The Wicked House of Caroline

The first rule of being kidnapped was not to panic.

Beks didn’t have time to. She was more concerned that the man carrying her would accidentally drop her, and she’d be trampled underneath the horse hooves. They were going faster than she felt comfortable and she didn’t know how long the man’s grip would hold.

A man on horseback ahead of them called back. “Don’t drop her!”

Please don’t. I want to live.

“If she gets hurt, we’ll be killed for sure!”

That piqued her interest. It was a relief to know that their intent was not to harm her, but it brought up the question: what exactly did they need her for that she had to be in pristine condition?

It wasn’t her first time being kidnapped.

Nor her second.

Nor her third.

Being identified as a prophesied child and then taken in as the Queen’s foster daughter while also being the daughter of a duke made her a prime target for kidnappers. It was a grim reality she’d faced since she left the protection of her family’s duchy.

The first time she was kidnapped, she hadn’t yet reached Kadmium. Lord Anders and his crew, who had been sent to fetch her from the Sacred Valley, had stopped for the night at a small town about two days away from the capital. The town had a reputable inn and Beks had her own room with a nanny who had been hired by Lord Anders to attend to her on the journey. Despite how it might have seemed, Beks could not be treated badly. In fact, everyone had been kind towards her and took care of her comfort. The guards had even sometimes taught her how to play cards or bought books for her when they stopped at a town.

The nanny had been doing her job very well. She was attentive, kind, and stuffed Beks with food whenever she had the chance. Therefore, it was a surprise when the nanny conspired with a local band of kidnappers to take her while they were spending the night.

Beks had some trust in the woman, but even she had found it strange that they were going for a walk in the middle of the night. At the time, Beks didn’t realize she was being kidnapped until it was too late.

The entire debacle fell apart the moment panic set in and Beks had a flare up. She was burning to the touch, gasping for air, and crying. The kidnappers panicked and all but threw her body on the doorstep of the inn before they fled.

It was likely that they only wanted to ransom her for money, but knew that if she died in their hands, they were as good as dead.

Luckily, the guards who were escorting Lord Anders and her to Kadmium were doing their rounds around the inn and found her. The doctors with them worked two days and two nights to save her.

When Beks woke up, they were back on the road to Kadmium, where the royal doctors were waiting for her. The nanny was ‘missing’, which Beks was sure meant that she had been captured and killed.

As a child under the care of the royal family, Beks not only had access to the same, if not better, education than the princes, but also was taught how to react in a kidnapping situation. Apparently, there was a period of time when the late Queen was a child and up to her early reign when noble children were being kidnapped for one reason or another.

Don’t panic in order to think straight.

Don’t aggravate the kidnappers and follow their directions so they don’t harm you more.

Find out their motive and go along with it to lower their guard.

Wait for rescue.

As a child, chances of escape were small. They simply couldn’t get far enough and would likely lack the geographic knowledge to get home.

As an adult, the kidnappers would be suspicious of her. What she needed to do was find out their motive.

She wasn’t dressed elaborately. Nothing about her screamed wealth. She’d also covered her face, so they couldn’t see how she looked. If they planned to traffic her, they were taking a risk.

In addition, she doubted she was recognized as Rebecca of Caroline. Without her orange streak, she didn’t stand out as the prophesied daughter. Few people outside of Kadmus knew who the Carolines were, either, let alone what they looked like.

“We don’t have to go far. We just have to make sure she can’t escape!” There were two other men with the one holding on to her. All three of them were on horseback. The village was fading into the distance, but the village wasn’t very big. Her brother would return soon and as soon as he did, he’d come after her.

There were only so many places for kidnappers to take her in such a short period of time.

When they raced out of the village, they had met up with several other riders waiting outside, but as they grew further away, the riders began to fan out and split from the main group. Beks frowned. They were creating dead leads for search parties.

“What’s going on? Where are you taking me?” Beks tried to speak up over the sound of horses.

No one answered and she didn’t know if they simply didn’t hear her or were ignoring her. Beks succumbed to her fate and decided to wait until they stopped before prying for answers. Dust was kicked up and she shut her eyes, lifting her one free arm to wipe her face. It still felt caked on when they came to a stop.

“Tie up her hands. She’s not from here, so she won’t know where to run,” the man holding her said. Beks heard someone approaching, answering affirmatively.

The man holding her handed her off to another man, who tied her hands together in front of her with a long strip of cloth.

“Don’t worry. As long as you stay here and wait until nightfall, we’ll take you back,” a thin, grizzled man said as he held the end of the strip of cloth and pulled Beks forward.

She squinted her eyes and looked up at the sheer cliff wall. Every so often, there was a spot of darkness against the reddish-brown stone where a cave or crevice was. She and Deo had come from the north, so they didn’t pass this area.

They had been galloping, but they hadn’t been gone for long.

