The Kingdom of Liars

by Nick Martell

  There was a silence between us, aside from the sounds Joey made as he played with his toy and the panting from the dogs.

  “You’re not your father,” he declared. “You’re a Kingman, not a traitor.”

  “There’s little difference nowadays.” I picked up a wooden kite shield without a sigil on it. After fiddling with the strap and buckle to make sure it fit, I slung it on my back. “Thank you for this. I think I’m going to go explore the grounds some more. Is there anywhere I need to be?”

  I could tell Kai wanted to continue talking but dropped the subject for me. “No. The Corrupt Prince will sound a horn to gather everyone when the hunt is about to begin. Do you need anything else? Armor? A weapon that’s not a shield?”

  “No,” I said. “A shield will be fine, and armor just slows me down.”

  Kai left it at that and scooped his little brother onto his lap. His dogs watched me leave with the same focus they had when I entered. It was a little bit brighter out now, and even more people had arrived. There was one group in particular who were louder than anyone else. I followed the noise out of curiosity, hoping to see who they were and what they were doing.

  As I came closer, I discovered that the loudest group consisted of people participating in the novelty hunt, and that they were drinking heavily. A dozen wooden kegs were lined up, allowing anyone who had a receptacle to fill it to the brim with beer. Domet and Ambassador Zain were by the kegs, laughing and drinking with another dozen people, a full tankard in everyone’s hands. Neither of them noticed as I walked past and found a place to sit while I watched people come and go.

  I saw a lot of the nobles listed in Domet’s book. There was the obsidian-skinned Ata Morales, the head of the newest family to gain High Noble status, replacing the Naverre family. An assortment of the Page and Cutter families were there, two of the many families that had formerly pledged their loyalty to the Kingman family. There were even a few Sacrifices mingled in with the crowd, following various nobles around like sheep. Lastly, I saw the Corrupt Prince on a massive white horse, his Throne Seekers and two Ravens trudging behind him on foot. Naomi was nowhere to be seen, which made me wonder if she was as invested in him as she had first seemed. However, Trey was with him, though, and saw me instantly, even hidden by the crowds of people.

  The moment the Corrupt Prince’s back was turned, Trey walked over to me. “Michael.”

  “Trey,” I said, standing. “Are you—”

  Trey opened his jacket so I could glimpse the flintlock pistol hidden there. He closed his jacket moments later, no smile or flicker of expression on his face.

  I hadn’t expected him to listen to me, but I hadn’t expected him to bring a gun to the King’s Garden either. Without Jamal, he was acting on instinct, his mind clouded with emotions. That never ended well.

  “Are you insane?” I asked, hands slightly raised in defense. “If anyone sees that, you’ll be hanging before midday.”

  “Jamal is dead,” he said, voice fluctuating in pitch. “I don’t care what happens to me.”

  “But I do! I know it was my fault, but let me be there for—”

  “I could kill you,” he stated. “I could steal that guard’s sword and then stab you through the heart with it. The Corrupt Prince would probably make me a noble for doing it. Jamal was always jealous of them. He always wanted a feather bed of his own. He deserved better.”

  “Trey, let me explain and then you can do what you want.”

  He chuckled to himself. “If the positions were reversed and I got your sister killed, would you pause for excuses?”

  I lowered my hands. “No, I wouldn’t.”

  “At least you’re honest.”

  “I’m not sure there are many who agree with that.” A pause. “What happens now, Trey?”

  “I will have my revenge, Michael,” he said. “But not today. Killing you here would be pointless. When I choose to get my revenge, it won’t be a waste. It will destroy your family and your legacy.”

  Trey turned his back to me and began to walk away.

  “Trey,” I said. He stopped walking but didn’t look at me. “Do you want to know who killed your brother? Because, even if I was responsible, you know it wasn’t me.”

  “Who was it?”

  “One of the Rebel Emperor’s close associates. A brutish man with a tattoo on his neck. I may have broken his back after he shot your brother.”

