The Wicked House of Caroline

The fire fizzled out from the signals Beks ordered Rid Haal to send into the sky. She raised the spyglass and looked out into the horizon, well past the Vents of the Underworld and the forest in the distance. She waited for the reply.

“One...two...and three....” The last flare was a three-count flare of fire as opposed to the first two, which were fireballs thrown into the sky. “Mark the direction, Efran. Northwest. Approximately a day’s travel outside of the Vents.”

“Yes, my lady,” Efran replied. He spread out the map on the ground. “That is just past the Karesian Caravan Route, so we will be crossing a portion of it. The nearest open area will be north of it, but away from the main road.”

Beks lowered the spyglass and nodded. “Then, that matches with the rendezvous coordinates Jonas gave us.”

“Who is with him, my lady?” Rid Haal asked.

“Brother Deo, some Thirnir, a hundred Wild Dogs, and a few Drangan warriors,” Beks replied.

“Your Highness,” the Lt. Commander from the cavalry who stayed to escort her took a careful step forward. “Will the Emperor Zhan come?”

“Not yet. He is further away,” Beks replied with a heavy sigh. “But, he must come.” Laz and Lucian were related to the Langshe Imperial Family, and even had Langshe titles, but they were still Kadmus princes, so Beks worried there would be some hesitation from the cavalry.

In particular, from the officers, who had lingering concerns about two Kadmus princes using the Red Iron Cavalry.

Beks wasn’t an idiot who believed they were blindly loyal. Everyone had their own reasons. If they were lucky, after the Crown Prince took his throne, then at least half of the Red Iron Cavalry would be willing and could be used for Laurence to retake his. Even a fraction of the cavalry along with their amassing troops would be enough to force Luther’s side to end things quickly.

This was because the cavalry could be used as a symbolic backing from Langshe.

The Lt. Commander let out a low breath of relief and nodded. He looked down at the thick walls of the canyon they were on. At this height, the toxic fumes and heat from the Vents in the field below didn’t affect them. Even the scent of sulfur could barely be smelled.

Of course, they still had to open a way out through these canyon walls, and then build a road even higher than the one that was built across the valley. The Lt. Commander had been there the first time they crossed and it had taken a lot of time to build, as their biha users were nowhere near as skilled as Rid Callan or even Efran.

“How long will it take to open an exit and create a road across?” the man asked as he followed the field with smoking vents below with his eyes.

“It shouldn’t take long, Lt. Commander,” Efran replied in shaky and broken Langshe. “With Master Callan, it will be created soon.”

“It will take longer for the cavalry to cross than for it to be built,” Beks replied. She let out a heavy breath. It was so much work to move so many people. They hadn’t left the Forbidden Valley yet, and she was already tired.

“Your Highness!” A voice shouted from the bottom of the canyon behind them, and the three of them turned around. Two of the other escorts were waiting in the shade, but another had arrived on horseback. “Your Highness! Their Highnesses have reached the mouth of the riverbed!”

Beks perked up. She’d come to check if her brother had reached the rendezvous point that day, after not getting a reply to their initial signal the day before. Now that she knew they were there, she could relax a bit.

“Efran!” Beks stood up and slung her satchel round her shoulder.

Efran rolled up the map and slipped it into his own bag before kneeling down beside the edge of the canyon wall and narrowing his eyes. Beks could sense biha collecting in his arms and nodded in satisfaction, both at Efran’s incredible improvement and at her increased biha sensitivity.

The ground sounded with cracks before another slide was created along the cliff walls. The day before, Rid Callan had created stairs to go up and down from their vantage point, but stairs were not as fun to go down as slides.

Beks sat down and let out a giggle as she slid down. Lt. Commander followed after her, flushing with embarrassment for having to come down in such a childish manner, with Efran behind him.

When they reached the floor, Beks was handed the reins of her borrowed horse. There were so many horses in the cavalry that they weren’t given names unless they belonged and were cared for by someone in particular. Beks had been given one of the ‘spare’ horses, which she named Patches because she had patches of brown and gray over white.

She mounted Patches and immediately gave her a gentle kick to go back into the canyon. The day before, Rid Callan and Efran had spent time clearing as much of the canyon as possible and widening any particularly narrow points to prevent as much funneling as possible.

Wider areas within the dry riverbed canyon could be used as watering areas for horses, so large chunks of fallen canyon wall were moved over and turned into watering troughs for horses. The dry riverbed didn’t have a source of water underground. Rather, from what Beks and Rid Norddottir deduced, it only became a river when it rained hard and there was runoff.

Rid Norddottir told her that in such a setting, a river could form very quickly and one might not be able to get out in time. After finding this out, Beks couldn’t help but pay attention to the sky. Once they reached the canyons that formed a barrier around the Forbidden Valley, the unique tropical climate inside was left behind and it turned arid.

Dust was kicked up in a cloud as they rode through the canyon, passing where Rid Callan was evening out the road. He glanced up as they passed and Beks heard Efran shout that the princes had arrived to inform the Thirnir.

Beks and her escorts trotted through the cleared canyon until they rounded the corner and could see the tops of the canyon walls that stopped before opening up to the valley.

