Hostage Rescue (Princess Rescue Inc Book 2)

by Hechtl, Chris

  And, the way the village was set up there was no way to go around except into the river. That was suicide.

  ~~~^~~~

  When she returned to the village, she gathered the village elders and pointed out the problem. “Had that landslide not happened, the beasts wouldn't have bothered you. They had no choice but to come this way.”

  The villagers were not happy but agreed with nods.

  “When they come back this way in the vers , they'll head right into your village again,” she warned. That made the elders look at her in alarm. “Unless you build up the southern wall and make a moat of some sort to keep them out. But the real answer is to unblock their normal passage. That way they can return as they did in ages past.”

  A few people nodded at that wisdom.

  “I can have someone with training check the landslide to create a plan to dig it out.”

  “We can't do it now; it is too cold. In the vers , we can do something about it … if the planting doesn't go overlong,” the elder said.

  Zara bit back a retort about putting it off. Instead she took the diplomatic approach and nodded. Sometimes she needed to know when to pick her battles. This was one of them. They were only interested in doing the minimum required; just looking around to the state of the village told her that. Some of the buildings were old and worn. Only half were occupied. The wood supplies were minimal. She knew they'd done well with the planting and the harvest; the combine harvester had been around to their area. But they acted destitute.

  “Do what you can,” she murmured.

  ~~~^~~~

  Tacitus was moved by the small school that had been started. He noted a few helping touches from the Imperium but not many. He vowed to make things for them to help improve things even further.

  He had two of his smiths check the dilapidated building out and make what repairs they could. He even sent over a cord of wood from his shop's stockpile to supplement the school's meager supplies. He was disgusted though when he found out a dies later that someone had stolen the wood. “What, all of it?”

  “All,” Tiberius replied. “Shall we send more?”

  “What, and have that stolen too?” Tacitus shook his head. “There is only so much I can do to help. Only so much you can do. They need to learn to stand on their own as well,” he said firmly.

  ~~~^~~~

  Once the problem with the village was resolved, Zara took some time to plan her next series of moves. She had a guide from her discussions during the Thing , and an overall plan. She also had a few things she wanted done on her own though.

  One of the things was an inspection next annus . She planned to hire inspectors over the long hiems and train them. They would go out each season, riding a circuit to assess the land and its value to make sure she was getting the proper tribute. They would also perform a census and provide Terran material to help the people improve their holdings.

  She wasn't sure how many would be able to read the pamphlets though. That made her bite her lip briefly. It was a concern; she didn't like the idea of the precious papers going to waste. She was tempted to ask that on the census but didn't want to embarrass people into lying and tempting them to lie about other things.

  It was high time the people started to do more than feel sorry for themselves and try to survive; Augustus and Domina Rasmussen were right about that. Getting them moving again was important. Getting them to see a brighter future had to involve more than just the castle and capital. She had spent entirely too much time wrapped up in just getting the capital sorted out. There was an entire kingdom out there after all. Expecting the changes her people brought to percolate to those in the country on their own was ineffective at best.

  She planned to implement Eugene's suggestion of work crews to do public works like building the roads, bridges, and other infrastructure projects to stimulate the economy. Keeping the people busy and employed was good. It would also make them see that they could improve on things. With food supply becoming less of an issue, that would be her next project.

  Of course it wasn't as easy as getting them out there. She had to pay for it, plus get the logistics sorted out. They needed to get the mines reopened too. There was a minor gold rush as desperate people hit the gold areas to try to get enough to support their families, but she didn't care so much about that at the moment.

  Eugene had told her a story about something called the Great Depression, but he'd been vague on the details other than explaining that the public works had helped to pull his country out of it. She intended to look it up on the laptop sometime during the long hiems .

  With the full support of her sister, she had passed an order that any Imperials who came north who are single must marry a Duluthian earlier in the annus . That had been approved by the Thing by a narrow vote. She made sure that the order was given to everyone who came forward in the convoy.

  She would need to make it known to the people too that those who came north would become one of them; they were not there to invade and displace them. She wrote up an order to have her order posted in the city squares and taberna.

  She had begun to collect and post news from the kingdom as well as Duluth and have it posted in the city squares and taberna regularly. She had even gotten news and a list of Duluthians still in the Imperium and had the names posted. Those that could read could pass the names on to those who couldn't.

  Like the merchants and dominus in the Imperium, the locals wanted their own far talkers. Some had the coin to be able to afford it. One merchant wanted to start a newspaper with the printer after he'd been told about the concept. Having a paper beat having to rely on heralds, criers, and minstrels for news.

  ~~~^~~~

  Domina Rasmussen and Stephan noted the postings and used them to their advantage. Their people twisted the order to show that the Imperium was not only taking over their lands but taking over their blood over time.

