The plan hadn't even been put into action yet, but Aaric was already doubting it.

Malrick had collapsed onto his bed as soon as they finished discussing it, mumbling, "There's still four hours, so let me sleep." Lina had wanted to stop him, arguing that they needed to be fresh and alert, but Aaric knew better than anyone what sleep deprivation felt like. So, he stopped her.

With nothing to do but wait, Aaric rummaged through a closet and found a chessboard with all its pieces intact. He challenged Lira to a match, expecting an easy win—but how wrong he was. She buried him alive, crushing him with a score of five to one.

Eventually, the time to strike came. Aaric shook Malrick awake, but the man only groaned and sat up groggily. Aaric was about to give him a harder shake when Lina beat him to it, slapping Malrick across the face. Aaric took a step back, deciding then and there that he would never sleep in late while traveling with them.

Malrick, now fully awake, scowled at Lina. "If I didn't know better, I'd think a bull had slapped me."

Lina chuckled. "Yeah, I've heard that before. Now hurry, we don't have much time."

Aaric opened the door, glancing down the hallway. "Come on, let's go. The guards should be leaving by now."

Malrick and Lina nodded, slipping quietly out of the room. Aaric followed, shutting the door behind them.

They crept toward the prison cells, moving silently past the Master General's quarters until they reached the stairs. Aaric halted and whispered, "I'll go down first. If there are any guards, I'll use my title to talk my way out of trouble. If it's clear, I'll whistle."

Before the other two could argue or agree, he descended the steps.

The dungeons were even worse at night. There had to be an opening somewhere, because the cold was bone-deep. Aaric glanced around. No guards—just the poor souls rotting in their cells. He stiffened. He knew his kingdom was rough on prisoners, but he had never realized it was this bad. He would deal with it later. Right now, he had a job to do. He whistled softly to signal the others.

Seconds later, Malrick and Lina joined him.

As they made their way toward the cell where the prisoner was supposed to be, Malrick muttered, "So, Lina, as another 'guest' of the English, what do you think of this place? I, for one, am thoroughly disgusted. No offense, Aaric."

"None taken," Aaric said. "I'm disgusted too."

Lina scoffed. "If you think this is bad, you haven't seen our prisons yet. This is mercy compared to those."

Malrick was about to respond, but Aaric shushed him. They had arrived.

Something was wrong.

The Muscovite prisoner wasn't there.

Instead, a woman was chained to the wall. She looked to be in her early twenties, her blonde hair clumped and messy, her body weak and bruised. Scars marred her skin, evidence of her suffering. Yet despite her exhaustion, her amber eyes met Aaric's with a hardened glare—eyes that had seen too much.

And, most confusing of all, she was actually Prussian.

Malrick was the first to state the obvious. "That is not the prisoner."

Lina let out a mock gasp. "Gee, really? What gave it away? Was it the hair? Or the fact that she's the opposite gender?"

Aaric shook his head. Now was not the time for sarcasm. He took a careful step forward and asked in a calm voice, "Who are you? Why are you down here?"

The woman's gaze snapped to him. She studied him for a moment before replying in a weak but defiant voice.

"My name is Karoline. As for why I'm here—I don't know. You tell me, you Schurke Ritter. I was sent by my king to discuss the renewal of a treaty with yours, and the next thing I knew, I was dragged down here."

Yeah, she was definitely Prussian. If the accent didn't give it away, the language did.

Lina raised an eyebrow. "Sheesh, you do not want me to translate that."

Malrick glanced at her. "You speak Prussian?"

Lina rolled her eyes. "Obviously. We've had so many wars with them and have signed so many treaties, it's practically a necessity at this point."

Aaric sighed. "There must have been a mistake. There was supposed to be a Muscovite prisoner here."

Karoline's expression twisted with fear. "Muscovite? Oh, you mean him—no, no, no! Is he here? Keep him away!"

Malrick raised his hands. "Whoa, whoa, lady, calm down. He's not here. It's just us three. I'm Malrick, this is Lina, and the 'Shuriken Rita' or whatever you called him is Aaric."

Karoline seemed to relax slightly. She turned to Lina, eyes narrowing. "You're that woman from the Winged Hussars."

Lina crossed her arms. "Yeah, that's me. Now calm down and tell us how you got here."

Karoline took a deep breath before launching into her story. "A few weeks ago, my king sent me to renew a treaty with King Henry. But as soon as I entered the city, the guards surrounded me. They separated me from my mount, tied me up, and dragged me before Princess Sophia—who, for some reason, was sitting on the throne. She accused me of murder but didn't say who or what, then threw me down here. I've been at the mercy of the inquisitors ever since."

Silence followed as the three processed her words.

Malrick was the first to speak. "We've been lied to. That's the only explanation." He turned to Karoline. "Don't worry, missy, we'll get you out of here."

Lina stopped him. "Hold on. We can't just free her."

Malrick frowned. "Why not? Clearly, she's been falsely accused. And I'm a sheriff. It's my job to protect the innocent."

