The Wicked House of Caroline

Despite her bold words, Beks still personally wrote a letter to Laz and Lucian, and had it flown back to the plateau by a messenger eagle to reassure them.

Laz and Lucian had been seated for dinner with Master Bilguun and the two commanders when an attendant arrived with the message. Instruction had been given that any message from the base of the mountain regarding the Princess was to be considered urgent and given priority.

It was to be delivered no matter what, regardless of what the receivers were doing at the time.

One of the young soldiers guarding outside brought in the scrolled letter and presented it to Laz, who handed it to Lucian to unravel and read. It only took a glance to cause Lucian to release a sigh.

Laz brought a spoonful of soup to his lips. After blowing it once, he spoke. “She’s not coming back, is she?”

His words caused the other three men around the table to look up with concerned expressions.

“You know how she is when she’s focused on a task,” Lucian replied with resignation, confirming Laz’s suspicion. Laz nodded his head. When she was focused, she tended to forget about everything else and it only made them miss her.

“We expected this.”

“That’s why I had her pack extra clothes.”

“Your Highnesses, Her Highness has run away?” the Right Commander trembled in his seat, the very idea of such a thing occurring unheard of.

The twins looked over at him and squinted. “She didn’t run away.” Laz shook his head. “She’s our wife. She wouldn’t abandon us.”

Lucian nodded and spoke with some pride. “Beks and her team have managed to successfully begin building an elevated road over the jungle, and have decided to remain there to continue building it all the way to something called Monkey Ridges.”

Laz cocked his head. “What’s Monkey Ridges?”

“If I may guess, it’s the mouth of the dry riverbed canyon we had entered through. From a distance, the ridges of the mountain in front of and behind the entrance have a vague shape of the side of a monkey’s head,” Master Bilguun said as he nodded his head thoughtfully. “That’s a good name for it.”

The two commanders frowned a bit, but the Left Commander looked back to the twins. “Are Your Highnesses accepting of this?” They sounded both surprised and confused.

“This was within our expectations,” Laz replied, unperturbed, as this really was what they predicted would happen. “That is why we were so hesitant to let her go to the base of the mountain, and subsequently go off into the jungle where it’s dangerous, but we also know that if she wants to do it, she will.”

Lucian rolled up the letter, tucking it into the folds of his shirt gently. “Beks will not delay us, if she can help it. We knew if she went to the base of the mountain, she would figure out the most efficient way to allow the cavalry to leave the valley.” A fond smile graced his lips. “And she did not disappoint us.”

“From your faces, I can see that you can’t accept that she’d simply leave us rather unexpectedly,” Laz said with a slight grin as he looked at the older men around the table. “But, let me assure you, this is something we knew would happen. We only wanted to make sure that she is properly protected.”

As Beks said, she had all that power, but couldn’t utilize it herself. Her skill with weapons was second weakest, being slightly better than Laurence’s.

The two commanders seemed reluctant to accept that the Princess simply decided not to return, but nodded. “If you approve, Your Highnesses, there is not much more we can say.”

“There isn’t anything you can say to begin with,” Master Bilguun said with a sneer. “The Princess has been trained since she was a child by both the late Queen of Kadmus and Timur. I wouldn’t expect anything less from her! And you shouldn’t be complaining about what she does. For whom do you think she is risking her safety for in the jungle?”

“Yes, Master.”

“I understand, Master.”

Laz and Lucian ate in silence, only occasionally answering when they were asked a question. As soon as Beks sent word that the road was nearing completion, they would begin the procession down the mountain. The process just to prepare for the journey was daunting. With that many people, animals, and wagons, it would be a long caravan down.

Even on a flat surface without obstacles and much danger, crossing the road would take several days just for the entire cavalry to reach the Monkey Ridges. Lucian had spent much of his time since Beks left reviewing this with the individual captains of each vice-captain of a fahn,which was the Langshe equivalent of a battalion.

Each fahn had ten subgroups with a thousand cavalrymen and a hundred-fifty supporting soldiers who did everything from prepared food for both people and horses, maintained the equipment, and functioned as medics and horse doctors.

Somehow, their father managed to get an entire cavalry made of six fahn, their immediate families, and supporting soldiers into the plateau.

“Honestly, the fact that it took him just a few months to get them from the plains into the plateau is impressive already,” Laz said as the spear shaft swung around his back during their post-dinner training.

“The current population of the plateau has risen, and much of the current cavalry were children when they arrived or were born here,” Lucian said, as his sword rose and allowed the spear to hit it and slide against it before he turned it towards his brother.

Laz stepped to the side and withdrew the spear, moving it around his body to swing the heel at Lucian. “There was no guarantee that Auntie’s enemies wouldn’t have demanded that the Red Iron Cavalry be destroyed completely, or even sent their own people to kill them, if they stayed. Simply rendering the land, they lived on unlivable would’ve been enough. Even if the cavalry and their families weren’t willing, the risk was too great to remain in Langshe. Adah did them a favor.”

“It doesn’t seem fair that such a loyal army would be forced to die because of a ruler’s insecurity,” Gerard said as he stood to the side, carefully cutting bark off the disk of a cut tree with wind biha.

