I nodded, an unspoken ‘thank you’ hanging in the air.
The next day I proceeded to watch Isabel and Jax in the Rings. They were doing unbelievably well. Isabel’s skill was evading because she was so small. She would disappear and pop up somewhere else before you even knew what was happening, and then a knife would be at your throat.
Jax was strong. His arms were powerful, even though they didn’t look like it. He could battle with his sword for hours and not get tired. His technique was to slow down his opponent and then catch him in the back.
I was impressed. As Jax moved up the ranks, I fidgeted in
my seat and applauded, hooting before I could stop myself.
“Go, Jax! You can do it!” My hood fell off my head, and suddenly I felt naked. I took a seat quickly, pulling it up, embarrassed.
Jax’s name was above Jenna’s. When Isabel went, she was against Borin, a small man about five feet and six inches tall. He was quicker than her, and when she was close to being pinned down she kneed him, hard. As he fell back, red faced, she flipped him to the side and pressed her knife to his neck. Amherst announced her as the winner of the battle. I grinned to myself, my heart thumping proudly.
Good work.
The fighters took a short break and I waited for the twins to join me.
I handed them each a fresh loaf of bread.
“Nah,” Isabel shook her head. “Thank you, but I get sick if I move too much right after I eat. I won’t be able to fight.” Jax, on the other hand, finished his in three bites.
“You two are doing very well,” I praised them. Jax grinned.
“Thank you. I feel great.”
I wished them luck as they stood up, two minutes before the battle resumed. Jax gave me a pat on the shoulder and Isabel gave me a smile.
“I really wish you could join us.”
“I’m fine up here,” I waved them off, but inside, a part of me wished I hadn’t let Jenna win. As I watched them walk away, someone tapped my shoulder. Instantly, I was facing the person, my hand on my sword. It was Amherst.
“I need to speak with you,” he said. Confused, I got to my feet and followed him outside where it was quiet.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Something happened,” Amherst said, a smile on his face.
“It’s good news. Relax.”
I shook my head, frowning. “What’s wrong?” I repeated.
“It was brought to my attention that your opponent, Jenna, used more than one weapon.”
I furrowed my eyebrows. “But she only had her knives,” I said. “And blades. But it only seemed fair since knives aren’t really a whole weapon—”
Amherst raised a hand to stop me from going further, and then fished in his pockets to find something. He pulled out a small weapon I’d used myself many times.
“The shuriken?” I raised my eyebrows, leaning against the door. “I’m not sure that counts—”
“The rules were clear,” he cut me off. “She was disqualified. You’re back in.”
I stared at him. “I—”
He held up a hand again. “Did you hear me? You’re back in the Battles.”
SEVEN
Being put back in the Battles wasn’t a problem. There was a thing about me where I always ended up in places I least expected to be. I’d travelled from Astodia as the king’s assassin all the way to Crea, penniless and earning money by fighting other penniless fools that had nothing else to do with their lives. No, being in the Battles wasn’t a problem.
My problem was my opponent.
When I saw the name on the board, I nearly choked in surprise. And then I burst out laughing from the irony. Just my luck, I thought as I wiped a tear from my eye.
Here I stood before my blue-eyed opponent who was also doing his best not to burst out laughing—or burst into tears. I couldn’t hold back the huge grin on my face.
“Are you alright, Jax? You look a bit green.”
Jax scowled then, and I realized he was nowhere near bursting into laughter. He wanted to murder me.
“I was this close!” he shouted, bringing his thumb and forefinger together with only a millimeter of space separating to show me how truly close he was to winning.
I smirked. “I’m sorry.”
“You don’t look sorry,” he said, his face turning red.
“Should I let you win?” I whispered, leaning closer as if trying to keep a secret. He rolled his eyes.
“For goodness sake, don’t let me win. Everyone will know
what a child I am then.”
