The City of Veils

by S. Usher Evans

  "I know it's a scary prospect," he said, turning to me once again. "But you've spent your life staring down the worst criminals this city has to offer. You can't tell me a couple of old lords and ladies terrify you that much."

  "It's not just that." I could no longer hide my emotions as tears spilled down my cheeks. "This is all just…too much. I was happy in my life before. It wasn't the best life, but it was mine. And now I'm being forced into dresses that don't fit and being told what to say and…" I wiped my cheeks and sniffed loudly.

  He sighed.

  "And more than that…" I shook my head. "I was so close to getting Beswick on treason charges."

  "Are you?" Felix asked with a quirked brow. "How?"

  "I think he's running deals with the Kulkans," I said, brushing my hair out of my face as I sat up. "So far, it's just conjecture, but I was closing in on his bookkeeper. Now, all those leads are going to go cold…"

  He actually laughed. "They won't if you give them to me and let me take care of it. I want him gone as much as you do, so if you have a lead…"

  "Felix, you can't operate the way I do." I limply raised my hand into the air. "People are much more eager to speak with me than with the captain of the king's guard."

  "You mean you threaten them."

  "Well?" I shrugged. "It gets results, doesn't it? And I can get more, just…let me continue what I started. Let me finish it, at least." I closed my eyes as more tears fell. "Before you take away all the best parts of myself. Please, just let me have this one thing."

  Felix was quiet for a long time, sitting there on the dirty ground outside the castle.

  "I suppose…" He sighed loudly. "If you promise to be careful, and you remain injury-free, I would consider letting you continue your investigation."

  My eyes opened, torn between indignation that he was allowing me to do anything and relief that he was. "I'm listening."

  "You will continue to make all your appearances during the day," he said, sounding as if he already regretted what he was saying. "And if your nightly activities interfere in any way, I will handcuff you to your bed."

  "Is that a promise?" I said with a grin.

  His dark eyes met mine, and there was nothing but annoyance in them. "And when you are officially crowned in three months, you will hang up your hood for good and that will be the end of it."

  I licked my lips. "Counter offer. I will find and dispose of Beswick. Then I will become queen."

  "Your coronation is in three months," he said, standing and holding out his hand to help me up. "I suggest you work quickly."

  I could do three months, so I let him pull me upright. "Give me my mask and sword back."

  "Tomorrow," he said, releasing my hand. "Please, just sleep tonight. I have a feeling we'll both need it. You have a very busy day tomorrow."

  "Oh, yeah? Doing what?"

  He smiled. "You've got a lesson with Katarine. Bright and early."

  "Really?" I said with a quirked brow. "She still wants to be in the same room as me?"

  "We all want to see you succeed, Brynn. Even when you're a pain in the ass."

  Chapter 7

  When I woke up the next morning, I was well-rested and feeling less like the walls were closing in on me. I had three months to find enough evidence to convict Beswick with treason. It had taken me weeks to suss out the name of his bookkeeper, but now—now I had a fire at my back. And, presumably, an unlimited budget.

  Beata arrived bright and early with my breakfast, and I spent a few moments getting to know her further. She'd been there for a number of years, knew just about everyone who worked for the royal family, and would probably prove to be an invaluable asset.

  "Oh, no," she demurred, shaking her head and glancing down at the floor. "I'm just a simple maid. Nobody important."

  "Very important," I said, inhaling the scent of coffee. "Nobody ever notices you, and you hear everything. I'll have to make sure to keep you happy. You've worked in the castle a long time, right?"

  She ducked her head. "Yes, ma'am."

  "Did you serve my father? Or just August?"

  "I was your brother's attendant," she said. "His and Lady Katarine's for the past few years."

  "And what was the relationship like?" I asked, nibbling on a piece of fruit. "Katarine and August's?"

  Beata's eyes softened a little. "Your brother was a wonderful man. We both miss him terribly."

  "You didn't answer my question," I said with a knowing smile.

