The cold began to sneak under her cloak. “There’s nothing unusual about it in Embriel, and certainly nothing shameful. Is it different here?”
“It’s frowned upon,” he said. “Doubly so for a king expected to produce heirs. Your mother knew theirs was a political marriage, but would never have accepted our relationship. So it seemed wisest to keep quiet.”
Leisha wrinkled her nose, unable to remember anything pleasant about her mother.
Symon gave her a thoughtful look. “For years, I thought marrying Shola had been a mistake, but when she was pregnant, I fell in love with you because you were a part of him. And now, you’re the perfect mix of both parents. You have your father’s kind, loving heart and your mother’s steel. You’ll find a way to save this kingdom.”
***
After a cold dinner, Leisha sent a servant to the dungeon to ask the guard there to bring up their only prisoner. Sitting in a chair pulled next to the fireplace in her apartments, she waited with Aniska standing behind one shoulder.
She did not know what to expect from the disgraced Lord Ladvik. Defiance after four years? A broken man? Her anger over the incident had cooled as time passed, and she allowed his wife to visit from time to time and even to bring things to ease his captivity. Regardless of how he presented himself, Leisha knew how to ferret out where his loyalties lay or if he could be trusted to help them.
“Ladvik,” she said as the guard escorted the former Lord of Tarnow in.
Ladvik entered the room looking wary, but not defiant. Dressed in plainclothes with closely cropped hair beginning to grey at his temples, he did not appear defeated or beaten. She had always found him a handsome man with fine features reflecting a distant kinship with her mother. Four years of confinement left him thin and wiry, but she had ordered him treated humanely, fed, clothed and not left in a cell exposed to the elements. Torture she would not countenance. If his crimes warranted that, she would have ordered his execution instead.
“Your Highness.” He bowed as well as he could with chains around his wrists and ankles.
Leisha invited him to sit in the chair opposite her, next to a small table with wine and goat cheese—things she had not permitted Ladvik in four years. She saw him eyeing them greedily but did not offer him any yet. Instead, she wanted him talking.
“You’ve no doubt heard about the invasion,” she said without preamble as she opened her mind to hear his thoughts.
Dragging his attention away from the food and drink, he frowned, trying to imagine what she wanted from him. “Soldiers will always talk, Your Grace,” he said finally.
“I’ve come to decide your fate, Ladvik,” Leisha told him. “Do I leave you here to rot and starve? Do I take you with me and spend all my time watching over my shoulder for your knife? Do I execute you or leave you here for our enemies to find you? Tell me what you would have me do, Ladvik. Make your case,” she invited him.
The former nobleman watched her, suspicious of her motives and not truly believing she would consider releasing him. He knew the fate her uncle suffered and said nothing for a long while. “I’m a traitor, but I’m still Tahaerin. Take me with you, Highness. Hold me captive, but don’t leave me to die at their hands.”
Leisha felt his fear and desperation. He did not want to die, but his thoughts did not give any indication if he had changed his mind about her. “Keep trying, Ladvik. I’m not known for forgiving those who plan to kill me, and I’m allowing you to beg for your life.”
He wondered if she meant this to be some sort of game, something to amuse her. But, with four years in a cell and nothing but time to reflect on what led him there, Ladvik found himself willing to admit to his faults. “I won’t try and excuse my actions, Your Highness. I’ll only say I’m a weak man and I allowed others to influence me. Take me with you.”
“I don’t need extra mouths to feed in my army, Ladvik.”
It stung his pride to hear her compare him to cattle. “I’m a seasoned military man. Your Lord Constable can’t say the same.” He regretted the words instantly and wished he could have them back.
She barked a laugh, mocking him. “He also can’t say he ever conspired to have me stabbed to death.” Though he meant it as a boast, a point of pride that somehow he might be more useful than Andelko, she did sense a shift in his demeanor.
“Forgive me. That was unwise and unnecessary,” he said, lowering his eyes, sounding contrite and embarrassed. “Your Grace, I want to live, and I do have skills that can help you defeat these invaders. I’d like to make amends. I wronged you, but more importantly, I wronged my wife and my children. I’m asking you for the chance to make right my transgressions.”
