Dark Court: The Final Hour

by Camille Oster

  As he rode along, he saw a line of men standing in wait—Ashra’s men—and he knew they were waiting for him. They hadn’t fled in panic. They had regrouped just as she had intended them to and they were here to arrest him, like hunters waiting for a flushed-out fox.

  “Continue onto the estate,” Roisen said to Jonathan. “I expect I will be detained for a while.”

  Roisen could have done more to mount a defense against being arrested, but he wasn’t sure it would serve any use at this point. It would only draw this out. Victory was to the other side.

  Then he saw her, standing amongst the men. Gone were the silk dresses and finery of when she lived here. She stood in what was little more than farm clothes, a leather hat on her head. The finery was something she’d shed like a disguise. She’d never cared for it, had never wanted to be part of court. Now she had destroyed the very vestiges of the thing she hated.

  Urging his horse forward, he slowly rode toward her.

  “Lorcan,” she said when he approached.

  “Lady Greve.”

  “I doubt it will be a surprise that we are arresting you.”

  “I would be surprised if you didn’t.”

  A man stepped forward, messy and dirty with soot. Clearly one of the instigators of the fire. This had to be Bryce. “You’re nothing but a prisoner now,” he said.

  “I will never be nothing but anything,” Roisen said with every bit of arrogance he had in him. The naked fury in the man’s eyes contorted his face, but Roisen didn’t care. Roisen’s eyes sought Ashra, but he didn’t see gloating in her eyes like some of the others here. None of this gave her pleasure, and that was interesting to note.

  Chapter 30

  THEY HAD DECIDED to retreat to Tondoke, which had been the largest city in the land before Raufasger had destroyed most of it. It seemed fitting that it should be the place to go.

  They rode slowly that way, the citadel still burning in the distance. They were far away, but not too far to still see the column of black smoke stretching into the sky. Everyone in the land would see it, see the citadel burning.

  “Where are we going?” Roisen asked next to her.

  “Tondoke.”

  “You are seeking to bring back how things were before Raufasger?”

  “No, we are building something new.”

  Roisen wanted to argue that the Naufren couldn’t be put to side so easily, but he couldn’t rightly do it. She had struck a definitive blow—one he wasn’t sure the Naufren could overcome. The Naufren rule had been broken and it would be impossible to put it back in place without the degree of violence that Raufasger had used.

  But it wasn’t as if they had nothing. “We will have economic power,” he said. “It is still our crops that form the economic backbone.”

  “Not really,” she said, turning away from him slightly. “Between your lands, Wierstoke’s land and mine, collectively the people are the largest and most substantial landowner.”

  If the news of his lands being confiscated was surprising or distressing to him, he didn’t show it. Perhaps he expected it. “You are giving up your own lands?”

  “Yes. It would be hypocritical of me not to, don’t you think?”

  He didn’t answer. She was giving up the power the land had. Land still had some power. “Without land, you’ll have nothing—your children will have nothing.”

  “We will have a new society. Creating enough land belonging to the people to ensure that needs are met. The Naufren cannot hold us to ransom with hunger. Then we will see how much their land is worth.”

  “So you will let them keep their land.”

  “They will all be small landowners in the scheme of things.”

  “Brieton will be the largest landowner.”

  “The Naufren will still not yield the power they used to. Our society will not revolve around their land.”

  “Then what will it revolve around?”

  “Equality.”

  “Greed will always prevail.”

  “Then we must guard against it.”

  “And you will lead this new society?”

  “No,” Ashra said. From the very start, she had decided that she would step out now. Her role was done. But there had to be a leader, and Bryce was the natural one. He fervently believed in equality, and the people trusted him now that he had fought tooth and nail for them. His rhetoric was believed and respected since the people had seen his vision come true. “Bryce will be the leader.”

  “That lunatic?” Roisen said with surprise.

  “He is passionate,” she admitted.

  “Stark raving mad from what I hear.”

  “Not mad. He’s just very set in his beliefs. He will be a good leader.”

  Roisen snorted. “Beliefs don’t make a ruler.”

  “Maybe this war resulted because of rulers who have no beliefs beyond their own benefit and defense.”

  Ashra had had enough of this conversation and rode away. The last thing she wanted right now was Lorcan picking apart and challenging everything. Whatever problems they had, they would deal with, but she didn’t have the capacity right now. She needed stillness and silence. Exhaustion tore at her. Not just from the day, but for the whole war and the years of Raufasger’s rule. It was hard to truly believe it was over. They no longer had to live in fear.

  For a long time, she simply listened to the hoof steps of her horse, trying to keep her mind from mulling over the multitude of things they needed to sort. Soon enough she could go home and be with her children, although she still had to face the displeasure of the dowager Lady Greve over giving away all of the Greve lands, except for the house. The older woman would probably not see the necessity of it, but Ashra and her children were not going to claim their place in Naufren society anymore, and they no longer needed the protection of the land. It wasn’t a conversation she was looking forward to.

