The Pursuit of Power: Pursuing Victory Book I

M.M. BrownlowSmashwords Edition

Copyright 2012 M.M. Brownlow

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A Special Note

This book is still a draft. I’ve made it available for free from January 19th to February 19th in order to get feedback from readers. I’m not sure I’m happy with it, especially the ending, and I

want to know what you think.

Please, leave feedback!

Part 1 - Slave

Chapter 1Callum trudged wearily along the dark road, his path illuminated only by the infrequent

squares of light that shone from the occasional window he passed by. He walked without really paying attention to his surroundings, his feet knowing the way after so many trips home from the stable of the inn where he worked.

He stumbled on an uneven paving stone and fell to his hands and knees, his brown hair swinging forward to hide his face. Callum knelt there, exhausted from his long day, which had started before dawn and ended well after dusk...again. He wondered if it was even worth getting up. The prospect of just curling up in the street, to sleep or to die, was appealing. He closed his hazel eyes and let the late summer heat soak into him while he thought about just giving up; there certainly wasn’t anything left for him at home.

Ever since his mother had died a few months ago, Callum’s work as a stable boy went from providing him with spending money to keeping him fed. His father was an out-of-work blacksmith, too drunk and too sick to earn enough money to support himself and his son, and Callum resented the man for taking away his childhood. Callum knew there were plenty of children who worked to help support their families, but he hadn’t been one of them. At least not until recently, and he didn’t like the change of status.

With a groan of effort, his better sense won out and the boy forced himself to his feet. He’d never been one to back down from a challenge, and he wasn’t planning to start now; giving up was just a passing fancy. Besides, Callum had seen the stable master today when he’d come in to inspect the stables, and that had just cemented Callum’s plans for his future. The stable master was a large, well-dressed man who carried a whip, and the other stable hands scurried out of his way like mice scattering before a cat. Callum liked the idea of having power over men who worked for him and enjoyed the prospect of a nice house one day, perhaps with a pretty girl to run it for him. These sorts of plans didn’t come to fruition by themselves, and Callum knew he wasn’t going to get anywhere bemoaning his fate and giving up now. Newly resolute, Callum squared his shoulders and resumed his walk to the small shack he now shared with his father. Tomorrow was another day, another day to prove his worth and start working his way up the ladder to the top job.

Callum slowed as he approached his home. Something wasn’t right, and it didn’t take him long to figure it out. By this time of night, his father was usually passed out drunk and his little shack dark, but instead there was light pouring out of both filthy windows and the wide-open door. Confused, he stopped. There was definitely something wrong, and Callum wasn’t sure he wanted to walk in on whatever it was. Still, he couldn’t just wait around outside forever. He was tired, and he needed to be up before dawn for work again tomorrow. And so, Callum cautiously approached the building, straining to hear any sound that might indicate what was happening.

Walking through the door didn’t help ease his confusion in any way. His father, apparently sober for once given the sour expression on his face, sat at the small table with a man Callum didn’t recognize. Both men turned to look at him as he stood there, and the stranger grinned, showing crooked, yellow teeth. The man’s eyes were dark, likely brown, and they had a glint to them that Callum didn’t like at all. He took a step backwards and felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking up, he met the gaze of yet another man he didn’t know.

“Welcome home, boy!” the man at the table exclaimed with apparent happiness. “We’ve

been waiting for you.”“Why?” It wasn’t the most polite question, but Callum was too tired for games and false

pleasantries. “Your father and I have been discussing business.”“I don’t see how that’s any concern of mine,” he stated firmly. Callum took a step back

into the room and the man behind him let him go. Apparently, as long as he wasn’t trying to get away, he was free to move around the room.

“Oh this business concerns you very much,” the stranger informed him. “Why don’t you join us over here at the table?”

During this whole interaction, his father hadn’t said a single word, and Callum glanced over at him. He’d lowered his eyes and was staring fixedly at his hands clasped on the table in front of him.

“Father? Don’t you have anything to say?”His father just shook his head, not looking at the boy.“Come and join us,” the stranger insisted, the smile slipping from his face. “You won’t

like it if I have to force you.”Callum took a good look at the man sitting not too far away. Aside from his very dark

eyes, he had the brown hair that was so common in Madelia and he had tanned skin from being outside. He wasn’t overly large, but Callum could see muscles under the cloth of the light shirt he wore, and the boy knew he’d never be able to hurt the man in any real way, not without a weapon of some sort. Callum walked over to the table and sat down.

“So, young man, your father tells me that you’re working as a stable hand over at the Crescent Dagger. How do you like it?”

After the threatening tone the man had taken, it seemed strange that he’d want to have a normal conversation now, but Callum didn’t see any reason to lie. “I like it well enough,” he answered. “The other boys are okay to work with, and I like the horses.”

“Good, good,” the stranger intoned with another smile. “A boy who isn’t afraid of hard work.”

“So why are you here?” Callum blurted out. He didn’t just want to sit here and answer questions. He wanted to go to bed.

“Ah, yes. Well, like I said before, your father and I were talking business.” Callum nodded, and the man continued. “It seems like your father isn’t able to repay the debt he owes me.”

Callum looked over at his father, startled. “What debt?”“What did you want me to do, boy?” his father asked instead of answering the question.

“With your Ma gone, there wasn’t any money.”“I know that. That’s why we sold the house and pretty much everything in it, and moved

here. And that’s why I started working so much at the stable. I don’t understand why you also borrowed money from him or why you haven’t paid him back.” Callum knew about the loan sharks around the city, and he’d heard stories about what they’d do if you didn’t get them their money. “What did you do with all the money? What have you been doing with the money I’ve been bringing home?”

The stranger let out a deep bellow of a laugh. “Really? Boy, I thought you had more sense than that! What do you think he’s done with it?”

Callum blushed. It was true that his father’s drinking habit was the likely culprit here. “So what are you going to do to him?” he asked the man seated beside him. His father

already couldn’t work, and honestly, Callum felt that a good beating was likely better than his father deserved.

“I’m not going to do anything to him.”Again, Callum was surprised. “Why not? Isn’t that how it usually works?”“Usually,” the man agreed. “However, your father is in a unique position. He has the

ability to get me the money he owes me.”“Really? How?”Callum jumped as the man’s heavy hand landed on his shoulder. “Your father has assets

that he can sell.”Callum tensed, knowing full well that his father had nothing of value. Sensing the

change in the boy’s posture, the man moved his grip from Callum’s shoulder to his upper arm.“Let’s go see what you’re worth.”The man pulled him from the chair and Callum stumbled as the loan shark half dragged

him across the room and out the still open door. He glanced back at his father once, and grimaced in disgust as the man who was supposed to love and take care of him didn’t intervene and didn’t even look up. Callum vowed silently that he’d somehow repay his father for this.

“Where are we going?” Callum asked, practically jogging to keep up with the man’s longer strides. “It’s late at night.”

“There are some businesses that never sleep,” the man replied, keeping his quick pace as they walked through the deserted farmer’s market. All of the shops were long closed for the night, and the stalls of the farmers who lived outside the city were empty of goods and awaiting the dawn.

When they neared the far end of the market, the truth of the loan shark’s words became apparent. While there weren’t a lot of people around, there were some, and they were all gathered around the front of one particular building. The man holding his arm pushed his way through the crowd, drawing Callum with him.

“Good to see again, Sir,” a small man greeted the loan shark. “How can I help you tonight?”

“I have another one for you.” He thrust Callum forward so that the small man could look at him. “How much?”

The small man, who Callum realized must be the slave master, stepped forward eagerly. He felt along the bones of his arms and legs to make sure they were growing straight, checked Callum’s teeth and eyes, and basically made the boy feel like an animal on the market block.

“He’s certainly a fine specimen,” the slave master commented at last. “I’ll give you ten gold for the boy.”

“Ten? Do you think I’m a fool? He’s worth at least fifty!”As the two men settled into the business of haggling his worth, Callum glanced around.

The other people who were around the slave master’s house were an interesting mix. The women were obviously working girls, and the men were certainly working a trade of their own. Some were happily counting coins or talking with some of the others, while still others had soon-to-be slaves in tow. Those poor souls looked defeated, staring at the ground and not seeming to care at all about their fate. Callum, on the other hand, had no intention of going down without a fight.

As if sensing the boy’s new determination, the loan shark tightened his grip on Callum’s arm and jerked him sideways a little, making Callum stumble. Frowning, Callum tried to plant his feet again, hoping to get some leverage to jerk free of his captor, but the man pulled him off

balance once more. Frustrated, Callum let himself go limp in the man’s grasp and was surprised when his sudden dead-weight made the loan shark let go of him. He was on his feet and dashing across the courtyard as fast as he could go, while shouts of alarm sounded behind him.

Remembering all of the deserted stalls in the market, Callum thought they’d make a good hiding place, so that was his first destination. He figured that even if his pursuers were too close for him to hide there, the stalls would help to slow the men down, helping him to get away. He pushed himself harder when he saw the first of the stalls appearing out of the darkness ahead of him, but then suddenly he was falling.

Hitting the ground hard, Callum managed to curl his arms around his head. When he came to a stop, he looked up and saw that someone had thrown a spear at him, catching him between strides and tangling his legs. He cursed in frustration as the loan shark jogged up and grabbed him by the back of his shirt.

“That’ll cost me money,” the man growled, shaking Callum hard. “Don’t you dare try something like that again.”

Callum did not intend to agree to that, but there wasn’t anything he could do right now. The man dragged him over to the slave pen, the slave master opened the door and the loan shark tossed the boy in.

“Welcome to your new life.”

Chapter 2Callum sat huddled in the corner of the pen, knees drawn up under his chin and his arms

wrapped tightly around himself to preserve what little body heat he could produce. His clothing was still intact, unlike all of the others in the pen with him, but he was in desperate need of a bath, his brown hair caked with dust and not much darker than the rest of him.

There had been a few potential buyers for him over the past week while he’d languished in the slave pen, but Callum had apparently scared them off. Whenever someone showed interest in purchasing him, Callum would meet his gaze and answer any questions himself, something that upset the buyers and angered the slave master. Callum was establishing himself as unruly, something no slave master wanted because unruly slaves were much harder to sell.

“Caris!” Callum looked up at the sound of someone’s voice, the tone angry and full of reprimand.

It was still very early in the morning, the market not yet open, and it was unusual for anybody but the guards to be around at this hour. He scanned the square outside of his pen, and the boy was able to just pick out the silhouette of someone, a man based on the voice he’d heard.

“Caris, what are you doing?”The man was coming closer now, apparently following something, but Callum couldn’t

see anything else in the plaza. Then he felt something coming nearer, and he tensed involuntarily. There wasn’t anything in front of him, but that part of his brain that was afraid of sounds in the dark didn’t believe his eyes. That part of his brain told him that there was something nearby, something dangerous.

The feel of hot breath on his nearly bare arm and the rumble of a low growl sent Callum scrambling away from his corner, eyes wide with fear.

“Stay still, boy.”Callum froze, and he raised his eyes momentarily to see that the silhouette from across

the plaza had solidified into a tall, well-dressed gentleman of about twenty years, with black hair, very dark eyes, and an athletic build. He had a sword belted at his hip and a stern expression on his face, lips pinched with displeasure as he gazed down at nothing. Callum felt the something move again, and this time the man moved too, coming to stand right in front of him.

“How did you get here, boy?” the man asked, looking Callum over and seeming to appraise his appearance. The boy was thin and dirty, but not terribly so, and the man concluded that the boy hadn’t been among the slaves for very long.

“My Ma died, and my Father sold me to pay off his debts.” The boy met the man’s eyes when he said this, almost daring the man to comment. No, this boy hadn’t been a slave for very long at all, the stranger concluded.

The man felt something bump against his leg, and he laid his hand casually on the back of his eesprid’s neck, running his fingers through the thick fur there. He kept a shield of spirit around the cougar, keeping Caris invisible from everyone else and avoiding a panic, but he could see the magical animal, and he knew that Caris sensed potential in the boy. With a sigh, the man turned away from the slave pen and started back across the plaza to where the slave master lived.

After a few moments of pounding on the door, Callum watched the strange man enter into the slave master’s house and he wondered what was going on. He shook his head, not pretending to understand the ways of adults, and he settled back into his corner. The sun was continuing to rise, and soon the market would open.

“Are you sure, my Lord? You don’t know anything about him.”“I’m sure, and I need to be on my way, so get to it.”The slave master rushed to the gate of the pen and drew a large key from his belt. Fitting

the key into the lock, the slave master called for the guards to come near and then he opened the gate.

“Boy, come here,” the slave master commanded, gesturing to Callum. He rose and did as he was told. He was starting to enjoy the discomfort he invoked in potential buyers.

“You’re sure?” the slave master questioned one last time. The man nodded his head sharply and took Callum by the arm.

“Here are your papers then, my Lord...?”The man looked over at the slave master in askance, and the man was quick to elaborate.

“I need your name for the papers, my Lord.”“Rhys,” the man answered with a sigh and a slight grimace. The slave master quickly

completed the papers and handed them over. Rhys accepted the packet of papers and stuffed them into the bag he carried over one

shoulder. “Come with me,” he directed, and Callum found himself being led from the market as the slave master locked the pen behind him. Startled by the lack of inspection and questions, Callum kept pace without troubling the man who was apparently his new master.

After a little while, Rhys let go of the boy’s arm, but he kept walking as if he expected his new slave to follow him. When Callum hesitated, Rhys just shook his head and kept walking, knowing that Caris would keep the boy in line. Sure enough, he heard a swift intake of breath and then the sound of jogging as the boy caught up to him.

“I felt something nudge me!” the boy exclaimed, looking up at his new master for an

explanation.“That was Caris, and he’ll make sure you keep up. Or he’ll eat you.”They walked in silence for a time, Callum looking over his shoulder occasionally, almost

as if he was checking on the cougar’s location. Finally, his natural curiosity got the better of him.

“What’s a Caris?”Rhys chuckled and paused to look down at the boy at his side. “Caris is my companion.

He’s invisible right now so that there aren’t a whole lot of scared people. You can meet him properly once we’re out of the city. What’s your name, boy, and how old are you?”

“Callum, and I’m ten. Would you like me to carry your bag...Master?”Rhys shook his head and the boy looked up at him, his eyebrows lifted in confusion

before his expression become serious.“Why did you buy me?” Callum asked. “If I’m not to carry your bags, then what do you

want from me?”Rhys shook his head again, and some emotion flashed across his face too fast for Callum

to determine what it was. “I bought you because the world is changing, and you, my young slave, are going to be a part of that change.”

He started walking again, and Callum kept pace without being prompted this time. “What does that mean?”

“It means that you will do what you’re told,” Rhys replied sternly with a quick backhand. Callum would have to learn his place, and now was as good a time as any. “And you will not question me.”

“Yes, Master,”They travelled north out of Madelia’s capital city and into the countryside. Once they

were a good distance from the walls and any early morning travelers, Rhys dropped his shield and Caris materialized. With a shriek, Callum dashed up the road to take shelter behind his new master’s body. He immediately appreciated why Rhys had kept the large tawny cat invisible.

“Where did you get him?” Callum asked after a few steps taken while looking around Rhys’s body. His master chuckled once again.

“Caris came to me when I was young, a magical companion called an eesprid. He helps me carry out my dut–” Rhys cut off abruptly with a shake of his head. “He’s my companion.”

Callum sensed there was more to his master’s explanation, but wasn’t inclined to push his luck. He’d already been backhanded once this morning, and the day was still young. He certainly wasn’t stupid, and he learned quickly.

The two continued to walk in silence for a time, Callum frequently glancing back over his shoulder at the cougar. It took him a little while to be comfortable with Caris, but it was soon obvious that the magical beast did not intend to eat him. If anything, Caris seemed to like the boy, the cat slowly edging closer as they travelled, eventually coming right up and bumping Callum’s hand to beg for scratches. Callum laughed, thinking that the big cougar wasn’t really all that different from the cats at the stable where he used to work. They were friendly enough, as long as it was on their terms.

After a few hours, Rhys stopped them by a river and instructed Callum to wash himself in the water. The sun was high in the sky now, and the late summer day was warm enough that the chill of the water was actually pleasant. While Callum bathed, Rhys riffled around in his bag for something clean for the boy to wear. He managed to find an old shirt, but he had to cut

the sleeves off. The boy could belt it tightly and it would do until he had time to find the child proper clothing. There were just a few things he had to take care of first...

Chapter 3They continued to travel north from the city, the countryside more and more forested the

farther they went. The trees were conifers, and there was little undergrowth to obstruct their view of the road and the area around them, which made Callum more than a little uncomfortable; he’d never left the city before a few days ago. Rhys and Caris hunted as they went to ensure that they all had enough to eat, and on the second day, Rhys showed Callum how to use a bow. The first time his master handed him the weapon, Callum’s jaw dropped in disbelief.

“Um... Not to question you, Master,” Callum began hesitantly, “but why would you give me a weapon?”

His master answered with what was fast becoming his usual response - a chuckle. “By the time I’m done with you, boy, you’ll be far more dangerous than you are with that bow, even when you can use it properly. A slave you may be, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be able to defend yourself.”

Callum was confused, but struggled to keep his face straight. “You trust me not to turn on you? What if I take this bow and shoot you with it?”

Now Rhys laughed outright. With a casual flick of his master’s wrist, Rhys disappeared and only a few moments later, Callum felt the bow ripped from his hand and flung to the ground.

“You have a long way to go before you can even dream of challenging me, boy,” Rhys’ voice whispered through his mind.

Now outright astounded, Callum bent to retrieve the bow from the ground. As he straightened, he was happy to see that Rhys was visible again and standing not too far away. Getting left alone in the wilderness wasn’t a good idea, in his meager opinion.

“How did you do that?” the boy asked breathlessly.“I’m a mage,” Rhys replied with another of the cryptic smiles he tended to sport on his

handsome face from time to time. “And so, my dear slave boy, are you. Or at least you will be, once I’m done training you.”

Callum actually laughed outright before catching himself. He bowed his apology to his master. “I don’t mean to question you, Master...again, but that sounds far too much like a children’s story. Slave boy finds that he can control incredible power. Not likely.”

“I understand that having this thrown at you is a little overwhelming, so I’ll excuse you this time. Trust me, I wasn’t planning on finding an apprentice. You’re...unexpected, but I know Caris and he feels the potential in you, so I’ll alter my plans. Don’t make me regret it by acting like a stupid little child.”

Callum looked at Rhys for a few moments and then bowed again. “I won’t make you regret it, Master.”

“Good. We need to keep moving, and you need to practice drawing that bow string.”“Yes, Master.” Rhys started walking and Callum followed, trying to draw the string back to his shoulder.

He repeated the motion another few times, before dropping the weapon to his side and jogging

to come up beside his master. Callum lengthened his stride to keep pace, but remained silent. He’d been pushing the boundaries today and he knew it.

“You’re not working to strengthen your muscles with that bow,” the man finally pointed out, ending the silence that was starting to become uncomfortable.

“No, Master,” Callum acknowledged with a bowed head.“And why not?”“Well, I can’t seem to do it,” the boy began. “The bow doesn’t want to bend for me.”“That’s because you need to be stronger,” Rhys answered, a touch of exasperation in his

voice. “But that’s not the entire reason you’re not practicing, is it?”“No, Master,” Callum agreed again. “Well?”“I want to know more about being a mage,” the boy admitted. It may still seem more

like a tale than reality, but if it was true, being a mage was much better than being a stable master. He’d figure out the whole slave thing later.

Rhys glanced down at the boy practically jogging beside him, and slowed his pace slightly. He recognized the eagerness, now that the first wave of doubt was passing. The doubt would return, the mage knew, but for now, there was no reason not to answer Callum’s questions.

“What would you like to know?”“What will I be able to do?” Callum started. “Is it hard to be a mage? What will I have

to learn? Will it take a lot of time?”Rhys was certain there were more questions, but he held up his hand to forestall them.

Now that he’d indicated willingness to discuss this topic, the floodgates of curiosity were obviously open. He suppressed another chuckle.

“Most of those answers are entwined with one another,” the mage answered. “I can assure you that it is very hard to become a mage, and it is dangerous. Right now, you are nothing but untapped potential, and we can leave it that way if you want.”

“No!” Callum was quick to interrupt, and he blushed at his brashness.“Don’t be so quick to answer, boy,” Rhys reprimanded him, though gently. “Wait until

you hear what I have to say before you make your decision. And it will be your decision. As my slave you have to do what I tell you, but I won’t force you into something like this.”

Rhys walked on in silence for a few steps, and then took a deep breath.“Training to become a mage can take as long as ten years, depending on your talent, your

strength and your courage. Once we summon your eesprid, you’ll be officially an apprentice, and there’s a chance that is all you will ever be.

“To move from apprentice to Journeyman takes five years of hard work, learning to sense and manipulate the magical energy in the world, shaping it to do your bidding. At the end of five years, if you make that far, you must pass a test before being promoted. And don’t bother asking me about the test, because it’s different for everyone.

“Then, to become a master mage, there’s another five years of study and yet another test. During this set of five years, you learn how to combine your gifts, if you have more than one, and you learn the more powerful spells.”

Callum walked silently for a time, processing what his master had said. Finally, he looked over at the cougar and then met Rhys’ gaze once more.

“So I get to have a magical creature, like Caris, and then I study for ten years and pass a couple of tests? That doesn’t sound too bad.”

“Well, you hopefully get an eesprid. It’s not a guarantee, and the success of that spell is actually the final test to become an apprentice. You passed the first test when Caris picked you out of that pen, his magic finding your potential.

“After that...well it really depends on you. I’ve heard of some mage apprentices who never advanced beyond the most basic of spells, no matter how hard they tried. They had the potential, but they didn’t really have the gift, if that makes any sense.”

“Not really,” the boy muttered under his breath.“And the tests aren’t tests the way you may know them. As I said, they’re dangerous.

You can have your magic burned out of you, and in some cases, I’ve heard of apprentices dying during their test. Some apprentices choose never to take the chance of losing their magic, preferring to stick with the weaker spells than live without the power. And if the time comes that you’re ready to take the test, then that choice will be yours too.”

Again, Callum thought quietly about what Rhys had told him. If he survived it, he’d certainly be powerful. Powerful enough to defeat his master and win his freedom? He didn’t know, but it certainly wouldn’t cost him anything to find out. As long as he was a slave, his life wasn’t really his own anyway.

“I still want to do it,” he informed the man walking beside him, his voice firm and resolute. “Will I be able to turn invisible like you did?”

“That will depend on your gift or gifts,” Rhys answered. “I don’t have what I need to test you right now, but once we’re settled I can figure it out.”

“Once we’re settled where?”A wicked grin spread across his master’s face. “You’ll see.”

Chapter 4Eventually, after another few days of travelling ever northward, they reached an isolated

manor house, the home of a Madelian Lord. It was mid-afternoon, but Callum was relieved when Rhys made for the gate instead of continuing their journey. The idea of sleeping on a nice pile of hay instead of the hard ground played through the boy’s mind. Maybe he’d even get a bed!

“I’m going to secure us lodgings,” Rhys confirmed. He put his hand on the small gate set into a tall, thick stone wall that encircled the manor and the grounds. There was a larger gate, meant for a carriage or wagon, a few feet farther along the wall. “You wait here while I take care of things. And remember that Caris runs faster than you do.”

With those parting words, his master pushed open the gate and walked onto the manor grounds. A few steps along the path, and both he and the cougar disappeared from sight as Rhys used his powers to make them both invisible. It occurred to Callum that that wasn’t a good sign, but he settled himself against the wall to wait anyway. He was in the middle of nowhere, literally, so where would he possibly go?

Callum heard scuttling in the tree branches above his head and glanced up to see a pair of squirrels chasing each other from tree to tree. He smiled watching their antics and wished briefly for the bow. If he had it, perhaps he could get some meat for their dinner...just in case his master wasn’t successful getting them inside. At least trying to hunt would be more interesting than standing here pretending to hold up the wall.

Time passed slowly, the sun continued its relentless journey toward the horizon, and still

Rhys did not reappear. Surely, it didn’t take this long to be either granted entry or turned away! What was taking so long?

Callum was seriously considering disobeying his master’s orders and following in his footsteps up the path when he heard someone approaching. Peering into the now dim manor grounds, he tried to see who was coming, but the long shadows made it impossible to tell until the man was quite close.

“Your master summons you,” the man said curtly when he came to a stop a few steps away. He was older, his hair gray and his skin showing a myriad of faint wrinkles. The man was dressed in livery with a crest on the breast of his jacket, and was clearly a servant of some kind. Callum noted that the man looked pale, but was looking forward to being under a roof again far too much to pause long enough to figure out the reason for the servant’s pallor. He pushed the gate open and walked quickly up the path to the main building, eager for some good food and a good night’s sleep.

The manor was a collection of three buildings, all made out of the same stone as the surrounding wall. The main building was two storeys tall, had a high, peaked roof and a large number of windows to let in the light during the dreary winter days. The next largest building housed the stables and carriage house, and the smallest appeared to be quarters for servants. Knowing he was expected, Callum went right up to the front door of the main house and looked around for the servant who had summoned him. Not seeing the man, he raised his hand to knock.

“Good, you’re here,” Rhys commented, opening the door right under Callum’s upraised hand. “It seems that the servants of this manor would rather find another home than to continue to serve here, so I’m at a bit of a loss with the amount of cleaning that needs to be done. You’ll need to get started in the great room.”

Confused, Callum let Rhys lead him to the great room, a large room that occupied one entire side of the building. There was a large fireplace set into the outside wall, between two lovely floor-to-ceiling windows, and the room was comfortably appointed with a variety of couches and chairs. The room was ideal for reading or passing the time on a lazy summer afternoon, and that was apparently what the lord and lady of the house had been doing when Rhys...interrupted them. Callum gasped when his eyes fell upon the bodies of the aforementioned lord and lady. The two corpses lay across the chairs they’d been sitting in when they’d died, apparently quickly enough that neither had struggled.

“Finding you altered my plans to the point where I required a permanent residence - at least for the next decade,” Rhys’ voice interrupted Callum’s horrified survey of the scene in front of him. “I’m not sure if you’ll be able to get the blood out of the cloth.”

Finding strength from his horror, Callum turned to face his master. “How could you do this?” he demanded, not caring about the punishment he’d incur for questioning the man before him. “What did they do to deserve death?”

“What did they do? Nothing. They were merely inconvenient residents of a house that suits my purpose. And as for the how... Well, I’m good at my job. It wasn’t any trouble at all.”

“Good at your job? I thought you were a mage, and magic didn’t do that!” Callum exclaimed, revulsion turning to anger.

“Just because I wield magic, that doesn’t mean I’m a mage. Or at least it doesn’t mean that I’m only a mage.”

“Well if you’re not a mage, what are you then?”

“What do you think I am?” Rhys challenged, answering the boy’s question with a question. “You’re a smart boy. Now get to work. I need the bodies hauled into the garden and the blood cleaned up. For today, I’ll make us something to eat, but you’ll be responsible for that until I can hire new servants.”

Servants! Callum suddenly remembered the man who’d come to fetch him at the gate.“What’s going to happen to the servants?”Rhys looked down at the obviously concerned boy. “Nothing’s going to happen to them.

I offered them employment and they refused, so they have orders to be off the property by sunset.”

“But what if they tell about you?”“Tell who? And say what? We’re a long way from anywhere out here, boy, which is

why I picked this place. Besides, it’s unwise to cross an assassin.”With that, Rhys turned and left the room, and Callum saw Caris come down the stairs to

join him before they both continued along the hallway to what Callum presumed was the kitchen. Rhys had promised him something to eat, after all, but Callum suspected that food wouldn’t come until after the cleaning. With a sigh, he bent down to grab the dead woman’s arms and proceeded to drag the body from the room.

It took quite a lot of effort, but once Callum managed to get the first body outside, he also found the well and yet another building that belonged to the manor house. This final building was a single storey and had a number of windows high up by the eaves of the roof, but nothing that anybody could actually look into. He filled a bucket from the well and hauled the water back inside before trying his luck with the second body.

Callum was scrubbing the blood out of the carpet and trying desperately to think of anything other than what he was doing, when Rhys brought him some dinner.

“You’re doing a good job,” his master commented, sitting down on one of the clean chairs. “Better than I thought you’d be able to do, actually. Maybe we’ll be able to save the furniture after all.”

Callum said nothing, finishing up with the spot he was working on before sitting back on his heels and taking a good look at the man across from him. Did Rhys look like someone who could sneak into a house and murder the people innocently going about their business? Not really, Callum was forced to admit, and yet that is exactly what had happened. He struggled to reconcile what he now knew with the man who’d seemed to care about the well-being of the child he’d purchased.

“Why?” the boy asked with a helpless gesture.“I told you. I needed somewhere to live to train you for the next ten years, and this place

is perfect. It’s out of the way and nobody is going to miss the family who used to own the manor.”

“So this is my fault?” Callum demanded with a choked back sob.“No,” Rhys answered him gravely. “You’re just a piece of the puzzle, part of a larger

picture. Needing to train you caused these deaths, yes, but I wouldn’t have been in a position to do so without other events falling the way they did. If you want to blame someone, if that would make you feel better, blame Bacovia.”

“Who’s Bacovia?” There was a hint of excitement in Callum’s voice as he grasped at some way not to be responsible for the deaths of two innocent people.

“Bacovia isn’t a who, it’s a what. Bacovia is the large kingdom south of Madelia, and they’re responsible for this whole mess.”

“How can a whole kingdom be responsible for something?”“It all depends on how you look at it,” Rhys explained. “There are thousands of people

living in Bacovia, and the vast majority of them will never have anything to do with you or me if left to their own devices. However, most of the world sees the ruler of a kingdom as a representative for the whole kingdom, and in our case, blame rests on the shoulders of the royal family.”

Callum waited patiently for his master to explain, but Rhys didn’t continue. Instead, he gestured to the plate of food cooling nearby. “Eat your dinner and finish cleaning,” he instructed. “Then, pick one of the rooms upstairs and get some sleep. We’ll begin your training tomorrow.”

Callum nodded and did what he was told. Eager to sleep, he ate quickly and then scrubbed what blood he could from the furniture and carpet. Exhausted, and still feeling a little guilty, he dumped the bucket of dirty water outside and went upstairs to find a bed. He didn’t really care which room it was, as long as he could sleep, preferably without nightmares.

Chapter 5“Get up, boy! You’ve already slept far too long.”The voice was harsh, but the hand shaking his shoulder was surprisingly gentle. Callum

opened eyes blurry with sleep and blinked slowly. He didn’t feel like he’d slept at all, but the sun streaming in through the open bed curtains showed that it was already mid-morning.

“Hurry up and get dressed. We have work to do.”Rhys left and Callum sat up, looking around at his new room for the first time. The bed

he sat on was easily large enough for two or three of him, and the bed curtains were a rich, thick fabric that he was sure would keep out even the midday sun. He had a few blankets folded at the foot of the bed, a thick mattress stuffed with sweet-smelling hay, and some feather pillows.

Looking beyond the bed, Callum was pleasantly surprised to see the size of the room. There was a tall wardrobe against the wall between two large windows. The windows had panes of clear glass with few bubbles marring the view of the front lawn, a scene reflected in a mirror hanging beside the door. Finally, there was a small table beside the bed and a thick carpet on the floor. Smiling, Callum rolled off the bed and went to the wardrobe to hunt for some clean clothing.

Everything in the wardrobe was far too large for him, and that brought back the whole reason he was here. His master had murdered a pair of innocent people for their home, a place to live and train for the next decade. Callum sat back on his heels and looked around again. This was a lovely room, yes, but could he be comfortable living here? Shaking his head, he looked in the very back of the wardrobe for old and discarded clothing that he could cut down to fit. He figured that he might as well be practical; Rhys did not intend to leave, and this wonderful room was a lot better than sleeping on the floor in the kitchen or in the loft of the stable.

Finally respectably dressed to the best of his ability, Callum walked down the stairs to the main floor of the manor house. He didn’t see Rhys waiting for him, but he smelled food from the direction of the kitchen and decided to look there for his master. His instincts proved good.

“Excellent, you’re here,” Rhys commented as soon as he saw the slave boy. “Grab something to eat quickly and then meet me outside.” He gestured to the bread, cheese and eggs waiting on the table and then left through the back kitchen door, Caris trotting at his heels.

“I wonder what needs to be done outside,” Callum asked aloud as he grabbed some bread and cheese. Then he remembered the bodies he’d dragged into the garden the night before and promptly lost his appetite. Replacing the food on the plate, he left the kitchen.

This was also the boy’s first chance to really take a look outside, and the grounds were as lovely as the house. Last evening, the shadows cast by the surrounding buildings had obscured the small kitchen vegetable and herb garden, the plot now revealed by the bright late summer sunlight. Bees buzzed among the flowers, and fruits and vegetables were ripening or ready for picking. Perhaps that was the chore his master had in mind.

The echoing sound of something hitting the floor near an open door drew Callum’s gaze to the odd building he’d noted the night before. This long, one-storey building had only small

windows up near the roof. Currently, the large sliding doors were open and Callum could just make out what looked like a sawdust-covered floor. The sound had come from there, and he ventured toward the building cautiously. “Master?” he called quietly.

“Get in here and help me!” the voice from inside the building ordered. Callum rushed to obey.

Rhys was busy moving large pieces of furniture over to the side of the room. The whole building was a single long room, with chairs and tables currently scattered haphazardly around the space. A row of mirrors opposite the wide double door and the high windows finally revealed the purpose of this building - it was a salle, meant for training warriors. The former owners of the property apparently used it for storage.

Together, Callum and Rhys managed to clear most of the central space of debris, and then Rhys inscribed a large circle in the sawdust. “You stand in the middle of the circle,” he commanded, gesturing to the waiting boy. When Callum hesitated, the assassin-mage placed his hand between the boy’s shoulder blades and gave him a push.

Once he was in position, he opened his mouth to prepare to ask a question, but Rhys forestalled that with an upraised hand and a scowl. Callum snapped his mouth shut so quickly that his teeth clicking together rang out through the silence in the barn-like space. Rhys summoned Caris to his side, and with his hand on the cougar’s head, he began to chant softly.

Callum had no idea how long this was going to take, and without set directions to follow, his mind began to wander. His attention was drawn to the dust particles floating in the beam of sunlight streaming in through the still open door. He and his master had raised a lot of dust when moving the furniture, and now it was trying to settle. The sunlight caught the motes and their drifting seemed almost like a slow dance. Left and right...and left...and right...and...

Suddenly some instinct buried deep in Callum’s brain ripped him out of the trance into which he’d fallen. The seemingly harmless dust motes weren’t dancing any longer, but were instead beginning to spin. Faster and faster they twirled, until a miniature dust tornado formed right there in the salle, only a few feet away. The boy threw up his arms and wrapped them protectively around his head just as the tornado came flying toward him.

Callum was driven to his knees within seconds, the air difficult to breath and blinding. He squeezed his eyes shut as hard as he could to keep the grit out, but could do little else. The air itself seemed to have weight, pushing him down into the floor of the building. The dust whizzed around him, stinging any exposed skin and seemingly having a life of its own, seeking any advantage it could find.

The stinging became worse, the dust motes now slashing across Callum’s skin. It took only moments until he could feel tiny rivulets of blood crawling down his arms. He wrapped his arms around his head even tighter, hoping that it would all stop, sooner rather than later. Then it did.

The cutting stopped, the pressure eased, and Callum was able to open his eyes and stand up. Was it over? He looked over at his master, and saw that Rhys’ eyes were still closed, his hand still on his eesprid’s head. The chanting continued, and Callum knew that it wasn’t over yet.

Just as that thought drifted away, he felt a surge of something, and then the dust motes swirled up around him once more. They twisted together and blasted toward him, through him, and Callum felt something rip out of his body. He screamed, an agonized sound born from both pain and fear. He fell again, close to blacking out.

Head hanging and forehead nearly touching the ground, the boy didn’t notice that Rhys’

casting was over, finally. He didn’t see his master walk toward him, and he wouldn’t have cared anyway. Callum’s throat ached from the pain-filled screams, and his chest throbbed in time to his heartbeat. He didn’t know exactly what had happened to him, but he was glad that he was still alive. For a little while, he hadn’t been sure of the outcome.

“I told you that being a mage was dangerous,” Rhys commented quietly, kneeling down beside his slave. “For what it’s worth, I didn’t know it would be like that. This is the first time I’ve ever cast that particular spell.”

“You’ve never had an apprentice before?” The sound was more a croak than a voice.“No, you’re the first. I didn’t know it would be like that.”Callum just looked at the man on his knees in the sawdust. “Did it work?”Now Rhys smiled. “It did indeed, dear apprentice. Look and see. Here’s your eesprid.”Rhys gestured to the ground beside him, and Callum’s eyes followed the man’s hand.

Near them was a tiny dark brown creature, no bigger than the palm of his hand. Callum reached out and picked up the animal gently, feeling its little feet curl instinctively around his finger, tiny claws just pricking his skin. It stretched out its leathery wings and settled itself more firmly in its mage’s hand.

“A bat?” Callum looked over at Caris, the cougar lying down not far away. “I have a bat?”

Rhys frowned. “What it is isn’t important. The fact that it exists is. You’re officially an apprentice mage, boy, and a bat is actually a very useful eesprid. It’s small, so it’s easy to conceal, and it can fly. If you want to hide what you are, it should be easy.”

Callum didn’t look convinced, but he had to admit that there was something almost...cute about the furry little creature. “Are we done then?”

“Not quite.” Rhys reached into his pocket and withdrew a handful of gems. He laid them on the ground in front of Callum, the five of them in a straight line. The bat cocked its head to the side, apparently curious.

“Our eesprid act as storage for mages,” the assassin-mage explained. “They...remember the various spells you’ll learn over the next decade, and you need to have your eesprid nearby to cast a spell. The more difficult spells will only work if the eesprid is touching you.”

Rhys sat back on his heels and gestured to the gems. “Mages also need a focus, something that takes the magical energy from the world around you and lets you direct it.” He reached into the neck of his shirt and fished out an amulet of some sort. It had a large opal in the centre, and was plain, entirely unadorned.

“Why are there five of them?”“There’s one for each of the elements. Your focus, which could be a ring, amulet or

other talisman, will be the gem of the element you are gifted with. Mine, the opal, is for Spirit.”

Callum settled more comfortably, sitting cross-legged in the sawdust. “How do we do this?” he asked with a grimace. Would it be as painful as the previous spell?

Rhys seemed to read his mind, chuckling. “This one doesn’t hurt,” he assured the boy. “You just need to close your eyes, holding out your hand - the one with the eesprid on it. The bat is part of you, and it will recognize your gifts. You don’t have to do a thing.”

With a shaky, but relieved smile, Callum laid his hand on his knee, opening it as much as he could with the bat still clinging to his finger. He closed his eyes and waited.

“Take a few slow, deep breaths,” Rhys commanded quietly. Callum obeyed, and felt a stone drop into his open hand. The bat shifted its weight, but didn’t react any farther, as far as

the boy could tell. He felt Rhys remove the stone and another drop into its place.Through the entire process, five stones placed and removed, the tiny bat reacted twice.

Callum didn’t know which stones caused the reactions, but he waited for his master to tell him to open his eyes, suppressing his curiosity.

“Okay, boy, you can relax and open your eyes.” Callum’s eyes popped open, and Rhys chuckled again at his apprentice’s apparent excitement. On the ground in front of them, two stones remained - the ruby and the opal.

“You’re a lucky one,” Rhys explained. “No wonder Caris liked you so much when he found you. You’ve got two gifts, boy, Spirit and Fire. Based on your little eesprid, I’d say Fire is your stronger gift, but we’ll have to wait and see.”

Rhys picked up the stones and stood. “What do you want your focus to be?”“Um... I don’t really know, Master. Whatever you think is best?”The assassin-mage nodded. “I’ll take care of it for you. Now get up, give your little bat

a name, and go clean up the kitchen.”By the time Callum struggled to his feet, being careful not to hurt his new little

companion, Rhys and Caris were gone. “What am I going to call you?” he asked the bat. Shrugging, he walked out of the salle

and made his way back inside to the kitchen and his chores. He may be a mage apprentice now, but he was still a slave, and this slave had a kitchen to clean.

Chapter 6Rhys left Callum alone at the manor house for the first time only a few days later.

Obviously content that their remote location would be enough to prevent the slave boy from running away, Rhys left a list of chores to do while he was gone and went back to the city. Callum didn’t know what his master was planning to do while he was away, and he really didn’t care. Being alone in the large house for at least two days was incredibly appealing. He did not intend to leave, mostly because the thought of being alone in the wilderness terrified him. So Callum set about getting to know Ember, his tiny bat eesprid, and did only a few of the chores on the list.

When his master returned after a successful shopping trip, his bags full of clothing for both himself and his apprentice, Rhys was furious to discover that Callum hadn’t done as instructed. He didn’t yell or beat the slave, as many would have done. Instead, he put all of the clothing he’d bought Callum in the boy’s room and then locked Callum out of it.

“If you’re going to act like a disobedient little slave, than I will treat you that way,” he informed the stunned boy. It wasn’t until autumn started to color the trees on the manor grounds that Rhys allowed Callum back into the lovely room he’d chosen for himself. It took him that long to prove to his master that he was worth the luxury of the bed and the clothing, and that he didn’t need to sleep on a thin pallet in the kitchen any longer.

Aside from that one unfortunate incident, the two settled into an easy routine. In the mornings, Callum would cook them both breakfast, tidy up the kitchen and other rooms they were using, and then Rhys would instruct the boy in magic. After lunch, also prepared and cleaned up by Callum, the boy would take care of anything that needed doing outside of the manor house. These chores included taking care of the garden, the horses, goats and chickens in that stable, and tidying up the salle. The servants’ quarters remained untouched. And after dinner, Rhys taught Callum to read and write, and if there was time after chores in the afternoon, he continued to guide Callum’s use of a bow. Their relationship wasn’t typical of a master and his slave, something that raised issues just before their first winter at the manor.

Rhys decided that Callum had advanced enough in his magic lessons that he needed more time to practice. To give him that time, he decided to hire a few servants to take over the chores he’d assigned his slave. So he ventured into the city once more, leaving Callum with instructions to clean and air the servants’ quarters before his return. This time Callum didn’t dare disobey, and when his master returned, Callum was rewarded for his hard work. His master added a cook, a maid and a gardener to his household, and he brought a pony for the boy.

“It’s time for you to learn to ride, like a proper gentleman,” his master informed him as he handed Callum the reins of the little brown animal.

“But I’m not a gentleman, Master,” Callum pointed out quietly, still in awe of the gift he’d received. “I’m just a slave.”

Rhys’ scowl made Callum tense, expecting a blow. His master didn’t hit him often, but it was always when Callum questioned him or did something equally foolish. In this case, the new servants overheard Callum’s declaration of his status, and that was something Rhys had hoped to avoid. A slave ranked below a paid servant, and Rhys didn’t want the new staff to think they could take advantage of the boy’s status.

“You’re not just a slave,” he stated angrily. “You’re my apprentice, and I expect you to act like it.”

“Yes, Master.” Callum bowed his head and waited.“Take your pony to the stable and get him settled. Then come to my study so I can

inform you of your new duties.”“Yes, Master.” Callum bowed low at the waist and then led the pony away to his new

home.Freed from the cooking, cleaning and grounds keeping, Callum was able to devote

considerably more time to his varied studies. He finally mastered the short bow and he became a decent rider. He practiced his magic daily, learning to use his amulet focus and Ember’s abilities effectively. Callum also mastered reading and writing as the months passed, and Rhys began to teach him numbers and money.

Periodically, the assassin-mage would receive a visitor with an envelope, who Callum would escort to his master’s study. The men would never stay long, but Rhys would usually leave the manor shortly after such a visit. Callum knew that these men brought assignments for his master to carry out, people destined to die at his master’s hand, but Callum also knew that in order to live the way they did, they had to have money. When he bothered to think about it, which was rarely, he knew that the deaths of strangers really didn’t matter to him at all. What mattered was keeping his master happy, and that meant working hard at his studies.

By the time summer came again to the lonely manor house, Callum had mastered the simplest spells to his master’s exacting standards. Once he achieved this, Rhys simply nodded and introduced the first spell of the next level. Since Callum was gifted in Fire, an element that Rhys did not control, the assassin-mage found books and tutors for him, these individuals coming to stay at the manor house for a period of weeks or months at a time as honored guests.

The months passed and Callum continued to grow close to his master. He learned not only to tend to Rhys’ needs, but also to anticipate them. He became part of his master’s everyday life, and he learned a lot because of this. Callum was likely the only slave in the entire kingdom of Madelia who was trusted enough to handle his master’s money, keeping account of the assassin’s earning and expenditures. The boy was also likely the only slave who didn’t only have access to weapons, but was practically commanded to learn how to use them properly.

“A proper gentleman knows how to fight,” Rhys said to him one wintery day when they were practicing with short swords in the salle. Callum had long ago stopped reminding his master that he wasn’t a gentleman and never had been. Rhys didn’t want to hear it, so it wasn’t worth mentioning.

By the time their third winter arrived with a cold wind and a snowstorm, Callum and Rhys had truly made a home for themselves in the manor house. The boy had grown into a tall adolescent, strong and lithe from weapon practice, and well mannered courtesy of his master. Callum could easily pass for a young well-born gentleman, all traces of his lower birth erased from his demeanor and habits. Rhys was very proud of his apprentice, and had a surprise for him.

“It is time to introduce you to the politics of the realm,” Rhys commented one wintery evening. Rhys and Callum were both in the great room, sitting by the fire and reading. Callum looked over curiously.

“Only some of the trips I’ve taken have been business,” the assassin-mage explained. “Others have been political. When we took over this manor, we also took over the title and

responsibilities associated with it. The lord and lady who lived here were reclusive, very rarely seen at court, and I’ve easily taken over the role of Lord of Tebithshire over the past couple of years. I’ve been invited to the Midwinter celebrations at the palace, and you’re going to accompany me.”

Callum’s eyes were wide with shock. “How could I possibly accompany you, Master? I’m nothing but a—”

Rhys cut him off with an upraised hand. “You are my apprentice, and for this trip, you will be acting as my page. You have all the training for the position, and you’ll be fine. Besides, pages are essentially invisible at court, and you could learn a lot from just listening to the lords and ladies talking.”

Callum bowed his head, accepting his master’s will, as always. He’d learned quickly that obeying his master was rewarded with a life he’d never have achieved otherwise. And disobeying... Well the memories of the few beatings he’d received over the years were enough.

“I know that you’ve been working on the spell for detecting the thoughts of others. You will need to practice that particular spell between now and the Midwinter celebration,” Rhys continued. “I’m sure there will opportunity to use that particular talent, and your Ember is considerably easier to hide than Caris. It’s a shame that you show so little aptitude for the scrying spells.”

“I am sorry about that, Master. No matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to get those spells to work.”

“There are still months of work ahead of you, so you may be able to master them yet. Although it’s possible that your strength with your Fire gift is hindering your Spirit gift. I’ve heard of it happening, and your tutors confirmed it. The scrying spells may be your weakest, that’s all.”

“I will continue to practice them anyway,” Callum assured the man seated across from him. “It certainly can’t hurt.”

Rhys chuckled. “No, it can’t hurt. Just make sure you’re not neglecting your practice with the other spell though. I know that you can cast the one, and detecting thoughts will be very useful.”

Callum nodded again, and then excused himself for bed. He did regret that he wasn’t very good at the scrying spells. Those spells let a mage see and hear people and events at a distance. Some powerful mages had a range that extended up to a mile. The detecting spells, which allowed a mage to read the thoughts of others, only had a range of a few feet.

He was quivering with excitement as he made his way up to his room, Ember flitting along at the edge of his vision. Court! Never in his wildest dreams had he thought about going to court, and certainly not for a party. He was the luckiest slave in the entire world, and he’d help his master however he could... Even if he wasn’t so good at some of the spells.

Chapter 7“Are you certain that you know what to do?”“Yes, Mas— I mean, my Lord.” Callum grimaced at his error. It had become habit in

the past two-and-a-half years to refer to Rhys as his master, something that a page wouldn’t do.“Repeat your orders,” his master commanded.“I am to attend any meetings and functions with you, fulfilling the role of page,” he

recited. “I am to be invisible, but I am to listen carefully, using both mundane and magical means.” He’d needed to ask the meaning of the word “mundane” when Rhys had first given him these orders to memorize. Why couldn’t the man just say “ears”?

“And what are you listening for?” Rhys prompted.“Anything to do with the kingdom of Bacovia, any hint of conflict, and any hint of

scandal.” He’d tried to ask about his master’s interest in Bacovia too, but those questions, Rhys wouldn’t answer. Callum remembered that long-ago day when Rhys had murdered the former lord and lady of Tebithshire, when he’d blamed Bacovia’s ruler for the whole thing. He knew his master’s hatred for the southern kingdom ran deep, but didn’t know why.

Rhys smiled. “Excellent. You have a keen mind, young man. Now make sure you put it to good use!”

Callum nodded, smiling, and then looked out the window of the carriage. The city he’d left abruptly so many months ago hadn’t really changed, but his view certainly had. Now he was the one riding in a carriage bearing the arms of a lord, the emblem repeated on the tabard he wore for his role as Rhys’ page. He was no longer one of the people scrambling out of the way in the street below, and he liked it.

“Due to the distance of our journey,” Rhys’ voice interrupted his musings, “we’ll have a suite given to us in the palace. I don’t want you making a fool of me, gawking at everything.”

“No, of course not, my Lord,” Callum assured his master. It was never wise to make the assassin-mage angry, and Callum spent a lot of his time doing his upmost to avoid that.

“Good. Now, here we are.”The palace of King Frederick, ruler of Madelia, rose above the city in brilliant splendor.

Made of a pale marble, the stone caught the wane winter sunlight and reflected it, making the palace shine and gleam in stark contrast to the drab buildings of the rest of the city. The inn where Callum had worked wasn’t far from the palace, but he’d certainly never had the opportunity to go inside before, and he felt butterflies of excitement begin to dance around his insides.

The carriage rolled through the open gate and Callum noticed the guards standing at attention, a pair on either side. They were dressed in the brown and green livery of the crown, with the winged serpent emblem prominently displayed. He wondered if they were cold, just standing there like that.

Once through the gate and on to the palace grounds, they rolled down a long drive. There were expansive lawns on either side, now barren and snow-covered. Callum wondered if there were gardens sleeping under the blanket of white, and he wondered if he’d ever find out. The ride didn’t really last that long and soon the carriage pulled up in front of the palace. The courtyard was bustling with activity, grooms and servants unloading other carriages and stable hands leading empty carriages away. Callum descended first to hold the door for his

master, and Rhys, dressed in his lordly splendor, stepped out into the sunlight.As a page for a visiting lord, Callum actually outranked the palace servants for things

pertaining directly to his master. With glee, the young mage ordered a pair of nearby servants to get their bags, and then he and the servants followed Rhys into the bustling palace proper. With the Midwinter Ball only two days away, there were people everywhere! Another servant, this one working directly for the chamberlain, directed Rhys up to his suite of rooms.

As he opened the door for his master, Callum automatically cast a detecting spell, sending his thoughts out into the suite looking for the thoughts that would indicate the presence of someone else. Finding nothing, he bowed his master inside and stepped in himself. Mindful of Rhys’ command not to embarrass him, Callum struggled not to gawk at the palatial suite they’d been assigned.

The door from the hallway opened directly into a receiving room. The pair of servants deposited their bags on the lush, thick royal blue carpet and then left. Callum shut the door behind them, locking it, and then turned to survey the room once more. In addition to the luxurious carpet, there were four armchairs clustered in a group near the fireplace on the right side of the room. The upholstery on the chairs was rich, dark blue velvet, and the chairs themselves constructed of a pale wood. A matching table sat in the middle of the grouping.

To the left was a dining area, complete with a pale wooden table and six wooden chairs. In light of the season, an arrangement of pine boughs and ribbon lay in the middle of a dark blue runner, and there was a cluster of large pillar candles at each end. Beyond the dining area was a door leading into a large bedroom, and Callum picked up two of Rhys’ bags and went forward to investigate.

The bedroom was as lovely as the rest of the suite, containing a large bed, a small desk and an armoire. Callum immediately got to work unpacking and putting his master’s belongings away, also laying out Rhys’ garments for dinner. The assassin-mage followed him into the room carrying a bag of his own.

“So what do you think?” the man asked as he placed the bag beside the other two.“It’s lovely,” Callum answered softly, still a little in awe. He couldn’t quite believe that

he, the son of a drunken blacksmith, was actually inside the royal palace.“Your room is over near the main door of the suite,” Rhys informed him, gesturing.

Callum noticed a small portal set into the left-hand wall of the suite that he’d overlooked. “It’s near the entrance so that you can answer the door in case of a caller.”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a knock sounded at the door. It was a light sound, almost timid. At a nod from Rhys, Callum strode back through the suite to see who was there. He opened the door to see a woman, and he looked back over his shoulder in askance. His master nodded again, and Callum bowed the lady into the suite.

“My dear Lord of Tebithshire,” the woman said with a low curtsey. “I’m so glad to see you here. I was afraid that with the distance, you wouldn’t be able to make it to the party.”

“I’m glad to see you too, my Lady,” Rhys answered with a smile. He walked across the suite, and taking the lady’s hand, led her over to the chairs and the fire. Callum took the opportunity to study them both.

The woman was dressed just as he’d expected a courtier to be dressed. Her gown was a pale green, and it sat off the shoulder, exposing her long, graceful neck. She wore a ribbon around her throat, and had a matching ribbon holding back waves of long brown hair.

“And is there a Lady Tebithshire that you should be introducing me to, my Lord?” the woman asked as she perched gracefully on the edge of the chair.

“Not as of yet, Leila. Are you offering?” Rhys chuckled as his companion blushed.“That would be very forward of me!” she exclaimed, but Callum could see her eyes

twinkling.“And you would never do anything forward, now would you?” Rhys asked, his own dark

eyes sparkling with mirth. It was obvious to Callum that the two knew is other, likely quite well. He turned away from the pair and went to investigate his own room and unpack.

The small door Rhys had indicated opened into a tiny room. There was barely room for the bed and the chest he figured was for his clothing. With a sigh of longing for the large bed he’d left back home, Callum chuckled to realize just how spoiled that thought was. He was getting soft. Closing the door most of the way behind him, he lifted Ember from a pocket hidden under his tabard and let the bat explore the small space while he took care of his belongings. He thought briefly of Caris, left to roam outside the city walls, and hoped the cougar would be okay.

It wasn’t long before he heard the door of the suite open and close, and Callum heard the lock thrown once more. He finished putting the last of his things into the chest, closed it, and headed back out into the suite. Rhys was back in his room, and the rustling likely indicated that he was changing for dinner.

“Tonight’s dinner will begin the Midwinter festivities,” his master called from the other room. “Everyone will be attending, so I want you to be paying particular attention to the higher ranking lords and ladies. Since I’m only a minor lord, I’ll be low on the list of introductions, so we’ll be inside the room when the higher-ups are announced by the herald.”

“Do you still want me to try the scrying spells, or just stick to detecting thoughts?” Callum asked as he walked back into Rhys’ bedroom. He started to pick up and fold his master’s discarded clothing.

“Try the scrying spells first,” the assassin-mage answered after a little thought. “They’d be most useful, so you might as well try. If you can get them to work and detect a good conversation to listen to, I’d like you to try splitting your focus and casting the detect thoughts spell too.”

Callum grimaced, but nodded. Splitting his power was the most difficult thing Rhys had taught him so far. The idea was to cast a spell and hold it while casting another. It required a lot of power and a lot of concentration.

“If I may ask, what will you be doing tonight, Master?”“I will be forced to actually participate in these conversations, but I’ll be listening to

thoughts too. I’m relying on you to find out anything important for the lords who are not seated near enough for me to talk to them.”

“Yes, Master.”Rhys didn’t say it, but Callum knew that without Caris with him, he wasn’t able to cast

the more powerful spells. Having Ember nearby, Callum would technically be the stronger mage, though he knew that he lacked the practice to challenge Rhys in any way. Perhaps when his training was complete...

The two mages finished getting ready just as a servant arrived to show them to the dining hall. Rhys followed the man back down to the main floor, and Callum followed a few steps behind, as was proper. Rhys had trained him for this and taken care of him, providing him with food, shelter and schooling. This would be the first true test of his training, and Callum was determined not to let his master down.

Chapter 8By the time the herald announced Rhys and he made his entrance to the dining hall,

about a dozen lords and ladies were already seated. The lord of Tebithshire was the first to sit down at the third table, and he chose a chair that let him see the door and keep his back close to the wall. Callum took up his position just behind his master’s seat.

The young apprentice knew that Rhys wanted information from the higher-ranking nobles, and he scanned the room to see how everything was laid out. As the herald announced the guests, they came into the room and took a seat at the next available table. This meant that the lower-ranking guests were sitting closest to the door, and the higher-ranking guests were closest to the head table. That table was where the king, his family, and his advisors would sit.

Callum tried to judge the distance between himself and where the head table sat waiting. He knew the scrying spells had a better range, and he’d likely be able to reach the row of tables closest to the king if he could successfully cast the spell. The detecting spell would easily reach the next table, but Rhys would likely be able to hear those conversations himself. In order to do what Rhys had asked, Callum would either have to cast the scrying spell or he’d have to move closer to the head table.

Guests continued to enter the room and select seats, and the dining hall slowly began to fill. The stream of people was steady, and Callum watched both the guests and his master closely, looking for any sign that there was someone specific he should try to listen to. Rhys began to exchange pleasantries with the other guests at his table, and Callum amused himself by watching the wide array of colorful ladies parade past. But his entire focus narrowed when the second-to-last guest was announced.

“Her Royal Highness, Princess Vivien,” the herald intoned. A young girl entered the room looking like a miniature version of the other ladies in attendance. Her long black hair curled artfully around her bare shoulders, and her pale blue gown swept the floor. The princess didn’t look left or right, but instead strode past all of the seated guests and took her chair at the head table, the one to the left of the seat her father would soon take.

Unless Callum was mistaken, the young princess seemed tense and unhappy. She certainly wasn’t smiling at anyone, and her gaze was angry as it swept the room looking at the nobles spread out in front of her. When the herald finally announced King Frederick, she didn’t applaud with the others, and she didn’t rise from her chair. There was certainly something going on between father and daughter, and Callum decided that this information could be important to his master. Now he just had to figure out how to get it.

At the table closest to the king and princess were the king’s siblings and their children. Vivien had six cousins, by Callum’s count, and they were all essentially an equal distance from the throne. Technically, the king’s oldest sister’s first-born was next after Vivien, but with cousins...well, accidents had been known to happen. Callum found it interesting that there was no little brother or sister for Vivien, and that King Frederick had never remarried after his queen had died of an illness a few years ago. Having only one solid heir didn’t strike him as a particularly good idea.

Servants started to circulate around the tables bearing platters of meat, bread and vegetables. All around the room, pages selected food for their lords, being careful never to choose from the same part of any given platter. Madelia wasn’t a very trusting kingdom, and

poisonings were common, so nobody ever accepted food or drink they didn’t see selected or poured from a common plate or jug. This way, while poisonings still happened, they didn’t usually happen at a large party or banquet.

Once his master’s plate was full, Callum closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He could feel Ember nestled safely in her little hidden pocket, and his amulet was hanging underneath his shirt. He had all of his tools and he knew the spell, so what was he waiting for? When it came right down to it, Callum didn’t want to fail, and that possibility of failure made him hesitate.

Slowly and carefully, Callum spoke the words of the scrying spell under his breath. He’d practiced this too, thinking that it would likely be useful to be able to cast quietly. His lips barely moved and his voice was just a soft whisper. The amulet against his chest warmed a little a power gathered, and Callum saw Rhys straighten a little as he felt the caress of power in the air. His master was very sensitive to casting, Callum knew, but he didn’t see anybody else react to the magical energy at all.

The apprentice felt the magic settle into place with a physical “click”, and he just caught himself before grinning in relief. The spell had worked! Now he just had to figure out how far he could reach.

Callum let his senses slide out into the room. He’d focused on hearing for this casting, since being able to see farther than usual really wasn’t going to be helpful, and he immediately picked up the thread of conversation from the next table over. Stretching farther, directing the spell toward the head table, Callum reached the third line of tables. Reaching deeper into himself, touching the connection he shared with his eesprid, the boy pushed himself farther. He could see Vivien talking with her father, and her expression led him to believe that they were arguing. He really wanted to hear what they were saying.

Unfortunately, Callum reached his limit just as he hit the table with Vivien’s cousins. He couldn’t even reach across the entire table, and was able to listen only to half of the conversation happening there. Still, that half of a conversation was interesting.

