All the Crown's Shadows

by Emily Rose

  Jax had purpose in Sundown. He had family. He had friends. I, on the other hand, had nothing but a burning, compulsive hatred for the crown.

  One of the guards tied a gag around my mouth before pulling me away from the stream and hoisting me onto the back of a horse. I looked around the Shadow Forest one more time, the same forest that seemed so peaceful just moments ago.

  There were no gods in these woods, that was certain.

  ✽✽✽

  I lost track of how long we had been riding. Three hours? Five?

  My captors spoke amongst themselves, ignoring me completely. I guess it could have been much worse. We stopped only once to rest. I had debated making a run for it then, right before the bigger guard tied me to one of the trees. It was no use.

  “Who are you selling me to?” I asked as one of the men roughly untied my gag to give me a sip of water. “If you put me in the Ring, I won’t fight!”

  The men just looked at each other and laughed. “Don’t be so naive, girl. If the King wants you to fight, you’ll fight.”

  “Will we see him? The King?” Hope surged my veins. If I was being sold to him, this whole thing could be over much sooner than I anticipated.

  “Oh, you’ll see him. He watches every fight, up in the front row!” The other guard said as he hopped back onto his horse. After a few minutes, we were back on our way.

  I hadn’t planned on volunteering to fight in the Ring. Jax and I were just going to disguise ourselves as merchants in the City. Our plan had holes, but it was a plan. Now, I wasn’t sure what to do. The dried blood on my guards told me they wouldn’t hesitate if I caused trouble.

  Instead, I took in as much as I could about the Shadow Forest around me. We were following a clear path. I could easily follow this back to the stream if I had to, so long as I didn’t get turned around. A small clearing allowed the horses to move swiftly between the giant trees above our heads. Past the trail, however, was a thick, infinite void that had resumed its original buzz of life. The forest was endless. I shivered.

  My body ached from the horse’s movements. The rope around my wrists was burning my skin. When I could hardly bear the repetitive sound of horseshoes crunching the forest floor, the trees suddenly opened up to a colossal stone wall. It was like a painting in a fairytale. The sun was beginning to set, and the orange light was gleaming through the trees and reflecting on the stone. The City.

  Even the wall itself demanded power. Something in my chest tightened at the sight of the enormous doors just twenty yards in front of us. The doors that led to my possible death, the Ring of Angels, and the King.

  I swallowed the rising sense of panic in my throat. As we approached, the walls seemed to grow larger and larger. Those giant doors swung open, revealing at least ten more guards. They didn’t mess around. I found myself grateful that Jax was not here. It would have been too much danger. Too much risk. But alone, I had a free ticket to the City. As we passed the threshold, I let a deep breath of air fill my lungs. I was in.

  The men in front of me dismounted from their horses, guiding mine through the entrance. The City’s residents were all staring now, surely wondering who the guards had brought back ridiculously tied to the back of a horse. “We’ve got a good one here, your Highness,” One of the men said. “She’s got a fight in her, for sure!”

  Your highness. My body rippled with anger as I looked around, expecting to see the King.

  “Thank you, gentleman. My father will be very happy. May I?” The deep, sugary voice from my right startled me. I glanced over to see a hooded figure approaching my horse. He was at least a head taller than the rest of the guards.

  Having no choice in the matter, I nodded, allowing the man to hoist me off the horse. A spark of heat passed through my body when he touched me, something that I quickly shook off.

  “A new fighter, then?” the man asked. On the ground, I looked up to see his face shaded under the hood.

  The man standing before me was not just a guard. This was Prince Aiden of Aslan.

  My heart sped up as I looked at him. This was the son of the King. My greatest enemy’s blood. Another murderer. Another bearer of evil.

  “I’ll take it from here,” he said to the guards as he guided me into the City. His voice was strong. Demanding. I held my chin high as I was ushered past the dozens of villagers. The castle was gorgeous, and I hated myself for even thinking about it that way. The tall walls were almost a golden color as the sun was setting. Strong white brick built every tall building in sight. The white walls continued for as far as I could see. Random gardens of red and white roses scattered the large streets where villagers roamed freely. The sun bounced off them now, I could have sworn I saw them sparkle. It was magnificent.

  “You’ll be staying in the cages with the rest of the fighters,” Prince Aiden said. If anything, he seemed bored at our encounter. We made a sudden turn to a dark, dirty staircase. A vast difference in the beautiful stone I was just seeing. “Training starts every day at sunrise, you will be informed of your fight the day before and killing any other fighter in the cages will result in death.”

  I followed him down the stairs to a long hallway. The hallway had small, metal cages on either side, resembling what I would envision hell to look like. Hardly any sunlight bled through down here, and the light that did get through was quickly halted by the thick slabs of concrete. The faintest smell of tangy blood and mildew filled the air. I tried to get a glimpse at the other fighters locked in their cages behind thick bars. Something dark lingered in the air. I had no idea this was how the King’s fighters lived. I didn’t know what to expect, but it wasn’t this. This was barbaric.

  The Prince paused in front of one of the cages, finally untying the gag around my mouth. “What is your name?” he asked. His voice was steady and monotone.

