Book 7, Chapter 30: A Large Carriage

Soaking in a hot bath, ale mug in my left hand, steam rising. This, this is how victory is best enjoyed. I was taking a moment, and I ravaged that damned moment such was my pleasure in silence, in being alone.

It had been . . . hectic doesn’t cut it. The most intense days I could imagine. Non-stop organizing, fighting, fighting, fighting. And so much anger. My stress hormones must be raging. Good thing I was a teenager. Maybe I wouldn’t be so riled up if I was much older. Wisdom is pressed into the flesh, the bones, after all.

Worse days were to come. And not only in future battles. I had a decision hovering over my thoughts, my very life, I had to make. The portents, the dreams, they all spoke of sacrifice. And here comes this nun, the abbess, with her knowledge of sacrifice.

Father hadn’t come.

Yet I saw him approaching. The old man and his eyepatch. He had wrested the Wisdom of Creation from the Unspeakable-Unspoken through sacrifice.

Yggdrasil. Oh, I saw the great tree, the only tree, so often in my dreams. I feared to see it here, in this world, on these lands. For if I did, all my options would be reduced to one.

I should seek out Yggdrasil! And offer myself up. Tear out my eye, bind myself to the wood until nine days pass. I should. My divinity would return at the least and, at the worst, I’d at least be a match for one of them. Not should. I must.

Yet I could not. Perhaps cannot. This peace I’d forced on these empires would collapse. They’d tear each other apart warring for power. And nine more days seemed like too much time! The Others had bested my brother, how long could the trap hold? I had to, at the least, try to shore up its protections first. If Talaren could figure out how to. And that required getting to the Temple.

But if they would tear themselves apart, these warring humans – and we did, we did throughout the ages, in every decade – why am I fighting to save these lands?

And that’s where I picked up my ale and drank some more. The reasons were obvious. All these lovely people and especially my friends. That, I suppose, made the question rhetorical. I would act and had no other choice.

Honestly, if we gods cared anything for mortals and nature, we’d just go somewhere else.

Whoa! I set the ale down. It had to be the warm bath, the exhaustion of the past few days, but I needed happier thoughts.

I hoped to see Brin again soon, but unlike Brin, Mest listened to me. And presaged my needs! She’d gone and had armor altered from a suit they’d dug up in the family history storage. And spruced up a little – I couldn’t wait to see it!

***

I entered the powder room, or whatever it was called, beside the bath chamber in a fresh and thinner and shorter gambeson, so I wouldn’t overheat, and to allow for greater movement. Mest stood to attention, then the others did. “Ma’am, the armor has arrived.” She stepped aside and there it was.

A very fine gold and charcoal weave draped over a female mannequin. This one had sleeves and rose up the neck which, when I came closer, were made from even finer and smaller weave. Atop each shoulder a short guard rested, to protect the neck. This chain was created with combat in mind but was designed for elegant grandiosity in presentation. Light combat. Even with the strength of perseidian iron, the weave was too thin to hold back a heavy blow. Perhaps with the gambeson, it’d help absorb the shock if the links didn’t break.

But the candlelight sparkled off its golden rings and scintillated across its charcoal shadows as I walked toward it. “Mest, this is truly amazing.”

Gaze averted and looking downward, “I must apologize. Apparently I could not get my intentions across to the smithies.”

“No, no, it’s beautiful.”

“Next time I will explicitly explain the armor is for combat.”

Standing nearer, I slowly saw the pattern in the weave. The smith had arranged the darker rings to outline a giant bird, claws extended in a downward strike. As I touched the armor, sending ripples along the chain, the griffon appeared to move.

“Oh, but I like it!”

She did her best to drop her annoyed face, giving me a forced smile. Like I was about to wear a dress made of spikey glass and she didn’t quite approve. “The chain isn’t suitable to absorb blows.”

Touching the skirt, the metal felt like cloth and was pleated, reaching low enough to be near my ankles. “It’s perfect for events like tonight. Please help me get it on.”

