Passion - By Lauren Kate Page 0,98

It fits. Almost. She folded over the top of the pants so that she could belt them tightly.

Near the water basin, she found a crude mirror of polished tin inside a bamboo frame. In the reflection, Lu Xin's face was disguised by the thick bronze plate of the helmet. Her body looked bulky and strong under the leather armor.

Luce started to walk out of the dressing chamber, back into the bedroom.

Wait! Bill shouted. What are you going to say about the king?

Luce turned to Bill and raised the heavy leather helmet so that he could see her eyes. Im the king now.

Bill blinked, and for once made no attempt at a comeback.

A bolt of strength surged through Luce. Disguising herself as the head of the army was, she realized, exactly what Lu Xin would have done. As a common soldier, of course De would be on the front lines in this battle. And she was going to find him.

The pounding on the door again. King Shang, the Zhou army is advancing. We must request your presence!

I believe there's someone talking to you, King Shang. Bill's voice had changed. It was deep and scratchy and echoed around the room so violently that Luce flinched, but she didn't turn to look at him. She unbolted the heavy bronze handle and opened the thick bamboo door.

Three men in flamboyant red-and-yellow martial robes greeted her anxiously. Instantly, Luce recognized the king's three closest councilors: Hu, with the tiny teeth and narrowed, yellowed eyes. Cui, the tallest one, with broad shoulders and wide-set eyes. Huang, the youngest and kindest on the council.

The king is already dressed for war, Huang said, peering past Luce into the empty chamber quizzically. The king looks ... different.

Luce froze. What to say? She'd never heard the dead king's voice, and she was exceptionally bad at impersonations.

Yes. Hu agreed with Huang. Well rested.

After a deep, relieved sigh, Luce nodded stiffly, careful not to send the helmet tumbling from her head.

The three men gestured for the king--for Luce--to walk down the marble hall. Huang and Hu flanked her, and murmured in low voices about the sad state of morale among the soldiers. Cui walked directly behind Luce, making her uncomfortable.

The palace went on forever--high gabled ceilings, all gleaming white, the same jade and onyx statues at every turn, the same bamboo-framed mirrors on every wall. When finally they crossed the last threshold and stepped into the gray morning, Luce spotted the red wooden chariot in the distance, and her knees nearly buckled under her.

She had to find Daniel in this lifetime, but going into battle terrified her.

At the chariot, the king's council members bowed and kissed her gauntlet. She was grateful for the armored gloves but still pulled back quickly, afraid her grip might give her away. Huang handed her a long spear with a wooden handle and a curved spike a few inches below the spearhead. Your halberd, Majesty.

She nearly dropped the heavy thing.

They will take you to the overlook above the front lines, he said. We will follow behind and meet you there with the cavalry.

Luce turned to the chariot. It was basically a wooden platform atop a long axle connecting two great wooden wheels, drawn by two immense black horses. The carriage was made of shiny lacquered red wood and had space enough for about three people to sit or stand. A leather awning and curtains could be removed during battle, but for now, they hung down, giving the passenger some privacy.

Luce climbed up, passed through the curtains, and took a seat. It was padded with tiger skins. A driver with a thin mustache took the reins, and another soldier with drooping eyes and a battle-ax climbed up to stand at his side. At the crack of a whip, the horses broke into a gallop and she felt the wheels beneath her begin to turn.

As they rolled past the high, austere gates of the palace, sun streamed through pockets of fog onto a great expanse of green farmland to the west. The land was beautiful, but Luce was too nervous to appreciate it.

Bill, she whispered. Help?

No answer. "Bill?"

She peeked outside the curtains, but that only attracted the attention of the droopy-eyed soldier who was supposed to be the king's bodyguard during the journey. Your Majesty, please, for your safety, I must insist. He gestured for Luce to withdraw.

Luce groaned and leaned back against the padded chariot seat. The paved streets of the city must have ended, for the ride