Chapter V

  It was the very next day, two weeks after Lord David left, when Drake first learned how little time was available to them. Around midmorning he was hiding out on top of the battlements, idly watching the forest, attempting to gather his thoughts, when the servants’ overseer, Master Morden, came to find him.

  “My lord,” the old servant said respectfully, “Lady Rosoline sent me to find you.”

  “What does she need?” Drake asked without looking away.

  “There are some official looking men here who wish to speak to the Lord of Borom.”

  Drake looked at him curiously. “That doesn’t sound right,” he said frowning. “What do they look like?”

  “They look like members of the royal guard,” Morden informed him.

  “Very well,” Drake sighed. “Find Dolmont and bring him to me, quickly. We don’t want to keep the royal guard waiting too long.”

  The servant bowed and rushed away. Drake paced up and down the northern battlements thinking hard. What would royal guards be doing here in Borom, asking for the lord, at the time of a war that was going so badly for the kingdom? The royal guard was responsible for protecting the king alone. Moreover, asking for the Lord of Borom was out of character because they would have asked for either Lady Rosoline or him by name. He knew there was no way Lord David would have had enough time to get to Tarmin to inform the king of the plan and have sent members of the royal guard here to help protect the castle or prepare for the king’s arrival. Something about this didn’t add up and Drake was determined to get to the bottom of it.

  “You called for me my lord?” Dolmont asked.

  “Drake,” he corrected. “We have guests that I must meet with, and I want you there with me,” he explained; “royal guards, in fact.”

  “That doesn’t make any sense,” Dolmont said confused. “Why would the royal guard be here?”

  “That is what we’re going to find out,” Drake told him. “Are you comfortably armed?”

  “Why would I need to be armed?”

  “A soldier in war should never be without a weapon handy,” Drake said. He looked to Dolmont’s side and saw that he had no sword. “Take mine,” he said taking off his blade, “it would serve you well to have such a weapon.”

  “This is a fine sword, Drake. I couldn’t take it,” Dolmont said pushing it back at him.

  “You will take it and wear it proudly,” Drake demanded. “How are your acting skills?”

  “My acting skills?”

  “Yes, how are you at looking dangerous?”

  “I could manage,” Dolmont assured him.

  “And you,” he asked Master Morden. “Can you act like the arrogant servant to the Lord of Borom?”

  “Of course,” he said almost contemptuously, raising his head proudly.

  “Excellent,” Drake approved. “Let’s not keep these men waiting any longer gentlemen.”

  When they reached the hall to Lord David’s study, they found the door flanked by guards with pikes.

  “This doesn’t look good,” Dolmont whispered in Drake’s ear.

  “Just keep walking,” Drake instructed. “And by the gods look menacing.”

  Drake led the other two to the door and made to go in yet was blocked by the soldiers crossing their pikes.

  “What is the meaning of this?” Drake demanded angrily.

  “None are to gain entrance to this room except the lord of this keep,” the soldier on the right said not looking at them.

  “That is not a decision for you to make,” Drake growled. “That decision is my right alone. Now move aside before I lose my temper.”

  “I do not take orders from children,” the guard said contemptuously. “And I am not to be threatened by them either.”

  “I have no time for this,” Drake said. The truth was he was attempting to anger the guard into revealing some information. Maybe even a calculated threat would help. “Maybe you do not believe I could have the king’s ear to tell him of the disrespect given to me by his guards. Then let me assure you, the king will hear of your discretion and if I must teach you some manners, I do believe he would be rather embarrassed.”

  Of course, any true royal guard would know that the king would take his embarrassment out on anyone who managed such a folly. The guards, it seemed, were not impressed by the threat.

  “Run along boy, before I lose my temper,” the guard said angrily.

  Drake smiled at the guard, knowing his secret, and stepped back. He snapped his fingers, signaling Dolmont to attack. Dolmont punched the man in the face and drew the sword Drake gave him. The guard on the left moved to attack Dolmont yet was pulled up short by Drake’s dagger at his throat.

