The Wicked House of Caroline

Robert of Caroline tossed his head back with a laugh as he continued to wave at his adoring fans. All around them, people were calling out ‘Duke of the North’, cheering for him to win again, and in some cases, screaming that they loved him.

Beks and Deo sank in their seats, trying to minimize their presence as if the greatest shame would be to be discovered as the children of the Duke of the North.

“How did it even come to this....?” Beks whispered under her breath. Aside from the direct and certain physical danger, they were exiles who were supposed to be killed, but managed to escape. They didn’t know if the people who sent those paladins to assassinate them would try to finish the job.

Wasn’t standing out like this calling for attention?

Beside her, her brother frowned. He looked around at the excitable crowd around them. The crowds were dying down as the fighters took their positions. One empty seat down from Deo was a man about his age and Deo leaned closer.

“How long has the Duke of the North been a fighter here?” he asked.

The man raised a brow and looked Deo up and down to assess him. He let out a low huff and sneered. “First time?”

“We’re just passing through,” Deo replied, nonchalant. “It’s the first time I saw a crowd cheer like this for a fighter.”

“The Duke of the North started several weeks ago as a substitute,” an older man replied from behind them. Deo turned around and furrowed his brows.

“A substitute fighter?”

“Apparently, the top fighter scheduled to fight that day didn’t show up.” The man leaned forward and lowered his voice. “I heard he got into trouble with some debt and couldn’t pay, so the lenders went after him.”

Deo drew his head back. “All right...but how did an old man become a substitute?” he asked, motioning down to the field.

“He’s not old!” a middle-aged woman told him with an abrupt voice. “Don’t look at his graying hair! He’s fitter than men half his age!”

Beks rolled her eyes. Just because her father was healthy didn’t mean he should be fighting.

“What type of fight is this, anyway?” Beks asked from behind her veil. “Fisticuffs? Sword? Do they pick their own weapons?”

“It seems like too large of a venue for going at it barehanded,” Deo said, craning his neck. “Though the last fight was barehanded.”

“The arena below will be made smaller in a bit, now that the fighters are introduced,” the man told them. He looked past them and pointed with his chin. “There. The barriers are coming out.”

Both Beks and Deo looked back towards the fighting ring. From its size, different types of events could be held inside, but as they watched, wooden planks were carried out from beneath the stadium and arranged form an octagon just a quarter of the size over the total space.

From the fighters standing within, the octagon walls reached their hips with wooden pillars placed in slots in the ground to both keep the plank walls up, as well as hold up a netting from the fighters’ hip level to past their heads. It would make the fight easily viewed by the spectators.

A stand was pushed closer to the octagon and there, the announcer stood.

“Why didn’t the previous fight take place inside the smaller ring?” Beks asked.

“You really are new here,” the man next to her brother retorted with disdain. “The Duke of the North is the top fighter and only the top fighters can fight in the octagon. All lower ranked fighters must prove themselves in the main ring first.”

“Then, matches are set by elimination,” Deo said.

“It takes three days for low level fighters to go through the rankings, but most don’t make it past the second day. The second- and third-day’s fighters tend to be within the top twenty on the ranking board,” the old man told them. “The final match of the third day is between the reigning champion, the Duke of the North, and the highest ranked winner from yesterday’s match, the Scorching Snake.”

“Who has been on the leaderboard longer?” Deo asked.

“The Scorching Snake. He has a bone to pick with the Duke,” the middle-aged woman answered with an indignant huff. “When the previous top fighter didn’t show up, the Scorching Snake should’ve been bumped up, but the stadium found a new fighter, the Duke. Without fighting through the ranks, the Duke won and since then, the Scorching Snake hasn’t been able to surpass him.”

Despite the embarrassment, Beks was a bit proud that her father had managed to maintain his ranking.

“The stadium just needed someone to fight that day,” the older man said, more speaking out loud than actually informing them. “No one thought he’d win. He hadn’t fought in any earlier match. All the odds were against him.”

“Where did they find him?” Beks asked.

“He’s a security guard at the stadium.”

Beks drew her lips into a tight line. That didn’t surprise her at all. Beside her Deo ran a hand down his face.

“He just happened to fall into this is what they’re saying....” he said.

“I could understand fighting as a substitute once, but why is he stillfighting? Surely by now, the ranks would be adjusted,” Beks replied as she furrowed her brows. “Why let a substitute continue?”

“I love you, Your Grace!”

“Marry me!”

“I want to have your babies!”

Beks and Deo shuddered as their skin crawled. The old man behind them laughed. “A good looking, charismatic prize fighter like him? Of course, because he’s popular!”

“Thank you for your love, but I’m married!” Their father shouted back into the crowds with a proud smile.

The middle-aged woman behind them lifted her hand to her chest and let out an envious, but disappointed sigh. “Oh, to be that man’s wife....”

“Mommy would toss him into the sea and ask if he’d lost his mind....” Deo muttered. Beks nodded in agreement.