Several minutes later, I was adorned in a golden chainmail dress, from my ankles to my neck, looking as exotic as possible. My dark hair spilled over the metal-cloth, its light blue tips bright against the metal. The armorer had made matching gauntlets with the darker rings on the outside of the hands and the lighter on the palms, with light leather padding along the back of the forearm, wrist, and fingers. Curved perseidian iron swords in black scabbards hung off my hips from a dark leather belt. I pulled one halfway out, “Oh, I am delighted to see they used a Damascus pattern!”

“Ma’am, are you going to wear those to dinner with the noble families?”

“Ah, I’ll go with the short swords.” Two shorter curved blades, twins to their longer siblings, but perhaps just over half the length, rested on a nearby stand. The smithies had gone all out. I felt like I’d beaten the quest and was collecting my well-earned treasure. The armor and weapons were light because of the metal, I could move more easily in this chain than regular steel and swing these swords faster. And the metal was stronger. They fit my fighting style perfectly. I was a golden chainsaw, thirsty for battle.

“Both of them?”

“Why not. Let’s do that.” Hands on my hips, I drew a short sword and held it above my head, speaking in my loudest Shakespearean voice, “No nobleman, nor noblewoman, shall deign to trouble me whilst I wear this chain!”

Mest nodded, “Ma’am. They shall not.”

After dawning the chain, I began to strap the short swords on when the larger door opened and in burst my cousins. The young one putting her hands over her mouth, “Oh no! By the gods you are not wearing that!”

Alleah shook her head back and forth, “No, no, no, no.”

“You are not going out in that,” Sorya looked from her older sister to me, “We’ll get you a proper dress. That is, well I don’t know. But it’s not a lady’s dress.”

Stopping, I looked at her, “Is it a man’s dress?”

“Bah! It’s made for girls, so they can play at being soldiers.”

“Rather, it’s fit for an empress, which I am. And,” pulling the leather of the sword belt tight, “neither of you are Brin, I’m afraid.” And finished buckling it, “This is exactly what I want to wear.”

“Brin?” Her eyes narrowed, “Who is this Brin handmaiden?”

Ignoring her younger sister, Alleah asked, “Are you entirely without ladies in waiting?”

“Uh, none here. Lady Brin is one of my ladies in waiting. Well, I guess, she’s the head of them.”

Sorya walked straight up to me, and took my hands, looking sincerely into my eyes, “We shall get you some fine young ladies post-haste. Now,” she looked down, “where is Searcian?”

“Ah.” I looked away and she knew. I squeezed her hands, “I’m sorry.”

Her skin was smooth and young and her chin barely quivered while a teardrop grew from her left eye. She dropped her head and let go of my hands, “Excuse me.”

Her older sister came near, putting her arms on the girl.

I stopped the urge to say ‘he died well’ and such platitudes. I didn’t want to kill him. But he would ever be in my way, be it through attempted romance or manipulation and control. Serce didn’t care what I had to say. He didn’t believe my claims and wanted me for my blood and kingdom, and no amount of evidence or begging convinced him, nor change his objectives, nor would were he still alive.

I didn’t know him well enough to mourn him for being more than he was to me. Yet I mourned how easy it was to make that decision. The morality of this world was heinous. Where once I objected, now I wholeheartedly embraced this world it seemed.

For killing expediated my plans.

“Cayce!” Alleah was at my side, holding my arm, “Shall we call a physician?”

“No, no, I’m fine. I apologize.” Pushing against a nearby table, I straightened up, turned to face her, taking her hand, “The weight, the weight of it all.” Putting a hand on her shoulder, I squeezed lightly, “Let’s attend the nobles, shall we?”

***

Unlike with castles in my kingdom, the Laemacian gathering room was not a great hall, but a dual-purpose dining room and ballroom. It appeared they would reorganize the tables against to expand what I thought of as the dance floor but was probably more accurately a mingling floor.

Light browns and beiges adorned the walls, with gold trim wherever they could put it, colorful paintings across their entirety, atop the ceiling itself, which was curved with its own thick lacquered wooden trim, various figures carved along its length. The entire place was opulent, over the top extravagant, and the nobles were dressed accordingly in their finest suits and dresses.

