Chapter 20
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Adi finished her relief for Bert and made her way back to their living quarters. Inside the common area, she found Roy Gallardo occupied with a task.
He was focused on his knight’s log, meticulously filling the pages. Adi possessed a similar notebook, yet hers remained pristine and empty. This was no accident; Spencer Grimaldi had issued a stern command that she was to leave no written evidence of her activities behind.
She watched him write, reflecting that if that book were ever compromised, every secret Roy held would be laid bare to his enemies.
“Is your work finished?” she asked.
“Have you been waiting for me?” Roy countered.
“You promised to show me the way to the training grounds.”
Adi questioned the necessity of such a trip at this late hour. Surely a sketched diagram would have sufficed. Roy let out a tired yawn and pushed himself up from his seat.
“Let’s go. We shouldn’t waste time; we need some sleep before tomorrow’s duties.”
“A map wouldn’t work?”
“Just do as I say and follow me. It’s located within the Inner Palace, so the walk is short.”
“Do knights actually use the Inner Palace for practice?”
“It’s a specific perk of the job,” Roy explained. “That prestige is exactly why everyone fights for a spot in the 1st or 2nd Knights Order.”
He stretched his stiff limbs, his expression turning serious. “If you perform well there, you might catch the right person’s attention.”
“Whose attention?”
“The royal family. Or perhaps the high-ranking nobility.”
“Is that the purpose of training here?”
“They just push themselves a little harder in hopes of being noticed.”
Adi found the idea strange. How could anyone look impressive in a place defined by the stench of perspiration, billowing dust, and general grime? She wondered if the facility was somehow plated in gold to compensate for the filth.
The training area sat some distance from the Duke’s apartments. While the Duke lived in the most secluded reaches of the Inner Palace, the practice grounds were situated on the periphery, bordering the Outer Palace. It was a location accessible to any noble.
“We’ve arrived,” Roy announced.
“They actually did plate it in gold,” Adi remarked.
The courtyard bore more resemblance to a manicured park than a martial arena. Elaborate walkways hemmed it in on all sides, shimmering with marble accents and gold leaf. A massive stone monument shaped like a sword rose from the center.
“They keep real grass here?”
“It serves as decoration.”
Decoration. Adi realized this place wasn’t designed for actual combat preparation.
“I’d prefer to use the facilities in the Northern Palace,” she admitted.
“People will think you’re looking for trouble,” Roy warned. “Is it worth the effort?”
“This place doesn’t look like it has enough space for a proper run, either.”
“That’s because it’s built for swordplay.”
“Then where am I supposed to do my conditioning?”
Roy sighed. “I’ve never been one for heavy physical training myself. But if that’s what you’re after, there’s an area below ground. The entrance is over there.”
“An underground level?”
“The story goes that they used to keep beasts and monsters down there for bloodsports. The nobles would watch them fight for entertainment. They don’t do that anymore, so it was converted into a gym. If you train there with your shirt off, you might get a late-night invitation from a noblewoman.”
Adi scowled at the suggestion. She wondered if Roy was recounting a personal anecdote.
“Don’t dismiss it, though. The skill level here is high, and it’s excellent for dueling. By sunrise, this place will be too crowded to move. The basement stays quiet, though. Very few people bother with it.”
“I’ll stick to the basement,” Adi decided.
“You won’t get any royal attention down there.”
“I have no desire to be noticed by them.”
Roy simply gave a noncommittal shrug. He had fulfilled his duty by showing her the way. Since knights were expected to navigate the palace using only a map after a single walkthrough, he knew she could find her way back alone.
“Are you staying to train? I’m heading to bed.”
“I’m going back as well,” Adi said.
They left the grounds together. The return trip was draped in a heavy, uncomfortable silence. Eventually, Roy grew restless and began scratching his head, finally breaking the quiet.
“What was your point earlier?”
Adi looked over at Roy briefly before turning her gaze back to the path. The Inner Palace corridors were deserted and lacked sentries. The route between the palace sections was intricate, but it seemed the prevailing peace had made the inhabitants complacent about security.
“I was wondering why it had to be Duke Woodpecker. Surely there were other escort assignments available.”
“Nobles and royalty rarely travel during this time of year.”
“Even so, why Woodpecker specifically?”
“Do you suspect I’m hiding something?” Roy asked.
“I do.”
“……”
Roy seemed taken aback by her bluntness. Most people preferred to dance around such accusations. He decided she must lead a very stressful life. “And if I am?”
“What do you mean ‘if you are’? What are you planning?”
“What would I do? It doesn’t concern you.”
Adi acted as though the matter were trivial. If he had a secret agenda, he just had to avoid the Duke’s notice. But she figured that if his motives were transparent enough for her to see, the Duke was likely already aware of them.
