The Decoy Princess

  My gaze roved the far bank for Jeck. I pulled my cloak tighter about my shoulders as I found him at a small rise in the trail atop a brown horse. He must have gotten it at Saltwood. He sat tall, unmoving but for the wind shifting his cape. Like a mysterious figure from a story, he tipped his hat and waited.

  Contessa wasn’t with him. I was willing to wager she was tied to a tree out of shouting distance, her hair down and her boots and stockings off for whatever reason. I didn’t think Jeck would hurt her, but if he had, I would see he got twice what she received.

  Frowning, I wondered where my loyalty had come from, finding it odd she should have earned it so quickly with her offer to share a sliver of soap and her honest plea for help.

  Kavenlow took the reins out of Thadd’s hands and pulled the horse to a stop before the man could drive the wagon directly into the river. Immediately I swung to the ground and reached for Jeck’s horse tied to the back of the wagon.

  “You’re not going,” Duncan said as he wedged Tuck between the black horse and me.

  “The devil I’m not!” Shoving Tuck out of my way, I glared up at Kavenlow still on the wagon’s bench. “And don’t give me any chu pit of an excuse like I have to stay behind and guard the wagon. Someone has to watch your back.”

  Kavenlow took his eyes from across the river. He looked grim and uncertain. “I’m going alone. Duncan? Off your horse.”

  “What?” the cheat exclaimed.

  “I need a horse. Yours is the only one ready to ride.”

  He shook his head, slow and controlled. “I’m coming with you. Tess is right. You can’t go alone.”

  My shoulders tensed. “I’m the one going. And neither of you can stop me!”

  Kavenlow’s face darkened, and he gathered his breath to protest. I raised my chin, and he frowned. “All right,” he said. “But I want your promise you’ll do everything I tell you.”

  “Don’t I always?” I countered, wanting to keep my options open.

  He hesitated, knowing I hadn’t said yes.

  “I should go, not her,” Duncan said as he tried to still Tuck’s nervous sidestepping. “What’s to keep him from knocking you on the head and taking you again, Tess? Then he’d have both of you. It’s a trap.”

  Kavenlow jumped to the soggy ground. “She escaped him before,” he said. “She could do it again if she had to. I’ll take Tess.”

  My flush of pleased vindication shifted into excitement. Duncan slipped reluctantly off Tuck and held the horse’s head as Kavenlow took his place. The horse shifted at the heavier weight. My brow furrowed as Kavenlow held a hand for me to ride before him.

  “One horse?” I said. “I’ve got my own, thank you.”

  Kavenlow’s eyes looked tired under his eyebrows streaked with gray. “You want to put the animal you stole from him back within his reach?”

  Sighing, I accepted his hand and arranged myself before Kavenlow like the princess I used to be. Thadd was scanning the shore, his expression of hope waning.

  “Be careful,” Duncan called as we splashed into the shallows. “Tuck doesn’t like water.”

  “Tuck doesn’t like anything,” I said softly. But either the weight of an extra person was enough to calm him, or the soothing thoughts I was attempting to wedge into his foolish head were getting through, and we started the crossing without difficulty. It wasn’t as deep as it looked. The statue-heavy wagon should be all right.

  I kept the stained hem of my dress out of the water and my eyes on Jeck. The powerfully built man looked nothing like the captain of King Edmund’s guard anymore. The lack of a uniform and overdone hat left him all the more dangerous, dressed in his simple but well-made black shirt and trousers. Even his thick-soled boots were black. He sat atop his horse, unmoving, with a sure confidence, his cloak drifting about his stirrups.

  The memory of the firelight flickering against his damp skin as I sponged the blood from his back made my stomach clench. My hands had tried to heal him. His had warmed in return. Flushing, I put the back of my hand to my cheek to cool it. Of all the things I should be thinking about, this was the last.

  We neared the bank, and Tuck heaved out of the water, blowing hard to take in the scent of the other horse. Seeing Jeck so self-possessed, I had a stab of doubt. Regardless of what Kavenlow said, I knew Jeck held all the cards. Together we might subdue him with venom, but I knew that Kavenlow wouldn’t violate the truce of a parley.

