*****
Eleanor shivered in the cool night air as she stepped onto the balcony of her new quarters. She wasn’t exactly pleased with all the implications of this new plan, but then, she’d only had mere moments in which to devise it. If Prince Edmund didn’t listen to her, then tonight would only worsen the situation rather than remedy it.
Mathis had cast suspicion on Gatlan and seemingly exonerated the Northern Kingdoms of the incidents at the summit. This new plan would now prove the Northern Kingdoms were responsible, but she worried that it would be too much too soon. After all, this wasn’t about showing the Northern Kingdoms to be an enemy of Sintiya; it was showing them to be an enemy of Kaslea.
Exactly as she had suggested, they had told Lord Greenford that the investigation had proved his kingdom was not at fault. He had been very smug about it, making the afternoon session almost intolerable. During the afternoon, she had subtly dropped into the conversation her plans for the evening, that she had important correspondence on the war to deal with, something that would obviously interest Gatlan greatly.
What she was implying was that Gatlan would be desperate to fix the situation, which was indeed likely, as it wasn’t far from the truth. That was how she felt. Gatlan would see the war correspondence as the perfect opportunity to shift the blame, and Mathis would be there to witness their actions. Mathis was currently in the washroom, looking through a hastily made hole in the door.
Eleanor sighed, trying to appear nonchalant, like she had no idea that Yannick was about to appear in the room behind her disguised as the Gatlan sorcerer. However, she felt the surge of magic the moment he appeared. Pretending to be shocked, she whirled around and saw magic flicker over Yannick. To Mathis’s eyes, it would appear as if her promised spell was working and was unmasking the true identity of the sorcerer, when in actual fact Yannick was just applying a second disguise to look like the Northern Kingdoms sorcerer—Kevall.
Yannick met her eyes in pretend horror, before transporting himself away. A moment later, Mathis stumbled out of his hiding place. He looked stunned, and Eleanor’s lips curled in satisfaction; at least the charade had convinced him and there would be no more talk of doubting the Northern Kingdoms’ guilt.
“Queen Eleanor, my apologies for my mistake. Obviously, I was wrong in my assessment earlier,” Mathis muttered. He bowed low. “I will inform Prince Edmund at once.”
“Your due diligence is appreciated,” Eleanor said coolly. “Please inform Prince Edmund that I will speak with him about this in the morning. I believe we should coordinate our response.”
Mathis bowed again. “Yes, Your Majesty, it shall be done.”
Quickly, Mathis left, and Eleanor sighed in relief. The panic she had felt earlier on hearing Mathis blame Gatlan, when she wished them to blame the Northern Kingdoms, now receded. She had already planned to speak with Prince Edmund tomorrow evening, to move on to the next stage. When they met tomorrow morning, hopefully she would be able to forestall any precipitous action he was inclined to take.
Eleanor scowled. She would continue to monitor Mathis, to ensure he didn’t cause any more problems. The knight had seemed sincere in his regret at his obvious mistake, but his mind was sharper than she would have liked. She hadn’t expected anyone to disbelieve the obvious evidence they had planted before, and that was a mistake she wouldn’t make again.
Everything had come close to beginning to unravel, but she had fixed it. She still had some misgivings, but in just a few days, it would no longer matter. Kaslea would declare the Northern Kingdoms their enemy and she would win.
*****
The next morning, the three marines were King Oswald’s first meeting of the day. Leo had thought that might be dawn, as this world started and ended the day with the sun. However, King Oswald apparently liked to sleep in, a fact that they had thus far missed, as this was the first morning meeting.
Cain had returned from whatever other business he was dealing with. He was standing to King Oswald’s right, and Leo felt uneasy once more. A small, cruel smirk was playing on Cain’s lips, and there was just something wrong about him. Perhaps it was his magic; after all, magic was presumably energy in some form.
Leo had seen enough fantasy movies to know about light and dark, the old clichés. Perhaps Cain leaned more towards the dark side and that was why he exuded cold creepiness. He looked like the type that would enjoy inspiring fear. It was hardly good company for King Oswald to keep, but then, his kingdom was at war. Leo would make a deal with the devil to save Earth, and the moral high ground didn’t win the day.
