Herald of Shalia 4

by Tamryn Tamer

  “Either way,” King Asmund said. “It’ll probably be at least six months of courtship…”

  “One year,” Fiora’s mother insisted. “I will not have my daughter be seen as too eager.”

  “Fine,” King Asmund answered. “One year of courtship followed by the engagement ceremony and then the wedding soon after.”

  “And it will be a proper Ziran wedding,” Queen Valencia said. “Officiated by a priest of Ziralia.”

  “As long as the wedding happens in Rilia,” King Asmund said sternly.

  “That is still to be decided,” Fiora’s mother said, glaring at the man. “I’m sure King Leaucault would prefer his daughter marry in the capital where he can bear witness.”

  “As long as he invites my entire army because it’s the only way I’m traveling hundreds of miles into Zira,” King Asmund scoffed.

  “As I said,” Fiora’s mother smirked. “Still to be decided.”

  “You could have it here!” Desdemona said excitedly. “Pluma has lots of fields where we could set things up and the elves are really good with flowers and we even have…”

  “It’s still to be decided,” the two royals said simultaneously, neither liking the idea of getting married in Pluma.

  “Anyway,” King Asmund took Fiora’s hand and pecked it gently. “I look forward to getting to know you better.”

  “And I you,” Fiora said, curtseying.

  “Des,” King Asmund turned toward his sister. “Since I won’t see you on your birthday, I took care of your gift early.”

  “You don’t have to worry about getting me a gift Dari,” Desdemona said, shaking her head. “Herald Frost keeps the bathhouses stocked in nice soaps and oils so I don’t need anymore!”

  “You bought her soaps and oils for her birthdays?” Frost chuckled.

  “I carted her around between battlefields,” King Asmund said. “And she’s still a girl. So yeah, I mostly bought her bath stuff.”

  “And perfumes,” Desdemona added.

  “But,” King Asmund smirked while pointing at Frost. “This year I got you something different. I arranged for your husband to give you fifty of those Ayoyou things you went on and on about in your letters.”

  Desdemona stared at him silently, completely unsure of how to react.

  “What?” King Asmund asked worriedly. “I thought you’d like them…”

  “F-fifty?” Desdemona asked, trembling with excitement. “D-did you s-say f-fifty?”

  “What’s an Ayoyou?” Queen Valencia asked. Fiora tugged her sleeve and whispered an explanation as the woman blushed. “A promissory note for sex!?”

  “N-no!” Desdemona said, her face turning red as her brother stared at her judgmentally. “It’s not just for sex! They’re also for dates and spending the night and sometimes just cuddling together!”

  “Okay,” King Asmund sighed. “That explains why there was never a full explanation of them.”

  “But,” Desdemona glanced at Frost, baring her fangs as she found herself unable to stop smiling. “I get fifty of them?”

  “Yeah,” Frost said, shaking his head at King Asmund. “That was the deal. But don’t forget our other deals Darius. I want the documents for the land and the geomancers.”

  “The workers will take some time,” King Asmund said. “Sir Wildflower will be in contact with the details like normal. Anyway, I’m sure the soldiers waiting at your border are getting anxious. I need to get going.”

  “Fifty,” Desdemona said, grinning happily.

  “Happy birthday,” King Asmund said as the crimson-haired demon wrapped her arms around him.

  After several seconds of Desdemona hugging him, King Asmund bowed politely to everybody and walked toward the guards that were waiting with his horse.

  “We should be going as well,” Queen Valencia said, placing her hand on Fiora’s shoulder. “We should get back to Blackwater as soon as possible.”

  “Why are you in such a hurry to return, Mother?” Fiora asked, grinning impishly. “Are you eager to report to Herald Law?”

  “I wish to beg for forgiveness on my disobedient daughter’s behalf,” she growled. “Yes, you are now engaged to King Asmund. But don’t think for a second that there won’t be repercussions for your disloyalty.”

  “My loyalty is to father,” Fiora said haughtily. “Maybe if you showed him the same loyalty you wouldn’t have fallen out of his favor. Then Isabelle wouldn’t have to prove herself in that hellhole in the north and I wouldn’t be positioned in the middle of nowhere.”