  “They are slowly taking us over, one bit at a time. They are using the gloved fist to win the hearts and minds of the people. Once they have them, they'll slowly begin to squeeze, gathering more and more unto them until they squeeze the life and freedom from us all,” Percival said, using his hand to emulate what he said. “We need to do something, soon.”

  “We said we would once the Thing ended. I am starting to think that was a mistake. We should have rallied them, gotten them to our side,” Stephan said, glaring at Fenton and Rasmussen. “Had we done that, had a united front, it would have …”

  “Would have what? Woken her to the threat lying at her feet?” Olaf demanded.

  Stephan looked to the drott and then away.

  “For the moment, she is too wrapped up in the suffering of the people. In trying to get things rebuilt. That is changing though. Soon enough she'll pay more attention to the rest of the kingdom and to what we are doing,” Rasmussen stated.

  “And look for those who supported the attack on her convoy,” Fenton said slyly, looking directly at her. “It's only a matter of time before she does it. I'm surprised she hasn't set her spies out to find the information out sooner.”

  “Her spies would have to come from the Imperium; we'd see through them. And if they did, the people would recognize them as outsiders,” Stephan said haughtily. “They'd be dragged out to the street and hung up and beaten for trying to pass as one of us,” he said, jutting his chin out proudly.

  Dominus Rasmussen realized it had been shortsighted of her to attack the princess on the way to the capital. It had alerted the princess that a dominus was after her. She noted that the princess and her guard were assessing everyone a bit carefully. Some of the rumors and discontent had finally begun to penetrate to them. No doubt a few of the people that the Imperials favored had given in and counseled them to make haste slower and that they needed to watch themselves.

  She considered her options carefully.

  She could avoid such questions by going home. It was tempting. But if she did that, it would leave the others here in charge.
Percival and Stephan were too hot headed, too foolish. If either of them moved and failed, they would no doubt expose her and the others.

  “Can we take them?” Fenton demanded.

  “I believe we can,” the drott rumbled. All eyes fell to him. “The question remains what after that?” he turned to the domina, ignoring the fire in Stephan, Freya, and Percival's eyes. “What of the artisans and alchemists?”

  “None have the formula. They are not making the powder here. We know little about it. Our people believe they can make it if we can get them samples. They will need large amounts to test and see what the powder is made out of.”

  “But, in order to do that we have to get the samples. They will know if it is taken,” the drott said. “So we wait.”

  The fire went out in Percival's eyes. After a moment, he nodded.

  Stephan looked rebellious but realized he couldn't turn the tide for action. It had gone out when the drott had said to wait.

  “So our people are to remain unavenged?” Freya demanded.

  “For the moment. But the hiems is coming. And we all know that vengeance is best served cold,” Fenton said with a cruel smile.

  ~~~^~~~

  Questions about going basilisk hunting started to swirl around the castle. Agnes traced it to the young imperial lordlings who had spent their time hunting instead of building and running their holdings.

  “Typical,” Zara growled. She refused permission and ignored it, right up until rumors of the predators ravaging the countryside unchecked began to persist at dinner. She realized that others wanted to slaughter the beasts or the opportunity to prove their stupid manhood. More likely get themselves killed.

  When they pointed to the Terran weapons, she flat-out refused to use them. Augustus agreed with her. “Terrans warned us that if you kill all of the predators in the area it throws the herd out of balance. Predators cull the weak, sick, and young. They keep the numbers in check. Too many and the herd eat too much and grow unchecked. They spill on to the farms and become a pest. Much like the beaked giraffes,” she said.

  When she saw that she wasn't getting through, she sighed and brought the projector and her laptop out. She showed them some of Patria 's history with bison, wolves, and other beasts. “Now many of those animals are nearly extinct. They destroyed them in some lands, and that hurt the land.”

  She surveyed them. “Terrans have been trying to learn to be stewards of the land. To take only what they need, to treat it carefully so future generations can enjoy it too. That movement has been growing for a time.”

  “We're not talking about killing them all, just some,” a lordling said.

  She looked at him. “You are free to take your private weapons and whoever wishes to go with you and slay a basilisk if you wish. But you will not do it with the Terran weapons or the miles here. I need them ,” she said. The implication that she didn't need him was not lost on him or others. The teenager blushed and sat down hard.

  “Yeah, I thought not,” she murmured and then changed the subject.

  ~~~^~~~

  The following evening a dinner and show had been arranged. After the dinner, the castle residents watched a play together. It was a native piece; a bit of what Zara knew now as opera with a bit of sword play to keep the young bucks excited. She clapped politely when it was over.

