Anastasia had secluded herself in one of the bedrooms. She claimed it was to rest in preparation for the next day, but everyone knew it was due to whatever was written in that letter. Anastasia had yet to share with everyone what the plan really was. All they knew is that it meant the queen would be an adversary.

Lilly arrived a few hours later with the package that Anastasia had requested. She gave it to Charlotte and then bid them good luck and left. Charlotte took the large package to Anastasia’s room and knocked.

“Enter”

“Princess, Lilly brought what you asked for. I have to wonder what was so important.”

“Ha you will see. Open it.”

Charlotte placed it on the table and opened the lid. A smile crept across her face. “Really? We are about to enter a fight with your mother, and this is what you had Lilly get?”

“It is exactly why we need it. If we are going to be fighting on her turf.”

“Princess, it is a pleasure serving you.” Charlotte smiled brightly and lowered the lid.

“Let me know if you still feel that way after tomorrow.” Anastasia sighed heavily.

“About tomorrow… Do you think we can be filled in on the plan? There could be things we can do to prepare.”

“There is no preparation needed. The plan itself is simple. We will challenge my mother's ruling in open court. That will allow me the best access to all victims. Then all you need to do is your normal job.”

“Oh, is that it? I am not sure why Lilly looked so worried then. We will be fine.” Charlotte eye rolled in almost an exaggerated fashion

“You know since this whole thing started you have become much looser in tone with me. I don’t think you have ever questioned me and talked back to me as much as you have as of late. Even mocking me just now. What am I going to do with you?” Anastasia's tone was harsh.

Charlotte immediately stood at attention and bowed. “I am sorry princess, you are correct. I will rectify my tone going forward.”

Anastasia could not help but giggle at Charlotte's reaction. “I see you can dish it out but cannot take it. I was only teasing you. I like this new you. It is like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders. I am finally able to see the real you. I only ever caught small glimpses of her in the past.”

Charlotte released the breath she had not known she was holding. “You are correct princess. I have not had the chance to truly speak to you since it happened but…Liza freed me. I was partly aware of the chains that held me in place. I was stuck between my duty to my family and all my expectations of myself.”

Charlotte continued as she looked down at her hands calloused and rough. The hands of a warrior not the hands of a proper lady she thought.

“Too often I compromised myself to live up to my duty I had to my family. When I was a knight, they pushed me to ignore things I found out about their allies. To pursue frivolous rumors about their enemies. I was a dutiful daughter. I followed through on their requests. I thought it was the least I could do for them. Since I had failed to be the daughter they expected.”

Looking past her hands now to the floor Charlotte shook her head. “It was never enough, there was always one more thing they wanted from me. I think I knew then that they did not care about me anymore. They only saw me as a tool to make their lives easier. I was just too afraid to admit it.”

“That all changed when I met Liza twelve years ago.”

Anastasia flinched at this jarring statement. “I was not aware you had met Liza before now.”

“I did not know it was her at the time, she revealed this to me recently. I came across her case during my duties. Nobles…hurt her and her family. One of those nobles was the son of my father’s business partner. So, like always they asked that I help make sure nothing came from it.”

Charlotte was now crying into her hands. “I could not do it anymore. What those monsters did. I snapped, I screamed at my commanding officer calling him a useless spineless flunky, a knight on paper only. I demanded that he do his job correctly and investigate what really happened. He refused so I ranted and raved to anyone that would listen. That is when he had me removed from my platoon. Then the queen had me moved to your protection detail. You know the rest.”

Anastasia knew there was an incident that caused Charlotte to leave the knights, but she was too young at the time to be told. By the time she was old enough to be curious, too much time had passed so asking felt rude. Charlotte never seemed all that close to her family from what Anastasia could tell. They seemed to be proud of her position protecting a princess but never visited her. It was likely due to this incident. They had given up on her and only saw her as a status symbol, something they could brag about at parties.

“I am glad you found your way to me. I am not sure I could imagine my life without you.”

“Thank you, princess. It means a lot to hear you say that.”

