Nakia smiled a little. “You got lucky then.”
“So did you if I hear it right. This barbarian queen cares for you enough to steal you away from the horror that was Lord Caligo.”
“You know of him?”
Thia nodded. “He contacted Wicus for advice when Father promised you to him. Wicus told him if you were anything like me, he got the better end of the deal.”
Nakia wasn’t sure what to do with that information. She wasn’t close to her sister. There was so much time between them, she barely understood what was going on when Thia left. Thia had always been somewhat mean to her, too. Well, both of her sisters had been, angry at their circumstances and taking it out on her. As a child she could tell Saffi didn’t fit in and she could understand that anger now. Was Thia the same? Hell, was I the same?
“What’s wrong?” Thia asked.
“You’re being nice to me. I don’t recall that being part of our dynamic.” Nakia kept her guard up. She wouldn’t let Thia trick her to gain favor with their father or with Timon.
“Yes, well, you were a child when I left. My own children are almost as old as you were when we last saw each other.”
That much was true. Nakia had been ten when her sister left and now she was almost nineteen. The world looked much different now. The same might be true for Thia. How much did I miss as a child? “You’re happy here?”
Thia nodded and a small smile settled on her face. “Very. Wicus is a delight to be married to, even if there are times, he drives me crazy. He and his father have been very open with me. As I said, Timon respects me, which is why he allowed me to enter your room and interact with you. Father wanted to bombard you immediately with questions and demands. Timon’s already upset with this idea of using you, but he won’t let Father bully you.”
“He sounds like a good man.” It was possible. After all, Ashni turned out to be better than she expected.
“He is, which is why he’s honoring his agreement with Father and housing him after Father lost Phyllida and why he’s against this plan of holding you hostage. But, like any king, he doesn’t want to be taken over by barbarians.”
“He doesn’t have to be,” Nakia replied. Time to plant a seed. “He can negotiate with Ashni.”
Thia arched an eyebrow. “Ashni, huh?”
Folding her arms, Nakia frowned. “She saved me from Caligo. Would you rather I have stayed with him?” Don’t act too familiar with Ashni. They could use that against her, like Caligo.
“No. No one deserves him. The tales Wicus heard of him still make my skin crawl. Father marrying you to that beast was worse than him marrying poor Saffi to that brute Ferox. At least Ferox’s somewhat human.”
“But, also an idiot from what I hear.”
“He’s definitely that. I doubt our sister’s getting much conversation from him, not that she’d want to. I had the misfortune of being in the same room with him and felt my brain melting.” Thia frowned. “So, what do you think will happen?”
“You tell me. What’s Father’s plan?”
“He’s confident the barbarian…” Thia flinched at Nakia’s glare. “He’s confident the queen will surrender to us to get you back. Timon isn’t as confident, even though Father explained the queen offered to marry you to get you back before.”
“Timon’s right not be confident. Perhaps the queen just dislikes seeing women treated like property.”
Thia shrugged. “Well, she’ll dislike this as well then.”
“But, will she dislike it enough to surrender her plans? She’s passionate about her quest.”
“You mean her conquest.”
“Either way, she’s passionate about it.” Nakia needed to change the conversation. She’d already given away quite a bit and knew her sister picked up on it. “How are your children? Will I get to see them?”
“You’ll get to see them at lunch. Too bad Saffi couldn’t be here. We could’ve at least all been together.”
“I’m sure she’s happy to be free of Ferox, even for a short time.”
Thia nodded. “I’m almost certain there are rats nesting in that man’s head. If you only heard the excuses he offered for why he chased a retreating army.”
“I can only imagine. Let me guess, he thought because the Roshan army is led by a woman, they’d be easily conquered.”
Thia nodded. “Timon and Wicus aren’t so easily swayed, which is why Wicus’ men didn’t move.”
“Wicus is a wise man, then.” Wiser than she believed their father was at this point. Once upon a time, she thought her father was the smartest man ever. But, clearly when he wasn’t in control, he was sloppy and easily led astray.
