The Princess in the Tower

by Christopher Nuttall

  “Sleep in the wagon,” Jade reminded her, firmly. “I’ll be underneath.”

  “Fine,” Emily said. Cat would sleep next to Jade, if he didn’t rest under the night sky. “I’ll be here in the morning.”

  The following morning, Linder caught her attention as they washed in the nearby stream. “I was wondering,” she said. “That man...what sort of relationship do you have with him?”

  Emily blinked. “Which one?”

  “Jade,” Linder said. “Are the two of you lovers?”

  “No,” Emily said, flatly. She had a nasty suspicion that she knew where this was going. “We’re just...fellow travelers.”

  Linder looked pleased. Emily groaned, inwardly. Someone paying close attention to the three of them would know that they weren’t quite what they seemed to be. Linder might well have noticed that Jade and Emily–or Cat and Emily–didn’t act as though they were lovers, let alone husband and wife. They didn’t even orientate on one another when they were together. It wasn’t a pleasant thought. Someone older and wiser than Linder might also have realized they were lying.

  “He’s handsome.” Linder looked as if she were dreaming, just for a second. “Do you think he’d be interested in sticking around?”

  Emily stared at her in shock. Jade was handsome, she supposed; she’d been attracted to him too, once upon a time. And Linder didn’t even know Jade was married. He might seem a good catch, both for her and for her parents. A trained soldier, one who could teach others...perhaps even one who wouldn’t try to dominate Linder herself. Emily could see the advantages...

  ...But she also knew it was impossible.

  “He’s married,” she said, quietly. “His wife is in Alexis.”

  She splashed cold water on her face to cover her feelings. She’d have to warn Jade, as quickly as possible. There was no way they’d escape scrutiny if they told different stories, although it wasn’t a lie. Jade’s wife was in Alexis. Perhaps she should have told Linder that Jade was more interested in men than women, even though it would probably have annoyed Jade a little. He - and his mercenary persona–wouldn’t want people thinking he was gay. A homosexual mercenary would have good reason to want a beard.

  Linder caught her arm. “He’s married? But he went into the woods with you!”

  Emily flushed. Linder thought she and Jade had been making love? She thought fast, trying to think of an explanation. No one would think anything of a boy and a girl walking out together at Whitehall–she’d explored the mountains with Jade, back in First Year–but here...? No wonder Linder thought Jade was unmarried. He’d done something that could get him in real trouble if he’d been married...

  And yet, no explanation seemed to fit. She could claim to be his sister–or his half-sister–but that would raise a whole string of even harder questions. Perhaps they should have claimed to be family, right from the start. Or perhaps she could claim to be a more distant relative, except that would raise even more questions. First-cousin marriages were rare in Zangaria, but second-cousin marriages happened all the time.

  “We’re old friends,” she said, finally. “We...well, he saved my life and then I helped him and...and we just ended up staying together.”

  Linder looked unconvinced. Emily didn’t really blame her. Male-female friendships were common in the magical world, but quite rare outside it. Girls were closely chaperoned by their parents, while boys were often told that there was something wrong with wanting to be friends with a girl. No one would fault a young boy for having a friendly relationship with his sister, but they’d make fun of him for spending time with a girl without a good excuse.

  “We were in the same camp,” she added, as she dried her face. “It’s like...it’s like being in a convoy, only worse.”

  Linder looked wistful. “Is it really as fun as they say?”

  Emily sighed. Jade and Cat had told stories about the mercenary life, stories that were remarkably convincing even though neither of them had been mercenaries. They had made it sound exciting, she had to admit. There were men who liked to fight and the mercenary life seemed to offer all the fighting they could possibly want...and women, for better or worse, who found the concept of mercenaries exciting.

  All women want bad boys, she thought, sourly. There was more truth in it, even in the Nameless World, than she cared to admit. And then they find out that bad boys don’t grow into good men.