  My eyes widened as I realized Jeck’s saddle was the one I had sold in Saltwood. The packs behind it were his own, and I was glad the innkeeper had been honest enough to give them to him. We came to a halt before Jeck, and I felt Kavenlow shift in a sigh.

  Jeck’s eyes flicked briefly to Kavenlow, then fastened on me. “Good to see you again, Princess,” he said, his resonant voice lacking even a hint of malice or sarcasm.

  I flushed deeper, the memory of his smooth muscles slick with ointment under my fingertips coming unbidden to me. “Captain Jeck,” I said, sure Kavenlow had noticed my red face. My eyes lingered on my bag still fastened to Jeck’s belt.

  Seeing where my attention was, Jeck unknotted it and extended it to me. “I believe this belongs to you,” he said. “You forgot it in your rush to leave my company.”

  I carefully accepted it and looked inside to find everything there but my bone knife and venom. “Where’s the rest?” I asked, very aware of one of Jeck’s knives at the small of my back.

  “Where are my knives? My horse?” he drawled, his gaze drifting across the river.

  Kavenlow cleared his throat, and I grew nervous. “You’ll get them back later,” I said.

  “As will you.” Jeck turned to Kavenlow and inclined his head in a respectful greeting. His eyes never shifted from Kavenlow’s. “She ought not be here,” he said, clearly having turned to the matter at hand. “Technically, she’s still a piece, not a player.”

  “She would still be a piece in truth if you hadn’t opened your mouth,” Kavenlow said, anger in his usually calm voice. “What am I supposed to do? Pretend she knows nothing? You forced my hand with my apprentice; you will tolerate a few irregularities.”

  Jeck’s horse shifted, and he took up the slack in the reins. “You have my formal apology for having interfered with your student. My inexperience misled me into divulging her status. I apologize. It wasn’t intentional.”

  My eyebrows rose. Jeck sounded not only sincere but also meek. That wasn’t the captain of the guard I had known. I turned to Kavenlow, surprised at the deep look of anger on him.

  “You have severely compromised my game,” Kavenlow said. “One of my most valuable pieces—I’m sorry, Tess—has lost her versatility because of you. It has furthered your position tremendously. Unintentional or not, you broke a rule. Your comparatively new status of player is no excuse. If you can’t play properly, you will be removed—Captain.”

  Jeck reddened. “I made an error,” he said, his meekness gone, “but it was an honest one. I won’t make any large concessions for it. The only compensation I’ll give is to help insure the rightful heir gains the throne, thereby eliminating the possibility of you and your apprentice being persecuted for putting a player in a direct position to rule.”

  “As if that makes up for it,” Kavenlow growled.

  Jeck’s jaw tightened behind his black beard. “It’s all I’ll give you. You bear some of the blame, teaching her to use the venom before giving her the wisdom of what it meant.”

  I felt Kavenlow relax. “I’ll accept that. Yes. I will refrain from lodging a formal protest, providing the proper Costenopolie princess gains the throne. Agreed?”

  Jeck nodded, the tightness in his eyes easing. I wasn’t sure if I should be happy or not.

  Kavenlow whispered in my ear, “Good. We will at least walk away with our lives.”

  “Our lives?” I questioned. “What about Costenopolie?”

  His gaze flicked to Jeck and back to me. “Kingdoms rise and fall, Tess. Only the players endure, their t
eaching lineages stretching back farther than most royal bloodlines. We’ll simply begin again if worse comes to worst. But I don’t think it will.”

  Jeck cleared his throat to bring our attention back to him. “The reason I asked for this meeting was to try to eliminate unnecessary loss or injury for the next few days.”

  I sniffed, taking on a haughty expression. “And what is that supposed to mean?”

  “Tess . . .” Kavenlow warned, but Jeck seemed amused.

  “I’m saying that having Costenopolie’s princess does me little good unless I have someone to verify to the populace that she is the legal heir, not Tess.”

  “Is that you speaking or Garrett?” I asked tartly, and Kavenlow nudged me to be quiet.

  “I’m going to take both princesses back,” Jeck continued. “It’s the only way I can ensure the proper heir gets the throne. Rather than expend a lot of wasted effort, I propose you simply give Tess to me.”

