The Battle for Astodia

by Maryam Durrani

  “I apologize, but that’s confidential,” I said, looking straight into his eyes. Fight me.

  He leaned in close, his eyes dark with malice. “Nothing is very confidential when I know about his . . . assassin.” A cold smirk formed on his thin lips. I nodded, giving him a small smile, my eyes flicking to his drink.

  “Too bad that information isn’t going anywhere.” The corners of my lips turned up into a sly smirk.

  Suddenly, the duke’s face turned bright red. His mouth began to foam, and he started to choke. The goblet clanged as it hit the floor, the duke following. He grabbed at his throat and retched.

  The entire room quieted down. A few women shrieked, screams ringing out. Suddenly, someone shouted, “I saw him poison the cup!”

  The accused servant was running towards the doors, and in those few seconds, I locked eyes with King Sadim. He understood.

  I leaned over the dying man as he grabbed at my dress, trying to breathe. There was blood on his mouth, ears, and nose.

  Sadim abruptly stood up and roared, “Get him!” and all hell broke loose. The servant escaped through the doors as Xavier jumped over the table and ran towards him, pulling out his sword, the guards following. The doors shut behind them and the whole room quieted down once more, all except for the gagging sounds of the duke.

  Feigned panic shook my voice. “Someone help him! Please!” I was holding his hand. The whole room erupted in chaos again, people grabbing at their throats and gagging to get rid of their drinks in case any of theirs were poisoned. I took my chance and leaned over him, whispering in his ear, “You can never escape from me. Ever, understand?”

  The duke’s eyes widened, and then his hand went slack.

  “He’s dead,” I muttered, a mock expression of horror plastered on my face.

  Everyone was dismissed.

  The kings were talking as I left the room, my job done.

  “I don’t know what happened,” King Sadim asked, glancing at me. “I’m very sorry for your loss.” No, he wasn’t.

  “Where is the boy who did this?” King Adrean asked furiously. “He must be punished.”

  “And he will be,” King Sadim nodded agreeably. “He’ll be

  executed as soon as he is found. Did you . . . see his face?”

  I knew what he was thinking.

  “No, he got away before I could.” King Adrean stroked his blond beard. Sadim was satisfied.

  Then I left, closing the doors behind me.

  Xavier was waiting patiently outside. He motioned for me to follow him, which I did without a word. He led me to the stairs of the dungeon where all the people I’d captured were kept. He pulled a torch off the wall and checked behind him to make sure I was there, and then he continued down the steps where the criminals were.

  As soon as they heard us, they started screaming, crying, wailing, and jeering. It was a madhouse down here, but I ignored them. I was used to it. Rats scurried along the cold stone floor, and a disgusting smell of waste and vomit hit us hard. I focused my gaze on Xavier’s back, who took me to a cell. He unlocked it with a key from his belt and swung it open.

  The boy inside stood up and bowed to the prince.

  “I did as I was told, Your Highness,” the servant boy who’d poisoned the goblet said.

  “You did wonderfully.” Xavier tossed a bag of coins in his hand. “Lay low. Make sure no one sees you until all the commotion dies down. Then, you must leave. Go far, far away. Do not return.”

  “Anything you say, Your Highness. I will always be loyal to you. And you,” he said to me, looking at his shoes.

  “I won’t stab you,” I scoffed, crossing my arms over my chest. I didn’t care, but sometimes their unnecessary fear got to me. I hurt people when I had a reason to, not just for the fun of it.

  “You sound like you will,” Xavier looked at me through the corner of his eyes, and I glanced at him coldly. “Come on,” he said, motioning for me to follow him.

  “I—”

  He grabbed my arm. “You need to clear your head. Do you like tarts? Pies? Pastries?”

  “I have more important things to do than to eat sweets.”

  “And that’s where you’re wrong,” he winked. “Nothing is

  better than sweet things.”

  I rolled my eyes, but that didn’t stop him from whisking me out of the dungeons and outside the castle gates.

  Xavier squinted his eyes, observing me, as if he wanted to say something.

  “What?” I asked, my mouth full.

  “You like blackberries?”

  “Yes. What’s the problem?”

  He shrugged. “They’re not very tasty.”

  “Blackberries are delicious. I named my cat after them.”

  “You could’ve gotten strawberry,” he said, waving his pastry in my face.

  “Stop it.” I swatted at his hand. The wind blew in our faces as we strolled through the cobblestone streets.

  “Loosen up,” he nudged me with his elbow. After walking around for an hour, he asked, “Feeling better?” Xavier brushed his dark hair out of his eyes.

  A breeze rustled through our clothes. A redhead walked past us with her friends. She noticed Xavier and clapped her hands over her mouth. Xavier, being the charming prince he was, waved at her. Her face turned bright red and she waved back with such excitement, I was taken aback. Xavier wasn’t all that.

  Was he?

  I took a look at the dark-haired prince next to me. Xavier was not too bad. He was taller than me by a few inches, his frame broad . . . Not too lean or muscular. If I had to name a favorite thing about him, though, it would be his unique eyes. They were the most unique shade of light brown, almost a . . . gold color.

