Book 2, Chapter 11: Day Five: Night Falls

Walking back from practicing weapons in the evening. My sword and dirk sheathed, spear in my hands.

“I’ll accompany you to your tent, Princess.”

“Nah, it’s fine Morry. I’m going to chat with the night watch, get to know them a little.”

“Well, I’ll join you if there’s ale in it.”

Turning to him, “I think this time, I’m sorry, but I think you’d intimidate them a little.” His resting kill face betrayed a hint of disappointment. I put my hand on his chest, “Just let me break the ice with them. I’ll be fine. It’ll be fine. You get some sleep because tomorrow, I’m really going to test your teaching skills.”

Grim face breaking into a slight smile, “Tomorrow, we are getting your full body swings down. No more sloppy axe technique.”

“Deal!” Hugged him goodnight, walked toward my tent. Four fully armored, armed soldiers in front of it, talking, immediately stood at attention when they saw me. I laughed inwardly. “As you were.” I set my spear against the nearby table, then went and grabbed an ale jug, five mugs. “Hey, come join me.”

I poured each of them a mug, handed it to them where they were standing. Gesturing at the table, trying to get them to sit with me, I said, “Gentlemen, please.” They all remained standing, looking deeply uncomfortable. So, I went over to one of the men and pulled his chair out for him, “Well then, here you are sir.”

“Uh, no, no, no, let me Your Royal Highness!” He stepped back, arms shaking, pulling at the chair. I hoped they’d laugh about this later. The other three soldiers pulled their own chairs as quickly as they could, sitting down immediately.

I returned to my seat, raised a glass, “Gentlemen, I’d like to get to know you better. To your health!” We all drank, the soldiers more sparingly. “Well, may I ask you to introduce yourselves?”

The guard to my right stood up, an older man with a greying beard, “Albarran, phalanx, first rank. I am, uhm, in charge of your late-night guard.”

I stood to give him a curtsy and my hand, which he took to his lips, “A pleasure to meet you.” These guys were so nervous, so formal, I didn’t know if I had enough drinking hours left in me to break the ice.

An enormous tearing sound tore through the air, like a rocket firing up, and a man slammed into the ground ahead of our table on one knee, dust and dirt crashing into us, grit into my face, hair straight back, the table lifted off the ground, almost over, crashed back down, ale jug and mugs thrown away. He pushed his open palm toward Albarran and the guard’s body launched high into the air, blood splatters all over me. His chair tumbling backwards empty.

My breath frozen, I blinked, the three guards stood up, drawing their swords and charging the intruder. The man pushed his palms at the first guard, a basketball sized hole exploded out of the soldier’s chest and he sank to his knees, the next guard’s head suddenly gone, the third’s body spinning back at the table, his left arm flying into the tent, skin flapping.

From somewhere off to my right, a shout and rallying cry, “We are under attack! To the Princess!” The man twisted to his left, arm downward, arcing it in a circle toward the army and wagons, and the air compressed and rolled like a tsunami, flinging wagons aside, pushing them over, breaking trees, throwing them up into the air, scattering them about the road.

Somehow I unfroze, picking up my dead twin’s spear and saw the man turn his awful hands toward me, but nothing happened. His face, full of surprise, he pushed at me again. Nothing. Leaping onto the chair, table, jumped toward him, screaming, arching my back, and thrust the spear into him with all my strength and momentum. It pierced into his chest, he fell backwards from the force, and I was carried overtop him, somehow rolling onto my back.

I stood quickly from where I’d fallen. He’d sat up on his knees, one hand on the spear, pulling it out, blood pouring into the dirt around us. I drew my sword, took it in two hands, swung with my body and everything I had, slammed the sword into his neck, making an awful cracking sound. It stopped at his spine, but it was good enough. His eyes looked at me wide, white, then rolled up and he collapsed. All I could see was the blood rushing over my blade and off. The folded steel pattern resonated with each wave of his blood.

The horror of it all, screams of men and women, of crying children, the sounds of breaking wood, blood pooling all around me, dust slowly settling, I collapsed to my knees.

“Princess! Cayce!” Morry calling, Tread calling, Morry got to me first. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine. Not hurt. Tread, check, check the tent, see if Brin is ok.” Tread rushed to the tent.