  My breath hissed in. Frightened, I forced my hands to stay in my lap instead of reaching for my darts. I would make it one of the metal ones. See how much venom the wicked things held. Garrett would kill me. I knew it. “That is ridiculous,” I said boldly to hide my shaking voice. “Expecting us to believe you’re doing us a favor. Taking me by force is more than you can manage. And you know it.”

  “Care to wager your thief ’s life on it?” He moved his brown horse closer, circling us to turn the ground where Tuck had dripped into mud. My pulse pounded as I felt his eyes on me. I remembered my missing venom, wondering if it was on his darts now.

  “I will harry you, Princess,” he said, his low voice and the intensity of his brown eyes pulling a strike of fear through me. “Pick you off one by one. I’m giving your master the chance to save himself and you a lot of unnecessary pain.”

  My heart hammered. “I don’t think you can do it.”

  “Enough,” Kavenlow said tightly, backing Tuck away and out of his circle. “Stop arguing with the captain, Tess. He is simply looking forward. We’re all going to the same place. I’d rather get there unwounded. I’m going to take him up on his offer.”

  I spun to face him. “But Garrett will kill me!” I cried, uncaring if Jeck saw my fear.

  Kavenlow’s gaze was decidedly apprehensive. “Which is why I’m going instead of you.”

  Jeck started. “You!” he exclaimed. “I won’t take a player when a piece is available. I want her.”

  “Then I step down,” Kavenlow said. “I give my position to Tess and become the chancellor in full. She’s the player; I’m the piece.” He put a hand atop my shoulder, fixing an aggressive look upon Jeck. “You won’t have her, Captain. In any way.”

  “Kavenlow!” I cried. “Don’t!”

  “Hush.” His teeth gritted and his eyes went fierce. “This is not what I had planned, but if Garrett gets you under his thumb, he will kill you.”

  “Which is exactly what he will do to you!”

  He shook his head. “I’m not the one who made him into a fool. I’m a mild man who does the books. Jeck can’t breathe a word otherwise. There is little honor among players, but on this, we hold tight.” He turned to Jeck. “Promise me you’ll tell her how to kill a punta if I don’t see the end of this. She also needs to know the formal rules.”

  I could say nothing. My mind was empty in panic. He is going to leave me? Kavenlow is going to leave me again? The thought I should have just killed Garrett flitted through me, taunting. Jeck’s horse shifted nervously. Jeck’s expression was dark and irritated.

  “You’re putting your entire game in jeopardy,” he said. “She’s a novice. Your game is mature, and only you know it. She will break a hundred rules.”

  Kavenlow was unperturbed. “There aren’t a hundred rules. There are only six.” His eyes went to mine. “Trust your feelings, Tess, and you won’t break any.”

  “Fine,” Jeck said tightly, pulling his horse’s reins to make the animal prance and arch its neck. “Bring your horse. I have only the two.”

  I stared blankly, not believing this was happening.

  “Down you go.” Kavenlow offered me a hand to descend with.

  Frightened, I shook my head. “No. He’ll kill you!”

  “Here.” Kavenlow twisted an unadorned ring from his finger. “It’s just a ring, but with Jeck as witness, it serves as proof that I give my game to you willingly.”

  “Kavenlow, no!” I cried, clenching my fist when he tried to force it into my hand. “I don’t know what to do. Garrett will kill you!” Don’t leave me again! my thoughts screamed.

  “Garrett won’t kill me,” he said. “You, though, he will. This way we’re all alive to see the end of the game.” He kissed my forehead, and my fist loosened from surprise. The smooth shape of a ring fitted my palm, and he closed my fingers about it. “You can’t do anything when you’re dead. Keep to your heart. I know you’ll bring us through with more than we went in with, my little thief.” He leaned close and whispered, “I’ve venom in my saddlebags. And if I don’t see the end of this, stay away from Jeck.”

  “I won’t get down,” I said belligerently.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, and he pushed me off the horse.

  I hit the muddy ground with a gasp. Both horses jumped. I scooted backward as Tuck shied. “Kavenlow!” I cried, sprawled on the ground. “Don’t leave me!”

  He never looked back. Jeck touched his hat and followed Kavenlow in a slow canter.

  “Kavenlow!” I shouted, stumbling to my feet. “Kavenlow. Don’t!” But he was gone. I looked over the river to Duncan standing helplessly on the bank.

  What was I going to do now?

