Second Guard (28 page)

“They make it look so easy,” Zarif said with a deep sigh.

Tali patted his knee and nodded. “That’s how I feel when I watch Saraky. He makes hand combat look more like a dance than a brawl. I would have loved to watch him compete
here.”

Chey grinned. “I would pay good coin to watch Jessa take on Jaden in the weapons match. It’s a shame they’re not competing today.”

“The Alcazar centurios do not usually battle at the Clash,” Zarif explained. “Their fellow centurios judge their worth on the pledges they put forth. It was Jaden’s
choice to compete today, not obligation.”

After many rounds, the tournament of horses finally came down to Jaden and a centurio from the Second Guard’s North Camp. Zarif explained the competition to Tali and Chey while they waited
for the track to be cleared. Starting at opposite ends of the arena, the two opponents would rush at each other with no weapons but their own hands and try to unseat one another. Most contestants
simply reached across horses as they passed to pull the other rider off by brute strength. Often, with opponents equal in skill, it took several passes to separate rider from horse. Others used a
swinging fist or foot as a weapon. According to Zarif, Jaden had won the tournament last year by unexpectedly hooking his opponent under the knee and flipping her out of the saddle.

His victory was no less dramatic today. Tali watched with bated breath as Jaden, after a few rushes, pulled another bold move by feinting left with his horse, then quickly reversing to come at
his opponent from behind, shoving him forward with both hands. The blindsided centurio fell off his horse without knowing what hit him. The crowd went mad, even more so when Jaden knelt before
Princess Xiomara instead of the Queen. Tali bit her lip and wondered if Jaden were already consort to Xiomara; it would not be unheard of for the Queen-in-Waiting to have a favored male in her
retinue. The Queen’s face revealed no emotion as she placed the medal around Jaden’s neck, but a long time passed before the frenzied crowd settled back into their seats.

With no break for lunch, servants quickly divided the huge arena into smaller rings for the hand combat tournament. Tali remembered how sore and exhausted she had been after her single battle
the day before, and she wondered how Jaden would be able to keep himself going. Surely he would tire at some point and be defeated. Yet again and again, Jaden felled each of his opponents until the
field had narrowed to Jaden and another centurio.

Tali rubbed her hands on her legs, sweat dripping down her neck as she kept her eyes glued to the battle. Minutes passed like hours as the two battled in the hot afternoon sun. Blow after blow
they traded, one for another. Finally, Jaden grabbed the wrist of his opponent, spun behind him, and tripped him with an extended leg. He stepped on the centurio’s chest and the battle was
over.

Again Jaden dropped to his knee in front of Xiomara instead of Queen Twenty-two. Despite her efforts to quell it, Tali’s chest tightened at the sight. He clearly means everyone to know of
his affection for the princess, Tali thought, though I wonder how the Queen likes it. The delighted crowd chanted Jaden’s name as he rose from the dirt and walked off the arena floor to ready
himself for the final match.

Tali was glad of the honeynuts and dried fruits she and the boys had been given by her trader friends, for the weaponry tournament began immediately. Servants lit torches around the arena as the
sunlight began to wane. Soon the air filled with the clang of metal on metal. The combatants wore full armor for this event and the swords and spears were real, not the wooden practice weapons used
back at the Alcazar or in the earlier exhibition matches. While opponents did not aim to kill, the threat of serious injury kept the crowd on edge with every strike.

Though combatants were allowed three weapons to use at will, Jaden fought each match with only his longsword, taking down each man and woman he faced. Despite the heavy mail worn, the blood ran
freely during this tournament, with several centurios receiving lacerations. Jaden himself sported a nasty cut along his chin, but still he managed to defeat opponents one by one. Before the final
match, Tali saw Jessa take Jaden aside to clean and bandage his chin. With all the talking Jessa did, Tali wondered if she was also giving Jaden some last-minute advice.

This time Jaden’s opponent was a hulking centurio, whom their fellow pledge Rona recognized as a former logger from her hometown of Sogama. Tali shivered as the match began and the huge
Sogaman began swinging a lethal-looking longaxe. But Jaden stayed light on his feet despite his heavy armor, ducking and dodging, making his opponent chase him all over the ring. Jaden’s
wearing him down, realized Tali with admiration. Though Jaden’s bandage slowly turned from bright white to deep red, he kept moving. Tali gripped the edge of her seat, trying to push away
concern for his safety.

