Page 59 of Warrior Princess Assassin (Braided Fate #1)

Chapter Twenty-Seven

The Princess

A s we ride, the king’s manner is tense and uncertain.

It’s clear that he and his men are unsettled by the Draeg soldier, especially considering that the man was alone.

But they found no evidence of others—though the Suross people were quick to chase them out of their settlement. We couldn’t search everywhere .

“You didn’t tell them who you were,” I say to Ky once we’ve made some distance from the attack. We’re all damp and soot-stained and exhausted, so it’s the first thing I’ve said in an hour.

He hesitates, then shakes his head. “No, Princess.”

“Why not?”

Captain Zale glances over, but the king keeps his eyes on the terrain. “It would not have helped—and in fact it may have agitated them further. They barely recognize my rule.”

I think about that for a little while. “Could they be working with Draegonis?” I say. “Or someone among them?”

He shakes his head. “They’re not a warring people,” he says. “It’s more likely that he knew we were nearby, and a fire would draw me out...which it did.”

He sounds rueful, like he’s angry he was caught in a trap—and I suppose we were.

“How do you think he got past the border?” I say.

“I have dedicated patrols,” he says, “but they’re not limitless. I cannot guard the entire border between Incendar and Astranza. I don’t have enough soldiers—and of those I do have, they’re more desperately needed at the border with Draegonis.”

It takes me a moment to figure out what he’s saying, and when I figure it out, I gasp. “You think he came through Astranza?”

“I do.” He pauses, and this silence is grave.

“He attacked while we were worried about Hunters on our trail. That’s too much of a coincidence.

” He pauses. “I worry that Draeg spies have already breached Astranza’s borders, and I suspect that he—or his superiors—are behind these falsified assassination orders. ”

At that, Asher looks over. “You think they infiltrated the Hunter’s Guild.”

Ky nods. “Possibly.”

Charlotte speaks up from beside me. “Master Pavok was quick to point the finger at Draegonis.”

I look at her in surprise. “Yes,” I say, putting it together now. “He laid the blame at Asher’s feet. Was it really him all along?” I look at Asher. “Could that be true?”

He considers. “I’ve only been a Hunter for a few years. Master Pavok wasn’t sharing secrets with me. I was gone for so long anyway. It’s not like I would’ve been privy to any dealings with Draegonis—”

He breaks off, his face twisting in thought as if he’s solved a puzzle.

“What is it?” I say.

“I was gone for months,” Asher says, musing now. “Maybe Pavok would have denied these orders from anyone—but my return from Morinstead gave the Guild a golden opportunity to accuse Draegonis and pin the blame on me.”

Ky glances at him. “Exactly.”

I roll these thoughts around in my head.

“I knew Dane was committed to this alliance,” I say, and despite how terrible my brother can be, it’s a bit of relief to know that he wasn’t behind this.

Astranza still needs this alliance—and so does Incendar.

Dane is still working to the benefit of both countries.

Then reality comes crashing down. We might have solved this puzzle, but my father is still dying. This entire alliance is based on a false promise. Incendar might be able to help Astranza, but I have no idea how long we can support them in return.

But Ky looks over at me, and I’m surprised by the spark of hope in his eyes. “Your brother is still committed to this alliance,” he says. “And so am I.”

I look back at him, and my heart twists.

So much between us has shifted, changed.

Despite everything that happened, my body hasn’t stopped humming from the feel of his body on top of mine.

Not just the way he almost kissed me. It was the sparring, the way he let me feel powerful.

The way he let me feel his power when his muscled body pinned me to the ground.

The way he folded my fingers so gently and let me try his magic.

The way he kept me close when we rescued those girls.

The way I found the courage to seize that soldier’s dagger.

Somehow, Ky has lit a flame inside me that I’ve never felt, something very different from the sparks that fly when I’m with Asher. I’ve loved Asher for as long as I can remember, but he’s always made me feel safe. Protected. Treasured.

The king makes me feel like a weapon. Powerful. Capable. Worthy.

I can’t betray him. I can’t.

“So am I,” I say to Ky, but the words sound hollow in my heart.

Especially when Asher looks over at me. I know the truth will be in his eyes, and I can’t face that right now.

So I turn my face forward and ride on.

