“Did you always want to be a mercenary?”
“What?” Gideon asked, as if he had not heard the woman.
“You heard me. Don’t pretend you didn’t.”
She led him through city streets, her blonde hair trailing behind her like a banner waving from a hussar’s spear. A never ending flow of people walked down the street past them, parting before her as if she were a boulder splitting a stream.
“Should I have done something else?” he wondered aloud.
“Of course. What would your mother think?”
“I don’t know.”
“What an ugly lie.”
She stopped and stared at something above them. He followed her gaze.
An egg hung in the sky far above the city, shining like red hot iron. It cracked in two, and an ocean of flame spilled out.
He ran as fire swept through the buildings around him. The people in the street would not move out of his way, and he frantically pushed them aside. They said his name whenever he touched them.
A rank of Kenanite soldiers marched towards him in lockstep, screaming in terror. He thought their fear was caused by the flames, but then they began to call his name, entreating him to stop.
Gideon did come to a stop, and watched as they marched.
I’m dreaming, he realized.
He felt a hand on his shoulder, and knew who it was.
The hand turned him about. A rotting corpse stood before him, missing its eyes and nose. The teeth and hair had fallen out, the skin blackened and tight against the bone. Gray-green intestines spilled out of a gash in its belly.
“Bastard,” it rasped.
Gideon awoke with a violent jolt, jerking his head off the pillow and propping himself up against the bed. He panted heavily as he stared down at the sheets, soaked with sweat.
A ragged sigh left him as he looked around. The air in the room was cold. Dim gray light shone through the window. A thick layer of snow covered the ground and the tops of the surrounding buildings. Snowflakes fell steadily past the window.
He sat cross legged on the bed, hunching over as he rubbed sleep from his face.
Awful dream.
It took him a little while, but once he’d summoned up enough willpower he scooted off the bed and walked over to his ruck across the cold floor. He pulled out a pair of shorts and a shirt, and just as he finished putting them on he heard a faint knock at the door.
“Mister Gideon?” a feminine voice asked faintly.
He walked over and opened it. The two maids from the night before stood at the door. One held a gentleman’s fine white doublet in her arms.
“Yeah?”
They seemed to be on the verge of laughter. “Princess Surelin has invited you to breakfast,” the one with free arms said. “She informed us that you do not have suitable dining clothes.”
The maid holding the doublet offered it to him. He accepted it with a disapproving frown.
“Is this going to fit me?”
“The princess helped us to guess your size.”
He slipped it on, and it seemed to fit well enough. The maids tittered with laughter.
“A rather princely ruffian,” the one who’d been holding the doublet giggled.
His frown deepened. “Where’s the bathroom?”
They led him down the hallway, to the north-west corner of the villa. The bathroom was a small, windowless room with just enough space to contain a bath and shower, along with a toilet and sink. A few towels hung from a rack on the wall.
“May we enter your room? The princess requested that we wash your clothing.”
“Sure,” he said as he closed the bathroom door.
He handled his business and afterwards entered the shower. After four months of washing himself in the cold water of wild streams, the hot water felt sensational.
When he was clean he dried himself off, got dressed, and exited the bathroom, wandering the halls in search of Surelin. Forelian soldiers and servants populated the halls, going about their morning business. Many of them openly stared at him as he walked by.
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Nearly half a foot of snow coated the ground and outdoor furniture of the atrium, and the falling flakes promised to add more inches yet. Gideon walked downstairs in his search, finally discovering the dining room in the south west corner of the villa, directly below Edea’s room.
The dining room had blue-gold royal wallpaper on its walls and two large bay windows, providing a generous view of the villa’s yard and perimeter wall, all of it covered in snow. A cascade of snowflakes fell past the windows.
Edea sat at the head of a long oakwood table, the windows behind her. Marshal Len sat on her left, Surelin on her right. Celaena was also there, sitting beside Len. All across the table lay beautiful pearl white and navy blue crockery, filled to the brim with fried and poached eggs, pastries, and a variety of fruits and nuts. Expensive looking silverware had been laid out on both sides of the plates that had been placed in front of every seat.
Everyone turned to look at Gideon when he entered. Surelin greeted him cheerfully.
Edea and Len also greeted him, though with less enthusiasm. "You look nice," Surelin smiled.
Gideon muttered his thanks as he walked over to sit in the empty chair next to her. Celaena said nothing, staring at him in stony silence as he sat down across from her.
He looked around. “Did you already eat?”
“We were waiting for you,” Surelin said.
“Oh,” he replied, reaching out for a pear.
Celaena instantly slapped his hand away from it. “Are you a child?! Mind your manners!”
He withdrew his hand, scowling.
“Now, Celaena. You must forgive his ignorance, for Surelin’s sake,” Edea said softly. “This breakfast is a magnificent event. The unexpected arrival of my granddaughter has lifted all our spirits, and nothing should impede our first meal after reuniting.”
“I apologize, ma’am,” Celaena said humbly.
Edea nodded slowly. “Shall we begin? The poached egg looks superb this morning.”
Surelin turned to Gideon, pointing at the lines of silverware beside his plate. “You start with the small utensils first, then-”
Gideon grabbed the closest fork and knife and stabbed them both into a pile of fried eggs, messily transferring a few to his plate. He cut one of them up and shoveled the pieces into his mouth as everyone looked on.