Thia gave her a grin. “You’ll see when you meet him. Wise isn’t a word I’d use to describe him, but he’s quite a bit to be around.”
Nakia nodded, and she did see when she met Wicus at lunch after cleaning up a bit. Thia had been lucky in husbands, it would seem. Wicus was tall and handsome, matching her sister perfectly in physical form. He looked at Thia with love in his hazel eyes and held their youngest child, a girl toddler, without prompting. The little girl looked much like him and he smiled at her, kissed her cheek, and paraded her around in a way that Nakia knew her father never did with his daughters. Maybe that was how Ashni’s father had been.
Nakia smiled, imagining a tiny Ashni being held on a faceless man. He probably carried her around on his broad shoulders and tossed her in the air to hear her giggles. Is that why Ashni pushed me to see Dorian?
Thia introduced Nakia to the children, four of them, all healthy and happy. Worry started to gnaw Nakia’s stomach. What will happen to them if Ashni takes this city? They could get hurt if there was a siege. Ashni wielded lightning that could bring a manor house down, as she saw with Caligo. What if she did that here? Nakia doubted her father cared, but if Timon and Wicus were as great as her sister insisted, surely they thought about this.
“Why haven’t you evacuated the city if you knew the Roshan were coming?” Nakia asked as they all settled on their couches around tables stacked with food.
“How’s that any of your business?” Dorian snapped, glaring her from across the way.
Nakia winced. “I’m curious. You knew they had taken Phyllida. Why not get out who you could and then dig in for a defense?”
Timon smiled. “You remind me of this one already.” He motioned to Thia. “Thinking of the people. A good trait for someone who rules over others.”
Dorian scowled and Nakia fought the urge to sit up taller. It would’ve been hard to do and rude while reclining on the couch. Timon’s praise didn’t mean much to her, but his acknowledgment that she was allowed to think was huge.
“So, why didn’t you evacuate?” Nakia asked.
“We can protect our denizens. They’re safer behind our walls than anywhere else,” Timon replied.
“How can that still be true after losing forces in the battle a few days ago?” Nakia asked. They might not have lost on the same level as Ferox or her father, but they didn’t have the forces to stand against Ashni. The Roshan had the largest army anyone in this region had ever seen. They had to know that.
“Numbers aren’t always everything,” Wicus replied. “Strategy’s always better. As long as we have a superior strategy and we stick to it, we’ll win.”
Nakia nodded. She learned the same from the Roshan. “I suppose that much is true. You managed to keep out her magic users, after all.”
Wicus tilted his head, his dark curls falling to the side. “You know about that?”
“I am aware of some things with the Roshan,” Nakia said.
Dorian snorted. “Yes, their demon queen’s practically in love with you.”
Wicus smiled. “Well, if she’s anything like her older sister, it was probably impossible for the queen not to fall in love.” He winked at Nakia, and a blush flared to her cheeks. Charmer.
“Perhaps you have insight as to what she’s up to outside,” Timon said.
; What could Ashni have gotten up to within in the seven hours we’ve been separated? Probably a lot. Idle hands and all. “She’s waiting for me to be returned to her. If not, she’s preparing for a siege.”
Timon scowled, as did her father. They obviously didn’t want a siege. The Roshan had them beat there, more men, more supplies, and who knew what else. Besides, no one wanted to be trapped in the city for weeks or months, hoping the Roshan eventually got bored.
“If she doesn’t stand down, she’ll never see you again.” Dorian thrust his chin in the air.
“So, you’re going to hold me hostage?” Nakia shook her head. Timon and Wicus glanced away. So, they did find this as distasteful as Thia stated. “She’s willing to negotiate, you know?” Timon’s and Wicus’ heads snapped at attention to her. Servants leaned in closer.
“We won’t negotiate with that barbarian and her insatiable desire for gold,” Dorian replied. “We have you.”
“From what we know, is the queen the type to surrender for what she wants?” Nakia asked. Silence was her only answer.
