“I heard that Duke Surefoot paid you a visit, Champion,” Odysseus started when we met.

The sun was starting to set and light from the lowest level of the city of Altheer was becoming more pronounced. Allycea, Odysseus and I sat with a spread of food in front of us, scents filling the air after the temporal magic on the table had deactivated.

It took me a bit before I heard the question. Since the last time I’d seen her, Allycea had cut her hair, making it so short it barely reached her ears. Beyond the hair there seemed to be something about her, a stormy energy that made her expression similar to her father’s; she gripped a goblet of wine in one hand, the hold tight.

“Um…yeah,” I said, my eyes still on the princess. “He came to tell me that he would be leaving for home, but I asked if he’d stay a few more days and he agreed.”

“Oh?” said Odysseus. “How? Surefoot is dutiful, and no doubt his father wants to know the result of meeting you.”

“I think it might be better if I tell you about the meeting first,” I said. “Things went…about as good as they could go. I don’t think I made enemies, at least not enemies I hadn’t had before.”

“Duke Owain the Senior?” said Odysseus. Allycea let out a grunt, her expression shifting into the utmost disgust before it was hidden by her goblet.

She wasn’t supposed to be here. Usually these dinners were a thing only Odysseus and I did, and those were easier because I had a sense of who the prince was. Allycea was another beast entirely, and I didn’t know how to step around her so things didn’t go to hell. It sort of made sense that she would be here though, she was as invested in my successes as her brother and would want to know how things had gone.

You still haven’t apologised for not attending her party, it finally clicked and maybe she was still angry about that.

“Princess Allycea,” I said and her eyes found mine. They were hard, a storm rolling through the brown eye and the luminous eye swirling with tumultuous colour. “It occurs to me that I haven’t apologised personally for missing your party—”

“I don’t care about that, Champion,” she said, irritated. Odysseus looked a little shocked by it and it was a bit before I caught why; she’d used a contraction — maybe her time around Cybill was rubbing off on her.

The realisation quickly made another dawn, High Chief Ran of Susserton also used contractions when he spoke — he very likely hadn’t been born a noble, which partly explained how brash he could be when the others weren’t.

“What I care about is whether or not you did well in the meeting,” Allycea continued, pulling me from the half-formed thoughts. “You said you made an enemy of Owain the Senior.”

I swallowed and nodded. “I sort of told the high lords that his son was trying to court you and that he failed, that he almost died.”

The flicker was so quick that perhaps I might have been imagining, but within that sliver of a second Allycea tensed and I knew why.

“My thought process was that…if Duke Owain is trying to make a play for king, then maybe he’s doing it in secret so that he doesn’t have competition. Maybe that would get the dukes and earls to work against each other.” I shrugged. “But I don’t know if it worked or not.”

“It was a good plan regardless,” Odysseus said. I waited for the backhand and was surprised that none came.

“Also,” I continued, “I wanted to give his son’s words less weight. He knew that I ran when the alabaster lizard appeared and he’s pushing the narrative that I’m a coward; I countered with allusions to the fact that they get more out of everything if I’m not impressive and that’s what they’re trying to do.”

Odysseus’ expression was of utmost pride as he beamed at me. I couldn’t stop myself from the feelings of happiness that swelled in my stomach.

You don’t like these people, I reminded myself. They still treat you like shit.

But as much as I tried to give the words weight, my heart didn’t care about that.

“This might mean that Baron Owain lessens his advances,” Odysseus said to Allycea.

“One would hope,” she muttered, taking a gulp of wine. She let out a long breath, closing her eyes, when they opened again they had gotten a little calmer.

“You really don’t want to marry him do you?” I said. It’s why you’re invested in training me.

“No,” Allycea said, the words short. “But to be the Crown Princess is to be beholden to duty. It is only a matter of time before I have no choice but to secure the alliance with the second most powerful family in Althor.”

“I have a plan,” I said. “I don’t know if it’ll make your situation any better, but…Surefoot came to give me advice. He told me that there would be repercussions for calling Owain junior out.”

