Ascendant

by Florian Armas

  “See, my dear?” Aron glanced at Saliné. “That answered your doubts. This gentle merchant knows how to kill. Are you still a mercenary, Ferd?”

  “After I was wounded, I decided that a mercenary’s life was not for me. And thank you for healing me, Lady Saliné,” he bowed as far as his restraints allowed him.

  “You fought for us,” she said. “It was my duty to tend your wounds.”

  “Saliné is always dutiful, but let’s move on.” Aron took a paper from his pocket. “This is an interesting paper. Do you know this paper, Fred?”

  “How could I know that without seeing it?

  “It’s reporting to an unnamed someone, that seven guards of Severin were killed last month.”

  “My letter,” Ferd acknowledged.

  “We are making progress,” Aron said, his voice confident. “To whom was the paper addressed? There is no name on it.”

  “The Merchant Guild of Leyona. There was an inquiry about the safety of the roads in Severin. Another letter was sent to Arad.”

  “Bring the other one,” Aron ordered a guard standing outside, behind the door, and in less than a minute a new man entered the room. Ferd’s eyes sparked for a moment, but that was all. His reaction escaped anyone else in the room, except Grigio. “You know each other,” Aron’s hand gestured between Ferd and the new man. “I know, I know,” Aron smiled at Ferd. “I told you that Herby was dead. “Herby,” Aron addressed the new man. “To whom you were supposed to deliver the letter?”

  “To the third Mester of the Guild in Leyona, and to Valer, the Dervil of Tolosa. The letter has that small sign in the lower left corner, a triangle inside a circle, to certify the sender, and it was supposed to be shown to the Mester and given to Valer.”

  “What do you say, Ferd?” Aron glanced at him.

  “The letter was supposed to go the third Mester of the Guild in Leyona. If Herby has his own dealings with Valer, that’s not my issue, it’s yours.”

  “Are you suggesting that Herby is in league with Valer?”

  “He mentioned Valer, so you will have to ask him. Many people know that I was Valer’s man,” Ferd said, avoiding to look at Herby. “It would not be hard to use that for one’s own interest.”

  “Bring the other one,” Aron ordered, and a woman was brought into the room. This time, Ferd’s upper lip twitched. It did not escape Grigio, and Saliné saw it too.

  In the few moments which followed, when all were still looking at the woman, Saliné signaled with her forefinger to Ferd, then rubbed her hands, and her lips spoke mutely: I need one day. Ferd glanced at her briefly and blinked. In an instant, Grigio turned. He found Saliné looking at the woman too; nobody was expecting her to be there. The woman looked like she had not slept for some time, and her clothes were disheveled. Even though she tried to keep them wrapped around her body, she was half naked. Her face was bruised, and both eyes swollen.

  “I hope you had a pleasant evening, my dear,” Aron said, “I personally selected the five men to take care of you. They are known for their politeness and skills. Is this the woman who gave you the letter, Herby?”

  “Yes,” Herby said, “and she is Ferd’s right hand and his girl. They will marry in spring.”

  “I didn’t know that,” Aron said. “Ferd, you should talk with the men who took care of ... Alma. They may know now what she likes most. In time, you will learn that it’s important to know a woman’s most hidden desires, and they are usually shy about telling them to their husbands. Take it as a goodwill gesture, and I will enjoy being invited at your wedding. So, Ferd, what more can you tell me about that letter?”

  “Nothing more.”

  “You are disappointing me, Ferd.” Aron nodded at the man behind Alma, and he pulled her hands down, to fondle her naked breasts. She did not react.

  “Watch him, Ferd, and learn how to do it. It’s important to know how to please a woman.”

  “Aron,” Saliné interjected, and tried to reach Alma, but Bucur grabbed her arm and pulled her back against his body.

  “Don’t interfere,” he whispered in her ear.

  “So, Ferd,” Aron said. “Have you more to say about that letter?”

  “About the letter, no.” Ferd tried to speak normally, but the tremor in his voice betrayed his inner tension.

  “Maybe about something else.”

