by R. E. Steele
His compliments flowed freely now. He had flattered her from the beginning. She knew he thought her pretty and smart. But now his praise seemed more pointed. While it seemed spontaneous, she did think there was some significance to its increased frequency and specificity. He seemed to be trying to spend more time with her too.
Roxanna shook her head at these instances, as she sought her usual refuge out in the woods. She wasn’t mistaken. He was trying to spend more time with her. Was he trying to court her? She shook her head again. Surely, he must know he had no hope of succeeding, when she had such a low opinion of him. She couldn’t love a man who was so blatant in his disregard for the wellbeing of himself, and those who followed him. She was still certain he belonged to a higher circle of life than he currently inhabited. He ought to continue trying to regain what he had lost, be relentless in his pursuit of it, rather than settle for the life of a common bandit. Yes, it would be risky, but this unwillingness to take risks that were necessary, still struck her as laziness rather than prudence.
Roxanna glared at a nearby tree, as if it were Vasilis. As much as she felt that he ought to know better than to raise his sights to her, she could see that he thought well enough of himself to make the attempt. Well, much good would it do him. Maybe her refusal would inspire him to do better for himself. In the meantime, she hoped she wouldn’t have to endure an irksome courtship, for she could see how his pursuit might easily become so.
As she strolled, Roxanna realized she had reached the spot where she kept meeting the mysterious noblewoman. She wasn’t there, which disappointed Roxanna. She would have liked to discuss the irritation of Vasilis’s courtship. But that was not to be. Instead, Roxanna was brought back to what the lady had said the last time they met.
Roxanna still hadn’t made any progress discovering who was supposed to help her regain Oreias. No one in the gang, no one in the nearby villages, and no one in the Kalarian forces would help her. Any other help was out of reach at the moment. She briefly thought the woman wanted Roxanna to seek out her son, who would be a nobleman himself, but dismissed this idea almost as soon as it occurred to her. The lady would have taken Roxanna to him if that where the case. There would be no need for mystery if that was what she wanted. So, Roxanna was still left puzzled.
The lady herself was a puzzle. How an Achlysian noblewoman was able to survive in such a state, for her clothes indicated she was living in great comfort, was remarkable. It had crossed Roxanna’s mind that the lady could be Kalarian rather than Achlysian or Oreiasan, but Roxanna quickly dismissed this idea. The Kalarians wouldn’t let a lady, particularly an old one, wander around unescorted, in territory which would rightly be considered hostile. The lady had to be a native of the area, or at least on friendly terms with the locals, which suggested she was very wise and clever.
It suddenly struck Roxanna that such a woman was bound to know secrets others wouldn’t, including the location of the Crown Prince of Achlys, Roxanna’s old betrothed. Perhaps he was the prince the lady was referring to. Yes, that must be it! Roxanna needed to find the Crown Prince of Achlys!
Chapter 32
And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
~ Matthew 7:26
Vasilis continued to consider ways of gaining Roxanna’s love. As he did, he realized something. A woman as strong-willed as Roxanna, wouldn’t fall for him, unless he behaved in a way that she approved of. Besides, he felt bad trying to win her through her emotions alone. It made him feel dirty.
So that set him on another track, how to do the impossible, and win back Oreias? He supposed that he could take back part of it. While he didn’t think himself capable of regaining the whole kingdom, if he could at least gain a section, large enough to support a family in comfort, then he at least had some hope. That would require taking some of Achlys back too. He could then leave the rest of the reconquest to the next generation, as had been done before.
That got Vasilis thinking about how he could go about achieving this plan. He would need at least one good stronghold to start off, not something incredibly large, but big enough that all the Lystra Gang could hide within it, if the need arose. The best target to hit, would be the fort that housed the commander of the outpost he had just attacked. From there, it was a question of whether to try to take the fort at once, or take the remaining outposts that were under its command, and then attack the fort. For Vasilis, it was better to take the outposts first. An outpost was easier to conquer than an entire fort, due to its smaller size and lesser importance. There was also the matter that less was likely to go wrong with the outposts.
Vasilis soon had a strategy that he soon put into action. The first step was to retake the outpost he had attacked weeks ago. There were imperial soldiers there, as was to be expected. But Vasilis had held so firmly to the pattern of not attacking the same location twice in a short time span, that they were caught by surprise, and were ridiculously easy to defeat. The sheer carelessness of the enemy, made Vasilis realize he had become predictable in his efforts, something he would have to remedy.
Now came the decision of what to do with the prisoners. Should they be kept in the outpost, or in their own camp nearby? He was uncertain what was best, so he decided to consult with Roxanna, who seemed to be as knowledgeable of such things as he was, and decidedly the more militant of the two.
Roxanna seemed surprised and flattered by the request.
“Give them their own camp,” she said with decision.
“Alright, though I must admit, I’m curious why you are so certain,” said Vasilis.
“Because if I were them, I would have set up a failsafe in the outpost so I couldn’t be imprisoned in my own jail,” said Roxanna. “There is little more embarrassing than that.”
