The capital city of Lempea, Aderes, is laid out as a series of concentric circles with streets running the length of the city like spokes on a wheel. The outer rim is home to the city slums that are generally avoided by most of the city populace. The next rim is home to the city guard, no secret that they are there to [i]protect[/i] the middle and upper classes from the poor and the vagrants of the slums. The next rim boasts the merchant’s district, all sorts of intriguing smells and sounds litter the place with an air of possibility. The Cathedral of Isa is the most prominent feature in the rim, directly across from the old library which still has a lock on the door and boarded up windows from when it was decommissioned, no one is allowed inside or has been allowed inside in over a century. The final rim around the city center houses the sprawling estates of the nobility, the estates often gifts from King Merrick himself to families who have served him dutifully and more importantly, [i]successfully[/i]. At the very heart of the city is the jewel of Lempea, the Ivory Palace, home of King Merrick.

The Ivory Palace stands resolute against the decay of time. It’s white walls seem as polished as the day it was constructed. A gently flowing river encircles the palace and flows out to the Northern Sea. The gardens around the palace abound with wild flowers and shrubbery that even an elf would envy. 

[hr]

Kate Iles was the body guard of Prince Dominic, so much of her time was spent at the Ivory Palace. She lived by herself, in the outer rim. The homes of the slums were patched together with whatever building material could be found, windows were often covered with pieces of burlap to keep out the cold. A crack an down the center of the middle step leading up to Kate’s porch. The porch railing leaned slightly to the left and the thatch style roof was sagging in some places. 

She dawned her plate mail armor, the crest of the Royal family stamped on her breast plate. Her auburn hair was pulled into a slicked back ponytail out of her fierce agean blue eyes. It wasn’t a terribly long walk to the palace, just crowded the closer one was to the merchant’s district. Kate spotted a merchant yelling at a small child, an apple was clutched tightly in their fist as tears streamed down their face.

Without a word Kate handed the man enough money to cover the apple and anything else the child may want from the food cart. He bowed his head at Kate and released the crying child who just stared at Kate’s retreating form like she were a God.

Once at the palace Kate was informed that the King wanted to see her. It was not an unusual request, he would often have her do things outside of her purview as a member of the Royal Guard. It still made her nervous, she was a Soturi right under the nose of the King. She suspected that he knew but since she always did as she was told without protest he probably preferred to keep her where he could keep an eye on her. Still, she made sure her gauntlet was securely covering her mark, a small leaf that looked similar to a tattoo, on the inside of her wrist.

“You wished to see me, Sir?” Kate offered a customary salute, bringing her right closed fist to her chest with a shallow bow before letting it fall back to her side.

King Merrick was not an imposing man, he would be rather unassuming except for his brilliant white garments with various gemstones sewn into the hem. His hair was as flaxen as it had been centuries ago, the ravages of time holding no meaning for one such as him, a Soturi. His pale blue eyes were staring out the floor to ceiling windows that overlooked the river below. He didn’t even bother to look in Kate’s direction.

His voice was as smooth as silk but Kate could hear an undercurrent to it..a tone of…darkness. His voice always made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. “I have a guest I would like you to persuade to tell me what they know about an annoying group of traitors. They call themselves the Rebellion. I also suspect our guest is a Soturi. Should you discover that they are, I trust you’ll take care of it.”

“Of course, your majesty,” Kate bowed before leaving. 

[hr]

The guest was in the dungeons, the only living soul in the dungeon, or so Kate thought. Kate unlocked the cell containing the guest and dismissed the guard, explaining that things might soon be taking a violent turn.

“Come on,” Kate’s entire demeanor changed. “We have to leave. You’re not safe here. And now, neither am I. Let’s go!”

Kate grabbed the guest by the arm and practically dragged them up the stairs with her, stopping when she heard someone in another cell. The gnome, she was surprised he was still alive. She freed him too and dragged him along as well. It wasn’t long before they were discovered, trying to flee the courtyard. Before the alarm could be sounded Kate raised her hand and the guard that had found them was suddenly hit hard in the back of the head with a tree branch that hadn’t been there a minute ago. With another wave of her hand the guard was now tangled in the roots of the tree, it would be a while before anyone found him.