by Kory Shen
I slowed down. "Mira," I said quietly as I closed my helmet. "Change my face." I couldn't speak when Mira painted a false face on my helmet, but I didn't trust my theater tricks when meeting someone who knew me up close.
As I approached the junction, Lady Dyann turned the corner. She looked at me directly in the face and gave me a slight nod.
"Sir Knight," she said, continuing on her way.
I nodded and kept walking past her. I didn't stop or turn to check behind me, but I could hear Lady Dyann's footsteps as she continued in the opposite direction.
Genna whispered again. "She suspects something, but she's pretending not to notice."
"Just my luck," I muttered. Would she alert someone? Should I go back to talk to her? My mind wandered to our brief sparring match, her body pressed up close against mine. She had been friendly, before she had attacked me along with Sir Hurik.
"Friendly?" Genna whispered fiercely. "I see you've been busy during the last few days without me."
Sending Genna my thoughts was a bit strange. I spoke instead, softly. "Hey, you've been busy, too. Focus."
Genna mumbled something.
"What's she thinking now?" I asked.
"I can't hear her," Genna whispered back. "She must be too far away."
Well, at least that bought us a little time. Lady Dyann could have forced me to stop and talk, which would have defeated Mira's illusion.
"Alright. Just a little further up ahead."
We turned another corner and saw the entrance to the throne room at the end of a long hall. The doors were closed, which wasn't unusual, but ten Knight Sentinels guarded the closed door, which was definitely odd.
"Uh, Genna?" Some of the men moved slightly, indicating that they had seen us already. There was no going back.
"Hold on," she whispered. "I'm picking up a lot of thoughts jumbling about. I need time. Make them talk or something."
I slowed my steps to buy us time. They were still too far away to see my face clearly. I called down the length of the hallway.
"Is the king here?"
The Sentinels exchanged glances. One of them stepped forward. I recognized him, even from that distance, as the Eighth Champion, Sir Joren.
"And you are?" he asked.
I stopped, still at the other end of the hallway. "I have a message for the king's ears alone."
"But who are you?" Sir Joren called. He beckoned to me. "Come over here."
The king's guard weren't idiots. All ten of them positioned themselves in an arc around the entrance to the throne room, ready for trouble.
I took a deep breath and stepped forward, then stopped. I heard Genna's steps behind me.
"Can you hear him?" I said under my breath to Genna.
"I can't tell yet," she whispered. "We might be too far away. The throne room's rather big."
I sighed and took several more steps forward. By now the Sentinels had drawn weapons.
Sir Joren held a waraxe. "Identify yourself now, or surrender."
"Genna!" I hissed. We had to find out if my father was here or not. If he wasn't, we'd have to run. I wanted to keep my distance from the guards, just in case.
Sir Joren started walking towards me, cautiously. His men followed.
I took several more step forward, then stopped again. The distance between us was rapidly shrinking. It would be too close to run without a fight.
I bent my knees slightly, shifting my weight to the balls of my feet, preparing to run. The Sentinels quickened their pace, marching forward rapidly.
"Got him!" Genna hissed. "The king's there."
Sir Joren was sprinting now. He raised his waraxe. Its edge shone brightly with an unnatural light.
I raised my hands into the air, opening my helmet at the same time. "I'm here to talk!" I shouted. I whispered to Mira under my breath. "Change me back to the usual."
The Sentinels stopped, gasping at my sudden change in appearance.
"It's him!" someone shouted.
"The Bastard Knight!"
"The traitor!"
I winced at that last one.
"I want to talk to the king," I said, my hands still raised.
Sir Joren's waraxe hadn't wavered. It hung in the air, ready for a downward strike. "No, you're too dangerous. Once we strip you of your armor and break your arms and legs. Then, if the king wishes it." He turned to one of the others. "Go, get the prince."
One of Lexley's puppets.
"Mira, make me loud for my next words only," I said. Genna was at my side. She covered her ears with her hands.
I roared as loudly as I could, Mira making my voice thunder like the voice of Yora herself. "I'm here to talk to the king!"