  “Stand down, both of you, or you might find it hazardous to your health,” Drake told them ominously.

  Regretfully, the guards stood down and allowed Drake entrance. Once inside, he took a count of the people inside in a single glance. Lady Rosoline was standing behind Lord David’s desk, two guards were flanking the doors, and a man looking like an officer was standing before the desk. Drake walked in with Dolmont and the servant and took his place in his father’s chair.

  “Good morning, Mother,” Drake said in an innocent voice.

  “Good morning my lord,” she replied.

  “Commander, good morning,” he said to the officer. “What is it we can do for the king?”

  The officer looked incredulously from Drake to Lady Rosoline. He seemed to realize what he was doing and he smiled confidently.

  “Good morning my lord,” the commander said bowing. “It’s an honor to meet the son of David the Mighty.”

  “And it’s always an honor to meet a commander of our king’s guard,” Drake returned, “yet if you don’t mind, these silly formalities bore me. What is it we can do for you on this fine morning?”

  “Thank you, my lord. It’s a pleasure to meet a noble who does not take much stock in the formalities of the position,” he said lightly, taking a seat across from Drake. “I am here on the orders of King George to use all of my skill and resources to protect the lands of David the Mighty.”

  “The king has never deemed that necessary before,” Lady Rosoline interjected.

  The commander looked at her annoyed, yet quickly covered it. Drake took note, preparing to use the man’s poor acting skills against him. He didn’t like this man, not only because he was an imposter, yet also because he didn’t do his job well.

  “The war is going badly,” the commander sighed dramatically. “The king wants your lands to be as protected as possible in this difficult time.”

  “And I’m sure you have the official thing that says all of this, right?” Drake asked waving a negligent hand and rolling his eyes. “I am sorry, yet these things really do bore me. You are here to protect our lands; I am sure you are well up to the task.”

  “Yes, my lord, I do have the official proclamation handing the security of Borom over to me,” the man said. “Would you like to see it?”

  “I would, yes,” Lady Rosoline said before Drake could refuse.

  The false commander handed the scroll to her confidently. After she read it over, she reluctantly saw it to be the real thing and set it on the table.

  “What are your security measures Commander?” she asked after a moment.

  “I have never been to Borom, my lady, so I will have to survey the landscape before I can make any decisions, yet in the meantime, I have several hundred men waiting not far from here to fortify the keep.”

  “That sounds like a good place to start,” Drake agreed, “yet why don’t you and your men relax your first night here and start fresh in the morning?”

  “My thinking exactly,” Lady Rosoline agreed. “The fighting is still to the north, we’re in no immediate danger here. Stay the night and enjoy yourself. You can get to work in the morning.”

  “Thank you very much for your hospitality,” the commander said standing and bowing. “If there is nothing else, I would like to be seen to my quarters.”

  “I will personally see to it Commander,” Lady Rosoline assured him.

  The man bowed again and left with his guards in tow. Drake, Dolmont and Morden all let out explosive breaths.

  “The way he had that door guarded,” Dolmont said to no one in particular, “I thought he was going to pull something there and then.”

  “That’s why I made sure you two came in with me,” Drake told him. “Against an old man and two boys, we’re nothing, yet he would at least think twice before killing children.”

  “What is this all about gentlemen?” Lady Rosoline asked looking suspiciously from one to the other.

  “Those were not royal guards, Mother,” Drake told her. “They are imposters; Mondallians most likely. There are only a few reasons I can think of that such men would show up here. Yet first, we must move quickly. Dolmont,” he said standing as a commander, “your first task will be to watch the gates. Find a few good boys and keep them on a quiet watch of all exits. He’s going to send someone out to keep in contact with his army. When that man goes, let him get out of sight before you follow him; take bows and bury him in the forest. Mondallians are afraid of it so that should be safe. When you have finished, go into town and get a deer.”

