Dishonor (Book 1 of the In Search of Honor series)
Chapter 6: Plans and Plotting

Lisa and Donna, outside workers, were also already waiting inthe lineup. Then other people started coming out. Children ran to their groups.

Children were often either used in houses or in groups made forworking small places where children were needed. Sometimes children escaped,and some were never found again, or families took them in, but for the mostpart they grew up to work in this place and die young in this place.

Scar-Face, Kyle, walked up and our group changed from a mob intoa straight line. He scowled at us, but I wondered what was past that scowl. Isuddenly remembered him shooting that girl. I’d ask Bryan to explain that onetonight.

Jordan approached me and I glared at him. “Hello, Liv, how wasyour night?” I just turned away. I didn’t plan on talking to him again if Icould help it.

“Your mother said to tell you that she loves you." Irefused to respond. I would not talk to an informant.

After Mistress Lianne told us our jobs for the day, I touchedReese on the shoulder. “Come by Kevin’s room after you finish in Felise’s room.”

She simply nodded. Rachel gave me a worried look, but I ignoredit. Reese was like me. She probably hated the King just as much as I did. Iwanted to get out of the prison, and I would do anything to get free. Anythingat all. She probably felt the same.

I met Kevin in his room. “Reese is coming up.”

“Are you sure you trust her?” He looked worried. Did I trusther? No. Did I know her that well? No. Did I think she would be useful? Yes.

“Of course I trust her. I wouldn’t bring her in if I didn’t,” Ilied.

“I don’t want my family to be dishonored. Is there some way wecould do this without incriminating my family?” Ha! When you were involved insomething like our plan there was no going back. There was no making sure yourfamily wouldn’t be dishonored if you were discovered.

“I don’t think so. It's all or nothing.”

Reese opened the door and peeked in. She saw Kevin and duckedher head. "Master Konjack, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to barge in. I…”

“It's okay, Reese, come on in. I actually wanted to talk toyou.”

She came in, her head bowed. “Liv said you wanted to see me,master.”

“What do you think about the current system? Tell metruthfully.” I could see him analyzing her and watching her for any sign ofinsubordination, however slight.

She looked at me. I nodded. “It's okay, Reese, he’s not aninformant. You can say whatever you want to say.”

“I hate it! I hate how they killed my father and dishonored me.I wish the king…” She shook her head. There were tears in her eyes. “My father…I watched him die. I loved him and they killed him.” She was broken up. Upset.No one could fake that.

I looked over at Kevin, and he nodded.

“Kevin is going to get us transferred to the royal group thatworks in the king’s house. You only get onto that group by royal decree. Thegoal…” Should I tell her the final goal? Could she work with us without knowingthe final goal? No. She had to know. “…is to blow up the castle.” Maybe Ishould have left out the part about the castle, but I trusted her. She wasn’tan informant. She wasn’t oily and searching for answers the way informantswere.

“I would be honored to be involved in your scheme. It makes meso glad to know that someone is doing something…” She sounded grateful. Kevinwalked up and gently wrapped her in a hug, and I felt a pang of jealousy. Ididn’t like seeing Kevin’s arms around other people.

But that was life. I couldn’t stop Kevin from hugging anyone hewanted to hug. He gently stroked her hair until she calmed down. She stepped awayonce she was better and wiped her face with her shirt sleeve. “I think I’mbetter now. Thank you, Kevin.”

She used his name and the way she said it - I think she might also like him. For a second I wished I hadn’t introducedher, but that was silly. Kevin wasn’t mine and I couldn’t control who he waskind to. It was part of why I like him.

“Come on, Reese. We have chores to do.” I walked toward thedoor, remembering seeing my own father’s head and banishing the memory from mymind again.

“Elizabeth…” Kevin’s voice was full of dismay. “Can I talk to you, alone?”

Reese looked between the two of us before walking out of thedoor.

“Elizabeth, you look, well, I don’t know. Upset? Is everything okay?”

“I… I don’t really know.” I couldn’t tell him that I wasjealous. When he used to comfort Annie I never felt jealous. Then again, Anniewas my best friend and I knew she didn’t have feelings for Kevin. To her, he wasjust an older brother. Annie assured me of this when I asked her once. She saidshe loved someone else, but she would never tell me who.

“It feels weird bringing someone in who isn’t Annie. I saw youcomforting Reese and I just couldn’t help but remember." It was half truebecause now that I said it I could see Annie standing there, staring at me. Hereyes were accusing me. Why are you still alive? Why haven’t you come to joinme?

“Elizabeth!” Kevin waved his hand in front of my face. “Ithought you had gotten better? That the grief had lightened.”

