Royals of a New Age (lilah's book)

Royals of a New Age

Vol. 1: The Rotting Empire

1

Sen

I was holding my sword, sharp as a needle’s point and far more deadly, wishing to stab it into a man I’d never met I had, at the moment, been planning to stab my mattress, or a wall, anything My breath heaved in my chest as a voice slid into my hearing, a noise other than the blind rush of anger I’d been listening to.

“Please, Princess, calm down I’m sure the Elven Prince will make a lovely husband,” said my harried attendant, Mego, holding a robe over her thin arms, thin lips pressed in a familiar look of worry She sat on one of the window seats below the two tall, arched windows that were letting in the sunrise over the moors They had browned and faded golden in the autumn season Far over those moors lay the Elven Kingdom, the Sever Territory We were the Trinity, and the Empire, as far as I was concerned, was the mightiest of the three lands. After all, it had me. I turned to the map of it spread over my desk, yellowed and brown. The desk was not covered in my study materials or research books books were more my brother Isaku’s thing but held a circlet I felt barren without Settled in rose gold and engraved in vines, it showcased my identity as the Crown Princess as the leather hilt on my hips did my identity as a Warrior. The sword I resolutely shoved into my hilt then. No, I reminded myself. I could save my anger for training and take it out on practice dummies

“I I am sure that you will be permitted to keep training in swordplay,” the attendant said, trying not to wince at my angry steps as I ripped my robe off of her arm. I may have complained, but I suppose I needed a presence like Mego in my life at least she was trying to comfort me, unlike my sister the Empress Ichika, who hadn’t done that in years

It wasn’t just about continuing my advanced weapons training. I was an elite warrior, trained in the fine arts of swordplay to mastery beyond any of the past Crown Princes and most of the Princesses If the Trinity War ever did break out, I would be ready, leading the battle as a model of inspiration to my Empire. I had done what few Princesses managed I had stood out of my fathers shadow, out of my eldest sister’s and my younger brothers’. As a Warrior.

A warrior reduced to a peace offering, a symbol of allyship between the Empire and the Elven Kingdom After all these years I was going to be delegated to the Elf Prince’s strange, human wife. At best, my training would be seen as an intricate hobby. I couldn’t believe my father would do this to me.

My sister, however Yes, I could believe that Oh, she definitely gave the Empress’s seal on this one

I stood up on one of the embroidered carpets and wiped at my eyes. The harsh morning light lit up my bedsheets where the mattress was angled on the Northern wall towards the sun, setting little motes of dust afloat in the beams. The Western wall held bookcases I had never cared to furnish beyond what I was told to place there for studies, and a door with my schedule hanging from a nail. I brushed a hand along the book’s spines as I walked across the room to my closet beside the desk

“It’s about more than swordplay,” I called out to my attendant. “It’s about my identity.” I pulled a robe off of the floor and flung it over my shoulder. It was a blue silk, unpatterned. Made for swordfighting and war, not like the clothes embroidered with silken flowers that I wished were better for battle

“This is just as much your duty as the battlefield would be,” Mego said as I came back into the room. Her small and delicate feet, so different from my own, touched the floor. “Think of it like that.”

I groaned

The Prince would arrive today. Unbeknownst to me, he had been travelling to our noble Empire for a couple of days now, to stay here for two weeks and become ‘acquainted’ with the girl who hadn't been informed of her impending doom His brother would arrive later with the rings to be present for the ceremony, and that would be it I shuddered at the thought as Mego straightened the ink painting on my wall of a sea I had never seen. I wondered vaguely whether or not I would be allowed to bring Mego with me She had been serving the Empire, specifically me, the Crown Princess, since I was nine and she was twenty four She had no family other than me really, how could I not bring her? I had low hopes, however. Probably I would have new attendants, Elven women who would oggle my strange ears and short limbs and dark eyes, so different from everything they knew. I hated the thought.

But, I reflected, walking out of the marble palace and into the courtyard, I was going to let some lowlife Elven prince ruin my morning.

It was time to train.

2 Isaku

I sat in the library in front of a table longer than my body It was covered in a thick coating of books and papers and inks. This was not a study day, during which a Teacher would join me in the library and instruct me on what books to pick out and what to do with them; this was a personal project. The idea of studying something and reading for fun baffled Sen, my sister I knew that if I looked out the windows bordering the long back wall of the library, I would see her throwing her sword at a number of straw people behind the square latticework. I thought I could hear her, too, although that may have been my imagination.

“They told her, I suppose?” I asked the Librarian I had to raise my voice, as he was all the way on the other side of the royal library by checkout. My voice travelled down lengthy bookcases to reach him. “Shhhh!” he said, louder than I had been talking There wasn’t even anyone else in the library I could practically see his well carved, aging face as he answered “Yes, last night, after dinner”

I sighed. The Empress Ichika, my other older sister, had her… ideas. She was, for one, willing to give up our sister to the Elven kingdom without her consent if it meant we could have their army Just in case the

Trinity war broke out. Which, based on the multitudinous reading material I had consumed regarding similar historic events, was probable History repeated itself I winced I wished I had told Sen of her impending marriage to be perfectly fair, I had only found out before dinner that she was bound to such a fate. I’d spent the meal staring at her narrow brown eyes and the circlet glittering over her sheen of black hair, thinking about when she wouldnt get to wear it any more I knew Sen and I were not as close as we had once been but perhaps I should have grabbed one of her broad shoulders and pulled her aside as I would have years ago, hiding behind a couch while father raged around a room, or behind a door frame, spying on our sister. Perhaps I had wanted to give her a last meal I winced inwardly at the macabre thought

The burgundy couch sunk underneath me as I reached for a quill, spilling some ink on the orange hardwood floors.

“Aren't there other things we could do to form an alliance?” I sighed, shaking the quill “Other than sending an eighteen year old warrior Princess off in an arranged marriage she doesn’t want?”

“I should think the Emperor does what he thinks is best ” The older man sniffed I heard him shuffle some papers I realize he would have some reluctance to suggest the Emperor had ever made a wrong choice, almost as if he thought I planned to tell anyone and get him banished for treason. As I had spent a good chunk of my life in the library in his company, I felt a little hurt at that.

“She’s beheading a lot more dummies than usual today,” the Librarian muttered from across the library I didn’t answer, as I was busy taking down a notation on a piece of yellowed paper. It was better than thinking about the fact that my older sister was leaving me for good.

“Do you know anything about the Elven culture?” I asked, changing the subject The Librarian had managed to read every book in the library throughout his life spent in it with his father, the Librarian before him, a feat I was highly jealous of.

“Ummm ” Of course there was a difference between reading and remembering “Would you like to check out a book, Prince?”

I sighed. Sometimes I thought I should be running the library. And really, why not? If the princess could lead an army, surely I could talk about books in a dusty room As if anyone came in here apart from me I’m going to check History,” I said, getting up from the couch and casting a glance at the windows and the violent princess on the other side. “Maybe I can find a lineage map, or something.”

Knowing the library better than the back of my hand, it wasn’t a difficult feat to locate a tome that showcased the royal Elven family trees. In curling gold vines, a family tree displayed itself on a map. Very pretentious, I thought. But then, elves liked decadence.

QUEEN ALVERA KING

The king was deceased. No wonder they wanted the prince to marry.

In a line from the royal marriage sat the Prince and two others:

PRINCEALDER EVERFELL

PRINCE LORE EVERFELL

PRINCE SCHYLAR EVERFELL

I stared at the golden vines and the elaborate font as if they could tell me something about the man who was to wed my sister They said nothing

I closed the book with a sigh. Unfortunately, this kicked up a lot of dust, which forced the Librarian and I into violent coughing fits. Why did the attendants never clean this place? They didn't realize just how important it was I knew

The Librarian perched a pair of golden lenses on his nose to examine the extravagant writing. He frowned.

“It’s the middle son,” he said simply “Lore Everfell,” I muttered, tasting the sounds over my tongue. “Stupid name.”

Maybe he was a nice guy Maybe he didn’t want this marriage any more than my sister did Maybe he hadn't done anything wrong But illogical though it may have been, I hated the Prince.

3 Sen

My hair slapped against my back, thick with sweat The battle robe I wore in aquamarine fabric swished around my legs like water My chest was heaving, but I had decapitated every dummy in the Northern courtyard. I could almost see them as enemies of the Empire and the straw as blood. The swordmaster stood off to the side in a long, official robe, holding her sword like a cane and watching me with a critical eye She looked like a raven “Your fifth kill was off,” she said. “Your enemy would still have been alive, headless.”

“They can't do that much damage headless anyway!” I muttered, dusting the straw off my sword.

“When my head was cut off in the battle of Arnstan, I killed the general with my broken shoelace,” she said. I wasn’t sure if she was being serious or not. I had laughed once at a similar story, and only received a blank look

“Your anger blinded you You should never take out your anger on the enemy; it makes you vulnerable ” I disagreed, but I didn’t say anything. I was busy wiping the sweat off of my circlet. It splattered onto the blue grey cobblestones

“And you shouldn’t wear that when you’re training, anyway,” the swordmaster muttered. I glared but said nothing. We had had this conversation many times in the past, to no avail. I realized that I probably wasn’t going to wear my circlet at the Elven palace

I heard a clattering coming from the East. It echoed off the palace walls, which were coated with ivy and wisteria. There was no way the Elven palace was this beautiful, I knew. How could anything ever match the tall bushes, the wisteria, the marble rooms? Even the horse stables, which was where the clattering came from now

My heart sunk, and not from the overexertion. The sound of horses. The sound of a carriage.

The sound of the Prince

The swordmaster cursed. I cursed. I was covered in sweat and dirt, and here was my future husband. On the other hand, if I didn't look my best, maybe I would be considered unsuitable.

Who was I kidding? I always looked like a goddess

Ichika Iomani, the Empress of the Iomani Empire and my older sister, appeared at the end of the bush lined path that bled to the courtyard Her face had a look of disdain for the place, which to be sure, wasn’t as nice, perhaps, as the Eastern one that faced the city or the Western one that held the swan pond behind it, but it served a purpose. Me. Then again, maybe I had been reading too much into things, as her face always looked disdainful. Ichika’s sharp, long face had evolved into a cold and calculating look with her rise to Empress I suspected I would look much the same when I was her age, except with more muscles and without the ink dark eyes Isaku and her shared, exactly like father’s.

“Sen,” she barked, gesturing sharply with a long fingered hand, so different from my stout, calloused ones “to the Eastern courtyard Now ” Without waiting for an answer, she turned away

I put my sword back in the hilt attached to my thick leather belt with no particular hurry. Let the Emperor and Empress greet the Prince first. I knew how to make an entrance.

The courtyards were connected by narrow bush lined paths, one of which I ran down now The Eastern courtyard, unlike the others, opened up to a road that led down to the sparkling Inner City. I knew that if you kept walking in a straight line, through the lower city and the iron gates beyond, you would make it to the Elven Kingdom And further, the Sever Territory To get to our (obviously superior) Empire, the Prince needed only to travel in a line across the thick, grey moors.

I ran into the courtyard, my momentum taking me towards the fountain with a vigour. It depicted an intricate fish of the likes I had never seen in our lakes, spouting water into a shining blue bowl I stopped, panting, and looked at the scene around me.

My sister, under eye muscle twitching, next to my massive bearded father in a red robe embroidered in gold thread The Emperor Off to the side was my brother, Isaku, who I hardly ever saw these days He always had his head in paper, and I think he breathed in too many of those ink fumes in the library. His hair, a similar black to his eyes, framed his face. He fiddled with a string of his own robe, dark with an embroidery of navy blue vines I glared at him to stop, but it wasn't as bad as his other habit of biting his nails

I grinned at the Emperor and Empress with a wave from the middle of the cobblestones. Opposite them, watching, stood three figures

All three were tall with overlong limbs and pointed ears, uniquely Elven characteristics. One was shorter than the rest; I guessed an attendant from his plain attire including a grey travelling cloak. His wide browed, good natured face was shadowed by a small beard and untroubled by my sudden violent appearance A grave mannered figure on the other side eyed me thoughtfully, like I confused him Another attendant? His cloak was the same grey, but spying the bulges in his coat, I doubted it. A

bodyguard? So the Prince couldn’t take care of himself, hmm? Each man also wore a pair of rough breeches

There, in the middle, definitely the Prince. He looked like he didn’t know what to do with his arms, wrapped in a dark green cloak with the massive hood down, revealing hair in a reddish yellow hue and light grey eyes the colour of the clouds above He seemed nervous, like he was expecting an attack at any second. Feeling the hilt of my sword under my fingers, I reflected that maybe he had the right idea.

“On behalf of the royal family, I would like to formally welcome you to the Iomani Empire,” said Ichika. Her voice was smooth and mellow, exactly the voice a royal needed to run an Empire and deliver a sense of safety to the world. My voice was more like the kind you are judged by as you die.

“I am the ” I panted. “Sen Iomani, The Crown Princess of the Empire. Welcome,” I said with a bow.

The bodyguard squinted, but I refused to show any hesitance

“And soon, the Crown Princess of the Elven kingdom!” the attendant voiced cheerfully. The hair on my neck bristled at the mention.

At least the Prince wasn’t terribly ugly We could make pretty children I stifled a shudder Children

I swallowed in the awkward silence that followed. Maybe I should say something. Nice to meet you, person I have two weeks to get to know before we are joined together in eternity!

The shorter attendant nudged the Prince, who started like he had been hit He gulped and took two steps towards me, two steps which carried him twice as far on his long legs than a human. I frowned. I didn't like the idea of my husband being taller than me

“Um I’m Lore,” said the Prince “Lore Ever Prince Lore Everfall ”

Cute, too tall, and horribly awkward. Great.

I reached out my hand He took it but didn’t shake it, just looked at it like I had handed him a dead rabbit.

Doesn’t know how to shake hands, I added to the growing list in my head. this just kept getting better.

“I am Baron Isinglass,” said the apparent bodyguard Did everyone have such pretentious names in the Elven kingdom? I gave a respectful bow, but let my fingers graze my sword in my belt, just so he could see. I turned to the somewhat portly attendant, who introduced himself in an overloud, good natured voice as Fenrir Cobalt, confirming my theory of pretentious names I stood back in front of my sister and father, where I belonged, pleased. I refused to look at my sister, who was probably staring daggers out of her peripheral. But I was busy with a habit of mine.

Mego considers it a problem I call it a possible solution

I know exactly how to take anyone down in two minutes. I had been in the courtyard for approximately three minutes, during which I had enough information to completely incapitate any of the men before me

The portly man easy. Low energy levels. I needed only to use his weight against him.

The Prince. Easy. He was awkward and lanky. I only needed to make sure he couldn’t right himself.

The bodyguard a little more difficult He was much older than I was with probably many more years of training. However, he had a long, platinum blond ponytail I could grab. I decided to take that as a win. He had a long, deep red scarf laced around his neck, perfect to wrap around it.

If necessary, I could also destroy my brother, the Librarian, my attendants, the cooks, the civilian woman who hangs her laundry in the streets, my sister, and even the Emperor. Of course, they didn’t know this. I was the only person devoid of weakness, as far as I knew. This ability came with a curse, as well. It gave me a growing fear and unease that, one day, I would meet one person with no weakness That one day, I would meet someone who would find mine.

That day was not imminent, I convinced myself. I chanted it to myself every time I had a dream where I was lying on a battlefield saturated in blood, and looming over me, was

I always woke up here, thirsty.

“Oh, and this is my son,” father said, as if an afterthought. I winced on Isaku’s behalf. Always the afterthought “The Crown Prince, Isaku ”

At least the kid could bow properly. His hair had dust settled on it, some of which fell off and was scattered by the light breeze. I tried not to laugh at my library relic of a relative. The Emperor, Ichika, and Isaku all shared the same ink black eyes

The Prince, bowed back, visibly flustered. There was another awkward silence. Royal meetings were really not like how they were displayed in civilian theatres.

“Well,” said the Emperor, clapping his massive, calloused hands together “We have rooms set up for each of you in the Western Wing; at the back of the palace. I assure you, they are very comfortable.” “If I may,” said the bodyguard, whose voice was even slinkier than my sister’s and sent a chill up my spine, “I would prefer one in the Eastern Wing, facing the sun ”

The Emperor looked taken aback who would so dare rebuff his hospitality? but Ichika put out a flower like hand in front of him and managed to look down her long nose at the elves despite being shorter “Of course it may be arranged We will discuss it with our attendants ” Suspicious. I would have to keep my eyes on the ponytail man.

Through gritted teeth, Ichika instructed me to escort the Elven Prince to his quarters Giving him an appraising look, I swept out of the courtyard without asking him to follow A set of light, hurried steps informed me he had followed accordingly, their tapping becoming loud as he caught up to me in the main corridor.

Long legs equal for speedy movement, I added to the list

“It… It’s really good to meet you,” he tried. I sniffed and did not look at him, although I could smell his peculiar scent of green apples I supposed I smelled like sweat and hay

With a lift of my chin, I reminded myself I was better than him.

The Prince tried for conversation a few more times, but gave up by the time we had climbed up the staircase with its ornate golden rail He examined the high walls of the upstairs corridors as I navigated into the Western Wing, the rich marble floors, the occasional windows giving way to a landscape view of the moors beyond. Perhaps he was looking for the glittering white spot that was his Kingdom. Well, it was invisible from here, so he could see what it was like to be away from home, as I would be forced to learn Something caught in my throat Looking at the Prince staring with round eyes, chewing his lip in nervous curiosity, I stilled my weakness. He stopped to examine a line of portraits depicting royal lines that went hundreds of years back, specifically the latest one showcasing my siblings and I. I had to admire the skill of the painter, who had perfectly captured Isaku’s tight, languid gaze, Ichika’s cold look of eyes and tilt of chin, and my bright eyed defiance that seemed to follow the observer wherever they stood. If I looked closer, and I had examined the portrait many times in the past three years since it had been painted, you could see a string of my hair out of place over my circlet and a brush of dark paint over Isaku’s fingers, in life perpetually ink stained

The indigo bruise at Ichika’s collarbone had been left out by request. I could still see it clearer than the oil paint in my memory

“It looks exactly like you all,” the Prince said, raising a hand as if to touch the textured paint, lowering it when he caught my eye.

“Well, I should hope so,” I snipped, coming out of my memory

We arrived at a pair of ornate double doors, one of which was ajar. I propped it open a bit more and took a glance inside.

It looked mostly like my room, except that the arched windows would let in the sunset rather than the sunrise, and the bed had been placed in the middle of them. The carpet was of a design foreign to me I supposed it was an Elven design, placed to make the Prince feel at home.

“You will get a call for dinner later” Without taking another look at my betrothed, I turned on my heel

”

“Wait

I stopped and huffed, a stream of warm air exiting my nose, and turned back His eyes, very grey, very anxious, didn't meet my own

“When should we..'' he swallowed. “I mean, after tonight. Tomorrow, what would you like to do?”

I would like to do nothing at all with you, Prince I stuck my chin out and glared down my nose at the elf I had found this look very effective in past years. He cowed and leaned back.

“You may find me in the Northern courtyard. I will be in warrior training. You may watch,” I finished with a great air of condescension

“Ah… okay.”

I left. I heard him calling back so, how would I find the but I was gone.

I was back in the library. It was early, so early my father wouldn't even be awake. The Librarian was not even at the desk, which he sometimes slept at Luckily, I had a key Princes do get some privileges

Dinner last night had been an… awkward affair. Sen had rejected and rebuffed every possible chance at conversation by her betrothed until I wanted to fling my beverage in her face. Why wasn’t she at least trying? Lore Everfell was somewhat awkward He defied every stereotype that elves were graceful creatures of mysticism. He stared at his pheasant every time Sen gave him a pointed look, tensed when his servants gestured to him, and used the wrong fork. Despite this, there was something innocent about him that made one like him anyway I thought he would be a good fit for my sister, being polar opposites and all From the copious amount of books I had read, I deduced that opposites attracted best Ichika, at the right hand of our father at the head of the table, had gripped her wineglass so tight I thought she would break it in her palm and spill blood all over the tablecloth. As it was an expensive tablecloth, this would have been bad Every how could you do this to me glance she spared was ignored thoroughly

Ichika had been smooth as a lake at sunrise, of course. She had engaged Fenrir the attendant in conversation regarding the respective royal lineage of our domains, offered more wine to our guests, and altogether been perfectly charming and Empress like My father had been listless He was getting old, I supposed, his years with the Empire’s responsibilities weighing on him, adding lines to his face and stress to his heart. His magnificent beard had seemed even more grey than usual lately.

After we had all been formally dismissed, I had collapsed into bed, fatigued, but had hardly slept There was nothing in my room with all its papers and books and inks to keep my mind off of my sister leaving me, and my father becoming old, and the terrifying bodyguard in the East Wing. So I had withdrawn to the library, as was my custom

I had, spread in front of me, seven maps of various ages, some drawn in hands now far underground, some new enough that the Librarian was just getting to them. I had busied myself with trying to create my own map using a feathered quill and ink on a piece of yellowed parchment

I heard a voice.

“Um hello.”

I spilled ink all over my sleeve and the East wing and swore, which echoed across the library walls I winced, and when I looked up, Lore Everfall was standing in the library, looking ridiculously out of place.

“How long were you standing there?” I started to ask, then stopped myself. I should probably be showing some sort of respect to my future brother in law But then, we were both Princes, weren't we? Technically the same rank. I would have to study up on this. I shook my head to get in the present moment.

“Not extremely long,” Lore answered He was wearing his green cloak, and pulled the hood down as he spoke, ruffling his strawberry blond curls. I wondered if I had been biting the inside of my mouth again, which was not an appealing look from the outside. As if I cared what the Prince thought of me anyway We wouldn’t see each other again for the rest of our lives after these weeks, anyway

“Right, well… ” something occurred to me as I took a rag flung over the back of the couch and started to sop up ink on the table. “Why… why are you here?”

“Well… why are you here?” Lore retorted, the first sign of defiance I had seen from him, then groaned.

“Yes, this is your castle Ah ” He looked around as if searching for an excuse

I had a somewhat disturbing thought that he may have been looking for his bethrothed’s quarters. I looked back at the mess I had to clean up to hide the heat in my face.

“I couldn’t sleep, and your sister said I could see her in the courtyard in the morning I thought as long as I was up, I would wait, but the door was open, and I… ”

I blinked, thinking that was the most I had heard him say in a breath yet.

“What are you doing?”

He said this so quietly I wasn’t sure he had said it at first.

“Oh ” I looked down at the now ink saturated rag “I was studying cartography, and attempting to create a legend that I could follow properly to create my own map.”

He blinked his light grey eyes. “For fun?”

“Yes,” I said, simply, having gotten this bewildered reaction many, many times

I straightened the papers, spreading out my layout to dry, even though it was useless now. Lore was still watching me.

“Can I ?” he gestured with overlong, slightly skeletal fingers to the burgundy couch I froze for a moment, then forced myself to relax.

“Sure,” I grunted under my breath, moving to my left a bit Sitting down, Lore was still much taller than I was Taller than my sister She wouldn’t like that, I thought

I extracted as much ink as I could from my unfortunately white sleeve and rolled it up. Careful to mark the books with slips of scrap parchment, I smoothed out all their pages before closing them

“Can I help?” Lore asked, and I almost jumped up His voice was very close to my ear

“Fine. Sure.” I handed him the layouts and a dark orange spine of a book. “If you could tuck these in page four hundred and two without bending anything, that would be great ” If you could not steal my sister away to a bed in the Elven Kingdom, that would also be great I watched him fumble with the book out of my peripheral while I took care of a separate volume. The dim light of the candle on the table fell on his ears, casting odd shadows across his sharp face.

“So ” Lore placed the book flat on the table with a reverence I found appropriate for tomes, and looked at me. “Why do you find this fun? Cartography, I mean.”

I eyed him from the side, unsure whether or not he was mocking me His face seemed earnest enough, so I dissented after a prolonged silence

“Well… I guess it’s sort of history too, right? Like, the maps change overtime, and who knows what we’re getting wrong now? Who knows what new places are going to come up, or ” I stopped

The Prince blinked at me a few times. I could practically see the gears of his mind turning it over. I cursed myself for telling him that I could practically hear a Teacher chiding me for overthinking “That’s really interesting.” Lore’s voice was quiet.

“Oh.” I gently took the books from the table and held them to my chest. “Thank you.”

I went to put the books away, feeling the Prince’s grey gaze on my back as I disappeared between the packed mahogany shelves. I walked back, slowly, as if I had something to think about. When I returned to the couch, I didn’t really have anything to say.

“I’m going to head back to the East Wing,” I told him, tired I felt uneasily like there was something I should be doing. Was I standing weird?

“Okay. I’ll go back too, then,” he said, looking as if he regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. he stood up and walked out past me, not meeting my eyes

I shook my head. That was one strange man. I clamped a snuffer on the candle, watching the stream of smoke arise and fade into the air silently. Sighing, I walked out of my sanctuary. I took the key and started to work the lock closed It gave a satisfactory click

“So, you ”

I almost screamed, but managed to stop myself at the last second Heart beating in my ears, I turned to the hallway, where the Prince stood awkwardly, looking like he wasn’t sure whether to apologize or not

“What?” I hissed. Lore’s eyes seemed to be the only source of light in the hallway. He shrunk back at the sound of my voice

“Your sister,” he said “I was wondering if there was something I could do for her? For her to sort of, warm up to me a bit?” he winced as if the words hurt his tongue.

I sighed and leaned back against the library doors, deciding against saying “I don’t think she's ever going to look at you,” and instead went with, “She likes flowers ” he blinked. “Sorry, what?”

I sighed The library doors creaked under my weight “A lot of people say that Women can be elite warriors and still like pretty things ”

“Yeah, of course, just…. ” He stopped. “Okay, flowers. Thank you.”

I ran down the hall back to my room, done with the entire night But I did not sleep

5

Sen

The Swordmaster corrected my stance with a rough hand I shifted my left foot on the cobblestones and shut out the fountains in the background, my beating heart, the crows above. It was only me. The sword was still me, not an extension of my body but my body itself.

She took her own stance, modelling it after a defensive method, and took a breath It was time

But she didn’t count down. Instead, she gave me a pointed eyebrow raise and relaxed her stance, confusing me She raised her arched eyebrows, one shot through with a white scar, and tilted her equally scarred chin over my head. I looked back.

The crows, the fountain and my heart came back, my sword a hunk of metal. I swore and turned to where she had gestured

Great. The Prince. I sighed. I had forgotten until this moment that he was going to be here. that I’d invited him here out of, I don’t know, pity or something.

He smiled I noticed he was holding something in his long fingered hands flowers or something

“Good morning, Sen,” he said. I turned back to the Swordmaster, who had busied herself with righting some practice dummies. I trudged towards the Prince with a long eye roll.

“I brought you these,” he said, holding out what were indeed flowers Narcissus, or white daffodils Did someone tell him these were my favourite? I gazed for a moment at the silky cream cups until I remembered I hated him.

I stiffly took the bouquet, resisting the urge to bury my face in them “Wait ” I looked back at the Swordmaster, who was still trying to give me a minute with my betrothed. “It isn't the season for these.”

His smile, which had been noticeably false before, brightened The Elven prince had perfect teeth, of course He quirked his head towards the path, and I watched with widening eyes as a daffodil started to sprout and turn into a full fledged flower.

“You can ” I snapped my mouth shut

“I have my talents ”

He could make flowers whenever he wanted. That was the coolest thing I had ever seen, but I was hardly going to let him know that “Thank you,” I said stiffly.

“I’ll hold them while you do your thing,” Lore offered. I reluctantly handed the narcissus back to him and turned to look back at the Swordmaster She kept wiggling her mangled eyebrows pointedly I opted to ignore her and started to get back in stance.

I shut out the fountains in the background, my beating heart, the crows above. It was only me. The sword was still me, not an extension of my body but my body itself

I could still smell the daffodils. I shook my head and moved my feet.

The Swordmaster met my strike easily and parried. I swore under my breath and dodged her next thrust, responding with a move of my own We were locked together The cold sound of metal resounded in my eardrums, and I fell to the cobblestones.

The Swordmaster’s appraising look was absent, with a semblance of pity that made my blood heat up aggressively If I wanted to, I could have stabbed her right through, right there, but instead I dusted myself off and stood up. The Swordmaster was looking contemplative at the Prince.

This had nothing to do with the Prince. I didn’t need slack for it.

“That was intense ”

I turned towards the bench, where the Prince had chosen to sit. He leaned backwards at the look I was giving him, a look Isaku calls my ‘resting battle face’. I did my best to soften. No. No, I wasn’t going to soften for the Prince, dammit

“Is everyone in the Empire as good as you are?” he asked. Why did he have to be so good natured, honestly.

I sniffed, and looked at the Swordmaster, who nodded with the hard jut of her scarred chin, giving me permission to brag. “No,” I said, proudly, tilting my own chin upwards. “I am trained above many of our army.”

“Oh, yeah, you have your own Baron told me ”

Thinking of the suspicious bodyguard, I frowned.

“That’s pretty cool ”

It was, but I didn’t feel like taking compliments from the Prince. I forced myself not to smile.

“Would you like to try?” I asked before I could think too hard about it. Lore looked shocked, and I thought immediately of retracting it Actually, I wished I hadn't said anything at all The Swordmaster stood off to the side and feigned cleaning her sword.

“I oh, I okay. Sure.”

No turning back now

I took the sword from its sheath and handed it carefully to Lore. He handled it with a sort of reverence, looking carefully at the engraved hilt like he needed to memorize it for his lessons After gazing at it for a prolonged amount of time, he tried to hold it like I had, failing miserably, like a child holding a steak knife.

“No, like like this.” I took the sword from him, careful to avoid his long fingers, and curled my own fingers around it properly, giving him time to memorize the curve of my hand before giving it back This time we did touch, but I felt nothing, making me wonder why I had tried to avoid it in the first place. The hilt was thin, working better for my short stubby human fingers than his overlong elf ones, but he managed after a few tries Holding my own imaginary sword, I took a stance “Angle your foot,” I barked He did so, shuffling his shiny shoe on the cobblestone.

“This?” he asked, nervousness in his voice. His eyes were not on me, but the silver instrument that sat in his hand like a dead animal

“Basically.” I realized I had been chewing my lip, and stopped abruptly. “You don’t have any weapons training?” I asked after a moment of silence.

The Prince gave a blush “Ah no, not really I could stab someone if I needed to, but weapons are not really necessary when you have magic.”

I didn’t answer for a moment. I knew the elves had magic, but I had never seen it used. I wondered what it would look like, if there would be a golden light in the air, if there were wands involved, perhaps How would it feel? How could you use it in battle? I imagined a soldier falling to the ground, no weapon buried in their skin, dead. “Angle the blade like… good. Why have weapons at all, then?”

Lore followed my instructions and darted his grey eyes towards me “It’s more of a lower class thing,” he muttered, embarrassed. “All elves have magic, but it needs to be cultivated, or else sort of goes to waste. Magical education is… expensive.”

What a fun place to live

I dragged a straw dummy towards the Prince, where it bobbled around for a moment before settling with a resolute stance on the cobblestones. “Can you stab this?” I asked. I noticed an almost defiant look behind his eyes This surprised me, but what surprised me more was the respect it gave me for him He cast the sword in an arc towards the straw dummy, and missed It was right in front of him, and he missed. I didn’t bother to hide a look of mocking contempt. Flushing, he regained his stance.

“You readjusted as you threw your blade, okay? Stay locked in that stance instead Go ” He should be looking at the target, not the sword

We went over simple stances and moves again and again until our shadows became too small to see. The whole time, the Swordmaster looked on, pleased I didn’t like how much I was enjoying having a pupil at last I had so much knowledge, but was never privileged enough to share it

“We should go inside now.” I said after he had stabbed one of the dummies right through with a thrilled yelp

“Okay, yeah.” The Prince grinned. “Thank you for this.” he handed me the sword, but I sensed a reluctance in his fingers as I pulled it from him.

I tilted my head Sniffed “You’re welcome.”

Above me, three crows seemed to laugh.

I am lying on a battlefield. My hands are soaked in blood, hair saturated with it. I try in vain to wring it out with my hands, but it only makes it worse in my panic, I lose focus, and then IT stands over me, waiting for me to beg for my life

Something called me from the depths of sleep. I blinked, thinking perhaps it was morning now and Mego had come to wake me up and prepare for another day But there was no light on my blanket, and I could barely see my closet door or my hand on the blanket But wait there was a glint of something light broken glass…?

