“So what do you think, Jess?” Malek queried, ruffling her hair as they finished caring for their mounts, Jess giving her piebald warhorse a double handful of oats and a friendly pat farewell, Mercy nickering contentedly as Jess left the stables.
Jess stretched and smiled, breathing deep of the fragrant spring air, loving the sight of the massive fortress carved into the mountainside. Highrock, most esteemed war academy in all of Erovering, and her home from the moment she had first glimpsed its vast granite walls glowing faintly in the afternoon sunlight, air gently perfumed by the lush green fields full of wildflowers leading up to it, exactly as it was at this moment, what seemed a lifetime ago.
She turned and peered into the warm brown eyes of the youth beside her. Kissing him softly on the cheek before he could blink or protest. Jess laughed as he blushed, then sighed. “I think, beloved brother-in-arms, that the trill of birdsong will soon be replaced by the clash of steel and the screams of men fighting for their lives, just as surely as this beautiful afternoon will be replaced with darkest night.”
Malek's gentle smile turned bleak. "You cut to the heart of it, as always, shieldsister. Hyve's demesne is conveniently close to Highrock, only a day's journey away. We will travel at night, set camp in deepwood at first light, scout it at dusk, then strike at deepest night." Malek frowned. "Strange to think about it, but no matter how far away the bandit sightings are reported, it never seems to take us that long to get there."
Jess nodded as they made their way to the keep proper. "I know what you mean. Sometimes, riding by Eloquin's side, our brothers behind us as we race through the night, it feels almost as if we are flying through a dream." She grinned. "As if those bizarre rumors that swirl about us actually had a grain of truth."
Malek smirked. "The High Hunt indeed. As if Eloquin were a living god of battle, and we his mad merry men. And we will do nothing to dispel those rumors, wild as they are. For the more our enemies fear us, the greater will be their hesitation, allowing us to seize the Vor and crush them utterly."
Jess nodded at mention of one of Eloquin's first lessons. To master your enemies' minds was to win the battle before blood had even been spilled.
She loved Highrock with all her heart, yet for all that she had devoted herself to study of the battlefield, she had never been the most scholarly of students, and so was quite happy for the excuse to cut all her classes for the next couple of days. Not that she saw classrooms as more than a convenient place to catch naps in between sparring sessions, but at least this way her professors were less likely to yell at her.
Jess shuddered for a moment, abruptly forced out of her happy reverie, most definitely not thinking about the shrieks made by men impaled upon charging lance or spear, the coppery stench of blood searing her nostrils, desperate eyes locking upon her own as ragged men sobbed and spasmed their last against her blade.
No. Those awful memories she had long since quenched in the glorious feasts and revels discretely permitted as if they truly were knights on crusade, all matter of savory treats and vices prepared for them in secret luxurious chambers tucked away in the heart of the school. Revels and decadent feasts normally only seen in titillating tales read by noblewomen in their parlors, for Jess and her fellow Squires, they were as real as blood and steel. Rewards for all of Highrock's heroes, returning from dark, savage little missions that would never see the light of day.
And she certainly was not trembling with thoughts of fresh battles to come.
She did her best to ignore her friend's sudden concern, the way his arm wrapped around her so protectively.
Malek didn't understand. She was smiling. Delighting in yet another excuse to smirk at her scowling professors as she and every other Squire cut classes and took their ease. Now that was a thought well worth savoring, and she couldn't wait to meditate within the rooftop garden, her little sanctuary away from the too knowing gazes of more than a few students staring just a bit too long at them even now, before flashing apologetic, frightened smiles and darting quickly away.
Jess frowned, feeling the strange tension present even after they had bathed and changed into their Highrock uniforms alongside their fellow Squires, all of them trickling into the main dining hall and heading to their regular tables, just a few too many furtive glances sent their way.
“Jess, look out!”
But Jess was already moving, weaving back as a shock of red hair and freckles, well-padded and wearing the most sheepish of grins just narrowly missed colliding into her, his soup-laden tray sent flying, the floor a sudden mess of broth, meat, and bread rolls.
