“Then send him away,” Imaiqah said. There was an urgency in her voice that surprised Emily. Imaiqah rarely spoke up during council meetings. “Or put him in jail.”
“He came under a promise of safe conduct,” Jade said. “We cannot simply toss him into the nearest cell and throw away the key.”
“He’s presented us with an opportunity,” Alassa said. “And yet, he’s also a liability.”
She met Emily’s eyes. “Are you feeling up to taking on another mission? You and Cat?”
“Sure,” Cat said, before Emily could reply. “I was getting bored here.”
Emily nodded, slowly. “What do you want us to do?”
“Hansel is right, damn the man,” Alassa said. “If we can encourage Eagle’s Rest – and the surrounding countryside – to rebel against Lord Burrows and Alicia, we will make it impossible for my father to mount an offensive into Swanhaven until the rebels are brutally crushed. It will give us the opportunity to finish building up our army and take the offensive into their territory.”
“And make it easy to advance on Winter Flower itself,” Jade added.
“I want you to accompany Hansel as he returns to his lands,” Alassa said. “Make contact with the rebels, establish supply lines and encourage them to rise up against their oppressors when they have an opportunity. And, perhaps just as importantly, ensure that Hansel is not in a position to simply crush the rebels when they’ve served their purpose. We can’t afford to let him regain supreme power.”
“Sounds like fun,” Cat said.
Emily wasn’t so sure. She’d never been to Winter Flower. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d walked into danger, but... this time, she couldn’t trust her allies. Viscount Hansel would put a knife between her ribs or cut her throat the moment he felt she was no longer useful. He had no magic, as far as she could tell, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t dangerous. She would have to watch her back as long as she remained in his company.
Cat will be with me, she thought. And I am the best choice for the mission.
“We can do it,” she said, slowly. “But we will have to watch our backs.”
“Yeah,” Cat said.
“The rebels will listen to you, Emily,” Alassa said. Her lips twisted, as if she’d bitten into something sour. “You have more credibility than anyone else.”
“Then make Hansel swear to uphold the Great Charter before we leave,” Emily said. “It will make it harder for him to change his mind.”
“And give the rebels a prefabricated excuse for revolution if he tries to undo the charter,” Alassa commented. “Good thinking.”
Emily winced. There was no way Viscount Hansel would willingly uphold the Great Charter. He’d see it as an assault on his limitless powers within his lands – and he’d be right. But Alassa couldn’t afford to put the charter aside, either. It would undermine her standing with the commoners who were the backbone of her rule. She would need to force Hansel to swear... and be ready to step in when, not if, he tried to cheat.
“Thanks,” Emily said. She wasn’t particularly enthusiastic, but it had to be done. “Cat and I should be able to handle the mission.”
“Of course we can,” Cat said. He smiled, confidently. “Just you and me...”
“Take some extra men too,” Jade advised. “You can’t be everywhere at once.”
Alassa nodded, slowly. “Bring in Hansel and his followers,” she ordered. “And give them a copy of the charter.”
Emily watched as Hansel and his companions were escorted back into the room. They looked confident, as if they knew there was no way Alassa could reject their proposal. Emily studied them thoughtfully, wondering which one would be the first to switch sides again. It was easy to imagine Hansel choosing to side with the king – or the Noblest – if they made him a better offer. Randor couldn’t intend to slaughter all his noblemen, could he?
But Hansel would have owed homage to Alicia’s father, Emily thought. Randor would have suspected his loyalties right from the start.
“We have discussed your proposal,” Alassa said. “And we are disposed to accept, if certain conditions are met.”
Hansel’s eyes narrowed. “Conditions?”
“The Great Charter will be imposed over the entire kingdom, including Winter Flower,” Alassa said, as Imaiqah passed Hansel a copy. “You will be obliged to uphold the charter once we have recovered your lands.”
