In the tavern business, there was an important rule. Those who came in after the night watch’s bell had to be carefully studied. Shifty-eyed or already-drunk patrons were likely to loiter, while adrenaline junkies or the insomniacs would stay all night, delaying until daybreak.

Staring at the young woman, drowning her tenth jug of ale, the barkeeper could not determine which category she fell into. At first, he had thought her a man with her dark cloak and pants. It was only after she tossed her hood back, revealing her wild mane of hair, that he realized that they were a young woman.

The patroness had come alone and wanted no company. A young man had approached with a charming smile only to receive a vicious glare. Those nearby had gasped at the speed in which the young woman brandished her concealed dagger.

The bar keeper had reached for the wooden club he hid under his table. Although no practiced fighter, he could hold his own if things turned ugly. The last thing he needed was a fight. They were a surprisingly peaceful establishment.

It would also bring the guards knocking at his doors. City guards, once a sign of hope and justice, were now regarded with weariness and suspicion. Under the loose reign of those currently in power, the guards were greedy and always took, more like stole, extra coins for checking in on anything. Thankfully, the young man understood. He quickly stumbled away at the sight of a blade.

The bar keeper sighed. Anger but not weariness of men? He was the father of four daughters. The man knew the signs.

“This one’s on the house, young lady.”

Faye blinked at the bar keeper. The man shot her a pitying look. “There’s plenty of other fish in the lake, girl. Forget him and move on.”

Despite her confusion, she was never one to pass up a free drink. Faye took the offered jug and added it to her pile. “Thanks,” she muttered, not drunk enough to feign friendliness.

The bartender drifted away. He sighed under his breath as he went to attend to the other patrons. There were too many dishonest young men in this generation, he thought. But which one had broken the maiden’s heart, he wondered.

Groaning, Faye dug the palms of her hands into her eyeballs. Maybe if she pushed hard enough, she could will her troubles and the headache away.

When another fool tapped her shoulder, Faye’s hand shot out, with all the intention of dealing out a not-so-friendly warning. Part of her was itching for a fight. The adrenaline would allow her to forget, if only for a short time.

But to her surprise, the fist struck air. There weren’t many who were fast enough to dodge her.

Faye squinted balefully at the one who swiftly took a seat next to her. Amber eyes narrowed as they met the other’s knowing smile.

The young woman, only a few years older than the Raven General, gracefully perched on her stool. She swept her purple hood back, revealing a tattooed forehead and lilac eyes. Silver ringlets shaped like the crescents swung from her gray hair.

The surprise quickly soured. Faye’s lips pursed.

“Am I hallucinating or are you really here, cousin?” groused the Raven General. She even swatted at the other for good measure. She didn’t think she was that drunk…

The other woman dodged easily.

Celinis, the young woman, poked at Faye’s head playfully. Her voice was soft like the summer wind. “What do you think? Has time in these demon lands really dulled your senses?” She nodded at the line of jugs. “This used to be nothing for you.”

Faye rolled her eyes. “Wow, you really are here. Pity.”

The other woman leaned closer, eyes narrowing to study the younger. “Here I thought you would be more excited to see me. How unfilial of you.”

“The last we crossed paths, you poisoned me,” the Raven General’s glare was downright murderous.

“Please do not exaggerate, cousin! People will misunderstand.” She grinned, “It is not as if you were in any danger!” Celinis laughed knowingly. “I knew you could take it!”

“It took weeks for my fever to break,” grunted Faye. “I missed campaigns because of it. My father almost put a bounty on your head for that.”

“Nonsense, you were in no true danger,” Celinis smiled softly like she wasn’t one of the greatest poison masters in the grasslands with a conscience that made even Faye uneasy. When it came to her craft, the poison master had an extremely loose set of morals. It was what made her knowledge so vast and valued. The young woman pulled Faye in for a hug. “Come now. Don’t be sour and give your big cousin a hug.”

Faye rolled her eyes but allowed the other to embrace her. She even patted the other woman on the back. “I will admit it is nice to see a familiar face. And no, Celi, I will not try out your newest concoction.”

