by Sarah Olson
James shook his head. “None of them care. They refused to get involved when Luther took over and won’t now.”
I sighed. “So the only way for Malan to help us is if Luther’s army crosses the river.”
Sir Nicholas nodded.
“As much as we hate him,” a village leader with white hair and a long beard said, “he isn’t reckless enough to just come over here.”
“Which is why we need to find a way to get him to come, Sir William,” Sir Nicholas said.
“Wait a minute,” James interrupted. “Layla, would King Luther cross the river if we had Prince Richard as a hostage?”
My jaw dropped.
“Would he break the treaty for him?” James asked again, bearing down on me with the intensity of his icy blue eyes.
I could not find my voice.
“Of course he would,” Raphael said. “The prince is his only heir.”
“Layla?” James asked again, ignoring Raphael as he usually did.
“Yes,” I whispered. “Raphael is right. He would risk war.”
“Except he’ll see right through the plan,” Peter said, taking a step forward.
“It doesn’t matter if he does,” James said, a smirk crossing his face. “He wouldn’t have a choice.”
“Well,” Peter said sarcastically, “how do you think you’re going to be able to kidnap the prince? You can’t just waltz in there, put a bag over his head and drag him out!”
“It would be best if it were done during some sort of chaos,” an officer in the corner said.
“That’s it!” Mitchell exclaimed. “The Masquerade Ball! It’s four months from now.”
“It could work,” Sir Roger, another village leader, said, “but you still can’t walk into the ball, tear him away from his guests and bring him here.”
“You’d have to get him alone,” Raphael said.
“And we need another exit from the castle that wouldn’t be heavily guarded,” James added.
A sudden memory flashed through my mind. Richard’s face appeared and I fought it, but it broke through.
“You want to know a secret?” Richard whispered in my ear.
“What?”
“While enemies would be overwhelmed with the soldiers coming from the fort to protect the king, more would be headed through underground tunnels to attack the intruders. Tunnels that also provide a perfect escape route for the royal family—”
“There’s a tunnel!” I exclaimed. “It leads from the library of the palace to the Fort.”
“Is there another way out besides into the fort?” Sir Nicholas asked.
“I—I don’t know,” I said thinking hard. “I don’t see why there wouldn’t be. It’s an escape route for the royal family.”
“We’ll send a letter to Tristan immediately and ask him,” Sir Nicholas said, making a note.
“Just ask him for a map of secret passageways,” James said.
“We still have one problem,” Sir William said. “How will you get Richard alone long enough to grab him?”
The room became lost in utter silence when it hit me.
“I can get him alone,” I said.
My words echoed off the walls and everyone turned to look at me.
“Layla,” Mitchell said, breaking the silence. “It’s too dangerous—”
“No, she’s right,” James said, the muscles in his jaw clenching. “Layla is the only one who can get Richard alone.”
Chapter 35
NEVER WOULD I have pictured myself returning to the place that held so many painful memories and there I was offering to go.
“This will be very dangerous, Layla,” Sir Nicholas said gravely. “Do you want a chance to think about it a bit more before you agree?”
Here was my out. My mind raced trying to weigh the options. “No,” I finally said. “I will do it.”
“In that case, this mission must be planned down to the smallest detail,” Sir Nicholas said. “There is no room for error. We will send Tristan a letter immediately and should expect an answer within the next few months. Hope for the best, my friends, because this may be our only shot.”
I left the council in a daze. I was going back to Asteria. This mission was going to be dangerous and I needed to be ready for it. I feared it would not work and we would all be caught. It surprised me the village leaders were letting me go and not disputing the issue. If this mission failed, I could die and they would lose me as their princess. However, if we succeeded, this would be my moment to prove my dedication to the people of Asteria and show them the risks I was willing to take for them. I was going to the Masquerade Ball to kidnap Prince Richard.
I tried to avoid telling Betsy what I agreed to do, but she managed to find out anyway. She was furious, and that was an understatement.
“Do you have any idea how much you’re risking?” she burst out. “You have a daughter! You are the princess! You have a duty to your people!”
“What do you think this is?” I shouted back, anger and frustration filling me. “I’m doing this for them! This isn’t about me!”
“Are you sure about that?” Betsy asked viciously. “You better check yourself Layla because this better not be some weak attempt to try getting Richard back.”
“You think that’s what this is about?” I gasped. “For once in my life I am someone of importance! People are relying on me to help them take back what is theirs. I have spent months training and learning how to rule these people, and after all of that and the way Richard abandoned me, you accuse me of trying to get him back.” I felt hot tears in my eyes.
Betsy stared at me red-faced.
“You raised me so I could do this, Aunt Betsy,” I said, trying to control my voice. “You and Uncle Robert. You cannot be a hypocrite now and tell me I can’t go and do the very thing I was meant to do.” When Betsy did not respond, I took Aria to her room to get ready for bed.
