“That was a noble act, Your Highness,” commented Beverly.
“They’re just scared,” she replied. “Valmar should be protecting these people, not shutting them out. When we get to the Palace, I want you to go and find Valmar and bring him to me. Can you do that?”
“With pleasure, Highness,” Beverly replied.
Once the crowd began to ease their struggles, the carriage continued on its path, with the farmers cheering them as they passed by. Soon, they were moving through the massive gates of Wincaster and entering the city proper. It was funny, thought Beverly, how I keep ending up back in the capital.
* * *
They arrived at the Palace with little fanfare. The Royal Standard was not flying, indicating no royal was in residence, and it soon became apparent why. The king was still in Shrewesdale, along with his sons, leaving the city without any leadership. Even Marshal-General Valmar was gone. Apparently, upon hearing of the invasion, he took it upon himself to travel to Shrewesdale to alert the king in person. His audience with the princess would have to wait.
The princess began issuing orders as soon as they arrived. She wanted all the capital's troop captains summoned to the Palace. Plans for the defence of the realm needed to be made immediately, so messengers were sent even as Anna, along with her dog Tempus, made their way into the Palace. The rest of her group trailed behind, last being Arnim, as he issued orders to the guards.
They met in a drawing room where Anna sat down in a large chair, her loyal hound lying beneath her feet.
“We must act quickly,” she said. “Ideas, anyone?”
It was Gerald that spoke first, “We have little to work with Your Highness. The quality of troops here is not very high.”
“Agreed,” Beverly said, drawing upon her time in the capital. “They're not battle-hardened.”
“Then I shall make it the job of you two to do what you can to make them ready. Gerald, you’ve worked with foot soldiers before, I’m making you my commander. You will take control of the footmen. Beverly, you will command whatever cavalry we can muster. Arnim, you will remain in command of the Royal Bodyguard, they’ll form the headquarters' detachment. We’re going to be marching an army; we need to organize our supply lines. Who can do that?”
“I can sort that out with Gerald, Your Highness,” offered Beverly. “We’ve done long patrols in the past, this will just be a bit more complicated.”
“Excellent,” the princess continued, “it’s important that we take all our food with us, we can’t stop to forage. We're running out of time.”
“Just what is the plan, Your Highness?” Beverly had hesitated to ask but felt compelled to find how they were going to proceed.
“We will march to Kingsford as soon as we can muster an army, then we move to help Bodden.”
There was a stunned silence in the room as everyone looked around.
“Will Bodden be able to hold out?” The princess directed this question at her new knight.
“Yes,” said Beverly, “my father is well equipped to handle a prolonged siege.”
“Excellent, then what’s the problem?”
“We don’t have enough troops, Princess,” said Armin, “We can’t leave the city defenceless.”
“Tell me, Beverly, how fast does an army move?”
"How large, Your Highness?” she countered.
“Say, a thousand men.”
“It would move slowly, Your Highness, especially if they have to live off the land.”
“I’m betting the invasion force has a tenuous supply line at best. They need to take Kingsford if they want to move supplies in, and that means a siege. From what I’ve read about Kingsford, it would require a large army to take the city so, short of some kind of magic or miracle, our invaders are probably digging siege lines, and that will take weeks, so we have some breathing space.”
“Gerald,” she continued, “do you remember the dressmaker?”
“The one you ordered the green cloak from?” he asked.
“She was an Elf, wasn’t she?” The princess was going somewhere with this, but Beverly had no idea where.
“What of it? There are many Elves in the city,” Gerald replied.
“Yes, but where do Elves come from?”
Everyone in the room looked confused, they weren’t following the logic, but Beverly began to see where she was going with it.
“From the Darkwood,” she supplied, “that’s where Elves come from, isn’t it?” She looked to Revi for confirmation, but the mage was silent.
“Yes, we're going to go the Darkwood and ask the Elves for help.”
“Is that wise, Highness,” asked Arnim. “How do we know we can trust them?”
“Don’t you think, Captain, that if they were going to attack us, they would have done so years ago? Besides, we are going to offer them something in return.”
“That being?” asked Arnim.
“I haven’t quite figured that part out yet. The Darkwood is a day and a half to the east of Wincaster, down the old east road. I propose that we take only a small group, leaving the main garrison here. Gerald, you and Beverly will lay out some training plans for the troops, but I want you with me when we go east. The captains will be arriving shortly. I want you two to brief them, I have other matters to attend to. Remember, I have placed you two in command so don’t let the captains bully you. You’re appointed by the crown. If you have to replace someone, you have the full authority to do so.”
She rose from her seat and left the room, the hound Tempus following along behind her.
Beverly looked at Gerald, “It looks like we have a full day ahead of us. How do you want to proceed?”
Gerald returned her look. “Let’s meet the captains first; once we have a handle on them, we can inspect the companies. I suggest we do it quickly, catch them by surprise before they expect it.”
Beverly smiled, “Devious, I like it. Is that how you kept the soldiers at Bodden in top shape?”
