 
Oculus

By Tara K. Young

Published by Myriad Maia

Smashwords Edition

Copyright Tara K. Young 2013

***

_For_

_David, who has tolerated my obsession with great patience and humour and proven to be a tireless cheerleader_

_And_

_Lea, a fellow artist and crazy cat lady who regularly reminds me of the joys of friendship_

***

**Once upon a time, there was a boy who became a soldier ...**

***

# Part I: Lovers

## Chapter 1

The first time I saw Piera, I was in such awe that I did not even have the sense to wish she could not see me. It was only after she had gone out of view that I realized I was still flat on my stomach in the mud.

My adoptive father, Alvisio, had been trying to train me to fight like him. I was only seven at the time but Alvisio had insisted I start training as young as possible. He wanted me to be a soldier like him and he was not just any soldier. He was the Head of the King's Guard in Oculus, and, therefore, the highest ranked man in the kingdom aside from the king himself. Whereas the King of Oculus spent his days in the court in fine clothes and attending to whatever fancied him, usually his books, Alvisio did all the important jobs. He oversaw everything right down to the training of his pathetic son.

He was a tall and thick-necked man with little patience. He kept his hair cut so close to his head that it looked as though he were really bald and his head had been speckled with black metal. A soldier could not have hair, he would insist. He did not have the time to worry about my hair as much as his own and so it often grew longer than his, but not by much. Most days, people thought I had brown hair but when I had had a bath, it was as light and yellow as the plaster of the buildings in the city.

Alvisio's eyes were such a dark blue that they sometimes appeared black in the right light. Those who did not know him often thought he had brown eyes. I had looked into them often enough during my scoldings to know the difference. His face − and I had always suspected the rest of him as well − was covered in scars from blades he had let through.

I had never seen his body. He slept in his thick tunic made of the fibres of a grain too tough to eat. He only removed his mail of tiny squares of black metal linked with thin black metal loops. That was the most comfort he allowed himself. But I did not need to see the rest of him to know my father never took an injury without wanting it.

He was proud of not only his position but also the good he did for the king's city, Throne. Though all the world was Oculus, the military was necessary. The people were crammed tightly into a long, wide valley in two neighbouring cities: Throne and King's Grace. Discord flared easily. To keep order, the military had to be strong. We had no hope of survival if the cities fell.

Alvisio had just hit me hard enough that my body flew several feet before I landed face first in the muck. It had rained heavily the day before and the earth in the training grounds had quickly turned to a churned up mess.

It did not rain much in Oculus, though the ground water was inexplicably abundant. Still, mud was not common but Alvisio always took advantage of poor conditions to force the soldiers to train. He insisted I join them.

If the real soldiers had not gotten so much entertainment from the beatings I received, they likely would have grumbled to themselves about my presence. As it was, they dared not say anything against Alvisio and seeing me face down in the mud was far preferable to being there themselves.

I was spitting out clumps of mud when I heard the tinkle of tiny bells. Everyone, even Alvisio, stopped and watched. Alvisio's second-in-command, an older man with short blond hair named Bunto was leading four men carrying an ornate litter to the palace. The girl inside was obscured by gossamer curtains embroidered with threads of palace metal, which was as red as the earth but sparkled like the sun itself. The bells were also made of palace metal and had been sewn onto the bottom of the curtains. They bounced, shook, and tinkled with each step the men took.

Even without the adornments, we all knew who she was. She was the new jewel for the city.

A jewel's presence protected a city from the lights; stars that fell from the sky and killed whomever they touched. Almost a year before, the jewels for both cities had died within a month of each other. Fear took hold of the people within hours of the news. I remembered it well because Alvisio had locked me in our small house to keep me from the rioters while he led his forces against them.

As the sun set that first night, fear transformed into confusion in Throne. Though a city had never been protected without a jewel before, Throne did not succumb to the lights. The lights stayed away as if our jewel still lived. King's Grace had not been as fortunate.

That first morning after King's Grace had been inundated with the glowing orbs, Alvisio had to travel there to appraise the number of deaths. His visits became a daily routine as he had to see how many fell victim the previous night and to ensure that King's Grace's Head of the Guard was handling the ever changing situation. In the first days, many of the people had fled to Throne, which remained untouched. Others attempted to stay hidden in their homes every night, with varying levels of success. Though the king's city remained unharmed, as time passed, the worries over how long the protections on Throne would last grew.

The news that not one but two new jewels had revealed themselves had brought great relief. That night, there would be a festival to celebrate our good fortune. Those who had sought refuge in Throne would likely be returning to their homes in King's Grace the next morning.

Though I had been looking forward to the festival, I cared nothing for it as I watched the jewel's litter pass. I could see her profile. She could only have been a year older than I at most. Her hair was pinned up and even through the curtains I could see it was dark.

I had stopped spitting out mud even though there was still grit on my tongue. I had stopped breathing. I had even stopped thinking anything except how beautiful she was. The sun sparkled off the palace metal edges of the litter as if announcing her importance and her perfection. I had found paradise at that moment.

The litter passed and turned the corner up the hill to the palace.

"Veleno! You're still not up?" Alvisio barked at me as if he had not been as captivated as the rest of us.

I pushed myself to my feet and straightened my sling. All the people of Oculus wore slings across their body to hold anything they needed. They were little more than a hoop of fabric with a bulge in one side, but they worked well holding items, or at least appeared to work well. I had never had need of mine.

I spent the rest of that day paying for my momentary inattention but I accepted the punishments I received. So long as I could still attend the festival and have one more glimpse of her, even if it was through swollen eyes, I could be happy.

As the day came to a close and Alvisio had me put away the training weapons, he said, "You were sloppy today. You best go home and sleep. I will not see the same mess tomorrow."

I knew enough not to defy him openly. I agreed but I also knew he would be required in the palace for the festival. He would never see me in the crowds below. When I was finished my chores, I ran back to our small house next to the barracks.

Though Alvisio's position could have provided him with grand accommodations, neither of us did much except sleep there. We ate with the soldiers in the barracks most days and the rest of the time I trained while Alvisio attended to his duties. As a result, our home was little more than a single room with two hard beds. The only addition to the main room was a tiny cubicle with a hole in the floor for the toilet, which we avoided using as it would stink up the rest of the house. We more often would go to the latrines in the barracks.

I lay down on the bed and waited. I wanted to be sure Alvisio did not check on me before he headed up to the palace. When I began to hear the cheers of the people in the streets, I knew it had begun. Alvisio would be at the palace and next to the king where he belonged.

I jumped from my bed and ran out into the streets. Even though the barracks were nowhere near the celebrations, which were held in a square beneath the palace, the streets surrounding them were full of people. Pushing through the crowds was difficult and I had to punch a thief in the face when he tried to reach into my sling. Though mine was always empty, I did not appreciate the disrespect or the violation.

I continued up the hill towards the palace. If I were an adult, I would have been stuck near the barracks. With my small size, I managed to weave under legs and through the tiny gaps between bodies.

The plaster coated buildings were glowing golden in the firelight of the torches affixed over the doorways. I looked up at the sky, worried that I was too late. The sun had set but there was still dim light from the western sky. The stars would be falling soon. I had to hurry.

My shoving became more violent as I tried my best to get through the mountain of bodies. The sounds of the crowds around me faded as my focus on the gaps in the road before me intensified. I passed a man who smelled so strongly of rotten onions and dirt that even in my determination, I was almost forced to stop and vomit. I forced a swallow, held my breath, and continued my pushing.

There was a renewed cheer in front of me. I looked up as best I could but my forehead cracked into the elbow of a man whose skin was the same texture as his tunic. I dodged around him as I rubbed my head and saw that I was almost at the square beneath the palace balcony. Being so close to my goal rejuvenated me and I was able to make the final pushes required with little difficulty. I found a place near other children so that the adults did not block my view.

The royal balcony was still far away and many storeys above us. It was semi-circular and large enough to hold dozens of people. From where I stood, I could see Alvisio standing next to the king. He looked annoyed and serious. I dared not look at him too much lest he notice me, so I looked at the others gathered near him.

The king looked little older than Alvisio despite his long moustache and beard but from what I had overheard in conversations, he had been ruling for at least three decades and had been an adult when he was crowned. His hair fell to his shoulders, looking like a hood of black metal, much how I thought Alvisio would have looked if he had not been so obsessive about shaving his head.

The king was wearing several thick tunics to make himself look larger but the layers were so obvious the illusion failed. His outermost tunic had been dyed light blue and embroidered with palace metal thread. Though I was not close enough to make out the designs, the torch light reflected off the thread and made it sparkle. His new palace metal crown had been crafted especially for him and it was no coincidence that it made him look a foot taller than the old one.

Behind the king and in the middle of the archway into the palace, Bunto was standing looking just as serious as Alvisio. Several courtiers stood on the far edges of the balcony, careful not to get too close to the king lest they take attention away from him. It was only the variety of colours of their clothing that indicated their status. I did not recognize any of them because Alvisio had kept me as far from the court as possible. He did not respect those who had achieved little more than being born.

The king raised his hands to silence the crowd. He needed wait only seconds more before he was able to speak.

"Tonight, we celebrate a great blessing," he called out to the crowds below him. "Not one, but two, jewels have revealed themselves and offered themselves to us. Tonight marks the first night in many months that both cities of Oculus will be protected. We are fortunate indeed. Now, I present your jewel."

He stepped aside and Bunto stepped forward. It was difficult to see over the railing of the balcony and at first it looked as though Bunto were alone. When he reached the edge, all I could see was the top half of the jewel's face. She was barely tall enough to see the people below her but they saw her and burst into the loudest of applause and cheers yet.

I did not cheer. There was no breath in me to do so. Even my fingers had gone numb as I watched her, wishing I were not so far away.

She did not wave or appear to smile. She simply looked at those below her. After several moments of indulging the crowd, the king dismissed her and Bunto with a wave of his hand. They retreated to their former spot as the king returned to the centre of the balcony. The crowd silenced and stilled once more.

"Tonight, my people, sleep well, knowing that we are protected from anything that would harm us," he boomed.

The people cheered once more. The king and the others on the balcony retreated into the palace even as the crowd continued to shout its approval.

The sound of music from all sides of the square broke through the excitement. It was difficult to endure as those who had brought instruments speckled the crowd and all played their own music. Some small groupings had begun to play together but their tunes did not always mix well with other nearby groupings.

There were sunflutes, disks of a palace and black metal alloy that were hollow in the middle and had a series of holes drilled around the rim and in a spiral on the front; and earthsingers, long poles of thick black metal with holes and lines drilled into them. Earthsingers were played by whacking either their end or the length of them against the ground. The high tones of sunflutes carried through the air above the crowds as the contradictory vibrations of the earthsingers shook the ground beneath.

This din did not seem to affect the happiness amongst the people. They began to dance and sing to the tunes they liked best. Root wines were passed around in tankards of black metal.

I could not stay. I needed to be back home before Alvisio found out I was gone. He would be spending the night patrolling the streets. If he did not come across me there, he would likely hear of my presence from one of the other soldiers. I left the square with the image of the girl's face burned into my mind.

Every night for weeks, I forced myself to concentrate upon how each of her features had looked as she stood on the balcony. As blurred and uncertain as I was about them at first, I soon had a clear picture that I knew was true. But it was another year before I saw her again.

The same festival was held every year on the anniversary of her arrival. It was the only time anyone ever saw her and it was only a glimpse that I had to make last.

Each year it was the same, she stepped out and looked at the people below her without waving or smiling and for a few seconds, the king would indulge the crowd and let them look back. I never cheered. I used every second to memorize her face as best I could, fixing the mistakes I had burned into my memory the previous year. I often wondered how many nuances I got wrong. Alvisio would still not let me near the court, even when I became old enough to become a real soldier. She was so far away on that balcony. My imagination had to fill in the blurs and the blanks.

I excelled as a soldier due to my rough upbringing. Though Alvisio never praised me, my peers were in awe. I had never been bested in a challenged except when Alvisio chose to remind me of my place. As hard as I tried, I could not outfight him. No one could. But I could outfight all others. No one could hold me. No one could touch me with a blade. The only scars I had were from Alvisio's blade and even those were few and mostly long faded.

Alvisio made me work the nights. He said he needed someone he could trust to enforce the law and watch the gate.

The only people who wandered the streets at night when there was no festival were the insane, the poor, and the criminal. They were not a group that easily listened to authority. They often gave more trouble than the commercial and neighbourly squabbles that occurred in the streets during the day. The labourers were not a problem during the day either. They were worked so hard and in unencumbered view of the cities that they did not dare. To be honest, most labourers kept to themselves at night too.

Though I enjoyed my work in the nights, I would rather have worked in the palace. More specifically, I dreamed of being a guard to the jewel, but Bunto was the Head of the Jewel's Guard. He did not trust me as much as Alvisio did. Mostly, his distrust came from the fact that he did not know me. We had met only a handful of times due to Alvisio's efforts to minimize my contact with the palace. He worried I would become weak being around the courtiers. He had worked too hard to make me strong to waste it on the pampered. I was needed to keep order and my most important job took place during the most dangerous time of day. When the sun set, my duties began.

I was the Head of the Night Guard and had been for six years. I had started night patrols at 16 like all soldiers but was promoted within two years. I worked every night without break. Not once did I indulge illness enough to miss my duties, not once in eight years. Those years had blended together, each night seeming much like the last, but I still remember the last uneventful night before everything changed.

I woke and ate stale vegetable bread that Alvisio had left for me. The nights were very cold compared to the days. I had to wear one un-dyed tunic under and one bleached tunic over the metal shirt that matched Alvisio's. I wore two layers of trousers that I stuffed into my calf-high boots. They were made of the same fibres as my tunic but in a double-layer weave that had been starched to keep its shape. The toes and heels were reinforced with black metal.

I took the ragged sling that had once been bright red but was now faded and dull and pulled it over my head and shoulder so that it hung across my body. It was supposed to be the colour of blood to demark a soldier. As always, it remained empty. Though I had sometimes used it to hold confiscated items, it rarely came in useful.

With long blackened cord, I tied my sword to my waist and adjusted the scabbard so that it rested just behind my left hip. The blade was black metal but the sheath was the same starched and double woven fabric as my boots. Finally, I pulled on double-woven gloves. Black metal was woven into the backs of the hands to protect from any blows if I needed to raise my hands to block. When the metal was new, it had sparkled like mirrors. Now it was dull and scratched mostly from my throwing them on the stone floor at the end of the night.

I left the shack without bothering to lock the door. Even if we had anything inside to steal, no one would have been dumb enough to steal from Alvisio. Even a suicidal man would never risk the hell Alvisio would have enacted in revenge for such disrespect.

As I stepped outside, the breeze fluttered past my cheek before continuing its way between the buildings. I looked up to the sky. It was nearly dark but I could not see any of the stars; the torches along the streets made the city glow too brightly. The only place in the entire city it was possible to see the stars was the wall. Very few would ever have wanted to see them. There were no positive feelings about the stars for the people of Oculus. In that, I was an anomaly.

I had never shared anything private with anyone. Alvisio would think me weak and I never dared risk such thoughts getting back to him through the others. But one of the reasons I enjoyed working in the night was the ability to sneak off to the gatehouse when the streets were unusually peaceful. I would sit upon the top of the gatehouse and look out over the fields and the soft blue-white orbs that settled there.

I listened for any trouble nearby. When my strained senses heard nothing out of the ordinary, I walked down the sloped streets to the gate. There, I would inspect the others working the night patrol, assign them to their tasks, and check the fields from the wall.

The last of the shops were closing their windows when I arrived. A few straggling labourers were pushing their cart up the slope towards the storehouse. They must have just gotten through the gate in time. While most labourers rushed to the gate as soon as they would be allowed, those who had had difficulty reaching their quotas would often push their work until the last possible moment as they could not afford to pay the fines for failure. I glanced in their cart as I walked by and confirmed my suspicions when I saw it was only two-thirds full. One of the labourers pushing the cart began to cough and was forced to stop until his hacking fit subsided. I thought I recognized one of the women pulling the cart but they turned a corner before I could get a better look.

The soldiers of the Night Guard were already awaiting me when I reached the gate. In six years, I had never had a defiant one in the bunch, likely due to my familial connections. They were standing in three straight lines of eight and one of nine as I came to stand before them.

I looked them over. Though some of their tunics were worn, none looked in need of repair or was unreasonably untidy. They were all properly equipped.

The soldier closest to me was one I knew well. He had trained with me since being conscripted as a teenager. In the moments when Alvisio was not around, we had even developed the echo of a friendship.

His name was Carlo and unless he stood right next to me, no one knew he was taller. He had always grumbled that he would rather wear his hair long, but in obedience, his brown locks were trimmed close to his head. He refused to give in completely and shave it with his blade like Alvisio. His shoulders were broader than mine and he smiled much more, something his parents had never beaten out of him. Even during the night, his green eyes sparkled. He dreamed of bigger things than simply being a soldier but he also knew his place. I enjoyed listening to him talk, imagining myself living through his dreams of finding a wife and one day reaching the prestige of being a palace guard.

I pointed to him. "You will take Cello and Lucius with you tonight," I instructed, pointing to the men on either side of him. Cello was silent and serious out of fear rather than some sense of duty or skill. Carlo had a way of bringing out the best in Cello so long as he did not know anyone else was looking. Lucius was arrogant despite the number of times I had personally given him Alvisio's brand of humility. No one liked him much. If it were not for the fact that I was sure Carlo and Cello were the only ones who would not kill him in a dark alley, I would not have wished his presence upon them.

I organized the remaining men into groups of three and sent them to different sections of the city to patrol. I asked Carlo to patrol the area closest the gate. If I stayed on the wall too long, he would say nothing of it.

As the men dispersed, I entered the gatehouse and climbed the ladder to the top. Marin was already at his post. He sat on a stool at the top as he waited for the night to end. His eyes were fixed on the floor. He didn't like his most recent appointment. No one did, but everyone had to have their turn.

"Why don't you go take a few minutes for yourself," I suggested.

He jolted and looked up. "I can do it," he said. "No one has died up here yet."

"You're turning green," I lied but he felt bad enough to believe me.

He gave a nod that lacked conviction and climbed down the ladder.

The walls of Throne were not for defense so much as to mark the edge of safe haven. The only place a man could stand on them was the gatehouse. The remaining length narrowed into points along the top. Not even birds bothered to land there, not that there were many birds − or any animals for that matter − in Oculus.

I leaned against the edge of the gatehouse wall and looked over the fields. The last of the daylight in the sky was gone. The stars would be falling soon. At the limits of my eyes glowed King's Grace. It marked the opposite end of the valley.

Both cities were nestled between high, dead mountains of brown and black rock. In between them were the fields. Those in the cities not lucky enough to be born to a useful trade were sent out into the fields to work. So long as there was daylight, they had to stay and do their best to grow enough food for the cities. Most days, their fear had been enough to bring them back before the stars fell but the years had not passed without incident.

Many believed that those sent to work and live in the mines had it worse. Criminals that survived their arrests were sent there to harvest black and palace metal. I had never seen the mines but the prisoners there had never had to fear the stars.

The winds blew down from the mountains and I heard the rustling of the crops as the air passed between them like fingers through hair. I took a deep breath but could smell only the dirt and plaster of the city behind me.

A twinkle in the sky caught my attention. The first of the stars was appearing. My breath caught as another brightened. Within seconds, several more had sparkled to life. As they fell, they became brighter. Every second there were dozens more that glided down from the heavens. The air was still on my face as my eyes followed them down.

The lights settled upon the crops like a glowing blanket and dazzled even more in the fields than they did in the sky, casting bright blue light on everything nearby. They settled upon the valley until a thin blanket covered the crops and halfway up the mountainsides. They never settled upon the peaks, which remained in darkness and were defined only by the glow from the valley below reflecting off them.

Watching those lights, there were no sounds of fighting or arguing. There were no crowds of people trying to push past each other. There was no cruelty. There were only the delicate orbs still upon the earth. The stories held no reality for me in that moment. Nothing did. The only thing I had ever seen that matched such beauty was the Jewel of Throne and it would be almost another full year before I would get my next glimpse of her.

I tried and failed to push her from my mind, hoping to focus upon the lights and the calm they invoked in me. I could confidently say that I was the only person in all of Oculus who saw such beauty in them. But now that the image of the jewel's face had crept its way into my mind, my eyes were blind even to the lights. I gave a great sigh and slid down the ladder to order Marin back to his post.

I remembered that last night so clearly simply because of how serene it was. What followed the next night changed my view of the lights forever. I had heard the stories. I had never witnessed it. Any calm I had felt seeing them was taken from me.

In the same routine, I dressed and walked to the gate where I inspected the other soldiers. I picked the same groups as I had the night before and sent them on their way. Just as the night before, I climbed the ladder to the top of the gatehouse, hoping to gain some peace before walking the streets. Marin was looking braver than he had the previous night. He was not trying so hard to look at the floor between his feet.

I ignored him as I looked over the fields. The wind was stronger than it had been the previous night. The dull roar it made through the crops and the grasses was constant. I tilted my face to the sky as the first of the lights appeared. Unaffected by the air currents, they descended and brought with them stillness. I no longer felt the movement of the air against my exposed skin. The crops nearby were still rustling. For only a second, I did not realize the contradiction. Then I dropped my eyes quickly and scanned the fields closest to the city.

As the lights grew closer to the ground, they illuminated the form of a man. He was too far away, I could not make him out, likely some farmer who was forgotten when the gate was closed.

I turned around and shouted to Marin to get the gate open. He shouted down the wall to the soldiers who manned it, "Get them open, there's someone out there!"

They scrambled to pull loose the large bar that held the gate shut. Marin slid down the ladder to help them and I quickly followed. I grabbed one end of the metal pole and heaved.

"Veleno!" Alvisio's voice made me let go and spin around. He looked furious, as if I had defied him in some way. I was not sure how I had.

"There's someone out there," I explained. "We have seconds but we might be able to get him inside."

He blinked and nodded before joining our efforts to open the gate. The large metal doors swung wide and the fields lay before us. The lights were near the ground. Their descent was slow enough I might have been able to make it but there was an even better chance I would not. I focused on the man and took my first step to run to him. Alvisio's hand was on my shoulder. His grip was so strong I knew I would have a dark bruise the next day.

"The lights have him," he said, his eyes focused upon the man in the fields.

I looked back. The first of the lights had touched him. Within seconds, several more had found his skin. He fell to his knees and began to scream. Though he was still far away from us, his agony echoed through the valley. I heard several doors and shutters creak open behind me as those nearest the wall wondered what was happening. They banged shut again almost immediately.

I could not look away as the man's head fell back and his entire soul screamed out of him. The lights did not care. They continued their gentle fall to the ground, most settling upon the crops where they would remain until the sun burned them away in the morning. But those few that had found the man were the brightest beacon of all of them.

His final scream ripped through me. Through sheer discipline I did not give in to the shudder that tried to force its way down my spine. Even Alvisio's grip upon my shoulder had tightened.

The body fell to the ground and the lights upon it faded.

"I'll take care of it in the morning," Alvisio said, releasing my shoulder. "Don't you have night patrols to attend to?"

I nodded and turned. I could not stop thinking about what I had seen. The night did not care what it had done. The gentle winds rustled the crops again. The lights continued to fall. The gate creaked as Marin and the others pulled it shut to lock it again.

I turned to the direction I had the best chance of finding Carlo. I could not confide in him but at least I did not have to fear his presence.

He, Cello, and Lucius were stopped and looking at each other several streets over from the gate. When they saw me, Carlo looked relieved.

"What happened?" he asked. "What was that screaming?"

"A labourer got caught in the fields," I said.

All three men looked at me with wide eyes. They said nothing.

"We have patrols to finish," I barked and they blinked away their shock.

Time passed strangely. I was distracted by what had happened. I had heard stories of it happening to others. Some had been lucky enough to survive somehow. Those were found dazed and wandering the next morning but even they died within the day. A strange fever would take them and Alvisio's men would have to take the body to burn it.

I had heard the stories but I had never seen it happen.

"Murderers!"

I looked up to see a familiar face standing further down the narrow street from us. If those who wandered the streets at night were insane, the furthest gone was Zuane. He was crazy but harmless.

"Good evening," I called as I approached him. I could hear Lucius snickering behind me.

Zuane was presently missing the crucial attire of any clothing at all. Half his face looked cleanly shaven whereas the other half still sported a very long blond beard. His eyes were wide and agitated as always.

"Escaped your sister's clutches again," I said.

"You killed him," he grumbled as he staggered towards me. "I heard the screams! What poor soul did you kill this time. You kill them all the longer you stay here."

"The effect the lights have on people is hardly my fault," I shot back, sounding more angry than I should have been. Zuane had no reality in his head. It didn't matter what he had thought up to explain the screaming he heard.

He stopped and his brow knit. "Lights?" he asked as if he had never heard of such a thing before.

I was close enough to reach out for him now. "Let's get you home," I said. "Your sister is probably terrified for you. If she heard those screams too, she'll think it was you." I reached out for his arm.

With surprising speed, Zuane spun out of my grasp. When he turned on me again, he had his hand held high as if he thought he were holding a weapon and going to attack me. Zuane had never tried anything so foolish before. I felt bad for him.

I kept my sword in its sheath the entire time as I spun under his arm, grabbed it, and used his own momentum to throw him against the nearest wall. He fell to the ground. I knew he would not be seriously hurt, only stunned.

As he looked up, blinking at the four soldiers now towering over him, he truly did look confused, as if he had even forgotten who I was. "Let's go, Zuane," I said before ordering Carlo to help me lift him.

As I bent down, I noticed a large chunk of stone that had come loose in the street. This would not have piqued my interest except for the fact that I could see the reflection of palace metal beneath it. I picked at the spot but stopped when Carlo gave a significant clearing of his throat. I looked up to see that he was already holding Zuane's other arm. I grabbed the other and we dragged him to his house several streets over.

As I had feared, his sister, Anna, had heard the screams and assumed it was him. She was very grateful to have him home.

Anna was the only family he had left and the only one willing to care for him. It was difficult for her. She was a field labourer with the same quotas as those without a disabled family member. I always wondered how she kept Zuane out of trouble during the day. I had never heard of any incidents with the day patrols.

Her hair was the same blond as her brothers but she wore it in a frazzled braid that was tied at the nape of her neck. Her skin was tanned and spotted from her work. Though I knew she was only a few years older than I, her wrinkles added several decades to her appearance. Her bones jutted the fabric of her dress out along her collar bone and shoulders.

"Who was it?" she asked as we dropped Zuane, who had fallen asleep, onto the blanket on the floor that served as his bed.

"We think a labourer got caught outside the gate," I said.

Her brow knit in the same way Zuane's had only minutes before. "That's strange," she said.

I was confused by her response. It was not the first time it had happened.

"I was one of the last to come in," she said. "There were no others."

My own confusion deepened. "Are you sure?" I asked.

She nodded. "Completely."

"Maybe someone escaped from the mines," I suggested, even knowing the odds of that were unlikely. There had never been an escape from the mines in living memory.

She said nothing in reply.

I looked down at Zuane, eager to change the subject. "If you need a lock to keep him inside, I will see what I can do for you," I offered.

She smiled but it did not reach her eyes. "He would just resort to chewing it off," she said. "If he wants out, he will find a way." She looked down at him. "I will have to finish shaving him tomorrow night, I guess."

"We could shave him for you now," Lucius offered.

I glared at him. Somehow, I knew whatever shaving he would give, Zuane's sister would not approve.

"We have patrols to finish," I ordered.

Lucius looked as if I had just stolen his favourite roasted seeds. I pushed him from the house with Carlo and Cello following.

The rest of the night was uneventful. Perhaps the screams had reminded even the thieves and the drunks that it was best to stay inside. When the sun was rising, I returned home to sleep. Alvisio was not there but I had not expected him to be. He was always gone before I returned.

I lacked the strength to undress and collapsed, still in my tunic and armour, upon the cot.

## Chapter 2

A heavy kick to my side woke me. I jumped to my feet and nearly hit my head on Alvisio's nose.

"I need you to train the new recruits today," he grunted.

I nodded and did not voice my question. Normally, he would not have explained the strange request. He had never trusted me to train anyone. He trusted no one with that job. When he continued speaking, I had to focus on keeping the shock from my face.

"I will be up at the palace," he said. "Bunto is ill today."

He turned to leave. "Don't screw this up," he barked before going through the door.

I had been awake no more than a minute and had received three shocks: the kick to my side, the full effects of which I was now beginning to feel; Alvisio's request for my help; and Bunto being sick enough not to perform his duties. That man had never missed a moment of work, not even when he suffered from food poisoning so strong that a rumour had spread that his funeral was already being planned.

When I got outside, the sun blinded me. I could only have been asleep a short time. It was still low in the sky and the air retained the chill of night. I trudged up the hill to the training ground on the other side of the barracks.

Several poorly-put-together teenagers were leaning against the wall of the barracks. Though most of them looked too young and the rest looked too old to be new recruits, I knew they would be between 12 and 15 years old. New recruits always started training at 12 and continued until they were old enough to join the Night Guard.

There had been no rain in weeks, so the training ground was dry and dusty. Though they recognized me as I approached, they had no reason to expect their training would be starting soon. They stayed where they were, chatting.

"Attention!" I barked.

One of the youngest boys stood straight as a pole out of reflex. The others simply went wide-eyed, even those old enough to have known better.

"You." I pointed to the only boy to stand straight. "Come stand next to me."

This boy looked malnourished, I noted, but his face was round despite the thinness of him. He did as he was told. The other boys finally seemed to have realized what was going on and were scrambling to stand in a straight line.

"The rest of you are in for a rough day," I said. I leaned over to the boy who stood next to me. "What is your name?" I asked quietly.

"Barty," he whispered.

I nodded before straightening to return my attention to the others. "Barty will get to pick who faces me first," I said. "You better hope none of you have picked on him recently."

I nearly laughed when I saw several older boys at the end of the line swallow hard.

Barty said nothing.

"Come on, Barty," I coaxed. "Surely one of these boys needs a good bruising."

When he hesitated again, I shrugged. I knew he did not want anyone to take revenge on him later.

"Have it your way, Barty," I said as I walked over to the very end of the line and picked one of the boys I suspected was the problem. He had a rounder head than Barty's but he also had the body to match. It was too round to be that of a soldier. He was likely one of the many born to the position, not one of the few who earned it.

In Oculus, there was only one way to be a noble: be born legitimately to it. There were several ways to become a labourer: have a father who was a labourer, be of illegitimate birth, or be demoted for incompetence. There were two ways to become a soldier: be born to it or, through some miracle, have Alvisio see you show evidence of skill. This boy may not have earned his place in training but I would make sure that changed soon enough.

I grabbed him by the arm and pulled him out of the line. As I walked to the centre of the training ground, I shoved him away, just enough to make him stumble but not enough for him to fall. I crossed to the other side and turned to face him.

"Show me what you've learned," I said, looking him right in the eye.

He widened his stance. That much I knew Alvisio had taught him. His next move was definitely not something Alvisio would ever have instructed. He charged me, raising his centre of gravity in the process. I did not even have to worry about a counterattack. I took one step to the side and let the boy run past me. In his surprise, he tripped over his own feet and fell to the ground.

"You're lucky Alvisio isn't here," I said. "You'd have a bloody face trying that with him. Now get up and try again. This time, keep your weight low."

The boy scrambled to his feet and returned to the starting point. He widened his stance and lowered his weight. When he charged at me again, he did not rise. I did not bother to move this time. I let him hit my body with full force, which was not even enough to make me step back. His arms were around my waist and I could feel that he was trying to pull me off balance. My feet were too firmly planted so his efforts amounted to nothing.

I took pity on him and bopped him on the head only lightly but hard enough to stun him for a moment. His arms fell and he stepped back to look at me. His eyes were wide.

"What?" I asked. "You want me to train you like Alvisio?" I unsheathed my sword and held it at the ready. "Is this how you want me to correct you?" I barked.

He shook his head vigorously.

"Then do as I say and don't look so shocked," I ordered. "Now come at me again and actually try this time."

He ran back to the starting position as I re-sheathed my sword.

"Again!" I yelled.

He ran at me; this time with his head low and his shoulder turned. I knew he would make me step back, so I lowered my stance and prepared to grab him. As he came close, I used his momentum against him − in a similar way as I had with Zuane the night before − to toss him to the side. He landed on his back in the dirt, looking as though he wondered how he had gotten there.

"If you charge your opponent, they can use your speed and your weight against you," I told the others as I waited for him to stand. "Never charge." I watched as the boy got to his feet and returned to the starting position. "You are not ready for this," I said. "I have no desire to waste my energy beating up young boys."

They looked at each other as if they had no idea how to take what I was saying to them.

"Your muscles must be strong first," I said. "You can fight nothing if your limbs are as weak as a blade of grass. Make three lines. Stand far enough apart that you have room to reach out on all sides."

The boys did as I instructed.

"Now do this." I stood with my feet wide apart and sat back onto nothing until my thighs were parallel with the ground. Only my muscles prevented me from falling backwards.

The boys all tried to copy my stance, with varying success. I walked along their lines and corrected them. When I was sure they were all in the right position, I returned to my place next to Barty in front of them. I lowered myself into the stance.

"We will stay like this until it is hot enough to make me remove my outer tunic," I said.

It was only seconds before I could see the clenched jaws and only seconds more before I saw their sweat, but I made them stay like that. It was a far kinder pain I was inflicting upon them than they would ever have gotten from Alvisio.

As the time passed, some of the boys fell and had to start again. Others had begun to cry silently. I did not let them stop. When I began to sweat, I knew their torture would soon be over. The sun climbed overhead and I stood to pull my tunic over my head. With great groans and whimpers of relief, the boys collapsed into the dirt.

"Would you prefer Alvisio's methods?" I asked, amused.

I nearly laughed when several of the boys nodded.

"Get up," I ordered. "We are not finished yet."

For the rest of the day, I had the boys carry pails of water through the streets, sheath and unsheathe their training swords until I was pleased with their technique, and finally wrestle each other so that I could see how they managed against equally skilled opponents.

By the end of the day, they were sweaty and exhausted but had few injuries.

"Attention!" I ordered at the very end. They all stood in a straight line.

"If Alvisio asks you tomorrow, I beat you very badly," I said. I pointed to Barty, "I hit you in the stomach so hard your mother is sure you broke a rib. Do you understand?"

He nodded.

I pointed to the round boy. "I hit you on your backside so hard you won't be able to sit for a week."

He nodded.

For each boy, I gave them a lie to tell Alvisio, one that Alvisio would not likely investigate too far.

"Now, if I find out any of you told him the truth about today, the injury I told you will be the one I really give. Do you understand me?"

They bobbed their heads so quickly another person might have thought I had beaten them senseless.

I dismissed them and headed home, hoping to get an hour's sleep before I would have to start my patrol. It was not enough. The next morning, when I returned to my bed, I was nearly delirious. I was asleep before my head had fully rested upon the cot.

I was awoken by a kick to my side again. "I need you to train the new recruits again today," Alvisio barked. It was only years of beatings that kept me from vocalizing the groan that wanted to escape my body. Much slower than the day before, I climbed to my feet. Before my eyes had fully cleared, Alvisio was gone.

I stumbled up to the training ground with an irritable body and a foggy mind. I ran the boys through the same routine as the day before. By the end, I let them go early just so that I could get some sleep before the night. It was still not enough. I had to order Marin on patrol while I sat at his post. I could barely stand let alone walk the streets.

There was no one in the field this time. That much I made sure of even through my sleep-deprived haze. As the lights settled upon the field in a blanket, calm swept over me. Perhaps it was simply that my brain and my emotions were shutting down. The only strength I had left was for keeping my eyes open.

I heard the ladder bang against the wall and forced myself straighter. I was too tired even to know if I had succeeded. A moment later, Carlo was looking up at me.

"I just wanted to make sure you're alright," he said. "You've been looking awful."

My delirium escaped my facade for a moment as I chuckled. "Alvisio has me training the new recruits all day and doing the patrols at night," I explained. I was not whining, simply explaining it.

Carlo looked down the ladder before looking back up at me. "That father of yours is a piece of shit," he said. "Your body is giving out. Is he trying to kill you?"

I shrugged. I honestly could not answer that.

"If you want to stay up here and sleep, I won't tell anyone," he said.

I tried to turn my mouth up into a smile, again unsure of how successful I was. Even the lights appeared to be dimming before me as my eyesight decided it had given up its last. "If anyone else found me, Alvisio would make me beg for a week without sleep."

"Then why don't you make him beg," Carlo whispered. "You're good enough. You're the only one of us who could take him."

"I'm not that good. I've never bested him. Not once."

"I don't think you ever really tried."

I chuckled again. "No one fights Alvisio without really trying and lives."

"Well, whether you can beat him or not, I won't tell anyone if you sleep and I will make sure the others don't find out either," he said before climbing back down.

My body had given in to his words even as my mind tried to fight it. I was already asleep by the time he reached the bottom.

"Think you can get out of doing your part?"

Alvisio's angry yell stirred me. I jumped to my feet and looked around. I was alone.

"N-n-no, I was told not to sit on the wall tonight." Marin sounded terrified.

I looked over the edge and saw him backed against the gate, Alvisio's face inches from his.

"Everyone has to do their months on the wall," he screamed. "I think you need a few more up there until you understand your place!"

I jumped onto the ladder and slid to the bottom.

"It was my fault," I called out as I approached. "I told him to go on patrol tonight instead."

Alvisio turned on me. Inside I withered. I very much wanted to avoid Alvisio's wrath but I would rather take it than see Marin endure it on account of me.

"So it was you who defied me then?" He growled.

I kept my chin up and looked right at him, but I said nothing. It did not matter what answer I gave him. I knew he had already decided someone would be punished. He walked so close that our bodies were nearly touching and pressed his cheek to mine.

"I trusted you," he whispered so quietly no one else could hear him.

"And I will take my punishment for it," I replied with a firm voice. Though inside I feared him, I had enough discipline to keep it hidden. The only thing that goaded Alvisio more than disobedience was weakness and fear.

Despite our proximity, he hit me in the gut with such force that I heard my rib crack. The air rushed from my lungs without my permission. I was nearly weakened enough to double over but managed to stay upright. He stood back and punched me across the face. With my exhaustion adding to the results of his first blow, I had no choice but to topple to the side. He kicked me once more in the gut for good measure.

"What kind of worthless son are you?" He screamed before spitting on me.

He stormed up the street and left me on the ground. He said nothing to Marin, or the men watching the gate.

I coughed and wheezed as I tried to climb back to my feet.

"Sorry about that," I muttered to Marin when I managed to regain my breath.

"Why are you apologizing to me?" he asked. "You're the one he beat up."

I let out a small laugh that was cut short by the searing pain in my rib. "That wasn't a beating," I said. "If he had beaten me, you would be carrying my bloodied and unconscious body back home by now."

This seemed to confuse Marin. His brow knit. "Why didn't he?"

As I held my rib and tried to straighten fully, I considered his question. Yes, why had Alvisio done so little to me? He was infamous for his lack of mercy.

I looked down the way he had gone. There was no sign of him. Something was going on with Alvisio, but I had no idea what.

I managed to finish my patrols despite my injuries and exhaustion. I returned home, too worried about meeting Alvisio there to long for my bed. But he was not there. I lowered myself onto the cot and tried to find a position that did not make my rib scream out in pain. It was not the first time I had broken a rib and I knew I could manage until it healed. I just needed to do my best to prevent further damage.

An hour later, I was kicked awake in what had become our new routine.

"You're training the new recruits again," Alvisio grunted.

Though it took me a second longer than usual to sit up, I managed to stand without causing an unmanageable amount of pain.

Alvisio stopped in the doorway. "Bunto is dead," he said over his shoulder and then left without explaining further.

I blinked back at the empty doorway. I had never once suspected Alvisio of being a sentimental man but knowing that Bunto had died, I could think of no other explanation for his uncharacteristic behaviour of the night before.

## Chapter 3

I continued this new routine of training the recruits during the day and patrolling the streets at night. Every morning, Alvisio kicked me awake and told me I would be training again. I had become little better than a walking corpse but managed to function enough that few noticed − or at least, few dared say anything about it. Even Carlo did not suggest I steal a few moments sleep again. The hour before sunset and the hour after sunrise were all the sleep I got. Somehow, I was surviving.

For those days, I saw very little of Alvisio. When we did happen to cross paths, he ignored me. I expected more abuse but none came.

Finally, weeks later, long after my rib had healed but also when this new routine had me near death, Alvisio shook me awake. I nearly strangled him, thinking him an intruder due to the unfamiliar method of awakening. As my eyes focused and my brain made the connections to identify him, I lowered my hands.

"Have you changed out of those clothes at all in the last two weeks?" he asked.

I blinked back and after another moment, shook my head.

"We'll get you something better at the palace," he said as he straightened.

More confused than ever, I pushed myself out of bed and followed him from the house. It appeared to be mid-afternoon based on the sunlight. He had let me sleep but I dared not ask why.

"You will be having an audience with the king," he grunted. "Against my better judgement, of course."

I said nothing and simply followed. The streets were busy with those fetching the materials they needed from merchants. Though most of the populace worked in the fields, the lucky few with great skill were permitted to stay behind. They were the weavers and dyers, the blacksmiths and builders, and the servants and cooks to the others. Even the lowest of servants was near to nobility. Anyone who held a job away from the risk of the lights had managed to gain high esteem either through lineage or − so rarely it almost never happened − through extraordinary skill. So while the streets were much more crowded than they were at night, they were largely peaceful. Interpersonal conflict was more likely but the squabbles were easily stopped by the presence of an armed soldier.

The street widened as it curved up to the palace steps. I lifted my chin to take in the stone and metal structure before us. It had been carved out of the mountains and decorated with large plates of palace metal. It was not nearly as plentiful or as strong as black metal but proved very useful in lauding one's status.

The large double doors to the palace were made of the same metal. It had been banged into intricate, abstract designs of spirals and points. As we approached, two guards holding long black metal spears stepped forward from either side of the doors. Their eyes fell upon Alvisio and they pushed the doors open. We walked through without words.