“Beks!” Two men were standing in the shade of the canyon with a handful of others, but walked towards her as Patches slowed down.

“Laz! Lucian!” She couldn’t help the smile that filled her face as she saw them in good condition, not stressed by the travel so far. She pulled back on the reins and dismounted into Lucian’s awaiting arms.

He pulled her against him and squeezed her tight before loosening his hold so Laz could do the same. She put her arms around their shoulders and pulled them close to her, placing her head between their shoulders.

“Thank you,” Laz whispered in her ear as he subtly tilted his head to kiss her hair.

Beks smiled and kissed his cheek and then Lucian’s before pulling back. “I just gave orders and refilled biha wells. Rid Callan, Efran, and the others did all the work.”

She stepped back, but still held a hand in each of hers. For a moment, she didn’t want to be disconnected from them. The two princes didn’t pull away and moved in tandem to stay close to her.

“Your Highness.” Several voices greeted her and she looked over her shoulder. Her smile widened as several older men bowed their heads.

“You’ve worked hard,” Beks said. She looked at the old man being fanned in the shade and grinned. “Master Bilguun, I thought you weren’t going to come on the campaign?”

The old man snorted. “Do you know how boring it is in that valley?”

“Fair point,” Beks said with a smile. “It’s almost sunset. I suggest everyone camps where they are for the night. In the morning, we will continue out of the canyon and over the Vents.”

Master Bilguun as well as the Left and Right Commanders were taken aback. “The road is ready?”

“No, but it will be,” Beks said, as if the feat they’d watched take weeks to do were as simple as breathing. She looked around to see who else had arrived. From the plans she’d received via messenger eagle, the fahns were led by their Vice Captains while the Captains and their personal guards followed just behind the princes, who were leading the caravan.

There were soldiers, support personnel, and servants. The Left Commander shook himself out of his stupor and turned to give the order to stop for the night.

“Where are the others?” Laz asked as he looked around, frowning a bit. Only Rid Haal and Efran were with her.

“Rid Callan and Rid Nordottir are evening the floor canyon road. They will camp by the end of the canyon,” Beks said. “If you didn’t arrive today, I would’ve, as well.”

“Is it far from here?”

“No. Less than an hour on with the horse trotting. We’ll go first thing in the morning,” Beks told them. She looked around as groups began to create fires around the edges of the canyon and furrowed her brows when she saw a carriage. It was rather old, but well kept, however, it wasn’t meant for war. It had no defenses and was pulled by a single ox. “Why did you bring a carriage?”

The air around them tensed and Beks glanced from one man to the other. Both were frowning, but Lucian looked more irritated than Laz, which was rare. She frowned and pulled them aside.

“The Right Commander’s wife and daughter are here.” Laz broke the news to her and Beks frowned at once.

“It’s dangerous to bring non-military soldiers onto the field. Why is he bringing his family?” She thought they’d all come to an agreement to leave untrained people who would be vulnerable in battle behind for everyone’s safety.

Laz took a deep breath, but Lucian's grip on her hand tightened. She narrowed her eyes as her stomach twisted. Laz grit his teeth. “It’s their punishment to do support service while we march.”

She drew her head back. “Punishment for what?”

Lucian’s voice was even, but his eyes were cold. “The Right Commander sent his daughter to our chambers in hopes that we would become entangled with her.”

“Beks!” Laz and Lucian immediately winced as her hands squeezed theirs so hard, they could barely restrain their expressions.

“And did you?” Her voice dripped with venom, and for a moment, she almost lost control of her biha. She’d already been betrayed once, and though she didn’t have romantic feelings for Luther, she had some trust in him and he shattered that like an idiot.

For these two in front of her, she had those feelings, not to mention more trust in them than a thousand Luthers combined. If they betrayed her, too-

“No!” Panic filled their faces as they rushed towards her. She took a step back, her eyes narrowed and vigilant. “Beks, we kicked them out-”

“Them? There was more than one?” Her voice rose and several people looked her away. From their positions, the princes’ frantic expressions, and Beks’ glare, the topic of the Right Commander’s daughter had likely come up, and no one came to intervene.

Laz held her hand in his palm and rubbed the back of it with the nub of his arm. “They came when we were retiring for the night. Lucian was in the bed chambers and I was bathing-Beks! Your hand!”

Each word angered her further, but the twins persisted under her burning glare and the flood of biha coming out of her.

“The Right Commander sent his daughter, who went to see Laz. Her friend came to see me. We kicked them out immediately! I nearly blinded one permanently and Laz used shadow biha!”

“We didn’t touch them, Beks! I swear it!”

“The Right Commander arranged this?” Her voice was cold, and nearby, Efran shuddered. “When?”

“It happened the night we received notice that you were going to stay in the valley to build the road.”

“He couldn’t even wait a few days? As soon as he heard, he sent his daughter?” Beks almost growled. She threw their hands down. “Bring him and his familyto me.”

Lucian tried to calm her as Laz shouted for someone to summon the Right Commander, his wife, and his daughter. Lucian had Beks take a seat on a flat, protruding piece of stone as she seethed in place.

