The door creaks. Giulia's head jerks up, and she rolls her shoulders, loosening her muscles. Passing the sword to her left hand, she drives it forward in a mock stab, only watching the opening door out of the corner of her eye.
At the sight of the man striding over its threshold, she spins to face it. “This is a real treat, Harlow. Twice in one day.”
She catches what might have been a roll of his eyes as he shuts the door. A smirk tugs at her lips. He might act as if he doesn’t care, but she knows she’ll win him over.
“You know why I’m here,” he says, mildly exasperated. The usual.
“That I do.” She sheathes her sword, crossing to him in a couple of leaps. “He’s safely on a carriage?”
“Just about.” He sighs. “The kid fainted as soon as we stepped outside.”
Giulia can’t help but snicker. Perhaps he isn’t as fearsome as she gives him credit for.
“Still, he’s on the carriage now. We can work out logistics later, if it turns out he’s allergic to sunlight or something. After today, I don’t think that would surprise me.”
She nods, acknowledging his words with a wave of her hand. She trusts Harlow to sort all that out. It isn’t for her to worry about. “And I presume our carriage awaits?”
“Yes.” He takes a step, then pauses, peering back at her. “It would save a lot of time if you’ve decided to agree while I’ve been gone.”
She is starting to smile, but it falls away then. Tearing her gaze from him, she strides past, reaching for the doorknob. “I’m afraid you’ve still got a lot of convincing to do, Harlow.” The ice in her tone surprises her.
“The king still evades capture.”
“Don’t remind me.” The door swings open. She glances either side, checking the corridor is empty, before emerging into it. She prefers to be alone with Harlow. It can make matters rather awkward when in company, particularly if the other soldiers are stupid enough to accuse her of favouritism.
“He gives those that remain a figure to rally behind.” Harlow is beside her, surety alight in his gaze.
“He hasn’t even been missing a day yet. He’s hardly an expert at running. We’ll catch him.” She ducks into the corridor, swinging to the right, and he follows.
“We have no leads. And--”
She twirls, lightly pressing a finger to his lips to halt his words. “Such a pessimist,” she taunts. “We succeed in invading a whole kingdom, and still all you can think about is what might go wrong next.”
Scowling, he bats her finger away. She flashes him a smile and keeps walking, letting out a disgusted sniff at the consistently white colouring. It doesn’t do well at hiding stains.
“I’m just trying to think ahead,” Harlow protests from behind. “We’ve used up so much of our power in this attack. We need something new.”
“And you want to use a fourteen-year-old boy with the power to kill us all as that.” She shakes her head. “You’re usually so much better at this.”
She nearly stumbles into him. Somehow, he has managed to get in front of her without her noticing. His eyes are fierce. “He’s a kid. He knows barely anything of the world.”
“That doesn’t sound particularly convincing.”
“It might not make him a good soldier, no. But it makes him the perfect weapon.”
Her head tilts sideways. “Go on.”
Falling into step beside her, he continues walking, but his eyes remain fixed on hers. “He still has this strange loyalty to Oscensi, but it can be broken. All we need to do is make him realise what this kingdom did to him, and how much better we can treat him. We gain his trust, and he’ll choose to fight for us.”
Her fingers tap thoughtfully at her sheath. “You’re saying he’s easy to manipulate.”
Relief breaks out in his expression. “Exactly.”
They swing around a corner. “Harlow,” she says, slowly, “with his kind of power, it doesn’t have to stop at Oscensi. Does it?”
He is silent. When he glances at him, he is properly smiling. She hasn’t seen him like that for a long time.
A short laugh escapes her, and she quickens her step. “We better get to the carriage. I think I find this idea worth entertaining after all.”
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