The leader of the Rawlins leaned back to inspect Charlie. “I thought there was something different about you, but I didn’t expect this,” he said. He reached out a hand and shook Charlie’s. His hold didn’t linger this time. “I admit I’m curious, but first I need to deal with the matter at hand.” He turned away from Charlie and Merlin and looked toward Vetica. “You broke your contract. Did you return the money you took for it?” he asked.

“I did.” Vetica’s response was short and whispered.

“Did you have a hand in their death?”

“I did not.”

“Why did you break the contract?” he asked finally.

Vetica hesitated. “I…don’t really know why I did it,” she said. This caused an uproar among those watching from the sidelines of the room. A man emerged from a dark spot in the room beside the throne.

“Vedic, this kind of behavior cannot be tolerated. Even from one of your heirs. She must be punished as any other would be,” the man hissed. His hood covered his face, so Charlie couldn’t make out any of his features.

Vedic turned to sneer at the man. He approached him until they were face to face. He stared down at the smaller man. But though he was smaller than Vedic, the hooded man was still quite large himself. Vedic leaned in. “When I want your opinion, I will ask for it, Hosuyo. Until then, remain silent.”

“Father, it’s not exactly fair to ask your advisor not to advise you. Besides, he is right. As much as I love my dear older sister, she did break our laws. I’ve heard you say that the Rawlins have only survived as long as they have because of our laws. We all know that’s true, father. Blood doesn’t bind most of us, the laws do. If we break them just because Vetica shares blood with you and I…what would the Rawlins have left?” Vetica’s sister asked.

This argument, while obviously manipulative to Charlie and his friends, worked very well on the other members of the Rawlins. A chorus of conversation and agreement quickly erupted. Vetica’s sister had won the crowd. But how would Vedic react to that? Would he silence them like he’d tried to silence Hosuyo, or would he give in to their wants?

Vedic was quiet for a moment before, finally, he nodded. “You’re right Lilica. Even a daughter of mine is beholden to our laws.” He turned to face Vetica. “But you haven’t been home in some time. I wish to discuss your journey with you tonight. I want to know more about these two,” he said, eyeing Merlin and Charlie.

Hosuyo leaned forward. “And what of the punishment?” he asked.

Vedic sighed. He lifted his head and looked around the room. Slowly scanning the faces of his subordinates. “In two days, we will hold a trial to determine Vetica’s fate. This will give us time to reflect on her words and prepare. We would not normally hold such a trial in a place like this. Especially not for my blood. But things are moving quickly in Aysela, and we can’t afford to waste time traveling. Two days. For now, the day isn’t over. Go and see to your assignments and duties. Vetica, you will join me for dinner. As for your friends…”

Vedic lifted a hand. Two short figures in gray robes hurried forward. They each bowed deeply, bending at the waist.

“Yes master,” they said. One voice was that of a man. The other a woman. But despite the man’s voice being slightly deeper, overall, they sounded really similar to one another in the way they spoke.

“Palli’s, take these two to a guest room,” he said.

“Yes, master,” they said in unison again. They walked forward, their steps synchronized, and stood before Merlin.

“If you would follow us,” the man said.

“We would be greatly pleased,” the woman said.

Merlin hesitated, looking toward Vetica.

Charlie frowned. “No! We’re staying with Vetica. We aren’t splitting up,” he declared openly inside the heads of anyone who would listen. They’d stuck around to watch Vetica’s back, not to go hide in some room.

Merlin winced.

Orb laughed in Charlie’s head. “We’re so dead.”

Charlie’s declaration prompted many gasps. Some of the Rawlins shouted. Others drew their blades. Vedic held a hand up. He didn’t say a word, though. He simply stared at Vetica.

Her eyes flickered back and forth. She turned to look at Charlie. “Charlie, stop. It’s okay. I’ll be fine. Just go to the guest room and get some rest, okay?” she said.

“No! I’m not going to let him bully you! This is the whole reason I trained with Themis, so that I could protect you from—”

“That’s enough, Charlie!” Vetica shouted. “I don’t need your protection. You can’t behave like a child all the time. Your actions and words have consequences.” Her voice softened. “I can handle myself, so just…don’t.”

Charlie blinked in confusion. She was mad at him? But why? All he had done was try to help her. So, why would she yell at him? He blinked again; his eyes grew watery. He was confused. Embarrassed. Charlie looked down at the ground and pulled Orb closer to himself.

