"War?" Finn's voice was shrill, "You're actually taking this kingdom to war?" Around them, the royal guards were exchanging nervous glances. Finn's voice echoed down the pristine halls, undoubtedly to the servants and workers around the corner. The King ignored this, turning right into the hallway. Tigris flinched as she noticed the wide eyed stares of their subjects.

"What would you have me do instead?" the king replied curtly, snapping his cape.

Tigris grabbed Finn's shoulder and shoved him back towards Aodh before he could say something that would get him thrown in the dungeons for a week.

"I think what Finn is trying to say is that the ambassador didn't know about this curse either. Perhaps we should tread lightly." she offered. Her father stopped then, wheeling on her with nothing but iciness in his gaze. Tigris held herself perfectly still as he leaned in, his blue eyes frigid.

"When you lead, daughter, you will learn that inkblood cannot be taken lightly." the king hissed venomously, "Inkblood nearly destroyed this kingdom once. It comes for us now. I will not put our citizens at risk."

"Father, you'll be exposing the knights to this curse if we send them to Irulia to fight!" Finn protested vehemently, "Not to mention that Irulia didn't know about the curse! Why can't we convene with their elders-"

"Enough, Finn!" the King roared, and Finn flinched. The King stormed towards him, lifting Finn by the lapels of his shirt. "I have endured all that I can from you. Irulia must-"

"Father," Tigris interjected tightly, her heart lodged in her throat. Finn's hands were at his neck where the king held him above the ground in a white knuckled grip, "We must go somewhere private first to discuss this further."

The king didn't seem to hear her. He pinned Finn with a glare. "You will learn respect. You know nothing of inkblood, or what it is to rule. And I know that you will never know what it's like. With comments like yours, it is a blessing to this kingdom that you are not my heir!"

"Father," Aodh's voice cracked with hurt. Finn's eyes widened with pain. Tigris felt numb. The King clenched his jaw with disgust and released Tigris' youngest brother roughly. She couldn't move to help him, not without defying her father. She watched Finn fall to the ground and release a muted gasp. The king loomed over him, the air suffocating with his fury.

"I cannot afford your disrespect. Not when the kingdom is going to war." the king seethed. Finn stared up at him with those wide green eyes that he shared with Tigris.

And because he was Finn and he was so incredibly stupid, her baby brother whispered, "An unnecessary war." The king's eyes flashed murderously. He lunged again, but Tigris was there, placing a hand on his shoulder to haul him back.

"Father, please. We have war plans to discuss." she said in a bored tone. Behind Finn, Aodh's eyes were as wide as dinner plates. His chest heaved as he stared at their father with a blend of horror and fear. Tigris wished she could wipe the agonized expression off his face.

For a terrifying moment, Tigris thought her father would shake her off and land a blow. Before he could, Verita's voice split the air.

"Sire? I have the documents you requested."

Roche's wide eyes darted across the scene. Her jaw dropped. Tigris felt oily shame welling up along her fear.

The king straightened, shooting Finn a cruel look. He snapped his cape again and stalked off, followed by Verita and a horde of advisors. Around them, servants murmured and whispered, their eyes focused on the fallen prince. Aodh seemed to come out of his stupor.

"Get back to work!" he barked, hand drifting to his sword. Suddenly, the workers were staring at the ground, anywhere but the royal children. Aodh hauled Finn to his feet roughly.

"Are you okay?" Aodh murmured in his throaty growl. Finn nodded, still stunned. Tigris moved behind them, giving them a shove.

"Both of you hold your tongue!" she hissed, "And follow."

They didn't protest.

-------

"Irulia will most likely not be able to stop a curse of this caliber in so few days. They'll need assistance, sire." Verita said cautiously, her eyes studiously directed away from the royal children. Tigris cleared her throat, commanding attention. Finn's spectacle had been blown obsolete by the flurry of planning they'd been doing, and he had been able to blend into the shadows for most of the meeting.

He hadn't said a word so far.

"The knights will already be split amongst the Relinda and Troy garrisons. The remaining must be split among the southern and western cities. We do not have enough knights to spare."

