Page 1 of The Stolen Princess
1
King Adler
The Kingdom of Tolsten
Fall 2250
Streaks of afternoon sunlight sliced through the wall of aspen trunks, forcing shadows onto dead leaves scattered across the forest’s dirt floor. King Adler thought the shadows looked like the tips of missiles—narrow and long—but then again, weapons consumed his thoughts no matter where he was.
“Everything is going according to our plans, Stoddard.” Adler clasped his hands behind his back as he walked through the trees, side by side with his commander. The height difference between them forced him to look down to meet Commander Stoddard’s eyes. “The weapons have been safely hidden, and I’ve taken care of all of the people who know about them.”
“What about Rommel? You didn’t take care of him,” Stoddard said.
Adler’s face went stiff. “I fired him and threatened his life. That should be enough.”
“Why are we threatening Rommel’s life? We should kill him. He designed and built the weapons. He knows more about them than anyone else. If he leaked that information, our entire plan could be ruined.”
Adler sucked in a deep breath. He hadn’t killed Rommel or his wife, Joett, because they meant too much to his daughter. They were like grandparents to her. Up until he had fired them both last week, Joett had been Myka’s maid. And now that the queen was gone, Adler wasn’t going to remove anyone else from Myka’s life. He glanced fondly at his daughter playing in the dirt beside them. Myka bent over an anthill, lining the edges of it with bark like she was fortifying the hill. Her creative mind would serve her well someday.
He turned to face Stoddard. “I’m not worried about Rommel.”
Stoddard licked his lips. “Your Majesty, I think that is very unwise.”
“What youthinkdoesn’t matter.”
The commander shut his mouth, jutting out his chin. Stoddard didn’t like being put in his place, but he wasn’t the one in charge. Adler was, and Commander Stoddard would do well to remember that.
They walked in silence for a few more steps until Stoddard got the courage to mention something else that he shouldn’t have an opinion on. “Are you sure you don’t want to divulge the location of the weapons to me?”
Adler shook his head. “I can assure you the weapons are safe.”
“That may be true, but I believe you take an unnecessary risk in keeping this information to yourself. What if something were to happen to you?”
He laughed. “Nothing is going to happen to me.”
Stoddard reached above him and pulled a leaf from a nearby branch, making the twig snap back. He twisted the leaf between his fingers as he spoke. “What about the threat of the other six kingdoms? If any of those leaders find out that you are developing weapons against the Council’s orders, they will come after you.”
Adler rolled his eyes. “We shattered Albion in war, killing their commander in the process. They are in no shape to come after me or my weapons. The people of Enderlin almost kicked King Davin off his throne because he’s marrying some working-class girl, so I doubt Enderlin will attack. Northland is so far away. I don’t think they knowwhatis going on up there. The kings in Appa and Cristole are nearing the end of their thirty-year terms; they’re not going to stir up trouble right before an election. And Bryant is more concerned about making a marriage alliance for his ten-year-old daughter than he is about Tolsten. Do you really think another leader wants to trifle with me?” Adler scoffed. “Besides, we’re years ahead of every other kingdom. If they’d approved the weapons at the last Council of Essentials and had started making their own, perhaps I would consider them a threat.”
“I don’t think we should be overly confident,” Stoddard said. “You never know what might happen. That’s why you should tell me where the weapons are. We’re more powerful when we work together.”
Adler trusted Stoddard to a point. He was his right-hand man, but he lacked vision, his plans were all simple, and Adler liked keeping him an arm’s-length away when it came to the weapons. The man was the only other person who knew the majority of his secrets. He didn’t need to knowallof them. Adler had to keep the power somehow.
“Daddy?” Myka demanded, running up to his side. “You said you would play with me.”
Adler turned his head, smiling at his daughter. Two brown braids tumbled down her back. A smattering of light freckles dotted her nose and cheeks, but his favorite feature was her cool-blue eyes that matched his, like the color of the Tolsten lakes.
“In a minute, sweetheart. Let me finish talking with Commander Stoddard.”
Myka’s lips turned down, and she folded her arms across her chest.
He bent over, meeting his daughter’s angry gaze. “Oh, don’t pout.” He tugged on one of her braids. “Why don’t you set up a tea party for us?”
“That’s boring!” she complained.
“What do you want to play, then?”
“We need to fight the bad guys.”