Vasilis agreed with her, having known from experience. So, the prisoners were placed in a separate camp, where Vasilis and Theodoros took turns keeping an eye on them, along with a few of the other men. In the meantime, Vasilis set about finding the failsafe in the outpost. Sure enough, there was a key hidden in each of the cells, attached to the bolts that anchored down the beds. No one would have found them unless they knew where to look. Vasilis and his men only succeeded, because they repositioned one of the beds in search of a trap door.
Now everyone could move into the outpost. Vasilis put the prisoners in the cells, but still kept a close eye on them to ensure they weren’t causing trouble. However, he did sleep easier knowing there was more between him and the outside world, than the cloth of his tent. Stone walls were much easier to defend.
Everyone was quite happy to take up residence in a structure again, after years of living in the surrounding forests. Conditions were safer and warmer. They didn’t have to keep popping their heads up every few minutes, like so many ground squirrels, to make sure they weren’t being watched. The fact dangerous animals couldn’t get in, was also a great relief. No one would have to worry about them entering a tent, while the occupant was sleeping.
Roxanna in particular seemed pleased with this change. She and her people, unlike the rest, hadn’t spent years living in the woods, so cloth walls were not something they had grown accustomed to. Roxanna also now had the opportunity to show her management skills in a new way that hadn’t been exhausted yet. She was happy, and Vasilis was surprised how much he looked forward to seeing her smile. Now if only he could figure out how to gain the rest of the outposts as easily as he had this one. Then she would be smiling a lot more.
Chapter 33
For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
~ James 3:16
Roxanna was happy, at least at first, to see Vasilis’s efforts. When she heard that he was going to attack the outpost again, she found his choice unusual, but otherwise paid them no mind. But when he went to the trouble of taking prisoners, even asking her advice as to what to do with them, she was thrilled. She
was even more overjoyed when he moved the camp within the outpost. She hadn’t been so happy since before leaving Oreiasan Castle, the journey that brought her into contact with Vasilis in the first place.
Roxanna now had new ways to exercise her talents. There was only so much that could be done to make a camp of tents comfortable. But an outpost had walls, which kept the weather out. There were rooms that needed to be assigned specific purposes. Each needed cleaned, repaired, and furnished. They needed to be regularly supplied with firewood too. There was also the matter of scheduling maintenance, for the chimneys were sometimes smoky, and the walls drafty. Yes, there was plenty of work to keep her occupied and happy. For a time, it was enough.
But then Roxanna began to notice that not all was what she had originally hoped. She knew that Vasilis was planning to conquer other outposts, and the fort that served as their headquarters. He often included her in these plans, since, as he had correctly reasoned, she had been taught how to plan and manage a military campaign. Her father had insisted she know how to do such things. As a future queen, King Elias considered it essential that she know how to defend her kingdom, and had many of his generals and admirals teach her. He taught her much himself, since he was a well-known as an expert military strategist.
But as these plans began to unfold, Roxanna realized there were two significant problems. The first was, that Vasilis wasn’t planning far enough ahead. Sure, he intended to take the outposts before he tried for the fort, but he didn’t have a plan as to how he was going to take each outpost, or how he was going to take the fort once he got to it. The furthest he had thought ahead, was how he was going to take the next outpost.
Roxanna was unhappy with this. Sure, it was good to have a general plan, but there was risk in his proceedings. Another outpost, or even the fort, could send soldiers to check and see what was going on. Vasilis had no strategy as to how he would deal with that, other than hunker down and hope for the best. She actually asked him what his plans were, to be sure he was being so careless. While the outpost was defensible, Roxanna didn’t think it could withstand a siege for long. No, the other outposts and fort would need to be hit quickly, if the first was to be held. Someone would soon discover what had happened, and if it were known that Roxanna was within the outpost, then they should expect even more trouble than they would have faced otherwise. Somehow, she had expected Vasilis to have his act together better than he did, when she first urged him to hold the outpost.
So, despite her original good impressions, Roxanna concluded that Vasilis was still being careless. He was willing to take risks, after being given enough time to collect himself from the most recent disaster. But the details he was willing to let slide were too important. Roxanna tried to get him to see reason. Theodoros did too. But Vasilis always brushed them off, saying he would deal with it later. But Roxanna wasn’t certain there would be a later.
Another matter that Roxanna disliked, was that Vasilis didn’t seem interested in taking the entirety of either Achlys or Oreias. At first, she thought he was, and he was merely taking the wise precaution of moving slowly so he could plan adequately. But his manner of speaking during meetings, suggested that he only intended to take parts of both kingdoms.
These realizations put Roxanna back into a sullen mood. It had become habitual to her of late, and she didn’t like it. But it was hard to remain cheerful when matters were so constantly not going her way. Just when she thought Vasilis was making a change for the better, he disappointed her again. What was worse, was that she had so thoroughly believed that he was changing, that she had neglected to look for her old betrothed. She wouldn’t have had much time anyway, with the change in residence, and all the work that had produced. But she still didn’t put in the effort she ought to have.
