by Guy Antibes
The guard nodded and the princess rose. She bowed to Morio and then to the duke. Lotto’s heart raced as she took his hands in hers. “Thank you, Lotto Mistad, for taking care of me. I will not forget what you have done.” She rose on her toes and kissed him on the cheek. She bowed again to the duke and left with the guard.
“Oho!” Morio said, putting a leg over the arm of his chair. “I think the two of you are smitten with each other.”
“No. She’s a princess,” Lotto said. He could feel the heat of blood rushing to his face.
“And you are the firstborn of a duke,” Morio’s father said. “Of higher rank than that lump Morio,” the duke nodded towards his son. “He’s my fourth. Now tell me of your network. I can’t believe a word Morio says.”
Evidently the duke did give his son credibility as a force of a thousand men were already being assembled to strengthen the border and re-establish forts along the main road north to Crackledown.
“There are keeps all along the border that haven’t been manned in generations and I’ve sent out teams to prepare them. Thanks to you two, I know of Eberlo’s negligence,” the duke said. “You’ve given Panny something to get excited about, again.” He smiled and rose to look out his window, standing close to Morio and put his hand on his son’s shoulder.
“Lotto, I would appreciate your sending a bird to Mander Hart. Tell him I can’t spare troops, but I will let them through my lands and into Happly, if that will help. The usurper Histron’s casual regard for our borders will not be tolerated. I fear war will come to us all, and all too soon.”
~~~
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
~
RESTELLA ATE WITHOUT APPETITE WITH SILVER, the only other captain in her force. She took her meal on a table outside of her tent to enjoy the morning, for a change. She had hoped for some action, but nothing had happened for days, but she perked up when a soldier approached.
“A group of Gensleran scouts are being held outside of camp. They have a message for you, Captain-General, ma’am.”
“Bring them in.” She loosened the sword at her belt.
There were four scouts and they looked as if they had ridden hard with dirty faces and torn clothes.
“My name is Pillo Toras,” the tallest of them said as they all bowed slightly towards Captain Silver.”
“Captain-General Beecher is the senior officer,” Silver said drily.
Pillo blinked and fumbled for words. “Beecher? I thought you were a… My apologies, ma’am. I’ve never beheld a woman officer before. I am certain your rank is well deserved.”
His words didn’t sit well with Restella, but she merely waved her hand and controlled the heat she felt at her neck. The man had evidently been told something different about her.
“Continue Scout Toras,” she said.
“We are the Duke of Gensler’s personal scouts. Our duke sent us to Happly to investigate what is going on. They are assembling an army of mercenaries and villagers. Most of them have come from Histo and southern Oringia. The Duke also has a contingent of Ropponi wizards. They seek to invade Valetan from the south while the Red Kingdom attacks Gensler.”
“Any idea of where Histo formally stands?” Restella said. The country was so sparsely populated that she really didn’t see Histo as a threat.
“Our efforts haven’t succeeded in revealing that. The Duke of Happly knows of your force and is waiting for a large contingent of Oringians to arrive and then will attack you here on the border. The large group of Ropponi sorcerers are not integrated with the rest of the army, so we don’t know how the Duke will use them.”
Could she afford to wait? It would be weeks before more forces were available, even if the army had begun to draft farmers and tradesmen.
“And why should I believe you?”
“Do you know Lotto Mistad?”
Restella sat up straighter and lifted her chin as she could feel sweat bead on her forehead. “I do.”
“Mander Hart assigned him to scouting duties for the Duke of Gensler. We have met him and he told us to relay to you his personal best wishes, I think the term he used was ‘warmest’.”
“That’s as good as you can do unless you have something in writing,” Restella said. Her breath shortened a bit meeting Lotto’s friends. She fingered the Moonstone to find him still in Gensler, but these men brought him even closer.
“We infiltrated into the Happly army. When we heard a Valetan army camped inside the border, we asked a few too many questions and had to escape. We’ve had men following us for a few days, but we lost them.” The scouts all shrugged. “They know you’re here, Captain-General.”
