Thief Prince

by Cheree Alsop

  “What happened?” Andric asked. Danyen and Kenyen both mumbled apologies from where they stood at the ropes.

  “Rookies,” Falen said with a shake of his head. He, Andric, and several other people began to pile the wood back together to be lifted again.

  I jumped in beside them, eager to be of assistance. Several of the Antorans threw me questioning glances, but I just smiled at them. It felt good to be outside working again, even if it was in the freezing snow in the middle of winter doing manual labor that I wasn't used to. I could tell by the look on Andric's face that he wanted to protest, but he knew by the expression on mine I wasn't going to listen.

  By the end of the day, I was on the roof helping to tie down the cords of straw as they were settled into place. It was one of the lighter jobs that Andric had maneuvered me into doing, and for which my tired muscles were secretly grateful. Danyen and Kenyen had finally gotten the hang of the pulley system after only two more spills; they now guided the straw over to where Andric and Trevin waited on the roof with several other Antorans. Landis was working with Falen to bundle the straw, and Tisha labored stoically alongside him despite his protests.

  Even Nyssa, Brynna, and Kaerdra finally gave in. They were in the little houses on either side helping to clean the sparse furniture and possessions that had been saved from the fire. Once in a while, Kaerdra came out with Jesson's wife, Isea, and gave everyone water. I hadn't seen Jesson anywhere and wondered if he was still tending to the wounded soldiers. Isea's little ferret ran up and down the building with an ease that I think everyone envied by the end of the day.

  Various other animals provided assistance in unique ways. Two crows carried long strands of twine to us that men below cut when we ran out. A squirrel chattered constantly as he made his way across and under the almost completed roof; he then conveyed to his human, a tall, red-headed fellow with mismatched eyes, any weak spots he found in the insulating straw. A little white mink went in with the cleaning crew while we worked on top and I wondered what he could do until he came out covered in soot; it occurred to me that he would be very handy in helping to clean the hard to reach places. My favorite animal to watch was a big black bear that helped scrape bark off of the new beams of wood with his strong claws before they were put into place.

  Andric's wolves were always around. Though they couldn't assist much with the house, they did provide entertainment when the small dark gray male and the black male got into a play quarrel and spent an hour chasing each other all over the grounds. Men debated which one would win, though the chase ended when both wolves tumbled full speed into Bayn. He only had to show his sharp white teeth to sober the younger wolves up immediately. I caught a gleam of humor in the wolf's eyes as he chided his pack for their frivolousness, reminding me greatly of a proud father tending to reckless children.

  By the time the roof was finished, our hands and faces were numb and it was dark enough to require torches, but no one wanted to leave until the Kasan family was moved back into their house. By that time, the saved furniture was ready, and other furniture had been donated by various families to replace what couldn’t be saved. The beds were put in place on the freshly scrubbed stone floor, a small dresser, table, and three chairs were set up, and pots were arranged by the newly mortared fireplace.

  An accomplished pride shone on the faces of all the Crowns as we surveyed our work. None of us had ever done anything like this before, and I knew we would all put it in our letters home. The thought of home made me anxious to hear from Father and see how everyone was responding to our absence. I longed for word of Rory, and hoped he didn’t blame himself because he would have been the one here in Antor if he hadn’t gotten sick.

  I wondered how it would be if I hadn't been the one in Eskand. Somehow, though we had only been in Antor three days, it felt like things had changed so much. I could see it not only in myself, but in the other Crowns as well.

  I shook my head and chided myself for being foolish. I was tired and I doubted much change could really happen in the time we had been gone from Eskand. I couldn't believe that it had only been eight days since we met under the tree by the Eskand castle wall. But even though I tried to tell myself it was only my imagination, I felt different from the girl who stood alone by the shadows that night.

