Flames in the Dusk

Kaida moved across the sloping clay tiles of the palace roof. The night wind bit at her exposed skin, carrying the scent of damp earth and distant woodsmoke. She crouched low against the incline, blending her silhouette into the deep, bruising purple of the night sky. The massive estate stretched out below her, a labyrinth of shadows and secrets. She crept toward the western wing, keeping her footsteps light. It took little effort to slip past the outer patrols. The guards at the Dusk Palace walked their routes with sluggish steps, their eyes cast downward, bored and inattentive. Their lack of discipline made her question the kingdom's security, but that was a problem for another night. Right now, she had a mission to complete.

Across the compound, King Darius strode down the torchlit corridors, his jaw set in a hard line. A messenger had intercepted him near the armory with news that his new queen had locked herself inside her chambers, refusing to see anyone. He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a headache bloom behind his eyes. He wanted nothing to do with the woman. He preferred to leave her to her isolation. But the ministers were vultures. If word reached them that the queen was throwing a tantrum and the king did nothing, they would swarm him. They would corner him in the throne room, bickering and lecturing him about royal duty and appearances for the hundredth time. He refused to give them the satisfaction. With a sharp exhale, he changed his course and headed toward the Crown Palace to demand an explanation for her unreasonable behavior.

Tessa caught wind of the king's approach from a breathless kitchen boy. Panic flared in her chest. Kaida was gone. If the king breached the bedchamber, the entire operation would collapse. Tessa grabbed the shoulders of the nearest maidservant. She ordered the staff to bar the doors and deny the king entry under the strict orders of the grieving queen. She did not wait to see if they obeyed. Tessa hiked up her skirts and sprinted toward the Dusk Palace. Her leather shoes slapped against the stone pathways. Her lungs burned, drawing in ragged gasps of the cool night air, but she did not slow her pace. She reached the perimeter of the Dusk Palace and ducked behind a stone pillar. She scanned the courtyard. Shadows pooled in the corners, but she saw no sign of Kaida.

Tessa needed to act. She reached up and pulled the long red ribbon from her braids. She stepped out from the pillar, raising the ribbon high above her head. She waved the crimson silk in wide, sweeping arcs, hoping the color would catch the moonlight. A guard patrolling near the armory paused, turning his head toward her. Tessa’s heart hammered against her ribs. To mask the warning signal, she threw her head back, spun on her heels, and began to dance. She kicked her legs, swayed her hips, and flailed her arms, moving with erratic, chaotic energy. She leaped and twirled, acting as if she had lost her mind to the night.

From her vantage point on the roof, Kaida spotted the movement. She frowned, watching the maidservant spin in circles in the dirt courtyard. Her first thought was that a palace servant had snapped under the pressure. She shook her head, turning her attention back to the target building below. But then she noticed the dark red sash wrapped tightly around the dancer’s waist. Kaida paused. Tessa was the only maid wearing a red sash that day. She squinted through the gloom, watching the ribbon carve frantic arcs in the air. A warning. The king was coming.

Kaida could not afford to abort the mission. Delaying meant giving the culprit time to move the contraband. She needed to force the issue tonight. She needed a distraction large enough to draw the king and his guards directly to this spot.

"Thanks for the warning," Kaida muttered under her breath.

She slid down the slope of the roof and dropped to the ground, her boots landing without a sound. She darted toward a decorative stone lantern lighting the pathway. She drew her dagger, sliced a long strip of cloth from the hem of her inner tunic, and held it to the flame. The fabric caught instantly. She ran to the heavy wooden walls of the storage house and tossed the burning cloth against the dry timber at the base. The wood, old and brittle, accepted the spark. Flames crawled up the side of the building, chewing through the planks. In seconds, the fire roared to life, casting a bright, violent orange blaze across the courtyard. Thick black smoke billowed into the sky, choking the air and lighting up half of the Dusk Palace grounds.

Shouts rang out. Boots pounded against the stone pavement. Guards rushed into the courtyard from every direction. Minister Voss burst through the line of soldiers, his face flushed, his chest heaving.