  “Hunting ruse?” he asked catching on.

  “Exactly,” Drake agreed. “Leave word with a servant or someone you trust. May the gods steady your hand and protect your life.”

  Dolmont nodded bravely in the face of the deadly mission the twelve-year-old boy charged him with. He saluted to both Drake and Lady Rosoline and left. Drake turned to Master Morden.

  “Are you willing to help me?” he asked.

  “Of course, my lord; I am loyal to Borom and Curew. How may I be of service to you?”

  “Catch up with that man and give them quarters; the best we have. The commander can have the spare apartments and give the soldiers with him servant quarters. I’ve seen what soldiers get and I think they would find a servant’s room luxurious. They will have the best we can give them. Sound upset about the ‘shabby’ rooms and stuff them with our best ale and food. I also hear there are certain services a man can buy in town,” he added delicately. “Make it so. This will be the last night of these men’s lives, make it a good one.”

  “Yes, my lord,” the servant bowed and left after Dolmont.

  “What is this all about?” Lady Rosoline demanded.

  “Take a look at this,” he said pulling the document the imposter gave her towards him. “Do you notice anything wrong with the king’s seal?”

  “No,” she admitted.

  He went over to a chest against the wall and kicked it open. He pulled a similar document out and laid it on the table.

  “Look at the right corner,” he said pointing at an almost unnoticeable inconsistency. “Can you see it now?”

  “What exactly are we looking at Drake?” she asked confused.

  “There is a small dent in this copy of the seal,” he said. She looked at him blankly. “Still not getting it? This is the letter the king sent under his official seal, calling father to war. This one, from the imposter, does not have the dent. Now, I made that dent three years ago when the prince and I were playing with it. Dropped it down the stairs is more like it, yet the point is that what is the likelihood that anyone noticed that in a time of war when we’re losing?”

  “That seal is over five hundred years old Drake,” she admonished him. “What were you doing playing with it?”

  “Young children do things for fun without the consideration of wrong or impolite,” he shrugged without the slightest hint of embarrassment. “And you gave an even better point. If the seal were over five hundred years old, who would want to replace it? Certainly, something like that is not easily fixed? That means that the one given to us from the imposter is a forged document.”

  She looked from one document to the other several times before the difference started to become visible.

  “Those are some very good eyes you have,” she complimented.

  “It isn’t my eyes that are good,” he disagreed. “If those guards didn’t expect me, then they couldn’t have been the real thing. King George would know that I was the official lord here having ordered it himself. Therefore, he would tell his guard about it before they left. Instead, they acted out of line, which is uncharacteristic for the royal guard, and I was not expected. That was how I knew they were imposters.”

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  “So why are we holding out the hand of hospitality?” she asked. “Shouldn’t we get rid of them now?”

  “Not yet,” he answered. “We’re ill-equipped to attack them head on, so we have to use our heads here. If they’re relaxed and out of their wits with drink, we can defeat them with the resources we have. The only trained soldiers we have are boys, and they are only partially trained at that. If these imposters are drunk, it helps to level the playing field.”

  “What would I do without you Drake?” she said wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug.

  “I would rather not think about it honestly,” he said darkly. “I’m just glad that you’re willing to listen to me.”

  “If you’re smart enough to say important things, I am smart enough to listen,” she said fondly.

  “Thank you, Mother,” he smiled.

  He drew strength from her embrace, steeling himself against the horrors he had to commit later. His heart was open at that moment, and in it he felt warmth from another place. It was pity for him and what he had to do, and it was the belief that if anyone could do the things he had to do, it was him. He realized at once where it was coming from; Rhey. At that moment, he loved her very much for the strength she provided him. He took another moment to draw on that strength before sending them both away to be protected. With them in Lady Nelver’s apartments, he could concentrate on the work he had to do.

