The princess let out a barely audible squeak.
The captain turned to me. “So, what did you think of Prince Diyan’s sword?”
My heart beat faster. Is Elian suspicious of Diyan, too? “His sword?” I repeated.
“That type of blade is called an elij. It’s popular in Nahraj. Their soldiers carry them instead of the larger scimitars.”
I frowned. “Why?”
“They’re lighter. Sultanah Farideh has many women in her army and the elij is easier to wield. But in the right hands, they’re just as deadly as a scimitar. They’re particularly suited to smaller fighters, like Prince Diyan…and yourself.”
My face lit up. “You think I could fight with an elij?”
“Well, what do you think?” The captain produced Diyan’s sword with a flourish.
Unable to keep the grin from my face, I hopped over the wall and into the arena. Elian handed me the sword, the hilt still warm from where Diyan had wielded it in their fight, and twirled it in my hand. It felt light, just as light as the wooden training poles, but the curved blade felt more like an extension of my arm.
“Oh, Zadie, you look so fierce!” Safiyya called from the side.
I looked back, the stupid smile still plastered over my face, and then did a double take when she produced a pack from beneath her seat, and opened it to reveal my training clothes.
“Don’t be angry.” She gave a nervous giggle. “Elian asked me to bring these for you. You can change behind the stand over there.”
I cast the captain a suspicious look. “You want to train now? Here?” I reluctantly took the clothes from Safiyya. “Aren’t you tired out after fighting all those princes?”
“You’re right, I’m exhausted,” Elian replied, a twinkle in his eye. “But that’s okay, because I’m not the one sparring with you today.”
The grin fell from my face. Then who–
“That pleasure would be mine.”
I spun around to face the deep voice. Kassim strode toward us, his dark hair tied back from his face and his scimitar strapped to his waist.
“What?” My heart began to beat faster. “Why?”
“A test. I’d like to see how my bride-to-be is progressing.” The sultan raised an eyebrow. “Or are you concerned this is going about as well as the tournament I asked you to take responsibility for?”
“A little notice might have been nice…” I forced down my nerves, ignoring the tight feeling in my chest and hoping real confidence might follow if I pretended. “And time to change,” I muttered under my breath as I rolled my shoulders.
The sultan eyed my flowing dress and pretty silk pants. “Well, are you going to change? Or have you made so much progress you want to fight me in that?”
Glaring at him, I shoved the elij back at Elian then clambered back over the wall. “No looking!” I snapped back at them, and disappeared behind the stand, quickly dragging on the clothes Safiyya had brought me.
I returned to face Kassim, who had stepped into the arena, and accepted the elij from the captain, glowering at the amused smirk plastered across his face.
I swung the sword around again, getting a sense for the weight of it.
The sultan gave me a predatory smile, unsheathing his scimitar with a metallic whoosh. “Well, princess,” he said in a mocking tone. “You see–”
I darted forward, swiping at him so quickly, he barely got his blade up in time to block me.
Shock flashed across the sultan’s face, and Safiyya whooped from the stands. I allowed myself a small smirk.
Spirits, the elij is so light.
“Don’t hold back, sultan.”
Before Kassim could reply, I slashed at his exposed left side. He blocked me quickly this time, our blades scraping together.
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”
I was much quicker with the lighter elij, but I would still tire from blocking Kassim’s forceful blows with my slim blade. If I was going to win, I needed to do so fast.
Kassim moved quickly, and spirits, was he strong. I knew I wouldn’t be able to catch him off guard like that again. But thanks to my second wish, the tactics just popped into my mind as I moved.
Keep moving. Keep your sword up. Use the space and your surroundings to your advantage.
I circled around so the setting sun was directly in the sultan’s face, and he squinted, his amber eyes glowing as they locked onto mine.
Then he launched into an offensive, his blade glinting in the golden light. I stepped backward, managing to block each of his blows as the blade flashed toward me – first one side, then the other, then overhead. My breathing grew heavy, my heart pounding against my ribcage.
