They’re…" “Prissy prigs," the Sergeant finishes his sentence for him. "If they even get the slightest whiff of what you really are, they’d be the first ones tossing logs onto the burning stake."
Kenric nods. "They’re best avoided."
I shrug. "So much for that idea. I’ll talk to Melina and see if she can help me find some other ladies on short notice."
Kenric nods. "Ask Ina if she knows of any who might want to come to court for a while and run interference for you."
I nod. "I wonder if Lady Isiline and her son might like to visit for a bit. That could make it clear that I know what he’s up to and scare him off."
Kenric shakes his head. "It might also make him think you know what he’s up to and that you don’t mind playing the game. Talk to Melina tonight when we stop at the coaching inn and see if you can come up with a better plan than Lady Isiline.”
I nod and concede his point. "If it weren’t so terribly unladylike, I’d ride on top of the carriage."
Kenric laughs and scoops me up. "If you’re bored, when we stop to water the horses, the Sergeant can resume his duties, and I’ll find ways to keep you occupied."
My eyes widen, and I blush. "They’ll smell us."
Kenric shakes his head. "Oh no. They have human noses. They might hear us if I’m anywhere near as successful as I’d like to be. I will happily make sure that you are not bored.”
The Sergeant shakes his head. “The two of you… It is good to see you happy again, Lord Kenric.”
Hmm… this seems like a story. “Why were you unhappy?”
The Sergeant looks at Kenric, who nods, so he begins the story. “Lord Kenric was betrothed. Lady Ellisane from Vupis. It would have been a good match since her family’s lands are just on the other side of the river from his. Lord Kenric was quite smitten with her, but a plague took her before they were married. His mother died shortly after from the same plague. He wasn’t the same after both of them went so close together. He’s much more the Lord Kenric I remember from before all that. He’s smiling and laughing again. For that, Lady, you have my thanks.
Kenric nuzzles my ear. “I told you I had my bent and broken bits too.”
I nod and doze off contentedly. Kenric shakes me awake. “We’re stopping to water the horses. Would you like to get out and walk around for a bit? We’ll be here for a little while so they can all drink.”
We get out and wander around a bit when the breeze shifts direction. I give Kenric a mischievous smile and tug on his arm. He turns to face me, smiling. “What are you up to?”
I giggle, pretending to be nonchalant. I adopt a flirtatious attitude and speak quietly. “Kenric, don’t look alarmed, but why are there men hiding in those trees?”
Kenric’s eyes widen slightly, but he stays calm and pretends to flirt back. He leans down to whisper in my ear. “I’m not sure, but I doubt it’s anything good.”
I nod and pretend to check my wedding ring while flirting with Kenric. I unravel a small strand of magic, and my hair ribbon floats away, landing in the dirt. I bend down to pick it up and rest my hand on the ground. There are only a few of them, and they’re scared of us. They hide because they plan to use the well after we leave. Between the wagon drivers, their helpers, Lord Kenric’s men, and Duke Jellema’s men, we’re almost just over seventy men, plus Lord Kenric and me. I stand up and tighten my ribbon on my braid.
I tug on Kenric’s jacket and pull his head down toward me. “Send some men around behind them. Then you can call them to come out. There aren’t many of them. No more than seven or so. They’re afraid of us. I’m not sure why they’re afraid of us, but I think we need to speak to them.”
Kenric grins and pushes me up against the carriage while flashing a hand signal to the Sergeant. Kenric steals a lingering kiss, while the Sergeant and a few others move into position. I hear a bird call, indicating the Sergeant is in position, and Kenric gives me a wicked grin. “Why don’t you do the honors, Lady Kenric?”
Laughing, I dart under his arm and walk confidently toward where I know they’re hiding. “We know that you’re there. You may as well come out. I offer you a parley truce.”
I hear some shuffling and muffled discussion. “Just come out. You’re surrounded. If you do not attack us, we will not attack you.”
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
The first to step out is an older man. His features are unusual for this part of the world, and his hair and eyes are as silver as the moon. He has an ornate helm tucked under one arm, swords bound about his waist by an ornate sash, and a bow string crossing his chest. Despite being clearly blind, he’s also a seasoned warrior, his face etched with lines of wisdom and battle scars.
He stands proudly, resplendent in his glossy, lacquered purple and orange armor, decorated with intricate gold detailing that appears to depict scenes of his past victories.
He turns to face me and bows formally, “We struggle with this language, Lady. What is a parley truce?”
Hmm… I’m not particularly fond of the local tongue and its harsh consonants myself, so I begin testing out others that I know. He doesn’t speak any of the Fey tongues, but there is a trade language we seem to share that is easier for both of us. “A parley truce is a sworn peace to speak to each other. There will be no violence here. Will you tell me who you are?”