Odysseus snorted, smiling lightly. I tried to think why and didn’t get it.

“Surefoot said that he might challenge me to a duel,” I said, “so that he seems stronger and to prove that I’m a coward.”

“If you fight him you’ll lose,” said Allycea.

“Yeah, that’s pretty obvious. But I’m thinking of coming at it from another angle. Prince Odysseus, at your pleasure of course, I wonder if you would be so kind as to put together a party with Baron Owain in attendance; probably the quicker the better because my plan won’t work if he’s on the front foot.”

“Are you going to tell us more?” Odysseus asked.

“I think it works better if your reactions are a lot more genuine,” I said. “But…Princess—”

“Call me Ally, Champion,” she said. “We have known each other long enough you’ve earned to be free of such formalities.”

I wanted to think the words were a good thing, that maybe our relationship was getting on better terms, but there was just something in how she said the words, as if she was irritated and being forced to play nice.

“Okay, Ally,” I said. “I’m gonna need your support, maybe your ladies too. I’m not sure how things are gonna fall, but it’s going to be really helpful.”

“Owain has gotten on my nerves of late,” said Ally. “Here’s to hoping your plan knocks him down a peg.”

***

The day was warm with a crisp breeze and we were surrounded on all sides by long, thin trees. Malnor castle, more of a skyscraper than anything, loomed behind us, obscenely bright because of how its walls cast light off. Ally and I walked together, mostly in silence, while Odysseus and Freda walked ahead, talking softly between them; they would turn a little every so often, and I would see Freda with a shy smile while Odysseus’ expression shifted between neutrality and resignation.

Odysseus said something and Freda laughed, then covered her mouth and looked away. It was strange to see her like that when she was a beast in battle, but from the looks of it she was interested in Odysseus

“How are preparations for the dinner party going?” I asked, just to break the silence.

“My brother would know the particulars of the matter,” she said, her tone short but better than it had been last night. Her expression wasn’t as stormy as before, but she still looked upset.

I swallowed and played with my bangle, touching the spatial gems that were on it. When I’d gotten back from training this morning it had been to see that the gifts had been returned, all except Rollo who, I’d been told, had been put at the stables with the horses and hounds. I had been planning on keeping to myself until the party, but I wanted to see Rollo and what other types of riding animals existed in Althor; I’d asked Ally if she could give my first riding lessons, and she’d agreed.

Hence the walk.

“Why are the stables so far away from the castle?” I asked.

“So that they have room to roam,” she said. “It was a practice started with the hounds — untrained hounds have the nasty habit of chasing our Urocy noblemen.”

“Makes sense. What do you ride?” I asked. “Is it a horse, or is it something cool that I’ve never seen before?”

“I have three riding animals,” she said. “A hound, a horse and a bird. The bird is the fastest, though it cannot bear a lot of weight for too long; the horse is good for long distance travel; and the hound is the best hunting companion. Horses are skittish at the best of times; the bird will go on the attack but if it kills, it will claim their kill for itself. The hound is able to coordinate as we fell a foe, and it knows it will receive reward were it only to wait.”

“Feels like you like the hound the most.”

“No,” she said. “I favour the bird. Its brutality resonates with me.” She smiled a little for the first time.

I nodded with my whole body. “I can see that for you.” Ahead of us Freda tripped on something, and in the process falling into Odysseus’ open arms. Ally snorted. “That was intentional, right? I know Freda, she’s light on her feet. I can’t imagine her tripping.”

Ally only looked ahead.

“Is this like a courting thing?” I asked. “Like what was happening between you and Owain junior.”

“Yes,” she said, her tone stiff.

“But…it feels like…Odysseus might not be into it,” I said.

“Freda wanted this,” Ally said with an air of finality.

We broke out of the treeline and into a village of six buildings, surrounded by a short, wooden fence, split into sections that had different animals. I could see the horses and I was disappointed that they were just normal, without any cool colouration; the birds though…I’d been expecting ostriches but these were definitely not those. If they didn’t have brightly coloured feathers and beaks, they would have looked like dinosaurs.