Hansel took the copy and read it, quickly. His face flickered through a dizzying series of emotions, from shock and disbelief to a contemplative smirk that told Emily, if she’d had any doubt, that Hansel would find a way to skirt or neutralize the charter within his lands. She doubted it would end well for anyone. Alassa might not care – much – if Hansel was torn to pieces by his own people, but she’d have to punish the men responsible. That would definitely not end well.
“Your Highness,” Hansel said. “I...”
He swallowed and started again. “This will not uphold my rights and prerogatives.”
“It certainly places some limits on your power,” Alassa agreed. “And it grants rights to everyone, even commoners and slaves. But it does not render you powerless.”
Hansel’s face twisted. Beside him, his brother didn’t look remotely happy. Emily wondered, absently, if they’d take their horses and go straight home... except they wouldn’t have risked pledging themselves to Alassa if they had any other choice. What would they do? She suspected she knew the answer. They’d find a way to cheat.
“Yes, Your Highness,” Hansel said. “Is this your price for your support?”
“Yes,” Alassa said, flatly.
“Then we will uphold the charter,” Hansel said. “I trust that will be suitable?”
Yeah, right, Emily thought. Until you find a way to cheat.
“It will do,” Alassa said. “Lady Emily and Lord Cat – and a handful of others – will accompany you back to Eagle’s Rest. They will assist the rebels and ensure they are pointed at the right targets. I trust that is satisfactory?”
Hansel looked as if he wanted to object, but didn’t quite dare. Emily didn’t blame him. If there was anyone he didn’t want in his territory, it was her. She’d done enough – both in the real world and the fevered delusions of the broadsheet singers – to suggest that her mere presence brought chaos and disruption. Hell, Hansel knew she was at least partly responsible for the social upheaval that had led to civil war. He had to see her as a potential threat to his position.
But he had no choice. “That will be satisfactory, Your Highness,” he said. “When will we depart?”
“In a few days,” Alassa said. “It will take that long to prepare supplies for the mission.”
And that, Emily knew, wasn’t true. Alassa would have no difficulty finding supplies for a cavalry troop, let alone a pair of magicians. She wanted to make Hansel and his friends wait for reasons of her own. Emily made a mental note to quiz her about it later – no doubt there was a logic to Alassa’s thinking – and then leaned forward. She wanted to hear Hansel’s response.
“We may not have much time,” Hansel said. His voice was low, urgent. “I would suggest haste.”
“We will see.” Alassa smiled. “My people will ensure that you are assigned chambers within the castle. You will have time to attend meetings of the war council before setting off on your mission.”
“Yes, Your Highness,” Hansel said. He sounded tired, although not defeated. “We will be honored.”
Alassa nodded. “I thank you for bringing this opportunity to us. You are dismissed.”
Jade tapped the table as soon as Hansel and his friends were escorted out of the room. “He was not happy, Alassa. I suspect he will start looking for loopholes at once.”
“I know,” Alassa said. “But we can’t allow this opportunity to slip by either.”
Emily met her eyes. “How do we know it isn’t a trap?”
“I don’t think they could have predicted that I would send you and Cat to E
agle’s Rest,” Alassa said, after a moment. “And even if they could, you two are powerful enough to blast your way out of a trap.”
“Perhaps,” Emily said. Raw power was no guarantee of victory. She’d learnt that the hard way. Matilda – Randor’s combat sorceress – had been a nasty surprise. Who knew how many other combat sorcerers Randor had under his sway? “We will be very careful, of course.”
“Yeah,” Cat said. “And if it is a trap, Hansel will not live long enough to gloat.”
Alassa rubbed her forehead. “Good. I want the bastard dead, if he betrays you.”
“It’s only a matter of time,” Jade said. His voice was very cold. “I doubt Hansel is capable of adapting to the new world.”
Emily stood. “If you don’t mind, I would like to take a nap before dinner. It feels as if I’ve been awake for days.”
“Politics,” Alassa said, dryly. “It wears you out.”
“Speaking of politics,” Emily said, “Bradford came to me with an offer.”
