He spoke the truth. Despite his cold demeanor, Regent Velora did everything he could for the kingdom. He could not see how the alliances he struggled for led to a far worse path, however. Alina would have professed her vision long ago if she thought it would not leave her exiled and everything would be lost. Instead, she played this diplomatic game. “I apologize, Regent. I am aware the trials of this nation are monumental. What is one person to make a difference?”
The Regent cleared his throat and squinted up at the sky. “You’d be surprised, Highness. That is why I wish you would reconsider this meeting with the Warriors. It makes you too vulnerable.”
Alina scoffed. “I highly doubt these Warriors plot against me.”
“Yes, but you have ordered away your personal guard for the meeting.”
“They will be stationed in the next room within shouting distance,” said Alina. “Nin will remain by my side. There is nothing to worry about.”
Regent Velora shook his head. “You scheme like you can play this political game. I desperately hope I underestimate your abilities.”
Alina stood still, refusing to rise to the bait. She looked out across the gardens. Four figures approached from the far end. “My guests are coming. You may leave us.”
“I will see you for your evening lessons, then.” The Regent turned around sharply and walked away. The door snapped shut a little louder than it should have. She had irked him. Nin and another guard entered the drawing room a moment later.
“I have finished all preparations,” Nin said.
Alina leaned over the balcony’s edge, her fingers playing with the signet ring on her right hand. She had decided that morning she should wear it at all times, no matter the company. Spotting the blonde girl, Alina’s stomach knotted. A silly infatuation. The well-defined woman had sharp features and an obviously taut body even with armor covering it. So what if Alina got goose bumps looking at her? The Warrior’s plate armor gleamed, most likely polished for the occasion. She sighed and turned back to Nin.
“Good,” she said. “Make sure our guests arrive unhindered.”
***
Senri gripped her sword pommel to keep her hand from shaking. Something about approaching the palace to speak with the princess felt less like an honor and more like a challenge. What did she know of proper etiquette? At best, she would offend her Highness with poor manners. At worst, she would cause a political incident on behalf of the Warriors. She took a deep breath when they ascended the steps to the palace. They were stopped by guards at the top.
“State your business,” said one.
“We have been requested by her Highness,” said Yahn. He passed the guard on his right the document proving it.
While the guard opened and read through it, the other guard addressed them, “You will need to leave all weapons here. None outside of her Highness’s guard are allowed to be armed.”
Senri almost unbuckled her sheath, but a man in a formal uniform approached them from within the palace. “Wait,” he said.
The guard reading the paper turned. “Regent Velora, how may we assist you?”
He walked down the hallway and stopped in between the guards. “Are these the Warriors her Highness requested to see?”
The guard handed Regent Velora the order. “It appears so.”
Regent Velora snatched up the order and read through it. “Very well, carry on.” While the four of them disarmed, the Regent walked out the palace and down the stairs, but as he passed Senri he whispered. “Her Highness is in danger. Be wary.”
She turned and almost called out to him, but the man walked so purposefully she had nothing more to do but hand her sword over. Why did he have to give the cryptic message to me? Why not Yahn? The older Warrior stood too close to the guards. With Senri lingering in the back, she had been the only one the Regent could whisper to unnoticed. Politics be damned.
“An escort will arrive shortly,” said one of the guards. “You may wait in the main entrance.” Both gestured with their spears, and with a nod, Yahn led them inside and midway down the hall.
Yahn stopped by some benches. “So far, so good. This has to be one of my best visits to the palace yet.”
Nat shifted his stance. “Is it usually more uptight? Because I think they could have made us strip to be doubly cautious.”
Lanan scoffed. “They will search us before we are allowed into the same chamber as her Highness.”
“Then what will they think of the scrap of metal?” Senri asked Yahn. He had taken a piece from one of the enemy gauntlets to show to her Highness. They did not recognize the symbols on it, but the princess might.
