by R. E. Steele
It now occurred to Roxanna just how dangerous her decision had been. While she still considered Vasilis to be a coward, he did know more about the Kalarian forces than she did. She shouldn’t have discounted his advice so quickly, especially considering Bedros didn’t disagree with him.
“God forgive me,” she muttered as they sped along. “Please don’t let Estella, Celena, and the others suffer because of me.”
They continued on at a rapid pace. Roxanna was an excellent horsewoman, but even she had to be careful not to get knocked off by a stray branch. Her sisters, who were less athletic, were struggling even more. But they still managed to keep up.
At last, they reached the tree line just before the bridge. Bedros pulled up his horse, causing a cloud of dust to form.
“Go! Go!” he urged. “I’ll make sure the others make it across.
Roxanna was reluctant to leave him, especially when it was because of her that they were in this situation in the first place. But arguing would only cost them precious time, and she would be better able to free him from prison, than he would her.
Roxanna and her horse burst through the trees and into the clearing. They were but a few feet from the bridge. Estella and Celena came through shortly afterward. They made a beeline for the bridge. They could hear the Kalarians nearby.
Suddenly, a warrior in magnificent armor, astride a huge horse, came out of the forest on the other side. He rode to the middle of the bridge, and stopped. Roxanna had to pull hard on her reigns to avoid hitting the rider. Her horse whinnied, trying to avoid the collision too. A lesser rider would have been thrown, but Roxanna kept her seat. She could hear her sisters coming to a stop behind them.
Kalarian soldiers appeared on both sides of the shoreline. With such splendid armor and such a fine horse, it was no mystery to Roxanna who the rider before her was. Her eyes narrowed to stilts of anger, to hide her fear and humiliation.
“Queen Roxanna, I presume?” asked the rider.
“Emperor Nikolos, you shouldn’t have bothered to send such a large party, to meet the queen of a mere kingdom like me,” she said coolly.
Nikolos grinned, but it was not one that conveyed warmth. No, it was the grin of a conquer, a man who was certain of his victory after long chasing a prized quarry. He knew he had won. It was a pity his grin was proud rather than friendly. Roxanna had never met him before, but she had to agree with those who said he was a handsome man. Still, his ruthlessness was a problem. She could never consent to marriage with a man like him.
He examined the crowd behind her. Roxanna didn’t even need to know who he was looking for. She knew her sisters were right behind her, and their attendants were probably nearby as well. It was better to maintain eye contact with Nikolos. She may be defeated, but her dignity wouldn’t allow her to show that she was afraid. Strangely, Nikolos’s eyes seem to linger a little in Celena’s direction. Why that was, Roxanna couldn’t say. Celena was certainly lovely, but Nikolos seemed like the sort who knew he needed a stronger wife, than her timid youngest sister. Perhaps Roxanna was just noticing something that wasn’t there. It was better to focus on what was happening now.
“No, I assure you, Your Highness, you are very much worth the trouble,” said Nikolos. “Allow me to escort you to more comfortable quarters, where we shall discuss an alliance between our two nations.”
Chapter 10
The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.
~ Psalm 145:8
Vasilis was just within the tree line, watching the proceedings of Nikolos and his soldiers. The leader of the Lystra Gang had seen Roxanna’s capture, and as much as it agonized him to watch her fall into his old enemy’s hands, he had to admire the bravery which she showed in the situation. She didn’t cry. She didn’t even beg for mercy. Instead, she met Nikolos with a cool deportment, that would have chilled Vasilis, had he been in Nikolos’s position. But Nikolos didn’t seem the least bit intimidated by the behavior of the woman he desired for a bride. If anything, he seemed pleased. Vasilis had heard that the Kalarians valued strength in their women, and Dowager Empress Egeria, Nikolos’s mother, was said to have rivalled Emperor Agrios in courage.
