The Wicked House of Caroline

“Twelve. How many is that?” A little looked over at a boy a little older than her, who furrowed his brows with thought. He opened his mouth as he sat on the back edge of an old wooden wagon with his feet hanging off. He muttered to himself, awkwardly counting in Esuser before perking up and answering in Jasper.

“That is fifteen groups of twelve, plus those two big groups of forty and forty-five, so two hundred and sixty-five paladins!” His face lit up and from the side, the adults clapped. Beks smiled as she walked around, holding the toddler that had grown fond of her as Rid Norddottir, Rid Callan, and Sister Levina prepared an area a few minutes outside of the next village to camp along the road.

It was common for travelers, from pilgrims to merchants to tourists in transit to simply pull off the main roads and routes to camp for the night. It wasn’t recommended, as safety was not guaranteed, but having Thirnir all but ensured their safety.

“Excellent job, Gio!” Rid Callan praised. “And Yaya, how did you identify that they were paladins?”

The little girl, who was the older sister of the toddler in Beks’ arms, puffed out her chest as she recited the descriptions Rid Callan had told them. The children, save for the toddler who didn’t talk, spoke Esuser because that is what they were forced to learn to and speak in while in the Great Basin, but they found that most of their native tongues was Jasper.

It made communication smoother and allowed the children to become more comfortable with their temporary guardians.

“Uniform saddles and similar breeds of horse. The paladins will also be wearing cloaks, with no identifiable embellishments, but they will have similar swords and boots, and their clothes will be of good quality and the same black and gray colors,” Yaya replied.

Rid Callan praised her once more.

Beks smiled as she watched them. “Rid Callan, you are very popular with children,” she said.

The old Thirnir chuckled and smiled. “I am the oldest child. My mother was also a Thirnir and was away often, so I had to take care of my two younger siblings or a bit.”

Beks furrowed her brows, a bit curious. Now that she thought about it, Rid Callan never mentioned anything about his family. “Do you have children of your own?”

He smiled, but shook his head. “I’m afraid not. I like children, but I never married or had any chance to have them.”

“It’s common amongst Thirnir, as we tend to marry late or not at all,” Rid Norddottir told her she took out some plates from the wagon. “Our sole focus is guarding the ducal family. Thirnir are required to retire from active duty at the age of fifty, so before then, all their energy is put into the position.”

“There are those that get married,” Rid Callan said. “Though not many. Those who are are assigned someone with more lax positions. For example, they wouldn’t be sent abroad when a family member goes abroad. Instead, they would be left to guard the ducal home in the Sacred Valley. Active unmarried were supposed to be sent with you, my lady, when you left. In fact, I volunteered back then.”

“I still don’t know why the Duke refused and didn’t send Thirnir with our lady,” Rid Norddottir said with a furrowed brow.

Beks cracked a small smile. She knew the answer. “Because I asked him not to.” Several sets of eyes turned towards her, including that of a few children who were listening. “Sending Thirnir would be akin to telling the late Queen that she couldn’t be trusted with me, which would’ve increased tensions. Considering my circumstances, I wouldn’t be treated badly for the most part, so I took the risk and Daddy reluctantly agreed.”

Actually, her father had tried to sneak Thirnir after her, but she sent them back.

The children looked at Beks with curiosity and confusion, as if what they heard didn’t seem to match with the person they perceived her to be. They knew she was a noble lady and had married two princes, so she was a princess. A princess who came to save Sister Levina, which is the cover story they came to.

“My lady,” one of the boys called out to her the way the Thirnir addressed her. “Why were you taken from your home as a child? You have a daddy, so you are not an orphan.”

Beks took a deep breath and tried to measure her words to the child. “For political reasons, I was raised with a foster mother and her sons. I missed my family that I left behind, of course, but I wasn’t treated badly in my new home. I had the best of everything and everyone...mostly everyone, was very kind to me.” Bek gave the children a reassuring smile. “I married two of my foster mother’ sons.”

The youngest of the three little girls in the group of children gasped. “You can marry two people?”

All right, perhaps some things are best not pointed out. “I was given special permission.”

Above the sound of the cracking camp fire, where the two older boys and older girl were roasting sausages, came the sound of a horse approaching.

Rid Haal led his horse off the road and dismounted with a sack over his shoulder. The children waiting on the back of the wagon cheered as they jumped off and rushed to him. One of the children had fallen in love with the horse and insisted on taking Rid Haal’s horse to the side to eat with the others.

“I brought some bread, jam, another wheel of cheese, and a preserved ham leg,” Rid Haal told them with a triumphant smile. He spoke in Jasper so the children could understand.

“Thank you, Rid Haal.” Beks gave him a nod as he handed the sack to Sister Levina so she could prepare food for the children.

“My lady, there was news on what you had me inquire about.” Rid Haal switched to Sagittater and Beks nodded. She asked Sister Levina to prepare the food while she spoke to her Thirnir. Though no one else could understand Sagittater, the four of them stood off to the side after Beks handed the toddler to the little girl named Yaya.

