Somewhere, in the mess of houses and shacks that huddled around the palace, a woman cooked breakfast. She hummed to herself as she stirred the cauldron slowly. The brown slush bubbled inside the rim. The woman stopped suddenly, holding a finger to her head. A thought hit her, and she turned to weave her way through the bodies that littered the floor, heaving breaths and releasing snores. She walked over them on her tiptoes, dodging fingers and toes. She looked up, seeing the rooster through the holes in the ceiling. It reared back and let out a call to wake up, wake up, wake up.

Yet no one in the shack moved. Seviral bodies groaned and rolled over, only to fall asleep again. Most ignored the sound of the bird. The woman went back to her bowl, singing a little louder now that she knew they were already semi-awake.

In the corner, two bodies lay curled up under the same blanket. They faced one another, foreheads touching. The man moved and rubbed his eyes. He moved just enough to wake up the girl, who promptly rolled over and closed her eyes tight.

"Daryn, wake up," the man said to his sister, "Today's the day we go apply for the knight positions." Two days prior, their boss had asked them to become spies for the rebellion. They were more than happy to serve, but this task was different. By become knights, they would be the inside source the rebellion. Daelyn didn't doubt the two of them would be selected, but it was still itching in his mind.

"We will get in. Why get up with the rooster?" The girl asked, wiping at her own eyes.

"We won't be the only people wanting this job," he reminded her, and that got her up. They both took a bowl of brown mush from the cook, she smiled with no teeth left in her mouth.

The maids that bustled about cleaning the Prince's apartments contemplated waking him so he could get ready for the day. "Should we wake him?" a small-statured maid said. Her large honey colored eyes flickered to the last set of doors that lead deep into the Prince's small wing.

"That will be unnecessary." A voice from behind the maids made them jump. They turned towards the source of the voice although it was one they knew well. Standing behind them was a woman dressed in a dark green tunic with green pants and black boots. She lacked the dark colored strip of cloth the maids normally seen wrapped around her eyes but thankfully she kept them closed. "The Prince is already awake. He wakes early so he can look over some of his lessons." The woman said as the maids parted to the side so she could walk through. The woman was blind but found her way through the Prince's chambers without bumping into anything or with assistance. To the maids the woman and those like her were frightening. The maids waited until the woman was behind the doors of the Prince's chamber before speaking.

"Do the mages always have to be so creepy?"

Most were off put by the unemotional tones and expressionless faces of the King's mages. To many they were just meat puppets with unnerving abilities.

The Prince had been awake for some time as he poured over an old text in one of the old tongues. "Prince Triver," the woman said as she approached the large desk he was seated at, "Your father wishes to see you soon and you and I have some unfinished business."

Triver looked up from his book momentarily and was greeted by the sight of colorless eyes. With a small screech of fright at the sudden shock; Triver had seen her eyes before and each time he wondered what it must be like to live in a world of black. "Now that I have your attention, you must tell me what you've read." The woman placed her index finger onto the page that Triver had been reading.

The Prince sighed softly. He was quite a soft-hearted man who seemed to attract the mages. "All that it says is 'the contract must be made'..."

Triver was not well versed in the tongues of the old and it wasn't like the woman could read the texts herself.

A small sigh came from the woman before she reached for the simple charm around her neck. It was nearly identical to the one that Triver wore around his. "I will consult the other mages but thank you, Prince." the woman bowed before fixing her posture and tossing her long hair over her shoulder. Just by looking at the two, you couldn't tell that they were brother and sister. Well, half-siblings to be exact. Triver was fair haired with lightly tanned skin and sharp features and by contrast his sister had a dark complexion with raven colored hair and delicate features. The only marker that they may have been related was within the shape of their eyes (well you couldn't tell anyways because she always kept hers closed.) They had the same general almost rectangular shape of heavy-lidded eyes, and their love of learning. It wasn't much to go on since most people had eyes like that, but there was something about their eyes that made many people wonder if this woman was the rumored bastard child of the King.

"Ser'deni..." Triver said as the woman began to turn away from him. "Let us walk together. I think my father was going to choose the latest knights today." Triver was exhausted from staying up so late reading and trying to decipher the old text for Ser'deni.

"If you wish then, Prince."

Ser'deni's words brought a light flush to the cheeks of the Prince. He didn't know if she was truly his sister, but she was a close friend that he could rely on.

"Call me Triver, please. You are too formal for someone who was known me my entire life."

Triver disliked it when people he was close to were so distant and formal.

"I am sorry." Ser'deni said, "But I am just a mage and you are the Prince. I must honor your place."

Triver sighed and crossed his arms over his chest as they walked. He wanted to tell the woman that they were from the same mold, well at least the same man, and then maybe she would see that they were the same. Triver held little knowledge on titles for those 'below' him and usually the prince did not acknowledge such things.

The walk was shorter than Triver would have liked it to be but his father was already waiting for him. The man was dressed in his finest clothes with a soft snow rabbit skin cape flowing behind him. Ser'deni parted ways with Triver to occupy a spot behind the King, as it was a customary spot for his mages to stand.

The Prince approached his father with a sleepy smile before standing to the right of him with his arms folded behind his back.

They ate and got dressed, throwing on the same gray tunics and pants they wore the day before. The rebellion had diminishing funds, and since they had no jobs, the outfits were patched and holey, covered in dirt. Daelyn brushed Daryn off with a wet piece of cloth, dusting the thin layer of brown off. There wasn't much they could do about the clothes, but he brushed it over her face, too. She did the same for him, and then took the community razor to his face to trim the beard.

"Are you sure you don't want me to just shave it off? The weather is beginning to warm up." she asked, rubbing his cheeks.

"I won't be mistaken as a girl," he said, "Not again." They shared a dry laugh, and she continued to shave his face. The people who crowded the house began to empty out, leaving them alone. When she finished with his face, she checked her own reflection in the window.

"Are you nervous?" He asked, wrapping his belt around his waist. His head cocked a little to the side, and his eyes were wide. She reminded him of a puppy. Not turnng to face him, she answered,

"No. Are you?" Daelyn wasn't a fighter. He had dropped out of knight training some time ago, and it had been a great loss. Daelyn was an exceptional knight, but he was too gentle. Things had changed since then. He was stronger. She could see the muscles in his arms, his chest was well defined. He was capable physically, but she still worried about him.

"A little," he replied, "I'm out of practice." He turned to face her, doing her a favor by picking the knots out of her hair. He curled each curl with his finger, calming the mess. She thanked him, squeezing his hand. When he looked at her, for a moment he wasn't so nervous. His stomach stopped trying to run away.

They left then, hurrying up to the castle, which lay in the middle of the Village. By the time they arrived at the stone gate, there was a small crowd, some bystanders and some shaking young men with ashen faces. The gate began to open, and Daryn inspected the security. Guards surrounded each side, top and the bottom. A few guards rode horses, but most stood still, holding their sword in front of their chest. They kept their eyes forward, making her doubt their humanity. Maybe they were stone. A man on a horse told the people who were going through the trials to follow him. Daelyn led the way, Daryn trailing behind him.

"The trials have 3 stages," the man announced, standing now in front of about ten young men and Daryn. "First, there's a test of intelligence. You must read aloud and solve a riddle. It seems easy enough, but I warn you. Do not let your guard down. Next, there is a test of endurance. You will run. We will run until only six are left standing. The last stage is the fights, where you will fight individually, until only two are left. These two are the new knights for the king." He paused to breathe. "As always, the king will be present through all trials, so you will also be informally tested on etiquette.

The other mages soon joined Ser'deni in their places behind the king. There were ten in total, counting her. Most of them were men although there were a few men who wore their hair long and held feminine faces. Ser'deni had been raised alongside the nine other mages and knew them all quite well. Six of them were blind; some wore cloth over their eyes while some did not. A man was missing a leg and leaned heavily on a carved walking stick. Another was mute although his physical appearance bore no indication. And one could not hear or talk.

The mages held no loyalty towards each other despite being brought up and raised with the others. They were bonded by their use of magic and their disabilities and nothing more.

For this occasion they were handed heavy black cloaks that hid their faces and disabilities from the eyes of the would-be knights. The mages were not only here for the safety of the King and his son, they were also here to participate in the choosing of the knights. All mages were skilled in many areas of magic but each held their own strength in one area.

"This is going to be fun." A man off to the right of Ser'deni said, he was standing directly behind the Prince.

"Inaris...keep your voice down." Another scolded the man.

Inaris made a sound of displeasure before falling into silence.

Triver wanted to talk to the mages behind him but the arrival of the knight candidates took his attention. They all seemed so young, although Triver wasn't old by any means. As a young man of only twenty years, he still had a lot to learn and see. Triver, his father, the mages and a few nobles sat on a raised platform covered with a richly decorated canopy of blue and gold.

He wondered if any of the candidates knew what was in store for them. The Prince had pestered Ser'deni and the others for information about their roles in all of this. "Our job is to break the weak from the strong. We will use our skills as mages to ensure that only the strongest are chosen." Those words left a chill that ran down his spine. Triver had never seen the mages in action before but he had heard stories of the generals who were given a mage as part of their army; they always told tales of the brutality of their magic. The mages were what helped win more land for Danycia and they were what kept the people under his father's thumb.

Triver would be lying if he said that he didn't hold some fear of the black-clad figures behind him.

