by Radu Aldea
“I can! The moment they decide to turn on me, if I’m within their reach, they will get one nasty surprise. I will come to Suttland soon, I promise, just not right now.”
Kara accepted that. “If you go to Suttland use the password everlasting. It should work for both the Metteli and the Arvillii, but only tell Julia or Marcia how you got it.”
Maya wanted to say something, but they were interrupted by a frantic Teresa. It was obvious something had happened and she had been woken up.
“Someone killed our three guests after they left the city. They didn’t manage to get far before they were ambushed,” Teresa told them.
Cyprian’s wife wanted someone to take care of the problem. Kara understood her distress. She had seen it before. With three senators dead there would be an investigation that would lead to their door. She didn’t mourn the three, thinking they got exactly what they deserved, and she didn’t think Teresa did either. The woman was scared and there may be no solution to her problem.
“Send a message to Robert,” Maya spoke. “Tell him they were ambushed by Eastern Suttland forces. I didn’t think there were so many this far north, but I was wrong, obviously.”
She hadn’t been wrong, Maya was lying, but Kara liked her plan. “Tell him I was here and Leon wants to discuss something with him. Julia has been getting more aggressive lately and my patron is worried. I thought I would have the time to go to him, but this escalation changes everything. I have to travel to Essland as soon as possible.”
This would change Teresa’s opinion of her. She would no longer consider Kara a spy, but an emissary of sorts. She’d be long gone before Robert managed to verify her story. If Leon actually dared to do something like this Julia would gut him like a fish. However, Leon was old, had no children or a clear heir and always believed Julia would try to take over his family. She hoped her lie was believable enough to fool the Casti at least for a little while.
“He wants to make an alliance with Robert and Lucian and contain Julia?” Maya knew what she said couldn’t possibly be true, but she was playing Kara’s game. Julia held the mountains and help couldn’t arrive fast enough to save Leon if her blond friend moved against him. Some of Leon’s clients wouldn’t like this alliance either and might decide to take his place.
“You know I can’t tell you that,” Kara answered Maya’s question.
“I still have to leave for Riffland tomorrow.”
“You’re still going? It’s not safe out there, not with Suttland soldiers hunting senators.”
Teresa’s concern was at least in part self-serving. Yes, she did think there was an army out there springing ambushes on senators, but it didn’t hurt to have a battle-senator with you just in case the city would be attacked. Kara still had to leave before someone came up with the idea the three idiots weren’t ambushed by an army, but by a single senator, someone like her, who was powerful enough. Maya couldn’t be that comfortable, either.
“They’re looking for senators with armies, not for a young girl traveling alone. I’m not wearing parade armor and attracting attention to myself.”
Kara remembered those three, how they strutted like peacocks in the middle of their soldiers. Well, war came and found them lacking.
“You and your family may want to leave too. They will investigate and may think you had something to do with it.”
“We don’t have that kind of power. Robert knows this.”
“He might not see it that way. You had an altercation just before they left and he may come to the conclusion you’ve taken your revenge by selling them to Julia. Your choice!”
Kara was a little miffed she didn’t get the chance to hear the bard sing the epic, but she’d live with it. Three of Robert’s battle-senators had been eliminated. Yes, it was a good day, even though they weren’t that powerful. This might ruin her plans to get those books, but she’d live with that too. If something happened to Cyprian she would find another historian.
“You’ll be fine. Robert will send troops here very soon. Senators have just died, this war is not just a possibility, it has become an inevitability.”
Maya was right on both accounts. If this was a game it was now Robert’s move. And sometimes, in a game, you really wanted to be your opponent’s turn to move, because if it was yours, you lost. It was like that for Robert.
“Tell him in the message to move north immediately. Julia has her armies gathered while ours are spread all over Cuttland. Her strategy is to strike fast and hard.” Maya was right again. That was Julia’s strategy and everyone knew it. Robert and Roger would withdraw, although they would send troops to protect strategic locations like Orenburg, and wait for the other families of Cuttland to come to their aid. By then, it might be too late. Her friend was supremely adaptable and knew when it was time to change strategies.
