Villain's Assistant

by Carley Hibbert

  “Not necessarily. They haven’t got any momentum yet. Except for Mouthrot’s men, the men at the fortress don’t seem eager. They’re just happy to have a job and some food, I think. They’re bored and probably not too committed.”

  The Lieutenant nodded in agreement.

  “Their plots are twisted around each other,” Benjamin said. “We take down Shreb; we take down Mouthrot, and vice versa. Or at least force one into a tenuous position?”

  “Or rouse a hornets’ nest.” The Lieutenant poked at his bacon. “Either way, it’s up to King Aldo. We have only to wait for his decision.”

  “Watch and wait, then?” Benjamin slurped his eggs.

  The Lieutenant nodded, satisfied, and then glanced at Rebecca’s bedroom door as he chewed his bacon.

  NINETEEN

  “Ah, bliss,” Benjamin said, exhaling and then biting into a piece of jerky. He’d been camped out and camouflaged as a prickly bush for a few days, silently overlooking Shreb’s fortress and taking note of the comings and goings. Mouthrot was definitely not taking the Lieutenant’s escape well. He appeared to be in an organized panic.

  Benjamin pulled out a spyglass to examine the guards on top of the battlements. He couldn’t help but imagine himself standing next to the guards, scheming. He sighed. It would be an exciting but dangerous time. Anything could happen. He smirked to himself and then pushed the thought aside. He wasn’t inside plotting; he was outside plotting—a sort of villainy for hire, but backward. He shook his head.

  He had volunteered for this task. It was all he could do to keep himself from jumping up and down, waving his hand in the air, and screaming, “Pick me! Me! Me! Me!” He smiled at the blue sky. It was nice to be alone for once and safe from Rebecca’s death glares and rabid broom.

  Not far off, Rina bleated. A hulking figure in a dirty cloak slipped gently through the tall grass and sat on the rock next to Benjamin. Odie looked around and tugged his hood to ensure his face was shadowed.

  “Odie?” The goat stepped on Benjamin’s hand. “Rina.”

  Odie dangled a fresh skin of water in front of Benjamin.

  Benjamin juggled it for a moment, too stunned to use his hands properly. “You’re back? The king?”

  Odie shrugged and motioned for Benjamin to follow him.

  The steps it took to get to Denny’s must have doubled since Benjamin went on duty. Was the king sending an army? Surely a king didn’t handle these things personally. Just as well; having his face known by the highest authority in the land would definitely end his career, if not his life. He wished that Odie would just tell him, but Odie wouldn’t answer any questions.

  “O Great Wolves! Why, oh why don’t we have a horse?” Benjamin shook his fist at the empty sky.

  TWENTY

  Benjamin arrived, a sweaty heap of dust. He sat in the shade of the porch, only to find himself staring at a horse tied up in front of the barn with the saddle resting on the cart. Denny came out of the barn carrying a bucket of grain for the horse, who eagerly nosed it. Odie hung his cloak on a peg and strode to the horse to take the bucket. Rina nervously watched from under the cart, while Odie rubbed at the white blaze under the horse’s forelock, gazing fondly into the horse’s eyes.

  “Where did that come from?” Benjamin sloshed the water in his waterskin as he squinted toward the horse.

  Denny leaned against the porch post. “The king’s man gave Odie a horse,” he said, his expression pinched. “He was bad enough with a goat.” He nodded for them to go inside.

  The Lieutenant was bent over a map, rubbing his chin. All the clutter and dirt had been removed. The wood surfaces looked naked and vulnerable. Benjamin wondered if that was a good sign or not. Had Rebecca spent all her murderous energy scrubbing and cleaning, he also wondered, or was she still fuming?

  The old man glanced at the boys before pulling a letter from his vest pocket and tossing it on the table. The seal was broken. Benjamin glanced up as he picked it up. The Lieutenant nodded and poured a mug of cider. Denny sidled up to Benjamin as he opened the letter to read.

  Benjamin glanced at the signature and saw that the letter was from a man named Branwen.

  “Who's Branwen?” Denny asked.

  “Secretary Branwen is the king’s secretary and master of spies.” The Lieutenant waved them on as he guzzled his cider.

