by Jones, Heath
“We don’t have it,” Theolin replies.
“To move this quickly, it… it’s suicide,” I say.
“What do you think will happen when they break Rose?” Alek asks. “They’ll know to come for us. Besides, we’re as good as dead anyway.”
“You’ve been as good as dead since Farley,” Theolin sneers.
Alek rounds on her. “So what if I have? My family, my friends, they were all killed. I watched a Peace Bringer…” Surprisingly, he chokes up for a moment. “I saw what they did,” he continues. “What have I had to live for since then? Nothing, except the hope of plunging a knife into the emperor’s chest! Well, here’s my chance to at least die for something.”
“But I didn’t come here to die,” I say. “I came to end the war.”
“And save your father,” Theolin says. “It’s too late for that though, isn’t it?”
“Arguing doesn’t get us anywhere,” Jarryd interrupts before I can bark back a reply. “But to attack tomorrow night? It would be futile.”
“So you want to give up?” Aveline challenges him.
“Of course not!” Jarryd replies. “But we can’t - ”
“We’re not giving up,” Alek interrupts. “We’re finishing what we came here to do.”
“What Fairgrey brought us here to do,” Theolin adds darkly.
“We all chose to come here,” Aveline snaps, rounding on Theolin. “If we don’t stick together now, we might as well be dead already.” The intensity in her eyes holds Theolin’s gaze.
“Fine,” Theolin says, breaking her eyes away and turning to me. “I’m not some naïve child who followed your lead, Fairgrey. I’m here for the same reason you are. Whatever happens, I’m committed.”
Whatever happens. Dying, she means. Dying while attempting to assassinate the emperor. Dying, just like Rose surely will after they… Rose, my oldest friend, what will they to do to you?
I slump against the wall. Is this it? Is this what we’ve come to? After all those months of training, the pleading for our permits, all we have left is… what? A hope that luck will deliver us weapons, that luck will get us into the emperor’s Palace, that luck will keep us alive long enough to find him, and that luck will help us kill him. Before luck deserts us and we are caught and executed. Whether luck turns its face towards us or not, either way we are bound to end up dead.
My mind rebels at that cheery thought. But why? I came all this way to assassinate the emperor. Other than saving my father, as Theolin so spitefully pointed out, that was my only goal. After that… I’ve had no thoughts beyond killing Tigranik. Did I simply assume I would… what? Survive? Did I really come all this way to survive? The only answer that comes to me is… no. I came here to kill the emperor and end his war, whatever the cost. Yet, I still want to live. Don’t I?
“What’s our plan?” I ask.
An hour later I am gazing up at the walls enclosing the Royal Palace. If the wall surrounding the Royal District is intended to dazzle and impress, this wall is much taller and purely functional. Solid, smoothly dressed stone is capped with a layer of overhanging tiles. The street winds its way towards the gate, which, surprisingly, is open. Peace Bringers stand guard in the shade of the arched entryway, carefully watching all who pass by. I can’t believe they are allowing people through without stopping them – this is Tikgranik’s residence! Not questioning their orders, I blend into the small stream of people heading through the gate, carefully avoiding eye contact with the Peace Bringers.
The gate leads into a wide, open, stone-paved courtyard, large enough to hold thousands. It is said that from this courtyard Tigranik reviews his armies before sending them out to kill and die for him in far off countries. I shudder at the prospect of an entire army being gathered where I now stand. At the moment though it is filled with gawking visitors like me, as well as vigilant Peace Bringers making sure we are aware of their presence. The visitors surprise me. They hold no fear of this place, but rather seem to be in awe of it, and of the emperor who resides here. It seems there is reverence for the emperor everywhere, the more so the closer he is. I shake my head, not knowing what to make of that thought.
