by Alex Avrio
“From what I understand, nothing good,” Regina replied.
Morgenstern had managed to recover his composure.
“You said that the Merchant Blades can help us get them back from Korthi,” he said looking directly at Jaeger.
“Yes,” Jaeger replied. “Eressian Hussars can’t ride into the city. They’ll have to stay in the countryside well out of sight. But a small number of us can get into the city, and snatch them back.”
Morgenstern looked at him blankly.
“Merchant Blades are always crossing in and out of Korthi. No one will think twice about a party of us entering the city. We’ll go to the hostage merchants and buy them back. If it’s done quickly, maybe the Duke will never know they were ever there.”
There was a dangerous sparkle in Morgenstern’s blue eyes, something Regina didn’t like.
“Good plan, with one small modification: I will be coming too,” he said.
“We both will,” Schaefer said.
“No, no, no–” Regina muttered.
“Fine,” Jaeger said coolly. “We’ll find you some blue coats.”
27 THE MERCHANTS OF KORTHI
“ARE you bloody insane?” Regina hissed at Jaeger once Morgenstern and Schaefer had walked away. “Do you even know what you’ve done?”
He raised an eyebrow. Regina was further enraged by his nonchalance.
“Any risk to fulfil a contract is ours to take. To pass people who are not Merchant Blades as fellow members is against the charter. You know the consequences.”
“Unimportant. We signed the contract, Fitzwaters. If the princess doesn’t turn up at the Winter Palace, we'll be dead anyway.”
“I signed that infernal contract because of you,” she shouted. A few heads turned towards them and then swiftly back to minding their own business. Regina instantly regretted putting this out in the open.
“I confess I had my reasons for wanting this job, mostly because it was an opportunity to help my Motherland,” Jaeger said without emotion, “but I keep my team safe. Or do my best to.”
“Your best is clearly not good enough. Either we get ourselves killed on this job; or word gets out, and we'll be expelled from the guild. Please care about this! This is my good name and livelihood we’re talking about.”
“I do it for a living too,” Jaeger pointed out.
“Without a rat’s tail given for your reputation, as we well know.” A second thing Regina instantly regretted saying.
Jaeger’s face darkened. “You’re Merrovigian and do not understand what's going on here, but yes, if it stops a civil war, I don’t care. I'm an Eressian officer, I love my country and I would do anything for it. Perhaps you think that if Eressia goes up in flames it won’t spread to Merrovigia, you’re mistaken. Your country has much fat; it will light quickly and burn bright.”
“Why are you dragging Merrovigia into the mess your compatriots have made?” Regina asked.
“Because your fat lice Empress and ministers and merchants have been sucking us dry,” Jaeger snarled.
“Then don’t start a bloody war,” Regina replied coldly. She turned to leave but Jaeger grabbed her arm.
“I have done everything to keep you both safe and comfortable all this time,” he said.
A few more heads turned their way and looked away fast.
“Take your hand off me or have it broken,” Regina said dryly. “Whatever made you think I need you to keep me safe?”
Jaeger said nothing. Suddenly, like a powerful gale, it hit her. Why he had tried to keep her safe. Why he’d been so agreeable all this time. Why he’d let her off some of her duties and given her so much slack. He’d seen her be sick in the morning enough times to think–
“You thought I was carrying your child?”
Jaeger looked at the ground.
“I had a stomach upset, you idiot!” she shouted, unable to stop herself. “If I was pregnant, wouldn’t I have told you by now?” But would she? It had been just enough time since The Crow. Jaeger hadn’t been entirely unreasonable in his assumptions. She turned to face him.
“And supposing you were right, what would we do with a baby?” Regina took a deep breath. “We can’t be far apart, so what would we do while I was expecting? Take a vacation in a cottage in a peaceful village?” Regina saw in Jaeger’s face that was exactly what he’d thought. Sometimes the way he thought still surprised her.
“And, I ask you, what would we have done with a child while we make a living? Hire a governess?”
