Chapter 10, Book 2: Northern Alliance, Part 1

“We made sure that none of them escaped.”

“That does not change the fact that my sister is dead, Captain.”

Ferene stood behind Renate as he tried to reason with Yenra. One of the scouts had taken multiple horses to carry the news to Olentor as fast as possible, and it wasn’t long after the main force returned that the queen arrived from the north.

“And you.” Yenra stepped forward, looking up at Ferene. “Were you not supposed to be her bodyguard? Why are you standing here, alive and unharmed, while my sister’s body is rotting in the ground?”

“I wasn’t there.”

Yenra slapped her across the face. Ferene could feel the sting and the pain, but it barely registered. “Kneel.”

Ferene responded to the order, getting down on both of her knees. The queen crouched in front of her, whispering in her ear. “She loved you, you know.”

“I know.”

“Yenra, please. There was a plan and it was being followed. If you are looking for someone to blame, the general is dead.”

Standing up, the queen turned away from Ferene, looking over to Varrot where he sat, leaning forward in his chair. “The general is dead. Five members of the royal guard, tasked to defend the life of our sister, are also dead. Yet here stands our sister’s chosen knight, hand picked by her, gifted the colors of our countrymen by her, unharmed because she was not by her side. Are you not angry?”

“Look at her. She looks dead inside. You don’t need to punish her any more.”

“You may be older than me, but as the queen of two nations, I outranked you now, brother. You don’t get to tell me when someone has been punished enough.”

Ferene heard movement, the shuffling of feet, in response to Yenra’s statement. She stayed kneeling, staring at the ornate tile floor of the defunct throne room. Yenra’s father now held the lord’s seat, which was a different room. Ferene couldn’t bring herself to look up and see what was happening.

“Very well. I would, however, warn you against-“

“Executing one of the Hatharen? I’m more than aware of their status as our allies. I want to never see this one again. She is not welcome in our territory. She will leave immediately, and if she comes back, I will order her execution. I don’t care where she goes, I simply want her gone.”

“You are a fair and just ruler, sister.” Varrot replied, his voice tense. Someone reached down and pulled Ferene upwards. She found herself looking at Renate.

“Sorry, but I think having you here saved me.” He whispered to her. She nodded. She did not know the captain, but Ferene herself deserved this. She had fiddled uselessly with a door. She had no purpose being part of an attack on a wall. She should have stayed with Cerise, instead of wandering off on her own. She should have stayed with Amelia, instead of following Tullund to fix a fence. She should never have let Jall wander the city by himself. Despite everything she learned, everyone who tried to help her, she made the same mistakes again and again. She had earned this punishment.

Varrot walked over, grabbing her arm. He gave her a look she didn’t understand, then led her out the door, leaving his sister alone to dispense the rest of her judgment.

“Cerise meant a lot to Yenra.”

“I know.” Ferene said weakly as he guided her down a hall. Her movements felt like someone else was controlling her.

“My sister would not have wanted you treated this way, regardless of what happened to her. I can’t go against my sister's orders, but I want you to keep what she gave you. You were her knight, and you did save her once. Keep the uniform. It suits you far better than the rags you came here in.”

Ferene nodded, even though she didn’t want to. She wanted to vanish. She felt purposeless. She had found her father, she had even gone and found Linara again, and thanked her for everything. What was even left? She could not even go back to Yonthal, as much as she missed Rilya. That was another place she was barred from.

“I’d give you the horse as well, I heard that you got along well with him, but I doubt I could sneak that past my sister, especially if you have to leave immediately.”

“Don’t know how to take care of a horse.”

She saw him nod in response to her reply. Guiding her through the castle’s open gates, he came to a stop. “Take this, at least.” He said, handing her a coin. “It’s all I have on me right now. I’ll probably never see you again, but my sister cared about you. She always made good choices, so I will trust her. You must be a good person, regardless of what happened.”

The coin was a large gold circle, taking up half of the surface of her palm, with text inscribed on the surface. She wasn’t sure how much it was worth. Another reminder of how different her life was from Cerise’s, from these people in the castle.

“Thank you.” She finally managed to say. Varrot watched her, maybe wanting to hear something else, maybe trying to find something else to say to her. Ferene didn’t know which it was, but she couldn’t think of anything that would make a difference. Turning, she walked away from him, away from Wellent and Olentor.

