In This Life And The Next

Faye dressed in a long black skirt that was slit up to her thigh and leather riding pants underneath. She took Ozzy that very night and headed for where she thought the other princes might be marching into, if she were marching into the thickest part of Roman’s forces.

Faye and Ozzy had been riding together for two years now and he was preternaturally quiet. His coat was black and when Faye hid under her favorite cloak, they were all but impossible to discern in the shadows.

She had no desire to engage any of Roman’s forces. He did not keep his men civilized like the Valour kept their guards. In fact, Roman encouraged a darker, more monstrous side of his men and rewarded it.

Faye had seen too many things in her time with Roman to be assured of nothing more than the fact that the man was a demon from the deep here to kill anyone and everyone that stood in his way. She even suspected that her own parents had been victims of his blinding ambition, though she trusted no one enough to express that thought.

Faye had schooled her body into needing as little rest as possible. When dawn broke, she tucked her dark cloak and skirt away and pulled on something more feminine that she had borrowed from Lady Hannah. She let her hair loose around her shoulders and as she passed through a village, no one took notice of the young girl on her horse, strolling through the town center.

She stopped at the stables to let Ozzy have a moment and stepped into a nearby tavern for a short meal.

A girl, possibly a few years younger than herself, served her. She had large blue eyes and long dark hair but a sour look on her face, as though she were displeased with her position. Indeed, she looked like she belonged instead in the lap of a duke or maybe even a lord, instead of serving cheap wine to travelers in a tavern no one had heard of.

“Ivy!” A voice called out from the kitchen and the girl turned with a huff and went.

The name, the face, it was all familiar but Faye couldn’t place it.

Instead she turned to her stew and bread, her water close by.

She was almost done and considering seconds when the door opened and the customers gathered round looked up.

A guard from the Crown Prince’s personal escort, from the design over his heart. Faye clutched the queen’s ring in her hand and watched him carefully.

The guard went to the tavern owner behind the bar and spoke to him in low, harsh tones, and pushed a purse across the counter to him. The guard tapped his breast, where the royal crest was. The tavern owner opened the purse and nodded.

“Ok, we’re closed!” The owner shouted suddenly.

Before Faye could get the attention of the guard, she was pulled up and out of the tavern and all but thrown out.

She went across the way to a small blacksmith who watched everyone else be pulled out of the tavern and then all but tossed out.

“What was that about?” He asked.

“I haven’t the faintest idea.” Faye replied softly. She decided to wait. If she encountered a prince, or even the Prince, her ride would be cut down by days .

She didn’t have long to wait. A large group of men rode in and Faye recognized Caspian from when they had spoken earlier and she was sent to the princess. All the men entered the tavern and Faye thought she spotted the Crown Prince and his other brother, but she wasn’t sure. His clothing was nondescript and there was no way to tell him apart from the other men. He wasn’t wearing a crown; none of them were.

Faye huffed and sat down on a stump. They left two men to guard the door, both skinny and pale, but wore the same insignia that declared them the personal escort of the Crown Prince. Faye glared at them, at their insignia declaring them.

“They at least had the courtesy to show who they are.” She said out loud.

“Were you speaking to me, miss?” The blacksmith said, looking about.

Faye smiled and shook her head. She stood and brushed her skirts off. She couldn’t lose this chance, not with the Prince so close.

Faye approached the guards and kept her hands in plain view. The signet ring was on a chain around her neck, the ring itself under her bodice.

“Sorry, miss, no one is allowed in.” One of the men said to her, offering her a smile.

“Prince’s orders.” The other added quickly.

“I have a message for His Highness.” She said softly, casting her eyes to the ground, trying to appear as small as she possibly could.

“Many young maids do-” The one with the large nose said.

“But His Highness is engaged to be married as soon as this damnable war is over.” The other with the strange haircut finished.

Faye blinked and then it sank in what they were saying. She snorted. “It’s not a romantic message. It’s a message-” She huffed and pulled out the chain where Laura’s ring lay. “It’s from Queen Laura and Aurora.” She muttered.

The one with the large nose snatched the ring from her palm, or attempted to. Faye was quicker than that and stepped away.

“The Prince, please. I was given strict orders to speak to no one else-”

It looked as though they were about to take her inside when a large clatter sounded and men began to shout. The pair instead threw open the door and dove in.

Inside, there were several men in the middle of a larger group. A few of them broke off when they saw Faye and the other two enter and they took the guards that Faye was just speaking to and threw them in the middle of their circle.

One man stood tall and would not be cowed.

The Crown Prince, surely.

Faye cowed away from the man that jerked her away from the door and threw her into a corner, next to the fireplace. She knocked over the poker and the screen there and tumbled to the ground.

