Fate of the Tyrant (The Eoriel Saga Book 3)

by Kal Spriggs

  “Now,” the Grand Duke said, “Since we have settled this matter, it is time to focus on the military implications, which the Admiralty and General Schoelhorn’s command staff have prepared to discuss in detail.”

  Elias restrained a sigh. That was his cue. He glanced at General Schoelhorn who gave him a nod and Elias, in turn nodded at the soldiers who pulled a large map board central to the room. Elias stood, “Lords and Ladies,” he said and stepped out to stand in front of the map. “We've finished an evaluation of the threats we face.” He pointed to the south, where Freeport lay. “The ships of the Southern Fleet match us in numbers. With the addition of whatever weapons the renegade Iron Wizards can provide, Lord Admiral Hennings will be a match in quality as well. This makes engaging him problematic at best.” He paused to let that sink in. “At this time, we believe he has stationed a squadron of four ships at the southern end of the Ryft along with a second squadron to the south of the Basin. These ships are stopping and seizing all merchant vessels. Rumors continue to reach us that he has seized all port towns in the area, both those possessions of the Grand Duchy and independent towns.” He pointed at Port Hammer and Gruenlund both of which had been founded by the Grand Duchy, “His ships have been spotted as far east as Despair Bay.” He carefully didn't look over at Lady Diana as he finished, “there are also reports that captured merchant ships are being sent to Vendakar and that they are conducting trade along that coastline.”

  He heard grumbles at that. The Vendakar subcontinent had a number of goods that saw sale in the Five Duchies, but that didn't mean those goods were always welcome. It was one thing to import fruits and grains from the fertile and tropical lands. It was quite another when those imports were drugs, poisons, and religious or magical trinkets. Given the fact that many Vendakar merchants were slavers, much of their goods weren't welcome. Many of the Boir merchant houses saw their Vendakar equivalents as pirates and worse, often with good reason.

  The Vendakar Houses did little to make the situation better. Their own internal politics were such that inciting retribution from the Boir Ducal Navy was seen as a net benefit, so it wasn't uncommon for them to fly false colors when they attacked a merchant convoy, seeking to have Boir attack their enemies.

  “Given the income he's gained from pirating our ships as well as the income from trade with the Vendakar, we think it likely that he'll build up the shipyards in Freeport and possibly arm some of the larger merchant ships to act as raiders or scouts. It is likely that he'll seek to slip those into the Boir Sea to cause havoc among our own trade lanes.”

  He pointed to the map, “At this time, we have two vessels at the mouth of the Ryft and a squadron more at Port Riss to patrol the entrance to the Boir Sea. So long as Lady Katarina's forces hold the Ryftguard, she has agreed to keep it closed to military traffic, but that is a double edged sword as it prevents us from easily reaching our opponents.”

  He took a step back, “General Schoelhorn will brief positions of troops and our readiness in that regard and to give our overall impression.”

  General Schoelhorn came forward, “Lords and Ladies, we have a total of thirty thousand soldiers under arms.” He pointed at the map, “Five thousand along the northern coast, spread between Brachenshaven and Neubergen. Our Jaeger Brigade of three thousand men trained in mountain fighting are spread along the western reaches to defend against Norics. Two thousand more men in two battalions are stationed at Beckenoffnung to control passage to the Duchy of Asador. Here at Boirton we have a mix of five thousand foot and cavalry over two brigades: First Brigade and Third Brigade.”

  He pointed the lower edge of the Duchy, “Along our southern border, we have a heavier presence, with three heavy brigades of infantry with a full brigade of cavalry spread among them to guard against Noric raiders.” Elias watched the faces of the council and he saw understanding on their faces. Most of them realized that Taral had been the source of many of the Armen's allies when they had besieged Boir. The fallen duchy had succumbed to an alliance of multiple tribes of Norics, the largest of which was the Kras-nar-Thak.

