41James pulled the hood of his cloak farther down over his face as he weaved through the busy marketplace. It was early on Sunday morning, one of the busiest times, for many people used the day to shop for the food and other goods they would need during the week. It was difficult for the 6'2 nineteen year old to navigate the crowd, but he was in a hurry. He dodged the vegetable carts rolling precariously down the street, women haggling over the price of shawls, and vendors coming from every direction to persuade him to buy their various wares. He walked with his arms at his sides, especially his left, so no one would accidentally bump the sword he carried underneath his cloak. After ten minutes of pushing through the crowd, he began to worry that he had missed the place.
Didn't Jack tell me it was to the left of the fish stall? I swear this is the last time I get directions from him…
Finally, he spotted the small alleyway curving behind the tent of a large man wearing a stained apron who was yelling loudly and chopping the heads off of his fish rather dramatically. About fifty feet down, the alleyway opened up into a courtyard behind the buildings that lined the busy street. James pulled his cloak off and put it on the pile of all the others and tightened the belt that held his sword at his waist.
"Well I see you found the place!" said a boy, coming up on his left.
"I did, which is a miracle considering how bad you are with directions," James quipped back, smiling at his friend and giving him a light pat on the back.
"What are you talking about?" replied Jack in a mock-offended voice. "I said it was next to the fish stall didn't I?"
"Yes, but you said the stall was right at the entrance to the market, not most of the way down. It's a long street and I thought I'd passed it!"
"Well, you got here. And god knows that man yells so loud I figured you'd find it eventually."
James simply rolled his eyes at his friend. "Well I'm here, so how does this work?"
A week ago, Jack had told James that a group of the village boys got together on Sunday mornings for a sort of fighting club. The boys got to test their skills with a sword in informal matches, which was a good opportunity to practice and improve. Jack had been attending for months now and had told James he was missing out on a good time.
"Basically, the two best fighters will go first and everyone watches. After that, most people find a partner and spar for a while. There's kind of an unspoken hierarchy and when you feel you're ready to challenge someone higher up, they'll announce it and everyone stops to watch."
James nodded then said in a much lower voice "Now remind me again how a noble like you found out about this?"
Jack replied cheekily, "We both know how wise I am in the ways of the world, besides if I don't belong here than you certainly sho-"
"Keep it down" interrupted James quickly.
"Don't be touchy. If they haven't figured me out yet, there's no way they'll recognize you."
"Yeah you're right" James visibly relaxed. "So, who are the people I'm going to beat, I mean, the two best fighters?"
"Don't be an ass. That stocky one over there is Cliff, he's the second best currently. I don't see Ryan here yet, but he'll show up soon."
James studied Cliff intently as he talked to two other boys. He was built, which meant that his thrusts would be very strong, but he probably wouldn't be very fast or graceful, he would rely on sheer power.
Jack poked James, "Oh, there's Ryan," and pointed towards the entrance of the courtyard. James turned to see the supposed best fighter and couldn't keep his mouth from dropping open. Ryan was a slim boy, no taller than 5'7 wearing a baggy tunic and a brown pageboy hat.
"That's the best fighter?" James said skeptically.
"Yeah, I thought that at first too. Just wait."
"Okay, but I think this will be easier than I thought."
Jack just smiled knowingly as all the boys gathered around as Cliff and Ryan drew their swords and took their places in the center of the courtyard.
Then, so fast James almost missed it, Ryan surged forward and attacked. Cliff was able to deflect the blows with a powerful arm, but it soon became clear that his strength was barely holding Ryan at bay. As the boys clashed, James had to admit he had underestimated their skills. Their moves were fairly disciplined, so they had studied at least somewhat. Though nowhere as much as me, I'm sure.
A loud clank drew James from his reverie and he returned his focus back to the dueling pair just in time to see Ryan forcing Cliff towards the back wall. Ryan's blows were each perfectly placed to move his adversary exactly where he wanted him to go. They were strong, but more than that they were fast and agile, making them especially hard to block. James was impressed that such a small boy was showing such stamina in the face of a much larger opponent. Finally, Cliff was only about a foot from the back wall when, with a flick of his wrist, Ryan sent Cliff's sword flying from his hand, and in an instant had the tip of his blade pointing at Cliff's heart. For a second, neither boy seemed to breathe. Then Ryan lowered his sword and the two started laughing. All the spectators who had been tense and silent during the duel started clapping and whistling, then broke up to start sparring themselves. Cliff patted Ryan on the back and said good naturedly, "Next time, I'm not letting you win!"
Ryan replied, "Let me win? Next time I'll beat you in a minute flat."
"I'd like to see you try"
Ryan looked around the courtyard and spotted an unfamiliar face. A boy with curly chestnut brown hair and dark blue eyes was laughing and talking with Jack, a relatively new addition to the group, but a welcome one for his eagerness to learn and sense of humor. Ryan studied him with a fighter's eye. He must have been over six feet, so his long arms would give him an advantage in a match. He also had a lean body, and his clothing hinted it was toned from training.
