So, I originally wrote this as an English assignment. I was, and still am, in love with the queen's thief series, and wish it was mine. Unfortunately, they belong to Meagan Whalen Turner, all except the character who's POV this is. Enjoy!
The key rattled in the lock. My eyes snapped open.
"They can't know. They can't know". I repeated this chant, trying to believe it .But they could know and they did.
How they knew I had know idea. I'd done everything right. I came in disguised as a servant and had slipped away at the first possible moment when no one would notice anything.
The key rattled again, waking me up from my reverie. I slipped into the closet of the room I was staying in, the linen room, and opened the small sliding panel to reveal a dark tunnel in the floor of the king's palace.
I slipped inside and noiselessly slid the panel back into place disappearing under the floor.
Several hours later when I finally deemed it safe to come out of that tunnel, I emerged into the kitchen. I found my way down the hallway, keeping my head down. I slipped into the throne room, to cut across to the window.
Big mistake! There were guards inside, staring at the door waiting for me, I suppose. I spun around and ran out. I could hear the guards chasing me down the corridor. The chain around my neck came loose and bounced on my shirt. I tucked it back in as I ran. I saw my chance for escape,a small open window. Ice cold fear ran through my heart as I jumped out the opening.
On the way down I grabbed one of the vines snaking up the wall… Pain tore through my shoulder, waking me from my dream.
I turned to my companion rubbing my shoulder and shaking off the memory of the dream. I glared at the lounging figure under the tree." Very funny" I snapped, referring to the dream he had just sent me. "Next time send an armed, fire breathing dragon, why don't you?"
Eugenides opened his eyes slowly" I don't know what your talking" about he said innocently, too innocently if you ask me. I leaned over and smacked his head. He grabbed my wrist and pulled me down "you really shouldn't have done that" he warned, and he slung me over his shoulders. I beat on his chest, laughingly until he put me down. "Gen, please bear with me for only a few more days" he said.
"No!" I replied, "God of thieves or not you are going home, I don't care how powerful you are, I'm not dealing with this much longer".
I turned to put out the camp fire, we were in a small clearing in the middle of the Sounisian side of the Irks Forest, and found that he had already done that chore. I turned to look at him, in the dim morning light the feather shaped scar on his right cheek was even more faint than normal.
"If you want to earn your scar I have to watch your progress" he said not looking at me, referring to his sign of approval, a scar like his. "You can watch from the mountain like all the other gods", I snapped. "There's no need to guard me like a golden calf". He grinned slyly, "we'll see" was all had had to say.
I gave up for the time being, I knew there was no way I could win this. Instead I looked around the camp; there was no more food. We would have to get some at the next town we passed.
Suddenly I felt a tug at my neck and my hand jumped to the chain there, but it was to late the charm was already gone.
I whirled around to face him, "That's it", I said with, barely contained anger, "you're going home now. Give that back to me and scram". He looked at my face and his grin disappeared, "Sorry" he muttered and handed it back. "Thank you" I replied and kept on walking.
We walked for another few hours until we reached a small town. "I'll go and get the food" I said, "You stay here and guard the rest of our stuff". Eugenides agreed and I went on my way.
As slipped into town with just my rucksack on my back, I thought about how I must look. I was wearing my thief garb-trousers and a tunic. My pants were light grey and tunic was light blue. They had fine tailoring, they were my father's old clothes cut down for me. I sent up a habitual prayer to the god of thieves, Eugenides that no one would notice. I needn't have worried. My pants were so dirty from sleeping on the ground that unless they looked closely they shouldn't notice anything out of the ordinary.
My shoulder length brown hair was tucked under a cap. My hair was always a point of question in my household; both my mother and father's hair was black. It wasn't until my father pointed out his mother's hair had been brown that everyone stopped wondering if I was illegitimate.
My eyes were dark brown almost black and my coloring was dark too. That was unsurprising since my father was from the mountain country of Eddis. In short I looked like the boy I was, or pretending to be anyway. In fact I was nothing of the sort.
The rattle of rusty cart wheels on a pitted dirt road reminded me of my job. I walked up to the fruit and vegetable stand and the lady in charge for selling things was distracted by a woman holding a baby. I spirited a handful of figs and olives into my bag an moved on.
Next I visited the bread, cheese and meat pie stands. On the last one the customer talking to the vender was a guard from the king's palace. I bumped into him by mistake and he turned to look at me. I spun on my heels and ran as he gave a shout and alerted the squad of my presence. He then ran after me with his fellows.