An image surfaced in the darkness A long knife The whites of a murderous set of eyes

I screamed and threw myself to the side as a knife buried itself in my pillow, where my skull had been lying just a moment before.

I fell to the ground, but there was no time to right myself. A low, gravelling voice swore and feathers fell into my hair from where the assassin was busy trying to extract the knife from my pillow The white mass hit the floor next to me as I jumped up, locking eyes with the assassin on the other side of the bed as my own eyes adjusted. I recalled my skill at determining weaknesses, without even trying. Tall, wiry, lanky. Good I can do this Too terrified to scream, or perhaps too calm, a feeling of utter cold washed over me I smiled into the dark, just before the person recovered their wits and thrusted themselves over the bed Leaping out of the way, I put a bare foot on the bedframe and threw my weight around the end of the bed, grabbing one of the pulled away curtains in my fists. I swung my body over, where the assassin was bent over the bed and trying to push themselves off the mattress, and landed on their back

The loud ripping of fabric echoed through the room as the assassin wailed and threw themselves backwards, me returning the scream with my legs locked tight around their thin body. They tried bending their arm backwards to stab me, but I shoved away the flat of the blade with my free arm, deflecting it into the fabric of the mask pulled up over the assassin's neck that reached their nose. I heard another unearthly howl as something warm trickled downwards from the place where the knife made contact, making the chest of my night robe stick to my skin Gross

The assassin forgoed the knife and used both their fingerless gloved hands in an effort to pry me off, weight pushing them backwards into the wall. pushing me backwards into the wall, where my spine hit the wood with a crack that made me yell and tears come to my eyes Sensing a tactic, the assassin pushed me into the wall again with an ear shattering crack Hissing, I remembered the bed curtain I still clutched in the death gtip of my left hand. grabbing the other end of the forgotten fabric, I threw it in front of the strange two headed creature I had created and pulled back. The next back cracking move the assassin pulled sent the fabric into their neck as well as knocking the wind out of me.

Gasping, the person clutched at their clothed windpipe, and started to choke I pulled back harder in a vengence No one tried to kill the Princess

I had pulled too hard, and we both fell backwards.

This gave the assassin time to extrapolate from me, but before I could attack again, they gave up and leaped out of the way of my grasp. I pushed myself up just as they leaped out the window. Gasping for air, I screamed, “YOU PICKED THE WRONG PRINCESS TO ASSASSINATE, YA COWARD!”

A light turned on, blinding me

“Princess ” a palace guard, stationed in the courtyard below my window, had made it upstairs. Behind him stood Mego in a nightdress, and surprisingly, my brother. He was infamous as a deep sleeper. He looked like a ghost

From the ground, I used my free hand to flash a sign for ‘I'm good.’ the other hand held the assassin's knife.

“There is blood on your ”

“Oh, it's not mine,” said Sen Most of the castle's occupants were in the dining room off to the right side, where the windows were lined with potted palm trees. Starlight came through the windows where the Eastern courtyard was barely visible in the night, casting shadows through the leaves of the plants onto the floor

I was there, as well as Ichika, with her hair tied up and still managing to look like an Empress in a silk nightgown. Mego sat on one of the dining chairs, pulled out and angled towards Sen at the center of the group and holding a glass of water that Sen had not touched with a distressed look on her face Lore and the bodyguard also stood off to one side, where they had been woken up by the commotion of a hundred lights turned on and various screams, none of which came from Sen herself. Two guards were stationed at the entrance to the room, just in case They cast a few apprehensive looks inside

“It's’ the assassins’ The assassin, Ichika I was almost murdered ”

“We all know it’d take a lot more than that to murder you,” Ichika retorted. How did she get her hair to stay in place all night? I self consciously put a hand through my own, stopping when I noticed Lore looking at me He was wearing a tight fitting shirt and white drawstring pants along with a frantic expression.

“What, you think this was a coincidence?” the conversation had gone on without me I snapped back to attention, thinking that Lore probably hadn't thought he would be seeing his future wife in pajamas this soon.

“Think about it!” Sen threw her arms in the air “The prince arrived last night An assassin just happens to show up the night after?”

“Technically early morning,” interrupted Mego, who had taken a damp rag and was wiping the blood splatters off of her ward’s arm Sen ignored her

“I never said it was a coincidence!”

“Why are you angry at me? I just got attacked in my own bedchambers! What the hells did I do wrong?” Ichika made an incoherent sound of frustration and put her forearms out and curled her fingers like she wanted to wrap them around her younger sister’s throat, but then seemed to remember she was in the company of the elves.

Sen turned before she could say anything else, towards a potted palm “You ” No, towards the person by it. The blond bodyguard of Lore’s. He blinked his blue eyes and didn’t retort. “Oh, come on ” scoffed Ichika, rubbing her eyes The chandeliers glittered harshly

“NO! think about it . you requested a room in the East wing, even though we gave you a perfectly good one in the West. You are obviously the only person here with remote militia training ”

“Do not,” Ichika hissed through her teeth, “Disrespect the guests ”

“Guests? You mean the unhuman, awkward disaster you’re forcing me into a marriage with and his little friends?”

Lore, to his credit, didn’t look too offended, just started to rub his fingers together like some strange comfort habit.

“It was simply a rebellious civilian We’ve had them before The guards will take care of them accordingly.”

“But ”

“ENOUGH, SEN ”

I noted the danger of having too extremely headstrong sisters. The Elven men looked on like they were watching a new type of sport and were not sure who was winning

“Everyone will return to their quarters now. That is not a suggestion. That is a direct order from the Empress.” Ichika swept out of the room with exceptional grace. Sen huffed and stormed out, extracting herself from Mego’s grasp and leaving a few drops of foreign blood on the floor Turning back at the door to yell once more, she looked like a demon in a girl’s clothing

“And I will be sleeping with the damn knife.”

The guards at the door saluted her with pressed faces as she stomped to the East Wing After a moment of hesitation, I cast Lore a look and went after her The back of her night robe was wrinkled and ripped as if torn by a knife.

“Sen please Senna ”

That made her turn. She looked me up and down, calculating.

“I don’t think you’ve called me that since you were eleven.”

“Yeah, well an assasination attempt kind of puts things into perspective ”

The white walls were grey in the dark. Sen and I looked at each other. Maybe she was thinking what I had been thinking; that we hadn’t really interacted with each other since I wasn’t sure when.

“You really think it was Baron?” I whispered

Sen threw up her hands. “You heard the evidence. You’re supposed to be the smart one you decide.”

I had a sudden violent thought of what I would do to the elf if he so much as breathed on her the wrong way, but it passed. “I know. I mean… I believe you, if you say so.”

This seemed to calm my sister down. She looked up at the faraway ceiling and exhaled.

“Were you scared?” I whispered, feeling uneasily like we were small again, and I was asking my big sister to elaborate on a clearly exaggerated story of her bravery.

We both turned as a cough sounded from behind me. I jumped. Damn it, how the hells was the Prince so quiet?

“Ah hi,” he said, shifting his feet. “Are you guys okay?” he shook his head. “Ah, stupid question. Of course you you just were ”

“Are you finished having that awkward conversation with yourself?” Sen drawled. The elf looked down. Having been similarly humiliated by Sen in my life, I felt a burst of pity for him.

“I’m sorry,” he said finally

“You should be,” Sen remarked at the same time I said, “It’s hardly your fault.”

We glared at each other Lore, wisely, said nothing Maybe out of fear

“Why don’t we all go back to bed?” I said finally as the shadows began to wane. “We may as well get some sleep before morning.”

Hypocritical of me, I know, seeing as I didn't close my eyes for the rest of the night

8

Sen

“You have got to be kidding me ”

I was tired from the night before, having had no sleep post assasination attempt. Every bird sounded like the metal sting of a knife I was absolutely exhausted, but a Warrior does not show that Mego looked much the same way, but being an attendant, she could afford to “We cannot put it on hold There are twelve days left.”

“For me to get to know my husband. That should be a lot of bonding time.” Still, I started to slide into a fancier robe than my swordfighting attire Navy blue silk, patterned over with pink blossoms of a faraway springtime. “Right after an assasination attempt? The public will no doubt find that quite arrogant.” I turned back to Mego, who was holding a comb in one hand and my circlet in another. She pursed her lips, and then I understood “They don’t know.”

“We… the Empress doesn’t believe it would be good for morale,” she admitted. “they’re very happy and satisfied about the idea of their Princess marrying the Everfell boy, and the alliance A murderer running around, well ”

“Would contribute to the very true theory that our Empire is hanging on by a thread,” I finished the sentence for her Mego bit her lower lip, loathe to voice anything bad about her Empire, or to contradict her ward.

“No, it's fine. Going to a theatre is definitely something I would like to do after I almost died.” This was an exaggeration Ichika was telling the truth when she had said that it would have taken far more than what the assassin had to kill me. I supposed, in a way, that made it harder for me to believe that the bodyguard had been the culprit. He seemed well trained.

But maybe it was a façade Maybe he underestimated the Princess Maybe it was a bad night There was too much evidence the other way. I would be keeping my eye on Baron.

“We’re getting you a carriage with the Prince. You will not ride with your siblings today,” Mego added as she ran oil slicked fingers through my hair where I sat at my desk I could see the disgruntled expression on my ovaline face clearly in the mirror.

“With the windows down? What if the assassin has taken to firearms?” I scoffed. “I think my head being blown off would be worse for morale than the public not being able to see their soon to be ex princess and her husband.” I put acid into the last word.

“If you give him a chance, I am sure your life will be far less miserable. You must keep your duty to your Empire, your highness ” Mego’s voice was gentle, even if the accusations cut into my fibres

I sighed, and there was a knock on the door.

“Princess?” called a guard in a fatigued voice. The poor man had waited all night just in case of snother murder attemot “The Empress calls ”

“Thank you, Ayil,” I called, and stood up carefully, straightening my robe. Two carriages were being attached to the majestic Akhal Teke horses with manes shining in the autumn sunlight. Despite the weather, a chill hung over the carriages, with the horses shuddering their glossy manes I observed the carriages; there were two One had curtains over the back windows I was determined to keep open, knowing that closed windows may perpetrate a new theory that I was kissing my fiance inside. That would be worse than having my head blown off

The two carriages also meant Isaku would have to sit up with my sister and father alone, without me as a buffer, poor guy. He didn’t like attention, and being the only royal child up there would make him shrink back into his robe like a bookish turtle

I relieved Ayil of his duties, who looked grateful and, escorted by a second guard, made my way to the Eastern courtyard.

The Prince was waiting there, gazing into the fish fountain like it contained the secrets of the universes He was still wearing his green cloak, hood down, over a white tunic It wasn’t as if he wasn’t handsome it was practically an Elven trademark to be ridiculously attractive. I wasn’t biased. I disliked him for himself.

There was Baron, of course The other attendant was nowhere to be seen, nor had he been last night, having slept like a brick during an almost murder. The man was an even deeper sleeper than my brother. He watched me as if I was going to try and stab him instead of the other way around.

Tall Wiry

I narrowed my eyes at the men.

Still, I had no choice but to accept the Prince’s lithe, warm hand as he helped me into the carriage The best I could do was cast him a disdainful look as the wrought iron gates in front of the palace creaked open. The initial warming to him I had felt after the training session had dissipated in the morning light following last night’s events He would defend the bodyguard resolutely, I supposed He would be sure I was crazy He had difficulty folding himself into the carriage designed for human bodies, his head hitting the ceiling when he finally made it. I felt bad for him, and rather wanted to help him like a wet puppy, but I stopped myself. Those stupid ears of his were covered in the reddish locks.

“Good morning,” he said, turning towards me. I turned before I could catch a look of that good natured smile and looked out the window as we exited the courtyard I didn’t look at him for the entire ride

The sounds of the Inner City crawled up the road as we travelled down into it. people talking like normal, voices low and high laced with a new excitement at the royals visiting. Birds chirped from the balconies of white stucco houses, shadows over porches and storefronts offering shelter to café goers and shoppers and people simply walking along and enjoying the sharp smells of wisteria and fresh bread and spring water from small decorative fountains. Everything was saturated in pastel colours like an acrylic painting There was a small girl in a white robe slowly turning dark from the water she was splashing in, a little puddle collected in the gutter She stared at me with wide brown eyes as the horses pulled the carriages along the road. I waved.

And I would soon have to leave this place!

Maybe a place where they can make daffodils grow whenever they want won’t be so bad, a hopeful voice piped up in my head. I shut it down. I didn't need to be hopeful. I needed to stop the marriage.

Residential areas evolved into more and more storefronts and more businesses, getting finally into the largest exhibits like the gardens, the hotels, and of course, the theatre It was a cylinder representative of ancient architecture in its structure. There was a line outside, almost undoubtedly made of people hoping to get a glimpse of the royal family I recognized some friends of Isaku and I, if friends were the proper name for politician’s children we had been forced to hang out with in our youth

This time, a guard helped me out. Io, who had been guarding Isaku and I since before we were a year old and who had never aged in my memory I felt much safer knowing that he was around, although what made me feel safest was the knife I had slipped down my front when Mego’s back was turned I supposed extracting a weapon from one’s breasts was not the most dignified way to defend yourself, but I guessed that by the time anything happened it would be the least of my worries.

Baron hopped off the back of the carriage A dark red scarf was laced around his neck I remembered that the assassin had had something around their neck and frowned, clutching my own bodyguard tighter as Baron applied himself to the Prince’s side like a plaster. He looked resigned.

People ogled us as we walked in, led by the Empress and her father The rest of us stayed behind, but the wall that was Io was too thick for me to see past to gauge the reactions of the crowd to their new favourite couple. I tried not to roll my eyes.

We had balcony seats, of course The seats were a deep red behind an ivory white railing engraved with vine designs through which I could see civilians craning their necks to look at us. I straightened my circlet on my brow.

Without a choice, I ended up sitting between Ichika and Lore The Emperor was on Ichika’s left, and to the right of the Prince sat Isaku, who gave me an encouraging look I seethed at. Io flanked us at the right and Baron at the left.

Overkill Mostly for show Everyone knew that I could easily protect us all with a hairpin and one hand behind my back.

The red curtains opened and actors stepped out in garish costumes of fine silk and thread, colourful faces all done up Thunderous applause rang in my ears They hadn't even done anything yet, come on

During a particularly boring part (one of the boring parts) (because they were all boring parts), I looked at the Prince. He looked like he was focusing very hard, but I felt as if it wasn’t on the play. Who could blame him? Maybe he was absorbed in his own thoughts, which had to be more interesting than this When he laced his hand around mine, I wanted to take out the knife and stab it. But instead I swallowed, because my father was giving me a look, an approving look. In a decade of advanced weapons training, of learning to lead his Empire in battle to be victorious, and nineteen years of being his daughter, I was unsure if he had ever looked at me like that Sometimes it seemed like it physically pained him to look at me. He had never given me those looks with any of the other boys that had tried to win me over, though I supposed none of them had been rich and powerful beings destined to rule Kingdoms. The Prince’s hand was limp like one of the fish I had pulled out of Ether Lake in my younger years His fingers were long and warm, and I became eerily conscious of my own moist and calloused ones. When the break came, I dropped his hand like it burned me.

I put up a hand when Io tried to follow me as I slipped out of the curtained balcony “I hardly think I need a guard in the toilet,” I said. “As far as I’m concerned, if someone feels like killing me there they may as well for all their trouble.”

He bowed his head, and I went into the lobby I was there before any other playgoing civilians, something I thanked the high heavens for, as I was not in the mood to say a prayer over someone’s newborn. I stopped in my tracks near the doors

Through the translucent glass of the front door, let open to bring in the autumn breeze, stood a man with long, light hair and sharp blue eyes. Baron.

But he was supposed to be in the balcony seats, protecting his Prince! I watched as he pulled out a long object that I couldn’t decipher It looked suspiciously like something I had seen in a lesson, a new thing from the colonies that used a deadly fire. A matchlock..

There was the click of a firearm being loaded, and my marrow froze. I ran back to the balcony, pushing through the crowd Blood rushed through my ears with a sound like thunder, or maybe that was just from where it had begun to rain outside.

I grabbed the hem of Isaku’s shirt My father was talking to Ichika and the Prince over at the other end of the railing, so I had space to talk to him I barked his name under my breath

“I saw Baron outside,” I hissed when he met my eyes. “And?” Isaku frowned, ink stained hands on the railing Civilians were chatting below, some craning their necks to get a better look at the royals “He’s supposed to be here ”

I groaned, then trailed off, forcing myself to be quiet. “No, he’s supposed to be in here. That assasinator is not supposed to be outside, preparing a firearm in hiding!”

Isaku looked away from me when he said this, and swallowed in the dim light.

“I thought you believed me,” I said, hurt. “I thought you were on my side last night.”

“I I am on your side, Sen,” he answered haltingly. “But… we have to be logical, too. How many tall people exist in the Empire? I mean You don’t have to worry about him anyway! We have Io! You have a hidden knife!”

I looked down. “That obvious?”

“No, I just know you well And look, Baron is back ”

My neck snapped as I turned. There he was, standing beside the Prince, whose mouth was moving in a question. Where had he gone? Baron gave a reassuring answer that he had definitel not been preparing a weapon to murder anyone, and suddenly, his cold cblue eyes turned on me I looked down towards Isaku again.

“I want to go home. I'm going to tell father I feel sick.”

“No, Sen, you will not ”

I furrowed my brow. “You’re beginning to sound like Ichika.”

“The second act is starting anyway,” he concluded, a little insulted “You’re safe ”

I whipped my head around as the lights went off and migrated to the stage, putting a hand on my front. Isaku shoved me downwards into my chair, where the Prince had already sat down next to me.

He smiled, a smile I did not return Baron stood behind us at the curtain, but I was determined not to look at him. I had already accused him of trying to assassinate me. maybe I could pretend it had never happened, and he would… lose interest? I groaned inwardly. I was being paranoid, I told myself over and over, like a mantra or a song playing on a reel I’m being paranoid, I’m being paranoid, I’m being paranoid

I tried to focus on the play. I even took the Prince’s hand again. I felt comforting, somehow, which I loathed A man in a garish costume took the stage to sing another completely unnecessary musical number Actually, they were all unnecessary The whole play was unesecray Isaku cast me a ‘you okay?’ look and I gave him my best no I am most certainly NOT face from the other side of Lore’s long, thin nose.

I heard something rustle the curtain I whipped my head around to look, but it was only Io, looking as dreadfully bored as I felt. Baron still stood off to the side, giving me a suspicious look. I tried to calm my racing heart as Ichika stared at me disapprovingly. I tried as hard as I could to convince myself that no one was going to murder me, I really did But I found it impossible He was totally going to try and kill me, and what would stop him?

There was a noise. When I turned, Baron was gone, and there was a yelp from behind the curtain. When the curtain rustled and Isaku was shot, the first thought I had watching miniscule flecks of blood go over the railing and onto the crowd below was, I was wrong.

My sister’s face swam before me, but I couldn't focus on it “Language, Prince ” “You and Sen swear all the time.” There was something cold pressing into my right arm, so I attempted to remove it, but Ichika slapped my hand away.

“It’s numbing the bullet wound Don’t do that ” “Bullet what?” I blinked, letting my eyes adjust, but I didn’t recognize where we were. I was lying in some cot surrounded by a few thin white privacy curtains. The ceiling was so high it made my head spin, more than it already was

“It wasn’t bad. Your would be assassin is a poor shot.”

“Where are we?” I asked, trying to focus everything I had on this one question just so I could stop thinking, I was shot I was shot

“Imperial Infirminary,” Ichika shrugged. “No one in the palace gets badly injured enough to use it, mostly, so you’ve only been here like, when you were nine.” Her deft fingers picked at a loose white thread on the sheet that covered me She sat on the bed even though there was a small wooden chair with my coat, wet like it had just been washed, hanging over the back

I vaguely recalled breaking something when I was that age. Something about a bet I had with Sen.

“You were conscious for quite a while while Io took you out of the theatre, but I had a doctor put you under so you didn’t have to be in too much pain.” Real siblings knock each other out for each other!

I wanted to ask about the reaction of the inner city inhabitants, but I didn’t bother. I wasn’t sure I really wanted to think about it

I heard the familiar sound of two doors banging open, followed by yellings of Princess! And get back here right now, young lady! One of the curtains was pushed aside and Sen stomped to my bedside, still in her navy blue silk

“TWO assasination attempts in TWO days! What did I say? But nooooo, let’s go to the theatre. Keep up appearances. Our current ‘appearance’ is theatregoers covered in the Crown Prince’s blood!”

“Covered in my what?”

“’Covered’ is an exaggeration.” Ichika’s face remained passive. “More like speckled. Lightly dusted.”

I put my hand against my forehead and groaned “Can I just talk to Sen for a second?” I said, without looking up

I felt weight lift off the sheets and heard the Empress huffing on her way out. I waited until I could hear her complaint muttering at the guards

I looked up and grinned. “Okay, I’m listening.”

Sen blinked at me, surprised. “You’re not going to chew me out?”

“Nah You really think you saw that bodyguard preparing a gun?”

“What the hells happened?”

Sen plopped down on my bed, and I almost fell off. She gripped the sheet in her hand much like her sister had been doing “Yes I’m sure of it how can Ichika think this is a coincidence?”

“He looks like he’d be a better shot, though,” I added warily. “I mean, he was probably trying to get the back of my head, blow it off and kill me on impact.”

Sen gave a hard wince, and I shut my mouth

“I’m sorry,” she said after a long silence, not meeting my eyes but looking down at the sheets. “I was only thinking about myself. I should have thought you could be targeted too.”

“It isn't your fault,” I said quietly I decided to change the subject for my sister’s comfort, to something she would revel in talking about.

“But why would Baron want to kill either of us? What does he stand to gain?”

Sen chewed on the inside of her mouth, deep in thought “I guess we don’t know all that’s going on in the Elf kingdom,” she said at last, still watching the sheets.

“When do you attend the war room next?” her brown eyes brightened “Tomorrow night, actually I can't wait ”

We had strategy meetings a few times a month, and after becoming an official warrior at the age of twelve Sen was permitted to attend They hadn't let her attend the last one, something she had grumbled about for weeks afterwards, which was probably because they had discussed her arranged marriage during. “You'll tell me anything you find out?” I asked. Sen frowned.

“You know I'm not permitted to share any of the information,” she said “Of course, I’ll tell you everything ”

I smiled.

“What are we going to do about Baron?” I asked quickly, propping myself up on my elbows One of my shoulders sethed, but I ignored it I knew Ichika was going to send in a doctor any second now

“I don’t know,” Sen confessed. “I guess Father will tighten security? You said it yourself, he wasn’t a very good shot I'm sure our guards could take them down ”

It was my turn to frown. “Why didn’t they? We had Io. There were” (*IMPORTANT* rewrite so that Baron was not at the balcony side)

I saw the glint behind Sen’s eyes and I knew what she was thinking If Baron really did try to assassinate her again, she would kill him. Truthfully, I would have felt better with her in the same room as me, but I was far too old to be sleeping with my sister.

And if Baron tried to assassinate me again, she would kill him anyway (help)

The sound of a side door I couldn’t see through the curtains creaked open, and I heard someone humming a merry folk tune. Undoubtedly a nurse. Sen swept up her dress with shaking arms and lifted off of the cot

“Wait,” I called as she put her hand on the screen. She looked at me.

“Sorry you had to sit in the back of the carriage with your injured, unconscious brother,” I smiled, hoping to make her laugh, but she merely blinked

“Oh, I switched places with you. You were back with the Prince.” This made her smile, to think of her betrothed with her bleeding brother in the back. I froze, and wanted to ask more, but she had already left

I had been trapped in the back of a carriage, unconscious, with the Elven Prince. Humiliating. Between that and my late night library haunts, I was making quite the impression. I flopped back into the pillows and sighed

There was a rustling. I snapped my neck up to see what it was, assuming it was an attendant with something to numb the throbbing in my shoulder. Instead, I was met with a worried pair of grey eyes.

“Oh,” I said, pushing myself up as best as I could “Hello, Prince ”

“Hello, Prince.” Lore bobbed his head in greeting, fiddling with his fingers as if he didn't know what to do with them. “Are are you alright?”

“Sort of,” I answered Why would the Elven prince of all people come to visit me in my state? My own father couldn't be bothered. I rolled back my shoulder, which contrived only to make the throbbing worse. “Er Sorry you had to deal with me on the way back, I’m not very good company unconscious.”

The Prince seemed not to understand the joke “Oh! No, I don’t mind at all I mean, not that it was a good thing you were unconscious. But… I am glad you are alright.

I blinked “You came to ask me if I was alright?”

“Y Yes ” Lore seemed hesitant

“And not because you realize your bodyguard was almost definitely involved?”

“He was not ” I almost flinched at the newfound sternness in the Prince’s voice

I tilted my head. “I understand why it’s hard to believe, but… ” “Baron may be new, but Fenrir trusts him. And he’s been teaching me magic for years now, so I’ll trust whoever he does!” It sounded more as if the Prince was trying to convince himself than anyone else

“Alright then.” I was quiet. Why argue with him, anyway? I didn’t need him to protect Sen. We didn’t need him at all. “I understand. You’ve known him longer, of course you trust him. It’s not like I would trust you, or anything ”

As soon as the words left my mouth I felt as if I had said the wrong thing. But no it wasn’t as if I should trt him. For all the heaven’s sake, he was here to take away my sister. He’d been here for only a few days, in which the two of us had almost been killed He had no damn good reason to look at the tiled floor as if I’d hurt his feelings somehow.

“I’m sorry I came here to check on you, not argue.” the Prince sighed. I started to say something, not knowing exactly what, but Lore whipped his head around at a new sound

“Ah I should leave,” he said, parting a curtain. “Can I… can I come back to the library?”

An attendant’s high pitched voice rang through, asking what I was doing The last thing I saw of Lore were his pointed ears and excited grin as he slipped out of the infirminary. 9 Sen

I spent the next day training with a renewed vigour. The elf Prince didn’t join me. I was unsure whether his absence bothered me or not I decided to think of it as an improvement no daffodils would distract me this time around Besides, if Baron tried so much as to touch a royal offspring again, I would decapitate him like I did four of the straw dummies. Even the swordmaster was impressed, although she didn’t show it. I knew how to read her at this point.

It was a lesson day, so I sat on a mat in the library while a teacher lectured me on the properties of Witch Hazel, Isaku absent, still healing. I missed throwing crumpled paper at him to get him in trouble. I took notes in my sloppy handwriting that even the ancient languages teacher couldn’t translate, three unfinished projects in front of me I got a lecture from another teacher in her dark red robes about not having finished these projects, and so was forced to work on them during my free time in the library. The Librarian tried to help me a few times when he saw me screaming into a book with my face buried in the spine, but I declined everything, and emerged victorious at last with one of the projects pretty much mostly almost done

All of it was simply biding time until the war room.

I hadn't seen the Prince all day I assumed I was going to get plenty of time with him when we were married in ten days. I shuddered at the thought.

I sat in one of the lounge rooms, a wide, rectangular place adorned with mismatched furniture placed over straw mats in no particular form of organization Lamps stoof adorned by colourful blown glass shades on various small stands. The domed ceiling was made of clear glass crossed with cream coloured beams that let in all the light needed and, during the night hours, became a stargazing tool. There were some potted palms resemblant of those in the dining room, and many bookshelves lining the walls Having had quite enough books for the day, thank you very much, I opted to ignore these

I was playing a solo card game on one of the stands, sitting in a large green chair I was dwarfed by. The light from the skylight glistened on my circlet, which I had removed and set by the cards to see if it would relieve my pounding headache, and watched the shadows cast by the chairs slowly grow longer, longer Finally, an army commander opened one of the lounge doors. He bowed. I raised my head, a card stuck to my cheek where I had fallen half asleep on a game

“Princess,” he said, politely ignoring my state, “Your father is requesting your presence in the war room.” I leaped up from my seat, consequently banging my knee on the table. hissing, I thanked him.

It was time

“Sure wait, did you sneak in here?”

The Emperor sat at the head of the ovaline table, inlaid with a large, yellowed map of the Trinity underneath a glass sheet Moors stretched out to the reaches of the map, finally giving way to mountains on one side and the wetlands that led to the lesser colonies on the other. I knew that if that map was expanded, we could see the entire Lesser Colonies and the seas beyond, but that did not factor in in this map Battlefields were marked in deep green ink At his left hand, I tapped my fingers against the glass until Commander Dhala at the right of my father gave me a glare

Down the table on hard stools sat various other people from important positions in the army. General Itaka, for example, would be under my command one day if the Trinity War ever broke out I turned my attention to something a younger soldier was saying

“If we keep the Eleven army and ours stationed at the two separate points, the Elven army is free to do as they wish!” he said, gesturing to two small brown tokens placed on the glass, to represent army positions I had tried to eat those once or twice as a child Those small wooden soldiers they sell to children in the Inner City would be better, anyway.

“Exactly,” said an army commander in a calmer tone A medal was pinned to his coat, something about bravery in battle With his one arm he gestured to the soldier (Surprisingly, he had not lost his arm in battle, but was born without it). “We need to mingle the armies accordingly, or else who knows if the elves may betray us?”

“They are allies,” my father intoned “Or will be,” he gestured to me “We have no reason to distrust them.”

Seeing as I was already in his favour, I decided to make a move. “The commander is correct, Father,” I said, careful to keep an even tone “We are in danger of focusing too much on keeping our enemies close, and our friends not close enough ”

He seemed to warm to the idea.

“It is important to know what people we can afford to station with the elves,” added the commander with a grateful look towards me.

“No, we need to exchange,” added the general at the furthest end of the table. He gave a quick, grateful nod to the blue robed attendant who passed out ceramic mugs of a dark drink imported from the Lesser Colonies in front of each person. I loathed it, but nodded and sipped it anyway, burning my tongue in consequence.

“It isn't logical to have more people in one place then another”

“It is if we switch the places of the armies. Then more soldiers are in the better place.”

“No,” I said, massaging my tongue on my teeth. “Send some of the soldiers of the same rank for others. They are more than capable of babysitting some elves ”

“Why not a general for a general?”

“An Elven general in our army? Too dangerous ”

One of the rookie soldiers nodded passionalty, staring at me through a pair of golden lenses.

I sipped my drink again. Gross. This was where I belonged. At my father’s side, a respected Warrior, ready to lead her people into battle Maybe this was what Isaku felt like in the library Almost at home

In my peripheral, I caught a sudden view of a red token. I frowned.

“No one has informed me what that token represents,” I said, addressing the general. Everyone paused to look at me, quickly daring their eyes this way and that

I narrowed my own eyes. “What… ” and then, I understood.

“My army,” I said “That token stands for my army” it all made sense The Trinity War had already begun This was not mere planning; this was true tactics The General I was to command looked already battle torn, as if he had not been merely waiting in silence for battle, but thrown into it. All the soldiers looked fatigued. And my army, my army, the one I was to command, was fighting out on the battlefields, fighting and dying without me

I stood up, throwing my stool to the tiled floor with a deafening clang.

“You you '' I hardly knew who to throw accusations at I shut my eyes, fairly certain I was going to throw up my drink

“My army, mine, is out on the field, facing off against Sever?” my hands where I was gripping the edge of the table began to shake

“Bad enough that no one told me, but what is worse is that I was never given a choice to be there!” I turned to my father and tried not to cry, to channel my deep sense of sadness and betrayal into anger. Anger was good I understood it “Why, why am I, your most highly trained Warrior in the New Age, not leading my own damn army?”

The Emperor stood up. His crown that I had played with as a child, running my fingers over the sharp edges of the spikes and gazing into the precious stones, gleamed with his anger. “Your duties lie elsewhere,” he said

I laughed, a crazy laugh that made the rookie soldier scooch his chair backwards a little. The others looked embarrassed, which only fueled my anger.

I understand!” I yelled “I train every day for an entire decade, thousands of days, hundreds of thousands of hours, sit at your left hand in the war room, receive the title of Warrior at the age of twelve, and for what? Why, so you can pacify me for long enough to be your little breeder,” I hissed the last words. The Emperor’s majestic royal face coloured beneath his crown

The edge of the table was imprinted into my palms and I stood back, trying to regain my composure. “It matters little,” I sniffed, glaring at my betrayers. “You will never win the war without me commanding your army”

I grabbed the mug, still over half full, and smashed it over the table. Brown green pottery shards lay over the Sever Territory, a splash of coffee over the palace of the Elf Kingdom.

