In the Shadow of Lions - Chapter 19

Aldric stepped off the ship’s gangplank onto the bustling docks of Starhaven, taking a moment to appreciate the soaring spires of the palace and Grand Hall high above him, on the city’s third level, towering above the rest of the city below. Though he had seen the sight countless times, its beauty and grandeur never failed to impress.

He was just about to start toward the market road that led up from the docks to the city center and the palace when a messenger in the king’s livery came running down the street, straight toward him.

“Your Excellency, I’ve been sent by the Duke to escort you directly to the palace. He insists on speaking with you urgently.”

Aldric frowned. He hadn’t sent word ahead that he was coming. Of course, Edmund had enough people in the city that he would of course know that the Pride was sailing back to the capital, but he didn’t know why Aldric had come. Perhaps he could guess, based on the timing, but Edmund wouldn’t have welcomed confrontations toward his orders, even from Aldric. He wouldn’t have wanted to hasten the confrontation, which meant this was for something else, and after a long voyage, the last thing Aldric wanted was to deal with was being thrust into his more of his brothers’ machinations.

“Has the Duchess Alyssa arrived in the city?” Aldric asked instead.

The messenger hesitated for a moment before stammering, “I … I believe so, my lord. But the Duke was quite adamant…”

“I’m sure he was,” Aldric said, interrupting the man. “Show me to the quarters she’s been assigned, after which, you can run off and tell my brother that I will be with him as soon as I’ve had some rest.”

With an anxious half-step up the road toward the palace, and then back to Aldric, and then back again, clearly trying to work out how to obey two Dukes with competing orders, before bowing slightly and starting up the street toward the palace.

As they made their way to the heart of the city, Aldric could feel a change in the air. The usual vibrant energy of Starhaven seemed muted, the laughter and rochus nature of the lower city palpably absent. People went about their business, heads down, avoiding the looks of anyone else.

There were also many more guards than Aldric ever remembered seeing in the city before. Aldric watched as people gave the guards a wide berth, refusing to look up at any of them. This wasn’t the city Aldric remembered, but there was nothing he could do about it. Not yet.

Arriving at the palace and was lead up to the ambassador’s wing, where dignitaries and visiting nobles would be housed. Aldric felt it an odd choice, since normally he and his family would be in additional rooms near the king. The rooms might here might be luxurious, but he couldn’t help but see the message his brother had sent by putting his with here instead.

Giving a nod to the messenger, who looked anxious and worried as he turned to rush toward the royal wing of the palace. Sparing the man one last glance, Aldric opened the door and walked in, and then stopped as his eyes fell on his wife, standing by the window, looking radiant in the sunlight that spilled into the room, staring out toward the palace gardens.

She turned as the door opened, and sucked in a breath, freezing for a moment. And then she was across the room, throwing her arms around him and hugging him tight, standing up on her tiptoes.

“My darling,” she said in his ear.

“You got my wyvern.”

“I did, and I came as soon as I got your message. I’ve missed you so much. You’ve been gone far too long.”

He held her back at arms length to look over her, “I know, and I’m so sorry about that. I’m also sorry I won’t be able to spend the time with you I wish. there’ still so much to be done.

Alyssa reached up and gently caressed his cheek, and, looking into his eyes, said, “You look tired, my love.”

“I am. I saw the city as I made my way here, from the docks. How have things gotten so bad?”

“It’s the new laws that Serwyn has been passing. They’ve thrown the entire kingdom into chaos.”

“Yes, I’ve heard about the new decrees. They sound more like Edmund than Serwyn. This smells like him.”

“I know. He always complained about the barons, saying they had too much power. What’s worse, is it’s working. The baronies are in chaos. They even hired new bailiffs, working directly for the crown, and sent them to those holdings that have delayed in reinforcing the new edicts, and the people are blaming their barons for these … thugs. I tried to get in to see Serwyn, but Edmund told me he was too busy to see me. I didn’t press him, wanting to talk to you first.”

“Probably for the best.”

“How bad have things been back home?”

“Bad. The people are angry. I know they still trust and love you, but there have been incidents. People dragged from their homes at night, the barons forced to hold them in jail under the kings’ warrant. It’s worse in Kingsheart, where some of the people have turned to open revolt and several very bloody clashes. Executions are at an all-time high and the jails are overflowing. The barons won’t keep to this much longer. Some will cow but others, I don’t know. I’m very worried, Aldric. If this keeps up, we could have civil war on our hands.”

