The Kingdom of Liars

by Nick Martell

  “Enough to last a lifetime,” Angelo said with a laugh. He put the journal back on the table, ignoring the envelope I’d failed to return last night. I knew I’d have to do something about that soon. But what that was, I didn’t know yet.

  “Speaking of lifetimes, have you thought about my offer?”

  “Yes. I think I want to do it. I just have to convince Gwen to come with me.”

  “Let me know when you do. It’ll take a few days to set up, but doable whenever you want.”

  “Thank you, Angelo.”

  He tapped the side of the doorframe and said, “Don’t. I am nothing without my family.”

  Angelo went to his room after that and left me alone in the kitchen with more food than I could finish on my own. I took a seat at the table, tea in hand, and drank it slowly, trying to piece together the repercussions of my actions.

  My thoughts were interrupted by someone coming down the stairs. I was poised to tease Gwen about being so hungry, when Lyon entered the kitchen. Wordlessly, he put together a plate and took a seat across the table.

  Aside from the sound of him eating and his utensils scraping against the plate, it was silent, neither of us wanting to talk after our last meeting. And despite the fact I had told Gwen I would apologize, I didn’t know how to. Finally, when he finished eating, Lyon folded his hands together and said, “I think we should talk.”

  “If you’re going to yell at me, I won’t sit here and take it quietly.”

  “I’m not going to yell at you. Why do you always think I’m going to yell at you?”

  “Because you always yell at me and judge whatever decisions I make.”

  “Only because you make stupid decisions.”

  “This is what I’m talking about!” I said, voice becoming louder. “Unless you have something new to say, I think—”

  “I’m proud of you,” he interrupted.

  Nothing had ever silenced me so quickly. I cocked my head and looked at him. I had never heard him say the word “proud” before, and especially not directed toward me.

  Lyon let out a sigh and leaned back in his seat. “I’m proud of you, Michael. Angelo told me you were participating in the Endless Waltz and I was ready to kill you. Especially after all the hassle you’ve given me over the years for what I was forced to do by the king. Then he said you almost drowned one night, and… I don’t know… it changed things. All I could think of was how our father never got the chance to teach you how to swim, and how I should’ve. It made me feel like I failed as your older brother.”

  I opened my mouth to respond, but Lyon continued: “Let me finish. If I don’t do it now, I’ll never get the chance.” He took a deep breath. “I don’t know why you decided to participate in the Endless Waltz or how you were even able to. I don’t know why you’ve lied to me so much over the past few years. But I don’t care anymore. I’m your brother. I don’t want to constantly be at odds with you. I want to talk to you about your life, about my life… Have you realized that I’ve never told you how I met Kayleigh? You’re both such huge parts of my life, and neither of you know each other. I want that to change.”

  “Lyon, I—”

  “I’m almost finished, I promise.” Lyon reached into his jacket pocket and slid an envelope across the table to me. He motioned for me to open it. As I tore it open, Lyon began to smile sheepishly. The heavy-paper-stock invitation inside read:

  Michael Kingman,

  You are formally invited to King Isaac’s fiftieth birthday celebration at Hollow Castle tonight, at three bells before Lights Out.

  Entry into Hollow Castle will require you to present this invitation to the guards at the doors.

  Gifts are at the guest’s discretion.

  Welcome back to the Hollow Court, Michael Kingman.

  The king’s signature was at the bottom of the invitation along with his crest.

  I had survived the Endless Waltz.

  After all these years, I was going to return to the Hollow Court.

  I would be in the presence of the Royals and the Ravens.

  And I was going to have to steal from the king.

  Fuck.

  “I found it on the door this morning when I came back from my patrols,” Lyon said. “We haven’t been friendly lately, and I know that it’s as much my fault as it is yours, but Kayleigh and I are going to attend together, since we’re betrothed. I was hesitant because of my last name and the fact that our child will be considered a mistake and a scandal, but I’d have more confidence if you’ll be there. I suppose it’s time our family began to restore the legacy our father ruined, isn’t it?”

  I slid the invitation back into the envelope and put it on the table. I didn’t know how to handle this side of him. It was easier when he yelled at me… and just when I was ready to walk away from the Kingman legacy, he wanted to be a part of it again. What was I supposed to do?