  Night fell before Dolmont and the boys returned. The day was spent for Drake locked up in the study planning him moves very carefully, occasionally getting updates from the servants who catered to the imposters. It angered him that he had to be kind to these men and spend good money on such vile creatures. He felt very vengeful against these men, and he couldn’t wait to rid his home of them. Patience was not his strongest quality, yet he knew he had to be emotionless in his planning or else he would most likely ruin any chance of success.

  He was very disturbed to find that the imposters had a spy within the castle. Master Morden had told him that he had overheard the false commander talking about someone in the castle passing information to him. According to him, the commander, confirmed a Mondallian assassin, was angry with the spy for not mentioning Drake was the acting lord. Since Drake had no clue as to who the spy was, he had to tread very carefully so he didn’t give the commander any warning. He set Morden to collecting a few trusted servants to search the castle for the spy and report back to Drake. When he heard the boys coming back from their ‘hunt’ Drake still had no answer to the question.

  The scene outside was one that would stick with Drake through the rest of his life. The boys were obnoxious, acting happy from a good hunt, yet there were haunted looks in those eyes and even a few tears. Boys trained in Borom are always trained to resist the temptation to cry. Most men would not cry if they lost their families, or their legs; just find a way to make the person or persons responsible pay dearly. Most of the boys had been trained to that point, yet they still had those looks of utter horror and that made Drake rather upset. It was, after all, his fault that these boys’ innocence was taken from them. It was Drake’s fault these boys got their first kill so early in life. Still, he didn’t regret his actions. It was this or allow the Mondallians to steal his home.

  “We had a successful hunt my lord,” Dolmont reported sounding proud for the sake of anyone who might be listening.

  “Very good,” Drake said approvingly. “Take the horses to the stable and give them food and water. They’ve had a long day,” he added trying to sound compassionate.

  The boys left the courtyard and they arrived in for the stables without a sound. They followed Dolmont’s direction of sounding merry and full of the excitement while he scouted the area for any who might be listening. Drake stood off to one corner to wait away from the boys allowing them their grievance time. When Dolmont returned and nodded the all-clear signal, Drake pulled them all close to hear what he had to say.

  He paced in front of them for a moment to collect his thoughts before speaking.

  “Gentlemen, if Dolmont hasn’t told you yet, we have imposters in our home. As of this moment, our families and friends are in mortal danger. There are five men in our castle who are fully trained soldiers, one of them an assassin, who could give us no end of trouble. The man I sent you out to kill was a man on the mission of bringing hundreds, if not thousands, of men back to our home to occupy with hostile intent.

  “I give you all the credit due to you to have killed a man at such a young age. As my father has told me on many occasions, the first kill is one you will never get over. For as long as you live, you will remember this night and more than likely hate me for it. Regardless, you all may raise your heads proudly and take up the title of men. Men you are and men you always will be. You have all earned the rank of soldier today, and yes, I have the power to grant that. Yet even as you take in your new title, don’t get overconfident or relaxed; we still have much work to do.”

  “Who are you to make such a proclamation?” one of the boys demanded.

  “I am the son of David the Mighty, Lord of Borom,” Drake answered proudly and with a hint of contempt.

  “You’re not the lord,” another scoffed. “Your father just put you in place because you’re his only heir and a woman can’t hold a lordship.”

  Dolmont cuffed the boy. “Drake is your lord, and you will treat him with the respect he deserves.”

  “What does he deserve?” the first boy argued. “He hasn’t even grown his first whisker. Dolmont, he’s twelve years old. What could he possibly know?”

  “Without him, we wouldn’t even know we had imposters,” Dolmont argued heatedly.

