by Kory Shen
I nodded. "Yes, your Majesty."
"You speak of honor," my father said. "You swear by your honor that you alone were responsible for the fire?"
I hesitated. I wouldn't think twice about lying, ordinarily, but I was a knight now. Did that make a difference?
I looked at Lexley and the other guards.
No, it didn't make a difference. Not for them, and not for me.
It was then that I noticed Lady Dyann off in the corner, away from the others. The raven-haired warrior watched me intently.
I chose my next words with care.
"I swear by my honor as a Sentinel that if I wasn't present, there wouldn't have been a forest fire. Therefore, I alone am responsible for the fire."
My father studied me for several seconds, then grunted. "Very well. I would like a word with Jakson. Alone."
"What?" Lexley scowled.
A guard on my father's left leaned over. "Is that safe, your Majesty?"
"Everyone out. Now!" my father shouted in irritation. "He shares my blood, as you're all aware. He's no threat to me."
The others quickly left the throne room. I caught Lady Dyann's eye as she headed out. She gave me a slight nod.
I looked back at my father to find him studying me.
"When I assigned you to Lexley, Lady Dyann requested later that you be transferred to her," he said. "What does she see in you?"
I shrugged. "A shiny new knight. What else?"
"I'm wondering that myself." He paused. "You weren't wrong the other day."
He waited for my reply but I wasn't sure what he meant.
"About…?"
"Your armor. And your mage. They're both quite remarkable."
"She's not my mage," I said in annoyance, although I would have gladly claimed that role, to tell the truth.
"She's clearly bound to you. Tell me. How powerful is she?"
"I don't have much experience with mages, but she did win the Open Melee," I said. "I'm sure you have a Royal Mage or someone who knows more about that kind of thing."
"Bah. Old Falthus? He's a decrepit fool. What do you think? How powerful is she?"
"Powerful enough to make you regret it if you ever cross her," I replied.
My father smiled, baring his teeth. "Fair enough. And what of your armor? Should I fear you as well?"
"Me?" I wasn't sure how I felt about my father anymore. Anger? Regret? "I've always been loyal to my friends and family."
The throne room was deathly silent. My father's expression became blank. "Excellent," he said.
When he didn't say anything further, I spoke. "Am I going to be punished for the forest fire?"
"The fire?" My father chuckled. "I know it was Lexley's doing, indirectly or not."
I stared. "Then, why didn't you say so back then?"
My father brows tightened. "That should be obvious."
"Because he's the crown prince, and I'm the bloody bastard?"
"As I said, it should be obvious." My father tapped his fingers on his armrest. "I'll speak to Lexley later about the issue, but you both have many lessons to learn. You in particular." He stopped tapping his fingers and leaned forward slightly. "You could be very useful to me," he said. "Prove your worth, and you'll be rewarded."
"That's all I want," I said. "A fair chance to prove my worth."
"Good. Now, go."
I bowed and left, retracing my path from the castle back to the barracks.
When I had seen my father yesterday, he had seemed cold and careless, tossing me to Lexley like a mouse to a cat. Had he changed his mind about me? Maybe he had learned more about my armor's power. Or Kuri's.
Power. Was that all he cared about?
Kuri had mentioned power, too. Is that what I was seeking? I was the same as my father, then, wasn't I?
I kicked a rock along the city road as I continued walking. I had spoken the truth. All I had wanted was a fair chance to be the best knight. A Champion. My father was giving me a path forward.
Bullies and bullshit, I could handle. But I couldn't shake a growing uneasiness that something else was brewing, something larger than me or Lexley, or even the Knight Sentinels. I tried to pinpoint when the sense of dread had started. I wasn't particularly superstitious, and no one could rightly accuse me of being a coward. So what was the cause?
Then, I remembered. The execution I had seen with the boys, and news of the ensuing massacre.
My uneasiness grew as I continued towards to the barracks.
CHAPTER 15
A man shouted in the distance as I approached the barracks. I wouldn't have thought much of it, except I smelled smoke in the air, too.
Kuri.