The inside of the palace was more stone and metal. The metal was far more abundant inside. It covered almost every surface with the exception of the stone pillars nearest the centre of the room. Those were carved with the same designs that had been on the doors. Only a single plate of fire sat on a short and narrow pillar in the middle of the entry hall but the reflection of the flames off the highly polished metal stung my eyes.

A tall man wearing a long white tunic approached us. In this hall of mirrors, I had no idea from where he had come.

He had short, sandy brown hair and bright green eyes. It was difficult for me to place his age as only the tiniest lines etched the corners of his eyes at the same time that a slight hunch in his shoulders made him seem frail. He bowed to each of us before turning to Alvisio.

"The king has asked me to inform you that he will be delayed," he said in a very deep voice that echoed as eagerly through the hall as the light bounced off the metal.

Alvisio nodded. "It has turned out for the best then," he said. "Veleno will need proper treatment to be fit enough to meet with him."

The man looked me over and nodded in agreement. "A bath and a clean tunic," he assessed. "Otherwise he should be in shape enough for the king's business. Follow me."

I did as instructed. Alvisio remained where he stood.

I was led down another long mirrored corridor that would have led further back into the mountain. The light remained strong all the way down the hall despite there being very few torches. The man turned through an archway and into a room only a few feet narrower in diameter than the entry hall. In the middle was a longer-than-I-was-tall tub of palace metal. Along the walls were tables covered in folded cloth of various colours.

"Remove your clothing," the man instructed.

I did as I was told, while he walked through a darkened doorway. He returned with a pail of steaming water and poured the contents into the tub. He repeated this procedure several times until the basin was half full.

I did not wait for him to explain before I climbed in. I had never had more than a bath out of a bowl but I knew enough from living in the city to know the tub's purpose.

The water nearly burned my skin but I forced myself to endure as I submerged my body up to my chin. Through the distortion of the rippling water, I could see that the bruise from my broken rib remained, even though the pain from the injury had long since abated.

"Hold out your hands," the man instructed.

When I did so, he turned over a bottle no larger than my little finger. Three drops of a silver liquid fell onto my palms.

"Rub this over your skin," he said. "From the top of your head down to your toes."

Though the mixture had not had a scent straight from the bottle, the moment I rubbed it into my skin, a strong moist smell I did not recognize assaulted my senses. It made me think of freshly watered plants, a rare smell in Oculus.

The man lifted his nose in the air as if he had just noticed the smell himself. "Interesting," he said. "I have not smelled that scent in over seventeen years."

"Excuse me?" I asked.

He seemed to have realized what he had said. He smiled and lowered his chin. "The oil I gave you takes on the essence of the person using it. It cleanses the body of everything that is not that person's natural smell."

"What if someone's natural smell is shit?" I asked.

He jolted at my language and I immediately regretted being so crass within the palace, but he answered me all the same. "It has been a problem more than once," he said. "We sometimes resort to other measures."

"And with me?"

He smiled. "We are finished," he said as he set a thick, undyed cloth over the edge of the tub. He then walked over to the folded tunics and pulled two white ones off one of the piles. He then walked across to a red pile and pulled out a new sling.

"You will need to use your own gloves, boots, and armour," he said.

I stood and used the un-dyed cloth to dry myself. It was strange having someone help dress me, but the man insisted.

"If you, like your father, insist upon living near the barracks, you will have to come to this room every morning," he said as he pulled the first tunic over my head.

"Alvisio does this every morning?" I asked.

He nodded as he knelt down and straightened the fabric. "It is required. All must be cleansed before they are permitted within the palace proper."

"I always assumed he never bathed," I muttered to myself.

"The king would never allow that," he said. "He is very particular. He will expect the same from you. Every morning."

"Why will I be here every morning?" I asked, finally cluing in to what he was trying to tell me.

"That is the king's business," he said as he reached for my armour and tried to lift it over my head. The weight of it was too much for him. He could lift it only as high as my waist so I helped him pull it over my body.

"If I am going to be here every day," I said, "Do I at least get to know your name?"

"Vincent," he replied as he reached down for the other white tunic. "Very few ever ask, to be honest; though very few are requested to come here as often as you will be. And very few look at me as a peer as you seem to."

"You have me entirely wrong," I said as he pulled the new tunic over my armour. "I assumed I was beneath you."

He smiled again. "You would be the first."

"You should walk the streets sometime. I'm sure you would feel differently."

He bent down and picked up the red sling before pulling it over my head and shoulder. He fidgeted with its placement much longer than I felt was necessary. When he was finished, we both bent for my sword at the same time.

"Please," he said. "It is my job."

I stopped and straightened, letting him pick up the sheathed sword and tie it around my waist. When he had finished, he said, "Please return to the entrance and wait there while I tend to your father."

I nodded and did as I was told.

Alvisio did not look at me as we passed each other and I stood alone and with nothing to do as I waited.

Vincent was quick at his job. It was very little time at all before they both returned. Neither looked any different but Alvisio smelled more strongly of armour than I had ever noticed before. I could not say I was surprised that that was his true scent.

Vincent led us down a different corridor and up a wide staircase. At the top of the stairs, an open hallway circled around and along one wall were large double doors. Vincent walked to these and pushed them open to reveal a room many times the size of the entry hall. In the middle, there was a large fire in an enormous dish of palace metal. Around it were black metal chairs covered in yellow cushions. On the opposite wall from the door was an enormous archway leading onto the same semi-circular balcony I had seen so many times from the square below.

"Please have a seat while you wait for the king," Vincent said. He bowed to us again and left, shutting the doors behind him.

Alvisio did not sit. He walked to the balcony and looked out over the lands below. His hands were clasped behind his back.

If he did not sit, I dared not. I stood by the fire and watched the flames. I mimicked his stance.

I was startled when he spoke. "Before the king comes," he said, "I want you to know that I do not approve of what he is about to do. You do not have my blessing." He scoffed. "Not like either of us has a choice in this."

"Why?"

He turned, his eyes wide. It was the first time I had questioned him about anything and he was not the only one who was shocked by it. I could feel the colour draining from my face as I realized what I had just done.

"After your disobedience, you have the nerve to ask me that?" he demanded.

I said nothing. I had pushed him too far already. Perhaps it was only because we were in the palace that he had not knocked me flat.

"We both bow to the king," he said. "No matter how much of a disappointment you may be to me, it is still the king's choice to reward you if he so chooses."

He turned back around and said nothing more. I stared at the flames before me, trying and failing to make sense of any of it.

It was late afternoon when the doors opened. Alvisio was immediately at my side as we both turned to face the king.

He was the same man I had seen on the balcony every year, only now he was wearing a pale green tunic. He smiled at us and opened his arms wide. Alvisio bowed low and I hastened to copy the gesture.

As we straightened, the king said, "Alvisio, I am so glad you have finally relented in this matter. It would do none of us any good for me to lose my Head of the Guard, especially one as talented as you."

Alvisio said nothing, only nodding in acknowledgement of the words.

The king rested his hand upon Alvisio's shoulder. "You will see that I am right. You must learn to trust me more." Then he turned to me.

In all the years of festivals, I could never see from my distance just how much the king was aging. His hair and beard were streaked with grey and his face was much more creased than Vincent's had been even though I had been sure Vincent was several decades older. Now, I would have thought the two of them the same age. He was at least a generation older than Alvisio.

The king smiled again. "Intriguing Veleno," he said as if he were musing to himself. His eyes flicked to Alvisio. "He is your son?"

Alvisio nodded. "Yes, sir. My own blood."

I swallowed but said nothing. Did the king know he had just been lied to? I had thought everyone knew I was adopted but as I thought over it, I realized it had never really come up with anyone else. It was a fact I had taken for granted.

The king's smile faded for only a moment. "With poor Bunto's untimely death, we have had a bit of a dilemma on our hands," he continued. "Alvisio has done his best to handle the situation but his solution is untenable. He seems to think he can live without sleep and, knowing him, he has no doubt required the same of you. This simply will not do. I cannot have two men doing the jobs of four only to have them both die suddenly on me, leaving me without any help at all."

He gestured to the chairs by the fire. "Please sit," he instructed.

Even Alvisio listened and took a chair next to mine. The king chose one across from us. He leaned back as he crossed one leg over the other and rested his hands on the metal arms of the chair.

"Since Bunto has left us, your father has been forced to take over the duties of watching over the jewel. As he is still the Head of the Guard, he has had to steal what moments he can to perform necessary tasks for me. It has really become quite a chore. I am not accustomed to having him not at my disposal. Very irksome. It is my understanding that you have also taken over his training duties on top of overseeing the night patrols. Is that correct?"

"Yes, my King," I said.

He nodded as if had expected the answer. "Is there any in the ranks of the night soldiers who is responsible, skilled, and holds your trust?"

I considered. I had immediately thought of Carlo but I hesitated so that the king would not assume I took his question lightly. "Yes, my King. Carlo is the best of them."

"Wonderful," he said, clapping his hands together. "Then Carlo shall be promoted to Head of the Night Guard."

"Alvisio will return to his normal tasks. He really does excel at them better than anyone and I fear his watching over a woman has made him slightly irritable."

Reflexively, I looked over at Alvisio but his face was as stone. Such a slight from anyone else would have them unconscious on the floor by now. Perhaps Alvisio simply used up all his patience dealing with the king.

"But that leaves you, Veleno," the king said. "While you may not be as skilled as your father, you come closer than anyone alive. When I really think about it, you may even have surpassed Bunto were we still able to have you two compete. But I digress. My point is that you are exactly what I need. You are exactly what the jewel needs."

My heart lost its rhythm. His words were like a blow to the head but I found myself having more trouble recovering than I would have from a physical attack. My brain insisted upon analyzing each syllable of each word before it would allow me to comprehend the sentence.

He seemed oblivious to my shock as he continued, "Every morning, you will come to the palace and go to the jewel. You will watch her and ensure that no harm comes to her."

"And at night?" I asked.

He sighed. "Alas, Alvisio has refused to let me steal you away to the palace for that much. He insists you remain living with him. I do not understand you soldiers and your desire to live in squalor."

"Who will be guarding the jewel at night?" I persisted.

"Bunto's second-in-command," he replied. "Alvisio does not trust him but he has never failed in all his years of service. I have insisted he return to his post despite your father's objections. But it is you, Veleno, who will be responsible for her care and responsible for the guards who help you watch over her."

"May I know what the risks to her are?" I asked, trying to focus on my new role as if it were any other position.

The king gave a great laugh that echoed off the stones. "Surely you can understand them yourself. You have seen the insanity that wanders the street. We have never had a breach of the palace but we must never risk one either. She is simply far too important. We were lucky enough to find just her. The additional luck that she had an older sister has me quite convinced I can expect no more such favourable coincidences for the rest of my life. If anything happens to her, we may never find another jewel again."

"When do you wish me to start?" I asked, knowing exactly the answer I wanted him to give.

I would be seeing her again and not through the blur of distance. I would be standing before her, able to see every feature clearly. I would be close enough to touch her. My heart still refused to find its usual rhythm but I ignored it.

"We will take you to meet her immediately," he said. "As it is already near sunset, you may leave after that if you wish."

I nodded but knew I would not leave unless forced. Anger stirred in my gut. Why was Alvisio so determined to keep me away? This was what I had always wanted. This was what I needed to live the rest of my life a happy man. Perhaps Carlo was right. One day, I might finally try to defeat Alvisio, if he would not stop getting in my way.

The king stood and my father and I both hastened to follow. He led us up several more floors before ducking into a narrow spiral staircase. It seemed to go on for ever. It was definitely longer than the gatehouse ladder and despite my years of activity and training, my legs protested the climb as we neared the top.

The stairs opened into a small room with double doors on the opposite wall. Two guards stood on either side and bowed to the king, who ignored them. He walked straight ahead and pushed the doors open and out of the way as if they were simply a nuisance.

I held my breath as I stepped inside after him. I knew nothing of what to expect but had had too many years of dreaming not to know what I wanted.

The room was circular with eight unadorned stone pillars at equal intervals a few feet in from the perimeter. The room was brighter than any other in the palace despite the lack of torches. The ceiling in the centre of the room was a translucent dome. I had never seen the material before and had no idea what it was. It looked too soft to be metal or stone. The light that shone through reflected off the palace metal that coated the floor and walls.

As my eyes adjusted to the light, I lowered my gaze. In the centre of the room was the only piece of furniture, a black metal settee with cushions of the same red as a dirty and blushing cheek. Draped over the cushion was fabric of dark purple; the fabric of a skirt.

My breath caught. The jewel was sitting upon the settee, her hands clasped in her lap. As the king approached, she stood.

"My dear," he said as he opened his arms to welcome her as he had us.

She did not smile but returned the gesture. The king lowered his arms and stepped aside to make the introductions. I barely heard him.

She was shorter than the king by almost a foot. I knew from when he had greeted me that that meant the top of her head would likely come up to my nose. Her hair was dark like I had remembered it, but now that I was up close and she was standing in the reflected sunlight, I could see that it was a reddish brown. Her eyes were greener than the crops.

She was dressed in multiple layers like I had seen on many noble women. Under the dark purple tunic with short sleeves, she wore a long-sleeved tunic of light purple. Instead of a sling over her shoulder, a light purple scarf embroidered with silver thread was tied around her waist; the ends of it fell nearly to her feet. Despite the layers, the dressed hugged her and I had difficulty keeping my eyes from her hips.

She stepped forward and held out her hand to me. I was entirely unprepared for what to do. I had never felt more unprepared in my life. I looked at Alvisio.

"Bow and take her hand," he grunted out of the side of his mouth.

I stepped forward, keeping my movements deliberate to hide how out of control I felt. When I reached her, I bowed and then took her hand in mine without straightening first. Her skin was so soft that I nearly melted onto the floor. Had her grip not been as strong as it was, I would have thought I was dreaming.

She said nothing, so I waited.

"Piera?" The king asked.

I felt a slight twitch in her hand. "My apologies, my King," she said. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Veleno."

She let go of my hand and I took that to mean I should straighten.

My eyes met hers.

For a moment, her stoic features faltered but she regained them before I could make sense of the expression that had attempted to replace them.

"You have been a guard for many years?" she asked.

I nodded. "I've been Head of the Night Guard for six years."

She turned to Alvisio and only through my proximity could I see that her jaw tensed. "He must be greatly skilled," she said.

He nodded. "The king would not have chosen him for you otherwise."

She turned to the king. "Then I thank you, my King, for caring so thoroughly for my safety."

The king had been staring up at the dome as if in a daydream. When her words reached him, he looked startled. "Oh yes, my dear, of course." He turned to Alvisio. "I believe you and I have other matters that require our attention," he said. "Veleno is competent enough to be left to his work." Turning to me, he added, "Unless of course you would like to return home for the night?"

"I will, my King, but I would like to inspect the room further first; to familiarize myself with the area and with the other guards."

He nodded. "Very good. We will leave you to it then," he said before leaving.

Alvisio hesitated a moment before joining him. He had been looking at me, I knew, but I had refused to look back. I kept my eyes upon the jewel, upon Piera.

I heard the soft thud of the doors close. The moment they did, Piera smiled.

"I think I shall enjoy your presence much more than that of your father," she said returning to her place upon the settee.

"Where do you sleep?" I asked.

She patted the settee as she smirked.

"Eat?"

She patted the settee again.

"Do you do anything that requires a room other than this one?" I pressed.

She turned and pointed to the opposite wall. There was a small door I had not noticed before. "My bath and toilet are in there," she said.

"And this is it?" I asked, surprised at how sparse her room was.

She shrugged. "A trophy room for a trophy," she said.

"Trophy?"

Her eyes locked on mine again and my knees nearly buckled. I had always worried that, through the distance, I had wished away any flaws, that she could never be as beautiful to me in reality as during those festivals. I had been entirely wrong. There was no flaw for the distance to hide.

"May I ask you something?" she asked.

"Of course," I replied, still trying to force strength into my knees. My brain had not entirely grasped that I was alone with her and we were talking.

"I leave this room only once a year, to be paraded on the royal balcony for mere seconds before I am returned here. I have no friends. I am given precious little to do. The closest I have to companions are those soldiers sent to watch me. Knowing that, what do you think I am to the king?"

Though the answer wanted to burst from me, I supressed it. I was horrified to make the connections she was asking of me. Despite my silence, she seemed to realize I understood.

She nodded. "Yes," she said. "I am no honoured guest here. I did not offer myself up to the king and your people as he is so fond of proclaiming during the festivals. My sister and I are prisoners. We will likely die in these prisons, never having really lived."

"I had no idea," I whispered. I was still too stunned to know how I felt about it. In time, I was sure I would be horrified, angry, or both. At that moment, I was still dumb.

"None do except those guards out there," she pointed to the door, "Your father, and the king. Such illusions keep their power strong."

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked. How could she think she could trust me? My brain was slowly returning to a functioning state and I realized that I was working for those who held her captive. If I had ever spoken to Alvisio with the same venom she used now, I would not wake up for weeks. If she were really a prisoner, I doubted he would treat her any more kindly.

She stood and walked to me. When she was within an arm's length, she stopped and reached down for my hand. She turned my palm up and lifted it to her face. Shots of excitement sparked through my arm. She held the palm close for a moment before placing a kiss upon it. She did not release it but continued to hold it close as she whispered, "Because you smell like me."

I blinked. "What?" Despite the cryptic nature of her comment, her touch was still sending pleasant prickles through my body. My brain, which had only momentarily regained itself, had fled me again. Even during my sleep deprived days, I had not had so much trouble concentrating.

"You can tell quite a bit about someone from their smell," she said. "It is why the king insists all visitors use moonflower oil when they arrive. It is not simply a matter of cleanliness."

"And what can you tell about me?"

She smiled. "That I can trust you to the end of my life." All too soon, she released my hand and it flopped to my side. She returned to her place on the settee.

"You are not like the king or Alvisio," she said. "The king keeps me out of desperation, necessity, and maybe even a little curiosity. Alvisio keeps me out of greed and sadism. You are very different from him. There is no physical resemblance, that is for sure."

"I am adopted," I confessed. Alvisio may have lied about my parentage to the king, but I would not lie to her. If she was as much a prisoner as she claimed, her knowing would matter little. At least, that is what I tried to tell myself. I cared very little at all about any threats she could pose against me. I just wanted her to know me completely. I had been dreaming of this moment for so long, never really thinking it would happen. I was not about to hold back.

She nodded. "An obvious fact," she said as she leaned against the raised arm of the settee, resting her chin on her hand, and pulling her legs up onto the cushion. "You do not remember your real parents do you?"

I shook my head.

She nodded as if she had expected that. "Do you know why Alvisio adopted you?"

"No."

"Fair enough. He is a very guarded man."

"Do you remember your parents?" I asked, wanting to know everything about her even more than I wanted her to know everything about me.

She watched me for a moment. "In a way," she said. "I was very young when I left my home, even younger than when your people found me and brought me here." She looked up at the skylight above her. The light had dulled and reddened. The sun was setting.

"They will be bringing my dinner soon," she said. "You are welcome to stay." She patted the settee indicating for me to sit.

I did not hesitate to do as she asked. With her feet on the cushion, there was space only big enough for me to sit on the end.

"You are the first person to sit with me," she said. "Did you know that?"

I became aware of my obscene pulse. My heart seemed determined to give me away. I tried to calm it by forcing my breathing to remain steady. I was sure it didn't work.

"No one here views me as anything more than a tool," she explained. "Today was the first time I have seen the king since the festival. You have probably seen him more than I ever have."

"I only ever see him at the festivals either," I corrected. "Alvisio does not like me near the palace."

"There is something I have always wanted to ask you," she said.

My mouth fell open and I had to force it shut again. "I was not aware you knew anything about me."

She shrugged. "I did not either until today, but I saw you in the square every year."

"Me?"

She nodded. "The only face not drunk, elated, or cheering," she said. "Every year in the same place in the square and every year just watching me with a serious face. Is there some reason you do not like me?"

My breath was still in my lungs. It refused to come out and it refused to let in more. In an expanse of thousands of faces, she had noticed me. But she had thought I did not cheer because I disliked her? How could she be so wrong? She had been so astute about everything else.

I coughed to force the air through my throat. "It is quite the opposite," I managed to whisper.

She raised an eyebrow. "Not what I expected," she said. Then she smiled.

"Why would you trust me if you thought I did not like you?" I asked.

At this question, she laughed. "Trust and like are neither synonymous nor mutually exclusive," she said. "Someone can love you more than their own life but still lie to you. Someone can despise you and still say truth. You would never betray me to the king or Alvisio even if you did hate me. At worst, you would treat me with indifference and never say a word. You would not feel it is your right. And perhaps, that would be strengthened by..." she paused as she considered. After moment, she stood and looked down at me. There was a hint of a smile at the edge of her mouth and it danced in her eyes. "Fear, I believe. You fear Alvisio."

I scoffed. "No one who is sane does not fear Alvisio."

"I do not fear him," she said. "In fact, I am quite sure he fears me, though he would never admit it."

"Your isolation has harmed your mind."

She was not offended. In fact, her smile broadened. "In your new position, you will learn what I mean," she said. "And when you know I am right, I will demand a favour from you in apology for ever doubting me."

"What favour?"

"I think I will let you try to imagine it."

"And you call Alvisio a sadist."

Her smile faded instantly. "Get by the door," she said in a hushed tone.

Even as I did what she said, I asked why.

"With little else to do, I've become skilled at hearing footsteps no matter how small," she whispered to me.

Sure enough, I had just barely stood by the door and she had just barely sat upon the settee when the doors opened.

A short man with dark hair, dressed in the same fashion as Vincent, walked in with a tray that looked too large for his arms. On top of it were bowls with flat plates of palace metal resting across the tops. There was a metal pitcher in the middle of the tray and a metal cup upside down next to it.

"Thank you, Antonio," she said as he approached the settee.

He crouched down and moved his hand under the tray in a strange way. He held this awkward position for a moment more before I realized what he was doing. On the underside of the tray were hinged legs of black metal. When he had pulled them out as far as they would go, he set it down upon the floor. He nodded to Piera and left, closing the doors behind him and ignoring me the entire time.

"They always send up too much," she said as she began to remove the covers to inspect her food. "You may eat as much as you like."

I walked back to the settee and sat down next to her. She had just uncovered a bowl of roasted yellow roots. I pulled the cover off the nearest bowl and looked inside. There was a wilted, black and purple mass in the bottom.

"Those are my favourite," she said pointing to it. "Moonflower."

"That is moonflower? I've never seen one before."

"No one here has except the king. He is only interested in the oil. I prefer to eat them."

"It looks disgusting."

She chuckled. "Said by someone who has never tasted it. For the sake of knowledge, I will sacrifice mine tonight and let you try it."

Though I had not been exaggerating that the slimy and wilted flower looked disgusting, I also did not want to offend her when she seemed to think she was doing me a great favour. I picked it up with my fingers and looked at it. It felt as slimy as it looked and though the smell was faint, it churned bile more than saliva. Why would anyone want to eat such a thing? As I hesitated a moment more, I realized she was watching me. Her scrutiny was enough. I opened wide and popped the entire flower into my mouth.

That had been a mistake. Not because of the flavour, but simply because of the size of it. It was too big for me to eat it properly and I sat before her feeling like a complete idiot even as I felt the petals melt into sweet liquid on my tongue. The sparks of flavour that now teased me were very similar to the sparks I had felt under her touch. It was entirely pleasurable. Even with my mouth still feeling over full, my body sunk into the sensation. When the outer petals had dissolved, tiny pops emphasized the sweetness. Then the centre too faded into nothing. I focused upon the last of the flavour and wished I could have another.

She smiled broadly and wiggled in her seat. "I knew you would love it!"

"I can't say I had as much confidence but you are right. That was amazing."

She made a small snort as she looked back over the dishes to find something that appealed to her. "Always trust me."

"Do the king and Alvisio trust you?"

She pulled a bowl of mashed orange root to her as she said, "Of course not but I am their prisoner and, thus, their enemy. I am not your enemy."

"I am the head of your guard; the same guard that is keeping you prisoner. How do you figure I am not in the same lot?"

She shrugged as she lifted a black metal spoon off the tray and set it in the dish of mashed root. "You would never have taken the job if you had known."

"You're wrong there," I said. She still did not know as much about me as she liked to think.

She raised a brow at my words and I smiled.

"For more than seventeen years I have looked forward to only a few heartbeats of time in each of those years. I looked forward to the festivals so that I could see you. The memories I have of you are what have made my life bearable."

She sucked on her spoon as I talked. Even when I had finished she seemed still to be considering. Finally, she set her spoon down and took a deep breath. "If I am understanding correctly," she said, "You have no objections to my imprisonment so long as you can see me?"

"That is not what I said."

"No. It isn't. But it is also telling of your feelings in the matter," she squeezed out from behind the tray and stood. She did not move. Her hand was gripping the raised edge of the settee as she looked around at the pillars. She tilted her head up to the skylight, which was now a dark bluish-orange. The room was almost dark.

"A trophy," she said. "Nothing more."

For a moment, I was confused but as her words penetrated my sluggish brain, I gripped my knees in anger. My mouth had gone dry and refused to moisten no matter how much I forced myself to swallow. She had every right to feel the way she did. I would not diminish it by lashing out, even if it was to beat myself for my selfishness.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

"Go," she said without looking at me. When I hesitated, she added, "You should be outside to greet Mattheus when he arrives to relieve you. It would be expected."

I stood to leave.

"You can take the food with you," she said. "I have lost my appetite."

I did not argue. It was not my right to infringe upon her pain, especially when I had caused it. As much as this new floundering rhythm of my heart would be the death of me, I would somehow remain upright to do what she asked of me.

I lifted the tray, not even trying to collapse the legs of it, and carried it to the door. Mattheus was already opening it when I reached it.

He was Piera's height and had dark blonde hair and brown eyes. Though he was a high ranking guard, his face was weathered in a way more akin to working in the fields than to years of fighting. It was tanned, pock-marked, and stretched over his frame, but not scarred. His eyes momentarily widened with his surprise, as he had not expected me to be right next to the door.

"My apologies," he said.

"Nothing to apologize for," I replied. "Your timing could not have been better."

From over my shoulder, I heard Piera speak. "Mattheus, I am feeling quite tired this evening. I plan to sleep immediately and would rather not be disturbed."

"Of course," he said as he bowed to her, still holding the door open for me.

My hands gripped the tray tighter. How could I have been such a complete idiot?

## Chapter 4

I was surprised to find Alvisio sitting on his cot when I returned home.

"Any trouble?" he asked. He did not look up at me.

Normally, that would not have bothered me. After what had just happened with Piera, I wanted to throttle him, but I had not lost all my sense.

"I don't think she likes me," I said as I pulled the bright red sling over my head and set it on the floor next to my bed.

Alvisio grunted. "She has never liked anyone. In over seventeen years, I have never seen that girl smile. Bunto used to say she wasn't natural."

My fingers involuntarily clenched around the knot that held my sword secure. He had some nerve complaining about Piera not being happy enough. And what did he know anyway? I had seen her smile several times that evening; at least until I had ruined everything by being a complete fool.

He sighed as he rolled onto his back and I realized that I might be seeing more of him now that we would be sleeping at the same time of day again. That was definitely a drawback to my new position.

I set my sword on top of the red sling and pulled off my outer tunic.

"Never trust a word she says," he muttered.

I looked at him but his eyes were closed. "Why?"

"The only thing palace people can be trusted for is lying."

"Even the king?"

"Especially the king."

I had been pushing my luck asking that much. I let the matter drop as I pulled off my armour and collapsed onto my cot. Alvisio did not press the issue either.

Had it not been a night after several days with little rest, I would not have slept. My brain was determined to run over the scene with Piera over and over, torturing me with every inflection of her pained words. Though my exhaustion proved strong enough to knock me out, my dreams were an endless loop of me saying all the wrong things and Piera hating me for every one of them. I could tell that whatever I was about to say to her would be received badly, yet, no matter how much I wanted to, I could not stop the words from coming. Even when I clasped my hands over my mouth, the words came anyway. Each time the thoughtless words were spoken, she would turn her back on me. She would hate me.

The familiar kick to my side woke me just before sunrise.

"You will need to leave early if Vincent is to be done with you before you are expected," Alvisio growled.

I threw on my clothes mostly so that I would not have to carry them. My outer tunic was askew as Vincent greeted us. His eyes fell upon the mess of fabric bunched at my shoulder. Just as the day before, he took me before Alvisio.

"Determined to impress the inhabitants of the palace, it seems," he said with a sigh as we entered the room with the large tub.

I knew he was insulting my clothing. "This is what I have you for," I said, flashing him a wide grin.

"You do not need to go quite that far to keep me employed," he replied as he walked to the room that held the pails of water.

He seemed to take my sloppy appearance as a personal insult but I could only be amused by it. He would never take a blade to my body lest he be punished.

When he had finished cleaning and dressing me, I hurried up the many floors to Piera's room. Mattheus was standing with the other two guards outside. He nodded in greeting as I approached and said, "She has already eaten her breakfast and sent the tray away. There is nothing else to report."

"Thank you, Mattheus. You may go now."

He nodded and left.

I was a little surprised by his calm demeanour with me. He had been Bunto's second-in-command. Though the king had felt me better skilled for the position, I had still expected Mattheus to hold onto at least a small grudge against me. Was he just being dutiful or was he one of the liars Alvisio had been thinking of? I would need to keep my eye on him.

I slipped through the door into Piera's room, hoping I could get a chance to apologize before she demanded I leave again. I closed the door behind me and looked around before walking further into the room. I could not see her but I could hear some form of scuffling. When she gave a small shriek, I ran into the centre of the room to look for her.

"Pier..." I froze. She was hanging from the top of one of the pillars. She was about to fall and was flailing her legs to regain her hold. I rushed forward so that I could catch her. She did not fall. She wrapped her legs as far around the fat pillar as possible and pressed the bottoms of her feet against the stone.

"Have you lost your mind?" I shouted at her. "Do you want to get hurt?"

She laughed as she tried to pushed the bottom of her body higher. "I'm just having a little fun," she said.

"This is what you do to have fun?"

"First time," she grunted as she moved her hand along the cornice to get a better grip. "Bunto and Mattheus would have told the king if they ever caught me trying this but I've wanted to do it ever since I came here."

"And they would have had good reason," I barked. "What if you fell and broke your neck?"

She looked down at me. "Then they would have to find themselves another trophy. Don't pretend they would actually care about my life."

"Fine!" I yelled. "But I care about it!"

She smiled and let go of the pillar. I had to stumbled back when I caught her but neither of us was harmed. I kept her in my arms as I glared at her. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" I asked.

"Maybe just a little," she teased. "This was much more fun than staring at the wall all day."

"Alvisio was right," I growled. "I should never have been given this position. You are going to see me executed at this rate."

Her smile faded. "I thought you would understand that just as I know you would never betray me, I would never betray you."

"Even without meaning to?" I asked.

She smiled. "Especially then."

"A fool's promise."

"I'm quite sure what I just did proves that is exactly what I am." She looked down at my arm holding her legs up. "Now, if you would be so kind, would you please put me down?"

I ignored the physical pain in my heart as I set her on her feet. My body quickly cooled without the heat of hers against it. I tried to ignore my more dangerous musings.

"Have you forgiven me then?" I asked.

She smiled over her shoulder as she walked to the settee. "I haven't decided yet," she said.

"I hope you realize how maddening you are for me as well."

She sat down and spent unnecessary time spreading her hands over her skirts to flatten them. "I have my suspicions," she said as if we were discussing the weather.

I remained where I was for a moment more. Her behaviour was so different from the night before, as if I had done nothing to her at all. "Alvisio told me not to trust you," I said quietly.

She looked up at me and blinked several times. "What?"

"He said that everyone in the palace lies, including you, including the king."

She laughed. "He is right about the king," she said, still smiling.

"And you?"

Her smile faded. "Why would you ask that?"

"Why would I not ask that?" My voice came out more forcefully than I had intended but I could not rein it in all the way. All the anger I had ever felt for Alvisio was simmering in my veins. I did not want to direct it at her but I was not sure I would have any choice. "Last night you hate me and this morning you act like we are friends. What else am I supposed to think?"

She looked down in her lap. Her fingers twisted around the fabric of her skirts. "I must not be very good with people," she whispered. She took in a deep breath that shook her shoulders. "With the king, Alvisio, and Mattheus, it's easy; answer their questions and respond to their pleasantries and it is enough. Well, usually anyway."

When she looked up at me again, I could see her eyes were wet. I felt like a complete idiot.

"You are different so then I am different," she continued, "But I don't really know how to be around you. Yesterday, it hurt so much because I thought that even if you wouldn't betray me, you still thought as little of me as they did. After you left, I thought about it. I decided that it wasn't so bad if you thought that of me. You may not be my friend but at least I could explore more in my life by the small fact that you will never tell on me. You will never tell them what I did this morning, will you?"

I shook my head.

Her lips began to spread into a smile but the pain she felt truncated it. It never became anything more than a pained grin.

I stepped forward. I was not sure why I did. Part of me wanted to comfort her. Part of me wanted to apologize. None of me knew how. The anger that had seemed so unstoppable was nowhere to be found. The only sign it had been there at all was the near-painful tingling that remained in my arms.

"I don't think like them," I said finally, not even sure what I was saying would be enough. "I just never knew you. How could I think anything more about you than what I gained from those few glimpses? But I never meant to hurt you by it. I never meant to make you feel like I thought that is all there would be to you. Never."

I took another step closer as she tried to blink away her tears. She did not appear to be having much success. She dropped her head back and closed her eyes. "I had the nerve to believe so strongly that you really were no different than the rest of them that I was angry. I was hateful. I sent you away for it. Yet, you stand there so calm and insistent with your kind words even though I am the one who did not trust you as I should have." Her face fell but she did not open her eyes.

I had tortured myself with the nightmares of her hatred and of my mistakes and somehow she had turned it all back onto herself. Her shoulders were still trembling and with each vibration, my stomach churned. How had all my dreams come to this stupidity?

I walked to her and knelt down on one knee before her. As I lifted my arms to put them around her, my fingers brushed her upper arm. She jumped and her eyes flew open.

"What are you doing?" she choked.

I pulled my hand back. "I − I'm sorry," I said. "I was just trying to help."

"Help?" Her watery question was so full of curiosity that I decided not to hold back. She had yet to hide her feelings from me. If she had a problem with anything I did, I would know.

I stood and reached down to take her hands. Her fingers flinched as I grasped them but she was looking into my eyes, so I did not pull them back. Her eyes were so beautiful and there was so much more that I could have done but there was only one thing I wanted to do for her at that moment, something I had only ever seen myself.

I pulled her to her feet and against my body before wrapping my arms around her. "It will be alright," I said as I held her. She was warm and the involuntary desire to relax every muscle in my body caught me a little by surprise.

Her body was stiff but she did not complain or try to pull away. After another moment, she said, "I have never been hugged before." That made two of us.

While this admission comforted me in that it meant her reluctance likely had little to do with me, it also worried me. "Not even by your parents?" I whispered.

"No," she said as she buried her face into the fabric of my outer tunic. "Never."

"And your sister? You loved her didn't you?" I had hoped at least the life she had left behind had been pleasant but I was beginning to see that she had received as little affection as I had.

"Of course I did," she said with a slight bite. "But we never... No one has ever..."

"Touched you?"

"I've been touched," she said. "Just not, like this... Your heart is so soft. I can barely hear it."

I tried to look down at her face but her cheek was pressed against my chest with her chin down. I was sure she could hear it speeding up, even though I hoped she would not notice that much. "I'm surprised you can hear it at all," I said. "I'm wearing two tunics and black metal armour."

"And yet you're so warm."

I chuckled. "That much is true. I am used to wearing all this to survive the cold nights. Your room is proving it to be a bit much. If you even had a window we could open for fresh air, it might not be so bad."

She pushed me back from her. "You want to go outside?" She was smiling as if she knew something I did not.

"You aren't allow outside," I reminded her.

"I am not allowed out those doors," she corrected, pointing to the large double doors.

She took my hand and pulled me in the direction of the room that held her tub and toilet. She opened the door and pulled me inside.

It was dark in there and after being in her well lit room, I could see nothing. She stopped a few steps inside the door and I could hear her fumbling with something. After another moment, there was bright sunlight blinding me.

She had pushed open a small door at the base of a narrow staircase. Sunlight shone on us from the top of the stairs. She grabbed my hand again and led me to the top where they came out onto a narrow walkway that circled the dome of her room. A railing of palace metal followed the outer perimeter.

"The king had this made for the last jewel, back when he did not understand how we keep the lights away from the city," she explained. "He thought she would need to see them and control them."

I looked over the railing to see the entire city stretching out below us. The sun reflected off the plaster buildings that looked like tiny mounds of dirt. Even the gate and the wall looked incredibly small from this height. The labourers in the fields were little more than specks.

"How do you keep them away?" I asked.

She shrugged. "The lights will not come near me," she said. "That is all there is to it."

I looked at her, trying to figure out if there was something she was not telling me. "Why?"

She was gripping the railing with her fingers, but she kept adjusting her grip. Her eyes met mine and for some reason, at that moment more than any other, I wanted to hold her and protect her from everything that lay below us.

"I don't know," she whispered.

We both looked over the city and the fields. The labourer who was taken by the lights flashed into my mind. I closed my eyes and willed the vision away. I did not want to remember that, especially with Piera standing next to me. I wanted to remember the serenity those lights had given me until that night. It did not come.

Piera's feather-touch crossed the back of my hand as she pressed hers to mine. "Are you alright?"

I coughed to dislodge the emotion the memory had evoked and forced myself to look at the city. I thought of nights when I had to teach thieves and rapists a lesson. I went over the easy parts of my job. Those nights had nothing complicated. Spending my days with Piera was complicated.

"I'm fine," I grunted.

She wrapped her arms around me and pressed her head against my side as if she expected me to struggle or push away. Though her sudden action made me tense from surprise, I did not struggle. "You very much are not," she said. "But that is alright. You don't have to tell me."

I wrapped my arms around her and my shoulders relaxed with no effort on my part. I rested my cheek on her head and tried not to think about when this moment could end. Her hair was so soft.

Yes, spending my days with Piera were complicated, but they were still everything I wanted. She was warm, strong, and vibrant at the same time she could be so serious and vulnerable. In a way, she felt like me.

The wind blew past my tunic with a great gust and I held her closer. A sweet and moist smell tickled my nose. It was like the oil Vincent had me use. I did not think the smell was coming from me. I turned my head to breathe in the scent of Piera's hair. She had been right. She smelled exactly like me. As confusing as that was, it was also comforting. In a way, it felt like I had finally found my true family; like a person was supposed to have; like Zuane and his sister, who cared so much for him; like every family that did not have Alvisio in it.

"We should return to my room before someone sees us up here," she said. The wind attempted to carry her words away but only managed to soften them.

I was unconcerned. "You said yourself that you are allowed up here."

"I am," she said, "But likely not in your arms."

Both the king and Alvisio's faces assaulted my mind. I doubted the king would approve very much and I knew Alvisio would never permit it. If he found out, I would be lucky if I ever saw Piera again, even only when she was paraded on the royal balcony during the annual festival. As I looked down at the city, I saw all the places from which Alvisio could have seen me. Those in the square weren't the same tiny specks as those in the fields. The palace steps were easily within view and the closest to us of any place in the city. Most importantly, Alvisio was not stupid. My arms fell and she pushed away from me.

"I want to go inside," she said as she wrapped her arms around her middle. "I'm cold."

She squeezed by me on the narrow walkway. I had to grit my teeth with her so close.

Alvisio had never taken things from me before. He had always made sure I never had anything in the first place. As the smell of her body once again filled my nose, I knew he would take her from me at the first chance, whether I gave him cause or not. For now, he had not outsmarted the king. It would not remain that way for ever.

## Chapter 5

The next day, Alvisio did not have to kick me awake. I was nearly dressed by the time he had woken up himself.

"Leaving early?" he asked.

"I don't want to be in Vincent's way when he has others to attend to," I lied. It would have to be quite some time after sun-up and long after I would be expected before anyone else would need his services. Business in the castle did not start until the nobles were well rested and fed.

Alvisio grunted as he swung off his cot but said nothing.

I pulled my sling over my head and tied my sword to my waist. I left without saying another word.

For Vincent's sake, I had made sure my clothes were straight before I entered the palace. The sun had still not broken over the horizon but he was dutifully awaiting me in the entrance. I cooperated with him as much as possible simply to speed up the process but as he pulled my outer tunic over my head, he said, "Your father was unhappy yesterday."

"He often is," I replied as I helped him straighten the fabric.

Vincent seemed to consider. "Perhaps."

I knew Alvisio had been in a fouler mood than usual but I also did not want to draw attention to it. As much as I tolerated Vincent and as pleasant as he could be, I had no idea if I could trust him. His comment alone proved he was not above gossip and if he also had a taste for intrigue, my life could be on the line.

When he finished with me, I hurried upstairs, sprinting my way up the spiral staircase and nearly falling as a result. I had never used stairs much in my night patrols and was still becoming accustomed to them.

The two night guards eyed me as I passed. Mattheus was inside Piera's room, standing next to a pillar nearest the door. He turned at my entrance and blinked when he saw me. "Is everything alright?" he asked.

"Of course," I replied. "Is there a reason it would not be?"

His lips pursed. "No," he said. "But I did not expect you until after breakfast. It has not even come yet."

I pulled up tall, keeping my shoulders back to emphasize my size and authority. "I woke up early and chose not to waste any time," I said, resisting the urge to take my eyes away from him and look for Piera. "You may take your leave now if you wish."

He hesitated. "She is in her bath," he said. "I should stay to say good-bye to her."

"I'm sure she won't mind."

His eyes narrowed. "I mind."

I tried not to laugh. Was Mattheus ... jealous? Piera had given no indication that she thought any more of him than Bunto or even Alvisio or the king. He was one of her keepers and she held for him the same respect and veiled loathing that she did for all those who were complacent in her imprisonment. I knew I was the only exception − she had told me as much − but here stood Mattheus, who I knew I could best in a fight. He was determined to stand his ground for a woman who, in harsh reality, could belong to neither of us.