“Another reason he’s famous is for bragging about his wife,” the man next to Deo said with a small scoff. “I don’t expect him to be so loyal. No one’s seen his wife. I heard they’re separated.”

Beks and Deo both narrowed their eyes. Before they could comment, the middle-aged woman shot him a glare. “Just because you’re not able to honor your wife doesn’t mean the Duke can’t! With women throwing themselves at him, he rejects each and every one and is never seen with a woman.”

“I was there when he launched into his speech about how beautiful his wife is. Do you expect me to believe that such a beautiful woman exists?” the man demanded. “He’s got to be lying!”’

Beks held back the urge to defend her mother and draw more attention.

“If you’ve never seen her, then I wouldn’t talk.” Deo did not. He sent the man a withering glare and Beks could feel the air around them heat up even more. She tugged on his sleeve to calm him.

Drums sounded again, drawing their attention back to the arena floor and the octagon in the center. The Scorching Snake had stripped to just his pants while their father kept his clothes on, though had removed his shoes, which seemed to be mandatory. Both fighters had cloth strips wrapped around their hands and fists.

“How many times have they fought?” Beks asked. If they were the top two, they must’ve met in the ring multiple times already.

“This will be the fifth time the Scorching Snake has fought him,” the old man said with a click of his tongue and a shake of his head. “I don’t know what he’s thinking. He’s lost four times already. Knocked out all four times.”

“Can you blame him?” someone else said. “The prize money for winning a fight with the Duke of the North is more than most fighters make in their lifetime!”

“If he wins just once, I’ll be set for a lifetime, as well!” Another man laughed, but people around him looked back and gave him a mocking look, as if telling him to continue to dream.

Beks turned her attention back to the arena floor. She moved aside her veil to get a better view. The crowds became quiet as the announcer lifted up a yellow flag. A whistle sounded and the flag went down.

The Scorching Snake darted forward and ready for attack. The Duke of the North stood in his spot, a playful smile on his face which would infuriate the opponent. The Scorching Snake lifted his left arm and pulled back his right shoulder. His first breezed past the Duke of the North’s face.

It wasn’t a big move on Robert’s side, just a partial step to avoid the hit. He kept his body aligned with the Scorching Snake and finally lifted his arms in a defensive position.

“How long do these fights usually last?” Beks asked. It wasn’t a fight to the death, so there was no need to act quick and precise to ensure a clean death. This was entertainment. They had to put on a show.

“Depending on the fighters, it can take some time, especially if no one gets a hit in. Then it’s all just stamina. Whoever lasts the longest wins,” the old man said with an annoyed look. “Those are the most annoying ones.”

“The Duke of the North is fast in comparison. I’d say his shortest match was less than a minute,” someone said with awe in their voice.

“Less than a minute?” Deo frowned. He shook his head. “What a waste of time. There must be a minimum time, then. Don’t tell me he can’t finish him off quickly.”

Just as he said it, their father threw a punch to his opponent’s head and then kicked him in the stomach.

The crowds let out a collective hiss as the Scorching Snake stumbled back. His arms dropped for just a moment, which was enough for the Duke of the North to continue an onslaught of punches to the head and upper body, as well as a few kicks to the side.

Beks tilted her head as she watched her father step back when the Scorching Snake had tumbled to the ground.

“Why doesn’t he finish him when he’s down?” she asked out loud.

“When one fighter is down, the other is prohibited from continuing to attack him,” the old man behind them told her. “If he stays down for ten counts, the fighter left standing wins. You’ll often see a fighter on the ground to give themselves a rest, but still get back on their feet before the ten counts are over.”

Beks nodded. Just as the old man said, before the ten counts the announcer was yelling out loud concluded, the Scorching Snake pushed himself up and got back on his feet. The crowds booed him once more, clearly hoping he'd stay down.

“It wouldn’t be interesting if he stayed down so soon,” Beks said.

“Aren’t you usually one for efficiency?” Deo asked with a slight grin. Beks kept her eyes on the match below.

“Efficiency in government work and battle is one thing, but for entertainment, I don’t want it to have to be over so soon.”

“You have a point, young lady. It’s best to get our money’s worth!” Someone agreed with her. Beks nodded once more. Not only had they had to pay for entry as a viewing fee, but they had to pay extra for their seats.

They also weren’t so pressed for time that they needed to drag their father out of there the instant they saw him, either. Outside of watching her father use his fire biha or sword when she was a child, she’d never seen her father fight barehanded. He seemed very good at it, so he must’ve trained for some time.

She leaned towards Deo. “Do they teach you this in the military?”

“Yes, basic training includes significant hand-to-hand combat both defense and offense, without a weapon. Some people are very good at fisticuffs. Some are better when a weapon becomes an extension of their body.”

“What about you?”

“Fire biha is my preferred weapon,” Deo replied. “Though, I’m better with a sword than with my fists. Not to say that I’m incompetent.”