“I already pay for the upkeep of seven children and three adults. I don’t see one more would make much difference,” said Jaeger. “How much do babies eat anyway? I’d send it to my sister to bring up with her own.”
“Did you, at any point, think to ask me what I wanted? Anyway, there is no child: get that through your thick skull. Even if there was, no child of mine would be brought up in an Eressian home.”
“What's wrong with an Eressian home?” Jaeger asked, sparks of anger in his voice.
“Because it would turn out like its cowpat of a father,” Regina spat and walked away through the upturned faces of the Hussars. All had turned to look when she had bad-mouthed Eressia but knew better than to get involved in a domestic fight.
Jaeger stayed in the clearing. Regina walked briskly towards the rest of the team.
“What are you all looking at?” she snapped. “Go get ready. We’re riding to Korthi.”
She was angry, with the full force of the realization that the signs of real affection Jaeger had been showing for the last few days – that she’d thought were for her – had been nothing of the sort. This was never going to work, was never meant to work, had always been meant as torture, as punishment. Damn this mess, Regina thought. Damn Jaeger. Double-damn Nephthys.
Bianca climbed the stairs once more to her husband’s library. This time her brother, Francesco Di Angelo, was with her. He now enjoyed a prominent place in the Duke’s court in exchange for a promise of loyalty. Bianca knocked on the door and entered. The study, illuminated by many candles, smelt of old books, beeswax and lavender. Bianca and Francesco sat down and accepted wine.
Enrico sat comfortably in his armchair, a chessboard with a game of chess unfolding in front of him.
“Do you play?” he asked Francesco. “It keeps the mind sharp.”
“Yes, Your Grace.” Francesco replied. One eye studied the board. The other was an empty socket hidden under a leather eyepatch.
“This game was set in motion a while ago,” Enrico said, “but is coming to fruition now.” He pulled a letter on heavy paper with elaborate handwriting from the pocket of his embroidered waistcoat. “As of this morning, we have very distinguished guests in our city.”
Bianca and Francesco exchanged a glance. They decided to let the Duke tell them more before they asked anything.
“My dear brother,” Enrico said to Francesco, who shifted expectantly in his chair, “you might not be familiar with Korthi’s diplomacy yet, but for a while we have been building our relations with Eressia. With the war it was difficult to favor one power and not offend the other, but now we can pursue our agenda. I have long sought an alliance with Eressia. It has been complicated, but our diplomats have made solid trade arrangements. It needed to be sealed with a marriage, but they are too proud to marry one of their princesses to me.”
Bianca sat up, a storm on her face.
“Do not worry, my dear. I would not want one if they gave her to me with half of Eressia as dowry. I have you,” Enrico said. Bianca smiled sweetly and took a sip of her wine. Enrico took the white queen from the board and felt the intricate carvings with his fingertips. “Exquisite workmanship,” he commented, then put her back on the board. “As it happens, not one, but two princesses of Eressia are now within our walls.”
“That’s fortunate,” Francesco commented.
“It has nothing to do with luck,” Enrico smiled. “It has to do with information and planning.” He brought his fing
ertips together. “My agents have been working hard at this. It is your turn to enter this game. I hear you can be charming with the ladies.”
Francesco shrugged and then remembered that Enrico couldn’t see him.
“It is not for me to say, Your Grace. But yes, I have been known to have some success in that regard.”
“There is Lady Rosamynd, promised to the prince of Neidenwalde. And there is Lady Emilia, promised to no one. I would like you to charm your way into her heart. Make her fall in love with you. She must be married to you before she returns to Eressia.”
Francesco was speechless for a moment. “As you wish, Your Grace,” he said, “but her family might object to the marriage.”
Enrico picked up the black bishop and placed him next to the white queen. “You have an eye more than I have, and that is enough. I believe that her brother will be in a position where he can do nothing but accept this marriage. She and Lady Rosamynd shall be guests here. I have already purchased them. You shall go this morning and rescue them from the hostage merchants. Walk in, demand their release, bring them to the palace. Help them recover from their ordeal. Shower them with attention and gifts. You shall be her hero. Then you shall be her husband.”