Some of the cheer faded from the poison master’s eyes. “Very well,” she sighed.

Faye suddenly eyed her cups suspiciously. “Or have you already added it?”

“No, I did not get a chance to,” admitted her cousin. “Truthfully, I was not expecting to see you here. Also, these bastards would probably freak if one of them really did keel over.”

Faye snorted at that, even though she knew the other wasn’t jesting. It was slightly unnerving how Celinis spoke of murder with such a sweet and melodious voice.

When in the middle of research, Celinis had a bad habit of testing on innocent victims. With a stronger constitution than most, Faye had been her unfortunate victim when they were younger. However, for all her flaws, Celinis was quite protective over those she considered her own. Even as a child, Faye trusted the older to always heal her back into shape. Despite her fascination with it, Celinis was no sadist. When she could, she ingested many of her own creations. The young woman’s gray hair was a natural effect of self-testing.

Pushing her drink to Celinis, just in case, Faye asked, “What brings you to this side of the wall, cousin?”

Sighing, the ringlets jingled as Celinis pouted and leaned her face against her elbows. “What else?” Unless ordered to by the Wolf, the poison master would never stray from her tent in the grasslands, happy to experiment with different substances till the end of her days.

“Here I thought Uncle was trying to marry you off like I was” teased Faye. At the thought of her own marriage and specifically her husband, some of the mirth faded from her eyes.

Celinis sighed, “I’m afraid step-father doesn’t care for me half as much as he does you, dear baby cousin.” The poison master was the fearsome general’s adopted daughter. Despite her words, the Wolf rarely let the young woman stray far from his camp. There was only one reason why the poison master would travel so far.

Faye sniffed, “So, you’re still going to see that-“

“Watch your words,” warned Celinis cheerfully. “She’s still my mother. Yes, adopted. But still, if you say anything bad against her, I’ll be forced to act.”

But Faye was undeterred. “So you and Ismelyda are on talking terms now?”

“No,” admitted the other. “But step-father doesn’t trust anyone else.” She gestured to herself grandly. “So here I am.”

Faye grunted. Every few moons, the Wolf would send Celinis to give updates to his ex-lover in the Eburean dungeons. Furious that it wasn’t the Wolf himself, the assassin refused to speak to the poison master. After delivering her message, Celinis would sneak out of the dungeons and back over the wall. A few moons later, the cycle would repeat.

Truthfully, Faye wondered if it was some psychotic pleasure the three shared, but she respected her uncle and cousin too much to question their decision in the matter.

“Enough about me,” said Celinis, sneaking a sip of Faye’s drink. “What has you in such a mood? I heard you married a prince!”

“I merely wanted a drink.” Faye shrugged, “It is nothing.”

“I’ve known you since you were in the crib, cousin,” Celinis’ smile was dangerous. “I know you better than that.”

The Raven General grumbled into her cups. As much as she appreciated her good cousin’s concern, any information she revealed would find its way back to her Uncle. And when it came to a certain ice prince, Faye was sure the Wolf would only be too happy to learn anything useful. She shuddered at the thought. Faye was not going to provide him with the satisfaction of rubbing her troubled marriage in her face.

“Actually,” Faye turned to her cousin, a glint in her eye. “Have you heard of any snake flower powder being sold to foreigners?”

Celinis’ brows furrowed as she thought about the question. “Nothing particular. Obviously, we have been using it, but foreigners?”

Easily dissolved and hard to trace, snake flower powder was a highly coveted and unique. Those who had never encountered it would find it nearly impossible to identify. One of the reasons it was so effective was because it was not something that could be kept very long. In fact, the longer the freshly ground powder had contact with air, the less potent the poison would be. It was only purchased to be used immediately. That was why Wenge kept such a tight hold over its distribution. They cataloged the buyers carefully but there was safety in the knowledge that the poison had to be used within a short time.

“Actually, now that you mention it,” Celinis hummed thoughtfully. “A certain group does come to mind.”

Faye beckoned the bartender over. “Let me buy you an actual drink, cousin.” As she slid over the jug of ale, the Raven General leaned forward, eyes glittering dangerously. “Tell me everything you know.”