“I dulled the edges. It looks like nothing more than a religious pendant.”
Nat rolled his eyes. “Good to know the kingdom’s own Warriors are trusted so deeply.”
Yahn hushed him. “We don’t need to give them a reason to lock us up.”
“They might not need one,” said Senri, remembering the Regent’s words.
The other three turned towards her. “Really?” asked Yahn, an eyebrow raised.
“That man who passed me, the Regent, said her Highness was in danger.”
“Excellent,” said Nat, clapping his hands. “I am rather fond of cryptic warnings.”
Again, Yahn hushed him. “Someone’s coming.”
Senri looked down the hall. A palace maid walked towards them. She stopped in front of Lanan, smiled, and curtseyed. “Welcome. My name is Ninian, maid-in-waiting to her Majesty Alina. If you will follow me, I shall escort you to her.”
The four of them followed along. Senri found herself having to check her arms at her sides, because her fingers constantly wanted to trail out and touch the beautiful tapestries, all a deep blue with the same falcon painted on her armor, stitched in gold. Other halls held paintings, statues, suits of armor. Senri had never seen so many fineries crammed into one area. The only artwork close to this grandiose display she had seen hanging off the back of a trader’s wagon.
“I don’t suppose I have to inform you of proper decorum with her Highness,” said the maid. She glanced over her shoulder and smiled at them all in turn.
“We were lectured on it this morning,” replied Lanan.
Senri looked over at the other Warrior, surprised to hear her speak up so quickly to a stranger when she had done nothing but shy from them ever since their rescue.
“We apologize for that,” said the maid. “It is rare that royalty entertains anyone lower in rank than a general. The Council wanted to maintain some semblance of formality.”
“Sorry if we stepped on any toes,” said Nat. Yahn shot him a look.
But Ninian laughed. “On the contrary, her Highness enjoys this break in tradition.”
They came to a large antechamber guarded by three men. “You will now be searched before being presented to her Highness,” said Ninian. “A formality we could not do away with.”
The search was far less invasive than Senri had imagined. The guards prodded their armor in a few places and made them remove the chest plates, a relief for Senri considering how hot the largest section of her armor became. Ever since the Regent had spoken to her it seemed to stifle her. After the guards checked their sleeves for concealed weapons and patted down their ribcage, the Warriors were allowed to dress. One of them found the scrap metal Yahn had brought with. He stared at it, feeling over the smooth edges, then handed it back to the Warrior.
“Nice pendant,” he muttered.
Once they looked acceptable again, Ninian placed a hand on the door. “I will now present you to her Highness.”
When the maid opened the door another guard stepped out and joined the others in rank. Ninian pulled the door wide open, revealing a large room filled with couches and bookshelves, not the princess’s quarters. Yet there her Highness stood. She carried herself tall, though Senri stood half a head taller at least. Her hands lay folded before her back and her face held a look of serenity. Her soft features made her seem fragile,
though her eyes had no softness. Her brown hair had been braided back in an elegant manner.
“Presenting to her royal Highness Alina Alexandria Mura: Yahn, Nathaniel, Lanan, and Senri, Warriors of Osota,” said Ninian.
The four of them stepped inside. Senri’s heartbeat mimicked the night of their escape from capture. She barely managed to keep her breathing controlled and watched Yahn carefully, copying his every move. When he kneeled, she did so as well and bowed her head, trying to tame her rampant nerves. She’s the princess, not a dragon.
“Welcome, Warriors,” said Alina. “It is a privilege for me to honor you for your heroism. Your efforts uncovered a great threat to this kingdom.” The door closed behind them. She felt a cord drape over her neck, the medal everyone had alluded to. She glanced to the side. The maid draped one over Nat’s head. “For your bravery, we bestow upon you medals that recognize your act of heroism. You may rise.” The four of them stood. Senri reached for her missing sword, needing something to hold onto.
