Archive of Our Own ^beta

“Have you come to kiss this child?
I will not let you kiss him!
Have you come to harm him?
I will not let you harm him!
Have you come to take him away?
I will not let you take him away from me!”
– Egyptian spell

Nadia tucked her hands into her sleeves, frowning as she watched the mess that was the courtyard. Servants and soldiers were rushing around in a panic and no one was trying to control it. She raised an eyebrow as she saw the head of the royal guard running past, the man jingling suspiciously. It was nothing more than she expected.

Leon was marching on Pendrago.

She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. It didn’t help with anything much, the shouting and clatter still rang loud in her head, but the people still avoided her. Nadia didn’t know if it was their panic or habit, but it would be to their detriment. Heldalf wouldn’t save them now, he saw this as a challenge to his authority, and it infuriated him. Nadia could just see him now, pacing in his council chamber with his pet generals and shouting at them all for their incompetence.

How dare they let this happen? How dare they let turncoats and traitors live? How dare they allow them to get so close to the capital?

It was all nonsense and it made her want to laugh, but years of careful court protocol held her silent. It was better to watch and have no one know what she was thinking than to speak carelessly.

That was the problem with Heldalf. He hadn’t made any friends with his announcement that a Hyland force had invaded that village at the border and that the war should continue. In continuing it he hadn’t made any friends either. His disdain of the nobility, while warranted, had been too obvious. Weak as they had been, there had been many of them still left. Whole families had flocked to the princes in exile, leaving him with the army. Then again, Nadia was sure that he had counted it as a victory. Heldalf was an army man through and through, it was clear in everything he did. The only smart political move he had made was divorcing his wife and marrying Selene.

Nadia set her jaw at the thought before shaking her head. It was the most she would allow herself. She had only survived Heldalf’s ruthless murder of her husband because Selene had spoken for her, and Heldalf had needed Selene.

Rolance might have been happy about the war with Hyland continuing, but they hadn’t been happy about it costing them their emperor. Dorann had ruled them wisely for years, keeping them from drowning in the Long War as best he could. It was hard to dislike a man who had been a staple in their lives, especially compared to the man sitting on the throne. Dorann had cared about the people of the empire. Nadia wasn’t sure whether Heldalf cared more for the war or the glory herself, it was hard to tell and she refused to spend any length of time with him. She was more than happy to keep to her exile in one part of the palace, with Selene, Kara and their children and getting letters from her own children.

She hadn’t need one of those secret letters to know what was happening this time. It had been all over the city.

Prince Leon, firstborn son of Emperor Dorann, was coming back to take the throne, and he was calling on the people of the empire to come to him. And they were; they were flocking to him while Heldalf screamed and executed people in the streets, which just sent more of them running.

They all remembered Dorann and the fair way that he had treated them. And the hunger from the past few years wasn’t something as easily forgotten either. They had all known Leon as Dorann’s son, the prince often at his father’s side to learn the art of ruling. They all hoped that Leon would be like Dorann, and Nadia was sure that he would be. Anyone would be better than a general who put the war effort above his own people. Anyone would be better than a general who had burned fields and half a dozen villages for not agreeing with him. Those were an actions of a tyrant, the thing that had started the Long War. Or one of the many things depending on the source.

Nadia sighed and turned her gaze away from the palace and to her carriage. Compared to the rest of the mess in the courtyard her own loading was going smoothly. Her trunks with money, bandages and supplies for her son’s efforts were the last to be loaded, along with the few servants that she hadn’t already sent ahead. The royal villa outside the city had been taken away from her for Selene’s use, although it was more likely to be used to get the children out of the palace when Heldalf grew tired of their screaming during his important meetings. So it had never really passed out of her hands, which was a grave mistake.

She was not stupid enough to host her sons there, not when it was the first place that Heldalf would have looked for them. Instead, it was better as her place of operations, a safe haven that she had stocked every time she had gone there. In the past year, with the stress of the continual war mounting, she had visited at least five times, which was plenty of time to get it ready for permanent visitors. Nadia had read enough and seen the way things were going to know that Pendrago was not the safest place to be.

Heldalf was not about to give up the capital without a fight, especially after he had seen what it had done to the people of Ladylake. Of all the things Heldalf was willing to lose, the war was not one of them.

Nadia snorted and rolled her eyes. That was his folly, and she was not about to be dragged down with it.

She nodded as the last of the chests was put into place, the two women bowing before ducking into the carriage. Nadia smiled at them, feeling a brief ache of loss.

She missed having the daughters of the noble families around her. She enjoyed listening to them talk and letting them show her how they saw the world. She missed guiding them through life so they could show off their good manners to their family and indulge themselves in the things that brought them real happiness.

Tessa was ensconced in a smaller town than her family desired, but she was with an alpha that loved her more dearly than Nadia had seen any person love anyone. Possibly more than Dorann had loved her himself. The two of them were working on bringing prosperity back to their small corner of Rolance.

Elaine has suffered through a scandal, but she seemed all the happier through it. She was the only other girl that Nadia kept in constant contact with, if only because it was easy. Her and her captain were stationed at the villa, awaiting orders.

Tiffany had refused to marry everyone that her family had put forward, so Nadia had slipped her some money and gotten her in contact with some merchants that she knew. She had seen the girl recently, festooned in bright silks and a wide smile as she went over the trading agreements she had made. She was still unmarried and all the happier for it. After all, she had her books and the sea and nothing made her happier.

Leah had been the quiet one of the group, their little mouse. But Nadia had seen what had made her shine. She’d married into a minor noble house and the last letter that she had gotten from Leah said that she and her mate were out in the Plitzerback Wetland cataloguing bird species.

Sophia was the one of her flock that she worried about the most. She had been the most rash of them all, rushing through three marriages before settling down. The last Nadia had heard from her, she was in Hyland, living with the current warden of the city. Nadia could only wonder how long that would last with how things were. Sophia would either move along or she and her warden would suffer in the aftermath of Heldalf’s fall.

Isabella had retreated back to her family home, taking care of her sister in her dying days before taking over the house. The house had signed on with Leon as soon as he had announced he was marching.

And then there was Selene.

Nadia sighed and closed her eyes. Her niece was the complicated one, the one who had chased all of her dreams and gotten crushed by it. The only time she saw Selene close to what she remembered from before was when she was with the children, both hers and Kara’s. The rest of the time, Selene was different, harder and with a sharper edge. It worried her.

Nadia hooked her fingers together, holding onto them tightly. She took a deep breath, letting it out in a rush when she heard someone approaching.

She turned, nodding at Viorel Ardelean as the general of the Platinum Knights approached her. The man bowed, giving her a serious look. “We’re all ready, Lady Nadia.”

Nadia looked back at her carriage, looking at the group of men around it in their red and black cloaks.

The Platinum Knights were not as glorious as they once were. Heldalf had used them badly in the taking of Ladylake. A handful was all that was left, the rest of them were beneath barrows on the shores of Ladylake. It was something that none of the Platinum Knights would forget, Viorel certainly wouldn’t. He’s the one who had helped dig the barrows himself while Heldalf had demanded to know why they hadn’t fought harder, hadn’t slaughtered every person in the city. Heldalf hadn’t seemed happy with the answer that none of the Platinum Knights were butchers.

She unlaced her fingers, dropping her hands out of her sleeves. “Thank you, General. Make sure everyone is loaded up and ready to go. And spread the word, we process out of the city at a steady pace and then we’ll push for speed. I want to be there long before night falls and before Heldalf pulls his head out of his ass.”

Viorel laughed and nodded. “As you say, my lady.”

“We leave soon. I just have a few things left to take care of.”

“Of course, my lady.” Viorel turned away, walking back to the carriage and the other knights.

Nadia could hear him giving the orders, but he didn’t dare turn around to see their faces. She was sure that it was the same pinched expression that everyone had now. Everyone was waiting to get away or for Heldalf to come out and put a stop to it. Nadia was sure that he wouldn’t even be able to do that. Heldalf had lost his hold in the capital at his greatest moment of triumph, when he had won Ladylake. There were a few brave men who were willing to kill Heldalf where he stood and even more terrified ones. She didn’t know how Heldalf had missed what the empire really thought of him, but she prayed to the seraphim that he never found out.

She perked up when she saw a group of people coming out of the side door. Nadia sighed with relief and walked over to meet them, smiling at the sight of the two women and the five children.

One broke away, Nadia crouching down to snatch up the little boy. He giggled as she lifted him up, tucking him against her hip. “Oh, you’re getting so big, Sorey.”

Sorey grinned at her before looking down at the patterns on her sleeve. He reached out with chubby fingers to start tracing them out.

Nadia turned her head to kiss the side of his before walking forward to meet the rest of them.

She smiled, nodding at the two women. “Kara, Selene. I’m glad you could come. Did you have any trouble sneaking out?”

“No.” Selene shook her head. “He’s busy with other things. He thinks Leon is going to appear behind every locked door.”

Beside her, Kara snorted, the woman shaking her head. Nadia glanced over at her, looking at the two children that Kara was holding the hands of. Both of them looked just like their mother, with red hair and green eyes. It was almost a relief that the two of them didn’t look like their father. Nor did the youngest in Selene’s arms. Lani looked more like her mother, a third woman that Heldalf had turned to after he had realized that both Kara and Selene hated him. Nadia had never figured out what happened to Lani’s mother, just that the child had been dropped off to join the bunch that Selene and Kara were caring for.

Her gaze strayed over to Arthur, the oldest of Heldalf’s sons. He was the one that made her the most uncomfortable, but only for a split second. Arthur looked the most like his father, but the two of them were nothing alike. Nadia was sure that most of that was on Kara. She was a smart woman, she would have figured out her husband quickly enough.

Nadia sighed, looking over the children before setting Sorey on the ground. He was quick to grab her hand, Nadia holding his tightly. “We’re ready to go, and we should hurry.”

Selene nodded, although the corner of her mouth twitched up. “I don’t think he’d care about his children.”

“He’d care about Arthur, his heir.”

“He’d just get another.”

“And you wouldn’t be there to save them.”

Selene shook her head. “I don’t think he’d have the time.”

“No. All the more reason to leave.” Nadia took a deep breath, letting the familiar persona of empress slide over her. It was a familiar state of mind, one that soothed her. If she pretended to be in control, then other people were less likely to panic, which meant that she could be soothed by their confidence. “I don’t know when Leon will get here, but I know that Heldalf will want to close the gates. We need to be out of the city by then. It will be a tight squeeze between all of us, but one of the girls might agree to ride up with the driver and some of the children can sit on our laps. I can’t promise it will be comfortable, but we’ll be safe.”

Kara nodded, nudging little Anton a little to get him to walk. The three of them set off, Arthur trailing after them. Nadia turned to look at them, watching as Viorel came forward to help arrange them all.

She nodded to herself, something unwinding in her chest. She didn’t trust Heldalf with the children, not with the way his mind had become. She’d heard of people getting like that and it was only a matter of time before they became hellions. As a hellion, she was sure that she would trust Heldalf even less.

Nadia squeezed Sorey’s hand, looking up at Selene. “Shall we?”

Selene sighed and fell in step beside her. Nadia kept her pace slow so Sorey could keep up, the four year old skipping along beside her. She smiled down at him before looking at Selene, shocked by the serious expression on her niece’s face. “Selene?”

Selene didn’t respond for a moment, her gaze fixed on the carriage. It only lasted for a moment before she shook her head. “I won’t be going with you.”

The statement stopped her in her tracks. Nadia staring at her niece’s back. Selene had grown up when she had run away with Heldalf. There were times when she didn’t recognize Selene, and it almost frightened her. She doubted that Heldalf had done anything to her personally, but there were things that Selene wouldn’t tell her no matter how many times Nadia asked. All she knew that it was something to do with that small village that had sparked the war again.

Nadia cleared her throat and caught up to Selene, keeping her hand tight around Sorey’s. “What do you mean?”

“There won’t be room.”

“We’ll make room.”

“Heldalf will suspect.”

“He’s too busy trying to figure out who allowed for Leon to come and then how to defend the city with what little men he has left.” Nadia cast a glance up at the walls around the royal quarter, shaking her head. “The royal guard may help but that’s not enough to face what Leon has with him, even if his numbers are inflated by rumors. That will keep him busy for a long while.”

“Aunt,” Selene went silent for a moment, Nadia watching her jaw working. “I know I’m asking a lot of you, but the children are more important. They need to be gotten away before Leon and the others come through. They want to end Heldalf and everything associated with him. These children are not their father, but they won’t care. Even if Leon doesn’t order it, someone will try to anticipating it to gain favor. They might be punished, but the children will still be dead. No, they get away first.”

Nadia sighed, wanting to shake her head. Selene was right, but she hated the thought of it. Leaving Selene behind would be tempting fate just as badly. Nadia swallowed, trying to push away how much she wanted to shake and shout. She could rage all she wanted and she was sure no one in the courtyard would stop, but throwing her weight around like that had never worked, not with Selene. She may have been the empress, but Nadia doubted that Selene had ever seen her like that. They had always been Aunt Nadia and Uncle Dorann to her. All of the titles had only come out when they were in court.

She took a deep breath, glaring at Selene. “The same thing may happen to you.”

