Several long, tense moments passed as Sanguine waited at the palace gates. The guards continued to taunt and threaten him as more time passed. They discussed where was the best place to string up his body, how to divvy up the gold and equipment on his person and even what they thought his hound would taste like, served medium-rare. The blind killer just stood there and took it, showing no signs of reacting to the threats or taunts. Eyes, however, wasn't nearly as stoic as her Master. Though she couldn't understand their words, their tones, inflections, gestures and expressions told her loud and clear that these men meant harm to her and her Master.<br/><br/>At long last, a palace servant emerged from the grand foyer with words from the Queen herself. The restrained expression Sanguine had been preserving for so long made it easier to hide his shock, but even then he wasn't certain he'd succeeded.<br/><br/>A confident smirk now broke over Sanguine's face, hearing the guards who had harassed him back down and come to attention. Both spoke well rehearsed words of apology. Sanguine had no intention of reporting on them, but they didn't know that. He couldn't hold it against them, they were soldiers. They had spent their lives defending the honor of people they didn't even know personally.<br/><br/>Sanguine pitied all soldiers.<br/><br/>The Theiri Queen was well known, far and wide. Rumors of her youthful beauty as well as clandestine tactics ranged from the entirely probable to completely impossible. One thing was not in doubt, the Queen ruled the kingdom of Theiri.<br/><br/>"Stay Eyes. Sit and be good." Sanguine told his companion. "Don't give these men any trouble and don't you dare try to follow me. Got that?"<br/><br/>Eyes whined from the front of her snout as her Master walked past the guards, no longer brandishing their spears at him. He snapped his fingers at her as he passed and the wolf ceased her whining and sat dutifully, still staring daggers at the guards and occasionally showing her teeth.<br/><br/>"Help me would you?" Sanguine asked of the servant. "Allow me to take hold of your shoulder so I don't fall flat on my face, please."<br/><br/>With one hand on the wall, Sanguine reached out in the direction the man's voice had come from. In truth, Sanguine could have found his way to the Servant just fine, and perhaps even beaten him up the flight of stairs that he had loudly stomped his way down in his haste to carry out Her Ladyship's bidding. But San wanted to feel the wall, learn the nooks and crannies of this expansive palace. He wanted to know everything about it, and know where every corridor led. At least as much as he could without overstepping his bounds.<br/><br/>"Of course... Here I am." The Servant said, almost apologetic for not leading him sooner. "Take my shoulder, I'll lead you. There are lots of stairs, I'll step loudly."<br/><br/>Holding the wall with the fingertips on one hand, and grasping the shoulder of the Servant whose name he still didn't know, Sanguine made his way upward.<br/><br/>"I'm Sanguine, but you can call me San. What's your name?" San asked, already growing impatient with how slowly this man was plodding up the stairs.<br/><br/>"Eric, Sir."<br/><br/>"I'm no 'Sir' but it's nice to meet you, Eric. You can walk a little faster if you please."<br/><br/>***<br/><br/>Sanguine talked Eric's ear off during their march up a seemingly endless flight of stairs. At each plateau there was a corridor where San's hand lost grip with the wall, each time San would ask questions. What is beyond this corridor? Is there a matching one on the opposite side? What lies beyond that?<br/><br/>By presenting himself as a helpless cripple, Sanguine had made this middling servant blind to the threat he posed. Sanguine stored every detail and description in his memory, creating a three-dimensional model of the palace in his mind, studying it for later. Obviously this main passage was just the smallest percentage of the massive Theiri palace, but it was a start.<br/><br/>As they got nearer to the top, Sanguine overheard voices, feminine voices. It was nearly impossible to clearly decipher what they were saying though, as some incessant metallic sound kept tinkering through the large stone hallways. It distorted Sanguine's entire perception and impaired his ability to hear the conversation, still a story or so away.<br/><br/>When they finally got close enough, San listened in. Overhearing a young lady discussing the prospect of marrying for a peace bargain.<br/><br/>"I'll take it from here Eric, you've been more than helpful." San said curtly, pushing off of the man's shoulder and springing up, off of him and onto the next staircase.<br/><br/>All the stairs had been identical. Twenty-two steps, each a foot high, two feet wide. It was easy to predict where the next surface would be. San was leaping up four at a time on that last staircase until he reached the two young women standing outside the throne room.<br/><br/>"You're correct, that the Aserit's are hurting from this stand-off as well. Their coffers are just as depleted as yours, and Theiri has the high-ground." Sanguine said, quite conversational, despite jumping into their conversation unbidden. "The problem is, that they have bred generations of soldiers into their lands. And troops who have become seasoned through skirmishes with bandit tribes approach, to mock and deplete what you do still have here. If you want to maintain your kingdom and your virtue, you ought to make yourself formidable to the Aserit nobles. Stand up to them, rather than bow down. This advice comes free of charge, from one hired by those self-same soldiers. I am Sanguine LeChance, the blind assassin."<br/><br/>Sanguine crossed an arm over his middle and bowed low, despite the infernal jingling that was threatening to make him truly blind in the presence of those who might well kill him where he stood for the presumption.