“Don’t try to run,” the gruff voice of a short man said as he followed behind them with a frown. “It’s easy to get lost in the cave systems. Sometimes, they just drop into the earth, so don’t try to sneak away, and hide.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Beks said. She was in unfamiliar territory. She calculated the various risks with different escape and waiting scenarios.

For the time being, her likelihood of survival appeared highest if she did what she was told and waited in place.

“Go hide the horses,” the short man told the biggest of the three who had been the one who grabbed her from the back of the wagon. “Split them up in case someone tries to track them.”

The biggest man grunted. While still on horseback, he gathered the reins of the other two horses and led them away.

“Watch your step. The ground is loose and uneven,” the thin man pulling her forward told her. Beks looked down at the reddish-brown rocks that littered the ground. She glanced up at the walls and wondered what the chances were of a landslide.

She carefully stepped around and over the various rocks, some as large as her calf. Every so often, she had to pause to steady herself, as her feet would sink into the piles of small rock and shift.

There didn’t seem to be a path up to the caves and they walked along the slopes covered with fallen, broken pieces of cliff. She didn’t need to look at her shoes to know they’d be covered with red clay dust.

They didn’t go into the closest cave. They bypassed a handful of caves ranging from having a wide entrance and a shallow depth, to person-sized cracks in the cliff that vanished into darkness.

“This one,” the short man said as he seemed to inspect a cave halfway up from the canyon floor. Several desert shrubs partially blocked the entrance, but they still had a good view of the entrance to the canyon where they’d come in from.

“All right, take a seat,” the thin man told her.

Beks looked around and prepared to take a seat on the dusty ground. ‘

“Not here!” The short man shot her a glare. “Further back! Don’t stay so close to the entrance!”

Beks looked towards the back of the cafe, then glanced at the dirt on the ground. There didn’t seem to be any signs of animals. In fact, in one corner, she could see the remains of a campfire, so the cave must’ve been safe.

She took careful steps to the back of the cave with the thin man coming along with her, still holding on to the strip of cloth.

“There aren’t any animals,” he told her. “You only have to wait here for a few hours.”

“Why a few hours?” He seemed like the friendliest of the trio, so she addressed him.

“Then the fight will be over.”

“Fight?” Beks cocked her head to the side. There was only one fight she could think of. She clenched her jaw, but tried to keep her expression neutral. She couldn’t show any excitement or fear, else she could alarm her captors. “A fight at the stadium?”

The short man lingering in the shadows of the entrance let out a snort and looked over at her. “It’s unfortunate for you that you are your father’s daughter.”

She was starting to put together the clues, but pressed further. “What does my father have to do with my kidnapping? He hasn’t done anything wrong. He doesn’t owe money.” That they knew of.

“He’s the top fighter at the stadium!” The short man threw his arms up and glared at her. “Do you know how many people hate him? How many people have lost money because of him?”

Bek furrowed her brows and tilted her head to the side. She could believe that, but there was always a risk with gambling. It wasn't her father’s fault that people had made irresponsible bets.

“But haven’t people also made money if they bet on him?” Beks asked.

“The payout for him winning is so low, it’s hardly worth the investment,” the short man said with a scoff. “But every time he fights another fighter, the payout for the other fighter winning is usually enough to make people take the risk.”

“And don’t think they’re just making the bet because of the odds,” the thin man told her, as if a reminder. “But all the fighters your father has fought against are at the top. It’s just rare for a single person to be undefeated for as long as the Duke of the North.”

“Many people have complained about him cheating, but the stadium hasn’t done anything about it!”

Beks held back her frown. “How do you know he’s cheating?”

“How else can a man win twenty times-”

“Twenty-one.” The thin man cut off the short one, who narrowed his eyes and sent him a hard look. The thin man shrank back a bit. “He...he’s won twenty-one fights in a row.”

“It’s underheard of!” The short man paced the front of the cave. “If this keeps up, none of the other fighters will have a chance.”

“But tonight is my father’s last fight here,” Beks said. “After tonight, he’s going to leave with us, so he won’t fight any more.”

“Exactly.” A glint of greed shone in the short man’s eyes as he turned to look at her. “This is the last time we’ll get such ridiculous odds and a massive payout if the Scorching Snake wins!”

Beks drew her head back. “He’s fighting against the Scorching Snake again? Wasn’t he injured?” Deo didn’t use his full power against him, but he still did send the Scorching Snake back against a wooden wall, causing it to break.

The short man smirked and let out a cold chuckle. “A bit bruised up, but it’s not going to kill him,” he said with narrowed eyes. “And besides, it’s not like he’s going to actually fight tonight.”

Beks furrowed her brows and drew her head back. “What do you mean?”

“A message has been sent to the stadium to be given to your father that you’ve been taken,” the thin man told her. “Everyone knows how much he dotes on you. The entire village was talking about it and there are rumors all over the stadium that he’s leaving because his daughter came to get him.”