Kara waited until Teresa left. “Did you kill them?”
“How could I’ve done that? I have no troops and I didn’t leave the city? Did you?”
Kara shrugged.
Chapter twenty-six
Julia went over the maps again. It was unnecessary. She could practically draw them from memory if she had that particular talent, which she didn’t. It was important to be thorough. A single detail going wrong and the most brilliant plan could be undone. And Julia couldn’t call her plan brilliant. It wasn’t even her plan. The top-ranking battle-senators of the Arvillii and Metteli and some not so important, who were considered good strategists, had devised it. She and Kara had been part of that, too. It wasn’t perfect or infallible, but it was the best plan they could come up with in case they would have to go to war with both Cuttland and Essland. That was the nightmare scenario.
The first map was that of the empire. Not very detailed, it did contain what was important. The mountains, the rivers, the mountain passes, the river crossings, the cities, but most importantly, the strongholds were all there. The second map was of Ornulf’s Gap and the surrounding territory. This one had a lot of details. The access way between Cuttland and Essland was riddled with hilltop fortresses, which were all garrisoned. The north-western ones belonged to Cuttland and the south-eastern to Essland. If you wanted to get from one of these provinces to the other, it was the only way. The Aldurian Mountains were practically impossible to cross in that region. Their southernmost peaks were the effective border between the two provinces and the Aldurians north of the river Elvo separated Cuttland from the grasslands and the horsemen. The Elvo was a less secure border between them and Essland.
Julia wasn’t sure why people decided to build so many fortresses. Most likely, during the wizard wars, they were erected to prevent invasions. After Cuttland had been consolidated under one leadership it was usually the aggressor, but before that, it went both ways. The other theory said they were there to stop the invasions of the horsemen before they reached Cuttland. Essland had always been the easier target. The last time one of those happened was more than fifty years ago and it wasn’t that serious. The horsemen were beaten off easily, mostly by senators, also by humans and wizards. It hadn’t always been that way. For a hundred years after the wizard wars, mounted raiding parties did a lot more damage. During the largest invasions, the horsemen overran Essland, poured into Cuttland and even reached Suttland.
Instead of all those fortresses, Julia would have built a wall. Or two, if both provinces wanted some protection. The fact it hadn’t happened spoke of Cuttland’s arrogance and Essland’s weakness. When Cuttland was strong enough to build a wall, it didn’t need to, because it conquered the other provinces one by one. Essland didn’t have the resources and the time for a wall or the manpower to guard it. Lucian could probably do it now, but he didn’t feel it was necessary. When he would think a wall was necessary, he wouldn’t be able to build it. Of course, the greatest threat to him was not in Cuttland. It was her. And Julia didn’t need to go through Ornulf’s Gap to get to him. She would just use the passes, which she controlled, to cross the Serelians. And that was going t
o happen tonight.
More than ten thousand soldiers were waiting for her order to begin the attack. Both the Arvillii and Metteli contributed. Almost three quarters of Suttland’s senators were part of these two families. They were the two most powerful senatorial houses, not only of their province, but of the empire. The difference between them and the other two Suttland families was considerable. That’s why she didn’t ask them to contribute to the war effort. The troops she had now were more than sufficient for what she had in mind.
The plan was simple. Take control of the Gap. Actually doing it, however, was a lot more difficult. The idea was to isolate it from both provinces. For that she needed to control the outer fortresses as a first step. The inner fortresses, after being isolated, would fall one by one. Two armies would pour out of Suttland. One would try to seal off the Cuttland end of the Gap and the other the Essland end. If she succeeded, the two provinces wouldn’t be able to come to each other’s aid. If her plan failed she would soon find herself under attack from both sides.