“We punished him by bringing his family into the field, Beks. They will not sit and wait; they will work. And his daughter is haunted by nightmares induced by Laz’s shadow biha,” Lucian told her. Beks didn’t answer, too caught up in trying to calm herself as waves of anger consumed her. Despite it all, she knew some of these feelings stemmed from what happened a year before.

She’d already been over this in Kadmium where courtiers supported not only her humiliation with her then fiancé having an affair, but her abandonment after everything she’d done to try to keep that kingdom running. What bigger slap in the face could she have received than to have put in so much effort and worked so hard, and still be disrespected by those she put in effort and worked hard for.

Her eyes were glazed over and she stared out into open space, remembering her hard work and support that had been in vain. She remembered how she was pushed out of any kind of control, and how she’d hoped that Luther would at least show her some support and acknowledge what she’d been doing, only to have him infuriate her further.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Laz and Lucian were not Luther. They did not betray her. They were victims, as well. She should not be angry at them.

And she wasn’t.

Her eyes widened just a bit at the realization. She wasn’t angry at them. She was angry that this same dismissal of her efforts was happening again.

But for some reason, her heart still ached.

“Your Highness, forgive me!” She didn’t notice the three people being forced to kneel in front of her, until the largest of them spoke. Beks refocused her eyes on them with an impassive expression on her face.

Her gaze swept across the family of three. She recognized the aging Right Commander, and his family. She had seen his wife and daughter once formally, and a few times in passing, but aside from polite greetings the first time they met, she had no interaction with them. The middle-aged woman’s head was down and while her clothes and hair were neat, her shoulders were slumped forward.

Their daughter appeared even worse. Her hair was frazzled and out of place. Many of the officers of the Red Iron Cavalry could be considered minor nobility, and even with the restricted resources of the plateau, they managed to dress quite well. The daughter’s clothes were wrinkled. Her gaze was empty as she looked at the ground in front of her, her face gaunt and pale with dark circles under her eyes.

Shadow biha was rare and even Beks, with all her foundational knowledge on biha, only knew a little about it. Aside from darkening a set space around the user, the shadows could play with light and skew an opponents’ vision, even making them see things. The young woman kneeling in front of her looked haunted.

Was that what Laz did? “Tell me what I should forgive you for.” Beks turned her attention back to the Right Commander.

He didn’t lift his head. “Your Highness, I sent my daughter to the beds of the two princes.”

The rock she was seated on cracked under her left hand and Beks had to raise her hand and place it on her lap to calm down. “Why.” It was a demand, not a question.

The Right Commander swallowed hard. “Your Highness was not present for several days. The Princes had no one to serve them.”

She narrowed her eyes and leaned forward. “Serve them how.”

The Right Commander hesitated, but his wife spoke up. She lifted her head and Beks could see that she also had dark circles under her puffy eyes. “Serve them as a wife! As their wife, how could you leave them without warning-”

“What gives you the right to make such a decision as to send another woman to warm the beds of my husbands while I am away, putting myself in danger, to ensure the safe travel of the Red Iron Cavalry?” Beks’ slow, low voice cut the woman off. “Or is that something that is expected? That when the wife is separated, the husband has another woman to satisfy him.” Her eyes drifted back to the Right Commander and gave him a curious, almost mocking look. “Is that what you did? After all, why would you act so brazenly if you didn’t find anything wrong with doing so.”

He lowered his eyes at once and his wife tensed. Her shoulders trembled and she looked at her husband with wide eyes.

Though there was plenty of activity happening far behind them with the soldiers setting up camp for the night, it felt as if they were shrouded with an awkward silence.

“Weiyun Khan....” The wife said her husband's name and narrowed her eyes. “Why did you let our daughter go to the princes?”

“Me?” At this, the Right Commander’s voice rose. He snapped his head towards her and glared. “You were the one who complained and said that the Princess was not fit to be the wife of the two princes! You said it wasn’t right that she married both of them, and that she didn’t show the grace and elegance of a Langshe noble daughter, like ours! You said Chinua would be a better wife!”

“You told me the princes would want a companion while their wife was away!”

“I said it waslikely! You’re the one who suggested Chinua go! If one of the princes took a liking to her, then her marriage would be set!”

“Enough!” Laz yelled, his voice echoing around the canyon. The crowds further away seemed to stop what they were doing to turn around and watch. Beks glanced around.

“Efran, shield us.” The young man nodded and around them, a wall was raised that was taller than Beks, blocking them from view. The thickness was relatively even, though the top was misshapen.

Beks still praised him. “Very good, Efran.” She looked back at the family. “Putting aside the shameful actions, this has shown us that not only can you not be trusted, but you do not respect me.” She narrowed her eyes. “What is the point of having a soldier who can’t be trusted and lacks respect?”

The Right Commander prostrated himself on the ground once more. “Forgive me, Your Highness! It was a lapse in judgment! Though I did send my daughter, it was not out of disrespect for you-”

“Not out of disrespect? You sent someone to sleep with my husbands the day I sent a message that I was going to remain in the valley,” Beks said in a steady, cold voice. “The moment my back was turned, you sought to have someone replace me. You expect me to believe that this is not disrespectful?”

