Arcane Mercenaries: Insurrection, page 38
Queen Fraunces was gracious in her surrender and used her influence to ease the transition with her royal staff. Ez believed it was in the queen's best interest to maintain exemplary conduct before Grant handed her over to Dominick.
It didn’t matter to Grant as long as the camp didn’t mobilize an attack on his mercenaries. A few nobles could be problematic, but the Icy Queen’s reputation held firm. Everyone obeyed the order once they knew it came from the queen.
Ez meticulously vetted every copy before allowing Grant to take up his pen. She wouldn't tolerate substandard staff work, and no one would insert a hidden clause or distort the interpretation of anything bearing General Gwydian's endorsement. Satisfied with the work, she set the pile before Grant.
Grant smiled and placed the stack in front of the queen. Her aide warmed wax and readied her seal, but Grant made her sign first. Queen Fraunces must accept the terms of surrender before Grant put his nib to the paper.
The queen ordered her official riders to head to Llynmond and in every direction of their column. The local leadership needed to see the paperwork, and the nobles had to understand the terms of the surrender. Grant hadn’t thought about the delivery of the orders and sending copies to the military and naval headquarters was paramount to concluding the conflict.
“We must arrange transportation to the prince’s camp,” the queen proposed as they completed their heaps of paperwork. Her smirk signified that it was Grant's problem to solve after he had obliterated her carriage and numerous wagons in the night's actions.
Grant acknowledged and entrusted the queen to Rienne's care. The bard could engage the queen in ceaseless conversation, potentially gleaning something valuable in the process. Grant had the task of resolving their transportation predicament, and he harbored a sinking suspicion that this was merely the onset of countless logistical hurdles.
“She’s going to be a pain,” Ez said, meeting him on the stairs back to the courtyard.
The inn's common room was brimming with officers and nobles adorned in the queen's livery. They were ravenous for news regarding the queen's fate, and the room was hushed when Grant and Ez made their appearance. If glares could kill, even Grant’s StarTouched abilities wouldn’t allow him to heal fast enough to survive.
“Lady Fraunces is fine,” Grant said. “Still delivering orders and believes she can survive this.”
No one said a word, but all watched him as he walked out the front door back into the courtyard.
The queen’s servants had the unfortunate responsibility of caring for the dead. Teams employed wagons to transport the fallen while others sifted through the discarded weapons and armor for salvageable equipment. The aftermath of a battle always entailed the grim duty of dealing with the fallen.
Surgeons tended to the wounded, with the queen’s personal contingent spearheading the efforts to save as many lives as possible. The Icy Queen may have had a chilling reputation, but she was true to her word. The soldiers would receive excellent care.
“There’s someone you need to meet,” Ez said, glancing over her shoulder to see if anyone from the queen’s column followed them. Certain they were clear, she turned and led them to the back side of the stables.
Grant had learned to trust Ez's judgment a decade ago and he did not question her instincts. He had no doubt that he should pay attention if she insisted he needed to know something.
Ez led Grant as the sun broke the eastern horizon. The top of the fiery red orb pushed rays of light into the morning skies and lit the clouds on fire. It would be a beautiful day for Grant’s victorious mercenaries.
He noticed Jafran in the company of a thirty-something, non-distinct official. She bore no symbols of nobility, and her clothing appeared to be the same style favored by the queen’s court.
“General, this is Ada Lirien from the royal apothecary,” Jafran said. He couldn’t hide the grin as he made the introduction.
“Can I call you Ada?” Grant asked.
The woman wouldn’t meet his gaze but nodded. He looked at his friends for help.
“She worked for Tytus Gornick,” Ez said.
Grant’s heart jumped. “Ada, were you involved in his experiments?”
“Dr. Gornick was very secretive, I’m afraid. The queen’s orders were quite explicit, though.”
Ez smiled at Grant.
“She wanted me to be able to duplicate his work,” Ada continued, finding strength in her knowledge.
“Can you?” Grant asked.
“No. I don’t think anyone can. He had access to resources beyond our wildest dreams,” Ada said. She was excited now, talking about their research. Grant didn’t know how Ez found the woman, but this might change everything.
“What resources?” Grant asked. “The church?”
“Every time Dr. Gornick asked for more money for research, a priest would show up with a satchel of coins or a promissory note from a nearby bank. The church had no limit on the funds they were ready to spend on the downfall of the StarTouched.”
“Must be a good place to work,” Grant probed.
“He was too secretive, and his notes are written in code. We’ve tried to work the translation, but the man’s a genius.”
She doesn’t know he’s dead, Grant thought. That explained why they were behind the stables and out of the courtyard.
“What other resources did he have?” Grant asked. He feared the woman might have the knowledge to recreate the StarTouched killing weapons. Ez and Jafran wouldn’t look so proud of themselves if they uncovered a new threat.
“Not what, who,” Ada said. “The church had a prisoner, a woman in her forties. She looked like she might have been a queen. Straight teeth, perfect hair, flawless skin. No matter how poorly they treated the woman, the next time we saw her she was healed and regal. Weak. Very weak, though.”