If Cain knew how to get things done, his methods would hardly matter, it would be the victories that counted. It made Leo sick to his stomach to think about it, and he hoped that there were lines he wouldn’t cross, but who knew what they would do when faced with the choice. For desperate men, the ends justified the means, and he was very desperate.
“We destroyed the Sintiya supply convoy,” Leo reported bluntly.
He bit his tongue to stop himself from asking sarcastically whether that had been enough. Leo held his breath instead, his eyes flickering over King Oswald’s face. If that didn’t please the king, then nothing would, and they had just wasted their claymores for no reason. Honestly, what else would he have expected?
It wasn’t like they could destroy all the supplies Sintiya had; they were always going to send more. Hopefully there wouldn’t be too many volunteers to accompany the next shipment, although seeing as it was the military, and they would have orders, their willingness was likely immaterial.
“Yes…and most dramatically,” Cain said softly. “Which does present a small problem.”
“Oh?” Leo asked warily, a lump forming in his throat.
Cain shrugged casually. “I am a powerful sorcerer. Did you never wonder why I wasn’t sent to use my skills on the battlefield?”
Leo looked over at Don, who raised an eyebrow. Yeah, they had wondered; they’d talked about it amongst themselves. It seemed odd not to use every weapon that was at Gatlan’s disposal, when all their information told them that Gatlan was losing. That was why King Oswald was so keen to use the three marines; he hoped that they would turn the tide in his favor.
“So why don’t you?” Nick prompted.
“To use magic in war is to be shunned by all the known kingdoms. Nobody would trade with the kingdom that crossed that line. It might win the battle, but it would lose the ultimate war,” Cain explained.
“You said there was a small problem,” Don pointed out gravely. He folded him arms and stared at Cain. Leo knew what he was thinking, that this would be when the other shoe dropped.
“Your weapons are…advanced, unheard of among the kingdoms. You know, and I know, that it is not magic, but others will not so easily be convinced,” Cain said deliberately.
“Well what do you expect us to do about that?” Don asked before Leo could respond.
Leo winced at the tone that Don used, but neither King Oswald nor Cain seemed to mind. Cain looked at King Oswald, who shook his head.
Cain sighed heavily. “Nothing. It is just something for which you should be aware.”
“Okay, then,” Leo acknowledged uncomfortably. “Did the knight commander pass on our request?”
“For the swords?” Cain raised an eyebrow. Leo nodded in confirmation, and Cain shot Oswald a glance. “He did indeed, and my king has graciously decided to grant your request.”
“That’s great,” Leo said automatically. He had honestly expected that they would have needed to jump through a couple of hoops for it.
“You are doing Gatlan’s work,” Cain reminded them with a faint smirk.
Cain gestured dramatically with his hand, raising the arm in a flourish. There was a white flash and Leo blinked—a sword had appeared in Cain’s outstretched hand. Leo swallowed nervously. He didn’t think he would ever get used to such displays of magic.
The aliens who had attacked Earth had similar technology. They had used
that to transport themselves in a flash of light from their ships down to the ground. However, whether it was magic or advanced technology, it was beyond his understanding and seemed unnatural.
Leo reached out and took the sword. He had secretly hoped that they would be allowed one each. However, one was better than nothing, and it had been free, so he wasn’t going to complain about it. He hefted it in his hand, feeling the coolness of the grip, the weight and how it was balanced. It looked razor sharp, and he nodded in satisfaction.
“So what’s our final mission?” Nick broke the awkward silence that had lingered for a few moments. “You said we’d get the weapon and the way home. We’ve proven ourselves worthy now…what next?”
King Oswald let out a booming laugh, which echoed around the throne room. “Patience, all will be revealed in time. Cain?”
“Your recent attacks against Sintiya have confused them, and they are starting to get…demoralized.” Cain smirked. “We are planning a large offensive to try and push the invading forces back. If you were to swing the battle in our favor, it would break the back of Sintiya’s forces. It could win Gatlan the war.”