Sincere regret for the pain he caused his family sat uppermost in her prisoner’s mind. Longing to reunite with his wife and children again had replaced any aspirations to become king. Leisha knew time would tell if those feelings stayed the same. “Ladvik, this is what I’m offering. Soon, we’ll be passing near Tarnow. I’m writing letters now to Fridrick and Astra advising them to flee and meet us on the road. You may have your freedom; you may live with your wife and children in camp. In return, you will give me your unwavering loyalty.”
His head snapped up. “Astra is coming?”
She heard painful longing in his voice. It seemed the former Lord Ladvik loved his wife. “Yes. How long has it been since you’ve seen her?”
“Almost six months since she could make the trip.”
“In the beginning, you’ll be confined to your tent or room when we reach Tolmein. Once you regain my trust, there will be no restrictions on you, except you may not leave camp without my permission and you don’t do anything to displease me. Do you accept?”
“Yes, Your Highness,” Ladvik said immediately. Hope leapt into his mind, but Leisha knew that needed to be tempered with a reminder of his situation, or he would think too far ahead.
She nodded and Aniska moved to unlock his shackles. “Understand,” she cautioned. “The only reason you survived your last conspiracy is because you only threatened me. This time, if you threaten anyone I love there will be no place you can hide, no one who can shelter you from me. So, if you want your wife and children to live in poverty and hunger, then by all means betray me,” she invited, spreading her hands in front of her.
“If you keep your word and help us, then when this is all over I’ll let you go free.” Again, his mind filled with a desperate hope. He craved freedom but also longed for what he had lost—his lands, title, and privileges. Good, she thought, knowing that would keep him in line.
“For now, I’m not making any promises about giving you back your title or lands. You’ll have to earn them. Eat and drink and Aniska will show you to your room. Welcome back, Ladvik. My forgiveness is not easily won.”
Greedily, the man reached out, and taking a glass of wine, he downed it in one drink. He closed his eyes and sighed with pleasure, sinking back into the chair. “If I had known you kept that here, I would have begged for your forgiveness sooner,” he said with a trace of a smile on his lips.
Retreating
Reports from Lida showed the Deojrin digging in. Aniska’s agents saw Gerolt moving into Branik and bringing the army camp up from the beach. The speed at which they subdued the city and made it their own alarmed Andelko, and he decided to hasten their move north.
“We need space between us,” he explained, grimacing. “It’s clear invasion is nothing new to them. They’ve done this before. Our weakness is you’ve kept us at peace for so long, Leisha,” he joked before continuing. “Their weakness is going to be they don’t know our lands well.”
Though Leisha and Zaraki both disliked Ladvik, Andelko had asked to include him in a few of their meetings and found him useful. Seated at the table with them, the disgraced nobleman nodded. “It would be best if we could draw the bulk of their army this way and keep them away from the south. That’s the heart of the kingdom and where most of the food is grown. If they take that immediately, w
e’ll be hard-pressed to feed and supply ourselves.”
***
Preparations for their departure took far longer than they should, while Symon and Andelko huddled together, trying to improve their organization and efficiency. Many of the castle servants who followed them here had scant experience with a monarch on the move. Leisha had only left Lida twice. Once to be married at Cheylm Castle and once when she attended a wedding in Otokar and stayed for over a month to punish Lord Lovek.
Then, they had weeks to plan and coordinate how best to pack away the lives of a royal household, the supplies needed for horses and the soldiers who followed. Now, they had days and an enemy army at their backs. Problems arose, fights erupted and Leisha felt helpless, adrift with nothing to do, nothing to contribute.
Six days after their arrival in Moraval, the army left for Tolmein. Even though the wheel of the year had swung around to spring, the weather this far north remained cool and windy. Leisha huddled in a fur-lined cloak as Evka marched on. Behind the riders came a long trail of soldiers, servants, and camp followers. Unused to walking so far, many on foot developed blisters, while those on horseback, not accustomed to hours in the saddle, rubbed at sore muscles each night. Leisha longed for her old life.