“That prisoner shared knowledge about the StarTouched?” Grant asked. It wasn’t uncommon after these years of the Mage Wars to still find people who had hidden since the earliest days of prosecution.
“StarFall. She knew everything about StarFall.” Ada said, excitement now animating her posture.
“What did she share about StarFall?” Ez asked, sucked into the story just like Grant.
“I think she was the source,” Ada said with conviction. “Dr. Gornick felt the same way and shut us out of further discussions. He locked us away with notes and trivial experiments while he interrogated the woman.”
It was more than an interrogation, Grant knew. If the man experimented on his StarTouched officers after creating the devastating disease, this person was the subject of countless experiments.
It explained the jump in capabilities of Gornick’s weaponry.
“Where are they keeping her?” Ez asked. She was ready to grab her rifles and head to find the woman now.
“The church moved her out of Llynmond when the queen left. I overheard the discussion about planning to take her south.”
“Alenann?” Jafran asked.
“I don’t know, but it sounded like more than the empire.”
“Did Gornick have the ability to make more of these weapons without her?” Grant asked.
“I don’t think so,” Ada said. “We had wagons of equipment, and he kept talking about the Mage of the Mists. I thought that was a legend, but he was convinced it was the next best thing to the imprisoned woman.”
Catrin? Grant always suspected she was more than just another victim of StarFall. He wasn’t mad that Ez finished off the crazed scientist and ended his constant experiments to kill the StarTouched. It would have been nice to know more.
“You’ll get to meet the Mage of the Mists soon enough, and you’ll see that she’s quite real,” Grant said.
Ez led Grant away from the woman as Jafran escorted her to the courtyard.
“What are we doing with her?” Ez asked.
“Find out everything she knows about this prisoner and where they might have gone. We get Rienne to ask a few questions with the staff about the planning and go after her.”
“After that?”
“Destroy every copy of those notes and debrief everyone who worked around that man. Dominick watches them for life.”
“That’s not the old Grant,” Ez said.
“It’s not. But we’ve done enough killing to last dozens of lifetimes. I’d like it to stop one day, and we can make a choice to let Ada and her fellow scientists live.”
“I think people will like the new Grant.”
70
LLYNMOND
The people of Llynmond flung the gates wide in a jubilant reception for their king. Citizens from every walk of life lined the thoroughfares, waving flowers as the procession passed. Grant and his mercenaries scanned the rooftops and peered into the upper windows for threats to Dominick. One sharpshooter could turn the coronation into a funeral.
The queen was true to her word. The guard stayed in their garrison, and the procession navigated the streets without violence. Lady Fraunces remained near the front of the column, her features inscrutable behind the well-crafted political veneer she wore with ease.
This must have been an ordeal for the Icy Queen. No reigning monarch would relish returning home to their palace only to surrender the reins to a young usurper.
She should count herself fortunate she wasn’t returning in a casket after the fight at the Rusty Tankard.
Sina rode at Dominick’s side, waving and graciously acknowledging the adoring crowds. She looked radiant in a red gown tailored for riding but trimmed with black in a nod to her Alenann heritage. Sina didn’t wear jewelry or symbols of her rank. The former heiress rode by Dominick’s side, and the pair looked content.
It wasn’t Grant’s place to warn the new king about the dangers of being too close to the StarTouched princess from Alenann. On the surface, her presence might look like a political alliance, and the couple beamed with happiness. The church wouldn’t let Ismore fall to the StarTouched and would spread the news of her excommunication. The Ismorian court must know about her exile from Alenann. Many would see her as an opportunist with no chance at her crown, so she would share Dominick’s.
Rienne and Catrin had their work cut out for them, and Grant didn’t need more political responsibility.
He had to pay attention to the potential threats in the city. He kept his power coursing through his veins, watching for indications of a crossbow or musket. Ez was at his side, burning with her powers and peering into every place a sharpshooter might hide for a shot at the moving procession. Hild added her energy to the crowd, soothing tensions with her abilities, and Jakar pushed his abilities to find StarTouched or those who might have the remains of Gornick’s experiments.
Tegan rode on the opposite flank, a trusted addition to the StarTouched surrounding the young prince. Her leadership of the mercenaries against the queen’s forces earned Dominick’s trust. She coursed with energy to protect the future regent.
Dominick didn’t have to worry about security with the host of StarTouched guarding him. He couldn’t sense the overwhelming flow of energy around him as he thanked the people of Llynmond.
The capital of Ismore was a hive of commerce and affluence, undeterred by the fluctuating fortunes of the civil war. The city nestled along the Llyn River, a waterway deep enough to accommodate the tallest vessels. The city was far enough upriver to avoid the threat of swirling storms and heavy winds that often hampered passage in the Ismorian Straights.
Working districts extended along the lower river, with docks jutting into the languid current like reaching fingers. Warehouses were stacked upon one another, storing goods from all corners of the world. Grand bridges stretched across the Llyn upstream, facilitating unimpeded traffic flow between the river's two sides. Opulent banks, theatres, and mansions adorned the upper banks, emblems of Ismore's prosperity.