For a moment, Beks felt a bit of pity for her brother, who seemed to be forgotten in the equation. At the very least, now she understood the kidnappers’ motives.

“You want to lure out my father by telling him I was kidnapped so he will spend time looking for me and miss his fight,” Beks said.

The short man nodded, the smirk never leaving his face as he seemed to bask in his readymade triumph. “If he misses his fight, it’s an automatic loss. The Scorching Snake will win by default.”

Beks could only imagine how much could be made if the Scorching Snake won. She’d only glanced at the display boards with the odds for fights the day before and a gold coin could turn into enough to support a single person comfortably for the rest of their life. The more that was placed, the more they’d win.

She narrowed her eyes a bit and tried to look concerned. Showing sympathy for the kidnappers was a way to lower their guard and gain their trust.

“But what if the stadium finds a substitute again? That’s how my father ended up fighting.”

The short man tossed his head back and laughed. “Young lady, what are the chances that there will be another fighter as competent as your father?”

“The Duke of the North is head of the stadium’s security. He’s only been around for a few months and he’d already risen to that position,” the thin man said, as if deducing it for her. “This means that no one else in the stadium’s security can beat him.”

They wouldn’t need to beat my father. They’d just need to beat the Scorching Snake. And if it did come to a fight with a substitute, surely the odds would also change. Beks took a deep breath and narrowed her eyes. “If I don’t struggle, you swear you’ll let me go after the fight is over?”

“It will all be over by nightfall,” the short man told her with a dismissive wave of his hand. “We’ll bring you near the village and let you go.”

“No harm done,” the thin man said with a reassuring voice.

Beks nodded and lowered her head to play the worried victim.

By now, Deo must’ve returned to the rented house. Knowing her brother, he’d send Mr. Reidan to notify their father while he started a search for her. Her eyes flickered up at her two captors. Did they remember her brother?

She wasn’t sure if they timed their abduction to wait until Deo left before sweeping in to kidnap her.

The short man lingered by the entrance, keeping his gaze out at the canyon. Beks leaned back against the cave wall and closed her eyes to get some reading done.

She was midway through a tablet on Gurani governance when she read a term she didn’t recognize nor could she translate. She pursed her lips. The term addressed an authority figure who oversaw laws and policy in the ancient territory. Beks didn’t know how to pronounce it, but she had a hunch it was the term for ‘Inheritor’.

No wonder I couldn’t find anything about it. It’s not a direct translation. Of course. Beks took a deep breath and continued to read. The responsibilities attached to what she believed was Inheritor seemed to match up with what Elder Arash said they would be required to do, but there was no mention of biha wells or spirit cores.

Then again, there was a chance that both had nothing to do with the actual governance portion, but were used as an indicator for a fitting leader. In some cultures, the best warrior led. In others, the wealthiest people ruled.

“What’s taking Nock?” The thin man spoke up and Beks opened her eyes. He was sitting not far from her, still holding on to the cloth rope, but from the light coming in from the entrance, she could see he was a bit nervous.

“Shh!” The short man brought his fingers to his lips in a sign to be quiet.

Beks narrowed her eyes and sat up straight. She craned her neck to try to hear what was going on outside. It was mainly the rustle of the wind through the shrubs at the entrance, but after a moment, she heard yelling in the distance.

Her eyes lit up, but a hand clamped over her mouth. She drew her head back, surprised. The yelling continued, but it began to fade. She watched the short man relax and lean back against the cave wall.

“Nock distracted a man who rode in. I think it’s the Duke of the North’s son.” He looked over at Beks and sneered. “It seems he’s looking for you.”

Beks frowned. The man removed his hand from her mouth. “He can’t possibly follow him too far.”

“He doesn’t have to. We have more people waiting deeper in the canyon.” Beks winced at once and the short man laughed. “What? Are you worried about your brother?”

“It’s not my brother whom I’m worried about,” Beks said. As soon as Deo realized he was being ambushed, it was only a matter of using his biha to escape and possibly destroy a base. She let out a heavy sigh. “Since you haven’t hurt me, I was hoping no one would get killed.”

From listening to them talk, all they wanted was to make money. They weren’t even ransoming her, just holding her to distract her father.

“What are you talking about?” the short man said as his smirk fell. He frowned and narrowed his eyes.

“My brother is a fire biha user. A very strong one,” Beks replied.

The two men looked at each other. The thin man was a bit nervous, but the short man scoffed. “It’s fine. What is fire biha against arrows?”

An explosion echoed through the canyon and Beks automatically lifted her hands to try to block the ear closest to the entrance. While the cave didn’t shake, some dust fell from the ceiling.

The two men with her seemed to forget all about her as they rushed towards the entrance of the cave. Beks was pulled forward and she rushed to her feet, also wanting to take a look.

