Part 2
“How goes it?” I asked Gerik, who crouched at the door of the tower while I knelt on the top of the tower.
The mercenary captain peeked through the arrow slit next to him. “I’m good, thanks for asking, Highness. Still lots of baddies out there, though.”
I stood up and surveyed the hilly plain. “They’ve drawn off a little. I think we have time for a breather. Come up and look around.”
“Ewan, stay in hiding,” Tethys warned her brother as she followed Gerik up to the top of the tower.
We had been ambushed by Carcino soldiers right when we were in the middle of the country. Brin had taken a lance in the leg, and had dropped back even though she was able to partly heal the wound with a vulnerary. They wouldn’t kill her; the mercenaries’ guild laws prevented that. But the treacherous bastards had no reason to attack me, and since I hadn’t stopped for news since I left Frelia, I had no idea why they thought they had reason to. Could it be that Grado guessed at my mission and had corrupted them with coin?
In any case, we were wildly outnumbered and though we made it to the relative safety of a small abandoned tower in the middle of this plain, it was only a matter of time before we were overrun. I would have failed almost before I had begun.
I couldn’t let that happen.
I’d caught sight of movement to the north. “Oh, wait, looks like they have fresh troops joining them.” I shaded my eyes with my hand. “Looks like mercenaries – wait…”
Gerik was looking in another direction. “Hey! Look, Teth, there’s Marisa! I wonder if she’s been hired by the other side?”
“Uh-oh,” Tethys said. “If it comes to a fight…”
“It won’t come to a fight,” Gerik said. “When she gets a bit closer, I’ll go out and talk to her. I doubt she’ll kill me to fulfil her contract.”
Tethys folded her arms and rolled her eyes.
“Now, look here,” I said. “There’s no cause for you to die here.”
“You’re our boss,” Gerik started.
“No. You’re both fired. I should have gotten rid of you when Brin was wounded. I thought we could make it out of here, but I was wrong. So go on and surrender.”
Gerik grinned at me. “Oh, now, after a speech like that, there’s no way I’m surrendering. I’ve always loved the melodrama of martyrdom, you know? But Tethys can surrender.”
“No, she can’t,” Tethys retorted, putting her hands on her shapely hips. “Will you two stop acting like men and get back to the job at hand? What kind of employer are you anyway, firing us and then ordering us to surrender? Er, Your Highness.”
“Mercenaries are supposed to fight for money, not duty,” I snapped, more irritated that they were arguing with me than I was that Tethys had forgotten I was a prince. “What kind of mercenaries are you?
Gerik grinned from ear to ear. “Lousy ones!”
“Anyway, you’re a prince,” Tethys pointed out. “Why don’t you surrender? They’re trying to kill you now, but I bet they’ll treat you well as soon as they have you.”
“Surrender?” I smirked. “I’m the prince of Frelia. I don’t know the meaning of the word. The fate of the world rides on my shoulders, and I’ll make it to Jehanna. Even if I have to crawl to do it.”
“And you want us to surrender?” she said, incensed. “What were you going to do after we did? Did you have any kind of a plan at all?”
“Shut up for a minute,” I interrupted, pushing my dark grey hair out of my eyes and peering to the north again. “Either I’m going crazy, or Eirika has come to our rescue.”
“Princess Eirika of Renais?” asked Tethys, relaxing her angry stance a bit. “Why shouldn’t she do that? I thought you princes and princesses were all good friends.”
“Well, she was supposed to be sailing to Rausten right now,” I grumbled. “Oh, blast, here comes Tana with Eirika.” I backed up as Tana landed her pegasus fairly skilfully on the small tower-top. Gerik retreated downstairs hastily as the feathered fatty set down.
I scowled ferociously at my sister. “Tana, what are you doing here? Go home, now!”
She tossed her head defiantly as Eirika dismounted. “I won’t! I’m only here to help, Brother. Eirika said I could help. I’m helping!”
Eirika smiled at me. “You must be exhausted. Please, fall back and rest for a while.” She indicated where her mercenary band was spreading over the hills towards our tower. Tana nodded vigorously and offered a hand, ready to take me back to their allies.
I shook my head gravely. “I can’t do that. Falling back while a woman protected me would be rather distasteful… But I would be pleased to have you join me.” I knew better than to ask her to leave. Eirika was occasionally as stubborn as her brother, although she put it to better purpose than he did. But of course I wasn’t happy about her being in harm’s way.
She tilted her head, sending waves through her waterfall of teal hair. “As you like. Let’s go.”
I stopped her. “Eirika, one moment…”
“Yes?”
I bowed to her. “I’d like to thank you for coming to my aid.” If it wasn’t for her, we would have been wiped out by nightfall.
Eirika actually blushed. “You’re welcome,” she stammered, which was incredibly charming.
“Hey, what about me?” Tana demanded as I went down to speak to Gerik and Tethys – and this Marisa person?