Beks let out a curious hum and looked back to the ring. Her father managed to step to the side just enough to miss the Scorching Snake’s punch, but was quick. He grabbed his opponent’s wrist and elbow, and turned him to the side before pinning his arm behind his back.

Robert turned to face the audience and yelled. “Shall we finish him?”

Deo let out a heavy breath and ran a hand down his face. The crowds yelled, shouting for Robert to finish the match.

Robert seemed to bask in the energy of the audience before he twisted the Scorching Snake’s arm and lifted a leg to kick him forward. As the Scorching Snake stumbled to a stop and managed to turn around, Robert’s foot slammed into his head, sending him flying backwards and on to the ground.

The crowds cheered. The Scorching Snake did not get up.

Beside the octagon, the announcer began counting down from ten. Soon the entire stadium echoed with numbers as they followed along. Even Beks couldn’t help but be caught up in the moment.

“Three! Two! One!”

Drums were beaten and trumpets blared as the crowd erupted once more. Their father threw his arms in the air and smiled as he turned to the audience to accept their cheering.

Beks smiled and clapped her hands, looking at Deo, who seemed to begrudgingly accept their father’s new identity as a prize fighter.

“Do you know if there is any way to meet the Duke of the North?” Deo asked the old man behind him.

The man grinned. “Are you a fan now?”

“I wouldn’t admit that if he threatened to disown me....” Deo muttered.

Beks turned around. “In the capital, athletes sometimes meet fans after the games are over. They will sell cards and sign them for extra.”

Deo looked over at her. “Have you been to any?”

Beks shook her head, but lowered her voice and whispered. “Luther has a collection of cards of famous charioteers. All signed.”

“I’m afraid you’re out of luck here. The Duke of the North never meets with fans. If you’re lucky, you may catch him leaving the stadium, but he’s accompanied by a retinue of stadium security.”

“What....” The corner of Deo’s lip curled up with distaste.

“I’m sure it’s for safety reasons,” Beks said. “Think about the number of people who likely lost a fortune because he kept winning.”

“That’s true....”

“We’ll have to try our luck and see if we can intercept him-” Beks sucked in a sharp breath and gasped as Deo, who had been facing her, whipped to the side, back towards the arena. His eyes had widened.

The fireball shot over the heads of the crowds and into the ring before Beks could ask what was going on. She followed it with her eyes and gasped as she saw the Scorching Snake on his feet rushing towards their father, who had his back turned as he was speaking to the announcer.

However, Robert wasn’t dull. He likely heard the movement behind him and turned around, arms raised in preparation for conflict. Instead, his eyes widened as he saw the flame coming towards them. He stepped back to avoid the Scorching Snake’s extended hands, but the hands wouldn’t have reached him regardless. The fire slammed into the Scorching Snake, flinging him against one of the octagon panels so hard that it cracked in half.

Back in the audience, Beks let out a low hiss. “I hope we don’t have to pay for that because we’re on a budget as it is right now.”

“Deo?” A man’s voice came from the ring. The Duke of the North easily hoisted himself over the panels and netting as he rushed towards their side of the stadium. He seemed to lock on to his son over a dozen rows away. His eyes lit up as he raised his arms, waving them in the air as if there was a chance his son wouldn’t see him. “Deo!”

“Ah.” Beks readjusted her veil to hide her face and then scooted away. “He found you.”

Deo shot her a glare. “Don’t pretend you don’t know me.”

“I’ve never seen you before in my life-”

“Beks!? Beks, my snow flower, is that you?” Their father sounded elated and beside her, Deo smirked as she resisted the urge to hide as unwanted attention fell on her.

“He found you, too.”

“I’ll send someone to get you! Stay where you are!” The Duke of the North rushed back to the announcer and grabbed the arms of one of the security guards standing with the announcer. He seemed to give him instructions to retrieve Beks and Deo. The guard nodded, saluted their father, and rushed out of the ring.

Several people around them turned to look at them with interest. “He’s talking about someone else,” Deo said with an awkward laugh. “Why would he know us? This is our first time here.”

“You’re just making it seem more suspicious,” Beks said in a low voice.

Deo kept a pleasant smile on his face under the gaze of their father’s adoring crowds. “I should’ve let him get attacked.”

A set of attendants had arrived with a stretcher. They tried to lift the unconscious Scorching Snake onto the stretcher, but found that he was too heavy. Another set of attendants had to be summoned to help them. The announcer brought Robert on to the platform and lifted up one of his arms.

“Winner of his twenty-first consecutive fight, maintaining his position as the top fighter: the Duke of the North!”

The crowds began clapping and yelling once more. Beks clapped as well, admiring the acoustics of the stadium. Their father raised his arms in the air in a triumphant motion, then waved at the crowds before he stepped off the platform and headed for the exit. He cast one more look in the direction of his children and waved before he disappeared.

“Young Mr. Deo? Miss Beks?” A shadow fell over the two siblings as the people seated in the seats closest to the aisle of their row moved back to make way for two large, uniformed men. Their brown leather outer vest seemed to be branded with an image of the stadium and some text.