  “Listen here you spoiled little imp,” Queen Valencia growled while glaring down at her daughter. “The only reason I’ve fallen out of favor is because younger prettier women crossed Valagnar’s path. It’s the same thing that happened to his favorite queens before me and it’ll happen to his favorite queens after me. And as for our positions, you can thank me for those. Tell me, how many of your half-brothers and sisters hold positions as governors or governesses? You want to talk about loyalty and falling out of favor? My loyalty is without question. I am loyal to my family which is why despite being one of his oldest wives my two children govern two of Zira’s seven territories!”

  “His worst territories!” Fiora snapped. “And you were going to sell me to those disgusting Morays!”

  “Those disgusting Morays control nearly half of the country’s wealth!” Fiora’s mother snapped back. “The old bastard you were set to marry had three children that died of birth defects and controls a third of the Moray’s holdings! All you had to do was spread your legs for him and your child would have had enough wealth to rival any other noble family! And with Isabelle on the throne and me on the Grand Counsel, we would have become the most powerful family in Zira! We would have had the crown, the courts, and the purse!”

  “I have to admit,” Frost smirked at the regal woman. “You are an impressive woman.”

  “I don’t want to hear that from you,” she said, blushing while scowling at Frost. “Because of you my position is untenable. Even if Fiora is the first to produce an heir to the throne of Rilia, Herald Law’s trust in my family will be shaken. I wouldn’t be surprised if I were removed from my position as Grand Counselor after this debacle.”

  “Tsk,” Frost chuckled while shaking his head. “That won’t happen. Your daughter’s about to become the queen of a rival nation. Your other daughter is in the running to become Queen of Zira. And you’re crying because Herald Law might not keep you on his council? If you ask me, he can’t afford to lose you. If he’s foolish enough to drop you from his council I’ll create a grand council just to leverage those connections for Pluma.”

  “What?” Fiora and the queen said simultaneously.

  “What’s confusing?” Frost asked while staring at them. Occasionally the two blonde women looked remarkably similar, although Fiora’s mother was much taller and much more blessed in the bust department. “You are about to have the ear of a Queen of Rilia. You are married to the current King of Zira. And your other daughter will potentially become the heir to the crown of Zira. I couldn’t imagine Herald Law being so stupid as to toss you aside and if he is, I’ll take you.”

  “I suppose you’re right,” Queen Valencia said with some reluctance. “But I still can’t imagine there won’t be consequences. Herald Law won’t tolerate this insult sitting down.”

  “Herald Frost!” Ena shouted, speeding toward the village on Hammer. The massive horse looked exhausted as Sneaky and Dancer sprinted past him carrying Fayeth and Renna respectively.

  “Lady Brynn…” Renna leaped off Dancer and rushed toward him, tears streaming from his eyes. “Lady Brynn…”

  “What happened?” Frost asked worriedly as he glanced at the three elves, wondering where his wife was. “What about Brynn? She said that Herald Law wouldn’t harm her…”

  “Not that,” Fayeth panted as she tried to catch her breath. “She…”

  “She betrayed you!” Renna yelled while stomping, tears flowing freely d
own her cheeks. “She contacted the king and got approval for Herald Law to attack you!”

  “They’re going to send all of his royal guards,” Fayeth said while pointing toward the east. “They’re going to come into the territory and kill anybody that tries to stop them.”

  “Why would Brynn do that?” Frost asked in disbelief. “She loves it here and…”

  “She wants to marry Herald Law!” Ena snapped. “If she marries him, she can be queen just like she always wanted.”

  “That little bitch,” Queen Valencia growled under her breath. “If she marries Herald Law then Isabelle…”

  “She wouldn’t…” Frost said, unsure of what to think.

  “We heard her!” Renna cried. “She said that if Herald Law killed you then she’d get to marry him. She said lots of things while holding that stupid ring of his and it glowed green the entire time! Then she made him promise to kill you if she got the king’s permission for him to attack!”

  “I knew she wanted to be queen but wouldn’t have expected this of her,” Fiora said.

