Chapter 3

In the next morning I wake up to a gray weather with a light drizzle outside my room. Quickly I get into a simple dress and try to sneak out before Heater will find me and harass me about the rumours she has been hearing in the city. It is not nice of me to try and evade her when she takes time of her business to come and see her old friend but I really don't think I can handle her right now.

"Princess" A guard tries to get my attention as I hurry down a corridor in direction of the kitchen. I wave him of and hurry on. After escaping three more concerned guards my prize is some hot breakfast, honestly stolen from a plate put on warm-holding. Now I am on the run out to the garden where I hope I can get some privacy in the wet weather.

Banner make me company once again; the big dog is allowed to come and go as he want in the castle on my order. I absentmindedly pet him while I try to make some plans for the day. I share the light meal with him. Dogs are so much better than humans!

Without my notice someone has sneaked up close behind me and startle me by putting a hand on my back. I jump up and turn around, grab the hand and after a quick look to se who it belongs to I give it a twist so my attacker has to bend over or suffer injury. Jeck lets out a groan. I wait a moment to make my point clear, and then release him before he can come up with some clever answer on my not so nice greeting.

"I am surprised you let me do that" I tell him

"Let my guard down for a moment." He says gruffly.

"I believed you had grown up from those silly hobbies of yours" he continues, while holding his sore wrist, easing the light pain with his healing.

"Why would I? They get the job done nice and tidy." I answer with a small laughter at the disapproving look in his eyes.

I feel foolishly brave today and enjoy playing at the edge like this. He can't do much about me no matter how I treat him. He didn't hold to his promise yesterday to explain what is going on. So I have the rights to punish him to my liking. I don't care that it was Contessa who came and separated us yesterday, with choirs and a need for company from my side. She wanted to make sure I was not angry and avoiding her anymore and it had taken several hours of carefully playing to get her to let me lose and ensure her I still did love her and would not hold her plot to put me together with Jeck against her. I ensured her with delight that I would take out all my anger directly on Jeck! She was not pleased with that answer. Not even when I ensured her he would probably just enjoy the opportunity.

"Yesterday didn't go like planed" I conclude, throwing a glance in the direction of Jecks unreadable face

"No not exactly, your sister must have a sixth sense when it comes to bad timing." He says while ruffling the fur on banners head.

"I hope you are still planning to fill me in on the rest of this mess" I say while trying to look on everything but him. We must look pretty comical I think both standing close patting the same dog and having a conversation but not looking at each other… I sign to myself wishing I could be stronger and just get over him.

"Right now if you have finished your meal" he answers and offers his hand.

Alright so what are we waiting on" I ignore his outstretched hand and walk by with banner at the front happily leading the way. I decide once again in my head that I will put all energy in this game that is started and not to think about the sensations Jeck draws from me simply by standing close.

Soon we close the door to his rooms. I push down hard on my emotions and think I manage to look calm and collected. I am leaning on a wall while Jeck sits down and says:

"I don't know if I should be happy or concerned that you are so bad at hiding your emotions. For our course right now it is a blessing but in the long run it is not quite so good."

I give him a stare of frozen hate!

"Was this the reason you dragged me all the way here? Don't you have anything better to do with your time?" I snap of.

"As you wish" he simply says, and starts explain how he three months ago got an invite/threat by an unknown player. The note said he wanted the young red moon princess, and ordered Jeck to come with her to their kingdoms big cultural festival. I interfere by asking:

"Does he mean Contessa or me? That damn thin can apply to both of us."

"That was one of the many thing I had to look up, I have yet to find his exact position in his game but know he must be pretty high in their church, a bishop I think. He has an extensive network with spies, human and not human on my playing field. They go by being missionaries or travelling merchants. Already his thoughts have infected many of our small and remote villages. As far as I can see he likes to play with many small pieces instead of the big influential ones."

"What has he done to the animal spies? I have never heard that our magic can do something like that. It is just unnatural." I ask, at least for the moment everything but the problem at hand forgotten.