  “On the other hand,” General Schoelhorn said, his voice harsh, “Lord Admiral Hennings has the Freeport garrison, some two thousand soldiers. We have also heard that he has begun to recruit mercenaries from the Vendakar, at least two battalions or nearly two thousand more men.” He pointed at the map, “We believe that Lord Admiral Hennings has sent envoys to the Norics in Taral and that he is attempting to win their support. They would provide a similar force to what they massed at the siege here: fifteen to twenty thousand fighters. That would allow him to hit one area with twenty five thousand or more men under arms.” Silence met that statement and he gave a nod as if he was glad to bear such bad news. “To be blunt, the longer that the war continues with Lord Admiral Hennings, the worse our position becomes. His ability to trade freely with the Vendakar and from his secure base of operations means he can steadily amass a larger force. If he gains an alliance with the Norics, he can march overland through Taral in force.”

  Dead silence met his statement and Elias couldn't help a grim sense of satisfaction himself. While the peril of his homeland was stark, the roots of that danger could be traced back to policies that many of the nobles on this council had backed. While it could be argued that Lord Admiral Hennings’ allies had been ousted or gone to support him at Freeport, it could also be argued that the cronyism and corruption that had allowed him to amass such power had thrived under the previous Grand Dukes.

  Grand Duke Becket had sought to keep it in check, but that had been more of an effort to centralize his own power, Elias thought. He had targeted political opponents such as the Restorationists with as much fervor as elements of corruption and ambition that Hennings represented.

  While Elias could regret the blow that the Grand Duchy had received in the loss of Grand Duke Becket, he could not mourn the passing of the man himself. The old Grand Duke had been arrogant, ill-tempered, and rumor had it, particularly harsh on common-born that he dealt with. His court and council had been one of infighting and finger pointing.

  Grand Duke Christoffer Tarken on the other hand... “This is the situation,” Grand Duke Tarken said. “How we have come here is irrelevant. What we must do is solidify our own situation and prepare counters to Lord Admiral Hennings.” He nodded at Elias, “At this time, I've authorized the Admiralty to issue Letters of Marque to those merchant captains who they think are capable of operations in the south. They will attack any enemy merchant ships there and also provide us with vital intelligence to his operations.” He smiled coldly, “Upon their returns from those voyages, they'll also provide us with additional income in the form of seized cargoes and vessels.”

  Elias saw Jeroen Kurth shift excitedly in his seat as he thought about that. Granted, such privateering had limits. Sooner or later Lord Admiral Hennings would have his merchant ships organized into convoys to better escort them. But that would also cost him more heavily and would draw away ships and men who might otherwise serve as an offensive threat. And even then, merchant ships will be vulnerable when they sail from convoy locations to their trade ports, he thought.

  “In addition, our men along the southern border have been ordered to provide supplies and weapons to the citizens of Taral. Such aid will allow them to conduct more attacks on the Norics and keep them off balance.” Elias nodded at that. While Taral had fallen to the Norics, a significant portion of its populace still survived in remote towns and villages throughout the Duchy's forests and hills. Those remnants, along with refugees who had settled in southern Boir and northern Marovingia, often fought back to reclaim parts of their ancestral lands from the Norics. It was a constant war, one which both Boir and Marovingia encouraged, both in support of the rightful inhabitants and to build goodwill from the refugees within their lands.

  “We must also be prepared for further Armen raids in the spring. While I think we have dealt them a serious blow by removing their bases on the Lonely Isle, it
would be a mistake to assume that some of them won't be either brave or desperate enough to voyage across the northern sea to attack our lands directly. Thus, we'll retain our garrisons in the north and come spring, we will have a large presence there to dissuade any attacks.”

  Elias felt some satisfaction at the nods from the council. Even Lord Erich, who had pressed so hard for an alliance with Lord Hector, didn't speak up at the cost of such an effort. At this point, they had come to trust their new Grand Duke's judgement, especially when his own cautions that the Usurper Duke was not to be trusted had proven true.

  Almost five hundred sailors and Marines paid the price of that mistake, Elias thought with a frown. While he did hope that an alliance might be forged between Masov and Boir, he was not foolish enough to think that it would be possible with Duke Hector in command of the Duchy of Masov. He rather hoped that Lady Katarina succeeded in ousting her cousin, the sooner the better.

