Her mind dismissed him immediately as she ran through the receiving room of her suite, her mind already castigating herself for her mistake. She should’ve expected they’d both be attacked, and she shouldn’t have been surprised. Live and learn, it hadn’t killed her this time, and she was far from perfect. She had growing left to do, and experience to gain. Even then she wouldn’t be perfect, she just needed to be better than her opponents. Still, she refused to accept that as an excuse, she needed to do better, and always strive for that elusive perfection.

  She ran past the two dead guards in the hallway, they’d been run through the chest. A new post that Duke Embry had set up to protect the prince. She imagined in that split second that they knew the assassins, given they were dressed as ducal guards as well. They hadn’t even had time to draw their swords.

  She raced into the prince’s receiving room just in time to catch a glimpse of the assassin creeping through the bedroom door. A psychic punch left her left hand and slammed into the back of the assassin’s head knocking him out cold. She slowed to a brisk walk as she crossed the room, thoroughly confused, because the knocked-out guard hadn’t fallen.

  Sebastian laughed out of her sight, “I had him frozen in place, and was about to question him.”

  Oh, she suppressed a blush. She’d only thought he was creeping into the bedroom, but he’d been stuck like a fly in amber in some hold spell in his doorway. Still, his stance had him frozen mid-creep, better safe than sorry.

  “There’s another one webbed to the wall in my receiving room, and the two posted guards are dead,” she reported.

  He nodded, then raised an eyebrow as she reached the doorway.

  “Sleeping in armor?”

  She shrugged playfully, “Have to protect my income source. Disappointed?”

  Dear gods, why did she ask that? At least she’d said it teasingly, and not with suggestive innuendo despite her flushed state. Of course, she’d never been that person either, but she wasn’t quite the prim and proper princess anymore, was she? Must be the adrenaline, as usual she felt a thrill in the conclusion of a dangerous situation, despite the fear during it. Although the fear never stopped her, it merely galvanized her into action. She wondered again at her sanity. Maybe it was just normal?

  He chuckled, but he didn’t flirt back. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that. Both relieved, and disappointed. She reminded herself firmly she wasn’t interested, no matter how gorgeous, powerful, and moral her liege lord was. No matter how much she was coming to admire him.

  Sebastian said, “I let the captain know via spell, more guards should be here soon to take them into custody, but I’m fairly sure they’re innocent.”

  “Innocent?” she asked dubiously.

  He nodded, “I sense magic about him, but he’s not a magic user. I suspect someone put our attackers under a mind control spell when they were in the city carousing. As known ducal guards they wouldn’t be challenged entering the castle or wandering the halls at night. It wasn’t any of the magic users working for the duke in the castle, the signature doesn’t match any of them.”

  She frowned in thought, “So there’s a mage, wizard, or sorcerer assassin out in the city somewhere.”

  He replied, “Yes, or a cleric. A few of the gods grant mind altering abilities to their clerics. Ydis, the god of tricks, or Brynone, the goddess of dreams come to mind. There may be more capable of this, but I’d have to do some research to find out.”

  She was relieved her impulse had been to capture and not kill. She also couldn’t imagine how horrible it would be for them when they realized they’d murdered comrades in arms. Ironically perhaps, her affinity for psionics made her capable of learning the control mind spell, but the spell’s definition had been repulsive to her and she’d never choose to learn it.

  “Can you dispel it?”

  He nodded, “Yes, but I want Mage Lissa and the others in the castle to examine them first. Perhaps one of them will recognize the signature of the magic user. Especially if they’re a long-placed agent, and not just another assassin newly arrived in the city.”

  That was a good point, and the answer was obvious and made her feel foolish about asking the question. A moment later the captain showed up with six more guards. Two to drag off the captured, two to take the corpses away, and the last two to take up the post.

  The captain’s orders were quite blistering on vigilance for those last two, no one had business entering the corridor the prince was in at night, not even their own comrades. All should be challenged.

  It was quite a while later before the ward was reset, and she was able to get back to sleep. Still, given their early retirement, waking at dawn would still give her a full night’s sleep.

  King Hadrius, Queen Helvia, and Court Wizard Adamus of Cynia were at the breakfast table. Cynia was the middle southern kingdom, and their only non-human border threat was the dragon mountains. The remains of their breakfast were on the large platter. The king was brooding over what he’d learned yesterday, regarding the imperial family and their capital, and the military. He was forty-five, still in better shape than most young warriors, and could admit he could be a bit mercurial at times.

  “Adamus, I need to know Sebastian’s intentions before I act.”

  Wizard Adamus said, “It shouldn’t be long, not with the threat to the east. I would say he doesn’t have much of a choice, with the imperial family’s losses he can’t enforce the empire’s rules. From what we could find out, he was focused on securing the crown all day yesterday, otherwise he can’t act at all on the other issues nor deal with you or the other kings and queens on equal footing.”

  Hadrius grunted, “True. I want you to make preparations to recall all our people from the empire’s army and navy. But don’t act on it yet, just get it ready. We’ll need them if we’re finally to invade Xevell and put that bitch queen Jacinta in her place. Six feet under.”