  As she’d told Lorcan, the Naufren would have their land with which to do as they pleased, but they wouldn’t have control, and they’d have no leverage over the people. What place they made for themselves under those terms was up to them.

  Bryce had agreed to these terms and had promised to ensure they were implemented. He seemed to have endless energy, while Ashra felt her well had run dry.

  *

  A place for Lorcan was found in Tondoke in a basement that had bars on the windows. He was guarded, but Ashra knew that no one would come for him. Any possible retaliation would come from Brieton, who was no friend of Lorcan’s. Without his land, Lorcan was a toothless tiger. Dissent from Brieton would not be tolerated either, and he would forfeit his land if he tried.

  Ashra had claimed a room in one of the undamaged buildings, a room with bare floorboards and a lumpy bed, but it served to keep the cold out and a place of solitude.

  Bryce was running around and organizing. They had agreed that a council would be put in place with representatives from each region. Bryce’s role as leader would be elected, a process they would go through to cement his leadership.

  Ashra had refused a direct role. She would watch it from a distance. It was time for the people to rule, and not someone with a title.

  It was hard not to feel the excitement. People were out in the street, talking and milling, trying to understand this change that had happened and the impact on their lives.

  A knock on the door drew Ashra’s attention. “Enter,” she said, noting how lofty it sounded. The methods of a lady hadn’t quite left her yet.

  Bryce appeared, looking casual and relaxed. He had bathed and wore freshly laundered clothes. Ashra hadn’t even seen him look so tidy before—not well-attired by Naufren standards, but he looked respectable. “We are going to use the old grain store as the council building in the near term, then we will build a structure suited for the purpose.”

  Ashra blinked and exhaled. She finally had her council. The Naufren had been too self-absorbed to worry about benefit to anyone but themselves. Now the council would be made up by peo
ple who spoke for their region. Of course it would be open to abuse, but if they built a strong foundation for it, it would withstand those challenges.

  “Good,” Ashra said with a smile. “We need to keep an eye on Lukas Brieton. If the Naufren are going to mount a challenge, it’s going to come from there.”

  “We’ll keep an eye on them. Perhaps that is a role for the guard. We need to determine what their role is now. A Captain Burgess wishes to speak to you,” Bryce said. “I wonder if they would have stopped us from burning the citadel if they’d been there.”

  “I don’t know. Those conflicting requirements were probably the reason they stayed away.”

  “We also need to decide what to do about Lorcan,” Bryce said.

  It was a question Ashra didn’t want to deal with.

  “We should execute him.”

  “No,” Ashra said.

  “He declared himself liege. He should be executed.”

  “We do not execute people,” Ashra said, stepping away and pressing her fingers to her forehead.

  “He will always be a threat. You more than anyone know how cunning he is. He will never be someone who believes in the system we are building, and when Lukas Brieton fails, the Naufren will look to him because he is strong. He is strong, even if we’ve taken everything away from him.”

  “I know that,” Ashra said, but she couldn’t bring herself to allowing him to be executed, even if she completely understood where Bryce was coming from.

  “He has committed treason against the people.”

  “You cannot blame Raufasger’s actions on him,” Ashra replied sharply.

  “He was going to carry them on.”

  “You can’t charge someone with what they were going to do, and you cannot charge someone for the actions of others.”

  “People want to see him dead.”

  “I don’t care. We don’t hang people for popular sentiment.” Ashra crossed her arms, for a moment worrying that she needed to step in and steer the course. Bryce’s passions could easily run to retribution. It was not the foundation of the society she wanted.

  “There are crimes we can charge him for.”

  “I am not interested in vengeance. It is not something I will have a part in.”

  “So what are we supposed to do with him? Keep him locked in the cellar for the rest of his life?”

  Ashra shrugged. “We have stripped him of his land, his house, even his livestock. He has nothing but his name. If we keep him locked away, then we tell people we think he’s dangerous—we tell people that we think our new system is so fragile that one single man without any real means can tear it down. Besides, without power to leverage, his past deeds will return on him, and there have been more than a few. Lorcan has more enemies than friends.”

  Everything she said was true, but at the base of it all was the fact that she could not execute the father of her child. There were enough wounds on her soul for the things she had been forced to do in the name of this war, and in the name of survival before that.

  “So maybe we should let his enemies take care of him,” Bryce suggested.

  Chapter 31

  THERE WAS BARELY any light in the dusty hovel they had locked Roisen in. Columns of pale light shone across the air, making the currents of the air visible.

  Roisen had slept on a bed of empty sacks. He was in the hands of an enemy that hated him and his discomfort was not cause for concern. Whether that boded well or not remained to be seen. What he was more curious about whether this hatred extended to Ashra? Was it something he hadn’t seen in her character, something she had hidden from him?

  He would be disappointed if that were true—if she wasn’t true. Would she have done all this if she was rotten to the core like the rest of them? If that were true, then she was the biggest con of all. Deep down, though, he couldn’t believe that she had changed the world by unfathomable levels of deception. This had to be real, only true passion would effect such change. Say what you will about Raufasger, he was never deceptive, and it was his true passion that had reordered the world to his liking. At no point did he hide what he had been, or what he’d wanted.