Her face hardened a bit as she looked at Rid Haal and gave him a nod. “Report.”

“We’re almost to the Langshe border and travellers passing through the village have reported that many of the usual routes through the empire have been closed due to Langshe’s war of succession.”

It was no longer a secret.

Though they’d only been away from the Red Iron Cavalry for three weeks, as their return journey was much slower with a dozen new people they had to cart with them, the matters of succession in Langshe had spread. After all, the Langshe Empire was a dominant country on the continent and every other country traded with them.

Previously, they’d found out that the Red Iron Cavalry, known as Crown Prince Zhanzhen’s army, had dominated their first battle against the army of a marquis who supported Tarkan.

It was the first time in decades that the continent had seen the Red Iron Cavalry, and despite being composed mostly of soldiers who were either children, or weren’t even born yet, when the cavalry disappeared, they had been an unstoppable force that marched into Langshe territory as if taking a stroll.

Of course, the battles were still chaotic and there were soldiers crossing the territory. It was tense enough that merchants wouldn’t risk being caught in the middle.

It made sense that the usual routes would be closed off due to the dangers of war.

“How many routes? Do we need to find another way in?” Beks asked.

“All the land trade in and out of the empire have ceased, my lady; however, there is no barrier stopping people from taking a land route into the empire. The pause in trade and most travel was instigated by the safety concerns of the merchants.”

“That’s fair,” Beks replied. “Did you find out how far the cavalry has gone into Langshe territory?”

For a moment, Rid Haal had a look of awe on his face. “Merchants are saying that the Crown Prince’s army is nearing the Summer Palace. They have fought four battles total, but have been triumphant. All the armies sent to stop them have either been decimated by the cavalry or turned to join them.”

Beks raised a brow. “There are still loyal ones?”

“Crown Prince Zhanzhen has joined the cavalry and is said to be leading it,” Rid Haal replied. He lowered his voice a bit. “However, I suspect that he is mainly the figurehead.”

Beks brushed any disapproval off. “A figurehead is an important figure. It will give his soldiers a boost in morale; a reason to fight when they see their future emperor standing with them and not just hiding somewhere, waiting for his throne to be handed back to him.”

It was of extreme importance that the Crown Prince be present during their campaign. He was the rightful leader and he not only had to have the blood of it, but to prove that he deserved to sit on the throne.

Though Beks knew he’d be well protected by Laz and Lucian, and that the Crown Prince really was just a figurehead, he was also a man who didn’t have much martial ability. The Crown Prince knew that going to the battle front with so little martial ability made him a liability, but at the same time, it was where he needed to be.

To Beks, there was some bravery in acknowledging your weaknesses and still go where one was needed.

“The deeper they are in the empire, the longer it will take for us to reach them, my lady,” Rid Norddottir said. “However, once we enter Langshe territory, the envoy you requested from Aceria may have difficulty reaching us.”

At that, the four of them glanced towards the children around the camp fire, happily munching on bread and cured meats and cheeses. The battle field was no place for children.

Upon leaving the Great Basin, they had made a detour to a wealthy city in order to target merchants who could potentially have contact with the Acerian Wealth Vaults. Beks had left her urapearl her brother and they didn’t have a messenger bird at their disposal, but they still had to arrange for the eleven orphans.

Children typically ended up in the Temple orphanages either when their family members could no longer take care of or didn’t want them. Children who were found without guardians, begging in the streets were rounded up by concerned villagers or townsfolk to be sent to local orphanages, many of which were run by the Temple.

The children Beks had helped save had ended up where they were for those reasons, so leaving them alone in a random town or village would only send them to the same place. They needed guardians.

Guardians who were not going into a battlefield.

The initial plan was to contact Aceria to request an envoy to meet them partway to Langshe to take the children somewhere they’d be safe and allowed to live peacefully. Beks had been able to get ahold of the Acerian Wealth Vaults and relayed a message to the Grand Duke, as well as arranged for an envoy to be sent along a particular popular trade route.

However, if Aceria had initially started by traveling through land, then they could get cut off with the warnings of a war near the trade routes. They would be delayed indefinitely.

Beks let out a low breath and walked towards the circle of children. She took a seat on the ground near them.

“There is a war in Langshe right now and as a result, many caravans are avoiding the trade routes in, out, and around the empire,” Beks told them in a clear voice. If it involved their safety and lives, Beks wanted to make the situation clear. “I’m afraid the envoy I asked to come pick you up will be delayed.”

“Can’t we follow you, my lady?” one of the children asked her with big, adorable eyes.

Beks lowered her head and slowly shook her head. “It is too dangerous to follow us. We have to go into Langshe.”

“Because you need Sister Levina’s help, right?” The oldest boy, Ihsan gave her a knowing look.

While she didn’t want to lie to them about matters regarding them, matters regarding the war of succession and Temple sacrilege were hidden, as those were sensitive matters.

Beks had told them that the four of them had come to look for her husband’s biha master, Sister Levina, as he was a soldier and needed help using his light biha. They were worried it would be difficult to find her, so Beks had brought three powerful biha users with her. Sister Levina would come with them to the military camp, but they would first make sure the children were put in good hands.

