Errant

by Armas, Florian

  “I sent you the very best,” Cantemir read the letter. “Just help them to find … Cantemir.” His voice wobbled before reading his name in the death warrant. “Signed, Duke Stefan.” There was no need for a signature to convince Cantemir, the letter carried the ducal seal. Disconcerted, he folded the paper, and tried to put it in his cabinet.

  “If you don’t mind,” I pointed to the letter. “I needed it for another trade.” The letter could be a perfect tool of pressure against the Duke.

  “You mean to deal with the Duke?”

  “I am too small for such a trade, but it could open some doors. Don’t worry, you are still my preferred trader,” I smiled. “It seems that I have something in common with the Duke. We both have the necessary skills to recognize quality,” I pointed to Cantemir.

  He shrugged, apparently unimpressed by my words, and went to the map. His finger tapped first over the ducal area, then over Mohor’s land, sliding slowly to Mehadia and further to Arad, his reaction eerily similar to Mohor’s in the last council. “Mehadin is an idiot, and you are right, we can have Mehadia almost for free. And the Devans,” he stared again at the map, without seeing my amused reaction. “The Devans might see some things differently from now on. A bit earlier than I was planning.”

  “You need to maintain good relations with the Devans,” I pushed him in the right direction.

  “Don’t worry, we will cancel their alliance with Mohor,” he assured me.

  “It should not be difficult. Devan’s son and Orban’s daughter,” I suggested, looking uninterested, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

  “That or Orban’s son and Jara’s daughter,” he said thoughtfully, and I reacted nervously, moving a step back. Still looking at the map, he observed nothing. “In fact, this would be our first choice. Devan will take Mohor’s betrayal hard, and fall in our arms.”

  “How… How will you convince Mohor?” I asked, trying hard to speak normally.

  “Surprised eh?” he mused, not understanding the real reason behind my inner struggle. “The marriage request will come in a package with our army at his borders and the approval for him to take Mehadin’s lands. And if Mohor fails to win or stays home because he is too weak, we take Severin instead of Mehadia. As you know, our soldiers can fight under Mehadin’s banner. If the stars align well, we might be able take both Mehadia and Severin. We need a kind of disaster to destroy both of them. It may happen.” Without knowing it, he put even more pressure on me. “I planned the war to take Severin for next spring, before their alliance would be fully formed, but Fate wants it this year. It may be better timing if Mehadin falls.”

  Fate and me… You are less prepared now, and I have a short window in which to act. “You must be careful of Duke Stefan’s reaction,” I tried to restrain his drive for Severin.

  “Some negotiations will start soon with the Duke; he might change his mind until spring.”

  “Mohor is not stupid, he would know that the marriage request is fiction,” I risked going back to Saliné; the war was already a certitude. “Orban’s son is of too high a rank for such thing. The bride has no land and cities.”

  “Of course Mohor is not stupid, but I don’t think he will dare to refuse,” Cantemir smiled without looking at me. “While we can stop the marriage at any time. And we will.”

  “It may help with the current events if you retreat the army from Severin’s border,” I said unsure if it was the right step, but I needed to try.

  “I will think about it,” Cantemir said in a neutral tone that I knew well, he had no intention to recall the army. “What are you doing now?” he abruptly changed the subject, probably thinking that we had gone too far, staring away as if his mind was split in two. At times, I was convinced that he was not happy to work for Orban, but it was too early for such talk; yet my mind was working on it, thinking that some things might change in the future, if properly handled.

  If I have enough time... “Protecting a fresh widow on her long way home,” I lied; it came into my mind from already receiving such a request that I had to refuse.

  “Tedious work.”

  “She is a good looking twenty-year-old and her husband was almost sixty.”

  “That changes the perspective,” he smirked.

  “My thoughts exactly.”

  I went out with the idea that Cantemir had chosen to hide some of his intentions related to Severin from me. And even worse, I had the feeling that he could attack Severin before extracting Duke Stefan’s neutrality. From Panait I knew that both Dukes in the north sent embassies in Arad the week before, something I could not use in my talk with Cantemir for fearing of endangering Panait. The war for which I was a parent too, became a wild animal with a life of its own.

  On the road back to Severin, I turned and turned on his words about the marriage Cantemir planned for Saliné, and decided that while not the perfect solution, it would stop the one planned with Devan. Saliné will be even more desperate… At least young Devan was a decent person and not the son of her father’s murderer. But this time, I can tell her some things about my plans, and maybe I can force Jara’s hand to let us meet from time to time. Orban will cancel the marriage contract for sure, I encouraged myself. You never know...

  Chapter 20 - Jara

  I thought that Saliné would recover after Codrin left for Arad. It did not happen; she was still sleepless and cried throughout the night. Her beautiful eyes were now sunken and dark, and her smile deserted her lips. She never cried in front of me, but her eyes told many things. Talking solved nothing; I received only short, bland answers each time I tried – it was like reopening a deep wound. From the moment of her engagement she was no longer the girl she had been, yet she was able to keep her composure. Some mornings, her eyes were red and tired and I knew that she had dreamt of Codrin. It was her spirit of duty and the sense of self-sacrifice for the family that kept her going. That moment of closeness with Codrin had changed everything. His gentle touch shattered the armor she had built for herself, leaving her naked against a future that we forced on her from lack of better choices, a glimpse of happiness that would never be hers.