I ran into the barracks. Three men surrounded a haggard-looking Kuri holding a wall for support. One of the men nursed a hand. His eyebrows were missing. Burned, if I wasn't mistaken.
"Kuri!" I shouted, running up to her. "What are you doing back here already?"
When she didn't reply immediately, I turned to examine the men. The gold and white of their tunics indicated that they were Sentinels. "What's going on?" I asked.
"That bitch burned me!" the man without eyebrows yelled, pointing a finger at Kuri.
"I told him to keep his hands off me," Kuri growled. She coughed, leaning over. She raised her head again, but her eyes were unfocused.
"Kuri, lean on me." I wasn't sure if Kuri was entirely coherent. I reached for her cautiously. "Kuri, put your arm around me."
I half-expected to lose my eyebrows, too, but as I slowly wrapped Kuri's arm around me, supporting her from the waist, nothing exploded or burned.
I glared at the other men.
"He was just trying to be helpful, like you there," one of the others said, a bulky man with arms as thick as my legs.
"He tried to grope my ass," Kuri hissed.
The others pretended that they hadn't heard her. Sir Eyebrows looked away.
"You're knights, aren't you?" I asked. "I'm sure you treated her like a lady. Like a fellow Knight Sentinel."
The third knight, the shortest of the three, scoffed. "Her? A Sentinel? Impossible."
"She won the Open Melee."
The big one gasped. "I heard them talking about…she's the one?"
Sir Eyebrows spat at us, missing us by inches. "Bah, the bitch is as mad as its owner. I've heard of you, bastard." He motioned to the others. "Let's get out of here. I don't have time for used cunts."
Kuri's breath inhaled sharply. Her right hand glowed red.
"Not now, Kuri," I whispered. "You need to rest."
"I'll burn more than his hair this time," she snarled.
"Kuri." I covered her red fist with my own hand, grimacing at the painful heat. "Please," I squeaked through clenched teeth.
"You fool, what are you doing?" The light in her fist died away.
I gazed at the three men, death in my eyes. They got the message. They disappeared.
"Why are you here?" I asked. "Aren't you supposed to stay at the Temple overnight?"
"I couldn't stand the women pestering me. They stripped me and kept poking me all over, like they'd never seen a naked elf before."
I raised an eyebrow.
"I'm sure it was very educational," I said.
Kuri's eyes narrowed.
I started moving. "Let's head to our room before more trouble shows up." A weakened woman in a barracks full of men? Yeah, it was a bad idea to stick around in the open.
"Not our room. My room," Kuri said.
I wasn't going to argue with someone who couldn't even stand on her own.
"Sure, your room. I'm just storing my armor there, if that's okay."
The other knights stored their equipment in the armory, but I wasn't letting my suit out of my sight. Plus, it didn't feel right leaving Mira by herself.
Kuri didn't speak further as I led her to the room. I helped her inside and onto the small bed. She was asleep before I had even stepped back out through the doorway.
I paused,
looking at the elf lying on the bed, her blonde hair spilling across the mattress.
Genna had been right about me. That was one smoking hot fire mage.
I quickly stepped outside and shut the door before I was tempted do anything.
* * *
I grabbed a hunk of bread and slab of cheese from the kitchen for my supper, taking extra in case Kuri wanted any. She slept straight through the rest of the day.
Sergio didn't have any more tasks for us, grumbling something about politics and princes under his breath. That had caught my attention, as it was one of the first signs that Lexley wasn't universally beloved by his division. Not that I was surprised.
Sergio sent me away, saying that he was busy.
I tried asking around for what I was supposed to do. Was there training? Anything?
Most of the knights I approached ignored me or told me to scram. The ones that didn't still clammed up after finding out who I was.
The sun was setting as I wandered the barracks looking for a fresh face to question. I spotted a long-haired form walking just ahead of me. A woman.
At first I thought it was Kuri and jogged forward to greet her, but the woman who stepped out of the shadows and into the torchlight was Lady Dyann.
"Uh, Lady Dyann? Pardon me, I thought you were someone else." I moved to turn away.
