The Wicked House of Caroline

The old man burst into laughter, his hands going over his belly as his eyes crinkled to crescents. Beks cracked a smile as she sat across from him and sipped on her tea. Master Bilguun lifted a hand and wiped at the corners of his eyes, still smiling wide as he looked back at her.

“Then in that case, I should ask you what your plans are,” he said with an amused smile.

She lowered the cup from her lips and thought for a moment. “I had been raised to assist the monarch of Kadmus and, if I’m being honest, it is a position I feel most comfortable in.”

The old man nodded his head with understanding. “Then, you shall return to Kadmium to support the king.”

“At least for part of the time,” Beks replied. “I have people I need to take care of and a territory I was promised that those people will be resettling in. They are refugees escaping natural disaster and need to start anew. Everyone believes that with my background, I will be able to make the process smoother.”

Master Bilguun’s brows rose and he pursed his lips, appearing impressed, but not surprised. He lifted up his teacup towards her. “In that case, I wish to also see your territory one day. In the short time you’ve been here, your abilities have been noticed. You may just make a paradise for those who want a chance at living peacefully.”

Her lips pulled up into a slight smile and she nodded. “That is the goal.” She lifted her teacup and gently clinked the sides with the old man’s cup. “If Master Bilguun wishes, he can also come and live there. It’s still a bit...rural, at best, and underdeveloped compared to Kadmus, but the air is clear and it is peaceful. Laz is also a very good cook.”

Master Bilguun laughed once more.

“Master Bilguun, Your Highness.” A man’s voice came from the gate at the other end of the yard. The two seated under a tree, still chuckling, looked towards the Left Commander as he walked down the stone paved path to get to them. He stopped beside the table and bowed. “I am here to escort Her Highness to the entrance of the plateau.”

Master Bilguun wrinkled his nose and let out a little disappointed grumble. “Is it that time already?”

“Time flies when you are enjoying life,” Beks replied. She finished the rest of her tea and placed the cup back onto the table. “I will see you later this evening, Master Bilguun.”

The old man nodded as she stood up and gave him a respectful bow of her head. Though Master Bilguun was an elder, she still far outranked him as the ‘wife’ of the twin princes.

He lifted his hand and gave her a small wave. “Take your time. A slight delay in preparation is better than a mistake in execution.”

Beks nodded and turned towards the four people already on their feet in front of the patio of the master’s house. “Thirnir. Efran. Let’s go.”

They followed the Left Commander outside of the gate and down a path outside the compound, where several horses had been prepared. The plateau wasn’t too wide, but it was narrow, and it was more convenient to take horses everywhere. It wasn’t as if there were horses in short supply.

A horse had been allotted to Laz, Lucian, Beks, and the rest of their party as if it were the natural course of events. While Laz, Lucian, Gerard, and the Thirnir had no problem adjusting to traveling by horseback, Beks hadn’t ridden much since they found her father, and Efran was a novice at best, so along with his earth biha precision training, lessons from Rid Callan, and self-studying Jasper and Langshe, he was also learning to ride.

He was a fast learner and could easily mount and dismount by the end of his first official lesson, though he found that he began to get saddle-sore after an hour. That was only with the horse walking. Anything faster made him nervous. Rid Haal appeared determined to change that.

Beks followed behind the Left Commander surrounded by her Thirnir and Efran, but around them were a half dozen horseback soldiers. She was told that they had been born on the plateau and had essentially been raised to take on their family’s way of life.

At first, Beks was wary of this. She didn’t want to be protected by or use an army made up of unwilling soldiers. That was asking for failure at best, death at worst.

However, it seemed that families devoted to focusing on martial arts were common in Langshe, and not every child went into the military. Those who didn’t deem themselves a good fit learned trades to support the military. Many became farmers, which was considered an extremely important job to the point that if a family had multiple children, at least one was encouraged to join the cavalry’s agriculture or husbandry division.

Master Bilguun assured her that those she saw wearing old uniforms were loyal to the cavalry.

Loyal they may have been, but Beks could feel their gazes whenever she left the compound. It wasn’t to say that it was all bad or made her wary. Some people were simply curious as to who the ‘Princess’ was or what the ‘Princess’ looked like, as word of the twins coming to bring them back into battle had spread, and along with it, word of the twins’ wife.

In their eyes, the foreign wife.

Some of them didn’t know she was fluent in Langsher, as outside of the compound, she spoke Jasper as she was with the Thirnir and Efran. It was usually only after she responded to someone who only knew Langsher in Langsher that it was likely that she heard them call her a giant because of her height.

The twins were slightly taller than her, but she supposed since they were men, it wasn’t questioned. She was tall for a woman in Kadmium, too. She was average height in Sagittate and the West Islands, though.

Regardless, after Beks had cris-crossed the plateau, meeting new people, and listening to them, she still received curious looks. Nothing malicious, but it did make her worry that when it came time for her to give any sort of order, they would be hesitant to comply.