The King watched the candidates with a dark gaze; he was uninterested in having new knights. He mostly wanted to see them bend and break under his mages so that all would know his power. The King was a twisted man who enjoyed the look of pain on others. His wife and son were the only ones exempt from his cruelty; his son would carry on his legacy as a ruthless ruler and his wife would remain obedient and serve as a link to further his influence in her native kingdom.

The Prince beside him had always been disgusted with the way that his father took such pleasure in the pain and terror of others. He was not close to his father; the man was nothing more than one he had to deal with in order to survive. Rumors floated around that his father had murdered his own brother to gain the throne. Triver didn't doubt those rumors although he should have defended his father. He should have tried to protect his father's reputation as a "grand and fine" king but he found that he could not. Triver wanted to change things within the kingdom. He wanted to live in a world of peace but with his father alive, that could never be possible.

The King waited for the start of the tests to be announced. He would not give those commoners the experience of hearing his voice. He was better than they were, as he was chosen by the gods to rule them.

The man that had given the candidates their instructions stood tall in front of the nervous looking potential knights, but under the king. “Let the trials begin!”

One after the other had stepped in front of the King and read out loud from one of the classic Danycian books that detailed the adventures of a hero before they were given their riddle. One man, almost immediately after he started reading, grasped his head and screamed in agony as his body crumpled to the floor. Triver knew without looking behind him what had happened. His stomach turned and it brought little comfort that he did not know which mage had turned the man into a pile of helpless and hurting flesh.

Daryn looked around the room, taking in each and every face. The mages lined up behind the king and his son, faces covered by the black cloaks they wore. Seeing them sent a chill up her spine. Daryn didn't like magic. When her father's business had begun to fail, he had went to a local mage and asked him to help us. For more money than they had to spare, the mage did, but all the fish they caught, though plenty, were spoiled. Daelyn said that the mage was a fake, improperly trained. But when she looked at the mages, Daryn still felt a little sick to her stomach. Their mother used to read them stories of the mages parts in the war; both knew what they could do. As curious as she was to their part here, she felt mostly fear.

Daelyn wanted the first man go up, stepping just a few feet above the crowd. The way they were lined up, Daryn would be next. He could see her face twisting, worry lines between her brows. He understood her fear. He listened to the words of the man, lost in the story he read. Then, the man started screaming. He dropped the book- mistake number one- and held his head in his hands. He fell to the floor, and Daelyn moved to help him stand. Daryn caught his arm, her eyes wide. It hurt him to see the man in pain, lying in a broken pile in the floor. When he stopped screaming, the room was silent. No one moved, and Daelyn shook violently. Daryn released his arm, and he moved forward, picking the shaking, unconscious man up off the floor. He was covered in his own urine; his face was whiter than a sheet. Daelyn carried the man to the door and leaned him against the wall, only to return to the scene.

One down. Nine to go.

Daryn stared at the book now in her hands. The knight in charge told her to turn to a certain page. She didn't shake, didn't falter. Her words were clear, her voice nice. Their mother had taught them to read a long time ago; the lessons hadn't faded. The image of the man raced through her head, a fault of the mages. It couldn't be proved, but she knew. When she was almost finished, the pain began at the back of her head. It was like someone held a torch up to the nape of her neck, a fire spreading through her skull. She closed her eyes, but she didn't scream. An anger built up in her, towards everyone in the room, and it fueled her resistance. Nothing could stop the pain, though, and she was blinded by it. Unable to stand, she fell to her knees, felt hands on her shoulders, but she didn't scream. Clutching the book tight against her chest, she spoke to her brother behind her,

"Get back in line, I'm okay."

He did, and the pain stopped. It went as quickly as it came. Daryn opened her eyes and let out a long breath. She was dizzy, but she stood, finishing her part and then answering her riddle. It gave her pride to know she passed, even though she felt like fainting. Daelyn touched her cheek, and she couldn't even smile at him. Instead, she stood behind the line, waiting for this whole ordeal to be over.

Daelyn stepped up, holding the book. He flipped the page and read, just like his sister. He didn't know what was coming, and his hands shook violently. His voice remained steady, but his eyes kept darting up to the mages. Wondering what he would need to endure for their sick pleasure. Or was it the king's pleasure? Either way, Daelyn didn't like the group of people on stage. He made it through the entire piece and was given his riddle. That's when the voices came. They were loud, echoing voices. It didn't hurt, no, it was just distracting. He couldn't think, found himself searching around the room violently for lips to read, to figure out what was going on. In his haste, he turned towards Daryn, who had her brows furrowed in that way that she did, but she was repeating his riddle over and over again. He couldn't hear her, and the headache was building from the white noise. Finally, he screamed out the answer, clutching both ears and then handed the book to the knight and went to stand by Daryn. The voices left him, and he could hear clearly again.

He found Daryn's hand, and they stood like that, both of them panting, both feeling extremely proud of the other one. In the time that passed, they lost two more people, leaving a group of eight, seven boys and one girl. But every face was already exhausted, mentally strained from the first trial.

"And I thought my handling of people was harsh." Inaris teased once the first trial was over. Beside him Ser'deni made a face of disapproval, even if she had never seen the expression for herself and the man standing next to her hadn't either. Inaris was the best of using mental magic and he was quite proud that he was able to master one of the most difficult types of magic, and the only known "Seer of Truths" in Danycia. He was well known for a streak of cruelty and he had a nasty habit of burning through slaves like wildfire.

"I am not like you, Inaris. I find no pleasure in this." Ser'deni only did as she was told like a good little girl. She did not enjoy tormenting others and she certainly did not enjoy the reputation that came with it.

Inaris grunted before turning his attention to the Prince. Since Inaris lacked the ability of sight, he often used his magic to supplement his missing sense. Most of the mages used their magic to fill the voids left by their disabilities. For Ser'deni it was having some sort of creature feed information to her about the environment.

"The little Prince is afraid~" Inaris cooed softly. Triver did his best to ignore the male behind him, Inaris had always teased him in their younger years and even as adults that would never change. The prince fixed his gaze to the remaining eight; it had been painful to watch the others fall under the mages magic. As a prince, Triver was immune to the mages and their magic. He was one that they could not touch (as he was the only surviving heir to the throne it was forbidden that the mages used their magic on him.) The rustling of the heavy cloaks caught his ears and a gentle hand was placed on his shoulder.

"Do not listen to Inaris." Ser'deni whispered. The King ignored the words shared between the mages and his son. He had always allowed Triver to interact with the mages since one day
(in the very distant future) the boy would become king and follow in the footsteps of his father. "We are only doing our job. Please allow us to continue, the candidates must be able to endure pain and suffering to be deemed worthy." Her words made a bubble of nervousness rise in Triver's throat. They were doing this for his safety? He didn't want to be protected by them or the knights; he didn't want to be protected by anyone! Ser'deni returned to her previous location, allowing Inaris to return to his place.

The King scanned the small group of candidates before silently betting with himself which would crack first. His money was on the lone woman. The King had little respect for women and even his wife wasn't immune to his treatment. She might have been his wife but the King held little respect for anyone who wasn't capable of holding political power. The female mages behind him, as few as they were, were only valued for their magic. He stood up and finally addressed the crowd. The King was tall, like his son with similar features although the boy had his mother's gold spun hair. The King's hair was a dark and earthy brown that he wore short to hide the many silver hairs that streaked through it.

"The time has come for the second trial!" He barked out and the knight in charge of announcing the events quickly parroted his words. Some might say the King was mad and there probably wasn't a soul in the room that wouldn't agree. He sat back down heavily in his gold colored mini-throne, as Triver had called it. It was simply a smaller version of the Danycian throne that had been a symbol of power for hundreds of years.

Just as soon as the King had settled into his seat, it began to rain.

Daryn looked up as the rain began to pour. As much disdain as she had for mages, not even she could deny the awesome capabilities. The rain was warm, and it plastered her curls to her head, running down her shoulders and arms. Although the clothes could use a good washing, this wasn't how she wanted it. She looked over at Daelyn who looked just as sad as she probably did. He ran a hand through his hair, smoothing it back against his head.

Both of them took a minute to face the obstacle course. It wasn't long, and it didn't look particularly hard. First, there was a rope about the width of Daryn's forearm. It led straight upward into a platform where more ropes ran horizontally to another platform and a ladder back to the ground. Next was a field of wires strung across the ground. Daryn couldn't tell if the wires were sharp or charged with magic. The space between the floor and the wires was just enough for someone to crawl on their belly. Next was a pool of green water. The rain picked up the current in the small pool, and there were several tall waves cutting across the surface. On the other side of that lay a wall, clearly for climbing. The challenging part was the very few hand holds present on the wall. They would be nearly impossible to climb with the rain.

The knight in charge told them to pair up, making four even groups. Daelyn pulled Daryn in line to be second, wanting to get it over with but not wanting to go first. He wanted to watch, to know what to expect. He watched carefully as the first pair took off running, scaling the ropes easily. They got down on their knees and swung themselves to hang upside down on the ropes, sliding across them slowly. This took much more time that the first rope set. Then, the cawing started. Daelyn's head jerked up to the ceiling where a massive bird sat. It was black, with a long red neck and black eyes. It's feathers were falling off as it sat there, mouth open, eyes watching. It swooped down right as the men made it across the ropes, both of them jumping off the platform instead of taking the ladder. The bird returned to its perch, sharpening its claws where it sat.