He smiled back, “Now now, I can’t go revealing all my secrets.”
They met with the company commanders, and the news was not good. The garrison at Wincaster was small, only 500 men to defend the largest city in the kingdom. The quality of the troops was little better. There were some good archers, and the footmen had a smattering of veterans, but, by and large, they were untried in combat and lacking any real training.
There were two companies of heavy foot, the highly armoured infantry that was so effective in combat, but their heavy armour precluded them from marching quickly. They would have to remain in the capital or slow down the entire army. They both agreed the bowmen were essential, but they couldn’t leave the city without archers, so unless others could be recruited, it slimmed down their numbers considerably. Beverly hoped the princess was right; if the Elves could be convinced to send even a small force of archers, it might be enough.
The training began with Gerald concentrating on teaching the infantry how to stand in a shield wall, while Beverly started working with the cavalry. Being woefully under-trained, she focused on fighting from the saddle rather than worrying about formations. It was not perfect, but it would have to do.
Arnim did what he could with his Royal Bodyguard. He obtained better armour and weapons for them from the Palace Armoury and then worked on their individual combat skills. They would not be expected to stand in a line of battle, but they must be able to guard the princess.
Revi was trying to crack the riddle of the Saurian tablets. It was two days before the princess called them together again. They all gathered in the drawing room, what appeared to be her favourite meeting place. Once again, Tempus acted as her footstool, lying obediently while she absently rubbed him with her feet.
“I’ve made some enquiries,” she began, “and I think I know how to contact the Elves.”
“I thought we were just going to march to the Darkwood?” stated Captain Arnim.
“That would do no good. The Elves don’t come out of
the woods unless they want to, and no good ever came from entering that place uninvited.”
“Then how do we contact them?” he continued probing.
“There’s an inn called the Last Hope, and it sits on the road just at the edge of the Darkwood. It’s run by a man called Falcon.”
“I've heard that name before,” announced Beverly. “Is this Falcon a King’s Ranger?”
“He used to be, but he left the service a few years ago and disappeared. Rumour has it he now runs the Last Hope, and he is the person to see when someone wants to get hold of Elven goods.”
“That’s great, that means he has contacts with the Elves,” chimed in Revi.
“Yes,” agreed Arnim, “but does that mean he’ll help us?”
“We don’t know for sure,” said Anna, “but he was a King’s Ranger. Hopefully, he’ll have some respect left for the crown. I’ve gone over the books here, and I’m ready to offer him a sizable bounty if he can accommodate our request. This will be important for us, for without their help, we don’t have any chance of success. Even with a few Elves helping us we'll have to defeat two armies. The odds are not in our favour. Anyone is free to back out now if they want.”
She looked around the room. No one moved. Beverly looked at Captain Caster, but he was silent.
“I’m in,” she said, “to the end, one way or another.”
“Me too,” agreed Gerald.
“It goes without saying,” said Captain Caster, “that I’m in.”
“I suppose it’s a golden opportunity to try out some new magic,” said Revi. “I’ve deciphered a lot of those tablets.”
“Good,” said Anna, “then it’s decided. We depart first thing tomorrow morning. Leave instructions for the troops to continue training. Captain Caster, I want your guard to remain here and train, between Beverly, Gerald and yourself, I’ll have enough protection.”
Arnim opened his mouth to protest, but the princess cut him off.
“It’s not open for negotiation, Captain. If you wish to object you may complain to the marshal-general, after all this is over, assuming we survive.”
“I would like to accompany you, Your Highness,” said Revi, “I think I may be of use to you.”
“Agreed. Everybody, see to your duties. We leave at first light. Beverly, stay a moment, I want to talk to you.”
The rest of the group filed out to make their preparations. When the door closed behind the last person, Beverly turned to face the princess, “Your Highness?”
She had no idea where this was going, and it was a feeling she was starting to have regularly around this young princess who was nothing like her sister, Margaret.
“Gerald tells me you know a lot about horses, is that true?”
“Yes, Your Highness,” Beverly warily responded.
“Good, because I need you to do me a favour,” said Anna, somewhat timidly.
“A favour, Highness? Don’t you mean a command?”
“No, well maybe, I’m not sure.”
“What is it, Highness, what’s troubling you?”
“Well,” the young girl responded, “I need a horse.”
“There are plenty in the Royal Stable, that shouldn’t be a problem.” Beverly was still waiting for the real reason for this line of questioning, for it had to be going somewhere.
“It’s not that, it’s just that I…I’m not very good at riding, and I need a horse that’s going to behave. Usually, I travel by carriage or by wagon, but I know that would slow us down.”
Beverly smiled, seeing the little girl still inside the princess. “I shall find you the perfect mount, Your Highness, quick of foot and even of temper. I will look into it immediately.”
“Thank you, Dame Beverly,” said Anna, “and please, don’t mention it to the others.”
Beverly smiled again, “It will be our secret, Your Highness.”
* * *
It did not take long to find a suitable mount and Beverly made her way back to the Palace to inform the princess. She knocked on the door to the study and hearing a quiet, “Enter,” she opened the door.