"Suit yourself," I said, forcing the edges of my mouth from turning up into a grin.

I stood next to him and clasped my hands behind my back. We stood in silence as we waited.

The air in the room was still. I could hear no noises from Piera's bathing room. The door seemed efficient at blocking out any sound. Mattheus fidgeted with the sword strap at his waist. We waited.

When the door opposite us opened, the hinges screeched their obscenities to the room. Piera slipped through, closing the door behind her. As she walked forward and into the light falling from the skylight, I nearly melted.

I had only ever seen her hair tied up in an intricate braid, now it was damp and loose, cascading over her shoulder and down past her relaxed arm. The sun caressed the brown of her hair, leaving trails of red-gold in its wake.

She stopped when she saw me. "You have come early today," she said. Her cheeks flushed the faintest pink.

"Couldn't sleep," I said.

She turned to Mattheus. "Thank you. You may go now."

He bowed and thanked her as well before turning to leave. As he did so, I saw the murderous glint in his eyes as they passed over me.

"Thank you, Mattheus," I said, to show I could remain civil with him.

He grunted a response as he closed the doors behind him and I was afraid he had taken my thanks as a taunt. I looked back at my beauty. She could try to kill me where I stood and I would still be in a trance.

She smiled. "You were not supposed to see me just yet."

I raised a brow. "I see nothing wrong with how you look."

"I was just not expecting you," she replied as she sat on her settee and began to pull her fingers through her hair. "What shall we do today?" she asked as she worked.

"What do you usually do?"

"Nothing that would excite you," she muttered.

"You excite me as you are, so I very much doubt that."

Her cheeks pinkened again and for a moment, she stopped combing through her hair. "Tell me about your adventures," she said. "What is the city really like?"

The double doors opened then and her breakfast was brought in. When we were alone once more, she pressed again, "Please, tell me your stories."

"If I tell you my stories, will you tell me how you have survived all these years here without losing your mind?"

Her eyes met mine as she considered. My muscles tingled but I refused to let them weaken. I was too disciplined for that.

"Yes," she agreed. "Now tell me. What were your duties before you were sent to me?"

I talked about a typical night patrolling the streets including the types of people I often had to deal with from those as harmless as Zuane to those who had intended and failed to kill me. She listened without interrupting as she ate her breakfast. I avoided the more graphic stories simply because I was not yet sure what she would think of them. Those I chose to share appeared to interest her but I could not be sure. She said nothing while I talked.

When I had run out of stories I was willing to share, she asked, "How long did you have to train to do what you do?"

"Most start at twelve. Alvisio had me training a group that age a few days ago," I explained.

"And you?"

She never let me get away with anything. If it had been anyone else, I would have been annoyed. In her case, her persistence made me smile. "Since before my earliest memories," I replied.

"Because of Alvisio?"

I nodded.

"And those boys you trained, did you feel proud of what you were teaching them?"

I swallowed at her odd question. I had not thought one way or the other about how I taught them. I supposed they would have become decent soldiers had I continued with them. But was I proud of that?

She flushed. "Sorry, I am just trying to understand how you view their training especially given what you were put through."

"My training was unique," I said. "Even as a boy I knew that much."

She looked up at me from beneath her lashes. There was that tingling in my arms again. If I could only figure out how, I truly would kill both Alvisio and the king for her. "And should all be trained as you were?" she asked.

"No one should be raised the way I was," I grunted.

"But it made you a highly respected warrior despite your young age."

"And do you feel children should be beaten then?" I asked back. I knew that was not what she had meant but her line of questions made me feel it was time her games were turned back on her.

She shook her head and whispered, "No one should be treated that way." After a moment's hesitation, she added, "But Alvisio must be proud of how you turned out under his tutelage."

I scoffed. "Alvisio sees me as an embarrassment. He does not even think me capable of looking after you. The king told me how he fought the appointment."

"I do not think he fought it due to any lack of skill," she offered as she stood and began to walk towards me. Her hair moved in spirals and waves around her body as she moved. I had trouble focusing. "In fact," she said, "I bet it has much more to do with how incredible he really believes you to be."

I laughed but the acrid taste of stress remained on my tongue. "I take it back," I said. "You did not ward off insanity all these years. You are in the thick of it. I think you and Zuane would be able to carry on lengthy conversations together."

She stopped right before me so that I was forced to look down to see her face, but she was not looking back. She was staring at my chest; her face unreadable. "He has beaten you so low that you cannot see what is in front of you."

My jaw tensed. "I have told you my stories," I said. "Now it is time you kept your promise."

She sighed as she turned her back on me. "You are determined to bore yourself to death I think."

"I will let you know if it gets that far," I joked.

As she walked back to the settee, she shrugged. "When I was a girl and Bunto still had it in his head that I would be marrying the king one day, I was given lessons. I was taught reading, writing, and simple mathematics. I was even taught how to play the sunflute. That was all back when I was allowed to read. My lessons had carried on for years without problem and I enjoyed those days. It gave me something to do if nothing else. The books were the best part. For the hours that I read them, I was not trapped inside these walls."

She lay down on the settee, stretched her arms past her head, and closed her eyes. Her hair fell over the edge of the cushion and splashed on the floor like water from a bucket. "For those hours, I was not a prisoner. But Alvisio learned of the lessons and it had become obvious the king would show no interest in me and had no need to marry me so long as I was securely locked away. Alvisio does not know I know, but he feared me having too much knowledge. He feared me being able to find a way out of here. Keeping me stupid keeps me an easy prisoner. He made Bunto do all of it and thinks I blame him but I knew Bunto saw no harm in letting me keep those things and only did it out of fear of Alvisio. They took away my books, broke my sunflute, and have never let me have anything again."

Her eyelashes began to glisten under the light of the dome. The sight pulled my hatred for Alvisio to the front of my mind. I had always accepted that he would try to keep me unhappy. That he had taken such simple and innocent things from Piera, no doubt to be vindictive more than anything else, made my fingers shake as I imagined them around his throat.

She sighed. "That was a long time ago," she said. "No books, no sunflute, nothing ever since. Just me."

"What have you done since?" I asked. I had a combination of deep curiosity and dread in asking the question. I did not want to hear of more of her pain but I felt a duty to her that meant knowing everything.

"I would go outside like we did yesterday," she said. "Sometimes I just move in any way I need. I let my body decide how. Some days I hum to myself or sing. Times when my keepers hover particularly close, like Mattheus lately, I simply stay on my settee and try to recall the stories and the music I onced learned." She opened her eyes and turned her face towards me. "I told you it was boring."

"I'm glad you told me," I said. My words came out as little more than a whisper. The rage was still racing under my skin but I did not want her to see it. I also did not want to do anything stupid. As much as I wanted to kill Alvisio, I knew I would lose if I tried. Carlo had thought otherwise but he had not fought with Alvisio as I had. He had never seen the hatred Alvisio could hold in his eyes. I had learned not to rebel against Alvisio the bloody way. It had been when I was a child, but it had been a strong enough lesson that the memory of it never faded.

She sat up and smiled at me. "Now that we both know what we used to do, what should we do now?"

"I have no idea."

She would not be thwarted. She jumped to her feet. "Teach me how to fight."

I laughed so hard that the echo of it off the pillars hurt my ears. "Why would I do something like that?"

Her hands were on her hips as she glared at me. "Think I am too weak and fragile to fight you?"

Though I had tried to hold it in, my laughing burst out of me again. I nearly doubled over. "You're a tiny thing who sits on a settee all day. If I had wanted, I could snap you in half but that isn't why I refuse."

"You think I am not intelligent enough to learn?"

I shook my head.

"Then what?" she demanded.

I returned her stern glare with great difficulty as my mouth kept twitching towards a smile. "Learning how to fight results in injuries. If you get injured, I'll lose my position. Do you want that? I don't."

She bit her lip. There was that damn weakness in my limbs again. I wished she would stop doing that to me. At the same time, I wanted to be able to see such gestures for the rest of time.

"I suppose not," she said. "But what if I ever have to defend myself?"

"That is what I am here for." And I meant it.

"And when you are not here?" she asked. "You are not with me every moment of the day."

"Do you honestly think there is that much risk posed to you? There has never been a successful intrusion even at the palace entrance, let alone up this high. You are quite safe."

She shrugged. "The palace and I do not share the same enemies." She pulled at a strand of her hair and began to braid it. "Let's go outside again," she suggested, changing the subject.

She finished braiding her hair and I followed her onto the narrow walkway, this time careful to keep my distance in case Alvisio was watching. She watched the city and I watched her. I had known her for only two days and already she was my entire world.

Carlo was right. Someday, I would have to fight Alvisio. I had just never had a good enough reason until her.

## Chapter 6

In the following weeks, I gave myself two goals: appear to the best of my ability that I was doing my job as required and make Piera's life in her prison a little more bearable. As I had had no childhood and nearly as little of an adult life, I was as ignorant as Piera, but with her on my mind, I opened my eyes and looked for things that I would have previously ignored.

I watched for people playing games or telling interesting stories that I could share with her. One game in particular caught my interest but to stay true to my first priority, it took several days for me to learn the rules.

Every evening, two older craftsmen sat outside and played it until just before the lights emerged. It required a raised board with five rows and five columns painted onto the top. In the middle of each created square, there was a teardrop shaped hole. Each player had five pegs. On either end of the peg was a ball. One end had a yellowish-red ball; the other a whitish blue. My understanding was that these represented the sun and the lights. The balls were just small enough to fit through the fat part of the holes but big enough to prevent the peg from falling through the thin part.

Both players would start with their suns on top. The players could arrange their suns any way they wished within the first two rows but the middle row had to be empty at the start of the game. The suns could move two spaces while the lights could move one. If a sun landed on the other player's sun, it got rid of the peg entirely. If it skipped over it, the peg was turned upside down to a light. That light could not be moved until the owner of it had turned one of the opposing player's suns into a light. The goal was to get one of the suns to the other side of the board but the men were so good with their strategy, they often were down to only lights and sometimes had lost pieces on top of that. In that case, the player with only lights would try to get three to the other side of the board. If he did, he could put a sun back at the start and try again to get to the other side.

Because the pieces all looked the same, the old men often argued over who owned which sun or light. The arguments seemed to be half the fun for them, which was likely why they had never bothered to solve that problem.

I was sure I could easily sneak the pegs into Piera's room but the board was more difficult. One night, I managed to ask the men where I could buy a set to play. The elder of the two said he had a spare one but that it was broken and would need to be fixed. I asked if I could have it anyway and he kindly gave it to me. I offered to pay but he refused.

What he had meant was that the board was in pieces. What he could not have known was that it served my purposes better that way.

I had to sneak in the pegs and the board on four different days. Putting too much in my sling made it obvious there were things in it, which I knew Alvisio would notice.

Though I refused to tell Piera what the strange pieces were until I could show her the full game, she helped me find a place to stow them behind a stack of clean towling next to her tub. Her excitement over the surprise made her smile so much that I wanted to pick her up and swing her around. She should always be smiling.

When I finally had the game assembled, I did my best to explain the rules to her, admitting I might not quite have gotten them right. After several rounds, I hoped I hadn't. She was very good at it and could beat me within three turns.

"If the board were bigger, I would have more room to get around you," I grumbled.

She laughed. "That's where the skill comes in," she said. "You have to be ready to conquer with your first step. You are still considering your strategy by the time I win."

"You make this sound like fighting but fighting I can do. This makes no sense to me."

She shrugged as she giggled. "I had to be good at something more than sitting here looking pretty," she teased.

I smiled. My entire body tingled with her happiness. I could lose every round to her and I would be happy so long as she were still smiling about it.

Even after days of playing the game, she did not tire of it, but I thought it would be good to share something new with her. I had tried to find a book but was disappointed to learn that my lack of access to them was not unique. Only the king had access to books, the same ones Bunto had used to teach Piera. Priority one precluded any attempt to find those.

Instead, I focused upon the sunflute. I had seen them played by musicians at the annual festival so I knew what they looked like but I could not buy one without Alvisio noticing. The merchants were open only during sunlight hours, the same hours I was expected to be with Piera.

Though I still thought it was a risk, I came up with a solution that might work. Before heading home one night, I walked down to the gate where the night patrol was just gathering. Carlo was standing in front of them. I walked up next to him and stopped.

He looked over at me and startled when he realized who was standing there.

"Veleno!" He cried as he slapped me on the shoulder. "I haven't seen you in weeks. Did Alvisio get you demoted already? Why are you back here?"

"Just checking on things before I head home," I said loud enough to be sure several of the others heard my excuse. "I wanted to make sure you aren't messing it up too bad."

"Ha!" he scoffed. "These guys wouldn't dare screw up. They'd rather have me than any of the alternatives."

I nodded, then said quiet enough that only he would hear. "I need you to do a favour for me."

He raised a brow. "What kind of favour?" he asked; his voice as low as mine.

"I need a sunflute but I can't make it to the market during the day. Could you get me one?"

"A sunflute?" He was incredulous. "Why would you want that?"

I punched him hard in the arm. "I just do. Can you get one for me? I'll pay you back."

He looked at me down his nose for a moment, then said, "Sure. But I won't accept payment. You've already given me your job. We'll call it even. When can I get it to you?"

"I'll come back in three days to check on you again, bring it then."

He nodded.

I punched him again as I yelled, "You just need to give him a better beating." I turned to look at the gathered men, letting my eyes fall on Lucius. "You're being a pain again, it sounds like," I said to him.

"That's nothing new," Carlo boomed as he played along with my ruse. He knew that if I wanted to keep a secret, I would be keeping it from Alvisio. That was enough for him to want to keep it as protected as I did.

I said goodnight and walked back to the shack. As expected, Alvisio asked why I had taken so long but he luckily believed the story I gave. Even if he went asking questions, anything he would find out would support what I had told him.

On the morning of the fourth day, I walked up to the palace with the disc-shaped flute tucked into my sling. The tiny and delicate instrument was easily hidden by a creative placing of fabric folds. I had no idea how it was played, but I knew Piera did.

I had learned with the game pieces how to get contraband through Vincent. When he wasn't looking, I switched the old and the new slings. If he had noticed, he had said nothing of it.

Mattheus as usual wore out his welcome, taking much longer than necessary to say good-bye to Piera. I wanted to pick him up and throw him through the door to get rid of him but managed to keep my composure. When he was finally gone, I would have my moment.

Piera ran to her bathing room the moment the double doors were closed. While she was gone, I pulled out the tiny flute. I walked into the middle of the room and held it out in my turned up palms.

When she returned with the game board in her hands, she froze when she saw me. The game board fell to the floor and the pegs scattered.

"A sunflute?" she whispered. "You brought me a sunflute?"

I nodded. "You will need to find someplace special to hide this one," I said. "We don't want it broken."

She stepped forward and reached out for it as she said, "They will hear it."

"Not if you play it outside on a windy day," I suggested.

She looked up at me as her hand rested on it. The tips of her fingers tickled my palm. "Thank you," she said.

I smiled so broadly I could feel it in my neck.

"Let's go outside and you can give it a try," I suggested.

She held the flute close to her chest and nodded.

We hurried up the steps to the walkway overlooking the city. The wind was often strong that high up. I doubted anyone below would hear the sounds especially over the daily din of the city.

She sat down on the stones, crossed her legs, and motioned for me to do the same. "So they are less likely to see us," she said. "Just in case."

With a light touch, she held the small slit of the disc to her lips and blew one long note through it. It was like the call of a tiny bird, the kind that would sometimes be seen picking at the crops. The labourers would work to slaughter them all and none would be seen again for years until another flock came into the area and the cycle would continue.

She stopped. "It has been so long," she giggled before pressing it to her lips again.

As she blew a second time, she moved her fingers over the holes. A recognizable folk song emerged, though every now and again her fingers would hit the wrong holes for a second before she would correct. By the end of the tune, she regained her skill and played without fault. She played it again, this time with no difficulty, and I leaned my head back and closed my eyes to listen. The lilting of the notes pulled me along and caressed me.

We stayed up there until the sun was high enough to scorch us. When she had finished playing, she threw her arms around my neck and hugged me. "Thank you so much," she whispered into my ear.

I could not help myself. I wrapped my arms around her and held her close, burying my nose in the hair near her neck and breathing her in.

"Anything for you," I said.

She took my hand as she led me down the stairs again. She stowed the tiny flute in the same place she kept the game pieces and we returned to her room.

Before we reached her settee, she turned to me. She was staring at my chest and for a moment said nothing.

"Veleno," she whispered after the silence became too much even for her.

"Yes?"

"I think I'm in love with you."

I lifted her chin with my finger to look into her eyes. "I've always known I'm in love with you," I replied.

Why did her eyes have to be so beautiful and so tempting?

Her lips trembled and parted, the gesture stealing away my breath. Losing all sense of preservation, I pulled her against me and covered her mouth with mine.

Her mouth was even sweeter than her smell. The softness of it combined with her eager undulations to push me further. I did not hold back. I kissed as if it would be the first, last, and only time. The skin of my neck was seared with pleasure by her fingers trailing over it. She wrapped her arms around me and pressed her body more firmly against mine.

I could not breathe. In my desperation for air, I moved my mouth down her neck, kissing her skin along the way. She moaned and melted against me.

There were no guards outside. Alvisio, the king, Mattheus; none of them existed in my brain at that moment. There was only the woman I had always wanted, beautiful and eager against me. I lifted her into my arms and carried her to the settee as I pressed my mouth against hers once more.

I set her down and she kept her arms tight around my neck, pulling me with her. My hand ran down her body. The curves it covered sent shivers through me. I had never wanted anything more than her.

Her body writhed as she arched, trying to press herself against me. I knelt next to the settee and bent over her. It was not enough for either of us. Her inviting movements were too much for my brain to take in without responding.

We began to pull at each other's clothes. The fabric and armour between us refused to cooperate as I continued to kiss her with everything I had in me. Though I did not know exactly how, my clothes were pulled over my head and in a heap on the floor. My trousers and boots soon joined them.

My hands ran up her legs under her skirts. A moment later, she was lying naked before me. I should have looked at her and enjoyed the sight. I knew I should have, but I wanted her too much. I was on top of her, kissing her neck and wrapping my arms around her body to hold her closer to me.

Her breasts pressed against my chest as she arched her body again. I couldn't take it anymore.

I guided myself into her. As she encased me, the sweetest surrender washed over my entire being, inside and out. I pushed until I could go no further. She moaned beneath me. Did she have any idea how wild she drove me?

I kissed her with all the determination I would have had in a fight. She welcomed it. She pulled her nails down my back, the added stimulus nearly sending me over. But I was not ready for the moment to end. I needed it to be longer.

I pressed my cheek against hers as I rode her. With each thrust, she moved her hips to meet me. I was so close. A small cry escaped her lips and her body tightened around me. That was enough. As her body trembled beneath mine, I was pulled to the edge of sensation. There would have been nothing more I could have felt even if I had wanted to. Everything in me tensed and I groaned as I expelled everything into her.

It was extremely difficult not to collapse on her. My arm shook as I held my full weight off her. I breathed heavily against her neck, every few breaths kissing the skin closest my lips.

Her fingers caressed my back and I smiled.

"I love you, Veleno," she whispered. "I really do."

"I have always loved you," I replied, kissing her shoulder. My smile faded. Reality was returning to claim me. "I will get you out of here."

Her body stiffened. "What?" she asked.

"If it kills me, I will see you free."

I felt her soft hands on my cheeks. She pushed my face away so that she could look into my eyes. "If they kill you, there is no reason for me to be free," she said. "Please, not for me."

"I have nothing else in me but for you," I said. "I can't let them keep treating you this way. You deserve happiness."

"But you make me happy. Happier than I ever thought I would be allowed."

I brushed my lips against hers. "Let me show you that I am capable of so much more than just this," I whispered against her flesh.

She smiled. "You think rather highly of yourself," she teased.

I kissed her again. "I wonder who taught me that?"

For several more minutes, we kissed and caressed before full sense finally returned to both of us. We hurried to dress, our adrenaline at its peak at the thought of Alvisio − or anyone who would report to him − walking in at that moment. We were lucky. No one came. Our stolen moment had been a success. I doubted we would ever be that lucky again.

After we were dressed, we sat on the settee together and I pulled her against my side. We did not talk. I was oscillating between absolute bliss over what we had just done and complete horror, anger, and confusion over how I was going to get her out of Oculus. Somehow, I had to get her away from the king and Alvisio. No one had ever left Oculus but I was trying to remain optimistic.

## Chapter 7

My dreams that night were filled with memories of Piera's naked flesh and her glorious moans. I hated sharing a room with Alvisio.

I was surprised when I woke up and he was not in his cot. A lightning strike of terror went through me as I considered what that could have meant. Had I talked in my sleep? Or worse, moaned and called out her name?

I tried to convince myself that I was overreacting as I dressed. My entire life, there had frequently been mornings when Alvisio was not there when I woke up. In fact, his presence as of late had been more out of the ordinary that this sudden disappearance. I was definitely overreacting.

I walked up the streets. They were still quiet just as they were every morning.

Vincent was pleasant as always and it was only minutes before I was skipping up the steps to Piera's room. I knew we could never risk such intimacy again but I dreamed of stealing kisses at least.

The guards eyed me as always as I slipped through the door and closed it behind me. I turned to face the room, expecting to see Mattheus by the pillar and Piera sitting on the settee like any other morning.

My guts dropped out of me. Piera was on the ground, doing her best to claw at the nearest pillar with her fingers as she tried to pull herself up. Her face was bloodied and bruised. She appeared to have lost the use of her legs for some reason.

I ran to her, skidding on my knees that last foot as I reached to take her into my arms.

"What the hell happened?" I barked. "Where is Mattheus? Why isn't he here looking after you?"

One of her eyes was swollen shut, her lip was cut, and her cheeks were both bruised. Her good eye rolled in my direction.

"Alvisio sent him away early," she whispered. "He threatened the other guards... said he would kill them if they intervened."

My vision blurred with my rage. All I could truly see was Alvisio's scarred face in my mind. I would rip out his intestines as he watched. My body shook. I suppressed a scream but all that did was turn it into a loud animalistic growl.

"When did he leave?" I asked.

"Just minutes ago," she said, but before I could move, her hand was on my arm.

"Please," she begged. "Don't give him what he wants."

"How can I let him hurt you like this?" I demanded. "I will kill him. I will be the first person to defeat Alvisio. I will get you out of here. Why would he do this to you?"

"Vincent told him about the game and the flute," she said. She was trying to speak calmly but could manage little more than a quavering whisper. "He knew you had given them to me. He told me to remember my place."

"Your place?" I seethed. "I am nothing compared to you. He did this to hurt me. You are the only thing that has ever meant anything to me. He is trying to take you away from me just like he took everything that mattered away from you."

She rested her hand against my cheek. "Not everything," she said.

"I am getting you out of here. Now."

"And what are you going to do? Carry me out the palace doors, using your nose to wield your sword?"

I held her close and clenched my eyes shut. If I just willed it strong enough, maybe I would wake up and discover this was all a nightmare. "What else can I do?" I whispered. "I have to do something."

"Wait," she whispered back. "Plan. When I am healed and when you have figured out how to get us both out safely, I will go with you."

"Heal fast then," I said. "Because I already know what I am going to do."

It was a lie but I could not wait for a real plan. Piera was lucky to be alive. What could Alvisio have been thinking?

I picked her up and carried her to the settee. After setting her down as carefully as I could, I began to look her over. I lifted her skirt to get a better look at her legs. The entire lengths of both of them were bruised so badly that another person would not have been able to say what her normal skin should look like. She winced and cried out as I touched her legs but I had to make sure there was no worse damage. There were no breaks and when I asked her to wiggle her toes, she could, though not without protest. Alvisio had made sure she felt the worst pain but there would be no permanent damage.

I gritted my teeth. As I looked down at the bruises, it was taking all the strength I had to keep my promise to Piera and not find him and kill him at that moment.

I pulled her skirt down over her legs again. When I had finished examining the rest of her, I knelt down by her head. I caressed her cheek and brushed my lips against hers with as soft a touch as I dared.

"Sleep," I said. "It will help you heal and I am here now. Mattheus can go to hell tonight. I will not leave you again."

"Mattheus will not be coming back." The male voice came from behind me.

I spun around to see Alvisio in the doorway with several guards flanking him and Vincent at his side.

"Check her over, Vincent," he ordered.

Vincent walked over to do what he was told.

I jumped to my feet and stormed up to Alvisio. "You have some nerve acting like..."

"Like I give a damn that Mattheus lost his mind and brutalized this poor girl?"

"You know very well who did this."

His jaw was tense. "Is it someone else I should be disciplining?" he threatened. "I think you were better suited to the Night Guard. Bunto never had such troubles. I will take over her care until a suitable replacement can be found."

"The king himself did not want you looking after her," I spat. "He knew what you would do."

"The king wanted me doing what I do best but for now that will not be possible. Go home and sleep. Tonight you will be back on the night patrol."

I punched him as hard as I could in the face. The fact that my hand made contact was such a gratifying shock that I made a crucial mistake; I did not follow through and beat him to death. The next second, my face was being ground into the floor by his foot. His hands held my arm painfully behind me.

"Would you like to try that again," he seethed.

I heard him spit and felt moisture against my face at the same time I saw blood splatter on the ground near my shoulder. The satisfaction in knowing I had made him bleed made me smile.

"You won't always be undefeated," I said. "The day is coming."

He leaned close to my face. "You are lucky you are my son," he seethed. "I would have killed any other man. Now you will return home and do your duties on the Night Guard tonight or I will send you to the mines."

"You think I will do what you say now?"

He leaned close enough that he needed only to whisper. "This is not the first time she has felt my hand and if you do not behave yourself, it will not be the last either. I do not even care if she dies."

"Please," Piera cried to me. "Please, keep your promise."

I could not see her from my position but the sight of her beaten face haunted my memory. I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth. "Fine," I said to Alvisio. "I'll do what you want, you piece of shit."

He pulled me off the ground by my armour and threw me against the guards that had been standing behind him. "Make sure he doesn't take any detours on his way home," he ordered.

And just like that, I was being dragged down the stairs like a common thief.

# Part II: Escape

## Chapter 8

If I had thought it would help Piera even the tiniest bit, I would have sought Alvisio out again and challenged him but my fury had not completely destroyed my sense. If I died, there would be no one left to keep her safe.

I had to settle for beating unconscious the three guards that dragged me back home. I left them in the street while I went inside and paced the small room, considering my options.

I was alone. At most, Carlo might support me. He was the only one who had even dared to think of Alvisio being defeated. He was also the only one aside from Piera who had ever thought Alvisio had something to fear from me. A lot of good I did in Piera's room. He had incapacitated me without even straining a muscle. Even if Carlo was foolish enough to help me, that made two men against the entire King's Army of Oculus, who were headed by the best warrior alive.

Piera was right. I needed a good plan.

I screamed and punched the wall. The plaster crumbled beneath my knuckles and fell to the floor. A good plan was exactly what I did not have.

There was no way I was going to sleep but I could not leave the house without Alvisio learning of it and possibly hurting Piera further. I screamed again through my gritted teeth as I picked up Alvisio's cot and threw it against the wall. The flimsy frame broke into pieces and fell to the floor.

She had asked me to teach her how to defend herself and I had laughed at her. Now I knew why she had asked. I also knew she would never have told me, worrying I would confront Alvisio in my rage and before I was ready. She was right about that. If only I had listened to what she had really been trying to tell me.

I punched the wall again and more plaster crumbled to the floor. By nightfall, the house would be gone and I would be standing amongst rubble. Though I did not care, I also knew it would not help me. I threw myself down on my cot and forced myself to breathe.

I needed to think and my head was too full of rage to do that. I spent the rest of the day trying to calm enough to order my thoughts. I never quite succeeded.

That evening, I was the first to arrive at the gate. To my barely restrained irritation, Lucius was the next. I had been hoping to have a few minutes with Carlo. The only luck I did have was that within minutes of Lucius' arrival, several more joined us and I was at least able to ignore him.

Carlo was the last to arrive and as he walked to line up with the others, I could see him watching me. He had obviously been notified of the change in leadership. Knowing him, he would be more curious than upset by the development and that was exactly how he looked as he kept his eyes on me.

I assigned the groups as always, this time putting Carlo and Cello with me. As we walked on our patrol, I stayed close to Carlo.

"All the men are talking about it," Carlo said out of the side of his mouth.

"That I got demoted?" I asked.

He laughed. "No one cares about that. We heard how you punched him in the face. You knocked out two of his back teeth." His chest puffed up. "I get to say I told you so."

"Not yet you don't," I grunted. "He still won that fight. I shouldn't have hesitated. I should have beaten him until his head was smashed in."

"This isn't just about him demoting you, is it?"

"Of course not."

He smiled. "This wouldn't have to do with whoever you gave the sunflute to, does it?"

I nodded.

For another moment he kept smiling and chuckling to himself, then as if he had realized everything all at once, his eyes went wide and his smile faded. "You gave it to the jewel?"

I refused to give him the satisfaction of looking at him. Even though I said nothing he knew he was right. He didn't need me to confirm it.

"You have lost your mind," he said but he was laughing again. "She really is beautiful."

"You have no idea."

"So you punched Alvisio because he wouldn't let you see her again?"

"No. I punched that sack of shit because he beat her nearly to death and if I hadn't been so weak, I would have killed him for it."

"He almost killed the jewel? Then tell the king! He could have doomed us all."

I shook my head. "The king won't care. She's alive enough that her presence will keep the lights away. That's all he wants. So long as she is breathing and locked in that room, Alvisio can do whatever he wants."

Carlo stopped walking and leaned his back against the nearest wall. "How did you keep so calm?" he asked. "If it were me, I would have tried to fight him until one of us was dead. You actually have a chance at beating him and you stopped. Why?"

"She begged me to," I said as I threw my hands up in the air. "She begged because she is smarter than I am. She knew we would both die and no good would come of it."

Cello was almost a full block ahead of us. He finally seemed to realize we weren't with him and stopped to look back. I raised my hand to indicate for him to wait.

"So what are you going to do?" He asked.

"I don't know," I yelled. "I've been trying to figure that out all day. No matter what I think of, I see Alvisio at the end. He's a better fighter, he has her locked up, he said he'll beat her again any time I don't do what he wants, and he has the entire army under his control."

"Not the entire army," Carlo said. "You've got me for sure and I wouldn't be surprised if quite a few others would be willing to back you if you stood up against him. I'm not the only one who has been hoping it would happen someday."

"Wishing for something and having the guts to be a part of it are entirely different things."

He nodded. "True, but I don't think the situation is as hopeless as you think."

"Unless you can give me a real plan, I won't believe you."

He shrugged. "Let me think on it," he insisted before straightening and waving to Cello to say we were coming.

Most nights, I hoped for a quiet patrol with no trouble. That night, I wanted to come across someone as vile as Alvisio, someone I really could beat the guts out of to make myself feel better. As with everything else, luck was not on my side. Not even Zuane wandered the streets, not that I would have taken my anger out on him.

As the sky began to lighten, we headed back to the gate to meet with the others. When we were nearly there, Carlo stopped me.

"The jewel repels the lights right?"

I nodded.

He smiled before saying, "You can escape at night. No one else will dare follow you. If you can get her to the gate, you'll be free."

"And what about the city? I want to get her away from Oculus but everyone else will lose the protection she brings."

"You either want to save her or you don't. If you aren't willing to kill Alvisio outright, you have no choice but to get her away from here."

"It isn't that I don't want to kill him. I just don't think I can."

"Whatever. But consider this: before she came here, we had no jewel for months and not one light fell upon the city. Besides, do you think one of the people here has ever thought about her wellbeing over all the years she's been protecting them? You could tell every last one of them the truth and they'd lock her up just like Alvisio has. Don't sacrifice her for them. They don't deserve her."

"And you?"

He shrugged again. "I'm not that easy to kill. Quite a few people survived in the other city despite no protection from the lights at all. I'm sure I could be one of them here."

I clenched and relaxed my hands repeatedly as I considered what he was saying. "We would still need the gate open," I said.

He scoffed. "You think I can't open a dumb gate?"

"Fine, but what about getting her out of the palace? Alvisio will be watching her constantly now."

"The guy has to sleep sometime," he said with a slight edge to his tone. I was getting the impression he thought I was just trying to be difficult but my worries went far deeper than simple petulance. He sighed. "Look, why did you get promoted in the first place if Alvisio was so against it?"

"The king insisted because we were both working day and night. He wanted to keep us at our best."

Carlo nodded as if I was missing something obvious. When I did not indulge him, he explained, "The same thing will happen again and he will demand Alvisio find a suitable replacement."

I snorted. "I am quite sure they won't be asking me," I said dryly.

"You can be really thick sometimes," he said. "Of course they won't pick you but whoever they do pick will not be able to win against you. That is all you need. I've already heard about Mattheus. They sent him to the mines. That means at least one replacement for sure. As soon as we hear of the replacement, you can go beat the shit out of him and get her out."

"And beat the shit out of every royal guard between the entrance and her room?"

"Well, yeah," he said as if that were obvious and far from a problem. "Those guys get no practice, you should have no trouble with them. The night you do it, send the patrols everywhere but the route you need to get to the gate. Break her out of the palace, get to the gate, and I'll be waiting."

"You make it sound easy."

"Shit, no!" he shouted. "But it isn't impossible and if you want to do this, then we need to try. It doesn't matter how well you behave. One day Alvisio's knuckles will start itching and he'll go off on her just for fun."

The reminder evoked my rage again. I had to force myself to swallow. I closed my eyes and tilted my head back as I forced myself to take slow, even breaths. When I opened my eyes, the sky was a pinkish blue.

"We have to hurry," I said. "They are going to suspect something's up. Cello will have been back long ago."

We jogged back to the gate where I received the night reports from the others. I barely heard them. Carlo's idea was asinine but it was better than the nothing I had come up with. Somehow, I had to try.

## Chapter 9

Carlo turned out to be right. Almost a week after the incident, rumours began to spread amongst the ranks about one of the jewel's guards being promoted to her watchman. I had ignored the guards that stood outside her room. I had always thought them useless; little better than statues the way they stood there. I had no way of knowing which one it was but it likely didn't matter. Only Alvisio had ever bested me.

Though I was sure Piera likely did not look herself yet, the worst of her injuries would be well on their way to healed. I was sure that so long as no more harm had come to her, she would be well enough to travel within a few more days. If not, I would tie her to my back like a labourer's baby if necessary.

"We've got a problem," Carlo said to me after we started our patrols.

"What?" My voice was flat. I had been so stressed over the last week that my body was no longer capable of reacting to bad news with surprise.

"Alvisio is watching her at night. The promoted guard watches her during the day."

Though we had not before considered this, it felt as though I had expected it in the back of my mind.

"He knows I will try to get her out," I said.

Carlo nodded.

"At least the gate will be open during the day," I chuckled. "And the Day Guard soldiers really aren't very good."

"But there are more of them," he pointed out. "And you don't command them. You won't be able to send them in other directions. Getting to the gate could be difficult."

"You going to help me with that?" I asked.

He laughed. "Of course. If I don't have to worry about the gate, I have to find some way to make myself useful. How about I keep that Vincent guy you talked about occupied. It sounds like he would be the type to sound the alarm."

I nodded. "He's good at protecting his masters' interests."

"Are we doing it tomorrow then?" he asked.

I shook my head. "No. We need to be sure of this news first."

I looked ahead at Cello. He was good at keeping a distance without being asked. He seemed just as determined not to be involved in whatever Carlo and I were discussing as we were in not involving him.

He would often stop and wait for us to catch up a little before walking again but this time he did not move. His eyes were unfocused.

"What is it?" Carlo asked when we reached him.

"Listen," he said.

We both did as he instructed and when we were still and silent, the low moans were easy to hear. Carlo looked up and down the street as if to confirm where we were.

"Not again," he said.

He walked to the nearest door and kicked it open.

I was so shocked by this reaction, that my reflexes kicked in before my brain. I ran to catch up with him to help him out. It was only when I was in the doorway that I even began to wonder why he had done it. The torchlight reflecting off pale, naked buttocks nearly blinded me.

"Carlo, what the..." Then I saw the face of the man as he looked over his shoulder at me.

Lucius swallowed but did not push himself off the grey-haired woman beneath him. He was still wearing his tunics and armour but his trousers were bunched at his ankles. The woman beneath him was far less clothed.

"This is the third time in less than a month, Lucius!" Carlo yelled. "You're lucky I haven't reported you to Alvisio but this is going too far. If it were still up to me, I'd be taking you to him right now."

Carlo turned to me as he awaited my response but I was flat-footed. What would have happened to me if Alvisio had walked in during that stolen moment of passion I had had with Piera? I would likely be in the mines if I were still alive at all. No one deserved that for such a simple thing.

"Get up," I ordered. "And fix your trousers. Keep your personal life to personal time."

He rushed to do as I asked but said quickly as he tried to straighten his trousers, "She works the fields during the day."

I shrugged. "Life is hardly kind to any of us. You are both well. One day you'll be given a position with the Day Guard. Until then, you do your work when you are supposed to."

He looked like he was actually going to protest. I glared at him. "Is Carlo right?" I asked. "Does Alvisio need to hear about this?"

Lucius swallowed. "No," he said.

"Then back to work." I turned and walked back out into the street.

Carlo was at my shoulder a moment later. "You were easy on him," he said. "He refuses to listen."

I kept my eyes forward. "I've seen how Alvisio handles those types of matters. I would wish that on no one."

"And if he does it again?" he asked.

"I'll beat the piss out of him, but Alvisio will never know. He would be just as likely to take it out on that poor woman." My hands clenched at the memory of what he had done to Piera. "You better confirm your information about the jewel's new guard," I said. "I don't think I can wait much longer."

The next night, I could see Carlo was agitated even before he lined up with the others. I assigned the groups quickly, making sure to remind Lucius to keep his mind on his job, and walked off with Carlo and Cello.

"He must know what we are planning," Carlo whispered to me.

My heart froze. "How do you know?" I asked.

"I found out they are switching shifts randomly," he explained. "Some days, Alvisio is working both day and night. Some days it is the new guard. Apparently he has been complaining about it to some of the other men. He never knows when he will be asked on duty. Alvisio doesn't tell him until it's time."

I let out a long breath. "That doesn't mean he knows what we are planning. It means he knows me," I reasoned. "He knows I won't let this one go after what I did."

"Then, no matter what we do, he'll be ready," Carlo grunted.

I nodded. "Just as I figured. But I cannot keep waiting. Every moment he is alone with her, he could hurt her again."

Carlo whistled low. "She's probably terrified. That would be difficult worrying about Alvisio's fists every second."

I considered this for a moment. I thought about everything she had ever indicated about Alvisio. "You know what," I said, "I don't think she is. She should be but that wouldn't be like her. She never seemed afraid of him. She even once said he was afraid of her."

"Men don't beat women they fear," Carlo said as he looked over his shoulder.

"No," I said, "But she seemed to know something I don't. Something that might support what she thought."

"If you could find out what scares Alvisio, you could defeat him."

"But even looking, I may never find it without her. I don't have the time to wait. I have to get her out of there."

Carlo said nothing. I supposed he had figured out what I was saying and thought I was crazy. Whether he helped me or not, I had to try.

"Tomorrow night," I said. "My odds are just as good that I'll encounter Alvisio no matter when we do this. At least in the night he can't follow us into the fields and I can ensure the streets are as empty as possible."

Carlo swallowed. "What are you going to do?"

"Fight my way in and fight my way out," I said.

"He'll kill you."

"His hurting her while I do nothing is enough for that."

Piera had wanted me to wait until I had a plan. The problem with waiting is that the world goes on whether a person is ready or not.

## Chapter 10

The next night, the men lined up and I made the groups. I made sure to send them off in directions away from the fastest route to the palace. I assigned Carlo and Cello to those streets and made sure they waited for me while I climbed the gatehouse to check the fields.

We had had to change our plans to deal with the gate. Carlo would be joining me in the palace. If I ran into Alvisio, I would need all the help I could get.

Marin was still on wall duty. It did not seem to bother him as much though he would still stare at the floor when the lights fell. That worked in my favour.

I waited until the lights began to descend, and just like the night someone had really been in the field, I began to shout. I sent him down the ladder to get the gate open before he could see for himself. I yelled to Cello to run to the palace and fetch Alvisio.

The men were having trouble opening the gate after several minutes, mostly because they had not noticed Carlo was pushing where they were pulling. I slid down the ladder.

"Cello is taking too long," I barked. "Carlo, come with me to fetch Alvisio." I turned to those still trying to open the gate. "You get that open and keep it open until I say otherwise. Do you understand me? We might need to get out there fast."

They all nodded though Marin looked a little confused.

Carlo and I ran up to the palace. As we had expected, Cello was near the top of the steps, still trying to convince the two guards at the palace entrance that he really did need Alvisio to come quickly. His presence distracted them enough that they did not realize Carlo and I were there to attack them until it was too late.

Cello stood in frozen shock as he stared at us standing over the now unconscious guards. I said nothing to him before turning and pushing open the palace doors and running inside. Carlo was still at my back.

Vincent did not come out to greet us, but by the time we had reached the first staircase, someone had taken notice. A guard came around a corner to see what the commotion was about. Carlo took him out before he could sound the alarm.

We ran up the stairs to Piera's room with little trouble. I hoped that was simply because it was night, resulting in a lighter guard inside the palace. My insides were not easily convinced but I tried to ignore their churning as we sprinted the last of the steps.

The two guards at her door were too accustomed to days of standing and doing nothing. They were out of practice and both were unconscious on the floor within seconds.

I threw open the doors to Piera's room. A stunned guard spun around to face me. By the time his sword was unsheathed, mine was inside his body.

Piera sat up and watched wide-eyed as he fell. Her face was nearly as perfect as I had remembered. The yellow of her fading bruises had not disappeared entirely but if her face was any indication, she was nearly healed. At least Alvisio had not harmed her further.

"We need to go now," I yelled at her.

She nodded and jumped to her feet. She was wearing only her lilac tunic. I was afraid she would freeze in the fields but we had no time. I reached for her hand as she ran to me and pulled her along as the three of us ran back down the stairs.

