Van quickly regained her wits and seized her hand away from Antonio. “W-w-what are you doing?” she exclaimed.

“My bad,” Antonio said in his deep voice. “I was overcome by your striking image, and I beg you allow me one question, my blushing rose.”

“What?” asked Van, her face as red as the rose he described.

“Why do you hide your face behind that unruly beard.”

Cyrus couldn’t see Van’s face but he knew from her silence that it was a loaded question, and one she had to justify to herself daily. “I wouldn’t be able to be a knight without this beard. No one would let me.”

Antonio seized her hand again when she left it limp. “But don’t you realize… hiding your face is like hiding the sun. Men cannot flourish without your radiance.”

Van fell silent again and this time, Antonio eased up and let her rise to her feet. She brushed the beans and sauce from her armor, and unfastened the straps that held the breast plate in place. Removing it, she revealed a bandaged top wrapped around her chest so she could accommodate men’s armor. Cyrus thought it looked painful and uncomfortable and it probably was. She walked over to the bed where Archibald had leaned and sat there herself. “Now you know, pretty boy,” she said in her sardonic but feminine voice. “And I hope you don’t think less of me or the people I’m with.”

“Of course not,” Antonio responded, dusting himself off. “If anything, I think more of your party now that there’s a young swordswoman among you. A woman who masters my craft is a woman after my own heart.”

“Oh really?” Van said, her lips pursed in a mystified fashion. “Thank you.”

“No problemo. But I was meaning to ask your jester friend a question”

“Sure thing,” Archibald responded. “But keep in mind that I’m not liable to answer.”

“Do you really work for the king and queen of this country?” Antonio asked with his arms crossed.

Archibald looked at Van and then at Cyrus. Cyrus could tell that he was unsure how to answer Antonio, but the young swordsman continued to prod, this time with a stern and serious voice. “You boasted about it to your comrades, amigo. I think it’s best you come clean.”

Archibald put up his hands. “You got me, ‘amigo,’ I can’t hide it from you that I work for the king and queen. But keep in mind that I’m not the one who writes the laws. If I did, believe me, they’d be a lot more just.”

Antonio walked over to Archibald with a stern look on his smooth face, but much to Cyrus’ surprise, he placed his hand on the Majester’s shoulder with a fond smile. “I appreciate that sentiment from a member of the king and queen’s counsel. You seem to be making things right over here too.”

“It’s the least I can do,” the Majester said “Since I’ve got misgivings myself about the way this kingdom is handled.”

Antonio’s attention quickly switched from Archibald to Cyrus. The young prince could tell that the Majester’s identiy roused Antonio’s suspicion. He put his hand to his chin and scruffed the light stubble on his chin. As much as Cyrus didn’t like to admit it, he was impressed that a teenager like Antonio had such manly stubble on his face.

“So,” Antonio said. “We have a royal court jester and a royal knight, may I venture a guess who this young man is…”

Cyrus swallowed hard as Antonio pointed his hand right at the prince with a bright wide grin on his face. “Another royal clown?”

“Hey!” Cyrus screamed. “In what world do I look like a clown?”

Antonio snickered, “Beats me then. However, I do enjoy the fact you make me look so much more dashing in comparison.”

Cyrus was tempted to yell at Antonio and tell him that he was more royal and high born than a fop like him would ever be, but he bit his tongue. He truly wished to keep his heritage secret from someone as sleazy as Antonio. Van walked over to Cyrus and looked at Antonio with a red blush on her face and a nervous look in her eyes.

“Look, Antonio,” she said. “Can you keep a secret?”

Cyrus’ head quickly turned to Van with a panicked look on his face. What was Van doing?

“For you, my rose, anything.”

“This is the royal prince Coates. Cyrus Coates.”

Cyrus could feel his head drip with sweat and his fists balled up and shook with fury. He gritted his teeth but remained still and silent. After all, with this new information at his disposal, Antonio had more of a reason to stab him.

Antonio scruffed the stubble on his chin again. “Hmm, I do remember hearing something about the prince of the kingdom being a bit gordo. But I see they were exaggerating. He’s muy gordo!”

Antonio burst out laughing and slapped his knees. Cyrus blushed heavily over being mocked but fortunately for him, both Van and Archibald didn’t even crack a smile. “Enough with the fat jokes,” Cyrus shouted. “Don’t you want revenge on me for what I was responsible for?”

Antonio stopped mid laugh and a stern look crossed his face again. “Amigo, I would get revenge on you, but it seems that the food already has!”

Antonio started laughing again but stopped to get a few more words in edgewise. “Besides, aren’t you here to right the horrible wrongs you did?”

“How did you…know that?” Cyrus exclaimed.

“Mi corazon can see into the hearts of men,” Antonio said brushing his beautiful flowing hair. “You wouldn’t have helped exorcise that woman if you weren’t here to right your wrongs. As a dashing rogue who plays by his own rules, I approve of this very mucho.”

“You do?” Cyrus and Van both said, the latter clasping her hands to her chest.

“I do,” Antonio said with a bow. “And I will be ready to help you in anyway I can.”

“Well,” Archibald said patting Antonio on the back. “Is there any way you can help us get into the golden dome and see the Don…without handing over the prince?”