Leo thought for a moment. There were only three of them, and he was still loath to use more resources than necessary. While having bullets left in the gun was a waste, so to speak, it was better to be prepared for the unexpected. That was why they had brought the extra gear with them, which gave him an idea.
“Sniper rifle. We could take out the commanders from several hundred feet away,” Leo suggested. “Without anyone giving the orders, Sintiya’s forces should fall apart pretty quickly.”
“I like it,” Don agreed. “Easy and relatively safe. Should do the job.”
“I don’t know what a ‘sniper rifle’ is, but we don’t care how you accomplish your quest.” Cain shrugged. “Just that the battle is swung in favor of Gatlan.”
“We’ll take care of it,” Nick promised.
Leo nodded. They had already crossed Sintiya once by blowing up their supply convoy. Killing their commanders was no worse, and Gatlan had promised, actually promised them everything. Hopefully, one more quest and they would be on their way home.
It had been four weeks since the aliens had descended in their ships, demanded worship, and attacked Earth. They could only hope that Earth would still be there waiting for them to save it.
*****
Eleanor scowled in disgust at the scene in front of her. She was relieved that she’d had the paranoia to monitor Mathis, but she was giving serious consideration to killing him again. This knight was a thorn in her side and a complication she did not need. She had become alerted when he had entered the knights’ barracks. That wasn’t unusual for a knight, but entering the quarters given to her knights sparked her concern. She had transported there, concealing her presence with magic.
Fortunately, they weren’t in session; she had persuaded Prince Edmund not to reveal their knowledge of the Northern Kingdoms plot just yet. However, Lord Greenford had sensed that the undercurrent had turned, and not in his favor. He had called a halt to the talks mid-morning and sequestered himself in his quarters. Eleanor didn’t mind; it only made the Northern Kingdoms look guiltier in Prince Edmund’s eyes.
“Gentlemen, may I speak with you a moment?” Mathis asked genially.
“Will it take long?” the senior Sintiya knight asked. “We’ve just been relieved of duty, and I’m tired.”
“It will only take but a moment,” Mathis said reassuringly. “It is about Queen Eleanor.”
“What about her?” the senior knight said sharply, getting the attention of his comrades.
Eleanor nodded in approval at his tone. Finally, a knight that knew his place. Mathis shifted uncomfortably, and Eleanor’s eyes narrowed. Why was he there?
Mathis cleared his throat. “My sovereign Prince Edmund gave me the honor of investigating the attacks against your delegation, and…”
“It’s the Northern Kingdoms, is it not?” the senior Sintiya knight interrupted impatiently.
“If you will permit me?” Mathis raised an eyebrow. The senior Sintiya knight sighed and gestured for him to continue. “I am usually an envoy for my prince, and I have traveled repeatedly to the border in recent times. I have heard many tales of Queen Eleanor, and forgive me for saying so, but they speak of her violence and her cruelty. I know from the battle reports that Sintiya’s forces offer no quarter.”
“What is your question?” the Sintiya knight demanded harshly, sharing a wary glance with one of his comrades.
“I am merely curious as to why Queen Eleanor has been so passive in regards to the recent attacks. I would not presume to know the mind of my prince any more than you would know the mind of your queen, but you would know more tales of Queen Eleanor than I do. Is this out of character for her?” Mathis pressed.
“That is my queen you are speaking about. I will not engage in speculation. Now I would ask you to leave,” the Sintiya knight said angrily. Rather than shouting, he had turned cold.
Mathis dipped his head in response and left. Eleanor made a mental note to promote the knight who had spoken and invisibly followed Mathis out of the barracks. Her palm itched with magic she yearned to hurl at the irritating Kaslea knight. She burned to harm him, but instead she transported herself back to her assigned quarters.
What annoyed her the most about Mathis was that he was right. She would usually have counterattacked by now, and she would have been vicious in her response. However, she had been trying to look nice, to play the victim and gain Prince Edmund’s trust. It was a hard game to play; it was like she was trying to outrun pursuers, trying in vain not to stumble and get caught.