  “Would you be able to recognize him if you saw him again?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Good,” he said, and then walked back over to the Corrupt Prince’s side.

  I had no idea what he was thinking. Grief had changed him. Maybe one day we would be able to talk again, or find peace. I hoped it would be before he lost all his memories trying to get revenge.

  I missed my friend. I didn’t have many, and I didn’t want to lose him.

  It wasn’t much longer before Kai and the girl in red found me, both dressed for combat and clad in heavy leather instead of the cloth I wore. Kai carried a trident and a net slung over his shoulder, while the girl in red carried a battle hammer. Judging by the way she held it, she was clearly more experienced with it than I was with a fork.

  None of us talked as we waited for the hunt to begin, more focused on tracking the Corrupt Prince’s progress, strutting around as if he was already king. I could only imagine what it must’ve been like to see him grow up into the beast he was now.

  It made me feel for Gwen, who had always wondered if the Corrupt Prince might have been different if they had grown up together, if she could have prevented his transformation. The rumors about the princess, saying she was a decent person, were a small comfort to me, even if she wasn’t around much anymore. But I had a hard time holding that against her. Soon the crown would be atop her head, and she would never know freedom again.

  The Corrupt Prince blew a bone horn, the sound drawing everyone’s attention. It was nearly as loud as the bells that rang when a piece of Celona was falling. Everyone gathered around him, just as his horse released a copious volume of pungent droppings at close quarters.

  “Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the hunt of the year!” he shouted, circling his horse so he could see everyone. “For those of you participating in the Endless Waltz, you are in for the time of your life! And potentially, for a few of you, it may also be the end of your lives. Unlike other places where they hunt boar or stag or rabbit or pheasant, we only hunt the best. Of course, those not participating in the Endless Waltz will have the option to hunt a boar if they’re more interested in the food and drink than bloodlust. Correct, High Noble Domet?”

  Domet lifted his full tankard with a large smile. “I’m already on my second and have no intention of slowing down. Let any that dare come drink with me while the nameless fight for glory.”

  His response elicited a few laughs from the crowd, but as he drank deeply I began to see how Domet had amassed such power in the Hollow Court. He wasn’t combative, but he was tactical. And his battlefield encompassed the keg at a party. I wished I could see it firsthand to get a better understanding of him.

  “For those who will be hunting with me, let me explain,” the prince said. “Our target has already been released further into the garden, with a Raven and a Mercenary keeping an eye on him to ensure he doesn’t do too much damage to my father’s precious plants. Before I ruin the surprise, any guesses what we’ll be hunting today?”

  “A mammoth!”

  “Two long-tooth tigers!”

  “A family of bears!”

  “An elephant!”

  “Wrong!” he shouted, with a sweeping gesture atop his horse. “Today we embrace the oldest tales and traditions and hunt a dragon!”

  I snorted. Loudly. Just at the moment a complete silence had fallen across the crowd. Almost everyone turned toward me, suddenly the subject of their attention, and the Corrupt Prince caught my eye with a huge smile.

  Shit.

  I had just given him an
opportunity. And whatever was about to happen, I knew I wouldn’t be able to get out of it. Clearly thinking before I acted wasn’t one of my strong suits.

  “Oh, Michael, do you not believe in dragons? You are in for a surprise today, then. What we are hunting is very, very real and very, very dangerous.”

  I opened my mouth to respond, but the Corrupt Prince continued, “You know what, Michael? It’s a break with tradition, but since we are celebrating your return to court, I believe we can make an exception. Why don’t you go with the pikemen and lancers instead of with us nobility? We wouldn’t want you to claim it was just a horse dressed up as a dragon, would we? It would also allow us to see what a Kingman is made of. What do you all think? Should Michael Kingman lead the hunt today?”

  There was so much noise, it drowned out any rebuke I could have made. I could feel Domet’s eyes on me from the other side of the circle.

  “Sounds like we have a leader of the hunt!” the prince declared, clearly delighted.