Before I could see my father’s face, I stormed out of the war room

The library My favourite place

My shoulder ached. I had to hold the book in my hand a certain way as I took notes in the margins with my other hand I figured it was a good thing I was ambidextrous. A Teacher in red robes winced in sympathy every time I flinched or hissed through my teeth, looking guilty for just doing their job When the lesson was finally over and the teacher left with all the sentiment of a humiliated dog, I pulled out the map I had been working on. It was almost a blessing that Lore had ruined my old one; as it streamlined me to a much better second draft I reflected on the positives of the situation as I bit my tongue to keep from screaming.

The Librarian was cursing at crates of books in the back room of the library. He was organizing them with a system only known to him and his late father, which he was forbidden to teach me I gave him some yells of moral support whenever I considered it necessary

I had finally completed the second draft of the East wing and was replacing the spines of my reference books when I heard a crash Thinking it was the Librarian and his books, I went to yell something encouraging, but when I turned, I saw the source of the noise Several books had fallen out of the shelf behind me, down at the end by the aisle. I frowned. I always put books back perfectly.

I went to pick them up, but as I had replaced them, a flash of orange made itself known in my peripheral I turned, but it was gone

Then someone started yelling, but it wasn’t Takeo.

“

GET BACK HERE YOU RIDICULOUS LITTLE SON OF A SNAKE BEFORE I TURN YOU INTO A SCARF!”

The Crown Prince of the Elven kingdom ran down the middle aisle with speed I had never seen before. I almost wasn’t sure I had seen him at first.

A clang by the History aisle told me I had I leaped up, leaving the remaining books on the floor I wasn’t as fast as Lore or my sisters, but I made it just in time to see Lore rubbing his forehead where a book had hit him and looking in the direction of the ceiling. Ancient manuscripts littered the floor in a way that made m feel a little sick

Lore started when he noticed me.

“Hey!” he said weakly. He was still wearing his green cloak; I had never yet seen him without it. Then he stopped and looked back up

“

”

YOU STUPID LITTLE

I saw the flash of orange again

“is that a cat?” I asked, but Lore had moved to the end of the bookshelf, where the animal jumped down from the top of the bookcase and just escaped his grasp. What was a cat doing here? Actually, what was the Elven Prince doing here? Vaguely, I recalled inviting him in the informinary I supposed I hadn’t actually thought he would care enough to come

“Miniature fox,” he yelled as he bounded into the next aisle. “AND SHE’S A LITTLE TROUBLEMAKER WHEN SHE NEEDS TO BE, TOO, EH?”

I decided to help Lore, in a much more practical way. I pulled off my coat and started to chase after him, holding it like a fishing net, ignoring my screaming shoulder.

Books fell to the floor, each crash making me wince I ran all the way to the Juvenile fiction aisle with its colourful, hand painted cases and sculpture of rainbow hued fish hanging from the ceiling. I had painted one of those fish when I was young, and it hung next to a pretty flower covered one by Sen and a rather chaotic little one by Ichika with her initials scratched in I winced with the memory

The fox had crawled up the fish sculpture. I could see her clearly now, black paws and fluffy white neck patch, little beady eyes that were blue. I didn’t think I had ever seen a fox with blue eyes before, so I decided maybe it was an elf thing, along with the tinyness

“Catch!” I called to Lore, tossing my coat, which he fumbled in surprise. Picking it up off the floor, he made a split second decision and jumped at the hanging sculpture.

I couldn’t help it I put my hands over my eyes as the fish dropped to the ground, a crack in the ceiling growing from where the nail had detached in it.

When I looked properly, Lore was sitting with his long legs folded and my coat in his lap, something wriggling inside He flushed when he looked up at me

“I I’m so sorry,” he said. “About the books, the fish, your… coat. Fox hair is hard to remove.” His eyes were still startlingly grey. As if that was surprising. What the hells?

“It’s fine,” I told him “Why do you have a pet?”

He extracted the fox from my coat with a flourish. It crawled up his front with light feet and settled like a mink scarf on his shoulders.

“This is Amerie,” he said “She’s the last miniature fox in existence After I found out the horrors the breeding community was forcing on the foxes, I demanded to put a stop to it. but I couldn’t just let the latest babies die, eh? So I took this darling,” he cooed at Amerie and scratched her ears, an abrupt change in attitude from two minutes ago “The only living baby of the last batch ” “But… why is she here?” I asked.

“I couldn’t travel with her in the carriage, so we had her shipped over She just came in this morning ” He stroked her back “Poor baby is a little stir crazy”

Lore flushed, seeming to realize I was there for the first time. He stood up carefully, using a bookshelf for support, and held out my coat I went to take it, but he was holding it in such a way as if he was going to help me put it on

I decided it was a sort of Elven politeness and, trying not to look as awkward as I felt, put one of my arms in its hole As the elf dragged the other sleeve over my injured shoulder, I hissed, hot tears poking at the corners of my eyes I swallowed, hoping it had escaped Lore’s notice, but it hadn’t

“Oh,” he muttered. “I forgot.”

Pulling back my sleeve slightly, he drew a long fingered hand over the wound where my tuinic had slipped and exposed the injured shoulder I had been sure somehow that his touch would burn, but the subtle draw of his fingers was cool and comforting. Something washed over my shoulder like a glass of ice water had been spilled over it, and the throbbing heat ebbed away like a river into the distance.

When his fingers left my shoulder, I felt exposed without him touching me “What ” I turned to face him He held out a hand as if he was considering cutting it off, a signature awkward look on his face.

“Oh it’s ” I recalled the daffodils my sister had complained about during a recent lecture before the Teacher barked at her to stop talking and pay attention “Magic,” I interrupted his stammering. “Interesting.”

Lore gave off a faint glow at my compliment, grinning.

Before I could think of what to say next, a pattering of feet made itself known, and the Librarian entered He gaped at the ruined aisle.

He groaned Lore offered a halfhearted apology, which he thoroughly ignored

“I will go and call an attendant,” he said, grumbling as he walked away As he turned the corner of the Juvenile fiction shelf, he gave me an odd look I couldn’t interpret before going out of sight.

I shrugged my shoulder a few times, but the wound didn’t hurt

“Is there…. A limit?” I asked. My eyes were alight with the possibilities it offered. I liked logic, but there was something fabolous about magic which so utterly and unabashedly defied it. “What else can you do?”

His eyes brightened. “Would you like to see? I need paper.”

We sat on the burgundy couch, table in front of it cleared of papers and books for the sole purpose of the upcoming spectacle Amerie was pawing around on the cushions, giving me what I thought were vengeful looks, and I was watching Lore’s long, deft fingers work at a piece of patterned paper. I never used the decorated paper myself it wasn’t practical. But I watched, fascinated, as it folded into a paper swan like the ones we had in the ponds of the Southern Courtyard I stared for a second “That isn't magic,” I sniffed, trying to hide how impressive I found the small bird. “That’s origami.”

Lore laughed. It was the first time I had heard him laugh, and it was a sound imbued with the magic he spoke of “No,” he said, “But this is.” he cupped the pink flowered bird in his hands and blew on it softly. He gave me a look that made my face heat up and, with an exaggerated dramatic movement, tossed his creation into the air

The bird flew, papery wings flapping with the sound of crinkling paper as it hovered above our heads on an invisible breeze and swerved up to the ceiling, then back down again, alighting in front of me. I must have had a pretty great expression on my face, because Lore laughed again But I didn't feel as if I was being mocked. The chandeliers above cast a golden brown light on his hair.

The library doors, out of our line of sight, opened. I thought it must have been the attendant, but the familiar grumbling assured me that it was Sen She walked through the aisles towards us, a storm cloud hanging over her face. She threw up her hands, draped elbow sleeves of her grey dress falling to her underarms.

“My army is fighting without me!” She addressed me, ignoring Lore altogether I moved farther away from him on the couch in a jerking movement, which was odd of me. It wasn’t like we had been doing anything suspicious.

Sen stopped for a moment For a moment I was terrified Had she seen something? “The hells is that?” she intoned, looking at the Prince's pet.

“My miniature fox, Ember,” Lore said. Sen didn’t question it.

“Whatever Not important What is important,” she said, addresseing an offended Lore, “Is that his Royal Stupid Majesty my Dad has decided to throw my decade of elite Warrior traning out the window so I can bear your children or whatever.”

Lore gave a panicked look, then seemed to compose himself “Ah you’ve been training since you were eight?” he asked.

“Seven” Sen clarified. “So more like eleven years.

“A whole decade,” she said, suddenly subdued She sat down on the floor and put her head on her knees. Lore looked as deeply disturbed as I felt. I remembered the last time Sen had done that… she had been fourteen, naïve and asking questions about our mother. Father hadn't liked that

I was angry at the Emperor Why did he not care about his own daughter? Why was he so ready to hurt her for the good of his kingdom?

Lore decided to go and kneel next to her on the straw mat.

“Hey,” he said, softly “Hey, it's okay Um ” he put out a hand

“Don’t touch me!” Sen sobbed. “You will have plenty of time to do that when I’m forced to marry you… ”

I silently begged her to hit or decapitate something I could stand seeing Sen violently angry, but never sad. She wasn’t allowed to be sad. It didn’t fit my logic.

Lore looked at me desperately.

Before I could make a move, Amerie suddenly crawled over the table, her tiny paws leaving brief sweat marks on the varnished ink stained wood before fading away. She jumped off and sniffed my sister before crawling up her leg.

Lore looked surprised “She doesn’t like people ” But Amerie was sticking her nose into Sen’s hair, the latter of whom had lifted her face from her knees red yet tearless. She looked at the fox and sniffed, her brow unfurrowing underneath her circlet.

“She likes me,” she said in a low coo As she brought her fingers up to caress the white fluff of the fox’s neck, she addressed me, ignoring Lore yet again.

“Isaku, I need your help. We have to find out what’s going on.”

Lore spluttered “What do you mean, there’s nothing ” “Okay,” I said, giving Lore a warning look. Whatever I had felt seemed to have dissipated. It was his Kingdom that was hurting my sister, after all. He bit his lip with sharp teeth.

It’s not like I would trust you, or anything

My loyalty was to my sister, not the Elven Prince, however well he could make a paper bird.

11

Sen

I was doing what any sane, good person in the Empire would do if they were in distress.

I went to the altar

The altar was a sort of pavilion of marble pillars set into the soil of the Northern Courtyard holding up a wimple roof of thatched wood It sat in the middle of the courtyard, which was all overgrown grass at the side of the palace except where it was shaved for the altar ground If you wished to reach the altar while never leaving the palace, there were a few doors with the weeds embracing them that led to a few unimportant rooms. The palace did not face its best side northward. The altar was less popular than it had been in earlier ages

The fire pit was dug into the soil in the middle of the altar, weeds grown around it. I supposed it wouldn’t matter. This altar was not dedicated to a god, and so there was no god to be offended by it. We believed or I believed, I supposed These beliefs were losing traction now in the binary of good and evil, and that evil people would suffer and good people would be rewarded. So did all free people and elves of the world they all just considered different ways to get to the same places. The circle of heavens or the circle of hells We Imperials simply just didn’t believe in a higher power that doled out these rewards and punishments. They just… were. What else made sense?

I wondered if the Prince could make fire from thin air the way he made daffodils from the ground. I had no such powers The holes in the roof had soaked the altar underneath, so I doubted any fire would burn the saturated wood anyway. a bundle of incense laid in the soil. I raised it up in front of me, staining my fingers with the heady scent that remained. It was a smell that reminded me of something, something I often told people I had no memories of I removed my circlet from my head.

Other people I knew and people in the books Isaku read had such soft and warm memories of dead mothers They recalled long hair and soft clothing that smelled like bread I recalled the pungent smell of incense and words repeated like a bad mantra. My cursed girl, my little cursed girl. This little cursed girl I have, you, my little cursed girl. Cursed girl. The cursed little girl. Words I could hear thudding away under my skin, like a heartbeat

I placed the circlet in the soil and kneeled down, pulling my dress underneath myself and no doubt staining it horribly. I grit my teeth and stared into the altar as if I could make it light. I waved the soaked

incense sticks around in the air in front of my face, inhaling the scent as it was permeated with the smell of after rain My semblance of a purification ritual

My cursed girl, my cursed little girl, my little cursed girl.

I closed my eyes, eerily conscious of the way everything felt. The sharp edges of the oxygen, the grit of the soil against my knees

This little cursed girl of mine.

I exhaled How long had it been? I rose, steadying myself against a marble pillar to still my spinning head

I made a list, a list in my head. It was of everything I had to do.

Investigate the assasination attempt (spy on Baron)

Hide all suspicions from my sister and the rest of the palace (not including Isaku)

Train harder

Find a way to call of the marriage

Number four puzzled me. Was there a way to make an alliance with the Elven Kingdom without marriage? I should ask Isaku why it seemed so specific He must have read something about a book at some point during his hours in the library There was no hope of leading my army, I knew that Until the marriage, we had no elves. If there was no me, there were no elves. My father may have been a weakening man, but he knew that

The best way to find out would be I shuddered at the thought Bonding with the elf prince He seemed reluctant to tell me things, I supposed for obvious reasons… Well, I was a clever princess. I could fix that I already had the trust of his prized pet, so that should help

Things were good I was formulating a plan, or the semblance of one

That was when she arrived, and ruined things.

“Who the hells is this?” I asked the Swordmaster when I walked into the Western courtyard It was a good day. The wisteria smelled like glory, the birds were singing along with the bubbling fountains, and I could just hear swans singing over the hedges. I could go visit them with Lore in order to initiate my plan. The narcissus he had called into existence were wilting by the hedges It was a typical day, other than the intense planning So when I saw the stranger, I was naturally confused

She wasn’t as tall as I was, but very stocky. her eyes were the kind of hazel colour Inner City poets wrote ballads to commemorate Her skin gleamed in the sun, a deep bronze colour She had rounded, soft features, but hard eyes She wore something I was intensely jealous of chain mail armour over a long simple garment. It blinded me a little when she moved.

“That’s rude, princess,” scolded the swordmaster

“Bennu,” the girl said, unsmiling.

“And why?” I asked.

“My grandmother was selected to name me after ”

“I mean, why are you here?” she stared at me like I was an idiot, and I realized she had been joking. Some respect welled into my chest for the girl who used sarcasm so artfully Bennu sighed. “I am from the Sever Territory,” she said in a voice like a river under ice. I jumped back instinctively and touched my sword hilt.

“Relax, Princess,” she said with a hazel hued eyeroll “I left the Territories years ago Smuggled myself out. I’ve been living in your lower city,” there was a contempt in her voice for the place, and I bit my lip. I have never been outside of the Inner City, but based on its luxury, the lower cities must have been just as nice, right?

“Bennu turned out to be a respected Warrior where she comes from,” the Swordmaster said. “I met her outside my home in the Lower city, and was very impressed by her skill.”

I rankled at that, little hairs standing up on the back of my neck The Swordmaster would never praise my skill in front of me.

“I thought it would be beneficial for you to train with her”

“I train with you,” I hissed through my teeth

“And you know me too well. This is better.”

I narrowed my eyes, searching for an argument that went beyond I don’t want to!

Bennu didn’t smile, but her eyes glittered.

“I’ve heard much about your skill, Princess,” she said in a low voice.“I’m excited to see it.”

Dammit A compliment, or an insult?

Bennu adjusted her headscarf, of the same dark blue my robe had been the day of Isaku’s shooting, and took her stance.

I took my stance

The second she leaped forward, I swore under my breath.

In thirty seconds, I was wheezing on the cobblestones, spine stretched out painfully, Bennu’s sword at my throat. There was no pride in her expression; only cold calculation.

“If I had truly been a Sever spy,” she said, “You would be dead now.”

“Thanks a lot, then,” I snarled at her

The Swordmaster watched, expressionless as usual, but I felt disappointment. Even if it was only a product of my own mind.

“Again,” she said

I lept.

“Your problem,” Bennu told me twenty four seconds later, “Is that you let your emotions blind you We are fighting with our swords, not with each other.”

I frowned from my awkward position, wondering how much the swordmaster had told the new girl. She often said I let myself be controlled a little too much by my feelings I thought that was ridiculous I was a cold blooded war machine.

Who had almost cried on the floor of the library earlier.

To be fair, I hadn't done that in four years good timing, that get it all out

“If I’m going to be married, then why do I need this anyway?” I said finally, five matches later, each loss cutting like the sword she didn’t press against my skin “Will I not be protected perfectly well as an Elven Princess?”

At this, the woman tilted her head as if I had made her think. I could see odd reams in the fabric of her sleeves, as if there were something concealed there Something sharp

“Not all threats are as you think they will be, Princess ”

The Swordmaster hadn’t heard, the right side of her scarred face bent over a knife she sharpened. Bennu drew her sword again, and I was powerless not to meet the blade 12

Isaku

Sen was looking at me with shining, bright eyes

“She is so fricking cool! I want to be exactly like her. And I'm so jealous of her, and mad that she beat me so many times and she’s kind of scary But she’s so cool!”

Sen was giving me what was part diatribe and part ecstatic praise outside the dining room I bowed my head as Father walked past us and took his seat at the head of the table. I realized with a start that I’d rather missed her monologues in the past while.

“So ” I said, lifting a finger to Ichika to tell her we’d be there in a moment I lowered my voice “So a person with weapons training that rivals yours just… shows up suddenly?”

She nodded I sighed. “For a girl trying to solve a mystery, you’re pretty naïve.” “They wouldn’t have let her in the palace without a thorough search!” Sen protested, but I could see a new fear creeping into her eyes I felt bad for planting it

“They let Baron in.”

“With the royals! That’s… different… ” she whimpered. “Oh hells, Isaku, She’s getting a room beside mine ”

“How can you be so clever and so stupid at the same time?” I groaned.

“We are not done with this conversation!” hissed Sen as I walked in the room and took a seat across from the man of her suspicion His eyes caught the light in a way that almost made me feel he could see right through me.

The Swordmaster Sen so admired was getting old. It would be easy for a pretty young girl to fool her. But then, what could the goal have been? Why pretend to be an escapee from the Sever Territory? Wouldn’t that make one more suspicious?

I stifled a sigh as I moved my fork around my plate absently. None of this made sense. I didn’t like it when things didn’t make sense There were double the guards stationed around the palace, and Mego had slipped me a knife to sleep with. Not the best idea, as I could barely manage my own feet most of the time, but it was a nice gesture. The palace was meant to be the safest place in the world.

What if Baron and Bennu were working together?

From beside me, Sen put a hand on her head and took a sip of water. She made a small pointed sound, alerting Ichika, who turned towards her from a one on one conversation she had been having with Fenrir the Elven attendant and looked over, finger raised in pause

“Is something the matter?” she said, unable to keep the irritation from her voice.

“I don’t feel very well,” Sen said in a subdued voice. My heart sank. Had I brought this on with my conspiracies about her new role model/nemesis?

“I expect I’ve had a lot of excitement in the past few days,” she smiled weakly. “May I be excused?”

Father answered before Ichika could “Of course, daughter,” he said, tilting his head to one side Ichika winced at the last word, but Sen smiled gratefully and left the room, and I felt awful

The rose gold glint of a circlet appeared at the door after she had left. Sen. She grinned, and then I knew. The fool was going to start her examination of Baron.

“Do you have plans for the rest of the day, Lore?” said my father, who had taken to addressing the boy frequently. I think it was part of a plan to make him feel like a part of the family, seeing as Sen sure wasn’t.

Lore swallowed “Not really Your Majesty,” he said, cheeks going red as he took a sip from a glass in front of him. My father waved a hand in the air.

“Oh, don’t take the title precautions, my boy You are practically my son, or will be, anyway”

I tried not to laugh, and instead took another bite of quail. I also tried not to think about Sen skulking around the bedchamber of a strange man who possibly wanted to kill her. He was currently attacking a baked potato and ignoring Fenrir Cobalt as the latter tried to engage him in banal conversation

“I thought I might . Go to the library,” Lore muttered. The hair on the back of my neck and arms stood up.

“The library? With all the other entertainments of the City?” The Emperor laughed, then shrugged good naturedly. “If you want to. Isaku spends far too much time there it’d be good for him to have some company.”

I liked the idea of having Lore for company, but I resented how much my father looked down on me for my pursuits, too he had an Empress, a Warrior, and a reader for his children I knew he had long ago given up hope of turning me into anything else.

My meal began to taste bitter.

I didn’t participate in the conversation that went on around me I tried to send some kind of protective thoughts to my sister in her foolish endeavors, remembering that some philosophers theorized it was possible to do anything with lots of thinking. At the moment I hoped it was true.

A voice cut through the air like a sringye “I assure you that I am capable of anything you would need of me, Empress,” Baron intoned. I cursed myself for not listening to the preceding conversation. I gave Ichika a panicked look. her eyes narrowed critically, but she raised her high voice and gave me a recap.

“I was remarking on how, in light of recent events, perhaps Sir Isinglass would consent to extend his protection to the other royal offspring.” The Emperor nodded affectionately.

I winced. I hated being referred to as an offspring.

“You do have less experience serving to royal family, do you not, Baron?” Fenrir muttered, examining the legs of his drink. I felt the muscles in my shoulders tense. There was something in the attendant’s tone as if he, too, felt the suspicion that seemed to hang around the bodyguard like a fine smoke

He sniffed “My experience is quite valuable I should think I have proven myself worthy of the Queen’s trust.” I looked at Lore without moving my head, hoping he wouldn’t notice my watching him. He was giving Baron a sideways glance. I supposed he knew him better than any of us. He probably knew what the bodyguard meant by proving himself

“Well, the Imperial guards have been serving the Empire, and the royal offspring, for far longer than you have been.” The glint in Fenrir’s eyes was the only thing that betrayed a mocking attitude, his face remaining characteristically good natured Over the brink of his glass as he took a dreg, Baron’s own eyes looked murderous. I swallowed.

“Merely an idea,” Ichika said softly, her voice smoothing things over like a pair of hands over a silk tablecloth How did she do that, I wondered It seemed a handy quality to have

If Fenrir was suspicious of Baron as well…

Before I could ponder the thought any longer, the attendant rose from his seat, fork and knife delicately laid on his clear plate in a polite fashion

“If I may excuse myself, Empress,” he said with a small incline of the head that passed as a casual bow. I was unsurprised that he addressed Ichika rather than our father people just seemed drawn to her. The cold, angled young woman radiated power and control in a way that the Emperor with bits of fish in his bushy beard did not. “I have had an excellent meal in your company, but I think I should like to retire.”

Panic overtook me. Lore looked perfectly calm, although of course I could hardly see his eyes, heavy lashes bent over them as he looked at the remainder of his meal If Ichika felt any qualms, she did not show them. But of course, none of them knew what I knew. As far as they were concerned, the Crown

Princess rested in her quarters. As if anyone who really knew Sen knew she could peacefully rest, even if feeling ill

The attendant strolled out of the doors at the end of the room. The rest of the party resumed completing their food, but I had stopped. I was doing my best to send those former protective thoughts at my sister, praying she wouldn’t get caught by the attendant

I didn't feel much like having a real assasination.

13 Sen

The room in the East Wing was simply but elegantly furnished, giving the same view I had of the Eastern Courtyard from my window The city gleamed like a shimmering mosaic That small, almost invisible line of dark green that was the surrounding moors A telescope stood at one of the windows, pointed towards the horizon.

I checked under the pillow first, careful to replace it perfectly The bed looked as if he hadn't even slept in it What kind of sociopathic person made their bed that neat? I thought about checking the closet on the far wall, left ajar, but that seemed like a later feat. I may not be able to hear anyone coming in if I was in there.

That settled it I checked the bedside drawer, finding only a book Ichika wouldn't have let me read but Isaku probably had and a pair of clean, golden framed glasses. There was a dresser also, but I had to admit I didn’t feel much like going through the bodyguard’s clothes.

Well, I had to do what I had to do Not taking my eyes off the door, I backed towards the wardrobe The drawer opened with a creak that made me stop in my tracks, ears pricked. I exhaled. This, now. This drawer was much more interesting.

The contents: eight handkerchiefs, the long, dark red scarf he usually wore, and folded underneath, the empty sheath of a knife. The knife that had been left in my room when I fought off the assassin it must have belonged to the sheath! I thought about it for a moment, then, going with my gut, shoved the metal piece under my dress “Princess?”

I turned around, cursing myself in my head

“Oh, hello, Fenrir,” I said, as if it were a perfectly normal thing I was doing. “I was… ” I tried to channel some of Isaku’s quick thinking capabilities. I gave an embarrassed, naïve little girl smile before continuing “I think I left something of mine in this room before you came here I lose things in the East Wings a lot but I thought it would be rather embarrassing to just walk up to Baron and tell him I wanted to look for something in his room,” I gave a weak laugh.

Fenrir simply smiled “That’s quite alright, Princess Did you find what you were looking for?” pleased with myself, I pulled something out of my pocket a hat I had put there this morning in case it got cold. I was thankful it was there now.

But wait… why was Fenrir here?

He stepped over the threshold with his polished shoes, pointed ears casting odd shadows on his face The wrinkles at the corners of his eyes became more pronounced.

“To be completely honest, Princess, I wouldn’t blame you if you were here for . a different reason.” I bristled and started to turn my body at the right angle to make a run for it if needed But wait was he agreeing with me? or merely pretending to? He hadn't been there the night I had accused Baron, but of course he would know about it. I cringed inwardly. Even if I told the most convincing lie in the world, it would be impossible for anyone to believe I was in Baron’s room for innocent reasons after that

“He was… a newer addition to the Elven court,” Fenrir sniffed. “The Queen believes him to be trustworthy enough to guard her prized son. Us attendants have some doubts.”

I realized I was leaning in, almost imperceptibly, and stopped I frowned

“You have your suspicions about the bodyguard?” I said it as a sentence, not really a question. Fenrir shrugged and leaned away.

“My first responsibility is always to the Queen,” he said, clasping his hands behind his back “I trust her”

That wasn’t really an answer, but I said nothing. Fenrir walked behind me and opened the curtains to one of the windows, a task I realized Baron had probably sent him to do. At least that explained why he was here right?

“Have a good afternoon, Princess,” Fenrir said, good naturedly.

I speedwalked from the room, feeling the cold clutch of metal on my skin

Isaku

I didn’t mind having a project to do And I knew that it was easier to pacify Sen than fight her Besides, it made me feel like I was helping in some way other than slipping nightshade into Baron’s tea.

So I took notes as I read through volumes of Elven culture and history, trying to discover what it was that made a marriage ceremony so significant I wasn’t getting very far, but I had discovered numerous other pieces of information like the history of formal dress, the controversial Luma Age, and the proper way to receive a guest if they were a secondhand acquaintance.

I checked the index of a newer tome, looking warily at the long list of pages on which the word ‘marriage’ was used. I leaned back into the burgundy couch and stared up at the ceiling, hanging oil lights swinging as if swayed by my breath. I hadn't been sleeping well since I had been shot. Sometimes I thought I could still feel the bullet lodged in the wound Sometimes I thought I could lean back onto the couch and fall asleep right here, listening to the sound of ruffling pages and Takeo talking to himself

The Librarian himself suddenly walked into sight, an apprehensive look on his face and a slender book in his hands

“You okay?” he asked. I pushed myself up and put a hand to my forehead. My face was warm and my hand was cold.

“Yeah, fine,” I replied, nervous. Was he going somewhere with this?

He pushed his golden lenses further up his nose “Good, then Your Elven friend is here ” I sat up straighter.

“Relax, Prince,” said the Librarian with a smile. “You look fine.”

“What do you mean?” I snapped “It's not like ”

The Librarian shrugged his aged shoulders. He left with a wave of red robes.

Amerie got there first She was still wary of me, and watching me out of the corner of a beady eye, plopped her small behind on an essay by a famous Elven scholar on the significance of an embrace.

Lore walked into sight, still wearing his cloak which, according to some of the many books I had read, was a traditional Elven design Some people thought they amplified magic and good energy as well as symbolizing age rank in royals. He smiled, as if relieved.

I hadn't thought about it before, but he smelled good, as well, like green apples. I frowned slightly.

I recalled what he had said at dinner I was thinking of going to the library It looked as if he had followed up on that idea.

“Hi. What are you doing?” Lore asked, sitting down next to me without an invitation. I didn't mind; I was glad he felt comfortable with me

“Research. Sen asked me to,” I told him.

He looked uncomfortable “I didn’t realize she would ask you to do that ” I shrugged, trying to act as if it wasn’t a big deal “I don’t mind doing things for her”

Lore turned, suddenly interested in a new subject. “You have a good relationship with your sisters?” he looked genuinely confused at the idea

I had to think about this for a moment I hadn't had a real conversation with Ichika for months She didn’t exactly look down on me, exactly, but I was lesser, and she was aware of it. Sen had the tendency to believe she was better than everyone, because no one had ever told her differently. When they had, their parents usually lost rank in the royal court I had always been closer to her, sort of her audience for things. Ichika had always seemed so far away. We seemed so far away from the days when we had hidden in all the little nooks and crannies of the castle trying to find each other, or snuck into the kitchen at night, or sat under the hanging fish Ichika herself had taught us how to read, seeming very experienced and aged at fifteen while Sen and I were seven and five.

“I suppose,” I said.

“I don't think I have the same thing with my brother”

I turned, surprised, thinking about the golden vines in the genealogy map. “You have two siblings, right?”

Lore looked straight ahead and smiled On the wall a long ink painting was mounted It looked like a mishmash of colours and shapes, but when you stood back, you could seea black, stormy sea I had never been to the ocean.

“One younger brother,” he said at last. “There was another one, once.”

I didn’t have an answer for that “Would you like to go look at the swans?” he blurted out a minute later. He wasn’t looking at me, still resolutely staring at the painting.

I could think of a hundred answers for that shouldn’t you be spending time with my sister? Why do you like being here? I’ve seen the swans a hundred times before.

“ Sure ”

The Western courtyard was always kept clean.

The hedges bloomed with white flowers even in the season, the cobblestones were swept clear of any debris, and the sun gave a shimmer to everything. The purpose it served, however, was as a leading point to the pond.

Down the adjacent path was a small park of grass that was watered almost constantly, stone picnic benches, and a blue pond sprouting cattails and reeds. Four swans floated across the surface, stopping now and then to quack. They looked fatter than last time I had been here I think Sen came out to feed them on occasion Thinking of Sen made me feel guilty, so I focused on the details of the park instead The whole thing was walled in by a fence of stones stacked on top of each other, that I could just barely see over. Only the moors lay beyond.

I sat down at the edge of the pond Lore settled himself beside me, still much taller than me sitting down I was content to sit here and look at the swans, something I had been doing a lot lately when I wasn’t faking a project for my studies, anything to distract me from the face that in several days my sister would be married to the boy beside me, and he was going to take her away. I remembered the intense hatred I had had for him, the Prince in the green cloak, but I supposed I was cleverer than that now He was a pawn in a much larger, political game I had to uncover.

We both started to talk at the same time. “Sorry,” he said, laughing that amazing laugh. “You go.” I turned away from his smile

I didn’t want to ask him questions. I wanted to sit here by the pond and watch swans until the sun went down. But I had a duty, as Sen’s brother, as a Prince.

“Why are you really going to marry my sister?” I said, softly

I could almost hear his face fall, and it made me wince. He didn't come there to talk politics and secret missions Why had he come here?

“It’s just politics,” he said. “It’s boring.”

“Not to me.”

I felt his hand near me, and started He had pulled something out of my breast pocket

“You kept it,” was all he said. In his hands, dwarfed by the size, lay a crumpled origami swan.

I was momentarily distracted. “Oh. Well… ” I stopped and took a breath. “I like it.”

Lore looked as if he was remembering something, then placed the swan on the pond, where small waves held it near the shore as it floated along, looking towards its feather and bone cousins fluttering farther out. I gazed at it thoughtfully, then remembered what I had been trying to find out. It didn’t seem to matter much anymore as Lore’s breathing started to sync with the little waves lapping at the shore

I could simply do it with books. And there were two other elves in the castle, anyway. I obviously wasn't going to talk to Baron, but Fenrir seemed harmless enough, and got quite open over wine… but the Prince didn’t need my interrogation

Sen. I hadn't had a chance to talk to her about her findings. She had, according to Mego, been napping. Sure she was. I would have got up to talk to her, but I was very close to Lore at the moment and didn’t much feel like moving as it turned out, I didn't have to go look for her, as she came to us

“Boys!” She looked around in case any attendants were near and she had to put on an act of being still unwell, then skipped towards us happily.

