[hider=Behind the scenes]
[i][b]The shadow.[/b][/i]
Vivian Blackwell, a name that meant very little to her, she had read it in a report regarding the expected threat of the different members of house Blackwell. She was almost impressed, the imperial spies were actually good.
They knew about the disappearance of her father and the death of her sister, names she knew were her kin but struggled to care for, she saw them more like the people who are employing her than family.
Vivian was also more like the name of a faraway princess than a name she felt was her own. In the report Vivian Blackwell was caring for the Sutherbrunn estate, a nice mansion in the south of Alenius.
She slightly shook her head that no one still had figured out that Vivian Blackwell was actually the Shadow, who was currently infiltrating the royal court and had done so for the last year or so and now she was reading classified imperial spy data regarding the location of herself presumably tending to a pretty yard across the inland sea.
Her cover seemed to be better than she'd ever imagined.

Disregarding the rudimentary data concerning her and her blood relatives as non vital, she simply put them back and left the archive.
Wearing a simple light blue servants dress, with a white servants hat covering most of her hair.
Moving out into the corridor she began pushing a small trolley of snacks and drinks.

At the same time, Claus came around the corner behind her and was whistling some catchy tune. Completely in his own thoughts, spinning a flyswatter with a nice loop ring on it that he found somewhere.
As he noticed the disguised Vivian he saw an almost ordinary castle servant, apart from her broad waving hips. He unknowingly leaned a bit and without thinking about it let out a impressed whistling exhale.
Vivian had immediately noticed the bumbling buffoon, known to be a disrespectful commoner who swaggered about the keep like he owned the place.
She had dealt with her fair share of idiot men in her days and she knew how to use her every asset to her advantage.

Claus being faster than her with the trolley he caught up with her and walked alongside her.
-"Nice day ey? Drinks for you or someone important? Or perhaps us!?" He gave a broad smirk even showing some teeth.
Inwardly the shadow was groaning, but she just gave her best smile, checked her hair and faked being abashed letting out a small giggle.
She faked a slight cough and responded.
-"Oh this is for the emperor."
-"Are you sure it isn't for us?" He was teasing her now, she wanted to flee but responded.
-"These fineries are far above my modest pay, would i be caught stealing it i'd be flogged. You would certainly be aware of that ser advisor." 
She was prying into his status, perhaps she could swallow her pride and amuse him later for some insight into the advisorial meetings, they were bound to have juicy knowledge just waiting to be taken from under their noses.
-"Ha! Not if i take the blame. You are not responsible if i ordered you." Claus smirked and his devious side showed through. She felt that 
apart from his horrific personality this was certainly someone she could beguile and trick.
-"Oh that is just too much ser, i'm overwhelmed." She did her best embarrassed look she could, which was very convincing and it seems Claus took the bait.
-"Ah yes, i can have that effect on some." He smirked and winked, she stifled a groan.
The shadow was now searching for a way out but only needed to keep up with this facade of niceties for another twenty steps or so.
Luckily Claus tried to see if she would be proactive in the conversation, which she wasn't and just excused herself as she got to the emperor's personal quarters.
Only mildly disappointed he let her go inside, nodded to his corpsmen guarding the door and resumed his merry walk spinning the flyswatter.

Knocking on the door, the emperor's answer was clear.
-"Enter."
She had managed to avoid the womanizer, she was relieved. Now she was doing the courteous spiel that came with serving the emperor his meal.
On top of that she did her best attractive walk, it seemed that the emperor noticed, excellent.
Putting down the expensive chicken breast fillet with gravy, carrots and sprouts. she poured him his wine, which she knew was ready.
-"Will that be all your grace?" His simple nod the answer, she did a curtsy, closed the door and left him to his meal.

She left the room, part one of today's tasks was done, she had given the emperor the cup.
Now she would go to the second target, Isabel De'Reimer.
She took the winding path to her room and one of the Steel Fist corpsmen gave a small triple knock to which the door opened only enough so that one of Isabel's hand maidens could exchange a few words with Vivian.
Heavily watered wine, the lady was still feeling unwell so a cup of tea as well.
Now having the order she hastened to the kitchen. She had noticed the extra guards and recognized them as Steel Fist mercenaries, now working full time as imperial bodyguards, this was complicating things but not too much, she had studied their patrols and was confident in her knowledge.

The kitchen was busy preparing the food for the evening, several cooks were chopping vegetables, cutting meat into select slices of the finest cuts and boiling a soup and a variety of sauces.
For practicality there was often a pot of water on heating for a variety of uses and one of those was for tea.
She prepared a decorated brass tea strainer with chamomile leaves and poured hot water in the cup. She twisted her armband preparing it for the job.
This armband had a hidden compartment, previously filled with the poison. Quite ingenious, twist, hold above the container and pull out a rod and the fluid poured out below.
She checked around but knew the cooks and their aides were busy and didn't look so she with an experienced hand poured.