—

“This was nice,” determined Faye as she stumbled out of the bar, following Celinis’ lead.

The poison master was still walking straight and shot an incredulous look at the Raven General who could barely walk straight. For all her accolades, Faye had an oversimplified method to deal with her troubles, hack at it, and if that was unavailable, she would drink her sorrows away.

Celinis sighed. She dug into her pockets and pulled out a vial. “Take this,” she pressed the vial into her cousin’s hands. “This will help with the headaches.”

Faye eyed the vial suspiciously. Then, the young woman broke into a large smile. Taking another step forward, she stumbled and fell into her cousin’s arms. “Celi, I did something bad.”

Brushing hair out of her face, Celinis hummed, “You’re always getting into trouble. What could be so bad this time?”

“I think I fell in love,” mumbled the drunk general.

That got Celinis’ attention. She stared at the younger in amazement. “Well that’s wonderful, baby cousin.” She smiled, “I’ve always said you needed a companion. And that lousy lieutenant of yours doesn’t count.”

“Livye is a good man,” countered Faye, always quick to defend her own.

“Yes,” appeased the poison master. “But he and the rest of your men, see you as some god to follow. They’ll do whatever you ask.” She smirked, “I know you like a challenge. Someone who… sees you. As Faye.” It was a drunken admission the younger had made when the Raven General was more myth than legend.

“And blue eyes,” burped the Raven General. “And a stupid face that doesn’t smile.”

That was oddly specific. Although she had no idea how the younger would have met someone while trapped in a political marriage… the poison master was quite happy at the news. Celinis had always thought her cousin was over-exaggerated by many, whether in fear or awe.

“He’s beautiful,” sighed her cousin. The fearsome general had hearts in her eyes. “Like a painting! The best-looking man, no, person I’ve ever seen!” She wagged a finger at Celinis. “But you can’t have him!”

After a brief moment to filter the shock, the poison master patted Faye’s shoulder. “You really are in deep. Where did you find the time to meet this poor bastard anyway?”

“He’s not poor,” sniffed Faye, like it was a significant detail. “He’s a lord!”

“Not the poor I meant,” corrected the older. At the other’s confused look, she laughed, “My dear baby cousin, you used to bite me for looking at your rag wolf.”

“So?” Faye tilted her head, not following.

“With you as a lover, the poor fellow will have to wear a hood when he goes out! You’re as territorial as your father sometimes,” said the poison master. Her words weren’t entirely true, unlike the Wenge Chief, the Raven General had quite the self-sacrificing streak.

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Faye grumbled.

“What was that?” The poison master strained her ears to hear the Raven General’s words.

“He’s in love with another,” muttered Faye.

“So?” Celinis was much more proficient in dealing with love and matters of the heart than her war-mongering cousin. “Time can easily fix that, and I can lend you some of these.” She flashed the rows of glittering vials and droughts lining the insides of her cloak.

Faye grimaced, “I have orders to kill him.”

Celinis blinked. That would be an issue. “I see.”

The two had arrived at a fork in the road. The streets were desserted. If they were any two other young women, they would be wary of walking such places alone at such an hour.

“Well, this is where I leave you,” Celinis flicked Faye on the forehead. “Take care, Raven General.”

Rubbing the spot, Faye scowled, “Thank you.”

“And if you want my advice.” The poison master leaned close, words barely louder than a whisper. “Be selfish, baby cousin.” Celinis pulled the other close and pressed their foreheads together. She closed her eyes. She slipped easily into their native tongue. “You saved us, Raven General. Despite what my step-father may say, Wenge will follow you.” She paused, a protective edge to her voice. “I only hope that he is worthy of you.”

Faye closed her eyes, a wave of exhaustion washing over her. “I have my duties.”

”You deserve happiness, cousin. It is what your mother would have wanted,” insisted Celinis, not unkindly. The elder pulled away and returned back to Eburean’s common tongue. “Fadye’s will be damned.”

Faye’s lips pursed, but she did not reprimand the other for her treasonous words.

“But be careful this love does not ruin you,” warned the elder. Love could blind even the wisest, and she did not wish for Faye to be hurt by something her sword would not defend her from.