  Two of the lordlings tried to flirt with her. One even went so far as to try to hold her hand but she gently brushed them off. She had heard from Agnes that many of the young bucks had set their sights on seducing her, but she was coyish and spurned their advances gently. Whenever possible she played one off on the other.

  When Siegfried came to talk to her, she gave him the brush-off as well. It was late in the evening and she'd danced with many of the lords and her feet hurt. She tried to be polite and light about it. She could tell that he didn't look happy though.

  In truth she hadn't meant to hurt Siegfried, but she'd had enough of men hanging on her, chasing her. She wanted peace and if that meant he was hurt, so be it. He'd get over it. Besides, he had no call to her, no right to call her his. She would listen to any she wished and make her own decision in time. It was high time he and the others realized that.

  ~~~^~~~

  Siegfried burned at being spurned. He had been forced to watch from the sidelines as other eligible males were set to courting Zara. She had danced with many of them too. Some of them were the Imperium lordlings who had failed in their holdings. That disgusted him. He didn't like how polite she was to them; they'd failed!

  It made him jealous and angry. Had their time together meant nothing to her? He had saved her life!

  Bitterly he watched her talking with another lordling.

  He was poked and mocked by a few of the men for his failure to get the princess to dance.

  “Next time. She said she is tired. Given how she was thrown about dancing, I can't blame her for that,” he said, trying to sound like he sympathized her.

  “And none of those hands were yours,” Rakesh teased with a nasty grin. “You are on the way out. It's high time you went to your holdings to lick your wounds and find some rusticus to fuck,” he said with another nasty grin.

  Siegfried's jaw worked. An annus ago his father would have had him challenge the lout and beat him to death for such an insult. But the princess had put a stop to fights in her presence right off. They had to behave. Those who didn't were sent away.

  "Shut up. I'll have her. One way or another, I will. It will just take more time. We share a bond you do not,” he snarled.

  Rakesh laughed and walked away shaking his head.

  "Maybe and then again, maybe not," a female voice said from the shadows.

  He turned as Domina Rasmussen stepped out from the shadows and then back in as if to invite him in.

  Slowly he complied, curious as to what she was on. He was ever aware of a trap, so he kept one hand on a hidden dagger.

  "What is that supposed to mean?"

  "I mean there might be a more direct way to get what you want. And it includes getting some revenge against the thrice-be-damned Imperials and their Terran allies."

  "Ah? And how will you beat their army?" His recent memory of his dead father on the battlefield, and the alcohol made his tongue loose.

  "Well … we've got our ways. We just need time and everything they have on their weapons."

  "Ah. So, you are asking me for my help?" he asked, curious. He realized he was flirting with, nay, not so much flirting as actively conspiring treason. That was a death sentence. But the Terrans had made the Imperium soft.

  Besides, he was angry. He burned to hurt Zara as much as she'd hurt him.

  "Well, that depends on what you know …"

  "As it happens, a lot," he said with a smile. "I did spend time in the capital and saw a great deal there. And I picked up an odd tidbit or two. Plus, I learned a few things along the way here …"

  "Ah?" the domina asked eyes bright. "Then tell me more," she purred.

  ~~~^~~~

  Percival and Stephan used Zara's latest endeavor, to preserve the basilisk, to help recruit people in the capital. Protecting something like a basilisk was insane. Everyone was contemptuous of someone who would protect one of the feared beasts. They recruited out-of-work people in the bars. It was easy to get some; just shout for a round and they were all ears.

  Percival got some of the merchants over a dinner and promises of new lucrative contracts in the future. Many of the people willing to support them were disaffected, patriots, but also poor. They were promised wealth and lands in return for their help and loyalty. Nothing was said about what they would have to do, just a commitment to free their kingdom.

  The problem for Stephan and Percival was that no one was willing to push the situation into a full rebellion. Olaf insisted they wait and get a quorum of support from other dominus.

  Percival was frustrated but respected the drott. The drott had gone to the mat to cover for him when he had accidentally killed
during a sparring match. He was also right; if they went and did something foolish, they would regret it … briefly.

  He just didn't want Rasmussen to hijack their plans totally. He knew she was setting things up for a long game, a slow boil. He had no stomach for waiting that long.

  ~~~^~~~

  Rasmussen cornered Siegfried by having him meet her at the taberna. He had been spurned again by Zara so he wanted to vent. He remembered his recent talk with the domina fondly; she had drawn him out about his time with Zara and in the imperial capital.

  The domina had promised she would help him court the princess, so he'd been curious enough to come to the taberna to listen. He knew that once they were betrothed, he would owe the domina. But the flies buzzing around the princess would fade away and it would just be them.