Now that Harry is getting closer to Dacran— even if unintentionally— Alouette knows she has to be fast. If the Revolution senses the danger they might decide to speed up their plan again, so if she truly wants her answers, she has to find them now.

It's clear to her that she has to find a way to access the archive. Unfortunately, Nathan doesn't seem to know much about it: all he was able to tell her was that there seem to be no cameras inside. Alouette knows, though, that she can't risk entering it without knowing anything else about it. She has to talk to someone who's familiar with it, and thankfully enough, she knows just the right person.

The following morning, she invites Jayden out for breakfast. They decide to go to the cafe upstairs instead of the dining room, and sit down at a table close to the corridor, away from the line of people waiting for their order. It isn't hard to get him on the topic of the archive, the few days he's spent in there still too fresh in his mind.

"It was so boring, you have no idea. I think I pissed off the President or something," he laughs, scratching the back of his head as he waits for his drink to cool down.

He's wearing a black suit instead of the uniform today. Harry's personal guard usually blends in with the other employees when they're inside the Palace. It's easier to keep him safe if people can't tell whether he's surrounded by guards or not.

"Couldn't you take any breaks?" Alouette asks him, frowning right after. "Stupid question, sorry. He would've surely noticed when looking at the cameras."

"Nah, there aren't any cameras inside," Jayden says dismissively, shrugging. "We chatted a lot because of that. We didn't take breaks because we wanted to be done as fast as possible, but we sneaked in a lot of food."

Alouette feigns concern. "No cameras? Isn't it unsafe?"

Jayden shakes his head. "There's no way someone dangerous could access the upper floors, so the security is relatively low in there."

"Oh, that's good. At least you got to bring food in. It mustn't have been easy, spending so many days in there from morning to evening."

"It wasn't that tough! The archive usually closes at four in the afternoon, so I was free after that."

Alouette takes a sip of her coffee to hide her blooming smile. That was easier than she thought. "Then I feel less bad about it." She looks up and lets out a surprised gasp when she sees a very familiar man walk by.

Harry. He must be going to his office.

"Sir!" She exclaims, standing up when he doesn't stop. She gets out of her seat and goes after him. "Harry!" She grabs a hold of the sleeve of his suit and he stops walking immediately.

He slowly turns around to look at her, the murderous glance in his eyes disappearing when his eyes meet hers. She lets go of him fast and stares at his crumpled sleeve guiltily. She didn't mean to call him by his name in front of everyone, nor to grasp him in such a way. She can't forget the position he holds in the Palace— and in the country.

"I'm sorry," Alouette says in a whisper only he can hear. "I was wondering if you wanted to join us? We're having coffee. If it wouldn't be a bother, of course."

Harry glances between her and the table she came from for some long moments, and she wonders if he's deciding whether to let it go or publicly scold her for her behaviour. "It wouldn't be," he then says, and Alouette is so relieved she could fall to the ground.

She directs him back to their table and resumes her spot in front of Jayden at the small square table. Harry takes one of the empty chairs at her side. She's about to stand up to go order for him, but he glances at the man behind the counter. Only a small wave of his hand is needed for him to nod his way and get to work.

Only now Alouette realises how much Harry influences any room he's in. She hadn't even noticed it at first, but from the very moment he walks in everyone else is acutely aware of where he is, what he's doing, what he's saying. He doesn't have to get anyone's attention, because he already has it. Is it why he insisted on going to his studio to talk the night they dined together?

"We were just talking about the wonderful work Jayden has done in the archive," Alouette tells Harry to get over the awkward silence. "Did you know he organised tens of thousands of folders by topic, year and alphabetical order?"

Jayden blushes faintly. Harry doesn't look at him. He doesn't seem to be in a good mood, and something tells Alouette it's her fault. But it's also her fault he and Jayden got off on the wrong foot and she has to fix it if she doesn't want him to punish him any further.

"He's very clever, it's no surprise that he was at the top of his class. I also made it out of that apartment you sent us to alive only thanks to him. He protected me and then helped me to defend myself as well." She instantly stops talking when a hand gently squeezes her knee under the table. She looks at Harry in shock and he gives her a sly smile before leaning in.