  I have to send Codrin away for a while… The campaign will take two months. If everything goes well, we will give him a position in our new land, to keep him away and busy until the wedding. He will not be happy… He is already upset by my words. And the land we gave him… The reward for his win against Mehadin was small by necessity, not that we could not afford to give more, just a way to delay his road to Knighthood until after Saliné’s marriage.

  Stubbornly, I tried each day to reach Saliné until I found her with Bucur in the library, late in the evening; I was already scared for not knowing where she was. It was the fourth day after his arrival from the embassy. She followed me without a word.

  “I thought we had a deal for the evenings,” I reminded her that she was no longer allowed to stay alone with him so late, after we entered her room.

  “I need to do something,” she said, perturbed.

  “You could at least inform me,” I stepped back from the interdiction, she was too troubled.

  “I am sorry.”

  “Saliné,” I took her in my arms. “Do you think it will help?”

  “Yes, he keeps me occupied. It feels so bad,” she started to cry for the first time in my presence. “Day and night, I am just thinking...” She did not finish, but it was clear that she was thinking of Codrin. “And I have to marry Devan. I wish to be free to...” Her voice broke again, and I caressed her hair, trying to calm her. “Don’t worry,” she said, after a while. “I know what is at stake, and I will do it.”

  Things seemed to go better, and I let them to spend the evenings together; in fact, she was splitting her time just between Vio and Bucur. Never all three together, Vio disliked Bucur too much, and I could understand her. She was no longer a small child, and I found many things about her similar to Saliné at the same age, but there were differences too; Vio was more d
irect and sometimes unpredictable.

  Four days later, Saliné came to me, troubled again. “Bucur told me that my marriage with Devan will be cancelled.”

  “That’s not true, and I will have a word with him. He is as big mouthed as his father.”

  “Codrin informed you,” she insisted. “And he said nothing to me.”

  “Saliné, look at me.” I pushed her chin up, raising her head. “We have a contract and no information about any cancellation. Neither has Codrin. If it were true, you would have been the first one to know, from him. Don’t you think?” I asked, staring at her, and she nodded, half-convinced. What’s happening to you? I was annoyed the she could fall so easy into Bucur’s trap. “As with any other contract, things may happen until it is fulfilled. Don’t you see what Bucur is trying to do?”

  “It was not a simple slip from him, they are planning something, but I want to know if Codrin told you things about my marriage that I don’t know.”

  “Codrin told us that we may have problems with Orban because of your marriage, and we now have a war,” I half lied to her.

  “He told you more,” she said, with conviction. “And I am ashamed, but some pain went away when I learned that Codrin kept such important things hidden from me.” She turned abruptly and went to her room. Thinking that her reaction might help in distancing her from Codrin, I did not open the subject again.

  “Aron has requested to lead the army,” Mohor said to me a day later, as if I did not have enough problems.

  One day, one problem…

  “He wants to redeem himself for the lost battle. He thinks that it was just an accident.”

  “And what do you think?” I asked nervously.

  “He may be right,” he shrugged. “I am caught in the middle. Codrin proved himself, and Aron deserves a second chance. We need to find a solution until Codrin comes back.”

  “And ‘we’ means that I have to prepare Codrin for Big Mouth’s redemption,” I said, acidly.

  “It means that we need to find a solution, nothing else.”

  “I don’t see anyone other than Codrin leading the army. Big Mouth can have his chance later. Mohor, we can’t afford to lose.”

  “Yes, we can’t afford to lose,” he repeated blandly, and I realized that indeed he was caught in a bad position, just that I did not share it with him; for me, things were clear.

  Codrin returned a day later, and I saw that Mohor was nervous, still unable to decide.

  “Mohor, every soldier out there,” I pointed through the window of the council room to the field in front of the castle where our army was settled, “knows that Codrin will lead them. No one wants Aron. They lost once with him, and he ran from the battle like a coward. Some will desert again if you change the commander now.” Waiting for Codrin, we decided that the first meeting would be just with us. Father would join us later; a courier was already on the road to bring him here.

  “How can we have both of them?” he asked, exasperated by his own indecision.

  “We can’t. They will reject even a formal subordination.”

  “The subordination already exists. Aron is our Spatar. Even if Codrin commands the army, he is subordinate to Aron.”

  “Codrin will not accept, and we need him now. Keep the coward at home,” I snapped.

  “We need an army, too,” Mohor said, nervously, and I stared at him without understanding. “Some of our Knights agreed that Aron should lead the army. The soldiers may think differently, but it will be the Knights who decide. Aron has more influence than I thought. I trust him,” he added, hastily. “We need some changes, but it will take time.”

  Mohor is afraid. He does not have full control over the Seigneury. We don’t have… How could I be so blind?

  Codrin entered at that moment, together with father, who by chance came earlier than expected, ending a discussion suddenly more important than it looked in the beginning.