  “Ruby. Ruby Castiel.”

  “Well, Ruby,” he looked down at me as he swung the cage door open with one swift movement, his green eyes glowing beneath the hood. “Welcome to the Ring of Angels.”

  3 The Cages

  I could have sworn a piece of me died as the cage slammed shut behind me. I didn’t turn around, didn’t watch the Prince as his footsteps retreated up the corridor stairs. There was barely enough light to see inside the cement room, but as my eyes adjusted, I began to make out the two small, metal cots on either side of the tiny room. A small stack of clothes sat on the empty cot. My glamorous new uniform. It was gross.

  “You must be new.”

  “Shit,” I said, jumping where I stood. “You scared me.”

  “Oh, sorry!” A small girl stepped into the sliver of light from the back of the cage. Her skin was pale, and she had red, curly hair that had just begun to hit the tops of her shoulders. The tight white top and tiny black pants seemed almost baggy on her, she was so small. “I’m Harvey,” she said. She spoke hardly over a whisper, but it was enough to echo off the cement walls around us.

  “I’m Ruby. Are you a fighter?”

  Harvey turned her gaze to the ground, biting her bottom lip. “Well, kinda. I haven’t fought yet, but I’ve been here for… I think three weeks now?”

  “Wow,” I responded, trying to sound as kind as possible. The girl was clearly terrified. “Three weeks and you haven’t fought? Why not?”

  “I’ve just been lucky, I guess. King Xavier usually picks the most entertaining fighters.”

  I guess watching the murder of a small, defenseless girl wasn’t something the King was crazy about. Shocking, really.

  The sound of hushed conversations filled the air, flowing in from the cages around us. I strained my eyes as I peered through the gaps in the metal door. I couldn’t see any of the other fighters, but they were here. All trapped in their respective cages like wild animals in the process of being tamed.

  “I would suggest staying quiet and out of the way.” Harvey said from behind me. “I’ll fill you in on everything in the morning. You should get some sleep.”

  It sound
ed like a warning, but something in her voice told me I should take her advice. I had only known this girl for a few minutes, but she didn’t seem like the type to get involved with any sort of conflict. I nodded and turned from the cage door as I walked over to the second cot. There was a small wool blanket that hardly covered the base of the bed.

  I couldn't help but wonder if this is what prison looked like.

  An uneasy feeling creeped into my chest as I thought of Prince Aiden. Was he as cruel as King Xavier? They were father and son, after all. I caught my mind wandering to the spark of heat that stirred my body when he touched me. Maybe it had been my hatred for the royal family coming out to play. My body buzzed with the stress of the day.

  Sleep would definitely not be coming anytime soon.

  ✽✽✽

  Harvey and I woke up the next day to a loud siren, followed by the bang of locks opening along the corridor. Good morning to us. I sat up in my cot and looked over at Harvey. She was quickly pulling on her training shoes, which I took as a sign for me to do the same.

  The uniform was tight. Too tight. The white top hardly met the seam of my black pants. If my mother could only see me now, I thought. Gods help us. I slipped my own black boots onto my feet and stood up, following Harvey’s lead. She opened the unlocked cage and stepped into the hallway, pausing for a second and looked back at me.

  “Hey! That looks pretty good on you!” she said. I rolled my eyes in response. This thing was ridiculous. At least I knew my cage mate was nice.

  “Remember what I said yesterday, Ruby. Keep your head down.”

  “Got it,” I whispered, dodging eye contact from the other girls exiting the surrounding cages and walking down the corridor. “Where are we going?”

  “The Courtyard. The first half of the day is training for everyone. The boys will be here too, but don’t talk to any, it’ll just attract more attention. Prince Aiden will be here watching everybody. Don’t talk to him, either. He’ll end up putting you in a practice match.”

  I nodded, shoving my hands in my pockets. This girl had picked up a lot in the week she had been here. Harvey and I walked down the long corridor, passing at least ten more cages of cots before arriving at the entrance to the Courtyard. It was a large opening surrounded by huge, concrete stone that had been molded into archways and stairs. The morning sun beat down on us from above the walls. Guards walked the perimeter, hands on their swords.

  Maybe this was a prison, after all.

  The girl fighters and the boy fighters stayed on their respective sides of the Courtyard, although we all shared the same training equipment. Clearly, they were not interested in speaking with each other. I caught a few staring at us as we walked onto the grass of the field, but they quickly looked away.

  I instinctively wrapped my arms across my waist. I felt exposed. Vulnerable. But this was no place for that. I had one job here, and one job only. I had to kill the King and get back to Sundown as fast as possible. Nothing else mattered.

  “Okay, so over there is where people practice fighting. I would just avoid that place altogether,” Harvey said, pointing to the center of the Courtyard where a crowd of people already gathered around a large fighting ring. If this was the size of the practice ring, I couldn't help but wonder how big the actual Ring of Angels would be. “That’s where the Prince will usually be, giving people pointers and stuff. The weights and weapons over there are free for anyone to use, and you can get breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the corner past the shower entrance. The showers can be used at any time during the day, but honestly, I would try to avoid it as much as possible. Or go super late at night, right before the cages lock again. That’s what I do, anyway.”