“Tired, princess?” the sultan taunted, but his voice sounded breathless, too. Kassim struck again, but I parried his attack.
“Keep moving, Zadie!” Elian’s voice sounded distant.
But I remembered what he had taught me in my first lesson. Don’t be predictable.
The next time the sultan swung his scimitar, I jumped back out of reach, clearing the knee-high wall easily and landing on the smooth paving outside the arena.
“Coming?” I raised a brow in invitation. Would he call off the fight now that I’d stepped foot outside the arena?
The sultan paused, his gaze running over my face. Then his lips quirked up and he leapt out after me.
Kassim kept striking, and even though I was on the back foot, I blocked all his blows with ease. We both had a feel for each other now, falling into a comfortable rhythm, neither of us trying to get the upper hand. We moved farther away from the arena, toward one of the gardens where a fountain babbled merrily.
My body felt alive, the same kind of thrill I used to get from riding a horse rushing through my limbs. Was I having…fun?
As my arm started to tire, I gripped the hilt tighter.
Then our swords locked. Kassim slid his blade along mine, swinging his arms in a complex maneuver that sent me toppling backward into the fountain behind me.
“Spirits!” I gasped as the cold water rushed over me. A shadow blocked the sun as momentum carried Kassim into the fountain. His body crashed into me, and he threw out his arms to brace himself, stopping his face from hitting mine at the last minute.
He tensed.
Is the fight not over? Out of the corner of my eye, the elij glimmered just within reach below the water.
“I don’t think so,” Kassim growled, pinning down my wrist before I could reach for it, then reaching for the other hand to hold that fast, too. Water rushed and churned against my ears.
The sultan’s amber eyes seemed to spark as they looked down at me. “I win,” he announced quietly so only I could hear.
The shallow water was cold around me, but my cheeks felt hot. Kassim’s face above mine blocked out the fading light, as well as everything else.
I was suddenly conscious of how close our bodies were, the sultan’s hand still pinning my wrists down. I wriggled beneath him, feeling the brush of his tunic against my front as I tried to lift myself from the water, but I couldn’t move beneath his grip. The ghost of a smile flickered over his face, making something flutter in my stomach.
I gave up trying to free myself, sinking back in frustration, hoping the cold water would cool my burning cheeks.
“I found the Night Diamond talisman and saved us from the ghuls in the desert, so I suppose it’s only fair to let you have one victory,” I spluttered, trying to look annoyed. “Now, are you going to let me up? Or do you plan to celebrate your success by crushing the life out of your betrothed?”
Now it was Kassim whose cheeks colored.
“Are you drowning her?” Elian called out cheerily, peering over the side of the fountain.
The captain’s voice seemed to snap Kassim out of his trance. He sat back on his haunches, then hauled me up from the fountain, sending glittering droplets flying everywhere.
I stood, tearing my gaze away from the wet shirt that clung to the sultan’s torso, in
stead locking eyes with the captain.
“You fought well, Zadie.”
“Thank you.” My stomach flipped as I glanced back at Kassim.
“The sword suits you.” Elian gestured to the elij that still lay under the surface of the water.
“Thank you.” I reached back into the fountain to retrieve the weapon.
“That was amazing, Zadie!” Safiyya hurried to join us, her hands clasped in front of her chest. Her cheeks flushed. “The captain must be a wonderful teacher.”
“She was sufficient in defense.” Kassim clambered out of the fountain, his drenched clothes dripping water over the tiles.
I wrung out my braid, rolling my eyes at the sultan. “Sufficient? Flatterer.”
The sultan watched the droplets of water from my hair spatter on the ground, his expression not giving anything away. “So, do you think you could defend yourself if we had to travel to dangerous places?”
My heart leapt. “Does that mean–”
“Sultan!” The vizier’s voice carried through the air.
We turned together. Hepzibah hurried across the arena, her long shadow cutting a dark line in the low light of the sun. I frowned. What now?
