The Wicked House of Caroline

The Crown Prince rubbed his forehead and didn’t seem to notice his cousins tense up at the mention of the Red Iron Cavalry’s talisman being a tiger, and likely the tiger figurine they’d suggested gifting to Wrath that morning.

Beks tore her eyes away from her satchel, where her hair pins and the tiger were tucked. The man in front of them was desperate to find it and all she could think about was that they had almost given the talisman that controlled the most formidable cavalry on the continent to a six-year-old girl who told bedtime stories to her lizard.

Beks looked across the table at Laz, but before he could speak about possibly having found the talisman, she spoke up.

“There are many small items in boxes and crates in the vaults, but it shouldn’t be too time consuming to look for the tiger talisman.”

Laz snapped his head towards her and Lucian furrowed his brows, appearing stunned with her words. Hadn’t they already found the tiger talisman? However, she had spoken and the two didn’t correct her.

The Crown Prince gave her a thankful look and nodded his head. “Thank you, Amrei.” His face softened and he gave her an apologetic bow. “This must not be how you planned your trip here to happen. I’m sorry to have troubled you in the midst of planning for your engagement.”

She nodded her head, but didn’t explain their real reason. He’d come to his own conclusion that they must’ve been there to prepare gifts for her, as the twins had told him they were just engaged. Beks didn’t know if revealing their plans to the Crown Prince would cause a problem later, so for now, her best course of action was not to reveal anything.

“Geel, for my fiancés, the greatest thing to happen on this trip was to find you. When we heard about the coup, and that you went missing, we....” Beks trailed off and tried to find the words to soften ‘thought you were dead’.

The older man lowered his eyes and let out a dry chuckle. “You thought I was killed.”

She drew her lips inward and nodded. “We heard you disappeared on the way to see the late Empress before she passed.”

“It’s obvious to anyone that the attack was to get rid of you,” Laz told him with a frown. “They said you disappeared. Are you telling me that they couldn’t find you, and an entire retinue of guards, less than a day away from the Summer Palace?” He sneered and shook his head. “Not even a child would believe it was an accident.”

“Even if they didn’t believe it, no one has come to search for me.” The Crown Prince had some bitterness in his voice as he looked at his cousins. There was disappointment in his dark eyes.

Beks tapped her fingers on the tabletop once more. “Geel, if we are able to find the tiger talisman, what will you do with it? Do you know where the Red Iron Cavalry is? Will they acknowledge you as their Emperor?”

“The Red Iron Cavalry will follow whoever has the talisman,” the Crown Prince replied. “They are loyal to the wielder of the talisman because it was the talisman owner who brought them back from the dead.”

Beks drew her head back and pursed her lips. “What do you mean?” For a moment, she wondered if the Red Iron Cavalry was made of undead.

“Not in the literal sense,” Lucian said as he gave her a soft smile and caressed her hair back. “The Red Iron Cavalry was created from the ruins of the Tuvanak Clan Cavalry.”

“The Tuvanak Clan was the family of our grandmother,” the Crown Prince told her. “That is, the Spring Imperial Consort to the last Emperor, our grandfather.”

Beks mapped out the family tree in her head. While the late Empress of Langshe had multiple husbands, she only had two surviving adult children, but she herself was one of over a dozen prince and princesses. From what she heard and read, it had been a tense race for the throne where the prince and princesses involved were pitted against each other when they were mere children.

“Our grandmother was one of a handful of the last Emperor’s consorts and the only one of the four main consorts to have children; my mother and Uncle Timur,” the Crown Prince told her. “All the other children were from lower ranked consorts or from the main wife, the Empress Hejan. As a result, Empress Hejan felt that her children’s strongest competition was from our grandmother’s children. Both women were from important noble families, with our grandmother being the eldest daughter of the Tuvanak Clan. Their rank is...what would it be in Kadmus?” He looked at his cousins for clarification.

“They’re marquises,” Laz replied. He looked at Beks, helpless. “The Tuvanak Clan was a marquis family with the largest cavalry in the empire. Because of their strength, the last Emperor was wary of them. He not only ordered the clan’s cavalry to patrol desolate regions, but forced the clan to share their resources with other clan armies, despite the fact that each clan was supposed to support their own.”

“There was a famine that he used as an excuse,” the Crown Prince said as he remained sitting straight on the wooden chair. His eyes fixed on the table and narrowed. “I’m unsure if was originally ordered it as a necessity, as Tuvanak’s march wasn’t very much affected by the famine, which was in another region of the empire, or if he used it as an excuse to weaken Tuvanak’s cavalry by diverting resources.”

“It might have been both,” Lucian replied with a slight shrug. “It was both a practical order to ensure the overall strength of the armies of the empire while at the same time, weakening the strongest one to avoid a potential threat.”

“Whatever the reason, merely weakening the Tuvanak Clan wasn’t enough for Empress Hejan. Families that lead militaries for the empire require raw materials for weapons and other equipment.” The Crown Prince looked at Beks and moved his hands around over the table, as if demonstrating his words by moving invisible pieces. “Empress Hejan accused the Tuvanak Clan of stockpiling iron with the intent to overthrow the Emperor based on the high volume of iron the clan kept and purchased.”

Beks drew her head back. “They had the largest cavalry. With a cavalry comes not only bits and saddle fasteners, but horseshoes.”

The Crown Prince rose his brows in approval. “But do you think that mattered to a man and courtiers who saw the Tuvanak Clan as a threat?”