  “Enough,” Drake yelled getting their attention. “I couldn’t give a damn about what respect I deserve or receive. There are imposters in my castle, and I want them gone. Now, by following Dolmont, you have followed me. I gave him his orders, and I am the mastermind behind this whole thing, and I am the one you will all be taking orders from. If you feel differently, then listen to this: Even if I were tolerant of your rebellion, you are already in too deep to back out. The first man has been killed and there is nothing you can do to bring him back. You are all now passed the point of no return and you’re now stuck in a bad position. Now, leaving that aside as well, think about your families. Right now, we have Mondallian soldiers eating our best food, drinking our best ale, and enjoying the comforts of women that none of us has experienced yet. How long do you think it will take for them to become bored with those paid women and start eyeing the serving women? How many of those serving women are your mothers? How many of those serving women your sisters? Or even, how many of them are you courting? Those men are a threat to everything we know, and if that threat is not eliminated then we’re all at a loss. Our mothers, our sisters, our women will be torn from us and forced into the beds of men that would never give them the respect they deserved. Who here knows what the reward is for saving a damsel in distress?”

  A few boys sniggered.

  “Exactly,” Drake said. “Now, if not for the reasons of saving our families, or for the reasons of pride, then at least for the reasons of saving the damsel in distress and receiving our just rewards.”

  “Do you have a plan?” one of them asked.

  “Of course,” he smiled. “I know this has been hard for you all, yet I need your undivided attention. Men superior in almost every way threaten us. They are older, stronger, and more experienced than we are. What they don’t have is the drive to eliminate a threat on home ground. That is where our opportunity lies. These men now have intimate knowledge of our home, and they cannot be afforded their lives. The worst of our day has yet to come, yet I can tell you this: What you have done, and what you will do, is the right thing to do for our home, our country, and our lives. I do not know what tomorrow will bring, yet I can tell you how today will end. Before the breaking of the new dawn, the blood of our enemies will be washed clean from our hands and the imposters will lie in a ditch on a forgotten road.

  “These men hold no remorse for killing, I will tell you. They will take the spoils of war for their pleasures, and we’ll rot where we drop as a gift for our fathers and brothers. Tonight, we’ll take our advantage in this war and we will prevail. Tonight, we prove our fathers were right in leaving us behind to protect our home.”

  He paced up and down in front of them like a general before his army. In his mind, this was his army, and he couldn’t be prouder of his soldiers. These were the men he would survive with, and he was positive he could do so.

  “My plan is simple,” he started, clasping his hands behind his back, and placing himself before them all. “Its simplicity is what makes it brilliant enough to work. In the kitchen I have eleven serving girls waiting to change clothes with us.”

  There was an excited murmur that passed through the group.

  “Don’t get too excited,” he told them seriously. “I had curtains put up to protect their modesty. Once we’ve changed, we can hide daggers in the aprons or boots. Make the kill quick, clean, and silent. If the leader of these imposters catches on to us it could destroy the whole thing. Are we clear?”

  “How are we supposed to get close enough to sink daggers into them?”

  “I thought that was obvious by the disguises,” Drake answered raising his eyebrow.

  There were blushes and indignant protests from the boys, yet Drake held up a hand for silence.

  “Does anyone have a better idea?”

  No one did.

  In Drake’s opinion, changing clothes with the serving girls was a disaster. The boys that didn’t protest angrily he found to be loose in the head.

  “Does this skirt make me look fat?” one asked seriously. Drake smacked him across the back of the head as several girls giggled.

  As it turned out, many of the boys did in fact court the girls, he learned the hard way. Couples could be found hidden throughout the kitchen in secluded spots exchanging best wishes. Just as he was getting irritated, Dolmont came to his rescue and flushed out all the couples.

  “Ah, to be young again,” the head chef laughed fondly.

  Drake gave him a dark look and moved to the door. Once all the boys were adorned with blush and perfume and feminine clothing, they armed themselves and stood before Drake ready for their mission.

  “Now remember, we have a very important job to do, and it has to be done quietly. Yesterday, you were mere boys learning to become men. Today is the day you all have earned the right to be called men, and I will always think of you as such. Let’s go.”

  Outside the door, Drake stopped them all for one last bit of direction.

  “This is life or death, gentlemen. Make no mistake that we could all die tonight, so relax, loosen your hips, and act like women in their prime. Your life depends on it.”

