The Demora palace was a large stone compound made up of one main building that served as the noble house and five smaller ones that contained the more mundane functions of running a noble family. The smaller buildings acted as a meeting hall, a barracks, a private shrine, a mess hall, and finally a mages laboratory. The noble house, an ornately decorated blue domed complex, housed all the main members of the noble family along with quarters for servants, and a plethora of other rooms for leisure and recreation. It was five stories tall and had its own four towers on each of its corners for sentries and siege equipment if the need arose. It was surrounded by a smaller set of walls than those that made up the main compound and lit by electricity, a sign of the family’s immense wealth.

  Maron had patrolled almost every part of the palace, all but the wing reserved for First Princess Demora and her eldest daughter. He knew better than most that the Demora compound was among the most unassailable in all the city, at least from outside threats. As far as protecting the denizens from each other, the palace might as well have been a back alley in the city squalor.

  Plenty of servants and soldiers alike were killed in the schemes the Demora daughters levied against each other. Occasionally even a branch family son or daughter would be found dead in their rooms, a symbol of one sibling’s victory over the other. Many of Ashara’s cousins had been slain by Maron’s own hand, killed fighting on behalf of one of her elder siblings in hopes of rising higher in the family hierarchy.

  Lately, Maron was growing tired of the constant fighting. Mostly because the Princess he backed was losing. Sure, up until now they’d thwarted every attack that had come their way, but they had no way to retaliate. Maron couldn’t strike out against Ashara’s sisters on his own and the sixth Princess had no other allies in the family besides her father, who himself was forbidden from interfering in the Princess’s business, at least openly.

  The Princess’s bodyguard was sprawled out on a couch in the living room nearest to Ashara’s bed chamber. He had forgone sleeping in his personal quarters at the barracks in favor of staying near the Princess in case someone decided to attack her in the night. He and a few other bodyguards usually rotated watches, but tonight Ashara had given him leave to rest the whole night. They had a busy day ahead of them after all.

  Maron sat up in his seat and looked over at the clock hanging on the wall of the living room. Six forty-two, it read in the dim yellow light emanating from the hallway. Maron yawned and rose to his feet, his nerves wouldn’t allow him any more sleep so he decided he would patrol around Ashara’s area of the palace.

  Maron strapped his sword to his hip and made sure his pistol was secure in its holster. He always felt better when he could carry the gunpowder weapon around, it was more reliable than the crossbow, albeit louder. Luckily, he didn’t have to be quiet here in Ashara’s part of the palace, it was his job to defend it after all.

  The bodyguard stuck his hands in his pockets and ambled around the halls adjacent to the one Ashara’s bedchamber was in. He stopped in front of a window and began to take in the early morning scenery.

  “Not a damn thing to see...” Maron muttered to himself looking out at the empty lamplit yard beyond the walls of the palace. Ashara’s room was on the fourth floor which allowed him to see over the main palace’s half wall and just over the edge of the larger one that made up the compound.

  This morning Maron could see nothing, Ilithir’s white sun hadn’t made its appearance yet. Probably covered by the clouds that often floated over the bay the city was built on. Maron sighed and left the window, moving back the way he came and towards Ashara’s bed chamber. He figured he ought to check on the guard he posted at her door and make sure everything was alright.

  As he approached her room, he noticed the man standing in front of Ashara’s door was not the woman he had posted there last night. His jaw tightened as a wave of anger and anxiety passed over him. Maron reached for the pistol sitting on his hip, preparing for the worst. Suddenly the man turned towards Maron and smiled, his ruby red eyes barely visible under the slight visor of his black helmet.

  The man was Phraum.

  “What are you doing here?” Maron whispered frantically, surveying the hall to make sure the Princess didn’t have any other unexpected guests.

  “My job, obviously.” Phraum said leaning his back against the wall.

  Maron felt his blood boil. Suddenly he didn’t care that Phraum was the consort of the First Princess or that he was a powerful mage. He didn’t like being made a fool of and liked failing his duty to the Princess even less. Sensing the bodyguards growing fury, Phraum let out a quiet chuckle and put up his hands in a gesture of surrender.

  “Relax, I’m here to help you.” The mage cooed. “A few Assassins led by a mage will be here at some point, I figured I’d show up and make good on my word to my daughter.”

  Maron nodded, his anger abating at the mage’s explanation. “I wish you would have come directly to me with such news, I could have prepared a welcoming party for our guests.”

  “You weren’t in your room.” Phraum said, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “And surprisingly, I couldn’t scry you either. Thought you might have flown the coop on us kiddo.”

  “No, I was here. Right under your nose it seems.” Maron replied, matching the mages depreciatory tone.

  The mage folded his hands behind his back and stretched his neck, left then right. “Well, anyways, be prepared. I only have reliable information on the mage. The skill of the assassins is anyone’s guess.”

  “Do you know when they’ll be here?” Maron asked, ignoring the mages flippant attitude.

  “No, but I suspect it’ll be sometime before noon.” Phraum replied. “If Kara wants to brag about her victory, it’ll be around afternoon prayer when most of the family will be at our temple.”

  Maron nodded, moving away from the mage. “I’ll go warn the rest of the guards. I trust you’ll have things under control here?”