  Another round of cheers and clinking of glasses as I stood still after being completely and utterly played. I couldn’t even claim he was sabotaging me, not when he’d conferred an honor on me after I snorted in front of everyone.

  He knew me. My tendencies, my opinions, and my likely actions. I’d been a fool to ever think he might have forgotten about me after all these years and that he would sit idly by even after I had won our previous wager. But two could play this game, and there was a reason I talked while Sirash shot.

  “My dear prince!” I shouted, jumping onto a nearby table as all eyes turned back to me. “I thank you from the bottom of my heart for offering me such an honor. But perhaps someone else deserves their shot at glory.”

  The Corrupt Prince quieted the crowds, his smile vanishing. “No, I think this is a perfect opportunity for you, Michael. View it as a chance to embrace your family’s heroic side rather than the traitorous. Or do you want to reject this gift?”

  “Never, my prince,” I said as I slowly walked the length of the table. “I just worry that this may be a little… redundant for me. I am, after all, a Kingman. I have the blood of the Conqueror flowing through my veins. I was raised on stories about the Explorer and the Unnamed Kingman. Perhaps someone else would like a chance. Given the burden of my family’s legacy, facing a dragon is nothing.”

  “The Kingman family was never credited with slaying a dragon.”

  I tapped my finger against my chin. “You’re right. How could I forget? I suppose, if this truly is a dragon, then I could contribute something unique to my family’s storied legacy.”

  “Assuming you succeed.”

  “Have no fear, my prince,” I said with a smile. “I am a Kingman. I will lead this hunt and defeat this dragon and do something none of my ancestors have done. But I must ask: Do you think a Dragonslayer would be welcome at your father’s birthday party? Or is that not enough?”

  My mistake in Ryder Keep was our deal had been made in private. I had done something incredible—retrieving a piece of Celona with the entire city after it—but those who had been involved weren’t going to change their opinions of me. This was different. If I got him to admit that a Dragonslayer would be welcome in Hollow Court, then I was guaranteed an invitation to the king’s birthday celebration.

  It helped I had always been better in front of a crowd than I was one-on-one. And, sadly, the Corrupt Prince had learned that the hard way. All eyes were on him, waiting for a response.

  “Hollow has been without a Kingman for a decade. Do you really think you can take that place again? After what your father did?”

  “I am not my father. I am better.”

  Whatever this dragon actually was, I was confident I could beat it. I wouldn’t have done all this if I wasn’t.

  The Corrupt Prince cracked his neck. “My extremely well-trained pikemen and lancers would give you an unfair advan—”

  “So long as I have more than a dozen able-bodied people who can hold a weapon, I can lead them to victory.”

  He wore a smile I didn’t trust. “I believe I can scrounge up an appropriate force that would be more than willing to help restore the Kingman family to their honored place in Hollow.”

  “Thank you, my prince. But you never answered my question. Would a Dragonslayer be welcome in Hollow Court? Even if he was a Kingman?”

  “Yes,” he said slowly. “I think he would.”

  I jumped off the table with arms extended. “Well then, let’s get this hunt started, shall we?”

  The cheering was deafening. No one could ignore a good performance. Especially nobles. Even Domet, despite clenching his tankard hard enough to break it, knew this was the right move. Rather than hiding, I was acting like a Kingman, and refusing to be taken advantage of.

  Let history remember this.

  “I always wanted to ride with the vanguard. Father never let me,” Kai said as he and the girl in red came to my side. “He said it was where good men and women died.”

  “You’re joining me?” I asked. “You don’t have to—”

  “Too late,” the girl in red said. “We already volunteered. Besides, you’re going to need some experienced Fabricators.”

  In that moment I wanted to be a hero. Be like my ancestors, who charged their enemies alone like gods walking the earth to protect those they loved and the city they had sworn loyalty to. But—despite what I said in front of everyone—I knew I wasn’t like my ancestors. I could barely keep my mother safe, let alone the city. If I was going to make it to the king’s party, I was going to need allies.

