Once I was fully recovered, I continued training with Nia. After seeing how injured I became, she focused on strength training. Lifting heavy sacks of seeds, practicing hand-to-hand combat, climbing trees, it was tough. But I didn’t mind. All the extra work kept my mind off Zadona and Despoina. If only for a little bit.

  We ran around town, Nia easily keeping pace beside me. As soon as I began to slow down, she would grab the back of my shirt and throw me forward. Sweat dripped from every part of my body. My muscles felt like they were on fire. While I was dying, Nia seemed to be completely at ease, almost bored.

  Most of the people were used to her presence by now. I still didn’t know what happened between Nia and her parents that caused her to leave Adelbern. As far as I knew, she wasn’t even considered an official member of the royal family anymore. A shame, as I would have liked to exploit that to take down Trafford.

  “We’ll stop after the next block,” she said, repeating herself for the fourth time.

  After my fight, she’d begun wearing her otter pendant more often. It bounced against her chest as she ran. Greenspring asked her about it at dinner, but she’d ignored him. She ignored everyone who asked. No matter how hard she tried to hide her pain, I could see it clearly on her face.

  When we finally made it back to the mansion, I collapsed onto the closest chair in the entrance hall. Nia left to grab a few pitchers of water, leaving me alone. I hated working out. You would think working on a farm for years would prepare me for physical exercise, but no.

  The doors to the mansion slammed open. A very disheveled Richard ran in, frantically looking around until his eyes fell upon me. Clutched in his right hand was a white envelope sealed with wax. I didn’t recognize the emblem on the seal, eight thin strings surrounded by a thick circle. It wasn’t related to the Lawmaker’s Assembly, nor was it King Eero’s seal, a sea bird flying over a crown.

  “Where are your friends?” asked Richard, looking like a madman. For the first time since I met him, his hair wasn’t properly groomed. It looked like he woke up and ran over here.

  I gestured with my head toward the kitchen. “Nia’s getting me some water. I don’t know where—”

  Richard raced toward the kitchen, his shoes squeaking with every step. Curious, I followed. In the kitchen, Richard was catching his breath as Nia held two large water pitchers. Nia stared at Richard, confused. The two of us exchanged an uneasy look as Richard took a deep breath.

  “Princess… Blackhorn… you have been… summoned,” said Richard.

  “By who?” asked Nia, setting the pitchers on a nearby counter. She reached up and squeezed her otter pendant nervously.

  “Trafford requests your presence, as well as the presence of your druid companion.”

  There was a brief moment of silence. “Why?” asked Nia.

  Richard nervously fixed his clothes. “I wasn’t privy to such information, my apologies.”

  “And he couldn’t come here to see me because…?”

  “Trafford is a very busy man,” said Richard, watching as Nia grabbed herself a glass cup. “If you would be so kind to see him, Princess, I’m sure he would—”

  “No, I don’t think I will,” replied Nia. “Would you like me to pour you a glass as well, Norman?”

  “Ah, sure, thanks Nia,” I answered. “Are you sure it’s a good idea to—”

  “Ignore Trafford? Probably not, but I don’t really care. I don’t answer to pests.”

  Richard nervously laughed as he grabbed my shoulder and pulled me to the side. His grip was like iron, a sharp contrast to his average looking body. I wondered how strong he really was? Or maybe it felt like a strong grip because I was tired. Either way, it wasn’t like I resisted. If he asked me to talk, I would have gone with him.

  “Help me convince your friends to see Trafford,” begged Richard, his face covered in a light sheen of sweat.

  “Why?”

  He groaned. “Why must you all make this so difficult? Have you learned nothing in the few weeks you’ve been here? He controls everything! Disobeying a direct order will only bring you pain and suffering. And don’t say he doesn’t control you, he does. You just don’t know it yet.”

  “Calm down, Richard. I understand where you’re coming from, but all of that isn’t going to matter to Nia and Greenspring. They operate on different rules from the rest of us.”

  Nia stared at us while she sipped her ice cold water. Richard shook his head. “Trafford doesn’t see it that way. If they don’t come, he’ll take his anger out on me first.”

  I sighed. “Nia, let’s go round up Greenspring and hear what they have to say.”

  Hope filled Richard’s eyes as he turned to look at Nia. She had an irritated expression on her face, no doubt hiding the true anger she felt underneath. “Fine, but I’m taking my axe.”

  “You can’t—” Richard started to say.

  Nia didn’t look back as she left the room. “Don’t care.”

  “Why don’t you go let Trafford know we’re on our way,” I said to Richard, holding back my laughter.

  “Right.” He hurried out of the room.

  I found Nia in the hallway outside her room, fiddling with the leather handle of her axe. Her brow furrowed as she rewrapped the leather straps, swearing as her shaking hands failed her. As I got closer, she stiffened, then quickly finished repairing her handle. Standing up straight, she examined me quickly.

  “I don’t want to go.”