For instance, the Left Commander on a horse in front of her was little less wary of her than the Right Commander, but she could still see some hesitation in his eyes when she asked for something. He was hesitant to agree to take her to the entrance of the plateau, which was on the northwest corner. It was where the cavalry had first entered from and was the only way up or down the mountain.

Eventually, the Left Commander agreed to take her, though Beks didn’t see why he’d be so reluctant to, as the entrance didn’t lead directly out into the deadly jungle. They’d have to walk down the mountain for almost three days to get to the fortress that sealed off the path from the deadly jungle beyond its walls.

As long as they don’t hinder me, they can stare all they want. Beks kept her eyes ahead of her as the back of the Left Commander as they crossed the plateau, ignoring those who looked over for longer than just a glance.

They reached the northwest corner and made their way to the sentry gate and were let through after approval from the Left Commander. It opened to a wide flat area that oversaw the expanse of the valley before them and Rid Haal let out a whistle.

“I didn’t expect to see such a view just outside the gates,” he said, impressed.

The Left Commander nodded a bit. “This view is of the west side of the valley.”

Beks narrowed her eyes. She turned around and looked back at the mountain and then back at the valley. “Rid Nordottir, do you sense it?”

The other woman nodded. She had also been looking around. “It seems we acclimated to the biha while we were on the plateau, my lady.”

“That’s what I thought,” Beks replied. She didn’t look back at the Left Commander, but spoke to him. “Why is it that from lower altitudes, we can see a cloud ring around the summit, but when we’re here, we cannot? Shouldn’t the valley be blocked by clouds at this height?”

They’d gone through the cloud layer coming up, after all, and their guide and the villagers all saw it. The villagers said the cloud layer and the fog that rolled down was there every day.

“I don’t know, Your Highness. Hunters say that when they return, they can see the clouds from the base of the mountain and when they reach the cloud layer down the path coming up, but when they leave the plateau, they no longer see it when they go down.” He furrowed his brows, as if somewhat annoyed that he didn’t have an answer for her.

Beks spoke under her breath. “There are stele here.”

“It does feel familiar....” Efran agreed with a nod.

Beks dismounted. “But it’s good that we are not hindered by the clouds. Commander Weirun, I was told that you can see the dry river canyon that the cavalry went through from the Vents of the Underworld from here. Is that true?”

“Yes, Your Highness.” The Left Commander dismounted and rummaged through his saddlebag for a well-worn spyglass wrapped in leather. As he removed the leather from it, he looked towards the distance. “Directly southwest, there are two ridges that appear to be right next to each other, almost overlapping, but in fact, it is where the dry river canyon opening is. It is difficult to see the gap, as all the mountains on this side of the valley are covered with jungle.”

“Then how can you tell which one it is?” Beks asked as the Left Commander gave her the spyglass.

“The ridges resemble the side profiles of monkeys that are kissing.” He said it so seriously, Beks almost didn’t catch the last bit. She slowly turned her head towards him from where she was looking in the direction he pointed. The Left Commander averted his eyes.

“The ridges resemble what?”

“Two monkeys kissing...from the side.” The Left Commander lifted both hands like puppets in front of him and pressed his fingertips together. “Like this.”

Beks judging gaze grew harder. “Side profiles of monkeys?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“...Kissing monkeys.”

He almost cringed. “That is the best way to explain, Your Highness.”

She narrowed her eyes but looked back in the direction he pointed. She lifted the spyglass and slowly adjusted it until she could get a relatively clear view of the mountains surrounding the valley. She started from the west and worked her way south along the range, looking for monkey profiles.

She moved in place, growing more and more doubtful of the Left Commander’s description until she saw it. Beks settled the spyglass there and squinted before she lowered it.

“It doesexist....”

The Left Commander ran a hand down his face. “That is how Timur used to describe them.”

“I apologize for doubting you,” Beks replied. She handed the spyglass to Rid Callan and directed him towards the two ridges. “They look like two monkeys kissing.” Rid Callan jerked his head back and gave her a questioning look. She lifted a hand to placate him and sighed. “I know. I know. I thought the same, but that is what they look like.”

The middle-aged Thirnir took a deep breath and lifted the spyglass. After a moment, his brows shot up. “Aptly named indeed.”

“In your opinion, at that distance, how long would it take for a person at an average walking speed to reach those ridges and the canyon entrance?”

Rid Callan looked through the spyglass for a bit longer before lowering it and letting out a low breath as he scanned the expanse of thick jungle between them. From where they were, they couldn’t see the base of the mountain where the fortress was built.

“If we were on flat ground with no obstructions, such as untouched jungle, uneven ground, rivers, and so forth, I’d say it wouldn’t take more than three days to cross, with ample rests and stops for the night,” he replied.

Beks nodded her head once. “And what if we did have all those obstructions?”

“Time would be spent clearing the way, which would take the bulk of time. I’d estimate seven to ten days, also providing there were no attacks from man or beast, sudden accidents or natural disasters, like surprising flooding,” he replied.

Beks frowned a bit. “Master Bilguun said it would take a month at the fastest.”

