With the physical training intensifying, the strategic dangers of the palace also multiplied. Maya was constantly under surveillance, officially as a protected ward, but practically as a potential spy. She had to learn to operate in two modes: the quiet, respectful novice during the day, and the fierce, disciplined warrior by night.
Her need for intelligence was paramount. Ji-su was the commander, but the Lionesses were an entire cell, scattered throughout the palace's structure. Maya needed to know who she could trust, and who she needed to avoid.
One afternoon, while walking through a long, high-ceilinged corridor in the Royal Archives wing—a path often taken by the palace guard—Maya encountered Afiya.
Afiya was a stunningly tall royal guard, assigned to a minor Joseon princess but known for her professionalism and stern demeanor. Her armor was immaculate, her presence stiffly militaristic. She was a picture of Joseon loyalty.
As Afiya approached, she executed a perfectly formal, deep bow in respect to the "Royal Ward." Maya returned the gesture.
During that brief, split-second movement of bowing, Afiya's hand, resting briefly on her knee, flashed a movement. It was a precise, rapid flicker of the fingers, instantly concealed by the folds of her uniform.
Maya recognized the movement immediately. It was the Sankofa hand signal—a complex, unique gesture reserved for covert communication among the Lionesses. It communicated one thing: I am with you. Be ready.
Maya managed to suppress a gasp. Afiya—the strict, intimidating guard—was a sister-in-arms. This discovery was an immense relief, proving the Lionesses were embedded deep within the heart of the Crown's protection force.
The brief encounter provided not just confirmation, but a critical piece of information. The way Afiya's eyes had flickered towards a heavily locked door as she bowed was the true message.
Later that evening, Maya slipped out to the corridor again. The door Afiya had indicated was the entrance to the Royal Treasurer's private records vault. It was impassable to her.
She relayed the sighting to Ji-su during their next midnight training session.
"The Treasurer's vault," Ji-su repeated, nodding gravely. "Afiya is brilliant. The vault holds not gold, but the ledger of Prime Minister Choi's financial dealings—the payments to the foreign envoys, the bribes to the border generals. The proof of his treason. We cannot break in, but we can access the information through other channels."
Ji-su explained the structure of the palace intelligence network. The Lionesses weren't just fighters; they were scholars, matrons, guards, and servants—all exchanging information in a complex, invisible web. The key to the vault ledger lay not with a lock-picker, but with the man who cataloged the daily documents: Scholar Aisha.
Maya realized the extent of the sacrifice and danger her sisters faced. Afiya risked execution for a single hand signal. The entire cell was a ticking clock of loyal women waiting for the Princess to be ready.
This encounter sharpened Maya's resolve. The war was not just being fought with fists and staffs in the hidden chamber; it was being fought with silent signals and careful glances in the public corridors. Her identity as Anansi, the Lioness, was becoming less a birthright and more a chosen destiny.