Chapter 3
The world was bathed in the pale, chilling blue of dawn. Light seeped through the delicate satin drapes, a shift in brightness enough to pull Adi from her slumber. She shielded her vision with a forearm, feeling the lingering moisture at the edges of her eyelids. A dream had slipped through her mind—nothing pleasant, judging by the heavy sensation it left behind.
“What a pain…”
The memory of the dream was a blur of a freezing winter day, though the specifics refused to take shape.
Adi pushed herself out of bed. She pulled the muslin gown over her head, letting it fall carelessly onto the mattress before heading into the washroom. The sudden cascade of hot water was a relief against her skin. Her light blonde hair flattened against her neck and face as it soaked through.
Glancing down, she saw the soft curves of her chest, a physical reminder of the woman she was. She scowled and immediately looked away, as if the sight were an insult. After several minutes of standing motionless under the steam, she stepped out, dried herself with rough motions, and pulled on a simple chemise.
She strapped into a leather chest binder next, pulling the buckles tight across her ribs and shoulders. It was a common enough silhouette; many of the more muscular knights possessed chests more prominent than hers, making her disguise easy to maintain.
Water continued to seep from her hair, blooming across the fabric of the chemise. The wet material turned translucent, clinging to her skin beneath.
She gathered her damp locks, pinning them firmly in place before moving on to her stockings and the belt that held them. She layered her socks, stepped into her trousers, and shoved her feet into her boots. Once she threw a vest over the chemise, she turned to face the glass.
She wondered if this was the reflection Adrian Grimaldi would have cast had he survived to adulthood.
Being a man, his jaw might have been more defined. Even at twenty-five, her own features retained a lingering youthfulness, almost boyish in cast. She found herself wondering if reaching thirty would finally change that.
Adi traced the line of her smooth jaw, where no hint of beard ever grew, and let out a heavy breath. Perhaps the contrast would only become more obvious with age.
A part of her wished for the years to vanish so she could finish this charade and retreat to the Grimaldi lands. However, the Count remained silent, sending no word of her release.
She turned up her collar and meticulously knotted a snowy white cravat. Over the fabric, she pinned the cameo of her knightly order. After a final adjustment to her pinned hair, she gave her reflection one last look.
At one point, she had considered scarring her face to look more formidable, but her body was frustratingly resilient. Any mark she sustained seemed to wash away with a bit of water. Her ability to heal was almost unnatural. Even when she tried to look fierce, her scowl did little to mask her underlying beauty.
With a defeated sigh, she pulled her uniform jacket from the wardrobe and sat on the mattress. She reached for the scabbard leaning nearby. The sword sang a sharp, cold note as she unsheathed it.
A knight’s blade was their soul, and she spent every night tending to hers after her shift. It was a ritual of oil and polishing that lasted into the late hours. She knew no flaws would manifest in a single night, but she checked the steel with obsessive care before sliding it back home and securing the belt around her waist.
Her eyes drifted to the small portraits on the nightstand. Adrina and Adrian looked back at her from separate frames.
The twins had been dressed in matching colors, yet they had never been captured on the same canvas. Adrian was featured in the grand family portraits; Adrina had been excluded from such honors.
And yet, only one of them remained to walk the earth.
Adi looked toward the floor beneath her bed, where two other blades lay hidden. She hadn’t touched them in a long time. She turned toward the exit, her movements slow.
“I’m heading out.”
The parting words were a quiet offering.
They were for Adrina, and perhaps, for Adrian as well.
*
The administrator stared at Adi Grimaldi, his expression a mix of exhaustion and pity. He had lost track of how many times her paperwork had been shuffled since she arrived at Pallesa. She had started in the 3rd Knight Order, specifically the 1st Battalion’s 11th Squad.
“I’ve been told you’re in trouble. Again.”
Adi didn’t bother with a formal stance; she simply scratched at her ear, looking bored. The administrator sighed. Her delicate looks were a complete lie compared to her personality.
To look at her, one would think she could barely lift a sword, but Adi Grimaldi was a terror. She was selfish, violent, and possessed a temper that could ignite at the slightest provocation. She never backed down from a fight.
She was the height of an average man and possessed a lithe frame. With a face like hers, she could have been the darling of the court if she simply tried to be pleasant. Instead, she chose the hardest path possible. He wondered if that was simply the Grimaldi blood running through her.
“How do you manage to rupture a man’s testicles? He’s a sole heir, for heaven’s sake.”
“I couldn’t care less.”
“And the time before that, you blinded a man in a brawl.”
“His eye is fine,” she corrected him. “It was just a broken socket.”
“The amount of paperwork I have to fix in the ledgers is staggering. And your uniform? How many jackets must we commission because you keep ruining them?”
