The Last Stand (The Eleven Years War: Book One)
Chapter Forty-Two

The castle was busy that day, busierthan Kael had ever seen it. Then again, that was the first day since Raul hadarrived that he was allowed to roam the castle without having to ask Polain’spermission. It was annoying enough that Kael even found himself loathing the life of royalty. Yes, allthe perks that came with it were really nice, but was it really necessary forEza to follow him around every time he wanted to leave his room? It wasn’t thathe hated Eza or anything, but as a military officer, didn’t she have anythingbetter to do than guard him every second of the day?

Witha battle on the not-so-distant horizon, his day was much more exciting. Thatafternoon, after having a fine lunch of mutton with fresh fruit and Vercourianwine, Eza walked into his room. She was dressed in her usual baggy shirt, browntrousers, riding boots and black cloak, with the sleeves of her shirt tuckedinto two leather armguards. As always, she had her Jotiese fighting staff inhand. However, she was now wearing a simple, leather breastplate.

“Youfinished eating?” Eza asked as she leaned against his doorframe. He nodded ashe stood up, putting his dishes neatly on his table.

“Then,come on,” she said. “We’ve got work to do.”

Kaelstood up, confused. What was she talking about?

“Whatdo you mean?” he asked.

“You’replanning to fight when those Gisken bastards come back to burn Semata to theground, aren’t you?” Eza asked. Kael nodded.

“Ofcourse,” he said. “General Polain said that he wouldn’t let me, though-“

“Tohell with that,” Eza said. “We need every man we can get when Raul comesknocking.” She turned around and began walking away. “Now, come on; we’ve gotsome training to do if we’re going to be ready.”

Kaelfound himself smiling as he followed Eza out the door. Since he’d talked toPolain about fighting his countrymen when the time came, he’d been worried thathe’d be hidden away with Princess Marion in some secret room in the castle likesome coward. He was happy to know that he would get to fight.

“Howlong have you trained with swords?” Eza asked as they walked down the grandstairs on their way to the practice grounds.

“Fathertrained me a little, but I didn’t get serious about it until a little over fiveyears ago,” Kael said. “Have you trained much with swords, or do you only knowhow to use staffs?”

“Asa Rook, I’ve been trained in every type of weapon,” Eza said. “Pole arms justhappen to be my specialty.” Once they were at the bottom of the stairs, theyturned left and entered the practice grounds.

Oncethey were there, Kael saw that he and Eza wouldn’t be the only ones trainingthat afternoon. Silas, Olrick, and Marion were all already in the yard, dressedin similar fairs as Eza, though Marion had her armor over a simple, white dressthat went down to her knees. Marion had an intense look on her face as shetried to hit a very calm, relaxed Silas with her sword, while Olrick wassitting on a bench beneath an awning, wiping the sweat from his brow andgetting a drink of water from a servant who manned a wooden barrel filled withwater and a ladle.

“Whendid you get back?” Eza called across the yard as she and Kael walked over tothe supplies. Olrick looked up at her.

“Asit turns out, Raul wasn’t exactly following the peace conference code ofconduct, either,” he said. “One of the servants caught one of his men trying tobreak into Polain’s last night, before Elise even had the chance to go toRaul’s room.” Eza whistled as she helped Kael into a breastplate.

“Soundsmessy,” she said.

“Believeme, it was,” Silas said as he easily parried one of Marion’s hits. “There was apretty big debate about it, but Polain wouldn’t let up. Who knew that Jotiesebastard had the balls to do something like that?”

Kaelcould feel his cheeks beginning to burn red as he pulled on some shin guards. Backin Gishk, talking about a general like that – even if it was behind his back –was something that could be punishable by death, even before Raul took overeverything. Was Polain really so confident in the loyalty of his officers thatit had become normal for them to talk about him like that?

“Areyou ready?” Eza asked as Kael picked up one of the wooden practice swords. Itfelt good in his hand, like his own sword.

Henodded, and the two of them walked onto the training field.

ToKael’s surprise, Eza wasn’t fighting him with a practice sword. She still hadher staff in hand as they prepared to fight.

“Youaren’t going to practice with a sword?” he asked. “Won’t you be fighting withone at the battle?”

“No,”Eza said as she held her staff up, ready to fight. She said it as if fightingswords with staffs wasn’t a big deal. “Are you ready?” Kael nodded as he heldhis practice sword up, confused. How could anyone in their right mind go intobattle with a staff when their opponent was armed with swords?

“Youattack first,” she said.

Kaelnodded and swung the sword at her head.

Achild may as well have delivered the blow. Eza easily knocked the sword out ofthe way and smacked him on the side with her staff, hard. He yelped and steppedback, rubbing his now throbbing side.

“Youaren’t going to go easy on me, are you?” Kael asked.

“Notas easy as you may want me to, no,” Eza said. “The Giskens won’t, will they?”

Kaelgot ready to fight, again. “No, they won’t.”

Ezaraised her staff. “Begin.”

Thistime, Kael waited to attack. He quickly looked Eza up and down, trying to replacea weak spot. Her stance was solid; she didn’t seem to have a weakness, other than her height.

Kaelmade a quick jab at her chest, which she blocked easily. Her reflexes werefast, fast enough that he doubted he would be able to get through her defenseswithout getting hit by her staff.

Kaelmade a jab at Eza’s legs, but she seemed ready for that, too. She stepped tothe side and knocked the wooden blade away, making Kael stumble forward, andsmacked him on the back.

Heturned around and held his practice sword up, again, frustrated. He knew thathe wasn’t the best swordsman in the world, but he’d thought he was better thanthis.

“Don’tfeel too frustrated, kid,” Silas said as he blocked Marion’s thrust withouteven looking. She was so mad; her face had turned red like a cherry. “Eza’sbeen using staffs since she could walk; I’ve only beaten her a few times withthem, and I’ve known her for almost a decade.”

“Itis rather embarrassing, though, isn’t it?” Kael looked up to see Raul, standingon a balcony above them. He had a few soldiers standing on either side of him, holdingsome of the trunks he brought with him to Semata. “One would think that asoldier like yourself would be able to beat a little girl.”

Kaelfound himself frozen to his spot. Raul hadn’t recognized him during his time inthe Gisken army, but he’d made sure he hadn’t looked anything like an Althaus.Now that he’d started to allow his almost black hair to grow out and had filledout on the royal sized portions he’d been eating at the castle, he knew that heprobably looked a lot more like the son of Alberich Althaus than he had inalmost eleven years.

Heprayed to the gods that Raul couldn’t tell who he was. He was too close tobeing able to reclaim his throne to be caught, now.

“Itis, yes.” Kael did everything he could to make himself sound less like a Giskenand more like a Caithian: he made sure that he didn’t pronounce anything fromthe back of his throat and that he didn’t over pronounce his s’s. “I think I’llend up getting better at fighting with her than with someone who will go easyon me, though.”

Raul, nodded,seemingly intrigued by what he said. Kael found himself wondering if he’d givenhimself away. Did the Althaus’ speak differently than other Giskens, and Raulwas able to detect that?

Thank the gods, thatdidn’t seem to be the case. He began walk away with a flick of his wrist.

“Carry on.”

Marion looked back atSilas and began swinging at him, muttering angry curses at Raul under herbreath.

“You seem uneasy,”Eza said as they got ready to fight. “Are you alright?”

Kael nodded as heheld his sword point up. “For a second, I thought he knew who I was.” Ezanodded in understanding.

“Don’t worry aboutit,” she said. “If he were interested in arresting fugitives while he was here,I’d be halfway to Kurzh, by now.”