As for the Temple’s bridges collapsing, its fires, and the near entirety of the western bank going up in flames in the middle of the night, that was a sheer coincidence, as they had only gone to destroy the prison where the children had been detained. Only the prison.

“I’m afraid so. We will be able to guard her well, but the battlefield is no where for children,” Beks told them. “We’re worried that bringing you there, even for a short while, will be too dangerous.”

She felt a small tug on her sleeve and looked at Yaya. “If you are with us, you will keep us safe. I believe in you.”

Beks’ heart squeezed. “Thank you, Yaya, but I just want to be cautious.”

“You’re not going to leave us here, are you?” One of the younger boys paled and almost dropped the bread roll in his hand. At his words, the rest of the children tensed up and Beks could hear one or two begin to sniffle and hold back tears.

“We are not!” Beks asserted at once and sat up straight. “I asked you before if you wanted to go to my territory to live, and if you want to go, I will arrange for you to be taken there. However, though it’s not as strict as the Temple, I am worried that you will find it just as confining...as if you are trapped.”

“If we are bed, will be punished?” a little girl asked.

Beks nodded. “Of course.” Every face around the fire dropped, but Beks continued on. “You could be made to do more chores, study more, practice longer, or even be confined to your room and made to write a contemplative essay reflecting on your mistakes.” She paused and thought for moment. “For example, when my husbands were young and their father punished them, they were made to practice their martial arts for longer periods of time, exhausting them.”

Though it was supposed to be a punishment, the children looked excited. “I want to do martial arts!” One by one, the children voiced their excitement.

Beks sighed. “That isn’t the only punishment. Sometimes, they had to read more books and then recite them. My younger brother was punished to stay in his room and wasn’t allowed to play outside. The punishment my younger sister hates the most is to be made to do mathematics.” She pursed her lips. “You will receive punishment if you do something that hurts yourself or others, but I won’t allow you to be beaten or tortured, as we were at the Great Temple.”

“But who is going to make sure if you are not there, my lady?” a little boy asked.

“My territory has direct reports who will ensure your safety,” Beks said. “And if you do not like my territory, I will not force you to stay. When you're fifteen, you are no longer forced to have a guardian, so you may leave if you wish.”

The children looked at each other, but didn’t say anything indicating that they wanted to.

Rid Haal rubbed the back of his neck. “My lady, I can go back to town to ask if anyone had seen any envoys from Aceria.”

Beks shook her her head. “It’s already late. Just rest for the night.”

“But how are we going to send off the children?” Rid Norddottir asked. “If we leave them unattended, even in an inn, we don’t know what will happen to them.”

Beks sighed and picked up the toddler that stumbled towards her. He blinked at her with big blue eyes that reminded her of the twins. Beks put him on her lap and thought for a moment while rocking him gently.

“We may have to take them with us.”

“What?” Rid Callan’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head and stood up straight and uncrossed his arms. “My lady, it’s too dangerous! Why don’t we split up? One of us will take the children along the routes south to wait for the envoy. The rest of us will go with you.”

Beks closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “But we may need you in the cavalry.” She was also worried that one person wasn’t enough to take care of eleven children, especially on a long journey. She was quiet for some time longer, weighing the pros and cons in her head even up until the children were put to bed in the wagon.

Beks remained seated on the edge of the wagon. While the battlefield was dangerous, the cavlary camp, so long as it wasn’t directly attacked, was quite safe. Even if it was directly attacked, she had a small militia of Thirnir to protect her and the children.

Her eyes lit up. Better yet, why didn’t she just send some Thirnir and Wild Dogs with the children to wait for the Acerian envoy.

“The children had already been through so much. If they met and became familiar with the soldiers who would guard them, then they would feel more comfortable with them when they escorted them from the battle field,” Beks said suddenly, drawing the attention of the remaining adults. “In this way, the soldiers would also become familiar and more attentive.”

Sister Levina cocked her head to the side and knit her brows. She thought for a moment before taking out her slate and writing on it.

Beks and the three Thirnir looked at it. It had been written in Jasper so they call could understand it. Do you know if they would be willing to adopt?

There was some hope in Sister Levina’s eyes and Beks understood. What could be better for the children than to be adopted into stable, loving homes, and to parents who wanted and took care of them?

Despite the children having been imprisoned for bad behavior, Beks didn’t see any for the entire time they’d been together. The other children were far too mature for their age and took care of the younger ones without question. The children all did what they were told and they never simply took anything; they always asked.

It was as if they were only deemed as problematic because the environment of the Temple made them so. The Temple expected quite a lot from their orphans, especially those whom they had expectations for. If those children did not meet those expectations, they were punished.

Rid Norddottir read the slate and sighed. “I also like children, but I don’t have time as an active Thirnir. I also don’t know if I’ll return to Sagittate after this.”

Sister Levina’s hope dropped a bit, but she still clutched her slate in front of her and directed it to Rid Callan.