“Are you certain that it’s a good idea to bring the question of Vivien’s birth back up?” It was the king’s youngest sister speaking, and she cast a worried glance toward the monarch.

“Oh please! Frederick’s had how many lovers since the queen died? And not a single child?” This was the king’s oldest sister, and she looked toward the head table too, but her glance had a sinister feel to it.

“...common knowledge that...gets with...will be the next queen.” This last speaker was the king’s brother, and he sat on the far side of the table. Callum’s spell wasn’t quite strong enough to pick up every word, but he caught the gist of it.

“Exactly! So why hasn’t anybody come forward in all these years to take the throne? It’s pretty obvious that Frederick can’t actually sire any children and the little princess up there is nothing but a bas—”

“Maeve, please!” the younger sister interrupted. “It could be considered treason to talk about the princess like that. Do you want to lose your head?”

“You’re just speaking like that because you have nothing to gain,” Maeve stated bitterly. “And you...everything...mother...next king.”Were the king’s siblings actually plotting regicide? Right there in the king’s presence?“Well if we can get rid of the little twit, the path will be clear for my son, yes,” Maeve

agreed. “Daggers are useful tools for settling family disputes.”Those blatant words broke Callum’s concentration, and he felt the spell energy dissipate.

With a curse under his breath, he cast again, but this time the spell fizzled. He tried a second time, but again got nowhere. He’d never been so frustrated in his whole life!

Rhys, ever alert to what was happening around him, picked up on his slave’s fidgeting and turned to look over his shoulder with a glare. Callum immediately stopped moving, but he pleaded with his eyes for his master to understand that he’d overheard something important. The assassin-mage obviously understood because he turned back to the table with a sigh and smile of apology for the lady with whom he’d been speaking.

“I’m terribly sorry, my Lady, but it appears that my page is having some difficulty. I’m just going to escort him out to have a little...chat and I’ll be back momentarily.”

The rest of the table chuckled, and the other pages cast sympathetic gazes at Callum. Based on Rhys’ words, everyone there thought that the lord of Tebithshire was about to beat his page bloody. Callum wasn’t so sure that wouldn’t be the case, but he didn’t regret interrupting his master’s dinner.

“This had better be good,” Rhys hissed in his ear as he guided his slave forcefully from the room. As soon as they left the hall, Rhys swung Callum around and pushed him up against the wall. A passing servant picked up her pace to leave the two of them alone.

Callum swallowed. “I heard Princess Maeve plotting to kill Princess Vivien.”Rhys’ eyes widened. “You what? Tell me everything.”Callum quickly recounted the overheard conversation between the king’s three siblings.

He told his master about the doubts surrounding Vivien’s legitimate birth, something Rhys had heard before, and Callum told him about Maeve’s comment about how a dagger often solved problems like these. Rhys’ face grew serious and he nodded.

“It isn’t proof of a conspiracy,” he stated, “since we can’t tell the king exactly how we came by the information. However, I think what you overheard is good enough to at least request an audience with his majesty. You’ve done well.”

Callum smiled, but Rhys wasn’t finished yet.“Everyone expects me to beat you for being disruptive. I don’t think that’s warranted,

considering, but I can’t let you back into the hall. Go up to our rooms and wait for me there.”He was disappointed, but he understood. Callum bowed to his master and left the

corridor. Better to have been dismissed early than to suffer through a beating he didn’t really deserve. He wondered if Rhys would beat him anyway, just so he’d have legitimate bruises to show for his “inappropriate” behavior. He sincerely hoped not, but his master could be cold.

It seemed like he was alone in the suite for hours, hours during which Callum brooded over what he’d heard. Was his master, who was certainly not a trueborn citizen of Madelia, actually loyal to the king? Or did he have some other reason for passing along this information? And how could anybody so callously discuss killing a member of their own family?

That thought gave Callum pause. Since arriving back in the city earlier this afternoon, he’d been too busy to think about where he was. Callum was back home, back to the city of his birth, the city where his father still likely lived. Desire to see how his father fared after selling his only child to pay off his debts overcame him. Suddenly, the thought of a dagger to settle family issues didn’t seem like such a bad one. He had vowed to pay his father back, after all.

By the time Rhys did return, his master wasn’t alone. Callum, lying on his small bed in his dark, tiny room, heard feminine giggles accompanying the sound of the opening door. He’d been half-way out of bed when he’d heard the sound of door latch, but now he settled

back down. He was sure that his master didn’t require his help, and Rhys likely wanted to be alone anyway.

When Callum heard the sound of Rhys’ bedroom door shut, he closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep. His master would likely tell him about the rest of the dinner party tomorrow, and if he were lucky, Callum would find out about what his master’s plan was for the information he’d learned.

Callum’s breathing slowed and his body began to feel heavy, sleep starting to take hold. As he drifted off to sleep, all he could think about was how satisfying it would be to pay his father a visit. He had a very special Midwinter gift he really wanted to give the man.

Chapter 9 Callum was awake and out of bed early, his body filled with nervous energy. He had no

idea what his master’s plans were for the day, but he hoped to escape into the city for a little while. His idea had solidified during the night, and he didn’t think he’d need very long to take care of business.

It wasn’t long after dawn when he heard Rhys emerge from his room, quietly shutting the door behind him. By this time, Callum had already tidied the suite and he was sitting by the fireplace, practicing his magic. He glanced over at his master when he heard the door open, and then leaned forward again to breathe softly on the logs in front of him. The kindling smoldered and blackened for a few moments, but didn’t ignite.

“I’m still having a lot of trouble with this one,” the boy complained softly, sensing that Rhys was nearby. “I don’t know why, since I usually find the fire spells easy.”

“The two spells you’re working on now are different,” his master answered. “The one you’re trying now is rooted in Air, and the other is rooted in Earth. While you don’t have a gift for either of those elements, it looks like Earth is stronger for you than Air is.”

Callum sighed and then turned away from the fireplace.“I wanted to tell you how proud I am of you,” Rhys began, settling onto one of the

nearby chairs. “You did an excellent job last night, and the information you gave me is going to prove invaluable.”

“Did you talk to the king?”“Not yet, but I made an appointment with his secretary before coming up to bed last

night. I’ll be meeting with his majesty after breakfast, and then we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.”

Callum hesitated a moment. “What would you like me to do while you meet with his Majesty?” He tried hard to keep the hopefulness from his voice.

“Well...I don’t see any reason for you to accompany me to the meeting. I guess you can do what you’d like, within reason.”

Callum felt happiness soar inside him. “I’d like to go into the city, take a look at my old house and the inn where I used to work. If you think that would be okay, that is.”

His master looked at him, eyes narrowed. Callum was sure that his master suspected something, and he held his breath, waiting for the verdict. “I suppose that would be okay,” Rhys finally conceded.

Callum glanced over at the closed door to the bedroom. “What about her?”Rhys followed the boy’s gaze and shrugged. “She knows where the door is. When she

wakes up, she can make her way back to wherever she came from.”The boy was shocked at the way his master simply...discarded the woman with whom

he’d spent the night. He opened his mouth to say something, but then thought better of it. Who was he to question the man? And besides, he didn’t want to make Rhys angry and risk losing the freedom he’d just been granted.

Rhys helped his apprentice practice some of the other spells they were working on while the sun slowly rose and broke through the sparse clouds decorating the early morning winter sky. It had snowed in the night, and the sunlight made everything sparkle. Once a glance out the windows showed the sun was high enough, the two of them went downstairs to break their

fast.“Don’t do anything stupid,” his master commanded as Callum prepared to take his leave

of the palace. Rhys pressed a small pouch into his slave’s hand and closed Callum’s fingers over it. The boy could feel the circular imprints of coins through the fabric of the pouch. “And don’t spend all of this in one place.”

“Yes, my Lord,” Callum said with a bow. As Rhys walked away to his meeting with the king, Callum tucked the money pouch into his belt and strode out of the palace doors.

Ever since circumstances had forced him to work to support himself, Callum hadn’t had any spending money at all. Thinking about it now, he realized that it was nearly three years since his mother had died, sending his life into a downward spiral. Since then, his master had provided Callum with everything he needed, but it was all to Rhys’ taste, not his own. He decided that the first stop would be the market. He deserved it.

Madelia’s capital city was surrounded by farms, and since produce and other farm products were available so easily, there was a permanent marketplace located not too far from the palace. This time of year there weren’t any fresh fruits or vegetables, but the market was still bustling. Tomorrow was Midwinter, and families needed gifts, candles, pine boughs...the list of supplies for an ideal Midwinter celebration was a long one.

Callum walked slowly down the rows of stalls, trying to enjoy the feeling of having nothing to do and money to spend. Still, the market brought back memories of the night he’d been sold, memories of trying to get away and hide in this very place. He cursed bitterly under his breath, yet another day ruined by a father who hadn’t cared enough to stop the slaver.

Frustrated by his inability to enjoy his first shopping excursion in years, Callum turned away from the stalls and the market, but a flash of light caught his eye. Spinning back, he walked across the street to see what was reflecting the light. The booth belonged to a metalsmith, and a belt buckle drew his attention. The buckle was shaped like the snarling head of a large cat, and it reminded him a little of Caris. Though the cat frozen forever in bright metal had slight strips and a gleaming red eye, Callum still felt it would be the perfect Midwinter gift for his master. He chuckled to himself at the thought of spending Rhys’ money on a gift for Rhys.

“See something you like, young sir?” the merchant asked him respectfully. Callum looked up at the man, shocked by his treatment.

“Um...yes sir, I do. How much is this buckle here?” Though he’d been away from the city for a few years, he’d still grown up here, and he knew how this was going to go. Callum indicated a larger buckle, one that showed a rearing horse with a number of small jewels studding its imaginary bridle. It would certainly be more expensive than the buckle Callum really wanted.

“Ah, that’s a fine choice, it is,” the merchant proclaimed. “Though certainly a page couldn’t afford the thirty gold it costs.”

Callum struggled to keep his face calm. Thirty gold was outrageous, and he knew that the merchant knew that. The man was just trying to determine if Callum knew that too. “Thirty gold for a bit of polished metal? Surely, you must take me for a fool, not a page. That pretty bit of polished iron can’t be worth more than three gold. Perhaps five,” Callum countered.

“You wound me, young sir, if you think that one such as I would stoop to using lowly iron for my best pieces! That is pure silver, and those rubies are real too. Twenty gold.” The merchant was warming up to the game now, the glint in his eye telling Callum that he was

happy to find someone who really knew how to bargain. “Those aren’t rubies,” the boy scoffed. “They’re simple garnets. And if you’d lie about

the gems, surely you’re lying about the metal. Eight gold.”As the two continued to haggle, Callum tried to remember the heft of the purse Rhys had

given him. It certainly wouldn’t do to go through all this work and then not be able to pay for the prize. Finally, they settled on a price - thirteen gold and six silver. Callum removed the purse from his belt and made a show of counting out the coins. When he was at twelve gold, he stopped and glanced up at the merchant with a look of dismay.

“I don’t seem to have enough, good sir,” Callum said with a voice trembling with unhappiness. “Perhaps you’ll take these twelve gold for a lesser product?”

The merchant narrowed his eyes a little, obviously wondering what the boy was up to. But at the end of the day, some gold was better than none, and he nodded his head.

“Oh thank you!” Callum exclaimed. He dropped the twelve gold coins on the table, scooped up the cat’s head buckle and bounded away into the crowd. He heard a short exclamation of surprise and then a bark of laughter from the merchant behind him. Both Callum and the merchant knew that the red gem in the cat’s head buckle was a real ruby, but Callum had dropped fifteen coins on the table when he left. He’d still paid what the buckle was worth, and given the merchant a good time, so there’d be no repercussions for his deception. Feeling a little happier, Callum wandered through the rest of the booths and then made his way into a less respectful part of the city.

It wasn’t long before his appearance no longer suited the neighborhood through which he travelled. Since he’d been seen in the palace this morning, Callum was dressed in his page’s tabard, and the area where he used to live with his father certainly had nobody with enough money to afford the quality of fabric or the dyes. The boy hurried on, feeling almost as if there were eyes following his movements.

Even after all these years, his feet remembered the way to the ramshackle building he used to call home. Callum didn’t know if it was comforting or disgusting to see that nothing had changed in two and a half years. The windows were still filthy, the roof still sagged, and he could swear that he could smell the odor of the alcohol his father consumed at an ever-increasing pace. Callum walked slowly to the door and knocked.

After waiting for what seemed like an eternity, he knocked again, and after receiving still no answer, Callum pushed the door open and entered the building. Again, nothing had changed. There was an attempt at a fire burning in the small hearth in the kitchen, there were dirty dishes scattered everywhere, and his father was slumped unconscious across the small wooden table. Callum felt rage boil up inside him, fury over the injustices he’d suffered. Only luck had landed him as Rhys’ property, and the assassin-mage hadn’t been the first to consider buying him, either. And through everything, his father hadn’t cared.

The young mage stalked slowly across the room, drawing his eating knife from his belt. The blade wasn’t terribly long, but it would do the job, he was sure. He continued to walk closer, his whole body thrumming with tension. He could count his father’s ribs where they stood out in stark relief against the back of his dirty shirt. Callum raised his knife, silently counting his way down, looking for the right spot...

“Callum, stop,” a voice commanded, and over two years of training froze him in his tracks. He looked over his shoulder to see his master standing a few steps inside the door.

“How did you find me?”“I suspected you’d come here, so I came over when I was finished with the king.” Rhys

looked more closely at the boy, at the knife in his hand. “Are you sure this is what you want to do? Have you thought through the consequences?”

“Consequences? Who’s going to miss him? He’s useless - a drain on society. Nobody will care if I do this.”

“Those aren’t the consequences I mean,” his master said softly. “Have you thought about you?”

Callum looked confused. “Of course I have. I’ve dreamed of this ever since he sold me in the first place. He deserves what he gets.” He glanced down at his unconscious father, and he felt nothing for the man. “And besides,” Callum continued, “you do this all the time, and look at you.” He gestured with his knife, pointing to Rhys’ fancy clothing as an example.

A look of pain flashed across the assassin’s face. “But I didn’t have a choice, and you do. Nobody is going to force you to do this, Callum. Are you sure this is how you want it to end?”

“He deserves to die!”Rhys walked closer. “I’m not arguing with that. Do you really want to be the one to do

it? Do you want that on your conscious?”Callum looked down at the helpless figure slumped in his chair. His head lay pillowed

on one arm, a small army of empty bottles scattered around him. “I’ll do it for you, if you want,” his master said softly, right beside him.

Callum shook his head. “No, it has to be me.” He looked over at his master and saw the man nod.

Counting again along his father’s ribs, Callum found the spot he needed. He placed the knife against his father’s back, and with only a deep breath to steady himself, he leaned his entire weight against the blade. The knife was sharp and slid home easily, and he felt the body jerk once beneath his weight.

“Well come along then,” Rhys commented. He’d watched the whole process passively, neither approving nor disapproving. “We need to check back at the palace, and then you need to go home.”

Callum pulled his knife from his father’s back and wiped it casually on the dirty cloth of his father’s shirt. He clean the blade properly later. “Where are you going to be, Master?”

“I have work to do, an assignment for the king. I should be home in a day or two.” Rhys reached the door and paused on the threshold. Looking back over his shoulder, he met Callum’s eyes. “Burn the evidence.”

Callum bowed and reached out to touch the table. With a softly whispered spell, flames leapt around his hand and the table ignited. The fire crawled across the wood and jumped to the body, happy to consume it. Callum extinguished the fire from his hand and left the room.

True to his word, when they reached the palace, Rhys put Callum into their carriage and ordered the driver home. It was still early enough that they should arrive at the inn that marked the mid-point of the journey before the sun set.

“I’ll bring the bags home with me,” Rhys told the boy. “Make sure everything is running well at home, and I’ll see you in a few days.”

Callum nodded, and Rhys shut the door. The carriage started to move, heading back out of the city. It wasn’t until the walls of the capital were fading into the distance behind him that Callum remembered the gift he’d purchased for his master. He resolved to leave it in his master’s room back home.

The trip home was uneventful, and Callum arrived late on Midwinter day. There were

candles burning in the windows as the servants celebrated the holiday, and the tiny flames drew the boy back to the run-down house and the body he’d burned. He’d managed not to think about the murder until now, and Callum found he still didn’t regret his actions in the least. But still, as night settled around the manor and Callum settled back into his large, comfortable bed, he couldn’t help feel something. He couldn’t quite identify the emotion, but he knew it wasn’t guilt and he’d already ruled out regret. The anger he’d felt these past few years had died with the man who’d caused the problem in the first place, and as far as he was concerned, everything had come full circle.

Despite his logic, his reasoning, and his thoughts, Callum still cried himself to sleep that night, weeping for the loss of his last bit of innocence. He’d killed a man in cold blood, and there was no going back from that.

Chapter 10The weeks following Midwinter that year were bloody ones. Rumors flew swiftly across

the city and then through the kingdom, and they all spoke of treason. Princess Maeve, the king’s oldest sister, died only a day after the big Midwinter celebration, and the circumstances were suspicious. Callum never asked Rhys about it, but he suspected that his master was responsible for that death.

The king’s brother died shortly after that, but he died at the end of a noose for treason, and any hint that Princess Vivien wasn’t actually the king’s daughter died with him. The king’s youngest sister was found innocent of any plotting, and King Frederick didn’t hang any of his young nieces or nephews either. Left to the care of the surviving parent, these children were quietly spirited away from court.

After that excitement, things settled back into a comfortable routine for Rhys and Callum. The apprentice mage continued to study and practice the magic and weapons he’d learned, and his master continued to assassinate people to keep the money flowing into the household. Neither of them ever mentioned Callum’s father or what Callum had done, and on their subsequent visits to the city, the boy never returned to that neighborhood.

Callum’s political education continued, and he acted as his master’s page on many occasions over the next couple of years. Being essentially invisible, Callum learned a lot about political negotiations and bluffing, skills that reminded him a lot of haggling for goods in the marketplace. The young mage also learned more about the hostilities between Madelia and Bacovia, problems neither kingdom could remember starting, but neither kingdom seemed willing or able to end. For Madelia, the conflict was always about land and wanting more of it. Bacovia just seemed to want to keep what it had, but Rhys had a special hatred for the large and powerful southern kingdom and was always a part of any discussions involving them.

As the months passed, Callum grew stronger, both physically and magically. He was a smart young man, and he applied his knowledge well, working hard to please his master. So, when it was time to discuss his Journeyman’s test, Callum didn’t hesitate.

“You’re sure?” Rhys pressed him. “You fully understand the dangers?”Callum, now a tall young man of fifteen, sighed and rolled his eyes. “Yes, Master. If I

fail my test, I could die or I could have my magic burned out of me. But if I pass, I’ll have access to the most powerful spells.”

Rhys shook his head, wondering about whether the power hunger his slave displayed was innate or if it was his doing. He’d certainly never spared Callum from any of the truths of the world, and the slave understood that having power over those around you was desired at all times.

“You can remain an apprentice,” Rhys pressed. “There’s no shame in that, and you already have power far beyond what you once imagined.”

Callum didn’t bother replying to that. He simple raised an eyebrow and looked at his master.

“Fine,” Rhys acknowledged. “I’ll pass word and have someone brought in for your test. While we wait, you would do well to study as hard as you can. This won’t be easy.”

Callum laughed and went to do as instructed. Rhys smiled at the young man’s departing back, pleased with his apprentice. Power and ruthlessness like his didn’t come along every

day, and if he survived this, Rhys knew he’d have a powerful ally in his own quest for power.It was summer again, and the weather clear and hot, so delivery of Rhys’ message

happened without any trouble. One early morning ten days later, a pair of mages arrived at the manor’s doorstep. They were both dressed in long robes, one wearing white and the other wearing a dark blue, and Callum bowed to them when he opened the door.

“Welcome to Tebithshire, my lords,” the young man greeted the mages. “Please come in, and I will fetch my master.” The pair of men nodded and entered, neither saying a word, and Callum dashed up the stairs to Rhys’ room.

“They’re here, just like you said they’d be,” he said breathlessly when the assassin-mage acknowledged his knock on the doorframe. “A pair of mages from Larosia, one Spirit and one Water.” Most of his tutors had come from Madelia’s eastern neighbor, and Callum recognized the robes they wore. He also knew that Larosian mages used wands instead of eesprid for their spells, and citizens of that kingdom tended to have darker skin than his - almost like a perpetual tan.

Rhys finished dressing and left the room, Callum a few steps behind him. The assassin-mage could almost feel his slave’s excitement, a palpable wave of energy emanating from him. He smiled slightly. Too bad he had no idea what was coming, Rhys thought to himself.

“Thank you for coming, gentlemen,” Rhys greeted his guests. “I appreciate that you’ve come all this way to help my apprentice with his Journeyman’s test.”

“And we thank you for thinking of us,” the mage in white answered while the mage in blue nodded his agreement. “Shall we begin?”

Callum nodded eagerly, drawing a chuckle from the three master mages. “Has your eager young apprentice fasted?” the mage in blue asked quietly.

“He has,” Rhys assured the man. “Please follow me into the great room, and you can make your preparations.”

The preparations didn’t take long, much to Callum’s happiness. He was eager to prove his ability and his strength, and if there was a tiny part of him that was afraid... Well, he stamped that out and ignored it.

The two mages moved some of the furniture around in the great room, sliding a chair across to sit in front of the fireplace, and moving a small table to the middle of the space. One mage threw open the door leading outside to the garden, while the other moved some candlesticks around from place to place. None of these things made any sense at all to Callum, but he wasn’t about to interrupt them and it didn’t take too long. Soon, the two mages sat and beckoned Callum to come closer.

“Apprentice, are you ready to face your test?” the mage in white intoned formally.“I am,” Callum replied without hesitation.“Have you studied with your master for five years?”“Yes.”“Have you mastered all of the spells that he taught you?”Well...Callum couldn’t exactly say that he’d mastered them all... “Yes,” he answered

anyway.“Are you aware that you could die or have your magic burned from you if you fail?”“Yes.”“Are you aware that if you fail, but live with your magic intact, you will never be

allowed to take this test again? You will remain an apprentice until the end of your days.”This was news to Callum, but he nodded regardless. “Yes.”

“Apprentice, are you prepared to face your test?”Callum took a deep, steadying breath and then nodded. “Yes.”With a satisfied nod, the mage in white gestured for Callum to sit, and the apprentice

folded his knees and sat cross-legged on the floor. Ember flitted down to land on his shoulder, and he was strangely comforted by her tiny presence.

“Close your eyes, young man, and we will begin.”Callum followed the instructions, letting his eyes flutter shut and automatically relaxing

into slow, deep breathes. Part of his training included meditation, a way for a mage to sense magical energies around them, and sitting like this with his eyes closed triggered that training.

“Very good. Now try to stay relaxed.”Callum felt the magical energies begin to collect around him as the two Larosian mages

began to chant an unfamiliar spell. He wasn’t sure if his master even knew this spell, or if testing your own apprentice was against the rules. He assumed someone would tell him eventually - as long as he survived.

Turning his thoughts inward again, returning to his mediations, Callum felt the pressure of the magic along his skin. It pressed against him as if it was trying to seep through his pores and infuse him with its power, and he welcomed it. Opening up to the energy, Callum drew it in toward his core, the very fiber of his being, and then everything went black.

Chapter 11Callum woke slowly, sore and uncomfortable from having slept on the floor of the great

room. What had possibly possessed him to do that? Regardless, it was mid-morning now and there were chores he needed to take care of and studies to complete. His master wouldn’t be at all happy to find him lying around on the job.

When he tried to stand, Callum felt a wave of dizziness wash over him. He shook his head, trying to clear it, and suddenly remembered why he was in the great room. His test! Two mages from Larosia had arrived that morning to administer his journeyman’s test. Had he passed? Did the test have something to do with the fact that he’d been passed out on the floor? And where was everyone?

The first few steps were stumbling ones, but Callum pressed on, forcing his abused body to work properly. What was going on here? It was like learning to walk again after a long illness or something similar. He walked slowly out of the great room and started down the hall toward the kitchen.

Turning a corner, he noticed dust on the little table at the junction in the corridor. The window on the far wall let in the afternoon sunlight, and a stray beam reflected off of the wooden table and showed how dirty it was. Callum frowned and made a note to speak with the maid. Better him than Rhys, after all. He wasn’t going to beat anybody, but his master very well could.

Continuing toward his destination, he noticed dusty cobwebs caught where two walls met, saw how dirty the windows were, and observed how badly the carpets needed beating. What was going on? The kitchen was no better, with pots and pans thick with grease and dust, and mouse prints all over the counters. Callum walked over to a cupboard to see if the state of disarray continued, and reached for the knob only to find that his hand passed right through.

Startled, Callum stumbled away from the cupboard. He moved over to the small table to sit down, but found that he couldn’t grasp the chair; his hand just passed through the wood like it wasn’t there at all. Shocked and aghast, Callum struggled to make sense of what was happening. Perhaps he’d died during his test, and now he was a ghost, haunting his former and obviously deserted home. Either that or he was stuck in some messed up dream world. Regardless, he couldn’t apparently interact with his environment.

Callum wasn’t happy with the ambivalence of his current existence, and resolved to test his ideas. Everyone knew that ghosts haunted specific locations and dream worlds were infinitely fluid, so he decided to head outside. If this was a dream, he should be able to control his environment, and if not... Well, he’d cross that bridge if he came to it.

Resolute, the young man moved through the desolate kitchen toward the door leading outside to the garden and yard. The door was closed, and he wondered how he’d open it when he couldn’t interact with his environment, but the wooden portal sprang open at his approach. Relieved, Callum took a step forward, and when he met with no resistance, he smiled and took another. It wasn’t until the third step toward freedom that he collided with an invisible barrier. His hope that this was a dream dissipated immediately. It looked like he was trapped inside the deserted house after all.

Looks like the Master didn’t really care about me, an insidious voice whispered through his mind. His voice. He couldn’t even bother to bury me properly so that I’d pass on to next

world. Now I’m stuck here forever, haunting an empty building. Discarded.Callum felt his eyes prickle, tears threatening. He’d been a fool, thinking his master

would ever truly care about him, a lowly slave. His own father hadn’t cared, so why would a stranger? Perhaps this fate wasn’t anything more than he deserved. Crushed by his failure to escape the house, and the implications, Callum moved slowly back inside.

I was nothing but a worthless slave, the voice whispered through is mind. Now I’m nothing but a useless ghost. I don’t even have any people to haunt!

Too caught up in his internal drama, Callum forgot his inability to do anything. When he tried to sit down at the table once more, his failure to move the chair away from the table immediately turned his self-pity to a burning rage. He lashed out without thinking, a ball of flame leaping from his outstretched hand, but it fizzled just inches away from his fingers.

I’m useless and powerless, the relentless voice in his head pressed on. I’ve lost my family, my master, and now my power. I’m nothing.

Callum sank to his knees right there on the kitchen floor, grief and feelings of worthlessness washing over him. The tears that had threatened finally broke free of his control and began to make wet tracks down his face. The very physical manifestation of his sorrow was what broke him free of the spell. What sort of ghost could cry?

The rage from moments ago surfaced again, clearing Callum’s mind even faster. This must still be his journeyman’s test, he reasoned, and one of the mages must be casting a telepathic bond spell. That’s the only spell he knew of that would allow someone else to crawl inside his mind like this, and while the spell was more powerful than any he knew, Callum did know that it required proximity. The mage had to be close.

“I’m going to show them,” the apprentice mage muttered angrily, pushing back to his feet. He couldn’t leave the house, but he could take refuge deeper inside it, forcing the mage to come to him. He started toward the stairs that led into the cellar below the kitchen.

The passage that descended into the ground was dark and shadowed. Callum could neither hold a torch, nor light one, but he fortunately knew the stairs well. Rhys had sent him on errands down into the cellar on many occasions over the past half-decade, and that knowledge served him well now.

When he arrived at the bottom of the stairs, he decided to test his magic again, wondering if it would work now that he wasn’t under the effects of the spell. Callum tried to call fire to his hand to light his way through the dark, cluttered room, but the spell fizzled again. He cursed and moved into the room only to collide with a stack of boxes. While his magic didn’t work, he could apparently touch things now that the spell was broken. Callum moved more slowly this time, working his way around unseen obstacles to the far wall. Then, he waited.

It was hard to wait there in the dark, wondering if his plan would work, but Callum found that the doubts from earlier didn’t resurface. He decided that he’d outdistanced the spell - for now. He was sure his test wasn’t finished though, and he was certain the mage would pursue him. Since he had no way to judge the passage of time, it seemed to take forever, but Callum eventually heard footsteps on the floor above him. And the footsteps made their way over to the head of the stairs, just as he wanted. It wouldn’t be long now.

When the mage started to descend into the cellar, Callum felt the effects of the spell begin again. The voice whispered doubts into his mind, telling him that he was useless, powerless, and that it would be easier just to give up. He fought the despair and the aching loneliness, and he watched the mage come closer. The stupid man carried a torch above his

head, marking is position clearly while deepening the shadows around his prey. The master mage had obviously never had lessons from an assassin about what not to do when pursuing someone.

Callum knew that his magic didn’t work, so he closed his hand over the nearest available weapon, a broken chair leg. His world narrowed to the bobbing flame and the mage holding it, and his rage crystallized. How dare this man make him feel inferior and useless! What gave him the right to pass judgment on others? Callum doubted that this mage, his target, had ever suffered through a difficult day in his lifetime, but that was about to change. Today was about to become a very bad day for the man. He left his resting place and began to slip silently along the wall, staying deep in the shadows.

The closer he got to the mage, the stronger the spell became and the louder the insistent voice in his head. Callum had to shake his head from time to time to help clear it of the horrible whispered words, but listening to his own voice trying to break him down made his rage burn even brighter. Finally, he was close enough to end this whole ordeal.

“Stop it!” the apprentice mage yelled, emerging suddenly from the shadows at his opponent’s back. The master mage, startled by the sudden sound, whirled around and instinctively brought his torch around to defend himself. The burning brand struck Callum’s shoulder, and the young man screamed as his clothing burned and the flames seared the flesh of his upper arm. He threw up his left arm, deflecting the torch away from himself, and brought his broken chair leg around at the same time. The improvised weapon cracked into the side of the mage’s head, and the man staggered.

The first blow wasn’t particularly strong as Callum had to contend with the torch at the time, but now that the burning brand wasn’t a threat, he put both hands on his makeshift club and brought the wooden leg up over his head. With a rage-filled yell, Callum sent his club streaking toward the man’s head again, and this time he connected with a sickening thud. The mage dropped like a stone and the voice in his head stopped abruptly, but the quick victory didn’t satisfy Callum’s rage. He brought the club up again and again, beating the unconscious man over and over until a voice he recognized as his master’s ordered him to stop. Only then did he drop to the ground, and only then did he see the blood spatters covering his clothing and the fierce red blisters on his arm. With no warning, Callum passed out for the second time that day.

“...quite an interesting young man there. I’d be careful, if I were you, my Lord.”“Agreed. I’ve never seen such ruthlessness in one so young as he.”Callum stirred, hearing voices a few feet above him.“He’s never used his magic ruthlessly,” he heard Rhys say to the Larosian mages. “That

is all that matters, isn’t it?”“True,” one of the mages agreed. “We found no evidence of magic being misused by

him. He is entitled to keep his powers, but I wouldn’t trust him. Not at all.”“Thank you for your services,” Rhys commented coldly. It was obvious to Callum that

his master wasn’t happy with the direction of this conversation. He heard the clink of coins changing hands, and then heard the sound of footsteps moving away. Soon after, he heard the door of the manor close, and he opened his eyes slowly.

“Oh!” he gasped in pain. The light coming through the open doors stabbed into his eyes and his head. He closed his eyes again quickly, and he heard Rhys chuckle.

“So you live,” his master commented wryly. Callum felt the assassin-mage’s strong

hands around his right arm, and felt the world tilt as his master helped him to his feet. “Come on then, let’s get you to your room.”

Slowly the two made their way out of the great room and up the stairs. Callum stumbled once and brushed his left arm against the banister, forcing him to bite back a cry of pain. Rhys held him steady while he fought off the pain, and then they continued up the stairs.

When they reached his room after what seemed like an arduous journey, Callum was pleased to see that the thick curtains around his bed were closed. He thankfully sank back into the semi-darkness and sighed.

“What’s wrong?” Rhys asked. “I’d thought you’d be happy, having survived your test with your magic intact and everything.”

“It’s not that,” Callum assured him. “I heard the mages talking about me.”Rhys made a disgusted sound. “Don’t worry about them. I know how you ended your

test, and I would have done the same, in your position. Stripping you of your magic left you with no choices, and that’s a dangerous position to put someone in.”

“Did you see it? My test, I mean.”“No.” Rhys shook his head. “The journeyman’s test is a personal thing, meant to make

the apprentice confront his fears. If you can do that successfully, you pass.”“Then how do you know what happened?”Rhys chuckled. “The Water mage will have a splitting headache for the next couple of

days, and they were quick to warn me about how dangerous you are. I already know that - I trained you!”

Callum smiled weakly, and then nodded toward his left arm. “Why is it that the mage only has a headache, and I get the headache and the burned arm?”

“It was your test,” Rhys answered simply. “It happened inside your head, and the damage to you manifests physically. It’s rare for an apprentice to pass their test without a scar or two.”

“Do you have a scar?” Callum asked boldly.“That, my young Journeyman, is a secret,” Rhys answered with a chuckle. “Rest now. It

will take a few days for you to recover fully from this ordeal. I’ll come back later to dress your burn and bring you some food. For now, sleep.”

Callum was more than happy to snuggle carefully deeper into the pillows on his bed, and he vaguely heard his master draw the last of the bed curtains closed. As darkness enveloped him, Callum closed his eyes and followed his master’s command. He slept.

Chapter 12It took a few days for Callum to feel like his normal self again, and during that time,

Rhys spent many hours continuing his instruction. One of the most enlightening conversations happened on the second day.

“Now that you’re officially a journeyman, I can tell you about some of the perks,” Rhys commented with a smile early that morning.

“Perks?” Callum shifted in his bed, levering himself upward.“Yes. Every journeyman and master mage has a special Gift.”“A Gift like Spirit or Fire?”“No, a specific power,” Rhys corrected his student. “Now that you have access to the

next level of power, you will find your spells more powerful. You will also eventually discover that one special power that is your Gift, a spell that is more powerful and easier to cast than any of the others.”

“Like what?” Callum wanted to know. “What’s your Gift?”Rhys chuckled. “Any spell can be your Gift, even the lowest apprentice spells. My Gift

is a spell that you won’t learn until just before you’re ready to take your master’s test.”Now Callum was intrigued. He leaned forward a little, eager to know his master’s Gift.“My Gift is the ability to foresee the future,” Rhys revealed quietly. “Now before you

get all excited, it’s important to remember that every spell has its drawbacks. For me, it’s the fact that the future is always changing. When I cast this spell, I see the most likely future, based on how everything is currently happening. Because this is my Gift, I’m usually right, but not always.”

Callum sat silently, processing this information. Throughout his early instruction, Rhys had always taught his apprentice about the weaknesses of the various spells he learned, so what his master revealed now as no surprise. Still...the ability to foresee the future would certainly make a mage very dangerous.

“You said that any spell can be a Gift,” Callum remarked after a little while. “If my Gift is one of the apprentice spells, why don’t I already know what my Gift is?”

“You have to be a journeyman for the Gift to show itself. Those mages who choose to remain apprentices never find out what their Gift is because you need that extra level of power that comes with being a journeyman. As you continue to learn new spells, and continue to use the ones you already know, your Gift will reveal itself.”

“How?”“Often explosively,” Rhys laughed. “Especially with a Fire gift. We’ll find out which

spell is your Gift when you cast it, and the results are far beyond normal.”“That could be interesting,” the new journeyman agreed with a smile of his own.“We’ll make sure that there are buckets of water nearby from now on.”Callum was starting to feel sleepy again, and he leaned back against his pillows. “So

what happens now? When do I start learning the next spells?”“Well, that was something I wanted to talk to you about, though I wasn’t going to until

you’d recovered fully.” Rhys paused and shook his head in fond exasperation. “Journeyman are supposed to get out into the world, to practice their magic by using it in real situations instead of just in the salle or workroom. I’ve recently cast a spell to seek guidance planning

the best next steps for you, and...” He trailed off.“And what?” Callum prompted after a few moments of silence.Rhys looked at his journeyman, his gaze very serious. He took a deep breath. “The

answer I received ties in with my personal vendetta, but for you to understand that, you need to know a little more about me.”

This ignited Callum’s curiosity, and he leaned forward a little once more, eager finally to learn something about his mysterious master.

“You already know that I’m not a citizen of Madelia,” Rhys began. “Where I come from, there are laws that dictate how some children will be raised. When I was four years old, I was taken to the Academy, a school for assassins. We trained for ten to twelve hours each day, every day, honing our bodies and our skills. There were a few of us, five or six, but two of us were singled out for special training.

“Then, when I was nine, my teachers learned about my Gift, and I had even more training. I had my physical training reduced by a few hours, and started spending time across the compound at the mage School. I didn’t have as much time for my studies as either the trainees or the apprentices, but I worked harder than anyone so I wouldn’t fall behind. It was hard, and I didn’t have time to make friends or socialize. I was...unusual, and anybody unusual is often punished by their peers for it. So I suffered for my differences, but I didn’t care. I knew that I was better than they were, and I knew that they were just jealous.”

Rhys paused and looked over at his...student. It occurred to the assassin-mage that he didn’t really consider Callum his slave any longer, despite the paperwork he had in his office that proved his ownership of the boy. With a grimace, Rhys continued.

“I completed my initiation into the assassin’s guild when I was sixteen. That was the first time I took the life of another, and it proved that I was just as good as any of the others were. Three years later, I became a master mage, and showed everyone that I was better than the others were. All the years of training, everything I’d struggled for, and I’d survived. Not only that, but I’d thrived!

“After that, I accepted my assignments as they came to me, carrying out my orders and killing people whom other people decided should die. I never questioned it, just followed fifteen years of conditioning, waiting until the ultimate job came along. But when it did, when the job crossed the Guild Master’s desk, it was given to another.”

Again Rhys paused, and Callum could see the disappointment and anger on his master’s face still. He wondered what it had been like to work so hard for nothing.

“I found out just a little while before I met you, actually,” the assassin-mage said with a smile. “I had just been given an assignment that brought me to Madelia, and on my trip I decided that I was done with the guild. They’d taken my life, my choices, for absolutely nothing, and I was finished living like that. I was planning to just walk away, find work as a guard or mercenary, but then I met you.”

Rhys’ voice faded, and Callum realized that the story was finished. He now had a better understanding of his master’s motivations, but the understanding was still fragmented. There were pieces missing, important pieces.

“But why do you hate Bacovia so much? It sounds like you should hate your home kingdom.”

“I told you about the laws. Those laws were written because of a spell, and Bacovia is at the centre of that spell. Specifically the royal family of Bacovia, actually. I don’t think that it’s fair for children to have their lives taken from them, like mine was, but the only way to end

the law is to wipe out the Bacovian royal family.”Silence descended over Callum’s comfortable room, master and journeyman lost in their

thoughts. Callum agreed with Rhys and his goal to stop this sort of thing from happening. He did know what it was like to have his life ripped apart, to have his freedom taken away. It was horrible, and it shouldn’t happen.

“I’ll help you,” Callum whispered into the quiet. Rhys focused on his student, surprised. “I agree with you; I’ve lived it too. I was lucky, because you found me, and you’ve been

the best master any slave could ever hope for. I know you’re not planning to end slavery or anything, but helping you reach your goal will still help other kids. I want to help.”

Rhys smiled, touched. “Then I will tell you what my spell revealed. Even now, I still live under the command of someone, King Frederick in this case. I yearn to be free, to be able to determine my own fate, and my spell revealed to me that the route to that dream is north. So, my fine young journeyman, we are going to travel into Gundalar. You will get to practice your magic, and I can investigate the situation and determine how to use it to my advantage. Feeling up for it?”

Callum swallowed convulsively, feeling ill. He really didn’t like travelling through untamed wilderness, and to his knowledge, there wasn’t anything but untamed wilderness to the north. Still, he’d just told his master that he would help with his quest to purge the Bacovian royal family, and he wasn’t about to back out already.

“Do we have to leave right away?”Rhys laughed. “We’ll leave in a few days, once you’re feeling back to normal. How

does that sound?”Callum nodded his agreement and then settled back and closed his eyes. Sleeping on the

hard ground didn’t appeal to him much, so he might as well get what rest he could now. With a chuckle, the assassin-mage left the room, closing the door behind him with a soft click.

Chapter 13Between the long ride and the fact that they travelled north, late summer in Madelia

quickly became autumn in Gundalar. By the time something approaching civilization appeared on the horizon, the landscape was dotted with trees resplendent in their fall colors. Everywhere Callum looked, there were yellows, oranges and reds interspersed with the varying shades of green from the conifer trees.

“Is that an actual town ahead?” the journeyman asked wearily. They’d both been in the saddle since shortly after dawn, and Callum had lost track of how many days they’d travelled along tiny animal tracks with never a road in sight.

“Yes, it is,” Rhys confirmed. “That would be Hampton, what passes for a capital here.”When a quick glance beside him showed that Callum was still confused, he explained.“I’ve spent a little bit of time here in the past,” he confided. “The people of Gundalar are

primarily nomadic, so they move around during most of the year and generally stick to only their own clans. From spring to fall, you’ll see little collections of huts here and there, and that marks the current camp for a specific clan.

“Hampton, up ahead there, is the only permanent collection of buildings I’ve ever been able to get a native to admit to. There may be other towns, but this is the sole place people refer to if you ask about a city. This is where the heads of the eight clans gather during the winter, so it’s almost the seat of their government, but it’s not exactly that either. Hampton is the only place where foreigners can trade though.”

Callum shook his head, his city-bred expectations not matching with what he was hearing. Why would anybody choose to live outside of nice, high city walls? Especially here, surrounding by wilderness. Why, anything could attack at a moment’s notice! Caris seemed to enjoy the easy access to hunting though, so at least the cougar was at home here.

Once the pair of mages got close enough to see the buildings clearly, the track they were following widened and then became a real road. When they reached the shadow of the outermost buildings, the road was actually paved with stones, and Callum started to feel a little better. Finally, Rhys slowed his horse and came to a stop in front of an inn and Callum was thrilled. A real bed! He slid down from his saddle and took the reins of his master’s horse, leading both animals toward the stable.

“I’ll meet you inside?” he asked over his shoulder. Rhys nodded and Callum walked a little faster. Maybe he could have a bath too - he smelled far too much like horse.

Walking into the dim stable brought memories of his former life flooding back. He remembered the hours mucking out stalls and grooming the beasts of guests at the inn where he used to work. He remembered the goals he’d had, the dreams of being stable master one day, and he laughed. He was so much more now.

Handing the animals over to the stable boy, Callum took the bags and walked back into the inn. Lanterns and a large fire that burned merrily in a large hearth in the middle of the room lit the area brightly. Scanning the room, he located Rhys sitting with his back to the left-hand wall, and his master waved him over.

“We have a pair of rooms at the end of the hall upstairs,” Rhys said when Callum joined him. “Both rooms have windows, one overlooking the stable courtyard and the other across the hall and looking over the kitchen courtyard.”

Callum nodded, understanding Rhys’ implied message. His master didn’t think they were safe here, which wasn’t a surprise, and he’d booked their rooms with easy exit in mind. There had been a few occasions when they travelled to Ironvale when Rhys had done the same thing, having their regular suite changed at the last moment or even booking them into an inn instead. Callum knew now that his master was prompted by a spell and his tiny visions of the future when he made these changes.

“Anything I should worry about?”“No,” Rhys answered with a shake of his head. “Everything is...vague. I suspect that if a

threat rears its head, we’ll be right in the middle of it and won’t need any forewarning.”“So what are we doing here, Master? Is there an actual goal or are you just gathering

information?”“Gathering information is a goal in and of itself, and is an important step in any

endeavor,” the assassin-mage chided gently. “Without information, you’re blind.”“And going into a situation blind can be a death sentence,” Callum finished the lesson

quietly. He’d heard Rhys explain this to him countless times in the years they’d been together. “But what are we trying to learn here?”

“I’m not entirely certain,” his master admitted. “All I know is that the path to my freedom lays here, somewhere. All I can do it listen and observe, and learn what I can. Then, maybe I’ll be able to see where I’m going.”

A serving wench brought them both food, and silence descended as they ate. Slowly, the inn’s dining room began to fill, and Callum was pleased to note a mixture of travelers and locals, based on the clothing and physical characteristics of the people entering the room. The people of Gundalar, like those of Larosia, had a darker skin tone than he did, but they had a heavier build. Looking at the men and women both, Callum knew that he was sorely overmatched, and not only due to his age. Even Rhys, who exercised daily to keep in top form, looked small compared to the locals. He supposed that living a nomadic lifestyle required a large amount of physical stamina.

After finishing his meal, Callum took the bags upstairs to the rooms Rhys indicated. He didn’t stay upstairs long, but by the time he returned to his master’s side, the crowd in the dining room had doubled. Both in number of people and in noise. It seemed to Callum that the more people were in the room, the more alcohol everyone seemed to consume, and the impact on the noise level was exponential. He settled back in his chair to watch the crowd.

It didn’t take long for Callum to understand what passed for relaxation in Hampton. In fact, it didn’t take long for the first fight to break out. Someone was apparently unhappy when the neighboring table was served first, and the man resolved to deal with his unhappiness by smashing a chair over the head of one of the three men sitting at said table. The injured man’s friends jumped immediately to their feet, and the fight was on.

One thing that struck Callum as odd was the way absolutely nobody else joined in the fight. Those patrons who were closest stood up and moved out of the way, forming a ring around the combatants, and some of the other guests in the inn moved over to watch the drama. There also wasn’t any cheering or encouragement offered by the crowd. Aside from the grunts of pain and shouts of anger, the fight was oddly silent. And once it was over, the unconscious men were thrown out into the street, the furniture was righted, and everyone went back to their meal or their drink.

“Is it just me, or was that particularly strange?” Callum asked quietly after everything settled. The noise level was still high, but nobody was currently throwing insults or punches.

“That was certainly different than I expected,” Rhys agreed. “I’ve never seen anything like it. Whenever I was here before, any fights that broke out were more...normal. You know, general grand melee. I wonder what was different.”

As the evening continued, three more fights broke out. In every case, these were what Callum and Rhys would expect; once the first person threw a punch, it was a free for all. Bodies flying through the air, broken furniture, and spilled food and drink were the usual, and the clean up stretched the serving wenches to their limits.

As the third, and final, argument for the evening ended, Callum found himself picking up some broken crockery that littered the floor around their table.

“You don’t have to do that, my Lord.”Callum glanced up to see one of the serving wenches. She knelt down beside him and

began to pick up the dishes. “Don’t worry about it,” she repeated. “You can return to your table.”

The first thing he noticed about her, aside from the fact that she was beautiful, was her black hair. It was so black that it shone with blue highlights, and he longed to touch it. It was long too, well past her waist even though it was braided back to keep it out of her way while she worked.

“What’s your name?” Callum blurted out. He blushed when he realized how rude that must have sounded.

“My name is Gina,” she replied with a laugh. “And who might you be, my Lord?”“I’m Callum, and I’m no Lord.”Gina raised her eyebrows in surprise, glancing up at the table where Rhys was still

sitting. “Are you a servant then?”“Sometimes,” was his cryptic reply, drawing another laugh.Together they finished cleaning up the area around Callum’s table, and then Callum

returned to his chair. He watched Gina walk away, heading back to the kitchen with the pile of debris.

“Making new friends?” his master taunted him with a smile. “It’s about time.”Callum blushed again, this time turning an even darker shade of red. Between his studies

and the fact that he’d spent most of the last five years tucked away in a manor on the edge of nowhere, he hadn’t exactly had a lot of time to pursue relationships.

“Go ahead if you want to,” Rhys continued, ignoring his journeyman’s blushes. “You do have your own room, after all. Just don’t do anything stupid.”

With those parting words, his master excused himself and left the dining room. Callum remained where he was, too stunned by the sudden turn of events to begin to think about what Rhys had just said. And he was still sitting there when Gina approached him again a short while later.

“I see you’re still here,” she remarked. “Since pretty much everyone else has gone home, may I assume that you’re waiting for me?”

Callum glanced around the room and was surprised to see the truth of her words. The dining room was nearly deserted; the only patrons left were a couple of guests. As he watched, one of those men rose from his table and made his way upstairs.

“I have just a few last minute things to finish and I’ll be right back.” Gina sauntered off before Callum could either protest or agree, but she threw him a saucy wink over her shoulder as she walked away. He decided to wait and take her up on her offer.

Chapter 14“Did you enjoy yourself last night?”Callum blushed as he sat down at the table beside his master. When he’d left his room,

and the sleeping Gina, he wasn’t planning to answer Rhys’ inevitable question, but it looked like he wouldn’t actually have to say anything. His master’s knowing chuckle was more than enough.

“So what is the plan for today?” he asked, desperate to change the subject, but Rhys refused to let his student redirect him.

“What are you going to do with her?”Callum blinked in surprise. “What do you mean?”“Will you be spending the day with her? Seeing her again tonight? What are

your...intentions?”“Um... I didn’t really have any intentions,” Callum admitted quietly. “I mean, my time

isn’t my own, so my plans for the day rely on you, Master.”“If I told you that I didn’t need you today, that you had the time to yourself, what would

you do?” Rhys pressed, leaning forward and resting his elbows and lower arms on the rough wooden table.

“I would probably go to the market. I’m curious to see what goods the locals have to offer for trade.”

Apparently satisfied with Callum’s reply, Rhys leaned back in his chair with a small smile on his face. “Good. I’m glad to see that you don’t seem inclined to form unnecessary attachments.”

“Is that what the questions were about? Were you afraid that I’d want to stay here with Gina or something?”

“Well, stranger things have been known to happen,” Rhys answered with a shrug. “I’m glad to see that you don’t seem prone to such stupidity.”

“Relationships are stupid? Is that what you’re trying to tell me?”Rhys crossed his arms and looked at his journeyman. “In many cases, yes, relationships

are stupid. It is distracting thinking constantly about someone else, sometimes even before yourself. Casual relationships are fine, as long as they remain just that. Casual.”

Callum nodded his understanding, and returned to his original question. “So what is the plan for today? Do I have the day to myself?”

“No, you do not, but we are going to the market. It’s a logical place to start our information gathering for the day.”

True to his word, after they finished breaking their fast, Rhys led Callum down the main thoroughfare of the city toward the marketplace. With autumn in full swing, the market was bustling with citizens and travelers. There were a few permanent booths scattered throughout the square, but most of the traders had set up their wares in the backs of their wagons. Many of the traders were selling smoked meats, furs, weapons and clothing, and the lack of produce surprised Callum. This time of year, the markets back home were full to overflowing with the extra fruits and vegetables from the farmers, and it took him a few minutes to realize that the nomadic people likely wouldn’t farm.

“See anything you like?” Rhys asked, nodding toward the booths.

“Not really, but I wasn’t looking either.”“Well you should look a little more closely then. It’s customary for a journeyman to

receive a gift after passing his test, but we left so quickly, I haven’t gotten anything for you yet.”

“In that case, oh exalted Master, I should most definitely take a closer look at all of these lovely wares.” Callum grinned and darted off into the crowd before Rhys could do more than swat at him for his irreverent attitude. Rhys laughed and followed more slowly.

The pair of mages spent the majority of the day shopping and exploring the city, but aside from a new ruby to act as a focus crystal for Callum, they found nothing interesting or useful. Finally, feeling somewhat defeated, they returned to their inn.

Like the previous day, they were among the first patrons to sit down to dinner, but it didn’t take long for others to start drifting in. Again, there was a mixture of locals and travelers, and again, once the alcohol started to flow, fights broke out.

The first couple of fights were of the “typical” variety. Nearly everyone got involved in one or the other, with a few notable exceptions. Three tables of locals just watched the fights unfold, despite the nearness of the action. They never left their seats, and everybody seemed careful to avoid them. Callum looked inquiringly over at his master.

“What’s your theory about them?” he asked quietly, though the current fight was loud enough to cover his words without any extra effort on his part.

“I have my suspicions. I think that those tables contain some of the clan nobles, which is why everyone is avoiding them. It wouldn’t be appropriate for the nobility to fight among the commoners, I’m guessing.”

As the night progressed, Callum noticed a building tension between a pair of tables on the far side of the room. Both of these tables had remained neutral in the other fights, and he was eager to see what would happen if the tension exploded. The fight finally erupted close to midnight.

“He’s a coward!”The shouted words seemed to echo across the dining room, everyone falling silent. One

of the men at the table farthest from the door was on his feet shouting at his companions. He gestured wildly at one of the men sitting at a table nearby.

“He was the first to turn tail when the weather started to turn, leaving the best hunting grounds weeks before anyone else. He’s no fit leader.”

The words were obviously spoken in anger, and Callum suspected that alcohol played a big role, but the man so accused wasn’t going to let the insult stand. He rose slowly to his feet, his companions rising and backing away from the fight they knew was about to come.

“Was there something you wanted to say to my face, or is behind my back all you have the courage to muster? And you call me coward.” The large man spoke calmly, and held his hands at his side easily. Callum knew enough from his combat training with Rhys to know that he was ready. He didn’t appear intoxicated.

“I call you coward!” the man’s accuser shouted, pointing at the man standing beside his table. He was smaller than the man he was yelling at, but still he moved around an empty chair, coming to stand right in front of his soon-to-be opponent. “Before everyone, I say you’re not fit to lead us any longer.”

“So be it.”Despite Callum’s expectation, the large man didn’t throw the first punch. He waited

calmly, his weight balanced evenly. The smaller man used the lack of offensive as proof of his

accusations.“See?” he demanded, turning to look around at the gathered locals. “He’s too afraid to

even punish me for my insolence.”Still, the larger man, the leader of whichever clan, didn’t rise to the bait. But when the

smaller man suddenly spun in place, his left hand curled into a fist, the bigger man was able to dodge easily. Not connecting through the drunk’s balance off and he was too far out of control after his wide swing. He stumbled.

Now the leader moved, stepping forward quickly and bringing his foot between the other man’s feet. The man’s stumble became a fall, and he shouted out in surprise as the ground rushed up to meet him. Despite being drunk, he managed to stop his fall before smashing his face into the ground, but it was close. His opponent planted a foot in the middle of the man’s back.

“Do you yield?” The question was quiet, but since the only other sound in the room was the crackling of the fire in the hearth, everyone heard it easily. Everyone heard the reply too.

“Never!” the man yelled. He pushed upward with his hand, his sudden change of position forcing the leader to step off his to maintain his own balance. The smaller man rolled quickly and came up in a crouch. A dagger appeared in his hand, his draw so quick and smooth that it was almost like magic.

This was the only time anyone had drawn a weapon in any of the bar fights he’d witnessed since coming to Gundalar. Callum turned to look at his master, worried. “What do we do?”

“Nothing,” was Rhys’ quick reply. “This isn’t currently any of our business, so we don’t interfere.”

That didn’t sit well with Callum at all. Though he did tend toward ruthlessness, there was a difference between being ruthless and being a cheat. He considered using a weapon when his opponent was unarmed cheating, and so did a few of the locals, apparently. Callum could hear quiet mutters of displeasure from the crowd of onlookers, but nobody interfered.

“I have lived in your hulking shadow for far too long,” the man with the knife stated. “I’m tired of it, and it ends tonight, one way or another.”

“You’re tired of my shadow,” the larger man repeated, “and yet you’re too cowardly to call a proper challenge. You want out from under my rule, but can only accomplish that by treachery. Do you think anybody will follow you? There are too many witnesses.”

“I don’t care!”The smaller man lunged forward, his knife leading the way. His opponent stepped

quickly to the right, but his left hand darted out to catch his challenger by the wrist. He had large hands to match his larger frame, and Callum was sure he could almost hear the bones in the knife-wielder’s wrist grinding together. The smaller man cried out in pain, and he dropped his weapon to the ground.

Using his grip on the man’s wrist as leverage, the leader forced his opponent to his knees, his arm twisted up behind him and his wrist still grasped painfully. “Do you yield?” the leader asked again.

The man on his knees shook his head, apparently in too much pain to answer the question with words. The leader looked around at the men watching silently. “Has the challenge been met?” he asked, addressing nobody in particular.

“It has,” someone answered. There were mutters of agreement from the other spectators.“Do you agree that this man broke the rules of the challenge?”

“We do,” answered someone else. There were nods of agreement.“Then I will take my law-given retribution on this man.” He used his other hand to grab

the back of the kneeling man’s shirt and literally dragged him outside. About half of the locals went outside to witness the punishment, and the rest of the people in the dining hall returned to their seats. A few minutes later, the challenger’s companions got up and walked out.

“So what happens to him now?” Callum asked his master.Rhys shook his head, not fully aware of the customs of these people, but Gina was

nearby and overheard the question. “Llew will kill him for his insubordination,” she informed the men. “You can’t have members of the clan thinking they can get away with ignoring the rules of challenge.”

Gina moved on without another word, and Rhys leaned back thoughtfully. Callum recognized the pose and remained quiet, content to watch the others in the room until his master was ready to speak.

“I think I know what the spell meant,” the assassin-mage finally commented. “I think I know what I have to do.”

“Are you going to share this new knowledge?” Callum asked after a few minutes went by without any forthcoming information from his master.

“I’m not sure how the leaders of the clans are determined,” he eventually replied, “but it’s obvious that they keep their places at least partially through physical prowess. I need to learn more, but I think that’s my way in.”

“Your way in to what?” Callum wanted to know.Rhys shook his head, not willing to share anything else right now. Instead, he looked his

journeyman in the eye. “Go get a good night’s sleep,” he ordered. “We leave for home in the morning.”

Chapter 15Life picked up to a whirlwind pace following Callum’s trip to Gundalar. His master

never explained what he thought he now understood, but Rhys spent many months up north over the next few years. Sometimes the assassin mage would return from his trips frustrated and disappointed, and sometimes he’d return in a much better frame of mind. He never invited Callum to travel north again, instead preferring to leave Callum in charge of Tebithshire in his absence.

Despite the lack of trips to Gundalar, Callum did spend a lot of time travelling in the years leading up to his master’s test. By the time he became a journeyman, Callum was beyond the normal age for a page, and so he took on duties acting as Rhys’ secretary on their subsequent trips to the Madelian court. Callum remained essentially invisible to the courtiers and nobility who flocked around his master, but he continued to learn how the government conducted itself. King Frederick remained the undisputed ruler of Madelia, with his daughter the sole possible heir. Vivien’s cousins, previously taken from court after the unfortunate bout of treason years ago, only ever appeared briefly and at important court functions. Beyond that, the six of them remained relatively unknown and dismissed as unimportant.

When Rhys wasn’t in Gundalar doing only he knew what, the assassin-mage was often away on other business. He was accepting far more contracts now than he ever had since acquiring Callum, and the money coming into Rhys’ coffers was substantial. Callum wasn’t sure what his master was stockpiling the money for, but this was one of the things he was wise enough not to ask about. He continued to track his master’s earnings as part of his duties, keeping careful books of both contracts and monies earned by the estate itself. It wasn’t until his seventh year with Rhys that he learned about the nearby town and the citizens who looked to Rhys as Lord of Tebithshire, and therefore as their protector.

His master was away again, and he’d left Callum in charge of the manor and the servants who worked there. Since the original maid, cook and gardener, Rhys had added a boy who looked after the horses and other animals on the property. The fact that Callum was second only to Rhys on the manor grounds was a well-established fact, and neither of the mages expected any sort of difficulty while Rhys was gone; they’d done this many times in the past.

Callum was studying in the great room when he heard someone banging on the door of the manor house. He rose to his feet and walked to the door, but the maid beat him there and he paused out of sight in the corridor to listen to what their visitor had to say.

“I need to see his Lordship right away,” a man gasped out. He was breathing heavily, apparently having run up to the door. “There’s an emergency in the village.”

The maid turned away and saw Callum standing in the shadows a few feet away. She nodded her head and gestured to the door. “I think you’d better talk to this man.”

Despite the fact that Callum was their superior, the servants had never addressed him as they did Rhys. He was an anomaly, someone who was treated as higher despite being officially a lower class then they were. The servants generally got around this problem simply by not referring to him as anything, or at all if they could get away with it.

“Show him into the great room,” Callum order quietly. If the maid was going to direct the man to him in the place of “his Lordship”, then Callum was going to pretend it was a

normal thing.Making his way back to the great room to resume his seat, Callum’s mind started to

develop theories. Where was this village the man spoke about, and what could be so important that he’d come here to disturb Rhys with it? And why would he disturb Rhys?