Deo rose to his feet. “We are them.”

The two guards nodded. “You and your sister need to come with us.” Despite his tone sounding inviting, the words sounded like the start of a threat.

“Did you two do something wrong?” the old man behind them gasped as the two began to shuffle to the aisle.

“Our only mistake was having to witness this,” Deo said. The two of them shuffled between the rows to get to the aisle. One guard led them to the stairs while the other followed. Beks grasped the crook of her brother’s arm as they walked, staying close together as they made their ways through the crowd.

The guards were careful, making people make way before turning into a corridor with multiple doors. At the far end were two more guards.

Upon the sight of Beks and Deo they seemed to straighten up. “Who are they?” one of the men asked as he looked them up and down. “Don’t be rude! They are the Captain’s children!” the guard leading them replied. The two guards at the door both appeared surprised and then apologetic.

“I should’ve known,” the older of the guards said with a sheepish smile. “This young man looks like the Captain.”

“The Captain?” Beks asked.

“Captain Caroline is the head of security here at the stadium, Miss,” the guard escorting them from behind replied. “Since he arrived, we’ve had better training, arrangements, and guidance.”

“It may seem chaotic in the betting hall now,” the guard leading them said. “But before he came, there was a fight nearly every hour.”

“Was your father in the military?” the younger of the door guards asked, looking earnest.

“He has a military background, yes,” Deo replied, distracted.

“All right, don’t hold us up. The Captain has been waiting for his children to arrive, remember? He talks about them coming all the time!”

“It’s been so long, I almost didn’t believe he really had children,” the younger door guard said as he rubbed the back of his neck. The older guard next to him unlocked the door and let them in.

The two guards brought them into what seemed to be the storage and offices beneath the stadium. There were guards everywhere, some only wearing part of their uniform as they walked around, appearing to be taking a break.

“Those are the gate doors that lead out to the stadium floor,” the guard ahead of them said as they passed a set of large, wooden double doors that were currently closed. “There are four. Most fighters come out of the north and south gates, but the Captain comes out of the east gate.”

“It’s the closest gate to the main security office,” the other guard said.

Beks perked up. “Are you saying that our father fights during work hours?”

“Yes, during his shifts, but it’s only once a day at most. And not every day,” the first guard said, as if to reassure them. “It only takes a few minutes.”

“Don’t worry, he gets paid for each fight even though he’s still working his shift,” the other guard said with a smile.

Beks took a deep breath. That wasn’t what the problem was.

They reached the security offices. Their father didn’t have a room to prepare for the fight like the other fighters. Instead, he just came straight from his office before the fight and returned there afterwards to continue working.

“Beks! Deo!” Their names filled the hall, earning the attention of several off-duty guards and stadium personnel. Robert hadn’t gone to his office. He was waiting outside with a towel around his neck. His face filled with joy as he didn’t bother to wait for them by office, opting instead to run towards them.

Seeing him up close, without a scratch on him, Beks felt her eyes water with relief.

Her nose felt sour. “Daddy....” Her quiet voice was picked up at once.

Robert’s eyes reddened as he raised his arms and reached out to embrace her. “Beks, thank the gods....” He crushed her against him and shut his eyes. “I was worried that they’d done something to you.”

His emotional voice upon holding her caught up with her. She sniffled and grasped at his shirt. She struggled to think of something to tell him that would reassure him that she was fine; that she had managed to escape.

“I stabbed one in the hand.”

“Good, good!” As expected of her father. He understood her immediately. He grasped her shoulders and held her out at arm’s length. Beks lifted her hand and pushed aside the veil. She saw a brief look of surprise on her father’s face. “Your hair...your eyes....”

“Let’s take this in your office,” Deo said with a tired sigh. “I don’t think it’s appropriate for your subordinates to watch our family.”

Robert was studying Beks’ eyes, but nodded. “You’re right.” He looked over at the two guards. “Thank you for fetching them. Return to your posts.”

“Yes, Captain!” He was saluted and Robert ushered his two children into his office. It wasn’t very big, but there was a desk, some papers, ink and pen, and a chair. There were two other chairs on the other side of the desk.

As he closed the door behind him, he looked at his two children. He seemed to be giddy at the sight of them. “Well, are you surprised?” He seemed to be doing much better than Deo was in Giant’s Ridge or Beks her first few days on the island.

“We are,” Deo said in a deadpan voice. “I wish we had known you were in a fight club.”

Robert chuckled as he pulled out the chairs for them to sit. “I fell into it as a favor to the owner. Who knew I’d get so popular?”

Deo and Beks took a seat on the wooden chairs. “Yes...had we known, I would’ve let Brother Deo post a bet.”

Robert waved a hand dismissively. “Don’t dabble in such things. Gambling is addictive and troublesome.” He took a seat across from them and seemed to study them for a bit longer, as if taking in the sight to reassure himself that they were fine. His eyes lingered on his daughter. “Beks...what happened to your hair and eyes?”