"Where is Alvisio?" I asked her.

"I don't know," she said.

"When was the last time he looked after you?"

"Last night," she replied.

My guts churned. "How long had he been up?"

"A day and a half."

They churned more. He would have slept right after and he would soon be awake if he was not already.

Carlo seemed to be thinking along the same lines as I was. "He knows," he grunted in my ear the moment we were out of the spiral staircase.

"We knew he would," I grunted back as I ran to the next set of stairs, still holding Piera's hand in mine. "It changes nothing. We need to get to the gate before he closes them."

I saw Piera's eyes widen once more when we passed the entrance guards who were only now regaining their consciousness. They had not even managed to push themselves to their knees. By the time they would be a threat, we would already be gone.

I was quite sure Piera had never run so far in her life but she did not complain or slow. Though I suspected I was pulling her faster than she would have otherwise been able to manage, she did not falter. She never disappointed me, that was for sure.

I watched for any flash of movement along the narrow street. My eyes had been flicking even to the rooftops to make sure the attack was not coming earlier than I had expected. I kept my free hand upon my sword, ready to draw it at any moment.

We turned the final corner to the gate and stopped like we had run into a solid wall. Piera knocked into the back of me.

The gate was closed, Marin and the others were dead at its base. Alvisio stood with ten men before it. His arms were crossed in front of his chest but he was smiling at us.

I pulled Piera into my side, keeping my arm tightly around her. I took my eyes off Alvisio only long enough to look down at her to make sure she was alright. I could see the tears on her eyelashes and I had to swallow hard. Her hand was clutching my outer tunic. I had felt no evidence of it under my armour. My fingers tightened around my sword. I readied myself for an attack at any second. I was still unsure how I would fight with Piera so close but I had little choice.

"He will kill us," she whispered.

I looked back at Alvisio, glaring at him with all the hatred from the depth of my being. "I won't let him," I growled.

"Then you better be ready to kill Alvisio," Carlo grunted. "That's the only way we're surviving this."

"Sorry about that," I said back. I meant it but I knew he would not accept it. He had been adamant that he would help me. We both knew this was likely how it would go without some miracle.

I took a deliberate step forward, still holding Piera close to me.

"He can't be serious," Carlo muttered.

"What?" I asked through the side of my mouth, trying to keep my attention on Alvisio.

"The soldiers with him. They don't even have proper armour. What's he playing at?"

"We'll soon find out." I took another step forward and several more before I stopped. Piera buried her face into my side.

I was surprised Alvisio had not brought more soldiers. He had many more men at his disposal than the ten standing in line next to him. I noticed he was not standing in front of them. There would be no negotiation; as I expected of him. But there was also more going on than an overt attack. I did not recognize these men, who were barely old enough to have finished training and − as Carlo had noted − were ill-equipped.

If I could have held Piera even more firmly, I would have, but I was already nearly crushing her against me.

Alvisio's smile widened and I knew then why he had brought such a poor force. He had wanted to ensure it would be the two of us in the end. Carlo had always said I would have to fight Alvisio one day, even before I had thought of crossing him. At that moment, I realized that had always been what Alvisio had wanted. He wanted a true fight. One in which he could feel the adrenaline that only the risk of losing could bring. That had always been what he had wanted, since the first time he had put a dagger in my hand not long after I had learned to walk. He had groomed me to be what no one else could offer him, a real challenge.

"Kill the men," Alvisio ordered.

He knew the men he had brought were fodder meant for show. Two of the soldiers stayed back as if they had been previously instructed to do so. There was no fear or reluctance in their eyes as the men on either side of them charged us.

I could have killed them without letting go of Piera but I did not want to risk an errant blade coming near her. I let go of her and charged forward with Carlo at my side as I analyzed the postures of the middle two coming toward me. One had his sword held too high and I immediately took advantage of the weakness. I lunged beneath it to plunge my sword into his gut. I pulled it upwards as I withdrew it and did not wait to see his body fall as I knew it would before turning on the other who was now trying to attack me from behind. I pulled my blade across his throat. It sunk halfway into his neck but there was little resistance as I completed the arc. I could hear Carlo dispatching his opposition in the same manner. The gurgled cries of each of his defeated opponents mixed with his grunts of effort as he moved onto the next.

I heard a shout − a female shout − and whirled around to see that two of the others who had charged me had never meant to kill me at all and had headed straight for Piera. Their hands were on her as they attempted to restrain her. I was too angered at that moment to hate myself as I should for the mistake. Where had my training gone?

As I took my first step towards them, I heard the unsheathing of a sword too close behind me. I was forced to delay while Piera struggled against her attackers. The man behind me was impaled before I had even looked at his face.

I turned to Piera again and was running to her as she spit in the face of one of the men holding her. He punched her with such force that she was thrown out of his grasp and fell to the stones of the street. Her head smacked against the hard ground.

If I had had more time, I would have made his end less merciful than I had with the others. I would have made sure to savour it. But my priorities had not changed, so I simply thrust my sword through his throat, taking a deep satisfaction at the shock in his eyes as he fell. The other man was dead before he had had time to unsheathe his sword.

This had been what Alvisio had wanted but his fantasies would have to be fulfilled another day. I refused to stay and fight with him. Even as he called my name with laughter in his voice, I ignored him, sheathing my sword in the same moment that I knelt down to lift Piera into my arms.

The fact that she was still unconscious from the blow worried me but we had no time to wait. I held her against me as I stood. My eyes briefly took in the scene of many more soldiers behind us in the street. I could see the edges of the mail under their tunics. This was where Alvisio's real force had gone.

Carlo had already finished with those who had fruitlessly tried to bring him down and was at my back. We did not stay to see what Alvisio would order of them. I sprinted to the nearest alley, hearing the echo of Alvisio's order to "take them alive" as I ran.

Piera was still unconscious in my arms. Why was she not waking up? My guts sank into my feet and froze as I considered how badly hurt she might actually be. Carlo said nothing as he ran behind me.

I could hear the soldiers pursuing us. When we passed the intersection with another alley, I saw many more soldiers running towards us on either side. Straight was my only option but I knew Alvisio too well. There would be more waiting for us by the time I reached the end of this long path. It was how he had intended it. It was why he had not already had that alley blocked off. He wanted me to have the hope of escape before he won. He wanted me to fill with the desire to win as if I really could so that I would fight all the more strongly against him.

I focused upon the light at the end of the alley, wondering when it would be obscured by large, armoured bodies. I prayed with no hope that it would remain clear.

Piera's head lolled to the side and I looked down and saw with great relief that her eyes were open. She was blinking repeatedly as if trying to determine what was happening. I ran faster.

We emerged into a wider and well-lit street and nearly fell to a stop. A circle of well-armed royal guards was waiting for us. Alvisio was not there to give the order but they did not need one. The moment we were clear of the alley, they pounced on us all at once. Two wrenched Piera from my arm. She was still trying to figure out what was going on as they dragged her away.

I tried to fight my way to her but the men who had her were unhindered. I was being attacked on all sides. In even the tiniest space, soldiers squeezed themselves to get their shots on me. I landed a few good ones of my own but there were too many. Within a minute more, I was being held on the ground, a guard sitting on my head, one on my back as he held my arms, and two more on my legs. I could see under the left butt cheek of the man sitting on my head that Carlo had already been incapacitated in much the same way.

I felt the soldiers wrap something tight around my legs. They secured it so that it cut off the circulation. As they wrapped a black metal chain around my arms and chest, I saw they were also tying up Carlo. They left enough of a tail in the chain so that they did not need to lift us up. Instead, they used the slack to drag us along the stones as they took us back to Alvisio.

I tried to keep my head up to prevent it from bouncing along the rocks. Carlo did his best to copy me but his head was already bleeding from one of the blows he had received in the fray.

"I knew you'd get me killed," he said with no regret. In fact, he sounded like we were having a laugh after a particularly difficult arrest.

"That's what you get for following me," I said back, though it came out as more of a series of grunts as my back was pulled hard against upturned stones.

He looked over his shoulder to the guard dragging him. "How about next time you don't bring your friends and we'll see how well you do?" He taunted. In response, the guard pulled on the chain with a great tug, causing it to tighten around Carlo's body.

"No sense of humor," he chuckled through a wheeze.

He knew he was going to die and I knew he would not want to be remembered for begging and crying. I said nothing. I would give Alvisio nothing of what he wanted. I would not fight him. He would have to watch all his years of effort come to nothing. I would kneel before him and let him have my head as simply as that. At least that would be one mercy after how badly I had failed Piera. There was no one left to protect her now. If only I hadn't been so stupid, I could have protected her from all of it.

The sky was beginning to lighten. It was still night but our battles had taken more time than I had realized. It would soon be morning. From the buildings we passed, I knew we were nearing the gate. Our captors stopped and let go of the chains, leaving us on the ground. I heard the metal of boots clicking against the stones at they approached me. A moment later, Alvisio was looking down at me.

"You should have listened," he said with a smile.

"You're glad I didn't," I grunted.

He nodded to two nearby guards who grabbed Carlo and me and pulled us to our knees.

"You want to fight me then?" Alvisio asked loud enough for all the gathered soldiers to hear.

I looked around and saw that all the men who had been under my command were lined up against the wall. The Royal Guard were keeping them there with the threat of their spears. So they had not joined Alvisio after all? I should have given them more credit. My jaw tensed. I did not want them to die for me. That is why I had left them out of it.

"You will have your wish and fight me," Alvisio said when I did not respond.

"No."

He raised an eyebrow and I made sure to look him directly in the eye; something most people tended to avoid. I would not cower before my death.

"I will not fight you," I said.

"Then you will die," he replied with a laugh, though the mirth did not reach his eyes. My response bothered him.

I nodded. "As I expected."

He turned to the guards behind him. "Open the gate," he yelled and immediately seven guards were pulling the bar loose to push it open. The fields beyond were aglow with the lights. It was death for anyone but Piera.

He walked over to Carlo and dragged my friend to his feet. "Perhaps if it would save your friend, you will fight me," he said as he pulled Carlo towards the open gate.

Carlo, who had tried to convince me more than anyone that I needed to kill Alvisio, shook his head. He wanted me to kill Alvisio, he wanted me to win, but he saw as easily as I did that that was exactly what Alvisio wanted me to try. I also knew Alvisio too well. Even if I gave him what he wanted, he would throw Carlo to the lights anyway and the loss would sting all that much more for having played his game.

I tried to tell Carlo with my eyes that I was sorry but I think he already knew. He smiled back at me even as Alvisio pulled the chains from his body and then lifted him up and threw him as far as he could outside the gate.

Carlo's body did not fly far but it was enough. The lights flew to him like metal filings to a sword tip. I clenched my eyes shut and gritted my teeth as his screams filled my ears. His anguish cut through me. I tried to force it out. I did not want to remember it.

I tried to think of Piera, of our one perfect day together. I tried to imagine I was simply enduring a nightmare that would soon be over.

His cries died away and I opened my eyes. I blinked several times, not sure of what I was seeing. He was still moving on the path to the gate. His movements were slow and unsure just like the guards we had knocked out at the palace entrance.

I looked at Alvisio. His mouth was set in a hard line and his arms were crossed in front of his chest. He looked up at the sky. The sun would be up soon, within minutes.

The lights on Carlo had faded. He was trying to push himself to his knees. Everyone who could see him was watching. Alvisio looked away only to check the lightness of the sky.

Carlo was on his knees. If he could get to his feet, he could run. He could get a head start before the sun came up. He still had minutes to do it if he could.

My adrenaline had returned and I was breathing heavily as I watched and silently begged for him to move faster. He was nearly on his feet when his legs gave out and he fell to the ground.

My heart sank while Alvisio smiled. He looked up at the sky once more and his smile broadened. The sun would be cresting the mountain at any moment.

Carlo tried to push himself up again. He shook his head as if to clear it. I saw no hope left. The sun was coming and it did not matter if he made it to his feet now. Alvisio would catch him.

The sun crested the mountain and its rays spread across the grass, burning away the lights that remained. Carlo did not seem to notice, but Alvisio had and he was already charging forward.

He grabbed Carlo by his tunic and dragged him back inside the wall where he tossed him to the ground and unsheathed his sword. Carlo tried to get up once more, his eyes locking on me as he did so. They widened and his mouth fell open. "It's you..." he said, astonished. "You're..."

But at that moment, Alvisio stabbed him through the back and his body collapsed to the ground. He was dead.

Alvisio did not give even a moment of respect to the man he had just murdered. He charged towards me. He pulled me to my feet by my neck.

"You may want to pretend you are too noble to fight me now," he seethed. "But we shall change that. Take him to the palace," he ordered. "You know where."

I was on my back again, being dragged up the road to the palace.

## Chapter 11

They were quite resourceful with that loose end of chain. They had looped it over a hook so that I was suspended above the ground. My toes scraped the floor without giving me any real chance to gain my footing.

I was underground in a dark room with wet walls. It smelled of rotten blood. I had never known this place existed. From the implements secured to the walls, I could guess the purpose of it. I just could not figure out why it was needed.

We arrested petty thieves. The rest were murderers and rapists but most of them did not survive the arresting procedure. Those caught committing a crime, if they survived being caught, were sent to the mines. There was no need for the room I found myself in now. At least, I had never thought there was.

How many had I turned over to Alvisio only for them to end up hanging where I was now? How deeply did Alvisio's sickness go?

The guards left after they strung me up, taking with them the torch that provided the only light. The weight of my body pressed down upon the chains holding me. My ribs and wrists seared with the pain it caused. I tried to think of other things. I wanted to separate my mind from what was happening but it was difficult. My mind wanted to dwell only on the events of the previous night, which were no less painful than the chains digging into my flesh.

I relented and focused upon the stretch of my muscles. I was sure they would begin tearing soon but even that was easier to endure than my memories. I swallowed hard despite my dry and ragged throat. Would Carlo have been brought down here too if Alvisio had not chosen to use him as a tool against me?

Carlo did not deserve the end that I had been brought down upon him. Piera did not deserve the threat on her life that my love had brought down upon her. Everything I had touched had been destroyed as if I were no different than the lights.

I waited in the darkness for Alvisio to come like I knew he would. Now that there was no way I could cause him trouble, he seemed in no rush. I slipped in and out of consciousness. The weight on my ribs made breathing difficult and I began to wheeze with each breath. Still, I continued to wake up after unknown periods. I was there so long that thirst and hunger no longer meant anything to me. Even if there had been light, I was sure it would have done little to help my vision.

The deafening creak of a door woke me. I looked around. There was faint enough light to see the wet walls. I tried to turn myself towards the hallway they had brought me down but accomplished little more than scuffing my toes over the stones.

Though I was disciplined enough to appear calm, the adrenaline of my body refused to cooperate with that plan. It pooled in my chest before its acid dripped into my feet. The circulation to my arms had long since ceased.

The light became brighter as the footsteps grew louder. Though I had given up trying to turn myself around, the momentum I had created in my efforts was still moving me. Finally, I turned slowly towards the entrance and almost immediately wished I hadn't as someone carrying a torch came around the corner. The light burned my eyes and I had to shut them to protect against the glare.

"I hope you're rested," Alvisio said. "I have plans for you."

"Just kill me. I will never fight you. No matter what you do to me."

"I have no intention of having you fight me for some time but you really need to have more faith in my abilities," he said. "I have been doing this much longer than you have been alive."

"You've never dealt with me before down here," I seethed back. My eyes were finally adjusting to the new light and I cracked them open.

He was standing against the wall with the tools as if considering which one he wanted to use first.

"Sorry I had to make you wait so long," he said. "I had to ensure your little jewel knew never to try such a stunt again."

I gritted my teeth. "Enjoy beating up the helpless, do you?" I asked.

"There can be a certain enjoyment to it," he replied as if discussing what type of food he liked. "With her, it is a necessity."

"Necessity," I scoffed. "She couldn't touch you even if she wanted. You gain nothing by hurting her."

He pulled at a long rod with a pointed end and examined it. "Forests will always grow unless they are cut back," he said.

My body began to rotate in the other direction. I wanted to scream at the timing. I wanted to see his face. "What does that mean?" I asked with no patience for riddles.

He said nothing.

"She's not a afraid of you," I shot at him.

"No," he said. "She is not and that is part of the problem. But at least I have taken the most important thing from her; I told her you have been executed. She is up in her room right now, sobbing into her cushioned pedestal. It is the first time I have ever seen her cry. I wish I'd known how to do that sooner."

"And soon you really will kill me," I said. Though Piera's grief bothered me, the pain from it was dull compared to the other events. I was saddened for her but more angry at myself. Knowing that Alvisio's lie would soon be true was a strange comfort.

He replaced the pointed poker. "That is where you are wrong. I have no intention of killing you for a very long time. You are too valuable to me."

"Now, I know you're crazy."

He turned to face me but I had to look over my shoulder to meet his eyes. "Our views on sanity are very different," he said. "One might say that attacking the palace and hoping to escape with the most valuable thing this country has and actually expecting to win is insane."

"I never expected to win but I had to try."

He shrugged. "I think I have something special for you then."

He squatted down and dug his fingers into the gap in the stones. As he did this, I realized that beneath where I was hanging, was a single large slab. His face nearly turned purpled as he strained to lift it out of the hole just enough to rest the edge on the surrounding floor. He then pulled and pushed it out of the way. I was hanging completely free now as my toes no longer had the stone to scrape against. My body rotated as even the tiniest movements of my chest moved the chain suspending me.

The torchlight glinted off the water beneath me. Then the stench reached my nose. It smelled of blood, vomit, and feces. I nearly retched myself but held my breath as I waited for the moment to pass. When I was sure I would not vomit, I began to breathe through my mouth.

Alvisio walked over to the torch. There was a chain connected to the wall there. As he unhooked it, I followed the length of it with my eyes. It went up near the ceiling where it passed over two pulleys before coming down to the hook to which I was now secured.

I closed my eyes. Of all the tortures I had been expecting, drowning in sewage was not one of them. Why could he not just kill me and get it over with?

My stomach flew up into my heart as he let go of the slack in the chain and my body fell. I sunk into the rancid mess and did my best to hold my breath. He pulled me up almost immediately.

"Most of the time when I do this, I have to weigh the person down," he said. "Your armour appears to be working quite nicely for that."

He let go of the slack again and I had just barely taken my breath before I was submerged.

This time he waited. As if my head had not been swimming enough with my exhaustion and dehydration, it began to grow increasingly foggy. My lungs protested. The muscles I could not control spasmed against those I held firm. My lungs burned and convulsed. They tried to force me to cough to take in air. I refused to give in and in thanks they stabbed me with even stronger pain.

I felt the wrenching of the chains against my chest as Alvisio pulled me up. The added pressure forced me to gasp but luckily my head had just cleared the sludge. I was breathing heavily, my lungs still convulsing and forcing several coughs even though I had inhaled nothing.

"Perhaps a little longer next time," he said. And I was back down in the sludge.

I had no idea how I did it, but I again held on long enough that when the gasp came, my head was in air. This angered Alvisio and he dropped me almost immediately once more.

The third time, I was not so lucky. In fact, in his anger, Alvisio left me under so long that I not only got a mouthful of the worst tasting evil I could imagine, but it nearly entered my lungs as well. The acrid sludge burned the inside of my mouth and throat. The taste made my body convulse in an attempt to expel it but my lungs were still trying to grasp at air. Though the mess somehow did not get into my lungs, I coughed and vomited repeatedly once Alvisio pulled me up. He was pleased with the result and he continued this method for countless more drops before he finally tired of it.

He replaced the stone in the floor. "I will bring some food for you next time," he said as he walked over to the torch and pulled it from the hook on the wall.

"Don't bother," I choked back at him. I was still trying to clear my mouth and throat of the sewage.

"We don't allow prisoners to starve themselves," he said. "That would be cruel."

He left me in the blackness as I was still hacking up the contents of my throat.

## Chapter 12

Time had no meaning in the that room. There was no light to indicate the time of day. There was nothing to do and Alvisio's visits seemed random enough that I could not use them as a time keeper. I was sure he had intended it that way to add to my despair.

Within the day of that first bought of torture, I was given enough slack in the chain that I could at least sit on the ground. I knew this was not intended as a kindness. My wheezing from the pressure on my chest had gotten worse and Alvisio was making sure I did not die prematurely. They were sure to keep the chain short enough that I could not reach the implements on the other wall.

He also brought with him several guards to restrain me as they force fed me. I tried to bite their hands but this was not their first torture. They jammed a black metal bar between my top and bottom teeth as they stuffed mushed vegetables down my throat. The food hit my gag reflex and I nearly vomited it back up. I did not fight the sensation. I hoped I would cover them in vomit and die of starvation. My body and gravity betrayed me as the food made it to my stomach despite the discomfort.

Their efforts to give me water did not go as smoothly. When they poured the liquid down my throat, my body twitch in searing convulsions as it thought I was again drowning in the sludge. I had not thought I had any adrenaline left but my heart pounded my brain into senselessness as instinct took over and I tried to fight my away out of the drowning. They held me firm but pulled the metal bar loose. I coughed several more minutes and my already abused throat burned and ripped with each attempt at expelling the liquid.

Before I had fully recovered, they tilted my head back and splashed my mouth with water. I swallowed most of it without meaning to. This time I could feel the cold liquid hit my stomach but the process had induced another coughing fit. Though I was angry at myself for yet another failure of defiance, I was grateful for the taste of the sewage having been washed away.

They left me alone and once I had recovered from my feeding, my boredom took me back into unconsciousness.

I lost count of the times Alvisio came to visit me. Every time he would have a new inventive way to torture me. Some days, he simply talked about Piera and what he had done to her recently to ensure her misery. Others, he would smile as he inflicted his latest brand of physical pain upon me. He set the torch to my feet; sliced open the skin between my thumb and index finger, then that along my collar bone, under my arms, and finally on my tongue; tied chains at my feet and more on my arms and stretched me until I was sure my body would pull apart; restrained me just enough so that I could not fight back even if I wanted to as he induldged in the simple pleasure of beating me; and of course, gave me regular baths in the rancid well.

I grew quite senseless during that time. I never begged or pleaded. I had lost any will to live, even for Piera. My brain could not focus upon her with any joy anymore. If I thought of her, I could think only of what Alvisio had said about her. Thinking of her brought me only more pain. Even my fantasies were dark and filled with my failure. There was nothing in me that felt worthy enough for more. There was just me in that room. There was no longer a world beyond it.

When I was alone, it was too dark for me to gain any distraction from the surroundings. I had tried to imagine that I could see the stones in front of me so that I could count them for something to do. As they were not real, they had the pesky habit of rearranging themselves and changing their number and size. Piera's methods of recalling previous lessons and stories in as much details as possible only reminded me of all I had lost. My brain was sabotaging me as effectively as Alvisio.

And what did it matter? Whether it was days or years, Alvisio would eventually kill me and likely Piera too if he ever found a way to protect the city without her.

Over time, I could not be sure but his sessions with me seemed to become even more sporadic than they had in the beginning. Yet, every time he came, he seemed happy with the visit. When I had lived as his son, we had barely ever spoken. He barked orders and insults. I did what he asked. Torturing me had opened a whole new side to him. There was an exuberance to him when he hurt me and far from being silent, he talked constantly, even long after his words had lost any negative effect upon me.

He had become philosophical, asking why we were given our lot. He spoke of the town and the people, our society. All anyone wanted was to be a noble because with that came status and freedom and yet that was the most fragile of the classes. A labourer had little to lose because they would always be a labourer. Nobles could lose everything if they broke the law. They could lose their own children if illegitimacy were suspected. What happened to the illegitimate children of nobles? They were nothing but labourers. Did their families even care about them?

I had begged Alvisio to shut up during one of his musings and had gotten a mouthful of the rancid pool and my most severe beating yet for my insolence. A sane man would have let him talk. I was no longer sane.

The door creaked open and I shut my eyes as I waited for the onslaught of torchlight. I wondered what he would choose today. The well? A beating? Did it matter?

There were more footsteps than his. Possibly stretching my body to its limit then? Force feeding?

I was sitting with my back against the wall as I waited for them to come around the corner. The torchlight hit my eyelids.

"Pick him up and take him to Vincent," Alvisio ordered. "Stay with him. Make sure he doesn't escape."

These strange words forced me to open my eyes. I looked directly at Alvisio. His face gave no indication that this day was different than any others.

"I'm sending you to the mines," he grunted. "You can stay there until I have use for you again."

I blinked.

Two guards lifted me by each arm and dragged me from the room. I did not resist. I was too confused and curious to risk being sent back.

I was taken to the main level of the Palace and down the corridor that led to Vincent's room but the guards walked by the doorway I had once used and continued to the next.

Though this next room looked very similar to the one I had known in that it had a tub in the middle, it was not as long or as pristine. It did not look dirty but the walls were not quite as polished, the tub was only black metal, and only a single pile of un-dyed tunics lay on the floor against one wall.

Vincent walked in a moment later. His face looked much older with the stern expression he wore now. He examined my outer tunic caked with the remnants of sewage and grimaced.

"You could not dump a bucket on his head at least?" he complained to the guards holding me.

"You will have to talk to Alvisio about that," one of the guards replied.

Vincent shrugged. "Pull off his clothes then and get him in the tub."

They did not bother pulling my outer tunic over my head. They ripped it off my body. They pulled my armour over my head and let it fall to the ground as they then ripped off my under tunic and my trousers. They picked me up and dropped me into the tub.

Vincent was there immediately with two large buckets of water. As he dumped them over my head, I learned they were not warm like the water he had used on me before. He pulled a small black metal vial out of his sling and let several drops of the contents fall into the water. This was not the moonflower oil he had used on me before. This oil smelled like Alvisio, like warm black metal.

He fetched two more buckets and dumped them over my head. He grumbled when he had to scrub at my hair and beard, both of which had grown long during my captivity. He further grumbled when he had to have the soldiers remove me from the tub so that he could drain it, clean it, and start again with fresh water.

Considering he was largely to blame for what had happened, he had nerve acting so inconvenienced. A tickle of the hatred I had once known flickered behind my navel.

He had to bathe me two more times before I was finally clean. He did not bother dressing me. Rather, he threw the un-dyed tunic and a pair of un-dyed trousers at me so that I could dress myself. I was sure he thought he was giving me a great slight. I did not mind in the slightest.

When I was dressed, the guards pulled me from the room. Alvisio was awaiting us in the entrance with several more guards. Evidently, he still knew enough not to underestimate me but I was in no shape to fight him and if I could not kill him, there was no point in trying to escape.

They escorted me from the palace. The cool night air hit my face and forced a chill down my spine. I looked up as we walked down the palace steps. It would be morning soon.

They walked me to the gate. Labourers had already begun to line up with their carts but all looked the other way when they saw Alvisio and the other soldiers.

I recognized none of the soldiers manning the gate. As the sun neared the crest of the mountain, they pushed the doors open and waited for the golden light to burn away the blue orbs. The sight of them brought back the memory of Carlo. I looked at my feet.

The moment the lights were gone, we began walking. The crops looked so dull with no stars resting on them. Even the sunlight seemed dull in comparison.

We kept walking.

The entrance to the mines was on the edge of the valley, halfway between the two cities. I could see the labourers pulling their carts through the gate ahead of us. They were starting their daily work. The road curved towards the city before us but also split off towards the mines. Alvisio was in front as we changed course. I could see the black metal gate to the mine. It was the only perfectly square object along the mountain. As we neared, I saw two guards standing in front of it. I had never dealt with guards of the mines.

The gate stood open as a third guard pulled a cart full of black metal ore out and left it next to four other full carts and several empty ones. He walked around the back of an empty cart and pushed it through the gate.

When we approached, one of the guards stepped forward.

"We have a new addition to your crew," Alvisio said to him.

The man eyed the number of guards that surrounded me.

"Will he be any trouble?" he asked Alvisio.

"Not if you put him deep," he said. "But he must stay alive. Do you understand me?"

The guard's brow furrowed but he nodded. "Give him to us."

The two mining guards took me and walked me to the gate. Blackness lay before us. The sunlight reflecting off the ground outside allowed us to see for another moment before they closed the gate behind us and it was black once more.

The guard to my left hollered, "We've got another one." The sound of his voice echoed down a shaft.

"We've got a cart we're just about to send up," a man yelled back. "He'll have to wait."

A moment later, I saw a spec of light far ahead and below me. A series of loud clinks bounced off the stones. As the light neared, I realized the shaft was not straight down but at a steep angle. The light was on a cart connected to a pulley system by a chain. The clinking was the loops of the chains being pulled across the pulley. The same guard who had moved the cart outside was hanging off the side and looking up at me.

When the cart reached the top, the guard hopped off and pulled it onto the flat ground. He disconnected the chain and grumbled to himself as he had to push the gate open again before pushing the cart through. A few moments later, he returned with another empty cart that he hooked up to the chain.

As the gate guard made sure I got into the cart, he said to the other, "Alvisio wants him kept alive."

The cart guard paused and looked up from his task of securing the chain. He gave a short snort. "He knows this is the gate to the mines right?"

"Just tell the foreman," the first guard groaned.

The cart guard shrugged. "If I remember," he said.

The cart began its descent, though it travelled much faster on the way down than the full cart had on the way up. At the bottom, I saw four men sitting on the ground and panting. The large chain was resting at their feet.

Ahead of us was a long and narrow tunnel. The guard climbed out of the cart and said, "Come with me."

I followed as he led me through a labyrinth of tunnels and down several more levels using cart and pulley systems.

Everywhere we went, the walls were wet. In some places, water had pooled in dips on the floor but most of the time it trickled down short tunnels that had be carved out at steep angels. The water rested in a murky sludge at the bottom of them.

I suspected we were nearing the end of our journey when the narrow passages were no longer silent. At first it was just low thumping sounds, then the high-pitched scrape of metal on metal. The smells changed too. Instead of wet stone, a hot and muggy mixture of sweat and warm metal filled my nostrils. There was no talking or at least I could not hear it over the work. The passage brightened and we turned a final corner into a tunnel that had not yet been made as wide as the others.

The bangs of metal against rock burst into my ears. Now, it was not just the scraping but the movements and grunts of dozens of people. My jaw tensed as I looked down the long line of workers. There were far more than I had thought.

There were torches lighting the way as far as I could see as the passage dipped up and down away from me. All along the walls were men using thick tools of solid black metal to break the rocks which fell in multi-faceted chunks of stone and metal at their feet. After an ankle deep pile had formed, the worker would pick up the pieces and stuff them into a nearby sack.

None of the men were wearing tunics. Their upper bodies were bare and glistened in the torchlight. They were all dirty. Their trousers had long since been dyed by black metal.

I saw several people look at me out of the corner of their eyes.

"Go to the end," the guard ordered. "The foreman will give you a pick. Then find an open spot on the wall and get to work."

I nodded and began to squeeze between the miners as I headed to the end. When I looked over my shoulder, the other guard was already gone. They did not seem to have very many guards. I doubted they were necessary. One skilled man could block a narrow hallway and the slopes to the top were far too steep to climb.

I kept walking and the lines of workers continued. Around each bend, there were more and more. Their picks hit the rock in rumbling blows that shook the ground beneath my feet. I swallowed. There were as many miners as labourers from Throne.

When I was near enough to see the end, there was a man checking the sacks as he walked by. When a sack was not filled to his liking, he would insult and threaten the man next to it before moving on. I was quite sure that was the foreman.

I walked up to him, keeping my head down as I did not want any more trouble than I had already found for myself. Maybe I would find the same despair in these pits that Alvisio had shown me in the subterranean chamber of the palace, but the change from that alone was enough to make me wait and see.

"I was told to ask you for a pick," I said, not looking the man in the eye.

He nodded firmly and turned to go back the way he had come. "We've only got broken ones at the moment but I'm sure you can manage," he said. "You look strong already; unlike most of the garbage that gets sent down here. Give it a few days and I'm sure you will find a better one."

I did not like the sound of that but I was also not stupid enough to press him for an explanation. We came to the end of the tunnel and there was a sack the same size as the others with large metal picks sticking out of it. The sharp ends were mostly broken off. It would be like digging with a hammer but I did not complain.

He grabbed one with its break closest to the original tip and an empty sack from the floor. He held them both out for me to take. "We aren't fussy here," he said. "Find room to work and dig until we tell you to stop. You're lucky. It's your first day. You don't have much time left before we order sleep."

I blinked at him.

"We work you fools during the night so that you're too tired to run during the day. Good luck climbing to the surface after a day and a half down here. Even if your mind wants it, your body will never let you."

I turned and looked along the men attacking the wall. There appeared to be no free place. I began to walk in search of one nearer the start of the line. When a man with blond hair and a beard as long and shaggy as my own took a step to the side to get a better shot at the wall, I took the opportunity to slide in next to him. I hoped he would not take offence.

I wound up and took my first swing at the wall, hitting it with all I could. While a chunk did fall free and roll to a stop by my foot, my arms still felt like they were vibrating from the impact with the wall. I looked at the others around me. They were not putting as much effort into it as I had thought.

"You'll be done after four hits if you do it like that," the blonde man next to me said. "Also, be careful of water pockets. The rock is strong but it's porous. If you find a big enough pocket, we're done for."

His voice was familiar. At first I couldn't place it but it forced me to look closer at his face. "Mattheus?" I whispered.

He nodded before hitting the wall again. I followed his lead. Easing up just a little seemed to work better. The chunk was smaller but my arms did not feel nearly as traumatized.

"Did she live?" he asked. He sounded miserable, like this had been the same question he had tormented himself with for months.

I nodded as I took another strike at the wall. "Barely," I added.

He hit the wall so hard his pick got stuck. His fingers tightened around the metal handle but he did not pull it out right away. "I was too much of a coward for her," he whispered back. "He told me to leave. I knew what he was going to do but I felt powerless. I should have stayed and fought him."

"I knocked out two of his teeth," I said between blows. The memory made me smile; the first time in a very long time.

His eyes widened and after a moment, his mouth curved into a smile as he pulled his pick free. "I wish I could have seen that," he said. "Is that why you're down here?"

I shook my head. "No. I was demoted first. Then I broke into the palace and tried to escape the city with her."

"Is she alright?"

"I have no idea." I lowered my pick and set it against the wall as I started stuffing pieces of the free stone and metal into the sack. "How long have you been down here?" I asked.

He chuckled as he hit the wall again. "That's a difficult question to answer. You probably know better than I do. I lose count sometimes."

"Alvisio had me in a subterranean torture chamber," I said back. "Not even a routine to follow to make sense of time."

He sobered. "So I really was lucky then," he said. "He claimed he was being merciful to me by sending me here." He considered for another moment. "It's been at least four months," he said finally. "I wouldn't bet my life on that number but it's close."

That meant Alvisio had been torturing me for just a couple of weeks shy of that. Being in the thick of it, time did not matter. The bouts of torture seemed like lifetimes on their own. Standing next to Mattheus and actually feeling lucky to be doing hard labour in the mines, I could not believe I had survived that long. Had Piera survived?

The foreman came walking our way. We stopped talking as we focused on our task. He eyed the bulges of my sack as he passed but said nothing. I could only assume that was approval.

# Part III: The Mines

## Chapter 13

The next day, word had spread amongst the miners of the new addition to their ranks. I had not heard anyone talk about me but was notified of this fact by a man attempting to punch me in the back of the head. I may have spent several months being tortured, but I was as good a fighter as ever.

I noticed the movement out of the corner of my eye and spun around to grab the man's fist.

"I'm just trying to work," I said. I had no desire to give Alvisio reason to retrieve me. "Just leave me alone."

The man's fist quivered in my grasp as he attempted to fight me off but I was strong enough to hold it firmly where it was. His head was too big for a human body and his neck was even wider than his jaw. His hair was in dreadlocks and his dark beard equally matted.

"I'm here because of you," he said. "Don't you remember me?"

I raised a brow. "Do you know how many people are here because of me?" I gestured with my pick to the line of men, several of whom had risked taking a break in their digging to watch.

The man smirked, despite the fact that he could still not extract his fist from my hand. "And that just means you'll be dead within the week."

I shrugged. "I doubt that," I said. "Even if one of you could best me, Alvisio seems to want me alive. You don't want to anger him, do you?"

The man's eyes widened and now his fist clenched for an entirely different reason.

"Oh, so you've been a guest to his special room too?" I said. "I just got out myself. I'm enjoying the freedom really and I would like to keep it that way." I let go of his fist, which fell limply to his side. "Now I suggest you get back to work before the foreman checks on us."

The man blinked but did as I suggested and within seconds the foreman was several men down, yelling at them for not digging hard enough. I got back to work before he could reach me.

"Thanks for not killing him," the foreman muttered as he checked the contents of my sack. "We're having enough trouble meeting quota as it is."

I had come to find that I had been right and there were quite a few men in the mines that I was responsible for putting there. At first, some of them had it in their heads that they could get revenge on me and my next few encounters did not end as peacefully as the first. For weeks, there were daily attempts on my life. Some of the men had forgotten that even though I was no longer a soldier, I knew how to fight. None of them bothered me once they learned the health benefits of leaving me alone. A few did not even try, not because of fear, but they did not blame me for their lot. They knew how our world worked and they felt they had put themselves there.

I knew I had and though the mines proved much less painful than Alvisio's torture, I was still tormented every day by the reasons I was there. Even worse, my imagination had proved endless in exploring the possibilities of what was happening in Throne in my absence. Whatever was happening up there, I deserved to be punished for it in the mines. I knew I would never have a chance to set things right so torturing myself over what had happened seemed the only option. In some ways, I hoped I would die for what I had done but that seemed the coward's way out. Whether I wanted to or not, it seemed death was out of my hands.

Deaths were often and I soon learned what the foreman had meant on his first day about waiting a few days for a better pick. If a man near you died and he had a better pick, you took it. It was as simple as that.

I had heard from the others that we had been lucky not to have had any recent cave-ins. The threat of the cave-ins seemed enough to keep the prison population under control. Most of them had accepted they would die in those mines but some still had hope.

"I'm hoping they'll send me to work on cart duty soon," a man named Jonus said to the man next to him.

The man scoffed. "The work's finally made it to your brain," he said.

"I got charged with stealing only a sling," he said. "I'm not like some of the murderers and traitors down here." He glanced in my direction.

It didn't bother me but I had to agree with the other man. Jonus was delusional if he thought he would be released. To Alvisio, theft and murder were as traitorous as what I had done; maybe not as moronic as what I had done but definitely as insulting.

"Shut up and get back to work!" The foreman yelled. "Jonus, you are an idiot. Have you ever known a labourer who had once been a miner? Think about that while you do your digging."

Jonus scowled as he swung his pick-axe again.

At the end of the day, the miners took the sacks to the cart and returned to where they had been working. We were finally allowed to sit. Some of the men talked, others closed their eyes and were snoring within moments. Jonus had been deliberate in the carving of his length of wall and had formed a rounded ledge he was now using as a pillow.

I had not gone back to my original digging spot, I sat at the end of the line, near the foreman. He had never needed to yell at me for my work and appreciated that I did my best to stay out of trouble, even when it sought me out. I might have even gone so far as to say that he liked me.

"You never see former miners in the fields," I said low, "But I also have never seen a former foreman."

He was sitting with his back against the wall, one knee up, and one arm resting across it. He moved only his eyes to look at me. "Your point?" he asked.

I shrugged. "Most people inherit the jobs of their fathers. I'm not sure how you'll be having any sons down here."

"I would never wish this on my own kin," he grunted as he rested his head against the wall and closed his eyes.

"How does one come to be the foreman down here? You aren't a former prisoner are you? Does Jonus have hope after all? I doubt that."

He cut short a small chuckle. "The miners have convinced themselves that they get promoted to handling the carts when they are near release. It's a fantasy," he whispered. "When they cease to be as useful down here, they get sent up there. When they are not useful for that, they meet their end, sometimes with a little help."

"Will you meet that end someday too?"

He lolled his head to the side to look at me. "I've committed no crime," he said, "Except for being born down here."

I could feel my eyes nearly popping out of my head. "They don't send women down here."

"They used to," he said. "They stopped after the light riots seventeen years ago. So many people were sent down here that there was chaos. There was a time when they had teams of women working the Yinean tunnels but with so many people down here, they couldn't keep the groups separate. Most of those women were raped and killed.

"My mother was pregnant with me when she was sent here decades ago. There weren't as many prisoners back then and she worked much like you do now. She definitely was not as poorly treated in her arrest as you men. She gave birth to me down here, but no one leaves the mines, even those like me who have committed no crime. My mother was a miner and I had no father, so I was a miner."

He sighed. "I wasn't the first," he continued. "Previous foremen had been dealt the same lot. Only once was the child of such a case allowed out. I have no idea why. It was when I was a little kid. His mother had been sent here after getting pregnant with an illegitimate child. She was a merchant's daughter I believe and claimed the father was another noble. I suspect she was sent here to be silenced. Not long after the child was born, guards came and took it away. Within a month she was dead; crushed to death in a cave-in."

I considered my own dubious parentage. Alvisio had told everyone he was my father but we knew he wasn't and he never let me question him about my real parents. My guts churned with excitement.

"What did she look like?" I asked, thinking he would say her hair was blond like mine.

"Hair like black metal," he said, "Just like the boy who came out of her."

My shoulders fell. I had been silly to entertain the thought of learning about my parentage. After all, he had said it had happened when he was a child. I was decades younger than he was. It could not have been my mother.

"Get some sleep," he instructed. "I won't be easier on you tomorrow."

I closed my eyes as my pores soaked up the familiar disappointment. I had been crazy to think anything good would come out of my time in the mines.

## Chapter 14

I had never liked Mattheus when we had guarded Piera. He had seen me as a rival and I had thought him pathetic for it. But five years pounding rock next to a man builds a friendship whether you want it or not.

In fact, whether tenuous or strong, I developed friendships with most of the men in those mines, friendships I had never been allowed to experience serving under Alvisio. Had I had such bonds before I had met Piera, I might have felt honoured and even lucky. Before Piera, I would have thought such friendships the true richness of life. After Piera, I appreciated them but there was a bitterness inside me that refused to allow those relationships to bring me happiness. I thought of Carlo and Piera too much to feel deserving of that. If Alvisio ever knew of the family I had been developing in those mines, he would have made sure to destroy it as thoroughly as he had everything else in my life.