  “No,” she said, allowing her irritation to show. “If you’re a female mercenary, you will be expected to fight and fight again just to prove you have a right to be there. Your fellow soldiers can be more dangerous than the enemy, although you really don’t want to fall into enemy hands. If you’re a camp follower, you will spend your days cooking, cleaning and marching from place to place and your nights...”

  She took a sharp breath. Sergeant Miles had spelled the facts of life out in what Emily had considered, at the time, to be unnecessary graphic detail. “If you’re lucky, you will partner up with a man who will look after you as long as you’re good to him. And if you’re unlucky, you will be little more than a whore. Except you won’t get paid.”

  Linder swallowed. “And you...?”

  “Oh, I was lucky,” Emily assured her. “I had a friend.”

  She stood and stalked back to the wagons. Linder didn’t follow her, much to Emily’s private relief. She’d have to tell the boys what she’d told Linder, before one of them managed to say something that contradicted the story. And then...

  At least we’re closer to Alexis, she thought, as she scrambled into the wagon. Jade was sitting in the back, sorting through the supplies while Cat tied the horses to the yoke. We can get there on our own if they kick us out.

  “Get up here,” she called to Cat. “I need to tell you something.”

  Cat jumped up to join them. “Is it good news?”

  “No,” Emily said. “Well...it might be.”

  She outlined what she’d told Linder, sparing them nothing. Jade wouldn’t be tempted, she was sure. He loved Alassa. She had no idea how Cat would have reacted...or how she would have felt about it if he’d been interested in someone else. Her feelings were a mess.

  “Well, it could have been worse.” Jade looked pensive. “You might have done better to claim we were lovers.”

  “Water under the bridge,” Cat said. “Besides, you don’t act like lovers.”

  “Linder picked up on that,” Emily said. “She’s quite perceptive.”

  Cat snickered. “Why do so many girls go for obviously unsuitable men?”

  “Because women see different things than men,” Emily pointed out, wryly. “And because Jade isn’t wearing a wedding ring.”

  “And because they’re looking for protection,” Jade added. “A strong man who can fight–who is willing and able to fight–would be a good husband, even if he happens to be an asshole.”

  “That would explain a lot,” Cat muttered.

  “We don’t know who actually asked,” Emily pointed out. “Linder might have been...advised...to try to court Jade by her parents.”

  “Makes sense,” Cat agreed. “Who’d want to court Jade without being pushed?”

  “Alassa,” Jade said, sharply.

  Emily held up a hand before a fight could break out. “We’re clear on the details,” she said, flatly. “Jade has a wife in Alexis, someone who doesn’t mind him being a mercenary...”

  “Probably a shopkeeper,” Cat said. “Someone who has good reason not to want him around all the time. A happy relationship, naturally, but also one where they’re better off staying apart for much of the time.”

  That didn’t sound very pleasant, Emily thought, but she supposed it made sense. It was certainly not going to be easy to disprove in a hurry. Merchantwomen had a great deal of freedom, compared to both aristocratic and peasant women, but there were limits. A female shopkeeper wouldn’t want a husband who might assert his power over the shop–and his wife–whatever the law said. Hell, merchant law would back h
er, but civil law would support him. She’d prefer a husband who didn’t show his face too often.

  “Fine,” Jade said, as they heard the trumpet announcing their departure. “I’ve got a wife in Zangaria.”

  Emily sat beside Cat as he took the reins, then guided the wagon out of the clearing and back onto the road. She was grimly aware of Jade brooding in back, even though they were still on their way. Perhaps they should have risked the teleport after all. Or traveling by sea...they could have teleported to Beneficence, then sailed to Alexis. But that would have been too risky. They’d heard that the king’s men were searching every ship that tried to make landfall in the kingdom. Even transfiguring themselves into fish and swimming ashore would have been unacceptably dangerous.

  “He’ll get over it,” Cat said. “It’s the only way to get into the city with a minimum of risk.”