“I invite you to join Captain Silver’s rangers and I will arrange a message to be sent by bird to Beckondale and they will relay the information to Crackledown. Will that be acceptable?”
“That will, ma’am.” Pillo looked a little less nervous once he had mentioned Lotto’s name. She didn’t have any reason not to believe him.
“Report to Lieutenant Gully Workman. He commands the rangers for me and knows Lotto Mistad rather well.”
“Gully? The man he was in the mines with and at Prola?”
Silver said, “You do know Mistad! Lieutenant Workman’s at the western edge of the camp. I believe there will still be some food available for breakfast.”
“Yes, sir!” Pillo saluted and left the two of them.
“Action, Silver?”
“Indeed, ma’am. It is my opinion that we should plan on fighting the smaller army now rather than the larger army later. I’ll send out two detachments of rangers, including Pillo’s men to verify the accuracy of our maps and see where Happly’s men are.
“Then, I suppose our breakfast is over.” Restella rose and nodded to Silver who left her. So much for enjoying her meal. She fingered the Moonstone to find Lotto.
~
Two weeks later, Restella sat at her map table outside of her tent. The winter cold that the Happly forests had clung to, gave way to the coolness of early spring. Lieutenant Workman and the four Gensler scouts stood in front of her, their faces dirty, their clothes ragged. She had seen Pillo like this before.
“Three hundred sorcerers,” Gully said. “Better than any battle mages I’ve seen and that might include Lotto Mistad. We saw them practice. Funny though, the duke keeps them on the other side of the keep from his army and the army don’t mix with them. It’s like they were quarantined or something.”
“You have no wizards and not enough men, but since the Oringians haven’t arrived, the Happlyans aren’t ready to march yet” Silver said.
“We will break camp and head back north. Can we leave the birds and a detachment of rangers along the border?” Restella said, looking at Silver.
“That’s what I would recommend. We’ve been here long enough and our men will toughen up if we give them all some ranger training to distract the tedium.”
Restella nodded and sent a bird informing General Piroff of her return.
She rode into Beckondale a bit over three weeks later, travel worn, but confident that the strategy that Silver and she had come up with could only be carried out if they took care of the Ropponi wizards. She had left the troops at the border to train under Silver’s watchful eyes.
Mander greeted her as she rode into the courtyard. “Your father and his war council would like a report immediately. Don’t worry, you’ve done the right thing.”
Restella’s pride still stung from her behavior in Oringia. She hadn’t touched the Moonstone for her whole trip and fingered it. Instantly the bond lit up. Lotto had beaten her to the capital from Gensler. Would he be at the council as well? She changed her uniform and left the barracks. Her heart beat harder, but she put the increase to Lotto’s presence than from the many steps she had to take to the war room.
The two generals, Fessano, Mander, her father and a few others stood looking at Restella as she entered the room. She turned around and found Lotto sitting in a chair just behind her. T
he sight of him made her jump.
“I didn’t mean to scare you, Princess.” Lotto said, quickly standing up. She had told him he could use her name, but she looked around and realized that he had exercised better judgment than that.
“Your bird said you needed thirty wizards?” Fessano said, after all of them had greeted each other.
“At least. I trust the men who got us the information.” She looked back at Lotto. “You know Pillo Torus and Nark Sender?”
“They are among five of the Duke of Gensler’s best scouts.”
She nodded. “We need a larger army and a strategy to overcome battle mages.”
“How did they get so many?” General Reallo of the Western Army said.
“Nark Sender has met Ropponi before and these aren’t from Besseth. Dark hair, sallow skin, flat faces.”
“Those are Ropponi,” Mander said. “The best wizards in the world.” He looked down at a map of Happly.
“Our rangers mapped the current terrain while they penetrated deep into Happly,” Restella said. “There are some differences from these.”
Mander flipped the edge of the page and shrugged. “This one is twenty-five years old, so thank you for doing that. Good idea.” He looked at Lotto and then at Restella.
