Alex brushed the tip of her shoe against her calf, her gaze set to the ground where a brave little ant was pushing a crumb into a tiny hole. The God of Wrath tempted her to smash the creature the same way she wanted to smash the magician's face. Breaking every single one of his bones wouldn't be enough. How dare that piece of scum treat Fox well; all he deserved was a rain of arrows shot through his disgusting head.

Her body didn't help either to come up with a good excuse to leave the fair without raising suspicion. She couldn't tell Lana that she wanted to speak to her father; they hardly ever talked one on one. Her stomach flipped up and down, and sent acid to her throat and further down to her lower abdomen. The pain of walking in high heels had spread across her entire back.

If only Nick had been here to come up with a convincing lie to get her out of there. Whatever the Muttonhead had done, she hoped the General would teach him a good lesson. Next time, he had to join them instead of always spending time with his patrol. She didn't care how nice those guys were. He was her friend too, and her heart ached not having him around.

"Alex, there's nothing exciting happening on the ground," Lana said mockingly. There was a tinge of concern in her voice.

"I wanna head back to the castle." She clenched her hands, fighting off another cramp. The monster would die at her hand, even if it were the last thing she ever did. Fox could not grow up under his wings. "I don't wanna stay here any longer."

"Are your shoes bothering you that much?"

"Yeah." She grimaced. It was the perfect excuse, and not a lie either. "They're a torture device. No doubt invented by Lady Victoria."

Lana walked up to her and hooked her arm into hers. She leant over. "Hush, Alex. In public, we whisper whenever we wanna gossip. I'm fine going back home. We've had pancakes. You found a present for Seb. I found one for Mama." She chuckled. "Let's spy from above if the Sundalers can make a decision on their own."

"Thank you."

"Peter, take us back," she ordered the small-boned, freckled Lieutenant.

He nodded and guided them through the crowd; each attempt to approach the Princess blocked by him or one of the other guards. Walking up the steps of the temple, it finally sunk in what Lana had said. "What did you buy your mother?"

"This." As they entered the building, Lana pulled up the lace sleeve of her dress, revealing a silver bracelet in the shape of a sleeping serpent, its head locked into the jaw of a bear's head. "Bought it from the silver merchant. Mama's gonna love it."

"Are you sure? It seems rather violent." Alex tilted her head. The statue of Chastity near the entrance too stared at the scenery with her nose stuck up in the air.

"Of course, it's the Summer Dragon and the Winter Bear. The Icians don't worship our Gods. Mama says they're simple people, so their religion isn't quite as complex as ours. All they wish is for the Summer Dragon to resurrect and chase the Winter Bear from their lands." Lana looked up at the ceiling. "It was hard for her to adapt to the real faith when she married Papa. She prays to all the Gods now."

"I keep forgetting that you're just as much a half-blood like me."

"Half-blood doesn't even cover it." She removed her mask and combed her fingers through her hair. "I'm half Greenlander, quarter Ician, and quarter Silvermarker."

Alex halted in front of Wrath's statue, his pounding fist floating inches above her head. "Silvermark? You've got to be kidding me!"

"No, my grandma Feline was born and raised in Moondale. She's Ariel's great-aunt too." Lana pulled at Alex's arm. "Don't be so shocked, Alex. All royal houses are related in one way or another. If you go back in history far enough, you'll even find Scorian and Jade-Islandic blood on Papa's side."

"That's incredible." Alex shook her head as she descended into the tunnel that ran between the temple and the castle. Until today she hadn't known of its existence; now it was the third time that her heels clicked on the skewed tiles of the stone floor.

"Yeah, if the Gods had had other plans, Papa would have married one of Queen Noor's twin daughters. Uncle Bran too. It's crazy, don't you think? I would have never been born if that arrangement had gone through."

Alex put her hand in her hip and squeezed a cramp that was attacking her. Those wretched heels! She loosened the straps and kicked them out. Both her ankles were covered in blisters, out of her right one streamed a thin line of blood.  "Any action–no matter how small–can have severe consequences."

"What?"

"Oh, it's something Lord Brandon used to say whenever I did something rash. He told me that it's important to think of all the potential consequences before doing anything. I try to live by that rule, but it's hard. I'd rather seize opportunities as they present themselves." She picked up her shoes and continued on her bare feet. The cold stones were uncomfortable to walk on, but strangely soothing too. "Come to think of it–he was such an odd man. He valued improvising too, just like my father. They always bragged about their adventures, and how they finally shot that deer or trapped that poacher."