“Your Highness.” Yahn fumbled with something in his pocket. Senri recognized the metal torn from the armor. “We found this in the encampment.” He handed it to Nin, who handed it to Alina. She looked it over. “All their weapons and armor bore this symbol. They were very organized.”
“This metal is different from ours,” she said, turning the piece over in her palm and tracing the points of the sun.
“It’s tougher,” said Yahn. “It did not cut easily from the gauntlet.”
Alina sighed and handed the scrap back to Nin. “What else can you tell me? All details are important.”
While the others listed details of the encampment, Senri thought back to the night of their escape. She wanted to put the memories from her mind. They usually caused nightmares if she dwelled on them too long, one memory in particular.
“They had prisoners,” Senri said, interrupting Nat’s account of the stable conditions. Cages filled with bodies. “Farm hands. They caged them like slaves.”
“They what?” asked Alina.
“They brought them in by the cartload,” said Senri. “I’m a heat reader. I could feel them.” Her heart thudded and the air felt thick in her lungs. Her head swam with the memories.
“How did this happen?” Alina asked, shaking her head. No one had a response for her. The encampment had been on the border of their kingdom, backed up almost to the western sea, but no reports had reached them of bandit raids. Senri had thought the news of constant raiding of villages and farms, the taking of prisoners, would make it back to the capital. Apparently the invaders had left no one to report the catastrophes.
“There is one more thing,” said Yahn. “Senri, fought them. Grabbed one by the face and burned him. They had us surrounded, but as soon as she did that, they backed away. They feared her more than any of us.”
Senri did not remember any of this. She only remembered the pulsing, searing fire of her hand as she clutched the man. Their faint red life had fluttered in their bodies. She swallowed.
“You grabbed one?” asked the maid.
Senri nodded. “I did. What of it?”
The maid glanced at Alina, but remained silent.
“I suppose we have the most important information sorted out,” said Alina. “Please, enjoy your reward.” She gestured at the medals. They stood awkwardly in silence. Senri did not know what conversation was suitable for a princess. No one else seemed to either. Alina frowned. “Thank you for your honesty. Nin can show you out of the palace.” They turned to be led from the room. As Senri moved to join them, Alina called out, “Wait.”
They stopped.
“You, Senri,” she said. “Could you stay a moment longer?”
Senri looked to Yahn, who shrugged his shoulders. Nat looked back and forth from the princess to Senri. She could only imagine what thoughts ran through his head. “I suppose I could,” she said, trying to keep her voice even.
“Very well,” she said. “Nin?” The maid escorted the others from the room. After the door closed, Alina turned to her. “You must think I’m very strange.” She avoided looking directly at Senri.
“I’m sure you have your motives,” said Senri.
“True. Though I have to admit it’s refreshing to be around you and your comrades. I cannot remember the last time someone forgot to address me without a ‘highness’ attached.”
Senri did not know what to do, so she stepped toward the balcony. She needed the fresh air. “I apologize if we offended, your Highness.”
Alina sighed and approached her. She stood in front of the balcony entrance. “You don’t have to do that. You and the other Warriors fight and die for this kingdom. I do not require you to behave like unruly Council members.”
“I am not familiar in the way of politics, Highness,” said Senri. The air seemed thick in her lungs. She was not supposed to give details to the princess. Will I be executed for it? The Regent’s own warning echoed in her head.
The princess shook her head. “They are not as familiar as they should be, either, but I would rather not talk about the Council members any more than I can help.”
“Is there something I can do for you, Highness?” Senri should probably mention something about what the Regent said now that they were alone.
“Did I not just say you didn’t have to...never mind.” Alina shook her head. “You attacked and killed one of your assailants.”
“I burned two.” Senri avoided looking down at Alina. She stared out at the balcony instead, basking in sunlight. The stones shimmered with heat. She blinked. The heat still shimmered.
“What happened when you did so?” Alina asked. The princess adjusted her stance and stood a little taller.