“It’s a long story, but I needed to disguise my hair color. It’s done with light biha. It’s an illusion,” Beks said.

“Daddy, how did this all happen? The guards said you’re the head security guard here,” Deo said. “It’s a bit of a leap to go from security guard to amateur fighter, isn’t it?”

“I was only supposed to fight one match as a substitute, but I was popular and they wanted me to fight again. Believe me, it wasn’t my original purpose here,” Robert told them with a tired sigh. “The stadium owner offered me triple what I make as a security guard in addition to my security guard wages to keep fighting until someone beats me, since I drew in a crowd. We agreed that after I lost the match, I could just return to guard duty, like normal.” He then let out a tired sigh and shook his head. “I didn’t think it would take this long. With how popular the stadium’s fights are, I expected better opponents.”

“Daddy, why didn’t you just throw a fight?” Beks asked.

Robert nearly choked and looked at her with dismay. “A Caroline does simply throw a fight, Beks. We must fight with honor and strength every time.”

“This is an organized fight for entertainment purposes, not a battle,” Deo said.

“The money is good, Deo. It not only gives me enough to live on with Mr. Reidan, the carriage driver who came with me,” their father told them. “But the money can also be used for our travel expenses.” He looked at Beks thoughtfully. “I can’t spend all my daughter’s money.”

“If it weren’t for me, I doubt the family would’ve been targeted,” Beks said with a shake of her head.

“If it wasn’t us, it would’ve been the Senecas or one of the other ducal houses. It just so happened that they wanted to punish you for not supporting their plans,” her father said with a frown. “Don’t blame yourself. We are staunch supporters of King Laurence. You were closer to them than the Fourth Prince, but you did nothing wrong.”

She didn’t believe her father, but didn’t argue with him. “We were coming from the High Desert through the Shadow Desert.”

“Yes, I tried to send someone to search for you there and intercept you, but apparently the trade routes further north was blocked due to a territorial dispute of sorts, and it was difficult to get information,” he replied. “I decided it was best to wait for you here. As long as you stopped in the stadium, I knew I’d find you. But that’s enough about what I’ve been doing. Beks, my Snow Flower.” Robert’s eager, affectionate gray eyes turned to her as he leaned across the table and grasped her hands in his. “I knew you’d come find us, as you promised.”

Beks nodded her head. “It took longer than I thought, but I’ve made it.”

Robert’s eyes reddened and he nodded. “Yes...it must’ve taken you time to go around Kadmus to fetch your brother.”

“I didn’t go around Kadmus. I cut through.” Beks said. She pulled her hands away from her father’s and pulled up the sleeve of her shirt to reveal a pale arm without a hint of any marking.

At once, Robert’s eyes narrowed. He sat up straight and grasped her wrist, moving her arm closer to him as he squinted. His brows knit together as he turned her arm, as if looking for the exile marking that had been pressed into her.

Deo smirked. “It’s gone.”

Robert lifted his head to look at his son and then turned to look at Beks with confusion and concern. “Beks...what happened to your marking? Is it another illusion caused by light biha?” His eyes drifted to her hair and she shook her head.

“No, if it were a trick with light biha, the exile marking would still be there even though we couldn’t see it.” She went on to explain the failed assassination attempt, where her father squeezed her hands and nodded, muttering that he knew she’d survive; the island, the pool, and her biha explosion.

Panic filled his face and Deo cut him off before he could panic. “She’s fine. It tired her out and she needed to sleep, but she’s fine now. It’s all right.”

Robert let out a shaky breath. “She may be fine now, but that doesn’t mean my heart doesn’t ache for my daughter’s suffering,” he said as he grit his teeth. He looked at Beks, as if studying her face for any sequelae. “Who did you say found you in the pool?”

“The Third Prince arrived just in time and pulled me out so that I wouldn’t drown,” Beks said, hoping to bolster Lucian’s image in her father’s mind before she revealed the tentative engagement.

Her father’s eyes narrowed and he frowned. “The Third Prince? What is he doing on that island? What about the Second Prince?”

“They’re both there. Daddy, they were chased into the Forbidden Valley....” Beks explained the treacherous path that the twins went through to get to the island, including Laz’s missing hand, earning a disappointed shake of her father’s head.

“Of the princes, the Second Prince was the most skilled. He had the talent Timur had,” her father said with a frown. “That’s a shame. Are they still on the island?”

“Yes, and now that we’ve found you, we can go back,” Beks said. She touched her hair. “I don’t know how long my disguise will last exactly, so it’s best to drop by the island to have it strengthened before we search for Mommy.”

Robert thought for a moment and nodded. “Precautions for your safety are important. How do we get back to the island if that fog hides it and the current pushes ships away?”

“There is a light pearl filled with Laz’s shadow biha that the rokhs use as a beacon to land,” Beks said. “It’s just after the Kadmus border, so we should be able to access it without a problem.”