Morry, knelt down to me. “What happened?”

“One man,” I waved at the body, “just him. Did all this.”

He took my hands in his, looked me in the eye, “Stand with me Princess. Ready? Up we go.”

Now standing, I shook my head to clear it. “Morry, organize help. Get fresh soldiers, people not hurt, all those in the blast, those people need help.”

“On it. Stay here.”

Brin was ok but crying. I left her in Tread’s care. A million things on my mind, questions, I needed the wizard. He owed me some answers.

Brundle, dragging the head nurse, came into view. “Princess Cayce!”

Walking over to them, I shook my head, “I’m fine, uninjured. Please, you’re needed in that direction.”

Reese looked tired, weakly smiled at me but it reached her eyes, “I’m glad you’re unhurt. I’ll see what I can do to help.”

“I have Morry organizing the efforts nearby. Probably a major or colonel has organized help from wherever that blast stopped.”

“Understood.” She hurried over to the big man’s figure, visible above the din.

“A sorcerer!” said Brundle.

“I want to speak to the grand magister. No more hiding, I need him now!”

A weak voice, just beyond the table where I’d leapt from, “Your Highness.” The wizard was there, and he collapsed where he stood.

We rushed over. He had blood on him, trickling from his mouth. “What happened?”

“Ambush. They’d left sorcerers hidden here. I failed you. I couldn’t detect them until the last moment. Two, I bested two.”

“How many? How many are there?” I asked him, quickly, loud, but his eyes closed and he was unconscious.

***

Reese left the tent where the grand magister had been taken. Separate from the hospital tents that were being set up and serviced, it was best to keep our most powerful mage away out of sight. As usual, she looked exhausted. I wondered if she ever had a moment to herself. I’d have to arrange that if possible.

“Your Highness, he’s resting. I did what I could for him, but magical wounds are . . . difficult.”

“Difficult? So, he’ll have to rest and recover for a few days?”

“Yes.”

“Is he awake, can I speak to him?” I was pretty angry that the grand magister had been avoiding me and I tried to keep that out of my voice. No way was I going to let him continue avoiding me, even from a hospital bed.

“Yes, but perhaps unclench your fists.”

“Oh!” I consciously unclenched them and tried to relax. It was tough. Like the youthful body was taking over, making me emotional. “I should really count to ten.”

Reese smiled. “I have to sit for a moment before helping others.”

“Of course!” I hurried over to pull out a chair for the tired lady, “How rude of me to keep you standing. Please.” After she sat, I entered the tent.

He was lying down on his back, staring up at the ceiling. His green eyes focused on me upon my entrance. “Are you well? The head nurse tells me she can’t heal you fully-”

“From the magical injuries. Yes. Well enough. Did the sorcerer get many?”

“Too many. You owe me some answers.”

“I told you, Your Highness, ask at your prerogative.”

“Well, I’m asking.”

“By all means. What do you want to know?”

I was flabbergasted. What did I want to ask him? Where the off button was. How to save and exit. I counted to five, then, “The Ketzillians, why are they really attacking us? When we were escaping, when you and I escaped that dreadful place,” I straightened, might as well tell the truth, “when I rescued you, you said they’d targeted me. Why?”

“The Ketzillian Emperor believes that all land west of the Dernam River is theirs. Your grandfather captured Dernamouth. Since then, they’ve stewed on it, planned to retake it.”

“For two generations? That seems a little off.” Dernamouth had to be the family castle name. I committed it to memory.

“The new emperor seeks to expand through war.”

“Ok, sure, but why did you say they were targeting me?”

“I can’t say. Yet they were.”

“Can’t or won’t?”

“Is there anything else, Your Highness?”

“Yeah. I want to learn magic. How to do magic.”

He narrowed his eyes. “I’m afraid that’s not for you. You’re a ruler and needed here, in the kingdom.”

“That’s something I wanted to know, as well. Why don’t wizards rule? Why are there kingdoms and not wizarddoms?”

“It’s too much power in one man. We . . . ensure that those magically trained never rule. History has taught us that much.”

“Absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

“Exactly that and well said.”