  Phraum opened his hands and tilted his head sideways. “It’ll be a close fight, at least.”

  Maron rolled his eyes and walked off to find the rest of the guards in the wing. With Phraum around, he figured only a handful of them were necessary. The small group would also help keep their advantage; Kara’s assassins were likely to realize their plan was foiled if they saw Maron assemble everyone within Ashara’s little faction in front of Ashara’s room. We will ambush them, Maron thought. The assassins will sneak into the wing and find Maron and the rest of his small band waiting for them.

  “Oh, this’ll be fun.” Maron muttered to himself. For the first time in the game Ashara and her sisters played, Maron would deal a decisive blow.

  The young bodyguard gathered four other guards from their posts near the entrance to the wing Ashara inhabited and had them meet with Phraum in front of the Princess’s quarters. Maron left one of the guards, an older woman by the name of Tareia, in front of Ashara’s bed chamber while the rest of them moved to the living room to discuss their strategy.

  “The mage will likely remain near the entrance to this section of the palace focusing on keeping the assassins cloaked and breaking through the wards we have set in the halls.” Phraum said from his spot on one of the cushioned chairs in the center of the living room. “When he disables the wards is when we’ll know the assassins are in.”

  “That still leaves the cloaking.” Said Vaena, one of the guards Maron had mustered. “If they get in here invisible while we don’t have any wards, we’re as good as dead.”

  “I can dispel the cloaking spell, but I’ll need to confront the mage directly.” Phraum said.

  Maron and the three guards shifted uncomfortably in their places in the living room.

  “You mean we’ll have to let the assassins in and occupy them while you sneak by and deal with the mage?” said Shuri, another of the guards Maron had pulled in.

  “Either that or hide somewhere while they make their way. But if they find you, they’ll surely kill you.” Phraum answered flatly.

  Shuri did not like the disguised mage’s tone and opened her mouth to say something but a hand from Vaena stopped her. The older girl whispered something into the younger woman’s ear and she froze for a moment. Maron smirked, Vaena had explained to Shuri who Phraum was and now the girl was cowering like a scared dog.

  “I think I have a better idea than that.” Maron said. “I will remain outside of Ashara’s quarters with Tareia while the rest of you wait inside. We’ll occupy our invisible guests until the cloaking spell runs out and the rest of you will come out of Ashara’s room and ambush the Assassins on our signal.”

  “Hmm.” Phraum mused as he stroked his chin in thought. “That could work, but I’d rather not risk our best warriors. Two others should wait outside.”

  Shuri let out an audible gulp and looked over to Vaena. The older woman looked between Maron and Phraum, a determined look in her eyes.

  “This is a woman’s job after all, I can do it.” She said, her voice full of conviction.

  “I’ll join you as well ma’am.” Said Jameis, the final guard Maron had roped into the scheme.

  “You two should be fine.” Said Phraum, the mage had somehow managed to look even more relaxed in his chair as they continued their conversation. “While unwarded, Ashara’s room itself has some powerful anti-magic enchantments on it. It won’t break the cloaking completely, but you should see shimmering silhouettes and finally outlines of our attackers when they strike. If you are skilled enough, you will survive.”

  “Should we wake the Princess for this?” Jameis said, asking the question they had all feared to ask. The guards all looked to Maron as the room’s silence dragged on.

  “No. In fact it would be best if she remained asleep until this business is concluded.” Maron said. “We don’t know how motivated these assassins are, if they’re willing to use more self-destructive means to harm her Ladyship. Having her around during the fighting could be detrimental.”

  “I agree.” Said Phraum. “To that end, I have ensured that Princess Ashara will not awaken until either we have succeeded or failed.”

  Vaena and Shuri gave the mage inquisitive looks but kept any misgivings to themselves. Though Phraum was a man, he was still the first Princess’s consort and a prominent mage in the Demora army. Arguing with him could mean doom for their positions in the family and likely their lives.

  “All right, get back to your patrols. We’ll meet back in fifteen minutes.” Maron said rising from his seat, goading the others to do the same.

  “Shouldn’t we be headed to the Princess’s chambers?” Shuri asked, her face sullen.

  “Can’t make it too obvious.” Maron replied, already on his way to rejoin Tareia in front of Ashara’s quarters.

  The rest of the guards headed back to their routine patrol routes and Phraum went to seek out a spot to ambush the mage at. Tareia’s eyes lit up as Maron approached, and she gave him an inquisitive look.

  “What’d you two decide?” the veteran asked. Maron didn’t have to explain who Phraum was or what was currently at stake. Tareia had served the Demora family for two hundred years now and was more than familiar with the ruthless intrigue that plagued it.

  “In a quarter of an hour we alongside Shuri will wait in the Princess’s chambers while Jameis and Vaena stand guard outside the door.” Maron began. “The assassins are bringing a mage this time, one who will be cloaking the assailants. We’ll be waiting for Phraum to disrupt the mage’s spell and then ambush the assassin’s while they’re dealing with Vaena and Jameis.”

  “A sound plan.” Tareia said. “Presumptuous, but everything is with that mage.”

  Maron nodded, he couldn’t disagree.