“Edmund won’t believe it until the day it happens. He’s almost certainly convinced himself that the Barons will bow and allow the crown to reassert its dominance.”

“But why? I know he has a hold on Serwyn for now, but he can’t think that will last forever, and his Duchy is the one hurting the worse. What could he hope to accomplish for himself?”

“I don’t know, and that’s what worries me. He never goes into something like this without a plan, and you and I both know he doesn’t particularly care if Serwyn remains on the throne or not. He always thought he’d be a better king that Gavric, and I doubt he’s changed his mind now.”

“You don’t think he’s planning on …”

“I don’t know,” Aldric said, interrupting her.

They were in private rooms, but the palace walls had ears, and it was best to not discuss things like that too openly. Already, they were walking a fine line.

“He has a plan,” Aldric continued. “Of that, I have no doubt. As to what it is, only he knows.”

“And what do we do? What do our people do?”

“For now, the best we can. I have some plans, but … they will take time.”

Alyssa gave him a look. He knew she wanted to ask him specifics, but she’d spent enough time in court to understand why she couldn’t.

“Good, that’s what I wanted to hear,” she said instead, before changing the subject. “And how is our other nephew faring?”

“He’s doing wonderfully, actually. You would be so proud of how he has grown and come into his own these past months. I’ve seen him show real leadership. He’s got a lot of Gavric in him.”

“Probably a lot of you too,” Alyssa commented.

Aldric waved it away and said, “At first I was hesitant to place too much responsibility on his young shoulders, but he has proven himself ready for more. He’s quick-minded and steadfast. I honestly believe William may possess the potential for great things, if given the opportunity. He has the makings of a fine strategist and commander.”

“I always knew he had potential, regardless of how Edmund treated him. He just needed a chance to show what he could do. Edmund sending him away from the palace, and his meddling, was the biggest favor he could have done the boy. Of course, had he known that, he would have kept him at home, under his thumb.”

“No doubt. I’m glad he did. This is the most time I’ve spent with him since his mother married Edmund, and it makes me realize the mistake I made by waiting so long. Even Pembroke says William has potential.”

“That’s rare praise indeed, coming from Rowan. I didn’t think that curmudgeon liked anyone.”

“He’s not that bad.”

“He is, and you know it.”

“Anyway, Edmund sent someone for me down at the docks, all in a bother, so I suppose I should go see him before he sends guards next.”

“Not before I get some real food in you. You’ve been living off of camp food then fish and hard-bread on the ship. If you have to go do battle with your brother, I’ll see you fattened up first.”

“You’re too good to me,” he said, putting his arms around his wife and pulling her close to him.

“And don’t you forget it,” she said, smiling.

***

Aldric eventually pulled himself away from his wife’s warm embrace to see what his brother wanted. Never one for the capital, he found the place even colder and less inviting than it had been when Gavric was here. Everyone he passed looked either strained or worried. Gone was any sense of joy in the people running the kingdom.

After getting directions, Aldric made his way to the office his brother had set himself up in, not failing to notice how close it was to the king’s quarters. Edmund certainly was keeping everything in very close reach. Turning a corner, he was surprised to find he recognized one of the guards standing outside his brother’s door. Having not spent much time in the capital, Aldric wasn’t familiar with most of the guards. He knew Edmund would switch some out, as all kings, or semi-regents, as Edmund had set himself up to be, tended to do, but he hadn’t expected to see Bramwell.

One of his brother’s functionaries, the last he had heard, the man was still in charge of the duchy guard, stationed in Edmund’s capital. Now, if Aldric was not mistaken, he wore the insignia of the royal palace guard. Clearly Edmund had gone well past tradition in asserting his dominance and control over the Royal household.

Aldric gave the man a nod and reached for the door, the captain managing to knock quickly a beat before Aldric just let himself into the study. It was a petty move, to be sure, barging into Edmund’s study, more like the thing Edmund himself was always doing, but Aldric wanted to remind Edmund he wasn’t some lackey to be ordered around.

His brother’s voice called out from inside just as Aldric opened the door and stepped inside.

His brother, sitting behind a large desk with quill in hand, surrounded by stacks of parchment, looked up as the door opened.

“It’s about time you got here. Your ship docked two hours ago. Did my man not find you?”

“He did, but I’ve been on that ship for a month, Edmund. I wanted to see Alyssa first,” Aldric said, stopping in front of Edmund’s desk, noting the absence of a place for his guest to sit, and folding his arms. “Now, what did you want?”

