by Auryn Hadley
At the palace gates, Alain called for the King to be summoned. In the courtyard, he demanded men to attend their horses. Only when she sat before the formal gates did he halt their procession, dismounting to rush to Leyli's side.
"May I assist?" He held up a hand to her.
She was honestly thankful. "My legs are like water," she warned, stepping out of the saddle. On cue, her knees buckled, but the Master of Horse quickly steadied her.
Just as she leaned back to ease her muscles, a voice bellowed at the assembly. "What is so important that you interrupted my meeting, Alain?"
"Dad?" Leyli gasped, turning to be sure. His voice sounded exactly like she remembered.
His feet faltered and a hand went to his mouth. "Leyli? Gods. You're alive? Oh, my little girl, where have you been?"
She didn't care about who was watching. She didn't care how many tongues wagged later. Seeing her father, she knew she was really home. She was safe. Leyli ran to him, wrapping her arms around his neck for safety. The King clutched her against him as if afraid his eyes were lying.
"I survived, Dad. I'm so sorry. I tried to stop him, but they sold me. I was a gladiator."
"Oh baby," he breathed, hugging her even tighter. "Are you ok?"
Her throat pinched. "I am, but you know what they'll say."
"I don't give a shit." The King never cursed in public, but he spat the words like venom. "I don't care who is offended. You will always be my daughter. Leyli, your brother..."
"I know." She pressed her head into his shoulder. "I saw him run through with a sword just before I lost consciousness."
He nodded slowly, pulling back to look in her eyes. "And Nona. They killed her, too. It's a shame you didn't see who did it."
Their eyes locked, and she realized he didn't want her to say more. "It all happened so fast. I was too scared to think clearly."
"That's my girl," he breathed. The words sounded soothing, but it was praise. The King wasn't ready to show his hand and was glad she understood. "Let's get you inside and cleaned up."
"Then can I just sit with you?" She looked at him with devotion, aware of how many people watched. "I just want to relax. I've been so scared for so long."
The King turned his head, addressing the first person his eyes found. "Ready the dowager suite for my daughter. She will need a hot bath and suitable clothing. Comfort is more important than style. Prepare a meal for us both. It will be served in her receiving room. Station guards at all entrances. We will not be disturbed. I just got my little girl back." Then he turned to her. "Are you injured?"
"No, Dad. Nothing serious, at least."
He touched her cheek, where a small cut was all too visible. "You're sure?"
"It's a scratch. Doesn't even need sutures. I already saw a physician for it." She sighed and hugged him once more. "I'm sound, Dad. I just want to wash my hair. I really wish we had a masseuse, too."
He chuckled softly. "I can tell it's going to be a long night. I'm proud of you, Leyli. No matter what."
Those were the words she'd needed to hear. As she made her way to her new rooms, her heart was lifting.
Chapter 32
Her old dresses didn't fit. One of the Captain's wives offered her one that would, but it was plebeian. Neither Leyli nor her father cared, but while the daughter scrubbed away months of memories, the King arranged for a new wardrobe. Thankfully, it didn't take much to convince him that she had no need of a maid to attend her. Leyli had learned to manage just fine without one in the last half year.
She was braiding her hair back as she entered the sitting area of her rooms. The King paced along the far wall, a lavish dinner laid out in the middle of the small table. There wasn't another soul in sight. True to his word, he'd locked them away from the rest of noble society.
"I'm starving," she said in greeting, claiming a chair.
Ilario's shoulders relaxed as he turned, then he sat across from her. "Would you prefer I ignore what happened for a bit, or are you ready to talk about it?"
"I'd just fallen asleep, when someone grabbed me. I opened my eyes and saw Palino Sarisona. He tried to blindfold me with his hand, and I'm pretty sure he has no idea I saw him. I kicked out, knocked something from my dresser, and heard the maid scream for help. Kale rushed in, but there were two armed men. Both wore Lanmont crests."