  Emily glanced at him in surprise. Had he read her thoughts? Or...had her face betrayed her? Cat was a combat sorcerer. He was far more perceptive than he let on. He had to be. A combat sorcerer who wasn’t perceptive was likely to end up dead after a short and exciting career.

  “I know,” she said. “But he doesn’t like it.”

  She leaned back and watched the trees slowly closing in. The locals were responsible for maintaining the roads, clearing the ditches and keeping the foliage back from the cobblestones, but it was clear they’d been neglecting their duties. She gritted her teeth as the wagon rattled over potholes and splashed through puddles of water. She was going to be aching–again–by the time they reached the next campsite...

  ...And then she heard the trumpet sound the alarm.

  Chapter Seven

  “SHIT,” JADE SAID.

  He scrambled forward as Cat pulled back on the reins. Emily leaned to one side to allow him to pass, one hand dropping to her dagger. She wasn’t expected to fight openly, not if they ran into trouble, but she would be damned if she made herself look defenseless. She’d been in enough bad places to know that one could avoid a fight by looking as though one was ready to fight.

  Jade jumped down to the cobblestones. “There’s a barricade across the road. It looks to have been hastily established...”

  Someone shouted in alarm. Emily tensed, drawing the dagger, as a small army of men swarmed in from both sides of the road. Cat jumped down and landed next to Jade, drawing his sword in one smooth motion. Emily ducked back into the wagon, hastily grabbing her sword. She wasn’t the most skilled swordswoman in the world, but she knew how to use the blade. The men didn’t look friendly, she thought as she hurried to the back and jumped down to the ground. They were scruffy, carrying makeshift weapons and a handful of swords that had seen better days. Bandits, almost certainly. Any nobleman who wanted to search the convoy would have ordered them to stop and then resorted to violence.

  A dark-eyed man came at her, face alight with grim anticipation. He carried a sword, but it was obvious he didn’t know how to use it. Sergeant Miles would have kicked him out of class, literally, for being a damned fool. Emily side-stepped his jab and swung her blade, cutting off his hand in a shower of blood. He stared at her in horror as his sword crashed to the ground, then threw himself forward. Emily brought up her sword, impaling him on the blade, then jumped back to pull it back out of him as his legs tottered and collapsed. She felt sick. She’d killed before–she knew she’d killed before–but it was the first time she’d killed a man with a blade.

  But there was no time for that now. She had to help the others, quickly.

  Law and order really has broken down, she thought, as she jumped over the body and hurried to where Jade and Cat were battling other bandits with brutal efficiency. The bandits wouldn’t have been able to get so close to the roads if the shire reeves and sheriffs were doing their duty.

  Another man came at her, waving a sword that had definitely seen better days. He clearly had at least some training, although it looked to have been informal. Emily blocked his first swipe, gritting her teeth at the force of the blow. The man was strong enough to make up for his weaknesses, she noted as she parried a second blow. His defense was weak, but he was clearly not inclined to be put on the defensive. She glanced at Cat as he came into her field of vision, then allowed herself to look vulnerable. The bandit took the bait, overextending himself as he tried to break through her defenses. A moment later, Cat put a blade in his back. He tumbled to the ground and lay still.

  “Thanks,” Emily said.

  “Think nothing of it,” Cat told her. He was grinning from ear to ear, sweat shining on his forehead as he searched for more targets. “This is fun.”

  “....Right,” Emily said, privately thinking it was no such thing. “But there are a lot of them.”

  Jade was exchanging blows with one of the older bandits, their feet stamping on the cobblestones as each thrust and parried in a desperate bid to get through the other’s defenses first. Emily hesitated, unsure what to do, but Cat had no such doubts. He made a hooting sound, distracting the bandit for a second. It was long enough to let Jade knock the bandit’s sword aside and stab his blade into the man’s throat.

  “Better move,” Jade said, jabbing a thumb towards the rest of the convoy. “They need help.”

