My Eyes

“One of my eyes is light purple, and the other neon orange. My eyes settled two days after I was born. My father, being a citizen of the Middluns, practically tore me from my mother’s arms and brought me to the court of King Randa. He was very patriotic. This is where I was to spend the rest of my life, forever in the king’s service, putting my Grace, whatever it may be, to good use. I wasn’t even named yet, and I would remain unnamed until a year and a half later when my nurse noticed how quiet and thoughtful I was. That is how I got my name, Mara, which means thoughtful. And now to the thing you’ve probably all been waiting for (please excuse the cliché) my Grace. I am a mind reader. If I ask someone a question, not only can I tell if they’re lying, I can read the answer in their mind. I know, I know, pretty cool, right? WRONG! Not only does Randa send me with Lady Katsa to disobedient lords, I, unlike her, have nothing in my power to stop questioning these stupid people who think that we won’t come after them. Lady Katsa has a killing grace, and although she is 19, and I’m just 13, she’s my only friend. This is because everyone thinks I’m going to read their minds, thus keeping a distance from my strange eyes and me.”

            That was my last journal entry before my life changed completely. When I was done writing this, I practiced fighting with Katsa. In the middle of one of the drills, a messenger came in and told us that Randa demanded to see us. Katsa seemed to know what this was about, and I followed under her protective arm to the throne room. I was amazed at what I saw when I walked in. Dozens of archers were sitting in the balconies and maybe hundreds of foot soldiers were crowding the long catwalk that led to the throne. I started to bow respectfully, but Katsa pulled me back up. I flashed a warning look, but she responded with a look that said, “Be calm, I know what I’m doing.”  I trusted Katsa completely, and adopted the same look of defiance that she wore. “Katsa, Mara,” Randa purred, “You have been very naughty! I sent you to get a girl of marrying age, and instead you bring me a bruised and battered lord, and a cut up spy master.” I suddenly understood what this was all about. I had been violently ill with food poisoning, so Katsa, Giddon, and Oll had to go and punish a lord without me. Obviously, Katsa had taken pity on this lord, and spared him. I stared at Katsa, and realized she had a mischievous grin on her face. She hadn’t hurt our companions after all! That was when Katsa spoke up, “I believe you have two choices. One is you let Mara and I go, and we leave your court forever. Two is that you tell your soldiers to attack, and we kill all of them, and leave your court forever. I can see that many of them are Graced, and it would be such a pity to kill them. Don’t you agree?” Randa had grown a shade paler with each word she spoke, and he could barely squeak out, “Go.”