by Sean Russell
The strangeness of it all was not lost on Michael, who hadnever been so loved when his father was alive. But now these men saw him astheir rescuer-freeing them from the dominion of Menwyn Wills, and maybe thesorcerer Hafydd as well. He was suddenly the good prince who had come to savethem from circumstances they did not understand, come to lead them to victoryand to be sure they got their share of the rewards, which was in question underthe Wills, who would no doubt look to their own first. Perhaps most of all, hehad come to take control of the largest part of the army, making them againpreeminent, and not at the beck and call of Menwyn Wills.
Several large pavilions had been erected near the easternend of the encampment, Menwyn keeping his allies close and separated from theirown armies so that a situation like the one he was about to face could notoccur. Men-at-arms in evening blue had quickly formed up before the tents,though they were vastly outnumbered. The men of Innes divided the men of MenwynWills into two parties, forcing a column through their middle to the tentsbeyond. It took some time for Michael to make his way through, and when he didthe men who jostled there fell silent. Perhaps three thousand men in dark bluewere ranged before the tents. Not nearly as large a force as the men of Innes,but Michael wasn’t sure how many would fight for him if it came to that, and hewas vulnerable there, with so many of Menwyn’s guards nearby, some armed withbows. Of course Menwyn could not be sure of the situation either, which Michaelwas counting on.
An officer emerged from the largest tent-a tent Michael wassure had belonged to his father-and bowed to him. “Prince Michael,” the mansaid, acknowledging Michael’s claim-not that he had much choice. “You have nodoubt traveled far. Lord Men-wyn invites you to dismount and join him.” The mangestured toward the tent, smiling tightly, trying to hide his distress at thisturn of events.
“I will speak with Lord Menwyn here,” Michael said. “Afterwhat befell my father I don’t wish to go anywhere without my guards, who aretoo numerous to fit inside Lord Menwyn’s pavilion.” It was a terrible insult,but Michael heard a growl of approval from his men.
The officer tried to smile. “We are, my Prince, at war. Muchthat should be said is of a sensitive nature.”
“I trust any man wearing purple and black with my life,” Michaelsaid. He was pretty sure that if he stormed the tents at that moment he wouldbe killed by an arrow, but he was equally sure that Menwyn Wills would die aswell. “Please ask Lord Menwyn to do me the honor of attending me here.” He hadchosen his words with care. The Prince would be honored by Menwyn’s presence,but Menwyn would be attending him. He was the Prince of Innes, not some out ofpocket noble with two hundred swords at his command.
The officer stood a moment, uncertain, and then retreated inside.Nothing happened for a moment, and a grumbling began among the men in purpleand black. The situation could quickly spin out of control-Michael could feelit.
The doors to the pavilion were drawn back, and Menwyn Willsstrode out, a dozen minor noblemen at his back-former allies of the House ofInnes, for the most part. Many of Michael’s father’s officers were there aswell. Menwyn was making a statement.
“Prince Michael!” Menwyn said, smiling broadly. “I cannottell you the joy we feel to see you returned! We thought that blackguard, SirEremon, had left you dead.”
“And so he no doubt thought,” Prince Michael answered, “buthe was wrong.”
“It grieves me to tell you, Prince Michael, that yourfather, the Prince of Innes, was not so fortunate. Hafydd had him murdered.”Menwyn paused a moment, his gaze going respectfully down. “But with theassistance of these noble men”-he gestured to those around him-“we drove offthe last remnant of Hafydd’s force and wrested control of the army from them.”
“And for this I thank you,” Prince Michael said. “I have returned,it seems, just in time to resume command.”
“For which we are thankful. We will, my Prince, go to warthis very day. I fear that you will not be able to take up your rightful placeimmediately, for the plans are all laid and the command of each company hasbeen assigned and each officer knows his part. But you should ride with me andour chief allies, for this day we will destroy the armies of the Renne andprepare the way for our victory.”
