To spy?

"They are dead, all of them."

The silence that followed made the news look even worse.

"All of them?" asked the commander of the army in a tired tone.

"Yes, all of our spies. The last four executed two days ago."

The chief of police was depressed. It was not his first insucces during the last weeks. A long silence again. It takes time to digest defeat, but they should be used to it by now. As for me, I can hardly control my feelings right now. I wish we were all dead. I never felt so angry before. Why on earth are they so incapable of doing their jobs? I need to stay here, listen to them every single day, watch them pretend to know what's best to be done while doing nothing at all. And never trying to take someone's advice. The spies, for instance. Let's send more, they said. 'Cause it's not suspicius at all to suddenly have a bunch of well trained soldiers all high about joining the enemy lines. Men are so stupid.

"Ligia...".

I look up. Someone actually thought about asking my opinion? At a time like this?

His voce was freezing cold, though. Just like the snowy glass windows that he was standing next to.

"Brother?" I call in a tender tone.

The teenager speakes up from across the thick wooden table as from behind the walls of a city.

"Ligia should go."

I look into his eyes. Big, light blue, clear and empty. My brother is staring at me half smiling, half... serious? No, not this time. This time he is painfully serious. A serious shallow prince. What a picture. I've always known we were diffrent, despite being kin. The heir and the heiress. He still has two years to go to legally become king. It was about time he would think of disposing of me. And proposing it in the middle of the state council, in such an open manner.. I smile unwillingly. All eyes have have turned towards me, or so I guess, because I only look through them, painfully conscious of what they are about to decide.

A sudden sound takes everyone by surprise. The frivolous lord Thomas is leaning over the table in laughter. I smile again. The old marechal and the chief if police are slightly confused.

"Go? What do you mean, Highness? On enemy ground? A peace envoy?"

"Do you mean to abandon the fight, sir?"..

I don't say anything. Why all a sudden, I feel so indiffrent? I should be grateful for the chance to escape this damn refuge. Get to actually do something in this miserable war that has made us lose our home and people. I feel the urge to defy the cowarness of these losers. I stand up in an offensive posture and grin.

"Then, should I?"...

Our hideout is a building that had probably served as a hunting pavillion over the past peacefull years. We are some distance away from our hometown castle, that we lost to general M. last year. Our troups are scattered all over the mountains, under the command of the council members.

My own troups are not part of the main garrison, they are mostly formed of vedette corps with the mission of guarding the key spots and gathering field information. There are several groups that take rounds patrolling and then usually report to my second in command, Marcus, who eventually presents the facts to me. I have to take the important information to the council, where only the chief of police would sometimes serve of the authority to make suggestions in view of future courses of action. In this regard, I would be pretty independant in managing my military duties...So how on earth now...?

Damn. While all these things cross my mind in the flash of o moment, I sense an inevitable danger in the air. Far from fear, I feel curious and somehow relieved. An homest deadly blade or the explosion of a gun is far less depressing than all the tension of the unspoken grudges.

I look back over my shoulder to meet Marcus' gaze. He looks as calm and dependable as ever. Of course he does. I feel all powerful as long as he has my back. My bodyguard.

"Princess Ligia"

That strage feeling again. And then I notice it. Commander Rilley is fixing me with a strange expression of satisfaction. That's strange. Ever since I refused his marriage proposal, he would always avoid adressing me like that.

"Are you even aware of what you are about to face?.. For a woman, the job of spying is reduced to a single possibility. You might like to guess what that is".

"Nonsense", I respond disgusted. "You have all disrespectful thoughts, commander."

"But he's right, Ligia. You know that. Don't fight it. That's the role you've been given to play in this crisis. Don't you value our victory over your own selfish interests?"

My brother speaks at a slow pace, articulating every syllable with utmost care. I somehow end up biting my lips nervously.

Are they crazy? Are they all into it against me? How did he even win them over, this young dollish prince with no regard of honour...

"My lords, you must be confused by the sad news and unable to reason right now. I'll be back when you're done with this nonsense."

I've tried my best to temper my voice and actions up until. I push my chair back and take a few steps towards the door.

"You've got one hour to get ready."

I should pretend not to hear.

"Or what, dear brother?"

I turn around to confront him. Charles' glassy lifeless eyes. But he just turns his back at me and glances out on the window.