  Adamus nodded, “It shall be done.”

  Helvia asked, “Is that wise, husband?”

  Hadrius said, “It is an opportunity I’ve long waited for. The sooner we can act on it the less Jacinta can prepare for it. Our other borders are nothing to worry about. To the east is Pirean, and that old fool Sigurd is already plotting peace between us in his fear of Doryn and isn’t a threat. I plan to sign it immediately, to give me a free hand towards our true enemy. To the north is Thaenid, and they’re not a threat either. If anything, they’ll turtle up in fear, afraid all six kingdoms will want revenge for being forced into vassalage for the past few centuries. They won’t dare go on the offensive, or all six kingdoms would respond in force. It gives us a free hand to settle old scores.”

  Helvia nodded, “I meant removing our troops, with an invading army on the horizon, so to speak.”

  Hadrius shrugged, “None of the other monarchs are bold enough, and they’ll be forced to keep their troops on the wasteland border after mine leave, lest the eastern kingdoms fall. Even if they do fall, I won’t lose any sleep over it. My only concern and responsibility are to Cynia and our people, not Doryn or Pirean. Even if they lose, they’ll thin out the enemy enough for our eastern fortifications to finish the job.”

  He didn’t care what it took, to get his revenge against the Jacinta and the insults Xevell’s ruling family had offered Cynia the last few centuries. He would take great pleasure in seeing her dead, and in annexing her kingdom. Their kingdom’s enmity went back to before the rise of the empire, and it would finally end at the empire’s fall. The seven kingdoms would become six. Soon, very soon.

  Luna finished her stretching and sword forms routine under the sun streaming from the eastern horizon. It was just past dawn and her and Sebastian were in the practice grounds behind the castle. The large space was full of ducal soldiers and guards doing the same thing. Given that, there was very little risk of an assassination attempt. No assassin wanted to throw their life away, and there’d be no escape if anyone took a shot at the future king in that location. That didn’t make her any less vigilant, perhaps even more so than usual, but they didn’t call off their usual morning workout and sword practice.

  Sebastian said, “Don’t worry. None of the soldiers here are under magical influence.”

  She nodded, “That obvious?”

  He chuckled and shook his head, “No, just starting to learn how you think.”

  She took a deep breath and fell into a fighting mindset, focusing diffusely so she was aware of everything. It would let her instincts and muscle memory react without thought with the experience of long practice. She nodded to the prince with a challenging glint in her eyes. They’d never sparred before, not directly.

  His light smile and rush forward took her by surprise, but her body knew what to do as her sword whipped out in a parry and her feet danced to the side. The ring of steel on steel sounded in her ears, and she spun as he ran by her, sword leading. But he pivoted his whole body to catch her counter on flat of his blade. They exchanged a quick flurry of thrusts, slices, parries, dodges, and blocks before disengaging and starting to circle each other.

  He was a good swordsman, close to being a master, but so was she, and she was fairly confident the outcome of the spar was very much in doubt.

  She was also both painfully aware and ignoring the fact the guards and soldiers were all watching the two nobles spar. One their future king, and the other his personal guard. They’d drawn that attention with the first ring of steel.

  He said, “Shield, let’s go all out.”

  It only took her a moment to understand, with both of them shielded they wouldn’t have to hold back in the sparring at all, or even worry about harming the other. He’d be immune to her confusion shield being shielded himself, and if their weapons slipped past the other’s guard it would hit the shield and not flesh. Which would signal the victor if it hit a mortal or disabling area with enough power behind it. It would also have the added benefit of thwarting an assassin, though she was fairly confident that wouldn’t happen. Not without her sensing the danger anyway.

  Her ink array activated with a concerted thought, and a telekinetic and confusion shield rose tight to her body.

  He nodded to indicate his was up as well, and once again rushed her to take her by surprise. Repeating the same initial tactic was foolish and made her wary, she parried his sword and then stepped forward, correctly reading that it’d been a feint that time as his forward momentum didn’t slam into her, instead her boot heel snapped up between them and slammed into his face. Or his shield anyway.

  She grinned as she danced to the right and twisted left, her sword whipping for his left side, but he managed to spin his body and push it wide with his sword, he continued to spin and a small dagger reversed in his left hand raced toward her side. She nimbly avoided it by stepping inside his guard, and his forearm slammed into her shoulder as she pommel punched him in the back of the head. She jumped back and danced out of the way of his sword blade as he finished that spin to face her once again.

  He came after her in earnest at that point, giving up on fancy moves and tricks which weren’t working at all for him, and sticking to flowing sword forms. He backed her up slowly as she parried, dodged, and twisted away from his strikes. Her yin fighting style didn’t include blocking, his heavier sword and stronger arms would power right through them.

  She hadn’t had so much fun sparring in a long time, and she did her best to ignore the gasps and mumbles from their crowd. She got in a couple of more glancing hits, and she took a few glancing blows herself, but nothing definitive enough to end the spar. If it was a real fight, without shields, they’d both be a bit bloody and bruised, but neither would be out of the fight.

  Her hand was numb as they backed off, and they started to circle each other.

