“What’s her name?” Mave asked, interrupting them talking about supplies for Seanev’s campaign.
“Asari,” Alchan answered. “My mother’s real name is Asari. I didn’t ask what her new identity was. It’s better if she can go back to it without me knowing.”
“Do you want her to go back to it?” Mave asked softly. “Because I can handle that.”
Alchan studied her as she studied him. Mave would burn the world down for Alchan if he asked. In all her time, he was the only ruler she ever respected, the only one she allowed to hold her on a leash. It was a very long leash, but she let him hold it. Her role as his Champion meant she could do things no one else could. She could do this for him. Luykas could run the entire rebellion, but only she could fight his personal battles. That was the point of being the Champion—to fight his battles in his place when it was ill-suited for him to step onto the field of war.
“I think it’s best she goes back to Leria’s community with the next trade caravan. Unharmed. If you feel you can convince her, you’re more than welcome to try. Even as king, I can’t force her because she’s broken no law,” he said, looking down at his hands. “The only thing she did was cut open a wound I thought had healed, and that’s not…illegal.”
“Tell me about it,” she ordered, stepping closer. Her king was feeling vulnerable, and she knew he wouldn’t put up a fight. She needed to know why she was going to fight the battle, and he obviously needed to talk about it.
“She was the first person who made me realize that I was a monster,” he whispered. “The first, but not the last. I…lost control the day she decided to leave, lost the veneer of being civilized. I wanted to hurt people to get her to stay. I was angry enough to…” Alchan closed his eyes. “It’s best she leaves. I’ve done well in the last seventeen hundred years, learning to control it, but she takes me back to a day when I couldn’t. She takes me straight back there. With Rain and Lady Lilliana relying on me to be stable, that’s…dangerous.”
“She’s your mother. Is it possible she loves you and is willing to accept it?” Mave wanted to make sure Alchan was serious. “Rain accepts it. He loves you for it, I think.” She knew it, actually. Rain had told her once Alchan’s bedru nature was something of a blessing. It meant Rain would never truly have to worry about losing his king’s love. A bedru didn’t fall out of love. Once they were claimed by the passion, they refused to let it go, even when it threatened to kill them.
“She could have talked things out with my father. She could have discussed a different way of doing things. He could have been controlled if he truly loved her. Instead, she decided she never wanted to see him again, and not even her own son could convince her to stay.” Alchan smiled, but it was a bitter thing. “Do I blame her for wanting to end her relationship with Behron? No. I blame her for doing it in a way that nearly ruined my life and got me killed.”
Mave inhaled sharply.
“Behron tried to kill Alchan shortly after she left,” Luykas filled in. “I was on my way to the Capital and hadn’t met them yet. It was your father who told me what happened.”
Of course, it was. My father was so entwined with the lives of every Andinna alive from the time, he pops up in nearly every story.
“He nearly did,” Alchan said with a bitter smile. “You know what the worst part was? My mother still didn’t come back. Not even when her only child was possibly dying. The entire damn country knew, so it’s not like she didn’t hear about it. She decided that staying away from my father was better than protecting her son.”
“I’ll make sure she goes,” Mave promised. “I’ll leave you two to talk about Seanev’s campaign. If I see Rain…”
“He’s spending the day with Lady Lilliana,” Alchan said, looking away. “Tell him to come here after dinner if he wants, but only then. Lady Lilliana’s needs and wants can’t be neglected because an unpleasant figure from my past has shown her face. Seanev will know where my mother is.”
“Okay. I’ll deal with her and find Rain.” She walked away, her mission set—she would convince this female to leave.
“Mave?” he called softly. She looked back at him. His amber eyes held so much pain. She knew why he ran here. Only the king’s most trusted friends could see him like this. “Thank you.”
“No need for thanks,” she said, nodding her head in respect. “Thank you for trusting me.”
She left them there, jumping into the air once she was clear of the water. Flying over the village, she looked for Rain or Seanev. She couldn’t find Rain, even though his blue should have made him stand out, but Seanev was pacing with his nose in a book near the war room. She landed near him, making him look up from what he was reading.
“I was just with the king. Tell me this wasn’t another trick of Leria’s.”
“It wasn’t,” he said softly, looking defeated. “Leria had no idea who this female was, and Asari didn’t tell me until we were halfway here. I could have sent her back, but I had no legal right to. I had no idea how it would play out, but I had a feeling it wouldn’t be good.”
“Why?”
“When Alchan was a few hundred years old, I asked him about it. I was close to our parents, but Alchan had neither of his, not really. When he was young, he idolized and loved his mother, then…she was gone. So, I asked.” Seanev sighed. “He told me he hated her. She had, in her own anger at Behron, left Alchan to die and never dared to find the courage to come back. She’s the reason he closed off his heart so long ago, Mave. For centuries, the only person Alchan could be considered close with was Luykas. No one else was safe.”
“Well, I need you to tell me where she is. I’ve been asked to see if I can…convince her to go back to Leria’s community.”
“Ah. She’ll be staying with the rest of the nobles waiting for Alchan’s acknowledgment.”
“He didn’t tell me what happened to your arm,” she pointed out as she followed him.
