his bow. She had barely been strong enough to draw it but was soon hitting the target. Fyn had never once told her she couldn't do something because she was small and female. And she hadn't ridiculed him when he asked if he could use her paints. She still had the watercolour he had done of Rolenhold with Lake Sapphire reflecting the castle's golden onion domes like a mirror. No, Fyn wasn't like the others.
And now, because of her, he wouldn't be a mystic.
Tears burned her eyes. Wiping her face on her sleeve, she turned towards Rolenton. She had to find Fyn and apologise. She wouldn't be happy until everything was right between them.
Reaching the island's shore, she strapped on her skates and looked across the lake to Rolenton. Just then the bell tower's song rang out. Piro cursed roundly, using words the stable boys used when they thought she wasn't listening.
She'd forgotten her parents' big announcement!
Byren looked about for a weapon, anything to divert the attacker from his twin. Nothing.
The door to the stairwell swung open and Fyn stood there, saffron robe gleaming in the dimness. His eyes widened as he took in the situation.
Seeing one of Halcyon's renowned warrior monks, the swordsmen collected their wounded companion and backed out the far door, blades raised defiantly.
Lence cursed. 'They're getting away!'
'Let them,' Byren snapped. 'In case you hadn't noticed, they're the ones with swords!'
Fyn stepped inside and let his door swing shut behind him. 'What's going on? Are you all right?'
'I'm fine,' Byren said. 'What about you, Lence?'
He rubbed his head. 'I can't believe that pretty little serving maid set me up.'
'I can't believe someone made an attempt on your life in our own home town,' Byren whispered.
'Who?' Fyn asked.
'One of the warlords.' Lence lifted the cloak for Byren to see. It hung from his fingers supple and rich, feathers as fine as fur. Cockatrice cloak. Too expensive for any but a nobleman or a wealthy merchant, or...
'A warrior from Cockatrice Spar?' Fyn guessed.
'Too easy,' Byren muttered. 'And there's no reason for that warlord to turn on us.'
'Agreed.' Lence rubbed his jaw. 'Besides, he'd never be fool enough to send his own men.'
'Are you saying someone set him up? Another of the warlords?' Fyn muttered. 'But they are all here to renew their oaths of allegiance.'
'Not all of them,' Lence countered. 'The Unistag warlord is missing.'
'His successors can't decide -' Byren began to explain.
'They could have heard a rumour about the betrothal,' Lence said, thinking aloud.
Fyn looked confused.
'We've been keeping the warlords in line with Lence as bait, a possible alliance with one of their daughters, you see. Now that he's getting married...' Byren shrugged.
'Married?' Fyn mouthed, glancing to Lence.
'Don't you dare congratulate me!' he warned.
Byren grinned. 'We'd be in trouble if the warlords ever stopped fighting amongst themselves long enough to unite against us!'
Fyn's eyes widened. 'But father is their king.'
Lence sent him a withering look. 'What do they teach you at the abbey?'
Fyn flinched.
'The spars make poor farmland. The warlords are constantly looking to expand their territory and Rolencia is the richest prize. They're always sniffing around, looking for weakness in each other or us,' Byren explained. 'Killing King Rolen's heir would make one of them look strong to the other warlords. It might be enough to unite them against us.'
'Why now?' Fyn asked.
'The balance of power is about to change,' Byren said, 'Lence is to be betrothed to the Merofynian kingsdaughter.'
'Buck teeth for sure,' Lence muttered, shaking his head.
Byren grinned, glad Lence was back to normal, even if it had taken an assassination attempt to cheer him up.
'I don't understand,' Fyn protested. 'Why does Lence have to marry a girl from the Merofynian royal family? We haven't had trouble from them since before mother and father -'
'No. But...' Byren glanced to Lence. He was being no help. 'But when mother's younger brother, King Sefon, died in mysterious circumstances -'
'He fell off his horse while hunting,' Fyn corrected.
'They found him with a broken neck in the forest and his horse walked back to the stables,' Byren countered. 'That was just over seven years ago. His death made mother the rightful heir to Merofynia. While Merofynia was having its war of succession, father could have invaded and claimed the crown in her name. We didn't and mother's cousin became king. King Merofyn the Sixth has no love for Rolencia but he does have a daughter. Marriage between second cousins, Lence and the kingsdaughter, will cement a shaky peace.'
'But why