To the southwest lay Ettsgras, on the verge of war. That was one place she knew she could visit again.

“Instead of you waiting around here doing nothing, how does a job sound?”

Rather than answering verbally, Linara just stared at Senral as he leaned casually in the doorway to her chambers. She was sitting at the desk, doing nothing, exactly as accused, and feeling helplessly restless, only a few moments away from heading down to the training arena when the king had barged in, unannounced.

“I know you don’t officially work for me, but I’m looking for someone to join an expedition that I’m arranging. The group has an open advisory position.”

“What are you talking about, Senral?”

Smiling victoriously, the king stepped into her room, grabbing a chair and sitting down in it. “Wellent has expanded their southern border. I want to take some steps to fortify our western border. I believe you were just there, a month or more ago. In Celkeish.”

Nodding, Linara frowned. “I was. What exactly do you have planned?”

“An alliance. Or at least, an agreement. The city guards our border. Ettsgras and Celngi are to the southwest. We have two borders to secure, and Celkeish is important in that. If they come under attack, we should be ready to support them. I want to know what the situation is there, and what my people can do to prepare to assist them. Anything we do to help them will in turn help us, should the worst case scenario happen. Also this kind of action will alleviate the concerns about too many resources being devoted to the south.”

“I was there, and helped a man establish himself as the ruler of the city. You want me there to smooth things over.”

“Something like that.” Senral said, waving a hand. He was energetic. Overly so, possibly even more restless than she was.

It didn’t sit right with Linara. “Where is the queen? Does she know of these plans?” The queen had been absent the last few days, but Linara had only heard rumors. Wherever the queen was, it was a closely kept secret, even from her.

The instant she mentioned Yenra, his face fell. “She left for Wellent several days ago.”

“Why? What happened?” Linara rose to her feet. “The mission to take the fort. What happened?”

“Successful, as I said. They have successfully fortified the border.” He didn’t even try to hide the anger on his face.

“What happened there? Is Ferene-“

“Your friend is fine. The same can’t be said of Wellent’s general. Or Princess Cerise.”

Linara froze. The princess, almost a younger copy of the queen. The one who had stood up to Linara when her sister wouldn’t. The one hopelessly fawning over Ferene. “Senral, what happened?”

“I don’t know the details, but they are both dead, along with a number of the princess’s royal guards. That’s why I need to do something. I can’t sit here doing nothing. I’m sending people to Celkeish. Will you-“

She wanted to go south, to find Ferene. To learn exactly what happened. Though the girl didn’t feel the same way as the princess felt, Linara could tell that she cared a lot about Cerise. She stopped herself before she began pacing, instead taking a deep breath and sitting back down in her chair. “I’ll go to Celkeish. I left some things there that I should look back into.”

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Senral stood up. “Thank you.” He said, leaving the room, still full of energy. Linara stayed seated, thoughts flying through her head. She wished that she could just address a regional issue to distract herself.

The expedition consisted of Vendel, two of the old man’s assistants, a young knight that Rilren picked out, three soldiers, and Linara herself.

“Seems Senral is making a habit of sending you into the Independent Lands.” Linara said as she greeted the treasurer.

“My responsibilities have expanded, with two nations coming together. As such, I’ve delegated a lot of my work, which left me free time that the king took it upon himself to fill.” Vendel smiled as he replied.

The young knight turned, bowing to Linara. “Lady Linara, Rilren told me a lot about you. It’s an honor to accompany you.”

“What’s your name?”

“Aldram.”

“Well, Aldram, I hope I can live up to whatever tales you have heard.”

The mood was high as the group gathered. News of exactly what happened on the southern border of Wellent was still a secret. Senral told Linara that the expedition wouldn’t know about it until they got back, to keep people’s minds clear. Only Linara knew, leaving even Vendel outside of the small group of people aware of the death of the queen’s sister.

Linara and Aldram were given horses, while the other three soldiers were split between Vendel’s carriage and the supply wagon.

The ride to the border proved uneventful, the group passing through several towns without incident - the locals would come out to look and point, but nothing more. Some even showed hope, more than when she passed through in the opposite direction nearly two months before. It felt like so much more time had passed.

From a distance, Celkeish looked much as Linara remembered it. Upon reaching the city’s limits, however, she found things very different.