She drew to a halt before us, her brow creased, one hand at her throat. “Kassim, it’s the tournament.” She paused dramatically, drawing herself up taller and shaking her head.
“What is it, Hepzibah?” Elian asked curtly.
She exhaled slowly, turning to face the sultan with an expression of extreme sorrow. “It’s happened again, Kassim. Another prince has gone missing.” She shot me a spiderlike smile. “I thought you ought to know.”
Chapter Eleven
My mind raced. Another prince had gone missing? How long had I been sparring with Kassim? The princes surely couldn’t have been gone for more than an hour after the fight with Elian. And the palace had been in lockdown. How could someone have smuggled a prince out of the palace?
I swallowed down a lump in my throat. Even though I knew I hadn’t done anything wrong this time, I had no doubt who the vizier would try to find responsible, even if she didn’t say it directly.
Kassim let out a low growl. “Someone else is missing? How is that possible?”
The vizier just bowed her head, shooting me an accusing look.
The sultan stabbed his sword into the ground, his cheeks turning redder. “Who?”
“Prince Diyan.”
The hilt of the elij turned slippery in my palm. I had begun to think Prince Diyan might be responsible for Rishi’s disappearance…I hadn’t thought he might be in danger…
“Kassim,” the vizier began in an even voice. “I know it’s hard to hear, but we must talk about the rest of the tournament.” Her gaze slid back to me. “It pains me to say it, but I think it’s for the best if someone takes over from the princess for the rest of the princes’ stay at the palace.”
“Zadie’s been here with us the whole time!” Safiyya protested, hurrying to my side.
The vizier gave her a cool look. “I appreciate your concern, Safiyya, and hope you haven’t found this experience too upsetting. And you understand it isn’t that I want to upset Princess Zadie either, of course.” She looked sorrowfully back at the sultan. “This would be a lot for any new sultanah to handle, and the princess still isn’t even sultanah yet...”
A pounding sounded in my ears. Rage burned hot in my stomach. How did she manage to make it sound like this was all my fault while somehow defending me to the sultan at the same time? Kassim looked thoughtfully between the two of us, his expression troubled.
Surely he doesn’t agree with her...
“Hepzibah,” Elian began gruffly. “I really don’t think–”
“It would be best for everyone.” Hepzibah spoke loudly, cutting off whatever Elian had been about to say. “The princess told us from the beginning that she didn’t want to do this, Kassim. I’m sure she’ll be happy to be relieved of her duties. And this tournament is crucial for establishing future alliances for the kingdom. Now two of the best matches for Astaran are missing, and talk already stirs among Safiyya’s other suitors about how weak our rule here must be, for guests to go missing within the palace walls.”
The blood drained from my face. Of course… Why hadn’t I realized it before?
The vizier shot me another insincere smile. “This is no longer a job for a princess, or even a sultanah. This is a matter for the sultan and his advisors to handle.”
But I wasn’t listening anymore. The vizier had more or less said it.
The missing princes were the best political matches for Safiyya.
I mentally ran through the discussions I’d had with Tarak and Safiyya about the visiting princes. If whoever was responsible for this really was targeting the best alliances for the kingdom, that meant Prince Cao was next. I sucked in a slow breath through my teeth.
Kassim let out a frustrated exclamation. “Do we have any leads at all on what might have happened?”
A flash of irritation crossed the vizier’s face before the concerned smile returned again. No doubt she was annoyed the sultan had refused to acknowledge what she’d said about me. That he hadn’t agreed to immediately take me off the job. “The palace has been in total lockdown. No one has come or gone since last night.”
“So whoever’s doing this is still here.” The sultan’s voice sounded tight. “The missing princes must be in the palace somewhere.”
The vizier nodded, raising one hand to her chin.
Kassim frowned. “What did Namir say?”
The vizier stilled for a moment, then tilted her chin up. “Namir is not yet aware of what happened.”
Temper burned in the sultan’s eyes.