“Have it your way.” I unsheathed my sword, waiting for the signal to be given. When the gun was shot, Jax was already standing in front of me, the edge of his sword scraping against mine. “Good,” I said with a nod as I pushed him back. He swirled, attacking from my right. “Even better. You’ve memorized my moves,” I said to him. “Training does pay off, doesn’t it?”
“You’ve memorized mine,” he said as he made a swipe for my legs. I jumped up, the blade missing my skin by inches.
“You’re getting better. It’s been a long time since I’ve fought against you,” I said as he made a lunge for my neck. “Are you trying to decapitate me?”
“Anything to win, right?” he smirked.
After a lot of twirling, I delivered my final move. I spun around and the butt of my sword slammed against his shoulder. Jax gave a cry of pain and I whispered an apology.
I grabbed onto his shoulders and pushed him to the ground, pressing my fingers into his wounded arm. “I'm sorry,” I repeated, but I didn't get a reply as the cold blade was pressed against the base of his neck.
“We have our winner!” Amherst said, his hand slipping around my wrist as he pulled it up to show everyone. “Glad to have you back,” he said under his breath with a smile.
When I made my way back to the scoreboard, I realized I wasn't on until tomorrow again. I made my way outside, dreading to bump into Jax. He had asked me not to go easy on him. I let out a groan. He hated me.
I waited outside the Rings, gripped the rails just in front of the door. A group of boys and one girl walked past me. I caught a snippet of their conversation.
“The princess is here!” one of the boys said with excitement. “I heard she already went inside.”
“I never come to the Rings, but I have to meet her today. She's wonderful,” the girl gushed, running her hands through her blonde hair. I frowned. The princess was here? Inside? I turned around, making my way back into the Rings. I pushed past sweaty cheering bodies, trying to get a glimpse of what was going on. And then I saw her.
My eyes slid towards the large walls of the arena, and there she sat on the balcony above everyone else. All eyes were on the princess.
I wondered why she was even here; who would want to see some low-lives fight each other for the money? What did she earn by coming here to watch them?
I made my way back to the door. The girl who’d blabbered about the princess still stood outside, though this time she was without the group of boys by her side.
“Are you alright?” I asked.
She sniffed. “I can't go in there. It's so loud and sweaty,” she shuddered. “Alexander, Joseph, and Mattie come here all the time but it's . . .” She trailed off.
“I know what you mean,” I said with a smile. “I saw her. The princess. She is here.”
“Really?” Her eyes brightened. “I've looked up to her my entire life. I'd love to actually get a chance to say hello.”
“Oh.” I looked down at my hands, examining the lines in them. One time, the king had invited a seer who told people their fortunes.
She was well known across Astodia. King Sadim had had her tell him his fortune in private, and then Xavier had snuck me to her room one night and asked her to do one for me.
“Ohh.” Her face had darkened as she examined my hand. “Oh, I may not tell you yours. You have a tragic future indeed.” When Xavier offered her more silver pieces to go on, s
he sighed and obliged, closing her eyes in concentration.
“You will suffer a great loss. It will be of. . . someone very dear to you.” She took a pause to think, as if she was really seeing something behind the walls of her eyelids. “Do you have a loved one, my dear?”
“No,” I'd said flatly. “I don't love anyone.”
“Hmm. I see otherwise. But you will be helpful in your life. Your story will be a great tragedy.” She'd smiled at me as if she'd known me, and Xavier looked frightened for me.
Then I'd yanked back my hand and called her a fraud, storming out. I left her with Xavier and curled up in my own bed. I'd tried to act brave, but the fear was alive in my heart.
Shaking my head, trying to clear my head from the memory, I looked back up at the girl. “I'll find a way to get you to the princess. Follow me.”
The girl took a few steps towards me, and then stopped. I frowned.
“Well?”
The girl smiled, letting out a sigh. “I'm Helen. Follow me. There's someone who would like to see you.”
