The Wicked House of Caroline

Outside of the return of Crown Prince Laurence and Lady Rebecca, the news that the Second and Third Prince were alive was the worst announcement they could receive on the eve of her wedding.

Their noble and wealthy guests who were allies of the family had gathered for dinner and would be joining in the day-long festivities the next day, including her wedding ceremony with Luther the next afternoon. The atmosphere had been lively and full of excitement and joy.

Now, there was an underlying tension.

She wanted to join Luther and the Third Consort with their allies in a meeting, but Luther was afraid it would worry her and make her unable to concentrate on the wedding the next day, so he told her to return to their villa to rest and wait for him. Iris had gritted her teeth and insisted on supporting him, but he shook his head.

“I can manage it. Some of the best minds in Kadmus are here. Don’t worry,” Luther had told her as he held her small, slender hands in his. “Even if my brothers return, the crown will not fall on their heads. Everything will be fine.”

Will it?

Iris paced the length of the study Luther had given her in his villa. How could rest when two men who had higher claim to the throne by birth order were likely to return with an army and the support of an empire behind them?

She ran her hand down her face and grit her teeth.

Why did she get so caught up in the moment that she urged Chamberlain Wilton to announce the news without checking it first?

She paused in place and frowned.

Why hadn’t the Temple told her? She turned and rushed towards the door, throwing it open and almost making the two attendants waiting outside jump.

“When was the last time I received a letter from the Great Temple?” The two attendants blinked with wide eyes, taken by surprise by the sudden request.

“Several weeks ago, Your Eminence.”

How caught up with her own wedding was she that she didn’t notice that there was no correspondence for weeks?

“Did I receive anything from the paladins?” she asked. Even if the Temple didn’t contact her, Captain St. Moore would usually send a message at least letting her know of his whereabouts. The last message from him informed her that he was trying to find Lady Rebecca, who was alive, but missing.

“There have been no messages, Your Eminence,” one of her attendants told her.

Iris felt her stomach sink. This wasn’t right. She’d sent a letter to the Temple telling them to send paladins to aid Langshe, as the Crown Prince would attack it. She had phrased it in a way that sounded as if the Crown Prince’s returning to control Langshe would negatively affect the Temple.

Perhaps not directly, but if the Crown Prince took control, then Tarkan would be punished. She, Luther, and Kadmus supported Tarkan, so the Crown Prince could take issue with them and retaliate economically. That would further hinder Kadmus’ financial situation, which would be a problem for her.

If the citizens found out that she participated in angering the largest country on the continent, that anger could rub off on the Temple. Numerous rumors had already spread about how the Temple was trying to take over Kadmus, and that by her, the Oracle, marrying their king, it was a sure sign.

It was one thing to practice a religion.

It was another thing to be directly ruled by the organization that oversaw it.

People were suddenly afraid that they’d have to adhere to the strict rules that were applied to the Great Temple and the basin, such as curfews, income going to the Temple, giving up their land to the Temple, various dietary restrictions based on time of the year, as well as give up the ‘vices’ they normally wouldn’t do in a religious setting.

This included gambling, anything in excess, and especially drinking.

The High Priest of Kadmium had already mentioned to her that people were voicing their concerns. Some were already pulling away from the Temple in protest. He’d sent people out to find out where the rumors were coming from, but the source couldn’t be pinpointed.

Iris narrowed her eyes and lowered them. Now that she thought about it, she had invited the High Priest to tonight’s dinner. He had declined, citing that there was a labor shortage, so he could not make it, but would be there the next day to oversee her wedding.

How could the city’s main religious site be short of labor? It had an entire monastery connected to it.

Something was wrong, and Iris couldn’t put her finger on. She lifted her head.

“Call for a carriage,” she said as she stepped out of the study and closed the door behind her. “I want to go to the Kadmium Cathedral.”

The two attendants split up. One went to arrange for a carriage while the other accompanied Iris to her room to change into more subdued clothing and gather her cloak. Within moments, she was rushing out the side steps of the Gilded Palace in a soft, velvet cloak. A royal carriage was waiting for her and the driver yawned a bit from where he sat on the driver’s seat.

Iris climbed in, followed by her two attendants, before the carriage set off, escorted by four of her paladins.

Despite the night, the main streets of Kadmium were kept somewhat lit by oil lamps along the sides. Even without them, the carriage had lanterns to help light their way. The ride to the Kadmium Cathedral wasn’t far. One could see the steeples from Gilded Palace.

It almost took longer to get past the royal grounds than to reach the cathedral from the main gate.

The carriage rolled to a stop in front of the cathedral. The iron gate closing off the surrounding area was locked for the night, but Iris’ attendant spoke to the night watchmen to let them in. He bowed humbly as Iris and her attendants passed, along with two of her paladins while the other two remained with the carriage.

Instead of going up the steps to the main door, she led them around the side, towards the less glamorous entrance to the priests’ quarters.

One of her paladins went ahead to knock. After waiting a moment and knocking again, an elderly man in monk’s garb opened the door holding a lantern. His eyes went wide as he saw Iris and bowed his head.