Perhaps that was why Nikolos seemed so eager to marry Roxanna. There were other princesses he could have had, who were the rightful heirs after their brothers died in combat. But Roxanna was well known to possess stoic bravery in the face of danger. She had proven herself by maintaining her composure in the face of the most powerful, and arguably most dangerous man on the planet. Yes, Nikolos was after more than just a wealthy kingdom and a pretty face. He wanted an empress who could match him in fearlessness.
Vasilis swallowed as his anger began to build. Jealousy was eating at him. It struck him as ironic that it took figuring out how much Nikolos valued Roxanna, for Vasilis to realize how much he wanted her too. He had liked Roxanna, even if he had found her annoying. But the idea of Nikolos claiming her as his bride, made Vasilis see red. It scared Vasilis a little, to see how much of an effect Roxanna had on his usually easy temper. But he was still indolent enough not to fight his desires, even if they probably would lead to heartbreak.
“What are we going to do?” asked Theodoros, who had been by his side the entire time.
“The only thing we can do, break them out,” said Vasilis.
“But how?” asked Theodoros. “They are surrounded by guards. Now that he has them, Nikolos won’t let his prizes go easily. I do not think we will be able to free them before they reach the imperial camp.”
“That is because we won’t,” said Vasilis. “Nikolos is smart enough to keep Roxanna and her party encircled until they reach their camp. Once there, he will think escape impossible, and the guard around them will be relaxed. Then it will only be a matter of time before an opportunity arises. If we get to them shortly after their arrival, the guards will be tired, and the Oreiasans will still be together.”
“And it will also prevent Nikolos from trying to marry Roxanna immediately,” added Theodoros.
Vasilis grimaced, but he knew his brother was right. While it was no secret the Kalarians liked pomp, and Nikolos appeared to be no exception, he was shrewd enough to realize it might be wiser to postpone the lavish ceremony, and simply marry Roxanna that morning. That way, even if she managed to escape, it would be difficult for her to break off the marriage. Few would have the courage to proclaim it was forced upon her.
Vasilis and his men silently followed the Kalarians as they made their way to the imperial camp. Nikolos had Roxanna ride beside him, and her sisters right behind. It was a wise precaution. If any of the others escaped, it would be a minor inconvenience. But Nikolos needed Roxanna if he wished to secure her kingdom by marriage. He also needed her sisters. If they were to escape, there was a chance they would marry men of great wealth and influence, who would be willing to fight for Oreias’s independence. Roxanna would probably be willing to give up her claim if it meant securing her nation’s freedom, a reality Nikolos was no doubt aware of.
As they went, they had to stop several times to rest the horses, who were tired after their frantic run. It was during one of these stops that Bedros spotted Vasilis. They exchanged subtle nods of understanding. Bedros had guessed what Vasilis’s intentions were. Vasilis actually saw the old soldier hide a grin as the Kalarians broke ranks when they entered their camp. Bedros subtly ushered the others out of the way as Vasilis and his men got into position. Meanwhile, Nikolos turned toward Roxanna.
“I hope you will make yourself comfortable here,” said Nikolos with a gesture. “My encampment is yours, or will soon be at any rate.”
Roxanna smiled with something between amusement and irritation.
“It can never be my camp,” she said. “If it were mine, I wouldn’t be here.”
Before Nikolos could reply, Vasilis’s men attacked. They pounced on the nearby guards, broke the bonds of the captives, and escorted them into the forest. Vasilis personally freed the reig
ns of Roxanna’s horse from Nikolos’s saddle, and crossed swords with the young emperor. There was an intense scuffle, as they were pretty evenly matched. But when Vasilis went to duck under one blow from Nikolos, the visor of his helmet slid up, and remained stuck. As Vasilis straightened himself, Nikolos looked at him with surprise, and then something like recognition. But before Nikolos could act, Vasilis loosened Nikolos’s saddle straps, and caused him to nearly slip off his steed.