And here I’d emerged from blood and dirt. For a moment, it seemed crazy that these were the people I was protecting, but then I saw the servants setting the tables, filling cups here and there. Perhaps more for them.

The door frame was a light blue and at the entrance, the crier, who was dressed in a gilded grey robe, fastened by thick silver-colored rope, thumped his oversized staff on the ground three times, the room quieted, and he called out, “Her Divine Majesty Empress Cayce!”

Hiding the cringe behind my chainmail, I entered to a loud, loud applause, with every person in the house standing and clapping, all looking at me and smiling.

I tried very hard not to close my eyes. Firm smile. Good posture and back straight. Nod slightly. Deep breath. I walk in like I own the place, and I guess that’s true now, to the opposite high table, past multiple tables perpendicular to it. I had no idea what to say.

Ascending the stairs, I turned to face the room. Let my gaze fall on men and women here and there – they remained clapping – and then held my hand up. With a loud voice, “You are safe. I fulfilled my promise and protected this city! I conquered the invading armies!”

The applause was deafening, and they kept it up, with cheering, even foot-stomping.

Projecting my voice to the corners of the large dining hall, “When I broke out of the harem, the usurper’s army numbered only thirty thousand men. And with those men, I defeated an army twice as large. How many of you thought we would lose? How many of you planned for us to lose?

“And with good reason! For I was still in the harem.”

They laughed.

“Bracken surrendered to me. Because I demanded it! He surrendered his army . . . and his lands.”

The clapping died down. Some of the men looked at each other, some of the women gasped, hands over their mouths.

“And the usurper Serce returned from the field.” I walked down the stairs into the aisle, “I executed him.” Stopping, I let my gaze linger on various people around the room, then shouted, “I executed him!” I walked along a table, the lords and ladies shifting about to keep their eyes on me, “Our forces now number over a hundred and sixty thousand men.”

Light clapping this time and I walked along the side of the hall to the front and from the corner said, “I am not going to ride on Bracken’s lands now! We will rebuild the city.” Much louder applause this time and relived smiles.

I returned to the stairs and up them. Pause, another time directing my gaze at people around the room, until finally saying, “The royal family once again sits upon the throne.”

Over the top applause for the benefit of my ego. I gave them a nod in return. “Please enjoy your meals and this night of celebration.” I went and sat where I was supposed to sit, in an overly soft-cushioned chair, with a tall, tall back, easily twice my height, picked up the glass of red wine Serce loved so much, cheersed the table and tried to actually taste it before asking for another.

***

I had the generals seated around me, then Mest and her companions, then my cousins, and nobles they insisted on. This way, I wouldn’t have to speak to any new people, nor nobles, the entire time I was here. And I could plan, plot, and get to know those in command of my armies. And the two royals were down there, the new vassal king and the young prince. Fada looked forlorn at being so far away. The king, all pushed to the far side and appearing to be out of favor, sulked with a hint, just a hint, of anger.

Gosh, I thought to myself, how we mistreated those who lost the war they started.

Setting my cup down, “Oof, Mazdak. The new king is whiny. I think we’re going to have to take his kingdom later.”

“It’s an empire, ma’am. It’s your empire now. Except, his brothers don’t know that, yet.”

“Right, right. I meant, ah, that given his childish nature, we may require leverage over him. Or just expect to defeat his armies again.”

“I’m sure either will be simple for our armies now.”

I echoed something Serce had told me once, what felt like a lifetime ago in a simpler time, “A mere matter of transport.”

He smiled, and raised his own glass, “Exactly.”

Serce’s cousin sat opposite Mazdak. I did that on purpose so I could learn more of the man. And determine whether to drive the lot of them out of my army. Hopefully, I wouldn’t have to. Looking at him, “I did not want to kill Serce. I tried many times to get him to listen and he just wouldn’t. He couldn’t . . .”

“Couldn’t? My lady?”

“He couldn’t imagine a relationship between us that didn’t have him in charge.”

“Ah. I see.”

“No, you don’t,” I shook my head. “He could only see me on throne through him in matrimony.” I pointed at him with my right hand, left hand on the cup, “That’s not a thing you will ever, ever experience.”

