“So you say you that they had you searching the same bunker that Nador had taken you to after that business at the Hall of the Renowned?” Master Kiev asked a little astonished as he filled up my glass once more with the cool blue drink that I liked so much.

In the end, Master Kiev said it would raise less questions if we met for our class inside the auditorium, so he had set up the lounge room right off the stage for our remedial Mind Bender class. He said that with one on one cases, it wasn’t unusually for him or other teachers to use the space, so it was a natural choice for us as it allowed us a comfortable place to sit.

But since this wasn’t a real class, Kiev had brought a few Ethian games he said we might try if we felt the urge, and made sure to have a large pitcher of the blue drink he called a caqor refresher and two glasses delivered from the catania for us to partake in as we relaxed and conversed. I was finding it a very nice way to spent my so-called remedial time, and needed little encouragement from Kiev to start blurting out all about my special assignment.

The man’s whole being radiated surprise, even though I had already told him the whole story in full almost the minute I sat down. I think he was having a hard time accepting it as a coincidence, and quite frankly, so was I.

“Yes, and of course, we found the suit of armor Markus had used at the Hall almost immediately in our search. He’d left it there, sitting up against an old set of chests. And naturally, finding it created absolute chaos.

“Our team leader, Pezeri immediately called in Winters, who then called in Dexter and a few others I had remembered seeing at the investigation after the attack at the chalet. That small enclosed space got uncomfortable quickly between all the people squeezed inside and the feelings of urgency coming off the officers. I spent the rest of my assignment time trying to melt into a corner to become as inconspicuous a possible with the other five Cadets.”

Kiev shook his head, and then took a sip of his drink before asking, “Did they find anything else?”

“Just the scorched area that Markus had burned my hair, clothes, and unity ring. It had everyone in a long discussion on whether it was recent or old, so that caused them to bring in a specialist who scanned the whole area, which of course told them it was made within the last forty-eight hours. And then that set off a whole other discussion about how and why the mark was made in the first place.”

I had to chuckle as I said that last part. It had been quite the entertainment watching the whole thing unfold, and I had spent half the time trying my best not to laugh, and the other in absolute terror that they would discover the change of my identity had happened in that underground room.

“And no one called you out, or made it known they knew who you were, or that there was a suspicion you had changed identities?” Master Kiev asked as he was now quite literally sitting at the edge of his seat.

I shook my head. “No, I was ready for it. I even thought maybe it was an elaborate way for me to confess. I mean, what are the odds that I would get picked to search that bunker. But not a single person gave me a second look the whole time.”

Kiev was quiet for a moment before stating, “Unless that was the plan. Maybe they wanted to rattle you. To see if you would show yourself because maybe they weren’t completely sure about your new identity, and then when you didn’t, maybe now they will find a time when you were alone to ambush you.”

That sobered me up quick, and yes, I had been thinking along those lines myself. My head had been on a swivel since the moment I had stepped into that bunker, through dinner, and until I had come to meet Master Kiev at the entrance of the auditorium. Hotoe had even commented on it at dinner, and I told him that I was just nervous because I’d been attacked by some nasty bugs while I had been searching the bunker and I didn’t want a repeat.

“Maybe it really was just a coincidence I was assigned that bunker,” I suggested.

Kiev pursed his lips, but then slowly nodded. “Yes, I suppose that is possible. Stranger things have happened, but I would be cautious from here on out. Don’t go anywhere alone if you can help it, and be ready to hit your distress beacon at a moment’s notice. And I’ll make sure to keep my unity ring close and relay the same to Tau-mine.”

I swallowed a sudden lump in my throat as I wondered how much the two could help if I was attacked and how fast they would actually be able get to me. It was a big compound and who knew when and where my unknown attacker or attackers would strike. I had to remind myself that I wasn’t completely defenseless. I had all the training my dad had given me since childhood in self defense, including quat-lo. But I also had no idea how many I was really up against either.

“Maybe getting on a shuttle off the planet wouldn’t be such a bad idea,” I decided to put it out there. I’d certainly been thinking it since the chaos at the bunker.

Kiev nodded for a long moment before responding. “Yes, it is a possibility, but then it would undermine all the efforts Nador is going through. He’d be locked up for nothing.”

“What?” I said in surprise.

The Master looked at me like he had said something he shouldn’t have, and then gave sigh of defeat. “Yes, he was apprehended yesterday right before the new recruit induction. He was questioned, of course, but refused to say a thing. Nador’s currently in a holding cell awaiting the displeasure of the Directors. They aren’t happy he is keeping your location a secret.”

I sat there blinking in surprise. Markus had said he was going to use himself as bait, but I didn’t think he’d let himself actually get caught by the College, but then I guess it was easier to be bait if you were dangling yourself out there for everyone to see. “Was that part of his plan to get thrown in jail?”

