by M. A. Larson
One night, after a particularly windy day of training where two Leatherwolf girls had lost their dreams of becoming princesses, and one more had ended up in the Infirmary with a broken leg, the cadets trudged into the barracks and collapsed onto their bunks. Moments later Princess Copperpot entered and they had to haul their exhausted bodies back to attention. Evie’s arms and back ached as she carried her sack of letters back to her bed. She could barely think as she leafed through them absently.
“Is it possible for one’s soul to be sore?”
“Sorry, Evie,” said Maggie. “I don’t even have the strength to laugh.”
Evie glanced down at the sack and saw something that gave her a jolt. There was another dark gray parchment inside, sealed with bloodred wax.
“Maggie!” she hissed. “Look!” She lifted the corner of the parchment.
“Uh, Demetra? Could you help us with something in the latrine?” said Maggie as she shot out of bed.
Demetra, who was writing a letter, looked over in confusion. “Help you? In the latrine? No, thanks.”
“Now, please.”
Demetra set her parchment on the sill, then put on her slippers and followed them to the latrine. Evie quickly folded the letter under her nightdress before anyone else saw. Once they were all there, Evie produced the letter and tore the wax open.
“What’s that—oh,” said Demetra, her eyes going wide when she saw the dark parchment.
The three of them crowded around as Evie carefully unfolded it. As with the others, there was a parchment wrapped around another note that was written in blood. The first read, Your time is up. The only way to save yourselves is to take what they want out of the Academy. The three of them looked at one another nervously. Then Evie unfolded the blood-streaked parchment inside. It read:
Vertreiben kommen!
We take what is ours and burn the rest!
The three of them stared at the note, but no one spoke. Candles flickered across the stone walls, giving the bloody words an even more sinister edge.
“You’re right,” said Maggie. “We’ve got to find that woman.”
Cadet Rillia walked in. Evie quickly hid the letters behind her back.
“Hello,” she said.
“Hiya,” they all replied at once.
She crossed to the washbasin and began to brush her teeth, but in the mirror she saw all three of them standing there looking at her with strange, disquieting smiles. She quickly finished and turned to go. Her toothbrush clanked to the stone. She hurried to grab it and raced out.
“I had a thought,” said Maggie, though she was clearly saying it reluctantly. “It may not be a good thought, but it is a thought.”
“What is it?”
“Keep in mind, I’m very much opposed to all of this and I wish we could just focus on our training and forget these silly letters—”
“Noted,” said Evie.
Maggie took a deep breath and checked the doorway to make sure they were alone. “We could take them to an authority.”
Evie and Demetra stared at her blankly. “That’s your plan?”
“I’m not talking about Beatrice. I mean a different authority. Lankester.”
Evie and Demetra exchanged a look.
“At least we know she’d believe us.”
“She’s been completely marginalized by Beatrice,” said Demetra. “Still, it might be better than doing nothing.”
Evie paced near the washbasin, pausing in front of the mirror. She looked at her friends’ reflections, then at the reflection of the letter in her own hands. “All right. Tomorrow after lunch?”
“Lights out, ladies!” came the harsh squawk of Princess Copperpot. Maggie’s eyes went wide, and she bolted out of the latrine like a rabbit in a kennel.
The barracks were quiet. The night was moonless. Evie was at the precipice between waking and sleep, and with the exhaustion in her bones, she was preparing for a long fall . . .
There was a noise outside, though it wasn’t enough to wake her. Her leg twitched. Her eyes rolled back. The noise came again, and although she heard it, her body wanted to stay asleep.
What is that? I need to . . . to . . .
Her mind drifted away. She’d nearly fallen completely asleep this time when the noise came again.
Why doesn’t someone shut that bloody frog up . . .
Her eyes popped open.
Frog.
She threw back the blankets as another ribbit sounded outside. She went to her window and saw the frog sitting outside on the grass looking in. She glanced around in the darkness. No one else seemed to be moving. Yet.