  “Leave her alone.” Ferd’s head gestured toward Alma, and at Aron’s sign, the soldier behind her stopped groping.

  “I am listening, Ferd. Who is coordinating the killing of my soldiers?”

  “Me and Herby.”

  “That’s a lie,” Herby growled.

  “Interesting,” Aron rubbed his chin. “And who is killing them?”

  “We hired two assassins. I paid the money, and Herby brought them to Severin.”

  “Why?” Aron snapped, before Herby could protest again.

  “For Mark, the real Seigneur of Severin.”

  “I understand you, Ferd. I also like that little man. He used to play a lot on my knees. And you should understand that my taking over Severin is only a temporary solution to keep it out of Orban’s dirty hands. At the right time, Mark will return here with his mother. Saliné can confirm that. Isn’t it so, my dear?” Aron looked at her.

  “Yes, you told me that,” she said, neutrally.

  Before Aron could speak again, Grigio whispered something to him, making him frown. After a moment of consideration, Aron nodded, reluctantly.

  “He’s all yours,” he said to Grigio. “All others should leave the room. Put Herby and Alma in jail; we will talk with them tomorrow.”

  “I told you everything,” Herby said, desperately.

  “Yes, yes, Herby, and I thank you for that, but there are still some small things to clarify tomorrow. Sleep well; I want you to be in good form.”

  “We shall have a council,” Aron said as they were walking along the corridor. “In my office. You will come too,” he pointed toward Saliné. In the office, he sat, and gestured at Saliné and Bucur to do the same. He remained silent until Grigio joined them. “Saliné,” Aron said, almost absently, “what do you think about Ferd? Other than he seems to be a gentle man who is not able to kill people.”

  “He was perhaps involved, but I still don’t think that he did it.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Ferd is just a merchant who sells candies, and not a wealthy one. He is too weak to be the leader of this plot. There must be someone with real power behind him.”

  “Interesting. And?”

  “You have to interrogate him tomorrow.”

  “We all have to,” Aron snapped.

  “We,” Saliné shrugged.

  “Did Ferd agree with you?” Aron asked Grigio.

  “Partially. He is now half convinced that we did all this only to keep Orban’s hands away from Severin, and that Mohor’s death was just an accident.”

  “If we fully convince him, Ferd may tell us about the real leader, and there will be no need to torture him,” Saliné said.

  “Such a kind girl,” Aron mused.

  “Under torture, Ferd may say whatever you want to hear. That may lead us to a false path, and any chance to learn the truth would be lost.”

  “She has you,” Grigio laughed. “And I agree with her. Would you then,” he stared at Saliné, “convince Ferd that everything I told him was true?”

  “Maybe not everything, but the most important parts, yes.”

  “Good. Did you learn something from the third prisoner?” Grigio asked Aron.

  “We caught her only two hours ago, and my men are softening her up right now.”

  “That will not help us,” Saliné said, more fervently than she wanted. “Send her to jail, and we will talk with her tomorrow. Who is she?”

  “A woman,” Aron said dismissively. “You may go now.”

  “As you wish.” Saliné stood up, trying to keep her calm; she had already seen how well Alma had been ‘softened up’.

&n
bsp; “She is right, Aron. Send the woman to jail, today,” Grigio said, before Saliné could leave.

  “Fine, I will send her to jail,” Aron snapped and stared at Grigio after Saliné left the office. “You seem softer than before.”

  “Don’t be stupid, Aron. I don’t care how many men are taking their pleasure with her right now, but you want Saliné on your side tomorrow. Don’t you? She is the only one who can convince Ferd. Nobody trusts you.”

  “Saliné is a clever girl, and in the last months we have become closer than I expected. I am good at that.” Bucur smiled and felt sudden heat in his groin, thinking that two days would pass quickly, and Saliné will finally become his lover.

  “You should have solved that issue by now,” Grigio said, his hand gesturing over his belly.

  “When this thing with Ferd ends, our problem will be solved. Yesterday she moaned and became wet when my fingers went inside her. She wanted me, but had to play that ‘please give me some more time’ game. Every woman does this just to hide the fact that she wants you in her bed. She is ready, and that’s it.”