“Your treason means only that your death will be slow, Edgar.” The Prince said. Beside him, his brothers sneered.

“Your death means that I will have a place in court.” Edgar replied reasonably.

The only people facing Faye were the Prince and his men. She pulled her skirts up and pulled a dagger out of her garter belt. The taller one, Liam she thought, shook his head at her minutely. She rolled her eyes at him. The other brother caught her eye and his eyes drifted further to her left, almost the opposite wall.

Their weapons.

She nodded and looked around for anything else. She had left her crossbow with Ozzy along with her sword.

Faye gripped the fire poker that she had knocked over when she was thrown to the ground. She stood swiftly, knocked the man over with the fire poker, caught him and held him to her with her blade against his neck, already drawing blood. He was stunned and wasn’t holding all his weight and his men turned on her.

“I will take his head and deliver it to the Queen herself.” Faye hissed. “On a pike.”

“Oh, I like her.” One man whispered to the Prince.

“That’s the spy I sent to Hazel.” Caspian whispered to Alec and Liam.

“Stand back!” The man yelled to his men that were advancing anyway. Faye pressed the knife in deeper as one other man stepped forward. The thin trickle of blood thickened under her hand. She reversed her hold on the knife and pulled Edgar back a step.

“Or perhaps Aurora would like a present of my allegiance.” She said and aimed the tip of the dagger lower. “I am not picky.”

Edgar screamed at them to stand away, his voice breaking.

“Let His Highness through.” She ordered, settling the tip of her dagger over Edgar’s groin. The men backed away. “You,” She said to the man who said he liked her, “Stoke the flames. As high as you can get them.”

“Neil is the name.” He replied.

The others introduced themselves in turn. Caspian took Edgar from her. The Prince was appraising her, but did not stop her when she took control of the room.

“Ash, Sam there is a tavern girl in the back. Dark hair, blue eyes. Bring her.” Faye ordered. She turned to the men at large. “The rest of you, strip yourselves of your clothing.”

The men looked at her and then each other. They were weaponless and guarded.

“Your Highness?” She asked and gestured to his glove. He unstrapped it and handed it to her. Prince Alec sat down at a nearby table with a heavy sigh and the tavern owner scurried over with some ale. Right behind him, his wife brought out meat and bread and fruit. Faye slipped his glove on over her own hand and was displeased with how much bigger it was than her own, but it would do in a pinch.

She took Edgar from Caspian, walked him over to Liam, showed Liam how to hold the man, and began to beat him.

The Prince’s glove was overlaid with metal bits that broke through Edgar’s skin easily and within moments, he was bleeding profusely. He sagged in Liam’s arms.

Faye reached for Blake’s knife and he handed it over. With Edgar half unconscious, head lolling in Liam’s arms, Faye cut Edgar’s clothes from him and tossed them to Neil who threw them in the fire.

Liam threw him to the ground.

“My way or your way, gentlemen.” She said with a slow grin. “I could do this all day.”

The men stripped. Neil burned their clothing. The guards tied them and gagged them in the stables behind the tavern.

Ash and Sam returned with Ivy and threw her at Alec’s feet. She stood and lunged for him but for the second time that day, Faye saved him. She caught the girl around the waist and slipped an arm around her neck until she was limp and unconscious in her arms.

“Tie her up and gag her.” Faye ordered. She was tired now, the fire was making the room too hot and she was hungry. “She is the reason you have been ambushed.”

“Who is she?” Lima asked.

“Aurora’s stepsister.” The Prince said. “She’s been trailing us and the traitors are getting word to her about our next move and she is helping to plan the ambushes.”

Faye sat, pulled out the ring, and pressed it into Alec’s hand. “I recognize the girl from Roman’s army. She was a bed slave to-” Faye shrugged. “The highest bidder of the night.”

Liam and Caspian looked away.

“This is mother’s.” Alec whispered.

“She asked me to tell you something. To prove that they sent me and not-” She glanced down at Ivy.

Alec’s eyes were on her. “They?” He asked.

“Her and Aurora.” Faye replied.

“What is it?” Alec whispered.

“In this life and the next, have faith, my love.” Faye said.

Alec’s shoulders slumped and Liam and Caspian both let out breaths. The guards around them slumped over in relief.

“They are alive? Well?” Alec asked.

“The Queen and the princess are unharmed. The princess’ ladies are all untouched.” Faye replied.

“Aurora?” Alec asked.

“She is- she is worse for wear but she lives and told me to tell you, your child is fine and she has a plan and she sent me here to you.” Faye said and reached for Alec’s hand. He gripped hers in his fingers.

“Tell me.” He demanded.

Faye began speaking.