  “I was able to convince Kayleigh to get Gwen an invitation as a guest of the Ryder Family, so we could do this as a family…” Lyon trailed off. “It took some bartering, and Gwen wants to attend dressed as a man so the Corrupt Prince doesn’t recognize her, but she’ll be with us, too.”

  I could only imagine what he had offered to convince Gwen. Her stubbornness put mine to shame, and she had vowed to never enter the castle until our father was proven innocent or the king was dead.

  “But we’ll be there together,” he said. “The three Kingman children.”

  “We will.” I hesitated. “Lyon?”

  “Yes, Michael?”

  “I’m sorry I’m an asshole sometimes. You’re family, and I love you, and I don’t want you to forget that.”

  Before he could reply, I made up an excuse and left him. He didn’t stop me; he was relaxed and smiling, content with the progress we had made in improving our relationship. I was glad at the steps we had taken, too, but my own thoughts were focused on everything that could go wrong as I attempted to steal the gun that killed Davey Hollow, and the king’s memories of the event, with my nobler-than-thou brother in attendance. My greatest fear was what he would do if my actions put his unborn child in danger. The answer was obvious, but I didn’t want to admit it to myself unless I had to.

  * * *

  I started my errands with a visit to Kingman Keep with Dark’s envelope, hoping he could forgive me for not meeting him the night before. But there was nothing there but the cold stone and musky smell that had inhabited this place in the ten years since my family abandoned it. There wasn’t any trace that the Mercenary had ever been there, not even ash in the hearth. With no further idea what to do or how to find him, I left before the shadows began to dance on the walls again. Hopefully he’d be back there tonight, after the king’s party.

  With that task a failure, I went to the Upper Quarter in search of Charles Domet to see if he had any idea I’d burned down the shrine, only to get sidetracked by a crier in Refugee Plaza trying to rally the citizens in support of the rebellion. Few stopped to listen before Advocators chased him away. He would’ve had more luck in the Narrows or the Fisheries. Refugee Plaza wasn’t the place to gauge a common citizen’s opinion. They avoided it like a plague.

  If only he had gone to a bakery instead. With the price of bread and salt rising, he would undoubtedly find a few people willing to risk everything for a chance at a better life.

  When I finally reached the Upper Quarter, I found a seat on a fountain near Domet’s house and watched large groups of Advocators patrol the area while I waited for him to return from my foster father’s questioning, paying attention to my body and what it was trying to tell me about Fabrications while I waited. For some reason, no one questioned me about why I was in the Upper Quarter when I clearly didn’t belong. I attributed that luck to my charm. Or the fact they had more important things to worry about.

  For a long time there was no sign of Domet, and when the sun began to set, I was forced to return home to prepare for the king’s party. If Domet made an appearance tonight, I
’d get the information I needed from him then. If he didn’t, well, I would steal from the king, in his castle, on my own.

  Tonight, I would earn my freedom and escape Hollow with my mother and sister.

  NOBILITY

  Gwen and I walked toward Hollow Castle among a horde of nobles on a pathway of multicolored leaves, the trees they had fallen from bare. I was dressed as I had been in Ryder Keep, and Gwen had borrowed similar clothes from Lyon, even going as far as to tie her hair in a bun and don a formal hat to complete her masquerade. Even in disguise she still wore our mother’s scarf, albeit around her waist as a belt instead of around her neck.

  It was cold outside, and snow was very, very close, a few days away at most. I wasn’t excited about it, since there was more slush than snow in cities, but it was one of the few things in Hollow that only mildly infuriated me.

  I could tell Gwen was nervous. She had barely said more than a few dozen words, too focused on every big man that passed us and grateful when it wasn’t the Royal she was bound to. It was like talking to a tweeker, and I gave up when the only responses I got were grunts and nods. I focused on what I would have to do tonight instead.

  I barely had any memories of Hollow Castle from my youth, just snippets of experiences. No matter how hard I tried, I could never remember all the details. Climbing a broken tree with the princess, staring at a starry night with Davey, playing hide-and-seek with Lyon and Gwen, and practice fighting with Adreann. But after we showed the guards our invitations and entered the main area, I realized memories couldn’t have done it justice anyway.