  "That's because, and please forgive me, it's not my answer to give," she said, gazing at the ground in deference even as she deflected my question. "The relationship between Lady Katarine and Prince August remained between the two of them. If she opts to share it with you, that's her decision, not mine."

  So Beata was loyal to Katarine. Good to know.

  The woman in question walked in the door, bearing a stack of books and papers. Beata left so quickly, I thought she might be on fire. Katarine barely gave her a second look, as she came to the center of the room with a stony look on her face.

  "Good morning, Your Highness," she said, bowing. "Felix asked me to help you learn about Forcadel's history, and some additional things you might want to know before you meet with the Council again."

  I sat back and surveyed her. She showed no sign of the woman who'd slapped me the day before and seemed determined to forget the momentary lapse in judgment. I could practically smell the desperation.

  So, mindful of Felix and wanting to keep our agreements intact, I cleared my throat. "I'm sorry for what I said yesterday."

  She straightened, her pale cheeks growing rosy. "What?"

  "Yesterday, about my brother and you. It was out of line," I shrugged. "I'm sorry I doubted your intentions."

  "You don't have to explain yourself," she said, although she looked rather relieved. "I know how it looks. But know that I'm only here to be helpful."

  "I know," I said, sucking down more of the coffee. "So you said something about history?"

  Katarine took me to the room where I'd learned to read and write as a girl. Now, she was using it to impart all her geopolitical wisdom. Maps and drawings hung on the walls, flag colors of our allies and enemies, and my indefatigable tutor seemed to know everything. She'd obviously been preparing to become queen for many years, as her knowledge of not only Forcadel, but also Kulka and Niemen, was impressive and thorough. And to her credit, she never once mentioned her almost-position.

  But that didn't mean any of what she was telling me made sense to me.

  "So, okay," I said, looking down at the map of Forcadel and surrounding countries. "Forcadel is basically centered around the capital city here in the bay, and our borders extend across the southern half of the continent, with these two rivers connecting us directly to Niemen and Kulka, right?"

  "Right. And we receive a lot of money from these other nations to ship their goods on the rivers in Forcadel," Katarine said. "And those tariffs pay for…well, all this."

  I looked around the room and scoffed. "Well, we've got all this already. Why can't we just give them free access?"

  "Then they would no longer need us," Katarine said. "Forcadel doesn't have mines or farmland or even glass. What's to say Kulka wouldn't add a three hundred percent tariff to their food? We'd have no recourse, and our people would starve."

  I furrowed my brow. "But they wouldn't do that, would they?"

  "It's best to keep things as they are so we don't find out." She smiled brightly, but there was the hint of impatience in her voice. "Forcadel's position on the coast makes us a hub for many of our land-locked neighbors."

  "You mean, we bullied and conquered our way to the best position," I said with a loud yawn. "Please, don't skip over our bloody, conquest-heavy history."

  "Oh, don't worry, we'll be going over all of it," Katarine said, rising to walk to the map hanging on the wall. "Niemen and Forcadel have only recently become amicable trading partners through a carefully negotiated treaty.
Obviously, my being here was part of that." She stared at the paper for a moment. "I would hope that even if a Niemenian queen doesn't sit on the throne, we can continue to have peace."

  "I don't see why not," I said, watching as a bird flew by the window. Oh, to be outside today. Or sleeping and resting up for my big night out.

  "Because," Katarine said, gaining my attention back, "the treaty was highly controversial, including and especially the marriage. It's one thing to make a treaty, quite another to mix bloodlines. Do you understand?"

  "But you…didn't mix any bloodlines?" I said. "Unless there's something you want to tell me."

  "No," she said, her eyes a little sad. Then she shook it off and went back to the map. "Obviously, I'm here as your link to the Niemenians, but there is someone on your Council who links you to Kulka. Do you know who it is?"

  I blinked. "Uuuh…"

  "Lady Vernice."

  "Which one was she?" I asked, straining my memory. "Purple?"

  "She was wearing purple, yes," Katarine said with a smile. "She was also the one who was very unfriendly to me."

