I tossedmy sword onto the rack of practice weapons and a breath later had my cloak securely fastened around my shoulders and the hood drawn over my head.
“I’ll see you tomorrow morning, Brenson,” I called out in a rush as he began to push to his feet, “I have a matter to tend to that can’t wait before my council meeting.”
I had to imagine his skull was still ringing from a mixture of that blow and the ale from last night. Telling him our session might have been witnessed by someone, despite him taking the early morning rotation where he would be responsible for monitoring the northern rampart wall that overlooked the armory, would not go over well. Best I handled this with a deft hand than to have a roaring commander alerting even more people to an issue.
He lifted a hand to wave me off. “Yeah, yeah. Tomorrow I’ll get redemption for this, so be prepared.”
His half-hearted warning made the corners of my lips pull up into a gentle smile. There were definitely days when he left me sore and bruised, but it had been a good bit of time since then. I wasn’t sure if I was improving that much or if, for some reason, he had begun taking it easy on me.
I took off in the direction of the stranger, hoping I was fast enough to catch up with them. If they were in a dress, it was likely they wouldn’t be running anywhere—that was highly frowned upon for the workers within the castle and would draw too much attention. It was still early enough that only the staff would be awake, though, and that might embolden the person.
I was more grateful than ever for my leathers at this moment, feeling my legs extend to their full stride without a dress holding me back. The brisk morning air whipped at my face as I pumped my arms to propel me faster. I had to catch whoever this was.
Anxiety swiftly pooled within my stomach and chest at the thought of our session being made known to the public. Had we gotten too lax in our routine, since it had been years and no one had discovered us?
My father only allowed Brenson and me to have these sessions under the strict rule that we were not to be observed, to prevent any rumors about my love of the blade from starting. Brenson had vouched that it would be his head on the line if we were ever discovered. As one of the youngest to rise to station of commander, he held a lot of respect, and in particular with my father, but this was a misstep that would not be tolerated.
I wiped at the bead of sweat trickling down my temple, the heat in my body rising with my anxiety and racing heart. I was willing to risk going against my father when it was just the chance of myself being reprimanded as a teen, but now that Brenson’s station and honor were on the line, things were drastically different.
Turning a corner that led to a wider corridor toward the kitchens and great hall, I increased my pace until I reached the end. It forked in two directions. My braid whipped me in the jaw as my head swiveled both ways and indecision plagued my gut. My fingers curled until my nails dug into my palms, the painful bite grounding me in the moment.Which direction, Sia?I couldn’t allow everything Brenson had worked so hard for to be thrown out because of me.
The tell-tale sound of a wooden door creaking open had my feet carrying me down the left corridor instantly. I ran toward the end of the hall before sliding around the corner, the flat bottoms of my boots not catching well against the smooth floor. The breath was knocked from my lungs as my shoulder collided with the wall for a brief moment, but my eyes locked onto the woman going into a room at the end of this hallway, and I grinned.
Found you.
I collected myself, steadying my breath as I walked toward the door. Now that I’d discovered her, what was I even going to say? My hand fell on the door handle but stilled before I could pull it open.
Would she want to be paid for her silence?
My brow furrowed at the scenarios rolling through my mind before a sigh puffed over my lips and my shoulders fell. Whatever she wanted for her silence, I’d have to give it to her. There were only two people I considered true friends, and Brenson was one of them. I’d not allow his life to crumble due to his support of my secret training.
I’d negotiate my way out of this. I was a lady raised in the political sphere, after all.
With a deep inhale, I pushed the door open and came face to face with a wide-eyed young woman I didn’t recognize. She must have been new, as I made it a point to befriend all of our staff. All that was in her small room was a small bed, a table with a steel pitcher and matching cup for water, and a small chest of belongings at the foot of it.
Her gray eyes darted behind me toward the door, as if she was contemplating escape.Absolutely not. Instinct came over me, and in mere moments, I had the dagger that was hiddenin my boot pulled out and at her throat, trapping pieces of her straw-colored hair against her fair skin as I did.
I snarled as I closed the distance between our faces, “Tell me exactly what you saw back there before I cut into your vein and leave you to bleed out.”
Well, there went my attempts at a polite negotiation. I tried.
The girl's large eyes widened in terror, her breath coming in short, panicked gasps. Her voice shook as she stuttered, "I-I didn't see anything, Your Highness! I swear it!"
So, she knew exactly who I was, despite me not being in my typical royal attire. That would most certainly be a problem.
I pressed the blade harder against her skin before snapping at her, "Don't lie to me!” Her bottom lip quivered as I ground my teeth together and forced myself to take a deep breath. “I will ask once more…What did you see?"
Tears welled in her eyes as she trembled. "Please, Princess Siyana, I meant no harm. I was just delivering linens and I got lost. I heard the clash of swords as I tried to find my way. I...I was curious. I only watched for a moment, I promise!"
If the hay I smelled on her was any indicator, she’d also taken a trip to the stables this morning, which was nowhere near the training yard. That was a considerable distance to cross, and there were no linens to be delivered there.
My eyes narrowed. “Why do you smell like you’ve lain with the horses, if you’ve been delivering linens as you said?”
Her mouth popped open with a sharp inhale. Pink warmed the apples of her cheeks as she stammered, “I…I shouldn’t speak of such things with you, Your Highness, it isn’t acceptable.”
Color my curiosity doubly-piqued.
I studied her oval face, searching for any sign of deception that I might have missed. Finding none, I slowly lowered the dagger to my side, though I kept it clutched tightly in my hand. "What's your name?"