  A quarter of an hour passed, and the rest of the guards showed up in front of Ashara’s bedroom door ready to lay their ambush. Jameis passed his needle gun to Shuri trading it for her pistol. The taller woman took the long gun in her left hand and passed her pistol and holster to Jameis. He quickly strapped it around his free hip and gave her a nod.

  “You’ll see a flicker as the Assassin’s come. Shoot it, at least one of them should fall.” Tareia said, her face serious. Jameis and Vaena offered the veteran a nod before she shut the doors to Ashara’s room.

  “Now we wait.” Maron whispered. He turned towards the Princess, her sleepy visage the perfect picture of serenity.

  “Soon many more children will wear such a face.” Whispered Tareia from over Maron’s shoulder. “Hopefully less of ours than theirs.”

  Maron shuddered. Sometimes the old woman frightened him.

  Phraum watched the two guards Maron had posted in front of Ashara’s door, waiting for something to happen. It had been around an hour since the rest of Maron’s band of warriors entered Ashara’s chambers and the mage was growing impatient. The longer he spent sitting in the palace, the less time he had to oversee the plot to infiltrate the Styrian temple.

  The mage sighed inwardly, tearing his gaze from the hand mirror he was using to spy on his daughter’s room to scan the hallway he was in. Phraum had made himself invisible and picked a spot in the main thoroughfare of the east wing to watch for Kara’s assassins. He didn’t expect to see any of them, they would likely sneak into Ashara’s portion of the wing from some secret entrance the plotters uncovered ages ago.

  Phraum huffed, disappointed nothing had happened yet, then froze as he felt a tingling sensation pass through him. He felt his hair stand on end as the wards that protected the wing weakened, allowing him to sense the flow of magic pass into the hallways leading to Ashara’s rooms. Phraum rose to his feet and began to track the energies, of which he could sense six, all stemming from one main power source.

  He moved silently through the blue carpeted halls of the palace, mentally preparing the right spell to use against Tolor. As the mage neared the source of the six energies, he pulled out the small magic mirror he had used to spy on Ashara’s room. From the other mirror he had set up earlier, he saw the two guards Maron had posted in front of Ashara’s room in combat with five shifting, blurry figures. One of the assassin’s had been killed, shot through the head by a gun.

  Here I go, Phraum thought to himself as he stood in front of the source of the assassin’s invisibility. A large dark brown wooden door leading into a storage room. Phraum prepared to cast a force spell that would blow down the door when suddenly he was interrupted by a sudden change in the air pressure.

  The mage quickly dashed aside just as the space around him began to crack with the explosive energy of a lightning strike, shattering the wooden door to the storage room and scorching the spot Phraum had once stood.

  Phraum snapped the fingers on his right hand and sent a small ball of fire arcing into the storage room, squinting his eyes as a flash of orange light and a burst of heat blasted out from the room. Tolor appeared slightly after, a grimace under his purple visored helmet and a ball of light forming in his hands.

  Recognizing the spell, Phraum quickly conjured up the proper wards and stretched out his hands. No sooner did a ray of sinister purple light strike uselessly against a vortex of shifting energy, dissipating into the air.

  “This is the end for you consort!” Tolor spat as he readied another spell in his left hand.

  Phraum opened the palms of his outstretched hands and quickly muttered the words necessary to produce a wave of force. He watched as the area in front of him was caught up in a violent gust of invisible energy that sent Tolor tumbling backwards and the furniture adorning the hallway splintering into hundreds of little pieces.

  Phraum snapped his fingers, sending another small ball of fire hurtling towards the prone form of Kara’s mage. The man quickly rolled out of the fireball’s path and retaliated with another ray of purple light. Phraum ducked under the attack and sent another fire ball at the enemy mage. Tolor put up a ward and the ball of flame sputtered out against its surface.

  Tolor began to mouth the words to another spell and Phraum smiled.

  “There it is.” Phraum muttered to himself as he prepared to reach into his pocket.

  During his studies of Kara’s mage, he had discovered Tolor liked to use a certain high level lighting spell that arced around most wards and tracked onto its targets. The spell had a small exploitable weakness in that it could be redirected, with the right conductor. Phraum, and likely most of the high mages in Nizea, had such a conductor, a blue crystal ball. It wouldn’t redirect a normal lightning spell, since the bolt simply overloaded the crystal and caused it to explode, but it would redirect a lightning bolt compelled to track its targets through magic.

  Tolor finished his incantation and pointed his right pointer finger at Phraum. A powerful flowing blue bolt of lightning shot out from his fingertip and quickly traveled through the air, cackling as it approached its target. The Demora consort reached into his pocket and produced the palm sized blue crystal ball and held it up towards the streaking lightning. The bolt hit the crystal ball, and its energy traveled in through the end Phraum held towards Tolor and back out towards the purple visored mage.

  Tolor’s face curled up in disbelief as he watched the bolt of furious electricity travel towards him. Kara’s mage braced himself and howled as the lightning struck him in his chest, burning through his robes and roasting the skin beneath. The enemy mage stumbled backwards, somehow still alive after the shock, then fell onto his back. His body jerked and convulsed from the electricity still flowing through it then stopped finally, leaving Tolor a smoking mess on the hallway carpet.