  The Kasans gave everyone warm hugs of gratitude. Several of the Crowns returned the hugs awkwardly, and it made me smile to see their walls come grudgingly down. It would have been hard to ignore the smiles of excitement and shrieks of joy that made up the three children’s reaction to their new home. Mrs. Kasan couldn’t say thank you enough, and her husband regarded the Princes with such obvious awe and appreciation they each gave him formal bows of respect.

  We rode back to the castle with grumbling stomachs, and I realized only after we left the house that we had worked through dinner. I wondered if it went on without us at the castle, and if the Antorans wondered where everyone was. Then I realized that the prominent people I had seen at the first dinners had all helped at various times with the house. It amazed me how much the citizens really did work to help each other. I wondered if the same camaraderie existed in Zalen. It opened my eyes to see the inner workings of a kingdom in a way I had never realized existed. I promised myself to take a closer look at my own city when I got home.

  Falen rode next to me on the way back to the castle, and I asked him how the soldiers were that had been injured by the Breizans.

  “They’re recovering,” he said with a smile at my concern.

  “And the two on the stretchers?”

  “Much better.” He winked at me. “Nothing a lot of love

  and pampering from their wives couldn’t help.”

  I laughed. “Please give Jesson my well wishes and offer my services if he needs any help.”

  Falen nodded. “As you wish, Princess.”

  He left us at the courtyard and bid us a good night.

  Chapter 14

  After a brief, delicious dinner of cold turkey, potatoes, and spiced pumpkin milk that chased the chill from our bones, everyone retired to their rooms. I was the last one out of the dining room and was making my way slowly up the stairs when I heard my name called. Surprised, I turned to see Andric standing at the base of the stairs.

  He had been quiet all through dinner, and I passed it off as exhaustion because he had worked far longer on the house; but now, by the preoccupied look on his face, I realized he had just been biding his time. I made my way back down the stairs and sat on the second to last step facing him.

  “Tired?” he asked with a kind smile.

  I nodded. “Yes, but happy. It was a good day.”

  Relief flooded his face, chasing away shadows I hadn't realized were there until they vanished. “Really? You had a good time?”

  I smiled up at him. “Is it so hard to believe? I had a great time painting, though I'm so unaccomplished at it they need to make a new word for what I do, like plunking, only worse.” I grimaced at the thought of my picture of Trae, and saw an answering grin on Andric's face. “You saw my picture?” I asked in horror.

  He nodded. “It was pretty bad.” He laughed and danced out of the way to avoid my slap. “Well, almost as bad as mine on a good day,” he put in to appease me. At my expression, he turned serious again.

  “What?” I asked.

  He slid down the wall so that he sat at the base of the stairs and looked up at me. “What else did you like about the day?”

  “Why do you want to know so badly?” I asked curiously. We were already here and couldn't leave until spring. What did it matter to him if we enjoyed ourselves?

  He shrugged and studied the wall across from him. “I don't know. I guess I feel guilty and want to make sure that the stay isn't too miserable for all of you.”

  I stared at him a moment, realizing this was truly important to him. I thought the day over. “Well, I really did have a good time painting with the other girls, although I didn't think I would.” His look asked m
e to explain, so I continued, “They don't know what to do with me, really. I don't fit in, but I think they're alright with that now. I think they realize that it's alright if I'm not like them, and I hope they can see I'm not trying to fill Rory's place.”

  I swallowed and continued quickly, “It sounds like the boys also had a good time at the forge designing swords. I made the mistake of suggesting that we swap activities tomorrow to give everyone a challenge.”

  Andric stared at me. “You did?”

  I nodded, chagrined. “Yeah, and they actually accepted.”

  His eyes grew wider. “They did?”

  I had to laugh. “Yeah; can you imagine the Princesses in the forge designing weapons? I feel bad for your sword smith.”

  Andric laughed too, a pleasant sound. “Hensas will be beside himself when you girls walk in. I should probably warn him.”

  “It gets worse,” I admitted. I couldn't meet his gaze.

  “What?” he pressed in a cautious tone.