“It might.” Selene lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “But I don’t care.”

Nadia bristled, anger rushing through her. “Don’t care? What about me? What about Sorey?”

“Do you think that I don’t care about him?!” That finally brought back the Selene she knew, all the fire that she had loved in her niece. Selene took a deep breath and shook her head. “He is all I care about at the moment. But what would happen if Heldalf or someone else finds that we are gone. The first thing they’ll do is come after you. As long as Kara and I stay nothing will look strange.”

Selene calmed down for a moment, a smile crossing her face. “And maybe I can talk to Leon, ask him as a favor to spare the children. Or tell him where you’ve gone when he wonders. Leon won’t hurt me.”

Nadia looked at the smile on Selene’s face and saw the lie. They both knew Leon, but exile did strange things to people. If she trusted her son, she would have remained in the city. All she would have to do was gather the Platinum Knights around her chambers and wait. But it wouldn’t be wise to do that because Leon had different advisors now, and different rage. It wasn’t safe to stay within easy reach and so readily in his power, not until she knew better.

She glanced up at the carriage, passing Sorey over to Kara so she could help him get into the carriage. He rushed up the steps without a second thought, Selene stepped close to pass Lani through. Nadia watched long enough to see Lani settled on one of the handmaid’s laps before she turned back to Selene.

She reached out for her niece, pulling Selene into a tight hug. Nadia was tempted to pull Selene into the carriage and knock Kara in as well. It would be a struggle to get settled, but they would keep a slow pace through Pendrago’s streets anyway. It would give them plenty of time to arranged themselves and start the argument. Nadia wasn’t sure that Selene would be able to argue while the carriage was going at full speed as she galloped for the summer villa, but she was sure that Selene would try.

Nadia stepped back, opening her mouth to speak when Selene beat her to it.

“I want to see him fall.”

She stared at Selene, watching as her niece took a step back. Selene glanced back at the palace, taking a deep breath. “I want to see the moment when he realized that everything that has happened is his own fault; that he caused all of it. I want to watch it all because it’s the only way I can see him suffer for what he did.”

Nadia made a comforting sound, reaching out for Selene’s hand. She stared at her niece, the urge to just tug her in strong, but there was nothing she could do. This was something Selene needed as much as she needed to get away. Something had happened to turn all of the love she had for the man to turn to hatred and rage. And, Selene had a point.

As long as she was there they had negotiating power. Heldalf would never open the gates, but Selene was empress, she could give the order. Leon wouldn’t have to fight his way through the streets and earn the hatred of the people who loved him now. There was a part of her that wanted to keep her own child safe over Selene, but Selene was just as important. She was more so because Selene didn’t have the protection that Leon did. No matter how tough she thought she was, she was still vulnerable, and Nadia hated it. If felt like she had failed Selene.

She shook her head. “Selene, please.”

Selene gave her a smile, Nadia’s heart jerking. That was the Selene she had known, the little girl who had come from their family home so excited about the capital that it had been hard to keep her from rushing everywhere.

Selene held her gaze for a moment before ducking into the carriage. Nadia turned to watch, as Selene leaned in to kiss Sorey’s forehead. “You be good and listen to everything that Aunt Nadia and Arthur tells you to do, alright?”

Nadia didn’t hear Sorey’s reply, but she could see the horror that crossed Arthur’s face as he understood. Then boy was thirteen, and he had grown up during Heldalf’s rise to power. His father would have involved him more with the army, as it was with all fathers. He and Josephine were perhaps the only ones old enough to know what was happening. Anton had been born while Heldalf had gone off for Dorann’s survey, making him barely a year older than Sorey. And Lani at two was far too young to realize what was happening, just that there was something exciting. Nadia doubted that Sorey really understood what was happening beyond he was going somewhere his mother was not.

She heard him whimper, Selene whispering something to him before stepping away. Selene looked over at Nadia, grabbing onto her hand. “Take care of them, please.”

Nadia nodded, squeezing back. “I will. I swear it.”

That was all that Selene seemed to need to hear. She gave Nadia’s hand one more squeeze before stepping away. Kara went with her, the two of them linking arms.

Nadia watched the two of them go, her stomach twisting. She could see their straight backs and apparently calm and it made her envious. The two of them were braver than she ever could be.

She took a step back, turning to look into the carriage. Arthur was absently bouncing Lani on his knee while Josephine and one of her handmaidens were trying to confront Anton. Sorey just looked confused and a moment from running out of the carriage after his mother.

Nadia took a deep breath and straightened her spine. She might not be as brave as Selene and Kara, but she could be brave enough for the children. They were frightened and it might get worse, but she had to stay strong. She had to get them away safely. The sooner she did that, the sooner she could relax.

She gathered up her skirts in one hand, stepping towards the carriage. Nadia watched as Sorey looked up at her, his eyes pleading with her, but she couldn’t give in. She kept her chin tipped up, only hesitating long enough to look over at General Ardelean. A nod was all it took to get him into motion, the man turning and making a signal with his hand. That was enough to get the Platinum Knights to mount up, one of them handing her other handmaiden up beside the driver.

Nadia slipped into the carriage, picking up Sorey to sit him on her lap.

He turned to look at her, reaching out to grab at the neck of her dress. “Mama?”

“She’ll be joining us later.” Nadia pressed a kiss to the top of Sorey’s head, glad that that settled him. She kept her face pressed against his hair as the carriage rattled into motion, keeping herself from looking back at the palace.

Selene stood by the window, watching as the last of the Platinum Knights rode through the gates. She expected the pang of regret, but it wasn’t as strong as she expected it to be. Selene bit her lip, keeping the pressure up until she tasted blood.

She had just sent away her son with no explanation. She was supposed to feel something more than vague regret.

She curled her fingers into the curtains, holding onto them for dear life. The last of the Platinum Knights had swept through the gate, and her window wouldn’t allow her to watch the carriage’s progress. They were leaving through one of the side gates, the front was too heavily guarded and too busy. Everyone was trying to leave the city. The Platinum Knights would help clear some of the people out, but not many. Still, they would get out, Selene was sure of it. Her aunt was too careful to leave things like that up to chance. The carriage and its guard would be out long before Heldalf noticed or Leon came in.

Selene shivered at the thought of her cousin coming into Pendrago.

Leon had always been the nicest of the three of them. Leon had always taken time to play with her when he could. He had swung her up onto his horse when she was little, leading her around the yard for hours. She had loved him above all the others. Konan had been mean and petty, always running to Nadia for every little slight. Lyte hadn’t been much better because he’d been a shadow in the background.

Lyte’s birth had been the one wobble in her aunt’s marriage. Selene had never heard the full story. She just knew that he was Uncle Dorann’s but not Aunt Nadia’s and she knew it had been enough for Nadia to come and live with them for a while. After those few years, Dorann and Nadia had continued without a problem although, from looking at Lyte you would never know. Selene wasn’t sure if it was because of how the three of them were behind closed doors or because Lyte and Konan had always been closer in age. The two of them had always been together.

Selene shivered, closing her eyes. If Leon was coming, she was sure that the others were coming back with him. It was revenge for what Heldalf had done to their father, and she couldn’t fault them for it.

She still remembered the day that Heldalf had declared himself emperor, and how he had strode into the throne room still bloody from killing Dorann in their private meeting. The princes had been there too, and they had stood for their father’s funeral, the one where Heldalf had laid out his reasons for killing Dorann and told the public that he intended to marry her to continue the line. Right after that he had tried to murder the princes. That was a lot to ask to be forgiven for, and she knew that they wouldn’t. There was too much. Even if Leon hesitated, she would push for it.

Heldalf had murdered the people of Camlann to continue his war. He had come to woo her because his wife was pregnant and boring him. He had ruined Rolance for the sake of protecting it, even if he couldn’t see it. He had murdered her uncle and threatened her aunt. None of that could be borne.

Selene loosened her hold on the window, finally stepping away to look into the room. Kara was pacing near the door, the woman slowing down and stopping to look at her.

Kara gave her a shaky smile. “Are they gone?”

“From the courtyard.”

“Good.” Kara reached up to place with her necklace. “I kept thinking that they would be stopped.”

“By who?” Selene wanted to laugh, but she held herself back. “Who would try? And who would follow his orders now?”

“No one.” The answer came with a sigh, Kara smiling. “I don’t think even his friends are listening. They’re biding their time to run. I saw General Landry riding out early this morning.”

“That will shock him.” Selene sat down on the seat by the window, tipping her head to lean it against the glass. “He never expects anyone to betray him.”

“He should by now.”

Selene hummed in response, her gaze dropping back to the courtyard. Another column was forming up, but they were too far away for Selene to see who they belonged to. She was sure that they would be rushing out, although to where was the question. It was hard to tell who was running to Leon or just away in general. It was easier to swear that they had never helped Heldalf if they were far away. Selene wasn’t sure if it would work, but Leon might be merciful. The Leon she knew would have been.

“Do you think we did the right thing?” Selene turned to look back at Kara, watching her sway in place. Kara met her gaze before nodding. “I know that it will keep them safe, but I can’t help like feeling like a bad mother.”

“Kara-”

“They have the Platinum Knights and I know Empress Nadia will never hurt them, but…they’re mine. And I thought I had a few more years.”

Selene stood up, crossing the room so she could hug Kara. Kara reached out to grab her, holding onto her just as tight. Selene swallowed and rested her head on Kara’s shoulder.

She had nothing to say to comfort her, because she was feeling just as bad. Sorey was her world and she had sent him away, but it was for his own sake. She had been right in what she had told her aunt, no one would suspect anything as long as the two of them were there. The two of them could go out individually and say that the other was with the children and no one would know before it was too late. Selene had to hold onto that, because it was the only thing she had. It was that and knowing that she would be around to watch as Heldalf met his end. She would get to know that Muse and the others were avenged. The only downside that she could see was that she didn’t know where Michael was. He deserved to know that the monster who had slaughtered his village was dead.

Selene held Kara tight before shaking her head. “We’ve done what’s necessary. That makes us good mothers. They’re getting out of here so they won’t have to see the city sacked or what happens to Heldalf. It’s going to be gruesome, and they shouldn’t have to see that.”

She felt Kara nod against her shoulder. The woman took a deep breath, Selene feeling her steel herself. It was a familiar thing, because the two of them had been doing this since they had been dragged into this mess.

Heldalf had had no time for them once they were ruling, he’d been busy and then it had been hard for him to get to them. Neither of them would have let him in. The two of them had leaned on each other, because there had been no one else, and she was relieved. It meant that they weren’t alone, especially once Heldalf had sent the court away to replace them with the generals and members of the army he deemed important. Kara wasn’t a court lady, but she was someone else in the empty palace, especially when her aunt was kept under a careful watch.

She rubbed Kara’s back before stepping away. She hooked her arm through Kara’s, the two of them walking to the window. “They’ll be fine. Remember how happy they are every time they go to the villa.”

Kara chuckled, a smile slowly crossing her face. “Arthur will annoy General Ardelean by following him everywhere.”

“Josephine will hate every minute of the lessons my aunt tries to give her.”

“Lani will be doted on.”

“And Sorey and Anton will beg for pony rides.” Selene patted Kara’s arm. “They’ll love it, just like they have every time.”

She didn’t need to say that they would be safe, they both knew that. The Platinum Knights were loyal to Nadia, she was the one who had helped them all of these years. Nadia herself would fight tooth and nail when it came to it. Better yet, they would be far away from any of the fighting. They would only come back when the city was secured by Leon.

If Leon didn’t win Selene didn’t know what they would do, but she knew that she wouldn’t be staying in the city. She’d take Kara and run. They’d find their children and then leave the empire. Maybe they’d go to Lohgrin or maybe they’d go into Hyland and find Michael again. Selene would join the Blue Valkyries if it meant getting a chance to shove something sharp into Heldalf.

Selene squeezed Kara’s arm as they stopped by the window. The two of them looked down into the courtyard. Selene watched the people mill and swirl before directing her attention away to the bit of the distant plains that she could see beyond Pendrago’s walls. She felt Kara shift against her, the woman probably looking at the same thing that she was.

They were both watching for the moment Prince Leon came home.

Nadia braced herself as the carriage came to a quick stop. She slapped her hand against the side of it, looking up at a quick gasp. The handmaiden shook her head, giving Nadia a smile before adjusting Lani in her lap. Nadia sat up slowly, looking around at the others in the carriage.

Lani hadn’t woken up from her nap, which was good. They didn’t need her panicking and setting the others off. As it was, Sorey and Anton were blinking sleepily, but they didn’t look like they were danger of crying. Nadia sighed, resting her hand on Sorey’s head. She carded her fingers through his hair, taking a look at the two other kids.

Arthur and Josephine were both alert, Arthur leaning over towards the window. He jerked away at the last minute, giving her a frightened look. “What’s going on?”

“I don’t know.” She pressed her lips together before gently nudging Sorey towards him. Arthur tucked Sorey against his side without an argument, Nadia nodding at him before standing in the confines of the carriage. “But I’ll find out. Stay inside and away from the windows.”

She paused long enough to see Arthur nod before she slipped out of the door.

