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  That surprised Reid. “Listen, Gytha, I think we got off on the wrong foot.” She didn’t want to fight with this woman.

  “Since you insist on being overly formal, it’s Captain Gytha.”

  “Fine, Captain Gytha.” Reid took a deep breath. “Thank you for watching over me. As soon as I relieve myself, I’ll return to camp.”

  “I’ll wait.” Folding her arms, Gytha started tapping her foot.

  Reid sighed, knowing she’d lost the opportunity to destroy the letter. After she ducked behind a tree to quickly relieve herself, she said, “Let’s go back.”

  Gytha led Reid to their tent. “In you go.”

  “Aren’t you joining me?”

  “I’m on watch. Once my shift is over, I’ll sleep.”

  That explained why Gytha hadn’t been eating with everyone else. Reid suspected Dexter was also on watch. Not that it mattered. But she did file that information away for later. It revealed a lot about the type of leader and person he was.

  She stretched out on her bedroll, mulling over her life-changing day. She still couldn’t fathom she was engaged. Not wanting to think about it right now, she focused on her assignment. The Knights wanted her to get close to Dexter and gain his trust. But why? What did they suspect he was doing? She also needed to discover who Henrik had declared his heir, though she assumed it was Dexter. However, it could be Eldon since he was the firstborn. At least Reid understood why that mattered, since title and land could only pass from father to son in the kingdom.

  Rubbing her face, she remembered what the king wanted her to do—find the letters proving he was Henrick’s son. She knew he would destroy them the moment he got ahold of them. The problem was she’d already found the letters. Somehow Ackley had stolen them. She didn’t have any proof, but it was the only thing that made sense. When Nara had opened the box, the letters were in it. Then, she’d closed and locked the box right in front of Reid, who then took it and returned home. She hid the box in her room, then Ackley showed up. When she retrieved the box, she’d heard it rattle. Ackley had even made a comment about the chess set in her room. When the king opened the box, one of Reid’s chess pieces—the queen—was inside, but the letters were not.

  Ackley had to be responsible for the swap. Although how he’d managed to open the box, Reid didn’t know. Leigh, his mother, had a key, which she’d given to the king so he could open the box. Could Leigh have given one to Ackley as well? Reid had no idea where Leigh stood on the matter. Both Eldon and Gordon were her sons, even if they had different fathers. Both had a legitimate claim to the throne. Which of her sons had her support?

  Reid rolled onto her side, recalling a conversation she’d had with Idina. Something about whether Reid could get close to a man in order to gain information. Surely the Knights hadn’t masterminded her engagement to Dexter. That seemed like too big of a stretch. She just happened to be in the perfect situation to find out what he was up to. It was a coincidence. It had to be. Too bad Dexter disliked her as much as she did him. It would make getting close to him impossible.

  Chapter Two

  Reid refused to ride to the City of Radella while sitting sideways on a horse. Besides it being uncomfortable, she feared she’d fall. And it was embarrassing being the only one in a garment that limited her movements. Not wanting to ask one of the female soldiers if she could borrow a spare uniform, she decided to alter her dresses. Luckily, she had two to work with.

  When she exited her tent the next morning, everyone stared. Reid had on both dresses. It made her look silly, but she didn’t care. She’d ripped the bottom skirt up the center in both the front and back, allowing her legs to fit on either side of the saddle. Not wanting her bottom exposed, she’d torn the top skirt up the sides, then tied the fabric between her legs.

  Ignoring the stares and whispers, Reid tried to walk normally as she joined everyone near the dying fire. She ate a quick breakfast of boiled oats, thankful to have something warm since the ground was damp from the thick morning fog. When she finished, she helped Gytha pack their bedrolls and tent. After, Markis brought over a saddled horse. He laced his hands together, offering her a leg up, and she stepped on them, hoisting herself onto the saddle. As she settled, she made a few adjustments to ensure she’d adequately covered her legs. Satisfied, she looked up, realizing everyone had already mounted and were waiting on her.

