The Mistborn and the Masked Brigade

[Mistbornwithakitty]

This is the synopsis.....I'll hopefully have Part 1 ready soon.   

 

  It's been twenty years since the Ascension and Vin's final battle.  The world of mistborn and skaa have moved on.  Society has chosen a king to lead them, Spook, or the Lord Mistborn as they are now calling him.  The remaining people of Scadrial have gathered in the most abundant part of there new world, The Basin.  Over the years they have built up a city, they called it Elendel.  But lately, tensions have been rising, not everything is the paradise it seems to be. 

 

Apondrea is the daughter of the Lord Mistborn, spoiled lady by day and brash mistborn vigilante  at night; she seeks to bring the justice her father never gives.  When her double life leads to trouble, will she break or rise to the challenge?

 

This story will also be on my Wattpad with my other works (emmavale16), check it out if you have the time!   
 

Sound interesting?  Comments?  Questions?  Suggestions?  --MWAK <3

 

Edited September 2, 2016 by Mistbornwithakitty

[Doc12]

Well,  looks like it's going to be a fun ride! Interesting premise, to be sure.  I'm inclined to agree Spook isn't much of an enforcer.

However,  have you read Mistborn: Secret History yet? How cosmere aware are you? (ie:having read the other Sanderson books)

 I ask this because there's a significant character in secret history that will very much influence Spook and his way of ruling. Won't spoil anymore until you read it! 

[Mistbornwithakitty]

Thanks Doctor12!  No, I haven't, but I was wondering if I should.  XD  I've read (and re-read) pretty much every other cosmere book out there.  Secret History (mostly because it's digital) and some of the other novellas, are the only ones that has escaped me.  I'll be sure to read it post haste!     --MWAK <3  

[Shadeshadow227]

Hmm...seems interesting. I can't wait to read it.

[Mistbornwithakitty]

Thanks Shadeshadow227!    Glad you like it!  --MWAK <3

Edited August 7, 2016 by Mistbornwithakitty

[Kingsdaughter613]

I agree with the above poster. This is a very interesting premise but events in the epilogue of Secret History indicate someone is influencing Spook. If you read every other Cosmere book then you should really read SH as it is the most Cosmere aware tale we have yet. It's also a LOT of fun. If you'll only get one Brandon ebook then get that one.

Spoiler

If you read BoM you already know that someone is surviving when he shouldn't be, so you already know to account for his presence.

 

[Mistbornwithakitty]

Ack sorry!!  I'm backkkkkkkk (and now will never leave again mwahahahaha)!!!  Sorry this took forever, but long story short, I waited forever to get a library copy of MSH and it didn't work out (aka was a totally waste of time).  Anyway, I finally bought it and read it within 24 hours.  I'm drowning in emotions, thankfully I wrote this chapter ahead of time.  It's pretty spot on, only had to change a few things.    So yay.  I hope you enjoy, and comments, opinions, and feedback are always welcome! 

 

When the sky is thick with mist, you know something in the Basin is changing.  The mist is a reaction to great events in our world.  It's calling card, you could say.  --A skaa storyteller     

 

Apondrea wasn't scared of heights.  As she soared over the rooftops of Elendel, she fought the urge to scream with laughter.  She'd done that once, not only had it woken up the townspeople, it'd had almost started a riot.  

Luckily, nobody had ever figured out where the shouts had come from.  Apondrea had been able to sneak back into bed and gasp with surprise when she heard it from the servants the following morning. 

The night was clear as she deposited another coin toward the ground.   She watched it fall, spiraling down with it until the last second.  Apondrea then reached into her metal reserves and pushed.  Up she sprang again, feeling night's mist tickling her cheeks.  This was her favorite part of her weekly nocturnal excursions.  The feeling of complete and utter freedom. 

As a princess of Elendel, she didn't get that much.

Apondrea jumped around until she startled a scrounging cat.  It yowled, causing the cloaked girl to curse. With sigh, she supposed she better get to work.  The longer she was out, the more of a chance there was to being discovered.  If her father knew what she did with her powers.....he'd probably put her on a twenty-four hour watch.  He'd hardly approve of his mistborn for a daughter handing out justice how she saw fit.  He thought everything should be solved in a martial court with a jury and proper judges.  The fair way.

His daughter respectively disagreed.

Sometimes cases were rigged or the jury bought off, especially when it came to the rich.  Her father tried to fix things on his own, but as the Peoples Elected Monarch...he honestly couldn't do much about it on his own.  He bound his own hands in many areas of his rule.

"For everyone's sake." he would often tell her.

Which was why every couple of nights Apondrea disobeyed every rule her father and mother tried to impressed upon her. 

Tonight's business was simple.  The princess had to plan a jailbreak.

Something she had never done before. 

The courts had falsely accused a man of stealing from the palace treasury.  Apondrea had sat in on the very case.  Something hadn't seemed right, so she'd simply investigated.  Sure enough, an hour of ease-dropping and snooping had proved the man innocent.  The true culprit was a "Rixby Maxalin", an assistant accountant of her father's.  He'd skipped town a week before the theft was discovered, leaving his fellow assistant to take the fall. 

It was so obvious, there was no way this poor man deserved to spend the next five years in prison.  So she was going to break him out. 

The princess headed to the east side of Elendel, where the prison was located.  The city glowed softly from the oil lamplights and late night taverns.  It was a scraggly city, branching out into eight sections and coming together in the middle.  Nobody had really planned it that way, things just....grew around the Basin.  Crops sprouted without needing to be tended, trees grew almost twice as fast, and population had swelled in recent years. 