Nadia straightened as soon as she was out of the carriage, not bothering to pause to stretch. They didn’t have the time for that. It was getting close to evening and they only had a few more miles to go. She recognized the stretch of road that they were on. Caerwent would be just another two miles up the road, and a mile beyond that was the villa. They were nearly to safety, which made her all the more wary.

She turned to look at the driver and the handmaiden riding at the front of the carriage. Both of them shrugged, but her handmaid was quick to point forward. Nadia turned, frowning when she saw Viorel talking to two other Platinum Knights. They were in a tight bunch, their horses snorting and stamping.

Nadia gathered her skirts and strode over, breathing a sigh of relief as Viorel turned to look at her. It was cut short by the look on his face, Viorel looking solemn.

The general nudged his horse away from the other two, trotting over to her. He didn’t bother to dismount, the man looking around nervously. “The scouts just came back.”

“The news?”

“Leon is here.”

Nadia took a quick breath, shaking her head. “He can’t have already taken Pendrago.”

“I don’t know if he has, your majesty. I just know what my scouts have told me.”

Nadia bit her lip, running her fingers up and down a fold in her skirt. “So he’s either split his forces or he’s coming the long way around.”

“Roman did say that it was a small force.”

“He split them then.” Nadia nodded to herself before looking back at the carriage.

She wanted to say that the children would be safe, but she wasn’t naïve enough to just trust blindly. She was too old for that. Leon would have his own advisors who would have been whispering in his ear for all the years that he had been away. For all she knew, they would tell him that she wasn’t to be trusted because she had stayed. It pained her to think like that, but it was a possibility. It meant that she would have to try to turn the situation to her advantage. If she had it her way, the confrontation would come at her villa with its forces already in place and with everything she could have to offer Leon. What she had now would look like a bribe, and it would look suspicious.

She flicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. “How far away?”

“We won’t outrun them, not even if we abandon everything. Roman and Feliks say that they barely outrun them.” Viorel winced, his fingers nervously playing with the reins. “And I think they might have given them a clue to where we are.”

Nadia sighed, but she didn’t linger over it. All of them were in such a rush that it was no wonder that they made mistakes. Nadia ran a hand down her face, shaking her head. “We’ll just have to adjust. Jason, Eliza, help unload the children and then make it look like we’re fixing the carriage. Don’t take anything off in case we need to escape.”

The two scrambled down, Nadia watching them before turning back to Viorel as he cleared his throat. “Your majesty, it would be faster if the children were in the carriage.”

“No. It moves too slowly.” Nadia glanced over at the open plains by the road. “They would be faster on horseback. They can cut across the fields and forest. As long as they’re wearing the badge of the Platinum Knights, they’ll be let through. The guards will know you and they are loyal to me. Assign one of your men to the children.”

“And what about you?”

“I have few men here.” Nadia smiled at Viorel, watching the old man blush. She shook her head. “If the worst happens, we can get away. In any case, Leon is my son. He will listen to me.”

From the look on Viorel’s face, he didn’t trust Leon and Nadia couldn’t quite blame him. She was just relieved that Viorel just nodded and turned to give the orders.

She watched him go, before turning her attention to the road. For a moment, she wanted to rage at all the delays that they had faced; the winding roads of Pendrago, the crowds fleeing the city, the roads that had kept them as a slower pace than she had wanted. It was the work of a moment to push the anger away. She couldn’t focus on what she couldn’t change, there was only what she could.

Nadia turned to look back at the Platinum Knights that had gathered by the carriage, watching as the Platinum Knights came over under orders. Lani and Anton were handed up to two of the knights while two dismounted to put Josephine and Arthur up. Nadia looked around for Sorey, frowning when she saw him being handed up to a boy no older than Arthur.

She walked over to Viorel, stopping by his stirrup. “A boy?”

“My squire.” Viorel puffed his chest out for a moment before shaking his head. “We don’t have much left to us anymore, not since Ladylake. The Valkyries took most of us. Most of them are not completely hale and healthy, but they can ride. I’m trying to keep the ones that can fight with us.”

“The children need protecting.”

“And the best protection is speed. One arm is a few less pounds that a horse has to carry.” Viorel chuckled to himself before shaking his head. “They can all still fight. We’ve all been working to compensate for that. It’s all we can do since Heldalf practically banned us from recruiting. ‘All soldiers must go to companies that fight. And the Platinum Knights don’t fight.’”

Viorel’s hand closed on the reins, Nadia wanting to reach up and pat it, but that was too big a gap to breach. Viorel had served her husband loyally for years, and he knew where the line between general and emperor was. Nadia was under no impression that it was different for her.

She focused on the chosen knights, smiling a little. She remembered how the Platinum Knights had looked when she had visited Pendrago in her youth. Everyone wanted to catch one of them for themselves. They were heroes, great warriors and chivalrous knights. It was everything that they had heard about in stories. And they were down to a few men and a squire.

Nadia shook her head, reaching up to pat Viorel’s horse. “I promise that I will make it right when we return.”

Viorel was silent for a moment, Nadia not daring to look up at him. She was afraid to see his expression because she didn’t know what was worse, the sight of the legendary General Viorel Ardelean crying or the knowledge that he didn’t believe that they would get out of this alive.

She had to keep believing that, because it was what got her through life thus far. She had gotten through the horror of the day that Heldalf had killed her husband by believing that and all the years afterward. It was how she believed that she would get through this. Getting through didn’t mean without pain or mistakes, but it meant that you were alive in the end. And that’s what she intended to do.

Nadia turned her head at the sound of hoofbeats. She squinted down the road, not having to wait long before she saw the red and black banners of the empire. She swallowed and turned away, heading to the back of the carriage. Nadia made sure to make eye contact with the knights in charge of the children as she passed, nodding at them. They nodded back, all of them shifting closer to their horses. All of them looked calm and focused, save for the squire. He had a tight grip on Sorey. Nadia was sure that she saw him shaking.

She sighed and walked up to the squire, resting her hand on his horse’s neck. The boy’s gaze dropped down to her, Nadia watching his mouth move before he nodded at him. “Your majesty.”

“Thank you for your steadfast loyalty and bravery.”

The boy blushed and shook his head. “It’s…it’s nothing.”

“But it is. And I thank you for it.”

Nadia smiled as he puffed out his chest. It was a little enough thing, something to get the boy to calm down, but it didn’t make it any less true. If she had her preference, the boy wouldn’t be involved at all. But the world cared little for her preferences, so she had to make do with what she had.

She came around to the back of the carriage, tucking her hands into her sleeves and seeking out the knife she had hidden there. It wasn’t much, but it would at least get her another weapon. Just what she would do with it she wasn’t sure, but all swords looked heavy enough to bludgeon someone with. Nadia swallowed and focused on looking annoyed, most of her attention on the sound of the group getting closer. She met Jason’s gaze, nodding at him before he ducked under the back of the carriage, her handmaids taking that as the signal to start wringing their hands and looking nervous.

Nadia drifted closer to her women, tipping her head like she was talking to them until Viorel cleared his throat. Only then did she turn like she had just noticed who was coming up the road.

They came in two files behind Leon, Nadia not having to fake her joy at seeing him. She stepped around from the carriage, walking forward in pace with Viorel. As she walked, she noticed the rest of the Platinum Knights mounting up behind Arthur and Josephine. Roman nudged his horse over to the others, striking up a conversation that was probably a bit too loud, but that was on purpose.

Nadia ignored them, smiling up at Leon as he reined in close to the front of the carriage. She looked up at him, trying to compare the way he looked to the Leon she had known. He was leaner now, a little more wane in the face. But there was a set to his shoulders that he hadn’t had before. He looked far more like his father than he had before, and it made her proud in a strange way.

Leon’s gaze flickered to her, Nadia watching his eyes widen. “Mother!”

He pulled his horse up, sliding off of it before it had even stopped. Someone else came forward to claim the reins, but he was already walking away. Leon spread his arms, striding over to hug her.

Nadia leaned into the hug, closing her eyes. She felt some of the weight lifted from her, because Leon was alive. It wasn’t something that she had thought about, but it all came crashing down on her. She squeezed him tightly, feeling Leon gasp with it. There was a jangle of metal and then Leon was pulling away.

He made a vague motion over his shoulder, but he didn’t look away from her. Leon smiled at her, reaching up to adjust the crown that he wore. Leon patted at it for a moment before he left it alone. He sighed, planting his hands on his hips. In that moment, he looked so much like his father that Nadia’s heart ached with it.

As quickly as it appeared it was gone, Leon shaking his head. “When my scouts said that they spotted Platinum Knights, I expected to find the traitor general making a break for it.”

“Heldalf wouldn’t do that.”

“No…he wouldn’t.” Leon hummed for a moment before looking over at the carriage. He frowned when he saw Jason still under the carriage. “Did you run into trouble?”

“Rutted roads.” Nadia shrugged. “My carriage is for slow travel, not galloping through the capital and on the roads.”

Leon hummed, taking a step back as he looked over the carriage. “Running away?”

Nadia bristled a bit at the accusation, but she kept herself calm. She just smiled at her son. “I don’t intend to be in Pendrago when you take the city. I don’t want to be in the way of your army or become a liability.”

That got Leon to laugh, a loud and full sound. “You? A liability? That would never happen, Mother. You’re too tough. In fact, I brought the army in the hopes that we would at least be able to back you up.”

“I’ll leave the revolution to the youth. I just want to take some time to rest. It’s been a difficult few years.”

Leon nodded, reaching out to hold her hand. “I understand, and I’m sorry that we left you behind.”

“No,” she squeezed his hand, “it was more important that the three of you were safe. I have ways of taking care of myself.”

“As you’ve shown me.” Leon let go of her hand, giving the carriage another look. He huffed and motioned towards the carriage. “I have a few people that might be better at dealing with this than Jason. Take their horses and ride to your villa with my escort in addition to the Platinum Knights.”

Nadia looked over at Leon’s escort, counting the soldiers. She frowned when she only counted twenty. It was not a force that she expected to be able to take Pendrago, not unless he planned on sneaking in during the night. She shook her head, taking a step back. “I couldn’t take your escort away from you. You’ll need them to take the city.”

“I’m not taking Pendrago.” Nadia stared at her son, watching as Leon took a deep breath. “I’ve given that command of Konan and Lord Cressen.”

“But…if you’re going to be claiming the throne you need to be there.”

“Taking the city won’t happen instantaneously. I expect Heldalf to try and hold on. But don’t worry, I’ll be there when we’re finally let in. There was something more important that I had to take care of.”

His gaze slid away from her to where the Platinum Knights were waiting with the children.

Nadia bristled, staring at her son. Leon must have felt it because he laughed and shook his head. “You know how this works as well as I do, Mother. I can’t have any of his heirs or people will try to use them. Or they might blame me for their father’s death.”

Nadia shook her head, reaching out to grab Leon’s arm as he went to walk away. “No. That’s not your only option.”

Leon turned to look at her, raising his eyebrow. “Then what’s my other choice?”

“Take them in.” Nadia looked over to the children, her gaze lingering on Arthur and Josephine. They were old enough to know what was happening and she could see it on their faces. It just made her more desperate, because she could remember how their mother had walked back into the palace even though it was very likely that she could be killed.

She swallowed and pushed onward, gently reeling her son in. “You have many old houses that could be revitalized or need an heir to adopt to keep from going extinct. They could go there.”

“And be used against me?”

“Do you think they are anything like their father?” Nadia hissed the words out, watching as Leon recoiled slightly. She didn’t bother to pause, pushing on desperately. “Do you think I would have them with me if they were? Do you think that I would let them be that way? No. But if you don’t trust them then allow them to join the Platinum Knights. They need the numbers and certainly you trust General Ardelean. If not, then they can be raised in the families of your closest allies.”

Leon stared at her, Nadia feeling a burst of relief the longer he remained still.

She knew her son, he wasn’t cruel or quick to anger. He was thoughtful man, just the sort of man she would have wanted for an emperor. His advisors might have told him something different, but Leon was mature enough to make up his own mind. He had helped his father enough to know that there was never one solution to a problem, and sometimes the best solution wasn’t the most obvious one. She had seen that when he was working with Dorann, and she couldn’t think of a better role model.

Leon took a step away from her, crossing his arms over his chest. She watched as he frowned, relieved by the expression. Leon was considering the problem and she was willing to let him. This was important. Twenty men wasn’t a whole army, but Nadia could see lords in the group, and they were bound to remember. The people were too. They would always remember an emperor who killed children.

She took a deep breath, about to step away to give him more room when Leon shook his head. She watched him carefully, Leon giving the carriage one last look before turning to her. The same thoughtful expression was on his face, but it didn’t quite match what he was saying. “I’m sorry, Mother. But I can’t risk it. They’re Heldalf’s, so they can’t be allowed to live.”

“Leon!”

Nadia wasn’t sure what she expected him to do. Maybe there was something left of her little boy to shy away at the sound of his name said in that tone, but he didn’t.

He just turned away and walked back to his men, giving them a lazy wave. Nadia watched the men draw their bows, her stomach twisting as she looked between them and Leon.

This wasn’t what she expected from him. This was something that she expected of a tyrant, of a dictator. Of Heldalf.

