Roche balanced three trays of food in her hands precariously as she knocked on the doors of Finn's chambers.

"It's me," she called quietly. It was very late, almost midnight. Tigris was off conducting searches for the scribe as those from the lower town settled in. The castle was still and chokingly dark. The power had been completely knocked out from the castle. After the last dark age, most establishments in the kingdom reverted to more natural sources of energy like wood, but the castle was luxurious enough that it partially relied on electricity for certain things. Library maintenance, for one, as well as for certain appliances in the kitchen. The servants were currently working to haul out perishables into the snow banks outside to prevent any rotting of food. Half of it had rotted already, though. Roche had just finished Verita seal off the library to prevent any heat from escaping, and the nobles who were housed there had been plied with many fluffy blankets and cloaks.

Roche shivered as the doors cracked open. Kai ushered her in, offering her a cloak that she waved off.

"I can't stay for long. Tigris is busy tonight." Roche said breathlessly. The room was pitch dark, save for the light from a small candle that Finn was showing to the scribe. The child was still perched on the bed, watching the flame with utter transfixation.

Finn looked up at her arrival, his eyes heavily shadowed. "I wish we could help more." he apologised.

Roche waved off his concern. "You're needed here," she insisted, hefting up the trays, "I brought dinner for you."

Kai gave one of the trays to the child, helping him settle it on his lap. Finn quietly moved away from the child and towards Roche, his gentle smile fading. He leaned in, grabbing the other trays.

"How goes the search for the librarian?" he whispered, his face inquisitive.

"Not good. Tigris' patrols have found no sign of him and there's no leads. She's currently banking on the idea of using the scribe to somehow trace the librarian." Roche explained. They both watched the scribe smile as Kai picked up one of the more wilted vegetables and pretended it could fly.

"We can't let her find him." Finn murmured, running a hand through his hair, "But the child isn't speaking to either of us. He hasn't told us anything about the librarian who was with him."

"Want me to try?" Roche asked. Finn hesitated.

"I don't know how much good that'll do." They both knew that Roche had a tendency to stick her foot in her mouth rather than help.

"I can try using my inkblood. He used it to speak to me earlier." Roche whispered, keeping her voice low enough that Kai wouldn't hear. Finn's eyes widened with wonder.

"You can do that?" he asked, before shaking his head, an awfully familiar guarded look entering his eyes, "Right, of course you can. Kai and I will get out of here for a few minutes, see what you learn."

"Right," Roche replied, her stomach churning. She hated the way Finn was looking at her right now, like she wasn't a person he knew anymore. She supposed she'd broken his trust too much for him to ever think of her that way again. She wondered what she could say. 'Sorry that I called you insane after you were tortured for me! Enjoy the roast chicken!' didn't seem to cut it.

Finn turned away, his skin looking hauntingly pale in the candlelight. He called for Kai, and the two of them left the room. The scribe stared at his tray of food like he wasn't sure what to do.

Roche cleared her throat awkwardly. "Do you need help with that?" she asked.

The scribe glanced at her. His transmission cut through her mind cleanly. "Yes, please."

Roche nearly choked on her breath in surprise, but she quickly made her way to his side.

"What's your name?"

"Orpheus." the scribe cocked his head, his brassy irises gleaming brightly in the flickering light, "I already know who you are, Ala."

"R-right." Roche, for a moment, forgot how to use her inkblood in surprise, "You can call me Roche."

"But your name is Ala. The covens say that is your name."

"The cov-" Roche shook her head. That wasn't important right now. She didn't have much time until Kai and Finn would return. "We're actually looking for your coven so that we can get you home. Do you know where they are?"

The scribe shrank in on himself. He fidgeted in his seat, nearly knocking his tray off his lap. "We were going to go find another coven to live with. Our coven was raided by bandits. We were the only ones left."

Roche blinked at him, kneeling beside him. She helped him take a bite of food. "You and the librarian you were with?"

