by Ryan Evans
“I think you did the right thing. Losing one’s family has a way of changing people,” Tristan said from behind me. His voice surprised me. I’d been so wrapped up in what had just happened that I’d forgotten he was on duty. With the need for more bodyguards, I couldn’t keep track of who was following me when. The other bodyguard on duty was stationed outside the door.
“I hope you’re right,” I said, listening to Stephan’s footsteps fade in the hall as he walked towards a new life. I was thankful that Tristan still offered his input like this. The weight of leadership threatened to crush me, and I was glad for his comradery.
I returned to the haze of reports and planning that had become my life these last several days. Over the past two weeks, I’d occasionally spent time with Bashita in the stables. Being pent up frustrated her, but she was otherwise healthy. I also periodically watched the soldiers training in the courtyard. All of that broke up the monotony of paperwork, but it was always waiting for me upon my return.
On top of the constant administrative tasks, I was starting to become anxious that we’d heard nothing of the saurians since we’d gotten to Fort Granas. I’d initially worried we wouldn’t have enough time to prepare before mobilizing, but now I was becoming suspicious. Something should have happened by now.
A knock at the conference room door broke me out of my thoughts. “Enter,” I said automatically. The door swung open to an imperial soldier stepping into the room. My bodyguard in the hall seemed tense. Tristan became more alert and took a step towards me.
I could smell a trace of fear from the soldier as he stood at attention before me. Following the formation of Fero House, I’d stopped suppressing my aura. Those around me were loyal and benefitted from my will bolstering their own motivation. This soldier had most likely been feeling my aura since he’d entered the building. Since his allegiance was at best neutral, it was affecting him greatly.
He took a breath to steel himself before looking at me and delivering the message. The court had summoned me stand before the princess in the audience hall at once. Taking pity on the messenger, and appreciating his fortitude in delivering the message, I reigned in my aura and gestured for him to lead the way. Tristan and his counterpart fell in behind me as I stood to go see the princess.
I found Stephan and Sergeant Iglias in the courtyard before I left the housing area and let them know where I was headed. I was pleasantly surprised to see Stephan training with the soldiers and taking direction from several of the senior sergeants. Stephan quietly warned me to be careful to which Sergeant Iglias nodded in agreement. I made my way to meet the princess with the warning in mind.
The walk to the central keep took longer than I expected. Though I’d been sending soldiers out into the fort to handle tasks, I’d been too busy to venture further than the courtyard. Those vendors who’d wanted to negotiate beyond what I’d authorized my representatives to pay came to me in the barracks conference room. I hadn’t even gone to any of the shops in which we’d done business.
As we traveled down the busy main road, I noticed that the lively atmosphere from before wasn’t nearly as strong as it had been. Something was causing the moral of the fort to wane somewhat, but I didn’t know what it was. My troops had reported nothing of importance over the past two weeks. I made a note to myself that we needed to start sending our people out to gather intelligence.
After a lengthy walk, we finally made it to the central keep of Fort Granas. Passing through the inner walls wasn’t as impressive as the outer walls, but it was memorable none the less. Imperial soldiers manned the defenses, and I noticed several catapults up on the corner towers. I absently wondered why they’d assembled them here instead of the outer wall as we entered the keep.
The keep’s halls were lavishly appointed. A thick burgundy carpet covered the floor and ran down every hall I passed. Huge tapestries and suits of armor adorned the walls leading towards the audience chamber. There were no windows, so fancy iron wall sconces were placed periodically throughout the keep. The sconces burned an oil to stay lit. The oil gave off little smoke, and a spicy scent similar to the saurians permeated everything. I briefly wondered if the oil was derived from the enemy’s fat but cast the thought aside. It was all unnecessarily extravagant, and I vowed never to be this frivolous in my spending.
The soldier left me and my bodyguards in a chamber with two great double doors on one end. I knew from my reading that this was a holding room for those waiting on an audience. Spectators of the hall would use side doors to enter the central chamber out of the way of the proceedings.
As I waited, I more thoroughly inspected my surroundings. Paintings of nobles clad in white and gold robes decorated the room. Two huge chandeliers hung from the ceiling illuminating the paintings with bright candle light. Padded chairs were placed sporadically along the edges of the room. They had stationed six imperial guards along the walls on either side of the room while two stood beside the double doors.
I don’t know how long I waited to enter the hall, but it was long enough to become bored. I knew that my own guards wouldn’t be allowed past this point, so I had them take a seat. Their orders were clear; they were to relax once I was gone and await my return. The only way they were to get up was if an imperial general ordered them directly. It was probably against protocol to have commoners sitting in the fine furniture, but I didn’t care. The princess was playing games, or she’d have summoned me at a specific time instead of having me wait.
I was telling myself not to be impatient for the hundredth time when the large double doors finally opened. An older tiger-kind in fine silk clothing carrying a metal staff stepped out. He verified my name before telling me the princess would see me now. His facial expression and sideways glances made it clear he didn’t appreciate my guards sitting in the padded chairs. I chose to ignore him.