"You're sure?"
She began filling her plate. "Positive. Is Kale in the tomb?"
"Yes, buried with all the honors of the heir to the throne. Your maid's funeral was paid for by the crown as well."
"Good. I'd like to visit him in a few days, to offer my thanks for trying." Then she took a bite, swallowed, and washed it away with the kind of wine she'd missed so much. "Dad, I was sold to the gladiatorial games in Valview. They put me in with the debtors."
"How did you get out?" His voice trembled.
"I didn't." She gestured to the scabbed line on her cheek. "The day Alain found me, I'd just earned this. I learned to fight, Dad."
"Are you any good?"
A smile teased her lips. "Yes. I'm very good. I also owe a man my life, and I need your help."
"You have it. Now tell me why."
"The Lion of Lenlochlien. He's currently one of the best gladiators in the games. I had the good fortune of being kept in the cell beside his. He gave me tips, from cutting off the length of my skirt to use as a garrote, to eating between rounds, even if I didn't want to."
"A pretty face does have that effect on men, Leyli."
She chuckled, but shook her head. "Dad, do you know what it means when they have a tandem fight?"
"The men are chained together? Split the weapons between them?"
She nodded. "I was chained to the Lion. I made sure to be the last picked, so I'd get the best partner. Halfway through, I messed up, but he blocked the strike that should have severed my spine. It was the first time he's ever fought with a partner successfully, so his team owner purchased my supposed debt."
"Ok?"
"And had us fight together for months. Tristan – that's the Lion's name – took care of me. He taught me to win, he taught me how to be safe inside the training facilities, and so much more."
Her dad set down his glass and leaned back. "Did this man know he was sleeping with the Princess?"
Leyli mimicked her father's pose. "Sleep, yes. At the games, we were even kept in the same cell, with one narrow bed. Intercourse? No. Tristan guessed that I was a lady, but I would not tell him my rank. He didn't need me to. He made a point of respecting my virtue and beating down those who wouldn't. Dad, a man grabbed my buttocks at lunch, and the Lion cracked his skull into the table. He was my partner."
"But not lover?"
She shook her head. "No. I'm still a virgin. I know it's not something anyone will believe, but I am. We convinced Merino that the risk of pregnancy would ruin his profits. Tristan sold his body over and over so I wouldn't have to sell mine. We spent every moment together for five months, so yes, he's seen me naked, but he's also sewn my wounds. He tried hard to treat me the way he'd want someone to treat his little sister."
Ilario smiled and nodded. "Then I can't wait to meet him."
"Which is where I need help. He's almost won two hundred and fifty times. Dad, the last fight? They chain him in the center of the arena, without weapons, and send dozens of men at him. Theodian is the only man who's done it, and that was only because one idiot rushed him, and he could get armed."
Her father's face was smooth. "What do you want from me?"
"Send out riders. Find Tristan and offer him a rudis before he's executed. His owner is afraid that once he wins his freedom, Tristan will be a financial threat. Merino's made his money. He wants to make sure Tristan dies. I owe him my life!"
"Eat," he said gently, gesturing to the meal. "I'll do everything I can. If you feel this man saved you, then I owe him, too. I'll send riders out. We'll find him, Leyli."
She obeyed, but her mind refused to stop. "Tristan would make a go
od guardsman. He's calm and noble, even though he's just a farmer's son. He's big and strong, and fights like nothing I've ever seen. He told me once that he was a very bad blacksmith. That's how he ended up in the games. He fell into debt."
"Then I'll spar with him, so I can give my own recommendation."
"No, Dad, you won't. With your shoulder, you wouldn't stand a chance, and gladiators don't know how to fight easily. We only know how to kill."
"We?"
She licked her fingers, refusing to meet his eyes. "I have forty-five wins in the games. Theodian treated me as his prized fighter. I can fight off six men on my own. With Tristan beside me, we can definitely take sixteen, probably more." She lifted her eyes.