“This man has come to see his Lordship,” the maid announced a few minutes later. “He says that it’s important.”

The man she escorted was wearing what Callum associated with the farmers in Madelia. His pants were a non-descript dark color of some sort, and his shirt was beige with the ties open at his throat. It was autumn, harvest time, and the problem that drove a farmer from his fields this time of year would indeed be a serious one.

“Thank you,” Callum replied, nodding to the woman. She left the room and the man in the door stood staring at the young man seated across from him.

“Please, come in and sit. Explain to me what brings you here.”“You’re not his Lordship,” the man stated, taking a hesitant step into the room.“No, I’m not,” Callum agreed, “but I am the man his Lordship leaves in charge when

he’s away on business. Now, how can I help you?”“But you’re just a boy.”Callum sighed. “I haven’t been ‘just a boy’ in quite some time, I assure you. Now, do

you have something to say, or shall I go back to my studies.”The man thought about that for a few moments, and Callum was honestly starting to

expect him to turn and leave when he walked into the room and sat down. “There’s a problem in the village,” he began. “A serious problem or I wouldn’t be here.

It’s harvest time, and we’re all busy, but this just can’t wait.”Callum waited patiently while the man gathered his thoughts before continuing.“There’s been a murder,” the man admitted finally. “There was a traveler passing

through and he got into it with one of the local boys after making some comments about one of the barmaids. The boy swears he didn’t touch the fellow after the fight in the bar, but the guy turned up dead anyway. The dead man’s companions want retribution, and we need you to judge.”

This was not at all what Callum was expecting, and he just sat there for a bit, letting the information sink in. From the expectant look on the farmer’s face, he was waiting for Callum’s reply. All he could do was nod.

“How far is it to the village?” he asked.“Only about a half-hour, by horse,” the farmer replied. “You’ll come then?”“Of course I will.” Callum glanced out the window. It was only mid-morning. “I’ll be

there by noon,” he promised.The farmer rose to his feet and bowed to the still seated journeyman. “Thank you, my

Lord.”Callum nodded, deciding not to correct the fellow, and then rose to his feet. “I’ll see you

on your way, and I’ll follow along shortly.” Callum didn’t want to admit that he had no idea where the man’s village was. There were only so many ways to travel from the manor though, and since there was no village on the way back to the capital, he would obviously have to travel in the opposite direction.

As he closed the door behind the farmer, he was startled by a voice behind him.“So you’re going then?” It was the cook, who was leaning against the wall not far away.

The maid must have listened in on the conversation and passed the information along. She was

a terrible gossip.“Of course I’m going,” Callum replied sharply. “Our Master left me in charge, and that

duty apparently extends to the village and the people there. What else can I do?”The cook looked at him gravely and then nodded her head in approval. “Good,” she said.

“Turn left out the gate and then take the second path to the right. That’ll get you to the village.”

Callum thanked her and made his way upstairs to his room. He needed a few things before he left, and he intended to be in the village by the allotted time. The first thing he did was call for Ember, and the second thing was retrieve his sword.

The village was ready for the trial when Callum arrived, his horse cantering smartly into the dusty village square. There were people everywhere, very out of character for the harvest season, and Callum sensed the tension radiating from everyone. He swung down out of his saddle and looked around for someone who appeared to be in charge of the place.

“I’m not just here for my health,” he announced when nobody stepped forward to explain the arrangements. “Somebody take my horse and show me to the aggrieved party.”

Everyone stood there looking at him, and then a boy rushed forward to take the reins and lead Callum’s horse to a nearby stable. Another boy walked forward and bowed. “If you’ll follow me, my Lord, I’ll take you to the inn where everything happened.”

The inn the boy led him to was a large three-storey building. The bottom storey was made of stone, and the upper two were wood, painted white. The common room was large and clean, and the only people in the place where the innkeeper and two obviously upset individuals, a man and a woman. They both had blond hair and light eyes, characteristics that singled them out from the dark hair and dark eyes of most Madelian citizens. These must be the dead man’s companions, Callum reasoned. He cast a quiet spell as he walked over to them.

“I’m sorry for the delay this has caused,” he said in way of greeting as he approached. “We’ll try to get this sorted out for you as quickly as we can.”

“And who do you think you are?” the blond man demanded, rising to his feet. Callum narrowed his eyes.

“I’m the person about to mediate this dispute,” he answered. “Not likely someone you should make angry right now.”

“Are you threatening me, boy?” The man’s hand drifted toward his sword and Callum remarked to himself that if this was typical behavior for these people, it really was no wonder one of them ended up dead.

“No. I’m merely stating a fact. It’s generally unwise to antagonize your judge.”“My judge? I’m not the one on trial here. The one on trial is the scum who killed our

brother!”Ahh... So this was a family dispute of sorts. No wonder tempers were so quick. “I’m sorry for your loss,” Callum said with as much sincerity as he could muster. It

wasn’t much. “Tell me what happened and we’ll get this underway.”“The three of us came in here last night and paid for rooms and meals,” the man began,

slowly sitting back down. The woman looked on, watching the interaction between her brother and Callum intently. “During the meal, my brother made a pass at one of the girls. She made it clear that she wasn’t interested, and that was the end of it. At least until some kid throws a punch at him, and then all hell broke loose.”

Callum caught movement from the corner of his eye and turned his head slightly. The innkeeper was scowling, obviously not happy with the man’s account of the events. Callum

wasn’t happy either, his spell telling him that at least part of the story wasn’t true. “Then what happened?” he prompted.

“Well, the kid was wild to take down my brother, and his buddies had to drag him away finally. Before he left, he threatened us all, but that was the last I saw of him. This morning, my brother was dead in his room, a knife still sticking out of his chest.”

This last account was true, at least. So the boy had threatened them and the brother had ended up dead. But the events leading up to the fight weren’t quite right. Callum resolved to speak to the innkeeper next.

“Thank you. I’ll speak with the other parties and then make my decision. It shouldn’t take long.” Callum rose and walked away before either of the travelers could say anything. He made his way over to the bar and ordered a glass of wine.

“So what really happened?” he asked in a low voice when the man brought him his drink. The innkeeper’s eyes widened slightly in surprise, and then he made a show of wiping the bar down nearby so that he could speak to Callum without it being too obvious.

“The guy didn’t just make a pass at her,” the innkeeper said. “He kept pursuing her throughout the night even after she made it clear she wasn’t interested. He was downright hostile, grabbing at her and make lewd comments. The so-called ‘boy’ who threw the first punch is the girl’s fiancé. They’re getting married in a few days.”

Callum nodded his thanks to the man and finished the wine. Throughout the man’s brief recount of the events, Callum’s spell hadn’t flared once. Everything the innkeeper said was true. He left the inn to find the accused, who was under house arrest not too far away.

“I didn’t do it,” the young man said as soon as he saw Callum. He was sitting at the small kitchen table with two strong-looking locals nearby to make sure he didn’t do anything stupid.

“I know,” Callum said, sitting down across from him. His spell was still working, and those four words had the feeling of truth. “The question now is who did? Do you have any thoughts?”

A look of pain crossed the man’s face, and Callum leaned forward. “You know who did it,” he observed. “Or at least you think you know. Tell me.”

He shook his head, but he started to speak anyway. “I think it was Keri,” he admitted, the look on his face startled. “I think she went up to his room and stabbed him to get back for all the stuff he said and did.”

“And Keri is your fiancée?”The man nodded and Callum rose from the table. “I’ll go speak with her, and then

summon everyone to hear my verdict.”As Callum left the room, he heard the man at the table speak to his guards. “I have no

idea why I admitted that,” he said quietly. “I certainly didn’t mean to.”Callum found Keri at her home and she admitted to what she’d done when he confronted

her. “What are you going to do to me?” she asked in a tremulous voice, obviously worried.“I’m not going to do anything to you,” he assured her. “Based on what you’ve told me,

and what I’ve heard from others, you were justified.”Callum summoned everyone to the town square to hear his judgment. He didn’t mention

the fact that he’d cast a spell because Rhys had told him frequently that surprise was your ally and people not knowing he was a mage was a huge surprise. When he explained that he wasn’t going to punish Keri, the two travelers erupted with anger.

“Quiet!” he yelled, and the two stopped speaking immediately. “Considering the two of

you are apparently unaware of what happened later that night, I will explain.” Callum went on to detail how the dead man had forced Keri into his room later that night, and how Keri had killed him in self-defense. “Her actions were justified,” he concluded, “and so she won’t be punished.”

The dead man’s brother opened his mouth to speak again, and Callum raised his hand. “Consider yourself lucky that I’m not levying a fine against you for your brother’s actions. Collect your things and leave.”

Much to everyone’s surprise, the pair turned and walked away from the square without another word. A few minutes later, the entire town watched the pair of them ride away leading an extra horse. They never looked back, and shortly after that, Callum left too, returning to the manor and to his studies.

When Rhys returned from his travels a few days later and learned of Callum’s escapade in the village, he was impressed. “I’m glad you took on the responsibility,” his master said with a smile. “It shows me that you’re ready for more. And you discovered your Gift too. It sounds like an excellent experience, all around.”

“My Gift? All I did was cast a discern lies spell, and I’ve been able to cast that for years.”

“Ah, but the way you made people do what you wanted them to... That sounds like a Gift. Isn’t your current Spirit spell the one for dominating the will of others?”

“Yes,” Callum agreed, “but I didn’t cast that spell.”“You didn’t have to. Since that spell is your gift, it looks like you’ll have some control

over others without having to use up magical energy. I’m curious about what you could do to somebody with the energy put into it...”

After that, Rhys rarely accompanied Callum to court any longer, sending his journeyman in his place. As far as the court was concerned, and as far as Rhys had led everyone to believe, Callum was Rhys’ younger brother, the young Lord of Tebithshire, and Rhys had simply been grooming him to take over the court duties. Those duties, combined with his studies and his duties at the manor, kept Callum very busy, and it seemed like no time at all before the day of his master’s test arrived.

Chapter 16It was mid-summer, a few weeks shy of the tenth anniversary of his purchase, when

Callum stood in a large field facing two men wearing the robes of Larosian mages. One was dressed in red, a Fire mage like himself, and the other wore brown, an Earth mage. All three of the young men in the field were journeymen, and this was their final test.

Rhys had explained to Callum that the master’s test was a test by combat. Only magic was allowed, no physical contact between the participants. While winning the combat guaranteed a passing mark, it was also possible to pass and become a master even if you lost the combat. Rhys and the other master mages present were looking for how well prepared the journeymen were, how well they used their magic and how resourceful they were during the test. Each of the masters would grade each of the participants, and the marks averaged at the end to determine who passed and who didn’t.

Just like the journeyman’s test, one of the master mages addressed the men waiting in the field. “Gentlemen, are you prepared to face your test?”

“We are,” the three journeymen answered eagerly.“Are you aware that this test is dangerous? You could die, or your magic could be

burned from you.”“We know,” they answered as one.“Are you aware that if you fail this test with your magic intact, you will not be permitted

to take this test again? You will remain a journeyman until the end of your days.”“We’re aware.”“Then gentlemen, I ask you again. Are you ready to face your test?”“We are!”As soon as Callum had arrived, he knew that this test wasn’t going to be easy for him. It

was funny that his master’s Gift was the one spell that was the weakest for Callum, but he didn’t need a spell to tell him that the two Larosian mages would work together to take him out first. And when the flag dropped to signal the beginning of the combat, his fears proved true.

The spells learned earliest in a mage’s training are the fastest to cast, and the Earth mage cast a spell to entangle Callum in vines that sprang up from the ground. Callum was casting a detect thoughts spell to gain a slight advantage over his adversaries, and wasn’t able to prevent the plants from freezing him in place. But he felt his spell click, and he knew that the Fire mage was about to try to burn him where he stood.

Callum knew he didn’t have much time before the fireball came hurtling at him, so he cast one of the earliest spells he’d learned - sleep. He was too slow, however, and the fire engulfed him, making him lose his concentration and the spell. He cursed, both in pain and in frustration, knowing he’d have scars to show for this test too.

Fortunately, the Earth mage had waited to see the results of the fireball before starting his next spell, and all three of them started to cast together. Since Callum hadn’t yet cast a spell with a visible result, he hoped neither of his opponents knew he had a Spirit gift as well as a Fire gift. Callum cast his most powerful spell, the ability to dominate another’s will.

Aside from his dual gifts, Callum had another secret. Rhys had found him a tutor to teach him how to divide his magical energies, and this let Callum keep his detect thoughts spell in place while he cast the other spell. This is how he knew to target the Fire mage, who was

casting a firestorm spell, intending to turn on both of them. Callum’s spell would click first, but the Earth mage’s acid arrow would hit him before that. He just hoped he’d be able to hold his concentration this time.

The acid arrows struck home just a few moments later, making Callum gasp. The partially burned vines still protected him somewhat, and he was able to keep his concentration this time, fortunately. He felt his spell settle over the Fire mage and grinned. Now to turn the tables a little.

The firestorm spell was one of the most powerful, and it took a lot of energy to cast it. Flame strike was a lesser spell, so Callum forced the Fire mage to change his casting, creating a pillar of fire that engulfed the Earth mage. The mage’s screams were a sure indicator that he was in too much pain to continue to cast the clashing rocks spell he’d started, and Callum dismissed him temporarily as not currently a threat.

The Fire mage was another problem, however. Callum wasn’t able to use physical means to defeat him, but the Fire mage was under his control, so he decided to take advantage of that. He commanded the Fire mage to come over and free him from the vines. The Larosian was reluctant to do that, forcing Callum to exert more energy. He let the detect thoughts spell go, and focused his mind on making the Fire mage do what he wanted.

Once he was free of the entangling vines, Callum froze the Fire mage in place. A quick glance showed the Earth mage down on the ground, out of the fight but alive. He’d dropped to the ground and rolled around to extinguish the fires, but was too weak to continue the combat. That worked fine for Callum, who turned his attention back to his standing opponent.

“I could burn you to death,” Callum whispered menacingly to the Fire mage. He hurt from the constriction of the vines and the burns he’d received, and he wasn’t in a very good mood. “Or I could flay your mind until you’re nothing but a quivering heap on the ground. Fortunately for you, my master is watching.”

Callum cast his spell, and the Fire mage dropped to the ground without a sound.Rhys met his student at the edge of the field, his smile of congratulations matching

Callum’s own grin of triumph. “I assume that I win?” he asked once his master was close enough to hear him.

“Definitely. That was nicely done, and I’m impressed you were able to hold your concentration when the acid arrows hit you. That speaks highly of your discipline.”

“So that’s it? I’m a master mage now?”“That’s it. There no real pomp surrounding your victory. Unless you want there to be,

of course.”Callum tilted his head to the side, making a show of thinking about it. Ember fluttered

over to land on her mage’s shoulder, and he reached up absently to rub her furry belly. She’d spent the duration of the test with Rhys and Caris, close enough to help Callum but far enough away to stay safe. “No, I don’t think I need any pomp. But what happens next?”

“Ah. That, my young master mage, is a secret I will share with you once we return home. For now, I must chat with my esteemed Larosian colleagues to determine the fate of the two unconscious bodies in the field.”

Callum watched his master walk back to the other two master mages, feeling a little impatient. Aside from the title, what did a master mage get? When he’d passed from apprentice to journeyman, he’d gained access to his Gift and to the higher level of spells. What level of power did he gain now?

After they returned home, Rhys and Callum relaxed in the great room before dinner.

Callum did his best not to appear too eager to learn about his potential new powers, but he couldn’t fool Rhys. After nearly a decade together, his master fully understood Callum’s power hunger.

“I have one last spell to teach you,” his master finally said. “I can teach you the spell to summon an eesprid in case you ever choose to take on an apprentice of your own. Then, you’ll have to find a tutor, I’m afraid. I don’t have access to any of the other master level spells.”

This revelation shocked Callum. “What do you mean? You’ve been a master mage for a long time now. How can you not have access to the spells?”

“Aside from the spell used to identify apprentices, and the Larosians use a different spell than we do, the only other master level spells belong to those mages who have gifts in more than one element. Mages like you. There are spells that can combine your elements to create some very powerful spells, but since I only have a Spirit gift, I’m not familiar with them.”

Callum nodded. His master’s explanation made sense, and he knew that Rhys would help him to find a tutor, just as he’d done throughout his student’s training. So it was with a light heart that the newest master mage joined his teacher for dinner, his decade of training finally complete.

Chapter 17Now all of his training was done, and Callum had grown into a fine, strong young man of

twenty. On the morning of the tenth anniversary of his purchase, Rhys called Callum into his study, and when he arrived, he handed Callum a sword.

“What am I supposed to do with this, Master?”“You can stop calling me Master, for one thing. Callum, the time has come for me to

leave you.”“Leave me? But why? Have I done something wrong? Were you not happy with the

way my test went?” Callum couldn’t hide the hurt he felt. Rhys had been the best master a slave could ever ask for. He’d been well fed, well clothed and well cared for, and his master had taught him not only magic, but also reading, writing, mathematics and how to fight with sword, dagger and bow.

Rhys shook his head, his black hair catching the sunlight and looking blue for just an instant. “It’s not that, not that at all. You have done everything that I’ve asked of you, these ten years. It’s time to send you back to the capital, to do your job, that’s all.”

“And what job is that, Master?”“As you know, I have been grooming you for life at court. You’ve spent a lot of time

there these past few years, carrying out all of the duties of the Lord of Tebithshire. I have secured a permanent place for you at court.

“And aside from that sword, which is worthy of the nobleman you’ve become, I’ve freed you.” Rhys handed Callum his paperwork, and he glanced down, unable to help himself. Sure enough, the papers were those from ten years ago, the papers that gave Rhys the right to do whatever he wanted with Callum.

“Burn them,” Rhys commanded, and Callum obeyed, ten years of practice following his master’s orders making it automatic. The two men watched the papers smoke and then catch fire, and Caris came up between them as they watched the papers burn.

“Now what?” Callum asked, turning away from the sight of his freedom. Rhys took the sword back from Callum, and belted it around the young man’s waist.

“As I said, I have secured a position for you at court, Lord Callum. This manor house, the servants and the lands belong to you.” Rhys handed Callum another set of papers, these signed and sealed by the king himself, granting Callum his title and his lands. “You are officially the Lord of Tebithshire now, and as my younger brother, you are being summoned to court to act as one of his majesty’s advisors. It is an entry position, of course, but you have a good head on your shoulders. You can be the courtier I was never able to be. You’ll be good at it.

“The king’s daughter, Vivien, is about your age, and your first goal is to get to know her better. Rumor has it that she’s even more ruthless than her father, and if that’s true, I believe that Madelia will have a new monarch before too many more years. You need to be in Vivien’s inner circle before she takes the throne.”

“Then what do I do?”“You continue to work toward our ultimate goal. And what is that goal?”“The destruction of the Bacovian royal family,” Callum answered automatically. He’d

spent the last five years with Rhys’ goal the foremost in his training. Callum still didn’t fully

understand his master’s hatred for the large kingdom to the south, but he would do what he could to support the man who’d raised him. He owed him that, at least, and he agreed with him. Children shouldn’t have their lives and their choices taken away from them.

“And where are you going, Master?”“I’m going north, to continue with my plan there. I’ll keep in touch with you via the

mirror, and you know how to contact me if you need to.”Callum nodded his head, and he felt Rhys move away from him. Callum followed his

master to the door of the manor, and he stood there as he watched the assassin-mage mount his horse and call to Caris.

“Goodbye Callum and good luck at court.”“Thank you, Master. Please be careful.”Rhys’ reply was a nod and an upraised hand, and then his master rode out the gate and

into the sunshine of the late summer day.“Well, if I’m to go to court, I’d better go and pack.” Callum made his way back inside the manor house and upstairs to his room. He

remembered how they’d come to this place, a decade ago, when his master had murdered the family who lived there and taken over their lives and their lands. It seemed funny now to think about how horrified he’d been by Rhys’ actions. He guessed you could get used to anything, given enough time.

Despite ten years of essentially living the life of a nobleman, Callum had very little to pack. He put his few sets of clothing into a pair of saddlebags, and that was pretty much all he needed. His new sword was already around his waist, the gems he used to focus his magic were embedded in the talisman he always wore, and Ember, his tiny bat eesprid, was sleeping on one of the posts that held the curtains around his bed. His horse was in the stable, and nothing else really had any meaning for him.

Heading back downstairs, Callum summoned the staff.“Are you all aware of what’s happened?” he asked them. He saw nods from the four

people standing in front of him, and sour looks from a couple of them. Callum supposed they weren’t happy with a freed slave literally being lord over them.

“I’m appointing a steward to run the estate while I’m at court,” he continued. “He’ll be here within the week, and I expect you all to keep this place in order until he arrives. After that, what happens to you will be his decision, so I recommend that you all be on your best behavior.”

Ever since Callum’s brief stint as judge and jury in the nearby village of Tebithshire, he’d kept tabs on the events there. He knew that Keri had married her fiancé right on schedule and that they’d had a baby boy who they named Anders. Based on what Callum knew of the man, he’d make a perfect steward.

Callum didn’t have anything left to say to his servants, so he dismissed them and left the house. He paused at the door of the stable, waiting for his eyes to adjust, and he remembered again his childhood dreams. All he’d wanted was to be in charge, and now he had a manor of his own, a village he was responsible for, and his own servants. He laughed and then went inside to saddle his horse. The trip to the capital wasn’t a terribly long one, but he wouldn’t arrive until tomorrow. Better to get started on his way as soon as possible.

It took Callum a few days to settle into the routine of court. He’d spent a lot of time there over the past decade, of course, but those visits had always been just that - visits. Now he

was living at court, following a courtier’s schedule, and that took some getting used to.He’d been assigned a small suite of rooms when he reported to the chamberlain upon his

arrival. He had a small sitting room that doubled as an office, and a small bedroom. The furniture was all older, scratched and dented from use, but it was all certainly functional and as good in quality as he was used to. Callum also had a maid who cleaned his room, among others, and he had the ability essentially to summon a servant whenever he needed one. Sadly, he usually needed a servant to give him directions more than anything else.

Callum was on his way to the exercise arena when he actually met Princess Vivien for the first time. He knew who she was, of course, and had seen her on many occasions, but he’d never been formally introduced. He was only a landed noble, not of noble blood, and so he was outside of Vivien’s circle.

He was just about to turn a corner in the corridor when the princess stepped right into his path. She was looking back over her shoulder, not paying attention to her surroundings at all, and the two of them collided. Callum reacted quickly, reaching out automatically to steady the woman in front of him before she fell.

“Oh! Thank you,” she said breathlessly, glancing over her shoulder again. She made a move to step around him, obviously eager to be somewhere else.

“Can I help you with something?” he asked. “You seem anxious.”“Ah, yes, actually, you can. Do you have somewhere I can hide?”Curiosity got the better of him, and he smiled. “Certainly, your Highness. My room is

just this way, and since I’m new to court, nobody would ever expect you to be in my company.”

Vivien smiled, agreeing with his logic. “Lead on,” she commanded.“So who are you hiding from, your Highness?” Callum asked after he shut the door,

leaning back against it. The princess gave a bitter laugh.“My father,” she replied. “I was sparring with the weapon’s master and he called a foul

against me. Instead of letting me prove myself, he ended the lesson.”Callum could sense the princess’ anger and frustration. “So what did you do?”“I killed him,” she admitted. “And now my father is angry.”I can’t imagine why, Callum thought to himself, but he wisely didn’t repeat his thoughts

aloud. Instead, he nodded his understanding and ordered them a late lunch. While Vivien remained in hiding for the rest of the afternoon, she got to know the Lord of Tebithshire a little, and during those hours, a very interesting friendship was born.

Part 2 - LordEighteen years later.

Chapter 1 “Are you certain that her Majesty supports this plan?”Callum smiled, his hazel eyes crinkling at the corners and his posture relaxed as he sat

behind his desk. “My dear Lord Durham, you know that her Majesty supports you and your claim. Your family has been an important part of our court for what? Three generations now?”

Durham stopped pacing and looked at the man across from him. “Yes, since my grandfather arrived here as a baby, an unwanted inconvenience and the result of an ill-conceived fling with my great-grandmother.” He was unable to keep the bitterness from his voice, and his gray eyes were half-closed with anger.

Callum rose from his seat and moved around his desk toward the irate lord. Durham was just a little younger than he was, but his obsession with the Bacovian throne made him act more like a teenager than a grown man. Callum’s posture was reassuring, his face showing a sad smile designed to broadcast understanding and support.

“Her Majesty and I both believe in you, Durham, and we wouldn’t be providing you with access to the emissaries if we didn’t. Now, why don’t we sit down and discuss the details?”

Durham nodded, and he followed Callum over to a pair of chairs beside a small wooden table. The chairs were set before the fireplace, but it was warm enough that no fire was burning at the moment. Callum gestured that his guest should sit, and then he sat himself.

“You’re sure that the guild you’ve hired is the right choice?” Callum asked.“Yes. I used them a few years ago when I had my brother-in-law killed, Tarren’s

brother. They were very effective.”“And you’ve made arrangements to have them meet you where?” “There’s a small homestead just across the border, on the Bacovian side. I’ve made

arrangements with the family who owns the property, and the assassins will meet me there in a week.”

Callum closed his eyes a moment, mentally calculating when his emissaries would have to leave the city to meet up with the assassins. Finally, he nodded.

“I’ll speak with the men Vivien is sending to negotiate the new treaty with Bacovia’s king, and let them know to meet with your assassins at the homestead. You, I assume, will be back at court by then?”

Durham nodded. “I’ll head out this afternoon, actually, so there should be no suspicion.”“And how are you planning to explain your current absence?”“I’ve only brought royal guardsmen who are on Madelia’s payroll,” Durham admitted

with a chuckle. “Officially, we’re overseeing the collection of taxes from some of the northern towns, and nobody with me will say anything about our detour. I’ve sent a few of the guards around to the villages, so we’ll return on schedule with our task complete.”

Callum smiled, and he nodded his approval of the man’s well planned scheme. “Then I will let you go, so that you may start your journey back to Bacovia. Be careful, my Lord.”

Durham rose with a smile, and extended his hand to Callum, who rose and shook it. “Thank you again, Lord Callum, and please pass along my thanks to her Majesty.”“I will.”Callum watched Durham leave his office, and shook his head at the man’s brashness.

Relying on bought men to keep his secrets was dangerous, for one thing. If they’d been bought before, it stood to reason that someone who offered them even more money could own them and all of the secrets they were keeping. But, if Durham could indeed manage to kill the king and prince of Bacovia, it would make his master’s job a lot easier. Rhys would be thrilled if Tarren and Eryk were taken out of the equation, because that would leave only Davin, Durham’s nephew, and Durham himself to get rid of. It would be considerably easier to kill an eight-year-old child and an overconfident lord.

Callum tugged on the rope that would summon a page, and when the boy appeared at his office door, he sent the lad off to fetch Kardon and Sookra. These two men were the diplomats Vivien had selected to try and negotiate a new land treaty with Tarren, and now he had to brief them about the assassins Durham had hired.

As the queen’s chief advisor and closest confidant, Callum had often found himself taking care of Vivien’s dirtier dealings over the years. She had him oversee things she wanted to be able to deny knowing anything about, and this assassination attempt was no exception. The queen knew the vague details, of course, but nothing specific. Just the way she liked it. If Durham succeeded, he would owe Madelia and its queen, and Vivien would finally be able to get the large tracts of land she and her family had been after for generations. For all he knew, once Davin and Durham were out of the way, his master may even let Vivien have the whole kingdom. Aside from the extinction of the Bacovian royal family, Rhys hadn’t shared his master plan with his servant.

As he waited, Callum thought back to the first time he laid eyes on the beautiful woman, at a Midwinter party when they were both children. She was about a year younger than he was, and she had always been stunning, with long black hair and beautiful light brown eyes. And as Rhys had predicted, Vivien had her father assassinated within two years of Callum arriving at court, making herself queen.

Their first actual meeting had been entirely accidental, when Vivien had literally run him down in a palace corridor. She turned a corner in the hall at the same time as she looked back over her shoulder, and she didn’t see Callum until it was too late. Rhys had directed Callum to get himself into Vivien’s inner circle, and that chance meeting had been the perfect opportunity. While they waited for the search to end, and King Frederick’s temper to cool, Callum and Vivien passed the time sharing stories. Callum learned that Vivien had a dark sense of humor and that she wasn’t one to let an insult stand. While they talked, the princess learned that Callum was a man who would keep her secrets, and their friendship was born.

Now, nearly two decades later, Callum was Vivien’s most trusted advisor and her almost constant companion. For a reason nobody in the court understood, the two had never formed any sort of romantic relationship, but they were both happy with the arrangement that they had - one that was free of romantic complications. The queen had someone she could rely on to do whatever she needed done, and Callum had the second most powerful position in the kingdom and the queen’s ear. If he had to be honest with himself, Vivien was too ruthless and not calculating enough to be a good match for him. Callum liked his women soft and uncomplicated, or someone who could be his equal, and he’d never met a woman who could be his equal.

Callum was startled from his musings by a knock on the door, which heralded the arrival of the two emissaries.

“You summoned us, my Lord?”“Yes gentlemen, please come in.”The two men who entered Callum’s office were similar enough in appearance to be

brothers, though he knew they were unrelated. Kardon and Sookra worked as a very effective team, one’s strengths supporting the other’s weaknesses. They both had brown hair and brown eyes, and both wore civilian equivalents of Madelia’s camouflage military uniforms.

“You are both familiar with Lord Durham, correct?”Kardon laughed and Sookra nodded. “The crazy lord and his claim to the Bacovian

throne? Yes, we’re familiar with him.”“Well her Majesty is going to back Durham and support his claim.”This statement brought the laughter to an abrupt end. Nobody questioned one of the

queen’s decisions, and nobody ever ridiculed one. Not if they wanted to survive the day, anyway.

“Why are you telling this to us?” Kardon asked.“When you leave to go and negotiate the new treaty with Bacovia, you need to pick up a

couple of extra guards on your way. You will meet these guards at a small homestead just across the border, and you will provide them with uniforms.”

“Who are these guards?”“Lord Durham has hired assassins to kill the Bacovian king and his heir. Your only role

in this is to provide them with a reason to be in the castle.”“Yes, my Lord,” Kardon acknowledged.“When are we to meet up with the assassins?” Sookra asked, more concerned with the

details than the reasons behind Vivien’s involvement.“Durham said they’d be at the homestead in a week’s time, so you should leave from

here in four days. Does that give you both enough time to prepare?”The emissaries looked at each other, and something wordless passed between them.

Kardon looked back at Callum and nodded. “Four days should be plenty of time.”“Excellent. Then I’ll leave you both to continue your preparations. And I don’t need to

remind you how important this treaty is to her Majesty.”“We’re both well aware of that, my Lord.”Kardon and Sookra left his office and Callum returned to his desk with a sigh, hoping the

emissaries were successful. If not, he’d probably be the one to punish them, and Vivien’s punishments were usually bloody and merciless. Not that he had a problem with that, of course, but it did get tiresome after awhile.

A few hours later, Callum heard the soft chime that heralded a message from his master. He kept a small mirror in his desk exclusively for communicating with the assassin-mage, a version of the telepathic bond spell, and he pulled it out now. With practiced ease, he sent a small tendril of power into the glass, and the image of his master’s face appeared.

“Greetings, my Master. To what do I owe this unexpected communication?”“Are the pieces in play?” Rhys asked, getting right to the point and skipping pleasantries,

like usual.“Yes. Durham has likely already left to return to Bacovia, and the emissaries will meet

with the assassins in a week. With luck, I’ll be able to send word of Durham’s success not long after that.”

“Excellent. Did you warn him of the king’s bodyguard?”“No, Master. Does the king have a bodyguard?”Rhys cursed softly, and Callum cringed. Even now, decades after being officially freed

from his servitude to Rhys, Callum found the habits he’d been raised with hard to break. Failing Rhys was much like failing Vivien, though his master was less likely to kill you than his queen was.

Seeing Callum’s brief discomfort, Rhys’s face softened minutely. “It’s not your fault,” he stated. “I must not have warned you about Rupert. Oh well. The assassins Durham has hired will either be good enough or they won’t.”

“How does your plan progress in the north, Master?” Callum was genuinely interested in what Rhys was doing in the kingdom of Gundalar.

“Well. I will soon be ready to start the expansion of my newly consolidated empire. Your work in Madelia will play no small role in the progression of my influence.”

“Congratulations, your Eminence. I’m glad that your plans are finally coming to fruition.” Callum bowed his head briefly, and Rhys smiled.

“I will let you go now, Callum. Continue your good work.”“Certainly, Master.”“You don’t have to call me that anymore,” Rhys reminded him as his image began to

fade.“I know.”As his master’s image faded completely and the mirror showed him his own reflection

once more, Callum tucked the mirror away until next time his master wanted to talk to him. The idea that Rhys would soon begin to expand his empire thrilled Callum. He knew that Rhys had worked very hard to subjugate Gundalar, the kingdom that was now the seat of his power. And soon, Callum would be able to see his master’s dream come true.

Chapter 2“Callum, we have a problem.”Callum groaned and rolled over, using his free arm to cover his eyes and protect them

from the light streaming in from the open door leading to the rest of his suite. Beside him, the woman in bed pulled the blankets up over her head, trying to hide from the queen.

“How many times have we discussed you entering my private chambers unannounced?”“Your chambers? They’re in my palace, just like everything else, and I can go where I

please!”So that’s how it’s going to be, is it? Callum thought with a sigh.“Hurry up and get rid of the strumpet in your bed, and meet me in my rooms.”After Vivien left, closing the door with more force than necessary, Callum got out of bed

to dress. “You can stay here as long as you’d like, but I doubt I’ll be back again tonight.”“She’s not going to...” The voice, muffled by the blankets, trailed off.Callum glanced over his shoulder with a smile. “Of course not, Belle. She’s just upset

that something’s gone wrong somewhere. She’d never hurt you.”As Callum left his room, leaving the Lady Bellamy behind to either go back to sleep or

to dress and leave, he shook his head at Vivien’s reputation. It struck him as a little unsettling that a noble lady of the court would feel threatened because Vivien had caught her in his bed. Everybody knew that he and Vivien weren’t lovers, so he was confused by Belle’s obvious fear of the queen, though he had to admit that Vivien was known to lash out at passing innocents when unhappy.

As he approached the queen’s chambers, Callum nodded to the guards standing on duty there. Vivien had six female guards in total, each pair on duty for eight-hour shifts, and the night pair was always close to the queen. During the two day shifts, the guards would often patrol around the area, but never at night. He knocked sharply on the door to announce his arrival, and entered the queen’s domain.

The carpet in the anteroom was thick and a rich dark green color that complemented the light wood of the furniture nicely. There was a small throne set at the head of an oval table, and the queen often held private discussions and small meetings in this part of her chambers. Across the room from where he stood was another door, this one opening onto a small balcony with a set of steep stairs that led down into one of the palace gardens. An open door to the right led into Vivien’s private chambers, and Callum could just see the edge of a large bed covered with a deep blue velvet blanket.

The queen herself stood with her back to the door, clutching a paper in her hand. Callum looked at her rigid posture and clenched fist, and he knew that she was very unhappy. He also noticed the gown she was wearing, the same one she’d been wearing that day.

“You haven’t been to bed yet,” he commented as he closed the door behind him. “When did that letter arrive?”

Vivien turned to face him. “Shortly after dark.”“Then why didn’t you summon me sooner? That was hours ago.”“I didn’t want to distract you from your strumpet.”Callum chuckled and walked across the room, reaching for the somewhat crumpled paper

that Vivien still clutched tightly. “You shouldn’t call your Ladies-in-Waiting strumpets.”

“Why not? Bellamy is certainly more looks than brains.”“Maybe that’s why I like her,” he commented with another chuckle, and Vivien passed

him the note that was troubling her so much.To her Royal Majesty, Queen Vivien of Madelia,I regret to inform you that your ambassadors have been taken into custody for treason

against the Bacovian throne. Kardon and Sookra, emissaries of Madelia, have been found guilty of harboring assassins with a contract to kill the Royal Family, providing them with Madelian uniforms and helping to protect the killers from justice. In addition, these killers have attacked and gravely wounded a foreign dignitary to the court, endangering our treaties with that kingdom.

It is my intention to hang these traitors, but I would like to begin my reign on good terms with my neighboring kingdoms. I await your response.

Sincerely,His Royal Majesty, King Eryk of BacoviaNearly a month had passed since his meeting with Durham, and this was the first

communication either of them had received. Callum looked up sharply, meeting Vivien’s light brown eyes. She looked angry, her eyes narrowed and her lips pursed. There were small frown lines etching themselves across her forehead, and he knew her well enough to know that the queen wanted to hit something. Likely him.

“How could you allow this?” she demanded, starting to stalk toward him. “How could you allow my emissaries to be involved in an assassination?”

“You knew what Durham wanted, Vivien. He wanted the throne, and how did you think he was going to get it? Walk up to Tarren and politely ask for the king to pass his throne over?”

That made her pause. She knew that Callum kept her away from anything that could be held against her, and Vivien liked it that way. She could honestly tell the king of Bacovia that she had no idea that her ambassadors were harboring assassins.

“So what are we going to do about this?” Vivien asked, her tone calmer.“What do you want out of this?” he asked in return. “Tell me what you hope to

accomplish and we’ll figure out what to do.”“I want Kardon and Sookra back. They’re one of the best negotiating teams we’ve got,

and I’d hate to lose them.”“What about the young king? What do you hope to accomplish there?”Callum’s question made her pause again, thinking. She hadn’t really processed the fact

that Bacovia had a new king. “He actually succeeded?”“At least partially, yes. Eryk identifies himself as king, not prince, so Durham’s

assassins must have successfully killed Tarren. So I repeat, what do you want to accomplish with the new king of Bacovia?”

“We should start off the best we can, I think. Tarren was a pain to negotiate with, but his son... I’ve heard rumors about him, and they all say that Eryk has no discipline and little interest in politics. If we can get on his good side, maybe I’ll be able to negotiate with him and get what I want.”

Callum chuckled, seeing Vivien start to act more like herself. When she wasn’t distracted, the queen was usually driven to do the best for her people. She was demanding and ruthless, yes, but focused on her kingdom.

“So you write a missive to Durham, telling him that you want Kardon and Sookra back,

and I’ll write the official letter to the king, giving him the permission he’s seeking to hang them.”

“Durham?”He bit back a sigh, not wanting his interrupted sleep to make him say something unwise.

“Yes, Durham. If they have Kardon and Sookra and know about their involvement, it won’t be long until they reveal Durham’s role in all of this. The ambassadors may be gifted negotiators, but they have no loyalty to Lord Durham, and if pushed, they’ll most likely reveal him.”

Vivien cursed at that and went into her rooms to retrieve the supplies for the letters. She returned a few moments later with paper, pens and ink, sealing wax and the winged-serpent royal seal to make everything official. Callum took his set of supplies and took a seat at the table to begin writing.

To his Royal Majesty, King Eryk of Bacovia,I am very sorry for the state of affairs in your kingdom, and for the role my men have

played in these troubles. I am shocked and appalled that my ambassadors would have anything to do with assassins, and I do not condone their behavior in any way.

While I am saddened by the loss of skilled negotiators, I understand the need to punish them for their role in the attack on your foreign dignitary and on your own family. Madelia certainly has no desire to be the cause of a rift between Bacovia and her neighbors, and so I grant you permission to execute my emissaries.

I sincerely hope that our future dealings have a more positive tone.Her Royal Majesty, Queen Vivien of MadeliaCallum finished his letter and passed it across the wooden table to the queen for her

approval. Vivien read it carefully before signing it and letting some green wax drip down from the candle. Taking the royal seal, she pressed it into the cooling wax and then pushed the paper away.

“Let me see what you wrote,” Callum said, reaching for the much smaller letter. Vivien’s writing was tight and slanted, but he’d had a lot of practice reading it over the years.

My dear Lord Durham,It seems that our emissaries have gotten themselves into trouble with Bacovia’s king.

That was very poor planning on their part. I have penned a separate letter to the king, giving him permission to execute those men for their poor judgment. In reality, I would prefer not to lose them, so I am charging you with their safety. Make sure Kardon and Sookra accompany you back to Madelia, or it would be in your best interest not to return at all.

Callum nodded, agreeing with Vivien’s short and to-the-point missive. He passed the paper back to the queen for her to sign and seal. Then he slipped both letters into envelops, sealed those and stood up.

“How important is it that these leave right away?” he asked, waving the envelops in the air.

“They can wait until morning. It’s not worth risking a horse and courier, not when dawn isn’t all that far away.”

Callum nodded. “Then I’ll bid you good night, your Majesty. Try to get some sleep, okay?”

Vivien smiled and walked her chief advisor to the door of her rooms, feeling considerably better. She trusted Callum to ensure that the letters left with the dawn, and she felt confident that she’d be able to rest properly now.

“Are you going back to your strumpet?”

“Lady Bellamy is a noble lady, and she’s not a strumpet, Vivien.”“Is that a yes?”“I honestly don’t even know if she’s still there. I’ll clear your early morning schedule, so

get some sleep, okay?”“I will.”Vivien closed the door at his back and Callum nodded once again to the pair of guards on

duty. One of the women saluted and the other nodded, then he walked slowly back down the hall to his own rooms. He tapped the two envelopes against his thigh with each step, lost in thought.

A quick search of his rooms showed that he was alone, Belle obviously deciding not to stay in his rooms by herself. Happy with this development, Callum locked the door to the suite and then the door to his bedroom. Walking over to the mirror, he sent a tendril of power snaking into the glass before sitting down to wait for his master to appear.

Callum’s strongest magical gift was Fire, and his Spirit gift wasn’t strong enough to initiate the mirror conversation, so he was forced to wait for Rhys to reply. It was the very early hours of the morning, and his master was likely sleeping.

“Callum. Why are you summoning me?” Rhys’ face appeared in the mirror, and Callum shot to his feet, startled by how quickly he’d been answered.

“I’m sorry for the hour, Master, but I had news I felt you needed to know immediately.”“And what is that?”“Tarren is dead, and his son is now king of Bacovia.”Rhys’ eyes widened slightly. “How do you know?”“Vivien received a missive from Bacovia, explaining that her emissaries are being tried

for treason. There have been attacks, and the missive was signed ‘King Eryk’. Eryk would never presume that title if it wasn’t rightfully his, especially since he’s gone out of his way to avoid any sort of responsibility.”

“If Tarren is dead, then Rupert is likely dead too.” Callum could hear a note of satisfaction in his master’s voice and he cocked his head to the side, curious.

“Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Callum. It’s late, so I’ll bid you good night.”

“Good night, Master.”The mirror blanked and Callum felt the easing of the magical tension in the room, the

link between him and Rhys cut by the other man. He unlocked the doors and then opened the curtains of his bedroom window, wanting the coming light to wake him so that he could send Vivien’s letters to Bacovia. Then, with a contented sigh, Callum crawled back into his bed and fell into a dreamless sleep.

Chapter 3He sat at his desk looking over a weapons proposal Vivien had passed along to him. She

thought there was something wrong with the numbers and had asked him to take a look at it, and he had the same feeling. Callum couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but there was a mistake in the documents somewhere; the figures just didn’t make sense. He had to find the error and then determine if the merchants were trying to scam the queen, or if it was an honest mistake.

Flipping back to the first page, Callum prepared to go over the document again. He had a pen in hand and leaned over the papers, reading carefully and making notes whenever something struck him as important. He was in the process of underlining something when a knock at the door startled him, making the pen jump and drawing a line through a few words. He cursed softly and raised his head.

“Who is it?”The door opened and a guard stepped just inside. “I’m sorry to disturb you, my Lord, but

there’s a young lady here to see you.”Callum glanced over at the open book on the left side of his desk. There were no

appointments scheduled until well into the afternoon. “Who is she?”“I’m not sure, my Lord, but she insists that she knows you.” The guard paused and

looked back over his shoulder. “She looks scared.”He sighed. “Show her in.”The woman who entered his office did look familiar, but Callum didn’t recognize her.

She had light brown hair that curled just below her shoulders and blue eyes, and she certainly did look scared. She walked over to Callum’s desk and dropped down to her knees.

“My Lord, I beg you for your protection,” she began. Callum noticed that her eyes were wide and shining, like she was holding back tears.

“My protection? Why ever for?”“I know her Majesty’s...punishments for failure.”Callum tilted his head to the side, studying the woman in front of him. What could she

have done that would cause Vivien to exact punishment? He knew of everyone who was doing anything important, and this woman wasn’t... Suddenly he knew why she looked familiar.

“Cora? Is that you?”She nodded, and Callum rose and walked around to the far side of his desk, his hands

held out to her. He’d sent the letters to Bacovia about a week ago, and things obviously hadn’t turned out the way he and Vivien had hoped. “Here, let me help you up.”

Cora accepted Callum’s hand and rose gracefully to her feet with a slight smile. “Thank you.”

He led her over to his small seating area and guided her to a chair before sitting down himself. “It’s been a long time.”

“Yes, it has,” Cora agreed. “About ten years.”“And you left us to go to the Bacovian court, right? You married the king’s brother.”She nodded again. “He was killed a few years ago, and then my brother came to stay

with me, to help me raise my son, Davin.”“That’s right, I remember now. And did Durham accompany you home to us?” He was

pretty sure he knew the answer to that already, but he still had to ask.

“No, he didn’t. He...he’s dead!” And with that statement, the tears she’d been holding in check started to flow down her cheeks. “He failed, and now she’s going to kill me too.”

“The queen isn’t going to kill you,” Callum assured her. “Your brother knew the risk he was taking when he decided to pursue the throne, though I am sorry for your loss. What about your son?”

“She took him from me.” Cora still had tears running down her cheeks, but her eyes darkened with anger.

“She who?”“Aislynn. She has Eryk wrapped around her finger and she convinced him to take Davin

away from me.”Callum knew who Eryk was, of course, but he’d never heard of Aislynn. He leaned

forward and placed his hand gently on Cora’s knee. “Why don’t you tell me what happened?”Cora closed her eyes and took a deep breath, thinking back to how everything had

started.“Aislynn arrived in Bacovia a few weeks ago for Eryk’s Courting Ball. She’s from

Evendell, and her father sent her to see if Eryk wanted her for his bride. Alexius wasn’t very happy to see the princess because she wanted Eryk to herself, but you know how these things are.

“Anyway, Tarren was killed after the Courting Ball, I assume by the assassins my brother hired, and Eryk became king. I’m not sure how everything fell apart after that, but the next thing I know, Durham is in our room telling me to pack and Davin’s gone, taken away to Evendell for fostering. Durham took me to the stables and told me to head out to the country estate to wait for him, but he didn’t come for me. I waited for a little while, but then I decided to come home here on my own, and during my travels I heard that Durham was killed by the king’s guards.”

“And how do you feel about your brother’s attempt to take the throne?”“I’ve never really understood it,” Cora admitted. “We’d made a home for ourselves here,

before he sent me to Bacovia, and we were happy. Or at least I was happy, but I was happy in Bacovia too, until he had my husband killed.”

Cora stopped talking for a minute and just stared at her hands, folded neatly in her lap. When she looked back up and met Callum’s gaze, her eyes were hard. “I think my brother was a fool, and his stupid desire for Bacovia’s throne has cost me everything! My husband, my brother, and now my son.”

Callum straightened and looked at the woman sitting across from him. She was so angry, and he knew that there had to be a way to use that anger to his master’s advantage.

“I’m afraid that Durham sold the house when he moved to Bacovia to be with you and your son,” he admitted sadly. “He did have a suite of rooms here in the palace though, and I’m sure they can be remodeled to meet with your requirements. I’ll summon the Lady Bellamy to introduce you around the court, and she can make sure that you have everything you need while we get Durham’s accounts transferred over to you.”

“Oh thank you, Lord Callum!” The relief that she felt was obvious in the way Cora smiled and the spontaneous hug she gave him, reaching across the intervening distance to where he sat. “Your help... It’s more than I could have imagined.”

Callum smiled and rose to summon a page with a message for Belle. “It’s nothing. You’ve been through so much recently, and you don’t need to worry about silly little things like what to wear and where to sleep while you get your bearings again.”

Belle arrived soon after, and Callum introduced the two ladies to each other. He asked Belle to take Cora to her new suite of rooms, and asked her to help the newcomer get settled. The two women were just leaving as Vivien swept into his office.

“Interviewing new strumpets?”“Since when are you interested in my personal relationships?” Callum closed the door

behind the queen and offered her his arm.“I’m not.” She accepted his invitation, and together they walked back across the room to

Callum’s small seating area.“Then why do you keep commenting?” Callum guided Vivien to a chair. “Would you

like something to drink?”She shook her head. “So who was she?”“That was the Lady Cora,” he replied, regaining his own chair. “She’s just arrived back

from Bacovia.”That sharpened the queen’s interest. “And? Where are my ambassadors?”“Hanged for treason, courtesy of the new king of Bacovia. Durham has also been

executed, or so I’m told.”“How dare that woman show her face here!” Vivien was up and out of her chair, anger

radiating from her rigid posture.“Oh calm down! Cora had nothing to do with her brother’s failure, and she’s been

through enough. She asked for my protection, and I’ve given it, so you can just sit back down and pull yourself together.”

Vivien’s eyes widened, but she did as he directed and Callum smiled inwardly. He loved having the Gift of making people do what he wanted, and when his desire was in line with theirs, he didn’t even need to expend any magical energy to do it.

Taking a few deep breaths, the queen regained her composure. “You’re the only one I don’t execute for talking to me like that.”

“I know. You need someone to remind you when you’re being foolish, and I happen to have that honor.” He smiled at her and she glowered back.

“So what now? Without my ambassadors, Madelia is at a distinct disadvantage trying to treat for the land we want.”

“Well you could always just take it.”“Excuse me? What are you talking about?”Callum’s smile widened. “Think about it. Bacovia has a young and inexperienced king

and we have someone here in our court that has every reason to hate him. Cora will likely give us any information about the king and court that we ask for.”

“True,” Vivien agreed. “But how is that useful, exactly?”“You know as well as I do that we’ve been raiding across the southern border for years.

Why not just take what you’ve been unsuccessfully trying to negotiate for?”“You want me to send soldiers across the border,” she stated. “Burn, pillage and plunder for a few months, and chances are good our young king will

be more than willing to negotiate.”“And Cora will provide us with the insight we need to get everything we want out of

him.”“Exactly.”

Chapter 4“So we have a few different reports in from the border now.”Vivien met Callum’s gaze. She was standing in front of a mirror while her seamstress

made sure that the queen’s new red gown fit properly. “And?”“Everything seems to be going well. As directed, the squads are attacking only at night

and then fading back across the border. There hasn’t been any real retribution from the Bacovians yet, but it’s just a matter of time.” The results of the first few weeks of the conflict between Madelia and Bacovia were certainly in favor of Madelia, and Callum planned to keep it that way.

“I assume you have a plan to avoid losing the ground we’ve gained?” Vivien dismissed her seamstress and the woman curtsied before leaving the room. The queen turned her back on the mirror and walked out of her bed chamber while Callum followed a few paces behind.

“Of course I do. We’re going to hire a mage or two and attach them to our army.”“Mages? How do you know anything about mages?”“I’ve had some experience with them and I know what they’re capable of. I’ll take care

of it within the next couple of days, if it sounds like a good idea to you.”“That sounds fine. If you think we need mages, then we’ll hire mages. Now, what’s the

word on the party tonight?”Callum pulled a chair out from the table and sat down. “About what you’d expect.

There’s all of the usual speculation about who’ll be on your arm tonight and what that could mean. The women are all jockeying for position, especially with Cora here; they’re not entirely sure how she fits into the established pecking order. And the men are wondering if there’s any new blood, so watching them bend over backwards to dance with Cora should be a lot of fun.”

“Watching Cora interact with everyone will be...informative. I’m still not quite sure what to make of her,” Vivien admitted. “One minute she’s shy and quiet, and the next she seems to grow a backbone. Hopefully the party will let me get a better idea of whether or not she’ll be of any use to me.”

“And the rest?”Vivien sighed. “I don’t understand everyone’s fascination with who I bring to my

Midsummer party.”Callum quirked an eyebrow in disbelief. “Really? You don’t understand why the court

is interested in who you spend time with?”She stamped her foot in irritation. “It’s ridiculous.”“Not really. You have no children and aren’t married. There’s nobody even in

contention to be your fiancé, and everyone wonders why. This isn’t news, Vivien. I’ve been telling you this for years, and at some point you either need to name one of your cousins as your heir or you need to marry.”

“You know why I don’t marry. Heck, you helped me bury the body.” Callum sighed. When he’d first come to the Madelian court, Vivien had been promised

to a young noble lord, but the princess wouldn’t name a date for the wedding. When her father “died” and Vivien took the throne, the young lord had pushed to be king, but Vivien wasn’t inclined to share her power. The man wasn’t content with the idea of being her consort and

responded to the suggestion violently. Even then Callum was Vivien’s closest friend, and he’d answered in kind, killing the man for his indiscretions. The queen had never found someone willing to be only her consort and the young lord’s name was forever banned from court.

“And as long as my cousins think that they’re all equally in contention for the throne,” Vivien continued, “they’re all well behaved. As soon as I name an heir, I’m expendable.”

“I know why, yes, but that doesn’t make the speculation any less for the rest of the court. You haven’t been so open about your history and motivations with them, after all. All they know is not to speak a certain name in your hearing, not the fact that you refuse to ever consider having a king beside you.”

“You should go and change,” Vivien said, changing the subject. “I don’t want to be late to my own party.”

Callum nodded and rose. “I’ll only be a few minutes.”He left Vivien’s suite and walked down the hall to his own set of rooms, thinking about

his history with the queen. It was funny, really. Bellamy hadn’t even asked him if she’d be accompanying him to the queen’s Midsummer party. She knew, like everyone else in the court, that he’d be escorting Vivien. He was always her escort, had been for nearly twenty years, and it was likely to remain that way. Callum promised himself silently that Bellamy would get the first dance though. He did like the woman, and he valued their current relationship, so it would be a large enough gesture to please her in front of her friends.

Callum’s outfit for the night matched Vivien’s, of course. He was wearing a red shirt to go with his black pants and black boots, and the fabric of the shirt was a few shades darker than Vivien’s dress. Where the queen would have her crown and some assorted jewels, he’d be plain in comparison, again like always. Callum really didn’t like these parties, and he was happy that Vivien only had them a few times each year. Besides, he knew that he didn’t have anybody to impress, so he dressed up enough to please the queen and not even a little bit more.

As promised, Callum was back in his queen’s rooms a few minutes later, ready to escort Vivien to the Midsummer party. He offered her his arm, but she just looked at him, a speculative look on her face.

“You know, I could always marry you.”“Excuse me?” This was news to him. In all their long years together, Vivien had never

suggested they get married.“You’re already the second most powerful person in this kingdom, and we have a clearly

defined relationship. The court practically expects it anyway.”He laughed. “Are you planning to allow your consort his mistresses?” The look on

Vivien’s face was answer enough. “No? Because I know you have no intention of forming a real relationship with me, and I have no plans to be celibate for the rest of my life. So I’m afraid that I have to decline your generous offer.”

Vivien shook her head, but put her hand on Callum’s arm. With another laugh, he escorted the queen from her rooms and downstairs to where her guests awaited.

Vivien loved to make a grand entrance, so all of the guests were gathered in the ball room already. She swept into the room on Callum’s arm, smiling to her courtiers and gathering jealous looks. The queen was a very attractive woman and her new dress was designed to flatter her figure and draw attention to her. The stares from both the men and women gathered to celebrate Midsummer were everything Vivien could have asked for, and she chuckled quietly as Callum led her to the throne.

“Having fun already?” he asked.

“Certainly. Aren’t you?”Vivien clapped her hands and the waiting musicians launched into the lively introduction

of a popular piece. The men and women arrayed below them partnered off and moved into the starting position for the complicated dance.

“What don’t you ever dance? You always make sure to have the most talented musicians at your parties, but you never make use of them.” Callum handed Vivien into her throne, and she sat down.

“I don’t like to dance, you know that.”“I know you don’t like to,” Callum agreed, “but I don’t know why.”Vivien turned her head, pulling her attention away from the gathered nobility, and she

met her friend’s gaze. “I haven’t danced since before you arrived here at court. It was something my father insisted that I learn to do.”

Callum nodded, that being all the explanation he needed. He’d learned over the years that Vivien detested anything her father had forced upon her - the idea of marriage, needlepoint and embroidery, running her own household, and dancing, apparently.

“Well I’m going to dance with Bellamy,” he informed her, taking a few steps away from the throne. “Just gesture if you need me.”

Callum moved into the crowd of nobility, enjoying the way people moved out of his way. He’d never really gotten accustomed to the respect his position gave him, even after all this time, and he still marveled at the unspoken power he commanded. He was smiling when he walked up to the lovely Lady Bellamy, and he spun her into the dance without a missed beat while she laughed with delight.

Bellamy was a stereotypical redhead with bright green eyes and a sprinkling of freckles across her nose and cheeks. She and Callum had been considered a couple by the court for a few weeks now, and he enjoyed spending time with her. She was uncomplicated, loved to dance and spend time outside in the gardens, and she was just what he needed right now. The fact that he was now “taken” had increased his appeal with many of the other women in the court, something Callum could use to his advantage if he grew tired of Belle in the future.

“I didn’t expect to get you so early in the evening,” Bellamy confided as she slipped past him.

“You know it’s not like that, my dear. Vivien doesn’t like to dance, and as long as it’s obvious I’m her escort for the evening, I’m free to do what I’d like.”

“I don’t get it, but I’m not going to question my good fortune.”They continued through the rest of the dance, the intricate steps forestalling any further

discussion between the couple, but they were both smiling even as they gasped for breath. Bellamy leaned against Callum a little as he led her from the floor toward the refreshments. He got them both a drink and was about to say something when he saw Vivien gesturing for him, a subtle signal they’d set up years ago.

“I’m sorry, but her Majesty needs me. I’ll be back when I can.” Callum bowed over his lady’s hand, pressing a kiss to her knuckles, and then he was weaving back through the crowd.

“You summoned?” he asked with a small smile as he retook his position at Vivien’s side.“Prompt, as always. Watch Cora there.”Callum watched the woman in question. She’d dressed for the evening in a lovely dark

green gown that stood out in the crowd. The other women in the court usually wore bright colors, reds, yellows and oranges, similar to the queen, so the dark green was easy to see from everywhere in the room. Also different from the other women, Cora wore her hair piled up on

her head, careful curls falling around her face, and the woman was working the room like a professional.

“She certainly seems at home, doesn’t she?” Callum queried, watching the newcomer laugh at something a gentleman had just said.

“She does. I watched her while you danced, and she’s being very careful not to spend more than a few minutes with anyone. And she’s pointedly ignoring the women.”

“Smarter than I gave her credit for,” he observed with a smile. “No kidding.” Vivien knew that Cora was purposely building tension between the lords

and ladies of the court, but she wasn’t being overt enough to cause any of the women to retaliate. Cora would flirt but then move along before any of the nearby women could really take offense, introducing herself to the men as available while dancing along the line where the ladies would call foul. It was brilliant.

“And here she comes,” Callum commented. “I wonder what she wants.”Cora approached the throne and then dropped into a graceful curtsy in front of the queen.

“Your Majesty, thank you for opening your home to me.”“Don’t make me regret it,” the queen purred quietly, and Cora looked up in alarm.Callum chuckled. “You can make waves in the court if you’d like, but be careful not to

overstep your bounds. Neither of us will bail you out of trouble you cause yourself.”“Understood.” She rose from her curtsey. “My Lord Callum, may I have the next

dance?”“Oh, you are good,” Vivien commented quietly, leaning forward in her throne ever so

slightly. Nobody danced with Callum, nobody except whoever was currently in his bed, anyway. Being seen with him would jump Cora up the pecking order considerably.

Callum looked to his queen, not quite looking for permission but more wondering if Vivien minded the disruption to the current state of things. Vivien shrugged delicately. “It doesn’t matter to me; you can do what you want. Who knows? It could be fun to see things shaken up around here.”

“Are you prepared to deal with the consequences of your request?” he asked. “There will be benefits, of course, but you’ll have to deal with Bellamy’s hurt feelings, among other things. I don’t dance with just anyone, you realize.”

“I know that,” Cora replied with a sly smile. “And I can deal with anything your current lover can throw at me, my Lord.”

“This should be fun.” Vivien leaned back in her throne as Callum offered Cora his hand and led her out onto the dance floor, every eye in the room on the pair of them. “I think she’ll be useful to me after all.”