“Ask him to tell you after I’ve left. I’m not feeling up to explaining it again. I’ll be fine to fight.” He rubbed the bandaged arm as she stepped up beside him on the trail.
“Of course,” she said, accepting it for now.
They walked the entire way in silence, finding the small camp made by the so-called nobles.
“What makes an Andinna a noble?” she asked softly, looking over them. “I thought mativas owned and ruled everything.”
“They do, and the mativas are normally classified nobles if they weren’t already. Others are great warriors who have established themselves. I’m sure our parents would have been given titles if they had won the War. Many noble houses were started by offshoots of the royal family. The royal blood dies out, but wealth and influence don’t. They become diplomats who go abroad or merchants of great wealth, various spheres of power they can get into and further their own ambitions. And oftentimes, the mativas and the nobles’ houses were one and the same. Nobles are invited to festivals the queen is attending and hosting. There’s some privilege to it.”
“Ah. Wonderful. I know the type.”
“Please remember, these are Andinna and warriors as well, even if they were born into wealth and privilege. You know Asari’s nephew, Kenav. He’s a noble-born Andinna and a warrior.”
“Oh yes, I know Kenav,” Mave growled.
Seanev visibly winced. “I’m sorry. I forgot you knew him from…”
“It’s fine,” Mave said. “Point her out, so I can impress on her the importance of leaving.”
Seanev walked into the camp, and Andinna turned to them, bowing. They left whispers in their wake.
“There she is. The King’s Champion. General Lorren’s daughter.”
“Kelsiana would be proud.”
“The last of the Lorrens together again.”
Mave was glad they knew who she was. She needed a reputation to do her duty effectively.
Seanev stopped at a male in front of a tent.
“We need your wife,” he said, staring down
the male. “Don’t argue with me, Venar.”
“Didn’t plan to, sir,” the male said, eyeing her before going inside the large tent. A moment and some hushed whispers later, a female who must have been Alchan’s mother came out, followed by three males. She couldn’t find much of her in Alchan or vice versa. He and Luykas had to be spitting images of their father.
“What can I do for you, General Lorren?” She looked only at Seanev. Mave looked at her brother with a raised eyebrow.
“I don’t need anything. This is Mave Lorren, King’s Champion.” Seanev gestured to Mave, then stepped back as Asari looked at her.
“Good day,” Asari said softly. “I didn’t think I would be executed today.”
“You won’t be,” Mave promised with a smile. “I’m here to ask you to leave. I know no one can force you, but the king thinks it’s for the best.”
“I’m sure he does,” the female said, blinking several times as tears filled her eyes.
Don’t lose your temper, Mave. You’re just here to pass along the message that Alchan would like to see her leave, even if no one can force her. Skies, I wish I could force her. Those fucking tears don’t belong here. She doesn’t get to be the one who cries when she hurt my brother.
“While I’m only supposed to be delivering the message, I’m going to take the liberty to say I agree with him,” Mave tried. She just needed to convince this female to leave.
“I wasn’t a very good mother in the end, but I was hoping he would be willing to give me a second chance. Obviously, he’s not willing, even if I am his mother. I was scared of his father. I thought he would understand that.”
Fuck this.
“You weren’t a mother at all from what I’ve heard,” Mave countered, her temper snapping as the vicious need to protect her family took hold. That caused two of the males to growl. “Mothers don’t abandon their children.”
“What would you know about it?” Asari snapped, fury coming to her tear-filled eyes. Mave knew a dominant female when she saw one, the fury something she identified with.
“My one and only memory of my birth mother is her dying for me,” Mave explained, stepping closer. She and Asari were of a similar height. Asari was dominant enough to hold her gaze for a minute, but Mave could see the struggle. For Mave, staring someone down was like breathing, a natural instinct that never failed. “And my second mother has sacrificed herself to protect those around her, putting herself in enemy hands. She survived and continues to fill a prominent position in this village. I know plenty about mothers.”
Asari dropped her eyes at the end. Mave lifted her chin, further raising herself up.
“He’s my son,” she said pitifully.
“If you stay against my urging, visit your nephew, Kenav. He’s here, and I’m certain he would appreciate your visit. Don’t come anywhere near my brother again.”
Mave turned on her heel and walked away, this time nodding to anyone who looked her way. She left Seanev to clean up the mess she’d probably left in her wake, heading for Alchan’s home. She couldn’t find Rain, but she could do something else and eventually get a hold of him.
She went into their home without knocking, heading for the kitchen. Mave didn’t get to cook often, but she could throw something together when she needed to feed herself. Now, she made some sandwiches for Rain and Lilliana’s dinner when they arrived. It kept her busy. She even ate at Alchan’s table while waiting for them.
When they walked in, they were laughing softly. Mave resisted the urge to react to Lilliana’s presence. Rain frowned as he saw her.
“Mave? What’s wrong?”
“Eat dinner,” she ordered, pointing to the food she put out for them. “Then I recommend Lilliana get some rest, and you go see Alchan.”
“Where is he?” Rain asked, sitting down. “He’s in the cave, isn’t he?”
