Voyage of War

Chapter 16

Camilla has been walking for half a day and still there seems to be no sign of the dense trees giving way for a city. Lucinda had done as much as to give her the general direction in which she can go and would probably find Aevan. It was hard to find the will to keep moving, there seemed to be no movement around her as if something had sapped all the life out of her surroundings, like a darkness creeping through the land. She found that she was no longer afraid of Shadows for they would barely be able to sense her, the flame burning in every other living being that is fuelled by happiness and hope has been extinguished within her. She moved forward going against every fibre of her being that is screaming at her to just give up, to sink down onto the ground and to let nature take her into it's arms.

                        *   *   *

Despite her misgivings Queen Adira had set off with her army to meet Balthazar at the Pantano swamp, leaving Didier to hold the fort in the city. The kingdom would after all be in no immediate danger with the battle taking place in the Deis Realm. She coukd only hope that the troops form Casima would arrive in time to back them up. She trusts that Didier would inform them of the plan.

Queen Adira poured over maps in her tent, it shook gently with the snores of the Gaints flanking it. She has 5000 riders, enough to defend and then retreat to the border of the Deis Realm where hopefully the troops from Casima will join them and keep up a better defence, with the fresher men in front.She'll have the Gaints take up the rear, she fears that the brutality and violence of the battlefield would make them regret their decision to help. If they choose to leave she would not stop them, she did not make them swear the oath for the simple reason that when they decided to return to their ways they'll not be under any obligation to violate them any further. Queen Adira can only hope that everythig runs smoothly and everything else will go as it must.

                       *   *   *

Didier stood watching thousands of men spill onto the docks from three ships each twice the size of the one that had embarked with Princess Sybil aboard. He never thought that he would live to experience a ful fledged war, what more to have a roll in it.

Didier felt terribly under dressed umong the high ranking Generals. He had difficulty covering his doubt about these men dressed and proud like peacocks. He wonders if they had so much as witnessed a hanging.

Didier stood at the top of the long table leaning forward with his hands on the table.
"Queen Adira asked me to sincerely apologize for her absence and further more that I must relay your orders." Didier hopes that his doubts and nervousness doesn't start to shine through.
"Where is this Queen of yours that has the audacity to summon armies here and then have a mere servant give orders!" A voice booms.
"Queen Adira is currently over seeing and taking part in the battle to percede yours," Didier makes sure to say this hard enough without shouting," and I'm no mere servant. I'm a friend of the Queen and further more a skilled sorcerer." Didier continues calmly scanning the Generald reactions.
"Dressed like a..."
Having found the person that acted disrespectful to Queen Adira, Didier flicks his wrist to bind and gag the perpetrator.
"Anybody else?" Didier scan the room, having found a sense of confidence in the shocked faces.
"Good. Down to businesses. Queen Adira has led an army of 5000 riders and two Giants to Pantano swamp to meet with Balthazar. Unfortunately these are no soldiers and most are poor folk from Secor. They are only there to collect enough ground trolls to keep the Blood fairies at bay. Before battle they will retreat and join you on the border of the Deis Realm. Any further information concerning formation will them be given by Queen Adira. At least a thousand foot soldiers and one of you must stay to protect the city in case anything goes wrong or a portion of the enimy breaks off and heads this way.Any unclarities?"
"Gaints? Ground trolls and most importantly Blood fairies?"
Didier sighs and sits down for a lengthy discussion.

Didier had watched the foreign men sat out with a map. The remaining men are currently being updated on their posts and duties. He hoped they wouldn't be needed because in the case of an invasion they'd turn to him for orders. He would have no idee what to do.

                       *   *   *

"Everything is going to plan. The battle can begin at dawn and the Shadows have their final orders. They won't know what hit them." Balthazar lets out a low scratchy laugh.
"Excelent." Alphira turns to a small hand mirror."And the other Dwarfs are ready?"
"Yes, we're only a days walk away from Casima."
"The dragon?"
"Will come when summoned and obey every order."
"Good, by tomorrow night we'll have the entire Pelgrima on it's knees and no ine will know what hit them." Alphira lets out a screeching laugh.

                        *   *   *
"Ced!" Ced turns to see Princess Sybil runnig his way.
He wonders if she had forgiven him already but on closer inspection he saw destress on face.
"What's wrong?"
"I have reason to believe the kingdom is under threat." Princess Sybil pants when reaching him.
"What do you mean?"
"Drakar overheard a conversation about a possible invasion." She grabs his arm to implant her haste.
"We must inform my father."
"I've tried he won't listen and Cayman is to worried about the wedding."
"Rather to incompetent to recognize a threat even if it bites him in the but." Ced grabs Princess Sybil'd hand and starts to pull her into the direction of spiral staircase.
"Who did he over hear?"
Princess Sybil gives the description as acuratly as she can remember.
"But where are we going? What are we going to do?"
"A tousand enimies are better than one within. I know who you're talking about and we're going to get rid of her."

Before they reached yhwir destination they crashed into Prince Cayman, who's eyes immediately zoomed in on their interlocked hands.
"How dare you..." He begins but his angered tantrum gets cut off when Ced pushes him aside.
"Not now Cayman."
Not put off by Ced's abrupt dismissal he follows.
"Not even married yet and already getting cozy with your brother-in-law."
"And not even the decency to let go or feel guilt once caught."
"Outrageous."
"It seems he's more angry about his bruised pride than the actual act itself." Princes Sybil whispers above Prince Cayman's raving.
"Scandals are a part of their dayly lives. Bragging about affairs and never getting caught."
Princess Sybil is to stunned to notice Ced excluding himself and looks over her shoulder at a livid Prince Cayman.

They find Lady Alphira in the library where she spent most of her time reading and rereading the few books.
"I want you out." Ced jumps right to the point, his bluntness seems to have shocked even Cayman out of his raving.
"What?!" Lady Alphira asks getting up from her chair.
"You have over stayed your welcome."
"Now Cedric listen here..." Prince Cayman steps closer to Ced.
"Stay out of this Cayman."
"You can't go ordering people around. You're not even royalty anymore. You're a filthy pirate whom had forgotten his place." Prince Cayman spits in Ced's face.
"A filhy pirate with more loyalty, honour and skill that you'll ever have." Ced turns to Prince Cayman, Lady Alphira seemingly forgotten.
"This is not the time..." Princess Sybil tries to stand between them but gets pushed behing Ced with one swipe.
"Go one tell me more about your honour. Taking another man's bride."
The brothers glare at eachother, with Princess Sybil helplessly watching whilst Lady Alphira takes her chance to slip away unnoticed. Unfortunately she doesn't get any further than a man with a black cape covering his face and an arm extended by a sword.
"Focus Cedric." These two simple words noting higher than a whisper seem to echo off the walls and stun everyone back to reality.
"Yes. Yes." Ced seems to remember his enitial intentions in coming here."I may not have the power to imprison you but I can have you thrown out. The guards may know my new status," Ced glares at Prince Cayman,"but the maids don't and this gentleman most certainly doesn't care who I am."
"I'm curious as to what story you want to tell our father about this?"
"He needn't know and it is most fortunate that you're here." Ced smiles a malicious smile that makes Prince Cayman shrink away.
"What are you planning?"
"We'll have the city evacuated and secured in no time won't we Cayman?"
This is the real pirate talking. Princess Sybil hasn't ever seen this side, not even when he had had them as prisoners. She is only to grateful that she had missed her chance at meeting Ced the Pirate Captain.