Of course, it wouldn’t matter. It was an excuse, and no matter how ridiculous the accusation, no matter how logical the actual reason, as long as enough people believed it, it could overwhelm a family. Since the Tuvanak Clan Cavalry turned into the Red Iron Cavalry, the accusation did.

“Our grandmother’s clan was stripped of their titles, their military power, and all their property except for a lone estate in the border of their former march, so they could be watched,” Laz told her. “Like prisoners.”

“Grandmother was the eldest daughter and had three younger brothers, all promising and vital cavalry men, like many of their relatives. Even our Grandmother was a skilled equestrian,” the Crown Prince said. For a moment, there was pride in his voice, but as he continued to speak, it grew sadder. “But they were from the main family and the accusation was akin to treason. Our Great Grandfather and his sons were executed. The rest of the clan was ‘spared’, supposedly for our Grandmother’s sake, but...her father and brothers were killed by order of her husband; the father of her two children. How could her heart take it?

“She passed away shortly after, leaving behind my mother, who was a teenager at the time, and Uncle Timur, who was just a small child just learning to read. Amah was furious. Hundreds of years of her family’s loyalty protecting the empire and they were cut down because of jealousy and the Emperor’s paranoia.”

“Auntie couldn’t do much for her mother’s family who were trapped in the estate as prisoners of their own home, but she was able to bring her family’s most trusted valets, all skilled in the martial arts and riding, to the Equinox Palace.” Laz took a deep breath. “She had them train our father.”

The Crown Prince nodded his head quietly. “In order to protect him, Amah told him to pretend to be an ignorant, spoiled prince, who just wanted to racehorses and bet on them. He purposely did badly at the imperial academy; not standing out amongst the other royal siblings. He’d occasionally act out, and Amah, who was old enough and intelligent enough to take control of her mother’s palace, disciplined him by ‘making him join the army’.”

Beks let out a small chuckle. “And the last Emperor believed that?”

“Adah knew how to play his part,” Laz said with a slight smile.

The Crown Prince chuckled as well. “When the last Emperor began to show signs of sickness, as he himself had battled for the throne amongst his siblings to the point that he’d damaged his body, the older and more favored of his children began to vey for the throne. His attention was on those children in front of him both trying to gain his favor and make connections in court. He wanted to pick the strongest of those children, one of which was my mother. However, Amah had a fatal weakness. Her mother’s clan had fallen; therefore, she didn’t have strong support for her claim regardless of how intelligent or capable she was. She needed support.” A bright smile filled the Crown Prince’s face and he looked at his two cousins with pride. “That is where Uncle Timur came in.

“It was one of my favorite stories growing up. Uncle Timur, who had been sent out into the army, had long been ignored by his father and the court. He took the opportunity to rebuild the entire Tuvanak Clan Cavalry and renamed it the Red Iron Cavalry. He was a mere teenager at the time, can you believe it? He was well respected amongst his people and, of course, threw his support behind his elder sister who raised him. He isolated the other armies, cutting off their resources and taking back those that belonged to the Tuvanak Clan. It was a subtle, but effective war that his siblings and their maternal families didn’t know was happening.

“Amah now had formidable backing to go with her capabilities, so the last Emperor named her Crown Princess over his favored eldest son, and when he died, she was named Empress.”

“What happened to all the other siblings?” Beks asked. “I know that Prince Tarkhan survived.”

The Crown Prince shook his head. “Tarkhan wasn’t one of the royal children who vied for power back then. He was one of the younger princes. I believe he’s the same age as Uncle Timur. It was the oldest five children, including the eldest son, who was Empress Hejan’s only child and the last Emperor’s favorite.”

Laz let out a small snort. “The last Emperor favored his eldest son. In fact, the eldest prince had everything in his favor. The eldest child, a strong maternal clan, support from the courtiers, and the affection of his imperial father.”

“But he could not outmaneuver Auntie,” Lucian concluded. “Adah said that Auntie was the smartest of all the last Emperor’s children.”

“I believe it,” Beks said. “For a teenager to take control of her mother’s palace, and raise her much younger brother, without the backing of a maternal clan, means she wasn’t able to just survive, but thrive. A simple woman would not have been able to do so.”

The Crown Prince looked pleased with her assessment. “You understand this, too, Amrei!”

“It’s clear. I’m sure she had to quell the anger of not only her other siblings, but Empress Hejan.”

“There were several minor revolts after the Emperor died, but they aren’t worth mentioning. Almost all of them were stifled by my mother and Uncle. The princes and princess who either remained or didn’t compete at all removed themselves from politics and court life, if only to survive.” The Crown Prince frowned. “It was Tarkhan who remained involved, though he never outrightly fought for the throne. In fact, many times he supported my mother.”

“Perhaps it wasn’t Adah who was the only one hiding himself,” Lucian said. The three men shared knowing looks. Somehow, Tarkhan had avoided death andbecoming a recluse royal.

The Crown Prince took a deep breath. He looked down at his hands that returned to the now empty teacup. “Amah only had two children. Part of it was because she was older when she had us, but mainly because she wanted to prevent the cycle of putting child against child from repeating. She named me Crown Prince and began to train me as soon as I could read and write. My sister married the son of a small noble family in the east, but they are acting as ambassadors on Aehamake. Becoming the future ruler was left to me.” He let out a low sigh and closed his eyes. “No matter how successful I am with governance and economics, I always knew that many courtiers resented me for having everything given to me.”

“You are the only possible heir to your mother,” Beks said with knit brows and a frown. “And you were doing everything you were supposed to do.” He was far better than Luther just by putting in the effort to learn to properly rule.

