Six weeks into the north.

  It was my usual Thursday morning bridge battle.

  “If you have it,

  you want to share it.

  If you share it,

  you don't have it.”

  I said, not bothering to activate any particular ability as I dodged the arrow. “You could at least try to solve it. That would save us so much—”

  I ducked an axe.

  “You know what, fine.” I whipped out both arms and summoned a ball of paralysis fog from my storage. The poison would knock out anyone who inhaled it, freezing them for a solid two minutes. Pretending to cast a spell, I yelled, “Strengthen Bridge Barrier!”

  The assassins dodged being hit, but they landed and erupted in a plume of blue smoke right beside two of them.

  “What–” The catkin holding the bow keeled over right away, his companion not too far behind.

  While they were momentarily indisposed, I up the two of them and portalled us to a bridge on the eastern tip of Servalt.

  “The answer is ‘a secret’.” I told the unconscious pair, and then I left them there.

  This was getting ridiculous… so I scheduled a meeting with my King.

  …

  “What is this?” Keith pushed up his glasses to read my proposal.

  “An answer to both our problems.” I told the Dark Lord.

  Henrietta came up behind him and looked over my request. “Oh, that would work. But do we have the personnel?”

  Keith read it over a second time and then pointed to one part, “Why are you asking for six teams and not four?”

  “There are four major bridges, yes, but what about the bridge near Gren’s Keep?” I pointed out the next highest traffic path after the main road. There were two dungeons beside Gren’s Keep, and the beastman village saw a lot of foot traffic. “All of the other bridges move around and I’ll need a team to manage them.”

  “That’s reasonable.” Henrietta said, smiling. Keith’s brow pinched together.

  “If I lead a division of the Dark Horde to manage bridges, then we can better defend against all of these pests who are getting through your barrier.” I added.

  “And yet,” Keith pointed out, “If you just gave up the bridges that you aren’t able to properly manage, that would also solve my problem.”

  I knew he was going to fight this, if for no other reason then revenge for all of the trouble I’d caused. He could’ve been thankful - he wouldn’t even be alive right now if it wasn’t for me - but telling him that wouldn’t get me anywhere.

  Instead, I listed off all of the reasons I was right.

  “With a properly run bridge brigade, there will be better security against assassins and spies. We could establish a proper merchant check point system to oversee goods and wares transported through the woods. And there would be less traffic stops, because I won’t be managing the entire kingdom’s bridges by myself. And!” I stressed the last, “you will continue to receive my generous tax payments. All while I continue to maintain our roads and highway infrastructure free of charge.”

  “You have to admit love,” Henrietta picked up and played with a strand of her husband's long black hair, twirling it playfully. “It’s a good plan.”

  Keith’s eyes followed his wife’s fingers, then held up one hand to catch hers. “If you think so.”

  “I do.”

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  “Then I’ll leave it to you.” Keith shot his wife a wide, vicious grin. The Dark Lord handed over the paperwork to a surprised Henrietta, instructing, “Now that Her Eminence is back, she can hand over the queen’s seal and the master crystal. Let me know if you need any help hiring the personnel–”

  “You just don’t want to ask her yourself!” Henrietta chided, but took the paperwork and dropped a kiss on his cheek.

  His smile got wider. ‘Me?”

  Henrietta also smiled. “You’re lucky I love you.”

  “I am.”

  …

  Ever since I’d taken over the drawbridge at the Northern Fortress, I’d also had to pay for it.

  Every day, I handed him a purse of coin for the cost of the scout team that came and left from the fort. And every day, he passed it right back.

  By the end of August, I was used to the comings and goings of his people, and I immediately noticed when there was a change to the schedule.

  “Wait.” I called out, stopping in my tracks.

  Technically stopping in Julian’s tracks, since he was in the front and we were marching single file through the snow.

