by Ian Gregoire
No power in the world would make her admit to that, Kayden realised. She didn’t want it to be true, so it wasn’t. “I already told you, I’m not jealous,” she replied. “What you do, and who you do it with, is no concern of mine. You can lay down with Neryssa all night for all I care.”
Even to her own ears the assertion didn’t sound entirely convincing. But it was her final word on the matter; she caught sight of Neryssa walking towards them.
“Let me guess,” said Neryssa, halting at Lazar’s side. “Kayden wanted to warn you against trying to seduce me tonight?”
Lazar held Kayden’s gaze for a drawn-out moment before glancing sideways at Neryssa. “Words to that effect,” he replied. “Are you ready to go?”
“Oh, yes,” said Neryssa, enthusiastically. “I wouldn’t miss this for anything.”
Not wishing to watch the pair depart together, Kayden told Neryssa that she had a favour to do for the head stableman. She wished her friend a good time in Timaris then made her way back to the stables, where Ruso wasted no time in getting her to sit down to narrate the story of her completion of the supposedly impossible ‘capture the box’ exercise. She duly obliged him, though she left out some of the less savoury aspects of her actions that night, and the other stablemen listened in while pretending to be hard at work. To her surprise, and much to her annoyance, Ruso seemed less than impressed by what he heard, but he was as good as his word in allowing her to leave once the tale was told.
Making her way to the mess hall, Kayden glanced up at the clock tower. The time was fast approaching a quarter-hour past Twentieth Hour, and her heart sank. There were still enough hours left in the day for Master Briselda to give her at least one more tedious chore to do, if her reprieve from stable duty was noticed. She would just have to make sure the old bag didn’t find her before Twenty-Second Hour—the time she was expected to be finished in the stables. It was unlikely she’d be given anything else to do after that time, despite Fay’s assertion that she would be at Briselda’s disposal until midnight.
The mess hall was still almost half full when Kayden entered. She proceeded to the serving counter where her meal was dished up. Departing with her tray laden with food, she ambled down an aisle trying to decide where to sit. She halted abruptly when she heard and saw Master Briselda seated at the table she was approaching, dining with Sister Elsa, Master Darrian, and Master Isko. Slowly, Kayden turned around and sat down on the end of the bench at the closest table, keeping her back to the eating instructors. Setting her tray down, she hunched over her meal, hoping Briselda remained oblivious to her nearby presence. As she ate her first mouthful of rice she noticed the hush that had descended upon the table like a cold chill. She glanced at the other six diners gathered around the table, and found them staring silently at her with a mixture of curiosity and awe. The pubescent-looking kids were obviously level one apprentices and probably surprised to have an older apprentice sitting down at the same table as them.
“Stop staring!” demanded Kayden in a strangled whisper.
The apprentices, as one, looked away, returning their attention to their meals, followed by the gradual resumption of their interrupted small-talk. Kayden, likewise, continued her own meal. While she ate, thoughts of Neryssa discovering the joys of Lazar’s company tormented her. She did her best to purge the images from her mind, turning her thoughts to the one-woman mission she had been tentatively planning since Master Briselda disrespected her in the privy that morning. She knew what needed to be done, and she had a vague idea of how she would accomplish it, but try as she might she just couldn’t focus on the details. Fortunately, she still had a week to put all the pieces together.
Kayden’s competing thoughts kept her so preoccupied and distracted she had no idea how much time had elapsed when Master Briselda halted at her side.
“The bell for Twentieth Hour sounded ages ago, and you’re still here stuffing your face?” said Briselda, leaning a hand on the table, looking down at Kayden. “You should be in the stables mucking out horses.”
Peering up at the woman, Kayden sighed before replying, “I went on stable duty an hour early. Once I’d done everything Ruso asked of me he let me off early, too.”
Briselda sneered. “I can guess what kind of favours you did to get out of doing a full shift.”