  "Oh yeah." I nodded. "Why?"

  Katarine laughed, although there was no humor in it. "Because if it were up to the Kulkans, the treaty between Niemen and Forcadel would be nullified, my head would be on a pike, and war would probably break out between Forcadel and Niemen."

  "But how would that benefit…oh…" I nodded. "Kulkans would be our only source of metal. Metal that we would use in a war against Niemen."

  "See? You're getting the hang of it," Katarine said with a smile.

  "But if she's a Kulkan, why is she on the Council?" I asked.

  "Forcadel was formed when six warring dukedoms came together under a single flag. The idea was that they would rule the land together, so each family would still have a seat at the table." She pointed to the flag of Forcadel, which contained a shield with six smaller crests. "Of course, the Lonsdales had the biggest army and the most gold, so they crowned themselves kings after a few decades."

  "As one does."

  "Your present Council bears little resemblance to those original families," Katarine explained, walking to the chalkboard where she'd listed the names of each of the participants. "Your father stocked the council with political allies like Garwood—"

  "Garwood? An ally?" I snorted. "Yeah, right."

  "He and your father were aligned on many issues," Katarine said. "He appointed Vernice because of her hold on the northwestern section, which has a heavy Kulkan population. Conscious of my betrothal, he appointed Vernice to appease both the country and the citizenry up there." She drew her pointer down one name. "Councilman Zuriel is the mayor of the city."

  "Well acquainted," I said. "I like him."

  "General Godfryd commands your naval forces. She's a force to be reckoned with. Hard, and oblivious to political headwinds. If you can count her as an ally, you're doing well. And of course, Octavius, who does whatever the others tell him to."

  "So I could clean house, couldn't I?" I said. "Get rid of Vernice and the rest of them?"

  "You could, after your coronation." She looked at the map again. "But with all the turmoil these past few weeks, the country needs a steady hand. And despite their personality differences, your Council isn't as bad as it seems."

  I placed my finger on the country to the west of Niemen. Severia. "And what about that country?"

  She shook her head. "Desert country. We get glass from them, and that's about it. They're very poor, so we do what we can."

  "I see." I looked back at the other two nations. "And how do our allies feel, knowing that the last two kings were poisoned?"

  "It happened so quickly," Katarine whispered, another veil of sadness dropping over her eyes and disappearing before I got a good look at it. "But that's why Felix was so eager to get you back on the throne. If we can keep a Lonsdale on the throne, we can weather this storm without breaking any of our treaties and causing more damage."

  "Assuming I don't make an egregious mistake."

  She chuckled. "That's why we're here studying. There's a lot to keep up with, and until you have a set of trusted advisors to help guide your opinions, you're on your own making decisions."

  "Right, decisions." I pushed the map away, tired of seeing it for the moment. "Let's talk about these kingdoms some more. Any of them suspects in murdering August and my father? Maybe the Kulkans are trying to undo the deal, like you said?"

  "It would be brazen," she said. "It's much more likely that it was an internal attack."

  "They could be working together, the Kulkans and Vernice," I said with a small shrug. "That happened two years ago—there were two crime families fighting against each other. The younger son got in with the enemy family and wiped out his father and older brother. Then he got himself a deputy position…" I cleared my throat. "Until his old cartel got wind of his betrayal. Think they drowned him—"

  "Brynna." Katarine's face had grown quite pale. "Crime families and retribution murders are not your concern anymore."

  So Felix hadn't told her about our agreement. "I mean, they're still my subjects. So yes—"

  "That is the concern of Felix and his men. Delegation is a key skill you need to learn. And quickly." I opened my mouth to argue, but she held up her hand to silence me. "As queen, you should be focused on the larger issues of the kingdom. Foreign dignitaries and the kingdom's coffers. Making sure your lords and ladies are able to manage their holdings effectively."

  "You mean help them make deals to keep themselves rich while taking from—"

  "Brynna…" Katarine sighed. "I'm trying. Please try, too."