“Good evening, Your Eminence!”

“Good evening,” Iris replied. “I wish to speak to the High Priest.”

“Yes, Your Eminence. Come in! I will fetch him at once.” Still bowing his head, he stepped to the side and urged Iris and her party to enter. After the door was closed, they were led to a modest room with a hearth.

The monk asked them to wait a moment while he went to get the High Priest. One of the attendants brought a chair close to the hearth so Iris could sit while the other helped her out of her cloak.

“Your Eminence.” The door swung open once more and this time, a bald man wearing robes appeared. The High Priest was not in all his ceremonial finery, but his daily robes were still of better quality than that of the monk who let them in.

Iris stood up and gave the man a small bow of her head. “High Priest Yorvak.” She turned to her attendants and paladins and gave him a small nod of her head to silently dismiss them.

The two attendants bowed and stepped out, following by the paladins. As the door closed behind them, the High Priest bowed his head once more.

“I apologize for not greeting you properly, Your Eminence. I’m afraid I am taking on more tasks than usual with the labor shortage.” He paused and gave her a comforting look. “However, do not let this alarm you. Tomorrow’s wedding ceremony will go smoothly.”

Iris’ lips were in a tight line. She gave him a single shake of her head as her eyes bore into him. “I am not concerned about the ceremony. Some news came to me today and I am wondering if it has anything to do with the labor shortage.”

She watched his face carefully. The old man’s eyes were widened and she could’ve sworn he paled a bit. It confirmed her thoughts.

“Your Eminence....” The High Priest reached forward and grasped the back of a chair, as if to steady himself. His eyes crinkled up and he carried a worn expression. “How could it not? With the Great Temple needing all the spare hands they can get, of course we would send some of our own able-bodied clergy and staff to the basin.”

Iris’ eyes narrowed further. “Why would the Great temple need so much labor all of a sudden?”

The High Priest lifted his head and looked at her with some surprise. “Have you not heard?”

“Heard what?”

“There was an earthquake that triggered a flash flood in the Great Basin,” the High Priest said with pity. “A flood swept down, flooding the lower levels of the Great Temple Complex, as is in the middle of the city. Fires erupted all over that night.”

Iris almost stumbled back. “There was a fire? And flood?”

“Haven’t they contacted you to tell you?”

“No!”

The High Priest seemed at a loss. He lowered his eyes and looked at the floor, as if trying to make sense of the situation. “I see...it must be because there was so much lost...and many of the high ranked clergy were trapped on the island.”

“What do you mean trapped on the island?” Iris asked as her voice lowered.

“The flood and quake were so strong, that all the bridges to the island toppled over and were swept away,” the High Priest replied. “As you know, there are only a handful of paladins in the Great Temple Complex at night. Fires broke out and everyone, even the Council members present, were desperately trying to put out the fires.”

Iris’ mouth couldn’t help but open as she learned of the disaster. Since only those considered worthy and their attendants remained at the Great Temple Complex once the sunset, depending on how widespread the fire was, they would not have enough hands to contain it.

“What about the paladins?” The paladins’ training grounds were the closest of the related Temple complexes. Even if the bridges were washed away, they’d find some way to get on the river island to help contain and put out the fires.

The High Priest’s eyes saddened and Iris felt her stomach twist, already filled with dread. “A sinkhole appeared beneath the paladin barracks....”

“No....” Iris’ breath trembled. She drew her head back and lifted her hand to her chest. The paladins protected the Temple and all its people. “Was there a lot of damage?”

“According to the summoning message I received...many paladins were lost and many more injured. It happened at night, when all those not on night duty had retired to the barracks,” the High Priests said. “The entire area caved in. What was worse, a forest fire spread. Paladins couldn’t get out of the area with ease and those who were on patrol rushing to help could not get close until well past the next afternoon.”

“How could this happen? It was just a flood, wasn’t it?”

“And an earthquake. There are various fire sources, especially around altars and shrines. If they fell and set fire to something....” The High Priest shook his head. He shut his eyes, as if the very thought of the fire wounded him. “It took days for the summoning message to reach us. We sent as many able-bodied people as we could to aid with the rebuilding and restoration.”

“Was there a lot of damage?” Iris asked.

“While the buildings in the Great Temple Complex are primarily made of stone, there are many flammable things inside. Wooden altars, decorative work, furniture, drapery, relics...and the texts....”

For a moment, all the urgency and worry that Iris had arrived with disappeared. She’d spent two lives with the Temple and was well aware of what priceless artifacts were located in the Great Temple Complex. Many things were one of a kind. If they were lost in the fire, they were lost forever.

In addition, lives had been lost. Who knew how many paladins remained? Perhaps that is why she hadn’t received word from Captain St. Moore; he may have been caught up with the recovery and rescue work.

“No wonder I haven’t seen a single soul other than you and the senior monk,” Iris said.

The High Priest nodded. “I don’t understand how this could’ve happened.”

Iris nodded her head in commiseration when she froze. A chill swept through her body and she stood in place. Her eyes slowly dilated as she looked down at the gray stone floor.