Chapter 5Callum spun to his right, using his sword to intercept the attack heading for his chest. As

soon as his blade hit that of his opponent, he lunged toward the man and swept his weapon upward. Then Callum pushed off his bent leg and pushed his opponent’s sword even higher away from him before taking a few quick steps backward and spinning around to intercept the attack coming for his back.

Years ago, Rhys had taught Callum to fight, and Callum continued to keep in shape by practicing whenever he could make the time. He considered it disrespectful to waste the gift his master had given him, all of the hours of training and practice. Callum had no illusions that he was even close to Rhys in expertise, but he knew that he was certainly able to hold his own in combat, even against multiple opponents.

The soldier attacking from behind him was the younger solider of the pair assigned to him this morning, and the young man darted forward to attack before Callum had his weight properly settled. Callum bent backwards to avoid the strike while resisting the urge to use his magical gifts to incinerate the man. Nobody here knew that he was a mage, and he certainly had no intention of revealing himself for something as innocent as sparring practice, but the urge was there nonetheless.

Seeing that Callum was off balance, the young solider pressed his advantage, darting forward with his sword leading. Callum tried to get his balance by stepping backward, but his weight was too far off kilter and he stumbled instead. The young soldier was on him instantly, and Callum threw himself to the left to avoid the sword, only to be met by the older soldier of the pair. With a curse, Callum dropped to the ground below the second attack and rolled away from his two pursuers.

He was forced most of the way across the practice space before he was able to find his feet again, and his clothing was dusty from the wood chips on the floor. Callum had the overwhelming desire to brush himself off, but he had to contend with the two soldiers stalking toward him first. With a silent sigh, Callum dropped into a crouch and brought his sword defensively up in front of his body.

“Excuse me, my Lord,” called a guard from the entrance of the practice room. “I’m sorry to interrupt your practice, but there’s a young gentleman here to see you.”

Callum straightened, a look of irritation flitting across his face. When he saw the guard at the door cringe, he schooled his features. It wasn’t his usual practice to punish people for things that weren’t their fault. That was more Vivien’s style, and he did little to emulate his queen.

“Who is it?”“I’m not sure, my Lord. He wouldn’t give me his name, but did indicate that you’re

expecting him.”“Okay, I’ll be along in a few moments. Please have him escorted to my office.”“I’m sorry, my Lord, but the gentleman is insisting that he see you immediately.”Callum quirked an eyebrow. “Oh is he? Well then, show him in please.”The two soldiers who were with him excused themselves with low bows and murmured

comments, recognizing the look in Callum’s eye. While he wasn’t quick to punish those who had nothing to do with a situation, it was common knowledge that Callum was harsh with

those who were rude and those who deserved to be put in their place. Whoever was interrupting Callum’s exercises so rudely was going to pay for their mistake.

Callum decided to treat his unexpected guest with as little respect as he was getting, so after brushing the worst of the dust off of his clothing, he set about another set of exercises, pointedly turning his back to the entrance. He was fully convinced that nobody coming through that door could be a threat to him, so he might as well make use of everything at his disposal to make his guest uncomfortable.

Soon he heard footsteps on the wood chips a short distance behind him, but he didn’t turn around. Time passed and Callum continued his exercises, seemingly oblivious to the man at his back, and eventually the tension became too much. The man cleared his throat.

“Excuse me?” he said, his voice dripping with disdain. “Weren’t you informed that I was here to see you?”

Callum whirled around, eyes flashing with anger, and he brought his sword around with him, leveling the point at the man’s throat. “Weren’t you ever taught any manners?”

The man standing in front of him was young, Callum judging his age to be no more than twenty-two years. He had short brown hair and dark eyes, and he was wearing a red open robe over his beige shirt and black pants. Callum recognized the outfit as an affectation common among the mages from the neighboring kingdom of Larosia. This must be one of the mages he’d requested to interview for a position with the army.

“Hey, you asked me to come here, not the other way around. You could show some respect.”

“And you could treat your betters with the honor due them,” Callum rebutted. “Do you even have your mastery yet?”

The young mage frowned. “Of course I do! How dare you question my competence? What could you possibly know about it? My better, indeed.”

Callum shook his head, realizing that the young man standing in front of him likely didn’t have the discipline necessary for a role in the army. He lowered his sword and took a step back.

“This interview is over. You are dismissed.” Then Callum pointedly turned his back on the mage, presenting the young man with a perfect target.

“How dare you turn away from me, old man!”Callum felt the surge of the young mage’s powers, and quickly sent his own out into the

room in a controlled wave. He turned as he slipped his power past the mage’s shields, imposing his own shields underneath and effectively cutting off the man’s access to the power he was trying to tap into.

“You are too quick to judge,” Callum stated quietly, walking a few paces closer with his sword resting loosely in his grip.

The mage started to move away, but another quick surge of power and Callum blocked the young man’s muscles, freezing them in place.

“I could kill you where you stand, you ignorant little brat,” he hissed. “I could freeze your heart or your lungs and watch you die slowly while your body screams for air. You’re just lucky that I’m in a good mood.”

Callum stepped away again, releasing his hold on the mage as he did so. Then he watched the man carefully, trying to judge what his next move would be. The mage shook himself, almost as if waking from a dream, but then he proved to Callum that he wasn’t the mage he was looking for.

With a swift intake of breath, the mage tapped into his powers and sent them surging outward as a stream of fire from his hands. Callum stepped to the side, just to be careful, and threw up a wall of fire in front of the flames coming toward him. Callum’s fires absorbed those of the other mage, and then Callum sent the flames back at their master.

With a scream, the mage’s robes were engulfed in flames, though Callum’s control was fine enough to hold the fire away from the young man’s skin long enough for the upstart to slip out of his robes and throw them to the ground. As the mage stepped on the robes to extinguish the flames, Callum smiled to himself at the sight and then used his powers to dissipate the flames.

“As I said, this interview is over. You can leave. Now.”This time the man didn’t argue, turning and starting toward the door of the practice room.

He’d leave the palace in disgrace, the robes of his station left behind him in burned tatters. Callum actually thought it was rather amusing that a fire mage would have his clothing burned off his back.

“Feel free to warn your fellows,” Callum called after the departing mage. “I’m still interviewing, and if they have better manners than you, their chances will be much improved!”

He chuckled as called Ember down from the rafters for a quick pet. His little bat eesprid shifted her weight back and forth in pleasure until he sent her back into hiding. He followed along after the departed mage, making a point of letting a passing slave know that the floor of the practice room needed to be swept clean and ordering new wood chips laid down. Then Callum made his way to his rooms to change before officially beginning his day.

“Where have you been?” demanded a voice as soon as he crossed his threshold. Callum sighed and paused just inside the doorway. “Have you been with her again?”

“I told you, Belle, there’s nothing for you to be jealous about. It was just one little dance, for crying out loud!”

In the few days since Vivien’s Midsummer party, he’d had to deal with Bellamy’s hurt feelings. Apparently, Belle thought that if he’d be willing to dance with Cora, he must also be doing other things with her, and Belle’s jealousy had reared its ugly head.

“It’s never just anything with you, Callum,” Bellamy informed him, walking across the room. She looked stunning today, her green eyes even brighter than usual because of the green dress she wore. Belle had even spent time on her hair so that it fell in careless waves around her face and shoulders.

“Look, Belle. There is nothing going on between Cora and myself. You’re almost always here in my rooms, so when would I possibly have the time?”

“See!” she shrieked. “You don’t deny that you want to spend time with her. If I wasn’t here, that’s exactly what you’d be doing.”

“It is now,” he muttered under his breath.“What was that?”“I said I’ve had enough. I think that the time has come for you to leave, Belle, and I

don’t want to find you here when I come back.”“How dare you!”“How dare I what? We had a good relationship going, Belle, but your jealousy is

misplaced and you refuse to see that. So, since you’re driving me crazy, it’s time for you to leave.”

Bellamy threw herself across the room at him, her fingers hooked into claws as she reached for his face. Callum caught her wrists easily and held her away from him.

“You horrible man! You spend time with me, you court me, and then you just throw me away? I’ll be ruined!”

“Your reputation is none of my concern,” he informed her, pushing her away from him. “I never promised you a marriage, certainly didn’t coerce you into a relationship with me, and everything you’ve done has been your choice. Now leave, Belle, before you force me to call the guards.”

This time she let him go as he turned toward his bedroom. Callum walked inside the smaller room and shut the door just at the sound of Bellamy’s tears reached him. Shaking his head, he wandered over to the wardrobe to choose his clothing for the day. It was too bad really, he thought to himself. He had honestly enjoyed Belle’s company.

By the time Callum had finished dressing, something that he ensured took longer than usual today, Bellamy was gone from his rooms. He left word with the guards at his doors that she was not permitted to return, and then he went down to his office. There was a stack of paperwork that needed dealing with, more mages to interview since they were obviously in town, and Vivien was sure to be wandering down to speak with him about her schedule at any time. It was still early in the day, and if this morning was a predictor, the day was bound to be a busy one.

Chapter 6“The time has come to advance the plan,” Rhys stated as his face appeared in Callum’s

mirror. The summons from his master had come late into the night after his rather long day, and he was still a little befuddled from sleep. Rubbing his eyes again, Callum looked at his master questioningly.

“Really? Things are going well with the military so far, and I’m nearly done interviewing the mages. I’ve hired a fire mage to increase their attacking power, and I’m hoping to find a gifted spirit mage tomorrow to help keep our forces consistently ahead of the Bacovians. Why change now?”

“The time has come to prepare an attack on Bacovia’s capital, something that will take some time to coordinate. The attack should target the king and his entire council, which will allow you to take control of Bacovia before Eryk’s young heir can return from Evendell to take the throne.”

Callum nodded his understanding. Ever since starting the military action against the larger kingdom, he’d planned for this eventuality. “We have Cora here, who can provide us with the layout of the castle. There are already members of the royal guardsmen in our employ, as well as members of the Bacovian army, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to plan.”

“Then I will leave the execution in your capable hands,” Rhys said with a smile.“Thank you, Master.”Callum prepared to rise when Rhys’ voice stopped him.“I need to you decide who amongst Vivien’s cousins is the most malleable.”“Malleable? To your way of thinking?”“Precisely. Vivien is proving a little too stubborn recently, not embracing the current

state of affairs the way I’d hoped. I’m not sure I’ll be able to continue to make use of her.”“I see.” Callum felt almost insulted by his master’s comment. He’d spent twenty years

working with Vivien, grooming her and guiding her to the ultimate task, the destruction of Bacovia’s royal family. It would be a shame to see all that hard work wasted.

“I will think about it and let you know next time you contact me. Should I be preparing to have Vivien removed from the throne?”

“Not yet,” Rhys reassured him. “Everything isn’t entirely clear yet.”Callum nodded, envying Rhys his gift of precognition. A Spirit gift, it was one spell that

Callum had always wanted. Even now, he could think of dozens of ways knowing the future could benefit him. Although all mages with a given affinity learned the same spells, not all mages had the same level of power with those spells, and even within those inherent differences, each mage had a specialty. Where Callum could control others, Rhys had a Gift for foretelling the future.

“Then if there is nothing else, Master, I’ll leave you to your slumber. I’ll contact our people in Bacovia and start planning the attack. Just let me know when to let our men loose, and it will be done.”

“I know that I can count on you,” Rhys assured his servant, his face starting to fade from the mirror. “You never disappoint me.”

Callum thought about that parting statement, and felt warmed inside. Pleasing his master was important to him, and knowing that Rhys considered him adept and capable of doing as he

commanded made Callum feel good. Strange that he still sought Rhys’ approval, he thought to himself, but knowing that it was strange didn’t make it any less true.

The rest of the night passed in fitful sleep, Callum’s brain planning out scenario after scenario for the attack Rhys wanted him to plan. Finally, he just gave up and rose from his bed to dress and begin his day. Opening the curtains covering his window, Callum realized that it was just shortly after dawn, and he sighed. Starting early always made for an exceptionally long day.

Leaving his bedchamber, Callum moved to the small desk in the outer room of his suite. Going to his office at this time of day would only cause questions, questions that he didn’t feel like dealing with. Sitting down, he pulled some paper from the drawer and started to write the first of the messages he needed to send in order to proceed with Rhys’ plan.

First, he wrote a message to one of the army commanders, a man he’d worked with extensively in the past. Whenever Vivien sent Callum out to punish someone, either by attacking their holdings or their family, Callum always went in with a company of soldiers. His familiarity with the commander and his men made them the obvious choice for the attack on Bacovia’s capital, and Callum’s note briefly outlined the fact that the attack was coming. Since he had no details yet, he couldn’t provide them to the commander, but he warned the man that they’d be forthcoming. Callum also indicated that the soldiers would need to be ready to move out with minimum notice.

The second note the Callum penned was similarly brief and would be sent to one of the men in Bacovia’s royal guard. This time he wasn’t issuing orders, but was instead looking for information. Who were the members of Eryk’s council? Where were they housed? Was there an upcoming event that would have them all together for easy elimination, or would a standard sneak attack be more appropriate?

“What are you doing?”Callum looked over his shoulder and smiled at Vivien. “Just writing a few letters. What

are you doing up so early?”“Couldn’t sleep.”“And you decided to walk in here, unannounced? Why did you think I’d be awake too?”“Maybe I just know you that well.” Vivien smiled and then walked over to Callum’s

small couch and sat down. “And maybe I figured you’d be having nightmares about your most recent strumpet.”

“You heard about that, did you?” Callum stood up from his desk and walked over to sit in a chair across from the queen.

“Oh yes,” she said with a chuckle. “It’s a good thing I know you as well as I do, because she made quite a case. Your dear Bellamy outlined all of your faults... in detail.”

Callum rolled his eyes. “Lovely. Oh well, these things happen.”“You’re not worried about your reputation?” Vivien’s eyes were sparkling with mirth

and her lips quirked slightly as she tried to hold in a smile.“Not likely,” he scoffed. “Let’s go get something to eat.” Vivien rose from the couch and moved gracefully to the

door, and Callum rose to follow. “What’s on our schedule for today?”“Well we need to look over some budget concerns and review the reports from the border

to determine our next move. You, yourself, also have an appointment with the ambassador from Larosia concerning the mages we’re hiring for the army and I have to finish with the interviews.”

“And you’re not a part of that appointment because?”“Because you don’t need me there and because I have to finish my interviews. You’re

more than capable of dealing with Larosia’s ambassador and you’re honestly a better negotiator than I am.” Unless he used his magic, of course, but Callum kept that to himself.

Vivien chuckled. “Nice to see you still have faith in something.”The pair took a table in the dining hall and a servant was quick to bring them fresh bread

and honey to break their fast. They continued to discuss the upcoming meeting with the ambassador, and by the time other members of the court put in an appearance, Callum was ready to continue with the mage interviews. He excused himself from Vivien’s company and went to his office.

The first appointment of the day, one of the last three mages left in the city, was right on time. The mage he’d disgraced yesterday morning had obviously passed along the warning Callum had given him, and every subsequent candidate was respectful and well behaved.

“Good morning, my Lord,” the young mage greeted him with a bow. This one was dressed in a white robe, indicating that his primary gift was Spirit. Just what Callum was looking for.

“Good morning. Have you broken your fast?”“Yes, thank you.”Callum indicated that the mage could sit. “And who might you be?”“Mortimer.”“Mortimer?” Callum kept careful control of his features, seeing that his question raised a

bit of the mage’s temper. “I bet you had some issues growing up with a name like that.”“True,” Mortimer agreed, “but only ever once from any given person.”Callum smiled, deciding that he liked this young man. “So what should I call you?”“Mortimer works fine, thank you.”Callum took a closer look at the young man seated across from him. He had light brown

hair, light enough that it was nearly a dark blond, and he had odd green eyes. Green eyes were rare enough, but Mortimer’s were a very pale shade.

“So, my young friend, where do your gifts lay?”Mortimer quirked an eyebrow. “You don’t know already? My colleague indicated that

you were all powerful.”“Hardly,” Callum replied with a chuckle. “He’s just making up stories to cover the

disgrace he earned.”“Well in that case, I’ll tell you that I’m gifted in Spirit.”“I know that already. I meant your special Gift.” Callum wasn’t sure if Mortimer was

being deliberately obtuse or if he was just trying to determine if Callum knew anything about mages. Deciding to give him the benefit of the doubt, Callum remained calm.

“Precognition and clairvoyance.”Callum grinned inside at that news. Those were exactly the gifts he was looking for;

precognition to see into the future, letting him plan where and when to strike, and clairvoyance to see at a distance.

“What range do you have?”Mortimer looked impressed. “You do know what you’re doing, don’t you?”“Nearly always. Care to answer the question?”“I have a range of about three miles on the clairvoyance, and about three days for the

precognition.”

Callum nodded his head, doing quick calculations in his head to determine the effectiveness of Mortimer’s gifts in relation to how he envisioned them being used. He quickly determined that the range of the mage’s gifts was acceptable.

“You’d make an excellent addition to the army, if you’re interested. I hired one of your colleagues yesterday, though you’d be in charge of your division and he’ll answer to you. You’ll also have some say in the actual deployment of the army itself.”

“Are you always this trusting?” the mage asked instead of answering Callum’s invitation. “I could easily have lied to you about my gifts and my range.”

“You know how nobody ever teased you more than once when you were a child? Well nobody lies to me and doesn’t live to regret it. That tends to make one trusting, yes, and if you’d like to change your story, now would be a good time.”

The mage shook his head. “No, I’m content with what I told you. And I accept your invitation.”

“Excellent. I’m sure you’ll make a wonderful addition. How soon can you leave for the border?”

Callum outlined his expectations, Mortimer paying careful attention and asking questions to deepen his understanding. As Callum’s appreciation for the young mage continued to rise, he hoped silently that Mortimer didn’t get himself killed on the front lines. That would be a most disappointing end to what Callum hoped would be an excellent working relationship.

Chapter 7Mortimer made his way slowly through the army tents, on his way to report of the

commander-in-chief of the sprawling encampment. The Fire mage, Allen or Alain or something like that, walked a few steps behind him. He hadn’t been happy to hear that Mortimer was in charge of him, but that didn’t surprise Mortimer in the least. In his experience, Fire mages were notoriously arrogant and self-centered. A good case in point was Lord Callum, he thought to himself. The man was certainly arrogant, and according to their disgraced colleague, he was a Fire mage. Interesting.

Once the pair of mages reached the large central command tent, the camp aide made them wait for nearly an hour before the army commander deigned to see them. By the time they entered the tent, it was evening and time for dinner. The commander sat at his small field table, surrounded by rugs and other comfortable finery, eating his meal. He didn’t invite either of the mages to join him, nor did he invite them to sit.

“What do you want?” the army commander asked, his green eyes flashing with displeasure. He was only in his mid-thirties, very young to have this level of responsibility. Perhaps he’d earned a commendation in last military conflict a decade ago, Mortimer mused.

Mortimer bowed at the waist. “I bring orders from Ironvale,” he said quietly, proffering a rolled scroll tied with a pair of ribbons, brown and green. It was sealed with the winged serpent symbol of the crown.

The commander looked at the scroll with distaste, his lip curling up into a sneer, but he reached for it anyway. Mortimer filed his reaction away for later, and watched carefully as the man seating in front of him cracked the seal and rolled the parchment open.

The commander muttered something under his breath after scanning the words. He looked up and met the gaze of the Fire mage. “You, I understand. Your abilities will be useful to us. My aide will take you to the commissary for a tent and gear, and you can camp with the first company.”

Alain bowed to the seated man and followed the aide out of the tent, leaving Mortimer alone with the army commander, who looked less than pleased.

“I don’t think I like what you represent,” the man admitted, startling the mage with his blunt honesty. “I don’t like what this says.” He tossed the scroll down on to his table where it rolled shut.

“I’m sorry, sir, but I don’t know what that says.” Mortimer knew the gist of it, of course, since Callum had provided him with the details of his assignment. He didn’t know what the Lord of Tebithshire had written, however.

The army commander snorted, obviously not believing a word coming out of Mortimer’s mouth. “This,” he said, gesturing to the scroll, “essentially gives you command. I’m to ‘trust your advice’ and ‘act appropriately’. Who the hell are you to order me around?”

“I’m not anybody, sir, not really. I’m just a mage with Gifts that could help you.”“Uh huh. And why is it that you’re going to be taking the command reports back to

Ironvale on a regular basis? You know what I think? I think that those stuck up lords and ladies back home don’t know what it’s like our here and they think they can do it better. I think that you’re nothing but a glorified mouthpiece at best or a spy at worst. So which is it?”

Mortimer really wasn’t sure how to reply to that, and Callum certainly hadn’t indicated

that he was either of those things. “I’m not either, sir,” he replied honestly.“Then why am I supposed to take my orders from you?”“Again, sir, I have Gifts that can help you. I can see a few days into the future and I can

scry at a distance. I can spy on the enemy and predict their movements to help you plan. Nothing more.” Damn, he thought, who would have thought taking a job in the army would be so hard? And he hadn’t even started yet!

The army commander folded his hands together and rested his chin on them, his green eyes meeting Mortimer’s and holding his gaze steady. They stayed like that for a few moments, and then the commander spoke again.

“I don’t trust you,” he admitted, “but I’ll see if you can do what you say you can. Go and join your fellow in the first company.”

Mortimer bowed and left the tent, feeling relieved. Even his interview with Lord Callum hadn’t been so stressful, and that was coming on the heels of what the lord had done to his first interviewee.

Finding the first company was easy, since they were camped almost right beside the tent belonging to the commander-in-chief. It took Mortimer about ten minutes to find Alain, who was struggling with the tent they’d been given. The soldiers of the company they were now attached to stood there and laughed at him. This won’t do at all, Mortimer thought silently.

He looked at the men standing there, trying to find anybody who wasn’t as comfortable with the teasing. There were two of them, shifting their weight from foot to foot and glancing back and forth between Alain and their fellows. Mortimer whispered the words of a spell, sending a suggestion their way, and a few moments later the first of the soldiers stepped forward to help. The second soldier took his first step toward the tent just as Mortimer joined the group.

“Great! I’m glad that you’re getting everything set up,” Mortimer commented brightly as he joined Alain and pretended not to see the clearly drawn lines. “What can I do to help?”

With the help of the two soldiers, it only took a few minutes for them to erect the tent and throw their gear inside. Seeing that their fun was over for now, the rest of the soldiers drifted away while Mortimer thanked his two new “friends” for their help. As they wandered back to whatever drills or chores they had, Alain turned to him.

“What did you do?” he demanded quietly. “They were all standing there laughing at me, then suddenly that pair decide to help out. That’s not normal.”

“Maybe I didn’t want to start off here with the soldiers thinking we’re fun to pick on,” Mortimer countered. “Do you really want to spend the next who knows how long being bullied? I sure as hell don’t.”

Turning away from the Fire mage, Mortimer started to organize his blanket roll and other equipment on his side of the two-man tent. After just watching for a few moments, Alain joined him. “No,” he admitted, “I don’t want that.”

“Then why does it matter what I did? I didn’t hurt them or even do anything permanent, and it made our lives a little easier.”

Alain didn’t say anything, and Mortimer finished with his gear. “I’m going to go find some dinner. Want some?”

The pair of mages made their way to the company’s communal fire for some food, enduring the stares of the men around them. Being a mage in the middle of an army wasn’t a comfortable place to be, apparently, but both men had made their own decision to be here and had signed a contract. Feeling the somewhat hostile glares all around him, Mortimer wondered

if Callum was paying him enough.

Chapter 8Callum sat in his chair, lost in thought as he looked out the window in his office. The

view wasn’t particularly spectacular, but he found the bustle in the courtyard strangely soothing. It was nice that something was soothing, since Bellamy was making his life miserable and Vivien had spent most of the last couple of days laughing at him. The stories currently circulating around the court were almost enough to make Callum think the worst of himself, and that was saying something. That woman had an incredible imagination, and since there wasn’t anything else interesting happening right now, she had a rapt audience.

“I’m sorry to disturb you, my Lord, but your guest is here.”Callum nodded his thanks as he turned his chair away from the window and settled

himself at his desk once more. His office door opened wider and Cora came in, dropping into a graceful curtsey.

“You summoned me, my Lord?”“Yes, and thank you for coming so quickly. Please, come and sit down.”Callum stood and walked around his desk to hold an empty chair for Cora. When she

sat, he tucked the chair closer to the desk and then resumed his own place. “I was hoping that you’d help me with something.”

“Help you? Of course, if I’m able. I owe you for everything you’ve done for me since my arrival.”

“I don’t want you to feel obligated to do this. It will likely take many hours of work, and the time will pass more easily if you’re here because you want to be.”

“I’m sure that spending time with you will be anything but a hardship.” Cora smiled coyly and Callum raised an eyebrow in question. He’d been with enough

women to know an invitation when he heard it, but with everything going on right now...“Surely you’ve heard what the lovely Lady Bellamy has been saying about me.”“Of course I have,” she laughed. “It’s hard not to hear a story with your name in it right

now.”“And yet you’re still willing to spend time with me?”“My Lord, I am more than willing to spend time with you.”Well there was no doubt in Callum’s mind about Cora’s invitation now, and he shook his

head. There may be time for that later, but he needed information right now, not distraction.“Then in that case, I look forward to working with you, my Lady.” He gestured to the

supplies arrayed on his desk, paper and assorted sketching materials. “I need to know everything you can tell me about the layout of King Eryk’s palace.”

“Eryk’s palace? Why?”Callum looked at her, his eyes narrowed and hard. “We’ve been sending soldiers raiding

across the border for over a month. Why do you think?” There was no doubt from his expression or his tone that Callum had little tolerance for

silliness, and Cora adjusted her tactics accordingly.“Well, in that case, let’s start with the Eaglecrest. Unlike here, there’s no wall

surrounding the city itself, only the castle. There are guards patrolling the streets, of course, but if you know where you’re going, you can navigate well enough and quickly enough to avoid them.”

“Okay. We can worry about the city streets later. What can you tell me about the palace

walls?”Over the next few hours, Cora detailed everything she could remember about the gates,

the walls, the guards and their shifts. Callum found her memory to be surprisingly good, and he was able to work out a rough plan for getting soldiers over the wall and through the gates. The details could come later, when he had information from inside the guard itself.

“I think that’s sufficient for today,” he said as he straightened and leaned back in his chair. Cora, who’d come to stand beside him at some point, arched her back to relieve her own tight muscles.

“I’m glad I could help,” she commented with another of her coy smiles. “Feel free to call upon me anytime.”

“I’ll consider that offer carefully,” he promised her, and then Callum escorted Cora to the door.

He’d no sooner sat back down in his chair when the office door opened again, this time to admit a servant carrying a tray and the queen.

“You missed our lunch appointment,” Vivien commented with a small smile. “I guessed you were working too hard, so I brought you some food. You eat and we’ll go over our business.”

Callum smiled and reached to take the tray from the servant. “I appreciate it,” he said sincerely. He’d lost track of time while working with Cora, and now that food was in front of him, he was suddenly aware of how hungry he was. He used one hand to brush the papers on his desk into a messy pile and place the tray in front of him.

“So what’s all that?” Vivien asked with a flick of her wrist to indicate the mess.“This is the next step in our plan to get you the land you want.”“Really? Tell me.” Their previous business temporarily forgotten, Vivien sat down

across from Callum prepared to listen to what her chief advisor had in mind.“Well, I’ve sent missives to our operatives inside Bacovia’s royal guard and their army,

looking for information, and I’ve had a preliminary discussion with Cora about what she can provide us about the Bacovian court. With all of that knowledge, once I have it, we can plan our attack on the capital city.”

“And when will we have the information collected?”“I’m not sure. With our people under cover, their ability to send information quickly is

compromised. It could be days or weeks.”“Then we can’t do it.”“What?” Callum couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “What do you mean we can’t?”Vivien stood and started to pace back and forth in front of his desk. Callum knew that

was a bad sign, something that broadcast her anxiety, and when the queen was anxious about something, it never boded well for everyone around her.

“Midsummer is past, in case you’ve been too involved here to notice or remember. We started this awfully late in the season, and to escalate now, to send soldiers deeper into Bacovia, won’t sit well with the populace.”

“So because I can’t guarantee having all the information we need quickly, you’re not even going to consider the attack?”

“Harvestide is what, about eleven weeks away? You know as well as I do that the first snow follows right behind the harvest. Can you guarantee having the information back from Bacovia, the plan finalized and carried out successfully, and our people in place in the city before then?”

“Of course not! I can guarantee we’ll have the information and that the plan will be finalized, yes. I can almost guarantee that the plan will be carried out by Harvestide, but nobody can guarantee success, Vivien, you know that.”

“Then how can I sanction a mission that at best will head out in late summer, so close to the first snow? What do you want me to do?”

“I want you to be a queen!” Callum was on his feet now, frustration over Vivien’s reluctance bubbling over as anger. “Madelia is ruled by a monarch, so act like it, dammit!”

“Fine! Then as your queen, I order you to cease and desist any and all planning for an attack on the Bacovian capital city.” And Vivien spun on her heel and stalked out of Callum’s office.

Slumping back into his chair, Callum stared at the door Vivien had just slammed behind her, astounded. In nearly two decades as her advisor and friend, the queen had never actually disregarded his advice, his plan. She’d never shown any strength of character when it came to him, and with Rhys’ words echoing in his head, Callum knew that now was not a good time for Vivien to grow a backbone.

“Damn you, you foolish woman!”Then Callum ate the food the queen had brought for him, moved the tray out of the way,

and got back to work outlining the plan for Madelia to attack the Bacovian palace. After all, it was what his master wanted him to do, and Vivien was being a fool if she didn’t realize that attacking Eryk directly was the best next step. He had to protect her from herself.

Chapter 9The sound of a sheaf of paper hitting his desk let Callum know the mage’s mood before

he ever said a word. He didn’t prompt the man though, instead leaning back in his chair and waiting patiently for Mortimer to say something.

“I don’t understand why I have to come all this way to deliver that in person,” the mage finally stated, gesturing to the pile of papers. “Why isn’t a courier good enough for the reports?”

“You get to come and deliver them in person because I told you to. And I don’t trust couriers unless I have to. I’ve found that they tend to be less than reliable, and sometimes they read their missives before they deliver them.”

Mortimer sat down and settled his white robe around him, plucking at the fabric in a distracted manner. Callum wondered if the behavior had something to do with Mortimer’s less than pleasant mood, and he wondered what was going on.

“So how have your first six weeks been?” he prompted. “How are things in camp?”“Quiet. And boring.” Mortimer’s tone was bitter and dissatisfied, giving Callum a clue

to his current behavior.“And?”The mage just sat there for a few moments, almost as if trying to decide what to say.

Again, Callum waited patiently. He liked the mage and suspected that he was simply being cautious. He didn’t know Callum very well after all, and bad news was often difficult to deliver.

“There are thousands of men gathered in that camp, my Lord, and they’re just sitting there! Sure, a few companies of men head out regularly to raid across the border, but the majority of them are essentially just sitting on their hands. They drill, they do chores, and they wait... They’re getting restless.”

“I want to you tell the queen what you just told me.”“Excuse me? I don’t think that’s a good idea.”Callum chuckled as he picked up the sheaf of reports and started to flip through them.

“Really? Why is that?”“My Lord, surely you’re aware of the queen’s habits when she’s displeased. Being told

that her army is unhappy qualifies as ‘displeasing’ news.”“Tell her anyway,” Callum ordered. “It will have more weight coming from you, and I’ll

be there too.”“So you can protect me?” Mortimer asked with a twist of his lips, almost a smile.“Something like that. Besides, you haven’t foreseen your death or you’d have said

something. It will be fine.”“Fine. When should I speak with her Majesty?”“Now is good. Just let me finish sorting through these reports and we’ll head up to her

rooms. She’s currently hosting her ladies and won’t mind the interruption.”Mortimer nodded and watched as the queen’s chief advisor expertly scanned and sorted

the reports he’d brought with him. They were from the various army commanders currently stationed not far from the Madelia-Bacovia border, as well as the commander-in-chief who was in charge of running the whole operation. He hadn’t bothered to read any of the papers that

had been entrusted to him, but he had a good idea of what the reports would say.Callum rose from his desk, straightening the papers. “Okay, let’s go. The sooner you

get this over with, the sooner you can leave and head back to the border.”Mortimer followed Callum as he left his office on the ground floor of the palace and

went up the carpeted stairs. Vivien sometimes entertained her ladies-in-waiting in the solar, and sometimes in her rooms, like today. The key was simply keeping track of the queen’s peculiarities, and Callum had a lot of practice with that.

When he reached Vivien’s door, he nodded to the guard on duty and knocked. The sounds of laughter he could hear on the other side of the wooden door stilled immediately. Callum opened the door and walked inside, gesturing to the mage to follow him.

“Good afternoon, your Majesty. I’m sorry to interrupt you, but there’s something you need to hear right away.”

Vivien looked past Callum and took note of the nervous mage standing just inside the door. Then she looked at her advisor, observing his serious expression, and she sighed.

“You heard the man, ladies. Out of the room.”With a rustle of fabric, the various ladies seated around Vivien’s table rose and made

their way to the door. Bellamy shot Callum a look of pure hatred as she passed him, but Cora, who was the last lady in line, gave him a brief kiss on the cheek.

As the door closed behind the ladies, Vivien shot Callum a look of disbelief. “Another strumpet already? You do move fast, don’t you?”

“You shouldn’t call your ladies strumpets,” he replied automatically.Walking over to the table, Callum sat down opposite Vivien and gestured to Mortimer.“This is our head mage from the border. He brought us the reports from the army

commanders, and he has something to tell you.”“Something to tell me?” Vivien asked, surprised. “Why didn’t he tell you?”“He did. I wanted you to hear it from him.”Vivien sat up a little straighter, her hands smoothing her skirts. “Well? What do you

have to tell me that is so important that you’ve interrupted my day?”Mortimer’s first reaction was to shy away from the queen. She looked angry, her

eyebrows drawn together and her lips pursed, but then he saw Callum from the corner of his eye. He was shaking his head subtly, telling Mortimer not to back away. The mage took a deep, steadying breath and took a few steps forward.

“Your Majesty,” he said as he bowed at the waist. “I have come to tell you that your army is gathered and waiting a short distance from the border, waiting for your command.”

“And? Why is that so important?”“Because they’ve been waiting for weeks, your Majesty. The soldiers are starting to get

restless, and restless soldiers have a tendency to get into trouble.”“I see. And what are you suggesting that I do about it?”Mortimer’s eyes widened. Advising the queen wasn’t in his job description. Heck, he

wasn’t even from this kingdom! Fortunately, Callum chose that moment to step in.“I don’t think that our young mage would presume to tell you what to do, your Majesty.

He’s just passing along his observations, and the reports he brought with him confirm his impressions.”

Callum picked up the sheaf of papers from the table in front of him. “The various army commanders are reporting increased need for discipline as a result of pranks gone awry and other avoidable behaviors.” He slipped a few pieces of paper across the table toward the

queen.“The commander-in-chief is requesting permission to increase raids across the border,

allowing more of the men to be deployed at a time.” Again Callum selected a piece of paper and passed it to the queen.

“I see.”Vivien stood and walked over to where Mortimer still stood looking uncomfortable.

“Thank you for your information. You are dismissed.”Mortimer didn’t need to be told twice, and he practically bolted from the room, shutting

the door tightly behind him.“So what am I going to do with you?” Vivien asked, hostility making her voice cold.

She turned to face Callum and stalked back across the room.“Me? What are you talking about?”“You’re the reason for the current problems. You’re the one who pushed for the attacks

in the first place. ‘A few months of raiding’, you said. We’ll look where it’s brought us.”“I never expected you to do nothing but raid. And I advised you to step up the attacks

weeks ago, if you remember.”“That insane plan to attack the Bacovian capital? That was the entirety of your brilliant

plan to make Bacovia give me my land?”“Not the entirety, no, but since you didn’t follow my advice, you have nobody to blame

for this but yourself. It’s your fault your army is unhappy because you haven’t bothered to do anything with them!”

“You think you’re so smart? Then tell me what to do to fix this mess. Advise me.”Callum sat back and crossed his arms across his chest. Then he looked the queen up and

down, wondering if she was truly prepared to listen to him this time.“The way I see it, you have two options. The raids across the border, while boring for

your soldiers, have been effective. Eryk’s citizens across the border are decimated, the crops lost to Bacovia and the land untenable.”

He paused, watching Vivien for some sign of her thoughts. He could cast a spell to find out, but didn’t bother wasting the energy. She’d tell him soon enough.

“You can either follow my original advice and advance the attacks --”“No!” Vivien interrupted. “Not this close to the first snow. It’s even later in the year

now, and I won’t condone that.”“Fine. Then your other option is to take advantage of the gains you’ve made and

negotiate with his Majesty to end the whole thing.”“Negotiate? Do you honestly think that we’ve made enough gains across the border that

Eryk will cede the lands in order to stop the raids?”Again Callum paused, trying to predict Vivien’s reaction to what he was about to say.

He took a calming breath and prepared to push his luck.“No, I don’t think we’ve made enough gains for that,” he admitted, “but there are other

options for negotiations.”“Like what?”“Propose a treaty through marriage. Negotiate for the lands to become part of Madelia

permanently.”“Marriage? He’s far too young for me.”“And that matters how? It’s a marriage of convenience, nothing more. You marry Eryk,

he cedes the lands to Madelia as part of the treaty, and you can take care of him at your leisure

and take it all.”Vivien sat down in the chair beside Callum, her face thoughtful. He couldn’t believe that

she was actually considering the idea. He’d only proposed it as an option in order to force her hand and have the queen order the attack he’d planned.

“Send the missive to Eryk’s court,” she said after a few moments. “If he says no, we’ll reconsider our actions.”

Callum was honestly shocked as he stood and went to the desk in the next room to get the supplies he needed. Vivien had so adamantly avoided marriage in her own court that he’d never figured she’d agree to a treaty wedding. Of course, he reminded himself as he walked back to the table, the queen was a practical woman and she knew that this wedding would only be a means to an end. Perhaps he shouldn’t be so surprised.

While Callum wrote the proposal and outlined the terms of their meeting, Vivien remained silent beside him.

“If they agree, we’ll meet at the border in neutral territory,” Callum explained. “Does that make sense to you?”

“Yes, that’s fine,” she replied, obviously distracted.“What are you thinking about?” Callum finished the letter and slid it toward her for her approval. She was silent as she

scanned the paper, and then Vivien reached for the wax and the royal seal.“I’m thinking about how ridiculous it is to even be considering this treaty,” she

commented honestly. “And yet, it still seems to be the better of the two options you gave me.”“It will take time to get an answer from Bacovia, and assuming they agree, it will likely

be a couple of weeks before everything is sorted out. What do you want to do with the problems in the army?”

“Give the commander permission to increase his raids. Adding pressure will only make our negotiating position stronger.”

Callum nodded and stood. “I’ll go and write the second letter, and they’ll be away before the sun sets.” Leaving Vivien alone, he returned to his office.

He’d no sooner pulled supplies from his drawer then he heard the soft chime that signaled his master reverberate through the air. Callum opened the other drawer in his desk and pulled out the small mirror.

“Your timing is ever perfect, my Master,” Callum greeted the dark-haired man. “How can I serve you today?”

“Tell me what just happened. Something has altered the course of events.” Callum could tell that Rhys was anxious about something, but he couldn’t read his

master well enough to tell if it was a good anxiety or a bad anxiety.“Vivien has just agreed to send a treaty proposal to Bacovia to end the conflict. A

marriage treaty, with the idea of getting the land she wants now and the rest of Bacovia in the not too distant future when she kills her husband.”

“I see.”Rhys grew quiet for a few moments, his expression neutral as he pondered the

implications of this change of plan.“And what happened to the attack I asked you to plan?”“The attack is planned and just awaiting the order to proceed.”“Why isn’t the attack part of the plan?”Now it was Callum’s turn to pause, unwilling to admit to his master the he’d been right

about Vivien’s...stubbornness. “Vivien has refused to give the order. She’s afraid that it’s too close to the first snow to

launch a major offensive.”“And what are your thoughts?” Rhys asked, genuinely curious.“I believe that the attack is well planned and has every chance of success. If we can

execute the attack properly, there will be no danger of having the conflict continue past the first snow.”

“In that case, I want you to get that order to attack. Eryk will agree to meet with Vivien to negotiate, but I can’t see past that right now, so I want you to be prepared. There’s another player in our little drama.”

“Really? Who?”“Aislynn, princess of Evendell.”Callum recognized the name, remembering Cora mentioning her when she’d first arrived

here nearly two months ago. Last he’d heard, the princess had been one of the contenders for Eryk’s bride, but if his master was correct and Eryk was going to meet with Vivien, that idea obviously hadn’t gone well.

“I don’t understand. How is the princess a part of this at all?”“She replaced Rupert as Eryk’s bodyguard after the initial assassination attempts failed.

She’s... As long as Eryk marries Vivien there’s no problem, but if you see any hint of a relationship between Aislynn and Eryk, then you need to order the attack on the palace.”

“How am I supposed to do that?” Callum asked. Vivien was the only one with the power to order that large of an attack.

“Get the order from Vivien. Convince her, possess her, I don’t care, but when you leave to negotiate that treaty, you need to have that order with you. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Master. I’ll make sure I have it in hand.”“Excellent. I’ll be in touch before you leave for the border.”

Chapter 10Callum slipped his mirror back into his desk drawer and leaned his head into his hands.

How was he supposed to get an attack order from the queen when she was so adamantly against the idea? Unfortunately, exercising his Gift was likely the only option, something he really didn’t want to do. In the eighteen years he’d been in the Madelian court, he’d never revealed his power to Vivien or really to anyone else. Actually, the mage he’d humiliated during the interviews was the only person currently alive who knew for certain what he was, except for his master of course.

Grumbling to himself, Callum pulled his supplies closer and began to write the letter to their army’s commander, ordering him to increase the raiding across the border into Bacovia. Then, mindful of Rhys’ order to have everything ready for the attack on Eryk’s palace, he pulled another couple of pieces of paper close to write other missives. He’d just finished them when there was a knock at his office door.

“Who is it?” he called, standing up and walking toward the door.The door opened and Mortimer stuck his head in. “It’s just me. Can I come in?”Callum smiled and crossed the last distance to the door. Opening it wider, he gestured

for the mage to enter his office. “I thought you’d be half-way back to the border by now.”“I knew that you’d need to speak with me first, so I waited around.”Chuckling, Callum walked back to his desk and picked up the two waiting letters. “I

happen to need these delivered, and I’m far more willing to trust you than to trust a courier.”Mortimer just looked at Callum for a moment, saying nothing. Then he sighed

dramatically. “Shouldn’t I be getting paid more money for the courier service?”“No, you shouldn’t. I’m paying you enough for what you’re doing.”Mortimer took the letters from Callum’s extended hand and then sat down in the chair in

front of the desk. “Can I know what’s in these?”“The one addressed to the army commander is orders to increase raids across the border.

That’s what his report asked for, so he should be happy.” Callum didn’t see any point in keeping the details from the young mage. With his magical gifts, he’d likely find out anyway.

“And the other?”“That one I need you to deliver to a specific commander. He’s in charge of the second

command of the third company, and honestly, that letter is the more important of the two you’re taking back with you.”

“What’s going on? If you can tell me, of course.”“Vivien is proposing a treaty to end the conflict with Bacovia. She feels we have a

strong negotiating position right now, and would like to end this before the winter if possible.”“But?”Again, Callum chuckled at the incredibly perceptive young man. “There’s a backup

plan, and that’s in the second letter.”“I’ll make sure they’re delivered.”Callum nodded and leaned over to collect the two final letters from his desk, the actual

proposal to Eryk’s court and one addressed to a lieutenant in Eryk’s army. “I’ll walk with you.”

“I can’t be trusted with those?” Mortimer asked, rising.“You’re not going across the border. I need you back at camp keeping an eye on our

soldiers.”Callum and Mortimer walked through the castle halls to the stables. While Mortimer

collected his horse, the chief advisor found a courier to send to Bacovia.“This is a treaty offer. Do not leave until you have an answer, regardless of what it is.

And then hurry back here with it. The second letter is for someone in the Bacovian army. I want it discretely dropped off at the first outpost you come across.”

“Yes, sir.”The courier fished a bright white flag from his bag and attached it to his horse’s bridal,

signaling to everyone that he carried an offer for the king’s consideration. Ideally, he’d be able to cross into Bacovia without difficulty because of it, and he should be able to cross the various outposts too.

Stepping away, Callum watched the courier and the mage ride out of the palace gates. Then he stalked back inside to find Cora. If Vivien was determined to avoid the attack then she needed information, and Callum was going to get it for her. He didn’t want to throw away two decades with the woman, his friend, if he could avoid it, and that meant she had to be successful with this treaty.

Walking back toward his office, Callum realized that he had no idea what Cora did with herself during the day. Over the past weeks, they’d spent some time together during the evenings, but nothing more. He wasn’t sure if that was because Vivien kept him busy or if he was purposefully avoiding a real relationship with the woman. Did he really want a repeat of the Bellamy fiasco? Because that’s what would happen... Callum had no intention marrying,

after all.He shook his head, not wanting to examine something as trivial as his personal life when

he had so much else to worry about. Stopping a passing slave, he inquired as to Cora’s whereabouts, and she directed him to the library. Apparently, if Cora wasn’t with the other ladies entertaining Vivien, she usually spent her time reading.

Opening the door to the library, Callum paused. A beam of sunlight steaming in through the window fell upon Cora where she sat curled up in a chair, an open book in her lap. The light brought gold highlights to her light brown hair, and he watched as she drew her lower lip into her mouth, thinking about something in the text. Gods, she looked beautiful.

“Cora?”Startled, the woman in question looked up and met his eyes. Then she closed the book

and rose gracefully to her feet. “Can I help you, my Lord?”“Yes. Please come with me.”He didn’t wait for her, instead turning and walking out into the hall. He took a few steps

before he realized how rude he was being, and then Callum stopped and waited for Cora to reach him. Extending his arm, he smiled in apology.

“I’m sorry. I seem to be more distracted than I thought I was.”“That’s fine,” she replied with a smile of her own, placing her hand on his offered arm.Starting to move again, Callum led Cora up to Vivien’s suite of rooms without another

word. Cora looked confused, but didn’t break the silence. He nodded to the guards who happened to be there at the moment and knocked.

“Come in, Callum,” the queen called. He opened the door and entered.“How did you know it was me?”“Who else would it be?”“You don’t have anyone else to ask for your time?”“You, my Lord, know more about my schedule than I do. And nobody comes looking

for me at this time of day except you.”“Then you’ll be happy to know that I’ve brought you company,” Callum commented

with a smile. “The Lady Cora.”Cora took that as an invitation to enter the queen’s rooms. She curtsied gracefully.“I know who she is. Why is she here?”“Weren’t you just bemoaning the fact that you have nobody to call on you?”Vivien walked over, a scowl twisting her lips. “Enough, Callum. Why is she here?”“Since you don’t want to order the attack, you need the treaty to work. For the treaty to

work, you need information, and Cora can give you that.”Vivien looked at Cora, almost as if trying to judge her usefulness. “What help can you

be?”“What do you want to know, your Majesty?” Cora tried hard not to let Vivien’s tone of

voice insult her.“Her Majesty needs to know anything that will give her an edge to negotiate with Eryk.

What is he like? What motivates him? That sort of thing.”“I can do that.”Cora stood there, looking at Vivien, who looked back. Callum watched the tableau and

wondered if Vivien was too proud to accept the woman’s help.“This is the route you wanted to take,” he reminded the queen. “You need help to get

what you want, so why not take it when it’s offered?”

“Fine. Come and sit with me, Cora, and tell me what you know.”Callum remained in the room for a few minutes, monitoring the conversation and making

sure that the queen was going to behave herself. Admitting that she needed help was a bit too close to admitting weakness, and Vivien wasn’t inclined to do either, usually. But when the two women were talking comfortably, Callum decided it was safe enough to slip away and take care of other business.

Walking back to his office, he ran through a mental checklist of what he needed to do in order to carry off both the negotiations and the final preparations for the attack. He’d sent the invitation to treat to Bacovia and the notice of a pending attack to the commander, so all that was missing was an order of attack from Vivien herself. Knowing ahead of time that Eryk would agree to the meeting gave Callum the opportunity to plan carefully, and he thought about what he wanted Vivien to accomplish.

He walked into his office and closed the door behind him, leaning against it. He realized that he wanted Vivien to marry Eryk successfully, he wanted to avoid the attack on the palace if he could. And that meant he needed information about the woman Rhys was worried about. Callum needed to learn about Aislynn.

Chapter 11The letter from Bacovia accepting Vivien’s invitation to treat and end the military

conflict crossed Callum’s desk before the information from his spies, but not by much. The missive from Eryk arrived shortly after dawn on the late summer morning, and the other package just before noon. Callum sat down with his lunch, the reports, and orders not to be disturbed.

The first note summarized what the servants in Eryk’s palace knew about his object of interest. Apparently, the princess didn’t act much like a lady of royal blood. She had a tendency to wear clothing more suited to a man than a princess, at least part of the time, and she actually seemed to go out of her way not to trouble the staff. Curious, Callum pulled the next sheet of paper closer.

He wanted to read what all of the various servants had to say. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust the summary, but Callum liked to check the information for himself. One of the women reported that the princess didn’t seem to have a lot of clothing, which struck her as odd. Another commented that Aislynn never made demands on the kitchen staff, never requested odd foods, which again made her stand out when compared to the other noble ladies. All in all, the servants found the princess of Evendell easy to deal with. There was no mention of a relationship between the princess and the king of Bacovia, though the report noted that the two did spend a lot of time together.

The second package of information came from the royal guards. Callum had a number of the guardsmen in his employ, and they added some interesting details to the picture he was building of Aislynn. The first guard also commented on the amount of time that she spent with Eryk, then clarifying that she was his chief advisor. Another man indicated that she spent an incredible amount of time with Byron, the captain of the royal guard. There were rumors of something between them, but no proof, and Callum wondered if he could use that somehow.

The final bits of information that drew everything together were the fact that Princess Aislynn of Evendell was an assassin, and the fact that she was usually in the company of a wolf. Rhys had already told him that she was Eryk’s bodyguard, and that Aislynn had taken over Rupert’s position, and now Callum had to wonder exactly how his master had known that. What was Rhys’ relationship with this woman?

Picking up the formal letter from Bacovia and pushing the remains of his meal aside, Callum stood and left his office to search out Vivien. Her Majesty would want to hear the news of their upcoming excursion to the border as soon as possible, and he wouldn’t want to keep her waiting. He suspected that he’d find the queen in her rooms, likely with Cora; the two women had strangely become fast friends over the past little while.

As he approached the door to Vivien’s suite, Callum heard the sound of laughter and paused. The sound came again, and he was a little shocked to identify Vivien’s voice. She wasn’t generally one to be so...relaxed, and certainly not around others. He hesitated, suddenly unsure of whether or not he should interrupt when Vivien was obviously having a good time doing whatever she was doing. With a sigh, he raised his hand and knocked anyway.

“I’m very sorry to interrupt, your Majesty, but I have news from Bacovia.”Vivien turned at the sound of his voice, and Cora lifted her head to smile at him before

turning her attention back to the embroidery in front of her. It looked like she was working

intently on a landscape of some sort.“Yes? What news would that be?” Vivien prompted, making him draw his attention

away from the other woman.“They have accepted your proposal, and have agreed to meet us at the border in a few

days. If we leave tomorrow, you should have plenty of time to make a grand entrance.”Vivien looked over her shoulder at Cora. “What do you think? Should I rush off to the

border just so I can make a grand entrance to our negotiations?”“Most definitely,” Cora was quick to assure the queen. “Eryk has always been easily

impressed by a beautiful woman, and you might as well use everything at your disposal to get what you want out of him.”

Vivien chuckled. “There you have it, Callum. Make the arrangements, and we’ll leave in the morning.”

“Yes, your Majesty.”As Callum bowed and saw himself out of the room, he couldn’t help but shake his head.

If he’d known that introducing Cora to the queen would make her so easy to deal with, he’d have done it the moment Cora had crossed his threshold.

Walking back down the corridor, he ran through a list of what needed doing before tomorrow’s departure. Since Rhys had forewarned him about Eryk’s acceptance of the idea, Callum had already drafted a list of items they needed to take with them, as well as an early draft of the rules of negotiation. Each monarch would have one advisor and one guard with the area set aside for the negotiations, for instance, and he’d work with whomever Eryk delegated to ensure that both side had equal advantage. It wouldn’t be a good idea to give the Bacovian king any wiggle room out of this treaty on account of carelessness, after all.

Pulling the list of items from a drawer in his desk, Callum summoned a servant and sent the list to the palace quartermaster. From there, he knew that the man would inform the stables, the guards, the kitchens and anyone else who was a part of this production. Then, the chief advisor reviewed the information he had regarding Aislynn. He assumed that Eryk would have her at his side as his advisor, and wondered who’d be appointed as Eryk’s guard. Would the aforementioned captain be there? Would it be possible to tell the status of the various rumored relationships?

The chime that announced his master thrummed through the room, and Callum retrieved his mirror from its resting place. Sending a small tendril of power into the glass, he answered Rhys’ call.

“Good afternoon, my Master.”“Good afternoon, Callum. Is everything ready for your trip to the border?”“Nearly. I have servants packing things now, and I’m just reviewing some of the notes

I’ve made in preparation for the negotiations. Vivien has scheduled us to leave in the morning.”

“Excellent. I assume you remember my instructions.”There was no question in Rhys’ voice as he stated this, almost as if he knew that Callum

couldn’t possibly have forgotten.“Of course, Master. If there is any sign of a relationship between the princess and the

king, I’m to order the attack on the castle.”“And do you have that order?”“Not yet,” Callum admitted reluctantly.“Why not?” Rhys’ eyes darkened with anger, his brows drawing together and the set of

his mouth growing stern.“Honestly, I was hoping to avoid having to use my Gift to obtain it. Unfortunately,

whenever I bring up the idea of the attack to Vivien, she immediately shuts it down. I will get the order tonight though, as you’ve commanded.”

“See that you do.”Callum bowed his head in acquiescence, and then dared to broach a dangerous topic.“Master, once you indicated that Aislynn’s involvement could be a problem, I took it

upon myself to have my spies in Eryk’s court report to me whatever they knew about the princess. With what you said, combined with what they told me, it paints an interesting picture.”

Callum met Rhys’ gaze in the mirror. “There are many similarities between her and you. Are you also one of Evendell’s

assassins?”“There are assassins, and then there are assassins,” his master replied cryptically. “The

princess and I do share a certain training, and we’re alike in many ways. But we are also very much unlike each other.”

Callum shook his head. “I don’t understand.”“And you don’t need to. Now, make sure you get that order from Vivien, and make sure

you’re prepared to send it.”“Can you not foresee if I’ll need to send the letter or not?”Rhys shook his head. “There’s too much happening right now for me to tell how events

will fall. Just be prepared.”“I will.”“Good luck. I’ll speak with you when you return home. Contact me once you’re settled

back here.”Callum nodded and his master’s face faded slowly from the mirror. As he replaced the

tool in his drawer, Callum wondered how he was going to get the attack order from Vivien. His best bet was likely to wait until the queen slept...

Ghosting through the halls, Callum wondered how he was going to get past Vivien’s guards. His Spirit gift was strong enough to cloud the minds of those around him, making him essentially invisible, but he couldn’t open the door himself without arousing suspicion. The way his magic worked, he preyed upon the expected; nobody expected him to be walking down the hall in the middle of the night, and so he could convince the minds of the guards that he wasn’t there. Unfortunately, the guards expected Vivien’s door to remain closed, so that was going to be an issue for him.

He thought about having Vivien open the door, but he didn’t want to control her for any longer than necessary. If he could be in and out of her head quickly, the queen was less likely to notice that he’d been there at all. That would be ideal.

And so Callum stopped a short distance away from the two women standing silently beside Vivien’s door and stretched out another tendril of power to exercise another aspect of his magic. Keeping himself cloaked while fooling with the minds of the guards was difficult and Callum was out of practice splitting his power, but this would only take a moment...

The first guard yawned, and her partner looked over at her sharply. “What did you just do?”

The guard looked sheepish. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what came ov—” The guard’s voice was cut off by another large yawn.

The second guard opened her mouth to berate her partner, but then she yawned too. In short order, they were both asleep, one leaning against the door and the other slumped half-way to the floor.

Callum cursed silently at having to move the one woman away from the door so that he could open it, and he moved in carefully. Slipping his arms around her waist, he shifted her weight and helped to ease the guard to a seated position on the floor. Then he opened Vivien’s door and slipped inside.

He waited a few minutes to make sure that everything was quiet, the pair of guards sleeping soundly outside the door and Vivien still oblivious in her bed. Callum pulled the order he’d written earlier out of his pocket and walked silently across the suite to Vivien’s bedchamber door. He dropped his invisibility as he moved, using his power instead to ensure that the queen was deeply asleep. Only then did he enter her private domain.

Callum knew where she kept the royal seal, of course, and he picked up the seal, wax, a pen and ink as he moved past her desk. Then he quietly spread the order on the table beside her bed, laid out the supplies and drew his power around him once more. It wouldn’t do if Vivien caught him here if she woke up too much.

Sending his power out from himself, Callum crawled into Vivien’s sleeping brain and planted a suggestion. There was a very important piece of paperwork that needed signing, and she’d accidentally fallen asleep before doing so. She’d left everything on the bedside table, and it would be a good idea if she took care of it right now.

Within a few moments, Callum watched the half-asleep queen rise and sign the attack order he’d left for her. Then, the suggestion in her head satisfied, Vivien went back to bed, falling once again into a deep sleep. Callum picked up the seal and other items, returned them to their proper places, and left Vivien’s bedchamber quietly.

Attack order safe in hand, and with the promise to his master fulfilled, Callum slipped back outside into the hall. Then, ensuring that his invisibility still held strong, he woke the guards and slipped back to his own room. Putting the signed order in his bag, he returned to his bed and tried to get what sleep he could before heading to the border the next morning.

Chapter 12The journey to the agreed upon meeting place at the border took two days. The servants

and supplies left at dawn that first day, Vivien and her entourage following along at a more sedate pace. The queen insisted that everything be perfect when she travelled, and she especially liked her comforts, so the different departure times allowed for her demands.

They spent the first night in a manor home “donated” for the evening, the displaced family going to stay with friends. Vivien took the master suite, a pair of guards at the door, and Callum had the next closest room. He found that he couldn’t sleep that night however, worrying over what awaited them at the border the following day. He really wanted this to work, wanted to follow Vivien’s wishes and not throw away two decades of working with her for his master, and Callum spent that night wondering what he could do to make that happen.

The meeting place was swarming with activity when they rode up late the second day. On Madelia’s side, servants had erected Vivien’s tent, Callum’s tent and a few of the large tents for the guards and for the kitchen. Across the invisible line that marked the border, physically marked now by an oddly empty area, he could see the Bacovian camp. There were four main tents there, and he assumed that the one with the eagle-in-flight flags marked Eryk’s home for the next few days. One of the others would be for Aislynn, and perhaps the captain of the guard had accompanied them after all. Callum also saw a decent contingent of cavalry, a group of foot soldiers and some archers. He smiled.

Over the years as Vivien’s chief advisor, an important role in a court that had no advisory council, he’d had the opportunity to negotiate a number of treaties and he knew that presentation was a very large part of any negotiation. Eryk, or someone advising him, obviously knew the rules of the game too.

After washing up a little, he ducked into Vivien’s tent, and shook his head. There were thick carpets spread on the ground, comfortable cushions on the furniture and a thick mattress on the oversized cot.

“Can I help you with something?”Vivien looked up from where she was sitting at a small camp table reading some papers.“I’m just letting you know that I’m leaving to meet with Eryk’s representative to finalize

details for tomorrow. We’ll be starting our meeting about two hours after dawn, so I’d get a good night’s sleep if you can.”

“Whose bright idea was that meeting time?”“Mine. The sooner we start this, the sooner we’re done and can go home to plan your

wedding.”Vivien grimaced. “Oh goodie.”Callum rolled his eyes. “You wanted this. I offered you another way to end it.”“Enough of that! Go work with the Bacovian and get this production underway.”“Certainly, your Majesty.” Callum bowed and left the tent.Before heading toward the Bacovian camp, Callum went hunting for a pair of the soldiers

to act as his guards. He wasn’t actually worried about defending himself, but appearances were so very important. Madelia was negotiating from the stronger position, and he was going to ensure that Bacovia knew that.

The meeting area set between the two camps was flat and clear of anything that could act

as cover. Neither side trusted the other, after all, and attacks from the shadows would be an interesting alternative way to end this conflict. Callum was also happy to see that the Bacovian representative was already waiting for him, an old gentleman with white hair, wrinkled skin and a stooped posture. Callum smiled as he met the man’s sharp gaze.