“To move an entire military force through untouched, dense jungle with an unknown terrain? I believe that,” Rid Callan confirmed easily. “Animals need to rest, drink, and eat. In addition, the climate is different. I’ve noticed the air in the valley is humid and from what we’ve told, it rains often. When it rains, travel becomes even more difficult.”

“Indeed, we had many problems when it rained,” the Left Commander told them with a distant look on his bearded face. His eyes squinted, as if remembering those difficult times. “We had to stop. The ground was simply too soaked with water and became muddy. Both people and animals were having difficulty moving forward, not to mention the supply carts and wagons. The waterways in between were flooded and we had to find a narrow and shallow place to cross, as well as wait for any flooding to subside.”

“It looks like we’ll have numerous problems that will make crossing difficult,” Beks said with a frown. “Efran!”

“Yes, my lady!” He jumped forward and she reached into her satchel to give him some paper and a pencil she’d sharpened with a knife.

“Take notes as we discuss. We’ll refer to them later.” She instructed and Efran nodded, taking the writing utensil and paper.

Like many whose second language was Jasper, Efran could speak it better than he could write it. Thankfully, when they were migrating south, Sandra had taught a handful of people his age to write the basic characters of Jasper in preparation for becoming citizens of Kadmus.

Jonas had selected a few particularly scholarly Wild Dogs to continue teaching the Dranga people how to write the language once they arrived on the island. With lack of resources to practice while they were on the journey, she’d often see Efran practicing to write on the ground with a stick, a pointy rock, or even his finger.

It was quite admirable, and she hoped that he would grow much on this journey.

“When possible, I’d like to go down to the valley floor to study the soil content,” Rid Callan said. Efran immediately began to write down his words. “It would be good if we can mitigate any mud-related delays.”

Beks nodded. “It would also be useful to ask the hunters who go down the mountain to describe the climate and try to isolate any patterns. We should also ask about the layout of the area from here to the Monkey Ridges.”

“Yes, are there any rivers....” Rid Callan paused and squinted his eyes at her. “Monkey Ridges, my lady?”

“Yes, they’re mountain ridges that look like monkeys,” Beks said, as if it were obvious. “Thus, Monkey Ridges.” Several gazes looked at her uncertainty and she frowned. “What’s wrong with the name? It doesn’t have an official name.”

“The name is...fine, my lady,” Efran said, offering her a weak smile.

Beks balked. “Why does everyone always give me that look when I name something. I’m good at naming things!”

“Of course, my lady....” They avoided her expectant look.

Beks shot all three Thirnir and Efran a glare. “Let’s just continue. What else do we need?” Tsk...my family would appreciate my naming genius....

“I’d like to know what predatory animals are likely to attack humans and large livestock, as well as what plants we should avoid eating,” Rid Haal said.

“Master Bilgunn says that there were records of flora and fauna that had been made and compiled during the journey here. I will ask to see them and memorize them before we leave,” Beks replied.

Behind her, she heard an unexpected snort. Beks looked over her shoulder as the Thirnir and Efran also looked over. The Left Commander covered his mouth with one fist and let out a small cough to extricate himself. Beks raised a brow.

“Is something funny, Commander Weirun?”

The Left Commander didn’t seem all that embarrassed that she asked. “No, Your Highness. It is just that over the years, we have compiled several noteworthy books on flora and fauna.” He answered in accented Jasper and Beks wasn’t sure if it was so her people would understand.

Beks nodded. “That’s good and incredibly useful. How many books?”

“Over a dozen, each as thick as your two fingers.”

Beks’ eyes widened with excitement. The thought that they could be so well prepared was comforting and took a big weight off her shoulders. With guidelines on what was safe and what wasn’t, she could take precautions and give out better instructions. “That’s excellent news! Having as much information as possible is vital, especially in such a place as the Forbidden Valley. I will review them as soon as I can.”

Even her Thirnir and Efran were pleased by this news.

The Left Commander raised a dubious brow at the five people who didn’t seem to understand the problem. “Your Highness, there are over a dozen books-”

“With all due respect, Left Commander, my lady’s memory is much better than the average person’s.” Efran’s face heated up a bit and he appeared unable to stop himself from interjecting and defending her, the Inheritor.

Rid Callan and the others didn’t stop him and were quiet, silently agreeing with him. Beks’ memory was well-known from the time she was a child, after all.

The Left commander sighed. “Perhaps, but even the best scholars would not be able to memorize that much in such a short amount of time. It would take many weeks, if not a few months.”

Beks cocked her head to the side and almost threw him a condescending smile. “Simply because one person cannot do it doesn’t mean there isn’t anyone else who can.”

“I simply do not want Your Highness to be disappointed-”

“Left Commander, Master Bilguun said that you were born into an aristocratic military vassal family, yes?” Beks asked in Langsher as she turned her back to the man to look back at the valley view.

“Yes, Your Highness.” He didn’t seem to think anything too strange about her question, though his voice held some surprise in it.

