Rana Singh was a skilled warrior, and they had no way of knowing what tricks he had up his sleeve. Luka lifted his sword, praying that it would be enough to defend himself and Maya.
Without a word, Rana lunged forward, his sword flashing through the air. Luka and Maya sprang apart, dodging his attack, but Rana was quick, and he pressed his advantage, striking at them with swift, deadly blows.
Luka parried his attacks as best he could, trying to stay out of reach of Rana's sword, stumbling a little whenever he put weight on his bad leg. Maya fought beside him, her own sword a blur as she struck back at their attacker.
“How long until your potion works?” Luka shouted.
“Any moment now!”
Luka felt a surge of fear as Rana’s sword came dangerously close to his chest, but he managed to sidestep at the last second, narrowly avoiding the blow. He could feel the adrenaline pumping through his veins, and he knew that he had to stay focused if he wanted to survive.
Maya was holding her own against Rana, but Luka could see that she was starting to tire. He knew that they couldn't keep this up forever, and he began to look around for a way out.
And then, he saw it. A small alcove in the wall, just big enough for him and Maya to slip into. He gestured to her, and she nodded, understanding his plan.
As Rana lunged at them again, Luka and Maya darted toward the alcove, moving as one. Rana followed, his sword at the ready, but as soon as they were inside, Luka and Maya spun around, their swords flashing in the dim light.
Caught off guard, Rana stumbled, and Luka struck him with a swift blow to the head. The spy crumpled to the ground, his sword clattering to the floor beside him. Even as Luka waited, his heart pounding and the breath sawing in his lungs, he saw Rana shake his head, his feet slipping on the floor as he tried to stand up.
Maya’s potion was finally working.
“You're not going anywhere,” Luka said sternly as he whispered a spell, turning the ground liquid for just a moment, trapping Rana to his ankles in solid marble. “You should have known better than to try and steal from Maya," Luka added. He leaned down, and pinched Rana’s nose shut. The man gasped for air, and Luka took the vial of sleeping draught from Maya’s pocket, pouring it down Rana’s throat.
Sputtering, Rana glared at them with hatred in his eyes. “You may have caught me this time, but you haven’t seen the last of us,” he spat, before slipping into unconsciousness.
~
The next morning, things were in an uproar. Luka had sent a messenger hawk immediately after Rana Singh had been captured, and Annika had sent a cadre of Imperial soldiers to escort the spy back to the prison in Rurik Castle.
Rana Singh was in the country on a mission of diplomacy, and as such, he was exempt from prosecution under Drakkan laws. But he was guilty of espionage and had been caught red-handed. Letters would need to be sent to Crown Prince Sekhar, and his father, the Emperor of Sunvaara. The alliance between Sunvaara and Drakazov hung in the balance.
As soon as the rest of the lords were awake, Luka had revealed the situation to them all over the breakfast table.
“So, Rana was finally caught?” Baron de Montefort said, smiling nastily. “Couldn’t have happened to a better person.” He glared at Prince Ilya, who was squirming uncomfortably. “It’s a shame you couldn’t sendthisone packing as well.”
“Baron de Montefort, I must ask: what happened to make you so distressed with your allies?” Luka asked, finally unable to control his curiosity any longer. “I must know. My younger sister is to marry Crown Prince Sekhar, and I would know if there is something for her to be wary of when it comes to her new fiancé.”
Baron de Montefort snorted, and Lord Phillip shook his head. “It is a tale of treachery, Your Highness,” he said in his low, soft voice. “One that is better told in private.”
Luka nodded and dismissed the butler and the rest of his household staff. When Baron de Montefort looked at Maya, Luka shook his head. “You can trust Maya, Baron.”
The Baron frowned uncertainly, and then his face cleared as he shook his head. “Alright,” he said, and then, he began to tell the tale of a broken engagement, a plot to take over his province, and an invasion force led by Rana that had held Mallika de Montefort to ransom.
When the tale was done, Luka shook his head. “Your lady sounds remarkable,” he said to Baron de Montefort, who nodded proudly.
“So, Rana did all this, and yet there was no proof of it?” Luka scowled. “Well, we got him dead to rights this time. Hopefully, we will have enough to stop Prince Sekhar, too.” He looked at Prince Ilya, who had remained silent through the entire conversation.
“What about you, Prince Ilya? What secrets are you hiding? Surely you aren’t in Drakazov just to celebrate your Prince’s engagement?” he said sarcastically.
“No,” Prince Ilya said, sighing heavily. “I am not.” He looked at the Elves, who had remained silent all the while, observing the squabbling human ambassadors curiously.
“I am here to meet with the Elves. It was a stroke of luck that your dealings with them allowed me this chance to talk with them, Your Highness.”
“And what do you want with us?” Lord Ryu asked belligerently, while Lord Erlan watched Prince Ilya silently.
“I would like to reinstate the Council of the Four Kingdoms.”
Luka frowned. The Council of the Four Kingdoms had once been a place where representatives from each of the Four Kingdoms—Drakazov, Sunvaara, Merovia, and the Ellem Isles—had met four times a year to discuss matters of importance to the kingdoms, to share knowledge and facilitate trade, and work together for the good of everyone in the Four Kingdoms.
