The Wicked House of Caroline

They stood under the awning of the patio, just outside the doors leading to Marquis von Glasser’s study, and watched as the training dummy made of wrapped jute around a wooden skeleton was beaten with a wooden waster. Laz took a sip of his drink and narrowed his eyes as his brother watched their wife take out her pent-up anger on an innocent pile of fabric and wood.

They knew that Beks learned a little swordsmanship. Not enough to make a significant contribution in war, but enough for basic self-defense. At the very least, against someone without formal training, she could defend herself or delay until help came. Her form was quite good and her cuts followed through. They were precise and her movements were fluid.

“She wields the sword like a von Glasser!” Lord Douglas laughed with mirth after watching her vent for a bit. “She must’ve picked it up from my sister.”

The Marquis had let out a heavy sigh. “What was your sister doing teaching her future sister-in-law to fight?”

“Our mother had Beks taught a little in order to keep her healthy as she spent so much time indoors studying,” Lucian replied. “I’m sure it was more fun to practice with Lady Eleanor than her instructor.”

Lady Eleanor was often at the gilded palace even when they were young. She was, if Laz could describe it in one word, chaotic as a child. Though she behaved during serious matters such as meals and formal events, she would also climb trees in the garden, encourage Laurence to run away to play, and once tried to challenge them to a horse race, to which their father put an end to before they could sneak horses out of the stables.

Laz wouldn’t say it out loud, as Laurence would disapprove of them bringing up Lady Eleanor’s rambunctious childhood, but Laz was surprised when he met Lady Eleanor again after so many years. She became much more proper. Admittedly, befitting a supportive and stable queen for their brother.

Both he and Lucian were relieved.

“She’s quite healthy. Look at those dents in the jute,” Lord Stephen said as his eyes squinted.

Beks was down the steps in the training courtyard, but they could still make out the indentations in the jute padding. The training dummy was newly padded.

A crack was heard and all five men on the patio seemed to take in sharp breaths as the right ‘arm’ of the training dummy fell down, only kept from hitting the ground by the fabric connecting it to the rest of the dummy.

“That...was a new training dummy wasn’t it?” Lord Douglas muttered. Beside him, his youngest brother nodded his head, dumbfounded.

“Right before our estate was sealed, new equipment had arrived,” Stephen replied. “The wood is reinforced with metal....”

“It’s biha,” Laz and Lucian said at the same time.

Several gazes turned towards them. Unlike the Caroline Duchy, there were very few people who had biha on the mainland. Even fewer people who had significant biha able to be used in battle, and even fewer who had mastery.

Those who just had a trace of biha wouldn’t be able to notice others’.

In this case, even if Beks was not doing it on purpose, her anger loosened her control and with each strike against the dummy, there was biha backing it. They didn’t know the reason, as their own biha had limitations, but it may have been because Beks had potential to use all biha that she could manifest it as a forceful energy.

“In any case, I hope she does give that idiot Fourth Prince a punch in the face.” Marquis von Glasser let out a small snort.

Beks had stopped, her arm pulled back into a neutral position immediately after her last strike, and looked at the broken training dummy’s arm with wide eyes, as if stunned that she had broken it.

Laz held back a chuckle as he watched her glance around, nervous that she’d broken someone else’s property.

She finally turned towards the patio and lowered her arms. “I’m sorry! I’ll pay for it!”

The von Glassers barely muffled their laughter at her embarrassed face. She looked like a child who wanted to get a snack, but knocked over the plate and broke it instead.

“It’s all right, my lady-”

“Your Highness.” Laz and Lucian spoke up at the same time to correct Lord Douglas. The older man rolled his eyes a bit.

“It’s all right, Your Highness! Training dummies are meant to break!” Lord Douglas shouted back.

“...Just not so soon....” Lord Stephen muttered. Lord Douglas smacked him upside the head. “Ow!”

“Get inside. Let’s finish this meeting,” Lord Douglas shot his youngest brother a glare. Inside the meeting room, there were maps and Beks’ urapearl, which they used to contact the island.

Lady Eleanor had answered. They had just missed Laurence and the Duke of Caroline.

“They left last night for the mainland and should’ve reached the river delta to go upstream by now,” she had told them. “From our estimation, they will arrive at the southern rendezvous point in two nights.”

In order to further avoid detection, night travel was preferred. Wild Dogs had memorized the trails leading to the rendezvous point in advance.

Lady Eleanor expressed her frustration that she was forced to remain on the island because she was pregnant. She was then yelled at by her father for wanting to do something so risky when she was in a precarious situation.

Lord Douglas had come between them to calm them both down, emphasizing to their father that Lady Eleanor was already taking appropriate measures for her and the baby’s safety, while not only acknowledging his sister’s sacrifice, but reminding her for whom she was sacrificing for; her first child.

However, now knowing that Laurence was on the mainland, they had to prepare.

