A pleased smile drew across my lips as I considered the opportunity now placed before me. I had the ability to finish a job my father never completed. For decades, he has told the tale of how he conquered the once mighty Sybettal, but he left a loose end. Now I was graced with the opportunity to kill the last remaining heir myself...If I successfully strengthen our armies, while preventing a new enemy from forming, Father will have no choice but to restore my position over Miron. Then, I’ll just have to deal with Conan…
I snickered to myself. That part would be easy. Conan may be strong, but his hubris weakens him. He may have succeeded in slaying the king of Drancos, but he still managed to drag Ashbourne’s name through the entire affair. I would never be foolish enough to make such a thoughtless mistake, and now I could prove it.
I’ll simply find the Sybettian princess before her subjects do, and I’ll keep the hunt quiet. Only a small squadron of men should be required. Once I find her, I’ll finish what my father had started. As soon as word spreads that the monarchy is officially dead, the Sybettians will have no choice but to join our army. It’s a flawless solution—as long as I can find the girl before anyone else does…
I stood from my chair and circled my desk. My fingers laced around the hilt of the obsidian dagger that remained embedded in the wood. I yanked the blade out, pulling the point from my desk with a single breath. I twirled the dagger in my hands once, before using the point to skim across the map still sprawled over the table. Sybettal was a sizable land, but most of it was uninhabited due to the climate and terrain, so there was less space to search than one would assume, but it was still vast. I pressed the tip of my blade into a small town that rested just inside the border.
This would be a good starting place.
The town of Synatto held the only trading market known in the kingdom. There were plenty of people who passed through there, and some might possess valuable information. I smiled wickedly as the plans formed in my mind.
This would be child’s play…
“Time to find the girl with the unusual hair.”
chapter four
My heavy red curls sprung free from their braid as I strode down the path. The walk back from the Clemmens’ cottage felt much longer than the walk there. My footsteps kept slowing down the longer I thought about what they had said.She was born with extraordinarily unusual colored hair...I subconsciously reached for one of my loose curls.
I couldn’t possibly be...
No, of course not.
Pressing my steps onward, I shook the thought from my mind. It was merely a startling coincidence. Princess Estelle was likely long dead, and her remains simply left unfound due to their small, infantile size. There was no chance she could have survived the siege, not after how Mother had described it... It was simply a fluke that I just so happened to be the same age Princess Estelle would have been if she were still alive...
And that we both had outrageously colored hair...
And that I was found abandoned in a barley field outside of the castle…
Oh boy.
The hot sun sank slowly as the afternoon pressed on. The warm heat settled on my shoulders and neck as I rounded the last bend of the path that led home. When I trotted up the dusty walkway to the cottage, I found myself pausing before I went inside.Should I tell Mother about the rumors? How would I even bring such a thing up?My hand hovered over the rusted brass doorknob for a few moments before I finally turned it open.
As I stepped inside, the savory smell of boiled potatoes filled my nose. I let the warm scent envelope me for a moment, my stomach gurgling longingly for a proper meal. Mother sat cross-legged on the floor, monitoring the bubbling pot on the fire with a sharp eye. When the door finally creaked shut behind me, she turned her warm brown eyes to me.
“There you are, Nixie. What kept you so long?” Despite her motherly concern, her tone still carried her usual sweet notes. “Let me guess, Mrs. Clemmens tried to reject the gifts? She can be such a stubborn old woman sometimes.” Her gentle laugh floated through the room as she patted the ground next to her, signaling for me to sit.
“She didn’t put up too much of a fight this time.” I shrugged, taking my place on the dirt floor with her. “I think she was rather grateful for the bounty—their garden is in rather rough shape at the moment. I think I’ll try to make a couple extra trips to the compound roads next week to help them stock up.”
Mother gave me quizzical glare, then continued to stir the pot of potatoes. “That’s very thoughtful of you, Nixie, but you need to be careful going out too often.” She picked up a bowl off the floor from beside her and filled it with the boiled potatoes.
I watched her movements closely, noticing a small quiver in her ladling. I knew Mother well enough to know that she shook when she was anxious. “Why is that, Mother?” I questioned innocently. “You know as well as I do that I’m capable of handling myself. Plus, there have been even more deliveries lately, so they’re less likely to become suspicious of a few missing goods within such a large selection.”
She sighed, passing me the steaming bowl. “I know you’re capable, sweetheart.” She paused, clutching a second bowl in her hand. “It’s just...I worry about you. If the deliveries are increasing, then the security may increase with it. I trust you to handle dangerous situations, I truly do, but you’re my daughter, and I can’t help but fear something may happen. The more risks you take, the more likely you are to get caught.” She pressed the bowl against her stomach, meeting my gaze with misted eyes.
My heart lurched at the sight of her unshed tears. She had always worried about me, but never this much. The topic of the princess pricked at the back of my mind.Was she worried about more than she was letting on?I hated seeing her fret over me, but at the same time, I couldn’t stop myself from wanting to press her for more.
“Are you sure there’s nothing else that’s concerning you?” I asked softly, not sure if I truly wanted to know her reply.
She froze, her hand gripping the ladle as it lingered haphazardly between the pot and her bowl. For an elongated moment she only stared at me, her eyes filled with words she couldn’t yet convey. I opened my mouth to retract my question, but I couldn’t speak. Her reaction had already answered the question that seared through my mind.
“So... you’ve heard the rumors, too?” she breathed softly, resuming her task of filling her bowl. She placed the meal back down on the floor, then reached for her apron to dab at the corners of her eyes.
I suddenly despised myself for asking. “I did. The Clemmens told me about the rebellion.” My tone came out more shaken than I’d intended it to.I hadn’t expected such a reaction from Mother. Did this mean that...I swallowed hard. “Mother... am I the…? Did you already know that…” My words failed me as I stared down into my lumpy soup.
Mother’s shadowed eyes widened as she caught on to what I was asking. “Nixie, I had no idea the princess could have survived.” Her eyes searched mine as if looking for a sign of betrayal. “If I had known, then I would have told you that this might...you might…” She leaned her head back and let out a frustrated groan. “For the love of the realms, I don’t know what I’m trying to say. Nixie, I didn’t know any of this until yesterday. I wanted to tell you, but I was afraid it would unsettle your head before your robbery. If I’d had even an inkling of an idea that this was something to be concerned about, I promise, I would have told you.”
I watched as she clutched her apron, preventing her hands from shaking. “So, you don’t think this is something to be concerned about, then?” I asked with a hopeful note in my tone.