“I didn’t think of it myself.” It was my social studies teacher, back in seventh grade, but I couldn’t really tell the grand magister that. And honestly, he probably didn’t come up with it first.

“How do you stop mages from simply taking kingdoms for themselves?”

“Your Highness, I can’t discuss these topics with you.”

“You said I could ask you anything.”

“You have asked.”

I glared at him. “Alright, but tell me one last thing, why are mages fighting on both sides of this war if you guys can agree to enforce your own rules on each other?”

“Some mages are born Ketzle, some Dernamouth, others work for pay.”

“That was a mundane answer.”

“You’re also too old.”

“What?” I felt pretty young. Then terrified, my hands becoming cold, goosebumps rising. Did he know?

“To begin magical training. Not before three years pass, until your seventeenth, will you bleed.”

I stared at him, already annoyed at his non-answers, but this took me over the top. “Seriously? You studied magic but not the dictionary? You couldn’t just say ‘menstruation’? That’s too difficult?” I wanted to shout at him, ‘You’re such a useless NPC!’

I didn’t wait for a response, turned my back and left, shaking with anger. That faded to intense regret. Why, why did I just give into emotions and give away so much information?

Someone caught me by the arms. It was Reese. “Are you ok, Princess Cayce?”

“No, no. Can you, uh, erase his memory of the last five minutes?”

She tilted her head, “Unlikely.”

“I see.” Hating myself inwardly.

“What happened?”

“I just . . . grew frustrated with him and his annoying sexism.” Blank stare at the modern word. “Arrogance toward women.”

“I completely understand. He can be . . . arrogant at times.”

“I’ll let you get some rest, Reese.” I put my hand on her shoulder, “Take care of yourself, you know? Prioritize yourself when you can.”

“An order I can stand behind, Your Highness.”

“An order it is then!” I left her there, walked back through the devastation, to my tents.

***

I was just staring at the tent or the fire or sky, I can’t recall which. A hand on my shoulder, “The camp, not as bad as it looks.”

“It’s my fault. That they came.”

“You can’t think like that.”

“No, but it is. All these people-”

“Are here to protect you.”

“They shouldn’t.”

“Listen, your kingdom, your protection, gives them their lives. You need to fight the enemy, whoever it is, to keep them from pillaging your villages and land. And from this.”

“I’m not better than they are, Brin. I’m just here.”

“You didn’t choose who you were.”

I couldn’t argue with that. “Ok.”

“You’re the only princess now. Most princesses don’t care about commoners, but you invite them to our table.”

“Well, I’m not, you know. Those other princesses.”

“Come with me, they’re waiting.”

A meeting, I’d called a meeting. After we’d combed the wreckage for survivors, set up an emergency hospital. A small meeting, just my generals, me, Morry and the wizard, Etienne, Brin. The grand magister was resting in the hospital.

But I wanted to know, “The head guard, Albarran . . . ?”

“Dead. Tread found him way off in the grass.”

That made sense. You get hit by a force strong enough to throw your body sixty feet in the air, you die. I’d hoped he made it anyways. “Alright, let’s go.”

***

They rose as I entered. “Gentlemen.” I sat. “First, how’d this happen? Etienne?”

“They must have guessed our path along the river. It’s the easiest path to take. Three sorcerers-”

“Wait,” I said, “what’s the difference between sorcerers and wizards? Are they the same?”

He tilted his head, “Sorcerers are combat focused spell users. That’s the simplest way to put it unless you want an esoteric answer.”

“That’s fine. Please, continue.”

“They laid as traps along our path. Hidden from us as we largely concentrated on obfuscating the army.”

“That’s the part I want to focus on. Why wasn’t this predicted?”

“It’s highly unusual for the opposing army to send such a significant part of their force in what amounts to a suicide mission. Yes, they were very destructive, but now they are down three sorcerers. That alone has increased our offensive capabilities once we reach the battlefield.”

“I see.”

Brundle, stroking his slight beard, said, “Throwing away your strongest weapons . . . is something to be done only in times of desperation.”

“I don’t see what they’re desperate about. They’re the ones who have us in a vise.”

Rand added, “They’ve nearly triple our troops, what could they possibly fear from us?”

“Your Highness, may I?” asked Etienne, reaching toward my cloak.