Lore jerked away from me suddenly, where he had been watching the swans “Hi!” he said with a little too much excitement. Sen ignored him.

“Isaku! I found it. the evidence,” she looked excited, her eyes dancing with brown light. She made it to us and crouched down onto the grass, abusing her white dress

“What is it?” Lore and I asked at the same time. Finally, she acknowledged his presence.

“It is all the evidence I need to incriminate your bodyguard,” she gloated The Prince looked uncomfortable

From the folds of her robes, with a sweeping motion Lore shielded his eyes from in gentlemanly fashion, my sister produced a sheath for a knife. She looked at me like she had been expecting a dramatic gasp.

“I don’t understand ”

She frowned at me and rolled her eyes. “The knife! Remember? I can't believe I didn’t think of it before. The knife I stole from the assassin must have come from a sheath, right? Well, look what I found in Baron’s room!”

“You went to his room?” Lore gasped. Sen smiled, liking that reaction.

“So I went back to my room and took the knife and, sure enough ” Sen produced a knife from the sheath, the same one she had wielded the night she had accused Baron.

“There is no way.”

“That’s a common Elven design,” interrupted Lore, getting to his feet so he was above the rest of us Sen frowned and stood up. “We ship them all over.”

“You ship weapons to the Territory?” I interjected with a raised hand.

“Not after the marriage, we won't ” There was something dangerous in Lore’s voice

Sen growled. Lore suddenly raised his voice.

“It’s like you think I would want to marry you!” he cried “You’ve done nothing but ignore me the entire time I’ve been here, and when you aren't ignoring me, you mock me! at least I’m trying to make the best of this situation!”

Sen rolled her eyes and turned back to me “Did you find anything out?” she said Lore made a generic sound of frustration and turned away, fingers curled. I watched as a patch of grass near him withered and died like the morphing of a cool wet spring to a dry hot summer in a manner of seconds Magic seemed a handy thing to have while you were angry His long steps took him out of the field.

I felt guilty, but I doubt Sen shared my sentiments.

“No, I didn't discover anything,” I said with a sigh “I tried to get something out of Lore, but ” he was very close to me at the time and I didn’t want him to leave. “You know.”

“Is that why you were out here? Sorry for interrupting, you could have maybe got something out of him ”

“Ah, no He invited me ”

Sen tilted her head as something seemed to work behind her eyes. I could see her mostly brawn focused brain try to think something up, and in fear of her putting the pieces together, interjected “But I had an idea I could talk to Fenrir”

“The portly man?” Sen asked, successfully diverted.

“That’s rude, Sen And yes He’s a bit talkative when tipsy, and pretty good natured, don’t you think? I could talk to him , pretend to follow up on something he had mentioned at dinner, and steer the conversation away.”

“Good news!” said Sen “I forgot, but I wouldn’t have said it in front of the Prince, anyway”

“His name is Lore.” I don’t know why I said this.

Sen blinked. I had only ever seen fear in her eyes once, but this was resemblant. “What? I know.”

“You’ve just never said it yet ”

Sen blinked at me.

“Anyway, Fenrir is suspicious of Baron, too!” she continued as if I had said nothing.

“Are you sure? How do you know this?”

“He told me when he found me in Baron’s room.”

I stifled a yelp “When he what?”

Sen made a whatever gesture. “Yeah, but he was cool about it. I had a good excuse, but he didn’t seem to believe me, and he told me he was suspicious so anyway it all worked out!” Her words came out in an increasing crescendo of volume and defensiveness

“Okay, okay. Well, I can talk to him after dinner. We still have time to stop the marriage.”

Sen nodded. “I know, I know.” She took a breath. “Anyway, Mego thinks I’m sleeping, so I should probably go before an attendant sees me ” She smiled at me, and my heart warmed I liked this feeling of being able to comfort her. I was useful.

“Wait. Did you climb out the window?”

“Of course ” Sen looked at me like that was obvious I shook it off

“But wait. What about that new girl?”

“Bennu.” Sen’s gaze darkened. “Well, it will take her a day to move from the lower city to here to train me, but until then ” she pursed her lips “She doesn’t add up, y’know? The timing and all Why train me now, just when I’m supposed to get married and forgo battle?”

“Maybe some sort of consolation from father?” I suggested, wary. Sen shook her head. “Anyway, I’ll think about it Will you keep looking at tomes before dinner?”

I had a momentary shirk of disgust. You’re welcome, Sen.

I simply sighed It was just another distraction, anyway, which was exactly what I needed “Sure ” Sen ran across the lawn “Good luck at dinner!”

I looked up at the sky, and the oncoming storm. I wondered where Lore had gone. Slowly, I followed Sen’s path

14 Sen Ichika came to visit me later I was lying in bed, doing a good show of resting A couple of times, I had even managed to sleep, something my deprived brain was grateful for. but every time I did, I was back on the battlefield, covered in blood, and there was something deadly hot and horribly cold and my throat, and standing over me, was

A pattering of feet made itself known to my waking mind. Ichika. She opened the door without knocking, because she was the Empress.

“Sen ” She stood at the door I pushed myself up on the pillows blearily, cradling my blanket at my chest, arms crossed. “What?” I snapped. Ichika looked at me with eyes the same inky black as our brother’s, expression caged.

“Dinner is soon, and I wish to inform you of tomorrow’s plans We think it would be unwise for you to travel in the city, given the circumstances. We are trying to avoid any… incidents.”

I groaned “Stop talking to me like an Empress, Itch I’m your sister”

Ichika bristled at her childhood nickname, then relaxed and exhaled. “Look. I think you should let the Prince sit on your next training session with that new girl, maybe show him some things again? You seemed to enjoy that last time ”

It was my turn to bristle. “I enjoy doing nothing with the elf prince,” I snarled from my bed, forgoing my sleepy attitude I saw a smile curling at the corner of my elder sister’s mouth, a rare sight these days, reminiscent of her teasing in younger years. but I recalled the benefits that hanging out with the Elven Prince could have… if I could make him think I was in love with him, I might be able to get more information Of course, I’d already self sabotaged myself so much I didn’t know how much time I had

“I think you may.”

I threw off the blankets. “Why would you do this to me, Ichika? You’re my sister! How could you basically sell me to the elves?”

Ichika balked. “You think I wanted this?” she hissed, and I remembered that my sister was a real person. “The Queen herself requested you for her eldest son! War with the elven kingdom would be….. disastrous ” she trailed off suddenly, as if she had said too much Something clicked inside my mind, falling into place like a knife into a sheath

“It wasn’t a negotiation,” I said, silently, my voice filling the large room. “It was a threat.”

Ichika pursed her lips

“I am your sister,” she finished. “But I am the Empres first.”

She left me to dress for dinner

I wondered when I should try to expose Baron, but it didn’t seem safe now I didn’t think stopping the wedding would lead to war. I had thought…. I didn’t know what I had thought. That nothing would happen, they would laugh it off and give us their armies anyway? I was a fool Maybe I was wrong, anyway, and Baron didn’t want to kill me Why would he want to endanger his kingdom by doing that? I had thought so much about him doing it I hadn't given much thought to the actual motive. Maybe he was from the Territory? But you couldn’t simply disguise yourself as an elf. And why try to kill Isaku, too? I decided that whatever decision I was to make next would have to wait until Isaku had made some progress.

15

Isaku

Before dinner, Ichika came in and sat down at father’s place.

“The Emperor has decided to take his meal in his chambers tonight,” she explained simply, before I even had a chance to ask

I spent the meal worrying about it. I knew my father seeed older than he was the years had not been kind to him, especially in this time of tension, and now, the war It was natural for him to be stressed

I spent the other part of my mind paying attention to how much Fenrir Cobalt drank throughout the evening. He brought up a simple enough subject the sudden input of grain product from the Lesser Colonies Bland, but I could work with it I focused on his words, which were becoming increasingly slurred

“You see, they’re making up for the lack of fruit this summer Summer came late and ruined the crops. But what does this prove? That they have all that extra grain! They're hoarding it ”

I nodded, pretending to be interested.

Sen was subdued throughout dinner. I wondered if she, too, was thinking about our father. Ichika was still smooth as a rich silk, of course, passing things and joining in conversations when appropriate Lore talked even less than usual, somehow, maybe because my father was not there to accost him with arbitrary questions.

Dinner came to a close, and I had my feet set resolutely on the floor, ready to bound when needed I could catch Fenrir when he went to the door…

Sen hissed in my ear. “You got a plan?” I jumped out of my seat, partially from surprise. I had been so absorbed in my own thoughts that I hadn’t managed to see her get up Lore was already up, talking to Ichika, probably politely inquiring after the Emperor’s health. Both looked so uncomfortable I was tempted to laugh.

“Of course I have a plan ” I was a little offended at getting this from her, of all people

“Good.” she looked nervous, like there was something she was hiding.

“Do you have something to tell me?” I prodded, looking up at her She shook her head

“Um, I can tell you later Just don’t be too obvious, right? And don’t get upset if this doesn’t work out I mean, you can always talk to the Prince later, and I can help you in the library.” She trailed off.

Okay, she was definitely hiding something Saying she would help me in the library? Yeah

“I know,” I said. “Lore seems to like the library, too, so we have options. I have nothing to worry about,” I said, more for my sister’s benefit than mine. She smiled, and I thought I had succeeded, but then she said, “Yes, Lore really seems to like the library”

I refused to respond to what she was insinuating.

“There’s Fenrir. I’m going to engage.”

“Good luck,” said Sen, walking in the other direction, happier now

I approached him from the side, prepared then panicked at my opening line.

“Wheat!” I managed I cursed myself silently

Fenrir turned, eyes taking a second to focus. “What?”

“Ah… ” my mouth went dry. “You made some interesting observations at dinner.”

“Oh!” Fenrir slurred, waving to Baron as the latter passed us into the corridor He cast a suspicious glance, and my heartrate quickened. “Yes. The fish was excellent.”

“No, sir. I was referring to the grain outputs?” my voice heightened. Wow, I was failing this.

Fenrir’s eyes narrowed I prayed he was intoxicated enough that he wouldn't notice anything particularly off about me.

Then he smiled. “You’re an intelligent young man, I see!” he boomed in a voice loud enough that Ichika turned to look at us as she left the room, but I refused to give her a look that would give her any information. Let her be suspicious. This left us alone except for the sudden influx of attendants coming to clear things away.

“Let me take you to the lounge,” I said, grabbing the older man’s elbow “We can continue our conversation in a more comfortable place.” Insinuating it was now a conversation. Good.

I let Fenrir walk me through some of the most boring topics I had ever experienced in my life, which was saying much, as I spent most of my time studying ancient texts in a library

I sat on one of the only chairs part of a matching set in the room, a brown hued ottoman between them which Fenrir had his feet up on while he talked. “Thatcher is a Lesser Colony not to be trusted, believe me ” I had to remind myself to nod periodically The smell of alcohol was bringing back some uncomfortable memories of crying behind couches and crawling beside baseboards

“I think it's interesting how different societies respond to those things,” I noted, carefully sliding through my words “Like, the Lesser Colonies may have traditional differences that shape their peoples to act a certain way”

Fenrir took a moment to think about what I was saying, and then gave a vigorous nod.

“Yes Yes Exactly”

I had to stifle a smile. I had him.

“I think a lot of societies are like that ” strategic pause “Even ours ”

“My kingdom does have those things, now that you mention it,” said Fenrir, still bobbing his head like it was on a spring.

“I’ve always been fascinated by that,” I said at last The sun was setting, and I had spent far too much time already with possibly the most boring man I’d ever met in my life “Elven culture I read a lot about it,” I added, which was true at this time.

“Of course,” here we go “There’s nothing like hearing about it from a real elf”

Fenrir straightened his back, and I became afraid he was suspicious of me, but no, he was just stretching. I realized, thinking that appearing tense wasn’t going to work out for me.

“Some information is so hard to find,” I continued, leaning in “There’s almost nothing on holidays or ceremonies.” I let my sentence trail off into the air to let the attendant make the next move.

He laughed. “Yes, of course. We are very secretive about our customs, I have to be honest.”

I had thought so I played my next move

“My sister is going to be an Elven Princess,” I said, hoping this wouldn’t give me away. “I’m not going to get to see her much.” I found it wasn’t hard to make my voice bitterly sad. “I was wondering if you would share something with me? about what she’ll be a part of?” I pressed my hand against my face, which was cold and startled me out of the hot prickling behind my eyes.

This seemed to bring some authenticity into the conversation. Fenrir looked at me sorrowfully, eyes not quite focusing “I understand,” he muttered “You’re going to miss her”

Realizing this would work in my favour, I nodded.

“It’s all about the cursed sword, of course.”

I snapped my head up at the barely muttered words “What?”

Fenrir seemed to realize he let something slip, eyes widening. I stifled a smirk, watching as he composed himself “You don’t have to worry about your sister She is going to live quite comfortably, treated like a queen I promise ” He stood up, and I lept upwards, panicking now I opened my mouth, but he cut me off.

“Anyways, I should be heading up to my quarters now Have a good night, Prince ”

He fled from the room so quickly I had no chance to stall him.

Bathed in dim light from the lamps, I stood alone. I thought of Sen, of straw along cobblestones and anger in the war room

The sword.

16 Sen

The Southern Courtyard was bathed in a golden light that shimmered off of delicate puddles. I didn’t bother to walk around them, splashing the hem of my dress with mud in the process When I stood in the center, I finally realized that the Swordmaster was not there

Bennu was. She looked… regal, in a way that made me jealous, chain mail glimmering faintly in the sun. “Good morning, Princess,” she said “Good morning,” I said coldly, sitting down on the bench in order to polish my sword.

“I am here to train you. I have accepted the offer to move into the East Wing, and an attendant of yours is going to bring my things ”

So that’s where Mego had been going this morning. “Alright.”

I saw the corner of her mouth crease down It pleased me

“I am going to teach you a Sever territory stance,” she said, pulling her own sword from her hilt. This made me frown

“I learn tactics from my Empire only.”

“And soon, you will belong to the Elf Kingdom. It is foolish to dedicate yourself to one thing.”

I belong to no one! I decided she was trying to get a rise out of me, and refused to respond

“Watch me.”

This was my curse Even if I refused to do it, I could remember it I would always remember it, the exact way Bennu raised her arms, planted her feet, and even the defiant tilt of her face.

“It’s defensive,” I murmured. “A sword is not a defensive instrument.” This made her look right at me “Instrument?” she muttered. “Is that how you think of it… ”

I reminded myself that she may be an enemy, and tried to mimic the angle of her chin, imbuing some wiseness into my voice

“It is. All a weapon is is another instrument. It does all the things an instrument does. A skill that exercises the muscles and the mind, capable of things beyond its physicality ” I dramatically drew the sword from my sheath “And it makes a lovely sound, doesn’t it?”

She seemed… impressed. Was that my imagination?

“It is not, truly, defensive,” she continued after a huff “Watch ” She angled herself at a straw dummy

“Of course,” she said as the straw lay in the puddles, still stirring, “It is near impossible to demonstrate without an opponent.” She gestured to me. I really, really wanted to kick her ass, but I had to remain focused As much as I hated it, everyone was right about me and my emotions

I managed to block her, once. I had a brief moment of, look at me! I did it! before there was a blade pressed to my throat. Its coldness was almost a relief against the sweat slick skin.

I froze She’s going to kill me I was right! Well, at least I won't have to marry the Prince

She took the blade away.

“It looks defensive, but not for long ” She touched her sword point to the cobblestones like a cane, proudly

My mind wandered to Isaku, and his endeavour to talk to Fenrir. I didn’t know how it had goe, but I could meet him during my studies in the library. I wondered if the prince was there with him.

I wondered what there was to his fascination with my brother

Speak of a demon; the Prince strolled into the courtyard. Amerie danced around at his feet, her tail twitching excitedly at the sight of me

“We haven't met,” he said, smiling at Bennu, bowing.

“Yes, you’re the Elf prince,” she gestured to me with her sword. “The lady’s betrothed.”

I remembered I didn’t like her, and frowned

The Prince gave a nervous laugh.

“Ah yes, I just came to see her Don’t mind me, I’ll just watch ” He sat down on the bench where I had polished my sword earlier, overlong legs awkwardly folded underneath Amerie crawled into his lap and

watched me with an appraising look. Bennu managed to give me a mocking look without moving her mouth that made me really, really want to beat her

“We can’t both fight in the stance, so I’ll have you try it and take a classic,” she said, eyes dancing. I decided it was in my best interests to listen to her for the time being. I allowed her to prod me with her sword point and direct me into position for about ten minutes under Lore’s watchful gaze How could I use this moment near him to my advantage?

“Eventually you’ll be able to do this without thinking,” my trainer promised. She took a classic stance across from me I recalled the acvide I had given the Prince a few days ago I couldn’t adjust myself while thrusting. I fought the urge to look towards the bench.

“Go.”

She blocked my sword, but it had gone in a direction that please me momentarily if I had just moved an inch to the Northwest…

“Good. don’t get so focused on offence that you neglect your opponent’s defence.” She threw her weapon forward, and I dodged This seemed to surprise her, and I had to stifle a gleeful laugh My heart quickened. Maybe I can beat her this time.

Then I saw them through the bushes, and stopped.

Bennu disarmed me, but I let my sword clatter over the cobblestones, not giving her time to gloat as I ran across the courtyard.

“What are you ” she called after me as I ran on towards the end of the courtyard where the bushes met the palace wall At the right angle, I had seen Baron and Fenrir through the crack Careful to creep along the bush, I planted my ear into the green.

The Prince had run after me, catching up quickly due to his overlong legs, fox cast over his shoulders like a scarf

“What are you ” I shushed him vehemently and tried to focus.

“ don’t understand,” Fenrir was saying He sounded nervous I heard a noise like someone grinding their teeth

“I think you underestimate just how much I understand,” hissed Baron. Lore’s eyes widened, but he said nothing I rejected the urge to smirk at him

“I have a duty here, and you are not going to ruin it,” he continued in a threatening whisper. “That sword has nothing to do with you.”

The sword? Magic swords didn’t exist in the Empire Unless my unease grew

“We’ll see about that,” Fenrir stated darkly, and I heard the dampened sound of feet across the grass. Baron stood there for a moment, too long. I didn’t know whether to move or to run away. He knows I’m here He knows

Baron walked towards the palace. I exhaled harshly, pieces of bush fluttering at my mouth. I turned towards the Prince

“I told you!” I hissed excitedly. “He must be planning something!” he balked.

“Not . necessarily,” he said in a quavering voice. Amerie blinked her fuzzy orange eyelids.

“A duty? Come on! That has to mean something evil ”

“Maybe they’re not even talking about… ” he trailed off, knowing it was useless. Hey, at least he had learned something about me

“Maybe Isaku found out something last night.”

“Maybe… what?” He looked nervous.

“He talked to Fenrir Your attendant drinks a little too much, I think maybe he knows something now!” I started to feel bad, but not about the Prince’s disgruntled face. I had never relegated the conversation ichika had with me to isaku, and here he was ready to do something so kind for me whenever I asked.

This wasn’t a negotiation It was a threat

I looked over to the middle of the courtyard, where Bennu was ignoring us entirely. I gazed up at Lore.

“Did you know?” I asked.

“Know what? We have no evidence that Baron ”

“No.” I needed to clarify. “That your Kingdom threatened to attack us if I didn’t marry you?”

The Prince’s face fell Then he looked angry

“I know you don’t like me, Princess,” he said mockingly, “But you don’t have to lie.”

“I’m not lying!” I insisted. “My sister said ”

“Your sister offered you!”

“Don’t talk about her like that!”

I took a step forward, making the Prince wince, who was perhaps recalling how I had beat off an assassin with a bed curtain and wondering what I could do with my sword

“Maybe your precious Kingdom doesn’t reveal everything to their little Prince,” I muttered, choosing to use my words instead.

The prince bristled, fingers curling, and I remembered that he had an advantage: magic “I know more than you think, little Princess,” he hissed. As soon as the words left his mouth, he looked like he regretted it.

“Do you wish to continue your training or not?” Bennu finally yelled, bored

The Prince straightened. “Have fun. I’m going inside.”

To the library I narrowed my eyes

I looked back at Bennu. There was no one I could trust. except Isaku, maybe, and I had betrayed him.

I would have to talk to him later. I would tell him what I knew. Maybe give him something back for once.

For now, I would train

I might need swordfighting soon.

17 Isaku

The discordant voices of nine crows pecking away at the wisteria wafted into the library as Lore entered.

I was becoming accustomed to his presence, and the presence of his fox The air of the library was beginning to feel strangely empty without his grey eyes and nervous attitude. He seemed genuinely interested in being here with me, which was a new feeling. He asked about what I was doing, not in the false way my old friends had done occasionally, with eyes that glazed over after barely a moment The Librarian was always there, but he didn’t have a choice Lore had a choice to hang out with my much cooler, older sister, even if she didn’t like him very much.

I tried not to make my excitement too known “Hello ”

“Hello,” Lore had Amerie draped over his shoulders and was looking oddly weary He plopped down next to me on the couch and leaned back. The hood of his cloak bunched up under his thin neck.

“Are you alright?” I asked, closing a book I wasn’t studying for Sen’s purpose today, simply reading a book I was really enjoying Fiction It increases verbal skills

“Why does she hate me so much?” Lore groaned.

My heart dropped Of course, this was about Sen Amerie pawed at the spot next to her master and cast me a rueful gaze as she sat down.

“She doesn’t hate you, exactly,” I said in a hollow voice, “She sort of hates the idea of you. You represent something to her”

Lore looked sideways at me. There was a strawberry lock of hair over his pointed ear, out of place. I wanted to put it back. He simply sighed. He reached out his long fingers and scratched behind the miniature fox’s ears

“How’s your book?” he asked at last, breaking a comfortable silence.

“Oh. It’s good,” I said. “I read a better one yesterday, but still.”

“You read a whole book yesterday?” Lore smiled in a way that somehow didn’t feel mocking I still flushed a little.

“I’m fast.”

“I see ”

I looked down.

“Is that why your fingers are always cut?”

“Oh.” I examined the crisscrossing lines on the pads of my fingers, papercuts that had not yet healed but lined my hands in patterns that sometimes caught the light like a textured painting “Yeah ”

As if he had no control over the movement, he took my hand in both of his, palm up. His touch was cool and comforting like I remembered it on my shoulder, rather like a washcloth. His fingers were so much longer than mine, bereft of ink stains He ran his fingers over the surface delicately, until the little cuts sealed themselves up and disappeared into the air like they had never been there in the first place. Even after the last cut was gone, he didn’t let go of my hand, just held it like it fascinated him. Suddenly, he seemed to realize what he was doing, dropping it like my hand had burned him It took me a second to remember it was attached to my body and draw it in, reluctantly, wondering what had just happened as the Elven Prince stared into his lap, ears turning rose.

I wasn’t sure what my next move should be Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I had chosen a different move, any different move I suppose it doesn’t matter now, because now there is nothing I can do to change what I did next.

I took the lock of Lore’s hair I had been eyeing, and placed it behind his elegant ear He looked up, and I could see the flush of shame lightening, something behind his bright grey eyes moving back and forth, calculating. Before I could draw my hand back, he took it in his.

I wondered where Takeo was I wasn’t sure whether or not I wanted him to interrupt I thought of how Sen had interrupted us before, and wondered where we would be if she had not those times before Could I have had this moment earlier at the swan pond if she hadn't been there?

Not even the fox moved when Lore placed his fingers on my chin and drew my face into his, quieting my mind He pressed his mouth to mine, hesitant; then drew back, looking surprised at himself Still feeling the soft brush of his lips, I opened my mouth as if to say something, but Lore spoke first.

“I’m sorry. Do you ” He never got to finish that sentence I leaned back in and kissed him as a yes, I want to hungrily, eagerly He responded with equal excitement, tangling his hands in my hair as I caressed the back on his neck. I leaned in until he was forced to fall back on the couch cushions, and I was practically on top of him as kept pulling me in closer, never seeming to be satisfied with how near I was He had very sharp teeth, but a very soft mouth... Slowly, reluctantly, we pulled apart. I gave a small gasp for air that turned into one of shock. Blood was thundering in my ears, but it wasn’t from the lingering taste of the Prince in my mouth, as amazing as that was I had basically betrayed the royal family, my sister Both of them What was my father going to say when he found out ?

Maybe he would never find out.

“Lore ” I stopped I started again “You are Going to marry my sister”

“She doesn’t want to marry me.” the Prince’s eyes kept darting back to my lips. “I know she’s looking for a way to sabotage the wedding anyway. Frankly, I do not care.”

I pushed myself up, but I was basically sitting in his lap, which was not exactly the most conversational position, so I took a moment to extract myself before speaking.

“Well, yes, but ”

“I can help you guys.” Lore’s voice was hesitant now as he pushed himself into a sitting position. He looked like he was fighting some sort of inner battle “I don’t want the wedding either I’m sure I can get the elf Kingdom to support you anyway ” he trailed off, a light in his eyes. Meanwhile, I snorted.

“Without an exchange? No chance,” I said. “We try to hide it, but the Empire is failing. We need this alliance ”

Lore looked down, slowly extracting his hands from my hair.

“I need to talk to Sen. Not about this,” I said, adding the next sentence after a panicked look from the elf Prince “But about some things I figured out ”

A dark look crossed his face. “I don’t know why you’re helping her,” he said at last, lips curling into something of a snarl, but as it was very hard to look at his mouth at the moment, I ignored it. “You know she’s playing a fool’s game, right? Baron did not try to kill either of you ”

“She’s my sister,” I sighed. “And soon… ” we looked away, knowing exactly what I meant. You’re going to take her away against her will. Away from me. I should hate you for that.

“I don’t care if it’s nothing I want to do this with her” I whispered, realizing my hand was still clasped in Lore’s. he was running his thumb over its rough surface, and I really, really didn’t want to break away.

“I suppose I can't stop you,” muttered Lore

“Everything will turn out,” I said, the words tasting like a lie Lore ignored them

“Go talk to her. I’ll stay here. Maybe I’ll read a book or something,” He said, smiling at me.

“You should check out Javen Katoran’s writings, then They’re groundbreaking ” “I will, then.”

I drew away from him reluctantly. The fox gave me a look that was as good as a growl, but I refused to let her make me feel bad

Turning to leave, I ran into an attendant. The blood started to rush in my ears as I recalled every story I had ever read where a royal’s secret was discovered by a servant and they were blackmailed into ruin, but he looked as panicked as I was “Prince!” he gasped, like he had been running He looked in Lore’s direction over my shoulder, but I refused to look behind me lest it give us away “Er, Princes The Emperor your father he ”

My blood went cold for a different reason, and I started to run out of the library I heard the attendant call for me, and Lore yelling my name, but I kept on running straight to the Throne Room 18 Sen

I was not as much a fan of the library as Isaku. I didn’t think anyone was, really.

Besides, I was ignoring him. It wasn’t as if he was making an effort to talk to me anyway, so as long as there was no reason to stop ignoring him, why should I have?

The reason ran into the library in a flutter. It was honestly a godsend, seeing as the old Librarian kept trying to help me in sympathetic tones I didn’t want sympathy, I wanted to stop I studied at the back wall, trying to do the research I had beseeched my brother to do for me. No wonder he had given up eventually. I owed him some gold and glory for this, I thought as I sat far from the burgundy couch that Lore and Isaku were often seated on The Librarian had just asked me for what I was fairly sure was the fifteenth time whether or not I needed more paper when Mego, who I had never seen in the library before, flew in.

Her face was as pale as her dress, her eyes wide with shock I jumped up from my seat “Mego, what ” “The Emperor, Princess, he ”

Waiting no longer, I picked up my robes and flew past the flustered Librarian out of the library, at first cursing my stupidity at not waiting to be told where to go, but quickly realizing I needed only to follow the steady, panicked stream of attendants down the corridors.

The white robed people carved a path between them for the princess, trying to call updates at me, which I ignored thoroughly.

We made our way down the corridors all the way to the throne room.

The ceilings here were higher than anywhere else, ornately carved and coming together in a white dome. Stained glass windows depicting past Imperial lines let rainbow light coat the marble floors like a carpet. The combined sound of all those shoes made a thunderous noise on them. Two thrones stood opposite the doors of tarnished bronze, carved so that it looked like hundreds of tiny creatures and birds were fighting their way out of the metal. They were lined in burgundy cushion, currently unoccupied by royal rears.

Ichika was wearing her crown, which she didn’t do often It was bright, polished silver, set with sapphires imported from the Lesser Colonies. The crown of the past Empress, my grandmother, who I had never met. She ruled the throne beside her son for as long as she could hold on, alongside her her son after he turned twenty as was custom

The hair on my exposed arms stood up, and not simply from the poor heat retention of the marble. The glittery atmosphere and rainbow lights clashed distastefully with the feeling of doom that settled on the crowd Ichika wouldn’t wear her crown without a reason

Her features seemed colder today. I could see some of our brother’s determination in her eyes as she looked at the crowd.

I ran to the front and grabbed the front of her robe unceremoniously, with ink stained fingers It was elaborate silk with an opal sheen, but hey, she could afford a new one.

“Ichika!” I cried, and she finally noticed I was there. With an annoyed look, she turned to me.

“Get back, Sen I am going to address the crowd ”

“Did something ”

“

Back.” She put her hand on my front and pushed me away into the crowd with a vehement hiss. I stumbled into Mego, who gave me a head shake to symbolize that I should not go back to punch the Empress in the face.

Attendants scrambled around the Empress, looking to her for answers, for news. Her eyes were lifted above them all, to the stained glass arts, as if the past Empresses could pass on some knowledge or alive through their immortalized faces. Patches of coloured light hit her cheekbones, her collarbone, cradled her hips. It gave her an ethereal look. she was beyond us, as an Empress should be.

I caught a glimpse of Isaku at the side of the room, next to a garden attendant I knew, as he let me overfeed the swans with him sometimes. I noticed his fingers, ink stained as always, curled around Lore’s arm. The latter’s cloak fluttered around his calves. He, too, was gazing at my sister with reverence. I swallowed and turned back to her before my brother could catch my eye

“Friends,” she said, with a lift of her chin Something in her eyes said and others I thought of Baron, strangely absent.

“I see the news has travelled quickly For those of you who have less information than you wished, I would like to tell you what happened

“Your Emperor, my father… ” I almost thought I saw her falter there, but it may have been my imagination “Has had a collapse He is well,” she hurried to assure us, as a muttering consumed the crowd, “Alive, his royal heart beating We will, until then, have our best doctor attendants at his side, attending to him until he is well enough to resume his seat on the throne. Until then,” she swallowed, coming to the point of her little speech. Her fingers twisted at her side, fighting the urge to adjust her crown, like she had when she was twenty and had first been forced to assume the role of Empress, a hundred times. I remembered trying it on, the weight of it on my hair. I felt as if my sister felt a weight of a different kind, now.

“Until then, I am assuming my father’s place You will address me when you mean to address your Emperor, and consider my own rule law until his health is such that I may assume my secondary role.”

I interrupted, stepping forward. A spot of blue light hit my eye, glittered off of my circlet. “When would that be?” I asked “Surely our doctors have an estimate ”

My sister examined me as if I were a mildly distasteful spider she had found in her bed. “I will be updating the entire kingdom accordingly when we have any news,” she said, with a defiant set of her jaw

“So, we don’t know,” I muttered under my breath, but I wasn’t cruel enough to call her out in front of the entire palace.

Bennu was also absent I searched the room, but found only Fenrir to the side, a drink in his hand, looking as shocked and concerned as everyone else in the crowd.

Baron was also gone Something dropped into my stomach

“I assume you are postponing the wedding until his Majesty’s return?” a voice asked, a voice I failed to recognize at first, as it was more confident than I had ever heard it before. The Elven Prince. Isaku grabbed his arm, and I frowned at them as our eyes caught in a tense gaze

Ichika looked almost angry now, and answered through her teeth.

“The Empire will be functioning as is normal,” she said, smiling thinly “The wedding will take place in as scheduled.”

Of course, Lore didn’t know the stakes if we refused to wed. He had not believed me. Isaku knew, which was why he was making an effort to hold him back with a series of pointed looks

Since when had they started understanding each other's secret looks?

