"Where are they?"

The two thugs went quiet.

"Who?"

"Two women in light cloaks came this way. You were supposed to stop anyone suspicious."

The bolder of the two shook his head.

"Nobody came through here. We been patrolling all morning, like you said."

"Well have you seen anyone?"

He nodded, something of a twinkle in his eye.

"Oh, yeah boss. Real pretty working girl was talking to a man, cozy-like. Weren't there when we walked back up: reckon they agreed a rate, know what I mean..."

This was punctuated with a lewd wink.

"Describe them."

"She was real pretty, boss. I mean..."

The leader nodded emphatically.

"I got that part. How was she dressed? What about him?"

"She had a big, dark cloak on. What clothes I could see underneath were real fine. The man was official-looking: probably a King's man by his cloak. Had his hood up..." He raised a finger to the air. "...I know what you said about hoods, how if it ain't raining, snowing or windy..."

The more senior man sighed.

"Was he short?" A nod. "Could it have been a woman?"

This seemed to confuse the underling.

"Why would a woman be chatting up a whore?"

That got him a heavy blow to the head, having finally strained his boss's patience too far.

"When was the last time you saw a whore in the market district? At this time of day? I think you saw - and failed to stop - the Prince's fiancee and her little guard woman. Now we'll be lucky if we get them at all."


The knock on the door surprised them both. The Prince sighed, holding onto Wynn as long as he could despite her hurry to be dressed.

"This had better be good, Firrin."

"No, your Highness, it's very bad."

Wynn was already robed and at the doors by the time the Prince stood. He gestured for her to admit Sir Firrin even before he'd finished donning his breeches.

"My fiancee?"

Sir Firrin nodded. Wynn was already leaving.

"I'm going to get dressed."


It was several hours later when there was another knock at the door to the Prince's suite. His Highness and Knight-Captain Richard looked on as Sir Firrin opened the door. To their surprise, it was not Wynn who entered but the young knight his Champion seemed to have adopted. Lady Thia made a deep curtsey to the Prince, with less formal bobs for the others.

"Your Highness, Lady Thia of your fiancée's guard." She waited politely as the Prince accepted Lady Kathri's embrace, silent until he turned back to face her. "I would like to speak to Lady Wynn, your Highness."

"You cannot: she is out in the city."

Thia nodded reluctantly. This was very bad news.

"Can anyone tell me what happened to the rest of the party? We went to see the market with Lady Ayer."

Sir Richard looked dour.

"Most of them are dead. A few more - including Sir Narte and Lady Ayer - are missing. We fear the worst. Lady Wynn left as soon as we had news of the incident: she sent for Sir Ram an hour later, but we haven't heard from either since."

There was another knock at the door. A messenger of the city watch was accompanied by a Palace guard: both were admitted and made their salutes before the watchman handed a rough letter to Sir Richard. The Knight-Captain took only a few moments to read it. He handed it to the Prince as he looked up at the watchman again.

"Give me a few minutes to gather some men, then take me there. Lady Thia, come with me. Your Highness, I bid you a good evening: this will all be resolved shortly."


Light fell into the small cellar as the trapdoor at the top of the stairs was opened.

"Ko, they've found us. Be ready to bring the prisoners; the Lady first." No answer was the firm reply. The speaker took up a lantern, drew a weapon and edged down the steps. "Ko?" He reached the foot of the stair and swung the light methodically. Ko could not be seen. The prisoners were looking odd, as though strangely light-hearted. Then he caught a glimpse of the leg that stuck out from behind some barrels. He had no time to react before he felt a sliver of cold metal at his neck.

"Call the leader down here."

The blade felt very sharp. He did not try to turn toward the intruder.

"I am the leader. You'll never take me alive."

He had something in mind, but Wynn didn't much care what. Her blade was away from his throat before he managed to put any pressure on it, and she followed up by punching him in the face with the slim hand guard. The man dropped to the ground unconscious. Wynn unravelled the dark scarf she wore about her head and shook her hair out before searching the man for keys.

"Good evening Lady Ayer. Sir Narte, are there any more prisoners?"

Narte shook his head.

"No, Knight-Lieutenant. They killed all but us. I'm sorry, my Lady."

She tossed him the keys.

"Open the cells, arm the knights if you can; we're going to hold this room while Knight-Captain Richard and the others storm the building. And no apologies now. Tonight we fix this: tomorrow we make sure it won't happen again."


"I always hoped I wouldn't live to see a day like today."

"I don't blame you."

Sir Richard looked out across the capital, seeing it sleep as it always did, blissfully unaware of the day that had almost torn it to pieces. In the same view, Wynn saw the city she had known before she had come to the Palace: a thin veneer covering a boiling pot of conspiracy and intrigue. As much as she felt for those she'd left behind, she was glad to be where she was now.

"Violence on open streets, for goodness' sake! This isn't how it should be."

Wynn nodded.

"They were bold. And organised. Not to mention well informed."

"Well, the ones we have in custody will tell us what we need. We'll root this lot out, but there will be others. I'm half tempted to order that nobles stay in the Palace indefinitely, but I don't want that to be the message we put out." He sighed. "It isn't supposed to be this way. Pellagania has a history of settling these things in private, a quiet blade here, a garotte there: as national identities go I'm not proud of it, but it's averted many a war."

She held back a smile. She wasn't proud of it either but she'd been the one holding the quiet blade on several occasions, and he was right: she had probably saved many more lives than she had taken, often preserving innocent life by ending those less so.

"It's not enough change. The games they play up here don't make progress, most of the time it's swapping one despot for another." She looked up from the view, noting his frown. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. His Majesty is a great man, but is he really making any progress for the people down there?"

Richard hung his head.

"I know, I know. I thought it would be different, but..."

"Different? Different to what?"

He shook his head.

"Oh, nothing. You are right: we could all be doing much more. But my King is much better than many would be."

Wynn nodded.

"Of course. I meant no offence: if I didn't see the good in the King I would not have sworn to serve him. I just wish there was some way of making things fairer for the commoners and the free people."

"His Majesty saw it that way too, once. It's just so difficult once you actually get there."

Behind them someone pushed at the trapdoor. One of the duty lookouts helped lift the wooden slab, letting one of the Palace runners out onto the roof. The young man shivered in the biting wind as he approached the officer knights and saluted them.

"Knight-Lieutenant Wynn, I have a message from his Royal Highness the Prince Royal: he requests your presence in his chambers immediately."

She nodded.

"Thank you, I will be there as soon as I can."

"I should be going inside as well." He approached the hatch, lifting it with visible effort and holding it for the messenger and the Knight-Lieutenant. As a final gesture he saluted the two men who were to remain outside. "Good night, gentlemen."



Next Chapter: Chapter 58