“Unfortunately, most of the women I’ve met are too quiet and docile. They never speak their minds, they’re too accommodating, and well, they’re boring.” Ackley’s attention was still on his brother. He must be referring to Gordon’s fiancée, Dana. But why? Ackley wasn’t the one who had to marry her, so why did he care?
An odd noise came from Idina, something that sounded like an amused snort. She mumbled a few words, but the only one Reid managed to understand was subtle.
“There’s nothing wrong with a woman who knows her place,” Gordon said.
The fork slipped through Reid’s fingers, clanking onto her plate. She hastily picked it up, hoping no one noticed her faux pas. She couldn’t believe Gordon had just said that. Anger coursed through her.
Idina chuckled. “It seems like I’m not the only one who takes offense to that statement,” she muttered so only Reid could hear.
It took every ounce of self-control Reid had not to launch into a verbal rant about what was wrong with Gordon’s comment. She wasn’t certain if he genuinely believed that—especially since his lovely fiancée seemed to exhibit such qualities—or if he were simply testing Reid to see if she could act appropriately. She shoved a piece of bread in her mouth to occupy her.
Ackley leaned in. “Control your eyes. If they could unleash fire, you’d have burnt my brother to a crisp by now.”
Blinking, she tried to will away all thoughts of violence. More bread—she needed more bread in her mouth. And she should probably start cutting her food. Yes, that was a good idea. Then she could focus on her plate instead of the pigheaded man across from her.
Reid awoke the following day, not sure who she was supposed to be. Lady or Lord Reid? Climbing out of bed, she went over to the window and looked outside. In the distance, the city was alive with people already milling about. Smoke rose from the chimneys in lazy curls.
“Oh good, you’re awake,” Idina said as she burst into the room carrying a large bag. “Why are you still wearing your dress from last night?”
Reid shrugged. “I couldn’t get it off.”
“That’s what a lady’s maid is for.” Idina dropped the bag on the floor.
“I was too tired to bother.”
Idina shook her head. “Turn. I’ll untie the laces for you. Then you need to get ready. Ackley is sending you on a mission.”
“What’s in the bag?”
“Clothes, supplies, and weapons. Anything you might need,” she said as she finished unlacing the back of Reid’s dress.
“Am I supposed to be a woman or a man?”
“Either. You need to be whatever the situation calls for. I’ll meet you in the sitting room on the first floor in twenty minutes.” With that, Idina swept out of the bedchamber.
After removing the dress, Reid rummaged through the bag and found a plethora of clothing for both a man and a woman. She decided to put on pants and a tunic first, then a plain dress on top of those. This would allow her to disguise herself as either a man or a woman in a matter of minutes. Toward the bottom of the bag were a couple of daggers. She tucked them into her pants. There was also a cap, so she hid that in one of her pockets.
Staring at herself in the mirror, she pulled her hair back in a low bun similar to how her sisters styled their hair. This would allow Reid the ability to wear a cap if need be. The dress was slightly uncomfortable over top of the pants and tunic. However, it looked presentable.
Satisfied with her appearance, Reid exited the room and headed to the first floor. She entered the sitting room to find Idina and Ackley already there waiting for her.
“Eat.” Ackley pointed at the low table situated between the sofas.
Reid sat and examined the plates of food, finally deciding on a few slices of bread drizzled with honey. “Where’s everyone else?”
“Gordon left to join his soldiers at Lake Folme,” Ackley answered. “Everyone else is probably still asleep.”
Sitting a few feet away from Reid, Idina rolled out a map between them. “You are being sent on a mission to test your skills,” she said. “If you pass, you will be deemed worthy to join the Knights. If you fail, you’ll be sent home.”
“And my father’s land?”
Idina kept her focus on the map of the city, appearing unable to meet Reid’s eyes.
“I already told you,” Ackley said around a mouthful of food. “Your father will be arrested for treason, and your family will lose everything.”
