The Wicked House of Caroline

If they weren’t trying to sneak into it, Beks would’ve admired the picturesque scene of an old fortress town, sitting on a low cliffside, just beside the curve of a river. The area around it still held the shape of tiers, encircled by the dilapidated stone walls that once protected the garrison’s town.

She could already tell that it had a commanding view not only of the river, or of the fertile valleys that swept away from it on the other side of the river, but also of the small mountain range that used to separate Kadmus from what would become its easternmost territories.

They arrived the night before, and before they landed, Laz and Lucian did a sweep over the garrison to take in the layout.

Beks, who had tried to adjust biha around her eyes to see in limited light like the twins, but failed and was too embarrassed to say anything about it, spent her time reviewing the passage into the central part of the garrison, where they could enter the building and go up one the keeps.

They still didn’t know which of the two keeps Legion Commander Reed was in. If he wasn’t in the first one, then they had to sneak across the length of the old castle fortress to get to the other keep. That meant they’d need to avoid being noticed by everyone in the castle.

If this was peacetime, all they would have to do is steal some uniforms and appear as if they belonged there. If you didn’t act suspicious, you would likely go unnoticed.

But they had just kicked off a war of succession and the Northern Legion Commander was vested in their failure. He and his entire army would be on guard against them, and Beks didn’t know how much Legion Commander Reed and his people knew about them.

The battalions reporting to him were camped along the same side of the river. No matter which of the routes over the mountains the Red Iron Cavalry chose to go over, they would collide with the battalions. If the battalions knew which route the Red Iron Cavalry was going, they could easily pinch them in one of the mountain passes.

The cavalry would be at a huge disadvantage in such a limited space.

Their best chance at winning would be to make it over the mountains and fight on flat ground with plenty of space to maneuver. To avoid being caught in an unfavorable location, Beks instructed Thad to inform their brother of what was awaiting them on the other side of the mountain and wait ten days before they continued to advance.

Of course, this relied on the premise that battalion sentries would not detect the Red Iron Cavalry.

Beks took a deep breath.

Wisp had dropped them off upriver the night before and then went to hide in the mountains before dawn, but on the other side of the river. While most of the civilians had been evacuated in preparation for war zone, there were still a few people who were willing to take the risk and stay.

Seeing three peasants on the other side of the river wasn't too suspicious, so the trio made their way down. The river itself wasn’t exceptionally wide, but it got deep towards the middle. In order to get to the other side, a rope had to be shot across, then one person would use it as a guide to bring themselves over, then pull the other two.

The twins had learned archery as soon as they could hold a bow, but as Laz lost his hand, it was left to Lucian.

“The target is the exposed roots of the trees along the side of the river beneath the garrison,” Beks said as they hid inside a ramshackle old cabin that still had farm tools and an old fishing net inside. There were many of those small, wooden buildings lining the west shore of the river, as many villagers used the river to fish. “Can you hit it at that distance?”

Lucian adjusted the composite bow. Along with a sword and dagger, they’d packed two bows and quivers full of arrows with them when they split from the Red Iron Cavalry. Both bows were for Lucian, as one was a spare.

“I can hit it,” Lucian replied. “The river isn’t too wide. When we get across, we’ll need to quickly procure clothes.”

Beks nodded. “There are a few passages leading to the river from the old castle fortress, but they will either be locked or have long been barricaded, however, we can enter directly into the courtyard area, by passing the camp of soldiers surrounding the garrison.”

“If it’s a lock, I can unlock it,” Lucian said.

“When we cross, make sure to keep a tight grasp on the rope,” Laz told her. “We will pull you across.”

Beks nodded, but Lucian looked at his brother with a raised brow. “The same goes for you. You only have one hand.”

Laz rolled his eyes. “Don’t worry about me. I can pull myself across.”

“Beks, just cut the line before you get into the water. We’ll pull you across. If you get swept away, just hold on,” Lucian told her.

“I know.” Her hair color had once more been changed to appear brown, as were her eyes. The twins changed their hair to a lighter brown, as well.

As the sun began to set, the Beks began her count down. They needed to find the Northern Legion Commander well before dawn and not alert anyone by doing so. By dawn, a an ‘urgent’ message would reach the garrison from one of the captured battalions.

Beks confiscated their battalion seal and gave it to the Marquis von Glasser to use to forge official messages to the Northern Legion Commander. That way, Beks would have valid reasons for moving the various battalions elsewhere and opening up the area for the Red Iron Cavalry.

They could not be delayed.

Night in the summer came later and Beks couldn’t help but feel as if she’d waited ages for night to fall. As soon as all she saw was the complete darkness of the river and then the light of torches on the opposite side, they left the small cabin.

The arrow made a light whistling sound as it was shot across, but the rumble of the river drowned it out. Lucian held his posture, his eyes narrowed as his arms and hands were still in the same position as when he released his arrow.

Beside him, the rope tied to the arrow was unraveling from the neat pile at his feet, but it didn’t take long for it to stop. The rope only swayed with the movement from the river, but Laz was quick to grab it and secure it around a tree on their side.

Lucian pulled on the rope to make sure it was secure.