“An earthquake...and then a flood?”

“Yes.”

Her chest tightened. For something this big, there was no way she wouldn’t have heard of it in her previous life. In fact, at this point in her previous life, she was still at the Great Basin as a young priestess. She would’ve been at the epicenter of the disaster.

But there was no disaster in her previous life.

Her heart slammed against her chest as her mind raced to try to confirm if she was remembering wrong, but she was sure she wasn’t. She would’ve remembered the Great Temple Complex losing all its bridges or the paladin training grounds disappearing into a sinkhole, resulting in tragedies of loss of artifacts and lives.

But there was no disaster in her previous life.

The thought screamed in her head and she took a deep, shaking breath. “It...it was natural?” It sounded so strange to ask. No mortal could control the earth or cause a sudden flood. In addition, the Great Temple Complex was fortified and well-guarded. Non-residents and non-Temple figures were sent away at sunset.

There wouldn’t have been any suspicious people at night.

“Of course. Earthquakes and floods are not something we mortals can control.” The High Priest repeated what she thought.

But at the same time, there was no disaster in her previous life.

Something had changed, but she wasn’t sure what. Since she awoke, she’d done her best to change nearly everything she could. And what she couldn’t change, she would find some way to affect in her favor, such as the Crown Prince of Langshe’s fight to regain his throne.

Her stomach dropped.

Is that why? In order to increase the chances of the Crown Prince’s failure, and to keep an ally on Langshe’s throne, she had the Temple involved.

What if the Crown Prince found out and retaliated?

The alarming thought that she was the cause of the Great Temple’s disaster began to cloud her mind.

She shook her head to try to shake the creeping guilt away. With what army could the Crown Prince spare in the midst of a war of succession? And what force would he use to cause an earthquake and a flood? It couldn’t have been him.

However, she could think of no other who held such animosity to the Temple that they would attack and debilitate the very heart of the Temple.

Iris swallowed hard, unnerved at the thought of an unknown enemy.

She had come back to the past; she should’ve known all the main events of the continent as she had lived through them. This event happening now was a mystery.

“Your Eminence.” The High Priest seemed to notice her white pallor and dazed expression. “You are getting married tomorrow. You should return and rest.”

Her head nodded, but her mind was elsewhere.

Somehow, Iris was almost seeing herself from outside her body. She numbly excused herself and walked listlessly back to the carriage in a daze. Her attendants had to stop her so she could put on her cloak.

She didn’t understand how she could forget about a natural disaster she would’ve been present at.

She stumbled back into Luther’s villa and found her way to the study. She almost collapsed on the settee, her bones turning to water as she half sat, half laid on the soft mustard yellow cushions.

Could it have been the Second or Third Prince?

Iris drew her lips inward and bit them. Could it be Lady Rebecca?

But even if she were alive, what could Lady Rebecca do? She had no military experience. She was raised in a cage to do office work.

“Leave us.” A cold, rushed voice came from the entrance to the study. Iris lifted her eyes up and frowned at the sight of the Third Consort entering the room with bold, quick steps.

“What are you doing here?” Iris asked as she sat up straight, immediately on guard. “What about the meeting?”

“Tell your attendants to leave. I need to talk to you.” The Third Consort’s eyes narrowed. “Alone.”

Iris glared at him. She wanted to reject him, but considering the situation, she looked towards her attendants and gave them a nod. The two women stepped out of the door, closing it behind them.

Iris looked back at the middle-aged man. “What is it?”

“We must prepare for the return of the Second or Third Prince. You must know that as they are older, they have a higher claim to the throne. We’re not worried about the Third Prince. He has taken the Water of the Covenant.”

Iris pursed her lips once more. She’d almost forgotten that the Third Prince had been sent to study at the Great Temple. However, one prince as competition was one prince too many. “What about the Second Prince?”

“He has the greatest claim.”

“But Luther is already the King.”

“He can challenge it in court, but the Second Prince was raised in the army. He’s not one for words.” The Third Consort said as he paced the room, his face twisted in thought. “He is a soldier. It is almost guaranteed that he will return with an army and threaten Luther’s position.”

“How big can the Second Prince’s army be?” Iris said. “The legions are hundreds of thousands of soldiers! Even with the backing of Langshe, Langshe isn’t going to loan him its armies.”

The Third Consort turned to look at her as if she were a fool. “Do you think that we control all of the legions? Or the noble armies? If they acknowledge the Second Prince as the rightful king, he wouldn’t need to battle them at all!”

Iris shot up to her feet. “Then what can we do? At best, we will need to defend against him!”

The Third Consort’s face grew intense. “We need to convince the courtiers, the ministers, all the nobility and those in power that Luther is more suitable to be the king that the Second Prince.”

“Isn’t he doing that already? You said so yourself that the Second Prince was raised in the army! He doesn’t know how to run a kingdom!” Luther didn’t either, but at least he was learning. In addition, he had many people to guide him. People with relevant experience. Who did the Second Prince have who could compete with them?