A strong hand grabbed me by the shoulder.
"Hold, Sir Jakson."
I stopped and turned back to give the female knight a questioning look. She was nearly my height.
"Lady Dyann?" I asked.
"I hear you've been having a rough start with the Knight Sentinels," Lady Dyann said.
I stepped closer, my face close to hers. I had thought her eyes were black, but up close I saw that they were in fact dark blue. Her features were strong, rugged, yet still feminine. "Are you here to make it rougher?" I motioned to her hand, which was still on my shoulder.
Lady Dyann lowered her eyes and coughed, letting go of my shoulder and taking one step backward.
"I understand your caution, but I hold no grudge against you," Lady Dyann said. The edges of her mouth curled into a half-suppressed smile. "Perhaps the opposite."
Lady Dyann had a reputation as one of the few honest knights left in the Sentinels. The people loved her. But I hardly knew her, or if I could trust her.
"I'm not aware of any grudges against me," I said, feigning surprise. I leaned closer and whispered loudly. "I'm not very good with court politics and all that. I'm a simple soldier."
Lady Dyann sighed. "I know you're not a simpleton. Not with the way you fight. And with your heritage."
So that's what it was about. My damn heritage.
"Is that why you wanted me in your division?" I asked suddenly. "To increase your division's prestige?"
"Is that what you think?" Lady Dyann frowned. "Maybe I was wrong about you."
Shit. I couldn't let Lexley and his bullshit turn me into a cynic. That would be as bad as letting him beat me. I needed allies. Like Kuri. Like Lady Dyann. I needed power.
"I apologize, Lady Dyann," I said, going down on one knee. "I'm not sure who I can trust. As you said, my start here has been rough. Your reputation, however, is spotless. Forgive me for any offense."
Lady Dyann chuckled. "Oh, stand up, Sir Jakson."
I looked up to find her smiling, holding her hand out. I took her hand and stood.
"If I'm being straightforward with you," I said, "you probably knew that I'd be a burden. I'd draw the ire of Lexley, and possibly the king, if not the jealousy of other knights with less generous spirits. Plus, there's the matter of Kuri. Mages aren't exactly beloved. So you asked to take us into your division for a reason, knowing all that."
Lady Dyann nodded. "And what might that reason be?"
"Your noble heart and desire to help the oppressed," I answered.
Lady Dyann waited expectantly, as if I wasn't done.
"Our long-range tactical abilities," I continued.
The lady knight continued waiting.
"Or…" I wasn't sure I wanted to finish my thought. It was a dangerous thought. One that I'd be a fool to say out loud to just anyone.
Kuri and I wouldn't last much longer by ourselves. We needed help.
I held Lady Dyann's serious gaze. She was beautiful in her own way. Strong yet sleek, graceful even. A woman who wouldn't flinch from carnage and destruction if that was what her duty required.
She wasn't a dainty princess or a kind-hearted maiden. She was nothing like Kuri or Genna. Lady Dyann was a knight, through and through. A female knight, but a knight nonetheless.
I had to take a leap of faith, not in Yora, but in the hope that not everyone in the Sentinels was a dastardly piece of shit. Otherwise, I'd be screwed anyway.
"Or," I started again, "you want to use me to balance out Lexley. A counterweight, if you will, to the prince. And maybe even to the king."
There. I had said it.
For a long moment, Lady Dyann didn't say anything. I was afraid that I had overstepped my bounds or made the wrong assumption about her.
But she finally nodded. "I was right about you. Be careful, Sir Jakson. There's more at stake than you may realize."
Although I had some guesses, I was hardly an insider of political affairs. I had left that sort of thing to people with fancy titles. I rubbed my chin. I supposed that I was Sir Jakson, although the public knighting ceremony hadn't taken place officially.
"I'm afraid this is somewhat beyond me." I made a vague gesture to the surrounding barracks. "I grew up on the streets. That puts me at a disadvantage in this sort of thing."