  Emily nodded and followed Jade and Cat, watching their backs as they threw themselves into the fray. It was clear that the bandits hadn’t expected serious resistance, although they’d come loaded for bear. They might have won by now if Jade and Cat hadn’t accompanied the convoy. The two men sliced through bandits one by one; some too young to know how to fight trained men, others old enough to give them a challenge. And then, as if a signal had been given, the remaining bandits broke and ran.

  “Check the wagons and do a head count,” Jade ordered, harshly. “Make sure they didn’t take anyone with them.”

  The merchants hurried to obey. Emily’s lips twitched, unsure if it was the display of fighting prowess or the blood dripping from Jade’s sword that encouraged them to hurry. She moved up behind Jade, grimly aware of Linder staring at the three of them in horror. Emily had no idea if she’d be attracted to Jade any longer or not, but she might take the mercenary lifestyle a great deal more seriously after this. She’d seen Emily gut a man as though he were a trout.

  Unless she missed that, Emily thought. She had no idea if Linder had been preparing to fight or not. She would have had no choice, unless she wanted to be dragged off and raped. She might have seen everything or nothing.

  “Everyone is accounted for,” Coffman said. He was the leader of the convoy, or at least the closest thing the convoy had to a leader. “Ollie is dead.”

  “Wrap up the body and stow it in a cart,” Jade ordered. “The rest of you, help me get the barricade out of the way.”

  He looked the barricade up and down, then started to push the tree trunks and branches off the road. It was cunningly designed, Emily had to admit; it looked as though it would be difficult to move without a dozen strong men or magic, but a good push in the right place would be enough to get it moving. She guessed the bandits had done it before. They’d probably spotted the convoy a few miles back and set up the ambush. Hopefully, the dead bodies would be enough to convince the survivors to go elsewhere.

  “Emily, check the bodies,” Jade said. “Cat, go with her.”

  Emily nodded and hurried to the nearest. It felt wrong to touch a dead man, but she had no choice. He was clearly a peasant, judging from his clothes; the lack of anything in his pockets, save for a small packet of tobacco, confirmed it. The remainder of the bodies were similar, apart from one man who was probably a former soldier. He didn’t seem to have drilled his little band in anything beyond basic tactics.

  “They probably got forced off the land,” she mused, as they searched the final body. “And they took to banditry to keep themselves alive.”

  “That may be true,” Cat said, briskly. “But does that excuse their crimes?”

  Emily shook her head. Now that the adrenaline had worn off, she w
as starting to shake. The men she’d killed wouldn’t have posed any threat if she’d been able to use magic. She would have had no difficulty in freezing them in their tracks, or turning them into toads, or doing something else that would have rendered them harmless. But she’d had to kill them instead...they’d been bad people, she knew they’d been bad people, but they’d had to die. She didn’t feel comfortable about it. She had never grown used to how cheap life was on the Nameless World and she hoped she never would.

  “Mount up,” Jade called. “We have to move!”

  Emily jumped into the wagon, returned her sword to its resting place and then sat beside Cat as the convoy rumbled back into life. Jade was at the front vehicle, no doubt pushing the driver to go as fast as he dared. The bandits had been given a nasty surprise, but it wouldn’t be long before they got over it. They wouldn’t want the convoy to get away. If nothing else, it would reveal their existence to the authorities.

  If anyone can be bothered hunting down a gang of bandits when civil war is looming, she thought, keeping a wary eye on the trees. They were growing far too close to the road for comfort. Things seemed to be moving in the undergrowth, but...were they small animals, disturbed by the convoy, or bandits? They wouldn’t know until they jumped out and attacked. The bastards have been left alone for far too long.

  She forced herself to concentrate as her thoughts started to run in circles. She’d never thought of herself as a swordswoman, let alone a good swordswoman. Jade could hold his sword in his left hand and still beat her in a fencing match. But the bandits hadn’t had a chance against her, not as long as she’d carried a sword. It was...odd. She knew she was good at magic, but swordfighting?

  Don’t get cocky, she reminded herself, sharply. You killed a handful of untrained men. The next people you have to fight may actually know what they’re doing.