I've never been a morning person. I guess that's true for a lot of people but I think it must be worse for me. I don't think I've gotten a full night of sleep since coming to the castle. Sure, I've learned to work on a few hours of sleep but that doesn't mean I like it. It also doesn't mean I like being woken up by a being whacked with a pillow.

I opened one eye to glare up at Nick. "I think I'm regretting teaching you how to pick locks."

"Too bad. You're supposed to be in the training yards by now. Nemia's been there for hours."

"So?"

"So Joshua's flipping out. If you don't come down in five minutes he'll come up here himself."

"Ugh," I groaned, sitting up. "What's wrong with him lately? He's always been annoying but now he's being annoying about everything."

Nick shrugged. "Hey, I'm just an under-guard. They don't tell me anything." A sly grin crossed his face. "Although, I did overhear a very interesting conversation between him and the Sage right before the Sage left for the coast."

"Really? What were they saying?"

"Oh, I don't know if I should really be telling you that..."

"Nickolai Claresedge, if you don't tell me right now what they were talking about then I will stick my dagger so far up your-"

"Okay, I get the picture!" He threw his head back and laughed. "You've spent way too much time with Cara lately. But fine- so I was in the stables doing some punishment work for- er- well, I was doing some punishment work and Joshua walked in with the Sage. They went over to the horse he would be riding to Maenar, not seeing me because I was in the loft. And the Sage told Joshua that he expected to be informed of anything that happened with Englescroft that could possibly have to do with it."

"Do with what?"

"I don't know, he just said 'it'. And Joshua said he would send the fastest messenger he could get his hands on the moment he heard anything." Nick paused. "Strange, them having that conversation just before the old ambassador got sick and we got this new one, isn't it?"

"Yeah, strange. Then what did they say?"

"Nothing, for a while. Joshua helped him saddle his horse. Then Tobias said: I think you're right. They shouldn't know."

"Who's 'they'?"

"Stop interrupting, Morie! Joshua said he didn't mean 'they' should never know, just that they had to get things sorted out with the 'situation' and 'the other one' first. And don't ask me what that means, because I don't know."

"You're sure that's what he said? 'The Other One'?" Weren't those the words Jaden had used in his note?

"Yes, I'm positive. Then the Sage told him when and what 'they' were told was none of his concern. Then Joshua got angry and said it was damn well his concern, especially if Englescroft was going to start sticking its nose into the mess. And then they left. I managed to catch one last sentence, but I'm not sure which of them said it: 'Wait and see, it'll work out. I know how to fix at least part of it. Just wait till the ball.' "

There was something ominous about his words, something that sent prickles down my spine. "Oh."

"Yeah. Well, get dressed and come down or Joshua will have a fit." He left, closing the door behind him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Morning," I grunted to Cara.

"Morning."

I nodded at Nemia and leaned on the wall next to them. The sun was already high in the sky and the training yards were filled with people. In one section regular guards went through drills, directed by their captains, while in the fenced off arenas auxiliary guards were practicing their skills in staff fighting and sword work. There was the typical noise and clutter of any ordinary day.

"Morning, Morie." Sam appeared through the crowd and tossed an apple at me. "You've got to stop waking up too late for breakfast."

"This was literally the first time I've done it in months," I grumbled as I bit into it. "Have you seen Joshua?"

"I may have," He yawned.

"He was overseeing drills over there," Cara volunteered. "I'd stay out of his way if I were you."

I glanced over the way she was pointing and saw Joshua, scowling with his arms crossed, and decided that was good advice.

Finishing my apple, I dropped the core on the ground and wiped my hands on my tunic. "Anyone ready to get a court?"

"Absolutely not," Sam said, leaning against the wall and pulling his hat over his eyes.

I rolled my eyes. "Cara?"

"I've already had one bout with Alan. I need a break. Ask Nick."

"Ask Nick what?" Nick asked, appearing through the crowd the same way Sam had.

