The Ruling Queen

by R. E. Steele

  By the time the sun started setting, Roxanna was fed up with everything. Though the rain had stopped, there was a coating of mud on the ground now, which made everything slick and messy. It splattered with every step, and the tents were soon dotted with it. The hem of her dress was brown and gooey. But Roxanna doubted they would be able to wash their clothes properly, since Vasilis would probably have them move again tomorrow.

  She finally left the confines of the camp, after sticking close to it for so long. She needed to get away, so she decided to walk in the nearby forest. She didn’t go far. She was still within sight of the tents, for she wasn’t so reckless as to disappear completely. But she was angry enough that she was willing to throw some caution to the wind.

  While she was walking, she thought she heard noise, the sound of something soft brushing against the bushes. It didn’t quite sound like the tramp of soldiers, so she thought it might be one of the women from the gang. Dresses tended to make such noises in the woods. But instead of finding someone she knew, she discovered a tall, regal looking woman, wearing a fine woolen gown in a dark red, darker than Roxanna’s own, and trimmed with gold. She wore gold jewelry, a necklace, bracelets, earrings, and rings, and even a gold headband, though hers was more elaborate than Roxanna’s own. She looked like a queen. Roxanna wondered how she got out here.

  “Who are you?” Roxanna asked. “I don’t recall meeting you in the camp.”

  “That is because I’m not a member of the Lystra Gang,” said the lady. “I suspect I am, like you, just an aristocrat fallen on hard times, because certain people will not do as they ought.”

  “You got that right,” grumbled Roxanna.

  “Yes, Vasilis is not one to take a stand when he needs to,” continued the woman. “He prefers to flee rather than face danger head on. It’s not a good trait in a leader.”

  “You can say that again,” agreed Roxanna.

  The woman smiled. “Yes, I suppose you would know, Queen Roxanna, since you have had to deal with him for the last few months.”

  “How did you know I am Queen Roxanna?” asked Roxanna suspiciously.

  “Oh, I was aware that you were his guest,” said the woman. “Your being sheltered by him has been known, or at least suspected, for some time. Word of that kind of thing tends to get out, even in a forest like this.”

  Roxanna wasn’t sure what to make of this. She had reason to believe Vasilis was on good terms with many of the locals, and they would probably find out the truth through that means. But Emperor Nikolos also knew she was with Vasilis, and it seemed odd that such a finely dressed lady should be all the way out here, especially when all the noblewomen of Achlys had either fled the country, or gone into hiding.

  The woman smiled. “Fear not. I have no intention of harming you. You just seem as if you are in need of some advice. You are not content to stay here while your kingdom is overrun surely?”

  “Indeed, I am not,” said Roxanna. “But I see no way out of it at present.”

  “There is one,” said the lady. “Do not give up hope of foreign aid. Your plight is not unknown.”

  “Really? Who wants to help me?” asked Roxanna eagerly.

  The woman shook her head. “You will find out in good time. I must not say more. Goodbye, Your Highness.”

  “Wait!” cried Roxanna.

  But the woman was gone. She was be able to move quickly, despite her age and fine dress.

  Roxanna realized it was getting dark, and decided to return to camp. Once she was safely back in her tent, she began to think over her recent interview.

  She didn’t know what to make of the woman. It was strange for such a person to be wondering around in the forest, especially looking like that. But Roxanna supposed it was possible they had camped near the hiding place of one of Achlys’s nobles, and she herself had been wondering around in the woods in a fine dress, rather than the more sensible plain clothing that most of the other women wore.

  The lady’s words about someone else being aware of Roxanna’s plight, filled her heart with hope. Roxanna hadn’t even bothered giving much consideration to asking Vasilis for help again. His behavior of late had made her think him a coward once more, and she was certain he would refuse her anyway.

  So, despite her misgivings, Roxanna decided to believe the woman. Surely, if she was a spy for the Kalarians, she would have found some way to trick Roxanna into bringing her into the camp. But she hadn’t. She had shown no interest in going into it, or even drawing Roxanna away. Her behavior seemed odd, but as a noble in exile, Roxanna supposed that came with the territory. As for her hostility toward Vasilis, that wasn’t to be wondered at. Perhaps some of the Achlysians weren’t as friendly toward him as first appeared.