"I see what you're trying to do," he whispers in her ear, "it's a valid but pointless effort. I'm perfectly aware of all his qualifications."

Her face gets hotter when he sits back against his chair, and Jayden sends her a puzzled look, not having heard his words.

"I—I meant—" she stammers, only fuelling Harry's enjoyment.

She's saved by the arrival of a waiter bringing Harry's coffee on a tray with many others. He seems to be having trouble balancing the weight and Harry stands up. The waiter lifts his cup and hands it to him, but before Harry can take it it slips from his fingers.

Everyone in the room gasps when the cup tips over and splashes its contents all over Harry's suit.

For the space of two heartbeats nobody says a word. Then Harry looks up at him. He seems to be calm, but Alouette can see the fire raging just beneath the surface of his mint green eyes.

"You're fired," he says. It's definitive, absolute. There's no room for arguing.

"But sir...!"

"Go back to your rooms and pack your bags," Harry continues, stepping closer to him and looking down at him, lowering his voice. "And count your blessings."

The man gulps. Everyone can hear the threat in his voice. Be glad I'm letting you walk out of the Palace in one piece, his eyes say. If he complains, though, Harry might decide not to be so kind.

"I'm sorry, sir," the man says, bowing his head and running off.

Alouette is suddenly by Harry's side. She doesn't remember standing up. "Are you okay?" She asks him quietly, not wanting everyone to overhear her. She doesn't dare to touch him in front of everyone, not when his pride is already so wounded, so she resorts to assessing the situation from afar.

The coffee has stained Harry's jacket and waistcoat, right over his stomach. She doesn't know how hot it was, but he doesn't seem to be in pain.

"You should go get changed," Alouette tells him. It'll be humiliating to walk the whole way back looking like that. The entire Palace will talk about it for days, if not weeks.

"Sir!" Jayden suddenly says, jumping up. He takes off his black jacket and hands it to him. "You should cover up. I'm truly sorry this happened. I'll go now." He gives him a small respectful bow and walks away, leaving them alone in the middle of the crowd.

Alouette glares at the people that are still looking in their direction, forcing them to get back to their tasks. "Let me help you," she then says, sliding his jacket off his shoulders and putting it on the table. The fabric is expensive, and she feels guilty it got ruined even if it isn't her fault.

Jayden's jacket, on the other hand, seems to be way cheaper. Its black doesn't match Harry's suit precisely, but it's still way better than him going back with coffee smeared all over himself.

It takes Harry a couple more moments to let reality sink in, and then he puts the jacket on. Jayden is a little shorter than him, but thankfully it's not that noticeable. It's the first time Alouette sees him wearing something that wasn't explicitly made for him, and it surprises her to realise he still looks amazing. He's the kind of person that could wear anything and still make it look like he's modelling it.

He closes the buttons over his chest and then leaves. Alouette goes after him, taking his stained jacket with her.

They make it back to his rooms in silence. When he puts in the code, Alouette sends a quick glance to the movement of his fingers, immediately noticing it doesn't match the code she knows. He changed it. Is it a random occurrence, or does he suspect someone entered his rooms?

She has no time to think about it, though, because the door opens and he steps inside. After a little debating, she follows him in.

"Did you really have to fire him?" She asks as soon as he closes the door and they're finally alone.

Harry takes off Jayden's jacket and gives her a side-glance. "Lark, I mean it. Don't step in for him, because it won't end well."

"I wouldn't dare to, sir," she retreats quickly. That battle isn't worth fighting.

He goes into his bedroom and she waits in front of his door, trying her best to look as unsuspicious as possible. She doesn't let her gaze wander, not knowing when Harry will be back.

When Harry comes back he's wearing another black suit. It looks identical to the one from before, but something tells her that if she said it out loud he'd be absolutely outraged. His jacket is open to reveal a waistcoat of the same colour, and it doesn't even look like he had to change not even halfway through the morning. He looks as elegant as usual, and Alouette's heart jumps in her chest.

"Lark?" he calls her, and she blinks, realising she just spaced out. He takes Jayden's jacket from the couch and throws it to her. "Make sure Mr. Bryce gets this back and tell him to come up to my office."