The two men got down on their bellies, using their flattened elbows to propel themselves forward. The ground was wet, making it hard to move at an appropriate speed. It was going fine, and Daelyn felt himself relax. The air cracked; the smell of burning hair hit Daelyn. One man was still, poised in the same position he had been when his back touched a stray wire. The other man looked back at him and crouched even further to the ground, emerging at last from this part. He dove headfirst into the pool, easily swimming to the other side. Daelyn strained his eyes to see the blisters that rose from the man's uncovered skin. The water was green, because it was toxic. The man hoisted himself up to the wall, just as the barking on the other side of the arena. Daelyn watched the dogs, massive black dogs bolt across the area, nipping at the heels of the man who was just crossing over the top of the wall. He fell over the side, laying there with his arms and legs spread out, his chest rising and falling rapidly.

Daryn looked at Daelyn, finally letting go of his hand. She wasn't strong. She was smart. Daelyn was the strong one. And this was a test of strength. The knight gave them the signal to go, and Daryn watched Daelyn pull himself up the first ropes with ease. She, on the other hand, struggled as the rope swayed and bucked under her. Daelyn had to climb back down and hold the rope still so she could climb back up. With an eye on the vulture overhead, they both got down on the ropes, moving as quickly as possible. Daryn felt the wind around her pick up, smelled the rotten flesh of the bird before she heard it. But it was beside her head, cawing, before she had time to react. She tucked her face into her shoulder, feeling the bird's beak rip into the skin of her hands and legs. Daelyn finally reached a leg out and kicked it, stunning it enough to get himself and Daryn across.

She fell to her knees on the floor once they got down the ladder, holding her hands in front of her. They were a mess of open wounds, blood dripping into the ground.

"Are you okay?" Daelyn asked her, grabbing the hands. She simply nodded, trying to catch her breath. "You have to make it," he continued.

"So let us go," she replied, dropping to her stomach to crawl under the wires. This part was simple. They took their time, crawling around the dead man's body that hung from the wires. Daryn didn't even dare touch the edge of his tunic. They pulled themselves up, jogging for the pool of water. Daelyn swam across, pulling himself up. He took a moment to inspect his skin. Time was key, he thought, as he found no marks from the water. His eyes searched the water for Daryn, who had been pushed against a wall by a wave. She found against the water, feeling it bleed into her open wounds on her hands. It felt like needles being pressed into her skin. She moved along the wall, afraid the rest of her body would fail her, too. Daelyn pulled her from the water, leading her shaking body to the wall.

The dogs were no where in sight, but they could hear them waking up, barking the alarm. Daelyn found him a hand hold and started climbing, surprised at how difficult it was. He looked down at Daryn, who stared at her hands.

"I can not feel my hands," she yelled up at him, her hands shaking. He leaped down, kneeling.

"Get on my back," he commanded, and the dogs appeared. Daryn linked her legs around his waist, her hands around his neck. He turned as the dogs ambushed, find Daryn's back and ripping into it with teeth and claws. The woman buried her face in her brothers neck, bearing down on the pain that emanated from the wounds. The pair of them tumbled over the edge of the wall, landing in a tangle mess of limps and blood. Daelyn stood, his legs shaking under him. He pulled the man, still spread out on the ground, and his sister over away from the course, pressing his fingers against his temples. Daryn lay on her stomach, awake but unable to move. Her body was a mess of pain, crippling pain. She found Daelyn's hand and the strength to push herself into a sitting position. She leaned against him there, waiting for the rest of the group.

A long time passed, as the next two groups made their way across the course. Many came across bloody, covered in boils and scratches. One man fell from the first ropes when the vulture attacked, only to be carried away by the dogs, allowing his partner to come through unscathed. The group huddled there, waiting on their next trial.

Triver could not look away from the sights of the obstacle course. His stomach turned and he could taste the last bits of his early breakfast in the back of his throat. The prince blinked back his tears; he had never seen such sights before. His life had been sheltered within the castle walls where it was safe and death was just something that he never had to deal with. Servant had died, yes, but he never attended their simple funerals and he had never seen a dead body before.

He could tell that his father was enjoying the 'show' as he kept calling it. The king was sitting forward with his elbows resting on his knees, his amber eyes were glued to the bodies as they moved around the course. It had been designed to test not only their strength but their reaction times as well. If they were to serve the king they must be ready for anything. He would go on a campaign again soon and he needed able knights to serve him.

The mages behind the two men simply faced forward where the sounds were coming from, those that could see simply watched with glassy eyes as the number of candidates was once again shaved down. No one needed to speak of the events that played out on the course and those that had summons out on the course knew what was happening. Ser'deni gave a soft, inaudible sigh as her vulture was kicked. Those that could summon animals shared a bond with them that went beyond the contracts that had been borne through their summoning. Inaris gave a light nudge to her hand, his own searched for hers and he tugged her a little closer. "Do not let the feelings get to you." In their younger years, Inaris and Ser'deni had been quite close to each other. They were the same age and had been the youngest of the mages up until they gained a few more. Triver had even been close to Inaris at one time and then things changed between the trio. Inaris no longer wanted to spend almost every hour with Triver and Ser'deni. He began to grow reclusive to the point that even the other mages began to worry about him. About six months ago, after Inaris had come back from his latest campaign he began to act like he did when they were kids. The change was welcomed by Triver and his sister but they had some suspicion of their friend.

A simple break was called for so the king could be served wine and a simple snack. He had claimed that the events had "awoken his appetite" and he demanded food. This was the only time that the mages would be allowed off of the raised platform until the end of the trials and a knight or two was selected. They needed to repair the ground in order to make a simple arena for fighting. The king always liked to go grand when it came to a blood show. Thee ten black-clad figures walked in a perfect line and then branched out to stand shoulder to shoulder as they moved to fix the earth into its proper position, the bodies were removed and the summons returned to their masters.

Triver had also found a small bit of time, claiming that he wanted to survey the knights personally. The king, already on his second goblet of wine, simply nodded his head as he pushed a roll glazed with honey into his mouth. The prince looked at the candidates with a frown. They were all too bloody and injured to continue. "Administer medical treatment." He ordered; Triver disliked being in a position of authority and he rarely ordered anyone to do anything. The mages all turned curiously towards the prince before one spoke up.

"Medical treatment is withheld until the knights are chosen."

Triver bristled, "I do not care! You will-"

"It is a custom that we cannot break."

"To hell with the customs! Heal them." Triver's outburst had caught the attention of the king. The man had always noted that his son was too soft but perhaps he had doubted the boy too soon. The distance between father and son was too great for the king to hear what was being said. He pulled his goblet to his lips and he watched his son over the rim.

Triver looked towards Ser'deni and Inaris. They had huddled around the body of the fried man and had been debating with each other on the topic of letting the vulture eat the man. "Give him a little snack..."

"His family would not like that..."

They stopped talking when the prince approached them. "You want us to heal them?" Inaris asked with a curious tone. "You know that is against the rules."

Ser'deni sighed as the prince gave her a stern look. "I cannot see what expression you are making, prince."

Triver gave a small grunt of irritation. "Why won't anyone help them?"

The king had grown bored of waiting, he had eaten his fill of snacks (eight glazed rolls, a handful of grapes and two goblets of wine) and he wanted to see the end of the trials. Triver gave one last look to the candidates, wishing them all a simple good luck before heading back to the platform. The mages followed along, those that had summons quickly called off the summoning spell and allowed their beasts to return home. They filed back into their proper places before the final stage of the trials were announced.

No one could have been more glad for a break than the group of competitors. To know that they could just lie in the grass and catch their breath for a few minutes was unimaginably sweet. Daryn flopped back on the grass, feeling Daelyn rise to stand beside her. He didn't look physically hurt, but his stomach cramped up as he looked at all the people around him hurting. As Daelyn stood, the prince was beside them, surveying them all. Daelyn bowed politely, standing still until he moved on. Yet, he didn't move through right away. Daelyn knew the look in the young man's eyes. He gave wounded things the same look. Then, the prince commanded the mages to heal them, which surprised everyone in the company. It would have been pleasant, was it not forbidden. Daryn picked herself up and watched the prince leave, looking distraught. She guessed he was used to bossing people around, but not to being ignored.

Daelyn then moved around the group, stopping and binding wounds. Most of the individuals had deep lacerations and blisters from the water. All Daelyn could do was rip sleeves off tunics and cover the areas that still bled, making the best tourniquets that he could. The wrappings wouldn't last, but it would shield their bodies from the impacts of the fight that was coming up. His stomach pain didn't cease as he came to Daryn, his last person to help. She held out her hands for him, which she now felt very clearly. They ached, a dull pain that would not cease. Daelyn ripped off one of her sleeves, apologizing, and bound both of her hands tightly. She flexed her fingers, making sure they would still move.

"I can not bind your back," he said, touching the heated skin where her shirt had been ripped open in several places. Nothing inappropriate could be seen through the rips, but her bleeding skin was red and hot. She flinched at the touch of his hand, moving away from him.

"It will be fine," she said, "I will just have to keep my face to the enemy." They shared a laugh, and Daelyn realized how absurd it would have been to waste time on her back. They would be healed after the trials, according to the conversation between the prince and his mages.

"It's almost over," he said, quietly, more to himself.

"We have to do this," she said, to herself.

The two of them jerked back to attention once the prince began to approach them again, heading towards the platform. He wished them all good luck, which summoned a laugh from Daryn. Daelyn shot her a look, and she glared at him. They stood, the entire group moving as a whole to where the knight stood, waiting for them. He explained the rules.