She sucked in a deep breath, squaring her shoulders as she stared at Leon’s back. Somewhere along the way she had lost her son, and that stung. Nadia could feel tears pricking at her eyes, but she wouldn’t let them fall. She had other children to take care of now, ones that were more in danger.

Nadia turned on her heel, barely having to do anything before the Platinum Knights were peeling away. She heard Leon shout from behind her, but she didn’t look back at him, she was watching the five riders take off across the field and towards the forest.

“Loose. LOOSE!”

Nadia heard the twang of bowstrings follow the screamed order, the hum of arrows filling the air. A few of them sunk into the ground around the carriage. One hit a horse, Nadia watching as it squealed and rushed forward. The knight riding it twisted to yank it out before leaning over Lani. Nadia went up on her tip toes to watch them, her heart stopping when she heard a scream.

Anton slid from the saddle, dropping limply to the ground.

Nadia rushed forward a few steps, barely getting too far before Jason grabbed her and pulled her aside. In her rush to reach Anton she almost pulled her knife out and stabbed him, but she barely stopped herself in time. She heard Jason suck in a deep breath at the sight of the blade, but he didn’t let her go. He hauled her back to the carriage, holding her there as the three remaining Platinum Knights charged Leon’s soldiers.

It was enough to get the soldiers to stop shooting at the children, but it was a vain attempt. The arrow punched through the light armor that the knights wore.

Feliks went over the rump of his horse, Nadia wincing at the crack of his neck. Roman survived a little bit longer before an arrow caught his horse in the throat and it went down, crushing him. Viorel pushed through into the group of soldiers, his sword flashing as he tried to cut his way through them. Ilya was quick to join him, the man screaming about Anton as he turned to avenge the boy’s death.

Nadia could only watch as the two fought against the other soldiers, shouting when she saw Ilya slump over his horse’s neck, Viorel quick to follow. Their horses snorted and galloped away, the dead bodies flopping limply against their necks.

Jason let go of her then, Nadia taking a few shaking steps towards them before coming to a stop. She stared at the group of soldiers that were reforming into a square, the archers still trying to fire arrows at the fleeing knights, but they were falling short now.

Leon let it continue for a while longer before he shook his head. “Stop. We can’t hit them at this range. Mount up and follow them.”

The archers lunged for their horses, swinging up into their saddles and galloping away. Leon gestured at the rest of the force before turning to look at her.

Nadia had the irrational urge to lash out with her knife but she held herself still. She curled her fingers tightly around the hilt, glaring at her oldest son.

Leon just tipped his chin up slightly, watching her for a moment. Then he swept into a bow, gesturing down the road. “Now that I’ve found you, we’ll make sure that you get to your villa safely.”

“I had an escort.”

“Not anymore. They interfered with the orders of their emperor.” Leon paused before giving her a remorseful look. “I didn’t want to do it, Mother, but I can’t risk your safety or my brothers’. Now, come on, I want to see you safe before I go to avenge Father.”

Nadia opened and shut her mouth, trying to find something to say but words failed her. She turned away from him, staring at Anton’s body sprawled on the ground. She found her words then, all of them coming out broken. “He was five.”

Leon didn’t seem to hear her. He walked up to her, reaching out to touch her arm.

Nadia came back to herself then. She jerked her arm away from him, lifting her chin as she strode away. She thought he heard him mutter something, but Nadia ignored it. She didn’t want Leon’s help, nor did she want his escort. She wanted him to leave, to go back to his army and the people who had stolen her boy from her. He could go back to all of them and take back his city.

She stepped up into the carriage, holding out her hand to her handmaidens even as she talked to her son. “I’ll be fine. My villa is only a few miles up the road. I’m sure you have more important things to do.”

If Leon heard the dismissal in her voice he didn’t comment on it. Nadia just heard him clear his throat before he turned and walked away. She didn’t bother to watch him go, she just slipped into her carriage, waiting for her handmaids to follow her in. Nadia reached out to grab the door, pausing as she watched Leon walk back to his horse.

Her son swung into the saddle and rode past. He didn’t look at her, something that she was grateful for. She wasn’t sure she would be able to sit without shouting at him. The accusations would building in her throat, burning there along with the tears.

Anton had been innocent, not that Leon had bothered to think about that. All he had seen was one of Heldalf’s children and he had reacted the way the general had with them. It didn’t make things better, and it made her worry.

She dropped her hand from the door, dropping her head into her hands. She stayed hunched over long after she heard the sound of the horses passing fade into the distance. Nadia closed her eyes, drawing in a few deep breaths. It was only when she was sure that her voice wouldn’t crack and break that she dared to speak. “Jason?”

“My lady?”

“We need to bring the bodies if we can. They don’t deserve to rot.”

“Of course.”

Nadia felt one of the handmaids touch her leg before the girl slipped out to help Jason. Nadia was surprised by the gesture, but she couldn’t bring herself to look up, not when she felt like she was breaking apart. She had been so sure of herself, so sure that she was right and Anton has paid the price. It wasn’t fair, and it broke her heart.

She bit her lip, holding back any sounds as tears started to drop from her eyes and onto her hands.          

Sergei flinched as his horse snorted, just barely stopping himself from reaching down to quiet it. That would involve letting go of his grip on the reins and Sorey. He swallowed and looked down at the prince. Sorey was still, still enough to make him worry that he had missed an injury.

The archers had caught up with them as they were coming up on the forest. Leon’s archers had the advantage because their horses were only carrying one person, but none of the Platinum Knights had even thought to dump their precious cargo. If anything, they would be the ones to go.

Sergei swallowed hard, tightening his fingers on the reins. His horse snorted and tossed his head, Sergei leaning forward slightly to shush it. Prince Leon and his forces were close. If he held his breath he could hear them in the distance, always inching closer. It meant that they were done with Saava. He had jumped off his horse earlier to give Princess Josephine a better chance at escaping. It hadn’t worked, because they had heard her scream earlier.

He leaned forward to glance at Sorey. The prince was quiet, his hands still tangled in the horse’s mane. Sorey had screamed once when they had just started, but he had gone silent soon afterward. Sergei wasn’t sure if it was a good sign or not, but he would take it. They had beat the archers on the way out, now it was just a matter of being quiet, or so he guessed.

Sergei sat back in the saddle, looking between Rurik and Yevgeni. The two of them were veterans, both of them had lived through the attack on Ladylake. Sergei couldn’t think of anyone better to follow, because he had no idea what he was doing.

He hadn’t been a part of the Platinum Knights when they had marched after Emperor Heldalf into Ladylake, he’d been a year too young. General Ardelean had had another squire then, one who had died in battle.

Sergei shuddered at the thought. He’d never thought that he would die in battle. That was something distant, for when he was done training. He wasn’t sure he wouldn’t be able to finish his training at all. It was likely that they would escape, but it was just as likely that they would all be ridden down.

He swallowed and looked at Rurik, watching the older man. Rurik sat still for a moment before he shook his head. “Well, we can’t stay here.”

Sergei was relieved when Yevgeni nodded. The two of them turned their horses, Sergei waiting for them to go past before dropping in behind them. It was the place that he was used to because he was supposed to be watching and learning.

To his surprise, Yevgeni turned around to look at him, the man sighing. “How’s it going, kid?”

“G-good.”

“Good.” The man nodded at him before jerking his chin. “Keep as close as you can. We don’t know when they are going to charge through the forest.”

Sergei stared at him before shaking his head. “But that would put them at a disadvantage. They only have bows and knives. The trees will get in their way.”

“Just as much as they’ll get in ours. And how do you think hunters catch game?”

“Snares?”

Yevgeni turned around to stare at him before the man laughed. “Yeah, you’re right there. Rurik,” he turned to face forward again, “keep an eye out for snares.”

Sergei heard Rurik curse, but the man didn’t do anything more to respond. Sergei leaned a little further out, stopping when Yevgeni turned to look at him. For a moment, the man looked sad, then he shook his head. “Crash course time, kid. This isn’t the stuff you’d normally be learning, but I don’t think Viorel will mind. This is the stuff that will keep you alive.”

Sergei nodded, tightening his hold on Sorey. The prince seemed content to sit quietly in front of him, which was good. As long as neither Lani nor Sorey started to fuss they would be fine. Then again, he wouldn’t blame them for it.

They had been rushed out of Pendrago and then out of the carriage. They might have been young, but they were old enough to know when people were trying to hurt them. Sergei hoped that he had been able to keep Sorey from seeing the worst of it. He was sure that he had avoided letting Sorey see Prince Anton’s death, but he wasn’t sure that he had managed that with Josephine. It was pretty clear what she had been screaming about as they had been rushing away.

He winced and closed his eyes, sure that his horse would follow the others. He could feel the tears starting to prick at the corner of his eyes. Princess Josephine had always been polite to him. Saava had been teaching him some of the tricks with the sword. Sergei didn’t know what had happened to the others, but he doubted that they would have just stood by after Anton had been killed.

He’s been horrified to hear how Prince Leon had talked about the children, and he knew General Ardelean well enough to know that the man wouldn’t have stood for it.

Sergei opened his eyes at a shout in the distance. He turned to look over his shoulder, hearing Sorey whimper. Sergei turned back to the prince, leaning close to whisper to him. “We’re alright. We’ve got to be quiet and we can sneak away, alright? It’s just like the hiding game. We’ve got to hide and be quiet and they’ve got to try and find us. We’ll win if they don’t find us.”

Sorey turned to look at him, the boy’s eyes wide. But he nodded, which made Sergei sigh. At least Sorey understood that.

He offered Sorey a smile, letting go of the prince briefly to press a finger to his lips. That got something that might have been a smile from the boy, but Sergei was going to take it. It wasn’t a full understanding of the situation, but at least Sorey would help them out instead of hindering them. Sergei adjusted his hold on the prince and looked forward again.

Rurik was leading them deeper into the forest, the man looking like where he was going, which was a relief.

When they had gotten their orders Sergei had been scared because he didn’t know where the summer villa was. He’d never been outside of Pendrago his whole life. The thought that he would be riding around the countryside with people wanting to kill him and the prince was terrifying, because he wouldn’t know where he could stop.

Sergei took a deep breath, muttering a prayer to the seraphim under his breath. He didn’t know if they could hear him, especially when he knew that most of their attention was on the war. He didn’t know if they would consider helping Leon retake his throne, and he didn’t know if he wanted to pray for the prince. A good emperor wouldn’t have ordered children killed.

He bit his lip, looking ahead to where the other two knights were riding. He knew better to ask Rurik or Yevgeni about it. All of the Platinum Knights seemed to take a neutral stance on the morality of emperors. They all said that they were there to serve the empire first and then the emperor, but they always said it quietly, like someone would hear them. Sergei understood why they did that, at least under Emperor Heldalf. Either way, it made their duties complicated. Sergei was sure that they should have been back in Pendrago, trying to keep the people safe as Leon’s army came into the city. Then again, there had only been a handful of them left.

“Damn.” He looked up at Rurik’s voice. The man was reining in, the motion allowing Yevgeni to come up beside him. Sergei was tempted to stay behind, but he was too curious. Besides, it didn’t seem like the time to be hanging back. Sergei shot a look over his shoulder before urging his horse up on the other side of Rurik’s.

The man barely looked at him, his gaze focused on the swath of open fields between them and the next bit of forest. Sergei felt his heart start to pound, only barely able to hear the sound of Rurik’s heavy breathing over the sound.

“Damn.” Rurik repeated himself before sitting back in the saddle. He scanned the open space against before shaking his head. “We’re going to be caught.”

Yevgeni hummed. “We could hug the edge.”

“They’ll catch us.”

Yevgeni  nodded slowly, Sergei feeling his stomach twist. Staying in the forest was their best bet, because then they would at least have the trees for cover. Riding out into the open seemed worse, because there would be no cover then. They would be targets in their red cloaks, but Sergei wasn’t sure if he could risk taking his off. No matter what the emperor said, the people liked the Platinum Knights. The cloak and his badge of office might be the things that saved him and Sorey. Or they might just kill them.

He tugged Sorey closer to him, staring out over the fields. Sergei didn’t know if they could have been farmland, but he found himself wishing that they were. A crop would have provided more cover for them all. But wishful thinking wouldn’t get them anywhere.

He jumped when Rurik patted his shoulder, looking up at the man. Rurik looked him over before pointing at the far end of the field, where the forest just barely covered. “That’s where we want to be. We could cut into the forest,” his finger moved a bit, “but we’ll run into trouble by the river. The only ford is at Caerwent.”

Sergei frowned. “So, our choice is to ride direct or cut through the forest.”

“Yes, and follow the river downstream to get to the village. They can point you out to the villa from there.” Rurik leaned back, in the saddle, passing the reins to Arthur. The prince scrambled at them for a moment before settling back down. Sergei caught a glimpse of the frightened look on the boy’s face, suddenly struck with the thought that they were the same age.

Rurik gave Arthur’s shoulder a pat. “I think it’s best if we split up. They’ll have to split up to keep up with us, which means less that we have to deal with. We’ll meet up in Caerwent.”

He spurred his horse forward, the two of them leaning over to make themselves smaller targets as they raced across the open field.

Sergei watched them go, marking where Rurik was heading for the farthest point of the forest in the more direct line. It was the smart thing to do considering that he had the time.