  Pinching his lips together, Markis averted his gaze. Reid suspected he was on the verge of laughter. Gytha, on the other hand, had her eyebrows scrunched, as if trying to understand the rules of a game she’d never played before.

  “Now that we’re finally ready,” Dexter said, “let’s get moving.” Nudging his horse into a trot, he led the way, Gytha at his side. Everyone else fell in line behind them.

  Markis rode alongside Reid. “Nice getup,” he said with a smirk.

  “Thank you.” Holding her head high, she refrained from commenting.

  “You know,” he said, lowering his voice to a whisper, “you could go up there and ride next to the commander.”

  “Why would I do that?” she asked, trying to decipher his motives.

  He shrugged. “To make a statement.”

  This was a small, intimate group of only a dozen people. Was it necessary to assert her position as Dexter’s fiancée? Did she have something to prove to these soldiers? To Gytha? Dexter? Maybe even to herself? “I’m not ready.” Reid needed to get her bearings first. Since the king had announced her engagement, she’d felt as if someone had tossed her in a lake, leaving her unable to determine which way was up. Until she felt righted, she would stand down.

  Besides, forcing herself on Dexter wasn’t the best way to gain his trust. And, frankly, she didn’t want to spend time with a man who intimidated her.

  “At some point, you will need to assert your position in Axian.”

  “I understand.” And she would when she was ready. “Why don’t you tell me about the army and how it’s structured?”

  She’d expected him to talk nonstop, leaving her to observe her surroundings without having to contribute much. However, he didn’t say a word. “What’s your rank in the army?” she asked.

  He shrugged, still not speaking.

  Reid narrowed her eyes. “Did Prince Dexter order you not to discuss any aspects of the army with me?”

  He shot her a smile. “You’re quick.”

  What were they supposed to talk about then? Obviously, Dexter didn’t want her to gain any knowledge about his army, but what about those around him? “Can you tell me about Gytha?”

  Markis chuckled. “That I can do.” He reached over his left shoulder, adjusting the bow slung across his back. “Captain Gytha grew up in the City of Radella. Her parents are blacksmiths. She joined the army when she was only fifteen.”

  “Why so young?” Reid thought she remembered Nara saying people had to be eighteen to join. Anyone younger required parental permission.

  “Dexter recruited her.”

  “How come?” What qualities had Gytha possessed at such an early age that caught Dexter’s interest?

  Markis smiled. “If you ever have the privilege of seeing Captain Gytha fight, you’ll understand.”

  Jealousy started to worm its way into Reid, which she didn’t like. It was an unfamiliar feeling. Shoving it aside, she asked, “Prince Dexter and Captain Gytha have been courting for about a year?”

  “Officially, they are nothing more than friends,” Markis said. “Unofficially, they’ve been sneaking around for years. However, they became pretty serious over this past year.”

  “Why have they been sneaking around?” Was it because Gytha wasn’t well-born and therefore not considered suitable for a prince?

  “That’s a complicated, loaded question, which I’m not comfortable answering. You’d have to ask them.”

  “In Ellington, where I’m from, parents decide who their children will marry. If two people fall in love, they cannot marry unless both sets of parents agree to the m
atch. Is it the same here in Axian?”

  He eyed something up ahead and to the left. “If I’m not careful around you, I’m going to say something I shouldn’t.” He slung his bow off his shoulder, placing it across his lap. “In Axian, people are free to marry whoever they choose. That’s not to say parents don’t encourage or discourage certain matches.”

  Before Reid could ask another question, Gytha dropped back to ride alongside Markis.

  “Are you even paying attention?” Gytha hissed.

  “I am,” Markis replied. “I was just about to take care of it.”

  Gytha glared at Reid before nudging her horse and returning to Dexter’s side at the front.

  Curious, Reid watched Markis raise his bow, grab an arrow, and nock it. He aimed to the left, past Reid. They’d been traveling alongside a dense forest. She squinted, but she didn’t see an animal lurking in the shadows of the trees.

  Markis’s eyes narrowed as he took a steadying breath and released his arrow. It whizzed by Reid, flying straight into a tree. When Reid peered closer, she realized he’d impaled a six-foot-long brown snake that matched the coloring of the tree trunk.