"No, no, no!" Voss shrieked. He threw his hands toward the burning building, his voice cracking with despair.

He had come to inspect his secret collection, only to find it going up in smoke. The weapons he had spent months acquiring in the shadows, stockpiling for his treasonous plans, were trapped inside. The guards believed this building held winter firewood. If the flames breached the inner crates, his illegal armory would be exposed to the entire palace.

Ignoring the heat, Kaida slipped past the roaring flames near the entrance. She grabbed the iron handle of a heavy wooden crate packed with raw gunpowder and dragged it out into the dirt courtyard. She could not let the fire reach it, or the resulting explosion would level the entire wing. She positioned herself over the crate, ready to spill its contents and unveil the minister's crime.

A dozen royal soldiers broke through the smoke, weapons drawn. They formed a tight ring around her, the tips of their spears pointed at her chest.

"A spy!" Minister Voss bellowed, spit flying from his lips. "She is definitely a spy! Do not let her get away! Kill her!"

Voss’s face was purple with rage. Kaida did not flinch. She kicked the iron latch on the crate and kicked the lid open. Black gunpowder spilled over the edges, pooling on the dirt.

Voss’s voice died in his throat. The color drained from his face, leaving him a sickly, pale white. He stared at the powder. Kaida reached into her belt and pulled out the scroll she had secured from the Umbra. It contained the meticulous ledger of the stolen weapons, complete with Voss’s signature and the seals of the black-market merchants.

Before the soldiers could tighten the circle, Kaida flipped the heavy crate over. The gunpowder scattered in a massive dark cloud across the ground, undeniable proof of military contraband. She snapped her wrist, throwing the scroll directly at the feet of the advancing guards. The parchment unrolled across the dirt, displaying the damning names.

"Do not let anyone leave the premises!" a commanding voice echoed over the crackle of the fire.

King Darius stepped into the orange glow. He held his broadsword drawn, the steel reflecting the flames. His dark eyes locked onto Kaida, staring hard at the black cloth mask covering her face. He had rushed over at the report of a fire, expecting an accident or a servant’s careless mistake. Finding a masked infiltrator standing over evidence of high treason sent a jolt of adrenaline through his veins.

Kaida assessed the courtyard. She had exposed the storage contents. Voss was frozen in terror, and the king was here to witness it all. Her job was done. Now, she needed to vanish.

She bolted to her right, aiming for a gap in the soldiers’ formation, desperate to avoid crossing blades with Darius. A guard lunged at her, swinging his sword in a wide arc. Kaida drew her own blade. She stepped inside his guard, brought her steel up to block his strike with a sharp clang, and dropped low. She swept her right leg across the dirt in a brutal arc. Her boot slammed into his ankles, sweeping his legs out from under him. He crashed onto his back, gasping for air.

Another soldier charged, thrusting his spear toward her ribs. Kaida pivoted on her heel, dodging the strike. She swung her sword hard, catching the hilt of his weapon with the flat of her blade. She twisted her wrist, leveraging his momentum to rip the weapon from his hands. It clattered against the stone wall. She sheathed her sword in one fluid motion, stepped forward, and launched a high, spinning kick. Her boot connected with the side of his helmet. The soldier’s eyes rolled back, and he dropped unconscious to the dirt.

She moved with calculated precision, refusing to draw blood. If she inflicted lethal wounds on the royal guard, she would be branded a true enemy of the crown. A treason charge would make her future movements within the palace impossible.

She turned to sprint for the exit, but her boots skidded to a halt. King Darius stood in her path, his stance wide, his sword raised in a flawless guard position. He wanted to take her on himself. Kaida felt a cold sweat prickle the back of her neck. Darius was a warlord, a man who had conquered nations with a blade in his hand. If she crossed swords with him, she would have to use every ounce of her skill just to survive. Doing so would expose her combat style, and ultimately, her identity. If he unmasked her here, he would execute her on the spot.