Celinis always knew more than she let on. Faye looked away. “I will try, cousin.”

“That is all I ask.” Having imparted her invaluable wisdom, the poison master waved lazily. Heading into the dark alleyway away, she walked towards the royal dungeons and a not-so-touching family reunion. “Until next time, baby cousin!”

Amber eyes watched her disappear into the shadows.

“Be selfish,” Faye muttered to herself. “If only it were that simple.”

—

True to the poison master’s words, the vial did help with Faye’s headache… and balance. Still, she stumbled back to the Prince’s Residence and scaled the walls so that she wouldn’t have to deal with the guards.

Thankfully, no one was present when she miscalculated the distance of her first jump.

The mighty Raven General landed on her rear end so hard even the passing squirrel stopped to look. Faye scowled at the rodent. If Mouse was around, the raven would make a quick meal out of the judgy creature. Unfortunately, the raven was nowhere in sight.

Faye had sat there for a few minutes, stunned at her own lack of coordination. In the grasslands, she was always on guard. Even if there were no battles, she never let herself become so disoriented, aware of the target her name brought her.

Faye had let her anger cloud her judgement. She wished to blame the emotion, but in truth, it was the relatively peaceful life she had been living that had left her comfortable enough to drink to this point. What was this place doing to her, she thought, mortified. Blue eyes and entwined hands flashed in her mind. Her cheeks warmed. A warm hand that was unafraid to hold her scarred ones.

She realized, with growing horror, it was not this place… but a person.

No one had to know that it took Faye four attempts to scale the walls… except for the guards on the inside.

The two, loyal to Feldgrau, winced at each groan and curse that came from the intruder trying to scale their defenses. It was only the familiar voice that stopped them from ringing the bell and calling for reinforcements.

When the general finally landed on the inside and saw two, they all mutually agreed to never say a word. Faye’s drunk dagger swinging might have done most of the talking, but a deal was made.

Faye headed for her own quarters. Sure, Abby had mentioned something of couples and staying together for the festival but the young woman was quite certain Nikolai would not be as excited as the old maid to see her in the middle of his room. The thought had her pause. Actually, she wondered, what would be the Lord of Feldgrau’s reaction? An amused snort escaped her.

She blamed the alcohol as her feet turned towards the other end of the residence. Faye murmured, “It’s only to make sure he made it back in one piece.” The fight with Prince Argan and the following scolding by the minister was surely taxing. She hiccuped, “Yes, that’s exactly why!” She lowered her voice, pretending to mimic Nikolai’s clipped speech, “Why, dear wife, thank you for checking on me! Well, Faye, you are quite the genius, aren’t you? You’re such a great fighter! I’ll get you all the dresses you want.”

The night guard, having grown accustomed to the weird sights that tend to come about during their shifts, politely kept to themselves as the Raven General babbled away to herself.

It wasn’t all too long before Faye found herself right outside the ice prince’s window.

“And isn’t that romantic.” She yawned loudly, stretching her arms up. “Too bad that darkly cloaked fellow beat me to it.”

The young woman blinked. Something was wrong with that sentence.

Before her, a figure dressed in dark was currently pushing open the lord’s window. From his lithe and smaller frame, it was neither Darcy nor Cristin. Also, both men would never be crawling through windows. Probably.

“That’s so unfair, I want to climb through the windows.” Faye hiccuped, “But that’s a nice set of blades he’s got.” Her eyes followed as the figure drew his dual blades and crept into the room.

“Oh, that’s definitely an assassin.” At her own words, Faye stilled. A sudden clarity washed over her. The Raven General tilted her head. She cursed.

“That is definitely an assassin.”

—

Nikolai looked around in confusion. Why was he at the castle? The Lord of Feldgrau took a step forward and almost stumbled. He looked down. His legs were a lot shorter.

The ice prince glanced over at the mirror. Nikolai recognized the engravings but could not place them. Taking a step forward, his eyes widened. Nikolai’s younger self stared back.

“Niko!” called a voice.

Nikolai felt the hairs on the back of his neck raise. That voice… It was one he had not heard in years.

