Chapter 21
The Duke’s search remained fruitless. For four consecutive days, Adi had been tethered to his side, sifting through a mountain of paperwork. Expecting another day of the same monotonous rhythm, she sat down for breakfast with Bert, who had just come off his early morning rotation.
“Are you on duty this afternoon?” Bert asked.
“I am,” she replied.
“I have a personal matter to attend to. Would you mind trading shifts with me?”
Adi considered the request. It didn’t feel as though she had earned his confidence yet. Night duty was a grueling prospect, and as the ranking knight, Bert had the luxury of setting his own hours. She wondered if his choice to swap was based on which subordinate he deemed more reliable—her or Roy.
“I can do that,” she said.
“No curiosity about why?”
“Is it something you intend to share?”
Bert shrugged. “If you were to ask.”
“If the information is vital to my duties, then please tell me. Otherwise, it isn’t necessary.”
“It isn’t,” he confirmed. “We start the new schedule today?”
“Understood.”
She offered no further inquiry. While Bert appreciated the lack of prying, he found her stoicism a double-edged sword; it was impossible to gauge what was happening behind those calm eyes.
“How are you finding the work lately?” he prompted.
“It is fine.”
“Nothing out of the ordinary? I assumed things were easier for you now that Roy has joined the rotation.”
Adi remained silent. Bert watched her closely, wondering if the friction between the two knights was worse than he had guessed. He briefly worried if his orders for Roy to monitor her had been intercepted, but he dismissed the thought—Roy wasn’t that clumsy.
The two rarely spent time together, but since they shared a dormitory, Roy was perfectly positioned to catch any clandestine movements she might make. Of course, the reverse was also true; Adi was likely just as aware of Roy’s habits.
“Is there a problem with him?” Bert pressed.
“None at all,” Adi said, though she paused before adding a caveat. “He is quite talkative, though. Exceptionally so.”
Bert suppressed a smile. “Is that a significant issue?”
“It is manageable.”
To Bert’s ears, that sounded like a polite way of saying it was exhausting. He hadn’t noticed Roy being particularly chatty, but then again, Roy likely kept his guard up around a superior. If Roy was attempting to bridge the gap with Adi through sheer volume of speech, Bert saw no reason to stop him.
“Very well. Finish your meal and try to get some sleep. You’ll need the energy for the night watch.”
Adi nodded and began buttering her bread. Her appetite was healthy, a trait Bert found himself slightly jealous of as he rose to leave.
*
The expected correspondence from home never arrived. It was unlike the usual schedule, and Adi couldn’t help but recall Roy’s warning. Had her recent actions truly unsettled the Grimaldi household? Despite the silence, she penned her usual report—a letter carefully composed to appear innocuous to any prying eyes.
With the night shift looming, she decided to skip her physical training; she couldn’t afford to be sluggish during her watch. Passing through the knight quarters, she spotted Bert deep in conversation with some attendants. Realizing the talk was private, she slipped away to her room.
From her window, the palace grounds were alive with people enjoying the spring sun. The Duke was nowhere to be seen; he was likely occupied with official visitors or buried in his study. What struck her as odd was Bert’s absence. He had departed immediately after their shift swap, having prepared a horse earlier that morning. He was clearly bound for somewhere outside the palace walls.
“So, you took Bert’s slot,” a voice interrupted.
It was Roy.
“I did,” Adi said. “Which is why I’m currently stuck drinking tea with you. Since when did this become a daily requirement? You act like a debutante.”
“It’s a Southern tradition,” Roy grumbled. “Besides, a little social time is harmless. I used to do this with Bert all the time.”
Adi raised an eyebrow. “Really?”
“Didn’t you?”
“We only ever saw each other during the hand-off. The most we shared was breakfast.”
“The night watch, though…” Roy sighed with a hint of jealousy. “As long as you stay awake, it’s the easiest gig in the palace.”
“If you want it that badly, take it,” Adi countered. She knew shifts weren’t assigned by whim, and the mental tax of staying alert in the dark was anything but easy.
“What’s your plan after this?” Roy asked.
“Resting in my room.”
“Come on, let’s head out for a bit. This place is suffocating.”
“I need sleep if I’m going to be up all night.”
“Tomorrow then?”
