Shadow Dancer

by Macie Cage

  Butler indeed, he silently grumbled as he watched Caiden slowly get out of bed and wander over to the table, sitting heavily. He sniffed at the eggs and sausage, his lip curling in disgust as he pushed the plate away. Evander didn’t bother to hide his sigh.

  “You should at least try to eat some meat in the morning,” he said slowly. He knew that Caiden didn’t have a very strong stomach in the mornings and the smell of meat made him queasy. The Prince, instead, picked at the fruit and pulled the gruel towards himself with a slight smile.

  “Yet you always bring porridge along.” Caiden looked down at the sweet bun and smiled, recognizing it as a gesture of comfort since he usually only came to Evander’s bed when he was overcome with nightmares or was unbearably lonely. Evander hated that part of himself that refused to half-ass his job. He was supposed to take care of the Prince and judge him. Kill him if necessary, yes, but until that order came, he was supposed to take care of the idiot.

  “You have an appointment with the tailor at ten,” he said, ignoring the comment and keeping his voice soft. “Tutor Luten will be teaching you the proper address to the people for your coronation. There is a meeting with her Highness Princess Eudora…” He trailed off when he realized that the Prince was examining him. “Your Highness?”

  “Eva, are you hurt?”

  Evander blinked at him. “No?” He must have been limping still.

  They stared at each other for a few seconds before Caiden looked back to his breakfast. “Eat this for me so I don’t have to listen to Karen nag.” He shoved the plate of meat and eggs towards him.

  Evander recognized that the subject was being purposely dropped as it had been before. After all, it wasn’t the first time that he’d come to greet him with new bruises. He hesitated before perching on the edge of the other chair.

  “Why Eudora?” Caiden asked once Evander started picking at the sausage.

  “It’s a political marriage. We have a rather prosperous agreement with Terravinter to the north. Eudora is the second—”

  “Yes, yes, the second Princess of Terravinter, I know. Isn’t she still like… ten?”

  “She is fifteen this coming year.”

  “So, she’s fourteen. That totally makes it better.” Caiden rolled his eyes.

  “Your Highness, it is an extremely beneficial union and you wouldn’t be marrying her immediately.”

  Caiden glared at him. “I’m not marrying a girl I barely know.”

  “Hence why you’ll be having frequent meetings with her starting now.”

  Caiden’s glare turned into a scowl as he set his cup down and pushed away from the table. “Finish that before I’m back,” he growled, gesturing at the tray.

  Evander glanced over what was left of the breakfast. The Prince had left the blueberries out of the bowl of fruit, the eggs, the sausage, and a third of the tea. It had become routine though they still went through the steps of ‘arguing’ who would eat what. Caiden would eat his fill and Evander would eat the rest.

  He waited until the bathroom door shut before digging into the food, finishing and cleaning up by the time Caiden finished washing. He grabbed a towel and stepped into the room as Caiden was stepping out. It was the usual routine. Evander bustled around as Caiden dried himself off, stepping into the breeches that the servant handed him. Then the Prince sat and let Evander comb and dry his hair into a semblance of style.

  The red locks were as stubborn as always in their resistance. Evander glared, cursing his hair for the umpteenth time. The Prince had a stubborn cowlick at the back of his head that made it nearly impossible to make him look presentable. And it was on his head if the Prince didn’t look presentable. He sighed and gave up on it, about to allow Caiden to put on a shirt when he spotted a small scar on the man’s back, right below his shoulder. It looked like a knife wound.

  “Your Highness, where did you get this?” He lightly touched the spot and watched the man jump.

  “What, that?” Caiden craned his head around to try and see the scar. “I got that a while ago.”

  Evander frowned, tracing over it again. “Really? Because I do this every morning and I’ve never noticed it.”

  Caiden laughed. “Well, you’re usually too busy fighting with my hair. Come on, Eva, didn’t you say that we had to meet with the tailor?”