Alassa listened in silence as Emily told her about Iodine and her father’s request, then nodded curtly. “I can’t say I’m surprised,” she said. “I’ll have Iodine summoned tomorrow morning and interviewed. If she’s willing to work hard, if she’s willing to swear the oaths, I’ll give her a chance.”
Emily blinked in surprise, then caught herself. Alassa had grown up in a culture where nepotism – and supporting one’s relatives – was common. She wouldn’t see anything wrong with Bradford trying to promote his daughter at every opportunity. The only real problem was that Iodine might not be suitable, yet impossible to dismiss. But her father wasn’t that important. Alassa could probably find her a position that was nicely harmless if she felt that simply dismissing the girl would have political implications.
Which probably explains why so many of Nightingale’s relatives found positions at court, Emily thought. Nightingale was constantly promoting them to his king.
Alassa’s eyes went wide, just for a second. Her hand rested on her belly. “Emily, feel this.”
Emily reached out and touched the baby bump. For a moment, she felt nothing... and then, Alassa’s body jerked as the baby kicked. Proof, if she needed it, that Alassa’s unborn child was healthy. She felt... she wasn’t sure how she felt. Part of her wanted children of her own, part of her feared that she would turn into her mother. She hated the thought of putting another child through the hell that had been her childhood.
“All our own work,” Jade said, mischievously.
Alassa elbowed him. “You insufferably proud cad.”
Emily looked from one to the other, then shook her head. “I’ll see you this evening,” she said, as she headed for the door. “And then...”
Cat followed her as she walked down the corridor, through a tangled network of wards and into the bedroom. Emily smiled, even though she felt too tired to do much of anything. The door closed behind them as Cat wrapped his arms around her and kissed the back of her neck, his fingers working on her straps. Emily pulled away, gently. She was far too tired.
“I just need to nap,” she said, feeling torn. Part of her wanted him to make love to her. “Join me?”
“I need to check out the map.” Cat gave her one last kiss, then turned away. “And decide how we should get to Eagle’s Rest.”
“Riding, I guess,” Emily said. Viscount Hansel and his supporters had ridden all the way to Swanhaven. She wondered, suddenly, how they’d crossed the river. Had they forded the river somewhere or talked their way past Sergeant Rotherham and his men? “We can go past the castle.”
“And pick up the sergeant,” Cat said. “He’ll come in handy.”
He winked at her, then headed out the door. Emily watched him go, then lay back on the bed and closed her eyes. It was time to sleep. Soon, they’d be on their way to Eagle’s Rest...
... And there would be no time to sleep at all.
Chapter Seven
EMILY HALF-EXPECTED THAT THERE WOULD be little to do over the next few days, save for planning the mission and preparing supplies, but she was wrong. Alassa kept her busy, doing everything from inspecting factories and troop training sessions to making speeches to keep everyone’s mind focused on the war. She barely had any time for herself. The only upside, as far as she could tell, was that she didn’t have any time to meet with Viscount Hansel and his men. She had the feeling that the meeting wouldn’t prove to be very constructive.
It was astonishing just how much enthusiasm there was for the war. Young men joined the army, marching off to glory; young women clapped and cheered for the handsome soldiers, pledging they would remain faithful until their boyfriends returned to marry them. Someone had even started a movement to shun those who refused to fight or to serve the war effort, even though Alassa had tried to discourage it. Emily suspected the enthusiasm wouldn’t last, once the costs of war became apparent, but it did keep everyone moving in roughly the same direction. Randor and the Noblest wouldn’t be remotely capable of harvesting anywhere near so much popular support.
Her lips twitched as she watched the recruits being put through their paces. Good iron is not used to make a nail, Emily quoted mentally, and good men are not used to make soldiers.