I looked back at her. “You obey Eirika’s general’s orders. You took the responsibility to be here, so you deal with it.”
She rolled her eyes and curled her lip. “I’m helping, and that’s all you can say? You’re a jerk, Brother!” Her pegasus took off, with its rider in a huff.
I’d have to fix that before she got herself killed with being distracted with her anger at me.
“Gerik,” I said. “We’re joining Eirika’s group for now. Something must have happened to her first plan. Perhaps I will escort her to Rausten once we have visited Jehanna. You may leave now, if you wish, since I did fire you, or you may continue with me.”
Gerik shook his head. “That’s what I like about you, Prince. You’re not arrogant like some nobles. But don’t let your guard down now. It’d be a shame to die just when we’ve been saved.”
“I never put much stock in faith,” Tethys began. “But perhaps good things happen to good people after all.”
“This has nothing to do with faith,” I interrupted her. “Let’s go! We must keep Eirika safe.”
“Yes, sir!” Gerik said, grinning again. Marisa stared at me, with the same sort of unsettling eyes that Brin had, but said nothing and followed her leader.
The rest of the battle I left up to General Seth to co-ordinate, since he knew Eirika’s forces far better than I did. We made it up to the city, where I saw him and Eirika speaking earnestly, with long faces. I wondered what was worrying them so. Probably Ephraim. If Grado had taken Carcino, a supposedly neutral country, one could only imagine what difficulties the brat was facing.
With Eirika’s group’s help, not only was I not killed, but we defeated or drove off every hostile combatant. The man who had hired all the mercenaries to kill me, Councillor Pablo of Carcino, was there, but he fled before I could shoot him. And he grossly insulted me. An old man, Councillor Klimt of Carcino, told me that the mercenary army probably had not even been hired to kill me – they had been looking at first for him, and I had blundered into their trap.
Well. That sure made everything better.
That taken care of, I went to see the mercenaries. “Gerik, Tethys, I’d like to thank you. If the two of you hadn’t stayed with me back there, I would not have survived.”
“We’re staying with you some more, Prince. Is that gonna work?” Gerik asked.
I shrugged. “Starting today, you’ve got a new contract. Pay’s double.”
“Uh, Prince? Can I ask you something?” said Tethys uncertainly. “Did you get… er… knocked on the head in that last battle or something?”
I gave her a long look. “That’s unkind. My neck is not so stiff I cannot show gratitude.” Just because I had dignity didn’t mean I was a jerk.
Then, of course, Eirika wanted to know what we were talking about, so I told her. Some of that earlier sadness vanished from her face as she laughed at Gerik’s description of my ‘firing’ them. When I saw that, something eased inside of me.
But I’d been reminded I should speak with Tana.
I found her, sulking by her pegasus. “So, you’re playing soldier, are you?”
“Brother!” she burst out, clearly still upset. “You’re so mean! You and Eirika and Ephraim are all doing so much, and I can’t just sit at home and wait for news of you! I want to fight for you!”
I looked at her with some respect. Her heart was in the right place, no one could doubt that about Tana. “Tana, I apologize for making you angry. But you do realize I’d be just as upset if you got hurt, do you not?”
She looked up, then. “Oh. Well, yes, I guess you would be. But I’m not going back, Brother. You realize that too, right?”
I sighed. “Fine. But like I said, listen to what the general tells you.”
Tana put her head on one side. “But sometimes he tells Eirika to stay back and she doesn’t listen. You don’t, either. I don’t want to get sidelined!”
“Tana, you’re spoiled,” I said, though I couldn’t keep from smiling. “But yes, I’m sure General Seth will get used to the idea that you want to fight just as much as Eirika. Just… irritate him instead of me with your stubbornness, will you?”
She perked up at that. “Yes, Brother! Thank you, Brother!” She cast her arms around me, hugging me tightly. I sighed, but smiled, and patted her back.
The next day, Tethys’ brother Ewan led us into the mountains, taking us to Jehanna through mountain passes that Grado and Carcino were less likely to know. Of course that meant they would be harder, but I didn’t expect what happened next.
But then again, what sane person in the real world could expect what we found?
“Come on, my teacher’s not too much further. We’ll get there in less than an hour,” Ewan squeaked, pointing ahead into the darkening fog. The trees looked ominous through the mist, and the last daylight in the west was weak as the sun slid further behind the mountains. An old stone fortress, many centuries old, stood crumbling just ahead of us.
“It’s getting late, boy,” I said. “We should stop here. Does anyone live in this fortress?”
“Nope. No one’s lived there for many years. I’ve even been inside. Hey, mister, we don’t have to stop here. We could stop at my teacher’s house.”
My temper was short with the long day. “What insolence. Do not speak to me again in that way.”
“He’s only a child, Innes,” Eirika said gently. “Please, forgive him.”
“Anyway…” began Ewan, just as I heard an unnatural moan ahead of us, and saw an oddly-shaped shadow in a hole in the wall of the fortress.