Beks remained outside. Since they arrived at the von Glasser Estate, she’d been a bit more curt than usual, to which Laz decided that she needed to let out her frustrations.

It was one thing for Luther to wrong her. She accepted that because she believed him to be an ignorant fool who couldn’t make a good decision if he needed it to live. However, she was already upset that her family was exiled under such weak accusations.

Luther and his party didn’t need to slander her entire house.

The house that Beks was so proud of and loved, as well as didn’t do anything to deserve such slander as being branded ‘wicked’ for propaganda purposes.

She had been outside, beating a training dummy, for half an hour with two breaks.

She had already provided all the information they needed.

“Should we be concerned about the rest of the battalion that was split to guard against different nobles?” Lucian asked as they returned to the study.

“No. After we rebelled, it is likely that they will hold firm as to prevent any additional nobles from rebelling,” Marquis von Glasser replied. “However, the battalions will be focused along the east and south. They know for a fact that the Red Iron Cavalry will come across the mountains in the east.”

“This will leave a gap on the west, but the navy is patrolling heavily along the coast, at least up until Stromwal,” Laz told them.

“What about the north?” Lord Douglas asked.

“The marquises of the north aren’t far north. The far north joined thanks to the Carolines, so before them, the kingdom only reached up to here,” the Marquis replied, taking a pointing stick, and drawing an invisible line across the map. “Anything beyond was settled by the Senecas along the east, and closer to the coasts, the House of Enidmore.”

“All the ducal houses have distanced themselves from the Fourth Prince and his party,” Lord Douglas said. “With the exception of Duke Seneca, who is in service on the council.”

“If he wasn’t on it, the entire kingdom would’ve already collapsed.” The Marquis frowned. “But if he’s in Kadmium, he could be used as a hostage.”

“The Duke of Seneca is aware of the danger of his position,” a woman’s voice said behind them. Laz turned around and saw Beks removing her gloves as she entered through the door. Her face was a bit flushed and there was a shine of sweat. “Lady Helen unofficially leads the duchy now.”

“Drink more water,” Lucian said as he turned to pour a pitcher into glass.

“The point is that even if they have their suspicions, Duke Seneca is under their control,” Laz told them. “They won’t suspect that the north will also be rebelling.”

Beks approached the table and looked down at the map. “Do we know where the other battalions are located?”

“Orders were given to secure the southern and eastern borders, particularly around areas where there are wide routes suitable for an army to use,” Marquis von Glasser replied. “Legion Commander Reed’s half will likely focus on the east. Legion Commander Laurent is in the south.”

“But no one has been able to find her,” Beks said in a low voice. Several people looked at her once more. “When we were looking for allies and those loyal to Brother Laurence, we wanted to contact the legion commanders. If they stayed loyal to Brother Laurence, they we wouldn’t need to fight them, or at least, they could be diverted so we have a clear march to Kadmium. Legion Commander Reed is out of reach for us to contact, but we know where he is. The same can’t be said for Legion Commander Laurent.”

“So, you mean, we don’t know where Legion Commander Laurent is?” Marquis von Glasser’s eyes widened.

“I had my people look for her. Her last recorded whereabouts were at the Fulton Fort....” Beks paused and squinted. “That’s the last fort I passed during my exile. Or rather, before they tried to kill me.”

Laz looked around the table and noticed Marquis von Glasser and his sons were looking at Beks with horrified expression.

“My child,” the Marquis said, softening his voice. “Who tried to kill you?”

Beks paused. “Oh. I forgot about that part.”

Laz let out a heavy sigh. “The royal guards assigned to escort the Carolines to the borders for exile to the four winds were disguised paladins. The entire royal guard got food poisoning the day they were to leave, so all-.”

“Except one,” Beks said. “Lloyd.”

Lucian squinted. “Lloyd from the camp?”

“Yes, he was assigned to the kitchen staff,” Beks replied. “Anyway, he’s the one who told my brother about the food poisoning. Anyone who ate at the barracks the night before got food poisoning and couldn’t go, so others were assigned. Lloyd had a break the day before and had eaten out, so he wasn’t poisoned. He thought it was strange he’d never met the other escort guards, but thought it was because they had to bring royal guards stationed elsewhere to fill in.”

“Then wouldn’t that mean that someone was working inside the barracks to poison the guards?” Lord Stephen asked.

Lord Douglas’ face was even dark. “You are sure they were paladins?”

“Paladins....” Lord Stephan gasped. “The Temple is involved?”

“I’m not sure if it’s the Temple or just the Oracle,” Beks replied. “I know she wanted me to die.” She took a deep breath and shook her head. “That’s behind us now. The point is that Legion Commander Laurent does rounds to each of the fortresses in her region. She was at Fulton Fort and then my people lost track of her. She’s not at any of the forts. She may be in hiding.”

Laz frowned. “Then who has been leading the southern battalions?”