☐☐☐☐
I woke up early the next morning and pulled on the new winter training outfit Betsy had made for me. It was almost like my black one, except it was white with long sleeves and a high neckline. The inside was lined with a soft brown fur for insulation, and a white leather corset was strapped around my middle with three buckles. I did not have white boots to match, so I slid into the brown leather ones I usually used in the wintertime. I grabbed my coat and headed out to the stable to meet James.
“I got some shovels,” he said, pointing to the two shovels he had strapped behind his saddle. “We’re going to have to dig our way into the cave.”
“Sounds like fun,” I said sarcastically.
He ignored me and mounted his horse.
Together we rode through the snow to where the opening of the cave used to be. The snow had begun to harden, so the task was not easy. After some time, we finally cleared the entrance and went in. The inside of the mountain was cold and still, but the snow had not gotten in. When we made it to the tunnel with the glowing creek, I was relieved there was not much snow blocking the exit. The creek had frozen over but the water beneath the ice continued to shimmer.
We pushed our way through the snow and out into Midnight Dell. The snow glittered in the sunlight and the leafless trees stood black against the mountains. The waterfall was partially frozen and I watched as water dripped from its icicles.
Even though the days were cold and the snow was thick, we continued my training here. James said it was important for me to be able to fight in cold weather.
“What’s the plan for today?” I asked one day, pulling my coat tighter around me.
A few weeks had passed and the lake had completely frozen over.
James stepped onto it testing the thickness of the ice. “Fighting on the ice.”
“You really want to take a chance like that?” I asked horrified at the idea.
“It’s pretty solid,” he said, stepping out onto it.
I held my breath picturing the ice breaking and James falling in but only the snow crunched under
his boots.
The lake was beautiful when it was frozen. Pale and dark blues swirled beneath the ice reminding me of the way artists blended their paints together.
“Come on,” James said, drawing his sword.
I bit my lip and pulled the daggers from my boots. I walked up to the edge and gently placed my foot on it. Carefully, I shifted my weight and tested the ice’s strength. It did not crack or make a sound so I stepped onto it with my other foot. I walked over to James slowly, praying the ice would not break.
When I was fairly steady, we began to spar. It was not easy. I lost my balance several times, thankfully catching myself before I fell.
“You need to be sure of yourself whenever you take a step,” James said, when I almost fell.
I steadied myself and tried to concentrate on my footing and daggers. I blocked his blows but did not feel ready to deliver my own.
“Come on, Layla!” he exclaimed. “Get on the offensive.”
When I finally got the courage, I struck. He deflected my dagger easily and I tried again but lost my concentration and footing at the same time. I slipped and grabbed for James, pulling him down with me. We crashed onto the ice and I felt its cold bite on my elbow.
“I’m sorry!” I said, letting go of him.
A dull thud sounded beneath us and the entire lake shuddered.
“The ice—” I began.
“Move very slowly,” James said. “Crawl toward the bank and try to spread out your weight.”
He seemed so calm yet I heard every beat of my heart pounding loudly in my chest as I pictured myself being sucked into the icy water below us.
Slowly, I got on all fours and started crawling towards the bank. The snow and ice seeped in through my gloves and my hands began to freeze.
“That’s it,” James said. “Just a little—”
A loud crack sounded through the air and James was up on his feet. “Run!” He grabbed my arm and yanked me up from the ice.
We ran as fast as we could as the ice gave way. The ice split in two as we landed in a heap on the snowy bank. I looked back and watched as chunks of ice broke apart from where we were just standing.
We looked back at each other and James began to laugh. It was the first time I had ever heard him laugh and I found myself joining him. There we were, laying in the snow inches away from what could have been our deaths, laughing.
“I guess we shouldn’t do that again,” James said.
“Probably not,” I said, gasping for breath.
James smiled. “Come on,” he said, standing up and brushing the snow off his clothes, “we should head back.”
I stood up and as we left, my thoughts were in a tangle. The James I had met the first day in the village was not the same one that had been laughing with me here. He was acting different around me now, and I liked it.
Chapter 36
AS JAMES AND I left the stable after returning from training a few weeks later, Davorin met us in the road.
“Sir Nicholas told me to get you two,” he said. “The letter from Tristan has arrived.”
“Good,” James said. “Where does he want us?”
“He’s in the command tent,” Davorin said.
We made our way to the tent and found Sir Nicholas with Raphael, Mitchell and a few other officers looking over a map. I was happy we had received a response since it meant that Tristan was still safe.
“Tristan marked the number of guards that are usually at each post,” Sir Nicholas said, gazing at the map. “He said we should expect it to double on the night of the ball and triple at the main and back entrances of the palace.”
“That’s a lot of guards,” Mitchell sighed.
“Yes, it is,” Sir Nicholas said. “But guests don’t need to worry about guards.”
I looked up at him trying to understand what he meant.
“Sir Nicholas and I put some ideas together on how we’re going to pull this off,” James said. “You, Charlotte, Mitchell and I will all be guests to the ball.”
“Guests?” Mitchell asked.