  He fixed his dress and put on a smile. He opened the door and led his cross-dressed army to battle. The boys spread out and each took a man to serve. On Drake’s signal they dropped their trays and jugs and made their kills. It was a bloodbath. Two or three boys on a man stabbed, cut, or sliced, making the beds made of soft cloth soaked. Not one man had the chance to scream out, and disgusted as he was, Drake couldn’t be happier. There was one person that did screamed, yet it was not in the room. Rhey screamed when the first man was stabbed. He felt bad for her, yet there was not much he could do.

  “I’m sorry, Rhey,” he said mentally. “I wish you hadn’t seen that.”

  She couldn’t respond.

  “Get this room cleaned,” he told the servants. “I want their blood cleaned by dawn.”

  A sniffle grabbed his attention before he could move onto the next part of his plan. He turned to see the horrified looks in the boys, Dolmont included, and even as the women with pails and rags came in, they dropped their work and went to their sons. Drake could understand the horror these boys were feeling. Killing anyone came with a heavy price and he couldn’t deny their need for their mothers. One boy, who seemed to not have his mother handy, kept stabbing the dead corpse of a soldier. The servant that was with Drake went to him and acted for all the world like the boy’s mother.

  “We gave them no warning,” the boy with the servant cried.

  “They were unarmed,” cried another.

  “It was murder.”

  “What you did was terrible,” Drake told them, not letting a hint of sympathy enter his voice. “Yet that doesn’t mean what you did was wrong. Just remember that.”

  He walked out into the hall to leave them in their misery. He knew he wasn’t welcome in their time of grief, and it would not take long before they begun pointing the finger at him. There was no point in sticking around for that. Drake leaned against the wall to collect himself before moving on yet was stopped by a surge of mortal fear. He shook his head to clear it, yet the surge came again and stronger. Comprehension came like a bolt of lightning.

  “Rhey,” he yelled before taking off at a dead run towards the apartments of Lady Nelver.

  He bolted down hall after hall, cursing his short legs for not being longer or faster. He tried to make his way into Rhey’s mind, yet she was paralyzed by blind fear, and he could make nothing out. Fear welled up inside him as he wondered what could make such a brave girl so frightened. He pushed himself to run faster and faster until he made it to the door. He stopped for just a moment to try and make out what was going on inside, yet all he could hear was shouting and screaming. He could make out the voices of Ladies Rosoline and Nelver and Rhey, and an unfamiliar man.

  “What is this all about?” Drake yelled entering the room.

  “Drake run,” his mother yelled.

  The man turned around to reveal a broken nose and a few broken teeth. It was the man Drake had Dolmont attack outside the study earlier that day. It looked like the man needed to learn some more manners.

  “Oh, it’s only you,” Drake said disdainfully. “I thought I had you killed.”

  “You, was it?” the man yelled. “Then I’m sure you’ll enjoy watching as I have my revenge. Shut up child.”

  Rhey had been screaming from a corner, and continued to do so, still in her blind terror. The soldier turned to silence her, yet Drake grabbed the collar of his chain mail.

  “That isn’t something I would suggest doing, friend,” he said in a falsely light voice.

  “You don’t have your guard with you this time boy,” the man growled. “You have no protection now.”

  The man swatted at Drake, yet the much smaller boy easily dodged it.

  “Who ever said that I needed protection?” he smiled. “I am the protection here. If you take another step closer to that girl, I will personally make sure of you.”

  The man snorted and made another step towards the screaming Rhey.

  “Big mistake,” Drake growled angrily drawing the Dragon God’s dagger and making a quick swing.

  Though the man dodged the blade, it was close. Shock passed over his face, yet it quickly turned into a snarl. His sword almost leapt out of its sheath in eagerness for the fight and met against Drake’s dagger to parry the next blow. Normally, when Drake was sparring against his father, he needed time to warm up, yet it appeared the run from one side of the castle to the other was enough. Drake smiled viciously as he realized this man couldn’t stand a chance. He easily parried the soldier’s every swing and thrust and almost laughed with glee when he saw the look of shock on the man’s face.