  Phraum slowly walked over to the charred mage and stood over him, passing his tongue over his teeth as he took in the man’s dying form. Tolor let out a small groan and lifted a hand towards Phraum, then fell limp, his eyes glazing over as he passed on.

  “The rest is up to you, child.” Phraum muttered, looking towards Ashara’s bedchamber.

  “We can see them now! There’s five of them, come out!” hollered Jameis from outside of Ashara’s bed chamber door.

  Maron burst out into the hallway with Tareia and Shuri in tow, his pistol and sword at the ready.

  “Damn, it was a trap!” cursed one of the assassins.

  Now fully visible, Maron studied each of the five remaining assassins. They were each dressed head to toe in black, with ballistic weave coats, and black face masks obscuring their identities.

  Maron fired two bullets at the assassin nearest to him and drove forward with his saber. The assassin took both bullets in the chest and stumbled backwards as the Princess’s guard approached. The two exchanged swords, Maron quickly gaining the advantage over his wounded foe until he managed to wrench the sword from the assassin’s hands and slice open her neck. The assassin let out a gurgling cry and fell to the floor, clutching at her open throat.

  Maron turned from his fallen foe and found Tareia handily winning her own duel while Jameis and Vaena struggled against their attackers. Jameis was fighting one assassin, clutching his right side as his attacker steadily pushed him back. Vaena was also being pushed back and was nearly stabbed under her chest after a failed attack when Shuri shot a needle at her attacker. The glowing yellow spike lodged itself in the assassin’s stomach, and the man grunted as he felt its heat sear into him. Vaena regained her composure and took advantage of the hunched over assassin’s pain to drive her sword through the man’s chest, killing him.

  Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!

  Maron quickly rushed to Jameis’s aid, getting between his injured ally and the assassin. The young bodyguard and the assassin slashed and parried each other’s attacks until Maron fell for a feint and found himself on the backfoot. The assassin pressed Maron hard, until the bodyguard found an opening and kicked the assassin’s knee out from under her. The woman fell to the floor and Maron aimed his pistol at her masked face and fired, killing the assassin.

  He turned and found Tareia still engaged with the last two assassins. She had sliced up each of them, twisting and turning like a cyclone as she danced in between her attackers. As one of the assassin’s stepped in to strike at the veteran, she got down low around the man’s left leg and wrapped her lower body around the limb, folding the man over herself and plunging a dagger into his back as she came up on top of him. The other assassin moved in on Tareia, thrusting her blade at the veteran’s exposed side. Tareia parried the attack with her saber and brought the blade back around, quick as lightning and sliced open the assassin’s wrist. The woman groaned and backed away, managing to hold onto her weapon. Tareia rose up off her slain foe and moved in to finish the wounded assassin.

  Her wrist now weakened, the assassin was unable to keep up with the flurry of slashes Tareia unleashed upon her, and she was quickly cut up from the veteran’s assault, falling to the ground convulsing in pain as she quickly bled out from her many wounds.

  “Goddess damn you all!” The assassin spat as she convulsed in pain. Struggling, the woman produced a silver globe from her coat pocket and began to press down on it.

  “Stop her it’s a bomb!” Maron called, lunging towards the woman.

  Tareia aimed a cut at the fallen assassin’s hand with her sword; but missed as the globe and the hand that held it were pulled towards the entrance to the hallway. Strolling in, his uniform frayed and his helmet slightly dented was Phraum. The mage caught the silver ball and quickly pulled it open, fingering the contents within.

  “I’ve stopped the timer, but it hasn’t been disarmed.” The mage said still walking towards Ashara’s bed chamber.

  “Well don’t bring it over here you stupid dog!” Tareia said, an incredulous look on her face.

  “I have it well in hand mistress, worry not.” Phraum replied still approaching.

  Tareia huffed and moved further down the hall, away from the mage and the assassin still bleeding to death on the carpet.

  “Good work everyone.” Maron said offering a shoulder to Jameis. “I’m sure the Princess will be grateful.” He eyed Phraum nervously but decided to trust in the mage’s supreme capabilities. Surely, he could defuse a bomb.

  “I wouldn’t go that far.” Tareia quipped from down the hall, still moving away from Phraum.

  “I’ll go wake the Princess.” Said Phraum, still tinkering with the silver globe. “Thank you all for your hard work. I’ll see to it that you are rewarded.”

  The mage pushed open Ashara’s door and slipped inside. Maron waited outside, still taking in the scene. Six dead assassins laid at his feet, a symbol of his party’s first victory in the great game the Demora sisters played against each other. He felt good but couldn’t escape a small sense of unease creeping up in his mind. They still had the heist to pull off and this attack surely would not be the last.

  If Phraum hadn’t been here, we’d all be dead, Maron thought to himself. He sighed, signaling for Shuri to come over. She put the needle gun over her shoulder and approached, offering her hands to take Jameis.

  “Get him to a healer.” Maron ordered. “Vaena, you go as well. Me and Tareia will handle the rest.”

  Vaena nodded and followed Shuri and Jamies as they slowly dragged themselves down the hallway.

  “We ought to leave, that bomb could take out the whole floor.” Tareia called from the end of the hallway, her head poking out from around the corner.