“Stop. Do not take another step,” I ordered him. As if such a thing was possible for a cocky pre-teen boy.
“That’ll make it awfully hard to get where we’re going,” he chirped sarcastically.
“Do you not hear it?” I insisted. “There is a strange noise coming from the fortress.”
“Huh?” Ewan stopped talking for a few merciful moments. “Oh! Wow, you have really good hearing to pick that up. I don’t know what it is. What should we do?”
The shadows built and changed in shape, and then I heard snarls and the shuffle of feet on the road. I grabbed Eirika’s arm momentarily. “Eirika, please alert your army. Monsters have spotted us. They’re coming this way.” She nodded and ran to get General Seth, her hair flowing behind her. Ewan vanished… somewhere. To Eirika’s supply-master, I suppose.
The monsters, at our wary advance, retreated back into the fortress. I went with Eirika and her Renaitian knights, while the rest of her mercenaries attempted to penetrate the fortress through the hole in the wall. I held Eirika back a moment before we entered to tell her something that had been bothering me all day.
“Eirika, this may seem sudden, but I must ask to protect you for a while.”
“Prince Innes?” she said, indeed, startled. “But… why?”
Why? I swallowed my pride a bit and explained myself. “I… was indeed in a difficult situation in the last battle. I do not wish to remain indebted to anyone.” Of course, swallowing my pride to explain my prideful reason to her felt odd.
And indeed, she commented on it under her breath, but her face was amused. I was bothered that she found me amusing, but I guessed it served me right for needing her help in the first place.
“No arrow can reach all enemies, but I guarantee your safety. Will you accept my oath?” I stepped closer to her to assure her of my sincerity.
She made a bemused face. “Um… sure… I accept.”
“Very well. Stay behind me -” I began, stepping forward.
But she stopped me. “Wait, Innes,” she said. “You’re an archer. Wouldn’t it make more sense if you stayed behind me?” She brandished her rapier to emphasize her point. I glared at her for being right, but only for a moment – a large dark shape swooped at her from above, and she ducked with a gasp.
She needed my protection more than I needed hers, definitely.
One of her knights brought down the first gargoyle, and I shot the second one in the eye.
I continued to watch her back as she ran ahead to keep up with the cavalry, protected her from zombies while she spoke to a woman she named L’Arachel, and shot down spiders that would otherwise have pounced on her from behind. I noticed General Seth also paid her special attention, and I was pleased – Eirika’s bodyguard did his job well. I’d heard he’d rescued her single-handedly from the sack of Renais, and it was good that he wasn’t slacking.
After defeating all the monsters, we decided that it would probably not be a good idea to stay in what used to be their vicinity, and so allowed Ewan to lead us onward to his teacher’s house. There, we rested for the sake of the injured and weary. We would go on the next day through the pass of Caer Pelyn, led by the teacher, and so down into Jehanna. We would arrive at Jehanna Castle on time.
I was watching Eirika in the morning as she trudged up the steep path in front of me, in case she fell, when a shadow passed over us, a wyvern grunted, and General Glen of Grado landed in front of us. “Princess Eirika of Renais. Hold.”
I glared at him, one hand on my bow. What was his deal? Was he attacking us, or parleying with us? Why was he alone? Was he alone? How had he found us?
“Who?” Eirika gasped, completely taken aback. “You – you’re General Glen of Grado. We met once in the capital, didn’t we? You were very kind to me. However, if you’re here now, I have to assume this means…”
Glen nodded slowly. “Yes, it does. I wish our reunion could come under different circumstances.” He dismounted his wyvern, frowning uncomfortably. “Eirika, I must tell you, I come here on the direct orders of the emperor. I’m to bring to justice the rebel army leader who’s been terrorizing Carcino. It’s you, Eirika. They say you’ve been murdering innocents.”
“What?” Eirika cried, her face a mask of distress. “Wait! What do you mean? I…”
“…If you have something to say, I would hear it,” Glen said, after waiting a moment for her to collect herself. “I know all too well that Grado has robbed you of your homeland, but even so… I do not believe revenge could drive a woman like you to such depths. And yet… here you are in Carcino with a small army under your command. And the emperor tells us that you massacred everyone in Port Kiris.” I glared at him. How did the emperor know? Had Glen honestly never heard of propaganda? I had never met the man before myself, but I’d heard General Glen was intelligent and level-headed, a sort of Gradonian Seth.
“That… That’s a lie!” Eirika stammered, too shocked to maintain any sort of composure. “I could never…”
“Go on,” Glen urged her ruthlessly.
My already-short patience snapped. “This is ridiculous,” I growled, pushing roughly past Eirika. “Believe what you want. Could one of the legendary Imperial Three honestly be as stupid as this?”
“What do you mean?” Glen asked, looking at me like an idiot.
“Carcino betrayed Frelia and set a pack of mercenary dogs to kill me,” I spat bitterly. “It’s an absurd farce. Your emperor commits horrors, and you paint Eirika as a criminal?”