"Each of you will have to fight one of our experienced knights. The fights will take place one at a time, in this circle." Daryn ran her eyes along the circle, noticing how small it was. "The fight will continue until one is pushed out of the circle, or until death." The twins glanced at each other. A lot of people would die in the next few minutes,, more than likely. "You will be given one weapon, and if it falls out of the circle, you may not retrieve it. This is not a partner exercise," he said, looking right at the twins. They both nodded. "Beware," he said, his tone changing, "our knights have the help of the mages."

With that, six men strode out of the shadows, each of them carrying a long silver sword. The men looked to be young, probably in their prime ages. They had the build of knights, handsome faces and thick muscular frames. Daryn noticed that not one of them was a woman. She felt a little out of place, then her mind wallowed in the pride that would be hers if she beat one of these trained professionals. Daryn gave them all another look, noticing their eyes. Glazed. Unfocusing. If she had to guess, the men looked possessed. She glanced up the mages. Six of them stood a little closer than the other four. Six of them stared ahead at the fight.

They might have been physically fighting these knights, but they were mentally going to have to battle the mages. Daryn took a long breath, realizing just how challenging this just got. The strength of the men tied in with the magic of the mages. The six of them were fighting a battle that was impossible to win.

It was announced that they would go in the same order which they had went through the maze. The man who lost his partner to the wires stepped forward and was handed a silver blade. He swayed under the weight, adjusting his grip. The first knight stepped forward as well, and they greeted each other politely. He didn't even look strong enough to hold the sword, and he strained to walk forward. The fight started, a simple sparring. Everything was going rightfully, until the man knocked the knight's sword out of the arena. Before he could even celebrate, the knight held a hand forward, and the sword returned to him. A wave of anger passed over the knight's face, and the sword was ripped out of the man's hand, slung across the arena. Panic set in on the man. He chased after the sword until it was out of the ring, and then he turned back to face his opponent, who still held his hand outstretched. Daelyn focused on the knight's eyes, which swirled grey and white. The man was pushed to the ground by an invisible force, gasping for air and not getting any. His face turned red, purple, then still. The knight used his magic to pick up the body and then the knight's strength to pick him up and slam him to the ground. The man's head hit the arena floor with a loud pop, and Daelyn knew he wouldn't get back up. Daelyn let out a breathe he did not know he held. He felt sick to his stomach.

Daryn squeezed his shoulder as he stepped forward and took his own sword, surprised at how heavy it was. The knight was stepped forward for him was shorter than him, but he was wider. Daelyn was strong, tanned from years working in the fields with his animals. That strength was his only hope. He could wrestle a wild animal with his bare hands, but the sword felt awkward in his hands. He looked around the ring, knowing he would have to find a way to push the knight out of the circle. There was no way he would kill him, even if he was in the middle of trying to kill Daelyn. The fight started, and Daelyn stepped forward and swiped the sword out of the man's hands before he could react. It slid out of the circle, and the knight moved to take Daelyn's sword too. Instead, Daelyn threw the sword out himself, listening to it crash into the other sword. He heard Daryn gasp behind him, knowing exactly what he was attempting and not knowing if it was against the rules. Daelyn dove at the knight, crashing into his body with intense force. They slid across the ground some distance, until a wall hit Daelyn, sending him flying through the air and off the knight. The knight whipped up a wind, making it harder for Daelyn to stand up and regain his footing. He was close to the edge, pressing forward but not getting anywhere. The knight summoned his sword, and Daelyn felt his stomach drop. As the man charged, he got into stance. When the man was within grabbing distance, he grabbed the hilt of the sword, yanking the man toward him. Caught of guard, the knight didn't fight back as Daelyn picked him up by the waist and propelled him over his head, out of the ring. The wind stopped, and he was met by silence.

Daryn's eyes were wide behind him. There was no way she could do that. The knight stood up, leaving the four other knights standing there in shock. Only four mages remained standing in the line closer to them. Daelyn left the ring, handling his sword back to the knight in charge. The knight simply handed the same sword to Daryn as she stepped forward. Her opponent stepped forward and into the ring, his sword raised in front of him. This wasn't about strength, no, Daryn had to find her own hope. The sword in her hands felt natural, even if it wasn't the right size for her. She began to walk around the circle, her opponent walking in a slow circle in the middle to mimic her. She used the time to stall, to make the man impatient. His face burned in fury as this continued for a few minutes. He dove at her, crying out as he did, and she ducked, diving under him with her sword raised. His cry continued, this one of rage, as he noticed the large gash cutting across the bottom on his arm. It ran the length of his sword arm, and blood was already pouring to the ground. He dove at her again, and this time, Daryn rolled away, catching his knee. He screamed again in pain, but his eyes grew a strong white. The wounds were gone in a blink. Daryn felt like cursing. Her next shot would need to be fatal. The man kept his distance from her for some time, catching his breath. He began to run around the circle, catching her off guard. He grabbed her by the hair, throwing her to the ground on her back. The pain from her wounds caused to her scream, her sword slipping out of her hand. The same invisible wall that killed the first man held her to the ground. She reached for the sword as best she could, watching the man with his own weapon move forward, smiling confidently. Her fingers met the blade just as the man reached her, pushing his sword down and into her shoulder. She roared out in pain, instinctively thrusting her weapon into whatever was in front of her. The man crashed down into her, pressing the sword further into her skin. She closed her eyes.

Someone picked the man up, or he picked himself up. Daryn didn't know, but the weight was gone. She looked at the sword in her shoulder, finally seeing the knight in charge standing over her. He had his hands on the hilt, and then he yanked, ripping it out of her shoulder. Daryn let out a scream that rivaled banshees. She had to be pulled up, but she could limp out of the arena. She collapsed onto the grass, pressing her fingers into the wound.

"You won," Daelyn whispered to her, standing close to her, but not daring to help her this time.

"Not if I die before I am chosen," she said, anger in her words.

The king watched as the matches in the final leg of the trials grew more and more interesting. The ones that caught his eye were the twins and the man who went right after them.

He had been called to face his opponent after the woman had limped out of the circle. The man held the sword that had been handed to him proudly. He was confident that he would not fail. His opponent wasted no time in charging at him with his sword poised to run clean through the man. For a few split seconds the candidate was taken by surprise at the speed of the knight, but then the man simply moved to the side and delivered a punch to his attacker, as if the knight had never been moving. The knight shook off the blow and kept his hands firmly on the sword as he tried a new approach. For a few moments the two men circled one another before the knight lunged again, twisting his body around to the other side at the split second. His sword was easily deflected and finally the candidate seen his opening. Thrusting his sword out at an almost impossible pace, he impaled the man in the abdomen before letting both the man and his sword go. The knight fell to the ground in defeat as a steady pool of blood formed underneath him. His body was taken out of the arena by a few other knights and the next two were called forth.

The king was surprised. The candidate had come out without a single scratch and his match had ended quicker than the others. As the next two were defeated the king stood once the bodies were cleared out from the arena.

To Triver the match of the man after the woman seemed to go by at a dizzying speed. It had almost been too hard for the prince to keep track of until the end, when the candidate came out as victorious. There was something suspicious about the man and Triver had a feeling that things would not work out so well.

His father let out a hearty laugh before addressing the remaining three candidates, who by all means were technically already knights. "I only have room for two more knights!" He bellowed (it was a lie since Triver knew that his father lazily accepted the previous knights and there had been four of them.) The mages who had participated were taken to rest by a few servants and knights. They had become exhausted, Inaris had been among them so Ser'deni had been left with no one to ignore, well up until the remaining mages pulled her into a huddle.

"You," He pointed to Daelyn, "and you are my victors." He pointed to the other man, completely ignoring the bleeding woman.

The man grinned widely; he had always known that he would be chosen.

"Father!" Triver exclaimed, "There was something wrong with the match, the woman should be--"

"Silence boy, I have chosen my victors." The king said with a dismissive wave towards his son; never before in the king's rule had there been a female knight and he wasn't about to start the custom of female knights now. "Bring them wine and women!" (And the king forgot about their injuries...)

Servant brought out wine for the victors and the man quickly hoarded one of the goblets and asked for it to be filled to the brim. It had been rumored that the king had a liking for strong but sweet and expensive wine and the man was surprised to find that it wasn't a lie. He drank the wine in large gulps; the knights around him shot the man looks of disgust. Clearly this man had no manners. When the man was already asking for a second pouring of wine, the mages spoke up.

They were the only force that the king would listen to. Even his own advisors envied the mages.

"Your Highness." The remaining mages bowed before him. "We sensed something was wrong with the match between that man and his opponent." The greedy man had been singled out by the mages, who had no possible way of knowing that he had done something wrong.

"What do you mean? His skills with a sword are fine, even better than Garrod's!" Garrod was the Head Knight, the oldest and most experienced of all the king's men.

"He cheated." Ser'deni said, as none of the other mages were going to.

"That is a lie!" the man shouted, "I won my match fairly!"

"We sensed magic coming from you. The use of magic is forbidden to knights that serve under the king, and magic is illegal for knight candidates to use." The woman pointed out and by then the man had gone red in the face. His breathing became heavy and there was a large prominent vein that poked out from his neck. It seemed to go slowly as he reached for a sword that was strapped to the side of a nearby knight.

"You bitch!" He yelled as the goblet crashed onto the floor. The man began to run at the mage with his sword ready.