Things were better than ever before.  Which was why it made no sense that crime was rising.  Over the last year, there had been a significant increase in theft, muggings, and unrest.  It made The Lord Mistborn pace his study late into the night, sometimes muttering things to himself.  Her father had always been a mumbler, but always when he thought nobody else was watching.  He'd been caught whispering to himself in a meeting just the other day, the advisors and house leaders were abuzz about it. The incident had worried Apondrea so much, that she'd decided to take things apon herself.  She was a Mistborn, was she not?  What was the use off all this power if she couldn't use it to help her city? 

Finally arriving at her destination, the princess quietly let herself down on a rooftop across form the jail.  This wasn't a high security prison meant to hold Allomancers (with Hazekillers everywhere, plus bars and locks made of aluminum; it would've been nigh impossible to break into), this building was just made to house common criminals.  Nothing special and incredibly easy for a Mistborn to raid. 

Tonight was just scouting, to make sure she didn't come across any surprises next week.  Apondrea had never actually visited the prison she was preparing to break into.  Her father was all for his sons knowing the ins and outs of being a leader.  But when it came to his daughters....he could be a bit protective.  No way would the Lord Mistborn ever take one of his lovely girl's to a grimy prison where they....

Apondrea's thoughts drew to a sudden halt.  She was being followed. 

Again.

A few houses down, standing in the shadows of a office building was a man.  He was staring straight up at her.  Even from this distance she could tell.

She flared her tin to get a better look at her follower.  Cocky smirk, barefoot, and crossed arms, there was no mistaking him.  The princess fingered the golden mask fondly, slipped a coin into her cheek (for safety), and lowered herself to the ground.  She stormed toward her stalker, murder on her face. 

"How many times do I have to tell you not to follow me?!" She whispered in a harsh voice. 

"It doesn't matter how many times you tell me, masked girl." The boy said.  "If you don't want me following you, you better stop visiting my bar."  

Apondrea gave a grunt of disapproval.  She really did have to stop frequenting the Blue Boned Kandra so often.  She was beginning to be recognized, but the princess in her couldn't resist the relatively clean tables, non-stinking patrons, not to mention the delicious food.  

"One, it's not your bar.  Two, go home and don't follow me again.  I have actual work to do."

The man must have been in his late teens or early twenties.  He had a cats grace if he'd been able to keep up with her and not be seen.  "I would if I could.  You see, my curiosity always gets the better of me.  I'm afraid your stuck with me."  He gave her a lazy grin.

"I could just stab you and move on."

He gave a quiet chuckle. "I doubt you could." 

She mentally sighed, was it that obvious?  She could commit a bunch of so called "crimes", but murder wasn't one of them.  It was too.....permanent. 

"I could try."  She attempted to squeeze some bravado into her voice.  

"Or you could tell me what your doing," The man shrugged.  "maybe I'd be of use."

She laughed.  "No way."  

"I think you'll come around to my way of thinking."  The boy turned around, as if to go. He then shot up into the air with a "whoosh".   

"I'll be watching." He whispered.  Only her tin enhanced ears could pick up the sound. 

Great.  A coinshot was stalking her, just what she needed.  She cursed, the prison guards were calling out to each other.  They'd probably noticed her follower flying away and were now on high alert.  No way was she getting in any scouting done tonight.

That meant a man would be wrongfully imprisoned for a couple more days.  All thanks to a nameless stranger.  

The princess gave up and headed home to bed.     

Such was the beginning of the Mistborn and her Masked Brigade. 

 

Hope you enjoyed it!  Btw, I have a Wattpad account and I post this story on there too, I also include a bit of extra stuff.    Check it out if you like!  Thanks for reading!!

[Mistbornwithakitty]

                                                                                       Chapter 2: Where The Heart Lies

                    A mother is a multi-tasker, the law enforcement, and the finest caretaker.  A queen is the previous qualities times ten.

                                                                                                         --Queen Beldre   

Apondrea's eyes were heavy from sleep the next morning.  A servant had come to wake her an hour after she'd finally made it to bed.  She cursed her bad luck, she'd thought she'd be given more time to sleep ever since she'd suggested the princess hadn't been feeling well the previous evening.  Apparently nobody cared if the beautiful, delicate, princess was unwell.   She was the third of thirteen after all.  If she suddenly fainted, another one would take her place.  The people wouldn't know the difference. 

"Good morning princess!" exclaimed a chipper maid. 

The princess in question muttered something incoherent that could have been a string of unladylike expletives or just sleep ridden murmuring.  The maid decided to take it as the latter, of course. 

The maid, who's name Apondrea couldn't recall, opened the curtains to a pinkish-gray sky.  "Sorry to wake you so early princess, but your mother wants to make sure your ready for your big day."

Her big day?  What could this maid possibly-

Apondrea practically jumped out of bed.  How could she have forgotten?!  Today was....today was.....

A day she'd been dreading her entire lifetime. 

She'd been trying to forget it was coming.  Desperately praying to Harmony that some sort of conundrum or unexpected disaster would come upon them all but no.   

It was here anyway.

Her Coming of Age Ceremony.

It was a tradition that had suddenly popped out of the post-Ascension culture.  The old nobles of Luthadel had practiced something like it in the old days.  The only thing that had changed was that now everyone, poor and rich alike celebrated a child's Coming of Age.  The heads of the houses were just more.....extravagant about it.

Her father had tried to discourage this behavior, the nobles under the Lord Ruler had wasted so much gold on parties and scandals that none went to the common populace.  But during the construction of Elendel, there had been an outcry for some sence of normalcy amongst the leaders.  So the Lord Mistborn had been coerced to allow the nobility some leeway.  Balls or parties could be held once a week by one house in a rotating order, a certain amount of money had to be set aside for the improvement of the common populace, and in times of war or great struggle the balls and parties would come to a halt.  All the former nobles that had survived the Ascension hastily agreed, the others reluctantly. 