“They’ve just been following their location reassignments,” Beks said. She picked up a handful of little square pieces and placed them along the southern and southwestern corners of the kingdom. “These three have been patrolling while these other ones are sedentary.”

“They’re directly on our war path,” the Marquis told them in a low voice. “If Legion Commander Laurent cannot order them to stand down and support His Majesty, we will have to fight through them.”

“And we don’t have enough to go up against that many battalions at once,” Lord Stephen said, helpless.

Laz fixed his eyes on the barrier of battalions lining near the borders of the kingdom. “We don’t need to fight them all at once. It would be battalion by battalion.”

“You want us to fight consecutive battles? We’ll need to rest and repair our weapons,” Lord Douglas said with a frown.

“What if you don’t have to fight each one? Can’t we send a messenger to request an audience?” Beks asked.

Laz took a deep breath and even the von Glassers shook their heads. “Requesting an audience to discuss terms is not something the battalions do. They will only move if their battalion commander orders them, and if they are in position, it likely means their battalion commander has sided with Luther.”

“To be fair,” Beks said. “They don’t know that Brother Laurence is alive. Right now, they just think that you two are going back to take the throne from Luther. A war of succession between the three younger brothers of the heir isn’t something anyone wants. Especially right now when the kingdom has no money.”

“That’s true.” The Marquis shook his head. “At the moment, the Fourth Prince, who is already on the throne appears the most stable.”

“What if we reveal that Brother is alive and they still refuse?” Lucian asked.

Beks stared at the map and Laz watched her calm expression remain steady. “Then, we block them.”

“We don’t have enough people-” Lord Stephen opened his mouth, but Beks held up her hand to stop him.

“I never said with people,” Beks said. She tapped on a dry valley in the south, just before some low mountains. Laz narrowed his eyes.

The low mountains wrapped around the southern coast, but there were numerous trade routes cutting through to get into the valley interior. All the sedentary battalions were planted near the openings of those routes.

But they were all very close to the mountains, on open, flat land. They were concentrated against the foot of the mountains, guarding the most likely points of entry. It wasn’t a bad idea, but it was very ‘official’. If their side didn’t have enough people, the best solution wouldn’t be to attack head on.

They’d either need a significant surprise or a clever strategy that would be quick, didn’t use a lot of manpower, but decisive.

“What guerrilla warfare will you have us use this time?” Laz asked.

“Use biha-users to create a barrier to contain the battalion and then attack part of their camp. May it appear as if it’s a raid and lure as many out of a narrow opening as possible. When they are distracted, part of the barrier will be open to allow for a second team of actual raiders to sneak in and steal their resources, break any lines of communication, as well as cause general havoc. Without supplies, they can’t go far. Without urapearls or messenger birds and paper, a request for aid would take far too long.”

“While they are contained, we can move any people we have deeper into the kingdom,” the Marquis said with an understanding nod. “We only have to time it well so as to avoid another battalion.”

“What is a winning strategy that does not involve good timing?” Beks replied. “When they are contained, we can give them a list of demands. Join us or starve without resources.”

They looked at her once more, with a glint of surprise in their eyes. “Are you willing to let them starve?” Lord Stephen asked with a knit brow.

Beks stared down at the map. “If they do not acknowledge the true king and swear loyalty to him, then they are no longer citizens I should concern myself with.”

Laz found himself nodding. “If they do not acknowledge Brother Laurence, as they should knowing he is alive, then they are traitors to the crown.”

The room was silent for a moment as everyone mulled over the implications of his words.

Traitors of the crown were executed.

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

“He’s dead?” Luther sat up from his bed, the thin sheets pooling at his waist as Chamberlain Wilton avoided looking at him.

“There was some sort of lightning storm at the Redstone Fortress, Your Majesty,” Chamberlain Wilton replied. “Unfortunately, it struck a wooden wagon still loaded with supplies that was parked in the fortress’ yard. The region is already dry. The fire spread quickly and the guards couldn’t put it out by morning.”

Luther’s chest tightened at the thought. “Marquis von Glasser was burned?”

Chamberlain Wilton shook his head. “No, he suffocated in the fumes from the fire.”

Luther’s face paled more so. “That’s a possibility?”

Buried beneath another sheet beside him, hoping that the lump she made on the bed wasn’t noticeable to Chamberlain Wilton, Iris also trembled at the thought. Didn’t people die in fires because they couldn’t escape the flames and were burned?

Did this mean that if there was too much smoke, one couldn’t breathe?

Her chest heaved. In that case, though the fires at the Great Temple Complex were extinguished, had anyone suffocated from the smoke before the flames reached them? The buildings there were close together, often narrow. She didn’t know the extent of the damage of the Great Temple Complex, but she knew that a small fire could do a lot of damage in those narrow passages filled with wood and paper.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Chamberlain Wilton answered them both. “News reached the von Glasser Estate.” He paused for a moment. “They have rebelled.”

Luther swung his legs over the side of the bed and rang the bell beside it. At once, two of his servant boys rushed in to help him dress.

