Chapter 1

I was born William Edward Kingson. My mother had been a maid in the Keep of King Henry. I was the bastard son he refused to acknowledge, like several others. My mother ended up marrying the captain of his guards. He was the one that taught me how to use weapons and how to fight. I was fourteen when the king became ill. Captain Mambly arranged for me to work as a caravan guard, leaving the kingdom.

For four years, I traveled the world and learned many things. When I returned to Eustria, it was to learn of my mother’s death. She had died not long after the captain, who had died shortly after the king. The whole kingdom was changed. It was hard or impossible for people to leave, and the nobles ran over everyone. The only real job I could find was as a bar breaker.

I knew better than to let my half-brother know I was here; he would have me killed like he had the other three bastards. The captain had taught me many things and shown me things I never thought about. While the large city sprawled on both sides of the river, the nobles retreated, and the king’s Keep was on the island in the middle of the river. There were two bridges to the retreat. They both had huge stone arches at each end of walkways.

What people did not know was that inside each arch was a small room with stairs. The second floor spanned the width of the road and had a narrow walk that allowed men to walk the length of the bridge from arch to arch. I had sold my horse a week after arriving. I could not afford a room and had remembered the gatehouses. Everyone was very careful around the river because of the river snakes. They were poisonous and came out during the day to sun themselves on the warm stones.

For almost a month, I worked at the tavern, and things got steadily worse. I was barely paying for enough food to keep me going. The conditions in the city only got worse for almost everyone. The only ones that had it easy were the nobles and their favorites, that also included the richer merchants. The night I was fired for breaking up a fight a young noble started was the start of something else.

I stood watching the dark house for a long time before finally crossing the street and moving down the alley beside it. I stopped halfway down and stood listening. I turned and used the cracks between the stones to start climbing. On the third floor, I carefully pulled myself onto the narrow window ledge. I pulled a very thin dagger from an arm sheath and slipped it between the windows. I lifted, and the inside latch came out of the lock.

I quietly opened the window and slipped inside, closing the window behind me. I silently moved through the room and opened the door before slipping out. I made my way to the servants’ stairs and then went down. On the first floor, I moved through the dark hallway to the study door. A moment with my dagger tip between the door and the frame was enough to unlock the door.

I slipped into the room and closed the door before pulling the tiny metal dark lantern from my belt. I opened one shutter as I moved towards the desk. I only glanced at the other door with its large ornate lock. I sat and used the lantern to go through the desk. In a side drawer, I found a couple of stacks of gold coins. I took them and the small bundle of candles. I took the ornate key from the top drawer and moved to the side door.

When I entered the room, it was to see a few small chests. The first two chests held copper pennies or brass six pieces. The next chest held small bags. I opened one to find rare spices. I pulled them out to fill the small pack I was carrying. There were two chests left. The first held silver pieces, and the second had gold. I hesitated and then lifted the chest of silver and poured it into the chest of gold coins.