  “I’m sure Phraum has it well in hand mistress, you oughtn’t worry.” Maron called back, smiling. He rarely saw the old woman balk; her nervousness amused him.

  The veteran paused, looked down the hall Maron was standing in, then down the one she had moved to. She sighed finally and approached Maron.

  “I suppose I can’t let a mere boy take all of the credit for this success.” She said as she took a place beside Maron. She reached her hand out and gently grabbed the young man by the back of his coat collar. “Don’t you agree?”

  Maron nodded nervously up at the taller woman. “Of course, mistress. Uh, maybe I ought to check on the Princess and make sure Phraum hasn’t done anything suspicious.”

  Maron felt Tareia release his collar and he quickly pushed into Ashara’s chambers, ready for the Princess to awaken. Tareia let out a chuckle behind him.

  What a woman, Maron thought to himself.

  Ashara woke late in the morning, her door slightly ajar and her father sitting at her desk. She could hear Maron out in the hall, speaking softly with who she assumed were a few of her other personal bodyguards.

  “Good afternoon, Princess.” Phraum said, not bothering to look up from whatever he was working on at her desk.

  Ashara blinked the sleep from her eyes and rose in her bed. “What are you doing here? Was there an attack?”

  “Yes, there was, but we handled it. No need for alarm.” Phraum said, a clicking noise sounding from whatever he was working on. “You’re boy there is really something, you have quite the discerning eye my dear, must have gotten that from me.”

  Ashara rolled her eyes and quickly found some clothes to throw on. A simple yet elegant blue outfit and a flowing half cape in matching blue.

  “Who was it this time?” Ashara asked moving towards her father.

  “Kara, by way of a family mage she sent to kill you, along with some assassins.” Phraum turned to Ashara, a silver globe in his hand. The Princess at once recognized it for what it was, a high explosive charge, powerful enough to destroy her room and the entire floor with it. “She must really want you dead, this type of thing is hard to come by, at least for this sort of task.”

  Phraum tossed the disarmed bomb to Ashara who promptly caught it in her hands, shock plain on her face. As the Princess began to regather herself Maron slipped into the room and called out to her.

  “Are you alright Princess?” he asked.

  “I’m fine, thank you.” Ashara said curtly. “More importantly, do my sisters know you’ve thrown your lot in with me? Mother will surely punish us all if she finds even her consort has gotten embroiled in the conflict.”

  Phraum let out a chuckle as he rose from the desk. “No need to worry Princess. I roasted Kara’s worthless mage and blocked any scrying eyes from peering into this part of the Palace while I did it. The only people who know I’m here are you, Maron, and a few of your other close personal guards.”

  Ashara nodded satisfied then looked over to Maron. “Did we lose anyone?”

  “Jameis and Vaena were wounded but they should be alright.” Maron answered.

  Good, Ashara thought. Previously a few dead guards would not have bothered her, but her faction’s strength was dwindling. Those that were left had become extremely valuable to the Princess, both for their loyalty and their skill.

  “Much more importantly,” Phraum said, interrupting Ashara’s thoughts. “Are our preparations for our upcoming endeavor.”

  Ashara gave Maron a look, turning her chin to the opened door and the bodyguard nodded. He marched over to the open door, and to Ashara’s surprise left the room.

  “Damn fool! He needs to hear this!” The Princess started for the door but was stopped by a raised hand from Phraum.

  “Tareia is outside. He’s probably distracting the old bird.” Phraum whispered.

  Ashara nodded, suppressing a grin. The old veteran was easily her most useful follower, but her loyalties were in question. Ashara, and Phraum as well the Princess surmised, suspected the old Demora soldier of being a spy for her mother. Ashara rarely gave the older woman’s intentions much thought though, since there was little she could do about the veteran either way. She did know, however, that the veteran had a thing for Maron. Likely the old woman was flirting with the young man now, completely unperturbed by whatever was going on in Ashara’s chamber. The Princess shook her head at the absurdity of it.

  “Something on your mind, Princess?” Phraum asked, his head tilted sideways in curiosity.

  “No, let’s have this plan of yours.” Ashara said, not wishing to get sidetracked.

  Phraum pulled out a small chest from under Ashara’s desk and placed it down in front of himself. He unlatched the hooks holding the container closed and pushed it open, revealing simple robes within.

  “This is what you will be wearing to worship this evening.” The mage said smiling. “And these are what you will bring to offer the sanctum.” Phraum reached back into the chest and produced two, small, shaped charges.

  Ashara moved over to her father and took the charges in her hands. Two octangular grey devices that would explode on a small timer after being set. These specific charges were created by a machine. Ashara could tell because instead of a crystal projection or an analog clock, these charges had a glass window with glowing white lettering beneath. ‘An electric clock’ or something like that, she could not recollect the exact name for the device.

  “Do you have a silence spell I can use to hide the noise from these charges?” Ashara asked.

  “Of course.” Phraum answered, producing a small black cylinder from the same chest that held the robes and explosives.

  It still amazed her how Phraum had managed to plan so well a heist. He knew exactly what Ashara needed to complete her task, and he did not seem to need to explain the task at all! All the mage had done was hand her bodyguard a map and a day later she understood everything that needed to happen in order for their plan to work. Ashara felt a little led by the nose from all the blatant handholding but decided to let the feeling go. Her situation was too dire and Phraum was too powerful.

