The summer’s exchange was starting to wind down. Captain Artibus started running random battle drills, so the trainees had to improvise on the fly. Scandunt spent the eighth and ninth weeks of classes encouraging the trainees to select their own topics of study to research and write reports on. Lolo chose to study family structures and dynamics and their place in the greater Lion Tribe society. It ended up being a disheartening and boring subject, and she didn’t learn anything particularly new. Frankly, she could have just written about Fortus’s interpersonal relationships and philosophies and had a better report.

Fortus and Lolo had to continue their act as secret lovers, though Lolo found a way around holding more late night wrestling matches by developing a severe case of morning sickness. Most nights, Fortus would show up at her door with whatever home-style remedies they could invent, and Lolo would spend the evening retching or curled up miserably in his arms. Periodically during the day, Lolo would excuse herself from training or Scandunt’s class to be sick and make the ruse believable. Whenever they were alone, Lolo and Fortus made it a point to be all over each other, but they were getting sick of it.

“Fortus,” Lolo complained after training one morning, “no offense, but this isn't fun anymore. My lips are chapped.”

Fortus snorted sympathetically. “No offense taken. I completely agree.”

“You said that by the end of this, we’d know how we felt about each other. I think I’m already there. After two weeks of this, I’m kind of done. I can’t wait to be just friends again.”

“Same!” Fortus chuckled and leaned in to kiss her again. “Hang in there. At most, we’ve only got one week left. If things haven’t happened by then, we have to make good on our plans to elope, and we can run off to wherever you want to wait this storm out, no kissing required.”

“Bleh. That sounds amazing,” Lolo said, flopping her head into Fortus’s lap, and Fortus put a hand on her tummy out of habit. “No more morning sickness, no more kissing, no more acting. Can we elope today?”

Fortus laughed again and started mindlessly playing with her hair. “Just hang in there.”

Lolo scrunched her nose up in a pout. “It’s almost lunch time, and I need to go be sick again. Walk back with me?”

Fortus helped her sit so he could stand up first and pull her up after him. They had developed little rituals like this to help sell their relationship, but now these habits were so well ingrained, they didn’t even think about them anymore. They held hands as they walked back.

The courtyard was in chaos. Soldiers were running every which way trying to find their captains.

“Soldier,” Fortus grabbed the nearest one by the arm, “report!”

“Someone said King Hospes has been murdered!”

Fortus released the soldier and exchanged a look with Lolo who nodded and drew her sword.

“Gentlemen!” Lolo yelled to get their attention. “To me!”

Seemingly grateful to have orders to follow, the courtyard full of soldiers quickly assembled in rows in front of Huo Lohse. Lolo turned command over to Fortus.

“What’s going on?” Standig came out of his room to ask. He was followed by the rest of the trainees.

Lolo looked at Standig to silently communicate that the coup attempt had started.

“Where do you want us?” Standig gestured to the group of trainees.

Lolo looked at her brothers, confused.

“Standig told us,” Zhongyan said.

She smiled. “Assemble as many soldiers as you can and march on the palace. Begrent and Ernkit take this group here and go. Collect as many men along the way as you can.”

The trainees nodded and split up to assemble the troops.

Meanwhile, Fortus and Lolo ran to the palace steps to assess the situation ahead of the Starkam boys. They were met with heavy resistance midway up the stairs-- soldiers with red armbands to distinguish themselves from those loyal to the king.

“Feels like the Dragon Tribe again,” Lolo observed as she and Fortus stood back-to-back to face the onslaught.

“Lolo, duck.”

Fortus sliced his sword in a full circle over her head to clear some maneuvering space. When she stood back up again, Lolo pulled her concealed dagger out from its hiding place under her pants at her knee and charged the men in front of her, taking two of them on at once. As they clumsily attacked her, she dodged and moved around them to knife one in the back and stab the other in the side. The amount of blood was dizzying. For just a brief moment, Lolo realized that this was the first time she’d actually landed real blows with a real weapon. As she battled more soldiers, her sword started splattering gore with each stroke, and her hands became sticky as the blood ran over her hilt.

Fortus was fighting ruthlessly on his side of the stairs as well. He landed a hard kick in a soldier's chest that created a domino affect down the stairs. Some of the soldiers fell on each other’s swords as they tumbled, and streaks of crimson smeared the steps they fell on.

Begrent and Ernkit arrived with reinforcements and stormed the palace. They made up for their low-ground disadvantage with sheer numbers. Fortus and Lolo did their best to clear a path for the Starkams, and they quickly took the stairs, making it all the way up to the front doors before more men with red armbands appeared on either side of their small army to flank them. They were outnumbered three-to-one.

