by R. E. Steele
The dowager left, and not a moment too soon. The next day, Vasilis’s flag was visible from Oreiasan Castle’s towers. By afternoon, anyone could see the army Vasilis had assembled, was large enough to rival Nikolos’s own. It was so intimidating, that Nikolos sent diplomats to Vasilis, in hopes of avoiding a fight. But Vasilis’s reply came back written in blood.
“I want my fiancé, my kingdom, and her kingdom back,” the messenger read. Roxanna had hidden herself in the hall to overhear what had been written. “If you do not meet these conditions, there will be no peace between us. I will drive you out myself.”
Chapter 60
Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
~ Psalm 37:5
Vasilis continued to check and recheck the line around Oreiasan Castle. He wanted to make certain he wasn’t missing anything. If Nikolos managed to get out, odds were good he would be taking Roxanna with him. While such an event wouldn’t mean her later escape was completely hopeless, her chances did go down significantly. No, he needed to keep Nikolos inside, not so much because capturing him was his main goal, though admittedly he would try if it could be accomplished. But first and foremost, Vasilis wanted Roxanna safely out of Nikolos’s clutches.
Vasilis felt he couldn’t do anymore, so he prayed that God would protect her and guide him. He then had most of his men attack the gates. They wore heavy armor, so as to prevent as many as possible from dying. As much as his army had grown, and his confidence with it, Vasilis still hated when the people under him perished. He did whatever he could to lessen the death toll, especially since in this case, the soldiers were serving as a distraction. They would not be the ones to reach Roxanna, but they would be helping those who would. He suspected more Oreiasans would join the fight, once they heard what was going on. Many had already flocked to his ranks, seeing him as a way to free their country and their queen. How many more would aid him once they saw that he was in earnest?
The rest of the men, being Roxanna’s personal guard and members of the Lystra Gang, would infiltrate the castle through the secret passages. They were the people he felt most capable of accomplishing the task. Bedros and his soldiers knew the castle well, and had proven themselves capable warriors. Vasilis knew the skill of his gang from long experience.
The trip through the passages went well. Nikolos still seemed to have no idea they existed. Roxanna had managed to keep the secret. While Vasilis didn’t think Nikolos would torture Roxanna for information, between him and his mother, it was known they were quite good at getting what they wanted, through other forms of mistreatment. Vasilis had no doubt Roxanna was locked securely away somewhere, and under heavy guard, possibly with Nikolos himself.
Just before exiting the secret passages, Vasilis and the others donned enemy uniforms, so as to blend in more easily. But they each affixed a leaf to their lapel, so their friends would be able to identify them. In the hustle and bustle, he didn’t believe they would stir any suspicion dressed in such a way. His assumption proved correct. He and the others were even directed toward the place where Nikolos was holding Roxanna.
“Get to the Oreiasan Queen!” said a general as he ran past. “Those ruffians will break her out if you don’t hold the line!”
Vasilis smiled to himself. “Yes, sir! We will do just that.”
The journey through the halls went well. No one suspected the truth. But when Vasilis reached the place where Roxanna was being held, his stomach dropped. He could see Nikolos and Roxanna in the throne room beyond, where Roxanna had been seated on the throne. But Nikolos was by her side, and there were hundreds of men between them and him. It was actually hard to make out the two among so many.
Theodoros saw this too, and began to think.
“What kind of distraction would pull away enough guards?” he asked in a whisper.
“A big one, a really big one,” said Vasilis, “or one that makes it difficult for them to see.”
Vasilis pulled a smoke bomb out of his coat. It wouldn’t do much. Just fill the room with fumes and noise. But it would be enough for Vasilis to get close to where Roxanna was, without being easily seen. He casually lit it, and rolled it into the crowd. It worked. The noise sent everyone into a scramble. Vasilis charged forward toward the throne. Nikolos, to his credit, seemed to be making an effort to protect her from the supposed explosion, but Vasilis managed to pull her away. Somehow, Roxanna must have known it was him, for she offered no resistance. They took off down the hall and toward the secret passages. Vasilis saw his comrades scatter in various directions, heading for other hidden entrances. But just before Vasilis and Roxanna reached their intended one, they came to a screeching halt.