  Reminded of his schedule, he set the issue aside for later and gathered the dishes. “I will bring the tailor up to fetch you. We can use the mirror room for the fitting.”

  “Fine,” Caiden sighed, pulling his shirt over his head and holding still as Evander straightened the fabric so that it laid properly across his shoulders.

  “You should read over the speech again, and Luten left you several pamphlets on public speaking.”

  Caiden snorted his contempt for the idea. “The written form of what he’s about to show me?”

  Evander sighed again and repressed the urge to glare. “It will take less time if you would just glance over the material beforehand.”

  Caiden rolled his eyes and Evander had to make a conscious effort to unclench his fists.

  “I’ll return shortly.” He bowed and headed for the door.

  “Take your time.”

  He caught the door just short of slamming it shut. The man was infuriating. He huffed out a breath, rolled his neck, and straightened his shoulders. No sense letting him upset you. He started off down the hall. The tailor would be in the courtyard if he was on time. It was strangely quiet in the castle and he couldn’t quite get rid of the feeling that something wasn’t right. There was a Princess arriving and yet there wasn’t any of the usual chaos that went along with that.

  A squad of soldiers walked past him and he paused, frowning. Usually they patrolled in groups of two or three. He kept going, descending the stairs to the courtyard and looking around. While he didn’t see the tailor, he did notice a Knight issuing orders to a group of soldiers.

  “Sir Hayden,” he called as he approached the man.

  “Evander,” the Knight greeted.

  “What’s going on?” he asked curiously.

  “Nothing to be concerned about. The Princess was detained a town over. Her carriage broke an axle.”

  Evander frowned. “Oh. Then the guard?”

  “Just extra precautions. Something doesn’t sit well. Sir Michael has all of us on alert.”

  Evander hummed in agreement. “Have you heard anything from the royal tailor?”

  “The tailor? He hasn’t come in yet. Then again, I’ve been issuing orders, so I may have missed him. Ask the gate guards. They would have received a message if he were coming through.”

  “Thanks.” Evander trotted off in the direction of the gate, the last line of defense before the castle itself. The guards there saluted as he approached. “Any sign of the tailor?” he asked.

  “Tailor? That weaselly little guy that was here a couple of weeks ago?”

  “That would be the one.”

  “Haven’t seen him. He hasn’t checked in at the First Gate either.”

  Evander frowned. “Odd. Have a courier retrieve me when he arrives.”

  “Will do, sir.”

  Evander turned on his heel and marched back to Caiden’s room, knocking briefly before entering.

  Caiden was sitting in the window seat, one of the small pamphlets on public speaking dangling from his fingers as he stared down at the gardens. He looked up as the servant entered.

  “That was fast.”

  “Yes. The tailor is late, and the Princess has been delayed.”

  “So, I have the day off?” The man immediately brightened.

  “His Majesty invited you to lunch should your schedule allow it. Afterwards, you still have your lessons with Luten.”

  Caiden slouched and sighed, staring out the window again. “Could you fetch me my textbooks then?”

  Evander gave him a blank stare. “Your textbooks?”

  “They should be in the study.”

  His expression turn
ed to narrow-eyed suspicion. “Of course, Your Highness.” Evander gave the man a slight bow and turned to go and find the books.

  When he returned, he found the guards shifting anxiously, biting their lips with mirth in their eyes. He sighed heavily as he opened the door, finding the Prince gone. Again. He shot the guards a glare that made them both stand back to attention before entering the room and closing the door.

  He grumbled quietly to himself as he arranged the books on the table, pausing to pick up a few things that had fallen out of order in the Prince’s escape. He slowed to a stop, his hand still hovering over the pillow he’d just replaced on the window seat. A creeping feeling at his back sent chills along his spine. His fingers trailed to one of his daggers as he turned around, finding the room to be empty.

  He frowned and took a few steps forward, looking under the table and glancing around again. Nothing. He hummed, scanning over the room as he turned back to the window. Only to come face to face with a girl. He jumped, swallowing the yell of surprise while a grin spread across her features.