"Right away." She hangs Harry's ruined jacket on the side of the mirror next to the door and scrambles out of the room.

She's gone mad. Why does she feel like this all of a sudden, towards Harry nonetheless? She shakes her head. It must be tiredness. Or guilt.

It takes her some moments to realise she doesn't know where she's going, and when she does she stops by Evie's desk to ask her for direction to the guard room.

When she finally makes it there she knocks on the door. It swings open and she gasps when her eyes meet a pair of unfamiliar ones.

The unknown soldier crosses his arms, a glare in his icy blue eyes. "Yes?" He's wearing a black suit, similar to Jayden's, over a black dress shirt, and seems to be in his late twenties or early thirties. Alouette has never seen him around before. Has he been hired recently or has he always hidden in the shadows?

"Is Jayden here?" she asks, her voice trembling slightly. He looks like he can see right through her, and it makes her uneasy.

He rolls his eyes and then looks into the room. "Bryce!"

"Need me, Jackson?" Alouette hears coming from the side, and some seconds after Jayden appears in the frame. "Oh hey there, Ms. L."

"I come bearing gifts," she replies, holding up the black jacket for him to see. "And Mr. Styles also wants to see you, Mr. J."

The blue-eyed man gives her an odd glance, but doesn't make a move.

"Jackson, meet Larkie," Jayden says, and Alouette shoots him a glare. "My bad, Lark. She always gets angry when I call her Larkie, she reminds me of you." He taps the man on the back.

Jackson tilts his head. "I'm familiar with Ms. Ewing." Alouette can hear the challenge in his voice, and it makes her want to run back to Harry.

Jayden grabs his jacket and puts it on. "Don't mind him, he's always a joy to be around. You can go, I'll be at the office in some minutes."

Alouette goes back to the office and glances inside Harry's room when she notices the door is half-open. He's standing next to his desk, his hands on the edge of it, seemingly busy with reading something.

She knocks on the side of the door, and he immediately looks up. "Would you like me to bring you some coffee?" she asks him gently. "Since you didn't get to drink it earlier."

"In twenty minutes," Harry simply replies before going back to his papers.

"Mr. Bryce will be here soon," Alouette tells him even if she's quite certain he isn't listening to her anymore, and then walks out of the room.

She sits on her chair and checks the time to make sure she'll be on time. He might've loosened up a little when it comes to her, but she knows how much he likes things to be done properly. His suits have to be perfectly ironed, his coffee has to come exactly when he wants it to, the papers he needs have to come exactly when he asks for them, his meals have to be exactly what he wants, when he wants. He likes his routine, and he expects everyone around him to do all they can to make sure everything goes smoothly.

He hates all kinds of disruption, so Alouette is sure he isn't in a good mood after the mess of some minutes ago, and doesn't want it to turn any sourer. She doesn't fear for herself, but she knows he'll end up making someone else's life very complicated by the end of today if he doesn't cheer up at least a bit.

Soon after Jayden walks past her desk. He offers her a smile before going into Harry's office, but doesn't say a word.

Alouette goes through the folders on her desk and assesses all the things she has to get done today while keeping an eye on the time. Ten more minutes pass, and then she finally stands up. She lets Evie know where she's going and then walks out in the corridor.

When she gets Harry's coffee, she notices the man behind the counter has been replaced. She recognises him as one of the dining room workers. She thanks him when he hands her the cup and then goes back. She waits around for about a minute, wanting to be perfectly on time, and then knocks on Harry's door.

"We still haven't been able to locate the weapons, sir," Jayden is saying when she walks inside. "We were able to confirm they're in Northfair, though."

"How can such an amount disappear?" There's deep sarcasm in Harry's voice.

"The Revolution has many hideouts, sir. If they're planning a rebellion, I'm sure they'll do all they can to keep it a secret until the last moment."

Alouette stops in the act of putting the coffee cup on Harry's desk. Harry is aware that they're planning an attack. She thought the Revolution was a thousand steps ahead, but it looks like Harry is quickly catching up. What will happen if Harry finds out about their plans before they're able to carry them out? Her hands tremble as she lowers the cup.