“I know my lady. I’m too ugly.”

I choked on my wine, waving my hand.

He continued, “It’s true. You appear as if a girl becoming a woman. Serce made the mistake of judging you by your appearance.” He picked up his own cup, “But I believe you. In the tent, what you confessed. For I’ve never seen anyone move that fast with a blade.”

His companion general, one seat down, added, “It’s just, forgive me, my lady, impossible to not judge you by your appearance. At least, the first impression.”

I blinked at him for a bit, shook my head a touch, “Yeah, no, that about sums up my existence. Like, my entire existence. Gentlemen,” I leaned forward, “it’s a real bitch being a young girl!”

They all laughed.

And from the end of the table, Fada leaned forward saying something we couldn’t quite hear, “. . . pleasing sight!”

I smiled and refocused on people nearby. “No, seriously. No one believes a word I say! No man has ever backed down from me, until he’s somehow alive in the aftermath. Then, wow, yeah, they surrender. Before that though, it’d be nice if they listened. And I mean nobles, too! These people won’t listen to what I tell them, either. They’ll just press their own needs.”

“They are the worst,” said Mazdak.

Sasan and Abtin scowled behind him. How the generals aligned with me definitely made sense, I thought to myself.

“Sorstram, were you with Serce when he was an ambassador to my lands?”

His eyes darted here and there. Then he inhaled, staring first down and then up into my eyes, “Yes, Your Divine Highness, -”

“Wait,” I cut him off, holding my cup up, “let’s leave off most of the formality tonight. Please. Especially the, ah, god stuff.”

The men looked from one to another, wondering what I meant. Then Pashin lifted his cup saying, “My lady, to your health.”

They all immediately raised their cups, nodding, smiling, “To your health!”

This time and this time alone, I sipped because it was socially expected of me. After having one for myself, I turned back to the general, “Please, go on.”

Barely nodding his head, he said, “Ma’am. I accompanied, uh, Serce as you call him to your castle.”

“Excellent! That’s what I was asking. Then you saw the sarissae? The long pikes our infantry uses.”

“Yes, ma’am. Very interesting. And worrisome from a Laemacian perspective. I had serious discussions on that topic with,” he turned to the older man beside him, “General Abtin.”

I set my cup down in surprise, “Really? We did our best to convince Serce they were without merit.”

“Oh, they have merit, my lady. A rhino charge is dependent on the enemy having poor distance weapons. We never did,” he looked at the older man, “determine how long pikemen would fair against a rhinoceros formation.”

“I didn’t realize. I knew he had to have brought spies, but I never imagined he’d sneak a general in. We specifically used softer sarissae the day Serce toured the combat training.” I shrunk back a bit in my seat, “To, ah, to make it look like they wouldn’t hold up.”

“That was our main concern, actually. Flexible wood is less likely to break in a rhino charge. We believed you were training specifically to battle us.”

My eyes went wide, “Oh.” I scratched the back of my neck. “Wow. That was entirely the opposite of my intention. Nope, actually, I guess that really was my intention. Yeah. But not specifically for Laemacia,” I waved my hand from their side to the Bracken generals, “but for all other armies. We were in real trouble then, with the Ketzles attacking us and the Barclay duchy breaking away.”

The former Bracken general Moya leaned forward, “But why were you having troubles? Couldn’t you just have destroyed them as you did Otholos?”

I brought my cup back up and did not hide behind it, “Uhm, it’s complicated. Anyways, I invented, well not invented, but explained to the blacksmiths and my generals how to make the sarissae. And,” head tilt, “because of who I am, they just didn’t believe me. It took a lot of convincing and the troops training with the sarissae before General Brundle believed me.”

Abtin nodded, “Now there’s a fine battlefield commander. My lady, now that we are all one empire, I am very much looking forward to meeting General Brundle. Forgive me, but our spies reported on his formations, and I have been studying them for some time now.”

“Oh no, not at all. I share in your respect for Brundle. I didn’t realize just the extent of your spy network. I’m stunned.” Sitting back, trying to work it all out, the only thought that kept resurfacing was that it was now my spy network. That was good. Except other nations’ activities were not my main concern right now. It was sort of like inheriting an inland farm as a fisherman.