“Orb…” he said, fighting back tears. He didn’t want to cry. Not in front of Vedic. Not in front of all these people.

“It’s okay buddy. Let’s just do what he wants for now,” Orb said. He grew warm to the touch and for some reason, that made Charlie feel a little better.

Merlin put both of his hands around Charlie and pulled him in closer. “We’ll see you soon,” he said to Vetica. Then he slightly nodded his head toward Vedic and turned back to the palli. They seized the opportunity to turn and lead them out of the room. Charlie leaned against Merlin’s shoulder and listened to the footsteps of Merlin and the palli as they walked. He listened and did his best not to sob. Before they left the room, he risked one last look at Vetica. She stood there, watching them leave with a pained look on her face.

Charlie felt angry at her for betraying him like she did. He scrunched his eyebrows and turned his head away from her.

The palli led them down a hallway and past a series of doors with intricately carved patterns on them. Each door was unique, and the green and gold symbols reminded him of the ones on the sleeves of Vetica’s shirt. After a while, they reached a room with a simple symbol on it. A singular gold dot with a circle around it. Charlie couldn’t tell which of the small, hooded figures was which. But one of them stepped to the side while the other turned the door’s knob and pushed it open. One stepped inside and waited for them to follow.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

“This way, please,” the girl’s voice came. So, the boy must be the one that had stepped to the side.

Merlin followed her, and they quickly inspected the room. It was nicer than Charlie had expected. There was a giant bed with a thick green blanket draped over it on one side. While the other had a series of instruments, a couch, some reading material, and even an assorted bowl of fruit. Charlie was surprised that assassins had lodging that was this comfortable looking.

“What kind of guest do you normally have? This is one of the nicest rooms I’ve ever seen,” Merlin said.

“We all have manners of guest. Of course, I’m not allowed to say, but you can probably insinuate a lot based on how it looks,” the girl said.

Merlin nodded. “Nobles. Got it. I can understand taking contracts from nobles, but letting them crash in one of your outposts? Strange. Ah, sorry, I’m Merlin, by the way.” He held a hand out.

The girl hesitated. She glanced toward the hooded man standing outside the room, but he shook his head in surprise, too. “We’re just servants. You don’t have to be so formal,” she said.

Merlin laughed. “Nonsense. You aren’t my servant. You brought us to a very nice room, and I appreciate it. At least tell me your name,” he said.

The palli raised her white-gloved hands and wiped them together. “Palli’s don’t have names. We’re usually addressed by our jobs. So, if you prefer, you can call me girl palli servant, and my brother boy palli servant,” she said, pointing to the boy standing outside the room.

Charlie was still fairly upset from the events that had transpired so far. But this was strange enough to surprise him out of it a bit. “What’s a palli?” he asked, rubbing leftover teardrop trails from his face.

The girl looked away for a moment. It was odd that even though Charlie was looking right toward the opening of her hood, he couldn’t see her face. Was that because she was a palli? No, he’d noticed the same thing from the outfits of many of the Rawlins. Maybe it was some kind of magic.

After the moment had passed, the girl lowered her hood. Charlie was fairly surprised to see what she looked like. She wasn’t ugly by any means. In fact, she was pretty. But her skin was a pale grey, and her hair was as a white as snow. She looked slightly older than Lyra from Sange did. So, she was probably in her teens somewhere. Based on height, her brother was likely around the same age as well. “Are you sick?” Charlie asked.

Merlin scoffed. “Charlie, why would you ask that? That’s rude.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Do you have a disease?” Charlie asked instead. He hadn’t realized the word sick was rude.

Merlin facepalmed. “We’ve got a lot to work on.”

The girl laughed. “I’m a palli. We’re…well, not from Aysela. My brother and I were sold to Master Vedic when we were younger. Hosuyo trained us to be servants and we’ve been serving the Rawlins ever since. Well, Master Vedic, to be specific.” She realized she hadn’t quite answered Charlie’s question. “Oh, but I’m not sick. We all have gray skin and white hair. It’s just normal for us. If I ever look like the two of you, then I might be sick,” she giggled.

“Sister!” her brother called out at the same time that Merlin laughed.

