A/N: Wow, two chapters in two days, a record! Don't get used to it, though! I had so many people beg me to continue, to not leave it in a cliffhanger, I wrote another chapter. Thanks to all my reviewers!

A/N: Just to clarify, the Marek Swiftknife that is the current King of the Rouge in this story is the son of George's second in command. In regards to the mystery man that knows Kei, no one has gotten him right yet.

Disclaimer: The world is Tamora Pierce's. The characters are mine.


Whispering Winds: Chapter 5

"Keianna?" The man asked again, still staring at Kayla.

Kayla couldn't move; she couldn't think. It seemed that the world around her had frozen, leaving only her and this man that knew her mother and could expose her.

Next to her, the young man broke the silence. "Da," he said soothingly, "I know that you knew Queen Keianna when she lived here, but this girl can't be her." He cast Kayla another curious glance before leading his father back into the house.

Kayla trailed behind, hoping to talk to the man with his son out of earshot. The man glanced over his shoulder, and seeing Kayla following them, gently pulled his arm out of his son's grip.

"Dagger, I'm fine," he insisted. "I just made a mistake."

The young man—Dagger—looked unconvinced. "If you say so, Da," he murmured, shrugging and turning away. Kayla moved away as he brushed past her, not meeting her gaze, and disappeared out the door and down the street.

The man had moved to the doorway and was now watching Kayla with bright blue eyes. Kayla blushed under the scrutiny of his gaze. The man removed his gaze from her face long enough to face his younger son.

"Mite, will you go get Tahlia for me?" He asked calmly. "There's someone I'd like her to meet." Mite stared at his father for a moment, then nodded eagerly and scampered back the way they had come.

Alone now, Kayla shifted uneasily, and her hand strayed to her belt knife. The man saw her movement and chuckled.

"Easy," he cautioned her. "I'm not going to attack you."

Kayla said nothing, and the man sighed. "I'm Swift," he told her. Seeing that Kayla had still not relaxed, he continued. "If you're not Keianna, then who are you?"

Kayla didn't answer for a moment; she was thinking. Memory surged, and she remembered her mother once telling her about one of her street friends in Corus, a young man named Swift who had befriended her and taught her thief tricks.

Something in Swift's gaze told Kayla that she could trust him. If her mother could trust him, so could she. "I'm not Keianna," she began, and Swift grinned.

"I can see that," he pointed out, and Kayla blushed, embarrassed, but continued.

"I'm Keianna's daughter," she told Swift, and the thief nodded.

"I noticed the resemblance," he murmured, then asked, "If you're Keianna's daughter, what's your real name?"

Kayla sighed; she hated giving out her royal title. It made people act differently around her once they knew who she truly was, and she hated that. She hesitated, but Swift's stern blue gaze made her answer truthfully.

"Princess Kayla Aceline of Tyra," she murmured, almost at a whisper, hoping the thief wouldn't hear her. Unfortunately, even after twenty years, Swift's hearing was as good as ever.

He nodded slowly. "A princess?" Kayla nodded, hoping he would understand why she had hidden her name. Swift sighed deeply. "Well, lass, what do you want to be called?"

Kayla grinned and flashed him a grateful look. "You don't mind?"

Swift snorted. "Lass, fake names are always good in Corus, especially when you're a thief. Even your mother had a fake name that she went by."

Kayla looked up, blue-green eyes wide with delight and pleasure. "What was it?"

Swift looked at her, and a small smile played at the corners of his mouth. "Kayla."

Kayla rolled her eyes; she should have known her mother would choose something like that and then give one of her daughters the same name.

"Now, what was your name again?" Swift asked, blue eyes twinkling.

Kayla grinned at the thief, understanding why her mother liked him so much. "Dani," she told him, and Danika, still on her shoulder, looked up again with a confused meow.

"Dani, huh?" Swift considered her for a moment before grinning. "And what brings you here, Dani?"

Kayla grinned, happy for a chance to formulate her story. "I'm here visiting my cousin, and I got lost when I was exploring the marketplace."

Swift nodded solemnly. "That can happen sometimes."