  "Fine," I said with a frown. "Continue, please."

  The sun was low in the sky when Katarine finally released me from our session. Felix's guards Coyle and Zathan escorted me from the classroom back to my tower, where Beata had a succulent dinner waiting. I wasn't hungry, though, not when excitement pounded through my veins.

  I changed into a simple tunic and pants that were now hanging in my wardrobe. When I came to the door again, Zathan rose so fast, I thought he might attack me.

  "My lady?" he said. "Is there something wrong?"

  "Take me to Felix," I said.

  Zathan cast a glance at his partner, who nodded. "He said to take her down to the barracks."

  I followed them down the stairs, bouncing with every step. I was honestly prepared for a fight, not yet trusting Felix to be a man of his word. Especially where me leaving the castle was concerned. But perhaps this first night would convince him that I wasn't a delicate flower to be guarded at all times.

  Coyle and Zathan led me into a green patch inside the castle exterior walls. Two squads of twenty soldiers each jogged in perfect formation around the track, while another group, perhaps aged fifteen or sixteen, squared off against each other. A still younger group sat cross-legged while they rigorously cleaned weapons. In the center, watching everything, was Felix.

  "Wait," Coyle said as I started for him. "He's in the middle of training."

  "And the sun is setting, so I don't have time to wait," I said, shoving off her hand and walking up to Felix.

  "Afternoon," he said, not tearing his gaze away from the jogging teenagers. "Is there something I can help you with?"

  "I want my sword and hood," I said. "You promised."

  He rubbed his chin, his late-in-the-day stubble scratching under his thumb. "Promised?"

  "I can't very well investigate Beswick without them," I said. "And yes, you did promise."

  "I'd prefer it if you went with just your cloak," he said.

  I spun on him. "Don't make me hurt you, Felix. You said I could continue my nightly activities. I can't do that without my weapon."

  Just as I was about to lay him out in front of his soldiers, the corner of his mouth turned upward. "Yes, Brynn. Once drill is over, we'll retrieve your things."

  "Is it customary for the captain to oversee this training?" I huffed.

  "No, but I'v
e been a bit preoccupied and haven't set a second yet," he said, eyeing me. "I promise. Ten minutes."

  Drill took longer than ten minutes, as the sun was gone and the moon overhead when Felix finally released his soldiers to their barracks. Even then, they still marched toward the barracks with steely expressions, no one daring to look even remotely like they were enjoying themselves.

  "Tough crowd," I said, falling into step beside Felix.

  "Is that sarcasm?"

  "Yes." I nodded toward a pair of kids who jumped to attention as we passed. "It's like they've been brainwashed to worship you."

  "I believe they're saluting you, Princess." Again, he wore that smirk. "It's a great honor to be chosen to participate in the King's Guard."

  "Unless you're August." My brother had been forced into service by my father to try to beat some of his more rebellious tendencies out of him. It appeared to have worked.

  His stoic face fell a little. "Yes, unless you're the prince."

  We continued into the barracks, filled with the stench of body odor and the sound of young boys and girls cutting up drowning out all my thoughts. Each dark brown door was adorned with a single number; Felix stopped in front of number twelve.

  "Doesn't the captain get nicer quarters?" I asked as he opened the door. There was a small bed in the corner, the humble wool blanket tucked under the mattress, and a desk with a small oil lamp with a neat stack of papers. It fit the tidy, military view I'd come to expect from the man.

  "Supposedly, I get a room in the castle," he said, walking to his closet. "But as I said, I've been a little busy." He opened the simple wooden closet and I got a whiff of musk and old wood. His tunics hung neatly, along with a few extra sets of pants. He carefully pushed aside them both and reached into his closet, retrieving a familiar bundle.

  "Your hood," he said, placing the black material in my hands before returning to the closet and finding my scabbard. "And your sword." He kept his hand on the pommel, preventing me from tugging it away. "Remember that our agreement is null and void if you get injured in any way."

  I yanked the sword from his grip. "Luckily for you, I'm good at hiding bruises."