It took us the better part of three hours, on foot, getting to my fathers palace.
"Now do you know what you have to do?" I asked the men.
"Yes we must distract them for as long as possible so Peter, Mark and yourself can get inside and see what their up to."
The man that answered me was a man called Ian.
"Very good, now as you know you may die and if you do I wish you every honour in death."
Every one nodded and repeated what I said and so we commenced our mission. Peter, Mark and I moved to the rear of the palace and waited for the diversion to start. Finally, after an hour of waiting the diversion started. They started to attack the castle. Foolish I know, but it was the only thing that would make them come out of the palace.
There was a lot of shouting and people running around giving orders. The shadow raiders were starting to fight back. That was our cue. We went in through the stable entrance. There was a door to the back that I hadn't seen the last time I was here. The door led to the main hall. I opened the door ever so slightly. there were people running around the corridor.
I heard my father shouting, "What the hell is going on?"
Alexander answered him. "My lord some light raiders are attacking us. There aren't many of them, but we need all the people we can."
My father started to yell more orders. A few minutes later the palace cleared.
"Come on we need to find their plans quickly. We don't have much time. They won't keep it up for long." I said to Peter and Mark.
They nodded. We started up the corridor and started looking for the council room. It took us about half an hour finding it. I already knew where it was, but I acted like I didn't.
"In here! Now start looking for their plans. They must have them written down somewhere."
We started looking around the council room. There were papers all over the table.
Mark said, "General, I think I found something." I went over to Mark and looked at what he was holding. It was a paper stating that they planned on attacking the castle a day before Jess's birthday. I knew it was a dud. I picked up a few more papers.
"Mark get these back to Gabriel. We will follow you. No matter what happens, get these to Gabriel and that's an order!" he nodded. I could here some of the council men coming back.
"Get out of here. We'll cover you, just get these papers back to Gabriel!"
With that, Mark turned and left at top speed. Just then the door flew open and Michael walked in.
"Who the hell are you? And what are you doing here!"
I didn't answer him. I threw papers at his face and Peter and I ran. I knew we wouldn't get very far. Michael started to shout for other people. We only got to the front of the palace. I saw Mark running away from the palace. That was just before someone threw themselves on top of me pinning me to the ground. They grabbed me by the wrists and pulled me to my feet.
"So, you think that you can just brake into my palace without being caught? Who do you think you are?"
It was my father. I was dragged into the palace and thrown back into the council room. I noticed that Peter was also caught and thrown in beside me.
"So tell me. What did you hope to achieve by this foolish attack?"
My father asked.
"At least now we now what your up to as your plans are now in Gabriel's hands." I said.
Just then Michael came into the room took one look at Peter.
Michael said, "Peter is that you?"
Peter got up. "It is father."
Michael pulled him into a hug. "I thought we lost you years ago."
Michael was crying his eyes out.
"Wait a minute, that's little Peter?" my father said.
I got up off the floor.
"Well at least I know now that I can trust you Peter." I said.
My father looked around. "Could you tell me please why you are here?" he asked.
"Gabriel wanted to see what you were at so he sent me and a few people to find out." my father looked deeply confused.
"You do know that what you gave that guy was an old plan don't you?" father asked.
"Yes father, I do. That's why I did give it to him. False information will have them prepared wrong on the day. Then we can attack them."
Michael and Peter were talking, so father took me to my room to allow me to get changed as I would be staying awhile.
When I came back Damien and Peter were talking away. Damien smiled at me.
"Its okay Lex, Peter told me. I don't mind as long as your happy." he said.
"Thanks for understanding Damien. I didn't mean to hurt you in any way." I said.
"Lex don't worry. You aren't tied to me." he kissed me on the cheek.
There was a lot of talk that night. Michael was overjoyed to see Peter again as he thought he was killed in the attack against us.
Father asked me, "So tell me Lex, what's the plan for the princess's birthday?"
"The plan is that just after the ceremony starts you attack. I suggest you drop from the ceiling into the ceremony because I will be the only one who will be armed.
Once there, surround me and disarm me. Then Gabriel, will try to organise the troops. But, you must act like I'm one of them. But, you can do what you want to the princess." I said.
"Well I know what I'd like to do to her." my father said with a wicked smile.
"Also, what you thought about Gabriel is true. The princess told me herself that they're engaged. If they marry there will be trouble."