The guards met them in the open, just outside the city, rather than waiting for her to enter and using the narrower streets to force an interaction. “Linara?” One of them asked, looking up at her as she sat on her horse. Linara recognized his face.

“You’re one of Velent’s men, aren’t you?”

The man smiled brightly, standing up straight. The other three guards looked at him oddly. “Yes ma’am! I was in the raid. It’s good to see you again. Are you here to see Lord Felden?”

Aldram nudged his horse forward, sliding in front of Linara. “We are here from Olentor, with a message from King Senral the First, for your Lord Felden.” He spoke loudly, without yelling. A proper training field voice. All of the guards looked at him, then at the carriage behind, their eyes going wide.

“Of course! Right this way.”

As the guards guided them through the city, Linara got a good look at how it had changed since her previous visit. Gone were the patrols of Felden’s men, denizens of Celkeish taking their place. Far more people were outside than she remembered, a lot of them stopping to point and stare at the procession. With the tension from the fighting between the factions gone, and Felden solidly in control, the people moved without fear.

Linara found herself frowning internally. It was the opposite of Olentor. The people here had little worry about the war in the south and the danger of the victor sweeping northward. If the people did not believe in a threat, would the offer of an alliance be accepted?

“Linara!” Someone yelled as they finally reached Felden’s mansion. Sal rushed over, a wide smile on the girl’s face. “You’re back! You didn’t say you would come back. What are you doing here?”

“She is acting as a diplomatic adviser to Olentor.” Aldram said, speaking up. Sal looked over to him and bowed. “We seek an audience with your Lord Felden.”

“Of course.” Sal turned, gesturing towards a group of three guards that were standing nearby, watching. One of them immediately walked away. “I’ll have some of the servants over to take care of your horses shortly.”

Linara swung herself off her mount, holding the reins in one hand as she stepped towards Sal, reaching out and rubbing the girl’s head affectionately. “So you’re in charge of defending the mansion?”

Even as she swatted Linara’s hand away, Sal grinned. “Captain of the Lord’s Manor Guards.” The girl did a quick spin, showing off her deep blue half-cape. “Jakop is in command of everyone. Velent is captain of the city watch, while Gisli is captain of the outside patrols. They are a bit lacking in horses, though.”

“What happened to Henrick?” Linara asked, remembering the former royal guard that she had trusted to defend the manor.

“He quit two weeks ago, taking his pay and heading towards Bavmont. Didn’t say anything about his plans.”

Linara had been hoping that he was still around. Whatever loyalty he had towards Olentor would have been useful for her current assignment.

“Who is your friend, Linara?” A voice from behind her asked. She turned, seeing Vendel approaching. The old man smiled as he looked at Sal.

A servant approached, and Linara handed the reins of her horse over. “This is Sal, a mercenary from Bavmont. We traveled together for a time, and I taught her what I could. Sal, this is Vendel, treasurer from Olentor. I mentioned him to you once. He is here to negotiate with Felden.”

“One of my granddaughters is about your age. I couldn’t imagine her being a mercenary, though. You must be quite something.”

Sal blushed. “It…it wasn’t easy.”

“Honored guests.” An older man said as he approached them from the doors of the building. Linara didn’t recognize him from her previous stay. “I am Stellan, majordomo of Lord Felden’s manor. May I inquire as to your identities and your purpose here?”

“I am Vendel, treasurer and adviser to King Senral of Olentor. With me are Sir Aldram, a Knight of Olentor, and Lady Linara, an envoy from the Hatharen stronghold of Aesuthal. Additionally I have two assistants and three guards. We would like to speak to your Lord on a diplomatic matter.”

The majordomo’s pleasant expression melted, replaced with a serious look, his lips pressed together. “I will prepare guest rooms for your party, and arrange a formal meeting with Lord Felden. Please, follow me. Captain, if you would join me.”

Nodding, Sal stepped to the older man’s side. Aldram dismounted, handing his horse over, as the group followed the two inside the manor.

“A lot of the changes happened while I was recovering, but since taking up my new position I learned all about them.” Sal said, sitting down in one of several chairs in Linara’s guest room. It was the same one that the two had once shared. Sal had her own in a different part of the manor, where she kept an apparently updated wardrobe to match her current profession. The off-duty captain wore a fine blue shirt that fit clung to her body without looking tight, clearly tailored specifically for her, though the presentation was ruined by the rather basic trousers she paired it with. “Felden has taken full control of the city and that involved a large intake of extra work, so he hired more staff. He’s made deals with all of the other wealthy people living in the city, only some of which required threats. This place is still half empty but feels crowded compared to how it was before, with all the new servants and guards.”