Triver might have been peace loving but the man would not stand for reckless violence. If someone who was blind (and had no way of knowing which man it was) pointed you out as a rat then chances are they weren't lying. Triver grabbed the man by the arm before twisting it behind his back and forcing him to the ground. They struggled for power as the man twisted his body around Triver's. The king had made a move to protect his son but the knights stopped him. Triver wrestled the sword out of the man's hand only to be met with a dagger to the arm. His eyes widened as he looked at the blood that began to trickle slowly from the wound until that trickle grew larger and larger.

The man who had stabbed the prince was tackled to the side by Garrod. He tightened his arms around the man's neck until the man began to change colors. "Let him go!" The king bellowed, Garrod obeyed and released the man. He began to greedily suck air in and rub furiously at his throat to soothe the ache that had started there.

The king stood over the man as knights helped the prince into a lying position so a mage could heal him. "Ser'deni..." the king commanded the woman to his side.”You said that he was cheating. Show me."

The woman held out her hand over the man, his face had gone white and tears gathered in his eyes. "All I wanted to do was become a knight." he whimpered. He had been found out. He was going to die. The mage in his home village had lied. He was going to die. He was going to die. He was afraid to die.

“I…just wanted to become…a knight…I don’t want to die. I’m scared to die.” Tears began to roll down his cheeks.

The mage found her target and none too gently ripped through the top of his tunic to reveal a silver charm hung on a simple leather cord.

"A charm to increase his speed." she said before tugging the charm off of the man. "That was how he won the match so quickly."

The king turned away before giving his orders to the mages. "Kill him."

The man desperately tried to crawl away in order to preserve his life. “I don’t want to die.”

"What about the other two; they are the only victors."

"So be it then. I do not care. Give them medical treatment." The king stormed away. A few men trailed behind him before they disappeared into a dark corridor.

"How shall we kill him?" One of the mages, a woman named Rean, asked.

"Let us burn him."

"No let us torture him." A few other suggestions were made but ultimately they decided on the dogs.

The man's scream echoed throughout the large room before dying down under the vicious snarls and growls of the dogs. The mages that had not participated in the killing of the man went to administer first aid to the wounded woman and the man beside her.

Rean healed the man as Ser'deni healed the woman.

"You both did well today." The tattooed woman commented. When she was done healing the woman Ser'deni spoke again. "We cannot heal anyone completely. Your wounds must heal a bit more until you are fully recovered. Prince Triver must be worried about you." Ser'deni knew that her half-brother must be worried as she had heard his plea for the woman that had gone ignored by his father.

Together the two mages left the man and woman alone. Rean wanted to rest and Ser'deni wanted to check on the prince.

Daeyln helped Daryn stand for the choosing, knowing it was proper. She groaned the entire way, barely able to keep her eyes open. Despite this, she held her head up high. Her heart skipped when the king pointed at Daelyn, only to stop when he picked the other man, the one whose win was near impossible. Daelyn had to sit her down on the ground to join the other knights at the table, all the while feeling numb. She should have been chosen; there was a mistake. No, the king knew what he was doing. Daryn would need to return to Sanuel with her head low; she had lost. She watched the table from her seat on the ground, wondering how she would even make it back home. She would be punished greatly for her failure, Sanuel would be sure of that.

Daelyn kept one eye on his broken sister and the other on the man who had taken her place. The man drunk two glasses of wine; Daelyn did not eat a thing. It was clear that the other knights at the table did not like the man, as he kept filling his stomach. The mages came over to the king, proposing the man was a cheat. He looked towards Daryn, noticing she was standing a little straighter. When the fight broke out between the man and the prince, Daelyn snuck away to his sister, falling on his knees in front of her.

"Do you know what this means?" he asked, picking at her hair. She nodded, her mouth agape. It wasn't like Daryn to be surprised, but she did not see this coming.

"Bless the gods," she whispered, when the king stormed out of the room, leaving his son bleeding on the floor. They had made it. An odd feeling washed over the both of them, a little relief and excitement. Daryn was just glad the whole ordeal was over. Two of the mages came over to heal them, and Daryn gladly showed them her hands. She tore the wrapping off, flinching as it took skin and all. Daelyn apologized, but Daryn hushed him. He had done what was necessary.

"Thank you," she said to the mage, although it hurt her to say it. The woman was already walking away, though, toward the prince. The woman had been unable to heal her completely, but already, she felt better. The wounds on her hands were just faint pink scratches, itching from the healing. She stood, with the help of her brother, testing out her back by bending over several times. A good night's sleep would do the rest for her. Daelyn let go of her, walking back over to the group of knights, huddling around the prince.

The man in charge of the trials found them, pulling them to the side. He greeted them both, saying his name was Enn, and he was second-in-command to Garrod, who Daelyn had heard the king speak of earlier. He shook both their hands, cautious of Daryn.

"I must say, I am glad you two were chosen. You both showed great talent in the arena; you will be good knights to the king and his heir. At day break tomorrow, you will be given your jobs, whether it be guarding someone or protecting the castle in general. For now, we are at a time of peace, but do not let your guard down." He turned to face Daryn. "You should know that you are the first female knight to the king. He will not want you to guard him. It puts you at a great disadvantage being surrounded by males." Daryn shook her head, beginning to tell the man she was more than a fair match for all the knights he threw at her. He cut her off, continuing, "I assume that you are okay with staying in the same quarters. The original plan was to room to male knights together."

The twins both nodded, feeling more than comfortable living together. They hardly spent any time apart.

"Good," he said, nodded his head, "I will show you to your quarters when the prince dismisses himself. For now, eat. You will need your strength."

Careful not to bother the prince, they walked around the mages, picking up whatever food they could hold, and then they walked back to watch the scene unfold. Daelyn was intrigued by the work of the mages, particularly healing. They both ate quickly, mesmerized by the work they did. Daryn, although amazed, felt her stomach turn, images of the trials flashing back over her. The mages were powerful, dangerous forces. If they were to bring the rebellion into the castle, they would need to fight through the mages. She was not sure that was even possible.

Triver sighed as he looked down at the simple cup that had been set down in front of him by one of the serving maids. She was a pretty thing; short cut curly brown hair with dark brown eyes and a kind, dimpled smile. Triver had fancied the serving maid at one time but she had caught the eye of another and had become the man's mistress for some time before being left with a bastard son. His plate had gone untouched aside from his occasional stirring.

"You must eat." Garrod said from his spot across the table. His plate was piled high and there were bits of food stuck in his beard. "You've had a long day. I know that violence is not your thing, Prince Triver, but please do not be troubled by what you saw today." Garrod was a battle hardened man who had seen friends die and might have been close to death himself at one point in his life. His words, although cold, were spoken from the experience of a warrior.

"I do not feel hungry." Triver sank lower in his seat, mindful of the faint scar on his arm. His tunic sleeve had been torn off at the shoulder, leaving him with a bare feeling. "I cannot feel hungry after seeing men die today...and..." Tears welled in his eyes but he was quick to wipe them away before reaching for his cup. He needed to distract himself from the images that flashed behind his eyes. Rough material brushing against his side caught his attention. Turning to face the left, Triver was greeted by the sight of his half-sister. She had pulled her hood down before reaching to untie her heavy cloak. It crumpled down to the floor behind her before she leaned against Triver. She had helped heal the remaining people who had been injured in the scuffle or those that had come from the infirmary to watch the trials. Ser'deni gingerly placed her hand on his cheek. "It will be alright, please eat."

Triver brought a hand up to run his fingers through her long dark tresses. If his father were to be there then he would have kindly asked the woman to move away from him. He knew that healing was not her strong point, it never had been and she had exhausted herself with the events of the day. Garrod gave a small smile as he watched the two. He was one of the very few who had known the truth behind the black haired woman. Garrod was also the king's childhood friend, the son of the former Head Knight and his wife who had served as Lady-in-Waiting to the previous queen. The passing knights and servants brushed off the sign of affection in fear of angering the prince (who would then tell his father, who would order their execution.) Triver passed her a roll before deciding on taking one himself from the basket in the middle of the table.

"Why can you get him to eat?" Garrod asked with a slightly annoyed expression.

The mage gave a light chuckle before sitting up.

Triver paled slightly as she told Garrod the story of how the last time he had refused to eat, she threatened him with one of her flying friends. Of course she would have never carried out with the threat but Triver's declining health at the time had her worried and the boy had the stubbornness of a stone wall. And it went unspoken that the prince and mage were fairly close to one another; they calmed each other down and cheered each other up when they needed it.

Garrod shook his head before taking a drink of his wine. "I will never understand you two."

Triver looked around the room until he found the two victors. He excused himself while he went over to them. "Congratulations, you both did well." Triver said to them with a slight smile.

He made up his mind at that moment. They would become his knights, after this he would inform his father of his decision.

Daryn and Daelyn eventually sat at the far end of the table, listening to the conversations around them. Daelyn picked at a piece of bread, staring at the lines in the wooden table. Daryn found a bowl of fruit, popping small pink berries into her mouth, eyes darting from face to face, following conversation. The female mage who had healed her earlier seemed to be close to the prince, who was acting like a baby and not eating. She had to make him eat, telling a story about how she threatened him at one point and time. Daryn laughed to herself, shaking her head. She had to remind herself that he was just a boy, young enough to still be naïve about the world. Young enough to still not understand the pain it caused its inhabitants. Even Daryn herself didn't quite get it, and this cruel land had taken her mother. The king who had just deemed her unfit to be a knight had ordered her mother to be executed, on her knees in front of the entire village. Daryn didn't see the king in Prince Triver's eyes, though. Maybe there was hope still.

