Defiance (Rise of the Iliri Book 3)

by Auryn Hadley

  "What rank are you, sir?" Cillian asked Ilija.

  "Sergeant, sir," Ilija answered crisply.

  "That's quite a jump, Sal," Dom told her. "Can I ask why?"

  "Yes, but I think that part will require Otso."

  "Ah, so you have plans. Ok, then sure, congratulations, Colonel Vayu," the King said, walking across the room to offer the soldier his hand. Ilija said nothing, his eyes wide, and wasn't sure whether to kneel or shake the hand of the King.

  Sal patted his hip from the chair beside him. "Relax Ilija. You outrank most of the army now."

  "Yes, Kaisae, I'm rather aware of that. Thank you!" he gasped, as the King pumped his arm up and down.

  "Well, Colonel, what can I offer you then?" Dom asked, walking back to his personal bar, "Mead, brandy, or whiskey?"

  Ilija glanced at Sal, refusing to commit until she nodded. "Whiskey, sire, and thank you."

  As they all offered the soldier their congratulations, Lord Otso Aulis slipped into the room, shuffling to his seat. He opened his mouth to make an excuse when the King cut him off.

  "I don't care, Otso. But now that you're here, I'd like to hear why we just promoted Colonel Vayu."

  Sal smiled at him wickedly, then turned to the councilors around her. "I warned you all I had plans to restructure the military. You do not have a single elite operations unit, and I intend to start one. When it is operating efficiently, it's my hope that Colonel Vayu will be instrumental in the formation of more. This first unit should be structured similarly to the Black Blades. A collection of talents ranging from snipers to heavy arms men, all able to operate efficiently mounted or on foot, in the open, or in close quarters. They should be highly trained and able to work without specific orders."

  "Why?" Marcu Piet demanded.

  "Because your king just had an attempt on his life, your guards suck, and I won't be here forever," Sal snapped back, before turning to the King. "Your Majesty, the first elite unit should serve as the King's guards both in court and during times of war. It's also my intention to train Colonel Vayu to my position. We both know I'll be returning home eventually and, so far, he's the only officer I've seen with the intelligence, drive, and tactical knowledge to adequately command the military."

  "That's my position!" Lord Piet cut in.

  Beside her, Cillian sighed. "We've been through this, Marcu. It's not your position. I don't think it's ever going to be your position. Get over it and be happy you're still a Marquis."

  "Would you be interested in this, Colonel Vayu?" Dominik asked the big man.

  "Sire, I'd be honored. I never thought of becoming the Sergeant at Arms, never in a million years, but I've always been a soldier."

  Sal knew she was giving the man a dream, but she thought he actually deserved it. "Dom, when the physician was assisting you, I asked Ilija why he'd come to help. I knew it was his day off. He told me it's because he believes in you. He's the only man in this army willing to stand up and tell me no – he changed his mind, mind you – but he was more than willing to stand behind his convictions. I can't think of anyone more willing to give his life for yours, may there never be a need."

  Dominik and Cillian nodded in agreement. "What about you, Lord Aulis, are you ok with the idea of a new unit in the military?" the King asked.

  "Sure, if you keep acting like this, we're going to need a lot more, and I'd rather have an Anglian leading our forces. No offense to the Sergeant."

  "Kaisae," Ilija corrected.

  "Whatever," Otso muttered.

  "And I suppose you're opposed, Lord Piet?" Dom asked.

  "Not at all. I'd like to have the Colonel here shadow the Kaisae. The sooner he's trained to his position, the sooner she's no longer a thorn in my ass."

  Sal and Ilija exchanged glances, but she shook her head at him slightly. He nodded in understanding and said nothing.

  "Ok, then that was easy. Sal make the unit and train them. Colonel, I agree with Lord Piet. I'd like you to attend the primary meetings with us, if possible."

  "I can make that possible," Sal said. "Sorry, Ilija."

  The big man shrugged, "I need to learn, Kaisae. I'm at your disposal."

  Chapter 24

  "So what about this hunt you had, Your Majesty?" Otso asked. "Weren't your Conglomerate friends supposed to protect you from harm?"