Some of the other men ducked, thinking I was attacking. Sir Joren stepped forward, but I retreated, pushing Genna behind me.
"Did he hear it?" I asked out loud.
Sir Joren paused. "What? The king?" He scowled. "I'm taking you to the dungeon."
Genna whispered. "Yes. He's coming out."
"Shouldn't we see what the king has to say first?" I asked. With my arms in the air, I pointed with one hand at the opening doors of the throne room.
My father stepped forward. "Who dares summon the king of the Elderlands?" He laid his eyes on me. "Jakson?"
I lowered myself to one knee, slowly lowering my arms. "Your Majesty. I would like to speak with you. Alone."
Sir Joren raised his waraxe. "Meet with a traitor like you? You impudent—"
"Sir Joren!" My father stretched his hand out. "Leave him be. I will speak with him."
Sir Joren spun. "Your Majesty! This man is dangerous. The Bastard Knight—"
"Bastard Knight?" My father asked slowly. "Who is he the bastard of?"
Sir Joren stammered, then dropped to one knee as well. "I'm sorry, your Majesty, but—"
"Silence!" my father roared, not as loud as I had been just now, but more terrifying. "Sentinels, remain here. You." He pointed at me. "Come inside."
Sir Joren's hand clenched tightly around his waraxe's handle. He stood and bowed, then walked slowly back to stand by the throne room's doors.
I walked forward, hesitantly at first.
Genna whispered. "I don't think it's a trap. He does want to speak with you."
I walked more quickly, passing by Sir Joren, who glared at me. Genna was about to follow, when Sir Joren lowered his waraxe to block her path.
"The boy stays out here," he said.
I stopped, about to protest, but Genna shook her head. My heart was pounding. I turned away, pretending it didn't matter. Damn it, Genna!
"Whatever." I walked into the throne room, and the doors shut behind me.
My father was sitting on his throne again, watching me enter.
"Well?" he said. "I'm listening. What do you have to say?"
I had rehearsed what I would say, prepared a little speech. But all those words flew out the window. I couldn't take my mind off Genna alone by herself outside.
I had to focus.
My father tilted his head questioningly.
"I'm not a traitor," I said.
"Of course not," my father replied.
I blinked. Well, that was easy. Too easy. "Lexley set me up. You know he's the one that told me to kill those traders."
My father nodded. "They were traders from our southern ally, Valoria. Dead now, their shipment of armor and weapons missing. We tried to keep the circumstances secret, but word got out. An unhappy Valorian envoy is on his way here this very minute."
"So why am I the traitor? Lady Dyann and Sir Hurik nearly killed me for crimes I didn't commit."
"You bested the two finest knights of Evercrown, didn't you?" My father paused in thought. "What would you have me tell the Valorians?"
"The truth. That it was Lexley's mistake. That he's a piece of shit. That—"
My father pounded the armrest of this throne. "Watch your tongue!"
I bit my lip, holding back a retort. "You're the king. Can't you set
things straight?"
"It's not so simple. I didn't predict that Lexley would be this rash. He tricked me as well, but what's done is done. The Valorians will want answers. The wrong one could invite the wrath of the alliances."
"I stared at him, helplessly. "So you're just going to let him do what he wants?"
"No, Lexley will play his role as I see fit."
"What about me? I only want to be a knight, a Champion. To serve the kingdom, like you told me to!"
"You will serve the kingdom. We all make sacrifices in her name."
I couldn't believe it. He was going to give up on me? Just like that? I tried another approach. "The other day, when those men tried to kill you. You know that was Lexley, right? That this is all connected?"
My father didn't reply.
I took a deep breath for one last try. "Please, your Majesty. You loved her, didn't you? For her sake."
My father scowled. I wondered if I had gone too far, but he replied in a softer voice. "As I said, we all make sacrifices. Lexley made a mistake. He will be punished. But the kingdom comes first."
I didn't care who I was talking to anymore. "Fuck Lexley! He's a traitor, and you're giving up a loyal knight for his sake?"
"He's my son."
"So am I." There. I had said it.
My father was silent for a long time. "Lexley is the crown prince of the kingdom."