He threw a nervous look over his shoulder, expecting the archers to come racing out of the forest. He could hear shouts from the forest, but they didn’t sound close enough, which meant that they still had time.

He readjusted his grip on Sorey, gulping down breaths as he stared at the forest. It was a simple enough task. Gallop into the forest, follow the river, get to the village, get to the villa and get Sorey to safety. It was a simple enough plan, but it was still enough to make his palms sweat. It was a lot to rest on his shoulders. He was only a squire. He’d only been in the Platinum Knights for a few years, certainly not long enough to know what he needed to know. Certainly not long enough to be in charge of protecting someone as important as the prince.

“Hey,” he turned his head to look at Yevgeni. The man looked him over before nodding. “Listen to me, kid. This is where it stops being parades and standing pretty. This is war and we’re different in war. All those tricks Saava taught you, use them.”

“But-”

“That’s the number one lesson you have to learn, kid. There’s a time and place for chivalry. It isn’t when you’re staring down an army or a man trying to kill you. It’s for after, it’s for how to treat the people who haven’t trained with swords. You understand?”

Sergei swallowed and nodded. That seemed to satisfy Yevgeni because he settled back in the saddle, pulling Princess Lani tighter against him. “Good. Now, here’s another order for you. Get the prince to his aunt, but you bite, scratch and kick your way out of there too. Get the prince to safety and get yourself home. That’s an order.”

Sergei managed an awkward salute, barely having the time to finish it before Yevgeni slapped his horse’s haunches.

He pitched forward, clutching at the reins and Sorey as the horse galloped towards the forest. Sergei struggled to get himself into position, giving up. The horse was making straight for the forest, taking the shortest route. Sergei was more than happy to let it pick its way, he would only take control when they were in the forest. He could only duck down so low with Sorey in front of him and he didn’t want to leave the boy alone. The prince was only four, certainly not old enough to make it anywhere on his own. That’s what Sergei was there for.

Sergei took a deep breath, gathering the reins in one hand before tugging the horse to get it to go through a gap in the trees. The animal snorted and obeyed, Sergei sighing when it slowed down to a canter. He could handle himself now, at least until he got a feel for the direction. He didn’t want to be galloping blindly until he found the river. The chance was too high that they could end up going in circles.

He looked around the cool, green of the forest before glancing down at Sorey. The boy was stiff, probably from terror. Sergei licked his lips and looked around before leaning forward. “Remember our game? There’s a new part. To win, we have to find your aunt’s villa, but we need to find the river first.”

To his relief, Sorey nodded, some of the tension leaving the boy. He looked from side to side, Sergei more than content to let him. It left him the time to pay attention for the sound of pursuit.

Sergei glanced over his shoulder, seeing nothing but trees. It didn’t make him feel better, it just made him want to get deeper into the forest until no one else could find them. But that wouldn’t be safe, that would be them hiding and lost with no supplies. Everything they needed was at the villa.

He settled low in the saddle, tipping his head to the side as Sorey pointed to their right. Sergei listened hard, smiling as the heard the sound of running water. “Good job. Let’s go find it.”

He nudged the horse over to the right, cutting on and off the game trail. Sergei wasn’t sure if it would mask his trail as well as he thought, but he wasn’t against trying it. The archers were bound to be listening for him over tracking, or he hoped they would. He didn’t think that Prince Leon’s archers would be depending on their tracking skills.

Sergei stood up slightly in the stirrups, looking for the banks over the river. Now that they had turned towards the river he could hear it more clearly. He didn’t want the horse to stumble down into it, they still needed the horse to stay ahead of the archers. Sergei bit his lip, squinting through the trees for a change of light, a dip or the rocks that would mark a stream.

His concentration was interrupted by a scream from somewhere over to his left. Sergei pulled the horse to a stop, staring off in the direction of the sound.

The horse’s breathing sounded far too loud in the forest, as did his own. He was sure that they would find them immediately, but no one came. Sergei looked around, tensing at another scream.

Sorey squirmed in the saddle, letting out a whispered “Arthur” before he slapped a hand over his mouth.

Sergei looked down at him before swallowing. The archers were catching up with them. Rurik had headed for the furthest edge of the forest, which meant that the archers would between them and the city. They’d have to run the gauntlet.

He swallowed and looked back down towards the river. He knew how to swim, so he could let the river carry them down towards Caerwent, although that might not be a viable option. It would be easier if the river was running quickly, or else they would be too big of a target. Sergei strained to hear the river before shaking his head. They were wasting time standing still.

He urged the horse into a gallop again, giving up stealth for speed. The archers were bound to find them if they had found Rurik. They wouldn’t have to go far to find Yevgeni and Princess Lani. Sergei licked his lips and leaned forward, hearing Sorey whimper as the prince curled up against him. Sergei squeezed him reassuringly, but he didn’t dare look down at the prince.

He had promised General Ardelean and Empress Nadia that he would take care of Sorey. And he had promised his comrades that he would get back home. He had to keep his promises because they had lost so many already.

Sergei panted for breath, throwing looks over his shoulders as he heard shouting from behind him. He thought he saw a flicker of red among the trees, Sergei suddenly realizing that he wouldn’t know who was friend of foe. Both the empire and the Platinum Knights wore the red and black of the empire. He wouldn’t know until someone tried to kill the two of them.

He dug his heels into the horse’s side, galloping away from the distant hum of arrows.

Deborah tossed the cloth over the bowl of dough, nodding at it before moving it close to the fire. The bread would be rising for a while, which left her free to continue her to do list. She paused to roll her shoulders, smiling at the slight ache. There was nothing like kneading to work out frustration and center a person. It was almost as good as a nice, quiet morning in the shrinechurch. Almost.

She took a deep breath before turning on her heel. She couldn’t pause for long, not when there was so much to do. There were all of the normal chores to take care of and then things to keep in mind if things changed. There was an army marching after all, and they were dangerously close to Pendrago.

Deborah huffed, reaching back to tug at the strings of her apron. She was used to armies marching, they had been doing that all her life. Her mother and grandmother also remembered soldiers marching to and from Pendrago. Then again, those had always been armies coming home or moving out. Those were soldiers contained. This might not be, all things considering. This was the first time an army set on conquering was coming through. Her mother and grandmother might not have experienced that kind of army, but the wisdom had still been there.

The army would want to forage and burn, which meant that the majority of the supplies had to be brought in and well hidden. Hiding them in the village would spell death for everyone, but there were other clever ways to hide food and supplies. They had dug out a few secret caches around the village, hiding them where no one who hadn’t lived in the village would think to look. Even if one was found there would be plenty of food to go around for the winter.

That’s what was occupying the men at the moment. They were taking everything that could be harvested and moving them through the caches. Deborah had seen a few of the women doing the same earlier, but they were bound by a different problem, they were stuck with cooking times.

She had seen Jessica and Andrea rolling barrels of beer out, and that was only one batch. There would be others, along with all the bread they could manage. Deborah just hoped it would be enough. She couldn’t think of a person who was angrier at the emperor than the former emperor’s son. She hoped that Prince Leon just remembered that the common people hadn’t been the ones to put his father’s killer on the throne. Then again, that wasn’t likely. He was as likely to lash out at the innocent and the guilty alike. All the people of Caerwent had to worry about was taking care of Caerwent.

She stepped out the door, glancing nervously down the road. She saw Andrea rushing for her house, taking the baskets that her daughters were setting outside to load up into the wagon. It would make its rounds to the caches before coming back for the small things again. Deborah didn’t know how many runs that the wagon would make, it depended on when the soldiers marched through.

Deborah shook her head and turned to look the other way down the road. The corner of her mouth twitched as she spotted the top of the summer villa in the distance. She couldn’t see any sign that Empress Nadia was there, nor had she seen the empress come through the town. There was every chance that the empress had gone the long way around, but that didn’t make much sense. If the empress was rushing to get away from the city, it would be better to be safe before her son marched through. Deborah could only hope that the empress got there safe. The empress had always been good to them.

She patted the last of the flour from her hands as she headed towards the back of the house. There was still laundry to pull in, and she wanted that inside so she could add to her mending pile. Once it got dark there would be little else to do but wait and try not to fret. She was sure that it would be a night of story-telling and praying.

Deborah frowned, her fingers working in the air for a moment. Maybe she would invite Old Ben over. The old man had lost his wife the month before and it wasn’t a night to be waiting alone.

She reached out for the laundry on the line, working quickly through the shirts and small clothes. Deborah just nudged the basket along with her foot, letting each piece of clothing drop into it. Every once and a while she would pause and look around, some part of her expecting to hear the sound of marching men or the shouts as the pillaging began. Instead it was quiet, the kind of quiet that she wouldn’t have thought twice about in any other circumstances.

Deborah shook her head, focusing back on her laundry. She dropped another few shirts into the basket before looking up gain.

She froze as she saw the two figures limping towards them from the direction of the river. Deborah stared at the red cloak that one of them was wearing, tensing up. The soldiers of the empire wore red.

Deborah reached up for the next shirt, gathering it in her hands. She could throw it into the soldier’s face to buy herself a few more seconds of time which would be vital. It would be enough time for her to scream some sort of warning.

She took a deep breath, holding it when the soldier got closer. She had known that soldiers were getting younger, it was what happened when a war had been going on for generations. All of the younger men who could fight were gone, leaving only men too old or men too injured to fight. But this one was as old as her nephew, Geoffrey, and she couldn’t imagine anyone making a soldier of a boy so young. If anything he would just be on the drums for the march or to care for equipment. On his back was a younger boy, both of them splattered with blood.

Deborah dropped the shirt in the basket and ran towards them. She watched at the boy lifted his head. He stumbled to a stop, swaying in place. It seemed to take him a moment to speak, the boy taking a few deep breaths, all of them coming out as a wheeze. For a moment, Deborah was worried that the blood was theirs.

Then the boy seemed to find his words. He licked his lips and took a stumbling step forward. “Help us. Please. They want to kill us.”

“Who?”

“The soldiers.”

Deborah frowned, looking the boy over. There was every chance that the kid was a deserter, and she wouldn’t turn him in for that.

She studied the boy’s clothes, her eyes widening as she recognized the differences. It was hard to live so close to Pendrago and the summer villa without seeing them as they escorted the royal family back and forth, but she thought that they were all gone. The news had come in after the heralds had ridden through the land declaring that General Heldalf had taken Ladylake and that Hyland was theirs. The Platinum Knights had been on the list that had been read out of the dead.

Deborah took another few steps forward, reaching out to help support the knight. He smiled at her before hitching the boy further up his back. Deborah took the chance to look between the two of them.

They didn’t look like they were related. From far away their similar hair color had thrown her off, but up close she could see their faces were different shapes, although it was hard to tell because of the blood smeared on the knight’s face. A wound on his temple was still bleeding sluggishly, Deborah just keeping herself from reaching out and touching it. The two boys needed some cleaning up, but the panicked look on their faces meant that she didn’t have the time to do it. The knight especially kept looking over his shoulder like he expected to come after them.

After another one of these desperate looks the knight focused on her again, his voice cracking as he spoke. “Please, I don’t think I can run much further. And they shot our horse…”

“Where?”

The knight jerked his head back over his shoulder. “Towards the rapids in the river.”

Deborah stared at him, her mouth dropping over. That was a way to run, especially with mounted men after them.

She glanced over her shoulder, almost expecting to see the rest of Caerwent gathering behind her. The yard and the street was empty, which was a relief. They still had their own group of soldiers to worry about.

She sighed and looked back at the two of them. She knew what the rest of the village would say. They would be cautious of two people who had run to the village saying that people were trying to kill them. The village would want them out because they had their own troubles to deal with. The only problem was that these were kids, and she couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to be trying to kill them. If they were deserters than her heart went out to them. The two of them were so young, and obviously exhausted and she couldn’t turn them away. It was a day that no one should be out on their own.

Deborah glanced around before reaching out to grab the knight’s wrist. She saw him jump, but she ignored it, it was more important to get them moving. “How far do you think you are from them?”

“I…I don’t know.”

There was an obvious quiver in his voice, Deborah shaking her head. He was too young to be dealing with this kind of thing. He should be working an apprenticeship, not worrying about getting killed.

She nodded, the motion more for herself than for the two of them. She threw a quick glance over at the forest before focusing on the pig shed at the back of their lot. Deborah could hear the pigs rooting around in there, glad for the noise. It would be enough to cover any sound that the boys made and the smell would probably be enough to keep the soldiers away. If anything, the soldiers would occupy themselves with stealing the two hogs who had been purposefully left there. All the other livestock had been taken to another hideaway, but these two pigs were too lame to go anywhere. They would miss the meat come winter, but it was a small sacrifice to make.

Deborah pulled them around the side of the shed, giving the area another glance before tugging them to the back of the shed.

She let go of the knight to pull aside a few pieces of wood that were seasoning against the stone pile at the back of the shed. Deborah placed them carefully on the ground before ducking into the pile to pull the trap door open. The little cellar under the shed was probably from when the house had been further back on the lot. It had been considered for one of their caches but it was too close to the village to be really secure. But it was close enough to the house to take care of the two of the boys.