“Oh, hi, Jess! I, um, sorry about that. Oh bother, Professor Rens won't be at all happy, I'd best get him another tray right away...”
Jess smiled. “It's quite all right, Abe. Accidents happen, and I see one of the servitors hurrying forward even now.”
Abe swallowed, poleaxed, soft green eyes locking onto her own. “You are so beautiful,” he whispered.
Jess winced.
Abe's face, if possible, turned an even brighter shade of red. “I'm sorry, I mean... um... yeah, you don't need a dress like the other girls, you look just fine in your Highrock uniform, anyone who says otherwise is a jackanapes! And um... please stay safe when you... you know...” Saying not another word, Abe adroitly turned on his heel and darted back the way he had come, more than one snicker sent after him as he performed what was, for Abe, a remarkable feat of dexterity and speed.
Jess turned to her friend. “Don't say a word.”
Malek grinned. “He's not always this clumsy in the classes we share, I promise you. More like a lost puppy than a student, but he can cast a few cantrips, if you give him plenty of time.”
Jess shook her head. “I've never seen him other than when he's a hairsbreadth away from disaster.”
Her friend chuckled. “That's because he's madly in love with you.”
“Gods, Malek, did you have to say it?”
Her shieldbrother's teasing smile only widened. “You know it's true. He has been since the day you saved him from the most fearsome of opponents, exquisitely sharpened blade but inches from cleaving through his skull.”
“It was his own sword! It had slipped out of his hand and was windmilling back down towards his own head. And how he had managed to get a hold of live steel...”
Malek only chuckled. “Your noble feat is no less noteworthy for all of that. Is it not true, after all, that we are our own worst foes?”
Jess smirked. “You can be your own worst foe. I am getting something to eat.”
At which point Jess slid into her accustomed seat at the finest table in the heart of the dining hall, perhaps the grandest of all of them with exquisitely crafted and polished chairs of oak as opposed to benches or stools, informally known as the lords table by those who sat there, and by those who looked on. Jess had simply fancied the table, making a beeline for it her first day at school, and no one had ever contested her seat. Of course, the fact that she was herself of noble blood, as were the students smiling back at her even now, was pure coincidence as far as she was concerned.
“Jess, good to have you with us! How are you and Malek? Your training went well, I take it?”
Jess smiled back at her friend, admiring his soft honey brown locks, gentle gaze, and graceful poise. Elegantly attired in doublet and tights of deepest burgundy contrasted by a brilliant white cotton shirt, he cut an athletic figure, no matter that he fenced only for sport, focused as he was upon mastering the nuances of diplomacy and trade.
The scion of perhaps the wealthiest duke in the kingdom, Raphael diOnni was an excellent ally to have in weathering life's choppy seas. Most importantly, he believed in her, always with an encouraging word when she needed it. To her, that was as precious as gold.
Jess nodded. “Yes, Raph. I froze for a moment, but I did my best to watch my brothers' backs, and I got through the morning with but a single scolding.”
Malek smirked. “Though without her, we'd no doubt have scores more bruises, and I can promise you that Eloquin would be shouting at us no end.”
Raphael nodded at that even as the beautiful girl beside him, gentle eyes rich pools of brown, golden blond hair near the same shade as Jess's own, gazed at Jess with keenest sympathy. Josie de Lakare, who Jess privately thought as talented a healer as any in the college, solemnly filled fresh cups with watered wine before passing it to them, wearing her simple sky blue dress with more elegance and poise than most noble ladies could dream of, no matter how many years of finishing school they had taken.
“So it will soon be time, then.”
Jess said nothing, instead nodding her thanks for the wine before focusing intently upon her soup.
She did so love chicken soup; filling, hearty, and great for soothing the tingle of anxiety she felt coursing through her even now, an anxious dread that would no doubt flare to fierce exhilaration once she embraced sparring that afternoon, as she pounded her fears away to rueful chuckles, scoring points against her friends, just as it had every time before.
“Yes, Josie, it will soon be time,” Malek quietly affirmed.
The young healer nodded, her eyes never leaving Jess's own. “I always worry about you, you know. Promise me you'll be careful, all right, Jess?”
