The Wicked House of Caroline

“Every day, your wife becomes more and more daring,” Emperor Zhan said as he lifted one hand to his chest and put the other hand on Laz’s shoulder. “If it were me, I don’t know if my nerves could survive.”

“You’re being dramatic, Geel,” Beks said.

“How am I being dramatic, Amrei? First, you set off to the Forbidden Valley to search for a legendary army that had been missing for over two decades. The Forbidden Valley!”

Beks let out a heavy sigh. “We were cautious. It was fine.”

“Then you go off with only four biha users to prevent the Temple from using paladins against us, which they should not have to begin with-”

“They were biha masters. I was perfectly safe,” she cut him off to defend herself.

The man continued, unabashed. “When you return, you set up a system to protect the entire Red Iron Cavalry camp-”

“My brother would’ve done the same. He was suspicious, too-”

“Then you take a risk in secretly flying into the Summer Palace to capture Tarkan overnight-”

“I was guarded very well.”

“And now you want to sneak into a fortress prison to break out an old man?” The Emperor asked with a raised brow.

Beks stared at him with a dull look. “As with the other missions, I wouldn’t be going alone. I know that I’m not suitable for a solo mission like this. I still can’t use any elemental biha and I wouldn’t last more than two cuts of a sword. I’d be slaughtered before I could breech the walls of the fortress.”

“And knowing all of this, you still want to go?”

“If I don’t go, who will?” Beks asked. “Marquis von Glasser isn’t a fool. He won’t escape with just anyone who appears and claims to be a backer of Brother Laurence.”

“She makes a point, Geel,” Laz said as he crossed his arms over his chest. “He hasn’t seen Lucian or me for years. He may not recognize us. that means he’d also not recognize any of the Wild Dogs, but he knows Beks.”

“And he knows that Beks is loyal to brother Laurence,” Lucian told him. “The best we can do is to provide her with a suitable team.”

“What about the floorplan of the Redstone Fortress? You can’t possibly think that you have all the time in the world to search the structure for the prison,” the Emperor looked at Beks with a slight frown.

Beks raised a brow. “Do you really think that I don’t know where to go?”

The Emperor’s brows shot up and loosened his stance. He looked at Beks with wide eyes that were a mix between awestruck and horrified.

“What is in that head of yours, Amrei?” he asked.

Beks shrugged, nonplused. “Quite a bit of information. I do a lot of reading.”

The Langshe Emperor let out a heavy breath. He lowered his head and gave it a slight shake. He looked at his cousins.

“How do you feel about this?”

“Of course, worried, but do you think we can stop her?” Laz asked.

“No one can stop a Caroline....” A small voice from across the dining table spoke up. Several people looked towards the little girl eating with a spoon. On the floor on her left was a lizard, also eating dinner.

Deo let out a small chuckle. “When we made our decision, we’ll move forward. Who do you want to bring with you this time? Rid Callan and Rid Norddottir are going to join the southern rendezvous point.”

Thad perked up. “I can go!”

“Wind biha would actually be very useful, as it can muffle sound, as well as be used to detect people,” Beks said. “For this, I don’t necessarily need battle ready biha. I don’t want to alarm the fortress that we’ve taken Marquis von Glasser. I plan to sneak in and sneak out before they notice that the Marquis is gone.”

“He’s a high-profile prisoner, Beks. I’m sure they’ll notice soon if he isn’t being watched the entire time,” Deo told her.

“Which is why I think it would be beneficial to bring Laz and Lucian. Lucian as a light source and to defend in case we are seen. Laz can stall with shadow biha.”

Across from her, Laz raised a brow. “You want me to use my shadow biha to make it difficult to notice Marquis von Glasser in his cell?”

“He’s a high-profile prisoner. He is likely in one of the single person cells, but those cells are small and dark.”

Laz let out a small hum and nodded.

“If it’s four people, you can take the rokhs,” Deo said. Wrath gasped and wrinkled her face, but didn’t let out a word of protest. “When do you plan on leaving?”

“We will leave as soon as Brother Laurence is ready to leave the island,” Beks told him. “We don’t know how soon they will notice the missing marquis, but it won’t be too long. We need to bring him to the von Glasser March and contact the officers. The Redstone Fortress is almost two day’s travel from the march, but using the rokhs, our time will be cut to a few hours.”

“When he arrives, it will take a few days to organize everything, especially if he’s trying to keep it hidden from those guarding the region to ensure reorganization doesn’t happen,” Laz added.

“You should make a distraction,” Wrath said with some red sauce from her dumplings around the corners of her mouth.

“Yes, a distraction is a good idea,” Deo replied as he took a napkin and wiped his youngest sister’s face.

“A distraction isn’t difficult,” Beks replied. “We’ll stay with the Marquis von Glasser and join our people coming from the south.”

The Emperor looked around the table and nodded, though he wasn’t part of the plan. “What do you need from Langshe?”