Past the shrubs, there was a cloud of dust coming out from the canyon opposite them. Through the cloud, there were flames flying up, and the distant sound of yelling and screaming.

The two men froze in place, their faces pale and flabbergasted as Beks pursed her lips and crinkled her eyes.

“What are arrows against a collapsing cliffside?” Beks asked.

Two pairs of eyes turned towards her. The short man’s face reddened. “Get back inside!”

“All right, all right...” Beks cast one last glance outside the cave. She lifted her hand up and held it against the break in the canyon where she could see a flat horizon. A little over an hour left before sunset. It took Deo longer than she thought to find them, but considering that several tracks of horses led away from the village, who knew how many he’d had to follow before he got to the right place.

She’d walked deeper into the cave, but remained standing in case she had the opportunity to run. The light was fading outside.

“Where is she!?” A loud voice echoed through the canyon and Beks turned to look over her shoulder. She stopped in place, but the thin man pulled her forward. That wasn’t her brother’s voice. “Bring me my daughter, you cowards!”

The short man’s eyes widened with glee. “It’s him! He really came!”

Beks frowned. “Isn’t that what you expected?”

The short man let out a gleeful yell as he looked towards the sky. “The farewell fight must’ve already started. If he’s here, it means the fight was thrown!”

“Do you hear that?” the thin man said, looking at Beks. “Just a few more minutes and we’ll release you.”

“That’s it?” Beks asked.

The thin man nodded. “We only wanted to distract your father.”

Beks furrowed her brows, but nodded. She wasn’t upset that her father missed his fight to find her; it was what it was.

“Beks!” Deo’s voice sounded close and she perked up.

“Don’t say a word!” The short man took out a dagger and pointed it at Beks, causing her to freeze in her spot. “Stay quiet or you won’t get out of here safe and sound!”

“Just do what he says,” the thin man whispered to her.

Beks glanced from him, back to the opening, and back. She weighed her options as she looked back at the short man with the dagger in his hand. Her eyes went to her bound hands and then followed the cloth rope to the thin man.

She let out a low breath, her shoulders sinking before taking a deep breath.

“Brother, I’m inside a cave half-way up the cliff!”

For a moment, the short man’s eyes went wide as he seemed stunned that she dared to go against him.

“Are you crazy!?”

Beks grasped the cloth rope and slid one foot back to brace her position before pulling it forward and making the thin man stumble towards her. She grabbed more of the rope and pulled again until the thin man was right in front of her.

As soon as he was in reach, she pulled the cloth rope up and wrapped it around his neck before turning him forward so he faced the other man.

The thin man choked out a cry as the short man lunged at them with the dagger. He wheezed as his face paled. “Don’t!”

The short man swore and took a step back, appearing hesitant to attack when she had a human shield.

“I apologize for using you like this when you’ve been very accommodating to me, but don’t worry,” she said. “It’ll be over soon.”

“Beks!?”

“Brother! I’m here!”

“Stand away from the entrance!”

She grabbed the man in front of her and pulled him back. He stumbled, but she kept her grip and almost dragged him to the back of the cave. So only made it a few steps when fire flew into the cave entrance.

She turned her head away and dropped the rope to cover her head before dropping to the ground as she felt the short-lived, but intense heat. The thin man in front of her cowered and covered his face, but they were far enough not to be singed by the fire. The short man at the entrance, however, ran out screaming as soon as the fire came in with part of his scarf that he used to cover his head from the desert sun on fire.

“Cousin!” The thin man cried out as he almost tripped over Beks, causing her to roll to the side.

She grit her teeth and complained in silence, but remained rooted in her spot, waiting for her brother to come. She heard voices outside, mainly the short man yelling about putting out a fire while the thin man told him to calm down.

The now familiar sound of a flame sweeping past them sounded, followed by Deo telling them to stay on the ground. A few other voices joined him, but Beks didn’t recognize them.

“Beks!” Her brother’s voice came from the cave entrance and Beks dared to open her eyes and looked towards the opening. The bush that was just outside the entrance was singed and still smoking as the silhouette of her brother filled the entrance.

She began to push herself up. “I’m here!”

“Beks, are you all right?” Frazzled, her brother rushed over to where she had rolled over on the ground, her hands still tied together. She curled her legs up beneath her to try to sit up, but Deo got to her first and helped her up.

“I’m fine,” she said as she held up her tied hands. Deo reached into his boot for a dagger to cut the cloth. “I was just startled. They didn’t do anything to me.”

“Are you sure?” Deo raised his hand to cast more firelight in the dim cave. He looked her up and down. “The shock could numb any immediate pain.”

Beks shook her head. “My stomach aches a bit from the way they carried me from the wagon, but otherwise, they didn’t harm me.”

Her brother didn’t look completely convinced, but still helped her to her feet. He gave her another once over before letting her take a few steps. He grasped her arm and helped her out. Just a few steps away, the short man and the thin man were being tied up by men she didn’t recognize.