“He is still next in line for inheriting!”

“The throne is already Luther’s-”

“Will you listen to me!” The Third Consort stomped forward and grabbed her face with one hand, forcing her to look at him. “I don’t mean inheriting from Laurence or Leti. I mean inheriting from Luther.”

Her body felt cold at once. Perhaps the Second Prince didn’t need to fight a war at all. All he had to do was killed Luther and, naturally, the throne would fall into his hands. Yes, many people would be upset with this, but what could then do?

“He...he wouldn’t kill his own brother....” Iris’ tight voice was strained. In her past life, the Second and Third Princes disdained Luther, but they never so much as threatened him, or her, with bodily harm. They were just ignored.

The Third Consort sneered. He pushed her away and released his grip on her chin. She lifted her hand to rub the sore spot he’d squeezed. “Are you forgetting what we did to his eldest brother?”

The older three princes were closer with each other than Luther. Iris couldn’t breathe for a moment. If the Second Prince believed they had something to do with Prince Laurence’s death, he could come for revenge. The Third Prince could also come for revenge.

Iris clenched her jaw. She took a deep breath to calm down. Luther still had to return from the meeting, though his father had come. She released her breath slowly and looked towards the Third Consort. If he was there, then he must’ve had a plan to share with her.

She stood up straight, trying to appear composed and unperturbed by his earlier grab. “Then, what do you propose?”

“Luther needs an heir.”

She took a sharp breath. Her hands went down to her flat stomach as a wave of emptiness spread through her.

“An heir?” She tried to sound steady. Her eyes narrowed. “What good would an heir do? Isn’t that just risking a life?”

“An heir will make Luther appear as a steady ruler. His lineage is secured, but the Second Prince, who has no partner, nor experience ruling, is at a disadvantage.”

Iris sneered. “How are you so sure that this would deter the Second Prince?”

“The kingdom will resist him if there is a secure ruler on the throne.” His eyes lowered to Iris’ belly, and once more, she put her hands over it, as if to shield it from his predatory gaze. “You have been sleeping with my son for some time now and you are without movement.”

“We are careful. We don’t want to have a child out of wedlock.” She knew the importance of legitimacy. Her son didn’t have it in her previous life, but she swore he would have it in this one.

“Well, you will be married tomorrow, so there are no more excuses,” the Third Consort said. “Luther is troubled over news of the Second and Third Princes. You must initiate copulation in order to get pregnant at once. We don’t know how much time we have before the Second Prince attacks! We must make Luther’s position secure!”

Iris nodded, though didn’t speak a word. The Third Consort appeared satisfied that she agreed. With one last look of warning, the middle-aged man turned around and left.

Her attendants stepped inside and asked if there was anything she needed.

Iris fell back on the settee, almost numb. “No...I don’t need anything. Let me be alone.”

The attendants didn’t question her. They bowed their heads and stepped back once more, closing the door and leaving Iris to her thoughts.

Her eyes crinkled up before she shut them tightly.

Pregnant? With Luther’s child?

She leaned forward and covered her face with her hands. In her previous life, while he was still married to Lady Rebecca, Luther and Iris had tried to conceive for an heir. They had countless trysts, there were weeks when Luther was away from his wife, believing that as they had not had any children after years of marriage, Lady Rebecca was barren.

Iris knew what it would mean for her to birth the future King of Kadmus. She knew how it would change her life. How it would pull her from a humble background and into a noble one.

Yet she and Luther could not conceive.

Luther grew increasingly desperate to somehow prove himself to his eldest brother. Stress was believed to be what was hindering him. Iris wanted to give him a baby; one that resembled Luther. If she didn’t, no matter how much he loved her, he would have to push her aside for a woman who would provide him an heir.

Perhaps it was her own desperation that finally got to her, so she began to take folk medicine to try to increase her fertility. Who would’ve known that it would lead her to the Third Consort’s bed?

Iris remained hunched over and choked back a cry at the memory that haunted her even when she opened her eyes in the past. It was the worst thing she’d ever done; she never meant to betray Luther. That night had been a blur and she couldn’t control herself. If anything, she blamed the Third Consort. How could a man sleep with his own son’s lover?

However, despite the mistake, one good thing came from it.

Iris had gotten pregnant. She clung to the possibility that the baby was Luther’s. After all, they spent nearly every night together. By the time their baby was born, she was convinced he was Luther’s.

The accident with the Third Consort never happened, and she forgot all about it.

But Luther’s brother didn’t accept his child with her.

Luther’s brother forced him to divorce Lady Rebecca and then stripped him of his title in a fit of anger.

Then Luther’s other brother married Lady Rebecca to keep her tied to the royal family.

And not a few weeks later, Lady Rebecca’s pregnancy was announced.

Iris’ world had crumbled in an instant. Perhaps others did not know, but she did.

It was not Lady Rebecca who could not have children.

It was Luther.

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“That’s what I assumed.” Beks nodded and scribbled something into some paper as the urapearl in front of her glowed and showed an image of Mr. Kesse’s head. “Sealing off the main escape routes will at least delay them. They will be forced to sneak through the border, which will be torture to such pampered people.”

