The Battered Crown

Chapter 13: The Fallen People in the List

Viaan was roaming in the huge hallway like a ghost. It was nearing midnight and Viaan thought it was the most appropriate time for gathering clues. The household was sound asleep and the atmosphere was clean with more oxygen. He had waited forever for Vidyut to fall asleep. He was a light sleeper sometimes and Viaan had to memorise the soundless route from his bed to the door. He had made it and he was on his way to the main office.

Viaan had purposefully chosen this particular head of the departments. The apprentices were the most under rated people in the palace who did actual work and the superiors got credited for that. The head of the apprentice assignment department had information about everyone working in the palace. Viaan was sure to find something about the assistants Nairiti had eavesdropped on. But he was only going to scope out the perimeter of the room that night. He wouldn't break in without knowing the secret anti theft alarm procedures which were in place.

He finally reached up to the main office. Viaan had learned lockpicking skills from his sister who was notorious for breaking out of any room. She was often found playing when she was supposed to be punished by reading. It was coming handy at this moment. He winced at the reminder and shook himself. He quietly entered the room and glanced around languidly. The room lacked maintenance which was ironic for a maintenance official. The official was supposed to look out for employees and palace materials. And this room was totally opposite to that. Papers were piled in haphazard manner and files were stacked in a corner. Viaan stifled a smile and got to work. He could see what was written clearly in the moonlight. It was unusually bright and the room was only enhancing it.

He moved towards the locked cabinets and peered at them. They did not appear to have any complex arrangements. It was a simple alarm and Viaan was sure it would work if he removed the biometric authentication. With that realization, Viaan started to back away when he heard some footsteps.

He debated the credibility of sleepwalking as an excuse. He quickly dashed behind a cabinet on the right. The room had two cabinets on its left side and one small one on the right. The front of it had a large window with open curtains but closed transparent windows. The fit was tight but Viaan managed. He couldn't see the person but he could hear him. The person neared his cabinet and waited for a second during which Viaan waited with bated breath and released it once the person moved away. Then the person moved towards the desk in the centre of the room and then walked away after locking the door.

Viaan didn't get out from his hiding place till he was certain that the person wouldn't return. It was the first lesson he had learned while playing with his siblings. He came out after a solid five minutes and was assaulted by a strong perfume. He concluded that the person must be the official because no thief would want to leave something behind to be traced back. The official was no doubt working late from his rooms on some matter. But it wasn't an audit season or time for any maintenance checks. This late night working rung bells in his head. Viaan walked fast and reached his room in a matter of seconds.

He found Vidyut still sleeping soundly so he quietly sat on the bed and contemplated things. The next time he woke, it was Vidyut trying to open a snack jar with hilarious results. The jar wouldn't budge and Vidyut's face expressions were something that belonged in a comic roll. Vidyut glared at Viaan for his silent laughter and dropped his unsuccessful endeavour.

He came and sat beside Viaan.

"You were out, weren't you?"

Viaan sighed. It was impossible to keep anything from Vidyut. So he told him everything. Vidyut listened patiently without any interruptions. Viaan's findings only proved Nairiti's intel. And even she admitted that in their lair.

The quiet and the only clean corner for their meetings in the shed was where they were talking. She was munching on a apple and nodded fervently. She was always right so Viaan did not add much.

"We should go today and see what they are working on." She said chucking the remains of the apple away in the basket.

"Yes, we should." Vidyut replied.

It was a plan when both of them agreed to something. They had different personalities but they did agree on many aspects. Viaan found himself nodding  and listening to their late night out planning. They were far too excited for it and they were on the edge all day. They met in the hallway and Viaan found that they all had dressed similar. In black outfits. Before he could burst in laughter, Nairiti glared at him.

They tiptoed towards the office and began their stake out. Once they were convinced that no one was awake, Vidyut and Nairiti went inside and Viaan waited for them outside. He was confident in their abilities as spies. They had more experience in those matters and Viaan knew what he had to know anyway.

After ten minutes they were back in his and Vidyut's room. Their floor had a collection of papers. The bills for new kinds of jobs which sounded fake to Viaan and names of people which were more like codenames. Viaan knew for sure that someone was orchestrating a great play and the missing pieces frustrated Viaan.

He only knew that Samvanth was the heart of it and he had bought many top officials of the palace. The list of officials who were corrupt made him  break into sweat. He saw the names of the prime official and his associates first. That man who was like an uncle to him was betraying him and his family. No one was safe. Not Viaan, not Ahana and not Vivaan who was the king of a corrupted ministry.

He was the king amidst the snakes who were ready to strike in a moment's notice. And Viaan was never this scared  in his life.

Author's note:
Who do you think is Samvanth? And what is his plan? Does Vivaan know? What is happening???

I'm kinda back from my sick days. Not that I'm healed completely but I wanted to do something normal like writing. So I did. What do you guys think?