“You put a lot of force into it,” Laz said. “It’s buried well within that tree root.”

“Just in case, watch the rope in case it gets loose,” Lucian replied as he reached for another arrow with a rope tied on it. This rope was a bit thinner, and had to be shot from a higher vantage point.

Clothes that fit were much easier to procure than boots, especially when all three of them had to get standard issue boots to wear for this mission. Luckily, the other battalions had spares. However, if they got soaked while crossing the river, they wouldn’t dry fast enough and could give them away.

It was best to slide the boots across first.

Lucian climbed a nearby tree as high as he could go, and shot the second arrow and rope across. Once it was fixed on the target, he gave it a test tug, and then removed his shoes. He used his shirt to tie the two together before looping them around the rope and sending it sliding across.

Beks couldn’t see the bundle once it disappeared over the river, but after Laz said it made it across, she let out a breath of relief.

Laz removed his shirt and boots for Lucian to slide, then Beks removed her boots and her tunic to do the same. Since it was dark and the only people who saw her were her husbands, who had already seen her naked, she didn’t hesitate to walk around in her pants and the small cloth top that held her chest in.

Lucian also sent her shoes and shirt across before he climbed down and handed his bow back to Laz. They couldn’t bring many weapons with them considering their sizes and how Langshe weapons would stand out, so the bow would need to be left in the cabin. At most, they had a dagger strapped to them, and even then, they could only be used when the situation was dire.

Lucian began to climb down to get closer to the water. He tested the water and frowned a bit. Even though summer had started, the river was still cold. The source came from the north, after all.

“Brace yourself,” Laz said. “When we get across, we won’t have time to dry off.”

“We’ll get dry clothes as soon as possible,” Beks said. “Be careful, Lucian.”

Her younger husband looked towards her and smiled. With one hand still grasping the rope, he tilted his head towards her. “Kiss.”

She kissed his cheek. “Be careful. Don’t rush.”

He gave her a nod, grasped the rope with his other hand, and waded into the water. She watched his expression carefully for any discomfort, but found that he didn’t seem to dwell on the cold water.

The rope bounced as Lucian pulled himself across. Like their bundles of boots and shirts, Lucian also disappeared into the darkness over the river.

Laz remained kneeling beside the river’s edge, his eyes narrowed as he watched his younger twin cross.

“It looks like the river got deeper...he’s half floating and pulling himself along.” Laz seemed to report Lucian’s movements to her, and she nodded with relief. “He’s reached the middle....”

Beks drew her lips inward and bit them, unwilling to say a word as if doing so would jinx Lucian. After what seemed like ages, Laz let out a heavy breath of relief of his own and closed his eyes. He nodded, satisfied.

“He’s across?” Beks asked.

Laz nodded. “He’s across.” He stood up and adjusted a strip of cloth around his forearm. He moved it over the rope to secure himself to it in lieu of his right hand. He looked back at her. “Beks, come here and hold the rope. When you feel us give you three tugs, cut the rope, and hold on. We’ll pull you across.”

Beks nodded. She sat by the rope and put both hands on it in preparation. Satisfied, Laz waded into the water. One hand pulled him forward and he’d drag his arm tied with another piece of rope forward. Though it took him longer than Lucian, Laz also disappeared into the darkness of the river.

Beks took a deep breath and released it slowly. When Lucian crossed, she’d counted to a hundred almost five times. By the time she felt three strong tugs on the rope in succession, she had counted to a hundred nine times.

With her signal given, Beks cut the rope around the tree and wrapped it around her waist. With the rope slack, she couldn’t use it to pull herself up to the surface against the current, so she used a piece of a large broken branch to keep her afloat.

She knew she looked ridiculous with a rope tied around her waist, then wrapped upwards so it rested beneath her armpits. Over that, she clutched a piece of wood and waded into the water.

As soon as her foot landed in the water, she let out a sharp hiss. It was colder than she thought, but there was no turning back now. She waded into the water as far as she could go without the current knocking her off her feet. The rope became tense, and she felt it tug against her.

Grimacing, and trying to ignore the cold water, she grasped the branch under her arms and leaned forward, as if laying on top of the water. Her feet were swept up, no longer touching the smooth pebbles on the river bed, and at once, without the rope anchored to anything, Beks was swept down river.

Don’t panic. This is part of the plan. They will pull you to shore. Don’t panic! She continued to chat that in her mind, but her heart couldn’t help but race as she bobbed up and down with the current and found herself moving further and further from shore.

It was dark and she couldn’t see anything around her. She didn’t know where the western shore was or where the eastern shore was. Water splashed her face, and she only gripped the branch tighter, afraid that if she let go to wipe the water off, she’d lose her branch.

Then, her husbands would be pulling her drowned body back to shore instead.

Gritting her teeth, she shut her eyes and willed herself to stay calm and stay in a position with her head above water. The ropes around her were tight and she could feel it being pulled forward, against the current.

She didn’t have the fortitude to count.

With each lunge forward against the current, Beks tried to sink her feet to touch the river bed. As soon as she could touch it, she could stand. Her heart trembled as each time she tried, her feet didn’t touch anything.