Kiev shrugged. “I’m not entirely sure. I was mostly concerned with your safety, so that’s the part of the plan I got the most information about. The rest was a little vague and I think Nador wanted that way. He always did like playing things close to the chest.”

I snorted. “That idiot is going to either get himself killed or screw up the rest of whatever life he has left.”

The Master hid a smile behind his glass as he took another long sip. A moment later he responded. “The boy always did like to do things the hard way.”

I eyed the other man for a long moment, and then asked. “So how do you know the Nadors so well?”

“I’ve worked with King Rainus quite a bit over the years on several of his… well, I’m not sure how to say it other than projects,” Keiv heavily emphasized the last word. “That man is a natural born schemer, and Markus isn’t far off that mark either, so I wasn’t surprised when he laid out this plan to draw out your attackers.

“But anyways, the King had known I was one of the more talented Master Mind Benders, so he went out of his way to befriend me after he took Aragon on as a Protector, and later to secure my help with his projects. I have to say that working with the man over the years has been a unique educational experience and I will leave it at that. In the process, I also got to know his family quite well.”

A thought suddenly came to me. “Did you know me when I was living at River Palace?”

Kiev shook his head. “Not personally, no. You were young and from what I understand, you were kept in the family’s private part of the palace almost entirely during your time there for safety reasons. But Rainus certainly talked about you a lot. He was like a dotting father when he spoke of you, so in a way, I guess I felt like I knew you.”

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

I didn’t know what to say to that, so I finished up my second glass, and then poured myself a third. It felt so nice to be in the cooler building and drinking the caquer refresher, and I was going to enjoy every last drop of it that I could.

“So you think we should hold off on me getting on a shuttle?” I asked after I had my first sip from the refreshed refresher.

Kiev was silent for a long time, and I had a chance to drink almost half of my drink before he finally responded. “I’ll be honest, Highness, this whole business has me in a conflict. On one hand, I think it would be wise for you to leave the College sooner rather than later. I hate to say it, but there it is. Until we know more about what’s going on and who is all in on it, this place isn’t safe for you.

“But then, if your brother is really behind all this, then nowhere in the Empire is safe for you. Maybe not even the White Palace. He did live there most his life. He knows the palace’s secrets better than you do, and how to circumvent them to get to you. Without being assigned your own Protector to be on the lookout for such things, it’s a dangerous gambit to make.

“I certainly don’t want to speak ill of your father. He’s a powerful and capable man, and I know he will do all he can to protect you, but it was his own Protector that attacked you in your bathroom in the White Palace, so…”

“So my best bet is to stay here and see this through. See if Markus’s plan can draw my brother and his little helpers out, because if we can do that, the odds will be much more in my favor,” I finished for the other man.

Kiev nodded, “Yes, that is my assessment as well. And even with what happened with you being assigned to search the bunker Markus used in your abduction, I still think your cover is intact. If not, I think you’d been either called out about it by now, or corralled into private place to be questioned.

“Granted, that could still happen, but given the risk of trying to smuggle you onto a shuttle undetected to get you off world and on your way to the White Palace, I think your odds are better served to stay were you are––for now, because I assure you, that every shuttle taking off Sora X since your disappearance are being throughly searched and vetted by several teams of Disciples and Pledges. But that choice is yours, Highness. If you want to leave, we will make it so.”

“How? You said the shuttles are being searched.”

“Pledge Tau-mine and I have been discussing possibilities. We have a few working plans. We aren’t entirely sure we can get you off world completely undetected, but we will do our best.”

I sat for a moment thinking on it, and how royally screwed I was no matter what I did. The fact was, we didn’t have enough information about who was involved and it would only be a matter of time before my secret was out. I wasn’t sure how long I could maintain my cover, or that someone wouldn’t figure out our little trick to hide me.

It was a clever plan, but it could be figured out, all a person had to do was realize I had gone missing right about the time the new recruits showed up. It certainly could cause suspicion enough to start asking questions, and maybe even to stage a special assignment that would reveal my secret identity. A thought came to me.

“How would they have known my new name or what I looked like? There were hundreds of recruits. How did they find out who I was so quickly? I mean, have you seen me? I look nothing like myself, or at least far enough away not for it to be an easy conclusion.”

Master Kiev seemed to ponder that for a minute. “True. I knew your new name because Tau-mine had told me, but before the Mind Bending class, I pulled up your student file and your image just to be sure I knew who to look for. I wouldn’t have easily been able to pick you out of the class otherwise.”

I had an inkling of an idea, but I was hesitant to say it, but considering my life was on the line here, I couldn’t afford to hold back to save anyone’s feelings, not even Master Kiev’s. “Could they know Markus has help? Could they be on to you and Pledge Tau-mine, and found me that way?”

A dark look crossed the Master’s face and he seemed deep in thought for a moment before speaking. “I certainly hope not, but you might have a point. I think that maybe you aren’t the only one who needs to be watching his back.”