  “I know,” I replied.

  She gestured to her axe. “It broke.”

  Nodding, I knocked on Greenspring’s door. “Nia, why did you leave Adelbern?”

  She didn’t answer me. If she didn’t want to talk about it, especially since it clearly bothered her, I would let it go. For now. My curiosity could only be held back for so long.

  “My father,” said Nia, squeezing her otter pendant with her free hand.

  “He’s the king, right?” I asked, delighted that she was going to finally talk about it.

  She looked up at the ceiling. “For as long as I’ve known him.”

  Greenspring opened his door, a jubilant expression on his face. “Was that a joke, Princess Blackhorn?”

  Nia glared at him. “My name is Nia.” She turned on her heels and walked away. I looked at Greenspring, who was clearly amused by the whole thing, then began following Nia.

  “How much do you know about Nia’s family?” asked Greenspring, whispering so Nia couldn’t hear me.

  Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  “Very little.” Piopus had given me lessons on the various royal families within the kingdoms near to Xalir, but I hadn’t paid much attention.

  Greenspring chuckled. “The Blackhorn family has ruled Denning for millennia. Have you heard of the story of Father Brown?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Yes, I know about Father Brown, the priest who slayed the demon Zag’droron and took his horn as a trophy. Any bard worth his weight in gold knows that story.”

  Greenspring ran his hand through his beard. “And you know that Father Brown married Princess Imara after saving her from the demon? Of course, I assumed you would know. Norman, what did the people call Father Brown?”

  “Blackhorn…”

  “Precisely,” said Greenspring. “Though I must say that is where my knowledge of the family ends. Besides Nia, I have not met any other Blackhorns. Only after traveling through the Emerald Mountains did I even make the connection. I thought Gunner was making fun of her when he called her a princess.

  “Though I did hear a rumor about her br—”

  Nia cleared her throat. She was waiting for us at the bottom of the stairs. “Can we go now?”

  “Yes, of course,” said Greenspring. “Another time then, Norman.”

  The thought of seeing Trafford again put a sour taste in my mouth. I would have rather stayed in the hallway, talking with Greenspring for the rest of time. But I didn’t want my friends to face him alone. As a fellow student of Piopus, Trafford was a force stronger than both of them combined.

  Bards weren’t feared, they were loved. It was the number one lesson drilled into me by Piopus. How had Trafford fallen so far? Though I told myself that I was in Adelbern to help Zadona and Valna, I had another reason for staying. I wanted to learn more about Trafford.

  Nia and Greenspring chatted as we walked to meet with Trafford. Their casual demeanor irritated me. Both of them were so powerful, so confident in their own strength. Why couldn’t I be like them?

  Their idle chatter stopped as we entered Trafford’s estate. I watched their faces, looking for any sign of fear. That way I would feel better about my own. Based on Nia’s furrowed brow and Greenspring’s constant fixing of his beard, I could tell that they were nervous. But there is a difference between nervous and fearful.

  A petite woman wearing a white, silk gown called us into Trafford’s office. We followed a few steps behind her. The door creaked open as she gestured for us to enter. Incense and some other citrus-like scent wafted out toward us. It was a sickening combination, but I could see how someone would enjoy it.

  Trafford was hunched over his desk, scribbling on a long piece of parchment. The names of each of the local kingdoms were listed; as well as, many of the nobles. I didn’t know that at that moment, I only learned that later from Greenspring. No kings or queens were listed, except for the names of Nia’s parents: King Eero and Queen Hilde.

  Dipping his quill in a nearby bottle of ink, Trafford glanced up at the three of us. His hands and his bangs were stained with ink. “Norman, what a pleasant surprise, I don’t remember calling for you. Did you miss me that badly?”

  “What do you want with them?”

  He frowned, leaning back in his chair. “How rude. That’s no way to treat a fellow student of Piopus.”

  “Is there something you wanted?” asked Nia, gritting her teeth.

  Trafford eyed her up and down. His eyes focused on her pendant. Fury flashed across his face, but he masked it immediately. “I intended this to be a private meeting. Ah well, Norman would have learned of this eventually. I would like both of you to join my tournament.”

  “No,” the three of us said in unison.

  “A shame,” said Trafford, tightening his lips. “Is there anyway I can—”

  “No,” we repeated.

  “Norman,” said Trafford, his eyes staring directly into mine. “Perhaps you can convince them?”

  “Why would I? I don’t even want to compete in your tournament.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Really? After your amazing performance?”

  All the guilt and anger I had pushed down began to bubble to the surface. “Amazing performance? A person died.”

  “Yes, well, tragedies do happen,” replied Trafford.

  “I could have saved her!”

  “No,” said Trafford, folding his hands as he leaned over his desk. “You couldn’t have. She was dead the moment your sword pierced her chest.”