“Then, you must’ve formally studied the Seven Books of War, which are technically eighteen books by seven different generals lauded as the greatest Generals of Langshe, yes?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“And how long did it take you to memorize?”

“Your Highness, it is not about memorizing the books, but being able to understand the theories and put them in practice,” the Left Commander told her in a firm voice.

Beks turned around to face him with her chin up and defiance on her face. “Uncle Timur read them to me when I was four. I would sit on two pillows on his lap so I could reach the table in order to follow along as he read. Even if I were barely learning Langsher at the time, I was able to recite everything he read once he’d read it, and can recite word for word. You are free to test me.”

The Left General shook his head. “That is not necessary, Your Highness-”

“Book six, volume two, second chapter. What is the subject matter?” Another man’s voice sounded behind him from the gates of the sentries.

Several men on horseback were arriving, including Laz and Lucian, but the one who’d spoken was the one leading them: the Right Commander. His eyes were narrowed and fixed on Beks, waiting for her to answer.

Without faltering, Beks gave him a nod. “Book Six was the Analects of General Shah Aergul, the most famous female general of Langshe, from the Eighth Dynasty. Volume two was titled Weather and Terrain. The second chapter was titled Low Altitude Rainy Season, and broken into grassland, low deserts, and inland lake basins.”

The Right Commander gave her a small, satisfied nod. “Impressive.”

“But those are just the topics and titles,” the Left Commander said as he turned around. He gave Laz and Lucian a respectful bow as they dismounted. He stood up straight and continued. “The actual content-”

“The following chapter will be broken into three topographic regions common on the west side of the Great Mountains. We will start with the grasslands. The definition of grassland is-”

“Enough, enough!” The Left Commander waved his arms in the air and scowled as Beks reluctantly stopped speaking and gave him a dull look, wordlessly asking if he had enough. The man rubbed his forehead. “I believe you, Princess.”

The Right Commander nodded. “Her Highness must’ve studied the Seven Books of War thoroughly.”

“To my knowledge, Adah only read that to you once because you had memorized it and said it was boring and that you wanted something new,” Laz said as he reached her and touched her head with his good hand. He smiled a bit. “I’m surprised you were bored with Adah, as he liked to point out where he’d disagree and where he’d make updates.”

“He kept repeating them,” Beks replied as she took his hand in one hand and Lucian’s on the other. “But they were excellent points. It’s a shame he never had the chance to write down his own book.”

Lucian chuckled. “Adah did have many thoughts, theories, and modern updates that would’ve been useful.”

“Especially about here, in the Forbidden Valley.”

Beks let out a disappointed sigh. “He never went into great detail about it when he told me bedtime stories.”

Lucian raised a brow and smiled, amused. “I’m starting to wonder if Adah was secretly training you to be his successor in the guise of reading you bedtime stories.”

“How could he have given me formal training? Where would I have time?” Beks rolled her eyes.

Laz looked at her carefully. “How do you counter mounted archers?”

The tone of his voice was a bit firmer, and almost as if quizzing her. It sounded surprisingly familiar and Beks almost stood to attention. For a moment, her mind went blank before the answer flooded in and she repeated it, as if explaining a text.

“It’s not so much to counter, but either to disrupt the process of attack or outlast the attack itself, and then counter when the enemy is exhausted and out of resources. At the very least, these methods don’t cost as many lives,” Beks replied. She blinked. Now she remembered where she’d heard a similar tone. It was how Uncle Timur playfully quizzed her to make sure she was paying attention to his stories.

“Beks, tell Uncle how long the Princess should hold her bow when she practices?”

“Uncle, the Princess should only lower her bow after her arrow has hit the target so as not to affect accuracy.”

“Yes! Yes! That’s my smart princess!” He’d then toss her into the air proudly.

Uncle...were you really training me?

She never considered herself to have formally studied warfare, outside of history and purchasing and transporting resources.

Laz and Lucian were smiling. Laz continued on. “The Red Iron Cavalry has an entire fleet of mounted archers. How did Adah counter measures taken against them?”

She knew that story. “He sent small teams of raiders to ransack the resources of the opponent army first. He crippled their financial backing by disturbing the flow of commerce that would provide them with both money and resources; diminishing opportunity to recover and creating financial isolation. He spread false information to both keep his movements secrets and to disrupt the strategies of his opponents, while paying careful attention to timing. Uncle Timur believed that the battle didn’t start when one faced the enemy in combat. It didn’t start when the strategy was being drawn up. The battle started as soon as you knew who your opponent would be.”

Or rather, who stood in the way between you and your goal. Ultimately, this was a lesson he learned from his childhood. Once you knew who stood in your way, you could isolate those individuals and find out everything about them. Their strengths, weaknesses, and who their connections were.

The more one knew, the better they had at preparing for anything.

The late Queen could not stress enough the importance of information to her, to the point that Beks found herself hesitant to act and underprepared when she lacked information.

“I am convinced that Adah tried to train you....” Lucian sighed as he caressed her hair back.