“I want to know what you’re doing here instead of off winning the war like you’re supposed to,” Edmund said, setting down his quill. “Who’s in charge of the army if you’re here?”

“I left William in charge, with Pembroke and Alistair as his advisors,”

“What?” Edmund said loudly, suddenly sitting up straight. “Have you lost your mind? He’s a child? You’re going to cost us the entire war, leaving that idiot boy in charge.”

“He’s not an idiot, and we agreed I was the best fit for commanding the armies, remember? Unless you’ve picked up a lot of experience in the last six months, I’m going to assume that remains true and appoint whoever I damn well please to command. As to winning the war, that’s precisely why I’m here, because without proper supply, it’s an impossible task. Since you ignored my wyverns, I came to ask you directly about the dramatic drop in supplies being sent to arm and feed my men.”

“You don’t understand what the situation is like here at home, Aldric. Things are too difficult at the moment for us to send more. You aren’t the only one in need of supplies, and unlike others, you have the option of taking the supplies you need from the enemy. Perhaps if you were more concerned with attacking the enemy, you’d have managed to capture enough supplies to feed and arm your men.”

“And why are things so dire here? What’s going on that you can’t spare supplies for the war effort?”

“It’s the barons, Aldric. They’re stirring up trouble, seeing Gavric’s death as an opportunity to gain more power for themselves. Serwyn had to put edicts in place to limit the movement of their paid agitators.”

Aldric rolled his eyes and said, “Don’t treat me like an idiot, Edmund. We both know Serwyn neither thought up nor crafted these edicts. I can recognize your hand in them from a mile away.”

“Of course I helped, as is my right and duty in guiding Serwyn to his destiny as king. But give the boy some credit, Aldric. He was smart enough to see the need for change on his own, once the barons started causing unrest.”

“Unrest that conveniently aligns with your agenda? Come on, Edmund. What’s your play here? You’re not just trying to consolidate power for Serwyn’s sake.”

“My play, dear brother, is to ensure the stability of this kingdom. Something you’re supposed to be doing by bringing the war in Lynese to a quick end, remember?”

“Which barons, precisely, are causing unrest? The first word I heard of problems was commoners reacting to the edicts. What happened before that to warrant their creation? Which barons were stirring up trouble?”

“Now who’s playing the fool, Aldric. You know precisely which barons I’m referring to, considering most of them reside within your own duchy.”

“You have to be joking?”

“Am I?” Edmund said, standing. “We all know that your vassals have always had more loyalty to you than the kingdom, something you’ve never had trouble exploiting before. Unless you wish to become suspect in aiding these traitorous nobles, I suggest you spend less time questioning the measures taken to protect the kingdom and more time focusing on the task at hand.”

“My barons have always been loyal, Edmund. They’ve supported the crown without question, even in the face of your ludicrous demands. Besides, from what I’ve heard, most of the open revolt has been in Kingsheart, not the River Mark.”

“I think you might have missed that the baronies on the Thunderhorn were the first to have large-scale problems. Curious, isn’t it, how that happened just across the river from your own duchy? I also find it curious the number of wyverns flying back and forth between your barons and the army. One might think there was more to it than mere coincidence.”

“What are you implying, Edmund?”

“I would never question your allegiances, dear brother. But your capability? That’s another matter entirely. If you can’t keep your own duchy in order, well...”

“You’d do well to choose your next words carefully,” Aldric warned.

Edmund spread his hands in a placating gesture. “I only relay the words of the crown. You know, it would break Serwyn’s heart to have to attaint his own uncle. But if you can’t keep your house in order, it might not be the only choice.”

“If you’re worried about unrest now, imagine how much worse it would be if you ever tried such a thing. The people of River Mark are loyal to me, Edmund. They would not take kindly to any move against their duke.”

“Then I suggest you fix your barons and get them back under control,” Edmund retorted, sitting back down. “Now, as to your request, the kingdom has no additional supplies to send the army. But if you feel that strongly about it, you’re welcome to fund it from your own coffers.”

“If that’s what I have to do.”

“Since you’ve arrived so late in the season, I assume you plan on taking charge of the forces in Shadowhold over Maw season?”

“Yes,” Aldric bit out.

“Good,” Edmund said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “At least you’ll have managed to do one thing for the benefit of the kingdom. That will be all, then.”

Aldric stared at him for another moment, but Edmund had made a point of picking up his quill and going back to his writing. Aldric turned on his heel and strode from the room, his blood boiling.

