"Chenzhou must know by now. She probably told him in person before she went to the High Court." Yuze paced behind his desk.
"Why the hell would she do that?" Kai Low scoffed, "What kind of fool tells the enemy their plan before they do it?"
The rest of the room, minus Ran Orlo, frowned at him.
"It's how things are done," Tayla said, like it was obvious.
"She's respecting the system," Mela added. "Just like Lord Ye would have done by saying nothing when she told him, not until it was announced by the High Court."
Kai Low's expression just got more and more baffled as they talked. "That's stupid."
Yuze and Eirian shared a look. They had grown up with the same beliefs, the same rhetoric; they'd both believed those words. Believed in that process.
But hearing Kai Low come out and call out how stupid it was, was…rock's sake.
How stupid it seemed now.
At this moment.
But after a moment to breathe, to think. Eirian realized it was stupid in the way Kai Low was thinking about it, but it made sense the way Tayla and Mela were thinking about it.
How frustrating that was.
What wasn't frustrating was her anger, so for now, she agreed with Kai Low. It was stupid. Even an hour's warning would have given them something. The High Court was only required to announce an investigation within a day, thirty hours, which meant they'd taken several before they made the announcement late afternoon. Based on Lady Yang's visit to Chenzhou, anyway. And their trust in her adherence to accepted practice.
They were behind the curve now, and they would spend the entire trial trying to make it up.
"We can't say another word to Chenzhou or Mingzhe," Yuze announced, voice dark, his eyes on Eirian.
She bristled, but fought her temper down because she knew he was right. "I know." She said, tightly. Crossing her arms and digging her nails into her biceps to give her something to focus on instead of the rage. "They're going to watch all of your communications, too."
Yuze frowned, tense. "They can't. It's a matter of safety and security for the estate."
"You know they'll try to argue."
"They can try," Yuze declared. "But they won't win. The High Court takes its responsibility seriously, but part of that responsibility is protecting the Camelia, just like the rest of us."
"Provided they aren't already bought." Eirian pointed out that they had to assume the worst at this point. They couldn't afford not to.
Yuze reluctantly nodded.
"You'll have to be careful looking into that. If they catch wind of your investigating, it could be used as a sign of your guilt." Mela warned. Several powerful members of the High Court in the capital had protected themselves by proving someone else was using questionable means to investigate them and proving them guilty before they could be found guilty of whatever they were being investigated for.
Eirian was clearly thinking the same thing, because she turned pensive and concerned.
Yuze looked the same, running a hand through his hair. "I have a few agents who are skilled enough, but having them active inside the Camelia could compromise their identities."
"It could also utterly ruin any chance of the case going in your favor if it comes out." Tayla snapped. "It won't even matter if you find evidence to prove your right."
"We don't have time to summon someone from the capital," Yuze argued.
"Obviously." Tayla spread her hands wide, encompassing her sister next to her in her gesture. "We'll do it. No one in this place knows who we are. They didn't even look at us while we were out with the Princess."
Mela nodded in agreement. "We aren't professional spies by any means, but we are capable of looking into things quietly."
Eirian and Yuze shared a look. There weren't really any other options that worked in the nonexistent time frame they had.
Yuze's eyes darted to Kai Low. Just for a second. Completely against his will.
If Eirian wasn't so angry, she would have been amused at how upset he looked when he forced his eyes back to her.
Kai Low had caught it, though, because he was watching Yuze just as closely as Yuze watched him. "We can help them." He looked to Ran Orlo, who automatically straightened under his Uncle's gaze.
"You are too well known," Yuze argued, because that was always his first instinct with Kai Low. Then he glanced at Ran Orlo. "Though I suppose, he's not."
Ran Orlo shifted nervously under their gaze, eyes darting around like he was starting to suspect he couldn't trust any of them.
Smart boy, Eirian thought. Out of his depth, but maybe he'd be quick enough to learn how to swim.
…
She'd take better care of him than she did Finn. Even if he didn't like her.
She glanced at Finn's sisters and saw the same concern, the same anger that she felt. Some ingrained instinct from generations of women before told her they'd look after him, too.
Hopefully, he wasn't as loud as his uncle, because that wouldn't bode well for this.
"What can I do?" Kai Low demanded, upset at being left out.
Eirian didn't have an immediate idea. Kai Low wasn't familiar enough with their system to work inside of it, but he was too recognizable to work in secret.
She glanced at Yuze, hoping he had an idea.
He studied Kai Low, and suddenly his eyes brightened. "You might actually be useful by just being yourself."
Kai Low's eyes narrowed. "Are you insulting me?"
Yuze rolled his eyes. "No." Kai Low didn't look convinced. "Really." Yuze took a deep breath. "I think you might be most useful as…you."
"Explain," Eirian demanded, because she didn't understand what Yuze was saying either.
Yuze sighed. "Everyone in the Camelia is part of Sorrow and has been for most of their lives. Especially the nobility. They're all going to expect things to go according to how they always go. Except you."
Kai Low raised an eyebrow. "How does that help you?"
"The element of surprise." Yuze finally smiled, but there was a vicious edge to it. "You're like a snake, coiled and lying in wait."
Now it was Eirian's turn to roll her eyes at the clear pleasure Kai Low took in Yuze's description.
~ tbc