Then it was the dogs. They were only slightly smaller than horses and rippled with muscles; they had different coats, but most were stripped, alternating between light brown and almost black, brown. Each dog, except the puppies, had four teeth that spilled from their upper jaw, one set longer than the other; even from the distance they looked razor sharp.

I let out a low whistle. “Them’s big dogs,” I muttered.

“Dire beasts often are large,” said Ally. She smiled but it was sad. “My older brother, Matthaeus, once showed me the guide hunting guilds used, the hounds would be ranked as small.”

“And the things we saw in the mines?”

“The alabaster lizard and the carrier mother would be mid-sized at best,” she said. “There are beasts so large that they could destroy a house with a single hit, birds so big that they can swallow men whole, speaking nothing of the beasts which live in the sea.”

“The sea has a way of making things big,” I said. “Even in my world. If I remember it right it had to do with gravity or something, that gravity doesn’t affect something the same way if it’s underwater? I can’t really remember and now that I’m thinking about it, what I’m saying doesn’t make any sense so ignore me.”

Odysseus and Freda had gotten to the gate and their conversation evaporated as we reached them, the latter smiling shyly while Odysseus didn’t. The fences between the sub-sections were also divided by little fences, so short the dire beasts within could jump to get over them.

Ally opened the gate. She, Freda and Odysseus stepped in.

“Uh…” They stopped and turned to look at me. “So, I have a general rule that keeps me alive. Which is basically that I don’t trust other people’s dogs. It goes quadruple when those dogs can chomp off my arm without any trouble.”

“The hounds are well trained,” said Ally.

“Be that as it may, I’m not gonna go in there.”

Ally sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose, she muttered something under her breath.

“Go,” said Odysseus. “The Champion and I will stay. Bring the horses near.”

Freda’s expression fell at the words, and she shot me a glare before she and Ally walked over, going to one of the closest buildings in the distance.

“You looked like you needed saving,” I said when the pair were far enough away they wouldn’t be able to hear us. A lie because he hadn’t been a consideration in my decision.

I climbed on the fence and stood there, balancing.

“Are you a child, Champion?” he asked. “Climbing onto any railing that exists?”

I shrugged. “I’m feeling good,” I told him. I shrugged again. “I don’t know, maybe for the first time in a very long time things don’t feel as overbearing as they have? I’m letting myself feel these feelings. And if they tell me to be silly, then I’m gonna allow it.”

“Is it coincidence that this comes after you’ve talked with Duke Surefoot?” he asked me. I frowned, raising an eyebrow. “After our argument, when first you returned to the world, it was after a conversation with the Urocy duke.”

Was that true? It didn’t seem so when I thought about it, but…maybe. Socialising usually took a lot of energy, there was just too much to focus on and it was worse in this world; but there were conversations that seemed to give me energy, to fill the human need to socialise without being heavy, talking to Surefoot often felt like that.

“Are you jealous of Surefoot, Your Highness?” I asked.

“I’m intrigued,” he said, “by the bond you two have even though you know it will sour your relationship with others.”

“Do you always think about politics and political implications?”

“Sometimes I think about history,” he said and smiled. I snorted a little, nodding. My hands went into my pockets and that screwed with my balance a little; I had to lean forward and then back until I reached equilibrium.

“But with people?” I asked. “Is it always political?”

“This line of questioning is unlike you, Champion,” he said. “There is some part of me that thinks you drunk.”

Whatever good mood I might have had dulled. I took a deep breath and hopped down, leaning against the fence and looking towards Ally who was talking to one of the people who lived in this part of the grounds.

“How’s the party going?” I asked.

“It will be tomorrow evening,” he said. “The garden is being pruned and tended, but most of the next two days will be spent in preparation. It will not be too large an affair, but the selection of people should be to your liking. There are lords and ladies who have taken to become merchant lords in the city, owning homes for rent or businesses and such. You mentioned that your education was in business, I thought the crowd might work well in that regard.”

