I manage to escape Eero's study untouched, but the two guards outside watch me with interest as I half-run, half-walk down the hallway in retreat. My heart's pounding in my chest from the adrenaline.

What just happened?

What did Eero mean when he said that? Did I somehow end up in even more trouble letting him save me? I thought dealing with one member of the royal family was bad enough. Why did I have to get tangled up with another one?

But then there's the business of Ursus and the king, their "plans," and Eero's disagreement with them. Does the king know about Eero's plans for war? Does he disagree?

Or is it the other way around?

The questions swim laps in my brain as I hurry down the main staircase. I need answers. Fast. But I'm a stranger in the palace. How am I supposed to find answers?

If I was at home, I'd find a merchant and ask them. Merchants are the kind of people that know everything because they travel. Leaving the palace isn't an option right now, though, and I have a feeling the answers I need are within these stone walls.

So who else would know everything? Who else has eyes and ears in all the right places?

Madam Amaia.

By the time I make it to the kitchens, my heart rate has evened itself out a little but I'm still panting. I want to wash my entire body with Josef's iron brush—the one we use to scrub burnt bits off his cookware. The memory of King Soren's gaze makes me feel...

Used.

Soiled.

I push through the kitchen door and slam face-first into a wall of fabric. The force pushes all the remaining air out of my lungs, and I grip the sides of the door to keep myself upright.

"Woah there," the wall I ran into says.

I gasp for breath and look up. Josef. Does he have pans jammed into his shirt? What in the world did I slam into?

"Sorry," I manage to spit out. "Have you seen Madam Amaia?"

Josef shakes his head as he reaches down and straightens my uniform. "You just missed her. She had to run into Lykke on an errand for the king." His eyes rove over me. "Do you need something? Is everything okay?"

I guess my second best option is Josef if Madam Amaia's not around. He's been around as long as she has, and the kitchen's a place everyone crosses. Surely he knows something about the trio. "Um, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course, skatter. Anything."

Taking his arm, I pull him back into the kitchen and out the back door. The yard is surprisingly empty, meaning everyone's either resting or cleaning somewhere else. I can't complain; this just means no one will overhear my questions.

"Did something happen at breakfast?" Josef presses. "Was the prince mean to you? I'll talk to him if I need to."

The offer alone is very sweet, but what power does Josef hold over Eero?

"No, that's not it," I say softly, sitting down on the bench. Josef lowers himself down beside me and clasps his hands in his lap. "I hope this isn't too... personal, but can you tell me a little about the king and Prince Eero? Do they get along?"

Josef shakes his head. "They never really have. Not since King Soren's advisor was hired on."

"Master Ursus?"

"Have you met him?" Josef asks, giving me an odd look.

"Yes. He interviewed me, but that was the only time. Eero doesn't like Ursus. Says he doesn't trust him?"

Josef hums in agreement. "The last advisor, he was worlds different than Master Ursus. He and King Soren agreed on foreign affairs and most internal ones, too. Plus, he got along with the young prince. It was the perfect set-up for when the king inevitably died and Eero succeeded him."

"What happened to the last advisor?"

"No one really knows," Josef says, leaning in to whisper to me conspiratorially. "We found him dead in his bed one morning. No earlier signs of sickness. The only trace of anything we could find was some slight discoloration in his lips." He sighs. "Ursus showed up the next day. Prince Eero was... six, I believe."

I have no clue how advisors are chosen, and to be honest, I don't think I need to know. The whole situation is suspicious enough for me.

"Did Ursus kill him?" I ask.

Josef shrugs. "Like I said, no one knows what happened. But Eero has never liked him. They disagree on almost everything. It doesn't help that King Soren always sides with Ursus, even when he wouldn't have before."

"What do you mean?"

The cook looks up at the palace, weighing his words carefully. After a long minute, he replies, "It's almost as if the king is a different person than he was fifteen years ago. Ever since Ursus entered the picture, he's... darker, almost. He hardly eats; he travels constantly. Our king used to stay home and socialize with his people. Now? It's like everyone in Lykke is beneath him."

My heart constricts. "And the advisor?"

"Well, he's a force to be reckoned with himself. No one comes close to him. He always has his two body guards with him. The madam calls them his 'two twin gargoyles.'" Josef laughs softly, but the humor quickly dissipates. "Honestly, anyone bold enough to pick a fight with Ursus would have to be mad."

"Is he that strong? I thought Eero was the strongest swordsman in Lykke."