“I know you will not in public, but when we are alone you can call me Anna.”

“I will try princess.”

Anastasia threw one of the pillows from the bed at Charlotte.

Several hours later Charlotte emerged from Anastasia’s room. She joined Finn and Liza around the table.

“How is she?” Finn said, trying to hide his concern.

“Doing surprisingly well considering what we are going to do tomorrow.”

“Oh good, so she finally told you the plan. Let’s hear it.” Finn sat up in his chair.

“Well, she asked that I not say anything to you, only Liza. It sounds like she wants to explain it to you herself.”

“Fine, I am off to the princess’s bedroom. Don’t wait up.”

Charlotte tripped Finn as he was getting up from the table causing him to stumble several steps before catching himself.

“Thank you, Charlotte.”

“My pleasure Liza.”

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“Holy shit now there are two of them now.” Finn made his way to Anastasia’s room and almost barged in but then chose to knock.

“Enter.”

Finn tentatively poked his head inside “Anna, Charlotte said you wanted to see me.”

“Please Finn come in and have a seat.”

Finn pushed the door the rest of the way open and then shut it behind himself before coming to sit next to Anastasia on the bed

“In one of the chairs Finn.” Anastasia's annoyed tone clear.

“But I like this bed, It’s cozy”

Anastasia kept her face firm and pointed to one of the two chairs in the room. Finn could not help himself and went to the opposite chair and sat down.

“Good that is the one I wanted you to sit in anyway.” Anastasia could not keep her face from showing a big toothy grin.

Finn was unable to form a comeback so waited for Anastasia to start talking

“Finn, you have helped me a lot over the last seven days. I want to trust you. While you may act like a clown that does not care what comes out of his mouth. I have faith in you that you would not lie to me when it counts.”

“I do believe one could say that.” Finn raised one eyebrow as if he was thinking it over

“FINN!” Anastasia spoke to him like she rarely did. Like she was the next queen.

“No Anna, I would not lie to you.” Finn responded with rare sincerity

Anastasia steeled herself and moved forward with her questions. “Then tell me Finn. Who are you?”

“I am Finn the mercenary slash adventurer. I am captain of mercenary group Nemesis”

“You know that is not what I want to know. I am giving you the chance to answer in a way that you find most comfortable. Please don’t make this a confrontation.” Anastasia tried to keep her tone one of authority but not one of dominance.

“What more can I say? I am now but a simple mercenary nothing more.”

Anastasia was frustrated by his dodging answers and knew she had to ask more pointed questions. There was one that burned in her mind that she needed to know but was too afraid to ask. So, she asked something else instead. “Rember, you chose to do it this way…Who is Lilly to you?”

“A pain in the ass. Have I told you I fucking hate spies?”

“So, you are aware she is one of my mother’s Shadows?”

“Careful Anna, ain’t that supposed to be a secret.” Finn said with a cock of his head.

“You did not answer the question.”

“Then the answer is yes. You just told me she was a shadow.”

“You really want to keep playing this game. Does it not tire you out?” Anastasia could not help but sigh.

“What? You’re not having fun with this?”

“No, I am tired…” Anastasia wanted to get to the heart of this issue and the question she most wanted to ask came to her again. She was still too scared to ask it. Again, she moved to another question she had.

“Who is my mother to you?”

“The queen.” Finn lost a little of his pep answering that question.

“Finn, please don’t make this harder than it needs to be. I need you, but I also need to know I can really trust you.” Anastasia's voice lost all authority and merely became pleading.

Finn rose from his chair and knelt beside Anastasia taking her hand.

“None of these questions matter for trust. Make me swear any vow or oath you wish.”

“What does that matter if I cannot trust the one making it.” Anastasia shook her head, taking her hand away.

“Anna, I would do anything for you. If you asked me, I would die for you. That must be enough.” Finn’s voice sounded pained.

“Why would you be willing to do that? I have known you for a week. So, I ask you again who is my mother to you?”

“I am not pledging myself to your mother. I am pledging myself to you. So, what does it matter who she is to me?” Finn reached for Anastasia’s hand again.