"My guess is that they are manipulated in some strange way so they go in the direction he sends them. And he can always see thru them maybe even hear… I have not dared to catch any to exanimate thoroughly. For now I don't think he know I have connected them to him. That gives us an advantage like yesterday"

Did he have to drag up that now; my checks start to feel hot at the memory. He continues:

"And that takes me back at the beginning of this conversation. I will travel to se them and you will come with me as my unknowing lover, my piece that I take advantage of, important for me personally and my game. That is the picture we have to build around us. From there it can go two ways either he discusses his plans with me and we solve it one way or another or he doesn't. If so, there is where you get in. You can either play stupid and walk to him on your own account in some creative way, or I can send you. It depends on his behaviour earlier. And you can win this game from under his radar. An unknown enemy is a dangerous one!" He smiles and seems to take great pleasure in the planning of this game, I can't help but smile back as his excitement is spreading to me. But I still don't feel secure with his course of action so I ask:

"What if this is just a plot to make us leave Contessa and Costenopolie unprotected so he can play here with us away?" The idea un-nerving me.

"I agree that there is a high possibility for that so I have planned our trip so we will only be away only a week after our midwinter celebration here, and I have sent after help in the meantime."

I start to put pieces together from what I know he have been doing the last months. "Kavenlow!" I shout, the realization hitting me hard.

"That is the guest you will invite to midwinter! And he will stay, playing your game while we are away!" A longing start to ace in my chest as I think of my mentor and father at heart.

Jeck smile to me and seem to enjoy this.

"Yes we have discussed that. Even if he doesn't know the details he knows there is a need to travel away for a risky play for one week. Or to be honest he thinks you will stay with him, only me travelling, he will not approve of you going… but of course the choice is yours"

That evil demon of a captain! I curse him to the moon and back for making me chose between my beloved old master, and my current one at whose side I am supposed to play in this important game!

I hate Jeck! I also tell him that but he takes no offense. Just answers lightly:

"I like you to" and quickly jump back several steps as a safety measure.

"Back to business" he says, probably trying to distract me.

"I want you thinking thru your abilities and tell me if we should use extra time one something special. But today after your other chores we will train with the swords. The usual rules; an hours time, every death is one punishment chosen by the winner, no complains accepted."

Jeck know I hate his stupid swords; he's making me do it just to have an opportunity to take advantage of me. I don't care that he says swords are often used against you and therefore easy to get hold of. I think he's trying to teach me all his weapons of choice just to show of! At least the knife throwing practises are much easier. But even there I am no match to him yet. I try to comfort myself by remembering that there are also things I am better than him on.

"Yes should we meet at our usual place?" I ask, not bothering to argue with him now.

"I think it's best to switch back to our old one, it is less risk for spies there." He answers.

"Yes if you say so, but I would hate if Alexander or Contessa comes and finds us again! The last time I think we gave our royals a small heart attack, Contessa looked me over closely for injuries almost two months after…"

"Then it was a good thing our healing lessons went so well isn't it?"

"Yea I suppose so. Do you have any more information you want to chare with me?" Its starting to itch in my fingers, I am ready to jump on this mountain of information and see what I can make out of it. It is hard to sit still and listen when I know someone is messing with my kingdom. It takes almost an hour to go thru all info he have collected. I ask many questions like how he can be so certain it is a man we are up against, if the identity is still unknown. And what the invitation said in detail, and so on.

When I close the door to his rooms behind me and go to get some lunch, my head feel heavy of everything we have discussed. But my tiredness also comes from being so close to him. And trying to stay on focus and survive the different sneaky comments he sends in my direction. It was like he had some hidden agenda to either make me try to kill him or fall into his arms. Because I could still not decide how I do both at the same time I tried to act like yesterday had not happened, ignoring him all I could manage.

But I am not sure how long before I make a mistake. It almost seems like he really can't wait to get close to me. Such a stupid thought!