Hi everyone!

As promised, here is the second upload for this week! Only a few chapters left for Part One so I hope you're excited (don't worry, the story will continue on as usual - we will just be in Part Two). The next chapter will be up next week! :D

Don't forget to vote and comment to let me know what you think!

Love,

luckycharms <3

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Thea was waiting in the small waiting area of Niall's office, chitchatting with Mrs. Railer since Niall had not yet returned from wherever it was that he had gone.

After spending some time getting started on putting together the poems for the second book, as per Niall's orders, she and Milo already had some questions that they wanted to go through with Niall. So, while Milo continued to work on separating all the relevant poems from the hundreds that they had–he was certainly faster than she was at that–Thea was waiting in Niall's office to ask the questions. Divide and conquer, Milo had said.

When he arrived, opening the door and walking in rather briskly, he seemed so lost in thought that he nearly walked right past Thea, not even noticing her at first. When he did however, he looked surprised. "Thea," he said, stopping in his tracks. "Sorry I... what can I do for you?"

Thea smiled. "It's alright," she said, holding her notebook up. "Just had a few things I wanted to ask you."

"Right," Niall held his office door open for her. "Your timing is actually perfect as there are a few things I wanted to discuss as well. Come in."

Once they were settled in his office, him in his chair and her at her seat across from his desk, Thea found herself noticing that Niall looked incredibly exhausted. Of course, it was clear exhaustion was almost part of his identity at this point, today, it seemed worse. Clearly, he had a lot on his mind.

For a moment, as he loosened his tie and leaned back in his chair, Thea remembered her ultimatum to herself that she would kiss him again the next time they had a moment alone together. It felt like forever since she spent the night at his place, and despite the intensity of their intimacy and the bond that she had created with him after she let him cut her hair, somehow, as she watched him raise his gaze to meet hers, it felt like all of that was forgotten.

And somehow, trying to kiss him now felt... not right.

Niall was first to speak up, interrupting her from her thoughts. "I know you came here for a reason, but I have an update that I'm sure you'd want to know," he began.

Thea nodded. "Alright..."

"The recent turn of events with Rivier, with the press coverage and his subsequent humiliation as well as the release of the poems... and significantly his loss of power to me... it has brought forth some significant information."

Thea raised a brow, not understanding what he was referring to.

"Do you recall in the letters Miriella wrote when she returned to Rivier's estate? She mentioned maids that she favored?"

Thea nodded. "Yes, that she was happy to see them... some maids that had always been good to her?"

Niall nodded. "Turns out Miriella's death had been a well kept secret at the Rivier Estate. Many of the staff members knew of it but kept silent due to their fear of Rivier."

Thea gasped. "You mean..."

"Yes. Two of the maids, emboldened by the turn of events, have publicly come forward as witnesses."

Thea's heart jumped into her throat, a thrill filling her.

"They seemed to have taken our lead when it came to engaging the public, being sure to have their faces and names published in order to protect themselves from any... suspicious acts," Niall continued. "If anything were to happen to them, people would know who did it, or at the very least, why it was done."

"This is amazing."

Niall nodded. "The newspapers with the information were released this morning. I'm sure Milo has not had a chance yet to review so you can share this with him when you see him again," he said. "Whatever the case, the important part of all of this, as well as the very confidential part, is that I just came back from an emergency meeting with the higher ups."

Thea's eyes widened. "And?"

"And... I've been informed that Rivier is to be arrested. Tomorrow. They are sending me to oversee the operation."

Thea put a hand over her mouth. "They're arresting him?"

"Yes," Niall said. "And this information must not leave this office. I will tell the others this myself... I'll probably call up a meeting in a few hours. We do have a concern that he might try to flee, especially now that the maids have come out with their information, so we are keeping the call for his arrest as wrapped up as much as possible."

"Yes, of course..." Thea continued, a smile growing on her face. However, she very quickly noticed that Niall did not seem as enthused as she was. "Is there... something else?"

Niall let out a breath. "The maids who came out as witnesses referenced the fact that Miriella's body was buried on the grounds of the estate."

Thea's smile faded.

"Once we've arrested Rivier, we're going to turn his place upside down," Niall continued. "We're going to find the body. And when we do, that will be all the proof we need to convict him. The trial will be short and quick and the President has ordered it to be that way so he can wipe his hands clean of everything and move on."

This was good news, of course, but Thea knew well that Niall was thinking the same thing that she was.

