Decoy (The Royal Chronicles Book 2)

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DECOY
CAMILLE PETERS
DECOY

By: Rosewood Publications

Copyright © 2023 by Camille Peters

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express
written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names,
characters, places and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblances to actual events or places or persons, living
or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Rosewood Publications
Salt Lake City, Utah
United States of America
www.camillepeters.com

Cover Design by Karri Klawiter

 CO N T E N T S

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Epilogue

Thank You
Books By Camille Peters
Acknowledgments
About the Author
CHAP T E R 1
 BLAIR

I t was strange what one noticed when there remained only moments to live. I focused on the
measurement of every shaky breath, each growing more shallow as the fear I’d fought to
suppress coiled its tendrils around my heart. As much as I relished each numbered breath, they were
almost painful.
I struggled to retain a sliver of calm by focusing my thoughts on anything but what lay ahead. I
became hyperaware of every sensation—the stale coldness of my prison, the scratchy feel of the
straw where I sat curled on the floor, the raw pain of my wrists from where my chains had worn away
the skin, and the heavy exhaustion pressing against my senses from a night devoid of sleep, for I’d
refused to let unconsciousness rob me of my final hours.
Once more my thoughts drifted to the events that had led me to this point. I’d been so close…and
now everything was lost. But my regret stemmed far deeper than for my impending lost life, for my
failure had long-lasting consequences beyond my execution. At the reminder of my sentence my terror
rose, tightening its hold over me with its icy fingers.
I touched my throat, wondering what the rough noose would feel like coiling around my neck,
similar to the rope that had draped my dear brother’s neck when he’d been taken from me…before
giving my head a rigid shake.
I didn’t want my last moments to be spent in fear. I leaned against the wall of my cell to stare out
the small barred window high above, where the sky was just beginning to lighten. I tried not to
remember that with the dawn came the dusk of my life and instead focused on the soft golden light
gradually casting away the shadows filling my dank prison. For the briefest moment, I felt almost…
peace.
Yet the emotion was fleeting. I stiffened at the sound of the dungeon door opening and the heavy
footsteps that followed, weaving through the cells until they paused outside mine. I tensed as I
awaited the dreaded pronouncement.
“Prisoner…it’s time.”
Time to die. I’d tried to resolve myself, but panic blinded me and my escalating terror paralyzed
my limbs, ruining my previous resolution to act with dignity until the very end.
When I remained curled up against the cell wall, whoever had been sent to retrieve me released a
frustrated breath, a sigh that was immediately followed by the jingling of keys and the barred door
creaking open. The next moment, a sharp grip dug into my arm to yank me to my feet and turn me to
face the rough, bearded man I recognized as the captain of the guard—the very one who’d had the
honor of informing me of my upcoming execution.
“I said, it’s time.”
In a vain attempt at bravery, I lifted my chin and managed a nod. I numbly followed as he led me
from the cell into the labyrinth of stone corridors lit by torches that cast ominous shadows as we
wove past the other condemned prisoners and up the steps into the prison courtyard.
The chains binding my wrists rattled with every step, but no sound was more deafening than the
wild pounding of my heart. My eyes darted about, searching for a way to escape my doom that lay
moments away, but the guards surrounding me like an impenetrable wall robbed me of that vain hope.
The relief of leaving the dungeon’s all-consuming darkness was immediate. I blinked in the
dazzling light and soaked in the warmth of the rising sun against my face along with a pleasant breeze,
a fresh relief from the pungent stench of the dungeon…but the tranquil moment vanished the moment
my eyes adjusted, bringing the awaiting gallows into view.
The sensation that consumed my thoughts was beyond fear; there were no words to describe the
terror eclipsing my mind along with a single phrase that sent sharp, icy horror to my limbs: I’m about
to die.
My steps faltered and my legs went limp, unable to willingly advance any closer to my doom. The
captain yanked me upright and gave me a hard shove, forcing me towards the steps that led up to the
noose. Panic pounded with every frantic beat of my heart. Already I could feel the scratchy rope
around my neck, the smothering sensation as my life slipped away…
No, don’t think about that. For the moment, you’re alive. Savor it.
We’d nearly crossed the courtyard, whose beauty was lost due to my suffocating terror but which
was thankfully abandoned save for the patrolling guards. At least I’d be granted the mercy of an
execution away from the jeers of the onlookers lacking any sympathy for my cruel fate.
Remember you deserve this. Every choice had a consequence, and my own had laid the path to
this moment stone by stone.
We paused at the base of the steps and I stared up at the noose swinging gently in the breeze,
unable to look away from the death that awaited me…when the captain took a sudden turn away from
the gallows. Puzzled, I followed, risking a single peek into his expression. He looked almost…smug,
as if he took great delight in frightening me.
For a moment, confusion reigned stronger than the fear that had previously eclipsed my every
sense, a puzzlement that deepened as we entered an unfamiliar section of the palace. The commander
led me down several abandoned corridors before stopping outside a door and knocking; the sound
echoed through the heavy stillness.