The irrational thoughts of being dragged down by some unknown creature into the water when she was so vulnerable began to raid her mind, and she struggled to keep calm and think of the situation rationally. This was a river, not the ocean.

There were no predatory animals in such a river.

But what if she were wrong? Weren’t there all those folk stories of people being dragged under the water? While she didn’t believe there were suspicious entities who lured people to their deaths by pulling them below the surface, it wasn’t difficult to think that those folk stories had to originate from somewhere.

A sunken piece of wood could catch one’s foot and with the force of the current, render them trapped. Aquatic plants could tangle them up. She could even get a leg cramp, tense up completely, and sink to her death. People drowned all the time in rivers; she wouldn’t pretend otherwise. She had read reports.

Oh, gods, I don’t want to be a statistic. Beks grit her teeth, trying to ignore the image of her foot catching on something and then dragging her to her watery death.

The tightness around her body was pulled once more. Her legs sank below the surface and suddenly, she felt something brushing against her toes.

Her eyes widened. She was pulled again and this time, she moved her leg down.

Her heart shot to her throat as relief filled her. Smooth rocks.

The roar of the water all around her seemed to be drowned out as her feet brushed against the tumbled stone of the river bed. She was tugged forward once more and she tried to get on to her feet to stand.

It was easier said than done. Her feet and legs were cold, and it was difficult to maneuver while still holding a piece of wood.

“Beks,” a low, quiet voice called out to her. “Let go of the branch! We’ve got you!” She released the branch and held out her hands, willing someone to grab them in the darkness.

Cold, pruned hands grabbed one of her arms and pulled her up. Almost immediately, someone was wiping her dry and removing the rope around her body.

It was a bit strange that despite having done nothing but being dragged across, she felt exhausted.

“Can you stand?” Lucian asked in a quiet voice.

Beks nodded. “Just give me a moment.” When everything was settled, and Laurence was back on the throne, Beks decided that she would learn to swim.

Lucian continued to try to wring out the pants she was wearing before bringing her closer to the side of the cliff. From that angle, it was difficult to see what was above them. Beks was given her clothes and boots before moving alongside the base of the cliff to find an entrance that was recorded in the garrison’s history.

On one hand, a tangled system of roots from the trees had developed over hundreds of years, keeping the soil beneath the garrison in place despite the force of the river. On the other, the tangled system of roots grew over the passage.

Beks only found it because she reached in between the branches, feeling for something that wasn’t soil.

“Is that it?” Laz asked. Beks nodded.

“I think so. Can you break off some of the roots? We don’t need to clear the entire thing. Just enough that we can squeeze through.”

“I’ll do it,” Lucian said. He grasped different pieces of roots to find one suitable for cutting without too much trouble. He managed to create a hole large enough for them to duck under and through.

Beks went in first, holding out her hand against the wall to follow it. Although it was covered with a layer of dirt and moisture, Beks could still make out the stone work. Lucian stepped in front of her and let out a low light from his hand and moved it around the area.

As expected, there were stairs going up. Lucian kept the light dim and led the group upwards. The stone steps were so covered with debris from the ages, that it was almost a ramp rather than stairs. Each step they took was careful, for fear of slipping and sliding down.

After about thirty steps, the narrow passage split. Lucian looked over his shoulder at Beks. She pointed to the one of the left to try first. Which one they ended up exiting from depended on the situation at the top. If it was barricaded, they’d have to come back down and try another passage. If it was just locked, then Lucian could get them in.

Lucian held his hand in front of an old wooden door that Beks was sure would disintegrate the moment they touched it. The twins looked at each other with uncertainty.

“We should at least see if it’s locked,” Laz said in a low voice.

“I’m worried it’ll fall off the hinges and crash, attracting attention,” Lucian replied.

“I have my leviathan scale.” Beks dug beneath her tunic and fished out the palm-sized scale she had wrapped against one of her breasts for safe keeping. She activated it and pressed it against the wall.

Lucian and Laz looked at each other once more before switching sides. Lucian looked over the rusted metal door handle and Laz put his back against the door in case it fell. There was a small hole in the metal plate of the door handle, but as Lucian grasped the handle to try to jiggle it and see if it was unlocked, the entire metal plate of the door handle was loosened.

He pulled his hand back and the door handle, its plate, and the lock came with it.

Particles of dust and worn wood fell to the ground as Lucian stared, dumbfounded, at the piece of metal in his hand, which had separated from the wooden door.

The passage was so silent, Beks could hear herself breathe.

“Well...it’s not locked,” Lucian said as he showed Beks the useless door handle. He placed it on the ground and reached into the hole in the door where the handle once was and felt around.

The door creaked as he pulled it open. Just as he feared, the old door couldn’t last, and it was ripped off its hinges at the slightest touch. Laz gritted his teeth and braced the door against him before it could tumble down. Lucian moved quickly to help him maneuver it against the passage wall, while Beks turned her attention to the other side of the door.