“I’m afraid, Amrei, that the people of Langshe don’t believe I earned it.” He gave her a wry smile. “Years of education and training, of partaking in the government, and taking over for my mother when she was sick...and they don’t think I earned it.”

Her lips trembled as she found herself giving him an acknowledging, but strained smile. How could she not hear his words and not think of her own situation? Perhaps it wasn’t that others thought she didn’t earn it, but because she did exactly what the Crown Prince had done for the benefit of their people, yet she also had her place ripped from her hands.

She lowered her eyes and let out a small, bitter huff, recalling the courtiers at the Gilded Palace, and how several were so vocal against her trying to keep control and do what she was raised there to do. “They are so focused on you, that they forget themselves.”

“So it is,” he agreed. “When Tarkhan showed signs of interest in the throne, some courtiers began to back him. I did what I could to limit their power, but I had obligations to my mother. In Langshe, one cannot abdicate the throne. In order for the heir to take it, the current monarch must die. However, there can be a transfer of duties. My mother transferred these duties to me and as per our tradition, I moved the court to the Equinox Palace.” The Crown Prince grit his teeth. “I learned too late that Tarkhan had stayed behind...as did several key courtiers.”

“Geel,” Lucian said as he leaned closer and narrowed his eyes. “Is there a chance that Auntie’s death was premedicated?”

The Crown Prince’s breathing grew shallow for a moment, and Beks watched his hands shake as he gripped the cup. “How can I not have my suspicions? Mother was healthy. She said that though she could not abdicate, as soon as I was able to do all her work for her, she’d travel the empire.” He lowered his eyes as they reddened. “She wanted to visit Uncle Timur’s tomb.”

His voice trembled as he closed his eyes, and Laz leaned forward to put a comforting hand on his shoulder. Beks found her eyes moist and she lifted her hand to quickly wipe them away. In the case of the late Empress and Uncle Timur, they weren’t just siblings. In a way, as the late Empress raised Uncle Timur from such a young age, he likely saw her as a mother figure, and his only family in that snake’s den.

The late Empress loved him almost like her own son. Growing up, the two siblings only had each other. It must have devastated the late Empress when she was told that her only beloved brother had died on the other side of the continent.

Hearing the story behind it all made Beks realize the importance of the late Empress to not only Uncle Timur, but the twins.

And it only fueled her own anger.

The transition of power in Langshe was going to be peaceful. Civilians wouldn’t be endangered because of imperial family strife. The empire was prospering. The next monarch was ready for his duties.

To Beks, there was absolutely no legitimate reason for the Crown Prince to be displaced. At the same time, she’d always known a frustrating fact. “There are always those who get the most benefit in chaos.” Her cold voice made the three men around the table turn to her. Her eyes were fixed back on her satchel. “They take advantage of confusion and the desperation of the people.”

The older man seemed to lower his head in shame. “The courtiers have shown me their nature and I am disappointed. They should not want their people to suffer so a few can gain more power and wealth.”

Beks took a deep breath to calm herself and steady her thoughts. “If we are able to find the tiger talisman, what will you do?”

The Crown Prince’s brows furrowed and he went quiet. He seemed to be wracking his mind, perhaps going through various scenarios that would work best.

“First,” he began. “I must find out where the Red Iron Cavalry is. Uncle Timur didn’t tell you where he hid them, but I suspect that he must’ve left clues. There may be clues on where they are hidden with the talisman.”

Her mind ran over where she found the boxes and if there was anything inside with the tiger figurine, but there hadn’t been any with them. At least, not at first glance. Beks made a mental note to search the boxes in private later. Should she not find anything, she’d retrace her steps to the vault to see if anything were left behind.

“And after you find out where they are?” she asked.

“I will go to them, though, I will need to hire mercenaries.” He paused and looked at Beks, once more with apology. “At the moment, the vault only contains gold coins and bars. I’m afraid there is nothing suitable to properly gift you, Amrei.” He flushed a bit. “And I’m also afraid I will need all the money at this time. I will need protection, equipment to travel, and possibly additional resources for the cavalry once they’re found.”

She nodded her head once and gave him a small, dismissive wave of her hand. “Think nothing of it, Geel. I understand. You must do this first.”

“Rest assured, when I regain my throne, I will present you with a proper meeting gift, as well as engagement gifts for you and my cousins.”

Beks smiled and chuckled. “Then, I will keep you to that promise.”

“Let’s say that you’ve found the cavalry and that you have enough to fund the campaign,” Laz said with a serious look on his face. “What is your strategy?”

The Crown Prince let out a tired breath. “I’m afraid I’m not as skilled as Uncle Timur.”

Lucian chuckled. “Geel, I don’t think all of us combined could be as skilled as Adah.” The tension in the room lightened a bit and Beks held Lucian’s hand.

“Ideally, the fastest way would be to march to the Summer Palace, capture Tarkan, and execute him for treason,” Laz said. He glanced at Beks and winced. “I know that the death is a steep punishment-”

“He committed treason.” Beks lifted her chin. “He very likely could’ve orchestrated the death of the late Empress and took the throne, possibly also arranging for the assassination of the Crown Prince. I may only be exceptionally well-versed in the laws of Kadmus, but I’m fairly sure death as a punishment for treason is a common law amongst most countries.”

“It certainly is in Langshe, Amrei,” the Crown Prince said with a slight smirk.

“Geel, if you want to march to the Summer Palace and capture Tarkan, you will need to act quickly,” Laz told him. “You don’t know when he’ll rearrange the armies to be under the control of his people, in which case the army you face grows larger with each day. While this is happening, you must not only find the cavalry, but to utilize it. You don’t know what state it’s currently in.”