  The letter was addressed to Benjamin, since he had written the letter to the king to inform him of the Lieutenant’s rescue. Branwen begged him to take no action against Shreb or Mouthrot. Any action of the king’s men against the archvillain would destabilize the treaty forged between King Zavier and Val the Foul. The king commanded Benjamin to bring the princess to the castle immediately, using extreme caution.

  “We’re supposed to bring the princess to the castle?” Denny’s head jerked up. “You know where the princess is?”

  “What?” Benjamin examined Denny’s confused expression and glanced at the Lieutenant, who shrugged. “You didn’t tell him?”

  Denny glared at the old man, affronted at being left out of the Lieutenant’s complete confidence. The old man set his mug down and settled into a chair that creaked as he leaned back, weaving his fingers behind his head, his elbows splayed like wings. He rubbed the tie to his scuffed eye patch. “I didn’t tell anyone.” The one-eyed man looked at Denny earnestly. “It is obviously sensitive information.”

  Denny nodded at this but still frowned at his shoes. “How does Benjamin know?”

  “Rebecca told me.” Benjamin gazed at the master of spies’ signature and seal. He just ordered me to the castle. Benjamin swallowed the acid burning up his throat. He then pulled out his book to write the name down.

  The Lieutenant grimaced as he scooped up two more mugs, filled them, and handed them to the boys. Benjamin thanked him and gulped the cider down, desperate to erase the sour taste in his mouth. Denny stared into his mug sternly. Sorting through the information, he was unwilling to come up with a conclusion. Denny had known Rebecca for many years and had obviously become fond of her. Denny was ambitious enough to marry up and had probably assumed that Rebecca was of lower nobility. With his connection to the Lieutenant and a few grand deeds done in the king’s name, he could be a potential suitor for the lovely Rebecca. A princess would be, sadly, out of Denny’s reach forever. So maybe those hopes blunted his ability to connect the dots here.

  “Rebecca knows?”

  Benjamin folded the letter, stepping away from Denny, and handed the letter back to the Lieutenant. The Lieutenant accepted the letter from Benjamin but kept his eyes locked on Denny. Was he waiting for Denny to sort through things on his own? Benjamin wondered. Good luck with that.

  Benjamin sighed. “Denny, Rebecca is the princess.” He kept his voice gentle, but the force of his words still physically jarred Denny. Benjamin glanced at the Lieutenant, who clenched his jaws. Did the Lieutenant know about Denny’s feelings for Rebecca?

  Denny’s bright blue eyes flashed between Benjamin and the Lieutenant. He turned away for a moment to rake his fingers through his hair. The door opened. Odie frowned down at his older brother. He nodded in confirmation of what Denny had heard. Odie must have been listening outside.

  The Lieutenant tugged on his eye patch as he chewed on the inside of his mouth. He handed the letter back to Benjamin and gestured toward Rebecca’s door, not taking his eyes off the brothers.

  “What? Are you kidding?” Benjamin pulled his dusty cap off. “I brought her back here. She’s probably lying in wait with a knife. Send one of them in.”

  The Lieutenant dismissed him and leaned over the table, pressing his fists into the map. Odie eyed the letter in Benjamin’s hand and glanced at Rebecca’s door, offering a silent good luck.

  Benjamin knocked on the door. Surely, Rebecca had heard some of that discussion. How strange that the Lieutenant gave him this job. As her guardian, it should be his job.

  He knocked again. Silence.

  “Rebecca?” Benjamin knocked again a
nd looked over at Odie. “Are you sure she’s still in here?”

  He nodded over Denny’s bent head.

  “You bolted the windows from the outside?”

  Odie nodded again. He looked relieved not to be Benjamin.

  “Rebecca? I’m coming in. We need to talk. Do not hide behind the door and attack me.”

  “Fine.”

  Benjamin shoved the door open and waited for it to hit the wall before he entered. His caution was unneeded. Rebecca sat on the bed, arms folded, staring at him. He checked the inside of the door for booby traps. Nothing. Rebecca rolled her eyes. He could see wood over the outsides of the windows. There was a candle on the table between two beds. He closed the door gently, keeping his eyes on Rebecca. She returned his gaze with a hard determination.

  He plodded forward. This was another strange predicament to find himself in. He scratched the back of his head, hoping to stir some thoughts. Benjamin imagined Rebecca had been trained in all sorts of ways to kill a person.