  The man probably planned that as well, she thought.

  “What about Maron, have you gotten him some toys as well?” Ashara asked. She placed the two charges she had in her hands back in the chest and paced back and forth in front of Phraum.

  “I did, a stealth suit and a line pistol.” Phraum responded. “Both of which are in his room. Oh, I almost forgot!”

  Phraum reached into his pocket and produced a small black and silver wristband with a button in its center.

  “Here try this on and press that silver button on the center when you’re finished.” Phraum said giddily.

  Ashara grabbed the wristband, somewhat disgusted by how freely Phraum showed emotion, then wrapped the small band around her wrist, pressing the button on its center as instructed. The Princess felt a faint vibration pass over her and suddenly she was gone, her soft, slender pale blue hands now invisible.

  “No spell, no incantation!” Ashara mused aloud, amazed at the device.

  “Indeed.” Phraum said from his seat at Ashara’s desk. “Use it once you’ve slipped past the guards and enter the inner sanctum. The device is good at fooling magicians but not so good at fooling people.”

  Ashara nodded her head, still examining the device.

  “I suppose that is everything. Will I be seeing you this later at afternoon prayer?” Phraum asked smiling.

  Ashara narrowed her eyes at the mage. He rarely attended the family’s religious gatherings, and he would not start now, not after foiling Kara’s plot.

  “Perhaps in that scrying pool of yours.” The Princess quipped, slipping the wristband off of her hand, and placing it back in its chest.

  “That concludes our business.” Phraum said, rising to his feet. “Good luck my daughter. I pray for your success.” The mage bowed low, in the sincerest gesture the Princess had ever seen from him and then he was off, quickly striding out of her bed chamber and back to his tower.

  Ashara sighed as she watched him leave, the apprehension of the task ahead filling her mind suddenly. For all her bluster to Maron, and her faith in her father’s plan, the Princess was still nervous.

  I must be resolute in times like these, Ashara told herself. To be great you must make sacrifices, and Ashara was in a position where she had to give up something. In this endeavor it would be her autonomy, and it would be in exchange for her survival. If she did not do as her father asked, the mage would no longer intercede on her behalf, and she would very swiftly be killed by her sisters.

  Ashara pushed such thoughts from her mind and fingered through the contents of the chest Phraum had left her. Simple yet elegant robes of blue and purple, an unimpressive silvery wristband, and two explosives. Everything she would need in order to break into the Styrian temple was right there, all that was left now was to wait.

  The Princess closed the chest and hid the cylinder containing the silence spell her father had given her and made for the door of her chambers. She supposed it was time to face the carnage her bodyguards had left in her defense. She pushed open the wooden door to her bedroom and found Tareia nose to nose with Maron, her right hand gently stroking his shoulder. The young bodyguard’s face was flushed, desire flickering in his amber eyes.

  “You are such a promising soldier,” Tareia was saying. “You should train with me more often Maron, I assure you it will be very educational.”

  Ashara cleared her throat, and the two bodyguards turned to face her. Tareia had a sly grin on her lips and Maron struggled to maintain eye contact with the Princess, his gaze constantly darting back to Tareia.

  “Am I interrupting something?” Ashara asked jokingly.

  “Perhaps...” Tareia replied, giving Maron a longing glance.

  So brazen, Ashara thought to herself stifling a laugh.

  “If she bothers you too much Maron tell me.” Ashara said sternly, forcing the male bodyguard to look her directly in the eyes. “I would rather not have one of my most loyal warriors poached by a family captain...” Ashara’s eyes fell upon Tareia as she finished her statement. The older woman shrugged.

  “I will make sure to speak up Princess.” Maron said.

  Ashara shook her head and surveyed the hall outside of her bedroom. Six dead assassins littered the hall, their blood staining the white marble floors and the blue carpets beneath them.

  “Tareia, go fetch the servants to come clean this up.” Ashara ordered, wanting to send the older woman away.

  The veteran gave Ashara a nod and swaggered off, folding her saber over her shoulders as she left. Ashara couldn’t tell if the woman was showing off to Maron or simply showing off in general.

  “You need to head back to your room.” Ashara said after she was sure Tareia was out of earshot. “Phraum left you some tools for our upcoming outing.”

  Maron nodded and glanced down the hall. “Did he say anything else? How will you be entering the temple? Did he tell you how you’ll be leaving?”

  “He’s given me what I need to get in, as far as leaving...” Ashara paused for a moment to hide her anxiety. “He has yet to say, but supposedly the Styrians will be too distracted to worry about their temple.”

  Maron nodded, clearly as nervous as Ashara was about Phraum’s plan.

  “Go, he’s left you some valuable gifts.” Ashara ordered. “We won’t be seeing each other the rest of the day. Find a place to lurk around the Styrian temple later this evening and be prepared.”

  Maron bowed and left, leaving Ashara alone in the hallway to ponder her upcoming task, as well as take in the growing stink of the assassin’s corpses.

  “Ugh, where is Tareia with those servants?”

  Tareia appeared sometime later with a dozen servants in tow. They set about their work as soon as they arrived, placing the dead into body bags and rolling up the carpets to be taken to the launderers.