“Wake up my father and call for the council to convene at once!”

“Your Majesty, it is still dark out-”

“It doesn’t matter! This is urgent!” Luther sounded as if he was shrieking. “Get my shoes! My shoes!”

Iris remained unmoving in the bed, waiting until the commotion had died down and the small click from the closed entrance door was heard.

She pulled the sheet off her head and let out a pant as her wide eyes looked around the now dimly lit room.

This didn’t happen in her last life.

As soon as she thought about it, she almost wanted to slap herself. Of course, this situation didn’t happen in her last life. How many things had she changed from her last life to get where she was now? Things were different.

Everything was different!

Iris’ heart slammed against her chest as she sat up, covered with a thin layer of sweat over her pale skin.

She still hadn’t heard back from the Temple and she didn’t know if they were too consumed trying to fix the damage at the Great Temple Complex or if they forgot her completely.

But how could that near oracle-worshiping Temple forget about her? An oracle?

She could only accept that they had their hands full and telling her what happened wouldn't be welcomed.

Iris had sent letters to people she knew, mainly other paladins who grew up with her, but no one returned her letters. It also brought up the concern that they were either too busy or dead.

She just managed to put on her clothes with the door opened once more and Luther rushed inside. She whirled around and gasped.

“Luther, what’s wrong?”

“I’m going to change into more suitable clothing. It will take some time for everyone to convene,” Luther said, waving his hand to send away the stewards. As soon as the door closed behind them, he walked to the edge of the bed and sat down. He hunched forward, bending his arms and resting his knees on his elbows as he grasped the sides of his head, his figure consumed with frustration.

Iris’ brows knit together and she carefully approached him. “Luther?”

“My second and third brothers never showed any hint of becoming the next king. I never considered that they’d invade to do so,” Luther replied in a dry, tired voice.

“Do you think that perhaps they do not see you as a fit leader?” Iris asked. She sat beside him and raised her hand, placing it against his shoulder and giving him a gentle rub to calm him down.

Luther’s eyes squinted and he stared ahead of him. “Do you....do you think that is the case? My second brother studied martial and military arts. He wouldn’t be fitting for a governing position. He has no knowledge of it. And my third brother is even worse. He studied to be a priest. He...he can’t even have children!”

Iris frowned. “Do they think that they can do better than you? Out of the three remaining brothers, it’s clear you are best suited.”

“I think so, as well!” Luther sat up straight and looked at her with indignation. “And why did they come now? Why did they wait so long? Where were they when Mother and Brother Laurence died!”

Iris held her breath. It seemed he had some pent-up resentment lingering. She knew that the twin princes had been attacked one after the other, and then disappeared. The delay must’ve been because they were injured and needed time to recover, but she couldn’t tell Luther that. She tried to think of another explanation.

She narrowed her eyes. “They didn’t come when your eldest brother died. Perhaps they were already preparing.”

“What do you mean?”

“They disappeared after your mother died, didn’t they? Isn’t it suspicious? You asked yourself why they waited so long. Perhaps once your mother died, they wanted to take over, but couldn’t because your eldest brother was seated firmly on the throne,” she said. “They would need someone to support their claim and that would take time.”

“Support their claim....” Luther muttered. His eyes also narrowed. “The Langshe Empire.”

“When Prince Tarkan took over, they would lose their supporter, wouldn’t they? In order to have Langshe support them, they needed their cousin on the throne.”

“Which would explain why they took the Red Iron Cavalry to reclaim Langshe for the late Empress’ son....” Luther frowned. “If he’s on the throne, then he will back his cousins in taking Kadmus.”

Iris let out a stunned gasp and sat up straight. “You don’t think that they are doing it on purpose, do you? That is...try to take over Kadmus to be absorbed by the Langshe Empire?”

She watched Luther’s face drain of color. “They wouldn’t....they are princes of Kadmus.”

Iris grasped his arm. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to say such a thing. They’re your brothers. And you mention a good point. The Second Prince served in the battalions and was highly ranked. He is loyal.”

“He is,” Luther said, stressing his insistence. “But there must be a reason.”

“Do you think it’s because of Lady Rebecca?” The room was quiet. Luther seemed to suck in a sharp breath upon hearing that name. Iris wasn’t sure how Lady Rebecca’s relationship with the twin princes was when they were young, but if the woman got pregnant almost immediately as soon as she married them, they were likely much closer than expected. She leaned towards Luther and carefully prodded. “Tell me, how was their relationship when they were children? Were they close?”

Luther tensed beside her. His eyes seemed to glaze over and she watched him swallow hard. “They were close,” he replied in a raspy voice. “The Second Consort took care of Beks often and so she would play with my brothers. She talked about them often....” Luther lowered his eyes. “When they left after their father died, I remember Beks didn’t want to come out of her villa for days. Only Mother and Brother Laurence saw her.”