“You’re in the middle of resettling everything and all the courtiers and ministers are watching you,” Laz told him. “Giving us aid at this point could upset them.”

“I am not afraid of upsetting them,” the Emperor replied, straightening his back.

“But that doesn’t mean aggravating them is necessary,” Laz said with a pointed look. “We have enough supplies, so there is no need to use the resources of the empire.”

“What is most important is that we use your and the empire’s name to add pressure to the Fourth Prince’s side,” Beks said.

“Say no more. The Langshe Empire supports the reign of the true king of Kadmus, Laurence dun Kadmus. I have already ordered all trade with the current regime to halt. Once King Laurence retakes his throne, we will resume the pre-established trade agreements.”

“Thank you, Geel.” Beks gave him a small nod of her head.

“Now that you have a plan and I can focus on something outside of the mess Tarkan made, we should discuss the legality of your marriage in Langshe.”

Deo nearly choked on his tea. Wrath’s eyes went wide and she reached up to try to pat her oldest brother’s back. The twins didn’t seem surprised, but Beks looked taken aback.

The legalities of her marriage wasn’t something she was thinking about at all considering the situation they were in. To her, a wedding and document signing would occur after Laurence returned to the throne. Possibly even after she’d settled the island as her territory and received a formal peerage to govern it.

Most importantly, she wanted her entire family there.

Beks frowned a bit. “My parents aren’t here.”

The Emperor’s eyes widened a bit, surprised at her comment. He seemed to think it through for a moment before chuckling. “I didn’t mean for you to have a formal wedding here. I’m not so out of touch as to think you’d want to get married here as opposed to Kadmus, and without your entire family present. What I am talking about is the signing of the formal marriage contract. This takes care of any inheritance, property concerns, and what the couple agrees on. It will also make your Langshe title ‘Princess’ official. Any benefit your husbands have, you will have as well.”

Langshe was relatively secular in comparison to the rest of the continent. Marriages were formal contracts between two agreeing parties, and sometimes their families. Marriage contracts could be reviewed and written for months before they were actually agreed upon and then signed by the two involved parties.

They would also be done ahead of a wedding ceremony. In Kadmus, this would happen in a religious structure. In Langshe, they had the ceremony in the homes of the families involved as there was a practice of ancestor reverence as part of the ceremony. Then, like any good ceremony, there was a large, food and music-filled after party.

The higher one’s social status, the larger and longer the party.

As two princes, Laz and Lucian’s wedding could’ve easily been over a weeklong.

But they didn’t have time for that.

They still had a country to retake. However, a formal marriage contract wasn’t a bad idea.

“How long will it take to finalize the contract?” Lucian asked. Beks looked back towards her cousin-in-law.

“I’ve already had the head steward compile the properties and rights which you both have as princes, which you inherited from Uncle Timur,” Emperor Zhan replied furrowing his brows with thought. “I will ask him to apply it to the standard marriage contract for hereditary princedom. I will have him bring it to you three to review as soon as he’s done. Keep in mind that this doesn’t count anything on your Kadmus side, though even if you live there, you will still retain these rights.”

“Thank you, Geel,” Laz, Lucian, and Beks gave him appreciative nods.

“It should be completed soon. I don’t want to rush you, but I feel this should be signed before you leave for your mission.”

Beks nodded. She didn’t think it would take too much time to review. As she wasn’t a Langshe citizen and had no property in the empire, the entire contract was basically assuring her that she had rights to what her husbands had. If they divorced, she would lose those rights and her royal title.

Depending on the reason for divorce, she would also be eligible for a lump sum.

If there were children involved, they would stay with the father in the case of divorce.

And while Beks didn’t plan on divorcing either of her husbands, in the case that it happened she wanted to ensure that her children would not be trapped in Langshe.

She argued with the newly re-assigned former imperial household minister about that particular aspect of the contract, as though Laz and Lucian agreed with her, the household minister insisted that it was non-negotiable.

Non-negotiable it may have been, but imperial order trumped that. Emperor Zhan ordered that Beks be allowed custody of children, but to be fair, they would also lose their inheritance rights, nor could they be allowed to use any imperial titles.

Beks agreed. The twins agreed.

“Beks won’t get rid of us easily,” Lucian said with a determined look in his eye.

The total time it took to review the marriage contract and sign it was less than a week. All parties were given copies and one was kept in the imperial records vault.

“That’s it?” Thad asked after Beks handed the elaborately sealed scrolls in their own mahogany box to Deo to keep while she went on her mission. “You’re married now?”

Wrath’s scrunched face showed both disappointment and displeasure. “This is so boring. Where is the food? Where is the party? I thought there would be cake.”

Beks chuckled as she looked at her two younger siblings. “It’s boring because this is just paperwork that needs to be signed and filed away. Laz and Lucian are now legally my husbands in the eyes of the Langshe Empire.”