“With the assumption that the Red Iron Cavalry has been hiding, but still retains its former strength under Uncle Timur,” Beks said. “I think it’s possible for Geel to use the cavalry to march forward regardless of what resistance the other armies show.”

Three sets of eyes looked towards her. Laz cocked his head. “How are you so sure of this?”

Beks gave them a small shrug. “Uncle Timur used to tell me stories about them all the time. He was absolutely certain that it could sustain a monarch alone. He’d used the Red Iron Cavalry to secure the plains borders of Langshe during the early part of the late Empress’ rule, and then he used it to seal off Kadmus to prevent foreign interference when the late Queen rebelled against her brothers and father. Of course, if they can still do this all remains to be seen. They’ve been hidden for longer than I’ve been alive.”

She wouldn’t say that much of the cavalry was past their prime, but certainly they’d be older and hadn’t seen battle in some time. It was easy to lose the physical and mental edge they had when they were younger and at their peak, which meant they wouldn’t be as effective as they had been when Uncle Timur was alive.

The Crown Prince’s eyes bore into her, as if trying to read her mind. His dark eyes squinted and he leaned forward.

“Amrei, what would you do if you had control of the Red Iron Cavalry?” he asked.

Beks raised a brow. The obvious answer was to take them to Kadmus, capture Luther and his allies, and return the crown to Brother Laurence. However, that wasn’t what the Crown Prince was asking.

“If they were in excellent condition, I’d start off doing what Uncle Timur did and isolate and hinder the resources of my key enemies. I’d focus on anything that would bring them wealth. The more resources they have, the more daring they’d become. I want them to feel trapped, if not helpless and frustrated, both making them unable to defend, but also weaken their support of Tarkhan. Their desperation will cause mistakes,” Beks replied. “But I would take the majority of the cavalry to the palace to get Tarkhan’s head. It will be immediate and a show of force. If they want you to earn your position, then earn it with Tarkhan’s blood.”

The Crown Prince’s brows shot up. He leaned his body back and glanced towards his younger cousins. “Your fiancée does not shy away from blood.” This was not just a statement, but praise.

“Well, our mother did raise her,” Laz replied.

The Crown Prince looked towards the twins. “The Red Iron Cavalry belongs to your father and though I was instructed to use the cavalry to protect my throne should someone try to take it from me, it should be given to you two, Gan and Jargal. You are the rightful heirs of the Tuvanak Clan.”

Laz’s face dropped. “Geel, you can’t mean to say that you want us to lead it?”

“Don’t reject it so quickly,” their cousin told them. “He gave you two the talisman. Uncle would’ve been fair; you are meant to share control.”

“Geel, while we have rights in Langshe, we’re princes of direct lineage in Kadmus,” Lucian replied. “Is this appropriate?”

“I think it depends on how you look at it,” Beks said. She put her arms in front of her and pretended to weigh two things between them. “On one hand, the Red Iron Cavalry is an army from Langshe, and made up of its people, but on the other hand, it is under the control of the direct heirs of the Tuvanak Clan as identified by the predecessor, Uncle Timur. That is, you two.”

“But Adah gave up control when he married into Kadmus,” Laz said.

“He didn’t give up control,” Beks replied as her intense eyes locked on to his. “He hid them and he kept the tiger talisman. Control was never really relinquished; it was passed on to his children.”

“Gan, Jargal,” the Crown Prince said. “I may have been overwhelmed with Langshe’s domestic situation these last few months, but it isn’t as if I didn’t hear news of your disappearance and King Laurence’s death. As the second and third princes, it should be your turn to rule, not that ignorant little Fourth Prince.” He narrowed his eyes and leaned forward. “I ask you both to take control of the Red Iron Cavalry, as Uncle Timur wished, and lead them to support me. When I have my throne, you may use the Red Iron Cavalry as you need at once.”

Beks’ head perked up and her eyes dilated with interest. Laz turned his head towards his cousin and frowned. “What do you mean to use as we need?”

She let out a small chuckle as the corners of her lips curled up and her eyes crinkled with mirth, causing Laz and Lucian to turn their gazes towards her. “He means that if you are willing to lead this army for his sake, then you can use the Red Iron Cavalry to take the throne of Kadmus from Luther.”

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“We’re not going to take the throne of Kadmus. Brother Laurence is. I don’t mind using the Red Iron Cavalry for his sake, but will Geel disapprove?” Laz paced the room on the highest floor of the house. The building had a somewhat flat roof, so the room itself felt like a box just big enough for a bed, a wardrobe in the corner, and a table pushed up against the wall. Lucian had to carry a stool from downstairs so Beks could sit at the table.

“If he is willing to give us full control even after he becomes Emperor, then they will be at our discretion even if he does,” Lucian replied from the foot of the bed. He watched his brother pace back and forth along the walkway beside the bed. “If we are supporting Brother Laurence, then Geel will support Brother Laurence.”

“At the very least, the ally of his enemy will also be his enemy, so the enemy of an enemy is a friend,” Beks replied as she set up her urapearl on the stand.

Laz lifted his arms and ran his good hand and his nub through his unbound hair. “We haven’t told him that Brother Laurence is alive and well.”

“And we shouldn’t,” Beks said, standing up straight and looking over her shoulder. “This is not to say that you cannot trust your cousin, but the less people that know about Brother Laurence, the better. We can’t risk his status slipping out and warn Luther and the Third Consort.”

The twins looked at each other and nodded. “We know.”

She could tell from their faces that keeping Laurence a secret from their cousin was uncomfortable, but they couldn’t risk anyone else finding out. Even her mother had told her not to tell the Crown Prince as a precaution.

