Aven shrugged. “It’s all right,” he replied. “If you put me in one of those cloaks, it would really look suspicious. Best if I go as myself.”
“What if someone recognizes you?” Relam asked, chewing his lower lip worriedly. “A member of the palace staff or a member of the guard?”
“The palace staff pretty much stays in the palace,” Aven replied, raising an eyebrow to indicate that he thought Relam’s question was a foolish one. “And there isn’t anyone in the city guard who knows that I am also your servant. His majesty took great pains to arrange things that way.”
“Well, that’s fortunate,” Relam muttered. “I guess we had better be off then. We won’t get any answers out of the assassins standing here. Lead on, Narin.”
“Yes, your highness,” Narin murmured. “Form up,” he added curtly to his guards. The guards snapped to attention, then surrounded Relam and Aven completely, nearly hiding them from view.
“This feels a bit obvious,” Relam muttered to no one in particular. “Ease up, will you? And walk normally, like you’re not highly-trained palace guards.”
A ripple of laughter ran through the guards, but they did as Relam asked. “That’s better,” the prince muttered, looking around. “I feel much less conspicuous now.”
Narin led the way out of the palace, followed by the others, moving in a loose knot. The young prince kept his eyes down, so that his face was not presented to the world. Beside him, Aven was looking around constantly, searching every side street for potential threats.
“All clear,” he muttered, then twisted around to check the palace steps. “There’s a man that just left the palace behind us though . . . and a woman leaning against the Stover’s Alley entrance.”
“Anything suspicious?”
“Not really,” Aven replied, turning again.
“Don’t look around so obviously,” Relam muttered. “Just in case those people are up to no good. We don’t want it to be obvious we’re on to them.”
“Why not? Won’t that deter any attack?” Aven asked curiously.
“It will only delay it,” Narin growled from under his hood. “Delay it until a time when we aren’t so vigilant. Now, shut up and stay focused.”
Silence fell over the little band as they turned onto the River Road, moving quickly towards the Citadel. The bulk of the legendary fortress loomed overhead, casting its shadow over a wide swath of the city.
The River Road was comfortably crowded, pedestrians roaming back and forth, carts plodding down the center of the road, the animals pulling them snorting and blowing as their drivers urged them to greater efforts. Relam looked around quickly, trying to see if there was anything out of the ordinary. But with the guards close around him, it was difficult to see anything. Aven was focused on the ground now, eyes occasionally darting left and right, his head never moving to belie his vigilance.
Finally, they arrived at the gates of the Citadel. A squad of ten guards was on duty, heavily armed to deter any mischief. Eight of the guards stood in the entrance itself, the other two flanking the recessed gateway. As Relam and his guards approached, the eight soldiers in the gateway lowered their halberds, menacing the new arrivals with the spear points. The axe heads sprouting from the base of the spear heads were just as dangerous though, the edges reflecting the sun’s rays brilliantly.
“What is your business in the Citadel?” the flanking guard on the right asked.
Narin beckoned to Relam to step forward. The young prince did so and looked up into the Citadel guard’s startled face.
“His royal highness is here to interrogate the prisoners,” Narin replied quietly.
“Of course,” the Citadel guard replied smoothly, bowing low. “Welcome, your highness, to the Citadel.”
As he spoke, the eight guards blocking the entrance withdrew to the sides in lines of four. Then, as one, they cracked the ends of their halberds against the stone floor. The sound echoed in the recess, and the gates began to swing ponderously outward. When they were open, the flanking guard gestured for Relam and his men to enter.
“Thank you,” the prince murmured, leading the way into the Citadel. The palace guards followed quietly, Aven looking around spellbound in their midst. As soon as the last of Relam’s guards was through, the Citadel guards formed up in the entrance again and the gates began to swing shut.
Chapter 10
The main entrance did not lead into a courtyard, as most gates did on castles. The space beyond was roofed over, a vast entrance hall built entirely of gray stone. Thick pillars supported the ceiling, two stories above. Around the bases of these pillars, soldiers, blacksmiths, stable hands, and other personnel required to support an army milled about. At the far end of the hall was a set of double doors, standing open to reveal an even larger assembly hall. Other smaller doors led off to the right and left, leading to barracks, armories, offices, and more.
Relam turned in place, taking in the raw power and strength of the Citadel. “Incredible,” he muttered. He had been in the Citadel only once before, when he was a boy accompanying his father on some errand or other. It all seemed different now, more impressive. More intimidating.
“The Citadel is the largest and oldest structure in the known world,” Narin grunted. “It has never fallen.”
“I can see why,” Aven said faintly. “How many soldiers are garrisoned here?”
“Over a thousand,” Narin answered. “And they are the best of the best.”
“Out of the way, stop plugging the entrance,” a soldier barked, shoving past them. “Oh. Good afternoon, Narin. What are