  Dominik actually laughed in his face. "I'd say it worked pretty well, Otso, unless you think me walking into a council meeting the same day as an attempt on my life, is a failure?"

  "Good point, sire," Otso agreed.

  "So what exactly happened?" Marcu asked, glancing at Sal, "And I'd like to hear it from the King."

  Dom lifted his glass. "Terric sent an envoy. They arrived late last night and demanded to be seen. The woman of the group made obvious advances at me, but the Ahnor made me aware that her skills were likely not those of the bedroom. The grauori slept by my door last night for extra security. This morning, Jayel..." Dom glanced away, pausing for a moment. Sal realized that the King had probably not experienced much death around him. Bracing himself, he continued. "Jayel asked me to take her hunting. I notified the Kaisae, and we put together a small party, including most of the Terran envoy."

  He lost his train of thought again, looking at the ground, so Marcu asked, "And? What made them attack you, sire?"

  When Dom rubbed at the bridge of his nose, Sal stood, taking his hand. "It's ok, Your Majesty. This is normal. Breathe."

  He looked down into her pale eyes, thanking her silently. "I'm ok if I skip over it all, Sal. It just happened so fast. I don't know how you can do it."

  "Practice, sire. It gets easier," she assured him.

  "She's not lying, sire," Ilija said behind her. "I spilled my guts the entire day after, and anytime I thought about it for the next week. You're doing good, Majesty."

  Dom nodded, and took a few deep breaths before he could continue, but he refused to let go of Sal's hand. "We saw a grauori caught in a bear trap. I asked the Kaisae to release him – my way of thanking the grauori for their assistance guarding me, you know? While she did that, it's like the Terrans began pulling away. She released the wolf, but when she turned to come back to us, the supposed historian shot her with a crossbow he carried for game. I don't know how you lived through that, Sal. I thought it was a clean shot."

  "My armor, sire. It's a special polymer blend with almost microscopic links. I'd never tested it against a bolt before."

  "So," Dom went on, "that's when everything started to happen at once. I tried to turn my horse and pull away when Sal yelled at me to get down. I saw her running at me, then felt my shoulder go numb. I fell off. I think I knocked myself out, because when I came to, it was too quiet. Sal came back shortly after, covered in blood," he glanced at her quickly, "and she refused to let me move." Dominik shrugged, finally releasing his grip on Sal. "The details of the fight, you'll have to get from them. The physician said the bolt hit a nerve bundle and I likely landed on my head."

  "Safest thing for you?" Cillian joked, lightening the mood. "So what did he miss, Sal?"

  She patted the King on the arm, moved back to her chair, and curled into it before speaking. "The man claiming to be a historian moved like an assassin and had calluses from gripping a garrote, not a pen. The woman referred to as the daughter, or Jayel, was the more skilled of them. She was trained in Escea, most likely Rokish -"

  "How do you know all that," Lord Piet interrupted.

  "Her skin was dark, but she smelled of nutmeg. Her square jaw and the style she wore her hair, both were typical in Rok. From what little I saw of her combat abilities, such as how well she managed to hit her mark even with Jase's knife in her back – that's typical of their training. They have a dislike for blades and prefer ranged weapons. Most likely she also had a supply of poisons in her rooms."

  Cillian nodded. "She did."

  "Jase engaged her, and I disarmed the historian. Both assassins were killed in our attempts to render them harmless. The older
man tried to stop the stable hand from reaching the Palace and calling for help. The grauori stopped him, and Jase tried to question him, but he was uncooperative."

  "He had his throat ripped out, Sergeant," Lord Piet said looking at her.

  "Yes, and I'm sure that's not all. His life became forfeit the moment he tried to harm my king. I gave Jase orders to extract information. The only thing he was able to get from the man is that the Terric Empire considers Anglia a lost cause, and they seek to usurp her people as their own."

  "Why weren't you there when they brought the King back?" Otso wanted to know.