“Shelves....” She muttered to herself as she stepped closer. There were rows of shelves crossing the entrance. The floor area had several clay jugs that were clean and had wooden lids on them. Beks touched one of the lids and found no coating of dust. She removed the lid and bent down. “Wine....” She narrowed her eyes. “We’re in a storage room.”

“That explains the sacks against the wall and the cheese wheels,” Laz said. “How close are we to the keep?”

Beks shut her eyes and brought up a map of the garrison. Her brows shot up, surprised by their luck. “We should be adjacent to the main wing. The kitchen is nearby. It’s on the ground floor of the main building.”

“Then, let’s try for the closest keep,” Lucian said. Beks nodded. Laz carefully pushed the wine jugs to the side to make a large enough space for them to slip between.

After getting through the next locked door, Laz peered into the dark corridor. There were no torches or scones, suggesting that no one was planning to come anytime soon. Beks pointed to the left to get towards the spiral staircase that led to the upper rooms in the keep.

The long chipping white paint of the walls was another reminder that while the garrison was in use, it wasn’t kept up. The stairs inside, however, were swept clean. At the very least, they were used daily.

“Soldiers,” Laz said in a low voice as he held out his arm to stop them from moving forward. “Beks stay here. Lucian, avoid the patrolling guards. If they go missing, it will alert their battalion. Go for the two guarding the entrance to the stairwell.”

Lucian nodded. They waited for a pair of patrolling soldiers to pass first before rushing across a corridor and knocking out the soldiers.

Considering they had to remain hidden for over a week, they couldn’t risk the soldiers waking up and escaping, so the twins heaved them over their shoulders and climbed up the keep with Beks leading the way.

Though cumbersome to hide them and keep them alive, Beks didn’t want to kill them. Deaths during war were expected, but unless they were attacking her, she’d try to spare them.

The two unconscious soldiers were the only two guarding the keeping, making Beks wonder if the Northern Legion Commander was in the opposite keep instead. Lucian unlocked a heavy wooden door that was far newer than the one that fell apart below, and pushed it open.

Beks narrowed her eyes. In the hearth, the fire was dying out and only the soft orange glows of embers provided a light source.

“There he is,” Laz said, standing just inside the chamber and looking directly ahead of them. A wooden bed was pushed up against the wall. It was very simple and crude. No canopy or elaborate bed skirt. It was just a wooden bed made of logs with a mat on top of it.

A mat, a blanket, and the sleeping body of a thin old man with silver hair. Beks didn’t expect him to look that old. A legion commander was required to go out on the field and if their health didn’t allow for it or impacted on their ability to lead, they would be reassigned to a less physically demanding position.

Of course, some people didn’t want to leave such a high position.

Shuffling was heard behind her and Beks looked over her shoulder. Laz and Lucian dumped the two soldiers by the closed door, using them to barricade the door closed. Lucian checked to make sure the door was closed as Laz walked closer to the bed and narrowed his eyes.

“Shall we wake him?” Beks asked. “Or wait until morning.”

“We’re already here,” Laz replied. “We might as well get started.”

Beks nodded as Lucian held up his hand to light the room. “All right. Do you want to do the honors?” The corners of his lips curled up as he stood just beside the bed. He lowered his hands and began to shake the Northern Legion Commander.

He was not gentle. The old man’s shoulders bounced up and down on the bed. Laz shook him three times before the Northern Legion Commander’s eyes shot open and he let out a choked, confused mumble. His eyes went wide as he saw the man unexpectedly standing above him.

“Hello, Legion Commander Reed,” Laz said as he loomed over the old man with a smug smile. “It’s been quite some time.

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

“Do you really think they won’t know that something has happened to me?” Commander Reed asked with a vicious sneer. He looked at Beks, who sat at his desk writing on his official stationery that he had gout.

The two soldiers were dragged up to the small attic of the keep, with their wrists and legs bound by shredded bed sheets. They were secured to the rafters after being stripped of their uniforms so the twins could wear them if necessary.

Commander Reed was secured to his bed with his wrists bound. Beks didn’t look at him as a threat at all.

“They will eventually find out that you were not the one giving orders,” Beks replied. She didn’t need to look over her shoulder at the man to know his reaction became even more smug.

“Then, surrender now and I will be lenient.”

Laz and Lucian both let out snorts of doubt. Beks opened the small drawer on the desk. As if she’d done so many times before, Beks plucked out a small ink bottle as tall as her thumb was long. The outside had been stained with black ink and a few specks of gold.

“Of course, by the time they find out that something has happened to their Legion Commander....” Beks trailed off as she removed the cap from the ink bottle and checked its contents by dipping part of the pen nib into the narrow opening. When she pulled it back out, there was gold ink peeking out. “It’ll be too late.”

She drew a line across a piece of stationery she was using to check inks, pens, and practice Legion Commander Reed’s handwriting and signature.

Satisfied with the result after several tries, she forged his signature on to the official parchment.

“Breaking into a secure military facility, detaining an officer, and now forging official documents!” Commander Reed’s face grew redder with each other, matching his rising voice. “It’s no wonder you were exiled!”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Legion Commander,” Beks said as she held the pen and wrote the man’s name at the bottom of the letter. “I have permission to do this.”

