Chapter Three: Old Frenemies

 

Don’t be myself, Kyosti thought as he came under the shadow of the palace wall. Right.

He wished he could say that was the first time he had heard this advice.

The palace, a limestone structure with walls almost ten times higher than a normal house, loomed over him. Kyosti had been on the walls more times than he could count, but rarely did he pass within the halls and rooms to see any of the high-ranking people in there.

He gave the guards at the gate a cordial nod and peered around to where Raleigh’s office was. The office sat inside the outer palace wall, door and window facing the courtyard within.

Kyosti strode towards the door, swallowing his anxiety, then slowed as he saw a well-built figure leaning against the wall by the general’s door.

“Oh no,” he muttered.

As if she had heard him, Mage Rikand turned her head to look at him, her hair brushing against her shoulders. She smirked as he dragged his feet closer.

“Well, well,” Rikand said, pushing herself off the wall and stepping closer. Even though she was shorter than him, she had a way of making him feel small, and he resisted the urge to stand on his tiptoes. “I thought I might find you here, Romalidan.”

“What do you want, Rikand?” he snapped, glancing at the door and wondering if he should make a dive for it. Like she read his thoughts, Rikand took a step to the right, blocking him.

Whatever. Raleigh wouldn’t approve being rude to a Wizard like that anyway.

“I know it’s been awhile since we’ve seen each other, Romalidan,” the Wizard said in her most condescending tone, “but please remember that I’m not in the legion anymore, so I don’t go by my military name. My name is Kayla.”

“You may have been elected to the House of Wizards, Rikand,” Kyosti retorted, “but you should still go by your military name, as one of the Queen’s subjects.” He let his hand go up to his mouth in a show of mock thought. “Wait, hang on . . . You Wizards don’t have loyalty to your own queen anymore, do you?”

Rikand’s lips hardened and her eyes narrowed. “Perhaps we have loyalty to something higher and greater than a mere queen, Romalidan.” She relaxed after a second, smirking again. “Enjoy your talk with Raleigh. Once you’re out of this city, I hope you never return.”

She stalked around him, bumping his shoulder as she passed. He watched her go, scattering nervous courtiers and soldiers in her wake.

“Out of the city?” Kyosti repeated, his eyebrows drawing together.

There was no time to ponder what that meant as he knocked on Raleigh’s door and entered at her call.

General Raleigh’s office was well-lit, with candles, parchment, and weapons placed in ordered chaos. Kyosti had been in the office only once, when Raleigh had called him and two other soldiers in to promote them.

“Take a seat, Romalidan,” Raleigh said after he had given her a short bow.

“Ma’am, I’m so sorry about this afternoon,” Kyosti said as he touched the chair. The words flowed out of him almost without his permission. “I should have stopped those foolish tricks with Roddy months ago. I’m just a show-off who--”

“I’m not upset about that, Romalidan,” Raleigh interrupted, looking alarmed at his sudden flow of words. “You’re a capable archer, and Rodriguez is no fool. If the two of you feel the need to impress our future soldiers like that, I see no reason why I shouldn’t let it continue.”

Kyosti opened his mouth, then closed it. Of all the things Raleigh could have said, that was last he would have expected.

“No, I’ve called you in here for a far more serious reason,” Raleigh continued. She shifted in her seat, straightening her spine. “I’m going to have to release you from the legion.” Kyosti started forward, his hands clenching on the seat. “Peace, soldier. You’re not banished from the Army. I’ve had orders from higher up that you are needed elsewhere besides the legion.”

Kyosti forced himself to release the death grip he had on his chair, sinking down. “Higher ups? What higher ups?”

Raleigh nodded slowly, as if she had expected this reaction. “The queen, Romalidan. She requested you be removed. You are to come before her in the courtroom tomorrow morning.”

The queen. Talking with her, being noticed by her, was every soldier’s dream. Kyosti had met the queen before, when he was admitted to the legion, and now he was going to meet her again when he was removed.

He didn’t feel as happy as he could have. He did not say anything for several moments.

“What does the queen want with me?”

Raleigh tilted her head to one side, lips pursed. “I am sure she will make that clear to you.”

A diplomatic answer, meaning Raleigh didn’t want to be the bearer of bad news. If it had been something good and exciting, she might have told him anyway.

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