“…What are you saying?”
The more Glen looked at me with that blank expression on his face, the more I wanted to punch his nose into his skull. “You truly are blind, aren’t you? You’re one of the Imperial Three, and yet you can’t see your emperor’s plan?”
“That’s enough, Prince Innes,” Eirika said shakily from behind me. “There’s no need to provoke him. General Glen, we’ve told you what we know to be true, what we’ve seen firsthand. We don’t want to fight you… But if you push us, we will drive you back to Grado.”
The sudden strength in her voice surprised me, and I looked at her with some admiration. I still wanted to say more to Glen, but she stopped me with a gesture.
“I… see.” The Grado general looked at his feet, then back up at Eirika in apology. “You… are more observant than you know. I am ignorant of the emperor’s designs. General Duessel and I both questioned the wisdom of this war. And if you really are innocent of the crimes attributed to you… Why would His Majesty lie to us? I must know the answer.”
I controlled the urge to roll my eyes. Glen was earnest, but he really was stupid outside of military situations.
“So, you… believe us?” Eirika asked hopefully. That was Eirika, always believing the best of everyone. She really was a sweet girl, even in the middle of this war.
“The Princess Eirika I met long ago was kind and merciful in spirit,” Glen said to her. “You’ve faced relentless hardship, and yet that selfsame spirit remains true.” He smiled at her. “Let’s put our fight aside for now. I will learn the truth. Then I will once again perform the duties of my office. If you have lied to me today, I will hound you to the very grave itself.”
“Very well,” Eirika said, with the confidence of the innocent, as he mounted his wyvern again and flew away over our heads.
A short while later, I heard a scream from the south. But no one else seemed to notice, although Eirika looked around at that moment.
Well, if Eirika wasn’t going to insist we drop everything and run to help, I wasn’t going to suggest it. We were already having enough trouble climbing the mountain.
And it grew more difficult as we climbed into thinner air. Eirika was becoming unsteady on her feet, and I was breathing quite hard. “Whew… I didn’t think we’d be climbing so high,” I said, as Seth told Eirika she needed to rest.
Even as he did so, she slipped on a patch of gravel and almost tumbled down the mountain. I caught her arm and supported her. She was so light and slender, I was almost surprised the breeze hadn’t blown her away yet. She laughed awkwardly as I helped her up, but was surprised by my sudden desire to pull her against me and shield her from everything – the wind, the cold air, monsters, and the concerned looks that Seth was giving her.
But I didn’t. That would have been horribly inappropriate, and Eirika would never speak to me again if I assaulted her like that, particularly on this exposed ridge.
“As I warned you before, the footing may be a little treacherous around here,” Saleh, the teacher, said. I hated being told ‘I told you so’, under any guise.
“How much further is Caer Pelyn, Master Saleh?” asked Seth.
“Less than half a day,” was the answer.
“In that case, then I think we should take a few moments’ rest,” said the general, to which our guide agreed.
“Why do you people live so high in the mountains, anyway?” I asked crossly as Eirika sat down on a boulder, tucking her skirt underneath her primly.
“We have no need of material wealth, like those who live in the lowlands. In this, we are of one mind with the Great Dragon,” Saleh said, which only partly answered my question. I knew he wasn’t trying to sound superior – he really did believe what he said – but I liked straight answers.
“The Great Dragon?” Eirika asked.
L’Arachel interrupted and pointed. “I think we have a disturbance.”
“I think we have a battle,” I rejoined, pulling down my bow calmly, surveying the approaching gargoyles, spiders, and zombies. Eirika stood up, looking much better than she had before, and drew her sword.
The further we got up the mountain, the harder the fighting got. Surely all the monsters for miles around were out for our blood. And how? Why?
My bow was the sudden salvation of many in Eirika’s… ‘small army’. Knights, rogues, the other archer, all ended up in a bad position sooner or later.
A spider was looming over our healer, Natasha, who tripped, screamed, and covered her eyes. I shot it in the eyes, and she scrambled to safety and to the red-haired swordsman who rushed up to her.
Then someone else screamed from close to my right, and my heart almost stopped as I realized it was Eirika.
I whirled, and saw – Seth had pushed Eirika out of the way of an attacking gargoyle, taking a heavy lance clean through his shoulder. Quick as thought, I bent my bow and felled the gargoyle with a clean shot through the head.
Eirika was trying to hold up her general, but his limp weight was crushing her, until the general’s protégé, Franz, came to assist her. I watched over her, shooting another gargoyle that thought it might try its luck. I hit it in the wing, and it crashed to the ground where it was run over by Sir Kyle.
Franz went for Natasha, who came running. She used her staff, and sent Eirika away, then turned to us. “I need your help to remove the lance, if you are willing.”
I nodded. “Just tell me what I need to do.”
“Just hold him still, if you would,” she said, checking the lance-head. “Sir Franz, please cut off the metal part with your knife? Thank you. Now if you could pull it out… straight out… yes, like that.”
