by Emma Fenton
“There will be no complications,” the tall one said in response, his voice laced with frustration. “It is a sure win. And he is already in place. All that we desire will come to pass. We do not need the book.”
The shorter man huffed loudly and opened his mouth to rebut. He was interrupted by the sharp clang of metal as Ria backed into the antique armor rather gracelessly. She did not topple it but jostled it enough that the shoulder-piece creaked against the breastplate. Icy dread washed over her as the tall man’s head snapped in her direction and she got her first clear look at the man.
His robes and his cloak hung around the form of a person, but where his face should have been, there was nothing but a swirl of dark emptiness in the vague shape of a head. There were no defining features: no eyes, no lips, no nose. It was as if the shadows had shaped themselves into a person, and Ria once again remembered the demon spirits of her childhood nightmares. It’s just a trick of the light, she told herself. Your eyes are tired, Ria. You’re hallucinating.
“Go see what that was,” the shorter man—no, creature, Ria thought—ordered. “This is the second time we have been disturbed.”
The taller being stalked towards Ria’s hiding place. Her hands and legs shook. She was as good as dead, and now there was nowhere to hide and nowhere to run to. Her hands scrambled behind her, reaching for the sword that the antique armor held in its gauntlets. It was old and probably rusty, but it was a weapon nonetheless. She gripped the hilt, her eyes never once leaving the shadowy figure approaching her, and tugged on it, praying that it would come loose.
Instead, the wall immediately behind the armor cracked open, a small draft tickling the back of Ria’s neck. She turned to look at it, brow furrowed. A secret door in the wall, she realized. But where does it go?
There was no time to question it, however, because the creature was near enough that she could feel the magic digging at her skin like it was trying to burrow under it. She guessed that she had mere seconds before he would be able to see her, so she slipped through the narrow opening in the wall, pleased to find a handle on the inside that she used to pull it shut quietly behind her.
“Well this is unexpected.”
Ria whipped around at the sound of a voice behind her, fists raised in self-defense. There was little need for it. The Elder Scholar sat at a large wooden desk, not bothering to look up at her as he flicked through the pages of an old book. She breathed a sigh of relief. She would be safe here, at least for now. Now that immediate danger had passed, she looked around at the small room. Three of the walls were lined with bookshelves, each stuffed to the brim with old and obscure looking texts. The fourth wall appeared to have a workbench lined against it, covered in what looked like several different experiments in various stages of completion. A frog lay dissected on one end, its intestines open to the air and apparently steaming. A wide range of herbs hung from a rack above, though Ria recognized none of them. In the center of the room sat the Elder Scholar and his desk, which was currently empty except for the hefty leather-bound book Master Ameer was immersed in and a large spade-shaped leaf.
“Where are we?” Ria asked after the Elder Scholar was silent for some time.
“My private office. I discovered it quite by accident during my first year in the palace, though it seems other Elder Scholars have used it before me,” he replied, finally looking up from his book. He took the leaf from the corner of his desk and pressed it between the pages of his book. “I am most curious as to how you came upon it, especially at this time of night?”
“I couldn’t sleep, so I went for a walk to try to clear my head, only I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going and ended up in the hallway by the library. And I was going to head back, except I heard someone coming—two someone’s actually—and I…well, I recognized their voices from the time they tried to kill me—that part’s a long story, actually, and I don’t know if it’s relevant—but then I saw them and he didn’t have a face and—”
“Ria,” the Elder Scholar interrupted, “Please slow down.”
She took a deep breath. “Right. Sorry.”
“What was that bit about why you recognized these voices?”
“I overheard a conversation where these two men—well, I thought they were men—were talking about a book they wanted. They realized that I heard them talking, and one of them told the other one to kill me. I escaped, obviously. That was a while ago, but with everything else going on, I sort of pushed it to the back of my mind.” Ria watched the Elder Scholar’s face closely, but he gave nothing away.