“I will surrender the command of my army to no one,” thePrince said, and a loud murmur of approval came from the men of Innes. Heprayed the company of the curious that followed him would look enough like aloyal and resentful army that Menwyn would not dare insult them.
Menwyn indeed did look like a man on shifting ground. “Butmy Prince”-he almost stammered-“we will fight a major battle this day uponwhich all of our future success depends. With all due respect, no man could assumecommand of such a large force on such short notice. All of our carefully laidplans would be in danger.”
“Then send my officers to me so that I may be informed ofyour plan. I will be with my men.” He bowed courteously and turned his horse. Apassage opened up before him, the men pressing back all the while nodding andwhispering approvingly among themselves. “Return to ranks!” the Prince ordered,and this call was taken up down the length of the encampment.
Slowly the men returned to their places, officers of lowerrank stepping in to organize. Michael suspected that if he had a loyal following,it would be here, among the men and junior officers. “Rica?
You are now the captain of my guard. Find me fifty loyal menand give them an armband or some kind of insignia so that I will know them.” Hepointed to the center of the army of Innes. “Find a pavilion and pitch itthere, in the center, but leave the walls rolled up so that all may see me.Find four banners and raise them up on poles-nothing ostentatious-I just wantmy presence to be felt. Then bring me the junior officers, five at a time. Doyou know them?”
“Many of them, sir, though not all.”
“I will have you stand by and tell me something of each ofthem …” But he was drowned out then as the men called for three cheers fortheir prince, the valley echoing with their voices. He hoped that Pwyll and theothers heard this, for they would be wondering what had happened.
A small pavilion was quickly erected. Surcoats of the disbandedhouse guards were found, and Rica mustered the men for their master’s review.The Prince walked among them, speaking quietly. “There have been many betrayalsof late,” he said. “Friend and foe are no longer easily recognized. You musttherefore be prepared to follow my orders without question. If I order you tocut down some captain, even one who has served our house for thirty years, youmust do it without hesitation. Is there any man among you who cannot do that?”The men responded quickly, as he’d hoped they would. The Prince of Innes hadbeen murdered-a failure they did not want to repeat.
“Rica,” the Prince said, as they returned to the pavilion, “placeonly a single guard at each tent post. I want the men in ranks to be able tosee me and to see that I trust them utterly.” The Prince looked around at themen sitting in ordered rows, many a curious eye turned his way.
Rica quickly arranged the guards, the bulk of them seated ina square around the pavilion. He came back to the Prince, who stood watchingmen erect a map table beneath the canvas shelter. “Your grace should know thatthe captains of all the companies have been replaced by men loyal to MenwynWills.”
“What happened to my father’s officers?”
“Many were demoted into the ranks, your grace. Others wereejected from the army, some few left in shame, unable to accept this treatment.”
“Bring all of these new officers to me and find as many ofmy father’s company commanders as you can, or their immediate subordinates. Iwill replace all of Menwyn’s officers within the hour.”
“Your grace,” said Rica, “some of these men will not acknowledgeyour authority.”
“Give them one warning. Any insubordination will be punishedby summary execution. If they so much as hesitate after that, you must cut themdown. If we wish to take back control of the army, we cannot falter.”
Rica saluted and gathered a small company to follow him. ThePri
nce cast his eye back toward the pavilions of Lord Menwyn. No doubt therewas quite a heated debate going on there at this moment. The longer itlasted-to a point-the better. Michael needed some time to reverse the coupMenwyn had staged. Some men would have to die, he feared, but it could not behelped. If the army wasn’t firmly in his control within the hour, then he wouldfail, and the hours of life left him would be few.
The officers appointed by Menwyn came sullenly to the pavilion,grumbling among themselves, looks of apprehension and resentment on theirfaces. Rica had them stand out in the open and placed guards with swords drawnaround them.