“It has. I just got lost in memory.” I couldn’t say the rest. Icouldn’t say how she wanted me to join her death, because I had promised KevinI wouldn’t. It was strange how a half-truth I had come up with to hide myjealousy had turned into reality.

“I need to go do my chores.” I rushed for the door even as Kevin reached out to stop me.

“Elizabeth!” His hand just missed my shoulder as I slipped outthe door. I had to clean his room up, and Mistress Lianne would expect that toonly take half the day.

I avoided looking at Kevin as I entered. He was sure to be madabout the way I had left him earlier when he still had questions.

But he said nothing as I neatened up his closet and put theclothing he had thrown around into clean or dirty laundry. I put the cleanstuff away in drawers and piled the dirty stuff to take down to the wash. Stillhe sat on his bed, reading.

“Kevin, I need the bed covers.” He looked up slowly from hisbook.

“Do you want me to move so you can take my bed covers away?” Hegave me a cheeky smile.

“Yes, unless you like dirty smelly sheets and clothing.”

“Oh, fine. You’re no fun.” He stood up with this infuriatingsmirk.

I yanked the sheets from his bed. “I’ll bring you new ones afterI deliver the laundry.” I picked up the pile of dirty clothing and carried itto the door.

“As long as you bring me more blankets.”

“Of course, master,” I called out to him as I left the room, carryingthe pile down to the women who worked the laundry room. Sometimes he could beso frustrating. One moment he was kind and caring and the next he was orderingme about like I was just some servant there to clean up his messes.

I sorted the darks, lights, and whites into their own separatepiles to make it easy for the laundry ladies, and none of them said a word tome. I went to where the clean linens were stored and I grabbed a new set ofblankets and sheets. These ones had a dark red color with gold coloredembroidery thread telling stories in rich stitches.

I figured Kevin would like this set of covers since his favoritecolor was red. I brought it upstairs and he was sitting on the mattress of hisbed still reading.

“You like this set?” He looked up at the cover I was holding inmy arms.

“Yup,” he said as he got up off the bed.

“You want to help?” I asked as he just stood there.

“Nope. I think you have this all handled perfectly fine.” Heheld his book up in front of his face.

He was angry at me for slipping out. I had a job to do!

“Well, while I make yourbed maybe you can tell me what the fascinating book you are reading is.” Iworked as I talked, unfolding the sheets and laying the first one out on the bed.

“It’sa book Linda likes, and if I am to win her hand I must win her heart.” Heblushed.

“So, what’s it about then?” I teased him, trying my best to puton a smile. Maybe if I tried to be nice he would stop treating me like this.

He shrugged his shoulders. “It’s a romance novel.”

“She’s got you reading a romance?” I couldn't help it; Ilaughed. I never saw Kevin as the type to studiously read a romance. He waslike me. He liked action and adventure.

He grabbed a pillow and threw it at me. I glared at him and pickedup the pillow and carefully put it back on the bed. “I never pegged you as theromance reader.”

“Well, maybe you don’t know everything about me. I exist outsideof my helping you with this plan, and it better work.”

Why did he have to become serious? I turned my attention to fluffing up thepillows. “I know.”

But I didn’t know anymore. What was the truth and what was thelie now? I went to the bucket of water and grabbed a rag as I started to cleanthe walls.

I remembered when Annie and I were assigned his house at thesame time after being dishonored on the same day. I had been whipped threetimes that morning for being disrespectful. I was crying and unsure of theworld. Kevin had seen me driven in as he stood next to his father.

As I worked mucking out the stalls of the horse I had onceridden, the same horses that were given to the Konjacks on the day of myfather’s execution, Kevin came in. He looked fierce. I could still hear himsaying, “Elizabeth, why are you in that sack with your back bloody and cleaningout Rampant’s stall”

“Don’t you know, Kevin? Theykilled him. I saw them, they cut off his head. My dad, they cut off his head. I’mDishonored.” I collapsed there in the stall in a puddle of tears and shock. Theworld was starting to catch up with me, and I realized the full truth of mysituation.

“I’m Dishonored, Kevin. I’m Dishonored.” Kevin dropped to hisknees and held me close for the first time. The pain inside me was so great,far greater than the pain my back was in.

“We will get revenge for you one day, Elizabeth. I will doeverything in my power to get you revenge. Anyone who would do this to you isterrible, and I swear I will make you honored again one day, no matter what thecost.” His words built a fire inside me.

The tears dried up as I realized he was right. Revenge was whatI needed. “I swear, I will get revenge, Kevin, I will.”