Without warning two Steel Fist corpsmen barged into the kitchen and began to walk about checking everyone.
The shadow only had time to react and look at them when she noticed one of them was staring at her armband. SHIT she thought and stopped what she was doing and tried to act natural.
The patrol was completely out of synch, a random patrol? Change of routes? It didn't matter as the corpsman spoke up with a harsh serious voice.
-"Whose cup is that." Pointing fiercely at the cup.
-"Lady Isabel De'Reimer." She tried to act like the surprised coy little servant girl.
-"I think she won't like you poisoning her wench, Goyle, help me grab her!" He had seen right through her, crap, the two soldiers were coming at her and were not friendly, pushing pots out of the way while closing in.

She took the cup and simply tossed it in his face, he screamed from the pain and keeled over. Shocked Goyle glanced at his friend before sneering and drawing his dagger in a fluid motion.
The shadow knew this was a mission compromised and pulled out a vial from a hole leading to a pocket in her corset and promptly tossed it at the cuirass of Goyle.
The vial broke and the liquid reacted with the air, letting out a acidic tasting purple smoke which reeked of pepper.
The smoke hurt his eyes and he had trouble breathing from the irritation. Vivian just covered her face, shoulder tackled him out of the way and began to leave.
She was planning on simply walking out, but when the cooks aides began to check on the corpsmen, Goyle simply gave a three-stroke warning signal on his bugle. She wasn't walking this one out.

The alarm spread quick, the Steel Fist trained to sound a bugle call when another was heard to spread it along. It took only two calls before Claus heard it and sprang to action, quickly getting confirmation that the call came from the kitchen.
He was there in no time, finding Harper and Goyle getting help from the cooks aides to tend to them.
Seeing Harper in way worse shape, he turned to Goyle.
-"Goyle, what's going on? Report!"  Claus snapped a question, Goyle's reaction was trying to look, but his eyes were deeply swollen.
-"Boss!? We saw this servant pouring something into the drink of that Isabel lady."
-"How'd she look?"
-"Blue dress, white hat, dark hair, weird armband." Claus thought about this and remembered the servant he met in the corridor.
-"Did she have a nice ass?" Claus asked seriously. Utterly confused his two men could only utter a.
-"What?"
-"Did she have a nice ass, wavy walk!?" Almost sounding angry now, Claus sounded absolutely crazy while also faking a womans sexy walk.
-"Yeah, i guess..." Goyle's answer was utterly confused and Claus simply stormed out of the kitchen and shouted in the door, ordering his men to seize the servant in the blue dress and armband.
Mid repeating his order he simply stopped, got a worried look on his face and stormed off. He recalled her outside the emperor's room, delivering drinks and snacks.


Alasdair heard a muffled shout outside his door barely a second before he saw Claus kicking it open so hard it almost broke at the hinges.
Terrified he stared at Claus who simply stormed in, yanked the wine goblet from his hand and roared out so loud his ears temporarily got tinnitus.
-"I NEED THE MEDICUS! OR AN ALCHEMIST, OR BOTH!!! NOW!!!!" He didn't even look at Alasdair as he walked out the room, gave the goblet to one of the rooms guards mentioning holding on to it only letting the medicus or an alchemist touch it.
Alasdair's jaw had dropped in shock and gave Lanaya a surprised look. Both at a complete loss for words as Claus disappeared from sight.


[i][b]Flight.[/b][/i]
The shadow was jogging through the keep. She took a few shortcuts she knew well to avoid the soldiers chasing her. She was dodging them expertly but had to double back a few times to get a clear shot at a few stairs she needed to take.
She was sure she had cleared a stair when she rounded a corner, and was met with Claus palm which he slammed into her face using all the weight in his body.
This threw her to the floor, broke her nose and she skidded a metre or so on the carpet from the impact.
Quickly recovering, she regained her composure and rolled to the side ripping off the skirt of her overdress as she did so.
Revealing several daggers, small knives and vials strapped to her legs on a custom harness which fastened on her hips. She drew a dagger and began to stand up.
Claus was having none of this and promptly grabbed hold of her wrist, his strength was greater than hers so she couldn't escape, so she kicked her heel into the ground, revealing a spring loaded blade on the toes which she hit him on the back of the knee making him fall down, landing with a loud thud on his knees.
Now pissed he yanked her arm, took his right hand and began shoking her. Gasping for breath she tried to reach his face with her left hand, then pulled something from her thigh and chucked it at his face.
He instinctively turned away but he still got some of the purple smoke in his eyes. It stung really bad and his eyes streamed with tears which got out some of the irritants.
His instinct to protect his eyes helped the Shadow to escape Claus grip and she began to run off.
The smoke had blinded him, but he could hear her running footsteps, he grabbed his mace and made a calibrated throw which hit her in her right thigh.

The sudden force and the pain toppled her to the floor, just long enough for a couple of corpsmen to restrain her.
Pouring some water from his canteen on his eyes, Claus managed to look at her as she was pushed to the ground by four men, unable to move.
-"You lass is going away to the dungeon. Take her away!" His order met with Vivians vicious sneer.
He realized that he probably should report to Alasdair, the boss would probably be a bit confused after that stunt...
[/hider]