A War for Truth

by M. Lynn

  “Aye, your Majesty. I have a couple of men that can handle a bow with decency.”

  Trystan’s gaze swept the courtyard. “Good. Get them in position. One atop the stables and one in the guard tower. Rissa, replace that rusted piece of junk in your hand with your own bow and take a position on the top balcony of the manor. You’ll be of more use doing what you do best.”

  He recognized the stubborn look that crossed her face, so he added, “That’s an order,” even as he prayed silently, Don’t argue with me, Ri. Now is not the time.

  The prayer seemed to work. Even as her brows cinched together in a scowl, and he knew every bone in her body was screaming to disagree with his order, Rissa gave a shrug of resignation and hurried off to take up position. Trystan let out a quiet sigh of relief as he watched her go. At least she would be out of immediate danger.

  “Alixa, go with…”

  “Don’t even suggest it,” Alixa growled at Trystan as she flicked her cloak and grabbed the base of her own sword. As if suddenly realizing her insolence in front of the others, she bowed her in head in deference and added, “My place is by your side, your Majesty.”

  “Are you certain?” Trystan asked, his words low and meant for her ears only. “It won’t be easy facing your father.”

  Alixa gave a noncommittal shrug, but Trystan detected determination in her eyes along with fear. He stepped toward her, to give reassurance, but Edric beat him too it as he placed his hand over Alixa’s on the sword.

  “I’ll be by your side as well, my lady. I’ll watch your back.”

  Trystan stepped back, swallowing his irritation and averting his eyes from the entwined hands as the young guard ran up to him with his sword. Trystan didn’t bother to strap the sheath around his waist. Instead, he pulled the blade and tossed the sheath aside as a resounding volley of thumps on the wooden gates informed them of their enemy’s lack of patience. Eisner’s voice filled the air once more.

  “Lady Yaro, this is your last warning. I am a man of honor but even I only have so much patience. Open the gate and allow us in and no one will get hurt. I wish to speak with Trystan Renauld, and I know very well you are hiding him, along with my traitorous daughter.”

  Alixa could no longer hide her fear. Her terrified gaze collided with Trystan’s and even from a distance, he could see the effort it was taking for her to keep herself together.

  “Alixa,” he began, but she squared her shoulders and waved a dismissive hand his way.

  “I’m okay,” she said through clenched teeth. “There’s nothing else he can do to hurt me. It’s good he knows I’m here. I need to do this. I want to face him… and hopefully watch him die.”

  Trystan fumbled for an appropriate response, but none was forthcoming. It was hard for him to grasp the hatred she harbored for her father when he had loved his so much. Instead, he met her gaze with a deep, calming breath.

  “Okay. If you’re sure. Let them in. Let’s hear what he has to say.”

  “I hope you know what you’re doing,” Lady Yaro whispered as she shouted the command, “Open the gate!”

  The young guards standing at both sides of the massive wooden doors started in terror at the command, but still they did as told. Silence fell over the courtyard as the heavy bolts were pulled back and dropped, the metal clang echoing in the quiet. Trystan swallowed the lump of dread in his throat and took a deep breath as the gates groaned in protest, like they didn’t want to admit entrance to whoever was waiting on the other side. He drummed his fingers along the sword’s hilt and planted his feet, expecting any moment for Eisner’s army to break their way through and attack.

  His dread was unnecessary. Instead, the waiting mob on the other side stayed rooted in place. Even as the opening grew allowing the army easy access, no one made a move. The only movement was from Eisner himself, as the squat man ambled casually into the courtyard, a smile on his face and a hint of laughter in his voice.

  “Finally. It was extremely rude to keep us waiting so long.” His eyes skimmed the small crowd waiting in the courtyard, stopping on Alixa. “Hello, daughter. Don’t you at least have a hug for your dear father?”

  “What do you want here?” Alixa snarled, showing much more teeth than necessary.

  “I see your manners, or lack of, haven’t improved any since we last saw each other. Can’t say that surprises me much.” His eyes flitted from his daughter to Lady Yaro. “Ah, Mistress Dona. You look well. So much better than you did when we last met. When was that again? Oh yes. When I killed your traitorous husband.”