It was as Iris expected. “Then, she really was close to them....”

Luther’s eyes crinkled up. “You don’t think that they are invading because of Beks, do you?”

“Of course, not,” Iris replied at once, trying not to sound too defensive. “It is just...if they were close as children...to know that you exiled her....”

“She refused to accept my rule! She even broke our engagement!” Luther almost choked out.

“Didn’t she also have a hand in your eldest brother’s death?” Iris asked.

Luther shook his head. “She and my brother were more siblings than my brother and I were. She was loyal to him; she wouldn’t have harmed him.” He lowered his head. “But they are too dangerous. If she accepted my rule, we’d have the support of the Carolines. If the Carolines disagreed, they’d turn everyone else against us.”

Iris furrowed her brows. “Their invasion will be meaningless. Lady Rebecca was branded with an exile marking. She won’t be able to enter the kingdom again.”

Luther frowned and looked ahead of him. “What if that is the reason why?”

“Reason?”

“My brothers may be angry because I exiled her. She’ll never be able to enter the kingdom again and because of that, she’s trapped outside of the only place she’d considered home. Of course, my brothers would be angry.” Luther shook his head, frowning. “They must be invading for revenge.”

“Would your brothers side with her over you? Their own flesh and blood?” Iris asked.

Luther let out a small scoff. “My fiancée of two decades abandoned me. Why wouldn’t they? We were never close to begin with.”

“Luther, they can’t take over the kingdom,” Iris said with a trembling voice as her hand squeezed his arm. “They don’t have the knowledge to do so. All they know are the military and the priesthood. How will they manage governance of the kingdom? Only you can do this.”

Luther nodded. “I know,” he said with a tight-lipped frown as his hand went over hers. “Our Legions overwhelm the Red Iron Cavalry and von Glassers and other nobles like them don’t have the weapons or resources to rebel. We confiscated their weapons and horses, and froze their assets so they cannot purchase new ones.” He narrowed his eyes. “They won’t get far.”

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

“Not as much as what faced us in Langshe, but still enough to give us a problem,” Laz said as they brazenly flew over the southernmost battalions stationed.

Beks was seated in the basket with her eyes closed, mentally marking the locations of armies, both their opponents and their own, in her mind.

Small groups and individuals from the von Glasser army had made their way to a Dawn Company owned property masquerading as a caravan inn. All Beks said was that her people had been planted in and around the inn. She didn’t necessarily say that technically; the Dawn Company was hers. Lord Douglas was dropped off there to convene with their officers and get the equipment distributed.

Unless ordered, they would not engage with the battalions to their south. The von Glasser army was to make their way north. A few days of travel by foot, and they would reach Kadmium. The von Glasser army didn’t need to waste time dealing with the battalions. Once they got their equipment, they could go north.

After all, the battalions were now situated along the borders.

Only the royal guard could stop the von Glasser army, and it was unlikely that Luther would arrange for a bodyguard unit to go into battle, especially when he and his people needed the royal guards to guard them.

“How long do you think they’ve been settled?” Beks asked. The battalions were shuffled around and she didn’t have exact dates.

“Not long, but with the formation of the camp, it looks like they are willing to wait as long as it takes for our army to come over those hills.”

Beks pursed her lips. They flew over a patch of unsettled darkness, leaving behind the torches dotting the battalion camp.

However, they didn’t fly far. With the battalion torches still visible from the corner of her eye, she could see torches of another camp on the other side. The distance flown wasn’t far at all.

That was it.

Just a few rows of hills separated two full legion battalions from the Wild Dogs and a portion of the Caroline army. This was Laurence’s army and while he officially led it, it was Duke Caroline doing the majority of the work because of his experience.

But they were close to the border. Beks wasn’t sure if Laurence’s army knew that they were one horseback riding vanguard sighting away from being discovered.

“They’re not going to move forward. They’d be pinched in the mountain passes. It’s better for them to wait,” Laz said, as if sensing her worry.

“Since the road is narrower between the passes, it would take some time for an entire army to cross just a few mountains,” Beks replied with a frown.

“I’m sure your father has a way.”

She hoped, as well. The problem with such difficult terrain was that it took time to pass, and they didn’t have time to spare if they wanted to bypass the battalions and surprise attack Luther in Kadmium.

At the very least, she hadn’t heard a word from Luther’s foreign allies about coming to his aid. Aceria’s network was able to get information from wealthy individuals who wanted to get vaults, so extracting the attitude of other countries on Kadmus’ current ruler was quite easily. Almost all the countries had a ‘wait and see’ approach.

They didn’t want to bet on Luther in the case that their side succeeded, but they didn’t want to bet on them in case Luther managed to hold on to his seat.

Beks didn’t blame them for being cautious and refusing to be part of it when it wasn’t necessary. The late Queen had the backing of Paraxes and Langshe because she married princes from each country and there was an obligation for Paraxes and Langshe to support her.