“Yes,” James continued. “Mitchell, you’ll arrive with Charlotte and I’ll arrive after Layla arrives, alone.”
“Isn’t that suspicious?” I asked.
“It’s the Masquerade Ball,” Sir Nicholas said. “You will have invitations with fake names to prove you were invited. The reason you need to go in alone, Layla, is because you need to do all you can to catch Prince Richard’s attention. Having a male escort is not going to do that for you.”
“Wait,” Mitchell said, “if Richard recognizes her, he’ll set the guards on her immediately.”
“No,” I said distantly, “he’d want to talk to me first. I’m sure of it.”
“We’re counting on that,” Sir Nicholas said. “Now, after James and I go through this map more thoroughly, everyone involved in this mission will be briefed. Do not back down on your training and be ready for the execution of this mission in two months.”
When Sir Nicholas was finished, I left the tent with Mitchell.
“Did you read the letter from Tristan yourself?” I asked him.
“Yes,” he replied.
“How is he?”
“I don’t know. Charlotte told me to try and find out, but his letters never say anything about himself. She really misses him and she’s worried.”
“Well, when the war starts he can leave,” I said. “His spying will be done.”
“No,” he said. “James asked him to stay in the army so he can help us from the inside.”
“What?” I gasped, stopping in my tracks.
The notion was appalling. Tristan had already put his life in danger long enough.
I turned and watched as Davorin and James emerged from the command tent.
“I mean it makes sense. King Luther trusts . . .” Mitchell began, but I was not listening anymore. My friend, the boy who explored the old castle with me, the boy who never wanted to join the army in the first place had been told to commit his life to King Luther’s army during the war. He would be forced to fight against us. I left Mitchell standing there in mid-sentence as my rage led me straight towards James.
“James!” I yelled as he and Davorin walked away.
He turned to me, a look of confusion crossing his face.
Davorin stopped and watched us curiously.
“How could you?” I asked James angrily as I closed the gap between us.
“How could I what?” he asked surprised.
“Tell Tristan to stay in Luther’s army!” I screamed, letting my frustration vent through my words.
“Tell him to stay?” James asked, his words cold and harsh. “I never told him to do anything, and even if I did why would it matter to you?”
“Because he was my best friend!” I yelled. “And it killed me and his family to watch him leave and become a soldier!”
“Staying in Luther’s army was his own choice. I never made him do anything. I even asked him if he would rather just join the rebel forces here rather than spy and you know what he said?”
I stared back at him trembling with anger.
“He said that since he now knew who the princess really was, he would join the army so he could protect you. He is putting his life on the line for you. Your friendship with him is the reason he is there. Nothing more.” With that he marched away.
Tristan was risking his life for me. How could I let him do that? If something happened to him I would never forgive myself.
“Layla,” Mitchell said, placing his hand on my shoulder. “Are you okay?”
I nodded as I held in the tears threatening to spill onto my cheeks. I forced them back, and glanced around and saw we had drawn onlookers. As my gaze fell on them, they dispersed quickly.
“Come on,” Mitchell said, leading me away. “Let’s go.”
☐☐☐☐
During the next two months my training was unbearable. Since the moment I had approached James about Tristan, the tension between
us had grown. To think there had been a moment when I had begun to wonder if there was more to James was ridiculous. Yet it did not matter how much I disliked him because I needed to complete my training if I wanted to help bring Luther down.
When the time came for Sir Nicholas to brief us on the mission, I headed out to the command tent and found Davorin, Charlotte, Sir Nicholas, Mitchell and James waiting.
“Thank you for coming,” Sir Nicholas said. “James and I, as well as the other village leaders, have gone through the map and have decided how this will work. Charlotte, Mitchell and Raphael along with ten other soldiers will be going around the eastern base of the mountains posing as a caravan of merchants. Layla, you and James will be crossing the mountains through Avalanche Pass.”
“You want me to what?” I exclaimed.
“Oh, grow up Layla,” James snapped.
“James,” Sir Nicholas warned.
“No,” I said. “There’s no way I am going with him! This is absurd. Why can’t Raphael come with me, or how about I travel with everyone else?”
“And what if the caravan gets ambushed?” Sir Nicholas said. “We cannot risk your safety. If you go through the mountains, you will not meet any of Luther’s soldiers.”
“But I’m already risking my life by going,” I said.
“I’m sorry Layla, it is not up for debate,” he said.
I wanted to wake up from this nightmare.
“Look,” Sir Nicholas said with a sigh, “I know you two have been very sore at each other for some time now, but sacrifices need to be made if we want to succeed. The less people I have crossing the mountains, the better chance you have of getting out of the pass undetected.”
“Fine,” I growled.
“Now that we have that settled,” he said. “Do you still know how to get to your old house from the mountains?”
“Yes,” I replied, “but what good would that do? Wouldn’t King Luther be watching it in case I came back—that is if it’s even there?”
“It is and a new family has been living there,” Sir Nicholas said. “They are friends to us and have offered their services. It will be where you and James meet the rest of the group. Is everything completely understood?”