***
Ashni rode Midnight Thunder along the lines, checking to see how her wall was coming along. She and Adira decided the first bit of their siege would involve trapping Valen with a wall of their own. Yes, it would be made of wood rather than stone and not thick, but it would serve its purpose. The soldiers could handle it fairly easy, along with building traps and pitfalls between their wall and the city wall. That was phase one. As long as materials held up, the wall should be finished within a couple of weeks. By then, Valen would be thinking about their rations and how long they’d be able to hold out. It wouldn’t matter by then either way.
“I’ve gotten word back from some of towns and villages around here,” Adira said as she trotted up with a satchel of scrolls.
“They’re with us?” Ashni knew the answer because everyone had a price. If she couldn’t find Timon’s, then there were other rulers in the area, rulers who weren’t partial to Timon or Wicus.
“Well, they didn’t like that Wicus used them to help train himself and the Valenian army some years ago, so yes. Turns out, we’ll want less tribute than Timon if we’re in charge anyway.”
Ashni shook her head. “This is why you don’t keep people under your thumb like that. They’re always ready to betray you.”
This was something she learned from her father, who probably learned it from her mother. Take the territory, but win the hearts and minds, which was how she ended up with an outsider as a sister…and an outsider as a lover now that she thought about it. Building an empire was about uniting people.
Adira shrugged. “They’re expected to deliver items to Valen all the time. So, we can get more people inside to create chaos.”
Ashni rubbed her palms together, faint sparks passing through her hands. “I’m not sure what I want to do inside right now. We need to get Nakia out first.”
“Speaking of that, I have bad news in regards to your kitten.”
Ashni wasn’t expecting good news until Nakia was back in her arms. “Let me guess, they assassinated the guards.”
Adira curled her lip. “You knew what to expect from that man, but sent her in anyway?”
Ashni scowled. “He could’ve actually been dying. I couldn’t take that chance. Besides, all your reports said Timon was honorable.”
“But, Dorian isn’t. What do you want to do about this?”
Ashni scratched her chin. She wanted to take her lightning and burn the city to the ground. That wouldn’t help her cause, though.
“It’s been a day. Send word we expect her back and see what the response is,” Ashni said.
“By the Sun! You’re being rational. I don’t even know what to make of this,” Adira replied.
Ashni glared. “I’m trying to do right by us and right by my hellcat. I don’t want to act impulsively and have her hurt.”
Adira leaned back a little. “Wow. Marriage has changed you for the better.”
Ashni growled. “I can’t stand you.”
“I bet this is how it happened with your father, too, after he met your mother.”
Ashni punched Adira in the arm. “Cut it out. If push comes to shove, I’ll go in after her.”
“Oh, and I get to be in charge of this madness you’re putting together?” Adira motioned around them.
“You cosigned this. It’s your bit of madness as well. Besides, we’ve seen this work.” Well, they heard about it working. Her father had once laid siege to a city, trapping it within a wall. It took some months to work, but it did. “And I’d only be gone for a little while.” Ashni doubted it would take more than a couple of hours to go in, steal Nakia back, and return.
Adira shook her head. “You could send me in. You’ll send a message she’s more important than the mission if you keep ducking out to rescue her. Once is a darling love story. Twice is you losing sight of what we’re doing.”
Ashni sucked her teeth, mostly because she knew that was the truth. She turned her attention to the city. Hopefully, Nakia was all right. She was resourceful and could handle herself. She needed to trust Nakia, as Nakia trusted her.
“Let’s make sure we get this wall up and get everything in place in case we actually need to stay here for a while,” Ashni said, moving Midnight Thunder forward. He seemed antsy. He was a warhorse and being used for parading around right now rather than actual war. She could feel his pain, feel the itch.
“This city better be worth it,” Adira mumbled under her breath. Of course, it really was if the reports were to be believed. Beyond that, Ashni needed to get Nakia back.