“Good afternoon, my Lord. How have you been?”“Good, good, my Lord. How would you like to do this? Formal or more casual?”“Casual is fine, Harmon,” Callum replied, his smile widening. “We’ve known each other

too long for formality.”“Excellent. Let’s get started then.”Callum looked around the selected site again. “We need to mark off the perimeter first, I

guess. The rules state that only the monarchs, their advisors and one guard can come within the perimeter, so we need to let everyone know where that is.”

“Agreed. How do you want to do that?”He looked around. It was late summer, edging toward fall. “Do you think we could find

enough flowers?”Harmon looked around too. “Possibly. If you send some servants out to search and I do

the same... We can try at least.” He signaled to one of the servants standing not too far away, the man dressed in the red and gray Bacovian livery. Passing along his instructions, Harmon glanced over his shoulder at Callum.

“It’s going to be getting dark soon, so we need some torches.”Callum nodded. “That won’t be a problem.” He signaled to one of his guards and

passed along his own demands. “Did you bring a table?”“Yes. It’s perfectly square, so everyone will be equally distant from each other. It’s the

best way to ensure that no party is...more elevated than the other.”“Excellent. I have a canvas that we can erect over the area to protect from the weather,

regardless of what it is. There are sides to the enclosure as well, but it’s likely best if we leave them off if we can.”

Harmon gave a dry chuckle. “Oh, I think you’re right about that, my Lord. I know for a fact that the head of the guard on our side won’t allow his Majesty out of sight without an argument. I assume your side will have objections to that as well.”

“True. We’ll keep them in case of bad weather, and allow for the possibility, shall we? How many more guards will make you happy?”

Harmon thought about that for a few moments. “Three? That would give each of us four in the enclosure.”

“That’s acceptable.” Callum made a note.Servants from both sides arrived with torches, which they planted into the ground and lit.

The flickering torchlight chased back the gathering evening shadows and other servants began to arrive with the flowers to mark the perimeter.

“How big do we want this area to be?” Callum asked.“Big enough that people standing at the perimeter can’t hear the negotiations. Assuming

there’s no yelling of course.”Callum chuckled. “I can’t guarantee that there will be no yelling. I know my queen, and

I’ve heard rumors about your king... It could get volatile.”Callum picked a spot to be a corner and placed some flowers there to mark a beginning.

Then he paced one hundred steps, placed some more flowers and started up the side of the square he was building. Once the corners were marked, he rejoined Harmon.

“Is that big enough?”“It should be. Will your canopy fit over it?”“Yes, I’m sure that it will.”Working together, the two men directed the servants to place Harmon’s table in the

middle of the space, arrange the flowers around it, and erect the canopy over it. It was well after full dark when they slid the four chairs into place at the table and the two lords sat.

“The last thing we need to worry about is the food,” Callum stated.“They’re getting started early, so we’ll need both a morning and a midday meal. If your

camp will prepare the one, we’ll take the other, and then we can switch the following day.”“That’s fair. How long do you think this will take?”Harmon leaned back in his chair. “I’m honestly not sure. His Majesty can be a little

headstrong, and her Highness is just as bad.”“Ah. So the princess is here.”“You’ve met her?”“No, but I’ve heard of her. I do look forward to meeting her Highness.”“Remind me to ask you about your impressions later.” Harmon laughed. “Are we

done?”“I think so. Have a good night, my Lord, and we’ll talk again.”Harmon nodded and rose, turning his back on Callum and walking toward the Bacovian

camp. Callum sat there and watched him leave, a brief flash of regret crossing his face. He liked the head of Bacovia’s diplomatic relations, and he truly hoped this worked out in Vivien’s favor. Unfortunately, as one of Eryk’s advisors, Harmon was part of the attack order Callum may need to send, and Harmon’s death would truly be a loss. How sad.

Callum rose from his chair and turned his back on the meeting area. Everything was as ready as it could be, and dawn was coming ever closer. The lack of sleep from the night before was weighing on him, making him feel slow and a little unsteady, and it was with relief that Callum undressed and crawled into his cot. Tomorrow would likely be a long day, and he needed to be fresh and alert to take full advantage of the negotiations.

Chapter 13“You’re not actually wearing that are you?”Callum stopped walking, looking at Vivien’s back as the queen put the finishing touches

on her hair. He couldn’t see the front of the dark blue dress she was wearing, but he recognized it.

“Yes, I am. Is there a problem?”“Don’t you think it’s a little much for negotiations?”Now Vivien turned around, her hands patting the last of the strand of diamonds wound

through her black hair in place. Her dress hugged her body from shoulder to thigh before flaring out around the knee so that she’d be able to walk properly. A matching strand of diamonds accented Vivien’s long, slender neck and drew attention to the plunging neckline of her gown.

“I was advised to make an impression. This outfit is certain to do that.” She gestured to herself, drawing Callum’s eyes down her body.

“Well, it will definitely tell his Majesty something.”Vivien chuckled. “You, on the other hand, look positively demure.”“I’m not trying to impress anyone.”He’d chosen a nice pair of dark green pants and a plain white shirt as his outfit. The

clothing was high quality, but nothing ostentatious. “Have you had anything to eat yet?” he asked, moving the conversation away from

clothing.“No, but I assume there will be food provided.”“There will be something, yes, but it may still be a good idea to have something now

before we head to the meeting area. Besides, Eryk hasn’t put in an appearance yet, and you wanted him in place first.”

Vivien nodded. “Okay, I’ll have something, but only something light.”Callum bowed at the waist and sent one of the servants waiting outside the tent to fetch

some fruit for the queen. He didn’t think it would take long for the Bacovian party to settle, so he didn’t want anything too complicated. If Vivien made them wait too long, it could weaken their position. Ah... The joy of politics!

About half an hour later, Callum escorted Vivien to the negotiation table. He kept a piece of his awareness on the camp around them, but he focused mostly on the three people waiting for them. As expected, Eryk was sitting beside a young woman who had to be Aislynn, and there was a tall, imposing man in a guard’s uniform standing at the king’s shoulder. The king and princess rose to greet them as he and Vivien crossed the flower border that marked the edge of the negotiation area.

“Your Majesty,” Eryk greeted his counterpart, taking her hand and raising it to his lips. He kissed the back of her knuckles gently, just the lightest feather of a touch. “It is a pleasure to meet you.”

Callum noticed that Eryk was dressed similarly to him, in a plain beige silk shirt and blue pants so dark they looked nearly black in the early morning light. The king wore his crown, a statement of his position, and the rubies and topaz gems shimmered as he moved his head.

“And you, your Majesty,” Vivien purred in return, her dark eyes glinting. “Let me

introduce my advisor, Lord Callum,” she continued, gesturing to Callum where he stood next to her. He nodded his greeting.

“And this is my advisor,” Eryk said, indicating Aislynn. “Her Highness, Princess Aislynn of Evendell.”

“Well, well, well,” the queen commented as she sat down. “So the rumors are true after all. Bacovia finally has a woman in a position of true power.” She looked at Eryk appreciatively while he resumed his seat. “That bodes well for our…discussions.”

While Eryk and Vivien continued to exchange pleasantries, Callum studied the young assassin. She was wearing a modest gown of burgundy fabric and her royal circlet graced her brow, but for all that she looked the part of a princess, he could see subtle things that set her apart from other highborn ladies he knew. Her posture, for example, wasn’t stiff and straight like he’d expect, and though she seemed to be paying attention to the conversation, Callum watched her eyes constantly flick around them. She was more attentive to the area around them than the guards were. And the princess didn’t like the queen at all...

“So the first order of business,” Callum commented once the small talk drew to a close, “is determining how the kingdom is going to look once the marriage occurs.”

Drawn back to the task at hand, Aislynn pushed the map she’d brought across toward the other side of the table. “This is the current border,” she said, indicating the appropriate line on the map. “We need to make sure the depiction of Madelia is correct so that the borders of Bacovia can be redrawn properly.”

“What makes you think that it’s the Bacovian borders that need to be redrawn?” Vivien asked, glancing down at the map that lay in front of her.

“That is the custom when two kingdoms are merged through marriage,” Eryk reminded her. “It’s the husband’s kingdom that’s expanded.”

“We’ll just have to see about that,” Vivien purred, laying her hand on Eryk’s arm gently. “That is what these negotiations are about, after all.”

Callum watched Aislynn stiffen ever so slightly when the queen touched Eryk, and he sighed inwardly. It was possible that the reaction was only concern for the king’s safety, but somehow he didn’t think he’d be so lucky. He’d have to watch carefully.

“It wouldn’t make sense to expand Madelia anyway,” Eryk pointed out. “Bacovia is four or five times bigger than your kingdom, your Majesty.”

“And? I don’t think it’s a good idea to assume that anything is pre-determined.”Eryk sighed. “I’m not going to cede Bacovia, so if that’s your intention with this little

chat, than we might as well leave right now.” He looked at Vivien expectantly.The queen threw up her hands dramatically. “Fine, if that’s the way you want it.”“We’re interested in increasing the arable land belonging to Madelia,” Callum broke in,

hoping to avoid raising tempers this early in the game.“Why? Once the marriage is official, Madelia becomes part of Bacovia. Why does the

border matter after that?” Aislynn sat back in her chair, looking relaxed. Behind her, the tall guard shifted his weight, his dark eyes darting around nervously. Callum fought the urge to glance over his shoulder.

“Her Majesty has a few thoughts about the future organization of Bacovia,” Callum volunteered with a smile.

“Oh really?” Eryk quirked an eyebrow. “What thoughts would those be?”“Well I’m certainly not going to let you take everything away from me, your Majesty.

I’m accustomed to ruling, and I intend to continue ruling after our wedding.”

“Of course you’ll continue to rule. You’ll be the queen of Bacovia, and you’ll rule with me.”

“Are you so eager to share your power, Eryk?” Vivien asked, dropping his title as she leaned forward. “Are you expecting me to leave my home and move into your castle with you?”

A brief look of confusion flashed across the king’s face before he schooled his features. “If that’s not your intention, then what do you propose?”

“That I retain control of Madelia, ruling it as a province of Bacovia.”Eryk turned to look at Aislynn, and Callum watched his features harden just a little.

There was tension between the members of the Bacovian party, he noted. Aislynn shrugged, a tiny movement that Callum would have missed if he hadn’t been looking for it.

“Bacovia doesn’t have provinces,” the king commented.“Then now’s a good time to change that, isn’t it?” Vivien asked with a self-satisfied

smile.

“That was an incredibly long day,” Vivien sighed, leaning back against the table in the middle of her large tent. She kicked off her shoes and dug her toes into the thick carpets that covered the hard ground. She really did like her comforts, even when away from home. Or perhaps especially when away from home.

“It was just the first,” Callum replied, sitting down in one of the nearby chairs. “We barely scratched the surface today.”

“True, but it was a good start. I think we should be able to wrap this up in a couple of days.” Lifting her arms, Vivien unwound the diamonds from her hair, throwing them carelessly on to the table. “In fact, I’d be willing to bank on it.”

“Do you really mean that?” Callum rubbed his eyes and then lifted his gaze to meet that of his queen.

“Certainly. I wouldn’t joke about something as serious as that. We have no time to waste, so we’ll send the message tonight.”

“Yes, your Majesty, right away.” Callum rose to feet to carry out Vivien’s order. He gathered supplies from the small chest she kept for that purpose.

“What would you like to say?” he asked when he was ready.“Commander,” she dictated. “Negotiations are underway to end the conflict with

Bacovia. In light of the concessions made so far by our enemies, you are hereby ordered to cease all raiding across the border. Further, you should begin to prepare your soldiers to break camp and return home.”

When he finished writing, Callum presented the paper to Vivien, and the queen signed it and sealed it with the winged serpent symbol of Madelia. Watching her, he resisted the urge to berate her for her stupidity. How could Vivien honestly be so confident in their success? Ordering the army to stand down was irresponsible.

Callum bowed low as Vivien returned the letter to him, and then left the tent quickly. He walked swiftly to his own tent, wondering again at his master’s foresight as he dug through his belongings until he came upon the rolled parchment he’d brought. Rhys had suspected that Callum would need to send this order to the squad of soldiers to the west, and while he still wasn’t certain about the status of Eryk and Aislynn’s relationship, there was certainly something in the tension between them. Add that something to the insanity of Vivien

essentially recalling the army, and Callum was happy for his master’s insistence. He regretted the loss of his years of effort grooming the queen, but Rhys was right. She’d become too difficult to work with, too headstrong.

He held the parchment Vivien had given him and released a small surge of power. Flames leapt from the palm of his hand, consuming the paper in a blink of an eye. He leaned over the brazier in his tent and blew gently, getting rid of the ash and therefore the last of the evidence. Then, taking the other paper, the one ordering the attack on Eryk’s palace in Eaglecrest, Callum slipped back out of the tent. The execution of this order would begin the other as well, the one he’d sent to one of Bacovia’s lieutenants. He smiled at the finely crafted plan coming together.

A short while later, as the sun started to sink below the horizon, a messenger cantered out of the rear of the Madelian encampment. Turning his mount’s head into the setting sun, the soldier rode off to do his duty.

Chapter 14Callum showed himself into Vivien’s tent for what he hoped was the last time. They’d

spent two full days in negotiations with the king of Bacovia, and once they finished reviewing the agreement today, both sides were free to return to their respective courts. He’d spent hours the night before working with Aislynn to draft the marriage and treaty agreements, and Callum was pleased with the results. He just had to guide Vivien through today and they were ready to plan her wedding, though he really didn’t think the marriage would last very long.

The queen finished tying her belt around her slim hips when he entered, and she turned with a swirl of red satin skirts. As the shiny fabric settled once more, Vivien smiled at her advisor, looking pleased and relaxed.

“Are we ready?”“Yes, your Majesty. With luck, this will be our last session.”“Why wouldn’t it be?”“If we made mistakes in the documents last night, there would be room for further

negotiation. We were very careful though. Her Highness seems very eager for this to be over, so she’s being meticulous.”

“And why is her Highness so anxious to be rid of us?”Callum chuckled. “I’m not certain, but I suspect she’s finding his Majesty difficult to

deal with.” He’d observed Eryk and Aislynn again yesterday, and he was certain now that there was

definitely something between the two of them. And he was thankful that he’d ordered the attack on Eryk’s palace. His master would be incredibly angry if he’d let the opportunity pass, and Rhys wasn’t pleasant to deal with when he was angry. He was also liable to kill someone.

Vivien quirked an eyebrow, but didn’t reply to Callum’s observation. Instead, she started walking toward the tent entrance, and he joined her as the queen walked past. The morning sun was bright as the pair moved to the negotiation area, and Callum noticed immediately that the players were different today. Aislynn and Eryk were sitting in their usual places, both of them looking tired and drawn, but Eryk’s guard was a man Callum hadn’t seen before. He was shorter than average with a muscular build, short blond hair, and blue eyes that missed nothing as he scanned the area around his king.

Thinking back, Callum realized he’d made a false assumption. The tall, imposing man who’d stood guard at the king’s back for the past two days was certainly competent and intimidating, but this man was more. Callum had thought that previous man was the captain of Eryk’s guard, but now he knew better. This man standing there now was the real captain, and Callum scrutinized the trio to see if the rumors he’d heard about the captain and princess were true.

“Let’s just go over the terms as agreed, shall we?” Callum asked, laying out the documents that had been prepared. “The borders of Bacovia will be expanded to encompass what is currently the kingdom of Madelia. Following the customs of Bacovia, the first male child produced of the union will inherit the throne of the kingdom.”

Aislynn picked up the recount in order to explain the next part of the agreement. “The new kingdom of Bacovia will be divided into four principalities of roughly the same size. One of these principalities will be the current kingdom of Madelia, and it will retain that name. Her

Majesty will continue to rule the principality of Madelia, and a subsequent child of the union, regardless of gender, can rule any of the four principalities. For now, his Majesty will appoint lords of Bacovia to rule over the three remaining areas of the kingdom.”

“Her Majesty will spend two-thirds of the year in Madelia, at her family’s traditional home in Ironvale,” Callum continued. “During the summer months, she will journey to the seat of Bacovia’s power in Eaglecrest and spend the time with his Majesty. When her Majesty is with child, she will reside in Bacovia’s palace until the child is born, and then their Majesties will negotiate the child’s upbringing.”

Callum paused and looked across the table at Eryk and Aislynn. Neither seemed particularly happy with the terms, but they weren’t arguing either. He smiled and let the princess continue reading the papers.

“The wedding will take place in three weeks time, in Bacovia’s capital city. At that time, her Majesty will be crowned Queen of Bacovia, with all the rights and privileges associated with the title. Her Majesty is responsible for her dress, and his Majesty is responsible for the rings, the ceremony and the reception. Her Majesty brings her kingdom as her dowry.”

“The armies of both kingdoms should be recalled immediately, and their Majesties expect that fighting will cease along the border within the week. Any further hostilities are an act of war, and will nullify this treaty,” Callum finished. He cringed a little inwardly, knowing that the attack he’d ordered on Eryk’s palace was exactly the type of “hostility” that would negate everything the four of them had accomplished over the past few days. Still, he was certain that the attack was the best option for his master’s plan to progress.

“Is there anything further, or are we done?” Aislynn asked, tiredness creeping into her voice now.

Vivien smiled and leaned forward a little. Eryk saw her move and shook his head.“The answer is no, Vivien, so don’t even bother asking.”The queen pouted prettily. “But what if something happens to you?”“Then Davin becomes king and you’re nothing more than a regent until he reaches the

age of sixteen.”“I’m a queen, Eryk, and I am more than capable of ruling Bacovia.”“You will NEVER rule Bacovia!” Eryk shouted, rising to his feet. “You will be, at best,

a voice on my council. You will be nothing more, is that clear?”Vivien’s eyes narrowed, her own anger starting to flare. Callum reached out and put a

hand on her arm, gently urging her to let it go. There wasn’t any reason to keep pushing Eryk on this matter, and he really didn’t want to undo the treaty they were so close to signing. The treaty was a good back-up plan in case the attack didn’t go as planned.

Vivien sighed and nodded. “Fine, Eryk. Go ahead and sit back down.”As the king of Bacovia resumed his seat, Callum smoothed the treaty he was holding.

Spreading the parchment out on the table, he reached for the winged serpent seal of Madelia and the wax. Across the table, Aislynn mirrored his actions, getting the eagle-in-flight seal of Bacovia ready.

At a nod from Eryk, Aislynn lit the red candle and let the hot wax drip on to the treaty. With a nearly invisible sigh, the king picked up his royal seal and pressed it down to mark the agreement as complete. Vivien grinned in triumph as she pushed her own seal into the green wax Callum prepared for her, and the two advisors traded treaties so their respective monarchs could seal the second one too.

“If that’s everything then, we will see you in just less than three weeks for the wedding.”

Callum picked up one copy of the treaty and stood, offering Vivien his arm. The queen regained her feet and they both turned their backs on the Bacovian party and started to walk back to the Madelian camp.

The camp, partially disassembled by the time Callum and Vivien returned to the queen’s tent, showed that everyone was busy preparing for the journey home. Holding the flap of the tent aside, the chief advisor bowed the queen inside and then followed closely behind her.

“Will we be leaving right away, or waiting until everything is disassembled?” he queried.“We’ll leave as soon as I’ve changed. I just want to get home and continue with the

preparations to complete the treaty requirements.”“Certainly, your Majesty. I’ll just go and prepare my own belongings and get my horse.

Will you ride or shall I request your carriage?”Vivien paused to think for a moment. “I think I’ll ride with you, at least to begin. That

will get us out of here more quickly.”Callum bowed and left the tent, and the first of Vivien’s entourage rode out of the camp

within the hour. And as he rode, Callum counted the days since he’d sent the message to his loyal squad of soldiers. With luck, the attack on Eryk’s palace would occur within the next few days, cancelling the wedding before it even got underway. His master’s plan would take a huge leap forward, one of the two remaining members of the Bacovian family dealt with.

Chapter 15Callum fell into bed, exhausted both from the long ride home and from dealing with Cora

once he’d arrived. He liked the woman, but he didn’t need to deal with her as soon as he walked in the door.

The ride home from the border was quick and uneventful, Vivien obviously sincere in her desire to return to her palace and prepare for her wedding. The queen had actually nattered on about her thoughts and plans, something that surprised Callum immensely. Who’d have thought that she was secretly as obsessed with her “big day” as any other woman?

It seemed like he’d just closed his eyes to sleep when the incessant chiming from his mirror brought him clawing his way back to consciousness. Callum literally rolled off of his bed and stumbled to the mirror. The sound of his master’s power rang though his room again as Callum reached out with his own magical gift to answer the summons.

“You didn’t contact me when you returned from the border,” Rhys started immediately.“I’m sorry, Master. It was incredibly late when I reached the privacy of my room, and I

didn’t think that there was anything important enough to disturb you with tonight.” Callum bowed low, his head dipping below the frame of the mirror.

“Well there was something important that you failed to impart. You ordered the attack on Eryk’s palace.”

“Yes, Master, I did,” Callum agreed as he straightened. Keeping his head bowed, he wondered how Rhys came by his information so quickly. He knew that foresight was his master’s Gift, not scrying. “I’m still not entirely sure of the scope of the relationship between Aislynn and the king, but there was certainly something.”

“The attack failed.”“I’m sorry, my Master. I chose the soldiers I’ve worked with in the past, and I was

certain they would be sufficient for the assignment.”“You were obviously wrong. Eryk survived, as did Aislynn, and there is proof that

Madelia is behind the attack. Bacovia is going to nullify the treaty you just finished negotiating.”

“Again, I’m very sorry, Master. I regret the lack of progress for your plan.”Rhys paused, and Callum dared to look up and meet his master’s eyes. “My plan will

progress.”Callum looked startled. “Really? How so?”“Eryk is going to order retribution for the attack on his castle, and for the deaths of half

of his council. He’s going to order Vivien’s death because of this.”“What do you need me to do, Master?”“You’re going to let the attack happen.”Callum’s eyes widened in shock, but Rhys terminated the communication between them

before he could question his master’s orders. Unsure of what to make of this new development, he stumbled back to his bed and spent the rest of the night staring at the ceiling.

Chapter 16The days passed with startling normalcy. Citizens continued to submit petitions for the

queen to consider, Vivien continued to plan her wedding, and the army reported - quietly - to Callum. The queen’s chief advisor refused to let the relative calm lull him into a false sense of security, however. His master said an attack on the queen was coming, and Rhys was very rarely wrong. And so, Callum waited.

There were times when he was tempted to say something, tempted to warn the queen of the upcoming attack. She was, after all, his friend. Whenever this urge reared its head though, Callum would just shrug it off, determined to follow his master’s orders. His loyalty was ever to Rhys, first and foremost, the man who’d saved him and given him everything. He was supposed to let the attack occur, and so he would. Callum knew that Rhys had already expressed doubts about Vivien’s usefulness after all, an indication that he likely wanted her removed. Given the choice between letting this upcoming attack do that and having to do it himself, Callum opted for the former.

Sometimes, late into the night, Callum would wonder about how Vivien was going to fare when the predicted attack finally happened. She certainly wasn’t a warrior, but he knew that the queen had a few tricks up her sleeve, sometimes literally. Vivien generally had at least one hidden blade on her person, and she did have a sextet of personal guards at her disposal. Perhaps she did have a chance to survive this.

But then logic would put in an appearance during his musings. Callum knew whom Eryk was going to send after the queen, or at least whom he’d send in the Bacovian king’s position. Eryk had a trained assassin at his beck and call, after all. Callum knew Rhys’ skills and could reasonably assume that Aislynn’s training was similar, making her a logical choice. The queen didn’t stand a chance against an assassin of that caliber, regardless of her tricks.

“Callum? Did you hear me?”He shook his head and looked up from the papers he held. “I’m sorry. What was that?”“I asked your opinion.”Callum looked over at Vivien, who was standing in front of the full-length mirror. Her

seamstress flitted around making final adjustments to the wedding gown the queen wore and the early morning sunlight streamed in through the large double windows.

“The gown looks lovely,” he commented.Vivien rolled her eyes. “Not your opinion about the gown. I asked your opinion about

the rumors. The ones about Eryk being dead and his city sacked?”Callum nodded his understanding. Eaglecrest wasn’t too far from here, and there was

regular travel between there and Ironvale. Traders and travelers were common, and they brought as many rumors as they did goods.

“I don’t think it’s anything to worry about,” he lied smoothly. “You know how rumors are - the more interesting the story, the more likely people are to repeat it. Nobody bothers to check if the story is true or not.”

“That reminds me,” Vivien said as she turned at the seamstress’ direction. “Have you received any reports from the army commander yet? We left the border over a week ago and the order for the army to withdraw was sent before that.”

“I’ve had some communication with the army, yes,” Callum confirmed, leaving out

exactly the type of correspondence.“And?”“What would you like to know?”“Is everything proceeding like we planned?”“The plan is progressing.” Rhys’ plan, but the queen didn’t need to know that, either.Vivien seemed satisfied with her advisor’s report and turned her attention back to the

mirror and the seamstress. A short while later, as Callum was getting ready to leave, one of Vivien’s guards

knocked on the outside door of the suite. “Your Majesty, there’s a courier here from the border,” the woman explained quietly,

stepping into the doorway that led into Vivien’s private quarters. “What would you like me to do with him?”

Vivien glanced over to Callum, and he nodded.“Take him to my office,” he told the guard. “I’ll speak with him while her Majesty

finishes up here.”The guard bowed and left the room, and Callum repeated the gesture, excusing himself

from the queen’s presence. Leaving the suite quickly, he wondered what news the messenger brought with him. It likely wasn’t anything good.

Callum entered his office shortly before the messenger arrived, and he was rather surprised to see the man’s dusty uniform and the exhausted look on his face.

“You must have ridden hard,” he commented, sitting down at his desk. The soldier’s appearance gave credence to the idea that the news wasn’t happy. He gestured for the man to sit in the chair facing him.

“Yes, my Lord. I rode through the night to reach you with this news.”“And what news is that?”“There was an attack on the Bacovian capital, about a week ago now. The king was

wounded during the attack, and a number of his council and guardsmen were killed. In retaliation for this attack, the Bacovians are massing their army and they will attack our encampment soon.”

“I see. And how do you know this information is accurate?”“One of our men under cover in their army captured his commander and turned him over

to us. The army commander learned of this information during questioning, and he sent me right away.”

The door to his office opened without a knock, saving Callum from having to reply, and Vivien swept into the room. The men rose and the soldier bowed to the queen.

“So what’s going on?” she asked, waving them to sit again. She chose another chair and sat down herself.

“It seems there’s some truth to those rumors after all,” Callum said quietly.“Really? Which parts?”“There was an attack on the Bacovian capital, and Eryk is blaming us. Apparently, he’s

massing the army for an attack.”“Blaming us? How could he possibly blame us?” The queen stood up and started to

pace. Then she turned to face the soldier again. “How is this possible?”“I don’t know, your Majesty,” the solider replied with a swallow. “The army

commander didn’t provide me with that information.”“And where is your commander?”

“At the border, awaiting your orders, your Majesty.”“At the border? What is the army doing at the border? I sent orders for them to

withdraw over a week ago!”The solider looked pale, imagining that the queen was about to take her ire out on him,

but Callum intervened.“I guess it’s a good thing they’re still there,” he commented into a silence. “Otherwise,

the Bacovian army would be able to march directly across the border and likely right up the road to this city.”

That made Vivien pause, and after a moment, she sat once more. She appeared calm, but Callum recognized the signs of her anger - the tightness of her lips and the blooms of color in her cheeks. He knew that he had to proceed with caution.

“Regardless of the why of this mess,” he said, “we need to prepare some sort of plan for the army. We can’t let an army cross our border without retaliation of some sort.”

“I want somebody’s head for this, Callum,” Vivien stated firmly. “I know that Eryk wasn’t happy with the fact that he was forced to negotiate a treaty, but he’s not incautious. He has to have some firm reason to believe that Madelia was behind that attack.”

Callum looked over at the soldier, who looked pale at the queen’s words. “You may leave us, but don’t venture too far away. We’ll need you to take your commander’s orders back with you.”

“Yes, my Lord,” the soldier said with a bow and a look of relief. He didn’t want to be under the queen’s scrutiny any longer than necessary.

Once the man left his office, Callum looked back to Vivien. “So what do you want to do about this?”

“How big is Bacovia’s army? And how big is ours?”“We’ve been actively recruiting and conscripting, so we have about three thousand men

at the border, at last count. According to our spies, Eryk has at least twice that number, but he has outposts all around the kingdom. In the area of Bacovia nearest Madelia, he should have no more than fifteen hundred soldiers. Maybe two thousand if he calls in reinforcements.”

“Good, so we have an advantage of numbers.” Vivien paused, and Callum smiled inwardly. This was the Vivien he knew, a true queen as opposed to the insipid girl she’d been acting like recently. She’d been leaving far too many decisions in his hands while dealing with the whole wedding thing.

“Call together my advisors,” the queen commanded, “and have everyone meet in my chambers. We’ll lay some plans and make sure the courier is back on his way to the border as soon as possible.”

“Yes, your Majesty.” Callum rose and went to follow her orders.Vivien didn’t keep a regular council since she didn’t like to share her power. Instead, the

queen had a number of advisors, each specializing in a different aspect of the kingdom, and they all reported to Callum. The fact that Callum had the ability to make the decisions he did was testimony to the trust he’d managed to build over the past two decades of service to the crown. Whenever a problem arose, like now, Vivien would summon the appropriate advisors to help explore the options and Callum gathered the military officials now. He also let some of the other advisors know that they could be needed later, and he spoke with Cora personally.

“I’m afraid that I have to cancel our lunch together,” he informed her. Cora, who was reading in the library, looked up from her book.

“You know that already? It’s barely mid-morning.”

“I know,” he agreed as he approached her. “Something’s come up. I’ll likely be working straight through the day, and you may be needed later yourself.”

“Really? What’s going on?”“There has been a development with his Majesty, and Eryk is gathering his army to

attack. We’re going to be planning our strategy.”Cora turned away from him, looking out the window while she gathered her thoughts.

“I’m not sure how I could be useful in those discussions,” she commented finally.“You are one of Vivien’s advisors. One never knows what her Majesty will need.”She chuckled. “I don’t know how my particular expertise can help plan a battle, but I am

always at her Majesty’s disposal. And yours, of course, my Lord.”Callum smiled and leaned down to kiss her briefly. “I’ll see you when I can.”Vivien kept everyone busy long into the night. She wanted to cover a few different

scenarios so that her army would be able to adapt quickly to whatever Eryk was planning to throw at it. Callum took notes to draft into proper orders, and they were able to send the courier back to the border with the dawn.

“Do you think we’ve done enough?” Vivien asked when they were alone once again.“I’m not sure,” Callum replied honestly. “But we’ve done everything we can. Hopefully

we’ll catch them off guard by moving so quickly, but only time will tell.”

Chapter 17Callum rose from the small table in his office when Cora appeared in the doorway and

moved over to pull the other chair out for her. After she sat, he tucked the chair into the table a little and then resumed his own seat.

“What would you like this morning?” he asked, hands hovering over the covered breakfast dishes. He hadn’t been able to see her at all the day before, and this intimate little meal was Callum’s way of making it up to her. Their relationship had grown steadily over the past few months, something that increased Cora’s status at court considerably, though Callum didn’t really care about that. Cora certainly did, but she’d given him no indication that their relationship was anything other than two people perhaps falling in love. He’d have to keep an eye on her though, in case the lady was a better liar than even he was.

“I think just a little bread and jam for me, thank you,” Cora replied with a smile. “I’m feeling a little unwell today.”

“Oh? Is there something wrong?”“I don’t think so. I’m just feeling a little...off.”“So what do you have planned for today, my dear?” Callum asked as he placed two

pieces of bread on Cora’s plate. He picked up the small pot of jam and laid it within easy reach.

“I’m going to go and visit with Vivien, I think. If what you told me is true, I imagine she’ll be a little disheartened that her wedding has been cancelled.”

“Oh, it has most certainly been cancelled,” Callum assured her. “Marching an army across the border isn’t really an indication of good will. Unless, of course, his Majesty is gifting the army to the queen as part of a wedding gift.”

Cora had just taken a sip of tea when Callum spoke those words, and her resulting giggle made her choke and cough. When she calmed herself, Cora glared over at Callum.

“You did that on purpose,” she stated angrily.“I would never do something like that,” he replied gravely, but the twinkle in his hazel

eyes belied his words.“So what will happen next?” Cora asked after she’d regained her composure. “Will

everything continue the way it has been, or will there be a single battle to end it all?”“Honestly, I don’t know. But if you made me guess, I’d lean toward the latter. Eryk will

use his army to try and crush ours, ending the raids and conflict decisively.” At least he would if he had a brain in that head of his, Callum commented silently.

“Well I just hope that everything is over soon, one way or another,” Cora commented.One way or another. That sounded very...dangerous. Callum shuddered and changed

the topic of conversation.

Cora nodded to the guards on duty outside of Vivien’s room and knocked on the door. She was a familiar enough sight now that the guards didn’t question her presence, but she wasn’t sure of Vivien’s reception this morning. Would the queen want to talk about her cancelled wedding, or would she just want to mull it over alone? Or worse, would the volatile queen strike out in anger at a target presenting herself? Vivien herself opened the door, and Cora curtsied.

“Good morning, your Majesty,” she said from the bottom of her curtsey. Vivien let Cora remain where she was for a few moments before inviting her to rise.

“What would you like Cora?”“I was wondering if you wanted some company. I heard about your wedding...” She

trailed off.“I see.”Vivien stood there, framed by her doorway, just looking at the woman standing in front

of her. Finally, she nodded curtly and gestured for Cora to follow her inside. Cora did, shutting the door quietly behind her.

Vivien’s receiving room was organized partially as a meeting a room, and partially as a sitting room. The queen moved across to one of the chairs in her seating arrangement and sat down. Cora moved over to join her.

“So do you want to talk about it?” Cora prompted softly once the silence in the room became unbearable. Vivien pursed her lips.

“It’s stupid, really,” the queen muttered. “I didn’t really want to marry him anyway, but I guess I just got caught up in the excitement of it all. It’s disappointing, I guess.”

The two women spent the next little while discussing Vivien’s plans for the cancelled wedding before moving on to inventing reasons why the marriage wouldn’t have worked anyway. Cora enjoyed outlining Eryk’s faults, making Vivien laugh as they talked about what living with someone like Eryk would be like. All in all, they spent an enjoyable morning together and continued their chat over lunch. Everything was great until the sounds from the hallway outside of the suite interrupted them.

“What is all of this commotion out here?” Vivien asked with a cool, controlled voice as she opened the door.

“We’re very sorry, your Majesty,” Cora heard one of the guards reply. “We caught this slave sneaking around out here and were just taking care of the situation.”

“Oh were you now? Then why is there such a mess? Bring her in here,” the queen ordered.

The guards grabbed the slave by the upper arms, causing her to hiss quietly in pain. The two women picked her up from where she was kneeling on the ground and then they practically dragged the slave through the open door. Inside, the guards forced the slave to her knees once again. She kept her body hunched and kept her eyes on the floor. The woman knew she was in trouble, and there didn’t seem to be a way around it.

“Now, explain to me why you’ve disturbed my afternoon conference?” Vivien demanded. Cora thought that it was rather funny to refer to their gossip as a conference, but she certainly wasn’t about to correct the queen.

“As I said, your Majesty—” one of the guards began, but Vivien cut her off.“I want this creature to explain,” the queen sneered, looking down at the slave in front of

her. The guard on the left nudged the slave with her boot. “I was told to clean all of the fireplaces in the castle, to get them ready for the winter, and

nobody told me that there were fireplaces that I shouldn’t clean, so I was up here doing what I was told, then I…tripped and spilled the buckets on the carpet and I was trying to clean the mess when the guards came and—”

“I know that voice,” Cora interrupted, rising from her chair and taking a few steps closer. “Where do I know that voice from?”

The slave stiffened, and shook her head slightly. “Let me get a look at her,” said Cora.

One of the guards grabbed a handful of the slave’s hair and yanked her head up so that she could get a good look. Cora recognized the woman on the floor in front of them immediately and recoiled in horror, hands coming up in front of her defensively.

“You!” Cora gasped. “Guards! Kill her immediately!” Images from Cora’s recent past flickered through her mind, memories of her brother, his plan, and the woman she blamed for tearing their lives apart.

The guards weren’t entirely sure how to react to Cora’s order. Their queen hadn’t issued an order, but Cora was obviously afraid of this slave. They grabbed the woman on the floor once again, and hauled her to her feet, but didn’t draw their weapons. Not yet.

The slave glared at the women standing in front of her, all illusion of submissiveness gone. “You look different,” she said, looking at Cora. “You’re not the timid little thing you were when last we met. I guess not having your big brother around has done wonders for your self-esteem.”

“How dare you talk about my brother, you murdering bitch,” Cora replied, feeling more confident with the guards holding the prisoner tightly. She straightened, hands reflexively smoothing her long brown hair. Cora looked at the queen once again.

“Your Majesty, may I introduce you to her Royal Highness, Princess Aislynn of Evendell.”

Vivien started to laugh, a low throaty sound. She swept around in front of Aislynn to take a good look at the princess, and the guards tightened their grips on her arms.

“Well isn’t this a pleasant surprise,” Vivien commented. “We haven’t had the opportunity to chat in days now! And since I returned from our negotiations, Cora’s told me all about you.”

Cora gasped at the lie, but nobody was looking at her. She already had enough trouble with Aislynn, and she didn’t need the woman harboring any more ill will toward her. What was the princess doing here, dressed and acting like a Madelian slave?

“Oh, has she?” asked Aislynn. “Then you’re either a fool or she hasn’t told you everything.”

“And why is that?” Vivien wanted to know.“Because you haven’t ordered your guards to kill me yet.”With that statement, time seemed to speed up for Cora. The guards were holding

Aislynn’s arms, but not her hands. Aislynn stomped her foot down hard on one of the guard’s feet, and the woman let go of the princess and stumbled backwards. Cora watched Aislynn reach over to her left, drawing that guard’s sword. Then, with a quick twist of her hand, Aislynn brought the sword swinging straight back and thrust it into the guard’s stomach, leaving the guard bleeding from the deep belly wound and taking her out of Aislynn’s way.

Backing into a corner of the room and trying to avoid the obviously dangerous woman, Cora started to scream.

Chapter 18Callum worked throughout the morning, a feeling of uneasiness lurking at the edge of his

consciousness. He wasn’t sure if it was simply knowing that there were monumental events on the horizon, or if it was his nearly non-existent ability to tell the future trying to communicate a message. Either way, Callum found himself twitchy and unable to sit still and concentrate on the paperwork piled up on the desk in front of him.

Finally, he gave up even trying and went to the arena for some exercise. Callum hoped that some physical exertion would help to calm his oddly jangled nerves, and that was where the guards found him. He was just leaving for a late lunch when a frazzled guard burst into the arena.

“My Lord,” the man said breathlessly. “There’s a problem.”Everyone knew not to disturb Callum when he was practicing unless it was important,

and this guard paired with his feeling of unease made his breath catch. “Tell me.”“One of the delivery men is missing, my Lord. There was one less than there should

have been to collect their pay. We’ve checked the grounds, but haven’t been able to find him.”He nodded, understanding the danger of their unwelcome “guest” more than the guard

did. “I’ll go and tell the Queen.”Callum strode quickly through the palace corridors, his feeling of apprehension blooming

into outright nervousness. He must have had an interesting expression on his face as he walked, practically jogging, toward Vivien’s suite, because servants and slaves scurried out of his way. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, he took a breath and took the stairs two at a time.

The hallway outside of Vivian’s suite was deserted, and Callum paused. While the queen’s pair of bodyguards usually patrolled the area during the day, the lack of guards paired with a spilled bucket of soot and water sent alarm bells ringing in his head. He reached for the doorknob just as he heard a woman start to scream.

Reacting instinctively, Callum grasped the knob with one hand and his sword hilt with the other ready to burst into the room...but then he stopped. His master had told him to let the attack on Vivien happen, hadn’t he. He took a deep breath, the air rattling into his lungs as he wrestled with the conflict between his duty and his friendship. Then he let go of the knob and walked away.

Aislynn quickly whipped her sword back toward the other guard, forcing the woman to let go of her arm, and Aislynn took two steps backwards, still facing Vivien. Cora was still screaming, but Aislynn seemed to tune her out, keeping her eyes on the guard. The one she had wounded lay still, clutching her stomach, and Aislynn went after her first, finishing her off with a stab through the heart.

Every moment she watched, Cora became more and more scared. Aislynn was going to kill Vivien, she just knew it, and then the princess was going to kill her. Cora could see her death written in the way Aislynn moved, in the calm way she killed the guard, and she wished she’d paid more attention to the rumors about the princess. After Eryk’s father was assassinated, rumors that Aislynn was an assassin had circled quietly around the Bacovian court, and Cora could see the truth of those stories now.

Aislynn moved on to the next guard, but this one wasn’t as easy a target as the first had

been. She met Aislynn with the sound of metal on metal, their swords meeting so violently that they struck sparks. Aislynn was taller than the woman she faced, and she sought to use that height to her advantage, bringing her sword up over her head for a downward chop. The guard darted forward, quick as a snake, and slashed her sword across Aislynn’s unprotected stomach.

The princess saw the attack coming, and bent forward at the waist to try and minimize the damage. She accepted the blow, bringing her sword down with every bit of her strength, cleaving into the woman’s collarbone. The guard’s arm and hand went limp, and her sword dropped to the ground. Blood from the wound ran freely down the guard’s arm, and she looked at it in shock. She was still looking at the blood on her arm when Aislynn’s sword took her head off.

Cora’s eyes widened in shock and horror, and then out of the corner of her eye, she saw movement. Still screaming, her voice starting to become ragged from the effort of sustaining that level of fear, she turned just in time to see Byron, captain of Bacovia’s royal guard, put his knife to Vivien’s throat. Cora watched Aislynn shake her head in disgust; he could have ended it, right here and now, and instead they now had a prisoner. Aislynn obviously wasn’t happy about that.

As Aislynn turned away from the queen, the assassin took a few quick steps to bring her right up in front of Cora. The princess grabbed her around the throat, and Cora’s screams ended in a strangled gurgle.

“Just what are you doing here?” Aislynn asked menacingly. “This is my home,” Cora replied quietly once Aislynn had eased up on her throat a little,

allowing her to speak. “I came here when my brother didn’t come for me.”“She has been very helpful over these past months,” said Vivien, speaking for the first

time since the fight had begun. Her voice was steady and she sounded unconcerned, despite the knife at her throat that was drawing a thin bead of blood. Cora threw the queen a look of horror before turning her gaze back to meet Aislynn’s brown eyes.

“I haven’t done anything, I swear. Please don’t kill me!” she pleaded.“And why shouldn’t I? Your brother wanted me dead, after all, and for all I know, you

were in on the attack he led. You were certainly involved in the most recent attack.”“I wasn’t, I promise. Please, let me go.”“So you can summon more guards? I don’t think so.” Aislynn squeezed again, and Cora

began to choke, but instead of simply strangling her to death, Aislynn brought her sword hand up. Turning the weapon, she brought the pommel down hard against Cora’s temple, and the woman collapsed to the ground.

Vivien knew what was coming, but she wasn’t going to go down without a fight. She twisted her right hand in an odd little motion, dropping a knife from a hidden sheath on her arm into her hand. Reversing her grip on the handle, the queen drove her arm backwards, stabbing the knife up to the hilt into Byron’s stomach. Byron gasped in pain, releasing his captive and dropping his dagger.

Aislynn was across the room in just a few seconds, but Vivien still had enough time to bend down and retrieve Byron’s dropped weapon. The queen stepped behind Byron quickly, bringing his own weapon up to his throat.

“Drop the sword, or he dies,” Vivien commanded, glaring coldly at the would-be assassin from her protected position behind her friend and accomplice.

The princess looked truly torn, and Vivien knew that she’d found a chink in Aislynn’s

armor. By the hesitation, it was obvious that the upstart assassin was wrestling between her job and her obvious friendship for the man that Vivien now held prisoner. Aislynn dropped the sword, and the sound of it falling to the ground seemed unnaturally loud.

“Good,” Vivien purred, back in control. “Now, back to a proper kneeling position with you, slave.” She was a little impressed by the lengths Eryk had gone to in order to try and kill her, but she was angry. Thoughts of sending the princess back to him in pieces appealed to her sense of vengeance.

Aislynn folded her knees and dropped straight to the ground. The skirt of her dress puffed out away from her as she fell, and she buried her hands in its folds, settling into a submissive position once more. Vivien smiled coldly and started to chuckle.

“You are far too concerned for your partner to be a proper assassin,” she said. “You’re weak.”

Vivien pressed the dagger deeper into Byron’s neck, drawing blood, and started to pull the knife across his throat at the same time as Aislynn pulled a dagger out from under her skirt and threw it in one smooth motion. The dagger flew wide, scraping along the side of Vivien’s face and opening a huge cut along her cheek and ear. It wasn’t fatal, but it was enough to make the queen drop the dagger she was holding against Byron’s throat as she grabbed at her face in surprise. Aislynn was up in an instant, rushing at the queen and pushing Byron out of the way.

Vivien tried to fend Aislynn off, but Aislynn was stronger and apparently better trained, and Aislynn didn’t seem to need a weapon to be deadly. A quick sweep of her leg swept Vivien’s feet out from under her, and the queen fell backwards, cracking her head on the wall behind her.

Aislynn was on her in an instant, hands reaching for her neck. Her thumbs found the small hollow of Vivien’s throat, and she leaned forward, effectively crushing Vivien’s windpipe. It was finished quickly.

Chapter 19As soon as Callum walked away from Vivien’s room, he threw up an invisibility spell

and paired it with a suggestion spell. He didn’t want anybody to see him in the area right now, and he hurried to his rooms. Then, with the door of his suite closed firmly behind him, Callum dropped both spells and took a deep breath.

He had to figure out what to do next, how to handle this situation. Rhys had ordered him to allow the attack on Vivien to happen, and he’d done that. But at the same time, he’d told the guard that he was going to the queen’s suite, and it would look suspicious if he didn’t go there. The hierarchy within the kingdom was well known, and the level of power that Callum wielded was second only to the queen herself. It would be easy for people to assume that he’d ordered Vivien’s death without realizing that when one of her cousins takes the throne, the likelihood of him remaining in his current position was slim. Callum certainly didn’t want to start scraping power together again from the bottom.

Callum paced back and forth across his suite for a little while, just waiting until enough time had passed for whoever was in Vivien’s rooms to finish what they were doing. Finally, he couldn’t take it any longer, and he threw open the door of his suite and started back down the hallway. The first thing he noticed was that the queen’s guards were still missing, and the second thing was the unusual silence.

He knocked on the door, a small glimmer of hope that there’d be an answer, but the silence remained otherwise unbroken. Steeling himself, Callum opened the door and stepped inside.

“Guards!” he yelled out immediately, his voice carrying unnaturally due to the lack of other noise.

Vivien was most of the way across the room lying on her back. Her eyes were closed and her face an unnatural shade of blue. Callum didn’t even need to check to ascertain that the queen was dead, apparently strangled, given the bruises on her slender neck. The two missing guards were sprawled closer to the door, both lying in pools of cooling, sticky blood that had soaked into the carpet. One of the guards was missing her uniform, and there was a discarded slave’s dress nearby. A moan drew his gaze to the far right wall.

“Cora!” Callum dashed across the room and knelt beside her, apparently the only survivor. Whispering a small healing spell, the only one he knew, he helped her to sit up as she fully regained consciousness.

“Are you all right?” he asked, concern evident in his voice. “What happened?”Cora looked around the room and let out a choked sob. “Oh gods! She killed

everybody!”“Who killed everybody?”“I should have listened,” Cora moaned quietly, drawing her knees up to her chest.

“When I heard the rumors about her, I should have paid more attention.”The remaining two pairs of Vivien’s bodyguards arrived at the door of the suite, one

women crying out in denial. Callum rose and turned to face them.“As you can see, there’s obviously been an assassination. The palace guards reported a

breach a little while ago, a man who came in with the deliveries but didn’t leave again. I—”“It was Byron,” Cora interrupted, using the wall to climb unsteadily to her feet. She had

a large knot on her temple from the sword blow, and she wavered with dizziness. “Byron is the man you’re looking for. He’s short for a man, muscular with blond hair and blue eyes.”

“I want you to search the palace grounds for a man matching the lady’s description,” Callum ordered.

“A woman too,” Cora interjected. “He’ll be accompanied by a tall woman with long brown hair and brown eyes. Watch out for her - she’s dangerous.”

Callum dismissed the guards after instructing one of them to pass the descriptions along to the rest of the palace guard, who were already searching. He knew that the guards had already shut the palace gates and were guarding them even now, as that was standard procedure when there was a breach of security, so the pair of assassins likely hadn’t gotten far. He turned his attention back to Cora.

“Are you going to be okay?” he asked, taking her arm and leading her carefully out of the room. “That looks like a nasty blow to the head.”

Cora reached up and brushed her fingers lightly across the raised bruised flesh. She grimaced. “I really hate that woman.”

“Aislynn?”Cora looked up at him, surprised. “How did you know who it was?”“I recognized you’re description,” he replied. “I met her when we were negotiating the

marriage treaty with Bacovia.”Cora opened her mouth to say something, but stumbled. Clutching Callum’s arm to keep

herself from falling, she sighed. “I should go lay down. I’m not feeling very well.”Callum agreed and escorted her to her suite. They had to navigate the stairs, which they

did slowly and carefully, and while they walked, Callum realized that he was relieved that Cora was essentially unharmed. Odd.

After leaving Cora, Callum went to his study. It was the easiest place for the guards to find him when they had news to report, and he ordered a servant to bring his evening meal to him there. He’d just sat down to eat when there was a knock on the door.

“Enter,” he called, not getting up from his desk. The door opened and the captain of the palace guard looked inside the study nervously.

“My Lord, I regret to inform you that we can’t find the assassins anywhere,” the captain began. No wonder he looked so nervous.

“And you’ve checked everywhere?”“Yes, my Lord. We’ve been in and out of all of the rooms, locked or otherwise, and

we’ve searched the palace grounds twice. They’re not here.”“I see.” Callum sat at his desk and steepled his fingers together, peering at the anxious

guard captain. “Is there anything else?”The man swallowed and Callum knew he had more bad news. “The slave master is

reporting a missing slave, my Lord,” he explained. “One who fits the description you gave us of the woman.”

Callum cursed softly, realizing now how the Bacovians’ plan had come together. It was a simple plan, and a lot could have gone wrong, but luck was apparently on their side. He wondered if there was a way to change that.

“I want to you search the city,” he commanded. “Let the guards on all of the gates know who to look for and then start searching.”

“That could take days!”“Then you’d better get started, hadn’t you?”

Callum watched the guard captain leave and he sighed. They probably wouldn’t find them, he knew, but he still had to try. His master hadn’t said anything about not trying to capture or kill the pair once they’d dealt with Vivien. That thought made him realize that his master hadn’t said anything about what Callum was supposed to do now, and he pulled his mirror from his desk.

“Callum, what a pleasant surprise,” Rhys greeted him, answering his servant’s summons. “I’m not sure about pleasant,” Callum commented with a grimace. “I have news, Master.

Vivien is dead, and the assassins escaped. I’ve ordered the city searched, but I doubt we’ll catch them.”

“Them?”“Yes, Master. Princess Aislynn and Byron, Captain of Eryk’s Royal Guard.”Rhys closed his eyes briefly, thinking that through. When he opened his eyes again,

Callum was a little frightened by the gleam in his master’s eye.“I want you to take control of the Madelian throne.”“Excuse me? I’m not fit to rule Madelia, and they’re not going to accept me.”“Oh come now, Callum. You’ve been essentially ruling for years, and there aren’t too

many who don’t know that.”“But Vivien’s cousins are in line. What about them?”“What about them? Take care of them and take the throne for yourself.” Rhys paused,

looking at his loyal servant. “Surely you’re not going to tell me that you’d be happy without the power you currently wield.”

“Of course I won’t be,” Callum agreed. “But with Vivien I had the power without the target painted on my back. If I take the throne, it may not be long until I’m the one lying in my suite with a crushed windpipe.”

Rhys’ eyebrows shot up at the revelation of the manner of Vivien’s death. “Well isn’t she a nasty one,” he commented, mostly to himself.

“Fine,” he continued more loudly. “Then pick one of Vivien’s cousins to be a puppet and get rid of the rest. I need you in charge there, Callum, but I ultimately don’t care how you do it. You’re resourceful, so I’ll leave it in your capable hands.”

Callum bowed his head in acquiescence of his master’s command, and he felt the thread of power break.

“Well isn’t this just lovely.”

Part 3 - King

Chapter 1Callum’s first night as the impromptu ruler of Madelia wasn’t particularly restful. Until

such a time as he officially wrested the throne away from would-be rulers, or until he crowned one of Vivien’s cousins, he was in charge, and that weighed heavily on his mind. When forced to reflect seriously, Callum had to admit that he did enjoy having the power he currently held, and he was loath to give it up. While he could certainly seize the throne in a brutal and bloody display that would likely prevent anyone from questioning him, he’d been honest with his master when he’d stated that he’d like to avoid being a target. Callum much preferred wielding power from behind the throne, and that brought him to an interesting dilemma. Which of Vivien’s cousins would be most amenable to keeping Callum in the position to which he’d become accustomed?

It was early in the morning when Callum finally gave up trying to sleep and got ready for the day. He went down to his study, collecting the various materials he needed, and prepared the first of six letters summoning Vivien’s cousins to court. He’d just finished the first one when there was a knock on the door.

“Yes?”A guard opened the door and came in. He looked nervous and Callum could guess what

his news was.“I’m sorry, my Lord,” the guard began. “I’m afraid that a pair of people matching the

descriptions you gave us rushed the south gate and escaped into the countryside. Do you want us to mount a pursuit?”

Callum sighed. He’d figured they’d be unable to catch the princess and her companion, but it was still annoying. “No,” he answered. “You’re not going to be able to catch up with them now. Let them go.”

“But my Lord, they murdered the Queen!”“I am fully aware of their crimes,” Callum stated coldly. “If you’d bothered to pursue

them immediately, we wouldn’t need to have this discussion, but by now they’ve disappeared into the forest. I could send your men out to search for them, but that would be a waste of time and of resources.”

The guard bowed, chagrined, and Callum let him leave. He pulled another piece of parchment close and began to write the second missive he needed to send. He worked through the usual breakfast hour and was just finishing up the sixth and final letter when there was another knock on the door.

“Come in,” he called, not glancing up until he’d finished signing and sealing the letter. He folded it, placed it in an envelope, and then looked up to see his guest. When he saw Mortimer standing in front of his desk, he just shook his head.

“My Lord,” the mage greeted him, bowing low at the waist. “I’m here to report the likely termination of my employment.”

“Oh really? Did you and the commander-in-chief have another argument?”“You could say that,” Mortimer conceded. “I gave him a warning he wasn’t willing to

listen to, so I’m here and he’ll soon be dead.”“Excuse me?”

“I regret to inform you that your army is about to be trounced by the Bacovians, my Lord. And since my employment was with the army, I assume that you’re not going to have any further need of me.”

Callum sat at his desk and looked at the mage standing across from him. This was certainly going to be one of his most memorable worst days. He gestured for Mortimer to sit.

“Tell me exactly what happened,” he commanded once the mage was seated comfortably.

“Well, I was scrying like I do every morning, and I saw the upcoming battle. That will be the day after tomorrow, by the way. I immediately went to tell the commander about it, but he and I don’t really get along and he didn’t believe me. I have no idea why he’s suddenly decided to become stupid as well as obstinate, but there you go.”

“Have you given the commander any reason to doubt the accuracy of your reports?”“No, my Lord. I’ve revealed to him everything I’ve learned, and I’ve never steered him

wrong. I can only guess that he suspected me of trying to make him look bad, forcing a retreat from the border. He’s been warned of the coming army, but I don’t think it will make any difference.”

“And you are here why?”Mortimer looked at him with disbelief. “Because, my Lord, I have no intention of

staying in that camp to be killed. I’d rather head here on the fastest horse I could get my hands on and take my chances with you.”

Once again, Callum just sat and looked at the mage. He could understand the man’s survival instinct, and likely would have done the same thing in a similar situation. He rang the bell on the corner of his desk to summon a page and sent the boy to fetch a courier.

“The message will come too late,” Mortimer informed him quietly.Callum nodded. “I know, but I have to try. Otherwise, there will be questions about why

I didn’t, and I don’t need that right now.”He wrote a brief message for the army’s commander and looked at the letters sitting in a

neat pile waiting to be sent out across the kingdom. “Tell me,” he addressed the mage, “what do you think of cold-blooded murder?”

The startled look on the mage’s face was enough to make Callum chuckle wickedly, but the mage was fortunately given a reprieve when the courier arrived.

“Take this to the army commander as fast as your horse can carry you,” he commanded before turning back to Mortimer.

“Well?” he prompted.“Um...I’m generally against it,” the mage conceded. Callum sat and continued to look at

him steadily across the gleaming wooden expanse of his desk.“Is that the wrong answer?” he asked, backpedaling a little. “I can be okay with it, if I

need to be.”“I see.” Callum looked down at the letters once again, debating how much to reveal to

the young man. He could see potential in the mage, and he was curious about how he could develop that potential. Taking a deep breath, he made up his mind, and he rang the bell to summon the page again, to take a message to one of the guards. While they waited for the summoned man to appear, Callum explained.

“I like my position,” he began. “I like the power it holds and I like the respect it bestows. The Queen is dead, and I’m loath to give up my position just because of that fact.” He paused to let the news register.

“When did that happen?” the mage asked tentatively.“Yesterday, and the assassins got away, before you ask. Anyway, Vivien has six

cousins, all equally blood related. Three of them are the children of the Queen’s late aunt Maeve, and two are the children of her late uncle Fergus. The last is the son of the Queen’s aunt Meghan.

“Meghan herself isn’t able to take the throne because of some family politics a number of years ago. The other two, Maeve and Fergus, were plotting to kill Vivien, and while there wasn’t any proof that Meghan was involved, there was enough suspicion that Frederick essentially disowned her. There was a caveat for her good behavior however - if she was a good little princess without any other hint of treason, any of her children would be in contention for the throne.

A knock at the door heralded the arrival of the person Callum was waiting for. When the door opened, it revealed a member of the guard, and the man smiled as he entered the study.

“Good morning, my Lord,” he greeted the man behind the desk. “What would you have of me?”

“I need you to deliver these two messages to Vivien’s cousins,” Callum answered. “And I’d like you to escort the gentlemen to court. It is very dangerous out on the roads these days, and it would be unfortunate if something happened to two of the potential monarchs.”

The guard bowed and took the letters from Callum’s extended hand. “Certainly, my Lord. I hear that there are a number of brigands about these days. I’ll be very careful.”

“Excellent.”When the guard left, Mortimer looked at Callum with narrowed eyes. “Did you just

order the deaths of those two men?” he asked seriously.“Of course not,” Callum answered. “You heard me tell the guard that he needed to be

careful.”Mortimer met his gaze, but Callum could tell that the mage was unconvinced. His

conviction that bringing Mortimer into the plan sharpened.“As I was saying, I am loath to give up my power, so the logical choice of monarch for

me is someone who isn’t as likely to replace me. Do you understand?”“You did order the deaths of those men,” Mortimer stated fiercely. “You’re trying to

narrow the playing field, to make it easier to stay in power here.”“I ask you again, Mortimer. What is your opinion of cold-blooded murder?”Again, the mage needed time to answer, but this time he wasn’t shocked by the question.

He knew that Callum wanted someone on the throne who would be malleable and who wouldn’t upset the status quo. “What do you want me to do?”

Callum chuckled. “I’d like you to go with the group of soldiers I’m sending for Maeve’s children. They’re the ones I think will be most dangerous. And if an accident happens to befall any of them on their way to court, that would be fine.”

Mortimer nodded his understanding and rose to leave. He bowed low to Callum and retreated as far as the door.

“I’m going to get some rest, my Lord. Summon me when you need me.”Callum nodded, and Mortimer opened the door.“And I think I need a raise,” the mage commented as he slipped out of Callum’s study

and shut the door behind him.Callum stared at the door for a moment and then started to laugh. So the mage wanted

more money, did he? Well that was certainly easy enough to arrange.