"I think as Uncle Bran grew older, he understood that using his head was more beneficial, but from what I've heard from Papa, he was more likely to act on emotion than reason. That's why he and Grandpapa William clashed so often." Lana reached for her hand. "Don't you think this is nice, Alex. Us sharing stories about our family. That's what today is really about. Not the ceremony, or the fair, or even the ball–though I am looking forward to it–but just being together."

"You're right. Let's find Seb and your parents, and have tea. I wanna hear more stories, Lana. It makes them less... dead if they can live on in our memories." 

Lana squeezed her hand. "I like that idea. We don't spend nearly enough time together as a family. Let's surprise Seb first with our gift, then find Mama and Papa."

Alex grinned. All the pieces were coming together. After they had met up with Seb, she would propose to look for His Majesty so she could share her findings with him privately. Only Nick joining them for tea and biscuits would have been the cherry on the cake.

In the entrance hall, they parted ways with the guards who had escorted them. Yet even after Lieutenant John had handed Seb's present to her, and she had fastened the heavy pouch to her belt, the men lingered around in the castle to chat.

Lana dragged her along to Lieutenant Patrick, who was guarding the door to the staircase. He stopped midway into eating a corn pie–not something he should be doing when on duty– and hid it behind his back. 

 "Quick update–where was Seb last spotted?" she asked.

 "Erm... his chambers, but he's in a mood again, My Lady."

"Fine, we'll deal with it. And Mama and Papa?"

"They are in their chamber. His M–"

"Right." She coughed awkwardly, then patted the guard on the arm. "Thanks, Patrick. You're a star. Enjoy the pie."

While she sallied forth like Billy spotting a fresh stash of apples, Alex was doomed to follow her pace. At least she didn't have to climb the stairs with those heels on. They halted on the fifth floor so she could throw them and her mask onto her bed, then continued to the sixth floor.

Seb was sitting on his sill again, slouched onto a pile of pillows. With his toy soldier army scattered on the floor, in between the rest of his bedding and his dark grey jacket, his chamber resembled a pigsty instead of a Prince's chamber. 

"Oh, it's you two," he said with a deadpan expression. 

He was but a shell of the cheery boy who had left the temple to race his uncle. It was so typically Seb. All in all, he hadn't changed that much. Even back in Laneby, he had been a sore loser.

"Are you sulking cause Papa beat you?" Lana asked.

He shrugged. "Technically speaking, I won."

"What happened?" Alex put her foot on the loose piece of stone and heaved herself up, her side and back cramping up as she placed her knees onto the sill. Even when lying ten feet below on her bed, those wretched heels were still torturing her.

"I smacked Uncle Tom in the ear," he squeaked, "and now he hates me like he hated Father. Cause he did it, Alex. He's the reason Uncle Tom can't hear anything on his right side."

"What?" She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "But how–why?"

"I don't know. Uncle Tom didn't say."

Giving it another moment's thought, she wasn't entirely surprised. Based on her earlier conversation with Lana, it wasn't unthinkable that the brothers had had a quarrel, and that a Wrath-filled young Lord Brandon had lashed out. It would explain why the old King had deemed him unworthy of ruling and had banished him from court.

Still, it was strange. Her entire life she had found Lord Brandon to be the embodiment of Patience and Diligence. His past had been much darker.

"Seb...Seb... Sebby. Papa never truly hated Uncle Bran, nor will he ever hate you." Lana now stood by the sill too, her chin resting on the stones. When his ear's bothering him, he's more melodramatic than me on my..." She gawked at him, her mouth a perfect o-shape. "Nevermind, you're a boy."

"I'm a man. I'm eleven." He crawled forward and buried his head under a pillow. "And a disaster for this kingdom."

"No, you're just a Muttonhead." Alex brushed his foot, which he jerked away. "We've got you something from the fair that might cheer you up."

She untied the pouch from her belt and placed it next to him. When he didn't budge, she seized the cushion he was holding and threw it away. She grinned. Weeks of training with Master Paul, but she was still stronger than he was.

"What do you want, Alex? Leave me alone!"

"You're acting like a brat, Seb," Lana defended her. "Alex searched half the fair to find you a good gift. If you can't be friendly to her for doing something nice, how do you expect to survive the ball?"

"By not going." He poked the pouch nonetheless, his lips parting slightly. "Are those..."

"Marbles. Glass marbles." Alex nodded, taking the shiniest one she could find out: a black one with a red core. "Look! Way shinier than those ugly things you and Fox used to craft."

One quick glance was all she got before he sighed and hid his head in his arms. "Great. Thanks."

She clenched her teeth tightly. Every muscle in her body wanted to shake him and shout that Fox was playing with the same marbles, but she couldn't tell him. She had promised King Thomas. Neither Lana nor Seb could know anything about her mission.

