Page 71 of Kingdom of Embers and Ruin

“When I sent over my reviews, I didn’t think you’d need to inspect them personally,” Bryn said to Ulf, implications heavy in her statement.

“I am only trying to ensure that our armies are manned by the best of the best warriors in this kingdom,” the General replied, brushing off her insinuations.

Bryn snorted. “I’m sure that’s exactly what you were doing, Uncle. How could I ever suspect that your intentions were anything other than honorable? As you said, our armies should bemannedby the best warriors, so why look further into my shieldmaidens? Am I correct?”

He bristled at her familial reference before his eyes darkened at her clear insubordination. If she were anyone else, she would be dead for how she spoke to her General.

“I am not your uncle; I am your General.”

“Of course,” she murmured and tilted her head, giving him an amused look.

They glared at each other, the tension palpable as their standoff continued. Finally, her uncle broke first and cast his eyes down to his desk.Coward, Bryn thought bitterly.

Ulf didn’t meet her stare again, instead shuffling a few papers on his desk. “What did you need, Lieutenant?”

“The recruits are ready for final inspection,” she said, moving her eyes to rest on the wall behind his head.

“Good.”

The General said no more, keeping his eyes down and attempting to ignore her presence.

“I’m going into the city to scout for more,” Bryn said as she turned to leave.

“Why?”

She stopped in her tracks, keeping her back to her uncle. “What?”

“Why are you looking for more recruits?” He asked slowly.

“Because you just sent off the best soldiers we have to track down the Heir, as the King requested.”

“And you believe we need to swell our ranks?”

A careful question. Bryn responded carefully.

“If our enemy is on the move to aid the traitor Heir, shouldn’t we be prepared for any attack from the Kingdom of Rivers?” Bryn asked, voice even.

Her uncle was silent for a time. Bryn kept her back to him, her disrespect hanging heavy in the room.

“Carry on, Lieutenant.”

Bryn quickly exited the tower and made her way to her bedroom, changing into civilian clothing. She lifted the stone hiding away her mother’s belongings and grabbed the remaining journals her mother had kept, hastily stowing them into her satchel.

Taking the servants' staircase to the ground level of the palace, she made her way into Logi.

Winding through the narrow streets nestled in between the red-stoned houses that were packed together in the slums of Logi, Bryn circled back on herself a few times to make sure she lost whatever tail her uncle had put on her. She stopped at markets and haggled for prices on items she didn’t need to blend in with her surroundings.

Finally, the soldier, who had been obviously following her, lost her in the central market. Bryn scaled the side of one of the houses lining the market, hiding on the roof to watch her stalker give up and make his way down a wayward alley. A bitter laugh escaped her; the realization that her uncle and father still did not trust her was not lost on Bryn.

She arrived at the rooftop she had been searching for, its flat top, which was easy to jump onto from the neighboring structure. When Bryn landed, she looked north toward the palace and found she had a clear view from where she stood of the entire nobles' district and the monstrous structure she had called home her whole life. She noticed an old tent set up that had collapsed in on itself made of old clothing as she headed for the opening in the roof that would let her inside.

Making her way down the stairs, Bryn passed brightly colored bedrooms that looked untouched. The green walls of the halls offset her generally dark presence. Her bright orange hair had been wrapped up into tight braids in a bun at the nape of her neck and then covered by the black hood on her traveling cloak. Her nondescript black harem pants and boots aided her civilian disguise.

“You know, those clothes make you stand out. You look like a noble who is slumming it for the night before they must go back to their life of comfort,” a voice said from the first floor near the kitchen.

Okay, so maybe I wasn’t as inconspicuous as I thought, Bryn chided to herself.

“I got here from the rooftops; no one would have had the chance to have an opinion about my clothing,” Bryn said as she came down the stairs, lowering her hood.

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