“I am willing to accept punishment, Your Highness.” The Right Commander lifted his head. “I only ask that you spare my daughter. She was only being filial and doing what she was told.”

“You’ve ruined your daughter, you know that, don’t you?” Beks asked. “Look at her. She can’t even look ahead straight.”

“Your Highness, our daughter has already suffered! Please have mercy! She hasn’t been able to sleep in many nights!” the woman cried out and reached for her daughter. Before she could touch her, her daughter began to try to push her away, letting out strange, guttural cries before stumbling back and curling into a ball.

Beks glared at the middle-aged woman. “What are you willing to do for your daughter?”

“Anything!” the woman nearly lunged at Beks’ feet. “Please, have His Highness heal our daughter!”

“Shadow biha can’t be retracted,” Beks replied. “The best I can do is allow her to get some sleep.”

The woman’s eyes were red, but she nodded and bowed to the ground. “Please, Your Highness! I am to blame! I will take any punishment as long as my daughter gets better.”

“Anything?” Beks looked at the Right Commander. He shut his eyes and bowed his head once more.

“Anything,” he agreed in a hoarse voice.

“Laz. Lucian.” Beks looked at the two of them. “I will loan you my brother.”

The two looked surprised for a moment, but they understood. They turned back to the Right Commander.

“Commander Weiyun Khan,” Laz began. “You are demoted to Second Lieutenant in the third fahn.”

The Right Commander trembled for a moment, but didn’t answer. The rank was the lowest of the officers and it would make him eligible to ride out into battle. The third fahn was placed at the forefront of the most basic formation, in the dead center.

“Yes, Young General.”

“Your Highness!” The Left Commander, who had been standing awkwardly to the side where Master Bilguun was seated, stepped forward with a frantic expression. “I wish to intervene and plead for his mercy! There needs to be a Right Commander!”

“And there will be,” Laz replied, without batting an eye. “The Right Commander position will be filled once we leave the Forbidden Valley.”

“By whom?” the Left Commander choked out. “One of the Lieutenant Commanders?”

“No, they already have their orders,” Laz said. “We need someone with experience leading an army. Recently.”

“Perhaps...Gerard?” the Left Commander asked. He looked to the side, where Gerard had gone to lead the horses to drink at a water trough and likely avoid being caught up in the fallout of Beks finding out.

“Lt. Commander Gerard is needed at my side,” Laz said. “The Right Commander will be taken over by Commander General Amadeo of Caroline.”

“A Kadmus officer?” The Right Commander nearly sat up straight as his eyes bulged out. “Your Highnesses-”

“Do you know who the Carolines are?” Lucian cut him off.

There was some loss on the Left and Right Commander’s faces, but someone still answered. Master Bilguun chuckled.

“I see...that is the origin of your wife,” he said with a small nod. “The Carolines are the ruling family of the Duchy of Caroline and the guardians of the Northern Pass. They are well known for their skill and strength with biha, and martial abilities producing talented officers and formidable warriors. They sided with the late queen of Kadmus during her revolt and secured support from the remaining duchies and the majority of the marquises. The late Queen’s brothers and fathers had pitiful military support in comparison, as a result. The Carolines have also prevented Northern Kadmus from being attacked by ice beasts since they joined the kingdom. Kadmus’ northern expansion was possible because of them.” He looked at Beks with a smile in his eyes. “So...you are of those Carolines.”

Beks nodded her head once. “I am the daughter of Duke Robert of Caroline and Duchess Sybil of Blythehaus and Caroline, and foster daughter of the late Queen Letizia von Kadmus: Rebecca Anastasia of Caroline.” She gave him a small nod of her head. “A pleasure.”

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

“My lady!” The sobs of the brown-haired woman broke through the shouts as Beks saw the trio ahead of her, waiting at the edge of the forest. Sandra seemed to want to ride forward, but her brother’s hand gripped her forearm to hold her back, so she settled on waving enthusiastically.

Laz squinted. “Sandra sees her husband right next to us, doesn’t she?”

“If I saw Beks and Gerard at the same time, I’d also call out to Beks first,” Lucian replied.

“Your Highnesses, please....” Gerard’s eyes were squinted and his lips were in a tight line as he saw his wife waving energetically. “What is she doing here?”

“I don’t know,” Beks said from her horse between Laz and Lucian. “Jonas didn’t say he was bringing her. Deo didn’t mention it either.”

Their last formal contact was through the urapearl the morning before they began building the bridge. Deo decided that he was coming to assist along with some of the Wild Dogs. They were leaving for the mainland with the others via their mother’s ship. Horses had been prepared at Varkana along with a guide to take them inland, but they separated from their guide once they’d neared the desert regions, but with their speed and efficiency, it didn’t take them long to reach the meeting point.

Her brother had told her who he was bringing and arranged where they would meet, as supplies were also being funneled there, but didn’t say anything about Sandra. If it were a last-minute decision, or she’d sneaked after them somehow, which Beks wouldn’t put past her, it couldn’t easily be relayed to them as Deo had left his urapearl on Gurani Island so they could stay connected with Laurence and her father.