I snorted. “I can already imagine my legend. Champion Jordan, he was good at business.” I shook my head. “If I’m even good. A lot of the stuff had to do with the environment that I was in, and that was vastly different to this. It might not be useful.”

“You give yourself too little credit, Champion,” he said. “I would not have staked so much on you if I did not think you were smart.”

I turned to him. “What do you have staked? Your Highness,” I asked. “I sort of get Ally, she doesn’t want to get married to Owain junior, but you…”

Odysseus’ expression pinched.

“Can I tell you why I like talking to Surefoot?”

“It is your prerogative, Champion.”

“It’s because we talk. It’s not business, it’s not politics, it’s not planning about the future or anything. He doesn’t ask anything of me and I don’t ask anything of him. We share perspectives, and you have no idea how gratifying that is when I feel so alone most of the time. I know that there’s the chance he might be working me, but he at least has the decency to not make me feel it.”

The last was said off-handedly, but I didn’t think there would be anything that would break me as much as Surefoot playing the long con.

“And here’s the thing,” I continued, a little frustrated. “As different as we are — literally coming from different worlds — I think we might have a few things in common. You don’t have friends and that makes me think you can’t deal with people for long periods of time, preferring to get stuck in books or your own little world than everything else out here; people sort of tease you for your love for history because it’s not traditionally masculine and I get that; and…there’s also the thing with Freda.”

He tensed. “What thing with Freda?” he asked.

“The fact that you looked like you weren’t really into talking to her,” I said. “I…might be wrong, but I feel like there might be something going on with that.”

“It was a favour to my sister,” said Odysseus. “She told me she would only attend the engagement if I invited Freda to accompany me. It seems,” and he sighed, “that she has taken a liking to me.”

“And you’re not into that?” I asked.

“Tell me of your meeting with Anthony Thorndyke,” Odysseus abruptly said.

I swallowed. If I was going to pursue the thing with Anthony then people would know — if he hadn’t told people in the first place. The castle wasn’t very good at keeping secrets from everything I’d learned.

“I want him to be my guard when he becomes a knight,” I said, shrugging. Odysseus’ expression flickered, unreadable. “I made him the offer and he told me he’d think about it. Feels like you thought it was something else.”

“No,” he said, which was an obvious lie.

“Feels like you wanted me to say that me and him got together,” I said. “Sexually. If I’m remembering right, that’s the first place your mind went when I wanted to talk to him. And I think those two guys who sold meat were together. Which is probably why, subconsciously, I thought you…were…also into guys.”

“No,” he said, and this time I wasn’t sure if it was a lie.

“Putting it out there, yeah, you had the right read on me. I’m into guys and also girls. Back home I had a friend who sort of made me feel okay about myself when I didn’t, and…maybe if you need that, then I’ll be here. No judgement.”

“No,” he said.

I nodded. “Okay,” I said, doing my best to keep any judgement out of my voice.

Silence stretched between us, filled by the chirping of birds, the rustling of trees and sometimes the barking of dogs. Ally and Freda, accompanied by four people leading our riding animals, made their way towards us.

“Do you ever see yourself married, Champion?” Odysseus asked. “Having children?”

“Maybe,” I said. “It’s not something I’ve thought of a lot.”

“I do not want either,” he said.

“But you have to?” I asked. “Like Ally has to?”

“Yes,” he said. “The day approaches when I will be duty bound to do so. The only option which lies before me is who – an option that does not appeal to me.”

“I think I understand,” I said. “I don’t want to make assumptions about your life, but…in my experience with these sorts of things, what sucks a lot is thinking that you might be the odd one out, that you’re abnormal or something. But you’re not.”

Odysseus didn’t say anything, only focused ahead.

Rollo and the others arrived. I stood on the fence again as the goat neared. “Don’t bite me,” I said as he got close, led by a servant by his reins.

The goat was still chewing something, his eyes blank and without emotion, looking to either side. When he was close enough, I balanced myself by leaning on him; he easily bore the weight. My hand ran through his fur, still surprised at how soft it was.

