Moon Blessed

Chapter 12 ~ Brotherly Kindness

    "Are you sure about this, Nasi?" Alexei asked for the millionth time.

    Nastasia cinched a lamellar pauldron to her shoulder and gave a few experimental twists of her arm. The thin, staggered layers of metal followed the rotation without the slightest hindrance. "Yes, I'm sure."

    "But you'll be going up against Knights who have been training for years. You won't be able to defeat them in combat."

    "I don't think the tournament will involve much combat," Nastasia replied. "From what I've overheard, it sounds like we'll be doing something different in every kingdom, and the rulers will decide what the competition will be."

    "But it's still going to be dangerous. What if you're hurt, or discovered, or even killed?"

    "Better that than staying here and resigning myself to being a pawn." She shucked off the armor and set it aside with the rest of the suit.

    Alexei groaned, massaging his forehead with a hand. "At least tell me you have an actual plan. You can't just throw on a suit of armor and tag along. You don't even know how to ride a horse!"

    Nastasia glanced at him with a sly grin. "That's why you're going to teach me. We have a few days before the Knights leave, enough time for me to learn how to not fall off my mount. And yes, I have a plan."

    "Well?" He gestured for her to continue.

    "I'll disguise myself as one of the lesser servants while we travel and only show up as a Knight whenever the competitions occur. No one will pay me any mind then."

    "What about a title paper or being asked to speak? Mother and Father will recognize your voice and people caught impersonating Knights are usually executed."

    Nastasia pursed her lips. "I'm not going to speak when I'm posing as a Knight. I'm hoping the people will enjoy the mystery and allow me to keep my identity hidden. If they do, I'll carry on and disappear when we return to Nyctoli. If they don't, I suppose I'll have to reveal myself to Mother and Father."

    "I don't like this, but I suppose I can't talk you out of it?"

    "No." Nastasia gathered up her chosen armor and ducked into the passageway that led up to her bedroom. Alexei followed, closing the door behind them.

    "What does Nikolai think about all of this?" He called.

    "Nikolai doesn't know, and I'd like to keep it that way. If he finds out, he'll either talk me out of it or insist on coming too."

    "And that's a bad thing because...?"

    "Because I don't want to be distracted." They reached the end of the passage. Nastasia pushed open the bookshelf standing before the entrance. It opened into her bedroom and the two of them traipsed inside.

    "I'm just as nervous and uncertain about this as you are, Alexei," Nastasia sighed. "But I feel like I have to do it. I can't explain it. I just know that I need to go." Shadows wound around her fingers, as if sensing her anxiety.

    "All right," Alexei conceded. "If you want to learn to ride a horse, we might as well start now." He prodded her towards the door and Nastasia grinned.

•༻᯽༺•

    Nikolai looked up as the stable doors opened, revealing Alexei and Nastasia. His heart leaped into his throat before he could stop it. "I can't be seen around you, remember?" He murmured as Nastasia approached.

    "I know." A frown flickered across her lips. "But we won't be here long. Alexei is going to teach me to ride."

    Nikolai arched a brow. "You've never been interested in riding before."