Only the flares as signals were used to confirm that they were in position. Beks thought she wouldn’t see them until they reached the rendezvous point, but it seemed as if the trio came to meet them.

“We didn’t ask her to come with Jonas,” Laz told his subordinate.

“Neither did I. I apologize for this, Gerard. I didn’t mean for Sandra to come when we’re about to go off to war,” Beks said with a heavy sigh. Gerard gave her a helpless shake of his head.

“This is something she would do,” Gerard replied. “I hope this will not be troublesome to you.”

“Anytime one of my people is close to danger, it is troublesome,” Beks said. “But, I am happy to see her.”

“Beks!” The man with the dark red hair waved. She gave Patches a gentle kick to urge her to speed up so she could reach her brother.

“Brother, why did you come all this way? You could’ve met us there,” she said as she reached him. Deo smiled and held out his arms as he stood by his horse. Beks slid off her saddle and hugged her brother.

“I was worried,” he said as he embraced her and then held her out at arm’s length to visually check for any injury.

Beks snorted. “Brother, I’m fine. I’ve just overseen biha usage for the last week or two.”

Deo hummed and nodded. As he turned to greet the princes, Sandra hugged Beks and quickly explained herself. “There were logistical needs that I felt I could be useful for. Everyone is already preoccupied with so much else. The least I can do is make sure what needs to be done on the support chain is done well.”

Beks closed her mouth with the chiding still in it. She frowned and looked at Sandra. “This isn’t work in a fortress, Sandra. This is going into battle.”

“It will give me good practice for when it is our turn,” Sandra replied. She looked over Beks’ shoulder to finally greet her husband. Gerard pulled her into his arms and while crushing his wife against him, repeated Beks’ concerns.

However, Sandra was already here. It was too late to go back. After the initial greetings, Laz introduced several key officers before arranging to meet once more when they reached the rendezvous point, where some of his men were waiting.

Beks followed along. She wanted to catch up with her brother, but Laz was discussing taking over the Right Commander position with him, so she sat back.

Behind them, a long, elevated road seemed like an extended ramp from an opening at the top of a mountainside all the way down to the edge of the forest. It rose above the steaming vents like a thick wall where a seemingly endless trail of men and women on horseback were patrolling ramparts.

To the amazement of bystanders, it only took Rid Callan a literal day to build with some help from Efran and Beks. He’d steadily improved and insisted that since they had started their mission, his biha well had grown. Perhaps it was the environment, though he admitted that he didn’t feel much change on the island, which had even better absorbable biha than the Forbidden Valley.

Efran, Rid Haal, and Rid Norddottir also agreed.

Beks found there was one other commonality that might have increased their biha well: her.

She was the one constantly refilling their biha wells. Even Gerard said his had grown. This made her wonder if her constant refilling of biha somehow increased the size of one’s well each time. She admitted it sounded incredibly arrogant, but at the same time she was also certain there were things about her biha that were strange and weren’t recorded in anything she’d ever read.

After all, if she could transfer biha to supplement the biha well of any type of biha user, who was to say that her biha didn’t cause their wells to increase over time.

However, for now, she wanted to keep this to herself. While the amount of biha usage could be controlled to become more focused and effective, biha wells themselves didn’t expand once biha users reached a particular level that allowed them to utilize the entirety of the biha well they were born with.

Those masters usually needed years of training, and once they hit the limits of their biha well, that was it. Precision and efficiency were all that were left to improve upon.

The unique rarity of her biha could have unknown negative consequences; like a merchant traveling with too much money and being targeted for it. It was safer for her to keep this a secret. Besides, it had yet to be confirmed. She’d run a few more tests when she could.

Several officers remained along the route to ensure the cavalry followed while Rid Callan remained behind with Rid Haal to close the canyon walls and destroy the road when the cavalry had passed. This was a safety precaution to make sure no one got into the Forbidden Valley and follow the canyon and road back to the plateau.

When Beks and the others reached the rendezvous point, Gerard gathered some Wild Dogs and another earth biha-using Thirnir to go back to the Vents of the Underworld as support.

The rendezvous point had been set up a half hour’s walk from the main road, past a tree line. The Wild Dogs had prepared meal tents and brought fodder and wagons with barrels of water. Beks nodded in satisfaction that all the supplies she’d asked for had arrived as she was led into a large tent with the others.

The area had been cleared and ready to welcome the approaching cavalry. Sandra had even organized teams of people to assist with assigning locations to people, horses, and supply wagons. With this, soon Langshe would know that they were coming.

“Surprisingly, there was someone here when we arrived,” Deo said as he glanced over at her as he walked beside her. “A merchant said he was there representing the Dawn Company with a delivery.”

“I see.”

“To the middle of the desert.”

“That is crazy.”

“For a Miss Snowy?”

Beks drew her lips in a line. “I may have put in an order.”

Deo almost choked. “You call this an order?” he asked, throwing his arms in the air as the others entering the tent looked at him.