  Chapter 22

  If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

  ~ James 1:5

  The next morning, Vasilis ordered the Lystra Gang to move again. His announcement was greeted with a general groan, and several glares. Surprisingly, the worst of the glares didn’t come from Roxanna, but from some of his own people. While she certainly glowered at him, it was members of the gang who were the angriest. Even Theodoros looked annoyed.

  Vasilis could understand their frustration. Having to pack up and move every few days, was not a task most people enjoyed. A few did, for they looked at it as a sort of fresh start. But even they lost their liking for it after what seemed like endless repetition.

  There were even more glares, as Vasilis helped pull up the tents, and loaded them into the small transports. While the fact he was willing to help soothed some tempers, apparently, it wasn’t enough today. Everyone was silent around him, only speaking to him when they had to. There were even times when he walked by a group of two or three people, and they would stop speaking.

  Vasilis knew what it meant. They were discussing their grievances, but didn’t want him to know that they were. Sometimes people needed an opportunity to air their complaints, without anyone in authority knowing. He had tolerated such things before, for it was better to allow a few grumblings than to stamp down all dissent completely. That was just asking for trouble. But the gang’s behavior did put Vasilis on his guard.

  Murmurings were not something a leader could afford to ignore. They might be innocent enough for now, but if not properly attended to, they could result in disaster. Vasilis had studied history enough to know that rulers who did not attend to the wishes of their subjects, were eventually overthrown. While Vasilis doubted he had reached that point yet, it was something he needed to deal with. The problem was, he didn’t know how.

  He had planned to stay for a week at their current camp. Even he was growing tired of the constant moves. But he had seen signs that they were being followed. He didn’t know by exactly who, but there were enough boot prints to make him wary. Oddly, no one had been spotted. Even Roxanna, who was reported to have been out in the woods for a time, hadn’t said she had seen anything.

  But staying to face the unknown, was not something Vasilis was willing to risk at the moment. They were moving again, and they would keep moving until he felt certain they were safe. They had experienced too many near disasters when going up against Nikolos’s forces. Vasilis didn’t want to tempt fate again.

  As they rode toward the new camp, Vasilis thought over how he could make things easier for his people. Not moving so often would be the best solution, but Vasilis didn’t think that was currently a viable option. Perhaps he could have them not set up the camp fully, so as to make the packing and unpacking easier. But that would alert anyone watching them, to the fact that they didn’t intend to stay for long. Vasilis didn’t want any spies to know what his next move was. He sighed and shook his head. There didn’t really seem to be a good way out of this.

  This concerned him, for he knew patience only ran so far. It was hard enough for people to remain with him and Theodoros after all their failures. The members of the Lystra
Gang could have fled to a more comfortable exile in foreign lands. To their credit, Vasilis didn’t believe they would betray him to Nikolos, or any other enemy. But they might decide following him wasn’t worth the effort anymore, and abandon him to face the Kalarians alone.

  There was also the possibility that Roxanna, whenever she got up the courage to leave again, would assume leadership of those who were sick of his. While not exactly popular with his people, at best they considered her a rather distant monarch. She had gained their respect through her abilities as an administrator, and through her courage as a fellow refugee. She had grit, and they could see it. She never complained about the harsh conditions. If anything, she tried to make them better for everyone. She didn’t insist on all the privileges which were her due as an exiled queen, because she knew that would make things significantly harder for others. Yes, though they might not like her as much as him right now, her willingness to face a threat did make her appealing, and his people might decide that was preferable to his constant flight. To her credit, Vasilis didn’t believe Roxanna had any intention of usurping his power. What ground she had gained there had been done unconsciously, for she seemed to have no interest in ruling any people other than her own.