“Is your only goal to avoid work?”
“Not avoid it—just balance it. You need to live a little, man. Here, try some of this.”
Adi looked at the offered food. “Why are you Southerners always trying to feed people?”
Bert, Roy, and even the Duke had all tried to press snacks on her during their long hours of documentation.
“It’s an investment,” Roy laughed. “The food in Pallesa is a bit bland, but the palace kitchen is still better than most.”
“Is Southern cuisine that much better?”
“There’s no comparison.”
“Grimaldi food is better described as fuel than a meal,” Adi admitted.
Roy shrugged. “I didn’t expect much from the North. If that place had anything worth staying for, Spencer Grimaldi wouldn’t have fought so hard to climb the ranks and leave it behind.”
Roy’s persistence wasn’t just boredom. He wanted her out in the open. Within the palace, she was shielded, and the letters she received were impossible to intercept. If he could get her into the city, she would be more vulnerable to approach, making his job of identifying her contacts much simpler. Even if Bert was watching her by day, he had to sleep eventually. With the new schedule, their paths would cross less frequently, giving Roy a better window into her private life.
“Let’s just try to be friends,” Roy said, though his internal thoughts were purely professional. You’re my ticket to a promotion. If I can just find one crack in your story and earn the Duke’s favor…
“The festival is starting soon,” he tried again. “We should go.”
“Sounds exhausting,” Adi replied.
She was even more reclusive than he had anticipated.
After a brief nap and dinner with Roy—who spent the entire meal rambling about the royal traditions of the May Festival—Adi found herself in the lounge. She was halfway through a game of chess with him when Bert returned. He was still in his traveling cloak, but he offered a warm smile before heading to his room to change. Moments later, he emerged, heading toward the Duke’s quarters.
“He was definitely out on business,” Roy noted.
Adi nodded in agreement.
“Isn’t your shift starting soon?” Roy asked.
She checked the clock. Bert had been gone for over five hours. Even with a fast horse, that was a significant journey. Was he running a secret errand for the Duke?
“Hey, focus. It’s your move.”
“Checkmate,” Adi said calmly.
Roy stared at the board, his jaw dropping. He searched for the moment his king had been cornered, but the trap had been laid long ago. Adi stood up.
“You leave your diagonals too open.”
“How did that even happen?”
“It was over ten moves ago,” she said. “And tomorrow’s outing is officially off the table.”
“Wait! One game isn’t a fair test. Best of three!”
“I have a post to reach.”
Roy threw his hands up in defeat. He watched her walk away, already plotting a different game to lure her out next time.
Back in her room, Adi donned her formal attire. She checked her equipment with practiced precision. Though she maintained her weapons daily, she never went on duty without a final inspection. She strapped her longsword to her hip, concealed two daggers within her uniform, and added a mid-sized blade for backup.
Finally, she looked at the portrait of Adrian. Her brother remained frozen in time, forever young and striking.
I’m heading out, Adi, she thought.
Lately, the connection to him felt like it was fraying.
When she reached the drawing room, Bert was waiting. He gave a small wave. “Ready?”
“Yes. Any specific instructions?”
“Nothing new. You’re on guard until he retires for the night. Once he’s settled, you can dim the lights.”
He led her deeper into the residence. Until now, Adi’s world had been limited to the study and the drawing room. The Duke’s private quarters were unfamiliar territory. Bert explained that the Duke, like many high-ranking nobles, never slept in the same room twice in a row, alternating between several bedchambers for security.
Bert stopped an attendant. “Which room has been prepared for this evening?”
“This way, sir. Sir Adrian Grimaldi is taking the night watch?”
“Correct,” Bert said. “He’ll be handling the evening rotation for the foreseeable future.”
As they followed the servant, Adi whispered to Bert, “Does he actually work from his bed?”
“He has to. Spring is the busiest season.”
“He should have visited in the winter if he wanted a vacation.”
“Winter in Pallesa?” Bert chuckled. “He isn’t suicidal. The cold here is lethal.”
Adi kept her thoughts to herself. Coming from the harsh winds of Grimaldi, she found the local winters almost mild.
The attendant stopped at a heavy door, announcing it as the Duke’s room for the night. Bert stepped aside, signaling for Adi to take her place. She took a breath and stepped inside.