I held the unconscious knight down so he didn’t come away with the lance. The instant the lance was freed, blood gushed from the wound, but Natasha concentrated with her staff and the miracle of magic knitted the bone, the flesh, and the skin back together, leaving only an angry red mark.
Her patient saved, Natasha slumped, leaning on her staff. She looked worn out from casting such a big spell.
I saw Eirika speaking urgently to Saleh, and soon the word came that we were to set up camp. I helped the Renaitian knights to set up a tent for their general, and then went in search of Eirika. She was setting up her own tent that she shared with Tana.
“Let me do that,” I said, as gently as I could. “You need to recover-“
“I have to help,” she said feverishly. “I have to. I can’t think about Seth… almost dying.” She turned to me, tears hovering in her eyes. “He’s not going to die, is he?”
Tana enveloped her in a sisterly embrace. “He’s not going to die, Eirika. He has Natasha and Saleh to look after him. And you! He’ll be fine. He just needs to recover. And you need to stop worrying so much!”
Eirika took a deep breath and hugged Tana back briefly. “Thanks, Tana. I know you’re right. But… Oh! Innes, what are you doing?”
I was hammering in a tent-peg for her, and raised an eyebrow. “I’m helping, as you two like to say so often. Is that so bad?”
“You don’t have to…”
“I do,” I said, straightening up and wiping my hands on my pale blue jacket. “It is part of my job. Just because I’m a prince doesn’t mean I’m incapable of simple tasks.”
“And just because I’m a princess doesn’t mean that I should be disallowed from simple tasks,” Eirika rejoined. I looked at her, head-on for the first time in a long time, and saw the determination in her eyes, her earnest, unsmiling face, and the tension in her stance. I also saw the way her long hair shivered down her back, the curve of her set lips, the incredible blueness of her eyes, the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed easily – all I noticed in a handful of moments.
And in another second it hit me like a bucket of cold water in the face – I was in love with Eirika of Renais.
To cover for my sudden realization, I nodded. What had we been talking about? Oh, right. “Very well. You have made your point. But allow me to assist you.”
She offered a tremulous smile at that. “I will, gratefully.” Her face glowed when she smiled, even if it was only a weak smile.
And I could understand. Her knight had been at her side for weeks, protecting her against everything, willing even to sacrifice his own life for his liege-lady. With her gentle nature, she couldn’t help but care for her soldiers. It would be similar to Syrene and me. Syrene would die to protect Tana and me, but in less guarded moments, she was a good friend, as well.
We worked alongside each other to set up camp, and when it was set up, Eirika went into Seth’s tent. I hoped she wasn’t going to fret herself into a wreck.
“Tana,” I said to my younger sister upon brief reflection, “make sure Eirika goes to bed at a reasonable time, will you?”
She saluted me. “Yes, Brother!” She smiled playfully. “She does need it. All this climbing, and a battle, and Seth getting a lance through him…” She shuddered and grimaced. “I’m so happy Natasha is such a good healer. I would’ve been sad if we’d lost him. He’s so valiant!”
I shot my sister a look. “You’re not falling for the fellow, are you?”
She flushed red all over her face and burst into a swarm of giggles. “No, Brother! Of course not! I barely know the guy! I just think… You know how he’s the Silver Knight and all… Gah! And the rescuing of Eirika? Sooo romantic!”
I frowned at her. “So, you think they’re a couple?”
She giggled harder than ever. I blinked at her, annoyed. “Brotherrrr! I don’t think they’re a couple. I mean, they’re always on their best behaviour around each other. But it’s just… it’s just so romantic! They would be a really cute couple if they were, though. Heeee. I don’t think you’d understand.”
“I guess not,” I said. “I certainly don’t understand why you’re so excited over them. Him? Them.”
She rolled her eyes at me. “Well, if you don’t get it, I’m not telling you.”
“Fine,” I said, getting up and stretching to my full height. “Just make sure she doesn’t lose sleep over him. I’m going to bed. Good night, Tana.”
“Good night, Brother,” she called softly after me.
When we rose next morning, Eirika had shadows under her eyes, so whether Tana had gotten her to go to bed or not, she hadn’t slept. But oddly, she looked much happier than she had the day before. She must have been very relieved to see Seth up and on his own two feet.
While the rest of us walked or rode up the path to Saleh’s village, Tana took Eirika on her pegasus. I could hear the two girls laughing above us as we walked through the mountains.
We met Saleh’s grandmother, who made a great impression on me, and then headed downhill – finally – a few hours later, heading down into Jehanna.
The next day, we were well down the pass, and getting ever closer to Jehanna. I could already see the shining golden plain, and the tiny smudge that was Jehanna Hall. It would take us a few days yet to get there, days I wanted to spend close to Eirika. But she proved surprisingly slippery, spending time with everyone in her little band, even the diminutive archer and her grating boyfriend, Neimi and Colm. I spent a good deal of time with the swordsman Joshua, learning of the foolish man’s pastime, gambling. I lost quite a bit before he owned up that he was cheating. I’d had my suspicions, but I was unwilling to take any money back when it was my own fault for not noticing.