“Ribbit.”
She pushed the window open. “Quiet!” she hissed.
“Ribbit.”
With a scowl, Evie pushed herself onto the sill, then climbed through into the brisk night air. She pushed the window until it was almost closed, then went over to the frog.
“Have you lost your mind? What in the world are you doing over here?”
The frog’s air sac began to expand with a long, loud crooooooak. A moment later, it swept back into a cloak, with Remington underneath. “Just out for an evening hop.”
“Come on!” She grabbed his hand and pulled him around the barracks. The trees at the top of the Pit were covered in parchment hawks, hundreds of them, all sent by Evie’s admirers. She led him beneath the trees and down into the ravine. “You’re going to get us both discharged!”
“So you’ll only sneak out when it involves library espionage. I see.”
“It wasn’t a library!” She led him to a log that the cadets used as a bench during their company sings. “Now, what’s going on? Why are you here?”
“Isn’t it enough that I missed you?” he said with a smile.
“You could have told me that at breakfast.”
“That’s true. Though I do have something I thought you’d want to hear straightaway. Well, actually, it might have waited until morning, but I decided I’d rather spend the night looking at you than waiting to look at you.”
“Stop trying to charm me.” She was happy the night was so dark that he couldn’t see her blushing.
“So I finally managed to speak to your friend Forbes. I realized there was never going to be a time when he wasn’t hostile, so I forced the issue a bit. Though I’m afraid I didn’t get the answer you would have liked.”
“What did he say?”
“Bearing in mind that the poor bloke is in the process of losing everything he has to war, he said, and I quote, ‘I hope that bloody portrait burns and my father with it.’”
Evie looked down at the ground with a furrowed brow. “That’s quite a harsh thing to say.”
“Indeed. And from the sounds of things round the barracks, he may just get his wish. No one’s seen King Hossenbuhr in weeks. Some of the boys think he might already be dead inside his castle, waiting for the torches to come and finish the job. I’m sorry, Evie. It sounds as though the portrait is going to go up in flames, if it hasn’t already.”
She sighed.
“Are you all right?”
“Yes. Though I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed.”
“I am sorry. Sometimes the Fates have their own ideas about things.”
“Well, thank you anyway.” She turned to look at him. “And thank you for being there for me as well this year. It’s been quite difficult over here, actually. There were times I would have been completely alone if not for you. So . . . thank you for that.”
“Of course.” He smiled, utterly disarmed by what she’d just said. “It’s been good fun bashing you with swords.”
They looked into each other’s eyes. Neither of them said anything more. Remington leaned toward her, and their lips met. Evie’s heart began to race, and all of the pain in her body vanished. After a moment,
they broke the kiss. She smiled and looked down at the ground. Her head felt light, and nothing he’d said before about the portrait mattered in the least.
Finally, they decided to head back up to the barracks before someone noticed they were gone. As they stood, he took her hand in his own, lacing each of his fingers through hers. Her insides felt as thin and fluffy as a cloud.
“You know,” he said as they strolled up the dirt path toward the barracks, “if you really want a portrait of yourself so badly, I might be able to help.”
“Is that so?” she said with a smile.
“Oh, indeed. I’ve become quite good with finger paints—”
“Buh-gawk!” came Lance’s squawk from the top of the Pit.
Before she knew what was happening, Remington had thrown her backward into the undergrowth.
“Who’s down there?” It was the horrible caw of Princess Copperpot. “I see you, lad! I see you there!”
Evie looked over and saw Remington bounding away through the Pit. Her eyes shot up to the barracks where Copperpot stood, her finger extended toward him like a searchlight. Then, suddenly, he vanished.
“Ah! Aha! Changing forms won’t save you, lad! I’ve seen you! I’ve seen what you did!”
Evie was in a panic. She raced the other way in a crouch, trying her best to stay quiet and hidden. If Remington had been seen, then surely Copperpot would check the barracks next to see if anyone was waiting for him. She barreled up the far end of the ravine and flew around the back of the barracks. She scrambled through her window and pulled it shut, then dove beneath her blankets just as the front door creaked open. She pulled them over her head and tried desperately to get her breathing under control.