“I suspected there was something of this nature in the castle,” said Nikolos as he swung open the panel that concealed the passage. “I just didn’t know where they were. But when I knew which direction you were headed; it was easy enough to tap on a few walls and learn your destination.”
Vasilis said nothing. He was too horrified to see his plan was unraveling at the worst possible moment. Roxanna was in danger, and odds were good the rest of those who had helped him were too.
“So, which is it to be Vasilis?” demanded Nikolos. “Will you fight to the end, or will your surrender and join me, as your uniform seems to suggest you would?”
Vasilis ripped off the hateful clothing. He hadn’t really minded the imperial uniforms before. But now, he despised them, and would fight in his old forester garb. He would never join Nikolos. Never!
“I have won once before Nikolos,” said Vasilis as he drew his weapon. “I can do so again.”
Nikolos chuckled derisively as he drew his own sword. “If your victory can be called such when you used dirty tactics, then yes, you did. But we both know I’m the superior warrior. I have been trained by the best, and am descended from the best. You are a trickster, descended from tricksters. You will never be anything but that.”
Vasilis let Roxanna’s hand go. She dashed away from the inevitable duel that was about to take place. She knew her presence so close to the action would only be a hinderance.
Nikolos and Vasilis began sizing each other up. Cautiously, they made quick jabs at each other with their weapons. Nikolos was more cautious of Vasilis than his words indicated. Vasilis for his part, was well aware of what Nikolos was capable of, and would readily concede they were evenly matched. But he didn’t have time to dwell on this curious discrepancy, for Nikolos began to pick up the pace.
Back and forth they went. It was obvious Nikolos had received better training than Vasilis had, and was better conditioned, since he no doubt, had opportunity to spar with many highly skilled opponents. Vasilis only had his experience as a thief, his rusty training as a prince, and his bag of tricks, which he was trying not to use since Nikolos’s words irked him.
But the fight was going against him. Nikolos was better in a technical sense. He had probably used his last defeat at Vasilis’s hand to improve himself. His defense was near impenetrable. But Vasilis’s wasn’t. He received several sharp cuts on his arms and face as he faltered. He heard Roxanna’s suppressed cry as he staggered backward.
This struck him as odd. Roxanna tended to remain stoically silent in such instances. She understood what was at stake. She only reacted emotionally when one of her sisters was hurt. Suddenly, Vasilis realized that she only reacted when someone she loved was harmed. She loved him!
He couldn’t let her down. He had to protect her. But how? Nikolos was just too good! Or was he? Vasilis suddenly realized that Nikolos’s words weren’t matching his actions. He was fighting in a primarily defensive manner, only going on the offense to goad Vasilis into making a mistake. He was tricking Vasilis, tricking him into not using the one thing that Vasilis knew Nikolos was weak against, his bag of tricks.
Vasilis righted himself, and began to pretend he was more hurt than he was. He then used the unusual movements of his sword to stagger Nikolos.
“Back to your coward’s tactics I see,” said Nikolos.
“Coward? No. Clever and cunning, yes, for all is fair in love and war!” said Vasilis with a grin.
He then got inside Nikolos’s guard, and kicked him down the passage. He heard his enemy’s body go tumbling down the stairs. Would he live? Vasilis really didn’t care one way or the other. But he was certain Nikolos would not be a problem for the time being.
Roxanna let out a cry of joy and rushed into Vasilis’s arms.
“I knew you could do it!” she cried.
“Yes, it took you to know I could,” he said. Then with a cheeky smile he said, “So, since we are allies now, perhaps we should make this official. Queen Roxanna of Oreias, will you marry me?” He went down on one knee.
“Yes!” she exclaimed.
Ah, it felt good when she jumped into his arms and cried her tears of joy. At last, things were going the way they should.
Chapter 61
Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.