Beks put her hand on her brother’s shoulder and looked him in the eye. “You’re welcome.”

Her brother began to shake. “Rebecca Anastacia, you-”

“Don’t worry, they’re my people,” Beks said with a slight smile as she patted his shoulder. “Have some faith in me, Brother. I can’t send an army out without proper supplies.”

“Your Highness!” The Left Commander rushed in, trembling with excitement as he looked at her with a flushed face. “There are banners! Banners with our insignia!”

Beks nodded. “Uncle Timur had one in his villa. I remember,” she replied. “The enemy should know who he loses to.”

The Left Commander let out a barreling laugh and nodded. “Yes! Indeed!” He wiped his eyes after having a good laugh and rushing back out. “I never thought I’d see those black and red banners again.”

While they had some battle flags remaining, they were old and tattered. Several were hung in communal areas around the plateau. Beks had seen them and identified them immediately. However, it would’ve been somewhat embarrassing to rush out onto the battlefield with faded and torn flags before the fight even began.

Morale was important, so Beks had them made. Luckily, they were easy. Red banners with a thick black border around it and the character for ‘iron’ in yellow in the center. There were different styles, some to be displayed on pikes, some to be displayed on the campgrounds, and others just to wave around to intimidate the enemy.

Laz and Lucian must’ve realized that when they reached the camp, the banners had been raised, as if to indicate that this camp belonged to them.

After all, several thousand troops on horseback couldn’t be hidden. Might as well weaponize their presence and make the usurper emperor nervous.

Deo sighed as he looked at her helplessly. “You know if I ride out with them, the Fourth Prince and his people will know that we are involved.”

“After some consideration, we can only hide for so long,” Beks said. “His side will watch this campaign carefully.”

“What if they decide to get involved?”

Beks almost wanted to snort. “With what money?”

Deo frowned. “Didn’t they sell land?”

“That idiot is getting married next month and he wouldn’t dare wrong his precious oracle. Do you know how much a royal wedding costs? That wedding is going to make the royal treasury bleed,” Beks said with a roll of her eyes. “In addition, the budgets they are working off of don’t take into consideration the naval losses, the lost tax from business revenue, and the disorganization of the legion, which requires a lot of money to have moved.”

“How do you know that they’re working off a particular budget?”

“Because I had worked on three years’ worth of an annual operating plan, but had not made adjustments baring the death of the late Queen and Brother Laurence’s coronation,” Beks replied. “Luther knows this and the first place he would’ve gone to for reference on a budget is my study.”

Deo raised a brow and crossed his arms over his chest. “You know his habits quite well?”

Beks almost sneered as she took a seat at a long, wide table. “He spent the last ten years of his life coming to me, sometimes even completely depending on me, for assistance in business and royal duties because he was lacking and too proud to ask anyone else. Habit is a strong force to curb, as is negligence. I would bet money that he doesn’t even realize that the budgets are no longer suitable for use.”

“Until it’s too late?”

She let out a snort laugh. “Until ever.”

“Stop thinking about Luther.” Laz frowned as he walked past her. Lucian stopped behind her chair and leaned over the top of her head to give her a fleeting kiss.

“You have that look again.” He reached for the seat next to her, but his hand was quickly batted away by Deo before Deo sat down to claim it. Lucian squinted. Laz had taken the seat on the other side of Beks.

“What look?”

“The look you get when you think about how Luther ruined everything and should be beaten,” Laz replied. He put the nub of his arm on her hand. He leaned forward and whispered. “Beks, I’m not going to ask you how you know he’s getting married next month, but I will ask you something else.”

Beks frowned a bit, but nodded. “What do you want?”

Laz took a deep breath. His blue eyes scanned the large tent. So far, it was just the four of them, as Jonas was outside, taking a tour around the grounds with the cavalry officers and Master Bilguun.

“Is it possible for you to get us information on what is happening in Langshe?”

She raised a brow. “Such as military movements?”

“And what Tarkan is doing. Who he is talking to, if he is asking for anything from any allied countries, and the like.”

Beks thought for a moment. “I have little resources in Langshe.”

Laz smiled, but she could see some disappointment in his eyes. “I understand.”

Her hand went over the smoothened nub of his arm and gently stroked it. “I said I have little, Laz,” she said as she brought his arm up to her lips and kissed the nub. “Not that I have none. Don’t worry.” She rubbed his arm and smiled. “I will get information.”

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

It was important for Beks to know how the cavalry was feeling. What their morale was, what opinions they had, and their confidence in their leadership. Dissent could cause internal chaos and weaken the unit, so it was important to her that everyone had confidence and reassurance in what was to come.

They were nearing the border of Langshe, meaning soon, they would face their first set opponents. And for the majority of the cavalry, it would be their first time fighting a real enemy. In terms of numbers, the Red Iron Cavalry outnumbered the army of a Langshe marquis who had moved their troops to the nearest border.

Despite the general peace in Langshe since the late Empress’ rule, there were random skirmishes along the borders every now and then. Mainly territorial disputes or issues with trading caravans that required intervention. Still, this meant that the enemy army had actual battle experience.

