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TIYUNG

ROSE PALACE, GAYA

W e’re in the king’s bedroom suite of the palace, which is absolutely enormous. I grew up in the grandest villa in Gain, and my bedroom wasn’t a quarter of this size. I don’t think my father’s bedroom was half this large.

Mikail and Sora have taken baths and gotten ready for bed. I agreed to take first watch so they could get some sleep. I’m tired, but Mikail is bodily exhausted from wielding the scepter, and Sora is emotionally wrung out.

He’s on the enormous black wood bed—I think it’s two king-size beds put together, but it could be larger than that.

The canopy frame nearly reaches the high ceiling, and it has roses and leaves carved into its dark wood.

Mikail’s scepter is to his right, and his sword is on the nightstand.

I’m sure if I looked I’d find a dagger or three under his pillow.

Sora is lying on a daybed at the foot of his bed. I think ordinarily, it’s for a servant to use.

Neither of them is asleep, but they’re resting. I stand over by the dressing table and chairs. All the drapes are closed except for the sitting area, where I’ll keep watch until I wake Sora.

“Tiyung,” Mikail says, reaching for his lamp. “I didn’t say it before, but you are worthy of my father’s sacrifice.”

Tears immediately well in my eyes. I shake my head. I don’t know why he thinks this. I don’t know what I did to deserve this kind of compliment when we just argued at dinner. Why me? Why now?

“You reminded me of what I actually believe,” he continues.

“I have said in the past that the atrocity of one people does not justify atrocity to the next. It’s harder than I realized to keep your ideals when it’s your people who suffered and you have the power now.

But you were my compass when mine broke.

” Mikail stretches and relaxes in his bed. “Thank you.”

I blink back tears and nod. “I… I’m glad I could help.”

Feeling Sora’s violet eyes on me, I turn away. I don’t want to cry in front of her.

I take a few breaths and attempt to gather myself. Mikail turns out his light, and now I don’t have to worry about them seeing me, but it’s uncomfortably dark in here. There are a few candles lit, but I grab an oil lamp by the dressing table. My hands shake, so it takes me a few tries to light it.

Once the lamp is lit, I sit by the window. I swear I can still feel Sora looking at me, but she doesn’t say anything. As much as I want to talk to her, I also want her to rest, so I pretend not to notice.

They both get quiet and fall into that steady breathing of sleep. Sora sleeps like a doll, but Mikail moves around a lot. It’s not long before he’s thrashing in bed so violently that I’m afraid he’ll hit her. I’m about to get out of my chair to wake him, but finally, he settles.

It’s around a bell later when I spot something strange in the distance. I squint. I wish I had a spyglass, but Hana took that.

I startle in my seat as soon as I think of her. Hana. I haven’t seen her since the kitchens. Where did she go? I can’t believe I forgot about her until now, but so much has happened.

With a deep breath, I slow my heart as I try to think. Last I saw her, she and Mikail went to talk. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that she wasn’t at dinner. I don’t think he killed her, but I also don’t put it past him.

No. I shake off my own thought. She was a source for him, and even tonight she stopped him from being poisoned. I have to imagine he let her go.

There’s an odd flicker again outside the window. I turn down the oil lamp so that it doesn’t reflect in the glass. Heart racing, I squint at what appears to be a fire in the distance—that can’t be good.

“Mikail, Sora,” I say.

They both sit up before I even get the words out. Sora might not have been asleep at all.

“What is it?” Mikail asks.

“There are flames. I think they might be torches—”

I’m cut off by the door opening. Royo and Aeri burst into the room. I should’ve locked it. I thought I did. Actually, I’m certain I did. Aeri must’ve picked the lock.

“There’s trouble coming,” Royo says, small spyglass in hand. Aeri probably stole it from somewhere.

Mikail already has his sword as he takes the spyglass and looks out the window.

“Soldiers are marching toward the palace,” he says. “It doesn’t look like that many. Maybe three hundred. Judging from where they are, they’ll reach Jeul in a bell.”

My stomach drops. Three hundred soldiers sounds like a crisis to me when we have five guards and just five of us. I start to sweat, but Mikail doesn’t look worried at all.

“What are you going to do?” Sora asks as Mikail dresses.

“I’m going to meet them by the sea. I have to throw the governor’s head in anyhow.” He shrugs on his shirt.

“Well, it’s good to multitask,” Aeri says.

Sora shifts her weight foot to foot, and Royo runs his hand over his face, but this is just the way Aeri thinks. It’s Mikail, who appears unsettlingly calm.

Sora goes into the bathroom and reappears, dressed again.

“You don’t all need to come with me,” Mikail says. “I will settle this with the Yusanian king’s guard.” He grabs the Water Scepter and stares at the sapphire on the top.

“You’re not going alone,” Royo says.

Sora shakes her head. “We are with you until the end.”

“You need us,” I add.

“We’re coming,” Aeri says. “One man, even a powerful one, is too easy to ambush.”

“Well, I thought I’d offer,” Mikail says with a smile. “So much for playing the hero. Let’s go and be villains.”