“Brother,” Idina said, “you can’t be serious. She’s here and she’s trying. Isn’t that enough?”
“Enough to forgive the fact her father lied for years?” He shook his head. “If anything, Duke Ellington is lucky I haven’t had him arrested, his land stripped, and Reid forced to serve the crown for life.”
“But you are forcing her,” Idina pointed out.
“Options, dear sister. I’m giving Reid options.”
“What do you need me to do?” Reid asked, not wanting to listen to them bickering back and forth. She would do whatever she needed to save her father, his land, and her sisters. Failure wasn’t an option.
Pointing at the map, Idina said, “We suspect there are four men from Axian staying at the Biard Inn, which is located here.”
“The innkeeper said he gave them rooms nine and ten,” Ackley added.
“Why does the innkeeper think the men are from Axian?”
“He said they speak with a slight accent,” Idina explained. “And he saw one of them carrying a weapon with the Axian crest etched on it.”
Reid felt daft because she hadn’t known Axians spoke with an accent, and she didn’t know what the Axian crest looked like. Instead of voicing her frustrations, she asked, “What do you need me to do?”
Slouching, Ackley ran a hand through his hair. “I need confirmation they’re from Axian. And if they are, I need to know why they’re here.”
“A Knight has already been sent to investigate,” Idina said.
“But he wasn’t able to determine anything. The Axians didn’t leave their rooms. I thought we’d give you a try to see if you’re successful. If you fail, a group of soldiers will be sent to arrest them for questioning. But I’d prefer to do this quietly.”
Reid didn’t know why they thought she’d be able to glean such information when someone more skilled than her had already tried. Which meant she was going to have to get creative. A few ideas came to mind. “How long do I have?”
“Until sunset today,” Ackley said.
She almost spit out her food. A day? She only had a day to find the men, gain their trust, determine if they were from Axian, and then figure out why they were here? “Okay. I better get started.” Not wanting anyone to see her leave the castle in case it was being watched, she asked if there was a way to sneak her off the grounds.
“I can arrange for an empty supply cart to smuggle you out,” Idina said.
“Are you a Knight?” she asked the princess.
“No.” Idina looked pointedly at Ackley.
“Does the king know about the Knights?” Reid asked.
“No, he doesn’t.” Ackley straightened. “In Marsden, women can’t hold jobs. It’s too unbecoming—especially for a princess.”
Reid almost laughed since she was a woman and Ackley was putting her to work. Instead of pointing that out, she asked, “Then what is your sister’s involvement in all of this?” Because the princess clearly knew what was going on.
“My sister is quite skilled,” Ackley said. “It would be a shame to waste those assets simply because she is a woman.”
“I agree. However, you still haven’t explained what it is Princess Idina does.”
Grinning, he crossed his legs. “When you’ve completed the task, go to the bakery on the corner of Fifth and Market Street. I’ll be waiting for you there.”
In other words, he had no intention of telling her what Idina did within the organization. Reid suspected no one besides Ackley and Gordon knew about Idina’s involvement, a
nd they intended to keep it that way. Reid stood, feeling the daggers tucked in the pants she wore under her dress. “I’m ready.”
“Follow me.” Idina led Reid from the room, out of the castle, and to the royal stables.
There, Reid climbed into the back of an empty supply cart, pulling a blanket over her body. Idina wished her good luck and left. While waiting for the driver to return, Reid went over her options for completing the task before her. One idea came to mind—she just hoped she had enough time to execute it.
The cart shifted as the driver took his seat. A moment later, it lurched forward. The telltale sounds of the city gradually filled the air. After about ten minutes, the cart slowed and came to a stop as the driver spoke to someone.
Throwing the blanket off, Reid climbed out of the cart and slunk down the first narrow alley she came to. She hid in a doorway, trying to get her bearings. At the end of the alley was a sign for Bullhorn’s Blacksmith. Recalling the map Idina showed her, that meant the inn was two blocks to the north. Stepping out of the doorway, she straightened her dress and began walking with purpose in case someone was watching her. Since women weren’t supposed to be out and about unescorted, she needed to hurry.