Experience could easily overwhelm an insignificant numerical advantage. The Red Iron Cavalry camp knew that, and the tension in the air was palatable. Beks knew she had to calm them down somehow and had been doing her rounds, greeting, and encouraging the soldiers. However, it was difficult for them to really open up their concerns to a foreign woman, no matter how well they followed the twins.

And Beks was only one person. She could only gather so much, especially when she had other work waiting for her.

Unfortunately, the cavalry spoke Langsher and all of her people generally did not. Aside from the twins and Deo, who would be too busy to do any reconnaissance for her, there was Efran.

Efran was still learning, so not only did he not know many words, but if they spoke too quickly, he couldn’t pick up the words and translate them fast enough.

Her ‘spy’ ended up to be the person least expected.

“...and Vice-Captain Lu has been frequenting meal tent six despite his fahn assigned to meal tent seven because he is trying to get the attention of Sergeant Mallory, the head of the meal tent six.”

Weiyun Chinua, the young woman who’d attempted to seduce her husband in a bathing house, stood to attention in front of Beks like a thin soldier in oversized clothes. She kept her eyes ahead and her back straight as she reported not only the general atmosphere and concerns of the soldiers, but ‘major’ pieces of gossip that was being circulated around the cavalry.

There was a surprising amount.

Beks didn’t look up from her work.

“Sergeant Mallory’s husband is also a Wild Dog who is here with us. Vice-Captain Lu should know this,” Beks said as she looked over records on food consumption. “Find a way to let him find out before he gets too deep. Sergeant Mallory is a slim man, but his husband is not andis one of the best melee fighters in the Wild Dogs.”

“Are you saying Vice Captain Lu would lose against Captain Mallory?” Sandra paused from her paperwork and looked over.

“I am verymuch saying that Vice-Captain Lu would lose against Captain Mallory,” Beks replied as she finally looked up. “In terms of ability, as the Vice Captain is young with little experience in physical combat against a real enemy, and in looks.”

Sandra thought for a while and nodded. “Such a handsome, gentle face on Captain Mallory. You’d be hard pressed to believe that he’d wrestled a bear. And won.”

“I will find a way to let the Vice Captain know, Your Highness,” Chinua replied with a dutiful bow of her head.

“Thank you for your report, Chinua. You are dismissed.” Chinua saluted her and turned around, marching out to do other support tasks for someone of her ‘rank’, which mainly consisted of helping with laundry and washing dishes.

Sandra let out a sigh as she watched the girl slip out of the flap of the tent. “I don’t know many women who would be so relaxed in front of the woman who tried to sleep with her husband.”

“She didn’t succeed, but more importantly, she was following her parents’ orders,” Beks said as she wrote something on two small slips of paper. “She’s also learned her lesson.”

“I hope her entire family has. She has no problem greeting you, but as soon as she sees one of the princes, even if they’re with you, she’ll turn around and hide. I’ve never seen someone so afraid of the Battalion Commander,” Sandra replied.

“You’d be afraid, too, if he caused you to see ghosts and have nightmares every time you close your eyes,” Beks told her.

Sandra shuddered. “I never knew shadow biha was so terrifying.” She looked back at Beks. “My lady, why did you save her after what she’d done?”

“In Langshe, children are taught early on to do what their parents tell them. The higher the social class, the stricter this custom. Even if she were attracted to my husbands, and I don’t blame her if she were, she wouldn’t have the guts to even appear in front of them of her own volition,” Beks replied. “I’m angrier at her parents for encouraging this. Laz was more ruthless to her than to her parents. I’d estimate that when I saw her, she hadn't had a decent sleep for days. Perhaps a few minutes or so at a time, but she’d wake as soon as she had nightmares. If it continued, she would’ve died.”

“How did you get rid of her nightmares?” Sandra asked.

Beks rolled up a piece of paper and placed it in a small metal tube. “Shadow biha lingers in the body, continues to dull the senses, and makes one feel heavy. The first step was to purge the shadow biha so she stopped seeing things when she closed her eyes. The second step was to make sure she had enough sleep, as sleep deprivation leads to hallucination, which would exacerbate the situation. The first few nights, she slept in water troughs and the water was biha rich. Bihar rich waters can revitalize and relax a body. She was healthier after the baths, but also every time she had a nightmare, she had to be woken up and distracted, so I put her in charge of Patches. Horses are very good therapy.”

Sandra nodded. “Efran was a bit put out that he was no longer taking care of your horse. It made him feel responsible.”

“He is already very responsible. Efran needs time to focus on his studies, both linguistic and biha-related,” Beks told her. She handed Sandra the two tubes she’d been preparing with notes inside. “Send these by hawk to our contacts in Varkana and Aceria.”

Sandra nodded and accepted the metal tubes before leaving. Beks let out a heavy sigh and leaned back against her chair. She draped her arm over her head and was about to close her eyes when the flap to the tent opened once more. She quickly threw her arm down and almost sat up straight when she saw Lucian walk in with furrowed brows.

“Beks, your urapearl is glowing in our tent.”