But Apondrea was grateful for the weekly parties.  They were great times to snoop and hear interesting gossip that could be useful.  She didn't go every week of course, her father didn't regularly take any of them till their Coming of Age Ceremony had passed.  The princess thought it was because he didn't want to have to keep track of all thirteen of them at once while still playing politics.  Apondrea had been to a few parties, but not nearly as many as she'd liked.

But she'd been dreading her Ceremony, not because of the freedom it gave her as a full adult (definetly not because of that), but because today was all about her.  Every eye was going to be on Princess Apondrea, third child of the Lord Mistborn.  There would be no hiding among the plethora of siblings, no sneaking around, and definitely no retiring early for some unladylike carousing.  No there would be guests to host, dances to dance, and suitors to be declined. 

Apondrea definitely didn't like the sound of that last one.   She had one older brother and five younger ones, but that didn't mean she was comfortable with other boys.....attentions.   If you could call them that.  Boys her age were so uncivilized!  

There was a burst and a bang.  "Apondrea!  I swear if your not out of bed by now, I'll get a battalion of manor guards and drag you out!" 

The princess rolled her eyes and turned to face her once soft spoken mother.  She emphatically gestured to her feet on the cold floor.  Her mother's green eyes sparked with surprise.

"You're actually out of bed?" Queen Beldre acted shocked.  "I was sure I'd have to pry you out of bed today; lead you down the hall kicking and howling."

Her daughter sniffed, pretending to be offended. "It is my Coming of Age day mother.  I'm an adult now."

Beldre scoffed. "That'll be the day, darling."

The queen then proceeded to help the maid pick out an outfit for Apondrea.  Her mother wasn't a bossy person for a queen, but having thirteen children and a constantly preoccupied husband taught her to take charge of situations in her own way.  She was the best sort of leader, one who got things done, while giving everyone else the credit.

"That's perfect Kay." Her mother said.  "Thank you for you're valuable input, I'll take it from here."

The maid left with a pleased flush to her face.  Her mother always knew what to say to compliment someone.  Apondrea wished she had such ease with words.  Grace, pose, and manners were second nature to her, but words were not.  Apondrea just tried not to offend to many people in one night.

"Now child," Her mother's voice snapped her back to the present.  "What are we going to do with you?"  

A lot apparently.  Within the next hour Apondrea's hair was washed, brushed and styled.  Powder was dabbed on her face and her lips were outlined with a red cream.   The oddest part about it was, her mother did it all.  She'd never readied Apondrea, not since she was a child.  Now here was her regal mother, fussing over her like a hen with her chick.  Had her mother done this to her other siblings on their Coming of Age day?  She decided not to ask.  It would ruin the magic of the moment.

  After that was finished, she turned to see a beautiful evergreen dress was now draped across her bed, it was truly breathtaking.  She'd never seen it before today.

"Am I wearing that?" She whispered.

"Yes darling,"  Her mother suddenly seemed a bit sentimental.  "You are."

Her mother helped her put the dress on.  It had clearly been made for her, it fit her like nothing else in her closet did.  

The gown had a heart shaped neckline and spiraled down over her toes and to the floor.  But the sleeves....the sleeves were the best part.  It was a silky white fabric with embroidered vines and flowers down the arms. 

"It matches your eyes."  Her mother's voice was thick.  Was the queen of the Basin....crying?  If she was, Beldre whipped the evidence away before her daughter could see.

She gazed at herself in the mirror.  Well, at least she wouldn't have to worry about looking like a child.  

"You look like a woman now," her mother said. "let's see if we can get you to act like one."

Her mother her ushered her out the door.  After a few corridors she realized where they were going and her face turned white.  They were going to the atrium to stand in front of the council of Elendel. 

To stand in front of her father.

 

Hope you're enjoying it!  Comments welcome and thanks a million for reading! 

Edited September 6, 2016 by Mistbornwithakitty

[Mistbornwithakitty]

                                                                                                              Chapter 3: The Ceremony

                                                                                    “You can't just avoid the game by saying you don't want to play.”
                                                                                                  ― Brandon Sanderson, The Final Empire   

 

The Atrium was where the noble houses of Elendel gathered for meetings and hearings.  It wasn't as grand it sounded.   The Atrium was really just a room with official looking pews, a stage adorned with a podium. There were no grand comforts for the leaders of the new world, her father saw power as a burden to be treated with respect, not as an excuse for luxury.

Not many had been happy with the idea at first, but they came around.  The Lord Mistborn had a way of speaking that brought people around to his point of view.

The hall was filled today, like a full court in session.  Her twelve siblings were lined up in the spectators balcony above the podium.  All dressed in their best; even little Dann, sucking his thumb in Mariline's arms.      

"Come now." Her mother said, pressing Apondrea forward a bit. 

That's when the princess noticed all the faces, the mumbles, the attention.  Everyone was focused on her.  The third child of the Lord Mistborn. 

She could feel her back stiffen.  A pressure settled between her shoulder blades.  The princess struggled to keep her train of thought.

"Come on Apondrea, you can do it.  You've seen other nobles go through this a thousand times, it's incredibly simple.  You don't even have to say anything.  Relax."    

The princess reached the center of the room and curtsied to her father who stood at the podium.  Her mother stood straight and proud behind her.

"I am here to ask the blessing of this congregation," Her mother said. "Lord Mistborn, and Harmony himself.  To ask to let this child be called a woman, to be recognized in this court, and to leave this room an equal."

