DESPITE MY SISTER’S WARNINGS, I meet with Lib and plan to visit Shez.

I tell myself it’s only to see him one last time before he dies. Even if I deliver food to Shez, I don’t know if the guards will let him have it. I will not try anything foolish, like a rescue. Regardless, no one can know I am gone.

Lib and I leave on the eve of the Moon Festival. The servants are busy preparing, and if someone notices Lib’s absence, they’ll think he’s on an errand. I haven’t told my sister I’m leaving, and I hope no one comes to look for me. I wait in my room for the signal. When I hear the false call of a bird near my window, I sneak into the corridor and walk slowly to the cooking room, as if I am seeking a late-night treat.

The door connecting the cooking room to the garden has been left unlatched, and I slip through. I don’t stop but continue walking until I reach the far garden wall. There are soldiers posted on the outside of the wall, and I must wait for the guard change.

Moments later, I join Lib on the other side. The lone soldier faces the opposite direction and doesn’t even turn when I catch my foot and send a rock tumbling.

Lib grabs my arm, and we hurry away together.

“Did you pay him?” I whisper when we’re out of hearing distance.

“No.”

“Then how—”

“I threatened him,” Lib says. “It works equally well. It turns out the guard accompanies the king to the harem from time to time, and his wife doesn’t know about it.”

I suppress a laugh, though it’s nothing to laugh about.

We keep to the side roads and trees as much as possible. The moon provides plenty of light, but that’s both good and bad. We aren’t hard to spot, and I hope we can avoid any trouble.

The night is half over when we reach the west border. “I’ve only been here once before,” Lib says. “To the left of the guard hut is the underground prison.”

The hut is the only building in sight. No light comes from the inside, but the moon casts a silver glow on the thatch roof.

“Where are the guards?” I ask.

Lib stares at the landscape for a moment. “I don’t see any movement. Maybe they’re inside.”

Or hidden, I think. But the terrain is open, and the trees are scarce. Nothing but flat land spreads to the left of the hut, where the prison holes are. To the right are a few scattered copal trees.

I concentrate on the trees, trying to make out any figures. “What should we do? We can’t wait much longer.”

“We’ll knock on the door of the hut and ask permission to visit with the prisoner.”

I nod, hoping we won’t get an arrow in the chest in the process. We walk together toward the hut.

“Let me be the first to be seen,” I whisper. “They won’t feel threatened by a woman.” I knock on the door, and my heart pounds, seemingly louder than the knocking.

When the door swings open, a man stands there, dagger in his hand. His size tells me he can easily overpower Lib. “Who are you?” he demands.

“We’re here to visit the prisoner Shez. We have gifts for you and supplies for him.”

The guard looks past my shoulder. Lib holds up the satchel with supplies. “Can I open it and show you the gifts?”

Another guard appears at the door, a sword in hand. “Drop the bag.”

I take a step back, and Lib lets go of the bag.

The second guard waves his sword. “No deliveries for the boy.”

It is as I expected, but I am determined. “Surely it would do no harm,” I say.

They don’t respond to my suggestion. The first guard grabs the satchel and opens the top.

“What’s in it?” the second guard asks, keeping his eyes trained on us.

“Nothing the boy is allowed to have,” the first guard says, dumping the contents on the ground.

“There’s plenty of dried meat,” I say. “Everything else is yours if you’ll let him have the meat.”

The second guard snorts. “We’re under orders to keep food from the prisoner.”

“You mean food that’s delivered by others?” Lib asks.

“All food,” the guard says.

I feel as if I’ve been punched in the stomach. A small bit of hope that Lib might have received wrong information has now died. Anger pushes its way up my throat, and I can’t help but say, “You mean you’re starving him?”

“We’re following orders from the king,” the first guard says, his voice defensive.

“He’s just a boy!” I cry out. “He’s done nothing.” I grab the dried meat wrapped in a cloth and start running in the direction I assume the prison holes are. I hope I don’t fall into one, but I’ll take the risk if it means bringing food to my nephew.

“Shez!” I scream as I run. Seconds later, I’m sprawled on the ground.

One of the guards has grabbed me. I turn to claw at him, but the second guard joins him and pins me to the ground.

“Release her,” Lib yells.

“Tie her up,” one of the guards shouts over Lib’s yells.

“No, she’s the queen’s sister.” It’s Lib.

The guards stop, still holding me captive, but they are finally listening to Lib.

“She merely wants to see how Shez is doing,” Lib says.

“She was taking him food,” one of the guards says. “Food is forbidden.”

I moan. I can’t let Shez starve. Surely it’s a mistake. Surely Akish hasn’t inflicted this torture on his own heir.

Lib’s voice is closer as he says, “We’ll return to the city with no further incident. Please release her.”

“Let me see my nephew,” I gasp. “Let me at least speak to him.”

“We have strict orders, woman. No contact with the king’s son for anyone,” a voice says above me. “We aren’t willing to risk our positions because you want to speak to a prisoner.”

“We can bring silver or anything you want,” I say. “Please give him the meat we brought.”

Hands tighten around my arms. “And you don’t think the king is counting down days until he can be sure his son is dead? Prolonging his death will only make it worse for everyone.”

My heart nearly stops. I have never felt so cold, so stunned with disbelief. I can’t imagine Shez’s laughter silenced forever, his young body still in death. Something inside me changes. It’s as if I’ve repressed every bit of anger and disappointment for many years, and now is the moment my mind will no longer hold off the madness.

Adrenaline pulses through me, and I feel the strength of ten men running through my veins. I twist out of the guards’ grasp and scramble to my feet. I am running, free now, and calling for Shez. I will find him, and I’ll rescue him. My own life does not matter. The king may do with me what he will, but I’ll give my nephew a chance to escape.

My legs fly out from under me, and I slam into the ground again. This time, everything goes black.