  Blue-and-gold banners hung from the ceiling, the wooden floors were so polished that it was like walking on glass, and small circular tables ran along the sides of the room with nobles crowded around each one. Castle guards were positioned throughout the room, standing as still as statues, while servants in the Royal Family’s colors circulated with trays of drinks. And the best part? None of them were Skeletons. In the past, despite slavery being outlawed, there always seemed to be a few present.

  Domet’s book had included notes about how royal celebrations operated nowadays. This part, if I was correct, was known as the Welcoming.

  It was the only point at which bodyguards could be in the same room as the nobles they were protecting, and was naturally used by the nobility to show what they had at their disposal. Some even went so far as to hire Mercenaries as bodyguards. It wasn’t common, but it was possible. Usually they used their house guards or a knight, before they had gone extinct.

  Looking the part was also essential: cut, color, fabric, all made a difference, and getting it wrong meant instant social ostracism. Wearing solely the Royals’ colors would make someone look spineless, while not paying any respect to them led to others questioning their loyalty. If the style was too extravagant it was gaudy, unless it was a High Noble. Showing up in nothing but nightwear would probably get one a standing ovation. And the fabric—it had to be purposeful and beautiful. Wearing silk handspun by blind monks might look incredible, but if it left the wearer cold, they’d be ridiculed.

  Luckily for me, I could be soberly dressed: I was just trying not to agitate anyone, and there were only a few people who might try to start something with me tonight.

  “We’re meeting up with Kai, right?” Gwen asked, inching closer to me.

  I glanced around the room. Kai’s blond hair caught my eye in the corner of the room, and we wove through the crowd to join him. He was with his younger brother, who was sitting on the table wearing loose-fitting gold-and-black-trimmed clothes.

  “Kai, pleasure to see you. And Joey! How are you tonight?” I said as I ruffled his messy blond hair. He gave me a wide smile and looked at me with his bright-blue eyes. “Enjoying the evening?”

  Joey nodded.

  “Would you happen to know where my brother and your sister are?”

  Joey frowned, shook his head, and then tugged at Kai’s shirt for help.

  “They were talking with my parents and some other High Nobles,” he said. “They’ll wander over eventually. We’ll certainly see Lyon once we split. And, Michael, my father wants to talk to you about what happened at the theater.”

  I didn’t pursue that subject. If Kai’s father was annoyed with me, that was a problem for later. Hopefully he wouldn’t be too angry at me for insulting him and his entire family at the theater… Well, maybe he wouldn’t be as angry as Domet had been, if I was lucky.

  Which I rarely was when it mattered.

  “Excuse my bluntness, but, Michael, who is with you?”

  Before I could lie, my sister said, “I’m Gwen Kingman, High Noble Ryder. I wanted to attend, but I’ve done so dressed as a man. Perhaps you can understand why I’ve chosen to be here discreetly?”

  I hadn’t expected her to tell Kai the truth. Why did she trust him so much? I’d have to ask her when we were alone.

  “Gwen,” Kai declared. “I’m sure you look wonderful tonight.”

  Gwen had her hands in her trousers pockets. “I appreciate it, High Noble Ryder.”

  “You may call me Kai.”

  A hand ran down my back, a sweet fragrance accompanying it. “Michael,” Naomi said. “I wasn’t expecting to see you here after you left the theater abruptly. I thought they would have kicked you out of the Endless Waltz.”

  “My father isn’t a cruel man,” Kai said. “He wouldn’t have done that to Michael. Or the Kingman family. But excuse me, who are you?”

  Naomi held out her hand for Kai or Gwen to kiss, her disguise working better than I expected. When neither of them did, she drew it back, hiding her sour expression. “I’m simply Michael’s friend, High Noble Ryder. And who might you be?” she asked Gwen. “My apologies for not recognizing you all by sight alone.”

  “I’m Dolyn Woodsman, a Low Noble under the Ryder family,” Gwen said quietly.