He nearly balked. “Permission from whom?” he demanded with fury.

Beks blew across the wet ink before turning around to look at the thin, but potbellied old man still wearing his sleepwear.

“His Majesty King Laurence gave me permission,” Beks replied, matter of fact. She tilted her head and gave him a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “But you should already know that, shouldn’t you?”

The Legion Commander grit his teeth, glaring at her with such vitriol that a weaker person would’ve shrunk back. Beks turned on the chair to face him, her placid reaction irritating him further.

“I don’t believe you! If King Laurence were still alive, why would he come back now? After King Luther has settled into his rule?”

“Settled into his rule?” Beks raised a brow and both the twins looked at the man.

“You honestly believe that what he’s done so far, since he usurped the throne, has settled the kingdom?” Laz asked, almost uncrossing his arms. “He has bankrupted the treasury and made a mess of the battalions and military logistics.”

“Not to mention that the only reason he was able to become king was because they tried to assassinate King Laurence,” Lucian replied. He narrowed his eyes. “But I believe you already know that.”

“Don’t tell me what to believe! I’m not a fool! I know that it’s you two who want the throne of Kadmus!” Commander Reed yelled from the bed, spittle flying out of his mouth. If he weren’t restrained, he’d likely try to attack one of the twins. “You are Langshe blooded! I won’t let you annex our kingdom!”

Laz’s brows shot up and Lucian frowned more so. “While we have Langshe blood, I would like to know where you got the idea that we would give Kadmus to Langshe.”

“And was there this fear that Kadmus would be given to Paraxes since King Laurence’s father was also a Paraxes prince?” Laz asked. “This is the first I’ve heard of this.”

“While upsetting to hear that you’d disregard princes of Kadmus because of their paternal ancestry, I wouldn’t put too much weight on it at the moment,” Beks said from the desk. “Time will tell what the ambitions of the princes are. I’m sure you didn’t think that the Fourth Prince would spend all the remaining money in the royal treasury on his wedding. I heard it was quite opulent considering the situation.”

“King Luther’s wedding was paid for by the Hessings! He wouldn’t dream of using the treasury when the kingdom is lacking funds!”

Beks narrowed her eyes. “As far as I know, the Hessings have suffered some setbacks in their businesses as of late. Where did they get so much money as to be able to afford paying for a royal wedding?”

Legion Commander Reed lifted his chin up and sneered. “The Hessings aren’t as weak as you think.”

“Clearly.” Beks sat up straight. “I suppose we’ll have to be more aggressive in dealing with them.” She tapped her fingers on the desk and was quiet for a moment before putting on a smile. “This gives me an idea.”

Laz seemed to open his mouth to ask what it was when a knock came from the door. Lucian nearly dove on to the bed to stuff a piece of cloth in the Legion Commander’s mouth before he began to scream. While Beks’ leviathan scale was activated, in the case where they opened the door or someone pushed their way through, the Legion Commander’s voice would come through.

Beks handed Laz the newly sealed envelope with the Legion Commander’s stationery inside.

Laz crossed the room and opened the door just enough so his gloved left hand could hand out the envelope.

“Sir, a message has arrived from Battalion Five for your immediate review!” The messenger behind the door thought nothing of the letter and exchanged it with a small metal cannister.

Laz let out a grunt, the same grunt they heard the Legion Commander give, and then closed the door. When it was locked, he walked back and twisted the cap of the metal cannister open to unravel the message written within.

“The first urgent message has arrived,” he said as he handed the rolled-up strip of paper to Beks. She took it in her hands and smiled.

They had commandeered the stamp seals of the two captured battalions to use to authenticate the messages sent to the garrison. They didn’t know if the messenger hawk keepers or the communications officers would read the message first, but in case they did, they needed to look official.

The messages also needed to contain the correct information to instigate the movement of battalions away from the mountains.

“The army of Laurence dun Kadmus has been split into two with the use of our ambush. Requesting assistance to follow half suspected being led by the former king.” It followed the script Beks, and her father had spent time working on it. She lowered her hands and looked towards the bed. “Did you hear that? Battalion Five requests back up to go after part of the army.”

The Legion Commander pulled against his bindings and leaned upwards; his shouting muffled by the cloth stuffed his mouth.

“What was that?” Laz asked in an innocent voice as he took a step closer to the bed. “Send reinforcements, you say?” He looked at Lucian. “Did I hear him right?”

“I heard it, as well,” Lucian replied with a casual shrug. “What a wise decision, Legion Commander Reed.” He turned towards Beks. “Shall we give the order to move a battalion south?”

Beks smirked and reached into the drawer for another piece of paper. She placed it on the table, on top of a map. She ran her finger over the map, noting the locations of the northern battalions. “First, let’s decide who to send. What about Battalion Nine, which is camped the furthest south?”

“Sounds good.”

“They’re conveniently placed closest. I agree,” Lucian replied.

Beks looked at the red-faced Legion Commander still struggling and glaring daggers at her. A wide smile bloomed across her face. “Then it’s a consensus!”

“Muuuhhhh!” The Legion Commander screamed.

Beks dipped a pen in the small ink well before turning his back to him. “Battalion Nine is to go south.”