Princess Anna was sitting at a large desk with a massive tome in front of her. The pages were illuminated with colourful script, and Beverly strained to see what the volume held. “Light reading, Highness?” she asked.
“It’s the charter of nobility, a list of all the nobles of Merceria. You’re in here, along with your father of course. There’s also an entry when you were knighted.”
“Looking for something in particular, Your Highness?” asked Beverly.
“Yes, I’m looking for some clues, but I haven’t found any yet.”
“To what, if I might ask?”
Anna suddenly looked up, and Beverly could swear she was embarrassed for some reason, for her face had turned red. “Oh, nothing important, I was merely looking up the family tree. How did you make out with the horse?”
“I’ve found the perfect animal for Your Highness. I’ll make sure it’s saddled and ready to go tomorrow. What kind of saddle will you want?”
The princess showed a blank look. “What kind of saddle?”
“Yes, Your Highness, what kind of saddle do you want?”
“One that you sit on?” she answered hesitantly.
Beverly saw the lack of understanding written all over the young face, “I’m sorry, Highness, I meant to ask if you wanted to ride side-saddle or upright?”
“Oh,” said the princess, “I’ll ride the same as you.”
“Very well, Your Highness, I’ll see to all the arrangements.”
“Thank you. Oh, and Lily will be riding with me, will that change anything?”
“No Ma’am, you’re both light, the horse shouldn’t have any problems. Is there anything else?”
“Yes, actually. You’re a lady, that is to say, you’re the daughter of a baron, correct?”
“Yes, Ma’am,” Beverly replied cautiously. Speaking with the princess was like walking a rabbit infested field; she never knew when she would stumble into a hole.
“Well, I was wondering if you might help me,” continued a now shy Anna.
“Of course. In what way?”
“I’ve sort of made a mistake, you see. I left Sophie in Uxley, and now I can’t dress myself properly.”
Beverly looked at her blankly. “What do you mean?” she asked.
“I mean, I need someone to tie up my corset and help braid my hair. I have to act like a royal now, especially leading an army.”
“Then I shall be your lady-in-waiting until you get your maid back,” Beverly almost breathed a sigh of relief with how simple the request was. “I braid my hair all the time. Besides, you're only a little younger than my cousin, and I’ve braided her hair lots of times.”
“Thank you,” responded a grateful Anna.
“Your welcome, Highness,” she replied.
Thirty
The Last Hope
Spring 960 MC
The early morning mist was still blanketing the land as they set out on their mission. They would have left before sun up, but they had to wait for Revi. The mage finally arrived looking dishevelled.
“You look tired, Master Bloom,” said Beverly. “Did your apprentice not look after you?”
“What apprentice?” snarled Revi. “I don’t have one.”
“Well,” muttered Beverly, “I guess he’s not a morning person.” She raised her voice slightly, “Perhaps you might consider training one to look after you. Remember, you’re the master now.”
“I haven’t the time for an apprentice. It takes years just to teach them to read and write. Besides, it’s hard to find someone who has the potential. Not anyone can be a mage, you know.”
“So how do you know if someone has the potential?” she asked, trying to make conversation with the prickly mage.
Revi brought his horse up alongside Beverly, “That’s a good question. Normally, we would look for magic in the family, but it’s rare to have that kind of informat
ion these days. The ideal candidate would be dexterous and possess an inquisitive nature. They would typically always be busy with their hands and would love learning and solving riddles and such.”
Beverly almost stopped her horse. “Wait, you say they would be good with their hands, even at a young age?”
“Yes,” he agreed, warming to their conversation. “They often exhibit symptoms or knowledge of the primary schools of magic.”
“Let me see, that would be earth, fire, water and air along with life, death, enchantments and hexes, is that right?”
Revi looked gobsmacked. “For a knight, you show an uncanny knowledge of the schools of magic. How do you come by this information, if I might ask?”
“I have a cousin, Aubrey Brandon, who fits that description perfectly. Do you think she might have magical potential?”
“I think it would be worth investigating at some point in the future. How old is she?”
“Let me see, I think she’s sixteen now. She’s a voracious reader and remembers everything. She even figured out how to rebuild a bridge.”
“Impressive for someone so young. I’ll have to pay her a visit once we’ve finished with all this business.”
“All this business?” she said, teasing him.
“Yes, all this invasion nonsense. I have research to do, much more important than gallivanting around the countryside stopping a rebellion. That Saurian Temple we found could change the way we look at magic. If I can decipher the runes, it would mean instantaneous travel across great distances, just think of it.”
She couldn’t make up her mind if the mage were inspired or insane, and decided not to push it. “Well,” she said at last, “this business won’t end happily if we don’t find the Elves, so we’d best get moving.”
The small column headed east, out of the city, Beverly leading the way. The princess followed, with Lily on the same horse, while Gerald rode along beside her. Arnim and Revi brought up the rear, chatting together amicably. The mage seemed to talk for most of the time, and she was thankful that he remained at the back of their column.
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