To Catch a King

Jask could barely believe where she was and what she was doing. She couldn’t believe that she had accepted the offer to find the missing prince and was now in the throne room, awaiting the Queen of Ferilis and her attendants. Where did her life go wrong? Or was it right? She wasn’t sure.

A door closed and Jask looked toward the sound. Two men were walking in: one was the Elite Soldier that had spoken to her yesterday—Lukas, he said that his name was. The other was a young man, looking to be her age. He glanced at her, looked a bit curious, and then looked forward. Lukas stood in front of them both.

“Good, we’re all together. Before the queen comes, I have a few things to say. The person sitting beside you is your partner.” Jask was beginning not to like this. She didn’t care that he was obviously a Native, but she cared more about the fact that she was going to have a partner for her mission. A mission that could get her out of thieving for a living. “A thing more. The queen is grieving. She may not be able to talk long, but she will be giving you your official briefing and the materials you will need for your journey.”

The queen strutted in just as Lukas finished speaking. Well, she didn’t strut, more like she trudged, like there was a ton of weight on her soldiers. The grief. Jask knew that grief; she felt it every single day.

Andreas noticed the queen’s grief as well. It was totally visible, and he had never seen anyone so sad. He could not imagine how it must have felt to lose both your husband and child in one night.

When the queen sat on her throne, she finally looked up at the two before her. Both Andreas and Jask stood and bowed in respect. The queen nodded and they took their seats. One by one, the queen’s attendants walked in, each more mournfully dressed than the last.

“Welcome,” the queen said. “This must seem as a surprise to you, to see me here when neither of you have seen me before.”

Jask gulped.

“As Lukas has told you, my son is missing and my husband is dead. May he still be with us. As of now, we are not telling the country the news of Janus’ death. It will tear us into chaos and we may never recover. There are also rumors of conflict brewing with one of our former allies. For this purpose and more, the late king has been watching the two of you, Miss Victoire and Sir Aijian.”

The two audience members looked at each other in surprise. Andreas noted panic in Jask’s face while Jask noted a bit of pride in Andreas’. Each wondered why they were partners.

“Jask Victoire,” the queen continued. “You are an orphan raised by the late Master of the Thieve’s Guild. You specialize in the thievery of rare artifacts and you are a capable messenger. Your lack of speaking and your ability to blend in makes you a perfect candidate as one of our spies.”

Jask could feel Andreas watching her, his eyes silently judging. She fought the urge to make a face. It wasn’t her fault that she was raised in the Thieve’s Guild. Her absent family had left her alone in the streets as a child, and she was raised by an unsavory character. She didn’t really feel bad about that though; she’d gotten over her abandonment issues long ago, when she realized that no one other than her adoptive father would ever care.

“Andreas Aijian,” the queen announced. “You are a pure blooded Native with the unusual career of being a soldier. You have three elder sisters, your parents are still alive, and you have a host of other relatives. You joined Hiness Military Academy with the intention of becoming an Enforcer, but you noticed the corruption rampant and decided on being a soldier. Your loyalty, survival skills, and suspicion of the military make you the perfect candidate for an Elite Soldier.”

Andreas fought the urge to cringe. His entire past had been looked into, starting with why he went to the Academy to why he joined the military instead of the police force. Admittedly, the amount difference that Enforcers and soldiers were paid also helped him in changing his decision. While listening to the queen though, he got the feeling that all of this was scripted, that the queen was talking through someone else and not using her own words.

“Now, on to the real reason we are here. I will repeat that my son is missing. When the Royal Suite was searched, there was no evidence found, only a note written in my son’s handwriting.” Her voice cracked at the end. “Now after going over this with my attendants, I realized that this couldn’t possibly be Victor writing this letter. He is a simple yet spoiled child; there is no way that he could possibly leave without many of his possessions. We all came to the conclusion that he was kidnapped.”

Jask had come to the conclusion the night before, when Lukas informed her as to why she was in the royal castle and not in a jail cell. She’d seen the prince, he’d flirted with her during a parade once, and he gave off the feel of being a child used to getting what he wanted, which was why she was not interested in him. Not to mention that the both of them had a three year age difference, with her being the elder of the two. She could tell that Andreas had come to the same conclusion as well.