Kaida spun on her heel and sprinted in the opposite direction. She darted down a narrow, pitch-black alleyway that cut between the servant quarters. Boots pounded the dirt behind her as the soldiers gave chase. She reached the end of the alley, leaped, and grabbed the edge of the stone wall. She hauled herself up, rolled over the parapet, and scrambled back onto the clay tiles of the roof. She flattened herself against the slope, holding her breath as the soldiers ran past the alley below, their torches casting wild shadows.

Trained for moments like this, Kaida regulated her breathing, let the adrenaline fade, and navigated the rooftops back to the Crown Palace. She slipped through her bedroom window, landing softly on the plush carpet, entirely unscathed.

A moment later, the heavy oak doors to her chamber slid open a fraction. Tessa slipped inside, shutting and bolting the doors behind her. The maid was panting, her face flushed red from her sprint back from the Dusk Palace.

"Your Highness, I apologize, but I must enter to check on you," Tessa whispered, rushing across the room.

She reached Kaida and immediately began unbuckling the leather combat harness, helping her strip off the dark gear before any real guards came knocking to check on the queen.

"You didn't get wounded, did you?" Tessa asked, her hands running over Kaida’s arms, checking for blood.

"No worries, not a single scratch can be found on me," Kaida replied, stepping out of the leather pants. She pulled a silk nightgown over her head. It was a massive relief. Darius was sharp. If she carried a bruise or a cut tomorrow, he would notice.

Once settled in bed, sleep eluded Kaida. She stared at the canopy, her mind racing. She wondered if Darius had thrown Voss in the dungeons. If the king failed to act, she would have to find a way to take the minister’s head herself. She lay in the dark, forcing herself to remain hidden and play the part of the grieving, isolated queen.

The next morning, sunlight flooded the queen's chambers. Kaida sat at her vanity, wrapped in a thin robe, while Tessa stood behind her, brushing her long dark hair. Two other maidservants arranged her dresses on the bed.

Without warning, the heavy double doors slammed open, bouncing off the stone walls.

King Darius barged into the room, his boots striking the floor with heavy, aggressive thuds. Four armored soldiers marched in behind him. Kaida gasped, snatching a sheer silk veil from the vanity and pinning it hastily over her face to hide her features.

"Take the queen's head maidservant," Darius commanded, his voice echoing in the chamber. He pointed a gloved finger at Tessa. "Take her for investigation."

The two soldiers stepped forward, grabbed Tessa by the arms, and hauled her away from the vanity. Tessa cried out, struggling against their iron grips.

Kaida jumped to her feet. She stepped into the path of the soldiers, holding up a hand to block them from reaching the door.

"Your Majesty, may I know why you are taking away my maidservant?" Kaida asked, keeping her voice level and polite.

Darius did not break his stride. He reached out, grabbed Kaida’s forearm, and pulled her roughly to the side, clearing the path for his men.

"Your Majesty, please!" Tessa pleaded, her heels dragging against the carpet as the soldiers hauled her toward the hallway. "I have done nothing wrong! Spare me!"

Darius ignored the maid's cries. He looked down at Kaida. "She is a suspect in last night's incident," he stated coldly. "So we need to investigate."

He turned on his heel and strode out of the room, leaving Kaida standing by the vanity.

Kaida moved in a blur. She threw off her light robe and commanded the remaining maids to help her into a formal dress. She had to catch them before they put Tessa to the torture devices. Tessa was her only ally, the only person she trusted within these walls. If she lost Tessa, she would lose her anchor in this enemy territory.

Securing her veil in place, Kaida ran through the palace corridors, following the path toward the Vanguard's Hall, the stone fortress where the military conducted their interrogations. As she approached the heavy arched entrance, a sharp cry echoed from within, wrenching Kaida’s chest.

She burst through the doorway and scanned the cold stone room. Tessa was strung up in the center of the hall. Thick ropes bound her wrists, her hands pulled high above her head, her toes barely scraping the floor. Tessa sobbed, her chest heaving. A thin line of fresh, bright blood stained her porcelain cheek, dripping from a harsh bruise near her eye.