  Twenty-seven

  I stood beside the wagon, a hand Over my eyes as I squinted up. The tree Duncan was climbing shivered, and a green leaf drifted down. We had been following Jeck for two days with hardly a rest. Our frantic pace had put us outside the capital’s walls in record time. We had been meeting an increasingly small stream of refugees. None had any real news, simply running from rumors. It was fortunate we had hay within the wagon, or the horses would be ailing. I hoped for Duncan’s sake that Tuck was all right.

  “Well?” I shouted up. I was nervous and ill-tempered, and I impatiently tugged the hem of my gray dress down. It was now too tight as well as too short. I had shrunk it in my laundry aboard the Sandpiper. My ankles showed, and it bothered me.

  “They’re stopping everyone at the gate,” came Duncan’s voice. I craned my neck to spot him. “They’re looking for us, sure as rain is wet and the sea is salty.”

  Frustration and anger spilled over. Mostly frustration. “Curse you, Kavenlow!” I shouted, kicking at a wagon wheel. “Why didn’t you tell me what to do?”

  Thadd looked up from the front bench, his round face depressed.

  Branches snapped as Duncan slid down the tree to land lightly on the path. “Chu, Tess,” he said. “You didn’t expect us to walk in the front gate, did you?”

  Not wanting to hear his opinions, I kicked the wheel again with a cry of frustration. It hurt, and I decided to find something else to abuse. Duncan, maybe.

  “How about that?” Duncan said to Thadd, his hands on his hips. “A princess with a temper. I never would have expected that.”

  A rare smile crossed Thadd’s stubbled face, vanishing quickly. Duncan brushed the bark and needles from himself, chuckling. I wanted to pace but forced myself to be still. “All right,” I said, thinking aloud. “We can’t walk in like this. Jeck knows everything: our horses, the wagon, everything.” I found myself moving and stopped. “Duncan, you go in first with the two black horses. When you get inside, take them to the dockside stables and leave them there. Meet Thadd and me at that inn we played cards at. We’ll come in with the draft horse.”

  Duncan looked up from rubbing the dirt from a boot. “Take them back?” he said, his face empty. “You want me to take the horses you stole back?”

  I nodded. “I’m not going to risk everything coming down around us because s
omeone recognizes them.”

  “I’m not taking them back!” he exclaimed, surprising me with his sudden vehemence.

  Hands on my hips, I strode to him. “They aren’t mine yet,” I said, almost in his face. “And I’m not a thief. Leave them in the yard if you like. Take Thadd with you if you’re afraid.”

  Duncan’s jaw clenched and he pointed at me. “I’m not afraid,” he said in a low, forced voice. “And I’m not a thief, either.”

  I backed up a step. “Don’t point your finger at me!”

  “I’ll point my burning finger at you whenever I damn well please!” Duncan shouted. He took a step forward, and I backed up, finding myself against a tree. My eyes were wide, and I didn’t know what to do. I wasn’t used to having someone shout back at me.

  Angry and red-faced, Duncan jerked his shirt from his left shoulder. A thick, raised scar in the shape of a circle—God no, it was a crown—was branded into him. “If I’m caught with those horses, they’ll hang me!” he said, screaming though his voice was just above a whisper. “If you want to risk a hanging by taking them back, fine. But don’t ask me to do it—Princess.”

  My face went cold. I’d forgotten. “Duncan.” My anger turned to shame. “I’m sorry. I forgot.” Damn my mouth, I thought in harsh guilt. Why can’t I keep it shut?

  Duncan spun on a heel and went to rummage in his pack in the wagon. “Here,” he said, tossing me a wad of clothing.

  I shook it out, finding it was his spare shirt and a pair of trousers. My face flamed. “What is this for?” I said tightly as I threw it back. What he wanted was obvious.

  Duncan grimaced. “I’m going to cut your hair, too. They’re looking for a woman. You’re going in as a man. You almost look like one.”

  Jaw dropping in outrage, I glanced down at my straight hips and nearly flat chest. “I am not going to wear your disgusting clothing,” I said hotly. “And you aren’t coming near me with a knife.” If I cut my hair any shorter, I wouldn’t be able to use it to hold my darts.

  Duncan took a step forward. “Thadd, grab her arms.”