I Refuse to be a Named Character

Part 3

Graham didn't seem angry at the warning. If anything, he seemed... amused. "Noted." He caught the Tarif as I tossed it to him, and studied it closely. "Well there we go... task two done!"

As he spoke, I noticed one of the young women behind him, a quiet girl named Arrisa, pull a blade from under her cloak. Her face was expressionless as she moved towards the prince, her hand rising to strike.

"Watch out!" I picked up a rock from the side of the ring and threw it, hitting the attacker on the shoulder. Quickly getting over their shock, the rest of the group piled on the struggling, screaming woman.

"Arrisa?" Graham stared down at her, a look of mild disappointment on his face. "You're a traitor?"

The woman stared up at Graham, spitting in disgust instead of replying.

Chloe and I exchanged concerned glances. There hadn't been any traitors in Graham's group in the book! As I studied the woman closer, struggling to think through the convoluted plot of Deadly Crown, I came to a realization. I walked closer to Chloe, whispering. "Didn't Arrisa die in the initial battle at the bridge in the story?"

Chloe nodded slowly, her face pale. "Yes."

In the story, Luke had never helped Graham's group. Also I had taken out a good number of our attackers with my bow as well. Without us, Graham had lost three companions instead of one, and Arrisa has been one of them.

She had always been a traitor; she had just never gotten the chance in the story.

"Who do you work for?" Chloe asked, obviously trying to make her voice stern.

The woman laughed. "You're the psychic, you figure it out!"

I thought it over, and finally spoke up. "Fetter."

The youngest of the princes, who had gained a Tarif already through underhanded deals. He was the second biggest villain in Deadly Crown after Lucien. But where Lucien dealt in violence and death, straightforwardly charging towards his goal no matter the obstruction... Fetter was different. He moved in the shadows, through intrigue and negotiations. Whoever he couldn't buy he blackmailed, and whoever was too good to be blackmailed had their family kidnapped and tortured until they agreed. He was a malevolent spider, sitting on a network of spies and traitors.

When I had read the books, he was the only character I had actively wished could be killed off. But even until the fourth volume he was still alive and plotting.

Fetter would be the one to plant traitors in his brothers parties.

"..." Arrisa stared at me, slightly panicked, and I smiled as I realized my guess was correct.

Graham drew his sword, pointing it at her throat. "Tell us everything you know."

She spat at him again. "I'll die first."

"Very well." His eyes were cold as he swung his sword down, cutting off her head with a single stroke.

I looked away at the last moment. I could understand his thinking. She was a traitor, one he didn't have time to question. She would not only be a burden to take along, but a threat...

But watching him so easily kill one of his companions was chilling.

This terrible plot. I was right to try to stay out of it. But even as I thought that, a nagging thought in the back of my mind wouldn't go away.

Traitors from Fetter... why did it sound so familiar? Graham's group hadn't had a traitor in the book, she had died too early... so who...?

"Eric." I said the name out loud like a curse. The armored servant at Luke's side. His name had been familiar, and now I knew why.