“Adah spent his early childhood in that viper pit of the Emperor’s harem,” Laz said, his eyes becoming sad. “Perhaps this is how he best knew how to teach her.” He looked back at the two commanders behind them, his expression hardening. “I understand that you have doubts about our wife, but never forget that Beks is my and Lucian’s right hand, as well as our heart.” Beks face heated up at his public declaration. “You can and should trust her as much as us, as we would not be here without her.”

The Left and Right Commander lowered their heads and bowed, accepting the order.

Lucian nodded. “Also, if you trust our father’s judgment, you will not underestimate her. Beks was his favorite child.”

“I was not.”

“Yes, you were,” the twins chorused.

At this time, Gerard had gone to join Efran and the Thirnir. They handed him the spyglass and showed him the Monkey Ridges. After a while, he lowered the spyglass and sighed.

“I suddenly wish I could fly.”

“Sir, wouldn’t it be the same as above the island? All we’d see is greenery,” Efran replied.

“Greenery, yes, but I’m starting to make out shapes beyond just the green, Efran, such as where ruins are or where roads once were,” Gerard said, as if imparting immense wisdom on the younger man. “I think I have a gift.”

Laz looked at his Lt. Commander and squinted his eyes with disgust.

Beks sighed. “Tomorrow, I want to go down the mountain.”

Laz and Lucian both turned to her with disapproving looks. “You’ll only make it half a day’s walk down before having to turn back and return to the plateau,” Lucian told her. “Hunters who go into the valley are gone for well over a month before they return, and it takes days to reach the valley floor from here.”

Her face lit up. “You’re all right with me leaving that long?”

“No.” The answer from the two of them was immediate and she pursed her lips.

“Then, how about just to the base of the mountain. They told me the road is well worn and safe, as a fort is at the bottom and there are sentries along the way. The dangerous animals don’t come up this high.”

Her two ‘husbands’ didn’t look all that convinced. “No-”

“I’ll bring Thirnir. And Efran.” Although, technically, Efran wasn’t a warrior.

Lucian took a deep breath. “We will come with you.”

“No, you have too much to do on the plateau. We had discussed this. You focus on the cavalry and I will take care of the rest of the planning,” Beks told them, determined.

“Then, Beks,what are you going to do on the valley floor?” Laz asked.

“What else?” Beks said. “Road surveying.”

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

She had been fairly sure they were going to continue to refuse or show up the morning she was leaving with her team to go down the mountain after they hesitantly agreed. Even though she outlined her plan, involved Master Bilguun, and reminded them that she had Thirnir with her, it still took Laz and Lucian some time to agree.

The dangers of the Forbidden Valley weren’t theoretical.

Squished between the two of them the night before she left, Laz and Lucian lectured her on her safety, making her swear that she wouldn’t just ‘wander off to confirm something’, which, admittedly, is what she tended to do. At least one Thirnir had to be with her at all times and though she’d memorized the flora and fauna record books, she was not to eat anything if she didn’t see anyone else eating it first.

“I’m not a child.” Beks had scowled before two sets of arms hugged and caressed her in an effort to placate her. “I know what I’m doing!”

“We know, we just worry.” Laz had buried his face in her chest, trying to gain sympathy.

“Have pity on us, your poor husbands, who will be sick with worry while you go off into the jungle,” Lucian had said as he kissed her neck.

Beks had rolled her eyes. “We’re not going far from the fortress at the base of the mountain. We’ll be within sight of the sentry towers at all times, and the Left Commander’s Lt. Commander will be leading an escort team with us. They’re not going to let your wife die.”

Laz and Lucian’s faces had darkened. “It would be best that he didn’t.”

Instead, they’d loomed behind her when she was leaving, personally speaking to the escorts about not only protecting Beks, but to send word if she were in any trouble, as well as to make sure she didn’t go too far.

News about how close they were and how much they valued their wife had already spread through the plateau, and hearing them reiterated it made her a bit embarrassed. Luther never fawned over her like they did, and they did it with such utterly serious faces. She’d bid them good-bye from her horse, as more public displays of affection weren’t common in Langshe.

All their good-bye embraces and kisses happened behind closed doors and any marks they left on her were well covered by her clothes.

She would be done for a minimum of a week, as it took two and a half days to make it down to the fortress at the foot of the mountain. Once they had lunch upon reaching the fortress, Beks and her team made no delay of surveying the land.

Initially, the idea was that the cavalry would just backtrack to the Monkey Ridges, crossing the jungle and hacking their way through like the first time. The path they’d marched through almost thirty years prior, aside from the area near the mountain, had been reclaimed by the jungle, which meant much time and effort were needed to clear a road.

That didn’t count obstacles like rivers, weather concerns, and animal attacks.

After some discussion with her Thirnir on ideas, they decided to try a much more extreme solution: create an earthen elevated road leading directly to the Monkey Ridges. Under normal circumstances, such a thing would take engineers, architects, and hundreds of laborers to create.

When she asked them what they thought; if they thought the idea was impractical, she’d been met with reassurance. It was an extreme solution, but that wasn’t to say that it wouldn’t work.