Chapter 2It took about a week for the first of Vivien’s cousins to arrive in Ironvale. Samuel was

Vivien’s youngest cousin. He was the only child of the late King Frederick’s youngest sister, Meghan. Upon meeting the young man, currently twenty-two, Callum was immediately drawn to him. He’d been born after the whole treason issue and so was likely uninfluenced by parental dreams for the throne. In fact, being the youngest cousin and the child of the youngest sibling of the late king, chances were good that Samuel had never had dreams of Madelia’s throne at all. That would make him an ideal puppet.

“Greetings, your Highness,” Callum said to the young man. “Welcome to Ironvale. Is your suite to your liking? Your mother’s?”

Callum had purposefully not greeted Samuel and his mother upon their arrival to help keep him off balance and avoid any sort of favoritism, instead leaving the palace steward to escort them to the suite he’d picked out. Callum had kept tabs on all of Vivien’s six cousins during his tenure as chief advisor, and he’d known that Samuel would bring Meghan with him.

“Indeed, my Lord, it is everything we would have expected.” Samuel bowed slightly at the waist, an entirely appropriate way to acknowledge someone of Callum’s rank in comparison to his own. Meghan had taught him well.

“Excellent. We’re just waiting for the others to arrive so that you can all decide on the succession. If you need anything in the meantime, I am always at your disposal.” Callum also bowed, lower in sign of deference, even if it was false.

As he turned to leave, Samuel’s voice summoned him back. “Are you the one in charge for now?”

“Indeed I am, your Highness. Callum, Lord of Tebithshire, at your service.”“And you were her Majesty’s chief advisor, yes?”“I had that honor,” Callum acknowledged.The look on Samuel’s face was thoughtful and Callum resisted the urge to cast a spell

and listen in on his thoughts. There’s time enough for that later, he reminded himself. It would take a lot less magical energy to cast the spell once when all of the possible monarchs were together.

Shortly after that, Callum was in his office having lunch with Cora. He was staring out the window when he felt her light touch on his arm.

“What’s bothering you?” she asked quietly. “And don’t tell me it’s nothing, because I’ve gotten to know you a little better than that.”

Callum smiled as he turned his head to look at her. “Honestly, it’s nothing important. I’m just wondering how messy things are going to get around here once all of Vivien’s cousins arrive. I’m sure they’re not just going to unanimously pick one of them to rule.”

“Shouldn’t it be the oldest one? What’s his name...Lawrence? Isn’t that how it works?”“Often, but not always. Vivien made it clear on numerous occasions that she considered

all six of her cousins equally likely to take the throne after her, so all six of them have a claim. I’m not sure how this is all going to work out, that’s all.”

Callum also wasn’t certain about his own future, though he wasn’t inclined to talk to Cora about that. If he was able to follow his master’s plan, nothing much would change for him, and that was sounding better and better all the time.

Early in the morning, two days later, Callum received word that Fergus’ sons wouldn’t be joining them to discuss the succession issue. Officially, brigands attacked the party on the way to Ironvale, and the two young men died during the skirmish. In reality, the two men fought back admirably when the soldiers sent as escort turned on them, and they managed to kill three of Callum’s men. In Callum’s opinion, the deaths of the soldiers just lent credence to the brigand story.

Then finally, the day after that, Mortimer’s group reached the capital. Wanting to get the whole succession issue out of the way as soon as possible, Callum had some servants ready one of the small meeting rooms and sent for Samuel.

When Mortimer came through the door, he caught Callum’s eye and shrugged. “I wasn’t able to arrange anything, my Lord,” Mortimer’s voice spoke inside his head. “I’m sorry.”

“Well if it isn’t Vivien’s lapdog.” The sneering voice belonged to the eldest of Maeve’s sons, Lawrence. He was older than Callum by a few years, graying and slightly pudgy. “What, nothing to say, my dear Lord of Tebithshire?”

“What would you have me say, your Highness?” Callum replied calmly. “A few words from me won’t change your perception.”

“Leave off, Lawrence,” a soft voice interrupted. “This isn’t the time and it certainly isn’t the place.” Tamsin, the only female in the group, was pretty in a conventional way. Her long light brown hair hung in waves to her waist and her light brown eyes were narrowed right now in anger. She swept past her brother and gave Callum a shallow curtsey.

Callum inclined his head, acknowledging Tamsin’s greeting, and he swept his arm back to indicate the corridor behind them. “If you will all follow me, your Highnesses, I’ve had a room prepared for us.”

“I see Samuel here,” Cristoff, Maeve’s other son, commented, “but where are the others?”

“I’m afraid they won’t be joining us,” Callum replied. “They fell afoul of some brigands on the way here, and they were killed.”

“Isn’t that convenient,” Cristoff muttered quietly.“Regardless,” Lawrence interjected, “the rest of us are here so let’s get this over with.

Please lead the way, my Lord.”The door Callum opened revealed a room with a small circular table with six chairs

placed around it. To the side of the room was another table with refreshments and Mortimer went straight there. He started to pour glasses of wine for everyone while Callum tried to organize the chaos. Lawrence and Cristoff were arguing and trying to get Samuel involved, and Tamsin was getting angrier by the moment. Even from where she was sitting, Callum could tell that she was frustrated, and he suspected that her brothers had likely been fighting since they’d received his missives.

“Highnesses, if you could just take your seats. Would you like something to drink?”As Lawrence and Cristoff selected chairs, Tamsin stood, shook her head and withdrew to

a corner of the room, obviously distancing herself from her brothers. Samuel looked at the older men and joined her. Callum sighed and cast a detect thoughts spell to better understand who he was dealing with. Close by, Mortimer detected his use of magical energy and identified the spell. With a look of surprise, the mage slammed a shield around his thoughts, glancing over at Callum as he did so.

“Well this shouldn’t take long,” Lawrence commented, leaning back in his chair and spinning his wine glass between his fingers. “I’m the oldest, so the throne should come to

me.”Callum could tell that Lawrence firmly believed his words, and had no intention of

backing down. Cristoff was equally convinced that he deserved the throne, as both his thoughts and words indicated.

“What makes you think that you get the throne?” he demanded. “Being the oldest doesn’t matter, as Vivien indicated more than once. I’m a better candidate than you are anyway, since I’ve actually had experience running the estate. What have you ever done?”

The arguments continued, and Callum heard Tamsin’s thoughts clearly. “This is ridiculous. Honestly, I’d make a better ruler than either of them.” Despite her thoughts about her potential as a ruler, Callum didn’t detect any actual desire to take the throne, something that he found interesting.

Samuel’s thoughts were also fascinating. “Why don’t they just kill each other and get it over with,” the young man thought, his features composed while he listened to his older cousins argue. By this point, Cristoff was out of his chair again, looming over his brother while he punctuated his words with a pointed finger.

The tension between the brothers was palpable, and Callum was leaning forward a little expecting conflict to explode between the brothers when a flash of movement caught his eye. Ember, who’d been hiding in the rafters of the room, was flying directly toward Tamsin. With a quick gesture, Callum threw an invisibility spell around the bat, hiding her from view before the eesprid caused a scene. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mortimer’s glance in his direction - the mage had seen the bat. Callum sighed, knowing there’d probably be questions later.

Lawrence rose from his chair, his posture threatening. He leaned toward Cristoff, his hand on his belt knife. “Really? You think that you know everything, don’t you? Well I can guarantee that you do not!”

Callum used this opportunity to “push” the two brothers. Using his Gift, he magically encouraged them to act on their violent impulses. Dropping the detect thoughts spell, he added a bit of energy to his suggestion, and the brothers exploded into motion, Tamsin shrieking for them to stop.

Cristoff had his knife out first, despite the fact that Lawrence had been the first to make an aggressive move toward his weapon. The younger man’s blade had a slight curve, and as he slashed it at his brother’s face, the tip managed to catch Lawrence’s cheek even though the rest of the blade missed its target. With a yell of outrage, Lawrence dove at his brother, blade leading.

Cristoff proved again that he was the faster man of the pair, dancing aside and forcing his brother to miss him. He retaliated with another slash, opening a gash on Lawrence’s arm this time. Lawrence ignored the wound and spun to the left, his blade swinging around in a wide arc that caught Cristoff across the chest. Callum didn’t want this to end with just a few scratches, and he urged the combatants to further feats of violence with a little more magical power.

That final surge of magic was enough to push the two men over the edge, and they rushed toward each other with mindless intensity. Cristoff jerked as Lawrence’s blade slid home between his ribs, but he managed to dig his knife deep into his brother’s stomach before Lawrence’s blade found his heart. As Cristoff died and his body slumped to the ground, the weight of the corpse dragged at the knife buried deep into Lawrence and opened the man’s belly to spill his intestines out onto the floor. Tamsin screamed and Samuel stepped in front of

his cousin to try and shield her from the worst of the view.As relative silence descended over the room, Callum spared a glance for the Spirit mage

standing not too far away. Mortimer looked shocked by the turn of events, and Callum wondered if he’d sensed that last use of magic or if his shields were too firmly in place. Regardless, Callum didn’t regret what he’d done for an instant. Neither of Maeve’s sons would have made good rulers, and neither would have allowed him to remain in his current position. Now, the throne would fall to either Tamsin or Samuel, both much better choices in Callum’s eyes.

“If your Highnesses would like to come with me, we’ll adjourn this until tomorrow. I don’t believe there’s any pressing need to settle the matter this instant, and it’s perhaps a good idea to let the events of today settle before making your decision.”

Tamsin nodded numbly and let Samuel lead her from the room. Callum heard a servant outside direct Tamsin to the suite next to Samuel’s, and the two potential monarchs moved off down the corridor. Callum gestured to Mortimer to follow him and led the way to his study, the still invisible Ember trailing along behind them. Callum made sure she was inside before shutting the door, glad that he was able to see through his own invisibility spell.

“Well that was interesting,” Callum commented as he sat down behind his desk. “What were your impressions?”

Mortimer looked startled having that question directed at him. He took his time to think before answering, and he phrased his words carefully. “I think that the situation ended considerably in your favor, my Lord.”

“Oh?”Mortimer swallowed. “Yes. The two most...stubborn contenders for the throne are now

dead, leaving the woman who doesn’t seem to want the throne, and the young man who will likely be more easily influenced.”

Callum nodded. “I don’t think Tamsin will take the throne,” he concurred, “though anything is possible. I have another proposition to speak with her about, however.”

“Really? What’s that?”Callum looked at Mortimer skeptically. “I know you saw my eesprid,” he commented.

“There’s no reason to pretend that you didn’t. And eesprid are attracted to magical power. Since Ember was making a beeline for the princess, it’s safe to assume that she has the potential to be a mage.”

“But she’s my age!” Mortimer protested. “She’s too old to be an apprentice.”“In the traditional sense, certainly,” Callum agreed, “but who said anything about being

traditional? Why wouldn’t I want another mage here? Especially one who may be queen. It would be useful to have a queen who’s used to taking orders, wouldn’t it?”

Mortimer had to agree with that statement, especially since he knew that Callum wanted to keep as much power as he possibly could. “So you’re going to propose an apprenticeship? When?”

“After dinner, once the shock of what just happened passes.”Mortimer just shook his head at Callum’s machinations, and he wondered what he’d

gotten himself into with the Lord of Tebithshire. When he accepted that first contract from the man and joined the army, he’d never expected this. Now that Callum had his claws into him, Mortimer wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to escape.

Chapter 3 Callum knocked on the door to Princess Tamsin’s suite and waited patiently for her

maid to answer. When the woman invited him across the threshold, Callum entered the princess’ domain with a little trepidation. The poor woman had recently seen her brothers kill each other, and that must be weighing on her mind.

“Your Highness,” he greeted Tamsin with a low bow. “Thank you for seeing me. I needed to discuss something with you.”

“Is it about the stupid throne?” she replied, walking forward with a look of distaste. Her eyes were narrowed and her nose was crinkled as if she smelled something unpleasant.

“The stupid throne?” Callum repeated with a smirk. Her turn of phrase reminded him of how young she was, only twenty-five.

“Yes, the stupid throne,” Tamsin reiterated irritably. “The throne of Madelia has cost me my entire family: my mother was killed, my cousin was assassinated and my brothers just killed each other!”

“Well, you’ll be happy to hear that I’m not here to discuss the throne, at least not directly,” Callum assured her with a smile. “I have a proposition for you.”

He glanced over toward the maid and Tamsin followed his gaze. With an understanding nod, she dismissed the woman so that they could be alone. Callum took a deep breath and dropped the invisibility spell over Ember. As the little bat flickered into view, Tamsin shrieked and backed away.

“It’s okay!” Callum was quick to reassure her. “She’s not dangerous.” To prove his words, Callum stroked the eesprid until she started her little ‘happy dance’, shifting her weight from side to side. Even Tamsin was charmed by the little creature’s antics, and the princess came closer to watch her. Finally, she sat and seemed ready to listen to Callum’s proposition.

“This is Ember. She’s a magical creature known as an eesprid, and she helps me.”“How? How could something so tiny help a grown man?”“I’m a mage, and Ember helps me cast my spells.”Tamsin blinked, startled by Callum’s revelation. Her perception of what a mage was

didn’t fit with the Lord sitting in front of her. “What does this have to do with me?”“Ember likes you,” he explained, and he let the little bat leave his hand and flit across to

sit on the arm of the chair where Tamsin sat. “And when an eesprid likes someone, it means that they have the magical potential to become a mage too.”

Tamsin sat in her chair looking at Ember, seemingly entranced by her. “So you’re telling me that I can be a mage, like you are.”

“Yes, that’s what I’m saying. If you agree, I’ll take you on as my apprentice. We’ll keep the lessons secret, of course, so that your reputation won’t be damaged taking orders from someone like me.”

Now she turned to look at him. “Someone like you? Whatever do you mean?”Callum gave a self-depreciating laugh. “I’m merely a landed noble, your Highness, and

I’ve been Vivien’s chief advisor for a long time. There are a number of stories around court about me, and I wouldn’t want you to suffer for associating with me. And if you become queen, it will be even more important that you not be seen taking orders from me.”

“I see. That’s very gracious of you, my Lord. Tell me more about this apprenticeship.”

“Well, the first step, if you accept, is to cast a spell to summon your eesprid. The magical energy summoned will coalesce into the shape of an animal that will be your companion and that will help you cast your spells. After that, we’ll determine which elemental Gifts you have and I’ll either instruct you directly or find you a tutor.”

Tamsin sat quietly, thinking about Callum’s offer. He could see the play of emotions across her pretty face and could read her thoughts clear as day. She was intrigued by the idea, and he knew she’d accept. Finally, she nodded her head decisively.

“I’ll do it,” she stated firmly. “I don’t have anything else to keep me occupied, and it sounds like an interesting challenge.”

Callum smiled. “That’s excellent news. But what do you mean that you have nothing else to keep you occupied? What about the throne?”

“I’m not interested,” Tamsin replied. “As I said, the throne has taken everything from me and Samuel is welcome to it.”

“In that case, your Highness,” Callum said, rising, “I’ll inform your cousin of his good fortune and I’ll prepare for your induction as a mage apprentice. Will tomorrow evening be a good time to summon your eesprid?”

“Tomorrow sounds excellent, thank you. The sooner, the better, I guess.”Tamsin rose from her chair and saw Callum to the door. As he left the princess’ suite, he

couldn’t help grinning to himself. Samuel, young and hopefully impressionable Samuel, was king of Madelia, and Tamsin would be his new apprentice this time tomorrow. Callum figured he should be able to rein them both in quickly and establish himself as the power behind the throne.

Samuel’s suite wasn’t far down the corridor, and Callum went straight there, seeing no reason to delay. He knocked sharply and was a little startled to see Meghan herself open the door and greet him.

“Good evening, your Highness,” he greeted her. “Is your son available?”Meghan narrowed her eyes, almost trying to determine what Callum was doing at her

door. Then she nodded, and gestured deeper into the suite. “Please, come in.”Samuel was sitting on a chair near the fire, a book in his lap. He stared into the flames

that warmed the room, seemingly unaware of what was happening in the room behind him, lost in his thoughts. That perception proved untrue moments later when he greeted Callum, still not turning around.

“My Lord of Tebithshire, to what do I owe this visit?” Samuel inquired.Callum bowed, though Samuel didn’t turn around. “I came to inform you that your

cousin has ceded her claim to the throne in your favor, your Majesty. I will go to prepare you coronation ceremony for tomorrow.”

“Thank you, my Lord, for this most surprising news.” Now Samuel rose from his chair and turned to look at Callum. Callum decided to push his luck to determine if he’d need to eliminate Samuel after all and force the reluctant Tamsin onto the throne.

“What are your plans going forward, your Majesty? Would you like me to summon the Lords and Ladies for you to form a council? They’ll all be here anyway to swear fealty, so it won’t be difficult to make the arrangements.”

“My cousin Vivien didn’t have a regular council, did she?”“No, your Majesty, she did not. She did have a number of advisors she’d call in as the

situation warranted, but nothing formal.”“She relied on you for most of her counsel.” It wasn’t a question, but Callum nodded

once anyway. Samuel looked thoughtful, and then continued. “I will keep you on as my chief advisor, for now. I think it would be a good idea to have your counsel while I establish myself. The people know you and know your advice has proven good in the past. So I will take advantage of what you have to offer me.”

“I appreciate that,” Callum said with another bow. He wondered how long it would be until he had to get rid of this boy, because it was obvious to him that Samuel had too much of a backbone to be happy letting Callum rule through him. As long as Samuel followed his advice, everything was fine, but as soon as he started to stray...

“Go and get some sleep, my Lord, and I will see you early in the morning.”Callum bowed one last time and excused himself, seeing Meghan’s look of satisfaction.

As the door shut behind him, Callum knew that he’d miscalculated. Meghan was the key to keeping Samuel in line, but not as he’d originally intended. Callum had thought to keep Meghan as a comfortable hostage toward Samuel’s good behavior, but now he saw Meghan as trying to rule from the shadows. Since only one of them could occupy that role, Meghan had to be eliminated, and preferably soon.

Retreating to his room, Callum locked his doors and withdrew his mirror. He sent an urgent burst of power into the glass, and Rhys was quick to reply.

“What is it?” his master asked without preamble.“Madelia has a new king, Master. Samuel, Vivien’s youngest cousin, will be crowned

tomorrow. And Tamsin, the only heir to the throne after today’s events, will become my apprentice tomorrow evening.”

“An apprentice? Isn’t she too old for that?”“What have I got to lose? Considering the benefit of having the heir to the throne under

my control, I think it will be worth the risk of a frustrating apprenticeship.”Rhys looked at his servant, thinking about the situation. He nodded, and Callum smiled.“Will the new king be malleable enough to let you rule through him?”“I’m not entirely certain,” Callum admitted. “At this point, I think the boy’s mother is a

threat but I’ll keep a careful watch on her. And if I need to, I can remove Samuel and put Tamsin in his place, ideally after a few years of her being used to following my orders. I’m sure it will work out the way it needs to in order to advance your plan, Master.”

“Excellent work, Callum. As for that plan, I nearly have the rest of the pieces in place. By summer we should be ready to advance the lines of battle, so to speak. Your hard work and dedication to the eradication of the Bacovian royal family has made a great difference, Callum, and I thank you.”

“There’s no need to thank me, Master. As I stated years ago, and continue to believe, this needs to happen.”

Rhys bowed his head in acknowledgement of Callum’s words and broke the contact. As the mirror dulled and returned to a normal reflective surface, Callum wondered if there was anything else he could be doing to help advance his master’s plan. Surely once Samuel was settled, he’d be able to find a way.

Chapter 4“I have a small task for you.”Mortimer looked up from the table, his half-finished breakfast in front of him and a piece

of toast partway to his mouth. He raised an eyebrow quizzically, not sure he wanted to know what the Lord of Tebithshire had in store for him now.

“May I sit down?” Callum didn’t wait for a reply, instead pulling a chair out from the table and sitting down across from the mage.

“And what can I do for you today, my Lord?” Mortimer asked once his mouth was empty. He glanced around to make certain that nobody was within earshot. “Does this have something to do with ‘cold-blooded murder’ again?”

“Yes, and no,” Callum replied cryptically, a small smile tugging at his lips. “I just need you to keep an eye on someone. I require warning, that’s all.”

“Is there somebody plotting against you already?” Mortimer asked sweetly, picking up a piece of fruit and taking a bite.

“Do you want your head to remain attached to your shoulders?” Callum asked in return, his voice as syrupy sweet as Mortimer’s had been. The mage’s eyes widened in alarm and Callum smiled. It wasn’t a pleasant smile.

“I’m sorry, my Lord,” Mortimer apologized quickly. “I forgot myself. It won’t happen again. Now...who do you need watched?”

“Samuel, Madelia’s soon-to-be king. I need to know when he’s planning to replace me, that’s all.”

“If you already know he’s going to do that, why do you need me? Not that I’m unwilling, but can’t you monitor him yourself?”

“My gifts don’t lay in that direction, and yours do.”Mortimer nodded, accepting that statement at face value. “I’ll keep tabs on his Majesty

and let you know as soon as I get wind. Is that all you need me for?”“For now.” Callum rose from the table and left the room, ignoring the look the mage

threw his way. The young man was useful, but he could have the Larosian easily removed and replaced if he became bothersome.

Callum retired to his study to finish the paperwork involved in bestowing the crown on Samuel later that day. Vivien had no will, so there was no division of assets to worry about, which did make his job easier, but the coronation ceremony was still an exceptional amount of work. And he had to prepare for Tamsin’s induction as his apprentice that evening too, which meant that he had to hunt up the jewels he required. He sighed.

“You sound a little overwhelmed.” Callum looked up from his desk to see Cora standing in the doorway. The bruise on her

temple from her altercation with Aislynn was almost gone. He smiled and gestured for her to come in and have a seat.

“I supposed I might be, a little,” he conceded as she sat. “Is there anything I can do to help?”Callum was about to shake his head when he realized that there was something she could

do for him. “Actually, there are a few things you can help with, yes. I need you to go to one of the jewelers and get me a ruby, an emerald, a sapphire, a diamond and an opal. And I need you to make sure you have a lovely new dress for the coronation ceremony.”

Cora smiled. A new dress was always fun, and she was curious about what Callum

intended to do with the gems. He could see it on her face - Cora was wondering if he had something special planned for her, and he made a mental note to have whichever gems remained after the spell tonight turned into something for Cora. Their relationship was progressing, after all, and jewelry was always a good way to stay on a woman’s good side.

“I’d be happy to run those errands for you, my Lord,” Cora said, rising from her chair. “I don’t think I’d be any good at the paperwork anyway.”

Smiling, Callum guided her to the door and gave her directions to have the jeweler and the seamstress send the bills to him. With a quick kiss on his cheek, Cora turned away with a swirl of her skirts and set off down the corridor. Freed of the extraneous errands, Callum returned to his desk and the paperwork, determined to have everything finished before lunch.

The coronation ceremony later that afternoon proved dull and routine, which made Callum particularly happy. Samuel, now officially King of Madelia, swore Callum in as his chief advisor, pleasing most of the nobility. With Vivien’s somewhat volatile temper, the Lord of Tebithshire had often been her voice of reason, and everyone hoped that Samuel’s reign would be more peaceful with Callum’s advice to rely on. Of course, the noble lords and ladies wouldn’t have been quite so optimistic if they’d known that Callum was often the one behind the more aggressive acts during Vivien’s time on the throne.

Everything was falling into place nicely, as far as Callum was concerned, though the triumphant look on Meghan’s face after her son was crowned did worry him. He resolved to deal with the woman sooner rather than later, when the opportunity arose. Callum also hoped that relieving Samuel from his mother’s counsel would make the young king rely even more on him, but only time would tell. One step at a time, and before he could do anything more with Samuel, he needed to deal with Tamsin.

After the feast to celebrate the new king, Callum escorted his soon-to-be apprentice back to her rooms.

“You’re certain that this is what you want to do?” he queried quietly as they walked along the hallway. “The path of a mage isn’t an easy one, and it can be dangerous.”

“I’m sure,” Tamsin confirmed. “With Samuel now firmly on the throne, I think I’m even more determined to do something solely for myself.”

Callum sighed. “I wonder if we need to ask your cousin’s permission before continuing,” he murmured.

“Pardon me? Why would we need to do that?”“Well...” Callum trailed off, and looked over at the young woman walking beside him.

“You’re young and pretty, and the only cousin of the king. At this point, you’re his heir. As I said, being a mage can be dangerous. There are parts of the training that can actually kill you, if you’re not strong enough. As the king’s heir, shouldn’t he have some say before you begin something like this?”

They reached her rooms, and Tamsin opened the door, striding across the threshold angrily. Her back was straight and her posture rigid, the epitome of furious. “I don’t believe I should have to ask my younger cousin anything, thank you very much!”

“Oh, I agree, your Highness,” Callum quickly reassured her, closing the door to the suite. “However, there are certain...guidelines when working with someone in your position.”

“Bah! I don’t want the throne, so I don’t see how any of those guidelines apply to me.”“Would you be willing to renounce your claim to the throne?” Callum asked quietly. “If

you did, that would make you essentially your own person, independent since the rest of your

immediate family is deceased. But, if you did that, you could never undo it. You’d be giving up your claim forever.”

“Yes! That’s perfect,” Tamsin agreed happily. “Then I can do what I want, when I want, without having to answer to anybody else.”

“Are you certain? It is permanent,” Callum warned. “You’d be giving up not only your possible claim and your position as heir, but also your title. You’d no longer be ‘Highness’, only Lady Tamsin.”

Tamsin waved Callum’s warnings away. “That doesn’t concern me. My family’s estate and lands still belong to me, providing me with income. And as your apprentice, I’d have purpose. Just show me where to sign, and it’s done.”

Callum bowed. “Very well, your Highness. I’ll draft the paperwork for you and bring it with me in a few hours when I return to cast the summoning spell.”

Tamsin opened the door for him, a smile on her face and excitement making her brown eyes sparkle. “I’ll be waiting for you, my Lord.”

Callum bowed again and left the suite. As the door closed behind him, he let the grin he was holding inside spread across his face and he walked quickly back to his own suite of rooms. Once Tamsin signed the papers and once he dealt with Meghan, the only member of Vivien’s family remaining would be the young king. And, if he proved too difficult to handle... Well, it was a simple thing to replace a king when all of the pawns were in a line.

Chapter 5“If you will just sign here, your Highness, we’ll get things underway.”It was only a couple of hours later, but already most of the people in the palace were

asleep. Enough alcohol at dinner had a tendency to do that, Callum had observed, but it made his task tonight that much easier.

Tamsin leaned forward over the table and eagerly signed her name to the document Callum spread before her. “There!” she announced. “You can now officially stop calling me ‘your Highness’.”

Callum smiled, rolled up the parchment and left it on the table. Then, picking up a bowl of salt he’d brought with him, he created a circle in the middle of the room.

“If you’d like to sit down in the middle of the circle, my Lady, I’ll cast the spell.”Tamsin stepped over the line of salt and settled herself carefully. Thinking back to his

own summoning spell all those years before, Callum offered another few words. “I should warn you,” he said. “This is going to hurt.”

Before she could reconsider, because he’d given her plenty of chance to back out, after all, Callum started to recite the words of the spell Rhys had taught him long ago. Ember settled her tiny weight a little more on his shoulder, and he reached for the magical energy he could sense, sending his questing thoughts through the little bat.

Even though he’d never cast this spell, and even though he’d learned it nearly two decades before, Callum found the words rolling from him easily. It was almost as if the spell cast itself once he set it in motion.

The words seemed to solidify in the air between him and his apprentice, and Callum watched as a breeze sprang up from nowhere, the air beginning to turn slowly around the young woman sitting in the middle of the circle. As more words poured from him, the whirlwind spun faster and faster, the air picking up grains of salt and sending them spinning. It wasn’t long before the air itself seemed to glitter in the fire- and candlelight, the light reflecting off the crystals of salt as they flew through the air.

Callum tensed involuntarily as he felt the power of the spell gather itself, and then the air seemed to push its way into and through Tamsin, ripping a scream from her lips. He remembered the pain of this part, and winced in sympathy, but still he continued to chant. It lasted only a few agonizing moments before Tamsin sat slumped forward, her breathing laboring and the sound of her panting filling the now silent air of the room.

“I’m sorry about that,” Callum said quietly and sincerely, “but I did warn you.”“Is it over?” the new apprentice asked softly, her voice a mixture of hope and fear.“Yes. Why don’t you look up and meet your new eesprid.”Tamsin did as instructed, moving slowly as if her head weighed more than it should.

Sitting in front of her, green eyes fixed on the new mage and tail wrapped around her body, was a sleek gray cat. With a small exclamation of pleasure, the woman scooped the cat into her lap where the creature promptly laid down and began to purr.

“Aren’t you a beautiful creature?” the delighted mage said softly, her hand stroking the eesprid’s soft fur. Callum chuckled, remembering his own reaction to meeting Ember. He reached up to his shoulder to scratch the bat’s soft belly fur fondly.

“Are you ready for the next part?” he asked after a few minutes. Tamsin looked up and

met his eyes, a look of horror on her face. He chuckled again. “Don’t worry, this part doesn’t hurt.”

With a sigh and a look of slight disbelief, Tamsin straightened. “What do you need me to do?”

“I just need you to put one arm under the cat, so she’s resting over your forearm, then open your hand palm up and close your eyes.”

“Well that’s easy enough.”While Tamsin settled herself and her eesprid into position, Callum came over and sat in

front of her, laying out the five gems Cora had purchased.“What are those for?”“These, or at least one of them, will help you with your magic too. Your eesprid there

will help you to cast the spells themselves, and the gems act to focus the energy you need to cast the spells. Each gem represents a different element: Earth, Fire, Water, Air and Spirit, and your magic is linked to one or more of the elements. Now, we’re going to determine which one. Please close your eyes, my Lady.”

Tamsin nodded absently and did as instructed. After she’d closed her eyes, Callum picked up the first gem, the ruby, and laid it in her upturned palm. He watched the cat carefully, but the creature didn’t so much as twitch. Not a Fire mage, then, Callum commented to himself, removing the stone and putting it back into the bag.

He repeated the process with each of the other gems, and the cat remained calm and still until the last one, the sapphire. Just when Callum was starting to think that perhaps he’d made a terrible mistake, the eesprid stretched her head forward and sniffed curiously at the sparkling blue stone. Tamsin, it appeared, was a Water mage.

“You can open your eyes now,” he instructed his apprentice, and Tamsin’s eyes shot open. They sparkled with curiosity, and she looked down at her hand eagerly. When she saw the sapphire laying there, Tamsin looked up and met his eyes, her eyebrow quirked in silent inquiry.

“You appear to be a Water mage,” Callum answered her unspoken question. “With training, you’ll be able to create and manipulate water and ice.”

“Okay... I have to admit that I still don’t really understand how this all works.”“That’s okay,” he reassured her. “That’s what I’m here for, at least for now.”“At least for now?”“Yes. I’m a Fire mage, so I can’t control Water. I’ll need to find you a tutor.”“Oh? How will that work.”Callum’s mind turned over the possibilities, silently weighing pros and cons of the

options he saw laid out before him. “Well, there are three ways to proceed. In one scenario, you remain here at court with me, and I hire someone to come here to the palace to teach you what I can’t. It will be harder to keep what you’re doing a secret, but if you don’t care about secrecy, this option will disrupt you life minimally.”

“And what are my other options?” Tamsin inquired quickly, leading Callum to believe that life at court wasn’t something she was looking for.

“Well, both of your other options involve a life away from the court. In the first, you can return to your estate and I can have your tutor sent to you there. This will be the least disruptive option, as far as your previous routine goes, but it will be harder for me to monitor your progress and get you new tutors as needed.

“In the second option, I can send you to Larosia, to the mage school there. This is

obviously the most disruptive option, and it will take even longer for you and I to communicate with each other, but mages are certainly more plentiful.” He smiled and tilted his head to the side, silently inviting Tamsin to comment.

“Hmmm.... Each of the options certainly has positive and negative aspects. In all honesty, I’ve grown up away from court and have found the last couple of days rather horrible. I’m not sure court is a good place for me, and I’m leaning toward returning to my estate. Let me sleep on it, however, before I make a decision.”

“That’s a good idea, my Lady,” Callum agreed. “And you don’t need to rush away, either. I can teach you the fundamentals, since they’re the same regardless of elemental Gift. While we wait for your tutor, which will take a little while considering the rapidly approaching winter snows, I can start your instruction and you can think about your future.”

Tamsin agreed, and they two mages parted ways. Callum liked the idea of having Tamsin away from court and her cousin, but mostly because of the secrecy issues. He enjoyed the possibilities that came with having an apprentice mage that nobody knew about. Imagine what he could do with that.

Chapter 6Snow coated the ground in Ironvale and winter had Madelia firmly in its frigid grip by

the time Callum received any new information from Bacovia. Since the end of the most recent military conflict between the two kingdoms, he’d heard nothing but rumors from the other side of the border, and as he put the scroll down on his desk, Callum wished that better news ended the silence. He sighed and shook his head.

“Is there something wrong?”“Isn’t there always? You should be asking about the degree of severity. Is this a big

problem or a little problem?”Mortimer chuckled and put down the pen in his hand. He crossed his arms and leaned

back in his chair. “So is there a big problem or a small problem?”Callum rolled his eyes, but couldn’t fault the mage for mocking him, not really. He

knew he pushed the young man often enough, after all. “I’m not sure yet, but it is most certainly a problem. I just need to decide what to do about it.”

“Oh no, I don’t think so,” Mortimer protested, straightening. “I know that look. I am not helping you solve your ‘problem’.”

“Not yet, you’re not, but perhaps in the future.”“Well, I think I’ll just take this and leave before you change your mind.” Mortimer

quickly gathered the papers in front of him and stood.“Just make sure I get that back before the end of the day,” Callum called as the young

mage walked quickly to the door of the office.“Certainly, my Lord.” Mortimer bowed low, sweeping the sheaf of papers out and away

from his body with a flourish, and then he disappeared out of the room before Callum could comment on his impertinent behavior.

Callum shook his head at Mortimer’s antics and picked up the scroll from his spies in Bacovia again. He knew that Mortimer would finish the report, copying out the rough notes into the good copy Callum needed for tomorrow. It suddenly occurred to Callum that he was treating Mortimer the same way that Rhys had treated him — as a true protégé. He was apparently grooming the younger mage to take over one day. Interesting.

Callum turned his attention back to the scroll he still held loosely. Unrolling it, he saw again the troubling words. His Majesty, King Eryk of Bacovia, was getting married. And he was getting married to none other than her Highness, Princess Aislynn of Evendell. He held in his hand confirmation of the one relationship his master adamantly did not want. He sighed and pulled his mirror out of the desk drawer.

Sending some magic into the mirror, Callum suddenly remembered that everything in the castle wasn’t the way it used to be. His schedule wasn’t as concrete as before, and while Mortimer and Tamsin knew about his gifts, he preferred to keep them generally unknown. Callum walked quickly across his office and locked the door, returning to his desk and the mirror just as Rhys’ face appeared in the glass.

“Callum.”“Greetings, Master. I’m afraid I have some unfortunate news. The king of Bacovia is

engaged to his bodyguard.”Rhys closed his eyes and Callum watched him take a deep breath. “This is certainly not

good news,” he confirmed. “Do you know when they are due to wed?”“No, Master, but it won’t be until at least the spring.”“Then there’s still time to prevent the wedding.”“Likely,” Callum agreed. “May I ask why it’s so important to prevent this union? You

indicated before that a relationship between these two was a bad idea.”Rhys inclined his head, apparently trying to decide what he wanted to tell his servant.

“At this point in time, there are only two members of the Bacovian royal family remaining - Eryk and his nephew, Davin. If Eryk marries, children are inevitable, making our mission more difficult.”

“But that’s true regardless of who he marries,” Callum dared to point out.“Yes, but having a trained assassin protecting the king and the child adds a level of

complexity to the task. If Eryk marries literally anyone else, only the king will have the guard, and the child will be easier to deal with. Once the child is out of the picture, we’re back to the current situation, not a more difficult one.”

Callum nodded, understanding his master’s point...mostly. He still suspected there was another tie between Rhys and Aislynn, but he wasn’t going to ask about it again. Not after having that particular question shot down twice in the past.

“I will do what I can to prevent the wedding,” he promised.“Excellent. Keep me informed of your progress.” Rhys’ face faded from the mirror and

Callum slid the tool away into his drawer. He closed his eyes to think about the problem.“So how do you stop a wedding?” he mused aloud.Instead of an answer, Callum was rewarded with a knock outside. He opened his mouth

to call out to the visitor when he remembered that he’d locked the door before communicating with his master. With a sigh, he rose from his chair and went to let the person in.

“Good afternoon, my Lord.” Cora rose up on her tiptoes and kissed Callum on the cheek.

“My Lady,” he replied with a smile. “What brings you this way?”“Oh, I don’t know. Just a little bored, I guess. The princess isn’t as much fun as Vivien

used to be.” Cora grimaced, her distaste obvious.“Want to talk about it?” Callum gestured into his office, and Cora smiled, her gratitude

as plain to see as her distaste had been.“Ever since Samuel took the throne, Meghan’s been moving around this place like she

owns it,” Cora complained once she was certain Callum had closed the office door tightly. “I don’t know who she thinks she is.”

“She likely thinks that she’s the king’s mother, and she would be correct,” Callum scolded gently. “Consider this from her point of view. She was sent away from court after her sister and brother got into trouble, through no real fault of her own, we think. Perhaps she’s just making up for lost time.”

“Regardless,” Cora said, shaking her head at Callum’s explanation, “she shouldn’t be ordering us around like servants. Fetching her tea is not my job.”

“Perhaps I can distract you from your troubles then, my dear,” Callum offered, finally sitting down next to her. “I have a problem that needs solving. Would you like to help?”

Cora smiled, her eyes glinting with eagerness. “That sounds interesting. What are you trying to do?”

“I’m trying to stop a wedding.”“Stop a wedding? Is Samuel engaged to someone inappropriate?”

Callum shook his head. “No, this doesn’t concern Madelia, or at least it doesn’t concern the crown. No, this problem is Bacovian.”

“Eryk’s engaged,” Cora stated, her expression hardening. “Kill the bride then. It worked once before.”

Callum winced, reminded of his own part in Vivien’s death. “That’s one option,” he conceded, “but I doubt it’s the easiest one.”

“Kill the groom?”He chuckled. “Already tried that, remember? It didn’t go so well.”Cora paused. “Do you want to prevent a wedding, or the wedding?”“What do you mean?”“Do you want to stop Eryk from marrying or from marrying someone in particular?”Callum thought about that. “Ideally, prevent him from marrying at all, but at this

particular moment in time, we need to stop him from marrying the woman he’s engaged to.”“And that is?”“Aislynn.”Callum just sat and looked at her, waiting for Cora’s reaction to the woman’s name. He

knew that Aislynn was at least partially responsible for Cora losing her brother and her son, and Cora had actually witnessed Aislynn’s attack on Vivien not so long ago. There was no love lost between the women, he knew.

“I see... I offer my first suggestion again. Kill the bride.” Cora’s voice was cold and her eyes glittered now with hatred.

“I don’t think she’s easy to kill,” Callum stated. An idea tickled the back of his brain. “That’s certainly an option we can consider, but it may be easier to just stop the wedding instead. Didn’t you mention someone when you first arrived here, a woman who was upset by Eryk’s apparent interest in another?”

Cora thought about that for a few moments. “Alexius?” she finally offered. “What about her?”

“Didn’t you say that she was unhappy when Aislynn arrived in Bacovia? Wasn’t this Alexius supposed to marry Eryk?”

“Yes, she was,” Cora agreed. “And?”“What if we just get Alexius to marry Eryk instead? That would prevent the current

wedding.”“Maybe. I’m not sure why Eryk ended up choosing Aislynn over Alexius, so I don’t

know if it’s possible, but it’s certainly another way to stop the wedding,” she agreed.“Excellent! Then why don’t you go pack and I’ll make your travel arrangements.”“Excuse me? What travel arrangements?”“You know who this Alexius woman is, so you can go and help her win Eryk over.”“No I can’t!” Cora protested. “I’m not going to be welcome at court, and I’ll be

recognized.”“Not if you cut and dye your hair,” Callum scoffed. “Nobody will even be looking for

you, so you can slip right in.”Cora looked doubtful. “Even if that were true, it’s winter! Nobody travels that far in the

winter.”“Yet another reason that nobody will expect it,” Callum said with a cheerful smile.

Seeing Cora hesitate, he schooled his features.“Please, my darling? You’re the only one who can do this. I don’t know my way around

Eryk’s court, even if I could leave his majesty right now, but you do. I could send Mortimer, but he knows even less about the situation than I do! You’re the perfect choice... Please say you’ll do it.”

Cora’s lips twisted in a grimace of distaste, and Callum thought he’d need to use his magic to push her a little, but then she nodded.

“Fine, if it’s that important to you.”Callum leaned closer and wrapped his arms around her. “Thank you, my Lady,” he

murmured in her ear. “I promise you that this is a very important task you’re undertaking.”Cora sighed. “I already said I’d do it,” she muttered, “so you don’t have to keep trying to

convince me.”“I’m not trying to convince you,” Callum commented as he pulled back a little, his hands

still resting on her upper arms. “But I am planning to thank you properly.”Cora laughed, a low, throaty sound. “Well that could make it all worthwhile then.”“I’ll order us an intimate dinner in my rooms, and we’ll go from there,” he promised.She rose and blew him a kiss. “And I’ll go pack, because if I know you at all, you’ll

have me out of here as soon as it’s light enough for the horses to see.”As Cora left his office, Callum leaned back in his chair and contemplated his good

fortune. It was lucky that Cora was here and had the knowledge he needed to try and stop Eryk’s wedding to Aislynn. Maybe he wouldn’t need Mortimer to help solve this ‘little problem’ after all.

Chapter 7Cora finally arrived in Eaglecrest after ten days of excruciating travel. The trip between

the two capital cities usually took four days at a normal pace, but the snow coupled with an ice storm one day out of Ironvale more than doubled the journey. Of course, Cora thought to herself, being holed up in that tiny inn did give me ample time to decide on who I want to be now. She’d taken the opportunity to follow Callum’s advice, cutting her hair to her shoulders and dying it black. She’d also decided on a new name to live by while back in Bacovia, the Lady Diana.

Cora knew that the only way to get the information she needed to stop Eryk’s wedding was to become part of his court again. That’s where the gossip would be the hottest and most recent. She also knew that the only way to become part of the courtier circle was to be a member of the Bacovian nobility. That was something she had been, and her time in the Madelian court had kept her skills sharp, but she couldn’t just waltz into Eaglecrest and announce her real identity. At least not if she wanted to keep her head attached to her shoulders. And so, she invented a new persona.

Lady Diana was from the eastern part of the large kingdom, she decided. Most of the noble families in that part of Bacovia rarely attended Eryk’s court, the journey being a long one. Cora remembered hearing about a few of the eastern families, so she based her new persona on what she could recall. Diana was the second of four daughters, sent to court after her husband passed away to find another man to marry. While distasteful to Cora, the practice was a common one, and with no queen currently in residence, she wouldn’t have to worry about the whole lady-in-waiting thing, where she might slip and reveal her persona as false.

The palace Cora rode up to was a glittering jewel in the late afternoon sunlight. The ice storm that had trapped her in Madelia had obviously made its way a little farther south too, coating the walls of the castle with a thick sheen of ice. There were icicles shimmering from every overhang and the trees and bushes around the base of the wall looked like sculptures. It was beautiful, and Cora couldn’t help smiling at the sight as her carriage pulled to stop at the base of the stairs leading up to the large wooden double doors.

“We have arrived, my Lady,” the driver of the coach said, his voice barely heard above the general noise in the courtyard. He opened the door and offered her his hand to help her down and onto the icy cobbles.

Cora glanced around the courtyard, noting the decorations going up around the walls and the busy servants scurrying here and there. “It’s certainly busy here,” she commented, mostly to herself.

“Preparations are underway for the upcoming Midwinter party,” a servant commented, coming to stand in front of her. “Are you here for that?”

“Ummm...yes and no. I’ve been sent to court by my father,” she answered. “I’m the Lady Diana, from Devon Cove.” She remembered that Devon Cove was a large town on the edge of one of Bacovia’s largest lakes. The family who oversaw those lands was a large one.

“Welcome to Eaglecrest, my Lady,” the servant said, bowing. He picked up the first of the bags the coach driver passed over. “We can give you a room in the castle until you find accommodations in the city. Please, follow me.”

Cora walked through the large doors and looked around. There were more guards

present than she remembered, two posted just inside the doors and another pair on the staircase. Glancing left and right down the corridors, she could just make out the red and gray uniforms of still more guards. She shook her head, wondering at the changes.

“Right this way,” the servant directed, bowing toward the stairs leading upward. He led her up the first flight and then turned left to walk a little way down the hall. Stopping in front of a non-descript door, he bowed again.

“This will be your room for the next five days, until after the Midwinter party,” the servant informed her. “If you have not found suitable accommodation by that time, you will need to speak with the steward to make further arrangements. Please, enjoy your stay, my Lady.”

The servant then opened the door, deposited her bags beside a chair in the small anteroom, and he departed. Given the number of guards she’d seen upon entering the castle, she was surprised that she’d been given a room so easily, but she wasn’t going to argue with her good fortune. Cora shut the door and looked around her temporary domain.

The furniture in the anteroom was modest, but well constructed. She had a pair of chairs set in front of the fireplace, with a small table between them. Just beyond the chairs, Cora could see the edge of a bed, and further investigation showed her an equally small room containing the bed, a wardrobe and a small dressing table. There were no windows anywhere in the suite, so trapping her in the room involved simply posting a guard at her door. Perhaps the Bacovians aren’t so trusting after all, she mused. When Cora left her room to start her investigation, she noticed a pair of guards farther down the hall, and she smiled to herself, her suspicions confirmed.

Dinner was often an interesting time in any court, and Cora was happy that she didn’t need to wait long until the meal. Acting the part of the new courtier, she stopped a passing servant to ask directions to the dining hall, and she took a seat at one of the tables farthest from where Eryk sat with his council. She recognized only a handful of them, and only then remembered the attack that had occurred in the fall and the deaths that had resulted from the incident.

“You’re new here,” a voice spoke at her elbow. Cora turned her head to see a middle-aged woman she didn’t recognize and her husband.

“Yes, I am,” she agreed. “I’m Diana.”“Pleased to meet you,” the woman said with a smile. “I’m Lise, and this is Daniel.

Where are you from?”“I’m from Devon Cove.”“Devon Cove? That’s quite a journey. And in the winter too!”Cora laughed. “It was an interesting trip, but I arrived in one piece, at least.”“What would possess you to make the trek this time of year?” Daniel inquired quietly

from the far side of his wife. Cora smiled inwardly, content that she’d found the court gossips, the local fonts of wisdom - or at least that’s how they likely saw themselves.

“My father sent me,” she answered with a self-depreciating smile. “He wanted me here in time for the Midwinter party.”

“Ahh,” Lise murmured with a nod. “You’re husband hunting.”“Again,” Cora added with a dramatic sigh.“Oh, you poor dear!” Lise reached over and patted Cora gently on the shoulder. “Have

you been widowed long?”“It seems like years.”

“Well the party is a good place to meet eligible men,” Daniel muttered. “Maybe you’ll find your true love there.”

“True love?” Cora scoffed. “Do you really believe in that sort of thing?”“How can I not?” Daniel asked in reply. “Look at what love has done for his Majesty.”“What do you mean?” Cora leaned forward, showing her interest and encouraging him

to elaborate.“His Majesty used to be quite the womanizer,” Lise explained, “but he hasn’t even

looked at another woman since her Highness arrived here six months ago. If that’s not love, I’m not sure what is.”

“Nobody?” Cora was actually shocked by this information. She couldn’t imagine Eryk honestly settling down with someone like that.

“Well there was rumor of a marriage treaty with Madelia a few months ago, but that fell through when they attacked Eaglecrest. His Majesty put an end to that farce, and is now obviously happily engaged to her Highness.” Lise gestured to the head table when she said that, and Cora looked over to see Aislynn lean close to Eryk in response to something he said. The princess was soon laughing, and the nearby council members joined in. She had an easy familiarity with Eryk that only came from many hours of association. Cora sighed.

“I know,” Lise commented, misunderstanding Cora’s sigh. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”I doubt getting Eryk to marry someone else is going to be an option, Cora thought to

herself. Killing Aislynn continues to be the most likely way to stop the wedding.Dinner continued, and Cora learned that the noble families of Bacovia generally

approved of Eryk’s match to Aislynn. The ladies found Aislynn a little odd, and there were numerous mentions of the princess’ unusual habits, but overall, she was well liked. That sentiment was confirmed by the servants in the palace the next day when Cora made a few discrete inquiries. Aislynn seemed to go out of her way not to bother the staff, taking care of herself for the most part. Cora knew that getting to Aislynn through the staff would be difficult, and it would be nearly impossible to reach her through the guard. Her relationship with Byron was too strong, and Byron’s hold over his men equally so. Cora was beginning to think that Callum’s desire to stop the upcoming wedding was doomed to fail when everyone in the palace was rattled by a near-fatal accident.

It was the day before Midwinter, and the sun was shining, turning the icicles from the previous ice storm into glittering sculptures once more. It had snowed the night before too, and Eryk and Aislynn were going to go for a ride when Branden and Marja arrived at the palace. The pair, recently married, had been absent from court a lot over the past couple of months, and the king and princess immediately changed their plans to visit with their friends. When Aislynn and Eryk walked back into the castle, a large icicle and all of the ice attached to it, crashed down onto the princess, burying her. The princess was fine, and warnings of loose ice went out through the palace.

Now Cora wouldn’t have immediately concluded that there was anything unusual about the falling ice, but she noticed a door while walking down a corridor later that day. The door led out onto a balcony over the main entrance to the castle, and it made her wonder. The sun had melted the ice and snow from the balcony during the day, so there wasn’t any evidence of footprints, and she shook her head. Someone could have easily knocked the ice loose just as the princess was walking under it. The possibility of somebody targeting Aislynn remained in the back of Cora’s head until the following evening, the night of the Midwinter party.

The great hall was decorated for the season with great swaths of pale blue fabric affixed

to the ceiling at each corner of the room, all meeting in the middle above the chandelier. Evergreen garlands wrapped in silver and blue ribbon twined around each of the sixteen columns that lined the room to the left and right, and a similar garland decorated the raised platform at the end of the room that held the thrones.

There were a number of tables around the periphery of the dance floor, and each table had a pale blue tablecloth with silver embroidery along the edges. There were also evergreen centerpieces in vases in the middle of each table, the vases tied with the same ribbon found in the garlands.

Cora waited with the rest of the noble guests for the king and princess to arrive. The herald had already announced everyone else, in order of precedence, when he finally stepped through the doorway for his last time this evening. He took a deep breath. “Announcing your hosts for the evening, his Royal Majesty and her Royal Highness, King Eryk and Princess Aislynn,” he intoned.

Aislynn’s eesprid dashed into the room, and the couple entered behind the wolf to polite applause and the opening bars of a song from the musicians. Aislynn’s seamstress had obviously worked closely with Eryk’s tailor, and their outfits complemented each other perfectly. Aislynn’s dress was made of a pale blue fabric, and had silver embroidery at the neck, sleeves and hem. She also wore a belt made of small silver links, and sported a sapphire necklace and hair pins that complemented her gown.

Eryk wore a pair of pants that were such a dark blue that they looked nearly black, and a pale blue shirt of the same fabric as Aislynn’s dress. His pants had silver embroidery down the legs and he wore a cloth-of-silver sash that matched Aislynn’s belt. Eryk took Aislynn’s hand off of his arm and swept his fiancée out onto the dance floor to begin the evening. Cora watched with the others while they danced, and it was again obvious how close they were.

Everything after that initial dance was a busy blur. Everyone ate dinner and then danced throughout the night, most stopping to visit and gossip in small groups around the dance floor at some time or another. Cora noticed that Aislynn danced with a large number of the gentlemen in attendance, including Byron and Branden, but she always came back to Eryk, dancing with him every few numbers. She was nearly certain there wasn’t any way to convince the king to choose another for his bride.

Late into the evening, Cora watched Aislynn as she made her way across the room, heading for the refreshment table laid out for the guests. She took a glass full of punch, and turned back to watch the room while she drank. Cora wondered what thoughts were running through her head as the princess scanned the crowd.

One of the servants carrying treats throughout the guests appeared at the princess’ elbow, silently offering Aislynn the tray. With a smile of thanks, she took the closest piece of food, a small cookie. Aislynn took a bite, and just as she bit down, Cora watched a man deliberately bump into her. The impact was hard, and knocked her sideways away from the table. Cora watched the man reach out to steady the princess, mumbling an apology, and then he melted away into the crowd and Cora lost track of him almost immediately. It didn’t really matter though, because Aislynn drew her attention.

Apparently, the blow that had knocked Aislynn off balance had also lodged her bite of cookie in her throat, and she was choking. Cora watched raptly as Aislynn’s hands flew to her neck, a useless but instinctive gesture, and she almost laughed with glee because everyone around her was too busy to notice that the princess couldn’t breathe. Maybe now the evil little assassin would get her just desserts for everything she’d done. Aislynn dropped to her knees,

no longer able to stand upright. With Aislynn’s collapse, people finally started to notice that something was wrong. A

small crowd started to gather, and Cora let herself drift closer, ready to bear witness to the princess’ demise. Then she heard a bark from the wolf, and Cora saw Byron grab Aislynn roughly off of the floor. He wrapped his arms around her, and with a sudden violent movement, he squeezed the trapped air from Aislynn’s lungs, dislodging the small piece of cookie from her throat.

Cora sighed silently, disappointed as Aislynn immediately took a deep breath, drawing much needed air into her lungs as she sank down to the floor once more, this time settling into a seated position while gasping for air. Eager to reassure everyone, she smiled and had Byron help her to her feet before escorting her from the room.

“Please continue without us for a few moments,” Eryk told everyone, taking a few steps in the direction Aislynn had just gone. “We’ll both be back as soon as we can.”

Cora walked over to one of the tables and sat down. She knew she’d seen that man deliberately knock Aislynn, so he’d targeted her for some reason. Someone was apparently after the princess, and she wondered who it was.

Chapter 8Breakfast wasn’t served to the whole court, something that was different from when Cora

had been here last. Instead, Eryk took the time to have an intimate meal with his closest friends and advisors, and everyone else was left to fend for themselves. The morning after the Midwinter party, she found her way to the unused queen’s solar to join the other ladies for their meal.

“That was quite a party last night,” Lise was commenting to one of the other ladies when Cora came in. “Very exciting, with the princess’ collapse and everything.”

“Do you think she’s okay?” someone else asked, sounding genuinely worried for Aislynn’s health.

“Oh, I’m sure she’s fine,” Cora commented, choosing a chair and sitting down.“Diana! Did you meet anybody interesting last night?” Lise had a big grin on her face,

and the other ladies leaned forward eagerly, picking up on the possibility of gossip.Cora saw an opportunity to gather some information. “There were a few interesting

gentlemen, but I think they’re all taken,” she admitted with a sigh.“Really? Like who?”“Well...there was one man, tall and blond. He seemed close to his Majesty, and had a

pretty blond woman on his arm most of the night.”Her description brought laughter from the other ladies. “You’re right, he’s taken,” Lise

enlightened her. “That’s Lord Branden, his Majesty’s best friend. And the pretty blond is his wife.”

“Ah... That’s too bad,” Cora muttered, blushing. “But Lord Branden is just his Majesty’s best friend? They seemed closer than that.”

“Now that’s a good story,” one of the other women exclaimed. “That was such a scandal.”

“Yes, it was,” Lise agreed. “Lord Braden actually attacked her Highness when he was drunk, apparently to drive her away. He wanted his Majesty to marry Alexius, Lord Branden’s sister.”

“Wow,” Cora breathed, acting suitably impressed by the information. “But which one of you is Alexius?” She was having fun pretending innocence.

Her question raised another laugh, this one with a nasty sound to it. “Oh, she’s not here,” one of the ladies commented wickedly. “She was banished!”

“Banished? Why ever for?” “According to what I heard,” Lise interjected, “she had something to do with the attack

on her Highness. His Majesty...objected to her presence after that.”Cora didn’t want to push her luck, and certainly didn’t want anyone to think that she had

more than casual interest in Alexius, so she let the conversation drift. Following that very revealing morning, Cora started looking for a house to rent in the

city. Her time as a guest in the palace was nearly over, and with her mission nowhere near complete, it was important that she find somewhere to live. While she was busy doing that, she also tried to find out which of the family estates Alexius had chosen. All in all, it took her only two days to find a house to rent, and twice as long to track Alexius down. While people were still allowed to visit with her in her exile, if they wanted to, Alexius was now a pariah and

associating with her could damage your own standing in court. This also meant that nobody was willing to really talk about her either, and since Branden’s family had a number of estates, narrowing it down took time.

Cora was trying to decide if she should actually approach Alexius, confront her and offer to help, when the next attack happened. It was the morning of the Midwinter council meeting, and Aislynn was tripped down the stairs. The princess tumbled head over heels all the way down the stairs and landed badly, breaking her wrist.

“Okay, that’s just absurd!” Cora literally threw her hands into the air in disgust when she heard the news of the most recent ‘accident’. “Surely the woman can do better than that!”

Callum had asked Cora to come to Bacovia to stop Eryk’s wedding, and Alexius was the only one she could pin the attacks on. From what she’d gathered since arriving, the vast majority of the courtiers and staff liked the princess. The only person with a grudge, aside from herself, was Alexius, so she made arrangements to go and visit the lady-in-exile.

It was a lovely winter day when Cora made the journey out into the countryside. Alexius had chosen the family estate farthest from Eaglecrest, and the journey took her two hours by carriage. A guard, dressed in the red and gray uniform of a royal guardsman, stopped her at the gate of the estate.

“Good day, my Lady. What is your business here today?”“I’m here to visit with the Lady Alexius,” Cora replied primly. “Why else would I be

here?”The guard smiled. “I’m required to ask. May I have your name, my Lady?”“Lady Diana.”The man waved her carriage through onto the estate grounds, and Cora breathed a small

sigh of relief. The guard on duty was an older man, and she’d been afraid that he’d recognize her, despite her new hair color and length. The carriage rolled to a stop in front of the doors, and Cora descended onto the stones.

A servant answered her knock, looking surprised. “My lady, this is truly a pleasure. Is Lady Alexius expecting you?” The man’s tone of voice confirmed his shock that someone would actually come here. Cora guessed that Alexius hadn’t had many guests during her banishment thus far.

“No, she is not,” Cora replied. “I’d like to surprise her, if I may. Could you direct me to where she is right now?”

“Certainly, my Lady. I’m sure my mistress will be pleased to see you.”Cora didn’t know about that, but she kept the thought to herself. She needed to find out

if Alexius was the one targeting Aislynn, and if she was... Well, that conversation would be interesting.

Following the servant, Cora soon found herself outside of a closed wooden door. Based on what she’d seen of the building from the carriage, she guessed that the solar was on the other side. Opening the door as quietly as she could, Cora slipped inside the room, looking around quickly. Alexius was standing near a window, looking out over the snow-covered grounds. The sun caught her in her blond curls, turning them to spun gold, and Cora remembered how beautiful the woman was.

“You are going to have to seriously step up your game if you really want her dead,” Cora said into the silence of the room. Alexius whirled around, hands flying up defensively in front of her, caught totally by surprise.

“Who are you? What are you doing here? How did you get in?” Alexius demanded,

trying to cover her surprise with anger.“I have my ways,” she replied to the last question, totally nonchalant. She walked over

to a nearby chair and sat down.Gathering her wits about her, Alexius took a seat of her own, facing Cora with a puzzled

look on her face. She knew that her guest was familiar somehow, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

“I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Alexius said, backpedaling. “If I want who dead?” Alexius opened her blue eyes as wide as they could go, trying to look innocent, and failing miserably.

“Oh, please. Let’s not play these games, Alexius. I know what you’ve been doing. Accidents? Bribing people to trip her down the stairs? You don’t seriously expect to kill the princess that way, do you?”

“I almost had her with the stairs. And why would you care?” Alexius demanded, giving up her attempts at deception and admitting to organizing the attacks. “Who are you?”

“I care because I want to see her dead at least as much as you do, apparently. And almost isn’t good enough when we’re playing for keeps.”

Alexius took a good look at the woman seated across from her. She looked at the short, black hair and the hard blue eyes, and still couldn’t figure out why she seemed so familiar.

“Aislynn took everything from me,” Cora continued. “My life, my home, my family…”Finally, Alexius put the pieces together. “Cora?” she asked. Cora nodded sharply, a

simple up and down movement of her head.“Wow, you certainly look different. So what do you want to do?” Alexius questioned.