Kayla could barely control her laughter at the ridiculous solemnity of it all when Mite came tearing around the corner, followed by Dagger and a girl, a few years older than Kayla. She followed her brothers with a sort of silent grace that made Kayla think that she was noble-born. Her eyes, not brown like her brother's, where a strange gray-green. Her brown hair, with its copper highlights, shone in the afternoon sun, pinned up in a tight bun. Her clothes, a simple dress and apron, identified her as a barmaid, probably at the Dancing Dove. Only the dagger glittering at her belt showed her as any threat. She walked as soundlessly as her sixteen-year-old brother, while Mite pounded his way towards them.

When the small group stopped in front of them, Swift stepped forward. "Dani," he told Kayla, "these are my children. Tahlia"—he indicated the older girl, who merely nodded, watching Kayla silently with her gray-green eyes—"is my oldest, followed by Dagger"—Dagger watched her as silently as his sister did—"and you already met Mite." The little boy grinned up at her.

Kayla nodded to them all, and at Swift's dismissal, Tahlia disappeared up the street again, while Dagger and Mite lingered, as if waiting for something. Distraction came in the form of a well-built, green-eyed, brunet man that made his way towards them.

Flinging himself towards the man with a cry of "Uncle Marek!" Mite was scooped up. Grinning also, Dagger strode forward to meet the man with a hug. The man was in his early thirties, with a kind face and firm mouth.

"Taking a break from being the King of Thieves, eh Marek?" Swift called from where he leaned against the doorway.

The King of Thieves, Marek, merely grinned and continued to wrestle with Mite. The little boy scampered onto the man's back, as quick as a monkey, and sat there, looking proud. A second later, his face was one of delight and surprise as he was scooped up and tossed into the air. Setting the boy down, Marek turned and saw Kayla standing there for the first time.

"Hello, lass," he greeted her, "who are you?" Kayla watched him for a moment, unsure of whether she should answer, so Mite answered for her.

"She's Dani," he answered proudly, "and I found her when I was doing an errand for Da. She got lost," he explained to the king of the Rouge, "so I brought her here."

"Dani, hmm?" Marek looked thoughtful. "You look like a lass I once knew. She was a court lady, but she would frequently sneak down to the Dancing Dove to drink with us. My father," he explained, "the former King of the Rouge, Marek Swiftknife, was very proud of her. He taught her most thief tricks, but the rest he left to old Swift here." Marek grinned at his old friend, but the grin disappeared as a strange bird call sounded on the wind.

Cursing softly, Marek ruffled Mite's hair, hugged Dagger and Swift, and took off at a swift run for the Dancing Dove. Kayla glanced at Swift, who gazed back, looking worried.

"Dagger," he ordered, "get Dani out of here and back where she came from. If there's going to be a fight I'd rather she not be in the middle of it."

Seeing Kayla about to protest, he cut her off. "Lass," he smiled grimly, "your mother would kill me if I stood by and let you get hurt." Dagger looked from one to the other, confused by the exchange.

Loud noises erupted from the Dancing Dove, and Swift cursed. Seeing Dagger still staring, he snapped, "Dagger!" Seeming to come out of his trance, Dagger took Kayla's hand and pulled her down another side street. Kayla watched as Swift disappeared into his house, but turned back as Dagger tugged on her hand again.

"Come on," he whispered, "we need to get you out of here, and the best way to do it would be the back way." His voice was a rich whisper, and Kayla nodded, deciding to trust him.

It took many twists and turns to get back into the sunlight of the marketplace, and when she did, Kayla blinked. The sky was already stained pink by the setting sun, and Kayla cursed softly as she realized how much time she had wasted. She saw Dagger staring at her in admiration. He probably doesn't see that many girls that know that sort of language, Kayla thought ruefully.

"I have to go," she told the two brothers. Dagger looked up, uncertain.

"My Da wouldn't like it if I left you alone and you were attacked," he murmured, but Kayla laughed softly.

"Your father knows I can take care of myself," she told him, unsheathing her belt knife. Calling softly to Danika, who was busy searching for mice and rats, she turned to go.

"You'll come back, won't you?" This request was not from Mite, as she would have expected, but rather, from Dagger. He gazed at her, hope in his hazel eyes, and she had to smile.

"If I can," she told him, turning away again. She took off at a jog for the palace, wondering if Kyia would ever let her out of her room again when she got back.


"Where were you?" Kyia hissed dangerously, pacing in front of her cousin. Kayla lowered her head in shame.

"I was exploring," she whispered, trying to hide her embarrassment. Kyia almost screamed.