Kaida ran across the room. She did not hesitate. She dropped to her knees on the hard stone right beside Tessa. She leaned forward, pressing her forehead flat against the cold, filthy floor, bowing in total submission.

"Your Majesty, my maidservant did nothing wrong," Kaida begged, her voice trembling, laced with manufactured desperation. "I ask for your mercy. Please, let her go."

She knew the king held absolute authority here. If she showed pride or defiance, Tessa would pay the price. She swallowed her pride, allowing herself to look weak, pathetic, and broken, all to save her subordinate’s life.

"Your Highness," Tessa sobbed, her tears mixing with the blood on her cheek. "I am fine. You do not need to worry about me."

Kaida kept her forehead pressed to the stone. She did not believe a word Tessa said.

Boot steps echoed on the stone floor. King Darius walked slowly toward them. He stopped right in front of Kaida. He drew his sword an inch from its scabbard, then used the metal tip of the sheath to lift Kaida’s chin, forcing her to look up.

"She was seen in the Dusk Palace before the fire broke out," Darius said, his eyes narrowing. "The soldiers witnessed her doing some kind of dance. I think it was a signal for someone. Yet here you are, on your knees, begging for her life."

Darius lowered his sword and dropped to one knee, bringing his face level with hers. The urge to reach out and rip the veil from her face clawed at his chest. He wanted to see her expression, to read the truth in her eyes. He clenched his jaw and forced his hand to remain at his side, suppressing the impulse.

"Could it be that you have something to do with the incident?" Darius asked, his tone lethal. "Are you working with Minister Voss? Gathering weapons to commit treason against the crown?"

"No, Your Majesty," Kaida answered, her voice soft and shaky. "I would not dare go against you. Tessa is the person I am closest with inside this palace. She is my comfort. As for her presence at the Dusk Palace, it was I who sent her there. She angered me yesterday, and I ordered her to go to the courtyard and dance as a punishment."

Kaida prayed he would take the bait. She watched his face through the sheer fabric of her veil. His expression remained stoic, unreadable, carved from stone. The lie had not landed. She needed to dig deeper. She needed to hit a nerve.

"Your Majesty, let me be so bold as to say what I have in my heart," Kaida said, letting a tear slip down her cheek. "You decided to be with your concubine instead of me. You left me alone on our wedding night. I felt so much loneliness, so much humiliation upon entering this new place. I have nothing here. I beg your mercy. Do not take away the only comfort I have left."

She lowered her chin and bowed her head to the stone once more. Beneath the veil, her eyes hardened, shooting invisible daggers at the floor. Darius was infuriating, the hardest target she had ever tried to manipulate.

The words struck Darius like a physical blow. He lost his train of thought, staring at the woman groveling at his feet. The weight of his own actions crashed down on him. He had ignored her. He had abandoned her on the night they were wed, refusing to even look at her face out of anger toward the plotting ministers and out of his twisted consideration for Lady Daphne. He had left a young woman isolated in a den of vipers.

Darius stood up on both feet. He turned his back on her, unable to look at her trembling shoulders.

"Release the maidservant," he commanded, his voice tight.

He walked away, his boots echoing in the large hall. As he neared the exit, he paused and stole a glance over his shoulder at the queen’s covered face. He had no romantic interest in her, but a seed of deep, burning curiosity took root in his chest. He wanted to know what she looked like. He wanted to know who she actually was behind the silk and the tears.

He forced his gaze forward and focused on the captain of the guard waiting by the door.

"Have you found that spy yet?" Darius asked.

"We are still looking for her, Your Majesty," the soldier replied, bowing his head.

Darius nodded once. He reached into his coat and pulled out the scroll he had recovered from the dirt. He stared at the parchment, tracing the names of the merchants and Voss’s clear signature. The evidence was flawless. The masked woman had handed him a traitor, gift-wrapped in fire. He stared at the scroll, left wondering if the elusive spy from the flames was an ally to his throne, or a dangerous, calculating enemy playing a game he had yet to understand.