Rid Callan raised his arm and rubbed the back of his neck. “I just took on an apprentice, and I haven’t applied to be transferred to the service of Lady Beks, yet.”

At this, Rid Norddottir looked at him with surprise. “What do you mean you can transfer?”

“Transfer is a bit of a misnomer. It’s more a reassignment,” Rid Callan replied. “I want to be resassigned to another ducal family member. When they leave, I will become a personal guard.”

Beks heard of this and nodded. Thirnir were directly under the control of the Duke of Caroline, but when they followed another family member, they got to keep their ‘Rid’ honorific title, but were now considered personal guards and couldn’t be sent on missions by the Duke.

“I didn’t know of this,” Rid Norddottir drew her head back.

“Well, I’m getting old,” Rid Callan replied. “And I enjoyed staying on the island. I planned on applying to become Lady Beks’ personal guard and then retire to the island.”

Rid Norddottir rubbed her forehead. “No, I mean, I didn’t know that we could request sigh reassignment. She paused and then pounded her palm with her fist. A look of determination went over her face. “In that case, I will also request reassignment to Lady Beks.”

“I’m fine with that, but you will require my father’s approval first,” Beks said. “If you come to the island, would you consider adoption? Your schedules would not be too strenuous.”

The two older Thirnir glanced at the sleeping children they’d grown close to. Their faces softened, but they didn’t answer. Still, Sister Levina’s eyes sparkled with anticipation.

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

Beks lowered the spyglass from where she had climbed to some upper branches of a tree near a watering hole on the steppes of Langshe. Another week and a half, and they finally managed to catch up with the Red Iron Calvary. Everyone they passed would try to convince them to return, as a war of succession was culminating into what would likely be a violent stand off between the forces of the Crown Prince and Tarkan.

No one wanted to risk being caught and even people living in the region were fleeing until the throne had been settled. Despite the discouragement, Beks and the others followed in the steps of the cavalry, soaking in all the information they could get.

It seemed that Tarkan had figured out the numbers and collected all his border armies and supporting military families to defend the Summer Palace and the rest of Langshe by situating them in the flat area just before the mountain range where the Summer Palace sat.

Rumor had it that the army was twice the size of the Crown Prince’s faction, which not only included the Red Iron Cavalry, but two armies of noble military families that sided with the Crown Prince.

Those two armies followed behind the Red Iron Cavalry and remained as separate camps from the others. Upon the sight of the military encampment in front of them, the flags and banners of the respective armies were flying above two clearly individual camps. The black and red flags of the Red Iron Cavalry were far in the distance, at the forefront of the battle field.

“Well, this is going to be a problem,” Beks said with a frown. “We can’t just march through military encampments, especially two who are unfamiliar with us. We’ll be detained at once.”

“Lord Deo is with the Red Iron Cavalry, my lady,” Rid Haal reminded her. “I can send assistance flares. If he sees them, he or one of the other fire biha Thirnir will reply and will come to us.”

Rid Haal was back to running small errands, such as picking up food, and starting camp fires, so Beks forgot that he had created a forest fire inferno that was still raging in the middle of the day, when they took the children out of the Great Basin.

“In that case, do it.”

“Wait,” Rid Callan called out. “My lady, I would like to build a defensive wall around us first. Rid Haal’s fire will attract attention, including that of the two camps. They will likely send an scout envoy to investigate the source of the flares.”

“I agree,” Rid Norddottir replied. “The two camps are closer to us than the cavalry. They will reach us first and we should be prepared for any conflict.”

“The guard is high in a war zone and they have every right to be cautious,” Beks agreed. “All right, please prepare the wall first.”

Sister Levina made the children stay in the wagon so as not to run out and get hurt when Rid Callan was using his biha. The ground beneath them trembled, but the children didn’t appear afraid. They looked around, excited.

The ground rose all around them, forming a solid, but through looking wall twice as tall as Beks around the wagon, their horses, and the tree Beks had climbed down from. Rid Callan also created a staircase against the wall and a simple rampart facing the armies.

There were no exits or entrances. Beks climbed up the steps and peered over the edge of the ramparts to look outside. If they had been somewhere like the High Desert, the compacted earthen wall would’ve appeared like a regular stony outcropping. However, the ground was flat and there were no mountains or hills around them, making the structure stick out against the landscape.

She cringed a bit. If the armies didn’t notice the fleeting flares, then they’d surely notice this sudden, unnatural part of the landscape. She didn’t look back into their miniature fortress, but raised her arm. “Send the flare!”

Rid Haal rushed to get on the ramparts with her and began sending a pattern of flames into the sky. After a set, he would wait and they would look out towards the cavalry to see if there was a reply. Beks was told there was a set waiting period between each attempt, roughly fifty counts, then it was repeated until they either ran out of biha or received a response.

“There are multiple fire biha users along with Lord Deo, my lady,” Rid Callan told her with reassurance after the third signal pattern didn’t receive an answer. “Someone will see it.”

She peered through her spyglass and let out a heavy sigh. “Well, someone did see it, but they’re not from the Red Iron Cavalry.” She lowered her arms and looked down at the wagon. “The other armies are coming to check us. Keep the children in the wagon.”