“You obviously think that you have a better plan than mine.”Cora smiled a nasty smile and leaned closer to Alexius. “I assume that you’ve had some

difficulty finding people who will take your money, yes?”When Alexius nodded, Cora continued. “That creature somehow inspires loyalty in the

people around her, so we’re going to need to look outside the palace. It will take a lot of planning and some time, but this is what we’ll do. I have a friend back home who I think can help you. Help us. He wants Eryk’s wedding stopped too, and doesn’t really care how it happens. So to start, what, exactly, are your goals?”

“If I can kill her, Eryk will need to marry someone else,” Alexius stated, her tone of voice showing that the explanation was obvious. “Then, he’ll marry me.”

“Okay...” The slightly insane glint in Alexius’ eyes cautioned her against pointing out the obvious holes in the woman’s logic, but still Cora felt she had to say something. “Didn’t he already have a chance to choose you?”

“If she wasn’t there, it would be me planning a wedding right now,” Alexius stated firmly. “I just need to get rid of her.”

Cora decided not to pursue that right now. It didn’t matter to her if Eryk married Alexius or not. It just mattered that he didn’t marry Aislynn. “Well, considering how things are going so far, we definitely need help. I’ll send a message and then we’ll change tactics. Here’s what I was thinking...”

Alexius leaned closer and couldn’t keep a smile off of her face as Cora outlined her plan. Aislynn had a lot to atone for, and this plan would be perfect.

Cora had lost her brother and been forced into exile soon after Aislynn’s arrival in Bacovia, and she had witnessed the assassination of Madelia’s queen. Without one of her benefactors, the situation practically forced Cora to beg for shelter and protection, and she

wanted revenge. Alexius blamed Aislynn for her own exile – as well as the loss of Eryk, who was

supposed to have been her husband. The two women certainly had a lot in common, and Cora didn’t anticipate a lot of difficulties for them to work together.

“She’d better watch out,” Alexius purred. “Here we come.”Cora chuckled, a sound more grim than joyous. “This is going to be fun.”

Chapter 9Callum paced across the width of his office, his angry steps taking him quickly from one

side of the space to the other and back again. He was furious, and this was the only safe way he could come up with for venting his anger. He longed to set fire to something, or more specifically someone, and he wanted to yell and scream. Unfortunately, both options would attract far too much attention, and so he paced.

“How dare that woman interrupt me!” Callum stopped walking and stood with his hands clenched at his sides. “Who does she think she is? Meghan has no more power here than...than a dog!”

Callum started pacing again, forcing his hands to relax as he moved. He’d known that Meghan was counseling her son, giving him advice on various matters, and he’d known that her advice sometimes contradicted his own counsel to Samuel. But today was the first time she’d dared speak out against him in public...and it would be her last.

Ever since Meghan and Samuel arrived in Ironvale with the others, she’d had something up her sleeve. Callum had hoped to use Meghan as a hostage for Samuel’s good behavior as a puppet monarch, but Samuel proved more intelligent and canny than he’d thought. And Meghan... Despite her long forced absence from court, the princess had apparently kept her political acumen honed and ready for just such an opportunity. He’d misjudged them both, something that he hated to admit to himself, and something he certainly wasn’t going to admit aloud. Now Callum had to fix his error, and it was likely going to be bloody, considering his mood.

“I’m tempted to peel the flesh from her bones,” he spat, his rage twisting inside him like a living thing. “I’m tempted to make her suffer until I finally decide to let her die. I have never been so embarrassed in my life!”

Earlier today, Samuel had summoned all of his advisors to begin discussing the plan for Bacovia. While there were still months of winter ahead of them, the king knew that starting to prepare their next steps sooner rather than later was the best idea. Everyone gathered in the king’s chambers, using the meeting space as Vivien used to do.

“I think that the first thing you need to decide, your Majesty, is the position you’d like to take,” Callum commented. “Do you want to be aggressive or a little more passive?”

Samuel thought about that, looking around the table at his military advisors. “What do you think, gentlemen? Our previous attempt at aggression was...less than successful.”

“I think that we were on the right track with the raids across the border,” one of the lords said. “We secured a lot of supplies and livestock from those raids.”

“True,” another man agreed. “It would be nice if we could continue to bolster our own people in such a manner.”

“I’m not sure that would be possible,” Callum interjected. “We had soldiers performing those raids and—”

“And most of those soldiers were killed in the ill-advised battle just before the winter,” Meghan interrupted, her eyes narrowed as she looked at Callum across the table. “Considering the loss of lives, as well as the loss of the negotiated treaty with Bacovia, it calls into question Lord Callum’s ability to advise his Majesty.”

Jaws dropped around the table, the advisors stunned that someone would dare to insult

Callum within his hearing. They’d lived in fear of Vivien’s wrath for too long, and Callum was a known favorite of hers. To say nothing of Callum’s own reputation, which was equally violent if not as erratic as the late queen’s had been.

“What?” Meghan asked, looking around at the men seated at the table. “You can’t tell me that none of you were thinking the same thing.”

“Your Highness,” Callum addressed her, his voice quiet. “I must remind you that I am only one of the advisors, and that the monarch has every right to make their decisions themselves, choosing to follow our advice or not, as they see fit. While the recent conflict with Bacovia did indeed have less than desirable results, I fail to see how you can blame that entirely on me.”

“My dear Lord Callum,” Meghan said with a smug smile, “what you fail to see is that your days as chief advisor are numbered.”

It was all Callum could do not to throttle the woman on the spot, and he found it incredibly difficult to remain and finish the meeting with the others. Having his judgment called into question created doubts about his credibility, which was something he could not allow. And so here he was, pacing in his office and trying to decide what to do about the far too vocal mother of the king.

The way he saw it, he had two options, both with pros and cons. On one hand, he could kill Meghan in a way that terrified the others and made it very clear that he wasn’t going to allow these sorts of insults. It was likely that the others expected him to take this route, living up to his reputation as it were, but there would be no doubt in anyone’s mind who was responsible for the princess’ death. That would make it less likely that Samuel would do what he was told, in the long run.

His other option was to kill Meghan quietly, making it look like an accident. He’d have to wait a little while and allow the events of today to settle before he could act, however. This may encourage the princess to continue her attacks against his character, making it ever more difficult for him to retain control of Madelia through the king. On the other hand, if Meghan’s death looked like an accident, Samuel could turn to Callum for support, strengthening Callum’s position. What to do? The only thing Callum was certain of was that Meghan needed to be silenced.

Finally feeling a little calmer, Callum went to sit at his desk. He looked at the organized piles of paper, each for a different aspect of running the kingdom, and he thought about all of the hard work he’d done over the years. More than anything else, Callum wanted Madelia to be a productive kingdom, a strong kingdom that could help his master complete the destruction of the Bacovian royal family. When he looked at the situation from that point of view, it was easier for Callum to determine the proper path for this situation. He smiled to himself and sat down to plan.

He was grinding a white substance into fine powder and pouring it into a decanter of wine when Mortimer knocked at the door. When Callum didn’t respond, the young mage knocked again, this time opening the door and sticking his head into the room.

“My Lord, I’m sorry to interrupt you, but this is important.”“Fine,” Callum stated, carefully grinding more of the substance with his pestle. “What is

it?”“Remember how you asked me to keep an eye on his Majesty?” Mortimer asked, closing

the door and leaning against it.“Yes. What about it?”

“Well he’s planning to replace you.”Callum just nodded and carefully poured the last of the fine powder into the wine.

Placing the stopper back into its place in the neck of the bottle, he began to gently mix the liquid.

Mortimer had expected a bit more of a response than this, and he took a few steps into the room. “What are you doing?”

“Making a statement.”Mortimer blinked, confused by the lack of details. “A statement about what?”That question made Callum look up from the bottle, which he continued to swing gently,

sloshing the contents around to mix them thoroughly. “Do you know what plausible deniability is?” he queried.

“I have a general idea,” Mortimer answered, his eyes locked on the swirling liquid.“It means being able to say that you honestly have no idea what happened. Vivien was

very fond of having it.”“I see. So I shouldn’t ask about what you’re going to do with that wine?”“Exactly.”Convinced that the wine was mixed satisfactorily, Callum walked out of his office,

leaving Mortimer standing there. He walked down the hall and up the stairs to the floor where Meghan was now staying alone, since Samuel had moved into Vivien’s rooms. There was a pair of guards standing on duty, apparently guarding the king’s mother.

“Gentlemen, it’s time for your break. Be back in about half an hour.”The guards looked at Callum, looked at each other, and nodded. They’d heard about

what had happened at the meeting, and they had a general idea about what was going to happen, but they left anyway. Again, the guards were used to taking his orders.

He didn’t bother to knock, just turning the handle walking into Meghan’s suite. He really didn’t care about manners or niceties at this point, and he was tired of playing games. It was late afternoon, almost evening, and he suspected that the princess was just refreshing herself before dinner. Callum walked deeper into the suite, heading for the bedroom.

“What are you doing here?” Meghan asked, a startled expression on her face when he walked into her supposedly private domain.

Callum extended the bottle of wine in her direction. “Drink this,” he commanded.Meghan took a step forward before forcing herself to stop and shaking her head. “No, I

don’t think so.”Using some magical power, he ordered her to drink the wine again, and this time she had

no choice but to obey him. He could feel her mind fighting against the compulsion, but this was Callum’s Gift, his strongest power, and in the end, Meghan took the flask from him and began to drink.

The bitter taste was nearly enough to break the spell, and as the princess sputtered and tried to rebel, Callum applied more magical pressure. As she started to swallow the harsh mixture, he smiled and explained to her what was about to happen.

“That poison you’re drinking will spread through your body like fire,” he described. “It will paralyze your vocal cords first so that you can’t speak and you can’t scream, and then it will spread outwards to your muscles. You’ll be helpless.”

Honestly, he enjoyed the look on horror now frozen on Meghan’s face. Her rigid hand gripped the neck of the decanter that she could no longer drop. Callum’s attention, not required to maintain a spell, was focused entirely on the task at hand as he drew the knife from

his belt.“The only question that matters to you now, is if you’ll die of blood loss or the poison

first. You really should never have started your little campaign to discredit me.” And with a wicked smile, Callum moved closer and got to work.

Chapter 10When Meghan didn’t arrive to have dinner with the rest of the court, nobody really paid

her absence much attention. It wasn’t unusual for people to miss the occasional meal, and when a servant’s knock on her door wasn’t answered, everybody assumed she’d retired early for the night.

When the king’s mother still didn’t appear for breakfast, however, that caused a little bit of concern. Samuel sent a servant to Meghan’s room with orders to enter regardless of whether or not the knock was answered. He was worried that his mother had taken ill, and needed a healer. The servant’s shriek of horror soon after made it clear that it was far too late for a healer to do any good.

Samuel was up and out of his chair in an instant, rushing out of the dining hall and up the stairs to his mother’s suite. A few members of the court followed, along with several guards, but most people remained seated in front of their meals. As soon as the king left the room, excited whispers sprang up, everybody speculating about what had happened. More than a few glances were shot Callum’s way, but the Lord of Tebithshire ignored them and continued with his breakfast.

There were too many people with Samuel when he went to examine his mother’s body to keep anything secret. By that afternoon, absolutely everyone in the palace, from lowest slave to highest ranking noble, had heard about it. Callum had opted for a horrific death, and the results were fantastic. To make things even better for him, the guards that he’d sent away for that impromptu break maintained that they didn’t see or hear anything. There wasn’t any doubt in anybody’s mind about who had killed Meghan, but absolutely nobody was willing to say it out loud. Nobody except Samuel, that is.

Callum was working in his office when the king opened the door, strode in across the threshold, and slammed the door closed behind him. Samuel crossed the room in a series of short, angry steps, and then he leaned on Callum’s desk to bring his face closer to the lord’s.

“Did you kill my mother?” he demanded, the words quiet with anger barely kept in check.

“If I had, do you honestly expect me to admit it? That would be suicide, your Majesty,” Callum replied calmly, leaning back in his chair and putting some distance between himself and the irate king.

“Everyone knows that it was you, but nobody will admit it!”“Then how do you know that everyone believes that it was me? I’ve heard rumors that

your mother treated her ladies-in-waiting poorly... Perhaps it was one of them?”“What am I going to do with you?” Samuel asked, anger still evident in the way he

clipped his words short.Callum smiled. “Well, I would advise you to be careful, your Majesty. I suspect that

part of the reason you’re not finding the answers you’re looking for is because of the power structure in Madelia. Trying to upset that structure may have dire consequences.”

“Are you threatening me?”“Take the warning however you’d like, your Majesty, but do consider it a warning, not

advice.”Samuel wondered briefly if he’d be able to just go ahead and execute his chief advisor,

but then he realized that he had nobody to arrest the man. The king shook his head and left the room, his hands essentially tied for the time being.

“So his Majesty is no longer planning to replace you,” Mortimer announced a short while later, appearing at Callum’s door. “I’d consider your statement successful, at least for now. I suspect that Samuel will regain his courage over time, so be careful.”

Callum nodded and gestured for Mortimer to come farther into the office. “I will likely need to do something...permanent about the king at some point, but I’ll worry about that a little later. What’s that you have there?”

“This?” Mortimer asked, waving an envelope in the air. “I picked this up from a courier who just arrived, and since I was coming this way, I decided to deliver it.” He passed the envelope across the desk.

Callum broke the seal and pulled out a small piece of paper. Unfolding the missive, he recognized Cora’s handwriting.

My dear Lord Callum,I managed to make it here in one piece (no thanks to your poor choice of travel timing),

and I’ve made contact with the person we were seeking. I’ve done some research, and I’m afraid that your idea isn’t going to work - we’ll need to pursue my suggestion, instead.

The object of our interest is too protected, and beyond my means to reach. If you want to pursue this, I’m going to need some help. I’ll leave it up to you to determine how best to do that.

Sincerely,Lady DianaCallum chuckled to himself, enjoying Cora’s deceptions. So she needed help, did she?

He looked up and met Mortimer’s gaze.“Oh come on!” the young mage exclaimed, recognizing the look on Callum’s face. “Not

again.”“Your previous assignment is over, since I’ve already neutralized Samuel’s attempt to

replace me. I need you to go and help Cora kill someone.”“What is with you and killing people?” Mortimer took a step backwards, trying to put

some distance between himself and the mage he was starting to consider a little unstable. Callum just looked at him.

“I do what needs to be done, and sometimes that involves killing people. If the assignment is too...distasteful, I could make alternate arrangements for you.”

Mortimer didn’t need to read Callum’s mind to pick up on the threat in the Lord of Tebithshire’s voice. He sighed.

“So who is it that you want killed this time?” he asked, resigned.“Princess Aislynn of Evendell, the king of Bacovia’s fiancée.”“And how am I supposed to do that?”“Be creative.”

Chapter 11Mortimer’s journey to Eaglecrest was considerably easier than Cora’s had been, and took

only six days. Considering it was late winter, that was a respectable amount of time for the trip, and Callum was happy when Mortimer checked in with him via a mirror at the last inn before reaching the city.

“So you’re certain you know what needs to be done?” Callum asked, his face a little blurry in the less than perfect mirror in the small room Mortimer had rented for the night.

“I need to locate the Lady Cora at the address she provided, find out the latest information on our target, and plan an attack to hopefully kill her Highness before she can wed the king,” Mortimer replied. He’d been over this before and didn’t understand why Callum insisted on going over it again.

“Excellent. I expect you to check in regularly via the mirror,” the Lord of Tebithshire said. “This is very important, Mortimer. Don’t fail me.”

Mortimer assumed that failing Callum was likely as bad an idea as embarrassing him in public, and everyone knew what had happened to Meghan... That wasn’t a fate Mortimer enjoyed contemplating for himself, and he nodded.

Now, as the coach drove slowly through the streets of Eaglecrest, Mortimer contemplated his current lot in life. When he’d left Larosia to apply for a job with the Madelian army, he’d never suspected that he’d be drawn into a conspiracy to wipe out a pair of royal families. He shook his head at the strange twist his life had taken, and got ready to meet with the Lady Cora once more. Or the Lady Diana, as she was known here.

The driver stopped outside of a modest stone house, and Mortimer assumed it was the correct address. He dismounted and walked up the short pathway to the large wooden door, where he knocked. A servant soon answered, opening the entrance just enough to peek outside.

“Yes? May I help you?”“I’m here to meet with the Lady Diana,” Mortimer said in way of greeting. “She’s

expecting me.”“Who shall I tell the Lady is calling?” the servant wanted to know.“Tell her it’s Mortimer.”The servant disappeared back inside the house, shutting the door firmly behind her and

leaving Mortimer outside in the cold and damp. While he waited, it started to snow, and he scowled up at the offending clouds.

“The Lady will see you now,” the servant said as she opened the door once more, this time wide enough to admit the mage. Mortimer gestured to the coach driver to bring his bags, and then stepped inside.

The servant, now that Mortimer could see her, was a short, plump woman with graying brown hair and dark eyes. He couldn’t tell what color they were since they were small and sunken into her pudgy cheeks.

“Please follow me, my Lord,” the servant said quietly, and she turned quickly and waddled off down one of the corridors leading away from the entrance. Mortimer followed along behind her, eager to get this meeting started. He still wasn’t particularly comfortable with his assignment, and would prefer to finish it quickly.

The woman stopped outside of an archway, and Mortimer looked through to see a dining room. He didn’t see Cora at the table, but he also wasn’t able to see the entire room from his current position. At a gesture from the servant, he walked into the room and looked around to get a better idea of the layout.

Cora, wearing a dark red dress, was sitting at the farthest end of the table. Mortimer was surprised by her short, black hair, and when she looked up at him, he noticed that the severe color made her blue eyes appear brighter.

“I left Madelia over two months ago, and he sends me you,” Cora commented, scowling.“Greetings to you too, my Lady,” Mortimer replied with a bow. “The Lord of

Tebithshire bids you greetings, and he sent me with this.” He held out a box, tied with a pretty yellow ribbon.

Cora’s expression changed immediately, and she rose from her seat and came toward him. “What is it?”

“I’m not sure, my Lady, but Lord Callum did indicate that I should give it to you as soon as I saw you.” Mortimer wasn’t surprised that Callum had anticipated Cora’s reaction to his presence. He was often a step or two ahead of everyone else, after all.

Cora untied the ribbon and opened the box, peering eagerly inside. She let out a quiet exclamation of delight as she withdrew a pendant, holding it up so that Mortimer could admire it. The mage whistled softly with appreciation.

In order to appease the lady, Callum had commissioned a ruby pendant for her. The large stone was cut in such a way that the facets caught even the dimmest light, making the jewel sparkle with each tiny movement. The pendant was suspended from a thin golden chain, and Cora immediately moved her hair aside so that she could put it on.

“Please fasten this for me,” she said, her tone and posture entirely different from when he’d first entered the room. Mortimer did as she bid him, happy that something so simple had apparently diffused her sour mood.

Once Cora wore her new necklace, she and Mortimer sat down at the dining table to discuss strategy.

“So tell me what’s been happening,” Mortimer said, his tone indicating polite interest.“Well, this woman named Alexius wants to marry the king, Eryk, who is currently

engage to Aislynn. Alexius has been bribing servants and staff, causing ‘accidents’. So far, Aislynn has had ice dropped on her, choked on a cookie at the Midwinter party, and she was tripped down the stairs and broke her wrist.”

“I see.” Mortimer sat with his eyes closed, processing the information. “So we need to increase the...severity of the attacks, try harder to kill her. Is that it?”

“Yes, that’s it exactly.”“What can you tell me about the princess? Her habits, her schedule, that sort of thing. I

understand that the princess is difficult to kill, apparently, so we’ll need to target her when she’s most vulnerable.” Mortimer was actually shocked to hear himself discussing the death of someone so casually. Perhaps he should flee from here and never return to Madelia. Could he actually escape Callum’s influence if he did that?

“Hmmm... Well, she always has breakfast with Eryk, Byron and their little coterie,” Cora volunteered. “I know that Branden has taken back the duties of chief advisor, so I have no real idea what Aislynn does with her time. She’s almost always with Eryk though.”

“So it will be incredibly difficult to reach the princess during the day, is what I’m hearing. What about in the evening?”

“Well, there is dinner for the whole court every night, and then Eryk visits with the various courtiers. Technically, Aislynn is available as well, but she seems to skulk off most of the time.”

“So the evening would be a better time to attack her then?”“I’m not really sure...” Cora trailed off, thinking. “There are a lot of guards around

during the social time after dinner. There’re likely too many eyes around to really get a shot at her.”

Mortimer sighed. “So she’s always with Eryk or she’s surrounded by guards. How am I supposed to work with that?”

“Get creative.”Mortimer scowled, hearing Callum’s words from Cora’s mouth. “I can try to scry for

her, and see if there’s an opportunity to attack when she’s not so well protected. What does she look like?”

“She’s tall, with long brown hair and brown eyes.”“Really? You expect me to pick her out of a crowd with that description?”Cora glared at him. “What do you want? You asked me what she looks like, and I told

you. It’s not my fault if she’s plain.”“Can you think of anything that distinguishes her from other ladies at court?”“Well, there is the wolf she keeps company with.”“A wolf? You didn’t think to start with that?”“Look, Mortimer. I know exactly where you fall in the hierarchy of things, and it would

be unwise to use that tone of voice with me. Do you understand?”The mage looked skeptical, but nodded. “Sure, my Lady. I’ll keep an eye on the

princess and let you know when we can prepare an attack.” Mortimer rose.“I’ll give you a room to stay in,” Cora said, rising herself. “Excellent.”Cora called her servant and sent Mortimer on his way. The mage followed the quiet

woman up the stairs and to his room, which turned out to be essentially a closet with a bed in it. At least it had a mirror.

Left to unpack his belongings, his status in Cora’s eyes very clear, Mortimer wondered what he should tell Callum when he checked in later this evening. Should he mention that this looked like an impossible task, or should he just make the best of it? Or, Mortimer wondered to himself, should I just crawl out the window and run while I can?

With a chuckle at the image of getting stuck in the narrow aperture that passed for a window in this room, Mortimer decided to do the best he could. When it came right down to it, he doubted that running would actually work.

Chapter 12“She’s going to be leaving the palace to visit her friend in three days,” Mortimer

commented to Cora at breakfast two days later.“How do you know that?” Cora asked, looking up from putting sugar in her tea.

Mortimer just looked at her.“Oh yeah, you’re an all-powerful mage,” she said, and Mortimer laughed.“I was sent here to help you because it’s my job to know these things, but I’m certainly

not all-powerful.” Mortimer considered the fact that the Lord of Tebithshire was a more powerful mage than he was, and was happy with his decision to stay here with Cora instead of running. “We’ll use my ability to predict the future to help plan our attack.”

“If you have the ability to see the future, can’t you just tell me if the attack will work?” Cora wanted to know.

“It doesn’t work that way,” Mortimer clarified. “Right now, I can see that Aislynn will leave the palace, visit her friend, and leave at dusk to return to the castle. Everything goes smoothly because, at this point, we haven’t done anything to change that. As we plan, the most likely future will shift, hopefully in our favor, but there are a hundred tiny things that can alter the course of events.”

“Okay. So what do we need to do?”“Well, do you know who she might be visiting? If we can identify the location and scout

it out, we can plan properly.”Cora drew her lower lip into her mouth, thinking. “The only person I can think of would

be Marja, Branden’s wife. I really don’t think Aislynn has that many friends, and anybody else would be at the palace.”

“Excellent. And do you know where she lives?”“No, but it will be easy enough to find out. Lise, one of the women I spend time with at

court, is a terrible gossip. I’m sure she’ll be able to tell me.”“Okay, you talk with her, and I’ll see about hiring some muscle for an attack. How are

we going to pay for this?”Cora laughed. “That’s an easy one. Alexius has lots of money, and she’s given me a

generous purse to use toward this plot of ours.”“I like the sound of that,” Mortimer said with a chuckle. “I’ll see who I can find for hire.

Any suggestions?”“Not really. Don’t even bother with anybody in the royal guard though. Aislynn has the

guard wrapped around her little finger, and whoever isn’t, is likely entirely loyal to their captain - who is one of Aislynn’s closest friends.”

“Okay, I’ll look farther afield,” Mortimer promised. “You’ll be back after dinner then, since you’re going to court?”

“Yes. I’ll hopefully be able to give you the address then.”They parted ways, Cora to head up to the palace and Mortimer leaving for the market.

Sometimes, one could find mercenaries for hire, and the mage hoped he’d be lucky. Goodness knows that he had enough money, thanks to Alexius. Mortimer wondered if he’d ever get to meet her.

Cora didn’t return from the palace until late, and the two conspirators weren’t able to talk about their plan until the following morning. Breakfast was quickly becoming the time to plot.

“I know where Branden’s house is,” Cora mentioned as soon as Mortimer walked into the small dining room. “That’s what you needed, right?”

“Yes. And I managed to hire some men for the attack. I’ll need to scout around the house so that I can give the men more specific orders, and it’s very important that nobody sees me looking around. If they suspect something, Aislynn won’t make the visit.”

Cora took a deep breath. “What reason would you have to be there?”“I’m not sure,” Mortimer replied, unhappy that his invisibility wasn’t strong enough to

last the length of time he’d need to scout the area properly. “Why would Aislynn be going to visit Branden’s wife, anyway? Why isn’t she at the palace with everyone else?”

“She’s pregnant, and I’ve heard that it’s not been easy for her. According to the rumors, Marja’s been really sick the entire pregnancy, and there doesn’t seem to be any sign of that changing.”

“Ahh... Is there something that you could bring her? I could act the part of your escort and take a look around the area in order to ‘keep you safe’,” Mortimer suggested.

“That could work. I think I remember that ginger was good for pregnancy-related illness, so maybe I could have the cook bake some ginger cookies?”

“It’s something, at least. All we can do is give it a try and hope for the best.”Later that afternoon, Cora walked into the courtyard in front of Marja’s house with

Mortimer a few steps behind her. The mage was uncomfortable wearing a sword at his side, but it was necessary for the part he was playing. He hoped that nobody looked at him too closely and noticed how awkward he was.

Cora knocked on the door, and Mortimer looked around, noticing that there weren’t any ground floor windows facing the courtyard. That’s useful, he thought to himself.

“Yes? Can I help you?” An older gentlemen, likely a butler based on his clothing, opened the door a little and peered out at the visitors.

“Good morning,” Cora replied with a pleasant smile. “I’m Lady Diana, from the palace. I heard that your lady wasn’t feeling well, and I brought these.” She held out the basket with the ginger cookies.

“Oh,” the startled servant replied, apparently surprised that someone would bring anything to Marja. “What is in the basket?”

“Ginger cookies. My mother used to make them for anybody who was with child,” Cora explained. “They sooth the stomach and help increase the appetite.”

“Well thank you, my Lady.” The man beamed at her. “This is most appreciated.”“You’re very welcome.”During the entire exchange, Mortimer never ceased his surveillance of the area. In

addition to the lack of windows, the way the buildings were arranged left shadows at either side of the courtyard. He could almost see the attack in his mind - archers shooting from the deeper shadows as the princess left the house at dusk, and nobody to look out of Branden’s house and witness what happened.

The next thing he knew, Cora was turning away from the now closed door, her delivery complete. As she walked past him, she tugged at his sleeve surreptitiously, drawing his attention. “It’s time to leave,” she hissed quietly. “Did you get what you were looking for?”

Mortimer nodded, and then offered Cora his left arm to guide her away from the house and the blind courtyard. “I know what to do.”

Chapter 13When the day of the attack came, Cora couldn’t keep her anxiety in check. She

wandered the house aimlessly, pestered Mortimer constantly, and basically couldn’t sit still.“You need to go and do something!” Mortimer finally exclaimed. “Nothing is going to

happen until dusk, so you have hours to kill yet. Why don’t you head up to the palace and do whatever it is that you do?”

“Trying to get rid of me?”“Yes! You are driving me crazy. I can’t concentrate with you wandering in and out of

whichever room I happen to be in. Go away!”Cora scowled. “You can’t kick me out of my own house,” she protested.“Fine,” he answered, standing. “I’ll leave, and you stay here. I’ll be back just before

dusk.”As he walked out of the house and into the late winter afternoon, Mortimer realized that

he had no place to go. He started to wander the streets of Eaglecrest, initially heading toward the market. The market was always an interesting place to spend a few hours.

Mortimer wandered back and forth through the stalls, but nothing caught his interest. Looking at the sun, he knew he still had time before returning to Cora’s house, so he went into a nearby inn for something to eat. He finished his small meal and then decided to pull himself together and return to Cora.

“Finally!” the woman exclaimed when he returned. “Where have you been?”“Why does it matter?” Mortimer asked, rolling his eyes. “It’s not quite dusk and I’m

back to cast the spell.”“But what if she left early? What if it’s over and you’ve missed it?”“Relax! Give me a few moments to get what I need.” Mortimer brushed past Cora and

went upstairs to his room. The type of scrying spell he cast didn’t broadcast so that others could see it, but he still used a traditional scrying bowl. Mortimer retrieved it from his bag and went back down to where Cora waited impatiently.

“So how is this going to work?” the woman demanded as she followed him into the small dining room.

“I’m going to cast the spell and I’ll tell you what I see. It’s pretty straight forward.”Cora didn’t look particularly impressed with the explanation, but she sat down at the

table without saying anything else. Mortimer set the bowl down on the table and poured some water into it slowly, not wanting to spill. Sitting down in front of the dish, he whispered the words of the spell.

Before his eyes, the water started to swirl, clouding over and then clearing to show him the courtyard outside of Branden’s home. He watched a woman leave the house, escorted by a pair of guardsmen. They walked toward a trio of horses waiting in the apparently empty courtyard.

“Well? What do you see?”“Shhhh... I’m trying to concentrate.”Mortimer watched Aislynn grab the horn of her saddle and pull herself up when an arrow

came whizzing out of the shadows, striking her in the shoulder. With a gasp, she lost her grip and slipped back down to the ground. The wolf with her dashed across the courtyard toward

the shadows where the arrow had come from.One of the guards grabbed Aislynn around the waist and flung her behind him toward his

partner before dashing off after the wolf. Aislynn stumbled, and the guard steadied her and pulled her behind her horse, sandwiching them between her mount and his and providing them with at least a little bit of protection.

“So? What’s happening, Mortimer? Something must be happening.”“The fight has started,” he informed her. “The first arrow hit the princess and she’s

currently huddled behind her horse for protection.”Turning his attention more fully on the image in the bowl, he saw the guard’s fingers

gently probe around the arrowhead, making Aislynn gasp in pain. He knew that the men attacking the princess were using barbed arrows, and the mage winced involuntarily in sympathy.

The guard tried to lead the two of them out from the protection of the horses, and as soon as he cleared his horse’s flank, another arrow whizzed by. Aislynn grabbed him and jerked him backwards, and they both saw sparks where the arrowhead struck the cobblestones a few inches away.

Aislynn put her fingers to her lips and Mortimer assumed that she was calling to her wolf. When the wolf reached them, Aislynn sent it off in the opposite direction, hoping to scatter their attackers there. The guard followed the wolf, leaving Aislynn alone with the horses. She twisted her sword belt slowly around so that her sword was resting against her right hip, and Mortimer wondered what the princess was doing even wearing a sword. There was something missing from the information he’d been given about her, he suspected. Mortimer relayed what was happening to Cora.

As soon as it was dark enough that the archers would have difficulty attacking her, Aislynn dashed away from the protection of the horses and ran for the house. She pounded on the door as best she could while trying not to jar her injured shoulder, and when the door opened, she pushed her way inside without explanation and slammed it behind her. Mortimer cursed.

“What’s wrong?” Cora demanded. “What went wrong?”“She escaped back into the house, but the men did manage to injure her.”“They failed? But I thought that having you here was going to help.”“I’m not perfect, and there’s no such thing as a foolproof plan. Besides, you neglected to

provide me with all of the information.”“What are you talking about?”“The princess was wearing a sword. Why?”“Aislynn is an assassin. Didn’t anybody tell you that?”“No... Didn’t you think that it would be important that I know that?” Mortimer asked,

exasperation plain in his voice. “How can I plan an attack properly when I don’t know that she’s capable of actually defending herself?”

“Well, you know about it now,” Cora stated firmly. “What are you going to do next?”“I’m not sure,” the mage admitted. “We’ll have to see what repercussions come of this

attack first, I suspect. After that, we can plan the next attack.”Cora rose from the table and left the room without another word. Mortimer suspected

that she was angry and frustrated with their failure to kill the princess today, but he also knew that she shouldn’t worry too much. She wasn’t the one who had to go and tell Callum what had happened.

Chapter 14“Poison!”Mortimer dropped the piece of fruit he was holding and pushed himself away from the

table with a look of alarm.“Not your breakfast, you imbecile,” Cora sneered, sitting down. “Our next attack.” She

dropped a bag onto the table in front of the mage.“Oh,” Mortimer mumbled, pulling his chair back to its spot. “Well then... Poison, you

say?”In the weeks since the attack outside of Branden’s home, Aislynn hadn’t been seen

outside of the palace. From her visits there, Cora heard rumors that the princess wouldn’t be leaving the relative safety of the castle without a squad of guards, so she and Mortimer had been trying to figure out what to do next.

“Yes, poison. We can’t attack Aislynn outside of the palace because she isn’t outside the palace, so we’ll need to attack her inside the walls. A physical attack won’t work unless we can isolate her from all the guards, so a stealth attack is best.”

“And you think that sneaking past all of those guards to get access to something the princess is going to eat would be easier?”

“Sure. You’re a mage, so use your magic powers or whatever.”Mortimer looked at her, and then shook his head. Cora obviously had no idea how magic

worked.“Are you telling me you can’t do it?” Cora demanded, but Mortimer didn’t answer right

away.“I’ll think about it,” he said eventually, “and I’ll see if I can figure out how it can work.”Cora obviously decided that was good enough, and ate her meal in silence. Mortimer did

the same, and soon after, he retired to his room. It was time to check in with Callum, and the mage wondered if the Lord of Tebithshire would have any advice for him.

“Good morning, Mortimer,” Callum greeted him once the magical fog in the mirror cleared. “Nice to see that you’re prompt, as always.”

“Good morning to you, my Lord. And how are things in Madelia?”“Interesting. And in Bacovia?”“The same. Your Lady is quite...something, my Lord,” Mortimer said. He was careful

to keep his tone respectful.Callum quirked an eyebrow. “She most certainly is,” he agreed. “What is she trying to

get you to do now?”“Well, since the last attack on the princess, we haven’t been able to get anywhere near

her. Your Lady has suggested trying to poison her.”“That’s an interesting idea. And your objections to the plan are what?” Callum asked,

his gaze direct.“The castle is well guarded,” Mortimer began, “and I’m not sure how easy it will be to

get close enough to the food to put the poison in.”“You’re a Spirit mage, Mortimer,” Callum said, his voice a touch derisive. “Use your

invisibility spell.”“But—”

“No buts, Mortimer,” Callum interrupted. “The princess is too savvy to be caught twice by the same type of attack, and you haven’t tried poison yet. Go ahead and do it.”

“Yes, my Lord. I’ll arrange it.”“Excellent. I’ll speak with you again in a few days.”Great, Mortimer thought as he broke contact with Callum. I’ll look forward to it.As Callum put the mirror away in the drawer of his desk, he shook his head. Mortimer

wasn’t making the progress he’d hoped, the princess being as difficult to kill as he’d anticipated. Still, there was still another nearly two months until the wedding, so they had time. He gathered his papers and left his office for the council meeting Samuel had arranged.

“Good morning, my Lords,” the young king of Madelia greeted his advisors when everyone was gathered. “We’re going to conclude our discussion concerning Bacovia today. Spring will be upon us in a few short weeks, and we need to have a plan.” He gestured to one of the military advisors.

“Thank you, your Majesty,” the man said, picking up a sheaf of papers. “The Bacovians have spent the winter months starting to fortify the border. They’ve established guard outposts at all of the major roads crossing the border, and have stationed army soldiers at each of them. Those soldiers ride daily patrols, but they alter the pattern to avoid predictable holes in the defenses.”

“In other words,” Samuel continued, “they’re prepared for us to continue with the raiding once the land starts to thaw. I don’t think our resources will be able to sustain attacks of that nature, not with the Bacovians prepared to confront us.”

“So what are you suggesting, your Majesty?” Callum asked. Ever since Meghan’s death, Samuel had kept Callum in his official position, but the young man hadn’t been sharing his thoughts with his chief advisor. Samuel’s passive-aggressive tactics to alienate Callum were annoying, and he’d had just about enough of them.

“I’m suggesting that we re-open negotiations with King Eryk,” Samuel said bluntly. “This is a new reign, and I see no reason why it should echo Vivien’s time on the throne. I think that the people of Madelia have seen enough fighting and enough bloodshed to last generations, and I want peace with the southern kingdom.”

The men in the room stared at the king, everyone silent. Callum wasn’t sure if they just didn’t know what to say, or if they thought the king was mad. The young man had an entirely different philosophy than they were used to, and they weren’t sure what to do with it.

“What about an ambassador?” someone finally asked. “Bacovia executed the last ones.”“With just cause,” Samuel pointed out immediately. “They were harboring assassins

who killed the former king, Eryk’s father. I’d hang them too.”“So who will be the new ambassador?” the man asked again. Samuel turned his head,

and Callum knew what was coming. He could see it written in the gleam in the young king’s eye.

“I think that the Lord of Tebithshire would make an excellent ambassador,” Samuel answered smoothly. “He’s been working toward the interests of Madelia for a very long time, so he has the experience and knowledge necessary for the task.”

Callum stood and bowed to the king, the only thing he could do, under the circumstances. “Thank you, your Majesty. It is an honor to be appointed.”

“Once we’re finished here, you and I can discuss your new position and Madelia’s new treaty goals.”

Callum bowed again and resumed his seat.

After the meeting concluded, with no new chief advisor appointed, Callum was happy to see, everyone except Callum and Samuel left the room. The new ambassador remained seated as the room cleared, forcing the king to come to him or raise his voice to speak across the table.

“So, my dear Lord of Tebithshire,” Samuel began, walking closer with a slightly menacing look. “I’ve been trying to figure out how to deal with you since you killed my mother, and now I finally have my chance. I can send you away from court, into exile as it were, and to everyone else, it looks like an honor.”

“Samuel, all I have to say to you is that I warned you. What happens now, because you didn’t heed me, is out of my hands.”

Callum stood and walked out of the room, not waiting for the king to dismiss him. He was angry that Samuel would so casually ignore his warning, and he was concerned about his master’s plan. What would it mean to Rhys to have his servant sent to Bacovia? How could Callum possibly turn this to his advantage? Callum needed to think about this before he made any final decisions, and he needed to figure out what to do with Samuel. He knew one thing for certain, however... Samuel couldn’t be allowed to remain in power in Madelia if Callum wasn’t here to oversee him and his decisions.

Chapter 15Mortimer had prepared for this attack as carefully as he knew how to. Knowing the

limitations of his invisibility spell, he had Cora find him one of the palace servant liveries, or at least a reasonable facsimile of one. And so, he dressed in his white shirt, gray pants and red vest, and he approached the gates cautiously.

From his scrying, Mortimer knew that today Father Nicholas would come to the palace to help the couple write their vows for the wedding ceremony. He also knew that the king and princess would fight about something, sending Eryk to the kitchen in search of a treat to help assuage Aislynn’s hurt feelings. Mortimer’s job was to poison the sweets before the king took them from the kitchen.

The gate was his first challenge, and Mortimer whispered the words of the invisibility spell, his hand on the wand he had hidden in his shirt to help focus the magical energy he needed. Spells that manipulated people’s minds were the weakest aspect of his magic, so he tried to walk past the pair of guards on duty as quickly as possible, hoping that the clothing he wore would be enough to fool the men if the spell happened to fail. There were plenty of other servants rushing in and out of the gate on various errands, and he needed to blend in.

As Mortimer cleared the gate and approached the great double doors of the palace itself, the leaden clouds let loose with the cold early spring rain they held. He cursed along with everyone else caught in the sudden deluge, and the mage was carried along with crowd into the castle foyer. He couldn’t tell if the invisibility spell still held or not, and so he slipped into the first room he came to, trying to remain out of sight.

“This is insane,” he whispered to himself as he looked around the room. “How did I let myself get talked into actually doing this?”

The room in which Mortimer found himself looked like a small meeting room or something similar. There was a table with a few chairs, and not much else. It was too small to be used for anything overly important, so he assumed that he’d have a few undisturbed moments to figure out where he needed to go. He rummaged in his pockets for the folded piece of paper he’d brought with him.

Earlier that day, when he’d confirmed that it was indeed a good time to try their plan, Cora had drawn him a rough map of the castle. Mortimer had never been here before, and the idea of wandering around aimlessly bothered him immensely. He knew for a fact that his invisibility spell wasn’t good enough for that.

Spreading the paper on the table, Mortimer bent over it and tried to figure out where he was. Cora’s role in the court wasn’t one that allowed her to be familiar with every single room in the large stone building, so he had only the major landmarks to navigate by, as it were. He knew that he’d moved into the corridor to the right of the foyer, so Mortimer concluded that if he continued down this hallway and around the corner, he’d eventually reach the kitchen. Also down this particular hallway was the ball room, the council meeting chamber and the dining hall. Was it late enough in the afternoon that everybody would be finished eating?

Renewing his invisibility spell and steeling himself, Mortimer slipped out of the room and back into the corridor, turning immediately to the right and moving deeper into the castle. The mage moved cautiously, pretty much from room to room, and that caution nearly cost him the plan. He slipped into the kitchen only a few moments before a pair of men who stood out

in the bustling room. One of the men was tall and self-confident, with black hair and piercing blue eyes, and

Mortimer knew that this was the king. Beside Eryk was a man of average height, with curly brown hair and a slightly haunted expression - the king’s bodyguard.

Eryk scanned the busy room and signaled to one of the women, who approached the men and curtsied. The king spoke to the woman, but Mortimer couldn’t hear what he said over the din.

“Certainly, your Majesty,” he heard a woman say in reply to whatever he’d missed. “I think I even happen to have some of her Highness’ favorite treats.”

Mortimer, hiding in the corner of the kitchen under what he hoped was an invisibility spell, watched a woman leave the company of the two men and move deeper into the room, weaving around counters and servants with practiced ease. Hurrying along the wall, and desperately trying not to hit anyone or anything, Mortimer followed her. He reached into a pocket for the powder Cora had given him, and tried to figure out where the woman was heading.

Finally, at the back of the room near a pair of fireplaces, Mortimer spotted a table with plates of food on it. Picking up the pace, practically jogging toward the spot, he could see that the food was actually plates of cookies and sweets. He knew that the woman had mentioned having Aislynn’s favorites, but he had no idea what they were. He hovered near the table, impatient and invisible, waiting for the woman to show a preference for one plate over the others.

The woman reached the table after pausing twice on her way across the room to answer questions or issue orders for the upcoming meal. Mortimer held his breath, fine powder held in his hand, and as she reached for a plate, he darted forward to throw the powder over the sweets. Fortunately, the woman wasn’t looking at the sweets after she picked up the plate, instead turning back toward the king and his bodyguard. This meant that she missed seeing a fine white powder literally materialize from nowhere and settle over the treats. As she walked away, Mortimer noticed that the sweets looked like they’d been dusted with sugar, and part of him hoped that the poison was sweet or it wouldn’t take the princess long to figure out that something was wrong.

Taking a deep breath to steady himself for another run through the gauntlet of a kitchen, Mortimer hoped he made it back out of the castle without being caught. Now that his task was done, the clothing he wore was more of a detriment than a help. Luck was with him, however, and he made back outside into the rain and then through the gates without a problem. Now he just needed to sit back and wait for the results of their latest attempt to stop Eryk’s wedding.

Chapter 16“You could have killed him! What were you thinking?”“It’s nice to see you too, Alexius,” Cora commented mildly, taking a seat on one of the

chairs in Alexius’ sitting room.“Don’t play coy with me, Cora. That poisoning stunt could have killed Eryk, and that is

not acceptable.”“I’m sorry,” Cora replied, not having anything else to say. “We’ll be more careful in the

future.”“You’d better be.” Alexius stalked over to another chair and sat down, mindlessly

adjusting her skirts to that they lay just right.Or what? Cora asked herself silently. She didn’t want to provoke the slightly insane

woman, but at the same time, she felt it would do Alexius good to be reminded that she had no real power, locked away in this country estate. “How did you even find out about it?” she asked aloud.

Apparently, word of the princess’ sudden illness had spread through the castle like wildfire, and the rumors jumped to the city itself almost as quickly. It took a little longer for the gossip to reach Alexius all the way out here, but a servant returning from the market had brought the story with her. Alexius, knowing that Cora and her “friend” were busy planning and executing attacks on Aislynn had put two and two together, coming to the conclusion that they’d poisoned the princess.

“So you can only plan attacks that won’t possibly injure Eryk by accident,” Alexius stated firmly, making sure that Cora understood. “All of this is useless if he’s too dead for me to marry him!”

Cora held up her hands in submission. “Okay, okay, I get the point. We’ll plan things that won’t hurt the king, so that you’ll have your chance at him.”

“Excellent. Now, what’s the next step?” Alexius wanted to know, her blue eyes glittering eagerly.

“I don’t know,” Cora was forced to admit. “My friend researches and plans the attacks, not me.”

“Okay,” Alexius conceded. “When will the next attack be?”“Again, I’m not sure. That will depend a lot on the type of attack we choose.”“Well what good are you then?” Alexius demanded, rising gracefully from her chair. “If

you can’t actually provide me with any news, you might as well leave!”Cora rose happily from her chair and left the room and the estate. In her opinion, the

longer this whole thing progressed, the more unstable Alexius became. Spending less time with her seemed like an excellent idea.

Cora wasn’t the only one having a bad day. A few days travel to the north, in Ironvale, Callum was having an uncomfortable conversation with Rhys.

“How could you possibly misjudge him so badly?” the assassin-mage demanded. “You’ve always been a good judge of character.”

“I don’t know, Master, but I am sorry. I’ve been thinking about the appointment, however, and I think that it may actually work to our advantage.”

“Oh? And how is you losing control of the kingdom going to be to my advantage? If Madelia is at peace with Bacovia, it will add a level of difficulty to my plan that I did not anticipate and that I certainly do not want.”

“You don’t need to worry about Samuel,” Callum promised. “I have a plan for him. What I really need to know is your long-term goals for this kingdom, aside from maintaining hostilities with Bacovia, that is.”

Rhys looked skeptical. “What are you planning, then?”“I’m going to bury a few suggestions so deep into Samuel’s mind that he’ll be positive

they’re his own idea. After I strip him of his defenses, of course.” Callum grinned wickedly, and Rhys echoed him.

“Well, in that case, I want Samuel to decide that it’s in Madelia’s best interest to rebuild the army. I want to make sure Madelia is preparing for conquest.”

“It will be done, Master. And I do believe that going to Bacovia is the best thing. I’ll be able to work directly with Eryk, I’ll be there to hopefully stop the wedding in a few weeks, and I’ll be there to hopefully kill him when the opportunity arises. Just think, Master - when will we ever get another chance like this?”

Rhys paused, thinking about the idea as Callum had bade him. Upon reflection, he did have to admit that the plan had some promise. “Fine, as long as you can assure me that you’re not losing control of Madelia,” he stated. “If the suggestions take hold, than you can continue with your new assignment as ambassador, but it’s very important that you’re able to do what I need you to do when the time comes.”

“I’m positive that I can do the job; manipulating minds is, after all, my Gift. Samuel is not going to allow Madelia to continue with military conflict, but I don’t think he’ll find any reasonable objection to repairing our defenses, as it were. And by the time I’m finished with Samuel, he will truly be a puppet, with no free will and no real thoughts of his own.”

“I’m trusting you, Callum,” Rhys finally said after a few moments. “If you can do what you said, you have my blessing. Good luck.”

As Rhys’ face faded from the mirror, Callum desperately hoped that his confidence wasn’t misplaced. He’d thought about this carefully, however, and he was as sure as he could be that his plan was a good one...and Samuel was getting on his nerves anyway.

The young king of Madelia had made it clear at the last meeting that he wanted Callum in Bacovia before the royal wedding. As far as Callum could determine, that gave him about a month to finish solidifying his position in Ironvale before he had to leave, which meant that he had to act fast. In order to plant the suggestions deeply enough that Samuel wouldn’t be able to fight them, the mage needed to strip Samuel’s brain of any natural protections it had. The spell was a nasty one, and looked a lot like a seizure, and Callum felt that dinner would be appropriate. If Samuel took ill in front of the entire court, none of whom knew Callum was a mage, there should be little suspicion that it was an attack from the Lord of Tebithshire. That was important for the next second phase of Callum’s plan to work.

Dinner that night was just as boring as Callum expected it to be. Samuel was nowhere near as much fun as Vivien had been, and he never had any form of entertainment to help lighten the mood. Callum, still in his position of chief advisor until he left for Bacovia - or Samuel replaced him officially - sat at the high table with the king and assorted high ranking nobles. Even though spring had arrived, it was still too early for anything to be growing, so the meal was yet another fairly bland stew. Callum decided it was time to add some excitement to the meal.

The spell he needed was actually a combination spell, one that drew on both of his elemental gifts. The spell would literally burn through Samuel’s mind, reducing him to little more than a mindless heap for a few days, and during that time, Callum would cast the other spells he needed to ensure that everything would go smoothly in his absence.

The mage reached through Ember, who he’d brought along to lend power to the spell, and he whispered the words he needed under his breath, disguising the movement of his lips behind a mouthful of stew. Callum felt the spell click into place, and the effects were immediately apparent to everyone nearby.

With a cry, Samuel clutched at his head, his spoon dropping back to the table and scattering bits of beef and broth across the wood. The nearest lord leaned closer, concerned, and the king cried out again, squeezing his eyes shut with pain.

“Your Majesty!” another lord exclaimed. “What ails you?”If he could explain it, Callum thought, plastering a look of false concern over his

features, I wouldn’t be casting the spell properly.For good measure, Callum whispered the words of the spell again, and Samuel collapsed

to the floor, sliding as if boneless from his chair. People were up from the tables now, and a crowd started to gather.

“Healer!” Callum cried out, adding his voice to the din. “Someone get a healer!”Within moments there were servants everywhere, it seemed. A healer slid to his knees

beside the comatose king and cast a detection spell to try and determine what was happening. Then he directed a pair of servants to fetch a stretcher and Samuel was soon borne out of the dining hall and upstairs to his rooms.

Callum followed along a few paces behind, officially to get a statement from the healers to give to the rest of the court. In reality, he wanted to ensure that any healing magic cast on the king didn’t restore his mental defenses too quickly. That would mean Callum would have to cast the original spell again, which would risk permanently damaging Samuel’s mind. While the idea of doing so didn’t really bother Callum all that much, the difficulties ruling through a puppet that spent most of his day a vegetable didn’t really appeal to him.

By the time the healers finished with their spells and medicines, it was quite late into the evening. Callum knew that the court would be waiting for him to make his announcement before everyone retired for the night, so he approached the healer as the man straightened up from Samuel’s bedside.

“Well?” he asked. “Will his Majesty be okay?”“I believe so,” the healer answered, a little hesitantly. “I think that the stress of

everything has caused this fit, so with rest, his Majesty should make a full recovery.”“That’s excellent news,” Callum said with a smile. “I will make sure everyone knows

that immediately.”Callum left the room and returned to the dining hall. There, as expected, the majority of

the court stood and sat awaiting him.“I have good news,” he announced with another smile. “The healer predicts that his

Majesty will make a full recovery, with rest.” The crowd of people cheered appropriately, and then they began to disperse, heading back to their homes and rooms to retire for the night. Callum returned to his own room for a little while, to make some preparations, and then he made his way down the corridor to Samuel’s suite.

“I’m just going to check on his Majesty one last time before bed,” he informed the guards. The men wouldn’t have stopped him from entering the room anyway, but he felt it was

a good idea to make his intentions known to as many people as possible, at least when his intentions were honorable.

Moving toward Samuel’s bedchamber, Callum brought the words of the suggestion spell to mind. Again, he had his eesprid with him to bolster the spell’s power, and Callum knew he’d need to cast this one multiple times over the coming days. For tonight, he had just a single goal.

The mage laid his hand on the king’s forehead and whispered the words of the spell. Callum felt his consciousness slip easily into Samuel’s unprotected mind, and he moved deeper until he found a tiny hidden corner. There, he buried an idea.

“You will officially name Callum, the Lord of Tebithshire, as you heir.”Callum still didn’t really want to have the target on his back that came with ruling a

kingdom, but he was coming to realize that nobody was going to do it the way he wanted. In order to ensure that Madelia made the decisions that needed to be made, Callum was going to have to take the reins of power himself, openly and entirely. While he believed that going to Bacovia was an excellent move to advance his Master’s plan, the job as ambassador was ultimately a temporary one; he wanted to ensure that he had a job to come home to.

Chapter 17“It’s time for you to come home, Mortimer.”Callum didn’t bother with greetings when Mortimer answered his summons via the

mirror. Instead, he got right down to business. Time was running out.“What?” the young mage asked in reply. “Why?”“Well, there are a few reasons, actually,” Callum elaborated. “One, you haven’t

managed to kill Aislynn yet, or stop the wedding, and that wedding is now only a little less than two weeks away. Two, you’re no longer needed in Bacovia, because there’s another mage moving into the city to take over from you. And three, because I told you to.”

Mortimer just looked into the mirror and blinked a few times, trying to process what Callum had said. “Who’s replacing me?”

“I am. I’ll be there in about four days, and you’ll be here in about four days; we’ll pass each other on the road, and perhaps take a break and have tea.”

“Why are you coming here?” Mortimer wanted to know, using the distance between them to protect him from Callum’s wrath. The narrowing of the older mage’s eyes showed Mortimer that the distance was a good thing.

“I’m the new ambassador to Bacovia,” Callum finally answered. “And so I need you here to keep an eye on Samuel for me.”

“So instead of trying to kill the princess, you want me to spy on a king.” Mortimer’s tone of voice was flat, obviously not terribly amused by the idea.

“Samuel shouldn’t be any trouble; he’s had a change of opinion about a few things. I just need you to report to me what he’s up to so that I can ensure that he’s doing what he’s supposed to be doing.”

“And if he isn’t?”“Then you’ll need to cast a suggestion spell and convince him otherwise.”“That group of spells isn’t my strongest, my Lord,” Mortimer said hesitantly. “What

happens if it doesn’t work?”“Then you kill him, and I’ll take the throne.”Callum had worked tirelessly over the past few weeks to get Samuel’s mind fully

conditioned to just the way he wanted it. The king had officially made Callum his heir, a move that shocked most of the court, but nobody was willing to comment about it. The Lord of Tebithshire had also planted suggestions in Samuel’s mind to increase Madelia’s army, begin scouting just this side of border to keep an eye on the Bacovians, and conduct a survey of resources. Callum was hoping that the survey would show some lack of resources that could be remedied with a few judicious raids.

“If you want me home in four days, I’ll have to leave tomorrow,” Mortimer observed, and Callum just nodded his head in agreement. “But we’ve just finished organizing the next attack on Aislynn. She’s finally going to be isolated enough that we can actually do something!”

“If you’ve just finished organizing everything, the attack can continue without you. You will let Cora know that I’m coming and that I’ll find her when I can after I arrive, and then you will go and pack to leave in the morning.”

“Yes, my Lord,” Mortimer acquiesced. “I’ll leave in the morning.”

As the mage broke contact, Callum sat up and sighed. Mortimer was a little too argumentative, and it irked Callum that he needed to put up with it. Unfortunately, Mortimer was currently too valuable to kill or replace. He vowed to himself to think about the problem and to find some way to chastise Mortimer without doing any permanent damage.

The next order of business was to talk with his master. Callum sent a tendril of power into the mirror and waited for Rhys to answer the summons.

“Callum, what a pleasant surprise,” Rhys greeted him. Callum looked surprised, and Rhys laughed.

“You are in a very good mood, Master. What’s going on?”“I have a few of my puzzle pieces in the right spots,” the assassin-mage explained. “In

the next couple of weeks, there will be progress in both Cembrance and Mythesti, and the next part of my plans will finally begin.”

“What about Larosia?”“That will come later in the summer,” Rhys explained. “I don’t want to overextend

myself, and Larosia won’t be an easy kingdom to take.”“That makes sense. The other kingdoms are good news though, Master.

Congratulations.”“Thank you. Now...you didn’t contact me just to see what I was doing,” Rhys observed.“True. I wanted to let you know that I’m leaving in the morning for Bacovia. I want to

be there before the wedding so that I have a chance to scout out the situation.”“And Samuel? You have everything well in hand there?”“I do. I’ve been named the king’s official heir, so I’m next in line for the throne with

nobody left to take it from me,” Callum said with a chuckle. “I know that it wasn’t my original plan, but it’s working out rather nicely. Honestly, there are people here so afraid of me on the throne that Samuel will have an extra level of protection while I’m gone.”

“Excellent work. I look forward to hearing your updates from Bacovia.”“Certainly, Master.”Callum let the mirror go dark after that, and then he picked it up and gently wrapped it in

a fine silken cloth. The mirror was certainly something he wanted to have with him in Bacovia.

Looking around his nearly bare office, Callum made sure that he wasn’t forgetting anything. He didn’t usually have anything incriminating written down, but he double checked that anything that could be used against him was burned to ash, just to be safe. Then he returned to his rooms to finish his last minute packing.

When the carriage drove through the gates and into the courtyard of the palace in Eaglecrest, Callum was a little surprised by how busy it was. He knew that the royal wedding was only a week away, but the number of carriages and coaches still shocked him.

While his driver waited in line for the spot in front of the great stone steps to open, Callum looked out the window of the carriage to see who he could identify. The black charging boar on a checked field of yellow and green heralded the delegation from Cembrance behind him, and there were a few Bacovian nobles scattered throughout the area. When his driver was able to move closer to the door, Callum identified the silver bear on blue of Evendell pulling away. The princess’ parents had arrived.

Stepping down from the carriage, the new ambassador from Madelia stretched to ease his aching back. Riding in a carriage for the better part of four days is an excellent way to stiffen

muscles, he mused. Turning, he picked up the bag containing his mirror from the carriage and then he walked into the barely organized chaos of Eryk’s palace.

“My Lord,” he heard a soft voice somehow ring out across the foyer. Looking in the direction the voice had come from, Callum saw a woman weaving her way easily through the servants, guests and courtiers. She had straight light brown hair, a sincere smile that reached her eyes, and an air of competence. Stopping in front of him, she curtsied.

“My Lord, welcome to Bacovia. I’m Liora, head of diplomatic relations. His Majesty asked me to meet you and help get you settled.”

Callum bowed, smiling. “Good afternoon, Lady Liora. I’m Callum, and I’m pleased to meet you. Just show me which way to go and I’ll be right behind you.”

Liora led the way out of the bustle of the foyer toward the stairs, Callum just a few steps behind her. Once they were clear of the crowd, she dropped back to walk beside him as they ascended.

“We’ve got a room for you on the upper floor,” Liora explained as she led the way upwards. “With all of the wedding guests streaming into the palace, it was hard to keep your room empty, so I’m glad you’re here before the steward forced me to give your room to someone else.”

“Even if you didn’t have a room for me right now, it would be okay,” Callum assured her. “I’m not going anywhere, so I could wait out the rest of the guests if I needed to.”

Liora laughed, a sparkling sound. “I’m not sure where you’d find somewhere to stay, but I like your attitude. I’ll show you the suite and then you can have a late lunch if you’d like.”

“Honestly,” Callum admitted, “I’d prefer to meet with his Majesty, if that would be okay. I’d like to get things off to a good start. The king of Madelia is anxious to establish peace.”

“I’m sure that will be fine, but I will send a message to his Majesty to make sure. He’s currently having a late lunch of his own, so we have a little time. Are you sure you don’t want something to eat?”

Before Callum could answer, Liora stopped outside of a door and gestured. “This is your room, fifth from the stairs.”

Callum opened the door and walked into a well-appointed room. The outer area was set up as a meeting place, with a table and four chairs taking up the majority of the space. There was a pair of armchairs by the fireplace, similar to in his office back home, and he could see the bedroom through the door at the back of the room.

“Will this meet your needs, my Lord?” Liora asked, hovering just inside the threshold.“It will be fine, thank you.”He walked through the room and put his bag down on the bed. He noted the window at

the very back of the room and saw that it looked out over the courtyard he’d arrived in a short while ago. Moving back into the main area, Callum smiled again at Liora.

“I assume someone will bring the rest of my bags?”“Yes, my Lord. They’re likely on their way now.”“Excellent. Then I’ll take you up on a bite to eat while we await his Majesty’s pleasure.”Liora led the way back downstairs, sent a servant with a message to Eryk and an order

for something to eat, and then she led Callum to the small meeting room. A large mural on the far wall dominated the room, showing Bacovia surrounded by her six neighbors. To the right were three floor-to-ceiling windows that opened out into a garden, and the left wall was a series of bookshelves. In the centre of the room was a round table surrounded with chairs.