After a pause, an unfamiliar voice bid us to enter. The footman standing at attention opened the
door to reveal an immaculate study where an elderly man sat writing behind a desk.
The captain pushed me forward. “I’ve brought the prisoner, my lord.”
He didn’t look up at our entrance, merely waved us lazily inside. “Thank you, Captain.” He kept
his gaze riveted to his document, so he missed the captain’s bow before he backed from the room,
leaving me alone with the stranger.
I slowly took in the surrounding opulence, far different than the nothingness I’d expected to be
experiencing minutes after what was to be my execution. Perhaps bringing me here was nothing more
than a ploy to increase the anticipation for the dreaded event, a scenario that seemed far more likely
each minute that trickled by as the man continued to ignore me, heightening my uncertainty.
 He finally set his quill in the inkwell and looked up. He rested the tips of his clasped fingers on
his lips as he studied me with a thoughtful air before giving an approving nod.
“The report did not exaggerate. Despite your sojourn in the dungeon, I can see your potential. You
will do nicely.”
I wanted to ask what he meant, but the fear still clogging my throat made it impossible to speak.
The man slowly rose, granting me full view of his appearance—he possessed the elegance and
bearing of a noble, though his attire was more simple than the usual extravagance of the court;
whatever his position, he wasn’t a member of the royal family I abhorred.
A pensive crease furrowed his brow before his lips lifted in a wry smile. “I suspect you must be
very confused, considering you expected to be swinging from the gallows at this moment.”
I remained silent, but he didn’t seem to be awaiting a reply.
“I ordered the commander to take you through the courtyard on your way here so you could see
them. Let the experience serve as a reminder of your possible fate and make you more open to the
opportunity I’m about to present you.”
It took a moment for his words to register and for me to swallow my apprehension enough to
manage a raspy response. “My possible fate?”
“Indeed.”
The man retook his seat and motioned for me to sit in the one across from him, but my lingering
paralyzing terror made it impossible to move. Again he didn’t seem to notice or care.
“Do not misunderstand: you are still a criminal condemned to die, which is part of the reason you
were the one chosen. But because of the delicate nature of your task, you need an incentive to
motivate you to succeed, and for that reason the gallows are now only a possibility, one that will
become a surety if you fail to cooperate to the best of your ability.”
His words should have invited hope, but instead only dread twisted my stomach. What
opportunity could he possibly offer to a prisoner on death row? Whatever it was, it’d likely be a fate
no better than the one I’d just narrowly escaped.
“What’s your name, prisoner?”
He sought my help for whatever his mysterious purpose was yet hadn’t bothered to learn my
identity? Prisoners have no need for a name. The somber realization only confirmed that no matter
my circumstances, nothing could change who I was; I’d remain forever trapped in the chains that had
bound me within the dungeon. I ached to protest against the unfairness of my situation but was in no
position for rebellion.
He’d been monitoring my reaction and gave a nod, as if he’d sensed my thoughts and wanted to
confirm them. “It would be in your best interest to fully cooperate lest I change my mind about
selecting you, for there are others equally up to the task. Now tell me: what is your name?”
I briefly debated defying him either by refusing to answer or by giving him a pseudonym…but by
the calculating look in his eyes I realized he already knew my identity and that his asking was nothing
more than a test to see how easily I’d comply to his eventual demands.
With my current position standing before the man who held my fate in his hands, unfortunately,
defiance was not a prospective path.
I lifted my chin. “Blair.”
He eyed my stance with a look of approval. “You’re stubborn and defiant, as evidenced not only
by your posture but by that gleam in your eyes. Such traits will be both a hindrance to our plan and a
useful tool, a double-edged sword if you will. For your sake, you’d best wield it the way we
require.”
His words caused the careful walls guarding my emotions to falter. If he could sense it, there was
no use in hiding my resistance any longer. “You assume I’ll go along with a plan you have yet to
disclose even though I have yet to hear any reason why I should.”
“I’m confident in your cooperation, considering the will to live is stronger than even your
rebellious desires…but if I’m mistaken, I can summon the captain to return you to the gallows, if that
is your wish.”
I obediently snapped my mouth shut, earning me a dark smirk. I cringed, hating how pliable I’d
become in the enemy’s hands. How had I sunk so low?
He nodded. “Much better. Your spirit is admirable, but it can lead you to trouble if you’re not
careful. We’ll mold it to a more useful tool once you accept my terms…and you will, I have no doubt.
Now let us begin.” He straightened in his seat. “I’m Rupert, chief advisor to the king. I have consulted
with Their Majesties on the plan I’m about to present. First, I must determine your current
understanding of the situation you’re soon to navigate: have you heard about the false princess?”
It was a needless question. The news had shaken the kingdom to its core. I’d heard the whispers
and had used the resulting confusion to slip into the palace, an opportunity that had unfortunately led
to nothing except my subsequent capture and a death sentence.
If only everything hadn’t gone so terribly wrong.
Rupert’s words tugged me from my dark reminiscences. “You’re perhaps wondering at the
rumor’s validity—after all, the claim that the princess who’s stood beside Their Majesties all these
years being a fake is quite alarming—but I assure you it’s the truth, a secret so well kept that even I
was unaware our princess was a decoy.” His lips pursed in annoyance, his first exhibited emotion
other than contempt.