The biggest problem was not the strongholds actually located in Ornulf’s Gap. It would be difficult, but they could be overcome. The Gap could not be controlled unless you had the fortresses in the Serelians and Aldurians that overlooked it. Those in the Serelians were hers. Those in the Aldurians belonged to the Casti. And they were well stocked and manned. Taking them in a direct assault was practically impossible and they could withstand a siege for a long time. Long enough for reinforcements to arrive. Those strongholds were mocking her.
They had mocked Kara, too, when they devised the plan. Nobody had come up with a viable solution for this problem. They were difficult to reach, more so if you were carrying siege machines. And you were going to need those if you wanted to bring down the walls. Regardless, the two armies would march tonight. The attack would begin as planned.
Taking the Gap’s fortresses wouldn’t be easy either. Some were controlled by humans, and they wouldn’t offer much resistance, but most belonged to Essland and Cuttland senators. Those would be problematic. That’s why Julia had to delay her attack until tonight. She had to wait for Western Suttland to arrive. Moving armies over long distances took time. It was Cuttland’s greatest weakness. Kara and she agreed about that a long time ago. But once it mobilized, it was a beast that could not be slain with ease. It was best killed before it woke up.
The maps didn’t offer any new insight. Ornulf’s Gap was tens of miles wide and about a hundred miles long. Her cavalry could be before the Casti fortresses’ walls within the day if she pushed it. And then what? Julia didn’t like the answer to that question. She was just musing and had no plans to use her cavalry this way. No, she had other plans for it.
“We have guests,” Adrian pulled her out of her thoughts.
They were hidden in a mountain stronghold on the Suttland side of the Serelians and people were not supposed to find them. Julia had Adrian with her as well as battle-senators of her family and of the Arvillii. Other senators and soldiers occupied other fortresses along the mountains. Her father and mother remained in their villa in an attempt to create the illusion nothing was happening. With everyone on edge, it was not likely anyone would believe it.
That someone found them was unfortunate. The point was that nobody knew where they were. Since the attack on Kara very few people, whom she trusted completely, knew her whereabouts. Julia was well aware she was the next target if someone intended to destabilize Suttland. If they hunted Circle members she still was the next target.
She was curious who those visitors were and how they managed to track her down. Someone must’ve had a very good reason for sending them here or they would pay for it. Julia got the answer to at least one of her questions. Leon, the head of the other senatorial house of Eastern Suttland, his client Kiernan, and Kiernan’s consort, Freya were led to her room. Freya, although human, she trusted the most. Kiernan, although part of another family, was an ally, of sorts. Leon was one of the old guard and he didn’t like Julia very much. He believed in the old ways and laws and in the autonomy of the houses. He had always seen her as a threat and as a harbinger of doom to them. Her power was a threat, there’s no two ways about it, but the old ways were dying before their eyes. If he didn’t understand that, he was a fool. The Senatorial Council did not exist anymore. People still clung to it because they were afraid to let go into the unknown. Change happens, no matter what you do. It was time they realized that.
“I would like to say your visit is a wonderful surprise, but guests make me wary lately.”
That was an understatement. Unfortunately, it was necessary to meet people face to face. These three she didn’t need to see, but they were there and Julia had to deal with them.
“I think we are entitled to some explanations.” So went the autonomy of the families. And she thought Leon really respected it. Apparently not, since he involved himself in her family’s business. And he had the audacity to demand something from her.
“What would you like me to explain?” Julia decided to be civil for now.
“To begin with, I would like to know what happened to Kara and Rufus.”
“You should ask the Arvillii about that. I’m sure Marcia and Reyna would be happy to answer.” They really wouldn’t, but it didn’t matter, because he wouldn’t be able to find them.
“They were difficult to locate. You were too, always moving, never staying in one place for long. We are here now. We deserve to know if we are in danger.”