She stayed like that for what might have been ten minutes, or an hour. Finally, she lowered the blankets and saw that Copperpot had gone. She took a deep breath and let all the air out of her lungs. That had been entirely too close.
“Are you going to eat that?” asked Basil, pointing to the still-steaming bowl of porridge in front of Evie.
“Help yourself.” She slid it across to him. She had absolutely no appetite this morning. Her stomach was in knots after what had happened last night. She kept glancing over at Remington, but he was laughing with the other Huntsman boys without a care in the world.
“So,” said Demetra, “are we still on for our plan? Today after lunch?”
“Yes,” said Maggie. “Though the whole thing make me incredibly nervous.”
“Cadet Remington!” bellowed Princess Beatrice, sending the whole Dining Hall to silence. She was standing in the doorway, a look of fury on her face. “You will come here NOW!”
Remington rose and walked toward her, and Evie’s heart sank. He glanced over and gave her a smile, but his self-assurance was clearly shaken by Beatrice’s tone. The Headmistress turned and marched out into the drizzling morning without a word.
Evie jumped up and ran after them. She looked outside and found Beatrice giving Remington a withering glare. Though he was taller than her, she seemed to loom over him.
“Tell the truth, boy! Now!”
Evie couldn’t see his face, though she could imagine the fear in his eyes. He stood tall and straight, then said in a clear voice, “I’m afraid I did, Headmistress.”
“And just what were you doing sneaking about after hours?”
“Nothing, really. I couldn’t sleep and it was just a bit of fun. I’m sorry, Headmistress, I didn’t mean any—”
“Get out,” she said, turning away from him.
“But . . . but, Princess, it was only a moment of stupidity. I never meant to—”
“Cadet Remington, you are hereby discharged from Pennyroyal Academy. Now see yourself out.”
Evie gasped. Her hand went to her mouth. For once, Remington seemed at a complete loss for words. He stood silent, his shoulders slumped, as the rain began to fall more intensely.
“I’m sorry, Cadet, but you’ve left me no choice. This is an outrageous violation of the rules. I could have you for the frog bit alone, much less sneaking around campus after hours. There is nothing more I can do for you. You have made your bed, and now you must lie in it.”
Panic swirled through Evie’s stomach. There must be a way to stop this. As long as he was still there, it wasn’t too late—
“I understand,” he finally said. “And I’m sorry to have disappointed you, Headmistress.” He bowed his head, then began to walk down the road toward Pennyroyal Castle and the black carriage coach that always stood at the ready. Princess Beatrice, without looking back at him, headed off for the shelter of the Dining Hall.
“Please, Headmistress!” shouted Evie, springing out from the doorway. “You can’t do this!”
“Oh no? Do you have something to add to this conversation, Cadet? Because there are more than enough seats on that coach.”
“No, I—”
“Of course it’s my fault,” said Remington, running back over to them. “And it’s an entirely fair punishment. You are a just and merciful ruler, Princess.” He took Evie’s hand, tightly, and began to pull her away.
Beatrice’s eyes narrowed. She watched with suspicion as Remington pulled Evie down the rain-spattered road. “You have one minute to say your goodbyes or else you may join him, Cadet Eleven. I am in no mood for petty confrontations with children today.”
The rain intensified, pounding the cobblestone road that led to the Pennyroyal Castle courtyard. The drops were as cold as a mountain stream. Thunder rumbled, then receded far across the land into the mountains.
“I’m sorry, Remington. This is all my fault. I shouldn’t have asked you to talk to Forbes.” The rain was so intense that her tears were invisible.
“It would take some incredibly pliable logic to make this your fault. I’m the one who broke both rules she just accused me of breaking, not you.” He took her face in his hands and looked at her with eyes so bright that they seemed to shine through the rain. “None of this is your fault, do you understand? I’d do every moment I’ve spent with you exactly the same. Except the ones where you were shouting at me and accusing me of various things, those I’d leave off.”