All they had were several biha users, Beks, and her limitless biha.

“In all honesty, my lady,” Rid Haal had said as the other Thirnir nodded. “That is all we need.”

“We have plenty of experience building walls, ramparts, and walkways in the Northern Pass,” Rid Norddottir had added. “All we really need is your biha.”

The ground shook and Beks stood behind the trio with Efran at her side. All five of them wore wide straw hats she purchased from villagers on the plateau before they left.

Rid Callan had a look of concentration on his face as loose topsoil and cakey subsoil spilled to the surface ground as a massive red-orange chunk of clay was squeezed up. The clay block was twice as tall as she was, as wide as three wagons, but only five paces across. Rid Callan took a step back and Beks walked forward.

“There is bedrock, but it is much further down,” Rid Callan said with a frown. “The harder the stone, the more difficult it is to manipulate. The layer of clay is significant, and it's likely that the composition of the earth in the valley is all like this.”

Beks nodded and put her hand on Rid Callan’s shoulder to get an idea of how much biha he used. Her brows rose a bit. The amount of biha he used just to unearth a chunk of clay this size was significant, as well. “I see....”

He seemed to notice her frown and he quickly spoke up. “I didn’t just raise it from the ground, my lady. It was easy to raise as I didn’t have to worry about structural concerns as I did in the cave. I also tried to squeeze out as much moisture as I could.”

Beks moved to the side of the clay block and touched it. The sides were wet. “Clay bricks are typically left out in the sun and then fired to remove the moisture.”

“I’m afraid I can only do so much with my earth biha in that respect, my lady,” Rid Callan said with some disappointment.

Rid Haal let out a small cough. “I think you’re forgetting who’s here with you.” He motioned towards himself and a chuckling Rid Norddottir.

Beks raised a brow. “Is that possible?”

“I can remove all the moisture,” Rid Norddottir told her.

“And I can heat the clay, allowing any additional moisture to evaporate. Doing this together will quicken the process immensely,” Rid Haal said.

Beks gave them a nod and stepped back. “Please do so. I will check your biha expenditure afterwards. Efran, time it.”

The young man beside her nodded and took out the small hourglass they borrowed. As soon as he said ‘go’, the other two Thirnir began extracting and heating, increasing the humidity around them. The visible wetness on the slide of the clay block could be seen drying quickly.

The process itself didn’t take long and not much biha was used to do so.

Efran scribbled the findings down while Beks nodded.

Rid Callan created a few large steps so that Beks could climb on top. She stood on the solid stone chunk with her hands on her hips and looked around. At this height, had they been deeper in the jungle, they would still be beneath the canopy, but certainly avoid predator animals that mainly remained on the ground.

They’d also avoid many of the toxic plants, as very few grew up that high. Those that did tended to be vines that coiled around trees, but they’d have to reach outside of the wide, elevated road to touch any on the surrounding trees.

“How difficult will it be to build this over all the plants, including the trees? I doubt there is this much available space to work with.” Beks shouted over the side. Efran had climbed up behind her and jumped up and down, impressed with what was essentially a giant brick.

“Clearing the path will be too troublesome. When the clay comes out of the ground, we’d have to build over the forest floor, but most of the understory would be pushed to the side,” Rid Callan replied.

“We can build arches over waterways and along the way in order to allow wildlife to pass through,” Rid Norddottir told them. “This is common in Sagittate.”

Beks nodded. “Let’s do some tests to see what size is easiest to build in relation to how fast it dries out. We can adjust as we go, but it’s good to have a baseline.”

She climbed back down and was followed by Efran. “How do we guess the weight limit?”

“Considering something of this size, as brick, and considering that most of it will be solid, it will hold the weight of the cavalry easily,” Beks replied.

“My lady, you should go and rest under the trees. It’s very hot and humid,” Rid Norddottir told her. “We will continue doing the tests.”

Beks nodded. She wouldn’t go far, just to where a bench had been brought out to the base of the fortress.

The gates were partially open, though there were soldiers ready in case of animal attacks. The escort that had come with her was waiting nearby, though their horses had been left inside the fortress.

When Beks turned around, she saw the stunned looks of the escort looking at them with disbelief as another clay chunk was unearthed and rose behind her. Langshe didn’t have many biha users, and those they had didn’t have large biha wells. The manifestations of their abilities were limited, thus seeing so much earth moved at once without seemingly much effort was shocking.

Even the Lt. Commander, who had been present when they crossed the valley the first time had a dumbfounded look in his eyes.

“Your Highness,” he said as Beks reached the bench and sat down. “Where in Kadmus are you and your guards from again?”

Beks kept a pleasant smile on her face, but didn’t answer. The less people who knew they were from Sagittate, the better. “I was told that such an elevate road was how you crossed the Vents of the Underworld. This shouldn’t be a surprise to you.”

“We did, but the road wasn’t built so quickly. Or by a single earth biha user,” the middle-aged man said, his eyes still fixed on Rid Callan and the others. “If they are able to keep such a pace, how long would it take to reach the edge of the dry river canyon?”

