Even though she had the key, Alexandra never unlocked Master George's room.

Which she preferred calling it, even though it was the "Head's Office". Anyhow, she got no sleep in the nights. Sometimes she passed out in the supervisory. Or in the grove. Or by the lake. Anywhere, but not in the Master's room.

No.

That felt utterly wrong. It was fine if the next Head wanted to use it. But Alexandra was not going to step in with the motive of occupying it. Nobody could live in a temple. And for Alexandra, that room was something very close to a temple.

On the other hand, Doveland-Ethoris alliance points had made everything crystal clear to her. Everything meant everything apart from Ethoris' personal hatred of Vedessa. Or maybe - Aunt Sabel's personal hatred of Liam: which made no sense whatsoever to Alexandra.

The situation of Ethoris was somewhat this: the heir had been murdered thirteen years ago - by a certain person who was at the sticky center of all this mess - the reigning king had died six years ago, and now: the Queen was the supreme power.

Alexandra knew there were no prizes for guessing what a place, whose supreme power was Aunt Sabel, would be like. Royal aunts were always evil, no matter what.

In any case, these alliance points had to be discussed. Preferably with the ministers and King of Idgard. Though, when and how that was going to happen, nobody had any idea.

Right now, sixteen days into the Dovish-Idgard war, their data was quite satisfactory - at least as satisfactory as war data could be. Ten thousand seven hundred thirty seven dead. Fifty thousand something - injured. Still, it was satisfactory - open war of sixteen days could leave more than thirty thousand dead, in very extreme cases, that was, which was not all the case here.

Alexandra suspected and believed that the low numbers was mainly because of Doveland's half-hearted battle strategy. Idgard, for its part - was rather unaffected by the war. Yes, gloomy. Still, unaffected. Vedessa was fighting slowly, for all its aggression, it was goading Doveland on. Perhaps Liam knew that this was not the only war they would have to fight. Perhaps that was why Vedessan tactics were to ensure the least fatalities possible. And even on the war, men and women had different views.

Women - mostly the common, less prosperous ones - had their own qualms. A group of them went ahead with the debate on why they couldn't join the armies. Why they couldn't take part in the battles. Why they weren't allowed to be part of the events that would affect their lives as much as the men's. This group was rather small, it raised a justified point, but given the situation, when the others were worried about more pressing matters like if their family members were going to return or not - it was ignored.

Then came the larger group of common women. Who were worried about filling the stomachs of their children, parents and family - as a whole. This group was ignored too, because there was no such food shortage going on - moreover, if Alexandra went out on the streets, she could find perfectly eatable stuff lining the drains - something which was MUCH more common in the less prosperous areas of the city than the posh, sophisticated lanes of the rich. Though, she never got the science behind this occurrence and there was nobody to explain.

A few men were going on about what they would do in the army. Such discussions started off as normal exchange of ideas. But they ended up as long hours of boasting under the soft, winter sun rays.

And then came the majority of common men - who held long debates on what the idea behind this foolish Dovish attack was. More often than not, quite a few women joined into these discussions as well. They had pretty intense arguments and their points reached close to the truth. But none touched it.

Alexandra knew their activities so well, because when wars raged, it was important to know and keep track of what the mood of the nation was. Lest the winning nation ended up in a civil war, Agents took care of this aspect specifically...

Splash!

'Goodness, Mabel! That was too good!' Diana applauded, as her dagger fell into the lake. Alexandra snapped out of her thoughts as she realized she had disarmed Diana.

Don't get high and mighty, okay? It was just by chance.

'I know, Mind!' Alexandra hissed, 'Think that happened by chance,' she repeated to Diana, who shook her head.

'Keep lying, Spy. You can't fool me.'

Alexandra gave her a wide grin before jumping into the lake to retrieve her dagger. The water was rather cold, so much so that it stung on her skin like little ants biting her. Whoever had had the idea of having a lake in the Council received Alexandra's good wishes each day. She could imagine a timid Diana, a foolish Fannel, a saintly Watson and an ugly Olivia. She could even imagine a quiet Alexandra.

But she couldn't imagine the Espionage Council without the lake.

You can't imagine an evil Liam, hehehe.
And that was the most annoying part about Alexandra's malevolent mind. It was always right.

* * *

Latest update: Doveland had surrendered.

Even-more-Latest update: Idgardian troops had done something at once unusual and smart; they had gone ahead, invaded the Dovish camps who had put down their weapons, and only taken the higher officers of the army - as prisoners of war.

Quite deliberate.

Quite unnerving.