I frowned. “Why was a decoy necessary for such a length of time?”
“Because of the prophecy given at her birth that foretold her death by the hand of one of our
enemies, she was whisked away to safety, where she still remains, and a decoy was put in her place.
You have no need to know the details.” He sighed. “We believed the threat to be eliminated and thus
got rid of the fake princess in order to restore the real one to her proper place, but unfortunately we
acted too soon, as we’ve since discovered that the threat still remains. We have postponed bringing
the true one to court until we can find the assassin plotting to murder her…which is where you come
in.”
Apprehension pounded my heart as I finally realized the reason for my summons. “I’m to be the
new decoy.”
His eyebrows rose in surprise I’d caught on so quickly. “Indeed. The plan is to bring you in as the
supposed real princess in hopes of trapping the assassin.”
The truth settled over me, a weight almost heavier than my dread when I’d first learned of my
impending execution, for in the end this pronouncement wasn’t any different.
Accepting such a dangerous assignment would be like consuming poison, a process that would
kill me slowly—but kill me it would. The best way to uncover the assassin would be to serve as bait
and expose the threat, thus protecting the true princess even as it disposed of the one who’d die in her
place.
I set my jaw. “So I’m to die anyway.” Despite the illusion of a chance to live, death would come
for me at an unexpected time rather than the dreaded certainty of the noose that had awaited me at
dawn after a long night in the dungeon; in the end, there’d been no escape.
“Not necessarily.” He spoke with callous disregard for my life.
You are a condemned prisoner, I reluctantly reminded myself. Someone with your crimes is
easily expendable.
By his sinister gleam he knew it but had laid his trap well by presenting a possibility impossible
for me to ignore, for hope proved stronger, acting as a single pinprick of light midst my despair. He
allowed this feeling to settle over me for a time before he spoke again.
“Your life was over the moment you committed your crime. I have no regard for it, nor do Their
Majesties. However, luckily for you, we do regard the princess’s life, and because your cooperation
is invaluable, we are offering you an incentive to succeed. If you can uncover the assassin’s identity
before he acts, you will be granted a full pardon. If not…well, you’ll uncover him with a much more
dire price, but rest assured we’ll find him, one way or another.”
My suffocating despair pressed heavily against my chest even as the chance to live caused my
knees to buckle until I collapsed in the proffered seat, the movement rattling the chains still binding
me. No matter my hatred for the royal family or my frustration at being so ill used, I couldn’t escape
the most important truth: I don’t want to die.
Once more he seemed to sense my thoughts and used them as a tool to force me to do his bidding.
He lowered his voice to a chilling hiss. “Remember your feelings as you languished in the dungeon,
counted down your final hours, first glimpsed the gallows, and imagined the sensation of losing your
breath while having your life slowly stolen away, the dreaded feeling of being so close to death…”
He was taunting me in an effort to earn my compliance and thus rob me of my freedom…and
unfortunately, it was working exactly as he intended. Yet horrific as these thoughts were, the notion of
assisting the royal family I despised seemed a worse fate than even death. Despite this opportunity
offering the illusion of an escape, it was still a death sentence, one far more cruel than would come
from the agonizing minutes spent at the gallows.
Yet as much as I abhorred the royal family and loathed to assist them, in the end the will to live
was more persuasive than even the deepest hatred. And if I accepted, I would remain at the palace,
close to…my breath hooked at that realization, nourishment for the hope the advisor’s careful words
had already planted.
Would this second chance make it possible to succeed where I’d previously failed?
I found myself nodding in acceptance, sealing my doomed fate. I glared at his resulting smirk—
now that I knew my value, I need not comply without a fight—but he only chuckled, as if he viewed
me as nothing more than a stubborn child throwing a tantrum.
“Your spirit will only prove useful, further testament you possess the skills and cunning to
succeed in this assignment. Despite your life being worthless, we would prefer to uncover the
assassin without bloodshed, for the matter is a delicate one.”
“Why is that?” I didn’t personally care, but it was imperative I gather all the information I could.
His expression became grave. “Because according to the prophecy, the assassin is a royal.”
I gaped in disbelief. “What exactly did it say?”
“That’s not important.” His obvious dismissiveness only solidified my desire to uncover the
reason now that I had more time than I’d ever expected to receive hours earlier. “What matters is that
a fellow royal is plotting to murder the princess, which will result in a myriad of political
difficulties. Many royals from the surrounding kingdoms are due to arrive for a celebration being held
to greet the new princess. Make your way through the court and uncover their secrets before the
unknown threat strikes…and they definitely will with so great a motive.”
He didn’t need to explain further. As a subject of Estoria, I knew the situation well: the crown
princess was the sole heir to the throne of a kingdom smaller than those that bordered our land, giving
each surrounding kingdom motive to invade our country in order to claim the rare magic we
possessed. Without any other claimant to threaten the invaders’ own claims to the throne, upon the
princess’s death Estoria would easily fall to their scheming hands.