“It isn’t necessarily the ruler,” Lucian replied. “It has always been a matter of great importance in Langshe that internal peace was kept between all factions of the court, as a divided court was a divided empire. At times, this meant giving up a pawn so the others don’t collectively turn against you or destroy all enemy pawns immediately after you ascend the throne.”

“Enemies are always silenced,” Laz told him. “Langshe is thousands of years old, but there are over a hundred different dynasties.”

“I’d hardly count a coupe which led to an emperor who died in three years and ended his bloodline then and there to be considered a dynasty,” Lucian said as his brother tried to run him throughwith the spear once more. “However, Langshe itself has survived.”

“Ancient Gurani would’ve been older, had the disaster not happened,” Gerard told them as he focused on his precision task.

The two princes put distance between them to take a breather and reassess their stances. “Beks will not let Ancient Gurani down,” Lucian replied.

For a moment, Laz let his shoulders fall and lowered his eyes. “I miss her....” He took a deep breath. “And I can’t help but worry.”

“The Thirnir are with her, Battalion Commander. And my ladyship is not only cautious and plans ahead, but adjusts quickly to respond to unforeseen events,” Gerard said, sounding convinced. “I’ve seen her in a high stress situation in the Giant’s Ridge Mountains, and am confident of her ability to adapt to a situation and react accordingly.”

Laz grumbled. “Somehow, it is annoying to hear you speak with more faith in her than I feel.”

Gerard looked up and laughed, his deep rolling laugh filling the courtyard. “Battalion Commander, it is because you and His Highness love her so much that you worry. Jonas says the same thing about me and Sandra. Of course, I trust my wife and am confident that she will carry out her duties well, but even now, knowing that she’s safe on the island, I still hold some worry because she is not with me and I care about her wellbeing.

“Is she eating well? Is she getting enough sleep? Sandra has a soft heart, and if someone needs her help, she will put off her needs for another,” Gerard said, his voice softening. He suddenly let out a snort. “Jonas is too usually preoccupied to notice when his sister is too busy to eat.”

Laz raised a brow. “Gerard, if you’re so worried about your wife, why didn’t you apply for a transfer to the fort where she worked?” Granted, though the sedentary assignment at a fort was less physically demanding and the hours were set, it paid significantly lower as it was a lower risk position where lodging and food were taken care of.

Gerard sighed. “There are many reasons, Battalion Commander. First, a battalion soldier has the greatest financial rewards and benefits. Second, not only do I find pride in my position, but I had also made a vow to follow you in the battalion after you saved my life. Third...Sandra says I am more useful as a soldier than doing paperwork like her.”

Lucian held back a muffled laugh, but Laz looked Gerard in the eye.

“So, you were rejected.”

Gerard’s face fell. “Battalion Commander....”

“I understand, not all relationships are alike.” Lucian cut in to defend the big, bald man. “And it isn’t as if you don’t love each other.”

“Any break he’d get, he’d run to his wife....” Laz grumbled under his breath.

“But, after Brother regains the throne, Laz will retire to Kadmium to support him,” Lucian said, looking over at Gerard. “If he is no longer your Battalion Commander, then your second vow would be considered kept, wouldn’t it? What do you plan to do afterwards?”

Laz turned to his Lt. Commander as he planted the spear beside him and leaned against it. He looked at Gerard expectantly. He was also curious as to what Gerard planned to do. Unlike Jonas, who could transition quite easily into an office position, Gerard was much more at home on the field.

At the same time, Laz couldn’t see him as a royal guard.

Unexpectedly, Gerard’s face lit up. “Sandra and I have discussed this, knowing that the Battalion Commander will follow His Majesty back to Kadmium. Since the Battalion Commander will retire, so will I, and Sandra and I will move to Gurani Island to work under the Inheritor!”

Laz’s eyes narrowed a bit and gave the excited man a dull look. “You’re going to settle on the island and work for my wife?”

Gerard nodded, unable to conceal his pride. “Yes, Battalion Commander!”

Lucian squinted. “And you’ve told Beks your plans?”

Gerard smiled even wider. “Her ladyship was very impressed with Sandra and asked if Sandra and I wanted to settle on Gurani when she became governor to aid her.”

Lucian lazily turned his head towards his brother. “Laz, your people were poached.”

Laz rolled his eyes. “Beks will need all the trustworthy help she can get. Besides, we will also be moving to Gurani Island.”

“True,” Lucian agreed. “Where Beks is, we will go. I don’t plan to live in a separate courtyard from my wife like Adah, let alone a separate territory.”

Gerard tilted his head. “But, who will stay with His Majesty?”

Laz and Lucian handed their weapons to the awaiting servants. “He has Sister Eleanor,” they chorused at once.

“Gerard, you’re dismissed for the evening,” Laz said. “Tomorrow, we’ll go to the entrance to take a look at the valley. We may see how far Beks and the others have come with their road.”

Gerard nodded, saluted them, and waited until they entered their inner courtyard to go to the former sundries shack nearby where he was sleeping to remain close to the Battalion Commander.