  “Well?” Mohor asked when everybody was seated, with an encouraging smile spread on his lips, as if his worries had just vanished in thin air.

  I must learn to read Mohor better.

  Not ready to answer, Codrin stayed silent for a while, giving me the impression that his news was not so good, or at least things were more complicated than we thought, and he was trying to deliver them embellished in some diplomatic cover. I stared at him, and decided that it was more on the complications side than bad things. Maybe… I sighed, and my involuntary reaction finally made him speak.

  “Things are moving in Arad,” Codrin said slowly, looking away, as if trying to avoid us. “Mehadin defeat came at the wrong time and changed some plans, but nobody can guarantee the direction right now. Things at their northern border are complicated to a certain extent that can’t give us full assurances. As with any tool, Mehadin may be discarded when his usefulness comes to an end. Mehadia’s strategic position became a shifting point in their plans.”

  “So now they are considering taking Mehadia,” Mohor interrupted him with an unexpected degree of impatience.

  “Orban needs both Mehadia and Severin to become a Duke. It’s just that now he sees an opportunity to take it faster and without much effort, before attacking Severin. You have only one chance: to destroy Mehadin before Orban makes his mind.” Codrin stopped, and there was a sudden silence in the room, everybody trying to assess the consequences. “Orban hopes to obtain a free hand in the south through negotiations with Duke Stefan,” he added a new piece in a fragmented puzzle still hiding many things from us. The political landscape was now even more complicated and dangerous, and I asked myself if the Circle was not involved in Orban’s negotiations with Duke Stefan – Cantemir was one of the Sages.

  “How can Orban reciprocate for such a favor?” father asked thoughtfully; the Duke always helped us discreetly.

  “I don’t know,” Codrin shrugged. “Maybe he is now strong enough to play between the two Dukes. Last week, both of them sent an embassy to Arad. Your only chance is to destroy Mehadin before Orban convinces Duke Stefan,” he repeated. “The negotiations are expected to start soon.”

  “Would Orban accept a mutual solution over Mehadin’s land?” Mohor asked again.

  “From the military conditions on his northern border that would be the most practical way to settle everything now, but you never know with Orban. He will help Mehadin again with soldiers, but he might attack you even before having an agreement with Duke Stefan. Any sign of weakness from your side will speed up his attack.”

  “Why would Orban send soldiers to help Mehadin if he wants Mehadia?” father interjected.

  “To weaken you.”

  “How much does he want to weaken us right now?” father asked again, of all of us he had the best strategic mind, and it was comforting to know how far he was calculating everything.

  I also realized that Codrin was now more than the young warrior I knew. There was a new political depth in him, hidden to me until that moment. I hope Mohor realizes Codrin’s value too. If not, I must open his eyes.

  “If you and Mehadin destroy each other…” Codrin did not continue, but everything was now clear, two weakened Seigneurs would allow Orban to grab Severin too, without much complication coming from Duke Stefan – technically, the war was not started by Orban, and when things are done swiftly there is not enough time to react. “You must keep those hundred and fifty old soldiers here while we are away.”

  For the moment, there were no more questions, and I had the impression that Codrin wanted to leave, but his stance told me there was more bad news not yet delivered to us.

  “What about our wedding with Devan?” I asked softly, without naming Saliné, knowing that my question would hurt him. “Will Orban still try to stop it?” My question was not directly related to the war around us, but gifting Mehadia to Orban could become an issue for our alliance, and the wedding was the only way to still keep things in place.

  “Yes,” he said, dryly.

  “What will they do?” I forced mys
elf to ask again.

  “Nobody knows for sure.”

  There was a veiled hostility in his voice, telling me that he knew more. What are you hiding? I stared at him, trying to read the worry in his eyes. Is Saliné in danger? Orban would not dare to kill her, she is marked by the Circle. No, Codrin would react differently… It must be something else. Unsure what to do, I decided to ask later, when alone with him. “Thank you, Codrin,” I said; covering his hand with mine. “We know now much more than before.” As in the past, his thumb slid slowly over my fingers, back and forth, underlining a bond that had many ups and downs, but was always there. Like in any family; I smiled at him, amused than no one would understand the real meaning of my reaction, not even Codrin.

  Three days later, in the morning, I went to see for myself how the preparations were going. Our force was still far from the standard of Malin’s army, but things were improving, Codrin seemed to know what he was doing. Father confirmed the same impression, and it was not just about Codrin’s qualities, but about methods and knowledge too. His experience in managing an army made me think again that Codrin’s social position was higher than we recognized – he had never revealed to us his family name or status; just that he was noble born. There was also the first assessment of the mercenaries we hired and arrived in the evening before, five days later than agreed, but I never saw a war going fully as planned. I went back with Codrin in good mood, for lunch, thinking that maybe it was the right time to ask about Orban’s plans to stop the wedding, and entered the hall at the same time that Saliné and Bucur came out of the library. Bucur had a hand on Saliné’s shoulder as if to guide her, and I fought hard to hide my surprise. They kept walking like this, and we intersected in the narrow corridor.