  “I wouldn’t be so calm if I were you,” Ena said, glaring at Fiora. “She also told him that she thought you helped the courtesans escape.”

  “Fucking cunt!” Fiora said through clenched teeth.

  “You’re serious?” Frost said, staring at the elves, their expressions a mixture of sadness and rage. “Brynn betrayed us?”

  “Yes,” Renna said. “And she told us to tell you to meet Herald Law on the battlefield for a duel or else he’ll march his army through Pluma.”

  “Huh?” Frost said, shaking his head. “So, the army’s not coming?”

  “It is,” Ena said. “The soldiers are coming too but I think they’re scared of Cassia. She’s powerful enough that she might be able to defeat two thousand soldiers. So, her plan is to have Herald Law kill you so we’ll surrender without a fight.”

  “Let’s ask her,” Frost said, grabbing a small rock and charging it with a fair portion of his strength before throwing it in the direction of the academy. After a few seconds he heard the echo of the crack as it hit Cassia’s window. The white-haired elf poked her head out and upon seeing Renna leaped out of the window and rushed toward them.

  “My love!” Cassia shouted excitedly while wrapping her arms around Renna. “Wait, why are you crying? Who did this? Did Herald Frost upset you?”

  “Cassia,” Frost shook his head at the violet-eyed elf as she glared suspiciously at him. “Can you defeat two thousand soldiers?”

  “Yes,” Cassia answered without hesitating. “Well, maybe. What level?”

  “Royal guards,” Frost answered.

  “Oh,” Cassia said pensively. “Yes. But it would take time. I would need to evade them while picking them off slowly. They would be prepared for poisons and diseases so my normal strategies wouldn’t likely work very well. It would probably take me a few months.”

  “What about an army of them attacking at once?” Frost asked.

  “If that were to happen, we would need to move the villagers into Rilia,” Cassia said. “If they were a normal army, I could. The problem is that anything over fifty to a hundred in that level range would exhaust me. I would need to rest for days in between battles in order to replenish my energy. I could hold them all back for a few hours but…”

  “Thank you,” Frost said. “I kind of figured as much. It’s like when I hunt level thirty or level forty monsters. I can take out forty or fifty of them pretty comfortably. Maybe even a couple hundred if I came prepared. But a thousand would be way too many. And these are soldiers who’ll be wearing enchanted armor and can use strategies.”

  “So, you have no choice but to fight,” Renna said worriedly.

  “What are we talking about?” Cassia asked, aggravation seeping into her voice. “Is somebody planning on attacking us?”

  “Brynn betrayed us,” Renna said, sniffling as Cassia hugged her. “She got permission to send the army to…”

  “Ridiculous,” Cassia scoffed. “Brynn would never betray Herald Frost. She’s absolutely head over heels in love with him.”

  “It’s true,” Ena said, Fayeth nodding along. “She wants to be queen more than she loves Herald Frost.”

  “Eh,” Frost scratched his neck while thinking things didn’t really add up. Brynn acted differently around Herald Law but he was sure it was an act. She wasn’t such a meek and obedient woman that he could see her playing the role of caged little songbird her entire life. But he was also a little concerned over how easily she lied and how good at it she was. She could be playing everybody. “If she wanted me dead then why arrange for the duel?”

  “Duel?” Cassia looked at him curiously. “What do you mean?”

  “Herald Law is giving me an opportunity to settle things one on one,” Frost said. “Brynn’s idea from the sound of it. Why arrange for that unless she was trying to make sure that none of you got hurt? Instead, she’s arranged an opportunity for me to kill Herald Law.”

  “She said that she was sure that Herald Law could kill you,” Renna said.

  “Ridiculous,” Cassia laughed. “That’s a complete lie.”

  “She was holding the herald’s truth ring and it was glowing green,” Ena said. “She was telling the truth.”

  “No,” Cassia said confidently. “She was lying. I am not that confident that I could kill Herald Frost.”

  “What?” Frost laughed. “I’m pretty sure you could kill me.”