The King was smiling. "You were always so much like me. Kale took after your mother, but you were always just like me. I'm proud of you, Leyli, but I want to talk about something even less pleasant."
"I figured."
He refilled both of their cups, using it as an excuse to put off the inevitable. "We thought you were dead. I've refused to name an heir during the six months of mourning, but the deadline is quickly creeping up on us."
"Palino."
Ilario shook his head. "No. I suspected him from the start. With your brother gone, it made you an option. With your honor stained, it would be all too easy to set you aside, or make some paltry marriage to protect your pride. That left Palino as the logical heir, which made him the most likely to have done this."
"Yeah."
"But you're back." He reached over and caught her hand, squeezing it. "You're also the last Aravatti child. There's precedent for what I want to do, but it won't be easy on you." He ducked his head, looking at her seriously. "I'm naming you my heir. You will be King, even if they'll call you a queen."
"So I won't marry?"
"You will, but your husband will be the Prince Consort, not the King. The line will continue, and you will rule the country."
"Dad, the nobles won't accept that."
He finally smiled. "I notice that you didn't say you wouldn't. You say you can swing a sword – "
"And mace, trident, spear, and more. Yes."
"You know how to rule. You spent your life at Kale's shoulder. You know how to be a king, Leyli. You've always been strong, but also pliant. I think you became flexible these last few months. I see a spark in you that wasn't there before. You're stronger, not only on the outside, but also inside. It will be a fight, but are you willing?"
"Do I have to be a lady?"
"No." He patted her hand and leaned back. "It might be easier if you aren't. See the weaponsmith tomorrow and have a set of swords made that fit you. For now, I'll need you to wear skirts and play the part, but they will notice the difference. At the end of the week, I'd like to announce it."
She nodded slowly. "I can do that, Dad, but I have to find Tristan first."
"No, you don't. You have to become the legal heir first. Then you can give him freedom without my permission. We will find him, Leyli. We will also take care of the thousands of people who rely on our family to make good laws."
"I just have one request?" She added a second helping to her plate. "Once I'm the heir, can I never knit again?"
Ilario laughed. "Sure. I doubt you'll have time for it, but sure. I thought you liked sewing."
"Needlepoint and crochet, but I hate knitting."
"So there's still a woman in there somewhere. I am proud of you, Leyli. I don't know how you survived. I spent the last five and a half months wishing I'd trained you to protect yourself, and cursing myself for thinking that being a girl would keep you safe."
"I listened when Kale had his lessons."
They both paused, the silence saying more than words could. Her brother was gone. He would never come back. She'd even missed his funeral, but nothing she could do would change that.
"I cried for him," she told her father. "I cried until I couldn't cry anymore. Then Tristan told me that honoring the dead was about more than tears. He said his family always tried to make the most of their life and remember the good times they had. That's what I want to do."
"It's been hard. He was such a bright boy. He loved reading, and was never much good with a sword. I don't know why he ran in there."
Leyli pushed her hand over her mouth. "For me. Because it's what a good man does. I needed him, and Kale was always there. He always tried to take care of me. In the end, it cost him his life."
"But he died proud. Don't take that from him. For a man, it matters."
"I know," she assured him. "Plague explained it. Dad, for the last few months, I've been a king of the gladiatorial arena. I've been the Lion's partner. They called me the Wolf of Oberhame, a name he gave me. I was never a woman to him, I was just a person, and I learned that dying for someone you care about matters more than anything else."
"He sounds like a good man."
She huffed a wry laugh. "He wanted to be just like you. He didn't know you were my dad, but he told me once that you shook his hand when you passed through Lenlochlien with Mom, just after you got married. He said you were like no one he's ever met, and he wanted to grow up to be a man like you."
"Why didn't you tell him who you were if you trusted him so much?"
She licked her lips, thinking. She'd asked herself that same thing so many times. She trusted him more than anyone else, but she also knew him. Leyli knew that no matter what he said, Tristan's honor mattered more to him than even his life.