“Did they say which book?” he asked after a long silence. Ria shook her head, and he frowned. “And now, just this evening, you’ve seen these two men again?”
“Yes, and this time…this time I saw one of their faces.” Ria took a few shaky breaths, unsure if Master Ameer would even believe her. He can see the future, she admonished herself. If anyone is going to believe you, it’s him.
“And?” he prompted.
“It was like he was made of darkness,” Ria said, voice a whisper. “He had no face, no real body. It was all shadows, almost like black mist. Like some sort of…spirit.”
“Ah.” The Elder Scholar nodded in understanding. “An illusion spell. Powerful magic, that, but I assure you the man underneath is still very much human.”
“Then who—”
The Elder Scholar held up a hand to silence her. “Let me worry about this matter, Ria. We have other things to discuss.”
“What other things?” she asked.
He sighed, and Ria finally saw how tired he looked. “It is fortuitous that you should find me in this room tonight, when in fact I had intended to seek you out in the morning. One might almost call it fate.”
Slowly, he reached under his desk and pulled out a tightly wound scroll. He pushed it across the table to her, and she unfurled it with careful fingers. The paper was of the finest quality, and when she saw the writing, she understood why. It was a letter of introduction from the Helish court, offering support of the marriage of one Ebele Tahan to Sir Jameson Vilkas of Etheri. It was the kind of letter that could make or break an arranged match, the kind of letter that could instantly open doors to a world of riches. But Ria didn’t know any Ebele Tahan, and she certainly didn’t know why the girl’s marriage should involve her.
The Elder Scholar handed her another scroll before she could ask what this was all about. The second scroll was confirmation of passage paid in full aboard a tradeship called The Sea Nymph, also under the name of Ebele Tahan. It guaranteed safe passage to Etheri, including private room and board. Ria stared at the parchment uncomprehendingly.
“I don’t understand.”
The Elder Scholar cleared his throat. “I have arranged a new identity for you as my niece.”
Ria suddenly recalled their meeting with Siraj and how Master Ameer had introduced her to him. As his niece, Ebele. He’s not seriously suggesting…
“You want me to flee the country.” It wasn’t phrased as a question. Ria was beginning to see how the pieces fell into place. Their meeting with Siraj. The way the Elder Scholar said he could “create more choices.”
“You would have a comfortable life,” he said. “Sir Jameson is a wealthy merchant and highly praised in his country. He is powerful enough to offer you anonymity. And Etheri is far away from here. You could be safe.”
“Safe,” Ria repeated dryly. “With an unfamiliar name and a flimsy identity that will crack as soon as someone bothers to look hard enough. What if I slip up? I am no master actress. Someone would figure it out eventually and then where would I be? I would have nothing of my own. I would be entirely dependent on this Sir Jameson. A stranger.”
“You would have your life, something I cannot guarantee if you stay here.”
“And what do you really know about him?” she asked, ignoring him. “He’s a merchant. He’s revered. What of his disposition? Can you be certain he won’t simply abandon me the moment things ge
t dangerous? And they will. I know they will. Jaya will hunt me down until she has my head herself.”
The Elder Scholar was quiet for a long time. “The boat leaves four days from now at the crack of dawn. You could leave Helhath behind, Ria, and never look back.”
“I…” She took a moment and really thought about it. What would it be like to never again see her home? She’d been willing to do that for Mikhael, admittedly, but that was different. That was back when she thought he was all she’d ever need. Now she knew better. No man and no amount of distance would keep her safe while Jaya was still alive. And besides, Ria could not imagine herself in the sitting room of a nice manor, spending her days managing a household and hosting dinner for her husband’s coworkers. Not while Helhath would fall into ruins under Jaya’s rule. Not when Ria was made to be a queen herself.
“No,” she said finally, and the Elder Scholar did not seem surprised in the slightest. “I would be looking over my shoulder my whole life.”
He smiled sadly. “I thought you might say that.”