I wondered why I was suddenly trusting people so easily. But as I followed her, I thought, what was the worst that could happen? I would die eventually, whether it was now or a hundred years from the present.
She took me around to another door I hadn't paid attention to before, and up a set of long, winding stairs. At the top was a red velvet curtain. I brushed past it, following Helen into wherever she was leading me. And then I realized it.
“Hello. I've been waiting to meet you,” the girl said from behind the chair. She slowly stood up, her cream dress falling in ruffles around her slender body. She had olive skin, her hair a hazelnut color; same as her eyes. “I am Princess Zinovia.”
“I know who you are,” I said with a nod, not bothering to
curtsy. “I met you in Astodia a very long time ago. Forgive me for not remembering your name.” I had just realized who she was. Her father had passed recently and her mother had died during childbirth delivering her brother, only for the people to find out that he hadn’t lived through it either. But Zinovia had not yet been crowned queen. “What do you need from me?”
She smiled. “It's not what I need from you; it's what you need from me.”
Her accent was different. She skimmed over her r's as if they barely existed in the word, and talked clearly and respectfully. Elegantly.
“And what would I possibly need from you?”
“A job. Something to do after your flight from Astodia. You can finally settle down and live your life under the care and walls of my castle. I guarantee it.”
“How do you know about me leaving Astodia?” I asked, letting myself lean against the edge of the balcony, my back towards the crowd.
“Careful,” she smiled again. “Everyone knows about you, Adalia. I met you once, but I have not forgotten you. I don't think anyone who’s ever run into you has.” I stayed silent, waiting to hear her offer. “I want you in my castle,” she said, quick to jump to her point. “I watched your fight with that blond boy—”
“He's my friend.”
“Ah, yes. He and his sister. Twins, I've heard?” I set my jaw.
“Have you been spying on me?”
“I'm a princess after all,” she laughed. “What good is it if I don't use my powers to my advantage?” She set one dainty hand on the back of the chair as she took a few steps forward, towards me. “There are people that want to kill me,” she said,
suddenly turning serious.
“There are always people who are after the royals. What makes you any different?” I raised an eyebrow.
She shook her head.
“You don't understand. I'm the last of my family. I haven't been crowned yet because no one thinks I'm strong enough to—”
“You're a princess. Who’s stopping you?” I asked. “As far as I have seen in my time here, the kingdom adores you.”
“And I adore my kingdom,” she nodded respectfully. “But just a few days ago, there was someone in my chambers.” She seemed almost horrified. “I'd never seen him before and I—” she held her hands to her rosy red lips. “The guards got there just in time. There have been many other attempts on my life, people getting in my castle, unseen. I'm not sure how they're doing it—”
I held up a hand to silence her. She looked appalled, her eyes shocked, asking, how dare you? But I held a finger to my lips, a warning in my eyes. She stayed silent. “Guards,” I said. “See yourself out. I'm here. We don't need you.”
They waited for the princess to give them the order, their expressions confused as they turned to her. She looked at me, furrowing her eyebrows.
“I will give a call if I need you,” she said with a smile, but when she turned to me her face was still confused. The guards exited. Lowering my voice, I continued.
“Your own guards are letting them in.”
“What?” She laughed as if she couldn't believe what I was saying.
“Are they supposed to be listening so intently to our conversation?” I gestured towards the spots they were standing in just a few moments ago. “So much that they were leaning to catch a few words while we spoke?”
“I don't understand. They were so loyal to my father—” I
stopped her from going any further.
“They don’t see you fit to rule Crea,” I said, sighing. “You're too young.”
“I—”
“That's usually the case. If your guards were serious about their duty, there's no way an unidentified man could sneak into your chambers with them outside.”
The princess sat on her chair, pressing the tips of her fingers to her eyes. “Oh.”
I nodded. “They need to be replaced. Since this conversation is now over, I must return below and apologize once more to the boy I beat up in front of five hundred people.” I turned away from the rails, heading back to the staircase.