“I think I saw their core,” said Senri. The stone balcony almost glowed with heat. She breathed in but could only catch Alina’s perfume-heavy scent. She shook her head to clear her mind. “The world dissolved. Or I thought it did. I saw shadows and red. Everything is brighter here.” The words traveled on without her. She found it increasingly difficult to focus on the hard lines of the stone railing. “Your Highness.”
“Yes?” Alina sounded like she spoke from under water. Or maybe Senri was under water?
“The Regent said something.” Her thoughts drifted. She looked up and the edges of the world blurred. A faint red pulse crawled along the ceiling. No, above the ceiling.
“The Regent said what?” Someone scaled down the roof from outside. The person dropped down, armed with a knife.
“Move!” yelled Senri.
She pushed Alina aside, sending her flying into the adjacent wall. Senri reached out. Missed. The assassin pulsed a dull red from under the dark clothes. She grabbed the arm with the knife. She clutched hard, the overwhelming sensation crashing back down on her. This time, she understood it. Her free hand grabbed the man’s neck. Heat flowed from his body into her. The man howled.
“Who sent you?” she yelled.
The man said nothing. She breathed in, letting his life flow from his body into hers. The light dimmed, flickered, would have gone out if the door had not crashed open and the guards had pulled her away. She let go, snapping out of the reader’s trance. The princess screamed and the guards gasped. The man’s nearly frozen form slumped to the floor, his lips blue. Senri blinked and stared at her hands. She had done it. She had taken the heat out of a fire.
***
Alina had never once considered herself to be in danger. She suspected an assassin might come for her, but needed to lure out whoever it was. Even without weapons, a Warrior of Osota would never be truly disarmed. Regent Velora had played his part beautifully, everyone had. Only when Senri had pushed her aside and acted with deadly precision did she realize how lethal a fully trained Warrior could be. But she was not fully trained. Alina had expected this young Warrior to kill for her. And the Warrior almost had. Alina sunk into a nearby chair.
“Are you hurt, your Highness?” a guard addressed her. Two others dealt with the half-frozen assassin, bin
ding his hands behind his back. The fourth one had pulled Senri aside, out onto the balcony. “Your Highness?”
“I—” She breathed. Her chest hurt from where Senri had pushed her. “I’m fine.” She tried to rise, but her legs shook too much. “Take that man to the dungeons.” Put the urgency elsewhere. She did not need people fussing over her. She wanted to go to the young Warrior, see if she was well. If only her damn legs stopped shaking.
“We will, your Highness. Everything is under control.” The two guards dragged the assassin out of her room. Shortly after, another guard escorted Senri out. The remaining guard stayed by her side until both Nin and Regent Velora crashed through the door and ran to her.
“Your Highness!” said the Regent. “Thanks the Almighty you are uninjured.” He paced in front of her while Nin sat by her side, taking hold of her hand. Alina stared at the doorway, her stomach in knots. The Regent shook his head. “This was a terrible plan.” He looked over at the guard then pointed at the door. The man nodded and exited the room, pulling the door closed behind him. “Did you find out anything useful?”
The Regent’s expectant gaze brought Alina out of her trance. She pried her hand out of Nin’s grasp and pulled the metal scrap from her dress pocket. “They gave me this, and informed me they are taking slaves.”
Regent Velora blanched before he took up the piece and turned it over in his hands, staring at it closely.
“Do you recognize it?” Alina asked.
“Yes,” he said, rubbing his neatly trimmed beard. “It’s troubling, to say the least. I’ve read the reports, and seeing this only confirms the worst.” He handed the metal back to Alina.
“And what is the worst?” Alina asked.
“The weapons and armor come from a foreign army, not a mercenary band,” said Velora.
“So a kingdom has landed hostile troops on our shores and is taking our people as slaves, possibly worse. What are we doing to counteract this?” Alina tried to stand again, but Nin held her down.
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