“Anyone from the other kingdoms is a suspect,” Sir Rupert continued. “In total, four princes are
due to arrive, along with several princesses and high-ranking members of the court, none of whom we
can easily dismiss as the threat we’re after, nor the likelihood that any of the royalty are working
together. If you hope to live, you will need to uncover every possibility.”
My mind whirled with the daunting task. With my limited experience, how would I ever uncover
the solution to such a complicated mystery before my borrowed time ran out?
Escape felt like the only option…yet I hesitated to leave until I’d accomplished the very mission
that had landed me in this predicament in the first place. But even these secret schemes weren’t safe,
for Sir Rupert’s smirk returned, darker than ever.
“We haven’t forgotten that you were captured within the palace. Because you refused to disclose
your purpose during your interrogation, the mystery only increases our suspicion. You will not remain
unguarded. Never forget that despite the great power the role you play grants, you are not a princess
—you’re a prisoner, the palace nothing more than your gilded cage that I assure you will be
impossible to escape.”
I set my jaw. That didn’t mean I wasn’t going to try. I was under no delusion that I wouldn’t be
executed after the royal family had gotten their use from me, which left nothing to stop me from
risking it all and finding a way to acquire what I’d initially infiltrated the palace for.
The question remained whether I’d be able to locate it before the mysterious assassin found me…
or if he’d strike before I even had the chance.
CHAP T E R 2
 LUKE

T he world swayed as the sickening metallic scent assaulted my senses, the cloth mask over
my nose too thin a barrier to block it completely. I tried to breathe through my mouth with
long, even breaths, but it did little to dispel the memory of the crimson blood staining the ground,
bright even beneath the thin thread of moonlight that penetrated the cloudy night.
Don’t faint, don’t faint, don’t faint…
I silently chanted these words like a prayer as I frantically cast my mind upon anything else, but
the wave of dizziness threatening to pull me beneath the darkness of unconsciousness was impossible
to fully dispel. Bark scratched my palm as I groped for the nearest tree in an effort to keep upright.
Don’t faint.
I took another shaky gulp of air. With my rhythmic breaths and keeping my gaze averted from the
sight I least wanted to see, I managed to push through my aversion just enough to maintain a sliver of
composure.
My cousin and close friend, Malik, silently straightened from our prey and sheathed his stained
dagger. “That wasn’t so bad, was it? It need not be so complicated, Luke.”
In theory he was correct, but the gulf between book study and application had never felt so wide
as it did in this occupation forced upon me.
He awaited an answer, but speaking would only expose him to my precarious balance between my
fragile composure and a faint, so I merely nodded.
He stepped from the shadows that had dutifully shielded him as he’d expertly carried out the
horrible deed. His brows drew together as he studied the emotionless mask I’d been trained to
wear…yet no amount of practice could hide the turmoil he easily glimpsed raging in my eyes.
“I thought that this time…” His sigh swallowed the disappointment I’d do anything to avoid. “You
need to get it together. You’re running out of time.”
How well I knew that. The invisible hourglass measuring each rapidly dwindling day had been
causing me undue anxiety for years; soon there’d be no trickling sand remaining and I’d be forced to
face the moment I’d spent my entire life dreading.
He cast an indifferent glance towards our victim that even the shadows didn’t prevent me from
imagining the sight of in vivid detail. My stomach lurched, and it took considerable effort to suppress
my nausea.
“I did the deed, but perhaps you should be the one to—”
I hastened several steps back to increase my distance from the corpse. “No. Please.”
 He hesitated before reluctantly nodding. “Very well.” He started to turn back towards our target
but paused upon noticing my expression, evidence of my faltering composure. “You’re quite pale. Are
you alright? You’re not going to faint, are you?”
There was never a moment during these blasted missions I was ever alright. Lightheadedness
maintained its claim on my senses as my nails dug into the trunk supporting my body, still weighed
with the desire to succumb to the darkness lapping at my consciousness. “I…I’m not sure.”
His frown deepened. “Perhaps you should keep watch from over there.” He gestured in a
direction blessedly far from where our target had fallen. Keeping watch was entirely unnecessary for
this particular mission, but I gratefully accepted his created excuse to get me away from the place I
least wanted to be.
I hurried through the trees, my usually silent footsteps almost discernible due to my frantic need to
escape, yet in this moment I couldn’t make myself care about this falter in my superb stealth. I finally
arrived at a grove some distance away and collapsed onto my knees.
I yanked my cloth mask down and fought for each ragged breath, soaking in the scent of the earthy
night air…yet not even the thick scent of pine could dispel the lingering aroma of blood, nor the
knowledge that while I still breathed, our target never would again.
I clutched my stomach with a moan as I curled over and pressed my forehead against the damp
undergrowth. Don’t think about it. Just breathe in, breathe out. In, out. Don’t faint.
I silently repeated these words even as my nails dug into the soft earth in a vain attempt to ground
myself. I remained in this position until I detected Malik’s return, not through sound or sight but from
the familiarity of his presence, as my training as an assassin had made me expertly attuned to.