  “Low Noble Dolyn, excuse my bluntness, but what brings you here? You weren’t a participant in the Endless Waltz, and the territory the Woodsman family oversees is quite far away.”

  Kai interjected for my sister. “Low Noble Dolyn is a childhood friend, here at my request. My father advises me to know those who pledge allegiance to the family, so I try to.”

  “That’s very—”

  “Excuse me for interrupting, but you didn’t give your own name,” a voice from behind said. We all turned toward it and I saw her. The girl in red was not in red but in a full-length gold dress with purple trim and matching lace gloves. Her hair was pinned up in an elaborate spiral with a few strands over her forehead. She looked like a princess, only missing a crown nestled over her brow.

  “I’m Naomi Dexter. Pleased to meet you, High Noble Margaux.”

  The girl in red was a High Noble? How had I not realized that sooner?

  And why did that name sound so familiar?

  “I am as well,” she declared. “I’ve heard a great deal about you, Sergeant Dexter.”

  “Oh, you have?” Naomi said, curious. I could see that she was still wearing my father’s ring. “All good things, I trust?”

  High Noble Margaux gave her a look I could only describe as pity. “Many have noticed how friendly you are with Prince Adreann.”

  “Becoming friendly with one’s peers is, I believe, the purpose of the Endless Waltz.”

  “It is,” she said, stepping closer to me. “But are you sure you want to be friendly with him? I know you’re a newcomer to noble society, and I—”

  Naomi’s nostrils flared, but she took a breath, smiled, and then said, “I’m fully aware of who he is and of his reputation. I’m not daft.”

  “I didn’t think you were. But I wanted to be sure.”

  “How very kind of you,” she said. “Michael, save me a dance.”

  With that, Naomi left, disappearing into the crowd of nobility. The room was getting busier by the moment. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Kai whisper something to my sister that caused her eyes to widen at High Noble Margaux.

 
“That was uncomfortable,” Kai said.

  High Noble Margaux folded her arms and looked in the direction where Naomi had gone off in. “I’m concerned about her. She’s not the first to attempt to seduce the prince, and I doubt she’ll be the last. How well do you know her, Michael?”

  “I wouldn’t call her a friend,” I said. “Accomplice” was the better term for it, but only if being blackmailed counted as a relationship.

  “Still, I hope she knows what she’s doing.”

  Before Gwen could introduce herself or I could tease High Noble Margaux about finally learning who she was, a thunderous orchestra marching in armor announced a royal arrival. Everyone turned toward the ornate wooden doors that went to the ceiling. They opened, musicians began to play, and in strode King Isaac and Efyra Mason, his new right-hand woman, with all the Ravens standing behind them.

  Everyone bowed or curtsied to him, Gwen and me included, albeit shallowly and reluctantly.

  I hadn’t seen the king in nearly eight years, but his likeness had been ingrained and perfected in my mind with such clarity that it was almost impossible to comprehend that I was seeing him. No part of me recognized him. He was tall and thin, and the trademark red hair of the Royal Family was dulled to a muted auburn in his age. His skin wasn’t perfect compared to other nobles, instead plagued with wispy silver scars. A gold crown with a sapphire the size of an eye was nestled among the tangles of his hair.

  Childishly, I couldn’t stop thinking of my father and how he had been murdered by the woman at the king’s right side, where a member of my family had stood for years. It felt wrong to have someone else there, and I wondered if Lyon and Gwen found it as uncomfortable as I did.

  “Welcome, distinguished members of Hollow Court and participants of the Endless Waltz. I would like to welcome all of you to my home and thank you all for gracing me with your presence tonight to help me celebrate my fiftieth birthday,” King Isaac declared, his voice a booming baritone. “While I am greatly saddened my daughter and wife could not be here tonight, I am honored to have my youngest son and so many friends in attendance. Your endless support makes being King of Hollow easier. Ladies, canapés await you in the Grand Ballroom; gentlemen, you will be served in the Entrance Hall. All the bodyguards are welcome to enjoy the balcony over the Grand Ballroom. Please enjoy the night. Eat to your hearts’ content, drink so much your bellies burst, and be daring… like it is the last night of your lives.”