"Nor should we spare them." the king ground out, his hand fisting on the wooden table. His gaze swept the gathered guards, "Irulia must clean up their own mess."

"They came to us for aid, sire." Verita said softly, "They have aligned with your views."

The king shook his head. "That's not the Irulia I know. The Irulians cannot be trusted with inkblood."

Tigris caught Roche's fists clenching at her sides. The girl had made herself as scarce as Finn, only slipping into view to ferry documents to Verita upon request.

"Sire," Verita tried again, but the king shot her a nasty glare.

"That will be all, Verita."

The royal librarian hesitated for a moment as if she wanted to say more, but she obliged with a nod. Finn looked away with disappointment. The king looked up at Tigris.

"The border will need to be closed. We'll only need to fill the Relinda and Troy garrisons. The remaining guards should remain here in the city." he ordered. Tigris' jaw loosened.

"But that would leave the cities in between defenseless!" she exclaimed. The king's eyes narrowed.

"That's a sacrifice we must make. In the last war, we pulled back our forces to the city and allowed the farms to be razed before circling around the army through the Tselts. It worked then, and it could work again." the king explained. Tigris planted her arms on the table.

"That move allowed hundreds of civilians to be killed or have their crops burned. Many families starved that year. We cannot allow them to suffer at the hands of an army!" she argued. The King's eyes flared.

"I'm afraid they must." he replied tightly.

Tigris sank back. This was madness. Her father normally cared about even the outer villages of the Faultless Kingdom. The mention of inkblood had put him on defense.

"Perhaps we can open the lower and upper towns to those who might need to flee." Aodh pointed out quietly, locking eyes with Tigris. The King shook his head.

"The precious resources we have in the city must be used for the knights fighting. Besides, those in the outer villages will surely come in contact with the plague from their interactions with the Irulians. We cannot allow that into the city."

Shock rolled over Aodh's face. Tigris barely managed to school her expression. All those people would be left to die. she thought hazily. Unless they did something.

"My lord," Finn spoke stiffly for the first time in hours, "I've received word that Irulia's elders have heard of your proposition. They have sent a renewed plea for aid with the plague and a reduced quota. They renew the ambassador's allegations that they do not know the origin of the plague."

The king's stare was unyielding. Tigris had no idea how Finn weathered it.

"They broke the agreement." the king said softly, "They allowed inkblood to run free. I will not let it taint this kingdom again."

The plans for war stretched long into the night. The king was unyielding about distribution of food in the city. The lower town would be on rations. The villages would have next to nothing. The king insisted that it was to protect the city from the plague.

The villages had no protection, no food, and little hope.

Every word of agreement out of her mouth felt like a blade stabbed in a citizen's heart.

When they finally left the war room, Tigris was left drained and exhausted. Her hair was stiff on her head, forming a headache at her temples. Before she could cross the threshold, a gloved hand landed on her shoulder.

"Tigris," her father mumbled, "A word?"

Aodh and Finn were a step ahead of her. They bowed to their father. The king nodded to Finn, a small improvement to the coldness he'd shown. Finn's eyes were glassy and hollow as he nodded back, to their father's delight.

Tigris' heart split in two.

"I'll see you later," she told her brothers. They nodded and walked off in different directions, not meeting each other's eyes. Her father gently tugged her back into the war room, closing the door with a thud that rattled her soul.

She gazed at her father across the solid wood table, papers and plans strewn across it. She lowered her gaze to the figurines of knights, stationed at various garrisons. Her eyes stung as she noted the carefully shaded areas of the map.

The land they would undoubtedly lose. The people they were going to sacrifice.

"I'm proud of you." the king announced. His voice was so warm that it was like a slap after the unmoving coldness he'd displayed moments ago. Tigris raised her gaze, stunned.

"My lord?" she asked disbelievingly. The king's face split with a smile. He beamed at Tigris, crossing the space between them. He clapped her shoulder triumphantly.

"Today, you acted like a true leader. You saw reason and heeded my words. You made decisions that better our kingdom. You will grow to be a fine queen one day, Tigris." her father said warmly. His eyes sparkled with pride. Tigris had to force a smile to her face.