He said nothing

“You are dismissed.” Ichika turned towards the thrones, back to the crowd, which began to disperse. I allowed myself to be jostled by various apologetic attendants until the only people left in the room were the royals

Isaku and I ran to our sister immediately, who turned towards us, anger in her eyes. Her eyes, which glistened in the light, wet.

“Ichika, you have to tell us what happened to our father!” Isaku said, taking his sister’s wrist

“We have a right to know,” I sniffed. I was willing to call a temporary truce with my brother, reminiscent of the way we had ganged up on her as children.

“I said,” Ichika told us simply in a thick voice “He had a brief collapse The doctors are on it perfectly, I assure you.”

The Elf Prince stood awkwardly a few feet away, like he was unsure whether to join or not.

“We are not your subjects!” I cried “Stop talking to us like we are!”

“We’re your siblings,” said Isaku. “And we’re not idiots. It’s after lunchtime. He was poisoned.”

I turned to my brother in surprise As much as I hated admitting it, he was very adept at this sort of thing I would never have put two and two together like that

Ichika froze and extracted her wrist from her brother’s grasp. “I hope you don’t plan on spreading your half assed rumours around the castle,” she hissed So it was true

Isaku had on the hollowe expression that had become a part of him of late. “Sen told me about the wedding threat,” he whispered, so it was only audible to the three of us. “And while you’ve been having a great time on the throne, we’ve been figuring things out The marriage it's about a sword And Baron is definitely the culprit! You know, Sen found a sheath that matches the knife she was almost killed with in his room!” my stomach sank.

“You searched a guests’ ” the Empress groaned

I stared at my brother, shocked at the sudden turn of events in which he was defending me.

“And that new girl who’s training her! Bennu! Why now? When she’s not even going to lead her army?”

Ichika frowned “Who?”

I shared a look with Isaku. Oh no.

“You obviously don’t know what’s going on in your own palace!” Isaku said, forgetting to lower his voice and making the prince wince behind him. He lowered it again.

“We do. If you just talked to us, we might be able to figure out a way to stop the wedding and get the Elven army! You can get your best Warrior on the battlefield against Sever They won't stand a chance against Sen, you know that, but you can only have her if she doesn't marry Lore.”

“Please, Ichika,” I interjected, deciding it was my turn to jump in. You fool! I chided myself inwardly. The Elven Kingdom will kill us if you don’t marry him “I I can marry him if you wish me to, but may I not also lead an army?”

Isaku gave me an odd, apprehensive look. The Empress glowered.

“I am not you sister,” she growled “I am the Empress ”

She raised her arms in anger, silken sleeves drifting to her elbows.

Isaku flinced and raised a forearm out, taking a step backwards His muscles were tense

I recalled years ago, clearing the salt of his tears off his face with a handkerchief in the window seat, clearing off where a purple and blue bruise had covered his face, courtesy of our father’s rough, calloused hands I remembered my own bruises, which had made me a Warrior

I wasn’t sure what had caused his reaction more The bruises higher up on Ichika’s arms, or the positioning of limbs that suggested he was about to suffer them likewise.

A horrified look crossed the Empress’ face

She said his name, but he didn’t hear her, because he had fled from the room. Lore, without so much as a glimpse towards his future sister in law, ran after him into the corridor. (hmm. Follow up?)

I looked at her again

“How could you?” I gestured to her in disgust. “All of it. Who turned you into this? Our father?” “You know damn well we don’t share the same father!” Ichika’s dark eyes filled to the brim, eyes the same as Isaku’s but not the same as mine Not like our mother’s and not like their father’s Tears threatened to spill from them, but I knew her. She was going to absorb them right back. She had always been too absorbent for her own good.

A Warrior never flinched But she knew when to run.

18 Sen I was sitting on my window seat, cradling a book in my hands. Mego was busy in my closet, folding everything I had left on the floor She had just given me a lecture about going into the bodyguard’s room ‘I have half a mind to tell your father’ empty threats and all that that I had only half absorbed, much like the book I was reading on ancient history, which was slowly crawling its way up my ledger of Most Boring

Books The Teachers have Ever Made Me Read with each page. I was steadily and dutifully taking notes in the margins, though my swordplay trumped my handwriting by far

A knock on the door. Mego went to answer, and it was Isaku, looking nervous in his coat. He didn’t even try for a weak smile as he nodded to Mego and walked towards me.

There wasn’t enough room on the window seat for the two of us not like there had been when we were children, and all three of us would huddle up like canned fish peering out into the city, waiting for a sigh of our father’s carriage. Not like the first year of Ichika’s Empress reign, where Isaku and I had shoved each other out of the way to scramble for a view of her miserable face every time she came back with the Emperor from their duties.

You Know damn well you and I don’t share the same father.

So he stood “We should talk,” he said “About last night,” he clarified, as if I wouldn’t know, as if there was something else he needed to talk to me about. He cast a wary eye towards Mego, who had occupied herself with my closet, as if he wanted to talk in private.

But I didn’t care It was Mego; she wouldn’t tell a soul anything that happened in this room I leaned in a little for his benefit, and he lowered his voice to a soft mutter.

“I talked to Fenrir for a long time he’s definitely the most boring man in the trinity but all I got out of him was that it's something about a sword ”

My heart rate quickened. “I overheard Baron talking to Fenrir in the courtyard about a sword! It sounded like he was threatening him.”

Isaku’s eyes became panicked “Do you think I got him in trouble?”

I hadn’t thought of that. I bit my lip. “Don’t worry about it.” I then sighed and closed the book, glad for an excuse to do so. I jumped right in.

“We can't sabotage the wedding ” Isaku froze. “Why?”

I took a deep inhale “Ichika talked to me before dinner last night I’m sorry I didn’t tell you Just ” I paused, still looking down at the closed tome in my lap. “Just that, it wasn’t her who offered me to the Elf Kingdom. The Elf kingdom threatened us if they didn’t give me to the Prince.”

No answer

“But listen.” I looked back up at my brother, whose face looked as if it had been hollowed out inside. “The Prince doesn’t seem to know. I don’t know what this means. If they didn’t tell him, or ” I stopped, not sure how to continue I think he’s lying

“We can't handle an Elven Army alone, especially not with Sever on the battlefields. I have to do this… for my Empire.” I swallowed.

Mego had moved on to my bed and its twisted sheets She had not looked at us once

“I’m worried about Baron,” I added, scared. Why was Isaku not saying anything? “He wants to get rid of us before the wedding He definitely has plenty of time to do so ”

“Maybe he won't.” Isaku finally interjected, startling me. “Maybe the new security measures are too much.”

“But there’s still the matter of Bennu,” I added “Why is she here, training me? Maybe they're even in cahoots. Hells, Isaku, she’s going to sleep in the East Wing tonight. Where Baron is. Where I am!” I groaned and hit my head against the window, which was cool on my scalp.

“If they want to kill us, tonight would be perfect ” I added, darkly, “That’s what I would do ”

“The sword,” Isaku hissed. “It’s something about your sword, isn't it?”

Blood rushed in my ears

“The sword.”

“What else could it be?” Isaku gripped the windowframe, turning his fingers white. “Your marriage. Your assasination Your sacrifice Your sword!”

Mego looked up at his vehement words, but quickly and dutifully resumed her work.

I tried to recall when I had received the sword. It had been when I was twelve years old, graduating into higher training

The Swordmaster, face a little less lined, voice a little less hoarse, had set me on my knees in the courtyard and taken the simple, uniform training sword from my hands.

“I am bestowing on you, on behalf of the entire Iomani Empire, this weapon ” She set the hilt into my hands, engraved with characters I could never decipher, a language existing in none of the books my teachers had forced me to read. I gripped my fingers around its hilt with reverence, as if thinking someone was going to take it from me saying HA! JUST KIDDING!

“Does it have a name?” I asked, wondering whether I could call it the Blade of Impending Death. “Yes,” the swordmaster said, “A title. It is simply ”

“Harbinger,” I quoted, arising from my reverie “I I never inquired after its history”

“Of course you didn’t,” groaned Isaku. “You never cared about the history behind things. You just wanted to know how much damage you could create with them ”

“That’s not ” I stopped, because it was true.

“Not as if it matters. If the worst thing that could happen to you is you get to kiss the Prince, that isn't so bad ”

“Isaku!” I was startled at his sudden bitter attitude. “We could be killed ”

“Sen. This is in your head. it always has been, and I am not going to pacify you anymore!”

I put my feet on the ground, the book falling open on the floor. I was taller than Isaku, and stared down at him in a way that usually cowed him pretty well “This is serious I need your help!” I tried to keep the plea from creeping into my voice.

“What, so it’s not worth it to talk to me for hells, months? until you need something. I’m not scrounging about the entire damn library this time ” Isaku set his jaw “This is your marriage, your sword ” he growled as he walked away, leaving me dumbfounded.

“Your responsibility.”

19

Isaku

“Are you alright?” Lore asked when I returned from my sister’s room Amerie watched me reproachfully from his feet He looked nervous I recalled the way my father looked when he was angry, like some sort of vengeful, punishing god, and the way people told me just how much I looked like him. I supposed I must have really looked like something.

“Just sibling stuff,” I muttered We stood outside the palace doors, open to let in the breeze, hidden from the inside behind one of the doors. We stood on one side of the white wraparound steps in the shadow of a wisteria plant, its heady fragrance seeming to cast a purple undertone inside of Lore’s eyes. Two steps below me, we were almost the same height I became less angry the longer I looked at him, until my expression made a smile quirk up at the corners of his soft mouth.

Did I feel bad about fighting with my sister? Perhaps.

But less so when I leaned over the steps and kissed him again

A noise started outside of our little protective bubble, annoying me. Great. Probably an attendant, in the wrong place at the wrong time, doing a later daily sweep of the steps. I broke away from the Elven Prince in annoyance, but then realized what exactly the noise was, and who it belonged to “You’d think you know that by now.”

“Name another person who would have done what I’ve done!” One voice was sharp and cold, the other smooth and warm but laced with danger Baron and Bennu A pang came into my chest when I remembered something Sen had said

What if they’re working together?

Lore was frozen, as if he thought that perhaps human sight was movement based and he could successfully avoid being found out. I raised a finger and put my ear to the open door, careful not to put any weight on it so it would move The voices from the people on the threshold started up again

“If you go down, you will suffer the guilt of me going down with you,” Bennu said, voice like the edge of her sword. If the door suddenly became invisible, I would have been close enough to reach out and pat her shoulder

Baron’s started up. I shut my eyes to focus on his voice, lower in the lazy air. “I suppose neither of us will suffer, then. You ought to trust your elders, soldier.”

“Maybe when my elders are less bloody idiots!”

I suppressed a start Bennu a soldier?

“Do you wish to withdraw?” baron said, unhindered by the insult.

Bennu huffed “I hardly see any reason to retract my allegiance I only pray you will prove worthy of it when the time comes ” “Could I not say the same?”

There was only silence I risked a glance back at Lore, whose mouth was slightly open in shock The fox, to her credit, sat unmoving, crouched as if ready to pounce

I heard the sharp boots worn by Baron recede back inside the palace with quick, sharp beats. Bennu breathed, and I was sure she was counting down to when she could follow without a run in I was foolish, and decided this meant I was safe So I went down the next two steps to where Lore was, pressed against his chest in the cramped area, where he blushed and smiled at my movement, sure she was about to leave, I wrapped an arm around him.

But she did not She stepped out of the doors into the Eastern Courtyard

I crossed my fingers and prayed that those sweeping hawk’s eyes weren't going to swivel about and see us The wisteria smell had ceased to be charming, instead crossing the line into oppressive Bennu turned

We stared at each other, the stout Warrior putting a hand on her sword handle at her waist. I imagined what she was seeing the two princes looking at her like she was about to kill them, standing in an enclosed space in a very compromising position

But I could see fear in her eyes, too. she knew we must have heard her conversation with the Elven bodyguard So we stood at a stalemate, eyes locked, alone in the courtyard

Finally, she spoke.

“It would be a shame if the Empress found out about this,” she muttered. No mocking smile marred her face, perfectly calm But her eyes had betrayed her “It would be a shame if she found out about that,” Lore said, steadying himself against my arm now that there was no reason to hide. Bennu narrowed her eyes.

“We have an agreement, then?” she hissed between her teeth I decided it was time to interject “Do we?” I said, cursing myself for my weaknesses.

But she simply let go of her sword handle and turned away in the direction of the Southern courtyard In the opposite direction from which me and Lore wanted to go I exhaled, and Lore mirrored the motion

“What just happened?” he whispered, leaning over to grab his fox and cradle her like a small child.

“We made an agreement,” I swallowed It sounded like a question

“I don’t want to think about it,” Lore muttered. I remembered my sister, her eyes wide with childish betrayal when I had basically told her to deal with her problems herself And she had been right She had been so, completely right.

When we arrived at the swan pond in a much different context than our last visit, Amerie immediately leaped from her owner’s arms and made for the pond, pawing in the shallows the same blue as her little beady eyes as I sat down on the bank. Little waves lapped the ends of my shoes where I slumped, deflated. I had just wanted to spend some time with my new, Elven boyfriend, and my illogical procrastination technique to deny facts and fight with my sister had failed, which seemed unfair Lore sat down next to me, a similar look of worry on his face, but more directed towards me The four fat swans floated through the reeds and made a symphony of noise at their new, unexpected fox visitor, who was snapping at the remains of feed on the water as they snapped at her. Lore sat down quietly as if he didn’t want to disturb me

As foolish as I know it to be now, I hated my sister in those moments. Why did she get to have everything I should have? Not only the favour of our father, but the favour of our Empire, and the hand of the Elven prince I was going to die surrounded by dusty books, my last words a boring conversation about book placement with the Librarian, or possibly an imaginary friend because he would be long dead. Maybe I would become a relic myself and it would be a few weeks before anyone found me, a rotting corpse traumatizing Ichika’s grandchildren

At least I would die in a healed Empire. Right?

Amerie splashed back to us, no doubt ready to vie for attention again, completely wet. She pawed at the end of Lore’s cloak in the grass which, in spite of the midday heat, he had opted to wear I had discarded my own outer robelong ago.

“Why do you always wear that?” I muttered, lazily, ready for a new topic of thought. I felt him tense next to me and wondered if I should have said anything But then he sighed, leaning back into me, and started to talk.

“It was my brothers’,” he said. “The dead one.

“He was a soldier sort of like Sen He had to go into battle once I never found out what the mission was. I suppose it didn’t matter he was captured and imprisoned. Most of his troops made it back, but… not him. Whoever the enemy was They executed him.

“The stupid part?” Lore gave a weak laugh, gripping his fingers into the grass “He left his cloak ” He shook his head, looking at our reflection in the pond. “He left his damn cloak, just hanging over his bed.”

I wanted to say I was sorry, but I had learned long ago just how empty those words were I just let him lean on me He started to thread his fingers in my hair, like it comforted him, in a methodic sort of way I leaned into him even more, appreciating the distraction of the way his soft breathing, the sound of his heartbeat, his nearness, made me feel. The feeling I had been hoping for today instead of the lingering sorrow and nerves

At least I would know where Sen was, and that she was safe. The Prince didn’t get that luxury.

Something hit me, too. Lore had a younger brother. His older brother was dead. Meaning that the boy leaning against me was next in line to the throne

My sister wasn’t just going to be an elf princess. She was going to be the Queen.

I felt stupid for not noticing it earlier Why hadn't I thought about it? I thought about everything! Thinking about everything was basically my whole personality! But what could her sword have to do with her being Queen after Alvera? Unbidden came back the recent encounter with Bennu. Just because I resolved not to think about something didn’t mean it hadn’t happened, I reminded myself

“Lore… ” I hated to ruin the moment, but for my sister’s sake, I had to. “Do you think Baron and Bennu are going to try and kill my sister and I?”

His fingers froze in my hair He sighed, not liking that I had stopped the moment in this fashion, but understanding. “I don’t know anymore, Isaku,” he said. “I don’t want anything bad to happen to either of you, but I can't imagine . ” He sighed. “Do you want to talk to her about it?”

I recalled when I had been ten and Sen was twelve, and we had fought over something stupid She had not talked to me for three weeks, until she had to scream at me to get Ichika because she had been stuck in a tree for three hours and didn’t know how to get down.

“We had sort of a fight, I doubt she would talk to me,” I muttered “She holds a grudge like a lifeline ”

“I’ll talk to her,” Lore interjected, very quickly. I turned to look at him. He was deadly serious.

“Really? She isn’t exactly your biggest fan ”

Lore shrugged. “In my experience, it’s easier to take bad news from someone you already don’t like.” He put one of his hands on the ground and whistled, his pet fox’s ears pricking up at the movement. She ran over and crawled up his arm to nestle on his shoulder like a great orange parrot

Lore stood up, then stopped, like there was something more he wanted to say to me. He leaned back over and kissed me briefly on the lips. I barely had time to kiss him back before he swept out of the courtyard in a flush of green fabric, leaving me alone with the memory and the smell of apples.

21 Sen

I had a plan. I was going to see my father.

Isaku said he was poisoned no doubt by Baron, curiously not present at the time of the announcement Hmm A regular poisoning would probably require only a night of rest after the antidote, but in the Emperor's condition of frailty, and perhaps now that I thought of it, the strength of the poison…

With all the guards, cover of night was hardly an option I had taken lunch in one of the lounges and, as far as anyone else in the palace was concerned, had then retired to my room to finish one of my projects. Carefully, I set the project out on my carpet and spilled ink in strategic spots so it would appear

as if I had been studying very carefully. See? I could be just as clever as my brother when I needed to. my stupid, stupid brother

I then went into the washroom and pulled the curtains from the window over the rose marble tub that in a certain lighting gave off the appearance of raw meat. The window had been easy enough to crawl through when I had been younger with thinner shoulders and hips, but my last escapade to show off my discovery to Isaku in the swan pond had been a more difficult endeavor. I bristled just thinking about him.

I looked down Two stories was a bit of a height, sure, but I knew how to take it with little damage to me There was a dent in the bush below that proved the horticulture was what took most of the beating. I put my shoes on the edge of the tub, careful to check I had dutifully locked the bathroom from the inside any intruders or attendants would think I had simply gone to my washroom during my studies, and with any luck, this wouldn’t take me long anyway I placed my hands on the windowsill where slight grooves were noticeable from the many times I had done this before, albeit with smaller hands. I pushed myself until I had turned in the right direction (diagonally) that made my shoulders fit. Now, moving my leg forward, I carefully

Thump

Dazed, I lay in the bush, which was actually rather peaceful I was beginning to think I should do this more often when I recalled my mission Listening hard for any attendants in case I needed to stay in the bush for a bit, I crawled out.

“What the what are you doing?”

Freezing, I stared up from my undignified position and saw the Elven Prince staring at me, looking more confused than judgemental. Seeing his face brought bile to my throat, especially recalling how I had once let him wield my sword. The sword, whatever that meant.

“Going for a lovely little stroll, of course,” I grumbled, pushing myself up onto my knees and standing Amerie, the precious little fox, hopped off of her master’s shoulder and onto mine, which provided more space for her to lick her paws contentedly.

“In the bush?” the prince said If we had to get married, I would really have to teach him sarcasm

We stood on the path that led the Eastern courtyard, which my bedroom window was overtop of, to the Southern My washroom was situated in a corner space along the wall that would lead eventually to the Southern courtyard, if that makes sense The curving, bush lined paths to and fro the courtyards loop around the palace’s four corners. I wondered what he had been doing. Isaku probably would have been able to tell me where the prince had been going based on his stance or the way the wind blew, or something Why did I have to keep thinking about him? I frowned, but as it was my usual face in his area, the prince looked unconcerned.

“Yes, in the bush.”

“Ah, nice I was looking for you, actually”

This startled me. Amerie continued to clean herself, a sound very loud in my left ear. “Er… why?”

“Ah To talk?” he cringed at the sound of his words, but I felt no secondhand embarrassment for him

“Great,” I said, still sarcastically. I moved to say something else, but he beat me to it.

“Are you going to see your father?”

I spluttered. “Am I… what?” I had a horrifying thought that maybe elves had the ability to read minds. As if he did, the prince answered me.

“Don’t worry, I’m not a mind reader Magic can only do so much It’s just that you appear to have dropped from a window, after your father has been poisoned, and well… you do have a bit of a rebellious streak.”

That was one way to put it

“Do you want help?”

This startled me even more than the mind reading. “Why would . Why would you help me?” I said, moving my hand to my hip absentmindedly, remembering that my sword was not, in fact, present I tried to relax. The prince would be easy enough to take down if I had to. He shrugged and reached a hand forward. I got ready to break it in four, but he only rubbed his fox’s head as he continued

“Why not? You could surely use some magical help. Besides, you’d enjoy it, wouldn’t you? That’s enough for me.”

I scowled and stepped back, shoulder blades hitting the bush, taking the fox from his reach “You know I am not going to fall in love with you, Prince,” I stated blandly. He simply smiled, then said something that surprised me.

“I’m glad we’re on the same page, Princess ”

It was easy enough to get in by use of the far doors that led to the kitchen, usually only used by attendants The prince simply set down Ember, who immediately started to run like a rabid dog around the kitchen, causing enough havoc for a Princess to slip by unseen. I waited for him on the other side of the kitchen doors, hearing his reedy voice sheerfuly call out apologies to the disgruntled cooks, suppressing a smile even though there wasn’t anyone to see me and say, Ha! You’re actually starting to like the Prince!

Besides, it wasn’t like that. When Lore came out of the kitchen doors with Amerie, none the worse for wear in his arms, his ecstatic troublemaker grin was endearing in a way that was almost brotherly I supposed it couldn’t hurt to at least have some affection towards him, whatever the type would have been… I shook my head. I had nothing for the Prince.

We slunk along walls and fell behind door frames when necessary, all the way to the Northern Wing that held the infirminary The attendants seemed more distant and distracted that way When I realized it was because they were absorbed in preparations for the wedding, which I had a hard time thinking of as my wedding. Not only mine, but the wedding of the boy beside me.

Glad we’re on the same page, princess

The Prince slid out of the corridor from where he had been lying in wait in a low crouch. The hall led to a curious eight side room which four corridors, including the one we were in, opened into One led to the

attendant quarters, one to the infirmary, and the one we were in which led along a labyrinth to the rest of the palace The fourth opened into another room, and at the other end of the room into the Northern courtyard. The Northern floor had only the altar, but few royals of this age had wished to be so close to it. So the room had served as a storage room until Ichika took over, abandoning her quarters on the second floor I had never visited her new room

The Prince snapped his fingers from the middle of the room, bringing me out of my momentary distraction and indicating we were in the clear. I stepped out into the room, which was nondescript except for its shape, painted a funny green with a dirty skylight overtop, coated in bird droppings and dead leaves Ichika’s door in the middle of the other hallway was shut The door with the red letters spelling out INFIRMINARY looked heavy, white paint chipping and revealing metal underneath. The silver handle was locked. I cursed.

I tried it anyway, but it didn’t work I felt a warm touch on my shoulder and started Lore He gently moved me to the side and crouched near me, making us about the same size. Amerie hopped off of his shoulder. I wanted to ask what he was doing as he shut his eyes and placed his fingers strategically on the silver handle, but there was something so pseudo sacred in his movement that I didn’t I looked around the room while he kept up a steady breathing, although I wasn’t sure what I was going to do if an attendant came in to check on my father anyway. It was pretty clear what we were doing. I could hardly pretend I’d gotten lost

There was a click, and I whipped my head around, preparing forty seven excuses that would never work, but then I heard the Prince make a suppressed yelp of pride.

“What?” I hissed, but he only started to turn the handle He had done it somehow, he had magically unlocked the door.

“Told you you could use some magic help!” Lore whispered, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “You have the power to unlock doors and you never abuse it?”

“Who said I never abuse it?” Before I could question him, the Prince slipped through the now ajar door. We were inside the infirmary.

The ceiling was high, massive, thin white curtains pulled over the tall windows that gave the room a ghostly light. small rooms were created with likewise curtains pulled over rods, a long line of the cubicles covering the long walls on each side. the far wall across from us at the other end of the rectangle held a door that would lead to a storage closet as well as standing trays of instruments more akin to torture devices than medical tools. A shelf was covered in carefully labelled bottles, which I opted to stay as far away from as possible.

“Which one is your dad in?” the prince whispered, but his voice still carried Even Amerie’s silent pawing on the marble ground made an audible echo. I supposed it would be easy enough to hear a patient scream.

“Does your fox take orders?” I said, double checking that the door was locked behind us The sound of an attendant’s key would at least give us a moment to run for cover.

“From me,” Lore sniffed.

I leaned down to the fox, the cold of the floor pressing into my kneecaps with a vengeance. “Amerie, would you go check under all the curtains and come back when you find a man in one?” I said the fox looked at me, and I realized how maniacly stupid it was to talk to a fox, for all the heavens’ sake.

“Please,” the Prince added.

She scampered off under the first curtain on the left

We couldn’t see so much as her shadow and barely a rustling of fabric as she went along the line like a little burst of orange lightning, appearing at the other end by a supply closet, ears twitching. Lore and I walked over to where she was, his steps making no sound in the room, mine like thunder despite my trying very hard not to make any noise. I winced at each stomp on the marble.

I drew back the curtain and gasped.

There was my father, greying hair in a sort of halo over the pillow, looking strangely bare without the Emperor’s crown on his head. His face looked even more lined and pale, black eyes covered by closed, papery lids. One of his rough, hairy arms lay over the blanket, moving up and down like a boat on the waves of his chest lifting and falling with every shallow breath

“There he is,” Lore said, sounding nervous, like he was unsure whether he should bow or something. “Would you like me to leave you alone for a moment?” his voice was not unkind.

“Just for a moment,” I said “We should leave soon, anyway”

The Prince nodded, and sweeping Amerie up into his arms, backed away. I could see his tall, wiry shadow outside of the curtain, back turned respectfully I wondered vaguely why I hated him, before recalling we were being forced to marry each other

I supposed that was hardly his fault….

I looked back at the Emperor There were blue veins in his neck whether as a cause of the poison or age, I was unsure I leaned over him, carefully watching the back of his hand, as if it would suddenly reach up to hit me in the face. There was no hot prick at the back of my eyes, absence of sorrow hanging as heavily as the curtains. I felt oddly dry and cold.

leaning over the Emperor of the Iomani Empire, I hissed in a low voice near his ear

“I hope you die for all you’ve made us suffer,” I hissed, not a quaver in my voice. “Shame the poison wasn’t stronger, you monster, you revolting beast ”

I thought of my sister’s shuddering form, the way she cried much like my brother. Big shallow heaves with barely any noise, but thick with grief. Indigo bruises like the end of a sunset across your skin.

I whispered a few expletives for good measure

“I’ve finished,” I said to the Prince uneasily, wondering if he had heard me, but his sadly smiling face betrayed nothing.

“Excellent,” he said “We should leave before someone finds us ” Us.

“Did you want to tell me something?” I said as Lore magically relocked the door in the octagonal room. “Before, I mean You wanted to talk?”

Lore froze as he rose. He looked at me for a moment.

“I…. want you to know,” he said, choosing his words carefully, “Even though we can't be what our parents would wish, I won’t make you unhappy I mean you will I mean, you will be happy I’ll make sure of that.”

He looked so horribly uncomfortable that I decided not to make fun of him.

“Thank you,” I said simply, feeling as if there was something else he wanted to say, but wouldn’t As long as I was talking to the Elven Prince…. Maybe I should have made up with Isaku.

I wanted to ask about him, to say something, anything, but I heard a noise. Amerie’s fur tensed up, and she moved in front of me as if to protect me Hundreds of excuses went through my mind, each worse and less believable than the last. But no attendant or nurse approached to chide us.

Gently, I pressed a finger to my lips and turned to Lore, who looked paralyzed. He nodded. I stepped past Amerie’s orange form and moved along the walls, where the hallway led to my sister’s room The noise emanated from therein.

I pressed a hand to the frame of the hallway and peered down the corridor. Ichika was sitting on her bed, holding something in her hands I couldn’t see There was a sound as she suppressed a cry From down the hall, I could see one of her glittering tears fall from her eyes onto her hand.

Lore was behind me now, and I could feel his hot breath on the back of my neck, going back and forth rapidly “Is she ”

I barely stopped myself from swearing at him as Ichika suddenly looked up. Her face went through a broad spectrum of emotions embarrassment, anger, and somehow I must have imagined it fear.

“What are you ”

“Go!” I yanked on Lore’s wrist and pulled him away at a run, heart pounding in my chest. the palace glittered as brightly as the tears on my sister’s face. 22

Isaku

The morning before the wedding, he arrived

The younger son.

He had come along with a few other attendants to escort his brother and new sister in law back. Extra security was needed in these times, as Sever had no doubt got information about the alliance by this time. Schylar Everfell was much like his brother in appearance. Three or four years younger, he had the same ears and long limbs associated with the entirety of the Elven people, and the same strawberry blond hair of his brother He had it styled differently, more unruly, and his eyes were a burning blue in his rounded face. He wore a cloak like his brothers’, only a lighter shade of green. I recalled the passage on

cloaks in one of the useless volumes I had pursued during long hours in the library, researching for my sister in a useless attempt to save her

The shade of cloak worn differentiates the royal children according to age and gender. Lighter shades belong to younger offspring, darker to older. Royal parents will adopt a different colour altogether, usually blue if a sibling is deceased, such as in the case of Princess Io and her sister Gio, dead in battle, shades follow accordingly. Io assumed the darker yellow of her older sister, while the youngest royal sibling of the time, Jyx, took from Io her shade. The lightest shade used formerly by Jyx would have belonged to a later offspring

Meaning the colour Schylar wore was Lore’s original cloak hue. I supposed it was convenient that Lore had never needed a new cloak made…

The carriages arrived in the Eastern courtyard, to less ceremony than the last one Lore went to meet his brother, and I had followed, which I was beginning to think had been a bad idea The less we were seen together before the wedding, the better.

I comforted myself with the thought that most of the palace occupants were too dense to notice a secret relationship

Lore gave his brother an awkward embrace. I don’t have that relationship with my brother.

“This is Isaku, the Crown Prince,” said Lore, gesturing to me I got the feeling he wanted to say more, but of course he couldn’t. we had agreed to leave the youngest prince in the dark about any of the going ons surrounding the assassinations and secret relationships and such.

The prince gave a brief bow “I’m glad I was able to make it I’m excited to meet my soon to be sister,” said the innocent prince with a smile that only pronounced his face’s roundness. “How are you hitting it off so far?”

Lore smiled falsely “Ah Great!” he said in a voice a few octaves above his normal one

“Well, you’ll get to know each other much better after the wedding, I think!” the prince laughed at his own suggestive joke.

Lore gave a weak laugh that sounded a little like help

The last two days had been rough on us all. There was almost no news of our father’s health, and my sister and I had silently agreed to not approach Ichika on this. Lore had started to join me in my studies when I was hidden in dusty corners once the Teachers left, now and then stopping to kiss me, and stroking my dormant hand while I wrote. I still knew nothing of my sister’s sword. Speaking of Sen, I hadn't seen her all morning. I wondered where she was uneasily. Had I seen Baron?

I started to panic, but quickly calmed myself down I would know if Sen had murdered Baron, because that was the only possible outcome of the assasin’s trying to kill her. She was the most capable person I knew. I had to believe…

Actually, there was the bodyguard now “Prince,” he said with a bow towards Schylar. “I am glad you were able to join us for the ceremony.” “Likewise, Isinglass. I trust you've been keeping Lore safe?”

“As best as I can.”

Lore’s brow was smooth and unmarred with suspicion I had to keep my upper lip from curling just at the sight of the assassin.

“He gets into a lot of trouble.” Oh, you have no idea. “Anyway, when do I get the grand tour?”

Lore and his brother followed me around as I showcased the corridors lined with ancestor’s portraits, the various courtyards, and the amenities of the palace. He took little interest in the library, but found the throne room impressive. I had to admit the younger prince was attentive. Because of my historian like knowledge of the palace and the Empire as a whole, but they were usually most excited about food or beds for various reasons.

“This place is huge. Where do you store weaponry?”

I noticed Lore nudge his brother, but I didn’t think much of it at the time, thrilled to have such an attentive guest.

“Yes, we have some stores lower down, but most of them are out on the battlefields currently,” I explained simply I thought Schylar would say something else, but a pointed look from his brother muted him.