“They’re some men from the village. They do patrols. One of them came to get me when he heard Mr. Reidan shouting and saw you being carried away.”

“Is Mr. Reidan all right? He wasn’t attacked or anything was he?” He had been close enough that there was a chance someone would’ve tried to silence him as a witness. After all, there had been multiple kidnappers.

“He’s fine. When he couldn’t catch up, he yelled for someone to find me in a panic. I had him send a message to the stadium.” He looked towards the canyon floor as they began their way down. Her father and several men were getting off their horses.

“Beks!” A worried expression filled her father’s face and Beks tilted her head to the side. He hadn’t looked this worried when they were exiled. Perhaps it was because at the time, they knew that they had some control and knew what awaited them as soon as they were outside the grasp of Kadmus, but in this situation, where he had no idea what awaited his eldest daughter, it would unnerve him. He began to rush up the embankment, but was shouted to stay down and wait for them by his son.

Deo helped Beks keep her footing as they descended. Before they set foot on the canyon floor, their father gave up waiting and rushed forward.

“Are you all right?” he asked as he reached her.

“I’m fine.” Beks’ forced a smile on her face to try to put him at ease. “What are you doing here?” She looked past him, at the sky. The sun was low on the horizon. Her father was supposed to still be at the stadium. For him to get that far meant that he would’ve missed his fight. “Did they move up the fight?”

Robert balked as he reached forward and clamped his hands on her shoulders. His gray eyes seemed to scan her, searching for any wounds or bruises.

“How could I fight in a silly match when my daughter has been kidnapped?” Robert said with a scowl. His brows were knit together tightly and as he removed his hands from her shoulders, she saw the tremble a bit. “I almost didn’t get the message! I was still discussing something in the security office with Bahl when a guard said someone was asking for me in the hall. I wasn’t going to go, but they said the man was acting strangely and mumbled something about you.

“I didn’t want to take any chances, so I went out and someone said he was paid to tell me that you had been kidnapped and to come to the west canyons by sunset or I’d never see you again.”

“So, you left?” Beks said. “Then...then you forfeited the match.”

Robert shook his head and seemed to dismiss the entire situation as meaningless in the face of his daughter. “After the last top fighter went missing and a substitute was needed, Christof asked for volunteers from security. He’d pay them, and me, to train to fight in case another substitute was needed. Those boys aren’t bad. They just needed the right guidance.”

“Then who’s fighting in your place?” Deo asked.

“Bahl.” Their father gave them a lopsided smirk. “Don’t let his size fool you. He’s quite agile. His footwork has improved, and he’s learned and practiced where to best hit an opponent while still defending his vulnerable points.”

“What are the odds of him winning?” Deo asked.

“Not as good as mine, but against the Scorching Snake....” Their father let out a slight scoff. “The fool should’ve rested after you attacked him. To think, he’d insist on facing me for my farewell fight.”

Beks frowned a bit. “Your fans will be disappointed that they didn’t get to see you fight one last time.”

Robert tossed his head back and let out a laugh. “No one is more disappointed than Christof, but it isn’t as if he could stop me from looking for you.”

“How could I stop you if you left before you told me?” an out of breath voice laced with irritation shouted.

Behind the two men who came with her father were two other horses, one of which had the owner of the stadium on him.

Her father looked a bit surprised. “ What are you doing here?”

“I heard your daughter was taken, so I summoned all the off-duty guards to come help you look.”

Beks lifted her hand to her chest as her father’s smile softened. “Christof, thank you.”

Christof lifted his hand and made a dismissing motion. “Not that we were of any help. Looks like you already found her.” He looked at Beks and his voice became gentle. “Are you well, child? Hurt anywhere? We have excellent doctors at the stadium. Have them take a look.”

“I am fine, sir. Just a scare. They wanted to lure my father out so he could throw the fight and they could win with an automatic defeat,” Beks told him.

Christof scowled and let out a snort of distaste. “Do they think it’s that easy?”

“I asked for a substitute to take my place so I could come look for you,” Robert told her.

“A substitute? For you? Are you insane?” Christof said as slid off his horse. He waddled forward and patted his sweaty head with a handkerchief. “Do you know what those people will do to me if we have your farewell fight, but you’re not there?”

Robert brows shot up, but he shook his head. “We’re supposed to leave tonight.”

“It won’t take long! Just go in there and finish the fight. Bask in the cheers and glory one last time, and then you can go! I’ll even have guards guard your wagon and horses outside so you can leave as soon as the fight is over.”

Deo raised a brow. “A fight after dark? What happened to not having any more events after the sunsets due to fire concerns?”

“Well...aren’t you a fire biha user?” Christof gave him a pleading look. “Your father brags about you all the time!”

Deo slowly turned his head towards his father and a sly smile filled his face. “You do brag about me.”