***

Sidorian Army Camp, South of Port Belmar, Northern Lynese

“…grows dire. More soldiers are being quarantined by the Disciples, showing early signs of the elder curse.”

The messenger seemed nervous, standing in front of Pembroke and William, whose expression for once matched the sour countenance of the much older Baron.

“How thin is our line?” William asked, trying to not let his annoyance fall too hard on the messenger.

“The center is stretched dangerously thin, my lord. Sir Alistair has already ordered a pullback to our previous positions, but there are significant gaps in our patrols due to the lack of men. The time between our patrols grows longer each day.”

Pembroke cursed under his breath before saying, “Lynese will exploit this weakness given the chance. We cannot afford to lose any more ground.”

William nodded, but didn’t respond to him directly. “What are the Disciples saying?”

“That this is the largest outbreak any of them has heard of, let alone seen. A senior Disciple has requested to quarantine the entire section of the line that went near the village.”

The messenger’s voice fell off as he got near the end of the sentence, Pembroke glaring at him for even suggesting such a thing.

“Absolutely not. We cannot afford to weaken our line any further. Those men are needed to hold the center.”

“No, what we cannot afford is to allow more of our men to fall to this. We can always reclaim lost territory, but only if we still have the men to do it.”

“William,” Pembroke said, dropping into his lecturer voice that, at times William found helpful, but now sounded only patronizing. “You need to remember that …”

“No, you need to remember who was left in charge,” William said, a little more harshly than he intended. “While I appreciate your council, now and forever, the decision is mine to make.”

Pembroke’s jaw clenched, but he remained silent.

William turned back to the messenger and said, “Return to the front line and inform Sir Alistair that he is to pull back to our previous positions immediately. Any soldiers showing signs of illness are to be withdrawn from duty and sent to the Disciples for treatment without delay.”

The messenger nodded, relief evident on his face. “Yes, my lord. And what of reinforcements?”

“No units or reinforcements are to join the center line until further notice. Anyone that entered the village and any soldiers quartered near or working closely with those men is to be pulled back entirely and sent to the Disciples for evaluation and treatment. We cannot risk further spread of the curse.”

“Understood, my lord.” The messenger said, bowing and, after casting one last worried glance at Pembroke, rushing away.

“You don’t understand what you’re doing,” Pembroke said as the messenger walked away. “By pulling back our forces, you’re going to kill our momentum. The enemy will bring in reinforcements and stabilize their line after the losses they suffered on the retreat from the Chisholm.”

William turned on Pembroke, meeting his glare head on, and not flinching. “That’s almost certainly why these curse victims were put here. We fell directly into their trap, in spite of the warning we were given.”

“You know that warning could have easily as been a trick as not.”

“And yet, clearly it wasn’t, and the fact remains that our men are falling ill. Now we know it isn’t a trick, we can’t again pretend like this threat isn’t real.”

“No more that we can pretend that the cost of hesitation in war isn’t real.”

“I seem to remember one of the first lectures I received, from you, after arriving, was to be wary of rushing in headlong. There was something about using my brain and thinking before I acted. That command was about the decisions we made before any actions were taken. Clearly I have done a poor job listening to your advice. Next time, I will be more cognizant of my actions instead of barreling recklessly into a situation, as you advised. I apologize for my error.”

Pembroke’s eyes flashed and his nostrils flared, but still William didn’t back down. This time he was right, and Pembroke had been wrong. If the man was too stubborn or prideful to admit it, then he needed to fix his attitude, and fast.

The baron seemed on the verge of a retort until he glanced around and noticed all of the soldiers and laborers nearby, watching their exchange. Some tried to appear busy with tasks, but their furtive glances betrayed them. William didn’t blame them. If he’d had two superiors fighting next to him, he would have listened to.

The baron looked back to William. He was no less furious, but a flicker of understanding passed between them. In spite of their disagreement, they needed to maintain a united front and, even if Pembroke hadn’t been so much older and experienced, William wasn’t about to cut the legs of someone he needed to work with out from under him. Especially not in front of witnesses. It was one of the things he’d noticed in his uncle and admired about him.

If Pembroke wanted to continue this conversation in a more frank way, they could do it later, in private. Pembroke seemed to understand all of that and gave a barely perceptible nod.

“It was a clever trap,” he ground out, his tone a bit too loud to be entirely natural. “One that any commander could have fallen for, given the circumstances.”

“Thank you for saying so.”

“If you’ll excuse me, my lord, I have matters to attend to,” Pembroke said, casting a last, hard look at William before turning on his heel.