Inside the courtyard, Laz rolled his shoulders back and Lucian lifted a hand to rub the base of his neck.

“We should’ve asked Beks to rub our shoulders and facilitate a biha-rich bath for us to ease our muscles before she left since we’ve been practicing so much,” Lucian said.

“There will be plenty of chances later,” Laz replied. “You take a bath first. It should be ready by now. I’ll go after you.”

“I’ll call for them to change the water afterwards.”

Lucian went into the smallest of the three buildings in the inner courtyard first and Laz entered their bedchamber, where lanterns had already been lit. He was a bit sore from all his practice as of recently. On the island, no matter how much he practiced or did physical labor, there were always the bihar-rich pools. There were several in the palace and with different temperatures, so they could pick what they needed. One dip could revitalize him.

Thinking of this, Laz had to give Gerard credit. The man was smarter than he gave him credit for deciding to move to the island. Well...he’s not the only one who wants to move there.

Though it was underdeveloped and without the luxuries of a city like Kadmium, there was something relaxing about being there, away from the frustrating stubbornness of courtiers or the constant march and training of the battalion.

Perhaps it was because while there, even knowing that they’d have to fight to get his brother back on the throne, they had a peaceful home life. He had a taste of warm domesticity and didn’t want to give it up.

“I want to go back to the island.” Lucian threw open the door, his hair wet and Laz was drawn out of his thoughts from where he had been hovering over the organizational plans to leave the plateau.

He raised his brow and grinned a bit. “Was the bath not to your liking?”

“We’ve been spoiled. On the island, soaking in the bath revitalizes your body. More so when Beks was there to use her biha. The lasting effects of a bath are nowhere near as good here,” Lucian said as he ran a towel through his hair.

“This only makes me want to get this all over with as soon as possible so we can go home.”

Lucian paused and looked at him. “You consider the island home?” Laz raised a knowing brow and held his gaze. Lucian nodded once and continued to dry his hair. “Yes, you’re right. I’ve considered it home since we began to live with her, too.”

Laz cracked a smile as he pushed himself up and walked past his brother. “Our lives have been constantly watched and threatened since Adah died. Perhaps even earlier and we simply didn’t know. Anywhere we can lower our guard and rest is home.”

Lucian nodded. They could not lower their guard at the Gilded Palace, at the legion training facilities or on patrols, and not at the Great Temple. Just on the island.

Laz walked out of the main building to go to the bath house. The servants were just leaving after replacing the water and Laz gave them a small nod to thank them before entering and walking behind the screen. He removed his dirty clothes and tossed them on to a basket before bringing his robe closer to the large, half-barrel shaped tub with steam coming out of it.

He dipped his hand in the water, satisfied with the heat before climbing in and sitting, allowing the water to reach his neck before leaning back and closing his eyes.

Even now, his thoughts were on the procession of leaving the plateau and regrouping outside of the Forbidden Valley. Once they left, a several thousand strong cavalry could not be hidden. The march to Langshe included cutting through busy trading routes. By the time they reached Langshe, Tarkan would know.

Laz narrowed his eyes. But would that matter? At that point, the Red Iron Cavalry was already at his doorstep. Tarkan would have no choice but to fight. They needed to find out more about Tarkan’s forces and made a mental note to give Beks time alone so she could contact whoever it was she contacted who was able to give her such detailed information that even their cousin and brother did not receive.

She never brought up where she got her news and he never showed interest. Whatever was in her hands was probably from their mother, and if it went to Beks, his mother had a reason. Laz took a deep breath. He hoped that when Laurence retook the throne, he would not keep Beks too long and allow her to enjoy her life, not just spend it in an office, reviewing court proposals and policy.

Although, knowing Beks, she’d do that on Gurani Island instead. He chuckled to himself. At the very least, on Gurani Island, Beks would be in control.

A knock came from the wooden door and Laz opened his eyes. For a moment, he wondered if he’d been soaking for long, but one glance at his fingertips that were still smooth, and he dismissed the thought.

“No attendant is needed! You may retire!” he shouted as he closed his eyes. Before he could sink further into the water, the knocking continued. His brows knit together and he frowned, opening his eyes to glare in the direction of the door. “I said you may retire!”

The opposite of his order happened and he heard the door creak open. He frowned and sat up, his arms rising on the edges of the tub as he saw the silhouette of a figure against the screen separating the tub from the door. His skin began to crawl as the figure approached and it was clear that it was too short and thin to be Lucian or Gerard; the only two present who’d dare disturb him.

“What is it?” Laz shouted once more. “Is there a message?” That was the only reason he could think that someone would walk in when he was bathing. He prepared to stand and reach for his robe on a stool beside the tub, but the figure walked out, past the screen.

Water splashed over the edges of the tub as Laz sat back down, his face darkening as he narrowed his eyes.

“Good evening, Your Highness.” A quiet voice of a young woman spoke up as a pair of big, brown eyes stole glances from him.

Laz sat frozen in the quickly cooling tub of water, wondering what was going on. While there were many female soldiers in the cavalry, and would be sent to run errands and send messages, it was highly inappropriate for a woman to send him one, especially during his rest time when a relationship could be misconstrued.

