Chapter 40

"Myne, you must listen to me," Maya said the next morning, her voice laced with urgent, manufactured concern. She was strapping her traveling pack to her shoulders.

Myne frowned from her velvet chair, swirling a cup of tea. "I do not understand why you insist on scouting the wilderness alone, Maya. It is dangerous, and it deprives me of my vanguard."

"Because the true danger isn't in the wilderness; it's right here in the capital," Maya countered smoothly, kneeling beside Myne’s chair and taking the princess's hand. "The Church's Paladins are acting strangely. If they make a move against the King while I am away, the royal guards will not be enough to stop them. The King needs his most powerful mage. He needs *you*, Myne. If you leave the capital, the Crown is entirely vulnerable."

Myne’s emerald eyes widened slightly. The thought of being the sole, indispensable savior of the royal family—the beautiful, tragic heroine defending her father from treacherous priests—was absolute catnip to her bottomless vanity.

"You are right, Maya," Myne breathed, sitting up straighter. "If the Church dares to strike, I shall burn them to ash. Go, my loyal knight. Scout the perimeter of the kingdom, and leave the defense of the throne to me."

"I will return as soon as it is safe, Princess," Maya bowed deeply.

An hour later, Maya rode out of the capital’s eastern gates alone. The moment the city walls faded from view, she let out a massive sigh of relief, the heavy, subservient mask finally dropping from her face. From the shadow of her horse, Onyx popped his head out, letting out a happy yip. They were finally free of the viper.

For three days, Maya pushed deep into the untamed wilderness, following ancient rumors of a massive, talking bird.

On the afternoon of the fourth day, the quiet of the forest was shattered by the sound of shouting and the screeching of birds.

Maya dismounted, moving silently through the brush. In a small clearing, three armored poachers had cornered a young girl with twin tails of bright blue hair. The girl was desperately standing in front of a nest of fluffy, infant Filolials, holding a small water-magic wand.

"Step aside, little girl!" the lead poacher sneered, drawing a rusted sword. "Those birds will fetch a high price in the capital's fighting pits!"

"I am a representative of the Crown!" the girl shouted back, her voice trembling but surprisingly authoritative. "You will not harm these creatures!"

The poacher laughed, lunging forward.

He didn't make it two steps.

Maya dropped from the branches above like an anvil. Her **[Iron Gauntlet]** connected with the poacher's breastplate, caving the cheap metal inward and launching him backward into a tree trunk. He slumped to the ground, unconscious.

The other two poachers froze, looking at the silver-armored Hero who had just appeared out of thin air. From Maya's shadow, Onyx materialized, his red eyes glowing as a low, demonic growl rattled the leaves. The poachers dropped their weapons and fled screaming into the woods.

Maya sighed, shifting her Gauntlet back to its default form. She turned to the blue-haired girl. "Are you hurt?"

The girl lowered her wand, her eyes wide with awe. "N-No. Thank you, brave traveler. I am Melty. Melty Q. Melromarc. The Second Princess of this kingdom."

Maya mentally groaned. *You have got to be kidding me. I finally ditch one princess, and I trip over another one.*

"Maya Lin. Gauntlet Hero," Maya introduced herself curtly. "Why is a princess wandering the woods without a royal escort?"

"My carriage was attacked by monsters near the border," Melty explained, her shoulders slumping. "My guards scattered to draw them off, and I got lost trying to find my way to the capital." She looked at Maya with hopeful eyes. "Will you escort me back to my father?"

"No," Maya answered flatly. "I'm on a critical mission. I'll drop you at the nearest fortified town, and they can send a message to the King. But I travel alone."

Melty looked crestfallen but politely nodded. "I understand, Hero. Thank you."

They made camp that evening near a babbling brook. Melty, exhausted from her ordeal, fell asleep quickly by the fire, curled up under one of Maya's cloaks.

Maya sat on a log, sharpening a dagger, when the shadows at the edge of the firelight began to warp.

Onyx let out a soft warning growl, but Maya raised a hand. The Queen's Shadow operative stepped silently into the glow of the campfire, dropping to one knee.

"The capital is boiling over, Hero," the magically distorted voice reported urgently. "The Pope is recalling all Paladins. He is preparing to launch a holy crusade to execute the King and purge the Heroes. The coup is imminent."

"Myne is in the capital," Maya noted, her eyes narrowing. "She thinks she can handle them. She's going to get herself killed."

"Princess Malty is a survivor; she will likely flee or strike a deal," the Shadow countered. Then, the operative looked past the fire at the sleeping blue-haired girl. "But that is not the worst of it. Our spies in the castle intercepted a communication from Malty's personal guard."

The Shadow’s voice dropped to a grave whisper. "Malty knows Princess Melty is returning from Faubrey. As the true heir to the throne—favored by the Queen—Melty is Malty's only obstacle to the crown. Malty plans to use the chaos of the Church's impending coup as a smokescreen. If Melty arrives anywhere near the capital, her sister's assassins will kill her and blame it on the Church."

Maya froze. She looked at the sleeping kid. Melty was polite, brave enough to stand up to armed thugs to protect baby birds, and completely innocent of the toxic politics poisoning her family. If Maya left her at a nearby town, Myne's assassins would easily track her down.

"If she goes back, her own sister will murder her," Maya muttered, her jaw clenching.

"Precisely," the Shadow agreed. "Queen Mirellia is marching to Melromarc as fast as her carriage allows, but she is still two weeks away. You are the only one who can protect the true heir."

Maya let out a long, frustrated breath, rubbing her temples. She had sent the other Heroes away to keep them safe from the coup, and now she was stuck babysitting the most massive political target in the kingdom.

"Tell the Queen her daughter is safe with me," Maya commanded, her dark eyes flashing with resolve in the firelight. "And tell her to hurry up."

The Shadow bowed low and melted back into the darkness.

Maya looked at Melty. The solo hunt was officially over.