Jess took a deep breath, forcing a smile. “I will do my best, Josie, as always.”
Malek grinned. “Fear not, sweet Josie. I shall take care of my shieldsister, just as you take care of the handsome noble always by your side.”
Josie blushed at that, but her smile was one of adoration as Raphael held her close, kissing her golden curls.
“Fear not on our account, worthy Malek. My precious rose will nurture my heart, just as I will nurture hers, both of us stronger for the other's company.” Raphael winked. “The most profitable alliances, bargaining in the most precious of all commodities.”
“Magic?” Quipped the slender youth seated beside them, his sea blue doublet spotless, for all that his light brown hair was a tousled mess, gazing fondly at his friends.
Raphael's rich laughter washed over them. “No, my dear Alex, love alone is the commodity I trade with my precious Josie, who has already made me the richest of men, for she has turned my heart to gold.” He dipped his head, smiling back at Alex. “we shall leave feats of high magery to you and your own beau, our lovely Jera, though I do not envy you the stare she is favoring us both with.”
Alex's gaze widened, quickly turning to meet the gaze of the petite green eyed beauty sitting by his side, favoring dark green dresses that set off her eyes even as Alex tended to don whatever was on hand. She just as slender as Alex himself was, both of them dedicated to the mages art, and, just by the exasperated gaze she favored him with, his sheepish smile in turn, Jess did not doubt for a second that they were both very much in love.
Besides. There was no way he was responsible for his presently unrumpled and rather attractive appearance. No doubt she had dressed him upon their waking.
“Raphael gets it,” Jera teased. “And if you spent just a bit less time lost in your books, and a bit more time exercising with me in the evening, you might just find that you enjoy swordplay and company both. Then you could wear a gentleman's blade just as elegantly as Raphael does.”
Alex smirked. “Swords are not my forte. I'm almost as clumsy with them as poor Abe. You, on the other hand, come from a family of warriors, for all that neither of us have a warrior's build, so the side-sword comes naturally to you. Besides, it helps you focus your lightning, much like so many wizards use wands to channel their spells.”
Jera grinned. “With a simple wooden hilt and a wooden buckler, a perfectly straight blade does make an excellent wand for channeling lightning. I admit it. But I can still use it to cut and thrust if I find myself in the thick of it.” She flushed and turned away when she caught Malek's bemused gaze.
“Not that I'm any real warrior, not like you two,” she said in a far softer voice, “but I enjoy sparring, and I like to think I'm at least a cut above your typical helpless noblewoman; that I could at least fend off a cutpurse or two.”
Jess flashed her friend a reassuring grin. “No worries, Jera. For a novice, your technique is excellent, and sword and buckler is a style that's been around for more centuries than I can count. It is absolutely perfect for self-defense, and for self-protection in a bad part of town? I think you're more than a match for any rogue or cutpurse, so long as you remember that in a real fight for your life, there are no rules. The moment ne'er-do-wells approach, you don't try to reason with them. You unsheathe your sword before they can close, and strike without hesitation. You attack with fierce earnestness, you let no one flank you, and the moment your closest foe is down and you have distance from his friends, you run for safety and light, yelling your pretty little head off, just as fast as you damn well can.”
Jess blinked, ducking her head from her friends' solemn stares, realizing her voice had gone from playful banter to the hard tone of a commander. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get so... serious.”
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Josie shook her head, golden locks all but shimmering in the light pouring in from the grand stained-glass windows set into the far wall. “No, Jess. There is no reason to apologize. How can you help but take seriously anything to do with the killing arts? Even as we embrace life's sweet possibilities, enjoying an eternal summer of learning and growth, you and Malek stand ever ready to defend us, to defend those in need against the worst depredations of those who delight in cruelty, slavery, everything the gods are against.”
Jera frowned at those words, but did not scold Josie for speaking in her place.
Alex turning to gaze at Josie, giving her a slow nod of respect. “So you understand, then. Few do, even within the mages circle.”
Jess lowered her spoon. “Alex? What are you going on about?”