“Damn, that’s really good,” he grinned through a mouthful of egg.
Surelin rolled her eyes, smiling. Edea and Celaena both frowned at him.
Edea addressed Len as everyone began to pass the crockery around the table, filling their plates with food. “Has the effort to acquire tickets borne fruit?”
“Yes, ma’am. An agent acquired two for us last night. You already knew?”
“Of course.”
Len gave her a knowing smile. “I should have known. The performance is scheduled for this afternoon. I had intended to bring Celaena along, but…”
“She will be needed elsewhere,” Edea finished for him.
Celaena nodded.
“What’s this about a performance?” Surelin asked.
Edea gave her a look filled with concern. “...This may be difficult for you to hear, darling. The Capellas have been forcing Edwin to perform in a play for the last two weeks. The play itself is a slanderous fiction of what occurred in Forelia at the end of the siege.”
Gideon stopped eating and narrowed his eyes at her as she continued. “It is…humiliating, to put it lightly. They’ve coerced Edwin into playing himself.”
Surelin looked shocked, her voice filled with deep sadness. “...I see. Oh, poor Edwin.”
“Indeed. And regarding Edwin, have you made a decision?”
Everyone’s attention was now firmly on Surelin. She looked around apprehensively, briefly scanning their faces until she turned to look back at Edea.
“...Yes, I’ve made my decision. I will take the succession. Though it feels like such a cruel thing to do with Edwin still in captivity, and I doubt my ability.”
Edea looked pleased. “It’s the correct decision, darling. Edwin is a fine boy, but he is not equal to the task before us. You are inexperienced, it is true, but you are also conscientious. The people will be inspired by you.”
Not equal to the task, huh? But Surelin isn’t any better prepared for this than her brother. I don’t trust this old woman any farther than I can throw her.
Gideon grabbed an apple out of one of the fruit crockeries and took an excessively loud bite, causing Edea and Celaena to flinch and glower at him.
Len seemed unperturbed, however. “Gideon, I wonder if you wouldn’t accompany me this afternoon. As a Losoan warrior, your presence may help to shield us from suspicion. And having a fresh set of eyes may prove to be quite beneficial. It's a rather important task.”
Gideon raised an eyebrow and looked at Surelin. She gave him an expectant look.
He shrugged and looked back at Len. “Yeah, sure. So long as it doesn’t interfere with what Surelin and I have got planned.”
An annoyed frown spread across Edea’s face. She stared at Surelin, waiting for an explanation.
Surelin looked uncomfortable. “We’ve made a promise to see a mutual friend this morning, grandmother. That’s all.”
“I see,” Edea said tersely. “Far be it from me to dictate to the queen of Forelia whom she should spend her time with.”
An awkward silence settled over the table. The quiet clinking of silverware was the only noise in the room for several minutes.
It was Len who eventually broke the silence. “I’ve sent people out this morning to begin an investigation into those rabid men you mentioned, your highness,” he said to Surelin.
She nodded, glancing at Gideon. “Thank you, marshal. I just wish we had more information for you.”
“We shall make do,” Len said confidently.
“I wonder if you wouldn’t take the time today to meet a few of our close associates, dear,” Edea said. “Prominent figures whom you should meet at your earliest convenience. Celaena would accompany you to this meeting.”
Surelin studied Edea’s face for a moment. “...You fully expected me to say yes, didn’t you?”
Edea smiled gently. “Darling, I was in the room with your mother when you were born. No one alive knows you better than I do. Of course that’s what I expected.”
Gideon scoffed loudly, drawing an irritated look from Celaena. “Will your appointment this morning take a long while, ma’am?” she asked Surelin. “I could escort you afterwards, if it pleases you.”
“That should be fine,” Surelin replied. “Where will we be going?”
“The southern quarter of the city, ma’am. For security reasons, I can’t elaborate any further than that. We’ll learn the specific location once we arrive in the area.”
Len nodded sagely. “It seems we have a plan of action. Celaena and I can meet you both in the city, from there we will move to accomplish our dual objectives.”
He turned to Surelin. “And tonight, ma’am, I wonder if you couldn’t demonstrate your newfound sword fighting ability to us. I would offer myself as a sparring partner, or perhaps Celaena would be willing.”
Celaena nodded. “It would be my pleasure to serve in that regard. I’m very interested to see what you’ve learned.”
Gideon watched as Surelin looked between the two of them with surprise. “...Yes, I wouldn’t mind that at all. I want to show all three of you what Gideon has taught me.”
Edea looked around the table with a pleased smile. “Something new has been born at this table. Can you sense it? This morning, Forelia has begun to rise from the ashes.”
Everyone returned Edea’s smile with smiles of their own, except for Gideon.
Surelin’s been here for less than a day, and they’ve already pinned all their hopes on her. I don’t understand. Don’t they know what she’s been through? Or do they not care?
He shook his head and looked out the window at the falling snow. What they think doesn’t matter. I can protect her, no matter what she decides to do. The rest will figure itself out in time.
Edea’s proud gaze settled on Gideon, and he returned it when he felt her eyes on him. She said nothing, but even so he could have sworn she was gloating at him. Her expression seemed to say: I won.