Who knew Florian had a taste for adventure stories of the high seas? And although Jocasta laughed at how inaccurate they were, they were a nice distraction when trying to fall asleep.
A distraction that most of House Whispering Pines thought was being provided by Darius, but that wasn’t the case. She had no interest in him that way. Instead she saw intelligence and ambition, mixed with a certain amount of resentment for his station in life. Jocasta was sure that sentiment ran in many of the servants. In Darius’s case, she could use it.
Childress was a valuable ally, with experience, wisdom, and connections. But she wanted someone who was loyal to her and her alone. Eventually, she would need more than that, but for the moment, Darius would do.
“Ah, Jocasta, dear.” Childress smiled up from his book, closed it and set it aside. “Lovely day, isn’t it?”
“It is,” she said, taking a seat across from him. “What did you want?”
Her bluntness unnerved most other Folk. They were more used to the endless platitudes and politeness that she had no time for. Things needed to get done.
“The training is coming along well?” Childress asked.
That wasn’t what he came for, but there was no hurrying the old man. He would get to his point when he felt it was time, and all of Jocasta’s terseness would roll off his back in the meantime. Frustrating, yet admirable.
She sat back in her chair, resigning herself to the fact that Head of House or not, this meeting would be conducted in Childress’s time.
“It’s going fine. We have lots of new recruits. I’ve got the more experienced ones helping out. We’re not going for anything fancy. This is a sword. There’s the edge and the pointy end. Hit someone with it before they can hit you. That’s good enough for now. Later, we can work on finesse.”
“Do you think that’s the best way to go?”
“I do. From what you’ve told me, we now have the biggest army in the Greenweald.”
“Yes, well, a lot of that has to do with the beating that Towering Oaks took.”
“Regardless. We have the numbers.”
Childress regarded her and sighed. “Why do I think you have plans that you’re not filling me in on?”
“Because I do, of course,” Jocasta laughed. “Why should I tell you everything, old man?”
“So that I can protect you from the impetuousness of youth, obviously,” Childress responded dryly. “What are these plans?”
For a moment, Jocasta considered making something up. Telling him that she had plans for Whispering Pines to become the ruling House. Anything to get him riled up.
But no. Childress was fun to tease, but he was too sharp for that. He’d see through her. Besides, she did need him.
“I don’t know,” she finally said. “I’m just not going to have our House be the pawn of others any more. Not Towering Oaks, not Glittering Birch, and not anyone else. We control our own destiny from here on out.”
“I see. I confess that I don’t see our past cooperation with the other Houses in quite the same light you do. Be that as it may, I do have news to share with you.”
“Great. Spit it out.”
Childress glanced at the door that was still open. Jocasta sighed, got up and closed it and then returned to her seat. Protocol said that Childress should have been the one to rise, but given his age, Jocasta made an exception.
“Now spit it out.”
“Jamshir is alive.”
“No kidding. We knew that already, didn’t we?”
“We did. But we weren’t sure what it meant. Was he plotting revenge? Was he preparing for war? Now we have answers. I managed to slip someone into place over there.”
“And?”
“And he’s doing nothing. He’s sequestered himself in his chambers for days on end, refusing to allow even his servants in. According to my source, the smell is so ripe that no one can even stand to be near the rooms.”
Jocasta laughed. “He always was a lunatic.”
“There’s more,” Childress said.”
“Go on.”
“His army is in disarray. General Bragnold is nominally in charge, but he walks around in a fog. When he answers questions, it’s almost as if he’s in a dream. He issues no orders or directives.”
“Then why don’t they get rid of him?”
“They can’t. He answers directly to Jamshir and no one else. No one has the authority to remove him. Oh, some isolated groups are training on their own, but the majority are treating it like an extended holiday.”
Jocasta narrowed her eyes.
“Are you suggesting something?”
“Suggesting? Me? No, I don’t suggest, dear. I recommend, counsel, and advise. But I never suggest. I will tell you the best course of action, and you will either do it, or you won’t.”
He smiled to take the severity from his words, but Jocasta noted that it never reached his eyes. No, the old man meant every word of what he said.
“Then out with it.”
“Attack. Now. They are weak and vulnerable. If you don’t feel your troops are ready, align with Towering Oaks again. Now is our chance for revenge.”
She considered Childress. She never took him for a reactionary, but here it was. Even for all his wisdom he couldn’t see the path forward that would benefit their House the most.
“No,” she said. “In this I do reject your ‘counsel.’”
“Then what? We continue as we have been?”
“Of course not, Lord Childress. You forget yourself. You have a Head of House now. One that you helped put in place. Now, you’ll listen to her. When she chooses to seek your help.”
Childress opened his mouth, then shut it
