I woke to the sound of Thistle coming in to sleep. She chirped, nuzzling her nose just by my ear.
“That is not helpful,” I informed her. “I actually have work to do today. I need to be rested.”
She let out a long sigh.
“Very well.” I reached out, my hair falling across my eyes as I scratched her chin. “I may as well get up, anyway. I might actually be able to make a difference soon. We might finally leave.” I whispered a thought I’d barely allowed myself to consider: “I might be known for something else in a few days. But! Not if I don’t prepare.”
I shoved myself up, running my fingers across my face, taking in my quarters. There wasn’t much in the space that I could call my own anymore; a few vestiges from my years raised as a merchant’s son, the years before Kawan showed up at our door. A bow with its quiver of arrows rested against the corner beside a guitar that had long since lost its strings. On my rarely used desk, a few books about navigating the stars sat in a pile next to an oblique calligraphy pen for my now questionable handwriting. On the far corner of the desk sat the telescope my father had given me, the lens chipped on the edge from a time I’d dropped it. The rest was clothes in various stages of cleanliness. I told myself that my small life was worth fighting for, that there were bigger things waiting on the other side.
The sky was still hazy out the small window, so I grabbed my cape and put it on over my clothes, picking up my sword as I headed to the arena. I saw the rest of my team coming around the side of the castle and told myself to pull it together. This was the beginning of everything.
“I’ve made sure everyone knows to excuse you from any other details you might have been assigned to today. It is imperative that I understand what each of you are capable of before we head out. So, this morning, you will either face off against Inigo or me.”
At that they all fidgeted. Except for Blythe, who seemed to have expected something like this.
“But first, I want to explain why it’s so important that you’re all prepared for whatever comes.” I swallowed. “We’re going into Kadier. We’re stealing the Kadierian crown. Actually, no, I take that back. We’re going to retrieve our crown. And we’re bringing it back here.”
Inigo and Blythe exchanged a look, while Sherwin looked like he might faint. Griffin let out a wild laugh.
“I love it!” he exclaimed.
“This could be suicide,” Inigo said.
I shrugged. “Staying here, hidden away on the outskirts, is a death of a different kind. I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of waiting. If we can pull this off, it will give everyone in this castle what food and clothes and recruits cannot. If we succeed, Kawan will have to see that we are ready to reclaim our kingdom.”
“How exactly do you plan on getting to the crown?” Blythe asked. “Getting into Dahrain alone might be impossible.”
I shook my head. “Difficult, probably, but not impossible. It’s happened twice.”
She stood her ground, unconvinced. “Even if the old maps could guide us there and even if we can somehow get into their palace, there’s no way the actual crown would be on display. It’s certainly under guard. It might take days to find it.”
“We’re going to sneak in. There are some untouched clothes in storage. We’re going to get the best of what’s left and turn ourselves into subjects. We’re going to set up camp somewhere in Dahrain, get into the palace, and establish our watch. Royals are lazy creatures with predictable habits. It won’t take too long to find out where they’d keep their valuables. The danger comes in the guards. Who knows how many there might be? I can take around four at a time, and Inigo, you could probably handle about the same.” He nodded. “So I need to see how well the rest of you respond to pressure. I need to know that we can succeed.”
“It’s bold,” Griffin said.
“That’s . . . that’s not the right word,” Inigo countered.
Blythe sighed. “One problem. The women’s clothes don’t go into storage; they go to your mother’s wardrobe.”
“I’ve already considered this. Tonight, while everyone is eating dinner, I’ll get into her room.”
“Couldn’t we just ask?” Sherwin offered.
“No,” Inigo said. “If we’ve already been set up to fail, we can’t ask for permission. We’ll have to take everything we need and then some. If we succeed, they won’t be able to say anything about it. If we don’t . . .”
He looked at me, and I shook my head. “We’re not going to fail. We’re going to be patient and careful, and we’re coming back with a crown in our hands.”
Blythe kicked off the planks of the arena. “All right. Let’s get to work, then.”
She took the sword out of Andre’s hand and made her way to the middle of the field.
“I’ll go with her. You can take Sherwin,” Inigo offered, then lowered his voice. “Start slow. Give him a chance to build some confidence. He’s got potential, but he responds better to encouragement than shouting.”
I took that in. “Thank you.”
Inigo stepped back at the words, almost as if they could burn him. He swallowed, straightening himself up. “You’re welcome.”
He went off to Blythe, Andre and Griffin paired up to practice, and Sherwin stepped in front of me. I could see the panic in his eyes. On the one hand, it would have been foolish for him to not fear me, but on the other, it was not reassuring that fear read so easily on his face.
I followed Inigo’s instructions, not pointing it out.
After about fifteen minutes, Sherwin’s moves started to become surer. His lunges sharpened, and his response time shrank. The focus of his eyes shifted, and he started looking like a soldier. I pushed harder, and he responded, moving more aggressively. It was promising. But after a moment, I saw him looking over my shoulder, and I finally backed down, turning to see the fuss.
Inigo and Blythe were moving fast, swords clanking in time. They sparred smoothly, seeing one another’s moves a second before they happened, so well matched it looked like a dance. I was entranced, so much so that I didn’t dare blink for fear of missing something. After another well-placed hit, Inigo raised his left arm, and Blythe pulled back just as she was winding up to strike again, lowering her sword.
Behind me, Griffin and Andre were clapping, and Sherwin quickly joined in. Blythe and Inigo looked over at their adoring crowd, smiling at the acknowledgment.
“Excellent work, Blythe,” I said.
She ducked her head quickly, sweeping a lock of hair behind her ear, saying nothing in return.
“That goes for you, too, Sherwin.” I turned to him. “You just need to be as confident at the start as you are fifteen minutes in. Trust yourself from the off; you can do this.”
He nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“Griffin. You ready to suffer?” I called.
He held his arms out as if he were embracing the world, that smirk ever present on his lips. “At your service.”
And the morning went on like that, trading sparring partners, offering insight. By the time lunch came, I was convinced more than ever that Kawan was a fool. One, he had so much at his disposal, and he failed to use it. And two, he’d accidentally handed it over to me.