The congregation roared their approval.  Apondrea's cheeks flushed, the noise was quite overwhelming.  

The Lord Mistborn stood. "I agree with the many, this child shall be recognized in the court." She searched her father's stern face, he broke his continence only for a covert wink.  The princess gave a weak smile. 

A missionary of Harmony blessed her and then the ceremony was finished with her father stepping down from the podium and kissing her hand.  All the attention was enough to make the girl's knees weak.  She then curtsied to the crowd and the Lord Mistborn once more, and was marched to the ballroom so the festivities could begin. 

The ballroom wasn't as grand as some, just like the rest of the royal manor, but it was large enough to host the some 500 guests that were coming tonight.  Apondrea was on close terms with about four of them. 

Apondrea fingered her silk dress as the guests began to arrive.  She had to be perfect tonight.  The model princess.  No sneaking, no spying, just eating and no pilot conversation.  She would just have to bare the wondering eyes tonight. 

An hour later, the ballroom was packed and the dinner served.  Apondrea sat at the left hand of her father the entire night, her mother being on his right.  The Lord Mistborn was mostly occupied by discussing trade with Hammond's son, Gaven.  Eventually the dancing began. 

Apondrea gave a low groan, she was a horrid dancer.  Everyone who'd attempted to teach her had given up in either disgust or laughter.  But tonight she would be the main spectacle.  The Basin would be judging her competence as a princess by her ballroom skills.  Unless they were counting intrigue, they were to be sorely disappointed. 

"May I be excused father?" Apondrea whispered. "I'm not feeling too well." 

The Lord Mistborn's brow wrinkled.  "Are you ill?"

"I don't think so."

"Then be back soon, daughter.  You need to dance with some of these young men before bed."

She nodded and made a break for an unoccupied room.  She found that the parlor down the hall from the ballroom empty.  She gave a relieved sigh, locked the door behind her, and plopped into a cushioned chair.  The princess closed her eyes.

"I'll rest and gather my nerves for a minute.  Then return to the ballroom.  Five minutes, that's all I need."       

Turned out she needed more than five minutes, for when she woke up several hours later the sky was dark.  The ballroom was still alive with voices, but the hourglass in the corner told her it was well past midnight. 

Her father was going to be furious with her.  Not to mention her mother.

Apondrea couldn't face them both now, she was still sleepy.  So she did the only thing she could think of.....

The princess climbed out the balcony and shot into the night.

[Mistbornwithakitty]

                                                                                              Chapter 4: Dresses and Daggers

                                   "I can't decide if you're a fool, or if you simply exist in a way that makes you incapable of considering some things." 

                                                                                                   --Vin from the Hero of Ages

 

As it turns out, there are reasons one doesn't steelpush in a dress. 

1. It flaps in the wind, making a bunch of noise.

2. It's likely wrap around your legs in the most difficult ways and trip you upon landing.

3. You have to pray people don't look upwards. 

Only because of Apondrea's extensive knowledge of the guard's rotations and the distraction of the dying party, did she escape the grounds without being spotted.  She headed toward the Survivalist Church a few blocks down from the manor. 

The night was clear and mist free, which disappointed the princess.  It wasn't as fun, being outside on a clear night.  It also made her paranoid, for the shadows were her only protection against wandering eyes. 

"I'm not going to be out for long." She thought.  "Just need some time to clear my head before that monstrous scolding I'm sure to get tomorrow morning." 

She thudded on the dome of the church, the princess was always astonished at the grandeur of the place.  She wasn't a Survivalist herself, but she could admire the dedication with which they built their churches.  Even if Apondrea didn't understand the point, why should you have to be in a certain building to worship?  Wasn't that rather inconvenient? 

She set down by an abandoned dwelling off to the side of the church.  It used to be a place where the church's priest would live, but they'd since built a larger complex.  The princess had discovered it on a tour given for the royal family. 

It was now where Apondrea kept all her night gear.  Her weapons, her trousers, and most importantly....her mistcloak.  All of it was under an old wooden bed, the only furniture in the deserted place.

Once changed into gray pants, a black tunic, and her silver mask to protect her identity; she reached under the bed for the final piece of her outfit.

Her mistcloak was made out of a soft, almost see-through fabric.  It draped around her shoulders, giving her warmth and protection.  She'd found it draped in her closet one morning.  No clue where it'd come from or why it fit so perfectly.   

A dagger pinched the skin of the princess's neck.  A hand gripped her shoulder with a terrifying strength.

Apondrea stifled a scream.  How had she not heard the stranger come into the room? 

In her carelessness, she hadn't been burning tin. 

A mistake that was about to cost her life. 

"So this is where you come from."  A cocky voice whispered in her ear.  She recognized it.

It was that young man who'd followed her last night. 

"What do you want?" She hissed.  She attempted to reach for her weapons, they were just a few feet away from her left hand.

The dagger pressed harder into her skin.  "Now my lady, this is no call for violence.  Can I have your word you'll not attack me if I let you go?"

She gulped.  He'd called her "my lady"....how much had he seen?  Did he know who she was?

"Oh Harmony, I'm in the Pits."

  What choice did she really have?  "Fine.  I won't harm you......tonight."

A soft chuckle came from her ambusher.  He carefully withdrew the blade from her throat and helped the princess to her feet.  She kept him in her line of sight, all the while straightening her clothing and attaching her weapons.  The miscreant tousled his ink colored hair, his gaze never swaying from her cloaked figure.  She'd come to hate the smug smirk that so often graced his features.