Lina groaned. "Oh, please. Save the 'holier-than-thou' act for someone else. You're not a sheriff here. There are none on this side of the planet."

Aaric considered both points before saying, "She's right, sheriffs have no authority here. But knights do. And as a knight, I say we free her."

Lina scowled. "But we don't know the whole story! What if she's lying? Maybe your queen is guilty, Aaric, but I've known Queen Anya since we were children, and she would never stand for this. Let me talk to her first. We'll do this the proper way."

Aaric opened his mouth to argue, then hesitated. She had a point. Having a monarch's support would make this far easier.

"Fine," he relented. "But we're going to her right now."

Lina sighed but nodded. "Alright. Follow me—I know where her quarters are."

They were about to leave when Karoline suddenly cried, "No, wait! Don't leave me! What if he comes back? Get me out of here!"

She was terrified—whoever "he" was, she feared him deeply. And weeks of isolation likely hadn't helped.

Malrick seemed to realize this too. "Alright, missy, don't worry. I'll stay right here until these two get back."

Lina hesitated. "What if the guards come?"

Malrick smirked. "Well, if I get arrested, then you can break both of us out with your queen's help. Now go!"

Aaric nodded. "He's right. Come on, Lina."

She hesitated a second longer before hurrying toward the stairs.

Aaric turned to Malrick. "Try not to get yourself killed."

Malrick nodded and so Aaric quickly rushed after Lina.

They quickly climbed the stairs and moved through the corridors once more. As they approached the closed door to the Master General's chamber, Lina slowed her pace, not wanting to alert Sir Oswald. Aaric followed suit, both of them creeping silently through the hallway.

Just as they neared the door, a voice from within made Aaric freeze in place. It was Queen Sophia.

"...And now my brother has escaped to Scotland, and my younger sister to Ireland. I'd bet they're the reason those nations are rebelling against English rule. Blast it all! Sir Oswald, please tell me you had better luck with the champions."

Oswald's thick Scottish accent floated through the door. "Unfortunately not, Yer Majesty. The plan was a bloody disaster. If anythin', the lads are even more suspicious o' us now."

Lina turned to Aaric, clearly annoyed that he had stopped. Aaric, however, pointed toward the door and then to his ear, signaling that he was listening in. She rolled her eyes but crept back toward him, curiosity getting the better of her. Then they both froze at what they heard next.

Queen Sophia sighed in exasperation. "Of course they are. Nothing ever goes well, does it? Well, if worse comes to worst, we can stage 'accidents' for both Malrick and Aaric. The people back in Dixie won't care—not if we bribe them properly. As for Lina, she's yours, Anya. What do you suggest?"

A cold, familiar voice responded—Queen Anya. "Lina is too much of a do-gooder to be kept alive. I've known her since childhood. She's going to be a liability. If worse comes to worst, I'll kill her myself."

Lina had to slap a hand over her mouth to stifle a gasp. Pain filled her eyes, betrayal written across her face. Even Aaric was too stunned to speak. What in the world was happening here? He turned to look at Lina, whose expression had shifted from grief to pure rage—she looked ready to burst through the door and demand answers.

Aaric was about to whisper a warning to retreat when Sir Oswald's voice broke the silence.

"While ye both make decent points, Yer Majesties, I'll have tae play the devil's advocate here. We've already spread the news that the three champions are gatherin' here. Surely, the world'll be in an uproar if they die, whether they know the truth or not, and if the assassins we sent to Prussia to kill the king fail...."

Queen Sophia scoffed. "Oh, please. The people of this world are willfully ignorant. They got over me killing my father and my siblings escaping, didn't they? Even if they don't know the truth like they didn't before, they'll get over the champions' deaths just the same."

Aaric barely held back a gasp, his world tilting with every word. Queen Sophia had killed her own father? Her siblings had fled to Ireland and Scotland? And now they had sent assassins after the King of Prussia? His mind reeled.

Oswald's voice came again. "Aye, as ye say, My Queen. Now, if ye'll excuse me fer interruptin', let's get back tae war plans. We've still heard nothin' from the assassins we sent after the Prussian King and like I just said we cant afford for them to fail..."

Aaric wanted to stay, to hear more, but Lina had other plans. She grabbed his arm and yanked him away, whispering, "Let's go back. We'll discuss it there."

Seeing no other option, Aaric nodded and followed her back.

They walked in silence, their minds racing as the new revelations tilted their world upside down.

Eventually they reached the stairs and descended into the dungeon. Malrick had already freed Karoline from her shackles and was answering her many questions when they returned. As they approached, he looked up and asked, "Good, you're back. Did Queen Anya listen? Is Karoline free?" 

None of them said anything. Malrick immediately sensed something was off and asked, "What happened? Is something wrong?"

Aaric was the first to reply. "We were right—it was all a lie. Just not at the level we imagined. Queen Sophia had her father killed. Prince Charles and Princess Elizabeth, her younger siblings, have escaped to Scotland and Ireland. Queen Anya and Sir Oswald are in on the plan. They sent assassins after the Prussian king, and they said they'd kill us if they suspected we knew too much."

