The city slept beneath a blanket of pale mist. Lanterns burned low, the wind brushed over rooftops, and somewhere in the distance a dog barked once and then fell silent.
Evelyn walked quickly along the narrow road that led toward the outer gate. Her cloak hid the uniform underneath, and her short hair stuck out from under the hood like a child's messy haircut. She whispered to herself as she moved.
"You are brave, Evelyn. You are not scared. You are definitely not about to trip over your own feet."
The cobblestones were uneven. Her boots made small sounds that seemed far too loud in the quiet. She held the brass whistle that Seraphina had given her, the one that could call for help if everything went wrong. She really hoped she would not have to use it.
When she reached the shadow of the city wall, she crouched behind a cart of empty barrels. From there she could see the north gate clearly. Two guards were standing by the arch, one yawning, the other tapping his spear against the ground. Beyond them, at the edge of the dock, several men in dark cloaks worked quickly beside a wagon.
A soft glow came from the lantern one of them held. Evelyn squinted. The crate they opened was marked with a familiar symbol, a small hawk painted in black. Her heart jumped. The same mark had been drawn on the scrap of paper she had found at the Duchess's tea party.
She leaned forward just a little. Inside the crate were long pieces of polished metal. They were not ordinary trade goods. They were weapons.
"Smuggling," she whispered to herself. "Maybe even treason."
Before she could move, a hand covered her mouth. She nearly bit it in panic until a calm voice spoke near her ear.
"Quiet, Guard Ash."
She froze. Then her heart did something ridiculous.
"Your Grace," she whispered once he removed his hand. "You followed me."
"I told you that one should not face danger alone," he said softly.
"I was not alone," she replied. "I had courage."
The Duke's expression did not change. "Courage will not stop a blade."
"I was improvising," she whispered, but he had already turned his gaze back to the smugglers.
The Duke crouched beside her. The moonlight touched the edge of his hair. His eyes were serious but calm, like he had done this a hundred times before. Evelyn's heart refused to behave.
"Observe for now," he said. "If they begin to move the wagon, we act."
She nodded, forcing herself to breathe quietly.
A guard by the gate turned suddenly. His lantern swung toward them. Evelyn's stomach flipped. The Duke moved without a word and pulled her close against the shadow of the cart. His arm came around her shoulders, steady and protective. She could feel the warmth through his coat.
The light hovered, moved away, and the guard yawned again.
Evelyn whispered, "That was close."
The Duke's voice was quiet near her ear. "Too close. You are reckless."
"Thank you," she whispered automatically.
"That was not praise."
"I will take it anyway."
He gave a quiet sigh that might have been a laugh.
The men by the gate began loading the wagon. A tall figure approached them on horseback. Even in the dim light, the Duke recognized him.
"Lord Harven," he murmured.
Evelyn frowned. "The same Lord Harven who sits three seats away from you in council?"
"The same," the Duke said. "And now we know why he leaves meetings early."
She looked at him. "What do we do?"
"We follow."
"Follow. Good plan. Any chance we could also run away and report this tomorrow morning over breakfast?"
He did not answer, which meant no.
They waited until the wagon began to roll down the forest road. Then they slipped from their hiding spot and moved quietly behind the trees. Evelyn tried to step lightly, but every twig seemed determined to betray her.
The road curved through the woods. The wagon stopped at a clearing where a few tents stood. Men unloaded the crates. One of them laughed in a sharp voice that carried through the night.
The Duke drew his sword. The moonlight glinted off the blade.
"Ten of them," he said. "Possibly twelve. Stay behind me."
"Of course," she whispered. "I will stay behind you and definitely not scream."
He stepped forward without hesitation. Evelyn followed, her grip on her sword slippery with sweat.
The first man barely saw him before the Duke struck. The movement was fast and quiet. The second went down before he could raise his weapon. The others turned and shouted.
Evelyn rushed in with a mix of courage and panic. Her first swing missed. Her second swing hit a barrel instead of a person. The barrel broke open, scattering metal parts across the ground.
The Duke blocked two strikes and glanced at her. "Focus."
"I am focused," she gasped.
A man charged at her. She ducked. He tripped over the scattered metal and fell face-first into the dirt. She blinked. "Did I do that? I did that."
The Duke's voice was dry. "Do not celebrate until it is finished."
She nodded quickly and swung again, this time managing to disarm another attacker with surprising precision. He stared at her in disbelief before running away into the woods.
When the last of the smugglers fled, the clearing fell silent except for Evelyn's heavy breathing. She lowered her sword. "We are alive. I think that counts as a victory."
The Duke surveyed the mess calmly. "A loud victory, but a victory."
She smiled weakly. "I specialize in loud victories."
He sheathed his sword. "So I have noticed."
They checked the crates. Inside were blueprints, forged letters bearing the royal seal, and documents showing secret routes along the border.
Evelyn's hands shook slightly as she held one up. "This could start a war."
The Duke took the paper from her and folded it carefully. "Not if we stop it first."
He looked at her for a long moment. His gray eyes softened just a little. "You handled yourself better than expected."
"Thank you," she said. "I think."
"Do not let it go to your head."
"Too late."
For the first time that night, his serious expression broke into a real smile. It was small and fleeting, but it made the entire dangerous night worth it.
They tied up the two men who had not escaped and left a signal for the city guard to collect them. Then they began the walk back through the forest. The air smelled of wet leaves and smoke. The moon had started to sink behind the hills.
Evelyn felt both tired and proud. "Your Grace," she said softly, "you really did not have to follow me."
"If I had not," he said, "you would have ended up captured or lost."
"I would have managed."
"You would have started a conversation with the smugglers and been offered tea."
She laughed. "You think I am that bad?"
He glanced at her. "No. You are worse."
She smiled, feeling oddly happy despite his words.
By the time they reached the city walls, the eastern sky had begun to lighten. The guards at the gate looked confused to see them return from the outside. The Duke handed them a sealed order and told them to prepare for arrests at dawn.
When they reached the mansion, the halls were still dark. The Duke stopped at the bottom of the stairs. Evelyn turned to face him.
"Will you report me for sneaking out?" she asked.
He shook his head. "No. But you will report to training an hour early."
Her mouth fell open. "As punishment?"
"As progress," he said.
She sighed dramatically. "You are impossible."
He looked at her with a faint smile. "And yet you still follow me into danger."
"I blame curiosity," she said.
He inclined his head slightly. "Good night, Guard Ash."
"Good night, Your Grace."
She watched him walk up the stairs. For the first time since arriving at the mansion, she realized how quiet her heart felt, even after the chaos. It was not calm because of safety. It was calm because he was there.
When she finally reached her room, the first rays of sunlight touched the window. She kicked off her boots, sat on the edge of the bed, and whispered to herself, "You survived your first mission. You did not die. You only almost fell three times. Progress."
Then she laughed softly and lay back, smiling at the ceiling. Her arms ached, her legs trembled, and her heart fluttered with something she did not yet want to name.
She closed her eyes and whispered, "Tomorrow, I will be braver. Or at least, better at pretending."
Outside, the city slowly woke, unaware that two unlikely partners had already changed its fate a little in the dark.