“He’ll explain everything. Eat dinner, then enjoy a free night with him without possible interruptions. You might get all day tomorrow. Luykas is going to handle the final preparations for Seanev’s campaign with the rest of the leadership. He’s probably already working on it.”
Standing, she walked out, heading for her own home. When she got there, she waved off her males when they showed their concern about her absence most of the evening.
“We’re winning the war, so of course, there would be a lot of personal dramas unfolding around the village,” she said, sighing. “Apparently, no one has anything better to do.”
13
Mave
Mave watched Seanev and his campaign leave. It took an entire day for the thousand warriors to finish packing up their supplies and things to go on the trails. She watched, wishing she could go, but not feeling particularly worried. With a thousand warriors, her brother would be fine. It was the largest force the rebellion had been able to put together and counted for a third of their warriors.
“Where are they going?” Mave asked her other brother, leaning toward Alchan. He had come out of his cave at dawn, acting like the previous day never happened.
“Scouts brought in reports of a few more Elvasi mountain camps that I want to see pushed out. Shadra is playing smart. For the nine the spring campaigns cleared out, there are five others that were missed. It’s no one’s fault. She’s flooding the mountains, trying to find her foothold. She has infinitely more soldiers and supplies.”
“What happens when she gets her foothold?” Mave crossed her arms, turning to him. “Alchan?”
“We do what we can to make it unsustainable. This was easier during the War. We had more warriors and more supplies. We’re running on skeleton forces to get Seanev out with so many warriors because I can’t pull Andinna from Kerit, and Leria needs the remains of her force for training purposes.”
“How many Andinna do we have now?” Their population among the rebellion had boomed with the slaves escaping en masse and everyone coming back from Olost. From what Mave knew, those in Olost had been a lot higher in number than she’d really considered. Then again, she had never seen them all congregate into so few villages while fighting a war in Olost.
“One thousand going with Seanev. Leria’s community is now sitting at three thousand, but only a thousand of them are warriors ready for battle. Kerit has close to a thousand civilians and another five hundred warriors. We have two thousand in this village and the neighboring village. These are rough numbers. I only get a rough count because it’s growing impossible for the mativas to manage who is or isn’t in their community. We have to take into account there might be some going uncounted and some getting counted twice. It’s not a perfect system.”
“So, we’re talking seventy-five hundred Andinna left in the world as far as we know,” Mave said softly, crossing her arms. “That’s it.”
“There’s probably another two to four thousand in the Empire, still toiling away as slaves. The Empire is vast. I’m not counting on them, though.”
“Why not?” Mave narrowed her eyes on her king, wondering where his hope was. The Andinna were winning. Two to four thousand Andinna was a boon, and it took their numbers up to at least ten thousand. It wasn’t what they once were, but it was enough to thrive when everything was said and done.
“Shadra is calling for Andinna to be killed if they attempt to escape, not just recaptured. She has bounties on their heads. Females are worth more than males. If this escalates, she might just start killing them off. She did it before the need for slaves was too entrenched in the Empire. It’s one of the reasons Luykas and I stopped going out for the cause to free others and just began trying to keep the free Andinna alive. In the early days, Shadra was fond of purges as a warning to us.”
“Then her people are going to starve,” Luykas said, finally adding his own voice to the conversation. He had stood silently for much of the procession as Seanev’s force left the village. “She’ll have to conscript humans to do ‘slave’ work.”
“You two are defeatists,” Mave muttered, looking at the now empty path
. She had faith in the Andinna. They would escape and come to them, even if it was dangerous.
“No, we aren’t.”
“Yes, you are. We will either crush her forces, or we won’t. If we do, we can free our people from the Empire, and we win. Every fight takes us closer to that point.”
“I think you and I had different objectives.” Alchan chuckled. “Every victory takes us one step closer to winning, but the goal isn’t to defeat her army, Mave. It’s to outlast her. We don’t have nearly enough warriors to go against her in open war, which is something she is going to want. We have to look at this differently. While her crops die in the fields because she relied on slaves, we have healthy fields, glad to be used by Andinna once again, flourishing with our blood’s help. Every warrior is also a farmer or a crafter, and every farmer and crafter can also be a warrior. While the Elvasi have trouble with our winter, we find it refreshing to have a moment away from battle. While they go hungry and freeze, we have a celebration, flying over snowy fields. The hardships of their campaign to bring us to submission are boons.”
“Which means Shadra’s strategy is to win quickly, or she’ll lose the support of her people,” Luykas said softly. “Which makes it imperative we keep Andinna out there fighting to keep her out of the mountains during the warmer seasons. Every winter that passes, with the Empire having to feed an army while there’s a bread shortage, will further our cause, not hers.”
“This is why I don’t plan these things,” Mave said, smiling. “You’re both much smarter than me.”
“No, we just have the training, sister,” Alchan said, throwing an arm around her shoulders. “If you ever wanted to, we could bring you in for it, and you’d be one of the best in no time, like you are with everything else.”
“Ha.” She pushed him away, rolling her eyes. She wasn’t into the idea, and they both knew she wasn’t suited for it. He was having a jest. “So, you’re both still feeling good about the rebellion?”
The Champion's Ruin Page 14