She had to say something. She had to make one last attempt to make him see reason.

"I was afraid," she admitted quietly, "I fear for those we will lose in the war. Is it truly necessary?" She was careful to keep her voice soft and fragile, like she was on the verge of indecision instead of defiance. To her relief, her father sighed, leaning against the table.

"Finn's words have touched you." he asked, more of a statement than an answer. Tigris swallowed, leaning her hip against the table.

"Didn't he have a point?" she pointed out quietly, "War is a large declaration. Its impact will be felt by many."

"I know." the king acknowledged, "But you forget this is not my first war. I waged war on inkblood before, daughter. It is a war worth fighting."

"But our people-" Tigris protested. Her father placed his hand on her shoulder, giving her a gentle shake.

"Tigris," his voice was too soft, his eyes too intent, "You have no idea how dangerous inkblood is. Irulia was sympathetic to it before the ban. This curse is the last straw, I will not let it infect our kingdom."

Tigris wanted to scream. She swallowed the sentiment.

"I understand," she lied, "But surely some knights can be spared to the outer villages. They will burn, father."

"I know." his voice sounded pained but firm, "But we cannot risk bringing the plague here."

"They are our people." Tigris murmured. It was becoming an effort to keep her face placid. "They are under our protection!"

"I will not sacrifice the lives of everyone in the kingdom for the lives of a few." her father shouted suddenly. Tigris jumped at the sudden outburst, and her father's eyes softened. He tucked a curl of her hair behind her ear tenderly. His hand tilted her chin up, drawing her gaze up to his.

"Tigris," he whispered, "You have your mother's eyes and heart. She always wanted to save everyone. And it brought me no pleasure then to sacrifice our outer villages, and it brings me no pleasure now. But it must be done."

Tigris remained silent, her breath shuddering as he held her chin there.

"One day," the king said softly, "When you rule, you will do the same. It is then that you will understand."

He waited, watching her face carefully. Distantly, Tigris realised he was looking for her reaction. Looking to see if she would react like Finn.

"I understand." Tigris repeated.

It was the first lie she told her father.

-------

Tigris marched out of the war room. She glanced at the guards flanking her.

"You are dismissed." she instructed them. Their faces flickered with indecision. She'd trained them, they knew her well. But they answered to the king, not her. Today had proven that there was a distinction between the two. Tigris' heart panged.

"But the king-"

"Sir Edrin," Tigris interrupted gently the blonde man, softening her eyes, "Please, I'll be fine. If the king asks, I'll tell him I told you to leave me."

The guards nodded hesitantly. They'd spent enough time with Tigris to know she could hold her own. She waited until the guards had walked off when she started off towards her rooms. She darted into her chambers, grabbing a thick blue cloak. She walked past her grand doors, drawing closer to a dustier, hollower part of the castle. Nobody walked the halls this late, especially not here. It was nearly midnight, Tigris realised. Her stomach growled with hunger, but she ignored it. She walked towards a large set of double doors.

To her surprise, two familiar faces waited.

"What are you two doing here?" Tigris hissed. Aodh had his sword unsheathed and pointed at her in an instant. Tigris deflected it away with her own. "Put that down!" she ordered. Finn pushed himself between them.

"What are you doing here?" he countered accusingly. Tigris rolled her eyes.

"Same reason as you, I suspect." she answered, watching them carefully to gauge their reactions, "To learn about this stupid curse."

Aodh's eyebrows drew together. "But in the war room-"

Tigris shot him an unimpressed look. "Seriously? You both fell for the act? Here I thought that all these books would have made you smart."

"You were pretending to support Father?" Finn asked, twin red spots of fury surfacing on his pale cheeks, "He would have listened if you said something!"

"No he wouldn't!" Tigris snapped. "Have you seen how he's acting? One mention of inkblood and he's ready to topple the kingdom! He's not listening to anyone."

Aodh didn't look convinced. "You don't usually hold your tongue," he pointed out. Tigris fluttered her lashes at him.

"That's what you think." she teased. When they both glared at her, she held up her hands. "I've learned that a wise woman keeps her burning on the inside, unlike you idiots."