“The order is the same,” she countered. “I’m just moving between squads. Does it really matter?”
“Actually, this time, you’ll be wearing a different crest entirely.”
Adi went perfectly still.
Pallesa Palace housed three distinct orders. The 3rd Order was the standard for most knights, while the 1st and 2nd were reserved for the elite or those with specific roles.
If her crest was changing, did that mean exile? Was she finally being discarded? Perhaps she could become a mercenary and flee this wretched place. Leaving this miserable kingdom behind was an enticing thought.
Adi loathed Pallesa. If Adrina hated it, she was certain Adrian would have felt the same.
Her pulse quickened. Was this finally the moment of liberation? Could she finally stop being him? Could she be herself?
“So, is this it? Am I being fired?”
She wondered how the Count would react to such news.
“Fired? Don’t be ridiculous. You’ve been promoted to the 2nd Knight Order.”
The news hit her like a physical blow. The administrator watched her eyes widen and clicked his tongue. If she showed that kind of vulnerability to her comrades, her life might be easier. Then again, it would likely just bring a different kind of trouble.
He didn’t bother lecturing her on her choices. She clearly knew there were easier ways to live, yet she went out of her way to be difficult.
Adi’s face twisted into a mask of pure disgust.
“Are you fucking kidding me?”
The administrator hadn’t expected a polite response, but the immediate profanity was classic Grimaldi.
“Have you lost your mind?” she demanded.
“Blame your reflection,” he replied simply.
“Do the high and mighty nobles suddenly not care about a knight swearing like a sailor as long as they’re pretty to look at?”
“You’re the one who needs to be careful. Keep that mouth shut, or you’ll lose your head.”
“I thought they only took the best of the best over there,” she muttered.
“You are one of the best.”
“Then why wasn’t I there from the start?”
“Because your reputation was garbage when you arrived.”
The stories about Adi Grimaldi had been less than stellar. Rumor had it she had been knighted by the Crown Prince himself, despite the two having never met.
The paperwork had been handled in secret, leading everyone to believe Spencer Grimaldi had simply bought her the position. When she was sent to Pallesa, the assumption was that her father was still pulling strings.
Seeing her for the first time, people expected her to be a fragile doll who would break under the pressure. Men had even placed bets on how quickly she would go home crying.
Those rumors had been spectacularly wrong.
Adi didn’t need her father’s shadow. She was a lethal combatant who thrived on conflict. She didn’t just meet aggression; she crushed it with a ruthlessness that bordered on the criminal.
“Can’t you just discharge me?”
“Desertion is always an option if you’re that desperate, Sir.”
Adi spat on the floor in response. The administrator watched the carpet get ruined with a weary groan.
“If I run, do you think they’ll just let me walk away? Every guard in the city would jump at the chance to hunt me down. Half of them want me dead already.”
“And whose fault is that?”
“The bastards started it!” she barked.
“Watch the language. In your new post, that kind of talk will get you executed.”
“Let them try,” she snapped, spitting a second time.
As the administrator made a mental note to replace the rug, he wondered how she had become so feral.
She clearly had her mother’s beauty, but that temper was something else. Spencer Grimaldi was known for his cold cruelty, but he wasn’t a wild animal like this.
“This is absolute shit.”
“Try to be a bit more civil.”
“Isn’t it enough that I have to look the part? Now I have to sound like a lady too?”
“Fine,” the administrator sighed, unable to argue the point. “Just keep relying on your face, Sir.”
He handed her a new set of identification papers.
“You’re going to the 2nd Knight Order, 1st Battalion, 1st Squad. Here is your ledger.”
The 2nd Order had only two real requirements.
“Congratulations. You’ll be surrounded by people who were hired for their looks.”
The 2nd Order was the face of the palace, responsible for guarding high-ranking dignitaries. To get in, you needed to be both exceptionally skilled and exceptionally handsome. It was a rare combination, making transfers into the unit nearly impossible.
The 1st Squad was the most exclusive of them all.
“These are your orders.”
He slid the paper across the desk. Adi stared at it in grim silence.
“Try not to start any riots over there.”
She knew there was no point in arguing. An official order was final.
“Actually, you probably won’t even have the chance to cause trouble.”
Adi grabbed the document without a word and stood up. As she reached the door, the administrator spoke up one last time.
“Grimaldi.”
She paused.
“I hear Duke Woodpecker is expected to arrive soon.”
He gestured toward her as he spoke. Adi’s mouth opened as if to retort, but she thought better of it. She clamped her jaw shut, turned on her heel, and slammed the door behind her. The administrator let out a dry, knowing laugh.