In that moment, strength filled me. I had a new purpose. I would hide my fight sothat I could strike back at their very heart. I saw a glimpse of fear inKevin’s eyes as he saw what he had awoken, but I knew he would become stronger.He would have to become stronger like I had. Maybe he hadn’t seen his father’shead taken off by a brutal king’s orders, but I would need him, and he wouldneed to rise to meet that challenge.

I let myself bask in the memory of the strength that filled me.It was the first time I had felt that strength, and since then it was what keptme going. Was I being too hard on Kevin? The idea was his. He came up with itto give Annie and I hope, but it was a solid plan. It would work. Reese and Iwould finish the work of revenge that was started all those years ago in astall.

I finished the walls and moved to the floor. The way Kevin lounged on his bed reminded meof a when I moved from cleaning stalls to cleaning his room. A spot had opened in the house. The maid thatserved him had gotten an infection and died. He demanded that only I couldclean his room.

I came in after changing in front of the old, grisly guard thatwatched our group. I was scared, unsure of what I was supposed to do and scaredI would mess up and be sent back to the stable. But there was Kevin smiling atme as I walked in. “I did it, Elizabeth. I got you a job where we could havetime alone. It’s not much, but we can start planning now.”

I had almost forgotten about his promise. I had given in to thedespair of dishonor, but he gave me hope again that day. Soon after, Racheltook me under her wing. I had been so close to giving up before she came along.The next day I had asked Kevin if Annie, my friend I’d made amongst theDishonored, could be a house slave as well, and he had smiled widely. “Well,let me ask my Father, but I bet he’ll agree that Felise could use his ownmaid.”

Every morning we were as thick as thieves until Annie wasmurdered by the guards. Why hadn’t she opted for exile? Tears leaked out myeyes.

I grabbed the feather duster and got back to work. Last thing todo in Kevin’s room. I looked over at him quietly reading. At one point he wouldhave helped me clean or at least talked to me the entire time and kept mecompany, but now… Now he didn’t seem to care that I was still in the room.

Sometimes I wondered if my own need for revenge had tired him,and if he had lost his own flame to help me. Maybe now he just did this out ofsome sense of the need to fulfill his long ago promise. I wouldn’t hold him toit.

“Kevin.” He looked up from his book as I spoke to him quietly.“If you don’t want to help me with my revenge, you don’t have to. I won’t holdyou to your promise.”

He smiled fondly at me, “Don’t worry Elizabeth, I’ll do my part.It’s not very hard. Don’t worry Elizabeth. Everything will go according toplan.”

One moment he is scowling and saying everything had better go toplan, and then the next he is saying everything is fine. As if that was what Iwas worried about. I feel more like he’s afraid everything won’t work.

I finished dusting and prepared to leave. He didn’t even look upfrom the book he was so carefully reading. I took all my supplies out of theroom with me. I put everything away and headed back to the kitchen to replace mynext chore since it was only a little after midday.

Mistress Lianne glanced up as I entered. She talked as she mixedsomething in a bowl. “Ahh, you finished before the others. I want the kitchenscrubbed down. It’s getting dirty in here. Make sure you scrub the icebox anddump any food that’s gone bad. Also, since we aren’t using the wood stovecurrently I want you to clean the inside. You got all that, girl?”

“Yes ma’am.”

I headed toward the door but she stopped me. “And use the waterfrom the sink. I don’t want you to waste time walking in and out of here tocart water from the well.”

“Yes, ma’am.” She seemed unusually kind, but maybe it was justbecause she wanted the work done quickly. Maybe she wanted to see how quickly Iworked when under constant supervision.

I filled up a kitchen bucket with water from the faucet, andquickly went to work scrubbing down the icebox.

I found it kind of funny, but mistress Lianne was clearlygetting annoyed. I think she was glad when the daylight started to dim and itwas time for me to leave her domain.

She shooed me out of the kitchen.

Rachel and Reese came out just as I was finishing up. We walkedto the well where Scar-Face, no, Kyle was waiting for us.

The door clattered, and mistress Liane ran outside. Was she mad? “They finished more than the workassigned. The house girls earned a little extra tonight.” She held out a basketto him, “One for each of them and I included one for you.”

I almost laughed in surprise. I gulped to keep myself fromsaying anything stupid.

What was the treat? What would we get tonight? Kyle smiled.“Thanks, Lianne. I appreciate you thinking about me.” Suddenly I could see anice person in that smile I had never seen before on him, but it suited him.

The moment passed and he scowledagain. “But just because Lianne has a big soft heart and made you three a treatdon’t think you can slack tomorrow.”