Robert snorted and crossed his arms over his chest. “Why not? Have you done something I should be ashamed of?”

Deo chuckled. “I thought you only bragged about Mom, Beks, Thad, and Wrath.”

“I would think you’d be sick of me bragging about you by now with all the praise I gave you as a child.”

“I still like to hear it as an adult.”

“Brother Deo, can you light up the stadium, or at least the fighting ring for a bit while Daddy fights?” Beks said, cutting them both off.

Deo gave a small nod of his head, agreeing. “It’s an easy matter.”

“Thank you-”

“But not a cheap one.”

Christof’s elated face fell. “You...you want to be paid?”

“My brother should be properly paid for his labor,” Beks told him with a small nod. They needed the money for their journey, after all. Sooner or later, they’d need fare for a ship in order to search for her mother and remaining siblings.

Christof furrowed his brows. “All right. Since your father and I are friends. How much do you want?”

Deo narrowed his eyes and smiled. “How much is my father being paid for this fight?”

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

She didn’t have enough pockets in her new petti skirt to hold all the gold plats that came from her father’s job. She could sew more pockets, but she didn’t want the skirt to weigh her down too much. At the same time, she didn’t want to just put all the money in the fancy wooden box Christof had given them before they left.

If that was stolen, there went months of her father’s hard-earned money, as well as their travel and campaign funds.

“What if I sew them into the inner lining of your vests?” Bek said from the inside of the wagon as it swayed with each step of the two horses pulling them.

Her father remained riding beside the carriage on his newly purchased horse while Deo’s and Bek’s horses followed behind the carriage. Her brother sat inside with her, reviewing a map.

“Won’t it be too obvious? Not just with the weight, but the outline of the pockets?”

“I can sew them inside the lining. Don’t you want to keep your money with you?”

Despite Deo’s request to be paid, he hadn’t charged Christof an astronomical fee for his fire light services. With Beks providing a constant stream of biha, the biha used to control the flames all over the stadium and around the fighting ring was an easy matter.

They were seated in the owner’s booth, with a clear and close view of the fighting ring. When they arrived, torches were posted and watched by attendants in the aisles, and placed on stands around the ring, but a torch could only provide so much light.

When their father went to prepare for his fight, Christof took them to the owner’s booth.

“How is this?” the rotund man had asked. “Can you light the stadium from here?”

Deo looked around and nodded. “This will do.”

“What else do you need?” Christof asked.

“Do you want only light or do you want a spectacle?” Deo had asked as he rolled up his sleeves. Christof blinked.

“A spectacle?”

“Good choice,” Deo had said. “Tell the drummers to start drumming. When the stadium goes dark. When my father comes out, tell the trumpeters to start. I’ll take care of the rest.”

Their father’s former boss had looked confused, but nodded. He sent one of the guards with them to give the orders and waited. When the drummers raised a yellow flag, indicating that they received the message, Christof looked at Deo.

“It’s ready.”

“Beks.” Deo had said. She had put her hand on his shoulder and refilled his biha. He took a deep breath and sent out fireballs with precision. Each ball hit a torch, making each torch burst upwards for just a moment before returning to their regular height. The effect was like a wave of light around the stadium starting from one side to the other.

Deo had then narrowed his eyes and dimmed them until it was dark.

The drumming had begun and Beks could almost feel the exciting rising in the stadium, as guests had been waiting some time for the farewell fight. With every strong beat, the torches ignited and grew brighter and brighter before the flames spiraled into the air. Deo twisted his body a bit and Beks looked up to watch the flames fly into the sky and join a ring of fire that appeared above the stadium.

Christof’s jaw had dropped. “Your...your father wasn’t joking about your ability.”

Deo had chuckled and the announcer stepped out to welcome everyone and thank them for waiting. The Scorching Snake was soon introduced and just like last time, he was booed as soon as he entered.

“And now, for his final fight, trying for his twenty-second consecutive win, the Duke of the North!” Trumpets had sounded and from the two torches on either side of the east entrance, flames spiraled up creating pillars on either side as the gates opened and their father walked out followed by Vice Captain Bahl, who was holding on to the bottom of a long red cape.

Their father had thrown his arms in the air and cheered to the crowd as they cheered back at him.

“I can’t believe he’s enjoying this....” Deo had said with dull eyes, despite the fact that he was helping their father put on a show.

Beks had sighed. “I can’t believe he found a cape to wear.”

They had watched the fighters stand in the center of the ring and the attendants close the octagon around them.

In the end, the fight itself hadn’t lasted long at all. Robert had played with his opponent before throwing the final punch and knocking the Scorching Snake to the ground.

As a final good-bye, their father was good-natured enough to make a round around the ring, shaking people’s hands. Bahl had followed behind with two other guards. The two guards held up Robert’s cape as Bahl handed on cards with a stamped picture of the Duke of the North on them.