~Psalm 34:19
The marriage took place shortly after Vasilis’s victory over Nikolos. Unfortunately, Nikolos managed to escape their clutches in the chaos surrounding the attack, but his flight had the pleasant effect of hastening Vasilis and Roxanna’s marriage. It was agreed that Nikolos would probably refuse to seek Roxanna as a wife, once it was known she was married to Vasilis. Her younger sisters would be less of a target too, since it would be difficult to convince anyone Roxanna was unfit to rule. Would it stop Nikolos’s attempts to retake the lands he had lost in Oreias and Achlys? No, but it would make his conquest more difficult.
Vasilis and Roxanna’s wedding day dawned bright and cheerful. Theirs was a simple ceremony due to many factors. They didn’t wish to draw attention to their wedding until it was over. Nikolos could still try to snatch away Roxanna before the vows were said. There was also the matter of time and expense. Neither had the time to plan an elaborate celebration, and they preferred to use their resources for other purposes. Vasilis admitted Roxanna deserved better, which she agreed to, but was willing to let the matter go.
She was happy as Vasilis’s wife. He helped her loose her compulsion to control, while she helped him be more serious. While there would still be friction between them at times, she at least felt they had learned to trust God to make up for their weaknesses. Vasilis too, realized this.
“It’s like we were meant for each other,” he said one evening as they watched the sun set.
“Yes, it’s as if we were,” she agreed.
They sat in silence for a moment before hasty footsteps disturbed their leisure.
“Bedros, what is it?” asked Vasilis. “You look as if you’ve seen a ghost.”
“It’s no ghost Your Highness, though that might be less troubling,” said Bedros. “Theodoros and Estella are gone!”
“Gone!” exclaimed Vasilis and Roxanna together.
“There was no sign of a struggle,” said Bedros. “All I found were these notes in their respective apartments.”
Roxanna took the letter from Estella’s room, and Vasilis took Theodoros’s. They had no idea what they would say, or where their siblings had been taken. But to not struggle, it was so strange. Roxanna then remembered that both had seemed rather irritable of late. Perhaps that had something to do with their absence. But the two were always so careful. Surely, they knew better than to run away at a time like this! Still, she couldn’t say for certain what had happened. She opened the letter to find out.
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Did you love The Ruling Queen? Then you should read The Lady of the Hour by R. E. Steele!
What if you could control time, but fear held you back?
Emma is a seemingly average young woman who went from a disheartened employee, to a fugitive in the war-torn land of Tempora. Temporans are capable of traveling through time, a gift Emma learns she too possesses. She is terrified of what she is capable of, and even more terrified of the attention her gift draws.
What if you were destined for greatness, but were trapped by your past?
Lord Delitor is a powerful, charismatic, and mysterious Temporan who is determined to conquer Tempora. Yet he isn't fighting just to satisfy his ambition. Delitor is out for revenge. But then this girl named Emma arrives and throws his plans into chaos.
As war rages, who will win the battle between them?
Emma strives to master her worries while trying to thwart Delitor's quest for retribution. Delitor attempts to recruit her to his side, while struggling with enemies from without and within. But as each learns more about the other, they come to discover their fates may be intertwined. Will Emma succeed in overcoming her fears, or will Delitor's plans for vengeance prevail?
Read more at R. E. Steele’s site.
Also by R. E. Steele
The New Realms Saga
The Legacy of Kings
The Ruling Queen (Coming Soon)
The Temporan Chronicles
The Lady of the Hour
Secrets of the Past
Battle of the Ages
Struggle of Time
War for the Future
Search for the Prophecy
The Temporan Chronicles Books One - Three
Watch for more at R. E. Steele’s site.
About the Author
R. E. Steele loved reading when she was a kid. As she grew older, she began to enjoy intriguing storylines that left her thinking about them long after she finished reading or watching them. When she felt God calling her to write, she answered, and wrote The Temporan Chronicles series.
R. E. Steele is a former homeschooler and college graduate. She currently lives in Idaho.
Read more at R. E. Steele’s site.