It was the first of several letters to be sent. Laz would ring a bell near the door to summon a guard from downstairs, then slide them the order. It would take some time for the order to reach Battalion Nine, but from the attic above, there were narrow windows on all sides that allowed for them to have a near panoramic view of the area.

From there, Laz watched to see if the ninth battalion would indeed start moving.

The order was given in the early morning, but by sunset, Battalion Nine was almost a dot in the horizon. Laz lowered the spyglass he’d snatched from the Legion Commander’s shelf and let out a heavy sigh of relief.

“It’s going according to plan, but it still appears as if all we’ve done is made a dent,” Lucian said as he took the spyglass from Laz to take a look.

Laz pursed his lips. “Then we’ll make dent by dent until we’re left with as little as possible.” He looked towards the two soldiers who were now awake, but appearing exhausted. At best, they’d had some water and meat jerky stuffed into their mouths by the twins. “Don’t worry. You’re safer in here than you are out there.”

The two paled, and Beks, who kept her eyes fixed on the horizon, kept a tight-lipped frown.

Lucian put his hands on her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. “It’s working, Beks. It’ll be fine.”

“There are still so many of them,” she said in a low voice. “More than I imagined now that I see them in front of me.”

“Are you worried?” Laz asked.

Beks took a deep breath and exhaled. “No, I’m not worried,” she replied. “I’m impatient.”

She turned around and walked down the narrow set of stairs that could only fit one person at a time. She returned to the desk and began writing out orders in preparation for the urgent messages they’d receive. Another one should be arriving soon, this time from Battalion Six, the second of the two battalions that tried to ambush them.

She’d send another battalion to the southwest while two more were moved north, under the suspicion that the Red Iron Cavalry was trying to avoid the mountain pass and the garrison. She remained seated at the desk, drawing across maps and writing orders until the second message arrived.

This time the stamp seal was from Battalion Six with the claim that they were stopped by one of the Southern Battalions. It was heavily hinted that the Southern Legion Commander was supporting Laurence.

The messenger who delivered the paper this time sounded restless, as if they’d already read the letter. Laz grunted a ‘I will review it first’ and then closed the door on the messenger without so much as looking out the thin crack where the message had slipped through.

Beks glanced at the message before returning to her work. While her orders in response to the message was ready, she needed to wait a while to show that the ‘commander’ was mulling over a course of action.

Before she gave the order to summon a guard to give the message to, someone knocked on the door again. This time, it was with the evening meal.

Meals were delivered by the kitchen staff and left at the door in a wicker basket. In two hours, someone would come from the kitchen to collect the used plates and utensils in the basket.

After breakfast, Beks had noted to double the amount of food, so they’d have enough of a meager meal for six people. Her instructions cited that the legion commander wanted to store some food, as he had been unable to sleep and would get hungry at night. Breakfast was coarse bread, some cheese, and cured ham; common in the region, though Laz said that the amount was already more than what battalion soldiers received.

Dinner was a full loaf of bread with cheese, stewed meat, and an entire pot of onion soup, as well as two jugs of wine.

“Now the problem is we don’t have enough utensils to go around,” Laz said.

Lucian shook his head. “The bread can be dipped into the soup. Everything else can be eaten by hand.”

“We’re lucky there are water barrels in the room,” Laz said. He separated some pieces to feed to their prisoners in the attic while Lucian moved aside a few mouthfuls to feed the Legion Commander.

The old man glared at Lucian as Lucian pulled out the cloth stuffed in his mouth. “I can eat by myself.”

“Oh, I have no doubt that you can, however, we can’t risk untying you. Please open your mouth, Commander Reed.”

Beks held back a small snort as Lucian held up a piece of bread that had been dipped in the soup. The Northern Legion Commander turned his head away with disgust. “Get that away from me! I’d rather starve to death than be fed a pity meal by a traitor like you!”

Lucian let out a heavy sigh, not at all impressed by the stubborn old man.

Beks put down her half-eaten slice of bread and let out a little cough.

“A gentle reminder, Legion Commander, that we are not traitors. We are supporting the true king of Kadmus; the one who was named heir by the late Queen Leticia, and the one who was almost killed and forced into hiding so he could recover. If anyone in this room is a traitor, you are him.”

“King Luther was officially crowned-”

“Fourth Prince Luther should never have been crowned in the first place.” Beks cut him off with a sharp voice. “Aside from King Laurence, there are two older brothers who are still alive. It is not, and has never been, Fourth Prince Luther’s turn.” She narrowed her eyes. “I suggest you take this opportunity to eat before we stuff another wad of cotton into your mouth, Legion Commander. Eat while you can, as you won’t have much for the next week.”

Legion Commander Reed continued to glare at her. “I will assure you once more, my men will notice that I am missing and will come for me.”

Beks let out a small snort. “No, they won’t. You have gout.” She watched his eyes widen with shock. “And I know, you know, and they know that when you have gout, you will seclude yourself in your chambers for up to two weeks to recover in order to avoid being seen with an illness that could remove you from your post.” She gave him a cold smile. “If you weren’t so greedy for your position, maybe they would notice that something was wrong, but you were. And they won’t. So, open your mouth and eat. If you cooperate with us, maybe we’ll release you in ten days.”