After their discussion with the Crown Prince, Beks asked the Wild Dogs who’d arrived at the house to bring up some water. Laz heated up a few pots full so that the Crown Prince could take a much-needed bath after weeks on the run. Lucian remained at the house while Laz went with one of his men to buy ingredients to cook.

Gerard escorted Beks back to the ship to speak to her mother.

Sybil didn’t show any strong reaction to the appearance of the Crown Prince, save for one raised brow. She didn’t agree or disagree with Laz and Lucian’s involvement, but reminded her not to share Laurence’s status with him.

Sybil remained on the ship despite her daughter’s invitation to go back to the house, so Beks returned with Gerard. Laz had spent the afternoon cooking and had made her egg tarts. As she happily sat at the table and ate them, the Crown Prince had chuckled as he watched her, pleased she was enjoying food from Langshe.

It was then that Beks found out that the Crown Prince was married and had a child, but the moment his mother began to get sick, he sent them into hiding to protect them, for fear that they’d be targeted. It was a wise move, but also a heartbreaking one.

By the time dinner was over, the Crown Prince was exhausted. Perhaps it was because he had been on edge, on the run, and unable to lower his guard for weeks that now that he finally felt somewhat safe, he retired early. He had embraced his cousins once more, saying that even if they could not help him, he was comforted to know that they were still alive.

“Before we agree to anything, we need to discuss this with Brother Laurence,” Lucian said. “Our first priority is him.” Laz nodded in agreement.

Beks put her hands on her urapearl and waited for her brother to answer. It was dark now, and if she estimated correctly, everyone on the island should’ve finished dinner already, so Deo would be waiting for her call in the rotunda.

She was right.

Almost immediately, Deo’s clear face appeared. “Are you all right?” It was his first question and Beks smiled.

“We’re fine. We arrived this morning and settled into a Maritime Legacy house not far from the main square,” Beks replied. “Mommy wanted to stay on the ship.”

She heard a laugh from the urapearl and then her father’s voice. “That sounds like your mother! Let her rest. She must’ve exerted a lot to get you there so soon.”

“I know, Daddy,” Beks replied. “Is Brother Laurence there? We have news.”

“Yes! Yes, I’m right here!” Shuffling was heard and Deo stood up. He moved to the side and Laurence’s earnest face appeared. “Laz, Lucian, are you there?”

“We’re here, Brother!” The twins chorused. They stuck their heads next to Beks to show their presence.

Laurence let out a relieved breath. “Good, good....”

“Speaking of good, we have news,” Laz told him. “According to Beks, we may be able to arrange for all the resources to be in place and ready by summer.”

“At best,” Beks said, pushing him away gently so she could reply. “By summer, at best.”

Laurence smiled and nodded. “As long as we can regain the throne without an extended struggle, then we can be patient.”

“Brother, we have additional news,” Lucian said, sounding more serious than his brother. Laurence seemed to pick it up at once and furrowed his brows.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing is wrong. In fact, it’s good news.” Laz took a deep breath. “Brother, we found our cousin, Prince Zhanzhin.”

Beks scooted her stool back, allowing the twins to take her place in front of the urapearl to explain to their older brother what had happened, what they found out, and finally, the promise of the Red Iron Cavalry.

Laurence didn’t speak much throughout the entire explanation. He listened, mulling over his brothers’ words and what that would mean for them. The quieter he was, the more worried she noticed the twins became.

“What are your thoughts, Brother?” Lucian couldn’t seem to stand Laurence’s contemplative silence any longer.

Laurence remained where he was with a pensive expression. His eyes were lowered and his lips were in a tight line. He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

“You two are in a difficult position,” he told them in a measured voice. Beks had taken a seat on the foot of the bed and listened behind the two princes. “On one hand, as Princes of Kadmus, your priority should be on Kadmus, and thus assisting me in retaking the throne. On the other, the only family on your father’s side remaining is asking for your help, and promises you something quite extraordinary if you do.” He squinted, then inhaled and exhaled slowly once more. “Laz, Lucian...I want to be generous. I want to confidently tell you to help your cousin. I want to....”

The twins squinted and even Beks sitting behind them felt something was wrong.

Laz swallowed hard. “But?”

Laurence lowered his head shamefully. “I want you to, but I need you and Lucian.”

The room was quiet and Beks lowered her head. She knew even without speaking to Laurence that he would of course want to help an ally, and if the situation had been different, he would allow Laz and Lucian to assist Prince Zhanzhin.

However, he was not in a place where he could make such an allowance so easily. She didn’t blame him for wanting the twins to stay with him and put their focus on retaking Kadmus. Laz and Lucian were Princes of Kadmus, they were attacked because of Kadmus and carried resentment. Laurence had also nearly been killed and had his throne taken from him longer than Prince Zhanzhin had.

Beks couldn’t fault him.

“We understand, Brother.” Lucian’s quiet, resigned voice answered. The twins couldn’t fault their older brother either.

She closed her eyes and went through all the information she’d gathered so far, both regarding Kadmus and Langshe. Luther and his party were involved with both, and, if she were being honest, the only foreign party who’d dare attack the Crown Prince of Langshe was the Temple.

Perhaps there was a bit of resentment and lingering suspicion there because they tried to kill her and her family, as well as Laurence, Laz, and Lucian, but the Crown Prince had mentioned that Luther sided with their uncle. If Luther sided with Prince Tarkhan, then so did the new oracle. If the new oracle sided with him, then so did the Temple.

