“Tell me who it was,” Thessalina demanded.
“Let me give you his message first. He said to thank you for his life.”
Thessalina’s brow furrowed with puzzlement. “I don’t recall saving anybody’s life, Brother,” she said. “Are you certain this friend…” She paused in mid-sentence and her eyes grew soft and unfocused. “The elf,” she breathed. “Ash…Ashee…”
“Ashinji Sakehera,” Magnes corrected. “You remember him now, I see.”
Thessalina nodded. “One of my patrols captured him at the beginning of the fall campaign. He had been badly wounded. Shot through the shoulder. My commanders demanded he be killed and returned to the elves in pieces, but I refused. Since I couldn’t send him back alive and I couldn’t stomach having him killed, I sold him to a slaver instead.” She paused, hand pressed to her mouth. “So, he survived. Or did he?” Magnes heard a strange catch in her voice.
“He did, though for a time, I didn’t think he would. I worked as a healer at the Grand Arena. I found Ashinji enslaved at the de Guera yard, one of Darguinia’s most prestigious. He was one of Armina de Guera’s best fighters, but it wasn’t in the arena where he nearly met his death. A fellow slave stabbed him in the back.”
Magnes went on to recount the difficult feat of surgery he had performed on Ashinji. He also described the escape and flight out of Darguinia.
“You helped a slave escape his rightful owner, Brother? Do you know what would have happened to you if you’d been caught?” Thessalina frowned for a moment, then sighed. “I’m glad to hear the elf’s alive and on his way back home.”
Her expression grew pensive. “My men dragged him into our camp, badly hurt and in a lot of pain. He must have been so afraid.” Thessalina’s voice grew soft as she remembered. “But he never gave in to fear and he never lost his dignity, even in the face of the most terrible humiliation. I only spoke to him briefly, but it was enough to make me think.”
“About what?” Magnes asked.
“About why we hate the elves. I’d never seen one before, other than Jelena, and she’s only half-elf. I looked at him…” Thessalina paused and a stain of red crept into her tanned cheeks. She cleared her throat and continued. “I spent a lot of time just staring at him while he slept. He never knew I did that. I finally realized he was just a scared young man, hurt and alone among his enemies. I came to admire him for his courage. I knew I couldn’t change the attitudes of my commanders, or of the ranks, but I could change my own.”
“Ashinji sensed your change of heart, Sister. That’s why he wanted me to thank you,” Magnes said.
“Someday, I hope I get the chance to apologize to him and to Jelena,” Thessalina murmured.
A loud knock on the study door interrupted their exchange. “Come!” Thessalina called out.
A man dressed in dusty brown leathers strode into the room, a packet clutched in his gloved hand. The silver badge of the Imperial Couriers winked on his shoulder. He touched his fist to his cap in salute and said, “My lady, I bear an official dispatch from the Soldaran High Command.”
Thessalina held out her hand and the messenger placed the packet in it. She laid it on the desk, then rummaged among the clutter to retrieve a silver half-sol coin, which she dropped onto the man’s palm. He saluted again and departed.
Thessalina eagerly picked up the packet. Several official wax seals affixed to cords secured the wrapper. Magnes recognized the largest-the Great Seal of Empress Constantia herself.
“What is that?” he asked, but he had already guessed the answer.
Thessalina broke the seals and unfolded the thick sheaf of papers. Her eyes scanned the contents. “These are my mobilization orders,” she said, confirming Magnes’ suspicion. “I’ve been expecting these, but I thought they would’ve come long before now. I’m to bring my levies with all speed to the Portanus Pass to join with the main body of the Imperial Army.” She glanced at Magnes, then looked back to the papers. “I’m to leave a third of my forces behind, to act as a rear guard against any attempt by the elves to cross the border at the Janica River fords.”
“That’s unlikely,” Magnes stated. “I’m certain there’s nothing but a small defensive garrison left at Kerala Castle. Lord Sakehera, Ashinji’s father, is one of the elf king’s generals. He’ll be at Tono, I mean Portanus, for sure.”
Thessalina dropped the papers atop the desk. Her demeanor had changed again. The acting Duchess of Amsara stood before Magnes once again. “There’s much to be done, Brother. I must go now. I’ll see you at supper in the hall tonight?”
“Yes,” Magnes replied.
“So, how fares our cousin?” Thessalina inquired.
She and Magnes sat at one end of the massive rectangular oak table that dominated the center of Amsara Castle’s great hall. A simple supper of rabbit pie, boiled turnips, salad, and apples had been sent over from the kitchen, along with a crock of last fall’s hard cider.
“Very well, when last I saw her,” Magnes replied. He took a bite of pie. “She and Ashinji had not yet wed, but from what I could see, they were very much in love. By the time your men captured Ashinji, he and Jelena were married and she was several months pregnant. Ashi has a son or daughter he’s never seen.”
“I hope, truly, that our cousin and her child will be safe,” Thessalina sighed. “This war is going to be very hard on the elves. I wish…” Thessalina paused to wipe at eyes gone red. “I wish now that I had treated Jelena better.”
Magnes’ eyebrows shot up. “I never expected to hear you say that.”
“Well, that makes two of us,” Thessalina replied, taking a deep pull from her cider mug.
“There’s something else about Jelena I haven’t told you yet,” Magnes said, setting his fork down. Thessalina looked at him, waiting.
“I know you think Jelena left Amsara to avoid becoming Veii’s concubine, but that’s not the only reason,” Magnes explained. “She also wanted to find her father.”
“Did she?” Thessalina asked.
“Yes, she did, but he was not at all what she expected.”
“Oh?”
“Just before she, that is, before
“A signet ring? Then he must be one of their noble-born,” Thessalina said.
“You could say that,” Magnes chuckled. “The signet turned out to be the family crest of the Onjaras, the rulers of Alasiri.”
“Jelena’s father is a member of the elven
“Not just a member, Thess. Her father is
“Gods,” Thessalina whispered.
“What we call the Portanus Valley the elves call Tono. Thess, if they can’t hold it, Alasiri will be overrun. You and I both know what that will mean for them,” Magnes said.
“Yes, and there’s not a damn thing I can do about it, Brother,” Thessalina snapped. “I have my duty to the empress as one of her chief vassals. I can’t disobey her orders.” Her dark eyes roiled with anger.
“I’m not suggesting you shirk your duty, Sister. I just want you to know what’s at stake. Jelena and her child, both of whom are innocent, may not survive.”
“I know what’s at stake! A lot of innocent people won’t survive, Magnes. It’s what happens in war, for gods’ sake.” Thessalina threw up her hands. “I wish things were otherwise, I really do, but I haven’t the power to change what’s going to happen. We outnumber the elves by at least three to one. They can’t defeat us. Portanus will be taken, and if the empress orders us to press forward and take all of the Western Lands, then that’s what we’ll do!” She lowered her voice and her face softened. “I’m sure that once the elves surrender and they’re