“Gensler will need some men to help him guard his borders, but they won’t be able to help us fight. If we can funnel the wizards through Happly, then it’s to our advantage. Duke Jellas has enough potential trouble and we are all worried about the Red Kingdom attacking us from the south.” King Goleto said.
Fessano eased himself down into a chair. “I wish I were twenty years younger… ah, where is the Bloodstone when you need it?”
The generals looked at him for an explanation.
“The Bloodstone of the Red Kingdom, in the hands of a wizard can turn back time and make a person younger, at the expense of considerable magical power, but it can do that.”
“We could all use one,” Mander Hart said, smirking.
“Only those with power,” Fessano looked at Lotto and smiled. Perhaps he did that because Lotto and he held power and no one else in the room did. Restella didn’t think her bond with the Moonstone counted. “Speaking of the Bloodstone, the Princess probably hasn’t heard that we found Princess Sallia in Gensler,” Lotto said.
“You found her, that is. Saved her life, he did,” Mander said smiling and looked knowingly at Lotto.
Why did he do that? She noticed that Lotto blushed and the Moonstone gave her an indication that the Red Kingdom princess had struck a romantic note within Lotto. Restella felt confused and hurt in some way. Lotto had a relationship with another princess? How could he link to her?
“She is safe with the Duke of Gensler,” Lotto said. “I found her under attack by Duke Histron’s men who had crossed into Gensler. We escaped and rode to Crackledown.”
“You took a princess, alone, on a long journey?” Restella said. She could feel anger and something else churn within.
“I assure there were no improprieties, Sally…”
“You called Princess Sallia, Sally?” Restella had given Lotto permission to call her by her first name and now this.
“She preferred it while we traveled incognito.”
Restella turned away and sat down on a chair against the wall and tried to collect her feelings. She’d never dealt with such a circumstance before. The link and Lotto’s divided feelings touched her in a very irritating way.
“Are you feeling well, daughter? Perhaps the ride…”
“I’m fine, father,” Restella waved away Lotto who walked over to see to her. How could he betray her? She let the old anger wash over her and put her hand over the sword, touching the Moonstone. The link’s power made her head hurt. Lotto staggered and sat down, but farther away from her. “Perhaps I’m not.” She rose from her chair, making sure she did not touch the Moonstone again. She pulled out the plans from a messenger bag. She wanted to redeem herself by presenting the strategy to the group, but the link had nearly overcome her. “Here,” she tossed the portfolio and, cursing Lotto in her mind, left the room.
That plan depended on the man who gave her such pain. Restella refused to present a plan to use magicians when she knew that Lotto would be the key. Not now. She couldn’t control her breathing and she fought down the contents in her stomach. Why did her anger suddenly make her so sick?
As the distance increased from Lotto her headache lessened. At least now she could see properly and found her way to her rooms. She dropped to a chair. How could he? She clenched her fists and bit her lip. How could Lotto do such a thing … tricking her into familiarity just like he did ‘Sally’? Restella wanted to spit out the foul taste in her mouth, but settled for a large goblet of wine and then another and another. She hurt inside as she had never hurt before.
~~~
CHAPTER THIRTY
~
LOTTO, MANDER AND FESSANO ATE A LIGHT EVENING MEAL in the wizard’s chambers.
“Are you up to it?” Fessano said. “I’m not sure you are ready to handle any real wizardry.”
“I fused the gates open in Mountsea.” Lotto looked at Fessano and wondered why the man had suddenly lost faith in him. “Something’s got to be done to hamper Happly’s magicians, but you’ll have to teach me some more spells, the ones in my little book don’t really take me too far. I can heat metal, but that wears me out quickly.”
The wizard smiled. “You will spend your waking hours with me as the king assembles the other battle wizards that will act as a decoy.”
Mander tilted his head. “There goes your holiday, Lotto… although I’m sure you enjoyed your little trip with Princess Sallia. Sally? You really called her that?” He chuckled. “She would never let anyone even talk to her at Foxhome. Princess Sallia has a reputation as a very isolated, self-centered person. She must have changed. Probably all because of you.”