At the far end of the courtyard is the palace proper – the very heart of the empire. Ten wide steps lead up to two massive, oaken doors, guarded by more Peace Bringers. The three-story mass of solid, grey stone is in stark contrast to the graceful beauty of the rest of the Royal District. It looks more like a fortress than a palace. The Peace Bringers bar access to the palace and anyone who approaches too close to the steps is quickly greeted with a bared sword and ushered away with a threatening scowl. A few smaller doors are littered along the length of the palace, probably for servants, and these too have a guard in front of each.
The shaped stone blocks of the palace are closely fitted, and the mortar holding them together completely fills any gaps, leaving a smooth surface with no hand or footholds. There are no windows on the ground floor, and the windows on the second and third floors are more like arrowslits than actual windows. No one could fit in through them.
I’m here to look for a way into the palace. That’s my job, and Jarryd’s. The best approach, we all agreed, was to split up and carry out our tasks individually. So, thankfully, Jarryd is scouting elsewhere. Theolin and Alek are trying to find weapons for us, while Aveline is tasked with learning about the inside of the palace and where Tigranik is likely to be. We’ll all meet up before sundown to report back at the Gate of Blue Waters, then we have the rest of the night and tomorrow to come up with a plan. I’m trying not to think about how hopeless our chances are.
Letting my eyes wander while pretending to be awestruck by everything around me, a movement from above catches my eye. On the rooftop of a building outside the palace wall, a Peace Bringer is watching me. My breathe catches, but then his attention turns elsewhere, sweeping over all corners of the courtyard. I wait to see if he looks back at me, but he is watching everyone and shows no particular interest in me.
My relief is short-lived. Scanning across the skyline I see Peace Bringers on other rooftops. Each of them is in a different position where they can keep watch on a different section of the palace or courtyard. Just more complications in a growing list of difficulties.
The stone-paving of the courtyard continues in a narrow path around the palace. Joining with other wide-eyed visitors, I follow the path around to the rear of the palace, where it opens into a large, sprawling garden. Walkways flow between fountains and flower beds, allowing visitors access to every corner of the spacious garden. It is beautiful, but also keenly guarded. No matter where I wander, I am always under the watchful gaze of the ever-present Peace Bringers. There is nowhere for us to hide in this garden, so I turn back to the palace.
Just like the Square of Harmony and Unity, a wide, stone-paved keep out zone separates the garden from the rear of the palace. Peace Bringers march back and forth across it, their intense gaze seemingly everywhere at once.
Although I can’t enter the palace, I’m genuinely surprised that I can approach this close. The emperor has taken every conceivable precaution to ensure his own safety, yet he still allows people within a few metres of his residence. Under constant guard to be sure, but still. I don’t understand why he would allow it.
Focusing my attention back on the palace, I search for a way in. There is one double door, as well as a few single doors, which lead out onto the keep out zone. The rear of the palace is no different from the front – the walls are smooth, with arrowslits for windows, and no way up.
Curiously, a garden has been planted at the back of the palace rooftop, where green treetops tower above the walls. Even though there is a beautiful garden here behind the palace, the sight of the trees on top of the palace is incongruous with the squat, stone building itself. I wonder what it could be for. Perhaps it is a refuge for Tigranik, somewhere for him to recline after planning the deaths of thousands? Shrugging, I continue my inspection of the palace while trying to look like a simple country
girl strolling around in awestruck wonder.
With the light beginning to fade I head back to the Gate of Blue Waters. The winding streets really are confusing, and I lose my way so many times the sun has almost set by the time I finally re-join the others at the gate.
“I thought you might have been hurt,” Jarryd says, the relief pleasingly obvious on his face.
“No, I just kept getting lost,” I reply, embarrassed.
They are already crowded around the Peace Bringer who is looking over their permits. She scowls at each of them in turn before turning to me.
“Permit!” she barks.
I hand it over and wait while she examines it.
“Where are you staying?” she asks at last.
“The Sleeping Blossom,” Aveline replies.
The woman nods her head but continues to study us with suspicion.
“What is your purpose for being in the Royal District?” she asks.