And maybe that was for the best too. Maybe he didn't care about her anymore, but she had to protect him from this truth. He was already close enough to breaking down, learning that Fox was living with that awful creep would push him over an edge that nobody could pull him back from.

"Since you're too manly to even look at marbles, wanna hear how I got Nick arrested?" Lana asked.

Seb let out a cold grunt. He turned around, his back pressed against the window. "It better be good."

"Oh, it's hilarious. Give me a second." She fetched the chair from behind Seb's empty desk and placed it in front of the sill. She climbed up without crinkling her dress–a true accomplishment.

"Those were thirty seconds," Seb mumbled.

Alex flung the marble at his head. "You're the worst."

The marble bounced off his hair and landed on his lap. He didn't even flinch, just grabbed it and threatened to throw it back. "No, you are."

"I should get you two arrested too if you keep acting like children. Shut up and listen." Lana sat down on the large cushion between the two of them. She recounted like nothing had happened, "So, out of the blue, Nick approached me, smelling like he had bathed in wine. He asked for a kiss."

"Yuck! Why would he wanna kiss girls?" Seb stuck out his tongue, his nose all wrinkled. "That's disgusting."

"He wanted to impress his patrol." Alex shrugged. She had no compassion for him; this wouldn't have happened if he had just joined her and Lana in the first place.

"Army men are weird, Sebby. I was just taking the mickey out of him. I didn't think George would actually put him in the dungeon, but he seemed pretty edgy. Perhaps we should ask Mama and Papa to get him out or–" The door creaked open, and in walked King Thomas, wearing a simple white cotton shirt and some brown baggy trousers. Lana giggled. "Talk of the troll and he appears in your room." 

"Huh?" He yawned widely, blinking like an owl woken up in the middle of its slumber. It seemed he had finally taken Healer Mark's advice to rest. "I heard you three making noise and wanted to hear how the fair was. Did you have fun?"

"Ye-es. We should order tea and biscuits, so I can tell you and Mama all about it. Look what I got  her..." 

While Lana blathered eagerly about the bracelet and the pancakes, Seb twirled the marble between his fingers and stared at his lap, pouting. Usually, he was the first one to claim the King's attention. Their fight must have been serious.

"Alas, Lana, no time. Your mother is preparing to meet the first guests for the ball tonight. Why don't you get ready too while I borrow Alex for a moment?" When Seb frowned, His Majesty added, "There's something she needs to discuss with the Healers tomorrow."

There went their plan to have tea together as a family, but that was alright. She had what she wanted: a private moment with the King. Ignoring the chair, she jumped off the sill. As her feet hammered the floor, the pain shot all the way to her lower abdomen. Those stupid heels; this was getting ridiculous.

"Let's go to my office." King Thomas put his arm around her. "Seb, when Lana is ready, Lady Viviane will come to prepare you. No shenanigans this time, please."

Seb let out a deep grunt. "Fine."

"And do something about that mood of yours."

"I can't promise that," he murmured.

Alex glanced over her shoulder. "You don't need to promise. You just have to do it."

While Lana laughed out loud and Seb looked at her with narrowed eyes, the King pursed his lips and hummed in approval. "Good advice."

Her cheeks grew hot, and with it, her entire face. She had just said the first thing that had come to mind. It wasn't anything special. And Seb didn't listen to her–not anymore.

The King guided her to the end of the hallway. She had heard stories from Nick that the couch in His Majesty's office was possibly the most comfortable place in the kingdom, yet when she sat down on the light green cushion, she trembled and her stomach clenched. The King was seated next to her, his elbow resting on the back pillow, his hand cupping his bad ear. This was it: her first report as a spy.

"Talk, Alex. That's why we're here."

"Right. I apologise, Your Majesty." Her heart skipped a beat, which made her even more nauseous. "It wasn't easy."

"I never said it would be." The man grimaced in pain, his attempt to turn it into a laugh a failure. Seb must have hit him hard.

"I've learnt that most traders avoid Silvermark because they can't sell their wares there. I never realised just how poor they are." She bit her lip. Speaking the words out loud would make them real; the consequences unknown. "I found a toymaker–a Silvermarker–he remembered seeing Fox, and a man who resembles him... that magician." She couldn't say his name. Not out loud.

"Where?" 

"Moondale."

King Thomas tapped his index finger on his upper lip. "Ariel keeps him where I most expect him to be, which made it the least likely of places. I don't know if that's a brilliant or a foolish move. Are you sure about your information? Anything that makes you certain that we're talking about Fox and not another redheaded boy?"