Silence fell again. Malrick's jaw dropped, and his eyes widened in shock and fear.

Lina wiped away a few tears before speaking. "And to think... I thought of Anya as an old friend." She cleared her throat, collecting herself and then continued, "I don't know about the rest of you, but I see our path clearly." She nodded toward Karoline, who had been listening intently, and said, "We follow their plan and use their route to Prussia. That way, they won't suspect that we know anything. But what they won't expect is the slight change in our plan—we take Karoline with us. She can help us enter Prussia unharmed, reach the king, and warn him about Queen Sophia and Anya's plot. From there, we can work to stop them."

Malrick opened his mouth to argue. "But why not go directly? I understand taking Karoline—she told me she's the head of one of their special fighting squadrons and an advisor to the Prussian king—but why take the long route?"

Aaric answered, "Because if we go directly, we'll confirm the queens' fears and give them time to prepare. If we follow their intended route, by the time they realize something's wrong, it'll be too late. I agree with Lina, but we need to leave right now."

He extended a hand to Karoline to help her up. She accepted it and met his gaze. "I'll help you," she said, and then added, "but only if you help me, Knight." Aaric nodded and said "Likewise, we'll get you to Prussia as long as you secure us an audience with your king".

Malrick sighed. "Alright, fine. I agree. Let's go."

They crept up the stairs and hurried back to their quarters—just in time, as Aaric heard footsteps descending into the dungeons. Were they guards? Royals? Whatever the case, they had limited time before someone sounded the alarm.

Reaching their quarters, they quickly entered, shutting and locking the door behind them. Aaric noticed Karoline staring in awe at their dinosaurs.

"Don't worry, they don't bite," he assured her. "They're our way out of here."

Karoline nodded. "I also have my mount—Kruger. He's a Therizinosaurus. Last I heard, they had him in the stables. I need to get him before we leave."

Malrick frowned. "That's going to be inconvenient. Unless... wait. Give me an estimate of how much Kruger weighs."

Karoline thought for a moment. "Well, I was told they've been deliberately malnourishing him, so his weight is lower than usual... I'd say about 4,000 kilograms, give or take a few hundred."

Malrick nodded. "Zephyr—my Hatzegopteryx—could carry him for a short time. It'll be easier to fly him out."

He turned to Aaric. "You know England better than any of us. Where should we meet up?"

Aaric hesitated, then sighed. "I don't like splitting up, but I don't think we have a choice. There's a small village towards the south that's about two hours away on foot. By air, it'll take you about forty minutes. We'll regroup there."

Lina crossed her arms. "As much as I hate it, Aaric has a point. I've been to the stables multiple times, and they're usually empty around this time. If you go now, you'll have a chance, as long as you dont make too much sound."

Malrick nodded and quickly woke Zephyr. Aaric rushed to open the dinosaur gate that led to the training grounds. Malrick was about to mount his pterosaur when Karoline stopped him. She took out a lump of her own hair that must've fallen off due to malnutrition and gave it to him.

"Kruger won't trust you easily," she explained. "Therizinos are naturally distrustful. Make him smell this so he knows you can be trusted."

Malrick pocketed the hair and nodded "Don't worry, missy. Kruger will be safe and in one piece when next we meet."

With that, he mounted Zephyr. "See you all soon! Good luck!" He guided Zephyr outside, and moments later, the great pterosaur silently lifted off into the night.

Aaric quickly moved to wake Neptune. The dinosaur groaned and snapped at him, clearly irritated. Aaric dodged his teeth. "It's an emergency, boy. We have to go. Now."

That got Neptune's attention. He grunted and stretched before finally getting up. Aaric mounted him, then turned to see Lina scribbling a note.

She finished writing, set it on the table, and mounted Nyra, who was already awake. "It's just to let them know we left tonight for efficiency's sake. Don't worry—I didn't leave any sign that we know what they're up to."

Aaric nodded. "Good thinking. Hopefully, it'll buy us some time."

Karoline glanced between them. "Who am I traveling with until we meet up with the cowboy and my Theri?"

Lina chuckled. "He's a sheriff, not a cowboy. And since Nyra can only carry one passenger, you'll have to ride with Aaric and Neptune."

Aaric sighed. "Alright. Good thing Neptune's saddle is big enough for two—though he might not like the extra weight."

Neptune turned and glared at Karoline, but she met his stare without flinching. The two locked eyes for a solid fifteen seconds before Neptune let out a disgruntled groan and lowered himself, allowing Karoline to mount.

Aaric offered his hand to help her up. She accepted, quickly hauling herself into the saddle and grabbing his shoulders for support.

"Alright," Aaric said, "if everyone's ready, let's move out."

Lina nudged Nyra forward. "Hiyah, girl! Let's go!" Aaric said to Neptune "Alright boy, follow that Ostrommaysi!"

Neptune snorted as if to say, This is the only time I'm following another dinosaur. But he started moving all the same.

Aaric exhaled a breath he didn't even know he was holding. This was shaping up to be one weird adventure.