  “Well,” Cassia the white-haired elf smiled. “I could. It wouldn’t be particularly hard. You’re slower and weaker than I am but I don’t think you would engage me head on. I believe you would try to escape, I would chase, and probably catch you but maybe not. Well, I would catch you. I suppose the more I think about it the more certain I am I can kill you but that’s the point. I have to think about it. And I’m much higher level than you are. Herald Law is within a few levels of you.”

  “He has enchanted armor,” Queen Valencia said calmly. “And weapons. Every piece enchanted with the most powerful enchantments cast by the most powerful enchanters. I’ve never heard of anybody managing to so much as scratch him. He’s undefeated in battle.”

  “I believe it,” Cassia chuckled. “But if Brynn really does believe that Herald Law could defeat Herald Frost, then I suppose she knows something that we don’t.”

  “Either way I don’t seem to have much of an option,” Frost said. “I’m going to have to fight him.”

  “Obviously,” Cassia said while trying not to smile. “I’ll also come with…just in case any of the royal guards decide to cross the border.”

  “I really wish you wouldn’t get so happy about the prospect of killing people,” Frost said.

  “They’re followers of Ziralia,” Cassia grinned. “I would hardly call them people.”

  “We should probably be leaving before…”

  “No,” Frost said, shaking his head at Fiora’s mother. “You’ll be coming with me.”

  “You intend to hold us hostage?” Queen Valencia said disdainfully.

  “Hostage is such a loaded term,” Frost said, smiling at the woman. “We have word that there’s going to be an attack on our territory and would hate for you to get caught up in it. So, for your own safety, Cassia will be keeping an eye on you.”

  “Still a hostage,” Queen Valencia growled.

  “Herald Frost,” Renna broke away from Cassia and wrapped her arms around him. The green-haired elf looked up at him, choking back tears as she spoke. “She called us disgusting animals and said she hated it here. I thought we were friends…”

  “You can’t trust humans,” Ena said disdainfully. “Who knows which other humans in this territory are just pretending while waiting for an opportunity to hurt us.”

  “Herald Frost,” Fayeth glanced at him, her emerald eyes seething with rage. “What are you going to do about Brynn?”

  “Well,” Frost sighed while wondering what the hell Brynn was thinking. If she really was d
isgusted by all of them and hated it in the village then she certainly did a phenomenal job hiding it, especially in the bedroom. But then again, she was always obsessed with becoming the Queen of Zira and Herald Law’s support would be a hell of a lot more helpful than his. “I suppose I have to kill Herald Law first. Then I’ll decide what to do about Brynn.”

  “I don’t want her to come back here,” Renna said angrily.

  “One thing at a time,” Frost said, patting the elf’s short green hair. “Any idea when they’ll arrive?”

  “Today,” Ena said. “Herald Law was assembling troops and intended to march the moment that Brynn got the king’s approval.”

  “Hmm,” Fiora said, shaking her head. “Anyway, I assume that we’re free to wander the village while you prepare?”

  “Sure,” Frost said. “But be ready to leave soon.”

  “What do you plan on doing?” Fiora’s mother asked her daughter. “Mingle with monsters?”

  “It’s rare to find myself in Herald Frost’s territory,” Fiora said. “I intend to make the most of that time to gather information. It’s better to have too much information than too little.”

  “Very well,” she scoffed. “You’ll be able to find me in that rotten little room when we’re ready to leave.”

  “Cassia,” Frost nodded at the white-haired elf. “I’m going to make some preparations. I’ll find you when I’m ready and we’ll head to Filan.”

  “I’m coming too,” Renna said as the others nodded. All three of the elves’ expressions suggested that there was not talking them out of it.

  “Fine,” Frost said. “We can make a day of it.”

  “Herald Frost,” Desdemona tugged his arm. “I’m going to go get my brother before he gets too far. Is that okay?”

  “Why?” Frost asked. “He can’t really…”

  “I’m going to,” she said, her crimson eyes filled with fire. “Just in case. Brynn’s not here so it’s my job to run things and Dari has his army sitting on our western border. If you lose then we need somebody to protect us.”

  “Fine,” Frost nodded. “Good plan.”