Malek smirked. “Gods know there are far too many slavers in Erovering, a lesson I only appreciated since we began doing, well, what needed doing this summer, but no one has dared threaten our school, at least not that I know of.”
Alex gazed at Malek with odd intensity, gaze crackling with intelligence his slender frame could barely contain. “You and Jess are in the absolute thick of it. I've hinted at this for quite some time. Do you really not know?”
Jera, who could be as stern as she was beautiful, was looking less than pleased, fingers curling her rich mahogany hair in a warning clear to all. “Alex...”
Alex turned to his beau, voice softer, though no less intense. “They deserve to know, Jera. It's what we were talking about with our peers the other day. The basis for the little expedition we are planning...”
“We're not to talk about it!” Jera snapped. “It's just as secret as Jess and Malek blackening their daggers!”
Jera blushed, Jess and Malek both quickly looking away, Jess doing her best to distract herself, looking at her grinning cat, Twilight smirking at the interplay and not saying a word as he happily lapped the impressive tureen of fish stew a harried looking servant had brought with a smile the minute he had seen Jess seat herself. A tureen pretty much everyone at the table was ignoring, much like the happily munching cat. In other words, lunch as usual.
Raphael's gentle chuckle washed all awkwardness away. “I see that so many of my friends have exciting times just ahead. My heart goes out to each and every one of you. May you all successfully accomplish your objectives, whatever they may be. And when all is said and done, I know Josie and I would love to hear your tales during our next Circle meeting, whatever it is you are able to share.” He lifted his cup with a smile. “To Highrock, and the best band of friends anyone could ask for.”
Everyone smiled and drank, at ease and bantering once more, and Jess did her best to ignore the occasional too knowing looks sent her way once lunch had passed, harried-looking boys and girls darting to their classes as Malek and Jess made their way back to their respective quarters once more.
“What do you think Alex was going on about, anyways?” Jess wondered aloud. “And the way Raphael's eyes widened, I'm sure he knows.”
“Not a clue,” Malek said before weaving out of the way of a panicked-looking boy darting down the stone corridor. “Watch where you're going!” he snapped.
The youth immediately turned around, blanching as he caught Malek's gaze, the hot retort Jess sensed him but a heartbeat away from shouting turning instead to a breathless swallow. “I'm sorry, my lord. Please forgive me.”
“Bloody hells,” Malek grimaced, waving the boy away. “I would trust my fellows with my life, you know that, Jess, but somehow everyone always knows. And the first-years stare at us like we are wild beasts, afraid we'll bite their heads clean off.”
Jess shrugged. “Sometimes I think rumor is its own magic. It lives and breathes, even if no one is around to give it life. Somehow, people just know. As long as they don't know too much. As long as they don't know a single damned detail that can come back to haunt us.”
Malek nodded. “Thank the gods they never do.” Intent eyes gazed into her own. “What did you think of Mord being at practice today?”
Jess winced. “I could have gone the rest of the week quite happily without seeing his smirk. But knowing whose pet he is, I'm not surprised he was there.”
Malek nodded. “At least he's never shy about joining us, unlike most Aspirants. I have to give the bastard credit for that, at least.”
"Oh, he loves these little missions well enough, I suppose. He's a bloodthirsty bastard who just enjoys watching his enemies scream. But any tool for battle, as Eloquin might say."
Malek snorted. “He's a godawful jackanapes, but he has yet to stab us in the back during a mission, and he's damn good with a sword. For that reason alone, Eloquin puts up with him when we blacken our daggers. Still, I'd be happy to wipe that smirk off his face at school, but he laughs in my face whenever I try to challenge him.”
Jess flushed and looked away. “I'm not proud of who I become when the bloodlust is up, Malek. But I won't deny what I am, either. You, you are the same way. But Mord? He revels in it, and never feels a lick of regret, afterwards.”
Jess
Her familiar's surge of warning. Yet Jess still hissed in surprise when she turned the corner before her rooms to find Mord leaning against her door, grinning at her so cockily, sauntering towards her as she stared and fumed.