"So what does a wise man do?" Finn asked quietly, his eyes rimmed with shadows. Tigris' heart softened in her chest. She could tell he was still reeling from his incident with father. She placed a hand on his shoulder.

"A wise man," she pondered for a moment before flashing him a slightly evil grin, "Never heard of such a thing. You're all fools!"

"Tigris!" Finn cried out as she ruffled his hair endearingly. Aodh sighed at their antics and sheathed his sword.

"Why do you want to learn about the curse?" he asked disapprovingly, "We just need to stop the war."

"And how did you plan on doing that?" Tigris asked, pinning them both in place with a disappointed look. Her brothers shrugged. She rolled her eyes. These idiots.

"Father won't stop his war for anything." she told them, "You know that. The only way to stop this is to remove the one thing he's hellbent on destroying."

"Inkblood." Finn breathed, his eyes lighting up with understanding. Tigris nodded.

"Get rid of the inkblood curse, and he has no more claim to war. I think Irulia is ready to rely on Shulta and Tselts for help with the quota, and based on the reports I got, that should cover it." Tigris explained, lacing her hands behind her back. She glanced between her two brothers. "There will be nothing then that father can claim necessitates a war."

"That's... not a bad idea." Finn agreed slowly.

Aodh snorted. "Yeah, but we only have three days to do it."

"Then we better get started." Tigris countered, shoving him aside. She yanked on the library door's handles. "Why won't it open?"

"The library's closed, Tigris. We'll come back in the morning, we just thought Verita hadn't locked up yet and decided to check." Finn explained patiently. Tigris clenched her jaw. The kingdom was about to go to war and they were worried about closing times?

"We are the heirs to the throne!" she snapped, "The library closes when we- AGH!"

The doors swung open, and Tigris stumbled back a step before she could regain her balance. She had her gun up and pointed at the cloaked figure in front of her before she could stop herself. Aodh had drawn his sword and was pointing it at the figure's neck. The stranger stumbled away from them, raising their hands instinctively. Books crashed to the ground.

"Library's closed!" they yelped. Tigris lowered her gun. That voice was annoyingly familiar.

"Roche?" Finn asked. Roche's tan hands lowered her hood. She gaped at the royals.

"Fi- Prince Finn? Princess?" she gasped. She stepped forward before noticing the sword at her chest again. She raised her hands higher. "What the hell?"

"Aodh! Drop it!" Finn hissed. Aodh only levelled his blade.

"What are you doing at this hour? Sneaking out?" he demanded to know, his voice laced with suspicion. Roche's eyes turned frosty. She sneered at the prince, pointing at the books on the ground.

"Verita needs more books for the king. I'm delivering them. What are you doing here, your highness?" Roche says the title like a mockery. Aodh lowered his blade, his eyes still stormy.

"We wanted to do some reading." he mumbled coldly. Roche laughed harshly.

"Sorry, but the library is closed." she insisted, kicking the doors shut behind her for emphasis. The doors locked with a boom. "Come back in the morning."

"Please?" Finn pleaded, "It's urgent."

Roche stared at them all with no emotion. She pulled up her hood. "You all need to go back to your chambers, please. I'm not getting in trouble with Verita again because of you."

Tigris felt irritation lick up her throat.

"We have important business to attend to." she insisted. Roche laughed in her face.

"So do I. Goodbye." the girl chuckled, grabbing the books off the ground in one smooth motion. Tigris grabbed her shoulder, pinning her in place with a glare.

"Let us in. That's an order." Tigris demanded. Roche blinked at her, unimpressed. Tigris curled her free hand into a fist. The nerve of this girl.

"My orders come from the king. No one is to be let in or out of the library without express permission." Roche replied monotonously. Finn chewed his lip.

"Roche, please." he begged. Roche's eyes flickered towards him and then back to her gown. Tigris noted, with a hint of shame, that it was still torn and only pinned together. The girl hadn't had time to mend her gown before getting yanked into the disastrous meeting.

"Where's Kai?" Roche asked suspiciously. Her gaze fluttered around to the three royal children without their guards. Tigris watched something click in her eyes. "Nuh uh. If you three want to sneak around, that's fine. But I'm not helping."