  Vasilis sighed. He wished he had paid better attention to the political studies his father had insisted he and Theodoros take. Theodoros had always been the better scholar, since Vasilis would rather be on an adventure than attending to his lessons. For not the first time, Vasilis felt he had failed his father. But in one point, he was determined not to fail again. he would protect the Achlysian people, no matter the cost.

  Chapter 23

  Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

  ~ John 15:4

  Roxanna was in a rather interesting mental state, as the Lystra Gang kept moving around. On the one hand, she was hopeful. The fine lady said that there was someone, a ruler, who was willing to help her. Roxanna still hadn’t figured out who that was. She hadn’t even figured out where the help would come from. Was this person’s willingness to help her common knowledge? No, Roxanna doubted it. Even if Vasilis had purposely hidden the truth from her, which Roxanna had no reason to believe, Bedros still would have told her of it. He went on many of the scouting missions, and surely would have heard something. Vasilis’s problem was his overcautiousness, not his deceitfulness. He might like her, but that wasn’t the main reason he insisted on her staying with him. He was concerned for her safety. Perhaps the lady had a good network of informants. Roxanna hoped they would be able to meet again, but the way the gang kept moving, that didn’t seem likely for at least several months.

  In the meantime, Roxanna still hadn’t given up hope that the Lystra Gang could reclaim Oreias. Vasilis didn’t seem likely to help her for a while, but that wasn’t to say he wouldn’t act eventually. From what Theodoros had said, this wasn’t the first time Vasilis had gotten up the nerve to go on the offensive. By the sound of it, Vasilis had been shamed into trying it several times before. But even if Vasilis wasn’t willing to lead the charge, Theodoros might be willing to lend his assistance. As much as Roxanna disliked the growing relationship between Theodoros and Estella, at least she couldn’t object to Theodoros on a personal level. He was not meant to be a king, certainly. He didn’t have the personality required to lead an entire nation. But he would make a good duke if given the opportunity. There was also the possibility that other members of the gang would decide to act on their own, regardless of Vasilis’s opposition.

  Roxanna had to admit, she was surprised these people were willing to tolerate Vasilis as much as they did. Had she been in their position, she probably would have left the gang after the first several moves, and tried her luck elsewhere. The locals did aid the gang, as she had seen for herself. The Achlysians often provided timely warning of imperial troop movements. In a good enough disguise, someone who wasn’t well known could probably blend in with them. It wasn’t like in her case, where Nikolos was specifically looking for her, and no disguise would be enough to hide her true identity.

  From there, individual gang members could probably make their way out of the country, to live in a comfortable exile. If they were more militant minded, they could form another band. Roxanna thought they were capable of freeing Achlys, and Oreias besides. It was just a question of getting them ready and under capable leadership.

  To be fair, Roxanna didn’t think she could provide that leadership. While she knew how to plan and direct a battle, even her own father said she would make a great commander someday. It was unwise for someone like her to be on the battlefield. She could best some men in a duel, but she couldn’t win against all of them, and those she couldn’t beat were more likely to be on a battlefield than not. Nikolos she certainly couldn’t defeat in a one-on-one fight. That was one advantage Vasilis had over her.

  But Roxanna refused to rely on Vasilis. While she still held out a smidge of hope for him, despite her dislike of him, she was more interested in who her mysterious ally could be, and helping the Lystra Gang get ready to fight without Vasilis. With that in mind, she began searching for ways to save small amounts of food and supplies. One of the things that seemed to keep Vasilis from being effective, was that he and the men had to go on raids pretty regularly, in order to maintain a comfortable subsistence. But if they had a large enough surplus, they could spend that time on bigger attacks.

  She succeeded in finding some new methods of economy, and set about instructing the others in how to do them. At first, her suggestions were well received, and implemented immediately. But the deeper she dug for ways to save, the less willing they became. Part of it was probably exhaustion, since Vasilis was still changing camps. But the rest of it seemed to be because the savings were getting so small, the gang felt they weren’t worth the time and trouble.