"The streets?" Lady Dyann asked. "Not necessarily a disadvantage. You must be familiar with the tenor of the populace. Of the common man and woman."
She was right. The uneasiness I had felt earlier—others must have felt it, too.
My face must have betrayed my thoughts, because Lady Dyann nodded gravely. "Yes. Tell me, what happens on the streets? What do the people whisper?"
I spoke softly. "The people are restless. Afraid and angry."
"A dangerous combination," Lady Dyann noted. "Despite how you might feel about the king, he's no fool when it comes to matters of his rule. He knows what the people say among themselves. And he will not sit idly by to let it unfold on its own."
"But why tell me this now? Even if I know all this, it's not like I can do anything to prepare. I can't practice dealing with the king's machinations, like I can practice fighting."
All I wanted to do right then was to go practice with Mira to clear my mind.
Lady Dyann spoke as softly as me now, barely a whisper. "If you were in my division, I could grant you some measure of protection. But it seems that's beyond me. So instead, I warn you, and ask you to consider another course of action."
"Which is?" I asked, but her tone told me what she would say. The seed of doubt, or maybe sensibility, had already planted itself in my own mind as well.
"Leave the Knight Sentinels," she said. "It's too dangerous now, especially for you. Don't underestimate the king or the prince. They would each do anything, in their own way, to gain what they want."
Vimm had warned me about sticking out, trying to be proper. But I had to know once and for all. I had to know if I had what it took to be the best, to be better than Lexley, or any of the other Champions.
I could do it, I knew I could, if I had a fair chance. My father had offered that, hadn't he?
If he was telling the truth.
Lady Dyann watched me closely. I sensed that she was trying to gauge my response.
"You're not angry or offended," she said.
"No. Perhaps Lexley or the king made you do this," I said. "Lexley, at least, wants me gone, too."
Lady Dyann's forehead creased with the hint of anger, but I kept speaking.
"However, I don't think that's the case," I added.
"Then, you know my advice is prudent," Lady Dyann said.
I sighed. "Unfortunate
ly, I've come to a similar conclusion. But I can't. I have to see this through. There are other issues at stake." I thought of Genna, and now Kuri. Both of their fates were tied in some way to mine.
Lady Dyann grimaced. "So be it. I'll try to support you, but I can only do so much without risking the prince's wrath."
"My thanks, Lady Dyann." I bowed. "But you don't have to harm yourself on my account. What you've done is already more than I could ever ask for."
Lady Dyann smiled. "You seem quite proper for a street urchin."
"Charming women is an essential skill for a rogue," I said, smiling back.
Lady Dyann shook her head. "Farewell, Sir Jakson. And Yora's blessing." She gave a curt nod and walked away.
"One moment, Lady Dyann. A request, if you will." The words blurted out of my mouth before my brain fully realized what I was doing.
She stopped mid-step and swiveled to look at me. "Yes?"
I took a deep breath, feeling like a school boy asking for his first date. "If you have time, could I test my armor against yours? A friendly duel?"
Lady Dyann grinned. "It would be my pleasure, Sir Jakson. Tonight, I have plans. Tomorrow evening, then?"
"You got it!"
"If that's all?" Lady Dyann raised an eyebrow.
"That's all. Have a good evening, my lady." I bowed deeply.
Lady Dyann tilted her head and turned, leaving me alone.
Well, the entire day hadn't been a loss. I had a managed to secure a date with Lady Dyann, even if it was only for a duel. Now I had to survive long enough to get that date.
CHAPTER 16
I headed back to my room early in the evening, as I was too tired from the day's events to train. Sergio still had no tasks for me. He reminded me to tend to the shit house the next day but refused to give me any other instructions. Lexley's doing, of course.
I made myself comfortable in the hallway, resting against the door to my room. I had no desire to be burned alive by a surprised Kuri if she woke up to find me in the room with her.
I drifted off to sleep, ending up curled on the stony floor.
It was late at night, still dark, when something nudged me awake.
The door. Someone, or rather Kuri, was trying to open the door to her room, which swung outward. I shifted out of the way without bothering to open my eyes.