The palace was upstream from the industrial districts and blocks away from the initial fortification established nearly a millennium ago, a basic square structure with towering walls and circular turrets. The White Castle stood proud with its walls and towers soaring a hundred feet into the air. Engineers diverted part of the Llyn into the low area around the castle to form an effective moat while thick chains just below the flowing surface prevented ships and boats from approaching the defensive structure.
The queen didn’t live in a converted castle, though. A hardened steel fence with gold trim and razor-sharp tips nearly fifteen feet high surrounded the palace. The yellow-stone structure dominated the surrounding districts, its rooftop reaching seventy-five feet. The facade facing the main entrance was a splendid three-hundred-foot expanse adorned with glass and white marble pillars at its center and ends.
The queen's guard, soon to become the king's guard, stood in formation on the road leading to the palace. Banners fluttered, and trumpets blared as the prospective king passed through the gate. Dominick acknowledged the guard commander's salute before dismounting.
Queen Fraunces guided her steed nearer and dismounted beside the prince. Dominick hadn’t seen the palace before, and a sense of responsibility settled into this frame. Everything he wanted in this campaign was at hand. All he had to do was walk forward.
Sina stared at the queen and curled her fists.
“It is a heavy responsibility, your majesty,” Queen Fraunces said. She laid a hand on his forearm, guiding him away from Sina and the entourage.
Grant didn't detect any threat from the guard, but he couldn’t take his eyes off the queen. Queen Fraunces and Prince Dominick were safe within these fences, yet none of the mercenaries dropped their vigilance.
"Navigating the nuances of Llynmond and the unseen perils of the court can be tricky," she continued. "Powerful allies are a crucial asset for any ruler."
Prince Dominick paused before the palace's main entrance. Two dozen servants, dressed in formal attire and white gloves, awaited their king.
“We still have things to discuss,” Dominick said.
Queen Frances beamed as the afternoon sun shed its golden glow across her delicate features. “You will need a queen, your majesty. We could unite our houses and end this war forever. Our union could change Ismore forever.”
Grant stepped near Sina before she cocked a fist back to punch the woman in the mouth. She hummed with arcane energy, augmenting everyone around her, but her hatred was far stronger than her StarTouched abilities.
“It would be an interesting union,” Dominick said with a faint smile. “But it would have been a more interesting offer when I announced my claim to the throne.”
“I don’t understand, your majesty,” Queen Fraunces said. Her words came too quickly. She knew her game was about over.
“I claim the kingship of Ismore by right of conquest,” Dominick said. He faced the Icy Queen.
Queen Fraunces looked at the servants who pretended not to observe each moment between the royalty. She glanced toward the guards, who would not move a muscle as they respected the presence of their future king. The Icy Queen found no help with the mercenaries. Even Henry Ardwick watched the proclamation without emotion.
“I submit, your highness,” Lady Fraunces said, dropping to one knee.
“Captain of the Guard, arrest her,” Dominick ordered.
The king’s guard didn’t hesitate to move forward with four soldiers. They must have expected the command, and the column watched the engagement in fascination and silence.
“I don’t understand, your majesty,” Queen Fraunces got to her feet before the guard put their hands on her arms.
“We did have one last thing to discuss, Lady Fraunces,” Dominick said. “Your fate. You will live out the rest of your days in the White Castle, a guest of the throne.”
“We discussed house arrest.” Fraunces’ lower lip quivered.
“You discussed house arrest, and I considered exile. But you will raise an army and try to take back what I have won. I need to keep you close by and under watch.”
“What about a queen? You need someone at your side—”
“That is none of your concern,” Dominick said with a smile.
The guards grabbed her arms, and she threw them off. “I know where the White Castle is. I can walk there without your help.”
“Lady Sina?” He held out her arm, and Sina stepped around Grant and took Dominick’s arm. “Would you care to accompany me into the palace?”
“I would be delighted, your majesty,” Sina said and curtsied at his side.
The new king had no idea what he was getting into, and Grant wished the departing couple the best of luck. He ordered his mercenaries to deploy with the king’s guard and protect the new regent.
Grant wished he could enjoy the sights of Llynmond. The palace was a sight to behold, and he imagined the art and wealth stored within its expansive walls. He couldn’t bring himself to enjoy this moment.
He sensed Catrin moving behind him. She had an uncanny ability to appear when he least expected it, but not today. Catrin wanted him to know she wished to speak with him.
“StarFall is a who,” Grant said as he faced the Mage of the Mists. No one stood close to them, and Grant was tired of the secrets. He continued despite Catrin’s uncomfortable glance away. “A prisoner of the church and heading south. Gornick used her for new experiments and created weapons. He even crafted a potion that gave people StarTouched powers. Full powers, Catrin.”
She stood beside him and watched the couple disappear with the palace’s servants.
“Ismore, Alenann, Nanteene. They mean nothing if the church holds that woman,” Grant said.
Catrin nodded.
“Who is she?”
“One of the oldest and most powerful of our kind,” Catrin said. She sounded tired, even relieved to share some of her burdens.
“Then what was StarFall?” Grant asked. He wasn’t sure he was ready for the answer.
“A final battle. The last throes of mighty powers. An end. Your beginning.”
“Whose battle?”