Lotto blushed. Why did he keep doing that when he told them the story? “The princess was very nice to me. Her captivity might have done it. She really did ask me to call her by the nickname. The princess felt safer not using her real name. Her violet eyes would give her away if anyone knew much about the royal family of the Red Kingdom. At first I thought they were gray but her eyes are colored a pale violet and very beautiful.”
“I never fell in love with the king who had the same color eyes as his daughter,” Mander laughed. “She’s had a string of suitors since she was sixteen and has spurned them all, refusing to even meet them.”
“Nothing happened that would indicate her being touchy. I could see her being nervous and apprehensive. Maybe her exile has changed her,” Lotto said. Why did he feel so defensive? He had acted gallantly throughout their trip, even when they camped out along the road for some nights. He remembered talking to her. She put out her hand as she told her story of escape and living in a remote part of the kingdom, a princess he could actually touch. She had called him a dear friend when he left Crackledown, but, although their relationship ended there, but he couldn’t keep those violet eyes from his mind.
Fessano took a sip of wine. “One doesn’t have to ‘do anything’ to be attracted to a beautiful woman.”
“And she is beautiful,” Lotto said. “But speaking of women, what happened to Restella today? Did her old anger return?”
The wizard waved his hand. “I haven’t talked to her yet. I imagine she’s a bit jealous. Any strong emotion, like anger, and the bond seems to affect the both of you.”
“I’m not angry with her, but all I can tell is that she is upset.”
“No, you’re not angry, but the princess is not known for her composure. I’d stay away from her until she’s ready to become friends again.”
“Were we ever friends?”
Fessano put his hand over Lotto’s “More than you should know.”
The thought of friendship with two princesses. Restella said he could use her first name. That permission had been cancelled, or at least he wouldn’t take such a
liberty without her reconfirming it. What could he do? Sallia was beautiful and perhaps she had her own demons that she had to overcome. Lotto remembered his encounter with Restella in the bookshop. But if they couldn’t touch, how could he have a romantic relationship with her? It didn’t make any sense to Lotto and he couldn’t solve the problem on his way back to his bed above Mander’s shop.
The next day, after spending the morning with Fessano, the court wizard abruptly cancelled any further sessions after only the one. It seemed a bit odd, since the wizard had been so insistent during his meeting with Mander and him.
Lotto sought out Kenyr, who he found in his marketplace tent.
“I heard you’d returned to Beckondale,” Kenyr said.
Lotto grinned. “You’d be proud of me, fighting to save the life of a princess, but there were too many of them.”
“An army is too many?”
“No, no. I fought in close quarters. One got behind me and knocked me out.”
Kenyr laughed. “That’s what helms are for.”
Shaking his head, Lotto told him about his assignment to set up an intelligence network.
“So now you’re friends with the heads of two domains, Prola and Gensler, not to mention Valetan. Maybe Mander wants you to be a diplomat.”
“No,” Lotto protested. “A diplomat doesn’t run a king through with his sword.”
“I suppose not. It’s good to see you, but why are you here?”
Lotto paused while a group of three men sauntered in the tent, made their purchases and left. “I have women trouble.”
“You’ve been doing more than fighting, lad?”
The story of saving Princess Sallia came out in a rush followed by the spectacle in the king’s war room.
“Oh.” Kenyr sat down on a stool. “Do you love Sallia?”
“How can you call something love after a week together in unnatural circumstances? I think its infatuation.”
“Ha! Which is even worse. Traveling on the road together is pretty natural, but what’s not is the Moonstone link. What do you feel for Restella?”
Lotto went to the tent door and looked at people passing in the marketplace. “I care for her. I think it’s the link. It makes me think of her and then I automatically find where she is. However, I don’t generally think of her romantically.” He rubbed his hands and blew into them as he paced back in forth in front of Kenyr.