  “Trust me, Eisner, I haven’t forgotten a moment of our last meeting.” Lady Yaro’s expression remained unruffled even as her cheeks flushed bright with anger. “It’s all I think of these days. You’d be wise to remember no one escapes the consequences of their actions.”

  Eisner’s laughter grated along Trystan’s spine and curdled his gut.

  “Why if I didn’t know better, dear lady, I’d say that was a threat.” Eisner’s laughter stopped abruptly as he narrowed his black eyes. “Are you threatening me?”

  “Take from it what you will,” Lady Yaro replied.

  “So be it. I take it as the ramblings of a soured, old woman whose husband was stupid enough to put his faith in the wrong man and earned himself a traitor’s death.”

  “My husband was no traitor. He was loyal to one king and one king only. Marcus Renauld, his friend and rightful king.”

  Eisner barked more laughter. He truly seemed to be enjoying himself.

  “And please tell me. What did Yaro’s loyalty to Renauld earn him? Death. And a painful one at that. You think you would have learned a lesson from that, Dona. But no. Instead, I find out from an intercepted messenger boy that you not only still serve the Renaulds, but you’ve given them sanctuary in your home along with this treacherous little witch,” he motioned to Alixa.

  “Enough,” Trystan growled as he stepped forward and raised his sword, pointing it Eisner’s way. “We all know who the traitor is here, there’s no need to argue the truth. Why are you here, Eisner? I know you’re aware of my father’s murder. Have you come here to gloat about having a hand in my father’s death?”

  The swarthy, little man appeared truly surprised. “You think I had a hand in Renauld’s murder? Oh no. I wish. I mean, it would have been an honor to knock that pompous airbag off his pedestal. But sadly, that honor did not go to me. Calis had another do that for him. You should know by now that his people are everywhere.” He enhanced his comment by wiggling his stubby fingers into the air.

  “Then why are you here, you turncoat piece of crap? And speak true or else I’ll cut your blasphemous tongue from your mouth.” Trystan ignored the little voice in his head telling him to stay calm and instead allowed the anger to take control.

  “Oh my, brave words, boy, for someone far outnumbered.” Eisner laughed again as he rocked back on his heels. “I didn’t think you had that sort of gall. I always thought you a cowardly idiot. A pretty boy, soft little prince too scared to get his hands dirty.”

  “How dare you speak to King Trystan that way.” Avery’s voice filled with fury as she drew her sword and aimed it toward Eisner. In retaliation, Eisner’s soldiers drew their own swords in unison, rushing to his aid. Trystan stopped the sword master in her tracks with a restraining hand on her forearm.

  “Avery, no.”

  “Don’t stop her, boy. Please, let your rabid dog loose. My soldiers are getting bored just standing here.” Eisner stared at Avery in distaste. “You’re as stupid as you are big. King Trystan, indeed. This silly boy is not king. That title has already been claimed.”

  Trystan tried hard to cover his confusion, but Eisner noticed and cawed in laughter again.

  “Oh my. You don’t even know, do you? Well, I suppose not since I’ve had every messenger on the roads killed of late. Let me fill you in on the news. While you’ve all been hiding out here, licking your wounds and crying over your father’s death, someone else has claimed
the title. Marcus Renauld’s body wasn’t even cold when his brother Drake crowned himself king. There is no throne waiting for you, boy. Only a cold dark prison. I’m here to take you all to Calis.”

  Chapter 6

  Rissa wasn’t sure if she believed her own ears. Did that hateful little man just announce that Drake had claimed himself king? Their uncle wouldn’t do such a dishonorable thing… would he? Of course, he would. Rissa’s lips thinned to a grim line as she answered her own question. Drake was a slimy snake, always undermining their father’s decisions and hating having to follow his orders. Anyone with half a brain could see how much Drake resented his brother and his title. Everyone but her father. No matter how disrespectful Lord Drake was, Marcus always overlooked it. He’s family, was his answer to everything his brother did wrong. She’d overlooked a lot of Drake’s faults at her father’s request. He had trusted way too easily. And look where it had gotten him.

