Waiting for Kings was not something I was accustomed to. In truth, I had never before been in a position to conduct any business at all with a King. I had been stunned to find the gates actually opened to us when my party had ridden up to them and the Vyndolian princess had declared her identity with all the undeserved arrogance of royalty. The guards had been shocked and had taken their time in deciding whether or not to allow us in before deciding that they were more likely to be reprimanded for not letting the long-lost princess in than if they would and we passed through without further question. Only to find out patience tested as we waited for the King of Etzera to grace us with his presence.

As agitated as I felt, I knew my men felt it more. It was not just the waiting or the anxiety associated with an audience with the King. It was the girl as well. She had been riding with us for a fortnight to reach Etzera and she was on everyone's last nerves, particularly Hawk as she seemed to have taken an interest in him.

The princess had spent the better part of two weeks complaining about every aspect of living outdoors. Her slippers were muddy, her feet hurt, the bugs were biting, her hair was a mess. On and on it had went until a week in, Hawk had snapped and suggested she return to her captivity if she hated the travel so much. She had crossed her arms and stomped away and refused to speak a word to any of us until I had firmly reminded her of all we were doing for her. Etzera had never been in our plans and nor had she, but still we journeyed for weeks and miles to bring her to this place of refuge. After that, the complaining had ceased. Unfortunately, it turned to nonstop chatter and, after four days now of the endless talking, we were all ready to be rid of her. So, as it was, our patience was already worn razor thin and this king was surely testing it.

"How long are we to be expected to-"

Calder did not get to finish his sentence. He was interrupted by the sudden loud noise of an overly heavy door opening at the back of the chamber. Finally, a man entered. He was older, perhaps middle aged, with short cropped salt and pepper hair and matching beard and mustache. He was dressed in full plate and armed with a gleaming longsword at his hip. His experienced eyes travelled over each of us in turn, lingering in examination upon me as I was forefront and clearly the leader. He did not speak so I did.

"I was under the impression that the King was much younger."

"He is," the man spoke with a rough, low voice and the hint of a smirk upon his lips. "He is also away at battle. The princess will be receiving you."

"With all due respect, Captain," I said, noting the symbol upon his breast. He raised his chin, clearly impressed by my observational capacity. "I've had my fill of princesses as of late."

"We are quite the tiresome breed," a softer, more feminine voice spoke from behind me and I whirled to see the most beautiful woman I had ever seen standing in the doorway behind us.

She was smiling a pleasant court smile and her auburn hair tumbled in waves over her strong shoulders. My eyes followed the length of her deep purple gown, lingering in areas in a way that might have me beheaded. I could not help the smirk that spread upon my lips as she glided into the room, keen green eyes upon us as she passed, and I realized my men were all bowing.

"Rise," she spoke and they did. "You have no need to bow to me until I know who you are."

"Princess-" I began.

"Adelaide," someone else spoke and I turned to see the Vyndolian princess stepping forward. She gazed up at the Etzerian princess in awe, as if seeing for the first time what a true princess should look like. "We have never met. Though we were supposed to on the day that your family... I am sorry for your loss."

"As I am sorry for yours," the Princess responded, staring down at the girl with us. "Princess Madelyn? Of Vyndoli?"

The girl broke into a smile, tears of joy forming in her eyes and rolling down her pink cheeks. "I am. These brave men have brought me here upon my request. They rescued me from my captivity at Mardenall and have brought me all the way to Etzera so that I may seek refuge here. With your brother."

The other princess nodded in understanding and smiled at the girl, though I could tell it was not genuine, as she turned to a servant nearby and spoke. "Edith. Take Princess Madelyn to the hall and find her something to eat while you prepare her rooms. And ensure they are fit for a princess."

"Yes, Princess," the servant bowed and gave a nod to the Vyndolian girl who scurried after her out of the throne room. Then Princess Adelaide turned to us.

"Thank you," she said, clasping her hands together in front of her. "You have been a great service to your country. You are Vyndolians, yes?"

My men's mouths dropped open as my own fell into a smile. She was a shrewd one.

"There was talk of a reward," I said easily, unable to hide my smirk. My men's heads all snapped to me in shock at how I had spoken to the princess but, when her gaze met mine, I saw amusement there.

"For bringing me another mouth to feed in the midst of war?" She asked, quirking her lovely eyebrows.

"For bringing you a princess."

"A princess with no country becomes a girl with no title. She will be safe here if I have anything to say about it. But my brother will not marry her."

"She said there was an agreement."

"It was never signed."

"Why not?"