The crowd gasped when the logger finally made contact, loosing Jaden’s sword from his hand. The gleaming weapon flew end over end through the air.
Surely Jaden must surrender now.
Instead, he leapt toward the sword, snatched it from the sky as if by magic, and used its downward momentum to counterattack. The resounding crack on the wooden handle of his opponent’s
longaxe brought the crowd to their feet. The broken weapon fell to the arena floor, and the logger threw his hands up in defeat.

The crowd could not contain themselves. Even Tali found herself jumping and cheering. If Jaden is indeed an enemy to the realm, then we are all in deep trouble, she thought. Right now, she
desperately wanted him to be the hero that everyone in the arena believed him to be. Even Chey cheered, swept up in the glorious moment.

After the Queen placed the third medal around Jaden’s neck, she raised her hands to the crowd so they might hear her speak. “How proud you have made the realm today, Centurio
Jaden.”

Tali knew it was customary for Jaden to dedicate his victory to the Queen, and offer the medals back to her. Jaden bowed to Queen Twenty-two, then turned to her cousin. “I dedicate these
medals and my life in service to Princess Xiomara,” he said, then held out his hand to the younger royal. The princess looked both surprised and pleased as she put her hand into his. The
Queen smiled thinly and gave a stiff nod of approval. Yet she does not approve, Tali thought.

As custom dictated, the princess refused to accept the medals, but when Jaden pulled off his sash and fastened it around her slim shoulders, the crowd erupted in cheers once more. Then the
princess stepped forward and kissed Jaden on the cheek and Tali thought the crowd might truly bring the arena down.

It’s as if this entire day has been about romance instead of battle, Tali thought, grinning at the boys yelling next to her. One beautiful girl and everyone loses their senses.

After three days of waiting for an audience with Xiomara, they were finally summoned to the great tent complex that evening. Foolish to think we’d be shuffled right
inside, thought Tali, sipping a bit of sweetwater, another gift from one of her father’s friends. Zarif and Chey, content to relive every moment of the day, dissecting the performance of each
centurio and judging the moves that brought Jaden to his wins, sat on a wooden bench nearby. Tali paced impatiently, anxious to have this last task over, and more than ready to head back to
ordinary days at the Alcazar. I’ve changed, she thought, shaking her head at her own feelings. It was not so long ago that I would’ve been eager to celebrate until morning. Now all I
long for is a peaceful evening around Saavedra’s fire and falling into an early bed.

“You agree with me, right, Tali?” Chey asked, interrupting her daydreams.

“Agree with what?”

“That Jaden had an unfair advantage, having grown up…”

“…in the Guard itself,” Zarif finished for Chey. “I say it matters not at all. He’s the finest warrior in the realm. How he became so makes no difference. In fact,
his young age makes his achievements even more impressive. He’s still the youngest centurio of them all at age nineteen, and the only warrior ever named a centurio a year out of Second Guard
training.”

“His father is Commander of the Guard!” Chey cried. “You don’t think that had anything to do with it? Tali, talk some sense into our friend.”

Tali shrugged. “I think you’re both right in a way. Jaden certainly had more training as a child than any one of us, and a father who made sure of it. But even so, Jaden fought his
own battles today. You cannot deny that he has more than proven his worth as a centurio, Chey.”

Chey nodded reluctantly. “True. He’s a formidable warrior, that much is so.”

Zarif was about to comment when a royal guard appeared from the flaps of a nearby tent.

“Her Royal Highness shall see you now.”

Tali and Zarif poured out what was left of the sweetwater in their cups, but Chey carefully perched his own cup on top of a stone to retrieve later.

Inside, the fabric structure proved much larger and more lavish than Tali had ever dreamt a tent could be. At least ten times the size of the pledge tent they’d shared with six others,
this one had been fully furnished. Expensive Arabite rugs covered the ground, and swaths of dyed silk draped the walls and ceiling. A lovely arrangement of flowers sat in the middle of an ebony
table, and an expensive Cipanese tea service waited for duty. On a throne of inlaid wood sat the princess herself. She looked even more radiant up close than she had in the arena.