  “I have also contacted Baron Artar of the Iron Fortress in Asador,” Grand Duke Tarken said. “He has offered the service of a battalion of heavy cavalry, to strengthen our patrols along the southern border.”

  Elias's eyes widened at that and he saw that General Schoelhorn looked just as shocked. Asador's cavalry was renowned, but everyone knew that the ongoing civil war there meant that most noblemen had few enough troops to spare. “Apparently, he's worked out a treaty with the Baron of Altas Lagar and he's sending some of his younger and more... boisterous cavalry troopers to facilitate that treaty.”

  Elias nodded slowly as he realized what that meant. Asador's ongoing civil war was as much a product of their nobility's ambition as it was their culture. Their people were notoriously hot-blooded and eager to fight. If Baron Artar wanted to keep the peace with his fellows over the winter, then sending some of his more reckless young men to a distant land to fight was a good option, especially if someone else had to deal with feeding and sustaining them.

  Asador was unique among the Five Duchies in that they still retained a full school of Wizardry at Ortava Peak. The Fire Wizards produced a constant flow of runic weapons and equipment for the nobility of Asador and their vassal troops. That meant that much of Asador's heavy cavalrymen were better armed and armored than almost anyone else in the Five Duchies. That was one reason that mercenary companies from Asador were in high demand, especially on the rare occasions when the civil war there cooled down. Those two battalions from Baron Artar would be incredibly dangerous in a stand up fight.

  Elias looked over at Lady Diana who had a frown on her face. “Your Grace,” she said, her face clouded, “I have a question given some of the information you reported about the Iron Wizards.” Elias didn't miss the archaic form of address, it was something of a confirmation about rumors he had heard amongst other Restorationists: that she might well support their cause. “We had operated under the assumption that Lord Admiral Hennings did not have direct support or access to wizard's constructs and devices.”

  “We have,” Lord Erich said, “But we know now that he'll be able to make weapons.”

  “I'm more worried about the other devices,” Lady Diana said. “We know it is possible to create a wizard's device to talk across long distances, a signifier.” She tapped the table, “What about a device built to listen... one that could be placed in a conference room such as this?”

  Dead silence met her question. Elias felt his stomach sink as he realized the implications... that Lord Admiral Hennings might have listened to their every word, every discussion. The tactical implications weren't as severe as the strategic and political ones. The renegade nobleman would be able to counter their strategies before they put them into effect and would know where they were weakest. Worse, he would know which nobles disagreed with the Grand Duke's policies... and he might be able to turn them to his cause as a result.

  “I think we need to confer with the Iron Wizards,” Grand Duke Tarken said.

  ***

  It turned out that it was possible for a device to work in that fashion. Senior Wizard Scheer had a frustrated look on his face as he and several junior wizards moved through the council chambers. They had already found two suspicious items, one bolted to the underside of a table and another set in an alcove not far from where Grand Duke Tarken sat.

  Elias had remained in the chamber to provide some military oversight, while General Schoelhorn had taken his troops to sweep the entire building looking for similar devices. Elias felt doubtful that they would find many such devices in the entire fortress. Not that there wouldn't be several, but there were too many chambers and corridors to hide such tiny objects.

  Elias turned as he saw someone enter. He frowned as he noticed Siara Pall, followed by two women, both weighted down with boxes with a variety of plants. She ignored the Iron Wizards and moved around the room, placing the plants and then pacing off to place others in an odd pattern.

  Senior Wizard Scheer immediately stopped what he was doing and the other wizards with him slowly came to a halt as well. Elias felt a bit of amusement as Siara brushed past them, continuing her work. Scheer's face grew red with irritation and he spoke in a loud voice, “Admiral, I'll not expose inner secrets of the Iron Wizards where they can be picked up by servants and foreigners. Nor will I expose my students to such base superstitions and shamanism.”

  Siara Pall didn't look up from where she carefully adjusted the potted plant, to the point that she turned a flowering head slightly so the purple, tri-petaled flower was open. “Sheltering yourself from things you do not understand is foolish,” she said with a calm voice. “Especially when you don't know who I am. These flowers will help us to find any other devices.””