***
Nakia was in her room, trying to entertain herself with some reading. She didn’t see the words, though. It had been a few days. She felt like pacing, but she didn’t want to show any signs of crumbling, knowing her father had people watching her, whether she saw them or not. So, whenever she found herself alone, she pretended to read. Sometimes, she even wrote poetry, like she had been taught as a child was proper for a young lady.
“Nakia, you need to come with me!” Thia burst into the room and grabbed her by the hand.
“What? Why?” Nakia struggled to keep up as her sister yanked her out of the room.
“Just come!” Thia’s sandals slapped hard against the floor, heavy without her usual grace. Nakia had to jog to keep up as they hurried down a dark corridor. They came to a small room where Timon and Wicus waited.
“What’s going on?” Nakia asked as Thia fell to Wicus’ side and his hand fell to her waist.
“Queen Ashni continues to devise a wall to trap us within our own city, but we’ve also gotten word she’s enlisted the aid of surrounding villages, adding to her already swelling numbers. If we were to negotiate, what would she be willing to give?” Timon inquired, wringing his hands together.
Nakia arched an eyebrow. “You’re willing to talk?”
“Your father would have us hold you until she backs down. Her actions are not that of a warrior planning to back down,” Wicus replied.
“Father will always insist on doing things his way, which is how you got into this mess. But Ashni will have her way in the end. If you haven’t reached out to her, you should immediately. I think Ashni would be willing to talk with you. I’m sure the right tribute will get her to stop,” Nakia said. It was what Ashni wanted with Phyllida, so why not Valen?
“And she’ll be open to talking?” Timon asked.
Nakia nodded. “She will. Open a dialogue with her. Assure her you’ll send me out and I suggest you keep your word.”
After a quick glance toward each other, Timon and Wicus nodded. Thia patted Wicus hand on her waist. It would seem her father was out-voted now.
Chapter Fourteen
ASHNI SAT IN HER tent and tried to eat breakfast. Holding down food got harder each day Nakia wasn’t by her side. She wasn’t sure which was more unbearable, being alone or her sister and Adira encouraging her to eat. She wanted to be miserable in the one
place she was allowed, out of view of everyone she was in charge of.
According to their spies, Nakia was fine. She was being treated well. As well as someone confined to her room unless her sister was with her. Ashni was all right with that. Thia seemed trustworthy, according to the reports, and Nakia seemed to be enjoying their time together. Ashni was glad for that since Nakia didn’t seem to think her family cared much for her. It was good Thia proved Nakia wrong.
To stay focused, Ashni reminded herself Nakia was fine as she went about her days setting up for the siege. She even tried to goad Valen’s military outside yesterday. They didn’t take the bait.
“Layla will think that’s why my mood has been soured.” Ashni wasn’t looking forward to that or even the proper guess of her missing Nakia. A thunderclap echoing through the air let her know she wasn’t as in control of her emotions as she thought.
“I think you might want to stop broadcasting your mood. The troops think we’re about to go to battle,” Adira said, stepping into the tent. She had a scroll in her hand. “The sky is dark with thick, grey clouds.”
Ashni scowled. “Maybe it’s actually about to rain.” It was possible.
Adira gave her a deadpan look. “And maybe it’s because of you.”
“I don’t make it rain.” Most of the time.
“You say that as if I haven’t known you for years.”
Ashni’s frown deepened. “You say that as if you don’t know me at all.”
“I know you well enough to know I might have something to lighten your mood.” Adira waved the scroll.
Ashni arched an eyebrow. “Is that from Dorian?”
“Timon.”
Ashni grunted her acknowledgment. The more she learned about Timon, the more she expected him to make the right decision. But, the more she learned about Wicus, the more she expected him to challenge her, despite her gaining more of an advantage with each moment that passed. Wicus was a warrior and he’d want to test himself against her, prove himself against her military. Dorian would challenge her no matter what. Ferox wouldn’t be an issue since most of his chariots were destroyed and his Black Dogs torn to pieces by proper Dark demons. With the wall they were constructing, his remaining chariots were useless.
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