<div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote">Quote</div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">The merfolk lost herself in daydream before returning to the waking world.  Then her voice came to a low whisper.  "By the way, Arensha, why are you and Silent Girl so keen on the palace map layout?"</blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br/>Menya looked around twice to make doubly sure that they weren't being eavesdropped upon, and even then, she leaned forward and whispered the forbidden word in the quietest audible voice possible right against Zelda's ear: "Why else, of course?<em>Escape</em>."<br/><br/>The catgirl's face was impassive as she watched and waited for the mermaid's reaction. If she didn't take it well... Menya didn't want to think about what she would have to do then.<br/><br/>Thankfully for all involved, Zelda wasn't content to remain cooped up in the harem forever, just as Menya had guessed. "Menya," she said, grasping Zelda's hand. She reached out for Hanifa too, linking the three girls in a triangle. "Menya, that's my real name. She's Hanifa." She squeezed. "We're all in this together now."<br/><br/><hr/><br/>Touring the city of Glass with Hanifa, taking in its sights and wandering through its markets, Menya felt almost like she was free once more. But their bodyguard's presence, though invisible, was a constant reminder of her reality. Still, the excitement of exploring a new and unknown city was refreshing, and reminded her of her old life and bygone days. The outside perspective reminded her that there was more to life than staying inside a cage, however fine and gilded it might be.<br/><br/>"It's beautiful!" Menya gushed, trying on the cloak that Judi bought for her. She made a mental note of Judi's purse of holding. The funds could be useful, if the opportunity presented itself to get her hands on it during the escape.<br/><br/>When they came to the portals, Menya was seized by a sudden urge to make a mad dash for it, an urge that she wisely quelled. Today wasn't her lucky day - the statue was blocking the way, and besides, she had a suspicion that their bodyguard could also play the part of jailor if she or Hanifa tried anything funny. She settled for trading a look with her partner in crime when Judi wasn't looking; no words needed to be said.<br/><br/>"Thanks for takinya us around the city," Menya told Judi at the end of the day, her eyes full of gratitude and wonder at the day's sights, "Let's do it again sometime!" It was, in the end, meaningless chatter that she did not mean from the bottom of her heart.<br/><br/><hr/><br/><div align="center"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 14pt;">Twenty-first Day in the Gilded Cage</span></div><br/><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote">Quote</div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">"So, congratulations on your revenge against Faliensk."<br/><br/>"Did you know, she's spending time in the dungeons now for compromising the safety of the Palace?"</blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br/>Menya froze a moment as she absorbed the news. She hadn't gone out of her way to think about Faliensk's fate after their last encounter, but in the end, what did she expect would happen, really? Especially after the hints she had planted with Ahriman? A pang of guilt stabbed through her heart.<br/><br/>"I'm sure al-Samara will be merciful once she's had a chance to cool down and see the error of her ways," Menya said at last, choosing her words carefully. She felt uneasy at Amvi's tone, prickling goosebumps on her skin.<br/><br/>As Amvi continued, Menya only now realized that her help hadn't been free. She found sadistic pleasure from the suffering of others, and Menya held no delusions about what she would do if she were to find out about the escape plans. After all, she had already torn down one favourite, she could easily do the same to another... Faliensk's fate could easily befall Menya herself, and so the catgirl resolved to be careful.<br/><br/>So, despite it leaving a sour taste in Menya's mouth, she decided to keep Amvi amused and on her side as long as possible. "It's not like al-Samara will knock her up in the dungeons now, would be?" she asked curiously. "Unless she was already pregnant," she quickly added as an afterthought.<br/><br/><hr/><br/>Menya and Zelda had already spent some time in the library together before, so their continued meetings weren't anything out of the ordinary, the catgirl hoped. Hanifa's presence would hopefully be rationalized away as merely the natural expansion of the scholarly clique. They continued their forbidden planning, delving into subjects even more dangerous than seditious articles of treason... maps. No doubt the would-be assassins made use of maps on their infiltration, and now the girls would make use of the same on their way out.<br/><br/><em>(Perception: 25. Maps 2/4!) (https://elliquiy.com/forums/dicebot.php?r=77875)</em><br/><br/>Hanifa's suggestion that besides familiarizing themselves with the layout of the palace, they also try to work out how many guards were patrolling the palace, was a good one. The way she phrased it, "head count", was less so, however. "Hehe, head count," Menya giggled, her thoughts obviously unchaste, thinking back dreamily to the taste of al-Samara's head on her lips and tongue the previous night, and then how after she and Amvi had gotten him hard as a rock, how his head had spread her walls and plunged deep into her belly, mastering her body...<br/><br/>"No, not that kind of head!" Hanifa's exasperated voice brought the daydreaming catgirl back to reality. The damage was done, however, and Menya was less than focused on her task for their remaining time together, and in the end they made little progress on that point.<br/><br/><em>(Head count: 13, failure) (https://elliquiy.com/forums/dicebot.php?r=77876)</em><br/><br/><hr/><br/>Besides Hanifa and Zelda, Alfreldi was one of the people Menya trusted most in al-Samara's harem, and Menya would never forgive herself if it turned out that the other catgirl wanted to leave the harem but was never given the chance. Unlike the other two, however, Alfreldi seemed relatively content with her place here. If she didn't want to leave, but knew of the others' intention to escape, who would she side with? Would she remain silent for her friends' sake, or tell what she knew to al-Samara?<br/><br/>It was with this question in mind that Menya sought out Alfreldi while they were in the baths. "We haven't been together in a while, just the two of us," she suggested playfully. Menya guided her fellow catgirl over to a secluded section of the baths where they could have some privacy. As she rubbed soapy lotion over Alfreldi's back, Menya related the tale of yesterday's trip out to the city, paying close attention to the responses she got... was Alfreldi yearning to see the outside world as well? Or was she perfectly happy to live out the rest of her days in a gilded cage?<br/><br/><hr/><br/>One last thing to do before the end of the day - Menya wasn't sure what she hoped to accomplish, but she was trying to visit Faliensk in the dungeon. It wasn't to gloat, though. Part of it was to assuage her own guilt, after all Menya couldn't deny that her own actions had played a certain part in causing matters to end up as they were now. Things had definitely gone more grimly than she meant them to. Perhaps she could ensure that her former rival was comfortable, in something akin to house arrest rather than rotting in a dungeon cell.