At that, I saw the first crack in her facade. Her smile faltered but only for a second. Then she was clearing her throat and gesturing. "You wear the leather of the Rirdans but you are Vyndoli. Why?"

"How did you know we were Vyndoli?"

"The accents. The leather?"

"Easier to blend in. We can travel through the country unnoticed this way."

"Princess Madelyn said that she was being held at Mardenall. How did you get her out?"

At this, I paused, narrowing my eyes at the beautiful princess in examination, considering how much I would tell her, and knowing that the moment we left this throne room, my men would be asking me where we were headed next. I needed a plan, one that would, hopefully, have a higher chance of success than my last one.

"We snuck into the fortress in the dead of night," I told her, doing my best to sound casual, even shrugging a shoulder as I said it. Her gaze narrowed as well and I knew we were locked into a chess match of which she had far better training for.

"To rescue the princess?" She asked, eyebrow quirked in disbelief. "You're quite the patriots, aren't you?"

"We did not know the princess was being held inside. We did not even know she was alive. The whole country was told she perished with the rest of the royal family."

"So why were you there?"

"To kill the man who holds the fort."

A silence descended upon the throne room. The Captain shifted on his feet, hands sliding back just a bit, almost imperceptibly, toward his sword. My men were watching me, I could feel their eyes upon my back, wondering how far I was going to take this, how much I was going to tell her. She was watching me as well, her piercing eyes boring into mine, probing, questioning. She was wondering if I was telling her the truth and, if so, why. Perhaps my men were wondering the same.

"Who?" She asked finally.

"Etel Albo," I heard the disgust in my own voice as I spoke his name. She nodded slowly, taking note of my tone as I had. I confessed. "He and I have a history."

"I see. And who are you?"

"My name is Tyne, my Lady."

The Captain went stiff at that, his lips falling to a frown. He leaned over and whispered something into his princess' ear. Her eyes remained on mine as he spoke to her. I waited, tapping my boot on the marble as I did.

"Tyne," she repeated slowly and I hated how much I enjoyed her gorgeous lips saying my name. I repressed my smile. "Of Vyndoli. I have heard of you. Or, rather, my brother has."

"Has he? I wasn't aware that news of my activities had reached Etzera."

"Rest assured, if the news has anything to do with the killing of Rirdans, my brother has heard of it and he is pleased with it. He is defending our borders from the brutes at this very moment."

"I have heard that the Etzerans hate the Rirdans as much as the Vyndoli. Is that true?"

"I imagine so."

"In that case, I have a proposition for... your brother," I smiled and took a step forward but, the moment I did, the guards surrounding us stepped forward as well, all of their metal armor clanging in unison as they moved to defend their princess. I held my hands up in mock surrender and returned to my previous position, noting how she smiled at the loyalty of her men. I glanced back at my own men. They were watching me guarded, suspicious, wondering what I was about to offer.

"Do you wish to wait for him to return to make your proposition?"

"I can always make it again. I imagine hearing it from you would mean more to him than the words from my lips."

"Very well. Proceed."

"Your brother fights to keep Etzera from falling to Rirdanta similarly to how Vyndoli did. In the future, he may wish for more than simple defense of his borders. It may help to have a man on his side who knows how the Rirdans fight, how they plan battles."

"Are you claiming to be that man?"

"I was stolen from my farm at ten years old and sold into slavery in Kazmer. I worked in their mines for nearly a year before I was traded to an old Rirdantan general. He taught me everything about their way of life, trained me in their art of battle, introduced me to highly ranked military officials. Then they came and murdered him in his own house, tried to force me to return to Etel Albo, to join their army as a warrior. But I turned against them, created my own much smaller army, and spent two years destroying them every chance I got. I know them. How they think, how they eat, sleep, and breathe. I know them as well as I know myself, better than I know the Vyndoli. If your brother wants assured victory, I have the knowledge to grant him that."

"And what would you ask in return?"

"Vengeance," I answered with a smile. "When the time should come, I request your brother's aid in conquering the two men who stole my life from me. Etel Albo, who stole my past. And Benko Matis, who stole my future."

She watched me for a moment, lips pursed in thought, as her eyes roved over me in appraisal. I did not dare guess at what she was thinking. She was the sort of woman who had been raised to school her features so that they betrayed no hint of her inner thoughts, feelings, or emotions. But still I felt as though I could watch her, trying to figure it out, every day without tiring.

"It is an interesting proposition," she admitted suddenly. "And one that my brother will likely be very intrigued to hear. You should tell him yourself. When he returns. There is an inn not far outside of the palace. They will have rooms there. I will send word when my brother has returned and you can come to request an audience with him. I am sure he will take your offer quite seriously indeed, Tyne of Vyndoli."