“We’re just visiting some friends,” Jarryd replies.
“And enjoying the sights,” Theolin adds flatly.
The woman seems to be weighing our words as she regards each of us slowly in turn. After a long moment, her scowl finally softens, and she hands back our permits. “Everything is in order. Report here again the same time tomorrow.”
We mumble our thanks then hastily make our way back towards The Sleeping Blossom. By unspoken agreement, none of us discuss our day’s task. Instead, we talk about trivial things, like the sights we saw today. After being betrayed by the woman in the green coat, we know that anyone could be listening, watching us, and waiting for a wrong word or suspicious action. So, we continue the act of naïve country travellers, gawking at everything around us, until we are back in our room.
“Cut the small talk,” Theolin says as soon as the door is closed. “What have we learned?”
“Butchers don’t keep a close enough eye on their tools,” Alek says. We watch as he pries loose a floorboard, then pulls out knife after knife from underneath. “Five different butchers, one knife from each. Only small ones, so hopefully they won’t be missed, but be careful - they’re sharp.”
“Impressive,” Theolin says. “I only got two,” she adds, pulling them out of her sleeves.
We each take a knife, with Theolin and Alek taking two. I carefully feel the blade and instantly draw blood. They are sharp! I ignore the smirk on Theolin’s face.
“What about you?” Theolin asks me.
“Nothing easy,” I reply, “but the back of the palace is probably better than the front.” I describe what I saw, but not with much conviction. When I’ve finished, the others are looking at me sombrely.
“Might as well try digging our way in,” Alek mumbles.
“That could be our safest bet,” Jarryd says drily. “Peace Bringers are stationed on the nearby rooftops. They have an unrestricted view of the palace grounds and all approaches to the palace itself. We need to take them out before we make our attempt to enter the palace.”
The others simply nod – it is just one more factor weighing against us to consider in our planning.
“I have an idea of the layout inside the palace,” Aveline says. “I’ll draw up a map and we’ll add in everything else we know.”
It doesn’t take long for her to draw a detailed map of the palace grounds, including the surrounding buildings outside the wall, and another of the inside of the palace. “The emperor’s sleeping quarters are on the top level, on the west side, here,” she says, circling the room she has drawn. “There’s an outdoor garden behind it where he likes to sit in private and contemplate the war. And by private, I mean surrounded by guards - just like everywhere else in the palace. The whole building has been built to withstand an assault by an invading army, so the corridors are as confusing as the Royal District’s streets. There’s a lot of switchbacks, and guards are concealed in hidden boltholes everywhere.”
“How did you learn so much?” I ask.
“Parts of it we already knew,” Aveline replies. “For the rest – buying someone a drink in a tavern is all the inducement needed to loosen their tongue.”
“So long as they don’t start talking about you,” Theolin says.
“We only have one more day,” Aveline fires back. “Did you want the information or not?”
Theolin glares at her but wisely holds her tongue.
“The third floor – is that where you expect we’ll find him?” Alek asks.
Aveline sighs. “I don’t know,” she concedes. “If we attack late enough at night, probably. But he could still be in any of the other rooms or holding a war council in one of the large chambers on the ground floor. I just don’t know.”
“At least it’s something,” Theolin says conciliatorily, though through gritted teeth.
I draw in the approach I think we need to take to get inside the palace and Jarryd marks all the buildings beyond the wall where we both spotted Peace Bringers – seven in all. “But there could be more I didn’t see,” he admits. “The other problem is it appears as though each of the watchers can see the watcher on the rooftop either side of them.”
“Meaning?” Alek asks.
“Meaning if we take one out, two others will know about it,” I reply.
Once this sinks in, Alek says, “So we need to take them all out at once.”
“With only five of us and seven of them, how do you propose we do that?” Theolin asks.