He knew I would refuse, Ria realized. And he tried anyway. For the first time since Mikhael left, she felt like crying. Nobody had ever, ever looked out for her like that. Master Ameer had done everything in his power to ensure that she’d have a safe option. What he’d done was treason, not against the crown, but against the Council. Any doubts she’d had about trusting the Elder Scholar were banished with this single act.
“I have to try to win,” Ria said. Her voice was quiet, but in the stillness of the small room, the Elder Scholar heard her clearly. “Jaya…she’s not good for Helhath. She’ll marry Izan, and together they’ll lead us into an era of war and death.”
Master Ameer cracked a small smile. “I thought I was supposed to be the seer.”
Ria hummed in agreement. “Then you know she’ll probably kill me, and it won’t matter anyway. But I have to try. If I don’t, then I’m complicit in the suffering of my people.”
“It’s a heavy burden,” the Elder Scholar agreed. “It is not fair that you should have to carry it.”
She laughed humorlessly. “Perhaps. But given recent events, I have learned not to expect fairness.”
She slid the two scrolls back towards the Elder Scholar, and he tucked them back into his robes. There was a small part of her that had wanted to accept. It was tempting, at least a little, to think of starting over in a place where nobody would know her, where she could exist without fear. There was freedom in beginning anew, shedding her life as Honoria Ramadani to become Ebele Tahan. But she could not do it.
“You should get some rest, Ria,” Master Ameer said, and he sounded tired himself.
She nodded and turned to leave the way she had come in only to pause. Would those men still be out wandering the corridors? Sensing her hesitation, the Elder Scholar motioned to the bookcases lining the wall to her right, his lips upturned at the corner.
“If you’ll pull out the book, The Historic Significance of the Potato, please.”
Ria frowned, but did as he asked, easily finding the surprisingly thick tome. As she pulled it from the shelf, something gave a sharp click, and the bookcase itself swung open to reveal a secret tunnel. Ria gaped.
“That will drop you out right behind the royal crest tapestry on the third floor, which I believe is relatively close to your chambers,” he said casually as if discovering secret passages was an everyday occurrence. He stood and went over to his workbench where he procured a small lantern. He handed it to Ria. “Goodnight, Ria. Do try to get some sleep.”
She nodded. “Thank you. For everything.”
“My office is always open to you, Ria,” he said, and then she was pushing her way through the tunnel, the comfort of the Elder Scholar’s office disappearing behind her.
Chapter Five
Morning came with an unpleasant abruptness punctuated by Sofi bursting into Ria’s room with loud complaints about how Ria might be royalty, but that hardly gave her the right to laze about in bed like some kind of infant. There was no point in telling Sofi that she hadn’t gone to bed until the wee hours of the morning or that Ria’s head was pounding; the curvier girl was on a rampage, and Ria knew that nothing could stop her.
“Did you even change out yesterday’s clothes?” Sofi asked, exasperated. She shook her head, lips turned up in a small smile despite her disapproving tone. “Time to get up, or you will miss lunch, too.”
That was enough to haul Ria out of bed. She slipped out of her gown from yesterday and folded it over the armchair next to her bed. She had meant to take it off before going to bed, but the moment she’d come back from visiting the Elder Scholar, she’d simply collapsed on the bed. Sofi made to dress Ria in a dark purple gown, but she waved it away. She had plans for today and wearing fine sea-silk would only get in the way.
Instead, she opted for a thin, brown linen dress that was almost the same shade as Ria’s skin. It was slightly better quality than what servants wore, but lightweight and moveable. And with the color, it was unlikely to stain. Sofi looked as though she wanted to protest, but one look at Ria’s face was enough to silence her.
After her discussion with the Elder Scholar—and her decision that she would fight Jaya—Ria had determined that she would need to train with what little time she had left. That meant talking to the sword-master, and it also meant that she would probably be kicked to the ground quite a bit. Ria wasn’t looking forward to it, but she had to admit that it was a necessity if she was going to stand a chance against Jaya in a fight.
