Nobart, Nanon

  I came out of the carriage a few moments later. On the other side of the gorge, Olfric and the men who had helped him flee were gone.

  Several men were lying on the ground next to the carriage the brothers had hid inside, sobbing and moaning in pain, while the rest tended to them. The tang of blood filled the air.

  Moore was quickly at my side. “Three men are dead, Sire. Another will not make it either.”

  I looked at the unconscious soldier. A deep stab to the gut.

  “Ironfeld’s men?”

  “All four dead or dying.”

  Just my luck.

  “The Lieutenant?”

  He pointed to the young man sitting on the ground, barely above twenty. He was looking listlessly at his hand, covered in a blood soaked bandage.

  “Lost part of his hand,” Moore explained.

  I faced the young man. “What is your name, Lieutenant?”

  He turned tear-filled eyes toward me. “Sigvald, my lord.”

  “You were very brave and judicious, Sigvald. Had it not been for you, both traitors to the county would have gotten away.”

  He nodded, stifling a sob.

  I put a hand on his shoulder. “The perpetrators will face justice. You must stay strong for your and your comrades’ sake.”

  “I- I’m useless, my lord. I won’t be able to hold a weapon ever again.”

  I looked him in the eyes. “So anyone who can’t wield a weapon is useless?”

  That gave him pause.

  “There are plenty of other roles you can fill,” I said softly. “Roles for whom I need loyal and smart men, such as you.”

  Some light came back to his eyes, and he nodded weakly.

  We put the injured and the dead on the cousins’ carriage and took them back to Falkenheim with us.

  Thankfully for my poor back, we were not in a hurry this time, so it took us five hours to reach the capital.

  Close to Falkenheim, my escort tensed up and slowed down.

  “What is it?” I asked, peering out of my carriage.

  Moore pointed to a column of soldiers. A mixed force of riders and footmen marching towards the city.

  The wind came to our rescue, as it fluttered their banner for everyone to see. The Crown’s eagle. The hundred additional men Laira had sent to support me had arrived.

  Our convoy entered the castle courtyard alongside them, where Lady Erenna, Reshma, Isanna and Elric were already waiting.

  I informed them about the brothers’ flight and Gunter’s death at Olfric’s hands, eliciting gasps of disbelief from Jack’s mother and sister.

  “Something’s not right, ” I said, looking pointedly at Reshma. “Why would the Ironfelds escalate stakes by directly attacking our people?”

  “Mercenaries don’t count as your people,” she explained, “so the Ironfelds can be more ruthless. Nonetheless, it is still troubling. Going against the future Prince Consort like that is very bold for a mere Count.”

  I pointed to a secluded area and she reluctantly followed.

  “Gunter called me an impostor and said Olfric figured it out,” I whispered in her ear.

  Her eyes went wide. “Did he?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  She bit her lower lip. “It doesn’t matter, if he can convince the right people.”

  I struggled to keep my voice calm. “Convince them of what? My memory loss is real.”

  She shook her head. “Won’t matter. Convince enough people with power and your position is threatened.”

  “Why would the Ironfelds protect him and risk the Crown’s wrath? Do you think they have Stormhaven’s backing?”

  “I don’t see how they can be so bold without Ducal backing. I must inform Laira of this.”

  I nodded as she turned and left me in a hurry.

  Stormhaven hiring mercenaries and now Ironfeld getting this bold. The worst case scenario was rebellion. But how could one Duke rise against the other three and hope to win? Even if Duke Grauberg was in cahoots with him, it would not be a guaranteed victory.

  I met with the commander of the new force Laira had sent, while my mind remained on the storm that was brewing in Ironfeld and Stormhaven.

  The moment the meeting ended, Reshma pulled me toward her chambers. I followed her like a lamb.

  Once inside, she locked the door.

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  “Strip,” she said sharply.

  I grimaced. “I’m not really in shape for any kind of fun.”

  Her scowl would have made a neanderthal jealous. “Now.”

  I tried to remove my brigandine, but bending that much was beyond me, unless I wanted to dance with pain.

  “I thought so,” she said coldly, and began removing it herself. The forceful way she undid the straps clearly conveyed her mood.

  Our faces got close at one point, but she didn’t so much as glance at me.

  Once my brigandine and shirt were off, she shoved me toward the bed.

  “Lie on your stomach,” she ordered.

  I obeyed.

  My skin tingled as she poured some sort of oil on my back.

  Then she straddled my legs and began spreading the oil and massaging it into my back. Slender fingers and palms dug between muscles, rubbing out knots of pain.

  “Oooohhh, that is nice,” I moaned from the sheets. “What brought this out?”

  “You were twitching every time you moved. You are no good to anyone if you can’t even turn without pain. Not when people might question who you are, and when Laira needs you the most.”

  “So this is maintenance?”

  “Yes,” she whispered. “If you break, everything you are trying to build will break with you.”

  “Thanks, Reshu.”

  She leaned forward to smack the back of my head. “Don’t use that name! I’m still mad at you.”

  I gave up and let her perform her magic.

  Once finished, I tried to grab her hand, but she gracefully slid away from my grasp and left the room.

  I let exhaustion claim me, right there.

  We all met in the evening; the dining hall filled with aroma of curried mutton, fresh bread and roasted vegetables.

  I addressed the mercenary captain, recently arrived from his patrol. “Your men were very courageous and judicious, Sir Godwin. It speaks highly of your judgment.”

  He bowed slightly, his scars even more prominent in the dim candle light. “You’re too kind, my lord.”

  “What are your plans for the injured?”

  “We take care of our own,” he said promptly.

  That probably meant finding some job for the invalids. That young man would be wasted.

  “What about the maimed Lieutenant?”