“Who is her brother?” Bianca asked, suspicion brewing.
“Lothaer the third, Emperor of Eressia.”
Bianca brought her hand to her mouth while Francesco gasped. “That is– ambitious, your Grace.”
“It is.”
“While my life is yours to command, I believe that the Emperor will have me killed as soon as I set foot in Eressia,” Francesco said.
“We have ways of keeping you safe. Lothaer will be enraged. Killing you, though, will be too obvious, even for him.” Enrico leaned forward. “Emilia is next in line for the Eressian throne.”
“But, Your Grace, the Emperor has children of his own,” Francesco said.
“Are you familiar with Eressian inheritance law?” the Duke asked.
Francesco shook his head. Finally he said, “No.”
“It is fascinating: a remnant of the time of the Great Eastern Wars. It was, and still is, the right of the mightiest. The fortune of the family passes to the next adult sibling if the children of the first child have not come of age. If, for example, you were to die, unless your children had reached maturity, it would be Bianca and not your offspring who would inherit. The idea was that a child wouldn't be able to defend the family estate and fortune, and fight for the Emperor. So only adults inherit.”
“What happens when the children reach adulthood?” Bianca asked.
“Eressia is a warrior Empire, and retains many of those characteristics. In the old days, if the child survived it was acceptable to challenge their uncle or aunt to a duel. A young pup against a seasoned warrior? It rarely ends well, so usually nothing changes. These days the children get a living allowance, a dowry and little else. Most join the army for a decent career. Infantry mostly – cavalry is expensive.”
Enrico now picked up the two white knights. “I fear I may have confused you with these details. Just know this: if the Emperor were to meet with an unfortunate demise, your future wife would become Empress of Eressia. And the brother-in-law of the Duke of Korthi will be her husband. Now do you understand what is at stake?”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“We must move fast.” Enrico opened his palm holding the two white horses. “The knights of Eressia will be looking for their princesses.”
“Have no fear, your Grace. They have brutal force but I have charm.” Enrico felt the seductive power of Francesco’s broad smile without having to see it. He had chosen well. Time for the game to unfold.
28 KNIGHTS OF ERESSIA
A little after nightfall a small group of Merchant Blades entered the Wine Barrel inn and took a table in the shadiest corner. The recent arrivals fell upon dinner with gusto, and ordered multiple jugs of the inn’s famous sweet wine. To a casual observer they were no different from any of the other bands of Merchant Blades that regularly passed through.
An aroma of food and fresh bread mixed with the smell of smoke from the pipes of the patrons. Regina found it a pleasant change from the grimy inns of Border Town: their spilt beer, vomit, and piss. Briggs lit his pipe and stretched his legs. Summers followed Briggs’ example and puffed out little smoke rings. Jaeger emptied the jug of wine into his cup and waved for more. Morgenstern put down his clay cup.
“Much as I love to sit around and do nothing, we are short of time – maybe we should consider actually looking for the ladies?” he said quietly to Jaeger. Jaeger took the jug from the waitress with a warm smile. He poured a drink for Morgenstern and himself and waited until she was out of earshot.
“We just got here. No mercenaries would leave a nice warm inn after they just arrived in a town for any reason, unless it was to find a brothel. Which we’ll do later.”
Morgenstern’s face flushed. Second Lieutenant Adler’s face went even brighter red.
“Don’t you have anything to say?” he asked Regina. She swallowed her last mouthful and wiped her mouth on her sleeve.
“He’s right,” she said. “It would be unusual not to waste away the evening. And unusual gets noticed. The Duke has a network of spies who must not suspect that we’re anything other than a band of Blades looking for our next job.” She took more wine. “Good stuff, this. Anyway, prostitutes always know things. If they’ve sold our quarry, there’ll be men with lots of money about. And it’ll be prostitutes they’ll spend it on. The drunk brags at night. So we need to meet his nighttime companions.”