“But not in Kadmus,” Deo said in a casual tone. Beks shot him a look.

She was a bit surprised that Deo hadn’t protested at all throughout the entire process. In fact, he didn’t even let a snide remark slip. “I thought you’d think this was all unnecessary and wouldn’t let me get married until we’re back in Kadmus.”

Deo looked at the wooden box in his hands and inhaled deeply. He released his breath with a sigh. “Having this ensures that you have the backing of the Langshe Empire, Beks. If something happens to us, you can come here.”

“As long as I stay married to them.”

“Or are widowed.”

“Don’t curse us like that,” Laz and Lucian were sitting at the table, going over the sketches Beks drew of the Redstone Fortress’ layout, floor by floor, as well as the topography of the area.

Thad sighed. “I still wish there was some sort of party.”

Deo grinned. “I don’t think Daddy and Mommy would be too happy to know that we celebrated our sister’s marriage without them.”

“Then, we should at least get a big dinner,” Wrath said. She turned her head to look at Sunny seated next to her and nodded. “Right. With the empire’s specialty dishes.”

Beks raised a brow. “May I ask what the empire’s specialty dishes have to do with my marriage?”

Wrath wrinkled her face once more and thought. She looked at Sunny once more and the lizard stuck out his tongue. She nodded. “There are special foods for weddings and marriages in Langshe, so we should have those special foods.”

Deo looked at her strangely. “Where did you find out about this?”

Beks was also curious. Wrath spent most of their time in her courtyard, playing with animals or training Sunny.

“Sunny and I talk to a lot of the animals who have come by and they said that whenever there is a wedding, there are a lot of lights, red lanterns, and bells, and special food is served.” Wrath seemed to unknowingly lick her lips at the thought. “We should tell the Emperor.”

“Wrath-”

“I agree,” Lucian said, causing Beks to look back at the table. “I want to eat wedding food with my wife.”

Beks tilted her head to the side. “What constitutes wedding food?”

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

“He reeks of alcohol.” Beks couldn’t believe she was forced to dress up in layers of robes and skirts, spend over an hour getting her hair done and woven into a metal hair piece, just to watch her two husbands drink their way through an evening long dinner banquet.

Despite her reservations on spending money for a needless celebration, especially when they were close to leaving for her mission, the Emperor invited many courtiers and ministers to a banquet to celebrate his cousins’ marriage.

Everyone already thought they were married, so the fact that all they did was sign the marriage contracts wasn’t exposed. Emperor Zhan said that he had not been present for their wedding, so he wanted to celebrate since all three were present.

While only the king could have multiple spouses in Kadmus, in Langshe, as long as Emperor Zhan approved, anyone could have two spouses, which was the limit for non-monarchs. This applied to the extended royal family, as well. The twin princes were each marrying one woman, but that one woman was marrying each of them, so she was granted approval to do so.

The people invited were either highly ranked senior members of the court or those who supported Emperor Zhan. They could bring their spouse and, if they could arrive on time, their heirs, and their heirs’ spouses. It was a good opportunity to network and be seen and heard.

Beks didn’t think she felt like the center of attention despite being seated one tier below Emperor Zhan, with Laz on her right and Lucian on her left. They were right below the most powerful man in the empire, but after formal greetings from each guest, few people came by to speak to them.

Perhaps it was because the ruler had changed, but most guests sought out allies in the court.

Still, there were so many people, that even if only doing formal greetings with one drink per group, Laz and Lucian drank much more than normal. Gerard and Jonas were to keep an eye on Laz and Lucian, respectively. As the bride, Beks was not required to drink. She still toasted, but she was drinking tea.

Drinking tea instead of wine during such a celebration seemed to be the root of the rumor Sandra told her as Gerard and Jonas carried an inebriated Lucian into Beks’ courtyard bed chamber.

Sandra flushed a bit. “My Langsher isn’t very good, but Lady Wrath heard it multiple times.”

Beks rolled her eyes. “Just because I drank tea does not mean I am pregnant. I need to be in full control at this time and alcohol may skew my judgment.”

“Yes, my lady. I know that.” As she said it, her eyes flickered to Beks’ belly. If Beks hadn’t been paying attention, she wouldn’t have noticed the glance. She pursed her lips. There was no way she was pregnant, as no matter how intimate she was with her husbands, they had not crossed that final line.

Part of it was because, with Laz, there was a chance she’d get pregnant and they weren’t married in Kadmus. Without a legal marriage in Kadmus, their child would be considered illegitimate.

Second, it was too dangerous a period for her to become pregnant. They were about to start another war of succession, and there was no telling how long or short it would be. In the best-case scenario, as soon as Luther heard Laurence was alive and well, he’d hand over his crown and it would be short.

At worst, it would become an all-out war that could drag on for months, if not years. Beks and her husbands were key players and constantly putting themselves in danger. They would not put their child in such danger.