"Oh, he is," Josef says with a nod. "But Ursus is strong in a different sense." He clenches his hands together in his lap, trying to figure out what he can and can't say. We both look around the yard, but no one is here. "Between you and me, the man reeks of power he obtained the wrong way. He feels cold and distant. Evil, almost."

I shudder. It almost sounds like he's describing my uncle. That's impossible, though. I guess every kingdom has their own version of an evil warlock.

But I remember exactly how it felt standing in front of him. Ursus made me feel... cold. Ruined. Helpless.

Josef chuckles at my reaction. "He's definitely not someone you want to cross paths with, Ari. Why all the questions about him?"

"The king invited me for a walk with him later," I admit, "and he said he would bring along Master Ursus. I... I didn't think I could say no, but Eero got me out of it."

The man nods. "The king wouldn't have harmed you, but with Ursus around..." He sucks air through his teeth. "Trust me, Eero did the right thing."

"Oh, I agree, but then he said something strange about not knowing what he'd done in order to save me. It didn't make sense."

"Eero hardly does," Josef says softly, the smile back on his face. "You can trust the prince, Ari. He's on your side."

Is he? Because he's starting a war against my people.

Because I came here to kill him.

Because I despise his people.

Is he?

Did I?

Do I?

My head's spinning so fast that I feel like I might be sick. My magic sparks to life again in an attempt to warm me up, but all this talk about Master Ursus and the king feels like I'm treading ice cold water.

Is Eero the enemy I came here thinking he is, or should I be worried about the king and his advisor?

I can't answer those questions.

Not yet, anyway

I need to gather more information for myself instead of relying on what people are telling me

If I thought this would be a simple task, I was incredibly wrong. There's an entangled net under the surface, and if I want to get all the knots out and behead the snake I came here to, I'm going to have to find the right head first.

"I should get back to work," I say quietly, clutching Finn's pendant. It's a soothing action, one that centers me when I feel like the ground is bucking under my feet.

"Mm. Maybe," Josef says, watching me play with my necklace. Then, he rises up off the bench and offers me his hand. I take it, and together, we start back towards the palace. His hand is soft and warm, like Madam Amaia's, but his is thinner than hers, boney in a way that shows his craft. At his touch, my magic flares happily, filling my chest with euphoria.

It's telling me I can trust this man. That's obvious.

"Come, I have something for you," he says, crossing the threshold into the kitchen. I have no choice but to follow and laugh.

He deposits me at a tall table near the washbasins, and I push myself up onto a wobbly three-legged stool. From there, I watch him bustle around for a moment, digging through different cabinets and containers. He mumbles to himself as he goes.

Suddenly, he lets out a loud, "Ah! Here!" and pulls out a large brown cylinder with a fitted lid. Removing that, he reaches in and pulls out a handful of something.

"Enjoy," he says softly, extending his hand towards me. A little bundle of paper sits in his palm. It's twirled at the edges, and a bit of the color inside shines through—a soft pink and yellow striping.

"Is this... candy?"

Josef beams down at me. "It is! Taffy made on the beach here in Lykke. I know the confectioner. He uses only saltwater that he personally gathers from the sea."

I unwrap it slowly and hold it in my palm. It's soft, squishy around the edges, and smells strongly of fruit. I've always had a sweet tooth, but human candy was a delicacy in Vandya. The merchants couldn't keep it sweet with all the salt in the water. Even though Mama tried to replicate it for us, there was always a bit of a fishy taste to it.

My mouth waters as I stare down at it, smelling the heavenly duo of fruit flavors.

Josef laughs. "You're supposed to eat it, skatter."

Feeling my cheeks redden, I pop the oblong candy into my mouth. The moment it touches my tongue, the flavor explodes. It's sweet and tangy at the same time, dissolving to fill my mouth but clinging to my teeth too. I chew slowly and let my eyes drift closed. It tastes...

Like the marketplace at home smells.

"If I'd known you would like it this much, I would have offered you some earlier," Josef teases. I open my eyes and smile at him, chewing happily.

"I've never tasted anything like it," I admit.

"Of course you haven't," he chuckles. "The confectioners in Lykke are one of a kind. I'll pick you up some more when I go to the shore this week. Sound good?"

I nod excitedly. "I'll pay you back as soon as I can, I promise."

Josef squeezes my shoulder. "Don't worry about it, just..." He pauses, growing serious. "Stay out of Ursus's way, okay? And the king's. Neither of them are safe for you."

My stomach tightens at his warning, but I nod.

If I want to get out of this palace alive and end a war before it starts, I'm going to have to cross paths with one of those two men eventually.

Half of me hopes Eero really is the villain here, because Ursus and King Soren feel much more sinister.