It was several hours before Jaeger got up. Morgenstern and Adler followed. Regina stretched and got up too. Schaefer shot her a questioning look.
“We’re going too,” Regina explained.
“I beg your pardon?” Schaefer exclaimed, looking at one face after another, searching for the joke.
“It is no place for ladies,” Morgenstern said indignantly.
Regina smiled. “Will both of you get it in your heads that you’re mercenaries and act accordingly?” She turned to Schaefer “Don’t look so worried, we’ll be playing cards, that’s all. Another great way of gathering information, especially if you’re losing. Unless of course you want to visit upstairs?”
After a long night out, Regina looked forward to sleep in a proper bed. She’d taken a bath and was enjoying the feeling of clean linen and feather-stuffed quilt. Putting her dirty clothes out to be washed overnight was good use of a silver coin, and she left her boots out too to be polished. The pillow she plumped. Now she had to share the bed with Arlanza Schaefer, who sat on the end of the bed, brushing her hair, she realized how used she was to sleeping with Jaeger at her side. Even though in the beginning she’d resented it. The innkeeper had segregated soldiers from officers, men from women.
“Will you hurry up?” she called to Schaefer. “I want to catch a few hours’ sleep before daybreak.” The old uneasiness of sharing quarters with an Eressian stranger was back.
“I’ll be done in a moment,” Schaefer said, untangling a particularly stubborn strand, setting her blonde hair in a night braid.
“Left-handed, and a woman,” Regina observed. “That must have been fun at War School.”
“Only a little bit more difficult than being right-handed and a woman,” Schaefer said dryly.
“Piece of cake, then,” Regina smiled. Schaefer laughed.
“Good night,” Regina said blowing out the candle. “It’s going to be a long day tomorrow.”
Jaeger stretched his legs. He took a big swig from the bottle of the strongest spirit the innkeeper could provide him with.
Morgenstern looked at him with contempt in his eyes. “Have you turned into a drunkard along with everything else?” he said.
“I could always hold my drink better than you,” Jaeger commented. He offered the bottle to Morgenstern who shook his head. “Your loss,” Jaeger muttered.
“We have work to do tomorrow,” Morgen
stern protested. “Though I have to admit that you do have a way with the whores.” His lip curled as he spoke.
Jaeger took another swig. “It’s because I speak to them. You’d be surprised what you can learn.”
“Is this the company you keep nowadays?”
“Some of our most lucrative contracts are escorting convoys of working ladies from one place to another.”
“What have you become, Jaeger?” Morgenstern said, frost creeping into his voice. “You would have been better off dead.”
Jaeger put the bottle down slowly on the uneven planks of the table. “No, I don’t believe I would. Dead people lie in the ground and rot, useful only to the worms. When people depend on one – the whole Jaeger clan now, and Hansel – and one has no family salt mine to pay debts and reparation taxes, one is better off working.”
Morgenstern’s face turned white. “Or you could have shot yourself after Hildenburg,” he said.
Jaeger’s eyebrows met in the middle.
“And the Merrovigian sow you’ve partnered up with, does she know what you’ve done? Have you bragged about it when you’re on top of her?”
Jaeger got up slowly. “Watch what comes out of your mouth.”
“The lashing in front of the men you commanded. The charges of corruption, so heinous that the General thought the first twenty lashes too weak, and ordered fifty more. He was only trying to make you understand you weren’t fit for command anymore.”
A vein in Jaeger’s temple pulsed and he curled his hands into fists but said nothing.
“The shame of it. That’s what killed your father, you know,” Morgenstern spat.
Jaeger came at him so fast, Morgenstern had no chance to react. Jaeger pushed him up against the wall, his arm pressed on Morgenstern’s throat, choking the air out of him, a move popular in the slums of Border Town but never taught in any military academy.