“An expedition to retrieve Arlador must be put into effect immediately,” Daithi orders. “We can’t risk waiting around. The moment our enemies hear news of the map’s discovery, they will set their own plans into motion.”

Hagen steps forward. “I agree, Your Majesty. The sooner we act the better. Our knights were able to travel peacefully, but that does not mean they weren’t being heavily watched. There have been whispers of us possibly finding the genuine map. Lord Aquilan and Lady Lunna are already in agreement that taking us out is their top priority. His forces are at our doorstep and Lady Lunna’s are not far behind.”

Ah, Aquilan and Lunna! I remember those names. They’re Daithi’s younger siblings that rule over their own kingdoms. Isn’t Aquilan the main character of The Tale of Meredin, though? Then, who is Daithi?

“Our army is more than capable of holding them off,” Esla argues. Hagen gives her the stink eye while I nervously stand between the two.

“Trust in your army, Your Majesty,” she adds. “We’ve held our borders for long years and you have always bested your siblings. We know them. We know what they will do. While I agree that we must make our move for Arlador with haste, doing so immediately is unnecessary and dangerous. Our borders are safe under the protection of your great elementi.”

Elementi! Right, I remember the magical system now. It’s concentrated on elements; light, dark, fire, earth, water, air, and chaos, although the latter is frowned upon thanks to unpredictability and a dark history. Elementi are those that can call upon those elements, such as Daithi. He can call upon fire and that’s how Hagen got into my room earlier. He’s a dark elementis.

Hagen swiftly interjects. “My eyes and ears say otherwise. Should Lord Aquilan and Lady Lunna agree to battle alongside one another against us, Lady Arelen and Lord Elfyr will follow. We will have four kingdoms, all of which border us, ready to fight under one banner.”

Daithi’s eyes are unreadable. His expression is borderline bored. He leans back when saying, “And then tear themselves apart when the bickering starts. All of us want Arlador and all of us are willing to go to war to get it.”

I stiffen when Daithi drags his gaze to meet my own. The warm undertones of his eyes do not fit his cold demeanor.

“Nevertheless, the last thing we want is four idiotic kingdoms ransacking our lands. I am in need of provisions for my military, now more than ever, which is where you come in.” He gestures for me to step forward.

I’m supposedly a spy, right? If I’m to survive I have to play the part, so I hide my shaking hands by shoving them into my pants pockets then show the best blasé expression I can muster.

“Lunna is a politician, not a warrior. Her generals are busy at the front, preparing for war while she sits back, thinking she’s safe behind her walls. Go to the capital. The biggest storage of provisions is there. Destroy it.”

“Consider it done,” I answer nonchalantly.

“Good. You leave at nightfall.”

I take the wave of his hand as my cue to leave. Outside of the throne room, my pace quickens, desperate to return to my room to try and discover what’s going on. If I don’t, Daithi’s order may be my death sentence.

I don’t want to go through that again. The memory of a never ending darkness, the sensation of all light and warmth slipping through my numb fingers, fear coursing through my veins until I forget what anything else feels like. I have until nightfall to find out what is going on and formulate a survival plan.

After returning to my room, I lock the door, tearing The Tale of Meredin out of the satchel.

The first chapter is a prologue that tells of the previous king, Luvon Yelneiros, who ruled over the continent of Meredin. On his deathbed, he hid his greatest weapon, Arlador, a magical sword bequeathed to him by the Gods. He said whichever of his children found the sword would be named the rightful heir to the throne, which was the dumbest thing he ever did because what did the ten siblings do? Fight and argue, then split the continent into ten to rule over their own kingdoms while all searched for the sword in hopes of overthrowing the others.

That is how The Tale of Meredin begins and leads us to what I am now living in. After many years, the map has finally been found by the eldest son, Daithi Yelneiros, the villain.

And Kaeda? She’s one of his lackeys, a spy, a woman described as a slippery fox. Maybe I could make do with this, but there’s yet another problem that I run into only two chapters in.

Kaeda dies.

Did I really die to take up the life of a fantasy character only to die again?!

Come on, the future knowledge of this book could help me avoid her fate, right? After all, I know how the story ends.

Aquilan, the heroic protagonist, manages to steal Arlador from Daithi and masters its powers. The two battle to the death where Daithi is finally defeated and Aquilan rules over all the lands of Meredin as the true king. A happy ending to a typical fairytale.

But how can I be a part of that fairy tale ending?

My very existence in the novel can, and will, negate many instances of the book, thank you butterfly effect, but do I have the time to change my fate? The real Kaeda was given this mission too, but she’s a double agent. Tonight she is meant to steal the map for Lunna. She’s caught because the map goes missing and she is seen this afternoon conversing with an already suspected spy at the estate. She’s beheaded for treason.

If I don’t speak with that other spy then Kaeda won’t be suspected! I’ll steal the map and take it to Aquilan instead. There’s even a map in the beginning of the book that will lead me to his kingdom. Maybe then I’ll be able to escape Kaeda’s grizzly fate.

Time for me to steal from the lead villain.