  Senior Wizard Scheer stood up straighter, “I don't care who you think you are, I can tell you're either a delusional, poorly educated savage, or else a scam-artist taking advantage of noblemen who don't know any better. I've dealt with all kinds before and I'll not tolerate it, not when we are focused on serious work.”

  Elias winced and he opened his mouth to interrupt. Siara was soon to marry the Grand Duke, and no one should address her in such a fashion. Before he could speak, she shot him a look and he closed his mouth. “These are spiderwort, a flower whose stamen change color in the presence of radiation, which is common in wizard devices as a means of transmission, at least among the Wizards of the Darkstar Kingdom.”

  Scheer's mouth dropped and Siara spoke on as she paced out and placed another plant, “Spiderwort is best for locating such devices within a short distance, but I've modified these particular plants to add luminescence and increase their sensitivities. I've carefully placed them in a pattern designed to intercept any such transmissions... so any devices you've missed will cause the flowers to glow slightly, which will also allow us to triangulate location based upon some simple geometry... which shouldn't be beyond someone as well-educated as yourself.”

  Elias didn't miss how a pair of the junior wizards covered their grins, or how Scheer's face had gone almost purple with a mix of rage and indignation. “Also, have you verified what those devices are, before handling them? The Masters of Darkstar often lay traps upon their devices, so that they can kill those who handle them without care.”

  One of the junior wizards gave a start and dropped the device he held in one hand and the others stepped back, expressions of nervousness on their faces. Scheer's face turned a pasty color as he looked down at the larger device he held.

  “Of course,” Siara said with a slight smile, “you need not listen to an uneducated savage like me... but I'll be telling my betrothed, Grand Duke Tarken about what I find.”

  No, Elias thought to himself, Miss Siara didn't need any help from me.

  ***

  Siara Pall

  Siara paused as she entered her Lord's study. The Grand Duke of Boir, her betrothed, sat at his desk, despite the late hour, his attention just as focused upon papers and reports as when she had gone to bed, several hours previously.

  His dedication to his people
was one thing which she loved most about him. That was not to say that she approved of how hard he sometimes worked himself. Besides, she thought, tomorrow is an important day, it wouldn't do to have him fall asleep or pass out.

  “My Lord,” Siara said, “Perhaps you should come to bed.”

  He looked up, his eyelids heavy but his ice-blue eyes piercing, even so. “Sorry, my love,” he said with a glance around, “I lost track of the time, I'm afraid. The implications that Hennings might know our every move until now are distressing... especially given the sensitive nature of much of our discussions.”

  She came over and gave him a smile, “It will be fine, my Lord. He did not have his eyes everywhere. Besides, if you push yourself too hard, you'll do half his work for him.” She took his hand and pressed it against the slight bulge of her belly, “And don't forget, soon, you'll be a father again and you'll need all the rest you can get.”

  He gave her a slight smile in return, though his face went serious, “If I'm to be a husband and father again, I'll caution you, in turn, against some of the risks you have taken. I've heard quite a bit about how you've set most of the noblewomen in the Citadel at odds, but now I hear you've made an enemy of the Iron Wizards?”

  Siara gave a laugh, though she didn't let him pull his hand away, she could feel the child stir within her and she wanted him to feel his father's touch and recognize his voice. My son will not betray his father, she thought, he will be every bit the man his father is, the champion of his people, and he will know how much his father loves him.

  “The Iron Wizard in question already thought little of me,” Siara said with a wicked smile. The old lecher's face as he had stared at her told her enough: that he was a sad, pathetic man who feared and hated women in general. “Embarrassing him has at least taught him to respect me in his hatred.” Her smile turned broader as she thought of the latest incident with noblewomen who had offered to “help” with her upcoming wedding, “As for the harridans and harpies who hate me for 'stealing' such an eligible husband... they can chew on their livers and die of envy. The lot of them are useless women, half of them acting like spoiled girls and the other half are married women who should worry more about pleasing their husbands than their social status.”