Deborah backed out of the space, turning around the gesture at the two boys. “In here. It won’t smell too pleasant, but you’ll be safe. The pigs will drown you out.” When neither of them moved she stepped closer and carefully took the younger boy from the knight’s back. She tucked him against her hip, absently rubbing his back as she kept talking. “There’s a wall that runs under the pig shed, but you can take away some of the boards to hide more directly under the shed. Stay back there with the boards up unless someone knocks six times directly on that panel. I’ll be bringing you blankets and food for the night, and something to clean up that blood.”

She paused to look them over, shaking her head. The two of them were far too well dressed to make it wherever they were going without someone recognizing them. Unless they were lucky and the pursuers gave up after the night, they would be spotted immediately. Deborah hummed to herself before nodding. “And maybe some new clothes.”

“No!” She was surprised by the immediate response, watching as the knight clutched his cloak close to himself. He held it for a moment before blushing and ducking his head. “My apologies, but I need to look like a Platinum Knight. It’s the only way that I’ll be allowed in.”

Deborah raised an eyebrow, tempted to ask where he was trying to get in to. She looked back over at the child in her arms, watching as he drooped against her shoulder. He was dressed in fine clothes, far better than any of the wealthier families in the area. If anything, they were the clothes that she expected from a noble. She was tempted to rub it between her fingers to test it, but she didn’t think she would be allowed much more. The child in her arms was shaking now, his eyes fixed on a distant point. The knight looked like he was about to collapse, but he was still throwing nervous glanced at the woods. With the way that the two of them were, it was better to ask less questions, at least for now.

“Alright.” She gave in with a nod. “Food, water and something to clean you guys up.”

The knight relaxed at that, finally nodding. “Thank you…”

“Deborah.” She paused, looking between the two. They were still wary of her, and it was probably warranted. Because of that she almost didn’t want to push. Maybe it would keep her safe when the two of them left. But they were just children, they couldn’t be that much trouble. “And you two are?”

As she expected the knight froze up, he looked between her and the child in her arms. His silence went on long enough for Deborah to be sure that he wouldn’t tell her, but then the child in her arms spoke up in barely a whisper. “Sorey.”

Deborah looked down at him, giving him a smile. “Like the prince?”

Sorey nodded, his eyes starting to fall shut. She hitched him up higher against her hip. “That’s a lovely name.”

Deborah wasn’t sure that Sorey heard her, which made her worry. The boy was probably suffering from some kind of shock, which meant that he would be in need of food and water soon. She looked over at his companion, watching as the knight slumped. “Sergei.”

She smiled at him before nodding towards the cellar. “Go on in and get yourself settled. I’ll bring you things as soon as I can. Six knocks, remember.”

Sergei gave her something that might have been a salute, but he remembered himself halfway through the motion. Instead he gave her a weary smile before climbing down through the trapdoor. Deborah waited until he was standing at the bottom before crouching down and handing Sorey down to him. The knight took him gently, setting the child on the floor. Deborah waited until they had started to crawl down the cellar before shutting the door.

She scooted back, reaching for the wood so she could rest it against the rocks. Deborah patted the planks, staring at the space before turning on her heel. She wanted to have things ready as quickly as she could because there was no telling when the people following them would come through. She didn’t want to keep the boys waiting too long, not when it was obvious that they needed the food.

Deborah grabbed her skirts, hiking them up just enough so that she could move fast. She glanced back at the forest as she crossed the lot, searching for any signs of pursuit. She couldn’t see anyone, which meant that she still had time. Deborah pressed her lips together and ran back into her house, already starting a list of the things that she would take out to them.

Sergei lowered the piece of bread from his mouth at the sound of voices. They could just barely be heard over the sounds of the pigs, but Sergei had been straining to hear every sound. He swallowed and rose from his seated position to a crouch. From there he could press his ear against the boards above his head, listening past the click of the pigs’ hooves to the rough sound of human voices. He thought he could hear Deborah’s voice with them, his heart pounding at the thought.

The woman had been so kind to them, and he’d been too tired to consider too many consequences. He had just thought about if she would be a threat to them, not what they would be to her. Of course the archers would follow them into Caerwent, which would put everyone in danger.

He curled his fingers around his sword, taking shallow breaths as he tried to figure out what they were saying. He didn’t know what he would do, but he knew the rules of their order. The Platinum Knights had been created to serve the people, and Deborah was one of them. He would rush out there and try to fight the others away. If he got killed then…

Sergei swallowed and sat down hard. If he died then he would be disobeying orders. He had no doubt that Deborah would take good care of Sorey until Empress Nadia or Empress Selene came to get him. Or she would take care of him for the rest of her life, it wouldn’t be a bad thing. But he wouldn’t get to go back home. He wouldn’t see his parents or his brother again.

He sniffled, reaching up to rub at his eyes with his sleeve. He had thought that he could be brave, like General Ardelean and Yevegeni had thought he would be. But he had cried when their horse had died, because it had been in pain and screaming and he’d been too useless to put it out of its misery. He’d been crying when the arrow has nicked the side of his face, because it had hurt more than it had expected. It had hurt so much that he’d thought he was dying, and there had been so much blood. It had gotten all over his uniform and all over Sorey.

Sergei bit his lip, curling into himself as he tried to keep quiet. All of the Platinum Knights were gone, he was the last one left.

He was scared. He couldn’t do this on his own, he didn’t know what he was supposed to do. He had been taught to act, but his orders contradicted that. But he was too frightened to do either. He was a Platinum Knight, but he was hiding in a cellar too afraid to move.

He pressed his sleeve against his eyes, taking a few deep breaths. He hated that he felt relieved as he voices headed away. He hated that he had sat in a cellar and done nothing when people had needed him. He hated all of it.

Sergei looked up at the ceiling, sure that he heard one less pig above them. He turned his head from side to side before giving up. He should just be happy that they had decided that a pig was an acceptable trade off.

He sniffled and looked down at the basket that Deborah had brought in with them. His piece of half eaten bread was still there, but he suddenly wasn’t hungry. Cowards didn’t deserve to eat.

Sergei pushed the basket over. “You eat it.”

He immediately felt guilty for not using Sorey’s title. Sergei swallowed and turned to apologize, but Sorey wasn’t paying attention to him. The prince was staring up at the ceiling of the cellar with wide eyes. Sergei would have thought that he was just listening like he was, except that Sorey didn’t look right.

Sergei reached over, resting his hand on Sorey’s shoulder. The prince didn’t flinch or look back at him. Sergei didn’t even think Sorey knew he was there at all.

He shook Sorey’s shoulder, trying again harder when the prince didn’t respond. Sorey’s gaze dropped to him, but he still had the distant look on his face. It frightened him, Sergei leaning back. His fingers twitched on the hilt of his sword, Sergei holding himself in place. This was his prince, a little boy of four. There was nothing to be frightened of when it came to Sorey.

Sergei dropped his hold on his sword, reaching out to pull Sorey into his lap. The prince was stiff in his arms. Sergei shook him gently, hoping for some kind of reaction, but there was just nothing.

“Sorey? Prince Sorey?”

Sorey turned to look at him, but his expression was still blank. Sergei stared at him for a moment before pulling Sorey close and holding him tightly. He waited for Sorey to protest, but the prince sat quietly in his lap. Sergei curled around him, rocking the two of them. He could feel the tears coming again, but he held them back. He had to be better than he was, he had to be able to protect Sorey.

Sergei didn’t know how long they sat in the semi darkness before there was a knock on the boards. He jerked his head up, staring at the section that he had removed earlier to get into this portion.

The knock was followed by five others in quick succession.

Sergei breathed out as soon as they were done. He gently set Sorey on the floor before crawling over to the wood. Sergei reached out, pulling them back with one hand while the other drifted back towards his sword. It was the signal, but he wasn’t about to trust it immediately.

He ignored the way his hands shook when he saw Deborah’s face on the other side of the wall. Sergei pulled the rest of the boards away, waiting until the woman had moved herself, the baskets and a bucket of water into the cellar. Sergei set to work pushing the boards back into place, listening as Deborah talked.

“I’m sorry they came over, but I didn’t dare forbid them from looking anywhere. But they didn’t suspect a thing. They gave me a description of the two of you and said that it was something important to Prince Leon and the empress.”

Sergei turned back to look at her, meeting Deborah’s gaze. He expected her to ask something of them or turn them away. It had been alright when they were just a knight and a kid, but a Platinum Knight and a prince would be too much of a liability.

Deborah held his gaze for a moment before shrugging. “I said that I had seen nothing and that I had more important things to do with an army coming our way. They seemed satisfied with that.”

“Where did they go?”

Deborah gestured to one of the cellar walls. “Down the road. I think they assume that you skipped past us, or that you’ll come limping through. I suggest you don’t go that way.” Deborah busied herself with the blankets that she had brought, spreading them out on the floor. “They weren’t too convincing that they wanted to find the two of you for your own safety. Some of their knives still had blood on them.”

Sergei shivered, dropping his hands into his lap. “Thank you. It must have been a big risk.”

“For two children who came stumbling out of the woods, bloody and needing help? It’s what had to be done.” She stopped to ruffle Sorey’s hair. Sorey didn’t respond, he just kept staring at the ceiling.

Deborah leaned over to kiss his forehead. “Poor little lad.”

She tucked a blanket around Sorey before scooting over to him. Sergei leaned back, watching as Deborah dipped a cloth into the bucket of water. She held the cloth before making a motion.

Sergei hesitated before scooting forward, Deborah gently taking his chin. She tipped her head to the side before dabbing at the wound on the side of his face. He winced at the sting from the hot water, but he didn’t move beyond that.

Deborah worked in silence for a moment before she sighed. “Well, thankfully it’s not that deep, but head wounds bleed a lot.” She paused to rinse the cloth off before coming back to keep cleaning. “You are very brave.”

Sergei blushed and looked over at where Sorey was still staring. “I’m really not.”

Deborah huffed. “I can’t think of any other boy I know that would have done what you did. They would have sat and cried where they were shot at, and for good reason. It’s a frightening thing. But you just grabbed Sorey and kept running.”

“I ran because I was scared.”

“And is that a bad thing.”

“A knight is supposed to be brave.”

“There’s no reason you can’t be brave and scared, as far as I’m concerned they’re not mutually exclusive.” Deborah scrubbed at a patch of dried blood at his cheek before tipping his head a bit. Sergei watched her out of the corner of his eye, surprised when she nodded. “Good. It’s just a scratch.”

She turned to wring out the cloth before draping it over the bucket. “You’ll be ready to travel when you two feel up to it. Just let me know so I don’t worry that someone came and stole the two of you away in the night.” She twisted to point at the other baskets. “There are more blankets and some supplies for the road for when you need them. I’ll check in on you two in the morning. Hopefully the two of you can come out and get some proper baths before you go on the road again.”

“Thank you.” Sergei moved back over to Sorey, pulling the prince back into his lap. To his relief, Sorey slumped into him, the prince tilting his head to look up at him.

“Sergei?” Sorey reached up to pat at his cheeks, Sorey frowning. “You were crying…because of me?”

Sergei shook his head quickly. He didn’t want to admit that any of this was Sorey’s fault. From there, it would be too easy for Sorey to think that what happened at the carriage and to his half-brothers and sisters was his fault too.

He hugged Sorey close. “No. Of course not.”

Sorey studied him for a moment before nodding and cuddling close. “When are we going home?”

“As soon as we’re safe.”

Sorey didn’t seem to like that answer by the way that he shifted, but he didn’t argue back. Sergei sighed and looked back over at Deborah.

The woman looked between the two of them before looking down at the food. She laughed and scooted closer. “You two haven’t eaten much. You must have been distracted by those men.”

Sorey was the one to nod and reach forward to grab a piece of bread. He paused halfway through the motion to look up at her. “Would you like to eat with us?”

Sergei looked up at Deborah, watching as the woman smiled and settled down. She tucked her skirts around her legs, leaning forward so she could talk to Sorey. “Thank you. You’re very kind.”

Sorey wiggled out of Sergei’s lap to pick from the basket, Sergei watching him with a smile. It was his first time being so close to any of the royal family. He had mostly been kept in training, but he’d heard enough about them. Still, hearing and seeing were two separate things. Watching Sorey serve a peasant woman dinner convinced him that there was no need to worry about Sorey being like his father. There was no way that Sorey could ever be like Heldalf. If Prince Leon couldn’t see that, then he was wrong or listening to the wrong advice.

Sergei scooted closer, finding himself smiling back at Sorey as the prince turned to look at him. Sorey passed him an apple and a piece of cheese, Sergei accepted them. He didn’t eat them immediately, instead watching the bizarre dinner party that had started. It should have felt out of place considering the circumstances of how they had gotten there, but it felt warm and welcoming. Sergei sighed and moved closer to the group, finally relaxing enough to feel safe.

Nadia looked down at the covered bodies in front of her, not bothering to count them. The number would be right, she knew it. Leon wouldn’t have bothered to bring them back to her with an apology for his behavior otherwise. It was probably for the best that her son hadn’t lingered, because she didn’t know what she would have done to him.

There was no excuse for what he had done, none that she could think of. There was never an excuse for murdering children.