He clenched his jaw. I need to speak to the Commanders about this. They were the ones who arranged for the attendants in the courtyard they were living in. Across from him, the young woman had her dark hair down against her pale skin. She was petite and wearing a robe. Not the usual robes used during practice, but one that was worn at home and likely to bed. The realization hit him and he bristled. “Get out.”

His voice dripped with venom as his good hand twitched, gripping the side of the tub. Dozens of furious thoughts ran through his mind. Who was this woman? Who sent her? Who would daresend her? It was well known that he and Lucian were married.

The young woman bowed her head. “Your Highness, I am here to serve you.

His chest constricted and he had to swallow the bile that rose up.

“Who dares give such a brazen order! I don’t want anyone to serve me! Leave at once!” Laz shouted, slapping the surface of the water with his arm.

The woman shrank back and seemed to pale. She lowered her head. “Your Highness, do you find me ugly?”

She wasn’t, at least by normal standards, but Laz answered immediately. “Yes! Hideous! Disgusting!” His words must’ve stung, as she flinched. “What kind of woman approaches a married man when his wife is away? Get out at once before I have you thrown out!”

Perhaps it was his choice of words, but though the woman appeared embarrassed, she didn’t turn around and leave. She stood in place and even straightened her back. “Your Highness, allow me to attend to you. You have been practicing with a spear for so many days. You must be tired.”

Alarms rang in his head as he tensed. His body grew cold as a low, dangerous voice slipped out. “How did you know that? Have you been watching me?” He grit his teeth, silently cursing himself for not bringing a weapon. “Who sent you!?”

She didn’t answer. Her pale, slender hands rose and began to untie her robe. Laz’s eyes nearly bulged out.

“What are you doing? I said get out!”

“If you wanted me to leave, you wouldn’t remain seated,” the woman said with a determined expression on her face. “Let me serve you, Your Highness. You won’t regret it.”

His shoulders trembled with fury. He gasped the side of the tub and just as he stood up, the entire room was consumed in darkness. The woman cried out with a scream, but Laz ignored her as he all but flew out of the tub, put on his robe, and shot out of the bathing house.

Just as he stepped out into the lantern-lit courtyard, someone came flying out of the main house. He turned his head, his eyes widening as a woman ran out, her hands clawing her face as she screamed that she was blind.

Like the woman who’d entered the bathing house, she was also wearing thin, loose robes not meant to be worn outside.

“Guards!” Lucian’s furious voice filled the courtyard as he stepped out of the main house, his entire body almost glowing with fury. His blue eyes had a hazy light and his hair was still half wet.

The woman stumbling out into the courtyard waved her arms in front of her, a horrified look on her pale face as she began to cry.

Laz ignored her and walked to his brother. “Did someone send you a woman, too?”

Hearing this, Lucian’s face reddened further. “What do you mean ‘too’?”

Crashing was heard from the bathing house as a woman screamed and fell out of the door. Her eyes were wide and she was shaking as she looked around. Her clothes and hair were wet, and she’d likely fallen into the tub when she couldn’t see.

“I can see again!”

Lucian’s face darkened, as well. Laz sneered as he watched the two women, one shaken from being trapped in darkness and the other unable to see at all. Laz sneered as Lucian raise his hand. “They set their gazes so high. Don’t they know looking into the sun will blind them?”

Laz held out his hand to calm him. “No, let me.”

In the dim light of the courtyard, dark shadows gathered around Laz before sinking to the ground and moving along the courtyard floor like a river towards the two women. One couldn’t see it coming while the other didn’t notice until it was too late. Laz’s shadows enveloped their bodies and wrapped around their heads, their eyes darkening.

The confused yelling gave way to shrill, terrified screaming in an instant.

The guards who’d arrived stood in place, unsure of what to do as the women began backing up, holding out their arms and trying to fight off invisible adversaries.

“Don’t! No! I don’t want to die! I don’t want to die!”

“Leave me alone! I didn’t do anything!”

Laz’s hand flexed at his side. “Since they have such dark hearts as to seduced married men, let them see what horrors the darkness can truly hold.”

Shadow biha was the rarest of all biha, and for the most, the least studied. Aside from darkening rooms or a certain area around the user, it was seen as a rather useless form of biha. Shadows couldn’t become physical, after all. They couldn’t hold onto things, shield the user from projectiles and attacks, or be used to investigate a location like wind biha.

But Laz had learned early on that it could be used to induce fear.

Humans did not like the darkness. Or rather, they did not like what was unknown lurking within the darkness: predatory animals, unsafe roads, enemies in ambush. Shadow biha would weaken a human’s sense of sight, which would make most people panic if their vision were suddenly taken away because they were suddenly more vulnerable.

High level shadow biha not only blocked vision, it could also alter it and manipulate one’s sense of touch as shadow biha was also cold. It was an easy matter to make someone believe something was there when it was not.

Laz watched with disgust and hatred as the women frantically fought off phantoms that only they could see and feel against their skin. Their earlier demure faces had twisted with terror and their clothes were covered with dirt from falling over themselves. Tears streamed down their faces as they screamed and cried, wanting to run, but appearing trapped.