  “You’d be dead if I was after you, Eva.”

  He glared, recovering from his shock. He quickly cast a glance around the room then grabbed her arm and dragged her into his room, locking the doors and closing the window.

  “The hell do you think you’re doing, Riu?” he hissed.

  She simply grinned and made herself comfortable on his bed. “What, no kiss hello?” Riu pouted playfully at him when he didn't move. “I can’t stay in the Inner Castle all the time, you know. It gets dull after a while. Besides, something interesting is going on, don’t you think?”

  He watched as she played with a strand of her hair. “Do you know something?”

  “I don’t.”

  He stared at her and she stared back, her hazel eyes bright against her dark skin. If she didn’t know then it was something big, and probably really, really bad. It made his stomach twist in excitement.

  “Do you have any idea what Ansom will do if he finds you?”

  “Skin me alive and hang my corpse out for all to see?” She shrugged. “Oh! Can I use your bath? I’ve been using Karen’s sinks but it’s a bit nerve wracking to be in the open so long.” Even as she asked, she was discarding her clothing.

  He raised an eyebrow at her, not moving to get her water either.

  “What? He’s been looking for me for years now. I doubt he’ll find me.”

  He shook his head and sat down in the chair by his desk. “So, what are you here for? You rarely ever make appearances and I seriously doubt it’s just to make use of the bath.”

  Riu had been in the same tier as he in their group, one of the select few that were chosen as candidates for the royal Guardians. But, like him, her ability had been deemed useless and she lost everything. Soul Swap, they called her. She could switch the souls of two people so they would occupy each other’s bodies. Unfortunately, it usually killed them and she couldn’t use it on herself.

  To top it off, she and Ansom fought badly a few years prior and she disappeared. She became known as the Watcher to those who knew about her. Always around, almost all knowing, hiding in passageways that even the Clan didn’t know about.

  “Evander, what do you think will happen if Ansom takes over?” she asked, interrupting his musings as she came to stand in front of him.

  He tilted his head back to look at her, easily adjusting his seat so she could comfortably brace her forearms against his shoulders to look down at him. “I kill Caiden and be done with the whole ordeal. He’d have to do it before the coronation though. Considering that it’s only a month away, I doubt he’d do such a thing.”

  “Really?” This time it was her turn to raise that questioning brow at him.

  He tilted his head to the side and thought about it. “It would be pointless. Besides, Marie is more than capable.”

  “But if he did. What do you think would happen to you?”

  “It’s not like he can actually afford to kill me.”

  She shrugged. “I was just asking, Eva.” She smirked at his loathed nickname.

  He glared at her. “I’m not getting you water for your bath.”

  She threw her head back and laughed, a deep and brash sound. “Please?” she asked sweetly.

  He held out for about five seconds before grumbling, “Fine.”

  Three

  Month of the Griffin 12, 421 HE

  Evander jolted out of his sleep, woken by the thunderous call of the alarm bells. The deep booming sound echoed throughout the castle and would be heard and taken up by every town until the whole Kingdom knew. The King was dead.

  The King is dead. Attack on the castle.

  Evander jumped out of bed, quickly putting on his gear. He could hear it now that he was fully awake. The singular bell that tolled several notes higher, its sound nearly drowned out by the alarm.

  One… Two… Three. That was all Evander needed to hear. In order it went the King, the Queen, and then the first born to be killed. It was their orders. Finally. He tightened his belt, his swords resting comfortably at his hip as he crossed to the door separating his room from Caiden’s.

  This was it. The order had been given. All it would take was one moment, one single moment. Evander pushed open the door. And found the room empty.

  He cursed and ran to Caiden’s door, throwing it open and finding the guards that usually stood there to be absent. The halls were strangely quiet, the bells echoing through the empty space. There should have been chaos as everyone scrambled to get the ambassadors and nobles out of the castle. Yet there was no such thing.

