A War Of Traitors( ARTK, Book 2)

Chapter 55

Manor 1st, 3329 A.G

  The chambers had once belonged to Nara's grandparents, then to a traitor- and now they were hers. Though it'd been a few weeks, she'd changed nothing. There were far more important things to worry about. The natural light that poured in through her windows was good for reading, so at least she wouldn't have to go through dozens of candles a month.

  She'd found an old pair of breeches among her things here and immediately took to wearing them, though the council advised against it. She'd once cared about looking like a queen, but now there was nothing she cared about less. While she waited on Tuyon, she twirled the amethyst ring around her finger.

  By the time he answered her summons, she'd begun to impatiently tap the ring against her table. But the knock did come, and he let himself in a moment later.

  "You asked for me?" He stood up straight, knowing what would come.

  "What took so long?" Nara raised an eyebrow. "I am not a friend you can come to whenever you please. I am your queen, and when I summon you I expect-"

  "Forgive me, my queen." Tuyon lowered his head. "I was....occupied."

  "With who?" She said. "Don't answer that. I don't need to know. You were right about one thing, at least. We need to discuss what happens after the war."

  Though Nara planned on letting them rest for a few months, her army had already grown restless. Most sparred daily and took to doing work for House Tomhend so they wouldn't grow fat too, and for that she was grateful. A fat army would do her no good, but a restless one would eventually end up killing eachother. She'd already decided they'd be given specific tasks to do while here so they wouldn't have the chance, but that wasn't why she'd called on Tuyon.

  "Most Kroban widowers from the attack on our true home will eventually remarry. Those with no family or reason to return to their homes may also remarry and wish to stay here." Nara started. Some had already declared that to be their intention, saying they'd want to be close to their queen's home even after the war was over.

Tuyon sat across from Nara. "Should that be the case there... are more than enough young and unmarried women on the continent who are stuck in the old ways."

Nara grimaced. In the older centuries, one would ordinarily marry one of their first three suitors. She'd hoped it wouldn't turn out to be the case with her soldiers, that they'd all find someone for love- but that was as likely as every commanding house in the world declaring their daughters the heirs. This was just the way things were done, and it would not change in Nara's lifetime.

Nara nodded. "Indeed there are. Now, I wish for us to-"

Nara stopped herself, listening as footsteps made their way down the hall- towards the door Tuyon had left open.

When Andre stepped in front of the door with a box, a guard by his side- her heart dropped. Andre'd face had fallen. He'd seen something.

"Come in." Nara gestured. "What is the matter?"

Andre took his time making it to the table, and he did not dare be comfortable enough to sit. Instead he placed the box down, stepped back, and only made eye contact once as he spoke. "A..... messenger from Dedor arrived just a few hundred moments ago. He's being fed and given rest as any messenger would but....."

"Andre." Nara said, her expressions serious. "What's happened?"

"I am.... sorry. I did not know her well or for long..... but she seemed like someone I could have been friends with." Andre stared at the floor again, deciding to take his leave so he wouldn't be in the way when she found out.

Frustrated, Nara slowly unclasped the box's top and peered inside.

The scream that came out of her then was almost inhuman. Ferdrar's people hadn't even bothered to wrap the head, so she was hit with the smell of a body that'd rotted and then cooled rapidly once it crossed into colder waters. The head could only be a few weeks off from turning into a night skeleton's- but Nara could not think of that. Her own rage blinded her, and she screamed again. And again, and again- all while Tuyon tried and failed to be comforting.

  Down the hallway, it made Renard look up from his reading. Not a moment later he was up, and just a few after that he was in Nara's chambers. "What's-"

  He cut himself off after stepping just close enough to see inside the box. Then, he didn't know what to say. He hadn't been Nara's...... husband nearly as long as Aises was a mother figure, but like Tuyon- he did know it wouldn't end well for anyone involved.

He reached for the sealed scroll next to Aises's head, all while trying not to look at it. After breaking it, his eyes slowly went dark.

  I told you. I told you and I bet you didn't believe me. But Mi'lady, a Raynerus does not make threats. We make promises. Remember that. Never forget it, and know this:

I will kill you eventually for what you did to Esabell.

  Dedor has their rightful king now.

No- Renard thought. Tiffan would pay. No one was going to kill his wife.

  He kneeled down next to her, forcing her to look at him. "They will pay. Every single person involved in the attack. Every single person who had knowledge of what was going to happen to Aises. Ferdrar Amalone for betraying you."

Nara removed Renard's hands from her face. "And how will this happen? With our army of seven thousand against their seventy?"

  Renard tried to speak, but she cut him off.

  "No, they will not pay yet- I'm not sending my people to a slaughter, but when we do make them pay our army will have grown so large that they could not hope to fight us and win. First... we could cut off her supply. Her toys will run out of fuel eventually."