"Then the kingdom is doomed."
We stared at each other. My father looked away first.
"You don't know what it's like. I have a handful of good men. The rest are jackals, always gnawing. Our neighbors are stirring. The people are restless. The nobles are bickering." My father sank backward into his throne. "Perhaps there is another way," he said quietly.
"Do you have proof of your claims?" my father asked. "Physical evidence that no one could dispute?"
"I…" It was my word against Lexley's. "No, I don't. There was magic. An illusion mage, likely."
My father sat up straight, his eyes wide open. "Here? In Evercrown?"
He didn't know about that? "I don't have proof, but I know what my eyes saw. And what they didn't see."
My father frowned, tapping his fingers on his knee. I saw the cracks in his confidence. I had my opening.
"I could recover the stolen armor and weapons?" I ventured. "As hard evidence of what happened." Each suit of armor was registered with a magical seal. If I could prove that the stolen armor had been in Lexley's hands this whole time…
My father nodded. "I can't help you directly. If you were to recover the stolen items, though, the others—"
The doors to the throne room swung open with a bang, accompanied by the shouts of Sentinels and a single woman's shrill voice.
A middle-aged woman in an elaborate blue dress with a sapphire broach around her neck stepped into the throne room as if she owned it. Her long blonde hair flowed freely behind her, and a small silver crown sat on her head.
Queen Priss. Lexley's mother.
"What is this?" Queen Priss asked. She saw me. "Is that…is that?"
Her mouth fell open. She walked to the king's side, then turned and pointed at me.
"Why isn't the bitch's maggot dead yet?" The queen stared angrily at the other knights.
The Sentinels stirred, drawing their weapons. I tried to see past them to find Genna, but I couldn't spot her.
"Well?" Queen Priss stamped her foot. "Kill him, what are you waiting for?"
The Sentinels hesitated. "Your Majesty?" Sir Joren asked.
I turned back to face my father.
"I'm sorry, Jakson," my father said, his face now a careful mask, devoid of any emotion or weakness.
I had been so close, and in the blink of an eye, the queen had stolen my father from me once more.
"You really believe the king would meet with a traitor?" I asked, looking around the throne room. "Can't you see what's right in front of you? Is any honor left in the Elderlands?"
There was no response, only the sound of metal armor clinking as the men avoided my eyes.
The queen laughed. "Honor? Honor is for dead men and fools."
So be it. I raised my left arm at the oncoming knights. This would be my reply.
CHAPTER 29
A knight wielding a spear was the first one to reach me. He rammed forward, his spearhead aimed at my chest.
After having been thoroughly trounced by Lady Dyann, though, I had been rethinking how to deal with spears. I didn't dodge to the side but stepped toward the spear knight at an angle. I swiveled like a lancing dummy to my left, and let the spear roll by me, grabbing its handle with my left hand to yank the knight forward.
I kept rolling, letting my entire body's momentum drive my right elbow into the knight's neck, then stomped hard on his right foot. Too easy. This was no Champion I was fighting.
I ripped the spear from his grip, at the same time shoving him backwards into Sir Joren, who was right behind him. Both men toppled over.
Knights surrounded me on either side, but only two were between me and the doorway. I threw the spear at the taller one on the left, a bigger target.
I had no idea what kind of enchantments were on the spear. There were countless types of weapons, more so than the types of armor. No one could keep track of them all.
The spear flew faster, too fast for my strength alone, like it had a mind of its own. Its head buried itself deep within the chest of the knight. He grabbed the shaft protruding from his body with a surprised expression, then crumpled to the ground. The spear stuck out at an awkward angle, like a broken flag pole.
The throne room was silent for a moment as everyone stared at the dead knight.
I had killed a Knight Sentinel, whether I had meant to or not.
A shrill woman's cry rang out behind me. "Kill the fucking maggot!"
I dashed towards the entrance. The lone remaining knight blocking my way readied his sword, while the others closed in from the sides.
I aimed at the ground just ahead of me. "Ice bolt!"