Both of them were caught off guard when the prince approached them. Daelyn looked up, bowing his head low, gazing up at the prince. Daryn found her tongue, bowing her head as well.

"Thank you, your majesty," she said, with a smile. Daelyn watched her, waiting for the sea to boil in her eyes. He knew of her temper and inability to think before she spoke. He had long ago given up on stopping her. He didn't see that, though. Instead, he watched her smile, a cute little smile. Daryn was attractive, if you didn't look just like her. She continued, "We are both very sorry that you had to be present for the trials. By listening, we know how much pain it has brought you. May you never have to endure it again." Daelyn was surprised, letting his face show it. She was never so kind. Daelyn wondered what she saw in the prince's young face.

"Your majesty," a voice said, over them, "May I please take these two with me at this time? I must show them to their new quarters and see them to rest." This was Enn, standing behind the two of them. Daryn found a window, noticing that darkness had fallen. Daybreak would creep up on them, and her body still ached from the trials. She wanted a bath to scrub the blood and filth off her body. Enn grabbed them both by the arm and made them come, allowing them both to bow and excuse themselves. They followed behind him, quietly.

The knight's quarters were closest to the king's quarters. They were near the stables, little stone rooms set all in a line. The doors were wooden, solid doors, with gaps that would let air in. Enn led them down to the end of the line, to a room that's door hung off the hinges. He pulled a string of keys off his belt, unlocking the door, although Daelyn was sure he could have kicked it down first. They were led inside. The room itself had one bed and one tub, empty. The bed had a blanket folded neatly on top of it, covered with a thin layer of dust.

"You will find a change of clothes on the bed. I will bring uniforms for you when I know your new position," Enn said, watching the twins move around and inspect the dirty corners of the dungeon-like room. "Latrine is out back, and you'll find water there as well." With that, he left them standing in the dark room, staring at each other.

"You find a light, and I will fetch water for a bath," Daelyn said, walking out the door. Finding the candle wasn't hard, but feeling around in the dark for a match was. Daryn found it after some time, glad that the candle shone even a little light. It shed its light upon the center of the room, where she sat it. It didn't reach the corners, but she didn't wish to see the dirt accumulated there. She dug through the things on the bed, pulling out two new tunics and pants. She pulled the blankets over the bed, pulling her boots off.

Finding the water was a lot easier than expected. Men gathered around a well, shirtless for the most part, laughing with their entire chests. Daelyn walked through the crowd, hooking his bucket to the hook and lowering it down into the water. The other men just stared at him, probably wondering who he was. But no one talked to him. He raised the bucket back up and took the water back to the room. It took five trips to fill the tub, and many of the men who watched him gave up.

Daryn took a bath first, scrubbing every inch of her body with a torn off piece of her old tunic. They had found some dirty soap on the tub, cleaning it with the cold well water. The night's air was warm, and the cold water felt good, despite it all. Daryn liked the bite of the water, dressing in her new outfit to sleep in. She combed through her hair with her fingers, waiting on Daelyn to bathe. He came out shivering, clearly unhappy about his cold cleansing. They cuddled together in the tiny cot, face to face, forehead against forehead.

"I'm so proud of you," Daryn whispered, finding his hand under the blanket, "Mother would be proud." Daelyn felt his heart drop, smiling.

"You're just as magnificent as I expected," he replied, generating a laugh from his sister. She let out a long sigh and was quiet for the rest of the night. When Daelyn could be sure no one was coming in on them, he finally drifted to sleep, a rest that resembled death.

When the sun began to rise the next morning, a cock crowed it's wake up call somewhere across the palace. Orange beams of sunlight curved around the door, scattering across the dirty floor. The blanket was wet with morning dew, and Daelyn felt his hair standing up in all directions from the moisture in the air. He shook Daryn awake as he stood, stretching, getting his memories all back together from the day before. Daryn growled at him and rolled back over, asleep again.

"Daryn, Enn will be here at any moment," Daelyn said, shaking the cot under her. She punched him in the stomach, rolling out of bed with a angry look on her face. They took turns taming each other's now clean hair, picking out curls and knots. They almost looked like two different people when there was no dirt on their noses. A knock sounded on the door.

"Good morning, new kids," Enn said, coming on in, despite Daryn telling him to go away. "You two clean up very well," he added, looking over the two of them in their new blue tunics and black pants. The emblem of the kingdom was threaded onto their right sleeve. Enn's eyes drifted over Daryn a moment longer than she was comfortable with. The tunic was a little too short on her, coming up higher than she liked. It was also too small, showing that she definitely was a lady. Earlier, the twins tried swapping out, but Daryn's was embarrassing on Daelyn.

"You'll be glad to know that Prince Triver has requested for you to be his personal knights," Enn said, smiling at both of them.

He was up early like every day; ever since Triver was a little boy he found that he always woke with the sun, no matter how much sleep he had gotten the night before. The maids just barely began cleaning his chambers when he was eating an early breakfast of bread, a few slices of cheese, a handful of berries and sliced apples, a piece of ham and a sweetened porridge made of oats and buckwheat. He ate better than a majority of his people. Even the knights and others that lived within the castle did not get such fine foods. He might not have known much about things like death or suffering but Triver was no fool. He had learned from a young age to have informants and people whom he could rely on for bits and pieces of gossip. The maids that cleaned his chambers were some of his informants, they told him of the inner workings of the servants’ quarters that he could not access. In return Triver ensured that they had food (since sometimes his father would withhold food for all of their servants due to the mistake of one) no matter the circumstance.

With his new knights, Triver intended to treat them well. They would mean so much more to him than just two people who would protect him, they would become people Triver could trust. He was not a trusting man, and only a small handful of people had earned the prince's trust; Ser'deni and his mother being among them; Inaris too, although his change in personality frightened Triver.

When he was done with his breakfast he pushed aside the bowls and utensils into a neat pile before excusing himself. The maids quickly bowed before picking up his dishes.

The prince wanted to check on Inaris and the other mages who had been taken to the infirmary to rest. They were exhausted from yesterday's events. Before he arrived at the infirmary, he ran into Enn and gave him instructions for the man to bring the new knights as soon as he could to the infirmary.

It was quiet save for the soft snoring of the mages and other patients. Triver would visit the injured men on occasion if he had free time. Some welcomed his presence but others seemed to dislike him, or rather his position in life. The nurses and doctors that moved about quietly paid no mind to the prince. Some of the nurses and doctors were magically inclined; these types of people were called warlocks. The difference between a warlock and a mage was how they came about their magical abilities.

You could say that a mage was born with a natural gift for magic. Almost always they would express their magical abilities by accident within their early childhoods, and they were born with some disability to compensate for their larger life-forces (which magic is derived from).

Warlocks on the other hand, have learned their magic. Often they are ordinary people who simply are good at manipulating their life forces through the use of specialized objects. They do not possess large life forces but the use of magical objects help curb the impact of using up one's life force.

All true mages belonged to the king while the warlocks made a living by calling themselves mages and swindling people out of their money in return for poor quality magic. The warlocks that worked in the infirmary were specifically trained in the art of healing magic and had learned the art alongside the mages. The warlocks here only treated the warriors that were brought home; there was a second group of warlocks that followed after the king's armies into battle to heal the injured.

Triver stopped beside Inaris's bed, Ser'deni was sleeping beside him on her own bed. He was given a chair by one of the nurses and he thanked her quietly before settling between his two friends. Ser'deni's long dark hair reached out like dark tendrils of smoke and he pushed some hair from her face. It had been no easy task in forcing the mage into going to the infirmary last night. They were all a stubborn lot when it came to being treated. Even Inaris had made a fuss!

Triver turned his attention to Inaris and he smiled slightly. There had been a time when Inaris was quite dear to his heart. He would never deny that at one point he had feelings for Inaris, but those flames of one-sided desire had faded after the sudden change in his friend. The Inaris that came back after his absence was not the same one he cared for. Inaris was pale, even fairer than Triver. His hair, although blonde, looked white in the light that streamed through the windows above the beds of the patients. His hair was slightly longer than Triver's, allowing the tips to ghost over his shoulders; Inaris always wore his hair pushed away from his forehead and unlike Ser'deni, he would open his eyes. It was uncomfortable to make eye contact with the man. He might have been blind but he had an uncanny ability to see past the fronts people put up. It might have been due to his magic, but it still gave Triver the chills when he would talk to Inaris.

Inaris was the first to wake and he seemed a little surprised that Triver was there. Although he was blind, Inaris had learned to use his magic in order to see what was around him. That and he could smell the cologne that Triver wore. It wasn't strong smelling nor was it sickly sweet like some of the men and women wore. Triver's smell reminded Inaris of the high forests of the mountains to the south; like pine needles and soft moss.

"Good morning." Triver said as he pushed back a lock of Inaris's light hair.

The man smiled before gesturing over towards the black haired woman. "I don't remember her being here last night."

Triver chuckled. "She came a few hours after you did."

"Oh~ really, was I that bad?" Inaris teased, knowing that the prince would blush up to his ears. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding." He sat up and stretched his arms above his head. Inaris was so much smaller than Triver. He was thin and closer to Ser'deni's height, with fine features that seemed almost feminine. Triver still found him handsome, as did many people that encountered the mage.

Triver coughed in order to clear his awkwardness; even Inaris had no clue that Ser'deni was the king's child.

"Will you two stop talking about me--"

"Ah!"