The subtle barb was muttered in an off-handed manner, but Kayden recognised the disrespectful sentiment behind the words. “Go ahead. Keep insinuating that I’m a whore, if you must,” she said, adopting her mother tongue. “But I suggest you update your will first, you ugly bitch!”
“What did you say?” said Briselda, looking and sounding perplexed.
A forced half-smile curled Kayden’s lips. “I was just quoting an old Zenoshanese proverb about the virtues of hard work, Master.”
Silently, Briselda scrutinised her for a protracted moment. She was almost certainly wondering if she had just been insulted. The eventual change in her expression indicated that she’d reached the correct conclusion. “Well, now that you’ve finished eating I’ll find something else for you to do.” She appeared to want to say more but thought better of it.
“I’m not finished. I haven’t had dessert yet,” Kayden countered. “But if you come and find me at say… Twenty-Second Hour? Maybe I’ll be able to make time for you then.”
Leaning in closer, Briselda said. “You have until I’ve arranged the remainder of your night.” She smiled triumphantly. “I’ll be back shortly so eat up quickly.”
As Briselda departed, Kayden didn’t spare the woman a second glance. She set about finishing what was left of her dinner, and quickly cleaned her plate. Reaching for the table’s pitcher of water, she refilled her mug and gulped down the cool, thirst-quenching liquid. Certain that Master Briselda would be true to her word and return soon, Kayden promptly strolled to the serving counter for dessert, opting for a slice of apple and pear pie, drenched in cream. Plate in hand, ready to return to her table, she thanked the lady who’d served her, but delayed her departure from the counter. Her attention was drawn to the nearby door used by the kitchen staff, where she saw Master Briselda exiting. Their eyes locked, briefly, but the Sanatsai instructor merely smirked and continued on her way.
What is that insufferable old bag up to? Kayden wondered, before immediately dismissing the thought. The answer to the question would be made known soon enough—of that she had no doubt—so she returned to her table to eat. As usual, dessert was a joy, brightening her mood with every mouthful. She barely noticed when Master Briselda sat down at the table across from her, watching her eat. Raising another spoonful to her lips, she hesitated, waiting for the woman to pester her. But Briselda said nothing, the expression on her face remaining neutral. Kayden continued to eat, doing her best to ignore the presence of the unwelcome spectator. By the time she swallowed her last mouthful of pie, the other apprentices who’d been seated at her table were gone, having vacated their seats shortly after Master Briselda’s arrival.
“Is there a problem?” said Kayden, setting her spoon down on her empty plate.
“No. No problem at all,” replied Briselda. “I just thought you’d like to know what your final task of the day is.”
Kayden sighed, her wordless cue for Briselda to get on with it.
“You may have noticed that the mess hall is a little short-handed at the moment.” Briselda looked like a woman trying to suppress an outburst of laughter. “Apparently, a renowned troubadour is performing in Timaris this evening, and Rayshio, the head cook, has seen fit to allow some of his staff to attend the event. In order to minimise any potential disruption, I have kindly placed you at his disposal, to help with cleaning up tonight.”
Doing her best to keep her composure, Kayden found herself imagining how long it would take to wash all the utensils, plates, bowls, cups, and cutlery used to feed almost four hundred apprentices, plus dozens of campus staff members.
“You’re free to do whatever you want for the time being,�
� continued Briselda. “Just make sure you’re back here by the time the doors close at Twenty-Second Hour to assist the kitchen staff.” She rose to her feet in preparation to leave. “And one more thing. Irrespective of what time you get to bed, I expect you come to me in the administration building no later than Eighth Hour tomorrow morning.”
Kayden remained seated as Briselda departed. Pursing her lips, she felt even more determined to carry out the mission that would permanently eliminate the disrespect exhibited towards her by certain parties on campus. Though she hadn’t intended to start working out the details of her plan until after the weekend, there was no time like the present to begin acquiring the information she needed in order to devise a viable mission plan. She stood up and stepped away from her table, promptly making her way towards the exit.