In addition, the prospect of controlling the Red Iron Cavalry was incredibly tempting.

Logically, her mind told her that they should focus on Laurence and Kadmus first, then, once they are settled, they could extend their aid to the Crown Prince. They could even shelter him until they were ready to retake Langshe. Logically.

“Beks? Beks?” One of the twins was calling her name and she jolted her eyes open. She jerked her head back as she saw them standing in front of her, with Laz waving his handless arm in front of her to get her attention. “Are you all right?”

“Your father asked you what you thought of the situation,” Lucian told her.

She blinked and tried to gather her thoughts. She turned her head from one twin to the other and let out a shaking breath. Laz furrowed his brows. “Is something wrong? We called your name a few times, but you didn’t answer.”

She searched the empty space in front of her and tried to gather her thoughts. “I’m fine,” she told them. “I was just...thinking.”

The two brothers exchanged glances, but accepted her answer. Lucian moved the stool aside and motioned for her to take a seat. “The Duke wants to speak to you.”

Beks let out a small hum and nodded. She stood up and moved from the foot of the bed to sit in front of the urapearl. Her father’s image replaced that of Laurence.

“Snow Flower.” Her father’s gentle voice spoke to her in Sagittater. “You have heard everything, and though you don’t say so, of us, you have the most information at your disposal.”

Beks drew her lips inwards and lowered her head. “You don’t want to know how?”

“You were raised by the Queen,” Robert said with some sadness. “I know there must’ve been something she only shared with you.”

She gave him a small nod. “We have enough to fund Brother Laurence’s retaking of his throne, though it will take some time to prepare all the resources and situate our people in prime locations. However, without the Red Iron Cavalry, the Crown Prince will be greatly lacking, and I’m unsure if we’ll be able to retake his throne after Brother Laurence gets his.”

She looked up and saw her father nodding. “I thought the same. The situations of both men are similar, but the urgency is different.”

“No matter what, Kadmus is a smaller kingdom with a smaller military. With the resources at hand, Luther won’t be able to sit on the throne,” Beks replied. “But if the Crown Prince does not act quickly, his remaining supporters will lose their power and it will become one man against an empire.”

“In this way, His Majesty is in a better position than the Crown Prince,” her father said. “At the very least, he has supporters at his side with some power and resources.”

“But Luther has allied himself with Prince Tarkhan.” Beks took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “We don’t know if Prince Tarkhan will step in to support Luther when Brother Laurence returns. Frankly, with the strength of Langshe's military, even without the Red Iron Cavalry, we can’t risk him doing so. It would only prolong the battle. The longer it goes, the more the people suffer.”

Robert nodded once more and met his daughter’s eyes when she opened them. “Is that your decision, Snow Flower?”

She drew her lips inward and bit them. Her chest rose and fell with a long breath and she nodded, raising her chin. “That is my decision.”

Robert’s eyes crinkled up. “Then, we will accept your plans.” He turned to the side and gave a small bow of his head towards who she assumed to be Laurence. Her father stepped back and Laurence returned to face the urapearl.

“Beks?” He sounded hesitant.

“Brother Laurence, how much do you trust me?” she asked.

He raised a brow. “With my life,” he said. He gave her a small laugh. “You’ve already saved it once.”

She nodded and took a moment to measure her words. “I’m going to do some more research and gather some more information, but I think that our best course of action right now may be to find the Red Iron Cavalry.”

The image on the urapearl paled at once. Laurence’s eyes widened and his lips parted, as if wanting to protest but being unable to find the words. On either side of her, Laz and Lucian looked at her with surprise.

They were the ones with blood ties to Langshe, not her. Her duty and loyalty had always been to Kadmus.

Laurence seemed to search her eyes through the urapearls before choking out ‘why’.

“There is a chance that Langshe is a sleeping giant,” Beks replied. “If they get involved with our battle, it could be prolonged indefinitely, and our people will suffer. Brother, I cannot allow that.”

Laurence lowered his eyes and appeared shaken. “Do you think it’s likely they’ll get involved?”

“I don’t know,” Beks said. “At this point, I’m not sure how strong their allegiance is. It could be one sided on Luther’s part, but Tarkhan usurped his nephew’s throne and may want more than what Langshe has. Whether he gets involved as an ally or gets involved to take advantage of our fight for the crown, it will make it more difficult for us.”

Laurence inhaled deeply. “Beks, you don’t know where the Red Iron Cavalry is.”

“We will try to find them, and at the same time, I will proceed with sourcing and preparation for your return to Kadmus as planned,” Beks replied. “If we find the Red Iron Cavalry, then we’ll have a priceless resource on our hands.”

“But they are a foreign army,” Laurence told her. “Even if they are our ally, how can we utilize a foreign army?”

“Pay them,” Beks answered at once. “Technically, the Red Iron Cavalry belongs to the heirs of the Tuvanak Clan, Laz and Lucian. While affiliated with Langshe in the past, they are not under Langshe’s control. If anything, they are mercenaries.”

This was an aspect that the three brothers hadn’t seemed to consider. The Red Iron Cavalry no longer existed on paper. It was ‘disbanded’. In hiding, they were a nationless force waiting for their leaders to return.

“I can’t believe you’re basing this off a technicality,” she heard Deo complain in the background. He sighed. “But you’re not wrong.”

“We will proceed as planned on our end, but we will also look for the Red Iron Cavalry. If we find them, then I will treat them as a mercenary force,” Beks said. “If we don’t find them, and they can’t be utilized, we will have to hope that Tarkhan won’t turn Langshe against us when we return to Kadmus.”

