Chapter 20

Ever since Elena's escape, Lena couldn't help but have a feeling that there was a second party involved in her escape. And if so, she resolved to find out who it was and drag his corpse to Alixandre's feet.

But, in order to do that, she first of all needed to discreetly investigate the matter and get her facts straightened. For that to happen, she was left with no choice but to solicit help from two flexible characters.

The twin butlers.

"I would be glad to offer my help, if it means clearing the air between the master and the mistress." Jareth proclaimed, while his brother poured all three of them a cup of tea.

"Do you have anyone you suspect?" He went on to ask, raising his cup of tea to his lips.

"If you ask me, no one is more suspicious than that healer...Remmy. She's had her eyes on the master all this while, and wants to get rid of the mistress." Jairo interjected, not caring to lower his tone.

Lena's fingers grazed the table as she considered the possibility, "it couldn't have been her, she knew about the barrier set to by his highness." Lena explained, using the process of elimination on her suspects.

"That means none of us are guilty! Everyone in the castle knew pretty well that his highness set up a barrier to protect the mistress." Jairo exclaimed, slamming his angry fist against the table.

"Could it be possible that an outsider is the mastermind? Someone with no knowledge of the barrier?" Jareth suggested, staring at the maids, with baskets of wet laundry balanced at their sides.

"Ah! I almost forgot!" Jareth exclaimed, raising his middle finger up, "the mistress was found by the master at the servant's entrance, wearing a maid's uniform." He recollected, voicing out his suspicion.

Lena thought hard on what he said, and put two and two together, "if what you're saying is true, then whoever helped the mistress escaped must be disguised amongst the servants." She announced, standing to her feet, leaving her tea untouched.

"Where in the blazing hell are you off to?" Jairo sharply chimed, eyeing the tea he had placed effort into brewing.

"I think I may have an idea on how to sniff out the spy within our midst." She said, resting her palm on her sword, her bloody thirsty blue eyes sent chills running down the twin's spines.

"If it would be of any help, we would like you offer our services." Jareth stated, rising to his feet as well. Jairo narrowed his eye at the half full cup of tea his brother left behind.

"And how would the two of you be of any help to me?" The woman raised a brow and folded her arms leisurely.

Jairo immediately sensed a hint of pride in Lena's tone, he scrunched his nose at her, showing his vivid dislike for prideful people.

"When it comes to the servants in the castle, my brother and I have their trust. If it's an interrogation you're after, you need us." Jairo said, placing stress on the word, need.

Lena crinkled her brows at his tone, but knew better than to pick fights with such old men. "And why would you want to help me? What is there for you to gain?"

As far as Lena was concerned, the twin butlers had served in the castle longer than she had, and had the king's utmost, for reasons she didn't understand.

But, she was also aware that they never budded their noses into other people's business, and mostly sat on their aged asses the entire day, issuing out orders, as though they owned the place.

Which was why she didn't quite understand why they were so invested in this matter.

"If it'll protect the mistress from master's wrath, then that's all the reason there is to catch this second party." The kinder one out of the two spoke first, earning a nod of approval from his counterpart.

Lena wanted to ask them why they referred to the prisoner as their mistress, but decided against it, not wanting to pry too much into their affairs.

"I'll take your word for it then, since our agenda is similar, let's join heads for now." She offered, seeing no reason not to depend on them. The butlers in turn nodded in unison, sealing the deal between them.

***********

With the help of the twins, Lena was able to find the maid whose uniform was stolen around the time Elena made her escape. She was a worker at the bathhouse, who had worked in the castle ever since she was fourteen.

Just like the butlers said, the maids willing gave them any information they needed, and offered to help them with whatever they might need. Lena was tempted to ask why they didn't receive the same scornful looks the maids directed at her, but decided to leave the matter be.

"That's all I remember! I woke up later than expected, and found my uniform missing. Scared that the head maid would punish me, I hid in my quarters the entire afternoon, till I heard the news about what happened." The red haired maid, named Agnes, insisted for the fifth time.

Lena had all the other maids clear the chamber, giving her the laxity to interrogate the suspect with ease. Her plans did not go as planned, as the obstinate woman refused to share any more information.

"I hope you understand that lying to a guard is a punishable offense! You better tell the truth, or else I might not forgive you." Lena insisted, caging the frightened maid against the nearest wall. She reached for her sword and attempted to draw it out, with every intention to slice the woman's skin.

The butlers exchanged all knowing glances with each other, Jairo cleared his throat and spoke up first.

"That's enough of your interrogation, I think you should let me and Jareth take over from here." He said in the most prideful manner, pissing off a frustrated Lena.

"What my brother means to say is, that you're frightening the poor thing to death. Sit here and let us assist you."

Lena scoffed at the overly confident butlers, "you think your skills are a match for mine? The king's personal guard?" She asked while withdrawing from the maid.

"I know so." Jairo retorted, using his shoulder to brush past Lena's, knowing fully well she wouldn't attack a man old enough to be called grandfather.

"I apologize for him." Jareth warmly said on his brother's behalf, in hopes to calm the hot blooded woman.

The twins led the maid to the nearest bed out of many in the large chamber and sat her down. Jareth took her left hand in his, and stroked it calmly, while Jairo wrapped a white sheet on her shoulders, then placed a pillow on her laps.

"Agnes was it? Are you from Reeves or where you brought into the country?" Jareth asked, making small talk with the woman, without once breaking his attention from her eyelids.

"I was born in another country, but was raised in Reeves by my aunt. She sold me to the palace when I was fourteen, to pay off the debts my father owed." Agnes sung, opening up to the two.

"Having worked in the palace for so long, you must know by now that we servants are obligated to serve the master. Which means, saying the truth to protect him, even if it kills us." Jareth told her, aiming at something so obvious, Lena was certain they would fail.

"I...know, but... I'm scared." Agnes softly replied, clutching tightly unto the pillow on her laps.

"It's fine to be afraid, but placing other people in danger is unforgivable. Your one mistake almost caused trouble for the mistress, I'm not sure that was your intention, right?" Jareth inquired, meticulously stroking the back of her palm.

"No! I would never! Believe me, it was...a mistake, I never should have let him trick me." Agnes confessed, making mention of a he.

"He? Who are you talking about!" Lena demanded in a harsh tone, causing Agnes to jump in stun. The butlers both narrowed their gazes at Lena, discreetly telling her to butt out of the conversation.

"Calm down Agnes and try to remember who exactly he is. Was he the one who stole your uniform?"

She nodded in response, "who is he? Have you seen him before in the castle? Maybe he's a gardener...guard..." Jairo suggested, trying to force a proper confession out of her.

"No. I can't recall ever seeing him before, I assumed he was a new hire." Agnes retorted, "none of the other maids recognized him either." She added, giving them a picture of the situation.

"What did he look like?" Jairo urged her, searching for face for natural evidence of lying.

"He had blonde hair, green eyes...a nicely built body...a scar in-between his thighs." She answered, murmuring the latter part of the sentence.

Without anyone having to say anything, it was painfully obvious that this maid had slept with the man behind Elena's escape. Which was how he was able to steal her uniform under her nose.

Content with the outcome, Lena made a motion to leave, but stopped in her tracks when she heard what Agnes had to say next.

"The strangest thing, is that I cannot recall much of what transpired between us at night. But, if there is something I'm double sure of, is that..." She took a dramatic pause and relaxed her shoulders.

"No matter how hard I tried, it didn't rise." She confessed with worried eyes, heightening the tension in the room.