Caleb woke me up by tearing the covers off and trumpeting in his booming voice, “What a wonderful day for a run!”

  I groaned. Braeyln flung open the curtains. Light poured in.

  “Why?” I groaned, swinging my legs to the edge of the bed.

  Caleb threw my gambison at me.

  “Full armor today!” he said.

  I groaned some more.

  “At least let me dress without her,” I said, motioning to his elven assistant. I was in my small clothes, and a shirt.

  “Oh, she’s family, o be shy,” Caleb said, tossing my pants at me.

  I hiked them on and fastened my belt. Braeyln’s eyes raked ae, and she shrugged, as if she were not particurly impressed. I just sched my face up in derision, and pulled my gambison on. She typed something ie.

  Great.

  For what it was worth I had gained a det amount of muscle definition. So I felt like I looked pretty good.

  Past month and a half went by quickly. Bernie found the spy almost immediately, and murdered him real good, so it’s just been training, aing to know the people in the castle after that. I’d leveled up to 7, and Bernie and Rachel 9. More on that ter.

  Berhought that there may be more spies hiding in and among the king’s supporters, but I figured we were in the clear. We were all more focused on leveling up for the catabs fight.

  The Witch June was still out there. And thanks to Bernie’s knife of trag we kly where.

  Caleb helped me into my shirt, gau, greaves, and breastpte. It was mythril, so it barely made a noise, and was much lighter than my ventional mail armor. I still didn’t want to run in it.

  “e on,” I said as they finished getting me in the armor, “’t we do the armor tomorrow?”

  I had a splitting headache. I only drank at night now — baby steps.

  Caleb ughed.

  “Every stat point you earn on your own is yours to keep. DM ’t take it away from you.”

  “He do that?”

  “Maybe!”

  I rolled my eyes.

  We ran through the halls.

  Bernie ran beside us. I smiled at her. She smiled babsp; I hadn’t fronted her over all the things we’ve left unsaid, but we were tinuing to build trust.

  We’d only kissed once sihat st time iavern. She’d crawled through my window, and we kissed in my bed. I asked her why we didn’t do that more often, and she said ‘don’t make things plicated.’ Whatever the hell that meant.

  I briefly thought back to the moment Caleb found out about us, and his advice that we take use of his ‘supplies closet.’ Not only was it regurly resupplied with cheese, wine, and olive oil, it had special tea to help with cramps, and s. Apparently goatskin s were far more fortable than they sounded.

  Not that I’d had an opportunity to use them.

  I almost ran straight into a maid carrying tea. Dodging in mythril armor wasn’t that much harder than without, but the mobility round the hips was less. I turo the side and muttered an apology.

  “Close one!” Caleb said.

  I ran harder to catch up. Bernie ran right o me. And so did Braelyn.

  Bere had an easier time dodging, on at of her new armor. It was bd red silksteel, augmented by a pair of magic bracers. The material swathed her in bck fabric that provided det prote from damn near everything but bludgeoning.

  I tried to steady my breath. We had a long way to go.

  Rachel noticed us from her perch leaning against the wall talking to a maid supp a tray of pastries. She whispered something into her ear that made the maid giggle, then snagged a pastry with a wink.

  She fell into formation in front of me.

  “Good m!” I said.

  “You’re te,” she said, before taking a bite.

  I just shrugged, and we ran.

  “Beta formation!” I said.

  Bernie reached out her hand, and Rachel grabbed it, before she tossed her to the wall. Bernie nded easily, the the door frame as she ran along the stone wall vertically.

  A maid with a pte of sausages passed, and Bernie grabbed one as she ran.

  “Here e the stairs!” Rachel warned.

  I cursed despite myself. Running down stairs without falling on your ass wasn’t trivial.

  Bernie left us behind as she leapt from wall to wall down the spiraling staircase. Rachel jumped over a dog. I stopped to let it pass.

  “You’re falling behind!” Caleb reminded me.

  “Charlie formation!” I yelled.

  I jumped. Braelyn turhe st flight of stairs into ice. Instead of nding solidly on my feet, and sliding the rest of the way, my feet kept going forward and I fell on my ass.

  Kept sliding though.

  Soon as I hit the ground floor, I stood a running.

  “Close,” Bernie said, after leaping from a wall and nding, running beside me across the wn.

  The bit ractically leisurely, as we circled the inner courtyard.

  “Hey, Princess,” Rachel said as she slowed to run alongside Braelyn.

  “Good m,” she replied, with a practically businesslike tone.

  “Those new robes?” Rachel asked.

  “No, they are not.”

  “Well, they pliment yure well,” Rachel said.

  “I should hope so,” Braelyn replied, the ghost of a smile turning her lips, “the tail on steelsilk is murder.”

  I powered ahead to get a better listen to the versation.

  “What am I missing?” I asked.

  Rachel rolled her eyes, and ran ahead.

  Braelyn and I rao each other for a bit.