As they rode north, poorly armed men from tiny hamlets stood along the side of the road, waiting to join the army. “This is how armies grow,” Andelko explained to Leisha, keeping his word to teach her about armies and war. “The bigger cities will obviously contribute more, but every army needs rabble. These men are looking for pay. Eventually, I’ll need to promote a few marshals with captains under them, but right now Zaraki and I can manage as is.”
Riders from Tarnow found the army, and Andelko called a halt for the day. All around, servants began scrambling to set up tents and beds for the night, to prepare food and unload trunks of clothes and plates and cookware. Tomorrow morning, they would reverse the whole process.
Captains Anzelm and Rufino presented themselves once they cleaned themselves up. Both men bowed smartly and then drew up short seeing Ladvik standing off to one side. Each had served him at Tarnow, before his conspiracy and capture. “Your Highness, Sire,” Rufino began, and then hesitated, unsure how to address his one-time lord.
“Ladvik is fine,” the former nobleman said, waving a hand. “It’s good to see you both again.”
Anzelm looked uncomfortable. “Yes, well, Lord Fridrick sends his regards and best wishes. He would have come, but he wanted to oversee preparations at Tarnow. If things are as bad as your letter indicates, he believes the best option is to withdraw and join your army.”
“Those troops would be a huge boost for us this early on,” Andelko said.
“Yes, sir. He’s spoken with city leaders and those than can flee are preparing to. Lord Fridrick expects our soldiers to be ready to march in a week or less. You’re heading to Tolmein?”
“Yes, directly. Levies from Vaja should meet us there as well.”
“Excellent. Lady Astra and her children are a few hours behind us now. They should catch up to you by nightfall.”
Leisha watched Ladvik’s reaction to the news and felt his excitement. Since his release, he had done nothing to arouse any suspicion. Andelko said he volunteered useful information when they met and seemed pleased to help. She did not trust him in the slightest, but the promise of a reunion with his family appeared to motivate him to behave himself.
***
As the men from Tarnow suggested, Lady Astra and her three children arrived with their guards as the skies darkened. Aniska fetched Ladvik from the tent she kept him confined in and he emerged the very picture of obedience and compliance.
The Lady of Tarnow climbed down from her horse with the help of a servant. Leisha saw two boys she guessed might be around eleven and eight jump down from the pony they shared. They looked a great deal like their father, with sharp features and dark curling hair. A maid sat on a mare, holding a small, fair-haired little girl who squirmed, trying to free herself from the arm around her waist. The child could be no more than four or five, and Leisha realized Ladvik had likely not seen her since birth.
Standing next to the man, she caught the hungry expression on his face. After four years of imprisonment, he longed for his family, and she found his loyalty surprising and endearing. “I didn’t tell them you were coming, in case you chose otherwise,” she said, as Astra helped her young daughter down off her horse. “Go to them.”
Ladvik needed no prodding and raced to close the distance. He swept his wife into his arms and kissed her. Astra drew back and raised a hand to her mouth before bursting into tears and throwing her arms around his neck. When she let him go, Ladvik reached down to the children. The older boys began to cry when they saw him, while the little girl hung back, unsure of this stranger.
Remember, you’ll lose all of this if you betray me, Leisha warned.
The man jerked around, startled, unused to another mind occupying his. But when he saw her, he nodded, and she felt his gratitude.
***
The roads they followed north and east to Tolmein took them through the foothills of the Violet Mountains, and Leisha saw where the name of the range came from. Here, instead of the desolate, rocky landscape around Moraval, she saw verdant green fields covered in carpets of purple and blue wildflowers. Everywhere she looked, the small flowers bloomed in profusion. Their beauty stole her breath.
Our kingdom is more beautiful than I ever imagined, she sent to Zaraki, who rode a few lengths behind her, talking with Aniska. An uncommon melancholy overwhelmed her briefly as she thought of all the time spent in Lida. She should have made more of an effort to see her lands, to fully appreciate the gift her father left her.