After lunch, when Ria made her way down to the armory where she knew she would find the sword-master, she was disappointed to see that he was already putting Jaya through drills out on the sparring field. Jaya looked entirely weightless as she spun, dodged, and danced around the older man’s sword. Whatever she lacked in grace during daily life she more than made up for on the battlefield. Jaya was at ease with a sword in her hand, and she was more than a match for the man across from her.
The sword-master—Uscar, Ria remembered—was an intimidating figure. He was shorter than Jaya, but broad and well-muscled. He was in his mid-thirties but fought with as much strength as any young man and with twice the experience. He was rumored to be a prodigy, the best in the Helish army. He’d been only Ria’s age when he was brought to the castle to train the young princesses, but even in the early days, Uscar had been a strict teacher.
Now, Jaya slammed the older man’s shoulder with the hilt of her sword, knocking him off balance. She pushed forward, slashing with the blunted sword, which Uscar dodged by dropping into a roll. From down on the ground, he swept Jaya’s legs out from under her. She must have been anticipating it, Ria thought, because she used the momentum of her fall to roll onto her back and then spring back up. Uscar was back on his feet and swiped his blade at Jaya. She blocked and matched him blow for blow for the next minute.
And then Jaya feinted to the left, caught Uscar under his right arm and flipped him to the ground, her sword pointed at his throat. For a moment, Ria thought that she was going to decapitate the man beneath her, blunt sword or not. But then Jaya backed off, and Uscar rolled to his feet, somehow grinning.
“Have you finally realized not everything can be learned in books?” Jaya called out, apparently having noticed Ria watching them. The older girl sneered. “It’s a bit late for that, don’t you think?”
Ria did her best to ignore her sister. “Master Uscar, I would like a moment of your time.”
“We will resume shortly,” he told Jaya. Uscar nodded in greeting as he came over. “What can I do for you, princess?”
“Obviously you are aware of the fact that I am expected to face Jaya in mortal combat in twelve days. It seems to be in my best interests to seek some kind of training in preparation for that fight, and I hoped you would be willing to take me on as a student again.”
Uscar’s eyebrows climbed higher and higher on his face as she spoke, and Ria wasn’t sure whether he was surprised she was a
sking for his help, or if he was surprised she thought she had a chance to win this fight at all.
“Princess Honoria,” he started, clearly unsure of himself. “May I be frank?”
She nodded.
“Jaya is the best student I’ve ever had. A month of training won’t give you the edge you need to beat her. Years of training couldn’t give you that.” He paused, choosing his next words carefully. “I don’t want to give you unrealistic expectations of what you could accomplish in less than two weeks.”
“I know my odds,” Ria said, and she was happy when her voice didn’t waver. “Will you teach me, or no?”
Uscar hesitated again. “I cannot in good conscience agree, no.”
Ria swallowed. “Why not?”
“In training both of you, I could mistakenly let your individual weaknesses slip, thus giving an unfair advantage for the fight.”
It was a weak excuse, and they both knew it. Ria was fairly certain of the real reason he was refusing to teach her: Jaya. Jaya was almost guaranteed to become queen, and anyone who aided Ria would become a target after her coronation.
“I see,” she said with forced pleasantry. “Perhaps you could recommend someone else, then.”
“My lady, I know of no one who would be able to help you on such short notice.”
Translation: Nobody in their right mind is going to risk Jaya’s wrath to aid the surefire loser of an upcoming fight. You are a hopeless case.
Ria’s smile felt tight on her face. “Well. Thank you for your time, then.” She turned away without another word and stalked back up to the palace. So that was it then. Nobody was going to stick their neck out for her. She should have expected it, really, but she hadn’t, and now she was left without a plan.
Uscar is smart to avoid me, she thought. If Jaya wins and finds out that anyone helped me, she’ll call it treason and have them killed too. Which means the only people who are going to help me either aren’t afraid of her, or they think I might actually win. But where do I find someone like that?