  “I told you it was a big mistake,” he laughed.

  He let the man tire himself out as Drake continued to gain strength. He even took a split second to lay a comforting hand on Rhey’s cheek in the middle of a series of blows. Just as he was really starting to enjoy playing with this man, he realized he had work to do and knocked the sword aside and sank his dagger into the man’s heart. It was just like any other sparring session until that point. Once Drake pierced the flesh, he realized what he had done. The man had a pleading look in his eyes as his body quivered, his heart stopped beating, and fell off Drake’s blade.

  He dropped his dagger; shocked he had taken a life and fell to his knees. He looked at his hands through blurry eyes, still able to feel the man’s heart stop beating against the cold steel of his blade. Arms wrapped themselves around him, yet he was barely aware. His head rested against a comforting bosom; he cried like a twelve-year-old boy who had just done something horribly wrong. The terrible feeling hit home, and he realized what he made those boys go through. All the training Lord David had put him through couldn’t prepare him for this, just as his father had said. He continued to cry, for the lives lost in this unnecessary battle and for the innocence the other boys lost. He didn’t know how long he was there, not that he cared, yet a voice eventually broke through his misery and his loss.

  “Look out the window Drake,” the voice said. “It’s the dawning of a new day. And a new day brings new adventures and washes away the pain of yesterday.”

  Drake looked and listened to the sounds of early morning. The birds where just starting to chirp, and a slight breeze could be heard passing the window. It was true, for him at least, to feel his pain slowly start to fade. He closed his eyes and absorbed the comfort of life. It was the dawning of a new day, and the blood of yesterday, he saw as he looked around, was washed away. He looked in the direction of the voice and saw his best friend Rhey. He smiled weakly at her, trying to convey that he was all right now, yet he was still not sure it was true. She pulled him out of his mother’s arms and wrapped him in her own. She used all her heart’s strength to filter comfort and love into his.

  “My lord,” Dolmont said tentatively. “We still have one last person to take care of.”

  “You’re right,” Drake agreed slowly. “Give me another moment.”

  Rhey let her arms drop only after she was sure he was able to move again.

  “Come on,” she said digging herself under his arm to support him. “There’s a basin over here you can wash that blood of in. I think we should also get some clothing more fitting,” she said thoughtfully. “Blue is not your color, yet I do have a lovely purple dress you can wear. It would really match your eyes.”

  He looked down to see he was still wearing the serving girl’s dress and leveled a look at her.

  “Pink maybe?” she suggested, barely able to contain her mirth.

  “Only if it’s frilly,” he said dryly.

  “I always wanted a daughter,” Lady Rosoline giggled, “yet I must admit that I didn’t quite expect this.”

  That got Drake to give a weak chuckle.

  “I have a change of clothes for you my lord,” Morden said from a corner. “Though I must say my lord has exceptional taste in dresses.”

  “That’s enough,” Drake smiled. “Let me change, then we can move on with the day.”

  After Drake was thoroughly clean and dressed, he felt much better. By then, the rest of the boys had shown up and looked prepared for the final battle.

  “I am truly sorry for everything I have put you all through,” he said to them. “I believe I can take the rest on my own.”

  It was a note of dismissal, yet not one of the boys moved.

  “What you have done to us is unforgivable,” one of the boys started.

  “Yet without you, we would have lost our home,” another said.

  “And for that, we’re with you to the very end.”

  Drake could only smile approvingly at the men that stood before him.

  “Then the time has come for you to all take up the mantle of soldiers and lay aside this unnatural fondness for women’s clothing,” he smiled.

  They all looked embarrassed as they realized they were still in the dresses.

  “Thank the gods,” one said. “I still think this dress makes me look fat.”

  Drake could only laugh.