The trainees moved to take front-line positions. Fortus and Ernkit took one side. Lolo and Begrent took the other. The battle was becoming desperate when Fengli, Ulana, and Ingenex all arrived with their gathered armies, evening the odds and flanking the enemy. Using her own particular brand of theatrics, Ulana dove into the middle of the enemy soldiers and carved a hole for her men to fight through to join Lolo and the others. Fengli found Lolo, and the two wolves worked together to push the enemy soldiers back. Standig and the Lang boys arrived in time to go head-to-head with another wave of red-banded soldiers. Zhongyan and Haowan similarly pushed back the enemy and broke their formations making them vulnerable to Standig's bulldozing.

“Lolo!” Fortus shouted through the din. He carved a path out to her and helped her beat back some enemy soldiers so he could safely confer with her. “Lolo, we need to secure the throne room.”

“But you’re needed here.” Lolo stabbed a soldier that was trying to sneak up on Fortus’s back.

“Then you go,” Fortus said. “We’ll beat back their army. Take someone with you if you can.”

Fortus resumed the fight as Lolo snagged Fengli and fought her way to the front doors of the palace.

“Men! Help me clear some space to open the door!” Lolo enlisted the aid of the nearest dozen soldiers. Fengli stayed behind to help them as they formed a tight line to push the enemy back just enough for Lolo to squeeze through.

Inside, the palace was deafeningly quiet. Lolo slipped silently through the grand hallway to the double doors of the throne room and pressed her ear against it, trying to listen for sounds of life. She couldn’t hear anything. Lolo sheathed her dagger and relocated it to her waistband before pushing her way into the room.

The Lion General was on his knees next to King Hospes who was lying on the ground unconscious. Captain Artibus and over a dozen of his men were on their knees on another side of the room, surrounded and disarmed, their hands linked behind their heads. Lolo recognized Captain Emit standing guard over Artibus. Evinco stood near the throne and turned to look at Huo Lohse as she walked in with her sword held out to the side, still dripping blood.

“Well, if it isn’t the little Wolf Tribe princess.” Evinco smiled. “Come to save your father-in-law?”

“What’s wrong with the king?”

“He swallowed something that he shouldn’t have. I’ll give him the antidote when he agrees to relinquish the throne willingly.”

“You’ve certainly been busy, your highness,” Lolo looked around and decided to play for time, “but you need better spies.”

Evinco laughed. “How do you mean?”

“Oh, come now. I’m not involved with Fortus Arum. We’ve been putting on a play specifically for your benefit. I hope your men have enjoyed watching me throw up for the last two weeks.”

Evinco’s eyes narrowed. “You’re not pregnant?”

Lolo laughed. “Of course not! I’ve never even slept with anyone.”

“Then, you and Fortus...?”

“... Friends. And pretty convincing actors, if you’re into that sort of thing.”

Evinco looked annoyed, but calm. “Was it true what you said about your father wanting to use your marriage to form an alliance?”

“Are you making me an offer?” Lolo asked shrewdly.

“Perhaps. You are, after all, the only female of your generation born into a tribe leader’s family.”

“I see that you’ve come to recognize the advantage of that. Yes, indeed I am. Well, I suppose you could count Et’zana from the Sphinx Tribe, but she was technically adopted, and she’s involved with someone else at present.”

“Yes,” Evinco purred. “What would you say to becoming the next Lion Tribe queen?”

“I’m intrigued. What did you have in mind?”

“Allow me to present to you my son, you will recognize him from the exchange, the new Lion Tribe King, Insaltus Felis.” Insaltus was half dragged out from a back room behind the throne.

“I’d have thought that you wanted the throne for yourself, my lady,” Lolo said.

Evinco shook her head. “I’ve done all of this for my son. Your marriage would serve to strengthen our family’s claim to the throne, reunite the lion military, and you would bring us plenty of new friends.”

“And what does your son think of that? Murdering his uncle, causing a civil war, spilling the blood of innocent Lion Tribe soldiers, buying off military leaders, marrying me to consolidate power? The Insaltus I know wouldn’t appreciate those sorts of favors.”

Evinco glared at her. “You think you know my son better than me?”

“I think you overestimate his enthusiasm, yes. And I think you underestimate your younger son. Did you know that Ingenex is out there right now leading the king’s soldiers in battle against the men you paid off?”

“You’re lying!” Evinco hissed.

Lolo smiled blithely. “Well, you don’t have to take my word for it. Did you bother to clue Ingenex into your plans?”

Evinco looked panicked.

“I’ll take your silence as a ‘no’. Ingenex is nothing like you, Evinco. He is brave and loyal to the crown.”

Evinco turned to the men guarding Artibus and the others. “Don’t just stand there! Bring me my son!”

“But, my lady, what do we do with them?” Captain Emit gestured to the men they were guarding.

“I don’t care! Kill them if you have to! Just bring me my son!”

“With pleasure,” Captain Emit looked down at Captain Artibus with a cruel smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

Before Emit could even bring his sword up, something black and green lodged itself between his ribs with a dull thunk. Artibus took Emit's sword and Lolo joined the fray to free the rest of his men. As more soldiers fell, Artibus’s men took up their swords.