  Blinking, she gaped at Markis as he calmly slung his bow back over his shoulder. “You just shot a snake.”

  “It was venomous.”

  Her question wasn’t why he’d done it, but how he’d managed to hit a small target that completely blended in with its surroundings.

  He must have sensed her curiosity. “Since I was a boy of only five, I’ve had a bow in hand. My grandpa taught me to shoot. I took to it naturally. Because I’m so good at it, I try to find ways to challenge myself—like striking moving objects or trying to hit something with my eyes closed. That’s why Prince Dexter recruited me.”

  “He saw you shoot?”

  Markis nodded. “My village has a fair every year. The year I turned seventeen, I was showing off for money.” Almost preening, he grinned. “People were placing bets on what I could or couldn’t hit. Unbeknownst to me, the prince was in the crowd. A seven-year-old girl had run out into an open field to set up targets for me. I don’t know what made me look, but I sensed something was amiss. Maybe it was the way the forest surrounding the field stilled or the unnatural sway of the tall grass. Regardless, I nocked my arrow and shot before I even knew what I was doing. Just as a mountain cat leapt for the girl, my arrow struck it. It landed right next to her, dead before it even hit the ground. If I’d hesitated for even a second, it would have killed her.”

  “And Prince Dexter saw this?”

  “He did. Recruited me right there on the spot. Said he needed a man like me in his army.”

  Reid mulled over this information. Had the prince wanted Markis because of his skill with the bow or because he hadn’t hesitated when he saved the girl? Both said a lot about the type of man Markis was. Begrudgingly, she admitted it said something about the man Dexter was, too.

  When the sun started to set, Dexter called a halt for the day. Reid realized they were heading east instead of south. “Where are we going?” she asked as she dismounted.

  “To the City of Radella.” Yawning, Markis stretched his arms over his head.

  Reid’s right thigh ached, a trickle of blood sliding down it. Rubbing against the saddle all day must have chafed her skin. Since the material of her dress wasn’t nearly as thick as pants, it offered less protection. She’d have to be more careful tomorrow.

  She surveyed the soldiers as they unloaded supplies and set up camp. “Where is our detour taking us?”

  “Why do you think we’re taking a detour?” Markis asked.

  “We’re not heading south like we should be.”

  “I don’t know.” Two soldiers gathered the horses, then led them to a nearby stream to drink. “We should help. Otherwise, we’ll be stuck with the last watch of the night.”

  Reid agreed, heading over to help Gytha erect their tent. Once they finished, they joined the other soldiers sitting around the fire, eating. Reid carefully sat on the ground, making sure her skirt covered her legs. Markis handed her a steaming bowl of soup. As she took a sip, she scanned the people near her. “Where’s Gytha?” The woman had been right there a second ago.

  “I think she has the first watch,” someone answered.

  At that precise moment, Reid realized Dexter was missing as well. Presumably, he had first watch, too. Reid’s face flushed for a multitude of reasons—one being she had no desire for people to believe she was jealous. While she might feel a bit envious over Gytha’s position of captain in the army and her reputation as an excellent fighter, Reid was not upset over the woman’s relationship with Dexter. Besides, Reid had no idea if Gytha and Dexter were actually on watch or if they’d used it as an excuse to have some…private time. Reid’s face burned hotter at the thought. Taking another sip of the soup, she hoped anyone who noticed would think her flush was a result of the hot food.

  Frustrated, Reid had no idea how she was supposed to gain Dexter’s trust. Since the moment they’d met in Prince Henrick’s bedchamber, he’d despised her. Now, he was being forced to marry her. To complicate matters even more, he was in love with another woman. Instead of Axian being the freedom Reid had hoped for, it was turning out to be one big complicated mess.

  One by one, the soldiers went to their tents for the night. Now that the sun had set, the stars were out. The air had started to turn chilly, too. Holding her palms out, Reid pretended to enjoy the heat from the fire.

  “Allow me to escort you to your tent,” Markis said as he stood.

