“Very well then.” Peter sighed. “It seems everyone enjoys being vague. We shall see if he has anything more useful to say to his victim.” He turned to me and outstretched his hand. I accepted the gesture, and he pulled me closer than I was anticipating from the offer. “Are you certain you want to do this?” He asked, his words intimately quiet. I felt a little shy from his actions with Thomas nearby, but the older man paid no attention.
“I am,” I confirmed clearly. “I have come this far, and I am not stopping now.” Determination blazed through my eyes and the captain subsided to my reply.
“Then allow me to introduce you.” His voice was grave as he led me into the unlit tent. Thomas entered first, followed by Peter and me. The tent was held up by a tall metal pole that appeared to be deeply cemented into the ground. At the base of the support sat a tall, muscular man dressed in all black. His feet were bound in both rope and chains, and his hands were fastened across the metal pole. His mask had been removed, so I could finally look upon his face. It was rather unsettling. He was rather attractive, much like a siren would be before you were dragged down to your death. His ice-blue eyes rose eerily to mine as a snakelike grin spread across his lips. I felt an uncomfortable shiver creep down my spine from his gaze, but I brushed it off. I was the one in the power position now.
“Well, well, well...” the vile man looked pleased at my appearance, “I was hoping my playmate would come find me.” His voice flashed memories of our first encounter into my head. I squeezed Peter’s hand for assurance of his protection, and he whipped out a dagger to pass to Thomas. The soldier took the blade without any hesitation and held it to the man’s throat.
“If you so much as insult the young lady, I’ll scar that pretty face of yours.” Thomas’s voice was frighteningly serious, but effective. The man leaned his head back into the steel pole in silent submission to the blade.
“No need to be so excitable, captain.” His creepy grin flashed a row of perfect teeth. “The princess and I are old friends at this point. I’m sure we can communicate like civilized companions.” His gaze roamed over my stiff form, looking to antagonize some type of reaction.
I took a deep breath and stepped forward with the confidence of a born ruler. “Our companionship shall depend on how well you answer my questions,” I said boldly, stepping in front of Peter to face the man. Peter flinched in disagreement to my pursuit but allowed me to pass. “Who are you? And who is your true employer?” I drove a piercing glare into his blue eyes.
While he didn’t appear intimidated, instead, he looked almost impressed. “My dear princess, I already told you, I was sent by Drancos.” His words sounded condescending as if he were talking down to a child. “As for who I am… well, I hardly see how that matters. My true name shall mean nothing to you, but since we’re friends, I will let you in on my alias.” He narrowed his eyes, still adorning his sickly smile. “They call me ‘the mirror.’” His head cocked to the side as if the information should have ticked a nerve.
I raised an eyebrow at the strange title. “The mirror?” I had been expecting something much more intimidating. “Is that in reference to the mirrored armor you wore the night we met?” I considered the idea, though it seemed unlikely.
“Fascinating theory, but I’m afraid not.” He laughed at me harshly, and I noticed Peter tense in my peripheral. “You see, my dear, I excel at reflecting people’s true selves.” He leaned forward into the edge of Thomas’s blade, not even flinching as the steel grazed his skin. “Life or death situations really bring out the worst in some people, Your Highness. It is truly captivating to watch an individual’s reaction in the face of danger. With just a little motivation, even the most diplomatic of people display their true selves as clearly as looking in a mirror.” His eyes gleamed in twisted glee as a trickle of blood ran down the edge of his neck. Thomas held his blade firmly in place against the pressure the mirror man provided, clearly not intimidated by his nerve.
I watched uncomfortably as the man leaned away from the blade without even an ounce of fear on his face. His words rolled over in my mind as I tried to interpret the meaning behind them.
“Are you implying that you only intended to threaten my life to invoke my reaction?” I asked, uncertain if it was truly what I meant to say. Why would someone go to the trouble of hiring an assassin to not even kill? I thought back to the arrow that had whizzed past my skull in the forest a week ago. That shot had nearly taken my life. Surely, he had intended to kill me then… unless he hadn’t.
The man looked at me ominously and lowered his smile to a straight expression. Well, what fun would the game be if I just told you all the rules?” His eyes glassed over maliciously. “Now that I have answered your questions, tell me why you’re keeping me penned up like a puppy instead of shipping me off to the capital?” He sounded genuinely curious, but something in me felt like this was a trap. If he was aligned with King Garrett, he would most likely to tempt me to return to the castle with him. I needed to be careful with what I said.
“I intend to make you stand trial for your crimes.” My tone sounded calm and even. If he could play coy, then so could I. “In preparation for the trial, I wanted to give you the opportunity to openly confess in private before bringing you before the court.” His eyes widened in fascination and a strange touch of excitement. “To make the process easier on all parties involved, I am prepared to offer you a deal.” I raised my chin confidently, keeping my eyes trained tightly on his.