At once, Sister Levina ushered the children in while Rid Norddottir explained what was happening so the children understood and could cooperate.

“There is no need to be frightened. Our lady will not let anyone take you and we will defend everyone if it comes to it. We only need to wait for our friends to arrive, but they are furthest away....”

Beks remained on top of the ramparts with the other two Thirnir beside her. From the armies situated closest to them, there was movement and a small envoy of about a dozen people each began to melt from the encampment.

“Ah! There was a reply!” Rid Haal’s eyes widened with excitement and Beks lifted her spyglass once more. She couldn’t tell who was replying, but as the response was repeated in a pattern, it was a clear reply. “They are coming, my lady.”

Beks nodded. “Good. Let’s hope they get here quickly and that these other two don’t make trouble for us.”

Somehow, her expectations were both bet and not met at the same time. The envoys from the supporting armies arrived and positioned themselves a respectful distance away, just far enough so they could shout to communicate. On one hand, no weapons were drawn. On the other, they didn’t sound too pleased.

“State your name and why are you here!” The azure-flagged envoy shouted.

“This is a battle zone! Civilians have been advised to keep distance!” A large, middle aged man under an evergreen banner added

“I am Rebecca, Princess consort to Prince Gan and Prince Jargal!” Beks replied without faltering. “I am returning to the Red Iron Cavalry!”

There was a moment of silence and it was clear that they had their uncertainty. She couldn’t blame them. Aside from there being a war, the fact that the twin princes were married, and to a foreign woman named Rebecca, would likely not be important information. She was not present with these two armies joined. They likely had no idea who she was, let alone what she looked like.

“If you are who you say you are, please come with us to our camp and we will notify the Red Iron Cavalry of your arrival!” The azure-flagged envoy leader called out.

Beks held back a snort. “We have already sent notifications to the Red Iron Cavalry and they will arrive soon. If you are unsure, you can remain and guard us while we are waiting. We have a few children with us and we will not be risking their safety until we see our own people.”

“You cannot remain here! You must come with one of us to camp!” The evergreen banner leader shouted up at her. “If you do not come with us, will we be forced to arrest you and your party!”

Beks translated this to the Thirnir and Rid Callan sneered. “I wish to see them try.”

Beks held her arm out to calm him. “We just need to wait here. There is no need to attack. If they try, it will take them some time. Rid Haal, send a flare reporting that we are being attacked.”

Rid Haal nodded and sent out another series of flames into the sky. Beks kept her eyes on the men below, watching their movements and preparing to give any necessary orders to Rid Callan who was already in a fighting position beside her. The envoys had few archers and when they saw the fire, they shouted amongst themselves to defend themselves, but as the fire wasn’t directed at them, they hadn’t shot.

However, the arrows were still pointed at them.

“Rid Norddottir, there are arrows!” Beks shouted.

Crackling could be heard behind her and Beks didn’t need to look back to know that Rid Nordditor had begun creating a layer of ice above the wagon as a precaution.

“Come out at once or we will be forced to flush you out!” one of the envoys yelled.

Beks lifted her chin with defiance. “Do you know what you’re doing pointing your weapons at me?” she asked in a loud, but low voice. “I am not someone they want to provoke if you are uncertain of my identity.” She raised a brow. “Are you sure you are not making a grave mistake?”

The suspicion and uncertainty in the air was palatable. The two envoy leaders looked at each other and began talking in lower voices, though Beks still heard them. They needed to confirm her identity just in case, as one did hear rumors that the Crown Prince’s twin cousins were married to a foreign woman.

Finally, shouts were given and one man from each envoy turned and rushed back to their respective camps. For now, it seemed that they would wait until she was properly identified. “We will verify your identity! Do not move!”

“Where do they think we’re going to go? I’m the one who said we wouldn’t be going with them....” Beks crinkled her eyes and shook her head.

“At the very least, they are going to try to verify who you are first before acting,” Rid Callan replied.

“They should’ve done that from the start without threatening to flush us out. I forgive the suspicion, but not the disrespect.”

Rid Haal squinted and leaned forward. “My lady, I see a Red Iron Cavalry banner approaching.”

Beks perked up and lifted her spyglass once more. A fast moving group of people was approaching, cutting through the gap that separated the two supporting armies. One of the horses had the red and black banner attached to their saddle while a half dozen other riders rushed forward.

Taking the lead as Laz with Lucian and Deo just behind him. Gerard was with them along with two Thirnir. No one stopped the small envoy as they seemed to shoot from the edge of the encampment, kicking up a cloud of dust behind them as they rushed towards them.

Beks let her heart settle. She handed the spyglass to Rid Callan and walked down the steps back to the wagon. “My brother and husbands are coming. They will be here soon and will escort us to camp.”

Hearing this, the children all seemed to relax. Silly smiles appeared on their faces as Sister Levina let out a sigh of relief. Beks returned to the ramparts just as shouting was heard and the two supporting army envoys made way for the smaller one from the Red Iron Cavalry. Deo shouted his sister’s name and before he could stop his horse, he jumped on his saddle and jumped.