Robert furrowed his brows and leaned back against his seat. “From here, if we bypass Kadmus, our time is almost doubled to get to the southern coast,” he said. He tapped his fingers on the wooden table next to him. “The fastest way is the trade route southeast, but there are numerous shrines in that area. The influence of the Temple is strong and pilgrims are always coming and going, including the convoys for religious figures. High ranking ones.”

Deo frowned. “Where there are high ranking religious figures, there are paladins.”

“Lucian said that while all paladins are trained and technically belong to the Temple, they follow the orders of the figure they are assigned to escort,” Beks said. “Random paladins escorting other priests and the like may not know about the assassination attempts.”

“But if they noticed us, word would spread back to the Temple quickly, and those who are behind the assassination attempts would find out that we’ve reunited and are on the move,” Deo replied.

“As long as you keep your markings hidden and try to cover your hair, I think we’ll be fine,” Beks said. “It isn’t as if our faces are recognizable everywhere.”

“A slight adjustment to our physical features would be enough for the most part,” Robert said. He nodded. “All right, we’ll go through the southeast trade route.”

Deo frowned. “What if we run into paladins?”

Robert took a deep breath and stood up. “We will deal with the paladins when we come to them. For now, we can’t delay. I’ll speak to the stadium first and when we leave and head to the village, I’ll begin arrangements to leave. I’ll need to buy a horse....” He looked at his children. “How did you two get here?”

“By horse,” Deo said.

Robert frowned. “You didn’t buy your sister a carriage?”

Deo gave him a dull look. “With what money was I going to use? And where would I buy a carriage at the Giant’s Ridge?”

Robert clicked his tongue with disgust at his son before looking at Beks. “Daddy will buy you a carriage, Snow Flower. There is no need for you to be exposed to the blistering sun.”

Deo rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. “Is Beks the only one who’ll sit in the carriage?”

“Of course not,” Robert replied as he reached for his vest and then tossed his sweaty towel to the side. “I’ll sit with her.” He tugged his vest straight and looked at the two. “All right, let’s go. I’ll also need to collect my pay before we leave. Usually, I get paid at the end of the week, but I’ve always made it clear to the owner that as soon as my children come, I will resign and leave.”

“Will the stadium owner agree so easily?” Deo asked. After all, the stadium owner did offer to pay such an exorbitant amount.

“He will. I had it written into my employment contract.”

╔═════════════════ ∘◦ ♔ ◦∘ ═════════════════╗

“Robert, please! Rethink this! You don’t have to leave! We’ll give them jobs! We’ll support your whole family, Robert!” a rotund, balding man seemed to plea.

Behind her veil, Beks crinkled her eyes. How much did the stadium make with her father that it was cost effective to not only hire him for two jobs, but to hire his children, as well?

Their father gave the man a heavy sigh and shook his head. “I’m sorry, Christof. You know I was waiting for my children. We still have to find my wife and my two youngest.”

The bald man looked wounded as he fell back onto his plush leather chair. He looked at the wooden tabletop between him and Robert, defeated.

“I always knew this day would come, but I didn’t think it would come so soon....”

“Christof, I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, and I most especially appreciate your trust, but now, I must go.”

The bald man nodded his head. “I’ll arrange your final payment, then.” He looked at one of the guards in the room with the. “Go and fetch Nika from the treasury and Vice-Captain Bahl.”

The guard nodded and hurriedly left, but Beks caught the corner of her father’s eye twitching.

“Is Bahl working right now?”

“Yes, since you had a fight, he came in today.”

“I see....”

The door suddenly swung open and a large man with bulging muscles, dark hair, and a beard rushed in. His dark eyes immediately locked on to Robert.

“Captain! Are you really leaving?”

Robert gave him a nod. “My children have come for me and we need to leave to find my wife and two youngest children.” The large man looked pained, but before he could respond, Robert held up his hand to stop him. “You knew this was only a temporary arrangement, Bahl.”

“But Captain, you can’t leave.” Bahl seemed to choke this out as he reached out to grab the back of a chair to steady himself. He looked at Robert with confusion. “Who will train us? Who will schedule our posts and organize our patrols?”

“You’ve had several months of training and I’ve shown you how to schedule and organize.” Beks and Deo stood to the side. Their father looked towards them with a helpless expression. “Go and get your horses. Meet me at the eastern entrance. There is an employee entrance there that is guarded. I’ll send two additional guards to wait with you. This may take a while.”

The two nodded and Christof asked for another guard to escort them out.

“I didn’t expect them to depend so much on Daddy,” Beks said. “But at least he’s trained his security successor.”

“I’m more impressed with how much money he’s bringing in,” Deo replied. The sound of loud voices yelling and chattering grew louder as they got closer to the betting hall.

“How long do the fights go on?” Beks asked, looking over her shoulder.

“The last fight should’ve already taken place, Miss,” the guard with them told her. “After a small fire a few years ago, the stadium no longer had events of any sort after dark.”

