A War Of Traitors( ARTK, Book 2)

Chapter 74

Juhna 14th, 3329 A.G

  Nara stood in front of Avelina's old half-length mirror, frustration giving way to anger. The air had warmed up enough to completely melt the snow- and yet it was not the chambers of House Alymere she slept in now. She buttoned her breeches and slipped the tunic over her head, knowing she'd regret it later. The arms were not exposed, and it was that sort of warm this year- however rare it was for the continent. She pushed the sleeves up to her elbows then checked to see if her sword was secured( it was).

  Nara did not protest when one of the elder female soldiers that served as her handmaiden offered to put her hair up. It'd started to grow far too long for her liking, but she knew she'd regret cutting it the rest of the year- when it snowed again. It took over an hour of her time- but the siege had gone on for an entire month, and she was a queen. The others would wait as long as her absence commanded it.

  In the hallway, countless bowed as she passed. She did not think she looked like a queen in that moment, but it clearly didn't matter to them. She was the queen they'd chosen- and not because she followed people's expectations of how one should act. It was almost always the exact opposite- from stabbing a traitor with child in the stomach, to telling Lord Emerson it still wasn't too late to surrender.

"Our deal still holds." She'd said yesterday, calling to him from the ground while he stood on top of the main gate. "Have your guards open that, kneel- and you will get to see your children grow up."

""You are growing desperate." He'd smiled. "It's not a good look on you, my usurper."

"And hiding behind walls to put off the inevitable is not a good look on you, mi'lord." Nara raised an eyebrow. "Tell me, when your children take their revenge on Andre- or me, for killing you- how old will they be? Fifteen and eleven? Twenty and sixteen? If it's the latter, I won't feel guilt for a single moment over their deaths. Would it not be easier to save them the trouble of doing something stupid and getting themselves killed?"

"Possibly." Lord Emerson had nodded. "But then I wouldn't get to see the look on your face when I do something stupid and out a sword through you."

Nara's face had fallen then. They were with at least a hundred soldiers each- which for him, made up half of the soldiers he had. There were plenty of witnesses to his words, and he was one to keep his promises.

  Still, she continued to give him a chance. He was an intelligent man. Eventually...... he'd realize that the siege was pointless. He had to.......

  The doors to the army house's war room had been left propped open- with two guards standing outside. Nara walked through, coming face to face with her entire council. Andre, Imania, Ysmen, Renard, Maude, Tuyon.... even uwen.

  Nara looked around for only a moment before standing at the table's head. The room hadn't been used for it's original purpose in two hundred years, nor to discuss trade disputes in almost ten. The table had been melted into the floor- positioned in front of the largest window to allow light on maps and strategy books.

  They already had some old war ones open, though from the way Renard rubbed his forehead it wasn't going well. Nara looked around his shoulder and down, joining him in his reading.

  Though it it not uncommon for one- especially a king, to go through a war without mercy, things were different with King Jesper Ashhand . He.....

  Nara stopped reading after a single paragraph. She'd heard it all before- to the point she believed there genuinely was not a single word written of king Jesper that she had no knowledge of.

  She closed the book, and Renard lifted his head.

  "It's been over a month." Nara said. "These books will not help us now. We have more barrel bombs than anyone's seen since the Great War. We should use them to destroy their walls."

"We should- " Tuyon agreed. "But you won't allow it because you know innocents will die. Too many have homes close to the walls. A few in the way is one thing- but hundreds... cannot be forgiven. And you understand better than anyone... people can only be pushed so far before their support waivers."

Nara looked down. She didn't want him to be, but he was right. Without the people's support, that was all for nothing. Her rule would fade away the moment she left, and she would be known as a mad queen instead of a just one.

Renard followed her gaze to the map of House Alymere, eyes darting from wall to wall- building to building. It'd been years since an updated one was made, but other than the addition of some commoner's homes- it was all the same. Every gate, every wall tower, entrance to the main home- were there.

And yet it told them nothing. Renard frowned. "There has to be another way in. Houses of this size are never impenetrable. There's always some....hidden passages or..... a smaller stone gate on one of the walls....."

Maude gulped, and she could not help it when her face fell then. When Nara looked up- it was the first thing she noticed.

"You know something." Her eyes narrowed. "Where did you disappear to when we first came here?"

"My Queen I....." Maude paused. "I made a promise to a friend of mine. That I.... would not betray him. I can keep my promise to him and you.... If you do not ask something that forces me to......"

"You're right- I am your queen." Nara said,stepping around the table. "And as your queen, my commands trump any promises you've made to your friend. So what is it you know?"

Maude was silent again.

"Do not make me give a true command-"

"Renard was right." Maude interrupted. "I.... I know a way in."