“And why should either of us feel a lick of regret, my prize? We revel in the chaos and madness of battle, in bringing the curs to heal that would dare to rise against us.” Mord's bemused smile turned dark. Savage. “We revel in their screams and blood as we cut them down to the last man. Without mercy, without remorse. No survivors. Just as your master prefers it.”
Jess scowled. “We hurt no innocents, Mord. You know that. Any captured serfs or freemen we find, we bring to the keep. To heal, to start life anew.”
Mord, dressed in tight fitting doublet and hose of darkest blue, chuckled softly, slowly circling Jess, gazing at her like a prized mare. He completely ignored a coldly glaring Malek, only flashing Jess a mocking smile when she felt the need to turn around, to always meet his dark gaze with her own. “Of course, my dear Jessica. Of course.”
“What do you want, Mord?”
He shrugged and smiled, cold eyes never leaving her own.
“What do I want, Jessica? The same things you do, I suppose. The hot satisfaction of rooting out the vile miscreants that would dare to fester upon our lands. The fierce exultation of raining down my chastisement upon their broken flesh. The rush of running my sword through my enemy's heart, watching their eyes glaze over in death.” His smile was bleak. Chilling.
Jess swallowed and looked away.
“Admit it, Jessica. You love the rush of blood and battle every bit as much as I do. Your heart races for the savage glory to come, whenever our masters cry havoc and unleash us to slaughter all foes."
Jess felt herself flush hotly. “Cease your blather, Mord, and leave me be. I really don't want to have this conversation with you.”
Mocking laughter, fingers lightly brushing her cheek.
"Mord!"
Malek snarled, hands curled into fists. Only a fool would underestimate the strength of a trained Squire. Tightly corded musculature hidden by his attire, the Sousel clan had always possessed a deceptive strength, and Malek was all too easy to underestimate. Yet a few broken bones during their first year at Highrock had made it clear to all that Malek was one student it was best not to cross, even before he had become a Squire, no matter his taste in lovers or friends.
“So this is the girl you would marry, Mord?”
Jess blinked, only in that moment taking in the girl who had seemed to blend so well beside Mord's glaring presence that Jess was only now aware of her. Soft lips pursed in a thoughtful frown as entrancing eyes peered ever so carefully at a suddenly discomfited Jess. Heart shaped features set off by dark hair the exact same shade as Mord's, the girl possessed a striking beauty, no less for her preference of silken doublet and hose that emphasized a body lithe and powerful, that of a fencer or a dancer.
Jess noted the diminutive rapier at the girl's hip, its silvered hilt matching the half moon locket the girl wore. Normally Jess hated light fencing weapons of little use against an armored warrior, yet all too able to take the life of a soldier who fell prey to an arrogant noble's goading, dueling without armor or shield, playing to a rapier's strengths. But upon this girl's hips, the blade only emphasized her athletic grace.
Jess felt her cheeks flush under the other girl's considering gaze, but couldn't pull her eyes away.
“Does my cousin Sable meet with your approval, my sweet?” Mord's arrogant voice, an insignificant buzz.
Sable's lips curved into an approving smile. “She has a harlot's face, a warrior's arms, a mother's hips. You could do worse than her, Mord. Far worse.”
Jess shook her head, not knowing whether to be flattered or offended. “There's a lot more to me than my arms and hips. Perhaps you'd like to make a more careful examination in my quarters?”
Sable blinked at that, momentarily taken aback, before a slow smile caressed her lips.
Jess flushed as soon as the words left her mouth, the girl before her now chuckling throatily. “Oh, I do hope you actually manage to win her, Mord. She might prove quite delightful. A lovely distraction, if I end up forced home once more.”
It was then that Jess heard the soft cry of a baby. Sable's features flashed from anxious worry to cool exasperation in the span of a second. Gentle brows furrowing, she peered down the hallway. “That's what comes of taking pity on your house staff, even if it would have been easier to throw the silly chit in the street. Their burdens become your own.” She shook her head. “Come here at once, Ava.”
“Yes, my lady.” And as fast as the words were said, a young woman hurried over to them, quickly curtsying while holding a baby swaddled in finest fabrics, far beyond what any peasant woman, even a house servant, could normally afford.