“The goats my family have aren’t all that smart,” I said to him. “But you’re supposed to be smart. What does that mean? Can you understand me? Nod if you understand.”

Rollo didn’t nod.

“Is this a joke, Champion?” Ally asked.

I looked down at her and shrugged. “There’s magic in this place, I don’t know the rules,” I said. “The Urocy exist.”

“And the Krugs,” Odysseus added. “And the Corvus clans.”

“Okay, you have got to tell me what those are,” I said.

“The Krugs are crocodile people,” he said. “Unlike the Urocy which still have quadruped forms, they have become bipedal. I have met only three, sailors of the skies and high seas. The Corvus are particularly smart birds.”

“Are they big or something?” I asked.

Odysseus shook his head. “Normal birds from what I have heard. They live beyond the seas and I haven’t had the pleasure to meet one.”

“Huh,” I said, then turned my attention back to Rollo. “Help me out here. I really want to ride you, but I don’t have the first idea how this is going to work. Can you go along with what I’m going to do?”

Rollo kept chewing whatever he was chewing. I took a deep breath and took the reins, holding them tight; walking along the wooden fence, I pulled on the reins. The tug was hard and for a moment I thought Rollo wouldn’t follow, but after a moment he did and I almost giggled.

I walked up and down the fence beside Rollo a few times, then I stopped him and moved so I was at his side. I kept brushing his side, doing my best to keep calm before I stepped on the stirrup, climbing awkwardly so my legs were at either side. The stretch was a little too wide but the seat itself was comfortable.

“Have you ever ridden before?” Ally asked.

“I had an offer once,” I said. “A distant cousin has and he told me I could ride one of them. He was something of a dick and I didn’t trust him so I told him no.”

“A prudent choice, my lord,” said one of the guys who looked after the animals. “Horses can be very dangerous creatures.”

“Preach, brother,” I said, earning a strange expression. Metaphorically and literally I was riding high so I ignored all of it. “Forward,” I said, kicking Rollo in the sides like I’d seen in movies. He didn’t move. “Please?”

Rollo started walking forward and I got the feel of leading him, tugging or outright pulling to get him to turn in various angles. I whipped the reins to get him to move faster — though I had the sense that he didn’t like running — and pulled at both sides to get him to stop.

I got back to the others who were waiting on their horses. Ally stood a little to the side while Odysseus and Freda were together. If I was reading things right, then he was asexual, something on the queer spectrum I still didn’t understand all that much. The little I knew, though, told me that most asexual people didn’t like the whole relationship stuff.

How awful did it feel for him to have to go through with that? Maybe just as awful as Ally probably having to marry Odysseus to secure political relationships.

It must have sucked.

“You take well to the reins,” said Ally.

I smiled. “It’s all Rollo.”

“Goats and hounds are easy to train, my lord,” said the horse-keeper. “Hounds are the best bet when it comes to riding, they’re fiercely loyal and would put their lives on the line for yours. Goats…they aren’t as loyal, and they can be stubborn at the best of times. If they get the semblance of an idea, they might do it even if you don’t want them to.”

“Thankfully I don’t know anything,” I said. “So Rollo, you can take the lead and that’ll probably be for the best.”

“The beast should not be in the lead, Champion,” said Ally. “You should.”

“Can we save the lessons until another time?” I asked. “Because right now I just want to ride.”

“Yes,” Freda said, her tone quick. She looked down and blushed. “If you would be so gracious, Ally.”

Ally sighed and looked at Odysseus. The two shared silent words. Then she turned to me. “With me, Champion. If that beast of yours can keep up.”

She kicked her horse and it moved, starting at a trot.

I did the same and Rollo started walking with speed, keeping up with the horse. The two of us pulled away from Odysseus and Freda who walked at a much more sedate pace. Allycea jumped over the fence and Rollo followed, leaping so high that my heart jumped up to my throat and I clenched my teeth so tightly that my jaw hurt; I braced for the impact of Rollo landing, and was surprised that there was no such thing. It was as though the goat’s hooves absorbed the impact completely.

“Faster,” I said and the goat acquiesced.