"Yes. He's my guardian."

"How do we find him?"

To Roche's infinite horror, the scribe's eyes began to well with tears. His lip wobbled. "I don't know! He told me to run and he hasn't come to find me. What if the bandits got him too?" His breath began to hitch, a promise of watery sobs.

Roche wished Kai was still here. He had a way with children that she didn't. Roche panicked.

"Do you want a hug?" she offered weakly. Children liked hugs, right?

"I want Tarak!" he wailed as tears slid down his cheeks. Roche couldn't recall a moment when she'd felt this horrified before. She knew she was moments away from Orpheus having an unstoppable meltdown in front of her.

"Tarak?" she squeaked, "That's your guardian, right? He's fine, I promise. He's safe!"

"YOU CAN'T KNOW THAT!"

Roche winced at the shrill cry. She placed a hand on the boy's bony shoulder that was beginning to shudder with sobs.

"I do. He summoned an omphalos. He's safe, Orpheus. As safe as he can be."

To Roche's relief, that seemed to shock the boy out of his devastation. He peered up at her hopefully, smearing tears away with his chubby hands. "He did?"

"He did," Roche promised aloud, "We just need to find him now, and we'll return you to him."

Orpheus blinked, his tiny face splitting with a relieved smile. "It should be easy, then! You're the Ala, you can get to the omphalos!"

Roche blanched. "I can?"

Orpheus' laughter filled her mind, which was a bit creepy. Roche tried not to let her discomfort show on her face.

A sharp rap echoed against the doors. Finn poked his head in. "All good?"

The scribe nodded. Roche returned his tray to him as Kai re-entered the room and did his magic in making the boy scarf down small bits of vegetables. Roche joined Finn in the corner of the room.

"His name is Orpheus," she told him, "And he said that we can find the librarian by finding the omphalos."

Finn's face flashed with irritation. "That could be anywhere." he muttered, pushing his glasses up his nose, "I'll do some research tonight. I know the library doesn't have many inkblood texts left, but there might be something and- oh." His face fell slightly as he remembered his father's ban.

Roche's heart ached for him. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

Finn's eyes glistened when he looked up. "Don't be," he mumbled, glancing back at the scribe sitting happily on his large bed, "I don't regret what I said."

Roche opened her satchel. "Still. I figured you might like these." She handed him a few, heavy books. "Verita won't notice these are missing for a few days."

Finn's lips stretched with a gentle smile. "Thank you, Roche. You're a good friend."

I haven't been. Roche thought mournfully. She opted to squeeze his shoulder for a moment before pulling away. "I should go. Send for me if you need anything. And-"

Roche would have said more if not for the click of heels in the hallway, steadily approaching Finn's chambers. Roche was frozen for a millisecond, trading a horrified look with Finn before she scrambled towards Orpheus.

"Washroom! Get to the washroom!" she hissed, tugging the boy by the arm. She barely had time to shove the boy in and slam the door to the restroom shut. Kai went ashen as the doors to Finn's chambers squealed open.

"Finn!" Tigris cried out in greeting as she practically fell through the doors. The princess looked absolutely haggard, her faintly reddish hair tousled and dark bags visible under her eyes, even through the layers of makeup Roche had painted on this morning. Tigris stepped through the doors lugging a pile of wood. "I was thinking that maybe you, me, and Aodh could have a sleepover tonight, just like old times to save some wood."

Tigris wiped sweat off her brow and looked up, her lips rounding with surprise as she noticed Kai, Finn, and Roche all standing in front of the bathroom door like a human wall.

"...oh." Tigris muttered, her brows furrowing, "Roche, what are you doing here?"

Roche's mind blanked. "I-"

"She came here to pick up some books Verita gave me earlier this week," Finn lied smoothly, stepping forward to meet his sister, "And as much as I'd love a sleepover, my chambers need a lot more cleaning before they're ready."