IN ASTRANZA, THE capital city of Perriden is flat and compact, full of narrow alleys, angled streets, and so many winding pathways that it’s easy to get turned around and lost if you’re unfamiliar.

Shops and vendors and food stalls are around every corner, with so many scents and sights that you could spend all day wandering the city and never get bored—or so I’ve heard.

Anytime I left the palace, it was with a full contingent of guards and carriages and an entire entourage, so wandering was never an option.

But I’ve heard a thousand different stories from Asher, and he always made the city sound like a grand adventure, even when he was held by the slavers.

Now that I know the truth about Asher’s life, my memories of those stories evoke an unpleasant sensation, like finding a beloved old quilt has become infested with insects.

But I can still picture the cobblestone streets in the rain at night, or the broken windows in the poorer districts that always let in the cold, or the bright rooftops in the summertime, laid out with flowers in every color.

Asher’s stories brought them all to life.

When we approach Incendar’s capital, I’m surprised to discover that the city of Lastalorre seems to be the opposite of Perriden: wide and sprawling, set in a high valley between two mountains.

A huge stone castle sits near the center, spires stretching into the sky, stained glass windows glittering in the sunlight.

We must still be miles away, separated by acres and acres of dried grasslands, but I can see the blues and greens from here.

Far ahead, gates flank the road into the city, but they stand open, guards posted by the massive stone pillars.

“It’s so high,” I say to Ky, just as a gust of wind blasts between the mountains to lift my hair and tug at the horse’s mane.

The scent of woodsmoke is stronger here, carrying more of an edge.

Several small homesteads dot the hills, and I wonder if they’re homes or farms. I can’t see any livestock, but as before, we aren’t traveling too close to any structures.

Instead, we’re passing through fields, the horses’ feet crunching in the dried grass.

The underbrush is unusual, too, acres of different stages of underbrush that seems almost organized.

If we were in Astranza, I’d think these were crops, but these fields are too dry, stems and leaves flaking away into nothing as the horses trudge through them.

“It is high,” the king agrees, drawing my gaze back up.

His tension still hasn’t dissipated since the fire in the Suross settlement, but his voice is casual.

“And easy to defend. Several of my other large cities are situated similarly. It’s part of why Incendar has managed to hold its ground for so long.

One day soon I’ll take you down to Marrowell. Their cliffs overlook the ocean.”

“There are cliffs over the ocean?” I say.

Ky gives me a startled look. “Princess, if you’ve never seen the ocean, I’m going to ride back right now and shoot Dane for that alone.”

That makes me smile. “I’ve seen the ocean on the northern side of Astranza. But we don’t have cliffs.”

Ky nods. “In the summer months, the tides are calm. There are several rock formations with pools that are good for swimming. Not so much now, though. Too rough.”

I give him a quizzical look. “And surely too cold.”

“Princess.” He glances at me, then sketches a sigil. Flame gathers on his palm, flickering in the wind. “I can heat a pool of water.”

My eyes grow wide, because I hadn’t considered that. Even Asher looks startled.

Captain Zale glances back. “Wait until you see the Hall of Stars in the palace. It’s the best at this time of year.”

I frown, because I don’t know what that has to do with pools of water, but Ky shakes his head. “Wait,” he says. “That one is better left a surprise.”

There’s an eager note to his voice that makes him sound almost boyish, and for an instant, it cuts through the anxious uncertainty.

For a little while, I thought perhaps the attack by the Draeg soldier was going to sour his emotion, but instead, it seems that solving a minor mystery has settled something within him.

Guilt churns in my gut, and I need to shove it away. My father might not have long to live, but he’s alive now . And Dane is so committed to this alliance. Father can surely help during the time he has left.

I smile back at the king. His eyes are gleaming in the light from the fire, and I’m surprised to feel a blush crawl up my cheeks. “I look forward to seeing it.”

My horse stumbles a little in the underbrush, and even though I’m not unseated, it draws my gaze back to the ground to check the terrain. I suddenly realize that the fields don’t just look dry, they look...burned.

Ahead of us, a distant shout rings out, followed by another. My head snaps up, my heart fluttering with alarm, but then I realize what they’re yelling.

“He has fire! It’s the king! The king approaches!”