  The grinding of a lock echoed through the basement he was in. Then steps. He knew it was her even before he saw her. Why was she here? Had she come to pass judgement? What would she do with him now that he was utterly in her power? Things would be so different if it were the other way around, but apparently, Ashra would only have her way.

  Again she wore the simple clothes of a farmer, but her hair was lose. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t find her attractive, even in the simplest breeches and shirt. Her cheeks were rosy and she looked both rested and tired. Would she look so lovely passing judgment on him?

  It took a moment for her eyes to adjust in the light and to find him. Roisen stood by the back wall, leaning against a wooden barrel with his arms crossed. Smoke was still infused in his clothes and skin, and he felt far from clean and fresh. Perhaps he never would again, depending on how swiftly she sought to move now.

  She was silent for a moment, as if she didn’t know what to say.

  “So this is to be your new capital.” he said.

  “Not mine, as I said. This is, however, where the council will sit.”

  Roisen chuckled. She finally got her council. They had all underestimated how unstoppable she would be. “And what is this council going to do with me? What are you going to do with me?” As for believing she didn’t call the shots, that might be something she told herself, but it would be a far cry from reality. People always sought leadership, and she was it. According to her own saying, she was going to hand over to Bryce. Ashra had torn the world apart so she could go home to be with her children.

  “The council hasn’t sat yet.”

  Roisen twisted his head to the side. Did she not have the guts to strike the final blow? Was she going to pass the deed to this council? It would still come down from her.

  “It will take some time to organize.”

  “So I shall languish here in the comfort of your hospitality.”

  “No, we are releasing you.”

  Both surprise and confusion battled inside him. “You don’t simply release your enemy. It makes for a battle, not a war.”

  “You were never my enemy. This was never about you and me.”

  “Liar.”

  She gave him a warning look.

  Whatever lies she told herself, he wasn’t going to be complicit. “There was a time when there was nothing but you and me, so you can’t tell me that it played no part in this.”

  “It played no part in this.”

  “Back at my estate. If I had done something different, if I had said something different, none of this would have happened.”

  Her mouth drew together tightly. It would be a lie if she said no, and they both knew it. “I’m not talking about this,” she said, throwing her arms up. Anger stole into him, feeling it was a cop out. She owed him an explanation. “We are releasing you. You can go.”

  “Just like that? What’s to stop me from reforming my army and riding in here to raze the place?”

  “Because we’ve stripped you of your land, your house, and your title. Of everything.”

  “You’ve taken my title?”

  “Yes. We’ve taken your title.”

  “And who is to take your word that means anything?”

  “Well, that remains to be seen. But if I were you, I wouldn’t depend on Lukas Brieton to come riding to your defense. He’s not going to challenge this edict, is he? In fact, do you have any friends now that you literally have nothing but the clothes on your back?”

  Roisen smiled, recognizing the truth in her words. Her releasing him wasn’t a mercy—it was a message to show that they could be reduced to nothing. Not even Fiedra would give him the time of day now—she couldn’t afford to. And the worst of it was that the Naufren would be complicit with Ashra’s edicts just to spite him. It was almost comical. They would rather shoot
themselves in the foot than to allow him back in—and that meant that they would never be able to co-operate enough to challenge Ashra and the Solmnites.

  Perhaps it really was Raufasger’s violence that had kept them together, had made them achieve what they had. Without him, they simply didn’t have enough loyalty to act as a group. Raufasger had pitted them against each other so long they didn’t know how to do anything other than fight.

  The door was open, but where was he supposed to go? Fiedra’s friendship had always been conditional, but there were others, weaker people, who would give him what he needed. It wasn’t really an issue of survival. Obviously, he was not going to simply lie down and accept being rendered as nothing. Equally, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to carry on the Naufren’s fight. If they didn’t fight for him, he saw no reason to fight for them. In Raufasger’s court, as in now, the true ambition was for himself, and his material things were not what made him strong.

  Ashra turned to leave. “You should leave. You might be the least favorite person for a lot of the population here. Strange how that is true ubiquitously across both the Naufren and Solmnite populations. I’d keep my head down if I were you, or someone will likely drag out some old and longstanding grievance.”

  Unfortunately she had a point. There were a lot of people who viewed his fall from grace with glee, most of them would love to see him grovel around in the dirt. If they thought that would happen, they didn’t know him. His strength had never come from his wealth or privilege. If Ashra didn’t understand that, he would be disappointed.

  “What about Charis?” he said as Ashra reached the door. Stopping, she stood for a moment before turning.

  “What about Charis?”

  “My daughter,” he said. Ashra stared at him for a moment. Would she deny him in this? “According to you, I have nothing but a daughter.”

  “And what do you intend with that?”

  “You can’t deny that she belongs to me as much as she belongs to you, or do my reduced circumstances mean I have no rights to my child? Is that the kind of society you are creating?”