Stalemate | A Rise To Power

𝘑𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘢

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Junia burst into Ulysses' chambers just as he was leaving. He jumped back upon seeing his sister, a startled curse escaping his lips as he narrowly avoided ramming into her. Cloud was at her heels, being inseparable from her ever since she had found the dog again, and she had to nudge the dog aside as she stepped back to give her brother space.

"J一" he began, but didn't have enough time to get anything else out before Junia started talking.

"You can't go," Junia said quickly. "Please, for the love you bear me, don't leave me here. If something happened, I would be in charge and I..."

She tried to swallow. She couldn't be queen. She wasn't even a woman yet. The council would feast on her weakness, and the South was already fragile enough with its senseless lords and greedy councillors.

Kael wouldn't even need to fight his way in, she thought miserably. He could probably buy the whole of the South into submission with little more than some good wine.

"I'll be fine," Ulysses said, pushing her away gently. He didn't look like he had any patience for her, his ginger hair cut into a shorter style to fit his helmet and a stern expression on his face. It was the face of King Ulysses, not Ulysses, her caring brother.

"Please, stay here!" Junia squeaked, fumbling for the right words to make him stay even as she knew it was futile. "I've lost mother, father, Annalee..."

Not you too, she wanted to add, but her voice failed her.

"I'll come back," Ulysses promised. "Stay here with Katana."

According to Ulysses, he had freed her at the insistence of Josiah, who pointed out that they were putting guards on duty for a polite girl who hadn't lifted a finger in the two years she had been locked up for. The dungeon guards often ended up playing cards with her and complaining to Josiah about the injustice of such a young girl being imprisoned. Ulysses' mercy had led to her being released, and so far the worst crime she had committed was swiping some honey cakes from the kitchens while the scullions were looking the other way. Junia had the feeling that Ulysses had freed her with the hope that Katana could replace Annalee, and the thought frustrated her.

"She worked for Kael," Junia said. "And she's a prisoner."

"Even so, I've heard you two have been getting along. She has killed none of ours; gods, Juni, she was just a child during the Southern War! Her only crime was joining Kael's camp to get away from her father."

A flash of the burnt village flashed behind Junia's eyes, and she flinched.

"But she isn't my friend; she just took me on a walk to gossip about all the good-looking servants in Teravardi! It won't be the same. I need you to stay..."

Ulysses' green eyes hardened, and he pushed past her. King Ulysses didn't have time for scared girls. "Juni, I am going. No matter what you say. I'll be back, you'll see. I don't want this to be a big battle." His face thawed for a moment and Junia saw Ulysses, her caring brother, shining through. "I一I have a plan, so just trust me."

Cloud felt Junia's panic and tensed up, snarling at Ulysses. He ignored the dog and kissed her on the forehead before closing the door to his chambers and disappearing down the corridor, his hand resting on the pommel of his longsword. Junia didn't follow him. Instead, she picked up Cloud and stumbled to an arched window in the hall to watch as he jumped onto his horse and spoke to Josiah, most likely ordering him to ride to the barracks and tell the soldiers to mobilise. All around the South, other lords would be doing likewise.