She had to smile, even though she knew it wasn’t particularly funny. The Nameless World’s commoners usually regarded soldiers as parasites and mercenaries as unspeakable scum, but now... the young men who had signed up to fight for their princess and the Great Charter were being feted as heroes. They had a cause, a reason to fight... something far more important than a minor dispute between two noblemen or a king deciding to try to expand his landholdings at the expense of another. Emily looked at the men and wondered, absently, where it would end. Perhaps, just perhaps, an army that had something to fight for would be able to take the war into the Blighted Lands. It was only a matter of time until another Necromancer decided to march his armies to war.
“I thought I’d find you here,” Jade’s voice said, behind her. “What do you think of the men?”
Emily glanced at Jade as he sat down on the grassy knoll. “They’re trying,” she said. “But they don’t have anything like enough personal attention.”
Jade shrugged. “There were only a handful of us in Martial Magic, and the sergeants could afford to work with us individually. Here... we have a handful of sergeants and thousands of men. Given time, we will build up a training cadre, but...”
“Not enough time,” Emily finished. “Pity we can’t hire more mercenaries.”
“I’d be worried about hiring too many mercenaries,” Jade said. “We don’t want them teaching the troops bad habits. The commoners might worship Alassa – and you – now, but that will change if our men start looting and raping their way across the kingdom.”
“I understand.” Emily gave him a long look. “How are you coping with impending fatherhood?”
“I’m terrified,” Jade admitted. “What happens if I mess up?”
“You won’t,” Emily said, reassuringly. Jade would have to fall a long way before he matched her stepfather. She certainly couldn’t imagine him walking out on his wife and child, like her real father. “Just try to remember that a child is a child, not a miniature adult.”
Jade nodded, although it didn’t look as though he believed her. Children on the Nameless World had to grow up quickly. There was no real sense that childhood was a special time, one that should be enjoyed. Instead, children went to work as soon as possible. Imaiqah had been helping her father with his work almost as soon as she’d been able to pick up and carry boxes.
She heard the sound of running footsteps and turned to see a messenger hurrying towards them. “My Lord, My Lady, the Princess Regnant demands your presence!”
Jade stood. “Both of us?”
“Yes, My Lord,” the messenger said. He was panting heavily. “Both of you.”
“Then we’re on our way,” Jade said, grandly. “You may go.”
The messenger took a look at th
e recruits on the field, then hurried off towards the distant castle. Jade and Emily followed, a little more sedately. The streets were crammed with people now that more troops had been brought in from the outlying cities and towns, but they made way for them as they pressed through. Jade looked pensive as they reached the castle, his eyes narrowing. A golden carriage stood in the courtyard, watched by a handful of guards.
More representatives, Emily thought. What now?
She followed Jade into the castle and down the corridor into the Throne Room. Alassa was seated there, flanked by Imaiqah and Lord Summer; Cat stood near them, next to Iodine. Emily felt a stab of... something, even though there was no sense they were friends, let alone anything more. She told herself, firmly, that she’d worry about her feelings for Cat later, once the war was over. Right now, they had more important problems to worry about.
Jade took Lord Summer’s place, next to his wife. Emily stepped up to stand beside Cat and looked around. The Throne Room was heaving, with everyone from Bradford to Viscount Hansel waiting to hear what Alassa had to say. Her eyes sharpened as she caught sight of the two men kneeling in front of the throne, wearing the livery of Baron Harkness. Messengers from the Noblest? They wouldn’t wear such clothes unless they genuinely represented their master. It would cost them their lives.
Alassa spoke, her voice commanding instant silence. “State your proposal.”
Another proposal, Emily thought, sourly.
“My mistress and her allies propose an alliance,” the messenger said. “They suggest that it is in our best interests to cooperate.”
“Indeed,” Alassa said. “And what terms do they intend to offer?”
“We will fight together to remove King Randor from power,” the messenger said, “and place you on the throne. Once the war is over, all parties will return to the balance of power that held sway ten years ago. The rights and prerogatives of the barons, everything from seats on the council to the right to raise fighting men, will be respected and upheld.”
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