The wall wasn’t too high, about as tall as a single story village house, but the faces of the envoys were stunned when they watched Deo use fire biha to propel himself up, directly on the ramparts to embrace his sister.

Rid Callan and Rid Haal bent down to one knee to greet him. “My lord.” Deo didn’t pay attention.

“Brother, I’m back!”

Beks laughed a bit as Deo squeezed her and then held her out at arm’s length, looking over her for any sign of injury.

“What took you so long to get back? I was worried you were hurt!”

“Brother, I’m fine. It’s just that we had saved some children....” Beks motioned to the wagon below as Rid Callan walked down the stairs and prepared to open a gap in the stone wall.

Deo furrowed his brows before shooting them up when he saw the wagon full of children. They looked back at him with curiosity as Beks led him down. The twins came through the opening the stone wall. When the ramparts were clear, Rid Callan returned the walls to the earth.

This caused the envoys to become even more dumbfounded, but Beks was too flustered pinned between her husbands’ firm embrace to notice.

“We need to make arrangements,” Beks said, her voice muffled by Laz’s chest. “We need to bring the children to Varkana!”

“We’ll make the arrangements, don’t worry,” Laz told her. Lucian stroked her hair over and over, as if he couldn’t do so enough.

“Are you well? No injuries? You should rest,” Lucian said, his voice laced with worry.

Beks chuckled. “I’m fine. We all are, actually, everything went smoothly.” She kissed Laz’s lips and then turned to Lucian. She reached out and grasped his arms. “Come, I want you to see someone.”

Excited, she pulled her younger husband forward, towards the wagon. Lucian cocked his head, giving her a confused look before he looked up. He stopped in his tracks as his eyes went wide.

The woman with the scarred face gave him a fond look as her eyes misted over. Lucian’s eyes watered as he swallowed hard. “Sen...senior Sister?” Sister Levina nodded in affirmation and smiled. Lucian choked back a cry. “You’re alive....you’re alive...!”

He lowered his head and wiped at his eyes. Sister Levina stepped forward and lifted her hand, patting his head as she did the small children to try to comfort him. He looked up, appearing a bit ridiculous as such a tall man being treated as a child by such a small woman.

Sister Levina lifted up her small, broken slate to him and beamed. “Hello, Junior Brother.”

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

“We didn’t run into any paladins at all,” Deo told her as he rode beside her. Laz was on her other side as Lucian rode behind them asking Sister Levina questions while she answered on her slate. She sat in front of Rid Haal on a horse, freeing up her hands.

“We saw small groups of them heading back in the direction of the Great Basin when we were leaving,” Beks replied.

“Then, your mission was a success,” Laz said with relief in his voice. “What did you do that caused them to be recalled?”

“Nothing much.” They didn’t need to know the extent of the destruction they caused. “We just created a small distraction that would make the high ranking clergy at the Great Temple complex call back their elites.”

“The entire western side of the river was on fire!” She heard a childish voice retell a story from the wagon to the side. Gerard had taken control of the wagon and was sitting on the driver’s seat with the reins in his hand as the children surrounded him, giving him a far more vivid retelling of the Great Basin than Beks’ meager ‘nothing much’.

“All the bridges around the Great Temple complex were gone! No one could get in or out-”

‘No, people were getting out! They were just jumping from the broken gates into the river!”

“And there were some boats! Don’t forget some boats,” Yaya pointed out. She looked at Gerard with a serious look. “But they were stuck because the parts of the bridge had fallen into the water and made it hard to cross the river.”

Beks closed her eyes and silently wondered why Rid Callan and Rid Nordottir had taken the children past the destruction zone when they were bringing them back to the village.

“The inside of the complex was on fire, too! There was smoke everywhere!”

Beks kept her eyes focused firmly ahead of her as her brother and Laz’s gazes settled on hers.

“It wasn’t everywhere....” she muttered. She let out a little cough. “The point is that now the Temple has their own problems to deal with and don’t have time to get involved with us. How is Geel doing throughout all of this?”

No one seemed to question her change of topic, and Laz replied. “We were teasing him for hiding his strategic foresight.”

“I think he planned to get you all involved since the beginning considering how that man has not only predicted the movements of Langshe’s various armies, but managed to convince two of them to join him,” Deo told her.

“As long as he’s able to retake his throne, like he was supposed to, that’s what matters,” Beks replied. “I heard you’re close to the Summer Palace?”

“It’s up in those mountains,” Laz said, pointing far in the distance. “However, Tarkan’s arm has positioned themselves at the base of the range. On the other side is the fertile valleys where most of Langshe’s food is grown. It’l be difficult to storm the palace, let alone lay siege when there are plenty of resources being protected.”

“It’s not that difficult,” Deo said. Beks nodded. Laz looked at him with confusion.

“We just have to cut the Summer Palace off from the other side of the mountain range,” Beks replied. It was a naive, simple, but matter-of-fact answer.

“That’s easier said than done....” Laz said.