  “She should have been pregnant already. It doesn’t matter how you do it, just spread her legs,” Aron snapped. “The embassy from Tolosa will arrive in a week. We should be able to secure the Duke’s daughter for you. And his army. The marriage will be in autumn. Saliné must be broken by then.”

  “I know; she must lose any chance of marriage with Codrin so he can’t claim Severin.”

  “You still don’t understand. That idiot may marry her even with your child. She must not only be pregnant, she must be broken, so she doesn’t have a political future anymore. If that doesn’t happen, I have to kill her. I would prefer the other solution. Another death may endanger us. Or maybe...” Aron moistened his lips. “I can spread her legs.”

  “We can share her,” Bucur laughed. “But let me have her first. I want some sweet romance, and she is ready.”

  “That may break her.” Aron followed his thought. “After you seduce Saliné, I will take her from you and make her my mistress. Then I will give her back to you, and so on.”

  “Fine by me,” Bucur shrugged. “Now,” he went on. “I think that Saliné wants to prove herself useful, and we have to exploit that.”

  “I agree with you. Aron,” Grigio said thoughtfully, “you should leave Saliné alone until we no longer need her. From my understanding, that would be in midsummer. Then you can share her how much you want.”

  “Grigio,” Bucur laughed. “I suspect that you have some feelings toward her too. We can help you.”

  “Well,” Grigio shrugged, “I am a man, but there are some rules in the Circle regarding...”

  “It will stay between us. You enter her room during the night...”

  “I will think about it.” These bastards are trying to set a trap for me. “What if you marry her?” He looked at Aron.

  “It would be awkward to marry the woman who was made pregnant by my son.”

  “Give the baby away and keep the woman. She is young and desirable.”

  “Maybe,” Aron shrugged, his mind undressing Saliné.

  “Tomorrow will be an interesting day, but I am tired,” Grigio yawned.

  Chapter 25 – Saliné

  One hour after midnight, Saliné left her suite through the hidden door behind the fireplace. Faint sounds of moaning and a thin ray of light emanated from Bucur’s room, and she placed her eye on the small spy slit in the wall: Bucur was not alone. He stood in front of a naked woman, lying on her back over the table, her legs encircling him. Saliné blushed and moved away. Keep him busy, she thought. Instead of going up toward the wall, as she had so many times in the last few months, she went down, toward the small cellar which in the past kept Mohor’s finest bottles of wine, trying to remember the place from a visit long ago, when she was still a child. She was playing with Vio that day, and the memory of her sister made Saliné bite her lip. I can’t afford to be weak now. She opened the secret door that went into the cellar and the smell of countless vintages struck her. She walked slowly through the darkness, left the rope she carried with her close to the door, and left the cellar, which was only thirty feet long. She peered out into the wide underground corridor. Deserted. No noises, either. She breathed out. After fifty paces, she stopped in front of a massive door and stared inside, through the small window with iron bars: there were two men in the large room, which looked raw and cold, its walls made of rough stones.

  One of them was sleeping with his feet on the table, snoring loudly; the other was indulging himself with a carafe of wine, staring absently at the desolate walls. From time to time, his hand caressed the carafe, before he sipped another mouthful of wine.

  Aron’s men lack discipline. Vlaicu wouldn’t have allowed this. Saliné sighed and knocked on the door. The sound reverberated through the corridor and she started, her ear trying to catch the faintest sound behind her.

  The drinking guard cursed her, and came toward the door.

  Please stay asleep, she prayed to the second one.

  “What?” the guard growled, opening the door. His eyes found Saliné, and he involuntarily wiped his mouth to hide the wine on his lips.

  “Where is Bucur?” she asked in a cold voice, staring at the carafe the man was trying to hide behind him. “He told me to come here. We are to interrogate the prisoners.”

  “Now?” the guard asked, incredulous.

  “Now,” she said and pushed the door wide open. “We have learned that there may be an uprising tomorrow. Aron caught another man and he was interrogated upstairs, and it seems that Herby lied to us.” Unwillingly, the man made space for her. “Where are Ferd and Herby?”

