Tolomon shook his head, looking down. “You don’t know… what I’ve done…. What I’ve let happen.”

Nathaniel nodded, looking grim. “You hide your burdens well, but even you should know you can’t keep holding them forever.”

Tolomon studied the dungeon door, and Indenuel almost forgot Martin was standing guard, but Tolomon of course never would. His sigh was shaky before he took Rosa and Nathaniel’s elbows and led them toward the corner farthest from the door. Tolomon hesitated again. “Rosa,” he started out, finally looking at her. “If I…” He swallowed, again looking at the door before looking back at her, the volume of his voice dropping until Nathaniel and Rosa both had to lean forward to hear. “If I did to you what… what I’ve wanted to do to you for years now, right here, on the floor of the dungeon, regardless of…” Tolomon started to point to Nathaniel but hesitated and instead pointed to Indenuel before running his hand through his hair again. “Reynaldo will find out, because I wouldn’t be able to stop. A Graduate of the common class will come and kill you, and he would do it so methodically he would make it look like an accident. In a way you yourself will think it’s an accident. All this so you would never tell Ana that you were murdered.” Rosa gasped, covering her mouth. Nathaniel’s brows furrowed, looking confused and troubled. “It’s what the Graduate program is for the common class.” Tolomon ventured a glance at Nathaniel before he looked away. “We are assassins. We kill people and make it look like an accident. Not just women who other Graduates love but… but whatever assignments the High Elders give us.”

“Have… have you-” Nathaniel started.

“I haven’t killed anyone like that. My final test in Krivono, when I came to rescue you, it was supposed to kill me because I asked too many questions about the other assignment I was supposed to do. If you acted like any other nobleman in that situation, I would have been left for dead. Instead, I survived.” He looked away, his arm against the wall as Nathaniel stared, his mouth slightly open. “And because I survived, they gave me my Graduate titles in exchange for none of those kinds of missions. But… but I know they still happen to the other Graduates of my class and I…”

“You look the other way,” Nathaniel said.

It was then that tears tumbled down Tolomon’s cheeks. He leaned his head against the wall and let out a shuddering breath. “I had to. They would have slaughtered Vi and her family if I so much as hinted it to anyone.”

“Does my father know?” Nathaniel asked even more quietly.

“Yes. He does.”

Nathaniel winced. “He does?”

“Yes. I didn’t think he did either. But… but he admitted to Indenuel a couple months ago that many of the assignments are to kill the women and children who were victims of the Warrior project. If they found out the High Elders were the ones that slept with them. So, yes, Martin knows.”

Nathaniel’s face crumpled in a pain he never showed while getting healed from twenty-five lashings. “No,” he moaned. “No, no.” He braced himself against the bars of the window, covering his face. “Oh God, no.”

Rosa still had her mouth covered, tears streaming down her cheeks. She reached out to touch Tolomon, but he moved his shoulder away from her outstretched hand. “I will not let you touch me. I’m not putting you in danger.”

She dropped her hand, staring at Tolomon. “We’re going to stop it.”

“How?” Tolomon asked. Rosa frowned, trying to think. “Look at what happened to us. You saw what they can do. They whipped us because I swore at High Elder Navir. He broke us, forced us to his will. He had Nathaniel whipped in front of his own damn father, and Martin could do nothing about it. They are too strong. Too powerful.”

“This has to stop,” Nathaniel said quietly from the window. “I cannot let this continue. If it will cost me my back again, even my life, then so be it.”

“It’s not going to be your back,” Tolomon said, hand in his hair. “It’s Vi. She’ll be slaughtered. She, her family, and anyone else the High Elders will threaten to keep us in line. I have no doubt they would try to slaughter Rosa, too. Your own family. Your children.” Tolomon closed his eyes, shuddering. “Do you understand.”

Nathaniel braced himself against the wall, looking nauseous. “I understand. Completely.”

“We tell the King and Queen. Between the King and Queen and the Warrior, they will have to stop,” Rosa said.

Indenuel folded his arms. “I can tell the King and Queen. It could just be me if you wanted. The High Elders can’t get me whipped for telling the truth.”

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“No, but look what they’ve already done with Inessa,” Tolomon said. Indenuel winced, feeling the familiar rage bubbling up again.

“We get proof. Two people of the same social class would simply bring about a stalemate and make the High Elders aware we know,” Nathaniel said. “But if we brought proof, King Ramiro would have the weapon he needed to stop Reynaldo and keep the High Elders from giving these kinds of missions ever again.”

Indenuel was struck with an idea. “We have the book. The Warrior Project. We can go to the King and Queen and-”

“Navir took it. Do you honestly think we’ll ever find that thing again?” Tolomon asked.

Indenuel’s shoulders hunched forward. He hadn’t thought of it, but honestly, Tolomon was right. Navir most likely already destroyed it.

“Do they keep records of these…” Rosa could not finish, instead shuddering.