“My lady, is there anything else you need?” Gerard asked.

Beks looked towards the bed. Lanterns were all over the chamber, giving off soft, yellow glows. Lucian had been placed on his back on the edge of the bed, his boots removed, but his outer robes still on.

Laz was shaking his head, looking at his younger twin’s drunk, unconscious body with irritation. “I thought your tolerance for drinking would be greater....”

Beks sighed.

“When he wakes tomorrow, you should order some heavy food for him to fight the grogginess,” Sandra said as Gerard and Jonas passed her to leave. “If you need anything else, please use the bell.”

Beks gave her a small hum of agreement. She saw them out and closed the door, then stepped through the antechamber and closed the doors to the bed chamber.

“I need help removing his clothes.”

Beks made a face. She unbuttoned her outer robes and began to shrug off her layers. “Give me a moment. My mobility is limited when I’m wearing this.”

Laz knelt down the side of the bed to check his brother’s pulse and carefully remove his hair ornaments. “He started off strong, but I suppose this much drinking is bound to get to him.”

“You’re faring better,” Beks said as she hung up her outer garments.

“I had Gerard dilute my alcohol. Tastes horrible, but it was mostly water,” Laz replied. He sighed. “I forgot to have them do the same for Lucian to ensure it. I assumed he also had diluted alcohol until his face turned red quickly. At least it’s only one meal and not a weeklong party.”

“When we get married in Kadmus, I don’t want a week-long party.” It was so much time and money. With everything they had to do, where would they have time to plan everything? And Kadmus had no money at the moment. Any money it did have needed to be used on the kingdom.

Laurence and Lady Eleanor’s wedding, as they absolutely needed to be married soon with a baby on the way, could only be a modest one with only the basics of what a royal wedding should have. Even then, if they didn’t have enough money to cover it, which was likely, Laurence and Lady Eleanor would have to use their own private funds.

What more her and the twins’ wedding?

Beks helped Laz peel off Lucian’s outer layer of clothes. The thick robes were pulled off and Laz carried them to the side to hang them up. The two stripped him down to his base layers before Beks turned her attention to Laz to assist him in untying parts of his ‘informal wedding’ attire.

In the morning, there were attendants to help them all dress, but after the wedding banquet, the servants had been excused for the night in order to give them their privacy.

Beks tugged at Laz’s belt and frowned. “How did they tie this? I can’t loosen it.”

“I just cut off Lucian’s.”

Beks paused and lifted her head to look at her husband’s lopsided smile. “Laz, these are very expensive.”

“Geel can afford it.”

“He can’t afford to wantonly spend money! Give me my hair pin, I’ll loosen the knot.” Laz sighed as Beks sat on the edge of the bed next to Lucian, and adjusted the cloth belt knot so it was in front of her, on Laz’s right side above his leg. She used a hand length metal pin to get between the knotted folds. As she jiggled the pin to loosen the knot, Laz squinted.

“I’m unsure if I feel comfortable with a pointed object so close to my most sensitive parts....”

“If you don't fidget and you won’t get stabbed.”

“This isn’t how I saw my wedding night.”

“Just stand still.”

Beks gave him a little tug and glared before resuming her work. When she managed to get the knot undone, Laz went to change into prepared sleepwear.

Beks turned her attention to the drunk. Langshe beds were canopied and elevated, but one of the long sides was pushed against the wall. This meant that they could only enter from one side, so she and Laz would need to climb over Lucian.

Unless they managed to push Lucian against the wall. She reached over him to try to flip him over. As she hovered her hand over his upper arm, Lucian suddenly rolled over on his side. Beks gasped as her hand was knocked to the side and she lost her balance, falling forward over his body.

She shut her eyes to prepare to land against a hard chest still adorned with various pendants. Instead, a large hand grasped her hand to steady her and slow her fall. She still fell on top of Lucian, but it wasn’t as hard or as fast.

“Beks....” Lucian’s face was flushed, but his blue eyes were sparkling and his lips wide with a smile. “My Beks.....” He almost sang her name. In any other situation, she would’ve been embarrassed.

However, after a long, tiring day, she didn’t have the energy to feel shame.

“Do you know how drunk you are?” she asked as she tried to push herself off, only to find herself locked in his embrace. His alcohol-scented chin rubbed against the top of her head.

“I love you.”

“Yes, I know.”

“I want to spend my whole life with you.”

Despite the awkward discomfort of their positions and the smell, Beks still cracked a smile. Her face heated up and she closed her eyes. “Well, you will.”

“I wish...I wish I could give you children....” Her eyes flew open. She lifted her head up and looked down at Lucian, whose eyes had gone glassy and red. They shone with disappointment and guilt. “I...I can’t, though....I can’t.” His eyes crinkled up and he began to cry. “I’m sorry, Beks.”

Her brows knit together and she pulled him closer, wrapping her arms around him she adjusted herself at his side. “It’s all right,” she told him in a soft voice. “That isn’t something you could control.”