“Oh…?” He half smiled in anticipation. “And what deal might that be?”
“The promise of a lessened sentence in return for a written confession.” I watched his face contort into confusion before he leaned forward in further intrigue. “I will provide you with quill and paper. If you write out a full confession of your crimes for me to bring forth to the court, then I swear on my kingdom that I shall lessen the severity of your judgment.” My face remained relaxed, but internally, I anxiously waited for his reply. If I had physical evidence of his involvement with Drancos, then I could finally be rid of King Garrett.
“An intriguing offer, Your Highness.” He rested his head against the metal pole, pursing his lips in consideration. “What specifically would you require me to write?” I felt a little startled by his quick response. Part of me didn’t think he would even consider the idea.
“All you would need to write is your involvement in my disappearance.” I took another step forward and sensed Peter follow close behind me. “Include everything you told me before you set me loose, and don’t leave out any details. If the letter adequately meets my requests, then I shall guarantee that I shall use my royal dictation to lower the intensity of your ruled punishment.” I towered over him in an attempt to vanquish my fears of this vile man. He was the one on the ground now; he had to strain his neck to look up to me, but he did so anyway in a slow stretch.
“If that’s what the lady wants…” His sly grin held a suspicious tinge to it. “Provide me the needed materials, and I will gladly give you a written confession of everything I previously stated.” He lowered his head and gazed over to Peter. “Would the captain be so kind as to release my hand? I can’t necessarily write with my tongue, now can I?” He winked at Peter, who in turn, glared at him. It was clearly taking a massive amount of restraint for Peter not to murder the man where he sat. I looked to Peter with a gentle expression, silently requesting the same thing.
“I’ll get you your blasted paper,” Peter snapped, “after the princess is back in a safe location.” He reached his hand out to me with pleading eyes and I accepted it. I had put him through enough stress in pursuit of my goals today. It was time I let him do his job.
“I’ll be back in an hour, Thomas. Signal for Fredrick if the brute needs any further attention.” Peter passed an understanding nod to Thomas, who stepped back from the prisoner, returning to his guard post.
The bound man chuckled softly. “How sweet of you, captain.” He directed his steel eyes to Peter. “I do enjoy the company. Perhaps we should invite the whole battalion for a spot of tea later.” His chides coaxed a growling noise out of Peter. The sound shocked me as I had never seen him so worked up before.
Without waiting for the man to provoke him any further, Peter took my hand and led me out the doorway and assisted me onto the back of the white horse. He remained quiet on the trot back to the main tent, so I wrapped myself tightly around his torso, hoping to ease his tension. It must have helped because he placed one of his hands over top mine. When we arrived back at the post, he lifted me off the horse with the most graceful ease. I smiled to him gratefully, lingering in his arms for a moment longer than necessary.
“Will you be alright getting back on your own?” His eyes were soft, warming my heart. “I can give you a ride back if you like.” He kept a hold on my hand as I slowly pulled away from his arms, his thumb gently stroking the back of hand in a soothing motion.
“Thank you, but I should fare fine on my own.” I smiled sweetly. In actuality, I wanted to take him up on his offer. My body still ached from illness and my energy was suffering from my earlier collapse, but I wasn’t willing to risk our new friend changing his mind about writing the confession. The sooner the paper was in hand, the better. “The walk isn’t that long and I feel much better than I did the first trip.” I gave him a convincing smile that seemed to fool him. I felt bad for lying to him, but Isalla needed to come before a few body aches.
“Very well then.” Reluctantly, he released my hand and I frowned at the lack of touch. “Do you have a candidate in mind for the next phase of the plan?” He switched back to soldier-mode with his flat tone and serious expression, and I instantly missed his soft nature.
“I do,” I confirmed. “Aurelia Lockly should serve as the perfect witness.” I smiled proudly and Peter looked impressed.
His bewildered expression cast a smile upon my face. “You know Lady Lockly?” he questioned, obviously interested. “She is a part of the highest-ranking family outside of the capital. If you can convince her to speak on your behalf, you should have no trouble persuading the court to dissolve the engagement.”
“She is actually a close friend of mine… well, of Annie’s.” I shrugged off the small detail, but Peter looked even more confused. “We met at the mill and have since bonded. I am certain she would act as a witness for me if I asked her. Obviously, she doesn’t know I’m the princess yet, but that should only make her statement stronger. She witnessed my hiding firsthand. With her by my side, and the confession in hand, Isalla should be rid of the Draconian family in no time.” I beamed with excitement, and Peter matched my joy with his own smile.
“Well done, Your Highness.” His compliment sent a strong sense of satisfaction through me. “I shall retrieve the letter at once, then meet you at the mill so we can travel to the Lockly estate together.” He let out a relaxed breath as his tension seemed to ease now that the plan was proving successful.