Authors note: Here it is folks! The Kingsmen are finally going to be picked. Next chapter is pretty much something I have been dying to write since I started this story, the prince will finally be introduced. By the way! I just wanted to thank everyone who's been commenting on this story! Honestly reading your comments makes my day and I appreciate them so much :) Enjoy the chapter!

The morning of the final tournament I woke up to the sound of someone packing. Thinking I was imagining it I sat up slowly, the room slowly coming into focus. Munny and Gani were standing to the side, a somber look on their face, and there in the middle was Gerner, his bags out. My eyes widened. Gerner stood up when he saw me, a grin on his face.

"We've been rooming together for almost four months now yet it still never ceases to shock me how much you can sleep through Nicky." I rubbed one eyes with the back of my hand.

"What's going on?"

"I'm leaving." Those words immediately jerked away any drowsiness I had left.

"WHAT? Gerner did you get kicked out...what happened?"

"I didn't get kicked out. I decided on my own accord. The final tournament begins today and honestly I don't deserve to be here. I'm no where near as good as most of you and I...I still feel guilty. I put this off as long as I could but in the end I realized that I need to take responsibility for what I've done." He made his way over to Munny now, ruffling the boy's hair.

"Don't look so down kid." He glanced around the room now, his gaze falling to each of us. "Don't think this is the last time I'll be seeing you. I've made arrangements with my father to be moved to the court. You three all better make it to become Kingsmen so I'll see you there." I was at a loss for words, so were the others. Finally Gani nodded slowly.

"We'll be there. All three of us. I promise you that." Gerner grinned at us.

"Good. I'll hold you to that. Trust me, I'll kick your asses if you don't make it. Good luck." Good luck...my stomach felt like it was twisting to knots.

"Goodbye."

-------

The final 15 of us stood in a line. In front of us was Orla and the panel of judges from the castle. I only recognized one, he was the man who had come to judge us earlier when picking who was to come to the castle to meet the prince. Orla slowly rose now coming before us to speak.

"We said today would be the final tournament. Before I informed you that you would be going up against each other today. This was a lie. The true nature of the final tournament for the King's Men is top secret and can only be discussed with the participants. By being here you two are vowing to secrecy. If you cannot commit please remove yourselves from the room now." There was a hushed whisper among the trainees but no one moved. Orla nodded slowly. "Good. Bring out the chamber." Two guards rolled something out now. It looked like a giant black orb that could fit perhaps one or two people. I could faintly make out some kind of door allowing one to enter. "As I said, this part of your training is top secret. This chamber was claimed thousands of years ago before sorcery and dark magic was banned from the kingdom. I said you will no longer be going up against each other...you will be going up against yourselves. Inside this chamber you must face your worst fears. The faster you get out the better your score. Those who can not make it out in the signature time frame of an hour will automatically be eliminated. I will not say this has never been...casualty free. Thrown out or not hopefully you will still be alive by the time the hour is up. Good luck." She pulled out a small silk bag and pulled out a name. "Aubin you're first." The lanky dark haired young man from the blue team slipped past us and slowly was helped into the chamber. The second the door closed I almost immediately felt the panic hit as did some of the others around me. I made my way over to Gani who looked as shaken as I was.

"This..." he said slowly, his voice sounded hoarse. "This...wasn't what I expected." I nodded slowly. Edgar had promised he would guarantee me a place in the Kingsmen but...how could he have possibly known of this...how could he rig this? My ranking in the group wasn't that awful but...if I didn't make it out of that my group ranking wouldn't matter, I would still be out, everything I had worked years for would be gone. We continued to wait in silence, the time moving incredibly slow in the tension filled room. Finally there was a click and the door slowly opened revealing Aubin. He was alive...still breathing...but he looked like he was barely hanging to consciousness. There was a gash down the side of his face running over his hollow cheeks.

"Get him to the infirmary," Orla said quickly. "All of you who make it through will be brought there immediately to rest no matter the shape you're in." She glanced down to her pocket watch. "40 minutes...not bad." She dug into the small purse again. "Munny." Munny pushed past me now and I met his gaze. The boy normally looked confident but not today.