“Uh, sure.” His hand came uncomfortably near my chest as he opened the robe, revealing the gold and charcoal chainmail underneath.

“Perseidian iron.” He was in awe, “This is why you were unaffected by the sorcerer’s magic.”

“This chain?” I was baffled. None of this made any sense. “It protected me from magic? Can we outfit the entire army in it?”

He smiled, like I’d said a joke. No one else was smiling. “It’s exceedingly rare. Normally, it’s used to make irons for preventing mages from using their magic. Where did you come by this much?”

“Uh, family heirloom.” I needed this meeting to move on, “Alright, so, how are we to prevent exactly this attack again? That man, he could have easily wiped out most of our army.”

“Battle magic is, shall we say, a balancing game.” Etienne sat back, “We check each other, one on one. Defensive magic is somewhat more powerful than offensive magic, though. Thus, it’s very difficult to gain advantage individually, but in whole, it becomes easier. We now outnumber their contingent, so we can use less of our resources to hide the army and more to search for enemy threats.”

No specifics. Maybe all wizards were cagey with non-wizards. “Excellent. We can’t have this happening again.”

“Understood.”

“Next,” I dropped my head into my hands, massaging my temples, “Casualties. How many?”

Brundle said, “Sixty-one dead. Over two-hundred-fifty injured. Some, seriously and the death count may grow.”

My mind could not fathom the awesome power that could do that, held by a single person. And many such persons were around. I needed a way for my army to eliminate mages. It couldn’t just be me, in this chainmail.

Brundle continued, “I’ll order . . . I’ll ask the head nurse to stabilize the bodies so that we can continue at our quick pace.”

That felt wrong to me, off. “Alternative options, gentlemen. If we set off immediately, we risk the newly injured, we put more strain on our hospital.”

Rand looked unhappy, but said, “We could, I don’t like this idea, but we could leave the hospital-”

Brinley suddenly spoke up, “Let’s have a funeral.” She stood up, addressing each person, then me, “Spare some time on the morrow. We’ll bury our dead, plant a memorial, hold a mass funeral.”

“We’re in a life-or-death time crunch,” Rand started. “We have to beat the other army to the next bridge. Your Highness, you’ve said it often enough we either march quickly or we die quickly.”

I was stunned that this little girl offered such an opinion. Turning it over in my mind, it seemed right. The proper thing to do. Rest for the troops, symbolic for all of us, Reese could perhaps get more people healed up. “I like it, Brin. A funeral, a ceremony, and a little rest for the troops. We’ll have to limit it to the morning, and we’ll have to make double time afterwards, but this is exactly what we need.”

“Your Highness-”

“Rand, I thank you for the contrary opinion, it’s very helpful in judging situations, but Brin is correct in this occasion.”

Morry added, “Also, it will take a while to get some of the wagons in working order. If they can be repaired, that is.”

“We might be giving them more time to set up more sorcerers.”

“No, I don’t think so.” Etienne said, “I doubt they have the resources. They won’t know why their attack failed, only that it did. And only after surmising that, after these mages don’t return. They’re not going to throw more sorcerers away based on ignorance. We now have the advantage.”

The master smith spoke for the first time tonight, “I’ll get the lads working on a memorial. Wood will have to do, for the lack of time, but perhaps we can return to construct something more permanent.”

“Excellent, Master Smith, excellent. I think that concludes our meeting. I can’t think of anything else we have to address.”

“And Your Highness will be giving the funeral speech?”

“Brin, I-”

“You are the princess. It’s your duty. And, it’ll be good for morale to have you speak in front of everyone.”

I inwardly sighed. A speech in front of so many people. Ah, the fun part of being a princess. “I will, yes, fantastic idea.” Part of me cynically wished I’d sided with the ever-pessimistic Rand. “Alright. Let’s get some sleep, for tomorrow is coming soon.”

Everyone stood, made their way out with ‘good-nights’ and so on. Etienne remained seated while the others left and, as I made to leave, Etienne took me by my arm, “Your Highness, one last thing.”

“Yes?” I looked down at his grasp, but he didn’t let go.

“It’s extremely difficult to battle a sorcerer by oneself. We prefer to take them on in pairs.”