  He said slightly out of breath, “You never said you were a sword master.”

  She shook her head, “Am I? No one has named me so before.”

  He dropped his guard and stood up straight, and she followed suit.

  “Perhaps it’s because your style suffers slightly when sparring without shields, small hiccups that haven’t been apparent in this contest of arms. Maybe stemming from concern for your ally and opponent.”

  She pondered that a moment, “Maybe.”

  She did her best to suppress the smile that was fighting to come out, but a shadow of it came out anyway. Sword mastery had been something she’d been striving toward for a very long time, and she felt an understandable amount of pride at being acknowledged so. Her whole life really, or at least as far back in her childhood that she could remember. She felt really good in that moment, loose and limbered up with a rush of endorphins from the thrilling workout.

  Save perhaps, the stinging pins and needles in her sword hand as the numbness faded, but that was just normal.

  By unspoken agreement they split up at that point, sparring near each other with the soldiers as opponents. In hindsight it was a good decision, she wasn’t sure it was politic for the future king to lose to his bodyguard. She was more confident with that knowledge, and although victory was by no means a certainty, she did win all her sparring bouts that morning, save against the prince who was a draw. She wondered if the difference was the confidence that came with the certainty that she had achieved sword mastery and merely had to practice daily to maintain it, that had given her an extra edge that morning.

  Then they headed up to take baths and to prepare to face the day.

  The large dining hall was full of a buzz of conversation as Luna and Sebastian entered. The main castle dining hall was set up with a high nobles table up against the far wall on a raised dais that could seat twenty. All the chairs were on the far side looking out into the room, no noble would sit with their back to the room, and it was so they’d be visible. It was their first time eating in the main hall, they’d eaten in the private ducal dining room last night. Most likely because two barons, an earl, and a duchess had already arrived, responding to the summons with alacrity, or perhaps they’d already been in the city. It wouldn’t have been prudent not to engage with them, or to snub them given the upcoming vote, not that she minded in the least.

  There were three other tables of similar size in the room, set up perpendicular to the dais and with seating on both sides. She noted they were occupied by royal guards off duty, minor government functionaries, and also the two lowest ranks of nobility, knights and Marquis.

  She ignored the stares, admiring glances, and looks of curiosity as she scanned for threats on the way to the dais, that kind of thing was something she was used to from childhood and didn’t distract her at all. They were led up onto the dais, and Sebastian was given the seat to the right of the Duke’s chair in the center of the table, and she was given the seat next to Sebastian.

  On the other side of the Duke sat Mage Lissa, and she was coming to believe that relationship wasn’t entirely professional. She’d come to find out Embry had lost his wife, but he did have two heirs to the ducal title. Next to Lissa was Embry’s young son who was on the cusp of teen years, and his daughter who couldn’t have been older than six.

  The earl and one of the barons were seated next to her, while the duchess and second baron sat on the other end. She nodded in greeting as she sat down, as was proper for a princess in public. Sometimes it could get confusing, but she was both a bodyguard and a princess and had to be both at once. Fortunately, perhaps, both of those roles required silence unless asked a direct question, so they didn’t come into conflict very often.

  Still, she did feel a little out of place in leathers at the head table, but on balance she liked her new life a whole lot better than being an ornament in the old one. It was her first time being in public with other nobles in an official type situation since she fled her childhood castle, and it felt a bit odd.

  She also didn’t fail to notice the prince was the second least elaborately dressed at the table, in somewhat plain wizard robes. Something would have to be done about that. It wasn’t backing up his bid for the throne as heir, and it was a psychological disadvantage and could make a bad impression. He didn’t look like an imperial prince, or she supposed with the anticipated official fall of the empire that royal prince would be more accurate.

  The reason for it was obvious and at least understandable. He’d taken his relatively simple work robes and armor when taking command of Land’s End keep, no doubt his finer clothes were all reduced to ash when the grand palace had been destroyed. They hadn’t exactly had time to go shopping. She made a mental note to mention it to him, if he didn’t make engaging the ducal tailor a point that morning.

  She wouldn’t mind some more clothes herself for that matter. No dresses, but now that she wasn’t limited to a small backpack, she could use more blouses and underclothes to wear with her light leather armor, and maybe a spare pair of boots, or two. Although, breaking in new leather boots was never fun, she knew she’d regret the lack the moment her current ones fell apart.

  Embry said, “Good morning. The food should be out any moment, now that we’re all here.”

  As if waiting for that signal, the kitchen servants started to stream in with steaming platters of breakfast meats, eggs, fresh bread, and fruits. They placed them on the tables, and for the head table they poured fresh cool juice into their cups.

  As usual, she waited until the prince used his detect poison device and nodded. But this time he didn’t nod, he frowned lightly instead.

  Sebastian said, “Hold, Embry. The food is fine, but our silverware and cups have been laced with poison. Mine, yours, Lissa’s, and Luna’s.”

  Embry’s face turned red with anger, and he turned and gestured peremptorily at one of the royal guards against the wall. The guard looked like he’d rather be anywhere else as he approached the head table and bowed to the duke.