  Shaking her head, she trained her bow on Eisner directly below her and squinted her eye. She could take him out. Right now. What was Trystan waiting for? Give her the signal and Eisner was a dead man. His soldiers as well. Didn’t matter they were outnumbered. She’d take pleasure in killing them all. They’d already chosen their path. They deserved no mercy.

  “You truly believe you can take us to Calis without a fight?” Rissa heard the steel in her brother’s voice and a tiny smile lifted the corner of her lips. Now we’re getting somewhere. Maybe Trystan did have some fight left in him after all. She had begun to believe otherwise since Davi’s death. No. Not going there. Not now. The enemy below was the focus right now.

  Dammit, Trystan. Enough with the talking already.

  “Oh, dear me, no.” Eisner’s voice settled over her with an oiliness that she could practically feel on her skin. “I’m hoping for a fight, to be honest. Like I said, my men here are getting bored. But take you to Calis I will, one way or another. King Calis always gets his way. You should know that by now. Before we commence, however, I must ask you to order your archers to step down.”

  “I have no archers,” Trystan growled, but Eisner responded by clucking his tongue and pointing a finger toward the younger man.

  “Please, don’t bother to lie. You have archers trained on us as we speak. One of them your sister, no doubt, since I don’t see her around. I’ve studied you all on my visits to the palace. The girl is more than adequate with a bow and arrow. Princess, please come out and join us. I’d feel much better knowing you weren’t planning to shoot me in the head.”

  “Ri, stay where you are,” Trystan ordered over his shoulder, not taking his eyes off Eisner. He really didn’t need to say so. Rissa had no plans to do otherwise. She leveled her bow on her forearm once more and caught Eisner in the crosshairs.

  “Anytime now, brother,” she whispered.

  “I wouldn’t say that if I were you, Prince Trystan. For you see, I didn’t come without a backup plan. Bring her to me.”

  Rissa lowered the bow once more and watched in puzzlement as a guard made his way through the throng from outside the gate. He dragged a girl behind him. With no regard to the cold, the girl was dressed in nothing but rags, her blonde hair hung loose and wild about her shoulders and one side of her face was swollen and bruised. She stumbled to a stop next to Eisner, her hands tied in front of her, as the soldier yanked her head back and settled a knife at her throat. Rissa had no idea who it was until Alixa’s cry of “Ella” pierced the air.

  Ella? Rissa pulled the name from her memory. This was Alixa’s maid and Edric’s sister? But she was supposed to be dead.

  “Release her,” Edric’s tortured voice elicited a small whimper from the girl.

  “Now why would I do that? After I gave you two ingrates a home and fed you as well as my family, you both turned around and helped this treacherous little wasp run straight to Marcus Renauld with news of my loyalty to King Calis. Calis was not happy with that breach. My rations suffered greatly because of the three of you. I was punished. Withheld my rightful share and no wine. Do you know how much I love wine?”

  “What have you done to her?”

  Rissa almost didn’t recognize Alixa’s voice, it was so ragged and strained. It didn’t seem right to hear the usually snarky Alixa sound so broken.

  Eisner spread his hands wide in fake innocence. “Me? I’ve done nothing. You caused this, my dear. All of it. Ella’s suffering falls entirely on you and her brother.”

  “Ella…” Alixa stepped toward her friend but was met with numerous sword points as her father’s soldiers cut her off, allowing her no access to the other girl.

  “Uh, uh. No comforting allowed. This is my time, remember?”

  “What do you hope to achieve by bringing the girl here, Eisner?” Trystan demanded, and Rissa rolled her eyes at the question. Who cares what he’s doing, brother. Give me the signal to shoot.

  “What I hope to achieve, boy, is to take you all prisoner. Calis requires you and your sister, and Briggs Villard. I’m just here to fetch you all and get back into his good graces. Now if you cooperate and come along quietly, I’ll let the girl and everyone else go free, including my back-stabbing daughter.”

  “And if we don’t come willingly?”

  “Then the girl and everyone else here dies and I still capture you. So, what do you say? Call off your archers and I’ll command the knife to be taken from the girl’s throat. Tit for tat.”