  “Numbers four and seven,” the guard said, eyeing her suspiciously.

  “Hide that carafe,” she snapped. “You should not drink while on duty. What will happen when Aron sees you? He will be here in minutes.”

  “Yes, Lady,” he managed to say, and turned while she locked the door. “Thank you, Lady. Please don’t tell him.” He walked toward a small wooden door in the wall, opened it and hid the carafe inside with the care of a mother putting her child to bed. He closed the door and turned at the same time as Saliné’s dagger pierced his heart.

  With a faint whimper, he sagged in her arms and she struggled to lay him on the floor in silence. The second man died in his sleep. She went to the pegs in the wall and picked the fourth key from the left. I hope this is the right one. There were no numbers on the cells either, and she used the same logic, inserting the key in the lock of the fourth cell from the left. It worked, and she opened the door slowly, gripping the dagger in her hand. Ferd was sleeping, and she sighed.

  “Wake up,” she whispered, shaking his shoulder.

  Ferd opened his eyes, and for all his sorrow, a faint smile appeared on his lips.

  “Can you walk?”

  “I’ve taken a beating, but the real party was supposed to be tomorrow,” he said, and stood up. He stretched his body and the sound of creaking bones filled the silence. “What’s the plan, Lady Saliné?”

  “This is the plan.” She pushed one of her daggers into his hand and walked away.

  “You’re as sharp as this blade.” He weighed the dagger in his hand, following her. “You didn’t lose any time,” he said, glancing at the two bodies. “Where is Alma?”

  “Arrange them at the table as if they are asleep, and search each cell. Herby is in number seven. I will keep an eye on the corridor.” She went to the door, checked again that it was locked, and looked out from a corner of the small window: the corridor was still empty. “There must be another prisoner linked to you, but I don’t know her name.”

  Ferd took the keys from the wall, and opened the cells one by one. Alma was in the first, and he took her in his arms. “I am sorry, Alma,” he whispered, and led her out, then seated her on an empty chair. She nodded at him, her eyes fixed on Saliné. Walking briskly, he went to cell seven, where Herby was already awake.

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nbsp; “Kill me if you want, but first listen to me,” Herby said.

  “Speak.”

  “They captured me when I was leaving Severin and found the letter on me. That was already an issue, but Aron knew also about my last visit in Poenari to contact Codrin, and even more, he knew why I went there.”

  “Why should I believe you?”

  “I have nothing to lose. It was not me who delivered Alma to them. They were watching me, and found out that Alma had met me the day before, when she gave me the letter. And I think that they arrested Velna too.”

  “Why Velna?”

  “I told Codrin that Velna was helping you to organize the merchants. If you remember, there were two more names in the letter you send with me to Codrin. He did not mention them in the meeting, and only Velna was arrested today. Aron or the Circle has a spy in Poenari.”

  “Who was at that meeting?”

  “Vlad, Mara, Calin, Vlaicu, Sava, Laurent, Bernart and Siena.”

  “I will give you a chance,” Ferd said after a while. “I will leave your cell open, but you must wait five minutes after we leave.”

  “Better than nothing,” Herby shrugged.

  “Stay in your bed.”

  “Herby is ... alive,” Ferd said when he returned, then checked all other cells. “He told me that Aron caught Velna, but she is not here. I don’t know any of the other prisoners.” He glanced at Saliné, gesturing toward the cells. “They are all men, and seem to have been here for some time already, but none of them worked for Mohor. What should I do with them?”

  “If we have enough time, we free them too, but they should not see me,” Saliné said after a few moments’ thought. “No,” she whispered. “Alma, go into the cell, quickly. Ferd, quench two torches and hide behind the dead guards. Three men are coming, with Velna. She doesn’t look well. When they knock, tell them that the door is open. Speak as if you are drunk.”Swiftly, she unlocked the door.

  “Open the door, old rat,” one man said, knocking on the hard wood. “We have fresh meat for you. Good meat. We tested it all evening. The bastards are sleeping. Hey!” he banged his fist against the door.