Braga charged forward raising his sword as he moved. When he came within reach of Alric, he brought it down toward the prince. Before Alric could react, the attack was deflected. An elegant rapier caught Braga’s blade mid-stroke. Count Pickering held Braga’s sword in the air, and Sir Ecton pulled the prince out of harm’s way.

“You have your sword, I see. So there will be no excuse for you this time, dear count.”

“There will be no need for one. You are a traitor to the crown and in memory of my friend Amrath, I will end this.”

Blades flashed. Pickering was as much a master of fencing as Braga, and the two moved elegantly, their swords appearing as extensions of their bodies. Reaching for their swords, Mauvin and Fanen started forward, but Ecton stopped them. “This is your father’s fight.”

Pickering and Braga fought to kill. Sword strokes swept faster than the eye could follow, their deadly blades whistling a song to each other, crashing in chorus. The incredibly lustrous blade of Pickering’s rapier caught the faint light in the corridor and glowed as it streaked through the air like a wand of light. It flashed and sparked when steel met steel.

Braga lunged, nicked Pickering’s side, and sweeping back, cut him shallowly across the chest. Pickering barely blocked a second stab with a sweeping parry, which allowed him an overhead stroke. Braga raised his sword to block, but Pickering ignored the defense. Instead he swung down with force and speed, streaking light from his sword.

Hadrian instinctually cringed. The high, overpowered stroke would leave Pickering vulnerable, open to a fatal riposte by Braga. Then the metal of the swords clashed. A brilliant spark flared as incredibly, Pickering’s blade sheered Braga’s sword in two. The count’s stroke continued unabated into the archduke’s throat. The Lord Chancellor collapsed to the floor, his head rolling a foot farther away.

Mauvin and Fanen rushed to their father’s side, beaming with obvious pride and relief. Alric ran down the hall where his sister stood between the two thieves. “Arista!” he shouted as he threw his arms around her. Thank Maribor you’re all right!”

“You aren’t angry with me?” she asked, pulling away from him with surprise in her voice.

Alric shook his head. “I owe you my life,” he said hugging her again, “and as for you two—” he began, looking at Royce and Hadrian. “Alric,” Arista interrupted, “it was not their fault. They didn’t kill father, and they didn’t want to kidnap you. It was my doing. I was the one who forced them. They didn’t do anything. I was—”

“Oh, you are quite wrong there, my dear sister. They did a great deal.” Alric smiled and placed a hand on Hadrian’s shoulder. “Thank you.”

“You’re not going to charge us for the tower I hope,” Hadrian said. “But if you are, it was Royce’s fault and should come out of his share.”

Alric chuckled.

“My fault?” Royce growled. “Find that little bearded menace and take your payment out of his stubby little hide.”

“I don’t understand,” Arista replied, looking confused. “You wanted them executed.”

“You must be mistaken, dear sister. These two fine men are the Royal Protectors of Essendon, and it appears they have done a fine job today.”

“Your lordship,” Marshal Garret appeared in the hall and approached the count, glancing only briefly at the dead body of Braga. “The castle has been secured and the mercenaries are slain or have fled. It would appear the castle guard is still loyal to the House of Essendon. The nobles are anxious to hear about the state of affairs and are waiting in the court.”

“Good,” the count replied. “Tell them His Majesty will address them soon. Oh, and send someone to clean this mess up, will you?” The marshal bowed and left.

Alric and his sister walked hand-in-hand down the corridor toward the others. Hadrian and Royce followed behind them. “Even now it is hard for me to believe him capable of such treachery,” Alric said, looking down at Braga’s body. A large puddle of blood stretched across the floor of the hallway. Arista lifted the hem of her dress as she passed by to avoid staining it.

“What was all that ranting about us not being human?” Arista asked.

“He was clearly insane,” Bishop Saldur said, approaching with Archibald Ballentyne in tow. Although he had never met the bishop in person, Hadrian knew who he was. Saldur greeted the prince and princess with a warm smile and fatherly expression. “It is so good to see you, Alric,” he said, placing his hands on the boy’s shoulders. “And my dear Arista, no one is more pleased than I about your innocence. I must beg your forgiveness, my dear, as I was misled by your uncle. He planted seeds of doubts in my mind. I should have followed my heart and realized you could not possibly have done the things he accused you of.” He gently kissed her on one cheek and then the other.

The bishop looked down at the blood-soaked body at their feet. “I fear the guilt of killing the king was too much for the poor man, and in the end, he lost his mind completely. Perhaps he was certain you were dead, Alric, and seeing you in the hallway he took you for a ghost or a demon back from the grave to haunt him.”

“Perhaps,” Alric said skeptically, “well, at least it’s over now.”

“What about the dwarf?” Arista asked.

“Dwarf?” Alric replied. “How do you know about the dwarf?”

“He was the one who set the trap in the tower. He nearly killed Royce and me. Does anyone know where he has gotten to? He was just here.”

“He’s responsible for far more than that. Mauvin run and tell the marshal to organize a search immediately,” Alric instructed.

“Right away,” Mauvin nodded and ran off.

“I, too, am pleased you are all right, Your Highness,” Archibald told the prince. “I was told you were dead.”

“And were you here to pay your respects to my memory?”

“I was here by invitation.”

“Who invited you?” Alric asked and looked at the slain corpse of Braga. “Him? What dealings does an Imperialist earl of Warric and a traitorous archduke have in Melengar?”

“It was a cordial visit, I assure you.”

Alric glared at the earl. “Get out of my kingdom before I have you seized as a conspirator.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” Archibald returned. “I am a vassal of King Ethelred. Seize me or even treat me roughly and you risk war—a struggle Melengar can ill afford, particularly now with an inexperienced boy at the helm.”

Alric drew his sword, and Archibald took two steps back. “Escort the earl out before I forget Melengar has a treaty of peace with Warric.”

“Times are changing, Your Highness,” Archibald called to the prince as guards led him away. “The New Empire is coming, and there is no place for an archaic monarchy in the new order.”

“Is there no way I can throw him in the dungeon, even for a few days?” Alric asked Pickering. “Can I try him as a spy perhaps?”

Before Pickering could reply, the Bishop Saldur spoke. “The earl is quite right, Your Highness, any hostile act made against Ballentyne would be considered by King Ethelred to be an act of war against Chadwick. Just consider how you would respond if Count Pickering here were hanged in Aquesta. You wouldn’t stand for it anymore than he would. Besides, the earl is all bluster. He is young and merely trying to sound important. Forgive him his youth. Have you not made errors in judgment as well?”

“Perhaps,” Alric muttered. “Still, I can’t help but suspect that snake is up to no good. I just wish there was some way I could teach him a lesson.”

“Your Highness?” Hadrian said, stopping him. “If you don’t mind, Royce and I have friends in the city we’d like to check on.”

“Oh, yes, of course, go right ahead,” Alric responded. “But there is the matter of payment. You’ve done me a great service,” he said, looking fondly at his sister. “I intend to honor my word. You can name your price.”