Outside, the campus’ Zarantar-based network of hanging lanterns was active. The pale blue glow from dozens of encased illumination orbs kept the encroaching darkness at bay as the early autumn sun disappeared below the horizon. Kayden set a course for the infirmary, where she hoped to pick Sister Daria’s brain. When she arrived, she was greeted by Sister Alina, who appeared to be the only person on duty.
“So, what is it that ails you tonight, Kayden?” asked Alina.
“I’m fine, Sister,” said Kayden. “I was hoping to have a quick word with Sister Daria.”
“Oh, I’m afraid you just missed her, she’s on her way home.”
Before she could stop herself, Kayden grimaced involuntarily at the news.
“If you tell me what it’s concerning,” said Alina, “there’s a few minutes to go before the Sisters working the night shift arrive, so perhaps I can help you.”
Kayden was silent for a moment, contemplating the wisdom of speaking to Alina. The more people she involved in her scheme, no matter how minimally, the more likely Fay was to discover what she was up to and put a stop to it. And, unlike with Sister Daria, she had no leverage to ensure Alina’s silence if she became suspicious.
Looking expectantly at Kayden, Sister Alina cocked her head, waiting for an answer. Kayden decided it was worth the risk, but realised she had to come up with a plausible pretext for needing the information she sought, so as not to raise any red flags.
“Yes, I think maybe you can help me,” said Kayden. “I have an assignment for my military theory class to complete by the end of next week. I need to devise a mission plan for which I require some information about the location of a Sisterhood seminary in the Kingdom of Darmitana. Specifically, I need to know which seminary is closest to the southern border with Anzarmenia.
“Ooh, how interesting,” said Alina excitedly. “Well, that would be...” Her eyes drifted upward, a mask of thoughtful contemplation sweeping slowly across her face. “Yes, that’s it,” she said finally. “About twenty miles southwest of the city of Fantabelis is the town of Ladurona. We have a seminary a mile and a half to the southwest of there.”
A map slowly formed in Kayden’s mind as she visualised the information relayed to her by Alina. If the details were correct, then the seminary was within seven miles of the Naldashian River, which was the de facto border separating the Kingdom of Darmitana from its southern neighbour.
“What else do you need to know?” inquired Alina.
“That’s everything,” said Kayden. “But I would appreciate it if you could do me a favour and keep this conversation between us.” She noticed the immediate change in Alina’s facial expression. “I don’t want any of my classmates finding out, because they may try copy my idea,” she appended, seeking to allay any suspicion. “It’s fair to say my plan is unorthodox, so it’s inconceivable that anyone else could come up with the same thing unless they are tipped off to what I’m planning.”
Sister Alina smiled. “Yes of course,” she said. “I guess secrecy would be of paramount importance when planning a real mission for the Order. Don’t worry, no one will hear of this from me.”
Content with the Sister’s assurance, Kayden thanked Alina before departing the infirmary just as the clock tower began to chime its announcement that Twenty-First Hour had arrived. There was an hour to go until it was time for her to return to the mess hall, and she knew what she was going to do in the meantime. The library was still open for the next hour, and that was where she needed to be to brush up on her geography. It was time to study some maps in order to familiarise herself with the realm of Anzarmenia. A week from now she’d be journeying south on a manhunt to apprehend a dangerous fugitive—one believed to be long dead, yet leading a cult somewhere in southern Anzarmenia—before he could make another attempt on her life.
If everything went according to plan, when she returned to the Nine Kingdoms with the infamous Usurper King bound in chains, she would no longer be the apprentice living in her master’s shadow.
CHAPTER NINE
Woman An A Mission
Nightfall had descended upon Antaris campus, and Kayden returned to her dorm room from the bathhouse having washed away the grime, sweat, and odour of what was hopefully her final stint in the stables. She undressed at her bedside and put on a clean uniform, while giving thought to what soon lay ahead. Though the autumn holiday didn’t officially begin until after the weekend, Kayden had no intention of remaining on campus for the next two days. She had attended her last classes of the current term during the day, and tomorrow she expected to be in Anzarmenia, journeying southward on her mission to capture Josario Sandolari. But this was all dependent on overcoming the first, and possibly most difficult hurdle she had to face: persuading Fay to allow her to leave campus for the duration of the upcoming three-week holiday and gaining permission to use the Zarantar-based portal network that would eliminate two weeks’ worth of travelling time from her expedition.
