The Royal Thief

Chapter Twenty-seven: An Exchange

Brace yourself for an absolutely awful reminder-dump, because I don't know where else to put all this stuff. Also thank you so much to everyone who has been voting and especially commenting, you guys make my day! :D Make sure you read the authors note at the end of the chapter. I'm SOOO excited.... EEP!!!

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I had so many things to think about it was hard to keep it all in my mind.

There was Caer's betrayal, stuck into my skin like a prickly bur that refused to lose its hold, chaffing my pride. I'd thought he was a friend. Turns out he was just like Joshua, just like the Sage, just like everyone else who had tried to manipulate my life. Just because he had explained other people's fear of me didn't make him immune to it, though. That's what I should have realized.

There were the rebels and Beck's wild-eyed accusations that I was on the side of the enemy, the king and the princess. I hadn't forgotten the boarded-up windows of the orphanage, or the anger in his eyes as he shouted that the government was refusing the people their rights and silencing anyone to tried to speak up.

Caer's "lesson" that day had pushed me one step closer to joining them. Didn't the circumstances of my life and of their fight make us naturally allies? Those up in the castle thought I was dangerous. Maybe it was time I proved them right.

Then there was the ambassador's invitation-- more like summons-- to a private diner. The same ambassador who had been sticking his nose into Guardian business, asking me questions about the differences between Dark and Light. He had left me with a vaguely suspicious comment about having more questions, and Joshua had forbidden me to talk to him. It had been a long time since I thought about that and wondered about his reasons. My banishment from the training yards and subsequent nighttime trips to the lower city had pushed it out of my mind.

The city-- that held its own mysteries. Wes, who Nali might talk to me about tonight. Beck, whose motives for always staring at me had been, at last, revealed. Kemp, who had led me to Beck's secret. And now Jaden and Gordan's mysterious friend, who they were even less inclined to talk about.

The ambassador hadn't been the only thing pushed out of my mind, I remembered with a jolt. Almost two weeks ago Nick had told me about a strange meeting he had witnessed between the Sage, still not back from his trip to the coastal cities, and Joshua. What had that been about, again? They had been in the stables, that's where Nick had overheard them. And the Sage had said he expected to be informed of anything that happened concerning Englescroft. Nick had remarked to me later that he found it odd they had this conversation so soon before we got a new ambassador.

The next part of Joshua and the Sage's conversation had gone something like, you're right, they shouldn't know-- no, I don't mean they should never know, just that we should get the situation with the other one sorted out first--- it's none of your business-- it's damn well my business if Englescroft is going to start sticking its nose into this mess.

And the last, echoing words Nick had overheard had been, wait, I know how to fix at least part of this, just wait until the princess's ball.

Thinking back on the words of that conversation reminded me of yet another mystery I had stupidly forgotten, neglected to follow up on, in the sudden whirlwind that had been set in place by my exile. Before that, really, as the exile had probably been revenge for our match the day before. That match-- hadn't Nali said that was when the rebels realized they needed me? Really, that match with Joshua had started all of this. Except for one unconnected mystery-- that night, after a lesson with Jaden, I had found a note from my teacher hidden in my bag of lock picks. It had said, It's time they told you about the other one, if they haven't already. Ask Tobias.