Mr. Kesse nodded. “The northeastern pass, the main caravan route through the eastern mountains, and the ports are on alert for any sign that the Fourth Prince and the Third Consort are accumulating goods in preparation to escape.”

Beks leaned back against the chair in her room and furrowed her brows. “The question is where would they flee to?”

“Even if other countries do not ally themselves with them officially, it is likely that they have some contacts that would offer them shelter.”

Beks tapped her fingers on the table. That was likely. If Luther and his father fled, the chances of them returning to try to reclaim the throne were slim. They simply would not have the resources to do so, even if Luther had a right. At the moment, Luther’s paternal family, the Hessings, were bleeding money from various ‘failed’ ventures and ‘stalled’ projects, which Beks and Nexus may or may not have had a hand in.

Without their money, they’d lose their fair-weather supporters.

With her opponent in a panic trying to fund their regime and keep up appearances, they were well distracted from the amassing of resources under their noses.

“Will Duke Seneca be all right in Kadmium during this time?” The Duchy of Seneca was the oldest duchy and considered the most highly ranked of nobles in Kadmus. They never backed a losing side, and that wasn’t a lucky coincidence.

Since Luther took power, in order to establish himself and create a useful council, Duke Seneca was brought in to guide him. From what Beks heard, the Duke was often frustrated, but was doing his best to prevent drastic changes that would have far reaching negative consequences to the people.

However, this tied him up in Kadmium and it was too risky to have him directly involved with the reclamation. So, her father reached out to the Duke’s heir, Lady Helen, who had returned to the Duchy.

“The Duke understands that his duty is to keep the country as stable as possible until the Fourth Prince’s reign is over. Lady Helen has not shared detailed plans with him. She has informed him to be ‘aware’, but Duke Seneca does not know how the duchy’s store houses are siphoning off the resources from the nearby stationed battalions. He also is unaware that they are allowing our people to gather at the base of Alpine Route Mountain under the guise of surveying and preparing for construction.”

Beks nodded. The base of the mountain was where their army coming from the north would come from. It included the Caroline and Seneca armies, as well as the army of two small marches in the region.

From the south, the Wild Dogs were gathering outside of the range south of the Forbidden Valley. This would be where her father would land along with Laurence. Their resources were brought from Aceria under the guise of trade through the southern coasts. Additional resources as they moved north to Kadmium would be waiting in Green Meadows.

The Red Iron Cavalry would march from the east, led by the twins, along with her and her siblings. Their awaiting resources would also be at Green Meadows.

“With what we’ve collected so far, how long can our estimated numbers last?”

“There is enough to support food and feed the entire way to Kadmium including calculations for conflict with battalions blocking the routes. We’ve estimated we can last up to a month and a half of conflict.”

Beks narrowed her eyes. “How long can the battalions last?”

“I will check on that, my lady.”

“With the Red Iron Cavalry, we have increased the size of our force, but there are still too many battalions. If they are concentrated in those few choke points, standoffs could delay us. We need some to deflect,” Beks said. “Spread news that the Second Prince is returning with proof that the Fourth Prince was involved in the attempted assassination of the Crown Prince.” She paused. “Attempted assassination. Make sure to use those words.”

Mr. Kesse’s eyes widened. “Are we ready to reveal that His Majesty is still alive?”

“We’re not revealing it yet. I want to hint at it; prepare the masses for the possibility. Stress that the Second and Third Princes have investigated the matter. Say that they are accusing the Fourth Prince. Increase the pressure on the Fourth Prince and the Third Consort.”

Mr. Kesse nodded. “I understand. This will make His Majesty’s return easier to accept.”

“It may make some battalion leaders hesitant and force them to consider what would happen if Brother Laurence re-appeared. Once he returns and makes his debut, we can reach out to the battalion leaders I’ve told you about.”

“Yes, my lady.”

“They are already being shifted around. Play close attention to who is where, as we’ll need to contact them later.”

“We will keep track of all the battalion commanders and high-level officers, my lady.”

Beks took a deep breath and looked down at her papers, where she’d draw a crude map of Kadmus that had various circles, lines, and arrows. She had marked the last known locations of various military groups she felt had the largest chance of deflecting to them. The more support they had, the better.

“Even with the Wild Dogs, our support coming from the side is limited compared to the other two points of entry. The von Glasser March is enroute; what is their current status?” She hadn’t heard much about Lady Eleanor’s family, though she asked Nexus to report any drastic changes.

“Not much has changed, my lady. Marquis von Glasser is still being imprisoned at the Redstone Fortress. He is being used as a hostage to ensure that the von Glassers will not retaliate. The rest of the family is still under house arrest at their estate, their army has been disbanded, and military supplies seized.”

“With our current resources, we don’t need to worry about supplies.” They had enough money and contacts to get weapons, horses, and food. “What we need are people willing to fight against the Fourth Prince.”