  I took a deep breath and rushed forward, “Somehow, Nyssa and the other girls challenged the boys to a duel when the weapons are done and we've had a chance to train.” I swallowed. “And they talked me into training them, though I don't know the least bit about teaching.”

  He was quiet for so long that I stole a glance at him. His brow was lowered, but he had a small smile on his face.

  “What are you thinking?” I asked carefully.

  He looked up at me. “I was just thinking that you’d make a good trainer. The skills you showed when we were attacked by the Breizans were first class.” His dark eyes sparkled in the moonlight that drifted from the high slit windows.

  He was teasing me, but was serious at the same time. He truly thought that I could train the girls. “I still don't think it's a good idea.” I sighed. “But I gave my word so now I'm stuck. I can't figure out how they got me involved.”

  Andric laughed. “Princesses are pretty wily. They learn a lot more than just sewing.”

  I laughed with him, then sobered, realizing the fact that they had weaseled me into agreeing was proof I didn't know much about the wily side of being a princess. I turned back to our conversation. “My favorite part was helping with the house. I've never done anything like that before.”

  Andric nodded thoughtfully. “I didn't know if I should stop you for fear that you’d hurt yourself.” At my look, he chuckled. “But I realized you wouldn't really give me a choice in the matter. I was happy to see everyone else get involved, even though the twins almost killed us a few times with that pulley.”

  I nodded. “The best part was when the Kasans got to move back in. Did you see how happy they were?”

  Andric nodded. “They needed that. It broke my heart when I found out they’d had a fire while we were gone.” His brow creased. “They lost a son in the last attack with the Breizans we had a few months ago. It was a hard battle, and more were lost than in any other attack. With fewer supplies and some families already gone to make their own way, it's getting harder to defend our small country.”

  He took a deep breath and held it for a few seconds before letting it out slowly. I could see how much this ate at him. Loathing crossed his face, hatred for his inability to do anything to save his people.

  “You didn't do this to them,” I whispered.

  He turned and stared up at me, his expression hard.

  “This isn't your fault,” I continued. “You're holding together the shattered remains of a country that someone else handed to you.”

  “Someone else?” he repeated, his tone sharp. “That someone else was my father and my grandfather. They were able to keep this kingdom alive and prospering, well supplied through the diamonds that were mined.”

  “Diamonds that are no longer there, which is something you are not able to fix. The same thing would happen to us if all of our ships were lost at sea, and to Tyn and Veren if the plains caught fire. It would happen to Maesh if their herds became sick, or to Cren if the trade stopped. Things happen and there's no way to prevent them.”

  Andric was quiet, and I could tell by the look on his face that he didn't believe me. I knew I wasn't going to win the argument. “Fine,” I relented. “You believe what you want, but your people look up to you and respect you in a way I haven't seen in any other country. You must be doing something right.”

  I rose to my feet. “Good night, Andric. It was a good day, and I look forward to another one.”

  “Good night, Kit,” he said quietly. He looked at me, but I could tell that his thoughts were elsewhere. I made my way slowly up the stairs to my room. When I undressed and climb into bed, it was a long while before I could sleep.

  ***

  I wasn't the only one who was sore in the morning; muscles I didn't even know existed ached when I bathed and eased into a dark green dress assisted by the ever attentive Kimber. She already had a bottle of one of Jesson’s ointments waiting, and the scent of mint, wintergreen, and lavender filled the air as I rubbed it into my sore muscles. The oils started working immediately, and though I smelled like a sweets shop, I felt much better by the time I made my way to the breakfast room.

  I wasn't the last one there this time, and I wasn't the only one that smelled of Jesson's healing oils. We grinned at each other sheepishly over our bodies’ protests at the simple act of dishing up food. I think we all were becoming conscious of what a sheltered life we really lived.