I frowned as I turned up an ornate stairway, because I knew that look, having received it from my own siblings many times before You are an idiot Shut up

They followed me up the staircase into the Northern Wing, where we had saved a room for the younger prince.

“I’m afraid you’ll be alone in here,” I said “Of course, in light of recent events, we will be posting two highly trained guards at the entrance of your room, but your brother's party has settled in the Western Wing.” Except for the assassin.

“’Recent events’?”

I turned at the bronze door frame, startled by my slip up. Should we explain things to Schylar? I reasoned that if I didn't, Lore would later, so I did. “Ah . There were recent attempts on the lives of royalty, but all has been taken care of Simply restless civilians ” I thought of my father in the hospital wing Had it really been taken care of?

Schylar looked scared. “No one told me anything! Does mother ” Lore shook his head. “You have kept this from the elf kingdom?”

“Communication is slow, and you were coming along anyway,” I voiced weakly. I could see Schylar’s eyes shifting, but I knew he had to admit to himself that this made sense Or at least he was logical enough to realize he couldn’t just pack up and go home “Okay,” he sighed. “Highly trained, you say?”

I assured him our guards could murder people with a hand tied behind their backs, and he let out a long exhale. I decided it would be a good time to leave the brothers in each other's company, and took myself to the lower floors, casting a glance at Lore.

I couldn’t read him.

Lunch was soon I took myself out to one of the lounges and extracted a book from a shelf a less intellectual one I read for pleasure. A piece of paper fell out. I frowned at it like it had offended me, and picked it up.

In Sen’s sloppy handwriting was a note The first thought I had was a brief panicked one at the thought that she knew I was reading this particular book, and the next a thought of fear at what this note may contain. Gingerly, I took it in my fingers. hey isaku sen here, duh. i am down in the lower City looking for the Swordmaster Hoping shell have some info on you know what. Be back by dinner, tell Itch I’m sick Sen Iomani

I deduced based on the poor structure and peculiar dotting of I’s that the note was not a forgery. Sen had never been to the lower city before! How did she plan on getting around? Without being noticed? What if she was followed? If

I shook my head to focus. You know what. The sword. She had for some reason encrypted the item, but not her mission I sighed Of course she had

I wondered uneasily when she had left I saw her this morning, she had gone out to the courtyard she couldn’t have avoided training with Bennu, so she must have done that and then left. Okay. I could work with that time

But I had a responsibility to be there at lunch Both the royal offspring couldn’t go missing during noon hour. That would be suspicious, especially with Ichika now knowing so much of our plans. I noticed something on the back of the letter ps sorry I never thanked u for youre research. pps thank you I smiled

“Where is your sister?” asked Ichika as I sat down at her left.

Lore smiled at me from across the table where he picked a seat next to his brother, who was already engaging in conversation with an attendant who looked uneasy at being trapped in conversation, arms aching from holding a large tray they had been sent to dispose of.

“She feels poorly She is in her room ”

I didn’t make eye contact. Part of me felt ashamed, that now it was her doomed to endure our father’s abuse, but I wasn’t ready to look at her again

Not after she had looked at me like that.

23

Sen

“Where do you live, exactly?” I had asked the Swordmaster earlier as nonchalantly as I could manage after taking a break from getting my ass kicked by Bennu

“Condominium, west side. Take stance.”

Condominium. West side.

I had decided that that was all I needed to safely travel through the city, foolishly That and my sword, Harbinger, at my side. I had held it carefully as I trained maybe something would awaken within me now that I had remembered its name? but nothing came over me. The sword was like a third arm to me, but the idea of deep meaning didn’t change anything for me It was my sword That was all

I left a note for Isaku, leaving all my bitterness out of it. Look who’s dealing with her own problems now, huh! I smirked to myself. I was being clever that day, I thought. I was wearing a coat and had removed my circlet a petty disguise, sure, but with my eyes downcast and hair pulled back, I could surely pass for a citizen as long as I wasn’t looked at too closely, or twice

The younger Elven Prince was supposed to be arriving today, and I planned not to be there to meet him. Yet again, I had escaped the library and was fake studying in my room I was horribly behind in my studies, but I suspected that no matter which way events went, it would hardly matter much

How did I think events were going to go, anyway?

I frowned and stepped carefully off of the front palace steps The massive doors were held open with metal dogs that seemed to judge me with molted eyes. All I could do was hope no one was going to look straight out the palace doors and see me as I went down the path to the Inner City. As it turned out, it wasn’t the people inside of the palace I should have been worried about

“Hello there, Princess.”

I swore inwardly. And based on Bennu’s expression, it appeared I may have done it audibly as well.

“Good afternoon,” I said stiffly, reminding myself that there was no reason to be nervous After all, it was my palace so what if I wanted to go for a stroll or get some air?

“You are going to see the Swordmaster.”

Well, that was that I thought about how best to deny it

“I am not stupid. You asked the Swordmaster where she lived during training, with no prompting. Why did you not know that in the first place? And here you are. Should you not be studying?”

I looked at her and blinked I shifted my feet and moved my face into an annoyed expression, which wasn’t hard at all, and looked back at the woman.

“I was getting some fresh air,” I said with a haughty sort of gaze. “I plan to return to my quarters, actually, at the moment ” “Do not be ridiculous, Princess. I will come with you.”

I paused. I could keep denying and go back to the Eastern Wing, where I would actually have to study. Or I could join a person I was nintey nine percent sure was plotting to murder me in a little outing

Worth the risk.

I could practivally hear Isaku screaming at me about how stupid I was being, which only managed to enforce my confidence Bennu looked a little wary at my smile as I stepped forward

“Alright, then,” I told her. “You will accompany me to the lower city to visit the Swordmaster, and return with me home.”

“All I wanted to do ”

I was not prepared for the lower city.

After we had walked through the Inner City, slinking along what passed for back alleys in the luxurious place and at one point joining a group of history students and learning far more about ancient castle architecture than I had ever wanted to in my life. In the golden afternoon light of the season, yet warm, but not quite enough to discard the coat I wore, the city was glowing When a set of iron gates came into view over a bustling motel, I realized I was further into the city than I had ever been before

Why iron gates? I thought, looking at Bennu, who seemed unphased. Of course, only days ago she had lived there

We simply slipped through the gates, Bennu pulling my shoulders through two of the bars As soon as she let go of me and I hit the ground unceremoniously, I noticed the change.

Perhaps the buildings had once been the blinding white of the Inner City’s, but there were no remnants of that clean colour The smell of flowers and fresh bread was replaced with the smell of raw dirt and dust and an undertone of something metallic. The roofs of the homes were hotels for moss, or those that were lucky enough to have roofs, anyway, and not multi coloured tarps bending precariously from collected rain The noise of chattering civilians was replaced with a heady silence broken only by occasional yelling and sound of things buildings, objects, bones perhaps breaking. It was difficult to believe that they shared the same sky. Even though it was as blue grey as ever from here, there seemed to be an invisible ceiling hanging like a waterlogged tarp over everything Far beyond there were no gates to separate the houses from the moors.

I forced myself to think of something else as Bennu, unphased, walked down the dirt road worn with years of feet We were looking for a condominium, West Side

I wasn’t even sure what would count as a condo in the lower city.

A child no, not a child, a person around my age, fingers covered in grime and shirt soaked in sweat, walked past me without so much as a glance Their shoes had more holes than shoes I looked down at my own shining footwear in shame. A stream of dirt rose into the air behind their steps. I patiently waited for it to clear.

A dog barked.

I located west according to the sun’s position, and started there, unsure of what I was looking for A somewhat larger concrete block? A scraggly cat hissed at me, making me jump. I could almost hear my unintended partner rolling her hazel eyes. No, it was okay. Cats were good. I liked cats.

How could a place like this exist, so close to a place of wealth and beauty? The Inner City was a paradise The lower city looked like the underworld. Even the blue sky they shared seemed dimmer here. I woke up every morning to luxury, and had naively assumed everyone else did, too. Why were we more deserving of this luxury than anyone else? There were certainly no swan ponds or gigantic libraries here Why didn't we do anything about this? Wasn’t it our responsibility to the people? And didn’t we just raise taxes?

I didn’t belong there

Not because the place was above me, but because I was utterly beneath it I complained about marrying another royal, being transferred from a luxurious palace to another luxurious palace, and meanwhile, there was a man digging a hole in a gutter, trying to gather garbage that may be of any use

If Bennu did hate me, wasn’t it justified? The only miracle was that other attendants didn’t Meanwhile, Bennu seemed unaware of my inner plight. Before I could ask her anything, before I could, what apologize? I didn’t know she turned her neck so fast I almost heard her bones I saw what she saw, a moment later

A civilian, simply dressed in a dirty garment the same hue as the dust his feet kicked up, stared at us. I swallowed apprehensively

“Keep walking,” she muttered, grabbing my arm and twisting me forward. We continued our trek Westward, the woman’s other hand on the hilt of her sword like she needed to draw it any second. “Don’t look back,” she hissed under her breath I took breaths only deep enough to keep me alive Our footsteps echoed. Recaling Bennu’s caution to not look back, I peered into a puddle in a gutter. Or what passed as a gutter here, an indent in the dirt road saturated in trash and tobacco scraps. In the dirty water, I saw a flash of an image the person we were determined not to look at, following us my breathing became shallower.

“Hey!”

We kept walking I wanted to start running, but my companion was doing nothing, so I did not I questioned doing it…. she was plotting my murder, after all… right?

“Hey, princess.” He hissed. He swore at me in a way that could have gotten him executed, in a way that was getting me pretty close to executing him myself We kept on walking Condominium, west side, I told myself over and over again in my head. condominium, west side.

We were approaching a particularly dusty corner, sunk low into the ground. The splintered wooden sign that looked as if a nine year old had made and painted it stood pointing the direction down the street as west. I remember thinking that if we just made it to the corner, we would be safe. Of course, that was

not true we could easily be followed around a corner. Of course, as it turned out, that wasn’t something

I had to worry about, as before we made it, I was struck in the back

Suddenly desiring much deeper breaths on the ground, I looked up at the attacker. He looked like he could have used a haircut, and possibly a wash. But what I was most concerned about was the board of splintered wood he held in his rough, yellow nailed hands with a few rusted nails sticking menacingly out of the end. I grabbed for my sword, which was not there.

I had registered all this in a second, a second I had taken to start standing up. The man saw this and, with a primal howl, threw down the board again

“So, you finally condescend to visit our little city?”

I threw up an arm, a little too much nostalgia hitting me as I recalled the motions I had learned at a young age in an effort to escape the bruises Ichika wasn’t always around to take the punches from our father, and she wasn’t here now.

But Bennu was.

The wood sliced under her sword like a knife in room temperature butter When his force brought him forward, Bennu grabbed one half of the board and pushed it into his chest. I stood up, dizzy from dust inhalation and having the wind knocked out of me and the mysterious woman protecting me from an attacker The man fell back, body kicking up a cloud of dust as I grabbed the other half of the board It was heavy, but not to me, who had been training a decade in case something like this ever happened. True, I had never thought it would, never in my blindness considered that someone may not like the royals, but I smacked him across the face with the board and put my foot against his chest He started to cough, and I saw two splinters stuck in his face He spat some blood into the dust vehemently and looked into my eyes. His were the colour of the dust.

“You ridiculous royals never cared,” he hissed through bloody teeth “Content to leave your people in the dirt so long as you could live in luxury!”

“Silence.” Bennu seemed much less disturbed by the speech than I was, face blank and shining in the sun not from heat, but from a light she seemed to possess and cast off at will “You have no business here today, fool ”

I said nothing, just held the splintered board and watched the man’s chest rise with each panicked breath He scrambled in the road, and Bennu took a step back as he ran away, disappearing over a bend in the road

“Are you alright, Princess?” Bennu asked. I doubted her heartbeat had even risen during the action.

I looked at the post that pointed west There was our destination, written recently in chalk

Condominium

I looked at the building. Low, mainly set into the ground and covered in various pieces of stitched together tarp which puddles had settled in there was an enlarged trough of dirty water in the back I realized was one of the condos amenities, a pool.

My heart sank.

We entered what looked like the door; more like a rectangular hole carved into the concrete. Did Isaku know about this place? Didn’t he know everything?

I went over my plan. I couldn’t dwell on this now. Not the best time for a crisis, princess. The enemy was here with me. At least, I thought she was.

There were four unmatching wooden chairs on the plywood floor Was that blood on the wall? Light emitted from slits at the part of the condo which was above ground.

Sitting at a desk with one leg lower than the rest was a man reading one of the magazines. He wore what looked like an old attendant’s robe, of a design long out of use at this point, as if he used to work for the royals but had been fired as a boy. I looked back at Bennu, who simply tilted her head in the direction of the man as if to say, your move, princess.

“You looking for a room?” he asked in a gruff voice that suggested he consumed his fair share of tobacco I shuddered at the thought of having a room here.

“No. I’m looking for Heron Akai?”

“Oh, the princess’s trainer” No reverent look passed the man’s face at the name, nor at the sight of me, which was good. I wondered uneasily whether I would actually be revered here anyway. Thinking of the homeless attacker Bennu had defended me from, I thought not. “Yes, she’s in the room down the hall, fourteen ” “Great.” I almost choked on the words in my mouth. “Thank you.”

I bowed, and he frowned I realized that probably was a less popular custom in this area, and considered pretending to pick something up, but Bennu put a hand on my back and started to move us towards the hallway. We hurried along the hall that came out at the left wall.

The doors were sheets of plywood, some hanging on only one rusted red hinge. The place was cold, even in the middle of a warm day I shivered thinking of how it would be on a cold winter’s night

The number fourteen was written on a door in cheap black ink, already faded like mold. I looked back at Bennu and knocked on the splintered wood. Sure enough, the Swordmaster answered. I had to take a step back at the outward swinging door

Her rough jaw dropped open with a small suppressed gasp.

“Bennu Princess,” she voiced “Why are you here?”

“I came for a visit,” I said weakly “May I come in?”

“Ah… ” the Swordmaster looked around behind her. “I… I suppose so?”

I stepped past her into the room, followed by my companion

A coat lay in the corner, seeming to double as a couch judging by the position of the pillows. The walls had been haphazardly painted an ivory hue, concrete showing through in spots. The wall opposite the coat held a small stone stove, on which a rusty pot was bubbling, and a sink The room had a carpet angled to cover most of the floor, and another plywood door that I guessed led to a washroom Light came from another one of the slotted windows. There was one lawn chair next to her sword, which hung from a y shaped hook on the wall. It was the best looking thing in the room.

The Swordmaster still wore her attendant’s coat. I realized with mounting sadness that it was possibly the best clothing she owned

I decided against complimenting her adobe, lest it appear sarcastic.

“I was just going to make tea,” said the Swordmaster, blinking her eyes at the two of us as if in a dream. “Would you ah like some?”

I figured it would be rude to refuse. Bennu accepted for us, and leaned against one of the walls. Her eyes, unlike mine, did not search in suppressed curiosity she had been here before, I could see. I sat down in the lawn chair and looked at the sword, a familiar object I was used to that suddenly appeared strange. I recalled why I was there. I was on a mission.

A mission that seemed somewhat petty now, but a mission, nonetheless.

“I actually came to inquire about something,” I said, the words bitter in my mouth The Swordmaster gave me a look that was reminiscent of the way she did at the palace, which gave me hope.

“I feel bad I never asked about this but I talked to Isaku about one of our history lessons, something about weapons history, and ” I paused, readying my lie “We realized we didn’t even know the history of my own sword, isn’t that funny?”

“This couldn’t have waited?” the Swordmaster took the bubbling pot off the fire, splashing her hand in the process She didn’t yelp from the pain as I would have

We both paused as we realized what day was tomorrow. Bennu still looked unphased. I paused also, because I hadn’t said goodbye to the Swordmaster this morning

“I suppose I also wanted to say goodbye ”

She stirred tea into the pot. The clinking stopped when she registered my words.

“Oh Princess '' She put the spoon down I felt horrible for stirring her sympathies this way and looked at Bennu as if she would offer some telepathic advice.if she sensed my hypocrisy, she said nothing. She wasn’t even looking at me, watching the wall over the little kitchen like she was seeing through it, seeing something we couldn’t

The Swordmaster took two chipped cups from underneath the sink and poured the tea into them, keeping the leaves out with an equally chipped pot lid. She settled on the edge of the cot/couch, which was very close to the chair Her face was softer than I’d ever seen it, then lines of a woman battle torn perhaps for different reasons that I had assumed

“What can I tell you?” she sighed. I set the cup on my knee and tried to quell the nervous bouncing of my leg Bennu sipped her own tea noiselessly

“The Harbinger. It came from your mother, of course.” That was news to me. I thought the sword had just been one of our many mass produced weapons.

“I suppose you wouldn’t remember her”

Lying again, I shook my head no.

“She isn’t… talked about much. I think you know why… but she was a Warrior in your father’s army.

“The Sword is important, for it had been passed down for generations through your mother’s line since it was first forged, generations back, in the early days when the Trinity was still at peace. It was forged as a response, signaling what was to become the longest period of animosity ever known throughout the Trinity The sword, wielded by a member of the Iomani Empire, your ancestor, became important, because it was driven through the heart of the then Elven King.”

I shivered and sipped the tea, which tasted as bitter as my thoughts.

“And then into the heart of the Sever Territory’s Ruler”

Why had I not been taught this history? All those years of studying, and for what?

“It cemented the Empire as a major power but the assassinations could never be forgotten by the other members of the Trinity

“The elves, who forged it, believe it is theirs inherently. The Empire, who wielded it, believes it is theirs.”

She paused to take a deep dreg of her tea

“It was the proudest accomplishment of my life,” she said, and for a moment I thought she was talking to the tea, “to train you with the Harbinger.

“I do not know why your mother chose you to wield it But I have faith in you, princess You will do great things with that sword some day, even if I will not be there to see it.”

I thought salty tea would taste bad, so I tried not to cry. I placed the tea on the mug and wrapped my arms around the Swordmaster

“Thank you,” I said into her scarred ear. She was startled, but gently placed her hands on my back. “Maybe we’ll train together again,” I said, walking back into the sunlight The Swordmaster just smiled “Maybe,” she said We never did.

24 Isaku

I knew Sen had made it home, but I still hadn't seen her. I supposed she wasn’t happy with me, anyway. or perhaps she meant to clear things up in the letter? I wished she were easier to read

I wished everyone was easier to read, really. Including Lore. Particularly him. That night was to be a very fateful night the night of the wedding party. The wedding would be the next morning, and we still hadn't discussed how we were planning on dealing with the whole we’re having an affair and you’re going to be married to my sister thing yet. I didn’t want to bring it up, and I suppose he didn’t want to, and so we were at a stalemate. An amazing stalemate, sure, but a stalemate all the same He was interested in what I was doing, as well he asked questions and tried to help and at one point got his own paper and quill to take notes with. His handwriting was a little like the

font I had first seen his name written in in that massive ancestry tome. I found all of this very attractive. I am not sure what that says about me, but there it is

I was alone at that moment, however at the altar in the Northern Courtyard. I had taken an iron and flint with me, and with a spark that burned into my eyes, a small flame rose into being. I set it onto the altar, watching the thin, sensual pillar of smoke rise and soak into the thatched roof Wisps rose high into the sky, which was a kind of grey that meant rain would soon come to quench the purifying fire. The same colour of Lore’s eyes, actually.

I tore my gaze from the smoke and lit the end of a bundle of incense The smell reminded me of something, but I was unsure what. I supposed I must have gone there many times as a child, maybe with Ichika. But Ichika didn’t believe in this sort of thing, I remembered that. I must have been ten, maybe eleven when I was there with her last I remembered it then

I laughed, waving the incense in the air and watching the patterns the smoke made It was a happy day, because I got my oldest sister all to myself. Sen was busy in warrior training, of course. I didn’t realize it then, but Ichika herself wasn’t particularly happy She was as old as I am now, face slowly descending to the bitter cold that could become so characteristic of her later in life

“You don’t have to do that, Isaku,” she sighed. She sat with her legs criss crossed, not kneeling like she was supposed to I was running around the fire, stepping in sparks I liked the way they chased my heels Something about it felt dangerous “It’s ridiculous You’re too young to worry about being purified ”

“I like it!” I protested, sliding up to her and kneeling, my side pressed against her. I hadn’t hit a growth spurt yet I never did, actually. She shifted to make room for me. her breathing was shallow, as if she was trying to inhale as little of the smoke as possible

“What? I do bad things,” I said, a little disgruntled. Ichika laughed.

“Sure You’re the sweetest kid I’ve ever known You could never do a bad thing ”

“I might someday.” I took a deep breath of incense and shut my eyes, the ends of my sister’s hair tickling my chin where she had swept it over her shoulder.

“And if you do, you don’t need incense or an altar You just need to make sure you can help anyone it hurt.”

“What if it only hurts me?”

She paused and turned to me We had the same eyes and nose “Then forgive yourself and do better.”

A thought struck me “Do you ever do bad things?”

I could feel Ichika’s arm tense where I leaned against it.

“Lots.” She said simply. “Sometimes you have to.”

“You okay?” a voice parted the smoke in my brain I turned around, straining my neck over my shoulder, still kneeling. It was Schylar Everfell.

He stifled a cough in the sleeve of his cloak. I realized I had let the fire burn far too long, and took the rusted bucket of fine sand from the end of the soil patch to stop it Of course, this made more smoke rise, but I gestured at the younger prince to come over. He waded through the smoke like a hero in a melodramatic novel scene, which almost made me laugh.

“There was an awful lot of smoke, so I came to check ” he trailed off into another cough “I didn’t realize you had altars here,” he choked out.

“Oh,” I said, recalling the polytheistic traditions of Elven culture. “We don’t have them like you do. I mean, this isn't dedicated to a god or anything ” I looked back at the wet pile of wood, not feeling particularly purified from it. The prince sat next to me, mimicking the way I had sat kneeled previously. Currently I had assumed a criss cross position, wishing to remove the air of sacredness that fell like a heavy sheet I was suddenly very, very uncomfortable with

“Our altars are much different,” Schylar admitted “Have you ever seen one, like in all those books you read?”

“Some artistic renderings, but only of a selected few I wish I could see more ” I frowned “How did you know I read a lot?”

Schylar shifted on his knees, long feet folded underneath him in dark leather shoes dusted with crushed incense “Ah Lore has been talking about you ”

I froze where I sat. Lore and I had explicitly agreed not to say anything about… us. whatever we were. Not to anyone, and especially not to the youngest prince. Come to think of it, in a way, this boy was a giant danger to the Empire He could hold my entire future in his long, twitchy hands Was he here to tell me that? Did he ?

By the way he was blinking at me confusedly, I doubted he knew anything. I had to stifle a smile at the idea that Lore, despite not being able to tell his brother about us, still wanted to tell him about me

I then realized I needed to give the Prince an answer. “Oh… alright, then.” I swallowed. “That’s nice of him.” Schylar looked like he wanted to say more. Of course, his ignorance may not mean absence of suspicion

“They’re pretty amazing, the altars,” he said, giving me a critical eye. I suddenly remembered where the conversation, and my panic attack, had started. “Yours is very nice, too,” he added hurriedly. “I like the smells, I mean ”

“Thank you,” I said haltingly. The next thing he said was so quiet that I could hardly hear his question. “Excuse me?” I said, leaning over to get a glimpse under the mop of hair that covered an embarrassed face

“Can I try it? the altar, I mean.”

“Oh.” I looked at the fire pit, saturated in sand. “If you’d like to.”

“Do you know what this is for?” I asked the kneeling prince as I wandered around the altar. I had successfully lit a fire, and it gave his face a ghostly golden glow I had re lit the incense and was strolling around with it in my left hand, making patterns with the smoke.

“Ah… vaguely?” Schylar grimaced.

“It’s meant to cleanse a person’s soul,” I told him “Purify the evil deeds and thoughts of the day the ritual offers protection from retribution.” I wondered uneasily if I should be doing such a thing for someone not of the Empire. Was the sacredness of a ritual sacred only to Imperials, or did express permission from the Crown Prince validate it?

“Ah.” He shifted again, his breathing shallow and paced. “What do I do? I mean, I saw what you were doing, but… ” he trailed off. He was even more awkward than his brother, for all the heavens’ sake. I decided to save him

“Don’t panic. Just close your eyes breathe steadily.” I laid down the incense on the ground, standing upright. “Envision.”

“Envision what?” His heavy eyelashes fluttered open

“It’s different for everyone. A future time of clarity, a past time of suffering. Something you are ready to achieve, or something that you are ready to let go of.”

Schylar closed his eyes His brow furrowed

“I suggest the foremost,” I said in a softer tone.

A few minutes later, he drew a breath and opened his eyes, looking surprised with himself I hadn't needed to tell him the cleansing was finished he had simply known That was the way it was I nodded to let him know that the instinct was correct, and tossed sand on the fire. The light behind his eyes extinguished with it.

“Do you believe it works?” Schylar said again, his voice was almost inaudible, but it carried in the smoke My head started to hurt. There was no logic that said smelling some burning wood and breathing would clear a soul. That wasn’t how you should clear up something bad, anyway. but it was tradition.

My tradition

And there was something magical about it, wasn’t there? The feeling I had, the nostalgia and almost familial love and attachment But had the copious amount of time spent here enriched that, fabricated it, created it?

“Yes,” I muttered simply, feeling a little ill. “Why do you ask?”

Schylar waved away smoke, tightening his lips in concentration The smoke parted and dissipated, vanishing into the air, taking the smell with it and leaving the courtyard clear Magic, I noted

“I don’t know,” he said, smoothing the folds of his cloak. I wondered if he was as attached to it as his older brother was to his own

“I feel like I’m on the cusp of something. I I want to be prepared.”

In twenty four hours, there would be a veil on my head. I would become the Elven princess, the first in a generation.

Why did the Elves want me so badly?

I was at the lake. It was much bigger than the swan pond in the Southern Courtyard, but there were no swans, only fish It was open to the public of the Inner City, and civilians walked the path that ran around the lake Some were linked arm in arm, heads leaning against their partner’s shoulders, talking lazily in voices that carried like sweet melodies on the wind. A bridge ran across the middle of the lake. I was seated there now, with my legs sandwiched between the lowest wooden rung and the bridge itself. I had my arms laced around a higher rung, which I was peering at the scene through My feet dangled over the river.

I realized it may be the last time I visited the lake. This would be the last time I saw the elegant poplars lining the lake, enclosing it from the city The last time people laid out on blankets on the grassy banks and waved at me, recognizing their Princess. The last… everything.

I could see the muted autumn sun glittering off the backs of fish as if little diamonds swam under the water I supposed I could have real diamonds in the Elven Kingdom I wondered if they had lakes full of fish or poplar trees, and cursed myself. Why hadn’t I asked? I hadn't bothered to ask the Prince what my future held. Really, what I shuddered at the thought our future held. I had spent the last two weeks training under Bennu and skulking around, and I had found out that my sword meant something I meant something I must have, or the Kingdom wouldn’t have wanted me and they would have to have wanted me pretty badly to threaten war. And pretty assured that they could win. But really, what could I do? Would this not save our shaky Empire?

It didn’t look like a failing Empire When I looked out with my face between the bridge rungs at the glimmering water that rose and fell with the incessant buzzing of the bugs, I didn’t see the shaking foundations. But a tree can still bloom with rotting roots.

I was being selfish surely the Elven Kingdom would not break its promise of allyship to us and if I formed the alliance, was I not a hero? Fulfilling my duty as the Crown Princess?

Then why did it all feel so wrong?

“You alright?”

At first I thought that it was a civilian, and swore under my breath. I hadn't been careful enough to look like a contented Princess getting married to the love of her life tomorrow Assuming a blissful look, I craned my neck behind me. It was Isaku. He squinted his eyes against the sun and looked at me. I realized I hadn't answered his question.

“I’m great,” I said, unsmiling

“So, not.” Isaku shifted on his feet. I turned my head back to the lake. “Obviously,” I snarled, staring at the water. If I lept in, would my clothes be enough to weigh me down

and let me drown?

“Are you here for a reason?” I added after a moment I refused to soften my tone

“I… ” Isaku faltered. “I just wanted to check on you. I don’t want you to be mad at me when you leave.”

Something in my chest gave a pained throb.

“I’m not mad at you,” I said simply I still wasn’t looking at my brother “I’m mad at I’m mad at circumstance.”

“Circumstance ”

“Yes.” I untangled my legs from the wood and pushed myself into a standing position. I looked down at Isaku and tried to ignore the pointed stares and whispers of locals pondering whatever it was that the Prince and Princess could be discussing “Circumstance! Or fate or destiny or whatever led us here, to this place where we are pawns in a game beyond our understanding!” I scoffed “Or, I am, anyway you can do whatever you want for the rest of your life, I suppose.”

Isaku lifted his chin I almost took a step back, but there was nowhere to go except over the railing and into the lake Was that anger in his face?

“Don’t talk to me like you know what I want.”

I felt something resemblant of fear, but it passed as my brother shut his eyes and sighed

“Nevermind. It doesn’t matter. I just came to… apologize.”

I tilted my head, leaning back against the bridge railing. A couple strolled by us, arm in arm, and we waved politely “Why would you need to apologize?” I said, surprised Isaku mirrored my look

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry I basically abandoned you to fix all your problems on your own. That was selfish, I was being stupid.”

“Oh ” I hadn't expected an apology “Well, I am sorry I had my own problems with self centeredness ”

“Yeah… ” Isaku mumbled. “I got the letter. Thank you.”

We looked at each other for a moment His face really hadn’t changed much in all these years

“Was there something else you wanted to say?” I asked. He looked down.

“Ye .essss. I thought that, I thought that since you are leaving and all you should you should know that I ”

I was getting impatient.

“What?” I said, perhaps more snappishly than I had meant to.

“Oh ” he made eye contact at last “Nothing, just that I love you a lot, Sen I just wanted you to know that.” sensing how false the sentiment seemed, he changed the subject. “I know there’s not a lot of time left, but just keep your eyes out. I know you are. Just remember what I told you; and what Lore told you ”

I narrowed my eyes. “He didn’t tell me anything.” A nervous waver crept into my voice. “Why? Was he supposed to have? What are you talking about?”

Isaku inhaled sharply. “Er. Didn’t he see you recently?”

“Yeah, we broke into the infirmary together. he helped.” “Very funny”

“No, seriously. But he didn’t mention anything like… ” I huffed. “Well, I don’t know what like, what was it?”

“It was about Bennu and Baron ” Isaku had shrunk back a bit and was playing with his fingers, a sign of him straining not to bite his nails. I stared at him to tell him no, that rang no bells. No light was caught by his hollow eyes.

“No? Well, we saw them together Baron and Bennu, I mean They were talking about something and it sounded like she was working for him. Or they were working together.” he looked at his feet, watching the little sliver between the planks of wood where the lake moved with fish and wind. A breeze let hair out from under my circlet I pushed it out of the way before saying anything else The idea that Lore hadn’t told me seemed to really distress him I softened, because no matter how annoying he was, I didn’t want him to have that look on his face. “Maybe I forgot,” I told him, hoping it was comforting somehow, knowing damn well I hadn't forgotten a thing

“Maybe ” he didn’t seem to believe me I couldn’t blame him

More pressing than my brother’s feelings was the revelation he had brought to me. Bennu working for Baron exactly as I had suspected! My heart leapt, but then sunk as I remembered what was at stake here If I wasn’t handed over, the Elven Kingdom would declare war

The Elves wanted me alive… yet Baron wanted me dead. Yet Bennu had had numerous chances to kill me in the courtyard during our training, and could have very well let that civilian in the lower city finish me off Why hadn’t she taken any of those hours under the sun and over the dead leaves to cause some sort of ‘accident’ which would leave the Crown Princess bleeding out on the Courtyard? And how the hells was Isaku involved in it? I could see him rolling his injured shoulder back.

“You and the Prince were together again?” I asked “You two hang out a lot You like him better than I do.” I attempted a weak laugh, but the thought of Lore’s lopsided smile and his little fox dancing across each of our shoulders in turn made me question how much I really did like him. I was so absorbed in this line of thought that I didn’t notice Isaku’s involuntary tensing up I placed my hand on his shoulder, and we left the river together.