“Ok, that’s good to know.” So, we needed double the enemy’s mages. That’s probably why the grand magister wouldn’t allow the dowager to take the Barclay mages.

He narrowed his eyes, voice lowering, “The grand magister . . . bested two sorcerers by himself.” Etienne released my wrist and left the tent. “Good night, Princess Cayce.”

***

Morry, Tread and Brin waiting just outside the tent, we all headed back toward ours. A few days ago, I’d wanted the guards to be stationed inside our tent but apparently that was too scandalous and I was overruled. So, their tent was close by.

Only now, now I worried that it was too nearby. And I wondered if I should sleep in my armor. If one of those sorcerers returned, I’d be the only one surviving. I didn’t want their deaths to be on my conscience.

“No, Cayce, no. Wherever you go, I’m coming. I’m your-”

“Mistress of the bedroom,” I sighed, “I get it, but you didn’t see what happened. He killed my guards almost instantly. Only my armor saved me.”

“You heard the mage, what’s his name? Etienne, he said they could now handle the protection.”

“Yes, but-”

“No buts! It’s time for bed. Now, arms up.”

I put my arms up, let her strip me without protest. I was loathe to give up the chain, but sleeping in it would leave me drained and tired, and I had too much responsibility for that. If nothing else, this day rammed that into my head. I wasn’t a princess to enjoy myself – why was I a princess? Not a question I could answer.

Although, if this were a game, something I hadn’t thought about in a while, then yes, I really was supposed to be here to enjoy myself. Baffling. Let’s see . . . tonight was a point for the game theory, I think. I was basically the unmovable wall against an unstoppable force.

“Cayce! You’ve been doing nothing but staring off into the tent wall. Did you hear anything I said?”

“What? Sorry, the events of tonight, just can’t stop thinking about them.”

“I said, we have to get your armor cleaned again. And your gambeson. I don’t know why you insist on wearing it so often but,” she hugged me in my slip, “I’m so glad you did tonight! You would have died without it on.”

I hugged her back. “Yeah, that’s what I’m thinking about. Also,” I pulled away so we could be face to face, “you did good in the meeting. Excellent statecraft.”

She smiled, “Well, like you I was brought up on the stuff. Constant education about diplomacy, languages, mathematics, politics. I was always so jealous of the commoners. You know, until I grew up a little.”

Something I wanted to know more about. “What was your education like?”

She turned me around by my shoulders, “Come on, toiletries and then bed.”

The things I didn’t know about this place! I couldn’t help myself, “Math? You were taught math?”

Brin spit out what passes for toothpaste here, “Yeah. You know, for running the castle. Keeping track of surplus in and out.”

“Surplus?”

“Yeah.”

“Uhm, can you give me some examples?”

She gave me that look again, the one I hadn’t gotten in some time, like I was asking what a sword was used for. “Stocks of wheat, barley, salt, spices. Expenditures, taxes. You know, basic running a castle stuff.”

“Ah, like a ledger.”

“Sometimes, I swear, you ask the strangest questions.”

“I’m just, I don’t know, shook up.” Had to make something up, quickly. “My entire family is dead, I guess I’ll be doing the ledgers from now on.”

“Oh, Cayce!” She pulled me in close and, not thinking about my family but all the death I’d just seen, been the cause of, tears began rolling down my cheeks.

“It’s all my fault, all those people.”

She squeezed me even harder, “It’s ok, it’s ok, you’re here now.”

***

After Brin had fallen asleep, all cuddled up to me as usual, I lay staring at the ceiling. What Etienne had explained about the armor bothered me. He’d said it protected me from magic, yet that couldn’t be the whole story. The last night in the encampment, the grand magister compelled Duke Barclay to tell the truth about his betrayal and it affected all of us, myself, Brundle, soldiers included. The compulsion was so powerful I’d have answered any question put to me. So, Etienne had only given me half the answer and something more complex was going on. Magic was still a danger even wearing the chain.

A danger was underselling it. The devastation the sorcerer had caused. All that power in one man. I couldn’t get it out of my mind. Truly the definition of awesome in the worst possible way. I had to find a way to kill them. I just had to. Mages were the most dangerous threat to all of us.