"We didn't ask for your help." Aodh snapped, "We ordered you to let us in."

"If you don't," Tigris said evenly when Roche opened her mouth to protest, "I'll report your insolence to Verita in the morning."

It was a very low blow, but they didn't have many options. They were on the clock. Roche's eyes guttered. She lowered her gaze and sank into another mocking curtsy.

"Of course, princess." she spat. Her hand drifted into her pocket, grabbing a set of toothed keys. She pressed it into the lock, and the doors were pushed open with vigor. Aodh shoved past Roche, pressing her against the door with his hip.

"A word to anyone about this, and Verita will hear." he hissed. Finn grabbed his arm.

"Stop it!" Finn snapped, "She just helped us in. Thank her!"

"Whatever," Roche muttered, "If you get caught-"

"We'll be sure to implicate you." Tigris replied sweetly. To her infinite amusement, Roche's jaw clenched and she stormed out, locking the doors behind her. Finn sighed in dismay. The library was pitch dark, save for moonlight streaming in through the windows. Aodh had pulled out a dagger, and was using it to reflect the meagre light into a small beam. Tigris cursed. How were they going to see?

"Where's the torches?" Aodh asked. Suddenly, the pot lights snapped on. Tigris whirled around to find Finn standing next to a large switch with his brow raised. He smirked at their baffled expressions.

"Torches?" he repeated incredulously, "In a library full of flammable books?"

Aodh's cheeks reddened. Tigris turned to her book-loving brother. Clearly, he'd spent the most time in the library.

"Where do we find books about this curse?" she demanded. Finn tilted his head.

"This place is huge." he muttered, "I can think of fifty places it could be."

"Really?" Tigris sighed. Why couldn't there be a book called 'Evil Inkblood Curse That Will Send Irulia Into War'? Finn scowled at her.

"It's a library! There's lots of shelves and floors!" he protested, "And remember, books about inkblood are forbidden. There's not much left in here about inkblood."

"Well we need to find what's left." Aodh grumbled, "So tell us the first few locations. We'll meet up here in an hour. If anyone finds us, shut off the lights and we'll reconvene in Tigris' chambers."

"Why mine?"

"Because mine haven't been cleaned and Finn's chairs are all covered in books."

They nodded solemnly and split up. And it was slow. Tigris scoured the first floor of three. There were millions of scrolls, tablets, and books, each with loopy writing that made her head spin. The only thing remotely related to inkblood she could find was a book about the inkblood purge. As fascinating as that was, it had nothing to do with the curse. She grabbed it anyway.

Tigris was nearly through the first hour and about to head back to meet with her brothers when she heard a scratching sound. It was strange, like an animal's claws scraping against stone. Her head whipped up.

"Aodh? Finn?" she hissed, "Is that you?"

The scratching sound intensified. Tigris drew out her dagger, mind racing. Roche had locked the doors to the library, so how had someone gotten in? The scratching was coming from behind one of the walls, behind another standing shelf. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Who's there? Show yourself!" she demanded. The scratching paused for a moment, and Tigris crept closer, muscles coiled. She levelled her dagger and rounded the corner. A figure stood, unimpressed. Roche crossed her arms, glaring at Tigris' dagger.

"I'm starting to think that you royals like pointing your weapons at me." the girl snarked. Tigris rolled her eyes and lowered the blade.

"Well maybe if you didn't skulk around scratching at the walls, we wouldn't have to!" she snapped, her heart still pounding. Roche's brows lifted to her hairline.

"Scratching?" she repeated curiously, "You heard scratching?"

"Yes, you oaf! What were you doing?" Tigris exclaimed. Roche's expression turned thoughtful.

"But I didn't-" she cut herself off, her eyes narrowing at the book tucked under Tigris' arm, "Learning about inkblood, are we?"

The accusation was a serious one. She shoved Roche aside. "I wouldn't expect you to understand."

"Princess," the word was softer this time. More genuine. Tigris turned, and Roche's hands were splayed appeasingly. "I work in this library. I think I can understand books more than anything."