He thinks for a moment and nods. “That might be helpful. I am Inaba of House Ariyuki. We were shipwrecked off the coast of this wretched place. We managed to retrieve our equipment before it was destroyed. None of the ships in port will accept our coins. No one in Varpua will hire us, so we have been trying to make our way to the capital to see if we can find work to earn enough money to get passage home."
I laugh, and the older man looks puzzled. I ask him to wait a moment while I translate for Kenric.
Kenric looks intrigued when I explain what I’m about to ask him, and he nods. “I am Víl?, and I might be able to solve both of those problems for you. I’m newly married, expected at court in the capital, and I happen to be a foreign princess. I doubt anyone would question an exotic honor guard. If you would be agreeable to that proposal, we should negotiate a fee for your service.”
Inaba looks thoughtful and signals to the others to come into the open. Six much younger men step out of the trees.
They are dressed much like Inaba, but their armor is a riot of colors. One is attired like a sea dragon, complete with a helm resembling the sea dragon’s head. His colors are mostly blues and greens, with fewer depictions of his victories painted on his armor. Another is entirely in reds and yellows, like fire, with a helm that looks like a fire elemental. Hmm… I wonder if they have magic, but that’s a question for another time. The third is dressed in pinks and whites, covered in blooming tree branches.
The fourth helmet is all in blacks and browns, like a great beetle. The fifth one is in shades of grey, like thunderclouds, and its helm looks like a storm elemental. The last is in blue-green and black, with a helm like a kelpie. At this point, I’m almost certain they have magic or, at the very least, know what these things are. They’re depicted too accurately on their helms.
I tell Inaba quietly, “I recognize what some of these helms are. If you have magic, do not let anyone here know.”
He nods almost imperceptibly. “What service would you wish of us, Lady?”
I explain my situation to him. “I am headed to court, where I must face a lecherous king who delights in bedding his liegemen’s wives. Since I am to be married to Lord Kenric shortly after our arrival, I would like to have my honor guard stay at the capital for at least a month after the wedding and accompany me during my waking hours. I do not wish to bed this king, and I need time to arrange to hire some ladies to insulate myself from his advances. If I can arrange it, I think I might like to train with all of you. Would that be acceptable?”
Inaba translates this for the others, and they eye me with curiosity. Several seem to be asking him questions, and he finally waves them off. “They are not certain that you would be up to the rigors of training with us. It is quite demanding. The females in this place are mainly ornaments. What makes you think you might be able to stand in a ring with us?”
I shrug. “In my own country, I am well known for dueling with my sword and for fighting in our border wars. If you can beat me, then I would definitely want to train with you. Yes, women in this place are little more than property, but I am not from this place. I am here because my king is displeased with my dueling. This place is my punishment.”
Inaba laughs at this and relays my answer to his companions. "They want to know how many duels you have won and how many you have lost."
I have to hide my smile as I nod. "A fair question. I have won three hundred and eighty-six. I still have my head, so I haven’t lost one yet."
Inaba considers my answer for a moment and then nods. “We will wait until we take your measure properly, but I think you might do."
He repeats my answer to them, and it seems to spark some discussion among them.
Inaba turns back to me. “We all wish to know why you are not armed.”
I roll my eyes. “I am already unconventional enough for this place, and many of the men here already stalk me relentlessly because of that. If I were to show up in my armor, with my weapons, I’d likely never get rid of that lecherous king unless I stabbed him. It’s punishable by death to harm him, and I want to avoid fighting his entire army.”
Inaba processes this. “You dance among the serpents, dodging their bites. Yet you do not seem overly troubled by this.”
I chuckle. "I am accustomed to doing much the same thing in my own country. This king is the only one that concerns me. If any of the others becomes too much of a problem, I will handle them. The king, since he’s a king, is quite a bit trickier."
Inaba nods, smiling, and relays my answer. Inaba points to the sea dragon. “Usami thinks you are either a braggart or a liar, but he is willing to go along with the rest of us."
Inaba points to the blooming tree branches. “Nasu believes you. He says you move like a swordsman, despite your stature and gender.”
Inaba points to the fire elemental, saying, “Miyabe says that if your husband disappoints you, he will happily replace him. He also believes you.”
Inaba then points to the beetle, explaining, “Hagiwara says he will take your measure in the ring. He also believes you, but he is not sure that your previous opponents would be our equals.”
Inaba gestures toward the storm elemental, stating, “Yoshida wants to see you fight with Hagiwara before he decides.”
Finally, Inaba gestures to the kelpie, mentioning, “Oshida says that as long as we get paid enough to get home, he will hover over you like a nursemaid. But if you are foolish enough to get yourself killed in a ring with Hagiwara, he claims no responsibility for it.”
- If you were her advisor, what would you say right now?