Despite the camaraderie, I still hated my time there. We all hated it. Our muscles never became accustomed to the abusive work. We had to make due with broken and worn tools because almost none of the ore that was sent to the cities was returned. If we ever received tool deliveries, there were never enough to replace those that had been broken. We also never knew which day would see a cave-in that would kill a friend. Any break to our monotony proved more punishing than the daily work.

One such night, our work began like any other. We woke from our sleep and stretched our aching limbs. The foreman walked by with a sack of stale vegetable bread that had been delivered to the mines earlier in the week. He handed one roll to each man before moving on. A clay jug of water was passed down the line and we each got to take a short drink. Then we stood and started our work.

Three small groups were extending the tunnels instead of taking the easy pickings off the walls. I was in one of those groups. We worked in shifts of digging, bagging, and dragging the bags back to the carts to be lifted out of the mines. Mattheus was digging while I was dragging the bags to the cart.

After depositing one of the bags of rocks, I was walking back when I heard shouts and a rumble. The floor of the mine shook beneath me and the rumbling grew louder.

We were lucky that the area we had been digging was not prone to cave-ins − the rock was stable and had very few cavities − but they did happen. Mattheus and I had somehow avoided them but we knew one day we would be killed like so many others. But the rumble I heard now was not strong enough to indicate a full cave-in.

I began running towards the sound only to see most of the men running towards me. For a second, I didn't know what to do. As the realization that they were running from something hit me, I turned and sprinted back to the cart.

Then I heard the roar and the splashing of water. I tried to climb the slope of the cart shaft but it was too steep. I kept sliding back down no matter how good my footing. The others had reached me and a few of them tried to climb too but had the same result.

The water came around the bend. The wave appeared to be growing smaller as it approached us. By the time it reached me, the water lapped at my toes before receding several paces where it stayed.

The other men and I looked at each other and laughed over our close call. Our relief echoed off the walls and down the tunnels. But Mattheus and the foreman were not with us.

I pushed through the crowd as best I could to get through. It took several long minutes of shoving and squeezing past soaked men before I broke away from the group and was able to run down the tunnel. The water got deeper but was mostly only up to my ankles so I continued. By the time it was up to my mid-calf, I could see Mattheus and the foreman. They were standing in the opening of a huge cavity that they were inspecting. They were both soaked as they had probably been nearest the wall when it released.

"What happened?" I called to them.

"We appear to have breached a well," Mattheus called back.

"A well?"

The foreman nodded. "We're under the city already."

I squeezed next to Mattheus to look into the large underground cavern that must have been filled with water until moments ago. There was a long shaft in the middle of the ceiling. Even from our vantage point, we could see the light that was the opening simply because the top of the shaft was lined with palace metal.

"Who is that?" The words echoed down the hole, the sounds growing in volume as they bounced around the cavern. "What have you done?"

My body froze as I recognized the voice. I could feel Mattheus' eyes on me and knew he recognized it too. Vincent. Had we penetrated the palace well?

"The foreman of the miners," the foreman yelled up. "We've had a bit of a cave-in down here."

"Where has our water gone?" Vincent snapped back.

"The tunnels mostly," the foreman replied. "But there is still a good lake of it in this cavern."

There was no answer.

"Hello?" The foreman yelled more loudly.

There was still no answer.

"I have a feeling I will be dealing with this later," he grunted. "Come on. There is another way we can go for now. Back to work."

As instructed, we shifted our work to a branch of the tunnel that had been intended for future digging. Mattheus and I switched jobs to work together but for a long time we did not speak. We were both churning over what had happened and what it meant. There was another way out of the mines.

As close as it felt to have that opening to the palace, there was no way up, but that did not mean there would not be better opportunities; ones closer to the surface. It was also the first time we considered cave-ins to have potential.

I had long ago given up hope of escaping. The slopes for the carts were too steep. My efforts to escape the water earlier that day had reminded me of that. No one could get up them without a cart and that required at least two more people to work the pulleys. We were many levels down and would be discovered long before we had made it up one level.

The only miners permitted closer to the surface were the few who worked the pulleys. Though the foreman had told me the truth about them, they were as convinced as Jonus that they would be released soon. As a result, they thought of themselves as nobles of the mines and the rest of us as labourers. It was difficult enough to get them to cooperate to take the metals up. It would have been impossible to convince them to aid in an escape. But a simple cave-in had gotten my mind churning about the possibility of freedom for the first time in five years.

I said nothing of what I was considering to Mattheus but knew from his silence that he was thinking the same thing. When we worked together, we often talked. Now, we were silent as we struck the wall over and over again, listening only to our blows and the clunking of the rocks falling at our feet.

The next day, as we continued our work, a guard from the surface came down on the cart. Usually, the only time we saw a surface guard, he was escorting a new prisoner. This guard was alone.

He headed straight for the foreman who had just hit one of the men on the back of the head for filling only a single sack when the others had already filled three. The guard whispered something to the foreman and the two of them walked back down the tunnel together. Mattheus and I kept working but we exchanged glances.

Several minutes later, the foreman returned without the guard.

"Take what you have in your bags and put them in the carts," he hollered. "We'll be moving to the Yinean tunnels."

"But they were abandoned because of the cave-ins," Jonus yelled from further down the line.

"Did I ask for your opinion?" the foreman barked back. "We are moving to the Yinean tunnels. Put your sacks on the cart and get moving. Now!"

Mattheus and I looked at each other again before picking up our haul.

"They don't want a bunch of prisoners that close to the palace," Mattheus grunted as he threw the sack over his shoulder.

I nodded but said nothing. I was quite sure Alvisio would have realized the very things I had been considering. We were being moved to the riskier tunnels to keep us away and to keep us afraid. We would be less likely to explore the rocks there. We would be that much easier to keep in line.

As we walked to the Yinean tunnels, the other men muttered their displeasure to their nearest comrades. Though the foreman shot dirty looks over his shoulder, he said nothing. I was sure most of us realized he was as displeased as the rest of us about the ordered changed. I doubted he had pleasant memories of the Yinean mines but there was nothing even he could do.

It was obvious that the new tunnels were a concern from the moment we reached them. A former branching had a loose pile of rubble blocking the way. The walls were marked by veins of sand and soil amongst the rock formations. Nothing about these tunnels seemed as solid.

By the time the foreman reached the end of the tunnel, it was time to rest. We picked our spots along the wall and sat down. Mattheus' eyes moved to take in the length of the ceiling above us.

"I hope we're alive when we wake up," he said.

I burst out laughing. "Just let me sleep if we're not."

"Shut it!" the foreman yelled.

## Chapter 15

Working in the Yinean mines was much more stressful. The rocks were almost completely dry but they were also less compact. Several times a day we had to evacuate the tunnel when small pockets of sand released, indicating a possible cave-in. We were lucky that very few of them turned into anything more than those sand spouts. Once, as we were evacuating, there was a minor cave-in, but none of the men had gotten caught in it. We were so on edge and ready to bolt at any moment, that when the call to evacuate was given, the miners were already halfway to the exit.

The added stress had made everyone less amicable. The foreman had yelled at Mattheus and I for not working hard enough even though we always managed to extract more than anyone else each day. Mattheus and I did not talk as much as we spent our time straining our ears for any sound of the mountain trying to bury us.

As much as I had disliked the mines before, I had found a new depth of loathing for them. My heightened anxiety did not even allow me to torture myself with thoughts of Piera or Carlo. My instincts had launched a successful coup over my conscious mind. I was simply swinging my arm over and over and readying to flee at the first sign of trouble. I did not even have the luxury of musing whether there was a point to it all.

"Mattheus, Veleno, get over here!" The foreman shouted at us.

We picked up our things and carried them over our shoulders as we jogged to him. He wiped away the sweat from his brow using his forearm. "We've hit a pocket of harder rock," he said. "I need your strength to break through it."

We got to work immediately.

"I'm not sure this is wise," Mattheus muttered between strikes.

"What?"

"We've been digging through a large vein of sand and then there is this big chunk of rock. What's this holding up?"

I shrugged as I wacked at the wall again, harder this time. A large chunk of palace metal fell to my feet and I swung my pick again. "What is it ever holding up?" I grunted. "We never know. If we hit a bad pocket and get killed, they can easily replace us. It would take them more time and effort to check it out first and they just don't care that much about us."

He hit the wall with his pick, but I noticed he was not putting his full weight into the blow despite the hardness of the rock.

"You really that attached to this life?" I asked as I bent down to gather the new pile into my bag.

"Strangely, yes," he said. "That's crazy, I know."

I half-chuckled half-snorted. "Haven't given up hope they'll let you out some day?"

"Haven't given up that I'll get out," he said.

I did not miss the distinction.

We kept working on extending the tunnel for the next several days. As we broke into the softer rock again, Mattheus began to relax and become more talkative. He had come to the conclusion that he had had little reason to worry. I, on the other hand, was more worried. It was the sand that made me nervous, not the rock. Rock would crush you quickly. Sand would suffocate. The memories of Alvisio's pool caused my jaw to clench involuntarily.

It was nearing the end of the day and I was anticipating the foreman calling a stop to the digging. He was making one last check of the sacks and had nearly reached Mattheus and I.

"Watch where you're swinging that thing!" We heard one of the men yell at another one. When I looked over my shoulder, I saw Jonus rubbing the back of his head.

"I didn't touch you," the other yelled back.

A chunk of hard stone fell from the ceiling and landed on the ground between them. Mattheus, the foreman, and I were all watching now. Several paces back, another rock fell and bounced off the ground. Then we heard the high-pitched snapping of rock. Sand began to spill through a long slit in the ceiling. The foreman managed to turn his face away right before the grains would have hit his eyes.

"Cave-in!" He bellowed as he stepped out from the spilling sand. The order was followed by the worried shouts of the other men as they ran for the exit.

But Mattheus and I had barely moved even one foot before it happened. The next crack was much louder and more like a snapping. It brought with it sand and rock. This was no minor collapse. The entire ceiling of the tunnel fell in like a waterfall. The foreman's wide eyes focused upon me as he dove towards me to get out of the way. He was hit in the head by a large chunk of rock in mid-jump and fell at my feet. I could not tell if his body was moving as it was jostled by the inundation of rock and sand or if he was still alive.

I pressed against the wall Mattheus and I had been working on and just blinked at what I was seeing. There was nothing I could do even if I had wanted. I waited to be crushed by the hard rock above us. I hoped that would happen before the sand would bury us. The grains that were churned into the air were already stinging the inside of my nose. I tried to control my breathing enough to minimize the effect but was still forced into a coughing fit as it tickled my throat. The fact that I could hear the loud bangs and the relentless flushing of the sand above my own pounding heart was quite a feat. I was forced to cover my ears to protect from the noise.

After several seconds, the worst of the rock fall had subsided and the remaining sand that fell came in a trickle. Aside from the movement of these few grains, there was silence. There was no hammering, no yelling, no echoes of breathing or snoring. It was the most perfect silence I had heard in years.

I looked down and realized I was covered nearly to the knees in sand but I was alright. The foreman's hand was clutching my leg but he was otherwise buried.

"Help me!" I shouted to Mattheus as I bent down to dig out the foreman.

Within a second, Mattheus' hands were next to mine as we tried to dig the foreman out. We were able to get the sand away from his face and he took a large gasp. We kept digging as he panted. His face was covered in blood.

"I can't feel my legs," he said. He was not worried. His tone was even and matter-of-fact. "Stop, Veleno," he said. "Just stop."

Mattheus and I looked at each other but did as he asked. The blood kept flowing from the top of his head. I bent over the wound to get a better look. I cringed as I realized a chunk of his skull had been broken away and his brain was exposed.

"Youdon'thavetotellme," the foreman slurred. "I ... know."

There was nothing I could say. No words would heal him and he was too pragmatic to need comforting. His skin not covered in blood was growing pale.

We stayed with him through his final moments. None of us spoke but staying with him seemed the right thing to do. When his final breath eked out of him, my jaw tensed.

"He never did anything to deserve this," Mattheus grunted. "Those bastards don't care who they hurt."

I swallowed but said nothing. What was there to say? He was right but knowing that fixed nothing. I closed my eyes and gave myself a moment to mourn in the perfect silence. When I opened them again, I looked up at the rock immediately above us. It was strong and flawless. It formed a protective archway that was likely the only reason Mattheus and I had avoided injury or death.

"We don't have a torch," Mattheus whispered as he too looked around

"So?" I asked. "We're alive."

He looked at me. "We don't have a torch," he repeated before looking ahead once more.

As I followed his gaze, I realized what he had meant. The sand before us sparkled a creamy white. In fact, we could see our surroundings and each other much more clearly than ever.

I pulled my feet loose of the sand, which eagerly filled the gap they had created. Mattheus did the same. We hesitated only long enough to cover the foreman's body with the loose sand. It was the best burial we could give him at that moment.

We then pulled and crawled from under our small protection. The sand was still loose. We slipped and sunk often but finally were able to get a good look at our surroundings.

A narrow cavern extended far above us. One side of the cavern was open to the air and the sunlight was shining through it. Our eyes scanned the rock formations around it.

"We can get out," Mattheus whispered.

I blinked. Then I nodded as I had no words to express the disbelief, hope, and fear that was liquifying my insides.

After another hesitation, we both scrambled to the rocky mounds and began to climb. After a day of digging, my muscles protested in pain at this additional effort but I did not care. It would not be for much longer. I pulled myself up over and over again. Mattheus was ahead of me and I could see his arms shaking as he did the same. Neither of us complained.

We reached the opening and pulled ourselves onto the edge. Not far below us, close enough that we could easily drop onto it without risking injury, was a small outcropping. Mattheus dropped down first and I followed.

When I turned around, he was on his stomach. "Get down," he said.

I did as he instructed without questioning and crawled up next to him on my belly.

The outcropping overlooked the fields of Oculus. In the distance, along the horizon, I could see the faint shape of the tower that I knew was the king's palace. But we were near a city. The gate of King's Grace was close enough that we could make out the details of the pounded metal.

It was mid-morning and the labourers filled the fields. I felt a trail of tingly bumps form across my back as the air moved over my skin. It was a sensation I had long forgotten and one I realized I had always taken for granted during my years of freedom.

"We need to get down the mountain and into the city before nightfall," Mattheus whispered.

I nodded. It would be difficult but I had survived Alvisio and the mines; I could survive a small hike on jagged rocks.

"How are we going to get into the city without being noticed?" I asked as I looked at the hooded tunics of the labourers. Mattheus and I had long since thrown away our tunics and our trousers were nearly black from the metal filings that had been ground into them. Though dirty, our skin was pale from our lack of exposure to the sun and contrasted sharply with our trousers.

"Hide amongst the vegetables if we must," he grunted back.

We spent several more minutes examining our surroundings before we moved. There was another outcropping below us. It linked to a path of sorts. The path was slightly too narrow and went between jagged points but it would keep us hidden as we headed down the mountain.

The distance to the outcropping below us was much greater than it had been to the first and I was not confident the drop could be made without injury. At my insistence, I held onto Mattheus' arms and lowered him over the edge as best I could before letting go. He fell backwards when he landed but was otherwise alright. I lowered myself over the edge and let go. Mattheus was to do his best to catch me. What happened was more that I crashed into him and we both fell to the ground.

He coughed from the wind being knocked out him as he rolled on the ground. "You should have told me you were a fat piece of shit," he wheezed as he tried to regain his breath.

"Sorry," I grunted as I climbed to my feet. "I've really been gorging myself lately."

"Ha. Ha," he mocked as he rolled his eyes. He was still coughing but managed to stand.

We had to move sideways along the path, which was made all the more difficult by the fact that the ground was covered with loose rocks that prevented firm footing. Though the path was short, it took us until nearly midday to get to the other side. We then had to climb over a boulder and drop down onto another outcropping but we were closer to the base of the mountain. The last outcropping was barely a man's height above the ground and we both hopped down easily before scurrying under it to hide from view.

The open air felt cold in my lungs and I had to hold back a coughing fit, which only made my eyes water and twitch as my chest convulsed in its efforts anyway. I forced several swallows, hoping the saliva would coat the inside of my throat. It did little to ease my discomfort.

To one side of us were the walls of the city. To the other, the fields and the labourers working them. There were several carts peppered amongst the workers. As they harvested the ripe vegetables and grains, they kept them in piles nearby before carrying an armful to the cart where they deposited it. It was very much like our work in the mines. There were many times when all the labourers were busy with the crops and the carts were left unattended and unnoticed.

"We wait," Mattheus said.

I nodded.

He continued, "Late in the day, when the carts are almost full and the light is dim, we run for one and get inside. We cover ourselves with the vegetables and wait until they take the cart into the city."

I nodded again. "Hopefully we can get out before they discover us."

"Hopefully," he echoed.

As the day waned, we watched the carts fill. Soon, large swaths of sunlight were blocked by the mountains. Long shadows stretched across the fields. We kept our eyes on a nearby cart. It was nearly full, it was in the shade, and most importantly it was angled away from the view of the gate.

The moment came when all the labourers who had been using it were preoccupied. Mattheus and I ran for it, trying to be fast and silent at the same time. The soft thudding of my feet against the plants sounded louder than a shout in my ears but no one looked up.

We reached the cart and Mattheus helped me push most of the vegetables and grains to the side. He hopped in and lay down. We both worked to shift the contents over top of him. I hopped up and lay down next to him and then we both worked to flatten out the contents so that we were covered and so that their distribution gave nothing away.

The moment we stilled, there was the sound of approaching footsteps. A second later, I was winded by the weight of an armful of root vegetables being tossed on top of me. I bit my tongue to stay quiet. In the silence that followed, I could feel a small shaking of the cart and realized that Mattheus was trying not to laugh. I would have punched him if I had dared move.

Not long later, several more armfuls of vegetables were tossed on top of us before we felt the cart tilt as the labourers lifted it off its supports and pulled it towards the gate.

When the muffled noises of the city reached my ears, I held my breath and strained to listen to everything happening around us. We passed through the gate without trouble and an increased harshness of the bumps of the carts indicated we were on the stone of the streets.

After another minute, the cart stopped. Mattheus and I stayed still. The labourers were chatting. They were waiting their turn to deposit their harvest.

I dared not wait. I pushed my head up enough that the vegetables covering it fell away. I looked around. It was nearly dark in the city already. The mountains shielded King's Grace from the late day sun more than they did Throne. The labourers must have all been gathered neared the front of the cart because there was no one around the back. We also appeared to be stopped near a wall. I did my best to slide on my back to the opening in the back of the cart without pushing the vegetables over. I wanted nothing to alert the labourers of my presence. I used my arms to shift the vegetables to where my head and upper body had been. I could feel Mattheus beginning to move as well.

We emerged from the cart at roughly the same time and crouched low behind it. We looked around. In one direction was what appeared to be the main street curving down towards the gate. In the other, it curved up by the cart and continued on. There were too many carts grouped together for us to see where it led. On the other side of us were the side streets that went between the labourer's houses. The torches had not yet been lit so, without needing to confer, Mattheus and I ran for one of the darkened alleys.

"Now what?" he said as we tried to put as much distance between us and the gate. "Should we break into someone's house and get tunics before they start going home?"

I shook my head. "Labourers never have extra tunics," I explained. "They only ever have what's on their backs."

"How are we going to blend in then?" he asked.

I did not answer. I had no idea and we had to figure out something. When the torches were lit and the night patrols started, we would be in trouble.

"Thanks, Anna. I'll make it up to you somehow. I promise."

"No need to thank me, Dominic," a woman replied. "I was glad to help." Anna's familiar voice met my ears. I could not believe my luck having Zuane's sister nearby.

I moved back the way we had come, moving towards Anna's voice. Mattheus' brow knit in confusion and worry but I dared not speak.

Anna looked years younger. I could not figure out why given that it had been five years since I had seen her. She had her hands clasped in front of her and was staring down at them. The tall man in front of her looked about the same age. He was pulling off his tunic. He carelessly folded it and held it out.

"Here you go," he said. "And you're sure you can have it done by morning?"

She nodded, only risking to look into his eyes for a moment. "Yes," she said. "That should be no problem."

"You really are the best, Anna," he said and he leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you, Dominic," she muttered.

When he had gone, I moved closer. "Anna," I whispered, hoping it was loud enough for her to hear.

She looked up and turned around. "Who's there?"

I swallowed. I hoped she would remember me. "Veleno," I whispered back.

"Veleno?" She asked. Despite sounding confused, she hurried toward me, clutching Dominic's tunic against her stomach. "I thought you were dead!"

"I need your help," I said. "Is there somewhere we can hide?"

She looked over my shoulder and saw Mattheus. She nodded quickly and gestured for us to follow. "My house is right here," she whispered back. "Come inside."

She walked past us only a few feet before holding open a door. We hurried through into the dark room. She shut the door behind us.

For the first time, my chest relaxed, allowing a long breath to gust out of me. I also became aware of just how cold I felt. I wrapped my arms around myself and rubbed my biceps, trying to create enough friction to bring warmth. At the same time, I could hear Mattheus blowing into his hands and Anna moving around the room.

"Let me just get the torch lit," she said.

I heard the sound of scraping metal and a small red glow appeared an arm's length in front of me. A second later, it had turned yellow. Then it grew and as the fire began to eat away at the oil coated torch, the room slowly brightened. It took much longer for it to warm.

There was a tiny hearth set into the wall. The rounded stones on the bottom of it were blackened and a small, soot-covered cauldron was resting on them but there was no sign it had held anything recently. One of the stones, clean of any soot at all, had rolled out of the hearth and come to rest against the leg of Anna's cot.

Anna did not appear inclined to use her torch to light the stones in the hearth. She just replaced it on its hook before looking at us properly.

"I am so relieved to see you here," I said. "Where is Zuane?"

She frowned. "He died three years ago," she said. "He ... he did not want to live."

"I'm so sorry," I said as all the possible ways he could have done the deed flashed through my mind. Knowing Zuane, it had been unique.

She shrugged as she moved to sit on her cot. "I suppose it was for the best," she said. "After he died, I could not stay in Throne. I decided one day that I would simply walk to the other end of the field and work there. I put my things − though they were few − in my sling and never looked back. I still don't look at that city, even in the fields."

She looked up at me. "It got so much worse for him after you left," she said. "You understood him. You tolerated him. You brought him home when he wandered and that was it. The other soldiers were not so kind to him. They would make fun of him and trick him into degrading himself for their entertainment. Sometimes they would bring him home but only after they had beaten him nearly beyond recognition. I couldn't bear to see the faces of those soldiers again. I knew they had driven him to do it."

"I'm sorry," I whispered, feeling incredibly guilty for my part in his further downfall. I ruined all the lives I touched. Just being in Anna's house now meant I had likely now condemned her as well. But it was too late to take it back. A touch was all it took and I could not ask Mattheus to risk the streets at that moment.

"Don't apologize," she said. "You were the only good those men ever knew. It's their fault they are too wicked to be like you. But where have you been?"

"The mines," I replied.

She looked at Mattheus. "And him too?"

I nodded. "I wasn't the only good in that army," I explained. "But the good ones get sent to the mines."

Her eyes were wide. "How did you get out? No one has ever escaped."

"Luck," I said. "Pure luck. But we will get sent back there if anyone else realizes who we are." I indicated my state of dress. "Is there any way you can help us?"

"No one will notice if you become labourers," she said. "We all look alike to the soldiers and the nobles never lower themselves to look at us."

She pulled her sling over her head and began to rummage through it. I could hear the clinking together of coins every time she moved the fabric. "I never had any money when I cared for Zuane," she said. "I had to spend all of it feeding and caring for him. I don't eat much and I have been fixing tunics to make a little extra. I charge less than the new ones cost, so I get decent business." She pulled out a handful of palace metal coins. The image of the king's palace was pressed into them. "I should have enough to buy two tunics," she explained. "But you will have to wait until morning."

"You are amazing, Anna," I said, beaming at her.

She shrugged. "People like us have to stick together," she said. "The nobles see us as barely human so who else is going to care for us?"

Mattheus and I sat down against the wall as we watched Anna mend Dominic's tunic. There was a hole under one arm and she was sewing it back together.

"Any hope of us finding a place to sleep from now on?" I asked.

She did not look up from her mending. "Not likely. The labourers' village is full at the moment. You are welcome to stay with me but this cot is all I have."

Mattheus and I looked at each other and grinned. Anna had not noticed we were near to falling asleep where we sat. The flat floor and wall of her house was luxurious comfort for two men who had spent years sleeping against the jagged walls of the mines. "This will work for us just fine," I said. "But as soon as there is another place open, we'll do our best to get out of your way."

"To tell you the truth. It is nice to have someone to talk to," she said. "Zuane let me talk to him but he wasn't really able to listen. I've been alone ever since he died."

"What about that Dominic?" I asked. "You two seemed taken with each other."

She blushed and gave a small jump as she pricked her finger with the needle. "I'm not sure he thinks of me as anything more than a mender of his tunic."

I chuckled. "Trust me," I said. "If you would look at his face instead of your hands when he talks to you, you'd see that he thinks much more of you than that."

The red of her cheeks deepened. "I never really thought I would have someone in my life," she said. "When I had to care for my brother, I just assumed that was all I would have."

"Maybe it is time you allowed yourself to have more," I suggested.

"Maybe."

# Part IV: Fields

## Chapter 16

The next morning, Anna hurried to the tunic merchant the moment of first light. She came back with two hooded tunics, un-dyed trousers, and un-dyed slings. Though she had bought them new, they were streaked with dirt.

"I wiped them over the wall outside to make them look a little more worn," she said. "Two fully grown men wearing entirely brand new outfits would draw attention. The merchant was suspicious enough of my purchases."

We dressed as fast as we could and hurried with Anna to the carts. "The labourers will realize you're new, but they won't ask," she said. "We're all in this together."

Unlike in the mines, there was no foreman. All the labourers were the same and they all had the same expected of them so they had never developed a formal organizational structure. A small group would organize around a cart, go out into the fields, and work around the area where they stopped their cart.

It was harvesting season, so the expectation was that the carts had to be filled with food when they returned to the city. So long as that happened, there were no problems. This also meant that the carts were evenly spread throughout the field as grouping them closely together made little sense if one was to ensure his cart was full by the end of the day. Those who made it through the gate first also had first pick for where they harvested that day. The later one was to get to a cart and get through the gate, the further out he had to go.

Because Anna had had to drop off Dominic's tunic and fetch new ones for us, we were amongst the last to get a cart for the day. With two other people, we had to take our cart out almost as far as the gate to the mines. Mattheus and I had suggested to Anna that we take an open spot on the side of the valley furthest from it. We had no desire to invite trouble.

As we approached our intended spot, I looked up at Throne. All I could make out clearly was the top of the palace tower; no more than a small bump against the mountainous backdrop. I swallowed hard as the faded memory of Piera's face returned to torment me. Though a part of me considered returning to make another attempt at a rescue, my years in the mines had hammered into my brain that there was no point. The only hope I would ever have at succeeding would be to bring down Alvisio. There was no hope of that, even considering Carlo's suggestion that I find the one thing Alvisio feared, which was an equally hopeless prospect.

I forced myself to look away and focus on my new task. The others were already hunched and squatted over the vegetables. The fields were planted in single rows of like plants and there were never two or more rows of the same one next to each other. This was done to ensure the soil remained rich.

Carts full of black metal ore were pushed along the path to the city early in the morning. Mattheus and I had turned our backs to avoid being recognized but stopped worrying when we realized the guards pushing them were not ones we had ever met. I wondered who would be the foreman now. Would they find some other poor illegitimate child to conscript? I thought of our foreman. He had never seen the sun, not once in his life. I shook my head and looked around at the other labourers to banish the sad memory.

While most labourers faced whatever direction made their task easiest, Anna had her back firmly to Throne. Even when she struggled to pull a rooted vegetable from her angle, she would not turn to make her task easier. Zuane had been the only person she had had in the world. I could understand if any reminders of him were too painful to endure.

I crouched down next to Mattheus as we both moved down the line of crops and pulled long yellow roots. Though we had only our hands for the harvesting, the work was not nearly as hard on my body as the mining had been. Mattheus even joked at one point that he might turn into a fat slob pulling vegetables all day. Those who claimed labourers had it harder than the miners knew nothing at all.

As the sun warmed the earth and the day wore on, my conviction in that sentiment wavered. I pulled my hood over my head to protect from the sun but it helped little. My thick and matted beard held in the heat too effectively and sweat dripped from it. The few times a clay pitcher of water was passed around to us, we had to force ourselves from drinking too much. I could have finished the whole thing myself but the others needed their share just as much as I needed mine. As uncomfortable as this work was, I still preferred it to swinging a pick all day.

At one point, Anna jumped up and yelled. "Get it! Rat! Get it!"

All at once, the others dropped what they were holding and ran to where Anna was pointing. Mattheus and I looked at each other in confusion but said nothing. We watched as the group chased the small thing that darted under the leaves, finally catching up to it where they all stomped on it repeatedly. When they had finished, they returned to their work as easily as if they had just deposited an armload of vegetables on the cart.

Anna seemed to have noticed the confusion on our faces. "The rats will steal the vegetables or even just eat them out in the field. The moment we see one, we kill it to make sure it can't breed."

"Are there many rats then?" I asked. Though I had seen one or two as a child in Throne, I had not realized they were a problem.

Anna shook her head as she pulled a particularly stubborn onion from her row. "The labourers are quite vigilant about dealing with them. In the city storehouse, there are men who spend their whole day and night there just watching for rats," she explained. "I heard it used to be common to see them but they are quite rare now. That was the first one I've seen in about a year. I heard some labourers closer to the king's city killed one several months ago."

By the time we were pulling the cart back to the city, my lips were cracked and dry. We waited our turn to deposit our vegetables at the storehouse as the streets grew darker.

The keeper checked the contents of our cart and kept a record of everything we unloaded. When we were finished, he then asked who wanted to purchase some of the food we had harvested. Mattheus and I watched as the other two said they did and went into the storehouse to pick three different vegetables each.

The keeper wrote down what they took and said good-night to them. Mattheus and I then said we would as well and walked inside the storehouse to do the same. Inside, I saw for myself what Anna had described. On either side of the door, there were two men, across from the door there were two more, and along the walls on either side of us were several more men watching over the contents of the storehouse. They seemed unconcerned with my activity but I doubted their presence was simply to keep the rats from stealing.

I selected two large yellow roots and a handful of seeds. The keeper took note of it but said nothing else to me or Mattheus. Anna said she had enough food at home and the man held out a single palace metal coin for her to take. She thanked him and we all left together.

After a day of sweating in the sun, and now that I had a tunic covering my skin, the cool breeze heralding the coming night was refreshing and welcome. I took several deep breaths to relish it. When I felt myself again, I looked down at Anna, her arms free of any sustenance.

"You don't eat?" I asked her. I had not seen any food in her tiny house despite what she had told the keeper.

"Not often," she said. "I got used to having to go without when I spent all my wages on feeding Zuane."

"That can't be healthy," Mattheus commented.

She shrugged. "Nothing about this life is healthy." A moment later, she said, "You both looked like you were boiling today. You need to get rid of those beards and maybe even the hair on your heads."

"The whole afternoon I was dreaming about just that," Mattheus said. His face fell. "I've got nothing to cut it with and it looks like it will be a while before I can afford anything as extravagant as a knife."

Anna chuckled. "I've got one," she said. "I had to shave Zuane all the time."

The memory of the half-shaved man standing naked in the street came back to me. I smiled. As crazy as he had been, he had been one of the more decent people I had encountered in my life.

When we got back to Anna's, she made good on her promise. She picked up the small, clean rock that rested against the leg of her cot. Then she pulled her sling over her head and took from it a small knife. The blade was wrapped in a sheath of woven grass. She pulled the sheath off and ran the edge of the blade along the stone several times before examining the edge. Satisfied, she stood and instructed Mattheus to sit on the edge of the cot.

She shaved his beard first, then his head. If she had not already told me about her years of practice, I would have been impressed. She did not cut his skin once and by the end his head was as smooth as the rest of him.

"Your turn," she said to me as she sharpened the blade once more.

I took my place on the cot and waited for her to start. The blade caressing my skin and the gentle touch of Anna's fingers as she held my chin in place sent tingling down my body. It was not Anna but the fact that I was being touched that did it. It pulled forth so many memories and so much bitterness over the miserable existence I had endured for five years. But as the hair of my beard fell to the ground, I also felt a refreshing sense of freedom wash over me. The mines were gone. I would make sure I never went back there. As far as they would be concerned, Mattheus and I would have been crushed to death. There would be no reason to suspect our good fortune. They would never be looking for us.

Anna finished ridding me of my beard and lifted the knife to start on my head. I reached up and curved my fingers around her wrist. She stopped and looked at me. "Just cut it short if you could," I said, remembering all too well how much Alvisio always wanted me to keep it shaved.

She blinked back at me. "Uh, alright," she said after a moment.

She held up my hair, which was matted into several thick and dirty locks, to get a better angle for cutting. She was not as used to this method and tugged at my head a few times as she worked. Her shaving skills were much better and more soothing.

When she was finished, I looked down at the blond mess on the floor at my feet. Good riddance. She had done exactly what I needed. My hair was off my neck but covered my fingers when I moved them through it. My head felt so light it could have floated away. I could not help but smile.

## Chapter 17

Our first month in the fields was much like the first day but without any rat sightings. It was hard to believe how significant a difference our shorter hair had on the work. Though I still suffered from the chronic dehydration of the others, I never felt quite so hot as I had that first day.

We fell into the routine of work easily. The harvest came to an end as the last of the grains and vegetables were pulled from the ground. Our work shifted to digging the earth and preparing it for the next planting. This work was much slower than the harvest.

Each morning, we would retrieve a cart that was filled with black metal shovels. So long as we returned at the end of the day with our tools intact, we were paid, though our wages were still mostly spent on buying our food for the day. If our tools broke or were lost, we were not paid. Luckily, the black metal was strong enough and the soil was soft enough that we saw this happen only a few times.

Most days, we were early enough to get first pick of the field but I had come to the conclusion it did not matter where we worked. Most liked to work near the walls so that they did not risk being caught out in the fields before the gate closed for the night. Mattheus and I had such little trouble with the work, that even in the reduced time afforded those who worked the fields furthest from the cities, we were able to finish what was required of us. Anna never liked it, whether she got her work done or not, which was the only reason I tried so hard to make sure we were not late in the mornings. Mattheus and I owed her our lives.

Exactly one month after we arrived, we woke up and dressed to go into the fields. Like every morning, we fetched a cart. I was disappointed to see that several others had managed to make it before us, even though it was barely light. I could still see the reflection of the lights at the top of the wall. The torches had not yet been put out, not that they added much light.

King's Grace was much darker than Throne. The king's city was as bright as day even in the middle of the night because of all the torches. King's Grace was small, more tightly packed, and suffered more for resources. Torches were so widely spaced that entire streets might only have one. Some streets had none at all. So, when it was still dark outside, the city itself glowed more blue than gold, for it was lit more by the lights in the field than the torches inside.

Anna shivered and Mattheus wrapped his arm around her. Though he insisted he thought of her as a little sister, I was beginning to think Dominic had some competition. The boy wasn't doing himself any favours by only talking to her when he needed his tunic mended. However, I would not intervene. If Dominic was too stupid to take his chance and Mattheus realized he felt more for her, who was I to stop him?

The sky lightened and the very tip of the city's tower shone golden in the new sunlight. After another few minutes, the loud clangs and creaks of the gate being unbarred echoed through the streets. Mattheus let go of Anna and we pulled the cart through. Though we had not gotten first pick of our digging spot, we were still close enough to the wall that Anna was at ease.

The sun began to warm the air around us and I pulled up my hood to shield from its glare. I forced my shovel into the ground and had to wobble it back and forth to loosen the dirt. I lifted it high and stabbed it into the ground again. I was just beginning to sweat from my efforts when I heard a series of familiar clinks.

I froze. I knew the sound of armour.

"Keep working," Mattheus whispered out the side of his mouth as he too pulled his hood up.

I forced my shovel into the dirt again and tilted the contents of to the side like I had thousands of times before. The clinking passed us from the south, from Throne. It was nearly at the gate when I realized the other workers had paused and were watching whoever it was. Mattheus and I did the same to avoid seeming out of place.

It was my worst nightmare. Alvisio was walking the path to King's Grace. Behind him were five armed men. I recognized only one of them, Lucius, who was standing immediately back from Alvisio's right shoulder; where I had once stood. The rest were completely new to me. I swallowed hard and looked at Mattheus. His eyes were narrowed.

"What is he doing here?" he said through gritted teeth.

One blessing of being a labourer in the second city of Oculus was not having to worry about Alvisio. My flesh felt as though it were tingling into frozen stone. I was still not ready to face him. I did not know if I ever would be.

I could have been punched in the gut at that moment. My muscles ached and my breath had escaped me in the same way. Piera thought I was dead. Would she wish that were true if she knew the truth, that I was working in the fields like a coward; too afraid and too stupid to do what I needed to free us both?

Mattheus stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Anna. I had not realized that I was not the only one affected by Alvisio's presence. Her body was shaking. I suspected she was crying as Mattheus held her.

I walked up to see if I could help.

"It's alright," Mattheus crooned low to her. "I'm sure he's not staying."

"What's the matter?" I asked, genuinely curious. I knew Anna disliked the soldiers but I had no idea she had any issues with Alvisio specifically.

It took her several moments of trying to breathe normally before she could talk. Mattheus rubbed her back to aid the process as her hand clutched his other arm for support. "One of those men," she said. "His name is Lucius."

My eyes narrowed. "What about Lucius?" I asked.

"He was the leader of the ones who drove Zuane to kill himself," she sobbed. "He took over as Head of the Night Guard after you disappeared. He was ruthless."

"It looks like he's managed to get himself a new appointment," Mattheus grumbled.

I nodded, thinking back to the last time I had really dealt with Lucius. I suspected my disappearance had likely improved his life very much. He got a promotion, he had no one to stand in his way of flouting his duties, and it appeared he was able to please Alvisio very much. I now regretted ever showing him pity. The humbling of the mines would have done him some good.

"They'll be gone soon," Mattheus whispered to Anna. "Alvisio hates this city. I doubt he would be here for anything less than the king's business and he and his men will probably be back in Throne by the end of the day."

Though Mattheus had no way of really knowing, he turned out to be correct. By mid-afternoon, Alvisio had his contingent, complete with Lucius, walking back through the gate and returning to the king's city.

It turned out that Mattheus and I had little reason to worry about their proximity. None of the men looked away from the path ahead of them. Anna had been right. Labourers all looked the same or were considered too low to receive any attention by those above them.

Anna was out of sorts the rest of the day. She worked but her rows were not as deep as they should have been. Mattheus struggled to finish his and improve hers before the end of the day.

When we returned home that night, she began to cry again. Mattheus kept his arm around her.

"Zuane never deserved what happened to him," she said when the shaking of her body lessened. "He was the best big brother anyone could ask for. He always stuck up for me when we were kids and when he started working in the fields, he would always bring home my favourite foods even if they were ones he hated. He liked the fields. The city always bothered him."

"Zuane was not born that way?" I asked. I had only known him as the insane adult. I had no idea he had ever been a sane man.

She nodded fervently. "It was after the lights got him that he was like that," she said.

I blinked. "The lights? No one survives the lights." The memory of Carlo punctured my lie. He did not die. He was murdered by Alvisio.

She shook her head and looked into my eyes. Mattheus was silent next to her but his knit brow showed he was as confused as I was. "Some survive," she said.

"But then the fever takes them," I said with more conviction. Carlo no doubt would have died in days had Alvisio bothered to let him live.

She shook her head once more. "That is what the soldiers say," she said. "If someone touched by the lights survives, the royal guard will come in the night and finish them off under the king's orders. They claim it is a fever that kills the person to hide what they do, but I know better." Her voice strengthened as she explained. "Zuane may only have been a labourer, but he was smart. He could see what was going on around him. Like everyone else who suspected, he never dared say. He stayed hidden in the fields one night and waited for the lights to come. I was old enough to be working the fields by that time. I begged him not to do it but he insisted he had to try. The next morning, I hurried out with the first cart and found him."

She sniffled before continuing. "He said he could see it all now, that he understood the truth. That was the last coherent thing he ever said to me. I managed to get him back into the city without anyone realizing what had really happened to him. I encouraged the rumour that he had just lost his mind, that the sun and the work had been too much for him. But I knew the truth. The lights did that to him. They may not have killed him but he died in the end anyway."

Mattheus and I looked at each other. His eyes were as wide as mine; his body just as stiff. I could not tell what he was thinking, but my mind was churning over the times I had seen the lights fall on a person. I could not even fathom someone truly surviving it. I had comforted myself with the thought that Alvisio had saved Carlo the misery of dying from fever. Would he have had a chance to live? Even as an insane man?

Zuane had told Anna he had seen the truth. What had Carlo seen? All he had managed to say before Alvisio had ended his life was, "You ... You're ... " What did any of that mean?

If the royal guard was killing anyone who survived the lights, it was because they did not want knowledge getting out. There were many people gathered when Alvisio killed Carlo. Did he do it to silence him when the lights hadn't? Did Carlo finally see what Alvisio feared? Was it the lights Alvisio feared most?

I had to know.

I was breathing heavily with the prospects. My mind finally had something it could use, something different from the information I had held since my failed rescue attempt. It lapped at this new information and was determined to exhaust it as thoroughly as it had everything else in my life. The novelty rejuvenated my mind. There were new combinations to be made. There was hope.

No longer a faint ember in my gut, this hope was now warming me better than Anna's torch could ever manage. I needed to hide in the fields. I needed see the lights for myself. I needed to let them touch me.

# Part V: Mountains

## Chapter 18

The next morning, I waited for the gate to open with the same anticipation as I would feel before a fight. It had been so long since I had that particular electricity shooting along my limbs that I had trouble containing it. I began to shift my weight from foot to foot, just to have something to do.

Mattheus stood close to me as we waited. "I know what you are planning," he said. "Please tell me you won't be stupid enough to carry through with it."