Lucian’s grip around her tightened as he curled up against her. “I didn’t know,” he said in a strained voice. “I didn’t know I’d get a chance.”

Beks stroked his hair back and tried to calm him. “That’s okay. I want to marry you because I want you. I don’t care if you can’t have children.”

“Laz...Laz....” Lucian’s drunken stupor called out to his brother. Laz, who had paused a few steps away to allow his brother time to hold their wife and commiserate, came closer.

“What is it, Lucian?” he asked. He knelt down beside the bed. Lucian raised the arm that had been wrapped around Beks’ shoulder to reach for him.

“Laz, we have to give her a baby. I will leave it to you,” he said, his eyes still red. “Try for twins, all right?”

Laz held back a smile. “I don’t think that’s something I can control, but I’ll try.”

“Thank you, brother.”

Laz held his brother’s hand and looked at him with affection. “There is no need for thanks between us. Our wishes are the same.”

“I’m sorry I can’t help.”

“You help enough.”

“I shouldn’t have drunk the water....” Lucian’s voice trailed off and Beks felt her heart tighten. “If I had known....”

She stroked his hair back. Lucian’s breathing evened out and Beks took a deep breath. “Do you know how long he’s felt like this?”

“The moment he found out your engagement to Luther was broken,” Laz said as he adjusted Lucian’s arm so he could be comfortable. His eyes squinted. “If you could only marry one of us, Lucian would’ve stepped back willingly. How could I ask such a thing of him?”

“It doesn’t matter if he can’t bring children into this marriage. It doesn’t matter to me as long as he is there,” Beks said before kissing his forehead.

“Beks,” Laz began in a quiet voice. “Can you heal him?”

Beks turned her head up, so she could get a better look at Laz kneeling beside her with a hesitant, but hopeful glint in his eyes. “Did Brother Laurence tell you?”

Laz lowered his head and nodded once. “I don’t know what caused Brother to have such a problem, and don’t know if Lucian’s problem is similar.” But Laz seemed to have some lingering hope.

“I have limitations,” Beks replied in a quiet voice. “The Water of the Covenant is essentially medicine; a poison meant to prevent one from having children. Even if I can purge whatever remnants there are in his body, the damage may already be done. I don’t know if biha will be enough to heal the damage. This is like your hand. I can ease the pain and make sure there is no infection or scarring, but all the biha I have can’t grow your hand back.”

If she could, she would.

Laz lifted her head and looked at her. “You’ve thought about it?”

Beks nodded. “Not just for Lucian, but for others who were pressured to drink. If it spreads, there could be problems. If I can reverse the effects and heal the body enough, the Temple may not see the Water of the Covenant as the show of devotion it wants it to be, and may make it more potent, which can harm the body more and render any healing useless. This is in addition to how angry the Temple will be with me.” Not that the Temple didn’t already.

Laz took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “But is there a chance of success?”

“There is always a chance, I’m just not sure how large.” She saw him swallow hard. “But I will try. The pool in our room back on the island is more bihar rich than any other water source I’ve seen. It would be the best place to try.”

Laz released the breath he was holding and nodded. “Don’t tell him yet. I don’t want him to get his hopes up for so long, only to be disappointed.”

Beks nodded. She rolled on to her back and reached to cup the side of his face. “Even if neither of you could not father children, that would not change my decision to marry you both.”

His eyes reddened and he leaned forward to place a soft kiss on her lips.

“From the beginning, we should’ve been yours,” he told her in a breathy, helpless voice.

“Don’t dwell on the past,” Beks said as she stroked his cheek. “We must work hard to ensure a promising future ahead of us.”

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

In order to have a relatively even weight distribution and not show favoritism between her husbands, Beks didn’t ride in the same basket as them when they were on the rokhs. Instead, she opted to be carried across the steppes in the middle of the night by Cloud with Thad.

It left enough room in each basket for food and blankets to keep them cold in the air. Wrath had hugged each rokh before they left, telling them to follow her sister’s instructions and that she would miss them.

“Wrath is very close to all the animals she meets on the island,” Thad said over the wind rushing past them. “She will talk and talk with them for hours.”

“That’s good. It means she’s adjusted to her abilities well.”

“Yes, but she had to avoid talking to farm animals,” Thad replied. “If she got attached to the ones that have a high consciousness, such as goats, she would hear their pain when they were slaughtered. It’s good you gave her that booklet.”

Beks’ brows shot up. She’d forgotten that part when she was translating it. She was translating the words, but as she was in a rush to give it to her sister, she hadn’t paid attention to the actual content, nor had she gone back to ‘read’ it.

“What animals have high consciousness?” Beks asked. The basket had foldable benches inside which were set up on opposite sides so people could sit. It was another reason they only brought a few people.

