“Elmira and Kanalayka know, as does Shishka. Then there’s Davrota, the prime minister, and finally my father. Five people—plus you and me, of course.”
“That’s all? None of the other servants or guards around the palace have realized you’re not the crown prince?”
“Not a single one,” said Fiarca, proudly puffing out her chest. “And the fewer people who know, the easier it is to keep it that way.”
Ras nodded, frowning.
The emperor and the prime minister, if anything, had even more reason to keep quiet than Fiarca did. As for Kanalayka, she was Davrota’s daughter and shared his motivations, while Elmira had been raised from birth to be the princess’s body double. Finally, Shishka was the daughter of an impoverished house. She had more than enough reason to remain loyal to her employers. Thanks to all of them, Fiarca’s secret had managed to remain safe.
“The problems begin when we add the princess of Charlgia into the mix,” said Ras, finally understanding the gravity of the issue facing the imperial family.
Unlike those already in on it, Princess Tishna had no reason to cooperate. In fact, it was readily imaginable that she might resent being married off to a woman in disguise.
“If anyone runs the risk of leaking my secret, it’s her,” agreed Fiarca, a fragile smile upon her lips. “We have no way of enforcing silence upon a princess from a foreign nation.”
“And what happens if she talks?”
“Right now, we’re very lucky to be in the people’s good graces. Even if the other houses wanted to, they’d find it difficult to stir up discontent. However, much of that good grace rests upon the noble sacrifice of the dearly departed Princess Fiarca, and Auriol’s subsequent rally on the front lines.”
“When in fact,” said Ras, taking over, “it was Auriol who died, and the princess was impersonating him, pulling the wool over the eyes of her own subjects for two long years.”
“If that came to light, the Council would have little trouble finding enough malcontents to start a rebellion. With our nation as weak as it is, the quicker they strike, the better.”
“So Kanalayka was right all along,” muttered Ras. “The fate of the empire really is at stake.”
One little lie was the last rotten support beam propping up a crumbling nation. If Fiarca’s identity was discovered, the whole country’s peace would come crashing down.
“That is why Princess Tishna must cooperate with us,” said Fiarca. “That’s where you come in, Stallion. I want you to be the leverage that convinces her to keep quiet.”
“What, you want her to fall so madly in love with me that she’ll do anything? I’m not a miracle worker, you know.”
“You have a track record, don’t you? Whom was it who exposed the leader of Prouss’s most prominent smuggling ring by prying information out of his mistress? What about getting a nobleman’s wife to hand over crucial evidence incriminating her husband?”
“All that pales in comparison to this. The fate of the empire is at stake here.”
“I’d have thought you’d be a bit happier about it, Ras. You have my express permission to cheat on me as much as you like.”
Fiarca’s brazen declaration stunned Ras into silence.
Naturally, with the princess’s death, her and Ras’s marriage could not go ahead, and it was canceled. Therefore, technically it wasn’t adultery no matter whom he slept with. However, Fiarca seemed to act as though the two of them were still engaged, and Ras could only assume her love for him remained. Besides, he couldn’t deny he also felt the same way.
“Don’t worry,” said Fiarca. “Don’t forget you were the man who charmed me. Compared to that, winning over some provincial maiden should be child’s play, don’t you think?”
“Hmm, that’s strange. It sounded like you were trying to flatter me, but you ended up boasting about yourself instead.”
“The point is, I have everything under control. Just do your best for me, okay?”
The princess’s words sounded frivolous, but Ras understood the conviction underpinning them was genuine. The mass deception of her people was necessary for Argyll’s future, and Fiarca was ready to do whatever it took to ensure that deception continued.
The only obstacle she couldn’t handle by herself was Princess Tishna, and it was for that reason she had turned to Ras. He was the only one she could trust. For all her levity, Princess Fiarca was desperate.
For her sake, Ras pretended not to notice any of this. Instead, he lazily scratched the back of his head.
“So?” he said. “What now? I can’t exactly walk up to the royal castle and demand an introduction.”
Fiarca’s expression became serious as she launched into her explanation.
“One month from now, there’s going to be a council in Charlgia for all members of the Shrumland Alliance. I will be attending—as Auriol, of course—on behalf of His Majesty, and there I will meet the beautiful Princess Tishna and fall instantly in love.” Fiarca grinned. “A cute little tale for the realm’s chatterboxes,” she added.
“And as a Guardian of Silver, I’ll be there to meet her, too,” concluded Ras.
“Precisely. Which means you’ll have to play a convincing performance until then. It wouldn’t do for some upstart knave to accompany the crown prince on his travels—especially one with a reputation like yours.”
“All right. I think I know what to do, then.”
Fiarca looked a little taken aback.
“You mean you have a plan?”
“No. But I don’t think I’ll need one. Trouble will be coming my way soon enough.”
With a weary sigh, Ras indicated the imperial guardsman uniform he was wearing. A look of understanding spread across Fiarca’s face.
Four days later, a man came and requested a meeting with Ras, introducing himself as a major general of Central Command.