Going around to the back of the inn, Reid found the employee entrance. A teenage boy was carrying a load of trash out, so she grabbed the door, holding it open for him. After he tossed the bag on the ground, he thanked her.
“I’m looking to earn some extra money. Do you know if there are any jobs available?” She nodded toward the inn, knowing women were permitted to work as maids.
“Don’t know,” the teen said. “Come with me. We can ask.”
Reid followed him inside. They went down a long, dark hallway, then stopped before an open door.
“There’s a girl here who wants a job,” the teen said to whomever was inside the room.
“Bring her in,” a man barked. “And you best get back to work.”
The boy hurried away with an apologetic look.
Reid stepped inside the room, clasping her hands together. The place was small, around eight feet by eight feet, with a single desk that took up most of the space.
“You the one looking for work?” an older man asked. His bald head made his blue eyes stand out like two pools of light. He leaned back in the chair, his plump body filling it out.
“Yes, sir. I can clean rooms really good.”
He pursed his lips. “I have a full staff.”
“Is there any cleaning I can do just for today in exchange for a decent meal?”
He nodded. “That sounds fair. You clean the floor upstairs, and I’ll give you a meal when you’re done.”
“Thank you.”
He told her where the supplies were located, and she hurried from the room. After getting a bucket and mop, she headed upstairs. Rooms nine and ten were adjacent to one another at the end of the hallway on the left.
Reid started mopping the floor, trying to hear if there were voices or movements coming from inside either of the rooms in question. Nothing came from room ten. Scooting closer to nine, she could hear mumbling from within. She knocked on the door and stood back, waiting. A moment later, a man opened it a couple of inches, peering at her suspiciously.
“Hi, sir. I was told to clean your room.” She held up the mop as if that was proof.
“Not now,” he muttered.
She couldn’t tell if he had an accent or not. Moving to room ten, she lifted her hand to knock.
“You can go in there,” the man said. “It’s unlocked.”
“Thank you.” She bowed her head. When he closed the door, she opened the one to room ten, taking the bucket and mop with her. She flung some water on the floor to give the appearance she’d been cleaning. Then she started to search the room for anything that would indicate the men were from Axian. There were two traveling packs. Keeping an eye on the door and an ear open for someone coming, she rifled through the packs, her heart pounding as she did so. What if they found her rummaging through their stuff? Would they kill her? Torture her? Cut off her hands? Reid forced those thoughts away. She needed to remain focused.
Out in the hallway, a door opened. Tossing the pack back where she’d found it, she straightened and started mopping. Reid concentrated on the floor, pretending it was the only thing that mattered.
A man lumbered inside the room, his wide shoulders barely fitting through the doorway.
“Careful, sir,” Reid said in a soft, feminine voice. “The floor is wet, and I don’t want you to slip.”
He grunted and went over to the closet, opening it. Reid kept her back to him as she continued mopping. Having spent years practicing with swords, she was intimately familiar with the sound of a knife being pulled from its scabbard. She stumbled but righted herself, keenly aware the man was armed. What if he stabbed her in the back? Her skin prickled, and she had to force herself to remain calm. If she acted guilty, he would know something was wrong. The closet door clicked shut. Reid slid the bucket out of the room and into the hallway. Then she stood and waited for the man to exit.
“You done?” he asked, his deep voice not revealing even a hint of an accent.
“Almost. I’m going to clean this area where you just walked if that’s okay with you?” Smiling, she batted her eyelashes at him.
“Yeah, fine.” He went into room nine.
The second he closed the door, she returned to room ten and headed straight for the closet. Her heart beat so vigorously she found it difficult to hear over it. With shaking hands, she opened the door. Inside were a handful of swords and a journal. Not having a lot of time, she grabbed the journal and shoved it under her dress and into her pants. She closed the closet door, then hurriedly exited the room.