“Mother!” his young voice chirped. Nikolai turned to face his mother, the former queen. His short limbs ran for her and embraced her tightly. “I have missed you,” the older Nikolai admitted.

She was exactly as he remembered, graceful and elegant. Blue eyes crinkled in fondness. The woman’s slight frown lessened at the sight of her youngest. “You should not be here,” she scolded lightly.

Nikolai felt a cheeky smile raise to his lips. “Why not?” he pouted.

It was all coming to him now. They were in the queen’s chambers. A sudden apprehension had him tensing, but a fogginess kept him from connecting the dot. What was this unsettling feeling, he wondered.

Outside, the sun was bright and there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky.

Suddenly, the queen’s eyes narrowed. Nikolai gasped as his mother dragged him towards her closet. Her grip was tight, leaving bruises on his pale skin. “Hurry, Niko,” she hissed. “Don’t come out unless I tell you, okay? You cannot let them know you were here!”

The words were like a slap to the face. And the memories came flowing back. His mother was currently under a self-imposed house arrest. None were to see her, not even her own children. Desperate to visit, Nikolai had snuck in. But something had happened during that visit.

Even young Nikolai had heard the desperate edge to his mother’s tone and had not argued. The closet doors slammed closed and he was rooted in place, silent.

With a sudden clarity that came with dreams, for that was what this was he realized, Nikolai felt a dawning fear come upon him. This was not a mere dream, but a memory.

He struggled to fight for control, to warn his mother of what was to come, but his young self was rooted in place. To his frustration, his body was not his to control.

Hearing angry voices, young Nikolai stepped close to the closet doors. Curious blue eyes peered out of the small crevices. He squinted and frowned. It was Rewanna. And his mother was arguing with the consort.

The ice prince’s little fists clenched, but he heeded his mother’s words and stayed put.

The two women spoke angrily to one another, but Nikolai could not make out clearly what they were saying. He pressed his ears to the crevices.

“Are you threatening me, consort?” His mother’s voice was detached and cold. It terrified him. He had never heard her speak in such a tone.

“Please, you refuse to leave your rooms and the King refuses to see you.” Rewanna’s laugh was grating to his ears. “I am already pregnant again. The entire kingdom can tell that you are only a figurehead.” She lowered her voice and the words were lost to the prince.

Nikolai strained to hear. His body pressed so tightly against the door, that part of him feared he might push it open and reveal his eavesdropping.

“You will never be queen so long as I am around,” his mother’s voice dropped into a menacing growl. “Your children will never sit on the throne, you greedy slut.”

“Oh but they will.” Rewanna’s smile was deadly. “One day, you’ll realize how wrong you were to underestimate me.”

“Over my dead body,” snarled the queen, eyes flashing. “What do you want?”

“You gone.” Rewanna smiled falsely. “Take some coin, leave, and never come back. Die in a ditch or raise another family, I do not care. Just never step foot back into this kingdom, unless you wish to face death.”

Nikolai’s mother laughed, “What makes you think I would do that?”

There was silence. Nikolai hurried to peek out of the crevice. He could not see what the consort handed to the queen, but it was enough to startle a shocked gasp out of his mother. Nikolai’s small mouth pursed.

“This will make the entire kingdom question your son’s legitimacy,” crowed the consort. “You’ll most certainly be exiled, and in the best-case scenario, they may just send your precious bastards to-“

SLAP!

“My sons are true born, I was loyal to my husband,” the queen’s voice was deathly quiet, trembling with rage. “These are slanderous accusations!”

“Well, we can certainly test it in front of the court,” jeered the consort to the queen. “Especially with the tragedy of the Feldgrau family, your blood holds no seats in the King’s court. Can you win if it comes to a vote?”

The queen was silent for a long time.

Nikolai’s heart thundered.

“If I leave, how do I know you won’t hurt the crown prince and second prince?” His mother’s voice was resigned. “You could send assassins after them when I leave.”

“True, I might.” Rewanna only laughed, confident in her victory. Even the consort could tell she had won. “If you value their lives, perhaps you should take them with you as well.”

