Full Page Image

Dedication

For Bri,

the first person who told me I should publish all those years ago. Your support and friendship has pushed me. We’ve come a long way together and we have a long way yet to go.

The Six Kingdoms

Chapter One

One day, when trying to remember the first time she’d seen him, Helena would think of the energy sparking in the air around him.

The unknown boy should have been no match for the broad man before him, yet the crowd cheered as if the fight would go on forever.

Boxing was a revered sport on the coast of Madra. Not that her parents had ever allowed Helena to attend a match.

But this wasn’t an organized fight. There was no arena surrounding them, only a circle of onlookers. Their noise had drawn the small-framed girl dressed in her brother’s clothing.

Helena pulled the cap on her head down over her ears to further hide the ebony locks pinned underneath.

There were two rules in Madran boxing. Never step out of bounds and never use the heel of your hand. Everything else was fair game.

The boy with lively blue eyes ducked an oncoming punch, but didn’t move quickly enough and his opponent’s fist grazed the side of his head. He reeled back, stumbling before dropping to his knees.

The bigger man moved to strike again, and the boy fell sideways only to receive a kick to the abdomen.

Helena’s stomach roiled. She wanted to scream, to tell them to stop, but a hand clenched around her arm.

“Princess,” a low voice said in her ear. “Do not say a word.”

Fear ripped into her until the man holding her pushed back his hood, revealing a head of blonde hair and a scowl only reserved for her.

“Let me go, Edmund.”

“I will release you, but you aren’t to leave.” He lifted his hand, watching her for any sign she’d bolt. When she stayed, he turned his attention to the oversized man who continued to brutalize the smaller man.

Edmund walked forward and pushed aside his cloak, revealing a sword. The attacker froze.

“Orlo.” Edmund’s voice was calm, but Helena detected the ice in his words. “Challenging children to fights now?”

Helena winced at the children remark. The boy looked no younger than her eighteen years. When Edmund first arrived at their shores, she’d been smitten with him. Then she got to know the oaf, and he became just another one of her brothers.

Orlo grunted and wiped his bloody knuckles on his pants. “This ‘kid’ needs to learn respect.”

Edmund made a sound in the back of his throat. “You know as well as I that whatever Dell did won’t be anywhere near your punishment for fighting outside a proper match.” He jerked his head. “Go, and I won’t report this incident to the king… or the priesthood.”