"Good luck," Gani said softly. They embraced as if they were brothers before Munny finally parted to enter the chamber. Gani and I were the most on edge as we waited in silence. It took Munny less time than Aubin, only about thirty minutes had passed till the door clicked open. Munny wasn't physically wounded when the door opened but he was sobbing. Tears rolled down the boy's cheeks and for once I saw him as he really was...a scared little 13 year old boy. I swallowed hard. I felt like I was going to puke. Orla pulled out yet another name. "Alexander." The small boy made his way over to the room like the others. We waited...waited and waited and nothing happened. Suddenly a bell went off and Orla shot up immediately. "The hour is up. Quick, get him out immediately. Make sure he's still breathing!" The door was rammed open and the boy was removed. He was unconscious, blood appeared to be dripping from around his mouth but he appeared to still be shallowly breathing. "Bring him to the infirmary," Orla snapped. "Remove his name from the roster. He is no longer a Kingsmen in training." Now I really felt like I was going to throw up. Just like that...it was all over for Alexander. At least he was still alive-

"Nicolai." I was going to faint. As I began to move I suddenly felt someone grab my hand. I turned slowly, locking gazes with Gani. He didn't say anything for a moment, he just stared at me with those warm eyes I had come to care for more and more over these last few months.

"Be careful," was all he said. He gave my hand a little squeeze and then it was gone. His warmth and comfort and...I had to do this. I was slowly helped in the chamber and it took everything I had to calm my breathing. When the door shut everything was pitch black, it was like I was floating in darkness. I told myself to breathe, I just needed to stay calm, everything was going to be okay I just needed to concentrate-

"NICOLAI!" I didn't even need to turn to know who the speaker was but I did anyway. There she stood, as if I was looking into to a mirror. My twin sister stood there before me.

"Mira..." the words left my mouth a desperate gasp. She ran to me now, pulling me into a hug.

"Brother. I've missed you so."

"Why...why did you leave me? Mira I've been looking for you for so long." I tried to keep myself together, tried to keep the tears from coming. Then I remembered...remembered this was a challenge. She wasn't real...of course she wasn't. She noticed immediately as I drew back and for a second her expression flickered.

"You know why I left Nicky." I shook my head.

"No I don't-"

"You know. You know what you did." She was just an illusion...I knew it was just an illusion....yet I couldn't stop myself. It was as if she was right there.

"I..." I could feel the tears stinging my eyes and I swallowed hard. "I did it for you Mira. If I hadn't you would have died. I'm sorry. I...how can I make it up to you? I'll do anything just please come back. You were all I had," I found myself falling to my knees before her now, my entire body shaking. She stared at me a moment before taking a step closer. Her voice was quiet when she spoke,

"There is something you can do for me Nicky." She came closer still, reaching out so could tilt my head up to get a better look at my face. "You want to make it up to me...make up for the most painful thing I'd ever experienced? Are you willing to do anything?" I nodded furiously my mouth opening to form a silent yes. She smiled slowly, the corners of her mouth turning into a small smile. "Well then, you can die."
Suddenly she had pushed me back against the wall, her hands around my throat. I struggled and trashed finally managing to break free as I gasped desperately for breath. Mira simply clicked her tongue in annoyance.

"Damn, you're going to make this harder than I anticipated." There was a sudden flash of something silver in her hand and I realized she was holding a knife. My blood turned to ice. She lunged at me and I managed to dodge the attack by ducking to the right. She tried to come at me again, this time head on but I knew this trick of hers...fake Mira or not she still had been the one who taught me to fight. I grabbed her by the wrist twisting her around so she was now the one slammed up against the wall. My grip tightened until her grip was forced to loosen on the weapon and I grabbed it from her. A smile crept onto her face now, a cruel sick twisted smile.

"You know it takes more to win don't you? You have to kill me...kill your own sister." I stared at her a moment, the sting of tears and the burning in my throat all too familiar. Then without warning I plunged the knife into her chest. The shock in her face was clear.

"You're not my sister." I could almost see the life draining out of her eyes. She spoke her voice low,

"Wow...you really are heartless." With that the door clicked open and I was dragged out by the guards. I could barely make out Orla's voice from behind me.

"25 minutes...that's incredibly good." I felt sick and overwhelmed and dizzy. I had killed my sister...she wasn't my sister but I had still done it. I had still plunged the dagger into her heart like it was nothing. I was brought to the infirmary but I was hardly aware of my surrounding. I just wanted to block everything out...to pretend I hadn't just done the unthinkable whether she was only a vision or not.

-----

I hadn't even realized I had fallen asleep until I felt a sharp poke in my side. I jerked up to see Munny perched on my bed beside me.