“What are they seeing?” Lucian asked.

“The undead. Langshe has a lot of superstitious beliefs regarding the dead,” Laz replied.

“And how long will this last?”

Laz only had enough biha for a few minutes of virtual terror, and he frowned. “Not long enough.”

“Your Highnesses, should we restrain them?” one of the guards who had arrived seemed hesitant to constrain the women, as they were flinging their arms and kicking their legs, as well as wearing clothing that threatened to fall at any moment, putting the male guards in an awkward position with them.

“It's fine,” Laz said in a cold voice. “The visions won’t last much longer. Though, this should also induce a few months of nightmares.”

Lucian smirked a bit. “People can die from lack of sleep, you know.”

“I know.”

The guards shuddered and waited until the women began to lose energy. Before they could approach them, the main gate to the courtyard was thrown open. The guards who had been stationed outside appeared at a loss as the Right Commander rushed in, also in his house robes.

His eyes fell on one of the young women who was on her knees and crying for the ghosts to leave her alone. His face paled and he rushed forward. “Chinua!” He grabbed onto her shoulders, but instead of calming her, his touch only sent her into a frenzy.

“No!” Before, the ‘ghosts’ she saw were untouchable, but this time, something solid touched her. She let out a blood curdling scream before her eyes rolled back and she fainted in the man’s arms.

The Right Commander shook her shoulders. “Chinua! Chinua!” He trembled and looked back to the main house, where the twin princes were standing impassively on the steps of the house, watching as if they were not part of it all. The Right Commander’s face flushed as he reddened. He put the young woman down and stood up. “What have you done to my daughter?”

A chill swept through Laz. From the corner of his eye, he saw Lucian’s expression grow cold. His brother’s voice was like ice. “Are those two women your daughters?”

“Chinua is my only daughter!” The Right Commander yelled back. “What is going on? Why was she screaming?”

Laz frowned. “Was it you who sent them to me and Jargal?”

His eyes were fixed on the older man and saw the brief look of guilt in his eye before it was taken over by disgust and anger. It was enough for Laz to release the oppressive aura of shadow biha into the air. The Right Commander took a step back, but quickly straightened his back and lifted his chin, appearing just as confident as his daughter had been when she approached Laz.

“What if I was? What does that have anything to do with my daughter’s condition? She didn’t deserve what you did to her!”

Lucian’s brows shot up, stunned that the man had no problem with it. Laz narrowed his eyes, now disappointed as well as angry. Before he could reply, another woman screamed and rushed into the courtyard. The middle-aged woman was dressed well, but shaken as she fell to her knees beside the unconscious Chinua, whose chest had been half exposed when she fainted.

The middle-aged woman quickly covered her daughter with her shawl and gathered her against her, looking up and around for the guilty party.

“Who did this!? Who did this to my daughter!?” she shrieked.

For a moment, Laz thought of the Duchess of Caroline, whose calm, but cold demeanor would’ve had another reaction had she been in that woman’s place. Had it been the Duchess, she would’ve found the guilty party at once, with few words, and that guilty party would never be able to speak again.

Laz frowned. “You should ask your husband,” he said in a low voice. “We did not request anyone to ‘serve’ us, but your husband sent your daughter.”

“My daughter is a kind and beautiful young woman! She has many admirers and was born to a good family! How can you treat her like this? She is more than suitable for you!” The middle-aged woman didn’t shift the blame to her husband.

“Your shameless daughter entered our courtyard and dared to seduce a married man,” Lucian replied in a dull voice for all to hear. The guards tensed up and the middle-aged woman’s face flushed with humiliation.

She couldn’t seem to accept someone speaking so ill of her daughter and shot up, rushing to claw at Lucian’s face, forgetting who he was. She didn’t make it three steps before she was thrown back by a gust of wind.

Gerard yawned and squinted. “I heard screaming. The guards stopped me from coming through the door, so I climbed over the wall,” he said. No wonder he had taken so long. “What happened?”

“It seems that the Right Commander and his wife sent their daughter to seduce us,” Laz replied.

Gerard nearly choked, Laz’s words immediately waking him up. “But you’re married! Her ladyship just left a few days ago!”

“She left her husbands unattended! What kind of wife is that? She failed her duty to her husbands and is not deserving of the title of princess! My daughter is much more suitable! She has all the grace and elegance of a noble wife!”

Gerard stared at the middle-aged woman who had crawled back to her daughter. “Are you crazy?”

Laz looked back at the Right Commander. “Do you support this?” he asked, his eyes boring into the older man. “Our wife has been gone for a few days and you sent your daughter to us in hopes of her taking our wife’s place?”

The Right Commander’s hands turned into fists at his sides. “No matter what, there is no reason for you to drive my daughter into madness like this!” He shouted and motioned towards his unconscious daughter.

“And there is no reason for you to have us betray our wife, Right Commander. We misjudged you,” Lucian said in a distant voice. “Take your filthy-minded daughter, her companion, and your wife away.”