  He frowned and started a brisk pace down the hall, following the sound of voices once he heard them. What he found in the nobles’ wing of the castle made him pause. There were a large amount of guards and Knights, standing around a larger group of people ranging from nobles and ambassadors to servants.

  They seemed to be separating into three distinct groups, and Evander shoved his way through until he could see Caiden in the middle of it all. Odder still, was that, rather than one of the Knights directing the people, the Prince himself seemed to be taking charge.

  “Group One! Sir Michael will lead you out through this passage here. Group two, follow Sir Hayden. Group three will go with Sir Payne.” The Prince’s voice carried easily through the crowd with a solid assuredness that kept everyone calm. Then he spotted Evander.

  There was a strange look on the man’s face as he made his way over to him.

  “Eva, I need you to go with Sir Payne. He is the only one that I couldn’t explain the passages to. You know the castle better than anyone.”

  It took him a moment to recover from his shock. “But, Your Highness—” Dammit, there are too many witnesses.

  “That’s an order, Evander.” His tone stopped Evander dead in his tracks. Impossible. Is this what he was always sneaking out for? He couldn’t have possibly managed to acquire this much… charisma.

  Leadership skills: Check.

  He glanced over the groups as one of the soldiers pulled Caiden aside to ask him something. They had been separated evenly so that even if one group was killed, people of the same strategic value may still survive.

  Tactical ability: Check.

  “Sir Payne!” Caiden called the knight over. “Evander will show you the way through the library passage.”

  “Yes, Sir.” The Knight saluted, his iron gauntlet making a satisfying clink as it hit the metal of his chest piece. Caiden turned away from them, starting down the hall.

  “Your Highness! Where are you going?” Evander shouted after him as everyone started to move.

  “Gathering any stragglers!” Caiden called over his shoulder as he started to run.

  Dammit. He couldn’t just run after him without—

  “Get going.”

  Evander looked up at Sir Payne. “I can’t just—!”

  “I can take care of this. The Prince is your priority. Go.”

  “The brazier on the no
rthern wall, between the stained-glass windows, will open the passage.” Evander saluted the man who returned the gesture before the servant took off running.

  Where did he go? He glanced through the side passages, searching for any sign of the Prince’s trail. Ansom really will have my head if I let him get away.

  It was as he crossed one of the main halls that he came to the sudden realization. He was going to get Marie.

  He put on a burst of speed, pacing himself so he would have more than enough energy to fight if it came to that. Kaitlyn should have evacuated the Princess by now. Once Caiden paused to look for her, it would be the perfect opportunity to kill him.

  He stumbled to a stop as he turned the corner, watching Caiden clean the blade of his sword on the back of a dead assassin. Miles. Not the most powerful of their order but he hadn’t been weak by any means.

  Where did he learn to fight? He swore he’d been silent, but the Prince seemed to sense him, whipping around and raising his sword in a defensive stance. He’d never seen the man lift a sword let alone fight anyone, yet the ease with which he handled himself spoke of consistent practice.

  “Eva? What are you doing here?” He straightened but, to Evander’s surprise, he didn’t lower his sword. His surprise turned to shock as he trotted forward, and Caiden danced back.

  Combat ability: Check.

  “I came to find you.” He stopped moving and raised his hands in a reassuring gesture.

  “I told you to go with Sir Payne!”

  “I’m not going to leave you here.” Not alive, at least.

  Caiden rolled his eyes, chewing on his lower lip as his eyes glanced about. “Fine. You lead. We need to find Marie.”

  Evander mentally tisked. Kind of hard to stab someone in the back when you were walking in front of them. He let it go. After all, once they got to the room and Caiden was looking for his sister, it would be easy to kill him.

  Evander started down the hallway, easily navigating the eastern wing of the castle to get to the Princess’ rooms. They were situated at the end of the eastern wing, a dead end if you didn’t know how to get into the servant’s passages or into the Inner Castle. He looked up at the large window that framed the full moon as he turned down the Princess’ hall.