We were two days in that canyon, and the third day, we had a visitor.
“Look!” Tana cried, pointing into the sky. “There’s Julia again!” Frelia’s best scout and messenger soon spotted us and came dropping down towards us.
“Prince Innes! Princess Tana!” she cried, her face alight. “It is wonderful to see you well! We have all been so worried-“
“What is your news?” I interrupted calmly. In the return message I would explain everything.
She took a deep breath. “Frelia has invaded Carcino and engaged the traitor Pablo’s mercenary army. With aid from Elder Klimt, we are crushing the foe where we find them. Pablo’s faction is retreating southward, toward Jehanna.”
Excellent, my mind thought – Pablo would get justice for his greed. But outwardly I showed my concern. “Towards Jehanna? They must be planning to join the Grado forces there.”
“Pardon me,” Eirika asked softly, “but I must know… is there any word of my brother?”
“Yes. Prince Ephraim has forced the surrender of Grado’s fortress at Rigwald. He is now marching toward the imperial capital.”
Of course he was. “That fool…” I muttered to Eirika. “Emperor Vigarde himself and his imperial guard are in the capital. It’s too strong a force, even for Ephraim.”
“No, I have faith in my brother. He can do anything. I know he fights still.”
It wasn’t his fighting ability I was worried about. “I think part of what you’re saying is we’re all stubborn fools, so why should Ephraim be different and give up? Still… Duessel – Ephraim never managed to best his teacher, did he? And Selena, and Caellach, and this Riev I’ve heard of, and that Glen we met a few days ago, and Valter… so many, and Ephraim’s only one, brilliant though he may be.”
Eirika looked at me in surprise. She rarely heard me speak well of Ephraim, of course. But he was surprisingly less irritating when he wasn’t around, and she needed the reassurance.
She said nothing, though, and I went back to Julia. “Tell Father we are indeed well and moving on schedule. I will be at Jehanna in perhaps three days at the latest, even if we are delayed by attacks. Tana is doing surprisingly well in this military environment…”
“I’m doing just fine!” Tana interrupted, sticking her head under my arm, grinning at Julia. “I’m helping Eirika, and I haven’t been hurt, and I killed a lot of zombies!”
“Yes… yes, she did,” I said, giving her a little shove away. “If you happen to be able to pass a message on to General Syrene, tell her I congratulate her on taking Rigwald, and wish her fortune in that ridiculous assault on the capital.”
“If all has gone well, then my news is late, and he is on the verge of taking it,” Julia murmured. “I was not around to hear more recent news, and I dispatched from the front immediately after Rigwald, and then sent directly here.”
I nodded soberly. “I understand. But my message to her still stands – congratulations, and luck. And to Father that all is going well. None of the enemy soldiers or monsters have been able to stop us.” I looked over my shoulder at Eirika and L’Arachel, and then around at Seth, nearby, who was also watching the young women discreetly. “Well, General Seth was gravely injured recently, but he’s fine now, obviously. We have also, as you can see, picked up more assistance.”
Julia nodded and bowed her head. “Understood. Shall I return at once?”
I nodded. “Don’t let Father worry.”
“Very well. Good fortune to you as well, Prince Innes!” She saluted me and remounted her pegasus, and took off with a whoosh.
Of course, now that Pablo was fleeing, he was coming up on us from behind, having used another pass through the mountains. And Grado was blocking the path ahead of us.
I shot Councillor Pablo, finally, after he begged for his life, trying to buy us off with gold. Imagine, trying to bribe a prince. I had no need of his filthy money.
I dodged his magic attacks, and he failed to dodge my arrows. He was old and fat and lazy, after having lived a life of luxury unearned. I was young and quick and strong, and my aim was unerring.
I noticed Eirika watching me, and was pleased.
We were assisted by the Knights of Rausten, somehow, and then I discovered that the squeaky noblewoman Eirika had assisted earlier was actually Princess L’Arachel of Rausten. How convenient. Now Eirika could give her message and head to safety. Except, of course, she wouldn’t.
But they brought ill news – Jehanna Hall had already surrendered to Grado’s assaults. We would have to hurry if we were to assist Jehanna in any way, let alone its Sacred Stone.
A bare day later, we had arrived at the Hall, a heavy stone pyramid crowned with light gardens in the middle of the desert, next to an oasis and some villages. Travelling was difficult in sand, although it was worse for our cavalry.
I consulted with Seth. “Have you had word on where Grado is likely to be in and around the Hall?”
He shook his head. “Not yet.”
“If you are willing, I can command a portion of our troops and relieve you of some of the burden.”
The knight considered, observing me gravely with a hand on his chin.
“I assure you that I am willing to let you retain overall command of this group. But I have experience in tactics as well. It was with my strategies that Frelia held off Grado as long as she did at the beginning of the war.”