She had no doubt that the von Glassers would support Laurence, especially if they knew that Lady Eleanor was with him. However, it would be difficult for them to make any movements if the family head were imprisoned. Beks didn’t want to put Marquis von Glasser in any danger, either. He had been blamed, and although they was no solid proof that he had colluded to steal Laurence’s body, he had still accepted imprisonment in order to avoid endangering his family further.

“The entire von Glasser estate is heavily guarded. There are four servants allowed in or out for supplies,” Mr. Kesse said with a frown. “We have been trying to contact Lord Douglas, but it has proven difficult. Even their urapearls have been confiscated.”

Lord Douglas was Lady Eleanor’s eldest brother and the heir to the march.

“I will contact Lady Eleanor to ask her thoughts. While it is not an absolute necessity, having the von Glasser army on our side would be a good addition.” She also wanted to make sure that Lady Eleanor’s family wasn’t used against them when they advanced.

She ended the call with Mr. Keese and then stood up to stretch a bit before her next call. The last two, almost three, weeks living in luxury at the Summer Palace wasn’t something she was used to after her time sleeping outdoors, but the cushioned bed was a welcomed change from the cold ground.

Though her leviathan scale kept her chamber’s noises in, in the silence of the room she could hear her sister’s voice outside. The villa she’d been given was in the inner quarters, next to the late Empress’ mother’s former courtyard. As the twins expected, Emperor Zhan had the courtyard garden and structures cleaned and checked for repairs as soon as he was back in power.

Laz and Lucian were allowed a courtyard each, but they remained in Beks’. The inner yard had several buildings, including an auxiliary building where Deo, Thad, and Wrath stayed. The outer yard had housing for staff, so Gerard, Sandra, Efran, and some of the Thirnir lived there.

Several high-ranking officers of the Red Iron Cavalry were given guest villas while the rest of the cavalry camped at the base of the mountain with plenty of supplies. The rokhs would often fly there to transport people back and forth, as needed.

The children from the Great Temple complex were escorted by Rid Callan, Rid Norddottir, Sister Levina, several Wild Dogs, and members of the Red Iron Cavalry to the nearest port city-state, where a ship from Aceria was waiting to bring them back.

Beks estimated that they should’ve already made contact by that time. Rid Callan and the others would return, but Sister Levina wanted to go with the children, as the new environment and strangers would make them nervous. She wanted to come to Kadmus after the children were settled in Aceria to help, but after some discussion, Beks felt it better for her to stay with the children in Aceria and wait until the conquest was over.

Lucian supported this, as well. He knew he had much to learn, but safety came first. Sister Levina reluctantly agreed. However, no one was more disappointed than Sir Haal, who wanted to escort the children, but was assigned by Deo to remain at the camp.

According to their ‘communication representative’, Chinua, Beks and Sandra were told that Sir Haal was unusually attentive to Sister Levina, but Sister Levina was unusually attentive to Jonas. This was further highlighted when Beks noticed Sister Levina casting many glances at Jonas when they were leaving.

Jonas didn’t seem to notice until he handed over a messenger hawk to Sister Levina as a form of communication. Sister Levina appeared excited and nodded her head.

“I’ve also prepared you some pens and paper,” Jonas had told her as Beks and Sandra stood at the side, engrossed in Jonas’ simple action as if watching a dramatic play. Sister Levina had looked at the small, neatly prepared packet, but shook her head. She gently pushed it back to him and patted her chest, as if saying that she didn’t need anything so fancy. “Please, this isn’t much. Really.” Jonas had stressed. He took her hand and put the small packet of paper and pen in her deformed hand without hesitation. “I haven’t had the chance to tell you yet, but your handwriting is exquisite.”

Beks had grasped Sandra’s arm in excitement and Sandra had audibly gasped at her brother’s words. Sister Levina’s face had turned red as Jonas had spewed another line with a brilliant smile.

“I’d love to see it more, so write often.”

Sandra’s hand had flown to her mouth to cover it before she screamed as Beks looked around for Laz so she could share what she witnessed. Rid Haal had deflated when he saw this and went off to sulk. Deo had tried to get his mind off his broken heart by engaging in some training.

Aside from that, there was not much else outside of organizing the preparation of the reclamation of Kadmus, Beks didn’t have much else to do. She wasn’t involved with resettling Langshe after Emperor Zhan returned. Master Bilguun’s reappearance in the court had almost as big an impact.

Beks didn’t know he was such a famous and influential figure in Langshe, but his presence seemed to calm the courtiers and ministers, even creating a sense of anticipation. Despite his importance, it didn’t mean that Master Bilguun was ready to give up the freedom he had with the Red Iron Cavalry.

Whenever he had the opportunity, he would drop by to visit her and play a game of chess. He was especially fond of Wrath and was fascinated with her ability to understand animals and, by surprising extension, different human speech.

Beks opened her window and looked outside in the courtyard. Speaking of her younger sister, Wrath was outside brushing the rokhs and explaining to Efran what food they liked and how they liked to be brushed. Sunny was basking on a rock in the sun not far away.