Sable tapped her foot impatiently. “Well, let me see the little thing.”
“At once, my lady.” Carefully, Ava rearranged the child's swaddle such that Jess caught sight of the most exquisitely beautiful sleeping face, her cries having faded to soft murmurs once more.
Sable's gaze was tender. "It's important to care for Julia properly, Ava. Feed her, change her, rock her when she sobs. It is most disconcerting when her cries interrupt nobles during their discourse."
Ava blinked, gazing at Sable strangely before bowing her head. “Yes, my lady.”
Sable turned to Jess once more. “My apologies.”
Jess dipped her head. “No worries, Sable, motherhood must always come first.”
Sable blinked at this before chuckling softly. "At least that's one risk neither of us face, should we spend the afternoon in your quarters speaking of all of life's... possibilities."
Jess shivered as Sable leaned in and brushed Jess's ear with her lips. "You could do far worse than Mord, Jess. In fact, he just might surprise you. All you need to do is submit." She stepped back and winked.
Jess smirked, leaning in just as quickly as Sable had, caressing Sable's ear with her own lips. "Your brother is a bloodthirsty toad. I'd far rather find you in my bed than he."
Sable abruptly burst out in laughter, no matter Mord's furious glare. “I think I like her. She has fire, but I saw her eyes when she looked at Ava's... child. Your future babes will need someone tender in their lives, considering how cold the rest of our pathetic family is.”
Jess blinked as Mord's angry glare for her turned to the gentlest of gazes for his sister. Such a look on the face of her nemesis was troubling in the extreme. It made him seem almost human. “You know us all too well, dearest Sable. Jess will make a fine prize.”
Mord turned to a suddenly furious Jess, his cold smile never leaving his face. “Get your precious sleep, my Jess. Two days to rest up and dream of all the ways I will ravish you, after we are baptized in blood once more.”
“The hell I'll let you!” Jess hissed.
Mord's mocking gaze hardened. "It is time for you to stop refusing me during the revels. You know the claim I now have upon you." He smirked. "I know how much you value duty, and what greater duty is there than for a woman to submit to her family's wishes?"
With a final mocking wave he departed, never looking back, though Sable did, clasping the half-moon locket she wore, her solemn gaze locked upon Jess's own.
Malek slammed fist into palm. “Bloody hells. What games are they playing?”
Jess frowned. “You caught it too, then?”
Malek smirked. “What, the way Sable lost her entire veneer of jaded bemusement when gazing at the child? Or how odd it is for her to be coming to Highrock now, during the semester lull, and why is she bringing a wayward servant and her babe along, if it's not really hers?”
Jess nodded. “Or the fact that had Mord been born with softer features, a woman, not a man, the pair would look near identical.”
Malek frowned. “You're right. If they're cousins, the Plaga clan needs fresh blood for sure.”
“Either that, or they're not cousins at all.”
“Damn. And they look to be the same age, or close enough. Are they siblings? Why bother with all this secrecy then? Why is Sable even here? What game are they playing?”
Jess shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine, but you saw the half-moon locket Sable was wearing."
Malek nodded. “What of it?”
Jess felt herself blush. “I've seen Mord wearing an identical one. I suspect normally he keeps it hidden under his doublet, but once when I spied upon him sparring, it dangled free. His opponent clipped it with his stick, and I swear, I thought Mord was going to kill the boy, so fierce was his rage."
Malek blinked. “Now that's interesting. Obviously he values it more than a casual trinket. Perhaps it's a receptacle for resonance magics? Most consider that superstition or folk-magic. Not really within the bounds of the elementalist paradigm.” Malek frowned thoughtfully. “It's conceivable such a thing could exist, however, relying on the magical principals of similarity and contagion. Someone might be able to get it to work, but only if it involved two halves of a whole. Of course that's impossible for people, unless...”
“Unless what? Malek, what are you talking about?”
Brooding eyes met Jess's own. “Do you think it's possible they could be twins?”
Jess shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine. But let's say they are. So what?”