"So, when will you tell them who you really are?" my father asked.
"After I turn nineteen I'll be safe then." I said.
"So Peter what happened to you?" my father asked. "I fought in the attack then after it I was separated from everyone I was chased into the forest and after I lost them I wandered for days on end trying to find someone I knew. When I didn't I had no choice but to go back to the castle and tell them that I was a servant and I was forced into fighting. They sort of believed me and I've been there ever since my lord."
Alexander handed me a goblet of wolf's blood which I was glad of.
"She's drinking?" Peter asked.
Everyone threw him dirty looks.
"Wolf's blood yes but not fully yet." my father said.
"Oh, sorry my lord. I didn't realise." Peter said.
"What did he mean by that father?" I asked.
"Its nothing Alexandria, its just that you usually don't get to drink wolf's blood until after you turn nineteen." my father said.
But by the look on everyone else's face I knew something was wrong. Or, at least,they weren't telling me something.
"Anyway, how are you getting on with them. Do they suspect anything?" my father asked.
"I'm getting on fine, thanks to Jess. I don't think they suspect anything but they have so many laws it's a wonder they can do anything at all. Please tell me we don't have so many laws father."
My father laughed. "No we don't. The only laws we have are these: if you disobey whoever the leader is, or , if you betray us, you can be executed. The other law is that you can't have sex until you're nineteen. Apart from that there's nothing else. You're free to do what you want."
I was a little taken back as the light raiders had a law for everything under the sun.
"I must ask who was it that killed all of my minions? Whoever it was we better watch them very closely because no one has ever so much as injured them before." father asked.
"I have to admit that it was me. I didn't mean to it just happened. I had no control over it, I'm sorry father" I said.
"Don't be! I'm just glad it was you, otherwise we would be in very deep water."
My stomach was starting rumble as I hadn't had anything all day. Alexander heard the rumbling and ordered food up for every one. I was very glad for that. We talked and talked all day. I was glad when my father told me it was time for bed. Peter bid me goodnight at my bedroom door.
That night I had really bad dreams. I didn't remember exactly what they were, but I was glad when Peter woke me the next morning for breakfast.
"Good morning your highness. Did you sleep well?" he asked.
"No I didn't. I had really bad nightmares."
"What were they?" Peter asked.
"I can't remember, but I know they were bad."
"What do you want to do today?" Peter asked.
"How about sword training?" I said.
"Yeh, okay but only if your ready for a good ass whipping."
"Have you ever seen her sword fight Peter?", it was my father.
"No my lord, I haven't. But I did see her solve a very difficult problem that I wouldn't have been able to solve." Peter said.
"Well, let me put it this way. I'm glad she's on our side. She can beat me so there's no way you will beat her."
They were discussing this as I was getting dressed. I was glad that I didn't have to wear a dress for once. When I went back into the room Peter was still adamant that he could beat me.
"Tell you what, we'll make a little bet. If I win you have to a forfeit." I said.
"And if I win?" Peter said.
I whispered something in his ear.
"Okay I'll agree to that." he said with a grin on his face.
My father looked a little confused. "I said I'd do something for him, something personal."
Father just shrugged his shoulders and down we went to the training hall. I drew my sword and faced Peter. "I won't go easy on you Peter." I said.
"I wouldn't expect you to Lex." We clashed our swords in salute. Peter went right in for the kill. All I did was side stepped and tripped him up. He landed flat on his face.
My father started to laugh. A few other people from the council had turned up to watch. Peter got up and faced me. We clashed swords and started to circle each other I was waiting for a chance to use my special move. I didn't have to wait long. I slid my sword into his hilt and twisted. He yelped in pain. I flicked the sword up and caught it.
"At what point do you win Peter?" I asked.
"Okay, okay you win. So, what's my forfeit?" he asked.
"I'll have to think of one for you and get back to you." I said.
My father said, "Peter I wouldn't worry. I couldn't beat her no matter how hard I tried and we spent a whole night doing sword fighting." We spent the day in the training hall. Everyone was trying to beat me but no one ever did. After we finished Peter walked me back to my room.
"So do you want to do that thing you mentioned earlier?" he whispered into my ear.
I thought about it for a minute. "Okay, but only if you keep it between us. Agreed?"
Peter nodded and we both went into my room and locked the door.
"Now do you want to sit or stand?" I asked him.
"I'll stand Lex."