That night, I held a knife close to my chest. A small bowl of water lay on the floor next to me. I periodically sipped it, or splashed some into my face every time I wished to keep myself awake Droplets splashed my carpet where I sat in front of my bed, waiting. Waiting for someone to climb in my window, to break down the door. Wondering if I had any hope of beating an assassin a second time. I was poised with one foot flat on the ground, ready to spring, just in case there was a cry from my brother’s room The sound of the guards who had unceremoniously declined my plan to sit outside Isaku’s room without his knowledge provided an unstable melody for my lonely shift.

I sat there until dawn arose behind the curtains, bathing my exhausted face in yellow light the colour of the dying leaves I dreamed of in the hazy replica of sleep I fell into as the sun rose over the horizon

I am lying on the moors, soaked in blood. Dead grass cuts into my wounds. My sword is too far from my grasp. None of the souls around me are bound to a living host anymore. The figure walks calmly, like it has all the time in the world It holds a sword, my sword, over its head I give up

Mego found me there the next morning. She said the whites of my eyes that had shown during half sleep had given me the look of a dead woman.

26

Isaku

The celebration was amazing, of course

The Princess was beautiful, both the Elven Princes were present, and the first toast was made to the Emperor’s health, which his eldest daughter promised earnestly was rapidly improving. Looking at her face, indigo bags under her eyes like ink smudges, I was unsure if it was true

Sen had returned earlier, informing me that she only had a little more information, looking troubled She was going to talk to me after dinner, or if we had a chance to slip away at some point. I contented myself with at least knowing she was safe

We had cleared out a lounge for the celebration, with our highest political figures and advisor’s families present. Ichika was forced to make rounds to each of them. Between them, some favoured entertainers and various attendants with plates and platters on their arms, the room was packed. On a raised podium in one corner by some plants, a quartet played instruments that hummed and sang in patterns I could have watched for the entire night. One sang in a language I understood a few words of, having studied several ancient languages, but the noise didn’t give me a lot of opportunities to decipher. Something about new love and spring and apple blossoms

Sen looked miserable.

She wore a white dress with a skirt that trailed along the ground, the neckline and belt hemmed with a shining golden thread None of it was Imperial design not even the Elven Princess, they had claimed her with a dress. Her hair was down and laying like black silk over her broad shoulders. On her left hand she was obsessively twisting something Schylar’s party had brought a wedding band. Silver, tight around her thick finger

She was seated on a round cushion that had been left with other various furniture items along the baseboards in case guests felt like sitting after too much dancing or drinking, her dark gaze keeping away the well wishers and smitten politician’s sons who delusionally believed they could have a novel hero moment with her, sweeping the Princess away from a marriage she didn’t want just in time. Only Sen had done no dancing or drinking, although I suspected someone may induce her to perform the latter soon I had a glass in my own hand, hoping Ichika wasn’t going to catch me, standing next to one of the politician’s daughters I seemed to recall playing checkers with her as a child, sometimes letting her win, which was more difficult than winning itself. Unlike me, she seemed to like the drink she was holding. Her hair was fluffy and brown, and I don’t know how to say this, but so was her voice.

“I’m glad you enjoy the music,” she said. “No one else really cares for the things that make the music work, as long as they can eat to it ”

I nodded. “I could watch the strings move for hours. I should talk to my father about my taking up instruments.” I faltered, thinking of when I would get to talk to my father next. Or if I wanted to.

“How lovely” The girl brushed her fingers against my sleeve, and I began to suspect she cared less about the music than I had been led to believe.

Lore seemed to appear out of thin air. He still wore his cloak, a garment his younger brother had abandoned in favour of white and gold Elven finery, but underneath he had a traditional dress shirt A gold chain was laced around his neck.

“Hi,” he said, drawing the word out and giving a false smile to the fluffy haired girl. “I’d like to borrow the Prince for a moment, terribly sorry”

Seemingly flustered at being thus addressed by the Elven prince, the girl spluttered awkwardly. “Oh, no, it's no trouble at all, it ” but Lore had already taken me by my free wrist and to the other side of the room

When no one was watching, we slipped out one of the doors into the corridor.

“You really don’t have to worry about me around women,” I laughed against his lips, wrapped up in his grip

“Well, I’d better make sure some fancy politician’s son doesn’t get to you, either.” Lore closed the gap between us again, tangling one of his hands in my hair and pulling me closer. Slivers of golden light came through the bottom and sides of the double doors that led to the ballroom, illuminating the half drunk glasses we had sat on the floor to leave our hands free. The individual sounds of the party bled together into a mess that was drowned out by the way I felt, by the taste of the prince’s lips and the feel of him pressed against me and the hungry, almost obsessive way he kissed me over and over

He pulled his mouth away from mine at last, arms still wrapped around me, still watching me with a soft smile on his face. Against the back of my shirt I could suddenly feel the cold metal touch of his wedding ring, bringing me back to the harshness of reality Lore seemed to feel it as well as I did

He didn’t tell me anything. Was he supposed to?

“We should go back,” he said, looking down at his shoes. He started. “After tomorrow ” “No,” I begged “Don’t talk about that ” I touched my fingers gently to the back of his neck He gazed at my lips for a moment before blinking himself out of a haze.

“We have to!” he brashly pulled away “What do you think is going to happen, Isaku? You can come visit sometimes, have an affair at my Kingdom? Even if we tell your sister and she doesn’t care it's not as if she likes me or anything what does that say about us?”

“Shhh!”

“No! You don’t understand. I hate that I had to fall in love with you, but I’m glad I did, but...” he groaned, hitting his head against the wall behind him. “I’m bad at this.”

“At what? It was hard for me to answer, my throat thick inside.

“Words Dramatic confessions Ect cetera ” He bit his lip

“That’s my specialty,” I whispered. “Words, I mean.” I considered the prince for a moment. I raised an arm and put a hand against his face. He took a sharp inhale at my touch.

“We weren't meant for this, but it’s nice to pretend that we are for a while, isn't it?” I told him

Lore Everfell leaned down to kiss me one last time.

“Damn, how much have you two had to drink?”

Sen leaned against the wall, glass in hand, circlet glittering in the strip of light coming from the ajar door.

27

Sen

I was absolutely miserable.

The influx of politicians and their children congratulating me or, depending on my history with them, casting me rueful looks, made my head spin. I’d fended off an old flame of mine who currently sulked in a corner, nursing his wound in wine. The circlet started to feel like a vice, but none so much as the silver wedding band on my finger, or the Elven finery I had been given in the morning Like a chain that bound me to the Elven Prince, once and for all proof that I belonged to the Kingdom whether I liked it or not I had seen him twisting his own, too, gold instead of silver, like he wanted to cast it off and crush it underfoot. Speaking of Lore, I wondered where he was. I couldn’t recall if I had thanked him for unknowingly helping me cuss out my unconcious father or not I looked around for Isaku, wondering vaguely if I should save my goodbyes for tomorrow or perhaps never say them at all. Was that kinder? He had been talking to one of his childhood friends. Maybe he would be able to reconnect, now that I wasn’t around He could still be happy But I did not see him, only the disgruntled girl he’d spoken to, sulking near my ex I watched the musicians, recalling a conversation Bennu and I had had About weapons being instruments. Perhaps I had only said it to appear clever but watching the intoxicating flow of the musicians, I figured I had been right, if incidentally.

Ichika looked fine, down at the bottom of the throne’s dias, making idle conversation Fine makeup gleamed on her cheekbones, reminding me of earlier years, and how she had taught me to do the same, perhaps for different reasons than other young people the Emperor sat listless on his throne, any possible well wisher intercepted by Ichika before they could even breathe on his wrong He was vulnerable… easy to kill at the moment… I exhaled. Was I vulnerable, too? I shifted my eyes around, but of course there was no reason for Bennu to be here. she was an attendant, technically. It wasn’t as if the Swordmaster was here

But then… Why would she protect me from that civilian in the lower city? All those times she could have let me die or killed me returned unbidden. Was she I shuddered at the gruesome idea saving me to be killed by Baron? Speaking of the bodyguard, where was that traitor? I shook my head All the guards would be stationed at the entrances and exits. I pressed a hand to my hip, where a sword was not attached. The only cold metal on me was my circlet and my wedding band, neither of which I supposed

would be much help if I needed to defend myself. surely he wouldn’t set off a matchlock around so many civilians, right? Poison was quietest I looked into my glass

Where was Isaku? Not with Baron, I hoped. Not bleeding out in the gardens, I prayed.

Schylar Everfell, the youngest Elven Prince, had a glass of water in his hand as if he was trying to pass it off as alcohol Against my sister’s will, surely, I held an actual one The taste was loathsome, but I believed it to complete my look. I was eighteen, give me a break. But perhaps it was the drink that had gone to my circlet encased head that gave me the courage I needed to pick out my last hope.

Lore wasn’t around and maybe still wary of me I wasn’t so naive to think that our little adventure meant anything… More likely he had been just trying to pacify me. Anyway, there was no reason to get information out of him, particularly if he’d held back Baron and Bennu’s alliance. Isaku hells, he had done so much for me, and I had been so ungrateful had already tried Fenrir Cobalt, who was currently talking to a politician with gold earrings who looked bored out of her mind But the youngest son, talkative and eager to please… Yes, there was something.

I beelined for the little prince He was looking at one of the stained glass portraits of my great great great grandmother, represented in pale greens and pinks and blues, regal face with two black glass eyes glittering. The light that came through gave them a purple tint. A rose of clear glass was held in her right hand

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” I said watching Schylar jump at my words, not having known I was there “An ancestor of mine, you see.”

“Ah yes, she’s beautiful I see the resemblance, I mean ” I smiled falsely at the compliment, knowing the observation was a lie The woman was beautiful, but the resemblance was…. Absent, to say the least.

“I trust you’ve had a good time so far?” I said, keeping up my smile The sixteen year old prince and I were about the same height, which did little to boost my confidence

“Definitely,” he said, nodding profusely as if he had really been drinking. “You have a beautiful castle. What are the flowers outside called?”

“Wisteria,” I said. “Yes, they are very pretty.”

I enunciated pretty, and casted a careful glance at the prince. He flushed, and I commended myself for my work My smile became real in my pride An attendant walked by holding a tray of drinks, and I took one with a gracious attitude. As soon as she was out of sight, I handed it to my victim, who looked at the golden liquid nervously. I didn't like what I was doing, but I reminded myself it was for the sake of my Empire I took a shallow, comforting breath I could do this I clinked my glass against the Prince’s and took a dreg to raise my courage

“I hear your palace is very nice as well?”

“Castle,” the Prince corrected, then flushed at his automatic words I smiled to show him it was alright, and he took another drink, wincing at the taste, before answering

“It’s the most beautiful place in the world,” he said estactically. “You’re going to love it there, really.”

“Do you really think so?” I said with a sigh, leaning against the wall below the dead Empress “I hardly

know anything about it. I have a role to play, but… I hardly know what it is.” This was a little too truthful for me to be comfortable, so I shut my mouth The little prince had drunk half his glass

“Ah, well… ” he looked uncomfortable. How could I move in that direction, but not move him to suspicion?

“We all have roles to play You seem very confident in yours ” When all else fails, revert to flattery

“Ah. Not exactly… I don’t feel that way, anyway. Life is… ” I wanted to backtrack. Sorry, but what was going on? I wasn’t looking for him to open up so readily, hells.

“My brothers are very important well, one was, anyway I mean, until ” He looked away as I tried to think of a way to change the direction this conversation was taking. Why were there no attendants to interrupt, no politicians or young ladies waiting for a chance with an unbetrothed Elven Prince? I forced my eyes not to roll Hooray, another younger sibling who fell in their sibling’s shadow I became uneasy, thinking of Isaku and wondering whether or not he felt a similar thing. That was presumptuous of me, was it not? Isaku was talented, very clever… maybe he didn’t like the limelight anyway? I winced at my inner thoughts

“Anyway, you will be very important there, so don’t worry, I mean.” Schylar was flushing, apparently ready to change the subject himself. I tried in vain to grasp what he had been talking about. Two brothers? Why was I not being married to the older one, anyway? Not my priority Or was it?

“I hope so, anyway,” I sighed, resentful. “How important?” I queried, tilting my head so it seemed like a joke, hiding my rapidly beating heart under the golden neckline of my dress.

“Ah ” he faltered “You’re going to be very important to the Elven Kingdom,” he reiterated with a false regal attitude. I felt a little sympathetic for the little Elven Prince, whose naïveness and emotional openness were probably not going to win him many followers. I thought about what he had told me so far, but I was not content

A role to play. I am a pawn, then. Well, time for me to capture a king.

“Thank you, Schylar,” I said with exaggerated gratitude. You’ve been very helpful, I added in my head

His blue eyes looked a little wary of me yet, but he raised his glass with a real smile. “You you’re welcome, Princess. I am I’m glad you’re going to be my sister.”

I felt horrible, so I took another drink as I walked away It was time for me to find the two Princes They were usually in the library together… maybe they had slipped away to hang out there, for whatever reason

When I slid into the corridor that would lead down the hall to the aforementioned library, a shape made itself known underneath an off light. No… two shapes.

In the little bit of light from the ajar door, I saw my brother, the Crown Prince of the Iomani Empire, and the Elven Prince, Heir to the Elven Kingdom’s Throne, locked in embrace Their eyes were closed, lips pressed together reverently, completely closed off to the world around them. Well. That explained all that time spent in the library.

That’s my husband, I thought as I watched them for an inappropriate amount of time. I should be jealous Yet somehow, I didn’t care

I smiled in the dark, because I knew what I had to do. 26

Isaku

The noise of the party still continued, but I was sure that everyone in the room could hear how loudly my heart was beating I could actually feel Lore’s heart at my head level, doing the same thing, and broke away, facing my sister

She didn’t look shocked or anything. Sort of bored, actually. She swished the drink in her glass, examining the legs as if she knew a thing about alcohol

“It’s not like I’m surprised or anything,” she said, coldy accepting of the situation.

“We ” Lore started, but Sen held up a hand.

“Lore, no one likes the library that much ”

He shut his mouth.

“I just feel bad for you two,” she said “Like, I’d say congratulations, but I am literally expected to marry you and have your children, be the Elven Queen and so forth And you well, good for you! You got a few happy days, I hope?

“You know what, I’m a generous woman You can keep having your little affair during our marriage I’ll help you, won’t tell a soul, ect cetera ” This seemed good, but I could see something behind my sister’s eyes that made me wary. There was a touch of cruelty in her pupils I had never seen before.

“Like I said I am generous I am not a cruel woman But I have had an interesting few days” she said “Learned a lot. About the sword. The sword that the elves, apparently, think belongs to them,” Sen put on a fake confused face. “Huh. Fancy that.”

I checked Lore’s face, which was so pale it almost seemed to give off a glow

“I don’t know how you plan to use the sword after marrying me. Or what you plan to do with me afterwards. I am not cruel but I am reasonable.” She smiled, an awful smile. “Must have got that from my father, whoever he was

“I am reasonable. And I think that reasonably, Lore Everfell, future husband, you want to tell me everything you know about our little deal that will find me in a fancy dress tomorrow afternoon.” She twisted the wedding band on her finger absentmindedly, as if she was making brainless dinner conversation.

“Or I will tell my sister, the Empress Ichika of the Iomani Empire, that you’re kissing my brother in a corridor”

I jumped towards Sen. The expression on her face was foreign to me. Hadn’t we dealt with all this back at the lake? Why would she do this to me now?

“Sen, you can’t ”

“Don’t tell me what I can and can’t do, brother.” Sen’s face was hard. “I will put the health of my Empire first Besides, admit it, you want to know, too! That’s why I thought it would be good for you to spend time with the Prince.”

“You.. what?”

I turned to Lore, whose eyes were wide “It wasn’t like that! I said “It wasn’t to I wasn’t trying to ”

“I can confirm I did not tell my brother to seduce you. That was his own agenda. Now. I need to know what exactly is the plan for when we return to your kingdom ”

Lore gave a rueful smile. I felt as if I stood in the hall with two strangers.

“I admire your loyalty to your Empire, Princess,” he said, nodding. “I will tell you. Both of you.

“Let me make something clear first What you heard is indeed true, wherever you heard it from the sword belongs to the elves.”

Sen started. “It belongs to ”

Lore raised a hand “Do you wish for me to speak? Stop, then

“So naturally, when we heard that the Princess heading the top army of the Iomani Empire wielded the Harbinger, of the direct bloodline of our ancestor’s murderer, we were Curious ”

“Wait Murder?” I interjected, feeling very small

Sen gestured vaguely. “Our mother’s mother’s mother’s blah blah blah lots of people’s mothers mother had a sword, my sword, and killed the leaders of both the kingdom and the territory That’s how we became so cool ”

“In forging the sword, the elves never meant it to be used against us!” Lore’s face coloured in the dim light.

“I’m sorry, Prince, aren't you telling me something? My sister will be wondering where I’ve gone ” Lore huffed.

“You don’t understand the ways of the sword. In your hands, it is but an ordinary hunk of metal, only as good as your skill ”

“But I’m amazing.”

“Of your own volition If you, with many years of training, can do all you can, what could an eternal creature of magic do? Hmm?

“The sword would call to its Elven master. The Kingdom would rise not only above the Trinity with the sword, but above the colonies, above the planet We could rise to be the gods we claim to be descended from! When the sword was forged, it was intended for the Elven people It was sworn to whatever bloodline first used it. The bloodline should have been my ancestors’, the Elven kings’. But instead, it was

stolen by the Empire, and thus bound to yours. In an elves’ hands, the sword would be just another sword ”

“So what?” I asked, suddenly interested. I winced at the look Lore gave me and tried to remember that I, too, was loyal firstly to my Empire. “How does the marriage fit in, if you can’t do anything with the sword anyways?”

“You know how a bloodline works, correct? Your sister bears my child ” Lore winced “And they inherit the sword, thus becoming the master of it. For this to work, however… ” Lore swallowed.

“She would have to die ”

“This whole time!” I yelled “This whole time, you were going to take her to the Elven Kingdom to die, and you didn’t say anything?” Lore shrunk back at the look I gave him, but I wasn’t feeling very sympathetic. “And I let you… We… ” “Keep it quiet. I’d hate for your little secret to get out,” hissed Sen, reminding me of where we were and what was going on she had a remarkably composed face for someone who had just been notified of her impending death.

“I am loyal to my Kingdom first!” Lore protested, halfheartedly. “Much like you two.”

I turned accusingly to my sister “Yeah, and the Empire before me, apparently”

“Isaku, it all turned out for the best. Now, what the hells do we do?” She whispered vehemently. “If I marry your little loverboy, I die, and the Elven Kingdom takes over everything. If I refuse, the Elven kingdom declares war, I die, and they take over everything ”

“Yes, we’ve played a very clever game,” Lore noted. “It ends really bad for you guys either way.” He looked sick. “I like you, Sen. I don’t want you to die. But I have a mission here.”

“What about me?” I cried “Am I part of your ‘mission’?”

“No,” Lore admitted. “I did not anticipate you. I was going to pretend to fall in love with your sister and carry out the plan at the Kingdom. You were unplanned, and as I see now, regrettable and probably disastrous, but I’m not perfect ”

I was unsure whether or not I should have been offended. I mean, my charms had been irresistible to an Elven Prince, but also I was disastrously regrettable.

“You planned to murder my sister,” I said, hollowly, “And not tell me ”

“It’s like none of you are listening! I. Do. Not. Want. Sen. To die. But I don’t see any other way to unite the Trinity.”

“This will not unite the Trinity!”

“What will happen, then? If we unite to defeat Sever? I’ll tell you! One of us would have to take it over. Remain strong. What does this mean but more war? We cannot defeat Sever and hope to coexist with them! This way, it is better Elves understand peace Meanwhile, people in your lower city suffer like dogs! You care nothing for your citizens. There is true equality in my Kingdom. As an example Isaku, you tell me your father would not understand us, but in my kingdom? They would celebrate us.”

I had to harden my nerves. “After Sen is dead, you mean.”

“What part of I don’t want her to die do you not understand?”

“That’s why Baron has been trying to kill me,” Sen remarked, more to herself than either of us. “To get the Elven Kingdom to declare war. But why would that be better than an alliance where you win anyway?”

“Baron had better not be trying to kill you! He has nothing to do with this he is loyal to the Kingdom,” Lore sounded desperate, eyes wide.

“Oh, so he’ll save me for you to do in! How generous!”

“Now who needs to be quiet?” I muttered.

“So the plan was, I arrive in the Kingdom, no one tells me they know my doom for around a year until I have a child, then kill me.”

“You wouldn’t give your life for your Kingdom?”

“The Elven Kingdom will never be mine! I belong to the Iomani Empire!”

The door cracked. All three of us jumped, and I clutched the end of Lore’s cloak before realizing that was a bad idea. The shadow that appeared in the sliver of light was long and sharp Ichika.

“What are you all doing here?” she said with a frown She still wore that despicable silver crown

I took shallow breaths, trying to think of something to say, anything. To my surprise, it was Sen who managed to be the quick thinking one.

“The air in there was becoming stale,” She said with remarkable coolness, taking a sip from her glass “We thought of heading to the grounds.”

“Well, get back in here ” her frown deepened “Are you drinking? Dammit, Sen, give that to me ”

“Okay” The corner of Sen’s lip quirked up as she threw what remained in her glass at the Empress Our sister gaped as she tried to wipe the golden liquid from her face. Sen was already gone.

Still managing to look like an Empress with her neckline drenched, Ichika barked at us “What are you doing? Get back in here Now”

I pushed past her, not daring to look back at Lore.

25 Sen

Lore was right. Whether or not I married him and travelled to the Elven Kingdom, the results were the same I kept thinking of ridiculous escape plans in my mind Maybe I could leap out of the carriage and live on the moors. Maybe I can bribe a palace guard to take me to the Lesser Colonies. Maybe I can sucessfully avoid murder, surrounded by people who want me dead, twenty four seven. They were all hopeless

I did not like being humble. But I knew that, even if I trained for the rest of my life until I could hardly walk, I could still be defeated by an elf’s magic If one wanted to, they could force me to slit my own throat and think it had been my plan the whole time I knew, deep down in the pit of my heart, that Lore was telling the truth. He didn’t want me to die. But at the same time, his Kingdom came first. And wouldn’t I do the same in his position? No matter what I would have to do, I would ensure the superiority of my Empire Even if that meant leading someone to their death with a smile, never telling them what awaited them. I smiled at the thought that my brother, at least in some small way, had managed to put a stick in the Kingdom’s plans. But wouldn’t he be depressed now? I remembered being fourteen and sixteen, respectively, when some kid his age from the Lesser Colonies had come to help deliver a shipment of grain. Isaku had been a little infatuated with him, and every day they wandered off into the city or around the gardens and got in trouble. Every day he listened to the boy’s stories of the Lesser Colonies with blind excitement When the family left, Isaku had been listless for weeks, but I hadn't thought Anyhow, I suspected that this would be far, far worse My brother was sensitive, and from what little I had seen, Lore really was in love with him. Obviously he was far too good for the Elven Prince, but I liked the idea that, walking to my death, I could hold this over my husband’s head for the reminder of my short life But I didn’t like that it meant Isaku would suffer alone in the Empire

I resumed my seat with an empty drink in hand. I could see the faint shimmer of liquid stain on my sister’s dress as she navigated through the crowd, but the colour blended in to the unobservant eye I didn’t regret my move I thought my sister had been deserving of a drink in the face for a long time now Isaku was talking to the librarian in the corner with a distracted look on his face. Lore was staring in the other direction, looking at nothing while his brother chattered away to another old friend of mine. The ring on my future husband’s finger glinted menacingly I scowled at it

Something light and shining caught my eye hair. I spied Baron, talking to Fenrir over by the band. Fingering the gold braid at my waist, I could only look on in horror as he started walking towards me in the sweeping, all consuming way elves had As quickly as I could manage, I rose from my seat Would I need to defend myself in front of the Upper Empire?

Baron gave a quick bow. “Evening, Princess,” he said.

Was it evening already? I glanced at the skylight, which, sure enough, showcased a few stars

“Evening,” I replied in a somewhat gruff manner. There would be no better time to kill me then the night before my wedding day.

“I wished to congratulate you before the morning,” he said, raising his glass in a vague gesture “I assure you that you will live a luxurious life in the Kingdom I sevre.”

And a luxurious death Maybe I can get a silk lined casket

I faked a smile that anyone who really knew me would see through, but then, Baron did not know me. “Thank you very much.”

“I trust that there are no hard feelings between us?” he said with a raise of his pale eyebrows

“Oh,” I managed a carefree giggle, possibly helped by what drink I had consumed before disposing of it on the Empress. “Oh course not. I was being paranoid.”

“I want you to know that… ” Baron hesitated, leaning in almost imperceptibly. “That I am loyal to you. As a Princess of the Elven Kingdom and, possibly, Queen ”

“Thank you,” I said stiffly. “I assure you, I know exactly where your loyalties lie.”

There being no way for him to question my odd answer, Baron turned away with a thin lipped smile. I scowled at his back

Maybe it would be best if he killed me.

If not, there was a knife in my room

If there was even a chance it could save the Empire .

I shook the thoughts from my mind. I would find a way to save the Empire, one that didn’t end in giving myself back to the gods Besides, it would traumatize Mego thoroughly to find the Princess under her care bled out on her bed before her wedding. I couldn’t do that.

The ringing sound of silver on glass resounded in my head. It was Ichika, attempting a toast with a salad fork against a glass Relief flooded my mind as I realized this horrid night was coming to a close But it probably meant an even more horrid tomorrow Everyone turned their wine saturated heads towards their Empress.

Ichika smiled, and I was chilled by the features we shared Our mother must have been beautiful and cold as ice, with a voice that could charm you into cutting your own heart out

“Friends,” she began, “I would like to thank you all for attending this joyous celebration, a celebration of the marriage of my sister, the Princess Sen Iomani ” Warrior, I thought, fingers tightening around my now empty glass. The Warrior Sen. “ and the Eldest Elven Prince, Heir to the Throne, Lore Everfell. I hope to see you all at the ceremony tomorrow morning, in good health and happiness I know our Empire has suffered, but we will emerge from the ashes with our new allies. With a vengeance.”

Oh, if she only knew how much vengeance.

“As you dreg whatever is left of your glasses, I ask that you think for the health of the Emperor, my father, and the health of our Empire.” She raised her glass, and at my angle I could see tears glistening in her inner eyes. She must have genuinely loved our father, I remembered thinking in surprise. And then with more shock: do I love my father?

Of course I did, I assured myself. Look at what I was doing for him. Sending myself to my death. I spied a blotch of navy blue. Bennu.

Dressed in a long garment a shade lighter than her headscarf, smiling coyly, and talking to Baron The hair on my neck prickled. They looked to be planning something. Like my murder. Or Isaku’s. I remembered what he had told me at the lake I supposed it was unsurprising that Lore handt told me, now

But why would they need to kill Isaku anyway? No attempts had been made on Ichika’s life.

The crowd started to thin.

I said only around four hundred and eighty seven goodbyes to the guests at the doors, smiling large and false at the congratulatory messages. I must be so happy! What a wonderful thing! You’ll make a beautiful couple. He is so lucky to have you as a bride. I agreed with everything, like the perfect princess is supposed to and I loathed every minute of it

I had no choice. It didn’t matter what I did. the Elven kingdom would win, whether I liked it or not. And I very much did not.

“Have a good night, Princess ”

I was startled from my self pitying reverie. Bennu. Her eyebrows were arched mockingly, I thought.

“And be careful tomorrow”

A warning. I smiled, this one the first real smile of the night.

“Oh, I will.”

26 Isaku

There was a knock at my door

My room was different from my sister’s Unlike hers, sparsely furnished and littered with clothes and weapons, mine was all organized chaos. A desk overflowing with papers and books, ink stained carpets and curtains and walls, windows perpetually closed, a bed always made but always covered in more paper My walk in closet was perfectly organized, doors shut The bookshelves were groaning under the weight of the knowledge they carried. Pieces of paper were nailed to the walls in a system only I had the power to decipher.

I didn’t receive visitors often

I opened the door and found myself staring up at Lore Everfell’s face.

I inhaled sharply He was gorgeous He wore a suit of navy blue over a black shirt and pants, shining shoes and a thick silver chain held close to his neck that signified his royal status His curls were combed, but still fell around his face and ears disobediently, shading his adorable grey eyes and a small coy smile. But there was something off about him. I realized he wore no green cloak, for the first time since I had known him

He opened his mouth, closed it again. He looked around my room.

“You look amazing,” he said softly, in a mutter that made me remember he wasn’t supposed to be here There was an adoring look in his eyes that only served to complicate my feelings more I flushed, cursing myself for it. I was only wearing a nicer coat than usual, and I supposed I had brushed my hair, which I admittedly forgot to do often.

I refused to thank him for the compliment, the man who would be the downfall of my Empire

“What do you want?” I asked, still with my hand on the doorknob, ready to slam it in his royal, ridiculously attractive face at a moment’s notice

“I owe you an apology.”

“Obviously,” I said, trying to channel some of my sisters’ coolness. Lore winced.

“You and your sister are amazing people,” he told me “I’ve never regretted anything more than what I have to do. I want her to survive. She deserves to live a long and happy life, leading her army and overfeeding waterfowl. I am a pawn. I wanted to believe I was doing something noble as a Prince, for my mother, but sometimes I feel more like a piece in her game than a son And if I could, I would refuse to marry your sister. But… mother always finds a way. And you cannot win against an Elven army! Sen was right when she said you die in every scenario. My Kingdom has backed you into a corner. This way, maybe you will be happy for a while ” He paused and swallowed, having seemingly no reaction from my face so far

“I’m still waiting on that apology,” was all I said.

“I’m sorry” The words tumbled from Lore’s mouth like they had come from above “Please don’t hate me.”

He turned down his head at the last words, looking down. Two spots of water hit his shining shoes. I refused to comfort him, no matter how much it tugged at my heart

“I understand,” I told him, and he looked up, hopeful.

“I understand that you are only doing what your Kingdom demands of you. But you, Prince,” I said, venom in the word that made him wince, “You need to understand that my sisters and I do not stop fighting. You say you will do anything for your Kingdom. Do not forget this. We will do anything, anything for our Empire.” I stepped forward.

“We are all pawns That is the truth ” I smiled “Let’s see who can hold out longer, shall we?” I held out a hand. This confused Lore.

“When I meet you next,” I said with a hiss, “I will be your worst enemy. The Empire will be there to thwart you, fighting until the very Last breath ”

Lore took my hand, his smile rueful. His touch was warm, and he flinched against the signature coldness of my own.

“And the Kingdom will do our best as well ”

I watched him walk away, with the nasty feeling that the Elven Prince would be my enemy very, very soon

27 Sen

It was a beautiful dress It was an Elven dress, so that they could remind me with the thrum of lace against my chest: we own you.

The gown I was to walk to my doom in trailed at my feet, which were clad in small golden shoes that pinched my toes together in a way that tightened my lungs The high waist fell above a bodice that flowed like water. Delicate lace edged the collar, the sleeves draping over my muscular arms gently, and the stitching of the waistline was elaborate and soft. I had been forced to abandon my circlet from my hair, hair that had been brushed half to death and run through with oils with smells foreign to my nose

A delicate blush had been added to my cheekbones and my lips painted

The shining glass cover over a portrait in the corridor reflected my face. It told me what I already knew I was gorgeous But I was gorgeous without the paint and blush, beautiful with my sword at my hips, and I knew that

Much to my confusion, I was alive. I had not been murdered in my delirious bout of sleep during the early hours, knife under my pillow and all The steady breathing of invisible assassins kept me awake

I wanted my sword But I knew that even if I went to the weaponry stores, even if I looked in the shining bronze hook my sword was hung on, I would not find the Harbinger. It had been packed away in an Elven carriage, where it would soon belong to my child My child The idea was ridiculous to me

I was flanked by four guards as I walked down the corridor in my awful shoes Io stood to my right I had briefly thought his eyes were wet when I walked out in my wedding regalia, but it may have been my imagination, a wish for a man who seemed more like my father than the Emperor to care for me Speaking of the Emperor, he was supposed to attend

The ceremony was taking place in the Throne Room. I’d been given no chance to talk to my betrothed or my brother, having spent far too many hours on making me fit to look like an Elven queen. Still, I was surprised to see Lore, which was ridiculous as he was the other half of the ceremony I had to admit he looked handsome. Of course he did. He was gorgeous. Elves were well known for their impressive, inhuman beauty. None of this inhuman beauty had had the power to bewitch me, as some maidens in old stories had been so hoodwinked It seemed to have done quite the job on my brother, however, I reflected morosely.