Luther, at this point, now that Beks thought about it, had married an oracle.

In theory, the Temple would come to support her.

She’d read as much as she could about oracles lately, and every single one was treated like a mortal god by the Temple.

However, at that moment, the Temple was facing a crisis. Aside from the flood and fire at the Great Temple Complex and its paladin grounds, as such a thing had never happened before, rumor had spread that the Temple was being punished.

The rumor was something Mr. Kesse took the liberty of spreading. Beks had told the Grand Duke of Aceria in one of their conversations, when he was confirming that the children were safe, about the rumor. The man carried thousands of years of ancestral hatred for the Temple, and his actions following made it clear.

Anyone who left Aceria would’ve heard the rumor by now, and when those people reached their destinations, even more people would find out.

The result was that the Temple was having a crisis on their reputation. Many people were saying that the Temple had done something they weren’t supposed to do, which as far as Beks was concerned, was absolutely true.

Blame also spread to the new oracle for marrying Luther.

That wasn’t something Beks planned, and it seemed to have sprung up organically as a guess on what the Temple had done to deserve a flood and fire. Did she ask Mr. Kesse to curb the rumor after he told her?

No.

Did she encourage him to increase its reputation in Kadmus to further disparage Luther for not being able to control his lust, having an affair with a member of the Temple, and thus angering the gods?

Yes.

Maybe the last part wasn’t true, but the first two were.

The rokhs began to descend, letting out familiar screeches. Their sounds were familiar to the Wild Dogs below and Beks watched as several torches began to move and spread out to form a large circle to designate a clear landing area.

Beks’ brows rose, impressed.

Thad landed first, jumping out and then helping out Marquis von Glasser. Someone came to undo the latches that kept the baskets connected to the rope and removed them, allowing Cloud to move elsewhere and comfortably rest.

Wisp brought her load over and the twins climbed out. Beks jumped out after them and heard her brother shout for someone. She watched Thad rush across the circle to embrace an approaching figure.

Her heart shot up to her throat as she saw the familiar tall man with the warm smile. Beks’ eyes reddened. “Daddy!”

“Snowflower!” Thad stepped back to allow her a clear path to their father. She rammed into her father and hugged him tightly. The man laughed and embraced her just as tight. “You worked hard, Beks. You did a great job.”

She smiled and nodded as she pulled away. “Thank you.”

“Father-in-law.” Two voices spoke at once and her father looked over the top of her head. Beks turned to see Laz and Lucian kneeling just behind her and lowering their heads.

She felt her father take a deep breath and slowly exhale. He loosened his grip from Beks and moved her aside before taking a step towards the two princes. He placed a hand on each of their heads for a brief moment.

“Stand.” He didn’t address them by their royal titles. At the moment, they were greeting him as his son-in-laws, not as princes. Laz and Lucian stood up at once and faced the older man. Robert seemed to look them over before giving them a nod. He placed on hand on each of their shoulders. “Thank you for protecting my children, Lazarus, Lucian. My daughter has chosen well.”

In the torchlight, Beks could see the relief on their faces at her father’s simple words.

“Thank you, Father-in-law,” the twins chorused before saluting him once more. Robert slapped their shoulders.

“Come into the tent and rest. We are still eating, so there is plenty of food,” Robert said. He put his arm around Thad’s shoulder. “And you...of all my children, I thought you would be the least likely to run off.”

Thad winced. “I had to oversee Wrath. Imagine what she’d do if she were on her own.”

Robert laughed. “The world owes you a great favor then.”

They followed Robert into the interior of their camp. Laurence was waiting for them and rushed to embrace his brothers with tears in his eyes. The twins held onto him tightly, apologizing for worrying him and assuring Laurence that they did everything they set out to do and more.

“I just can’t relax until I see that you are both safe in front of me,” Laurence told them.

“Daddy, where’s Mommy?” Beks asked as she took a seat. The tents were similar to the ones she’d seen with the Dranga people back in the Giant’s Ridge and it was likely that they had prepared them. They were easy to take down and set up, convenient now that speed was needed.

“She had to meet your Great Aunt, but should be arriving in the morning,” Robert said. Additional food was brought it, and Thad began eating as if he had been starving.

Her father and Laurence spoke to Marquis von Glasser, getting up to speed on where their respective forces were and the plans. All parties appeared satisfied with the progress, until Marquis von Glasser brought up the battalions situated just on the other side of the hills.

“They out number us?” Laurence frowned. “Double? Triple?”

“For one battalion, less than double, but most of the southern battalions have been placed along the border areas behind the hills, waiting for our people to cross over,” Laz replied.

“They’re likely a day’s travel away,” Lucian said. “At the very least. If we attack and they manage to get a message out, we’d need to move before another battalion reached us.”

Laurence frowned at this.

“Then, let’s just make sure that no message goes out,” Robert told them as he leaned back against his chair, full from dinner. “Urapearls on the mainland require a fixed base, so they don’t carry them with them. We can intercept riders and messenger birds.”

