#shittily

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“Yes, Henry just named me his Right Hand Lady,” Carol bragged as she spoke with Thomas, standing in one of the Airship hallways. It was only two days after they’d managed to rescue him, and she was already making sure everyone knew about her change in status. “He had a private ceremony after the whole betrayal thing, just me, him, Geoffrey and MacBeth. You know what that means, don’t you?”

“Oh, yes! You’re second in command now, like Reginald used to be,” he smiled, seeming happy for her. It was normal for him, he’d always been one of the friendliest members.

“Yes, and it means if anything happens to Henry, I get to choose how the traitor is punished. These fuckers better watch themselves. Though it’s not great that he canceled the rocket project, because that also means that I have to send for all those people to return to their old divisions.”

“Ah, well, a rise in rank does mean a rise in responsibility. But I have faith in you! I believe you can get everyone sent back quickly.”

“Thanks, Thomas. Though, there’s one thing I am confused about. Reginald helped coordinate his rescue, he offered himself as the one to help in case Henry couldn’t make it. Why did Henry demote him?”

“It may have been a personal issue. You know how those two are about each other. They have reason to dislike each other, though I do hope Henry had a real reason. I would hate to think he’d demote someone over a petty rivalry.”

“Of course not, Henry’s not that immature. Though it does make you think… Perhaps he made a discovery while in prison. Or… while escaping.” She thought for a moment, the realization beginning to dawn on her. “You don’t think Reginald is the anonymous traitor, do you?”

“What? Well, no, why would he be? Henry has been nothing but a good and strong leader since he took over. Not to mention this was the first peaceful transition of power in years!”

“By ‘peaceful’, you mean ‘deathless’, right?”

“Of course, of course. But Reginald wants what’s best for us, and he knows that Henry is just as good a leader as he is, even if he is a bit younger. He wouldn’t try to kill Henry!”

“Hm… I don’t know, I just can’t shake the feeling that the ‘unrelated’ demotion isn’t as unrelated as Henry says. I’m going to see if I can have someone keep an eye on him.”

“If that’s what helps you, then I can’t stop you… And I understand why you don’t trust him, but would he really help to rescue Henry if he wanted to kill him? It doesn’t make any sense.”

“Thomas, someone’s already made an attempt on Henry’s life. That much is clear. So if I have my suspicions, I should be able to help our leader.”

“That’s not at all what I’m saying! I agree, you should help him, but don’t cast blame like it’s something small! Especially in this sense! Accusing someone of downright trying to kill anyone, let alone our leader, is a very serious accusation, you should know that!”

Carol was silent for a moment. Thomas was right; she was throwing out a serious accusation without a second thought. After a few seconds of silence, she sighed.

“You’re right, I’m… I’m sorry, I’m panicking. I don’t like having traitors on the Airship, it… You never know who they’re loyal to, and who they’ll try to kill.”

“I know, it’s alright. It’s a terrifying thing. But imagine how Henry must feel; he’s the main target. For now, we have to keep an eye on him. But don’t forget to look over your own shoulder, now that you’re his Right Hand Lady. Alright?”

“Alright. Thank you, Thomas. I’m… I’m sorry for getting angry.”