Jackal Among Snakes

“What do you mean, ‘the Duchess won’t be coming?’” Induen pronounced each word very deliberately, teeth clenched tight in anger. The prince was in a small, shabby room that seemed to be abandoned. It was poorly lit by moonlight through covered windows. Just behind him, his escort of four disguised royal knights stood alert. Their focus was devoted to the man adjacent to their prince, each very wary as though the man was likely to lunge at any second.

“Just that, Prince Induen,” the man replied. He was smaller than Induen, but his presence had an indomitability one might liken to a rock. He wore rounded steel armor that seemed especially thick and heavy, so one could not see his face. A warhammer hung from his waist. His helmet was wrought in the shape of a boar.

“The Duchess will not be coming,” the man repeated.

“Why?” Induen insisted. “Has something come up? Something more important than her prince?”

“The situation has changed. The Duchess does not feel it is in her best interest to meet,” the boar-masked knight laid out plainly.

“House Parbon does not think it is in their best interest to give faithful service to my father.” Induen stepped forward, moonlight dancing across his face until he came to stand before the man, peering at his eyes inside the helmet. “Are these two things related, I wonder? I should hope not. If you need an example of what defiance brings, you need only look to Parbon’s vassals. That should be clear enough message.”

Despite Induen’s formidable presence, the boar-helmet knight did not move at all. Though the prince’s breath came close enough to fog the well-polished steel helm, his hands stayed at his side, disciplined and unafraid.

“The situation has changed,” the knight repeated.

Induen seemed to have some difficulty restraining his irritation. When he seemed liable to lash out, he turned away quickly, leaving his back to the boar-masked knight. “How has it changed? What’s changed?” the prince asked coldly.

“The Duchess said it is because Jast has allied with House Parbon.”

Induen’s breathing grew quicker, and he reached at his side, pulling free a white dagger gilded with gold. It was the same dagger that Margrave Reinhardt had used in their fight together, and it still shone with enchantments. He stared at it, fixated, slowing his breathing until it was calm. “This is… news to me.”

Induen put away the knife, and then turned around. “You. The Duchess belongs to House Cael. The sigil of House Cael is a boar. Are you a scion of that house?”

“No,” the knight said.

“A champion, then?” the prince pressed.

“Once,” the knight said. “Now, I am someone the duchess is willing to let die.”

“It seems she is quick to discard things,” the prince noted.

“Yes,” the knight agreed.

Induen placed a hand on his hip. “What is your name, knight?”

“Unimportant. If you need a name, most call me Boarmask.”

came first—the name,

the knight replied

of going to fetch something and returning with nothing. You said you were once

stared at Induen.

raised his head, evidently not expecting that answer so quickly. “’No,’” Induen repeated. “I often like brevity, but yours infuriates me. Why do you

Boarmask said. “In search

me, a prince,” Induen

you die for

die for their knight? Perhaps you’ve the order reversed. You will die an errant knight if that is what

Prince Induen, past his royal guards, and opened

in the abandoned room, the moonlight moving ever so slowly and reflecting

if you wish, we can…” one of the knights alluded, knowing well

He was the Romantic Warrior. Perhaps he disliked the implication and donned that helm. It seems he is ever in search of the ideal master.” Induen shook his head. “A fool. He’ll die one, too, but not by my hand. I doubt you are capable enough to dispatch him,

out the Margrave’s dagger. “I will not return to the capital with empty hands.” He ran his gauntleted finger across the blade, scratching the steel armor. “Neither the Duke nor the Duchess will

#####

the things on their carriage, settling everything into place. Beside him, Galamon lifted one more chest and put it in the luggage compartment. Argrave looked behind him, but there was nothing more to put on the

occasion to test them out. In addition, his armor had been remade, covering the gaping hole in the torso. The crown taken from the ruins near Barden rested in Galamon’s helmet, hidden beneath steel. The elven mercenary had always been potent, but with the crown enhancing his physical abilities, he would be a force to be reckoned with. To top all of that off, Galamon had both Ebonice arrows and enchanted arrows,

them. They could cast a B-rank warding spell twenty times before a recharge was necessary. Argrave

the course of days. It had been an expensive endeavor. All of the liquid was stored within the main portion of the carriage where he and Anneliese would sit. With so much excess, he had decided to have Anneliese drink the stuff as well. Provided she was diligent in expending magic in practice, it

quite a lot of stuff you have,” commented Elias

looked to him, and then shut the luggage compartment’s lid. “So

troublesome to bring his books and the liquid magic produced by the Amaranthine Heart. It

and was incapable of feeling fatigue. A playable character was quite a terrifying figure, bluntly—they blindly rush into any danger, they never fail, and each

role had been delegated

rubbed his hands together as though they were cold. “I have to get my father’s permission for all

“I don’t think he can reasonably renege. It would do too much damage.” Argrave

you said… I

been cheated. Duped.” Argrave clapped his hands together. His newly worn metal ring beneath his gloves struck his knuckle, and he winced. Damn. Not used

rubbing his tender knuckle. “I only said that so you would agree. I’m sure Margrave Reinhardt

not know how to process this, standing there

of old. It is better to seek forgiveness than ask for permission.” Argrave nodded, and then patted Elias’ shoulder. “On that note, please forgive me. It had to be done. If you wish, lay all the blame on me. I am perfectly willing to accept yet more of your father’s

still my decision. I cannot let you suffer

even brought up the idea:

real bastard,” he

don’t end up in a ditch with a knife in your gut. Just because it feels like things have settled