With that, she was sweeping from the room, her skirts trailing after her. I watched her go, wondering if the fragrant aroma in the air was from her and how closely she had passed by me. Her Captain followed her out, glaring back at us as if in some sort of warning as he went, and his guards followed them so that my men and I were the only ones remaining in the palace. I looked at my three most loyal men, grateful that we had left the remainder of our party in the alehouse outside of the palace. It would have been more difficult to appear friendly with a veritable army at my side. And I doubted they would have let us speak as freely as they had.

"Do you realize what you have just offered?" Wells asked the moment the doors were shut behind them.

"Of course he does," Calder snapped.

"I mean, you've promised service to the King. The Etzerian King. I'm told these people take their military contracts very seriously. He will make you agree to a year of service, at least, and we will be fighting his battles for him whether we agree with them or not."

"I promised my service," I told them all, making eye contact with each of them. "Not yours. I will not blame you for not wanting to serve a King that is not your own. I will harbor no ill will against you should you decide to leave. But Etel Albo has a fortress and we do not even know where Benko is."

"We broke into his fortress once before," Hawk pointed out.

"Exactly," I answered. "And we stole a princess. By now, he will have realized her disappearance and will have locked down the fort far better than it was before. The likelihood of us being able to sneak in the way we did the first time and to actually find him among a heightened guard... we will not get that chance again."

They frowned, glancing at one another.

"King Acton has heard of me," I told them. "He knows my name and what I have done. If he knows of a farm boy turned slave from nowhere, he must know of the Rirdan leadership. He may know where Benko Matis is. This agreement is my best chance at getting my revenge and fighting the Rirdan all the while."

They watched me carefully, nodding slowly in understanding.

"But this does not concern you, any of you. I would not dare to make promises on your behalf. So, if you choose to leave, you should do so tonight."

They glanced at one another again but Hawk was the one who spoke. "We are your men, Tyne, dedicated to you for the good you have done. If you wish to serve Etzera, so will we."

I felt a swell of appreciation for my men at his words. I moved forward and clapped him on the back, then Calder and Wells as they all smiled broadly and slapped me back.

"Come," I said as I made my way toward the door. "I could use a strong drink after such a day."

They muttered their agreement and followed me from the palace, whistling at servant girls and jostling each other in jest as we went. I noticed the guards on every corner and wondered how many men the King of Etzera had under his control. Surely, it was a remarkable number if this many remained just to guard the palace. None of them so much as moved as we passed. Only the ones manning the gate gave us a nod of farewell as well passed through into the city on the other side of the palace walls.

It was much livelier here. As it grew dark, men grew louder. I paused to right a man who had stumbled out of a whorehouse and directly into me. I spun him around and sent him back to the woman who was calling for him, hanging half out of a window on the second story, breasts spilling from her bodice.

"There you are, Wells," Hawk teased, slapping the youngest on the back and giving him a shake. "Seen your first pair of breasts this evening then."

Calder snorted. Wells turned bright red and I smiled at the humor.

"I've seen breasts before," Wells snapped. "Lots of them."

"Aye? Whose? And Fat Tommy's don't count," Calder joked and Hawk bellowed a laugh as the tips of Wells' ears turned crimson.

"You think Etzerian breasts are any lovelier than Vyndolian?" Hawk inquired bawdily.

"I've never seen a pair I'd turn away if that's what you're asking," Calder responded and they burst into a fit of laughter again as we reached the tavern and pushed our way inside. It was crowded within but we found a few of our own men seated at a table near the back. Orman and Pell occupied the bench though Pell was thoroughly unconscious by the time we settled in and Orman was far too distracted by the maiden on his lap. I ordered a round and sipped my ale when it was set in front of me.

"What do you think of him?" Hawk asked as he took a sip of his own. "This King Acton?"

"I've never met him," I answered. "And haven't heard much besides. I know he's young. But they say he has his father's wisdom. Though I can't see how wise a fifteen-year-old boy could possibly be."

"I'd say fairly so if he listens to his sister," Calder added in.

"Oh, aye. She seemed a right smart one, didn't she?" Hawk said.

"Had us figured out before we said a word, it seemed like."

"Knew we were Vyndoli by the way we talked."

"And had quite the effect on our fearless leader as well," Wells chimed in, smiling over the rim of his cup. I turned to face him, not returning the smirk, and his smile faltered at the intensity of my gaze.