A slick iciness spread out over the area in front of the throne room's entrance. I ran, then purposely fell backwards to slide along the icy surface, zipping underneath a swinging sword and through the wide stance of the sword knight. As soon as I was past the doorway, I brought my knees to my chest and rolled sideways twice before rising to my feet.
I sent a rapid trio of fire, ice, and lightning back into the throne room, praying that I didn't kill the king by accident. I glanced around the hallway, searching for Genna.
"Genna!" I screamed.
"Here, hurry!" Genna was further down the hallway, two knights on the ground next to her.
I sprinted down the hallway while sending my bolts at the knights behind me, again cycling through fire, lightning, and ice. I had almost reached Genna when Mira shouted in my ear.
"Warning! Incoming!"
I barely had time to throw myself at Genna, both of us tumbling to the ground as a large form zoomed past us. Something hard clipped my right arm. I looked down. The armor was discolored but still intact.
Standing behind me was Lady Dyann, her spear embedded in the hallway's wall. She yanked the spear free, sending stone fragments flying everywhere.
I scooped Genna up in my left arm as I ran, tossing her to my right arm mid-stride.
She cried out at my rough handling, but we didn't have time.
Lady Dyann attacked again. I couldn't fight properly with Genna on my arm. I stumbled forward as Lady Dyann clipped the back of my right leg.
I sent a triple shot at her, but Lady Dyann ducked it with ease. She pointed her spear at me again.
"I'm sorry, Sir Jakson," she said.
The other knights had caught up to us, Sir Joren leading them. Lady Dyann held up her hand.
"He's mine," she said.
Sir Joren took a step forward, his waraxe held high for a strike.
"He's mine!" Lady Dyann growled, stepping between me and the Eighth Champion. "I will have a fair duel.
No interference." She swept her spearhead across the hallway, pointing at the others. My father watched from the other end of the hallway. He nodded at Lady Dyann.
Sir Joren and the others backed away, leaving room for me and Lady Dyann. I froze for a second, unsure whether I should run.
"Come, Sir Jakson," Lady Dyann said, beckoning to me. "Another match."
I shook my head. "What's the point? If I win, I'm dead, anyway." I nodded at the other Sentinels watching us.
I wasn't sure what Lady Dyann was trying to do. Was she trying to help me? Or did she have a grudge?
Lady Dyann stepped closer to me. She spoke in a low voice. "The king respects only one thing. Not honor. Not loyalty. Power. Show him your power. Show him you are useful, and you may yet live."
"I already showed him!" I hissed back.
"He needs to see with his own eyes."
"So you'll go easy on me?"
Lady Dyann shook her head. "No. All watching are not fools." She stepped back and pointed her spear at me. She spoke loudly now, for all to here. "I swear by Yora and my honor that I will do my best to slay the traitor."
Fuck. No one would doubt Lady Dyann's word. I had managed a draw at best against Lady Dyann and Sir Hurik, but I was pretty sure that both of them had been holding back. They had wanted to take me alive.
I took a step backward, still holding Genna in my arm. Could I stand up to the Third on my own? I wasn't back to full strength yet, even with the Temple healers. What about Lady Dyann? Had I hurt her at all?
I stared back at Lady Dyann's grim face. "Lady Dyann…"
"You have ten seconds," Lady Dyann said, motioning to Genna. "I suggest you ready yourself." She started counting. "Ten. Nine."
"It's fine," Genna whispered. "You can beat her."
"What?" How in Yora's name could Genna be so sure about that?
"Trust me," Genna said. "Put me down."
"Fine." I set Genna down, and she moved down the hallway, heading further away from the throne room. She stood straight, her fingers interlaced in front of her as if she was praying. Her brows furrowed in concentration.
I didn't have time to wonder what she was doing. Lady Dyann finished her countdown.
"Two. One."
Lady Dyann lowered her spear and charged, but I was already sending an ice bolt at the floor in front of her. Her Heaven's Strike veered to the side, missing me by a good ten inches. She sidestepped and lowered herself to launch another Heaven's Strike, but I had already sent another ice bolt at the floor. She could dodge my attacks, but the floor couldn't.