"Because he would have died. If he knew I was the Princess of Norihame, he wouldn't have let me get hurt. He would have sacrificed everything to keep me safe, and I needed him too much. I've been hacked at, cut, and beaten. My nose was broken that first day, and I'm pretty sure it's still not straight. The Lion wouldn't have allowed anyone to do that to your daughter, and it would have killed him."
"We'll find him, Leyli."
"We have to, Dad. Tandem fighters become one. Even Theodian, my last team owner, said it. You must fight like one body. You must know each other's minds like you know your own. I feel so lost without him at my back. I keep waiting to feel the change in air that means he took a step, or to see his arm over my shoulder. I feel like a man who lost his leg, trying to walk on the stump that's left."
"Do you love him?"
She took a deep breath before answering. "Love is not something the Princess of Norihame gets the luxury of enjoying, but I need him, Dad. I just need to know that he's safe. I can't think about anything else."
Chapter 33
As soon as he left her rooms, her father sent out men to find Tristan. The next day, she ordered a set of weapons. The weaponsmith suggested a few changes, gave her examples, and together they worked out something that was even better than what she'd grown used to. That evening, she sparred with her father. It was easy to beat him. The hard part was learning how to pull a shot before it caused injury.
The King was so impressed with her skill that he refused to fight her again, which was probably for the best. Instead, he assigned a group of five men to guard her and practice with. They were more of a challenge, but it took three of them to make her work for it. After so many years of peace, few people learned to fight for their life, but Leyli had. She also found that each day, the men were less careful about their attacks. It didn't take long for them to realize she wasn't exaggerating her skill. Her father insisted that she keep up with it.
But weapons weren't her only concern. Leyli had to stand through fittings to get clothes suitable for her position. What had once been comfortable was now clinging. Dresses she'd dreamed of made her feel trapped and restricted. Daring to ignore fashion, she made alterations that would keep most of the look while being functional as well as beautiful. To make up for it, she chose colors and fabrics that were even more feminine. The seamstress didn't completely approve, but she wasn't foolish enough to refuse the newly found Princess.
The ceremony to announce an heir came all too soon. The palace was still buzzing with news of he
r return. Rumors suggested that her father planned to announce her marriage to Palino, thus securing his line twice over. It was the only thing that made sense, they said. When the Domn of Lanmont arrived that morning, he made a point of seeking out Leyli. She could only assume he was wondering what she remembered.
They met in an out of the way hall. Leyli knew it was no coincidence but could play any part she needed. She turned on her innocent face.
"Palino, it's so good to see you again," she said as soon as he came into view.
His eyes searched hers. "Are you well, Princess? I heard you suffered through a terrible ordeal."
"I'm an Aravatti; I managed. I must say, it's nice to be home again, even if I sometimes feel like Kale should round the corner any minute."
"We all grieve his loss."
She nodded. "I shouldn't be so selfish. I know you and he were close. And this whole thing has taken its toll on my father."
"He's been very distraught. Do you know what he plans to say?"
She had an idea, but didn't know exactly. "No, although we did discuss the complications of me making a decent marriage."
"Oh, cousin," he said, the insincerity dripping from his words. "What a nightmare you must have endured."
"I'd rather not speak of it, if you don't mind." Mostly because she wanted to break his neck.
He nodded, gently wrapping an arm around her shoulder as he turned her toward her rooms. "Then we will speak of other things. Have you found a maid? My mother would be happy to help you."
"I would appreciate it. Lady Brentano has been kind enough to loan me one of hers. I haven't been up to much socializing, though."
"I understand. You must have horrible nightmares."
Turning away to hide her expression, she nodded. "I was asleep, and it was dark. Then someone grabbed me. I remember kicking out, but took a blow to the head. The worst part is not knowing who did it. I mean, how could common criminals get so deep into the palace?"