“Your Highnesses! How can do this to my daughter?” the Right Commander demanded, unwilling to move. “She has suffered so much! What about her reputation?”

“Her reputation-” Gerard balked.

“Then, let one of the guards here marry her,” Laz said, waving his handless arm around. “There are plenty and they are all skilled soldiers.”

“No!” The Right Commander’s wife yelled. “My daughter is a noble! She can’t marry just anyone! You must make amends!”

“Amends?” The more they spoke, the more infuriated Lucian seemed to become. “What have we done except punish those who have wronged us? Did we ask for women to serve us? Did we ask for anyone to serve us? No. They came of their own volition and when ordered to leave, they refused. They refused us. Gerard, what are we?”

“You and the Battalion Commander are Princes of Kadmus, Your Highness, as well as the generals of the Red Iron Cavalry.”

“And what happens when they refuse our orders?” Lucian’s words seemed to remind the Right Commander and his wife of something else. “Is that not called insubordination?”

“No...no, she is not a soldier! She is my daughter!” The Right Commander almost wheezed as he fell to his knees in front of them. “She only wanted to serve you-”

“But you condoned her actions, did you not?” Laz asked. He clicked his tongue and took a step forward, looming over the older man. “Commander Feiyun, it seems that we have given you the mistaken impression that we are merciful people. That because we have been patient to everyone, encouraging, and attentive to our wife, that we are kind and therefore, accept being wronged.”

He heard Gerard chuckle a bit behind him. Gerard had followed him into battle. He’d seen how ‘kind’ Laz could be.

Lucian stood beside Laz. “Our kindness is reserved for certain people, and it is our mistake to let you believe you were one of them.”

“Let me be clear, Commander Feiyun,” Laz said as he leaned forward and forced the Right Commander to look up at him with the tip of the spear. “As kind as we are, we can be just as cruel.”

The spear moved to the side and pointed at his shoulder. Without a word, Laz slowly pressed the tip of the spear into the Right Commander’s shoulder until it pierced his thin clothing and a dark liquid began to stain his shoulder. The Right Commander flinched, but didn’t move out of the way. How could he with all of Laz’s biha pressing against him.

“Forgive me, Your Highness,” the Right Commander said in a trembling voice as Laz wrapped his shadow biha around him. “I should not have allowed my daughter to come to you.”

“You have acted out of line, Right Commander,” Laz said. “If you act out of line now, how can we be sure you won’t do so later.”

The color from the man’s face drained and he trembled. Swallowing hard, he jerked forward, causing the spear steadily gripped in Laz’s good hand to go deeper into his flesh. His brows began to sweat as he wheezed.

“Weiyun Khan!” Master Bilguun rushed through the gates, appearing to have been pulled from his study as the Left Commander arrived behind him. The Left Commander’s brows shot up and he sucked in a sharp breath, almost freezing in place when he saw the situation in front of him.

The Right Commander was on his knees with a spear tip in his left shoulder while the Right Commander’s wife was clinging to their unconscious daughter. A few paces away, another woman lay passed out, and a half dozen guards circled the courtyard, unmoving.

His jaw dropped. “What....”

“What did I tell you?” Master Bilguun shouted at the man on his knees. “Do not get involved with the private relations of the princes! Yet you still allowed your daughter to enter their courtyard? Have you lost your mind?”

The Right Commander’s head seemed to lower more. “Master, I made a mistake-”

“Do you know what the Princess would do if your mistake succeeded?” Master Bilguun looked as if he wanted to pull his gray hair out in frustration. “I told you not to get involved! Now look at your daughter! Her condition is your fault!”

“But Master, it was His Highness-”

“Oh, you blame me?” Laz asked in a cold voice. The entire courtyard save Lucian and Gerard shuddered. “Your daughter wanted to ruin my marriage by inserting herself where she didn’t belong, and you blame me for rejecting her?” He sneered as the spear trembled with fury. He pulled it out, making sure to twist it as he did in order to injure the Right Commander just a bit more. “You are lucky that all I did was give her nightmares.”

The Left Commander shut his eyes and took a deep breath. “Someone carry out the other woman and place her in the drunkard yard. Someone will come looking for her. The rest of you, never speak of this again.”

“No,” Laz said in a low voice. “Let them speak. Let word spread of what Commander Weiyun and his family did. What his daughter tried to do.”

“Your Highness, no, please! I beg you!” The Right Commander prostrated himself on the ground, almost slamming his head on the pavement. “Do not! This was my mistake! I stepped out of line! Please do not punish my daughter and ruin her reputation!”

“You are the one who ruined her reputation!” Laz almost yelled. Lucian put a hand on his shoulder to try to restrain him from stabbing the commander’s other shoulder, but Laz continued to seethe. “For our father’s sake and your loyalty to him, we will not spread news of this. However, what is done is done. You and your family have received your punishment. When you hear your daughter’s screams of terror in the middle of the night, when she is unable to eat or sleep, remember that I did that. When you and your wife watch her lose her mind to the night terrors, remember that I did that. That is the price of plotting against us. Do you understand?”

The Right Commander kept his head against the ground. “Yes, Your Highness. I will not step out of line again.”