He'd started stalking Apondrea the last couple of visits out of the castle.  On moment she was on her own, and the next she had the barefooted scoundrel on her tail.  She'd not paid him any mind till last night, when he'd almost ruined her plans.  He obviously wanted something, the princess just hoped it was something other than her purse or life.    

"May I ask you a question lady?"  The scoundrel's voice was smooth as cream.

"As long as it's not indecent, fine."

"Why do you always have that insufferable mask on?  I bet it hides your finer features."

Apondrea froze in setting a dagger up her sleeve.  "Can I ask you a question, theif?"

"Takes one to know one, but sure."

She strode up to the brazen man before her, standing toe to toe with him.  Never breaking his cool gaze with her defiant one. "Why did you address me as 'my lady'?"

He crossed his arms. "Your worried I know your identity?"

She didn't say a word, just waited for an answer.

"I don't," he said. "But I guessed you were some sort of noble based on your choice in taverns.  You're too picky.  The mask also gives you away.  You don't want your face known for a reason." 

Apondrea searched his face, she decided she'd believe him....for now. 

He wasn't done though.  "You didn't answer my question."

 "No, I think you answered it." She said.  "Now if you'll leave me be, I have things to attend to."  Such as escaping the guilt of disappointing her family.

"You know I'm going to follow you, right?" 

She turned back to him.  "Just stay out of my way and don't threaten me with anymore daggers."

"And if I do?"

Apondrea gave him a truly wicked smile.  "You can wound someone without killing them, can't you?"

The princess leapt into the sky; this time with a shadow following close behind. 

 

*Thank you for keeping up with this story so long.  ;)  I promise, I do have a plot!  It's just a bit slow to start.  Again, thanks for sticking with me and my slow updates. XD

[Mistbornwithakitty]

*I've written a few more chapters of this story but forgot to post them. Whoops.*

                                                                                      Chapter 5: Thugs and Shocks

For the next few nights the princess left the castle.  She wanted space, a bit of time to think, to regain her sanity.  To plan and plot this jailbreak.  Timing was of the essence, who knew if they would move the innocent man to another prison now that he'd been sentenced?     

But no, that rock-headed boy had to keep following her. 

Not that she could hear him.

Or see him for that matter.

She knew he was there though.  Her copper told her as much.

And she couldn't be staking out a prison with a person on her tail.  Who knew what he'd do with that information?  Spread it around town?  Tell the authorities? 

She doubted the last one, but this stalker could do some major damage.

So she'd just been leaping around Elendel, trying to seem boring.  Maybe if Apondrea convinced him she was just out for a leap every couple nights, he'd go away.  He was apparently as good as running his mouth as he was a Coinshot.  Apondrea had to respect that. He was almost as stubborn as her

There was one detail she couldn't figure out though.  His ability to find her.  He was never there when she left the mansion, but without fail he'd find her in the first fifteen minutes.  It unnerved her more than anything else.

It nagged her.  Almost as much as her parents. 

Why did her parents insist she be as perfect as her three elder siblings?  They didn't slouch, they didn't make a fool of themselves in front of the other nobles.  They just cared about what sort of holding their father would give and what sort of power they could scrounge for themselves.  The important things, she supposed.  But not Apondrea, power wasn't her area.  People depending solely on you for their every need?  That scared her.  

The princess stopped to catch her breath on a nearby rooftop.  Her breath clouded in puffs, the nights were getting colder.  Soon it would be winter.  Thankfully, the seasons were mild in the Basin, but the nights would still grow nippier than Apondrea would like.

A scream cut through the darkness. 

It was coming from the street below. 

Apondrea flared her tin, trying to detect any nearby movement.  Was their a patrol nearby?  Help?  A single soul besides herself?

Besides a cat on a barrel farther down the alley, no.  And the princess very much doubted the cat was going to anything besides wash it's paw and look on skeptically.  Apondrea cracked her knuckles; a gesture she'd learned from a brawler in the shadier parts of town. 

She burned pewter and leapt down onto the street.  

A young woman was being accosted by a haggard looking man.   

"Please sir, I have nothing of interest to you."  She was glancing frantically down at the sharp piece of metal poised at her throat.   

"You make another sound wench, and you're gutted." The attacker said.

With tin, Apondrea could see the woman gulp.  The stray hairs that were escaping from her head scarf.  The very freckles that splashed across her crooked nose.  It was exhilarating and terrifying all at once.  When to strike was the question....she fingered a coin in her hand. 

"Now," The man said. "You're gonna give me that key or you're never gonna see another dawn.  You got that?"

The woman whimpered, but said nothing.  The shank began to draw blood from her neck. 

Apondrea decided it was time to step in.

"Stop this madness." She said.  She made sure that coin hovered above her hand.     

The attacker glanced at her, saw the coin, the mask, and the mistcloak.

A savage grin lit his lips.

"What do we have here?" He cooed. 

"Turn around and leave this woman alone," She said. "And we can pretend I never saw you."

The attacker shoved the young woman onto the cobblestone street.  "Not gonna happen."

"I thought not." She mumbled.  Apondrea leapt into the air and landed squarely on the mugger's shoulders, knocking him flat on his back.  She slipped a dagger from her sleeve and pressed it the man's throat. 

"Want to consider my offer now?"  She spat.

Instead of fear, she saw glee. 

His muscled bulged. 

She heard a crack as he slapped her hand away from his throat.  He threw her off the next second.  She rolled limply on the ground, desperately trying to gather her senses. 

"Naïve idiot."  The man crowed. "I'll have to kill you now."

Apondrea stumbled to her feet, attempting to shake the dizziness off of her.  She charged him again, swinging her fist back--

A clang sounded from the rooftop behind her.  The assailant looked toward what had made the sound. 