  “But I—”

  “Think about your actions, Norman. Not from your perspective, but from the crowd’s. They saw a champion deliver the finishing blow to his opponent. However, instead of relishing in his victory, he tries desperately to mend the wound he just dealt. Disgusting displays of charity are not meant for the battlefield. So yes, I told the guards to pull you away. That was a favor, Norman. As a fellow performer, I couldn’t watch you look so pathetic.”

  Nia slammed her hand on the desk. “Take it back!”

  Trafford didn’t flinch. His blank, white eyes rolled toward Nia. “Is that a threat, princess? Shall I call your father down here to teach you some discip—”

  Nia grabbed him by the throat and lifted him up with one hand. Guttural choking filled the room as Trafford tried to breath. His hands clawed at Nia’s grip, but that only made her squeeze tighter. I expected her to kill him. My own neck tightened as I watched. Ghostly fingers mimicked hers.

  The furious expression on her face told me that she wanted to kill him. Had we not been interrupted, she might have.

  The door was kicked open from behind us. Before I could turn around to see who it was, an arrow flew past my head. It pierced Nia’s shoulder, causing her to release her grip as she cried out in pain. To the untrained eye, they would have missed the small bolt of lightning that shot through Nia’s body. Only those well-trained in magic would have seen it.

  “Lord Trafford! Are you alright?” asked a familiar voice.

  Zadona stood in the doorway, an arrow nocked and ready to be fired, with another two held in her hand. I had no doubts that she could have killed each of us with a single arrow. Nia was lucky she hadn’t aimed to kill.

  Trafford waved his hand dismissively, falling back down onto his chair. Greenspring ran to help Nia, while I could only stare at my childhood friend. She glanced at me for a second, before turning her bow toward Nia and Greenspring. We weren’t friends in that moment. I was her enemy, a target.

  “You’re… lucky I don’t order your death,” said Trafford coughing.

  “I’ll kill you,” muttered Nia. She grunted as Greenspring snapped the arrow and pulled it out.

  Trafford smirked. “Then allow me to give you the chance. The final match of my tournament is a fight between me and the victor. If you defeat all the other competitors, you’ll have your chance to kill me. Publicly. Enticing?”

  “We are not joining your death games,” said Greenspring angrily.

  “I tried to be kind,” said Trafford. “But I simply must have you be a part of my tournament. Especially you, druid. I can’t wait to watch you die. So yes, you are going to join. Or perhaps I should ask Tamara? Oh yes, I know of her. Or Arienne? Beth? Even you, a disgusting lonely druid, have people you care about. You aren’t the first druid to soil my perfect city.”

  “What did you do?” asked Greenspring through gritted teeth.

  Trafford smiled at me. “Your friend has killed many druids, Norman. Yes, Zadona is quite the assassin. Of course, it would be a waste of good talent to kill everyone I hated. No, when you find a stray dog sneaking into your chicken coup, sometimes you need to teach it a lesson. Do you understand?”

  “They’re people, not animals,” I replied.

  “Barely,” sneered Trafford. “Perhaps you haven’t met enough druids. Or maybe you have. A few of them have mentioned you, Norman. Does the name Khristi ring a bell?”

  My eyes widened. Khristi was one of the druids that gathered to save Greenspring from Gunner. Without her help, I wouldn’t have been able to save Arienne and Henry. Even though I hadn’t known her for long, I considered her a friend. Since returning home to Xalir, I wondered what happened to her. The last thing she said to me was that she was going up north to find some missing druids.

  “What did you do to her?” asked Greenspring. His hands were balled into fists, knuckles white.

  Trafford shrugged. “As I said, sometimes you have to teach the stray dog a lesson. Break in the wild horse? Whatever animal analogy works best for you. Either way, her potential was lacking. She didn’t even make it out of training.”

  I saw a fire burn in Greenspring’s eyes. Blind rage that he struggled to hold back. Zadona saw it too. She aimed her bow at him, the tip of her arrow pointed at where his pendent was hidden under his robes. If he moved even half a step toward Trafford, he would be dead before he hit the floor.

  Everything was moving too fast. Joining the tournament myself wasn’t that bad. In the worst-case scenario, I would die and they could protect my family. If we all joined, then there was the possibility of us all dying. Yet, if we didn’t join, our loved ones would be put in danger. Under every circumstance, Trafford won. Unless…

  “Wait!” Nia and Greenspring turned toward me. “They’ll join under one condition,” I said, trying to maintain a neutral expression. Showing fear or anger would only make things worse. “We fight as a team.”

  “That doesn’t seem fair to the other competitors,” replied Trafford, scratching his chin.

  “We don’t have to all fight together, but you won’t pit us against each other.”

  “And what do I get out of this?”

  “You want a performance? You want the audience to enjoy themselves. If you agree to our terms, we’ll fight at our full strength. No holding back.”

  He nodded slowly before that evolved into quietly laughing. “Very well. You’ll all be a team. But I’ll hold you to your word, Norman. If I sense that any of you are holding back, there isn’t a speck of land in this world where you can hide.”