Page 38 of The Prince and His Stolen Throne

I found Fitz and Maximus back at the armory. Fitz passed me a package and said, “I bought the short swords for you, a new set of lockpicks for Maximus, and the arrows for myself.”

I accepted the package with a forced smile. “Good choice.”

For the rest of the shopping trip, the gold mirror weighed down my pocket, constantly reminding me of its presence and the heated touch of the man who gave it to me.

Chapter Twelve

Last night, we’d returned from our shopping trip too late and too tired to continue quest preparations. I’d intended to sleep in, so why was someone banging on the door just after sunrise?

Groaning, I covered my head with a pillow to block out the light and noise.

The door opened against my wishes and a heavy weight thumped onto my mattress, bouncing me harshly until I rolled over. Delilah ripped the pillow from my face as she exclaimed, “Wake up, Trey! The Good Wizard has arrived!”

Already?Fitz had only sent the letter two days ago; I’d thought we’d have longer. “Alright, get out so I can dress,” I said, shoving Delilah off my bed.

She tumbled over in a somersault and landed on all fours, then scampered out of the room.

A few minutes later, face washed and dressed in clean clothes, I stepped into the common area. Delilah ran around the room, chanting, “We’re off to meet the wizard!” while my fathers waited patiently at the table.

“Breakfast?” Father offered, holding a plate out to me.

“No time, no time!” Delilah cried. “He’s waiting for us!”

“Why are you so excited?” I asked as I took the offered plate.

“It’s theGood Wizard,” Delilah emphasized. “The strongest mage in the land! No offense, Uncle Rick.”

Dad waved her off. “None taken.”

I narrowed my eyes at Delilah, suspecting the real reason she cared about a powerful mage. “You can’t ask him to turn you into a cat.”

She froze, ears perked and fluffy tail standing on end. Then she stuck her tongue out at me and declared, “You can’t tell me what to do.”

“We’re about to embark on a quest!”

“He’s right, kitten,” Dad said, softening his voice. “Cats don’t make practical adventurers. Besides, your parents would kill me if I left with their child and returned with a pet.”

“I’ll be their daughter either way,” she insisted.

“Yes, but I’m sure they’d prefer one who speaks rather than meows.”

Father stayed out of the argument, engrossed in his paperwork. He reached for his empty coffee cup and would have taken a sip of air if Dad hadn’t noticed in time and refilled it for him. Their movements had the ease of longtime companionship.

How many quiet mornings had I shared with them, just like this? How many more would we have left?

A rock settled in my stomach, leaving no room for breakfast. I set my plate down and said, “Alright, are you ready—”

Delilah grabbed my hand and yanked me out of the room, racing down the hall.

My fathers followed at a more sedate pace, and Dad called, “Princesses don’t run in hallways!”

“Yes, we do!”

A large party had gathered in the front courtyard for the Good Wizard’s arrival. The other champions had already arrived. Maximus stood with his mother while Angelica stood with her father. Since Misfortune was the host kingdom, all of Fitz’s family had attended: father, mother, and his twin older sisters.

The old man at the center of the crowd wore bright blue robes decorated with large gold stars. His long white beard was thrown over one shoulder and his pointy hat was slightly askew, slipping over one ear. As he spoke, he raised a hand to fix the hat, but it simply slipped again the moment he let go.

“I always miss the show,” Father said with mild amusement.