If the baskets were filled to capacity, there was no room for the benches and everyone would have to stand. An hour or so was fine, but standing for hours would become painful quickly. As soon as Beks climbed in, Thad had prepared the bench for them to sit on, and the two siblings sat across from each other. They could see just past the top of the basket.

“According to Wrath, she’s been able to understand animals that can think, including the legendary beasts like Snowflake. However, with some animals, such as birds, including chickens and geese, she can’t understand what they say, but she can feel it.”

“Feel it?”

Thad furrowed his brows and seemed to try to select his words to explain his thoughts. “She can feel their emotions by listening to the pitch of the noises they make and their body language. She doesn’t know what they’re thinking, not word for word, as we are having this conversation, but she can feel if they are sad, scared, or hungry.”

Beks mirrored her younger brother’s thoughtful expression. “I am surprised she hasn’t stopped eating meat because of this.” The monk at the shrine who had given her the book didn’t eat meat. They didn’t kill the meat for the animals there, either.

Thad sighed. “Actually, Wrath wouldn’t eat any meat if she’d seen the animal when it was alive. Exceptions are fish and shellfish. I suppose those animals don’t think. She hasn’t eaten any of the hoofed animals on the island. Once, she noticed that her favorite goat had gone missing....”

Thad’s voice trailed off and Beks grimaced, understanding what had happened to her sister’s favorite goat.

“I suppose it is the hazard of having such a spirit core,” Beks replied. “Still, I am pleased that Wrath has one. To come from a family of biha-users and have nothing...it is frustrating and, in a way, isolating.”

Thad cocked his head to the side. “Sister, did you feel that way before you found out you had both a well and a core?”

Beks took a deep breath and released it slowly. “I studied so much information and techniques on biha usage, hoping and praying that I had the ability somehow. I memorized Brother Deo’s stances, breathing, and basic attack patterns. I looked up wind biha techniques. Any time there was some instruction on using biha, I practiced. It was just I couldn’t utilize any of it.” She let out a small, bittersweet laugh. “Thad, I still can’t utilize it the way I want.”

“But you can give others biha,” Thad told her with some seriousness. “No one else can do that. No one else has a limitless well. This is an ability others would give anything for.”

“I am an energy source, but I can’t do much with it by myself,” Beks said with a wry smile. “All the power without the ability to use it.”

Thad knit his brows and frowned. “You will use it the way you want one day, Sister. I am not an Inheritor, but I know that much.”

She gave him a soft smile and reached forward to ruffle his hair gently. “Thad, you have done well. Your abilities have greatly improved, in both strength, stamina, and control. You have protected our younger sister coming to Langshe, and defended an entire army. Although I would prefer you have stayed somewhere safe, I am both impressed and proud of you. You’ve worked hard, Thad.”

Her brother’s eyes reddened and he nodded. “When Brother was my age, he was already on training missions. When you were my age, I was told you were already drafting policies for the kingdom.” He chuckled a bit. “I can’t fail you.”

Beks’ smile widened. “All we ask is that you try your best. If you fail, you fail. Learn from it and move forward. You can fail a mission, but you can’t fail us.”

“Sister,” Thad said in a strained voice. “Are you sure that I am suitable for this mission?”

Beks’ brows shot up once more, this time with surprise. “Why would you think you are not? Your wind biha abilities are both strong and precise. Are you nervous? You already crossed part of the continent with Wrath.”

“That was different,” Thad told her. “I only went because I was worried about Wrath. All I had to do was make sure she was fed and well-hidden when we were on the ground in the daylight hours. This time, it feels like a real mission and not a babysitting errand.”

Beks pursed her lips. If Wrath heard that her little adventure away from home was seen as a babysitting errand by Thad, she would’ve seen it as an insult and refused to talk to Thad until she was coaxed.

“This is very much a real mission,” Beks said. “It is all right, and absolutely normal, to feel nervous before it. The important part is that you can focus and not second guess yourself during it.”

“How?”

Beks took another deep breath and thought about it. “I tend to stick to my plans, only making minor adjustments if the situation changes, but the goal typically remains the same. I try not to overthink it and go with what my first instinct is.”

“You are the Inheritor.” Thad looked at her with a dull expression, as if to remind her that of course her instinct would be good because it was a gift given by the gods. Not everyone had such a luxury.

Beks chuckled. “True, but instinct is just your immediate thought giving you direction after observing and processing the environment, situation, and past experiences to increase your chances of success. Everyone has it, but not everyone listens to it. If you second guess it, it means you’re overthinking it and may be using a possibility that doesn’t exist that will skew your decision.”

Thad lowered his eyes and let her words sink in. “I will follow your instructions.”

“Thad, don’t overthink it. When we arrive, your brothers-in-law and I will enter the fortress. Your job is to cause a distraction.”

“I still don’t understand how,” Thad said. “My wind biha can topple weak structures, such as tents, but against a solid building....”