  Suddenly, he leaned towards me. I almost choked on a berry, feeling my face heat up.

  “Do you think she might stay quiet if I give her my pie?”

  “I think she’ll faint if you do,” I managed to say.

  “We wouldn’t want that, would we?” Xavier nudged me again. He laughed.

  I smiled.

  King Sadim called me to the throne room the next day.

  “Good morning, Your Majesty.”

  “I have something to discuss with you.” He stroked his beard, the crown slightly tilted on his head.

  “Anything.”

  He got to his feet, slowly stepping off the dais. He began to pace. “Do you know why I needed the duke dead?”

  I shook my head. “You decided I didn’t need to know such things and my job was only to carry out your orders.”

  “Yes, but this you need to know,” he said, stroking his beard again. “Duke Charleston of Dystalphi was a part of a secret organization; the rebel army. They’ve been growing secretly in select locations all around the kingdom. But, I have spies set in their lairs. They bring me information. For the past three years, I’ve sent you to assassinate their leaders. My spies give me information about where they’re staying, who they are, what they do, and where they’re from. And then, I send you to end them before they can bring harm to this kingdom.”

  “I see.”

  “They’re very good at staying hidden. They know things about me and would love to remove me from my throne, and if they become strong enough, they can take over this kingdom. Without a leader that is impossible, which is why I have them

  eliminated.”

  Why hadn’t he told me this before? Why now, of all times?

  “My spies are dying,” he explained as if he had read my mind. “They’re not as trained as you, not as subtle. They’re getting found and killed on the spot, and I have but a few left. I want you to get in there.”

  Of course. That made so much more sense.

  “You want me to eliminate someone?” I asked, shifting my weight on my right leg.

  He paused. “No, I just want you to watch them. I need you to stay in there for a few days and learn more about what they want and why they exist. Have them trust you, and when you get close enough, I want you to
bring me the leader’s daughter.”

  “There’s a new leader?” I asked, masking my surprise. That was fast. They knew what they were doing, but the real reason behind the formation of the rebel army was still unclear to me.

  “There’s always a backup,” he explained, stroking his beard. “There are three main leaders. They are the ones that control everything—from the new arrivals to the routes that take you from base to base without being noticed. They never allow any information to leak, and they also never leave their headquarters which is why it’s hard to catch them.

  “One of the leaders has a child. Bring it to me as a hostage. Only then can I rid of the rebel army entirely.” I was about to tell him that he would never get rid of rebels and that there would always be people that didn’t agree with something, but

  I decided to keep my mouth shut for the best.

  “I understand, Your Majesty,” I bowed, my dark hair rolling off my shoulders.

  He nodded, worry lines creased all over his face.

  “Dismissed.”

  I left him alone to pace.

  King Sadim would notify me when it was the right time for me to set off. I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone because servants gossiped a lot and if word got to anyone from the rebel army, they’d hide the child.

  I wondered if it was a baby.

  I wondered if it would die—if I’d be the one who had to kill it.

  I went straight to my chambers to spend the rest of my day there. As I entered the room, I paused in the doorway for a brief moment.

  No wonder no one came up here.

  Along the walls were dartboards that I stole from a tavern and used for knife-throwing practice. There were shelves where various weapons were laid out. This room was so dangerous that only me, the king, and Xavier owned the keys to it. Xavier had stolen the spare ones from me and refused to return it, claiming that, as the prince, he had full authority over what I owned.

  There were daggers, knives, swords, bows and arrows, and clubs with spikes that I never used—they were too heavy duty. On one of the boot racks were shoes with blades hidden in the front so that when you clicked the toes together a certain way, they’d pop out. I didn’t reach for them much—sometimes they revealed themselves at the wrong times, and sometimes they decided not to show when you were in dire need of them. There were hammers, axes, and hundreds of concoctions of poisons and antidotes.

  I shut the door and locked it, proceeding to lie on my bed when I suddenly realized someone was already in the room. With one quick movement, I ripped out my dagger and pressed it to Xavier’s neck. He leaned against the wall.

  “Give me that key,” I hissed.

  “Get a hold of yourself,” he pushed me away roughly. “What are you going to do, look through my pockets?”

  I narrowed my eyes at him coldly. “You’re not allowed in my room without my permission.”

  “But you’re not allowed in my castle without my permission.”

  “It’s not your castle.”

  “It is if I’m of royal blood.” He smirked, sitting on a nearby chair and resting his elbows on the armrests, his legs crossed. His watchful eyes held me under their knowing stare.

  “What do you want?” I said, crossing my arms over my chest.

  “I know you so well, yet I still feel like a barely know you at all,” he said, leaving my question hanging.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You’re so calm and collected when you’re talking to others. You never betray your emotions. You never let anyone read you. But when I’m with you, it’s different. Don’t make that face.” He smiled, shaking his head. “You know it’s true.”

  I wrinkled my nose, walking towards the door.

  “It’s time for you to leave.”

  “It’s true, isn’t it?”

  “Leave,” I commanded. My voice was hard.

  “I’ll leave if you admit the truth.”

  “What are you talking about?” I scowled.