“Riders I understand, but the birds are quick,” Laurence said.

“It will be good target practice for Sunny,” Thad replied, looking at the mats nearby a metal fire basin, where the fire drake had laid on his side to sleep after a full meal. “We can go on the rokhs and I can use wind biha to throw the birds off course.”

“All right, but we need to figure out how we’ll get over the hills without being caught,” Laz said.

“All the mountain passes are relatively narrow. It would take some time for all of us to get through,” Lucian added.

Laurence nodded at this. “They’d just have to wait at the other end to pick us off little by little.”

“Daddy, I need earth biha users,” Beks told her father. “How many do we have here?”

Her father furrowed his brows and thought for a moment. “Outside of the Thirnir, we have twenty earth biha users from the main unit. Their skill levels are slightly below Rid Callan’s.”

“Daddy, Rid Callan has improved greatly,” Beks told him. “However, I’d like to meet the earth biha users to see what they can do.”

“Oh?” Her father raised a curious brow and leaned forward. “What do you have in mind?”

“A barricade to prevent the battalion from coming after us,” Beks said.

“You want to surround their entire encampment?” Her father’s brows shot up. “That’s a good idea, but it would need to be done quickly. And biha users would need to use much of their ability.”

Beks nodded. “It doesn’t need to be the entire encampment, just the portion around the base of the hill.”

“What if they climb over the hill?” Laurence asked. “A barrier will delay them, but they will look for another way out. Though a bit more troublesome, they can go up the hill and around the barrier.”

“Not if it’s on fire,” Beks and Thad said at the same time.

Laurence slowly turned his head towards the Duke of Caroline, as if to ask why his children were so extreme. Instead, he found an elated expression on the duke’s face.

“As long as the fire is controlled and doesn’t spread, it’s fine,” he told them.

Laurence almost dropped his jaw. “Wait...even so, didn’t you say that creating a barrier will take time? And biha users! What if they’re seen?”

“We’ll go at night,” Beks said. “Laz using shadow biha will make sure we aren’t seen.”

“What if it’s not enough time?” Laurence asked. “And what about patrols?”

“Well, that’s a second thing,” Beks said. She turned back to her father. “I need water biha users.”

Her father chuckled. “The majority remained in Sagittate for defense. We don’t have many.”

“We don’t need many,” Beks said. “We just need Mommy.”

“Ah, to be thought of so highly by my children warms my heart,” a smooth, calming voice spoke up behind her. The fire in the pits flickered as the tent flap was pushed aside and a tall woman with dark skin and a lingering sea salt scent walked in.

“Mommy!” Both Beks and Thad got up to hug their mother, only to be beaten there by their father.

Sybil of Caroline gently patted her husband’s back before pushing him away and taking quick steps towards her children.

“Thad, Beks....” She brought both them against her and pressed her head against each of them, taking a deep breath, as if breathing them in would reassure her. “You are safe, you are safe....” She murmured her relief, kissing each child on the side of the head before reluctantly letting them go.

Laz and Lucian were already on their feet, and as soon as Beks and Thad stepped back, they knelt before Sybil as they had Robert.

“Mother-in-Law.”

For a moment, Sybil stared at them. She then looked at Beks with a dull, yet suspicious look. “What is going on?”

“Ah...that’s my fault. I forgot to tell you through one of the messages,” Robert told her with a helpless smile. “They signed marriage documents in the Langshe Empire.”

“Inheritance purposes,” Thad said. Beks elbowed him.

Sybil frowned at once. She turned her glare to her husband. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“The messenger hawks can only carry such a large piece of paper!” Robert said, raising his arms in defense.

“Robert, I received five love letters from you in the last two weeks alone,” Sybil replied in a firm voice. Beks winced and Laurence turned his head away, as if he didn’t see the middle-aged couple about to get into an argument. “You couldn’t have found some way to tell me that my eldest daughter got married?”

“It slipped my mind....”

“Rob....” Sybil took a deep breath to calm herself and then exhaled. She repeated the process three times before the irritation seemed to have faded enough. “Never mind. Lazarus, Lucian. Stand.” The two stood up at once and faced her. Sybil reached out and touched the top of their heads one by one. “You have done well keeping your word to me and protecting my daughter. I trust you will maintain this level of devotion for the rest of your lives?”

“Yes, Mother-in-law!”

“I want action, not words,” Sybil said as she retracted her arm and gave them a firm look. “As long as you love and respect my daughter, I will love and respect you as my sons. She has chosen you. Do not disappoint her.”

“Yes, Mother-in-law.” The two bowed their heads once more and Sybil nodded, satisfied.

“All right. When this is over I will bring you a proper gift, as is customary in the Western Islands. Had I known....” She grit her teeth and shot her husband a scathing glare. Robert smiled none-the-less, and she snorted and looked back at the twins. “I would’ve been better prepared and brought gifts.”

