Heir of Iron

Chapter 25: Navran

(The image above is of the city of Jaipur. Originally found here: http://www.konakonakotak.com/jaipur/1319)

The pavilion that Thudra mounted on the field north of Virnas kept the white, smothering sunlight off of their heads. It did not help with the nervousness twisting in Navran's gut. He stood very still and did not wring his hands, and he kept his expression stony serious. So far, it seemed to have worked. Mandhi seemed to credit him with a goat-headed, stoic stubbornness, which didn't make her treat him better, but it kept her anxious enough to not appear too confident before Thudra.

Thudra stood on the north side of the pavilion, looking to the north and tugging at the corners of his mustache. Mandhi and Navran were guarded within a curtained corner, separated from the militia captains and other advisors by a thin, transparent curtain. A lone soldier guarded them behind the curtain. It was a man that Navran recognized from when he played dice. He filed this thought for later.

A man in green approached from the east, surrounded by a coterie of soldiers. Thudra's gaze flitted from the messenger in the east to the empty road from the north. "What does Sadja want now?" he snapped at the advisor standing next to him.

"I don't know," the advisor answered dryly.

"I'm beginning to regret letting him camp on the east field," Thudra glanced back at Navran and sniffed. "Well, the courier is almost here. And where is the response from Ruyam?"

"I don't know that either."

The man bearing Sadja's emblems bowed at the edge of the pavilion and was admitted with a gesture from Thudra. Navran glanced back at Mandhi, standing at the rear of the tent with Paidacha's daughter Kalishni in her arms. She, too, watched the Sadja's messenger, and gave Navran a sly glare. She hadn't spoken to him since he had revealed himself to Thudra in the prison, which Navran guessed was for the best. She wouldn't have liked the plan if she knew it.

Truth be told, it wasn't a very good plan. If Thudra had detained Paidacha in secret, or Paidacha hadn't gotten his message to Sadja, or if Sadja hadn't agreed to it, then the whole effort was lost.

"Thudra-dar of Virnas," the messenger began, "Sadja-dar of Davrakhanda sends his regards and his warnings. He has learned that you have seized the Heir of Manjur and intend to turn him over to Ruyam."

Thudra folded his arms and said nothing. The messenger went on. "Sadja-dar warns you, if you do these things then he will strike against you, destroy the militia of Virnas, and seize the city for himself."

At this, Thudra snorted and gestured for the emissary to be quiet. "How does Sadja-dar plan to do this? My militia still holds the city."

The emissary responded with a slight expression of apprehension, "Thudra-dar, forgive your servant, but Sadja-dar will not hesitate to strike against your pavilion directly and hold you for ransom against the city."

"Will Sadja-dar take on the imperial guard, too?" he asked. "Ruyam's forces will be here within a few hours. I'll simply retreat with them."

"And then the city will be his to take. If you wish to remain king of Virnas, you will not turn over the Heir of Manjur to his enemies."

"And if I don't turn the Heir of Manjur over to his enemies, I still lose the city to the Uluriya, it seems to me. Tell Sadja that his threats are meaningless and that he is no longer welcome on my lands. Ruyam and I will see to the rest."

"As you wish, my lord," the emissary said, and bowed. He backed out of the pavilion and walked quickly over the rise to the east, towards Sadja's tents.

So far so good, Navran thought. But the riskiest part of the plan was yet to come.

Thudra stroked his beard and glanced back at the city. "Chalika," he said to the captain at the front of the pavilion, "send a man to the city and tell half the garrison to accompany me on the fields. Have them take up positions around the pavilion."