There was something about Roche, something open in her wide hazel eyes that made Tigris open her mouth to explain. Before she could get a word out, footsteps pounded behind the shelves. Roche clicked her tongue with irritation.

"No running in the library!" she shouted at Aodh. He ignored her, turning his gaze to Tigris.

"Come on, we need to see if Finn's found anything."

Roche didn't follow them as they walked towards the entrance where Finn waited. From her youngest brother's crestfallen expression, she knew their luck was running thin.

"This is pointless," Tigris muttered, "We don't know where to find anything in this place."

"I do," Finn grumbled, "And I still can't find anything."

Aodh kicked the ground. "It's hopeless to look here. Everything about inkblood has been burned, we won't find anything about the curse."

"So where can we look?" Tigris mused aloud, "Someone has to know."

"The only people that would know are inkblood wielders." Aodh spat, "We can't go to them. They got us into this mess in the first place."

The shadows shifted and Roche crept out of the shelves. She gazed at the royals with an unreadable expression. Her lips twisted with amusement and disapproval.

"You're looking into the curse?" she asked. The royal children began to spew excuses.

"No we weren't-"

"Yes but-"

"Well, you see-"

"Oh my god," Roche pressed her hands against her ears with an irked expression, "Aren't nobles supposed to be good at lying?"

They stared at her in silence. Tigris' blood crystallized in her veins. This was it. Roche would go to their father and expose their plan.

Roche lowered her hands from her ears, her gaze sweeping across the three of them. Her eyes flickered with indecipherable emotion that made Tigris uncomfortable.

"You're trying to break the curse," Roche murmured, more of a statement than a question. At Tigris' side, Finn's head dipped with acknowledgement. The air was tense. Aodh's hand drifted to his sword.

Suddenly, Roche snorted.

"No way. That's genius!" she exclaimed, "Without a curse-"

"There's no war." Finn confirmed. Aodh smacked the back of his head, and he squawked, "What? She's figured it out."

"So all that talk in the war room," she met Tigris' eyes, "That was fake?"

Tigris nodded hesitantly, not sure why she was confessing. Roche's face split with a grin. "Damn. I knew it!"

"Why are we still here?" Aodh snapped uncomfortably, "There's nothing here."

Roche's mirth fell away. She surveyed Aodh with a quizzical look. "And why do you say that?"

"We combed the library." Aodh argued, brushing hair out of his eyes with an icy look, "There's nothing here."

"Are you sure?" she asked softly, "You've only looked for an hour."

"Anything about inkblood would have been burned." Tigris muttered. Roche's gaze snapped to hers. She nodded slightly.

"Perhaps," the girl mused, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. She glanced at the royals again, "You really want to stop this war, don't you?"

"Of course," Tigris stated. Wasn't it obvious by now? "I'm not leaving the villages to burn over a petty dispute."

"A petty dispute that could be solved with negotiation. And a broken curse." Finn added quietly. Tigris wasn't sure why, but a look passed between him and Roche. Roche blinked, turning away. She bit her lip.

"I've spent days in this library, and I haven't seen every inch." Roche confessed, "And I'm sure even Prince Finn hasn't seen every book. The only person who might know of such a book is Verita."

A silence descended over the group. Verita had been a constant presence in their lives. She'd watched over them when they were younger, when the king was overwhelmed by three children and decided to leave them in the library to play while he attended to his work. Verita was close, but her loyalty was to the crown.

"How could we ask her that? She'd get suspicious." Aodh breathed. Roche's eyes hardened.

"Leave that to me." she promised.

"You?" Aodh asked dubiously, "You're helping?"

Roche met his gaze with those owlish eyes. "Don't pretend that you don't need it, Prince."

A silence descended over them. Tigris wanted to ask her why she'd help three royals who'd done nothing but humiliate her. Roche's lips pursed like she could sense the question. She turned away, tugging her hood over her head.

"Go to bed, my lords and lady." she whispered, "I'll bring the books to you in the morning."

Before any of them could say a word, Roche had vanished among the shelves.

A/N The royal children share one braincell, and Tigris has it 90% of the time.

So, how are you all liking the story so far? Let me know what you think :D