They looked at each other in silence for several moments. "Well, of course. I hope your hand gets better." "Okay." He turned his back, only to find his head flying off and rolling down the stairs. He spat on his body. "Fruit knife." Two guards emerged from the room, carrying his body downstairs. Two others followed, one carrying an iron box. They descended the stairs, and he took the head, placing it in the box while the other wiped away the blood. "Send this head to His Majesty. He must know that there are crows in the castle's priesthood." Someone came from behind him. "The prince has arrived, my lord." He looked at him as he wiped the blood from his sword. The voice continued, "And there is someone else with him." "Someone else?" There was a moment of silence. "Very well, you go." He put down the sword, entered the room, and emerged wearing a silver mask decorated with Persian letters. He went down the stairs, followed by Thomas. They walked down a long corridor, flanked by scorpion-like effects, until they reached a large gate. He opened it and stepped out. They walked along a long, leafy path until they reached its end. He stood watching from afar as the prince entered, arriving at a circular, terraced rock garden. They descended a few steps, and one of the guards approached him with three goblets.
He went down the steps, approaching the prince, followed by Thomas, who hurried towards Babylon as soon as he saw her. He heard the prince say to Babylon, "Here he comes. I don't want anyone to speak to him but me."
They watched him approach a long path, and two locusts joined him as he passed by. He raised his hand, and they stopped and returned to their places. "Jeff, you're late. I expected you to arrive yesterday from your trip." Then he lowered his head and looked at Babylon. "Will you introduce me to..." Babylon stopped him, taking a few steps forward and extending her hand, surprising the prince. "Babylon..." He looked at him and was silent for a moment before taking her hand. He bent down to kiss it, and his hand caught sight of Paris's. Babylon looked towards it and extended her other hand, gesturing for her to come forward. "Paris, my patroness." He nodded in agreement. Then he looked at the prince, who had spoken first. "I think everyone knows by now," he said, then looked at him, and of course, at the castle minister, Simon, and the leader of the Silver Masks. Babylin didn't hear what he said after that, as she looked into the eyes of the Silver Mask that stared back at her. She remembered Ethan's words to her: "When you enter the castle, it won't be long before you meet Minister Simon. He'll be wearing a mask. Don't forget, you must introduce yourself and Paris, and hold his hand after he kisses it..." She stopped him. "And how do you know he'll kiss it?" He looked at her and smiled. "It's a long story." Then she added, "Don't forget his signature on the ground." She stopped him again. "Sign it!"
"Babylin, do you trust me?" Babylin looked back into the minister's eyes and squeezed his hand. The minister looked at her, and she pulled his hand away, letting her full weight pull him to the ground with her.
Everyone was taken aback, and a soldier rushed forward amidst the stares of onlookers. "What are you doing?" he asked, looking back at her after he fell. An arrow pierced his spot and flew on, exploding in mid-air. It wasn't an ordinary arrow. He looked behind him toward a window in one of the castle towers and saw the archer standing there. He pointed and shouted, "There!" Minutes later, the archer fell from the tower. "He was one of the Raven Priest's henchmen, the one who was killed a short while ago," said one of the guards, looking at the body and holding the hand marked with the raven symbol. He looked at one of the approaching silver masks, holding his hand. "He was another traitor, my lord." The silver mask seized the hand, severed it, and carried it towards the minister, who was busy thanking Babylin. "I didn't know you could focus on distant targets. Are you sure you're not someone?" He stopped speaking after looking at the approaching silver mask. He stopped it from afar with his hand, causing it to stop and hide the hand behind it. He bowed from a distance to greet the prince, who hurried to check on Babylin's well-being. "Are you alright?" She looked at him and the nymph. "Yes, I'm fine." Then they waited for the other silver mask, which was just as Ethan had described it: a silver mask covering its ear in the shape of a swastika, and a half-mask revealing its mouth, painted black. It wore a black glove engraved with red stones. Thomas recognized it. It was one of the torture devices used in Cyrus Castle, delivered to him by a spy in the Limmer Castle, who had never left the castle. The castle was the last stronghold. Moments later... Then someone appeared from where the archer had fallen. It was another mask, and Thomas understood why the unfortunate archer had preferred to throw himself rather than meet the mask's owner. She was the castle's envoy and spokesperson, and not just a pretty face. She was the Silver Mask, the one behind the three-year Southern War, which ended with the beheading of the Third Brother of the Southern Kingdom. The Word Mask wasn't just a silly name written in small letters between the mask's edges; it was one of the South's greatest weapons, the reason the mighty Paulus protected the South. He had the mask specially made to cover her mouth from the inside, making it difficult to speak while wearing it. She was known in the castle of the Limeer as the Fallen One, having slept with every one of the castle's great men. But it was never for pleasure; it was for something bigger than a single night with someone. She had been doing this for many years to resolve conflicts between the castles. It is said that she is over a hundred years old. This is how dangerous her words were to hear. She could have been the minister, but she refused after learning that the position would limit her power. From the top of the tower, she looked down at Babylon, who knew Ethan's warning well: "Don't go near her on your first day in the castle." This seemed impossible after seeing her looking at her like that. The mermaid approached to stop her, feeling her heart tremble. She leaned closer and whispered in her ear, "What are you doing?" Babylon looked at her silently, a look of confidence in her eyes. The minister, brushing the dust from his robes, stood up. "It seems you've found my guardian angel today."