"Hunt them down," Harry says. "If they want to act as animals, we'll treat them as such. Don't stop until you find out what's happening, but do so stealthily. Don't alert the citizens or we'll cause a mass panic."

"We'll do our best to discover what their target is in Northfair."

Harry looks at Alouette. "Is something upsetting you, Lark?"

She shakes her head quickly. "I'm fine."

"I don't believe it."

She glances up. Both Harry and Jayden are looking at her. She can no longer avoid it. She has to come up with an excuse for her behaviour before they get suspicious. "You were talking about the Revolution," she says in a whisper. The word feels strange in her mouth while she's standing in front of Harry. "You said they're here?" She widens her eyes in feigned shock. She doesn't blink, and soon tears are welling up in her eyes. "I thought we were safe here."

"Does the Revolution scare you that much?" Jayden asks her gently, concern painted on his face.

"There are bad stories going on around them," she replies, keeping her voice low. Her eyes are still wet. "They do horrible things. All those attacks... I didn't feel safe going anywhere before coming here. I thought I'd be safe here, I—"

Tears are now streaming down her cheeks and her vision is blurred. It's a bit humiliating to cry in front of them but she doesn't care, because it's working. She covers her mouth with her hand and draws in a shaky breath.

All of a sudden an arm is around her shoulders, and her eyes snap open. Harry stood up and is now right next to her. She can't see his face, but he pulls her closer to him. "You are," he murmurs into her ear before looking at Jayden. "They're reeling."

"You think this supposed attack is one last desperate effort on their part?" Jayden asks him and he nods.

"I'm sure of it. You may go." He glances at Alouette as soon as he finishes speaking.

She's still in his arms, looking at the surface of the desk. She doesn't dare to meet his gaze.

"Sit down," he says, directing her towards the couch on the side of the room.

She sits on it and realises that she was right the first time she saw it, it truly isn't particularly comfortable. He sits down as well, but on the other end of the couch. She looks at him, his position is tense. He's staring at her, but from the corner of his eye. Is he uncomfortable?

"May I offer you some... whiskey?" he asks, looking like he has no idea of what he's supposed to do for the first time in his life, and Alouette would laugh if she wasn't still shaken by the amount of information he has on the Revolution.

"What?"

He purses his lips. "Right. Wait here." He gets up and walks to the door. He opens it and talks to Evie for some moments before closing it again and going back to her.

He sits in silence. He seems to be uneasy, and maybe Alouette feels bad. She's already embarrassed because she had to pretend to cry in front of him, and he isn't exactly making it easier on her. At the same time, though, she enjoys seeing him so out of his element. She wonders why he won't just send her back to her desk.

Evie knocks on the door and he stands up again. When he comes back, he's carrying a dish full of strawberries. He puts it on the coffee table in front of them and Alouette sends him a confused look.

"Strawberries?"

"You seemed so keen on stealing them not long ago." The reply is so innocent that it shocks her.

She smiles and looks down so that he won't be able to see it. "Thank you," she says faintly. She's never had a preference for strawberries, but in this moment she can't help but think they might become her favourite fruit.

She puts one in her mouth and its sweet taste spreads on her tongue. They have to be the best she's ever eaten. Then again, Harry is the one that gave them to her, so she isn't surprised.

Some minutes go by, and Alouette finally finds the courage to look at Harry.

"Don't you want any?" She asks, moving closer to him on the couch. "They're good."

He parts his lips to reply, but before he can she takes one from the dish and holds it up to his mouth.

"Try this one," she says. "The redder they are, the sweeter they are."

Harry sends her a look, but he gives in. His fingers graze hers as he bites into the fruit.

Alouette looks at him expectantly. "How is it?"

"It's sweet."

She chuckles and takes the calyx off the half still in her hand. "Here," she says, giving it to him.

He takes it and puts it into his mouth, letting out a little hum. He takes another couple from the dish and hands one to her, making sure to remove the small green leaves as well.

And sure, she'll have to figure out what to do about Harry knowing about the attack and find a way to distract him and get him off their back, and soon she'll have a thousand more things to worry about. But as she sits next to Harry eating strawberries in the morning sunlight, she doesn't worry about anything at all.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter x
Miki