Cricket dashes ahead of her as soon as supplied with a direction and stops at the next fork in the hallway.
Iobel hears him and opens her door and catches him when he leaps into her arms and hugs him and sobs once.
He thinks he hears something, as he walks - he thought it sounded like 'Iobel,' repeated, but that - can't be right. It's his head playing tricks on him.
But he goes to investigate, anyway.
Edarial is more confused than angry, or even hurt. "... Why?" he says, stunned and holding a hand to his now stinging cheek.
He's... Just going to stop wandering the halls and go hide in his room. The great soon-to-be king of Marlatia, hiding in his room. How utterly fitting.
Edarial curls up with his familiar and tries not to cry.
"[No,]" purrs Cricket, pressing himself into her as though he is a much heavier cat. "[No I am fine I did not even murder them though they would have very much deserved it are you okay he didn't touch you did he I will make him BLEED -]"
"[No,]" says Iobel, "[no, he didn't, I'm - I'm fine. All that and he's not going to touch me, looks like. At least until it's about time he had an heir.]"
"[Will we run away?]"
"[I don't know yet. Not today.]"
Iobel opens the door, clutching Cricket to her shoulder with the other hand. "It's okay, we're fine," she says.
"I assume you mean the king," says Iobel dryly. "I don't know how much protection I'll be, but if you can get yourself assigned to work for me or something..."
"I don't know what I can do," says Iobel, "but if I can do something I will and if you're nearby it will be easier to notice if I can."
"The only people in this palace I have met are the guards who took Cricket, and the king, and you, and an incompetent little bureaucrat who told me a week ago he'd look for my cat and never came back. I don't know who's in charge. Who are you reporting to right now?"