Page 55 of The False Prince (Ascendance 1)

“I don’t have Tobias’s brains or your strength,” I said to them. “Give me this one area to compete with you two.”

Cregan stared at us for a moment, clearly trying to decide whether to give me the easiest horse or not. He didn’t want to help me, nor did he want to risk getting himself in trouble again with a horse out of my league.

“I’m not even best with horses,” he said. “I’m a swordsman, but Mott ordered me here so he could teach swords.”

“Teach us both,” Roden said. “I’ll learn.”

o;From Roden and Tobias?” I shook my head. “No.”

“From me? Conner?”

“You work for Conner. If there’s any danger from him, there’s danger from you.”

Mott didn’t disagree. He couldn’t. He replaced his knife in the sheath strapped to his ankle, then pointed at the dinner. “Eat up and get a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow will be harder than today.”

“There’s nothing to do up here but stare at Tobias’s stack of books.”

“Try to read one. It could only help you.”

“I’d rather join the others. It’s not fair that I’m kept up here while Roden and Tobias get to show off to Conner.”

“Conner is furious with you for losing a prize mare. Trust me when I say it’s better that you stay up here tonight.”

“It’d take a miracle for Conner to choose me as prince.” Despite the truth of my words, I couldn’t help but smile.

“Yes,” Mott agreed, and then added, “Though I doubt even a miracle could save you now.”

I was already in bed when Tobias and Roden came in. If they realized that I might be asleep, they spoke to me anyway.

“We heard about the trick you pulled with Mott’s knife,” Roden said. “Conner wanted to give you a few lashes, but Mott said he handled it with you already.”

“Who’s my dressing servant now?” Tobias asked.

“Dress yourself,” I muttered. “You’ve managed for your entire life until now.”

“Conner’s made us into gentlemen,” he said. “A gentleman would never stoop to dress himself.”

“If he put us in dresses, we wouldn’t suddenly become women,” I said. “You’re an orphan in a costume, Tobias. Nothing more.”

Roden’s servant was in the room, gathering Roden’s nightclothes. Tobias looked at him and said, “Build us a fire.”

Roden and I both groaned. “It’s already warm enough,” Roden said. “Do you want to cook us in our beds tonight?”

Tobias began gathering the papers on the desk near his bed. “I want to burn these.”

“Why?” I asked, propping myself up by my elbows. “What’s on them?”

“Notes I’ve made in studying to be the prince. I don’t want you or Roden to read them and gain from my efforts.”

“Neither of us can read,” Roden said. “It’s chicken scratch on those pages as far as I’m concerned.”

“Sage can read a little,” Tobias said.

I yawned. “True, but you’re an imbecile. If I wanted to learn about something important, you’re the last person I’d come to for information.”

Tobias slammed a book closed. “I hope you continue in your ways. It makes Conner’s decision that much simpler.”

“Conner’s decision is made,” I said.