"He's Jack's friend" said Cliff, seeing who Ryan was looking at.
"As the best fighter here, I guess it's my responsibility to go welcome him" said Ryan, wanting to bait Cliff.
Cliff just gave Ryan a shove forward, making him laugh. He walked around the groups of boys practicing over to where Jack and the brunette boy were standing. Jack turned and said, "Oh hi Ryan, I'd like to meet my friend James"
"Hi, good to meet you" said Ryan, holding a hand out. James was a little surprised his voice wasn't deeper, but he figured it was probably normal for a boy of Ryan's size.
"You as well" said James, firmly grasping Ryan's hand. He wanted to be friendly, but also show that he wasn't one to be underestimated. With teenage boys, it was all about posturing.
"Well, let's do what we came to do. Why don't you show us what you've got James."
"Gladly" said James with a smile. He drew his sword and faced Jack who had also drawn his. The boys bowed slightly, then began as Ryan watched. Ryan had seen Jack fight many times now, and while the boy had lots of training, he often abandoned his technique in favor of spontaneous, wild moves. But Ryan supposed it fit his personality and besides, it was quite entertaining to watch some of the crazy moves he came up with. More often than not he beat his opponent because they were laughing too hard from his antics. Still, if needbe, Jack was a solid swordsman.
So Ryan focused on the newcomer, James. At first, it was clear that he had been trained, but was nothing special. But as Ryan watched, the realization came that each move was carefully calculated and precise. While he wasn't a showy swordsman, every thrust was dead on, and none of Jack's blows came close to disarming him. After a few minutes, James started to attack in earnest. Ryan stood back, admiring the surprising grace of the tall boy's moves. It was very unexpected. Suddenly, Ryan noticed that the other pairs had stopped sparring to watch the newcomer and Jack fight. In a matter of seconds, James succeeded in disarming Jack. The onlookers cheered for a moment, many clapping James on the back, then returned to their practice.
James looked over to Ryan, raising his eyebrows as if asking for approval.
"Good, James. I guess you can hang around for a while," joked Ryan.
James grinned and replied, "Why thank you. Maybe one day I'll get to challenge you?"
"We'll see" said Ryan, then turned to spar with Cliff. To be honest, Ryan couldn't be sure of decisively beating James in a fight. Their styles were similar, and it was obvious that he had far more instruction than any of the other boys, which made Ryan wonder. Shrugging it off, Ryan spent the next hour sparring with Cliff and walking around to the other boys, offering advice and instruction on technique. James was proud when Ryan came over to alter Jack's grip on his sword slightly for a specific move, but only nodded in approval at James' technique.
Before James knew it, Ryan was calling the boys together to arrange a time to meet the next week.
"Does 8 o'clock work for everyone?"
"8? That's so early Ryan!" one of the boys complained.
"We all know you need your beauty sleep Adam" replied Ryan and the other boys snickered good-naturedly "but some of us have things to do."
"Ugh, 8 o'clock it is" proclaimed Cliff. "See you guys next week."
Everyone said their goodbyes then scattered off into the marketplace. Jack and James turned to leave, but James noticed Cliff and Ryan lag behind.
"Are they coming?" asked James.
"They always stay behind for a few minutes" replied Jack with a shrug. "You heading back?"
"Nah, I might wander around the market for a while before I have to return to prison."
"Yeah, how are thing going with your dad?"
"They're fine, we're both just under a lot of pressure. You know it's less than a year before…."
"Yeah. That's true. Well good luck man. You coming next week?"
"Definitely. Hey, are you coming for dinner on Thursday?"
"That's the plan. See you then."
James continued to wander around the stalls, not wanting to go home. He really did like coming to the marketplace. All of the clutter and noise was something he never got at home, and it was refreshing. He turned back around when something caught his eye by the fish stall. A girl with auburn hair that hung loosely in waves around her shoulders was quickly hurrying in the opposite direction. He had glimpsed her face for only a moment before she turned, but James felt compelled to follow her. He dodged people moving back and forth from stall to stall and the livestock being led through the street. She stopped at a stall to buy a few apples, giving James the opportunity to catch up with her. She purchased three and smiled sweetly at the vendor. James saw she had lovely light blue eyes framed by long lashes, a shade darker than her hair. She wore a simple dress, but it did nothing to hide the fact that the girl was breathtaking. James had met many gorgeous women in his life, daughters of my father's friends he thought with a cringe, but for some reason, she captured his attention. The fact that she wasn't stuffed into some frilly, bright colored dress or had her face covered with cosmetics allowed her natural beauty to show. As she turned to go, she didn't notice that she dropped one. James blessed his luck and ran forward to retrieve it. He ran after her and tapped her on the shoulder.
"Excuse me miss, but…"
She turned quickly and suddenly, James felt like a stammering fourteen year old boy again.
"Um, you dropped this."
She was tense and for a moment she said nothing, but quickly relaxed, gave him a small smile and took the apple. "Thank you"
And with that she turned and continued walking. James watched her for a few minutes then headed back through the market, all the while kicking himself.