Lolo collected her dagger off of Captain Emit's corpse and casually approached Insaltus. “Is this really what you want?” she asked, indicating the throne with her sword and splattering blood everywhere.

Insaltus seemed a little horrified, but he remained silent.

Lolo exhaled sharply. “Then I apologize for this.”

“For what?”

Quick as a wink, Lolo, pulled Insaltus around in front of her and put her dripping dagger to his throat.

“Huo Lohse,” Insaltus tried to explain himself, “I didn’t have a choice.”

“You always have a choice, Insaltus. Call off your men, Evinco, and give the Lion General the antidote to administer to King Hospes.”

The door opened and Ingenex walked in, the blood stains across his chest and face almost concealing the look of pained shock beneath them. “Mother? What’s all this? Lolo? What are you doing?”

Evinco laughed maniacally. “Well, Huo Lohse Lang, now we get to test your theory of who my son is loyal to.” She rounded on Ingenex. “Son, I am the one behind this coup. Your brother is to be the new king.”

Ingenex looked around the room. Captain Artibus and his men stood amidst the bodies of enemy soldiers, the Lion General was still tending to his poisoned uncle, Lolo had a knife held to his brother’s throat, and his mother… his mother was behind all of this? “I-I don’t, I don’t understand. Mother, why are you doing this?”

Evinco was livid, but the moment was interrupted by the arrival of a large group of red-banded soldiers. The throne room fell into absolute chaos. Artibus and his men charged to meet the wave; in a split second decision, Lolo turned over her hostage to help the captain. Knowing she'd lost and taking full advantage of the chaos, Evinco collected her sons and disappeared. The Lion General, though unarmed, faithfully stood guard over King Hospes.

When the dust settled, Captain Artibus and his men had prevailed, and Lolo looked around the room to assess the tactical situation.

“General!”

Torvus was lying in a puddle of his own blood, but he had successfully protected King Hospes.

Lolo dropped to her knees to check the Lion General’s injuries. A sword had found a gap between two of his ribs in his chest, and the wound was gushing copiously with each pulse of his heart. “General! General!” Lolo pressed one hand over the wound in a seemingly futile attempt to slow the bleeding. “Please, you have to wake up. Wake up!” she all but screamed.

“Huo Lohse,” Torvus croaked.

“Yes, sir,” Lolo didn’t know what to say, and couldn’t hardly say anything through her frantic tears anyway. Without knowing what else to do, she held the general’s hand with her free one.

“Huo Lohse, tell Fortus, I’m proud of him. Tell him to find his own path.” Torvus coughed up blood from his flooding lungs and squeezed Lolo’s hand painfully hard. “He's going to need you after today. Take care of him?”

Lolo nodded adamantly.

He smiled. “Tell Fortus that I love him.” Torvus's coughing turned violent and he began to choke until, finally, he went still.

“General?” Lolo’s voice was barely above a whisper. She checked desperately for a pulse, breathing, any sign of life. Even his bleeding had stopped.

“Huo Lohse,” Captain Artibus put his hand on her shoulder, “he’s gone.”

“No,” Lolo shook her head. “No, no, no, no… he can’t be. No!” Artibus practically dragged Lolo away from the general’s body so his men could take care of it respectfully and help King Hospes. Lolo collapsed into Artibus and sobbed.

When the doors opened again, the rest of the trainees burst into the throne room accompanied by a collection of Lion Tribe soldiers. They had defeated the coup's forces and come to secure the throne room. Lolo caught sight of Fortus and dragged herself up off the floor to meet him.

“Lolo, who is that?” Fortus asked, pointing to his father’s body and hoping against everything that his eyes were deceiving him. “Lolo, answer me! Who is that?!”

She couldn’t answer him through her own tears. All she could do was hold him as he became increasingly hysterical. Fortus dropped to the floor crying harder than he’d ever cried before in his life. He felt like his entire chest had been ripped open. Lolo sank to the ground with him, holding him as tightly as she could, seeming to know that her arms were the only things keeping his body from tearing itself apart. They stayed like that until Fortus, cried out and exhausted, fell asleep. Lolo had cried herself dry too and sat listlessly running her fingers through Fortus's hair with his head resting in her lap.

“Standig,” she finally managed to talk, “send for Jadu. King Hospes has been poisoned.”

Standig nodded and left immediately.

Lolo sat on the stone floor of the throne room for hours, cradling Fortus as people passed through collecting the dead bodies and cleaning up the gore. When Fortus finally woke up, Lolo helped him to his feet and walked with him in a daze to her room to tuck him into the giant bed. They didn’t speak. They didn’t need to speak. Lolo wet a cloth to wash the blood from the battle off Fortus’s hands and face. Then, she curled up next to him on the bed to lay her head on his shoulder and rest a hand over his shattered heart as they both spilled a steady stream of silent tears.