Beks had quietly taken a few to give to her mother and siblings before they left.

It was later than they planned when they left, but they’d received a warm good-bye from Christof and the guards. Some of whom had been teary-eyed when saying good-bye to their father. Her father had handed Christof and Bahl a letter and told them not to open it for three months.

When Beks had asked, her father said it was a formal introduction to Sagittate, if they ever went, from Robert, Duke of Caroline. Now, they had two and a half more months before they could open it.

“Beks, when we enter the basin, don’t leave the carriage without your veil,” her father said. “It’s common in the area for men and women to wear head coverings when visiting the shrines and praying, so you will blend in more.”

“Understood,” Beks said. She held out her skirt and furrowed her brows. “This is much heavier than I thought.”

“If we get on a boat, don’t wear it,” her brother said. She hummed.

“My lord, I will look for an inn for us. Did you want to stop by any of the shrines?” Mr. Reidan asked from the driver’s seat of the carriage.

“What shrines are here?” Beks said. Her brother turned to the side and dug through a folder with some maps he’d purchased. He pulled them a sheet and laid it on a wooden plank that stretched across the wagon benches and functioned as a table.

“The six shrines are here. Furthest west is the end of McCormac’s Pilgrimage Trail, but we’re coming in from the northeast, so the closest ones are the Shrine of Retsa.”

“Goddess of marriage?” Beks raised a brow. “A bit late, don’t you think?”

Deo grinned. “Do your two husbands know you think it’s too late?”

Beks kicked his leg and shot him a glare. She glanced to the side where her father was. She had yet to tell him about the prospective engagement change. “What else is there?” she asked, her voice rising.

Deo chuckled. “The Quartz Lake Shrine to Akajai, the patron saint of animals. Their patron animal is the legendary beast, the water wyvern.”

“I want to go there. I can pray for Snowflake and the rokhs.”

“You don’t want to pray for the Second and Third Prince, but you’ll pray for your snake.” “He is a horned serpent.”

Deo rolled his eyes. “Mr. Reidan, take us to the-”

“Let’s go to the Shrine of Retsa,” their father’s voice said from outside. “I wish to pray to strengthen my bond with your mother.”

“Of course, you do...” Deo said with a tired voice.

“I still want to go to the Quartz Lake Shrine after!” Beks said. Her father agreed and they made their way to the first shrine. Mr. Reidan dropped them off outside the garden gates.

Compared to the desert they’d come from, the basin was vibrant and lush for the fall. It wasn’t south enough for the humidity, but it was still green compared to the areas further north. There were underground rivers feeding into Quartz Lake, which was located around the center of the six shrines.

“There is a town just past the shrine grounds. Usually pilgrims stay there,” Deo said as he stuck his head out.

“In that case, Mr. Reidan, please leave the horses. We’ll meet you in town,” their father said.

Beks plucked out some coins to give to Mr. Reidan as they stopped. Her brother jumped down and helped her off the back of the wagon before untying their horses. From the main road, which split in multiple directions to reach all the shrines in the area, they headed down a curving path to the white marble gates that marked the entrance to the Marriage Shrine.

Just outside were places to park carriages, wagons, and to leave horses. There was a small fee, but most pilgrims could afford it. Small stalls lined the outside of the shrine’s ground’s walls selling flowers, candles, and scarves for pilgrims.

While Deo brought the horses to a coral to be fed and drink, their father wandered around the stalls, inspecting the flowers.

“You can pray for the marriages of others here, as well as your own. Usually, people do so for the marriage of a loved one who will be married soon or has just gotten married,” their father told them as he looked over some bright pink flowers.

“I should pray for Brother Laurence and Lady Eleanor’s then,” Beks said, taking a step to the side to look at the small wreaths of violet flowers. They had a ribbon tied to them and from the display sample, the names of those who would be married were written on the ribbon.

She bought a violet-blue wreath with plump flowers and smiled, only to catch her father picking up a leg-sized, cascading bundle of deep rust colored and white flowers. He seemed to weigh it in his arms before nodding, satisfied.

“Diamond shaped ones are for anniversaries. Your mother likes this color. She says it reminds her of my hair.” Both of his children squinted their eyes at him. “I think this will do for me and your mother....” He lifted it up and called over to the stall’s attendant. “How much?”

Beks sighed and looked back at the hand sized wreath in her hand. Well, it’s not my marriage or wedding. This is more a good luck offering. Resigned to her choice, she prepared to ask how much the wreath was, when she caught ice-blue flowers in a wreath with decorative black chord glistening with silver thread woven into it.

She drew her lips inward and bit them.

A moment later, she was paying for the arm-sized wreath.

“Two silver for the blue wreath and one silver for the violet one,” the old lady selling the flower wreaths told her. That wasn’t too bad for offering flowers. Beks dug into her inner vest pocket and too out the coins. After paying the woman, she was given four white ribbons.