"He recalled that he was a Greenlander with a Silvermark name. The man that accompanied him was a Jade Islander." Actual bile rose up her throat. "I feel sick. He thought that man could be my uncle. I played along but... I want him dead, Your Majesty. I want him to pay for what he did to me, to all of us."

"Do you want to be the one to kill him?"

"Yes! I want it so badly. I know your brother told me that violence only leads to more violence, but he's no longer worthy of living in this world. He has to burn in the Seven Hells for all eternity. He–"

"And he will." The King placed two fingers behind his jewel and rubbed it. "But not at your hand, Alex. As your guardian, I can't allow you to do that. I'm sorry."

"Why not? It's like hunting, only the prey is human. I can save Fox."

"And then what? Where will you take him?"

"I don't know." She grew hot, sweat forming under her armpits and between her thighs. "Her Majesty is from Ice. They allow magicians too. He could live there."

"I've considered it, but it's not an option. I'm not sure where the loyalties of my in-laws truly lie." He edged closer, his warm breath stiffening her. "That's another secret. Don't tell anyone I said that–especially not Crystal."

"But what will you do to him? Fox may be a magician too, but he doesn't deserve to die." She paused, reminding herself that she was still talking to the King. "Your Majesty."

"Alex." He grinned uneasily, cocking his head. "I'm not Ariel. I don't give orders to butcher children unless I have good reason to believe they are a threat to this kingdom."

She sighed in relief. "But what will you do now? Will you tell Seb?"

"Do you think I should?"

Biting her bottom lip, she shook her head. Not today at least–Seb already had enough to deal with: injuring his uncle, the attention he would get from all those Lords and Ladies who had travelled from far and wide to attend the ball.

"Then I'm not gonna. I can't give him the news he wants to hear." He averted his gaze as he winced. "I'm glad we can have these kinds of conversations, Alex. If you're interested, I have more of these tasks lying around. They're not all that big, but I wanna train you to be my extra pair of eyes and... ears in this castle."

"Yes, I'm so interested! Thank you, Your Majesty. I won't disappoint you. It's the best gift you could give me." She was so happy, she couldn't refrain herself from wrapping her arms around him.

When he froze, she feared she had insulted him, but he returned the hug the way a father would hug his daughter. "You keep your job with the Healers, continue your classes with Lady Victoria. Once in a while, I will call you to my office or parlour to discuss your next task. Is that understood?"

"Understood."

"Very well." He let go of her. "That will be all. Go and prepare for the ball."

"Yes, Your Majesty." As she rose from the couch, she noticed she had been sitting in an uncomfortable stickiness that couldn't just be sweat. 

Her eyes were sucked to the couch where a scarlet spot the size of a gold piece tainted the green cushion. As she brushed her fingers against the back of her dress, she grew faint in the head. Moist. Her world stood still; her finger tops were covered in blood too.

"Er... ow..." King Thomas scratched his stubbly beard, his eyes widened in shock. "Is this the first time this is happening?"

"Yes," she barely managed to say. Just as the Goddess of Charity had granted her something good, her brother Greed had to take all of her happiness again.

He jumped up. "I'll fetch my wife. She'll know what to do."

"No, don't get anyone. It's not. I'm not..." She was so close to tears she could already taste their salt. "I don't wanna get married. You have to keep a secret."

"Alex, it's not the end of the world. It's–"

"You must." She ground her teeth, exhaling deep sonorous breaths. Real men didn't cry, and neither did she. She was a warrior and a spy, and she wouldn't allow womanhood to ruin it all for her. "A secret for a secret. If you don't do it, I will tell Seb about Fox! I will tell Her Majesty what you said about Ice! I will..."

"You won't," he said, his voice playful yet determined. "I'm King. It would be treason. You're overreacting, Alex. I'll go and fetch Crystal."

"Don't! I will do it. I'll tell everyone what you have told me. Sentence me to die–I don't care." The God Wrath was grabbing her by the hair and forced her to block her King. "I've already lost everything. Tell me, Your Majesty, what do you have left to lose?"

With open mouth he stared at her, anger blazing in his eyes, the veins in his neck bulging out. For lengthy seconds he remained speechless, then he pointed his finger at her. "You're good, Alex. Your father would have been proud of you. My brother too. I won't help you cover it, but my lips are sealed as long as yours are. Not a word."

"Not a word." She nodded.

Despite blood flowing out of her body, her tears disappeared along with the pain in her stomach. A strange kind of power rushed over her. His Majesty had said too much; she wasn't a silly girl anymore, but a woman who had bargained with the King and won.

On this day of the Feast of the Dead, she never felt more alive.