  I noticed a small group gathering near the practice ring. This group seemed different from the rest of the fighters. More confident. There were about six large, muscular guys and a few girls who also looked terrifying. It could only be one thing.

  The King’s League of Champions.

  These fighters were selected to be in the elite league for a number of reasons. Maybe they had terrifying aggression, or maybe they were just fun to watch in the ring. Either way, being a Champion labeled you as a favorite. They were expected to win every fight, and that was clear by the way they trained. They were identified by the black raven branded on each of their chests. The symbol of death.

  I made a mental note to stay away from that area.

  The familiar buzz of adrenaline entered my body, crawling up my arms from the tingling I felt in my fingertips. This place was feral. Just looking around at the various fighters made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

  Harvey and I walked around the perimeter of the Courtyard toward the breakfast line, avoiding as many girls as we could. There had to be at least 100 fighters here.

  I quickly scanned the yard for the Prince, but instead noticed a group of guys fighting near what I assumed was the hallway to the boy cages. Blood sprayed as one boy was pounded in the face, earning a cheer from the small crowd that had gathered. My stomach lurched. It was disgusting.

  “So, what do you do to train?” I asked, turning my attention to my cellmate.

  “Nothing, really,” Harvey answered, chewing on her bottom lip. “I have no idea how to fight, so training isn’t really going to help me.”

  My chest tightened at the thought of Harvey being forced to fight without so much as a fighting lesson. I knew the King was cruel, but this was beyond that. It was inhumane.

  “Oh, come on! I can help you. What if you get picked as a fighter one day and you aren’t prepared?”

  She giggled nervously. Looking at her now, she must’ve been around Riley’s age, and her scrawny body assured me that she definitely wasn’t lying about her fighting history. This girl would be in big trouble if she had to fight. Somebody had to help her.

  “Okay, but I’m serious about not drawing attention! This is your first day, so just be discrete about it.”

  I huffed and nodded my head again, motioning for her to follow me to an empty space toward the back of the Courtyard. At least she was starting to trust me. I heard screaming and hollering from the practice ring but didn’t dare look in that direction. Neither did Harvey. I had a feeling that the people volunteering to fight back here were not the type of people I needed to meet on my first day in the cages.

  “Okay, so when you’re starting a fight, you want to make sure your stance is strong,” I said. I squared my hips and pulled my fists to my chest. “Let’s see what you’ve got, Harvey.”

  Harvey mirrored my body but kept her head down.

  I dropped my fists.

  “Don’t worry,” I said. “I’m not going to hurt you.” She looked at me with surprise on her face. I guess she didn’t make many friends down here either.

  After putting a reassuring smile on my face, I stood in front of her. “Okay, try hitting me.”

  “Seriously?” She questioned, eyes wide. “I can’t hit you!”

  “Trust me, you can. And you will. Picture me as your opponent in the ring. You have to fight to survive.”

  Harvey nervously looked at me. She was clearly hesitant to follow my instructions. After a few seconds, though, she lazily tossed her right fist toward my torso. I slapped her fist away.

  “See?” I said. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Harvey laughed. “Try again.”

  And she did. A few times. Each time, her move was predictable and slow. This girl really needed some training.

  I didn't expect to care about anyone else here. In fact, I expected to hate every single person in the cages. But Harvey was different. Half of these people had probably been stolen from their homes against their will. She just wasn’t as good at hiding it.

  “Okay,” I said, not sure if I was talking to Harvey or myself. “This is going to take a lot of work.”

  ✽✽✽

  The next two days, Harvey and I established a routine. We woke up, quickly ate whatever was given to us that day, and got right into trai
ning in our corner at the back of the Courtyard. Every once in a while, the Prince’s voice would boom through the yard, usually accompanied by a yell or two from the League of Champions that trained in the middle.

  We ignored all of that.

  Once, we even got to watch the Prince fight one of the King’s Champions. He pinned the guy down in seconds, sword to his throat and all. It was some of the greatest fighting I had ever seen, but it made me realize just how much of a challenge surviving here would be. This would be no easy task.

  Harvey had become more confident in fighting. She wasn’t afraid to hit me, at least. That was a start. She warmed up to me quickly. Having a friend around here was more than I could have asked for, even if it was someone dainty like Harvey.

  “Where did you learn to fight like this?” she asked, pausing from our daily training with a deep breath. “Because you’re like a professional or something.”

  “Someone back home taught me.” Jax. Just thinking his name made my chest ache.

  “Oh, so you’ve been training for this then?”

  “No, not for this. I would never wish this place on anyone. I never expected to be here.”

  It was the truth. I might have planned on sneaking into the City, but the Ring of Angels never crossed my mind. I didn’t need her to feel sorry for me, but the expression on her face made me soften.

  “It’s okay,” I continued. “Everything will work out like it should.”

  And I prayed to the gods that would be true.

  4 The Enemy

  “Look girls. We’ve found the next Champion. Better watch out,” one of the fighters said, motioning toward Harvey. The rest of them laughed. We had been so focused on our training, we didn’t realize the small group of girls that had been watching us.