It was a fast ride back to the Lystra Gang’s camp. They took an indirect route, so Nikolos’s men couldn’t track them back to their hiding place. They also had to ride quickly to avoid being caught again. It was a silent ride, not only because they wished to avoid revealing themselves through careless sounds, but also because Roxanna was surprisingly quiet the whole time.
When they reached camp, Vasilis took Roxanna to the large tent where they had first spoken. She went willingly.
“What were you thinking!” he exclaimed. “You realize what could have happened back there! Even if you didn’t care about your own safety, what about your sisters? Your people?”
Roxanna took a breath. Vasilis realized she was holding back tears. She was very much aware of what she had done.
“Yes, and I’m sorry,” she said. “Thank you for rescuing us.”
Vasilis didn’t know what to do. He had expected a defiant, angry Roxanna. He wasn’t used to the humble, distressed one. He groaned and shook his head. He couldn’t really scold her anymore when she looked so miserable.
“You will be kept under watch for a time, to make sure you don’t endanger yourself or anyone else again,” he said with some compassion. “Now go back to your tent and get yourself cleaned up. We have had enough trouble for one day.”
She went without a word, leaving Vasilis to question whether he had been too harsh with her.
Chapter 11
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
~ Proverbs 3:5
The next day, Roxanna kept to her tent. She was too ashamed to meet the faces of those around her. She was well aware that she had put everyone in danger. She was mortified of how thoughtless she had been, and vowed never to do such a thing again. She prayed that God would provide her with the means to stop herself.
But old habits die hard, and Roxanna was soon back to trying to control whatever she could. As the shame gradually wore off, she began to notice that the tent wasn’t quite set up to her liking. The beds, trunks, chairs, and tables, would look much better, and be more easily accessed, if they were arranged differently. She set to work moving the furnishings around. It was relatively easy to do. Nothing, outside of the trunks, was very heavy, due to everything needing to portable. As for the trunks, she was able to half empty them, and then push them across the tent. The inside of all three trunks were relatively neat, Estella’s belongings being more precisely folded than her own, much to her chagrin. But Estella and Celena hadn’t packed in the best way. So, Roxanna rearranged their belongings too. Finally, the tent was set up to her satisfaction. She felt as if more was right in the universe now.
But that left Roxanna with a dangerous case of boredom. She tried reading her Bible, but that proved irritating.
“Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass,” she read aloud.
Of course, she should trust God. She had no problem with that. But she still needed to do everything she could to get her kingdom back, right? The real question was, how to go about doing that? It irked her however, to think that her actions of the day before had proven she didn’t really trust God to help her free Oreias, that she was trying to force His hand. But she ignored this feeling. Surely God wanted her to work hard to get what she wanted.
She went over her options again. Trying to reunite with her army was most definitely out of the picture, until circumstances became more favorable. Roxanna shuttered at the idea of leaving so soon after such near disaster. No, for such an option to even be feasible, either she or her troops would have to move closer to each other. She couldn’t see the Kalarians moving anytime soon. They now knew she was in the area. Her reckless attempt had caused her yet another problem.
By that same token, she couldn’t seek out the aid of a foreign prince either. She couldn’t leave the camp. Besides, she still thought it rather unlikely one of them would be willing to help, unless freeing her kingdom became a personal problem. The remaining independent nations were too far away for offers of trade and military aid to be worth much. Most of these rulers would require that she marry them, or at least their eldest son, before they would act, and that was out of the question.
That left asking Vasilis for help again, but after he had so recently gotten her out of trouble that she caused herself, she felt reluctant to ask. She didn’t think he would change his mind anyway. He would probably be even less likely to go along with her plan now, for she had shown just how much her desire to control led her to make poor decisions. He wouldn’t risk his own men under leadership like that.
