The two girls stood staring at the palace door. They were mirror images of each other. Both with black eyes, both with jet black hair. The left one's bangs fell over her left eye, the right one's over her right eye.

"Now or never Ro-zu," The left twin said.

Ro-zu sighed, "I suppose your right Yuri. I just wish we didn't have to do it."

"I know…but we don't have enough money for anything else. If we stay out here we'll starve," Yuri looked at her twin. "Come on Ro-zu. We don't have another choice."

Ro-zu nodded, "let's go before I chicken out."

Yuri grabbed her twin's hand, "we're in this together sis."

They walked into the palace of King Randa. No one stopped them, although the guards occasionally gave them odd looks but they let them pass. And when they asked for an audience with the king, they were accepted.

When they entered the throne room Randa was sitting on his throne, surrounded by guards. He leaned forward and asked, "Why did you request an audience with the king?"

"We thought we could be of service my lord, we are looking for jobs," Yuri, the bolder of the two answered.

"You came here looking for a job! You could have gone to the kitchens for that!" he thundered.

"Not that kind of job my king," Yuri seemed annoyed.

"Then what kind of job then?" Randa hissed.

As if on cue both girls reached up and swept back their hair.

It seemed as if everyone in the court gasped simultaneously. Their eyes were white. One white and one black for each of them.

"I think you know what we mean King Randa," Yuri fixed the king in her gaze. "Do we have a deal?"

Ro-zu

I held my breath as I waited for Randa's response. He kept looking back and forth between us. I could tell Yuri was holding back a grin. She liked to be in charge.

"What are your powers?" Randa asked when he finally found his voice.

Yuri's grin widened, "would you like us to tell you or show you?"

I groaned inwardly. Yuri likes to practice against other gracelings and I could see at least three in Randa's guard. I stretched out my mind experimentally; at least five gracelings were in the guard. The three I could see and two archers in the shadows.

"How do you propose to show me?" Randa seemed much more curious than before.

"Every graced fighter you have against us," great, she really wanted to push our limits.

I personally don't like fighting. Which is part of the reason I didn't want to come to Randa's in the first place.

"I only have three graced fighters on duty at the moment, how about I throw some normal fighters in? They may not be graced but they are good. Then again I have my doubts that two girls can take on my best fighters," Randa baited Yuri.

"Just give me a scythe and I'll take on as many as you like," Yuri countered.

"A scythe? That is an odd request my girl. Corth, retrieve a scythe for this young one," a guard (Corth I presume) left to get Yuri's scythe. "I have never heard of fighting with a scythe my girl."

"You have never heard of me."

"And you, quiet one. What weapon do you request?" I looked him in the eye for the first time.

"A knife the length of my forearm will do my lord," I kept my eyes level with his the whole time.

"A more conventional choice my girl. Seth! Get the requested knife," a guard that had been lurking in the shadows slipped out of the room to retrieve my chosen weapon.

"As we wait I would like to know your names," yes he finally remembered.

"Yuri and Ro-zu sir," my sister answered.

"Ah pretty names to match pretty girls," he cut himself off as the two guards came in holding our weapons. "Now show me your graces my dears."

Yuri took the scythe and gave it a practice spin in her hands. She frowned. Balance is off. I heard her think. Well what do you expect? It's probably used for harvest. She nodded. "It will do."

I was handed the knife. I tossed it into the air, letting it fall back into my hand end over end. I caught it backhand, my preferred fighting style.

We turned back to back. "We're ready king Randa," Yuri told him.

"Then let us begin." On his cue, the doors burst open and twelve graced fighters rushed in. I had just enough time to think, so not fair, before they were upon us. I could feel Yuri grinning, come on sis. Loosen up have some fun. I sent her a mental glare, how about I do that when soldiers aren't attempting to kill me. Ro-zu just threw her head back and laughed.

Yuri

I hadn't fought a graced fighter in months. My muscles moved in ways they wouldn't normally be able to. No matter how hard I tried in a normal fight, I couldn't get the rush of beating someone who had skills like the graced.

Ro-zu just needs to learn to relax and let the fight take over. I know that it's harder for her since her grace is with her mind rather than fighting. Still, would it kill her to be civil? Wait, I know the answer to that one, yes, yes it would.

Through the whole battle, she threw mental insults at me and the graced fighters. She must be extremely mad at me. I was starting to get a headache.

My grace allowed me to fight off anything they threw at me. The physical strain of fighting so many graced fighters was amazing. I could feel my muscles working harder than they ever had.

I knocked the first one out with the staff of the scythe. Less than a minute later Ro-zu hit one of them with the handle of her knife. After the first two fell, it was a piece of cake.

I forced the last one to his knees so he was facing away from me and caught him in a chokehold. Ro-zu mercifully knocked out all six of her men. I can imagine how embarrassing being held in a chokehold by a teenage girl in front of your king must be. No actually, I can't.

I shot a grin at Ro-zu see that wasn't so bad. She fired a glare at me. Shut it. I was almost worried.

"I guess you are the two gracelings I've been hearing about then," King Randa seemed rather pleased with himself. "Report to me tomorrow at 10 and we will discuss your pay. Julio show them to their rooms."

A wide-eyed servant nodded and motioned for us to follow him. I glanced at Ro-zu. He okay? I asked her. Yes, he's terrified of you. I heard the giggle in her mind voice. Afraid of us. I corrected her. She grinned.

As we walked down the hall after Julio, I reached forward and tapped his shoulder. He jumped. "Give us one room Julio." His eyes widened at his name. He nodded vigorously.

"Anything you say my lady," Ro-zu's eyes widened and she started cracking up when he called me "my lady".

"Julio, you should know, my sister is no lady," her shoulders were shaking with the laughter she held in.

Poor Julio looked confused. "This is where you'll be staying my ladies." He opened a door to our left; there was a door on one side of the room that I could see the corner of a bed through.

"The King will send servants down later for you to choose from."

Ro-zu's eyes widened in surprise. "No," I told him, "no servants."

"As you wish my lady," he backed out of our new room.

I took one look at my sister and we collapsed laughing.