“Mmm, I’ll see what I can do, mi amigos,” Antonio said, “Let us eat and prepare for bed and I’ll come up with something by this morning.”

“Thanks pal,” Archibald responded and he reclined on the bed. “I’ll put on my thinking cap too after we have the second round of dinner.”

After tidying up the beans and bowls of soup from the floor, Antonio headed downstairs to make a second set of soup for the trio. Cyrus was still seething with rage and as soon as Antonio shut the door, he lashed out at Van.

“You didn’t have to expose me like that you poof head!” Cyrus screamed. “Archibald said it was up to me if I told people who I was. Not you.”

Van looked slightly bashful before her own hot blood overtook her thoughts. “Cyrus, I told you we could trust him. I don’t know why you didn’t believe me when I said I know his kind.”

“Of course you know his kind,” Cyrus spat and crossed his arms. “Or at least, you’d like to get to know his kind in bed.”

Van shook her head, ruffling her bushy hair. “You just say things like that because you haven’t left the castle, prince. Unlike you, I’ve seen the world and its people. I know when someone’s lying, like in your letters to Trinity, for instance. Antonio has given us hospitality and was very understanding about your identity.”

“He called me fat,” Cyrus responded with a sad pout.

Van’s eyes, which had glared at the prince ever so harshly, grew gentle and understanding. “Look, he’s a little rough around the edges. Being raised in a town like this and losing your mother will do that to you. But take it from me, being with me…I mean, being with us, is going to be a very good influence on him. Trust me on that.”

Van put her arm around Cyrus in attempt to cheer him. “I’ll hold you to that, you poof head,” he said with another pout.

Though he was feeling bad, Van’s gentleness calmed him down. He wanted to believe her because he knew she was a genuine person in all of her ways. He put aside his suspicions for the night so he would be able to sleep.

***

“Rise and shine, fellow rogues and pirates!” A loud voice hollered as Cyrus lay sleeping in the vacant bed. “I’ve found the answer to your problems!”

Vanessa stirred in Antonio’s bed next to Cyrus. Thankfully when Antonio gave it up to her, he volunteered to sleep on the floor along with Archibald claiming to “respect her stirring female hormones.” Cyrus opened his eyes and saw Antonio cheerfully holding two separate outfits. In his left hand was a dark cape that was black on the outside and red on the inside, a dark tunic made of the same velvet material and a black and red helmet with horns, a dark mask and a distinctive X cut into the visor. In his right hand was a much cheerier outfit: a gray crop top with white frilly sleeves, navy blue shorts that ran up high, a host of beautiful dark green and purple feathers and a bright green headband.

“Vanessa, Archibald,” Antonio said, “Care to try on these outfits I picked out for you in the market square?”

“We don’t have time to play dress up,” said a grouchy Cyrus, wishing he hadn’t been woken for this kind of activity.

“Well, my rather rotund friend,” Antonio said with an irreverent grin “These outfits are going to help them get inside. After all, since they won’t take any outsiders, you may as well become a member of Thieves Town. And as an added bonus, I came up with life stories for these particular bounty hunters as well.”

“Yeah, this all seems kind of pointless,” Cyrus said but Van stood up and Antonio handed her the outfit in her right hand.

As if he were a fashion maven, he directed her into the outfit. She slipped the crop top on and he fastened the back of it, he tied the headband around her head and Cyrus could see it doubled as an eyepatch, and he told her the colorful feathers could be hung from her ears. Cyrus was both annoyed but amazed at the same time. He had never seen a girl with a visible midriff before, even if he knew this outfit was chosen by Antonio particularly so he could leer at her.

Van eyed up her own outfit and with a skeptical voice said, “You know, I learned in the knight academy to cover up your guts if you’re going to wield a sword. Are you sure this outfit is practical?”

“My dearest Van,” Antonio laughed. “You are thinking like a knight, not a freewheeling bounty hunter pirate. They often use their sex appeal as much as their wit and agility to gain the upper hand over foes. And Rainia the Pirate Knight, is the hottest, most smoothest bounty hunter lass there is.”

“Well, if you say so,” Van said, looking nervously at the ground, before glancing up at him with a determined expression. “I trust you, Antonio.”

As they gazed into each others eyes, Archibald attempted to tip toe past them, but Antonio quickly seized him by the collar of his tunic. “Where are you going, Archibald mi amigo.”

“I don’t want to be a pretty pirate lass,” he whined.

“Relax, you’re going to be something much more befitting of a wizard of your stature.”

Antonio helped Archibald get the outfit over his broken arm, carefully tucking it under the cape. He slipped the dark mask over Archibald’s face and put the X marked helmet over his head. When Antonio was done, Archibald looked like a sinister villain sporting a large cape and a horned helmet. His lack of face was what captured Cyrus’ mind the most.

“Some bounty hunters go entirely masked,” Antonio said. “After all, there’s nothing more menacing than an opponent where you’re not certain what they look like at all. I dub this shadowy bounty hunter, Magnus the X-ecutioner.”

“It sure is hot in here,” Archibald said. “I’m starting to want a midriff too!”

“I hope you know why you’re bounty hunters,” Antonio said with a grin.

“Why?” Vanessa asked with the question visible in her eyes.

“Because you two, along with myself, are going to be bringing the most valuable bounty of all to the Don. Prince Cyrus Coates!”