“...what reason would the horses have to lie to me?” Wrath puffed up her cheeks and glared at Efran, still holding a brush in her hand as she stood by Cloud’s head.

Efran appeared flustered, also holding a brush in one hand. “Are you sure the horses didn’t hear wrong?”

“How could they mishear if she feeds them all the time?” Wrath rolled her eyes. “If the horses say that Chinua likes you, then she likes you.”

Beks raised a brow. More gossip...wait, did she say Chinua?

“What would the daughter of the former Right Commander like about me? Aren’t they aristocrats in Langshe or something? I’m just a refugee from a warring region. I don’t have anything to my name!”

“Efran, you have to stop thinking like that,” Wrath said, as if segueing into a pep talk as she began to brush Cloud once more. “My sister picked you to come with them on this journey because she says you have talent, ability, and a willingness to learn. My sister is very smart. She’s not wrong. You’ve learned languages, your biha use has improved, you have a biha master, and you assist my sister. Chinua is a gossip, so she notices a lot of stuff. She obviously noticed that you are promising and will one day hold an important position aiding my sister.”

Beks gave her sister a silent nod in agreement, although held back her laugh at the description of Chinua being a gossip. The young woman was, but she would always insist she wasn’t whenever Sandra called her out on it.

Efran’s face turned red and he stammered. “She really likes me?”

“Yeah, a lot. That’s why she always gives your horse more treats than the others,” she paused in her brush. “You should talk to her about that. The other horses are not happy.”

Beks drew her lips inward to keep from laughing. She closed her window, deciding that her break was enough, and returned to her urapearl.

She called her father on the island and after briefing him on the advancement of their preparations, as well as reporting to him and Laurence that the meeting location for the Wild Dogs to return to the mainland was ready and could begin the return at any time.

“This is moving faster than I thought,” Laurence said with an impressed look on his face. He closed his eyes and released a relieved breath. “Thank you, Beks. This news couldn’t have come a better time.”

“Speaking of time, is Lady Eleanor available? I wanted to ask about her thoughts on the situation with the von Glasser army.”

Her father furrowed his brows and cocked his head. Behind him, Laurence had stood up to get Lady Eleanor. Her father spoke up. “I thought the army had been disbanded.”

“They have, but we are short on people at our southern entry. It is the entry point with Brother Laurence.” Thus, she wanted as much protection around Laurence as possible. She didn’t want to delay and risk exposing him by dragging him north, to the eastern entry point with the Red Iron Cavalry.

Her father seemed to mull over her concerns and nodded just as Laurence returned. The Duke of Caroline stood up and stepped back to give Lady Eleanor a place to sit.

A serious look was on the woman’s face as she looked through the urapearl. “What’s wrong, Beks? Is my father all right?”

“So far, yes,” Beks replied. “The Marquis is still imprisoned and your family is still under house arrest. My contacts have tried to get through the guard to reach Lord Douglas, but security is strict. The servants that are allowed to leave and return with supplies have themselves and the goods checked. We don’t want to risk being caught and put the servants in a dangerous situation, nor do I want your father to be threatened, as he is still imprisoned.”

Lady Eleanor frowned. She furrowed her brows and thought for a moment. “My brothers would dare to act if my father weren’t imprisoned. Isolating him to control my family is effective....”

“Without leadership, the von Glasser army can’t be regrouped, but even if they are, Marquis von Glasser could be targeted in retaliation. Ideally, we would need to first get him to safety. The Redstone Fortress is in the south of the march, in an arid region. I think we can surround it with our existing force and demand that they hand over your father or break in and get him ourselves.”

“At that point it may be too late to start gathering our disbanded soldiers,” Lady Eleanor said. She went quiet for a moment and then narrowed her eyes. “I will go and start it.”

Beks opened her mouth to ask if she was sure, but Laurence answered at once.

“No! Absolutely not!”

Beks looked towards Laurence’s image on the urapearl, surprised that he’d have such strong opposition.

“Luther and his father don’t suspect me. They won’t notice me if I start to contact some of my family’s people,” Lady Eleanor said. “The officers know me. I know they are restless and unable to help my family. Beks will have enough weapons and food for the march army, so all we need is to gather them together.”

“Eleanor, it’s too dangerous,” Laurence said in a firm voice. “We agreed that you would stay on the island.”

Beks drew her head back. That was the first time she heard of that. She assumed that Lady Eleanor would join Laurence when they returned to the mainland. Still, she didn’t say a word as the couple continued to argue.

“The situation has changed, Laurence,” Eleanor told him. “Besides, I am not helpless. I’m better with a sword than you.”

Laurence’s face flushed and he shook his head, giving his fiancée a pleading look. “Eleanor, you are also pregnant!”

Beks gasped, suddenly wishing she had something to eat while she watched. There was a long pause before the voice of her father spoke up in the background. “You two discuss this and let me know what you decide. I’m going to see myself out.”

With that Robert of Caroline shuffled off, but Beks cut into the couple’s argument.

“Hold on, is what Brother Laurence said true? Are you pregnant?” Beks asked. Her heart quickened. Did this mean that all her efforts trying to heal Laurence in the pools back in Sagittate worked?