  Don’t do it, Trystan. Rissa yelled silently at her brother’s back. Quiet stretched out for what felt like an eternity. Rissa was almost convinced Trystan was going to give up without a fight and her fingers tightened on her bow. She sure as hell wasn’t about to. Finally, Trystan’s steely tone floated up to her.

  “My father was the bravest, smartest man I’ve ever known. He would never let Calis win that easily. Not without a fight. And neither will we. Today we will honor King Marcus Renauld by claiming victory. Stop hiding behind the girl and fight justly like the nobleman you claim to be.”

  Trystan took a stance and held his sword in front of his body, ready to fight. Pride competed with the fear coursing through Rissa’s heart as she did the same with her bow.

  “So be it.” Eisner’s tone was nonchalant with no indication of what was about to occur. Crimson blood splattered the young girl’s rags, her scream cut short, as the soldier carried out his threat and sliced his knife across her throat. She crumpled to the ground in a heap as Alixa’s agonized shriek pierced the air.

  The girl’s death and Alixa’s scream were like sparks to a powder keg. Chaos broke out as Rissa loosed an arrow in retaliation. It sailed through the air and buried deeply into the murderous soldier’s thick neck. He grabbed at the arrow in shock as he fell to his knees and disappeared under the horde of soldiers at his back.

  The roar of the attack was deafening, but Rissa exhaled, pushing all her emotions out and settled her stance. No time to be afraid. She nocked the next arrow and aimed straight for Eisner. Feeling for the wind. She could not miss. Calm settled over her as she zoned in on her target, but as if he sensed his impending death, Eisner ducked in amongst his men, hidden from her view.

  Cursing with frustration, Rissa targeted the next in line. No time to pick and choose. She needed to take out as many of Eisner’s men as possible. The arrow sailed true, and the soldier Edric was battling screamed as the barb pierced him straight through the heart.

  Again and again she volleyed shots into the crowd below, taking down their enemies, until she had no more arrows to spend. She threw her bow aside in impatience and grabbed the rusty sword she’d left leaning against the balcony rail. It wasn’t the best blade, but Trystan needed her help.

  Terror thrummed through her veins in time to the pounding of her footsteps on the marble stairs. She refused to let it overwhelm her. Trystan was right. Her father would never give up without a fight. Calis could not get his hands on another member of the Tri-Gard. She would protect the senile old man with all she had, or die trying.

&
nbsp; Taking the stairs two at a time, Rissa hit the main floor and skidded to a stop as she caught movement out of the corner of her eye. A pale young girl emerged from the library at the bottom of the stairs, her face a mask of panic. Anna. Lady Yaro’s seer daughter.

  “Wha-what’s happening?” the girl stuttered as she wrapped her arms around her thin frame.

  “We’re under attack. Lord Eisner and his men,” Rissa responded as a shadow fell over the marble hallway. “Go. Hide,” she whispered. The terrified girl ran past her and up the stairs as fast as her legs could carry her. Moments later, a soldier barreled through the open doors, his hulking frame covered in a tunic of Isenore’s colors rather than Cullenspire’s plainer garb. One of Eisner’s men.

  His cold, mud colored eyes fell on her and he actually smiled as Rissa held her sword in defense in front of her body like Avery had shown her. His smile widened as he took a couple of steps her way and she backed up from his approach.

  “What do we have here now? Did they really leave a little girl in charge of protecting the old man?”

  He was looking for Briggs.

  “Don’t come any closer,” Rissa growled, hoping she sounded far more threatening than she felt.

  “Or what?” he questioned as he took a few more steps.

  “Or I kill you,” she answered bluntly. It didn’t seem to scare him at all. He actually laughed as he pointed to her blade.

  “I hope you aren’t trying to scare me with that?”

  Rissa held the sword in out in front of her, holding on tight with both hands, trying to keep the blade from shaking. “I said that’s far enough!”

  “Get out of my way, girl.” The soldier sprinted across the distance separating them, swinging his massive broadsword and connecting with Rissa’s. The shock reverberated up her arm and into her shoulder. She grimaced in pain. For a moment they stared, hatred in each other’s eyes, blades intertwined before the man looped his blade low and jerked upward, tearing Rissa’s sword from her hands and sending it clanging down the hall.