Page 100 of The False Prince (Ascendance 1)

Mott entered the room and surveyed each of us. I wondered if he’d polished his bald head. It looked shinier than usual, and he wore clothes nearly as fancy as Conner’s. He was to be distinguished tonight as something more than a servant, though still not worthy to sit at the table. With a very stern voice, he said, “As long as none of you does anything stupid, I believe tonight will be successful. Here are some things each of you must remember. Never address a master first and never look them in the eye unless they are speaking specifically to you. You follow my directions and never take any initiative with the princess unless I order it.” Looking straight at me, Mott added, “You three must remember that you are in disguise. The worst thing that could happen would be for the princess to remember meeting you here tonight after you are presented at court. That cut is still evident on your face, Sage.”

“It’ll be healed by the time I’m presented at court,” I said. “Besides, Imogen once served us with a bruise on her cheek, so this should only help me fit in better with the other servants.”

Mott didn’t rise to my remark. “And how are the wounds on your back, specifically the one caused by the … window?”

“If I’d had more to eat today, they’d probably be healing faster.”

Mott smirked and glanced at Errol for an answer. “No signs of infection, sir,” Errol reported.

“That’s good,” Mott said. “Because I’d expect a dirty window to have caused infection. I did hear that a knife was missing from the kitchen last night, one of the chef’s sharpest blades. Those are kept very clean.”

“Only one knife was missing?” Tobias glanced at me and then quickly looked away when I tilted my head in response to his silent question. He whispered something under his breath, I’m sure some sort of curse aimed at me. That wasn’t a problem. The devils were used to receiving curses with my name on them.

re to remain in our room in private study because of Princess Amarinda being in the house, but after lunch was brought to us, Tobias gave me all of his lunch and Roden shared half.

“You owe me nothing,” I said to Roden.

“Not now, but if Conner does choose you, then I hope you’ll make the same promise to me that you did with Tobias, to save my life.”

“And will you make that promise to me as well?” I asked him.

Roden shrugged. “I can’t make Conner do what I want. Not even if I were king.”

I clapped Roden on the shoulder. “Then, for the sake of my life, I’ll have to continue hoping to be named the prince.”

Near us, Tobias’s feet dropped to the floor and he banged on the door for his servant. When he arrived, Tobias said he had to use the toilet, the only reason we could be allowed out of the room. Even our lessons would be held in this room for the day.

“Do you think Tobias is so angry that he’ll try to kill you again?” Roden asked after Tobias had gone.

“He wasn’t trying to kill me last night. He just wanted me to think he could.”

“Same thing, as far as I’m concerned. Though I guess in the end, it worked out better for you. Oh.” Roden’s eyes widened. “Did you plan for that to happen?”

“Tobias was getting desperate. Once he took the knife when we were in the kitchen, I knew something was bound to happen soon.”

“Why didn’t you just report that he had a knife?”

“There’s forgiveness for that. But Conner wouldn’t forgive what he did last night, and Tobias knows it, so he had to agree to my terms.”

Roden slowly shook his head. “You let him cut you.”

A smile spread across my mouth. “Well, I let him make the first cut. I thought that’d scare him into stopping. I wish it had, because it really did hurt.”

Roden laughed and shook his head incredulously. “You’re the craziest person I’ve ever met. Tobias may be more educated than you, but he’s not the smartest of us.” I chuckled, but Roden turned serious and added, “It really is down to you and me, Sage. I’ve still got to try to win, you know that.”

“It’s cruel, this game of ours,” I said. “Between us, you’re Conner’s favorite now.”

Roden nodded. “You can bait me all you want. I won’t try to kill you.”

“You could, though,” I said. “I’ve seen you out practicing swords with Cregan.”

“Cregan hopes Conner chooses me, and he wants me to be ready for when he does.” Roden’s voice raised in pitch. “What’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing. I’m just glad to hear you’re practicing for Conner’s benefit and not mine. I’m running out of places to get hurt.”

“I don’t see why that’s funny. I think you must like the pain, because you’re constantly pushing people until they hurt you.”

“I definitely don’t like the pain,” I said firmly. “So if you do decide to kill me, make it quick.”