She was surprised however, at his actions when he freed her. His plan had been well conceived. Everyone thought the Kalarian camp was inescapable. Even she thought she was doomed when she entered it. But Vasilis had known the guard would be relaxed, and used that to his advantage. He succeeded in getting everyone out, even dueling Nikolos personally to ensure she was freed. Her heart stopped when she saw it. Nikolos had a fearsome reputation as a swordsman and warrior. But Vasilis proved to be his equal, and had the courage to face him when it became necessary. She realized her initial impression of Vasilis was wrong. He was not a coward, not at all, which made her even more curious why he was so reluctant to face the Kalarians in open battle.
But these speculations were useless. Vasilis wasn’t willing to help her, and she was out of options. The only thing she could do was pray, pray that God would grant her request soon, and that she didn’t lose her mind in the meantime.
Chapter 12
And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
~ Matthew 7:3
Vasilis kept an eye on Roxanna, to be sure she didn’t try to sneak off again, and to be certain she was unharmed after such a harrowing experience. Concerning the former, he was soon satisfied. Roxanna was so ashamed of herself that Vasilis didn’t think she would try such a thing ever again. The latter however, took longer to discern. Physically, it was easy to ascertain that she was fine, for he trusted the account of her lady-in-waiting, Alecia. Roxanna’s spirits caused more concern, but he could soon see she was thinking of how to get her kingdom back, which spoke of her mental fortitude.
This scheming concerned him. She was so obsessed with regaining what was hers, that it might lead to more trouble. Her considerable mental powers needed a new purpose to dwell on, or else, she became difficult. He already saw how much she displeased her sisters by rearranging the tent, and their belongings, without their permission. What other problems would she cause if not given something else to focus on?
It was easy to determine what roles her sisters would serve. Estella would be Theodoros’s assistant, and help keep track of stores, weapons, and everything else they needed. The two delighted in numbers and logistics, and would have a capital time together.
Celena would go with the camp healers, where her soothing presence would help immensely. While timid, and probably unable to stomach the sight of grievous wounds, Celena would still be a useful nurse. Already, she was the most liked of the three sisters, despite the fact she was shy. Estella sometimes turned people off with her bluntness. Roxanna was simply too aloof.
But still, what to do with Roxanna? She was an amazing leader, yet they couldn’t both lead the Lystra Gang at the same time. The question continued to puzzle Vasilis as he prepared to go on another raid.
Vasilis and the members of his gang often went on raids. It was why Nikolos knew of their existence. Vasilis never hit
Achlysian or Oreiasan targets. They always went after Kalarian ones. They would then use some of the resources to sustain themselves, and then give the rest to the Achlysian people. They had to be careful not to hand out anything that would link the recipients back to the gang, or it would result in severe punishment. But Vasilis felt the effort was worth it.
It was in these moments that Vasilis regretted that he was unable to regain what he had once lost. He even began to reconsider whether regaining Achlys was the lost cause he usually felt it was. But his sense usually got the better of him. He simply wasn’t capable of forming such elaborate plans as were necessary for freeing a nation. Raids, he could handle. They didn’t require as much attention to detail. But the liberation of Achlys would require far more analysis than he was usually willing to attempt.
Roxanna’s presence was causing him to have one of these moments. Had she had more men with her, she probably would have been able to reach her army. She could have fought her way through once she was spotted.
But there was one problem. Even if Vasilis was willing to lend her some of his own men, they didn’t trust her the way her own people did. They didn’t owe her their loyalty. So, the only way she could succeed, was if Vasilis went with her, and he had already learned that he didn’t have the capacity to drive Nikolos out. If Vasilis and Roxanna worked well together, liberating Achlys and Oreias was possible. But Vasilis could already see they would clash, so the cause was still lost.
That brought Vasilis back to thinking about what he should do with Roxanna. He continued to do so as he and his men made their way toward one of the nearby towns. They had scouted it out earlier, looking for opportunities to exploit. They found one. A huge shipment of Kalarian gold was being stored in its fort, on its way to Kalare from one of the colonies old Emperor Argos had established years ago.