The girl covered her mouth and bowed. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to imply anything. I just meant—”

Merlin held a hand up. “It’s okay. It was funny. I knew what you meant. If you ever look like me, I’ll make sure to call a doctor for you,” he said. He sighed. “So, about this trial coming up…anything you can tell us? What can we expect? Will she need like a lawyer or should we… I don’t know. I’m just trying to help her.”

Charlie frowned. “Vetica’s not our friend anymore, Merlin. Didn’t you hear her back there? She hates me.”

Merlin grew quiet. He turned to the girl. “Will you excuse us for a minute? We need to talk alone,” he said.

She nodded and hurried toward the door. “We’ll be just outside if you need us.” She curtsied and pulled the door shut to give them privacy.

Merlin walked over to the bed and sat Charlie down. He let out a deep sigh. “Charlie, I don’t understand. How can you say something like that? How can you say Vetica isn’t our friend?”

Charlie frowned. “You heard her! She said that I was behaving like a child! She yelled at me,” he said.

Merlin took a seat on the couch opposite Charlie. “I don’t ever want to hear you say something like that again, Charlie. How can you say that? I’ll be the first to admit I didn’t want her around at first, but she’s proved herself every step of the way. She made a mistake in bringing us here, that much is for sure. But Charlie, Vetica would die for you. How can you possibly say she isn’t your friend? I just don’t understand.”

“Friends don’t say mean things like that.” Charlie pouted.

“Sometimes I forget you’re still developing as a person. Listen, Charlie. What you just said? That’s not really true. If anything, people who tell you what you need to hear are the best type of friend. Now, I don’t agree that Vetica should’ve yelled at you. But not everything that she said is wrong. Actions and words do have consequences, Charlie. Didn’t you see her shaking outside the mansion earlier? She’s terrified. I only know rumors about this father of hers. But Vetica grew up here. If anyone knows what he’s capable of, it’s her. You provoked him in front of his men. A man like that won’t usually let someone get away with it. Vetica may have yelled, but if anything, it was because she was scared, and she wanted to protect us.”

Charlie grew quiet. He had noticed how afraid Vetica was. That was why he wanted to protect her. But now he realized he hadn’t protected her. He’d only made her more scared. Charlie owed her an apology.

Merlin stood up and walked over to sit next to Charlie. “Listen, Charlie. Sometimes the people in our lives say things they don’t mean. Or they say things they do mean in a tone they don’t mean to use. Emotions are complicated. You’re experiencing more complicated emotions than most. You’re basically still a newborn, but with intelligence. That’s…not easy to navigate. I understand that. But when our friends make mistakes, we forgive them. Because one day we’ll make mistakes too, and we’ll want our friends to forgive us then.”

Charlie looked up at him. “I think I owe Vetica an apology. But I don’t know how to help her then, Merlin. I know how to fight, but I can’t do the things that you do.”

Merlin tilted his head at that. “The things I do? What do you mean? I don’t do much exactly.”

“Huh? You do things all the time. You tell people stories and make them believe you and outsmart people so you can protect your friends. Like you did with the cultists in Hilda’s village. You even led a rebellion in Sange! You do a lot. But I don’t know how to do that stuff. I just—” he punched one of his hands with the other. “Throw rocks really hard until I beat the bad guys. I’m not very good at winning without fighting.”

Merlin’s lips parted as he listened to Charlie. He shook his head and stared at the ground. He composed himself after a moment. “Well, I don’t exactly know how to help Vetica, either. I know she’s safe for the time being. That’s the only reason I left her. They won’t do anything to hurt until the trial. That gives me and you time to put our heads together and find a way out of this. Maybe a way that combines what both of us are good at.”

Charlie brightened up. “Okay!” he smiled. “How about you distract them all while I drop a really big pillar on Vedic’s head?”

Orb finally interjected. “I wanted to give you two a moment, but uh, you realize he has an army, right?”

Charlie gasped. “You’re right. After the big one, I’ll drop a bunch of little ones on all of them too!”

Merlin pursed his lips. “Good start, but let’s come up with a few alternatives for now.” He looked toward the door. “I’d also like to learn as much as we can from our palli friends here. In times like these, information is everything.”

Charlie nodded. “Yeah! They can tell us the best angles to drop the pillars. Like if Vedic has a weak spot we don’t know about! Good idea.”

Merlin facepalmed again. “This is going to be a long night.”