  “She drinking less, you think?” I asked, referring of course to Rachel.

  “I hope so,” Braelyn said. “She knows how the king dislikes sloppiness.”

  And by that, she meant she didn’t like it. They’d apparently had some kind ument about it st week. When I asked Rachel what had happened, she just said she had ‘behaved unbeing,’ and refused to say more.

  “Why does she call you ‘Princess’ all the time,” I asked.

  “My sister is the queen,” she answered.

  “Really?” I said. I hadn’t quite gotten the politics of the castle dow.

  “I am teically royalty,” she replied. “But I have renounced my participation at court outside my duties to the king.”

  “What does that mean?”

  She just raised her eyebrows as if the rest were obvious, and began to slow, increasing the distaween us.

  Soon came the part I dreaded. The other side of the courtyard, and the stairs up.

  “ we stop first?” I called ahead to Caleb.

  “Not unless you wao announce your run time to the official icler!”

  “Why?” I gasped.

  Braelyn was, of course, the official icler.

  “We’re almost to breakfast!” he called babsp;

  Soon after, I’d plopped down in a seat, alongside the rest. The Queen, Cerelia, was here too, lookiiful and radiant as ever, blonde hair shining in the sun from the long windows. She looked remarkably like Braelyn, but more angur iures, more elegant.

  Caleb’s daughter, Mia, Caleb’s newly branddaughter, Ava, and his son in w Uchechi, were here too, along with a wet nurse named Gillian. They were fine. Mia had her father’s plexion, her mood looks, and an even, quiet temperament that garnered respebsp; Uchechi was a sometimes brash, mountain of a man with an easy smile, dark skin, and ach that reminded all who saw it, that he had been a man of violence.

  Apparently, he captaihe ship that tried to ransom Mia to Caleb. The king took his eye in a duel, then he made him go privateer. How the romah Mia happened was a story I’d yet to ask.

  The newly born Ava was mostly a blob that slept, or screamed in equal measure. Caleb was obsessed with her. Doting on her was the only thing he seemed to love as much as w out.

  The staff served breakfast, aucked in.

  Caleb had brought Ameri food to the castle, and the food was Ameri style biscuits, gravy, sausage, pancakes, beef strips that tasted very much like ba. It was a bit of home that melted my heart.

  Caleb khe value of good food.

  Now, if only this pce had coffee. A man poured some bck tea for me, which I was grateful for, but it wasn’t the same.

  If you had all of this, why would you want to leave? I wondered if maybe some of his failure to defeat the Evil Queen relied as mu his i in staying here. Then I set that idea aside.

  Later, I pulled out my ste to check my stats.

  Beznik of the Red Hand the level 3 Mageknight and level 4 War Bard

  Hit Points 54, Armor Css 19 (Halfpte +2, shield)

  STR 12 (+1) DEX 10 (+0) 14 (+2)

  INT 13 (+1) WIS 10 (+0) CHA 16 (+3)

  Items: Adventurers’ Kit, Mythril Half Pte +2, Crossbow

  Abilities from Fighter: Adrenaline Rush (170% time dition, double movement speed) and Sed ce (Twice per day heal +25% HP), Sympathetic on (you may pce a on you have sympathy with in a dimensional pocket spad remove it at will). Spellcasting.

  Abilities from Bard: Dazzling Strikes (ons attacks give off sparks, potentially distrag oppos). Inspiring Words (+60% movement speed, 10% instant healing, and +30% extra damage modifier to a party member of your choice). Student of War (extra on damage equal to CHA bonus). Spellcasting.

  Skills: History, Performance, Persuasion, Social Drinking

  I had yet to select a on to use my ‘sympathy’ ability on. Caleb promised to let me look at the royal armory when I was ready. Apparently most of the good stuff he had given to his sons. But I had to imagine he had somethier than my pin and dull not-magic sword or my crossbow. Again, I felt the loss of the crossbotain Wen had destroyed.

  After breakfast, Caleb and I sparred with wooden training swords in full armor. I had a leather cap I wore at such times. He wore his full helm.

  It was sort of like how I imagined sparring with Bruce Lee. He was a genius with a bde, but even holding back, his ‘teag’ felt like getting kicked by a mule. The man was strong. Maybe even strohan Rachel.

  Speaking of, Rachel practiced wrestling teiques with Lieutenant Gru’ulna. He was an or with the rgest set of shoulders I’d ever seen. Even with the belt, she was quite outmatched.

  Bernie spent time with Caleb’s spymaster, who I’d yet to meet. Apparently they taught social manipution and history. She was still vihat there were spies in the castle. ‘By my estimate it must be at least six,’ she’d said. Caleb called her paranoid, but not to her face.

  There had been no more murders or poisonings after that st spy’d been found, but I supposed that they could be biding their time.

  After training, Caleb asked to take me on a walk around the city. When I asked if that was dangerous he just said, “I am not afraid to walk my city.”