“Your Highness, I present Zarif Baz Hasan, Chey Maconde, and Talimendra Sanchez, pledges of the Alcazar.”

As the trio knelt before her, the princess stood and bid them rise, then offered her hand to each of them in turn. She had changed from her gown at the match and now wore a simple yet elegant
dress made of white linen.

“My sentry tells me you sought audience with the Queen’s Key?” the princess asked, her voice soft and melodic, though her sharp eyes observed them with curiosity.

Tali stepped forward and held out the letter stamped with Saavedra’s seal. “We bring a message from Manuel de Saavedra, Your Highness. He wished us to deliver it to you
directly.”

“I see,” said the princess, her expression neutral, though Tali thought she detected a glimmer of surprise in her eyes, perhaps even a flash of worry. “It is kind of you to do
so,” the princess continued, taking the letter. “If you’ll excuse me one moment, I should like to read it.”

Before Tali could respond, Chey answered instead. “Of course, Your Highness,” he said, his cheeks slightly pink.

As the princess turned to walk toward her desk, Tali raised an eyebrow at her Earth Guild friend, who grinned sheepishly and shrugged.

Though she knew she shouldn’t, Tali couldn’t resist peeking over at the princess, who opened the red wax seal with a delicate bone tool and unfolded the letter. Her face seemed to
cloud over for a brief moment and then, just as quickly, became a mask of perfect composure once more.

“You must be friends of Saavedra if he entrusted you with his correspondence,” said the princess with a smile, gesturing for them to take seats around the ebony table.

Now Zarif decided to chime in. “Yes, Your Highness, the three of us, along with another, Brindl, study with Saavedra in his aviary quarters at the Alcazar.”

“
Aviary
quarters? Whatever do you meet there for?” the princess asked, addressing the question to Tali.

Tali paused, unsure how to respond. Did the princess not know about Saavedra’s new position? The air suddenly seemed quite thick and awkward. Tali was still trying to form an answer when
Chey did so for her.

“Saavedra’s the pigeonkeep for the Alcazar, Your Highness.”

The princess shook her head, as if trying to make sense of this news. “I knew the Queen sent him to the Alcazar, but I assumed he would be counseling Telendor, not tending birds. You say
you spend your evenings in Saavedra’s company?” she asked.

“Yes, after our day of training we join him and his apprentice, Brindl, for tea and conversation,” Tali said.

“We have learned much from him,” added Zarif. “He must have been an excellent tutor to Your Highness.”

“Indeed,” agreed the princess, her eyes brushing across them. “You do know he was a great warrior of Castille, do you not?” she asked, waving her hand at a servant in the
corner, who bustled over and poured four servings of tea in hand-painted cups.

“He told us only that he was a soldier,” Zarif answered.

“I thought much the same, until a visiting Castillian emissary told me the truth.” The princess stopped to take a sip of tea, her manicured hands gently cradling the cup. Tali looked
down at her own ragged fingernails and tucked her hands beneath her, ashamed suddenly of her unkempt appearance. Six days of camping and battle practice had taken their toll on her clothes and
hair, not to mention her bruised skin, which looked like she’d painted herself in blues, greens, and yellows.

“What
is
the truth about Saavedra, if I may ask?” said Zarif, adding a spoonful of cane sugar to the deep red tea in his cup. “He reveals little of his past to us, and
we should like to know more.”

The princess smiled. “I understand your curiosity,” she said, passing him a plate of lemon slices. “Saavedra’s sense of honor forbids him to boast, but I shall do it for
him. When our friend was but a young man, he fought heroically in Algeron during the Sand Wars with Araby. Unfortunately, the tide turned against the Castillian forces and Saavedra was taken
prisoner for several years in Algeron City. Three times he helped fellow prisoners escape, a crime punishable by death. Yet Saavedra never lost his life, because the Sand Warden enjoyed his company
so much. In fact, the Sand Warden, delighted by Saavedra’s wisdom and wit, eventually declared Saavedra his personal librarian and archivist, ‘inviting’ him to all of his
diplomatic meals and functions. When the Sand Wars were finally over and the king of Castille sent emissaries to ransom the prisoners back, the Sand Warden would accept no money for Saavedra, and
instead sent him home with a chest of gold. Saavedra returned to Castille and used the gold to build a university in his hometown of Selona.”