“So you have your work cut out for you, captain. Have you been keeping up with your training, or are you too busy for that?” Linara asked, smiling. When she had arrived in the city with Sal, a few months ago, the girl had been slightly shy, unsure of herself, but eager to learn. The shyness and uncertainty were gone. Sal radiated a kind of youthful confidence that Linara couldn’t help but smile at.

Rolling her eyes, Sal leaned back in her chair. “I wake up early to train, except on days when I decide that I need to stay up late to train. Some days I decide to do both. I practice a lot of the movements I’ve seen, to get faster. The quicker I can adapt to new things, the stronger I’ll be. I rotate through my sparring partners, too. I win most of the time - the only ones that beat me are the older men. Gisli is the worst of them, always brings out a new trick, or changes up an old one. Keeps me guessing.”

Nodding, Linara changed the subject. Grinning, she leaned forward. “Tell me about your friend. The kitchen boy?”

Dramatically, Sal groaned. “While I was stuck in bed, he would check by every day. When I was better, and started walking around on my own, he suddenly wasn’t interested in me any more! Apparently the idea of me getting stabbed was too much for him, and he only stuck around through my recovery because he felt bad about it. What did he expect?”

Despite the complaints, Sal looked only mildly annoyed. “So it really wasn’t anything serious.”

“He was cute. I’ll find someone else. Speaking of that, how did your relationship go? With the king?”

“I fixed it.” Linara said. Sal raised an eyebrow. “I restarted it, spent a few weeks with him, and then ended it properly this time.”

For a moment, Sal stared at Linara. Then she looked away, then back at her former mentor. “You…slept with the king? While he was married?”

Linara stared back at her blankly. “Is that not what you asked me to do?”

The girl’s face drained of color, her eyes going wide. “I didn’t- I didn’t think that-“

She was cut off as Linara started laughing. “Nothing bad came of it. In fact I think that properly resolving his relationship with me left the king in a better spot, mentally. At least I hope that it did. Relax.”

Sinking into her chair, Sal pouted at Linara.

The next day, Linara, Aldram, and Vendel were told that they would not be able to properly meet with Felden until the day after, leaving them with nothing to do.

“What did you do here when you were here before, Linara?” Vendel asked. “Anyplace nice you should show us? I’d ask about a fancy inn that we could get the king to pay for, but the accommodations here are already above any complaints.”

“Most of the time I was here, I was training Felden’s men.”

“Where? I didn’t see a training area in the gardens.” Aldram noted.

“There’s a large basement. Formerly a dungeon, I’m told, that was converted into a place to practice.”

With a dramatic sigh, Vendel started walking away from the other two. “While the clashing of weapons and muscles is a timeless and honorable hobby, it is not for one of my age. If the two of you wish to run off to it, I will simply find the majordomo and ask him what other activities there are to distract someone such as myself.”

Ignoring Vendel’s complaints as they faded away, Linara led Aldram to the basement, where the two of them were greeted by the sounds of clashing weapons. The massive underground space held around forty of Felden’s soldiers. Torches on the walls provided dim light in the place of windows.

“I was wondering when you’d show up.” Sal stepped over to them as they finished descending the stairs. Rather than the colored uniform, she wore a padded training outfit with inset metal plates, and held a blunted metal sword in her hand.

“Hello, Sal.” Linara replied. “Aldram wanted to see the training room.”

Sal grinned. “Unusual, isn’t it? Odd at first but you get used to it after a few days down here.”

“So Linara trained you?” Aldram asked, looking down at the girl. He came up to Linara’s eye level, putting him almost a full head over Sal.

“She did.” Sal said, meeting his gaze. “Are you going to ask for a demonstration?”

Nodding, Aldram stepped over towards a rack of training swords, scrutinizing them before picking one up, immediately putting it back, then picking up another one. He held it in front of him as he walked back towards Sal and Linara.

“I guess we’ll see what you’ve learned on your own, Sal.” Linara said, stepping back. Sal grinned, bringing her sword up and facing Aldram.