She laughed through her tears, then buried her face in his chest. She could feel the hard plate of stone beneath his doublet where Countess Hardcastle’s spell had struck him the previous year. “Please don’t go.”
He wrapped her tightly in his arms. “I’m afraid the choice is not mine.” He kissed the top of her head. Then his arms loosened, though hers did not.
“Don’t let go. Please.”
“I’ve got to, Evie, or she’ll throw you out as well. But I want you to remember something, even after I’m gone.” She looked up and met his eyes. “Now and always I will keep by you.”
Footsteps splashed toward them from the direction of the Dining Hall. “I’m very sorry, lad,” said Captain Ramsbottom in his airy voice. “It’s time for you to go.”
“Of course, Captain.” He looked into Evie’s eyes once again, and then walked off into the pouring rain.
She stood and watched, her tears coming freely now. By the time he reached the courtyard, the rain was so ferocious that she couldn’t even see him anymore. He vanished into the gray and boarded his coach, then rode off into the forest. There was nothing more to say, nothing more to do. Prince Remington, heir to the throne of Brentano in the Western Kingdoms, was no longer a knight cadet at Pennyroyal Academy.
He was supposed to be the crown jewel of the knight companies, she thought as she looked out over the tops of the castles. The Academy’s most celebrated graduate since Rapunzel.
Leatherwolf Company was gathered on the wall walk of a white brick castle on the eastern half of campus. Under a driving rain, the Fairy Drillsergeant was drilling them on wall climbing. One by one, she had them lower themselves over the battlements, then climb down to a lower bal
cony. Needless to say, it was far more difficult in the rain than it had been earlier in the year when it was only cold and windy.
Evie, however, was thankful for the rain. It made it much more difficult to talk. And talking was the last thing she wanted to do. So she stood atop the castle, wrapped tightly in her cloak, looking at the misty horizon. He’s out there somewhere.
The day crept past without a break in the weather. The cadets’ fingers and toes were wrinkled and puffy from the rain, bloody and scraped from the stone. After nearly two hours, Leatherwolf was dismissed to change for lunch, though Evie wasn’t sure what good that would do. The rain was as violent and angry as it had been all morning, and dry clothes would soon be as wet as everything else.
“I’m really sorry, Evie,” said Maggie as they changed for lunch. “That must have been quite a shock.”
“Yes. Yes it was.”
“Are you all right?”
“Well . . . no. But what can I do about it now? It’s over.”
They each finished tying their belts, then Maggie and Demetra looked over at Evie. “Are you still up for it?”
“Yes.” She took a deep breath to compose herself. “Yes, we’re running out of time. We’ve got to do it now.”
Demetra stepped over and put a hand on Evie’s shoulder. “He’ll be all right, Evie. Some of the courtiers and dignitaries might sniffle behind his back a bit because he didn’t graduate, but he’ll still end up king of the most powerful kingdom in the west. It won’t mean a thing that he wasn’t knighted.”
Evie gave her a pursed smile. She didn’t believe that for a second. “Shall we?”
“You know we’re here for you, don’t you, Evie?” said Maggie.
“Of course.” She smiled a steely smile, willing herself not to cry. She looked at Maggie, then Demetra. “It’s happened and it’s over and we’ve got important things to do. So let’s just do them.”
“You’ve got the letters?”
Evie touched her dress and felt the parchments in the pocket. “I do.”
Maggie took a deep breath. “Then let’s go destroy our futures.”
After a mostly silent lunch of stew and sandwiches, Evie, Maggie, Demetra, and Basil remained at the Leatherwolf table. Everyone else cleared up and headed for the barracks and a much-needed hour of dryness and rest, but the four of them sat in silence, their nerves growing tighter and tighter. Finally, the Dining Hall was nearly empty except for some of the staff.