“I thought it more important to inform you first, Kassim,” the vizier said quickly. “And we must keep this quiet. We don’t want to panic everyone.”
“Namir’s hardly everyone, Hepzibah,” Elian butted in. He managed to keep his tone mild, but his fists were clenched at his sides.
The vizier let out a low hiss. “I’m sure you have excellent ideas about how to muster Astaran’s armies, Elian, but the matter at hand is more my area of expertise. And the princess–”
“Enough!” Kassim wrenched his sword back out of the dirt. “We need Namir on this. I’ll deal with Princess Zadie later.”
His words rankled, and I felt my temper rising again. What did he mean by saying that in front of Elian, Safiyya and the vizier? That he was going to deal with me?
But I bit my tongue.
The sultan wiped down his scimitar and sheathed it again. “Come on. We’ll go to Namir now.”
“Actually,” I ventured in a small voice, trying my best to look suitably repentant. “I think Hepzibah’s right. The three of you should go see Namir. I’ll escort Safiyya back to her chambers, to make sure she’s safe.”
Kassim’s eyes narrowed. “You want to escort Safiyya back to her chambers? Instead of coming to see Namir?”
I bowed my head, bringing the elij around to clasp it in front of me. “I’ll change out of these wet clothes first.”
“I think that’s for the best, Kassim,” the vizier said, her voice dripping with fake sympathy.
The sultan shot me another suspicious look. “Fine. I haven’t got time for this. We need to deal with the situation with the princes. Now.”
I remained still, watching Kassim and the others retreat to the palace, Safiyya waiting by my side. He glanced back over his shoulder and I hastily put a wet arm around the princess, as though consoling her.
She shrugged me off, then shot me a knowing look. “We’re not really going back to my chambers, are we, Zadie?”
My eyes widened in surprise. I snatched the dress I had been wearing back from her, moving back to change behind the stands so she couldn’t see my face. “Of course we are. I mean, where else would we possibly be going?”
“Zadie.” Safiyya’s stern tone stopped me in my tracks. “I know you haven’t been in the palace all
that long. But I can already see when you’ve got your I’ve had an idea face on.”
Heat prickled up the back of my neck in spite of the cold water still clinging to my skin.
“Kassim knows it too. Didn’t you see him glancing back at you? He knows something’s up, he just didn’t want to ask in front of Hepzibah.”
“I…” I struggled to find an excuse.
Safiyya planted her hands on her hips. “You’re not leaving me behind, Zadie. Spirits, it’s my suitors going missing.”
I stared at the slight princess in surprise, her pretty face scrunched up with determination.
“It might not be safe–”
“Would you be happy if Kassim told you that?”
No, I wouldn’t. But if Safiyya came with me, I wouldn’t be able to summon Tarak to help…
I deliberated a moment longer, then, reluctantly, I shared my suspicions. “I…I think whoever’s behind this is targeting the best matches. Politically. For Astaran.” I didn’t like Kassim excluding me from things. I wouldn’t do the same to Safiyya.
The princess nodded slowly, comprehension spreading over her face. “Of course…Prince Rishi first…then Prince Diyan…and that means…”
“Prince Cao is next,” I finished.
“So your plan is to go to Prince Cao’s chambers?”
I nodded, clutching the dry clothes more tightly in my arms.
Safiyya’s mouth set. “I’m coming with you.”
Prince Cao’s chambers were in the guest wing, where all of the princes had been staying. We slowed to a stop as we neared the door, Safiyya’s eyes bright with excitement. Meanwhile, I couldn’t shake the worry about what might happen to her. What if she goes missing next? Kassim might forgive me for the missing princes, but he was unlikely to be sympathetic if I led his sister into danger.
The door to the prince’s bedroom was open a crack, and I could hear his voice as we approached. My shoulders dropped, relief spreading through my chest.
He’s here, and he’s still alive. Thank the spirits.
Palace of Wishes (2020 Reissue) Page 9