Eleanor flushed and let out a low breath. “I wasn’t feeling well, so we called the medic from the Wild Dogs who Laz assigned to remain on the island in case of emergency,” Lady Eleanor told her. “I had nausea...and I supposed other signs. He says I am pregnant.”

“We wanted to be sure, so we also asked Elder Arash if there were any healers in the tribe who may be able to confirm, and several people told us that they were certain,” Laurence told Beks with confidence.

Beks smiled and clapped her hands together. “Then, congratulations! It is about time you are giving me a niece or nephew.”

“Don’t get so excited. It’s still very early,” Eleanor said. “We should get more opinions to confirm it.”

Beks squinted at the urapearl. “What more confirmation could you wait for? A stomach bump to appear?”

“Exactly!” Laurence sat up and nodded. “Beks, tell her that she’s being too reckless! She should stay here and rest.”

Beks sighed. “Well, we do need-”

“Beks, tell him that I will not be doing anything too rigorous!” Lady Eleanor turned towards the urapearl with an intensity matching Laurence. “I only need to meet with our officers and instruct them.”

Beks furrowed her brows. That didn’t sound too rigorous, she had to admit. “If you’re sure-”

“Beks, tell her that the first three months are the riskiest period for pregnancy, and so she should take care of herself first!”

Beks narrowed her eyes at the couple. “You know what you two should discuss this privately-”

“Beks, you are the inheritor!” Eleanor suddenly announced.

Beks took a sharp breath. Oh...I don’t like where this is going....

“Tell me-”

No....

“Do you think I will be fine to go?”

Beks’ eyes shifted away. She could almost feel the burning intensity of their gazes on her from through the urapearl. “I’m...I’m not a doctor.”

“But what do you feel as the Inheritor?”

Beks held back her internal scream and tried to produce a rational excuse. “I am afraid I do not have enough information to make a call on this. I only now know that you’re pregnant after all. Nor do I know enough about the von Glasser army to decide if involvement from you will be safe. I am an Inheritor, not an oracle, after all. If anything, I should gather more information first.”

“You see?” Laurence turned to Lady Eleanor and seemed to wave his hand towards the urapearl. “Beks is worried about you and doesn’t want you to go!”

“Beks is very caring. She worries about everyone!” Lady Eleanor huffed.

“Then you should listen to her and stay here!”

Beks’ eyes crinkled up. “I haven’t said anything-”

“She said it herself! She said I don’t have to stay here and will get back to us!”

Laurence looked frustrated. “Why are you yelling at me!”

“Because you’re yelling at me!”

“That’s because I love you and don’t want to see you in harm’s way, for any reason!”

Beks pursed her lips. “I hear someone calling me for a meal! When you’ve come to a decision, let me know! Tell Snowflake I love and miss him! Good-bye!”

She ended the call before either person on the other end could stop her.

Beks let out a heavy, tired breath and hunched over the table, crossing her arms on the surface, and burying her face in them.

While excited that Laurence and Lady Eleanor were having a child, it increased the seriousness of the situation. Lady Eleanor’s safety became even more of a priority than before. The urgency also increased, as she wanted to secure Laurence on the throne well before the baby was born so that they could be wed, as well as allow Lady Eleanor to spend the pregnancy in safety.

We may have to get the von Glassers another way.... Beks was not going to risk Lady Eleanor and the long-awaited heir to Kadmus.

“Beks, are you still here?” Lucian called out from the antechamber and she looked up from where she was mulling over an assortment of plans.

She reached out and touched the leviathan scale next to the urapearl base. “I’m inside!” She leaned back against the chair and let out a tired breath. Lucian found her with her arm draped over her eyes.

“Are you all right?”

“Yes...and no.”

She felt his arms move around her body and lift her off the chair. “Why yes and no?” he asked as he carried her to bed.

“Yes, in that we have good news. Lady Eleanor is likely pregnant.”

“I’m going to be an uncle?” Lucian almost dropped her in excitement. Beks cracked a smile as his face filled with warmth. “I thought that they would’ve had one already, but better late than never. How far along is she? Is it too early to know if they are a niece or nephew? What about names?”

He laid Beks on the bed and she chuckled. “They just found out, so it’s too early to know. They haven’t mentioned any names.”

Lucian seemed so excited, he couldn’t sit still. He looked towards the urapearl. “When Laz gets back, can we call them again? I want to congratulate them.”

Beks smiled and reached for his hand. “All right. We’ll call them when Laz gets back.”

Lucian contained his excitement and looked back at her. He seemed to remember there was a ‘no’ in her answer, as well.

“This is happy news...what’s the problem?”

“The problem is that Marquis von Glasser is essentially a hostage and if we move the von Glasser army, they may retaliate and harm, if not kill, the Marquis,” Beks replied. “This means we’ll need to take preventative measures if we’re going to utilize the army.”

Lucian seemed to become worried. “What preventative measure are you thinking of?”

Beks offered him a small smile. “A preemptive jail break.”