“There will be no second time, Commander Weiyun,” Lucian said as his expressionless face loomed over the commander. His voice was loud enough for the entire courtyard to hear. “If we are betrayed again, nightmares will be the last of your worries.”

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Beks wiped the sweat off her forehead before adjusting her straw hat and lifting the spyglass up. She sat on a ledge Efran created along what would be the ‘eye’ of one of the monkey ridges in order to get a better view of the valley. Rid Callan and the others were finishing the final stretch of the road that connected the base of the mountain to the mouth of the dry riverbed path.

Beks and Efran had set out early in the morning to hike up the ridge in order to get a good viewing point. Using the strong spyglass, she was able to see the top of the sentry towers of the fort at the bottom of the mountain. Due to the canopy, she couldn’t see anything lower, so she arranged to have bright yellow strips of clothing raised when the procession had reached the fortress.

“Are they up, my lady?” Efran asked behind her.

Beks lowered the spyglass before handing it to him. “Yes, the front of the cavalry caravan arrived at the fortress. I don’t think they’ll be stopping now, but will walk as far as they can on the road before they settle for the night.”

Efran nodded. “It is good that we built those stone walls around the area between the fortress and the ramp leading up to the road.”

“The fortress gates will be open until the last of the cavalry comes through. While they are coming, we need to plan ahead. Rid Callan and the others can rest for a few days before moving on to the canyon and unsealing the exit,” Beks replied.

They estimated that it would take them ten days, at the least, to build a suitable road with all the design elements they needed, from pass throughs for animals underneath to bridges over rivers and streams. There were also gutters and holes along the base of the low walls so animal byproduct could be swept off the road. Above them, on the interior side of the wall, were another set of gutters meant to catch rain and hold water to be used as a water source, as once they were on the road, they could not get off without reaching the other end or turning back.

Rid Norddottir had pre-filled those water gutters, and instructions had been sent back to tell the cavalry how the designs of the elevated road were to be used.

It had been twelve days, so they were running a little over the schedule, but not by much. They would still reach the sealed entrance before the cavalry reached them.

“Shall we return, my lady?” Efran asked.

Beks nodded. “Yes, we should have a good rest. Tomorrow, we will go through the canyon to do any expansion work to accommodate the cavalry. Lt. Commander said that it had been expanded before, the first time they came through, but it’s been almost thirty years.”

“Yes, my lady.” Efran returned the spyglass to her and Beks wrapped it up, putting it in her satchel as Efran put his hands on the stone ground. He furrowed his brows and concentrated before a crack was heard and the ground shook a bit. The jagged cliffside behind them smoothened out into a shallow trench that hugged the side of the mountain. Efran puffed and wiped his own forehead. “It got to the bottom of the mountain this time!”

“Good job, Efran,” Beks said. “All those exercises have really paid off for you.” She scooted to the top of the trench and put her legs inside. “Have you considered when we return to the island, teaching earth biha?”

Efran jerked his head back, surprised. “Do you think I can, my lady?”

“While you may not be a master yet, you are fast approaching. I believe in you, Efran.” Beks gave him a nod before pushing herself of the top and sliding down the trench. She let out an excited laugh as she slid along the smooth and steep stone, turning with each corner of the mountain.

Her siblings would’ve been so jealous, even Deo. The amount of time it took to reach the mouth of the dry riverbed was only a fraction of the morning it took for the two of them to climb up. Beks slowed down as she reached the bottom and stretched out before she pushed herself up.

Rid Callan and the other Thirnir looked up from where they were resting in the shadow of the ridge. Three of the escorts from the cavalry were preparing a fire for their meal. All of them prepared to stand up seeing her, but she raised her hand to stop them.

“Is the road complete?” she asked as she dusted off her pants.

“My lady, the section of elevated road connecting us to the base of the mountain is complete,” Rid Callan reported, standing up regardless. “Would you like to check?”

“I would,” Beks said. The Thirnir surrounded Beks as they led her to the edge of the road. It was connected to the very opening of the dry riverbed, as just at the opening there was a drop off into the valley. To go down, a makeshift road had been carved to one side of the innermost ridge.

However, no one had come to take care of the old road since they last used it and it was clear it had fallen into disrepair. It wasn’t meant to last; just to work when needed. The sides of the ridge that would have led to the old road were closed off to prevent any animals from wandering in.

The transition from manmade road to riverbed was smooth. The problem was that now the canyon was narrower than the road. Beks made a note to send this problem to the twins in that evening’s eagle message so they could prepare.

As for everything else, Beks was more than satisfied.

“I’m fairly certain that when we reach the Vents of the Underworld, the process will be faster, as the distance is shorter,” Rid Callan told her.

“Yes, but the height must be taller to avoid the fumes,” Beks said.

“That will not be a problem, my lady. I will follow the location of the previous road. I am sure there are visible remnants, even if it was destroyed,” Rid Callen replied.

They returned to the shade to eat and wait for the three other escorts, including the Lt. Commander, to return from doing the first survey of the canyon. It was almost sunset when they finally arrived and reported that, as she had suspected, there were some parts of the canyon that had shifted, creating some obstacles like fallen rock debris that would hinder the cavalry.