She turned away, taking a deep breath. They would be taken back when she returned to Pendrago. The city was bound to be a mess and she was in no hurry to rush home. Although, maybe this was Leon’s way of trying to convince her to return. She would have to make sure that the bodies were buried, and all Platinum Knights were buried in their own ancient mausoleum. They had died for her, and it was up for her to make sure they were taken to their final resting place. The others…she would have to tell Kara.

Nadia pressed her hands against her mouth, closing her eyes. The children had been innocent, any worries were something imagined from the minds of Leon’s advisors. Arthur had wanted to be a Platinum Knight, and they would have been loyal to Leon, not that there were any more left. He had killed them too. Apparently, it was enough to just have lived in Pendrago while Heldalf was emperor. What they had doing during the time didn’t matter. It was enough to make her worry for the people of the city.

She swallowed, curling in on herself. It was tempting to stay away, to just send the bodies back. Everyone knew where they should go, and that would leave her free. She could just stay in the summer villa and away from Pendrago. Leon would be busy trying to put the empire back together, and he would have his advisors to help him. She could remain in her villa with her memories and all the projects she had been putting aside for years. In the future, if Leon ever needed the villa, she could go to another house that Doran had given her, and she could tuck herself away.

Nadia winced even as she thought it. She wouldn’t be able to do that, not with Leon the way that he was. His advisors were steering him wrong and Nadia was not about to sit back and let him self-destruct. For all of his recent acts, he was her son, which made her the only person who could keep him from doing something like this again. The people of the empire wouldn’t look kindly on the murder of children. Besides, it would be the only way that she could be sure that the children were buried properly.

Their father might not have been the rightful emperor, but they had been family.

Nadia took a deep breath, looking back at the covered bodies. Leon hadn’t forbidden her to go back to Pendrago, and she didn’t intend to languish in the countryside until Leon forgot about her.

She turned on her heel, looking back at where Elaine’s husband stood behind her. The man didn’t look at her, his gaze fixed on the bodies that were laid out in the stable yard.

Nadia let him look, because she wanted him to remember. There was something in her that wanted to parade the bodies in front of the whole city so they would see what had happened. She wouldn’t cross the line to make the people turn against Leon, but it would be a clear lesson. This was not something an emperor intent on keeping their throne did.

She cleared her throat, watching as the man snapped to attention. She caught a quick whiff of his scent, something between angry and frightened, and she couldn’t blame him for that. His wife and daughter were in the villa, and Leon had sent a clear message with the bodies. Still, Nadia had no intention of letting him waver for long. “We’ll be taking them back with us for proper burial.”

“Of course, your majesty.” The man hesitated for a moment before meeting her gaze briefly. “When will we be returning?”

Nadia pressed her lips together. It would be best if they got the bodies back to Pendrago as quickly as possible. She wanted to give Kara the chance to say goodbye to her children before they started to rot, but they also needed the time for the bodies to be cleaned. And there was Sorey and Viorel’s squire to consider. They hadn’t been among the bodies that had been brought to her, which meant that they were still alive. She had ordered the Platinum Knights to find her at the villa, so that it where they would go. She was tempted to leave a few of the guards that she had brought out with her behind to wait for the two of them, but she wasn’t too sure about how smart that would be. Leon’s advisors could be trying to move against her as well. Nadia doubted that all of them were doing this for the greater good of the empire.

She looked up at Elaine’s husband before shaking her head. “I don’t know. We’ll take each day as it comes. Check the wagon and then bring them inside. We should clean them up before sending them home.”

The man saluted her before rushing off. There were a few other guards that could help him out, and Nadia was sure that Elaine would join them as soon as their child was down for their nap.

Nadia looked down at her dress, shaking out her skirts. It was an old enough dress, not that she had ever tended towards anything too fine. Most of her best dresses were still back in the capital, which meant she had the plainer or the older of her dresses. Then again, a single dress didn’t seem like much of a sacrifice compared to what the others had done.

She looked around the stable yard before turning on her heel. She would help Elaine gather the supplies they needed and make a start before her former lady-in-waiting joined her.

She came around from the side of the villa, so intent on her mission that she missed the guard calling out to her the first time. It took the sound of him rushing over to her to get her to turn.

“Your majesty!”

Nadia looked at him, watching as the guard stumbled to a stop. He tried to speak while he gasped for breath. After a moment he gave up and pointed back over his shoulder towards the gate. “A knight. Platinum Knight.”

She didn’t give him the time to say anything else. Nadia hiked up her skirts and took off for the gate at the run. She could hear the guard wheezing somewhere behind her, but she pushed the sound out of her mind. Her gaze was focused on the gate and the figure in red that was stumbling through it.

Nadia opened her mouth to shout for them, Sorey’s name dying in her throat as she watched them continue to walk towards her. She would have expected them to rush or be completely exhausted, but they seemed to be a strange place in the middle. Both of them were dirty and she thought she saw some dried blood on the squire’s clothes, neither of them looked harmed, even if Sorey was on Sergei’s back. That was all that mattered, that both of them were safe.

She slowed down just enough so that she wouldn’t plow into them. Nadia couldn’t stop herself from reaching out as Sorey reached out for her. She plucked him from the squire’s back, spinning him around as Sorey squealed her name.

She pulled him close, peppering his face with kisses. It was reassuring to hear Sorey giggling, his fingers curling around the collar of her dress like he was trying to hold her tight as well. Nadia was more than happy to let him do it, because Sorey was alive and whole. One of them had made it out of the horror alive and no worse for the wear.

Nadia smiled and rested her forehead against Sorey’s. She heard him sigh, watching as his eyes started to close. Sorey was probably exhausted, and it was no wonder. The seraphim only knew what the two of them had done to escape. Nadia swallowed, tightening her hold on Sorey for a moment before tucking him against her shoulder.

She looked at the squire, watching as he swayed on his feet. The poor boy must have been exhausted. The last time she had seen him, he had been on horseback. He must have ridden the horse to death or it had gotten shot out from under them. And the squire had kept going, carrying Sorey on his back until they had gotten to safety. And he was just a boy himself.

Nadia looked him up and down before stepping towards him. The boy startled backwards, Nadia shaking her head when he went to bow to her. “There’s no need.”

“Your majesty?”

“I owe you more than I can say. You put yourself in danger and kept him safe.” Nadia tipped her head to the side and rested her head against Sorey’s. “I can’t thank you enough for that. There…there’s nothing I have that I can give you for that.”

The boy blushed and ducked his head. “You don’t have to, your majesty.”

Nadia frowned, her gaze darting over to the scab on the right side of his head. It looked fresh, at least a few days old. Nadia pressed her lips together, her fingers curling in Sorey’s shirt. “I do.”

She took a deep breath, looking the boy up and down. She owed him the truth of the matter, especially since she was the cause of it. “I owe you a lot. As it stands, you are the last Platinum Knight.”

The boy’s eyes widened, Nadia seeing him shake. She desperately wanted to grab him and pull him close, but that would be crossing a line. It was better to maintain their boundaries, because it would give him something to lean on. Nadia looked him up and down before nodding. She wasn’t going to just turn the boy away, not after what he had done. He would have nowhere to go because he was a little old for finding a new apprenticeship and everyone would wonder why he was spared out of all of the Platinum Knights. That was the sort of thing that would follow him around all of his life. Besides, Sorey would need someone to watch over him now that Leon had showed his hand.

Out of all of her sons, Leon was the most tractable, which meant that they were in trouble if this was the way that he was behaving. She and Sorey both would need someone to watch their backs, and Nadia only had a few guards to watch over them. Besides, it would be a shame if the Platinum Knights died out completely.

She eyed him, hesitating because he was so young, but there wasn’t much she could do about that. They would have to start somewhere.

Nadia set Sorey on the ground, not caring that he immediately grabbed onto her skirt. She stepped forward, holding out a hand. “Your sword.”

The boy stared at her with wide eyes, but he followed her order without question. He pulled the sword out and presented it to her with the hilt out.

Nadia close her fingers around it, lifting it slightly. “Kneel.”

The boy dropped to his knees, his head dropping too. Nadia looked at him for a moment before resting the flat of the blade on his shoulder. “Your name?”

“S-sergei Strelka.”

“Sergei Strelka, for your bravery, loyalty and the favors you have done for the royal family I knight you. May you continue to serve the empire as loyally and bravely for the rest of your days.” Nadia hesitated for a moment before resting the tip of the sword on the ground. She looked at the boy before clearing her throat, feeling guilty even as she spoke. “To you I also grant the title of General of the Platinum Knights and I assign you the task of finishing your training and returning the Platinum Knights to their former glory for the protection of the people of the empire.”

Sergei looked up at her with his mouth open. Nadia waited for him to gather himself, watching as Sergei slumped slightly. “I…I don’t know how to thank you.”

“Don’t.” She passed his sword back to him, waiting for Sergei to take it before continuing. “You saved Sorey, and there’s nothing that I can give you that will match that. This is all I have to give you.”

“It’s more than enough.”

She looked at him, struck again by how young he was. Sergei looked like he was being handed everything he wanted. Nadia was sure that it was more likely to be a burden. She reached back to rest her hand on Sorey’s head, running her fingers through his hair. She stroked the curls there before nudging Sorey towards the villa. “Come on. It looks like you need a bath.”

It was a measure of how tired Sorey was that he didn’t argue. He turned and stumbled towards the villa. Nadia followed after him for a few steps before turning to look at where Sergei was still staring at his sword. “General Strelka?”

The title seemed to startle Sergei out of his thoughts. He looked over at her and bowed before hurrying after them. Nadia watched him go past, smiling when Sorey immediately reached out for Sergei’s hand. Sergei took it, the two of them walking off towards the villa.

Nadia smiled at the picture of the two of them, some part of her relaxing. Sorey was well protected, and he would remain that way. She was going to make sure of that.

Nadia stroked Sorey’s hair as the carriage rocked down the road. She swayed with the motion, absently watching the countryside roll by. It wasn’t the countryside she recognized.

The attack on the city had left its mark on the fields around the city. They had turned into fields of mud, and Nadia was sure that anything that had been planted was ruined now. They would struggle in the upcoming seasons, and she didn’t think that Leon had considered it. It was another thing to add to her long list in the hopes that her son would listen to her now. She hoped he would, because this was important for his safety, and for theirs.

She sighed and shook her head, looking back over at Sergei. The knight was sitting stiffly in the seat opposite her, his gaze fixed out the window. Nadia didn’t know what he was looking for, but she didn’t want to ask him.

He’d been quiet all morning from the time they had started loading up the bodies in the cart. Nadia couldn’t blame him for it, not when the full weight of his responsibility of his duties were probably falling on him. He would have to preside over the funerals of his comrades and then take on all the duties of the Platinum Knights. They would be very reduced, but it was a weight that the boy didn’t need.

Nadia shifted in place. To take it all back would be dishonorable and would hurt him. Being a Platinum Knight was better than just being a body guard. Even still, Nadia was sure that the Platinum Knights were needed and Viorel had thought highly enough of Sergei to trust him with a prince, so she trusted him as well.

She rested her hand on Sorey’s head, feeling him shift in her lap. Sorey had slept most of the way to Pendrago, which was enough to make her wonder just what he’d been through. He’d been subdued and tired since he had gotten to the villa, which could just be because of what had happened to him or because he was missing his mother. Either was very likely.

Nadia dropped her hand to Sorey’s shoulder, tempted to shake him awake. If she didn’t the rattle of the carriage on the cobblestones would. Then again, if he was asleep there might be a better chance that Leon would let them through. It was still too soon for her to know how Leon was handling things and she had been away for too long. Then again, if Sorey was awake she would feel better.

She gently shook Sorey’s shoulder, watching as Sorey lifted his head. He looked blearily around, staring at her for a long moment before he seemed to recognize her. Sorey smiled at her and sat up, immediately snuggling into her side. “We almost home?”

“Almost.” She glanced over at Sergei, watching as he frowned and reached for his sword. Nadia wanted to tell him to calm down, but she didn’t dare question his judgement. He was the general of the Platinum Knights now, they needed to work together now.

Nadia leaned forward on the bench, catching Sergei’s gaze. “What do you think about this?”

Sergei winced and looked away. “I…I don’t like this. We’re just being allowed back in.”

“Why wouldn’t we be?”

“The pr-Emperor,” Sergei took a deep breath after he corrected himself, “didn’t seem too happy to see us the first time. And he won’t be happy that we’re bringing the others back.”

Nadia nodded, because Sergei was right. Leon wouldn’t be, and that was the point that she wanted to make. Still, it was something that could wait until she was surer of their position. If things looked bad, then they would only stay long enough to bury the dead and then go back to the villa. She would reevaluate the problem from there. It was less than ideal, but she wasn’t willing to risk Sorey. Leon couldn’t protest a burial, not unless he wanted to get on the bad side of the church.

She stayed silent for a while before looking down at where Sorey looked like he was falling asleep again. Nadia jostled his lightly, watching as Sorey blinked awake again. She looked back at Sergei as he started talking again, the knight looking out of the window.

“I’m scared of what he’ll do.”