“All of you appointed in my absence by Lord Menwyn deservethe gratitude of the House of Innes. But I have, upon the order of Lord MenwynWills, resumed command of the army of Innes. Your services are no longer required.You are hereby dismissed and may return to your former officers-immediately.”The Prince nodded to them in a kindly way, then gestured to Rica, who marshaledthe stunned captains away before they might think of doing something foolish.Another group of men were quickly gathering-these in the purple and black ofInnes. They fell in before the pavilion, and the Prince had each of them givehis name, rank, and former command. The situation was not as bad as it couldhave been, for a number of former commanders still remained. The other positionswere quickly filled by men the commanders recommended. Michael had them swearan oath to him and warned them to take orders from no one but himself or Ricauntil he had filled the ranks of senior commanders-at which time the Princewould make these officers known to them. These men were sent off to organizetheir companies.
He did not yet have in place a structure of command-therewas a broad layer of senior commanders missing-but he was making quickprogress.
“So tell me, Captain Rica, who is left among my father’s formerallies and senior officers who might either be loyal to the House of Innes orhate the Wills enough to side with me?”
The man stood with one hand on the map table. “It isdifficult to say, your grace. So much has changed and so rapidly. After thePrince, your father, was murdered, Hafydd took control of the army, placing hisown men in all but a few key positions. When Hafydd left, Lord Menwyn drove theblack guards off and put his own men in their stead. Everyone was forced toswear an oath of loyalty to the Wills. The few who refused were stripped oftheir positions, thrown into cells, or ‘disappeared.’ Of the noblemen who wereyour father’s allies I think only T’oldor and Quince might side with youagainst Menwyn. Your grace must realize that these men were all promised largeareas of your estates. They will not give up that promise easily. I would letnone of them stand at your back.”
Michael nodded. It was unfortunate that his father did notcommand loyalty. Now his son would pay the price for this shortsightedness.
“Your grace. They are coming.”
The noblemen and officers who had been given control of thearmy of Innes had elected to travel the length of the camp on horseback,banners flying, perhaps hoping this display would give them legitimacy in theeyes of the men. When they reached the army of Innes they spread out, only sixapproaching the pavilion, the rest riding out among the mustered companies.They began calling out orders immediately.
Six minor noblemen reined in their horses. “My Prince,” onesaid with feigned urgency, “the army marches. Come with us, and we will informyou of the design as we go.”
Michael did not answer, praying that the soldiers would notmove without command from their newly appointed officers. He held his breath.Not a man stood or acknowledged the shouted orders of the horsemen. Michael hadto stop himself from smiling.
“This army,” he said, “goes nowhere without my express command.And within the hour I will command it to return to my estates. Now get offyour horses and order your officers back, or you may go tell Menwyn that hemeets the Renne alone.” Michael crossed his arms and stared at the six men.
The noblemen retreated to confer among themselves, whisperingand casting glances toward the prince.
“Captain Rica,” Michael ordered. “Do you see these horsementrying to give orders to my army? Warn them that if they do not desistimmediately and remove themselves from my ranks, I will treat them as enemiestrying to undermine my command.”
Rica seemed to have anticipated this and had several smallcompanies ready. These ran off, each bearing a banner of the House of Innes.They soon reached the shouting officers, some of whom had drawn swords and werethreatening the soldiers. Two or three refused to remove themselves, andswords were drawn, companies of soldiers leaping to their feet at orders fromthe Prince’s captains. One horseman was chased out by armed men, haughty evenin retreat, the rest realized that their lives were in danger and acted appropriately.
The six noblemen still conferred.
“Captain Rica?” Michael said loudly. “Drag these formerallies off my father’s off their horses and bring them to me.”
The six noblemen separated then, two quickly dismounting.
The other four were surrounded by armed men on foot, andthey too dismounted, and all were brought before the Prince.
“Who among you will renounce your claim to the parts of myestate that Menwyn Wills has promised and swear an oath of loyalty to me?” ThePrince regarded the six men, all of whom he had known since childhood.Apparently they still thought him a child. They had not been witness to theevents of the Stillwater, when Prince Michael had been forced to come of age.