“Hah! You might as well kill me.”

“And stink up the room with a corpse?” Beks drew her head back with a disgusted expression. “I think not.”

“My wife will expect a call from me from the garrison’s urapearl! If I don’t appear and make a call, she will become suspicious!”

“Then let her,” Lucian said as he took the opportunity of the Legion Commander speaking to shove a piece of bread into his mouth. “What is your wife going to do? Your direct superior is your king, and do you really think that your king will have the time or resources to try to save you considering that there are two armies marching towards him?”

“And if he did, it would still take days for help to reach you,” Beks told him “By then, we’ll have completed our job here.”

“Do you understand your position, Legion Commander Reed?” Lucian asked. “You are no longer in control.”

The Legion Commander shook his head, his face still red with anger. “You cannot win against the combined might of the northern battalions.”

“You’re right,” Beks said, her voice light hearted. She lifted up a piece of paper that was her next set of orders. “That’s why we’re breaking them apart.”

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

Legion Commander Reed stood by a narrow window, looking out along the south side of the keep. His sunken eyes were red as his dry, chapped lips quivered with disbelief.

“Where are all my soldiers?” His voice was hoarse, and he looked like his legs would give up from under him.

They didn’t get to ten days. In eight days, only the Northern Legion Commander’s primary battalion remained. The rest were scattered, ordered to different locations to try to fend off Laurence’s encroaching army.

According to one of the messages, two of the Northern Legion Battalions joined the side of Laurence when they were faced with the Southern Legion Commander and the soldiers under her. The rest had been detailed once they were surrounded by the southern battalions escorting Laurence.

Soldiers were given the option to be imprisoned or join Laurence’s army. For most, the obvious answer was to join Laurence’s army. Whether it was because he was the true King of Kadmus or because those soldiers wanted to survive, Beks wasn’t sure, but it thinned out the opposing army.

“I read a message that the last battalion to lead left of their own accord to join King Laurence,” Laz said, his voice casual as he leaned against the wall and looked at the Northern Legion Commander with a smirk. “It seems they received news from another battalion and made the decision to defect themselves.”

“Those traitors!” The old man’s hands clenched in front of him as he trembled.

Laz raised a brow. “There is no need to be angry. Everything has long been out the hands of the Fourth Prince, let alone you.”

“King Luther’s allies won’t stand for this!”

“Any allies won’t be able to enter Kadmus. The Southern Battalions have secured our land borders while a few more are going to the Port of Black Sands,” Beks told him.

The Legion Commander whirled around to face her, a vein bulging from his neck. “The Great Temple backs the rule of King Luther! They will send assistance!”

“The Temple should not be getting involved in political matters to begin with,” Lucian said from the side. He narrowed his eyes. “Though, I’m a bit surprised to hear that you believe they would.”

“The Temple doesn’t have the resources to defend the Fourth Prince,” Beks replied. “And even if they did, at best, they’d have to consider if it was worth doing.”

A knock came from the door and Laz pushed himself off the wall he was leaning against to answer it.

“Your Highness,” the low voice of one of the soldiers they had kidnapped days earlier bowed his head as the door opened part way. “The horses are ready.”

Laz gave him a small nod. He looked over his shoulder. Today, he was wearing the second soldier’s uniform. The first soldier had asked to join King Laurence’s army on the second day, leading to a bitter fight with the second soldier.

The first soldier was from Kadmium and said that if Laurence was alive, then he was king. In addition, how could he disregard the Daughter with Dawn in Her Hair? Everyone knew that she was for the good of the kingdom, so if she backed Laurence, then they should, as well.

The second soldier continued to hesitate up until now, which was why he was still sitting alone in the keep’s attic while the first soldier was sent to do errands.

Laz made a gesture. “Beks, the whistle.”

She tossed him a small metal whistle that had been warmed by her body heat. “Have them cross over as soon as possible. We will take care of the remaining battalion.”

Laz nodded and slipped out the door with the first soldier.

Beks turned her attention to the old man. “The Red Iron Cavalry will cross over the mountains soon. Your battalion won’t stop them.”

“My battalion isn’t so weak.”

“You’re outnumbered,” Lucian told him.

Beks had to give the old man credit. He was stubborn to the very end despite the odds against him. “And I’ve already given out the last order.”

Northern Legion Commander Reed narrowed his eyes and looked towards Beks. “What was your last order?”

Beks smiled from ear to ear. “You’ll see.”

The old man’s face was drained of color. It was satisfying to see after eight days of his delusions that someone would come for him, and his insistence that Luther was now the king, and they should just accept it.

Aside from his wife having Hessing blood, Beks wondered what other reason the Northern Legion Commander had for staunchly siding with Luther. On the sixth day, they got their answer.

His family greatly benefited from Luther’s reign. In return for his support, they received land and tax exemption. Beks nearly choked when she heard about it. Everyone in Kadmus paid taxes per head, either in coin or resource, such as grains or cattle. There had been tax exemptions in the past, but that was normally under a situation in which the common people were severely struggling.

