"You didn't come here out of the goodness of your heart," a cold voice said. She turned to Emma. She had forgotten the girl was there. She now wondered if that had been deliberate. She kicked herself; such an ability was perfect for a spy, which was what the girl was turning out to be. "You came here as conquerors. You veiled your intentions with the things the Terrans taught you, but you didn't give all, did you? And they helped you kill our mates."
Zara studied the girl. She knew only a little of the girl's motivation. She had heard from Agnes that her parents were dead. There had been something about a betrothed. "What are you in this? Did you lose a brother? Father? Betrothed?"
She noted the last hit home.
"What do you care?" Emma asked bitterly.
"I care," Zara replied. She lifted her chin. "I care a great deal. I cared about my little brother Balthizar who was killed watching my sister and I be gang raped by your soldiers," she said, voicing rising in anger and passion. The woman's eyes flared in shocked surprise. "But, I survived, thanks to the Terrans," she said. She slowly turned her head to look out the window. Now that the woman had revealed herself as an enemy, she had no intention of fully turning her back on her though. She watched her out of the corner of her eye.
"I survived—broken, battered, my honor destroyed. But I survived. So did other women. Some were not so lucky," she said softly.
"That … doesn't matter," the woman said in a strangled voice.
"Doesn't it?" Zara asked, turning back to her. "Despite that, despite seeing your people raid mine, seeing them burn villages, slaughter our people, I came here . I didn't want to, but I'm here. Despite your people trying to kill me on the road here, I am here. Despite the vengeance some said I should have, I put that aside for the sake of my duty to the people. I came bearing gifts to help your people. I came after my sister released your people after patching their wounds and feeding them. I came to change the course of destiny for both of my people. But, more importantly, I came to help ," she said, lifting her chin. "Can you say the same?"
The woman stared at her and then looked away.
"Yeah, that's what I thought," Zara said ever so softly.
~~~^~~~
Augustus looked to the others chained to the walls. Even in his worst day he had never imagined what had unfolded. He hissed in pain as he tried to get comfortable. He had no idea why he was alive; he had injuries including a shot to his arm. Yet, here he was.
Here he was, but so were others. Not many, he had collected some of the stories. They had even tried to watch the speech from the small window. Tried and failed, none could reach it with their chains. But one of the jailers had given them a gloating blow by blow, even describing the princess.
That told them that she was alive and a hostage as well.
Two of the prisoners had taken basic first aid classes. They tried to keep the wounds clean. They tried to huddle together for warmth against the biting cold. Occasionally, they were given rags or dirty straw for bedding and scraps of food. Water had been dumped on them.
He had no idea how long they'd last in those conditions. Surely not through the long hiems . He wasn't sure if he wished they could. He dearly wanted to see the rebels receive Imperial justice.
~~~^~~~
Scouts confirmed that the lordling convoy was coming up the southern road. Rasmussen and Fenton speculated that along with the group of unwanted second sons and daughters there were supplies, medicus, and possibly weapons and tech smiths. It was imperative that they take the convoy alive and intact without suffering casualties or inflicting them.
They turned to a hungover Olaf. Percival wanted to meet them in an ambush but the drott waved that down. “First, there are no more woodland between them and the capital. Second, their weapons are more effective out in the open, or had you forgotten that?” Olaf asked scathingly.
The knight nodded.
“No, they know not that we have taken the castle and capital. Let them come in, and we'll take them.
“And if they turn back? If those who escaped meet them and warn them?”
“Make sure they do not,” Olaf said firmly.
~~~^~~~
"So, now what?" Eudoxia demanded. Tacitus and Agnes were both injured but alive. Some of their other party were not faring well. So far, the handful of Imperials had managed to stay one step ahead of the mob. They'd only managed to stay free by shooting their way out and staying one step ahead of their chasers.
“We can't rescue her and take back the capital. We don't have the manpower or weapons,” Tycho said with a reluctant shake of his head. He could see the medicus nod. If anyone could understand triage it was her. He'd only had the two classes on it but she seemed to get it.
He was pretty sure that they were being pushed out of the capital and into the country to make it easier to be hunted. They couldn't get far; winter was fast approaching. And they weren't making friends, far from it. He was keenly aware that the people they left behind would no doubt report them the moment they were out of sight.
But he refused to kill them. They might be informants but many had children.
"Well, let's look at the situation objectively," the legatus stated, looking around the group. "We're outnumbered, in enemy territory, our weapons are wet, and our rounds are nearly depleted. We're cold, hungry, and pissed."
Tacitus snorted from his position on a cot near them. The others did so as well.
"I'd say that about sums it up effectively," Eudoxia said, looking at him. "Now, what do we do about it?"