As I stepped into the large audience hall, the elderly tiger-kind announced my full name to the room. Several nobles were standing on either side of the cleared walkway. They all began speaking amongst themselves at the announcement of the name Fero. Though they were whispering, the noise combined and echoed in the room making it seem as if millions of bees were right by my ear. My introducer immediately banged his staff several times on the stone floor to silence everyone.
I continued moving forward as the echo from the staff drowned out the buzzing noises from the whispering. Taking the hint, those on the side of the walkway remained quiet. As I made my way towards an elevated platform, complete with throne and lounging princess, I inspected those I passed.
The spectators appeared to be a hodgepodge of imperial officers in court finery and house nobles wearing armor and tabards. Those in finery were all well-groomed and had the look of sycophants. Those in armor and tabards had cautiously guarded expressions. It made for an interesting mix as I covered the remaining ground between myself and the raised platform.
None of those in the room, save for the guards along the walls and the four knights stationed around the platform, were wearing more than a long dagger on their hip. I recognized Kyla and the knight she’d met on the road, but I made a point not to show it. I realized wearing my sword in the audience chamber might be seen as a threat.
Taking my place before the platform, I gave a moderate bow. I wanted to show respect, but not appear weak. “Princess Emilia Saeva,” I said respectfully in a neutral greeting to the woman before me. She looked to be a couple of years older than I was, but still had a youthful beauty. Platinum blonde hair and pale skin only served to make her stand out more. She wore an elaborate pale blue gown that highlighted her womanly charms and her vivid blue eyes. Unfortunately, those eyes possessed no warmth and only held cold calculation as she gazed at me.
If her pale appearance and striking hair wasn’t enough to tell she was of the Saeva line, her aura left no doubt. It radiated from her in waves, carrying her displeasure to all of those around her. Fortunately for me, it wasn’t a match for my own, and I was left unaff
ected.
Having bowed and acknowledged her, I waited for her to speak. I felt her direct her aura at me. I quickly bolstered my defenses against the unseen assault. Standing tall, I looked her in the eye as she tried to force her power on me. After several moments of our exchange bearing her no fruit, she seemed to realize that everyone in attendance knew what was happening.
She sat up straighter and addressed me as though I was barely worthy of her notice. “You claim the heritage of Fero despite their supposed extinction after the Founder’s War. What proof can you offer that your claims are true?” she asked in a condescending tone as she redirected her aura towards the surrounding room.
“I bear the black coat characteristic of my line. If you’d like proof, perhaps one of your knights should challenge me as a test?” I said as I raised an eyebrow. My brazen attitude caused those in attendance to recommence their chattering amongst one another. Though they’d all seen our face-off, there was no proof I’d stopped her aura nor was there anyone brave enough to make the claim. That I would so casually offer to fight one of her knights showed my lack of fear. If I won, there would be no doubt to my claim; that I was willing to offer such a test was enough for people to believe me regardless of if the princess took me up on my offer or not.
Princess Emilia’s alabaster cheeks turned a light shade of red, and she took several moments to regain her composure. “I’m not interested in your attempt to show off in my court. Do not waste my time with your insolence. I was more curious in how an unknown bastard usurped another house’s army and forced his dominion over several hundred refugees from the town of Vega Point,” she said as her confidence rallied.
“I’m sure you’re aware of the difficulties encountered on the trip along the eastern border. The head of Silvanti House’s forces and I have come to an agreement in the matter of the soldiers. The refugees joined us willingly and are protected under our leadership,” I said ignoring the implications of her statement.
Emilia laughed. “Ah yes, the supposed attack from several organized saurian war parties during the trip to the fort,” she said looking back at Kyla who was at full attention with her eyes facing forward. “You expect me to believe that wild, fabricated tale? Please. It is common knowledge that saurians do not fight together.”
It suddenly became clear why I’d heard nothing after our arrival. The princess and her senior leaders hadn’t believed Kyla and instead ignored her findings. I briefly wondered how they’d rationalized the refugees as Emilia continued talking.
“So you doubt the word of one of your sworn knights?” I asked, interrupting whatever the princess had been saying. She flushed with anger at my interruption, and I could feel the tension rise in the room. The knight closest to me, the one that had ridden out to meet Kyla, gripped his sword as if ready to attack me for my impertinence.
“While Kyla Cruento is from a renowned and well respected family, she’s wolf-kind, like yourself,” Emilia started as if explaining things to a toddler. “If she arrived at a town an upstart noble claiming to be from an ancient bloodline had already sacked, she may have felt pressure to…” she was in the middle of speaking when I couldn’t hold back my anger any longer. A feral growl rose from deep inside my chest loud enough that the sound echoed throughout the grand room.
The entire assembly stood in stunned silence. Emilia’s faced drained of what little color it had, and her eyes shifted to cat-like slits. I allowed my aura to radiate out at full strength, just as Princess Emilia’s had been. The difference was that mine was stronger and quickly overwhelmed her own. I saw the discomfort in the audience around us as my emotions hit them.