"Close your eyes Ser'deni. You've scared our little Triver."

"Oh shut it. You're blind too!"

"Hm. I think I'm still better looking, that's why he didn't scream when I woke up~"

Triver sighed deeply as the two bickered about their looks. He found their small argument amusing. Usually Ser'deni was quiet and withdrawn; it was rare for her to come out of her shell so much. Even Triver had a hard time in getting her to let loose and laugh; there was a small pang of jealousy though, but he didn't know if it was because Inaris was able to make her laugh or if it was because they were paying so much attention to each other.

"Hey prince, whose better looking, be honest."

Triver hated being put on the spot. "Well you both are." He just wanted them to accept the answer and get back to their bickering.

It was times like this that reminded Triver of his childhood. The mages were four years older than he was, but some of his earliest memories were about them; they had been there for him every step of the way; a four year old Triver following Inaris and Ser'deni into the gardens; an eight year old Triver running to their beds during a thunderstorm. A sixteen year old Triver welcoming them back from war; an eighteen year old Triver seeing them kiss and getting heart broken. A twenty-one year old Triver drinking with them in the middle of the night; a twenty-three year old Triver scared that he was losing his friends.

He wanted to relive those moments if it meant being with them. It felt like years since the last time he's seen Inaris smile like that. It wasn't the same without him around and he was afraid of what would happen to them if he was gone permanently.

Enn dug through his satchel, pulling out two new uniforms for them and some apples. He threw the apples to each of them, setting the clothes on the bed.

"I got those for you from the kitchen. Do not expect food to be given to you on a regular basis. Some of us can go all day without eating. Enjoy that." Daryn had already eaten most of it when he finished talking, and she kicked herself. She may have been hungry, but she would have saved the apple if she had known it might be her only food for the day. Daelyn held his in his hand, laughing at the internal battle that crossed her face. He watched her decide to finish it, tossing the core to one of the dusty corners. Daelyn stuck his own apple on the bed, planning on sticking it in his new tunic. Enn continued, "Get changed, and then meet me outside. You'll be staying in the prince's personal guard quarters, so you are pretty lucky."

With that, he walked out the door, shutting it as best he could. The door slipped a little further off the hinges, leaving a huge gap in the frame. Daryn was already pouring over the new outfits, hoping hers wouldn't be so small this time. She held them up one at a time, fingers running over the soft fabric. She threw the taller one to Daelyn, laying hers back on the bed. The fabric was soft, new. The outfits had never been worn, unlike the one she wore now. It was a deep red, a color that reminded her of blood. The sleeves would come down to her elbows, but there was a stretch to the fabric. It would be easy to move in. She put the outfit on, seeing that it did fit her better, but there was still no hiding her femininity. She turned to face Daelyn, grimacing.

"Why are all these outfits so masculine?" she asked, holding her arms out. Daelyn laughed at her, looking down at himself. His old gray boots didn't really fit in with the unworn outfit.

"Because you're the first female knight. Therefore, you are the first female guard to the prince." Daryn made a face, stepping forward and running around the room to make sure she could move. It was easy, and she didn't work up a sweat.

"These are nice," she said, as they walked out the door. Enn was waiting there, digging his toe into the ground. He smiled up at them, nodding his head. Daelyn looked around the area, seeing the same men that were standing around the well the night before. Now, they saw Daryn, with her long curls, her body shape, her sunburnt cheeks. It was as if no one had ever seen a woman. Daryn was too busy picking at her tunic to notice. Daelyn did, though, as men elbowed their friends, pointing towards his sister, incredulous. His fists tightened at his side, anger building up in his stomach. Some man whistled, catching Daryn's attention at last. She found the source of the whistle, shooting the man an obscene gesture. The man and his friends laughed, bending at the middle. Enn chuckled at her, ignoring the men.

"Giving you a weapon might not be a good idea," he said, still laughing, "But that is what we need to do first." He lead them both away, towards another building outside the castle. It was a smaller stone building, another one room all to itself. This door stayed on its hinges, though, Daelyn noticed. They stepped inside to see the walls lined with swords, shields, armor, bows, and quivers full of arrows. "You may choose a sword to carry. It will be your sword from here on out." The twins found belts with sheaths for their swords and then began to look at swords. Daelyn lifted every sword he came to, tossing it from hand to hand. Most of the swords didn't balance right or they felt too heavy. Eventually, he found a sword in the back, dusty from not being used. It fit in his hand, didn't tilt one way or the other. It wasn't heavy, but it wasn't too light. He took it, watching Daryn inspect the weapons. She simply touched the hilt, probably getting a years worth of history from feeling the grooves made by hands over the years. He watched her pick one up, running her hand the length of the blade. It was a newer sword by the looks of it, but it had an imprint in the hilt. Daryn stared at it, thinking. Her brows furrowed, and then she turned back to the two of them.

"Why that one?" Enn asked, making a face at her.

"It is a newer blade, forged within the past five years. Yet, the person who carried it used it often. It's experienced, and it's young." She fell silent, putting it away. Daelyn could have finished her thought. Just like them. Young and experienced. Enn shrugged his shoulders and led them out, walking towards the castle finally. They walked in, following him through the corridors and halls, watching the many maids bustle on past them. Daryn got more than one strange look, but several of the maids gazed at Daelyn as they walked past. Enn turned the corner into a room filled with white. They must be in the infirmary. Enn led them towards the back, where the shadows of three people were cast against the ground. When they came around the corner, it was the prince and two of his mages. Daryn recognized the female.

"Your majesty," Enn said, bowing at the waist to the royal figure. Daryn and Daelyn did the same, standing on each side of Enn. "Your knights, just as you requested. With that, he left, leaving Daryn and Daelyn standing there, hands behind their back. A feeling of awkwardness passed over Daryn, looking at the two mages, who had been laughing at something when they walked up. It was odd, seeing them in this position.

"Ah! Welcome." Triver said as he stood up from his chair. "I am Triver and these are my friends." The prince gestured to the two mages on either side of him.

Inaris gave a short laugh, "More like we're his babysitters." Ser'deni threw her pillow at him. Inaris threw it back, only for it to accidentally miss and hit the prince. Triver's cheeks flushed pink as he picked the pillow up off of the ground. He launched the pillow at Inaris with an irritated growl.

"Watch where you're throwing things!" Triver said before rubbing the red spot on his cheek. The unholy pillows of the infirmary felt more like pieces of wood that feather pillows.

"Aren't you going to introduce us?" Ser'deni asked as she turned her attention towards the direction of the knights. "I see that you've healed nicely." She said to Daryn, "And how's your brother's injuries? Rean healed him but everyone knows she doesn't like to put her full effort into it."

Triver tried not to laugh. The prince was a goofy boy when he was with friends. This was the true Triver - he enjoyed a good laugh or two and would gladly be the butt of the joke. Not many people got to see this side of him. He cleared his throat before speaking up. "Where are my manners? This is Ser'deni," The woman bowed her head, "And he is Inaris." the blond man gave a slight wave before lying back in his bed.

"Why don't we give you a tour of the castle and then we can go about doing a few things for the day?" Triver suggested. He smoothed out his clothes before looking at the two mages. "We will come back to visit you--"

Inaris held up his hand to silence the prince. "We're fine. Just still a bit tired and the nurses aren't watching. This place is too stuffy." He got out of the bed and slipped on one of the robes that were off to the side of each bed. The patients usually were in their underclothes and the robes were for modesty’s sake, although Inaris really didn't care about being modest. He just didn't want to sunburn or blind anybody.

Ser'deni also ignored the pleas of the prince to stay and rest. They only needed to rest after yesterday's events. It wasn't like they had their legs cut off or something. She tightly wrapped the robe around her body before walking around her bed and towards Inaris. Together they walked towards the doors of the infirmary.

"I think I stood up too fast."

"Shh...We’re going to get some food. I'm tired of gruel."

"Do you think little Triver would mind?"

"He's going to take the knights for breakfast. I'm not going to miss out on that."

Triver sighed before turning towards the twins. "I am sorry for the way they are acting. Usually they are quite...creepy. But they will be joining us for a while today so please...just don't take anything they say to heart." If he knew the mages, they would try to make the new knights as uncomfortable as possible. Well Inaris would, Ser'deni would just sit there and nod her head when appropriate.

The prince led the way as he pointed out some of the important areas of the castle and finally when they reached a small dining room closer to his wing of the castle, Triver motioned for them to take a seat. "I've never taken knights before but I will treat you both well. This is where you will come to eat if you wish; it is a private room for my servants to dine in, and there will be no men who will hit on you in here." He said to Daryn. Triver helped the servants bring out the food and set it on the table before taking his seat again.

"I will ask of one thing of you both. So long as you serve under me, please do not think of me as just a prince."

"He gets touchy about that." Ser'deni spoke up as she stole a piece of ham. Next to her, Inaris was busy stuffing his mouth with a few rolls spread with honey and nuts. "Just think of him as a kid that needs protecting."

"I am not a child anymore."

"You will always be our little prince, we will always protect you."

Triver felt his cheeks warm up in embarrassment.

The entire tour around the castle was nothing short of creepy for Daryn. She was uncomfortable around the mages, even more so when they acted like normal human beings. Seeing them joke around, it made a shiver run up Daryn's spine. She kept a quiet distance, taking in the magnificent sights of the palace. Daelyn, always being the opposite of his sister, found the mages to be intriguing. To see them acting normal was wonderful. It allowed Daelyn to understand who they were, outside of being the King's pawns. He felt almost refreshed, seeing them joke around. He did sense Daryn's discomfort, keeping an eye on her through the walk.