“Yes, yes, Prince Innes,” Seth said, nodding. “I did hear reports of that. I would be happy to give you command of half the group. With your assistance, we can coordinate multiple fronts.”
I nodded back. “That was an advantage I had in mind.”
Seth bowed. “Thank you, my lord. Your offer comes at a good time. If it comes to fighting inside Jehanna Hall, we will almost inevitably be split up. My only request is that I be the one to watch over Princess Eirika. I do not doubt your ability to protect her, only… she is my charge, and I ask that you allow me to do my duty.”
“Very well,” I said, slightly disappointed, although I hadn’t expected Seth to let her out of his sight anyway. “Shall I watch over one or both of the other princesses, then?”
Seth smiled. “I’m sure you would like to keep an eye on Princess Tana, although she does fight well alongside Eirika.”
I shrugged. “Tana’s improving, there’s no doubt about it. I’ll ask her. However, if they are distracting each other… Perhaps I’d better have her with me.”
Seth bowed, and that was the end of our discussion for that time.
We arrived at the front gates, unchallenged, soon after that. Seth received a messenger, a raggedy-looking rascal who probably was more than he looked – Frelia’s spy network had taught me that much, at least. Soon after he approached Eirika, and after a few words which sent her into introspection, he told her the news.
“I’ve had news. Jehanna Hall is crawling with enemy soldiers. Of the queen, there is no word.”
I’d overheard the messenger. “And Crown Prince Lyon is commanding the troops? I’ve heard that the prince is a student of dark magic. Approaching him will not be easy. I’ve also heard that he dislikes violence. However, it could all have been a ruse.”
I would believe it was a ruse. The things I’d heard about Prince Lyon went beyond pacifistic and verged on the gutless.
Though that was probably unkind to think about a friend of Eirika’s. She did still care for him as a friend. But women often liked people they could fuss over.
“What is there to give us pause?” L’Arachel asked, far too cheerful and dramatic for my liking. “Let us charge in and retake the palace by strength of arms!”
“We must rescue the queen, regardless of the cost,” I said. No word of the queen did not mean she was dead. In fact, it most likely meant she was not dead, and was resisting… whatever Grado wanted out of her. Or it meant she was dead and they hadn’t meant for that to happen.
“I agree. Let’s go!” Eirika cried, drawing her sword. It flashed in the sunlight, and we flung open the castle doors and walked in.
Immediately Seth nodded to me, and we split our large group in half. With me were the cavaliers Kyle and Forde, and the ex-general Garcia and his son Ross, and of course Gerik, Tethys, and Marisa, and Saleh to heal us, and Saleh’s student Ewan. And Tana.
The corridors were narrow, for a castle or a hall, but at least it was cooler than the burning desert outside. Archers had an advantage in the long, straight halls, and I kept Tana well back until the archers were dead.
It was a battle that called for all of my attention. It was a pity, because the main parts of the palace were very lovely, full of ornate mosaics, paintings, and sculpture. I made a mental note to come visit Jehanna Hall again after the war. With Eirika? She was probably admiring the art at that very moment.
I came around the edge of a door, left shoulder first, and almost bumped into Neimi, who shrieked in surprise.
Immediately I found myself facing the blade of her protective boyfriend Colm.
I rolled my eyes and ignored them both. “General Seth, we are over here.”
L’Arachel heard me. “Seth and Eirika are fighting in the other room. I’ll let them know. Thanks for dropping by!” She smiled brightly at me, and then raised her staff to cast Mend on young Franz, who was fighting a man about three times his weight in full armour. But Franz was only distracting the man long enough that his comrade Amelia could charge past and slay him with a single blow from a slim lance through the helmet.
Then I saw Seth and Eirika. She was sitting on his horse in front of him. Was she hurt? No, she got down easily and waved at Tana, who was waiting for orders behind me. The general nodded to me, and we got on with the job of war.
We fought our way to the throne room, taking minimal casualties – and by that, I mean that I don’t believe we took any at all. I was impressed. But the hall really was full of pillars and things to use for cover, and our side seemed more nimble overall than the other side.
Joshua was the first one there, and threw it open. And then he stopped and stood there, and I almost fell over him, trying to get an arrow off at the first enemy soldier I saw and retreat into a corner.
“Carlyle!” Joshua cried. “What are you doing here? Where is my mother!”
“She is safe,” the man standing before the throne said. “Have no fear.”
“Where is she? Tell me! Have you betrayed us?”
“Joshua… Why did you come back?”
“I came back because it was time. You… I can’t believe you would… Carlyle! You taught me to hold a sword! How could you betray her? She trusted you!”
Eirika had appeared on the other side of Joshua. “He betrayed your mother?”
“I… did not betray her… I love her too much for that. When Grado came to me, they said they would either crush the country and burn her in the ruins… or I could hand the country over to them and they would let her live. Joshua, what was I to do? I love her. I could not let her die.”