There was rage deep in the princess’s eyes as I spoke loudly enough for the assembly to hear me. “While some may favor their own species over others, I would remind you of your history. If I am a member of the Fero line, then Lady Kyla Cruento would be the last person to support false claims from me. It was her family that led to the downfall of my bloodline. That she would swallow the pride of her own lineage to admit what has happened should have alerted you to the seriousness of the situation,” I said, pacing back and forth in front of Emilia’s platform and throne. The wolf was rising from within, stalking its prey.
I paused just long enough for my words to sink in before continuing, “Now, to the claim of my sacking an imperial settlement. That is an accusation even a princess cannot make without concrete proof. If you have such proof, show it. I would also add that those under my command come from a variety of beast-kind species and not just my own. If you are indeed accusing me of treason, perhaps you should make your accusation plainly so I may properly take offense,” I all but shouted.
I reigned in my aura, removing the overwhelming pressure those in attendance had been feeling. The room was silent for only a heartbeat before the entire hall burst into an uproar. Those loyal to the princess were calling for my execution at raising my voice to a member of the imperial family. Those that had questioned the story given to them were calling for proof. All the while, the valet was banging his staff on the stone floor to quiet everyone.
In the middle of it all, the princess and I stared at one another. We were both standing now; her in front of her throne, me on the ground before her. Her canines elongated in her mouth, and my fingernails took the distinct shape of claws at the end of my hands. Finally, Emilia reached her breaking point. She knew there could be no bloodshed in her hall without proof of wrongdoing.
“Enough!” she yelled, drowning out the others in the room. “You will die for this insult,” she growled before someone from the assembled nobles interrupted our exchange.
“Princess Emilia,” a massive man wearing armor and a tabard said in a deep voice loudly enough that everyone turned towards him, myself and Emilia included. The man was a mountain and could only be bear-kind. He had to be nearly seven-feet tall and weigh at least three hundred and fifty pounds. Long dark hair was tied back from his face and a thick braided beard came down past his chest. He was an intimidating sight, and I couldn’t imagine facing him in battle.
Beside him was a leaner, younger version of himself I assumed was his son. The younger bear-kind was as tall as his father, but didn’t have the same mass yet. At a guess, I put him near three hundred pounds of muscle. Instead of the wild mane of hair, the young man had a shaved head and a short, braided goatee.
While I’d never met either of the two before, their house crests were easily recognizable as Ferrun House, one of the most powerful and influential mining houses in Tor’s Rest. The larger man wore the rank of house leader and could be no one besides Droka Ferrun. He was a bear-kind whose reputation preceded him, having won more duels than anyone in Tor’s Rest.
Bear-kind weren’t split into different types like canine and feline types. You either were, or you weren’t a bear. While this made them more unified than the canine or feline branches of beast-kind, it meant that competition for leadership was much fiercer among them. Supposedly, this man had bested over fifty opponents in single unarmed combat just to reach his rank.
“There has been a lot of speculation in the reports we’ve gotten. Perhaps it would be best to send out another scout detail to ascertain the situation before things become more heated within the fort,” he said in his deep voice which reverberated in my bones as he spoke.
It was just the excuse Emilia needed to end the assembly. From what I’d seen of Emilia and heard of Droka, I knew he wasn’t her biggest fan, but even he recognized the folly of our arguing amongst each other when there was an enemy outside the fort. Emilia sat back down on her throne and smoothed her dress.
“Very well. Sir Leonis Celer will lead an imperial scouting mission out into the surrounding area at dawn. House Leader Fero, as you seem to have the most experience with the enemy, you’ll help him track down any saurians nearby, but you’ll go alone. I won’t have your forces sabotaging the expedition,” she said as if this entire thing had been her idea.
Sir Leonis was the knight I
’d seen on the road, and he was now facing the princess and vowing to find the truth. The man reminded me of Maxon in appearance. He was tall with sandy blonde hair and broad shoulders. He obviously cared a lot about his appearance as his armor and tabard were in immaculate condition. I’d have to be careful around him too. He was lion-kind and would outweigh me by an easy hundred pounds, if not more, in shifted form.
I took the declaration of a scouting mission as a dismissal and started back towards the doorway I’d entered. I didn’t know the exact time, but I knew that I’d been here longer than I’d wanted to be. I couldn’t wait to be back in my spartan barracks accommodations with my loyal soldiers.
As I was leaving, the younger Ferrun bumped into me. I quickly said, “Excuse me,” as he did the same. I was willing to bet no one saw the note he passed me during our collision.
Chapter 19
The night before the expedition was busy. There were many specific orders along with broad directives to give to my people as I prepared to leave. I’d even had to speak with Stephan about what he knew of the Tor’s Rest political landscape. Add an hour of sleep to all of that, and the night flew by.
The next morning, I arrived at the eastern gate shortly before sunrise ready to go on this supposed scouting mission. Instead, I found two hundred imperial soldiers along with eight lieutenants, Lady Kyla and Sir Leonis assembled in the gate’s courtyard. Luckily, they’d had the sense not to bring horses, as the saurians would spot us in no time on mounts. I decided that I should greet Sir Leonis as he led this mission.