Sasan asked, “Just how much of his strategy was your own, ma’am?” He clasped his hands in front of him, waiting.

“Ah, not much. None, actually. While leading battles, he was teaching me.”

Mazdak leaned forward, “Now I, too, am looking forward to meeting this competent man.

Dareb half rolled his eyes, then stopped himself.

I looked away without saying anything. But I’d have to keep an eye on him. I hadn’t been here long enough to learn how their power structure works, but there would definitely be opposition to my rule. And it would only grow as they learned of my plans, since they would come at the noble’s expense.

Pashin, one more seat down on the Bracken side of the table, said, “No doubt young men are the greatest of your troubles.”

I smiled, pushing errant hair off my face, “All too frequently before coming to Laemacia. But now, if only that were true, Pashin. If only that were true.” Setting the wine cup down reluctantly, I picked up a knife and fork and dug in to the gravy-covered steak. Oh, it was heavenly after the long day! After swallowing I asked Sorstram, “What are your thoughts on the crossbow? Your spies must have reported on it.”

Sorstram smiled, lowering his head while holding his palm toward my right shoulder.

Turning to see a younger noblewoman standing behind me, I pushed my chair back to stand, but she knelt, head bowed, saying, “Your Divine Majesty, if you’ll indulge me to steal a moment of your time?”

“Yes, please. You are the first person to actually come speak with me. What would you like to discuss?”

“You’re Majesty, I first must thank you, thank you deeply for protecting our city and empire. And congratulate you on doing what men could not. My name is Dasia Khole and in welcome to you, and your family restored to the throne, my family would like to pledge our taxes early this year in tribute to you and for restoration of the city infrastructure.”

I tried really, just really hard to raise my eyebrows or gasp in surprise, remaining as unemotional as possible, “Thank you, that’s very kind of you. In fact, I’ll make that a doctrine to undertake repairs immediately. A moment,” I turned to Mazdak. “Can you find me an assistant like the ones you have? I really should have a team of them.”

“I will see to it.” He began to rise when I stopped him.

Taking hold his arm, “Not now. Please, enjoy the night. We’ll hold assistant job interviews tomorrow.”

He sat down with a puzzled face, nodded, and picked up his cutlery.

I turned back to the woman, “You really don’t have to continue kneeling. Please.”

Smiling with practice and effort, she stood, “Also, Your Majesty, I have personally arranged for tonight’s desert. Ah, when you are finished your meal, it will be brought out.”

“That is amazing. Thank you. Truly wonderful. I’ve never actually had a desert made for me.” Huh. Not even a birthday cake! I guess there’s only been the one birthday, though.

“Unimaginable and unconscionable! I am absolutely livid on your behalf. And grateful and humbled to present this,” she curtsied deep and long, “desert, as unacceptable and lacking for someone of Your Majesty’s eminence.”

Trying not to laugh, “Thank you. I’m sure it will be delicious.” I return to the table because, wow, awkward. My first obsequious vassal, I guess. I wondered what she wanted, other than access to me. The lady understood my cue, curtsied slightly out of my sight, and left for her table.

“She has,” Mazdak put down his fork, “three boys around your age. I do believe she’s come here to solicit your hand in the future.”

“Ah, rats. And the night was going so well.”

Abtin said, “She’s one of the lower houses, Your Highness. No doubt she wanted to be the first at your table. While the other nobles made pretense to wait as long as they could.”

“Oh! Really?”

“Yes, ma’am. Uh, really. She will be the butt of many jokes this season. And she’s bet a lot of wealth on this.”

“The cake better be good then.”

We ate and we talked and I tried to keep them on lighter topics. The former Bracken generals Hutan, Pashin, Moya, and two I hadn’t interacted with before tonight, Tahmatan and Jamshid. My new Laemacian generals from the field, of whom I knew Arsaces the most, Sohrab, Rostam, Farrokh and Goudarz. And the Laemacian city generals, Mazdak, Sorstram, Sasan, Dareb and Abtin.