The private dining room was elaborate, a table set in the middle, empty for the moment. The twins were led into seats, and then they watched as Triver helped the servants. Daryn could have fainted, disbelief clouding her mind. The prince shouldn't have to help the servants, but there he was. She was touched by his kindness, wondering for a moment if he was putting on a show for his new knights. He made the comment about no one hitting on Daryn while they ate, and she choked on her food. Daelyn clapped her on the back, and she caught her breath, sitting the bread down she had been eating. Had he noticed too? Everyone seemed to look at her funny, and it was starting to have an effect on her.

Daryn was still panting when the prince made his request to them to think of him as more than a prince. Daelyn thought on that. What else was he? He chuckled at Ser'deni's comment about him being a kid that needed protecting. Surely, that's not what the prince meant. Daryn was breathing normally, trying to find words in her mind. Daelyn watched the gears turn.

"Thank you for your kindness, your majesty," Daryn said, smiling at the boy. Daelyn touched her shoulder for support. "But we are only knights to you, a prince. We will treat you as no less." Daelyn knew that wasn't what the prince wanted to hear.

"But, your majesty, if you were looking for two friends in the Lyker twins, we will do all we can."

Daryn shot him a look of confusion, her eyes falling down to the table. It wasn't that she didn't want to be friends with Triver. She liked the boy's personality. Befriending the prince, though, would only cause a moral dilemma when the time came to betray the royal family. Daelyn would never think that way; he was too kind to tell someone like Triver no. Daryn saw a world of similarities in the two of them. She felt his hand still on her shoulder, and she smiled up at him.

In honesty, it had been a long time since the two of them found friendship in anyone but the other.

"Thank the gods he's getting more friends." Inaris joked. Triver shot him an irritated glance before going back to his food. Ser'deni elbowed him in the side.

"Be nice to the prince, Inaris."

Triver wanted to slam his head onto the table and he had been thinking of it up until the time he heard Inaris mention something about getting the prince a pillow. The mage always had his abilities out in the open and he had a habit of prying into the minds of others for a quick observation. No doubt he was doing that to the twins. For a mage skilled in magic of the mind, they were able to be almost undetectable. For those like Ser'deni, who used the ability sparingly due to the strain, it was often a very painful experience for those that they targeted.

"Why do you seem surprised that Triver is so unlike the picture that you were given?" Inaris asked Daryn. His tone was light, as if he had just mentioned the weather or commented on the food. Triver could see the large dagger that Inaris clutched tightly in his hand. The mages always reacted to the slightest things; often mistaking them as threats. That was one of the reasons why the king was so well protected; they acted on things before they truly became threats.

Ser'deni quickly looked towards the knights before pressing her lips together and whistling. Red eyed crows flew through the open window and landed behind her on the large chair.

"Calm down! Inaris didn't mean like that!" Triver stood to his full height, knocking his chair down behind him. He was just thankful that she hadn't brought out the vulture. "You always overreact!"

"It is my job!"

"No, your job is to protect fath- my father, not me!" Triver yelled at her.

Inaris was trying to calm the both of them down. Inaris knew what Ser'deni meant about it being her job. He wasn't as oblivious as they thought.

Once things calmed down between the two of them, the woman pointed a finger in the direction that she thought Daelyn was (and surprise, surprise...she was wrong.)

"You....you're the one that kicked my bird at the trials."

"He's to your left...."Triver said with a dry voice. The crows had remained in the room under the orders that they would be on their best behavior. They bounced around the room picking at the shiny objects they found before depositing them on the table in front of Triver. "No, go over a bit more. There he is."

Inaris giggled lightly. "Someone's as blind as a bat."

Triver looked at his new knights with a pleading 'put me out of my misery' look. He mouthed 'help me' when The crows tried to steal the buttons on his tunic.

The twins were on their feet in one switch motion, knocking the heavy chairs to the floor with a loud noise. They had one hand on their swords, the other across the opposite’s chest. They both caught themselves at the same time, bringing their hands back to protect themselves. Daelyn’s head spun. He wasn’t even sure how this had happened, but the man had a knife. The woman had crows that didn’t look all that threatening, but the look in their eyes scared him. He inched closer to Daryn, until their sides touched. He glanced at Daryn, not surprised to see her face a brilliant shade of red. Even he was afraid of her temper.

Daryn felt her face turning red long before Daelyn saw it. She didn’t enjoy being threatened, especially for something she had simply thought and wasn’t intended to be an insult. The mage had used his power to twist it out of context, and it filled her with a feeling of belittlement. She made herself a mental note to not think around Inaris, who she strongly distrusted. Her hand squeezed the hilt of the sword at her side, ready to draw, but Daelyn was gripping her other hand, his eyes darting around the room in panic. She looked at Triver, who looked a little scared, if not a little aggravated at his mages. Her anger finally reached its boiling point when Ser’deni pointed at her and her brother, trying to figure out who kicked that cursed vulture.

“Your bird was trying to kill us,” Daryn reminded her, almost shouting, “And it would have, had Daelyn not kicked it.” She turned to face Inaris, finally letting go of her sword. “And you! How dare you violate my thoughts like that! You have no idea what harm has come to the two of us at the hand of His Majesty the King. Am I surprised that Prince Triver is not like his father? Yes, but I am also very glad.” She stopped to catch her breath. “Don’t ever let me know you’ve used your power on me again, or the consequences will be heavy.”

“She doesn’t mean that,” Daelyn interjected, his face turning white. He pulled her back, wide eyed.

“Yes, I do. I will not be threatened by the likes of these two.”

“I promise, she will do you no harm.”

Daryn swung around to face him but stopped. His face was calm, a little frightened but calm. She saw the desperation in his blue eyes, eyes that darted back and forth between her and the prince. Letting out a long, slow breath, she turned back to face the three of them. Her hands shook; her face still burned. Yet, she fought her temper, for the sake of her brother and the prince.

It was Daelyn that picked up on the prince mouthing the two of them words. He wasn’t sure what he could do to help him, but he needed to get his sister out of here, before she evoked the wrath of the two mages. The last thing they needed was a fight. As much confidence as he held in Daryn, he knew she would lose that fight.

“Your majesty,” Daelyn said, breaking the silence, “I think my sister needs to air out her temper. Would you like to join the two of us on a walk around the castle? We’ve yet to see the grounds.” He grabbed Daryn’s upper arm, yanking her towards the door. “Ser’deni, I ask for forgiveness for what I did to your companion. I was protecting my own, like you are now.” He turned to the prince a final time, “We will be outside the doorway. If it is okay, you might want to tell your mages to take a leave. I can ensure your safety; my sister is no threat to you.” With that, he yanked Daryn out the door, shutting it behind him.

Daryn turned to glare at him, gritting her teeth. Daelyn rubbed his temple, closing his eyes to her.

Once his knights were on the other side of the door Triver turned towards the mages who were carrying on as if nothing happened. He didn't know how they could simply ignore threats and angry words. He guessed that it came with their jobs or from the battlefield. He guessed that it was a little bit of both.

"I cannot believe you two." Triver said as he rubbed his face.

"Hm?" The two mages looked at the prince before whispering to each other.

"What do you mean?"

"That sort of behavior. You just...you just threatened their lives and now you're acting as if nothing has happened."

Triver could not wrap his head around their strange behavior. Both shrugged, "We were raised to be this way. We are simply tools for the king and nothing more." Inaris said; it wasn't their fault that they had been raised in such a manner. Threats were to mean nothing to them unless they involved the royal line. They were to be mindless machines that the king could use and abuse.

There was something about the easiness with which Inaris spoke those words that made Triver's skin crawl.

"Why don't you go with them? We will know if any harm comes to you." Ser'deni said as she moved closer to the prince. "We are sorry for making you upset but we are not sorry for doing our job." She brought a hand to the prince's face before reaching the top of his head and ruffling his hair. "Run along and play, little prince."

The mages collected a few more bits of food before bowing to the prince and leaving. They passed the twins before making their way down one of the dim corridors. A few moments later Triver exited the room. "I apologize for their behavior." Triver would have bowed but he had always been taught to only bow in the presence of his father. "Now let us see the grounds."

Triver showed the twins where they could train, the special training area for mages, the gardens, stables, blacksmith, and a few other places before settling back into the garden. He wanted to know a bit more about them and the gardens would be the perfect place to ask. He failed to notice a crow sitting in a nearby tree, partially hidden by the leaves. "Come, sit with me." He gestured to the long bench close to one of the fountains. The gardens were extravagant and had been planned by his mother. All of her favorite flowers were in bloom and surely the Queen would be collecting some soon.

"Where are you both from?" Triver was curious about the world outside of the castle walls.



Within the southern tower of the castle, the mages roamed free. This was their territory. They lived within the tower because no one else wanted to live close to them, and the king's chambers were along the southern and most protected side of the castle. Inaris bid farewell to Ser'deni as they neared their rooms. His room was a floor lower than hers. His room was grand compared to some. It was the same size as the others but almost every inch of the room was covered in old texts. Even though the man was blind he had found a way to read by using his magic. But the walls behind the books were decorated in richly colored murals depicting the outdoors. His bed was large and focused in the middle of his room; off to the side there was a simple bath chamber and his room housed several large windows.

He quickly locked the door to his room before opening one of the books on his bed. No one must know that he had that book in his possession.