Morning Duties

Arno polished the silver candlesticks in Dr. Beaumont's chambers, his fingers working quickly despite the early morning chill. The palace corridors buzzed with servants preparing for another day at Versailles, their footsteps echoing off marble floors.

"Arno, come here," Dr. Beaumont called from his desk, adjusting his spectacles. The elderly physician looked tired, dark circles under his eyes. "I need you to deliver these medical supplies to the east wing. The Countess has been asking for her remedies."

Arno nodded, tucking the small leather pouch into his jacket. As he walked through the ornate hallways, past towering paintings of long-dead nobles, he noticed something odd. Three men in dark coats stood near the servants' stairwell, whispering urgently. Their eyes followed him as he passed.

One stepped forward, blocking his path. "You're the boy with the clever hands, aren't you?"

Arno's heart raced. He recognized that look—the same one people gave him back when he lived on the streets.

The Corridor Trap

"We know about your past," the man said, his voice low. "Before you came to the palace."

Arno's stomach dropped. His fingers instinctively moved toward the keyring at his belt, then stopped. "I don't know what you mean."

"The locks you opened. The houses you entered." The man stepped closer. "We need those skills."

"I'm not a thief anymore," Arno said, backing away.

A second man appeared behind him, blocking his escape. "We're not asking you to steal. We need you to unlock something that rightfully belongs to the people of France."

The third man held up a small leather pouch. "Your friend Dr. Beaumont's medicine. He won't get it back unless you come with us."

Arno's heart pounded. "You can't do this!"

"Walk quietly to the stable yard," the first man ordered. "No one needs to get hurt."

As they marched him through a side corridor, Arno glimpsed a woman with short auburn hair watching from the shadows. She wore a simple brown dress and held something small in her hands. Their eyes met for just a moment before she disappeared around a corner.