I instinctively stilled before uncurling from my vulnerable position and hastening to my feet just as
Malik emerged from the copse of pines. By his pity I knew my guise hadn’t fooled him; we were too
close for him not to sense the weakness I valiantly attempted to hide.
I took a wavering breath. “Is…is it done?” I stammered.
“There’s no trace that anyone was ever there, as if our target merely…disappeared.”
Horror prickled my skin, but I managed a shaky nod before warily eying his dagger. “And did you
—”
“Yes, all clean.” He unsheathed the knife and spun it between his fingers. The silvery moonlight
reflected off a spotless blade, allowing some of my tension from my rigid posture to ease. His keen
observation noticed and he frowned. “You really need to get over this, Luke.” His tone remained
patient despite my acting like a child.
I’d been trying with focused effort ever since the beginning of my training, for such a weakness
presented quite a difficulty in my field of work. Yet all my efforts to rid myself of it had amounted to
nothing, leaving me an utter failure despite my careful reputation.
“Did you get what we needed?” I fought to keep my voice even, only barely managing to by
concentrating on not thinking about how we’d acquired the necessary information.
Malik handed me a rolled-up piece of parchment, which I shakily accepted. Despite its small size
it felt unbearably heavy, considering it’d been bought with the worst price of all.
“Father will be pleased.”
Malik nodded. “Indeed. He’ll be proud of all you’ve accomplished.”
I snorted. “I’ve accomplished nothing.” Yet the lie we’d been perpetuating for years would
continue. Once again Malik’s skilled kill would be tallied as my own, giving me credit I didn’t
deserve and enhancing my fearsome reputation. He alone knew the truth: the heir to the most deadly
assassin name couldn’t lay claim to any of my missions. Instead, every success belonged to my
dearest friend, who from the beginning had borne my burden as a token of friendship I’d never
required compensation for. I didn’t deserve such loyalty, though I was infinitely grateful for it.
Though I was the heir to the most infamous assassin house in the surrounding kingdoms, I’d never
been able to kill a single soul. It was my greatest secret, one I’d take to my grave…if it didn’t destroy
me first. One day I wouldn’t be able to hide behind Malik’s skills, and then I’d be in trouble.
On impulse, I flexed my hand, feeling the shadow’s constant presence staining my skin. I might
have been able to deceive my father and everyone else beneath our assassin name, but the curse
wasn’t fooled. If I didn’t act soon, eventually it would claim what it had been promised centuries ago.
Its sinister tainting feeling vanished as Malik rested a comforting hand on my shoulder. “You
never give up. Thus I’m certain that one day you’ll be able to do it.”
Would I, though? Even if my aversions could finally leave me in peace, I’d lost years of practice.
Father had been giving me missions gradually escalating in difficulty under the assumption I was
growing in my strength. Though my assassin skills knew no bounds, they’d never been put to the test.
When the inevitable day came when I’d be forced to face one on my own, I feared it’d be well
beyond my capacity. Then all we’d built would crumble by my hand, and the fate my family had
fought for centuries to avoid would finally come upon us…and it would be all my fault.
I groaned and buried my forehead in my hands. “I’m going to destroy everything.”
“I’m certain you’ll be able to live up to your family legacy long before that happens.”
I yearned to believe Malik’s familiar affirmation. But though I knew he meant well, his
reassurances sounded less certain the longer they proved unfounded…especially with how rapidly my
time was slipping away.
Keeping his tone bright, Malik continued. “Even if you’re unable to perform the actual deed, at
least you’ve been able to pay attention to my techniques.”
I squeezed my eyes shut in shame, my silent admission that although in the beginning I’d made a
valiant effort to do just that, in the end I’d been forced to look away, unable to witness the moment
when life vanished from our victim’s eyes. Unfortunately, I could still imagine it all too well.
A heavy silence settled between us before Malik broke it with a sigh. “I see.” He considered a
moment. “Perhaps it’ll help not to think of them as people. Rather”—he paused as he tried to come up
with an appropriate word—”tools.”
“Tools?”
“It’s not that much of a stretch—their actions stole their humanity long ago. Now their only
purpose is to give us what we need before we administer the justice they deserve.”
This teaching had been instilled in me since the earliest days of my education. Deep down I didn’t
truly believe it, though like everything else I pretended I did. I wasn’t entirely certain whether Malik
did either. Perhaps he had convinced himself of the lie to make his path forward easier to traverse.
I’d do well to do the same if I had any hope of surviving the life fate had been unkind enough to force
upon me.
Keeping to the shadows, we began our long trek home. Tonight’s target had been stationed closer
than usual, only an hour away rather than the lengthy journey some missions required. I was grateful;
the sooner we returned, the sooner I could work to block out the events of the night, to bury them with
the countless others from my past I’d spent years trying and failing to completely forget.
 Distance allowed the nauseous fog to gradually fade from my thoughts, leaving only the deep
sense of shame that always followed each of my failures. “I truly thought I could do it this time.”
Indeed, I’d been certain of it the entire week leading up to our mission, but in hindsight those
emotions had been nothing more than an attempt to claim confidence that in reality I didn’t truly feel…
which meant deep down I’d known that once more I wouldn’t be able to follow through with the
duties expected of me.