“Wait!” she called, getting to her feet as I brushed past the curtains. I stopped. What more could she want? “I need you in my castle. Please. I will pay you whatever you need but I cannot take care of my guards alone. You are strong and brave and you have done this before in your previous years.” She looked distressed.
“I . . .” I couldn't. I couldn't go back to my old ways in a castle when I'd just started over so far away. Memories came rushing into my head and I felt my lungs start to close up.
Not now, I warned them. Don't you dare shut down on me. I need both of you right now.
I took a long, deep breath and faced Princess Zinovia.
“I'll need time to think about it.”
“Of course,” she nodded, a relieved expression on her face. “Take all the time you need.”
“Oh, and, Princess?” I said, pushing the curtains out of my way. She turned to me, brushing a lock of dark hair behind her ear. “Keep a close eye on your guards. Mistakes do happen.”
The next few days, all I could think about was her offer.
I ran my hands through my long hair as I sat in the tub, my fingers turning pruney.
"You waste too much water!" Jax yelled as he smacked the door with the base of his fist.
"I apologize!" I shouted back, which is what I had literally been doing since my battle with Jax. He was still sour about my win, and I was starting to get annoyed. There was a limit to my apologies, and I had crossed it just for him. I climbed out and dressed quickly, pulling open the door.
"It's not my fault you lost," I said in his face as he scowled.
"You weren't even supposed to be back in the Battles," he sneered. I patted his chest.
"Don't worry. I could easily crush you outside the Battles, anytime, anywhere."
He muttered a string of curses under his breath as he pushed past me and shut the door behind him. I smirked, running a comb through my hair.
I found my way outside, shutting the door behind me and sitting on the doorstep. It was comforting to watch people walk around, going on with their daily routine. Nothing was different for them.
They hadn't murdered countless people. They hadn’t worked for a king. They hadn't caused the death of someone they loved.
I buried my face in my hands as I thought of Xavier. He would be looking at me right now and shaking his head.
"Are you sure you want to take the offer?" he would say. "Adalia, you know I love you, but I don't think this is a very good idea. You'll be back where you started."
And then I would say, "Xavier, you idiot, it's my choice. I'll be fine. I can handle anything, remember?" And he would smile and nod and let me do whatever I wanted.
Because he’d meant it. He really had loved me.
There was a gentle breeze, the ends of my long, dark hair blowing in the wind, drying out slowly. I stared at my old boots.
Isabel was to be in the Battles in an hour, so I shut down the thinking part of my brain. I had other things to worry about.
I tightened my belt and stood on a chair in the stands, trying to get a clear view over the top of a very tall man’s head.
“No, Isabel!” I jumped up. “The other way!” I watched as the man charged at her, knocking her off her feet. “No,” I groaned. Jax appeared behind me, grabbing my calf to get my attention.
“How is she doing?”
I winced. “Not so well.” He held out a hand and I pulled him up as we both tried to balance our weight on the small chair.
“Oh. I see.” Jax seemed to have forgotten his anger towards me as he watched his sister being pummeled to the ground. “Damn it. That will leave a mark.”
“Just keep going!” I shouted, cupping my hands around my lips. “Isabel, go for his legs! He has a limp!”
Jax turned to me, raising an eyebrow. “How do you notice these things?”
“Focus,” I chided. “Your sister is being crushed out there.” Suddenly, Isabel rolled on the ground, grabbing for her knife. She went for his leg, although I was sure she hadn’t heard me over the loud shouting and cheering.
“I don’t think she noticed the limp,” Jax chuckled. “His legs were the closest to her at the time.”
“Good work!” I shouted, trying to jump up, but in my excitement I slipped, losing my balance. I would’ve been on the ground in seconds if it hadn’t been for Jax’s quick reflexes. He caught me under my waist and pulled me right back up, his heartbeat loud against mine.
The Four Kingdoms Page 4