She couldn’t help but think that if they had light pearls, the stadium would be a good place to sell them to. She felt her brother pull her closer.

“We’re being watched,” Deo said as they walked past the betting hall to get to the front of the stadium. “I think people recognize us.”

“The guards didn’t identify us when they came to get us,” Beks told him. Therefore, their identities as the children of the Duke of the North weren’t known.

“But they saw him shout in our direction and then two guards came to get us. We must be affiliated to him somehow,” Deo replied. His hand on hers tightened. “Be wary, Beks. We don’t know how many people may have animosity towards our father with his success.”

Beks drew her lips inward and nodded once. The two guards with them helped them through the crowded area and then led them down another hall that was less crowded.

“Young Mr. Deo, Miss Beks, you can exit through here to avoid the crowds,” the guard said as he led them through another hall and to a guarded door. They thanked him as another guard opened the door for them and let them outside.

Outside, the sun was setting, but it was already quite dim in the canyon. The exit they were let out through was close to the corral where the horses were kept. That was thoughtful of the guards.

The two headed towards the corral and greeted the attendant. Deo produced the small tablets he’d been given and the horses were led over to them. After checking to make sure they were fine and had been fed, they climbed on and began to go around the stadium.

Large groups of people were coming out of the main entrance in varying states of excitement and disappointment.

Lanterns began to appear and Deo lit the lantern hanging from a pole in front of the horses to light the way. The east exit where guards were waiting was well lit, with several lanterns, but not all of them belonged to the guards.

There was a small handful of people appearing to be waiting by the doors and were held back by the guards.

“Don’t tell me they're waiting for Daddy....” Deo said with an exasperated sigh.

“He’s very popular. He should sell cards.”

“We can use the extra money.” Deo grinned. “Retaking a kingdom doesn’t come cheap.”

Beks let out a small snort laugh. The two approached, but remained on their horses when they stopped not too far away. Two of the guards motioned for them to come closer, but Deo said they’d wait, as they didn’t know how chaotic the crowd of fans would become. It could make the horses panic.

The side door opened and the small crowd began to yell. Beks crinkled her eyes. It was clear that they had been waiting for her father.

“Move aside. Move aside!” Four guards surrounded a man with his face covered with a piece of cloth common in the desert. The guards were all in their uniforms and wearing face coverings, holding out their arms and telling people to stand back and give the “Duke of the North” some room.

Deo cocked his head. “I have to respect the loyalty of those guards to our father.”

Beks nodded as she nodded her head. “It’s not every day a guard would distract a mob so someone could get away.”

There was a carriage waiting not far from them and the guards ushered the man in the center into the carriage. The man waved from the window, but as soon as the door closed, the carriage began to move. The crowd immediately followed, calling his name.

Three of the guards that were surrounding the man tried to hold the people back, yelling for them not to block the road and let the carriage go.

The last of the guards quietly slipped away from the crowd. Without looking back, he approached the two siblings on horseback, his head lowered and covered. Deo slid off his saddle and handed the reins to him. “I’ll ride with Beks.”

Their father chuckled as he took the reins and mounted. “I can’t fool my own children.”

“What kind of children would we be if we didn’t recognize our own father,” Deo said with a slight snort. He climbed on to the saddle behind Beks.

“I spoke to Christof and he asked if I could do one more match as my farewell fight,” Robert told them. “It’ll be in two days. I only agreed because it looked like he’d cling on to me if I didn’t. It would also give me some time to work with the remaining security.”

“That’s fine,” Beks said. “We don’t need to leave immediately and I’m sure there are things you must take care of before you leave, such as the rental home, supplies, and more horses.”

Robert nodded. “I’ve got tomorrow morning off and don’t have to come in to finalize the handover to the Vice Captain until the afternoon, so I’ll go with Mr. Reidan to the horse market. There are carts and crude carriages sold there. I got my final wages in advance, though after the farewell fight, I’ll get another sum.”

“Beks and I can buy additional food for the journey, as well.”

“Speaking of journeys, what happened to you?” Robert asked, looking over his shoulder at his son. Deo raised a brow, asking him to elaborate in silence. Robert raised a hand and made a small flame. “The suppression marking is still limiting me, but you threw a fireball strong enough to knock a man into a wall and unconscious.” He narrowed his eyes. “What exactly did you do?”

Deo shrugged. “I helped a few people and they helped me.”

“Brother Deo helped one of the warring states in Giant’s Ridge fight against a stronger state, and then led them out of the valley so that they could return to their ancestral homeland, which happens to be the island I washed ashore on. I suspect that while what we know of as modern biha techniques are lost to them, they have managed to retain some old knowledge passed from their ancestors. They were able to skew his suppression marking by changing the marking strokes, and lessened its strength as a result.”

The father and son looked at each other while Beks looked straight ahead under her veil.

Robert eyed his son and slowly nodded. “I see we have a lot to talk about.”