The arguments and bickering begin again. The only thing that is certain is that none of us have a clear idea of how we will get into the palace. We argue into the night. At one point, Aveline throws her hands up and storms out, claiming we need an escape route from The Sleeping Blossom if we are discovered. The stress and the tension are taking their toll on all of us, fraying our nerves, making us irritable and snappy. Taking my turn to keep watch outside the inn proves a welcome relief – it is a good excuse to be away from the others.
Eventually, after too many hours of talking, we settle on a plan. It isn’t elegant, and none of us like it, but it is all we can agree upon. As Jarryd reminds us, we’re all dependent upon each other. With trepidation I realise the gravity of what he means – I’m dependent upon each of them, just as they are all dependent upon me. They trust me to fulfil my part. I have a responsibility, not just in some vague sense of ending the war, but a real responsibility to complete my role in our plan. But… what if I fail? What if the others realise I’m not as good as they believe me to be and lose trust in me? What if… what if I’m not actually that good? We could all die and it will be my fault because I wasn’t good enough to do what needed to be done.
I close my eyes and drift off into a fitful sleep.
CHAPTER TWENTY
The door suddenly crashes open, jolting me from my sleep, and I leap up, knife in hand.
“Peace Bringers,” Jarryd says breathlessly at the door.
The others are up too, knives ready.
“Where?” Aveline asks.
“Outside,” Jarryd replies, “I counted fifteen, just at the front. They look like they’re surrounding the inn.” He takes a breath before going on. “I think they’ve found us.”
Cursing, my mind begins to race. How can we escape if there are so many of them?
“Grab what we need,” Aveline says, “we leave now.”
I nod my head, but other than the knife I’m already holding, there’s nothing left for me to take.
“Follow me,” Aveline says, tucking her knife behind her belt.
“You go,” Alek says. “I’ll slow them down.”
“We don’t need you to,” Theolin says. “We’ve got an escape route.”
“You think they won’t have that blocked?” Alek asks. He is right, I realise forlornly – if the Peace Bringers have found us, they will have every possible exit covered. “At least I can protect your backs and give you enough time to cut your way through.”
Our eyes lock. “Alek…” I say, dread filling me with the comprehension of
what he is saying.
“Just go,” he says.
The four of us stand there, watching him, silent. I take out my knife and offer it to him.
“Do you plan on talking the emperor to death?” he asks, refusing the knife. It’s the first time I’ve heard him make a joke since we left Farley. “Besides, I’ve already got two. Go!” he says again, closing and bolting the door.
Like a coward, I turn and run, like so many times before. Climbing out the window and up onto the roof, I’m hit by the rush of cold night air. Below, I hear the door burst open, followed by the clash of steel on steel. Alek is buying us time with his own blood. I stop the tears from falling - that’s not what Alek would want me to do. Instead, I clench my jaw, determined not to let his sacrifice be in vain.
Following Aveline’s lead, we race across the roof, trying to keep our footfalls as quiet as possible. Fortunately, the rooms of The Sleeping Blossom are all adjoining and there is a single roof covering them. Just as we near the far end of the roof, the helmeted heads of Peace Bringers rise into view. Four of them pull themselves up onto the roof and stand facing us, swords in hand.
“In the name of the emperor,” the first one begins, but he doesn’t say anymore as a knife from Theolin takes him in the forehead.
Aveline reaches them first and I move to attack the Peace Bringer on the left. He lunges at me, his sword levelled at my chest. I sidestep and easily deflect his thrust with my knife, bringing my wrist back up to slash across his throat. He leans back to avoid my blade, momentarily putting him off balance. I don’t hesitate, closing on him and ramming my knife deep into his chest. He stares at me in shock before his eyes roll back. I barely manage to pull my knife free before he topples from the roof.
“We need to keep going,” Aveline says, looking over her shoulder as she stands over the bodies of the other Peace Bringers.
Following her gaze, I see more Peace Bringers climbing onto the roof behind us, coming from our room. Alek delayed them for as long as he could, but now… Alek is dead. Or captured, which will amount to the same thing soon enough.