And received a coin between the eyes.

He crumpled down onto the pavement.  Lifeless. 

Apondrea whirled around to see who had killed the man.  Perched on the rooftop, his hand stretched out.....

Was her stalker. 

His mahogany hair blew in the wind as he leapt down from his spot.  He had a catlike grace that even the Ascendant Warrior would envy. 

Apondrea glanced from the dead man to the young one before her. 

"Well," He said. "Aren't you going to thank me?"  His cocky grin set her off.

"You killed him!" She shouted.

"Isn't that what you were trying to do?"

"NO!!"

"That's the only way your going to put down a Thug.  What did you think you were going to do?  Knock him out?"

Apondrea opened and shut her mouth.  It been what she'd been thinking actually.  It worked with regular people, why not Mistings? 

"Bu-but you still killed him."  She stuttered.

He placed a hand on his hip. "Don't act like you haven't done it, Lady Lilly.  Anyone who hopes to do anything in this city has done things they're not proud of.  But that man needed to die, unless you'd rather have an innocent woman dead.  Or worse, yourself."

The princess's head was spinning.  What had he gotten her into?  If word got out that the princess had been a partner in murder.....oh Harmony. 

Oh Harmony. 

"We have to hide the body." She muttered.  "Someone will find him otherwise."

"No, we don't." He took her hand and dragged her away from the dead man.  "Someone will find him and cart him away.  Nobody is going to care about scum like him."

Somehow,  Apondrea found that unbelievably sad.  But she didn't fight her stalker as he lead her down the ally.  Once they reached the end, she found that they were near a main street.   

"Take that mask off, Lady Lilly."  He said.  

"No."

"Geez, is that your favorite word tonight?  Then pull up your hood."

She did so, and he lead her out on the busy street.  It was bustling even at this time at night.  Her stalker led her to a nearby tavern and dropped a few coins to a man by the door.  They were led into a small secluded room with a table and two chairs.  There was also a crackling fire, a bottle of wine on the mantel, and a fuzzy throw rug.

"Sit." He said.  "Don't worry, I'm leaving soon."

The princess sat on the nearest chair.  Her surroundings helped her regain her focus.  "What did you call me back there? Lady Lilly?"

He eyed her. "Yes."

"Why?"

"Because your delicate.  Like a flower."

Warmth spread through her features.  "I am NOT delicate!"

He shrugged.  "Suit yourself.  You can call me Tyrin."

"Is that your real name?"

"Of course not."

"Then I'm calling you Neo." She said, crossing her arms.

"Fine." He said.  "Call me whatever you want.  Lady Lilly is still better."

Before she could reply, he'd left the room.  Leaving her alone in a strange tavern with only a bottle of wine to keep her company.  No explanation either. 

Were her nights ever going to go to plan? 

             

Edited June 4, 2017 by Mistbornwithakitty

[Mistbornwithakitty]

                                                                                 Chapter 6: Two Mistborn Walk Into A Shed

 

"There has to be a balance, Vin.  Somehow, we'll find it. The balance between whom we wish to be and whom we need to be." --Elend, Hero of Ages

 

"Darling, are you alright?"

Apondrea flicked a potato piece across her plate.  She hadn't heard her mother's worried question.  She had been too lost in thought, contemplating the events of the previous night down to the finest detail.  A man had been killed last night.  On her watch no less.  Sure, he'd been an awful man, but did any crime deserve death? 

"Apondrea."

And that vagabond from last night!  The princess stabbed her cutlet of ham with her fork.  Who was he really?  Did he know her identity?  He knew of her royal status, he'd hinted as much, but how much did that lengthy scamp know?  How she would throttle him if--

"Princess Apondrea of Harmony's Basin!" 

The princess looked up from her plate to see every head staring in her general direction. 

Oh my.

"Darling, is everything alright?" Her mother's face was crinkled with worry. 

Apondrea straitened her dress. "Of course, mother." Could they see the bags under her eyes?  Was her exhaustion that visible? 

"Well then, sit up straight and stop playing with your food.  You're a lady now."

"Yes mother.  I'm sorry."

"Go easy on the girl, Beldre." All gazes turned to the Lord Mistborn as he spoke. "She's had a trying few days.  Getting used to the responsibilities of the court isn't easy is it?"

Apondrea shook her head, attempting to ignore all her siblings jealous stares.  Their father tried his best, but there was no way he could dole his attention out equally to his thirteen children.  It didn't help that Apondrea did get more attention than the most of them, being the only proper mistborn of the bunch.  

"I'm fine father," she said. "I'm just a bit worn out, that's all."

"Too worn out to practice with your old man?"

Normally Apondrea would leap at the chance to learn from the Lord Mistborn himself, yet today she was tired from her adventure the night before.  She simply wished to relax this evening.  Also, her father was quite far from stupid, he'd notice her lag in reflexes if they trained.

Yet she was reluctant to decline, opportunities to learn from the most expierenced mistborn in existence didn't come often.

Apondrea allowed a slight smile to come to her face.  "Of course I feel up to a bit of training father."   

"But father, why can't I practice with you?" It was Coraline, Apondrea's younger sister by three years.   She was a Coinshot like their mother.

"Another day, darling." her father replied. "I have....something a little more active planned for your sister this afternoon."

Her little sister huffed, crossing her arms. "You always take Apondrea everywhere."

"Now Coraline," Beldre said. "You know that's not true."

"What Cora says does have some truth to it, mama." Her older sister interjected.  "Apondrea does get more time with papa than we ever did."  