“I will take an oath, my Prince,” Lord T’oldor said,dropping to one knee.
“As will I,” responded Quince, whose estates comprised asmall tract of mountains and meadows to the north-far too small for a man ofsuch ability and character, Michael thought.
“I lived beneath the heel of your father’s boot for thirtyyears,” said Lord Farwell, “I will not live beneath yours now.”
“No one need live beneath the heel of my boot, but theestates of the Prince of Innes are not for the taking. This army that my fathercreated is mine to command, and I will not commit it to the field until I amsatisfied that it is not being sent to ruin. If you will not swear loyalty tome, then go back to Lord Menwyn and demand that he pay you what he promisedout of his own purse. It won’t be coming out of mine.”
T’oldor and Quince swore an oath to the Prince, with all ofthe army there to witness. The other noblemen and their officers rode back theway they had come, having failed in their attempt to seize control of the armyof Innes.
T’oldor watched the men go, then turned to Prince Michael. “Itis well that none of them offered to swear an oath to you, my Prince. I shouldnever have trusted them.”
“Nor would I, T’oldor, but the offer had to be made. Theywere the allies of my house for many years.”
Rica had unrolled a map on the table, the corners weigheddown by stones. Michael wondered what had become of the silver weights hisfather had used. In someone’s purse, no doubt.
T’oldor, an elegant ruin of a man, sketched in the design.His white hair hung in carefully arranged ringlets, and the lace of his collarand cuffs was as unblemished as new snow. For all that, he was a brilliant oldscoundrel, as Michael well knew.
“Menwyn’s spies tell him that the Renne intend to landtonight where this valley meets the Wynnd.” T’oldor placed a finger on the map.“He plans to move his army into position surrounding the landing place, thenlet the Renne disembark their army before driving them into the river,preferably at first light, though our presence might not go undiscovered forso long.”
“Show me the disposition of our forces?” Michael asked.
The old man laid a few quick marks on the paper with a stickof charcoal.
“But the army of Innes has all the forward positions!”Michael said, more in anger than surprise. “Menwyn’s army is only the reserve.”
“That is true, my Prince,” Quince agreed, his manner very subdued.
“Then we are to fight this battle against the Renne andsuffer all the casualties?”
The two noblemen nodded.
Michael stared at
the map a moment. Of course he didn’t wantto fight the Renne at all, but he was certain that his officers and his menwouldn’t readily accept that. His hold on the army and on the loyalty of thesenoblemen was tenuous.
The prince took the charcoal from T’oldor and redrew thelines. “Menwyn’s forces will array themselves here, to the south, we willarrange our armies here, to the east and the north. That will put him in theforefront of the battle across a third of the area to be contested. He willhave to fight. I will not take all the losses and he all the gains.” He turnedto Lord T’oldor. “Will you go to Lord Menwyn and tell him this?”
“Gladly, but it might be better if I don’t go alone, as I amnow a traitor to the Wills.”
“Take forty men with you-mounted, if you like. Tell Menwyn thatonce his armies have taken up the southern position, I will move mine into thepositions I have indicated. Don’t allow him to argue or prevaricate. I willmarch my army home before I will let him use it so.”
The riders were quickly formed up and they followed Lord T’oldordown the long aisle between the armies. Michael stood looking around the field.He wondered if he would be forced to fight the Renne before he could do awaywith Menwyn Wills. One thing was certain, he would not give up control of hisarmy at any cost. The moment he did that he would be dead.
“Rica?”
“Your grace?”
“Bring me our four most experienced captains. They are aboutto receive promotions.”
“Immediately, your grace,” but despite his promise of immediateaction, he stood there awkwardly a moment.
Michael turned to the man. “You have something more to say,Captain?”
“If I may, your grace. There is one young captain whoseabilities are far beyond his years. He is, perhaps, the strongest of all yoursubordinate officers.”
“Then bring him as well. Rica? You have my permission tospeak your mind whenever you deem it necessary.”