Nadia nodded slowly. Her first reaction was to defend her son, but she couldn’t deny Sergei’s fear, not after what Leon had done. Besides, Sergei had every right to be scared. He was a child and she’d put so much on him. It didn’t matter that she’d stipulated a delay in his duties, he seemed serious enough to be thinking to the future.

She shifted on the bench, considering him for a moment before nodding. “Advise me then.”

Sergei startled, his eyes going wide. “Your majesty?”

Nadia settled back on the bench, giving him a long look. “It’s a bad ruler who does not listen to advice. You’ve seen Leon acting while I have a bias. I’m his mother, so I do assume the best of him. What do you think?”

Sergei licked his lips, looking like a startled deer. To his credit, he did recover quickly. He gave her a slow nod before turning his attention to the window. “I…I don’t know what I think really. It’s just that…he ordered children killed. How does that make him better?”

“It doesn’t.” Nadia looked down at Sorey. “But they could be a threat to him.”

“Still…everything you heard about him was about how he was better than Emperor Heldalf. I don’t see much of a difference right now.”

Nadia nodded, curling her fingers into Sorey’s shirt. “Just make sure you don’t let that opinion be known.”

Sergei shook his head, turning his attention to the window. “I just think that we should be careful and be ready for anything. He surprised us on the road. I don’t think anyone expected him to react the way he did. We might need more guards.”

That was good advice, and something that made Nadia want to look back over her shoulder. She had brought a few that had stayed at the villa, but probably not enough. The royal guard would watch after the emperor and the army, as it was, would be behind Leon. Her only recourse was to pull from the malcontents, but that could be dangerous as well and there was no telling how their loyalty would sway. There were a few other things that she could look into, but that would take time.

It was enough to make her regret bringing Sorey and Sergei back with her. If she hadn’t been so afraid to leave Sorey behind they might have been safer.

She sighed and leaned back. Perhaps she could forgive herself for her follies, especially knowing that Selene and Kara would be waiting. Bringing one child back wouldn’t help the news of the others, but it was better than nothing.

Nadia rubbed her forehead, pausing in the motion when she saw Sergei tense across from her. She raised her head, watching as Sergei leaned forward to look out the window. He stared, his mouth dropping open.

Nadia scooted closer to the window, joining him in looking out.

The walls of Pendrago rose above them, the usual banners fluttering above it. The only thing that showed that something had happened where the broken ground and scorch marks from where the seraphic weapons had been used. Nadia dragged her gaze up the wall, her heart skipping a beat when she saw the three bodies hanging from the wall. She didn’t need the signs to know who they were.

Nadia stared up at the familiar face of her niece, Selene’s face bloated by the heat and pale in death. Kara and Heldalf were strung up beside her, but Nadia barely noticed them. She couldn’t look away from Selene.

She was as innocent as the children had been, there was no call to kill her. In fact, Selene would have ordered the gates opened as soon as the army had marched on the city. But Leon had killed her anyway. Leon or Konan. It was nothing she had expected from either of them, and it made her want to storm into whatever room they were in and shout at them. It wouldn’t chance anything, but it would help her anger and grief.

A small gasp pulled her attention away, Nadia turning to look down at where Sorey was staring at the body of his mother. His eyes were wide and his mouth was open, and there was no question that he recognized who it was.

Nadia twisted and clapped her hand over Sorey’s eyes, but it was a useless effort. Her heart pounded as she stared at the boy. It was too late. He’d seen it, and that was the last thing she wanted. All she wanted was for Sorey to be able to go home and forget about his traumatic escape. There was no forgetting something like this, or anything else.

She sat back, pulling Sorey into her lap. The boy went without a struggle, Sorey curling into her. Nadia rubbed Sorey’s back with her free hand, not daring to lift her hand from her eyes.

She looked back at Sergei, not bothering to wait for Sergei to turn around. “I’m going to order a guard around Sorey. Write a letter to your family to tell them you’re alright, but I want you to stay close to Sorey at all times.”

“Y-yes.” Sergei jerked his gaze away, sitting back hard. He was breathing fast as he stared at her.

He was frightened and Nadia hated it.

She hugged Sorey more tightly against her, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. She wasn’t going to allow either of them to be taken like that, not for Leon’s empire.

They’d already lived through an emperor like that and Nadia was not about to let the empire suffer again.

Sergei looked up at the sound of someone shuffling around. He scanned over the front room of the suite, picking out the shapes of the other people with him.

The guards that the empress had brought with her were outside the rooms, standing guard against anything that Leon would want to do. Just thinking about everything that could happen made him shiver. Every once and a while he was sure that he heard someone coming for them or the bodies clattering against the wall.

He shook his head, trying to clear it. It was a ridiculous thought. They had been in Pendrago for hours now, and no one had made a move. Sergei was sure that some of it was because of the way that Nadia had charged into Leon’s strategy meeting in a fury. He’d hung back with Sorey, but he doubted that anyone could have missed what she was saying. And, from the quick peeks into the room while he was waiting, Leon was completely cowed by it. Sergei wasn’t sure about some of the advisors, but at least they looked scared. Sergei supposed that it was the important part, that they all knew that she would not be cowed. It should have been a relief, but he couldn’t help but think that Princes Konan and Lyte didn’t look too worried about the repercussions of what they had done.

Sergei sighed and looked down at his sword, rubbing his thumb over the pommel. At least Nadia had gotten the bodies taken down and a spot on the council. There had been some grumbling about that, but it at least meant that they were safe for the moment. Nadia had said herself that she was pulling all of her guards out of the summer villa. It was a sure sign that they wouldn’t be going back to the villa, which discomforted him a bit. Sergei had liked the villa because it was far away from everything that he had to consider dangerous now.

He dropped his hand to rest more firmly around the sword, looking at the four other boys in the room with him.

The empress had told him that he was to rebuild the Platinum Knights. There had been a caveat that he would have to complete his training, but Sergei was sure that it was better to start building up a core of knights, especially when they would have to train. He looked around at the boys where they were scattered around the room.

Andrei was one of the palace pages, a cousin or nephew of someone that was loyal to Nadia. The empress himself had brought him in to help them. Of course, it had been with the intention of having someone to run messages and help, but Sergei liked the boy. He was quick to smile and a quick thinker, which was something that he would need.

Vanya had been in training the same time as Sergei. He didn’t know what position Vanya had been training for, there were a limited number of positions that took on Squires, but he knew Vanya was a friend, and good with a sword.

Fyodor hadn’t come from the palace. Sergei had known him since childhood. He had always been out with his father, doing the many odd jobs that were required around the capital. To his knowledge, the closest Fyodor had gotten to a sword was the sticks that they had played with as children, but that’s what training was for.

The final boy in the room was his twin brother, Boris. Sergei hadn’t asked him to come along, he had hoped that Boris would stay away. But his brother had tagged along with Andrei after he had delivered Sergei’s note to his parents. Sergei had tried to send him back, but it was hard to argue against numbers, and harder to argue when Boris had fallen asleep sprawled over one of the sofas in the front suite.

Sergei turned to look at him, smiling at the way that Boris had his face smashed into one of the pillows. It didn’t look comfortable at all, but Sergei was not about to wake him. It was still his watch for a couple more hours, and then it would pass onto Andrei. They would continue in shifts throughout the day. It didn’t matter if there were guards outside the door, Sergei wanted to be careful, because he could still remember the way that the other prince and princesses had been cut down along with the Platinum Knights. He remembered the way that the three bodies had hung over the walls of Pendrago. He remembered the way Princes Konan and Lyte had looked.

He shuddered, clutching at his sword. The five of them had to stand up against that, and Sergei wasn’t sure they would do it. His only plan was to grab Sorey and run. It wasn’t the action of a knight, but it would mean that Sorey was safe. That was what Empress Nadia had commanded him to do, he was to protect Sorey at all costs.

Sergei sighed, closing his eyes. He wanted to be a knight. He had wanted to be a knight all of his life. Sergei had never thought that so much of that would involve running away but, then again, things weren’t quite normal.

He bit his lip, letting the thoughts run for a bit more before shaking his head. There was no point in chasing his own thoughts around all night. He watch was lonely enough without worrying about everything that could happen. He would have plenty of time for worrying in the future.

Sergei allowed himself to slump, settling down more comfortably in the chair. He looked over his small guard, the corner of his mouth twitching up. It might be small and not look at all like the Platinum Knights, but it was just starting out. It had to count for something, he would make sure of that.

He sighed and leaned back, only getting a moment of peace before he heard a whimper from the other room.

Sergei sat up straight, staring at the doors to Sorey’s room. He got to his feet, carefully making his way over.

Nadia had said that they were safe in this part of the palace, but the question was how safe. There was every chance that someone could have gotten in and Sergei was sure that he knew which prince would have ordered it.

He strode to the doors, getting a better grip on his sword as he nudged it open. Sergei glanced around the room, looking for any signs of movement. There was nothing aside from the shadows of the furniture.

Sergei frowned, stepping further into the room and nudging the door shut behind him. He turned to look at the bed, expecting to see someone leaning over the prince. Instead he saw Prince Sorey writhing on the bed.

He dropped his hold on his sword, rushing over to his bed. He had barely gotten to the side of it before Sorey sat up with a shout.

The prince looked around, panting loudly. He seemed to look through Sergei as he searched for something. Sorey even scrambled up to his knees and started patting at the covers of the bed like they would reveal something.

Sergei took a careful step forward, sitting down on the edge of the bed. He watched Sorey search for a moment more before clearing his throat. “Prince Sorey?”

He got a shake of Sorey’s head as a response. The prince continued to look around wildly, eventually giving up to sit in the middle of the bed. He looked completely lost, Sergei seeing tears start to roll down his cheeks. “Mama?”

Sergei swallowed, reaching out for the boy. “Prince Sorey?”

Sorey spun around to look at him. The prince’s eyes went wide before Sorey lunged at him. Sergei just had the time to catch Sorey. The prince didn’t seem to care, he was too busy clinging to Sergei and crying. “I want Mama. I want…I…Where’s Mama?”

Sergei sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed. He stared down at Sorey’s shaking shoulders, giving in a moment later. Sorey may have been his prince, but he was four, far too young to be exposed to this kind of thing. No child should have to see their mother hanging from the gates of the city.

He shifted so he was sitting up against the pillows. Sergei rubbed his hand up and down Sorey’s back, waiting for Sorey’s tears to slow down so he could understand the boy.

It took a while, Sorey clinging tightly to him the entire time. Sergei helplessly stroked his back, trying to find words to soothe him, but there was nothing. Sergei didn’t think anything would help.

Sorey eventually took a deep, shuddering breath before lifting his head. “They hurt her, didn’t they? They hurt Mama.”

“Yes.” Sergei closed his eyes, regretting it a moment later. He could still see the three bodies hanging over the gate, a gruesome proclamation of victory. He opened his eyes, choosing to stare into the darkness of the room. “They did.”

“Will she get better?”

“No.” He had to force the words out, because they were not the words that he wanted to say. But he couldn’t lie to Sorey, not now. Sergei felt that the owed the prince that much. “I’m sorry.”

Sorey whimpered, his fingers curling into Sergei’s shirt. When he did talk, it was barely above a whisper. “I’m scared.”

Sergei looked down at the little boy, watching as Sorey turned his face up. It was too dark in the room to see anything more than the motion, but Sorey was sniffling like he was still crying. Sergei rubbed Sorey’s back, fumbling for a lullaby like his father used to sing to him, but he couldn’t remember any of them. His head was full of things that sounded like false promises or truths that would be too much. The only thing left he had was oaths.

He swallowed, stopping the gentle motion of his hand. “I’ll keep you safe.”

That got Sorey to go quiet. Sergei pushed on. “I’m a knight, remember? And knights protect people. I’ll protect you, and so will my friends out there.”

Sorey lifted his head to look at the door. The prince reached up to rub at his eyes. “How many?”

“Four including me, five with my brother. But that’s just a start. I have to hold interviews because this is a serious position.”

Sergei wasn’t sure what part of what he said helped the most, but he supposed that it didn’t matter. Sorey settled back against his chest. Sergei patted his back before clearing his throat. “And there’s the guards from the villa there. And we can’t forget Empress Nadia. She’s here for you and she’ll protect you.”

That finally seemed to be enough. Sorey rolled off of Sergei’s lap, but he didn’t go under the covers. Sergei watched as Sorey rolled from side to side before the prince settled close to him.

Sorey played with his pillow for a moment before reaching out to shyly tap Sergei’s hip. “C-could you stay?”

“Of course, my prince.” Sergei gave the door one last glance before settling back against the pillows. “I’ll stay as long as you need me.”

Sorey nodded, the prince reaching up to grab at Sergei’s hand.

Sergei let it happen, watching as Sorey curled up around his arm. Sergei watched the prince, listening to his sniffles even out. They soon turned into even breathing, and then, sleep.

He sighed when it happened, Sergei watching as Sorey relaxed into sleep. He was sure that the boy would be waking up a few more times. What he had been through was the stuff of nightmares. Sergei would have to make sure that one of his knights was always with Sorey so the prince would never feel alone. Sorey was going to suddenly find himself very lonely without his mother or the other children, and he was sure that Nadia would be very busy over the upcoming weeks.

Sergei gave the door one last glance before settling back against the headboard and into his watch.

END