  We watched the Antorans practice below; their unison grunts and calls of command made an interesting clamor around the quiet table. Instead of bristling with contrived thoughts of ambush or attack, the boys watched the training Antorans as much as I did, talking quietly about different forms and movements they recognized. I realized we were missing a valuable opportunity to teach, and a way for me to see how to train; I made a mental note to have the girls down there the next morning without telling the boys.

  As planned, we were guided to the forge by Andric who met us at the door at the end of our breakfast. A steward took the guys to the painting room, and I knew it wasn't my imagination that put the small smirk on his face. I saw answering embarrassment on the boys' faces and a slight heightening of color in their cheeks when they passed Prince Andric, but I had to give them credit for accepting what they said they were going to do instead of shirking due to its feminine nature.

  The forge was nestled close to the castle wall past the hawkery and stables. Already, we could hear the ringing of an anvil through the crisp morning air. When we entered the wide front doors that were open to the rising sun, the scent of a roaring wood fire, hot iron, sweat, and an amazing amount of heat met us.

  We blinked as our eyes adjusted to the suddenly dim interior countered by the hot raging fire in a fireplace that took up most of the far wall with various bricked ovens. I was surprised to see at least eight people working at the forge. Most were engrossed in their activities and didn't look up when we entered.

  Only one large man that I guessed to be the sword smith came forward to greet us, though I don't know if I would call it a greeting. He wore a large leather apron that went down below his knees and thick gloves wrapped with leather that were scorched in various places and colored black with use. He scowled at us as if annoyed that we were interrupting his work with our presence.

  Andric gave him a respectful nod. “Good morning, Smith Hensas. I appreciate the time you've allotted for the Crown Princesses. I know that their knowledge of sword making is limited, and so would appreciate it if you would fill them in on your methods.”

  The sword smith nodded, but it was clear he wasn't happy with the request.

  Andric gave him a small smile. “Only the methods you want them to know. I promise that they won't be taking your secrets home with them.” The Prince turned and left. We bunched together, feeling out of place in the dark workshop.

  Smith Hensas stared at us for a moment with his massive arms crossed on his chest. At our timid glances back, he finally cracked a smile in a face that see
med little used to such an expression.

  “Who ever heard of princesses in a forge?” he asked more to himself than to us. He shook his head and his shaggy black hair flung sweat in all directions. “Fine then. If this is the way it's going to be, then you might as well learn something while you're at it.” He turned and motioned with a massive hand for us to follow.

  Despite the chilly morning we had just left outside, sweat broke out on our faces as we drew near to the fire. A boy about ten years old pumped a giant bellows to heat up the forge. He was covered in soot from head to toe, but grinned at us shyly when we drew near. Another man heated a long bar of metal in the fire, the tongs in his gloved hands glowing red where they held the iron. The constant ringing came from a tall, skinny man who worked on a silver hilt, rounding a groove out of it so that the user's hand could fit comfortably and be protected from other blades.

  “As you can see,” Smith Hensas explained, leading us to a quieter corner, “It takes more than a sword smith to make a sword. I could spend all of my time taking a sword from a misshapen chunk of iron into a beautiful, deadly weapon, but I've found that giving the grunt work to the grunts saves a lot of time.” He winked and chuckled when several of the men within hearing protested. “Aw, stuff it,” the Smith shouted in a good-natured roar, obviously accustomed to being heard over the roaring fire and ringing anvils. “Given the big picture, everyone's just a grunt. The goal is to be good at grunting.” The other men laughed and turned back to their work.

  “Sorry about that, ladies,” he apologized as if just remembering we were there. He turned and pointed out the men. “The two by the fire are the strikers. They forge the blade when I have it prepared. The bear-like man next to the bear is our grinder.” I looked where he indicated and realized that the big black mass in the corner was indeed the bear we had seen at the roofing the night before. He snored next to a man even bigger than Smith Hensas who sat at a big stone grinder. Another boy worked next to him pedaling a small wheeled contraption that in turn spun the grinder.