Elsewhere

Samantha actually felt a twinge of sympathy for the poor Knights on the far side, having to face such a formidable group.

?

“Sunk!” Audra Mastoc, Queen of the Inland Sea said incredulously, utterly horrified. “Dead?”

King Donnis Rhondono kept his head down as he kneeled before the young, beautiful queen. She was heavy with the King’s second child by her and he did not want to be the bearer of bad tidings, but he could see no way around it.

“It is not certain my Queen,” he answered solemnly. “It’s possible, though not likely that he was picked up by a passing Toranado ship…or maybe one from the treacherous Cassinni.”

“Caiman…” she said softly and was surprised by the wave of sadness that rushed over her. In the beginning, during her first months of marriage, the High King had been only an old, slightly disgusting man to her. He was someone she could never, ever love, but after Aiden was born, and she came to understand that the King shared her unconditional love for the baby boy, her feelings for him began to change. Of course love never entered her mind, for how could she possibly love someone over twice her own age, but now she had to admit that a fair amount of affection seeped into her heart for the man. And now he was dead!

Suddenly the enormity of the news washed over her.

‘I’m the Queen...the ruler of the Inland Sea,’ she thought and it terrified her, but then she considered Aiden and her unborn child and her fear grew even deeper. Caiman…the fool had left her in the middle of the largest war in a thousand years and then her thoughts shifted to Prince Nigel and his sister Anya, Caiman’s children by his first marriage. Nigel was a definite threat. He would have to be dealt with soon if Aiden was to have a clear path to the throne, but then her thoughts turned back to the war.

“Your…your fleet?” She asked tentatively, realizing she would now be making every important decision. She shivered visibly but King Donnis, who had his head down, did not see.

“Five ships escaped with the Hermes,” Donnis said overcome with sadness.

‘Such a waste of Rhondonian lives,’ he thought and experienced a flash of anger at the High King…‘perhaps the late High King…justice is patient and ever vigilant.’

“Of the others I do not know,” he continued. “But there were many Cassinni warships in the area and the Toranado are ruthless. I fear my ships are lost.”

Audra looked down at the King of Rhondono who had bowed his head once more.

“You will need to raise a new army,” she commanded, suddenly energized. The Kingdom had to be protected if Aiden was to survive. She felt her own flash of anger at the High King… ‘Caiman…you fool. You never should have left King’s Island!’ Tears suddenly welled up in her eyes and she rang the bell calling for her servants. She needed to get word to her brother in Massi, convince him to move his army back to Deutzani. Conquering Massi was now secondary. She needed to consolidate her power over the entirety of the Inland Sea. She needed help. She needed to contact Captain Hothgaard…find out where his loyalties lie; find out if he could escape and return to the King’s Island. And she would need to deal with Nigel and Anya quickly before they got word of their father’s death.

“An army?” Donnis repeated surprised. “My army is at the bottom of the sea, or dead in Massi.”

Audra frowned. “Then conscript another!” She yelled.

“But who will train them?” Donnis asked and suddenly realized that his country was weak and very vulnerable. They were beaten, and it would take time to regain even a small part of their former strength. Oddly, he worried not at all about the Toranado or the Massi. His concern largely involved the Palmerrio. ‘Would Weldon attempt the final conquest of Rhondono now that we are so weak?’ It was a real possibility and the implications terrified him. He needed to return to his homeland…he needed to plan.

“….train them. I don’t care who trains them!” The High Queen shouted but Donnis caught very little of what she said.

“Of course,” he answered automatically and stood, just as a pair of servants appeared. He bowed then came to his full height. “I will take my leave and begin immediately,” he added but left having no intention of raising an army to aid the High Queen; he had his own worries now.

“Send for Captain Benton,” Audra shouted as the Rhondono King hurried from the room. Audra was worried. There was no telling where the loyalties of the Temple Knights would now lie. It could be with her or it could be with Prince Nigel. She could not trust any of them until she was sure they would back her and her son Aiden. Captain Benton though was different. Captain Benton was Deutzani and very loyal. She knew she could trust him and not because he’d been the Captain of her personal guard for five years now. No, she knew she could trust him because he loved her…deeply. Yes, Captain Benton would know what to do.

?

Gwaynn stepped through the bridge, his kali already drawn, but he never had time to use them. Four of the five Knights left behind to spy on the Massi died without ever pulling their weapons from their scabbards, the fifth actually managed to block the first of Endid’s blows before the Tar managed to send a kali up through the man’s abdomen, behind the rib cage and into his heart.

Tarina re N’dori stood above the Knight’s Speaker who was sitting with his back against a tree, cowering before her.

“Speaker Nadler,” N’dori said with a smile, “you will come with us. If you attempt to contact the Temple Knights you’ll lose your hands first, and then your head. Do not test me on this.”

Nadler nodded emphatically as Kostek and Endid pulled him to his feet.

Gwaynn said nothing during the small conflict, but he did gaze out to the east, searching for any sign of the Knights, but of course he saw nothing. When he turned around he was momentarily surprised to see Samantha watching him anxiously through the bridge that Monde still held open. She waved the stump of her arm at him and smiled. Gwaynn returned the gesture and moved back through the spatial short cut to her side, the others following along behind.

Speaker Armis Nadler spotted Zarina Monde and nodded only slightly. “Monde,” he greeted.

“High Zarina Monde,” na Gall corrected sharply and Nadler turned to her with eyebrows raised.

“High Zarina?” He asked then added. “Light is no more.”

“Yes…thanks to some friends of yours,” na Gall answered.

“Secure his hands behind his back,” Monde said softly then turned away from the man. He was a traitor to her home and her way of life and the sight of him disgusted her to a far greater degree than she thought possible.

Gwaynn hugged Samantha briefly. “I think it’s time for you to stay behind,” he said and placed a soft hand on her abdomen.

“I could stay back with Lonogan and help direct the reserves,” Samantha argued though she was torn between the need to be with Gwaynn and the need to protect the baby that was now so much a part of her.

              Gwaynn just stared at her for a moment, then glanced to the south as the army began to pour down from the Plateau and into the town of Manse. Thousands of men began to fill the narrow streets before slowly making their way to the northern end of town.

              “Sam, please stay in Manse…in the bailey,” he said in a low voice, barely above a whisper. He moved to her and placed his right hand on her belly. “Stay for both of us,” he added and Samantha frowned at him.

              “That’s not fair,” she said scowling. “But I’ll stay under one condition,” she added and paused.

             Gwaynn raised his eyebrows in surprise. He’d expected a much tougher fight; after all she’d been a part of nearly every battle of the war. Still, he was suspicious.

              “What condition?”

              “That Laynee stays behind with me,” Samantha answered and looked over at the young girl who was flipping her long hair, obviously mooning over Prince Phillip of the Toranado.

              “Laynee…” Gwaynn repeated, surprised that he had not thought of it.

              “Yes,” she answered, “Laynee will be my eyes.”