“Five,” Beks said. She glanced at her father, who had walked further away and was waiting by the entrance for her and Deo. Beks leaned closer to the old woman. “I need five.”

The woman gave her a confused look, but still handed her a fifth ribbon.

“You are to pray first and then use the ink made with ash from the offerings to write the names on the ribbons. Don’t worry about language; the goddess will understand your sincerity,” the old woman said.

People came from all over the continent, so that made sense. Beks thanked her and carried her wreaths towards the entrance. Her father had put on a scarf to cover his head and the lower part of his face, covering his beard. Her father cocked his head to the side as she and Deo, who was adjusting his own scarf, reached him.

“Why did you buy two?” He smiled and chuckled. “I was just kidding. You didn’t need to buy one for your mother and me.”

Deo and Beks stared at him for a moment. “Well, it’s too late to return them, Daddy. Let’s just go.” Beks held a small wreath and began down the white stone paved walkway to the shrine.

Though there were numerous small pavilions around the garden, the shrine itself was a large, tile-covered rotunda with rounded arches leading into the sanctuary. Inside was a statue of the goddess on a pedestal as tall as Beks was. The statue itself was carved marble nearly reaching the top of the two-story tall rotunda.

There were six stone fonts with metal basins. A metal grating covered the shallow basins and on metal trays on grooves around the metal basin were brushes for writing names on the ribbon.

First thing was first, and Beks and her father followed the instructions given when they bought the flowers. They bowed at the statue’s pedestal and muttered their prayers wishing for a strong marriage for whoever the offerings were being offered for. Then they waved the wreaths over the smoke from the wood sticks acting as incense placed in narrow boxes surrounding six sides of the statue.

Beks waited for her father to go to one of the writing fonts to fill in the names on the ribbon of his offering, then purposely went to a different one.

Using the thick, quick drying ink, Beks first wrote Laurence and Lady Eleanor’s names in fancy Jasper brush calligraphy. It was a rare artform, but one expected of high-born daughters in Kadmium, so Beks had been forced to learn it despite it being a dying art. Most people didn’t even know the elaborate writing style existed, let alone could read it, so she felt confident that no one could read the names.

Next, she wrote the Second and Third Princes’ names on their ribbons in Langsher, using their Langshe names. On the last ribbon, she wore her name in Sagittate, but in brush calligraphy. She blew over the wet ink to try to make them dry faster before she tied them together onto the wreaths.

Her father was already placing his massive offering at the foot of the goddess’ pedestal by the time Beks arrived and placed her two wreaths down, taking care to put Laurence and Lady Eleanor’s wreath on top of hers to obscure her name.

She bowed once more, repeating her prayer before standing up.

“Let’s walk around the grounds a bit. Stretch our legs after the long journey,” her father said as he stretched his arms over his head. Beks nodded beneath her veil and followed her father out with her brother beside her. “Deo, there should be an altar here where men can pray for a spouse. You should go.”

A disgusted scoff came from her brother as Beks held back a chuckle. “I don’t need to pray for a spouse. I can find a wife on my own.”

“If you scoff in the house of the goddess of marriage, won’t she be upset and not help you?” Beks said with a smirk. She saw her brother tense a bit.

“...All right, perhaps a small prayer wouldn’t kill me.

Beks and her father chuckled as they walked out the main entrance. As they walked down the white marble steps, Beks’ eyes swept over the small groups and individuals dotting the grounds, coming and going. Her gaze was immediately attracted to a small group of men approaching with small orange and white wreaths in their hands.

She had burned their faces into her mind, vowing to make them regret what they did to her. Her chest tightened and her hands clenched into fists at her sides before her brother grasped her arm and pulled her closer to whisper.

“Paladins.”

Her father had fallen into step on the other side of her. He kept his eyes forward, but seemed to block her from them.

Beks grit her teeth. She knew what they were.

While she didn’t recognize all of them, she recognized several, and especially the one leading the small entourage.

Her eyes flickered to his hand that was covered with a glove.

“Remember to pray first for the peace and harmony of Her Eminence’s marriage to the King, then bless the wreaths over the holy wood smoke,” the man with the gloved hands said as he led them forward.

“We can write their names in Esuser, right?” one of the men asked.

“Yes, language doesn’t matter, but I heard it’s more effective if the names are written in their native language, so try to write the King’s name in Jasper.”

It seemed that they were there to pray for their precious oracle’s marriage, but it only confirmed Beks’ suspicion that her family’s assassination attempts involved the new oracle. Lucian said that a paladin assigned to a high-ranking priest or priestess almost always did what they ordered, so long as it didn’t go against the Temple.

Hearing their words confirmed that it was almost certain that the new oracle was the one who wanted Beks and her family dead and ordered the assassinations.

As they passed the group of men, pretending they didn’t notice who they were, Beks resisted the urge to ask the leader in a mocking voice: how is your hand?