"You skipped two neogotiations and an public outing that you were supposed to attend to go exploring?" She asked incredulously.

"Yes," Kayla whispered, her bold nature diminished by her cousin's rage.

"You are going nowhere for the next two weeks!" Kyia told her cousin, rage heating her cheeks. "You are Prince Jasson's future bride, you can't risk exploring Corus!"

At this, Kayla head came, and she challenged, blue-green eyes fierce, "I never asked to be Jasson's bride! If you are so comfortable with him that you can spend two straight weeks with him, you marry him!"

If possible, Kyia blushed redder than before, but she murmured stubbornly, "We're not talking about that." Her gray eyes hardened, but they weren't as rage-filled as before. She grabbed Kayla's arm and hauled her to her feet. "Come on," she growled, "you and I are going to go get ready for the feast, and I'm not letting you out of my sight once!"


Biting back a groan, Kayla fidgeted from where she sat next to Shyam. She had already tried to escape Kyia once, and was now confined to Shyam's side for it. The Shang Wolf looked down at her, worried. He knew that her mother had been adventurous, but Kayla taking off in the middle of the afternoon worried him. He rested a hand on her shoulder.

"What are you thinking about, little warrior?" He asked, using his pet name for her.

Kayla gazed up at him, blue-green eyes bored. "I just went to explore Corus, Shyam!" she exclaimed! "I met some of Mother's street friends, and I enjoyed myself." She motioned to where her cousin was once again talking to Prince Jasson. Within her absence that afternoon, it seemed to her that her cousin and the prince had gotten even closer. "And when I get back," she continued, "Kyia scolds me for running off."

Shyam looked down at her. "She was worried about you," he told the princess next to him. "She turned the palace upside down for you when you disappeared."

Kayla hung her head, the familiar shame swamping her. "I know," she murmured.

The Shang Wolf watched her. "Have you tried to get to know the prince?" He asked suddenly.

Wordlessly, Kayla shook her head. Shyam glanced at her thoughtfully. "This marriage might not seem so forced if you have a friendship with the prince."

Kayla nodded reluctantly; she knew he was right. "And," the Shang Wolf added, "I hear the rose gardens are lovely this time of night." Kayla looked up at him, confused for a moment, then she grinned and slipped away. Kyia never noticed.


The soft light of the moon lit up the gardens with a soft glow, creating the perfect lighting for a stroll. Kayla breathed in the perfumed scent of hundreds of roses, relaxing. Footsteps crunched on the gravel path behind her, and she spun around, ready to confront whoever it was.

Prince Jasson moved to Kayla's side, his handsome features sharply defined in the moonlight. His footsteps crunched in the gravel, and Kayla wondered at the difference between Dagger and the prince. Dagger moved with the silent grace of a cat, while Prince Jasson walked with authority. Kayla shook her head. She had only met Dagger a few hours ago, and now she was comparing him to every guy she met!

"I thought I saw you come out here," Jasson's deep voice sounded in her ear.

Kayla was jolted back to the present and she nodded. She watched him, blue-green eyes meeting sapphire blue. Their staring match was interrupted by voices and footsteps approaching, and both young royals tensed.

Jasson suddenly gripped Kayla's hands tightly. "Will you trust me?" He whispered. Kayla nodded, wondering what he was going to do. Leaning forward, the prince whispered in her ear, "Those nobles coming towards us—they are going to find us and not leave us alone if we don't hide in plain sight."

Kayla stared at him, wondering what he meant by hiding in plain sight, but she had already said she would trust him, and the voices were getting closer, so she just nodded.

Suddenly, Jasson leaned in and kissed her forcefully. Kayla almost pushed him away, but she realized that it was an act, so she kissed him back. His lips were soft, but she felt no emotion; in the back of her mind, she thought of Dagger. They only broke the kiss when a soft cry interrupted them. Pulling away, both turned to find someone watching them.

Kyianna stood in the entrance to the gardens, staring in shock as her cousin kissed the man she loved. Tears streaming down her face, gray eyes dark with pain, she fled.

Next to Kayla, Jasson turned white as he watched the other girl flee. Without a word, he hurried after her. Kayla cursed under her breath as she stood surrounded by roses, too shocked to move.

This was not good.


A/N: So, that's a semi-cliffy. Tell me what you think of this plot twist by reviewing! No flames please!