The Throne Room. The guards stopped at the door Io nodded to me, a nod that felt as good as the comforting squeeze of a hand.

Ichika sat on her throne, my father next to her. I was shocked at how sallow he looked, recalling what Isaku had said Poisoned.

Beside Lore on one side of the makeshift aisle of embroidered carpet stood his brother On the other side, his traitorous bodyguard

The aisle ended at the feet of the throne, with a man I recognized as one of the attendants Schylar had brought with him facing me, ready to officiate On my side stood Isaku, pointedly avoiding Lore’s all too obvious gaze, with a resigned look on his face He avoided my eyes also as he linked his arm into my own The crowd from the party last night stood flanking the circular walls, all covered in rainbow glitter from the stained glass. One square of red shone off my father’s crown.

He smiled at me but I felt nothing. I did not crave his approval, his pride anymore. Not like I had in the war room It was my approval of myself that mattered, and oh, how I had let myself down!

A band played, a different one from last night. A solemn song my ears did not recognize. I felt as if I were walking in one of the lucid dreams I had had many times over last night, and it was as if out of the corner of my eye I could see the entire scene, like a bad play in which all the protagonists die I wanted to shout at the hero not to move, to reach for a weapon but of course, she was me, I was no hero, and suddenly there I was, standing at the foot of my father’s throne, Isaku had let go of my arm, and I was facing the Elven Prince’s grey eyes and fake smile

When the stained glass shattered, sprinkling glass over the crowd in a bloody rainstorm, I was sure it was a dream.

I reached for the knife concealed in my dress, and braced myself

Fenrir Cobalt.

That was all I could think of, upon seeing the figure that emerged from the broken hole in the wall, standing triumphantly, holding a matchlock of a massive size I had never seen the likes of. The portly man stood tall, confident, unabashed. Much of the crowd had run in a panic towards the doors, others frozen in paralyzing fear, bodyguards flying to the Emperor and Empress to get them out of the way There was blood on the ground and a piece of pink glass embedded in my arm. I felt nothing. “What a beautiful ceremony!” laughed Fenrir. “I hope you will excuse us for being so rude as to interrupt ”

The crowd screamed and tried to open the doors. They bashed their broken, glass speckled bodies against them in vain. I saw a girl Isaku had been talking to earlier with a bleeding mouth shove her small shoulder into the wood Something was blocking them on the other side

I felt the carpet under my fingers. Lore was on his knees, the blood dripping from his face much richer and darker than human blood. He was shaking his younger brother, whose green cloak was slowly turning dark He was mouthing something, but the screams were too loud for me to hear him There was a bullet, smoking in the middle of the floor, the culprit for the glass. The crowd had flown away from it, repelled in a circle. Isaku. Where was he? The crowd at the doors, seeing their task was futile, started to turn and scream uselessly

“The Elven Kingdom intends to betray you all!” yelled Fenrir. “They will take your bastard Princess and murder her once she has served her use, and the Kingdom will take over us all!”

Wait This was a good thing! Fenrir was on my side!

“The royalty of the Trinity has made us suffer for TOO LONG!” Fenrir screamed. People began to materialize at his sides from behind. Io. The man who feeds the swans. People I knew, people who had served me

“Today, we take the palace! THE ROYALTY HAS SERVED THEIR PURPOSE. IT IS TIME FOR THEM TO DIE! IF YOU ARE SICKENED OF THE TYRANNY, RISE UP! JOIN US!”

Oh, no. He was not on my side. Where was Isaku?

My sister, my beautiful, perfect sister, came into the middle of the room to stand beside the bullet

“Halt.” She said in a voice that commanded the entire terrified room. A hush fell over them. Their Empress was here, meaning everything was going to be fine. Her guards cowered near the throne where the Emperor appeared to have collapsed into them I didn’t much care what was going on with my father, really. Maybe, I thought, the blood trickling down the throne was someone else’s.

“That is but one man and his traitorous friends, and we are many. If you remain loyal to your Empire, you will stand against this petty rebellion THE ROYALS WILL CONTINUE, AND WE WILL CONQUER ”

Her hair flowed in the wind let in by the broken windows, her crown glittering, a halo of rainbow light surrounding her like an angel, a saviour. For a moment, silence reigned.

“Actually, Empress,” said a voice I knew well, “I think you’ll find there are more of us than there are of you.”

A flower bloomed in Ichika’s abdomen.

I screamed For it was not a flower, but a blossoming of blood, the tip of a sword thrust through the Empress from behind like a great monstrous rose.

The Empress looked at her new appendage with nothing but mild surprise Before anyone could move, her eyes widened, and to my utter shock she began to laugh

She raised her pair of glass embedded arms. Her laugh was so very like mine, and even rarer.

“I’m free ” Her gorgeous, ink dark eyes changed until she looked like a child again, content to go to bed after a long day of play and excited for the morning A sunset invisible to the rest of us glittered in them With a low exhale that echoed throughout the room, she fell to her knees on the carpet, hair blanketing her, blood pooling and soaking broken glass and creating a vermillion lake on the carpet. Her crown fell off and rolled like a stray coin over the marble

Mego, my loyal attendant, pulled the bloody sword from her victim, eyes dark and wild. The first kill had been made

I crawled up, my paralyzing fear making place for more fear, and ran towards my sister on the ground. Something caught me in the chest. When I looked up, I saw one of the guards who had flanked me on my walk to the Throne room He held me in place as I clawed wildly, staring with reverence at Fenrir as if I was but a distraction

“IT IS TIME!” Fenrir howled. “ARMY, ARISE!”

People began to flood the Throne room like spiders The crowd resumed their screaming, still unable to bust through the doors, trying in desperation to crawl up through the window. Fenrir’s followers were there to stop them, killing with ease anyone who dared try and escape. I watched as a young man, his hair speckled in blood, trampled with shining boots over my sister’s dead body, scrambling as he slipped on the hem of her blood soaked dress and ran on I let out a cry and writhed out of the distracted man’s grasp just as he went to take a knife to my throat. I slithered through the crowd, looking for my brother

“

And then, a new cry. a sharp voice, clear like a tower bell.

PROTECT THE ROYALS! LONG LIVE THE ELVEN KINGDOM AND THE IOMANI EMPIRE!”

I looked up with bloody eyes. Baron?

I didn’t understand But there was Baron, fending off rebellers with his sword from the two Elven Princes, defenseless on the ground But stopping to marvel in shock had been a horrible mistake I heard the crack of my spine as something caught me in the back and knocked the wind from my lungs. In my fall to the carpet, I hit someone I knew him, an older man who sometimes advised my sister in her rule. I clutched at the end of his robes, but they slipped from my fingers as he ran with panicked eyes, abandoning me. I heard his voice as he was struck down metres away. The glass in my arm stung as I turned over to gaze into the eyes of the woman who had struck me down, and was now holding a knife with glee over my incapitated form

“For the Empire,” she hissed. I winced as she brought down her knife, raising an arm as if I could stop it. A metallic shing sliced through the air. A long sword had met the knife, protecting me momentarily from its bite and standing over me, holding the sword, was “Bennu?” I choked out. The woman she fought grunted as she pushed against the younger woman’s sword. The trainer looked back at me for the barest second, her eyes casting a clear message before she returned to her opponent Go

I found my knife on the carpet. There was someone’s blood on the handle mine? Under Bennu’s protection, I cast off my silver ring and ran into the crowd. I could apologize and thank her later . If she lived at that time

The air was ripe with the smell of blood and bone and metal. Civilians clad in ripped silks and finery tried vainly to defend themselves from the grey clad revolutionaries with what little they had, fists and broken glass I fended my way through with my knife, ducking and rolling under attacks from people who had once been my friends. People I had trusted all my life.

I tripped on something in an area the small fights were away from. Looking down, I was sickened at the sight of my sister’s body Ichika Itch, my beautiful sister, dead What was the last thing I had said to her? Ah, yes, I had flung alcohol in her face. I choked.

I heard a cry. Isaku! With some difficulty I tore myself away from the Empress’s body and ran towards the sound, casting my knife into an arm to make way I didn’t get to see whose arm it was My vision had tunneled to the corner of the room.

The Crown Prince of the Iomani Empire was shoved against the marble band podium, ducking and dodging a knife wielded by a tall, wiry man I thought I recognized, his lower face was covered by a mask, stained in a place as if he had accidentally stabbed himself. The instruments lay in piles of splintered wood on the stage. Without thinking, I bellowed a war cry and stabbed the man in the back, like I should have the night he tried to kill me

He fell with a bellow of anger.

Isaku’s coat had been ripped off. His nose and ears were bleeding, newly combed hair a mess, but he was alive

“What ”

“No time to talk!” I cried. “Grab that music stand!”

I fell to the ground again, gasping Mego

“How could you kill her?” I wailed from the tiles. Mego had a look on her face very different from her motherly exasperation with my messiness, or a soothing smile she was positively murderous, a sword in my hand that with a horror, I recognized It was the Harbinger A rush of anger thundered in my ears She dared to use my weapon in this way?

“How could I not?” she cried with a laugh thrusting my sword, wet with my sister’s blood, forward I rolled and it careened off of the tiles my attendant did not manage a sword well, after all those years of biding her time. The attendant readied to strike again. Without warning, something clanged onto the back of Mego’s head.

Isaku had taken the music stand and had just whacked the attendant in the head with the metal pole She crumpled to the floor. Handing my knife to Mego, I took up the bloody sword in disgust. It was beneath me to use such a weapon, that had been used so cruelly, but it was needed.

“Update! Baron and Bennu are protecting us and the princes ”

“Yeah, I see that! I have to get to Lore ” desperation peaked in my brother’s voice.

“Baron has him! Leave the traitor!”

“He’s not a traitor! He’s doing exactly what we would do!”

“I’m going to go out the window and open the doors from the other side. Find your father!”

I scrambled out of the broken window Some civilians had managed to slip past the murderous guards, and those who were lucky enough to have escaped the rebellion’s clutches were now fleeing into the Inner City. Cowards. So much for swearing to the cause of the royals. They cared only about the cause of their own skins

I crawled bug like down the rubble and ran down the length of the palace wall. I had to make it to the doors!

The echo of footsteps was not my own

I threw my sword in an arc behind me, twisting around. Another rebel.

I shoved him into the nearby fountain with a splash, his blood tinging the water. If he was dead, I didn’t know

The front palace doors were wide open to let in the autumn breeze, which now felt menacing in the changing weather. I could hear the screams from the Throne room.

It was a good thing I had trained for this, I thought as I ran down the corridors in a burst of lightning, hair flying like a bloody banner There were the doors! and now I could see what was holding them. More rebels, around nine. Nine.

Nine people. Nine straw dummies in the courtyard.

I threw my sword in a maneuver I had gone over a thousand times before, but had never thought I would get to use until I led my army. With a wild laugh, I realized I was leading my army. An army of one.

I sliced the head off a rebel in a clean, resounding strike.

I think I screamed louder than his colleagues, who ran in fear of the demonic princess What had I done? I hardly knew myself. The doors burst open like a tightly buttoned shirt, releasing civilians into the corridor. They fled past me, shoving my already broken body back and forth through the hall with zero regard for the princess now serving them I had no choice but to be pushed upstream like a fish, and before I could adjust myself, I was again in the courtyard. And Fenrir Cobalt stood on the edge of the fountain, cackling. His surviving rebels, most worse for wear, surrounded him in a congregation. One had a stab wound in his arm I smiled

“GO, FLEE YOUR PALACE!” he screamed at the runaways crawling through the palace gates, leaving trails of blood and ripped fabric behind them. I wondered how many other bodies littered the throne room, how many ghosts it held now Panicked noises like the early morning cries of birds resounded down the road to the city

They ran until it was only I, the three princes, and my new allies Bennu and Baron. Lore was half carrying his brother, free hand outstretched like he planned to slap someone

“Where is the Emperor?” I demanded, voice shaking. I couldn’t believe this stupid, harmless little man had betrayed us so throughly. Fooled us all.

“Oh, he’s been taken care of,” Fenrri said with a cruel smile

My brother screamed and launched himself towards the fountain, but then stopped. In midair. He ceased to move, my knife falling into the cobblestones. All that flickered were the whites of his eyes, wide with terror

“You forget what I am, Prince,” said the elf as the coarse tinge of magic filled the air. With a flick of his hand, he flung Isaku onto the cobblestones, where he lay groaning and shuddering.

Lore made a motion to go to my brother’s side, but the traitor was quick to try his magic on the Prince Lore was ripped from his brother, who fell to a bloody knee, and paralyzed like a statue with the rebellion leader’s magic.

“You are loyal to the Elven Kingdom, Cobalt,” Lore hissed through his teeth “After all this time ”

“You should be thanking me!” howled Fenrir. “All of you! Once the royals are eliminated, the people will be free to take over, and start true peace!”

“But your Kingdom would have won!” I cried Isaku stirred at the corner of my vision, but I refused to look lest it drew attention to him.

Fenrir hissed, lowering a hand. Lore fell to the ground, gasping. “I have no Kingdom,” he said. He gestured to his group of remaining rebels “ATTACK!”

I threw myself into the battle with a vengeance. And why shouldn’t I have? I was born for it. This was why I had been trained all my life, to defeat those who opposed the Empire. To destroy all who stood in our way This was why Bennu had trained me, those final days She had known that this moment would come a moment to destroy, to defeat. In the sword coated in my sister’s blood, I carved a slice of carnage through the attackers. I was not a Princess, I was a machine. Isaku had risen, and was holding his own Bennu followed me like a twin of different blood With every movement of Lore’s long fingers, he threw away rebels into the cobblestones away from him and his brother, whom he clutched with a vengeance, teeth clenched. The rebels flew away like an invisible wrestler was throwing them.

When I had a moment of peace, I stood in the middle of my artwork, panting

Fenrir screamed at me, still standing on the fountain “IF ONLY WE COULD’VE KILLED YOU SOONER! IF ONLY THE BULLET IN THE THEATRE HAD HIT YOUR SKULL AS IT WAS MEANT TO. IF SOMEONE HAD ARRESTED THE FOOL BODYGUARD AND HIS ACCOMPLICE ” He stopped himself suddenly “Well, then We will make do with what we have here ”

Something in the corner of my eye raised itself against my brother. Io. No wonder he hadn't stopped the bullet at the theatre, he had been in on it and Baron had been trying to protect us from him Sure, he had failed, but he had tried

I screamed and ran over bodies unconscious, or dead? to get to him. I stabbed him through like my attendant had done to my sister, with the same sword. Something about it seemed poetic to me.

Isaku looked at me, horror in his black eyes

I removed the sword and stabbed him again. Little bastard had still been breathing. No, Isaku wasn’t scared of his attacker He was scared of me but I was the one protecting him!

Bennu was facing off the rebels even better than I had, like a goddess, screaming mantras. Lore was looking weary was magic as draining as physical activity? Baron had taken the fight to Cobalt himself. They were locked in battle in the water of the fountain, which had turned a pretty rose pink with their blood, yelling. Fenrir looked somewhat ridiculous, using his dented gun like it was a sword.

He conked Baron in the head with the sickening crunch of hollow metal on skull. the man slumped over the edge of the fountain, eyes barely open Fenrir pressed the barrel on his chest and cocked the trigger

A primal scream later, he was on the cobblestones. Lore.

No, not Lore. Schylar. The brave, round faced Prince had rammed into Fenrir with a knife stolen from a dead rebel Lore cheered for his brother, locked in battle with an attendant I knew, forcing her to trip over her own feet like a maniac with delicate twists of his fingers.

I turned to help Bennu, figuring it was the least I could do, when I heard a bang. Lore screamed. His brother slumped over, a bullet lodged in his stomach

The youngest Prince was as dead as the Empress I had just stopped feeling useless, helping Bennu, who was apparently on our side now, keep the rest of the rebels from helping Fenrir in Baron’s fight against him. Lore, unhuman blood running down into his eyes, ran past us and threw himself at Fenrir, who was screaming, “That was my last bullet, damn you!”

I looked for too long, and was promptly stabbed in the arm. I howled and threw my knife out in an awkward fashion, as I had no training. By pure and rather disgusting luck it hit its mark in my enemy’s right eye A howl ensued I was tempted to scream, sorry!

Revelations ran in my head. Fenrir was evil, Ichila was dead, Baron and Bennu were secretly in cahoots to defend the royals, Ichika was dead, my father was probably dead, Sen was straight up killing people and Ichika was dead, my sister was dead and I could never get her back

Lore seemed to be having a few revelations of his own, cradling his brother’s dead body. I wasn’t sure what he was saying, but I thought it might be Not another one. I can't lose you, too, not another one, please, no

Baron’s eyes were opening, but it was too late. Fenrir had left the living and dead Prince, lifted a knife from the water, and driven it across his pale throat.

It was Bennu’s turn to scream “NO!”

She kicked an enemy and moved out of the way as they buckled onto the cobblestones. Fenrir was laughing, facing Sen and I as Bennu tried to revive her master at his feet. “FOOLS!” he screamed. “YOU ARE ALL SUCH FOOLS, SO EASY TO TRICK! WHERE ARE YOUR LOYAL, LOVING CITIZENS NOW, HMM?”

I hated that everything he said was true. I hated that there was no hope. The cut in my arm was bleeding out, Sen’s skin was implanted with glass, and Bennu was exhausted, sword drooping from her fingers.

But Fenrir had made one fatal mistake

He had turned his back on Lore Everfell, the eldest, and now only, Elven Prince and heir to the throne. Lore had his fingers curled in front of him, covered in his brother’s blood, his coat in tatters, rebels scattered amongst the courtyard like larger, grotesque autumn leaves A breeze too gentle for the murderous atmosphere blew his curls over his forhead. I cast my sword out, but as it turned out, I didn’t have to. The remaining rebels, not even numbering tenscore, were cowering in fear at the palace wall. I looked towards the fountain

Or, what was left of it. The white stone rubble, formerly such an impressive fountain, rose and molded like wet clay, surrounding itself as a giant python around the body of the traitor. It cocooned the screaming rebel

“You forget who I am,” Lore said, voice barely audible, but loud in the sudden silence. Fenrir’s head lolled as he tried to break himself free with his rough shoulders, but his feet were off the ground along with the entire fountain, which had stood for thousands of years, leaving an ominous hole in the ground Sen looked on in awe, her sword covered in blood. The water from the fountain ran along the ground, soaking through my shoes in a cold wave.

“You forgot that I learned from you. It is every student’s destiny to fail, or become the master.” Lore’s face was not cold or angry or power drunk; it was very calm Almost bored He didn’t look like the boy who had kissed me in the library, held a little fox around his neck, made a tiny origami bird fly through chandeliers. He looked like a King.

“And I am the master now”

Fenrir howled, but it was muffled by a bridge of stone growing over his mouth. Blood trickled.

“Sen!” Lore barked, and my sister straightened, still holding her sword as if she was ready to decapitate someone I wondered uneasily if she had done that tonight How much blood stained the sword she held?

“Do the honors, Warrior.” He smiled.

Sen returned his smile “My pleasure, Lore,” she answered, using the Prince’s name for the first time Fenrir’s legs in his ripped pants kicked. A shoe fell off into the dirt.

Lore lowered Fenrir. Tears streamed from his small blue eyes, his pointed ears bleeding.

I couldn’t help but watch as Sen thrust her sword into the traitor’s heart, exposed inside a ring of white stone. I thought it had once been the fish’s eye. A mass of blood and bone and stone fell with a splash into the middle of the courtyard as Lore let his arms fall to his sides. I hadn’t seen Sen’s eyes as she made the final blow, but when she turned, the Harbinger in her hand that had caused all this trouble, I thought she looked uncannily like Ichika as she swayed in the autumn wind.

28

Sen

We closed the palace gates.

It took all afternoon to recover the bodies It was a beautiful day, with the sun shrinking in a pale blue sky, a gentle breeze wafting through the palace The chaos of the Inner City seemed far away now

What hurt most was that I didn’t blame the rebels. I didn’t blame Fenrir for what he had done. He had seen mass inequality, and formed a rebellion to take it down And we had killed him

Did that not make us villains?

We developed a buddy system. Having seemingly reconciled with Lore for the moment, Isaku and him started the dirty work of placing the bodies all in one room while Bennu and I collected clean sheets to cover them in.

“I’m sorry,” I told her in one of the guest rooms. Fresh flowers, placed on a pretty tablecloth, bent from heavy blossoms for a guest that didn’t exist It was odd to see something unstained by blood “About Baron, about me. about everything.”

Her eyes were dry as she hung sheets from the Northern Wing over her arm.

“I don’t blame you for either,” she said with a shrug “Baron would have wanted me to protect you ”

“How did you two ?”

“Know each other? Well. Most of my story was true. Heron, your Swordmaster, was in on it, although I doubt she knew the full extent Suspecting from his work at the Elven castle that an attempt was to be made on the royals’ lives here, Baron tried to establish a force of his own as we took stops through the city. People in the lower city are… less than fond of you.”

“With good reason,” I muttered, miserable, as we walked down a staircase I had pinned my dress up for convenience, but I wanted nothing more than to remove it altogether, anything to get away from all the blood.

Bennu nodded “But he had a vision, too He believed in a kind of peace where no one died, and it started with an alliance between the trinity A true alliance, not a false one where you are killed for the Harbinger. And what better way than to be united against Fenrir’s forces?”

“Did it succeed, then?” I asked breathlessly We had made it out of the palace doors

“Rather ” the girl pursed her lips “You see, with Ichika and your father dead, you are the Empress ” I almost stopped in my tracks. I hadn't thought of that.

“Not exactly,” I said I explained in brief the truth of my lineage “Really, Isaku is the Emperor”

“But your armies are still on the battlefield against Sever, not knowing that their rulers have passed. When the Elven Kingdom gets wind of this, and they will soon, they will still declare war on your Empire, regardless of you And so ”

“We’re in the same position we were in earlier.”

Bennu nodded. We were in the room of bodies. Isaku and Lore had laid out our most notable bodies in an orderly, morgue fashion it looked like we had ransacked a graveyard

“Is there truly no way to unite the Trinity?” I said. It sounded like a beg. “You are the Warrior,” said Bennu “You decide ” I did not answer.

Isaku was kneeled by Ichika’s broken body. He had rearranged her hair. She looked like an Empress even in death

Empress. There is no Empress now. I kneeled beside him.

“I was a horrible sister,” I whispered. “The last thing I did was throw a drink in her face.”

“No ” Isaku’s voice was firm “The last thing you did was try to protect her”

A hand fell on my shoulder, and I was tempted to swat it away. Lore.

“Your sister wasn’t a fool,” he said, a tenderness in his voice that made him seem like a completely different person than the one who had helped me kill Fenrir merely hours ago. “She knew of your love for her.” Tears tracked his cheeks. I saw the younger Prince nearby, the bullet gone from his front and a bulge in the Prince’s pocket

The prince. The one and only Elven prince.

We laid the sheets over the bodies.

I bestowed a kiss on my sister’s forehead before we covered her Gross, perhaps, but it felt right at the time. I suspected I would never know what she had truly suffered in life. I’m free, she had said. she had suffered do much that she was grateful for her murder.

We came at last to the body I had most been dreading The Emperor’s He was barely even bloody. But he had been so frail after the poisoning that the attack had taken him out, anyway. Isaku had no tears in his eyes for his father. Nor did I. I recalled my cussing him out in the hospital wing, but I did not regret it like the way I regretted my treatment of Ichika

“You knew, didn’t you?” he said to me, looking at the body, bearded and broken and horribly pale. “That he wasn’t your father.”

I sighed “In the back of my mind I’d heard enough snide remarks about the bastard Warrior Princess to suffice. And whatever is in my face that does not belong to the Emperor’s or my mothers’, must have belonged to someone else.” I turned, not wanting to look at the body anymore, to Isaku. His lips were pressed into a thin line

Bennu and Lore, sensing our feelings, covered the Emperor of the Iomani Empire. The real, current Iomani Emperor, however, stood before us in a lake of the dead, looking sick. And Bennu was wrong. I was not an Empress I was no one, the bastard warrior of my poor mother Her cursed little girl, her little, cursed girl.

“What do we do now?” Bennu said, head bowed. She held a red scarf I recognized from Baron’s neck.

“We can go to my Kingdom,” said Lore He opened his mouth to continue, but I cut him off

“Your Kingdom is going to declare war, Lore! Their Prince is dead!” He winced and clutched at his pocket. I was unable to keep a quaver from my voice. “We are weakened and the civilians hate us. there would be no better time to strike than now!”

Lore frowned. “What do we do, then? I am the prince. Schylar’s death will have weakened my Kingdom as well. I can form an alliance.”

“Against who?” I said with a laugh that was not my own “our armies are out there, not knowing the fight for a rotting Empire. The only enemy is ourselves!” a hush fell over the room like a heavy sheet.

“I’m the Emperor”

It was Isaku. He raised his head.

“I am the Emperor.”

We stared at him He clapped his hands together, but the sound was wet

“As the official Emperor of the Iomani Empire,” he declared, “I order that we all go upstairs to the Wings, take a bath, and go to sleep. then, we can talk politics over breakfast.”

I smiled, weakly “Ichika always said you should never talk politics over breakfast ”

We laughed. The other two looked at us like we had gone insane.

“This is going to sound really stupid,” Lore said at last, “But I really, really don’t want to sleep in the West Wing alone tonight.”

“You’re right!” Isaku raised his arms. “As the Emperor, I formally declare we all camp out in the lounge!”

“And leave the Hall of Bodies,” Bennu said with a shiver, the capitals clear This reminded us all that we were completely alone in a gigantic palace, outnumbered by the dead. We ran upstairs 29 Isaku I’m the Emperor

I was barely beginning to process everything that had happened. The lounge was dark, the dome speckled with stars We had lit the lamps so the room was cast in a dim golden glow Everyone was dead, and those who were not had fled like dogs to the Inner city We’d been abandoned by those who had sworn their lives to the royals. Why was I surprised?

The girls had agreed to go for a kitchen run while Lore worked on my injuries Bennu had managed shockingly little injuries during her battles, and barely needed any healing Sen had been a slightly different story, but the glass embedded in her skin only needed good old fashioned mortal tweezers and disinfectant to remove. She seemed to have forgiven Lore, in part because he had been very polite lately. My sister liked respect, and after today I’d have been damned if I thought she didn’t deserve it when we had come across the decapitated head outside the Throne Room, I had known the culprit immediately. Sen had got to fight a war after all.

“I’m going to need to touch you,” Lore said, voice thick with caution His own injuries had been cleaned and healed while we’d bathed and changed clothes. It took a lot to kill an elf.

“Just get it over with,” I said, ready for the throbbing in my limbs to stop already. I was beyond embarrassment at this point, even crouched shirtless by the Elven Prince He winced at the harshness of my words.

The same cooling sensation I remembered from the library washed over my stab wound. I closed my eyes, doing my best to ignore the underlying feeling of Lore’s long, deft fingers tracing my body I didn’t watch as he worked at the cuts on my chest and neck, or open my eyes while his face was close enough to mine that I could feel his breath warm on my throat.

“D’you want a scar?”

It took me a moment to register the words. “What?”

“Do you want a scar? Some people think they look cool.”

I found myself considering it for a moment, ridiculously I shook my head “No No, Lore, I don’t want a scar.”

“Okay, fair.”

The girls returned, Sen with the look on her face that hasn’t disappeared for hours It reminded me of our sister. Bennu had a tablecloth in her hands. She opened it on the ground, where it looked like she and Sen had collected everything they could think of. I hadn’t realized how hungry I was until that moment, and it looked like the others around me were having similar thoughts I gratefully took a clean tunic off the ground and put it over my head, still not looking at Lore. I probably should have thanked him, but I figured we were semi even now. Of course, he had also helped kill Fenrir…

I figured with growing unease that I was the only person in the room who hadn’t taken a life today

As we ate what was sort of a dinner, we started to talk.

“I doubt the civilians will approach the palace for a long while, anyway,” Sen began. “I think Lore’s scared anyone off”

“Thank you,” Lore said, calmly eating bread he had buttered with a steak knife.

“The second the Elven Kingdom gets news of the battle, they will declare war and send their armies onto the fields,” she continued Lore nodded in agreement

“Well..”

All heads turned to him

“Not if we are the one to give the news.”

I put down a green apple. “I don’t follow.”

“We’ll tell the truth Fenrir betrayed the royal families and started a battle ” Sen interrupted. “But ”

Lore held up a hand “But But, there will be two crucial things

“If Fenrir had come in ten seconds later, we would have been married. As far as my mother will be concerned… we are.”

He paused, like he was waiting for a reaction There was none We blinked at him apathetically

“What could the plan be after that?” I said.

“My mother will send her army, as promised. She will not know you all know we planned to kill Sen.”

“Who will run the palace?” I interjected, already knowing the answer in my stomach

Lore sighed. “You will stay here, as the Emperor.”

“NO!” Sen cried “I’m not pretending to be your wife and leaving my little brother while we desperately think of a plan! They want anarchy down there in the cities!”

“Isaku is younger than you? You seem..” Lore blinked. “Nevermind. Point is, we’ll have some time to think of something ”

“While a sixteen year old runs the Empire against thousands of angry citizens? Bennu is an amazing bodyguard, but even she can be overpowered ”

“I couldn’t stand against the citizens forever.” She nodded. “It would be dangerous for him to stay in a place where no one is loyal to him.”

“We can’t leave the Empire in this state When we defeat Sever and the soldiers return to a broken Kingdom, what will happen? They won’t know their Emperor is dead until they return!”

I spoke up, an idea formulating in my brain.

“We can give the citizens what they want ”

“Our deaths?” Sen says, exasperated.

“No, ruling power

“It’s simpler than we thought. Aside from a few parties, not much was expected of the royals. And if they think a powerful, murderous elf is still in the castle… ”

I trailed off to see if they could guess the plan themselves

“We need to restore peace to the Trinity,” Sen said, staring at one of the green blown glass lamps. “If Lore thinks he can make a true alliance with the Empire and the Kingdom, that would be the best start. And what better way to make an alliance than with the Emperor himself?” She gestured to me

“We all leave the Empire and don’t tell anyone.” Lore was watching me with apprehension. “They’ll think we’re here, and go on functioning themselves.”

“Do you really think we can make an alliance?” Sen whispered Lore cocked his head. “I… hope so?”

“It’s a big risk to take ” Bennu finally interjected “Is there truly no one we can leave here as a buffer? Just to fool the citizens in case? What if they are not fooled and ransack the palace?”

“Actually… ” Sen looked up at last.

“There may be someone ”

29

Sen We woke up late the next day

As if it was a completely normal day, I found the Swordmaster outside. She looked like she was rready to instruct me in the correct stance of deflection I informed her of our plan

“If you say no, I will completely understand.” If you say no, we all die. She only smiled.

“Of course I will, Sen.” I didn’t think I had ever heard her use my name before. “I believe you can heal the Trinity, and whatever part I can take in that, I would be honored No one will enter the palace while I am around.”

I bowed low to her, lower than ever before. A sign of respect. Because I did respect her. Maybe I can be like her someday

A day after my wedding day, I grabbed everything I wanted from the Wings. Clothes, my circlet, weapons. We piled everything we could carry on our backs, bowing over with the weight. Lore had the added weight of Amerie, who had miraculously survived the battle hiding in her master’s room She lay like a scarf around his shoulders. I would have thought she was dead except for her slowly blinking, beady eyes. Her master still wore his cloak, magically cleared of bloodstains.

The Swordmaster had promised to feed the swans every day, but I still felt mournful saying goodbye to them “Please, Sen, we don’t have time to say farewell to the waterfowl,” Isaku pleaded, which was true Dawn had broken long ago, and we didn’t want to be here if the citizens rose in anger.

We crawled over the stone wall that surrounded the swan pond Lore took Isaku’s hand to help him, and I watched as they both held on longer than was necessary I wasn’t sure how they felt about each other now I wasn’t convinced that they knew, really. Bennu watched them like she knew something I didn’t.

The moors stretched out beyond us, flat and unbroken under the clouds Cold weather was coming in We would circle the city, avoiding it, and head Eastward on foot The journey would take around a week, but we had enough supplies that we wouldn’t have to roast Amerie over a fire. We would be fine, I assured myself. Completely safe.

We would be fine

We would be fine.

The End