I did not respond. I doubted anything I said would make him accept what I wanted to do.

"Think about what Anna said," he whispered out of the side of his mouth. "She said Zuane was an exception, and even as an exception, what kind of life did he have afterwards?"

I still said nothing.

"Don't do this to Anna," he pleaded. "Have you thought about what it would do to her?"

I had thought about that but Anna's discomfort with whatever might happen to me was nothing compared to the fact that Piera was still a prisoner due largely to my incompetence.

The gate opened and we took the cart into the fields. I guided it near where Mattheus and I had hidden the day of our escape from the mines. I had planned to take refuge under the outcropping at the end of the day as I doubted anyone would see me there. No one had seen us that day, even when the sun was high in the sky. In the dim light, I had no fear of being discovered.

Mattheus glared at me, knowing full well what I was doing. I ignored him and got to work.

It felt like the sun was frozen in place in the sky. I kept checking its position and glancing over at the outcropping. I tried to focus on my work with little success. When Mattheus began to pass me on the next row, I said, "If you care about Anna's feelings, make sure she doesn't see when I go."

He growled. "You expect me to help you in this?"

"For her, I know you will."

He grunted. "I won't look after you when your sense has been burned away by the lights." He paused for a moment before thrusting his shovel into the earth again. "Never mind. There's nothing left to be burnt away. But you will have to take care of yourself if you survive it."

"You don't mean that," I teased. I was joking but I also knew it was true. We had been through too much together for him to abandon me so easily.

"You're taking advantage of my good nature," he said.

"And if my taking advantage means I find a way to free Piera, what will you say then?"

He nearly dropped his shovel. When he regained his hold on it, he stared at me. "Is that what this is about? You think the lights will show you how to free her? She's as good as dead to us. Give up. There is no way she will ever leave that city."

"She's not dead to me," I muttered as I pushed the dirt aside.

This is why Mattheus would never have been a true rival for Piera's love. He adored her in many ways but she was not his life. The mines had beaten out any of the dreams he had had about being with her. No matter how little hope I had, no matter how much pain I had convinced myself I deserved, I never stopped wanting. I never stopped thinking of the pain and fear she must be enduring day after day under Alvisio's watch. Mattheus had become like a brother to me but in this, he could never truly understand.

As the late day sunlight waned, I became more agitated. I began to dig faster, not because I needed to but because I couldn't stop. I kept looking over at the other labourers. When those farthest from the walls began to walk back, I would make my move. I needed to wait as long as possible. I knew Anna would never keep quiet if she realized what I was doing before she was already inside the city.

The carts further out began to return and I watched for my moment. Anna, Mattheus, and the other two who had joined us that day threw their shovels into the cart.

"I'll take the rear today," I said.

Mattheus was good enough not to fight me on it as he joined the other three in pulling the cart. The one in the rear was there to help push it up the final slope through the gate and to make sure nothing fell out the back. They would be through before anyone realized I was gone and I knew that once inside, they would say nothing.

The labourers did their best to solve their problems with each other themselves. It explained why I had had so few encounters with labourers when I was head of the Night Guard. They had so few rights that any altercation with the law tended to be negative for them. I recalled my nights on patrol. Aside from when I helped out Zuane, my encounters had often ended with an arrest. I knew now what that meant and could not blame the labourers for avoiding soldiers, even if they had been wronged by others.

As they pulled the cart along, I waited another moment before darting in the opposite direction towards the outcropping. The final few paces, I slid on my side to come to a rest beneath it. I rolled onto my stomach and watched the other labourers make their way into the city. No one seemed to have noticed, or at least no one seemed to have cared.

When the final cart entered the city, the two gate guards walked onto the path and looked around for a sign of any other carts on their way. I kept myself flat against the ground and let out a long breath when they turned around and went inside.

Moments later, the clanking and banging of the gate closing echoed through the valley. As the sound died away, nothing replaced it. The only other time in my life that I had been able to savour such silence was after the cave-in that had freed me from the mines.

The fields went dark. I could see the distinct glow of Throne but little else beyond several paces in front of me.

I hesitated. There would be no turning back, not that I could turn back now anyway. But lying there alone with my decision was harder than convincing myself to do it while Mattheus lectured me. I took a deep breath and scrambled out from under the outcropping.

The lights were above me, already on their descent to the earth. My mouth fell open at their beauty. I forgot everything of my fear. I closed my eyes as I awaited their touch. I had no idea what it would be like. I assumed tortuous from what I had witnessed of others but there are many kinds of pain. What exactly was it that caused them to cry out?

I could see their brilliant glow even through my eyelids. I breathed in deeply, readying myself.

I waited.

Nothing happened.

I opened my eyes. Most of the lights had landed but around me there was nothing. I considered that maybe I had not pulled fully out from my shelter but as I looked around, I could see that was not right. I thought that maybe I was too close to the city. While there were lights upon the ground closer to the city than I was, I refused to rule out the possibility.

I walked away from the edge of the valley and towards the thickest grouping of lights in the fields. As I neared the first of them, I gasped and froze.

They moved away from me. I would not have known if I still had my eyes closed. The lights moved silently and not even the air was stirred by their retreat.

I moved closer to the dense cluster and they parted like a crowd for Alvisio. I walked faster and with less reluctance. Everywhere I walked, the lights parted for me. I looked behind me. The opening they had made closed as soon as I was through. In a circle several arm lengths wide around me, the churned up ground was free of light.

What seemed an ancient memory came back to me. Piera had opened her heart so willingly to me because of a very simple similarity we shared. We smelled the same.

I looked up at the sky. A few lights were still falling but none came near me. Though I did not move, the longer I stayed where I was, the larger the berth the lights gave me. Those that had already fallen began to retreat slowly.

I started walking again. The circle free of lights shrunk as I moved but never got smaller than two arm lengths from my body. I walked until I was nearly halfway to the mines where I stopped again and kept myself as still as possible. The circle returned to its slow expansion. I could have sat there all night and I doubted it would have stopped. The lights bunched on top of each other at the edges of the valley.

I continued walking through the fields, watching as the circle shrunk back close to me; stopping at the same place it had before. The lights filled in the gaps it left behind.

I clenched and re-clenched my jaw. In a way, I felt cheated. I was deprived of the gift of truth that others had been given. At the same time, I was awed, hopeful, and entirely confused.

Was this what Carlo had seen? Was that what he had been going to say? That I was a jewel?

My mind raced. Alvisio must have known. But why would he want to keep that a secret? How could he have known in the first place? Was that what he was afraid of? That I was a jewel and would realize it? That I would not be a willing prisoner and would have fought my way out even if it meant risking death? I had no more answers but the flurry of questions filled me to the point of delirious happiness.

I smiled. I began to laugh. If there was one thing that assured my life, and might even assure my seeing Piera again, it was being a jewel. That was why Alvisio had been so reluctant to kill me and so indifferent to the possibility of Piera dying. If he ever went too far, he always had me to take her place. It was why he had been so against me going to the palace and why my appointment to her guard agitated him so much. He worried I would figure it out.

My mind made the connection. My first meeting with the king. Alvisio had lied and said I was his real son. The king had been suspicious. He made all those who sought an audience with him use the moonflower oil so that he could judge them by their scent. He would have smelled me that day. He would have suspected.

My cheeks were beginning to hurt from smiling so much. Alvisio's greatest fear was me learning the truth. Piera had said he feared her. Did he fear her being able to reveal the truth to me? If he had any fear for a jewel, surely it would be for one who could fight him like no one else. Surely the king would see him as less valuable if he had a competent soldier and a jewel in one package. If I could get to the king, I could change it all. I only needed to get into the palace, not escape it. That changed everything.

I considered walking straight to Throne right then but thought better of it. There was too much of a risk being recognized if I simply tried to walk through in the morning light with no better plan. I would wait for day, maybe sneak in with the other labourers. That would be simple enough but it would still mean waiting and I owed Mattheus enough to tell him. If I died in the attempt, someone needed to know the truth. I did not want him to think that my experiment had simply failed. Alvisio did not want anyone to know. I would make sure that was no longer possible.

I walked through the fields, enjoying the crispness of the night air and the freedom. I had nothing to fear there. No man could leave the cities or the mines to touch me. I was not working in the hot sun and trying to fulfill some quota. For the first time, I could simply be.

The sky began to lighten and with a twinge of regret, I walked back to the outcropping. I would wait until the others came out to do their work and then join them as if I had never left.

I tried to hold onto that sense of serenity I had found amongst the lights. But life would not let it remain. The sun crested the mountains and its rays fell across the valley, burning away the lights and burning away any protection I had from those in the cities.

The clanks and bangs of the gate broke the peace of the fields. As they opened, it was not the labourers who emerged. Several armed soldiers ran out and began to head in my direction. I kept my head low. By their searching eyes, I knew they did not know exactly where I was, but they must have seen. The guard watching from the top of the gatehouse must have seen the strange movement of the lights at the very least. I assumed he had seen me as well.

I pushed back as close to the mountain as I could while remaining flat against the ground. My heart pounded and screamed in my chest as they neared. Their eyes scanned the edge of the valley, looking for just such a hiding place as I was now in. I should have climbed higher.

I had been in too much shock to consider this outcome. Once again, I had proven too stupid for my own good.

The brown eyes of one of the guards locked onto mine. For a moment, neither of us moved. Then, in one final act of desperation, I pulled myself out from under the outcropping and jumped to my feet. I ran as fast as I could towards Throne. I would fight Alvisio if I had to. I could not go back to working in the fields knowing what I now did. I could not simply let things go back the way they had been. If I could not change them, I might as well be dead anyway.

I ran towards the hard packed earth of the path as I avoided tripping in dipped rows that had already been dug up. The clamouring of the soldiers' armour quickened as they all gave chase.

I focused upon the tower of the palace, refusing to allow myself even a moment's thought of failure. I was not as burdened in my light tunic as they were but I had not required such endurance in the last five years. My lungs soon hurt and my legs protested at the unfamiliar movement. I refused to give them heed but even without my consent, my gait began to slow. I kept my eyes on the tower.

The clinking of the black metal got louder. I knew they were near but I still focused ahead of me. The years of aggravation the mines had given my lungs took their toll. My breaths came in a ragged and searing wheezes.

I was hit hard from behind. The ground absorbed the full force of the impact as it evicted what was left of the air in my lungs. The pressure on top of me grew as several more soldiers threw themselves onto the pile. At least Piera had already grieved for me.

After a moment, the weight began to lift as the soldiers shifted. They tied my arms behind me and pulled me to my feet. I buckled my knees and fell. I would not help them kill me but I could not properly fight them. They did not seem surprised or even annoyed at this new tactic. Two of them simply grabbed me under either arm and began to drag me back to the city.

It seemed much farther now that we weren't running. I had enough time to notice that none of the labourers had been allowed through the gate. The fields near King's Grace remained empty.

As they dragged me through, I scanned the crowd in search of Mattheus. It did not take long to find him. He and Anna were standing next to the cart second in line. She looked horrified. He simply stared at me with a tense jaw.

"They wouldn't touch me!" I yelled.

The murmurs of the others in the crowd indicated they thought I was being foolishly defiant about the guards and any impending punishment for running from them. The widening of Mattheus' eyes told me he understood. I nodded.

"Not even one!" I yelled.

Anna was looking at him and he bent to whisper in her ear. I did not see her reaction as the soldiers turned a corner and pulled me out of view.

I was carried to the tower on the other side of the city. It was far different than the king's palace. The entrance was level with the street and had a simple set of double doors. A guard flanked either side of it but there was nothing else to emphasize the entrance.

I looked up at the windowless structure. There was no metal on the walls of this building. It looked entirely made of plaster and entirely utilitarian. They pulled me through the doors and dropped me on the ground. The doors closed behind us.

The entrance hall was small and dark. There were stairs directly ahead and corridors leading to either side. A single soldier stood in the middle holding a torch.

"She has asked that we wait," he said to those who had brought me.

I remained on my knees between the two guards as we did just that. I had expected it to be only a few minutes. Long after my knees went numb, I gave up any hope of that. I began to fall asleep where I knelt.

When we were called, the guards lifted me by my arms again and dragged me up the stairs. At the top, the stairs opened onto a curved hallway that led around the perimeter of the round structure to a spiral staircase. I tensed at the familiarity and the guards mistook this change as defiance. They gave a more pronounced tug and did not worry so much about whether my knees hit the stairs. If this tower were not so dark inside, it would have felt like the palace.

With so few torches, what dim light there was reminded me of the fields the night before. Everything looked blue and any similarities that hinted I might see Piera were overcome when we reached the top of the stairs. There were no guards on either side of the double doors. The guards carrying me pushed them open as they dragged me through.

My eyes widened at the site before me. In the middle of the room was a small dais. On it was a large chair that flared out at the base. Palace metal, which was not as polished as it had been in the king's palace and looked green in the dim light, adorned the high back, and almost every other surface in the room. Sitting on the chair was a woman who looked like Piera if she had aged at least fifteen years.

Her hair had streaks of grey. It was pulled into twists and knots at the back of her head. Resting on top of it was a wreath of palace metal formed into spirals. Her arms rested across the arms of her chair.

I looked around as I tried to figure out what was going on. This room was circular just like Piera's cell. There were pillars around the room as well. But there were many more doors, most of which were open.

"Leave us," she ordered. Her voice sounded just like her sister's when Piera had been talking to the king or Alvisio. There was no love in it as every nuance was controlled.

The guards dropped me on the floor before her and walked back through the double doors. I could see no one else around, no head of her guard keeping watch over her or even minor guards to keep her in the room.

When we were alone, she stood and walked forward until she was immediately in front of me and I had to pull my head back as far as it would go to look up at her.

"Stand, please," she said. Her voice was kinder but only just. I had heard much more pleasant tones from Piera.

I did my best to stand without knocking into her. She seemed unconcerned. When I was now looking down at her, she took one of my hands in both of hers. She turned the palm up and examined it for a moment. Then, in an uncomfortably familiar movement, she pulled it to her face and pressed her nose into it. She moved her nose along my palm until it came to my wrist. I could feel her breath on me and her touch sent shivers through my body. There was no pleasure in them like I had felt with Piera. If anything, these sensations evoked fear.

In one fluid movement, she grasped my neck with one hand as she leaned into it. I felt her breath again. I swallowed as I tried to endure the molestation. She released me and turned to walk back to her seat.

"Well that explains that at least," she said.

I now realized what she had been doing. "I smell like you," I said.

She looked over her shoulder at me. There was a flicker of a smile that faded quickly from her face. "Yes," she said as she walked back to the throne and sat down. "That is indeed what it is. Though at the moment you also smell like the fields."

"Am I a jewel then?" I asked.

She threw her head back and laughed. "No, my boy," she said. "A jewel is someone chosen to keep the lights away from the cities. Being a jewel is like being a king or a soldier. You could be one if the king so chose. However, your professional prospects do not change that you are like my sister and I. You are one of us."

"What is 'us'?" I asked, trying not to be rude but also too desperate in wanting to understand to sweeten my words.

She blinked at me several times. "You do not know?" she asked. Her mouth slackened with wonder.

"No and neither did Piera."

Her mouth hardened into a line. "You knew my sister?"

I nodded. I looked around the room once more and added, "And she does not appear to be treated as well as you."

Her eyes fell but she shrugged. "My sister was much younger when she came here. She did not understand like I did."

"She understands well enough that you are prisoners. She was not fooled by pretty metals."

Without moving any other muscles, her hardened eyes focused upon me. "I know you are too stupid to understand these metals serve a purpose. Neither you nor my sister should judge me. My sister knows nothing of prisons," she said. "She was taken to Throne for two reasons: she was younger and, therefore, likely to have more years of protection to offer them; and she was more rebellious, requiring a closer watch."

She gestured around her with both arms. "Does this look like a prison to you?" she asked. "Or a throne room? I am honoured where I sit. I am given anything I desire."

"Which is very different than what your sister is forced to endure," I growled back. I doubted Piera's sister had ever had to fear for her life or worry that Alvisio would decide to beat her just for the fun of it. I had seen it with my own eyes. Her sister had not.

She sighed. "My sister creates her own prison. She was offered the world and was too stupid to take it." She considered for a moment. "I suppose that has worked in my favour in the end."

"What has?"

She seemed surprised that I did not understand. "Has it not been announced yet? I will be wed to the king. It was an obvious arrangement, for him to marry a jewel. Then his heirs could lead and protect. It will assure the power of his line for generations. My sister was to be the one to wed him but her refusal was particularly violent."

My mouth was dry and I became aware of my cracked lips as I pressed them together. I clenched my fists. Piera's sister did not seem to notice.

"Her stupidity is my gain. I will be queen and stand with the king as we rule over all Oculus."

I bit my tongue just to get enough saliva to talk. "What will happen to Piera?"

"Brought here to be the Jewel of King's Grace," she explained. "Though they will have to increase their security to ensure she does not do something foolish."

Why Alvisio had come to the city became clear. Perhaps this would be Lucius' new appointment. By what Anna had told me, it sounded like Lucius enjoyed ruling like Alvisio. I doubted Piera's life would be made any easier by the move.

Piera's sister was watching me. "But my fate is not in question," she said as she pressed her hands into her lap. "Yours very much is." She tilted her head as she regarded me. "You are a labourer in Oculus, you somehow have not only met my sister but been in her room, and you have the smell of the ancient forests of Sairvyan but do not even seem to know it." She knew she was giving me new information using that name. There was a smile on her lips as she spoke it.

"The what?" I said, playing along and hoping she would indulge me in return.

Her smile broadened. "I think not," she said. "Your identity is something I will carry to my death, especially from you."

The coldness in her eyes triggered the training of my youth. I straightened and held myself strong as if I would be attacked at any moment. Those early signs should have made me realize. She was definitely not like Piera. She would not be my friend. She was very much my enemy.

"But this new development must be brought to the attention of my king," she said with delight. "You will remain our guest until he decides what to do with you. Guards!"

All at once, guards entered the room through every door.

"Find our friend a secure room," she ordered. "He must be kept until we can inform the king of this development."

I did not go passively this time. Death would have been better than whatever this harpy had planned for me. The training that Alvisio had worked so hard to drum into my head awoke fully. I grabbed the arm of the guard nearest me and used his momentum to pull him forward as I tripped him. I grabbed his sword as he fell and swung it around to slice into the neck of the next man who was nearly at my back. I grabbed his wrist and guided his sword into another guard who was approaching from the side. I pushed the now limp guards away from me and ducked just as I heard the air moving around a blade near my right shoulder. I did not look to confirm my suspicions. I simply turned on my knees as I brought my sword up through the gut of the man who had tried to stop me.

"Keep him alive!" Piera's sister shouted. "He is no use to the king dead! If any of you kill him, I will remove your heads myself!"

Her shrieking orders caused her men to hesitate a much needed moment. After slitting the throat of the only guard that still stood between me and the stairs, I ran, leaving a clamouring of amour behind me.

By the time I reached the bottom of the stairs, there were several more guards on their way to investigate but they had been in the process of running towards the commotion and were in no cohesive form. It was easy enough to slice their throats and cut into their guts. Black metal armour had little protection from the point of a sword when pushed through the gaps just right.

I had already disposed of my opposition and was running down the next flight of stairs by the time the throne room guards had reached the bottom of the spiral stairs. Only the last two guards of the entrance stood between me and escape. They had not expected any of this, they had not realized with whom they were dealing, they were not as well trained or as disciplined as the Royal Guard, and they did not have the tactics and the sadism of Alvisio. I was through them and in the bright sunlight in the streets. I ran as fast as I could for the gate.

Most of the soldiers had no idea what was going on. Though the fact that I was running had turned many heads, most did not realize I was holding a sword, let alone that it was bloodied. Few gave chase. I was faster. My adrenaline had kicked in with full force. I knew my legs would give out but I had a better plan this time.

The guards at the gate saw me coming and tried to stop me. They were dead before anyone nearby had realized what had happened.

As I ran into the fields, the labourers looked up at me. One began to run towards me as I headed for the edge of the valley near the outcropping. I knew I could climb the rocks there.

"What are you doing?" Mattheus yelled to me.

"Stay out of it," I yelled back as I looked over my shoulder. I was nearly to the rocks and only now were the guards emerging from the gate.

"No!" Mattheus insisted as he got closer. He was nearly beside me.

"Then hide with Anna under the outcropping at sunset," I said. "You will be safe. I promise. Now try to tackle me!"

He did as I asked and I dodged so that he fell on his stomach. I needed my pursuers to think he had been trying to help them, not me.

I threw the black metal sword to the side as it would only hinder my climbing. I reached the rocks and ran up them a few steps to get a hand hold. I pulled myself up and wasted no time grabbing the next ledge above me. I did not look back as I focused all my effort on climbing the rocks as best I could. Even if the soldiers could climb well in their amour, the rocks had so many dips and crevices and random turns that I knew I could keep them from finding me until sunset. They would never dare search for me then.

The sounds of the clinking armour began to die away the further up I climbed. I found myself a nice niche in a small crevice. I could see the valley but they could not see me. Most of the soldiers had given up trying to climb, those that continued struggled as the weight of their black metal armour counteracted their vertical efforts.

A few of the soldiers ran back to the city. As the day waned, a group emerged but did not head in my direction, they were hurrying to Throne.

I needed to get back to the outcropping to make sure Mattheus and Anna really were safe when the lights fell. I began to climb down, doing my best to pick routes that were still hidden from the soldiers. Near the bottom, I hid amongst a spiny grouping of rocks as I waited. When the sun began to set, the last of the soldiers headed back to the city to take refuge from the lights. I kept my eyes on the fields, specifically where Mattheus and Anna were working.

The moment the soldiers were gone, he sent her to the outcropping. I watched her scurrying her way to the hiding place as he distracted the others. He then appeared to do the same thing that I had, and volunteered to bring up the rear of the cart. Within only a minute, he too was running to the outcropping.

Their escape did not go as unnoticed by the guards as mine had, but I had not expected it to. They were running to the same place where I had escaped. I knew all eyes would be on it. I had counted on it. I climbed the rest of the way down the mountain, dropping myself next to the outcropping even as the guards began running out again.

I looked at the horizon where the sun had set. The glow was still there. The lights were still a few minutes off. I looked at the soldiers. They had not realized I was there when they ran from the gate. They had run to retrieve Mattheus and Anna. There were only three of them. I could get rid of them easily.

"Get Anna up the mountain," I ordered as I prepared to deal with the three guards who were running harder now that they saw me.

Mattheus and Anna crawled out from under the rock. He helped push her on top of it as they began to climb.

The last of the glow in the distance disappeared. I smiled as I looked up and saw the first of the tiny sparkles appear high in the sky.

"Your time is up," I yelled to the guards who had nearly reached me.

All three looked up. Their eyes widened. All three turned and ran back for the gate.

I rushed to catch up to Mattheus and Anna. "Don't go any farther," I yelled to them as I climbed. I knew they had to be close to my body while I moved.

I reached them long before the first of the lights could pose any threat. At my call, they had stopped on a small ledge and waited. Mattheus had his arms around Anna whose eyes were wide and focused upon the fields as the lights fell. She was shaking. Mattheus was looking up, waiting for the lights to fall on him. With me there, they did not come near.

"How are you doing that?" Mattheus asked.

"Not a clue," I said. "But you have to be close to me for it to work, especially if we are moving."

He looked at me. "What happened today?"

I snorted before summarizing the days' events. "Piera's sister and Alvisio would love each other," I replied. "She wanted to keep me as a prisoner, I disagreed."

He did not dwell. "What's your plan?"

I looked up the mountain at the jagged outcroppings and the crevices. "We climb as high as we can," I said. "They can't catch us if we are farther than they can climb in a day."

"And live amongst the stars until we starve to death?" Though his point was serious, he smirked as he said it.

"We keep watch on the valley," I said.

He raised a brow.

"Piera's sister is being taken to Throne soon. I don't know when. She is going to be married to the king. Piera will be brought here."

"A jewel swap?"

I nodded.

"And you plan to rescue her when they try to make the switch."

I chuckled. "I've been hanging around you too much."

His own smile faded. "Seriously," he said, "What are you going to do when you have her? Bring her up here to live with us with no food or water?"

"Ok, I said I had a plan. I never said I had really thought it through that well."

He looked around. "For someone so good at fighting, you never were that good at figuring things out for yourself." He ignored my glare as he continued, "For tonight, we climb. Give me some time to consider the rest."

He looked down at Anna who was still terrified about where she was. He used a finger to lift her chin and looked into her eyes. "You think you can manage?" he asked.

She nodded.

"Let's get going then," he said. "If we ever hope to sleep again, we need to be farther than they can climb by morning."

## Chapter 19

It had been slow climbing the mountain. The need to ensure that Anna and Mattheus were close enough to remain protected increased the difficulty. Anna had to climb in front of me while Mattheus climbed behind. Anna had never climbed before so at first, it was mostly Mattheus and I trying to coach her from below. After the first few hours, she became more confident in the procedure and did not look down at us for help nearly as often.

The climbing was not without trouble or close calls. The wind buffeted our bodies in its efforts to dislodge us from the side of the mountain. Each of us had had our own moments when a foot or a hand slipped but our fight was strong and we always managed to recover. After hours of struggle, I looked up and noticed that Anna's arms were shaking as she tried to pull herself up. Her muscles would not take much more. I looked around and felt relief that the sky was lighter blue.

We were high enough that even the city below looked tiny and indistinct. I figured we had gone far enough for the time being, the soldiers would still have to take into account getting back down when they climbed. I called up to Anna and told her to stop at the next opportunity.

We settled upon a flattened ridge that passed between two peaks of the mountain. In the distance, I could see nothing but darkness. It could have been the edge of the world for all I knew. We were above the light line and whether Mattheus and Anna stayed close to me no longer mattered.

Though it had been nearly two days since I had properly slept, I did not lie down right away. Anna did not wait for us to say anything. She curled up on the ground and went straight to sleep. Mattheus stood with me as we looked over the valley.

"We really can't continue like this," he said.

Through all of it, I had always known there was really no way to win. I was not sure why I even bothered to keep fighting. But there was something inside of me that would not give up. After my encounter with Piera's sister, I wondered if it was just stubborn curiosity running an obsessive course.

There was something special about me, even beyond my ability to repel the lights. Alvisio did not want me dead, which I understood in a warped way. But Piera's sister seemed to want me alive completely independent of my ability to repel the lights. She could repel them better than I could; she would have no need of me but she had been adamant in her orders to her guards.

I sighed. "I know," I said, returning my thoughts to my present conversation with Mattheus. "But Piera is still in trouble and there is definitely something about me that threatens Alvisio and the king. I need to know what it is. If you and Anna want to go back, I won't blame you."

He scoffed. "It's no safer for us there," he said. "Besides, you are right that there is more going on here." He looked towards Throne, barely visible even in silhouette in the distance. "I supposed this explains why the king's city survived when the last jewel died."

I looked at him as I recalled my childhood. The jewel had died and no one knew why the city remained protected. "But I don't cover an area that wide unless I am still," I explained.

He shrugged as the wind blew at his hair. "Neither of us knows exactly how it works," he said. "Maybe there is something else to it. At least it gives us an advantage. We are not limited by the night like they are."

The first of the loosed rays of sun fell across his face. I looked back towards Throne, blocking my eyes from the sun with my hand.

"Get some sleep," he said. "You're the one who needs to be clear headed come the night."

I curled up against the rocks, which offered only minor protection from the wild winds of such high altitude. I had just closed my eyes when Mattheus nudged me with his foot. My eyes flew open. I thought maybe I had fallen asleep and not realized it but the light had not changed.

"You have to see this," he whispered.

I groaned as I pulled myself to my feet. "I thought you wanted me to sleep," I complained.

"You can sleep after I show you." He had his back to the valley and was looking wide-eyed into what had been nothing but darkness before the sun had risen. His face was too bright, like he were looking into the sun and not away from it.

I sat up and followed his gaze. Sparkling as far as we could see was a lake of bright gold. My mouth dropped open.

"It just happened," he said. "The sunlight hit it and all at once it went from blackness to this."

"What is it?"

"Not Oculus," he said.

"Obviously. Alvisio always told me Oculus was surrounded by mountains until the edge of the world."

"I doubt anything Alvisio ever told you could be trusted," he said. His brow knit and after a moment he added, "There were no lights over there. The lights fell only upon Oculus." He looked to the sky.

"What do you think it means?"

"I don't know." He lowered his head to look at me. After a moment, he grinned. "Get back to sleep. We can discuss it later."

I took my spot again and grumbled that I hadn't had a chance to sleep in the first place before closing my eyes once more.

I heard Anna and Mattheus talking before I opened my eyes again. Part of me wanted to ignore them and force myself back into sleep but as my senses returned without my will, I realized it was almost dark. I forced my eyes open and sat up.

Mattheus and Anna were sitting on the edge of the plateau, looking out over the fields. Hearing my movements, my friend looked over his shoulder at me. "Feel better?" he asked.

"Amazing," I groaned as I leaned back against the rock and my body ached in protest. "Your turn?"

He shook his head. "I've already slept. Anna woke up in the afternoon and we switched."

I massaged my shoulder. It felt entirely flattened after having rested on it all day. "Well now I just feel pathetic," I said.

Mattheus grinned at me. "That's because you are."

Anna snickered but otherwise did not join in insulting me.

"We've been watching them all day," he said. "They've even had the Royal Guard out here looking for you. Alvisio was with them. Anna says he made it two-thirds of the way before it got too late in the day. They don't know exactly where we are but they know we are still in the mountains, or at least, they suspect it."

I smirked to myself. Alvisio had probably thought I had been killed in the mines. Hearing about someone who had known Piera and could repel the lights must have made his year. My smirk faded. "He'll know I'm going to try to save her again."

Mattheus nodded. "He knows you too well. She probably has double the guard already."

"So we stay up here and starve after all?" I asked. The temperature was dropping quickly. I wrapped my arms around myself and considered how futile every step had been.

"I told you I would think of something," Mattheus said. "And I have."

He climbed to his feet and wiped his hands on the hips of his tunic. "Get up," he ordered when I did not immediately do the same.

With creaking knees and more protest aches, I pushed myself up and stood beside him. He was looking over the valley. He pointed along the ridge of the mountains as they stretched around to Throne. "These are our advantage," he said. "No one else can climb as high as we can because anyone else would have to climb back down to seek shelter before the lights fall. We can use the mountains to move along the valley without any fear of them catching us."

I looked at him out of the corner of my eye. "And how does that work with us starving?"

With a roll of his eyes, he said, "You are always thinking about your stomach."

"No, I'm always thinking about how not to die," I corrected. "I haven't eaten or had anything to drink in days." I pointed to Anna, "And who knows how long it's been since she has."

"It's a moot point to my plan," he said with a growling sigh. "Anna can help us with food in the short term."

"I am not eating Anna," I shouted.

He punched me in the arm as hard as he could and I nearly fell sideways from the force of it. "I wouldn't let you anyway, you idiot. I'm talking about Anna being the only one of us the soldiers would never recognize in Throne. She can easily get into the city to get food. We just need to find a place to climb down without being noticed. Then she can join the labourers and return with them. The next morning, she'll have food for us. It won't be much, but we'll live. If we hadn't just finished the harvest, this would be much easier but we have to work with what we have. Understand?"

I gave a disgruntled twitch of my head that I had intended to be a nod.

"Good," he grunted. "Now, for my actual plan. How far out does your protection from the lights get if you are still?"

"I haven't exactly had a chance to test the full extent of it," I said. "I have to be still pretty long. It's difficult to do."

He smiled. "But you can do it?"

"Yeah, so?"

"If we can get you still enough in the valley, we can clear it of lights."

"And why would I want it to do that? I don't need to clear a path for Alvisio to get to me."

Mattheus thwacked me on the back of the head. "You really are dumb sometimes," he said. "Who would be willing to join us and help us in a heartbeat?"

I considered. "Except for Piera, not a single person still breathing."

"You really think all those labourers wouldn't run to you if you could protect them?" He asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "You saw it yourself. They hate the nobility and the soldiers. The abuse in Anna's case is not unique. You worked as one too. You have seen both sides. The only reason those labourers go into those fields and endure that work is because they don't want to starve and they want a shelter from the lights to return to at the end of the day. That's it and that's all."

"I doubt Anna can get them enough food to lure them to my side."

He dropped his head back and closed his eyes. "You have no vision," he said. After a moment, he opened them and looked at me again. "I am telling you that you either need to fight Alvisio and the king or run. If you fight, you will need to form your own army and the labourers would be willing to be that army if you could protect them from the lights. Claim the fields and you will have your food."

"My protection only works against the lights, not the army," I pointed out. "I don't think fighting is a good idea."

"Then you will have to run and would you really be selfish enough to leave everyone else behind?" He asked.

"I can't free them without fighting, and fighting will kill them," I insisted.

He shook his head. "They don't need to fight if they climb. If the labourers could get high enough to be out of reach of the soldiers, we can get them out of here, and out of Oculus."

I looked over the ridge to where there had been an ocean of gold earlier that day. "We have no idea if it is even safe over there."

"There are no lights to worry about," he said. "They would not even have to stay with you once they are free. That is what you can promise them. All you need to do is prove to them that it is possible. They just need to see there is an opportunity."

"I don't want to lead. I just want to be left alone."

"Too late," he said, his face serious. "Alvisio and the king will both want to catch you now. There is no chance of ever being left alone again if you don't act. Besides, if you really wanted to be left alone, you would never have stayed in the fields at night in the first place. You brought this on yourself just like everything else." His voice hardened and his eyes narrowed. "And you have brought everyone else into it with you. Piera, me, Anna ... Carlo."

Revulsion filled my throat and my fist twitched with the urge to punch him in the middle of his nose. He was going too far and he deserved a little payback. My fists tightened but otherwise would not cooperate.

"The only way you are ever going to get what you want," he said, "Is to accept that this was always how it was going to be and just deal with it for once. You are a fighter and yet you only ever fight enough to survive, never enough to fix anything."

My teeth clenched and unclenched. "What was I supposed to do? Fight my way out of the mines? We both know that was impossible. When I was free, was I supposed to go straight to Throne, singlehandedly take on the Royal Guard, and just walk out with Piera? Yeah, that worked so well the first time."

"You didn't know what you know now the first time," he countered. "Be a damned man!"

I got right into his face. My hands had instinctively raised to strangle him but that much I managed to hold back. "Like you were when Alvisio asked for privacy to beat a woman nearly to death?" I seethed. "Some man you were then."

"I was shit then," he said, not even giving me the satisfaction of denying it. "I was nothing. But I will never let that happen again. I have learned from my mistakes."

I looked over his shoulder. Anna had stood up; how long ago, I had no idea. She looked like she was debating pulling us apart. There would have been no point. Had either of us truly wanted to fight, he would have been dead at my feet already. The key point is that all my hesitations were because he was the last person I wanted to fight, no matter how much of a jerk he was being.

"No one will believe I can protect them," I whispered as I stepped back. My head felt so heavy. It was hard to keep it up anymore. "I've never succeeded in protecting anyone."

Mattheus rested his hand on my shoulder. "Then we will convince them," he said. "Because, for that much, I agree with you. Anyone claiming there were others who could repel the lights would be treated as no more sane than Zuane. That is why we have to show them."

I blinked.

He smiled at my usual confused expression. "It will take time," he said, "But when we are ready, we can show them. First, we need to take care of the food, then we need to explore these peaks as best we can so that we know the terrain and can get the people up here and out of reach if it proves necessary."

## Chapter 20

We spent the night hiking along the mountains. At times we had to climb higher; others lower. But we tried our best to stay high. It was slow going. We were the first to be doing this and there were no clear paths along the mountain. Even after walking all night, we were barely beyond the entrance to the mines.

Anna's gait slowed. Both Mattheus and I worried. At the best of times, she was nearly starving. By the time the sky began to lighten, we reached a shallow cave in the rock with a mostly flat floor.

Mattheus sat against the back wall while Anna snuggled into his side. He wrapped his arm around her to keep the chill away.

I looked over the fields and towards Throne. It glowed like a beacon of welcome yet it neither invited nor comforted me. Piera's perch was easy to see now and it made my guts twist only more.

If Alvisio knew I was alive, her life was no longer assured. If he ever captured me again, it could even be forfeit. I could not take that risk.

"Do you think we can make it down in half a day?" Mattheus whispered.

I looked over my shoulder. Anna had fallen asleep. Her arms were wrapped around his middle and her head on his chest.

"I don't know," I said. "Do you think she can make it much longer?"

His eyes met mine but he said nothing. The weakness in her body had grown during the night. We had both seen it with her increased struggle. We did not have any other choice.

"I'll wake you both in a few hours," I said. "We'll start our descent even before the sun is at its peak."

He nodded and then closed his eyes.

I smiled to myself; Dominic never really had a chance once Mattheus arrived. I kept my eyes on the fields, watching for soldiers and any sign that we had been spotted. We were very high up and I doubted it would be easy to see us but I could not rely on hope. It had offered me nothing concrete so far. If anything, hope had proven fatal in my life. Carlo had been very hopeful.

I could see a tiny clustering of dots at the far end of the valley, all near where we had ascended the day before. The soldiers were still hoping to find us there, but there was a line of them walking out from that spot along the edge of the valley. If we could have run along the valley at night, it would have made the entire exercise easier. But they would have seen the moving of the lights.

When the air blowing around us was properly warm, I shook Mattheus' shoulder. His eyes flew open. "It's time," I said.

He nodded and looked down at Anna. She was still sound asleep. He kissed her head and whispered to her. After another moment, she began to stir. She blinked away the sleep and tried to stand. She wobbled a little when she tried to get her footing.

"You able to manage?" I asked her.

She nodded.

I pointed down at a ledge below us. It was a small drop, not much bigger than anything Mattheus and I had faced escaping the mines. I held his hands as he hung over the edge and lowered him as far as I could manage before he let go. He landed with a perfect bend of his knees. His skills seemed to give Anna more confidence as I held her hands and suspended her in the same way. I let go and she fell. Mattheus was there to break her fall. He set her aside as I eased myself over to repeat the procedure.

We continued in this fashion down the mountain. There were some places where it would have been easier to walk down, but those routes were sometimes also the more exposed of the options, leaving us struggling to drop from hidden ledges and sidle through narrow openings. Mattheus and I kept looking up for the sun's direction and checking the fields for signs of soldiers. Though there were still soldiers walking the edge of the valley, there were too few and the valley too vast for them to pose us much problem. The day felt like it was passing too quickly but we could avoid the soldiers and that would be enough if we could only get Anna down. She would not manage another night's climb.

The sun had nearly set. The labourers nearest the mines were already beginning to pull their things together. The soldiers were retreating from the centre of the valley.

We had yet to reach the bottom but we kept trying. The labourers had their carts and were walking back. We still had a few drops to go. Mattheus was beginning to panic. He began to bark orders and sometimes forgot to keep his voice down.

One last drop. Instead of letting me lower him first, he simply jumped. He stumbled and fell as he hit the ground but forced himself back up.

"Jump, Anna," he called in a hoarse whisper. "I'll catch you."

She had begun to panic too and did what he asked without hesitation. What good were they if they broke limbs? Did they honestly think they would be able to escape while seriously injured? I was angry but relieved when I saw Mattheus make good on his promise. He set her gently on her feet.

"Run," he said to her. "Get there before the gate closes!"

She ran as fast as she could to catch up with the other labourers while Mattheus and I did our best to hide at the base of the mountain. I suggested we start climbing but Mattheus refused until he saw her pass through the gate. The last cart had gone through as she ran up the final slope into the city. The bangs and creaks of the gate being shut and barred unfroze our chests and we both exhaled.

"Let's get up before the lights come," I said. "We don't need them knowing our position."

Mattheus kept checking the fields as we climbed. Soon, he said, "We need to move a little faster."

I grumbled as I took a riskier hand hold.

"That's better," he said a few moments later as he looked below us.

"Would they have noticed?"

"I doubt it. It was only at the very edge."

"This is incredibly annoying," I grunted as I looked around for a good place to rest. I needed sleep and I could not risk my stillness causing a problem. "Piera protects the city whether she's moving or not," I complained. "If my particular version would just make up its mind, we could work with it a little better."

Mattheus shrugged as he joined me in finding ways to climb higher. "Have you ever tried controlling it?" he asked.

"Piera doesn't control it," I pointed out. "I'm not even sure she knows how she does it, just that it happens."

"It may not work the same way for both of you," he suggested. When we found an area where we could hoist each other up, he bent over so that I could step on his back.

"That's wonderful," I replied before pulling myself onto the next ledge. "More complication."

"It's not that complicated," he offered. "It grows larger when you're still and smaller when you move. Consider what makes those two different."

I nearly let him fall just to teach him a lesson. "Well, you see," I said, "In one case, I'm moving and in the other I'm still."

He rolled his eyes. "I've never met someone so determined to be stupid," he said.

"It's a gift." I grinned.

We did not head much higher. We were both getting tired. Our endurance was at a low with our hunger, dehydration, and need for sleep.

"We'll need to get back down quickly to pick up the food," he said. He pointed to a spot along the base of the mountain closer to the city, "There is some kind of rock formation there that Zuane used when he hid. She says it looks like the base of the mountain is solid and unbroken but some of the rocks curve around creating a sling hidden from view. She's going to put the food for us there."

"She's not coming back with us tomorrow?" I asked.

He shook his head. "She's going to keep working until you reveal yourself. It ensures we get our daily supply of food and we can explore the terrain faster. On top of that, when we are finally ready, she can help get the labourers on our side because she is one of them."

"That's what you were discussing the other day," I said, referring to when I had been sleeping and they had been talking.

He nodded. "That, and ... other things."

I smiled. I did not need the details of those 'other things.'

I had a newfound respect for Anna. Nothing turned her as incomprehensible as the reminders of Throne. She was doing a great deal for me and being braver than I had ever been. She was amongst the enemy, doing what she needed even if she could have been killed in the process. She could have let Mattheus and I leave without her; she would have been safe if she had never joined us; but she had. We had been soldiers; we had worked in the mines; yet, this tiny woman who could have been blown over by a stiff breeze was doing more than I had been willing to accept for myself.

