it goes downhill from here

For a few moments, Intervar lay in bed, listening for faint footsteps down the corridor. He stood up and threw himself in his chair in front of his desk when they finally disappeared. He slid the drawer open carefully, as if he didn't want anyone to hear him. 

He took out the collar from the black box labeled with her name and found a bag of animal snacks underneath it. He'll have to check the bag later because he doesn't want to give her odd foods. 

"Donn, you have to wear this. Queen's orders." He swiftly fastened the collar in place. As he lay back on the bed, she quickly struggled to get out of the collar. 

  He decided he could go exercise, it was only nine twenty-six. His family did have a gym on one of the lower floors. He put on a lightweight gray long-sleeved shirt and loose fitted pants that matched. 

Even though the shirt covered Kirk's brand, he had to be careful not to let the sleeves fall down by accident. Thankfully, he should be alone unless Michael was already there. 

He went downstairs and heard muffled conversation followed by the sound of glass breaking. He looked down the other corridor and saw Miss Katie and Eda together. 

Miss Katie was picking up glass and food on her knees, while Eda stood behind her, giggling. 

"Are you the cook and maid?" She made a snide remark "You work all day with dirt and cleaners, and then you have to deal with food? How revolting!" 

"Donn has a greater right to sit at the table than you do, so there should be no reason why her food can't be served alongside the rest of the meal."

Intervar rolled his eyes at the interaction, he was positive this was just Eda's way of causing trouble just because she could. 

  "Her bowl has a lid on it, ensuring that it does not come into contact with anyone else's."  She added. 

Miss Katie flung the pet food over Eda's shoulder and stood up, the meal splattering across her dress, and Eda looked at her, shocked

  She began cleaning up what was left and placing it in a bag with a knot.

"Oh, how disgusting." Miss Katie mocked. 

Intervar walked into the gym and burst out laughing, knowing that the woman had gotten exactly what she deserved. 

He knew his parents wouldn't be thrilled when they found out. Miss Katie, on the other hand, could handle it. 

He began doing pushups while staring at the ground and listening for anyone approaching. 

'It wouldn't surprise me if Michael came down here, although he was most likely finishing the book he discovered earlier.' He thought as he switched to curlups. 

Donn zoomed out again and returned with a map, which he placed on the table. 

He took it in his hands. 

  "What is this, Donn? Where did you get this from?" 

He unfolded the map, which represented Dohi's territory with their countries and states designated, and examined it. 

"What am I supposed to be looking at?" 

She licked her paw and placed it on the 'Hud, Questa' corner of the map. 

He inspected the wet paw print; he'd been to Questa before, for King Kirk's training. but not near Hud. 

  "Is Christoph in Questa?" He looked towards Donn, she chirped in response. 

  Hud was way to far away from Queen Sei's boarder, and he cursed beneath his breath. 

He wasn't going to take any vehicle; he supposes he could ask one of the magical folk to portal him, but they wouldn't do it for free. Then he wasn't leaving the house with Eda, so his only other choice was to hire someone to follow Christoph or somehow get the information he had.

Neither of them were legal, but he could say that about the entire scheme. Someone would have to provide him information, he cursed again. People aren't going to leap at the opportunity right away, no matter how much money he throws at it, it's way too risky to be caught doing. 

  His thoughts strayed to Gavin, and he wondered whether he could pay him or do him a favor. They were practically in the same boat and Kirk wasn't treating neither of them well. 

He won't see him again until the next meeting, which is in three days, so finding him alone will be difficult. Maybe he wouldn't have to wait till the meeting, he thought as he peered over at Donn. 

  Except, he would go straight to Kirk instead. 

  He groaned, he couldn't just win with this. Each idea just sent him down a rabbit hole. Then another idea struck him, it was also illegal and stupid, but it was what he had left. 

  He could forge the queen's signature and make him believe he had to be somewhere else instead of there, but he couldn't speak to her immediately after or before. 

He returned his gaze to Donn. She could divert his attention, then leave the letter for him and ensure that he does not speak to the queen right away. 

That works a little better, but it's not fool-proof; he'll have to work out that strategy or come up with something else. 

He folded the map and went to the fridge to get some water, seeking anything to occupy his time while he thought. 

  Suddenly, a deep rooted sense of trouble hit his stomach like a hot stone. 

Was Eda up to something new? Were his parents in some sort of trouble? Michael, perhaps?

As he explored the house, a million thoughts flashed through his mind, and he became increasingly panicked as he found nothing. 

In the sitting room, he discovered his family. Eda was with them as well, but she was reading the newspaper with a neutral expression on her face. 

"How are things going for everyone?" Intervar asked as he entered the room. Grateful his panic was for nothing. 

"Intervar, we're doing fine. However, I thought you were asleep." His mother said from her spot on the couch. 

  "No, I was actually in the gym. Donn and I was throwing a ball around." 

  "Oh, well come sit with us. Donn, you too." His mother ushered them forward and he sat on the floor with Donn, who huffed since there was nothing to hide under. 

"Donn needs a tiny box to hide in when your father and I sit anyplace. She's always trying to get her fur on our clothes."  His mother said, looking at Donn groom her fur. 

  Intervar cast a peek at Eda, who was sitting there, irritated, just as he had predicted. Donn was her enemy for whatever reason. 

  "Well she is definitely spoiled." Eda butted in, a false sense of kindness underneath. 

"Please, don't lie, you couldn't take wet animal food as Donn can't stand dirty fur."  Miss Katie was quick to put a stop to her. 

Intervar only grinned a little at what the maid said but his parents were giving her some confused looks, like there was a joke said they weren't apart of. 

"Katie, what exactly are you talking about? Is there something wrong with Donn's food?" Intervar realized his parents were serious when his father spoke out. 

His father would only speak up when he had something important to say. 

"She didn't appreciate the fact that Donn's dinner was served alongside ours, because, as Eda put it, 'Rodents should be outside, not inside and treated like pets'. Then he had the audacity to chuck all of the food on the floor." 

Intervar couldn't decide whether to laugh or scold Eda. How could someone be nasty to her when she invests everything she has into making sure that everyone is happy? 

"You were rude to our maid?" His father's eyes darkened. 

"No, no, no, I'd knocked it over by accident. It was unintentional, I assure you.  And I'm not used to having animals in the house; no one I've ever known has had any." Eda jumped to her feet and defended herself. 

"You also did nothing to help, or was it just how you were raised?" Miss Katie swiftly added, not letting this woman off the hook. 

His father gave her a cold stare, he didn't like what he was hearing. 

"I just assumed you'd be unhappy with me, and that by me helping would aggravate you even more." 

"Your existence irritates me even more." Miss Katie immediately responded. 

'Wow, she really doesn't hesitate,' Intervar observed, shocked that she had stated so. 

"Katie! That was completely uncalled for!" With a surprised expression on her face, his mother exclaimed. 

Then Donn snorted loudly to demonstrate how strongly she disagreed with his mother's statement. 

  Intervar laughed, amused by Donn's antics.  At the time, nothing was wrong; his family was together, Eda was receiving what she deserved, and Micheal would have raised the alarm if there had been any danger. 

Then he stopped laughing; something didn't feel right. 

As though you know something is going to happen but are unable to prevent it. He  quickly stood up.