"Well, the good part of all that is we're pissed. And they are scared of us. It'd be terminally stupid to try to mount some sort of suicidal rescue plan. Sure we can get in, but get out?" He shook his head. “That's what they want. And I'm done catering to what they want.”
A few people growled in agreement over that statement.
"They'd have the advantage in numbers, and they'd have melee weapons. Our rifles are best at range. We've learned that the hard way," he said. He took his pistol out and checked it. He was down to three rounds left. He wished Max had gotten the king to make the cartridges they fired universal between the rifles and pistols. But they hadn't.
That sucked.
"Exactly. So, we need to think. Fight smart," Tacitus said, and then gasped as he tried to inhale too deeply. Eudoxia checked him and admonished him to lie still.
"Do we run for the border?" a miles asked.
"A part of me wants to," Tycho said to break the ensuing silence. "But they'll put the bulk of their people in that direction and the rest will chase us to drive us south into their arms. They'll expect it."
"Right. So, we need another option. I'm not keen about abandoning the princess or our people," Agnes said firmly.
The legatus gave the woman a searching look and then nodded. "I'm not either. So, what now?"
"Damned if I know," she muttered.
Tacitus snorted. "Right back where we started."
“Not quite. They are looking for us as a group. But we do need to get the word out.”
“Can we get to the convoy coming in?” Agnes asked.
“What convoy?” a miles demanded hopefully.
“A convoy of second sons,” Tacitus stated. “Minimum guard, no supplies, no one from the capital. They came on their own.”
“Oh. Crap.”
“Yeah, I know,” the legatus said. He went over to a window frame and leaned his forearm against it. He stared out bleakly before he shook his head. “We can't get to them. We're on the wrong side of the capital.”
“That sucks,” Agnes murmured. “So, what about getting to someone friendly?”
“I don't even know where to start,” Tycho said.
“There is one other thing. You mentioned the Duluthians looking for us as a group?” Tacitus said then gasped slightly as Eudoxia tried to get him to cease and desist. “I need to help!” he snarled.
“You can help by getting well. But, to answer you, yes. We have one other goal,”
Tycho said. The others looked at him. “The Imperium must be warned.”
Grimly heads nodded around the room.
Chapter 29
Drott Olaf made a point of finally confronting the Imperial princess once order had been partially restored. He took the steps up to her tower heavily. When he got to the ironwood door guarded by two loyalists of Percival, he knocked.
He entered when she answered. Once inside he closed the door behind him and surveyed her room and then tucked his thick thumbs in his broad belt. "Ye been cared for?"
"To some degree, yes," she said, surprised that he'd come to her rather than send for her. "I am surprised by this of course," she said sarcastically.
"That was the point," he said with a glimmer of amusement.
"You did this on purpose, to what end? All to make a point?" she shook her head. "The lives lost …," she pinched the bridge of her nose.
"You left us no choice. Tis our kingdom, we be takin it back," he said, voice thick and heavy.
Zara cocked her head. "What would you have me do?"
"Faced me!" He snarled.
"Ah? I was told you do not care for me or my people," she said mildly.
He looked away for a moment, then growled something under his breath along the lines of that were true.
"It was said you would spit in my eye and cut my heart out if you could. So, if I let you try, I'd be a fool."
He turned back to her, now curious. "Nay, for it would have identified me as an enemy and you would have shown bravery in facing me."
"Me?" Zara laughed, startling him. "I would have had the guard at my back," she said with a wave of her hand. "A woman facing one man down with her guardsman all around her is not brave," she said, looking him in the eyes. "Swallowing your pride, doing what is best for the people, aye, that's brave."
He tried to hold the look but failed. "Ye still couldn't face me."
"Right. So, let's look into that," she said mildly, lifting a hand and then letting it fall gently. He stared at her and how she was acting as if it was a normal situation. It unnerved her. "Had I let you spite me and try to kill me, and then let you go, that would have made me look weak and like a fool. Had I beaten you or had you killed, I would have looked harsh and would have turned you into a martyr," she said.
His jaw worked.
She looked at him and realized that had been what he'd wanted. "And that is what you wanted all along," she murmured.
"Nay!"
"No, now I see it. Your family tried to protect you from yourself. I heard the story. And you sent them away for it. They knew the war was lost and didn't want to lose you too." Zara nodded. "Ah. And then we come to me. I had heard stories of you and wanted to not lose you as an asset to the kingdom. And yet here we are."
"Ye think rather highly of yourself," he sneered.
"No, I know I am dead," she said with a shrug. He looked at her. "I've suffered at the hands of your people's mercy before," she said tightly. His eyes widened. "What, you think I wanted to come here? After my sister and I were caught, our retinue slaughtered, my little brother beaten and killed, the two of us gang raped?"