Malik sighed. “I too hoped you’d be able to. You seemed so determined.”
My memory stretched back to earlier, when we’d first set out. Just enough light had filled the night
to easily track our target without being too much to dispel the darkness necessary to hide our
presence. The breeze had blown from the direction we traveled, further aiding our pursuit.
Confidence filled my every step towards our waiting prey. Surely such ideal conditions boded well
for me finally doing what I’d been born to do.
But then I’d seen him, and every reason about every benefit this man’s death would bring that I’d
been repeatedly reminding myself of vanished in an instant, leaving nothing but disgust that instantly
robbed me of my already weak confidence and with it every skill I’d spent a lifetime mastering.
The thought of his lifeless eyes and the resulting blood stained my thoughts. Tremors had
overcome me, making it impossible to hold my knife, let alone throw it. The hilt burned my skin, a
taunting reminder that the moment I used it, I’d become nothing more than a monster I abhorred.
I hesitated too long, requiring Malik to throw his weapon instead. The whoosh of the dagger and
the resulting sharp gasp of pain became consumed by our target’s fatal silence, the worst sound in the
world. The scent of blood had immediately followed.
With a revulsed shudder I tried to force the gruesome thoughts away in order to search the night
for any sign within the forest that someone might be following us, but unfortunately my haunting
memories weren’t so easily dispelled.
Malik cast me a sidelong glance. “You need to pay attention; enemies could be lurking anywhere.”
“I’m trying.” I sounded as tired as I felt. His scolding expression softened.
“I know, and when you’re not so…distracted, you’re the most skilled of us all.”
His underserved praise was nothing more than a lie; I was an imposter compared to Malik and the
other assassins I trained with, all of whom laid claim to the one thing I couldn’t.
These thoughts haunted me the entire journey and were only magnified when my towering estate
loomed through the trees, cast in a sheen of grey morning light as dawn finally pushed away the
horrible night. The moment we passed through the spidery black gates I wanted to lock myself in my
room, but the footman who greeted us immediately robbed me of these hopes.
“Welcome back, Lord Luke. His Grace wants a full report and to brief you on your next mission.”
Another mission? Already? I hadn’t even had a chance to recover from the last one; I was still
trying to scrub away the blood staining my memories.
Only years of training effectively maintained control over my emotions, a task far easier now than
it’d been beneath the covert cover of darkness. I kept my face impassive as I obediently nodded. The
moment the footman was out of earshot, I turned my silent pleading onto my friend.
His hesitation was only brief. “Whatever his task, I will accompany you if His Grace doesn’t also
have a mission for me.”
Some of my suffocating anxiety slightly eased. “Thank you, Malik.”
With a final pat on my shoulder he departed, leaving me alone in the grand entranceway, where I
remained for several minutes, pretending to be idly admiring the artwork adorning the walls lest any
passerby wander by, when in reality I was struggling to maintain my fragile composure.
I managed to seize hold of it by the thinnest thread, which felt on the brink of breaking once I set
out for my dreaded destination. With every step, the shadows filling the corridors seemed to mock
me, a taunting reminder I was an imposter to our family name.
Excited footsteps suddenly sounded behind me. “You’re home!” That cheerful voice was the only
thing powerful enough to deviate my course from my father and his demand of exact obedience.
I turned in time to catch my younger sister, Laila, as she flung herself at me with her usual joyous
exuberance. Her bright smile alone was enough to chase away the lingering shadows haunting my
thoughts and the bloodstained memories from the night.
Her arms came up around my neck for an affectionate squeeze and I held her close. Her warmth fit
so comfortably in my arms, offering the only light in the endless night that consumed my life.
She allowed my show of affection, but not for long. “Not so tight.” She wriggled about in an effort
to break free, and I reluctantly released her.
I gently set her down. “I’m just happy to see you. You know I love you, don’t you?” I reminded
her constantly so that she’d always remember in the moments of doubt I knew would inevitably come
once I could no longer escape my dreaded future.
She nodded. “I love you too. I missed you.”
I crouched in front of her so we were eye level. “I’ve missed you too. Have you been well while
I’ve been away?”
She nodded eagerly. “I’ve done lots of fun things, but I wish I could have done them with you.
What were you doing?”
Aiding in a murder. But I could never confess the words. My greatest fear wasn’t blood but that
my dear sister would hate me once she learned the truth about who I was. I’d only delayed the
inevitable this long because Malik had been making the kills meant to be mine, but I was rapidly
running out of dawns I could return from a mission and still face my sister. The moment I sold my
soul, I’d be forced to part from her so that I would never stain her innocent world.
I’d give anything not to cast her bright world in shadow, but the curse required the allegiance of
one member of our family every generation. If I didn’t sacrifice myself, then dear Laila would be the
one forced to succumb to its sinister whims.
How ironic that something as pure as love would be what ultimately forced me down the curse’s
path of darkness. Since I couldn’t escape this fate, my only purpose was to keep it from her; it’d
destroy her to be thrust into this cursed and bloody world…which meant I had to be the one to give up
my soul so she could remain forever free.