“And now will you kill me for your puppet-masters?”
The man’s sad eyes fixed on his former student. “Yes. You are not her. I will sacrifice everything for her.”
“We’re surrounded!” I heard a slightly panicked Forde cry from the other room.
“Like hell you will,” I growled at the man, Carlyle, nocking an arrow to my bow and sending a pair of arrows into the chest of the soldier at his left hand. Eirika engaged the on one his right side. I was glad she wasn’t suicidal enough to go for the obviously far-more-skilled swordmaster on the dias.
Though my new friend Joshua would have to fight his former mentor. That was never good. It was fortunate that I was there to back him up.
The man swung his sword horizontally at us, and I just had time to register that it was a magical Wind Sword before a sharp gust of wind pushed me back, slicing open my cheek. Eirika, done with the bodyguard, came to the attack, and ducked under the gust of wind, moving back away again.
“Eirika, stay back! He’s far too good for you to fight!” I called to her. She didn’t protest, and I didn’t see her reaction, as I was trying to watch the two fighters clashing in the centre of the room, too fast for the eye to follow.
I rolled under another wind attack and came up on one knee. It took a bare moment to nock, draw, aim, and release. I struck the man in the side, and he stumbled, and Joshua’s sword was at his throat.
“Surrender!” Joshua said. “If you love my mother that much, you can help us rescue her from Grado.”
“I cannot,” the man said. “If I surrender, they will also kill her.”
“What guarantee do you have that they have not already killed her just to guilt trip you more?” Joshua hissed, his voice shaking.
“None,” said Carlyle. “But I have already lost my honour. The only thing I have to live for is hope of her safety in these dark, dangerous days.” He smacked Joshua’s blade aside and came to his knees, sending a blast of wind at Joshua, and Eirika, who had been advancing again. Carlyle wrenched my arrow out of his side and stood there, panting.
“Don’t do it, Carlyle,” Joshua said softly. I had never seen him lose so much composure.
Carlyle paused another moment, his hand to his side, and then leapt at Joshua, who sidestepped, not raising his sword.
“Fight me,” Carlyle panted gruffly. “Fight me, boy.”
Joshua made no answer.
Carlyle charged at Joshua again. My bow twanged, and Carlyle fell to the floor and lay motionless, my arrow in his chest.
Joshua flung down his sword and fled the room, leaving only Eirika and me. The door slammed shut behind him. The noise of battle was fading outside. I hoped Natasha would find him.
Adrenaline was still beating through me from the battle. Eirika stood there, her eyes wide and sorrowful. And beautiful, achingly beautiful. She was so young. I loved her.
“He loved Joshua’s mother,” she said softly. “How terrible, to have your loved one held hostage like that.”
I reached out and touched her shoulder, turning her toward me. She lifted her blue eyes to my grey ones, and gave a little sigh, thanking me silently for my support.
I couldn’t help myself. My hand went out and caressed her face, then cupped it. Her eyes widened again, and she froze. I blinked at her reaction. “Eirika…”
Then I slid my arms around her and pulled her against me. She was so small, her head barely coming up to my chin. She was shaking, and I stroked her back, trying to help her relax.
“Innes… what are you doing?” Her words were barely a whisper.
I closed my eyes and bowed my head. “Eirika… I love you.”
She struggled, and I let her go in surprise. Her eyes were flashing with confusion and shock. “P-Prince Innes! This is no time for playing around!”
I looked at her, just as startled, and a little hurt as well. “This is not a joke. I’m quite serious, and just as surprised as you, frankly. Fighting at your side… Witnessing your grace, your kindness, your strength… Eirika, you’ve taken over every waking thought.” I knelt before her, humbling my pride, mutely begging her to consider me. “I understand if you didn’t notice; I kept it to myself far too much until now. But…” I looked around at the floor. “Eirika, I love you.”
She stood motionless, aghast. This was not going well. “B-but… I’m so, so sorry, Innes… I… I love…”
“…Seth,” I finished for her, my heart tumbling down to the darkest, coldest depths of the ocean. She gave the tiniest nod.
Abruptly I straightened, and turned away. “I understand. Tana suspected, and I didn’t listen to her. But of course. It’s obvious. I am too late-“
I whirled as I heard an odd noise, and saw that Eirika had crumpled to the ground, unconscious. “Eirika!”
“She’s only fainted,” L’Arachel scolded me, entering as I sprang to Eirika’s side. “What were you thinking, anyway? Fighting in this weather… It’s enough to make any lady faint! Why, I have to make sure I have a drink of water every few minutes to make sure I don’t suffer the same fate! …What were you talking about? What are you too late for? May I offer assistance?”
“Nothing important,” I grunted at her. “Let’s take Eirika somewhere cooler.”
“Well, we found the queen, so come quickly!” She beckoned impatiently. I had wondered what was taking everyone so long to get here. “Saleh is with her, but…”
“I hate the word ‘but’,” I told her, and followed her quickly from the room.