"Ask Nick if he's not too lazy to get his butt on the court."

"Sorry, but I think I speak for Nick when I say he would rather not." He grinned and tossed me an orange. "You've got to stop waking up too late for breakfast."

"As I just told Sam-" I started, irate, but he cut me off.

"Hey, Luca's looking for a partner."

Glancing around the yard I saw Lord Luca wiping his face on the towel someone offered him. He had a sword in his right hand and judging from the dust coating its surface he had already had a few bouts. Probably won them, too. He was considered to be good, mostly because he trained with the guards instead of nobles who fought for show.

"Nobody will fight with me?" I whined. I was met with head shakes and a slap on the shoulder from Sam so I dragged myself over to Luca, pushing through a knot of guards. "You need a partner?" I asked him bluntly.

He met my eyes with a level gaze. "I could use a new partner."

Hopping over the fence I grabbed a pair of knives from the jumble on the ground and claimed my end of the court. He frowned at my choice of weapons but chose his own to match before taking up a starting stance.

"Begin," I said, and twirled out of the way of his first slash. He was fast. Maybe as fast as I was. And unlike Joshua, he didn't give away clues about his next move in his stance or eyes. 

I let him have the first few strikes, staying on the defensive, seeing how he fought. His technique was different than most guards, slower-paced despite the speed he was capable of and he used less space. But then again, he'd had masters to train him in the way of noble fighting since he was young, so he was bound to be different. I don't think his training was a leg up, though. He probably had great endurance but I could see that his moves were repetitive. Actually, there was something weird about the way he was fighting. Almost as if he was holding back. 

Holding back from me? He would regret that.

I ducked a slash and in the same move twisted one of my knifes around his and disarmed his left hand.

He reeled back, astonishment showing in his face. I was feeling pleased with myself. I'd made that move up on the spot.

He wasn't surprised for long, but I got what I'd wanted. He was no longer holding back. More people gathered to watch as we traded slashes and jabs, using the entire court. We were evenly matched now. We both relied on speed rather than strength, the element of surprise rather than memorized drills. And despite the fact that most nobles only learned sword fighting, he was clearly familiar with knives.

Breathing hard, I blocked his swipe with one blade, jarring my arm, and stabbed at his stomache at the same time- I still had two knives.

He dodged.

I cursed.

He tried a stab back.

I blocked again.

He shoved me backwards with a wide arc of his knife, and tried again.

He was backing me into a corner. Rather than block again, I dodged to the right. Instead of packed-dirt ground, my foot slipped on something smooth and I fell, twisting my leg, and my head struck something rock-hard.

"Morie!" Sam shouted. 

Black spots filled my vision. My skull felt like it was splitting down the middle.

"Morie, are you okay?" I wasn't sure who said that. Sam? Joshua? Was Joshua here?

I squeezed my eyes tightly closed as though that would shut out the noise and pounding feeling in my head. "...Fine." I muttered.

"Morane, look at me." Nemia's calm voice broke through the worried chatter. I felt her touch my head, feel the spot I had bumped, check for blood. "Morane, you're fine."

Opening my eyes, I found that she was right. My sight had cleared. My head hurt, but it was bearable. "What was that?"

"You tripped on his knife. The one he lost at the beginning of the fight." She helped me stand. "You should take a break."

Nick groaned, leaning on the fence. "Go scare us to death, why don't you?"

"Don't be so dramatic," I told him. "I'm perfectly fine. I just need a moment." I flopped onto a bench and gulped from my water flask. Sam stood over me, looking worried. 

"That idiot. He should have warned you the knife was right there."

"Don't be ridiculous. He wasn't paying attention either."

"Speaking of ridiculous," Cara murmured, cutting off Sam's response, "Here comes her Royal Highness herself."

"She's starting this early?" Nick asked. "I didn't think she'd actually have the nerve to come down here."