“We want the two of you to search for him,” the queen continued. “In one month, we will announce the death of my dear husband”—Queen Aisling looked uncomfortable with the endearment, like she wasn’t used to it—“And the consequent crowning of Victor as the king. As you well know, he was named Prince Regent a fortnight ago. This gives you one month to find my son and to dispose of the people who have kidnapped him. I am sure you will have no qualms about that.”

With that, Queen Aisling rose from her throne, with Jask and Andreas following her example. Jask and Andreas bowed first, and the queen returned the bow and left. After her attendants trailed out, Lukas popped up, seemingly out of nowhere.

“So there it is!” he exclaimed. “The two of you will be leaving in two days at sunrise. Please, be sure to pack your things. Jask, I forgot to mention, you have the option of keeping your apartment while you live in the Elite Homes. Your things could stay there, or you could fully move in here. What is your decision?”

“Up to you,” Jask mumbled. She knew that Lukas would try his hardest to get something out of her if she continued not to speak. It was ridiculous, but it was something she had to expect.

Lukas smiled. “Good. Your things shall be moved into Elite Homes and your apartment will be put up for rent. The tenant’s payments shall go directly to you.” Jask nodded and walked away.

Andreas looked after her, confused. She seemed like she had no friends, like she was isolated. And she was a thief. He’d be working with someone who had little morals and no life code. He quickly dispelled thoughts of her from his head. Starting now, he would only focus on the mission at hand, not the girl he was sharing the mission with.

He headed to the personal training area that Elite Homes had. Much more expansive than the barracks, this training area had a bigger weapons array and less people to use them, making it possible for everyone to have a special weapon that they could work with. Personally, Andreas preferred the sword. Though it was what was used when conquering his people, there was a certain grace and finality that accompanied the sword’s use.

Instead of picking up his weapon, though, he decided to go into the city. There was a blacksmith that he wanted to visit, and he wanted to learn the art of making a sword, even if he was leaving in two days.

The blacksmith was located near the castle, thankfully, and he didn’t have to search for long. He had a chilly reception, but that all changed once the smith had seen his pin and heard his request.

The smith explained that the making of the sword took a long time, and that the fastest he could forge a sword could be two weeks. To make a sword in two days was nearly impossible and the maker would have to work through the day with little rest. Feeling up to the task, Andreas asked the sword smith to assist him, with his payment promised at the end.

Jask was busy doing something else. She had been in the training area when Andreas had entered, and she had to fight herself to keep from leaving. She didn’t get a bad feeling from him, it was just the opposite. She liked him because he was quiet and because he was attractive. She didn’t often work with attractive men, not in the thieving industry.

She still trained, though. While in the arena, she could feel the judgmental eyes of the other Elite Soldiers on her person. It made her want to try harder to prove herself, which made her angry. She had never needed to prove herself to anyone before, and the fact that the other soldiers made her feel this way was insane.

She quit training for a moment and surveyed her surroundings, something normal for someone in her profession. This place was too open for her; there was no way she could safely exit if a problem arose. The other Elite Soldiers pretended not to notice her, but she caught their eyes invariably wandering in her direction. The array of weapons fascinated her, though she wouldn’t dare steal any of them. She’d rather use her dagger, since close combat was a specialty of hers.

The training arena was in the shape of a dome; with glass ceilings, she could see the sky. It was both beneficial and dangerous. In one aspect, she could see if there were enemies approaching. On the other hand, if the glass broke, shards would be everywhere and possibly kill her. She wasn’t looking to die. There were wooden railings in every part of the arena, aimed to help with training. If those were broken, they’d make good staffs.

Sighing, she saw nothing that spoke to her in the arena. It was just too much made for soldiers and not for thieves. She returned the dagger she had borrowed—though it was a good dagger and she was tempted to steal it—and made her way to the Elite Homes.

Jask didn’t really like the Elite Homes. They reminded her too much of the Thieve’s Guild, with easy access to rooms and personal belongings. The only thing she really liked were the windows. They were big, opened easily, and were covered in vines, just in case she had to make a quick getaway. They were located in her living area and in her room, so she made sure to make sure that she could only open them from the inside or outside. She sat on the bed and thought about her mission. Working with someone who followed the law was going to be rather annoying.