"Sorry to wake you up sleepy head, I would have let you keep napping but uh...the final ceremony is about to begin in an hour so I thought you might want to get ready." I glanced around the infirmary. It was almost completely empty with the exception of one or two people. Munny just shook his head. "Don't worry about them. They didn't make it through the tournament." I ran a hand through my hair as I tried to process everything. Just how long had I been asleep?

"How did...everyone else do?" Munny thought for a moment.

"Gani did pretty well actually. He beat all of us, it only took him 20 minutes. He probably doesn't have many demons. The guy is practically perfect. Four people didn't make it through and it looked like it was going to be five but then he pulled through at literally the last second." I arched a brow, confused.

"Who's he?" Munny blinked.

"Oh yeah right! Emery! I seriously thought that he wasn't going to make it. He was in terrible shape when they finally got him out of there. He probably had only 30 seconds to spare before his time was up." I could hardly imagine it...Emery had almost lost it all.

------

We finally made our way to the grand hall which we had first been brought all those months ago when we began our training. It was so strange to think it was almost over. I glanced to Munny now who was clearly struggling to keep calm. As we entered he looked to me, his eyes wide.

"This is it. Everything has been leading up to this moment." I gave him a small pat on the shoulder.

"You'll be fine." I joined the line of boys. Almost everyone looked like they were about to faint. Some of the boys wore bandages which were clearly evident from their earlier battles in the tournament. My gaze fell to Emery at the end of the line. He was staring straight ahead, his gaze blank. I couldn't help but wonder what he had experienced in the chamber. What could have possibly happened to him to make it so he almost didn't get out? My thoughts were cut short as Orla stepped up in front of us. For the first time since I had met her the woman's hair was down. She looked younger this way, ribbons braided through her long brown hair. She stepped forward, the group of judges behind her.

"This is it," she said the words slowly and we all knew what she was referring to. "This has been a long 4 months but...Kingsmen or not you'll all be better men because of it. All I can say is...I'm proud of you all." Those words were the most sincere I had ever heard from her. She pulled out a list now and everyone went dead silent. We knew was was on it...the weight it contained. There were five chairs beside her and we all knew without question who they were for. And just like that she began to read names.

"Munny." The relief and joy swept over the boy and he practically bounced forward to take the first seat. "Sullivan." No one was surprised when the red team member and enthusiastic member of Emery's posse took the second seat. Sullivan had managed to keep the number third spot under Emery and Munny through pretty much almost all of training. "Aubin." Still heavily bandaged the boy took the third seat. At the realization that there were only two seats left the tension in the room made it almost impossible to breathe. "Gani." Beside me Gani's eyes opened wide in disbelief and he didn't move as if he couldn't believe it for himself.

"You made it." I said softly.

"I did....oh my God I did!" The smile Gani gave me was one of the brightest I had ever seen but even it could not take me away from the horror that had come over me. There was only one seat left and there was only one name that hadn't been called. Emery had been number one through all of training, he had won the assassin challenge, he had been chosen to meet the prince that meant....Edgar had failed. I hadn't made it. All this time and training and energy, all this hope that we could create a better world by assassinating the false prince...it was all for nothing-

"Nicolai." I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me. It was a mistake....it had to be. The disbelief in the crowd, though silent, Everyone looked from me to Emery. I found my mouth tightening into a thin line as I slowly went to join the others. I kept waiting for Orla to stop me, to tell me a mistake and that I hadn't really made it but...she was silent. Emery's expression hadn't changed. He still stood there his face blank but this time he was staring off as if something in the distance was the most interesting thing in the world. I knew I shouldn't but I felt guilt...overwhelming guilt, so much in fact that I had to clench my hands into fists so I wouldn't feel sick. I just...didn't understand how this was possible.

----

There was a small ceremony in honor of the five chosen Kingsmen and everyone who was still conscience from the tournament was allowed to attend. Although it was pretty much just a party the tension in the room was still thick. Most of the boy's who hadn't made it offered us quick congratulations before going back to join their friends. Emery had attended but had pretty much stood in a corner all night, not even speaking with his usual members of his posse. Gani and Munny came up to me now and Munny was grinning ear to ear.

"We made it! All three of us actually made it! The best part is we're going to see Gerner too! It's going to be like the entire purple team is all back toge-" he caught himself. "I mean uh...almost all of us." I tried to smile but it just couldn't force it. Gani rested a hand on my shoulder, his gaze filled with understanding. When he spoke his voice was gentle.