  "I returned to the Palace to check on the status of the two Terran guards still here. If it was my mission, I would have activated them shortly after we'd left, causing enough destruction to prevent assistance to the King. Evidently, Terric was not that thoughtful, but Ilija's men had already detained them. I had already seen the King and knew that his injuries, while extremely painful, were not life threatening. I also knew that a meeting would be called, and I felt it would be in good taste to present myself with a bit less blood on me. You have no idea how hard that is to get out of your hair, either." She smiled at the noble sweetly.

  Cillian laughed. "And white hair at that."

  Sal shrugged, pretending innocence as she checked on Dom. He was pale but seemed to be holding up well. He caught her looking and smiled back, assuring her that he was still managing.

  "I'm not sure if you all realize this," Cillian said softly to Marcu, Bjan, and Otso, "but Terric just sent a trio of assassins into our court and attempted to assassinate our king. That's an act of outright war."

  Dominik nodded behind him. "I have reasons to believe that their complaints about the iliri are nothing more than a ruse for their intent to conquer the entire continent."

  "What reasons are those?" Marcu asked.

  "Elius Claudiu mentioned that the Emperor could improve our nation's prosperity, and that living together as a combined nation would benefit both of our people. Things like that. Jayel kept saying that she could help me restructure the country to be more modern – like the Empire."

  Sal sighed and shook her head.

  "I'll double his guard, Kaisae," Ilija whispered behind her.

  "Why?" Otso asked, overhearing the comment.

  "Because, Lord Aulis," Ilija replied, "there are only three reasons an assassin makes mistakes like that. She wanted to give us a reason for war, which is the most likely, or she was only the distraction, which is too possible to overlook."

  "Or?" Marcu asked

  It was Sal who answered. "They were scouts. Worst case scenario? Terric doesn't want an alliance; they want to take over your country. They don't care if that's through marriage, assassination, or both. Most likely, that envoy was sent here to determine just how big of an army Terric will need to crush Anglia against these mountains you love so much."

  "Or," Ilija said softly, "they wanted to make sure the one moving toward us is big enough. The envoy would be disposable."

  "I think you chose well, Sal," Dom told her. "I'll have the queen's suite – it connects to mine – cleared, and we can move the grauori over?"

  "I think that's probably the best, sire," she said as she reached out for Jase's mind. What's the status of the guards, killer?

  They did na anticipate today's attack, but they were planning ta do somethan tomorrow. The details differ, but both have feelings a the King's demise tomorrow. Their minds are slippery, kitten, warped in ways that do na make sense ta me. They feel they deserve somethan, and they despise me fer my pale skin – that much is clear. The undertones are amusement at playing politics with such an archaic nation, and somethan 'bout the Anglians respecting 'em. I can na put it inta words, but they are sure the Empire will be ruling Anglia soon.

  "Jase says the guards are confident that Anglia will soon be under imperial rule," Sal mentioned causally to the King.

  Both Dom and Ilija's heads snapped over to her but for different reasons. Sal shrugged. "How are your combat skills, sire?"

  "Rusty. I had some training in my youth, but nothing more than any country boy. Why?"

  "Because Anglia has two options. Ride to war, or wait for war to come to us."

  "Us?" Lord Piet quipped.

  "Yes, Lord Piet. Us. I will stand here beside the King and am more than willing to give my life for him. I doubt you could say the same. Get your ego under control already and realize the severity of this situation."

  Lord Piet glowered at her but nodded.

  "Dom?" Sal tried again. "I want you to book an hour each evening with Ilija and Hwa. I'll have Jase stop in too when he can. I need both of you," she said, glancing at Ilija, "able to at least defend yourselves."

  Ilija dipped his head in understanding. "Hwa's already given me praise, Kaisae. I'm sure we can catch the King up quickly, although, I can't say as I've ever sparred with a noble before."

  "Don't treat him as a noble that hour. He's a private, and one that needs to learn fast."

  "Yes, sir."

  Dom cleared his throat and stood, pulling all eyes to him. "I'm declaring war on Terric. We will not seek them out, but I want the country mobilized and war-time spending in place. I want to increase the military and give the Kaisae the tools she needs to prepare the country in advance. This is not a request. I will fill out the papers and have them here tomorrow. Each of you will sign them, or you will be replaced."