She stood up at once. “Thanks...but Daddy usually calls later.” They timed their calls so she’d be present when they called her. She rushed to the tent she shared with the twins and entered, but Lucian remained outside, saying he’d guard the door.

Beks thanked him and walked to the pile of thick, folded blankets and cushions. On a wooden crate next to the pile of blankets that was their bed, her urapearl was glowing. She reached for the leviathan scale in her pocket and placed it on the ground before answering the urapearl.

It wasn’t her father who as calling her, but Mr. Kesse.

“My lady,” the old man’s face was frowning and he seemed in a rush. “I apologize for the unplanned call, but we have received urgent news from the great basin.”

Beks narrowed her eyes. The great basin was where the Great Temple was located. While the Great Temple took up most of the basin, there were several small villages and towns that weren’t directly related to or controlled by the Temple.

“What’s going on?”

“The Temple paladin guard has dispatched three thousand of their elite units to Langshe.”

“They’ve what?” Beks nearly shot up. “Why? Langshe and the Temple aren’t close politically and Langshe in general is very lax religiously.”

“The new oracle has made another prophecy.”

The corner of Beks’ eye twitched. “Has she now? What was it?”

“The new emperor of Langshe’s nephews will take his throne, as he is outnumbered, and once they retake Langshe, then they will turn their attention to the Temple.”

Beks ground her teeth together. “And when exactly did she make this prophecy?”

“Likely several days ago, as it was just announced at the Great Temple, prompting the dispatch of the paladins to assist the new Langshe emperor to ensure that his nephews are not successful in retaking the throne.”

Beks narrowed her eyes. The cavalry had already crossed the plains and were at Langshe’s door. The twins, for the sake of morale, headed the march forward. “She specifically said ‘nephews’?”

“Yes, my lady, our informant repeated it word for word.” She saw the old man pause and slowly narrow his eyes. “Kadmus has verified that Their Highnesses the Second and Third Prince are aiding their cousin.”

Beks nodded her head once. “They’re not coming to help Langshe, they’re coming to go after Laz and Lucian.”

“The order was made one or two hours ago, my lady. The paladins have not yet departed,” Mr. Kesse told her.

Beks took a deep breath. “Thank you for telling me, Mr. Kesse. I will let the princes know and plan accordingly.”

“Yes, my lady.”

Mr. Kesse nodded his head and bowed before the call ended. Beks sat for a moment to gather her thoughts. Three thousand paladins didn’t sound like much, especially when the cavalry had dozens of thousands, but those bastards wouldn’t likely join on the battle front.

She picked up her leviathan scale and put it back in her pocket. “Lucian!” She shouted over her shoulder and the double flaps of their tent entry opened. Lucian didn’t enter alone. Laz was with him, still glistening with sweat from his evening practice.

“Beks, what’s wrong? Is Brother all right?” Laz asked as he knelt down beside her.

Beks took a deep breath and lifted her head to look at them. “My contact has informed me that the Temple is sending three thousand paladins to Langshe.”

The two men stiffened in place. Lucian’s eyes darkened. “What kind?”

“Elite paladins.”

She watched Lucian’s hands shake at his sides. “The dogs that do the Temple’s dirty work....” He shook. “Elite paladins answer directly to the High Priests and Priestesses. There are five thousand of them. To send more than half...what are they afraid of?”

“Us,” Laz said as his lips tightened. Beks didn’t hide the news of the oracle’s latest prophecy. The twins had the same reaction of irritation she did. “The timing is oddly convenient.”

Beks brows rose. “From the Great Basin, if they leave immediately, they will reach us in a few days. I’m worried that they’ll go directly after you two.”

At this, both men gave her a confused look before their eyes widened. “They know we’re here.” Beks nodded.

“Langshe is going to pay attention to who is leading and Geel isn’t arriving for another two days,” she said. “They may also attempt to kill Geel and use his death to gain influence in Langshe.”

Laz sneered. “If they think doing so will influence Tarkan, they don’t know him very well. He’ll just take it as an offering.”

“But what do we do about the elite paladins?” Lucian asked. “Laz, I’ve seen what they can do. They are the best soldiers the Temple has. We may outnumber them, but they’re not going to battle us honorably on the field. They’re going to try to assassinate us.”

“They can’t get this far,” Beks said as she stared ahead of her and narrowed her eyes, growing determined. “They simply can’t get involved.”

Lucian looked helpless. “Once the order is given, they won’t return until they have completed their orders or are called back-”

“Then they can be called back,” she said as she lifted her eyes at him. “They’ll need to go back to the Great Temple and deal with their own problems first.”

The twins squinted at her with suspicion. “What problems?”

“Unexpected ones,” Beks replied. She smiled at them with disappointment. “I’m afraid I won’t be there to see you win this first battle.”

Lucian took in a sharp breath and Laz grasped her shoulder. “Beks, what are you talking about? What do you mean?”

“Tell me you’re not going there.” Lucian almost choked out as he fell to his knees beside her and looked at her with pleading eyes. “Beks-”

Beks smiled and cupped his cheek. “I won’t be long,” she told them. “I just need to commit a little bit of sacrilege.”