“It sounds like the pass at the Giant’s Ridge,” Efran said. “It shouldn’t be a problem.”

Rid Callan laughed and patted the young man’s shoulder with a smile in his eyes. “Look at you, so confident now! As expected for my pupil.”

Beks sat on her seat, smiling as she ate some food off of large, broad leaves they were using as plates. Efran flushed and Rid Haal asked if he knew any other biha-users who were promising back on the island.

Efran’s eyes lit up and excitedly talked about all the other biha users he knew who were trying to strengthen themselves on the island.

Aside from the Lt. Commander, the escorts didn’t understand what Efran was saying. However, the Lt. Commander looked curious.

“Your Highness,” he said, looking towards Beks. “Is the island Efran speaking of your territory?”

Beks nodded. “It is,” she said. “It’s not very large. At least not right now, and it is very rural. Our villages are just starting to develop and we lack many things, but those that have resettled it appear satisfied. Aside from the dangerous animals and toxic plants and water here, the climate is similar to the Forbidden Valley. Humid, hot, with lush greenery. There is a lot of bihar here, too, but the air is...dense, so it is not as refreshing as on the island.”

She’d wondered about this when she noticed that there weren’t many biha users on the plateau after all her rounds around. Perhaps one generation exposed to such bihar rich conditions wasn’t enough to cause a significant boom in users, or even strengthen the ones who would be born with them, but then she found that though the air was bihar-rich, she was stifled. As if absorbing it was more difficult.

When she asked the Thirnir and the twins, they agreed. They didn’t notice at first, as Beks filled their biha wells herself, but when they absorbed it naturally, they weren’t absorbing as much as they should’ve considering how rich the environment was. Bihar-rich environments could not only encourage healing, but fill biha wells faster. That wasn’t the case in the Forbidden Valley. Beks wondered if this was because of stele and done purposely.

She hoped that there was a tablet with more information back on the island. She was convinced that the Forbidden Valley had at one point been part of Gah-ruhn. She hadn’t told anyone else, but if it was, she was considering reclaiming it.

The Lt. Commander nodded and thought for a moment. “Do you need workers to help develop your territory?”

Beks raised a brow and lowered her leaf plate. “Are you interested, Lt. Commander?”

“There are many young people on the plateau who wish to leave and see the world. After this campaign concludes, I don’t believe all of those youths wish to return to the plateau. Some may wish to settle elsewhere, which is understandable,” the man replied. “We are not certain if we will be welcomed back to Langshe and as a foreign military force, we are also not certain we will be accepted into Kadmus.”

Beks was certain this was something that weighed on the minds of many people, whether they were soldiers in the cavalry or their families.

“Our island is small,” Beks said. At once, the Lt. Commander’s hopeful expression fell. “But, we can take some people. I am looking into my territory’s history, as I suspect that there are places that can be reclaimed.”

Her words attracted the attention of the other cavalry escorts. “You have more territory, Your Highness?” one of the young women asked.

Beks thought for a moment. “Not yet, but there is a swath of territory I am considering. At the very least, there will be an outpost territory.” Aceria was waiting to be officially claimed, after all.

However, Beks thoughts were not on Aceria, but on the portion of water between the northeast tip of the island and the southernmost tip of a jagged mountain range that fed into the mountains that surrounded the Forbidden Valley. At the moment, there was a significant trade route hugging that stretch of coastline, but there were no actual settlements. The nearest ones were a small village on the border of Kadmus and a town on the other side which was already in the Principality of Varkana’s outer territory.

It was the route she wanted to use with her brother and father, but failed to realize that a border stele had been placed somewhere in the area that would ward them away. Not that it mattered any longer when they had removed their exile markings.

Beneath that stretch of water was the tunnel that went from the Forbidden Valley to the island, and Beks suspected that the land bridge that had sunk due to a natural disaster had once been there. Her mother had even commented that it was surprisingly shallow in the area when they sailed over it.

If there was a way to reconnect the island to the mainland, and to the Forbidden Valley, then wouldn’t she be able to lay claim to the Forbidden Valley as part of Gah-ruhn?

And if she could, how would she deal with the dangers present in the valley?

The corner of her eye twitched as an answer suddenly came to mind: stele had been used to protect the island and to shield the plateau. It was likely that stele were also used influence the environment in the Forbidden Valley itself. If she could find the stele and negate them, the environment would change.

However, change likely wouldn’t be immediately.

“Still, it would be good if I could claim this valley….” She muttered. The Lt. Commander looked surprised at her words.

“You…you want to conquer the Forbidden Valley? Your Highness, surviving within it is one thing, but laying claim over it is too dangerous. There is a reason why no country has ever conquered it,” he told her with knit brows.

Beks nodded. “I don’t know about the water or the plant life, but the animals recorded don’t seem to be high level legendary beasts with consciousness. If that is the case, I may have someone who can…get them under control.”

“Someone?” The other escorts looked excited. “Who?”

Beks looked up. “His name is Snowflake.”

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