“People would only think the lies true then,” snapped the queen. “And you could still send assassins after we leave the capital’s protection.”

Rewanna’s snide voice chided, “Do you have a choice, queen mother? You can only trust in my goodwill.” The consort’s voice was filled with glee.

Nikolai pushed open the closet door, unable to bear it. Immediately, his mother’s eyes cut to meet his. With her back turned, Rewanna had not heard the noise, relishing in her power over the queen.

“I win, Iliana,” snarled Rewanna, taking a menacing step forward. The two stood on the terrace overlooking the kingdom. “I will be queen, and you and your filthy children will be nothing. And there’s nothing you can do, Your Highness.”

But Iliana’s gaze was reserved for Nikolai. Even as she grasped Rewanna close to her, causing the consort to stumble, his mother stared at him. She pulled the consort by her collar, causing the other woman to squeak. The consort squeaked in fear, bravado lost as she whimpered in fear. Iliana’s fingers squeezed Rewanna’s neck, nails almost sharp enough to draw blood.

“Look away,” his mother mouthed.

The older Nikolai wished he could once again control his own body, but his eyes closed against his will.

“Over my dead body,” he heard his mother say.

And then there was a furious scream. Rewanna’s. Then came the sound of crashing and even more screams from below the terrace as servants rushed to the scene.

When Nikolai’s blue eyes flashed open, it was to the sight of the consort standing alone on the terrace. Even from his place, the prince could hear the cries and terrified sobs as people called the former queen’s name.

“No,” he gasped. His mother…

In his shock, the prince accidentally stumbled back into the closet.

Just in time as the doors to the chambers and guards and maids spilled into the room.

Nikolai gasped, and suddenly the scene changed.

In an empty room, it was once again just Nikolai and his mother.

Suddenly, he was looking down at her, no longer his younger self. He kept his eyes down, unable to look at her. He noticed the dirt and blood on her shoes.

His voice cracked, “Mother, I’m sorry.”

But to his surprise, his mother only strode forward and wrapped her arms around him. “My dear boy, I never blamed you.” She grasped his face, studying it with tears in her eyes. Her face was bruised and bloodied, just as he remembered from the funeral. “But you are in danger. You must leave.”

“No, I wish to stay,” he murmured. “I will not abandon you again.”

“You cannot. You have a duty.” The grip on his face tightened. “Your promise, Nikolai! Don’t forget it!” His mother’s tears streamed down her face. Her voice was frantic with worry and fear. “Where is your brother, my child? Why is Malakai not with you? You swore that you would protect one another and the realm!”

His nose filled with the smell of burning wood. A sudden heat wave had Nikolai hissing. When he glanced out at the terrace, their beautiful kingdom was embroiled in flames and soldiers fought in the streets. Blood and tears filled the streets. Ash rained down in a sea of orange, red, and grey.

“Mother, what has happened?” Nikolai glanced back worriedly at the ghost.

His mother’s face twisted into an ugly frown as she pushed him back. He grunted. Pain erupted into his backside where the stone dug into his flesh. “Wake. Up!”

There was the sound of clashing metal from below as the battles continued. The noise rang in his ear as his mother came forward… and pushed him off the terrace. “Remember your vow, Niko.” Blue eyes which mirrored his own bore into him as he fell.

Nikolai’s eyes widened.

“How can you sleep through this?” shrieked a voice. But Nikolai could not tell where it came from. “You are in danger! Wake up!”

He tumbled back and fell through the air. Pure instinct had him gasping for air, hoping to grab anything that might allow him to save himself, but the effort was in vain. He closed his eyes, bracing himself for the inevitable.

Maybe he deserved this.

—

Blue eyes snapped open. The ice prince gasped awake.

Above him, a blade was held right above his heart. It was a sword he recognized. A blade he had seen being carried around, and chopping down his greenery for the better part of his marriage.

Danger, his body warned. Run.

Amber eyes glinted dangerously.

“I know who you are,” growled Faye. Her cheeks were flushed and he could see the fury burning in her eyes. “Enough games.”

She flicked her wrist and lifted the blade.

Nikolai could not move.

“This ends now.”

The longsword swung, aiming for his heart.