“I don’t need you to topple buildings,” Beks said. “The Redstone Fortress was built on what used to be a protruding piece of land on an ancient riverbed that only occasionally has water. In order to ensure that the prisoners couldn’t escape so easily, the land bridge was thinned. Multiple gate houses were built along the road-sized land bridge. The fortress walls were originally built several paces from the edge of the remaining land, but over the years, the space between the wall foundations and the edge has shrunk.

“Several flash floods in the last century have eroded the earth around it, particularly in the northern side, which was hit hard by the incoming flood waters.” Beks smiled. “I know about this because there was a report and the late Queen was considering setting aside funding to re-build the foundation on the northern side with quarried stone that wouldn’t be worn down as quickly.”

“All right, but wouldn’t a water biha user be more useful?”

“While water biha users can gather moisture from the air to create water, there is little moisture in a dry environment like the Redstone Fortress, and the amount of water a user can create is also limited, even in a moist environment. They couldn’t create a flood without there being a large body of water to control,” Beks replied. She leaned forward. “But wind can be utilized anywhere we can breathe.”

Thad’s eyes widened. “Do you think I’m strong enough?”

“There is already significant damage,” Beks said. “But I don’t need strength so much as I need precision.” She held up her hand to make a circle. “Wind needs to be focused into such a small surface, but with the utmost pressure you can manage while still conserving biha. I will show you where to aim your wind to loosen the soil and cause the wall to move.”

“Will that be enough to distract the guards at the fortress?”

“No, but many will be dispatched to try to close off the area and perhaps try to fix it,” Beks said. “While this is happening, begin sending the wind into the fortress itself. Do you remember where the guard and officer quarters are?”

Thad nodded. According to the floorplans that Beks drew, all the cells faced the interior of the fortress. All the windows that faced outside were residential and office areas for guards and officers.

“Before the sunrises, use your biha to push those windows open. The fortress doesn’t have glass windows. Send as much dust and sand from the outside into the rooms to cause a problem for the guards and officers. If the wooden window shutters are broken. It’s a minor inconvenience, but with the normal winds and cold nights, they’ll want to fix the window shutters, but they won’t have enough resources in the fortress to repair all of them at once. There will cause an argument and, knowing the bureaucracy that goes into managing such a facility, they will need to call a fortress-wide meeting to assess the situation and produce a solution.

“During this time, the amount of guards on hand will be thinnest and it is likely that we will have a chance to get the Marquis.”

Thad drew his lips inward and bit them. He furrowed his brows and thought about his sister’s plans. “What if the guards continue to guard the Marquis?”

“Lucian will use light biha to distract them from the inside,” Beks said. “Don’t worry about us.”

Thad seemed hesitant to agree. Beks could understand. Three people entering a fully staffed prison fortress was incredibly risky. He swallowed a lump in his throat and sat up straight. “Where will I meet you?”

“Right where you dropped us off,” Beks said. She leaned to the side and shuffled through her satchel. In the last fading lights of the evening, she flattened a piece of paper, one of the sketches of the fortress floor plan. “Here.”

She pointed to a corner of the fortress that had been built to follow the shape of the land it was built on. Thad squinted and then made a face. “Sister, that is a watchtower.”

Beks nodded. “It’s also the one with a roof to cover it,” she said with a smile. “They can see left, right, and all around, but they can’t see what’s coming from above.”

Thad stared at her with an unreadable expression. “Do your husbands know how reckless you are?”

Beks almost balked. “Thad, I am not reckless. I have a plan.”

“A reckless plan.”

Beks narrowed her eyes and then took her floorplan back. “Thad.”

“Yes?”

“You’re second guessing it.”

Her brother scowled and crossed his arms. Beks put away her map and leaned back against the side of the basket to close her eyes and ‘read’.

Though the journey was faster by flying, they stuck with the same system that Thad and Wrath had used when they went to Langshe. The rokhs were affiliated with shadow biha and had the most energy at night. This meant they were not only able to remain unseen at night, but they could fly faster.

They would land about an hour or so before dawn after finding a suitable place to hide for the day. This also allowed the rokhs to hunt for prey and eat before the sun rose. Two giant birds were sure to attract attention, so they had to return to the hiding area as soon as they caught food, which meant they would often eat the prey nearby.

Beks could supplement their energy with biha, but they still needed to physically consume meat, especially since they used up a lot of energy flying from twilight to just before dawn. The twins would take turns guarding them while they slept during the day, though Beks would make use of the daylight hours to review their flight course and try to use topography maps to decide on where they could land and hide the next morning.

“How did you find places to hide when you traveled with Wrath?” Lucian had asked Thad one morning.

“Wrath would ask nearby animals what was ahead of us and what the terrain was like to get an idea of where we could hide,” Thad had replied, as if it were a completely normal occurrence as he ate their rations.

Beks had been concerned that their rations were dwindling faster than she thought and had told him to limit his snacking.