“Admittedly, the army standing between us and the palace out numbers us almost two to one.”

“What?” Beks perked up. “That many?”

“It is the combination of remaining Langshe armies,” Laz replied. “Tarkan is betting on them to stop us before we can reach the Summer Palace. At the moment, we’re at a standstill. We’re still working on our strategy and we doubt Tarkan’s side will attack unless necessary. They don’t want to lose more people.”

They reached the interior of the Red Iron Cavalry camp and the central area revolved around a large tent for meetings and the surrounding tents for officers, including the twins, Deo, Gerard, and Jonas.

Jonas and Sandra were standing by, waiting for them to arrive.

Sandra rushed to greet Beks, and Beks immediately told her about the children. Sandra gasped when she saw the eleven children peering out of the wagon before being helped down by her brother. Her eyes seemed to sadden upon the state of the children and she responded at once.

“I will arrange for them immediately, my lady.”

“I want to keep them close,” Beks said. “Not too far from us.” Sandra nodded with understanding.

She craned her neck and saw another woman looking around and standing beside Lucian. “Who is she?”

“Lucian’s senior sister from the Temple. She saved me,” Beks said. “Try to keep the children close to her. They are close and may become anxious if Sister Levina is not near.”

“In that case, we’ll shift some things around. Shall I take you to your tent, my lady?” Sandra asked.

“Sandra, we keep telling you that Beks will stay with us,” Laz said as he rubbed his head. “You and Gerard move into the tent prepared for Beks. Your tent will be given to the children and Sister Levina. It’ll be a bit cramped, but we’ll be nearby.”

Sandra nodded at once. “Yes, Battalion Commander.”

“Jonas!” Laz called out for the man with the long brown hair. His Lt. Commander had been taking count of the children before being called over. Laz repeated his instructions to Jonas, who nodded.

“Yes, Battalion Commander. We’ll arrange for that immediately.” He and his sister began to herd the children to one of the nearby tents while Gerard called for food for the children. “Sister Levina, is it?” Jonas walked to the woman who was hovering over the children protectively.

Sister Levina looked up and at once, her face turned red. She quickly lowered her head and covered the lower burned portion of her face with her hand.

“Hey, don’t scare her,” Rid Haal walked over and frowned, moving to stand between the two. “Sister Levina is unable to speak.”

“Oh!” Jonas paled, as if he’d said something horrible. He looked back at Sister Levina and gave her an apologetic bow. “My apologies, Sister Levina. I only wanted to introduce myself. I am Hector Jonas. My sister is Sandra and my brother-in-law is Gerard. We will take care of you and the children.”

Sister Levina nodded her head, keeping her face covered. Rid Haal frowned at Jonas.

“Sister Levina, I will come with you and the children to help you settle down,” Rid Haal said. He hovered a hand over Sister Levina’s shoulder and ushered her forward.

Jonas scratched his head in confusion, but followed after them.

Beks watched the entire show before dismissing her other Thirnir to rest and following Lucian to their tent. Laz went to report to his cousin with Deo.

Beks walked into the large tent and heard Lucian behind her, calling for someone to prepare the washing tub for Beks in the adjoining section of the tent. It was made of fabric and wood, but was as large as a house with multiple rooms, including a separate room for bathing.

She squinted and looked around. There was furniture, plenty of bedding, and even a changing screen. “I don’t remember this tent having been like this when I left.”

“We also made some orders with the Dawn Company,” Lucian said. The flap closed behind them and the room illuminated with a light pearl. Before Beks could speak, arms wrapped around her shoulders from behind and she felt a hot breath against the base of her neck. “Beks....”

“Lucian, I need to get out of these dirty clothes and bathe before I go to the debriefing with Geel.”

Lucian didn’t let her go. Instead, he pressed his head further against her shoulder. “Whatever life I had before this must’ve pleased the gods so much that they sent you to me in this one.” His voice was hoarse as he clung to her. His lips pressed against her neck, slow and hot. “Thank you for everything. For coming with us. For going to the Temple. For finding my senior sister.”

Beks smiled and lifted her hands, placing them on his arms around her shoulder. “Sister Levina saved me. It is her you should thank.”

“I will.” His embrace loosened and he slowly turned her around to face him. His blue eyes met hers. He lifted his hand and swept them over her eyes before smiling. “Gray again.” He cupped her face and lowered his, sealing his lips over hers.

Normally, she’d welcome him happily, but she was covered with a thin layer of dirt. She nipped his lower lip. “Lucian, I need to bathe.”

“All right,” he said. “You can change here and I’ll help wash you.”

She gave him a dull look. “Lucian-”

“I’ve already seen you naked.” He threw her a cheeky smile and she sighed. She opened her mouth to say that she had been in the middle of a biha explosion then, but he spoke up first. “Multiple times.”

She suppressed the heat on her face. “Fine. I need someone to get my back.” Grumbling, she went behind a changing screen to get out of her dusty clothes. Someone came to tell them that the tub was read and the water was heated. Without caring who saw her, Beks happily headed towards the tub, ready to scrub her flesh clean of weeks of grim.