The body of Miriella.

He was going to have to dig up the body of an innocent young woman who was murdered by her father... and was the love of Rue's life.

"Once the body is found," Niall continued. "They are going to do whatever investigation they need to, and then as quickly as they can, they will transfer it to the Rivier Family Mausoleum. As Rue is... in the state he is in... he will not get a chance to say his goodbyes to her."

Thea frowned, her heart beginning to ache. However, she quickly shook her head. "He will," she responded, confidently. "Because he's going to be freed. And when he's freed, he'll be able to go visit her whenever he wants."

Niall watched her for a moment before a small smile appeared on his face. "Right," he nodded. "You're right."

Thea smiled back. "We can do this. I have faith in our team."

"I do too," Niall responded, still smiling. "Now, you had something to discuss with me?"

"Right," Thea lifted her notebook, placing it on his desk.

After Thea finished asking her questions and left, the rest of Niall's day consisted of meeting with the rest of the team, one by one, to discuss what had happened with Tai. Milo, Luana, Kaya and Julian were the only ones who quite specifically asked to meet with him, wanting to know what exactly it was that Tai knew about them.

Kaya seemed hardly bothered. She had no intention of remarrying anytime soon so her frustrating, estranged husband who refused to divorce her was more of a nuisance for her than anything else. She didn't really care if the Crows knew about him. "What are they going to do? Threaten to let the news out?" she had asked. "Good, let them. The humiliation would probably kill the man and at least then I'd finally be rid of him without having to hang on to some guilty conscience."

Luana had a similar reaction. Though seemingly finding it uncomfortable to have to discuss the topic, she didn't see Tai's knowledge of this to be in any way detrimental.

Milo, on the other hand, seemed quite bothered. Some of the things that she had said about Milo were things that even Niall did not know, so frankly, he didn't blame Milo for his discomfort. "What do you think... she's going to do with that information?"

"My honest opinion is... nothing," Niall said. "As we discussed, she was just trying to use it to prove a point."

Milo nodded slowly. "Sir... I would rather this remain between the two of us and... I suppose Tai," he said. "Anything related to my mother... I'd rather that be kept quiet. She's much better off without me... without even the thought of me... and I want to keep it that way."

"Of course, Milo," Niall responded. "You don't have to tell me twice."

Milo smiled, looking grateful.

Then... there was Julian. He was rather quiet and solemn as he listened, and though Tai had not explicitly said to Niall what she knew, both Niall and Julian knew it was safe to assume that what she knew was troublesome enough. After a moment of quiet contemplation, Julian looked up at Niall. "Sir... if this is going to hinder you in any way I am more than willing to step down-"

"Absolutely not, Julian," Niall had said, firmly. "We need you here. I need you here."

"But if this comes out... it will certainly ruin your reputation-"

"And so?" Niall asked. "Julian, you are my best friend. No, you are my brother. I would fight for you, even if it meant I would die. So why do you think I would allow myself to succumb to the pressures of ignorance?"

Julian let out a breath.

"I don't believe Tai will reveal this to anyone... but if she does... if it does come out... we will get through it."

After a moment, Julien smiled. "Thank you, Sir."

Once Julian left, Niall sat back in his seat and wondered of Thea and Aaryan. They were the only two who did not request to meet with him about his conversation with Tai. He figured Thea's reasoning was simply because she already knew what it was that Tai might have discovered about her. Since all of the recent drama that occurred with Adrien was so fresh, maybe she didn't feel the need to rehash it all, and that was fine.

But Aaryan...

Niall wondered why Aaryan did not want to meet with him to discuss. Was it because he too already figured out what Tai probably knew about him? Maybe, for that reason, he felt there to be no need to discuss it further? Or maybe, he knew that Niall knew about his feelings for Thea. So maybe Aaryan avoided the conversation altogether just to avoid that part specifically.

Whatever the case, Niall felt a hint of concern, especially when Aaryan walked in with the rest of the team for their scheduled meeting, wearing a rather forced, neutral expression. Of course, Niall knew better than to place his focus onto something that was not entirely his business, so instead, he focused on sharing the news of Rivier's arrest to the rest of the team.

Of course, the team took the news with joy, but that didn't mean Niall was going to let them relax. "Certainly, this news, as well as everything that has already happened, will help us in ensuring Rue's safety while with the military police, but it isn't going to help us with Tai."

"Why not?" Luana asked. "Rue will be freed!"