“Please have a seat, my Lord. Our meal will be here in a few minutes, and I’m sure his

Majesty won’t be too much longer after that.”Callum sat and looked through the rolls of maps on the table. Selecting one that showed

the Bacovia-Madelia border, he unrolled it and weighted down the edges with the stones used for that purpose.

“Do you think his Majesty will be amenable to starting new treaty negotiations?” Callum asked after a few moments of silence.

“I believe so, but I wouldn’t presume to speak for the king.”“Of course not,” Callum agreed.Soon after, a servant knocked on the door with some food, and the conversation turned to

less difficult topics while they shared a meal. Once their lunch was done, they talked more about the border between their kingdoms while they waited for Eryk and his chief advisor.

When the door opened behind them, Callum turned in his chair while Liora rose gracefully and took a few steps toward the king. Eryk was just as Callum remembered him from the previous fall - young and tall, with black hair and brilliant blue eyes. At his side was a man that Callum didn’t recognize, and he was surprised by Aislynn’s absence.

“Your Majesty, I’d like to introduce you to Lord Callum, our new ambassador,” Liora said. Callum rose during the introduction and clasped Eryk’s hand firmly.

“I’m very pleased to meet you again,” Callum commented with a smile. “I hope that we can forge a peaceful relationship between our kingdoms at last.”

“I hope so too,” Eryk replied sincerely. “This is my chief advisor, Lord Branden.”The man who shook Callum’s hand was average height with a fighter’s muscular build,

wavy blond hair and blue eyes. “It’s good to meet you.”Branden bowed his head, acknowledging the greeting.“Here, let me show you what we’ve been discussing,” Liora said, gesturing to the map.

At that signal, Callum resumed his seat and the Bacovians found chairs of their own. Callum longed to ask about Aislynn and find out why she was no longer serving as the

king’s chief advisor, but he didn’t want to seem inappropriate. He was trying to forge a relationship with his man, after all, and since he was also planning to try and stop the wedding, inquiring after the king’s fiancée seemed a bit crass.

“King Samuel has given me a few indications of his hopes,” Callum began, gesturing to the map. “Let’s see if we can start to hammer out a deal between our lands.”

Chapter 18Shortly after breakfast the next day, Callum found himself at Cora’s front door. He’d

told Mortimer to warn the lady of his coming, and he wanted to make good on his promise to seek her out as soon as he could. Raising his hand, he knocked on the door.

After announcing himself to the servant who answered, Callum was shown to a small but neat sitting room and told to wait for the Lady’s convenience. He didn’t need to wait very long before Cora came striding into the room. She saw him, took a few quick steps, and threw herself into his arms.

“Callum!” she exclaimed happily. “I’ve missed you so much. When did you arrive?”“Just yesterday,” he answered, giving her a kiss. He noticed that she was wearing the

ruby pendant he’d sent with Mortimer. “I came as soon as I was able to.”Cora took his hand and pulled him down beside her on the couch. Angling her body so

that she could look at him, she took his hands in hers. “So tell me why you’re here.”“I’m the new ambassador of Madelia,” he told her. “Samuel sent me here to negotiate

the new treaty with Eryk, and then I’m supposed to remain here in a reasonably permanent position.”

She tilted her head to the side, looking at him. “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”“I’m taking it as a good thing, considering the state I left everything in back home. I’m

planning to use this opportunity to get close to Eryk, prove my worth to him, and essentially set myself up so that when the time comes, he doesn’t see the blow coming.”

“You’re still planning to kill him then?”Callum shrugged, not willing to discuss his master’s ultimate plan with her. One never

knew who was working for whom, after all. “So tell me about what’s been happening here.”As Cora filled Callum in on the details of the attacks on Aislynn, he couldn’t help but

notice some of what Mortimer had left out. He’d known that the plan to stop Eryk’s wedding had been unsuccessful so far, but he wasn’t aware of the lengths everyone had gone to already to kill the bride.

“So let me get this straight,” Callum finally said. “We’ve dropped things on her, choked her, tripped her down the stairs, poisoned her and attacked her outright twice and Aislynn still isn’t dead?”

Cora nodded, chagrined. “Well when you say it like that...”“How else is there to say it? I knew the woman would be difficult to kill, but this is

ridiculous. I think it’s time to change tactics.”“To what?” Cora wanted to know. “Do you think not killing her but still stopping the

wedding will be easier? And that’s assuming Alexius agrees with the change in plan, of course.”

“Ah yes, Alexius. And what is her stake in all of this?”“She wants Aislynn dead so that Eryk will marry her,” Cora explained.“And is that likely?”“Not really. Alexius is at least a touch delusional and is totally obsessed. I think Eryk

will marry absolutely anyone else before he’d marry her.”“So that presents us with an interesting dilemma then, doesn’t it? How can we stop the

king’s wedding to Aislynn and convince him to marry Alexius at the same time?”

Cora just shook her head. “I’m not sure.”“Well I’ll think about it, and plan some more attacks in the meantime.”After that, their discussion turned to innocent topics like the weather and the upcoming

wedding. Callum invited Cora to attend the wedding tournament with him, and she accepted. The pair passed a pleasant day together, and Callum was in a good mood when he returned to his suite in the palace later that night.

Based on what Cora had told him about the attacks Alexius and Mortimer had orchestrated, he knew that if they were going to actually kill Aislynn, they were going to need some professional help. Callum withdrew his mirror from its wrappings and sent his questing thoughts out toward Rhys, far to the north.

“Good evening Callum,” Rhys greeted him, answering the magical summons. “How are things in Bacovia?”

“Reasonably good, all things considered,” he answered. “It seems that the princess is very difficult to kill.”

“I see. And what does that mean, exactly?”“It means that I’m going to need some professional help. Didn’t you mention that you’d

recently brought Cembrance into the fold?”“I did,” Rhys acknowledged. “Avalon will be busy for the next few days, consolidating

her power, but I can ask her to send some people to help.”“Excellent. As of right now, there have been six attempts to kill Aislynn, and since I’m

still here asking for your help... Well, I’m sure you’ll know what to tell the guild.”“Six attempts?” Rhys echoed. “My, she is a difficult one to kill, isn’t she? I’ll make sure

I let them know, and I’ll send the assassins to you at your Lady’s home.”“Thank you, Master.” Callum bowed his head, acknowledging his master’s words. He

didn’t even bother to ask how Rhys knew about Cora, or how he knew the address of her house. Callum figured it was his job to know, after a fashion.

Once contact was broken and the mirror put away, Callum lay back on his bed and thought about everything that had happened so far. He was happy with the initial plans for the new treaty, and he was still very curious about Aislynn and everything going on with her. She seemed to be at the centre of a rather large collection of people who hated her, and that struck him as very dangerous.

As Callum finally drifted off to sleep, his thoughts were whirling with ideas. He knew that in order to get Aislynn, he’d have to try something that hadn’t been done yet. The wedding tournament was beginning soon, and he wondered if there was anything he could do to twist that into his next attack.

Chapter 19In the days leading up to the wedding tournament, if Callum wasn’t busy in the castle, he

was out in the city making contacts and hiring people to help with the upcoming attacks on the princess. It was easy enough to find thugs who didn’t mind attacking from the shadows, especially at range, but it was a lot harder to “convince” people to take a shot at the princess out in the open...where they were almost certainly going to get caught. And likely executed. Still, Callum made judicious use of his magical gifts, and by the time the tournament began, he had all of his pieces ready to go.

The first day of the wedding tournament was just a scouting day for Callum and Cora. There were no attacks planned, and that was fine. Today was a day for gathering information about Aislynn’s movements, the way the guards were organized, and anything else the two of them could think of to help the next few days go smoothly.

In the stands on that first day, Callum and Cora sat with the other delegates and nobility to watch the show. The tournament opened with the grand melee, a whole bunch of warriors trying to smash each other into submission with wooden practice weapons. It was good fun. And in the afternoon, Aislynn had organized a tribute to the neighboring kingdom of Cembrance, another melee combat event. In this particular event, the combatants were tied together until one of them went down. The “surviving” half of the pair moved on to fight again until there was only one warrior standing at the end of the event.

Overall, the first day was very informative for Callum. While he and most of the others sat in the stands, the general citizens of Bacovia stood behind the short fences erected around the tournament field. Aislynn, his target, sat in the royal stands on the other side of the tournament grounds, in the company of Eryk, whichever guests they had with them, and an assortment of guards. It would be difficult to attack here during any of the actual events, but not necessarily impossible. He’d need to think about it a little more.

“So what’s our next move?” Cora asked that night. She sat in front of the empty fireplace, a glass of wine in her hand.

“Tomorrow morning, you’re going to go and hire us a distraction,” Callum informed her. “I’ve already got everything else organized, but we need a distraction.”

“And what does a distraction look like?”“Try a child,” he suggested. “They’re easy to buy off, and don’t cost too much.” So

that’s exactly what she did.The next day, when the royal party made their way down to the tournament grounds for

the next event, a ripple in the crowd drew everyone’s attention to the right. Someone was forcing their way through the crowd, jostling the people next to them, who in turn jostled the people next to them, and so on. The movement drew the eye, but as heads turned to see what was going on, Aislynn turned to look in the other direction, drawing her sword carefully from between her body and Eryk’s. Callum watched the action from a little farther up the road, on a slightly higher elevation, and he cursed. The princess obviously wasn’t going to fall for a distraction, too intent on her job. He looked on to see what happened next anyway.

The attack came quickly, the knife flying out of the crowd toward them. Aislynn brought her sword up to deflect the blade, sending it careening over to the right and narrowly missing one of the guards. Cheta, the princess’ wolf, appeared out of nowhere to snag the next knife

out of the air and then she dropped it to the ground with a clang and charged off into the crowd. Aislynn grabbed the captain of the guard and then the two of them followed the wolf.

The crowd was more than willing to move out of the way of the wolf running past them, and they got out of the way of the two people jogging with bared weapons in their hands only a little more slowly. Callum could just barely see someone pushing their way through the crowd ahead of Aislynn and Byron, the attacker he’d hired, and the princess lengthened her stride, starting to pull away from Byron as Callum lost sight of all of them.

Callum watched as the guards around Eryk snagged a child out of the crowd - Cora’s distraction. Not too much later, Aislynn and Byron pushed their way back inside the ring of guards, and the captain got everyone moving again. One attack down, and Callum had learned that Aislynn was too on top of her surroundings to fall for a distraction. Not even a scratch on her, but fortunately, the next attack was coming right away.

Once everyone was settled in the stands, the herald announced the ranged combat event for the morning, and the warriors took their places. There were thirty-two competitors on the field for today’s events, and the judges for the day arranged them randomly into five groups. Each group lined up across from five targets set up ten feet away, and the first round would have only stationary targets.

The first five contestants readied their weapons, nocking arrows and sighting on the objective. At the signal, they all loosed, and five arrows thudded home into their targets. The judges recorded the scores, pulled out the arrows, and the contestants readied their knives. The signal rang out again, the knives flew through the air, and the contestants readied their final weapons, a weapon from Mythesti called a gurrin.

Once the officials recorded the final scores, the first five contestants moved to the back of their groups and the next five stepped forward. The process repeated until everyone had their chance at the ten-foot distance, and then the judges read the scores for the crowd. Half of the contestants were eliminated and the remaining sixteen got ready for the next round, stationary targets at twenty-five feet.

When they reached the third round, the eight remaining competitors lined up again at the twenty-five foot mark, now divided into two groups of four. This time, to add another level of difficulty, everyone would take aim at moving targets. These four target butts were mounted to ropes on a pulley system, and a man at either side of the field pulled on the ropes to make the targets move back and forth in front of the contestants. The goal now was to see who knew how to lead their target, within a time limit imposed by the judges.

The first four warriors took their positions and readied their bows, taking careful aim at the dancing targets. There was a bit of a breeze, and the targets didn’t just move from side to side on the ropes; they also swayed back and forth a little as the breeze caught them from time to time. At the judge’s signal, the first two men let their arrows fly, one of them missing his target. The third man loosed a few moments later, and the final arrow was honing in before the third arrow struck home in the center of its target. They all readied their knives while the judges scored the arrows.

The first and second contestants had learned from their rash shots with the arrows and were a little slower off the mark the second time. The third and fourth men threw at the same time, but the third man twisted his body before letting go of his knife. The viewing stand was much closer than the target at this point in time, and the unknown man had proven to be a good shot so far in this event.

“Down!”

Aislynn grabbed Eryk’s shirt and dragged him to the ground even as she was calling a warning to the others. Callum could just see one of the guards drop down on top of her just a few moments later. On the field, three of the competitors waiting for their turn tackled the man who’d just thrown the knife into the stand. He’d had another knife in his hand, but didn’t get a chance to throw it.

This was the attack Callum had the most difficulty planning, since it was pretty much a death sentence for the warrior who threw the knives. Still, if what he thought he saw was true, the attack had almost gotten her. Callum was starting to have a new appreciation for what Mortimer had gone through.

When the final day of the tournament arrived, the Lord of Tebithshire was nearly at his wits end. He didn’t have any other hired thugs to use to attack the princess, and in all honesty, he didn’t think it would work anyway. Aislynn was frighteningly resourceful, especially when it came to staying alive. So, when he came across the large pen of kyudi, he let them out more from pique than any actual intent to kill the princess.

Kyudi are large felines native to Evendell, and Aislynn had organized the importation of some cubs to use in one of the tournament events. Even though they were babies, the animals in the pen had well-muscled hind legs, large talons, and horns on their heads for goring their prey. Their mouths were full of pointed teeth and they had poisoned spines used to paralyze their food.

The chaos resulting from the “escape” of the creatures was amusing, and Callum did regret the lack of ability to attack the princess while she was separated from the others. Aislynn ran off to help recapture the beasts, and he was simply unprepared. Yet another time in his life when the mage wished his powers of precognition were better.

Unfortunately, Callum’s ability to see the future were working just fine when the pair of assassins from Cembrance arrived at Cora’s door. Callum didn’t bother to ask their names, and he didn’t bother to get to know them at all. On the morning of the royal wedding, he gave them directions into the castle, pointed out Aislynn’s room, and then he sent them to their deaths. He knew, down in the depths of his soul, that they didn’t stand much of a chance against the obviously well-trained assassin who was soon to be queen.

When it comes right down to it, he thought to himself, his frustration building, if you want a job done right, you have to do it yourself. And so he went out early that morning, and scouted for the perfect vantage point.

Chapter 20Callum wanted everything to appear as normal as possible the morning of the wedding.

He met with Cora at the castle after breakfast, and then made sure that people saw them together. Cora ensured that they stopped for a little while to talk with Lise and Daniel, which essentially spread the story that “Lady Diana” had a date for the wedding around the entire court.

“Make sure you cover for me,” Callum instructed Cora when he parted ways from her. They were on their way to the cathedral, and Callum needed to be in position to get at Aislynn, not inside the building.

“Of course I will,” she promised. A quick kiss and he was gone, melting into the ever increasing crowd.

When Callum was in position, he looked out of the window to see a perfect view of the area near the cathedral. Guards had the plaza cleared around the base of the stairs leading upwards, and that gave the mage an ideal target as the carriage pulled up. He summoned Ember to his shoulder, and as the little bat settled her weight, he pulled on the magical energy around him and formed it into a large ball. With a toss, Callum sent the fireball streaking through the intervening space to blast into the carriage and shatter it into hundreds of flaming pieces.

He’d had to shoot blind, and as the smoke and debris cloud cleared, Callum cursed to see a group of four people moving quickly up the stairs and away from the ruined carriage. Considering one of the people was wearing a white dress, it was pretty safe to assume that he’d missed.

Shaking his head, Callum tried to determine what to do next. Raising his gaze a little, he looked at the cathedral itself, and a plan started to form. He mulled over his chances of success, weighing pros and cons, until he saw a man in a guard uniform and a fox detach themselves from the group and head back down the stairs. Chances were good the fox was yet another eesprid, and he knew from his experience with Caris, Rhys’ eesprid, that the creatures could track magic. He’d have to work quickly.

Aislynn entered the church, and Callum took aim again. There was a vestibule to this church, a little room outside of the main part of the building, and based on what Callum knew of weddings, the princess would likely pause there while the musicians got ready and whatnot. Taking a deep breath, he threw another fireball.

The red ball of fire streaked across the plaza to hit the cathedral in the side of the vestibule. Callum saw cracks appear between the stones of the wall, and he smiled grimly. Hoping that he wasn’t giving the princess time to escape from the small room, he launched another fireball, and then a third. That final spell completed the destruction of the entrance way, and that part of the building collapsed in a cloud of dust. The doors leading into the church itself lay on top of the pile of rubble, burning merrily.

Callum smiled grimly to himself, confident that he’d finally managed to successfully attack the princess. He left the room quickly, both to check on the success of his plan, and to ensure his escape from the guard who was heading his way. Throwing an invisibility spell over himself, Callum slipped out the door and jogged off down the road toward the plaza and the cathedral.

When he arrived at the top of the stairs, there were royal guardsmen and citizens from the plaza already beginning to move the debris to try and uncover the people buried beneath. From the conversations he heard, Callum surmised that both Aislynn and her father were missing, and he smiled grimly.

He wanted to make sure the deed was done, and so he cast a discern location spell, targeting the princess herself. The spell clicked, a successful casting, and it was like a beacon went off in his head. Callum hadn’t had a lot of reason to cast this particular spell, and he’d forgotten how “loud” it was. He stumbled, and momentarily lost his concentration, his invisibility spell lapsing for a breath.

Cursing himself for nearly getting caught, Callum cast a suggestion spell directed at the crowd of furiously working people. He wanted them to continue to work where they were, the wrong location to find the princess. Then he anchored his invisibility spell more firmly and followed his beacon to the pile of rubble that apparently contained Aislynn’s body.

With a deep breath, Callum expanded the area of invisibility around himself, hoping to disguise the fact that he was about to move some rocks around. The invisibility coupled with the suggestion spell should be enough to keep the crowd away, but he mentally crossed his fingers for luck, just in case. Then Callum picked up the first of the pieces of debris and started hunting.

He knew that he needed to hurry. The searchers would soon exhaust the area they were working in and need to move on to another part of the debris, and there wasn’t enough magic in the world to keep them away from where he was forever. With a soft grunt of effort, Callum pushed a large piece of debris aside, revealing a tiny piece of white fabric.

Adrenaline spurred him on to even greater speed and feats of strength. Between the excitement of uncovering his quarry and his fear of discovery, Callum’s heart beat rapidly and sweat appeared on his brow. Carefully, he uncovered more and more of the princess’ body, moving as quickly as he could and still remain invisible and quiet. With a fatigued sigh, he extended the field of invisibility out even farther, ensuring that nobody saw Aislynn...or him.

Finally, Callum uncovered enough of the princess to determine, once and for all, if this job was done. He looked down at her battered body, the large lump on her forehead and the blood dripping slowly down her cheek. Crouching down, Callum laid his fingers on the side of her slender neck, and he waited. The tiny flutter of her pulse sent him back on his heels with a curse, his hand moving to the knife on his belt.

For the better part of four months, they’d been trying to kill this woman, and now here she was, unconscious and defenseless in front of him. Callum drew his blade and laid it against her neck. Taking a deep breath, he prepared himself to slit Aislynn’s throat, thinking about the last time he’d killed. That had been Meghan, and she’d deserved it for her disrespect and political maneuvering. But this woman hadn’t done any of that. In fact, this woman had managed to fight off every attacker and survive against the odds stacked against her. It seemed almost wrong to finish it this way... He withdrew his knife.

His master hadn’t ordered Aislynn’s death. In fact, all he’d wanted was for Aislynn and Eryk not to marry, and Rhys had most certainly had multiple opportunities to change those orders if he’d wanted to. Actually, to be honest, the princess was more use to him alive than dead. Alexius wanted to marry Eryk and become queen, something that Callum knew Eryk would never agree to. But if they held Aislynn hostage...

It’s likely I’ll regret this, Callum thought to himself as he picked up the unconscious princess. Then, cloaked with invisibility and with a suggestion spell still keeping the searching

guards looking the other way, he slipped down the stairs and across the plaza.

Chapter 21Cora came into the living room and dropped down onto the couch. Callum lifted his

head and opened his eyes, rubbing his temples. The amount of magic he’d used today had exhausted him and he wished that it had taken longer for Cora to return home.

“We have a small issue,” he said wearily.“A small issue? You dropped part of a building down on her Royal Highness, causing

mass panic and a man-hunt. She’s disappeared, by the way, so the city is in an uproar.”“She hasn’t disappeared,” Callum corrected her. “She’s upstairs in your bedroom.”“What?!?” Cora was up on her feet, startled into movement by his revelation. “What is

she doing there?”“She’s there because that’s where I put her after I dug her out of the debris.”Cora just looked at him, her mouth moving silently, similar to a fish stranded on land.

She didn’t know what to make of this situation.Callum sighed. “Look, Cora. Alexius wants to marry Eryk, but you said more than once

that there’s no way that his Majesty will do that. But now we have a hostage, the one thing that Eryk actually seems to care about, and there’s a good chance that he’ll do what we say because of it. So you’re going to go upstairs, get the princess out of her ruined dress, and take care of her wounds. Then you’re going to keep her safe while I go and get Alexius.”

“Okay... You obviously have a plan, and you’re obviously in a bad mood, so why don’t you come with me upstairs to take care of the princess and I’ll give you directions to Alexius’ estate.” Cora knew that arguing with Callum was a useless exercise at the best of times, and this wasn’t the best of times.

Callum led the way upstairs, Cora trailing a few steps behind. Aislynn was just where he’d left her, unconscious and tied hand and foot on Cora’s bed. The ripped and bloodstained wedding gown made her appear smaller and frailer than he knew her to be.

“Why don’t we just kill her?” Cora hissed, eyes narrowed as she displayed her hatred for the princess.

“I told you why. If we kill her, Alexius will have no leverage to force Eryk to marry her. But go ahead, if you feel like it.” Callum drew his knife and handed it to her. Cora took it gingerly, and held it awkwardly for a moment before handing it back to him.

“What do I need to do?”“Change her clothing and stash her somewhere safe.” Callum’s tone of voice indicated

that he was losing his patience with her questions. “There’s a small room in the cellar, under the kitchen. What about there?”“That would be fine. You get her changed, and I’ll go and get the room ready.”The room in the cellar looked like it was intended to store foodstuffs, and it took him a

little bit of time to empty it of the boxes and barrels. Then he had to move some furniture into the room so that the princess wasn’t sleeping on the floor. By the time he was finished, so was Cora, and he carefully carried their still unconscious hostage into the cellar and laid her on the bed.

“Make sure her wrists and ankles are tied, but not so tightly that you cut off the circulation. I don’t imagine Eryk will take it kindly if we damage her too much. Where’s that necklace?”

Cora passed him the necklace the princess had been wearing, and he dropped it into a small bag. “Proof that we have her,” he commented though Cora hadn’t said anything.

Callum left Cora’s house a few minutes later, walking toward the market to hire a carriage. He paid extra to take the horse and vehicle without a driver, deciding that it would be easier to drive himself into the country than it would be to kill the driver when he was finished. Nobody could know that he was involved in this scheme or it would damage his chances to get close to Eryk using his position as Madelia’s ambassador.

The drive out to the home Alexius had chosen for her exile took a little more than an hour, Callum pushing the horse hard. He didn’t want the beast to founder, but he couldn’t afford to let this drag on too long either. When the estate came into sight ahead, he slowed his pace and prepared for his first fight. Cora had warned him that Alexius was guarded by a pair of royal guardsmen, and dealing with the gate keeper would be the first challenge.

Driving ever closer to the closed gate that led onto the grounds, Callum loosened his sword. He thought to himself that perhaps challenge wasn’t the correct word - at least not for the first man. He’d be able to take the guard by surprise, most likely, and Rhys had trained him. Surely having an assassin as a weapons master would give him the advantage, wouldn’t it?

The time for thinking was past, and Callum drew his sword as he jumped down from the coach. The horse was too tired to bolt, and it stood passively while Callum slashed with his sword, a descending stroke with considerable force behind it. The guard at the gate drew his weapon as he spun away, a little too slowly, Callum’s attack opening a gash along his trailing arm.

Callum was quick to reverse the direction of his blade, however, slashing it upward and across the guard’s body before he could get his blade into position to block the attack properly. The guard dropped to the ground in shock, and Callum drove his blade home, effectively ending his first fight.

Opening the gate and gathering the reins, he walked the tired horse up the drive to the front of the house. Callum hoped that the brief fight had been hidden by the estate’s wall, and the closer he got to the door, the more likely that seemed. Callum was nearly relaxed when he raised his hand to knock on the door, and that almost cost him his life.

The door flew open under his fist, and Alexius’ second guard darted forward, his sword leading. The point of the sword dug into Callum’s side and only the mage’s desperate attempt to throw himself backwards away from the door saved him from being skewered. He ended up moving to the side of the door instead, empty hand holding his bleeding side and sword not at all ready to defend him.

Callum reacted instinctively, with his magic. Without Ember, he was limited to the lower level apprentice spells, but there were still a few nasty tricks in his repertoire. To buy himself a little bit of time, he lashed out with a burst of power directly into the guard’s mind. The power of the spell was low, but it still made the guard stumble, and it gave Callum enough time to whisper the words of the spell he really wanted. Dropping his hand away from his side, flames sprang into being around his empty hand, and then Callum reached over and grabbed the guard’s sword arm.

Again, since this was a lower level spell, the flames weren’t blazing and wouldn’t cause anything other than minor burns, a slightly reddening of the skin, but seeing someone set your clothing on fire was usually enough to make a person pause. And when the guard stared in fascinated horror at the flames climbing his arm, just for a moment, Callum drove his sword up

and into the man’s sternum. He wasn’t sure if he hit the guard’s heart or a lung, but the effect was the same, regardless.

Breathing heavily, partially in exertion, and partially from pain, Callum walked into Alexius’ home. His head was throbbing with a headache from the overuse of his magic, and he knew he’d pay for it tomorrow. This headache would get worse before it got better, so he hurried into the foyer and looked around.

“Alexius? Are you here?” His voice rang out through the silent house, and as the echoes died away, Callum wondered if something had happened to her.

“I’ve come to get you,” Callum elaborated, hoping to draw Alexius out without having to go hunting for her. “Cora sent me. We have to get you to the palace.”

Those were the magic words, apparently, and Callum saw movement out of the corner of his eye, Alexius walking out from the shadows to the left. “Who are you?”

“I’m Callum,” he answered, smiling in what he hoped was a reassuring way. “We stopped Eryk’s wedding today, and I’ve come to get you. It’s time for you to go and talk to his Majesty.”

Her blue eyes narrowed, and she used her right hand to brush her lovely blond curls back over her shoulder. “Why? He banished me here, so he isn’t going to want to see me. And what happened to my guards?”

“Your guards are dead, I’m helping you because Aislynn is too dangerous to be queen, and Eryk is going to want to see you because you have something he wants.”

She raised her eyebrows, looking at him with obvious disbelief. “And what would that be?”

“You have Aislynn.”Alexius began to giggle, making Callum blink. Cora had warned him that Alexius was

slightly unstable, but this was the first proof he’d had of it. “Come on,” he said, a little urgently. “We need to go. It’s at least an hour back to the city and we need to take care of this right away.”

“Fine, fine,” she said, waving a delicate hand at him dismissively. “I just need to get something first.”

Whirling away, Alexius walked quickly from the foyer and the still open door. She returned a few minutes later with a sack, likely from the kitchen. “I need you to cut off my guards’ heads,” she informed him.

“Why ever for?”“For proof that I’m not to be messed with.” Alexius said this with such conviction that

Callum thought she’d do it herself is he refused her. Instead he walked back outside and did as she asked, and they retrieved the second head when they passed back through the gate, Alexius in the coach and Callum driving. They had an important date with the king.

Chapter 22Callum dropped Alexius off not too far from the palace gates, not wanting to get any

closer. “The necklace Aislynn was wearing is in the smaller bag, as proof that you have her.

And you know what’s in the larger bag. I’ll wait here, inside the coach so that nobody sees me. Good luck.”

Alexius nodded vaguely, her mind elsewhere, and Callum shook his own head as the woman walked away. She had a spring in her step, obviously happy, and he was positive that she was insane. He slipped into the coach to wait for the results of her “discussion” with Eryk, not trusting himself to cast an invisibility spell. He was tapped out.

When Alexius approached the gate, she watched the guards closely and noticed the exact moment they recognized her. Swords came out of scabbards, and Alexius stopped walking and just stood there, looking at them and smiling.

“You don’t want to do anything too hasty,” she informed the men. “I have something his Majesty is going to want back, but if you’re rude to me, I’ll make sure that never happens.”

The men on duty at the gate weren’t stupid, and they knew exactly what she was talking about. “What do you want us to do?” one man asked, likely the senior partner.

“I want one of you to run and tell his Majesty that there’s a guest to see him, but don’t you dare tell him who it is. The other one of you will escort to wherever Eryk is right now.”

The guard nodded, sheathing his sword and offering Alexius his arm while his partner turned and ran for the doors of the castle. “Would you like me to carry one of your bags, my Lady?”

“No, thank you. I can do it. Please, lead on.” Alexius shifted the smaller bag into the same hand as the larger bag, and laid her newly freed hand on the guard’s proffered arm.

The guard led her across the courtyard and into the foyer of the palace she thought she’d never see again. The fact that she was home, as well as heading for her wedding, made her feeling nearly weightless with joy. She should be floating along, not walking, in her opinion.

A few minutes later, they reached the king’s study, and the guard opened the door, gesturing Alexius inside. She walking in wearing a beautiful smile and carrying her two bags, one quite a bit larger than the other was. The large bag looked wet, glistening slightly.

“What are you doing here?” Eryk growled, starting to move around the desk to confront the woman. “You were banished, and appearing before me like this will get you executed.”

“Oh, I don’t think you want to do that, my love,” Alexius commented, her voice calm. She smoothed her free hand down her dark blue skirts, straightening them unnecessarily. “You and I have a lot to discuss.”

Eryk looked at her incredulously. “The only thing I want to discuss is how you got here. Your estate is under guard.”

“Was under guard,” Alexius corrected, placing the larger bag down on the floor. With a gentle push of her booted foot, the bag flopped over, revealing the pair of severed heads. “Two isn’t really enough to keep a girl confined if she doesn’t want to stay where you put her.”

Byron made a move to step up beside her, and Alexius raised her hand. “Now, now, Captain, you don’t want to do anything hasty. The King and I haven’t finished our business yet.”

“And what business is that?” Eryk asked her, his voice steady and calm. Alexius definitely wasn’t the girl he’d banished nearly a year ago. This Alexius seemed considerably less stable.

“I have something that belongs to you.” She tossed the smaller bag to Eryk, and he went to catch it automatically but the king’s bodyguard intercepted it, snatching it out of the air. He pulled the drawstring open and spilled a necklace into his hand. A dark haired woman sitting near the fire gasped as the jewels of the necklace caught the firelight.

“I’m so glad that you recognize it,” Alexius said with a giggle. “It would be considerably less dramatic if the necklace meant nothing.”

Eryk looked over to the woman, Aislynn’s mother, who looked pale. “That’s the necklace we had made for Aislynn, for your wedding,” she explained. “She has Aislynn.”

“That’s right!” Alexius exclaimed, jumping up and down a little with excitement. “And if you want her back, you have to do what I say. If you don’t, she’s dead.”

The king turned his head slowly to look at the woman standing on the other side of his desk. “And what is it that you want, Alexius?”

“All I want is what has always been mine - you. If you want your precious little princess returned to you, you will marry me. Tomorrow.”

“If you’ve hurt her, Alexius, I will kill you.” Eryk took a step toward her, his blue eyes flashing in anger.

“Now, now, Eryk, don’t be hasty. I can’t say that we haven’t hurt her. Do you honestly think that she’s happy about being my guest? You marry me tomorrow, and you’ll get her back alive the next morning. That’s the deal.”

“I could have you arrested and executed, right now.”“Yes, and then she’s dead. You could have me arrested tomorrow, but then she’s dead.

You could follow me, you could send her creature to find her, or you could start searching the city house by house, but if you do any of those things, she’s dead. The only way you get her back is after you’ve married me, like you should have done last year!” Alexius’ eyes flashed, her own temper flaring. “Decide, Eryk. Now!”

Eryk slumped against his desk, his mind whirling. Alexius had his beloved somewhere, but he wasn’t able to look for her or get her back. His hands were tied, so he didn’t really have any choice but to acquiesce to Alexius’ demands. He nodded his head.

“Say it out loud, my love. I want everyone to hear you.”“Yes Alexius, I’ll marry you.”“Excellent! I will see you in the morning.” Alexius took a few quick steps to bring

her close to Eryk, and then she kissed him before turning around and leaving the study. Making her way quickly out of the palace, she met up again with Callum, who drove them back to the place he’d rented the coach before escorting Alexius to Cora’s house.

“We have a lot to do to prepare for my wedding,” she commented as she walked, her hand on Callum’s arm. “I have a few things in storage that we can retrieve easily, but I’ll likely need to bribe a few people to get things done quickly enough.”

Alexius walked through the castle gates shortly after dawn, ready to begin the preparations for her wedding. There were a few details she needed to clarify to Eryk, and then she’d be free to attend to herself. Pausing just inside the gate, she turned to address the men who accompanied her, men Callum had found and bought for her last night.

“I’ve learned not to underestimate her Highness,” she told the men, “so you all need

to watch very carefully. While I hope your fellows are enough to keep her contained, if she does escape, I don’t want her anywhere near the ceremony. Try not to kill her though...at least not until I’m Queen.”

The group of six men nodded their understanding and started to spread out around the courtyard. Alexius turned toward the barracks, intending to speak with the captain of the royal guard and make sure he knew his role today. She didn’t have a lot of men and certainly didn’t want Byron’s guards attacking them, something they could possibly do since Aislynn had a bizarre tendency to inspire loyalty in those around her. Stepping inside the barracks door, Alexius stopped the first guard she found and sent him running for his captain. She showed herself into Byron’s office and sat down.

The captain arrived a short while later, anger apparent in his movements, not at all impressed by this woman summoning him. She had no right to order him around, to order anyone around for that matter, but Alexius had leverage and she knew it.

“What do you want?” he demanded, stepping inside the door to his office but coming no closer.

“Good morning, Captain,” she greeted him cheerfully, acting for all the world as if she’d just stopped in for a social visit. “I just wanted to discuss the security arrangements for today.”

Byron quirked an eyebrow, but he said nothing as he waited for her to continue. Alexius smiled at him and passed him a roll of parchment.

“I’ve drawn the outline for the day,” she explained. “My men will be stationed around the gate, monitoring the citizens when they come into the courtyard. Following the ceremony, his Majesty and I will present ourselves on the balcony, and it would be good for as many of the people as possible to see us. Meanwhile, your men will be stationed on the walls and inside the castle itself, making sure that everyone is safe.”

“What gives you the right to dictate where I position my men?” Byron demanded, anger leaking through into his voice and body language as he took a few steps toward her. “Just who do you think you are?”

Alexius rose from the chair, straightening and trying to look down at the man. “I am your future queen, and if you plan to remain employed, you’d better do as you’re told.”

Alexius entered the castle and found a servant to tell her where Eryk was currently. The servant directed her to the king’s study, and she walked quickly down the hall. She needed to know some of the details of the ceremony and make sure her husband-to-be understood exactly what was going to happen the next day.

“Good morning, my love,” she greeted Eryk, sweeping into the study without even a knock to announce her presence.

Eryk had ordered the guards to let her in when she arrived, or she’d never have been able to walk right past them. Ignoring her, the king continued to talk with Branden, Alexius’ brother.

“I want it done this way, and nobody has yet come up with another option, so you’ll all do as I say.”

Branden nodded his head, almost bowing it in acquiescence. Only then did Eyrk turn his attention to his unwanted fiancée.

“What are you doing here Alexius? Don’t you know that it’s bad luck to see the groom before the wedding?”

“Under normal circumstances, that would be true. Today, however, we need to discuss a few things before the ceremony gets underway.”

“Really? What things would those be?”

“Well, first I need to know where the ceremony is going to be held. I have to get the servants organized to decorate the room.”

“Well, you see, that’s a problem. You knocked a few large holes in the Cathedral. They’ll be doing repairs for weeks, so I guess we can’t get married.” His tone was dry.

“It’s true that none of the smaller churches in the city are good enough for our wedding, but we fortunately have another option. We’ll simply get married in the throne room. In fact, I have the plan right here.”

She walked forward, extending another piece of rolled parchment. Eryk took it and rolled it open, Branden looking at the diagram over the king’s shoulder. Eryk just shook his head. “The staff isn’t going to be able to do all of this in just a few hours. It’s simply not possible.”

“Well they’re going to have to try, aren’t they? Oh, and you don’t need to worry about the priest,” Alexius commented. “I’ve brought my own.” She’d found out from Callum the night before that the king had ordered all of the priests in the city into hiding so there’d be nobody to officiate their union.

“Really? And where did you find him?”“Even men of the gods can be bought, Eryk. Surely you know that everyone has their price;

you just need to know what it is.”“Are you done yet?”“Almost.” She smiled up at him again, her eyes sparkling. “The last thing we need to discuss

is that princess of yours.”“There’s nothing to discuss. I go through with this sham and you return her, like you

promised.”“Oh, I know all that. I meant after she’s back. I won’t tolerate a mistress in my husband’s

bed.”“Mistress? Aislynn is far more than—”“Aislynn is nothing! She’ll move her things into the barracks with the rest of the guards, and

wear a uniform like the rest of them. She will report to you in the morning and leave in the evening, and that is it.”

“Oh no, I don’t think so.” Eryk’s voice was low and quiet. “I will do whatever I please with Aislynn. She will stay in whatever suite I give her, she will wear whatever she wants to and she will do what she likes.

“You see, I will take you to my bed once, Alexius, just once, because I have to. And tomorrow, when all is said and done, I will not ever touch you again.”

Alexius looked shocked. “But what about your heir? You need an heir.”“No, I don’t; I already have one. Now get out of my sight.”Alexius stood there for a moment, not sure what to do, but then she turned and fled the

study, slamming the door behind her. She was getting her wedding, and her wedding night, and after that she’d have years with Eryk. He’d come around.

Chapter 23Alexius swept down the stairs leading from the upper floor, the skirts of her wedding

gown just brushing the tops of her shoes. She was so happy that she’d had the forethought to pack her gown away when she’d moved out to the estate instead of getting rid of it, and Callum had retrieved it for her during the night. The gown had a fitted bodice and low neckline, accentuating Alexius’ best features, and the whole thing appeared made of delicate white lace. She carried a bouquet of pale pink roses.

Reaching the throne room entrance, Alexius paused. She could hear the murmur of voices inside, behind the closed doors, the voices of the assembled nobility of Bacovia and the visiting monarchs of the surrounding kingdoms, Callum among them. She didn’t know what Eryk had told them, and she didn’t care. This was her wedding day, the day she’d been waiting for, and she was going to enjoy herself. She pushed the doors open and glided into the room.

The guests rose, lining the aisle, and as Alexius walked toward her waiting fiancé, she thought that the guests looked like the flowers outside. Beautiful and mismatched, the ladies were dressed in an array of fine gowns, and since there were no decorations in the throne room, she figured that it was good that something was decorative.

Alexius could see Eryk at the head of the makeshift aisle, standing in front of the thrones and beside a table that was acting as an altar, and he was watching her. She suddenly felt a rush of emotion – relief, love, and happiness. It had taken much longer than she’d intended to get to this day, but her wedding to the man she loved had finally arrived. From that point on, she only had eyes for him, letting the gathered nobility of the kingdom fade into the background.

Callum, watching from among the gathered guests, felt triumphant. His master had wanted Eryk wedded to anyone other than Aislynn, and that was about to happen. He was tired from the errands he’d had to run during the night, and his head felt like it could split apart from the headache he had from overusing his magic the day before, but at least he hadn’t failed his master in this.

Eryk stood beside the makeshift altar and watched Alexius walk down the aisle toward him. He was wearing black pants and a red shirt, both embroidered with red and gold thread. Eryk also wore his seldom-used crown, the larger version of the one he would soon place on Alexius’ head.

Branden was escorting his sister on her wedding day. He and Alexius reached the king, and Branden took Alexius’ hand from his arm and placed it into Eryk’s hand with an apologetic look. He’d tried to refuse to help his sister with her plan, but it only took a simple threat to Aislynn’s life to bring him around to her way of thinking. Branden shook his head and stepped down from the dais, leaving Eryk and Alexius alone with the priest.

“We are gathered here today, to join this man and this woman together for all eternity,” the priest began. “When a king chooses his queen, it is something that should be celebrated by all in the realm.”

The farther they progressed through the ceremony, the more obviously unhappy Eryk became. As he spoke his vows, his face was blank and his voice leaden. Callum didn’t think there was a single person in the room, aside from perhaps the bride, who didn’t know that this

wedding was forced. As for the aforementioned bride, Alexius spoke her vows clearly and with a smile on her face that was frightening in its intensity. When the priest asked if there was anyone who knew of a reason why the couple should not be wed, everyone remained silent, which encouraged Alexius to smile even more.

“Marriage is never easy,” said the priest. “There are good times and bad times in every union, and the key to success is learning how to work with what you’re given.” He picked up two glasses of wine, one red and one white.

“This white wine represents the joyous times in a marriage – the love you feel for each other and all of the good things to come. This red wine represents the sorrow in a marriage – when illness strikes or other hardships descend upon you.” He poured the two cups of wine together into another cup, and then picked up this third cup with both hands.

“This third cup, with the wine mixed together, represents how you need to accept the joy and the sorrow. You can’t have one without the other.” He offered the cup to Eryk, who took it reluctantly and drank a sip before passing the cup to Alexius. She accepted the cup eagerly and took a sip before passing the cup back to the priest, who put it down.

Finally, the priest spoke the words that Alexius was waiting to hear.“Your Majesty,” he said, “you may kiss —”“Aislynn?”“What? I’m not Aislynn!” Alexius, who’d been so happy a moment ago, stood before the dais with her face a mask of

outrage. Eryk ignored her, looking over her shoulder to where Aislynn stood framed in the doorway leading out into the hall. The princess took a few steps into the room, flanked by a pair of royal guardsmen.

“I’m sorry to interrupt, your Majesty, but I have an objection.”“You’re too late!” Alexius screamed, whirling around to confront the princess. “That part

is over already and I’m the queen now!”“A marriage coerced is not a legal marriage in Bacovia, and I can guarantee that Eryk

didn’t want this. And you’re not queen; you haven’t even kissed him yet.”Alexius turned back to face Eryk. If all it took was a kiss to make her queen, then she

could do that. Eryk, almost knowing what was coming, had picked up the queen’s crown from the cushion on the table and taken two steps backwards, away from Alexius. She saw the crown in his hands and rushed toward him, arms outstretched.

“That’s my crown!” Callum could only watch along with the rest of the guests as Alexius flung herself at Eryk,

wrapping her arms around the crown in his hands and yanking it from his grasp. Eryk, surprised by her actions, took another step away from her as she fell to the ground with a happy giggle. Alexius placed the crown upon her head and rose slowly and regally to her feet.

“I am queen of Bacovia,” she announced to the assembled guests. “And my first act as queen is to have this woman arrested.” She flung a hand out toward Aislynn, pointing a long, delicate finger in her direction.

“If you were really the queen, I wouldn’t be able to do this.” Aislynn took a few steps forward and slapped Alexius so hard across the face that her

head snapped to the side. The crown, already lopsided on Alexius’ head, flew free and Aislynn caught it before it hit the ground.

“Guards,” Aislynn ordered, “arrest this woman.”More than happy to comply with that order, the guardsmen Aislynn had brought with her

stepped forward, each of them taking hold of one of Alexius’ upper arms. Eryk walked up to Aislynn and gently took the crown from her hands. Then, he placed it on her head and kissed her soundly before the assembled nobility of Bacovia and the royalty of the surrounding kingdoms.

Callum cursed under his breath, wondering what could possibly have gone wrong. He and Cora had left the house with Aislynn still unconscious in the cellar, tied hand and foot and guarded! How could she have escaped?

“You still haven’t won,” Alexius chuckled from where she stood, arms held tightly. “This is a lose-lose situation for you, Princess.”

Aislynn turned in Eryk’s arms to face Alexius. “What are you talking about?”“Don’t listen to her,” Eryk prompted, wrapping his arms around her waist. Alexius

ignored Eryk for once and answered Aislynn’s question.“No matter what happens to me, you’re still dead if you marry him. You’re too

dangerous to be queen, and he’ll make sure you die!” Callum heard his words echoed back, and he winced. He was starting to regret not killing the princess when he’d had the chance.

“Take her to a cell,” Eryk ordered quietly, and the guards sprang to obey him.

Chapter 24By the time Callum left his suite in the palace the following day, nearly all of the

wedding guests except Aislynn’s parents were gone. Nobody really wanted to stay around when there was a nasty mage who liked throwing fireballs lurking around, and so the crowd was sparse when Alexius took the stand at her trial, which took place in the throne room. Aislynn and Eryk sat on the dais to preside, and Eryk’s council members sat on the left side of the room arranged in rows and seated on rather uncomfortable looking wooden chairs. Courtiers filled the rest of the throne room, along with those ambassadors and other officials who remained in Eaglecrest.

“Alexius, you stand accused of the attempted murder of an ambassador to the Bacovian court, kidnapping and coercion. In addition, you have also disobeyed the conditions of your banishment. How do you plead?”

“Lady Alexius.”“Pardon me?” Eryk looked confused, and Callum sighed at the further proof of Alexius’

insanity. One did NOT correct the judge at their trial. “Lady Alexius. Call me by my rank, as is proper.”“But you’re not a lady anymore, Alexius,” Eryk explained. “Your titles and rank were

stripped from you when you were banished last year.”Alexius shook her head, her pretty, blond curls bouncing around her shoulders, and Eryk

sighed.“How do you plead?”“Why?” “What do you mean?” Eryk asked, his tone betraying his mounting frustration. Aislynn

patted his hand, apparently trying to sooth him.“Why do you want to know how I plead? You’ve already made up your mind, and

you’re going to find me guilty, so why does it matter?”Someone in the audience sniggered, and someone else called out. “She’s right, you

know. Why not just get it over with?”Eryk’s head snapped up to gaze over the gathered courtiers, and they fell silent. “I want

to know how you plead because I want to know your reasoning.”“Then why not just ask me that?”“Fine! Why did you do it? And who helped you?”“See? Isn’t that better?”“Just answer the questions, Alexius.” Alexius smiled. “I love you, Eryk, and I’ve always loved you. I did it so that I could be

with you, that’s all.”“So you spent four months trying to kill the princess so that I’d marry you?” Alexius nodded.“And the other question? Who’s been helping you?” Eryk insisted.“All sorts of people helped me. To whom are you referring, specifically?”“The one who’s threatening Aislynn. Let’s start there.”“Oh, well, I can’t tell you that. All I can tell you is that he helped me because his goals

aligned with mine. He doesn’t want you to marry her either.”

“Why not?”“I already told you that. He says that she’s too dangerous to be queen.”“What does that mean?”“You’d have to ask him.”After that, try as he might, Eryk was unable to get any additional information from the

woman. Her answers were all circular, leading back around to the original question, and Callum was happy enough that his role in this wasn’t going to be revealed.

“You have admitted to repeatedly attacking the princess,” Eryk finally stated, bringing the questioning to an end. “You have admitted to kidnapping the princess, and I have witnesses who will testify to the coercion, if you’d like to hear them. Your very presence in this castle is proof of breaking your banishment. Therefore, I find you guilty of all of the crimes of which you are accused. The question now, is what to do with you.”

Alexius smiled. “Just make sure you send more than two guards this time.”Eryk grimaced at the reminder of the deaths of Byron’s men, and he shook his head.

“Not this time. Because you show no remorse for what you’ve done, I sentence you to be executed.”

Alexius’ jaw dropped in shock at the king’s words. “What? You can’t do that! I’m nobility, and you don’t execute nobility.”

“You were nobility. Committing crimes against the crown is treason, and after your banishment, you were just another citizen, Alexius.”

Alexius turned to look at Branden, who was sitting with the rest of the council. “Branden, you can’t let him do this. I’m your sister! Say something!”

Branden shook his head, his eyes full of pain. “I had a sister, once.” With that, he stood and left the room, ignoring Alexius’ pleading and tears. A pretty

woman, very pregnant, rose from a seat at the rear of the crowd of courtiers and followed him. Callum assumed that was likely Branden’s wife.

“Tomorrow, at dawn, you will be hanged until dead.” Eryk pronounced.Ignoring her screams, the king gestured to the guards who were waiting to take her back

down to her cell under the castle. He then dismissed the council and the courtiers, and Callum rose to leave with the rest of them. He went immediately to his suite of rooms and locked the door before retrieving his mirror from his bed chamber.

Sending a tendril of power into the mirror, Callum sat down at the small table, awaiting his master’s reply. He hated to be the bearer of bad news, but it was important that Rhys know what was happening in Bacovia. He tapped his fingers on the dark wood of the furniture while he thought about everything that had happened in the past week or so.

The soft sound of a chime drew Callum out of his thoughts, and he turned his face to the mirror, brushing his brown hair out of his eyes. The face of his master appeared, strong features framed by black hair. Callum bowed his head in greeting.

“Tell me what happened,” his master commanded. “I know that she failed.”“Yes, Master,” Callum confirmed. “We did succeed in kidnapping the princess, and Eryk was

in the midst of the wedding to Alexius, when Aislynn escaped and interrupted. Without leverage, there was no way the king would give up marrying the assassin. Alexius was arrested and tried, and she will hang at dawn.”

“This is not acceptable.”“I’m sorry, Master, but even with my help she wasn’t able to keep the princess confined long

enough to get the job done. I couldn’t risk being discovered, so there was only so much I could do.”

“Of course,” the man in the mirror agreed. “You are far too useful in your current position. Is there any chance that she’ll betray you?”

“I don’t think so, but I’ll make sure I’m there, just to be certain. What about the king and the princess? They have rescheduled their wedding.”

“Well, the king must perish, of course, regardless of anything else. It’s a shame things didn’t go according to plan, since then we wouldn’t really need to worry about the princess. Once they’re married, we need to kill her too, and that will be considerably more difficult than just getting rid of Alexius if she’d managed to become queen.”

“You seem almost...sorry for the princess,” Callum commented. The eyes in the mirror narrowed in anger and Callum stammered an apology for presuming to interpret his master’s feelings.

“Let’s just say that I understand her, and leave it at that,” Rhys said finally. “See what you can do to rid me of these nuisances.”

“Yes, Master.”

Chapter 25Just before dawn the next morning, a pair of royal guards led Alexius from the castle and

into the main courtyard where the gallows was waiting for her. A small crowd gathered close in the dim light, everyone there to see her hang. Eryk and Aislynn were at the front of the group, and Alexius could pick out the blond heads of her brother and his wife not too far away. There was a ring of royal guardsmen, and Alexius knew that Byron was likely around somewhere too. So were Callum and Cora, but she couldn’t see them. The rest of the crowd consisted of nobility and council members, all of whom were still here in the capital because of the king’s wedding tomorrow. Lucky me, Alexius thought to herself. At least I get a good crowd for something.

Everyone was silent until Alexius was in place on the platform, the noose around her neck. Now the guards tied her hands tightly behind her back, to ensure that she wasn’t able to free herself from the rope when the time came. As the guards stepped away from her and the executioner took his place, Eryk spoke.

“Alexius, you are condemned to death. Do you have any last words?”Alexius nodded. “Yes, your Majesty. I’d like to name my accomplices, and beg upon your

mercy.”Callum, waiting in the crowd, straightened at her words. He couldn’t afford discovery, not

now when everything was almost in place! He closed his eyes to concentrate better as he spoke the words of a spell, his Gift seeking Alexius’ mind in the crowd.

“You may speak,” Eryk prompted.Alexius took a deep breath and readied herself. This was her last chance to avoid an early

death, but just as she was about to say the words, she found herself unable to do so. Callum’s consciousness slipped seamlessly over hers, taking over her body for a few moments, but a few moments were all that he needed.

“Alexius?” the king prompted again.Callum forced Alexius to shake her head, resolutely not allowing her to speak. He could

feel her mind wrestling with his, but he’d had years of practice using this aspect of his gift, and she wouldn’t be able to win herself free in time.

“Then you leave me no choice,” Eryk declared, a note of sadness in his voice. The king nodded to the hangman, and the executioner reached for the lever that would drop the door open underneath Alexius’ feet. Callum had no desire to feel the woman die, and just as the executioner completed his movement, he fled her mind, leaving Alexius to scream her betrayal and fear before the rope broke her neck and she was silent.

That was close, he thought to himself. It certainly wouldn’t do for Eryk to find out about my involvement. Not when I need to get myself settled firmly into his good books.

As the crowd started to break up, people returning to their beds or heading to eat or find something else to do, Callum followed along, wandering aimlessly. He needed to determine his next step. Rhys wanted Eryk dead, and now Aislynn too, and once again, he regretted not killing the princess when he’d had the chance. He just knew that brief act of compassion would come back to haunt him.

They’d tried direct attacks and sneak attacks. They’d tried attacking with magic and with poison. What is left? he asked himself. Callum shook his head, continuing to walk. He still felt that his best chance would be to get close to Eryk, and Aislynn by association, and strike

when they least expected it, when their guards were down.Callum found that his wandering steps had led him back to his rooms. He entered the

suite, expecting silence, but instead he heard urgent chiming from his mirror. Cursing, both because anyone could have entered the room and heard the sound, and because something was obviously wrong somewhere, Callum jogged into his room. Wrenching the mirror from its silk wrappings, he sent power into the glass to answer the call.

“Oh thank goodness! Where were you?”“Mortimer? What’s going on?” Callum was too shocked by the young mage’s face in

the mirror to take exception to the disrespectful greeting.“There was an accident. A serious accident.” Mortimer’s face was pale, and there were

dark smudges under his eyes. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days.“Tell me what happened,” Callum ordered.“Samuel went out hawking with some members of the court yesterday, and a partridge

startled his horse. I don’t know if it was lack of expertise in the saddle or what, but he fell...and he broke his back. He died about an hour ago.”

Callum was stunned. Never in his wildest dreams had he expected this. “Samuel is dead?” It was ridiculous to repeat what Mortimer had just said, but he couldn’t help himself.

“Yes, my Lord. Or should I say, your Majesty?”“Of all the stupid things...” Callum shook his head, not sure what to say.“What do you want me to do?” Mortimer asked after a few minutes, when the silence

stretching between them became uncomfortable.“You need to send a courier, with official news of Samuel’s death,” Callum said. “Do

that as soon as we’re finished this conversation. Then, you need to start planning the funeral.”“I have to start planning the funeral? How is that going to work?”“There isn’t anybody else to do it,” Callum explained. “I’m here and there’s nobody left

there. I can’t leave here until I get your message from the courier, not without revealing the fact that I’m a mage, and you can’t just let Samuel’s body rot in his bed for the next four or five days, now can you?” His tone was scathing, and Mortimer blushed.

“Fine, your Majesty... I’ll get the message sent and start planning. You’ll probably have to change everything when you get home though.”

Callum just ended the conversation, really not having anything else to add. He’d given Mortimer his orders, and there wasn’t anything he could do right now anyway.

King of Madelia, he thought to himself. With a chuckle, he sent his magic back into the mirror. This was something his master definitely needed to know.

Chapter 26Callum was expecting Mortimer’s courier at any time, and resolved to let Eryk know

about his impending departure as soon as he could after the wedding ceremony. The new king of Madelia still had to be confirmed, and Callum needed his coronation ceremony when he returned home, but his stint as ambassador was certainly over. Trying to resolve the issue of how to kill Eryk and Aislynn when he wasn’t going to be here occupied his thoughts, and he just barely paid attention to the ceremony.

When it was over, Eryk and Aislynn had exchanged vows and rings, and Eryk had placed the crown on Aislynn head. Really, it was pretty straight forward, and Callum didn’t think that he’d missed anything particularly important, being lost in his own thoughts as he was.

After the ceremony, which happened about mid-morning, all of the guests went inside to eat and then retired to the gardens outside of the dining hall so that the happy couple could walk around and greet everyone. Callum sat with the other ambassadors, and he rose when Eryk and Aislynn approached their table.

“That was a lovely ceremony,” Callum commented. “Madelia wishes you both long and happy lives together.”

“Thank you, Ambassador,” Eryk replied with a smile. The other ambassadors made similar comments, and Aislynn and Eryk moved off across the

garden toward the next group of guests. Callum watched them go as he regained his seat, his thoughts whirling. Part of him was tempted to just fling a fireball at the couple, but he did value his own life. There were too many guards around.

A short while later, the king and queen of Bacovia left the castle for a procession through the city. Again, Callum knew that the couple was too well protected for him to do anything, so he went up to his suite of rooms and started to pack up his belongings. He wanted to leave as soon as the courier arrived, so that he could get home and take up the reins of power there.

It wasn’t until the next morning that Callum had the opportunity to talk to Eryk. The courier from Madelia had made decent time, he supposed, but with the necessity of bringing his belongings with him when he left... Well, it would be nearly a week since Samuel’s death before Callum reached Ironvale, and meant nearly a week of Mortimer in control. Callum shuddered to think of the mess that could be awaiting him.

“Thank you so much for seeing me, your Majesty,” Callum said with a bow when he gained entrance to Eryk’s study. It was shortly after breakfast, and Eryk was alone except for the man Callum often saw acting as the king’s bodyguard.

“No problem, my Lord. What can I do for you on this fine summer day?”“Well, your Majesty, I regret to inform you that I must leave to return to Ironvale. I received

a message via courier this morning.” Callum placed the missive on Eryk’s desk and gave it a little push toward him. “My king had an accident a few days ago, and he died.”

“Oh! I’m very sorry to hear that. Of course you must return, for the funeral if nothing else. When can we expect you back?”

Callum shook his head. “I don’t think I will be back, your Majesty. You see, I’m next in line for the throne, so once I return home, I will be crowned and tied to the throne. I’m certain you understand.”

Eryk’s blue eyes widened in surprise. “Well then, your Majesty, I bid you good journey. I

hope you have a successful reign. It seems the throne of Ironvale has been changing hands rather quickly of late...”

“Indeed it has,” Callum agreed, keeping his facial expression neutral. “Hopefully, this will be the last change for a while.” He bowed to Eryk, a slight incline of his upper body as they were now equals, and then he turned to leave.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to him, and Callum paused. Looking back over his shoulder, he saw Eryk watching him. “The new ambassador will hopefully be here within a ten-day,” he commented. “I’ll need to brief him before he makes the journey, but I’m sure you’ll like him.”

As he walked down the hall away from the king’s study, Callum couldn’t help but chuckle. Mortimer would make an excellent ambassador...and spy for the Madelian crown. If he couldn’t be here personally to get close to Eryk and Aislynn before the final blow fell, Callum would send the next best thing.

There was one last thing that he needed to do before he left the city, and Callum sent a servant to find Lady Diana while he oversaw the transfer of his bags from his room to the waiting coach. It didn’t take Cora long to appear, and he wondered if she knew something was brewing.

“Yes, my Lord? You requested my presence?”Callum took her by the hand and drew her aside to have a more private discussion. “Samuel

is dead,” he revealed, “and I need to return to Ironvale. I’m now king of Madelia. Do you want to remain here or do you want to come with me?”

Cora looked startled for a moment, but quickly schooled her features. “I’d like to come home, if that’s okay with your Majesty,” she said. “I think I’ll follow along in a couple of days though. It would be very suspicious if I suddenly up and disappeared. You never know when I’ll need this persona again.”

Callum leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead, mindful that there may be people watching. “I will await your return to Ironvale eagerly, my Lady.”

As Callum got into the coach and gave the driver orders to leave, Cora stood on the steps of the palace and watched him go, a wistful expression on her face.

“It seems like you’ve found yourself a man after all, Diana.” Lise appeared at her elbow and gestured to the rapidly dwindling coach. “What’s next for you?”

“I am going to follow him home,” she said. “And you never know. Maybe one day I’ll be queen of Madelia.”

Lise looked shocked and Cora spun away with a laugh.

###

About the Author:M.M. Brownlow is an elementary school teacher who lives with her husband, children and assorted pets in Southern Ontario, Canada. Connect with her at her official website. She is currently working on the first book of a related series, The Pursuit of Power. Don’t miss The King’s Assassin, and War Torn, also available from Smashwords.