“Well, let's just say... theoretically it's possible they could communicate through those amulets.” Malek chuckled ruefully. “And what we are engaging in here is the most absurd of conjectures. The kind of talk that once got folk burned as witches, in less educated times. We know they are related, and that they wear matching lockets. Odds are it's nothing more than that.”
Jess frowned. “Perhaps.” But she could have sworn she felt a flash of...something, just for an instant, when Sable had been holding her locket so tightly.
Maleks' friendly gaze hardened. "But the locket was not the only thing of note during our friendly little discourse."
Jess flushed and bowed her head, knowing she could never hide anything from her shieldbrother for very long.
A powerful hand gently lifted her chin. Soft brown eyes filled with such protective love gazed upon her own. "Jess, whatever it is, you can tell me."
Jess swallowed, giving a bitter shake of her head. "It's the Plaga clan. They, well, they are pressing suit for my hand.
Malek's concerned gaze turned dark. "Please don't tell me..."
Jess grimaced, squeezing back tears. "My father has not outright refused. To think, they would pair me with that bloodthirsty monster..."
"Bloody hells," Malek hissed. "That's madness! He's been a thorn in your side for years!" He sighed. "If only you could have told your family."
Jess turned away, fists clenched in frustration. "It's not that simple, Malek. Had I breathed a word about how cruel Mord truly is, had I told her how viciously he had attacked me and sought to maim me during the first year bouts, Mother would have delighted in it! It would have been the perfect pretext to pull me out of Highrock and stick me in the finishing school of her choosing. Thousands of hours of grueling training for nothing as I am suddenly forced to wear stifling dresses and primp before jaded men treating me like a third rate pick when I could wipe the floors with them in any training ring in the kingdom!" Jess shook her head. "Only then would Mord's victory, and my mother's, be complete."
Malek wordlessly gathered Jess in his arms, squeezing her tight as she quietly sobbed. "I know, Jess," Malek soothed. "I know. That's why I never castigated you like Josie or Jera did, before they truly understood how deep the game being played against you was." He gently stepped back, gazing into Jess's tear filled eyes. "Your mother loves you, you know. Don't for a moment think she doesn't. It's just that she's one of those women who needs to control all the pieces in the board before her. Sadly, her mind can't help but see you as a delicate maiden in a dress, wishing to treat you as such, no matter that you are one of the deadliest knights on the board."
Jess smirked. "At least Eloquin values me, even if no one else at this bloody school does."
Malek grinned, giving Jess's shoulder a friendly squeeze. “Hardly Eloquin alone, Jess. I know for a fact that the healers are grateful for your gifts with plants, and your fellow Squires love you. Our lives, after all, are in your hands whenever we blacken our daggers. For all that our training and armor would counter most threats, at least a few of us would have no doubt perished, had you not stood by our side. And don't worry. Together, we'll handle Mord. No nightmare marriages for you. Whether serving under the king directly as Squires of War or leaving Highrock to explore the world on our own terms, we're not going to let our families dictate our fates."
Jess nodded wholeheartedly at that sentiment.
Malek winked. "All right, I'm off. Maybe we'll get a chance to spar later. Now go enjoy missing all your classes.”
Jess laughed. “I always do. It's just nice that I can do it with the school's blessing for the next few days, at least. Now go take care of your beau. You know how he gets, when we go on these little missions of ours.”
Malek chuckled softly. "He does get in a mood after our escapades, doesn't he? Oh well, I'd best spend some time with him. He will understand without a word needing to be said."
Jess smiled sympathetically, well aware of how Jacob would carry on for a bit, castigating Malek before finally embracing him, in the end keeping careful vigil to make sure his lover awakened at the appointed time without fail. Jess doubted Malek would see more than a single night's sleep, but knew she could trust him to knock on her door when it was time for them to make their exit.
Jess yawned as her door opened of its own accord, closing behind her with a silent act of will even as she fell into her exquisitely inviting bed of cotton sheets and down-filled pillows, her sleepy thoughts turning to Sable, whose sensual eyes had captivated her, dark pools of secrets and sorrow Jess hungered to explore.