It was not a game she cared to keep playing for much longer. Mathis had found the flaws in her plan, and she was just escaping by the skin of her teeth. She might still ultimately win—her plans had worked enough for that—but winning here was starting to feel like losing. Her heart beat faster as she felt the faint stirrings of panic at how close she had come to discovery.
All she wanted was to be safe, and if her machinations were discovered, she would be anything but safe, and that terrified her. Eleanor sighed. She would contact Yannick again; there was one last job for him at the summit, a small counterattack. After all, if she did nothing in response, then she would look vulnerable, and she couldn’t have that.
Chapter Sixteen
Yannick sniggered to himself. Apart from the minor inconvenience of Prince Edmund’s knight being more suspicious than they had planned for, he thought that the plan was going rather well. In many ways, with his behavior and attitude, Lord Greenford was making this easy, which really rather took all the fun out of it.
However, just as planned, poor beleaguered Prince Edmund didn’t know what to think or who to trust. The Northern Kingdoms were looking aggressive. Eleanor was playing her part perfectly. Despite her reputation, she was coming out of the situation looking innocent—something that he would have thought beyond the queen of Sintiya, but he had clearly taught her well.
He ghosted through Prince Edmund’s palace towards the quarters assigned to Lord Greenford. Eleanor had previously held him back from attacking the Northern Kingdoms; she hadn’t wanted to appear aggressive to Prince Edmund. However, he had been concerned she would look weak, and it seemed he had been proven right, something he would taunt her about in the future.
Although he had to admit it was a delicate game they were playing. There was such a fine line between making Eleanor the victim and making her look weak. That was why she had sent the Gatlan assassin back in pieces to King Oswald. She had to send a message. Otherwise, it was like giving permission for them to try again.
The only way to be safe was to make people too afraid to attack you, out of fear of the consequences. He had taught her that it was a solid strategy never to let things stand. Therefore, the Kaslea knight’s suspicion at Eleanor’s lack of action was understandable; she couldn’t really let the Northern Kingdoms’ aggression go
unanswered. A small counterattack was in order.
Eleanor had been assigned new quarters after her rooms had been trashed and one of her knights found dead. Perhaps it was time to show the Northern Kingdoms that their security was not as airtight as they would like to believe, and make them feel vulnerable for a change.
With a thought, Yannick transported himself inside the quarters assigned to Lord Greenford. There was a giant mirror above the dressing table. Yannick smirked. That was absolutely perfect. With a click of his fingers, he summoned a pot of pigment that he had mixed earlier. It was red, the color of blood; he couldn’t resist the drama of it. He marked two words on the mirror.
‘Your move.’
Lord Greenford should get the message, and let him be puzzled about how it had happened. He was currently sitting opposite Eleanor, so she couldn’t be blamed. Sintiya hadn’t had a pet sorcerer, and nobody thought they needed one, as Eleanor had magic. It was known amongst those working at Eleanor’s castle that a dark sorcerer was working with Eleanor. However, they knew better than to spread tales of their queen. Even if such whispers did reach the ears of other kingdoms, nobody would believe that Eleanor was working with another sorcerer. Such a thing had not happened since the days of the Emperor, which this world had long since tried to forget.
Perhaps the Northern Kingdoms would make the next move for themselves and he wouldn’t have to frame them for anything. It would be interesting to watch. Your move indeed.
*****
It was late in the evening when Eleanor sent a tendril of magic echoing through the palace, searching for its master, the young Prince Edmund. When it came back, she wasn’t surprised to find that he was in the library. In recent days, he had much to think over, and sleep likely wasn’t coming easily. She could empathize with that; she hated sleeping for many reasons.
In the quiet of the night, when she laid her head down, that was when the whispers started in her mind. They were so easy to ignore in the light of day, but logic deserted her at night. Plus, when she was sleeping, she was vulnerable, no matter how many guards she had or how much magic she weaved around her quarters.
Justified (#2 Divided Destiny) Page 16