"You should talk to him." I shook my head.

"I can't...he hasn't talked with anyone all night." That's when behind Gani I noticed Emery making his way to the balcony outside. I gave them a small nod."Sorry I...have to go." I slipped past them making my way as quickly to the balcony as I could. As I stepped out into the night air I shivered instinctively, it was much colder out here tonight then when we had first started our training. I couldn't tell if Emery was aware of my presence, if he was he made no note of it. He was leaning against the line of the balcony staring down. His arms were draped over the rim and his expression was unreadable. The moonlight caught in his pale hair making it appear almost white.

"Emery." He didn't even look up at the sound of my voice.

"What do you want?" He spoke as he always did to me, harshly yet the usual malice in it was gone. I came to stand beside him now trying to bite back the new wave of guilt that was sweeping over me.

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry. You're better than me...much better. You should be here as a Kingsmen and not me. I don't-"

"Shut up." I blinked more surprised by his tone then his predictable words. Emery sighed turning to look at me. "Stop doubting yourself Nicky. If you were chosen you were chosen for a reason. Do you have an array of terrible traits? Yes. But even I will admit you didn't get this far for nothing. You have talent, you fight and think a different way than the others and that makes you different and unpredictable. Honestly you..." he stared up at the sky now. "You didn't even need a rigged tournament, even from the beginning you have been good enough to be here. You just need to stop doubting yourself and then...you honestly won't be a half bad Kingsmen." We had never spoken about how he knew I competed in a rigged tournament but by now I didn't even want to know. His words didn't help me feel better, instead the guilt just hit me again like a wave.

"And how about you? Are you okay? I know we're not really friends and I'm probably the last person you would want to talk about this stuff with but if you really need to get anything off your chest..." Emery turned to meet my gaze again.

"I just..." he sighed softly. "This is all over. We all have to go back to our old lives except those chosen and I honestly don't want to go back to..." he shook his head. "Never mind. There's no point discussing the unchangeable. Oh and by the way would you shut up about the friend thing. We might hate each other's guts but as much as this pains me to admit it you're probably the closest thing to a real friend that I've had in a very long time." Those words caught me off guard and Emery could clearly see me react.

"What about your posse...you have so many people around you and-"

"I know what I said." My mouth still hung open in disbelief.

"I didn't think you would tell me something like that." Emery just shook his head, suddenly beginning to make his way back to the door that led back into the hall.

"Why it doesn't matter? It's not like we're ever going to see eachother again after tonight." He cast me a strange little smile at that before disappearing indoors. I was just left staring after him. I didn't know what hit me more, Emery's words or the suddenly painful feeling in my chest when I realized I was actually going to miss him.

-----

I made my way back to my room almost immediately after. I didn't have the energy to interact with anyone else tonight. I decided I might as well pack up my things now. When I arrived however I saw Gani there, a handful of items in his arms, mostly books. He looked up startled when he saw me.

"Ah! Hi Nicky! You coming to get a head start on packing too?" I nodded. Gani grinned at me. "Munny makes more of a mess putting stuff away so I decided I should do it before he gets back cause his stuff will be literally everywhere." I gave him a small shrug.

"I mainly needed to get away from that room. There was way too much tension in there. Do you need any help?" Gani shook his head.

"No I think I got it."

"No seriously it looks like you're about to drop all your stuff." I moved to help grab it and Gani turned the wrong way causing us to both knock in each other making both of us to fall to the floor. One of his larger books fell to the ground for a thump. "Here I got it." I reached for it and I felt Gani tense beside me. As I picked it up I noticed something was odd almost immediately. The book felt much lighter than it should have. Instinctively I flipped it open and saw a hole had been carved out of the middle between the pages. My breathe caught, there were multiple items tucked into it. Some money, a small hunting knife, shards of glass, some herbs...the herbs. Trisin...the same kind I had almost drank at the ball. Not only that...glass like the kind that had found it's way into a poor boy's training shoes. Gani saw my eyes widen in recognition almost immediately and he slowly stood up, his expression unreadable. I felt like I was going to be sick...like this was all some horrible nightmare.

"Gani...you wouldn't...why...." The boy I had come to respect and care for other these last months just shook his head.

"Well shit, it looks like I've been caught."