  “Where’s Maron?” Tareia asked, taking a place beside Ashara.

  “Doing his job I suspect.” Ashara replied curtly. She did not like how casually Tareia addressed her.

  “Oh, don’t be that way, Princess.” Tareia said smiling. “It is only proper to celebrate after a victory.”

  Ashara rolled her eyes at the taller woman. Over two centuries old and she was still a lecher. Some of her family suspected Tareia was an old bastard daughter of a male line, others suspected she was the second Princess from an age ago that decided to give up her place in the noble family. Ashara personally believed it was something more like the former, and that’s where she got her degenerate attitude from. But then again, Ashara was no paragon of virtue either.

  “You ought to be more chaste, like my mother.” Ashara quipped.

  The older woman turned to Ashara, a serious look on her face. The princess returned her gaze, then they both laughed.

  “Perhaps her great lust is where her compassion comes from, she, and the other Demora family heads before her for that matter, are kinder than most.” Tareia said.

  “Not too kind I hope?” Ashara asked, arching a silver eyebrow.

  “Won’t know until after their gone.” Tareia said, almost solemnly. “But this one, your mother, she plays with fire. You do too I suppose.”

  Ashara looked over to the older woman standing beside her. Still as beautiful as she was in her youth, shapely and firm, but her eyes showed her age. Ashara could see the older woman examining her, red irises full of wisdom and something else Ashara couldn’t quite place. She returned the veteran’s gaze with curiosity, more surprised than angry at the brazen declaration.

  “That father of yours, Phraum. He is dangerous.” Tareia said, her tone almost serious. “But he is just as alluring. I think he will change things here.”

  “You disapprove?” Ashara asked, now growing nervous. How much did this old woman know of her father and his plans?

  “No.” Tareia said smiling. “But I don’t have anything to gain or lose from him.”

  Ashara felt like the older woman was clearly trying to tell her something, but she ignored her message. She did not want to believe Phraum held so much power, at least not over her. It ran diametrically against everything she believed in and what she lived for.

  “He is just a man.” Ahara said sharply. “Me, my mother, and even you will get what we want from him as we do anything else and that is that.”

  “Hmm.” Tareia said. “We should be off; afternoon prayer should be starting shortly.”

  Without a word, the two left the palace and walked to the Demora temple. It wasn’t far, each of the six major families’ temples were usually less than a mile from their palaces, the only exception being the Styrians. Being the most powerful family on Ilithir, they were granted a huge temple in the center of the city, beneath the hills where the six families’ palaces were located, and among the most reverent districts in the city. It was not the most sacred of temples in the city however, that honor belonged to the holy house, which was open to all and run by zealots that served the Dark Lady directly rather than through the families like the nobles.

  Ashara and Tareia crested the final hill leading to the Demora temple and headed towards its front steps. The temple itself was an imposing marble building supported by ornate columns on each side. In the center of the cable roofed building was topped by a large glass dome, which allowed sun or moonlight to illuminate the main chapel where group worship took place.

  Ashara entered the building with Tareia following slightly behind her. A few of the family soldiers and lesser nobles were milling about in the entrance hall, lost in their own conversations and completely oblivious to the Princess’s presence. Ashara moved past them and headed towards the chapel where three priestesses waited outside to greet each of the worshippers.

  “Greetings Princess, Tareia.” Said the Priestess in the center of the doorway with a nod of her head.

  “Greetings Sister Holiphan.” Ashara said bowing her head. Aside from her mother, women of the sacred order were the only people she was to show outright respect to. They were also the only people whose power the Princess did not jealously covet.

  “Greetings sister, how are you this afternoon?” Tareia asked from beside Ashara.

  “I am well sister,” Holiphan replied. “I’m pleased to see you have come today sister; it isn’t often we see you here at this time of day.”

  “I had some good fortune this morning and I need to pay my respects.” Tareia said.

  “Oh, that is wonderful to hear sister, I’m sure our Lady will be glad to hear of it in your prayers!”

  The three continued to chat idly for a few minutes until Ashara grew tired of the pleasantry and ended the conversation. She then moved into the chapel and found a pew near the middle of the room where a few of her cousins were seated. They paid her and Tareia no mind as the two women took their seats at the end of the pew near the center walkway.

  “Is it normally this empty?” Tareia asked quietly after they sat down.

  “Yes, but mother is usually here by now. Something must have come up.” Ashara glanced around the room, expecting to see her mother or at least Amena. She was surprised when she found neither. “It must be serious, Ameena isn’t here either.”

  “Interesting.” Tareia huffed, leaning back in her seat.

  After a while, more and more people filtered in, mostly soldiers and lesser Demora nobles. Eventually, Ashara’s older siblings Feyan and Dyra entered the chapel and took seats in the front middle row. The priestesses then took their places up at the center dais where the sunlight from the glass dome was the brightest and began their first chants. Ashara bowed her head with the rest of the room and offered up prayers to their goddess as the priestess’s sang their opening songs.

  “Oh, Dark Lady please watch over me in the trial to come.” Ashara muttered in a quiet whisper. “Guide me to victory and allow me success against my sisters plots!”