# Part VI: Lights

## Chapter 21

Though the night afforded us a measure of protection from the soldiers, it quickly proved a tedious advantage. We could not go too low into the valley lest the movement of the lights be noticed by the guard manning the gatehouse. The days were much easier for the simple fact that I only had to worry about my body being seen and not the effects caused by whatever this invisible force around us was.

Four days in a row, we watched Anna work the fields. She would always find a moment to slip away and deposit what she had managed to smuggle out of the city. We were always impressed by not only the quantity she would leave for us, but also that she always managed to include other items. We had no idea where she was getting them, but she managed to provide us with small knives, double-woven gloves, and all the food we could need. The most impressive of the items she left behind for us were a shovel, two long chains, and an entire jug of water.

We would wait until late in the day, when the light was dull, to climb down from our hiding place and fetch the latest delivery. Then we would do our best to climb as high as we could.

Though we were both grateful for Anna's efforts, Mattheus was also becoming increasingly agitated by them. He was his most irritable the day she left the two long chains.

"She's taking too many risks," he had said. "Even if they don't realize what she is doing with these things, they are going to start realizing they are missing. You can't just buy chains, especially with the wages of a labourer." He held up his hands which were covered by the double-woven gloves. "And these are soldier's gloves. Is she insane? She must be stealing everything."

"Then she is doing an amazing job," I had said. "It makes me wonder how much theft we were actually missing. These labourers can be sneaky."

My unconcerned attitude had made Mattheus' face turn bright red and a vein in his neck look like the ridge we had traversed most of that night. Though he did not physically attack me, he made sure to let his words do the work. "And they will just kill her outright! After they've tortured and raped her! Did you see any women in those mines?"

The reminder of the foreman's tale pulled at my insides but my desire to believe she would be alright fueled my denial more. I had been one of those soldiers and not all of them were like that. If I had been the one to catch her, I likely would have been lenient. However, with the city under the watch of Alvisio and Lucius, even my denial crumbled.

"Only a few more days of these food deliveries and we can bring her back with us," I offered but it did little to placate Mattheus' panic.

We were sitting on a high ledge overlooking the valley covered in lights. We had become so practiced at climbing the mountain and so familiar with the routes, that it only took us minutes to climb down. Now that we had the chains, it went even faster as we did not both have to climb the whole way. It opened up routes that had been too dangerous before and made it easier for one to climb back up if the other stayed above to hold the chain.

I tried to sleep most of the day. Until I could get whatever was happening to me under control, I could not risk being still at night. We would take breaks when we would sit as we were now, but mostly at night, we explored the terrain as best we could.

During the day, we would find a hiding place above where Anna would make her deliveries and rest until it was time to retrieve the night's food. We would leave our supplies where we had rested so that we could explore unhindered.

"Any luck with controlling yourself?" Mattheus said.

He seemed to enjoy referring to my issues as if I were simply a rebellious child. "The closest I can figure, is that the calmer and more clear headed I get, the wider it goes. The more I focus on other things, the smaller it gets."

"That sounds like you've solved the problem," he said, an excitement bounding in his tone.

I scoffed. "It is hardly that simple. Until I show myself, I still can't sleep at night. I still can't walk in the fields. "

"But you have to have made some progress," he said. "Since we started talking, it has progressed more slowly even though we aren't moving. Haven't you noticed."

I nodded. "I've been trying to distract myself enough to make it stop," I explained. "But I find it difficult without the physical movements."

He laughed. "You realize this is a problem because you are such an idiot, right? A thinking man would have more trouble emptying his mind. Yours is always empty."

I punched him in the arm. "That's not how it works, twit. Having just any thoughts doesn't stop it. I have to feel threatened or agitated. With those lights down there, I just can't find the fear like I can when we are on the move. It's like they hypnotize me; like their presence comforts me enough that I can't feel threatened."

He pursed his lips. "Not even when the way the lights move around you could give you away?"

I shook my head. "Not even then. Maybe it is because the threat isn't immediate enough. I spent so many years doing night patrols that it takes quite a bit for me to feel threatened to the point of physical agitation."

He pushed himself to his feet, announcing in his own way that it was time to get moving again. "You are so weird," he said. "Most people can't stop feeling fear."

I followed his lead and climbed to my feet. "I guess I am just too stupid to understand the things that should scare me."

He chuckled as he grabbed onto a ledge behind him to pull himself up. "I'm so scared for Anna that if it were me, the boundary would likely never go farther than my own tunic."

I stopped and considered this. I had avoided thinking about Piera. Her fate did not appear to be in immediate danger. Alvisio had been making very slow progress searching for me and was still focused on the other end of the valley. He had not returned to Throne since the day the search began.

Perhaps it was the waiting that allowed me to set aside my fear. I looked at the edge of my protective bubble as it trickled its way down the mountain. The lights were moving so slowly and the terrain was so ragged that I doubted anyone would be able to notice from a distance. There was no threat.

I tried to imagine the horrible things that would happen to her if Alvisio found me and her sister really did marry the king. They had been the same thoughts I had never before let myself entertain. I had always thought I would fail, but had not truly imagined what that would mean. Now, I opened my mind to the possibility without really wanting it. The edge of my protection snapped back. If it had been a physical entity, I would have feared it slamming into me.

Finding the right motivation definitely seemed to make a difference. It was too late in the night to try it the other way. If I disturbed the lights in the valley, we would not have enough time to get away before the soldiers were sent after us. Besides, I wanted to give Alvisio reason to believe I was still near King's Grace.

I looked up to call Mattheus but he was standing on the ledge above me, waiting for me to join him.

"We need to start working our way to the other side of the valley," I said.

He raised a brow.

The wind tickled my head as it blew through my hair. "I need to experiment and I can't do it anywhere near Throne."

He considered for a moment, then nodded.

The mountains closest to Throne were the most familiar to us. We were able to reach the area above the gate to the mines by sunrise. We decided to stop there for a few hours sleep before continuing the rest of the way late in the day. We wanted to be sure to keep out of the reach of Alvisio and his search parties.

We were awoken by the sounds of clinking armour and picks hitting rock. We both snapped awake from the sound but neither of us moved. Slowly, we tried to look around the edge of the rock that served as our cover. There were soldiers below us, not close enough to reach us, but they had picks to help them climb and appeared to have developed quite a bit of practice with them.

We had been wrong, Alvisio had not been at the far end of the valley. They had been systematically working their way down to ensure they did not miss us.

Mattheus pointed to a narrow path that led in the direction of King's Grace. It was only short, and we had inspected it before taking our break so we knew the end was a drop off. It was high enough that we had figured we would need to assist each other and take our time. This path would also bring us down closer to the soldiers and into the open. Unfortunately, it was the only real option without heading towards Throne, which would cause severe problems for us later.

I nodded my agreement with his plan. We took our coiled chains and secured them over our shoulders. In the same moment, we both ran for the drop off.

Mattheus went first, sliding the last foot and nearly off the edge entirely before grabbing it. He did not wait once he was dangling from the ledge. He let himself drop immediately. I did not wait to see if he made it safely before I too lowered myself over the edge. Before I let go, I could hear the shouts of the soldier who had spotted us. I ignored him as I released my grip and dropped.

I was surprised when Mattheus tried to break my fall. Luckily, our days of climbing together had made us better at such things. Instead of my body hitting him hard and winding him, we were both able to run to the next raised ledge. We helped push each other up and lower each other down as we moved along, doing our best to keep an upward direction.

Flashbacks of the first day were ringing in my ears as the soldiers attempted to pursue us, but they were no faster than we were. While the gap sometimes narrowed, it would also widen. As the sun began to set, we neared the other end of the valley. We were so high up that I worried we would not be able to get down with enough time for my experiment and the entire adventure would have been a risky waste. The only benefit I was seeing so far was that Alvisio would think we were still at the wrong end of the valley.

As the sun approached the horizon, the soldiers were forced to retreat for the night. Mattheus and I gave them a large lead before we attempted to follow. The lights had long since settled upon the fields by the time we reached the bottom.

Mattheus watched the light blue sea around us with wary eyes but as I looked at them spread out before me, I filled with calm. It would have been better not to have the gatehouse guard as an audience for this − I did not need Alvisio to know the extent of what I could do − but there was really no way of hiding it.

"Stay close," I said to Mattheus. "I don't want you getting caught outside by accident. Come stand at my back."

He nodded and did as I instructed. We stood still for several moments and I watched the lights push back upon each other as they moved away from us. I did what I had the night before and tried to think of the horrible fate Piera could face. The lights snapped back at us, nearly collapsing the circle entirely. They stopped an arm's length out from my body only when their sudden movement distracted me from what I was doing.

"Please tell me you don't have to try that one again," Mattheus said over his shoulder. "It's possible I shit myself."

"I think I have that one covered," I said as I watched the lights begin to retreat slowly once more.

I stayed perfectly still and focused upon keeping my breathing calm. The rate of recession did not increase. I frowned and furrowed my brow as I considered this. I thought of my time with Piera. Still, the rate did not increase. For another moment, I just stared as I tried to figure out why it worked so easily in one direction and not the other.

Simply calming myself or considering pleasant memories alone was not enough. When I thought of negative things, they seemed so real and so possible. I felt complete and utter dread from them.

I thought of my stolen moments with Piera. Those had been the only happiness I had ever known but the memory of them was pale in comparison to the real thing. I tried to run over those moments and remember every detail but still they were muted. I smiled at the memories but there was also bitterness in how it had all been taken away from me. I had no true happiness left in me. Perhaps that was what Alvisio had always wanted.

He had known the truth. I knew he had. It would make sense if he had been working to cripple me all that time. I would be less of a threat that way.

"Mattheus," I said. "What will happen if we win?" I had never been able to think about success. I was too consumed with failure. At most, I had simply thought we would save Piera. I had never been able to visualize what that would look like or what we would do next.

Mattheus kept his back to mine. "Best case?" he asked.

"Yes."

He was quiet for a moment. I did not know if he thought this sudden request strange or if he understood what I needed. Either way, I did not voice my theory out loud.

As I waited for his answer, I realized how warm the night felt. I looked up and saw the moon. It was full and the round pock-marked disc reminded me of a woman playing a flute and I smiled.

"We free Oculus from Alvisio and the king's rule," Mattheus said, pulling me from my reverie. "The oppression by the soldiers ends. The labourers no longer have to live in fear. You and Piera keep the lights away and protect us all. I would assume you would be the new king and queen of course. Ever thought you might have kids?"

I blinked. I had never considered it a possibility, not even for a moment, not even when I was a child. I had always expected to be like − or rather, live like − Alvisio; alone and serious. Presented with the question so bluntly. I was not sure how to respond.

What if Piera and I did win? What if we succeeded so beyond our wildest imaginations that, like Mattheus suggested, we ruled over a new Oculus and were free to have our own children? For the first time, I pictured that success. I tried to imagine what a child of ours would look like but could manage little more than Piera's face on a child's body. I smiled wider still as I imagined what it would be like to have her by my side and that child innocent and perfect before us. I imagined never having to worry again and Alvisio, the king, and even Piera's sister gone. I imagined what it would feel like to know Alvisio had been killed in some long ago battle. Was such a thing possible?

Mattheus wavered as he said, "Not that I'm upset with whatever you did just now," he said," but it could pose a problem for us."

There was a loud clank and bang as the bar on the gate was being removed. I could not see it, only hear it. It was so dark. There were shouts.

Where were the lights? I stepped away from Mattheus to look around and could see only the distant glow of them all bunched at the far end of the valley before Throne.

Dread filled me as I realized there was no protection between us and any soldiers that had no doubt just been ordered to retrieve us. But with that dread came salvation as the lights rushed back. Mattheus pressed himself against my back as fast as he could but the lights did not move any closer than the arm's length they had before. The valley was aglow once more. I laughed even as my heart still pounded in my chest from that momentary mistake.

"That's impressive," Mattheus grunted. "But I wish I weren't at as much risk as everyone else."

"Stay close then," I said. "I want to have some fun."

I walked closer to the gate of the city, stopping far enough away that I knew it would be too far for the soldiers to reach me no matter how fast they were.

"Alvisio!" I yelled. "Time to come out!"

I thought of how good it would feel to kill him but nothing happened. This caused a twinge of worry that slowed the progression of the circle just a little. I focused on the same thoughts I had had before; the peace and fulfillment I hoped to have in that life. Just as before, the lights were forced to the other side of the valley.

"Ready yet?" I yelled.

I knew he was too much of a coward to face me at that moment, but I wanted everyone else to see that too. Piera and Carlo had been right that Alvisio had fears and I now knew how to manipulate them.

The gate opened and within seconds several soldiers were running out, their swords drawn. As I expected, Alvisio was not among them.

"You're a coward, Alvisio!" I yelled back. "But not stupid."

I focused on what would happen if I ever failed in my quest, letting the lights charge back towards me. They flowed past us like spilled water and clung to the soldiers foolish enough to have left the city's protections. They began to scream and fall to the ground.

They were my enemies but I took no joy in what I was witnessing. Some never moved again after their cries had faded away. A few stumbled around the field, unsure of where they were. I remembered Zuane and what had happened to him, how he had been treated. I also remembered Carlo.

"Oi!" I called out to them. "Come here!"

They heard me but they were still dazed, still covered in lights but no longer screaming. They could not understand.

"Come here!" I yelled to them. I was determined to ask them what I would have asked of Zuane if he had still been alive.

A handful of them shambled toward me and stopped outside my protective bubble. The rest, three other men, began to wander the fields, talking to themselves as if they could not remember who they were.

Of those who came close to me, one seemed confused when he looked at me. The others were wide-eyed. The confused man began to cry but he was not the only one. The blue light reflected off the cheeks of the others. He looked down at his sword. It was shaking in his hand.

"I am so sorry," he said. "I never meant to."

Then, before I could even comprehend that he had spoken, he plunged the blade into his gut. His knees went weak and he slowly lowered to the ground before falling over dead.

The reaction had been so strange, so confusing, that I had no idea what to say. Even my questions had fled my mind. I turned to the others, as wide-eyed and stunned as they were. But they were not concerned with their friend. They were still watching me. There were only four of them I realized.

When I did not say anything, one of them spoke. "Can you ever forgive us?" he asked before lowering himself to one knee and bowing his head. The others copied him and did the same. "The lights have shown us the truth. We are so sorry."

Mattheus and I looked at each other.

"What have they shown you?" I asked.

The same man looked up at me, if possible, even more stunned than before. "The true king," he said.

There was nothing funny about his response but I burst into full laughter. It was so absurd. The king's father had been king as was his father before him. There had never been other children. There had never been contention.

The stress of his comment ensured my protective bubble stayed close to me, forcing Mattheus to remain so close to my side that his arm was pressed against mine.

The nervous outburst faded. My breathing remained ragged but I could still think and speak.

"I am not the King of Oculus," I informed him.

His brow knit. "Of course you're not," he said. "You are far greater than he. You are the King of Sairvyan."

I did not laugh this time. I did not even breathe.

Mattheus was watching me. I could feel his eyes on me. "Sairvyan?" he asked. "What is that?"

I swallowed. "The ancient forests of Sairvyan," I whispered, repeating what Piera's sister had told me.

The kneeling man nodded. "I am honoured to serve you," he said.

"Serve me?"

He nodded again. "The lights have shown me I am worthy to follow you."

"Shown you?" I was hoping to sound more intelligent but the words would not come.

"The lights showed me all the ills I have ever done and they have shown me who you truly are," he explained. "I choose to follow you."

Mattheus looked over the lifeless forms on the ground. "And they chose not to?" he said.

The soldier nodded. "Or the harm they have inflicted upon others has been too great and cannot be redeemed."

Mattheus nodded in the direction of the wandering madmen. "And them?"

"I do not know," the soldier said. "I only know what I have been shown, not what has been shown to them. Perhaps they have things in their pasts they cannot face."

Mattheus turned to me. "Lights or not," he said. "I have already chosen to follow you and I have nothing in my past to fear."

Before I could stop him, he stepped out of the bubble and into the lights' midst. He was not immune to their effects and immediately fell to his knees as he screamed out in pain. I stepped in his direction as I tried to banish the lights from him but those that had already affixed themselves to his form could not be moved.

"Mattheus!" I cried as I reached out to touch the light that was upon him. My hand passed through the orb and I too was on my knees as every pain I had endured or inflicted was brought back upon me in one moment.

I was not simply shown. I felt, heard, and smelled every event in one moment. The beatings of thieves in my arrests all felt like beatings upon my own body. The torture Alvisio had inflicted upon me too had come back and I would have choked upon the putrid mess again if I could have stopped screaming. Seeing Piera's battered form renewed its clarity in my mind. And all at once, those pains were gone as my nostrils filled with the same scent the moonflower oil had revealed. It was more pungent than it had been on my skin and as it overwhelmed my senses, I was no longer in the fields or surrounded by lights.

## Chapter 22

I was sitting upon a mossy knoll feeling tightly compacted, as if I had been stuffed into a container that was too small for me. A tiny light floated by me and I reached out to grab it with both hands. I was too slow and it continued on its windswept journey even as I opened my chubby fingers with a giggle. I stared at my empty hands, then after where the light had be carried. How could I not catch it? My mouth fell open and I let out a long, high-pitched wail.

"It is alright, Hart," a soft voice said close to my ear. "That one preferred freedom."

I turned and looked up to see the most beautiful woman kneeling behind me. She had a heart-shaped face. Her irises were a dance of silver and purple. Her hair a perfectly flat cascade of white gold as it fell down either side of her face. The ends of the strands, which were resting in her lap, were secured by a knotwork of silver thread.

The sight of her filled me so full of love and happiness, I giggled, forgetting my escaped prey. She lifted me into her arms and cradled me as I batted at her hair. Behind her was a bush of moonflowers.

A low but methodical series of thumps upon the earth caught my attention. I looked over my mother's hand to see the enormous stag walking through the trees. His hair was perfectly white. His horns a labyrinthine mass many times larger than his body. Upon each and every tip of his antlers was a tiny, pale blue light.

He twitched his head and one of the lights floated off its perch, another quickly emerging from the tip to take its place. It floated toward me and this time I caught it in my hands. It tickled my skin and filled me with a sense of warmth and belonging that stretched to the tips of my extremities. I opened my hands and the light was gone. I looked above me, hoping to see it floating there. Through the small breaks in the canopy, I could see a star-filled sky above me. Had my little light travelled there?

"It has served its purpose and is gone now," a deep voice said.

I looked in the direction of the stag but it was no longer there. In its place stood a tall and lithe man with a face as perfect as my mother's. His hair was as long and perfectly flat as hers but it was also perfectly white. A crown of blue lights rested on top of his head. There was a faint smile on his lips as he looked at me. His eyes turned to my mother.

"I have tried speaking with him again," he said.

My mother gave a mirthless chuckle. "Is he still insisting he is pure of heart?"

He walked closer, his eyes on me now. "He is convinced we are wrong," he replied.

I did not like seeing him so serious. My guts flipped and my lip quivered but before I could give a proper wail, he smiled broadly at me.

"There is nothing to fear, my perfect boy," he said. "Nothing at all." He held out his palm to me. On it was another tiny blue light. I lunged for it and caught it between my fat fingers. Another wave of warmth, love, and a sense of belonging consumed me. I giggled again.

"If he refuses to acknowledge the darkness within him, his path will be no different than if he fully embraced it," my mother said. As much as the light had amused and calmed me, it had done nothing for her. "Not to mention the war this could bring down upon us. Whether he refuses to acknowledge his son or not, their king will not stand for him joining with us."

"Their king still refuses to admit to his people that there are others in this world besides them," my father said as he knelt down next to us. "Sending his people out to fight a war against us is not something I think he is willing to entertain. It would cause too many problems for him. Their isolation has kept his people obedient; just the way he likes it."

"I suppose you are right," she said as she kissed the top of my head. "It isn't like we have not had reason to war with them before. He hides his people from the same truth we would share with them and even steals our people to help achieve that."

My father grunted and in response my mother rolled her eyes. "You don't still honestly believe Sira went there willingly do you?" she asked.

"I know my cousin. She hates me and anything that would go against me is something that would make her very happy." He was still trying to focus on me as they spoke. His tone remained matter of fact but his eyes had flashed with a regret so strong, that even I understood.

"But she loved her people and her children," my mother insisted but her voice was softer. "She would not have turned on us and abandoned them just to hurt you."

My father could not hold my gaze any longer. He looked at my mother and examined her face for many moments. "The forest caused her pain. She is like this young man who has come to us, begging for truth and for a new life. He thinks he wants truth; he thinks he wants new opportunities; but all he wants are new ways to steal what he has always believed is his right."

My mother considered. "To be fair, he would have a right if he were the Prince of Sairvyan. They are blood and that should be enough."

My father stood and paced the mossy earth before the knoll. "But he is not of Sairvyan. His people's ways are not our ways. That is how it is and their king has gone to great lengths to ensure it stays that way. And need I remind you, that if he were the Prince of Sairvyan," his eyes fell upon me, "He would likely have a much harder time than he is having now."

I felt my mother's arms tighten around me. "There are none here who would challenge you. So long as you live, he is safe."

"From our own people, yes. From that man, I do not think so."

My mother scoffed but did not release her hold. "Outsiders know nothing of our magic," she said. "Why would he ever thinks such a thing unless he were told."

My father stopped and looked into her eyes for a moment before nodding slowly. "And where is one of our people right now? Where is Sira?"

My mother gasped. "She would never. Not even to hurt you...She would never endanger the life of a child like that! She's a mother!"

"Wouldn't she?" He asked with a raised brow. "He must be of age before the magic would work. He must be a man. She would have no qualms about a man of 30 years being felled in an even fight. If she told this man about the one caveat to our uncontested succession, then I have no doubt that is why he would come in the first place. As a King of Oculus, he rules only slaves. As a King of Sairvyan, he could conquer his negligent father and all of the Five Kingdoms. Why would he settle for anything less?"

"Maybe he hopes for more," she whispered. The last breath of credence had left her tone. She knew my father was right.

"He insists he does," my father said, "But if I gave him a true test, not one of those faint impressions I send to their country, he would die. I refuse to kill a man simply because he will not believe what I believe. It is not right. I try to give their people choice by sending them truth. I do not force them to pick one over the other."

"Maybe you should," she said. "If Sira is willing to send them after our son, then maybe we should be less merciful to ensure the protection of our family."

His eyes closed and he breathed slowly for several moments before opening them again. "Rahirion," he whispered, "How would that make me any better than their king? No matter how much I feel some of their kind would deserve it, it is not right. I will not test them that way."

My mother stood, still cradling me in her arms. "And if they try to kill our son?" She demanded.

"We have almost 30 years before we have to worry about that," he said. The energy had left him. Even the crown of lights upon his head seemed dull. "Surely Sira would have told them that killing him before he is a man would be no different than killing any of their kind."

"Then why is one of them here now?" Her voice was cold. She had given up debating with my father. She saw the threat clearly and was unhappy with anything less than immediate and cruel action.

When my father said nothing, my mother walked from the small clearing, keeping me tightly within her grasp. I tried to squirm to look over her shoulder at my father but had only a glimpse of him before she turned me around again.

The trees on either side of us were almost wider in the trunk than my father's antlers. They were old and healthy. They had never wanted for anything and had grown without hindrance for generations. The moist and woody smell of them filled the air around us. The soft moss upon the earth muffled the footfalls of my mother, making them barely audible.

Though it was night, I could see easily. The forests of Sairvyan were the forests of the moon, which shone bright and full through the canopy. The foliage had been nourished by the light of the moon, the stars, and my father. There had never been a need for the sun in this place yet it was always warm. It was the blanket of my father's magic that kept the land so well nourished.

I saw the glow of the arch before I saw the arch itself; two of the largest trees of all had reached their branches to one another and joined into one. My mother walked through the opening they created and into the lush palace that had been invisible from outside.

The large throne room before us was lined with trees and covered in moss. My parents' chairs were ahead of us. On either side of them, the trees twisted into stairs that led out of sight. My mother was walking towards one of the stairways when a voice behind her made her stop.

"Is there any way I can prove to you that you can trust me?"

My mother spun around. Her grip on me was painful and I tried to squirm loose. She relaxed just enough to quell the worst of my protests.

Just inside the arch stood an armour-clad man. He could not have been much older than 25 but his face was already covered in scars. His head was dark with the chaotic stubble of several days of beard growth.

My mother's voice was cold as she said, "You could take his test."

"Not without him allowing it of me," he said back. Though his voice was innocent, his eyes were not.

I did not like this man.

"I do not believe you really want to take it, even if he would," she said. "Now get out of my home. You are not welcome here."

"And I am not welcome back in mine!" he shouted.

She was unsympathetic. "And so I should let you threaten my family? Your father would allow you back in his lands if you chose to return. Just because he cannot make you his heir does not mean he would not let you return to your proper place in his kingdom."

He gave a snort. "My proper place is in the mines, where my mother died. Why would I want to live like that?" he asked. "Even through my father's favours, I am nothing more than some stupid soldier. No one will ever know the truth. I will always be treated like nothing." He took several slow steps forward and my mother backed away. This response to his movements did not stop him. He continued to advance. He gestured with both hands to his face. "Do you see these scars?" he asked.

My mother said nothing but he explained anyway. "Each one I made sure my father saw me get. I wanted him to see me hurt. I wanted him to acknowledge the life he was forcing me into. Not once has he ever shown he cared." He pointed to a particularly prominent scar along his neck. It was still purple, ragged, and lumpy. "Even when I let myself nearly be killed, he did not blink. Would you be so callous if your son were treated that way?"

Her grip tightened around me once more. "Get away," she said. "Don't you dare threaten my son! My husband will kill you if you try!"

A smile spread across his lips. "Your words have hurt him too much. He will not be back soon. But do not fear for your son. I need him alive for now."

Even as my mother held me so tightly I could barely breathe, I could also feel her shaking. "Get away from me!" she screamed. "Get away!" She backed away faster but the young Alvisio sped up as well. She turned to run but he sprinted to her and reached her before she could go more than a few steps.

My mother and I were falling to the ground. My stomach felt like it was flying as my body dropped. I hit the moss but my mother landed on top of me. I began to cry. She was crushing me. It hurt. I was scared. I tried to grab at her hair but could not find it. I inhaled a long breath and wailed.

Her body was pulled off me. She did not move. She was covered in red. I cried harder. I wanted her to pick me up again. I wanted her to hold me and love me. I wanted to see her warm smile like I had as we sat upon the knoll together. But I could not see her face clearly. Her beautiful hair was now nothing more than matted blood. I tried to crawl closer to look at her but I was being lifted off the ground.

I struggled. I kicked and flailed; not in any attempt to hurt my abductor, but in my single-minded efforts to return to my mother's arms. I screamed at the top of my lungs as I struggled but I was already being carried away.

The moss around her turned black. The blackness spread. The trees began to wither and die. Even the moonlight seemed to fade.

I saw my father's face. I was no longer cramped inside a tiny body but I also was not sure I was really anywhere at all. Nevertheless, I could still see my father's anguish as he collapsed to his knees next to my mother. He tried to lift her into his arms but was too weakened by grief. He managed to get his arms around her but instead of pulling her up, the weight of her bloodied form pulled him down. He could not hope to fight the momentum and ended up with his face buried into the red, crispy mass of her hair as he sobbed his loss and his regret. The moist earth around him too eagerly accepted the sounds of his grief. No one else would have heard him. He was alone.

When there was nothing left in his body to give to his despair, he left her and the throne room behind. He walked through the arch and back into the forest.

"As you wanted," he whispered.

And then there stood the stag once more, the lights still at the end of each tip of his antlers. He lifted his chin to the sky. One after another, the lights lifted silently into the air. They did not float amongst the trees like I had seen, these continued upward until they faded into the sky. The next buds formed upon the tips and those too were sent.

He did not stop. Every light that formed was sent away. I knew where they were headed. They would settle upon a particular valley; the valley of Oculus.

## Chapter 23

Mattheus' screaming still echoed in my ears but my own head had cleared. We were in the middle of the fields of Oculus. The soldiers who had seen their own versions of the truth stood exactly where I had remembered. My hand fell from Mattheus' back and collapsed as his cries finally died away.

We both fell to all fours and panted into the earth. I forced myself to blink repeatedly as I tried to figure out if what I had just witnessed had been real.

Alvisio was the king's son? I was the heir to the throne of a country that I had never known existed?

My mother's bloody form was fresh in my memory. Alvisio had killed her. He had stolen me from my home. He had done everything he had in my life to ensure that he would be the one to kill me all to inherit the magic of my birthright, all so that he could have revenge upon the father he hated so much.

I vomited onto the earth. I had eaten so little while being a fugitive that there was little more than spit, but my body was determined to expel it anyway.

"My King," one of the soldiers said. "Are you alright?"

I nodded several times but even that simple motion was too much. My head wobbled from side to side in my efforts to execute the basic movement. "I will be fine," I choked. I lifted my chin to look around at the lights that still surrounded us, they were the signs of a silent war that had been waged against Oculus since my abduction. It was no wonder Alvisio feared them so much. He was the intended target.

I was not yet ready, but I could not remain still. I forced myself to climb to my feet. I wobbled in my ungraceful effort but managed to remain upright.

"What would you have us do?" the soldier asked me.

I looked at him. "What is your name?"

"Marco, my King."

I nodded. "You are in charge of these men," I explained as I gestured to the other converted. "Just give us a moment to discuss our next move."

Marco nodded first to me, then to the others, before walking further out into the fields. The lights paid them no heed. They were able to walk through them as if the lights did not exist at all. They had served their purpose, as my father would have said.

I looked to the sky. Very little time had passed. I turned to Mattheus. He was still breathing heavily from his own visions but had managed to stand. He was staring at me wide-eyed but not in the same level of shock as I had seen on the other faces.

"It's true," he said. "You're Hart, heir to Sairvyan."

I nodded. "What were you shown?" I asked. I doubted what the others would see would be exactly what I had.

"You," he said. "I saw you standing in a strange green world of soft earth and huge plants. You had a crown of lights on your head and I just knew. I knew exactly who you are. I knew at that moment what you are truly meant for. I can't explain it. I don't know why. I just knew and I also knew I wanted you there. I also saw Alvisio. I know who he is now. I know who his father is. I could not explain how I knew but I did. He stood waiting for me as if I could choose to join him but I knew I would never do that."

I had been shown what had happened because, for most of it, I had witnessed it. I had seen it and it was just a simple matter of remembering those events of my infancy. Mattheus did not mention seeing my father or what Alvisio had done to my mother. He did not mention my father's anguish or seeing what my father had done. He sent his lights every day to help me. They were to protect me and to test the people of Oculus. Those who would be my allies had nothing to fear from them. Those who would go against me had everything to fear. I told Mattheus what I had seen and he gave a long, low whistle.

"So the whole reason he did all of this was to steal your throne as soon as the magic begins to work?"

"It seems that way," I said. "I am also sure that he saw all of that from the gatehouse and likely realizes I know the truth now." I looked towards the king's city. "He may panic and head back to Throne at first light."

"Then it is time," Mattheus said. "All or nothing."

I nodded. "But perhaps this will not be as difficult as I thought," I said as I looked at the converted men walking ahead of us. All I had to do was convince the people to walk into the lights. That was all. My father's magic would do the rest.

Mattheus and I caught up with the others and we walked together to Throne.

The reality was still sinking into my bones. Just over a month ago, I had thought I would be lucky if I ever saw the sun again. Only days ago, I was thinking it would be a miracle if I could escape with just Piera and my own life. As much as Carlo insisted he knew it would happen, I had never truly thought I would face Alvisio; let alone face him and have a chance at winning. And even Carlo had never predicted the magnitude of what I was about to attempt, and could quite possibly accomplish.

I knew what I had to do and my feet kept moving one in front of the other to complete the only task left me. But I still did not believe in what I was about to do, not really. I knew who I was without any doubts. I knew my father and remembered my mother. I knew the truth. But knowing the past and having the power to shape the future are not the same thing. All I could do was hope that my father's truth would be enough to protect me.

It had been what he had been trying to do all along. I knew why the lights had behaved the way they had around me, why they had expanded when I felt secure and closed in upon me when I felt threatened. My father hoped they would help protect me and any others I might hold dear to me. I was sure he had not intended them to affect me. Why, given how important their truth was, I had no way of knowing. But he had not wanted the lights to touch me. He could not have predicted what had happened. Would he be relieved or upset by the outcome?

I looked around me as we walked. The lights no longer cleared a path for me but neither did they seem attracted by my presence. Something about being touched made the members of my small band and I immune to them. That suited me just fine. Though I agreed with my father that death was not a worthy punishment for disagreement, that same tactic could very well save many more than it would kill. I did not fear the lights touching those I loved now. They would survive them unscathed once the momentary pain had subsided. It was a necessary torture, one that made them immune to the king's manipulations. If only enough joined us that we would never have to fear the powers in Oculus again, even in the daylight ...

Either Oculus would fall or I would.

"What are we going to do?" Marco asked.

"Offer the soldiers of Throne the same chance to see the truth," I said. "Those loyal to Alvisio will fall."

"They won't come after you now that the lights aren't behaving the same way," Mattheus reasoned.

He had a point. The only reason Marco's contingent had left the safety of the city was because they had momentarily thought the threat of the lights had been removed. I tried filling myself with the same sense of serenity as I had before. Nothing happened. The sea of lights around us remained untouched.

"I will just have to rely on my charm and wit," I said with a smile. Inside, I felt none of the levity I was trying to portray but I hoped I was convincing enough. When Mattheus snorted in reply, I took that as a good sign.

"Perhaps you should let me speak," he suggested. "My brain works faster than yours."

"I would never trust a leader who did not speak for himself," I countered. "I doubt any of the other soldiers would."

I saw the flicker of movement atop the gatehouse before I could hear anything. We did not stop. I continued walking right to the edge of the lights so that the gatehouse loomed high above me. I shouted up to the man who was now looking down at me.

"It is Veleno, former Head of the Night Guard," I shouted. "Would you open the gate for us?"

The man disappeared but nothing happened.

"You didn't really think that would work, did you?" Mattheus asked out of the side of his mouth.

"Nope," I said. "But 'I've come to declare war' seemed a little rude." Neither of us laughed.

After another moment, a different face looked down at us. I smiled with recognition.

"Cello! Let us in!" I hollered.

He did not smile back at me. He looked nervously over his shoulder before looking down at us again. "Veleno," he called. "You have been declared a traitor by the King of Oculus and the Head of the Royal Guard. At first light, we will open the gate and take you into custody."

I laughed as I took several steps further back into the midst of the lights. "Why not come get me now?" I asked with a grin, stretching my arms out to emphasize my protection.

Cello looked over his shoulder again before replying, "I have my orders."

I scoffed. "Those orders are meaningless now. Come see for yourself, Cello. Why not join us?"

He hesitated before saying, "You will be taken into custody and held until Alvisio returns."

Any mirth in my face or my voice faded. "You do not have to fear him any longer. Where am I standing, Cello? Even Alvisio fears the lights. I do not." I indicated the men on either side of me with a broad sweep of my arm. "Nor do they."

Marco stepped forward. "Until tonight, I fought in the name of the King of Oculus," he said. "I was loyal and sure in my station. The lights have shown me the truth. Things are not as they seem and I doubt you would stand where you are now willingly if you could see what I have seen."

I suspected Cello did not stand there willingly now, but Marco's point was valid. What I wanted more than anything was what my father had always wanted, for the people of Oculus to know and choose for themselves.

Cello's head whipped around to look over the other side of the wall. "You will hold until I tell you otherwise!" He barked.

The years had finally brought out the forcefulness in him. Knowing what I did now, I did not feel pride but regret in this fact. The unsure young man was now a hardened soldier. For a moment, I wondered what deeds he had been complicit in to get his current post. Was he the same Cello?

Yes. His hesitations showed me he was, at least inside. Even if he performed his duties out of blindness to his real choices, he did not like it.

"Cello! Open the gate!" I yelled. "Give them a chance to choose for themselves. I am offering you and everyone else something Alvisio and the king have worked so hard to take from you: choice!"

Cello was ignoring me. His attention was fully upon whatever was happening behind that gate. Mattheus and I looked at each other as we both heard the increasingly loud rumblings of discontent. There were more than a few soldiers behind the walls. By the timber of some of the yells, some of them could not have been soldiers. There were women yelling at Cello.

Mattheus walked forward. "Cello," he yelled. "I offer myself to you now. I will tell you everything. Whether or not you choose to come out yourself, I will come in. If you choose to torture me, send me to the mines, or just kill me, so be it."

Cello paused and moved to look down at Mattheus. He did not act. Mattheus continued to walk forward. He walked past the edge of the lights and straight to the gate. "See," he said. "You have nothing to fear by opening the gate for me. You need not come out. Simply pull me in."

I could feel the eyes of the converts upon me. They were wondering if this was some predetermined plan. I gave nothing away. I needed to appear in control to keep them brave. With a tense jaw, I simply watched as Mattheus left his protections behind. I was not even sure if he was using a tactic that could help us win, or simply one that would ensure Anna's safety. The tumult behind the walls was growing in volume.

Even from my distance, I could see how torn Cello was. He wanted to open the gate. The discord within the city sounded as if it was growing and he would soon lose control. A prize was offering itself willingly on the condition the gate be opened. But all of that meant nothing if Alvisio discovered the truth and killed him for his weakness. Fear kept him immobile.

"Cello," I called. "I swear to you that you have nothing to fear from us. I swear on my own life."

He was back looking over the city, yelling orders to his men. The crowd that must have gathered had begun to chant, "Open the gate! Open the gate!"

There were screams and shouts, a clatter of a sword upon the stones, more screams. The chanting had ended and Cello paced the top of the gatehouse, looking over the edge every few seconds. The gate shuddered as if a great weight had been thrown against it.

"Stand back, Mattheus!" I yelled.

I did not have to repeat myself. He backed away as the gate shuddered again. The shouts and screams within the city had gotten louder. It must have been chaos inside and there was nothing I could do about it so long as that gate was closed.

There was a flash of movement at the top of the gatehouse. Cello and the guard were no longer alone. Within a moment, they were struggling with one, two, three, then four attackers. I realized too late what was happening as one of the attackers lifted Cello up and threw him over the edge and into the lights. His scream carried through the valley as it bounced off the opposing mountains.

For a moment, the lights rushed towards Cello and I hurried to join them. But all too quickly, they seemed unaware of his presence and were motionless. I slowed to a walk as I neared his body and swallowed a thick lump as I looked down at his eyes, open wide in his fear. Of all those the lights could test, I had known Cello would have survived. He would have followed me. His heart was good. I had had no doubt. All I wanted was for him to have a chance. The chaos inside the city was killing everyone, evil and good alike.

Mattheus was at my shoulder. "There's nothing we can do now," he said.

I nodded. "The mob will get the gate open," I whispered. "But how many who should have lived will die?"

Mattheus said nothing. I knew my words had stirred his fears about Anna. I was sorry for it, but there was no taking back the truth.

There was a loud clank and a bang as the bar on the gate was pulled free. The force of the crowd was still pressing against it and it was several more minutes before they had realized they had outdone the soldiers and retreated enough to pull the doors open.

Mattheus and I walked back to join Marco and the other converts as we waited. The hope I had held before for what the lights could do for us had been tarnished. I felt little more than indifferent acceptance as I waited for the first of the people to emerge.

They stood frozen at the edge of the lights, staring at us.

"Lead them," Mattheus said.

I nodded and walked forward, trying to regain my earlier confidence in what we were doing. I stopped halfway between my people and the edge of the lights. "I offer you nothing more and nothing less than the truth," I said. "If you are brave enough to face it, step into the lights. I cannot promise you will survive but I can promise that if you do, your life will never be the same. Oculus will never be the same. No matter what you choose, this oppression will end."

No one moved at first. Then through the crowds pushed a small, frail woman. I smiled broadly as Anna emerged in front of the others. I was surprised Mattheus did not run by me on his way to lift her into his arms. No matter what feelings he was enduring, he restrained them and stayed with the soldiers at my back.

"I will face it," Anna said loud enough for the others to hear before stepping into the lights.

As I had seen so many times before, they swarmed her. She fell to her knees but she did not scream out in pain like I had seen so many others do. Her face was twisted in anguish. The glow of the lights glistened off her cheeks. She sobbed and let out a wail. I was sure she was seeing Zuane again.

She was truly the bravest of us all. She had spent years of her life tending to a man who had not come out of the lights unscathed. Whatever had haunted him had driven him mad. She knew firsthand there were not always happy endings. But she endured.

When her face had relaxed and the lights that had latched onto her had faded, she looked straight at me with her wide eyes. I smiled at her. I had not been as confident of her surviving the lights sane simply because of Zuane. She had proven stronger still than I had expected. I really had to stop underestimating her.

She climbed to her feet and walked forward. Stopping in front of me, she whispered, "Thank you."

I could not help myself. I threw my arms around her and squeezed until I was sure I must have winded her. We were going to make it through.

"Go to Mattheus," I said as I released her. "He has been torturing himself with worry over you."

She looked over to him with an admiring smile but did not go to him. Instead she turned to face the crowd.

"I have just proven what many of us have suspected," she said. "Do not let the king keep the truth from you any longer!"

At her words, several more broke from the crowd and stepped into the fields. There was nothing but silence around their screams. No one breathed as they watched to see who would stand again. All did.

"The king," one whispered, looking at me.

The others gathered could not have known what he meant at that moment. They would soon enough, if they were willing simply to trust. More joined them and survived. The new wave faltered when one woman did not rise and lay dead in the fields but those who had seen beckoned them onward, promising safety that they had no real right to promise but I did not stop them.

Anna left my side and went to Mattheus who welcomed her with open arms and a kiss not decent for such a public venue. At the same time, I became the destination for many who had been shown the truth and survived.

"My King," echoed in my ears as they knelt before me.

Truth or not, I was not comfortable with this devotion. Being the rightful heir to another country, being the only alternative they knew to the life that had been forced upon them, seemed a poor measure of worthiness for such worship. But I did not deny them. It was their place to choose how to use their knowledge, whether I welcomed it or not.

As the labourers revelled in their newfound freedom and their hope for the future, I joined Mattheus and Anna.