“No. They are vague when they are written down, and burned the moment they are completed,” Tolomon said, again looking at the door. “As far as I’m aware, any assignment from the High Elders only comes from Navir.”

“Then we catch them in the act,” Rosa said.

“How can we possibly-” Tolomon froze, then his eyes shot to Rosa. “Absolutely not.”

“Why not?” Rosa asked, staring at him.

“Because I will not put you in harm’s way,” Tolomon said.

“I know you. I’ve seen you work. Sort of. It honestly makes me queasy watching you, but I know you will protect me. Once we catch the Graduate, we can have him arrested and bring him forward to the Monarchy and Indenuel can say what he needs to say. Nathaniel and I will both give proof a Graduate tried to kill me, and then the monarchy and the Warrior can stop the High Elders. Have them arrested and put on trial. This is illegal, and they can’t get away with this.”

“And the reason why a Graduate tried to have you killed?” Tolomon asked. “What can I possibly do that will make it so I’m not also condemning you to… to the punishment of an adulteress?”

“Just stay around her for a day,” Indenuel said. “It will be painfully obvious to everyone around you that you love her.”

Tolomon gave Indenuel a soft glare. “I can’t do it.” He looked back at Rosa. “I won’t put your life in danger.”

“And all the women and children who have been murdered? All the women and children who are still in danger? Vivian and Bruno? Your niece and nephews? They need to be protected, and I am happy to put my life at risk to make sure they aren’t being used against you,” Rosa said.

Tolomon held her gaze for a few more moments before turning away. “Nathaniel?”

Nathaniel walked forward, holding Rosa’s hand again. “It does need to stop. Now. And we’ve got to think of something.”

“It destroyed me enough to watch you get hurt today. It will break me if Rosa dies,” Tolomon said.

“She won’t,” Nathaniel said, rubbing her arm. “And she’s right. She would be safest around you.”

Tolomon shook his head. “We’ve got to think of another way.”

Nathaniel glanced at the door before turning his gaze to Rosa. “Let’s get you ready to go. Tolomon, Indenuel, and I still have a day left in here, we will think of something. We’ll think about your idea, but…”

“Nathaniel, please. Please don’t worry about me. If this is the only way, then I’m going to do it. Between you and Tolomon, I’ve never felt safer,” Rosa said.

“And we both received twenty-five lashes. We’re not as strong as we were,” Nathaniel said.

“I trust you both completely, and this corruption needs to end. I will have a hard enough time looking Martin in the eye after we leave,” she said, lowering her voice.

Nathaniel winced, then looked at the door, a deep sadness on his face he could not control under his nobility mask. “Let’s get these things washed up and get you on your way.”

Rosa nodded. They all worked to clean out the supplies, eating as much as they could to get some of the sacks empty. Indenuel doubted anyone had much of an appetite. He certainly didn’t, but he still muscled down the food Rosa gave him. They folded the rags and washed out the basins. Nathaniel helped Rosa hide what she could in her skirts. Tolomon and Indenuel both turned the other way while they did this. Rosa said a quiet goodbye to Tolomon before she kissed Nathaniel. She about broke away, but he held the back of her head, keeping her in place to kiss her again. She wrapped her arms carefully around his neck kissing him long and deep.

They broke away and she walked to the door, holding the tray, giving a quiet knock. Martin opened the door, letting her come through.

“Father,” Nathaniel said. Martin looked over at him. “Do not let any harm come to her.” There was a hint of a threat in the undercurrent of his words.

Martin nodded. “I promise, son. She will not be harmed.”

The door closed. The sun was setting at this point. Nathaniel walked over to Tolomon, who was already sitting on the ground, his legs folded, still looking terrified. Nathaniel eased himself down next to him, trying not to let his back touch the wall. Indenuel sat on the other side of Tolomon.

“I’m sorry, my friend,” Nathaniel said. “That is a secret no one should have had to keep. We will make it right again.”

Tolomon nodded, his head in his hands. “If… if you think less of me, I understand.”

“Impossible. There is nothing you could do to make me think less of you,” Nathaniel said.

Tolomon dropped his hands just enough to stare at Nathaniel incredulously. “I have looked the other way while innocents have been murdered. I… I am deeply in love with your wife. You are far, far too forgiving. Isn’t there some sin of mine you couldn’t forgive?”

Nathaniel chuckled softly before he winced, doing his best to situate himself into a more comfortable position. He looked at the door while he did this, the smile dropping from his face. “It, um…” he found that comfortable position and looked away. “I know you, Tolomon. You’ve been forced to keep this secret.” Nathaniel looked at the door again. “It’s my father I will have to work on forgiving. It’s him I no longer trust.” Nathaniel shook his head, turning away. “Let’s plan something. I only have until tomorrow morning. The sooner we put this plan into action, the sooner we can stop the High Elders from killing.”