I glanced up. Princess Magali had entered the training yard, followed by two personal guards. She wore a sky-blue shirt over a white tunic, golden-brown leggings, and soft calfskin boots. Her hair was in a complicated braid over her shoulder and she held a pair of white gloves in her hand.

Sam, temporarily forgetting my injury, shared a snicker with Nick. "She thinks those are practice clothes?"

"Apparently."

One of Joshua's guards, who was almost of his rank, approached and bowed to her. "Your Highness. I apologize, we were not expecting you so soon."

"Or ever, really," Cara whispered.

The princess nervously twisted the gloves in her hands. "Um. Er, should I come back later?"

"Um, no, Your Highness, now is... fine. Ah, if you would follow me, we will..." He seemed confused about what exactly he was supposed to do with her. Looking around, he spotted Joshua and waved him over frantically. He kept his face blank as he approached them.

"Your Highness. We were not expecting you for a while."

"So I have been told." She was still twisting her gloves.

Joshua waved the other guard away and he scurried out of the yard thankfully. "I'm afraid your instructors have not arrived yet. Perhaps you will permit me to find you some practice weapo-" He stopped suddenly, and backed up. "Some practice clothes."

Cara broke into her snorting laughter and I hid a grin. He had obviously been about to offer her some practice weapons before realizing how she was dressed.

"But I..."

"I believe our tailor would be happy to make you some appropriate garments." He took her elbow and lead her firmly back towards the castle.

"You have an unusual princess," A now-familiar voice commented.

Lord Iso looked very out of place in his heavy velvet suit among the roughly-clad guards.

"Because she wants to learn to fight?"

"Because she doesn't know already."

"Things must be different in Englescroft. Our king and Queen never wanted their precious daughter breaking a nail on a wooden sword."

He snorted disdainfully. I didn't know it was possible to sound cultured and noble when you were snorting but somehow he managed it. "I don't mean to speak badly of your king and queen but in Englescroft, our royals recognize the importance of training all young men and women in the fighting arts."

"Oh, of course, in Englescoft," Cara repeated, copying his snooty voice, condescending tone, and thick accent.

He stared at her as though not sure what to do with a teenage girl making fun of his voice, before simply ignoring her. "I brought the finest instructors of sword-play and combat in Englescroft to my home in the capital the moment Galatea was old enough to hold a wooden sword."

I noticed for the first time that Galatea was sitting on a bench close by, lacing up her boots. Unlike the princess, she had come dressed for real training in a rough tunic, her hair looped into a tight bun. At the mention of her name she looked up, finished tying her laces and walked over to us.

"I heard you took a blow to your head. Will they punish the guard who did it?"

"No, they won't."

"They won't?" She looked shocked.

"No. For one thing it was an accident, and for another, he's a noble." I didn't like her questions and I was short with her on purpose. To Iso, I said, "You know there are courts for nobles inside the palace?"

"Yes. We went there first. Everyone there was completely incompetent."

"That's our nobles, all right." Everyone else had left us to our talking, but Cara lingered near us. "Any of them that can actually handle a weapon train with us."

"So that is why you are here?" Galatea asked both of us. "You can handle a weapon?"

I was confused for a moment before I realized what she meant. "We train here because we're not nobles. Although we can of course 'handle a weapon' just fine."

"Of course," Iso said. "Ah! You should show us! Have a little fight, show us what you can do with a sword."

I shrugged. "I prefer knives."

"Knives, then. Humour me."

"I've got no one to fight with. No one's in the mood for that kind of training."

"I will fight with you," Galatea volunteered. "Only, we had better choose another weapon. I have trained with knives since I was very young and I do not want to embarrass you in front of your friends."

"Worry about embarrassing yourself," I told her sharply, and picked up my knives from the bench.

Hey Guys! As always, thanks for reading! Model for Joshua on the side. (Yes, it's Dallas Winston from The Outsiders. I don't know why, he's just the face that popped up in my mind when I was trying to picture a Joshua.)