Yeah, because if they took out Kiev and Tau-mine, I was pretty much on my own. I didn’t say it, but I didn’t have to, from the disquiet I felt coming from the Master, he’d reached the same conclusion as I had.

I sat in silence for a moment, allowing my mind to consider the problem, while I took a long drink from the refresher. I nearly spit it out when an idea suddenly popped into my mind, and wondered why I hadn’t thought of it sooner.

“How about this? I’ve heard a lot of noise from the new recruits and even the officers about getting kicked out of the Program, and that fifty percent never see the first year. I bet you get people washing out the very first week, don’t you?”

Master Kiev nodded with a curious look on his face wondering where I was going with this. But he settled for just giving me the nod, so I continued with the idea that was steadily growing in my mind.

“Then what if I do something to get myself kicked out? I’m assuming I would then get a one way ticket immediately off world, correct?”

A light appeared on the man’s face. “Indeed, you would. They’d let you gather your stuff from the barracks, but then march you out to a shuttle under guard in case you decided to cause trouble. They wouldn’t send you far. Just to one of the other colonized settlements in the Sora System. Probably the moon colony of Kamlen, they have a major transport hub, and you can get a ship to almost anywhere from there.

“That’s a very elegant solution to the problem of getting off world, Highness. But that’s assuming your cover is completely intact, because once you are off world, you won’t have my protection or Pledge Tau-mine’s anymore, and they will know you left and simply follow you. If your cover is compromised, I would feel better if you had us to back you up.”

I raised an eyebrow at Kiev, “And if you and Pledge Tau-mine are compromised?”

Master Kiev looked stricken and he didn’t have a thing to say about that, and I felt a little bad for pushing him in that corner, but it was what it was.

I grimaced as I let my mind wander again. I hated to even think it, but at this point I almost just wanted to call Admiral Vang and tell him to come get me, because I at least knew that he would protect me. The man might throw a fit about it, but he would do it, because he knew his Emperor demanded it. I then found myself laughing out loud at the thought of it, calling him really would solve a lot of my immediate problems.

Kiev gave me with a questioning look “Mind sharing what’s so funny?”

It took me a minute to get myself under control. I had found the laughing oddly cathartic, and the irony of what I was about to do hilarious as hell.

“How easy would it be for you to get a call to Admiral Vang? Discreetly, of course.”

Master Kiev raised an eyebrow. He knew how much the Admiral and I did not get along. “Well, I suppose that’s one way to ensure your protection. I can get a call out this evening, but I only have his public call number, so I have no idea how long it will take for him to get my message. He is a busy man with many demands on his time.”

I waved a hand as a solid plan suddenly clicked into place. The pieces had been there all along. It had just taken a while to put it all together. A surge of excitement made my body feel like it was humming.

Until this point, I had stood aside letting others make decisions for me, because I thought that they would know best under the circumstances. I was the new guy to this galaxy. This Empire. This College. This Ethian way of life. I was very aware of how much my lack of knowledge could be used against me, and it already had. I could stumble into a trap just because I didn’t know, well… still very little about Ethia and how people lived here and how to react to certain situations. Though, I was doing my best to remedy that as quickly as I could.

But being a game piece on pretty much everyone’s board, but my own, had caused me to feel a distinct lack of personal power for weeks now that I did not like. So coming up with this plan seemed like a major triumph for me, and I took a moment to savor it before I told Master Kiev what I had come up with.

“Do what you can,” I finally told him. The man had patiently waited for me to speak, while he emptied the last of the pitcher into our glasses. “Put the message out to Vang. Mark it as urgent, and we will hope for the best. In the meantime, I will stay as I am. If things heat up and I have to leave, I’ll find a way to get kicked out. Either he’ll be here by then, or he won’t. I’ll just have to figure it out from there.”

“Highness, are you sure–”

“I am sure that if I don’t have a plan to get off this planet, I may never leave here alive.” I interrupted, not giving the man a chance to finished. “Don’t get me wrong. I greatly appreciate all you, Tau-mine, and Markus are doing for me, and I hope it works out the way Markus hopes it will––that we all hope it will. But having an exit plan would be wise at this point, don’t you think?”

Master Kiev bowed his head. “Yes, you are right, and considering all things, it’s a good plan.”

I gave the Master my own small bow. “Thank you.”

We finished up the caquer refresher and had some small talk for the remainder of our hour. Kiev also had an injector to install my identity chip, which took only a minute to place under the skin of my left forearm. And yes, it hurt as much as placing the beacon had.

Afterward, we said our goodbyes with a promise to meet here tomorrow for my remedial as long as I was still at the College. I then left Master Kiev feeling at least a little better that I had an exit plan. The best part was that it had been mine and it was something I actually felt confident in. That caused me to have a bounce in my step all the way to the barracks.