"Freed from the Military Police. Not from the State Prison," Niall said. "And that's if Miriella's body is found."

Thea nodded. "If there's no body then there's no definite proof that Rivier did it... sure everyone knows it was him but to get through court...well... wit could take months, or years, even."

"That's right," Niall said. "If we find the body, the process will be much quicker because it would be an assured sign of his guilt. That being said, in both cases, he would be handed back to the State Prison. Until the President finds a good enough reason to want to pardon him completely, he'll be stuck there."

"The public protesting wouldn't be enough?" Luana asked.

"It could be," Milo answered for Niall. "But again, it's a question of time. We can't be sure how long it'll take for protests to sway the President, and more importantly, we can't be sure how long we can hold the interest of the public."

"Exactly," Julian said. "Once interest in the case dies down, which it inevitably will, Rue's chances of a quick ticket to freedom does too."

"So we have to be fast," Niall said. "Just like I said in Imanay... we need all hands on deck. Rue's safety is more assured now but our next step is getting his freedom, which means we're going back to the original plan of trying to find a way to get the President to pardon him. Milo and Thea, of course, you will lead the effort to find the best possible means, with Julian's support, of course."

"Yes, Sir," they said together.

"Since I am overseeing Rivier's arrest, I will be gone for the next week or so. In my absence, Colonel Jaylen will be in charge. Trust her like you trust me and keep her informed of everything. She will be my line of communication with you all."

"Yes, Sir," they said again.

"Good," Niall nodded. "I'll let you all go now. Thea, please stay back. I need to talk to you."

As everyone began to make their way out of Niall's office, Niall grabbed a cigarette before leaning back in his seat.

Thea, who stayed in her seat, waved at Milo as he shut the door behind him, the last one out. When she turned back to face Niall, she saw the cigarette at his lips as he began to light it.

The view from the window behind him was grey and glum. Though winter was over and spring had started, the Capital had experienced nothing but rain all day and Thea was getting tired of it. Even when she was in university, she remembered hating the gloomy, grey springs of the Capital. Back in Abureth, though there was certainly a fair amount of rain, spring was mostly bright and beautiful as the colours of the foliage and plants returned to the town after being gone throughout the winter.

Here... well, it was mostly brick and cement.

That was certainly one reason why Abureth was better than the Capital.

"Is there a reason why you don't want to speak on what Tai knows about you?" Niall asked as he set his lighter down, smoke escaping his lips.

Thea hesitated, surprised by the question, but sure of the answer. "I figure it was exactly what I expected it to be...so I didn't want to waste time and rehash it all to you."

"Hmm," Niall nodded.. "I figured as much."

"Is it... exactly what I expected?"

"Yes, it is," Niall said.

Thea nodded slowly, pushing her hair behind her ear, still not entirely used to the short hair and not really liking it in her face. "If you're worried, don't be," she said. "I'm not too concerned, really. Frankly, I'm just curious as to how she was able to find out about it all. Adrien tried to keep such a tight wrap on it all... even back then, rumors didn't really spread because Adrien didn't want to be associated with me... and only the boys who were there really knew anything about it..." she continued, still fidgeting with her hair.

Niall watched her carefully. "Maybe we will find out at some point... if there's one thing we can gain from a positive relationship with her would be her resources for intelligence. I still can't believe how effective they are."

Thea chuckled. "Yeah..." when she looked back at Niall, she saw that he seemed to look like he had something else to say. "What's wrong?"

He shook his head. "You seem to be fidgeting a lot with your hair," he said. "Are you still not used to the length?"

Now she chuckled. "No. I don't like it in my face but there's not much I can do with it when it's at this length," she sighed. "And to be fair, doing something nice with my hair has been the last thing on my mind."

Niall smiled before putting out his cigarette and standing. "Let me help."

"Help?" Thea chuckled, watching as he picked up the green ribbon that had always been at his desk and walked over to her. "Are you going to do my hair for me?"

He approached her. "Only if you'll allow me to."

Thea was smiling as she turned in her seat so her back was towards him. "Be my guest!"

"You seem to doubt my capabilities," he said. "You are forgetting that for years, my mother and I only had each other and a lot of time. Sometimes the only way I was able to entertain myself as a child was by playing with her hair. I am quite skilled."

Thea felt her heart skip a beat at the thought of him as a child, playing with his mother's hair, though it began to race when she felt his fingers in her hair. After wondering only a few hours ago if their romance had been forgotten, the feelings within her at that moment were happily welcomed. "Well," she started, trying to sound normal. "Show me what you've got, and I'll be the judge of your skill."