  “It’s twenty feet from here. I think I can manage on my own.” She kept her focus on the flames, hoping he wouldn’t see the lie.

  “Suit yourself,” he said with a shrug before he left.

  Only two women remained outside. As the wood burned down, the flames slowly lost their luster. Before long, both women rose, bid Reid goodnight, and ducked into their tents.

  Now was her chance. Furtively, she withdrew Ackley’s letter from her bosom and quickly tossed it into the fire. The edges curled and blackened before it disintegrated into ashes. What felt like a huge weight lifted from Reid, allowing her to breathe easier.

  “What was that?” Gytha demanded from behind Reid, startling her.

  Not wanting to lie, Reid decided to tell a version of the truth. “Not that it concerns you, but it was a letter.” Maybe the way to gain Dexter’s trust was through gaining Gytha’s.

  “A letter from your king?” Gytha moved into sight, towering over Reid.

  It didn’t escape Reid’s notice that Gytha had said your king instead of our king. “No, from a friend.”

  “A male friend?” she asked, too much interest apparent in the question.

  “Yes.”

  Gytha sat beside Reid, her focus on the dying fire. “Are you sad to leave him behind?” She seemed to sincerely want to know.

  Reid studied the warrior woman, realizing she had a unique opportunity here. She could lie by pretending she’d had to leave a lover back home. Maybe it would be something they could bond over, a way to gain Gytha’s trust. But Reid was tired of lying. Even though she had no problem stepping into a role and playing a part when needed, she had a tough time hiding her emotions. In the end, she decided to go with honesty. “While the letter was from a man, he is only a friend, nothing more.”

  Gytha tilted her head, gazing candidly at Reid. “Are you romantically involved with anyone?”

  Out here under the night sky, with this woman’s attention directly on her, Reid felt exposed. “No. What about you? Do you have a romantic relationship with anyone?” Would Gytha admit she had feelings for Dexter?

  “Not anymore.” The answer was spit out, clipped and sharp.

  Well then—that said it all. For whatever reason, Dexter and Gytha had severed their relationship. Had it been because of Reid? Had the roles been reversed, would she have done the same? Picking up a small pebble from the ground, she rolled it between her fingers. She needed to start ga
ining allies. “I was raised as a boy.” It was hard to open up to someone like Gytha. Someone who clearly didn’t want to be Reid’s friend.

  Gytha snorted. “What does that even mean?”

  Keeping her eyes focused on the pebble, Reid attempted to explain her childhood. “My mother died while giving birth to me. I was the fifth child—and the fifth girl. Without a son and heir, my father stood to lose his land and title. In desperation, he made the announcement that my mother had borne a son instead.”

  “Why didn’t he just remarry?”

  Reid rolled her eyes. Because that would have been too simple. “On my mother’s deathbed, he swore to her that he wouldn’t remarry.” Reid tossed the pebble into the flames. It hit a log, sending a few sparks into the air.

  “How did he foresee that working out?”

  “Apparently, my father assumed one of my sisters would marry and have a son. Once that happened, he would change his heir from me to his grandson. Except, somehow, my sisters only gave birth to girls.” Reid wrapped her arms around her legs, pulling her knees to her chest.

  “What changed?” Gytha’s brows crinkled as she observed Reid, as if seeing her for the first time. “How did you go from being raised as a boy to being here, dressed as a woman, about to marry Prince Dexter?”

  It was a good question. Reid had pondered that very thing since the king announced her engagement. “My life took a drastic turn on my eighteenth birthday.” She explained how Prince Gordon and Prince Ackley had shown up at her house to recruit her father’s soldiers only to discover Reid wasn’t a man at all, then about the bargain she’d struck with Ackley.

  “I take it things did not go as planned.”

  “No, they did not. After I was taken to the City of Buckley and introduced to the court as Lady Reid, the king sent me on an errand. He told me that if I snuck into Axian and stole a box for him, he would not only pardon my father from treason, but he would also grant a proclamation which allowed him to choose either a male or female heir to inherit his title and land.”