[table][row][/row][row][cell][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/S98vWKh.png[/img][/center][/cell][cell]
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[indent][sup][color=ab274f]Attire:[/color] [url=https://i.imgur.com/IIomrbO.jpg]No cloak[/url]
[color=ab274f]Time:[/color] 1:00 pm
[color=ab274f]Location:[/color] The Library -> Outside of the castle
[color=ab274f]Mention(s):[/color]
[color=ab274f]Interaction(s):[/color]
[/sup][/indent][/cell][/row][/table]The first thing Wulfric did after Alibeth left was figure out how to get back into the hidden room. It wasn’t that difficult once he knew it was there.

Yes…[i]Once he knew.[/i] There was a clear problem with that.

[color=ab274f][i]What else do I not know which I should?[/i][/color] Which other secrets? What other information?

Clearly, his mother knew much more about the situation than she was saying. That ‘mastermind’, for example. She’d said proxies, as in plural, yet suspected there was one person behind all or most such spies? This went so far and beyond just this one afterparty…

Wulfric had already suspected as much, but the involvement of magic made this all the more deeply concerning.

[color=ab274f][i]Why didn’t she tell me more? Why not earlier?[/i][/color]

Wulfric sighed. He did know the answer to that. She simply didn’t trust him as much as he’d thought she did, nor as much as he wished she did.

He supposed it was also an indicator that he should be more proactive about finding out.

[color=ab274f][i]Fine then.[/i][/color] It’s not as if he there was anything he couldn’t do once he set his mind to it.

He could be more observant. Act with more forethought and awareness. Use [i]all[/i] resources available to their full extent.

Whatever else his mother might be waiting till ‘the appropriate moment’ to inform him of? He’d make it so that when she tried, he’d already know.

[color=ab274f][i]You’ll see…I’ll surpass you.[/i][/color]

He clenched a fist, and for a moment, stared at where he’d last seen her, a glint of vicious determination in his gaze.

Then, he made his way out of the magical archive, as he’d dubbed it, and closed the hidden entrance. He could get back here when he liked, now. He’d discuss this with Auguste at some point, but for now, he had a more immediate issue to resolve.

Apparently, Fletcher might run away. Though mother had prevented an execution, she still expected him to die in a subsequent chase. However, it seemed she wouldn’t bother preventing his escape from the castle. That left enough leeway to try and keep him alive and safe, like Callum asked for.

However…

Wulfric did also want to gauge the man’s mental state for himself.

For now, it’d be best to have Darryn secured somewhere. Have him watched, maybe have a professional assess him. He’d also have to be made at least comfortable enough not to feel like recklessly (and unknowingly) running straight towards his own doom.

So, he’d have to pick someone lax enough not to threaten the stableboy (much), yet someone motivated to follow even such a strange order right.

The prince hummed to himself.

Oh, he had just someone in mind. Whichever fools had let in that foreign warrior with his arsenal of weapons…Yes, they would do.

It didn’t take long to find them, and set them on a new assignment.

In the end, there wasn’t too great of a delay before he departed the castle.