  "Yes, Your Majesty," Cillian answered.

  "Is that wise?" Otso asked. "Can we afford it?"

  "We can't afford not to," Dominik told them.

  The nobles all nodded in understanding.

  "When that's done, try the Terran guards for attempted regicide. I'm also sending a request to the Conglomerate, seeking aid. I plan to suggest an alliance with them. I believe that our Kaisae's actions have more than demonstrated the faith we can place in our neighbors. We already have a treaty with Myrosica. Sal, how would I get notice to Viraenova?"

  Her eyes unfocused for a moment when she reached out to Jase again, What do you know about Viraenova?

  Na that much. Why, kitten?

  The King would like to make diplomatic moves toward them seeking an alliance.

  Maast, ok. They're heavily Iliran, but na accepting of outsiders.

  Roo's voice broke in. I overheard, Kaisae. Send the grauori. We walk freely over the mountains. We're welcome there. Worau's pack owes you a favor. If you choose, they'd do it.

  Thank you, Roo. That's what I needed. Can you start arranging it?

  I can try, Kaisae. I can not promise she will listen to me, but I'm willing to try.

  That's all I can ask, Roo.

  Dom watched, aware she was focused on something else. Sal gave him a reassuring smile and said, "I know a pack of grauori that can help you there. Viraenova may choose to ignore you, but if you send Roo's old pack leader, they'll at least hear it."

  "You can't send beasts to deliver an offer of alliance!" Otso sputtered.

  Sal laughed. "You've never been to Viraenova have you? It's a warped form of Iliran, the country's name. It means new life. Rumor says the populace is pale. The grauori know it as a safe place. Sending humans in there is a good way to meet with closed doors, but showing you respect all of your countrymen? Who knows. The Conglomerate has sent multiple ambassadors, and all have returned without being allowed through the gates."

  Dom nodded. "Can the grauori arrange it for me?"

  "We can try, sire. I am pretty sure they won't rise against you, at any rate."

  "That's good at least. Ok, Sal, get that started. Is there anything else I can do to help our relationship with the grauori? The Terrans didn't seem to know of their existence and completely accepted my stories about them."

  "I'll ask the mutts, sire. I suggest posting laws prohibiting the hunting of them as a start. I know you've made it known, but grauori can read. They slip through cities and towns more than most humans know."

  "Good. Cillian, get that in place a
nd then this council is closed. Thank you all for coming, and I will see you tomorrow. I'm afraid my endurance is not what I would like," Dom admitted.

  "Ilija," Sal said, "Take the King to his rooms and place a full guard outside his door."

  "Yes, Kaisae," Ilija said, moving to the King's side. "Sire, there's no shame in leaning on your men." The King patted the new Colonel's shoulder, holding his injured arm close to his body, as they left the room.

  Sal waited, watching as Lord Piet, Lord Aulis and Lord Arvo abandoned their chairs quickly, heading through the door on the heels of the King. When their steps grew soft in her ears, she stood, glancing once at Cillian across from her.

  He lifted a hand. "Can I ask you a question?"

  Sal nodded, sinking back into her seat. "I don't promise to answer it, but you can ask."

  "That's fair. This has nothing to do with the military, nor anything else. It's personal, Kaisae." He looked down at his clasped hands. "Are you planning to go back to the Conglomerate when this is over?"

  "Yes," she answered. "It's my home, Lord Tor. I love Anglia, but I miss my family."

  "Cillian, please," he insisted. "So, why are you throwing yourself into this so hard, if you're just going to leave?"

  With a sigh, she leaned back. "That's a hard question to answer. Part of it is just my nature. I respect your king. He's a good man, and I think this country has a lot to offer the continent. Part of it is the grauori and iliri."

  "Look, I believe you when you say that you're willing to die for the King, Sal, but I don't understand why. I'm a loyal nobleman, and I can't say I'd be willing to do that." Cillian sighed. "Truth is I have to suspect you unless I can understand you, but you've given me no reason to do anything but trust you. I figure it's worth asking."