“Handle it yourself. This assignment only lasts a season. I’ll be moving on to a different charge once this is over.”
Roy stared at her with clear skepticism. Adi wondered if his disbelief stemmed from her describing his exact plan.
“You aren’t planning to move on?”
“If you had told me you wanted this spot just to follow Woodpecker, I would have understood,” Roy said.
“Is that why you mentioned it?”
“No. It was just getting too difficult for two people to manage.” Roy paused, then added, “But yes. I want to go to Woodpecker’s lands with the Duke.”
Adi watched him. His voice was steady, but she couldn’t quite read his expression.
“That territory is where I need to be.”
Everyone carried a history, but Adi suspected Roy’s past might be darker than she had imagined.
“I intend to start my life over there.”
“I hope you succeed,” Adi said.
“Thanks. Tell me, does Count Grimaldi know what you’ve done?”
“I’m not sure. Is there a problem with my actions?”
“Kenneth Marks.”
“What about him?”
“You really don’t know the history between Marks and Grimaldi?”
Adi didn’t just lack knowledge of their history; she hadn’t even heard the man’s name before. Roy let out a mocking laugh. “You want the story?”
“Marks and Grimaldi served in the same unit.”
“They were the personal guards for the man who is now King. Marks came from Pallesa, while Grimaldi was from Ionad. Those two regions have always been at odds, but shared ambitions can bridge any gap.”
“What kind of ambitions?”
“The current King wasn’t the first in line for the throne. Both of those men were far from the inner circle of power. How do you think they climbed so high?”
“What are you implying?”
“I’m saying your father didn’t build his status solely on hunting witches. He was brilliant in a variety of ways. Cunning, like a serpent. That man is truly insufferable.”
Adi was well aware of her father’s tarnished image. In his own lands, he maintained a thin veil of working for the common good, and his status as lord stifled any open dissent. To hear him called insufferable so casually was a change.
“You’re saying this to his child?”
“Your relationship seemed strained anyway, so why does it matter? Since those two were close, it’s almost certain Marks played a role in your transfer to Pallesa.”
“If Marks didn’t place me in the Duke’s guard, it means Grimaldi didn’t want me here. Or perhaps it’s all a coincidence. What’s your take?”
“If your theory is correct,” Adi said, “the Count must be furious.”
“Is that so? Then what’s your plan, Sir Adrian Grimaldi? Are you terrified of your father’s temper?”
“I’m sick with fear. I keep wondering how he’ll choose to punish me.”
Roy looked at her. “Are you always this honest? Besides, even for him, ‘punishment’ sounds extreme for a child. Wouldn’t it just be a harsh lecture?”
“Just a lecture.”
Adi knew better. Spencer Grimaldi had never raised his voice to her, neither as Adrina nor as Adrian. Instead, he preferred a more calculated retaliation that made her loathe her choices. He was surgical, avoiding physical scars while orchestrating a collapse of her circumstances until she was forced to beg for his mercy.
“Do you think a man who told the world his own child was a curse would stop at a lecture?”
“Are you still bitter about that? You were twins, after all. The very nature of that birth is considered a curse in our culture.”
“It is quite curious, though,” Roy continued. “Normally, a man like Grimaldi would have ended one of you, hidden one in a tower, or simply erased one from existence. But he gave you a name and acknowledged you publicly.”
“It’s because we were a boy and a girl.”
“Would it have been worse if you were the same?”
“Outwardly, no. He would have announced only one child, then kept the other in a cellar or a tower to act as a body double.”
“And you think that would have been your fate?”
Adi realized she was essentially living that fate right now.
A dark thought crossed her mind. What if she had been shorter, or lacked the stamina her brother had lacked? What if her health had been fragile? What would Spencer Grimaldi have done then? Would he have discarded them both? Or…
“Well, at least you’re the survivor,” Roy said.
Adi wondered if this existence could truly be called survival.
She remained silent as they reached the Duke’s house. There was no longer any need for small talk. She opened the door, letting Roy enter first, and then walked directly to her own room within the suite.
“Sleep well, Roy. I appreciate the help today.”
“Rest up, Adi.”
She shut her door. Roy didn’t go to his own room immediately; instead, he lingered at the table in the common area. He stared at the closed door and let out a heavy sigh.
“It seems he isn’t trusted by anyone.”
Roy realized that Adi was likely under even more suspicion than he was. That had to be the reason behind Bert’s specific instructions.
“Keep an eye on him,” Bert had told him.
The task was to monitor Adi Grimaldi. Since the boy had no friends and didn’t seem to have any outside contacts, it would be simple to see if anyone tried to reach out to him.
“I wonder if he has any idea.”
If Adi’s presence here was part of a larger game between powerful men, he needed to be incredibly careful. But Roy could only feel a flicker of pity; the boy’s ignorance would be his own undoing.