He stared and licked his lips. Not even in his worst day had he wanted that for his daughter or granddaughter or others. But he knew what evil lurked in the hearts of men, especially those at war.
"And yet you came anyway," he said, seemingly in wonder as to why.
"And yes I came anyway," she echoed, voice cold. "I came, and I tempered my anger. I saw through it. I saw people who needed help . The Terrans taught me that. Despite my anger, I did what I could to help," she said, eyeing him. "I could have taken that anger out on your people, but I set my pride aside for the good of the people. Can you say you did the same?"
She waved a hand to the narrow window she had. They could both see that half of the capital was dark. People had been leaving to get out of the line of fire. Where they could go in the winter was unknown.
He stared at her and then looked away, jaw working. "None shall touch you as long as I command here; you have my word on the life of my wife, daughter, and granddaughter," he ground out. "If any do, let me know and I'll castrate them myself," he said and then turned with a whirl of his cloak.
She shook her head and then blindly sat backwards, almost falling onto the edge of her bed as her body sagged in relief.
~~~^~~~
Dozens of people had fled the capital. A few returned but not many. The snowstorms killed some of the others.
Those that remained were at first happy about the change in leadership, then discontent over the damage. That discontent festered and grew as the coup leaders began to send their people around the capital to raise funds. They started by taxing those who supported the Imperials. They seized the goods and funds for the good of the people.
Gunnar, the cheese maker, was singled out and his dairy farm attacked. He was dragged out and huddled with his wife and daughter as they were stripped of everything of value. His wife and daughter were beaten with him. Stephan announced that they had lost their property and were to be driven out of the capital with the clothes on their backs. He ordered some of the mob to cut switches and give chase to hasten them on their journey.
Gunnar and his family limped out as quickly as they could.
The cheese and their belongings were given to the castle and supporters. “We'll feast well tonight!” a militia soldier said, holding up a wheel of cheese the size of his hand over his head. Another pulled a cow out of a barn and grinned. “Meat too!” he said, using an ax to kill the animal.
~~~^~~~
Stephan became a self-appointed general and leader of the capital militia. He turned a blind eye as some of their supporters attacked rusticus to settle old scores. The mobs ran through the streets carrying weapons and breaking down the occasional door. They beat or killed the people within and then looted the home. The screams inside told their neighbors of unspeakable things going on inside. Instead of rushing to help, they hid with their children, hoping and praying that the mob wouldn't come for them next.
Officially, the mob was supposed to turn over their ill-gotten gains to the castle. It was clear though that many kept a pretty large percentage for themselves. They learned to be careful about burning the buildings after one fire spread to another home nearby.
A lot of people had turned out to shovel snow onto the fire and their own buildings while also watching as the fire department used a small Terran pump and hoses to put the fire out.
Stephan was surprised by the resentment some people muttered over the damage he and his supporters were causing. He moved to squash it hard and fast.
~~~^~~~
Domina Rasmussen picked up on the muttering as well as the violence begetting more anger and then more violence. The juxtaposition of Terrans and the Imperials trying to help people while her people destroying things and harming the rusticus and their civilization was not lost on her.
Patriotism had gotten them that far, but her spies were already reporting conversations between people as they compared what the Imperials had done with Stephan. They were looking at the Imperials with fondness and Stephan's reign of terror with contempt and growing anger.
She needed to get the political perception turned around quickly. She also needed to rein the so-called general in before he burned the entire capital down around their ears.
She got her people to push the message of patriotism out, of returning Duluth to native hands. That they needed to sacrifice a little in order to protect their freedom.
She became angry and then resigned when she heard that one of their two captured smiths had died of his wounds. The other's health was failing. A search of the castle led them to the body of the castle medicus. She ordered a work party to clear the bodies. The Terrans were right, leaving bodies around invited disease.
She was even more unhappy later when she saw the body on the ice in the moat. She barked for the soldiers to get his body and bury it properly.
The
loss of the castle medicus made her look for others. In order to preserve their last smith, not to mention treat their own people, they needed medicus. But no matter how much she searched, her people couldn't find any of the Imperial ones. And the native ones had suffered at the hands of Stephan's mob. The few medicus that did turn up had refused to listen to Eudoxia and her classes.
She wanted to despair but instead put them to work treating her own people as well as the remaining smith.
~~~^~~~
Siegfried felt himself trapped in the moment with the others. He had no true leadership; part of that was due to his age and another to his time with the princess. But he was alive and free. He was not in chains or worse, dead.
Hostage Rescue (Princess Rescue Inc Book 2) Page 39
