it, her hand was shaking so bad. Instead, she hid her hands in her skirts to hide their trembling.

You could kill him and Ress could have him forever. Just like you have me.

"Maize?"

She blinked as Ress's voice pulled her back to the present, though it didn't cease then incessant pounding within her head.

"I think I see someone I know," she said quickly, hoping that the look she threw at him was enough to let him know everything was not all right, but there was nothing they could do about it now. "If you'll excuse me..."

"By all means," Findara drawled as if Maize's departure was the greatest insult she'd ever experienced.

Maize didn't care. She gave them the faked smile she could muster while she fought against the raging pain in her skull. Ress' look was none but undiluted concern, but they had parts to play and she wasn't going to allow the revenant in her mind to ruin more than it had already.

She didn't wait for any more questions or any further explanations. Instead of working her way through the crowded room where she undoubtedly would have caught the attention of Laris, or worse, Lawson Forge, she exited through the same servants' entrance that she came in to start.

The hallways were less trafficked than it was when she first arrived, and Maize used the quiet to her advantage as she moved further down the hall, past the kitchens, to a small sitting room that looked like it hadn't been used in some time. She didn't even need to use the dusty chaise at its center- she collapsed against the wall by the door, leaving her just out of sight should anyone pass by.

She didn't pay any further attention to the dress she wore or her cosmetics or her styled hair, not as she fought the losing battle with the voice inside her head.

It was too soon. There was no reason for the herbs to have begun to lose their potency when she had just taken them before they left the Den. Why, of all times when she didn't need the distraction or the hindrance, was this happening now? There must have been something wrong with the herbs in the last dose Ress purchase from Josue, but why would the merchant have done such a thing. Unless he didn't know. Or he did know, and that was why his stall was burned to the ground... maybe there was someone else who depended on the herbs as much as she, and had less tolerance for the potential of being swindled.

Closing her eyes, she leaned her head against the wooden paneling of the wall at her back.

This was all the more motivation to remain on track and not allow themselves to be distracted. Not by pretty princes or lovers from the past. Not even by jealous wives or overbearing lesser advisors. Not until they could find the herbs she needed. Not until they could finish what they came to do, and the sooner they did it the better.

She didn't know how much time had passed while she was hidden away in that room, but she could still hear the ball carrying on and decided she'd better return before anyone came looking for her. Slowly standing, she used the wall to keep her steady as she brushed off her dress and smoothed her hair. She could only imagine what her cosmetics looked like, and rubbed at her cheeks in an attempt to even them out. Taking in a breath and letting it out slowly, she left the room and moved down the hall as if nothing was wrong, that she belonged there the entire time.

She'd need to find Ress. She needed to talk to him about everything, to make sure his focus was still on their mission, to make sure Cade wasn't going to be too much of a distraction.

She needed to avoid Laris, at least for the remainder of the night. At least until she could decide how best she was going to utilize him for the next two weeks while they tried to find Lusciana's Legacy.

And she needed to ignore the questioning stares from Lawson Forge for as long as possible. The last thing she wanted to do was have to answer his inquiries or at least think of lies about them.

Returning to the ballroom, however...

She couldn't find Ress.

And they didn't cross paths for the remainder of the night.