  I turned to see him staring at my face, trying to find an answer as if what he was looking for would magically appear on my forehead. “Stop it,” I growled.

  “See? There you go,” he waved his hand towards me to prove his point.

  There were two glowing red spots on my cheeks.

  An assassin doesn’t betray herself.

  “You’re still doing it,” he sighed, resting his chin on his fist.

  I grabbed a pillow, hurling it at his face which he dodged easily. I threw another one at him. “I have nothing to hide, understand? I told you things I shouldn’t have. And you know what?” I asked, leaning into his face for effect, “I do regret it. So don’t feel too special.”

  He stood up, and a smile spread across his face.

  “Do you want a hug?” He spread his arms, stepping towards me.

  “Get away from me!” I pushed him. “Get off me before I punch your teeth down your throat.”

  “You wouldn’t. You love me.”

  “Xavier, get out!” I exploded, pushing him out the door. He just doubled over as I used all my strength against him. “Get. Out.”

  “Not until you say it,” he sang.

  “Idiot,” I smacked his face with a nearby pillow. He blinked his golden eyes a few times.

  “I know it, you know it, everyone knows it,” he suddenly said, his voice low. He straightened himself, looking down at me. Xavier’s golden eyes focused on me, giving me all their

  attention.

  “You love me.”

  I stared at him, feeling my breath hitch.

  “I—” My mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water.

  He smirked, which knocked me back to my senses. I grabbed his arms, spinning him around, and pushed him out the door.

  “Keep saying that to yourself!” I yelled as loud as I could, kicking the door so angrily I heard the wood crack. “I never want to see your face again!”

  “Love!” he yelled from outside. His voice came muffled. Everyone could probably hear him.

  I pressed my back against the door, sliding down. I rubbed my burning face and inhaled deeply. I was going to get him back. There was no way he could humiliate me like that and get away with it.

  FIVE

  The handmaiden, Lorelle, walked into the room. She smiled.

  “M’lady,” she greeted.

  “What do you want?” I asked flatly, pulling off my leather jacket.

  “I’m here to give you your clothes.” Her blue eyes twinkled, silky brown hair set in a bun above her head. She was beautiful, and she would’ve been married by now if her status was just a bit higher. But, she needed to work. She probably had to support her parents, her siblings. Who had time for marriage?

  Pants and tunics were slung over her right arm as she walked over to my wardrobe and began setting them neatly in there.

  “I’ve never seen you smile before,” I heard Lorelle say.

  “Excuse me?” I raised my eyebrows coldly. “What are you talking about?” I fell back on my bed with a thud, resting my arms behind my head.

  “You’d look beautiful if you smiled. And people wouldn’t be that afraid of you.”

  I stared up at the ceiling, letting out a deep breath. I didn’t reply. Why was everyone so interested in my life?

  “You’re not that scary,” she shrugged.

  I sat up and glanced at the weapons on the shelves. She peeked over her shoulder consciously towards where I was looking, but shook her head with a small smile, “You have a soft side deep down.”

  “Is that right? Well, then you don’t know me as well as you think,” I waved her off carelessly.

  She giggled. “I think I can tell who you are by listening to Prince Xavier,” her cheeks flushed. “He’s been walking around, announcing he has a new lover.”

  I felt my face start to burn, narrowing my eyes. “Did he mention anyone’s name?”

  “Of course—it was Adalia, the world’s sweetest assassin.” I jumped off the bed, my
vision blurring with anger.

  “I’ll kill him. I’ll poison him. I will shoot him, and when he dies, I’ll kill him again.”

  I barged into his throne room where his lean body lay across his throne lazily, his head propped up on his fist. His scarlet cape lay around the throne carelessly, brushing the floor with its black edges.

  “You’re dead.”

  “Why?” he asked. “Couldn’t handle the truth?”

  “You’re dead.”

  “Your face is bright red.”

  “Dead, I’m telling you,” I growled.

  “Want to play checkers?” he drawled, a teasing smile appearing across his lips.

  “Never in my life,” I snarled. “Stop spreading lies about me.” He didn’t answer. “Stop smiling.”

  “Why do you care so much about what I’m doing?” he

  pouted.

  “Just stop saying things about me. I don’t appreciate it.” I was debating whether the king would be pleased or not if I got rid of his son forever.

  He seemed to go into deep thought, squinting at me, his lips pursed. The silence felt like it would go on for hours when finally, Xavier sighed.

  “Alright.”

  “Good.” I crossed my arms over my chest, boot tapping against the floor.

  “Father says you’re leaving in a week,” Xavier smiled, a dimple appearing in his left cheek. “Do you need help with anything? Should I arrange for someone to go with you?”

  “Why do you care?” I asked, an idea popping into my head.

  “I’m just . . .” he frowned. “Wait, don’t do that.”

  “I mean, do you . . . do you care about me?” I continued to imitate him, feeling a sudden surge of power. “Do you?” I asked with as much ice in my words as possible.

  “No,” he said abruptly. “I mean of course. You protect our kingdom.”

  “Are you sure that’s the reason, Xavier?” I batted my eyelashes sweetly. He looked confused, startled almost.

  “Stop tapping your shoe, it’s irritating.”