Even then, the wealthy had to pay some tax, though it was lower than usual. Wealthy and powerful families were not tax exempt, and every courtier who had tried to change that policy had been accused of trying to weaken the monarchy and disgraced.

To think that under Luther’s rule, such a thing had been approved. Once Laurence returned to the throne, not only would they have to start paying taxes again, but any back taxes that should’ve been paid previously would need to be paid, as well.

There were over a dozen influential families, including the Reeds, who were approved for tax exemption for as long as they were in ‘service’ to the monarch. Service? Was Luther buying loyalty? Beks wanted to both throttle Luther and find the list of families to immediately collect money from them at once.

I will deal with him when we get back to Kadmium. For now..., we wait.

The sun set and Beks sat by the window to listen for any familiar sounds of an arriving army or the screech of a rokh. It took another day, but by sunset of the next day, she heard the screech. At once, Beks perked up and looked towards Lucian, who stood up straight and craned his neck to listen.

The rokh’s cry was heard once more and his face filled with a smile. “They’re here.”

Beks peered out the window that faced east. Through the narrow slit, she had a clear view of the mouth of the mountain pass. She picked up the spyglass from the desk and adjusted it.

The first horse that merged from the pass carried a man with dark red hair. She couldn’t hear what he said, but he stopped just at the base of the pass and started shouting orders, waving his hands in different directions.

All at once, the Red Iron Cavalry poured out of the pass. Banners were raised as different groups fanned out to surround the remaining battalion.

However, the remaining battalion did not stay in place as Beks instructed them. She frowned as the war trumpets sounded and the remaining battalion rushed to fight.

A dry laugh came from behind her. “It looks like they didn’t follow whatever your instructions were, Lady Caroline,” the Legion Commander told her in a mocking voice.

Beks narrowed her eyes. “It doesn’t seem like they took my threat seriously.” She lowered her spyglass and turned around. “Lucian, take hold of our dear Commander.” Lucian nodded without a word as he reached to the man sitting on the edge of the bed and pulled him up to his feet.

“What are you doing?” Legion Commander Reed struggled to balance himself as he looked from Lucian to Beks and back. “Release me!”

“Oh, we will,” Beks said. She walked across the room and pulled the door open. The stairwell was lit by the last lights of the sunset coming through the narrow windows, but there were no guards on duty. “Follow me.”

She stepped out into the spiral stairwell and began walking up to the ramparts at the very top of the keep. As she approached, she could feel the wind coming through the open entrance.

“Who are you?” Two soldiers standing guard at the top whirled around as she reached the top.

Beks didn’t bother answering. Lucian dragged the Legion Commander up and held him in place. A dagger appeared in his hand, and he pressed it against the Legion Commander’s neck.

“Lower your weapons and stand to the side,” Lucian told them in a low voice. The two soldiers hesitated. They looked at him and then to the Legion Commander with the thin sheen of sweat across his brow. They seemed to wait to see what the Legion Commander ordered of them. Lucian frowned and shook the Legion Commander, making a small cut across his neck. “I said lower your weapons!”

“Don’t just stand there! Attack them!” the Legion Commander gave a shout and the two soldiers grasped their weapons.

Lucian scowled. “Beks, close your eyes!”

She shut her eyes tight, but she could still see the bright flash of light Lucian released. Almost immediately, the soldiers cried out. She opened her eyes and saw them fall to their needs, rubbing their eyes and screaming that they couldn’t see.

Even the Legion Commander was yelling, asking what Lucian had done.

Lucian, with one hand still gripping the Legion Commander, kicked the two men on the ground. Beks tossed their weapons over the side of the ramparts.

A screech was heard above them and Beks looked up.

“My lady!” Rid Callan waved from the basket with Thad.

“Just in time!” Beks yelled. “Take care of these two for me!” The basket came down and Beks caught the rope to lead it on to the ramparts. Rid Callan jumped off, and before the two soldiers could get back on their feet, he punched both of them. They crumpled to the ground and Rid Callan looked back at her.

“My lady, we are awaiting your orders,” he said with a salute.

Beks nodded. “Help me bring this old man to the camps below.” He nodded and heaved the Legion Commander over his shoulder before dumping him in the basket. “I’ll wait for Wisp. In the meantime, take the Legion Commander to my brother and show the remaining battalion that we have a hostage.”

“Yes, my lady!” Rid Callan nodded and looked at Thad, who let out a whistle. The basket rose higher and flew across the sky to the entrance of the mountain pass.

As Beks continued to look up to wait for the second rokh to appear, Lucian let out a frustrated sigh.

“Not everything goes according to plan, Lucian. We can only do so much,” Beks said. “We’re already lucky to have gotten this far ahead of schedule.”

“You told them that if the Red Iron Cavalry comes, they are to surrender at once and request to join Brother Laurence’s army,” Lucian said. “Why didn’t they?”

“I don’t know,” Beks said. She caught sight of another giant bird approaching. “But if they don’t surrender to save the Legion Commander, then by sunrise, there will be nothing left of this battalion.”