Elara looked through the window of the prison door.

  “I’m trying to decide if you’re a fool or a villain.”

  Captain Oldaw, Commander of the Glimmering Lancers, now a prisoner in Lord Nos’s cell, looked up at her wearily. This was probably the same cell that used to hold the Shadowblade Lord Nos had captured. Elara had been informed that he’d escaped a few days before she had arrived. A shame, that, but Lord Nos had found her answers in other places.

  The captured captain looked at the princess he had been chasing and sighed.

  “Is this about that nonsense story where the King is trying to kill his own daughter?”

  “It is,” Elara snapped. “And I want to know if you are his willing assistant, in full knowledge of his crimes, or an unwitting pawn.” She let her Trait reach out, testing him. Character Discernment worked better with more to go on, and while she knew Captain Oldaw, it was only in passing.

  He sighed and slumped back on the bed that was his only seat. “I had believed you a more dutiful daughter than to be swayed by such obvious Tiatian lies.”

  “The attempt on my life was no lie, Captain.”

  “An attack can be real, and still be a lie, Princess. You were attacked in the castle, yet saved by the Tiatian ambassador?” His voice dripped with sarcasm. “How fortunate for you both that they should happen to be there at just the right time.”

  “If you’re insinuating—”

  “It’s the oldest trick in the book, Princess. Save someone from a threat you orchestrated.”

  “But they—I—” Elara stopped, her eyes narrowed. “It was in the palace,” she hissed. “How would the Ambassador have managed that?”

  “I don’t know,” Oldaw shrugged. “But assassins have managed to get inside before without the King’s help.”

  “Have they?” Elara asked sharply. “Because Lord Nos tells me that Father was involved in my husband’s death. Perhaps every assassination in the palace happened with Father’s connivance.”

  It said… something about the trust she used to have in Father, that she had never used Character Discernment on him. Not that it would have worked. There was never a time when he had not been a Tier above her.

  Oldaw frowned at her words. “What did they tell you?”

  “That it was the wizards who hired the assassins, with my father’s full approval.”

  “I’d believe anything of that nest of snakes and schemers,” Oldaw declared. “And no ruler can ever keep their hands entirely clean. But it was lies from Lord Nos’s companion that put me in this cell the first time. I’m disinclined to heed them on this occasion.”

  “And what of my Aunt?”

  “She’s dead. The King couldn’t have taken his Class if she weren’t.”

  “You really believe that, after all the rumours?” Elara asked. It was a rhetorical question; Character Discernment was telling her that he did.

  “Lord Nos tells me he received a False Crown from the dungeon of the Hungry Depths,” she continued. “A copy of the crown my father wears, which disguises both its nature and that of the wearer.”

  “What of it?”

  She stared at him intently. His core didn’t waver. He really believed that what she was saying was all lies.

  “Did you know my Aunt?”

  “I did,” Oldaw said carefully. “I doubt that I would recognise her after all these years, if she did survive.”

  “They say that it’s really her. That the Rose Circle have been keeping her safe from my father for all these years.”

  “People can be tricked. Disguises, Traits, magic… There are any number of ways this rebellion could be led by someone false. Most likely, this whole affair has been conjured up by the Tiatian Empire to weaken us right before the hammer strikes.”

  “Ah, the Empire. Do you really think that inventing a decades-long conspiracy was the easiest way for them to weaken us?”

  “They do like to play the long game,” Oldaw muttered darkly. “The Tiatian Empire prefers to appear blameless in all they do. They are anything but. They want to use you as a figurehead for their occupation, you know.”

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  “I’m aware,” Elara said. “But wasn’t Father considering selling the Kingdom to them himself? I’d just be following in his footsteps if I agreed.”

  Right down to having my sibling killed, Elara thought. Left unsaid in the Tiatian proposal was that her father and brother would have to be disposed of. She could probably save her mother, but those two would be… If she pushed, she might be able to keep them alive in prison, but she knew whoever the Tiatians put in charge would want them dead.

  Nobody liked loose ends, after all.

  “I know you don’t want to fall for these Tiatian lies, Princess.”

  Oldaw looked up at her intently. She could feel him mustering his charisma in an effort to persuade. Understandable, but it had no chance of working. As a leader, his path might include persuasion, but she was a noble and a courtier besides.

  “I don’t know if Lord Nos has fallen for the lies or is actively aiding them,” he continued. “He did just get back from an overseas trip. But you mustn’t listen to him. If you can get me free of here, I—”

  “Don’t bother, Captain,” Elara said wearily. “Even if it had a chance of working, do you really think I came down here alone?” Elara interrupted.

  “Aw, don’t be like that,” Kelsey’s voice came out of the darkness from further down the corridor. “We’re just watching out for you ‘cause we love ya!”

  The avatar of the dungeon slid into view, causing Elara to feel a bit of a chill. Kelsey was personable enough, with a Charisma to rival Elara’s own, but her freakishly pale skin and hair were enough to offset that. She came up to the door and grinned through the window at the prisoner.