Laurence lowered his eyes. He clenched his jaw. “Laz and Lucian will lead them.”

“Yes.”

He raised his eyes to meet hers. “It will be dangerous.”

Beks nodded her head slowly. “Yes.”

Laurence took another deep breath. He tilted his head back and looked at the ceiling. “Laz, Lucian...how confident are you that you can retake Langshe with the Red Iron Cavalry.”

“If they are even half as good as they were during our father’s time, we are confident,” Laz replied.

“You and Lucian often switched places during your time in military school. Both of you are as versed in strategy and war as any student there, but Lucian still isn’t a soldier and you lost your dominant hand.” Laurence’s voice trembled as he looked back at them with fear and desperation in his eyes. “I had meant for you to give orders, not lead on the front lines.”

Both of his younger brothers gave him a smile. “Brother, whether you allowed us or not, that is where we would’ve been.”

Laurence shut his eyes tight. “I don’t need you to swear to me that you will win. I only want you to come home. Missing limbs, unable to walk, unable to see or speak, I don’t care,” Laurence said as his voice tightened. His eyes were red. “I will be generous and give my blessing to you to find the Red Iron Cavalry and aid Langshe, but let me be greedy. You two are my only blood left. No matter what, come home.”

╔═════════════════ ∘◦ ♔ ◦∘ ═════════════════╗

It was quieter than she expected on the day that the Aceria Wealth Vaults were closed. Once every ten days, they would close. From what Beks was told the day before, this had always been the case, and it seemed as if its closure affected the entire city. In a way, it made sense, as the vaults were what attracted a lot of business to the small seaside kingdom.

However, there was a noticeable drop in people. Many of the shops and restaurants that catered to visitors had closed for the day. Laz had only been able to do their morning grocery shopping at the local outdoor market in their area, which was mainly catering towards locals. He said that the old ladies told him that many of the farmers, butchers, and craftsmen who came to sell on vault closing days only came on those days, so it was the best time to shop for fresh produce and meat.

He’d been excited about the lamb and vegetables he bought and made her promise to return by dinner in order to eat.

“I didn’t know Laz was this enthusiastic about cooking,” Beks said as she and Lucian walked down the main boulevard. It was still the busiest street cutting across the length of the city, but the amount of people was down to a quarter of what she’d seen the first day they arrived.

“Isn’t that good? You get to try all sorts of things. He has a surprisingly wide repertoire,” Lucian replied.

“It is, but it still must be a bit difficult without one of his hands.” She knew Laz had to teach himself to use his left hand as his dominant one. When she returned to Gurani, she found that he’d created a wrap for his right nub, which he was able to connect to simple kitchen tools to order to hold, stir, and scoop. He’d brought that and his kitchen tools with him. She looked at Lucian. “Are you sure you shouldn’t have stayed to help him? I could’ve asked one of the Thirnir to come with me to the museum.”

Lucian sighed and shook his head. “He only yells at me for getting in the way and banned me from going near the stove after I burnt one of the metal pans we had on the island.”

Beks almost choked and narrowed her eyes. “How did you burn the pan?”

His cheeks flushed. “I don’t know either!”

Beks sighed and continued walking. They’d had a busy three days before the vaults closed. Beks was running around with her mother finding contacts to buy weapons, hire proxies for purchasing horses and wagons, and commissioning ships. Laz and Lucian were sent to the vaults to ‘search for’ the tiger talisman. Beks wanted to wait a few more days before they told the Crown Prince, who remained in hiding and protected at the house.

The twins were actually searching for any clues that could tell them where the Red Iron Cavalry was hidden, but so far, they’d found nothing. Even so, Beks couldn’t think of anywhere else Uncle Timur could’ve hidden clues. Back at the Gilded Palace? That wasn’t efficient. Both princes were frustrated, so a day to relax was much needed.

While many places near the port were closed, further in, where more of the locals lived, there was a small university that only accepted Acerian citizens, and it was at the base of the mountain where the royal residence was built. Gerard said he passed it while surveying the city and discovered there was a small museum connected to it.

He didn’t go inside, but said it seemed to be a museum about Aceria and since she liked ‘books and history’, he suggested it to her.

Now was a good chance to go, both because all her other resources were closed at the moment, and because she wanted to find out more about the vaults. No matter how many times she watched the stone walls move with just a touch of a plate in the grooves, it was fascinating. She’d never seen something like that in Kadmus.

There were more interesting things she’d noticed in the city. The large squares, including the main plaza, all had light pearls illuminating them at night. There were many fountains all over the city, and she’d passed communal areas that reminded her of some ruins in Gurani Island.

There was also an unexpected lack of structures dedicated to the Temple. The Temple was the dominant religion on the continent. Langshe and a few countries further away from the Great Temple didn’t officially practice under the Temple, as the western countries, but they often shared the same gods.

However, Aceria was well within the sphere of influence of the Temple and at most, there was a small church by the port. While it was unexpected, Beks admitted that not seeing signs of the Temple was somewhat comforting.

Several small signs directed them to the museum and from the sign in the foyer, many of the artifacts had been kept by Aceria’s university, while others were property of the royal family. They were welcomed by an elderly woman in traditional Acerian robes.

“Do you know where I can learn more about the vaults?” Beks asked after she donated some coins.

The old woman had a warm smile, and her face lit up when she was asked. “Downstairs contains many examples of our ancestors' engineering feats. Our ancestors were amazing builders and strong biha users. The vaults are the result of a combination of those two skills and don’t appear anywhere else in the world!” the old woman said with some excitement. Her Jasper was heavily accented, but not difficult to understand. “Wait, wait, I will show you!”