  “The Lieutenant taught you how to fight, didn’t he?”

  Rebecca nodded, curious where this was going.

  “Good. Do you have a weapon on you?”

  “No, of course not.” Rebecca twisted her face into a scowl, affronted.

  Benjamin stared at her for a long moment. He didn’t believe her for a second. The Lieutenant was extremely paranoid about Rebecca—surely some of that would have rubbed off on her over the years. He raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

  She smirked. “One.”

  “Does the Lieutenant know about it?”

  “Denny didn’t find it when the Lieutenant had him search me.”

  Benjamin closed his eyes for a moment to avoid laughing. He could imagine Denny’s conflicting emotions on that assignment. So the Lieutenant was clueless about Denny’s feelings for Rebecca. Benjamin traced the hard edge of the knife hidden under his sleeve.

  “We’ll need to get you a few more. You’ll want to have at least one people can see, so they won’t expect one to be hidden.”

  She nodded at this.

  Benjamin pulled the letter out of his sleeve. Rebecca sobered at the sight of it. He offered her the letter to read. She shook her head as her braids scraped across her chest.

  “So I’m going to the castle?”

  “Yes.”

  She nodded, blinking quickly.

  “I’ve been ordered to take you to the king with extreme caution.” Whether that meant to use caution with or against Rebecca, he wasn’t sure. Benjamin examined the shadows on the floor from the boarded windows. He allowed the awkward moment to pass before he knelt in front of her. It reminded him of something his mother would have done. He gently grabbed Rebecca’s arms so that she looked at him. He used the same soft, determined tone his mother always used.

  “You are a fighter, Rebecca, and you are intelligent.”

  Rebecca looked startled by his words. It was not what she had expected. It wasn’t what Benjamin expected either. This was a real moment, a moment that counted. A few days ago, Benjamin swore to avoid her at any cost, and now he was persuading her to follow him. It felt strange, but he pushed on. “If you want to fight, fight the enemy, not the people who have sworn their lives to you.” Benjamin paused. He was lashing himself to the princess by the very words he spoke. “If we are attacked, stay low, but keep your eyes open. You’re going to have to look for an opportunity to run or hide. Fight only when there is no other choice.”

  Benjamin warily removed his hands from Rebecca and backed away. It occurred to him that she might not like him in her space. He swallowed but held her gaze.

  Rebecca stared back wide-eyed for a full minute, taking in what he had said. She jutted her chin to the ceiling and then stood as though a sword had sprouted up through her spine. She turned toward the door but hesitated a moment to glance back at him, curiosity written across her features. “Why are you doing this?”

  “While you’re not my favorite person, I don’t want to see you dead.” Benjamin felt the truth of his words. He meant it. Weird. He held Rebecca’s gaze for a long moment.

  “No, why are you doing all of this?” She narrowed her eyes, not in suspicion, but in interest.

  Benjamin had no idea how to answer that. He wasn’t sure. The floor had been pulled out from underneath him the moment he walked away from his dream interview. He’d just been trying to keep from sinking into irrelevance. He didn’t want to fail. He needed his name to be great, greater than his father’s. Maybe it didn’t matter how he did it, even if it meant working with the wrong side.

  “Future employment opportunities?” he quipped.

  She shook her head. A heavy rock dropped into Benjamin’s stomach. He missed an opportunity she had given him. She wanted something deeper.

  He fumbled at his belt, releasing a long dagger from his hip, and handed it to her. Rebecca avoided his eyes as she belted it around her waist. He opened the door for her. She walked like a queen into the waiting room.

  “Lieutenant, when do we leave?” the princess asked.

  Benjamin was gratified that he was not the only one surprised by her transformation. Denny and Odie gaped from their corner. The Lieutenant’s single eye twinkled as he stood at attention.

  The Lieutenant bowed but looked past Rebecca to Benjamin. Denny bowed sadly. This moment changed everything. As a princess, Rebecca was now forever out of Denny’s reach. Odie bowed and then patted his brother’s shoulder in sympathy. Once Rebecca walked out of this shack, she was no longer just Rebecca. She was a princess, and no one here could forget it.