“That’s what we’re trying to figure out,” Beks said, looking past him at the Thirnir. “We hope to get a proper estimation soon, though one thing is for certain. The amount of time it will take to leave will be far less than the amount of time it took to arrive.”

Perhaps sooner than even she inspected. Despite having to refill Rid Callan’s biha well a few more times, It didn’t take the rest of the afternoon for him and the others to be satisfied with the data set collected by their tests. They gathered inside the fort with Beks to go over their results.

Allowing for a height of double a little more than she was tall, and a width of three carriage widths wide, keeping each individual piece just two paces long would keep the drying time short, as well as not expend too much biha for all three users. Arches to allow for wildlife to cross under would need to be created after several blocks were put together, and more time would be taken when they had to build a bridge.

They would continue their tests tomorrow to figure out how best to build those passthroughs and bridges.

Dinner was served in the communal hall of the small village within the fortress. Most of the village consisted of hunters and their families, who also supported the sentry soldiers who were switched out every week.

“I have to say that though it took a long time, the biha users who laid the foundation for the fortress had good control,” Rid Callan said as they walked outside after eating. The villagers provided them food and they were to sleep in the barracks.

With the exception of Beks. How could the Princess sleep with unknown persons? The private room of the fortress head of command gave it to her without a second thought. Rid Norddottir and Rid Haal guarded from the antechamber.

Under the light of a lone lantern, Beks placed her leviathan scale on the ground. She set up her urapearl on the floor. Traveling with others made it difficult for her to contact Nexus. The last time she’d made contact was when they were still at port, just before they were going to leave and the twins were out buying supplies.

Over three weeks had passed since she last contacted them, and she was sure there were changes outside the Forbidden Valley.

Mr. Kesse didn’t disappoint her.

She clenched her jaw and took a deep breath to calm herself. “Has the coronation happened yet?”

“No, my lady. However, the invitations to the coronation have been sent out to allies and Prince Tarkan is already being referred to as the Emperor of Langshe.”

She had Nexus keep an eye on Langshe’s political affairs, as well its possible allies, in order to keep track of movements that could be troublesome for them later. “Were there any protests about Tarkan taking the crown?”

“Yes, my lady. Several families wanted to wait, insisting that the whereabouts of the Crown Prince is still unknown. In addition, the Crown Prince has a child.” Mr. Kesse frowned a bit more. “They do not know where the child or the Crown Princess are.”

Beks nodded. “Good.” It was safer that way. “Has there been any movement in Langshe’s military?”

“The outer armies patrolling the border remain where they are and continue their patrols as normal. The armies that had been stationed at garrisons around the Langshe Empire are being shuffled and it is expected that Prince Tarkan will want to remove military power from clans who have ties with the Crown Prince’s faction.”

“That’s to be expected,” Beks said as she leaned back against the side of the bed and narrowed her eyes. “Is anyone still searching for the Crown Prince?”

“Yes, my lady. It is under the guise of finding a missing family member as opposed to hunting down an enemy, which is essentially what it is. Who would dispatch half their personal guard to find the Crown Prince?”

Beks drew her head back. “You know that much about private imperial orders?”

The corner of Mr. Kesse’s lips curled up. “It’s not difficult to track them once they’re outside the palace. If we didn’t know they were being so cautious, and believe that they are at an advantage, I’d suspect that they were being sloppy and purposely leading us on.”

“In this case, it doesn’t hurt to assume that the enemy knows more than they let on. However, though the Crown Prince is missing, they don’t suspect aid from outside. I’m sure Luther has let them know that Laz and Lucian are missing. After almost a year, they could be presumed dead.”

“Have you considered what to do when their Highnesses’ reappear?” Mr. Kesse asked with worried brows. “If they are at the forefront of aiding the Crown Prince in retaking Langshe from their uncle, then news of their surviving will spread. It is not something we can hide.”

Beks frowned. “It has weighted on my mind, but at the moment, leading the cavalry is more important and we have no thought of hiding their presence. Once Kadmium hears that the two of them are alive, they will send assassins immediately.”

“We have received the first batch of supplies at Green Meadows, my lady. We hope to have prepared by the time reclamation of Langshe has been completed.”

“I am hoping that will be soon,” Beks replied. “Then, I can turn my full attention to Kadmus. Has there been any sudden changes?”

“No, by another envoy has been sent to Langshe from Kadmus to show support to the usurper,” Mr. Kesse said with distaste.

Beks sneered. “What else?”

“The Fourth Prince’s wedding will be held next month.”

Beks rolled her eyes. “It seems she got herself a new dress....”

“Pardon, my lady?”

“Nothing,” she replied. “Continue your work. We are working on road building and I will be unable to contact you for some time.”

Mr. Kesse frowned, worry across his face. “How much time, my lady?”

Beks thought for a moment. “A month, at most.” He seemed to be put at ease by the estimation.