  The lands north of the mountain ridge were harsher than the Ice Fields near the border. Cutting winds blew up snow sideways into sweeping storms that came out of nowhere and lasted for hours. The sun was lower in the sky, its warm beams fighting the icy chill and losing. Even on the hottest days I had to wear a thick cloak to block the cold wind.

  Everyone halted, looking back at me.

  “Someone is coming to the Black Fortress.” I told them. “Someone powerful.”

  Julian looked at Visha, and the elf shook her head, “I didn’t get word of a visitor.”

  Julian frowned and grumbled a bit. “It’s probably my invitation to next month's ball.”

  The Autumn equinox was in late September, and Grand Duchess Calisto would be hosting her Fall Ball.

  I’d already acquired my invite.

  “This isn’t the best place for a bridge.” Tully piped up. “Should we dig a trench?”

  Jeffry pulled out his sword and Visha summoned her blades. At this point we were all deft hands at preparing a makeshift bridge for me. It only took around four minutes to cut a long hole in the snowy field and then lay down a bridge.

  I portalled us back to the Northern Fortress and immediately had to dodge a blast of [Void] energy. It hit Tully in the arm and the human grunted from the damage. Julian lifted a [Barrier] between us and the attacker.

  It was Alice.

  “I found you!” She said, her face a mix of exhilaration and blood thirst.

  “I see that.”

  I was actually surprised that my [Oracle] ability hadn’t shown me that she’d found me, but I’d had no Alice prophecies since the last time we’d faced each other.

  “Guild Mistress Alice,” Julian cut in, stepping forward and resting one hand on my shoulder. The other hand lifted his Royal Valarian Shield. “On behalf of the Continental Council, you are hereby under arrest for the unlawful assassination of citizen’s under Level 50, three counts of unregistered international espionage, and the harassment of one bridge troll. Come quietly.”

  Alice stared at Julian and then at me. “You didn’t…”

  “I did.” I shrugged. Why hide it. Behind us, Visha was giving Tully a health potion, John had vanished, and Pram stood ready to attack.

  “Don’t you feel guilty for ruining his chance at happily?” She asked, “Or is that why you’re helping— because he would’ve already found his dungeon if you hadn’t interfered?”

  “What’s it to you? Shouldn’t you be organizing a coup somewhere?” I said, then activated, “[Force].”

  Since she was standing on the edge of my drawbridge, I could force her off. The blast sent Alice flying, but she landed on her feet.

  Julian released my shoulder and said, “John.”

  The rogue burst out of Alice’s shadow with a set of St Veralyn’s Restraint Manacles. Unlike last time, however, Alice was prepared.

  She grabbed John’s wrist and struck a dagger in his chest. John made a gurgling sound and then fell to the ground. Even Julian’s [Divine Heal] didn’t save his friend.

  We would need to retrieve the body and resurrect it, and soon.

  “Break.” Visha said, and Jeffry activated his flight powers, launching himself into an aerial attack.

  Pram tried to cast an attack that froze its target for thirty seconds, but Alice dodged. Her racial trait as a celestial gave her angel wings, and she’d used them to fly just out of reach.

  Her voice fell over us. “Lay down your weapons. I’m your friend.”

  The charisma driven command hit me like a brick.

  Julian shook himself beside me, but Jeffry dropped to the ground and Visha lowered her blades. Tully looked like he was struggling with himself.

  Pram just pointed at Alice and shot her with a, “By sleek blades of frost, [Ice Javelin].”

  The long icicle cut Alice’s cheek as she tried to dodge. Angry eyes met mine.

  “Your friends won’t always be here to guard you.” She said, and then portalled away.

  “Yes, we will—” Julian tried to tell me something poignant, but there was no time. I grabbed Julian’s hand, and ran with him to John.

  The dagger I pulled out of his heart was coated in Belladonna poison, and so I dumped an [Antidote] and then a [Resurrect] potion down his throat.

  Julian helped the man to stand and told him he had the rest of the day off.

  Then he gave everyone the day off.

  Except for me.

  “Gerda, we have to talk.”

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