Julia couldn’t stop herself from laughing. “We are always in danger. There are millions out there who want to kill us. Now you know. You can leave if it’s all you wanted.”
“You’ve heard the rumors. They are saying sorceresses were involved.”
“I don’t pay much attention to rumors and personally I wouldn’t put much weight on them. You should talk to the Arvillii. I’m not sure they will be forthcoming, but you could try.”
“Are you saying you don’t know what happened to Kara and Rufus?”
Until now the conversation had been between Julia and Leon. Freya intervened when it was obvious Leon would get nothing out of her. The human tried to goad her. It wouldn’t work, of course, but it was amusing. Not many people would attempt something like that.
“I’m saying that at this particular moment in time I don’t care.” It was the truth and the two senators would know that. They would doubt themselves, thinking she could lie to them, which she could, but she hadn’t. You can speak the truth and still deceive.
“I find that difficult to believe.” It was Kiernan’s time to join the conversation.
Julia shrugged. Everyone knew Kara was her friend and that she wouldn’t leave her friend’s death unpunished. Yet they prided themselves on being able to recognize a lie. She wasn’t here to explain herself to them and they shouldn’t have come anyway.
“Unless you had something to do with it,” Leon insinuated.
“That sounded a lot like an accusation.” The old man must’ve grown senile because otherwise she could not explain how he could have the nerve to say something like that to her. He had forgotten who she was. If not for the guest law, and she was sure hospitality was offered, not by her, but it didn’t make a difference, she would’ve killed him. Julia could hear Kiernan and Freya stop breathing. The couple had not forgotten who they were dealing with. Maybe there was another reason for Leon’s confidence. “Have you already made a deal with Lucian? Or maybe somebody else you think can protect you? I assure you, they can’t.”
“You’d be violating the guest law,” Leon responded, but he was a lot paler.
“I would never do that. Although, after you leave this place you’re no longer a guest. Don’t worry, I won’t do that either. I would wait until you returned home and have my troops surround it. I wonder how many of your clients will come to help you. Not many, I imagine, after they hear who wants your head. Do you really want to test me?”
“Another rumor I heard is that you are not
as powerful as you claim to be.”
Apparently Leon did want to test her. He was scared and couldn’t hide it, but he wasn’t backing down. It didn’t take the jackals long to come out. Kara’s presumed death made them all brave. Leon was not a jackal, he just thought Julia weak. Thought she needed him. Right now, she didn’t. Down the road, she might need his family. It didn’t mean he would still be its head. Julia had heard the rumor she had lied about her power. Lately, they sprung up everywhere. She knew somebody was behind them and at first she thought Kara was the culprit. It did work in her favor and maybe removed a bit of the target she had on her. “You’re right, I lied about my powers. In truth, I’m a pleb. And David is not my real father. He just found me floating in a basket down the river and adopted me.”
Kiernan and Freya laughed. Leon didn’t appreciate her little joke. He would appreciate her armies a lot less. After she was finished with Lucian she would deal with Leon too. “You can leave now. I have some other things to take care of and I don’t have the time to deal with you.”
Julia thought Leon would understand he was being dismissed. “You may be powerful, girl, but you lack patience. You think I am stupid. You’re starting a war.”
The old man was really getting on her nerves. Julia visualized eviscerating him and it made her feel better. “You think I’m starting a war? Have you been paying attention?”
“I have been. I’m not so sure about you and your father agrees with me.”
Well, that answered how they found her. Julia’s father did not agree with Leon and was well aware of her plan. David probably just sent him to her to get rid of Leon and maybe hoping Julia would kill him. “Father is the head of the house. He just needs to give me an order.”
“I think maybe he can’t. If some other house attacked the Arvillii, tell us, and we would help. Starting a war without proof will just turn everyone against Suttland.”
“I’m not planning to attack anyone.” Julia was lying, but it would sound as truth to them. “I’m just trying to protect myself. Hiding here seemed like a good idea until you came.”