  “Thank you. I owe you both.”

  Kai patted me on the back. “It’s the advantage of having friends.”

  “So, what do you think we’ll actually be hunting?” I asked.

  The girl in red and Kai both shook their heads, but instead of one of them answering, a Raven approached us and said, “It’s a dragon, Kingman.”

  I looked at the Raven’s hair and saw one feather. It was Chloe, though it was hard to tell at first glance, since she was wearing black plate mail. Her helmet was in her hand, and a short sword with a ruby in the pommel hung at her side.

  “I’ll believe it when I see it, Chloe,” I said, remembering how hard she had fought in the Shattered Stones.

  “You two know each other?” the girl in red asked.

  “We’ve met,” we said together. We exchanged a glance, and then there was silence.

  “Chloe, why are you here?”

  She didn’t look pleased. “Prince Adreann has ordered me to fight with you in the vanguard.”

  “Did he send you to stab me in the back while we’re fighting the horse dressed up as a dragon?”

  “No,” she said. “I’d only stab you if you threatened a Royal. And I’d do it through the front.”

  The girl in red crossed her arms as she said, “At least she’s honest.”

  I suppose that was always an advantage. “Can you lead us to the rest of the vanguard?”

  “This way,” Chloe ordered, marching us over to a clearing amidst a grouping of pine trees where a large group of people had gathered. They all wore mismatched armor and carried weapons that had seen better days. The group was of all ages and genders, and the closer I got to them, the warier I became.

  My stomach lurched when I saw the brands.

  They were all Sacrifices. And, to be more specific, they were Kingman Sacrifices, branded as such after the Kingman Keep riots. Every one of them was a former servant who had tried to kill us as an offering to the king.

  I felt sick. The Corrupt Prince must have forced them to be the vanguard knowing they lacked the experience to lead a hunt and hoping for the opportunity to place me among them.

  Shit. I had to get Kai and the girl in red out of—

  “Michael, it’s been years, hasn’t it?”

  It was him. Lothar Bryson, the man had who sworn to protect my family and instead abandoned us in the riots to die. The man who had been one of my father’s
closest friends. The man who only spoke of loyalty as I grew up, but forgot it when it no longer suited him.

  I punched the oathbreaker in the face, hoping I broke his nose.

  THE SACRIFICES

  In the days following my father’s execution, there were riots all over the city. Many called for his children to die next, arguing that every speck of treason had to be eradicated lest one of us rise up and destroy the country in our father’s place.

  Amidst all the confusion and anger and bloodlust and hate, me and my siblings had hidden in our keep, surrounded by everyone we had ever known that still had their head. The guards had seemed so brave, promising to stand by our side until everyone came to their senses. But they were the first to break, running away after a few of them had died. The servants were next, realizing the famous Kingman prowess was nowhere to be seen in us children. They looted what they could as they went. I’ll never forget the woman with sharp nails who stole one of my mother’s necklaces from Gwen’s neck while she cried. After the servants, the knights left as well, without flair or dramatics. But they had never been heroes to begin with, just spoiled nobility who had wanted to ride my family’s coattails. They were content with fading away into the night.

  My father had once told us to never raise a sword in anger—even in war. That the calmer person always emerged victorious. We all ignored his advice that night, swinging our makeshift weapons at anyone who got close, fearful that they were after our heads after… after one had tried to stab me in the shoulder with a kitchen knife. He had been a friend. Someone I had played and shared secrets with.

  Lyon had saved me, and killed him.

  We should have died. The rioters had the keep surrounded, with their torches and sticks and stones and swords and knives, ready to spill High Noble blood for justice. But fate intervened. The Ravens and some sort of army arrived to stop them from killing us all. I suppose the king had no choice but to save us, if only to protect his own reputation from matching my father’s. How they found us so easily, hiding in the pantry, I will never understand. It was the only time I ever thanked a higher power—well, right before I blacked out from blood loss and pain and shock. That night, in its entirety, is still foggy to me to this day.