Mortified by how easily she had allowed herself to accept positive impressions of Vasilis, and unwilling to examine why she had been so eager to do so, she hardened her resolve. No, she wouldn’t be so quick to trust Vasilis’s intentions again. While she didn’t entirely despair, the fact he was acting now showed promise. She still needed to regain her kingdom, and the sooner, the better. She would not neglect a quicker method for the sake of an easier one. She prayed that God would help her keep her resolution.
Her irritation wasn’t helped by Estella and Theodoros’s growing relationship. Roxanna still wasn’t willing to let her sister marry him. He lacked an establishment worthy of her sister, for the next in line to the throne of Oreias could, and should demand much. Frankly, Theodoros wasn’t in a position to marry any girl in Roxanna’ s opinion. Even if his brother managed to gain the fort, which seemed a fainter possibility with each passing day. Theodoros still lived the life of an outlaw. Marriage to him would put Estella in greater danger than she was already.
Deep down, Roxanna’s conscience whispered that she had a further objection, jealousy. But she always scorned this idea when it occurred. Her? Jealous? Jealous that her sister had fallen in love with a nobleman who had fallen from the position of his birth? No, she would never feel such a thing. But when she saw how much better Estella and Theodoros got along, in comparison to herself and Vasilis, she did feel a tug at her heart. But she always stamped the feeling down. She was not jealous. Such a feeling, even if Vasilis and Theodoros had been in better circumstances, was beneath her. She wasn’t jealous. She couldn’t be.
Chapter 34
He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.
~ 1John 2:10
Roxanna wasn’t the only one who noticed the growing relationship between Theodoros and Estella. Vasilis saw it too. He was happy for his brother. It was obvious Theodoros and Estella suited each other well. They were two peas in a pod. Had he been allowed to choose from every princess in the universe, Vasilis felt Theodoros couldn’t have done better. Some might have objected to Estella’s unstable situation, as the princess of a now conquered kingdom. But Vasilis didn’t feel he and his brother were in a position to be choosy. Even if they still held the rank they once did, Vasilis would have valued his brother’s happiness over money, title, or prestige. Theodoros and Estella were equals in a sense. They were the trusted confidants and advisors of their respective siblings, who were the leaders of their respective factions.
Regardless of the circumstances they were in, Vasilis saw that his brother would be asking for Estella’s hand soon. That hastened Vasilis’s efforts in gaining another outpost. Once there were two, Theodoros would naturally assume command of one, while he would take the other. When they had two forts, the same thing would occur. Eventually, Vasilis hoped to gain two castles in Achlys, so that each would have lands to draw revenue from. That way, Theodoros would at least be able to provide a comfortable home for his new bride. While the position would not be as good as what Estella had probably been brought up to expect, her choice of eligible men was rather limited at the moment. Even if she should happen to meet a prince or noble who was able to give her a better life, such a man would be reluctant to risk his fortune for the sake of a girl who was only second in line for the Oreias throne, and whose sister, the actual queen, was likely to live long enough to bear children to replace her sister in the line of succession. That was why marrying someone like Theodoros, who had similar expectations, was important. Neither would be seen as gaining an advantage over the other. They were just high enough to suit each other, but no too high. They would comfortable, and respectable, exactly what Theodoros wanted, and what Estella seemed to want too.
Speaking of future plans, Vasilis still hadn’t decided how he would take the next outpost. But he must take it, for it was essential if his castles in the air were to become the real thing. He intended to use a sneak tactic rather than an outright attack. Such a strategy was consistent with his personal preference, and carried less risk. Vasilis didn’t want to take such chances anyway, and wasn’t certain his men would be able to handle an outright assault. It was better to be sly. But how to do that was
proving to be a challenge. Vasilis didn’t feel he should repeat his tactic of disguising himself and his men as the relief party. Though recent events had proven that using the same tactics in rapid succession was effective, Vasilis doubted they would remain so for long. No, he needed something new.
Perhaps he could trick the soldiers into leaving the outpost somehow, like through a staged fight. He could then lock them out. But what would these soldiers do when they were unable to get back in? They would probably attack the outpost, or go to the one he had taken first, and attack it. Even if they didn’t attack, leaving them to wonder around would be a bad idea. No, if he lured them out, he would have to trap them.
Vasilis continued to consider ideas, and even asked Roxanna what she thought. She suggested a straightforward assault, but Vasilis quickly assured her he would do no such thing. She glowered at him but said nothing. Even before this outright denial, Vasilis noticed she seemed to be frowning at him more. The change had been so quick, it took him by surprise. It seemed one day she was happy and smiling. Then the next, she was disapproving of him again. Why that was, he couldn’t say. Perhaps she expected too much of him when it came to taking the outposts. She probably thought he was finally going to try to retake Achlys, but one way or another, she learned his true intentions. He had never tried to hide them, so it was merely a misunderstanding. But to see her opinion of him change so quickly, was rather mortifying and bewildering.