Lillianna was the second born by two minutes.  She was twin to Apondrea's elder brother and heir, Lycandar.  She was also gorgeous. The twins didn't normally make an appearance at the  supper table, since being eighteen years of age they had their own social circles and schedules.  Yet for some reason, this evening Lillianna had found time to grace her family with her presence.  How Apondrea wished her older sister had stayed busy.

The queen looked as if she was about to defend her husband's actions again, but the Lord Mistborn held up a hand.  "You know perfectly well why Apondrea gets more training Lilli.  Apondrea is the only one among you to have manifested as a mistborn.  She needs much more attention, for if she does not know how to use her abilities she could potentially injure herself and others.  It has nothing to do with my personal preference." 

That shut the entire table up.  It also brought a deep flush to Apondrea's cheeks.  Her older sister just dabbed her lips with her satin napkin.  Sometimes she wondered if Lillianna called attention to her little sister just to spite her. 

Apondrea stood. "I'd like to be excused.  I need to get ready for my lesson."

Her father nodded.  "I'll meet you out in the Shed in a quarter of an hour."

The princess exited the room, her ears as red as her cheeks.  She marched back into her elegant royal bedchambers and attacked the buttons on her dress.  How she hated the constraints dresses brought.  But thanks to the Ascendant Warrior, it was now publically acceptable for women to wear trousers while training or in combat.  

Thank Harmony for that! 

The princess breathed a deep sigh of relief as she studied herself in the mirror.  Black trousers, gray button-up shirt, and firm black leather boots.  On her belt were the metals and twin daggers she needed.  Only thing left was the mistcloak. She reached under the bed, where it was usually stuffed, along with the other things she didn't want the servants snooping over. 

The cloak was given to her by her father when she'd first shown the signs of her abilities.  The see-through fabric was soft in her hands and light as she draped it over her shoulders.  Her favorite piece of attire.

 It was time to go. 

Instead of slipping out of her balcony as she normally did most nights, Apondrea strode down the hallway.  She didn't care who saw her, she'd shed the façade of the princess and donned the garments of a mistborn.  

"This is the real Apondrea." She thought as she made here way down the manor's steps and out into the back garden. 

Her mother took great pride in the royal gardens.  They were filled with flowers and plants at all times of the year.  Winding paths helped you explore the seemingly endless jungle of trees and blossoms.  "The Shed" was a sturdy large stone building set in the manor's back gardens.  It was where the Allomancers in the family practiced and honed in on their skills. 

"Far away from the rest of the house." Her mother had said.  "There isn't nearly enough funds to repair walls and various parts of the roof every week for the rest of time." 

Apondrea opened the wooden door into the spacious training facility.  She didn't see her father, but that wasn't anything new.  She'd have been surprised if he was waiting for her....

...out in the open, anyway.

The princess shut the door behind her and bolted it.  In no way was this fight to be taken outside.  Light drifted through the windows far above her, the Shed looked more like a dimly lit warehouse from the inside with soft piles of hay littering the floor. 

Apondrea threw her head back as she gulped down the metal concoction she needed for a good training session. 

She burned tin.

Her senses roared to life.

 She could feel her heartbeat fluttering in her chest.  The blood pumping through her ears and her deep breaths as she struggled to control the overwhelming sensations.  It never got old.  The light in the Shed wasn't so dim anymore, it was now more than sufficient to see into even the darkest corner of the place.  She drew a coin from the pouch at her waist and withdrew a coin.  The princess pushed off it onto the loft and looked out onto the ground below in an attempt to spot her father.

Someone grasped her shoulders from behind.

Apondrea bit down a scream and went with her instincts.  She whirled, throwing her leg out in the process to kick her attacker.  The assailant released her shoulders and leapt out of the way before her kick could hit him and pushed a coin in her direction.  She caught it mere inches from her face.  She ducked away before the coin came to a stop.  She felt the pressure of the coin in her hand, Apondrea was only ever able to halt the coin for a few seconds before the pressure forced her to let go. 

"You won't always have time to dodge, you know."  Her father's voice chastised as he threw back the hood of his very own mistcloak.  His blond hair stuck up at odd angles as per usual, her mother could never get him to smooth his hair down.  It had a mind of it's own.

Apondrea shrugged. "Why not?  I just have to hold you off long enough to get a safe distance away." 

"What if I was stronger than you? So much so, you couldn't stop that coin for the three seconds you need."

His daughter snorted. "I very much doubt that would ever happen.  I'm strong for a girl.  You've even said so."

"But what if you're fighting more than one opponent?  You can't focus all your strength on one attacker." 

"So you're saying I need to get stronger?"

"I'm saying you need to learn how to multi-task.   If you can burn pewter to run faster, while pushing coins away from yourself, all while soothing your opponent's more violent emotions, you'll be much more effective.  It's what makes a mistborn so deadly."

Apondrea nodded.  She was determined to be the best after all.  "Fine.  How do I begin?"

Her father flashed a wicked smile. "Like this." 

He pushed a coin in her direction.  At the same time, she felt her emotions shift to giddy excitement.  Excitement that had no place in combat. 

One of her first lessons from her father had been on emotion.

"When facing an enemy, you must check your emotions constantly.  Emotion controls how we react to certain things.  If your angry, your more likely to act rashly.  If your scared, your more likely to act defensively.  You must learn to defend yourself from outside manipulation."

Apondrea's mind reacted fast, realizing that it wasn't her excitement, but her father playing with her feelings as to distract her.  Excitement would make her less attentive in combat and keep her mind in a whirl. 

"You're not getting me that easily." She murmured.  Apondrea took a deep breath to settle her rioted emotions and flung herself into the air.  