“It matters because according to this letter you changed my mother’s entire life. So, explain to me why my sister, who to the best of my knowledge has never met you, knows more about you then I do.”

Anastasia pulled her hand back and shoved into Finn's hands the leader from her sister Tashanna.

Finn began reading the letter, his face locked in a confused look as he shook his head.

“Don’t believe this. She cannot pretend she has a heart now that is BULLSHIT!”

Anastasia shuttered at Finn’s rage. She could see he was processing a lot at the moment, so she gave him a second to go through it in his mind.

“I don’t believe these lies for a second. Your mother is playing some game. She always is. She is the queen, the head noble. She is the worst of them all. She uses people and spits them out. She lets the guilty go free, while killing the innocent. She tears families apart all to keep her precious throne safe. She cares nothing for you or anyone. She is just waiting until you have outlived your usefulness so she can cast you aside.”

Finn's words had become little more than ramblings, his eyes darting back and forth, as he vented his pain and hate for the queen.

Anastasia slid to the floor and embraced Finn. He did not seem to notice at first. He continued to mumble things about the queen. When he finally noticed Anastasia and shoved her away.

“I will be fine. I don’t need your pity.” Finn snapped at Anastasia. His tone angry and bitter.

“So, is this who you really are? This angry hate filled man I see before me.” Anastasia spoke, trying to push Finn into a reaction.

“Don’t speak as if you know me.” Anastasia pounced as she was a lioness.

“Then take the opportunity I am offering you to explain to me who you are!”

This comment brought Finn back. He laughed at himself for walking into such a trap. At the same time he was proud of Anastasia for setting it so well.

“Fine, I will tell you who I am, and how I know your mother. But let’s get off the floor first.”

Anastasia smiled and rose to her feet offering a hand to Finn. He accepted her assistance and stood up next to her. He moved toward the chair he had been in, but Anastasia pulled him back and had him sit next to her on the bed. Finn settled in and took a deep breath.

“Take your time we have all night.”

With a chuckle Finn responded. “Don’t worry it is not that long of a story.”

Taking another deep breath Finn began.

“I was born a noble of Galand. My mother died when I was very young. I never had a chance to know her. My father was a high ranking noble, so his work kept him busy. I was mostly raised by the maids. I met the person who would become my best friend when I was 7. I spent almost every day with her until I turned 11. I loved her like family.”

These words stuck in Anastasia's mind. Her own question she was too afraid to ask ringing in her ears. She pushed all of that away wanting to focus on what Finn was telling her.

Finn had stopped for a second clenching his jaw trying to keep his anger in check so he could finish his story without overreacting.

“That is when my father and I were betrayed by your mother. My father was falsely accused of crimes against the crown. Your mother knew he was not guilty, but she had him executed anyway. She then had me exiled. Never again being able to see my best friend, the only real family I had left. I then went to live with a man I was told was my uncle, but he was never anything more than an instructor to me. He is the one that trained me to fight the way I can.”

Anastasia did her best to remain neutral during Finn’s story. She knew that she was not able to hide her disbelief from him. She could feel her face telling Finn that she did not believe him, that her mother would never do what Finn claims she did.

Finn looked at Anastasia and shook his head. His face tells of his frustration.

“Thank you for sharing that with me, Finn.” Anastasia gripped Finn’s hand.

“So, you believe me?” Finn said with a hint of surprise in his voice.

“You finally did what I asked you to do. To be honest, it is hard for me to imagine my mother doing the things you say.”

Anastasia pulled Finn’s hand to her chest squeezing it tightly. “You would not lie to me. Looking at you now and hearing your story… I know I can trust you.”

Finn huffed out a small laugh, his lips curling slightly. “Now that you know my secret, will you let me fight for you? If it is against your mother like you said earlier, I am all for it.”

“Finn, my mother may be our adversary for the fight, but she is not our enemy. The plan will include saving her too.”

“If it is your plan, I will see it done.”

“Thank the gods because the plan really does not work without you.” Anastasia said with a strained laugh