Mattheus beamed at me. "Anna is amazing," he said. "She's been spreading stories to the other labourers every day as they worked, telling them about us and what we were going to do. It's why they trusted you and why so many of them did not fail. She's been working every moment to make sure we were supported."

She nodded. "And when I heard the guards on the gatehouse shouting, all I had to do was tell everyone it was time and you had come to free us. They rushed to the gate to see for themselves."

I marveled at this tiny woman who had changed the fate of her country more than I ever could have. "Without lifting a sword, you overcame the entire Night Guard," I said in awe.

She shook her head and pointed to the gate. "Not all of them," she said but her smile had not faded.

I followed her finger to see a group of soldiers in double tunics watching the revelry before them.

"They did not try to stop us," she explained, "But I think they doubt they will be spared like we have been."

I could understand their reluctance. The labourers had not had a fear of Alvisio beaten into them every day since their youth. That did not mean these soldiers would side with him if shown the alternatives. The fact that they had not brought reinforcements from the palace and simply stood wide-eyed at the gate gave me hope.

"Let's see if I can explain it better to them then," I said.

I walked up to the gate to greet them. My eyes fell upon the tallest. There was something in the roundness of his face that I found familiar. When I tried to ignore the scarred and shaved head, the training sessions of years ago came back to me.

"Barty?" I asked as I stood before him.

His eyes widened. "You remember me?"

I smiled. "I remember my assistant very much, yes."

He ran his fingers over his shaved head. His eyes were not focused upon me now but one of the bodies that lay in the fields. One of the few labourers who had survived and was not elated was a young woman who sat next to it, her hand resting on its back. A sibling or friend, perhaps? She was not crying. She looked barely cognizant.

"I don't want that to be me," Barty said.

I nodded. "I understand."

His shoulders lowered with his relief but his face was still twisted in worry.

"Do you plan to fight against me then?" I asked.

His eyes widened and he shook his head. "Never. I hate this job. I hate this life. I hate what Alvisio and Lucius make us do. I will not stop you in overthrowing them."

I could not contain my smile. "Then you have nothing to fear from those lights," I said.

"I-I can't," he said. "I've been listening to the others." He indicated the labourers with a flick of his chin. "I am not ready to face myself just yet."

I could understand his hesitation. He had considered this far more than many who had taken the chance. I did not wish to force this upon him but there was no way around it. A momentary delay was not going to help him.

"Barty," I said. "I will be taking the jewel away. After tonight, there will be no safety from the lights except inside hiding under your bed. I'm sorry I cannot offer you more time."

His Adam's apple bobbed with his swallow. "We were told you wanted to take her away, that you had tried once before."

I nodded. "She is a prisoner of the king," I said. "And she needs to be freed."

He looked into my eyes for any indication that I was lying to him. If he found any, it would be of his own imagination. I hoped his fear did not run that deep.

"You will need more help than from labourers to get into the palace," he said. "The guards will stop you."

"Alvisio is not here to stop me this time."

Barty looked to the sky. It was still black. For how much longer, I had no idea. The events had warped my sense of time. Morning could be coming soon and Alvisio with it. The reminder jolted me into action.

"Mattheus!" I called as I turned back to him and Anna. "We have work to do."

He nodded and left Anna to join me. Marco had noticed and jogged up to join us.

"What is happening?" Mattheus asked.

"It is time to get Piera out of there," I explained. "Will you join me?"

He nodded.

"I will help," Marco confirmed.

"As will we," Barty said, indicating the silent comrades on either side of him.

I looked up at the palace. From our distance, it looked no different to me. It had been so long that I knew the appearance was deceiving. I had no idea what we were about to face but there was no more time to plan or to hope. With Alvisio trapped in King's Grace, this was my best chance.

## Chapter 24

Barty very quickly obtained swords for me and Mattheus. Marco still had his from when Alvisio had sent him out to arrest me.

We ran through the streets and up the palace stairs. A line of well-armed guards blocked the door. I told the others to hold as I stepped forward.

"Alvisio and your king have lied to you," I said. "If you wish to know the truth, then you may join with me as these others have. Otherwise, we will fight you and likely kill you."

All of the men stood firm. I wished more then than any other moment that the lights could penetrate the city. If they were shown the truth, they might have picked differently. I had had to kill so many in my life. With the possibility of ending the fighting without that loss of life so nearby, it churned my guts to see what these men were choosing out of ignorance.

I nodded in acknowledgement of their decision. "Very well," I said. My men stepped forward to stand with me at these words. After a moment to take a breath, we charged.

Just as in King's Grace, my training came back to me as easily as if it had never left. Alvisio's years of relentless beatings had worked well in ensuring his lessons were never forgotten.

The first of the guards who challenged me was well-trained in keeping his weight low as he waited for my approach. I feinted going after his left shoulder with my arm, getting him to focus upon that movement while I used my legs to spring me in the opposite direction. He had lifted his weight to block the blow to his left just enough that I was able to duck under his arm, press my back against his right shoulder, and spin myself behind him, bringing my blade up into his side in the process. I did not wait for another challenger. I sprinted to the doors and pushed them open with little resistance.

Vincent came running into the hall to investigate the commotion. Though I hated to admit it, even to myself, I took a small pleasure in removing his head from his body and letting it drop.

Mattheus had broken free of the melee at the doors and joined me. With sickening familiarity, a guard emerged from the adjacent corridor as we ran for the stairs.

The memories of the past shook my confidence until more guards joined him and they charged us. I did not need to be quiet this time. I did not need to worry about how to escape the city. I just needed to get Piera.

Mattheus felled the first, taking the opportunity created by my momentary hesitation. We fought our way through the small grouping. They were unable to spread out due to the narrow hallways from which they were coming. This gave us a strong advantage while Marco, Barty, and the others had caught up with us. They helped finished off the last few guards and we sprinted up the stairs, heading straight for Piera's room.

On the next floor, we were blocked by a contingent of twenty guards. They stretched in several rows across the hallway. The first row charged toward us and our two groups crashed into each other in a cacophony of armour and crossing swords. Before we had even finished with the first onslaught, the second was already brought down upon us.

We did not fall but we were forced back and struggled to keep our line strong. Mattheus and I had no armour to protect us and the enemy were doing their best to take advantage of that. We could not take as many risks. We were skilled enough to prevent injury but our aggression was tempered, further forcing us back.

"More from behind," Marco yelled as I cut off the arm of a soldier who had been about to slice through Mattheus' body. I could not tell if my friend was injured as the spray of blood from the amputated arm mixed with his already soaked tunic. I could see no rips in it but our movements were too fast for me to be sure. My only hope that he was uninjured was that his pace had not slowed.

I felt the push from behind as Marco and Barty's crew had turned to face those from the other direction. Their backs were now pressed firmly against ours.

Several of our opponents were skilled enough to remain a nuisance even as the third volley joined them. I was fighting a thick-necked man who was able to read my moves easily, though I could do the same for him. He kept looking at the next body part he would aim for, a habit he did not seem aware that he had. I could block each time, but my return blows would also meet the border of his steel.

He looked at my right shoulder and I blocked just in time. I lifted my blade in an arc as I pushed his away. At the same time, I hoped to bring it down into his right shoulder. He moved to dodge but was too slow and I grazed his flesh. His next attempt played out much the same way. His blade went for my gut but I deflected it down before he could do any damage. I brought my blade up with the intent of sinking it into his neck but he moved again, still not quite fast enough. As he leaned back to get out of its reach, the very tip scratched his skin. He was slowing down.

I smiled as I remembered how bad my endurance had been as a soldier. In that, Mattheus and I had the advantage after our days of mountain climbing. With renewed vigor, I did not wait for his next attack as I assaulted him in an overwhelming succession of blows. After the first four hits, his exhaustion caught up with him and he was gone by the fifth.

The last of the men descended upon us. We were no longer being driven back but neither were we advancing. The bodies of those who had come before were proving a new obstacle for both sides. We had to switch our methods to avoid them. But I was no longer worried. Marco and the others had finished off those at our backs and had joined the main fray once again. The guards fell one after another and we stood panting over their sliced corpses.

"You alright?" I asked Mattheus between gasping breaths.

He nodded but was holding his side.

"What's that then," I pointed.

He waved a hand at me like I was fussing for no reason. "Cramp," he said. "I haven't swung a sword around in a while."

My breath had nearly fully come back to me and I straightened. "So long as it isn't anything worse."

He chuckled. "Don't worry. I'm not cruel enough to leave you at Anna's mercy if I die."

"How did you ever learn to fight like that?" Barty asked in amazement. There was blood flowing from his shoulder but he still held his sword in that hand without issue. The wound could not have been deep. "There isn't a scratch on you," he said.

I shrugged. "If you face Alvisio every day for over two decades, you learn a few things." I looked around. There were no more soldiers alive, but there would be. "We need to get moving," I said. "We aren't done yet. The king will likely be sending more after us any minute."

"I doubt that."

I turned to see Marco standing in an open doorway. I recognized it immediately as the room that led to the royal balcony. I joined Marco to see what he was looking at.

Slumped in one of the chairs by the fire was the king, a pool of blood at his feet. His hand dangled above a dagger than had fallen to the floor. Blood dripped from his fingers onto the handle. He must have realized there was no way he could win.

My jaw tensed. "There is still Alvisio," I said as I looked through the large opening to the balcony. The sky was dark but distinctly blue. Morning was coming.

I turned and hopped over the bodies in the hall before sprinting for Piera's room. I could hear the others following close behind.

Seeing the two guards at the ready at the top of the stairs surprised me simply because I had expected more. Perhaps the plan had been to stop us before we had gotten that far. I had felled them before the others had a chance to catch up.

I stood in front of the doors to Piera's room, breathing heavily no longer from exertion but from anticipation. I pushed them open.

The room had changed little since I had last seen it. The most noticeable difference was the lack of the settee. Instead, Piera sat in the middle of the floor. Chains were locked onto her hands and feet and bolted into the stones in a square so that she did not even have enough slack to bring her hands together. She was emaciated and bruised. Her lips had lost nearly all colour and were cracked.

Rage filled me and was only stayed when she looked up and her eyes met mine. My breath left. It could not cope with the emotions that turned my nervous system into a chaotic mess.

Her eyes were wide in her disbelief. Tears fell down her cheeks as her breathing accelerated. "You're alive," she whispered.

I stepped forward and nodded.

Her face contorted and she yelled, "Watch out!"

The kick to my hip sent me flying and my shoulder hit the nearest pillar hard. I fell to the ground but immediately jumped to my feet to face my attacker.

Lucius was watching me. I had kept a firm grip on my sword, even in the surprise attack, and was now pointing it at him.

"I don't suppose you'll return the kindness I showed you when your pants were around your ankles," I said.

He laughed. "I'm where I am because I listened to Alvisio," he said. "You would still be here if you had."

I smiled. "Yes, but I also wouldn't be a king."

His brow knit and his amusement faded as it was replaced by confusion.

My men were stopped in the doorway, watching us.

"Anyone want to volunteer?" I asked. Lucius was a piece of shit but from the way the others talked, I was sure there were many who would enjoy killing him far more than I would. I was perfectly willing to hand over the honour until he spoke again.

In his effort to hide his momentary lack of knowledge, he smiled in the same way Alvisio would. "Alvisio taught me so much," he said. "Especially how to properly watch over the jewel." He looked over Piera with sadistic admiration.

The rage in my chest nearly overcame my discipline. I hesitated only a moment to make sure that it stayed in control. I refused to allow him an easy victory. "Never mind," I said to the others. "I think I better do this myself."

I moved slowly to the side to get way from the pillar. I could not move too far into the room without bringing the fight close to Piera.

If he had been a lesser soldier, I would have simply charged him and gotten it over with but feinting the first attack was not something that would work on someone so closely mentored by Alvisio. I was determined he would come to me, no matter how much my anger roared in protest within my chest.

"I see that she was such a threat you even had to chain her to beat her," I taunted. "Too afraid she might best you with swords?"

He was not that easily goaded. He too moved further into the room, keeping his eyes on me. But he was still smirking. I would slice that smirk from his face.

"I'm not stupid enough to turn down an advantage," he said. "Why waste my time with labourers when I have her right here."

Even as my blood began to percolate in my ears, Piera yelled. "That never happened!"

He scoffed. "Don't try to protect him," he said. "He knows me well enough to know the truth."

"He's lying!" she yelled again. "Don't give him what he wants!"

Her words were unnecessary. As angry as I was, I was not foolish enough to believe what he was saying now. He was trying to provoke me as much as I was him. My anger was intense enough with the knowledge that he had simply practiced his punches on her. The idea of it forced the bile to rise in my throat and my hands to shake. He would die for it and I would not be merciful in the act.

"Piera," I said. "You can stop worrying."

She fell silent. I did not look at her to see what she had thought of that. But my voice was steady, at least more steady than the rest of me, which was vibrating. I hoped it was enough to calm her fears.

"Enough games," I said to Lucius.

He nodded and we both charged at the same time. He may have spent the last five years under Alvisio's tutelage but five years was nothing compared to the lifetime I had endured and he had underestimated my fury. He moved as if he expected me to go for his body or neck with my blade. I chose neither.

I let my sword arm fall limply to my side before dodging the blow weakened by his confusion. I punched him hard in the face. He flew backward and hit the pillar. His misshapen nose became the source of a river of blood. I was already over top of him, slapping him across the face with the back of my hand. I raised by sword to finish him off but he had managed to come back to himself and shoved me away. He was on his feet again.

For a moment, I was winded but I did not lower my arm. With all my will, I kept it up as I saw him bring down his blade in an attempt to cut off my head. I brought my shoulder up under his ribs. I tried to throw his body away but had not pushed him as far as I had wanted.

He was moving against me again. His sword was low as he planned to bring it up into my side. I spun around him but kept my own sword low too as I reached back and dragged it across his thigh. He toppled forward, no longer able to stand and with a pool of blood growing around him.

He turned over and was trying to push himself away from me as I rounded on him. He was still holding onto his sword. I cut off his hand to rid him of his weapon. He would be dead from blood loss within minutes. He was already confused. His shallow rapid breaths and dilated pupils told me he was nearly gone already. No matter how much he might have wanted to be, he was no longer a threat. I doubted he even realized that yet as his eyes lolled around the room. My body remained tense until his last gasping breath was dragged in with a weak shudder.

When I was sure he was still, I turned to Piera. I could hear the movement of my men entering the room now that the duel was over. She ignored them; her eyes were locked only upon mine.

"They told me you were dead," she whispered.

I nodded. "I heard about that," he said. "Sorry it has taken me so long to show you they lied."

I heard the movement of a tunic from the direction of Lucius' body. I whipped my head around but it was only Mattheus checking his corpse. I turned back to the entire reason I had done any of it. I walked to Piera and knelt down before her. I held her face in my hands. Her eyes sparkled in the torch light.

"I am so sorry," I said. "I keep messing up but I am going to make it right this time."

"Veleno," she whispered.

"No," I said. She blinked in surprise at my response, which, I'll admit, came out more harshly than I had intended. But that name had been given to me by my worst enemy. It was not my name and no longer felt right to be called as such, especially by her. "Call me Hart," I said. "That is my real name."

She smiled broadly. "That explains quite a bit," she said.

I raised a brow to which she explained, "Didn't you know? Veleno means 'poison'. I always wondered why anyone would name their son that."

Knowing what I did now, it definitely made quite a bit of sense that Alvisio would choose such a name for me. That was what I was to him.

Mattheus was at my side, a small black metal key in his hands. He unlocked Piera's shackles. Her arms relaxed and fell into her lap. How long had it been since she could do such a simple gesture? The entire five years?

"We need to leave now," I said. I stood and leaned over to lift her into my arms.

"No," she said, mimicking my harsh word. She smiled when I looked at her, perplexed. "I would like to try to walk," she explained.

I held out my hands. She took them but her grasp around my fingers felt weak. Had her muscles had any chance for use? I pulled her onto her feet but when I attempted to let go, she began to fall.

She grimaced. "It has been a while," she said.

Ignoring her protests, I lifted her into my arms. "Tomorrow, you can learn to walk again. For now, let me help you."

She relaxed into me, resting her head on my shoulder. The scent of her, of the forests of Sairvyan and my true home, filled my nostrils. The warmth of her body, the softness of her hair as I kissed it, all of her was too much for me to have believed possible. I filled with such joy that it had to escape in a broad smile. I had her back and we were going home.

## Chapter 25

I returned with my small band to the fields. The labourers were still revelling in the freedom of no longer having to fear the lights. We had passed some curious nobles on our way to the gate but none had challenged us. Perhaps our bloodied tunics were too intimidating.

I stopped, Piera still in my arms, and spoke to them. "When we leave the city," I said, "I doubt the lights will remain at bay. The labourers have faced them and lived. If you are too afraid to do the same, take shelter." Though their faces had filled with shock and outrage, they still did not move against us and I did not wait for them to change their minds.

There had been soldiers in the streets as well, mostly those of the Day Guard who had come to find out what was going on and if they were needed. There was so much confusion, so much strangeness in seeing throngs of labourers celebrating amongst the lights, that they were too uncertain to act in any manner at all. We had walked by them without opposition.

As we walked through the gate, the lights pushed away from us as Piera's presence filled the space. I no longer had to worry about where that lightless circle rested. The others could come and go as they pleased without fear.

I breathed in the crisp night air and smiled at the people around me. I stopped to look down into Piera's eyes. She was smiling at me. She rested her fingers on my cheek and I closed my eyes. There was no reason to have them open if I were dreaming.

"Hart?" she asked.

My eyes opened and I smiled down at her before pressing my lips to hers with all the desire I had held within me for five years. She wrapped her arms around my neck and returned my attention with equal enthusiasm. As our need for breath brought our kiss to its conclusion, I pulled away, still keeping my eyes closed.

"The king is dead," I said. I opened my eyes and focused on her face. "We can stay or we can go. Which do you want?"

She smiled. "I want to find my sister and return home," she said. "I can barely remember it, just that it was so green, but I will never have a love for this country."

I nodded my understanding but my guts twisted into a knot. I doubted the sister she remembered was the one I had encountered. I battled with myself over telling her the truth.

"Hart!" Mattheus barked.

At first, I did not turn, caught in my own thoughts. When he yelled it again, more forcefully this time, I turned. I had been about to ask him what was wrong when my eyes caught the circle of lightless movement coming towards us from King's Grace.

The city behind it was now aglow with lights. Their protections were gone. Most were inside and likely asleep, not even knowing. The rest would have been unprotected. My dilemma to tell Piera the truth would likely be resolved for me. I only hoped it would not break her heart too much.

I knew Piera's sister and Alvisio did not care about the lives of those they had left behind and was not surprised to see them both in the centre of the massive lightless circle that approached. Piera's sister held a large staff of palace metal. At their backs were all the soldiers of King's Grace, encompassed within her protection. They stopped when the edge of their circle met the edge of Piera's. It was only then that I realized how much smaller Piera's protections were than her sister's. How had she protected all of Throne? It was definitely not that she wanted to.

I looked at Piera's sister and the staff. She had said the metals served a purpose. The memory of a broken stone in the street tickled my brain. I realized now what she had meant and why their prisons had been so richly adorned. I also realized how I could have protected Throne as a child without ever meaning to. The palace metal amplified the protection. I was sure that if we dug up the streets of the cities, we would find a network of palace metal beneath them.

The staff proved that Piera's sister had known that and that she was even willing to use it against one of her own people, even though that person offered freedom.

"Alvisio I understand," I called out to Piera's sister. "I will never understand how you could turn on your people like Sira did."

She had been looking at Piera but now glared at me as she gave a curt laugh. "You think your father is so innocent?" She asked. "Who do you think sent us here? We were nothing more than tools in his effort to get his son back, offered as payment for your return. Kings are all self-serving, even yours."

Her words did little to sway me. I doubted her account of anything was accurate. She was too self-absorbed. I saw nothing in her but lies.

Alvisio took a step forward but I took several back. He paused as he realized I was not as distracted as he had thought.

"If you do not want us to slaughter these people," he said, "Then surrender to us."

I looked over my shoulder to the large crowd that now stood willingly at my back. There were few soldiers, few had dared leave the city, but there were many more labourers than Alvisio had soldiers. I took great comfort in the fact that so few of the labourers had died and fewer still wandered in search of their minds. They had been oppressed for so long, I could understand why so few of them saw Alvisio has an alternative. Especially if it meant their freedom, they would fight with me because they wanted and needed to, not because I ordered or threatened.

"I'm not sure they will let me," I said, tightening my grip on Piera, making sure I was ready to bolt if necessary.

Alvisio burst into a full-bellied laugh. "You think a bunch of labourers can stand against my men?" he said. "Surrender and they may live."

Now it was my turn to laugh. "I will surrender and you will kill them anyway." I turned to those behind me. They had already been tested. Their answers had already been given, but I asked them anyway for Alvisio's benefit. "Anyone who does not wish to be involved may return to the city or even join with Alvisio if they so wish."

I faced Alvisio who was futily looking at the throng as he waited for someone to turn and leave us. His smile was gone.

"My father's test has already revealed their loyalty," I explained. "They were brave enough to expose themselves to the very thing you have spent decades fearing."

He kept his eyes on me. They narrowed as his lips parted. "Attack."

"Get to the other side of the valley!" I shouted as the din of armour-clad men rushing forward filled the air.

Mattheus began yelling instructions and telling those closest to the mountains to climb. Others looked for openings and tried to dodge the soldiers to get around them. I did not know if any of them made it. My attention was forced to stay on Alvisio who was striding towards me, his sword drawn. With Piera in my arms, there was little I could do but try my best to keep a sizable distance between us. I dared not set her down with so many other soldiers around and what had happened in her room proved her muscles were far too weak to carry her.

As I flicked my eyes around for any way to escape while carrying Piera, I saw Marco trying to usher some labourers in the direction Mattheus had indicated.

I yelled to him. Alvisio took that for distraction and charged. I leapt to the side, barely landing on my feet with Piera's weight adding to my momentum. In that same moment, Marco had reached me too.

"Get her away," I said as I practically threw her into his arms and pushed him. He did not wait to run.

As insane as it was, I charged Alvisio who had switched course and begun to run after them. I needed to make sure they got away and would not give him even a moment to get closer to them. He turned just as I had been about to smack into him. He brought up the hilt of his sword into my chin as he spun around. The force lifted me off the ground and I fell backward.

"I won't go with you," I said as I jumped onto my feet from my back. I tried to increase the distance between us as I circled him. "You will have to kill me."

He smiled. "That is what I am hoping for. What did you think I was doing after the collapse in the mines? Moaning over the end of my plans and giving up? I have a new plan. You may always have been the goal but if I do not kill you now, I will have no kingdom left to rule. If you know as much as you are pretending, then you will also know I don't wait for things to go my way. I make them my way."

I continued to increase the distance between us. An opening created by the pursuing soldiers made a clear path to the lights. If I ran for it, I would be safe but Alvisio would not follow. I needed him to follow.

Alvisio was not stupid. He readied his sword as he headed directly toward me.

I increased my pace to match. "All that effort you put into teaching me to fight, and you don't even want to finish this fair?" I taunted, lifting up my hands to emphasize I was unarmed. I had foolishly left my sword behind in Piera's room so that my hands were free to hold her.

"I didn't teach you to make you a worthy opponent for me," he said. "I taught you so no one else would ever be able to kill you. You think I wanted to risk some nothing recruit killing my only chance at the throne? Or worse, taking it for himself when you were old enough?"

He kept his sword low but at the ready. He gave nothing away and I knew from years of watching him that his decisions were often instantaneous just to keep his opponents guessing.

"Is that why you lied to the king about me?" I asked. "And why you didn't want me near Piera? You didn't want the competition?"

"Something like that," he said. "I definitely didn't want you anywhere near the jewel. I had to kill Bunto because of her playing on his sympathies. It would have been easier if the lights had just done the job outright but too many years around her made him weak and he believed the lies they showed him. I didn't need you listening to her too."

I grinned. "Luckily for me, I like her better than you."

He shrugged and in that small gesture there was another flash of movement as he lunged forward, raising the sword to run me through. I dodged and rolled to evade the blow. He did not hesitate in changing course and as I rolled back onto my feet, the tip of his blade drew a long red line that burned like fire across my chest. I had managed to be far away enough that it had not hit anything vital and only ripped the top layers of my skin but I was bleeding and knew that this would not end well if I could not avoid such injuries in the future.

He was already swinging his sword back down in an arc aimed directly at the crook of my neck. I jumped forward into him, tackling him to the ground. Even as we fell, he was moving his arms and feet to push me off him. I flew back and we both jumped to our feet.

He was still holding his sword. I was still unarmed.

"You would've had a better chance at being king if you'd left me in Sairvyan," I panted. "After tonight, the Kingdom of Oculus will no longer exist."

He kept his eyes on mine. "Then I will make my own, after I kill you."

"Then get on with it already," I growled before launching myself at him again. I did not aim for his body this time. I aimed for his sword. I wanted to even the odds and to be able to feel my fist sink into his flesh as we fought. For once, he did not expect something I had chosen to do. I jumped and kicked the blade with such force that he could not help but let go of it. It did not fly high but it flew far.

Neither of us bothered to wait to see where it had landed. With the same hand he had been using to hold his sword, he punched me hard in the jaw. A loud crack announced a shot of pain and I tasted blood. Regardless, I too did not hesitate as I grabbed his wrist with one hand and used my other to deal him an upper cut to his chin. With me still holding his wrist, he was off balance just long enough for me to bring the same hand down and curve it around his neck to pull his face into my knee. I twisted his arm as I then flipped him onto his back. He was so dazed that he did not have enough time to react as I stood over him and punched him in the face over and over. Each blow took with it my years of pain and suffering. Each blow was for each one he had dealt me, especially the ones that had never involved his fists or weapons.

When there was little resemblance to a face left, I dragged him by his tunic to the edge of the lights.

"You should have left us alone," I said as I lifted him up. His brain had yet to recover from my blows and his head lolled from side to side as I moved him. I threw him into the lights.

Even my blows had not dazed him enough to avoid the test. The pain the lights caused him was so much more than it had dealt to others that, despite my hatred for him, the depth of his screams evoked a shudder from deep in the base of my spine. I watched his writhing until the very last moment when his twitching had ceased and the lights faded. I felt no pity for him.

I turned to see that the fighting had not stopped. A small grouping of soldiers was gathered around Piera's sister, protecting her from Marco's fellow converted, who had realized that if they killed her, the protection from the lights would disappear.

I ran to them.

"Stop!" I bellowed. "Alvisio is dead! Stop!"

The fighting ceased as the soldiers who protected Piera's sister seemed less sure of their task now that Alvisio of all people had been killed.

Piera's sister looked at me, pure hatred in every pore of her face. I slowed to a walk.

"I will accept your surrender," I said. No matter how misguided, Piera loved her sister and I would not be the one to take her kin away.

She sneered. "I do not give it," she growled before she reached out and grabbed a sword from the nearest soldier and plunged it deep into her gut.

My mouth fell open as she dropped to the ground. The hatred never left her face until the last of her breath had been expelled. The lights flooded the land around her corpse, latching themselves to her guard. The men fell in agony as they too were tested. Despite their pain, I could not take my eyes off Piera's sister. Only in stillness did she truly resemble Piera.

I swallowed hard. She had ensured everything happened the way it had. She, Alvisio, and the king had brought this horror upon everyone else because of their greed.

My jaw tensed as the bile rose in my throat. I closed my eyes and focused upon breathing in the cool air. I opened them again and looked at the sky. It was a dark pink. The sun would be up soon.

Marco's brethren were watching the soldiers who had fallen, not all of whom were still. I scanned the fields, looking for a break in the lights. I saw none. My heart sank, taking all my other guts with it until they were settled in a battling mass behind my navel.

I scanned the mountains. There was still no break. I looked higher, hoping they had somehow gotten her high enough that the lights would not reveal her presence. I could not see them.

My breathing quickened as I searched and searched again. I looked at Throne. It was aglow with lights that would be burned away the moment the sun breached the horizon. I could hear distant screams from those who had been touched despite being within the walls.

I began to scan the faces around me; the soldiers, the labourers, everyone. I recognized so few. None were the faces of my friends, let alone Piera. I looked for someone carrying another person. Though there were injured being helped by others, there were none that looked anything like Piera. I walked amongst those injured, my hope fading as I looked at each face that was not hers. Guilt at those who had been hurt on my account twisted with my terror over possibly having lost Piera too.

Then movement caught my eye near our old delivery drop spot. Mattheus was waving to me with both arms in large arcing movements. I ran to him, hoping with everything in my being that he would know what had happened to her.

My friend knew me too well. "She's alright," he said, "She's still just absorbing it all."

I blinked. "What?"

He smiled. "We couldn't exactly have her helping protect the enemy, now could we?" He said as I reached him and he guided me around the rocks into the hidden area. Piera was sitting on the ground, looking a little dazed but otherwise no worse than I had left her. Barty was panting beside her. "Just like what happened with us," Mattheus explained as he patted me on the back.

In my relief, I fell to my knees before her. My cheeks were wet but I didn't care. I grabbed her hands in mine. She seemed confused by the gesture at first but as she looked into my eyes, her own widened.

"My King," she whispered.

"I refuse to accept that from you," I teased. "Hart will do just fine."

## Chapter 26

"Just a few more," I said, beaming at Piera. At her current rate, she would conquer her record of the previous day and walk a full twenty steps, though she still needed to hold onto my arms.

I could feel the shaking of her legs but she did as I encouraged and continued the laboured rhythm of one foot in front of the other.

"Just two more," I said. When she had taken another step, I repeated, "Just two more."

She paused and glared at me with no real malice. "You already said that," she grunted.

"And how will you ever improve if I do not push you?" I teased back.

Despite her protests, she did the extra step, collapsing into my arms when she had completed her walk. I looked into her face, unable to keep my pride from showing. It had only been a few weeks but she was improving quickly and was determined not to give in to the pain and the weakness that still plagued her limbs. Until she was strong enough for the journey, we were stuck in the ruins of Oculus.

Some of the labourers had made their way through the passage to the golden sea. Others had stayed behind, trying to figure out what to do next. Some continued to dig in the fields out of habit, out of a lack of any better ideas, and out of a pragmatism that, king or no king, they would still need to eat.

I lowered Piera onto the ground where we had been practicing and sat next to her. I looked over the fields around us, my eyes stopping briefly on the open gate to the mines.

The prisoners had been released. Not all survived the lights that had come the next night. I was sure the old foreman would have, had he survived the cave-in. As far as I knew, the mines were now empty. There was no more army to clothe with armour, no more palace to adorn. The armour from the fallen soldiers had been retained to be used for more agrarian purposes and would likely be enough for quite some time.

The bodies of those who had fallen, whether by light or blade, had been gathered in the middle of the fields and set alight. It had taken several days to burn itself out and many more for those inclined to stay to remove the remains.

There were those who had chosen to stay due to a desire to create a home that had never before been possible. Mattheus and Anna were among them. Though within the first days, both had talked often about leaving, they had agreed to wait until Piera and I could join them. The longer they stayed and were able to fully grasp what had become of the place of their birth, the more they realized they should stay.

As I had known since our time in the mines, Mattheus was an intelligent and capable leader, much better than I had ever been. Whether because of that or because of his closeness to me, those who remained naturally followed him.

I did not know what would become of them now that they had chosen to remain behind. The food stores, no longer under the same oppressive level of regulation, were near dwindling. The rat population was growing, no longer having an army of labourers enacting war against them. What was left of the food might not even last as long as the most conservative estimates. Within months, every last person in the valley might be dead. Yet Mattheus and Anna were willing to try. I hoped they did not try too hard.

I did not like leaving them alone to such an uncertain fate but every night, when the lights fell again, now with little purpose, I knew I had to return home. My father did not know the truth. I needed to return to him and end his grief.

I wrapped my arm around Piera and looked down at her. Every day she looked better. No longer in her prison, she insisted on spending most of her days outside and her skin had gone from pale to a perfect golden. Her cheeks were no longer sunken and after several weeks of sleep in a proper cot, the dark circles under her eyes had disappeared. She was still so thin that it was difficult to look at her body without cringing at the reminder of what she had endured. But she was on the mend and that much made me smile.

Though the lights had shown her much of what they had shown the others, because she was of the ancient forests of Sairvyan, they had also shown her much more as they had me. She had seen the tears on her mother's face as they said good-bye for the last time. It was actually her mother who had left first on some journey and she remembered the pain of feeling her home was empty. Within a few years, she and her sister were sent on a journey through forests and misted bogs before finally coming to Oculus. She was sure she could find the way home if she could only find the old way out of the valley. But where she was sure there had been an opening, there was nothing but thick rock, walls, and houses in King's Grace.

She remembered too how much her sister had hated it all. They had both been the equivalent of noble birth, high enough to be well-regarded by my father. Her sister had never had to want for anything but when she was finally expected to fulfill the responsibilities that went with such luxuries, she turned sour and full of hatred for everyone from Sairvyan. She hated her mother for not being there to fight my father. She hated Piera for being too young to know any better. She hated everyone.

Unfortunately, her sister had not lied about why they had been sent; one girl for each city. They were intended as a good faith offering. Once inside the cities, their presence would protect them from the lights. My father had done it to prove he would not renege on his offer to cease sending the lights so long as they sent me back. The king had accepted the gift but insisted I was not in his country. My father continued to send the lights and the king continued to defy the requests for my return. Once the cities were protected, I doubt he felt any urgency to resolve the matter. In a way, my father was sabotaging his own efforts as the threat of the lights kept the people of Oculus too fearful to question their king.

I could not fathom the loss my father must have felt for it to have changed him so much. He had bargained away the girls as if they were nothing more than trinkets. He had sent tests that would kill those who did not follow in his ways. Some days, I pitied him; others, I hated him. Most often, it was an anguished mixture of both that riled my insides. He had condemned Piera to a horrible imprisonment for the selfish need to get me back and had been so desperate in that that he had also been foolish enough to trust Alvisio and his father.

Yes, I would have to return to Sairvyan. I still did not know if I would ever take my father's place. I did not know if I wanted to, but I had to return, if only to show him that I was alive and free and he could finally stop.

Though it had caused me great confusion and pain, I was also thankful for what the lights had shown Piera, for it helped her understand the difference between what she thought she had known about her sister and the reality. I had never needed to tell her the truth. In that, the lights had been a blessing.

Piera looked up at me and smiled. "I want to try again," she said. "I think I can."

I raised a brow. "Are you sure? That might be a bit much so soon. We can always try later in the day."

"I need to try again," she said. "Consider it your apology for ever having doubted me about Alvisio's fears. I told you I would exact a favour from you when you knew I was right."

I could not resist her. I climbed to my feet and reached down to take her hands.

"Let me know when it is too much," I said, pulling her to her feet.

She nodded but said nothing. I could already feel the shaking in her legs, but she forced a foot forward and followed it by another. When I thought they might give out completely, she forced another step.

"Hart!"

The distraction was too much and she collapsed into my arms. She gave a grunt of frustration.

"It's alright," I said. "You have done amazingly today. Don't get too discouraged so soon."

"I know," she said, though her tone was far from convincing. "I'll get it. I refuse to be an invalid for the rest of my life."

"Hart!" The voice was closer now and I could tell it was Mattheus. I did not look right away. I needed to be sure Piera was going to be alright.

She looked into my eyes when I still didn't move. "I'm fine," she insisted. "Really."

"Hart!" Mattheus yelled again, closer still. He was sounding agitated now.

I lifted Piera into my arms in a well-practiced, fluid gesture and turned to him. He was running towards us from King's Grace.

"What is it?" I asked.

"We found it," he said. "We found the opening!"

Piera and I looked at each other and I broke into a run. She wrapped her arms around my neck and held me tightly but her body still bobbed with each hard step.

We followed Mattheus as he returned to King's Grace and led us through the streets. We passed the central tower and continued to the rear wall of the city which was little more than a smoothed out surface carved into the rock. Several houses had been built against it over the years as the city expanded and had to fit ever more people into the finite space. Mattheus walked through the doors of one of the buildings and I followed.

It took several moments for my eyes to adjust, but almost immediately I could see Marco and Barty in the room too. They had chosen to stay because Mattheus and I were staying, at least for the moment. They each had pick-axes in their hands and rubble at their feet.

"I figured they would not have wanted anyone to find it again," Mattheus said. "That is when we decided to start digging. The house next door will be little more than rubble if there is a stiff wind. We've gutted the entire back wall of it. But we finally found it."

He stood aside to reveal a large opening in the rock, a thick metal door of an ore I had not before seen stood behind it. There were strange symbols carved on it and the edges of the metal on the designs looked green though the flat surfaces were black.

I looked at Piera. Her eyes were wide as she stared at it. "Is that it?" I asked.

She nodded. "The way home."

###

# Music

Music played a large role in writing this book. Below, I have included a list of the pieces that inspired me while I was writing. These pieces are all exceptional works so please consider supporting the wonderful artists who made them. The music is ordered by their chapters.

**1**

_Veleno's youth and the city_

Artist: Eroica Trio; Album: Baroque; Track: Sonata in G Major Vivace

_Lights_

Artist: Ludvico Einaudi; Album: Divenire; Track: Rose

Artist: Jeremy Soule; Album: Skyrim Official Sountrack; Track: Aurora

**2**

Artist: Eroica Trio; Album: Baroque; Track: Sonata in B Minor Allegro con spirito

**3**

_The King/Palace_

Artist: Eroica Trio; Album: Baroque; Track: Sonata in G Major Allegro

_Piera_

Artist: Ludvico Einaudi; Album: Divenire; Track: Oltremare

**4**

Artist: Jeremy Soule; Album: Skyrim Official Soundtrack; Track: Ancient Stones

Artist: Kaoru Wada; Album: Inuyasha - Disc 1; Track: Unmei to Koigokoro

**5**

Artist: Eroica Trio; Album: Baroque; Track: Sonata in D Op. 2 Largo Vivace

**6**

Artist: Kaoru Wada; Album: Inuyasha - Disc 1; Track: Unmei to Koigokoro

Artist: Ludvico Einaudi; Album: Divenire; Track: Divenire

**7**

Artist: James Newton Howard; Album: The Village Sountrack; Track: The Gravel Road

**8**

Artist: Jeremy Soule; Album: Skyrim Official Soundtrack; Track: Streets of Whiterun

**9**

Artist: Ludvico Einaudi; Album: Divenire; Track: Ascolta

**10**

Artist: Ludvico Einaudi; Album: Divenire; Track: Uno

Artist: Jeremy Soule; Album: Skyrim Official Soundtrack; Track: Blood and Steel

Artist: Hans Zimmer; Album: Batman Begins Official Soundtrack; Track: Macrotus

**11**

Artist: Kaoru Wada; Album: Inuyasha - Disc 1; Track: Kanashimi no Hate

**12**

Artist: Kaoru Wada; Album: Inuyasha - Disc 1; Track: Kanashimi no Hate

Artist: Jeremy Soule; Album: Skyrim Official Soundtrack; Track: Dragonborn

**13**

Artist: Jeremy Soule; Album: Skyrim Official Soundtrack; Track: Dragonborn

Artist: Jeremy Soule; Album: Skyrim Official Soundtrack; Track: Skyrim Atmospheres

**14**

_The Mines_

Artist: Jeremy Soule; Album: Skyrim Official Soundtrack; Track: Dragonborn

_Well_

Artist: Jeremy Soule; Album: Skyrim Official Soundtrack; Track: Skyrim Atmospheres

**15**

_Yinean Mines_

Artist: John Powell; Album: How to Drain Your Dragon Official Soundtrack; Track: The Dragon Book

_The Foreman_

Artist: Lucia Micarelli; Album: Music from a Farther Room; Track: Reflexio

_Climbing_

Artist: E.S. Posthumus; Album: Unearthed; Track: Tikal

_Anna_

Artist: Jeremy Soule; Album: Skyrim Official Soundtrack; Track: Distant Horizons

**16**

Artist: Ludvico Einaudi; Album: Divenire; Track: Rose

**17**

Artist: Ludvico Einaudi; Album: Divenire; Track: Rose

**18**

_Lights_

Artist: Ludvico Einaudi; Album: Divenire; Track: L'Origine Nascosta

_Not Going Back_

Artist: Alan Menken; Album: Tangled Official Soundtrack; Track: Realization and Escape

_Piera's Sister_

Artist: Eroica Trio; Album: Baroque; Track: Adagio in G

_After the Meeting_

Artist: Alan Menken; Album: Tangled Official Soundtrack; Track: Realization and Escape

**19**

Artist: Jeremy Soule; Album: Skyrim Official Soundtrack; Track: Skyrim Atmospheres

**20**

Artist: Jeremy Soule; Album: Skyrim Official Soundtrack; Track: Distant Horizons

**21**

Artist: Ludvico Einaudi; Album: Devinire; Track: Andare

**22**

Artist: Jeremy Soule; Album: Skyrim Official Soundtrack; Track: Frostfall

**23**

Artist: John Powell; Album: How to Drain Your Dragon Official Soundtrack; Track: The Dragon Book

**24**

Artist: Hans Zimmer and John Powell; Album: Kung Fu Panda 2 Official Soundtrack; Track: Po Finds the Truth

**25**

Artist: James Horner; Album: Glory Official Soundtrack; Track: Charging Fort Wagner

**26**

Artist: Kaoru Wada; Album: Inuyasha - Disc 1; Track: Unmei to Koigokoro

# About the Author

Tara K. Young has published five novels, two short stories, and one novella. She writes a weekly serial that can be read for free on her website. As a former archaeologist, most of her works involve elements from archaeological sites and mythology, though often not in recognizable forms. She lives in Alberta, Canada with her husband, daughter, and three cats.

# Other Works by Tara K. Young

Shauna's Inheritance (a short story)

Devil's Sacrifice (a short story)

The Monstrous Hunt (novella, available free of charge)

Gods' Masks, Book 1 of the Moirean Tapestry (available free of charge)

The Whispering War, Book 2 of the Moirean Tapestry

Memory's Emissary, Book 3 of the Moirean Tapestry

Courted Sanctuary

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