“Yes, I will,” Roden said. “Only Cregan and I go on from here. Hand me the crown, Sage. If you cooperate, everyone leaves in peace.”
Maybe Roden believed that, but I could tell from the expression on Cregan’s face that he had no plans for any of us to leave here alive.
“Sir?” Mott asked. Other than Cregan and Roden, he was the only one carrying a weapon.
“I don’t know.” For the first time since we met, Conner sounded weak. “I didn’t expect —”
“We’re at a standoff,” I said calmly. “Maybe you and Roden will get one of us. But even with your small brain, Cregan, you must know that Mott will get one of you, too. Whether it’s you or Roden who falls, neither of you can win this way.”
Cregan’s face fell. He had not expected us to call his bluff.
“The stronger of us should be crowned,” I continued. “Can we all agree on that?” Roden nodded. Hesitantly, Cregan and Conner did as well. “Then Roden and I fight. The winner goes on to the castle. Do you accept the challenge, Roden?”
“Your back is still injured,” Mott warned.
“Good point. If Roden wants to make it a fair fight, then how about if I’m the only one with a sword?” I grinned, but nobody else liked the joke.
Cregan licked his lips, savoring the idea of seeing me fall. “It was never going to be a fair fight, boy. Roden’s too strong.”
Roden looked back at Cregan, then to me. “Okay, the winner advances to the throne. Please give me the crown instead, Sage. I don’t want to kill you.”
“Lucky coincidence. I don’t want to be killed.”
That infuriated him. “Stop making a joke of this, as if I’m no threat! I’m better at the sword than you might expect, and I’ve seen you fight.”
I removed the crown from my head and handed it to Mott. “Don’t let it get dirty. Let me have your sword.”
“It’s heavier than the prince’s was,” Mott said.
I locked eyes with him. “Mott. Your sword.” With an obedient nod, he handed it to me.
Roden attacked immediately, while I was still facing Mott. One of the advantages of being a left-handed person who had been forced to train with his right, I blocked his advance with my left hand, then rotated toward him and struck him hard at his weaker side.
Roden stumbled back with an expression of surprise at my abilities, but he quickly advanced again and swung harder at me. He’d improved significantly since I last fought him, and those were only in practices. This time, his blows were intended to kill, and he watched for me to make even the tiniest mistake.
o;But if he can help —”
“He doesn’t come.”
“Very well.” Conner thought for a moment. “How do you know all this?”
“I ate from that kitchen a lot when I was younger.”
Conner misinterpreted my answer and said, “For the first time, Sage, I’m glad to have chosen a thief and an orphan as my prince.”
As my note had instructed, Mott, Tobias, Roden, and Imogen were already waiting at the river entrance into the castle when we arrived. Conner looked surprised to find them there but must have explained it away in his mind. He called to Cregan, “Take this carriage back to the inn and wait for us there. I don’t want it here to arouse anyone’s suspicions.”
“Have Tobias take it,” Cregan said. “He’s not useful for anything.”
“Then he’s not useful for managing a carriage. Get going. We must hurry too because I fear we’ll be late.”
I led the way up the river. Imogen was behind me, then Conner, then Tobias, Roden, and Mott at the last. Almost immediately, a roof of dirt and rock rose over our heads as we entered a tunnel leading beneath castle grounds. The castle walls were not much farther ahead.
I had found this entrance myself at age eight. The kitchen staff all knew how often I used it to sneak in and out of the castle grounds, but they liked me and never told anyone. I was finally found out when I fell into the river once and returned to the castle smelling of rotten fruit and moldy meat.
“It smells horrible in here,” Tobias said.
“Nobody promised it’d be pleasant,” I called back to him.