Niall chuckled behind her and for a moment, they were silent as his fingers maneuvered through her thick, but short hair. Eventually, Niall spoke up. "You've done a wonderful job, Thea," he said. "With everything. We couldn't have gotten this far without you."

Thea felt her cheeks warm and she was glad that he was behind her so he couldn't see it. "I'm very glad that you think so," she responded. "but if that's the case than that should be the least that I do after so royally screwing up at the beginning."

Niall chuckled.

"You have no idea how many times people have called me a Little Crow. I've never even heard of the phrase before I started working for you, and it drives me insane... but they're not wrong."

Niall paused. "A Little Crow... yes, I heard Anban call you that."

Thea groaned, rolling her eyes. "Him too?"

Niall chuckled. "It's not necessarily a bad thing," he added. "At least, if they're referencing the broader interpretation of the Little Crow."

She assumed they were, remembering what her grandmother had said. Crows are the most clever of the birds, the smartest. They are free and strong and care deeply for the ones they love and mourn those they lose. A Little Crow was simply someone who had not yet reached that point in growth yet... someone who was naïve and childlike. "Yes, I suppose... it's still not the best... you're more familiar with the lullaby version, aren't you?"

"I am," Niall said, pausing again for a moment before continuing with her hair. "My mother used to sing it to me. It was her favorite song because someone she admired and loved taught it to her... and eventually it became my favorite song too."

"It is a beautiful song," Thea said. "I'd like to hear you play it again."

"Maybe soon... I haven't had a chance to play in a long time."

Thea smiled at the thought of him playing for her. "Do you know the lyrics of the song?"

"Of course... the lyrics is one of the reasons for why I like the song so much."

"Really?" Thea thought back to what her grandmother had told her. She remembered her telling her that the song was about a Little Crow who wanted to be as beautiful as the swans, until he jumped into the water and realized his feathers weren't made for swimming. Nearly drowning, he was eventually saved by his mother, who told him that he must love himself no matter what.

"I often find myself relating to the Little Crown in that song," Niall said, making Thea's eyes widened. "A hideous crow in a lake where he does not belong, surrounded by swans who look down at him... drowning."

Thea was going to turn and look at him, but Niall stopped her, keeping her head straight as he continued braiding. "Niall..."

"The only difference is I never wanted to be here to begin with... I would have been happy as an ugly crow for the rest of my life. And, of course, there is also the fact that my mother is not here to save me."

Thea hesitated, considering his words, then she frowned. "We're here though," she said softly. "We won't let you drown. We're all people who love you."

Niall chuckled. "I'm just making banter, Thea. You don't need to worry."

Maybe he was, but Thea could not help but sense some truthfulness in his words. He meant what he said, at least to some extent. "But I'm being serious. We won't let you drown," she continued. "And once we're done with everything we need to do here, however long it takes, we will get you out of the lake and free you from the swans. And you can head up to the mountains and finish up that decrepit house of yours in peace."

Nial laughed, pulling his fingers away from Thea's hair. "I look forward to that day. Hopefully it is sooner rather than later," he said. "But for now, your hair is done. Does it feel more comfortable."

Thea's cheeks warmed as she lifted her hand up, running her fingers over the three braids he did, all of them merging together into a half ponytail that was knotted together with the green ribbon. "Yes," Thea said, pleased that the strands of hair were no longer in her face. "I seem to have misjudged you. You are talented with braiding hair."

Niall smiled, turning so he could lean against his desk. "Misjudging me again?" he smiled. "It seems you still haven't learned your lesson."

Thea chuckled, reminded of their conversation in Imanay after the whole debacle in Danyo.

Then, Thea froze.

Her eyes widened as she stared at Niall who, seeing the change in her expression, furrowed his brows. "What's wrong?"

She had an idea.

She had had this idea right before they left for Imanay to meet Tai... something that would interest the President enough to make him budge.... something that even he would find to be a worthy trade for Rue's life. But when Anban had made that phone call deciding for them to meet, it had completely slipped her mind.

Just like at the moment the idea first passed through her mind, the feeling of dread filled her again. The thought of betraying one to save the oher... it terrified her.

But she knew if it meant saving Rue, she would do it. She would do anything for Rue.

"I have an idea," Thea said as Niall straightened up. "I have an idea that may get the President to pardon Rue."