Her plan didn’t take into account the possibility Fay might want to keep her confined during the holiday, so she had spent most of the day pondering a suitable pretext for needing to leave. The idea that eventually came to mind had upset her a great deal in more ways than one, but there was no doubt it had the requisite emotional punch to tug at Fay’s heartstrings. Her master simply wouldn’t be able to refuse her. Ambling to the room’s tall mirror, she examined her reflection while visualising the pending conversation with Fay in her mind.
“Who are you getting dressed up for at this time?” said Danya from her bed. She wore grey flannel pyjamas, laying on her stomach as she read a book.
“I’m not getting dressed up,” mumbled Kayden. “I’m making sure my uniform is on correctly.” In truth she was psyching herself up to visit Fay in her office. If her request was rebuffed, she would have to resort to Plan B—an outcome she wanted to avoid at all cost. The success of her mission was reliant on no one finding out what she was up to until it was too late. Plan B would mean having the Order on her tail all the way to southern Anzarmenia, trying to thwart her.
Kayden stepped away from the mirror, now ready to engage in some emotional manipulation of her master. “I wonder where she’s going?” she heard Danya say in a hushed tone as she headed for the exit. Slowing to a halt, she glanced back and saw their roommate Mirella perched on the edge of Danya’s bed beside the prone form of her fellow level ten apprentice.
“How would I know?” said Mirella. “And why would I care?”
Both apprentices fell silent as they noticed Kayden’s attention on them. Briefly she held their gaze before resuming her march towards the exit, shaking her head.
“Maybe you should care,” said Danya, keeping her voice low. “I hear she’s been laying with half the men in the stables, including that strapping stableman you keep trying to flirt with. So, maybe you could get some tips.”
Turning on her heels, Kayden stomped swiftly to the incorrigible gossip-monger’s bed, clenching her jaw.
“Hey!” she snapped, kicking the bed. “I have a rumour for you to spread around the campus: the next person I hear insinuating that I’m some kind of whore will find themselves laying face down in a ditch
somewhere.” Message delivered, she didn’t wait for an apology that would never come. Instead, she left the room, trying to refocus on what she needed to say to Fay.
Kayden stepped out into the cool outdoor air. Antaris was bathed in the pale blue glow that always illuminated the campus grounds at night. She paused long enough to glance towards the clock tower in the distance to check the time. It was approaching half past Twenty-Second Hour, so she hurriedly resumed her walk to the administration building. Fortunately, neither of the sentries standing guard at the rear entrance was Kai Delano, and they permitted her to enter without hassle. Inside, the lobby was lit by the warm glow of candlelight from wall-mounted lanterns. She approached the reception desk where Marla stood, preparing to leave for the night.
“Oh, hello my dear,” said the surprised receptionist, “I haven’t seen you here all week.” She finished buttoning up her overcoat. “I take it you’re here to see the administrator?”
“That’s right.”
“Well, you can head straight up to her office,” said Marla. “But be advised, there is a quartet of sentries patrolling the corridors. If any of them should question your presence, just let them know why you are here without causing a scene.”
Eyebrows raised, Kayden gave no voice to the umbrage she took at the assumption that she would cause a scene for no reason.
“Anyway, I’m off home now,” continued Marla cheerily. “I’ll see you again at the start of next term.”
Giving the woman a nod of acknowledgement, Kayden proceeded to the nearby staircase while Marla departed for the exit. She ascended to the top floor and strolled through empty corridors, reaching the administrator’s office without bumping into a patrol. After announcing her presence with three knocks upon the door, she felt a minor burst of Zarantar on the other side, then the door slowly swung open. She entered the room, and immediately the door closed behind her as she noted Fay’s absence from the office.