  “Hey buddy! Do we like you so much we keep getting you back in, or do you love us so much you can’t stay away?”

  “Neither,” Oldaw said grimly. “I come here at the King’s will, and you capture me because I get in your way.”

  Elara ignored the verbal confrontation and turned to face the darkened corridor. “I’m sorry, Lord Nos. It might be because he’s at a higher level, but I don’t detect any duplicity in him.”

  Anton and Suliel stepped into the light.

  “I’m not sure if that makes it easier or harder,” Anton said.

  Oldaw stiffened when he heard Anton’s voice.

  “Makes what harder?” he asked.

  “Figuring out what to do with you,” Anton answered.

  Oldaw paused before answering. “I had supposed that you had some sort of plan to spend such an expensive potion on me.”

  “You’d think, right?” Kelsey complained. “It’s like those things grow on trees.”

  “It wasn’t one of yours, so stop complaining, Kelsey. I wasn’t thinking very far ahead when I took you hostage, Captain. It got your men to back off at the time, which was all I wanted.”

  “That was probably fear, rather than a desire to see me live,” Oldaw said wryly. “It’s not like any of them would be authorised to negotiate for my life.”

  “Fear?” Anton asked.

  Oldaw shook his head. “Seeing you stop a Glimmering Charge like that… Anyone would have fled at the first opportunity. I don’t even remember what happened.”

  “Anton jumped on top of you, redirecting the whole thing into the ground,” Kelsey said. “It made an impressive crater. I’m still not sure how you all survived.”

  “The trait provides some… reinforcement to the lead rider and their lance,” Oldaw said. “And the others… they come to a dead stop when the attack hits, so they would have just been showered with dirt and rock…”

  “A lot of dirt,” Anton agreed. “Most of them were knocked off their horses, but they seemed largely unhurt.”

  Oldaw stared into space, going over his memory of the attack. “It all happened so fast… I was about to hit the wall, and he was just there… the next thing I remember is recovering from the healing potion.”

  “Which brings us to where we are now,” Anton said. “Deciding what to do with you.”

  “My family will offer a standard ransom,” Oldaw said. “I doubt the King will offer more.”

  “Will you give your parole?” Suliel asked. “Not just against Kirido, but for the rebellion in general.”

  Oldaw winced. “My King will not be pleased, but I cannot gainsay it. I was defeated fairly. And comprehensively.”

  “Sorry, what’s this?” Kelsey asked. “He’s getting time off for good behaviour?”

  “It’s customary when a noble is captured, for him to be released on his word of not participating in combat any further,” Suliel explained. “It’s called his parole.”

  “I don’t see how that gets us anything, other than a saving on food costs,” Kelsey grumbled. “If you were to send him to me, I’d at least get a little experience.”

  “Traditionally, a knight gets his equipment back as well…” Oldaw tried.

  “I don’t want your sword, Captain,” Anton said. “And we’re not giving him to you either, Kelsey.”

  “Boo. Hiss.”

  “I’ll take the ransom,” Anton said. “The amount isn’t important. I just need to keep you here until my other guests have left.”

  “It’s not like I can go anywhere,” Oldaw said wryly.

  “You could,” Suliel said thoughtfully. “This cell couldn’t hold you any more than it could hold the Shadowblade.”

  Oldaw raised his eyebrows. “I find myself in exotic company. While I couldn’t slip through a shadow to get out, I imagine that I could work my way out of here, given time.”

  “The first time, it was your honour that held you here,” Suliel reasoned.

  Oldaw nodded slowly in response. “I was confident that the lies would be uncovered.” He shot a glance at Kelsey, who whistled ostentatiously.

  “And this time? Does your duty not compel you to escape before parole and ransom?”

  “This time…” Oldaw trailed off, looking at Anton. “This time, I fear that I would not have sufficient time to disappear before I was… prevented. Your husband might not be so gentle with me a second time.”

  “You attacked my town,” Anton said mildly.

  “I know, I know, it was fairly fought. But if I am to be allowed free, will you not accompany me, Princess? Your father only wants you to return.”

  “My father has many questions to answer,” Elara replied. “But I don’t think returning would put me in a position to ask them.”

  “This man,” Oldaw said, glancing at Anton. “He’s working for the Tiatians, I’m sure. You will be handed off and forced to serve as their figurehead.”

  “You’re wrong. His man helped me escape from the embassy.”

  “And he fed you lies about your father, implicating him in your husband’s assassination. He’s being advised by a being older and more calculatedly evil than you can imagine.”

  “I’m not sure if I should stand here and take this,” Anton mused.

  “Aw, but he’s saying such nice things about me!” Kelsey enthused.

  “You might be right,” Elara admitted. “But Character Discernment tells me that you’re not. Lord Nos is true, and has agreed to be my protector, at least until I can find my own path. Where that lies, with my father, my aunt or my husband’s people, I don’t know.”

  She glared at the captive knight. “But it will be my decision. Tell my father that.”