I ran down the street and into a wall, the wall was the old kind with clay bricks protruding from it in a sort of ladder. I climbed them quickly; I ran across the roof and was faced with a four storey drop. "Oh Gods" I swore, but there was no time. The guards were already coming over the opposite side of the roof. I ran to the right side took a few steps back and flung myself over the edge. I landed on the next roof down and ran diagonally across it. The uneven slope made it hard to keep my balance with my still recovering knees. Two storeys is still a long way to fall after all. I jumped again, this time on to the hill gently sloping up the side of the building. I melted into the trees just as the soldiers came into view on that side of the upper roof.
Quickly, but as quietly as I could, I ran backwards deeper into the woods. A few minutes later I bumped into something hard and breathing. My hand flew to the six inch silver dagger in my boot. As I turned to face the creature behind me I started to crouch defensively. I turned to face Eugneides looking on in amusement. "Don't do that" I gasped from shock. He said nothing, only held out a hand for the food. As I handed it over he nodded thank-you. I rolled my eyes, but followed. What else could I do? I had no idea where we were going.
After several hours of walking in silence Eugenides spoke" I saw that jump by the way. Good job." I was surprised, in all our months together this was the only compliment I had gotten.
"Eugenides" I ventured several more hours later "What's bothering you?" He turned to face me "Nothing it's just…"he seemed hesitant which was odd for him "You know you don't have to send up prayers anymore right?" His voice changed, it became more urgent "I watch over you anyway. I will always watch over you." My surprise must have shown on my face because he cracked a grin and walked on.
We continued for several more days just walking. Eventually we came to the Attolian border. Eugenides turned to me.
"I'll be seeing you then, Gen." I was surprised. "You're leaving so soon?" I asked, sadder then I had thought I would be. Now it was his turn to look surprised, but before he could say anything there came a yell.
We turned to see a garrison of 20 men of the king's guard running towards us, blades open and glinting in the summer sun. I wasn't sure why but assumed they didn't recognize me. As I pulled out my knife, and for the second time in as many days struck a defensive pose, Euenides melted away, he wasn't supposed to concern himself with mortals.
When the leader at the head of the pack reached me I twisted my knife closed to the blade and made him drop his sword. Then I hit him hard on the neck, he dropped to the ground unconscious. As the rest of them attacked I chopped two on the arm and a burly man somewhat resembling a bear slipped under it and cleanly drove his sword into my stomach.
My hand flew to my shirt and I felt the blood, hot and sticky, pooling there. My last thought, as consciousness left my body, was "These men trained under my father."
The light hurt my eyes and my father's voice filled my ears. I was somewhere in the king's prison. "Hello little thief" he sounded amused. The fact that he addressed me told me he didn't recognize me. "They told me you put up a good fight. I really don't believe them. Care to explain for yourself?" He meant how a commoner like me could fight so well. His voice was menacing and I winced imagining the look on his face, but replied "No. Go away."
I felt a hand smack me across the face and heard the sound my skull made as it hit the stone floor as pain erupted throughout my body. "Show some respect gutter scum" the captain of the Kings private guard snarled at me.
I turned my face towards the light and opened my eyes never once taking them of the King of Attolias face. With one hand I freed my hair from its cap and tossed the cap on the floor. I heard the gasps of shock as I stood up and every one recognized me for who I truly was.
I unhooked the chain from around it and pulled the charm off, I slid the King Of Sounis' seal ring on to the hook in place of the kings right hand. Even this small effort exhausted me. But there was a satisfied smile on my face as my knees wobbled weakly and I fell forward, my vision slowly going black. The last thing I remember is my father catching me with his one remaining hand.
A week later I was sitting in bed with both my mother and father on either side of me, as I told the how I stole the kings' seal ring. By giving it directly to them I had made them not only King and Queen of Attolia but of Sounis as well.
I didn't tell them about Eugenides and my conversation in the woods after I stole the food. I wasn't ready to talk about it yet. I still missed him like crazy and hoped to see him, soon. I didn't say this either.
That night as I got up to get a drink; I tripped on the way back in bed shattering the glass I was holding. A piece bounced off the floor and hit my cheek making a small cut. As I felt it through the blood I was almost certain that I would heal in the shape of a small feather.
I would like to remind the reader that I am writing the sequel to another book series. All of the characters were borrowed with the exception of Gen and a few of the guards. As well as the places, excepting the small town and the campsite. A few of the scenarios are similar to others in past books but I feel I have made most of it my own creation. Most of the credit lies with Meghan Whalen Turner and her 'Queens Thief' Series. Thank-you.
The Ring
Katie Newhook 8-3