Lucian’s eyes had widened. “I’ve never even considered such a thing....”

“The ability to speak to animals is incredibly useful,” Beks had replied. “Can you imagine what information you could find out just by chatting with them?”

Thad had frozen in his seat. His eyes had crinkled up and he paled, as if he’d been struck by a horrible thought. “Wrath has too much power.”

The twins were more intrigued by the possibility of having an information network of animals. Beks thought that while such a thing was very possible for Wrath, especially when she had true mastery over her spirit core, she doubted her sister would want to trouble herself to sit and collect information from third party sources.

Of course, when they first caught sight of the Redstone Fortress, Beks could see a use for her younger sister’s ability. Fortresses had storehouses for food, including grains. Where there was grains, there were mice, and were there were mice, there was likely to be a cat or two to keep the pest population under control.

Cats were conscious animals and Wrath would be able to understand them. Beks knew this as she’d found Wrath chatting with some palace cats a few times regarding which of the palace kitchens was most likely to give snacks. Then again, she didn’t know if she could concentrate knowing her sister who ran away to join in a war of succession at the ripe age of seven was nearby without adult supervision.

“Everything in retrospect, I suppose,” Beks muttered to herself as they circled the fortress in the darkness.

By her estimate, they had another two hours or so left before dawn broke. They’d already passed some cliffs that had caves and crevices suitable for hiding them and the rokhs just a few minutes flight away.

As they circled above, they could make out the shape of the fortress from the line of torches around the ramparts of the outer wall. Each of the watchtowers had torches and the various gate houses that blocked the narrow land bridge were also identified by torches.

One of the watchtowers didn’t have torches. Up to a certain point, the ramparts leading to a corner of the fortress were lined with torches, then the torches abruptly stopped.

“That’s the corner with the weak foundation,” Beks told her brother. She narrowed her eyes. “It looks like it’s more damaged than I thought if they’ve already sealed it to prevent accidents if there is a collapse.”

Thad frowned. “Then would our initial plan of destroying the foundation to distract them work?”

Beks tightened her lips into a line. “Not as well as I had hoped. If there is no urgency, the distraction will be short lived.”

Thad’s hands tightened on the edge of the basket. “Then...Sister...what if we use another fire pillar?”

“Well, that would work, but it may be too chaotic and make them suspicious, which is the last thing we want as they’ll notice the Marquis’ disappearance faster than we’d like,” Beks told him.

Thad stared down at the fortress they circled. “What if...what if they didn’t think he disappeared?” He turned to look up at his sister with some hesitation. “What if they think he died?”

Beks snapped her head towards him. “You mean fake the Marquis’ death?”

“Isn’t one of the advantages we have that no one knows that His Majesty is alive, so he can’t be hunted down for assassination?” Thad asked.

Beks’ eyes widened. “If the Marquis is thought of as dead, they wouldn’t be alarmed that he’s gone to reorganize his march’s troops, so they wouldn’t go look for him. It would also effectively stop him from being a hostage to control the von Glassers.”

“It’s risky. Without a fire biha-user, there is no one to control the fire.”

Beks sighed. Perhaps she should’ve brought Rid Haal. At least it would’ve distracted him from heartbreak. She looked down at her hands, wishing for the umpteenth time that she could use biha.

“If we could start a fire somewhere further away, we could have enough time to rescue the Marquis and then make sure the fire spreads to where he was imprisoned. I’m unsure if Lucian can create strong enough light to ignite something.” She felt a small tug on her boot and distractedly waved her hand. “Not now, Sunny. Lucian certainly can’t ignite something at a dista-Sunny?”

She nearly threw herself across the basket as she looked down at the orange and brown cat-sized lizard. Thad quickly bent down to pick up the lizard.

“Sister, I can explain!”

Sunny flickered his tongue out at Beks, as if in greeting. Beks stared at the lizard, who seemed to give her slow blinks with his big eyes. Since the beginning, Sunny had been almost as attached to her as Wrath because she had welcomed him into their family first. Beks was always good to him, too.

“Tell me that Wrath is not hiding in the other basket,” Beks said in a low voice.

Thad shook his head at once. “No, no! It’s only Sunny!” Thad’s shoulder slumped. “Wrath made me bring him.”

“Why?” Beks asked. Before she left, her parting words to Sunny was to take care of Wrath. Who knew that Sunny had gotten on board and hidden himself under a bench and behind their packed rations. Her eyes widened. “Sunny, have you been eating the rations?”

Sunny blinked and flickered his tongue again in affirmation.

Beks sighed and rubbed her forehead. Thad offered her a hopeful smile. “Sister, isn’t it good that Sunny is here? He can help with a fire pillar and throw fireballs from a distance.”

Beks looked at the lizard. “Is that what Wrath said when she told you to bring Sunny.”

“She said it’s dangerous to go alone.” Thad lifted the lizard higher to face Beks. “Take this.”