“Thank you, Mother-in-law.”

Sybil then greeted Laurence and Marquis von Glasser. As she took a seat to wait for her meal, she looked at her daughter across the table. “Tell me, what did you need me for?”

“I need a thick, dense fog to cover the battalion waiting for us on the other side of the hills. I need to keep them from seeing us when earth biha users create a barrier to delay them from coming after us as our people come through,” Beks told her.

Sybil waved a hand. “That is not much. When do you want to do it?”

“As soon as possible-”

“All right, let me eat first and we’ll go.”

“Wait, Mommy, we still need to gather the earth biha users,” Beks said, sitting up straight. “We’ll need many of them to create sections of a barrier.”

Sybil furrowed her brows. “Then, the more we have the better. It’s good that Rid Callan came with me.”

Beks face lit up. Rid Callan would know exactly what to do with minimal instruction from her. “Great! Did you meet him at sea?”

“Yes, so I told him to follow me as I was going to a rendezvous point and would reach you sooner than he’d return to the Red Iron Cavalry.”

“What about Rid Norddottir?”

“She remained with the children,” Sybil replied with an approving nod. Someone came in with a plate of food for her and she gave them a curt nod before picking up her utensils. “By the way, Robert. When His Majesty returns to the throne, assign Rid Callan to Beks at the island.”

Robert looked a bit taken aback as he poured his wife some light wine. “He wants to transfer?”

“He feels that his children will transition better on Gurani,” Sybil replied.

Beks felt her heart swell as she smiled. “He decided to adopt?”

Sybil nodded. “A little girl and her toddler brother.”

Beks gasped. “Yaya and Ren.” A wave of relief swept through her. Siblings were hard to adopt together, she heard.

“Rid Norddottir also wants to transfer,” Sybil said. “For the same reason, but I don’t know who she adopted.”

“This is a good thing,” Robert replied. “I will arrange it.” He stood up, stroked his wife’s hair back affectionately, before looking towards Beks. “I will go and gather the earth biha users for you. In the morning, you can evaluate their abilities. For now, you and your brother should rest.”

Beks nodded. Laurence went back to his own tent and speak with his father-in-law. As their voices faded, she heard Marquis von Glasser tell Laurence “I wouldn’t be insulted if you wanted to name a son after me. Or a daughter.”

Laz left to speak to his Wild Dogs and Lucian stood up to find their tent. Beks was going to follow him when Sybil told her to stay a moment. She sent Thad to go with Lucian to find his own sleeping assignment.

When Beks and her mother were alone in the tent, Sybil put her utensils down. She was only halfway through her meal, but for the moment, pushed it aside.

“I had to wait to speak to your Great Aunt. She wanted me to bring you something,” Sybil told her as she reached up to the collar of her shirt. She unbuttoned the top button and fished out a thick leather braided cord holding on to a leather drawstring bag. “She said she didn’t trust anyone else to bring it to you but me.”

Beks furrowed her brows. “What is it?”

“A ring,” Sybil replied. “She just said to give it to you and that you’d figure it out.” She pulled the drawstring bag off and slid it across the table.

Beks carefully loosened the chord and opened up the small sack. Inside was a metal ring with a large, round black pearl. Its luster was almost glowing with greens, purples, and blues against the fire light.

“It’s beautiful....” Beks said. “I’ve never seen such a pearl before.” She held it over her fingers to see which one would fit best on, and finally settled on her left hand’s middle finger. It fit snuggly and the base of the pearl brushed against her skin.

She tilted her head to the side. Perhaps it was because the ring still had her mother’s residual body heat, but the pearl felt warm against her skin.

“She said she had to go to one of her private caches to retrieve that pearl. Then it took some time to get it fitted on a suitable ring, otherwise, she would’ve gotten it to you faster,” Sybil said.

Beks held up her hand to admire the ring. The pearl was held firmly in place by four prongs. She squinted and brought the ring closer to her. She almost didn’t notice the tiny red gemstones that made up the abstract head of a snake. The pearl was in the snake’s dislocated jaws, as if about to be eaten. “They’re fangs! Mommy, it’s Snowflake!”

Sybil chuckled. “I thought you’d like it.”

“Did she say why she wanted to give it to me?”

Sybil shook her head. “She said you’d understand. She did tell me to tell you that she’s only seen two pearls that color in her life. That’s how rare it is.”

Beks’ eyes widened. For her Great Aunt to have only seen two in her lifetime as a pirate queen meant this pearl was rarer than any piece of jewelry she’d worn at the Gilded Palace. She looked at the pearl. “Is the other one this big?”

“Bigger,” Sybil said.

“Bigger?” Beks’ almost balked. The pearl on her ring already created a sizable lump on her finger.

“Yes, you’ve seen it already,” Sybil said as she picked up her utensils to continue eating. “It’s the head of the kraken on your Great Aunt’s cane.”