"Two can play at this game." She thought.  The princess reached for iron, copper, and a healthy dollop of brass.  She was going to try to dodge, sooth her father's cautiousness, all the while preventing him from sensing her use of metals. 

She bounced to the corner of the Shed, behind a stack of hay.  Not the most creative hiding spot, but out of immediate view.

She waited.....  

And waited.....

Until she finally heard a door creak open.

She peeked from behind the stacks just in time to see a cloaked figure dash into the lingering twilight.

Into the manor gardens.

Her father was leading her into the outside world to train.

For the first time...ever.         

[Mistbornwithakitty]

                                                                                  Chapter 7: On the Rooftop

 

"If men should read these words, let them know that power is a heavy burden. Seek not to be bound by its chains." --Brandon Sanderson, Mistborn: The Final Empire

Her father didn't go far.  He waited on the manor roof, his back facing the garden.  Looking out onto Elendel.  Apondrea grunted as she pushed herself upwards to join him.  She landed gracefully beside him.  She sat down, peering at her father with interest.  They'd never taken their lessons outside.

"Mother won't like this one bit."  A bit of wonderment crept into the princess's voice. 

The fact that her mother "wouldn't like" their mistborn daughter using her powers outside that training shed was an understatement.  Beldre would go ballistic if she ever got word of her father doing something like this. 

The Lord Mistborn didn't turn toward her as he said."Your mother, while unfailingly wise in many things, can also be.....overly careful....when it comes to your training."

Apondrea's heart began to beat a little faster.  She sat down beside her father on the roof.  The view was secretly one of her favorites.  At night the gas lamps would make the city citiadels into silluoutes and everyday homes would be cast in a mysterious glow.  She'd never seen it in daylight though.  The sunshine showed a myriad of buildings clustered together with the faint noise of trotting horses echoing in her ears.  If not for the height and the sweeping countryside that surrounded the Basin, the view would've been disappointing.     

"So are you going to start training me in the city now?" She asked after a minute.

"Maybe.  Something tells me that your ready for this next step, but I'm hesitant for obvious reasons."

A shard of guilt poked at Apondrea.  She'd not only practiced in the city before, she'd put herself in imminent danger.  She disobeyed her parents every time she went into the city at night.  If her father ever found out....that might as well be the end of her freedom.  

"I can handle myself father."  It was all she felt right in saying.     

"I know.  It's the others I'm worried about." 

"What others?"

Her father didn't answer.  The Lord Mistborn only glanced at her once, regret emanating from him.  He'd mentioned something he shouldn't have.  He wouldn't tell her no matter how hard she pushed, that she knew from past experience.  So, she decided to change the subject for him.

"Father, do you remember that court case you let me sit in on awhile ago?"

The Lord Mistborn seemed relived at the change of subject.  "Which one?  You'll have to be more specific Peanut. "

Apondrea frowned at the old nickname, but didn't remark on it.  It would only distract from her true purpose.  "The one two weeks ago Father.  The one with the apprentice treasurer who committed fraud." 

Her father nodded. "He was sentenced to a life a prison."

"That seems a bit harsh, doesn't it?"  Thanks to her studies in Basin law, she knew the normal punishment for fraud was a fine and ten years in prison.  Not a life sentence. 

"No, not at all.  This man had other, more serious, charges brought to him at an earlier date."

"What charges?"

"None that should be spoken aloud."

The princess frowned.  "That sounds like an excuse father.  An excuse to keep an innocent man in prison."  

 "Why would I want an innocent man in prison?" He stated calmly.

"Because you can't find the real culprit and you need to blame it on someone."

Her father said nothing, just continued to stare at her without expression. 

Finally, he spoke.  "You may be a woman of society now, but don't stat thinking you have nothing left to learn.  Some things must be kept secret, even from princesses.  I do everything in my power to protect my family and the people of the Basin.  That is all you need know."

What was the use of being a princess if one didn't have access to information?  Information she had a right to know!  She never thought that her father was the type of person to condemn an innocent, but maybe......

Apondrea took a long look at her father.  She really looked at him, maybe for the first time in her life.  What she saw surprised her.....the Lord Mistborn....

...was tired. 

Exhausted actually.  His normally bright eyes were dull, there were bags beneath them.  His perpetual youthful face had started to show signs of middle age.  Whispers of wrinkles showed on his forehead.  Her father was tired.  He had been the head of government for twenty years, it was understandable.  But...the little girl in her had never thought it would happen.  That her father would ever even begin to get older.  

That just meant that this situation was her responsibility.  Apondrea would do all the leg work.  She would prove that this man was innocent.  She would break him out of prison and find out what really happened.  She'd find a way to prove it everyone.

And she'd make her father proud while doing it. 

---

"How young she is." Spook  found himself thinking.  "Although, they never think of themselves that way."

His daughter sat beside him.  She'd studied him a moment ago, obviously pondering what he'd said.  Rolling those words over and over in that sharp mind of hers.  He knew how determined his third born was, she'd stop at nothing to get answers.  Just like himself at that age, always needing to prove something to someone.  He could only hope it didn't get her into trouble.  After staring for a few moments she'd looked away, turning her gaze back over Elendel.  

Spook wished he could tell her everything.  Tell her every danger, every threat, everything she wanted to know.  But he couldn't, for various complicated reasons.  It would put her in danger, and that was the last thing any sane father wanted.  If that meant he had to withhold things from her, then so be it.

It was a small price to pay for her safety.  

Still, a part of the Spook knew his daughter.  He knew of the impatient fire that ran through her veins, that need to be useful to any cause she was passionate about.  Apondrea would find trouble whether he liked it or not.

He only hoped that when trouble came, she was strong enough.

He would only stop worrying when she was invincible.