Deo narrowed his eyes and nodded. “Indeed. I have a few questions, myself.” His eyes bore into their father. “Tell me...why are there women in Dranga who say that you told them that you’d never marry.”

“Better question,” Beks said. “Does Mommy know?”

╔═════════════════ ∘◦ ♔ ◦∘ ═════════════════╗

“Are you sure you don’t want to watch my last fight?” Robert looked disappointed as his two children paused with boxes in their arms. They were moving supplies and various items their father had, for some reason, collected during his stay in the village into the wagon.

It had taken Beks nearly half a day to convince her father that a covered wagon was more suitable for their journey than a fancy carriage, as they had things to haul, as well as people. Mr. Reidan was also well versed in driving a covered wagon, having been what he learned on.

Deo let out a heavy sigh. “If we’re going to leave after your fight, then we need to have everything packed up. We still need to give the keys back to the landlord and there are still items inside.”

“Daddy, why did you buy so much?” Beks said as she pushed a wooden box with bedding into the wagon bed.

“I wanted to be comfortable,” Robert said with a slight shrug. “Well, just in case you change your minds....” He took each of their hands and placed a ticket in them. “If you come early enough, make sure to bet money on me.”

“I thought you said gambling was addictive and troublesome,” Deo replied in a dull voice.

“Once won’t hurt.” He mounted one of the horses they bought and waved. “I’ll see you later!”

They watched their father ride off and Deo looked at his sister. “How much more do we have?”

“Kitchenware.”

“Do we need to bring it?”

“It honestly doesn’t hurt to have it. We can always sell them if we don’t need them. If we don’t run out of money, we can use them on the island,” Beks said.

Deo let out a sigh, but nodded. “All right.”

“Young lord!” Mr. Reidan carried an armload of dried meat from the inside of the house. “I need to go and pick up the flour we ordered for the journey.”

“From the store at the entrance to the village?” Deo said. He held up his hand. “You stay here. I’ll go and pick it up. The bag will be heavy.”

“It’s not too heavy, my lord. I can still carry it.” The old man patted his upper arm with confidence, but Deo shook his head. “Just continue moving things into the carriage. I’ll bring back the flour.” Mr. Reidan opened his mouth to argue, but Deo cut him off. “That is an order, Mr. Reidan.”

The old man pouted a bit, but acquiesced. He walked back inside to continue gathering items that they didn’t have packed, as there was nothing else to pack them in. Deo headed out and Beks climbed into the wagon to pull things further inside and arrange them to make room for the other goods.

“Looks like he wasn’t lying.”

“He really does have children.”

“Is that his daughter?”

“That’s what I heard....” Several voices of chattering old and middle-aged women reached her ears. It had been a constant thing since they first arrived in their village. It seemed that despite her father’s insistence that he was not only devoted to his wife, but had several children, was thought of as an excuse by the villagers to keep admirers away.

When Deo and Beks rode in with their father, Robert was accosted by a few old folks sitting outside, relaxing in the cool evening.

Their father didn’t hide who they were, but everyone was still surprised to learn that they existed and weren’t an elaborate lie.

Since then, whenever they were outside either dealing with the horses or preparing the wagon, villagers with nothing better to do walked by to take a look.

Deo was popular because he almost seemed like a younger version of their father. A bit leaner, but taller with thick hair and nice, sun-kissed skin. A few people had inquired about his marriage and Deo claimed he had a fiancé from the Giant’s Ridge. It was a lie and they hadn’t told their father it was, yet.

Beks kept her face covered, so there was an air of mystery. However, it was believed that since father and son were attractive, so was the daughter. It didn’t help that their father shamelessly bragged that she was as beautiful as she was smart, and his daughter was very smart.

Since mid-morning, villagers had lingered nearby in hopes of catching a glimpse at her face. They almost caught her a few times, as she’d stopped to wipe her brow. Even in the morning and in the shadow of canyon walls, it was hot.

Beks pulled a box against the wall and adjusted a wooden plank over it. She used some of her father’s collected bedding as cushion for the journey. She sat down, adjusting herself in the wagon before nodding, satisfied. It wasn’t going to be as comfortable as a carriage, but it wouldn’t hurt to sit.

She climbed out of the back of the covered wagon, but before her feet could touch the ground, an arm grabbed her around the waist and pulled her from the wagon. Her fingers weren’t strong enough to keep hold, and her breath was squeezed out of her as she was ripped away.

For a moment, she didn’t know what was going on. Was she falling?

“Stop! You there! Let her go!” She looked up and saw Mr. Reidan drop the items in his arms and ran after her as she bounced along.

Beks looked down and saw her feet were hovering over the ground while an arm around her torso held her up. Beside her, the brown and gray spotted backside of a horse running away from her father’s rented house.

The first thought that came into her mind as people were shouting around her and an unknown man’s voice yelled back was that this was not one of their horses. Their horses were mostly brown, black, and white, with no spots.

The second thought made her heart sink. Oh no...am I being kidnapped?