  At first, Roxanna didn’t notice this discontent, but she slowly began to hear the grumbles, whenever she tried to save scraps of food, or bits of string. When it came to finding a way to make a tough cut of meat edible, that was normally thrown to the dogs, she was left entirely to her own devices. The cooks gave her a pot and tartly told her to leave the premises. Roxanna resentfully dragged the pot away from the impertinent women, and resolved to show them they were wrong.

  She boiled the meat throughout the day, and succeeded in making it edible. But no one would touch it. The people of the camp flatly refused to eat the mushy, brown-gray substance. Even Celena couldn’t bring herself to try it. Roxanna could sympathize with her sister, but she was angry with everyone else. Didn’t they know they had to give up their delicate palates if they wished to regain their homeland? Sacrifice was necessary if they were to achieve anything.

  Chapter 24

  But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.

  ~ Numbers 14:24

  It was a relief to Vasilis to get away from Roxanna. The camp needed more funds anyway. As much as he was interested in her, and wished, in his most unreasonable moments, to make her his wife, even he couldn’t take her constant micromanaging. Her attempts to save little fractions of food, supplies, or money, showed just how capable of a manager she was, better than him in fact. But her extreme attempts often wasted more than they saved. No one wanted to eat the concoctions that came out of her stewpot now. While edible, he didn’t think she would go so far as to purposely serve something harmful. They weren’t palatable, and only the starving or desperate would consider taking what she offered. Her attempts at saving cloth or thread often resulted in the garment not lasting as long as it ought to have. Even in the case of money, the pennies she saved cost too much work to obtain. Anyone who wasn’t as obsessive as she, would have seen that such efforts were vain.

  But as much as her micromanaging irritated him, Vasilis had enough heart to feel sorry for her.
From what he had gathered from his brother, who spent a lot of time with Estella, this behavior seemed to be Roxanna’s way of dealing with a situation she wasn’t happy with. Too determined, stubborn, or proud to give up hope of regaining her kingdom, she turned her focus toward something she could control. She then obsessed over it to the point that while its efficiency was superb, its effectiveness was compromised. This habit seemed to be a sort of reflex or coping mechanism.

  Vasilis wished he could make things better, but he knew he couldn’t. While he could plan and execute a successful raid, as he was doing now. The larger the project, the more likely he was to overlook something important, and wind up in big trouble. Every time he tried; disaster struck. He hadn’t been able to recover from them all either. His current position as head of the Lystra Gang, was a result of one such episode. Deep down, his conscience did whisper that he was capable of taking back his own kingdom as well as Roxanna’s, if he put in the requisite effort. But he always shoved this feeling away. Every time he tried to do something bigger than a raid, he failed, and no one could deny that. He didn’t think it was a self-fulfilling prophecy. It was that he lacked the temperament to pay attention to detail as well as he should. It was a character flaw, he had to admit, but he didn’t think there was any way to cure it. His easy-going personality was not one that endured dullness for long. If he had been born more serious, there might have been hope for him. But he wasn’t, so there wasn’t hope.

  Shaking off these gloomy thoughts, Vasilis and his men arrived at their target, a small, roadside guardhouse, that held a small shipment of gold. It was so small, that it wasn’t thought necessary to put it in a more secure location, and Vasilis suspected, Nikolos ordered it brought here, so it didn’t look important enough to be worth stealing. But Nikolos underestimated Vasilis’s men. Some of them overheard the Kalarian soldiers mentioning something about the new shipment in a nearby tavern. The soldiers shouldn’t have said anything, but being drunk, their tongues were loosened. From there, the Lystra Gang kept an eye out, but didn’t notice any large body of guards at all. The only thing that they did notice that was even slightly out of the ordinary, was a plain wagon that was protected better than usual. Vasilis would have normally chalked this up to an overly careful merchant, trying to get his goods through a thief infested forest. But Theodoros thought it could be something more. Theodoros’s hunch proved correct. On a moonless, cloudy night, a few scouts had checked the guardhouse, and saw the gold being counted by the Kalarians in whose custody it had been trusted. Theodoros had outsmarted Nikolos, and now it was Vasilis’s turn.