  The Priestess’s song grew louder and louder, the congregation’s voices now joining into their melody. Soon the chapel hit a fever pitch, and Ashara felt her own heart quicken. She turned to Tareia, who she found with her head bowed low and her hands on softly clutching the pew in front of her. The Princess was surprised to find the older woman bowed down in legitimate prayer, she thought the woman was completely devoid of faith.

  The noise died down as the priestesses finished their songs and the group prayers and sermons began, occasionally the priestesses would pick out someone in the chapel who they believed was living virtuously under the Dark Lady’s teachings, or someone who they believed was straying from the path and needed to be scolded.

  Ashara smiled inwardly as she recalled a memory of the last time Phraum had attended a gathering when the First Princess was out. The whole service had been about his lack of piety and his overambitious attitude as a man. Phraum had smiled through all the admonishment, but Ashara knew the priestesses had got to him. She’d never seen the man in a more sour mood after that meeting.

  Later, Kara appeared and took a seat in the pew to the right of Ashara, across the center aisle. Ashara gave her older sister a wicked grin that the fifth princess returned with a scowl. Tareia blew some air out of her noise in a quiet laugh. Clearly Kara was in a bad mood from her foiled plot, which was the likely reason for her late attendance.

  The service continued as usual. The chapel went over the lessons they wished to teach for the morning and the priestesses gave the morning news, which was the custom. Most people on Ilithir got their news from a temple, nobles receiving more sensitive news than commoners. The priestesses had reported nothing interesting this morning, but Ashara did receive a few approving smiles and nods from the priestesses, as opposed to the scowls they gave Kara, so she found the service satisfying.

  “Ask one of your siblings about your mother.” Tareia whispered into Ashara’s ear as everyone rose to leave the temple. “The third or fourth Princesses obviously.”

  Ashara nodded and parted from Tareia to head over to her sisters at the front of the chapel, near the dais where the Priestesses had led the service.

  “Good afternoon Dyra and Feyan.” Ashara said with a nod.

  “Good afternoon to you, sister.” Feyan replied, crossing her arms.

  Feyan and Dyra were identical twins, taller and prettier than Ashara. But Feyan was bigger than Dyra from more time spent training, and so the two were easy to tell apart. They also wore their silver hair in different styles, Dyra’s straight hair flowed gently down her shoulders and back with bangs cut perfectly above her eyes while Feyan had her hair braided down her back.

  “I did not see the First Princess in attendance this afternoon, nor Princess Ameena. Has something happened?” Ashara asked, as politely as possible in the face of her taller, stronger siblings.

  “We were wondering the same thing.” Dyra said from behind her imposing twin. “Perhaps it has something to do with your stunning victory this morning sibling, I am quite surprised to see you in attendance this morning...”

  Both the twins smiled and Feyan let out a hearty laugh.

  “But who could hope to best you when that one skulks in your shadow?” Feyan quipped, casting a nod towards Tareia who was leaning against the doorway to the chapel.

  “Who indeed.” Ashara agreed, smiling despite the inherent distrust she had for Tareia.

  “And I hear you have yet a more fearsome ally!” Feyan said.

  Ashara raised an eyebrow and felt her heartbeat quicken. Did they know about Phraum’s involvement?

  “That man-thing Maron, oh what a splendid little warrior!” Fayan finished with a laugh.

  “Poor Kara, out a mage and five highborn warriors, off to the cosmic river never to return.” Dyra giggled and put a delicate hand to her black painted lips.

  Ashara shook her head to hide her relief and smiled. “I have a most discerning eye, sisters.”

  “It is all you have.” Feyan said, looking down her nose at Ashara, her smile suddenly replaced by a sneer. “But I suppose it will do for now.”

  Ashara smirked up at her taller sister, delighted at her obvious annoyance. It felt good to for once defy everyone’s expectations, even better to have done it by winning.

  “Well, I have nothing left to say to you, sisters, goodbye.” Ashara declared.

  The sixth Princess turned and walked over to where Tareia was relaxing.

  “Did they know anything?” Tareia asked.

  Ashara shook her head and motioned for Tareia to follow her out of the chapel and into the open room near the entrance of the temple.

  “They didn’t know anything and believed the first and second Princess’s absences had to do with me.” Ashara paused for a moment and scanned Tareia’s face for a reaction. The older woman simply shrugged. “I highly doubt that’s the case but who knows.”

  “We should find out sooner rather than later. If it was just one or the other missing a service that would be one thing, but for neither of them to show...” Tareia shrugged again. “Generally, I’d be with your mother when such a thing occurred but, oh well.”

  Ashara shook her head, once again annoyed with how casual Tareia treated the noble hierarchy.

  “I’ll look into it.” Tareia offered as they began to walk along the path back to the Demora palace.

  “That would be appreciated. You may find me busy this evening however.” Ashara replied.

  “Oh? Plans?” Tareia asked with a raised eyebrow.

  “Thinking I might visit a bath house to celebrate my victory, or maybe even the theatre.”

  “I think that would be a good plan Princess...Will you be taking Maron?” Tareia asked, a small smile on her face.

  Ashara rolled her eyes and shook her head at the lascivious old woman. “Yes.”

  Tareia visibly deflated and they continued walking back to the palace.