Picking up the bucket, Reid ran downstairs and out the employee exit of the inn. After tossing the water on the ground, she went back inside, returning the supplies to the closet. Not seeing anyone nearby, she quickly removed her dress, shoving it in the back of the closet. Reid emerged dressed as a man, pulling the cap low over her head and tucking her hair underneath it. Adjusting her stance, she sauntered to the front of the inn where the tavern was located. She ordered a cup of ale, then sat at a table in the dark corner.
The journal felt like a rock in her pants. She wanted to take it out to look through it. However, she couldn’t do something so bold in public. Slouching in the chair, she took a sip of ale and surveyed the place. A bar was along one wall, with several round tables scattered throughout the room. About half-a-dozen patrons nursed drinks. The dirty windows allowed only a minuscule amount of sunlight in, keeping the room dim. From where Reid sat, she could see the bottom half of the staircase leading to the guest rooms upstairs.
An hour went by, but the Axians still didn’t come down. Undeterred, Reid sat there as if she had all the time in the world. Which she didn’t. Another hour went by. Still no Axians. Not wanting to order any more ale, she pretended to drink from her cup. Her back began to ache from sitting for so long. Maybe this was a bad idea. Perhaps there was another way to determine if the men were from Axian.
The steps creaked. Reid glanced over to see a group of men coming down the stairs. She quickly looked away, pretending to be interested in the cup between her hands. Four men sat at a table about fifteen feet to her right. A serving wench approached their table, and the men ordered bowls of stew and drinks. When the wench left, the men leaned closer to one another, speaking so softly Reid couldn’t hear a word.
All four of them were wide-shouldered and muscled with short hair. One of the men kept glancing around and eyeing the door. There was something familiar about these men. Had Reid seen them before? And that was when it dawned on her—they looked similar to the men who’d attacked her group that night in the forest. And if those men in the forest had been Axian, and these men looked like those men, then they had to be Axian, too.
Ackley had told Reid he’d be waiting for her at the bakery on Fifth and Market Street. Tossing a coin on the t
able, she slowly stood and veered toward the door, keeping her head down. She made it past the men and out of the inn without issue.
Relieved, she headed north toward Fifth. Even though Idina had only given her a few minutes to study the map this morning, Reid remembered the main streets and was able to navigate easily enough. When she reached the bakery, she spotted Ackley at a small table crammed in the back. He had one leg propped on an adjacent chair and he wore a cape, the hood pulled up. In Ellington, he would have stood out. Here, several people were walking around with capes and hoods on.
As Reid neared the prince, a prickly sensation fluttered across the nape of her neck. She suspected someone was watching or following her. Trusting her gut, she changed directions and went to the counter, ordering a loaf of bread and ignoring Ackley completely. After paying, she exited the bakery, knowing the prince had seen her.
Unable to go back to the castle or the inn, Reid settled for walking around the city until she lost her tail. Bread in hand, she headed east. At the next corner, she crossed the street and peered over her shoulder. One of the Axian men followed her.
Scanning the nearby storefronts, she tried to come up with a solution. Spotting a blacksmith’s shop, she went inside. In Ellington, blacksmiths always had a second entrance in the rear. Without acknowledging anyone, Reid headed straight to the back of the shop and exited into the alleyway. Running to the next street, she tried to decide where to go. A young boy sat on the ground, half asleep. She handed him her bread. Without thanking her, he bit into the loaf, quickly devouring it.
Since sentries patrolled the outer wall of the city, Reid headed that way. When she neared the main gate, she made a rash decision and exited the city. Thankfully, the Axian didn’t follow. She hadn’t thought he would. In order to get back in, he’d have to state his name or show paperwork. He’d be questioned.
She veered off the road and headed to a nearby tree, leaning against the trunk. A few minutes later, she spotted Ackley exiting the city gate. He strolled over to her, still wearing his cape.
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