Beks’ brows shot up with surprise. She didn’t expect a guide, but she wouldn’t turn one away. The old woman called for a younger man to take her place in the foyer welcoming the few guests that wandered in, then happily led Beks and Lucian down a set of narrow stairs.

“Is it all right for you to show us? It isn’t a bother is it, madam?” Lucian asked from behind Beks.

The old woman had no problem going down the stairs. “Of course not! I am always happy to share the history of my people.” They descended to an underground area without any windows, only light pearls.

Beks looked around at the well-lit. open area with whitewashed stone walls. “I’ve never seen so many light pearls.”

“They were brought over by our ancestors,” the old woman told her proudly. “We Acerians came from a land beyond the sea, looking for a place to settle.”

“What happened to the land where your people came from?” Beks asked.

“Our legends say that the land was lost and we were forced to flee. They took everything they could to start anew where it was safe,” the old woman replied. She led them to a series of shelves behind a low stone wall and iron bars that separated the walkway from the display. The shelves had various pottery, metal tools, and a pile of flat stone pavers. “These were donated by my family to the museum! They are the last surviving artifacts passed down from our ancestors.”

Beks stood behind the wall and leaned forward to get as close to the items as possible. Behind her, Lucian cocked his head. “Your family?” he asked the old woman.

“Yes!” She beamed. “I am Rivah of the Mahin family.” Beks whirled around as Lucian let out a cough. Both their eyes were wide as they looked at the short old woman with the bright eyes. The old woman laughed, the smile never leaving her face. “I see you recognize the name. The current Grand Duke is my nephew.”

The Mahins were Aceria’s royal family. It wasn’t expected to meet a royal family member, and for a moment, Beks and Lucian both froze. Beks was the first to recover. She gave herself a mental shake and bowed to her. “Good afternoon, my lady.”

The old woman laughed once more and shook her head. “There is no need to be so formal. Our family is just like any other family of Aceria for the most part. You can find any one of us working in the city at any given time. My, for instance, works at the Wealth Vaults, which our family still runs,” she said. She leaned forward and lowered her voice. “Though, lately, he’s been very stressed. It seems that a guest broke a set of assessment pearls. Those items are priceless!”

Beks’ face froze. “Oh. Is that so?”

Lucian swallowed and looked back at the shelf. “Can you tell us more about the history of Aceria, my lady?”

The old woman’s face brightened once more. “Of course! Our ancestors traveled for days before they arrived.”

“Days? Then their original home wasn’t too far,” Beks said.

“But it no longer exists,” the old woman said. “They had to flee because they lost their land. With no place to live, what other choice would they have but to leave?”

Beks nodded. “Were they attacked?”

“No, it was a disaster,” the old woman said as she unlocked a small gate. Beks narrowed her eyes. The old woman didn’t use a key. The lock was connected to the low wall and was a small pearl. The old woman told them to stay and wait for her. They watched her walk inside and stood beside a narrow vase that was carefully cradled on a stand on the floor. If it were completely upright, it would’ve reached the old woman’s hip. The paint that likely once covered it had long since worn off, but the lines that had been carved into the pottery still existed. “This was on the boat that brought my family here.”

“Amazing,” Beks said at once. She knelt down and looked through the bars. “And it’s still completely intact.”

“Yes, it was well cared for and when it wasn’t in use, it was carefully stored,” the old woman said. She carefully pushed the stand closer. “If you notice the lines on the side, you’ll see that it’s a landscape. There are mountains, some animals, and a sea in the background. That is the land of our origin,” the old woman told her.

“To think it survived this long...and the lines, though well worn, are still clear,” Beks muttered to herself.

“The land of our ancestors was said to be more advanced than what we have here in Aceria,” the old woman said with a heavy sigh. “The streets were lit with night pearls, the roads were paved, there were public wells, pools, and recreational spaces. Here, you can see the lines depicting the terraces, where food was grown.”

“I see it,” Beks said. “If the vaults are any indication of the level of technology, then I can only imagine where they lived originally.”

The old woman nodded. “We know it was strong in biha, as the ancient Acerians were strong biha users, but this area, though ideal for trade and for defense, is lacking a strong biha source. We don’t have many strong biha users now.”

Beks paused. She raised her eyes and looked at the woman curiously. “Your people came from a land that was biha-rich?”

“Yes.”

“And left because land was lost and they needed to flee?”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

Beks narrowed her eyes a bit. She moved her gaze towards a neatly piled set of stone pavers. Or at least, what she thought were pavers. “May I see one of those?”

The old woman nodded. “I can bring you one, but I’m afraid guests cannot touch them.”

“That isn’t a problem, my lady. I just wish to see it closer. If you can move it to show me its sides, I would appreciate it.”

The old woman gently pushed the vase back and then selected a piece of stone. She carefully dusted it off and brought it closer to where Beks was still kneeling. The old woman rested the flat stone on her lap. “These were decorative stone tiles brought over. They were found hidden away in the family’s storehouse centuries ago, forgotten.”

Beks narrowed her eyes more so. “Tiles....” she said. “Can you turn it over on its short sides?” The old woman carefully did so, wiping away at the sides as she moved them. Beks saw a familiar sliver of luster along the short side, one she’d seen on so many of those pieces of stone in the last few months, and sucked in a sharp breath.

Her hands gripped the iron bars separating them.

“Beks?” Lucian asked as he looked over at her with concern.

“Those aren’t tiles, Lucian,” Beks said in a shaking voice as her lips began to pull into a smile. “Those are tablets.”