"Roche can clean it," Tigris replied dismissively, "We need to save wood over everything. You can stay too, Kai, if you'd like."

Kai made a strangled squeaky sound in response, his body stiff in front of the door. Roche nearly facepalmed. Kai's nervousness did not go unnoticed. Tigris frowned at Finn's servant.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

Kai nodded jerkily in a way that very much didn't look alright. Roche elbowed him hard, and Kai's eyes widened further.

Tigris' eyes flickered with concern. Finn stepped forward, clearly hoping to distract her.

"I don't want to make Roche work more. She's been attending you all day, I'm sure she needs to return to the library." he insisted, placing his hands on Tigris' shoulders. He gently tried to push her out. "So-"

"What's that?" Tigris sidestepped Finn and walked towards the bed where a tray of half-eaten food existed.

Roche cleared her throat. "It's Finn's dinner."

"Really?" Tigris leaned back, her sharp eyes scanning the room with slowly dawning suspicion, "What're those, then?" She pointed to the other trays on the study.

"That's Kai and Roche's dinner." Finn replied weakly.

"Really?" Tigris repeated, raising her brows, "Roche, I thought you hate roast pheasant."

Roche felt a bead of sweat drip down her spine. "I decided to give it another try." she replied with a shaky laugh.

Tigris' eyes narrowed, scanning the room. The air became charged with a staticky, panicked energy as Tigris' gimlet gaze focused on the three guilty looking individuals in front of her. Roche cleared her throat loudly.

"Shall I prepare your chambers, my lady?" she asked smoothly, praying Tigris would jump at the topic change. But the princess' eyes locked on her statue still brother. She stalked closer.

"No, I think Finn's chambers will work just fine." she crooned, her lips twisting wryly as she stepped forward. Finn twitched. Tigris' eyes latched on the movement and a slow, knowing smile split her face. A thrill of fear raced through Roche's body like a full body shiver.

"Maybe we could use Aodh's chambers. Or yours." Finn suggested. Roche saw his fingers tremble at his sides. He laced them behind his back to hide his shaking. Roche silently prayed that Orpheus would stay quiet.

The tension in the air was so thick that you could cut it with a knife. Kai looked so grey that Roche feared he'd pass out. Tigris' eyes darted to the servant, narrowing to slits.

"Roche still hasn't cleaned my chambers or Aodh's. Your room's all that's available" she pointed out slowly, "Is there a reason you don't want me here, Finnegan?"

Finn somehow managed to stiffen even further. He shook his head tightly. "If you really want to, then bring your stuff over. Kai and Roche can clean it up, I suppose."

Roche saw his reasoning. They'd have time to smuggle Orpheus to another location while Tigris gathered her things.

Unfortunately, Tigris didn't seem convinced.

"You're hiding something," she declared, "You've never asked Kai and Roche to clean up for you."

Finn flinched slightly, again, reflexively stepping towards the closed bathroom door. Tigris' eyes followed the movement. A cheeky grin lit up her face.

"What have we here?" she mused, shoving past Finn. Before Roche could even think of a distraction to make, Tigris had turned the knob of the door and pushed it open.

It was like a scene out of a painting. Tigris stood there, face slack with utter shock. Her pale hand slipped from the doorknob as she stared at the cloaked scribe cowering in the darkness, as far away from her as he could be. Something panicked and terrified glowed in his brassy eyes and for a horrifying moment, Roche feared he would use his inkblood against the princess.

"Don't." Roche warned the boy as Tigris turned slowly, facing the three other occupants of the room, who gaped back at her with varying degrees of guilt.

"Which of you," Tigris growled slowly, reddish hair falling free against her back like a curtain of blood, "Was going to tell me that the scribe I've been searching for was here the whole time?"

A/N: Sorry for the late chapter today everyone! I actually left the house today and got delayed lol. Anyways, on a scale of six feet under to floating with a life jacket, how screwed do you think Roche, Finn, Kai, and Orpheus are right now?