"You dropped this"? Good one James, I bet she thinks you're slow or something.
Before he knew it, the crowd thinned in and he was at the gates of the palace. He walked around to the back and climbed a low stone wall, landing in the garden. One of the women who tended the flowers saw him and bowed low.
He merely put a finger over his lips to ask for silence, and crept through the garden and into the main building. He slunk through the marble halls, his back brushing against expensive tapestries and his footsteps muffled by the luxurious rugs. When he reached his room, he quickly opened the door and went in, closing it as softly as he could behind him.
He breathed a sigh of relief when a voice caught him off guard.
"Where have you been Your Highness? Your father wanted to see you an hour ago!"
James winced and turned to Charles, his manservant for a long as he could remember.
"I'm sorry Charles. I was…out. You know how I need my space."
"My boy, you are the crown prince. You have responsibilities-"
"I know Charles, I'm sorry. I just need Sunday mornings off. Father usually sleeps in an hour later so he won't notice. Please? Just give me this. Besides, I'm going with Jack…."
"Ah, yes, the son of the Duke of Kellian. There's a responsible one…."
"Charles, please?"
"All right Your Highness, but if your father finds out…"
"…then you know nothing about it" James finished for him.
The older man just rolled his eyes, moving on to other tasks now that his charge had resurfaced. He loved the boy like his own son, and knew he would someday be a great king. He could understand why James felt he was under so much pressure. The King of Calius took the throne at twenty, and James had turned nineteen only a few months previously. His lessons in politics and diplomacy had increased dramatically, and well as his instruction on ceremony, so he would be prepared as both a political leader and a figurehead. These days, the boy barely had time to sleep.
James finally felt his heart stop racing, glad that he had gotten away with sneaking out and grateful to Charles for not telling on him, not that the old man would. Sometimes Charles seemed more like a father than King Leon. James loved his father, but the stress of his coronation had worn on their relationship. James quickly jumped in the bath the servants had prepared and put on fresh clothing. His thought turned briefly to the girl he had met that morning, and once again cursed himself for acting like an idiot and not getting her name. But upon realizing how late he was, he ran a hand through his damp chestnut hair in a half-hearted attempt to tame the curls, he took off down the hall, not wanting to make his father any madder than he already was.
Less than half a mile away, Ryan was also sneaking back into the house. Though nowhere near as fortified as the palace, slipping past the servants was still tricky. Ryan was just about to turn the knob on the door when a pair of arms came out of nowhere.
"Ben!" Ryan exclaimed, "put me down!"
Ryan hear Ben's deep laughter and the arms were gone.
"You better be more careful when you sneak out, little sis, father is going to find out one of these days." Ryan flipped her auburn hair over her shoulder and gave her brother a stern look while bending over to pick up the apples he had made her drop. "Ben, father isn't going to find out, unless you tell him, in which case I will have to kick your butt"
"Ryan, I know you may be able to beat the boys in that sword club of yours, but do you honestly think you can best your older brother?"
"Without a doubt."
Ben laughed at his little sister's boldness. He knew that she snuck out on Sundays dressed like a boy in order to practice with the villagers. She had been doing it since she was twelve. She was so good at being sneaky that Ben hadn't even known until he followed her one morning when she was fifteen. At first, he pulled her aside and yelled at her for going, saying that it wasn't safe. Ryan had told him on no uncertain terms that she could take care of herself. Since their mother had died when Ryan was born, their father the Lord of Dunsmore had raised them both like sons. Her name, Ryan, was a reflection of her upbringing. Ryan had tagged along to all of Ben's lessons since he was only three years older, whether they be history, foreign language, or physical training. She had surprised them both by excelling since girls were usually only taught domestic tasks and "womanly arts" like sewing, but despite his boasting, Ben didn't underestimate the skills of his little sister. He had also worried about the boys discovering her gender, but the only one who knew was Cliff, who after interrogating him thoroughly and watching him for a while, Ben was confident wouldn't expose Ryan and if necessary would do everything he could to protect her, though he didn't know of her station. In fact, Ben thought he had a little crush on her, though Ryan denied it vehemently.
"Well, anything exciting happen today?"
Ryan shrugged "One of the boys Jack, I've told you about him, brought a friend today. He was pretty good. Actually very good…"
Ben smiled as his sister trailed off, looking lost in thought. He batted his eyelashes and teased her in a high voice, "Oh, was he handsome?"
Ryan smacked him on the back of the head, but the slight blush in her checks gave her away. She contemplated telling Ben that James had seen her after she had changed back into a girl, but remembering the way his dark blue eyes bored into hers made her too embarrassed to bring it up. Besides, if anyone else found out, Ben might not let her go anymore.
"I'm going to take a bath" she said sternly.
"Alright Ryan, whatever you say"
With a snort of indignation, Ryan slammed her door closed in Ben's face and wandered towards the bath. She removed her dress and sunk down into the warm, scented bubbles. As she lay there, letting her muscles relax from the morning's workout, she couldn't get those eyes out of her mind.