  Braelyn stayed behind in the castle to tend to some business, and outside the armored escort that followed several paces back it was just the two of us. We walked through the market, which sold the dregs of the week’s produd goods. The smell of citrus and spices lingered.

  “I want to talk to you about Bere,” he said.

  “We’re not ready for s yet,” I replied.

  He ughed.

  “No I mean, she’s spinning out of trol. I am worried for her.”

  “Really?”

  “Really. She hasn’t taken herself to the idleness of safety well. The sed she doesn’t have something to focus on, some task, she’s going to get herself in trouble.”

  “Aren’t we training for the catabs fight?”

  “We are,” he said with hesitation. “But ohat is done, we will have some time before the army is ready to mar our enemies.”

  “Aill have to get Mark,” I added.

  “Sure.”

  “You two have been holding onto each other like driftwood in a storm, but you opped to tell her how you feel.”

  “Right.”

  “Do you even know how you feel?”

  “I think I like her. I like her alot.”

  “Have you taken her on a date?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Have you put any effort in at all to let her know?”

  “I mean, I kissed her.”

  “Plenty of men kiss women they don’t much care for. I don’t think that is enough to make your iions known.”

  “I don’t have iions.”

  “Perhaps you should discover some,” he said, not too sternly. I had the creeping feeling like maybe I was beiured by a dad. “I don’t think that oe is going to fix all her issues. I think maybe going home is what she needs. But it couldn’t hurt. Sometimes we o be remihat there are those that care for us.”

  We walked for some time and I thought about what he’d said. We passed some street performers in the middle of a py. It was a dramatic love fession se. The hero was about to be put under some kind of awful spell by a bck cd vilin, and he was being marched to his doom. To her poignant fession he just replied, ‘I know.’

  “Was that?” I began to ask.

  “I sider myself something of a pywright,” he cut in. “Though you could say I did more ‘adaptation’ than writing.”

  “Right, because that was just—”

  “We call it, Strife Amongst the Stars, here. It is very popur with the small folk.”

  I nodded and we tinued on. This wasn’t too far removed from the time I sang Elvis songs to a gnome.

  We eventually made it back to the castle. I said goodbye to Caleb auro my room for an early afternoon nap. On my bed were two notes. The first was from Dara, and sealed with a seal of a lion. It read thus:

  Dear Sir Breznik,

  I ot in good faith respond to yenerous offer of the purchase of my aral sword for several reasons. The first of which is that it is being used by myself in defense of my person from the sce of goblins. As you may have heard, the Kingswood does not fare well. My tavern did not survive these ret troubles.

  Luckily for me, my sister, and my paramour, we have found ourselves in the employ of a band of meraries who marder the banner of the Bck Lion. It’s awful work, but the pay is good, and the opportunity for vengeance is promising. Many of those who were dispced who did not run to the embrace of the King, have done so as well. I am told that my patriot, a fetg young gh a skill for poisons by the name of Berryhop, was delighted to hear you are well.

  I ’t say that I dislike receiving mail, but hopefully ime you have better tidings ahan your i in my family’s heirlooms. I should think that the g least would especially like to hear how you are doing, and I’d hate to disappoint her.

  Write back with news of your travels, and maybe we share our adventures as well.

  With some hesitation,

  Dara

  Well, that sucked. I hated that Dara and Berryhop could be in harm’s way. And the fact that they’d joihe bandits we’d fought wasn’t something… well. That was ing.

  I didn’t regret the path our as had taken. A destabilized Kingswood meant that they didn’t invade Caleb’s kingdom. But I don’t think any of that was mufort to Dara, who’d lost her business.

  I hated moral ambiguity. Fighting a dragon came with less moral baggage.

  The sed envelope tained an amulet on a leather cord, and a tiny folded piece of paper. There was no seal on the envelope or note of who it came from. Once I read the letter it was clear why.

  Dearest Zachary,

  I hope your time with Caleb has been fun. Hopefully he isn’t w you too hard.

  I often think of our brief moment by the ke, and I wonder what could have been had I had the ce to go with you. At times, I am filled with worry for your safety. And I ot help you from so far away.

  To remedy some of my , I have had one of my agents deliver a trio you. By itself it does nothing, but should you be in serious danger, break it, and you will be delivered ahat you may find useful.

  Again, I do not trust to message you with the stes. But if that is the only way you think to tact me, please do so.

  Many fards,

  Sofia

  So this was bad news. The fact that the throne could get me a letter like this meant that Bernie was right. There were still spies in the castle.

  Now, a more clever man than I, would have immediately goo Caleb or Braelyn to get them to identify what this tri was, and what it did. It could have been cursed. It could have tained some kind of demon. I had no idea what this thing did.

  So the fact that I s in half immediately, was very very stupid.

  The amulet disied into bck dust that swirled out of my fingers. I cursed and vainly tried to catch hold of the bck mist that swirled and grew, aually deposited an obje the bed, then dissipated.

  The obje the bed was a bck sword with rubies set in the hilt.