Even without having forged a contract with her, the shadows lurked far too close, as if waiting for
the first opportunity to rob her of her light. Oblivious to their presence, only sunshine filled Laila’s
gaze as it eagerly met mine.
“I promised my dolls a tea party. Will you play with me?”
I stroked her head. “Of course. I’ll give you all the time I have before my next mission.”
She pouted. “Are you leaving on another one already?”
“I expect Father will have another one for me shortly. I’m going to see him now.” Dread knotted
my stomach, but I forced a smile so she wouldn’t sense my unease.
“I wish I could go so I could spend more time with you.” In her innocence she believed I was her
heroic brother who frequently went on grand adventures…a lie I encouraged through the made-up
stories I told her every time I returned home.
Horror cinched my stomach at the thought of her accompanying me. I’d rather die than allow that.
Seeing my distress, she immediately set out doing what she did best: cheering me up. “Your hug
almost crushed the flowers I picked for you to welcome you home…and to remember me when you go
away again.” Joyous anticipation brightened her dimpled smile as she extended a handful of daisies
she’d picked from our vast gardens, already starting to wilt. The petals seemed so dainty and
breakable…just like her.
It was our usual ritual for her to give me the flowers she’d picked so that I would think of her.
Though nothing would ever compel me to forget her, I kept each of these as well as the notes she had
the habit of writing me. They were my greatest treasures.
I reached for the flowers, but before I could accept them my imagination distorted them so that
their pure petals suddenly dripped with crimson, as if my tainted touch alone had been enough to stain
its dainty white with blood. Instinctively I yanked my hand away.
“Don’t you want them?” Her wide, glassy eyes seeped into my heart.
I shook my head to push away the uncomfortable feeling and forced a soft smile. “Of course I do.
Thank you for picking them for me.” I accepted her gift along with the bright smile that accompanied
it and pressed a soft kiss to her brow. “Now run along. I’ll come play with you as soon as I finish
business with Father.”
“I’ll be waiting!” With an eager wave she turned and skipped down the hallway with a melodic
hum. I wasn’t the only one watching her as she disappeared—I sensed the curse’s lurking presence,
its temptation to reach out and claim the only light left within these tainted walls.
Don’t you dare touch her. It was the usual warning I gave the shadows skirting nearby, staring
after my sister with their sinister hunger. Although for the time being they obeyed, unless I devoted
myself to them they’d have no reason to heed my desperate orders forever.
It was nearly impossible to resume my trek to Father’s study after basking in my darling sister’s
usual sunshine. Upon arriving, I hesitated outside before mustering enough courage to shakily knock
on the door. My heart pounded wildly as I waited, as if bracing myself to face an armed enemy rather
than my own father…though in truth the two weren’t much different.
His cold voice beckoned me forward. “Enter.”
With a wavering breath I obeyed and entered to give my dreaded report that, like all the others
before it, was nothing more than a lie. As usual, I did my best to hide my true feelings from the master
of discovery himself, the most skilled inheritor to the Shadow name in generations—an assassin
who’d become hardened against all emotion and obsessed with duty ever since Mother had left us, the
cost of our curse and all the darkness that accompanied it.
Wordlessly, I handed him the item from our dead target like a cat might present a mouse to his
master. Father lazily unrolled it to peruse its contents and I waited with bated breath, trying not to
fidget. After some time he nodded and lowered the parchment. “Exactly what we needed. Excellent
work, Luke.”
I slowly released a quiet breath, subtle enough that it didn’t alter the assassin persona I’d spent
years mastering. I bowed. “I’m glad you’re pleased, Father.”
“As I always am when you impeccably fulfill your duties as ordered. Did he give you any
trouble?”
 Our target’s sharp intake of pain as his final breath was forcibly seized echoed in my ears, but I
forced myself to smirk. “One shot, as you taught me.”
His own leer was menacing. “Excellent. You’ve been well trained and will make a fine heir to the
Shadow name.”
I greedily accepted his undeserved praise, which only tightened the constant guilt cinching my
heart. I wanted him to be proud of me, even as I remained unwilling to do what it took.
My fingernails dug into my palms as I clenched my fists. “Thank you, Father. I want nothing more
than to please you.”
Liar.
He leaned lazily back in his seat. “I’ve been monitoring you closely these past several years, and
I believe the time has come for you to finally venture from your practice missions to your first real
assignment, one far grander than the paltry kills you’ve done until now.”
Bile rose in my throat. Paltry? But contrary to what I felt, I offered another weak smirk, as he
expected. “Though simple, they’ve been amusing nonetheless, though I’d certainly welcome a greater
challenge.”
I ached to snatch back the condemning words, but doing so would be pointless. Nothing could
persuade Father once he’d made up his mind, so I could at least appease him and amuse myself with
my carefully woven lies.
When I wasn’t forced to embark on actual missions, I found what enjoyment I could from the
assassin game and had become quite a master at playing it. Masters of illusion made for effective
assassins, even when the image I created went entirely against my true self. Only when the stakes I
dreaded became entangled with the play did it lose all amusement; death wasn’t a game, but
something horrific and final.