  “Almost immediately, Your Highness.” The Lieutenant rolled up the map. Denny jumped at the title. “Boys, pack up the necessities.”

  Odie grimaced out the window at the horse.

  “We’ll bring her with us. She can carry a few things and walk.” The Lieutenant reached up and thumped Odie on the back. “We won’t wear her out. No worries.”

  Odie smiled at this and dove into the pantry to fetch several large packs and a box of foodstuffs. Denny stumbled to his bedroom, and Odie tossed him a pack to fill. The Lieutenant pulled up some floorboards to reveal several swords and extra knives. Rebecca gathered all the waterskins she could find and went to fill them up at the well.

  Benjamin’s bag was already packed, for the most part. He topped it off with more food and the cloak he’d worn when he rescued the Lieutenant. He sat down and watched the group work silently together, communicating with almost with no words. They were all cogs that fit together to accomplish the same task. It was strange watching it. He was the odd man out in this team.

  TWENTY ONE

  Rebecca spent a little too much time trying to untangle all the waterskins. The tension in her was near exploding. Fighting against the temptation to throw everything down the well, she chose instead to close her eyes for a moment. Hot, dusty air pressed against her. She wiped the back of her neck just as one drop of sweat rolled down her back. The sun was climbing high into its noon position. She pulled the lid off the well and lowered the bucket into the dark chasm.

  The rhythm of the rope and pulley tugged on her thoughts. Concerns of facing an uncle she barely remembered rose with the bucket. A knot tightened in her chest. She had met him, but that had been over ten years ago, before she’d moved from the Lieutenant’s eastern estate.

  King Aldo had come for her seventh birthday and had given her a locket with her parents’ initials inside. She wore it every day. The Lieutenant had wanted to lock it safely away in his office, but she had refused to hand it over. The Lieutenant had relented, at her nurse’s persuasion.

  “Rebecca had so few comforts,” the nurse had reminded him.

  He had stared into Rebecca’s eyes, sorting through all the risks and benefits. She knew the moment she had won; she had seen it in his eyes, like a flame smothered out. It rarely happened, so she remembered the victory as one of the two greatest gifts from her two uncles.

  She drowned the waterskins in the buc
ket, letting the tepid water rush into the skins. The horse nickered behind her. Its ears were pressed back as it tugged uneasily on its rope. Wisps of dust danced around the horse’s feet as it stomped. Rina bleated and walked around the cart. Rebecca scanned the area around the barn but saw nothing. Maybe a snake had slithered past. She went over to soothe the skittish horse, but it flung its head. Rebecca tugged its bridle firmly, but the horse screamed and reared in alarm.

  Rebecca dropped her hand to her dagger and spun around, slicing through the air, like she’d practiced for years—except now there was a real man towering over her. She felt the moment the dagger tore through his flesh. He dropped his knife and grabbed his stomach as he stumbled back, red blossoming across his dingy shirt. His dark eyes widened, obviously shocked to be the one bleeding. Her throat burned as her scream changed from savage attack call to a shocked cry. The Lieutenant burst outside, followed closely by Odie, both carrying tarnished swords. The bleeding man ran, knowing that was no match for two expert swordsmen.

  Denny wrapped his arms around her, repeatedly promising that she was okay as he ran his trembling fingers across her braids. Benjamin grabbed her bloody knife and wiped the blade clean as he surveyed the area. He ran to the brush that fringed the farm and sliced through branches and prickles. With another knife from his sleeve, Benjamin attacked potential hiding places. Of course, only he thought to check for additional assassins. Rebecca scanned the area around them as well but saw nothing.

  The thrumming in Rebecca’s ears died down as Benjamin’s stance relaxed. He shook his head at her. All clear. She allowed herself to soften against Denny’s tense frame. His warmth pressed into her cold body, releasing her weariness. It felt nice to be held. She buried her face into Denny’s shoulder. Her hand remembered the sensation of the blade against the man’s body, and she shuddered. Denny whispered softly in her ear, his lips brushing against her hair. She had spilled a man’s blood today, and while she had panicked, her actions saved her life. The memory of Benjamin’s words—“You are a fighter, Rebecca, and you are intelligent”—filled her. She lifted her head. Benjamin raised his eyebrows and then nodded. Good job.