"I noticed that as well," Hawk agreed, grinning like a fool.

"How am I supposed to look at a beautiful woman?" I asked.

"Not like a man starved," Calder answered and they all burst into laughter again. I could not help but smile along as I shook my head at being the butt of their joke and sipped my ale again.

"Pardon me, gentlemen," Someone spoke and we looked up to see a man of unimpressive stature but with the sort of physical appearance that women always swooned over. He had dark blonde, curly hair and bright blue eyes and his cheekbones were set high upon his angular face. He seemed to be more of something an artist would carve from marble than a man and the sword at his hip looked utterly ridiculous as there was no way that this man had been to battle a day in his life. I set down my ale and regarded him with suspicion. He swayed a bit on his feet and smiled a bit too broad. Tipsy then. And a noble by the looks of his fine cloak and porcelain skin. He continued. "I could not help but overhear you speaking of our dear princess."

"Your princess," Calder grunted. "We're Vyndolish."

"Truly? How remarkable. What finds you so far north?"

Wells opened his mouth to speak but I slammed a fist onto the table to silence him.

"Who are you?" I asked, eyes narrowed at the strange drunkard.

"My name is Lord Keyon Redford. My father owns a vast holding in the west but I have been called to court," he told me.

"Why aren't you there?"

"The city is far more fun than the palace," Keyon said with a smile. "Wouldn't you think? Having just come from there yourselves?"

"Were you following us?" Calder snapped. Keyon held up a hand and shook his head.

"No. But, as the princess so rarely leaves the confines of the castle these days, I reasoned you must have journeyed within the palace walls to speak with her as you claim to have done," he explained and his smile grew when we said nothing in return. "You are new to Etzera and, if my guess is correct, new to royalty as well. Might I offer you a few humble pointers? Perhaps my years at court may serve some purpose after all."

I said nothing, only narrowed my eyes. He took it as permission to continue.

"First, know the important players. If you're going to play the game of court, knowledge must be your weapon. What do you know of the King? The Princess?"

We exchanged a glance. He watched and sighed, taking that to mean we knew little to nothing about the royal family. It was true.

"I'll start with the princess. She's the more interesting of the two. Princess Adelaide Altham watched four members of her family murdered before her very eyes when she was only eight years old. Their carriage was overrun by Rirdan marauders on their way to Vyndoli. Her mother, father, older brother, and twin sister all perished. Only she survived. They say Captain Ridley found her hiding in a tree. After that, her grandparents ruled Etzera until Acton, who had been left at home during the attack, came of age. They kept the children hidden, unsure of who they could trust, and she was nearly entirely out of the public eye for ten years. Until she turned eighteen and made her public debut, of all places, in battle."

"Battle?" I heard myself ask, surprised.

"Have you ever heard of the Battle of the Brink?" Keyon asked, leaning toward me and smiling. I thought that perhaps I had heard of it at some point and so I nodded. "She led it. I know a soldier who fought in that battle, one of my oldest friends, and he claims she fought so valiantly that, with her face hidden beneath her helm, they thought her to be a man. Then, at the end of it all, with her army victorious, she threw off her helm and gave a rousing speech that the men present there still recall to this day. It's one of the finer victories in Etzerian history and it was won by an eighteen-year-old princess."

I found it difficult to mask my shock and saw it reflected on the faces of each of my men. I could see the respect for the Etzerian princess growing there in their expressions.

"To this day, some say there are more men loyal to the princess than the King. Though Acton has his own ways of drumming up loyalty. I've seen the boy in action. He has no truer friend than cold, hard logic. It's as if he's always four steps ahead of the enemy. But, sharp mind he may be, he's no warrior. Fighting has never been his strength. That lies in strategy."

"Then why is he the one off to battle while his sister sits his throne?" I asked. Keyon sighed at that.

"I begged him to stay," he admitted, staring into his cup at the dregs of his ale for a few moments before tilting it back and downing it all in a single gulp. He wiped the excess away with a sleeve and turned back to us. "But men are stubborn and Kings are worse."

I exchanged glances with my men and then placed my hand on the table. "Well, it was nice meeting you, Lord Redford, and perhaps we will be seeing each other again. But my men are tired from our journey and there are preparations to be made so if you don't mind-"

"Of course," he waved a hand dismissively as the barkeep placed another cup in his other hand. I moved toward the door, my men following close behind, as I heard the Lord belch from the bar as he finished. "Until we meet again, Tyne of Vyndoli."

I froze, every muscle in my back rigid. Perhaps the King was not the only noble keeping tabs on the events in Vyndoli.