If I was to succeed in my role, my first kill would have to be the conscience that had no place
amongst my murderous duties. Yet for years I’d feared that when the time came for me to finally
inherit my family’s mantle, my aversions would serve as an impenetrable obstacle.
But far too soon, the time had come to finally put my devotion to the test. I took a carefully
measured breath. “What’s the mission?”
He leaned further back and propped his leg up onto the desk. “You’ll receive a more detailed
brief in the days to follow, but for now I will inform you that word has come that Crown Princess
Evelyn of Estoria was a decoy. The shadows have finally declared the time has come to kill the true
princess now that she’s been restored to the throne…and you already know the reason why we have
particular interest in her life.”
Just hearing that name caused me to tense. “I understand. The resulting confusion will present us
with the best opportunity to finally put our plan many years in the making into motion.”
He nodded. “Indeed.”
“And you want me to be tasked with so great a responsibility?” One that felt like nothing but the
heaviest burden.
“Naturally. You’ve earned it.”
In truth I’d always known I was too soft for my role, let alone one so grand as this. Unfortunately,
I was left without a choice: the crown princess of Estoria must die, else my family would finally
succumb to the curse placed upon us so long ago.
Every part of me ached to reject the mission, especially since I wouldn’t be able to rely on
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MUISTELMIA VUOSISADAN
VAIHTEESSA VUONNA 1901.

Kun on taaskin kuljettuna,

Vuosisata vierähtännä,
Jäänyt tuonne jälkipuoleen,
Niin mä aivon arvostella
Eli puoliskaan puhua
Vuosisadan vaihehia:
Mitä tällä taipaleella
Sata vuottakin sanovi,
Jos sen ehtisi elämä
Vaikka puoliksi puhua,
Kuink' ois sillä kertomista
Monenmoista muistoansa.
Mainitsen vaan muutamia,
Mi on jäänyt muistihini
Tällä inhalla ijällä,
Kuudenkymmenen kululla.
Ihan ihmeellä tuleepi
Katsella nyt kansan töitä,
Kyliä ja kaupungeita,
Kuin on kaikelta kohalta
Koriaksi koristettu,
Erilaiseks' entisestä
Viime vuosikymmenillä.
Mitähän sanoisi miehet,
Ukot entiset eläjät,
Jos ne tulis tuonelasta,
Nukkunehet nurmen alta
Tätä kaikkee katsomahan.
Tuskin enää tuntisivat
Suomen seutua kodiksi,
Kuin on kodit korjaeltu,
Kaupunkimme kaunistettu,
Levitetty, laajennettu,
Erilaiseks' entisestä.
Paljon onpi parannusta,
Taloudellista tapoa,
Opin ohjeita monia
Tuonut tämä vuosisata;
Kun on koneet kaikenlaiset
Käytäntöhön keksittynä
Talonpoikainkin talossa.
Etenkin on höyryn hyöty,
Voima varsin voimallinen
Konehissa käytännössä.
Joka vetääpi veturit,
Rallattavat rautavaunut
Kyllä kiireellä kululla
Pitkin Suomea sujuvat.
Siitä laivat lastillensa
Saavat voiman voimallisen,
Kulullensa kunnon kyydin
Höyryn voimasta hyvästä.
On tuosta osa otettu
Talonpojan tehtäviinkin,
Höyryvoimasta varattu.
Paljon ompi parantunut
Maamme maanviljelyskin;
Kaikki työt ja toimitukset
Kohonneet on korkeimmilleen,
Joist' on tulo tuottavampi,
Paljon entistä parempi.
Samoin kaikki työkalutkin
Ovat uutta entisestä;
Jotka työtä jou'uttavat
Erilailla entisestä.
Vielä antoi armollinen,
Meidän kuulu keisarimme,
Aleksanter aikanansa
Monenmoista korjausta.
Valtiotkin valmisteli
Ajan pitkäisen perästä.
Antoi myöskin arvollisen
Suomenkielen suosimisen,
Että tuomiot tulevat
Kansan kielellä omalla,
Talonpojan tuttavalla.
Täss' oon tuonut: muutamia
Edistyksemme eväitä
Vuosisadan vaiheista.
Vaan kun alkaa askeleemme
Sadan uuden uutisillen,
Teillen tuntemattomillen,
Niin on arvelun alaista,
Tiemme tuiki tuntematon,
Mitä vielä vitsausta,
Surun aikaa Suomellemme
Suopi meillen suuri Luoja.
Suoko vielä rauhan rannat
Täällä tyynenä pysyvän,
Vaiko myrskyt monenlaiset
Rauhan teitä rasittaisi.
Siispä kaikki Suomen kansa,
Yksin mielin, yksin kielin,
Anna alhainen rukous
Jumalallen julkisesti,
Että rauhassa eläisit,
Kunnialla kuolla saisit
Suomi-äidin suosiossa,
Rauhan kaiken kainalossa.
*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RAUTALAMMIN
RUNONIEKAN ALBERT KUKKOSEN RUNOJA ***

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