  He was considering his answer when I interrupted him. “I would like to take him into my service.”

  He hesitated a moment before speaking. “He won’t be able to wield a weapon anymore.”

  “I need more than just warriors. Loyal, courageous and wise men are a rare commodity. Here,” I extended a pouch, which looked tiny in his massive hands.

  “Ten gold crowns, for the men’s bravery. Half for them and half for equipping your force. To keep them safe”

  He pocketed it and bowed. “That’s very generous of you, my lord.”

  “I’m only rewarding loyalty,” I said, studying him.

  Two hundred veterans would make an excellent core for the new military of Nobart. I also knew the right opportunity to test them.

  I turned to Moore. “How are Blackrain’s defenses?”

  “Sire?”

  “What would it take to capture the town back with force?”

  “It had a palisade and a garrison of twenty-four guards under us. The Ironfelds should have increased that significantly.”

  “Let’s assume they have quadrupled it. A force of four hundred could still take it, right?”

  “Yes. At significant cost.”

  “You can not command the royal forces in that manner,” Reshma interjected from a chair away, her voice still cold. “That signals the Crown’s backing.”

  “I thought I had it.”

  “They were sent to defend you and safeguard your lands, my lord, not attack others.”

  “Blackrain is part of my land. Ask the Queen to tell these fuckers to hand Olfric back, and to state that they are endangering the entire realm’s security by not giving back the town.”

  She studied me for a moment. “You truly need that town?”

  I nodded.

  “It is the closest major source of iron and coal to Chadom, and has a large waterfall nearby. My weapon production will be much slower without it.”

  She reluctantly nodded. “If you use force, it won’t cost just men. You would be cementing enmity between the two counties, which Nobart can’t afford at the moment.”

  “They have already ruined relations by harboring that snake. Attacking them is not my first choice, but I am not going to be a doormat either. They will keep escalating if they don’t face any repercussions for their actions.

  “Once Laira approves, we’ll send them a letter saying they can either give Blackrain and Olfric back, calling it a minor misunderstanding, and we all forget about it. Otherwise, I take both back by force.”

  She reluctantly nodded.

  We finished the dinner in silence.

  The next morning, I convened the meeting that had been interrupted by the cousins.

  Sitting on comfortable chairs of the meeting chamber, Elric and Moore exchanged nervous glances, while Jack’s mother kept glancing at me.

  “While I am absent, the county will be governed by a council.”

  “You want us to rule in your stead?” Elric asked.

  “Govern. There is a massive difference. There will be policies and laws that will guide your actions. You may not deviate from them willy-nilly. ”

  Elric let out a breath. “With respect, Sire. That is not how noble authority functions. Power flows downward, from the lord,”

  “And collapses without him, which is happening all throughout our county at the moment.”

  Jack’s mother inclined her head in acknowledgment.

  “You three will be the Stewards of the county in my absence. Elric will provide administrative acumen, Moore, military leadership and my mother, legitimacy. A perfect trifecta to take care of the land and its people.”

  “It is an honor to be considered for such a position, Sire, but I already have duties that take all my time,” Moore said. Elric's expression conveyed the same sentiment.

  “Point me to other people who are just as capable and trustworthy, then,” I asked.

  No one answered.

  “Look for capable and loyal underlings, no matter their station, and gradually delegate part of your responsibilities to them.”

  I shushed them before words left their mouths. “That is not a suggestion, but an order. Seriously, delegate. Also, I’m not abandoning you; I will be visiting at least thrice a year, or more, so I won't be completely absent.”

  Elric leaned forward. “Councils imply shared authority, Sire. Shared authority invites challenge.”

  “Good,” I said, “Authority needs challenge, just like your mind or muscles. They all weaken without it.”

  That resulted in long drawn breaths.

  Reshma, sitting to the side, commented, “That is a very dangerous sentiment to voice among nobles.”

  “Which is why I am doing it here, behind stone walls, with people I trust.”

  Jack’s mother spoke. “Do you intend to extend this beyond us?”

  I met her gaze. “Yes. To the baronies. To any domain where there is no clear ruler, disputed succession, or gross incompetence.”

  “You would be accused of dismantling hereditary rule,” Elric said carefully, as if playing with a bomb.

  I raised a finger. “Only unaccountable, ineffective rule. One that undermines peace and order.”

  “If we appoint the council members, the vassals will revolt,” his voice rising in pitch. “They will call us puppeteers.”

  I raised a hand to calm him. “We will not. There will be a vote. Their own vassals will decide who is chosen to the council. Minor nobles and Guild elders, with the clergy as observers.”

  “It will lead to widespread corruption! People will just buy votes with bribes,” he protested.

  “Sadly, yes. That’s just human nature, but better that than someone like Gunter ruling with absolute power. Unlike an autocrat, council members can be kicked out without all-out war. Also, we will retain the right to veto an appointee if we find him unsuitable.”

  Moore’s voice hardened. “You are replacing the certainty of hierarchy with chaos.”

  “You call it certain, I call it brittle,” I pointed to the map of our county. “I want something more flexible to take its place in times of need.”

  Silence fell again. Heavier this time.

  Elric rubbed his temples. “Sire, the nobles will see this as an existential threat.”

  “It’s an emergency measure.” For now. “We will be very clear about that.”

  I knew I was treading in dangerous waters, but the time to introduce it had arrived. The chaotic political landscape of Nobart was a fertile ground for change. I would not get such a chance that easily.

  “If it fails,” Jack’s mother interjected. “You will be remembered as the man who taught the commoners to question their betters.”

  Betters. I almost laughed.

  “Then let’s get to work and build a system that succeeds.”

  This one idea I would bring to this world, .

  

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