Lucian held the diving flaps between tent rooms open for her and then helped her climb into a large wooden tub with a unique design. A trough was along one side, meant to be used to rinse hair.

She sank into the water and Lucian held her hair up, tying it up carefully so she could recline. Having an attentive husband isn’t too bad, she thought to herself as she closed her eyes and took a moment to let herself sink into the hot water. I can get used to this.

A movement in the water made her open her eyes. She gasped and nearly curled up as she watched pale, lean, naked body step into the large tub in front of her. As Lucian’s waist disappeared beneath the steaming water, he reached out to her. “All right, turn around. I’ll wash your hair first.”

“You couldn’t do this from outside the tub?” She almost choked out. Lucian continued to smile, as if finding immense amusement in joining her.

“It’s easier this way. Trust me.”

“Trust you....” Beks narrowed her eyes and muttered under her breath, but still turned around. Lucian began to wash her hair, first pouring water over it before putting a powder in his hands to rub into her hair. Despite herself, Beks grew more and more relaxed, her eyes closing and her body almost floating up as Lucian’s fingers massaged her scalp. He brought her towards the edge and rinsed her hair into the trough.

When her hair was rinsed, he gently wrung it out and twisted it into a bun at the top of her head. “I’ll wash your body now.”

“I can wash my own body.”

His lips pressed against her flushed, wet shoulders as two hands snaked around her body. Fingers moved beneath her chest and over her soft belly. She drew in her lower lip and bit it as his hot breath swept against her ear.

“That isn’t a no.” His hands slipped elsewhere and Beks jerked up.

“Lucian!”

“Lucian.” A dull voice spoke up behind them. Beks tilted her head back and gasped as she saw Laz standing there with his arms crossed and one brown raised. “I was wondering what was taking so long.”

Lucian didn’t find anything amiss and continued to touch her under the water and plant kisses against her neck. “I’m not done helping her bathe yet.”

“Yes, you’re working quite hard,” Laz replied with a roll of his eyes. Beks shrank against Lucian and shut her eyes. On one hand, they had work to do. On the other...Lucian felt very, very good. “I trust you won’t go too far. We had agreed to wait until the formal wedding night.”

Lucian grumbled and frowned. “You’re the one who said it can’t come soon enough.”

The tent was quiet for a moment. Laz stared at them while Lucian looked up at him. Beks glanced up, unsure what to do. “You’re right.”

Laz began to pull off his clothes. Beks’ eyes went wide. “Laz!”

“Make room.” How he managed to strip so quickly with only one hand confused Beks, but before she knew it, the water in the tub had risen as the older of her ‘husbands’ had joined them in the tub.

“There isn’t enough room,” Beks scowled. Part of her lamented the loss of her relaxing bath. She still hadn’t scrubbed.

A hand grasped her ankle and pulled her leg out of the water. Beks slid forward, her chest falling back beneath the water as Laz placed her ankle on her shoulder and moved closer. “We’ll make room.”

“What about the debriefing?” Beks demanded as one twin spread her arms stroked her belly while the other ran his hand along her leg.

Laz turned his head to kiss the flushed skin of her calf. “They can wait.”

“Didn’t you say you needed help getting your back?” Lucian said as he began to rub her arms. “We’ll take care of all of you.”

The embarrassment finally hit her. She flushed and wanted to sink into the water, but couldn’t when her limbs were essentially draped over their bodies. Soap power was dusted over her exposed flesh before large hands began rubbing her arms and legs.

"Beks, you need to put oils on when you're out in the desert. Your skin will dry out," Laz told her with some disapproval.

"And protect your skin from the sun. What happened to your cloak? Now that I think about it, it's missing," Lucian's hand slowed around a reddened part of her arm, and let out a small click of his tongue. "Look at this...this is a sunburn."

"I was preoccupied and didn't pay attention." She closed her eyes and ignored their affectionate nagging. "I will be more careful."

She relaxed in the water, allowing them to take care of her. An attentive husband was good, but two attentive husbands.... I can get used to this.

“Beks, did Laz and Lucian come by?”

Her brother’s urgent voice from outside the tent pierced her dazed head. She pulled her legs bag and dunked her shoulders in the water, trying to get as far away from the twins on either end of the tub, as if she’d be caught at any moment.

“Brother? What do you need them for?” Her voice was steady, but her entire body was burning. What was she doing? They were on a battlefield. Now was not the time to be indulged!

Lucian frowned a bit and leaned back against the tub, his arms hanging on the edges beside him as he seemed to pout. “Why does our future brother-in-law keep doing this....”

“We haven’t been gone for a half hour....” Laz rolled his eyes.

Beks stood up and reached for a towel on a wooden bench beside the tub. Laz pushed himself up and climbed out. He grabbed the large towel and instead of putting it around him, he held it out and wrapped it around Beks when she climbed out.

As the warm, soft fabric wrapped around her, Beks heard her brother reply from just outside the bathing tent.

“It’s an urgent matter. We just received a message from Tarkan’s army,” Deo replied. “They are requesting an audience.”