Without her noticing, Zaraki urged Capar up next to Evka. “It is. When this is all over, we’ll make time to see it,” he said.
All afternoon, they rode through fields of flowers and when they camped that night, the scent of the blooms filled the air. Leisha considered going to visit Ladvik but decided not to hover. If he chose to betray her, she could not stop it. She would trust Ani’s spies and Andelko’s watchful eyes.
The next morning they spotted Tolmein. After three weeks of traveling Leisha longed to sleep inside four stone walls. As they approached, however, she regarded the little keep with a critical eye. A small, three-story building pierced by small windows greeted them.
As they drew closer, Leisha could see men watching them from the tops of the wide towers springing from each corner. Yellow and blue flowers carpeted the sides of the top grassy mound it sat atop, a wall enclosed the base of the hill, and a collection of wooden structures housing the few soldiers billeted here. Meant more as a watch post to guard the northern border than a true fortress, it seemed less than impressive, certainly less imposing than Moraval.
Seeing the look on her face, Symon laughed. “They can’t all be Branik.”
“No, I suppose not.” Leisha wrinkled her nose, thinking she had only ever lived in hulking, massive castles. Tolmein’s short curtain wall did not even have crenellations or arrow loops.
***
The messenger from Vaja arrived late in the afternoon the next day. “Your Highness, Lord Rikard sends his greetings and wishes for your good health.” The man bowed and shifted nervously, stumbling over his words as Leisha watched, growing more angry as he delayed. The air in the room stirred with his fear and dismay at having to deliver this message. “Unfortunately, he feels now is not an opportune time to part with any of his men, in light of the nearness of our common enemy.”
Leisha stared at him, eyes wide with surprise. Not used to being denied, she stood and stalked around the table to stand closer. “Did I hear you correctly?” she asked in a flat, quiet voice. “Lord Rikard is refusing to honor his oaths and send troops to aid me? Does he understand the cost of doing so?”
“Lord Rikard takes a simple view of the situation, Your Highness.” The man tried to keep the tremor from his voice and failed. He
knew the rumors she could read his thoughts and tried to forget the emissary from the Deojrin that came to Vaja. Von had promised to leave them in peace as they passed by, if Rickard swore not to send troops. “Right now they aren’t attacking Vaja or any other holding. They bypassed Tarnow even. It seems they’re only pursuing you. My lord believes it’s prudent at this time to just observe.”
Leisha hated this feeling, hated feeling impotent, but more, she hated being thwarted, hated losing. “We’re not merely a collection of lords and nobles,” she barked. “We are Tahaerin; we are a kingdom united under a single crown. When the Deojrin attack Vaja, tell your lord not to look to me for assistance. He’s a traitor and I won’t save him. When I beat back this enemy, I’ll come looking for blood.”
Wisely taking it as a dismissal, the messenger bowed deeply and withdrew.
Furious, Leisha threw herself down in a chair at their table and then jumped up again to pace angrily in front of the windows. “I hate when they do this,” she fumed. “I hate this attitude they can delay to see what the others will do first. But what can I do? What can I threaten him with? Invade his lands with my army? With an enemy right behind us?” She felt helpless and hemmed in.
Whirling around, she looked across the table. “Lord Constable. What’s my next move? What do you advise?”
Calm and self-assured, Andelko grinned. “We keep retreating.”
The look Leisha gave him would freeze a lake in summer.
He held up his hands, trying to ward off her anger. “Hear me out. Ladvik, Vially and I have talked about this.” Andelko saw her eyebrows go up, but the former Lord of Tarnow did know a great deal about making war. “We all agree. They’re trying to peel support away from you by not attacking the lords. Gerolt made this personal by declaring his intent to kill you. They seem to know well enough your nobles are selfish, self-indulgent children. If they don’t attack them, some lords like Rickard and Yurim will stay out of the fight. But it can’t last.”
As Dragons from Sleep (The Tahaerin Chronicles Book 2) Page 9