Usually, the higher officials were the ones who were spared. Then they were made to sign a treaty and things went back to normal with one side swearing vengeance and the other celebrating victory. Thousands of soldiers were taken prisoners of war. Made slaves, assimilated into their own forces after sufficient brainwashing or simply left to die. This one act proved that Doveland might have surrendered, but the war wasn't over.

Public was enthusiastically in support of this move. They were banging their chests and going on and on about what a satisfying lesson this would teach the Dovish. The feelings were so intense that Alexandra couldn't help being carried away by it once or twice; and in case she did, she punched the air, made a face - imagining it was Aunt Sabel whom she was making it at - and returned to normal.

'-the reason they left.' Jack completed, as Alexandra entered into the supervisory on the eighth of February. She had dozed off in the grove last night, had a weird dream in which Fannel had been trying to push her into the lake so that she could retrieve the Blue Lily pendant from it. Waking up, she had realized that she wasn't wearing the pendant any longer really.

One trip down the lake, an hour of searching - and she had got it back. Alexandra was still wondering how her evil fate had chosen such a beautiful way of informing her that she had dropped the pendant. And Alexandra was not sarcastic this time.

''Morning.' She grunted, pushing the wet hair out of her face.

'You say "good afternoon" at this time of the day, Mabel.' Smith advised, ''Afternoon.'

'Oh, whatever.' She replied, 'When are the war-spies returning? Any idea?'

'Thursday.' Jack informed, 'Evening.'

'Okay. Leave. Teach.' Alexandra sneered. Smith threw his head back and laughed,

'You've got the strangest sense of humor.'

'Vilest, I'd say.' Jack muttered, pushing his chair back and standing up, Alexandra gladly occupied his space.

'Why are you wet, Mabel?' Diana asked, emerging from beneath a huge wardrobe, her hand full of pearls.

'I was wrestling with the lake.' Alexandra sighed, Diana's face curved into a smile, she gave a small laugh.

Achoo!

Alexandra sneezed, and Diana jumped and dropped all her pearls back.

'I was wrong to think Watson is the only work-spoiler in the world.' Diana grumbled. But she looked on the verge of grinning - which she covered with another big grumble.

'My bad,' Alexandra sniffed. 'Let me help-'

'No- no, no!' Diana shouted hurriedly, 'They're poisonous pearls - I'm wearing their anklet for the like the past thirty years - I'm immune - they'll harm you. You better go find a way to dry yourself.'

'Right,' Alexandra bleated, as she felt a shiver pass through her spine that had nothing to do with her feeling cold. Who wore Poisonous pearl anklets?? 

* * *

Thursday evening was glorious.

Alexandra hugged, welcomed, patted her family. The men were messing around a lot: hollering, jesting and boasting. A few were already sending pigeons away to their distant loves. From time to time Watson had a dig at some member of the council and the rest guffawed, until he did the mistake of calling Alexandra "Master George's watered down image". Nobody ever heard from Watson after that.

Jack went down on one knee - his idea of a joke - in front of Diana, as though he was proposing to the lady. Then he was pushed aside by Watson, who made a heroic reappearance that second and did the same. Diana simply laughed and waved him off - thinking it was another joke.

'That was good practice for the future,' he told Alexandra, 'at least it's proof she won't get her dagger into the business in case I do it.'

'Don't worry, Elf. I'll have your back - though if Diana calls Mark Fannel on her side we're going to fall into trouble.' Alexandra proclaimed, spreading her hands out.

'Yes - that's a valid point. You must keep that fellow occupied, Mabel.'

'Which fellow, may I ask?' Asked The fellow, making an appearance behind their backs.

'Er - Brother, we were talking about keeping the Dovish prisoners of war occupied!' Alexandra quipped up, hurriedly.

'Mhm hmm. Lies and deceit - I'll deal with you later.' Fannel said, sounding rather unnerving, 'You - Watson.'

'Er-' Watson croaked, looking to both his sides then pointing at himself. 'Me?'

'Yes, you.' Fannel thundered, 'Stay away from my sister - and by that I mean stay away from Diana. You get it?'

'Well, is that a threat?'

'Let's see,' Fannel replied, passing a hand through his hair - a habit he had lost, yet not completely lost - since Marilyn. 'You can take it that way. Though I meant it to be something harsher.'

Watson looked like he would argue. His hand almost reached his dagger and he almost launched into arguments. But at the last moment he caught Alexandra's eye who was frantically shaking her head and mouthing no. Finally, he sighed and nodded, 'I might.'

'You must.' Fannel declared before turning away and pulling Alexandra with him.