I was bad with names and suddenly had a lot more to remember, since they were in charge of my military. And how it had grown! A part of me remained in disbelief that I’d somehow unified three nations, but this supper was proof, with the exception of my own kingdom. Baby’s first kingdom, really.

More nobles came to the table, stopping conversation as everyone watched the exchanges. More offerings of gifts, pledges of allegiance, assurances that their families had always supported the original family and not the usurper, and other pretty promises. They knelt, we spoke, I smiled and nodded.

I leaned close to Mazdak, asking, “They’re mostly sending women to swear to me. Do women run the noble families here?”

He nearly choked on his wine, set it down and leaned close. “Rather, my lady, many noble families are hiding their men, I think.”

“It’s true that I bathe in the blood of noblemen.”

“Ma’am?”

“I’m assuming they’re hiding out of fear?”

“Many were lost,” he looked away briefly, the met my eyes, “when Otholos attacked your kingdom.”

“Oh.” I sat straight. “They really are scared of me.”

“With good right. Also, we’ve taken in as many men as possible into our armies, with the city itself under siege. Now, if you look at the tables, their old patriarchs yet remain. And some sons they’ve kept from the soldier’s life.”

“I would never have guessed that I would be so frightening to old men.” Especially not with my introduction to this world where men would barely give me two minutes of their time.

“It’s difficult for them. It was difficult for me, at first, too, but then we rode together in battle. You are the first empress in nearly a century.”

“Really? Well, it’s about time then.”

“Probably, they believe women will more readily understand you.” He lifted his cup to his lips, “Though I believe they are mistaken.”

“Mistaken?”

“To understand you, one must think of you as a soldier first,” he winked, “and lady second. Ah,” he pointed across the table, “the desert is here.”

It took a moment to process everything he said, and I still didn’t know what to make of it, before turning to see the commotion. Large double doors to what I assume must be the kitchen were thrown open, a shining black and red carriage pulled in by four workers. Its front held a seat for the driver, exposed to the elements and directly in front of that was an eagle, carved into the wood. Its feathers were blue and gold, and its eyes were bright yellow.

The room erupted in applause.

“Why the carriage? Is the cake inside it?”

The nearby generals laughed, with Arsaces first looking to the men, “No one say anything!” To me, he said, “You truly don’t know? What a glorious surprise!”

The table where the lady Dasia was seated erupted in cheers as a young man stood, walked to the carriage, drew a dagger and cut under the eagle emblem with the greatest of ease. A servant handed him a large dinner plate, and he set the bird atop it, then made his way here.

Tearing my gaze away from the absurdly large display and back to Arsaces, I said, “Oh! Oh! The entire carriage is a cake???”

With a smile in his voice, Arsaces said, “Yes, the entire carriage! Excepting the wheels, of course.”

The young man walked over, the piece he cut off filling an entire dinner plate. His eyes were bright green against olive skin, and his auburn hair was straight, touching his shoulders. Dropping to one knee, slightly crooked smile, he said, “Your Divine Majesty, I bring for you this humble cake which we have prepared in your honor.”

I slid off my seat to stand, “That is extraordinary. What is your name?”

“Ashket, Your Majesty. Serving at your pleasure.”

I smiled, “Thank you. Uhm, if you’d care to distribute that to the table, I’d be grateful.”

With a blank face, slightly shaking his head, he said, “Pardon me?”

Sitting back down, I said, “If it’s not too much trouble.”

“Ah, yes. One moment,” Ashket stood, holding the plate in both hands, and walked over to the kitchen staff who’d brought out the enormous cake, speaking with them.

I leaned closer to Mazdak, “After, uh, the room here, the nobles, after they get their cake let’s arrange for the soldiers to line up for some, too. I think there’s more than enough. Maybe not for the entire army, but definitely your regiments.”

“Ma’am, that is a divine idea.”

As the staff went about cutting the eagle into desert-sized pieces and distributing it around the table, first to me, I folded my fingers together, considering. As soon as I could, I’d get out of here. Earlier, I’d thought to meet the troops, share in drinking stories, but now I was thinking to escape early to my new chambers. And see what the morning brought.