“We will continue what we are doing and report back to you when you contact us next, my lady. For now, at the very least, several prominent supporters of the Hessings have gone bankrupt, and many business dealings the Hessings had have also suffered. Rumors have been spread that the Hessings are being cursed for turning their backs on the rightful king, who though thinner, was of their blood. This has made prospective business partners either hesitant to work with them or refusing all together.”

Beks smiled. “Finally, some good news. Has this had any effect on the court?”

“The Hessings are in need of money and have begun seeking favors and loans from peers, many of whom are also in the court. This has irritated several courtiers. Those whose livelihoods were tied to the businesses of the affected parties and were fired or dismissed without pay have also begun to put up a fuss.

“We have orchestrated unrest in the merchant class and the local labor force. The negative attention is also being placed on the Fourth Prince, as during this time, he had cut back on the government aided services and increased taxes on common goods.”

Beks scoffed. “At such a time? Is he insane? The people will revolt sooner than we do if he keeps this up.” She narrowed her eyes a bit. “But there is no harm without comparison. Begin spreading rumors that things would’ve been better with any one of the other princes and Brother Laurence, as they had always put the kingdom and its people first. Make it so the general populace is not only open to Brother Laurence returning as some sort of miracle, but even willing to accept the Second or Third Prince as a far better ruler than Luther.”

“Understood, my lady. This will not take long. May I suggest that when the Second and Third Princes are discovered to be in Langshe, a story is woven about how they were caught up in the fight for the throne, which thus delayed their return?”

Beks nodded. “Yes. Make sure it is understood that their priority is Kadmium and they were trying to get back, but were trapped. In fact, once they are discovered, spread rumors that though they are struggling to get back to support Kadmus, Luther doesn’t want to give up his throne and soldiers had been sent to arrest and execute the princes. Enrage the people.”

“We will prepare such a scenario, my lady.” She bid the old man a good evening and ended the call before calling her brother to report. She’d been able to contact Deo on Gurani Island while with the others; it wasn’t a secret that she brought her urapearl, but she hadn’t contacted him for two nights.

When his face appeared in the pearl, Beks told him the good news.

Deo grinned. “If you told Daddy that his Thirnir that you didn’t want to bring had essentially cut travel time over half, he’d strut around with his chest puffed out for days.”

“Don’t remind me,” Beks said. “Our rough estimate still doesn’t include the time it will take to build over rivers, and there is at least one large one we’d have to go over. The various streams will be less of a problem, I hope.”

“Regardless, it will take far less time.” He sighed and shook his head. “I can’t believe you actually found the Red Iron Cavalry. If we can utilize them, we’ll retake Kadmus before year end.”

“I’m hoping sooner,” Beks said. “Is there any word from Mommy about the Crown Prince’s child and wife?”

“She has found them, but they are safe for now. As instructed, she will not act unless the Crown Princess and the child are in danger.”

Beks let out a relieved sigh. “Tarkan is searching all over Langshe for them.”

“Well, he needs to look further.”

Beks raised a brow. “They’re not in Langshe?”

“They’ve made it Aehamake.”

“They’re on anothercontinent?”

“Mommy suspects that they fled their hiding place in Langshe when Tarkan’s people got too close.”

Beks pursed her lips. “All right, as long as they’re safe.”

“Same for you. How are things on the plateau?”

Beks’ expression didn’t falter. “Everything is going smoothly. The arrangement for who will be coming out with us has been finalized and supplies for horses and weapons are being prepared.”

Deo took a deep breath and exhaled. “When you said you were going to the Forbidden Valley, I was worried, but as long as you’re on the plateau, you’ll be safe.”

“Yes.” She didn’t tell Deo how long it took to get to the base of the mountain, where they were doing their tests, nor did she tell him that she had accompanied the Thirnir to the edge of the jungle to observe said tests. It’s fine. I’m perfectly safe, anyway.

“Beks, I know you want to move the cavalry out as soon as possible,” her brother said with a stern look. “But there is no need to rush. Your safety takes priority.”

“Of course, Brother.”

“Make sure to stay with the princes.”

She nodded her head obediently.

The next day, by late afternoon, a stretch of elevated road had been created with three arched underpasses for wildlife. Despite the amount of work, neither the Thirnir nor Beks were tired. Rather, they were determined to continue if only the sun weren’t going to set.

“Your Highness,” the Lt. Commander said as he looked up at the sky. “We should return to the fortress now if we are to get back before sunset.”

“All right,” Beks agreed. “Let’s prepare the camping supplies for tomorrow.”

The Lt. Commander cocked his head to the side and gave her a confused look. “Your Highness, we are not returning to the plateau until the day after.”

“Who said anything about returning to the plateau?” Beks asked. “We will continue building the road until we reach the Monkey Ridges.”

The Lt. Commander almost balked, not paying attention to the others behind Beks.

“But...Your Highness, the Princes are waiting for you! What about the princes?” he choked out.

She lifted her chin and stood up straight. “We will prepare the road. Tell my husbands to meet me there!” she said, pointing towards the Monkey Ridges in the distance and narrowed her eyes. “With the Red Iron Cavalry!”